Offer your allegiance to Chaos!

And in a blank mind, a long-hidden question gradually surfaced, reaching her superficial level of thinking.

——Why don't you face up to your own desire for that child?

Chapter 19 The Story of a Fertilized Egg

Desire, desire, what kind of desire do I have for that child?

Serena's memories can't help but come back to a long time ago, it was 16 years ago, and it was the first time she, Hemo and Ashe met.

To be precise, it was to witness Ashe's birth.

At that time, she and Hemo had just graduated from the medical department of Central Columbia University, and had only been in Rhine Life for two years. They were only the most junior researchers. project, but it is still just an ordinary middle class of Rhine Life.

But for some reason, one day suddenly, the supreme leader in charge of the entire Rhine Life Laboratory, the "General Administration", crossed several levels and directly issued a top-secret project to the two of them.

She still remembered the uneasy feeling when she and Hemo stepped into the office of the governor for the first time, and the curiosity in her heart when she first saw the metal bottle in the governor's hand that was still giving off a slight air-conditioning.

"From now on, you are the person in charge of this project." The chief administrator had a mysterious smile on his face, "You have to take good care of this child."

Yes, the project center given to them by the governor, that is, the metal bottle, contained Ai Xi—to be precise, a fertilized egg of Ai Xi being pregnant.

Serena and Hemo didn't know where the fertilized egg came from, why it was so valued by the governor, and why it was suddenly handed over to them to be in charge. At first, they just regarded it as a major mission. An opportunity to rise to the top, a further certification on the road of truth, they took this task with great importance.

Then, there is a long, ten-month incubation process.

This is a major challenge, because the governor pointed out that the fertilized egg cannot be turned into a baby through the surrogate pregnancy of the human womb, but must be conceived in the laboratory by purely scientific means, that is, the real baby. "Test Tube Babies".

Rhine Life is not without research in this area, but until Sereya and Hemer took over related projects, there was no real success. How to simulate the uterine environment, how to prepare nutrient solution, how to deal with microscopic flora, one after another Technical difficulties await Saria and Hemer.

Although the general governor opened up almost all relevant technical information to them, and allowed them to deploy all personnel and resources to serve this project, they still passed through ten difficult months and hardly had a good night's sleep. He never took a step out of the Rhine life, and threw himself into the ocean of laboratories and data volumes.

During the period, there were several incidents that threatened the life of the baby embryo—because even after dealing with all the above-mentioned technical difficulties, Sereya and Hemer still collapsed and discovered that the baby's gene itself was extremely flawed, There are a variety of rare congenital diseases, in the human womb, 100% will die prematurely.

It's no wonder that the governor doesn't let them put fertilized eggs into human wombs for cultivation. With Rhine Life's technical level, it's impossible to treat a baby's embryo through the mother's body.

It was an extremely dark day. Her and Hemer's eyes were bloodshot all the time, and the watch on their hands was directly connected to the baby's vital signs instrument. As long as there was any abnormal symptom, it would make a beeping sound. Alert them, let them put down everything at hand, and run to the laboratory, so that after Ashe was born, for many years, both she and Hemer had a great psychological shadow on the sound of "didi".

But fortunately, after countless difficult days and nights, overcoming countless technical difficulties, and ten months of survival, the baby who entrusted all the hardships and hopes of her and Hemer was finally born on a winter day. In the early morning, after leaving the nutrient solution, in the air of the sterile room, he opened his eyes for the first time.

To this day, Serena can hardly forget her feelings at that moment.

Those are such clear eyes.

The whole world seemed to be brightened because of him.

She didn't cry, because she had forgotten to cry, she could only stare blankly at those smart eyes, her extremely exhausted body had lost all strength, and she just slumped on the chair, and what followed was like a soul He also got out of his body, leaving only that child in the whole world.

What kind of mood is that?

Sereya always thinks of a sentence she once read in the relevant technical materials of test-tube babies. It was a criticism of test-tube technology based on a moral standpoint. It said that the significance of pregnancy in October to babies and mothers is not just biological. In terms of learning, and more in terms of humanism, it is precisely in the hardships and pains of pregnancy in October, amid repeated morning sickness, staggering forward with a big belly, and the great pain of the baby breaking free from the womb. The first bond of love is established between the mother and the child after rest every day, the trance of stroking the lower abdomen when dreaming back at midnight, and hearing the baby cry at the moment of extreme weakness after giving birth. She has a desperate desire to protect and even sacrifice, but through artificial surrogate pregnancy or laboratory cultivation, the mother loses the sense of reality of childbearing, has a certain natural alienation from the baby, and even abandons it easily. The growth of babies, the establishment of family relationships, and the stability of society as a whole are all fatal.

