129: Exceptional "modeling" attempts and "overclocked" awareness

After successfully repelling the FSF's conspiracy, Homeland entered a relatively peaceful and vibrant period. The temporary retreat of external threats allowed internal efforts to focus more on daily scientific research and construction. Excellence, in this relatively safe environment, grew vigorously like a seedling absorbing ample nutrients. As Evelyn implemented his systematic learning plan, his knowledge of mathematics and physics accumulated significantly, and his way of thinking began to subtly transform.

He was no longer content with passively 'Perceiving' strange signals or making wild, inspiration-dependent hand-crafted inventions. A new, stronger desire sprouted in his heart—he yearned to describe, understand, and even quantify his unique and profound experiences using a more systematic, rigorous, and scientifically verifiable language. He hoped to lift the veil of mystery surrounding his abilities and see if there were discernible patterns hidden behind them.

This transformation was most evident in his keen interest in computer modeling and simulation. Homeland's powerful computing resources and advanced simulation software provided him with an unprecedented 'digital sandbox' where he could safely 'play' with abstract concepts and complex relationships. He became fascinated with the process of transforming abstract feelings into concrete models.

His exploration focused primarily on two areas closely related to his own experiences:

Principle Model of the Emotion-Visualization Device: He attempted to establish a simplified 'emotion-brainwave-environmental energy field' correlation model. In his conception, emotion was the input (e.g., 'happiness' or 'anxiety'), his brain was the processor (producing specific brainwave patterns), and the device was the output, mapping brainwave patterns to light signals. He tried to describe the dynamics of emotional changes using simple differential equations, process brainwave spectra using Fourier transforms, and envisioned an 'environmental energy field' as the modulating background. Of course, his model assumptions were highly personal; for example, he likened information transmission between neural synapses to 'delivery drivers sending packages through a complex city road network, sometimes getting stuck in traffic (inhibition), sometimes speeding (excitation),' and imagined disturbances in the energy field as 'dropping stones into a calm lake, with ripples spreading out in circles and interfering with each other.'

Conjectural Model of Plant Interactions: He had not given up on his early whimsical idea that plants might 'communicate' in some way. Now, he was trying to construct a 'plant growth and microscopic energy fluctuation' model. He hypothesized that plants not only perceive conventional factors like sunlight and water but also respond to extremely weak, specific-frequency energy fluctuations in the environment (perhaps similar to a simplified form of the constant ripple he perceived). This response, in turn, affects their growth rate, chemical synthesis, and so on. He used stochastic processes to simulate the randomness of energy fluctuations, response functions to describe plants' 'preferences,' and even whimsically assigned different 'personality parameters' to various plants (e.g., 'sociable' sunflowers and 'quiet' mint).

However, Excellence's path to modeling was destined to be anything but smooth, filled with distinct 'Excellence characteristics.' His process was often like this: a flash of inspiration leads to a bold hypothesis -> eagerly begins writing code -> quickly gets bogged down in mathematical formulas and programming syntax -> code is riddled with bugs (loop boundary errors, variable type confusion, and memory leaks are commonplace) -> simulation program either fails to run or immediately enters an infinite loop or calculates absurd results (e.g., simulated 'emotion' index skyrocketing to infinity, or 'plants' growing into cubes in the simulation) -> causing his supervising software engineers endless headaches, often requiring significant time to help him 'debug' (troubleshoot program errors), and lamenting that it's like 'using rocket science to fix a uniquely designed toy car.'

But undeniably, in this seemingly chaotic and inefficient process, Excellence demonstrated astonishing learning resilience and unique insights. He was never discouraged by failure; instead, he was curious about every bug, chasing engineers with questions like, 'Why did this go wrong here?' and 'What does this symbol mean?' In solving bugs, he actually learned more solid knowledge. More importantly, he often managed to step outside conventional disciplinary frameworks, using seemingly absurd but core-hitting metaphors and intuitions to grasp a key feature of a problem. For example, when discussing model stability, he would suddenly blurt out, 'I feel like this system is walking a tightrope; to avoid falling, you can't just stare at your feet, you also have to feel the direction of the wind and the sway of the wire... hmm... that 'dynamic equilibrium'!' This unconventional approach sometimes indeed enlightened professional researchers stuck in conventional thinking, providing new inspiration.

