122: Whispers, data, and the shadow of betrayal
The new session of the Star Language Council began in an atmosphere of superficial harmony and internal maneuvering. The deliberation hall still floated in the virtual deep space of consciousness, but the brilliance of the participants was more numerous and brighter than ever before. The newly joined Void Whisperer civilization, whose very form of existence was a unique spectacle—they were not fixed points of light, but a pervasive, flowing stellar mist of consciousness, imbued with billions of colors and information, bringing an ancient yet novel perspective to the Council.
The agenda quickly focused on a grand plan proposed by the Sharp Advance Collective, named "Rule Horticulture." This plan advocated using the Genesis Blueprint authority and the collective computing power of the Star Language Network to "actively prune" and "optimize and cultivate" certain rule branches in the universe that they deemed "inefficient" or "dangerous," in order to create a "safer, more efficient" cosmic environment.
"Look at the K-441 starfield," the representative of the Sharp Advance Collective, whose stream of consciousness was like a precise geometric scanning beam, pointed to a holographic image showing an area where stellar lifecycles were extremely unstable due to natural fluctuations in rules. "Needless waste of energy, unpredictable natural disasters. With just a slight adjustment, it could be transformed into a stable energy treasury! We have this capability, why not use it?"
"But who has the right to define 'inefficient' and 'dangerous'?" the representative of the People of the Forest, whose consciousness was like an ancient forest whisper, asked with deep concern. "The diversity of rules, even those seemingly 'useless' or 'dangerous' parts, are indispensable chapters in the universe's 'story' and the soil for infinite Possibilities in the future. Our new steady state is built on inclusiveness, not another form of set order."
"Inclusiveness does not mean laissez-faire!" another emerging, efficiency-oriented technological civilization echoed the Sharp Advance Collective. "Although the threat of the scavenger has been resolved, there are still numerous natural risks in the universe. Rule Horticulture is for the common well-being of all civilizations!"
The consciousness stellar mist of the Void Whisperer slowly flowed, emitting a peaceful and profound thought: [In...our long...records...we...have witnessed...many...attempts...to 'optimize'...rules...Most...ended...in...stagnation...or...unexpected...collapse...Rules...are like...life...Excessive pruning...will lose...their...inherent...vitality...and...adaptability...]
The Council was in constant debate. Lin Mo listened quietly, feeling the various emotions surging at the bottom layer of the network—the anxiety of craving control, the fear of the unknown, the fascination with power, and the reverence for natural order. This was not merely a battle of ideas, but a struggle for power and the direction of future development.
"This matter is of great importance," Lin Mo finally spoke, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable weight. "Rule Horticulture involves active intervention in the foundations of the universe, and its long-term consequences are difficult to predict. Before a more comprehensive understanding and broad consensus are achieved, no large-scale plan should be initiated. I propose the establishment of a 'Rule Ethics Committee' composed of representatives from various factions, to first formulate baseline principles and assessment standards for intervention. At the same time, we should increase investment in basic research into unknown rule phenomena in the universe. Dr. Einstein, please coordinate resources to prioritize the exploration of those high-risk, high-reward areas marked by Liranta."
His decision temporarily quelled the debate, but only postponed the conflict. Lin Mo knew that if a convincing development plan, an alternative to "crude optimization," could not be produced soon, this tendency towards division would only intensify.
---
Just as the Council was debating, breakthrough progress was made in deciphering the treasure trove of information brought by the Void Whisperer.
In a highly isolated information stasis laboratory at the Watch Outpost, Liranta, Sola, and several consciousness fragments of the Void Whisperer (which could separate parts of their consciousness for deep collaboration) were working together. In the center of the laboratory, a constantly changing ancient star chart, composed of pure information flow, floated—this was a fragment extracted by the Void Whisperer from the deep memory of the universe.
"The rule structure here...is very peculiar," Sola's crystalline skin reflected the shifting light of the star chart. "It does not follow any spacetime continuum model we know. It's more like a...deliberately hidden 'backdoor' or...a 'safe house'?"
Data streams surged in Liranta's eyes as she cross-referenced the ancient information encoding provided by the Void Whisperer with data on Architect facilities previously shared by the tide of delusion. "Matching degree is increasing...87%...92%...Confirmed! The encryption method of the rule structure pointed to by this coordinate is homologous to the outer defense layer of the Architect's core database, but...it's older, seemingly established before the Architect protocol was fully finalized."
"A...pre-Architect era relic?" Sola was shocked.
Just then, a node in the star chart suddenly flashed intensely, and a heavily encrypted information stream was successfully peeled away. The deciphered content made everyone in the laboratory hold their breath.
It was not a technical Blueprint or a log, but rather like a...will, or perhaps a backup of a "failure."
[...To...those who come after...If you can decipher this information...it proves that the Observer's (Note: speculated to be the predecessor of the Architect) blockade...was not perfect...]
[...We...the Evolution Faction...within the Initial Design Council...failed...in the debate over Heart Fire (free variables)...]
