BATTLE FOR STARS

“Alright then, we’ll take our leave for today,” Belina said. Although the issue hadn’t been resolved, at least the Emperor had given a timeframe, which meant her objective was partially achieved. She stood up and said her farewells, leaving the rest of the matches for the Emperor to enjoy alone.

“Very well. Don’t forget to collect your slaves—plenty of people would be happy to take them if you don’t,” Emperor Hogan added. He had always honored his bets, and to the ruler of an entire empire, two thousand slaves meant very little.

Belina and Ding Yufei departed the gladiator arena in their own hover car. Since they had been escorted earlier by someone assigned by the general, Saad had not accompanied them today. Now that they knew the matter wouldn’t be resolved anytime soon, they decided to take some time to rest.

“Zhou Weiyang, are there many cyborgs here?” Ding Yufei asked, finally voicing the question that had been on his mind. When they were alone, he reverted to calling Belina by her Earth name.

“There are quite a few. Many soldiers end up becoming cyborgs as a last resort,” Belina replied, her expression turning slightly somber. “But with the development of synthetic materials, you usually can’t tell them apart from normal humans just by appearance.”

“Shouldn’t a lot of them be tall, bulky, and extremely strong?”

In Ding Yufei’s mind, if parts of the body could be replaced, they could be upgraded into powerful biomechanical forms—just like the striking and formidable figures often depicted in Earth’s sci-fi stories.

“That kind exists, yes. If only the brain and spinal nerves can be preserved, then a nanomechanical body is the best option for a soldier.”

“Soldiers? Don’t others choose that kind of body?” Ding Yufei asked curiously.

“Very few. Most cyborgs don’t want to be recognized as such,” Belina said.

“Why?”

“Because cyborgs are not considered ‘complete’ humans,” she explained. “The human body is the result of millions of years of evolution. When the brain makes decisions, it’s actually the combined result of the body and countless biochemical reactions within it. Cyborgs lose many of those organs. No matter how advanced technology becomes, it can’t fully replicate a living human system.”

“It’s like the eunuchs in your history,” she added. “They only lost a single organ, yet their mindset often differed significantly from normal people. Cyborgs lose far more. Even though artificial organs can replicate most functions, there’s still a gap. That’s why many people are reluctant to associate closely with them.”

“Can’t you create a cyborg that’s completely identical to a normal human?” Ding Yufei asked.

“No. They can be very close now—much closer than those eunuchs you mentioned—but not identical. Most organs can eventually be restored through cloning. Here, as long as the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and reproductive organs function normally, a person is basically considered whole.”

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Belina said, lowering her voice slightly. “Saad is actually a cyborg. Years ago, he lost most of his body in a war. After being saved, he had to become one. Parts of his body are still biomechanical, which gives him greater strength and reaction speed than ordinary people—that’s why he’s assigned to security work. But now, he’s almost indistinguishable from a normal human. You didn’t notice, did you?”

She gestured, indicating that from his chest down, much of Saad’s body was artificial.

“I didn’t notice at all.” Ding Yufei suddenly thought of something. “Then… that part can also be cloned?” He glanced down at himself.

Belina laughed. “Of course. That’s a very important part of the human body. Without it, they really would be like eunuchs.”

“True… Then if organs can be cloned, couldn’t the rest of the body be cloned too? Couldn’t you just create a whole person?” Ding Yufei asked.

“First, you’d need complete biological data and embryonic cells of that person. Second, cloning the rest of the body is no easier than cloning organs—and the cost is astronomical. Across the galaxy, only a few specialized institutions can even attempt it. So almost no cyborg chooses full-body cloning.”

“Then… do cyborgs live longer than normal humans?” Ding Yufei asked. In his view, replacing organs with newer ones might extend lifespan.

“No,” Belina shook her head. “Even if cloned organs don’t suffer rejection, the body has already undergone severe trauma. Besides, current technology already allows natural organs to remain functional for a very long time. The real limiting factor is the brain. We can slow down the aging of brain cells, but only to a degree. Eventually, the brain will still die.”

“With technology this advanced, you still can’t achieve immortality?” Ding Yufei asked.

“Immortality?” Belina smiled. “For carbon-based life, continuation comes through reproduction and evolution. If evolution stops, that form of life is nearing its end. Death is part of evolution—it makes renewal possible.”

“Our biotechnology has already altered many aspects of evolution,” she continued, “but death is embedded in every cell. It’s like understanding all the laws of the universe—does that mean you can stop the universe from ending? We still don’t fully understand life itself. But one thing is certain: immortality is impossible for carbon-based beings. Extending life to several hundred years is already the limit.”

“That makes sense,” Ding Yufei nodded. Then another thought struck him. “But if you can clone organs, why not clone a brain?”

“Do you think a cloned brain would be identical to yours?” Belina asked. “From the moment a fertilized egg begins developing, the brain is constantly shaped by external stimuli. Those continuous experiences and responses are what make your brain uniquely yours.”

“So even if you clone a brain using your own cells, it won’t be the same as your current one. And can you transfer all your knowledge, memories, and experiences into it? We may understand a lot about the human brain, but we still haven’t uncovered all its secrets.”