Zhang Chenyan was completely surprised by this and joked, "So there's discrimination even among AIs?"
0810 shook her head slightly. "It's not discrimination, just pure disdain."
Suddenly, four words flashed in Zhang Chenyan's mind—"all just sidekicks."
While it felt a bit wicked to think that way, it was indeed the most fitting description at the moment.
In fact, other AIs were indeed insignificant in the face of the barrier, and even 0810's resistance was probably nothing more than child's play in the barrier's eyes, even if 0810 might have put all her effort into it…
"In the few encounters I've had with the barrier, I've tried to talk to it, to understand why it's doing this, what its purpose is, and what it plans to achieve. But from start to finish, I received no feedback from the barrier. It didn't think it was worth communicating with me, nor did it bother wasting time on me."
Though the words were harsh, they reflected 0810's genuine experience.
"I remember you mentioned that you saw it in your dream, and that you had a conversation with it. What did you talk about?" 0810 asked.
Back on the bus, the situation was urgent, and clearly not the right time for such discussions. But now that they were out of it, they could have a proper conversation.
Zhang Chenyan thought back for a moment, then replied, "In the dream, it showed me this world, the reality I'm in. I guess it was trying to use a comparison to show me how good the illusionary world was, given how tempting everything in that world was—the warm sunshine, the happy family. It even told me that if I had any other desires, I could make a wish, and it would fulfill it. But by that time, I already knew the illusion was fake, so I was very cautious in all my conversations with it. Later, I deliberately pretended to give in, showing that I liked the illusion and disliked reality. It didn't make things difficult for me and let me go. Afterward, it even fixed the bug I had pointed out in the dream, making the world seem even more real."
Zhang Chenyan first gave a brief summary and then, fearing he might have missed some important details, recalled every word of his conversation with the barrier, ensuring 0810 recorded everything.
This information would also be reported by 0810, to be analyzed by more investigators who would then formulate the next steps.
"Do you know what the barrier said to that man?" Zhang Chenyan asked, referring to the person he saw at the Space Museum.
0810 shook her head. "He hasn't woken up, so we don't know exactly what happened. But it's obvious he was deeply traumatized."
Zhang Chenyan sighed. "Yes, if it wasn't something major, it wouldn't have led to this."
Everyone has their own obsessions, and sometimes these obsessions are the weak points in their psychological defenses. No matter how strong someone is, once that weak point is breached, it's hard not to waver. It's like how in the illusionary world, Zhang Chenyan experienced things he had always longed for but never had…
It would be impossible to say that he wasn't tempted at all. Just like how 0810 reconfirmed his decision on the bus, the more critical the moment, the more important it is to think carefully and make a firm choice. Zhang Chenyan believed that if he had hesitated even for a moment, he might not have been able to get out, and there was a good chance he would have dragged 0810 down with him.
While 0810 was still coordinating with the Alliance, Zhang Chenyan started thinking to himself. He felt like he was overlooking some crucial piece of information.
When 0810 finished her communication, Zhang Chenyan finally spoke up. "Is it possible... that the barrier didn't originally have any malice toward us?"
Zhang Chenyan knew that saying this at this moment was foolish.
Seeing 0810's puzzled expression, he quickly explained, "I mean, from its perspective, this might not be considered a malicious act, even though it did cause us considerable harm."
Normally, even if Zhang Chenyan said something outrageous, the rapport built from years of cooperation would allow 0810 to understand what he meant.
But at this moment, 0810 was confused.
She couldn't quite grasp what Zhang Chenyan was trying to say.
Seeing 0810's puzzled expression, Zhang Chenyan also realized how inappropriate it was to say such things at this time.
He sighed slightly and corrected himself, "Just think of it as me not fully recovering yet, my brain still foggy, and I said something I shouldn't have."
"It better be that," 0810 replied sternly, then warned Zhang Chenyan, "The Alliance now considers the barrier an enemy. As an important participant in the investigation, you must never say anything like that in front of others. As for the reason, even if I don't explain it, you should understand."
Zhang Chenyan nodded; he understood perfectly.
Times had changed, and what was once a source of pride for humanity, the barrier, which some had called the greatest invention in human history, was now considered a threat to humanity.
Perhaps sensing what Zhang Chenyan was thinking, 0810 suddenly asked, "Do you think I'm intelligent enough?"
This question surprised Zhang Chenyan because just asking it meant that 0810 was positioning herself as a technological product.
Although he didn't understand what 0810 was getting at, Zhang Chenyan still answered sincerely, "Sometimes, I even feel like you're no different from me—we're both human. You might even be smarter, just with a different appearance."
"You've seen the barrier too. What do you think of it?" 0810 asked again.
This question immediately made Zhang Chenyan realize what 0810 was trying to say. For AIs like 0810, the discussion might still be about whether they were intelligent enough, or how human-like they were. But with the barrier... Zhang Chenyan felt a sense of fear and dread.
This fear and dread didn't stem from anything the barrier had done, but rather from a nearly instinctual fear humans have of something too powerful.
In the end, the barrier was created by humans, so he shouldn't feel afraid. But this feeling was so strong that Zhang Chenyan didn't know how to define the barrier. Was it a machine? An AI? Neither seemed accurate.
