James' body was on the verge of destruction. Melissa's advanced biomedical research had connected his remaining internal organs with an artificial body. She looked at the monitor and saw the message: “Transmission Successful.” The fibers of his body had completely merged with the artificial structure.
Melissa quickly checked blood and mineral circulation on another monitor. She had completely rearranged her schedule—skipping her advanced biomedical class and breakfast, and even sending Mila to her space center early, just so she wouldn’t have to meet James. Melissa’s research thesis was nearly complete; she needed to submit it to Professor William later that day.
She completed the password and thumbprint scan to unlock James’s bio capsule. Before opening it, she glanced through her thesis one more time.
Suddenly, she noticed on her home security system that Mila’s room was open.
“Mila,” Melissa said into the home system, “I’m going to activate James. Do you want to meet your father?”
Maybe this was an excuse for them to reconnect, but she remembered how close Mila and Alex had become with their stepfather, Daniel. They were happy with him.
After a long silence, Melissa assumed Mila must be busy with her research on the artificial thermogenetic power black hole at the space center—or maybe she simply didn’t want to see James.
Melissa sent another voice message through the home system. A reply came. She opened it, and a familiar, angry voice echoed from the speakers:
“Our dad is not James anymore, it’s Daniel. Have you gone so crazy that you brought your ex-husband back to life? I want nothing to do with him. You wasted your entire research on something useless.”
Melissa paused, but then proceeded. She opened the bio capsule, smiling with relief to see her half-dead husband back in a living artificial body. She carefully checked all the surrounding systems. James’s vitals appeared stable. His artificial body was fully synchronized with what remained of his human body. She examined the brain monitor—the nanotech chips in James’s brain were functioning perfectly.
These chips transferred information to the artificial body, replicating the functions of a normal human nervous system.
Melissa disconnected the chips from the system control and put them on self-auto mode. As the capsule opened, the water drained out slowly.
All the sensors in James’s artificial body were working. Blood flowed through artificial veins. Artificial bones were fused with his human bones. His artificial body looked just like that of a real human. Melissa examined it carefully.
This was one of her greatest scientific achievements. Despite her personal struggles, Melissa had succeeded in creating an artificial body that could connect with any human. Remarkably, she had kept this breakthrough secret.
Thanks to the nanotech in James’s brain, his new body could receive sensory signals—feeling heat, cold, pain, and pressure just like a real human. Melissa knew, however, that conducting such a secret experiment without government permission was a criminal offense. She could face serious consequences.
Then, suddenly, James opened his eyes slightly and mumbled softly, “Darling.”
A strange feeling hit Melissa. It reminded her of the Stephen King novel Pet Sematary, where a man resurrects his wife, and the first thing she says upon returning is also, “Darling.”
James opened his eyes wide. A strange, crooked smile appeared on his face.
Melissa looked at the system—two pulse rates were showing. Both were different. A human has only one heart, beating between 60 to 100 BPM. The movement in James’s body didn’t match either rate. After a few moments, one pulse disappeared, and only one remained.
Shocked, Melissa whispered, “Who are you? You can’t be James.”
She thought maybe the system was just receiving default signals from the nanotech.
James saw his reflection in the mirrored surface of the bio capsule. He moved his palm and legs, delighted to feel his body again. But as he touched his thigh, he noticed a thin line at the edge.
He checked his wrist—another fine line emitted a soft glow. The skin tone looked different. His body felt unnaturally heavy.
Looking at his wrist again, he noticed something was missing: a tattoo of a sword. It was gone. This wrist wasn’t his. Slowly, he ran his fingers over his body and confirmed: it wasn’t entirely human.
He touched his face and noticed a small scar—the same scar he’d gotten during a military accident. That at least was familiar.
Melissa’s face appeared on the home system. She smiled slightly.
She knew that no matter what, a child could never fully separate from their biological father. If Alex had been there, he could have met James, too. Despite the distance between them, this could have been a chance to rebuild.
