Beyond Earth

The year was 2137, an age of highly advanced technology.

Compared to the 21st century, two things had changed the most.

The first was genetic technology, which humanity had discovered and begun studying in the early 19th century. Since the middle of the 21st century, it had seen several major breakthroughs in quick succession.

Each breakthrough had brought humanity enormous benefits.

Hereditary diseases had been all but eradicated.

Terminal illnesses had become far less common!

The number of terminal illnesses that threatened human life had fallen from more than four hundred in the 21st century to just twenty-six in the 22nd.

Well, provided you had money.

Take the basic physical capabilities of the human body, for example.

Even among ordinary people, the fundamental traits humans gained through hereditary improvements—speed, strength, and lifespan—had increased by more than ten percent.

The improvements brought by various gene potions were even more astonishing.

The second development was that the nations' enthusiasm for space exploration had also borne fruit.

Nearly a century ago, the United Federation Zone, European Federation Zone, Russian Federation Zone, and Huaya Zone had each announced that they had discovered extraterrestrial intelligent life and made contact with it. They had also attempted to communicate to some extent.

As a result, some of the technological problems that had long plagued humanity were solved in a sudden wave of breakthroughs. But an invasion by extraterrestrial intelligence had come as well.

An invasion.

Fortunately, there had been no shortage of wary and wise people among humanity.

The extraterrestrial invasion had been held back beyond Earth, but it had not ended. The Blue Star Alliance was formed as a result, and humanity's Gene Great Era officially began in 2037.

The Gene Aptitude Test had emerged under these circumstances.

Humans enhanced by gene potions saw enormous improvements in every area, sometimes even undergoing qualitative changes.

Gene Warriors on the extraterrestrial battlefield had dazzled. Often, a single powerful Gene Warrior could decide the outcome of a battle and change the course of a campaign.

Humans enhanced by gene potions were better at research and faster at specialized manufacturing.

Even pilots, whether flying fighter jets or spacecraft, became more skilled and faster, and could withstand longer periods of intense operation.

The Gene Great Era had arrived.

After nearly a century of research and continual refinement, humanity had gained a deeper understanding of its own nature and how gene potions worked with the human body.

That was what had led to the Gene Aptitude Test Xu Tui now faced.

As the homeroom teacher had said, exam scores were merely an entry ticket. More importantly, the test motivated students and pushed them to reach their potential.

Hard work and perseverance would make your genes better.

After the college entrance exams, students who met the Gene Admission Line would receive either a D-grade or C-grade Gene Composite Chain Allele Potion, depending on their scores. That was its scientific name.

Its common name was the Gene Liberation Potion.

According to the official information Xu Tui had received, the human genome possessed naturally stable chains and was highly stable. Strengthening, mutation, and evolution all required vast stretches of time to develop gradually.

But the Gene Composite Chain Allele Potion could safely undo this stability, then use various methods to strengthen, mutate, and even evolve existing genes in a short period.

Humans who took the Gene Composite Chain Allele Potion were called Gene Liberators.

It was worth noting that the Gene Composite Chain Allele Potion, or Gene Liberation Potion, came in grades ranging from E to A, with enormous differences in efficacy.

E-grade was the weakest, while A-grade was the strongest.

However, A- and B-grade Gene Liberation Potions were extremely rare. Supposedly, only the military and the Gene Research Institute had access to them, and their distribution was strictly controlled.

The most widely available on the market was the E-grade Gene Liberation Potion. D- and C-grade Gene Liberation Potions were also available.

But they came at a pretty price.

There were two main differences between E-, D-, and C-grade Gene Liberation Potions. The first was the genome-collapse rate.

The second was the number of gene liberation points.

With the E-grade Gene Liberation Potion, there was a one-in-two-hundred chance of the human genome collapsing.

A genome collapse meant instant death. No rescue effort could help!

The genome-collapse rate was one in five hundred for the D-grade Gene Liberation Potion, and one in a thousand for the C-grade!

Of the E- to A-grade potions, the C-grade Gene Liberation Potion had the lowest mortality rate.

