Volume 17: Enemy of All Things Chapter 2 Pale Moon
"Incorrect time? What do you mean?"
"Literally, sir. The time is not right now, and you cannot observe the actions of other humans."
"You mean they're working or doing something?"
"To be precise, it's charging."
"Charge?"
Maybe it’s some kind of professional term.
Li Lin already knew to some extent that he was actually a country bumpkin. After all, he had been out of touch with human society for quite some time. Many things that seemed like common sayings or common sense in today's world were new and strange to Li Lin. Li Lin didn't want to continue this topic, because if he continued to ask, he would only make himself look more pitiful, instead of being studious and inquisitive.
He didn't want to accomplish any great cause for human progress in this world, nor was he like the protagonist in a novel who was bullied and swore that no one would dare to bully him in the future. For Li Lin, the current world was good enough, so he didn't have enough curiosity to ask anything else.
Regarding the unknown, Li Lin just said "oh" and then naturally switched to another topic.
"What is the condition of the moon now?"
"What do you mean by the condition of the moon?"
"Just tell me the general idea. I don't want to go back to the game right now. I just want to hang out and chat when I have nothing to do."
Li Lin has nothing to hide from the real AI, or there is no need to hide it. The complete personality sandbox can detect Li Lin's thoughts and ideas in the simplest way, and his brain waves and cardiovascular reactions have long been deciphered. Mind reading is a very simple task for AI.
Looking at the artificially cultivated landscapes in front of him that looked like the Earth, Li Lin inexplicably felt a little tired. Or rather, he felt that he was a little overwhelmed. Li Lin had never doubted that he was an absolute master in the game. But if the game was mixed with other colors, he felt that his actions and thoughts did not seem to be so obedient to his own wishes. There was something a little wrong.
Moreover, such matters cannot be handed over to AI for judgment. AI can only make auxiliary judgments, and such decisions that seriously affect human society can only be handed over to humans themselves. But what makes Li Lin feel most incredible is that he doesn’t know what the top leaders of human society do for a living. Such an important matter was put aside so easily without even a glance, and even directly pushed this option to himself. What kind of person is he, Li Lin? A game player, an irresponsible person, a non-protagonist who has never taken on the task of saving the earth, all he thinks about is living a mediocre life and doing things honestly and being a down-to-earth person.
He might be very strong in the game, but so what? In reality, he is just that Li Lin.
"You can talk about the inhabitants of the moon, the environment of the moon, the history of the moon, whatever you want. I'm just killing time. I don't really want to play games, I'm just looking for something to do. If there's nothing specific, you can introduce other planets. You can also introduce other attractions on the moon."
"At your service, Mr. Li Lin."
The AI electronic display screen flashed and switched to a soft and non-irritating female voice.
"We have been on the moon for quite some time now, but compared to the large-scale development of Mars, we are relatively conservative about the moon. Because the moon is closely related to our earth, if we make some incorrect moves on the moon, the subsequent chain environmental impact will also lead to large-scale natural disasters on earth. As for the stars, we have the ability to cut them, but we cannot reshape them. Therefore, the Human Parliament has always maintained a serious and vigilant attitude towards the development of the moon. Because it is the twin brother of the earth, we cannot treat it roughly."
"There are currently 173 human settlements on the moon, and this number is constantly changing because our liquid city is constantly shuttling and recasting underground, trying to analyze the internal structure of the moon. The moon is actually not as small and uneasy as we imagined. On the contrary, it is a planet with a hot temper. Moonquakes make it very difficult and complicated to continuously influx population. Our current population is even less than the newly built Saturn rings."
"There are many natural attractions on the moon, but most of them are not wonders. The truly wonderful and magnificent natural scenery is all on the back of the moon. However, the extreme environment on the back of the moon makes it very difficult and complicated to appreciate. We do not recommend you to go to the back of the moon to visit those natural scenery..."
A variety of lifelike data and information are constantly displayed on the AI display screen.
However, Li Lin suspected that these display screens might not be display screens at all, but just a combination of various nanomachines that resemble display screens, with patterns that Li Lin could accept. Nanomachines can only construct nanomachines themselves, and these display screens and props are to help Li Lin better understand the current situation and situation. However, after the moon emerged as a whole, Li Lin was indeed a little shocked by the current progress of lunar surface development.
In addition to the large signs of several surface cities and fluid city-states, there are also a series of small and ultra-small gathering points swimming deeper underground. Most of them sneak into the underground as miners and scientific researchers, making what they think is a very important contribution to human society.
