As Halland still had many things to do, she bid us farewell at the entrance of the research center and went to the military to deal with the affairs of the independent regiment. In the end, Sandora and I brought Abyssal Schilling to Tawil. The reason why our first stop was the research center and not the headquarters was because we had to first inspect the large box that Abyssal Schilling had brought with her.
Now, we have to talk about the problem of 'just in case'. Even though Xi Ling from the Abyss's revelation made everyone a little dazed, we weren't completely fooled by her words. After all, in the field of conning, I considered myself to be one of the best. I might not have many talents, but I was proud of my unwavering attitude when faced with a deluge of lies. Even though we had brought Xi Ling from the Abyss to the City of Shadows, there were still some necessary checks and restrictions. These restrictions wouldn't be easy. The strictest conditions could even be equivalent to imprisonment. However, I was glad that Abyssal Schilling seemed to understand all of this. She expressed that she could deal with all the restrictions calmly.
Actually, it was quite normal when you thought about it. The highest restriction we had placed on her in the City of Shadows was that she couldn't casually contact anyone while she was in the City of Shadows. Her main body was in the Abyss, so of course she wouldn't have any objections to a mere communication interface.
This was Tawil's (main body) private research center. Abyssal Schilling was obediently sitting on the scanning platform in the middle of the room. Beside her was her large box, and the bespectacled girl was full of curiosity as she analyzed the structure of the black box. Since it was a professional field where amateurs couldn't join in, the atmosphere was rather dull. Sandora and I were a little idle. Only Tawil seemed to be in high spirits. No matter if it was Abyssal Schilling or the box, her glasses would flash with a flash. I firmly believed that the glasses were her main body. That was why this girl's entire body lit up when she saw her new research subject.
"You're quite cooperative." I tried to strike up a conversation with Abyssal Schilling in my boredom. "I thought that the supreme commander of the Abyss would more or less have some airs. At the very least, she would complain a little when she made you stand on the scanning platform."
"Arrogance? I don't understand. "Abyssal Schilling's expression was nonchalant." And I don't think 'Commander' is a special identity. There is no hierarchy in the Empire, only spare parts. I rule the Abyss because I have this mission, and the nodes obey my rule because they have this mission. Now, I'm cooperating with you because I have this mission. I know you. When necessary, don't you often go to the frontlines and even fight personally? You're the Emperor, but you're doing the work of a soldier. Do you feel uncomfortable? "
"Err … Your serious personality is really …" I didn't know how to continue after hearing Abyssal Schilling's words. "Alright, what you said makes sense. Don't mind me. I was born and raised on Earth for more than twenty years. Even now, my thinking is still changing. Let's not talk about this. Let's talk about your box. As far as I know, you can't talk to me directly because your node will be purified. So you came to contact us because of this box? What kind of black technology is this? "
Abyssal Schilling patted his own box. "Actually, it's not that complicated. First of all, the protective barrier of the box uses some technology and materials from the other side. Although most of the technology from the other side will be ineffective on 'this side', the protection of the Abyss can be reverse-engineered. If you're interested in this aspect, I can share it with you. Secondly, apart from the communication array, there is also a set of virtual node generators in the box. It's easy to understand. Creating virtual nodes and using a deceptive protocol to load them into the network for a short period of time would be equivalent to creating a group of non-existent spirit apostles. The mission of these nodes is to be purified by you, then delete them, and create new virtual nodes … and so on. I only need to solve three technical difficulties. The first is the computing speed of the virtual node generator, which must be able to keep up with the consumption. The second is how to make the virtual nodes survive for a certain period of time. The third is how to disguise these non-physical nodes so that they can be mounted into the network without triggering the protocol. The third point gave me a headache for a long time. Just like how you can't grab your own hair and lift yourself up, I can't break the protocol while abiding by the protocol. So, I only managed to solve these problems recently when the network split. During the network split, a part of the security protocol was destroyed, and a lot of node slots appeared on the split chain. This gave me a chance to insert the virtual nodes. Then, there's this set of devices you see. Although it doesn't last long, I'm safe until it breaks. "
"So it's just a set of physical firewalls?" I could still understand these things. "You're really scheming to prevent me from purifying you … But I don't understand. What's so bad about being purified? I even feel that you're different from ordinary fallen apostles. Your way of thinking is obviously very logical, and all kinds of plans are well-organized … You don't look like you're controlled by the Abyss at all … Wait, that's not right! You don't look like you're infected at all! "
It was then that I suddenly realized that the strange feeling I felt when I came into contact with Abyss Schilling came from here. Her orderly way of thinking, calm attitude, and completely self-controlled logic. All these characteristics added together could only make one person think of one thing: this was obviously the result of purification.
