Myriad Heavens: Rise of the Rune God
Chapter 168: Federation Approval
COOPERATION PROPOSAL - TRANSPARENT OPERATIONS
"You’re concerned about what we’re doing with virtual world user data," Cassia acknowledged, addressing the privacy fears directly, "so we’re offering full transparency: Federation observers can have complete access to virtual world infrastructure, can verify we’re not manipulating users or harvesting data inappropriately, can audit our systems continuously to ensure we’re operating as promised."
She showed the technical details: monitoring access, audit protocols, privacy protections, all of it designed to prove Starr Technologies wasn’t building surveillance systems disguised as entertainment platforms.
COOPERATION PROPOSAL - GENE ENHANCEMENT PROTOCOL
This was the critical moment, the request that would determine whether human enhancement proceeded with Federation blessing or despite Federation opposition.
"Dr. Sarah Chen will present comprehensive data on gene enhancement therapy," Cassia said, gesturing to where Dr. Chen stood ready, "but before the medical evidence, I want to address the political and ethical concerns directly."
She pulled up the proposed enhancement protocol:
"Pricing: Fifty credits per dose at cost, affordable globally regardless of economic status—we’re not creating wealth-based access barriers.
Priority: Medical need first—terminal patients, genetic disorders, disabilities—before expanding to general population, ensuring those who need it most get it first.
Access: Lottery system for general population distribution, preventing wealth or connections from determining who gets enhanced, ensuring fairness and equity.
Oversight: Independent committee including Federation representatives monitoring deployment, ensuring we follow protocols and don’t abuse the technology.
Technology Transfer: Complete formula and manufacturing capability transferred to Federation after five years, eliminating permanent corporate control over human evolution."
The proposal addressed every major concern about creating enhanced-versus-baseline class divisions, and Cassia watched representatives conferring quietly as they processed the implications.
"This isn’t corporate profit-seeking," she emphasized, "this is human advancement—we’re offering life-saving and capability-enhancing technology at cost with safeguards ensuring universal access, and we’re willing to give up control completely within five years to prevent monopoly concerns."
She stepped back from the podium. "Dr. Chen will present the medical evidence that makes this not just politically acceptable but medically imperative."
DR. CHEN’S PRESENTATION - 9:30 AM
Dr. Sarah Chen approached the podium with thirty years of medical credibility backing her words, and she began not with statistics but with a simple image: Subject M-1, the monkey with terminal pancreatic cancer, shown in two photos side by side—before treatment looking emaciated and dying, after treatment looking healthy and energetic.
"This monkey was given two weeks to live," she said quietly, "terminal pancreatic cancer with full systemic metastasis, no treatment options available, scheduled for humane euthanasia—ten minutes after receiving gene enhancement therapy, the cancer is gone, the pancreas has regenerated, and this animal is not just surviving but thriving."
She showed the medical imaging: tumors shrinking to nothing, organs regenerating, cellular health restored.
"We tested twenty subjects," Dr. Chen continued, pulling up comprehensive data, "5 healthy mice, 5 big cats and ten terminally ill monkeys representing different fatal conditions—results: one hundred percent success rate, zero adverse effects, all predicted benefits confirmed including tripled lifespan, doubled physical and cognitive capability, disease reversal, and cellular regeneration."
The behavioral testing footage appeared: enhanced monkeys mere minutes of having being inected was using tools, solving puzzles designed for human children, operating tablet interfaces with purposeful intent.
"The cognitive enhancement elevates subjects toward higher sentience," she explained, "these monkeys are approaching human-child intelligence levels, suggesting the doubling effect scales with existing capability rather than hitting some cognitive ceiling—in humans, this means genuine genius-level intelligence becomes the baseline rather than the exception."
She showed cellular analysis, genetic sequencing, longevity projections, safety profiles, everything documented with rigorous scientific methodology that left no room for doubt about efficacy.
"But the critical point," Dr. Chen said with passion breaking through professional composure, "is that we have terminal patients right now who are dying from conditions this therapy could cure—pancreatic cancer, kidney failure, genetic disorders, immune dysfunctions—people who will die waiting if we delay for excessive bureaucratic caution."
She pulled up statistics: millions of terminal patients globally, death rates from treatable conditions, years of life that could be saved.
"Every month we delay," she said with quiet intensity, "thousands of people die who could have been saved, and I cannot ethically recommend delay when we have safe and effective treatment available—the medical evidence supports immediate human trials with appropriate oversight, and refusing approval means accepting unnecessary deaths for political comfort."
The Assembly Hall was silent, representatives processing medical data that made refusing approval seem cruel rather than cautious.
FEDERATION DEBATE - 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM
The debate lasted two hours—representatives raising concerns about unintended consequences, about playing god with human genetics, about social disruption from creating enhanced populations, about equity and access and control—but every concern was addressed by either Cassia’s cooperation proposals or Dr. Chen’s medical evidence.
Minister Chen Wei from Infrastructure spoke in favor: "Starr Technologies is offering partnership rather than dominance, transparency rather than secrecy, and technology that will save lives and advance civilization—refusing seems based on fear rather than reason."
Economic Minister Rodriguez expressed reservations: "Creating enhanced humans risks permanent class divisions between those who can afford treatment and those who cannot."
