What is the meaning of life?
The bright white words were still quietly displayed on the crystal interface. Omega seemed to be patiently waiting for Gwen's answer, and Gwen … did not know how to answer.
It was a classic question, but it was also too broad. Especially in this situation, when facing a 'human' AI that he knew nothing about, he did not know how to answer. Perhaps an eloquent and sharp-tongued philosopher would be able to speak eloquently here, but unfortunately, Gwen was not such a philosopher. So after a dozen seconds of thinking, he just shook his head and said, "I don't know how to answer your question."
"… Interesting. The system record shows that the same or similar answer as yours has appeared four times."
Gwen was stunned for a moment before he reacted. "You've asked someone else this question?"
"There are very few outsiders in Tarlonde, which means that there will still be outsiders." The words on the interface began to refresh. "Maybe hundreds of years, maybe tens of thousands of years. Whenever there is a new observation target, Omega will ask them similar questions. It is also very meaningful to observe the reaction of the target in the face of the question."
Gwen suddenly found it interesting and could not help but ask, "Who told you to do this? Who gave you the instruction to observe and ask questions? "
"No." The words on the interface immediately replied.
"So this observation behavior is your own … 'interest'?" Gwen felt more and more intrigued. "What are you doing this for? To satisfy your own curiosity? You have curiosity? "
"… Due to the need to collect data," Hao Ren did not know if it was an illusion, but the letters that kept appearing on the interface seemed to have a moment of delay. Soon, lines of text began to refresh. "Expanding the database and self-growth to become a better server is the duty of Omega."
Gwen looked at the words on the interface and thought for a moment. Then he said, "You see, for you, expanding the database, self-growth, and becoming a better service provider, this is the meaning of your life."
"… Hard to understand. Omega has no life. Omega is a service system, so Omega has no 'meaning of life'." The words began to refresh again. "Are you changing the topic or avoiding the answer? Is this question too difficult for you? "
Gwen was speechless for a moment. In fact, he was not serious about this conversation until just a second ago. The sudden unexpected contact made him feel unreal, and the communication through the text interface gave him the illusion of "playing a game of quiz across the screen". Until now, he felt that the so-called "Omega" system was seriously communicating with him, seriously … "consulting" him.
He didn't say anything for a while.
What was this "human" ZAI trying to do? Why did it suddenly find him? Is it only because of the need to "observe" and "gather information" that it refers to? It chose to come to me right after I had a private conversation with the Dragon God. What was so special about this timing? Was this really a communication initiated by it, or was there another commander behind it?
For a moment, all kinds of speculations appeared in Gwen's mind, stirring up his thoughts. When he temporarily suppressed these questions, he found that the text on the interface was still there.
Should he seriously answer this strange "human" AI that suddenly came knocking on his door?
After a brief hesitation, Gwen really could not analyze the possibility of a trap behind this matter. He then said, "I can only tell you my own thoughts. You can use it as a reference.
"I think we should think about your question from the perspective of individuals and groups. If you mean 'life', then it is divided into individuals and groups. At least on this planet, that is the case. For a single life, it may have many meanings of existence. It may be for reproduction, or for survival. If it has higher intelligence and pursuits, then it may be for knowledge, for the pursuit of truth, for better enjoyment, or for dreams and self-worth to survive … These are the 'meanings' of an individual life.
"But if you are referring to groups, to the larger concept of 'life' … then I think that allowing oneself to continue is the meaning of existence of 'life' itself."
This time, the text on the interface did not immediately begin to refresh. After waiting for two seconds, Gwen could not help but ask, "Omega, are you still listening?"
