Overturned Tower

The past, either bright or dim, hangs in the sky like stars, shining with all kinds of brilliance under the blood moon.

It's like looking at a streetlight with tearful eyes, the light dizzying in the hazy world.

Among the many memory fragments Russell had seen, this was the farthest and most completely shattered.

Maybe it's because he's dead, maybe it's because "Andrew" has been dead long ago - or maybe it's because he has embedded too many memories that don't belong to him into his thinking, so that the past that really belongs to him has been Penetrating into fragmentation and vulnerability.

And as Russell opened his hands toward the "stars" in the night sky, the brilliance from the past was reflected in the mirror——

In the narrow and messy room, electric lights were on everywhere, and the pungent smell of rubber, plastic and oil filled the air.

A man is wearing a fully enclosed helmet and holding a silicone rod in his mouth. He was alone in the room.

Strong rubber rings fixed his hands and feet to the simple instrument seat. A button was tied to the armrest of the seat and fixed in the palm of his hand with tape.

As he slowly pressed the button with some determination, various instruments in the room sounded with the sound of turbines that gradually became sharper. He closed his eyes, and then his body suddenly began to twitch violently——

He suddenly bit down on the rubber gag in his mouth, and his exposed neck instantly turned red, and veins popped out of his mouth. In just a few seconds, he couldn't help but press the button in his hand.

As the helmet rose, the man coughed violently and continuously, spitting out the silicone stick with saliva in his hand. His entire face turned red, his eyeballs visibly protruded due to pressure, and then he began to have severe asthma. He used his trembling hands to inject himself into a muscle, and then he gradually calmed down.

It was a middle-aged man with brown hair, blue eyes, and greasy and messy hair. After he calmed down, he coughed violently a few more times, then stretched out his still trembling hand and picked up his gold-rimmed glasses.

As soon as he put on his glasses, he began to cough more and more violently. Coughing and coughing, he couldn't even straighten up and dropped the glasses he had just put on to the ground.

Then he suddenly reached out to cover his mouth, stumbled to the sink in the corner, and began to vomit, but nothing came out, only thin gastric juice and the porridge he drank in the morning. As he ran by, he even stepped on his glasses in a panic.

"...Damn, shit! Shit!"

The man stretched out his hand to hold the mirror on the sink and cursed in a low voice: "I messed up again..."

He looked at himself in the mirror and saw tears in the corners of his eyes. The world in front of me is so blurry. Not just because of coughing or vomiting, but also because of the experiment itself that kept failing.

"Saint, if you look at me, please let me succeed..."

He murmured in a low voice, his voice dry and hoarse like a whimper: "Even if it's just once. Just let me succeed once..."

"I really can't hold on anymore..."

Suddenly, he turned around and looked in Russell's direction: "What's the sound?

"--Who are you?"

Russell didn't say a word, but there was an expression of surprise or expectation on his face, as if crying and laughing at the same time: "Can you say something again? I seem to have heard it! I seem to - I definitely haven't heard it. Such a sound - this is not my memory!

"I seem to have succeeded! I may have succeeded! I have succeeded!"

Short-lived memories shattered.

What appeared in front of Russell's eyes again was the dim yellow sunset.

"Your Holiness the Pope..."

"His" perspective seemed a little skewed, so he pushed up his glasses with some discomfort. But the temples of the glasses had been bent, so they couldn't be pushed straight.

He looked very nervous in front of the old man with white hair and white beard. His hands pinched the corners of his clothes from time to time, and his back unconsciously bent a little. He felt a little itchy on his lower back and buttocks, perhaps because he had stood for a long time, or perhaps because he had not exercised for a long time, and the heat of sweat was blocked by the pores. He wanted to scratch it, but he didn't dare to do such a disrespectful thing in front of the old man. This made him feel even more uncomfortable.

But the sum of these discomforts could not make up for the anxiety in his heart.

He watched the old man flipping through those documents—his hard work and taboo research, and felt his heartbeat beating deafeningly.

The old man was silent. He looked at it for a long time without saying a word.

Then he sighed slowly. The sigh seemed to tug at his heart.

"Andrew."

The old man's voice was slow. Generous and kind, giving people a strong sense of security.

"Do you understand what taboo you are touching?"

"...I understand, Your Holiness."

The words from the heart came out of the middle-aged man's mouth: "But I feel that even a sinful life - is better than a clean death."

