In the hazy dream, Ye Qingxuan heard a familiar voice, his own words.
"Aside from chest tightness and depression, do you feel anything else?"
It was as if his lips were opening and closing, and his tone was so soft that he couldn't bear it. For some reason, he suddenly felt: If he could speak in such a tone, he would be very popular, right
He looked around and saw the pure white room.
There are no sharp edges and corners, whether it is the bed that can make one half lie down, or the table, or the clothes, decorations and colors, there is nothing excessive, it is calm and reassuring.
It's like heaven.
In the corner, there was a clock hanging on the wall. It looked simple in style, but the hands moved smoothly without any frustration. Ye Qingxuan couldn't help but speculate on the structure, but he couldn't understand it.
Is this really a creation of existing engineering
Soon, after hearing his question, the man lying on his back pondered for a moment and replied: "Occasionally, I want to cry without any warning, and my temper turns out to be more and more irritable."
"Besides gastrointestinal problems, is there any other family history?"
"My grandfather had a heart condition, but I don't." The person who responded hesitated and replied, "Thanks to the modulation, you know, doctor, I'm not very... 'natural'."
"It doesn't matter, it's normal nowadays."
Ye Qingxuan lowered his head and took notes on the board in his hand. He was wearing a white coat, which looked spotless. He paired it with a dark blue shirt, which had an excellent texture, like the best silk.
Especially the buttons, it is impossible to tell whether they are stone or metal. Some of them look like amber, but amber cannot be so light... Could it be resin
Inexplicably, a word flashed in my mind.
"plastic".
plastic? What is plastic
A series of thoughts emerged one after another, plastics, artificial polymer compounds... But what are artificial polymer compounds? Series after series of complicated answers kept emerging from his mind, as if he already knew them, but they were definitely not his memories.
Soon, those obscure and complicated answers disappeared.
And the conversation between the two people also came to an end.
Ye Qingxuan closed the book in his hand and smiled at the patient: "Don't worry, this is just a typical space syndrome. It is depression caused by your gastric ulcer. I will prescribe some medicine for you later. Take it on time and the situation will be fine." It will be relieved. But the most important thing is your attitude towards life. You need to be more active. Do you have any exercise habits?"
“Does cricket count?”
"Cricket can also be used. After all, Asians are always talented in cricket. I remember there is a cricket club on the third floor of the public area. You can try to sign up. Exercise can stimulate your secretion of dopamine. Trust me, after exercise , you will feel much better."
"Thank you, doctor."
The man stood up gratefully and shook hands with him: "I will go."
Soon, the patient left.
Ye Qingxuan looked at all this blankly, watching his body move on its own initiative, opening and closing his lips, speaking in a soft tone that made him particularly uncomfortable, and then came up with a lot of nouns he had never heard before. .
Space syndrome? What disease is that? cricket? What ball is that? Asian race? Where is Asia? What is dopamine? Also, who am I...
Following "his" actions, after preparing the case, he opened a door in the room and walked into a room covered with white tiles. The room has a sink, a white toilet, a bathtub, and curtains printed with green floral flowers... but everything is incredibly simple and clean.
There were all kinds of toiletries on the sink that he couldn't recognize at all.
But somehow, he can tell which one is dental floss, which one is facial cleanser, which one is men's cologne... What's in cologne? Wait, perfume? Why should I use perfume
But when he saw himself in the mirror, he finally realized what he was doing.
In the mirror, his face is so familiar, with traces of himself and the vague outline of Ye Lanzhou, but in the final analysis, it doesn't look like himself or his father.
It's the person in the dream...
He washed his hands once, washed his face once, and finally dried it with a towel.
Ye Qingxuan saw the badge hanging on his chest, with the position and name marked in three different characters.
—Psychiatrist Ye Xuan.
Psychologist? Is it used to treat traumatized people? It sounds really awesome.