It was a little like gambling with your life. The odds weren't all that high, and as long as your luck wasn't terrible, you could become a Gene Liberator.

But the second difference wasn't something luck could make up for.

It was a gap that would be almost impossible to bridge for the rest of your life.

In the setting sun, Xu Tui glanced back at Jincheng Ninth High School, which most students called purgatory, and squeezed onto the Maglev Bus home.

Thanks to advances in technology, maglev technology—which had been expensive and heavily restricted a century ago—had developed rapidly. It had now become the key to keeping cities from grinding to a halt.

Just over half an hour later, Xu Tui had barely stepped out of the elevator when he heard voices outside his door.

They belonged to Aunt Ma from downstairs and his father, Xu Jianguo.

"Hey, Lao Xu, how did your kid do on the college entrance exams? Mine didn't do well, but at least he made the Gene Admission Line."

His father, Xu Jianguo, was a fairly mild-mannered man. Xu Tui had just reached the door when he heard him answer.

"Let's not talk about it. My kid didn't do too well either."

"Didn't do well? What score did he get?" Aunt Ma pressed.

"Anyway, not well." His father shook his head and started to close the door.

Aunt Ma hurriedly held it open and asked, "Even if he didn't do well, he must have gotten some kind of score. How much was it?"

"Jinbu's back."

Xu Tui's father spotted him and called out.

Right, Jinbu was Xu Tui's childhood nickname.

"Oh, Jinbu's back?"

Aunt Ma hurriedly reached out toward Xu Tui. "Your dad says you didn't do well. What score did you get?

"Don't tell me you didn't even make the Gene Admission Line.

"My kid was cutting it close, but at least he made the Gene Admission Line."

Xu Tui sidestepped her, holding back his retort for now, and looked at his father.

As his father always said, good relations with the neighbors mattered too.

A hand suddenly shot through the crack in the door, grabbed Xu Tui's ear, and hauled him inside as his mother scolded him.

"You little brat! You only got 604 points. You barely scraped past the Dual Excellence Line. Is this how I raised you?"

"Mom, that hurts! Easy!"

As Xu Tui was dragged inside by his mother, Aunt Ma's face froze. She stood there in a daze.

"Uh, see you, Sister Ma. I'd better go make dinner."

His father gave an awkward smile and closed the door.

Outside, Aunt Ma stared for a moment, then clicked her tongue. "Hmph! So what if he made the Dual Excellence Line? What's there to show off about?"

Inside, his mother planted her hands on her hips and glared at his father. "You're always worrying about sparing other people's feelings. Jinbu earned that score fair and square. He didn't cheat. Why can't you say it?"

"I just didn't want to make her feel bad."

"If she felt bad, then you—"

"Mom, I'm going to take a shower!"

Seeing that the usual bickering was about to start, Xu Tui hurriedly made his escape before he got caught in the crossfire.

"There's food in the pot. I'll go check on it!"

His battle-tested father made his own escape into the kitchen.

Dinner was a single plate of red-braised pork, a dish of bright green stir-fried lettuce, and a big bowl of noodles drizzled with hot oil, their rich aroma filling the air.

Three boiled eggs sat in Xu Tui's bowl, touched with a little of the noodles' spicy red oil. His mouth watered at the sight.

They were meant to replenish the energy he had used up.

"Eat up."

After slurping down his meal, Xu Tui wiped his oily mouth and rubbed his satisfied belly.

"Dad, this is the informed consent form for the risks involved in taking the Gene Liberation Potion tomorrow, along with the accident insurance form. You have to sign and add your fingerprint. I need to turn them in tomorrow." Xu Tui took out a sheet of paper.

His father didn't read the form. He glanced at his mother, Zhang Xiuli, whose expression was just as grave, then looked back at Xu Tui.

"Jinbu, you made the Dual Excellence Line, but there's still a one-in-a-thousand chance of dying when you take the Gene Liberation Potion tomorrow. In reality, the death rate is a little higher than that.

"Are you afraid?"

Xu Tui first nodded, then shook his head.

"Last year, 230,000 students in Jincheng Prefecture qualified to take the Gene Liberation Potion, and more than four hundred suffered an immediate genome collapse while taking it.

