I woke up to the soft glow of the early morning sunlight illuminating my bedroom ceiling. It was a bit hazy inside, but as I got out of bed and walked towards the window, the sensors in the house responded to my touch. The muscle-like fibers that held the window tightly closed loosened, and the window slid open. It wasn't your typical window though; instead, it was a transparent part of the house that had been genetically engineered with Macropinna Microstoma genes. Its purpose was to serve as a window, but it was so much more than that.
As I gazed out of the window, I saw that I lived on the edge of a platform that was located at the highest point in the city. The city was a marvel of architecture and geneticĀ engineering, consisting of five different platforms that were suspended by muscle-like fibers between columns. Each column had three branches, and these fibers prevented the platforms from swaying during earthquakes or high winds.
The lowest platform served as a port and provided a connection to the ground, while the second platform functioned as an industrial and agricultural zone where products needed by the city were grown. The production methods were unlike anything seen in modern times. Products were designed on computers, converted into DNA codes, and then grown like an organ or fruit in the desired location on the platform. Of course, some products were still produced using traditional methods.
The third platform was home to state institutions and business centers, while the fourth platform was a cultural and entertainment hub. The top platform contained living, education, and health facilities. Each space was designed by architects and built by geneticists, as if they were an organ of the city.
The city itself was a synthetic, tree-like life form. Its vessels functioned like a plumbing system, while its nervous system and AI-supported brain controlled its living spaces with the help of sensory organs that allowed humans to interact with the city. The necessary reactions were then produced accordingly. The city also generated its own electrical energy, similar to photosynthesis in leaves, which was then distributed to its residents.
As I looked around at the incredible engineering and design of this city, I couldn't help but think of how humanity had turned to science and away from religion during the Enlightenment Age. At first, we sought solutions in machines, but the energy and global warming crises we created forced us to look for alternative solutions. The discovery of DNA and the mapping and interpretation of genes, followed by the discovery of CRISPR, opened up new avenues for synthetic life. Genetic diseases were eliminated, and DNA became a building block in many areas, from computer technology to architecture. Small life forms were synthesized to meet the need for shelter, and eventually, the design of entire cities became possible. In the end, humanity came to understand that the only sustainable thing is life itself.