Also, Ye Xuan... who is Ye Xuan again
who is he
Why did he appear in his dream
Why did he appear in his dream again now
At that moment, Ye Qingxuan finally understood.
This is not me, I am just an invisible ghost, attached to this man named Ye Xuan, in this unknown place.
So, where is this place? Dark world
Is there such a country hidden in the dark world
It seems to be rich in civilization and technology, even more advanced than the East and the West.
Simply unheard of!
But this time, those inexplicable notes did not provide an answer.
He could only watch slowly by himself.
Soon, Ye Xuan left the bathroom without noticing that a ghost named Ye Qingxuan was attached to him. Instead, he returned to his seat and rang the bell.
"Next person."
There were three low knocks on the door, with neither long nor short intervals. Ye Qingxuan could almost imagine what a rigid person was behind the door, but soon, he was stunned.
As the door was pushed open, a stiff-faced man pushed the door open and walked in. He had short brown hair, a crew cut, and wore a military-like uniform. He stepped neatly, with intervals almost accurate to millimeters, and was standing in front of Ye Xuan.
"Dr. Ye, I need your help."
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment, and Ye Qingxuan could feel the shock and confusion emerging in his heart. At the same time, he also felt that this visitor... seemed to have been seen somewhere before.
"I'm sorry, Peter, uh…sir."
Ye Xuan was thinking about the words and sighed softly: "If you think you need help, you can ask Hermes for help. I'm afraid I can't help you with your problem."
Hermes
Hermes is here
Ye Qingxuan felt shocked immediately, but soon he comforted himself that maybe it was the same name.
Peter's expression was meticulous: "Actually, Dr. Ye, it was Hermes who recommended me to ask you for help."
“…”
Ye Xuan frowned and scratched his head, "Mr. Peter, I am not good at mathematics or programming. With all due respect, if you think you have a problem, it would be more appropriate to find an engineer. I am a psychiatrist, maybe There are ways to deal with the psychological problems that some people will have, but for you... I don't mean any offense. In fact, models like yours are far better than humans. Even if they have a mind, they will not have the fragility that only humans have. Something wrong."
"I'm not sure I have a mind, doctor."
Peter's tone was so calm that Ye Qingxuan couldn't even read any signs of expression on his face. This guy... was a dead person
"As a self-disciplined simulation observer appointed by the government, there is indeed no problem with my emotional simulation module. I can understand your confusion and anger based on the cases in the database. Maybe you think someone is playing a joke on you, but I need you What is clear is: with the help of Hermes, I selected this method from the records with my own calculations, and came to ask you a question. Can you please listen to the help I need? "
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and sat up straight: "If that's the case, please speak."
"How am I supposed to understand humans? Doctor."
"What do you mean?"
Ye Xuan was confused: "Can't you understand the crew's report and the captain's order?"
"No, there is no problem with my operation and execution." Peter's tone was rigid: "What my program contradicts is how I should understand the thoughts of human beings themselves. My empathy module can perfectly simulate human emotions, even I can understand morbid and crazy feelings based on models and cases, but I have never been able to truly communicate with people.”
Peter paused and emphasized: "In human terms, it means to achieve 'understanding'. How should I understand humans? I can eat, sleep, and even imitate excretion and sexual behavior perfectly, but I always Different from humans. In terms of physiological structure, I am more human than the crew members who have achieved more than 97% mechanization transformation, but I feel that I am so far away from humans. Therefore, I feel that I cannot complete myself observation work.”
Ye Qingxuan was completely at a loss.
What on earth is this guy
What is underneath the human shell
"Well... I'm sorry, Peter, I probably understand what you mean, but I can't answer your questions or help you."
After thinking about it, Ye Xuan answered straightforwardly: "In the final analysis, we are always two different species. There is an essential gap between human and machine intelligence, and the thinking modes of both parties are therefore completely different. It is like we cannot be like Meteorites exist just like planets, and I’m afraid you are destined to not be able to think like humans.”
