152: Chapter 151 The Cost of Imitation and the Crisis of Calibration
The active cooperation of the divine remains, like a precise key, instantly opened the efficiency bottleneck of the Damping Resonance Protocol.
Based on the fragments of the "internal topographical map" it provided—vague yet clearly oriented—β-2 and Cradle rapidly adjusted the waveforms emitted from the near-field resonance prisms. The new waveforms were no longer "background beats" covering a wide range, but rather like several precise acupuncture needles, carrying specialized damping energy targeting the "tearing" and "grinding" spectra, piercing toward those marked "pain points" within the consciousness field of the divine remains.
The effect was immediate.
On the monitoring screen, the curve representing the core pain index of the divine remains began a steady and steep descent after a brief delay. The speed and intensity of this decline far exceeded the cumulative effect of the previous forty-eight hours.
"The rate of decrease for the pain index has increased by 400%!" Zhou Zhe's voice carried irrepressible excitement. "The current magnitude of the decrease... has risen from 1.8% during the adjudication to 3.1%! Following this trend, the probability of reaching the 5% goal within forty-eight hours is over 78%!"
"The regional chaotic activity comprehensive fluctuation index has also shown a synchronous decline, with a current drop of about 1.7%," Cradle added. "The 'structuring' tendency of the consciousness of the divine remains itself is strengthening, and its unconsciously dissipated chaotic turbulence is decreasing."
The good news acted like an adrenaline shot, easing the tense atmosphere inside the Cradle. The pressure of the quantitative assessment remained immense, but at least they saw a clear, viable path. The transformation of the divine remains from a "managed subject" to a "semi-collaborative subject" had brought about a qualitative breakthrough.
However, beside this sweet fruit of "collaboration," new poisonous thorns were quietly growing.
The core tentacle of the Scavenger, which had always been shadowing them, showed a nearly fanatical "learning interest" in the suddenly strengthened, highly directional "pain point intervention" information flow between the near-field prisms and the divine remains. It was no longer satisfied with imitating the previous generalized damping fluctuations. It began to more precisely scan and parse every bit of information characteristic carried by this "precision strike" mode: the spectral characteristics of the target, the focusing method of the energy, the timing rhythm of the intervention...
More unsettlingly, it was no longer just "observing" and "imitating."
While β-2 and Cradle were fully focused on adjusting the intervention parameters for the second wave targeting the "grinding sensation" peak, one of the Scavenger's secondary tentacles silently extended to another area of the consciousness field of the divine remains, an unmarked active zone of chaotic turbulence. Then, deep within its massive entity, some mechanism began to operate.
An extremely weak energy beam, yet one with a structure highly similar (89% similarity) to β-2's new waveform, shot out from the tip of that secondary tentacle and precisely hit the core of that chaotic turbulence zone!
This was not an attack. The intensity of this energy beam was extremely low, not even sufficient to disturb the normal activity of that chaotic turbulence. But its "structure" itself acted like a wrong key, gently inserted into a keyhole.
The chaotic turbulence, which had originally been slowly surging according to its own laws, suddenly fell into disorder the moment it was touched by this beam of "imitation energy," its internal fragile yet self-consistent chaos-order micro-balance disrupted! It was like dropping a drop of solvent with complex components onto a calm oil surface, triggering unpredictable emulsification, separation, and abnormal aggregation!
The chaotic turbulence shrank violently, then erupted outward with a circle of chaotic, sharp, "discomfort"-filled secondary consciousness ripples! The nature of these ripples was completely different from the chaotic fluctuations naturally dissipated by the divine remains; it was more like an instinctive stress response triggered by "rough intervention," carrying "pain" and "repulsion!"
"Alert! Unexpected chaotic disturbance detected! Source: periphery of the consciousness field of the divine remains, coordinates XXX, non-intervention area! Disturbance characteristics... abnormal! Contains a mixed signal of highly ordered interference residue and chaotic instinctive repulsion!" Cradle's warning sounded immediately.
