A Core Ship From The Start
/ A Core Ship From The Start Chapter 1220
Chapter 1220: Chapter 827: Cognitive Ke Studies Chapter 1220: Chapter 827: Cognitive Ke Studies “`
Doomsday.
For humanity, it was an unforgettable disaster in history.
That day, the Black Wall collapsed, and the malevolent AIs of the old net wreaked havoc, turning people into beasts that slaughtered each other, turning the civilized world into a bloody jungle.
The remnants of humanity embarked on a path of escape and resistance.
The girl did the same, originally aspiring to the prosperity of the city, she came to the new city, working hard to earn money, longing to live like those in the city.
But in the blink of an eye, the nightmare arrived, and the once utopian dream became a hell ravaged by demons; the girl escaped from hell, yet what she faced next was an unimaginable reality–where to go from here?
The girl had no clue, she just struggled desperately, fleeing, the only thing that kept her alive was the thought of not wanting to die. She survived and, along with other survivors, began a journey of survival. They found a temporary refuge outside, living a brief and peaceful life, but soon, the attacks of the Electronic Demons and Cybernetic Madmen destroyed everything, and the girl's lover died in the assault.
Facing the enemy rushing towards her, the girl could only clutch the cross at her chest and pray silently in the last moments.
However, at that moment, suddenly, a holy light descended from the heavens, and the monsters completely dissipated in its radiance. The girl opened her eyes in surprise, only to see an Angel descending from the sky, standing before her.
“You did not give up, child of man, your devotion has sustained you to the end,”
the Angel said, smiling as she extended her hand to the girl.
“And now, you will be rewarded.”
Looking at the Angel before her, the girl felt as if she had found hope again……
“What the hell is this crap!”
Duanmu Ai threw the script aside, her skin crawling with discomfort.
For heaven's sake, when have I ever said such things?
This is complete fabrication, all right?!
“Huh? I think this script is quite good?”
Kujikawa Rise looked at Duanmu Ai in surprise.
“The protagonist has gone through so much hardship, and in the end, found hope again, right?”
“Of course not.”
Duanmu Ai pressed her hand against her forehead, speechless.
“Look at the crap the Angel said at the end, 'Your devotion has sustained you to the end, and now you will be rewarded?' Putting aside how nauseating that line is, doesn't it imply that her friends and lover deserved to die because they weren't devout enough to survive until the end?”
“Uh……”
Faced with Duanmu Ai's criticism, Kujikawa Rise found herself at a loss for words.
In fact, in this script, Kujikawa Rise was playing the female lead, while Duanmu Ai was supposed to play the Angel D at the end–true to the director's word, it was a brief appearance, a quick two or three lines, essentially a walk-on role.
“So… shouldn't the protagonist be crying tears of joy?”
“Crying tears of joy? Based on my experience, these usually fall into two categories: one is despair and committing suicide on the spot, the other is cursing why the rescue didn't come sooner.”
Duanmu Ai shrugged her shoulders. When she was D, she had seen such situations many times, although she didn't know which particular event the script was based on. But, to be honest, such endings are usually not as dreamy as written in the script.
“Why would she commit suicide? Wasn't she saved?”
Kujikawa Rise widened her eyes in surprise, looking at Duanmu Ai.
“Yeah, only she was saved, everyone else died, it was only by luck that she survived, don't you find that ironic? To witness the painful death of so many loved ones, expecting to die with them, and then realizing that by mere chance she lived–do you think she'd be overjoyed?”
Duanmu Ai said, her mouth twisted in a wry smile.
“Such a person would either commit suicide on the spot or throw themselves into the subsequent wars in hopes of dying on the battlefield to reunite with loved ones. To be moved to tears, that's something only those who are desperately afraid of dying and would do anything to survive would experience. Of course, I'm not saying that such people are bad, after all, the human survival instinct is what it is. But that's not the protagonist, right?”
“Yes…”
Kujikawa Rise flipped through the script again, nodding.
“The script says that when her life was overturned and she lost hope, she sought death, which is why she engaged in dangerous acts, until her lover gave her hope to live again…”
By the way, the lover is also a woman–so politically correct.
