Embers Ad Infinitum

Jiang Baimian continued to move forward, but did not dare to go too fast, lest it would be too late to retreat.

This gave her enough time to think and discern, so as not to end up somewhere else without a fork in the road.

One step, two steps, three steps, Jiang Baimian passed through the half-open door and walked along the corridor to the end.

The front suddenly opened up, and a large hall appeared.

There were machines everywhere in the hall, and lights of various colors flashed in all directions, dazzling Jiang Baimian.

She calmed down and carefully looked at the situation here through the mask of the military exoskeleton device:

In the middle of the hall, there are several space capsule-like metal things, surrounding a huge, suspected supercomputer that occupies one-third of the space.

The shell of the machine was silver-black, with multiple signal lights flashing red, yellow, or blue on the surface.

Thick cables connected this giant machine to the cabinets placed against the walls. Those cabinets had no baffles around them and were very ventilated.

This allowed Jiang Baimian to see at a glance that there were boxes of packaged electronic products inside the cabinet, with indicator lights flashing in each box.

There are countless similar electronic products, arranged in rows and rows, densely packed like a honeycomb.

This reminded Jiang Baimian of the computer room of "Pangu Biology", but whether it was the layout or the machines, this place was much more complicated and huge.

There were multiple skeletons lying around an open "space capsule", and there was also a white skeleton inside the "space capsule".

"Those researchers?" Jiang Baimian looked at the dead body near the "host" from the nearby body, and said silently to himself, "I don't know how many of them eventually became Zhi Sui..."

At this time, she was completely sure of one thing.

That is, the Eighth Research Institute keeps sending people in to maintain the nuclear power plant. The main purpose is to provide power to these machines in this place!

Jiang Baimian was not in a hurry to get close to the giant machine that looked like the core of the machine. He checked the packaged electronic products in the cabinet nearby.

She carefully took out a box, and based on the logo on it and her own knowledge reserve, she determined that it was a microcomputer, with a processor and memory, but no display device. The input and output devices seemed to depend on the "host".

There is a big difference between these and the latest microcomputers from the old world that Jiang Baimian has seen. They use biological chips, also called bionic chips.

With the mechanical monks in front of them, Jiang Baimian should not be surprised to find a large number of applications of biochips here, but precisely because of her contact with the mechanical monks, a thought suddenly came to her mind:

"One of the main features of biochips is that they can simulate the functions of the brain..."

Combining previous discoveries and speculations, Jiang Baimian gained a new understanding of the nature of certain things:

"If the biochip is not designed to simulate the normal human brain, but a special brain that has been stimulated and developed, then it can be completely explained that the mechanical monks also have the ability to awaken...

"What I can't figure out now is why some monks can awaken after becoming 'immortal people'. The biochip will also be stimulated and change the solidified layout, structure, and materials? Or, the so-called awakening of the mechanical monks is because they themselves were knocked unconscious. 'In the past, it was sent to the factory for repair?

"Also, why do you still keep the price after becoming a mechanical monk? Brain aberrations with special functions are inevitably accompanied by damage or alienation in the corresponding areas. When designing biochips, before the corresponding principles are thoroughly understood, they can only be copied completely. , lest the 'immortal people' not only gain abilities but also suffer from brain damage?"

Jiang Baimian used to be a scientific researcher and was very interested in similar things.

What she regrets now is that although "Pangu Biology" has the word "biology" in it, there are no tangible results on the biochip, so that she only knows the basics and now has to guess.

Had she known this, she would have probably asked Shang Jianyao to accompany her to the "glazed pure land" of mechanical monks to listen to lectures, no, to listen to Buddhist teachings.

Time was running out at the moment, so Jiang Baimian only had a few thoughts before walking towards the main computer, the "space capsules" and the corpses.

As she was approaching her destination, she suddenly said "uh".

What she just discovered reminded her of some illogical things:

Since the mechanical monks have no body, they can still be alive and kicking, and they do not need to absorb human consciousness to replenish themselves, as long as there is a sufficient supply of electrical energy, then why do the monks have to prepare a suitable body instead of directly using the corresponding biochip?

