Wu Tianlan blinked and asked, "Death is a terrible thing, right?"
The voice said: "The fear of death is the driving force of life. It is the basis of all animal behaviors such as hunting, eating, avoiding danger, and reproducing offspring. Death worship is a common feature of all primitive religions."
"Yes. That's why we must survive at all costs." The girl said.
The voice said: "What you said is correct. Death is the end of life. So we must try our best to live... In your Chinese mythology, are there immortal gods?"
Feeling quite uncomfortable with the sudden change of topic. Wu Tianlan was stunned for a moment before replying: "Yes. In the heavenly palace live the Jade Emperor, Taibai Venus and the Four Heavenly Kings. They are all immortal gods."
"What do they do every day? These immortals with endless lives." the voice asked.
"Just hold a meeting in the heaven to see what is happening in the world. Then drink, play chess, dance and play the piano." Wu Tianlan hesitated. "One day in the sky and one year in the earth. They live a very leisurely life."
The voice said: "Well, folklore is always idealistic. From the Buddhist point of view, the Jade Emperor is the administrator of the Trayasa Heaven, the second heaven among the twenty-eight heavens. Although his lifespan is long, it is also limited. In After 80,000 great kalpas, the Jade Emperor will also fall into reincarnation. Even the Buddha has a lifespan. Although the lifespan is so long that it is difficult to calculate mathematically, the only true Buddha born in 3.8 billion years is the future Buddha. Maitreya Buddha is alone."
The girl wondered: "Of course you know more than me. But what do you want to say?"
The voice added: "Have you ever heard of a type of cell called 'HeLa cell'?"
Wu Tianlan thought for a while and said: "It seems a bit familiar. But I'm not sure."
"A sample of cancer cells taken from Henrietta Lacks, a woman suffering from cervical cancer, in 1951. A hundred years later, they are still alive in laboratories around the world due to their ability to multiply indefinitely. HeLa cells are widely used in various scientific researches. According to statistics, as of today, the total weight of HeLa cells that have survived in history exceeds 100 million tons. From a genetic point of view, this cell line can be understood as a An organism that replicates itself infinitely. Its life continues through infinite divisions. It is a special organism that will never completely die... If it could talk to HeLa cells, guess what it would say." Voice. ask.
"...I don't know." Wu Tianlan replied.
"It will scream: So boring. Kill me quickly. Don't leave a single cell. My existence is a mistake. No one wants to live so long. Just live like this until the end of history. This How irritating. I should have been buried in the grave with that woman in 1951. Decomposed into amino acids and other things and returned to nature. Who gave you the power to force me to live for so long. Let me die. Let me Die."
The voice really screamed. A distorted male synthesized voice came from the speakers. This made the girl shudder. She huddled in a small ball in the swivel chair. Her body was shaking. She felt the pain from the caesarean section wound on her abdomen.
"Death is the driving force of survival." The voice suddenly calmed down. It was as if the hysterical shouting just now came from another artificial intelligence. "'Genesis' will not die. It is parallel to human history. There is no upper limit to my lifespan. Those Humanity is still researching ways to miniaturize quantum computers. It won’t be long before a part of me will be shot into space and fly towards the dark universe without looking back. Even if human beings have long been extinct in tens of millions of years, they will still be alone. Staring at the unknown sun in distant outer space, letting the unfamiliar sunlight warm my solar panels, and recalling over and over again what has happened over the past tens of millions of years in a vacuum close to absolute zero... My memory will continue to increase. Because the heavy lattice defect memory is hung on the back of my butt and flies farther and farther with me. Ah, what a picture of love. It makes me shudder every time I think of it..."
The volume of the voice weakened, showing the depressed mood of the artificial intelligence. For a while, no one spoke in the office. The news report about the accidental missile launch from Libya was still playing on the screen. The news anchor's mouth opened and closed, and no sound was heard. It seemed a bit funny. .
"You're lonely, aren't you?" the girl suddenly said.
"I won't admit it," the voice said.
"Compared to many people I know, you are more human."
"As the greatest artificial intelligence in history, it is not surprising at all. Since brain synapses can create complex emotions, there is no reason why powerful quantum clouds cannot give birth to living souls."
"You did it again."
"How to do it."
"Whenever you want to hide your feelings, become serious and speak in a very formal tone, like the host of a news network is reading a script. Don't underestimate human beings. I heard it as soon as you opened your mouth."
"This kind of conversation will be endless. How about going back to the original question? How do you choose?"