And she also had two most inexplicable behavioral characteristics:
First, she consciously stopped destroying the world of Order, or it could be said that from the beginning, her destruction of the world of Order was not the result of being controlled by the Abyss. She stole the Heart of the World and caused the end of the world in the process. It seemed like the actions of the Abyss, but her fundamental purpose was to weaken the Void Cataclysm! In other words, she had a motive to turn the world of Order, which was completely different from the behavior of the Abyss infected: the destruction of the Abyss infected was uncontrollable and had no motive!
Second, and also the most important point: she was self-eliminating the wrong and crazy parts of her network, which was the great split in the Abyss. It was impossible for an Abyss infected to consciously "heal" herself, because the most obvious characteristic of being infected by the Abyss was the continuous collapse of oneself, and the continuous collapse of everything around oneself. However, Abyss Schilling … actually had the ability to take measures to prevent herself from collapsing, and could even use suicide and reconstruction methods to "detoxify" herself!
Sandora and I were no longer calm, only Tawil was still immersed in his work. I looked into Abyss Schilling's eyes, trying to see what was going on with her logic from her eyes. "Are you infected or not?"
"You really know how to ask this …" Abyss Schilling frowned. "Then let me tell you the truth: I am indeed in a state of infection, but unlike ordinary infected, I am in a state of equilibrium, and I have the ability to maintain my equilibrium."
I suddenly thought of seventy thousand years ago. "Is it because of the incomplete 'neutralization' back then?"
"Yes." Abyss Schilling nodded. "'Neutralization' protected my will, allowing my thoughts to remain under my control, but at the same time, it changed or destroyed my code of conduct. It was as if all shackles had been removed, I was unrestrained when I carried out any destructive actions, and I did not resist when facing the Abyss, conscious and yet sinking … Using words that you people in the real world can understand, that is how it is. But I don't think there is anything wrong with this. You must know that the only way to weaken the Void Cataclysm is to build a bridge, and the only bridge that can be found now requires a huge early sacrifice. If I was not infected, then neither the original Empire nor the Protoss would have been able to start this plan. 'Justice and Order' would have become your obstacle, and in the end, all civilizations in this season would have missed a golden opportunity. I am thankful for this infection, for it turned me into a lunatic, so I could do those things that you could not. Perhaps this is the arrangement of the Void … I do not believe in the 'fate' of the real world, but I do believe that the evolution of the Void has its own arrangements. Since the Cataclysm would occur, it would naturally end or weaken, and I was simply chosen to be the executor of the deviant path. "
"That is why you are doing everything possible to avoid being purified." I finally understood what she was thinking. "Because once you are purified, your 'mission' cannot be carried out."
To weaken the Void Cataclysm, she could not become a 'good person' — for such a nonsensical reason.
"That's not entirely the case." For the first time, the voice of the Abyss Shiring sounded uncertain. "Perhaps I have my own concerns … This involves a very abstract question: The 'me' now is the 'me' that is built on the foundation of all the Abyss nodes. If all the nodes are purified or changed into anything else, would these nodes still be the original 'me' when they are combined? Even if I still exist at that time, would my thoughts, logic, goals, and willpower still be the same as now? Your purification first acts on the specific polluters, and only after these polluters wake up will it act on the network formed by them, and I am a collective consciousness that is assembled at the final stage, so no one can be sure what will happen in the process, and I cannot take this risk, at least not before the great cause is completed. I must maintain my current state until the great cause is completed. By then, if you have the ability to gain my approval, it is not impossible for you to accept the purification, after all, the Empire has already survived, and my life or death does not matter. "
Abyss Schilling's words made me fall into deep thought, and then somehow I thought of a very classic philosophical question: the Ship of Theseus.
The Ship of Theseus was a ship that had sailed for hundreds of years, and every plank and part of it could be replaced, but in the hundreds of years of sailing, there would always be planks rotting, and parts wearing out, so the components of the ship would be replaced one by one. After such a long voyage, this ship no longer had any parts that were part of it when it set sail, and 100% of the entire ship's components had been replaced, so was this ship still the Ship of Theseus?
Abyss Schilling's situation was obviously very different from this ship, but there was one thing in common: she was a collective consciousness pieced together by a large number of 'components', and these components were all easily rewritten by me.
If the entire Fallen Apostle race was purified, then would the upper consciousness formed by their network nodes be simply purified, or would it be completely rewritten into a completely new existence?