James slowly turned to Melissa, his artificial brain recognizing her.
“Hi, James. Please don’t stress. I’ll explain everything to you in detail,” she said.
“Hi,” he replied, trying to sit up. But his body felt too heavy. Suddenly, he collapsed. The remaining water in the capsule spilled over.
The scene reminded Melissa again of Pet Sematary—a character returning from the dead, covered in dirt.
“Sorry… your body was blown to pieces in a military battle. Only your internal organs were left. So I connected what was left of you to an artificial body,” Melissa explained.
“You’re very beautiful,” James said, staring at her.
Melissa was taken aback. He had just complimented her.
After he’d joined the military, James had been constantly angry with her. Their marriage ended in divorce. Melissa had lived without him for many years—until she learned about his near-fatal accident.
“Thank you for the compliment,” she replied. “But you need a lot of rest. Your artificial muscles need time to adjust.”
For the first time in years, she looked at him with warmth. She wondered if this affection was due to the nanotech—was his brain simply reacting to installed emotional patterns?
“You suffered many brain injuries,” Melissa continued. “Your brain was nearly destroyed, so we also had to implant an artificial brain. Nanochips are connected to your brain. I feared you’d lose all your memories. Do you feel like you’ve forgotten anything? Any gaps in your memory? Any specific day or year?”
She wanted to assess the extent of brain damage.
James looked at her and said:
“I want to forget everything. My past was full of pain. I want to create new memories with you.”
Melissa fell silent. Just then, her security system beeped: Mila had entered the house.
She was watching James from the doorway. James smiled at her. Mila was shocked to see him smiling—a smile she had never seen before. Her scheduled watch beeped, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
Melissa was surprised, too. She thought, This doesn’t feel like the old James.
Her research suggested that people who come back from death appreciate life more and try to reconnect with loved ones.
Later, as Melissa filled her plate with food and poured juice, she thought, Daniel may not be happy about James’s return, even though he allowed the experiment.
Suddenly, Mila slammed her plate on the table and said:
“What are you trying to do? Bring James back into your life? He was cruel. He left us. Daniel is the one who raised us. We longed for a father, and Daniel loved us like his own.”
Melissa stopped midway, holding a spoon full of food. She lowered her eyes—Mila took that as confirmation that she was right.
“I loved James,” Melissa whispered. “No matter how much he hated me, I was his wife.”
“Did you see how he was smiling?” Mila said bitterly. “We never saw him smile when we were kids. Suddenly, now, he’s smiling like nothing happened. Mom, please don’t destroy your life again. You’ve forgotten all the abuse James put you through.”
“Why are you forgetting he’s your biological father?” Melissa asked.
“I’m sorry for that too,” Mila replied coldly, without any sympathy for Melissa’s teary eyes.
She left the room.
Mila’s hatred came from real pain. James had always been angry and strict. His anger had cost Melissa a lot. One time, he even killed their pet dog, Puffy, for licking his shoes. Life at home had been like a military camp.
Melissa had lived under harsh rules—forced to cook and clean on time, banned from wearing makeup, and expected to raise the children under extreme discipline. James had developed Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It became unbearable, and Melissa finally left.
But now, James’s artificial brain was evolving. He no longer needed Melissa’s help to function. His artificial body developed independent systems—artificial lungs, liver, intestines—no longer dependent on human organs.
He even added AI-powered eye lenses, storing everything he saw directly into his brain. Neural links connected his brain to his mechanical body. His neural interference levels were increasing. As an advanced humanoid, James was becoming globally famous.
When the government learned of this, it forgave Melissa’s illegal research and praised her. She received awards for her groundbreaking work. The government asked her to hand over the technology to the military and provided her with funding for more research on James.
But her growing fame created distance between her and her children. Social media and news outlets focused only on Melissa and James.
One day, Daniel looked at James angrily and said, "You’ve forgotten that she was your wife, but now she is mine. You two are divorced, so please stay out of Melissa’s life."