"...Oh. That's what you think."

The old man raised his head and looked at his eyes seriously, and sighed helplessly: "Andrew, I only want to ask you one thing.

"If you import the memories and emotions of the sages into yourself - can you still die as yourself, as a human being?"

"of course."

"Russell" replied without hesitation: "No matter what is injected into my brain, what ultimately makes 'me' become 'me' will only be everything I have experienced. Those are just external objects. That’s all.”

"Remember what you say now, Andrew."

The old man sighed deeply again and flicked the files on the table. He looked out the window with deep and sad eyes.

Under the setting sun, the mage towers floating in the sky in the distance were like slowly advancing air fortresses. The bombing made blood and fire the background color of the setting sun.

"Your Holiness the Pope..."

Although Andrew was not denied, he did not get a clear answer, so he was still a little unwilling. He packed up the documents on the table and asked tentatively without giving up: "Are you more inclined to... the so-called 'Clean Death'?"

"Andrew, you have to remember. The reason why we oppose the mages is not because they are wrong and we are right. That is what we say to the believers, and we ourselves cannot believe it."

The old man said slowly: "There is only one real reason for this war - that is, we exist in the world at the same time. And this world is too small, it can only accommodate one of the 'Church' and the 'Mage'.

"If we win, the world will become a better place; if they win in the end, the world may not be that bad. The world can always go on, the difference is whether it leans towards us or towards them; but what about ordinary people? Live or live anyway.

"If we control the world, their lives will indeed become better because of our system, but this does not mean that they will escape from the bottom; if the mages control the world, they will just continue the previous society. This world is a sad place cycle, the upper level is always changing, but the bottom level is always the bottom level.

"If we are destined to fail, it is better to accept failure. Choose a clean death and leave a clear fire. In the future, when the rule of the mages becomes corrupt and the tower is about to collapse, someone will remember that we once existed.

"The reverse is also true. If we become superior one day, they will also remember the good deeds of the mages and learn spells again. Because in their limited understanding, the mages 'died with the cleansing fire in their arms' .”

The old man's voice was slow, like a tutor who would make people sleepy during lectures. It's also like a lonely old man holding a pet and talking to himself.

"For us individuals with limited lives, existence and death are the most important things. But in the long run, 'clean' and 'correct' are the proof of our existence. The divine device may help us win the battle This war, but we will also lose our purity because of it.

"We chose the path of victory, but we became the 'mages' that people in the future will fight against... The future has not yet arrived, but I have already seen the end. This is why I feel emotional."

The middle-aged man obviously didn't fully understand.

He nodded in understanding, keeping all the Pope's words in mind for the time being.

"Then what do you mean..."

He asked stubbornly, pursuing the only and clear correct answer.

"I agreed."

The old man responded.

"good!"

The middle-aged man was beaming with joy, with a pure and innocent smile, like a child who got his favorite toy: "Thank you - don't worry, I also know that this research is full of sins and risks. But I will not put this ugliness in your eyes." On my body!"

He bowed quickly, pushed up his glasses and left in a hurry.

The old man looked deeply at his back and shook his head gently. Then he looked at the sunset in the distance, and finally sighed.

The middle-aged man turned his back to the Pope and turned the handle of the Pope's room.

——Then, he pushed the door open and walked out.

The moment he pushed the door open, the memory scene suddenly switched.

Andrew came to the brightly lit hall covered with ribbons.

The back that had always been slightly bent before the Pope became so straight.

He was wearing the pope's unique white robe and a pure gold shoulder sash. She changed into silver-encrusted crystal glasses, and her hair was neat and clean. Her body was smeared with fragrant balm and she had a bright smile on her face.

When "Russell" opened the door and walked in, the people gathered in the room cheered enthusiastically and saluted him. "Russell"'s face was full of smiles, and he stretched out his hand and pressed lightly in the void to signal for silence. However, the cheers couldn't be suppressed at all. One wave after another, one after another, one after another, but "Russell" did not blame him. He just pretended to keep quiet and enjoyed the cheers with a smile.

"My brothers and sisters!"

He shouted: "We have won, a complete victory!"

Then, screams and cheers filled the room. The people's cheers and ecstasy could not be suppressed at all, and Andrew's words could not be continued at all.

He stretched out his hands and raised them above his head. This time the voice fell silent for a moment.