Evelyn and Su Mu naturally became his 'review committee' and 'escort fleet' for his modeling attempts. Evelyn was responsible for scientific oversight; she would carefully check whether Excellence's model assumptions were reasonable, whether there were logical errors in the mathematical derivations, point out overly idealized or scientifically contradictory aspects, and guide him to consult literature for a more solid theoretical foundation. Su Mu, on the other hand, played the role of a bridge of understanding and an emotional stabilizer. When Excellence became anxious due to model complexity, she would use the most everyday examples to help him resolve his confusion ('Look, your model is like cooking; too much salt is bad, too little has no taste, you have to try it slowly'). When his ideas were too outlandish, she would gently remind him, 'Don't take too big a step; start with something simple to verify.'

After gaining some initial experience (or rather, accumulating enough lessons from failures) in constructing relatively simple models, a bolder and more dangerous idea gradually formed in Excellence's mind. He decided to attempt to build an extremely simplified theoretical model for the most mysterious and core phenomenon of 'resonance' between him, the star map, and the ore. He named this ambitious plan the 'Consciousness-Constants Ripples Interaction Model' (CCRIM).

This idea undoubtedly touched upon a forbidden zone in current research. It directly involved the most mysterious and riskiest area—the interaction between consciousness and that unknown field suspected of reflecting or even influencing the fundamental constants of the universe. Evelyn was well aware of the immense risks involved. Any direct simulation of such an interaction could be like opening pandora's box, triggering unpredictable consequences, especially for a highly sensitive individual like Excellence.

After intense internal struggle and strict risk assessment, and with Wang Jianguo's special approval, Evelyn agreed to let Excellence proceed with the attempt, but set extremely stringent preconditions:

Extremely Simplified Model: Only conceptual, highly abstract mathematical symbols could be used; no real star map or ore data could be directly introduced. Excellence's consciousness was simplified to a 'harmonic oscillator' with specific inherent frequency and damping coefficient, and the constant ripple was simplified to an external 'driving field.' The interaction was simplified to a simple forced oscillation model.

Absolutely Safe Environment: The simulation had to run on a physically isolated, dedicated computer with the strongest electromagnetic shielding and biological signal monitoring. Excellence himself would not directly operate the simulation but would observe the results from an isolated observation room via a secure display terminal.

Strict Monitoring Throughout: Multiple physiological indicators for Excellence, such as brainwaves, heart rate, and electrodermal response, had to be monitored in real-time. The simulation had to be terminated immediately if any abnormal fluctuations occurred.

Evelyn's Full Supervision: Evelyn had to stay by the monitoring console at all times, with her hand on the emergency stop switch.

The initial work of modeling proceeded cautiously. Excellence immersed himself in mathematical formulas and parameter adjustments, and most simulation results conformed to classical physics expectations: resonance occurred when the driving field's frequency approached the harmonic oscillator's natural frequency, amplifying the amplitude; the response weakened when the frequency deviated. Everything seemed to be within a controllable theoretical framework.

However, the seeds of danger were unknowingly sown. During a parameter debugging session, Excellence, to 'make the simulation feel more real,' had a sudden idea to find a set of frequency parameters that 'could better represent that deep resonance feeling.' He recalled glimpsing a set of frequency values labeled 'anomalous harmonic clusters' when previously researching star map data. These data had been archived due to high potential risk, but with his astonishing memory, he unconsciously and intuitively typed a highly similar set of values into the parameter input box. He didn't know the specificity of this data, just felt that 'this frequency range sounded more familiar.'

When he pressed the run button and adjusted the driving field's intensity parameter to simulate a 'deep resonance' state, an anomaly suddenly occurred!

