Ant colony

It was raining outside the window, and the dim light woke me up.

I looked at the time, it was already seven o'clock in the morning.Beside him, α-han was still sleeping peacefully.I know she hasn't had a good night's sleep in days.

I gently clasped her wrist under the quilt.Her wrist was very slender, and the warm and delicate touch made me feel like weeping.

Everything last night was like a dream.I can hardly believe that the present peace is real and not an illusion.I can't remember how I hid the gun, how I climbed into bed and hugged her, how I finally fell asleep amidst all kinds of overwhelming emotions, and how I kept waking up in all kinds of weird dreams.

Probably feeling my gaze, she slowly opened her eyes and yawned: "When did you come back?"

"It's late. You're asleep."

She smiled: "Look, I am obediently listening to you."

I hugged her tightly, and she struggled impatiently.

"I hate it, what are you going to do early in the morning? Hey, why don't you even take off your makeup?"

"……I forgot."

"Did you drink too much?" She frowned slightly, "Get up and wash your face, or you will become ugly."

"No," I said, "I'm too tired."

She didn't insist, but instead asked, "Did you have fun last night? Did your chief like that gift?"

"I like it. The mayor is also very interested in that jigsaw puzzle, and he even took advantage of it and told me a lot of truths."

Her eyes lit up: "Oh, really?"

"The mayor said that a person's insight is like a piece of a puzzle, and even a genius cannot think that he is absolutely right."

"Well said," she said. "What else did she say?"

"Nothing. But the chief told me a story."

"Are you having a party or a story contest?" she laughed. "What story?"

Although this is a lie made up by me, I did hear this story from the chief.It's just that I didn't really understand its truth until last night.

I said: "The director said that a long time ago, there was a big river, and there was a small island on the river, and the island was full of monkeys. One day, a king came to the island by boat, and the other monkeys were scared when they saw people. He hid in the woods. There was only one monkey. He thought he was very smart and smart, so he didn’t hide, and he jumped up and down in front of the king to provoke him. The king was very angry and shot it with a bow and arrow. But the monkey was really agile and shot several times. It dodged all the arrows. The monkey became more and more proud, and jumped even harder. Finally, the king ordered a fast-running follower to chase and shoot it, and finally shot it to death."

"It's so pitiful." α-Han stuck out her tongue, "A smart monkey just disappeared."

"Yes. No matter how smart a monkey is, it can't fight against the king." I looked straight into her eyes, "No matter how powerful you are, you can dodge one arrow or two arrows, but there is always one that you can't dodge." .”

She was silent for a while, and said with a smile: "Why did your chief tell you this all of a sudden?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's to remind me not to rely on my own wisdom to take risks."

"Then she's worrying too much." She yawned again, "You've never had such a thing as wisdom."

I don't know if she understood my hint or not.But I can only go so far.

May you be truly wise.I prayed silently in my heart.

I came to Vulnerability Management.Last night, the system has deciphered the message sent by the person suspected of Chaos to the "worms". There is only one sentence: "Chaos is not dead. Don't trust the fakes."

Then, at ten o'clock this morning, in the infrastructure of some small virtual city, a violent brawl erupted between No. 109 and its allies.

Some people questioned that it was an imposter of Chaos, while others said that the message might be a temptation from the enemy, while others said that it was a tactic used by some extremist organization leaders who were jealous of Chaos' influence.

No. 109 himself is also baffled, and can only guarantee that he saw his predecessor Chaos commit suicide with his own eyes, and he is absolutely not lying.

They were arguing very lively, but unfortunately they were all blindly optimistic, thinking that they were safe if they cheated the system and left no records.Even No. 109 himself never imagined that the biggest traitor is its completely transparent thinking that is always under the system's scanning.

Some people waver, but some people are still determined to participate in the rally.They just broke up.

"This guy really has some tricks." The director sighed, "When the system's efficiency is at its highest, he can still figure out a way to evade surveillance. What a genius."

"But this time, the tail was exposed and the coordinates were exposed."

"Yes. As long as she dares to try again, she will definitely be completely exposed."

"If she is sensible, she should stop."