The bishops, like ministers serving a monarch, easily understood when Andrew really needed to be quiet and when he was just being reserved and polite.

"Under the guidance of God and the holy line of the angels, we defeated the evil and crazy mages. In order to thank the angels for their sacrifices and to correct the wrong paths we took before, the church changed its name today.' CyberChurch'!

“We are no longer here to serve God and one day return to God – because it turns out that neither pious faith nor holy words and deeds can allow us to invest in God. God is already separated from us – —”

Under the gazes of people who were either shocked, enlightened or calm, Andrew's eyes slowly swept over everyone's face, taking note of everyone's attitude.

Then, he spoke: “But there is still a way for us to walk with God!

"One day, we will allow the whole world and all mankind to realize cyber immortality! Incorporate all our consciousness into the same 'Holy Scripture', let human consciousness be unified again, and let everyone become a walking person on the earth. Angel, let us always be happy and healthy.

"Create our own God! Create our own new world!"

Andrew shouted loudly: "And I will be 'promoted'! To engrave our faith——

"One day, we will rise from the earth and reach the stars!"

His words were met with no cheers.

But Andrew showed no signs of timidity. He commanded the angel army and defeated the mage. No one could make him hesitate.

He left with a calm smile and opened the door from the other side.

The next moment he pushed the door open, the scene in his memory switched again.

Andrew, without the slightest smile on his face, calmly came to the luxurious and sacred holy throne. In the center of the deserted sanctuary is a throne decorated with gold, silver and crystal, with a triple crown of light that he designed for himself.

It has a triple ring like the sun, and from the inside to the outside it is a complex halo of pure white, bright gold, and pale gold.

The power of an angel named "Savior".

But unlike other angels - in addition to receiving this memory, he also wants to preserve his personality and memory on it. This is the secret that makes it easier for him to keep himself clean and his personality uncorrupted.

"Three years..."

He gently stroked the halo and murmured in a low voice: "I now understand somewhat of your teachings back then. But there are still more things I don't understand."

The old pope whom he respected and admired the most finally passed away.

But his death galvanized Andrew.

Why would such a wise and kind person pass away due to the weakness of his flesh and blood? Why can those depraved and stupid people live calmly?

“If there was a way to make them die and replace you, I think I would do it without hesitation.

"I am already guilty of having such thoughts. You are right, this world is [cyclical]. One day, I will also fall.

"I still need your guidance, so..."

He said, taking out a crystal piece. Attached it to the halo.

That was the personality data that was secretly copied and saved by the previous Pope when he was dying.

Then, Andrew solemnly raised the halo and put it on his head.

He chanted in a low voice, as if praying for God to descend:

"——Please help me, Your Holiness."

The next moment, the halo opened.

Eighty-nine years of life memories rushed into his brain like a torrential river and poured into Russell's sea of ​​consciousness.

Andrew stood there in silence for a long time, and then sighed slowly.

Just like the old pope in the past, he had a complicated expression but said nothing.

And this is just the beginning.

At the moment when the memory was inserted, Russell heard the sound of a keyhole rotating slightly in the void.

A big door burst open, revealing new memories.

"Sure enough, some people are beginning to miss the rule of the mages..."

Andrew stood in front of the mirror and murmured in a low voice: "Everything is just as I expected. However, if my memory and my personality are solidified, I will also lose the experience of dealing with new events... This is not as good as those The skills of the famous elves.

"But I also have my skills. Let me see what they would do if they were mages.

"——I will treat them how they plan to treat us."

He muttered to himself and put a new memory patch on his halo, greedily extracting the memories of his former enemies like a sponge.

He closed his eyes and meditated for a long time. When he opened his eyes, there was a hint of indifference and wisdom in his pupils.

"...Okay. Then let them be forgotten by history."

He turned around and pushed the door open to leave.

The insertion of new memories is like the keyhole being turned again.

Another door opens, revealing a new Andrew in front of the mirror.

In other words, I have prepared a new memory plug-in for myself to "upgrade".

One key after another kept turning, and one door after another kept slamming open——

And every time "Zhang Sheng" appears in front of the mirror, his appearance is completely different.

Those are generations of popes who have been infused with the same will by the halo, and they will also become successors, providing knowledge and helping to fill the blindness.

Every time they turned to leave, they saw another pope standing in front of the mirror when they opened the door again. Each generation of popes stands in front of the mirror, but their expressions and demeanor change subtly every time. And they will all open the door and leave, and then see the next person "promoted".