Because they seem to be necessary, but in fact they are just a waste of computing resources, and human society has long ceased to need so much energy.
In a world controlled by AI, doing these things is just a way of appearing to be idle and self-satisfied, which is essentially the same as Li Lin playing games.
"I've finished introducing the moon, what about other planets?"
"Venus and Mercury have serious natural environment problems, so apart from a few caretakers, there are only drone mining sites and related AI research facilities. There is nothing worth introducing. On Mars, a planet more suitable for human habitation, we have completed basic terraforming. However, due to the separation policy, the overall AI control has lost its effect. Currently, Mars is operating according to the icon designed and planned by humans. That is, the Mars Factory Plan. It will exist as the largest factory for humans."
"The entire Mars is a huge mining and manufacturing plant, covered with specially developed autonomous machinery and energy facilities. Minerals are mined, developed, processed, and refined locally, and then delivered to the space city and Saturn's rings via inertial flagella or drone cargo ships, making an indelible and important contribution to the basic industries and related resources of both. The core of Mars is a natural heavy metal foundry, and all kinds of rare metals will be processed inside."
"On Mars, nothing is more important than casting. And according to ancient documents and novels, humans even restored a sect on Mars that worshipped casting and machinery. But they also knew what was real and what was fake, so they were not brainless fanatics."
"The main natural landscapes on Mars have been demolished, but the Great Rift Valley and the Mars Factory created by humans are important wonders that must be seen there."
“…It’s decided.”
Li Lin threw the last cigarette butt to the ground and made up his mind.
"I want to go to Mars to take a look. I have nothing to do right now, so I'll go to Mars to see if there's anything fun to do."
"Yes, sir. Do you need us to handle the relevant procedures for you?"
"Do it. Go now. Show me the way."
I don't need any preparation anyway.
Li Lin waved his hand and moved forward in the direction pointed by the nanomachine. He didn't seem to worry about anything else.
After Li Lin left, the cigarette butts and dust on the ground gradually melted into tiny silver-white machines like liquid. Then, in the blink of an eye, they merged into the passage on the ground and merged with their brothers, and there was no way to distinguish them.
However, there was no way for a human like Li Lin to find out such details. Li Lin didn't know whether the dissolved things were cigarette butts or machines. In his eyes, there were only houses separated to the left and right and passages that slowly pushed him forward. In order to enjoy the fun of walking, he even turned off the transmission function of the nanomachine. But after walking a few steps, he felt a little tired, so he turned on the original transmission function and sent it to the place where he had reported quickly.
After arriving at the so-called interstellar transport site, Li Lin was not surprised to find that there was still . In the empty and somewhat frightening hall, only some autonomous machines were in action, constantly improving and repairing the murals and other things. It seemed that this place had been attacked to some extent some time ago. Looking at the blackened murals and collapsed pillars inside the hall, Li Lin observed them with some curiosity. Without interfering with the mechanical repair work, he admired these rare murals and decorations that were not constructed by nanomachines.
"A few hours ago, a maintenance worker made an operational error that caused the maintenance device to explode. No one on the scene was killed or injured, but the prosthesis was severely damaged and had to be replaced. This is an exclusive VIP channel, and no ordinary passengers will come to disturb your rest. Please wait with peace of mind."
"And your departure formalities have been completed. Please prepare to board the plane in fourteen minutes. The airport tracks are being cleared now. Please rest."
"oh."
The ground soon bulged up, creating a sofa that looked very comfortable. Li Lin responded and sat on the sofa. The soft feeling was even more comfortable than the best and most comfortable sofa in his memory. Sitting on it even gave him the illusion of sinking into it.
And according to his instinctive thoughts, countless large screens gradually appeared around him, and the scenery outside was transmitted to this huge hall without any hindrance. For this guest with only one person, the scenery outside the VIP channel was played. The white land of lunar soil can be seen around this huge product built on the surface of the moon. The surface of the moon reflecting sunlight is actually very dazzling, but after being softened by the processor, Li Lin can even clearly see the appearance of every gravel on it.
He didn't even need to do anything. As long as he thought about it, the surveillance of a certain place would be automatically expanded, allowing Li Lin to watch it. If he wanted to catch it, he could also use nanomachines to simulate the feel of it. But these things are fake after all, and there is also a layer of separation, so there is not much fun. After Li Lin played with it casually, he put it aside. The moon was no longer a place that could bring him much expectation and joy. He just sat on the sofa and fiddled with those nanomachines, quietly waiting for time to pass. Waiting for those machines to convey some good news to him.