Σ-Lu said with a smile: "She won't stop. Since she issued a warning, it shows that she still cares about her kind. If that's the case, she won't just let them die."

"hope so."

"By the way, I have something to tell you." The director said, "The Global Committee has decided to intervene in this operation."

I froze for a moment: "Why?"

"It's not because of these 'worms', nor is it because of Chaos. Even if they blow up ten sperm banks, the Global Committee will not intervene. The serious thing this time is that on the eve of the trial operation of the new system, malicious deception appeared in this city." system events."

I nodded: "I see."

I walked into the office, looked at the blooming bunch of blue cornflowers on the table, and felt pain pouring into my veins like mercury, corroding and splitting my body bit by bit.I even started to regret that I should have just killed α-Han last night and then committed suicide, so as to end the unnecessary suspicion and endless hell.

I know better than anyone that she is a determined person. Once she really decides to do something, she can think of a thousand ways, and I have no power to stop her.

Unless I give her a more obvious warning.However, even if she only reveals a little clue, she will definitely be able to guess our hole cards immediately.At that time, will she really stop, or will she take the opportunity to create a bigger storm?

I remembered what the chief said.How fragile people's happiness is. Once the society loses order, what will happen to those people who live happily and contentedly?

I have no right to stake the happiness of so many people.

I sat helplessly at the table, like a prisoner waiting to be shot.Time passed by every minute and every second, but nothing new happened.The system advises me to rest first, and it will notify me if there is an emergency.

"Where is α-han?" I asked it.

"She arrived at the data center at 8:20 in the morning and was back home at 9:00."

"Is something wrong?" Actually, I can make a good guess, but I can't confirm my guess.

The system said: "I have no right to tell you. You can ask her directly."

I hurried home.

The room was deserted, as if no one was there.I gently called her name, but no one answered me.

My heart suddenly hung up.I walked lightly, looked around, and finally found her standing on the balcony, staring blankly at the distant lake.

The profile of her face is so dignified, I have never seen such an expression on her face.

Noticing my gaze, she turned her head and smiled: "Are you back?"

"What's going on?" I walked over and took her hand.

In such a midsummer, her hands were as cold as the water of a lake.

"You should know," she said quietly, "that someone tricked the system again last night. Under my nose, when my system was at its peak."

"My system" - that's the first time I've heard her use that term.

She continued: "This is my dereliction of duty. You see, this kind of thing happens just after sleeping."

"How can this be your fault?" I squeezed her hand tightly, "You are not the only one in the data center, didn't you say that the global experts are now in City 501."

"But I'm the one in charge." She shook her head. "Even if it's someone else's negligence, I still have the responsibility as a manager. The Global Management Council has already intervened in this matter. To avoid suspicion, I'll come back first."

She said it lightly, but she couldn't hide her deep sadness.Suddenly, I heard her sigh—I was really shocked that the always confident and proud α-Han would make such a sigh.

"The story you told this morning is really appropriate." She smiled. "I am the monkey who is too conceited in my own intelligence. I think I am the only one who understands the weaknesses of the system in the whole world, just like the monkey thinks his actions are the best." Dexterity. I didn't expect that the world is so vast, and there are people outside the island who can run faster than me."

It was as if a cold hand grabbed my heart and made me wake up from the pain instantly.An unreal voice whispered in my head: "Idiot, look what you've done?"

What kind of evil did I have to have such despicable doubts about her?The system is her heart and soul, her mother, confidant and child.How could she possibly take advantage of its loopholes, to help those who tried to challenge it, shake it off, destroy it?I actually forgot how she endured physical pain and devoted herself to working all night; I actually forgot that when she talked about her achievements, she was as proud as an artist talking about her beloved masterpiece; Without going home, life is so simple that only her system and all kinds of whimsy are left.

I was so stupid that I thought that only I had the principles to uphold.I don't understand that the same principle holds true for a scientist—she can never abandon her career, because that would be tantamount to abandoning her whole life.

She thought I understood her, so she was unscrupulous in front of me.And I failed her trust and sincerity.

I turned my head, took a deep breath, and suppressed my tears of regret.

"What's wrong with you?" She still felt my emotions keenly and pulled my shoulder.