Is it for enjoyment, or is the distortion of their brains reaching a level that cannot be simulated by biochips from the design stage?

Thinking of this, Jiang Baimian frowned:

"I have just discovered the corpses of two senior executives. Their skulls are intact, and the brains inside have definitely not been taken out. In other words, their brains are not secretly hidden in a petri dish to maintain their existence. things.

"Then how are they alive now?

"Pure conscious life whose structure replicates the brain, or..."

Jiang Baimian suddenly turned sideways and turned his gaze to the rows of cabinets:

"Or, with the help of some biochips here?"

After thinking for a few seconds, Jiang Baimian slowly withdrew his gaze and whispered to himself:

"Combined with the fact that the Eighth Research Institute has been maintaining the power supply here, I am leaning towards the latter possibility, or do these machines have a more important purpose?

"If it's the latter situation, then it would be enough for the executives to have electricity. There is no need to absorb human consciousness. They extract human consciousness not because of hunger, but for other reasons?

"If it is the previous situation, let alone the question of whether there is conscious life, just the fact that conscious life depends on consciousness for food, it is logical and reasonable, but the problem comes again, 'Zhuang Sheng' What is the purpose of implanting complete thoughts into those 'unintentional people' in order to maintain the nuclear power plant and ensure the power supply here?"

Jiang Baimian stood still, staring at the silver-black giant machine that occupied a huge area with various thoughts in his mind.

Her intuition told her that the matter was quite different from her previous speculations, and these discrepancies contained the real reason for the destruction of the old world and the ultimate purpose of some Zhi Sui to cause turmoil.

…………

In the "maze", Shang Jianyao pushed open the blood-red door.

With recklessness taking over, he walked directly into the room without hesitation.

First he saw a flower in front of him, and then he saw a room full of machines.

The machines ranged from big to small, with the big ones taking up half the space and the small ones only being the size of an adult male's palm.

At this moment, they are distributed in different places and connected in various ways. The corresponding signal lights are all flashing red, yellow or blue light, making the whole room look like the bars and dance halls of Weed City, but in different colors. Quantity is insufficient.

"Xiao Chong! Xiao Chong!" Shang Jianyao shouted while seeing a man wearing a black robe standing in the middle of the room.

The man originally stood with his hands behind his back, his back to Shang Jianyao. After hearing his shout, he slowly turned around.

He is in his forties, with black hair and a very elegant beard around his mouth.

"Teacher Du Heng!" Shang Jianyao was "shocked."

That man was Du Heng who came to the Eighth Research Institute with them but disappeared in the wind.

Shang Jianyao immediately clenched his right fist with his left palm and said:

"I see!

"Your surname is Du, Xiao Chong's surname is Du, and 'Zhuang Sheng' is also surnamed Du, so you are one of the personalities of 'Zhuang Sheng'!"

These words have the essence of a "reasoning clown".

But Shang Jianyao did not doubt his judgment at all and said plausibly:

"No wonder Xiao Chong was chased around by you when he was a 'Zhuang Sheng' in his childhood. You are so shameless!

"No wonder you have lost a lot of memories, because as a personality alone, you have never experienced many things."

Du Heng laughed:

"My current name was changed by me after I became a human brain scientist, in order to distinguish myself from myself as an experimental subject.

"I have had a tendency to have a split personality since I was a child."

"Because you are born to be awakened." Shang Jianyao expressed understanding.

"As for the missing memory, it is not due to split personality, but the sequelae of the original disaster." Du Heng added.

At this time, Shang Jianyao suddenly became nervous, looked around and said:

"I opened the door and came in, but Truth and they haven't launched an attack yet?

"Do you really expect me to convince you?"

Du Heng's expression did not change, and he said in a slightly complicated tone:

“They’ll start soon.

"Real unrest is coming."

"How will they start?" Shang Jianyao was curious and confused.

Du Heng looked at him, sighed and said:

"Every old tune team sent by 'Pangu Creatures' should have an awakener from the 'Zhuang Sheng' realm who has split personality at the cost."