How are Zerg made?

Chapter 4: Brain · Chapter 4: Brain · With the problem of cohesion resolved, the number of The Replicants surged with exponential madness. · ...Two... Four... Eight... Sixteen... · This growth in population was accompanied by the unlocking of a multitude of "shackles," which in turn further stimulated The Organism, driving it to replicate and divide into even more of its kind. · As the number of clustered Replicants reached a critical threshold, The Organism underwent a fundamental transformation. · "I... I am Professor Hogu." · The Organism—now Professor Hogu—finally possessed a clear sense of self, fully emerging from the nebulous state that had previously shrouded its consciousness. · At the same time, he had to accept the reality of his existence: he had become a "single-cell organism cluster consciousness." · "No, perhaps I am merely an entity that has inherited the memories of the human named 'Professor Hogu'..." · He did not dwell on this for long. After all, cogito, ergo sum; only by existing in the present could he truly ponder such fantastical notions. · Currently, there was an even more pressing problem that demanded his attention. · It was the viral gene segment implanted into the DNA of this single-cell cluster by the temperate phage. · A temperate phage is still a phage, after all—it is no benevolent neighbor, even if it is labeled "temperate." · What is a phage? It is a virus that specializes in infecting and invading microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, algae, actinomycetes, or spirochetes—a true terror of the microbial world. · However, unlike virulent phages, the response cycle of a temperate phage is significantly longer. · It is much like the difference between a slow-acting poison and a fast-acting one; a slow poison is no less toxic or lethal—it simply takes longer to reach its conclusion. · Even more fatally, as the single cells divide, the temperate phage infects the resulting Replicants. In other words, the single-cell cluster that Professor Hogu now inhabits is already entirely infected. · Once the temperate phage enters its final lytic cycle, it will mean the end of the single-cell colony that hosts Professor Hogu. · And it goes without saying what would happen to Professor Hogu if he were to lose his host. · So, what should I do? This question hung before Professor Hogu, drawing him into deep contemplation. · Bacteria and viruses are essentially the same thing—life forms with amino acids as their base structure; they simply have different survival modes... · A gene chain is like a magnetic tape in a recorder; it can only fulfill its intended function when connected as a whole... · "Though it is complicated, it is the only viable path." · Emerging from his deep meditation, Professor Hogu conceived a crude, laborious method: using DNA Unwinding to gradually screen for and isolate that specific gene segment responsible for replicating the phage. · But before that, he needed to make some preparations. · First, he had to choose an experimental subject. Rather than selecting one of the single cells within his current host cluster, Professor Hogu commanded one of the outermost Replicants to divide and create a sub-cell. · Once this Replicant had divided, he directed it to adhere closely to the main cluster of single-cell organisms. · He began the DNA Unwinding process on this experimental sub-cell, his consciousness focused intently, observing every detail, afraid to miss a single shift. · Next came partial Genetic Transcription, starting from the gene segment responsible for replicating the protein structure and expanding toward both ends. · "Be careful... be careful... I must be even more cautious..." Professor Hogu warned himself repeatedly in his mind. If the incomplete fragments transcribed formed a virulent phage, it would be extremely dangerous for him. · The first replication began. After producing the protein structure that could act as a bridge, only useless proteins were created. Although they docked with the tail of the transcribed phage, the resulting shape was merely a fuzzy, hollow sphere—nothing like a proper phage shell. · From this, Professor Hogu determined that one end of the gene chain belonged to the DNA of the single-cell cluster he currently inhabited, allowing him to focus his attention on the other end. · The second replication began. This time, it successfully transcribed, but only the outer shell of the phage was formed; no phage genes were replicated. · Professor Hogu was not discouraged. Experimentation requires patience—a fundamental trait for any scientist, to whom a decade of unchanging, repetitive work is the norm. · The third replication began. The bases of the single gene chain spontaneously sought out their partners to complete themselves. As amino acids gathered to form proteins, the phage finally took a recognizable shape. · Three scaffold-like tails, connected to a rocket-shaped protein container—this was precisely the shell of the temperate phage. · The transcription continued. This time, the amino acids combined in a form completely different from before, creating single strands that independently completed their base-pair combinations and inserted themselves into the phage shell. · Professor Hogu knew he had found the gene segment he had spent such great effort to locate. · However, before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the following events made him tense again; his greatest fear had come to pass. · The strand currently undergoing replication did not stop transcribing phage genes. The number of phages within the sub-cell increased continuously, the DNA single strand spiraling into a frenzy, transcribing genes and manufacturing phages at any cost. · Clearly, these were virulent phages—the most threatening type of phage to Professor Hogu. · He could roughly guess what had happened: the phage gene replication remained incomplete, and it was precisely this incompleteness that had caused the temperate phage to transform into a virulent one. · Given the current trajectory, these virulent phages would eventually burst the cell membrane from the inside out, then infect other single-cell organisms, repeating the cycle of "infection-replication-rupture." · And the first to be struck would be the single-cell cluster Professor Hogu was inhabiting. · Fortunately, he had prepared safety measures in case the experiment went awry. · "Get away from us." · Professor Hogu issued the command to the sub-cell that had not formed a connection with the main cluster. · This sub-cell, now filled with phages, immediately detached from the cluster. Riding the surges of force moving through the darkness, it rapidly distanced itself from Professor Hogu and vanished from sight. · Professor Hogu was not idle, either; he utilized those same surges of force to move rapidly in the opposite direction. · After some time, having traveled a distance he could not measure, Professor Hogu deemed himself secure and finally brought the single-cell cluster to a halt. · But the matter was far from over. Everything up to this point had been about gathering information to pave the way for the next step. · Professor Hogu locked his target onto a sub-cell of a single-cell cluster. · Next, he would perform "surgery" to save himself. · [END]