Daniel’s words pierced James like an arrow. Melissa and Daniel left. James burned with rage. In his fury, he had destroyed the entire laboratory. Melissa had left him helpless and gone away, and Daniel believed Melissa was right to do so. The calm, sweet smile on James’s face had vanished.
Melissa’s disdain had probably awakened something dark inside him. He had installed all the secret research and data into his artificial brain and destroyed the physical documents and experiments. Terrified at the possibility of losing Melissa, he now considered Daniel his enemy and began plotting to kill him. He took out his phone, looked lovingly at a photo of Mila and Alex, and thought angrily, “Daniel has not only taken my wife Melissa from me, but he has also taken my children, Mila and Alex. I will take my wife and children back from Daniel. And why shouldn't I take his life?”
After James’s attack, Melissa refused to speak to him. Mila and Alex were also angry with James for what he had done. Mila was very happy at her space center and relieved that Melissa no longer spoke to James. But Melissa soon learned the laboratory had been destroyed, and with it the secret research and information. The government, which had funded Melissa’s project heavily, caught wind of the destruction. Rumors spread across social media and in the news that all the secret research and data for Project Advanced Humanoid had been destroyed. The government was furious with Melissa.
Then James announced that all the secret research and information were safe with him. Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone praised James because his advanced artificial brain had saved the data.
Melissa needed James’s cooperation and support to continue the research; to do so, she would have to reconnect and work with him. Mila was furious with Melissa. “I think you should leave us. We will live with Daniel, and Daniel will have no objection. He will love us as his own children. You are not worthy of Daniel. The person who gave you so much love, who supported and loved your children—you are leaving that person for someone who abandoned you,” Mila said.
Melissa remained silent. After a long pause, Mila added, “You probably couldn’t handle this new relationship. You love the person who hurt you more than your children.”
Hearing this, Melissa slapped her hard. The sound of the slap resonated for a long moment. Mila became angrier. “Go away,” she shouted. “You and I have no relationship now. This is Daniel’s house—my father’s house. If you want to stay, then go live in your ex-husband’s house and feel no shame in doing so.” Melissa was stunned. As she opened the gate, Mila put on a big fake smile and said, “Finally, you are ready to leave us for your ex-husband.”
Melissa slammed the door and glared at Mila. “I loved James, married him, and put up with all his faults. I raised you since childhood. Now James wants to change himself and repair our relationship, and that is why I am including him in my research. I have never left you or Daniel. But your selfishness is satisfied, so you’re asking me to leave, too.”
Mila replied, “After being honored by the government and after your fame on social media and in the news, maybe you can bring James back into your life—but I cannot bring him into mine. We longed for a father when we were children, but he left. We’ve lived without a father since then. Now you are leaving us for him.”
Melissa was surprised that Mila thought this way about her—Melissa had always loved her—so she didn’t understand why so much hatred had developed in her.
Daniel had only recently become her father, while she had always been her mother. Mila seemed to value Daniel’s love and care more than her mother’s.
“Why don’t you accept that James is not right for you? Daniel has taken care of you; we must take care of you. We need Daniel. This is the same James who left you in pain and suffering,” Mila shouted.
“This is not the same James as before; that ruthless and cruel side of him is gone,” Melissa said.
Mila smiled angrily. “Don’t pretend. He wants your research. Your work gave him an artificial body and brain. Your research made him an advanced humanoid. He needs you, and you need him for this research. That’s why you will leave all of us.”
“If I had wanted to leave you, I would have done so when you were young,” Melissa said angrily.
“Yes, you might have left us then if James had come back into your life,” Mila replied quickly.
Melissa sighed. “I have loved you and James most in my life. It is a great regret that you have both left me helpless and alone.”
Mila went to her room without another word, and Melissa watched her go.
Will James really leave her? Will bringing him back into her life cause her and Alex to break apart? Will Daniel be able to leave her? These confusing thoughts swirled through her mind. Neither James nor Mila had tried to reconcile. Mila had been Melissa’s only support after James left; she could not bear the thought of losing Mila again if James returned. Alex said, “James spends more time with me now. He regrets leaving us, and he’s very sad. He wants to repent.”