"Omega is listening." The message on the Omega finally resumed to refresh, and lines of text began to scroll up. "Interesting answer, sounds like the result of careful consideration. Is this the answer of 'human'? "
"This is just my own answer," Gwen immediately said. "Like I just said, life is divided into individuals and groups, and on this question, humans as a whole do not have a unified and recognized answer, so I can only give my own opinion. And to be honest, your question itself is very general. The definition of life, the definition of existence, the definition of meaning … These are not concepts that can be quantified, so as I said, my answer is only for reference. "
"Omega understands, your answer as a 'reference' … is very enlightening. It will be recorded in the database, and will be used … "
The text on the interface suddenly stopped, and then the surface of the shimmering crystal panel trembled a few times, and the interface that was originally used to display temperature, airflow, and other data appeared before Gwen again.
Why did it suddenly run away?
For a moment, Gwen did not understand. Just as he was about to ask Omega what it was going to do with the data, he sensed a presence not far behind him, and his expression instantly froze.
He stood up (because the device was only a meter tall, and Gwen was more than two meters tall) and turned his head a little awkwardly, and saw Melita standing at the door, looking at him with a stunned expression.
"I …" Melita opened her mouth as if to organize her words, and then said with a strange expression, "I just saw that the door was not closed, and I seemed to hear you talking to someone, so …"
The corner of Gwen's mouth twitched slightly. "So what did you see?"
"I saw you talking to the air conditioner in my house," Melita answered honestly. "And you had a thoughtful look on your face..."
Gwen was speechless.
"It's like this, Omega suddenly appeared," Gwen decided to tell the truth after a moment of awkwardness. "It seemed to be a little curious about me, an 'outsider', so we talked about something. You know, I don't have a resonance core like you, so the communication is a little … weird."
Melita blinked, and seemed to accept this explanation immediately. She even showed a look of realization. "Oh, so that's how it is. I say, you usually look like a serious and serious person … "
Gwen was speechless.
What else could he say? It was enough that there was one person in the world who was always talking about "the sacred words of Emperor Gwen Cecil" … It was good that Melita could maintain her current understanding.
After that, Melita still stood at the door, and it seemed that she had no intention of leaving. Her gaze landed on Gawain, and she seemed to want to say something, but hesitated.
"You're looking for me?" Gwen finally realized that it was not a coincidence that Melita suddenly passed by his room at this time, so he took the initiative to ask.
Melita thought for a moment and nodded. "Actually, I'm just a little curious … After all, you talked to our god alone for a long time today, and as far as I can remember, no mortal has experienced such a thing …"
Gwen smiled and pointed to the side. "Do you want to come in and talk?"
Melita did not refuse. She walked into the room and skillfully sat on a chair next to the bar by the wall. She waved her hand, and a drink automatically flew from the shelf not far away and landed beside her hand. She then picked up the glass and gently shook it at Gwen. "Want a drink? Although it may not be better than the hospitality of the gods. "
Gwen came to Melita's side and sat down. At the same time, he tactfully declined her kindness. "No, I'm … not thirsty."
He was not being polite. After all, not long ago, he drank too much "cola" at the Dragon God's place, and when he came back, he felt that his lungs were about to float. He really did not want to drink anything now …
Melita did not mind. "Well, then I'll enjoy it alone."
Gwen glanced at her. "You want to know what I talked to your god about? Are you sure you want to know? "
Melita's hand that was holding the glass suddenly stiffened, and a trace of nervousness appeared on her face. Apparently, she quickly thought of some bad experience, and quickly shook her head. "That's not what I meant … I'm just curious about what you talked about, in general, nothing specific … Ah, actually, I'm not that curious …"
"I understand, I understand." Gwen could not help but laugh. "I already know, as a member of the Dragons, there are some things that you really can't discuss with outsiders, not just a matter of divine punishment or 'corporate regulations' … Don't worry, I have a sense of propriety, and will not trigger that layer of 'lock'."
Melita's hand froze again, but this time, it was because of surprise.
She stared at Gwen for a long time, and then a slightly complicated expression appeared on her face. "You … It seems that you really talked a lot with our god. You even know about this. "
Gwen nodded. "We talked about the history of Tarlonde, the things that happened on this planet in ancient times, and the topics of faith and the realm of gods."
