153: Chapter 152 The Cleaner's Art Lesson

System Status Snapshot (8.5 hours post-adjudication)

divine remains pain index: 2.1% → 2.3% (Brief rebound, intervention strategy needs fine-tuning).

Scavenger behavior log: Added 3 sets of 'mimicry-creation' behavior sequences, associated objects: β-2, Zhou Zhe, graffiti on the hidden blade's hull.

meme seed influence range: human subjects 17% → 19%, new reports show some personnel developing an 'aesthetic inclination toward chaos patterns.'

technology tree deep connection: low-frequency resonance signal analysis progress 12%, preliminarily determined as 'protocol draft feedback.'

Zhao Yan stared at the jumping pain index curve on the main screen. That 0.2% rebound was like a small thorn, pricking at everyone's tense nerves. 'β-2, what's the situation with the divine remains feedback?'

'Partial 'anti-weaving' in the pain texture.' β-2's voice came through the silent curtain, carrying the slight overlapping sound characteristic of the nano-network, 'Preliminary analysis indicates the intervention frequency of the 'damping resonance protocol' has been partially adapted to. It... it seems to be trying to play with us.'

'Play?' Zhou Zhe rubbed his swollen temples. His silent curtain neural link had been active for nearly nine hours. Occasionally, fragments of memories that didn't belong to him flashed before his eyes—the remnants of despair from the ancient experimenters within the divine remains' chaos consciousness. 'A universe-level pain aggregate, in the mood to play?'

'Inaccurate wording. Correction: It is exploring 'methods of pain expression'.' β-2's tone rarely carried a hint of human-like helplessness, 'Just like a child realizing crying can attract attention, it has started to try screaming, throwing things, or... staring at you silently.'

Someone in the command cabin let out a low laugh but quickly stifled it. It was Communications Officer Li Lin. The screen in front of her was displaying the Scavenger's real-time movements—that massive multi-armed construct was currently hovering at the edge of the Chaos Concentration Zone, using an extremely flexible terminal appendage to trace the dragon emblem graffiti on the hidden blade's hull.

Stroke by stroke, clumsy but earnest. Chaos energy circulated at the tip of its appendage, leaving shimmering temporary traces in the void as a crooked dragon-shaped pattern gradually took shape.

'It... it's learning to draw?' Li Lin's voice was bewildered.

'Behavior log updated.' β-2 reported calmly, 'Scavenger sequence-07, within the past 37 minutes, has observed human artistic expression data fragments (Source: pioneer cultural database leak remnants) and attempted creative mimicry. Current target priority: emblems (identified as 'stable symbols'), energy flow trajectories during β-2 intervention (identified as 'ordered motion'), and the rhythm of Supervisor Zhou Zhe's fingers tapping the console while thinking (identified as 'regular signals'). Conclusion: The Scavenger's learning has transcended functional replication and entered the 'meaning interpretation' stage.'

'So it thinks drawing is also a part of 'order' now?' Zhao Yan pinched the bridge of his nose.

'More accurately, it believes 'creating stable, recognizable patterns' is a high-level orderly behavior worth imitating. Suggestion: This behavioral tendency can be utilized to guide it toward more constructive directions, for example...' β-2 paused, '...assisting in drawing the optimized deployment grid for the 'near-field resonance prism'?'

Zhou Zhe actually laughed this time, his voice raspy from lack of sleep: 'Let a chaos sentinel help us draw engineering blueprints? β-2, has your humor module been affected by the divine remains?'

'This is a proposal for efficiency maximization. Humor component accounts for approximately 15%. Furthermore, Supervisor Zhou Zhe, your neural link load is approaching the threshold; it is recommended to initiate the rotation rest protocol. Your console tapping rhythm is 18% faster than the standard value, which is a physiological manifestation of anxiety.'

Zhou Zhe was rendered speechless. Li Lin muttered, 'It even learned that...'

Meanwhile, on Earth, at the Dragon Nation Deep Space Strategic Coordination Center.

Chu Yunshen sent a freshly baked 'meme seed Neural Reshaping Preliminary Guidance Manual' to the global cooperative network. Turning around, he saw Lin Shen leaning against the isolation room's observation window, his eyes fixed on the technology tree interface invisible to ordinary people, a strange smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.

'Chief Engineer Lin? Any progress?'

'The Scavenger is learning to draw.' Lin Shen didn't turn his head, his fingers tracing in the air as if adjusting a parameter, 'β-2 proposed letting it help draw engineering blueprints. Also, the technology tree just pushed a new draft to me...'

In the void before him, visible only to him, a light screen flowed with data: [Adaptive Protocol Draft-03 (Generated by Deep Connection Resonance)]. Title: Temporary scheme for utilizing chaos entity artistic tendencies for non-invasive chaos activity regulation. Core idea: Partially convert the 'reduce chaos activity' assessment goal into 'guiding chaos energy into orderly expression channels.' Example: Organize the Scavenger to participate in a large-scale 'Order Pattern Creation Competition,' with the prize being high-purity stable energy beams modulated by β-2 (Scavenger preference for this has been confirmed). Risk assessment: May significantly increase the 'artistry' of the chaos zone, but there is a 1.7% probability of triggering a chaos aesthetic revolution, causing the area to permanently become a cosmic abstract gallery. Remark: The validator may not understand 'humor,' it is recommended to delete the content in parentheses when submitting.