[...The Purity Faction dominated...subsequent designs...established the overseer and the scavenger...We...foresaw...stagnation and...destruction as...the outcome...]
[...Therefore...we...leave behind...a 'spark'...containing our...deeper...understanding of rules...and...the Possibility...of resisting...absolute order...]
[...Seek...the myriad phenomena astrolabe...It is...the key...to the...fluidity...of rules...at...the place...where 'melodies'...converge...]
The message abruptly ended here, but the meaning it contained was earth-shattering!
The Evolution Faction! It turned out that within the initial designers, there indeed existed a faction that supported Heart Fire and the free evolution of the universe! They even secretly left behind a "spark" to resist the Purity Faction and its successors, the Architect/scavenger, after their defeat!
The myriad phenomena astrolabe? The "place where melodies converge"? This was clearly the key to finding the "spark."
"We must report to Leader Lin Mo immediately!" Sola said excitedly.
Liranta, however, uncharacteristically did not respond immediately. The speed of the data stream in her eyes slowed, as if she was evaluating something with extreme calmness. After a moment, she said, "The authenticity of the information needs further verification. The 'place where melodies converge' is vaguely indicated and requires the Void Whisperer to mobilize more deep memories for precise positioning. I suggest not expanding the scope of knowledge until more definite coordinates are obtained, to avoid unnecessary turmoil or...covetousness."
Her considerations were not without reason. If the news of the "Evolution Faction spark" leaked, it would be difficult to guarantee that factions within the Star Language Council, especially the Sharp Advance Collective, would not develop the idea of monopolizing and abusing its power.
---
However, just as Liranta and Sola were preparing for deeper data mining, an unexpected crisis quietly descended.
The central control system of the Watch Outpost suddenly suffered an extremely covert and sophisticated cyber attack! The attackers seemed to have a thorough understanding of the Star Language Network's underlying protocols and the Watch Outpost's defense system, bypassing multiple firewalls, and targeting—Liranta's information stasis laboratory!
"Alert! Sector 7 information barrier under attack by unknown source logic bomb! Data erasure program activating!" The piercing alarm blared through the command center.
"What?!" Wu Yong shot up from his seat. "Sector 7? That's Liranta's laboratory! The protection level is the highest! How is this possible?"
Lin Mo instantly connected to the Genesis Blueprint, attempting to stabilize the laboratory's rule structure and prevent data erasure. But he found that the attack was mixed with an extremely strange rule signature, bearing the characteristics of the tide of delusion, but clearly maliciously distorted and amplified!
"Is it...is it the tide of delusion? Has it betrayed us?!" Ling Shuang sensed the familiar yet malicious rule fluctuations, incredulous.
"No, that's not right!" Dr. Einstein quickly analyzed the attack pattern. "The signature is forged! Someone is framing them! The core source of the attack...comes from within the network! It's...it's the Sharp Advance Collective's encrypted channel!"
An inside job!
Almost simultaneously, the defenses of the information stasis laboratory were breached! A huge energy overload led to violent ruledisorder and physical explosions within the laboratory!
When the rescue team forced open the twisted hatch, the interior was a mess. Sola was severely injured, her consciousness in a coma, her crystalline body covered in cracks. Several consciousness fragments of the Void Whisperer dissipated due to the rule Shock. The information carrier in the center of the laboratory, containing the ancient star chart, along with the key data about the "Evolution Faction spark" that had just been deciphered, had been completely erased.
And Liranta—was gone.
Only some of her shattered personal equipment debris remained at the scene, along with a deliberately left, complexly encrypted message.
Lin Mo's face was ashen, and he personally decrypted the message. It contained only a few brief sentences, but they were chilling to the bone:
[The new steady state is too slow, too idealistic. The universe needs more efficient 'managers.']
[The 'spark' and the 'astrolabe' will be inherited by a power more worthy of it.]
[When we meet again, I hope you will not be branches that need to be 'horticulturally' pruned.]
Liranta, the information expert from the Silent Observer civilization, known for her absolute rationality, had betrayed them. She not only stole the secret of the "Evolution Faction spark" but also colluded with the Sharp Advance Collective and other potential forces within the network to orchestrate this perfect attack and frame-up.
Her message was undoubtedly a declaration of war.
The period of peaceful construction abruptly ended. External threats had not yet arrived, but internal cracks had already turned into a deadly dagger. Trust had collapsed, and the alliance was on the brink.
Lin Mo looked at the ruins before him and the unconscious Sola, his fists slowly clenching. He realized that the challenges they faced were far more than just from the ancient designers. Human greed, the desire for power, and the obsession with different paths—these shadows from within the alliance—might be the first, and most brutal, test of whether the new steady state could endure.
"Find her," Lin Mo's voice was low, containing the calm before a storm. "Block all network channels of the Sharp Advance Collective and related suspicious forces. Initiate internal purge procedures."
"War has begun."