119: The Mysteries of the Star Chart and the Crisis of "Resonance"

The relaxation and laughter brought by the picnic by the creek were like a fresh breeze in the valley, briefly sweeping away the tension and anxiety of daily life in the "Homeland."

After the falling-into-the-water incident, Excellence had been well-behaved for several days, obediently following Su Mu's arrangements for rehabilitation training. He spent time in the studio on relatively simple and safe "hand-crafted" projects, such as improving the candy delivery precision of his "Joy Catcher" or trying to make small models using more eco-friendly materials.

Su Mu and Evelyn also breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the experience of being close to nature would help Excellence better balance his overly active Perception.

However, this peace did not last long. The metal box brought back from the Flying Eagle Creek cave, which always exuded a mysterious aura—especially the ancient star map drawn on a strange material inside—gripped Excellence's mind firmly once again, like a silent summons.

As the fun of the picnic gradually faded, his curiosity about the star map grew with each passing day. No longer satisfied with just taking it out to admire and fiddle with occasionally, he developed a strong impulse to study it systematically and in depth.

"Squad Leader, Evelyn," one day after dinner, instead of sneaking into the studio to tinker with his inventions as usual, Excellence unusually held a tablet and approached Su Mu and Evelyn, who were chatting over tea. The screen displayed a high-definition scan of the star map. "What do you think the person who drew this map wants to tell us? These lines connected together look like a maze, and these symbols... I checked the library materials, and they don't seem to be the same as what we use now... I feel like there must be a secret hidden inside!"

His eyes sparkled with the excitement of an explorer discovering a new continent. Watching his eager look, Su Mu felt a hint of worry, but couldn't bear to pour cold water on him directly, so she said tactfully, "Research is fine, but take it slow. Don't get stuck in a rut without sleep like before. You need to rest."

Evelyn held a more open attitude. She believed that, provided safety was ensured, guiding Excellence to conduct research with methods and records might be more controllable than simply forbidding it, and it would also help guide his attention onto a more rational track.

"We can help you set up research files and use the 'Homeland' library's database and computing resources for comparative analysis. But we must agree that research time cannot exceed two hours per day, and you must record your observations and physical sensations in detail," she proposed a compromise.

Excellence readily agreed. Thus, a seemingly rigorous and restrained exploration centered around the mysterious star map began.

Under Evelyn's guidance, Excellence's research was no longer aimless guessing. He first used the high-precision scanner equipped in the "Homeland" to perform multi-spectral, ultra-high-resolution digital processing on the star map, ensuring every detail and every faded trace was fully recorded. Then, he built a dedicated project database on his computer.

His research path was roughly divided into several directions:

Geometric Topological Analysis: He utilized his recovered mathematical abilities, especially knowledge of geometry and topology, to attempt to analyze the patterns of the star constellations. He used software to abstract star points into Nodes and connections into edges, building a complex network graph. He calculated parameters such as connectivity, clustering coefficients, and average path length, trying to find hidden mathematical structures. He even attempted to compare these connections with known mathematical constants (such as π, e) or fractal geometric patterns.

Astronomical Data Comparison: Evelyn was mainly responsible for this part. She accurately superimposed the star map with the most advanced digital star map databases to look for deviations in the positions of celestial bodies. She paid special attention to constellations and stars marked with special symbols or lines, using astrophysics knowledge to analyze whether these celestial bodies had commonalities in physical properties (such as spectral type, mass, age, presence of planetary systems, etc.), or whether their positions corresponded to some special astronomical phenomenon (such as gravitational lensing candidate areas, potential dark matter distribution anomalies, etc.).

Semiotics and Cryptography Decryption: The strange symbols and annotations on the star map that did not belong to any modern astronomical system were another key focus. Excellence and Evelyn worked together, attempting to cross-reference them with various ancient scripts, religious symbols, and even patterns from some unsolved mysteries that had appeared in human history. Evelyn also used some basic cryptanalysis tools to try to decipher it as some kind of encrypted information.

The research process was extremely tedious and draining. Excellence often sat for hours facing lines of code, piles of data, and comparison images, brow furrowed, muttering to himself. Su Mu would bring tea and fruit at regular intervals to remind him to rest, but it was often to little effect; Excellence's thoughts were completely immersed in that ocean of data and star points.

At first, everything seemed to be happening within a rational framework. But as time passed, when the research gradually deepened to a certain level, some disturbing phenomena that could not be explained by existing science began to appear quietly. The core of these phenomena revolved around a strange "interaction" between Excellence, the star map, and those glowing ores.