On the monitoring screen, the response curve representing his state of consciousness (that simple harmonic oscillator), instead of showing a smooth increase in amplitude as usual, suddenly began to oscillate violently and erratically! The curve was no longer a graceful sine wave but transformed into jagged, spiky gibberish. The amplitude instantly soared beyond the range, as if the simulated 'harmonic oscillator' was being torn, twisted, and on the verge of collapse by an indescribable, violent force!

Almost at the same moment, the physiological monitoring equipment connected to Excellence emitted a piercing, highest-level alarm! His EEG showed abnormal synchronization and high-frequency bursts of electrical activity in multiple brain regions, with a strange similarity between the frequency spectrum and the uncontrolled oscillation curve in the simulation! His heart rate accelerated sharply, blood pressure rose, cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead and palms, and his breathing became rapid and shallow. Most alarming was his gaze—his eyes, previously focused on the screen, instantly became hollow and vacant, pupils slightly dilated, as if his consciousness was truly captured and dragged by the uncontrolled simulated field on the screen, entering an incomprehensible, terrifying vortex!

'Disconnect! Stop the simulation immediately! Emergency protocol initiated!' Evelyn's startled cry broke the dead silence. She cut off the simulation program's power at top speed and simultaneously pressed the emergency stop buttons for all monitoring and isolation systems!

Su Mu, who had been waiting outside, rushed in immediately upon hearing the alarm. Seeing Excellence slumped in the chair, pale and trembling slightly, her heart tightened. She rushed forward, tightly grasped Excellence's cold hand, repeatedly called his name, and gently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

After the simulation stopped, what felt like an eternity passed before Excellence suddenly gasped, like a drowning person pulled ashore. His eyes gradually regained a trace of vitality but were filled with lingering fear. He weakly leaned against Su Mu, his voice trembling as he described the brief but incredibly real and terrifying experience: 'It... it was too terrifying... after I pressed that button... the light on the screen... seemed to come alive... turning into a huge, spinning... vortex... trying to suck me in! Inside... inside there were so many sounds... all jumbled up... like tens of thousands of people screaming at once... and... and dazzling light... flashing, making my head ache... I couldn't move at all... I felt... I felt like I was going to shatter...'

This accidental 'consciousness overclocking' incident, though extremely brief and, due to timely intervention, caused no irreversible physiological damage, had a massive psychological impact and warning significance. It proved in the most direct way that the research area related to the star map harbored unfathomable risks far beyond current understanding and control. The power contained within that constant ripple was by no means gentle background information but could be an extremely dangerous entity capable of directly disturbing or even hijacking conscious activity.

Excellence's modeling attempt was immediately suspended indefinitely, and all related data, including the complete record of that accident, was classified as top secret and strictly sealed. Wang Jianguo convened an emergency meeting, severely criticized Evelyn for her negligence in the supervision process (failing to promptly detect Excellence's input of dangerous memory parameters), and once again forcefully reiterated the importance of safety red lines, demanding that all research prioritize the life safety of participants above all else, strictly prohibiting any form of complacency or adventurous behavior.

Evelyn was filled with lingering fear and self-reproach. She deeply reflected on her eagerness to achieve results when pushing scientific boundaries. This incident taught her a heavy lesson, making her more soberly realize that the responsibility of a guardian is far more important than the curiosity of an explorer.

For Excellence, this experience, though frightening, was also a valuable baptism of growth. For the first time, he so intuitively and personally felt that his special ability connected not only to novel knowledge and inspiration but also potentially to an abyss full of unknown dangers. This gave him a deeper reverence for the word 'research,' making him understand that curiosity must be accompanied by caution and respect for boundaries.

The path of growth is never a straight and smooth road. It is filled with attempts, errors, setbacks, and even dangerous probes. This modeling scare, like a necessary bucket of cold water poured on Excellence's enthusiasm for exploration, reminded him and all guardians that while gazing at the stars and pursuing mysteries, one must remain grounded and always remember reverence for the unknown. This reverence is not a shackles hindering progress but an indispensable compass ensuring steady and long-term advancement.