135: Chapter 134 Choice, Ripples and Unexpected Beacon

The time for choice was like a taut string, bearing increasing tension in the dead silence.

Zhao Yan's gaze fell upon the two crimson light points approaching on the star map, then shifted to the dim, cracked Type-A prism in the center, and finally rested on the shifting spectrum of the composite consciousness β-1. Seven minutes—the next pulse of the divine remains, and the final window for them to make a definitive response.

"Lin Shen," Zhao Yan's voice came through the encrypted channel, steady yet carrying a metallic coldness, "has the technology tree system completed the feasibility analysis of the divine remains' proposal?"

At the Earth Command Center, the interface in front of Lin Shen was frantically refreshing data streams. The technology tree system had just unlocked a brand-new branch called "Paradox Entity Reconciliation Theory," but most of the content was still covered by "Insufficient Authority" warnings. Only the most basic risk assessment models were available.

"System assessment: Establishing a non-mandatory 'balance model sharing' with the target is technically possible, based on the order-chaos dynamic equilibrium characteristics already exhibited by β-1. However, the success rate model parameters are missing, so a reliable value cannot be provided," Lin Shen reported quickly. "The risk model indicates that the primary threats are: First, the stability of the balance model is unknown and may instead become a 'catalyst' for the divine remains to integrate its internal contradictions, accelerating its awakening. Second, sharing its perception network may cause β-1, and even other consciousnesses receiving the information, to be contaminated by high-concentration chaos information. Third, this action itself might be judged as 'dangerous interference' by the web weaver protocol or other high-order observers, triggering unpredictable consequences."

The risks were heavy, but not without hope.

"Cradle," Zhao Yan turned to the central light structure, "does the web weaver protocol have any constraints or guidance regarding such contact?"

The runes of the Cradle slowly appeared:

"Protocol basic clause: Prohibits actively awakening or assisting high-risk chaos entities. However, the clause notes: If the entity exhibits a 'guidable order tendency' and there is an 'imminent external threat,' upon the agreement of more than two-thirds of the current active nodes, an 'observational contact' procedure may be initiated."

"Current number of active nodes: 3 (Cradle, node 2, node 3 - Galactic Center)."

"Cradle recommendation: Initiate 'observational contact.' node 2 status is unstable, Cradle may be authorized to vote on its behalf. Node 3... no response."

"Therefore, the Cradle unilaterally decides: Approve the initiation of the 'observational contact' procedure, but limited strictly to information exchange and model provision; any form of energy or material interaction is strictly prohibited. The procedure execution duration must not exceed one standard hour."

The procedure was approved, but with strict limitations attached. A one-hour window, only for observation and information exchange.

"Ashes, Elena, can you ensure on your end that the scout ship and Scavenger will not take any extreme actions that might interfere with the contact within one hour?" Zhao Yan asked.

Intense interference came through the communication, followed by Ashes' intermittent but clear words: "The scout ship... is releasing probe sub-units... attempting to penetrate deep into the Chaos Concentration Zone for sampling... We can... use a modified pseudo-chaos source to create a localized 'information storm'... to interfere with its detection... but can only delay it for... forty minutes... The Scavenger... cannot be influenced..."

"Forty minutes is enough. Execute the interference. β-1, prepare to execute the 'observational contact' procedure. Primary objective: Obtain real-time, precise dynamics of the scout ship and Scavenger. Secondary objective: Assess the internal state of the divine remains and look for potential, safer long-term countermeasures."

"Understood." The light of the composite consciousness β-1 became solid again, "Contact protocol prepared. This time, 'mirror resonance' mode will be used, providing the divine remains only with a referenceable balance model framework, without actively acquiring its internal information, and waiting for it to share voluntarily. At the same time, the Cradle needs to increase the reality reinforcement level of this area and be prepared to forcibly cut the connection if necessary."

The plan was deployed rapidly. The Cradle's spatial reinforcement force field was fully engaged, wrapping the laboratory like an isolated island within a barrier of reality. β-1 began to adjust its own fluctuations, constructing that "mirror model" of order and chaos dynamic equilibrium based on its own characteristics.