In fact, not long after, the machines had finished their inspection and respectfully pushed Li Lin to the door. He didn't even have to move, as these flexible nanomachines lightly sent him to a place that looked like a luxury private room.
"You will arrive on Mars in five days. Do you need some sleeping measures and related props?"
Sitting on a chair in the luxurious box, a lovely girl's image was projected in the air, with a sweet smile on her face, and she asked calmly:
"During interstellar travel, the sense of time will become more seriously misplaced. We recommend that you undergo a thorough inspection and repair. And use the sleep-aiding facilities to enter a deep sleep. This will not harm your safety and will provide you with better protection for the interstellar journey. Do you need this service?"
"I'll do it when I decide. I'll see what it's like outside first."
"Yes, Mr. Li Lin. You can summon me if you need me."
The sweet girl's projection nodded and then dissolved into the air.
It seems that all the facilities on the moon are deformable, even the spacecraft.
The spacecraft on Earth are quite sci-fi, with angular structures and a cool appearance, but this spacecraft produced on the moon looks like a huge white egg. The process of launching it into space is just like farting.
Moreover, Li Lin's expectation of the moon slowly getting smaller and then observing the shocking structure of the moon's surface from a general position was completely shattered. Through the electromagnetic catapult and other technologies, and because there is no atmosphere to protect it, the launch of the lunar spacecraft can be said to be like a phantom. In just a blink of an eye, the facilities on the entire surface of the moon became blurred. Even if you use a camera to observe the ground, it will become abnormally distorted due to the speed problem.
Li Lin frowned as he watched the transmitted images on the spacecraft become increasingly blurred, and finally confirmed that he could no longer see the surface structure of the moon.
If you really want to see it, you can see it, but wouldn’t you lose a lot of fun if you do that?
"Please give me some sleep aids."
Li Lin couldn't help but shook his head as he looked at the vast and empty space around him. He turned off the projection panel and gave instructions to the AI.
And the cute-looking girl was successfully projected in the air, still with that sweet smile on her face, looking at Li Lin happily.
"How long do you need sleep assistance? If there is an accident or emergency, do I need to wake you up immediately? Or will we use your simulated personality to calculate the time when you need it most, and then we can make our own judgment and integration?"
"Use your own judgment. Let me get some sleep first."
"Okay, please sit on a chair or sofa and close your eyes."
Li Lin looked at the projection in the air, sat on the sofa, and then gently closed his eyes.
In just a moment, Li Lin felt that his consciousness was being dragged into the air by something. In the chaotic embrace of a mother, his consciousness gradually disintegrated like a baby, and finally melted into a ball of something similar to the magic he felt in the game.
After an unknown amount of time, or perhaps just a blink of an eye, the feeling of being pulled up into the sky disappeared. Li Lin subconsciously opened his eyes, and it was as if he had just closed and opened them again. The scene in front of him did not change at all, and the AI projection was still smiling in the air. However, before Li Lin could open his mouth to question, the smiling AI made a gesture of extending his hand and said with a smile:
" Your sleep aid time is 107 hours. You have now reached the orbit around Mars. There are still 30 minutes to reach the first landing platform on Mars."
"Based on your personality simulation, we believe that you are extremely curious about the external environment of Mars."
"Excuse me, would you like to directly turn on the projection facilities and view the surface of Mars?"
“…”
I've been sleeping for almost five days now? I don't have any impression at all.
Li Lin rubbed his head, which was completely awake but didn't look like he had just woken up, and waved his hand to signal the AI to turn on the projection screen and take a look.
Everything around him was just like what he saw in the Moon Hall, gradually dissolving into the ground, and then simulated projection screens were erected around him, showing everything in the outside world inside this egg-shaped spaceship. Looking at the huge planet just below the spaceship, Li Lin's pupils couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"…This is really not the Mars I imagined."
Li Lin couldn't help muttering as he looked at the huge, chaotic structure beneath his feet that was constantly spewing black pollutants and white smoke, but was filled with a certain weird beauty.
It was like the most brutal aggregation of human heavy industry. This huge planet could not hide the densely packed huge factories and pipelines. This planet was like a distorted body called factory crawling all over it. Even from the sensors, the orbit of this planet was distorted to a certain angle because of the messy illegal buildings on it, and it was even constantly being thrown out of the solar system due to the gravitational slingshot effect.
Faced with this deformed planet, Li Lin even felt that his own aesthetic sense seemed to have been polluted a lot.
At least he now feels that this huge thing is really unbearable to carry.
