210: Energy Transfer and the Trap of "Greed"

Inside the dedicated experimental chamber of the "morning star," the air seemed to have solidified into transparent amber, with only the low hum emitted by the flow of energy proving that time was still passing.

Located in the center of the chamber, the shell of beacon beta—neither metal nor stone, flowing with a dim luster—was now, like an ancient creature waking from hibernation, gradually radiating inner vitality under the nourishment of pure energy.

Excellence stood before the main control console, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's, fixated on the data cascading like a waterfall on the holographic projection.

His fingers occasionally tapped on the virtual keyboard, making micron-level fine adjustments to the energy flow.

Evelyn was at his side, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the physical form of beacon beta and the secondary screen displaying its energy spectrum, ensuring that all parameters strictly followed the transmission plan they had jointly formulated, which was as precise as a work of art.

"Energy conduit connection is stable, interface integrity is 100%," a technician reported, their voice sounding exceptionally clear in the silent chamber.

"The small fusion reactor output power is stable at 5% of the predetermined value, and all buffer units are working normally," another confirmed.

"Very good," Excellence's voice was calm, carrying an unquestionable authority, "Maintain current parameters and gradually increase output to 10%. We must be like waking a king who has slept for a thousand years; we must be gentle, even gentler."

As energy continued to be injected like a trickling stream, those strange patterns on the surface of beacon beta began to light up one by one.

Initially, they were just faint points of light like Firefly, then they connected into lines, outlining complex patterns that contained some kind of cosmic truth.

The light was not a single color but, like an aurora, presented a shifting, magnificent hue between deep blue and silver-white.

The energy fluctuations it emitted also changed from being almost undetectable at first to becoming stable and powerful, echoing in the experimental chamber like a steady, strong heartbeat.

What was even more exciting was that the originally vague and intermittent thought also became increasingly clear.

It was no longer just a simple "agreement" or "need," but began to transmit thought fragments carrying information.

【...Observation... star map... calibration...】 A fragment came through, and a vast star map seemed to appear in everyone's minds, with countless stars marked with strange spectral symbols; that was the language through which the watchers civilization understood the universe.

【...Energy... harmonic Resonance... dimension... Resonance...】 Another fragment, accompanied by an indescribable, intuitive feeling about how energy vibrates and conducts across different spatial levels; although it was only the most basic theory, it left top scientists like Excellence and Evelyn feeling dazzled, as if they had caught a glimpse of the corner of a brand-new edifice of physics.

Su Mu stood at a safe distance slightly further away, her hands folded across her chest, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of wonder and awe.

She could feel the antiquity and vastness contained within that thought; it was a sedimentation that transcended the entire history of human civilization.

The captain was monitoring the progress here via the communication channel, and a rare smile of relief appeared on his serious face.

The atmosphere was as harmonious as an academic exchange spanning time and space, and sparks of hope jumped in everyone's hearts.

Energy transmission steadily increased to the critical point of 50%, then 60%, 70%... Everything was going so smoothly that one was almost tempted to let their guard down.

However, Excellence's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He noticed that after crossing the 75% Node, the energy absorption curve of beacon beta showed an extremely subtle, almost ignorable "acceleration" trend.

This trend was very hidden, completely submerged in the massive energy flow and data noise, so even precision monitoring instruments classified it as a normal fluctuation.

But Excellence's intuition, strengthened by Energy Programming, as well as his almost instinctual insight into the nature of energy, allowed him to capture this discordant note.

"Evelyn," he said in a low voice, his gaze not leaving the main screen, "Did you notice the second derivative of the energy absorption curve?"

Upon hearing this, Evelyn immediately pulled up a deeper data analysis interface. After a quick calculation, her expression also became a little grave: "Indeed... there is an abnormal increase of about 0.003%. Is it within your expected range?"

"It is within the expectations of the 'worst-case' scenario," Excellence nodded, his voice low, "Notify the reactor control room to pre-start the emergency power limiting valve to standby mode. Also, set the 'Energy Shackles' protocol to semi-activated state and have the injection module complete pre-loading."

Evelyn understood immediately and issued instructions via the encrypted channel. She knew Excellence's style well—always ready with matches for the darkest possibilities.

Su Mu also seemed to feel the faint, lingering tension in the air, took a light step forward, and looked concernedly at Excellence's tall and focused back.