Just as the contact was about to be initiated again, Medical Director Chen Wei's exclamation broke the rhythm:

"Captain! Urgent report from Earth! The thirteenth Type-A prism that was just completed... experienced a 'resonance overload' during activation testing! It's not damaged, it's... it has started actively absorbing the order fluctuations of all surrounding prisms of the same model, like a 'black hole'!"

"What?!" Lin Shen's voice cut in immediately, "Specific coordinates? Scope of influence?"

"Coordinates: Near-Earth orbit Platform 7. The radius of influence is expanding; it has currently affected three Type-B prisms on adjacent platforms, and their energy is being drained rapidly! Worse still... this abnormal absorption fluctuation is spreading to other prism manufacturing points through the resonance connection of the Gaia Network's 'green soil' node!"

A sudden internal crisis. The resonance prism network was the key to their defense against the Scavenger and future threats; it absolutely could not fail here.

"Isolate Platform 7 immediately! Cut off all energy and resonance connections!" Lin Shen ordered.

"We've tried! But the isolation barrier cannot block this absorption... It doesn't seem to be spreading through conventional energy or electromagnetic channels, but rather through... 'value resonance' itself! As long as the core 'guardian will' of other prisms resonates with it, they will be linked!"

Contamination spreading through will itself? This was beyond all known technological categories.

"β-1, pause the contact procedure!" Zhao Yan immediately realized the severity of the problem, "Analyze the abnormal phenomenon on Earth! Is it related to the divine remains or the Chaos Concentration Zone?"

The light of β-1 flashed rapidly: "Connecting to the Gaia Network via the web weaver protocol... Analyzing... Detecting the core fluctuation characteristics of the abnormal prism... Characteristic identification: Highly ordered, but there is a tiny, self-referential logical closed loop inside, causing its 'guarding' concept to distort, alienating from 'guarding the home' to 'devouring all energy that may threaten the home (including other guardians)'... This is a 'cancer' of the value concept."

"Reason?"

"Possibility one: When shaping the prism, the creator, due to pressure or fear, subconsciously mixed in an extremely exclusive obsession with 'absolute safety,' leading to defects in the crystal structure. Possibility two: After long-term erosion by external high-concentration chaos radiation, the 'dynamic equilibrium shell' of some prisms underwent unpredictable mutations. Possibility three..." β-1 paused for half a second, "It was influenced by some kind of 'reverse resonance' from the Chaos Concentration Zone or the divine remains, inducing this distortion. Current data is insufficient to determine."

Regardless of the reason, this "cancerous" spread must be stopped immediately, otherwise the entire prism network might collapse from within before it is even completed.

"Is there any way to reverse or control it?"

"It requires implanting a normal, high-stability Type-A prism as a 'correction beacon' into the core of the affected area to overwrite and 'rewrite' the core logic of the distorted node with its healthy resonance fluctuations," β-1 replied, "but the risk is high—the correction beacon itself may also be contaminated or devoured by the distorted node."

"We only have one high-stability Type-A prism." Zhou Zhe looked at the cracked prism in the center of the laboratory, his voice low. It was this one, which had just withstood the counterattack of the divine remains' defense mechanism; although damaged, its core balance remained resilient.

"And it's here at the Cradle." Zhao Yan looked towards Earth, "Transportation back and forth would take at least three hours."

Time, once again, became the most cruel enemy.

"Perhaps..." The light of the composite consciousness β-1 suddenly pulsed in a new pattern, a combination of the "resilience to solve problems" in Sarah's consciousness and the "resource redistribution optimization algorithm" in the probe's logic, "...we don't need to move the prism itself."

"What do you mean?"

"The core of the prism is 'crystallized pure will.' Its physical carrier is just a resonance amplifier," β-1 explained, "If we can use the Cradle's resonance projection capability here to encode a 'repair will'—that is, a highly concentrated, healthy guarding concept—into a pure resonance waveform and project it remotely to the distorted nodes on Earth, it should theoretically have the same corrective effect. Its effect might be weaker than a physical prism, but it would be enough to temporarily suppress the spread of the distortion and buy us time."

