113: Chapter 112 Resonance, the Starting Point of Pollution and Division

The 21st day after the ruling was issued, deep in the Pacific Ocean, at the Guixu node monitoring outpost.

The curves on the energy spectrum were no longer regular fluctuations, but had turned into frantic, almost epileptic peaks and valleys.

The golden line representing the core stability of the Guixu node had plummeted from an already sluggish 42% to 19% within the past four hours, and it was still sliding at a rate of about 0.3 percentage points per minute.

"It's not a linear decay; it's an exponential collapse." Zhou Zhe, stationed at the outpost (a temporary base located on a floating platform on the sea surface), stared at the screen, his voice dry. "The pulsation frequency of that 'foreign object' has achieved a fatal synchronization with the node's own resonant frequency. It is... resonantly devouring it. It's like shattering glass with a specific tone."

The floating platform swayed slightly with the increasingly violent low-frequency vibrations coming from the deep sea below. On the distant sea surface, the originally calm ocean began to show ominous, ever-expanding whirlpools, with a diameter already exceeding five kilometers, the center bottomless, as if the ocean had opened a festering eye.

"The last data transmitted back by the Xuanwu shows that the physical outline of the 'foreign object' is 'expanding'." Shen Qinglan pulled up the image; the dark matter bound in the node's core had blurred edges, extending countless tiny, tentacle-like energy filaments that were greedily wrapping around and piercing into the node's fragile energy pathways. "It is accelerating the extraction of the node's final energy, and at the same time... it seems to be reverse-transmitting some kind of 'contamination signal' to the entire Gaia Network through these pathways."

Elena's image connected from Bedrock Base; she looked equally exhausted: "We have detected distortions in the 'breathing' waveforms of the Gaia Network on a global scale. The originally relatively smooth fluctuations are now interspersed with sharp harmonics that share the same frequency as the 'foreign object's' pulsations. Worse still, the Cradle base reports that the base energy consumption of the lunar anchor point has inexplicably risen by 7% over the past six hours, used to maintain the 'logical stability barrier' of the core database."

"The network contamination is spreading." Lin Shen's voice rang out, carrying an unquestionable gravity. "Guixu is turning from an eroded node into an active source of contamination. We must take immediate measures to isolate or at least weaken it."

"Plan?" Zhao Yan asked.

Zhou Zhe pulled up a theoretical deduction result he had just completed: "Based on the principle of the green soil resonant frequency, we can attempt to inject a powerful, phase-opposite 'anti-resonance frequency' into the Guixu node. Theoretically, this could disrupt the fatal synchronization between the foreign object and the node, buying the node a brief period of stability, or even potentially weakening the foreign object. But it requires an enormous amount of energy, and the emission source must be close enough to the node's core—the floating platform's power is insufficient; we need to aim the orbital energy emitter of the Cradle base here for a precise trans-atmospheric delivery. The accuracy requirement is extremely high; a deviation of more than five-thousandths could directly shatter the already fragile node."

"Risks?" Lin Shen pressed.

"Three." Zhou Zhe held up his fingers. "First, the energy delivery might fail, wasting precious time and resources. Second, we might successfully interfere with the foreign object, but the node might also collapse prematurely due to the impact. Third... and the worst possibility, the energy stimulation might cause the foreign object to undergo unpredictable mutations or counterattacks, for example, accelerating the spread of contamination, or even... directly attacking the energy emission source or nearby targets."

It was another difficult multiple-choice question. Do nothing, and watch the node be devoured, the contamination spread, and the network collapse accelerate. Act, and it might delay it, or it might trigger an explosion.

"Initiate preparation for the plan." Lin Shen finally ordered. "Zhou Zhe, you are responsible for calculating the optimal emission parameters and timing. Zhao Yan, deploy the defense forces for the orbital energy emitter, and prepare to deal with possible anomalies from the deep sea. Elena, continue to monitor the spread of network contamination, especially paying attention to the reactions of the ice abyss and other known Hibernators anchor points."

With the order given, the entire system began to operate at high speed. On the floating platform, the massive directional energy antenna began to adjust its angle, aiming at that invisible coordinate in the deep sea below. In orbit, the giant energy ring of the Cradle base began to charge, and a ghostly blue light converged in the vacuum.

The countdown began: 1 hour and 47 minutes until the optimal launch window.

At the same time, in the "Common Future" simulation world, Day 21 (simulation time).

The "Public Consciousness Stabilization Tower" in Li Min's community had been running continuously for over a week. Initially, it did bring a soothing effect, and the tense atmosphere in the community had eased. But in the last two days, she noticed that the behavior of some neighbors had started to become... strange again.

For example, Grandpa Zhang, who was always playing chess in the park, had started talking to himself at the chessboard, saying unsettling things like "the chess pieces are moving" or "I hear whispers." The proprietress of the community supermarket, originally warm and cheerful, now often stood in front of the shelves with hollow eyes, reacting sluggishly to customers' inquiries.