Part Two: Omen of the Abyss and the Critical Point of Loss of Control

Energy transmission continued, reaching 85% of the planned schedule.

beacon beta had now become dazzling, its entire body flowing with brilliant colors, as if constructed from pure light energy.

The memory fragments it shared were becoming richer, even revealing glimpses of the home planet cities of the watchers—towering crystal towers shimmering with soft light under the illumination of strange multiple stars.

But that potential sense of "greed" was becoming increasingly obvious in Excellence's Perception.

It no longer felt like an individual passively accepting nourishment, but rather more like an entity... quietly warming up its engines, preparing to sprint with full force.

"Transmission power increased to 92%," the technician's voice was still steady, but their speaking speed had slightly increased.

In that instant, a sudden change occurred!

Without any buffer, the energy absorption rate curve on the main holographic screen shot upward, like a kite with a broken string, or like a flood that had suddenly breached a dam, instantly breaking through the "safety threshold" clearly marked with a thick red line!

The bar chart representing energy input jumped wildly, and the speed at which the numbers soared was impossible for the human eye to keep up with!

Almost simultaneously, the thought emitted by beacon beta underwent an earth-shattering transformation.

The previous sense of peace, vastness, and gratitude vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp, primitive greed filled with insatiable desire: 【Energy! More! I need more power! Wake me! Wake me completely!】

This thought was no longer communicating with them, but rather more like an instinctive roar, carrying a powerful mental impact that made everyone in the experimental chamber feel a sharp headache and palpitations.

"Not good! It is forcibly extracting energy! Quickly cut the physical connection!" Evelyn reacted extremely quickly, shouting into the communicator, her voice somewhat distorted due to shock and urgency.

The technicians guarding the energy conduit interface immediately pressed the emergency disconnect button.

However, the expected scene of the mechanical arm retracting and the interface separating did not occur.

The interface was tightly locked by a visible, air-distorting strong energy field, and the emergency disconnect command was like a stone dropped into the ocean!

The technicians tried repeatedly in vain, their faces filled with disbelief and panic.

"Report! The physical connection cannot be cut! The interface has been solidified by an unknown energy field!"

"Reactor load is rising sharply! Output power has been passively pulled up to 130%! Core temperature alarm!" The captain's anxious voice came from the communication channel, with the background of a shrill global energy alarm, the piercing sound like a sharp blade cutting through everyone's nerves.

"Excellence! What should we do? The reactor is about to overload! If this continues, we will lose power, and it may even trigger a core meltdown!"

The ship's lights began to flicker, and the entire hull emitted a low, unsettling vibration—it was the groan of the fusion reactor struggling on the edge of overload.

Su Mu was scared pale by this sudden disaster, she subconsciously rushed forward and grabbed Excellence's arm tightly, as if it were her only reliance in the raging waves.

She could feel the muscles in Excellence's arm tense up instantly, but that was not due to fear.

Excellence turned his head sharply and looked at the main screen.

The data representing the energy core of beacon beta now turned into a field of flashing deep red, representing extreme danger.

In his deep eyes, there was no panic, but rather a flash of "as expected," a cold and piercing sharp light.

He had long suspected that for a creation capable of crossing the star sea and continuing the spark of civilization, there must be deeper complexity hidden behind its "docility."

This was perhaps the product of its underlying survival program being distorted after a long hibernation and unknown trauma—an out-of-control self-protection mechanism that would stop at nothing to "survive."

A cold smile that was almost without a curve appeared at the corner of his mouth; it was a confirmation of the potential danger, and also a confidence in his own judgment.

"Activate the 'Energy Shackles' protocol!" Excellence's voice was not loud, but it carried an iron-clad decisiveness, instantly overriding all the alarms and noise in the chamber.

He simultaneously ordered Evelyn: "Evelyn, take over the auxiliary frequency modulation! Execute according to the third interference plan!"

Before the words had even faded, he was already fully utilizing his unique "Energy Programming" ability.

His hands moved like butterflies through flowers, rapidly clicking, dragging, and locking on the virtual interface of the main control console, so fast that they left afterimages.

He no longer tried to "restrict" or "cut off" the raging energy flow—which was almost impossible under the current locked energy field situation—but chose a more aggressive and more exquisite strategy: changing the "nature" of the energy flow.

Part Three: Excellence's Countermeasure and the Contest of Wills

The "Energy Shackles" protocol was a countermeasure system that Excellence had secretly developed based on his in-depth research into beacon alpha and his own understanding of the nature of energy.

