113: Chapter 113 Information Imprints in the Remains
While Lin Mo's inference report prompted deeper thought within the Supreme Command Headquarters, the Tian Suan Center in Xijiang made a breakthrough in analyzing the ancient metal wreckage.
After attempting almost all conventional and unconventional physical and chemical detection methods, Dr. Liu Xin's material analysis team proposed an extremely bold hypothesis: such a highly advanced civilization's method of information storage might be completely different from any form known to humanity; perhaps the information itself was “imprinted” in the material's microstructure or its residual energy field.
They performed a deep deduction of this hypothesis with the system. Based on the wreckage's unique topological order microstructure and unknown residual energy characteristics, the system simulated over 170,000 possible information encoding and reading methods.
A “Quantum Resonant Scanning” scheme based on specific frequencies was determined to be the optimal solution. Its principle was to use highly cooperative quantum states to “resonate” with potential information storage structures within the wreckage material, based on quantum entanglement effects.
The scheme was immediately executed. In an ultra-high precision experimental environment, a precisely modulated photon stream carrying special quantum states began scanning the wreckage fragment.
Initially, the monitor only showed chaotic background noise. But as the scanning frequency was micro-adjusted in real-time by the system, gradually approaching a theoretical resonant point—
A miracle occurred!
The faint, eerie blue energy halo within the originally silent wreckage fragment suddenly became bright and stable, as if injected with life! Even more shockingly, countless tiny, complex, constantly flowing and changing strange light spots began to appear in the air around the fragment (the experimental environment was filled with inert gas). They were not randomly distributed but formed a highly regular, three-dimensional dynamic pattern!
At the same time, the terminal connected to the scanning device and monitor began to receive an unprecedented, torrent-like flow of data information! This was not an electromagnetic signal, but a more fundamental, more direct quantum information flow!
“Success! We've activated it!” The system's synthesized voice, uncharacteristically, showed a hint of urgency. “High-intensity, structured non-random information flow detected! Recording and attempting to parse the underlying protocol!”
All researchers held their breath, staring intently at the raw data flowing across the main screen like an undecipherable script, and the unpredictable light and shadow patterns hovering above the wreckage.
The system's computing power was pushed to its limit, frantically trying various decoding algorithms. The progress bar once again began to move slowly and steadily.
1%...5%...15%...
As the analysis deepened, some fragmented “information snippets” began to be extracted and converted by the system into a human-understandable form (mainly abstract mathematical symbols and structural models, supplemented by speculative semantic annotations).
They saw:
Complex star map fragments: More ancient and grander than those contained in the reaper signal, marking many galaxies and even anomalous spatial structures (such as wormholes, gravitational sources) yet undiscovered by humanity.
Incomprehensible technological schematics: Depicting a concept for an engine based on spacetime curvature manipulation, and a model for a device capable of drawing energy from stars rather than merely utilizing fusion.
Non-carbon-based life structure models: Presenting a bizarre life form with a silicon chain and energy field as its core, capable of freely changing its shape.
And... a large number of warning symbols and incomplete logical chains regarding some kind of “periodic catastrophe,” “Great Filter,” and “Civilization Purification Protocol”!
These information fragments were chaotic, like the last, jumbled memory flashes of a dying civilization. But the concepts of “purification,” “cycle,” and “insurmountable” that repeatedly appeared sent chills down the spines of all who saw them.
“Information flow is decaying!” the system prompted. “Internal energy of the wreckage is almost depleted!”
Just before the information flow was about to completely cease, the system successfully locked onto and parsed a relatively complete, continuously repeating core information packet. When this information was translated and displayed on the main screen, the entire control center fell into a deathly silence—
It was a clear, constantly flashing warning sign (a star pattern pierced by a blade), below which was a line of cold, bone-chilling text converted from universal cosmic mathematical logic:
[WARNING: Cradle Zone. Overseer Protocol in effect. Silence, or face purification. — Watcher ID 734 Last Words]