Li Min herself had also started having strange dreams. In the dreams, she stood on a pitch-black ice field, and rhythmic, icy pulsations came from beneath her feet. In the distance, countless dark purple shadows swayed in the wind and snow, slowly approaching her. Every time she woke up, she felt an inexplicable coldness and emptiness from the bottom of her heart.

Today, the maintenance personnel for the stabilization tower came to the community for a routine inspection. Li Min accompanied them as a community representative. The internal structure of the tower was complex, filled with glowing crystal-like conduits and slowly rotating geometric components.

"Frequency output is normal, and energy consumption is within the standard range." The maintenance personnel looked at the instruments. "But... we detected abnormal 'consciousness attachment residues' on the outside of the tower. It's like something... is frequently 'stroking' or 'probing' it."

Li Min followed his gaze and, on some non-critical auxiliary sensor casings near the tower base, faintly saw some dark stains that looked like water marks or rust. The shapes of the stains were chaotic, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to have some kind of indescribable, unsettling regularity.

"What is this?" she asked.

The maintenance personnel checked it with a scanner, his expression changing slightly: "The composition is complex... there are basic microorganisms, metal oxides, but the core is an unregistered... organosilicon polymer residue. Wait, the arrangement pattern of these polymer molecules... it looks like some kind of extremely simplified, twisted... information encoding?"

He tried to process it with a decoding program; lines of disorganized symbols jumped onto the screen, but a specific combination appeared repeatedly, which, when translated, had the approximate meaning: "Hunger... connect... more..."

A chill ran up Li Min's spine. She remembered the "dark tide" mentioned in the simulation news, and she remembered the descriptions of those who had been affected by it.

"It's the 'dark tide'... is it trying to corrode the stabilization tower?" Her voice tightened.

"Not just trying." The maintenance personnel pulled up the core frequency log inside the stabilization tower. "Look here, in the past 48 hours, the tower has automatically recorded three unauthorized, exogenous frequency attempts to 'synchronize' with or 'override' its output frequency. The frequency characteristics... have a certain morbid similarity to the 'positive resonance frequency' we derived from the green soil data, but the phase is twisted by 180 degrees, and it is full of... malice."

"What does it want to do?"

"It might want to 'hijack' the stabilization tower, turning it from a source of comfort into a... 'contamination broadcast tower' that amplifies and twists negative emotions." The maintenance personnel's tone was heavy. "Or, it just wants to establish a more stable... channel to the consciousness of participants in the real world through this method."

The real world. This word made Li Min shiver all over. Could this simulation really be more than just a simulation?

Just then, the entire stabilization tower suddenly emitted a low hum, and the light inside flickered violently. All instrument readings surged instantly, then dropped to zero. Those stains on the surface of the tower seemed to come alive, beginning to slowly spread and deepen along the metal casing.

"The tower structure is overloading! The core frequency generator is being forced into synchronization by an external signal!" the maintenance staff member exclaimed. "Initiate the emergency shutdown procedure!"

But it was already too late.

A powerful, icy, and malicious "presence," like an invisible tide, surged outward from the stability tower as its center.

Li Min felt as if an ice pick had been driven into her head; countless fragmented images and whispers filled with despair and hatred flooded her consciousness.

She saw ice fields, purple shadows, and countless hungry eyes opening in the darkness.

The surrounding virtual community scene began to distort and peel away, revealing the cold "skeleton" made of data streams beneath.

The sky turned dark red, and the air was filled with a cloyingly sweet scent of decay.

This was not a pre-set simulation scenario.

This was an invasion.

"Disconnect... disconnect!" Li Min used her last bit of strength to try and call out the system command.

The command took effect. She jolted up from the access pod, coughing and retching violently. The lights of the real world were harsh and cold.

But that coldness and malice did not completely disappear. It clung to the surface of her consciousness like a layer of sticky oil, slowly seeping in.

She looked at the other participants who were exiting the simulation one after another, their faces pale or terrified; in their eyes, she saw a similar, polluted fear.

In the simulation control center, alarms were blaring incessantly.

"Mass consciousness contamination event! The source of contamination is Stability Tower No. 117! At least three hundred nearby participants have suffered moderate to severe contamination! The contamination waveform characteristics... are highly homologous with the foreign object waveforms of 'cold fang' in Siberia and 'Return to Ruins' in the Pacific Ocean!" the monitor's voice was nearly a scream.

Chu Yunshen's face was ashen. Liaison Coordinator's warning had come true.

"dark tide" was not just a simulation parameter; through the link established between the simulation system and the participants' consciousness in reality, it had truly become a channel for "cold fang" to infiltrate in reverse!

Moreover, it had learned to use the "stability towers" built by humans as a springboard and amplifier!

"Immediately force a disconnection for all participants! Initiate the highest-level neural purification protocol! Isolate all contaminated individuals!" Chu Yunshen ordered. "Analyze the contamination propagation path! Find out how 'dark tide' bypassed our firewalls and hijacked the stability tower directly!"

The purification protocol was initiated, but the effect was limited. That cold contamination was exceptionally stubborn, resisting removal as if it were alive.

