The decision was final. The words "I accept" still seemed to vibrate in the air, etching a promise into the atmosphere of the Technological Oasis Main Control Center. Elena Petrova, the newly appointed Seed Guardian, stood before Lysandra, the gigantic Architect projection, ready to face unimaginable challenges. Project Omega—the revival of humanity—was now no longer just a concept, but an urgent task.
"What's the first step?" Elena asked, her determination now overriding any lingering doubts. Her restored memories, though painful, had given her clear purpose.
Lysandra waved her luminous hand towards one of the transparent control consoles. Immediately, complex holograms appeared before Elena. It was a 3D model of human genetics, swirling with billions of glowing DNA strands. Beside it, diagrams of life support systems, giant bio-mechanical incubators, and even simulations of the Xylos-7 environment they would inhabit emerged.
Project Omega is a multi-layered process. Not just the activation of genetic data, but the recreation of complex biological ecosystems. The first phase is the activation of the cloning regeneration units. We will start with a test group, to ensure stability and adaptation. Lysandra's telepathic voice flowed. This first group will consist of twenty individuals. Chosen randomly from the available database, to ensure genetic diversity.
"Random?" Elena frowned. "Wouldn't it be better to select individuals with specific skills, so they can help immediately?"
The mistake of ancient civilizations was to create based on need, not based on nature. To build a true civilization, we must allow nature to choose. Diversity is strength, not weakness. We have learned this from the history of the Devourers, Lysandra explained, without compromise. Priority is biological survival and adaptation to the Xylos-7 environment. Skills can be developed later.
Elena bit her lip. That was a very different way of thinking from the human approach. Humans tended to be efficient, pragmatic. The Architects, in their desperation, had learned a bitter lesson about natural balance.
"How long will this process take?"
Initial activation will take 72 hours. After that, it will require one Xylos-7 cycle for full stabilization.
Seventy-two hours. Three days. A short time for a revival that would change the fate of a species. Elena felt adrenaline surge through her. This was the moment she had been waiting for, and she had to be ready.
The First Twenty
She spent the next three days in the Main Control Center, observing every detail of the Project Omega process. Lysandra explained the intricacies of Architect technology, which far surpassed human understanding. The cloning regeneration units were not merely glass tubes; they were bio-mechanical incubators that actively reconstructed cells, organs, and nervous systems, based on stored genetic blueprints. The artificial amniotic fluid within them was filled with complex nutrients, and energy fields manipulated growth at a molecular level.
Elena was inundated with technical data by Unit-X, who now functioned as her personal mentor. She learned about Xylos-7's soil composition, its atmospheric properties, and how the Technological Oasis was designed to interact with the planet's environment. She learned about emergency protocols, air purification systems, and defense mechanisms. Her brain felt full, but she absorbed every piece of information rapidly, driven by the urgency of her task.
"Are there any potential obstacles Elena should be aware of?" Unit-X asked Lysandra, as if acting as an extension of Elena's thoughts.
Potential for failure always exists in any biological regeneration process. Some individuals may not adapt well to the prolonged stasis process, or to the new environment. Additionally, there are psychological challenges. Reawakening individuals without complete memories, in an alien environment, after four centuries... that will take a mental toll.
Lysandra projected several failure scenarios: individuals suffering severe trauma, unable to function, or even rejecting reality. This was the dark side of Project Omega, consequences she would have to face.
At the 72-hour mark, the tension in the air was palpable. Elena stood beside the main console, staring at the rows of incubators that now glowed with a bright green light. Inside, faint silhouettes began to form, growing clearer and clearer.
A soft alarm sounded. "Activation phase complete. Cloning regeneration units ready for release," Unit-X announced.
The incubator doors slowly opened, emitting a mist of vapor that smelled like ozone and something strange—like new life. From within the mist emerged human figures. Twenty people. They were naked, fragile, and confused, their eyes blinking as they adjusted to the light.
