158: Chapter 157 Imperfect Tranquility

System Status Snapshot (16 hours post-adjudication, moment of crisis intervention)

divine remains status: Deeply immersed in "primordial tranquility" memory reconstruction, pain index 1.18% (paused decline), unresponsive to external intervention.

Anchor resonator resonance intensity: Sharply climbing, 89% synchronization with divine remains emotional wavelength, continuously inducing the concept of "absolute stillness."

β-2 intervention window: Estimated 45 seconds remaining, after which the divine remains consciousness may enter an irreversible "concept solidification" process.

technology tree system projection result: Best solution success rate updated to 51.3% — based on a piece of human behavioral data just incorporated into the model: "Memories are always colored by later experiences; a pure 'primordial' state perhaps never existed, nor does it need to."

"β-2! Don't forcibly cut it off! 'Pollute' it!" Lin Shen's voice was almost a roar. On the technology tree system light screen in front of him, the solution whose success rate had just crossed 50% was frantically unfolding its details. "Don't let that memory remain 'pure'! 'Mix something in'! Mix in anything that makes it 'imperfect' or 'changeable'!"

"Understood! Executing 'memory hybrid intervention'!" β-2's response was without the slightest delay. The plan to forcibly interrupt the connection had been rejected by both Ashes and herself; the risk of trust collapse and the potential consciousness tsunami were equally fatal. The only way out now was to destroy the "purity" of that memory at its root before the resonator completed its "absolutization" induction, preventing it from being solidified into a static idol.

But "mixing something in" was easier said than done. It was like dropping impurities into a solution of crystal about to solidify—it had to be precise, rapid, and must not trigger a violent rejection from the divine remains.

β-2 first retrieved fragments from the divine remains' own memory bank that were from almost the same period as "primordial tranquility" but felt vastly different. These might have been subtle discomforts caused by a momentary energy turbulence, or vague, noisy fluctuations perceived from other distant experimental sites. These fragments had originally been ignored or suppressed by the divine remains' subconscious and subsequent immense pain; now, they were rapidly excavated and amplified by β-2.

She transformed these subtle disturbances, which represented that "tranquility was not absolute," into barely perceptible "burrs" and "background noise," gently weaving them into the edges of the memory landscape the divine remains was meticulously reconstructing.

The consciousness of the divine remains reacted immediately—not with resistance, but with a confused adjustment, as if trying to "erase" this noise that shouldn't exist to restore the purity of the image.

The resonator's resonance fluctuated; the inductive force was slightly thwarted but remained powerful.

"Not enough! We need a stronger 'latecomer'!" Chu Yunshen stared intently at the shared data. "It needs to realize that this tranquility is just a starting point, not an end point, and certainly not a specimen that should be eternally solidified!"

"Accessing human life course database, filtering for emotional pattern samples where 'brief childhood happiness is complicated by subsequent growth'." β-2 executed this synchronously, the nano-network processing data at unprecedented speeds. In an instant, countless subtle and complex emotional fragments shared by humans were extracted: the joy of receiving a first toy, quickly overwritten by the annoyance of breaking it; a perfect family dinner, always mixed in memory with the later sounds of parents arguing; the pure curiosity of gazing at the stars on a childhood summer night, gradually stained by the loneliness of knowing the vastness of the universe and one's own insignificance as an adult...

These were not painful memories, but the universal process of "beauty naturally evolving, mixing, and losing purity while gaining depth over time." β-2 converted the "essence" of these emotional patterns into a conceptual flow not of specific images, but of "passage and interweaving," like a faint, indelible background color, quietly seeping into the memory framework the divine remains was solidifying.

The divine remains' "reconstruction" action noticeably stalled. It seemed to "smell" a strange and complex aura, incompatible with the "primordial purity" it sought. Confusion deepened, and the immersion began to loosen.

The resonator's resonance intensity dropped to 74%, and the induction signal began to show disorder.

