Project Nüwa by Wanying Zhang

Palms slick with sweat, Daji paced around her penthouse waiting for Goddess Nüwa’s arrival. She hiccupped and noticed writhing shadows behind her. She drew in her eight fox tails that had kept slipping from her human figure since she summoned Nüwa about an hour ago. Today marked the hundredth anniversary of the creation of Project Nüwa. She sipped from a glass of a thousand-year-old baijiu and cast her gaze over Beijing’s city lights, a dense kaleidoscope of blue and white LEDs juxtaposed against flashing neon billboards. The World Trade Center, a sleek curtain of glass walls reaching upward, stood as a commanding presence against the city’s skyline. Rain splattered against the floor-to-ceiling windows, blurring the urban sprawl below into an impressionist painting.

Patience had never been her strong suit. She reminded herself to count her breaths like she would during yoga poses.

“Do not fail me again.” Nüwa’s voice echoed in her mind. She tightened her grip around her glass as lightning flashed across the midnight sky. The scene evoked memories of the night in the Imperial courtyard when a harsh crack of stone split the ancient statue that imprisoned her. Daji remembered how freedom rippled through her body when she soared into the air as a cloud of smoke. Entire dynasties had risen, fallen, and vanished since then. She was determined to continue her path to immortality despite her setbacks. Throughout the centuries, she had worked hard to earn eight fox tails; she needed one more.

Daji plopped down on her cream leather sofa and took another sip of wine. She massaged her temples and repeatedly tapped her high heels on the polished wooden floors. To reassure herself, she looked over to the calligraphy painting, a gift from one of her many admirers, that depicted her as a beautiful woman draped in the rich folds of a hanfu. Over the years, she was proud to have refined and transformed her body into a temple of perfection; she possessed a strong core, flat stomach, cascading silky hair, ample curves accentuating filled breasts and elegantly defined cheekbones. She aspired to imitate Nüwa’s resplendent beauty. 

Another deafening thunder followed and startled Daji. She jumped from her sofa, splashing wine on the floor next to her precious floor-length tapestry. It was weaved from intricate silk and copper stitches that narrated the story of Nüwa’s creation of humans. Her pulse quickened. The Goddess could be here at any moment. She set down the wine glass and scrambled on her knees to wipe up the spill. 

A strong rush of air tore through her condo, whipping her long hair onto her face. Her collection of porcelain ceramics and jade artifacts trembled on the floating wall shelves. A familiar presence washed over Daji, warming her heart with relief. As she stood up, she stumbled on her high heels. She cleared her throat and her cheeks reddened. Hands clasped in front of her, she bowed her head as was the custom to greet the Goddess. Nüwa’s aura emanated a dazzling glow and her ivory ethereal robes cascaded across the floor. Pink carnation flowers adorned her jet-black hair, held together in a half-updo with a golden hairpin.

“You summoned me,” Impatience laced through Nüwa’s voice. “I have to get back to rebalancing the elemental stones. I have one incense stick of time.”  The Goddess cradled a string of meditation beads in her hands. Her delicate fingers ran over each bead in a slow rhythm.

“I understand. Thank you for gracing me with your presence. I– ”

“You appear different than when I last saw you,” she observed, cutting her off.

Daji kept her gaze on the ground and bit her lips. She smoothed out her high ponytail and straightened her blouse. She noticed a wine stain on her ironed pants and her tails slipped out again. She cursed under her breath, hoping that her appearance wouldn’t offend the Goddess.

A thousand years have passed since she last saw Nüwa and she shuddered. She recalled the punishment for her last indiscretion in 228 BCE during the Qin Dynasty. She stole a glance at the ancient terracotta soldier that stood in the corner of her living room. The stoic life-sized figure, clad in a suit of armour, served as a poignant reminder of Daji’s late son from that era. Although her son had sent men to search far and wide for the Elixir of Life, the claws of mortality claimed him at the end, since he was half-mortal. Not even Nüwa made exceptions. Looking at its vacant eyes, Daji hoped that he would come to life, even for a moment. She wasn’t sure if she had ever come to terms with his death, but she shoved the uncomfortable thought away. It was not the time for silly fantasies to revive him. 

She sucked in her tails with a quick breath and suppressed the flutter of nerves, determined not to let the last failure deter her.

“I would like to show you my progress. I’m sure you will like it.” Daji forced a smile. 

“Oh? I do hope it’s better than the last time.”

Daji led the Goddess to the kitchen. She tapped her manicured fingers on the lacquered kitchen counter, filling the sink with water to the brim. 

“I see you still have a soft spot for the past,” the Goddess observed while she surveyed the condo. She referred to the lustrous finishings and fine brushwork on her artifacts that echoed the craftmanship of ancient dynasties. Daji took pride in having collected these treasures that reminded her of home in ancient China. 

She glanced at the ornate bronze vessel on her shelf, a prized relic she managed to salvage from the Shang Dynasty in 1047 BCE. Adorned with a carving of a fox, this artifact was buried with King Zhou. Daji could never forget how Nüwa had dispatched her to seduce and corrupt the licentious King Zhou. Her charms had easily captivated the tyrannical King. She had never been one to love, but she had grown fond of the King at the time because he lavished her with everything she desired, even attempting to fulfill her extravagant request to obtain the moon. 