Cassia responded: "Fifty credits per dose, lottery system for access, prioritization of medical need—we’ve designed the protocol specifically to prevent wealth-based divisions, and we’re committed to universal access within five years."
Medical Ethics Commissioner Zhao raised philosophical concerns: "Modifying human genetics fundamentally alters what it means to be human."
Dr. Chen responded: "We’ve been modifying human biology for centuries through medicine, nutrition, education—this is just more effective than previous methods, and refusing to cure terminal illness because it makes us philosophically uncomfortable is prioritizing abstract concerns over human lives."
The debate continued with representatives from developed and developing nations, from conservative and progressive factions, from scientific and religious perspectives, but gradually consensus emerged: the medical evidence was too compelling, the cooperation proposals were too generous, and refusing approval would look like governments preventing life-saving treatment for political reasons.
At noon, Federation Chair Ambassador Okonkwo called for a vote:
"Conditional approval for human trials of gene enhancement therapy, with the following requirements: independent oversight committee with Federation representation, strict adherence to proposed access protocols, comprehensive monitoring and reporting, and commitment to technology transfer within five years—all in favor?"
The vote was overwhelming: 127 in favor, 15 against, 5 abstentions.
"Human trials approved," Ambassador Okonkwo announced, "Starr Medical may proceed with appropriate oversight—may this advancement benefit all of humanity rather than dividing it."
Cassia felt relief flood through her despite her confident exterior, because Federation approval meant enhancement could proceed openly and cooperatively rather than through workarounds and political maneuvering.
Dr. Chen was crying quietly beside her, tears of joy and relief that three decades of medical research had led to this moment where they could actually offer dying patients genuine hope.
The future of humanity had just been approved by democratic vote.
And enhancement would begin within weeks.
Note to reader: This is what is going to happen in the following weeks, I dont have the time to write Chapters about them so use your imagination.
HUMAN TRIAL PREPARATION - WEEKS 1-4 (SUMMARY)
The weeks following Federation approval moved with organized urgency:
Week 1: Trial Preparation
1,000 volunteers selected through rigorous screening
500 terminal patients (various conditions, global diversity)
500 healthy volunteers (age/demographic diversity)
Manufacturing: Mark IIIs producing initial serum batch
Oversight: Federation committee established, monitoring protocols implemented
Medical facilities: 50 global locations prepared for administration
Week 2: First Injections and Results Verification
Day 1: First 100 terminal patients receive serum (global media coverage)
Day 3: First 100 healthy volunteers receive serum
Monitoring: Comprehensive 24/7 tracking all subjects
Results very promising: terminal patients showing immediate improvement and enhancement
Terminal patients: Tumors shrinking, organs regenerating, conditions reversing in mere minutes
Healthy volunteers: Enhanced strength/speed measurable, cognitive improvements evident
Adverse effects: Zero across all 1,000 subjects
Federation oversight: Confirming success, no safety concerns
Week 3: Expansion Approval
Results so compelling that Federation fast-tracks expanded trials
Manufacturing scaling: Mark IIIs producing millions of doses
Pricing maintained: 50 credits per dose
Priority protocol: Medical need first, then lottery for general population
Week 4: Mass Production Begins
Starr Medical manufacturing 10 million doses daily
Distribution: Global network established
First wave: Terminal patients worldwide (estimated 50 million eligible)
Second wave: Disabilities, genetic disorders, elderly (estimated 200 million eligible)
Third wave: General population lottery (billions eligible)
Transformation Effects Documented:
Blind patients: Vision restored through optic nerve regeneration
Deaf patients: Hearing restored through cochlear regeneration
Paralyzed patients: Nerve regrowth enabling mobility
Amputees: Limb regeneration accelerated
Cancer patients: Tumors eliminated across all cancer types
Organ failure: Regeneration of kidneys, liver, heart tissue
Genetic disorders: DNA correction at cellular level
The gene enhancement serum was proving to be exactly what Dr. Chen had called it in private moments: a miracle drug that treated essentially every known medical condition by fundamentally upgrading human biology itself.
And it was just the beginning.
ORION’S MANSION - STUDY - DAY 14 - 8:00 PM
While Cassia celebrated Federation approval and Dr. Chen coordinated human trial preparation and the company executed massive technological deployment, Orion sat in his study reviewing the day’s business summaries with the detached efficiency of someone whose attention was elsewhere.
Virtual world: 3 billion users, revenue stable.
Space program: satellites launching on schedule, Titan-class ships in production.
Gene enhancement: Approved, trials beginning.
Manufacturing: Mark IIIs operating at capacity.
Subsidiaries: All performing optimally.
Everything was functioning perfectly without his direct involvement, which was exactly what he’d intended when delegating authority completely.
"Company status confirmed," he said to Rene whose presence was available through speakers throughout the mansion, "everything proceeding optimally, no decisions needed from me, business operations continue independently—good, that’s exactly how it should work."
"Are you ready to begin advancement preparations?" Rene asked, knowing his focus had been on cultivation rather than corporate management.
"Yes," Orion confirmed, standing from his desk chair and heading toward the underground laboratory, "tonight I complete the preparatory work—Celestial Mind Visualization expansion and meridian system enhancement—then tomorrow I begin actual ring cultivation and advance as rapidly as possible through remaining rings."
He took the elevator down to the underground level where his cultivation chamber waited, but instead of entering immediately he went to his personal preparation area to review the techniques he’d been developing.