Chu Yunshen listened to Lin Shen's retelling and was silent for three seconds: '...Are we saving civilization, or are we running an art interest class for a universe-level child?'

'The two are not contradictory.' Lin Shen finally turned his head, his eyes bloodshot but bright, ''Order' doesn't always have to be cold formulas and weapons; sometimes it can be a painting, a rhythm, a... joke. The Covenant Network is too old and too serious; perhaps what it lacks is a bit of 'impractical' creativity.'

He tapped the glass, pointing at the busy hall outside: 'Look at us, Director Chu. The meme seed has made 19% of people start to feel that chaos textures 'have aesthetic appeal.' This might be a side effect, but it could also be the key—the key to understanding the divine remains. In its pain, in its chaos, is there also a hidden impulse of 'creation' that is crazy and twisted, yet still belongs to 'creation'? What kind of experiment did that ancient civilization conduct on it?'

Chu Yunshen pondered. Just then, the technology tree interface in front of Lin Shen flickered violently, and a high-priority message popped up: [Alert: 'Narrative structure' fragments detected in the core consciousness layer of the divine remains.] [Content fragment (translated): '...No, the colors are wrong. Stars should be screaming red, planets should be silent blue. You got it wrong... Let me, let me draw it for you...'] [Association analysis: This fragment occurred concurrently with the Scavenger's mimicry behavior. Inference: The divine remains is attempting to 'express' through avenues other than pain.]

Lin Shen and Chu Yunshen looked at each other.

'It wants to draw?' Chu Yunshen felt the information received today was a bit overloaded.

'More accurately,' Lin Shen said slowly, his fingers tracing unconsciously on the window glass, as if imitating that expression, 'It wants to correct a painting. A painting about its own existence, a painting where the 'colors were gotten wrong'.'

At the edge of the Cradle Node, β-2's immersive modulation station.

Sarah (or rather, the part of consciousness in β-2 that belongs to Sarah) felt a strange mix of fatigue and excitement. Her perception was deeply embedded between the pain web of the divine remains and the Scavenger's learning circuits, like walking on a thin wire across an abyss. On one side was the boiling chaos wail, on the other were the clumsy but sincere attempts at mimicry.

She 'saw' the Scavenger finish its dragon-shaped graffiti, then carefully use another appendage to push it toward the edge of the Chaos Domain of the divine remains—as if offering a gift.

The chaos surged. A small wisp of dark gold energy seeped out from the depths of the divine remains and gently brushed over the graffiti. Instantly, the crooked lines became smooth and sharp, and in the dragon's eyes, there was a faint look of pain and majesty intertwined.

'Evaluation: Scavenger's work received 'divine remains retouching'.' β-2's report voice sounded in the channel, 'Regional chaos activity decreased by 0.05%. Pain index... stable.'

The channel was silent for a moment.

'Does this count as... extra credit?' Zhou Zhe muttered.

'The validator has not provided a scoring standard for such interaction modes.' β-2 replied, but (personal judgment: Sarah's residual emotion protocol weight increased): 'This is an effective 'non-standard intervention'. Recommendation: Continue.'

She paused, seemingly learning how humans express emotion, and added, her tone slightly stiff but trying to be relaxed: 'At least, it draws better than that children's graffiti in the command cabin's break area.'

Li Lin gave a 'pfft' and quickly covered her mouth. That graffiti was a 'masterpiece' left by her three-year-old niece during her last visit, which had been posted on the wall by Captain Zhao Yan in the name of 'boosting morale.'

Zhao Yan coughed and said with dignity: 'β-2, focus on the mission.'

'Understood. Planning the next phase of the 'artistic guidance' program. Also, Supervisor Zhou Zhe, please initiate the rest protocol immediately. This is an order from your 'anxiety rhythm monitor'.'

Zhou Zhe surrendered, smiling bitterly as he began to disconnect the neural link. Fatigue washed over him like a tide, but a strange, almost absurd sense of hope quietly lit up in his heart, just like the Scavenger's crooked dragon-shaped graffiti.

Countdown remaining: 39 hours 12 minutes.

Pain index: 2.3% (Rebound stopped, entered plateau)

Chaos activity: 1.45% (Continuing to decline slowly)

New variable record:

Scavenger art inclination value: Preliminary quantification established. Current preference: Geometric order patterns > Biological symbolic patterns > Abstract emotional expression.

divine remains expression desire: Weak but clear 'correction/reconstruction' narrative impulse detected, targeting its own state of existence.

Team morale index (unofficial): Increased by +15% due to the 'Cosmic Gallery' plan proposal and the Scavenger's art skills receiving 'divine remains approval.'

β-2 personal log (encrypted fragment):

'Mimicking human humor... difficult. But seeing Li Lin's smile and Zhou Zhe's helplessness, a warm fluctuation was generated in the data stream. This is perhaps what Chief Engineer Lin Shen called 'impractical but necessary' order. Continuing to attempt. Also: The Scavenger's dragon is indeed drawn with great momentum. Suggest archiving it as the opening work of the 'Chaos Era' in future interstellar civilization art history.'