In biology, there exists the concept of "ring species."
For example, in Western Europe, there is a type of bird called the Little Black-backed Gull.
Many years ago, a group of Little Black-backed Gulls set out from Western Europe and migrated eastward. Due to the high latitude, they wouldn’t continue north into Arctic regions. Eventually, they settled in Siberia and beca the Siberian subspecies of the Little Black-backed Gull.
Then, a group of Siberian subspecies Little Black-backed Gulls continued to set out, migrating eastward all the way, eventually evolving into Herring Gulls.
A group of Herring Gulls continued migrating eastward, evolving into the Vega Gull subspecies, Vega Gulls, Federation Herring Gulls.
Finally, a group of Federation Herring Gulls re-crossed the Atlantic eastward and returned to Western Europe, evolving again into Silver Gulls.
Although the habitats of Little Black-backed Gulls and Silver Gulls significantly overlap, there is quite strong reproductive isolation between them, preventing them from producing hybrid offspring.
No, not just that; there’s already reproductive isolation between Silver Gulls and Vega Gulls.
Little Black-backed Gull, Siberian subspecies of Little Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Vega Gull subspecies, Vega Gull, Federation Herring Gull, Silver Gull. This circle of species forms an evolutionary chain.
On this chain, adjacent groups can interbreed and produce hybrid offspring. However, groups separated by distance often experience reproductive isolation.
"Species" is a man-made concept. Humanity’s traditional definition of "species" is "a group of individuals that can mate and produce offspring, but cannot interbreed with other organisms; hybrids resulting from such mating cannot further reproduce." Simply put, it’s "reproductive isolation."
Yet "reproductive isolation" is not a clear concept. Between the Little Black-backed Gull and its Siberian subspecies, the Siberian subspecies, and the Herring Gull, there is no reproductive isolation. According to traditional definitions, they belong to one species. However, there is reproductive isolation between the Little Black-backed Gull and the Herring Gull.
Perhaps the human definition of "a person" is also a boundary blurred concept.
Yawgmoth of the twenty-first century is like the Little Black-backed Gull that set out from Western Europe. When this small population follows the wind and circles around the Arctic Circle, they return to Western Europe, having evolved into Silver Gulls.
Between the Little Black-backed Gull and Silver Gull, there are many transitional groups that can produce hybrid individuals.
But young Yawgmoth and Yawgmoth, the Father of Machines, have completely beco two separate individuals.
No matter how Silver Gulls change... even if a massive environntal change occurs and two groups undergo convergent evolution, there will always be reproductive isolation between them, at most becoming competing parallel lines.
In any case, Silver Gulls will not again rge with Little Black-backed Gulls.
Yawgmoth also cannot return to what he was.
Niyaguti sighed. Then the indicator light on the table lit up: "There’s a port there, connect it. I’ll copy a file directly—does he have any requests?"
"Requests? Probably not. He doesn’t want too many people to know the location of whale civilization," Xiang Shan said. "After all, humanity’s civil war doesn’t need to involve the whales..."
"Keeping one’s own corner safe is too difficult," Niyaguti sighed. "Humans are too strong, Earth is too small. Humanity’s civil war has long been not just a human affair. Anyway... they’re not powerful."
This ti, Xiang Shan was shocked, staring at Niyaguti.
Xiang Shan asked, "Are you really Niyaguti Endeby... do you really possess the sa personality as Niyaguti Endeby?"
Niyaguti glanced at Xiang Shan: "Are you surprised?"
"It’s hard to imagine you’d say sothing like that." Xiang Shan motioned with his hands, drawing a smile on his face, "I thought hearing this kind of news you would be... well, happier."
"I am very happy."
"But not that kind of..." Xiang Shan scratched his head, "It’s hard to say. But you..."
He pointed to his head: "I feel like your ntal state isn’t good."
Niyaguti shrugged and said, "Maybe, that’s just numbness."
"I feel that putting a civilization not even two hundred years old on the battlefield of humanity’s civil war is as cruel as training children to beco soldiers," Xiang Shan said. "Is this really the fine tradition of the African continent?"
This truly happened. Right up on the surface two hundred ters above their heads, this really happened.
Xiang Shan exclaid, "You weren’t like this three hundred years ago."
Niyaguti remained silent.
Xiang Shan fell silent as well. He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Well, who told Xiang Shan to die early? By the way, is Doctor Tao here?"
"He is," Niyaguti nodded. "I used the remaining bit of his glial cells to re-culture neural stem cells and filled them into the inner side of Doctor Tao’s high cortex, slowly removed those base instincts temporarily simulated with algorithms, and trained from scratch... Honestly, this process is very difficult. For a long ti, he won’t be on the battlefield as the Hero. He might not even be able to work as a logistician doctor. Perhaps he’ll only be able to work in an educational position."
Xiang Shan pressed one hand against his forehead: "I’ve never seen a more severe disability than this... He’s only left with the high cortex. Yet you’re still evaluating his work ability. Shouldn’t you say, ’Though it’s tough, I believe he will eventually recover’?"
"Oh, right. Two hundred years ago, this was sothing you usually did."
Thus, the two fell silent again.
"Humanity’s greedy nature always enjoys the plentiful resources brought by high efficiency, but high-efficiency behaviors, styles, and organizational forms are mostly against human nature," Niyaguti said. "No choice, those in this line of work ultimately beco a personification of personality."
Xiang Shan didn’t want to hurt each other anymore. He shifted to the topic: "Did Doctor Tao ever tell you about my situation?"
"You saved him, that I know."
Xiang Shan asked again: "Did Doctor Tao tell you the story of the Ninth Martial God?"
Niyaguti’s arm veins bulged: "Yawgmoth, that maniac, is completely insane, beyond saving."
"Oh, looks like you heard." Xiang Shan nodded. "Doctor Tao suspects I am sothing similar to the Ninth Martial God... sothing manufactured by so conspiracy group. Perhaps to verify a theory, perhaps much like the Ninth Martial God. I have to find a way, test my cells, study the artificial traces inside, determine what I truly am."
Niyaguti was montarily stunned: "This is the first ti I’ve seen... uh, soone talking about their... such matters in this way."
Xiang Shan shrugged: "I also know a lunatic who even treats himself like an inbred mouse."
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