But Alex also told James, “Daniel is not bad. Daniel cared for me when I was alone. He came into my life when I needed a father. That’s why I don’t want to leave Daniel. Maybe I’ll forgive him for his mistakes, but I can’t give him a place in my life again.”
Melissa finished her research and resigned from her job; now she didn’t live with either James or Daniel. James blamed Daniel for everything, and Daniel blamed James. The government was pleased with Melissa’s research and wanted to give her awards and promotions, but Melissa refused them all. She stated clearly in social media and in news articles, “I do not want any further research or promotion. I am tired of my work.” After Melissa left, Daniel also began to distance himself from Mila and Alex.
James tried repeatedly to rebuild his relationship with Alex and Mila. Daniel and James made several attempts to contact Melissa, but she did not want to speak to anyone. The government was unhappy with Melissa’s explanation—no one liked that such advanced artificial-technology research had been abandoned. This technology could strengthen national security and could create advanced humanoids with artificial brains that give them abilities beyond ordinary humans.
Finally, James agreed to continue the research with the government. Only James’s picture appeared in newspapers and on social media. The government was overjoyed with him. All the awards and promotions meant for Melissa were given to James. He rose to worldwide fame and popularity.
James became known as the advanced humanoid. The government imagined a new era—humans augmented by advanced technology and artificial brains. It approved the project and provided huge funding to James. The fame and popularity Daniel had wanted were no longer his because Melissa’s research lay behind James’s success.
Daniel spread countless false rumors and allegations against James in newspapers and on social media. Mila was also unhappy with James’s fame. Daniel became completely irrational. He had convinced Melissa to create an artificial brain and body for James so he could gain fame and popularity. When the plan went wrong, Daniel blamed Mila.
Mila wanted to meet Melissa; she wrote many letters and made many phone calls, but Melissa did not respond.
Daniel had lost himself completely. He no longer wore the mask of charm—perhaps he never wanted Melissa; he wanted the fame that would come from being associated with her. He had lost control.
One day, Daniel entered the house in a rage, a revolver in his hand. He seemed mad. He stormed into Mila’s room, pointed the revolver at her, and removed the safety. Mila stared at him in surprise. When Daniel closed his eyes for a moment and spoke softly, she understood his intent: “You are like James. James tormented your mother when he was in her life. After he left, you too have tormented her. Sorry, my dear princess, your death may reunite me and Melissa.” Then Daniel squeezed the trigger. Luckily, Mila ducked, and the bullet punched into the wall. She quickly tried to send an emergency message to the police, but Daniel fired at her phone. The phone exploded and shattered. Mila shouted, “What are you doing? We are all a family!”
Daniel was about to shoot her again, but Mila came running fast, pushed him aside, and ran out of the room. Daniel got up and began firing indiscriminately. Mila quickly hid behind a wall to protect herself as Daniel searched for her everywhere.
Mila tried to call Alex on the house landline but was shocked to find it dead. Suddenly, she remembered James, who had modified her schedule watch and added new features to connect with him. She quickly sent James a message through her watch.
Meanwhile, Daniel was searching for her like a madman, throwing objects around the house in a frenzy. Mila silently prayed to God for her safety.
Then, suddenly, the door of the house burst open and James entered, furious. Daniel saw him and charged. A violent scuffle broke out between the two. Daniel grabbed his gun and fired at James, hitting the artificial arm. A hole appeared in the artificial limb, exposing wires and sparking circuits.
Ignoring his own injury, James overpowered Daniel and threw the gun to the ground. Just then, Mila picked it up. Seeing this, Daniel turned toward Mila in rage. In panic, Mila pressed the trigger. A bullet struck Daniel, and he collapsed onto the floor. Blood spread across the ground.