"The angels are a bit annoying to me. They are completely disobedient to the management of the human clergy. In this way, no teachings can be implemented."

"Resist the company with all your strength? This is not a time to be willful. The church needs the support of the elves. We do not have the strength to fight another war. The congregation needs to rest...not to mention, if we start a war at this time, we will become the opposite of the people. Yes. People long for peace, but angels always want war. Well..."

"It is not realistic to execute the angels, and it will make the church lose its deterrence. We still need their help. Maybe freezing them is a good way, but I have not been exposed to this field, and I still need some new knowledge To verify the feasibility..."

"Simple missionary rights are not enough. In this busy life, people don't care about faith at all. The dragon is too biased and cunning. If this continues, the 'company' will be nothing more than a mage tower in the new era, and we will lose people's hearts. . How can we get enough voice... Maybe we can try church schools and orphanages."

"We simply can't continue to expand with the donations from the company. We have to spend money everywhere, and if this continues we will have to sell shares in the company's church. All channels for making money have been blocked, how can I Only then can you conjure something that can be sold out of thin air..."

"Mages and psykers can also use the Holy Source... What is the principle of this? But it is a good business... Huh, with such a high price, do you want me to disintegrate the deterrent power of the Angel Legion on my own? Not really. If you must refuse, why not recruit some new angels..."

"Tower of Babel? Lost lambs, there is no point in exploring the historical truth. Forget it, let's just pretend not to know. Maybe it can help them, who are already obsessed with pursuing history."

"Stealing the 'Anti-Electron'? It doesn't matter, it's just a failure. Well, just in case, let's turn off the permission. Having said that, I hope he can succeed. How can we use pure biotechnology to inject Saint As for the power of rank...in that case, it shouldn't be called a mechanical angel."

"New mage? This is a good opportunity... They won't think that I sold all the angels, right? The technology of artificial angels is almost completed, so let's unfreeze a batch of mechanical angels at this time and let them adapt. Let’s take a moment. After a hundred years of forbearance, it’s finally time for us to seize power.”

Door after door, opening faster and faster.

The different images and voices of the popes standing in front of the mirror and talking to themselves gradually overlapped, but inexplicably gave people the feeling that "this is the same person."

Finally, the sound of the key not turning the lock came to Russell's ears.

It was like turning the doorknob a few times, but the door was already locked. Make the sound of gragla.

And Russell's hand was on the doorknob.

He looked down, only to find that his hand was no longer the old and skinny hand of the twelfth generation. But it is my own hand as "Russell".

"……What's the meaning?"

Russell paused and suddenly couldn't help but sneer: "Am I the 'promotion' in the thirteenth life?

"It's not that I can't say that. After all, I have accepted all his memories... Although it was only a short period of more than a hundred years, I have integrated so many people and accepted the memories of so many people throughout their lives. No wonder he is so eager. Longing for cyber immortality and mind fusion...

"...He is just too lonely. There are so many people in the world, but no one is like him.

“But you understand, he and I are different.

"A mask is just a mask. No matter how long you wear it, it will never grow on your face. After dreaming about so many lives, I will never forget who I am.

"——Dream."

As Russell's voice fell.

Everything around him suddenly melted and faded. Only the door in front of him remained.

The doorknob that couldn't turn, the dark keyhole.

It turned out that just now...I don't know when, Russell had fallen asleep and entered the dream world.

Maybe it was when he touched the stars, maybe when he watched the memory of the Pope. When Russell was most focused on experiencing the lives of others, he had been dragged into the dream world.

——And within the dream world, no matter it is any area. Everyone can definitely see the pitch-black...Tower of the End.

The next moment, the door and the door handle also melted.

Only the tiny keyhole remained.

Everything else turned into a vast expanse of white light, leaving only this small keyhole...

At first glance, it looks like a dark tower.

That's the Tower of the End. The end of the dream world is a place that can never be reached.

Under Russell's gaze, the tower slowly capsized.

When it completely fell down and turned into "one".

It suddenly started to get bigger—and keep getting bigger. Then Russell could see clearly that it was not getting bigger, but "getting closer".

There is the cage where the "dream" is imprisoned, and it is the place where [God] lives.

The prisoner inside had already woken up.

Russell opened his arms, calmly greeted the rushing ray of darkness, and disappeared into the pure darkness.