If only Nüwa could give her the unconditional love and admiration that all the men seemed eager to shower upon her. She ignored the slight tug at her heart, but she couldn’t think ill of the Goddess because she had given her another chance at life. 

“Yes, some things I cannot forget.” Daji’s hand trembled as she refilled her wine glass. She offered a glass to Nüwa, but she declined.

Daji took a deep breath and conjured a scrying spell to reveal the conception of Project Nüwa.

An image of Daji disguised as an alluring businesswoman appeared on the surface of the water. Daji recalled the giddiness when she strode into the gleaming chrome office tower, stilettos clicking on the marble floor. With a calculated reveal of skin beneath her partly unbuttoned crisp white blouse, she swept up her sleek black hair and put on a bold stroke of crimson lipstick to accentuate her high cheekbones. She presented an elevator pitch to the board members of Prosperity, one of China’s biggest tech companies, due to their algorithms’ pervasive global influence. Leveraging a comprehensive database of individuals’ information, Prosperity understood each person’s preferences, enabling lifestyle recommendations attuned to their needs. As expected, they drooled over her idea.

Nüwa arched her eyebrows and her lips tightened. Daji’s mouth turned dry, but she sustained the scry. The montage showed her team’s creation of an artificial intelligence that tapped into human DNA, suggesting optimal combinations of genes for future generations. Integrated into Prosperity’s matchmaking app, it facilitated optimal partner matches. Within a few years, she climbed her way to become CEO and Project Nüwa became a global success. Faces of healthy, happy families, holding their children up like trophies appeared across the water’s surface.

“What is this, Daji?” the Goddess asked, ending Daji’s scry with a wave of her hand. Nüwa’s body tensed, and she counted the meditation beads in a faster rhythm.

“I thought you would be pleased. I created an AI in your image. If you allow me, let me show you more.”

On the counter, Daji had compiled a portfolio of clients’ testimonies and infographics prepared to impress the Goddess. She collected statistics showing that rates plummeted, productivity soared, and the economy flourished since the launch of the project. Bowing again, she presented the binder to her with open palms and tried to focus on the positives. Nüwa pursed her lips as she flipped through the laminated binder.

Best investment ever and worth every Yuan. Super easy process. You and your partner just sign a waiver so they can gain access to your DNA information, and the AI does the rest. The results are then sent to the natal clinic. ~ Linda Wang

Highly recommended! Project Nüwa will take away the stress of finding an ideal partner and give you the baby of your dreams! No more leaving it up to chance. Intelligence, looks and wits. You can have it all! ~ Kevin Wu

She had played out the conversation many times in her head and prepared an entire speech about how much she advanced humanity, but now she bit her lip, waiting for Nüwa’s response. She wiped her sweaty hands and steadied her wine glass. She didn’t want to reveal that she was riddled with sleepless nights and popped countless anxiety pills over the last year in anticipation of this evaluation. 

Within minutes, Nüwa scanned through the pages that Daji had spent days pouring over and putting together. In the appendix, she even prepared an outline for her work-in-progress and the next steps in her project. In her current efforts, she branched out to a sister company, Unity, specializing in unconventional brain surgeries. From Project Nüwa’s profit, she funded taking human brains with undesired genetic traits to place them in intelligent animals, such as apes, cats, dogs, and dolphins, preferably the ones that could be domesticated. They had started experimenting on recently deceased brains, before progressing to human subjects. She viewed the transplants as merciful since they allowed those other humans to live another life without tainting the rest of humanity.

In human’s eyes, she possessed many accomplishments; she published self-help books, donated to charity, created a fashion line, made skin care products, and won multiple entrepreneurship awards, but none compared to the scale of this project, and its success hinged on Nüwa’s approval.

“What did I spend centuries teaching you?” Nüwa lifted her chin.

“The many qualities one must possess to be a Goddess,” Daji answered at once.

“I taught you to be compassionate, virtuous, devoted and nurturing. Which of those have you worked on all these years?” Nüwa’s vehement tone paralleled the same one she had used to reprimand Daji last time.

“I thought I was trying to be those things and more. I really tried.” Daji peered down at her fidgeting fingers.

“Far from it. Your creation is an abomination against human equality and nature. Genetic engineering and disembowelment of living beings? You have brought shame to my name. It pains me to watch my children so divided. Have you forgotten your past transgressions?” Nüwa’s eyes bore into Daji’s with a mixture of disdain and regret. 

Daji’s heart plummeted like a child drowning in the river. How could she pose such a question when the solitary centuries spent trapped in stone weighed so much on her mind? Did she not understand all the hard work she put forth? The memory of the first time haunted her still when she had admitted to getting carried away. She had requested King Zhou to enslave his subjects by constructing a tower to the moon and invent flesh-burning torture instruments for her pleasure. When Nüwa condemned her for her callousness despite the mission’s success in toppling the dynasty, she recognized her mistake of playing with humans like dolls. 