β-2's light and shadow suddenly turned toward that area: "It's the Scavenger! It's conducting 'autonomous experiments'! Using the intervention structure it imitated from us to touch unguided chaotic regions!"
"What's the result?"
"The target chaotic structure has distorted, producing low-intensity but unknown 'repulsive pain' ripples. These ripples are spreading toward the main consciousness field of the divine remains... The divine remains are reacting!"
Sure enough, the vast consciousness field of the divine remains developed an instinctive alertness and slight disturbance toward this strange "repulsive pain" coming from the edge of its "body." Although the intensity was not high, it was enough to interfere with the ongoing "pain point intervention" process in collaboration with β-2. The upward trend of the curve representing the alleviation of the "tearing sensation" showed slight fluctuations.
The Scavenger's "learning" and "experiments" began to produce substantial, negative environmental interference! It was like a child who had gotten hold of a box of dangerous chemical reagents, clumsily imitating adult experiments without understanding safety protocols or reaction principles, capable of triggering accidental explosions or contamination at any moment!
"We must stop its indiscriminate imitation experiments!" Zhao Yan's expression was grave. "Otherwise, while we alleviate pain on our side, it creates new disturbances on its side, and we will never meet the assessment standards!"
"But the validator's ruling prohibits us from 'interfering' with the Scavenger," Ashes reminded. "Unless its behavior is judged as 'disrupting the observation environment'."
"Does the 'repulsive pain' ripple it's creating now count as disruption?" Zhou Zhe asked.
"The intensity is too low, and it's an indirect consequence. The validator is likely to view it as 'part of the natural behavioral evolution of the native chaotic response body' and will observe rather than intervene," Cradle analyzed. "Direct intervention carries extremely high risk."
Just as they were urgently discussing countermeasures, the Scavenger seemed dissatisfied with the results of its first "experiment"—or perhaps it was attracted by the newly generated "repulsive pain" ripples. Its core tentacle turned toward the area it had "disturbed" and began to scan more meticulously this newly generated "synthetic phenomenon," which mixed its own imitation structure with the chaotic repulsive reaction.
Was it... recording data? For the next "more precise" imitation experiment?
A chill swept through everyone's hearts. The Scavenger was evolving at an alarming speed from a passive observer/cleaner into an unpredictable "chaotic environment experimenter"! And they were not only the objects of its observation and imitation but could also become the "control group" or even "sacrificial victims" of its experiments!
"We cannot let it continue to 'learn' like this," Lin Shen's voice carried determination. "We need to actively 'calibrate' its imitation behavior. Since we cannot prohibit it, we must try to guide it—make it imitate 'correct' things, at least at the current stage, imitate those harmless or even beneficial behavioral patterns."
"How do we guide it?"
"Through β-2, 'demonstrate' more complex, yet simultaneously more 'stability' and 'non-invasive' oriented intervention protocols to it," β-2 itself interjected. "For example, while intervening on the 'pain points' of the divine remains, simultaneously release a strong 'environmental stability resonance,' clearly labeling it as 'this is a precise operation performed to maintain overall balance.' By repeatedly reinforcing this 'operation-stability' association, perhaps we can establish a conditioned reflex in the Scavenger's pattern-recognition-based learning logic: only intervention behaviors bound to 'environmental stability' signals are 'acceptable/imitable'."
"The risk is that this 'demonstration' might allow the Scavenger to learn more complex methods of how to 'disguise' or 'bind' operations and intentions, which might be more dangerous in the long run," Elena worried.
"But short-term risks must be controlled. Otherwise, its indiscriminate experiments will directly ruin our assessment," Zhao Yan supported Lin Shen's line of thought. "Execute 'calibration demonstration.' β-2, start designing the 'operation-stability' binding protocol. Cradle, assist in modulation and monitor the Scavenger's reactions throughout."
