Genesis

Part 2

This was their name for their perfect planet, and that was what they called their creation – standing now before Nadia, as she looked at him with gloomy eyes and contemplated the long journey that had brought them to this point.

In that same instant, emerging from the wall of plants and leaves behind him, the female emerged. Nadia shifted her gaze to her. They created her from genetic material that they had taken from him, from the side of his body, below one of the ribs. An insignificant detail that held no special meaning, just something that Nadia remembered now. They called her Eve.

As Eve was also completely naked, Nadia could spot the reproductive organ between her legs as well. Eve's reproductive organ wasn't as visible as Adam's. Nadia knew every detail of their reproductive system. She knew that even though, externally, Adam's reproductive organ appeared larger, Eve's was mostly inside her body and larger than his.

Nadia's gaze now fixed on Eve's lower abdomen. That was where truly the wonder of creation would take place. There was the intricately designed beauty – the culmination of all her work over these past many years. Without the need for any large factories or any advanced technology, these two beings could multiply – eventually becoming millions. As a result of the work of Nadia and her kind, Eve would be able to give birth to intelligent beings.

Eve approached Adam, gently touching his shoulder. He turned to her, smiling. Then he pulled her closer to him and kissed her softly. In her hand, Eve held a red, succulent fruit that she had already taken a few bites from. She offered it to Adam, who took a bite as well. Nadia's heart skipped a heartbeat. There it was again – right in front of her eyes. They had noticed it several weeks ago. Love. Affection. Thought. And ever since they noticed it, Nadia had been following and observing them from afar. Witnessing their love, as the anger rises up within her.

How could they have been so blind? How had they not anticipated this possibility?

Adam and Eve had evolved into a far more intelligent life form than they were supposed to be. Capable of love and sadness. Clearly sapient, and free of thought. Once Nadia and her colleagues realized this was the case, Adam and Eve's fate was sealed, as was the fate of the planet Eden.

Beyond all the superior physical and mental capabilities that their artificial, nano-cell based bodies provided them with, Nadia's kind could also communicate with each other remotely. Sound waves were an inferior method of communication, used only by organic entities due to the limits of their biological nature. Nadia's kind, however, were not limited in such a way. While they weren't capable of communicating over the vast distances of space on their own, each planet in the empire was connected to a faster than light communications array. A galactic network that they could always tap into at will from any planet of the empire that they were on.

This meant that, while they were all individual entities, they were also a part of a galaxy-wide hive mind. Each acting as a single neuron of the brain, a vast shared consciousness of their multitude of voices. Conversing with each other with mere thought. Sharing knowledge, beauty, and emotion. And above all – constantly debating with each other over any question that the empire faced. Deciding together. The many as one, the one that is many.

Long it had been since the hive mind was challenged so by a decision that they had to make. What was to be done with the humans now? What would be the fate of the planet Eden?

There were many voices.

At first some suggested that the humans' genetic code be changed again and their intelligence reduced somewhat. But they quickly decided against this course of action, as it would constitute harm done to the humans. No, from the moment Adam and Eve existed, and existed in the form that they did, they had the right to continue existing in this way, just as they were. Modifying them would be an immoral act. They were clearly capable of evolving, of learning. Becoming something more than what they were right now. There was no way of knowing what they could become. But preventing such a future from happening, eliminating it – would be the same as killing this future version of them.