The position and value of this passage are not to be disputed for the time being, but Seliya feels that at that moment, she has personally experienced the bond of love brought about by pain. During the ten long months of hardship, this child It brought her unimaginable troubles, but it also placed all her hopes. Although she didn't have the physical pain of being pregnant in October, she was more pure than a real mother in terms of spiritual transformation.

Yes, from that moment on, hearing little Ashe cry, Saria fell in love with him, like every parent in the world.

At that moment, "Ash" was no longer the code name of a project, nor was it the code name of an experimental subject. He had become a living person, a child...her and Hemo's child.

At least in the beginning, it was pure love like this.

But when did this love begin to deteriorate?

"咚咚-"

Suddenly, Serena, who was immersed in memories, was awakened by a knock on the door from behind. It was Ashe's voice: "Seriya? Are you still there?"

Serena suddenly realized that she had been in the bedroom for almost 10 minutes, but she was still wearing the pajamas. She hurriedly unbuttoned it, and was about to change quickly, but when she looked up, she saw the person in the mirror again At that moment, for some reason, there was an inexplicable impulse that made her stop what she was doing.

"……come in."

As if she wasn't speaking in her own voice, Saria maintained the posture of unbuttoning her two-button pajamas, and opened the door with her backhand.

Chapter 20 Headquarters

am I crazy?

The moment the words came out and the door opened, Seliya realized what stupid thing she had done, her mind went blank, but it was too late, she could only freeze in place, not daring to move , waiting for the judgment to come.

Her mind was full of Ashe's possible reaction next, and she appeared in front of his eyes with this shameless dress, what would he think?Recalling her crazy behavior seven years ago again, completely marking her as a "pervert"?Or……

But something unexpected happened. Even though the door was opened, Ashe outside the door did not push the door in. He did not make a sound for a long time, and after a long while, he asked softly: "Why don't I wait a little longer ?”

"...Okay." Serena's mind was blank, and she subconsciously grabbed the last straw. She let out a long breath when the sound of footsteps gradually receding outside the door fell, and sat down on the ground almost limply. .

She was simply possessed... She had mixed feelings in her heart, and she couldn't find the mood she had when she said those words before. What was she thinking at that moment?Really crazy?Or is it overwhelmed by desire?

And why didn't Ashe come in?Did he guess something was wrong from the tone of her words?Did he understand what she was thinking now by virtue of the feeling of telepathy?

In the confusion of thoughts, Seliya finally didn't forget to change her clothes this time. She took off her pajamas as quickly as possible, and didn't even dare to look at the perfect figure in the mirror. She took out the casual clothes from the closet After putting it on, he left the bedroom as if fleeing.

In the living room, Ashe was still sitting on the sofa. He didn't know how many cups of tea had been refilled, and he was still sipping silently.

At this time, Serena's mood finally calmed down, she sat in front of Ashe, and also brought tea.

There was a familiar silence between the two of them again.

Ashe's mood at this time is also very delicate, he understands that he just pushed Serena too hard, the most important thing in interpersonal communication is to relax, so he didn't take the initiative to speak this time, waiting for Serena's initiative .

After about 5 minutes, Serena finally spoke: "During this period... let's not discuss that matter, shall we?"

Ashe nodded, and changed the subject at the speed of light: "Let's talk about the business. In this way, we each take a step back. I won't mention that matter, and you don't need to clarify what the Balrog is. At least talk about Iraq About Fleet's childhood, I can't go back to Rhodes Island without even getting this bit of information."

"Okay." Serena was silent for a while, and understood that it was impossible to completely hide it from Ashe, she sighed, and said, "Ifrit... In terms of origin alone, she is actually the same as you."

"Same as me?" Ashe was startled, and frowned: "She is also a project directly handed over to you by the governor? In the form of a fertilized egg?"

Serena nodded.

As a result, Ashe frowned even tighter.