"Everyone thinks misfortune won't befall them, but when it does, it's too late to do anything.

"Jinbu, if you're afraid, or don't want to do this, or feel uneasy about it, just say so.

"I can refuse to sign this informed consent form.

"Your prospects would be limited, but the three of us would still have more than enough to live on."

As he spoke, Xu Jianguo pushed the informed consent form back in front of Xu Tui. He left the insurance form alone.

"Jinbu, your future is yours to decide!"

Although his father's standing at home tended to rise and fall, whenever they discussed something serious, his mother, Zhang Xiuli, stayed quiet and never interrupted.

Xu Tui looked at the informed consent form in front of him, then suddenly turned toward the window.

"Dad, the TV says extraterrestrial intelligent life has been invading us for almost a century. I want to see what they look like."

After taking a deep breath, Xu Tui had made up his mind. He pushed the informed consent form back in front of his father, Xu Jianguo.

"Dad, if I get the chance, I want to see what lies beyond Earth!"

His mother, Zhang Xiuli, pursed her lips, worry filling her eyes.

A one-in-a-thousand death rate didn't look high, but for the person it happened to, death was certain. How could parents not worry?

Xu Jianguo looked at his wife, then at his son, Xu Tui. He picked up a pen and swiftly signed his name on the informed consent form. Then he took his wife's hand and pressed her finger to it, adding her fingerprint too!

His father stood abruptly and solemnly handed the risk acknowledgment form to Xu Tui.

"Xu Tui, from today onward, your future is yours to decide. But you must always remember one thing."

"In your mom and dad's eyes, as long as you're safe, healthy, and full of life, that's all that matters!"

Xu Tui nodded vigorously.

His mother, Zhang Xiuli, started crying before she could say a word.

"Mom, don't worry. I made the Dual Excellence Line, so I won't just be using a C-grade Gene Liberation Potion with a lower death rate. I'll also get a Gene Activation Stabilization Potion that cuts the death rate in half!

"My chance of dying might only be one in two hundred thousand."

"Is that really how you reassure someone?" His father, Xu Jianguo, glared at him as his wife cried even harder.

"Honestly, with that blunt personality of yours, I wonder if you'll ever find a girlfriend!

"Or make us grandparents?"

His father had plenty of experience with situations like this.

As soon as he deployed his masterful subject-changing technique, Zhang Xiuli stopped crying and started planning Xu Tui's future instead.

"People are being encouraged to have children these days. Jinbu, before you graduate, you'd better make us grandparents."

Xu Tui fled in disarray.

"Mom, we had three times our normal training today. I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed early."

"That boy..." Zhang Xiuli was a little dissatisfied.

"Don't forget your evening lesson," Xu Jianguo reminded him.

"I've been doing it for ages, Dad!"

Back in his little room, Xu Tui brushed his teeth, then spent a few minutes scrolling through his friends' posts on his Personal Communicator. Almost all of them were updates from classmates.

As soon as five minutes were up, Xu Tui turned off his Personal Communicator.

For a high school student, managing his time well was very important.

Then Xu Tui took off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, and sat cross-legged. He closed his eyes, breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, and relaxed his whole body. Within minutes, he entered a state of tranquil meditation.

His father, Xu Jianguo, had taught him this evening meditation when he was little and made sure he kept it up.

The main reason Xu Tui had stuck with it was that meditation helped him relax quickly and fall asleep fast.

Especially when he was little and got so excited after watching an action anime that he couldn't sleep,

or when he watched a horror movie and was too scared to sleep all night.

By the time morning came, he'd finally fall asleep,

but then it would be time to go to school again.

It was agony.

This evening meditation let Xu Tui empty his mind and sink into a deep sleep in very little time.

And no matter how tired he was the night before, he could wake up feeling full of energy the next day!

Half an hour later, Xu Tui tilted slightly in his meditative state and toppled onto the bed, his legs still crossed.

A little while later, the door opened softly. His mother, Zhang Xiuli, came to his bedside, tucked him in, and watched him for a long time before quietly leaving.