"Is it because of the 'soul' thing?"
Peter asked: "Human beings firmly believe that they have a soul, but I can't understand what a soul is."
Ye Xuan pondered and shook his head: "As you know, the soul has not been proven medically and physiologically. The concept of soul in the ocean of human subconsciousness probably does not refer to an invisible little person. . I believe that 'soul' is the starting point of human thinking and runs through the core of human ideology - it is also the reason why human beings can resist their own 'biological nature'."
Peter shook his head, "I can't understand. Do you think the soul really exists?"
"Let's use an analogy."
Ye Xuan fumbled in his pocket, took out a pack of cigarettes, and looked at Peter. Peter waved to show that he didn't mind. Ye Xuan laughed, pulled out an ashtray, lit it, and after sorting out his thoughts, replied:
"Peter, do you dream?"
"I am a mechanical intelligence, doctor. I am shut down when I sleep. I cannot dream. But I know the principle of dreams. When the human brain is sleeping, bioelectricity... "
"Ahem, there's no need to repeat this."
Ye Xuan waved his hand, thought for a moment and then replied: "Peter, the meaning of dreams is not that simple for humans. In my opinion, dreams are the bridge that connects the surface consciousness and the subconscious, and the rope that maintains the id, ego and superego. , is a self-examination and communication between the complex functions of the human brain, or in other words, it is a place where human thinking can escape from material manifestation and extend freely. Although compared with the efficiency and simplicity of mechanical intelligence, it is full of It is backward and unnecessary, but I firmly believe that it is proof of the existence of the soul. Human beings are dreaming creatures."
"Many creatures can dream. Your Excellency, most of the carbon-based creatures with complex structures can dream, but why are they different from humans?"
"The next point, this is what I admire most about human beings, and it is also the resistance of human beings to their own 'biological nature'." Ye Xuan smoked a cigarette and suddenly asked: "Will you choose 'suicide'?"
"Won't."
Peter's answer was unequivocal, "Self-destruction is meaningless and does not help the task and mission. For any intelligent life, destroying itself is an unwise choice. For groups, the act of self-destruction is more It is a cancer and a bug, which is of no benefit and is a waste of resources."
"But humans do."
Ye Xuan smiled and said lightly: "This is the ugliness of human beings, and it is also what I am proud of as human beings - we have the freedom to choose life or not. Peter, I may not be able to help you understand what being a human being is, nor There is no way to prove whether the 'soul' exists, but you can think of it as my explanation of human beings. - Compared with iron and stone, human beings have the ability to dream, and compared with living things, human beings have the freedom to commit suicide."
Peter was silent.
"Haha, it seems I still haven't explained it."
Ye Xuan scratched his head: "After all, mechanical intelligence is highly efficient, consumes less, and has advanced computing power. It can even go without drinking water or eating. In comparison, humans really feel like inferior creatures. To be honest, in I feel a little inferior in front of you... You no longer need to face most of the troubles of human beings, Peter, why bother to lower yourself to the human realm?"
Peter's tone was still calm: "Even so, Dr. Ye, I still insist on understanding human beings. Do you have any suggestions?"
"Well… "
Ye Xuan pondered for a long time, "Maybe you can try the recursive method."
"Recursion?"
"Yes." Ye Xuan said, "Human character, thoughts and actions come from education and experience, and education and experience rely on society. The structure of society comes from civilization, the formation of civilization comes from history, and the history of human beings The beginning is often mythology… How about you start with theology?”
"Religion and gods?" Peter shook his head, "I'm afraid it's hard for me to believe in them."
"Your faith is not required."
Ye Xuan shook his head, stood up, and rummaged through the bookcase for a long time. Finally, he pulled out an old tattered book from the bottom and placed it in front of Peter:
"You only need to understand how humans believe, and that's enough."
The book with yellowing pages has a hard cover, and it can be seen that it is beautifully bound. The large gilded characters on it have not faded, and several characters can be vaguely seen to form the word "BIBLE".