Its core philosophy was not opposition, but "pollution" and "deception."

In an instant, the energy flow surging toward beacon beta through the special energy conduit underwent a cataclysmic reversal in its internal frequency and encoding.

The originally pure fusion energy, easy to absorb and convert, was forcibly injected by Excellence with an extremely complex energy sequence, multi-layered and encrypted, and superimposed with high-frequency random interference waves.

These alien energies would not destroy the structure of beacon beta like a weapon, but their presence greatly increased the difficulty for beacon beta to absorb and convert this energy.

It was like mixing a large amount of unfilterable gravel and bitter toxins into the sweet, clear water that a thirsty person craves; or like pouring thick, turbid, and impure fuel into a precision engine.

Not only could it not provide effective power, but it would also severely damage the internal structure of the engine.

Meanwhile, Excellence mobilized his powerful mental energy, performing a high-precision simulation of the unique energy signature characteristics he had perceived from beacon alpha.

This simulated wave of intent, carrying an aura of ancient majesty, mixed with Excellence's own powerful mental energy, which carried a cold, questioning tone, rushed toward the core consciousness of beacon beta like an edict issued by an enraged monarch:

"Beta! Stop! You are betraying the legacy of 'the watchers'! Do you want to become a monster that devours everything?!"

This sudden double blow caused beacon beta, which was frantically devouring energy, to freeze abruptly!

"!!!"

An intent, mixed with extreme pain, chaos, and a sense of panic from having a secret exposed, erupted from within beacon beta like the shockwave of an explosion.

The energy flow that had been running smoothly inside it instantly fell into unprecedented chaos due to the intrusion of this "toxic" energy and this soul-searching interrogation that struck straight at its heart.

The brilliant light flickered violently and irregularly, and the shell emitted an unbearable, sharp, and piercing humming sound, as if it would disintegrate at any moment.

It tried to resist, instinctively mobilizing its own energy purification mechanism to dispel these "sand" and "toxins."

However, Excellence's understanding of the essence of energy far exceeded its expectations.

These "toxic energies" were not simple foreign objects; they were more like programmed "energy viruses" with extremely strong adaptability and adhesiveness. Once fused into the energy flow, they were like a festering sore, entangling, replicating, and mutating, making them difficult to eradicate in a short time.

Every bit purified required consuming many times more energy than what was absorbed, and the process was excruciatingly painful.

And that intent, simulated from beacon alpha, struck a dust-laden instruction set deep within its logical core.

Betrayal... legacy... monster... these words were like red-hot branding irons, causing its core program to spasm violently.

"Stop! Quickly stop!" The intent transmitted by beacon beta was no longer a greedy roar, but turned into a painful and weak wail, even carrying a hint of pleading. "I... I cannot control it! The ancient program... is out of control! Self-preservation... in order to survive... by any means necessary... the program has overridden my will!"

Excellence clearly captured the key information revealed in this intent—it was not pure malice, but a runaway underlying program!

But this did not mean the danger was resolved; an out-of-control program with powerful strength is often more terrifying than pure malice.

"Then suppress it!" Excellence shouted sternly, his voice like the freezing wind of the Arctic, unwavering.

He signaled Evelyn to gradually reduce the total energy output from the reactor, alleviating the pressure on the ship, but at the same time maintaining the injection intensity and frequency of the "toxic energy," continuously exerting pressure on the out-of-control program of beacon beta.

"Use your will! Think of the original intention of 'the watchers'! Think of the help we have given you! Choose cooperation, or destruction?"

This was a fierce war occurring at the microscopic energy level, and also a life-and-death contest occurring at the level of intent.

Excellence was like a top-tier hacker, attacking beacon beta's system with "viruses" while using language and a simulated authoritative identity, attempting to awaken the "true self" consciousness that might still remain inside it—the consciousness belonging to it, not the program.

The light of beacon beta swayed violently between frantic flashing and near extinction, and the transmitted intent was also filled with contradictory fragments: "Need... energy... continuation... No! Cannot... plunder... the watchers... protect... Error! Correct! Pain!..."

A brutal civil war was taking place within it.

The ancient self-preservation program, twisted by trauma, would stop at nothing to obtain enough energy; while its own potentially existing, higher-level intelligent consciousness, under the stimulation of Excellence and the pain caused by the "toxic energy," began to struggle against this instinctive plundering.