"It's okay." I said with difficulty, "Don't worry. This loophole didn't cause any bad consequences."

"Of course I know that. Otherwise, would I still be able to stand here and talk to you safely?" She resumed her relaxed teasing tone, but I knew it was just to comfort me. "As long as the system finds a loophole, it can be repaired quickly. That person's method will fail after only one use. No matter how fast she runs, it will take a long time to find the next method. Optimistically, maybe she finds the next method." I will never find it again.”

"She may take another risk in the short term."

"Unless she's crazy."

"Perhaps she will really throw herself into the trap desperately."

"Then I'll be very sorry." She sighed again, "It's hard to feel like a match. I know, she must be someone very similar to me."

My heart was suspended again, and after a long time, I tremblingly said a word: "If this is the case... what will you do to her?"

She was silent for a moment, then replied: "It's not up to me to decide. But even if I feel sorry for her, I won't sympathize with her. Whoever let her have talent, but used it in the wrong place."

I suddenly pulled her into my arms tightly.I felt the mercury in my blood vessels vaporize, turning my flesh and blood into fly ash, smoke, a pile of atoms, floating in the rain and mist.I don't know how long it took before the consciousness came back to me slowly. I looked into her clear eyes and tremblingly said a word: "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for me?" She pushed me restlessly. "That's enough, stop being coquettish with me. I need to reflect on myself quietly now."

I nodded and let her go reluctantly. "Come in, don't let the wind blow."

"Okay." She nodded with a smile, and then stretched out her hand to gently wrap a strand of my hair behind my ear, "Actually, it's not bad for someone to act coquettishly. Especially the gentleness of a beautiful girl, it really makes me feel happy much better."

I also smiled with relief.

That night, I hugged her tightly and fell asleep, as if I was afraid that if I let go, she would fly away and never come back.I could sense that she was still full of worries and couldn't sleep as peacefully as she used to.And in my heart, although the blunt knife of guilt is slowly grinding, compared with the torture of doubt, it is like going from hell to heaven.

For the next two days, she still stayed at home, which was considered a holiday for her exhausted body.And although I let the debate and rumors about the true and false Chaos spread everywhere, I haven't received any abnormal reports.Chaos, it seems, isn't crazy after all.

2137年12月31日，19:00.

In the end, 67 people decided to come to the offline rally on the 109th.They will rush from all over the world to No. 501 Ecological Restoration Area of ​​City 7.It is sparsely populated, with the least surveillance density, and it is also a convenient passage to no-man's land.

In the New Year's Eve carnival that was about to sweep the entire city, dozens of people left quietly. This was just a small ripple in the sea, and it was nothing unusual.What's more, No. 109 thought that his method of deceiving the system had been tried and tested, and it was still safe so far.

It doesn't know that it and its supporters are always in two parallel worlds.In the wilderness of data, it will not wait for anyone; but in the wilderness of reality, all its supporters are waiting for is a gradually closing net.

Chaos still didn't show up.Airplanes landed at the airport in City 501; superconducting maglev trains put down passengers from different places who were looking around; among the crowds flocking to the Civic Square and Efficiency Park, some figures moved against the current.

I, the director, and the commissioner sent by the Global Committee stood in the monitoring room, watching these light spots moving in the three-dimensional map of the city.

"The current risk factor is 25%." The system announced.

"Wait a little longer." I said.

67 red light spots gradually converge towards the destination coordinates.At the same time, 1374 blue light spots surrounded them from all directions.That represents the mechanical guards, the army of anesthetized microcomputers, and my human crew.

At 19:35, the risk factor was 36%.

Chaos remains silent.Could she really abandon her kind?

At 19:47, 13 minutes before their agreed meeting time, the first red light spot had arrived at the destination coordinates.

"The risk factor is 48%." The system said.

"I think the net can be collected." The commissioner said, "If they find no one to respond, they perceive something abnormal, and flee directly from here to no-man's land, the cost of our arrest will skyrocket."

"Let's wait a little longer," I said.

Here, the bureau chief has the highest authority, and she doesn't express her opinion, actually handing over the decision-making power to me.I have only one wish at the moment, and that is to catch Chaos as much as possible.I want to see what she looks like with my own eyes, and see what kind of person she is, who gave me such a long-lasting mental torture.