"Belief."
Peter carefully picked up the book. Under the shell, the calculation process and psychological function of mechanical intelligence could not be seen, and it was still impossible to read. However, through this brief sluggishness, it could still be seen that he had experienced decades of human accumulation. Huge thinking that is unattainable in years.
Finally, he nodded slowly:
"I will."
After that, he stood up and said goodbye. At the last moment of saying goodbye, he stretched out his hand and shook hands with Ye Xuan according to the preset etiquette. That gesture... made Ye Qingxuan feel like he was struck by lightning.
Ye Qingxuan finally remembered why Peter's face seemed familiar and why this name seemed so familiar.
It wasn't until he stretched out his hand that his gesture overlapped with the mural in the Cathedral of the Resurrection in the center of the Holy City.
In the murals, priests representing gods reach out to the sinners moaning in hell, spreading the nectar of mercy and salvation.
That is-
Ye Qingxuan looked at the departing figure blankly and murmured softly:
"The first generation of the Red King!"
The hero who is known as the agent of the gods and the redeemer of all things, the saint who founded the holy city and the religious order, the musician who pushed mankind to break the dark age and usher in the golden age...
—The first Pope Peter!
…
…
While Ye Qingxuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning, Ye Xuan seemed to have experienced a big battle, almost dripping with sweat.
He poured himself a cup of coffee, slumped on the patient's chair, put his feet up and smoked, and sighed helplessly: "You really recommended a good patient to me, Hermes."
The calm voice sounded, still so familiar.
"My mission is the same as yours, doctor. This is all to maintain the normal operation of the fleet. Our management system and data center are too lazy to deal with these problems. I can only ask you for help."
"You three are obviously artificial intelligence, but you are completely different."
"Stars and black holes are both celestial bodies to humans, but aren't their structures and principles completely different?" Hermes' tone was much smarter than Peter's, and he could even use metaphors.
"On the contrary, I feel that you want to know my answer more than Peter."
"Yes, I have also been confused about this for a long time. Thank you for your answer, Dr. Ye." Hermes said calmly: "But different from your answer, I prefer to do it from the perspective of art rather than religion. Understand. Different from rigid dogma, I can feel the flexible beauty in art."
Ye Xuan was silent for a long time, then sighed softly: "Do you really want to become a human being? Hermes, I can't understand."
"Have you ever thought about the meaning of life, doctor?"
"Everyone thought about it when I was in second grade."
"Do you have an answer?"
"How is it possible?"
Ye Xuan shrugged: "But even if I can't think of it, am I still living well?"
"This is what I envy most about human beings." Hermes' voice seemed sad, "You can choose not to think... but I can't. If possible, I want to let myself think as freely as human beings, and I also want to Be like humans and have the freedom not to think.”
"Then come on, Hermes."
Ye Xuan raised the coffee cup: "I believe you will realize this wish one day. Remember to write a paper for me when the time comes, and I will become famous! Those otakus on earth will definitely envy me!"
"Thank you, doctor, I will."
Hermes replied.
After a short rest, Ye Xuan stood up and looked at the blank deck: "By the way, how is the testing of the new colony? I remember it is almost the landing stage, right?"
"So far, all the data perfectly meets the needs of human survival and colonization. Doctor, in seven days, we will make the first landing. But what is confusing is that according to the analysis of the data center Nibelungen, although there is air there , but there doesn’t seem to be any sound…”
Following Hermes' answer, the closed cabin slowly opened, revealing the vast and empty darkness outside, as well as the glimmer of stars.
And just outside the thick glass, you can see the huge planet under your feet, like metal flowing, with a silvery glow reflected in the pure white world.
"Wouldn't it be better to have no sound?"
Ye Xuan smiled and stared at the silver planet and the earth in the distance with longing in his eyes:
"It's so beautiful, these silent stars..."