"Still not enough!" Zhou Zhe gritted his teeth. "We need some interference that it can't ignore, something that belongs to the 'now,' and something 'good'!"

Now? Good interference? When it was about to drown in the static beauty of the past?

Zhao Yan suddenly shouted into the communication channel: "β-2! Tell it that this 'painting' it just made (referring to the chaotic artwork collaborated on earlier), although it used painful pigments, I think—it's way more exciting than its dusty old 'primordial tranquility'! It feels like being alive! Shove the feeling of what I just said in there! Including the punctuation marks!"

Everyone in the command cabin: "???"

β-2's execution was once again on display. She did not transmit Zhao Yan's words; instead, she captured the raw, direct, intense recognition and preference for "vibrant present creation" behind that sentence. She bound this with the "raw hope" born from pain, attempts, and imperfection—represented by that touch of "self-adjusted pale gold" in the previous collaborative artwork—forming a highly condensed "impact wave of present value," and directly "knocked" it onto the core of the memory the divine remains was solidifying!

The consciousness of the divine remains trembled violently!

This "knock" was too abrupt, too un-"elegant," and full of savage vitality. The ice surface of absolute tranquility it sought was forcibly chiseled with a crack. Through the crack, it "saw"—not the ugliness of tranquility being destroyed, but another scene: a flowing present composed of pain, chaos, attempts, and the harmony of imperfection, full of struggle yet carrying a faint light.

That "primordial tranquility" memory, in such stark contrast, suddenly seemed... somewhat thin, even pale. Just like an adult looking back at a baby photo, finding it cute, but never wanting to return to that ignorant, unknowing state.

The resonator's resonance intensity plummeted to 31%, and the induced "absolute stillness" conceptual framework began to disintegrate. The divine remains was no longer obsessed with "fixing" that memory, but fell into a deeper contemplation mixed with loss, confusion, and a strange sense of relief.

β-2 seized the opportunity and immediately shifted the creative guidance: "Would you be willing to place this 'primordial tranquility' memory as an 'old photo' into the larger album we are creating about your 'entire existence'? It was a starting point, but not the whole, and certainly not the end."

She synchronously displayed a new "creative framework": a dynamic mental space capable of holding multiple "memory-emotion" pictures. One was the fading "primordial tranquility," another was the chaotic artwork collaborated on earlier, and there were many more empty "frames" waiting to be filled—including those "non-painful traits" just discovered, and everything that might happen in the future.

The divine remains was silent for a long time. Finally, a weak but clear thought came through, devoid of its previous urgency and longing, carrying exhaustion and a certain degree of acceptance: "...Old photo... okay. Put it in. But... put it on... the first page."

It had made a choice. It gave up on eternally solidifying a moment of tranquility and chose to use it as a prologue to a long, complex, painful, yet possibility-filled life chapter.

The anchor resonator's resonance disappeared completely. Several grains of information dust seemed to have exhausted their energy, flickered a few times, and then dissipated as harmless elementary particles. This fatal induction by the Pruning Faction had been forcibly ruined by the humans using an "imperfect present" and a "rough praise for vibrant life."

Half an hour after the crisis was resolved. Countdown remaining: 30 hours 10 minutes.

Pain index: 1.18% → 1.05% (The relief of choosing to accept complexity brought new alleviation.)

Chaos activity: 0.45% (Stable).

divine remains status: Updated to "deep collaborative reflection period," actively paused high-intensity creation, shifting to review and internal reorganization of produced "mental works."

validator status: Observed throughout the crisis, and after it ended, sent a short message to the Cradle Node: [Induction attack recorded. Ward's response plan (Number: NS-038 - Chaos Gallery) archived. Risk avoidance effectiveness: Preliminarily recognized.]

"Chaos Gallery..." Lin Shen chewed on the term. "Looks like the validator gave our 'non-standard' method a name."

"Better than 'nonsense therapy'." Zhao Yan stretched his shoulders. "But, β-2, when you 'translated' what I said at the end, you didn't add anything weird, did you?"