The contaminated individuals exhibited varying degrees of symptoms: anxiety, hallucinations, violent tendencies, or complete apathy and despair.

What was even more terrifying was that the contamination seemed to be spreading secondarily through the social networks and emotional resonance between the victims—even after they had disconnected from the simulation.

Bedrock Base, emergency meeting of the core decision-making layer.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it could be wrung out like water.

Zhou Zhe reported on the rapid deterioration of the "Return to Ruins" node in the Pacific Ocean and the final preparations for the energy intervention plan.

Chu Yunshen reported on the consciousness contamination event that had erupted in the simulation and its signs of spreading into reality.

Zhao Yan added that the social unrest index in multiple "high-risk areas" globally had jumped again in the past twelve hours, and some regions had experienced mass hysteria or violent incidents similar to the symptoms of the contaminated individuals in the simulation.

"The awakening progress of 'cold fang', having absorbed this massive outbreak of fear, has already jumped to 41%," Elena pulled up the latest data. "Moreover, we have detected that the contamination harmonics spreading from the 'Return to Ruins' node in the Pacific Ocean have shown... signs of coupling with the fluctuations of 'cold fang'. They are mutually reinforcing each other."

Lin Shen sat at the end of the long table, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop. His expression remained calm, but deep in his eyes was an unprecedented gravity.

"Two fronts are merging into one," he said slowly. "The collapse of network nodes in the physical world and the social collapse in the consciousness world have formed a lethal synergy through entities like 'cold fang'. We are not just fighting an alien fleet, nor are we just fighting some ancient underground monsters. We are fighting the 'dark side' that our own civilization might breed under extreme pressure—a threat that is being exploited, amplified, and materialized by an external existence."

He looked at everyone: "The Blade civilization foresaw this possibility, which is why they suggested we conduct simulation tests. But we underestimated the opponent's cunning and infiltration capabilities. Now, we must not only save a physical node but also save our social consciousness and collective spirit, which are currently being contaminated."

"The energy intervention plan must be executed," Zhou Zhe insisted. "Interrupting the contamination output of 'Return to Ruins' is a key step in breaking the vicious cycle. Otherwise, 'cold fang' will only get stronger, and social collapse will only accelerate."

"But the intervention could destroy the node directly, causing the network to collapse faster," Professor Chen Qiming rarely voiced opposition. "Furthermore, we cannot guarantee that during the intervention, 'cold fang' or other Hibernators won't take the opportunity to launch a larger-scale consciousness attack. We are already struggling to purify existing contamination."

"Not intervening is just waiting for death!" Zhou Zhe was somewhat agitated. "Watching the network rot away bit by bit, watching 'cold fang' grow stronger day by day! We must interrupt its 'feeding' before it fully awakens!"

"But we haven't even fully figured out the mechanism of its 'feeding'!" Chen Qiming countered sharply. "Rash action might cause even more irreparable consequences! We should prioritize concentrating resources on researching consciousness purification and protection technologies to stabilize the social foundation!"

The argument began to spread. The radicalism of the technocrats and the caution of the moderates clashed intensely when faced with this complex crisis that transcended traditional understanding.

Lin Shen raised his hand, stopping the argument.

"Time waits for no one, and arguments won't automatically produce answers," he stood up. "Zhou Zhe, prepare the energy intervention plan as planned, aiming for a launch window in one hour. Chu Yunshen, initiate the highest-level social crisis response plan, mobilize all resources to stabilize social sentiment, and simultaneously accelerate the research on consciousness purification technology. Zhao Yan, strengthen the physical defense of global critical facilities and nodes, especially the 'Cradle' and the remaining Gaia Network anchors. Elena, continue trying to establish contact with the 'watch spirit' or any potentially friendly network consciousness; we need more intelligence about the nature of this network and those 'foreign objects'."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"We have no room for error, nor do we have any room to retreat. The intervention will proceed, but we must be prepared to bear all possible consequences. At the same time, we must fight on all fronts. This is no longer just a simple technological race or military confrontation."

He looked out the window at the simulated night sky, where stars were twinkling, but some of the light might be coming from the approaching fleet of destruction.

"This is a... total war for the survival of our civilization's soul."

The meeting ended, and everyone left with heavy hearts.

Lin Shen remained in the conference room alone and pulled up a highly encrypted personal log file. The file title was: "Technical Pre-research on the Feasibility and Ethical Boundaries of the 'Consciousness Separation Protocol' ".

He looked at the cold terminology and complex neural map models on the screen, and deep in his eyes flashed a trace of extremely deep, almost imperceptible fatigue.

In order to maintain absolute rationality and efficiency, and to avoid being dragged down by emotions in the brutal choices that lay ahead, some deeper, more radical plans might have to be put on the agenda.

And in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, in the final seconds of the energy intervention countdown, that "Return to Ruins" node, eroded by dark foreign objects, seemed to sense the impending, fate-determining energy impact.

For the last time, it sent a faint, almost extinguished final "humming" to this planetary network it had silently guarded (or burdened) for billions of years.

In the humming, besides endless fatigue, there seemed to be a hint of...

a sense of relief.