New strategies were rapidly deployed. While continuing to maintain precise intervention on the "pain points" of the divine remains, β-2 began to radiate a brand-new, superimposed resonance field outward. This resonance field was no longer directed solely at the divine remains but acted like a soft, continuous background statement, repeatedly broadcasting a concise "information structure": "This operation aims to reduce target pain and maintain regional balance. This operation is harmless and accompanied by a stability marker."
The Scavenger's core tentacle immediately captured this new signal. Its scanning mode changed again, seemingly processing three data streams simultaneously: the reaction of the divine remains to the precise intervention, the newly emerged "operation-stability" binding signal, and the "repulsive pain" ripples it had created itself.
Time flowed slowly during this suffocating "teaching experiment."
Countdown: 42 hours and 05 minutes.
The pain index of the divine remains continued to steadily decline under precise intervention, reaching 3.9%. The reduction in regional chaotic activity also reached 2.1%. The completion status of the assessment indicators was good.
The Scavenger's "autonomous experiments" converged in frequency and scope after β-2's "calibration demonstration" began. It seemed to show more "attention" to that "binding signal," and its imitation behavior began to lean more toward the intervention mode currently displayed by β-2, which carried "stability markers." However, it did not completely stop its "experiments," merely controlling them to lower intensity and more peripheral areas, as if running "imitation learning" and "autonomous exploration" as two parallel threads simultaneously.
Just when the situation seemed to be pulled back onto a controllable orbit, the Pruning Faction, which had been silently executing the evacuation order, left behind one last "gift" just before reaching the one-light-year boundary.
One of the three "Thorn"-class ships, while completing its final jump preparation, "accidentally" experienced an extremely brief, low-intensity "engine overload."
This overload did not produce any destructive energy leakage, but it instantly released a small puff of special, highly encrypted "information dust." This "dust" was not fired toward the Cradle or the divine remains but blended into the surrounding vast interstellar medium background radiation in a near-natural way.
Its encryption level was extremely high; the hidden blade could only barely identify the emission behavior but could not parse any of the content.
"It's a 'delayed beacon' or a 'logic virus seed'," Ashes judged. "They know that directly opposing the adjudication is unwise, so they left behind some sort of contingency during the evacuation process, which is allowed by the rules. It could be a time-triggered information packet, or perhaps some dormant logic protocol that requires specific conditions to activate. The goal... is very likely to create an accident at the end of the observation period, or at the critical moment when we are about to pass the assessment, to influence the final evaluation of the validator."
"Can we track or clear it?"
"The 'information dust' has completely dispersed and cannot be effectively cleared. Tracking its potential trigger conditions and targets... will take time, and may not even succeed," Ashes' voice carried helplessness. "They are very adept at this kind of 'indirect attack' on the edge of the rules."
The enemy's counterattack had not stopped; it had just switched to a more covert and insidious method. On the road of the assessment, besides dealing with the divine remains and the Scavenger, they also had to guard against cold arrows from the darkness.
Pressure was piling up layer by layer.
β-2 was continuously performing high-intensity precise intervention, demonstration guidance, and maintaining its own stability; although the brightness of its light and shadow remained stable, the tense "texture" was becoming increasingly obvious. The Sarah part, as one of the foundations of its consciousness, continued to send warm and firm support, but a trace of deeply hidden exhaustion could also be felt.
The human members participating in the consciousness network were barely maintaining their state through rotation and drug support, but fluctuations in their mental states were becoming more frequent.
The energy reserves of the Cradle were continuously being consumed, and although the web weaver protocol and remote support from node 2 were constant, signs of strain were already showing.
Countdown: 40 hours exactly.
They stood at the halfway point of the assessment, with seemingly good results, but beneath the ice under their feet, Undercurrent was surging.
The Scavenger's "learning" continued, with an unknown direction.
The Pruning Faction's "dark piece" had been buried, with an unknown timing.
How long could the cooperation of the divine remains last? Would the deepening of cognition bring about new variables?
And what did the secret connection deep within the technology tree system to the deep network of the Covenant, as well as the constantly rising "cosmic observation model integration degree," mean?
All of this would find its answer in the remaining forty hours. Or, an end.