Chapter 289 Illusion of Immortality
Kiba and Ashlyn listened to Pythia's statements about humanity's fascination with immortality and everlasting youth.
"Immortality would mean eternal life, being exempt from death, and unending existence," Kiba said with a sigh. "As such, Immortality is against the natural order of the universe and thus impossible."
Pythia was obviously right about the lust the humans held for a long lifespan. After all, from ages unknown, humans have deep-seated fears and comprehension of their own mortality.
The era of evolution began in 1900, but even before that, the humans in the ancient kingdoms and empires invested heavily to discover ways to extend lifespan.
Not only the political and science class but even religions greatly focused on immortality. Epic books and sacred texts of almost all religion promised immortality and salvation to those who show goodness and follow the teachings of the god.
The fright of propagandized hell in the folklore and the fear of the unknown after death made even the bravest man tremble in the final moments of life.
It was due to this fear that the alchemy was created.
Alchemists of the past dedicated their life to create the elixir of life and the philosopher's stone in order to achieve immortality. They believed that through the application of alchemical processes, the physical body can be maintained through Infinity, not dying by any natural diseases, only finding an end through physical destruction of the body. It sounded good in theory but there were no actual means to achieve the desired effect.
In the current era where the technology had advanced beyond belief, the focus is more on biological immortality.
In simple words, biological immortality was the absence of aging. By using genetical engineering, scientists tried to create the absence of a sustained increase in the rate of mortality. The cells in the body would not experience aging, and this, in turn, would ensure they would not be bound by factors that restrict cell growth and division. This ensured that an individual could live as long as lifeforce doesn't run out or killed. Additionally, progress was made on creating symbiotes that could increase the life force. As such, this was not true immortality but a good method for life extension.
Regenerative medicines and cloning technology was another method. Defective organs could be either healed through medicines, or replaced with new ones by cloning them. Modified stem cells and growth factors associated with vitality were often used for organ regeneration. The use of bioreactors further increased the viability of this method.
Then there were extreme methods to achieve humanity's eternal dream. This included cybernetics and digital immortality.
The first meant transforming a human into a cyborg. It can include brain implants or extracting a human processing unit and placing it in a robotic life-support system. The knowledge from the alien world has resulted in significant progress in cybernetics. There are more than ten thousand cyborgs around the globe who were actually humans living past their natural lifespan.
Digital immortality was storing the personality of an individual in a digital medium such as a memory chip or a supercomputer. Even if the body and mind die, the personality would remain forever as long as the memory storage isn't destroyed.
Then there was suspended animation through cryogenic chambers but it was just a method of delaying the inevitable. Years ago, the foreign lifeforms he freed in BSE79 belonged to this category.
As of now, the humans have discovered more than a hundred means which they believe can help them achieve immortality. Of course, the progress in the individual methods was far from the ideal stage. Though the heavy investment by the World Government, Revolutionaries, and other organizations would definitely result in more progress in the coming years.
"Immortality through those means is no true immortality," Kiba said aloud. "But then again, for those who are truly desperate, it is a far better alternative than death."
"You are right about that," Pythia agreed with him. "That's why the legacies from Celestial Elysium Plane matters. As you already know, that world was far advanced and powerful than ours. The difference is so vast that our evolved world doesn't deserve a comparison..."
"Yet Celestial Elysium Plane was destroyed," Kiba interjected in between and cut through her sweet illusions. "The only traces of that world is the meteorites. Yes, many lifeforms have survived and still live on, but they are nowhere near being true immortal. So, you are only fooling yourself if you think those supreme lifeforms have left behind legacies related to immortality."
Ashlyn looked at Kiba. She was aware he knew about meteorites than most mutants in the forest. She recalled his conversation with the serpent who called itself as Immortal Devouring Serpent and yet died under his hands.
"No, you are wrong," Pythia disagreed with Kiba by shaking her head. "The lifeforms you speak of might be nowhere near immortality but I'm talking about the true echelons of that world. They did come across misfortune before they could achieve immortality but they were definitely close to gaining eternal life."
Kiba contemplated her words in silence. He believed there were great chances she could be right.
After all, what he said was based on his limited experience in BSE79 expedition. There were more than a thousand meteorites on Earth itself so there was no way for him to know the true limits of Celestial Elysium Plane.
"I'm glad you are not claiming to know everything, "Pythia said with a smile. "Having an open mind and agreeing to learn new things is the sign of a smart man."
Kiba: "..."
Pythia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The swells of her breasts pumped out as her chest rose with the breathing.
Kiba silently observed the soft landing of her cleavage. Her olive skin was shining with temptation that was spellbinding.
Her curves were hidden but just the outside was a sight to behold and he just wanted to wrap his face between them.
He felt a truly smart man would never let an opportunity for checking out a gorgeous woman slide.
She hinted he was smart so he brought his vision back on her face the moment her eyes opened. His serious, pondering expression didn't leave behind a single clue on what his eyes were feasting a moment before.
Pythia opened her mouth and let out a misty breath. The breath turned into a rosy fog, and soon, enveloped the entire room.
"Let me show you the types of immortalities they discovered."