The human spine consisted of 33 vertebrae, divided into five regions — cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx.
Within the spine, there was a substance called the spinal cord, composed of countless neurons.
One end of the spinal cord connected to the brain while the other end connected to the four limbs, thus creating an unobstructed bridge for the conduction of human nerve signals.
Therefore, once there was a problem with the spine, it often meant that there was damage to the spinal cord. The commands issued by the brain could not reach the corresponding torso, resulting in paralysis.
With the conventional medical methods of today, nerve damage was still clinically irreversible. Only the various stem cell treatments in laboratories were occasionally successful.
In essence, the STEM chip would not cure paralysis but it could be used as a medium to connect the two ends of a broken nerve so that the signal from the brain could be transmitted across the gap.
Therefore, based on the STEM chip’s function, it would be most effective when implanted into the cervical spine.
Cervical spine implantation was necessary because, as shown in the movie, the chip could then intercept the nerve signals sent by the host’s brain, thereby allowing control over the host’s body.
Of course, the chip could be placed at the lumbar spine as well. However, in that case, it could only control the host’s lower body.
Currently, in an operating room within the research institute, Samuel stood nervously before a window. On this side of the cold glass, he stared dazedly at the person on the operating table.
She was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl with a face full of freckles and a head of soft, light, golden hair.
At present, she was lying prone on the operating table, seemingly in deep sleep. Her lips were curled into a slight smile and she looked tranquil.
She wore a blue surgical gown that exposed only a small, smooth area of her back. Under the surgical lights, her skin glowed like ivory.
Anyone who saw a girl like this would think that she should be strolling freely on the green grass instead of sitting in a cold wheelchair.
At the moment, the girl’s entire body was hooked up to machines monitoring her blood pressure, heart rate, bispectral index, and so on. An oxygen mask covered her mouth and nose. It seemed that she had entered deep anesthesia.
As Samuel observed all of this, he wore a complicated expression.
Just three days ago, his mysterious Eastern boss dug up his national-level file for some bizarre reason. Moreover, in exchange for treating Annie, his boss had asked him to sign an agreement.
At that time, Samuel’s first response was to refuse.
Although Chen Chen was his boss, with wealth, talent, and influence, Samuel himself was a figure in the industry. Of course, he understood the severity of his daughter’s injury.
If that injury could be treated so easily, he would not have to wait bitterly for ten years.
Nonetheless, when he saw the confidence and conviction in Chen Chen’s eyes, Samuel could not help but be swayed…
Of course, most people could not do it. However, if it was this mystical youth before him, perhaps it was not impossible?
As if he understood Samuel’s doubts, Chen Chen proposed that he would first cure Annie’s disability. If it worked, Samuel must sign the agreement.
Thus, for the sake of his daughter’s future, Samuel had agreed at last.
When he thought back to that situation, the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
It was a very peculiar agreement.
The agreement was an invitation letter, inviting Samuel into an organization called “God’s Forbidden Zone”.
According to the agreement, this was a secret organization that lurked in the depths of the world, even older and more mysterious than Freemasonry.
The name of God’s Forbidden Zone reminded Samuel of a saying that had circulated in pseudoscience:
[Human brains typically only use 10% of brain cells. Even those scientific geniuses such as Einstein, only used 20%. More than 70% of the brain cells are in a dormant state.]
[Some speculate that the reason for this dormancy is that God was afraid humans would become too clever and break the taboos of heaven. Thus, He specifically blocked off most functions of the human brain.]
Of course, pseudoscience and religion could not be trusted in things like this. There was no need for nature to evolve an organ structure that required a lot of energy, yet was useless. More energy expenditure would result in a lower probability of survival. The same was true for the human brain.
In the end, Samuel found out that the source of this phrase, “God’s Forbidden Zone”, was a marketing advertisement for health products.
Even so, although this organization was called “God’s Forbidden Zone” as well, it was not for the reasons stated above. Rather, it meant literally —
“This is a sacred place for science, a forbidden zone for God!”
The agreement explained that this organization was co-founded by a group of people who were committed to the development of biotechnology. They attempted to break the Hayflick Limit of humans to obtain a longer lifespan. They even tried to seize a right reserved only for gods —
Immortality.
Clearly, this was a bunch of lunatics.
The agreement also stated: “If you join the organization, you must abide by the confidentiality regulations. You must not disclose the existence of the organization to any third party nor do anything detrimental to the organization. You will even be subject to personal restrictions and be implanted with a chip called ‘God’.”
God — just like in the organization’s name.
However, they were called God’s Forbidden Zone, yet they named the controlling chip “God”. Was this the arrogance of theology or a provocation toward religion?
Of course, all of these did not matter.
The agreement had described the consequences of betrayal: Once someone joined God’s Forbidden Zone, the God chip would be implanted in them. From then on, their every word and deed would be monitored by the chip.
In the chip, there was an artificial intelligence named God, which monitored the host at all times. If the host had any intention of revealing this secret, God would detect it and issue a warning.
If this first warning was ineffective, God would seize control of the host’s body and contact the organization headquarters, waiting for them to send an arbitrator to deal with this.
If the host was under restriction of freedom or movement, and the chip was about to be forcefully disassembled, God would initiate a self-destruct sequence, killing the host at the same time.
Although Samuel was rather shocked at the technological capabilities of Chen Chen and the organization, God’s Forbidden Zone, which allowed them to create such a terrifying chip, the conditions put forward by Chen Chen left Samuel with no other choice.
Samuel could still remember when Chen Chen proposed that “he could join the organization after his daughter was healed”. There was a warning glint in Chen Chen’s eyes.
If Samuel suddenly changed his mind after his daughter was healed, the consequences would be unbearable…
Still, there was nothing else more important than Annie being able to walk again. God had deprived her of ten years of youth. Even if she was being punished for some previous sin, she must be absolved by now.
Otherwise, let him, as her father, pay for the rest of her sin!
With this in mind, Samuel looked into the operating room with anticipation in his eyes.
Just then, from the preparation room beside the operating room, in walked Chen Chen wearing a surgical gown.
He first nodded at Samuel who was staring in from the window. After that, he put on his gloves and took out the necessary surgical instruments —
The operation was about to begin…