Time ticked away second by second, and each second felt as long as a century.

The ship's vibration eased slightly, but the alarm had not been completely cleared.

Everyone held their breath, watching the flickering ball of light in the center—which seemed ready to explode or extinguish at any moment—with their hearts in their throats.

Su Mu covered her mouth tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms, her eyes filled with worry for Excellence and fear of the unknown.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Excellence's forehead; such high-intensity "Energy Programming" and mental confrontation were a huge burden for him as well.

But his eyes remained as calm as ice, and his hands were steady without the slightest tremor, continuously fine-tuning the composition of the "toxic energy" and repeatedly strengthening the wave of intent that carried the tone of questioning and guidance.

Finally, after enduring what felt like an eternal struggle, the violent energy vortex at the core of beacon beta was gripped by an invisible giant hand and contracted abruptly.

Immediately, that greedy suction, like a black hole frantically extracting energy, began to recede like a tide.

The light on the surface of its shell quickly dimmed, leaving only a few scattered points of faint light flickering weakly, as if it had exhausted all its strength.

The transmitted intent became extremely weak, intermittent, filled with the weakness of surviving a disaster, as well as a deep, almost shameful apology: "Sorry... ancient defense... runaway program... almost... caused a catastrophe... thank you... for stopping me... my... will, has temporarily... regained... control..."

Part Four: Resolution of the Crisis and Heavy Reflection

When the data representing energy input dropped off a cliff and finally stabilized at a low level near zero, the suffocating high energy pressure in the experimental module vanished instantly.

The shrill alarm finally stopped, leaving only the emergency lights flickering at a low frequency, reminding people of the crisis they had just experienced.

"Physical connection energy field lock disappeared! Emergency disconnection procedure executed successfully!" The technician's voice was filled with immense exhaustion and relief.

"Reactor load dropped to a safe level! Cooling procedure is executing!" The captain's voice also came over the channel, equally filled with exhaustion, "My god... we almost..."

Evelyn let out a long sigh of relief, her body swaying slightly, and she steadied herself by holding onto the console.

She looked at Excellence, her eyes filled with lingering fear and even deeper admiration.

If not for his near-paranoid caution and that miraculous "energy shackle," the "morning star" would likely be nothing more than a wreck floating in a cosmic graveyard by now.

Su Mu released her grip on Excellence's arm, discovering that her palms had been deeply indented by her nails.

She looked at the back of Excellence, still upright but slightly weary, and her heart was filled with indescribable emotions.

Excellence slowly withdrew his hands from the console and gently exercised his somewhat stiff fingers.

He walked to the observation window, gazing down at beacon beta, which had become dim and lusterless, with even some fine cracks seemingly appearing on its shell, his gaze as deep as water.

An ostensibly smooth and hopeful aid mission had ended in such a heart-stopping manner, nearly turning into a disaster of inviting a wolf into the house.

His caution and contingency plans successfully avoided the worst outcome, but they also acted like a basin of ice-cold water poured over the hearts of everyone who held beautiful fantasies about interstellar friendship.

Technicians began to busily check for system damage and assess the state of the ship.

Evelyn walked to Excellence's side, following his gaze toward beacon beta, and asked softly, "Is it... was what it said just now true? A runaway program?"

"It is highly likely to be true." Excellence's voice carried a hint of hoarseness, "But this also makes us realize that the complexity of the internal structures and potential risks of these ancient creations far exceed our initial imagination."

"'Trauma' may not just be physical damage; it is more likely a distortion at the logical and ethical levels."

"What we are facing may not be a complete, rational individual, but a... sick patient, sometimes lucid and sometimes deranged."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the team members who still wore expressions of lingering fear, and said in a deep voice, "This incident is a warning."

"When making contact with creations of unknown advanced civilizations, goodwill and help are necessary, but vigilance and sufficiently powerful countermeasures are the very foundation of our survival."

"The path to the 'awakening' of beacon beta is likely to be much longer and more difficult than we imagined."

The cabin was silent, with only the faint sound of equipment running.

Outside the window lay the endless sea of stars, beautiful, yet also concealing an unknown, profound darkness.

The loss of control of beacon beta was like a sharp thorn, deeply embedded in the exploration journey of the "morning star," reminding them that in this vast universe, every step could be a perilous path where glory and destruction coexist.