Regarding his birth in this life, Ashe has always been one of the few questions hidden in his heart. When he was a child, Hemer told him that he was personally entrusted by the governor in the form of a fertilized egg. For them, but since it is a normal fertilized egg, there must be a provider of sperm and egg. Who are his biological parents?And why did it fall into the hands of the governor?Why did the governor specially hand over to Hemo and Serea to hatch him?These kinds of questions are all questions that Ashe is extremely curious about.

But helplessly, the general manager is the highest leader of Rhine Life, and as a mere experimental subject, he has no right to confront her face-to-face and ask her where he came from—he can't even get out of the sterile room most of the time. Not to mention the Governor's Office.

Of course, in Ashe's memory, apart from the TV and photos, he had seen the governor once when he was very young.

It was when he was just one year old, and Hemo and Serena threw a small birthday party for him. Halfway through, the governor opened the door uninvited, and looked at him with great interest. Circled, touched his little head that had just grown hair, then turned and left without saying a word, as if it was really just a whim and a chance to look.

But just this meeting, she left a very deep impression on Ashe.

That was a woman... completely different from all the women Ashe had seen in her past and present lives.

Aside, Saria's narration continued as Ashe recalled the glimpse from many years ago.

Indeed, just like Ashe's birth, the governor was still in her office, delivering the metal bottle that was still emitting air-conditioning to Hemer and Saria.

At that time, it hadn't been long since Ashe fled, and it was difficult for Hemer and Seriya to wonder why the governor still trusted them, and where did these two consecutive fertilized eggs come from?

In addition, at that time, both Hemer and Saria had great resistance to this task - Ashe had devoted all of their efforts, and it had also brought them great trauma. They did not Conceive and raise another child.

But in the face of their doubts and resistance, the general manager just smiled and said nothing, did not tell any truth, only said that the fertilized egg was handed over to them, how to deal with it is their freedom, if they don't want to carry out this project, throw it into the Trash cans are okay too.

The two had no choice but to take the metal bottle, and it was impossible to throw it away as the governor said, so they had to temporarily seal it up.

And it will be three months later when she decides to open it... Serena didn't talk much about it, it probably involves some subtle changes in the relationship between her and Hemo, and Ashe didn't ask too much.

Compared with Ashe's birth, Ifrit's pregnancy in October was not so difficult. After all, the technical difficulties had been overcome, and the project team also had experience, so everything went smoothly.

After hearing this, Ashe couldn't bear it after all, and interrupted Saria's narration.

"Well, since they are all fertilized eggs brought out by the governor, is it possible for Ifrit..." He hesitated, organizing his words.

"You are not related by blood." Serena saw what he wanted to ask at a glance, and shook her head: "In the beginning, we were also curious whether the two of you came from the same mother body. When we first opened the storage container, it was also I want to verify this, but the results of the sampling are very clear. There is no patrilineal or matrilineal blood relationship between you... In fact, it became clearer after Ifrit was born. After all, even the race is different. You are Filin and she is Saka Here it is."

"Oh." Ashe nodded, and he was already prepared for this result, after all, the racial characteristics are hard evidence.

But this problem was solved, but it made the previous doubts more serious.

"So, where did the governor get my and Ifrit's fertilized eggs?"

Chapter 21 Two Telephones

"As for the source of the fertilized eggs, Hemer and I tried to ask the general manager more than once, but we didn't get any results."

Serena hesitated for a moment, and said: "Even after that incident, before I resigned from Rhine Life, I came to the office of the governor in full armor and confronted her, but she didn't reveal anything..."

"Wait, you're going to confront the commander-in-chief?" Ashe was startled, and interrupted her words: "Are you crazy? Even if you are the director of the defense department, no matter how strong you are, you can't face the defense of the entire Rhine Life The system and possible hole cards—”

"Okay, don't worry, I'm sitting in front of you safely." Seliya shook her head and said, "I haven't been to the point where I've been dazzled by anger, confronting her is just a deterrent , so that Rhine Life will stop making trouble for Hemo and Ifrit, and there was no fight in the end."

"Then what did you talk to the governor about?" Ashe was curious.

However, this time, Serena just shook her head and didn't speak. Obviously, in her opinion, this information already belongs to the category that cannot be told to Ashe.

"Well, at least I guess, the reason why you and her can sit together and talk safely is that she has given you some kind of condition that can satisfy you."

Ashe was not discouraged, and analyzed on her own: "It must be the same if you don't chase Hemo and Ifrit, and besides that, depending on your choice of chasing all the way to Rhodes Island, she may give you a choice." Some kind of hope that can cure or at least alleviate Ifrit’s condition, right? Otherwise, with your character, it’s impossible to rush to Hemer’s side before you find a way to cure Ifrit.”