This time, she really thought she redeemed herself. She had spent many tireless nights driving her team of nine employees to work around the clock, enforcing a minimum of twelve-hour shifts, six days a week, to realize her vision.

“But I shaped the humans in your image. I tried to make them better. I gave them choices and didn’t force them like last time. Please, I’m so close to gaining immortality and to serving by your side as a deity.”

Daji’s voice wavered. This was not at all how she had imagined the conversation would play out. Did she not work hard enough? She lowered her head again. A knot formed in her stomach.

“If immortality was your only ambition, you have failed to understand what it means to be a Goddess.”

“I sacrificed so much for you, Goddess. Is self-sacrifice also not one of the qualities a Goddess should possess?”

Anger simmered in her veins at the thought that perhaps Nüwa’s affection was not as deep as she imagined, especially after she had sacrificed her son for the cause centuries ago. She tried to suppress the memory, but it came back as a cruel reminder of her inadequacy and failure.

Back in the Qin dynasty, Nüwa had tasked her to enable Prince Yiren’s ascent to the throne to bring peace to the Warring States era. Posing as Lady Zhao Ji, she had succeeded with the aid of the cunning politician Lü Buwei. He had betrothed her to the prospective King even though she had found Yiren weak-minded and short-sighted. Luckily, she bore his heir, whom she had groomed into a ruthless Emperor, unified China, and conquered all the warring states. Daji believed she had advanced her agenda by sacrificing her own flesh and blood. She didn’t even shed a tear when her son betrayed her and imprisoned her for “treachery.” Proud of her son’s resolve, she had faked her death and escaped. Soon after, Nüwa confronted her with retribution for the suffering of the people she left in her wake, even though she technically fulfilled her mission. Her lips trembled as the thought of her son crept back.

“Your sacrifice was nothing compared to the millions who suffered from your doings.” Fury danced in Nüwa’s eyes. 

“Don’t pretend to be so noble. You made humans because you endured the same loneliness I suffer…” Daji slammed her wine glass on the counter. She bit back her words, a bitter taste lingering in her mouth. Her ears buzzed and pain erupted in the space between her eyebrows. Perhaps she had drank too much before the meeting. She hadn’t dared to criticize the Goddess before, but she couldn’t contain herself any longer. 

“And it was you who created a division of humans when hand-making the rich nobles got tiresome, so you mass-produced the rest as peasants. Don’t blame me for trying to perfect them.”

Daji stabbed her finger at the tapestry depicting Nüwa’s story. Her darn tails slipped out again, but she didn’t bother retracting them this time. The Goddess recoiled at her words and clutched her beads so tight that her knuckles turned white.

Daji tried to shake her doubts away, but the negative comments she had deleted resurfaced in her thoughts. 

The scam of the century! Only the rich can benefit from Project Nüwa. My child uses a wheelchair. We can barely pay for her education and needs. How can we find her a partner? ~ notarobot123

They’re creating super soldier clones to take over the world. Babies are taken away from their families for testing. Marginalized races will go extinct. They will steal your DNA to control you. It’s practically modern slavery! ~anticommunist1984

She recognized her work sparked controversy in ethical science, but she understood with anything revolutionary, there comes an adjustment period. She nipped the skeptics in the bud and even tracked some of them down to recruit them for the cause. She convinced them that the project served the purity of the human race, to ensure the continuity of superior genes.

 “How dare you suggest the children I created were not perfect? I breathed life into them, taught them, and cared for them. But look at them now, corrupted with greed and vainness because of your doing.” The Goddess’ voice thundered through the room, causing the artifacts to vibrate.

“I thought I was your child too.” Daji’s voice cracked, a lump forming in her throat. She turned away, not wanting Nüwa to see the tears forming in her eyes. She wished Nüwa would look at her the same way when she had first discovered Daji as a stray fox orphan – a tender gaze and a silent promise to protect her. She yearned for Nüwa’s acknowledgement of her efforts and to feel her warmth. Yet, the words slipped out before she could hold them back. “If they were so perfect, maybe they wouldn’t be so easily corrupted.”

Nüwa’s nostrils flared, and a swirling vortex of flame enveloped her. Daji clutched the kitchen counter, worried that the fire would engulf her precious treasures.

“You are no child of mine. I kept you around so long because I thought you were trying so hard to improve. I gave you enough chances. I should have left you in the stone.” 

Nüwa’s words hit Daji like a series of blows, leaving her reeling in silence and feeling small and insignificant. She would never be good enough. She thought Nüwa was going to strike her or punish her again, but the smoke cleared, and she was gone. The Goddess’ absence felt like a void, aching in her heart like a fading echo. She had been cut off; her tails revoked. Daji threw the wine glass across the room, and it shattered against the window. A strangled sob escaped her lips, as centuries of hard work vanished overnight. At that moment, she would have traded immortality for Nüwa’s embrace and her son’s life.

Wanying Zhang

Image by Nat Aggiato from Pixabay – One incense stick smoking against a black background.