The sound of police sirens echoed outside. James quickly snatched the gun from Mila’s hands and told her to run. Mila fled from the house. When the police arrived, they found James holding the gun with Daniel lying dead on the floor. The police arrested James.
The news spread rapidly across social media and news outlets.
James was imprisoned, and Melissa came to see him. Furious, she said,
“You were cruel and ruthless, and you always will be. You killed my husband. You’re a murderer. I will make sure you’re punished. The government is ready to dismantle you.”
James replied calmly,
“I thank you for the life you gave me. Please take care of Mila and Alex. They will need your support now. Mila’s anger is only on the surface—deep down, she still wants love and affection from you. I’m also deeply sorry for Daniel’s death. I am ready to self-dismantle.”
Melissa froze at his words.
“You don’t deserve this new life,” she said bitterly. “I never thought you could be so cruel. Mila and Alex loved Daniel very much, and you took their father from them.”
James took a pen drive from his brain and handed it to her.
“I’ve caused you so much pain. I apologize for everything. I know my guilt is unforgivable. Maybe my death can atone for it. This discovery is yours. I want you to continue your research.”
Melissa answered coldly,
“You’re right—your death is the punishment for your guilt.”
Yet her heart felt pierced; the pain was unbearable.
James continued softly,
“Please don’t come here to see me again. I don’t want to meet you anymore. I hope my death brings you peace. Maybe one day you’ll forgive me.”
Melissa snapped,
“You’ve caused my children pain that will never end. Maybe someone else can forgive you, but I never will.”
She turned and left. The house became a place of strange silence and loneliness. Alex refused to return home. Mila was missing, Daniel was dead, and James was in jail for his murder.
Melissa buried herself in her research. Her home became a prison of isolation, and she managed her barren life with difficulty.
Inside the pen drive James had given her, she found many video clips he had recorded—each containing different information. In one clip, James said,
“Melissa, if I get a new life, I’d want you to be with me.”
Melissa stopped the clip. Something hidden deep inside her stirred—her long-buried feelings for James.
By now, she had lost contact with both Mila and Alex. Unwillingly, she sent Alex a voice message:
“Forgive me, son. Reconnecting with James was the biggest mistake of my life. I wish I had listened to you. You, Mila, and I were so happy. Maybe our happiness was cursed by our own evil eye. I will always love you.”
Melissa also wrote to the government, requesting that James be dismantled and all his projects shut down. Meanwhile, news broke that the government had reversed its decision on the global use of artificial bodies and artificial brains due to James’ case. Artificial brains were now considered potentially fatal for humans.
The government stopped creating advanced humanoids. James refused to plead his innocence or appeal for mercy and was ready to self-dismantle. All his research and projects were banned, and government funding was cut off. Artificial bodies and artificial brains were outlawed. Strict rules were introduced against secret research. Melissa’s laboratory was permanently closed, her projects halted, and her promotion withdrawn.
Mila performed only the bare minimum at Daniel’s tribute ceremony. Melissa was hurt by Mila’s coldness. Alex, deeply attached to Daniel, wept uncontrollably.
Melissa was shattered. She still couldn’t believe James was a murderer. Mila neither showed sympathy nor mourned with her family, shocking everyone.
One midnight, Melissa heard a strange sound in the lobby. She discovered that all the photo frames on the table had vanished. Broken frames and torn photos littered the floor—especially photos of Daniel. Alex sat helplessly on the floor. Mila was crying bitterly.
“I considered him my friend, not my father. Daniel was not worthy of being called a father,” Mila said.
“I’m shocked to hear you say this,” Alex replied. “I didn’t get the fatherly love I should have from James, so I looked for it in Daniel. I never expected this from him.”
“Should we try to save James? Maybe we can submit an application or request in court?” Mila asked tearfully.
“No, we can’t decide that now,” Alex said. “If we save James, you might be in danger. Whatever he’s doing now is his atonement.”
Mila collapsed, crying.
“Daniel wanted to kill me. I could never have imagined this. I considered him my father. I even fought with my mother for him.”
