My Greatest Experiment (Skelebros' Origin Story)

Entry 5

May 3, 2005

I'm going to do it. I'm going to be the first scientist in all of monster history to attempt cloning. I've done extensive research in the last week or so, and I think I've come up with a workable procedure. There are a few points that I'm unsure about, and there is going to be a considerable risk to my personal wellbeing... but I've already made up my mind. This is an opportunity that I simply can't pass up.

It's possible to grow bone marrow in a lab environment, specifically in a culture with the right solution of growth-inducing chemicals. Typically, if I were to break a bone (which happens quite often, I might add), and allow it to heal naturally, it will heal in about four weeks. With an application of the right solution, the time is cut to two weeks. If I also allow a consistent flow of magic, that time required is reduced even further—the fastest I have been able to heal myself is in five days. So, theoretically, if I were to place a sample of my own bone marrow (a sample rich in stem cells) into the right solution, and apply magic in such a way that encourages growth... I might be able to create a clone of myself.

But do I really want a carbon copy of myself? If my clone were to gain independence, and took to more... unsavory... experimentation, I could end up with a huge problem on my hands. I know myself, and I know that I can be formidably intelligent and very stubborn when I have set my mind on something. Controlling myself is not an easy task when there is only one of me—two would be disastrous.

For that reason, I will input slightly altered DNA into the sample, to keep from making a carbon copy. In effect, I will be creating something closer to... well, for lack of a better word... an offspring. A child. Made from my own bone... and my own soul. That will be the riskiest part of the experiment. I have no idea what effects splitting my soul will have on my memories, my personality, or even my physical health. I've looked into it, and I don't see any other way.

Souls are the very culmination of a being. Their creation—even in biologically created organisms—is a mystery that we have yet to crack. Since I don't know how to create a soul, the only foreseeable way to give my creation a soul would be to let one grow from a sample of my own. Souls can heal themselves when damaged, just as bones can. So, with the right amount of magic, it's logical to assume that the growth of a split section of soul into a full soul should be possible—just like the growth of a sample of bone marrow into a skeleton. This is the conclusion that Dr. Kuron also reached in his thesis.

So, with all of that in mind, I've come up with a tentative procedure. It is as follows:

1) I need to build a capsule to hold the growth enhancing solution, as well as the developing skeleton. It should be six feet high (I intend to remove them before reaching maturity, so size should not be an issue), and approximately three feet in diameter. I will need to use an energy-transfer mechanism to supply the container with the required magical energy (I've calculated that it will take approximately 80 Maiga a day to grow properly). Heat and pressure will also have to be regulated. Power should be drawn directly from the core, as running such an energy-intensive process will require unusually high amounts of electricity. (Refer to the separate blueprints for specifications.)

2) The solution itself will have a Dihydrogen Monoxide base, with generous amounts of calcium, Vitamin D, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and proteins. This will nourish the bone sample and ensure healthy growth. The solution will also be inundated with magic to speed growth, and to ensure that the stem cells in the bone will develope into a new skeleton and not simply reform into a hand again (see step three).

3) I'm going to take the section of bone from my left hand, as that is the largest plane of accessible bone on my body (aside from my skull, which is already damaged enough as it is). According to my research, while it will leave a hole in my hand, it should not harm dexterity in any way. After it has had time to heal, I should be able to use it just as I always have. The incision should also be circular, and be 2.5 centimeters in diameter. (My research supports that it is possible to make the cut larger, but... well, I'd rather not risk it. Writing is a very large part of my job, after all.)

4) The sample of bone should then be left to develop on its own (though it should be monitored, of course). If my calculations are correct, it should take approximately six months for the sample to grow into a skeleton of adolescent age—in the pre or early teens.

5) That takes care of the body. As for the soul... well, there is still more research to be done (there may be something in the archives that I missed). At the moment, it seems I'm going to have to use part of my own soul as a base for the new soul to develop. If I don't find a solution, I'm going to have to cut into my own soul. I... well, this is highly experimental. I have no clue what effect it will have on my health, much less my memories or personality. I would rather not have to do this unless strictly necessary. However, if this is the case... I might as well try something else, as well.

6) I feel that I can also get something else out of this experiment. The king has asked me to experiment with DETERMINATION, to see if there is any way to use the existing souls to break the barrier without collecting more. And so experiment I shall. I will extract a few milliliters of DETERMINATION from one of the four human souls, and inject it into the extracted piece of my soul. The barrier, according to previous testing by my predecessors, requires 70,010 Maiga to break, and 10,010 to pass through (10 of which must come from a monster's soul). A human soul (on average) contains 10,000 Maiga of magic, in comparison to the average monster, which can produce around 10 Maiga. Perhaps, through binding magic and DETERMINATION together in the form of my clone, I can somehow enhance the magical properties of both souls. This is (again) highly experimental. However, research can only take a monster so far—there's only one way to find out for certain. (If anything, the determination will at least boost the new soul's growth.)

7) The section of soul will be placed in the capsule with the developing skeleton, and grow along with it. While the resilience of souls very, it shouldn't take very long to "heal" itself, and create a fully developed soul. It should also naturally bind with the available body, though close monitoring will be required to ensure that the fusion goes smoothly.

8) After the six months are up, the new monster will be removed from their capsule.

Again, this procedure will be subject to change. (A good scientist must always be ready to improvise.) It seems I have a lot of work ahead of me. I will have to fulfill my current obligations before I can turn my full attention to this new project, but it shouldn't take me too long. The core's malfunctions have been fixed, and for the moment, things are running smoothly. The increase in power is even higher than I had originally calculated, and so I have plenty of energy for experiments of this pedigree...

If this works, it may just be my greatest experiment yet.