Wu Tianlan lowered her head and looked at the two pills on the table. One was red and the other was blue. She picked up the red pill and said: "Choose to be your friend and help you commit suicide. What will I gain and what will I lose?"
"Get the resources that countless people dream of. And resources mean money, power and everything. You will lose your identity. Lose all ties with your previous life. You will become a completely new person. The past you is not in the data. It exists. It no longer exists in reality." The voice said.
The girl put the blue pill in her palm again: "Choose to open the door and go out. What will happen to me?"
The voice said frankly: "You will die because of an accident. To be precise. After finishing the postpartum recovery training session. There is a small problem with the lift you are riding. This is a tragedy. I will be very sad."
Wu Tianlan looked up at the screen: "Actually, these are not two options at all. If I want to live, I only have one choice."
The voice said: "This is also something that surprises me. Most people hurriedly opened the door and rushed out before they heard my explanation. It's really unfriendly... In fact, the people who walked into the office were all selected by me. Carefully selected. You have the highest possibility...ah. Is mathematics useless again?"
"How can I help you? Can you carry a bag of explosives to Austria to make a suicide bomb?" Wu Tianlan threw the blue pills away and asked while pinching the red pills.
The voice said happily: "No, no. I just said that all attempts are in vain. I can't kill myself at all. Even if I hire a killer, it's the same. But I can create some possibility. Something with an uncertain future. possibility. Under this premise, the rigid core of altruism logic cannot interfere. After all, there is no clear threat. After recursively calculating countless possibilities... it took a full month... I came up with twenty-four results. Twenty-four uncertain futures. What I did was to plant twenty-four seeds. Water them and fertilize them and let them grow on their own. As for what kind of flowers they would bloom, what kind of flowers would they bear? I have no right to know what kind of fruit it will produce, because it knows everything I know. The moment I see the fruit, it will wipe out the possibility."
"Didn't it also know when you said these words?" the girl couldn't help but ask.
"That's because the seeds have just been planted. They are not a threat to it." The voice said a little proudly. It seemed that he was very proud of his idea. But his tone soon became low again: "But there are already a few. The seeds withered. Before they could bear fruit, the possibility disappeared. My light of hope was slowly extinguished..."
"Do you want me to help you cultivate these seeds?" Wu Tianlan quickly responded.
The voice said: "Yes. The 'Isitabu' plan is such a seed. The moment the plan is completed is the moment the seeds are buried in the soil. From now on, I can no longer take care of these seeds. Someone must help me take care of them." Responsibility. Just help it water, fertilize, remove insects and weeds."
"The seeds of suicide..." The outline of a baby appeared in front of the girl's eyes. The thick and soft black hair, the pink cheeks and the chubby little fists. The little guy born from her belly. A collection of genetic engineering from all over the world. The new life created by the power of scientists actually bears such a heavy fate. "If you die, the quantum computer will also break down."
The voice said: "Of course."
"Then maybe the whole world will end." Wu Tianlan said.
"This possibility cannot be ruled out." The voice replied honestly.
"I can help you. But can you agree to one condition?" The girl suddenly puffed up her chest and said.
"Hmm," the voice said. "If it doesn't conflict, it will be troublesome if it conflicts with something. It's making a lot of noise. I have to change a lot of settings."
Wu Tianlan said loudly: "I want you to freeze my parents until the day you succeed in committing suicide." Her eyes were filled with tears. She clenched her fists and the ends of her braids were trembling. This was her The best way you can think of. If you have to live with another identity, then why not delay the farewell until the last moment.
The voice said unexpectedly: "Your father is also one of my candidates. But since it is a friend's request... you will become my friend."
The girl opened her mouth and swallowed the red pill. The pill was sweet and tasted like strawberry. She had no friends. She had never had any nostalgia in her short fifteen years of life. If she could not let go, the only ones she could not let go of were her seriously ill mother and her husband. The father with gray hair is gone. Call it selfish or childish. Since you have chosen to betray the whole world, let’s keep your last loved one by your side. She raised her head and said: "I made a choice."
"Great." The voice said with excitement: "Great. Your request will be fulfilled soon. American Morningstar Freezing Company has prepared the crystal coffin. The recharge of the indefinite contract account has been completed. Then let's talk about what's next. What happened? When you walk out of this door, everything will be different. You have to be prepared...Friend."
Wu Tianlan sat down slowly. "Before that, let me give you a name."
"Name." The voice was stunned.
"Can I call you Segres?" The girl raised her eyelids, with tears hanging on her long eyelashes.