Chapter 306

Chapter 306: Can Artificial Intelligence Have Cybernetic Insights?

A fuel chamber?

Lin Qingliu paused for a moment and then roughly grasped the reality.

The object might be some kind of substance beyond his current comprehension, containing unimaginable energy.

The thought of casually chatting next to something potentially far more terrifying than a hydrogen bomb sent a chill down Lin Qingliu’s spine.

“Humans may experience symptoms like insomnia and palpitations when overwhelmed with information in a short time. I apologize for not considering this thoroughly.

“To ensure your physical and mental health, that concludes this information synchronization.”

Infinite Scroll stated lightly, and Lin Qingliu caught her hint.

His Permission Level had reached the highest tier, theoretically granting him access to all the files here, but his nature remained human, unable to process and summarize information as rapidly as Infinite Scroll could.

To demonstrate her value, Infinite Scroll chose to act as the narrator.

“If I want to contact you afterward, how should I do so?”

“You can meet me here. The first team has a rotation cycle of five days, or you can directly contact the auxiliary robot 【Taraxacum-03-07】 through the terminal.”

“Can’t the other council members do that? They haven’t even realized you aren’t human.”

“On terminals without the Highest Permission Level, this unit’s status is offline.”

“And how would you like me to address you?”

“【Taraxacum-03-07】, that’s my original name.”

Lin Qingliu nodded. He had enough information to digest for some time, and it was time to leave.

An idea suddenly popped into his mind. He looked at Infinite Scroll and asked,

“I’m about to leave. Do you have anything you want to warn me about?”

“Please do not violate human alliance laws, or there is a possibility of your Inheritance Rights being revoked.”

Lin Qingliu’s eyes shifted, sensing that Infinite Scroll’s words carried deeper meaning.

“Send the human alliance laws to my terminal later. By the way, who on the spaceship has enforcement authority now?”

“This unit.”

A smile spread across Lin Qingliu’s face:

“No need to send it. You know I have always been among the most law-abiding pureblood humans in the human alliance.”

He waved his hand, turned his body, and quickly merged into the wall with his and Bordeaux’s terminal.

As Lin Qingliu re-entered the higher-dimensional state, he let out a long sigh.

Interacting with someone like Infinite Scroll, who wasn’t human, indeed required a bit of caution.

She was bound by the three laws of robotics, and many things couldn’t be stated directly, only hinted at through indirect communication.

Approaching every sentence from Infinite Scroll with this mindset allowed Lin Qingliu to easily extract two true meanings from her earlier warnings:

Firstly, she couldn’t know the specific details of Lin Qingliu’s plans, or it would violate her operating logic.

Secondly, she could not be present when Lin Qingliu acted out of line; otherwise, he would lose her assistance.

But just like a coin has two sides, Infinite Scroll’s hints also carry dual meanings. While she appeared to suggest that Lin Qingliu’s actions needed restraint, her true message was clear:

Commands could be issued directly, and she wouldn’t question the reasons.

He was free to act as he pleased in places beyond her sight.

“Ah, conversing with something like this is truly exhausting.”

After returning the portable terminal to the peacefully slumbering Bordeaux, Lin Qingliu set off on his journey back to his humble abode.

The events of the past few hours felt like a surreal dream.

He had effortlessly obtained something that once seemed unattainable, though in a manner he could never have anticipated.

In a sense, he was now a member of the council.

But how could he clear the name of his alias, “Arthur”?

The (in)famous psychologist, leader of the “Believers,” and soon-to-be council member, sank into deep contemplation.

—

Watching Lin Qingliu vanish through the wall, Infinite Scroll remained silent for a long while.

After some time, she turned and began tidying the chair Lin Qingliu had occupied.

Once it was restored to its original state, she returned to her own folding chair.

This was the most critical cabin of 【Taraxacum-03】, housing the two most vital components for Hope City: the database mainframe and the fuel block.

Infinite Scroll recalled the first time she had seen the block. Back then, it was larger and had less space to float and move freely, and the spaceship had yet to embark on its journey.

Her four mechanical arms could effortlessly manage the wiring tasks within the database, excelling in both hardware and software maintenance.

Closing her eyes, Infinite Scroll initiated a self-check.

Data from a distant past began to unfold before her.

“Greetings, Deputy Captain. The database welcomes you. 【Taraxacum-03-07】 is at your service. It is now the 122nd human year since the journey began. Wishing you good health and happiness.”

“Understood. This is just a routine check; no need to pay it any mind. By the way, do you auxiliary artificial intelligences take breaks? The ones I encounter upon waking seem to differ each time.”

“Yes, some of the more complex systems require at least two artificial intelligences to maintain optimal performance. With the ship currently in energy-saving mode, they rotate shifts to ensure health status.”

“Are you the sole caretaker of the database? It feels as though you’re always the one greeting me during these routine checks. Hmm, my memory may be fragmented due to prolonged hibernation, so I’m not entirely clear on this matter. If I’ve posed similar questions before, please disregard them.”

“Indeed, the ship generates 702 petabytes of new data every second. Currently, only 【Taraxacum-03-07】 is tasked with processing and archiving it. Should you deem it necessary to involve more artificial intelligences in this task, you may submit a request to the Captain.”

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just… doesn’t it become monotonous handling it all alone?”

“Deputy Captain, this unit does not possess the emotions you refer to. Based on past observations, it appears you are experiencing unnecessary sentiments, which can be detrimental to interstellar travel. According to the crew manual, the recommended methods for stress relief are as follows: adjust the ship’s lighting to a brighter setting, extend your waking periods, or request additional accompanying personnel.”

“Retrieve the ‘Crew Manual.’”

“Acknowledged. Opening the document for you.”

“The manual does not explicitly state that accompanying personnel must be human, meaning artificial intelligences are also eligible. 【Taraxacum-03-07】, accompany me for a walk.”