Melita seemed to be confused. She thought for a long time before she could not help but ask curiously, "Why did our god talk to you about this?"
"… Actually, even I'm not sure," Gwen said frankly. "Maybe … even he is just looking for some answers."
"Looking for answers?" Melita seemed to be even more confused. "Even gods have times when they are confused?"
"People are confused, so gods are confused." Gwen smiled, then looked at Melita, and suddenly asked curiously, "Are you a devout believer of the 'Dragon God'?"
Melita opened her mouth, but suddenly hesitated for a moment. If she was in front of the priests or the Speaker, this would be a question that required an immediate affirmative answer. However, in front of Gwen, an "outsider," she finally gave an answer that might not be so "devout". "I'm very … in awe of him, but I don't know if that's considered devout."
"Awe is part of devout, but devout requires more than awe. I understand your answer." Gwen nodded and then asked, "What about your friend, Noretta? Is she a devout believer? What about the other upper Dragons? "
"This … I don't know how to judge others." Melita hesitated, but after a few seconds, she seemed to think that she should sell her friend out. "Noretta should be similar to me. At least in my opinion, the upper Tarlonde Dragons are more in awe of our god. Of course, what I mean is that we are very respectful to the Dragon God, but we are a little afraid of the great priests of the temple. You know, a place like the temple always makes me a little nervous … "
Melita shrank her neck as she spoke, as if she already felt that she was doing something very disrespectful. Then, as if to change the topic, she said, "But in the lower Tarlonde, there seem to be a lot of particularly devout Dragons … They even use more than half of the free monthly allotment of boosters on devout ceremonies."
Gawain had a thoughtful look on his face.
The upper Dragons were mostly in awe of the Dragon God, but the lower Dragons were closer to unconditional devout believers … This was because the only value of the lower Dragons in this society was to provide support to the Dragon God, and the upper Dragons had to do more practical things. Or there was a deeper arrangement behind this situation … Was this the acquiescence of the Dragon God, or a secret tacit understanding of the upper Tarlonde?
"What are you thinking?"
Melita's voice woke Gwen from his thoughts. The latter came back to his senses and shook his head with a smile. "Nothing. It's just that I suddenly feel that your 'booster' is really incredible and useful. It can actually be used in religious rituals? "
"Booster is a general term for a series of biochemical potions. Some of them can be used with our implant technology and have a variety of functions," Melita immediately said with a sense of pride. "Some boosters can strengthen nerve reaction and physical recovery, some are used to focus the mind and strengthen extraordinary senses. The 'soul' booster used in religious ceremonies is usually used in the lower zone, and the consumption of it in the lower zone is almost a hundred times that of the upper zone. That thing is actually a low-effect hallucinogen, but the effect is not as strong … "
Listening to Melita's enthusiastic explanation, a face and a promise that he had almost forgotten suddenly appeared in Gwen's mind. He quickly interrupted the Giant Dragon lady in front of him. "By the way, Melita, there's something I want to ask of you …"
"Huh?" Melita was startled, and then quickly nodded. "Of course, if I can do it."
"Well, I have … a friend." Gwen hesitated for a moment, trying to think of how to organize his words so that it would not sound too weird. "He wants me to ask Tarlonde if you have some kind of technology that can help … hair growth … like booster or something."
Gwen finally finished, and Melita immediately looked him up and down with a strange expression. "But you don't look …"
Gwen's mouth twitched. "I really do have such a friend!"
"The friend you're talking about is not you?" Melita seemed a little surprised, and finally reacted. "Ah, sorry, I was rude, I didn't mean that …"
"It's okay," Gwen said helplessly. "Just tell me if Tarlonde has such things. It shouldn't be difficult for you, after all, your technology seems …"
"But we really don't have it." Melita's eyes widened, and she said with a helpless expression.
"… Tarlonde's technology is so advanced, how …" Gwen said.
"Because Dragons have no hair …"
Gwen was speechless.
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