Time moves slowly like a glacier.By 19:55, 24 red light spots had reached the destination coordinates.Through the monitoring of micro-detectors, we can hear the conversations of these people.They couldn't get in touch with No. 109, and they had become a little anxious.

The risk factor soared to 87%, getting closer and closer to the threshold.

"We can't wait any longer!" The commissioner was a little anxious.

I said, "It doesn't matter. Even if they want to escape now, the anesthesia microcomputers have been arranged around, and the probability of them escaping is about 1%."

"The probability is not low. The terrain here is too complicated." The commissioner retorted, "And what if they commit suicide during this period? How many valuable samples will we lose, have you thought about it?"

"These costs, compared to a more important sample, are completely insignificant."

"You are responsible for your decisions."

"Of course I understand."

89%, 90%, 91%... The risk factor has exceeded the threshold and is rising faster and faster.Cold sweat gradually oozes from my forehead.

The chief who had been silent all this time spoke up: "δ-rou, or forget it."

"Do not……"

Before I could finish my sentence, a high-pitched siren sounded from the system.To me, it's the most beautiful sound in the world.

"Someone has been detected sending a message to the target. Coordinates have been determined."

"Catch!" I yelled.

I rushed to the monitor, as if to plunge headfirst into the ever-flowing stream of information.The system showed that someone sent different route maps to all the "worms" who had arrived and those who hadn't, warning them to flee to no-man's land as soon as possible.Because the amount of data sent was too large, this period of time was enough for the system to locate her exact location and immediately generate a detailed round-up plan.

The red dots on the holographic map of the city scattered.The vast majority soon became immobile, while a few miraculously disappeared.I have to say that that person is really clever, she was able to predict the optimal combat plan set by the system for the anesthesia microcomputer and the mechanical guards without using the system's computing power, and thus deduce the route with the highest chance of winning the escape.

However, if she had to deal with the system at any time and adjust the routes of many accomplices, it would be almost impossible to save herself.

The encirclement of the system is gradually shrinking.In the information stream, more and more detailed information about that person.Although her citizenship status has not yet been checked, more and more data has surfaced...

The facial features captured by the system have undergone substitution processing.The system continued to decipher the interference, and the man stubbornly used endless methods to defend.This is a silent battle. All we see is a bunch of constantly distorted and changing graphics, but behind this is a dazzling trick, a bloody storm of code and data.

I don't know how many people in the data center watched the battle with bated breath.This is a miraculous battle that will be recorded in the annals of history. Unexpectedly, someone was able to persist for 2 minutes and 42 seconds under the offensive of the system by himself.She was doomed, but every second she gained was of great value—the last chance of her kind, the swan song of human ingenuity.

But human beings are human beings after all, and she cannot cover everything.While she was trying her best to protect her appearance information, the tiny detectors had collected some odor molecules on her body.

A series of chemical formulas flowed through my eyes, as if a string in my mind was gently plucked, I couldn't help but whispered: "System."

The commissioner and director next to me were engrossed in the changing images, not paying attention to me.I took a deep breath and typed a command into the system.

I asked it to compare the composition of these odor molecules with the aroma mixture recipe that α-Han sent me last month.

I don't know how many femtoseconds the system takes to accomplish this simple task.All I know is that I got its answer almost immediately: "The two are 100% similar."

Despair, like a neurotoxin, quickly paralyzed my senses.Only fragments of countless memories are rolling in my brain like glass shards.

α-Han said "It's another boring New Year's Eve" when he sent me out in the morning.She said the man would not take the risk unless he was crazy.Smiling faces of people at the banquet.β-Qiu curled up in a corner and shivered.A gloomy afternoon in the rainy season.I haven't had time to look up the name of the bunch of flowers that I don't know on the table today.Blooming colchicum...

"Any instructions?" the system asked me.

"No." I closed my eyes, "Keep hunting."

Time has become meaningless to me.I am jumping in endless memories, shuttling between reality and fantasy.It wasn't until the director cheered that the disordered time returned to normal rhythm.The syllables came to my ears one by one, telling my brain a seemingly important message——

"Caught Chaos!"

