Chapter 618 - Genetic Weapons Manufacturing Prohibition Treaty
“This… this is the knowledge of the ancients!”
The scientist who held the golden sphere had a look of excitement on his face. Before the numerous world leaders could express their anger, he quickly said, "The ancient civilization is truly remarkable, capable of creating terrifying creatures like Shoggoths. This civilization has a profound understanding of biology, and the sphere contains the biological insights they attained."
Upon hearing the scientist's words, the leaders in the room became extremely hopeful. The President of the United States couldn't wait and exclaimed, "Does it contain information on how to create Shoggoths?"
Everyone had witnessed the horrors of Shoggoths, and even a single one of them required the firepower of an air-to-ground missile to eliminate. These creatures had a terrifying appearance, powerful psychic abilities, and incredible regenerative powers. If the knowledge to create Shoggoths was found within the sphere, it would mean that humans could also produce such bioweapons.
As usual, when humans acquired new knowledge, their first thought was whether it could be used to create weapons. Even in the new age, this violent streak could not be tamed.
"Shoggoths are uncontrollable monsters. Even an ancient civilization with a history of billions of years was annihilated by their own creations. Do you really dare to manufacture them if humans acquire the means? I'm afraid that the moment we succeed in creating them will be the day of humanity's destruction,"
The Russian President, who often clashed with the President of the United States, sarcastically remarked. He had done his homework on the Cthulhu Mythos, and while he wasn't an expert, he knew some of the details.
The President of the United States blushed immediately and glared at the expert on his side, who was seemingly unaware of this matter and didn't know why he was being blamed.
"Have you seen the Hollywood movie 'Alien'? The relationship between the Shoggoths and the ancient civilization is similar to the relationship between the creator and the aliens in 'Alien.' Both were destroyed by their own weapons. Why do you think the ancient civilization, hidden for two hundred million years beneath the Antarctic continent, never came out to compete with us humans for land? It's because this civilization had long lost the foundation of its civilization."
The Russian President explained again, fearing that the President of the United States might not fully understand the situation.
But this time, the President of the United States understood. He hadn't read the Cthulhu Mythos, but he had watched Hollywood movies!
"Moreover, these creatures have intelligence, which is the most troublesome part."
The Russian President mumbled to himself, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He didn't believe that all the Shoggoths in the Antarctic continent had been eradicated.
Seeing the two presidents finish their argument, the scientist continued, "I'm afraid to disappoint both presidents. The biological knowledge contained within this sphere is not advanced enough to allow for the creation of Shoggoths. I have some knowledge of biology and medicine, and I believe the depth of knowledge in this sphere surpasses that of current Earth biology."
“Moreover… how should I put this…”
The scientist furrowed his brows, a hint of fear in his voice, "Inside this sphere, there are human genetic maps, and even some attack plans that target human genetics"
As his words fell, the entire United Nations assembly fell into stunned silence.
Then, the assembly erupted into heated arguments.
"It's clear now! The ancient civilization had intentions of exterminating humanity, wanting to invade our lands!"
"Aliens cannot be trusted!"
"These ancient beings worship Cthulhu, how can they be a benevolent civilization? This serves as a warning to our planet. In the future, if we encounter other extraterrestrial civilizations, we should strike first."
"Wait, isn't it a bit hasty to jump to conclusions and attack without understanding the situation?"
"Please, let's maintain order."
Seeing the chaotic discussion break out among the leaders, the leader of China had to once again call for silence.
It was true that when there were many people, things could become chaotic, even if these people were world leaders. Any single issue could make things unruly.
The leaders of the five permanent members of the United Nations were indeed highly respected. Upon hearing the leader of China's voice, the assembly fell silent once more.
"Firstly, since we've found our human genetic database in the ancient civilization's records, along with targeted attack plans, we can be certain this civilization is not friendly to us. Therefore, it's imperative to embark on another exploration of the Antarctic continent, aiming to find any remnants of this civilization and eliminate them as much as possible."
"Secondly, if there is detailed information inside that sphere, it implies that humans themselves could potentially create a genetic weapon capable of destroying humanity. Therefore, I suggest that we sign the 'Genetic Weapons Manufacturing Prohibition Treaty' and ensure that this knowledge doesn't spread."
The words of the leader of China received nods from the leaders present. While there are different human races – yellow, white, black – with slight genetic variations, the differences are not significant. If a genetically targeted weapon was created, any mutations would result in the extinction of all of humanity.
Furthermore, gene weapons could only be directed at a particular ethnic group, not a specific country, making it a suicidal attack when both sides were harmed. Although humans could be irrational, they wouldn't want to commit suicide.
"At the same time, since there's detailed information inside, I believe our initial focus should be on how to prevent the emergence of genetic weapons if they become a reality."
Historically, human weapons have been about causing damage without much concern for the consequences. However, genetic weapons are far too dangerous, even more so than nuclear weapons. This time, humanity finally decided to first consider how to develop countermeasures to prevent the emergence of these weapons, in case someone insane managed to develop them.
Given the comprehensive human genetic database within the sphere, along with genetic weapon manufacturing plans, it should be relatively straightforward to devise defensive measures.
"Finally, since there's a portion of biological knowledge from the ancient civilization in here, perhaps we can apply this knowledge to the field of medicine."
As this statement was made, some people were pleased, while others frowned in opposition. These individuals, despite being leaders of their nations, also represented large pharmaceutical corporations. For them, curbing diseases and lowering drug prices was probably the last thing they wanted.
This is the greed of capitalism. For the sake of money, they would rather see the world filled with diseases and suffering.
However, at this moment, no one dared to voice their opposition, as it would not be morally supported.
Some more sly-minded individuals began contemplating whether they could use this biological knowledge for genetic enhancement. For instance, creating superhumans who far exceeded the capabilities of regular humans. China's old immortal and others had already used supernatural powers to prove that a single person could take on an entire nation. If supernatural powers could achieve this, then the natural sciences should also have this capability.
However, these individuals were overthinking the matter. Louie had meticulously considered what knowledge to provide. It certainly wouldn't involve making humans drastically more powerful. From the perspective of the Terran civilization that could create dragons, this knowledge was available, but Louie didn't want humans to suddenly become that powerful, as it would negatively impact people’s faith.