Elena felt a strong wave of emotion. She had seen humans in her dreams, in her memories, but this was the first time she had seen them alive, breathing, after four centuries. They looked so vulnerable, so dependent.
This first group consisted of diverse individuals: an old man with gray hair, a young woman with a faint scar on her cheek, a boy who looked no older than eight, and a teenage girl who stared around with fear in her eyes. All of them looked at Elena with expressions mixed with confusion, fear, and curiosity.
"Welcome," Elena said, her voice slightly trembling, trying to make it as calm as possible. "You are safe. You are in the Technological Oasis."
However, their response was not what she expected. Some individuals cowered, others tried to find shelter behind the incubators. The boy began to cry, calling for his mother. The teenage girl looked at Elena with a gaze full of suspicion.
"Who are you?" a young woman's hoarse voice came out. "Where are we? What happened?"
This is the psychological challenge Lysandra mentioned. They have no memories, no context. They are like newborns, but with the confused bodies and minds of adults.
"I'm Elena. I'm one of you," Elena tried to calm them. "You've been in a long sleep. Planet Earth... it's gone. You are humanity's last hope."
Those words, instead of calming them, triggered a strong reaction. The old man trembled, his lips quivering. The young woman shook her head frantically. The boy cried even louder.
"No way! That's a lie!" the teenage girl shouted. "I remember my home! I remember my parents! Who are you?"
Partial memory protocols active. Their brains are trying to fill the void with the strongest memories from before stasis. This is a normal reaction, Unit-X explained. Give them time. And the truth, gradually.
Lysandra remained silent, merely observing. This was part of her test. How would Elena guide this first group through their trauma?
Elena knew she had to take control. She couldn't let them descend into panic. "I know this is hard to believe. I also just woke up, just like you. I've been through this. I understand how you feel."
She began to tell her story, briefly, about stasis, waking up alone, and the call of the Technological Oasis. She didn't mention the Devourers or the Architects in detail, so as not to overwhelm them with too much information. She focused on the fact that they were safe, that there was hope.
Some individuals began to listen, though their expressions remained skeptical. The teenage girl, who seemed the most vocal, looked at Elena with a sharp gaze. "If you're human too, why aren't you like us? You... you know too much."
This was the first conflict in her leadership. Suspicion of something different. Elena knew she had to build trust.
"I have Unit-X," she said, activating the projector on her arm. "He's a companion AI connected to me, and he stores all the data. He can verify what I'm saying."
Unit-X projected some simple images: images of the ruins, images of the Technological Oasis from the outside, and images of a dying Earth, without showing its total destruction.
"You are inside the Technological Oasis. This is a rescue vessel, made for you," Elena explained. "Out there, on Xylos-7, there's a new world waiting. We will rebuild."
Building Trust
The first night was a struggle. Elena had to persuade them to accept the nutritional paste provided by the Oasis. They felt alien to the environment, to the Oasis itself. She couldn't sleep, constantly on alert, answering their questions, calming cries, and trying to build bridges of trust. Unit-X was her tireless assistant, providing medical data, monitoring their psychological condition, and offering practical advice.
One individual stood out: a middle-aged woman with long black hair, who seemed calmer than the others. She was the first individual to speak without an accusatory tone.
"My name is Anya," she said, her voice soft. "I... I feel like something's wrong. But I also feel safe here. You don't look like a liar."
Anya became her first ally, helping to calm the others, helping them accept the food and simple instructions. This was a sign of hope.
By the end of the first Xylos-7 cycle, the group began to stabilize. They were still confused, still grieving lost memories, but they began to accept their new reality. They began to ask about Xylos-7, about how they would live, about the future.
Elena knew this was just the beginning. Reviving bodies was one thing. Reviving souls, rebuilding civilization from scratch, was a much larger task. But she wasn't alone. She had Unit-X, she had the Oasis, and now, she had the first twenty humans she would persuade, guide, and protect.
Project Omega had begun. And with it, a new chapter in human history.