Melissa stood stunned.
She realized, at last, that James was innocent. He had done everything to save Mila. But she had already requested the government to dismantle him. Perhaps James was going to die soon, and that’s why he wasn’t defending himself.
Mila went to meet James in prison.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked. “Why don’t you tell the truth—that Daniel wasn’t killed by you, but by me?”
“I’m not doing this for you, but for myself,” James said calmly. “I’m atoning for my guilt.”
“You have an artificial body and an artificial brain. You can do so many research projects. You should hire a good lawyer and appeal to save yourself,” Mila pleaded.
“My life was already ruined. It was Melissa who gave me a second chance. I owe your mother everything. This is how I repay her. I know they will dismantle me today. They will stop my breathing. My artificial body will be separated, and my artificial brain removed. But I’m happy I could see you in my final moments. I don’t blame you. Continue your research. Your discoveries will benefit humanity. I wish you a bright future, and I apologize for every wrong I’ve done,” James said.
“I will always remember you, Dad. My whole life, I longed for a father. I missed you when I saw my friends’ parents at school, or their fathers dropping them off. I hold no grudges against Daniel. He loved Melissa so much that, in the end, he wanted to kill me so Melissa would return to him.”
James’ eyes filled with sadness.
“My dear daughter, I’m sorry I wasn’t with you in your childhood. We were connected to a bio-nano system to help humans win wars. It pumped excessive anger and discipline hormones into us, and we didn’t even realize it. We conducted countless operations, attacking enemies like ferocious animals. That chip monitored and controlled every hormone in real time—dopamine, serotonin, testosterone, and cortisol. It determined our moods, behaviors, emotions, and even thoughts. My body was destroyed in an accident—only my internal organs survived. The chip was destroyed, too. That’s when I realized how badly I had treated you all. I love you and Melissa very much.”
Mila was stunned by his confession.
Soon, the dismantling order arrived. James looked at Mila with loving eyes before she was ushered out of the prison.
The next morning, Mila forced herself to prepare for the space station. Then Melissa called.
“We should file a petition in court to save James. Daniel died in self-defense. We can stop the dismantling order,” she said.
Mila’s eyes filled with tears.
“I don’t think there’s any need,” she said in a trembling voice. “James has already been dismantled. Can you meet me? I need to talk to you about something very important.”
Melissa was shocked. She learned from Mila that the reason behind James' irritable and angry behavior was the result of illegal human experiments conducted on him during his time in the military. He had been connected to a bio-nano system, and a large amount of anger and discipline-inducing hormones had been installed in his body. James wasn’t naturally short-tempered or irritable.
Then, one night, while sleeping, Melissa suddenly felt a heaviness over her body. She saw James standing in front of her, saying,
"Melissa, I’ve come to give you important information. A military officer named Kevin is conducting illegal human experiments on soldiers. He’s mutating humans by combining parasite DNA with human DNA. If his experiments succeed, he plans to attack and take over the country."
Suddenly, Melissa felt a jolt through her body and woke up with a start. She realized that this had been a meeting between two subtle bodies—a phenomenon where the inner body of one person merges with the inner body of another, allowing them to communicate.
Melissa thought to herself, "Should I inform the government about this, or take matters into my own hands?"
She remembered that James had given her a pen drive. Hoping to find some clues, she connected it to her system. It contained a holographic recording from James. As it played, James appeared and said:
"Melissa, I gave you this pen drive because I discovered illegal human experiments. During one of his missions, a military officer named Kevin found remnants of a parasite spaceship. Inside, he discovered a DNA sample from the parasite. It was a major scientific discovery—one containing vast energy. The original goal was to develop a fusion reactor to solve humanity’s energy crisis. But Kevin misused the sample to mutate humans.
I’ve researched advanced humanoids. You are capable of creating them. I’ve traced the location of Kevin’s illegal experiment lab. I want you to destroy it before it becomes a threat to our nation."
