Abyssal Wanderer

In fact, there is no need for the chat room to be airtight. There are only a few of them alive in this fictional city, and from an information security perspective, the graphical modeling of a security door does not make their chat much safer.

But humans are still more accustomed to sitting down and discussing important things in a conference room that looks like that.

When a group of them sat down at a square table, Jiang Zhou couldn't help but sigh.

Even if they transcend the limitations of the physical body in cyberspace, human thoughts are still imprisoned in a solid reality.

"Where should I begin..."

He covered his mouth and glanced back and forth between Chinatsu Sakura and Fanny with an awkward expression.

Considering the possibility of returning to Tartarus safely, Jiang Zhou had no intention of telling them his true identity - Qianxia Ying almost took her own life before, and Perse Fanny was working in two companies. past executive positions.

Even if he can trust them, if they know this big news, once they leave the City of Sages, whether the two of them will betray themselves may not even depend on their own will.

"Mr. Theseus is an ally of my lord."

It was Hecuba who finally relieved Jiang Zhou from his embarrassment. She first repeated what she said outside, and then continued:

"He and my lord made an oath in the presence of the River Styx, and this city is the witness of their oath. He can exercise part of my lord's authority in the upper world, and my lord can also find in him The answers she seeks.”

The other two people present looked at her after hearing this. During this period, Chinatsu Sakura also tried to use the "Hacker's Eye" to check the other party's data through the graphical interface - but the piercing alarm sounded by the firewall dispelled her intention to continue observing. idea.

Regardless of whether the AI ​​named "Hecuba" is telling the truth or not, as long as the other party is willing, it is not difficult to kill herself.

"Well...that's pretty much it."

Probably sensing something, Jiang Zhou looked at Qianxia Ying and said:

"It was not my intention to sign a cooperation with an AI from the Abyss Dark Web, but what would you have chosen in the original situation? Die? Or gain the power to resist fate and continue living."

What Jiang Zhou was talking about was what happened when he and Chinatsu Sakura explored along the ravine during their first dive - at that time, he was driving a vehicle and fell off the cliff with the depth 3 malicious program. . It was also where he first met the goddess of the moon.

Although subjectively Jiang Zhou did not fall off the cliff to save her, objectively speaking, he did achieve this result.

Probably for this reason, Qianxia Ying turned her eyes to the other side with a guilty conscience. At the same time, Fanny on the side took over the conversation and said:

"So after you rejected Director Minos' invitation to upgrade you to Depth 2, he didn't force you to do so... because you were backed by a powerful being from the Abyss Dark Web and received her protection. ?”

The blessing may just be that the AI ​​has given some darknet technology, or helped write firewall code, or something like that. But asylum means that this person is regarded as an important fulcrum for those AIs that cross the Styx and affect the basic reality, as a riding horse or other chess piece for direct layout.

Although they are all positioned as tools - after all, AI has no emotions - their importance is by no means the same.

In response to this, Jiang Zhou opened his mouth and was about to say something, but Hecuba on the side corrected Fanny:

"It's an ally, a partner."

Fanny smiled and didn't believe this too much - it was most likely just a polite statement. For what reason would an artificial intelligence that almost destroyed the lunar colony ten years ago talk to a depth 1 adjuster? An ally or partner?

To be honest, in the cognition of those AIs, whether there is a concept of "allies" is a big question.

Thinking of this, Fanny continued:

"In this case, I have to remind you. What is happening now must be within the expectation of that director."

Fanny's meaning is simple - it is impossible for the director who has walked on the path of Theseus and reached the limit of human intelligence to not know what is special about "Theseus". Since he was arranged to participate in this unexpected mission, there is a high probability that he intends to use the power of the goddess of the dark moon to break the situation...

Not only the technology of "Pegasus", what Minos wants to seize is probably the deeper secrets from the path of "Theseus"...the secrets hidden in the Eden settlement area.

Regarding her reminder, Jiang Zhou just shrugged and said:

"If I hadn't been forced to do anything, I wouldn't have planned to bring you here. But on the other hand, there is no need to hide what you have seen here from me when you go back. Anyway, they will use other methods to get your information. Pry these things out of your mouth. There is just one thing I need to explain to them clearly..."

He stared at Fanny and said:

"If they want to get in touch with the goddess of the moon, then Ms. Hecuba can testify, and I am the only channel."

Hecuba nodded aside.