Phenomenon 1: Synchronous Fluorescence of the Ores. Excellence was accustomed to placing his favorite blue ore on the workbench to accompany him during his research. Evelyn and Su Mu both noticed that when Excellence stared intently at the star map for a long time—especially when he seemed to capture some inspiration, his fingers typing rapidly on the keyboard, trying to use mathematical formulas to fit certain constellation connection patterns—the faint fluorescence emitted from the surface of that blue ore would significantly strengthen and become rhythmic, as if responding to Excellence's thought activity. Even stranger, if other ores were placed nearby at this time, their glowing rhythm would gradually become synchronized, forming a harmonious yet faintly unsettling halo.

Phenomenon 2: Excellence's Trance State. After entering a deep research state, Excellence himself would undergo obvious changes. His breathing would become abnormally slow and long, with intervals far exceeding a normal person's resting state. His eyes would lose focus and become hollow, as if his gaze had pierced through the computer screen and the star map, casting toward some infinitely distant void. If you called his name, it would take him several seconds to react, and his reaction would be sluggish, as if his soul had temporarily left his body. When this state lasted for a long time, fine beads of sweat would seep from his forehead, and his complexion would turn slightly pale.

Phenomenon 3: Eerie Physiological Resonance. What alarmed Su Mu and Evelyn the most was that, through the portable physiological parameter monitor (non-invasive, with Excellence's consent) connected to Excellence to monitor his recovery, they discovered that when the above two phenomena occurred simultaneously, Excellence's EEG patterns showed abnormalities. On the monitoring screen, in the waveform diagrams representing the activity of different brain regions, the amplitude of a specific frequency band (usually associated with deep meditation or high focus, the gamma wave) would rise sharply, and its oscillation frequency showed a startling, increasingly precise synchronization trend with the flashing frequency of the ores nearby! This "brainwave-light frequency Resonance" was not a stable, harmonious state, but was accompanied by slight disturbances and baseline drift in other brain region signals. At the same time, his core body temperature would also show an abnormal increase of 0.3 to 0.5 degrees Celsius, which was not caused by the environment or exercise.

"This isn't right! This is absolutely not right!" Su Mu was the first to sound the alarm. Relying on her intuition as a caregiver and her sensitivity to Excellence's physical condition, she strongly demanded that the research be interrupted. "This is not a normal research state at all! It looks like... like he is being 'drained' of energy by something! Look at his complexion! We must stop!"

Evelyn watched the monitoring data, her expression becoming unusually grave.

As a scientist, she could not deny the abnormal correlations revealed by this objective data.

This "Resonance" phenomenon exceeded her cognitive scope regarding bio-environmental interactions.

It did not seem like a benign, cognition-enhancing Resonance, but rather a potential, forced synchronization that could lead to energy overdraft or neurological dysfunction (Forced Synchronization).

Its long-term effects were completely unknown, and the risks were extremely high.

Su Mu began to intervene firmly.

She set strict alarms, forcibly pulling Excellence away from the computer every forty minutes, demanding he get up to move around, look into the distance, and drink water, even resorting to threats of cutting the power.

At first, Excellence could barely cooperate, but he was clearly absent-minded, his thoughts obviously still lingering on the unsolved problems.

Later, he became increasingly impatient, even throwing tantrums like a child.

"Squad leader! I'm so close! I'm about to calculate it! That angle has a connection to the golden ratio! Don't interrupt me!"

He waved his hand agitatedly, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and excessive focus.

"Calculate what! Is your life more important or is arithmetic!"

Su Mu was both angry and anxious, reaching out to close his laptop directly. "Look at yourself, you have dark circles under your eyes! If this continues, your body is going to collapse!"

Evelyn also tried to persuade him from a rational perspective.

"Excellence, scientific research requires a balance of work and rest. Continuous high-intensity mental activity, especially when facing such highly complex and unknown objects, easily leads to cognitive tunneling, or even hallucinations. We need to be more cautious and more gradual."

However, at this moment, Excellence seemed to have developed an almost obsessive fixation on that star map.

He would verbally agree to rest, but as soon as Su Mu and Evelyn left, or when they weren't paying attention, he would secretly turn the computer back on, immersing himself in those lines and symbols.

He even began to forget to eat and sleep, making excuses at night that he was "organizing data" in the studio, while actually calculating all night long.

The halos recorded by his Emotion-Visualization Device frequently displayed dark reds and chaotic colors representing "anxiety" and "obsession."

Both Su Mu and Evelyn realized that the problem had become serious.

Simple persuasion seemed to have lost its effect.

That star map seemed to be more than just a map; it was more like an "information entity" with a certain vitality that could deeply interact with Excellence's specific brainwave frequencies, attracting and consuming his mental energy in a dangerous way.

The decisive crisis erupted suddenly on a seemingly calm afternoon.

That day, Su Mu and Evelyn had left for a while to attend a meeting about upgrading the "Homeland" security system.

After the meeting ended, Su Mu felt an inexplicable palpitation and unease; she grabbed Evelyn, and instead of returning to their residence, they headed straight for Excellence's studio.

The studio door was ajar, and the usual sounds of typing or tinkering with tools were absent; it was deathly silent inside.