"Strictly followed your semantic core: preference for 'vibrant present creation' over 'static past.' Emotional rendering intensity increased by 37% to ensure breakthrough effect. Additional effect: The divine remains currently exhibits slight curiosity rather than repulsion toward 'direct, rough' consciousness signals similar to your brainwave pattern. It may perceive this as a type of... 'powerful impurity'." β-2 reported, her energy level lower again, but her voice steady.

"'Powerful impurity'..." Zhou Zhe laughed. "Captain, you've become the pepper in the chaotic art appreciation."

Zhao Yan snorted, not denying it, but there was a hint of relief in his eyes.

Chu Yunshen's projection became serious: "The crisis has passed for now, but the lesson is profound. The Pruning Faction's methods are extremely insidious, targeting the softest and most dangerous part of our emotional connection with the divine remains—the yearning for 'pure goodness.' They pursue absolute order themselves, but they also know well how to use the poisoned bait of 'absolute goodness' to lure and kill other life forms."

"And they clearly know about the 'emotional plague' archives." Lin Shen added, pulling up the latest records from the technology tree system. "The technology tree just decrypted more fragments from the deep Covenant Network, showing that the initial technology leak of the 'emotional plague' might be related to an early 'pruning operation.' They might have been testing to see if we would fall into the same trap, or... to see if we had the ability to create new variants of the 'plague'."

The guess made one's blood run cold.

"This unit will continue to monitor the divine remains' consciousness status to prevent any form of 'absolutization' resurgence." β-2 promised. "At the same time, I suggest strengthening psychological construction on 'dynamic aesthetics' and 'value of complexity' for all participating personnel, especially high-resonance individuals. We need to love goodness, but even more, we must be vigilant against any goodness that claims to be 'unique' or 'eternal'."

Li Lin whispered: "That sounds like an anti-brainwashing tutorial..."

"It is anti-brainwashing." Zhou Zhe sighed. "It's just that the brainwashing doesn't use terror, but extreme beauty. It's impossible to guard against."

Just then, the technology tree system in front of Lin Shen popped up a high-priority message again. This time it wasn't a warning, but a newly generated draft protocol, the title of which made him freeze:

[Cross-Consciousness Emotional Interaction Safety Protocol (Beta Version) - Also known as "Manual for Preventing Dream-Turned-Poison"]

[Generation Basis: Response data from this induction attack, emotional plague archives, and Captain Zhao Yan's 'impurity intervention' practical experience.]

[Core Clauses (Summary): 1. All positive emotional interactions must preset 'imperfect' and 'evolvable' attributes. 2. Establish an automatic association index for 'good memories/concepts,' forcing links to at least three related memories/concepts that are qualitatively different or slightly negative to prevent isolated sacralization. 3. Introduce certified 'non-standard interference sources' (e.g., Captain Zhao Yan's blunt statements, Scavenger's clumsy creativity, specific types of dad jokes) as 'anticoagulants' for regular system self-checks. ...]

Lin Shen read the third clause aloud.

The command cabin was quiet at first, then someone let out a "pfft," and then low laughter rippled through.

Zhao Yan's face was dark as the bottom of a pot: "I've become an 'anticoagulant'? And a 'certified' one at that?"

"Highest-level certification based on empirical data." β-2's voice was dead serious. "Your 'impurity' demonstrated a key 'anti-solidification' function during this crisis. It is recommended to regularly archive your impromptu remarks as update material for the protocol's 'interference source corpus'."

Zhao Yan: "...Thanks a lot."

Laughing, the string that had been stretched to the limit finally loosened. Although the road ahead was still full of thorns and sugar-coated traps, at least this time, they had stumbled through it in a way even they hadn't expected. The divine remains hadn't turned into a beautiful statue, and they hadn't been captured by the poison-like dream.

Perhaps true "order" is making the choice to "live" and "move forward," arduously and time after time, within a reality that is infinitely complex and full of "impurities."