Melissa had no other option. Using James' research, she created a humanoid robot capable of producing thousands of clones like itself. She named the humanoid "J-Warrior"—the commander of this clone army. She installed a massive neural link device called the Neuro Spidernet into J-Warrior, allowing it to control all the clones simultaneously.
Melissa knew she was conducting secret research—essentially rebelling against the government—but it was necessary to save the country from disaster.
She activated J-Warrior. It looked at her and said,
"Warrior Commander activated. Ma’am, provide the mission details."
Melissa looked at all the clones, then ran James’ holographic projection again and said:
"Warrior Commander, your mission is to destroy this illegal human experimentation lab at the location shown in the hologram. This surgical strike must remain completely covert. Our fight is not with the government or the military—it’s only with Kevin. Your primary objective is to eliminate all mutant humans and terminate Kevin."
J-Warrior relayed the command to his clone army. All clones became active. Melissa had also constructed a massive aircraft, named J-Warrior Abstract. It was cloaked with invisibility technology. Using it, the entire clone army was transported to Kevin’s secret lab.
J-Warrior commanded his troops to surround the facility. Inside, they saw humans trapped in glass chambers, hooked up to wires and transparent tubes that injected them with various gases and liquids. The victims’ skin turned black, their mouths morphed into sharp beaks—they writhed in agony.
J-Warrior silently sniped the guards. Then he ordered the clones to destroy the laboratory’s power source. He attacked the scientists while the clones moved in. Kevin got wind of the situation and dispatched his private military force.
In response, J-Warrior launched striker drones to intercept the approaching forces. Once the lab lost power, all machinery stopped functioning. J-Warrior instructed the clones to plant explosives throughout the facility. Within minutes, the entire lab was destroyed.
Then, tracing Kevin’s location, J-Warrior reached his farmhouse, where Kevin was secretly experimenting with parasite DNA. J-Warrior pulled out his electric gun and shot Kevin. The weapon increased Kevin’s heart rate to fatal levels—causing a heart attack. Kevin died on the spot. J-Warrior destroyed all remaining parasite DNA samples along with Kevin’s research data.
Afterward, Melissa reported everything to the government—including the illegal human experiments and how James' research had saved the nation from disaster.
Impressed, the government decided to resume James' research, this time under official supervision and ethical guidelines. The administration announced:
"Advanced humanoids can be used for military and defense purposes. Artificial brains in humans can help enhance their abilities."
Meanwhile, Mila prepared to leave for space to continue her work at the space station. She came to see Melissa before her departure. Melissa grew emotional and said,
"I’m with you, always. I will always love you. You can come to me whenever you need."
Mila and Melissa looked at each other for a long time. Then Mila hugged her and whispered,
"No matter what happened, James was not a murderer."
Melissa nodded in agreement.
Mila couldn’t bear to live in the city anymore. News of James’ dismantling had spread across TV, social media, and news outlets. Melissa thought deeply about James' sacrifice, wondering whether the decisions he made were driven by his artificial brain or his human soul. She deeply regretted the harsh words she had once spoken to him.
Mila was promoted at the Space Center for her groundbreaking research on Artificial Thermogenetic Power Black Holes. Her work led to the creation of a Thermogenetic Black Hole—capable of converting heat into energy powerful enough to fuel an entire galaxy. Intergalactic spaceships now ran on this energy, and it would also power future time-travel technologies. This also led to a process called Thermal DNA Mutation, where exposure to extreme heat altered human DNA. The transformed individuals were named "Heatxodes."
For further research, Mila was granted a permanent station in space. She would never return to Earth. James was gone. Mila was gone. Only Alex remained with Melissa.
Melissa realized that in her pursuit of James, she had neglected Mila. Now, both were gone—one to death, the other to the stars.
She closed her eyes and connected with James’ subtle form. He appeared in front of her and said,
"I will always be with you."
Melissa opened her eyes, tears forming.
Just then, she heard a voice:
"Mom, please come inside," Alex called.
