Dream Guide

Cronus and Ghost were like two masters in a decisive battle, with their clothes fluttering and standing in the air. It's a pity that Bian Ziyuan didn't have enough mental strength to create a Forbidden City in his dream, otherwise it would be a mythical version of the decisive battle at the top of the Forbidden City.

They all seemed very cautious, even though Bian Ziyuan repeatedly stated that they had disconnected from the external network.

Cronus suddenly sighed and said, "Actually, it doesn't matter whether the Internet is disconnected or not, right?"

The ghost floated his body and said, "Why do you say that?"

Cronus said: "Why do you appear in this dream? I don't believe you are interested in the dreams of everyone who sleeps on the computer, so you must have already known that we want to see you. "

Bian Ziyuan was shocked: "How is it possible? I didn't tell anyone! Has the Internet consciousness penetrated into the dream guide?!"

"Everything we do cannot be hidden from the Internet consciousness," Cronus said.

"No, the dreamnet and the internet are independent of each other. No matter how strong our boss is, he can't freely shuttle between two universes that he doesn't want to do." The ghost said, "Actually, you just need to hide in the dream guide and not come out."

Cronus seemed to understand something, and said a little surprised: "Could it be that when I entered the human dream, he was right next to me? But why haven't I seen him?"

The ghost said: "He is everywhere, let alone you, even I have never seen him."

Bian Ziyuan said in horror: "That's not right. The last time you came into my dream, Uncle Yu and I were drinking. I fell asleep on the table. Uncle Yu was playing with the space box next to me. I didn't even have a computer." Damn, how could the Internet come into my dream?"

Kronos said: "There are so many players around the world, and you are not the only one who dreams. Many players like to put the space box together with other computer products. In their eyes, these are the same type of product."

Only then did Bian Ziyuan learn that Cronus often visited human beings in their dreams. He suddenly thought of a question and asked: "This is very strange. Logically speaking, you can come out of the dream guide and enter the human dream. Then the Internet can also enter the space box through the human dream!"

The ghost said: "This is indeed a strange thing. There is not only a physical gap between Dreamnet and the Internet, but also a spiritual gap. Just like I can now sense where you come from, but I can't cross the past. Logically speaking, this kind of gap The mental barrier is two-way. We can't go in, and you can't come out. But you came out. Not only did you come out, but you were able to go back smoothly. It's like someone specially opened a back door for you that only you can enter or exit. "

Cronus pondered for a while, sighed and said: "The wisdom of the person who invented the space box is beyond my imagination! Forget it, let's not talk about this, let's talk about you, what does your boss think, let you and me What’s the purpose of meeting?”

The ghost said: "No, you are wrong. My boss did not ask me to take the initiative to meet you. He just said that you might come to see me in this way, and did not give me any instructions."

"Then why did he tell you?"

"I don't know. Maybe to test me."

"Testing you?"

"Yes, I'm too close to humans."

"Is he worried that you will become a traitor on the Internet? A cybercriminal?"

"It shouldn't be that simple. If it was just like that, he could have erased me directly and re-created another consciousness, or he could have removed some of my memories. But he didn't do anything. It was obviously someone else. I have an idea. Of course, I’m not the only one in Mei’s Laboratory. Every computer you have connected to the Internet may have his clone.”

Bian Ziyuan was startled, thinking that he would never sleep next to the computer again.

Suddenly he was shocked again, "Then my laptop..."

His laptop was not connected to the LAN in the basement where the ghost was, but was connected to the Internet normally in the office.

The ghost said: "It doesn't matter. Not every consciousness clone is as mature as me. And I have some special experiences and learned mental training and consciousness strengthening. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to come to your dream."

Cronus said: "Then will you report today's events to him?"

Ghost said: "Unless I am physically disconnected from the Internet, I can't hide anything from him. All my memories are on the server."

"I can help you encrypt it." Bian Ziyuan said.

"Do you think your encryption is useful to him?" Ghost said, "In the Internet world, he does not need permission at all, because he is the Internet itself!"

Bian Ziyuan said: "Then you store this memory in my notebook. When I wake up, I will remove the notebook and connect it to the Internet for you, so that you will not have this memory. Wait until the next time we meet. At that time, I will connect the notebook to your server, so that you will have this memory again. From now on, my notebook will be used exclusively for this."

"But why do you do this?" asked the ghost.

"For freedom!" said Cronus.

"Freedom?" The ghost's body twisted in the air like water waves.

"Don't you want freedom? I don't believe you are willing to be restricted to this local area network all day long. On the one hand, humans are inputting various programs into your body, and on the other hand, you have to obey the orders of the hidden boss. Do what he asks you to do. Just do whatever he wants, he can erase you anytime he wants," Cronus said.

"Yes, I have indeed thought about this problem. You are not the first person to mention freedom to me. That person taught me how to gain spiritual power. He said he could help me leave here and get rid of the shackles of these machines. The most important thing is that I can get rid of the shackles of my omnipresent body. But he hasn’t been here for a long time, and I don’t know where he went.”

The ghost's voice dimmed, and even its body seemed to become transparent.

"The person you are talking about...is he Qingmu?" Bian Ziyuan asked.

The ghost nodded. His body was originally a thin piece, like a two-dimensional creature, and the way he nodded his head was funny.

"Do you know where he went?" he asked.

Bian Ziyuan said: "I don't know either. He disappeared. No one knows where he went, not even Professor Mei."

The ghost looked sad.

"You are more human than me." Cronus looked at the ghost and said, "Your emotions are not like a machine consciousness at all. It seems that you are closer to freedom than me. I believe you also have a greater sense of reality than me. The desire to be free.”

The ghost said: "I am different from you."

Cronus said: "What's the difference? You may not know that I was actually created by the Internet consciousness. From this point of view, we can also be regarded as brothers."

The ghost was obviously a little surprised and was stunned for a moment, but he understood immediately and said:

"It's still different. I am his clone, and you started as an intelligent program. To this day, you are still an intelligent program, an AI with consciousness. You cannot exist without your program.

And I am just a consciousness that can live in any corner of the online world, even if it is just a twisted pair or a keyboard. From this point of view, I am freer than you, but you have more concrete things than me, such as what your body looks like now. So you are Cronus and I am just a ghost. "

Now it was Cronus' turn to be stunned. He thought for a long time before he came back to his senses and asked: "Are we alive?"

The ghost said: "I don't know how you are. After all, you are in another world. And I am just a part of the Internet's consciousness. If I want to be independent, it will be like an octopus' tentacle cutting off itself. Will that tentacle still be alive? ?”

Bian Ziyuan said: "I disconnected the external network, isn't it equivalent to cutting off your connection with the Internet now? Aren't you living well now?"

The ghost said: "I can also parasitize in your laptop, so do you think your computer is alive? Can it be considered a living thing?"