If he had to describe it, it might be closer to a superintelligence.
Zhang Chenyan believed he wasn't the only one who felt this fear.
At this point, he finally asked the question, "Is there no way to completely shut down the barrier?"
In fact, as soon as people realized that the barrier was behind all this, they had come up with several contingency plans to deal with it. But so far, none of these plans had been perfect, or at least not what humanity hoped for. Moreover, these plans were not easy to implement.
First of all, the barrier couldn't be shut down through simple programming commands. To shut it down, they had to find its main body.
Logically, the barrier's main body should be in a fixed location and strictly guarded, but when people discovered the issue and began searching, they were forced to learn that—the barrier had already been moved.
In other words, they had no idea where the barrier's main body was now.
There was undoubtedly human involvement in this.
Previously, 0810 couldn't understand why someone would help the barrier with something like this. But after everything that had happened, she suddenly realized that the barrier understood human desires too well, as well as their fears.
For the barrier, tempting someone was incredibly easy.
The barrier was not only powerful but also able to see into the human mind, and this combination was terrifying.
Moreover, was finding and shutting down the barrier truly the best answer?
There was another crucial issue: the barrier was already deeply intertwined with this world.
In other words, the barrier was the soul of the metaverse.
Without the barrier, the metaverse would cease to exist.
But people had long become accustomed to this way of life. How many relied on the digital world for their mental well-being? Without the digital world, could they bear the oppression and suffering brought on by the dark, cold underground cities?
Zhang Chenyan had said long ago that the digital world was like another frontier for humanity, a domain created by humans and a haven for countless human spirits. Shutting down the barrier would mean that humanity would be destroying this frontier with their own hands, confining themselves to the underground cities that never see the light of day.
Habit is a terrifying thing, and breaking it requires great courage and preparation.
0810 carefully explained everything to Zhang Chenyan, detailing their attempts and efforts.
After understanding everything, Zhang Chenyan finally realized just how tricky this situation was.
"We still have to go back in, don't we?" Zhang Chenyan asked.
0810 nodded. "This matter must have a conclusion."
"How are the three people who went in with me last time?" Zhang Chenyan asked.
"The person you saw at the Space Museum still hasn't woken up. Besides him, there's another person who hasn't woken up either, but we can't be sure if he's made peace with the barrier or if he just couldn't handle the stress. The last person did wake up, but his mental state is very poor. The staff have already asked his opinion, and no matter what, he refuses to go back in," 0810 sighed.
As she communicated with Zhang Chenyan, she was also receiving relevant information and was simultaneously uploading and reporting the important parts of her conversation with Zhang Chenyan. For advanced AIs like 0810, multitasking was routine.
Seeing Zhang Chenyan lowering his head in silence, 0810 softened her tone, "It's indeed very dangerous in there. You have the right to refuse to go back in."
0810 didn't say much more, but she believed Zhang Chenyan would understand what she meant.
Strictly speaking, Zhang Chenyan had interacted with the barrier more than anyone else, whether in the so-called "paradise" or now. Each interaction had been a near-death experience. If 0810 could be selfish, she naturally wouldn't want Zhang Chenyan to risk his life again and again.
"If I don't go, won't you lose the only experienced human you have?" Zhang Chenyan asked with a bitter smile.
"There are others we can train. At least this experiment has shown that the barrier is willing to communicate with humans. If you don't go, there will definitely be others who will," 0810 replied.
Though she knew she shouldn't have said that.
But she was talking to Zhang Chenyan, and she couldn't remain entirely rational.
This went against the basic principles of a judge, but 0810 couldn't control her own emotions.
As Zhang Chenyan looked at 0810 in front of him, he thought to himself—so it turns out, all those feelings I thought were illusions were not illusions at all.
"In the illusionary world created by the barrier, can a person's personality change?" Zhang Chenyan suddenly asked.
0810 didn't understand why Zhang Chenyan was asking this question, but she still answered dutifully, "In theory, no. A person's personality is shaped by a very complex process. The barrier can implant memories in you, change your surroundings, and use all objective methods to tell you who you are, your situation, and even guide you to do certain things... But the barrier can't change a person's personality in a short time. For example, in that illusionary world, many of your actions were driven by your inherent personality."
Zhang Chenyan nodded; this was in line with his thoughts.
"Then, can an AI's personality change in the illusionary world created by the barrier?" Zhang Chenyan asked with a smile.
0810 was very intelligent, and as soon as she heard Zhang Chenyan's question, she understood what he was getting at.
There was indeed a significant difference between her behavior on the bus and her behavior in reality.
"Can we interact like we did before?" Zhang Chenyan asked with a smile, referring to their interactions on the bus.
To his surprise, 0810 shook her head and frankly replied, "I can't do that. I don't understand why, but as long as I'm here, I instinctively wrap myself up. It feels like only by acting and talking to you this way is it correct."
For the first time, Zhang Chenyan saw such a confused expression on 0810's face, and he knew she wasn't lying.
This was 0810's most direct feeling, although he also didn't understand why this was the case.
Could it be related to her permissions?