"Where will the 'repair will' come from?" Zhou Zhe asked, "Our prism is already damaged, its will carrier is not complete."

The light of β-1 turned toward Zhao Yan and Zhou Zhe, toward Lin Shen on the communication screen, and toward every tense face on the bridge.

"The source of the will to repair does not have to be an object."

"It can be a person."

"It can be the 'consensus' of all the consciousnesses at this moment who know of the crisis and still choose to hold their ground."

Using human collective will as a "weapon" for remote correction.

This concept is both ancient and unprecedentedly close to the essence of the war they are facing, which is based on values and resonance.

"How do we operate it?" Lin Shen asked immediately.

"The Cradle needs to temporarily open our area as a 'wide-area resonance collector,' focusing and amplifying the 'protection' and 'correction' intentions of all of us at this moment, purifying and encoding them, and then projecting them directionally to the distortion nodes on Earth through the web weaver protocol network."

β-1 explained quickly, "But doing so will temporarily lower the Cradle's shielding intensity toward the Chaos Concentration Zone, which may be perceived by the scout ship or the Scavenger. Furthermore, the participants' consciousness needs to be highly focused and unified; any strong negative emotions or disagreements could contaminate the waveform, or even have the opposite effect."

It was another gamble, directly linking internal crises with external threats.

"We have no choice." Zhao Yan looked around the bridge, "Execute. Lin Shen, notify all relevant personnel and makers on Earth to prepare to receive the 'repair resonance.' Tell them... to trust us."

"Understood." Lin Shen's voice was firm, "Chu Yunshen, activate the resonance amplifiers of all green soil nodes globally, and prepare to receive and forward the waveform projected by the Cradle. Broadcast to all prism makers: Focus your minds, imagine the crystals in your hands returning to purity, imagine the will to protect flowing like a clear spring, dispelling any twisted shadows."

The order spread to every corner of the human world.

Inside the Cradle, the milky white space began to ripple. An invisible "field" slowly opened, gently wrapping around everyone on the bridge, connecting with the countless consciousnesses far away on Earth.

Zhao Yan closed his eyes, clearing away distracting thoughts, leaving only the purest intent in his heart: repair, protect, home.

Zhou Zhe felt the sense of nothingness brought by the silent curtain, but from it, he extracted the persistence for "existence" itself and injected it into the resonance.

Lin Shen in the command center condensed all the pressure, choices, sacrifices, and hopes of the past seven years into a silent shout.

Countless ordinary people, in laboratories, at consoles, in quiet rooms, clenched their hands, thinking of their families, the future, and this blue planet beneath their feet.

These scattered, individual intents, under the focusing of the Cradle and the guidance of the web weaver protocol, began to converge and purify. They were no longer chaotic thoughts, but gradually merged into a clear, resilient, and warm "torrent."

As the core node and modulator of the resonance, β-1 wove this torrential will into a complex repair waveform. This waveform possessed both the structural beauty of order and the power to contain and transform "errors."

"Waveform encoding complete. Preparing to project—"

Just then!

Ashes' emergency communication forcibly cut in, carrying uncontrollable shock:

"The scout ship has stopped! It... it released something on the periphery of the Concentration Zone! Not a weapon, it's a... beacon! A stationary beacon constantly broadcasting a specific identification code! The identification code is being parsed—it's... it's the exclusive contact code of the Gardener Chief's flagship, 'Pruner's Crown'! It's calling the main fleet?! No... wait... the format of this contact code is very old, it's... it's a 'Civilization Assessment Request' signal used by the Pruning Faction during their early expansion era!"

A Civilization Assessment Request? On the verge of an impending battle, suddenly releasing a beacon requesting dialogue?

This move, which exceeded everyone's expectations, made the tense strings suddenly tremble.

And almost simultaneously, the Scavenger's branching trajectory pointing toward the Solar System also eerily stopped moving, as if it too were "observing" this newly appeared variable.