Jiang Zhou himself also knew that there was a high probability that the directors of Pluto Deep Diving Company did not believe his previous lies. This time, he could make himself safer by confirming his relationship with the goddess of the moon.

If I could return to Tartarus alive...

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhou changed the topic back:

"But in short, let's focus on solving the current problem first... Can we confirm that the network area we were in before is the Apollo biological territory?"

he asked Fanny.

The latter nodded and said:

"I am absolutely certain that the previous adjuster of the path of the Hundred-Eyed Giant was someone from Apollo Biology... and was probably even a member of the 'Third Wish Project Team'. I always feel that I should have seen him somewhere. "

Jiang Zhou fell into thinking.

If that area of ​​​​the network is really controlled by Apollo creatures, then some things can be explained - the Eden settlement area is a population gathering place completely under the control of the sun god, and they should be the most It is possible to restore the power of that city.

Both in space and time.

Judging from the name of the "Third Will Project Team", perhaps something happened in the Eden Resettlement Area twenty years ago, involving the legacy left by a certain super artificial intelligence. Therefore, they need to borrow the power of the abyss and dark web to repeatedly calculate what happened in certain days in order to get some answer.

Recalling the message he had seen in "Double Body" before, Jiang Zhou speculated on the possible reasons.

Thinking of this, he immediately described the message he had seen in the simulation to everyone present in detail.

"...In other words, that network domain is most likely not a game set up for us, but a large sandbox that constantly repeats what happened in the Eden settlement area on a certain few days twenty years ago. And previously What Qianxia Sakura questioned is not wrong. The people we saw were not NPCs, but consciousnesses used to calculate something."

Speaking of this, Jiang Zhou couldn't help but think of the plot in a certain nonsensical science fiction novel - the earth is a supercomputer created by a high-dimensional cosmic civilization, and every living thing on the earth is a computing unit that makes up that supercomputer.

"And we are the intruder, a bug that accidentally crawls into the computer pipeline."

he added at last.

Even if they don't come here, this virtual Eden settlement will still continue to operate, repeating what happened twenty years ago.

But in response, Chinatsu Sakura immediately retorted:

"If we see that those people are not NPCs like the 'Chinese Room', then how did the Apollo creature obtain the consciousness of the residents of the Eden settlement area twenty years ago.

"This is the popular science you gave me earlier... It seems that existence of self-awareness ≠ having self-awareness."

Qianxia Ying's question flashed through Jiang Zhou's mind like a bolt of lightning.

At this moment, he had figured out many problems.

"It's "Doppelgänger"!"

Jiang Zhou said excitedly.

"The simulacra of "Doppelgänger"! It was released twenty years ago, but there is no information about that simulator at all! Why do you have to wear a helmet that can scan brain potential to watch it?!"

He said and looked at Fanny, who looked at him in disbelief.

"Wait a minute, do you think that helmet is..."

"A digital personality scanner that, twenty years ago, replicated the mental models of all residents of the Eden Settlement."

Jiang Zhou was so excited or frightened that his body trembled slightly.

After he finished speaking, neither Chinatsu Sakura nor Perse Fanny responded, but looked at him in disbelief.

It's unbelievable... that he would make such a common sense guess.

After a long time, Fanny finally said:

"I have to admit that your conjecture is very creative. But if those people are real mental models, you seem to have ignored several common sense issues...

"Not to mention the radiation sickness caused by scanning the mental model, the medical conditions in the Eden resettlement area are good... It has only been twenty years, and many of the people we just met are still alive today. .If their mental models are uploaded, then who are the people living in the real Eden settlement?"

Fanny looked at Jiang Zhou with bright eyes:

"Are you trying to say that so many people have had their minds replaced by something from the abyss and dark web?"

How can it be……

When Jiang Zhou heard Fanny raise such a question, it was as if he suddenly woke up after being cornered by an evil ghost and found out that it was just a nightmare.

Yes, how is that possible? If others can’t tell the difference, how can you still be unclear about it yourself?

After all, he not only has the identity of "Jiang Zhou", but also has the identity of "Jim" here.

You must know that Jim was also a citizen of the Eden Resettlement Area twenty years ago, and in the past twenty years, his own body has been taken away by other strangers...

Jim, who was driving at a speed of eighty miles in the multi-level tunnel, put down the steering wheel under Donata's horrified gaze and turned to look at his big hands.

A perfect example is right here...

"?" (End of chapter)