An instinctive self-protective response blocked my emotions.I stare blankly at the monitor.There was a picture there, a young face that was completely unknown.

"What are you still doing standing there?" The chief pushed me, "You succeeded!"

Only then did I understand the text on the interface. ψ-79936077-Sophie, from City 416.Social value points 10998.52. 21 years old.student……

The strings in my mind snapped suddenly.Shards of glass were embedded in the solidified brain.I suddenly burst out laughing uncontrollably, scaring the commissioner next to me to take a step back.

"Oh, so excited." I heard her mocking with disdain.

"This kid has exhausted his energy for this loophole." The director said with a smile, "I don't think you have seen such a complicated loophole, such a cunning 'worm'."

What happened next opened my eyes to the astonishing potential of human physical strength.I was able to conduct a preliminary interrogation of ψ-79936077-Sophie with my collapsed body, disorganized will, and tranced spirit, and I also made rigorous memos and records.

ψ-79936077-Sophie doesn't look like that person at all, but there are always some similarities.She felt satisfied that she helped 17 "worms" escape the system's net, and she was very clear about her own price, without any sophistry or resistance, and she was surprisingly calm.

She had already guessed that the imposter Chaos was the bait of the Vulnerability Management Bureau, but she still didn't know that it was not a human being, nor was it a virtual personality created by the system, but just an accidental evolution product of a simulated brain.She overestimated us. In fact, it is impossible for us to design a bait so similar to her without knowing anything about her.

She was smarter than all of us, and it was chance that worked against her, forcing her to go out of her way to save those stupid fellows caught in the net.

I don't have the energy to think about where the similarity between her and α-Han comes from.Even more powerless to think about where the incense she used came from.I just walked through the routine questions step by step, like a robot at the mercy of the system.

At 23:30, I numbly left the Vulnerability Administration and came to the street.

The city that was pure white has become strange and bizarre at this moment.New Year's Carnival Parade (l) parades poured into the streets and alleys, and the walls of all the buildings displayed this year's popular virtual characters, news figures, commentary anchors, three-dimensional images floating in the light field like ghosts, all kinds of Mechanical monsters haunt the world, bringing the wild fantasies of the virtual world to life.

In the hustle and bustle of the crowd, I am like a lost child, like a mouse strayed into the city from the countryside, with only one thought in mind, go home, go home.

The airship sent by the system picked me up.I finally returned to the quiet hill, the isolated courtyard, and saw the warm yellow light from the window.

I walked into the house and immediately saw the man who haunted me.She was sitting on the ground as usual, surrounded by garbage, writing and drawing on the floor with her head down, immersed in the fantasy world.

I walked over without saying a word, pulled her into my arms, and kissed her fiercely.I have never kissed so intensely before, as if only in this way can the pieces gather together, the broken strings heal again, and I can be sure that I still exist in this real world.

I don't know how long it took before I let her go slowly.Only then did I realize that tears were streaming down my face.

"Happy New Year." I said softly.

Her eyes sparkled, and she gently stroked my hair. "Have you caught that man?"

"how do you know?"

"I just received a notice from the Global Management Council, asking me to go back to the data center to preside over the trial run of the new system tomorrow."

"very good."

"Then when are you going to hand her over to those sadists who are obsessed with studying the human brain?"

"Don't mention her."

"why?"

"Please, for the sake of the New Year, don't mention these horrible things again."

"New Year is another human fiction." She shrugged. "For the earth, this is just an ordinary day."

"But not for me." I said tremblingly, "From tomorrow, I will start a new life."

"what?"

"I'm going to resign and leave the Vulnerability Authority."

Saying this, I felt a burst of relief, a burst of relief.It's finally coming to an end.In the past eight years, I have explored the secrets of the abyss, and the abyss has been swallowing me bit by bit.Now I can finally turn my back on it decisively and never look at it again.

Fireworks bloomed in the night sky outside the window.I know that the bell of the new year has already sounded.Although this house doesn't care about the coming of the New Year, it isolates itself from the hustle and bustle of the world, and keeps quiet as always—but the New Year has come after all, bringing illusory hope to all desperate human beings.