"..." Serena fell silent, and looked at Ashe with extremely complicated eyes for a while, without shaking her head.

This is the default.

As for Ashe's analysis, that's the end of it. The information is too limited. The information about Ifrit in his hand is only a few words and a few medical reports from Rhodes Island. How can it be possible to infer too many things.

He could only sigh: "Okay, then I can at least help you? How about treating me as a tool?"

"I want to see Ifrit as soon as possible." This time, Serena didn't stay silent anymore, her eyes became slightly firmer, and the serious expression familiar to outsiders returned to her face: "Of course, I'm hiding it Hemer's premise."

Ashe didn't reply immediately, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

Serena's premise is very interesting. Since there is hope of curing Ifrit, why hide it from Hemo?Just because of the gap left by the previous breakup?No, Hemo is a calm person. As long as Ifrit can be cured, she will never act emotionally. Even if she wished to kill Serena, she would endure it.

There is only one answer, that is, the hope of healing, or the method, is likely to be unacceptable to Hemer, or it has crossed the moral bottom line, or there is a great risk, or other more complicated and subtle reasons.

But Ashe didn't delve into it, just like the promised "tool man", he nodded quickly: "I see, when? Where?"

"The sooner the better, it can be in this hotel, or Rhodes Island, as long as Hemer and I don't run into each other."

"I'm afraid the hotel is impossible. Rhodes Island is not well-guarded, but it is impossible for me to secretly bring out a critically ill patient under the eyes of Kelsey and the doctor." Ashe shook her head: "I still need you Go to the island first. Don’t worry too much about colliding with Hemer. Rhodes Island is very big and there are many people. As long as you don’t go to work immediately, the dormitory is not arranged in the area of ​​the medical department. It's hard to meet the first-line work and rest."

"Sure enough, we still have to go to the island first..." Serena sighed lightly, but still nodded: "Understood, I will contact the doctor as soon as possible."

Ai Xi wanted to say something more, but the phone on his waist vibrated suddenly. He was taken aback, took out the phone and looked at the screen, and there was a call from Hemo.

Seeing Ashe's face, Saria instantly understood who the caller was. Her expression also became tense, and she subconsciously looked towards the door.

"Don't worry, I'm coming after I'm ready, and she can't follow along."

Ashe waved her hand and stood up: "But to be on the safe side, I'd better go to the bathroom to pick it up, so that she doesn't hear your voice."

Saria opened her mouth, feeling the urge to stop Ashe. After all, she hadn't heard Hemer's voice for a long time, and wanted to hear him finish the call, but rationality restrained her, and she nodded silently. nodded.

When Ashe's figure disappeared into the bathroom, with the last sound of the door closing, the huge hotel living room fell into deathly silence again.

Serena sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling, a little inexplicably absent-minded.

Maybe it's because of guilt... In the conversation just now, she concealed too much from Ashe, whether it was the content of the conversation with the governor, or the deal she made with the governor.

In fact, for a moment, looking at Ashe's unblinking and focused eyes, she would have the urge to tell him all the truth - in this world, this child is the only object she can trust, Perhaps it would be a better choice to tell him all that he was carrying.

But when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them abruptly.

What kind of state of mind is that?

Just like an old father, even if he is suffering from illness, he does not want to show a little vulnerability in front of his child. When he sees the terminal illness notice signed by the doctor, he will only silently put it in his arms and bring this secret to life. At the last moment, I don't want to tell the child, let him experience powerless despair together.

What a ridiculous stubbornness.

But only those who have really had children will understand this stubbornness.

Serena exhaled a long breath, and closed her eyes wearily.

And at this moment, the cell phone in her arms suddenly rang.

Her expression suddenly became serious, Serena got up abruptly, walked to the bedroom, locked the door, took out her mobile phone, and connected to the number called [General Administration].

"Have you reached Longmen yet?"

This is a mature female voice with a lazy, slightly hoarse voice as if she just woke up: "Did you meet a cute kitten?"

The astonishing words that came straight to the point knocked back Seliya's full of words, and replaced them with great shock. Her tone was sharp and sharp: "What do you mean? What kind of cat?"

--what happened?Could it be that the governor knew that the child was on Rhodes Island from the very beginning? !