At the edge of the Chaos Concentration Zone, inside the hidden blade, Elena stared at the fully decoded signal content on the decoder, reading it word by word, her voice dry:

"To the unknown Order Maintainer (or Chaos Manipulator):"

"This ship, 'shadows touch,' has detected abnormal high-dimensional activity in this region, with activity characteristics possessing both high order (Covenant legacy) and deep chaos disturbance (divine remains domain). This contradictory phenomenon exceeds standard threat models."

"According to 'Pruning Faction Expedition Articles - Supplementary Clause 17': If a composite anomaly involving both 'high-risk chaos' and 'lost Covenant' is encountered, and own force cannot guarantee a swift elimination, one may attempt to initiate the 'Temporary Observation and Evaluation Protocol' to avoid unpredictable chain reactions."

"The protocol beacon is now released. Please respond to this beacon within thirty standard minutes with verifiable Covenant authority or equivalent order credentials."

"If a valid response is received, this ship will suspend offensive actions, enter an observation period of seventy-two standard hours, and report this special case."

"If there is no response or the response is invalid, this ship will designate this area as an 'uncontrollable high-order chaos contamination zone' and execute the 'Area Purification Plan (Level: Star-Extermination)."

"Countdown started."

The beacon floated in the chaotic light, flashing rhythmically.

Thirty minutes.

Either use Covenant authority to prove the "order" attribute here, in exchange for seventy-two hours of breathing room.

Or, an hour later, this place will face the full "purification" strike of the Pruning Faction's scout ship—which might be enough to wake the divine remains early, or at least cause the entire plan to collapse.

"Cradle," Zhao Yan's voice sounded in the silence, "Can we use the web weaver protocol's authority to respond to that beacon?"

The Cradle's runes flickered:

"Attempt possible. The web weaver protocol possesses secondary Covenant authority. But it requires joint authorization from at least two active nodes to generate a valid signature."

"node 2 (Orion's Eye) current status: unstable, but authorization can be attempted."

"Node 3 (Galactic Center)... still unresponsive."

"Cradle suggestion: Immediately attempt to establish an emergency authorization link with node 2. Meanwhile, the projection for the Earth's prism repair... does it need to be paused?"

Two emergency lines, both needing the Cradle's resources, both needing time.

The distortion nodes on Earth are spreading, the scout ship's countdown is ticking away, the Scavenger is watching like a tiger, and the next pulse of the divine remains is getting closer.

Zhao Yan's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on the composite consciousness β-1.

"β-1, can you process with multi-threading?"

The crystal's light flickered steadily, Sarah's gentleness and the probe's precision fused into one:

"Attempt possible. Suggestion: Keep the machine's core thread maintaining the projection of the Earth's repair resonance to ensure the internal defense line does not collapse. Split off a secondary thread, utilizing the link between the Cradle and node 2, to assist in generating the Covenant authorization signature. But by doing this, the 'observational contact' with the divine remains must be postponed."

"Postponed for how long?"

"At least, until the repair projection is complete and the Covenant authorization response has been sent. Estimated total time required: twenty-five to thirty minutes."

That would be right up against the final deadline given by the scout ship.

"Execute." Zhao Yan's order was decisive, "Prioritize stabilizing the interior, while buying time externally. Ashes, Elena, continue to monitor the beacon and the Scavenger, report immediately if there is any unusual activity."

"Understood."

"Lin Shen, on Earth's side, prepare to receive the repair resonance!"

"Ready."

Inside the Cradle, two massive streams of consciousness and energy began to diverge. One turned into a warm and firm torrent of repair, surging toward the distant Earth. The other turned into a precise and cold stream of protocol data, attempting to connect to the distant and fragile node 2, to jointly sign a "ceasefire agreement" that might determine their fate.

And in the deepest part of the Chaos Concentration Zone, in the divine remains' massive, formless body, during another rhythmic "pulse," a previously insignificant brittle point on its surface quietly expanded a fraction due to the continuous superposition of multiple high-dimensional disturbances above.

A wisp of "aura," where chaos and order were thoroughly intertwined, thinner than a hair by a billion times, from the crack in the seal, silently...

Seeped out.

It had no consciousness, no purpose.

It just existed.

Like a drop of ink, dripped into water that was already turbid.