Day 65 since contact with Earth was lost.
Approximately 15 billion kilometers from the Sun, in the orbital ring of Loshen Star, inside the Deep Space spaceship, Tom leaned weakly against the back of his chair, staring blankly at the last message from the Human Civilization.
He had to admit to himself that he probably truly couldn't return to Earth.
Twelve years ago, he traveled here aboard the Deep Space spaceship, becoming the first human to ever leave the solar circle.
The high-energy charged particles released by the Sun blew out a 'bubble' in the interstellar medium, and this 'bubble' was the solar circle.
Because of the Sun's presence, those interstellar mediums could not enter the solar circle.
Here, he worked alone for two years, successfully completing the original dwarf planet scientific research mission.
Afterward, he completed all preparations for his return to Earth, just waiting for the 'Deep Space Scientific Research Project' Earth team to upload the return trajectory plan to the spaceship, so he could take this spaceship back to his long-departed hometown.
Everything was normal until 65 days ago. However, on the day the return trajectory plan was scheduled to be uploaded, Tom did not receive data from the Earth team; he only received one sentence.
"Don't come back! Don't return!"
After that, Tom lost contact with Earth. No matter how many messages Tom sent, Earth never replied.
Something must have happened in that distant homeland. And the matter was extremely urgent, so urgent that the Earth team could only send him that one sentence.
"My family, my friends, my compatriots, are you still there?
Is our civilization... still there?"
Tom stared blankly in the direction of Earth outside the porthole.
Because the distance was too far, Tom couldn't even see Earth's silhouette. Even using the optical telescope equipped on the spaceship, Tom could only see a blurry, dim speck of light.
He couldn't obtain any useful information from this dim speck of light.
At this moment, he couldn't even confirm whether Human Civilization still existed, let alone figure out what had happened on Earth.
"Do you still need to warn me? If you don't give me a return trajectory plan, how can I return..."
Looking out at the vast starry sea, the enormous Deep Space spaceship, and the even larger Loshen Star below, all seemed as tiny as a drop in the ocean.
Boundless loneliness and fear assailed Tom, causing the hallucination that had been suppressed by medication to reappear.
Several years ago, perhaps because he had left the solar circle, detached from the Sun's protection, and was affected by some unknown radiation, Tom inexplicably developed a hallucination.
He always felt that his consciousness could spread into other people's minds, and he could even control their actions.
The Earth's medical team also didn't understand why Tom had this inexplicable hallucination. After all, Tom was the first human to leave the solar circle, so there was no one else to compare him to.
Fortunately, the psychiatric prescription given by the doctor was somewhat effective. After taking the medication carried on the spaceship regularly and in proper doses, this hallucination had not appeared for a long time.
But now, it appeared again.
Feeling this inexplicable hallucination, Tom smiled bitterly in his heart: "For hundreds of billions of kilometers around, no, it's possible that the entire Solar System is left with only me. Who can I control?"
Struggling to get up and take his medicine, the hallucination still hadn't disappeared. Tom didn't bother with it anymore and began to force himself to calm down and think about what he should do next.
But this contemplation only lasted a few minutes before stopping.
Because the answer was clearly before him.
Nothing.
Without the help of the Earth team, he couldn't return to Earth. Forcing a return, the only possibility would be to run out of energy and get lost in space.
Since that was the case, it was better to save the energy. But even if he saved as much as he could, the energy and supplies on the spaceship could only sustain him for at most another 15 years.
After 15 years, he would still die.
Try to survive on Loshen Star, a dwarf planet far from the Sun?
It was impossible.
He was only one person; his strength was simply too insignificant.
His future fate was already sealed. He could do nothing, change nothing. The only thing he could do was accept fate's arrangement, live out his days on the spaceship, waiting to die when supplies or energy ran out.
"Alright, alright..."
Looking out at the vast starry sky beyond the porthole, Tom murmured: "When a certain critical life-support supply is only enough for the last day, I'll have a big meal, and then jump into space to end it myself, to spare myself a painful death."
For the next period, Tom completely abandoned his previous strict schedule and indulged himself.
At first, Tom somewhat enjoyed this indulgence. But after only two months, he lost all interest.
He lay blankly on the bed; even though his stomach was burning with hunger, he didn't want to move even an inch.
The hallucination grew stronger.
Tom finally struggled to his feet and went to the animal and plant cultivation room.
There were several sets of animal Clone cultivation equipment here. Several of them were smaller, but only one was large enough.
It was originally used to cultivate large mammals like cattle, horses, and donkeys for experimental purposes.
Theoretically, it could also be used to cultivate human Clones. However, cloning humans carried too great ethical and moral risks, and no one in the entire Human Civilization dared to do it.
But now, Tom no longer cared about those things.
He took a cell sample from himself, first reprogrammed it into induced pluripotent stem cells, then used gene editing tools to modify some DNA sequences, and finally, placed this cell sample into the largest Clone cultivation equipment.
In half a year, Tom Clone could grow into an adult. And it wouldn't be in an infant form, but rather in the same form as the adult Li Qingsong currently was.
"Since this hallucination keeps bothering me, I'll create a person and see!"
Half a year later, in the cultivation tank, another Tom, identical down to the shape and location of his body moles, was fully cultivated.
After removing him from the cultivation tank and placing him on the bed, Tom silently waited for the Clone to awaken.
After a long while, the Clone slowly opened his eyes.
"Hmm... no self-awareness, only some biological instinctive reactions, normal."
After a check, Tom gritted his teeth and, following the guidance of his hallucination, extended his consciousness.
The next moment, Tom's eyes widened in shock.
He felt as if he had two brains and two bodies!
And, he could simultaneously control two brains to think and simultaneously control two bodies to act!
That wasn't a hallucination!