This abnormal silence made Su Mu's heart jump into her throat.

She pushed the door open violently, and the scene before them made both her and Evelyn's blood run cold instantly, filled with horror!

Excellence was slumped in his ergonomic chair, but his posture was extremely unnatural, his body leaning slightly backward, his head lolling limply to one side.

His face showed an extremely unhealthy flush, as if he had a high fever, his forehead and neck covered in beads of sweat, even soaking the front of his shirt.

His chest heaved violently, his breathing rapid and shallow, his lips somewhat cyanotic, and his entire body was trembling uncontrollably, as if experiencing immense pain or exhaustion.

And what was even more chilling was the rest of the scene in the studio:

Computer screen: On the screen, the high-definition scan of the star map was magnified to the extreme, focusing on an area where dozens of star points were complexly connected.

However, those lines and points, which were originally static, were now actually flowing, twisting, and reorganizing!

They emitted an indescribable, unnatural halo, as if behind the screen were not pixels, but a real, evolving miniature universe!

Glowing ore: The few pieces of ore on the workbench were now erupting with blinding, highly unstable intense light!

The light was no longer a soft fluorescence, but flickering violently like a filament on the verge of burning out, the colors switching crazily between blue, white, and purple.

Even more terrifyingly, they were simultaneously emitting a low humming sound that was almost beyond the lower limit of human hearing, yet could make one's heart feel oppressed and panicked!

This sound did not travel through the air; it felt more like it was acting directly on one's skull and internal organs, bringing about an extreme sense of physiological discomfort.

The entire studio was filled with a distorted energy field on the verge of collapse!

Excellence was clearly at the center of this abnormal energy!

"Excellence!" Su Mu let out a heart-wrenching exclamation, rushing over recklessly and grabbing his trembling shoulders.

Evelyn's reaction was equally swift and decisive.

Without the slightest hesitation, she lunged forward and reached out to press the forced power-off button on the computer tower!

The screen instantly went black, and the eerie flowing star map disappeared.

Immediately after, she grabbed the specially prepared electromagnetic shielding cloth kept nearby for emergencies and covered all the glowing ore on the table tightly and completely at top speed!

Almost the moment the shielding cloth covered them, the blinding light and the unsettling low-frequency humming emitted by the ore vanished suddenly, as if the power had been cut!

The studio returned to silence, leaving only Excellence's heavy and painful gasps.

After what felt like a century, Excellence's body tremors finally subsided.

He slumped against the back of the chair as if exhausted, his face turning from flushed to a frightening pale, his eyes unfocused and vacant; only after a long while did he manage to focus with difficulty on Su Mu's face, which was filled with terror and worry.

"Ex...Excellence? How are you? Can you hear me?"

Su Mu's voice was tearful as she gently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

Excellence opened his mouth, a dry sound emerging from his throat; after catching his breath for a while, he said in an extremely weak, intermittent, airy voice: "I... I think... I saw... some... things..."

There was a lingering trace of terror and confusion in his eyes: "The stars... they aren't static... they are moving... they are... dancing... and... sounds... many sounds... talking... but... it's too fast... I can't understand... like... like a flood... rushing at me... my head... my head feels like it's going to explode..."

After finishing, as if he had exhausted his last bit of strength, he closed his eyes, his brows tightly furrowed from the lingering sharp pain.

Su Mu's tears fell instantly, and she held his cold hands tightly.

Evelyn immediately called the medical team and conducted a preliminary sealing of the scene.

Wang Jianguo received the emergency report immediately.

After understanding the situation, he did not hesitate and immediately issued the strictest order: "Immediately suspend all research on the star map and the ore! Seal all related items and transfer them to the highest-level secure storage facility; no one is to touch them without my direct order! Excellence must immediately undergo a comprehensive medical examination and psychological evaluation, forced rest, and Su Mu and Evelyn will take 24-hour rotating shifts to watch over him!"

The order was ironclad, with no room for negotiation.

No matter how great the temptation to explore the unknown, when the safety of those under protection is threatened in such a clear and eerie way, it must yield without hesitation.

A potential crisis, nearly out of control and triggered by an ancient star map, was forcibly hit with a pause button.

The metal box and its secrets were locked back into a heavy safe, and all data regarding the star map in the studio was wiped.

Excellence fell into a deep sleep with the help of medication, but a trace of exhaustion and lingering fear remained between his brows.

Life in the "Homeland" returned to a superficial calm, but a deeper shadow, stemming from the unknown itself, had already quietly descended.

Everyone understood that this incident was by no means the end.

The truth hidden behind that star map, and the dangerous and profound connection it had with Excellence, would one day need to be faced again.

But before that, the primary task was to let Excellence recover his health and find a way to explore that ensured safety.

The boundaries of knowledge are indeed tempting, but the lighthouse for an explorer must first be their own well-being.