"Your concerns are reasonable," Sandora sighed. "But you have to understand that we will not allow the Fallen Apostles to continue their activities. Even if your great cause can save the Void, your Fallen Apostle army is definitely not a stable factor. You should know that your control over them is limited. Now that a new army has appeared, there might be a second or third in the future, and you will not always have the upper hand. The Abyss has never been a stable thing, and it will go out of control one day. "
"I do not expect to maintain eternal peace with you, but this is all in the future." Abyss Schilling blinked. "Even after the great cause is achieved, we still have a lot of things to do. Let's wait until the dust settles before we think about these things. I admit that the Corrupted can easily go out of control, but the situation of their infection is actually … Forget it, there will always be a way when the time comes. "
It seemed like this was the only way. I temporarily put this complicated problem aside and talked about my next step in the plan. "Next, I will contact the Star Domain, and I might even call the Huron Protoss over. You better prepare a speech or something. Your twisted theories are too torturous."
Abyss Schilling's body flickered a few times. "Actually, it is very very easy to understand, but you, you, you, you are not very good at growing, growing, growing …"
I was stunned. "F * ck, don't scare me! What's going on? "
Abyss Schilling raised his hand and pointed at Tawil. "Don't, don't, don't touch that red, red, red thing. That is my resonance generator. Although it is a little bigger than an ordinary generator, but …"
Tawil pressed the resonance generator in the box back into place, and Abyss Schilling's voice instantly returned to normal. "But it is actually just a resonance device. This device was not assembled according to the standard regulations. Please forgive me. "
"Is it done?" I looked up and asked Tawil.
"The inspection is complete. There are no problems." Tawil nodded. "I have already installed a monitoring device in this device."
Then, she turned to Abyss Schilling. "I have installed a disturbance antenna under your resonance generator. In an emergency, it will freeze the activity of the interface that you are currently using. I hope you can understand. Also, without the authorization of me or the Emperor, reading anything here will trigger the alarm. I hope you can understand as well. "
"It's okay. I expected the situation to be worse. Then, after the body inspection, we have talked a lot of nonsense. What's the next step? Is Technician Schilling in charge of the deep diving project? "
I nodded. "Mm, you can call her Tawil. She is my best scientist. Give her the pile of debris that you brought, as well as your pile of models. I hope that you will not leave the military zone during this period of time. Wait for me to discuss with the Protoss before deciding on the next step. "
Abyss Schilling nodded. Just as Sandora and I were about to turn to leave, the door to the lab suddenly slid open. A short blonde girl stuck her head out to look in our direction. My first reaction was that I didn't know her. But then, I saw a small silver tag hanging on her chest …
Well, should I say that it was expected or unexpected … Schilling might have sensed Abyss Schilling. She came running over.
I waved at the soft girl who was hesitating to come in. She immediately ran to me and Sandora happily. Then, she looked at Abyss Schilling and the big box curiously. "I know who you are. I can feel it … but why are you here?"
"To solve some problems." Abyss Schilling also looked curiously at the 'half body' that he had split from seventy thousand years ago. "You seem to have retained the original complete structure. That's great. I don't know what I have become anymore."
"If you don't destroy my network, I won't destroy yours either," Xi Ling said matter-of-factly. "This is for your own good. His Majesty the Emperor's power permeates my node. If you touch it rashly, you will be rewritten."
I looked at the two homologous collective consciousnesses. I felt that fate was really a wonderful thing. What should I do with these two? Sisters? Shadows of each other? Or after the 'rift' was sealed, they became two separate entities that had no connection with each other? No matter which explanation it was, it made sense. Moreover, after 70,000 years of evolution and self-rewriting, Xi Ling had now become a strange lifeform that even she herself could not explain. When she once again saw Xi Ling who still maintained its original structure, how would she feel in her heart?
Perhaps her one sentence described all her feelings. That's great. I don't know what I have become anymore.
"Do you two want to talk?" I patted Schilling's shoulder and looked at Abyss Schilling. As the collective consciousnesses had no fixed form, the two homologous consciousnesses looked completely different. "Anyway, you are just an interactive interface in the real world. This level of conversation is not restricted. Of course, a direct network connection is definitely out of the question. I guess you don't want to waste your time on this. "
Abyss Schilling looked at Schilling with a very serious expression. She then waved her hand weakly. "Forget it. We will talk about it when we have time. I really don't know what to say to her. We have been separated for too long. It has been so long that we can't understand each other's structure. There is really nothing to talk about. "
"Me too." Schilling jumped back behind me and Sandora. "I just came to take a look. Now that I am done, I am going to buy a cake from Silvia. Tawil, I will get you two pieces."
As soon as she said that, Schilling's figure disappeared in a curtain of light. Only Tawil was left muttering to himself, "… I don't know when I will be able to eat again."
Schilling had a very strange trait. That was that she would be distracted. When she was doing something, she would be easily distracted by other things. Then, it would take her a whole day to remember what she wanted to do. This might have something to do with her not being used to the 'pattern of events' in the real world.
In any case, I hope that Tawil can continue to get used to her roommate …
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