“…Ah, I see, now I get it.”
After going through the script again, Kujikawa Rise seemed to have an epiphany and nodded in realization.
“Got what?”
“When I practiced before, I always felt something was off because according to the script, the protagonist's lover is the hope that reignites her will to live. But for some reason, when performing the later part of the script where she yearns for survival, it felt weird…”
“Because her lover is dead, and she also wants to die, that's normal. Anyone who suffers two such blows in a row would be disheartened and await death. At that point, the Angel's arrival is simply a stroke of good fortune, totally unrelated to any beliefs or devotion.”
Duanmu Ai waved her hand dismissively. That was always her attitude: whether I save you is my business, whether you die is yours, and it has nothing to do with me.
“Hm… that makes sense, I'll continue studying the role.”
Kujikawa Rise nodded in agreement and then buried herself in the script again.
Watching Kujikawa Rise go to study the script, Duanmu Ai didn't mind and, at that moment, her phone rang. She picked it up and walked out to the balcony.
“What is it?”
“`
Lumiaire's voice soon came from the other side.
“Great Judge, I've discovered some clues about subspace.”
“Oh?”
Hearing this, Duanmu Ai's expression immediately turned serious.
“Tell me in detail?”
“Yes, while going through papers, I found that the research institution here had conducted a study a long time ago on collective cognition and the other world… This fits closely with the Tribunal's description of subspace. Specifically, it's about how individual cognition can create something like a special space in the other world, along with another self…”
“Hmm, that does sound very similar.”
Duanmu Ai nodded, just like Yukiko Amagi's castle and her soul projection. She hadn't expected that humans had already begun to study this.
“The research was then halted due to the outbreak of Destruction Day, and the institution lost control. However, ten years ago, the government department here restarted the research.”
“They restarted it?”
“Yes, but five years ago, due to the accidental death of the main researcher, Isshiki Wakaba, the experiment was once again sealed off… But I believe there's more to it than meets the eye.”
“Oh? How so?”
“According to a paper called Cognitive Science, it discusses several possibilities, including if you kill your other self in the other world, it could result in the death or loss of self-consciousness of your real-world counterpart. And when I accessed the government's database for comparison, I found a series of accidents records known as the 'Invalid Incidents', in which the victims couldn't remember what they were doing at the time of the incidents, and their mental states were abnormal afterward, unable to communicate with others, as if they had totally lost their self-consciousness…”
“So you're saying someone inside the government is meddling with this research?”
“Currently, it seems likely. I reviewed surveillance footage from before Wakaba Isshiki's death, and she looked as though she had lost consciousness…”
“Then, are there any papers about how to enter subspace?”
“They were destroyed, and I'm unable to restore them, but I did find Isshiki Wakaba's daughter, hoping to find some clues through her…”
“Alright then, do your best, and let me know if you need anything.”
Duanmu Ai gave a few instructions and hung up the phone.
She hadn't thought that people in this world were capable of such feats.
It had to be said, after hearing the information from Lumiaire, Duanmu Ai felt quite moved. Some civilizations started researching subspace before they had even ventured beyond their own galaxy, while others had conquered most of the Milky Way but still knew nothing about subspace…
So there lies the benefit of civilization diversity; you never know if some village will share nuclear fusion technology with you.
Meanwhile, in the Gang of Thieves, the atmosphere was anything but good.
Not long ago, Takemaki Ann had chosen to leave the Gang of Thieves, which had caused a big fight with Sakamoto Ryuji. Since then, Ryuji had been brooding, determined to show Ann just how formidable the Gang of Thieves was. So, they were continuously looking for their next target.
Online opinions about the Gang of Thieves were split; some believed in their existence, and some didn't. Of course, there were also people who sought help from the Gang of Thieves online, and the gang did indeed help them, accumulating some reputation–but unfortunately, it was far from enough.
“Seriously, who should we choose as our next target?”
“We need to choose a big name, someone famous, to show Ann what we're capable of without her!”
While scrolling through lists on the website, Sakamoto Ryuji said bitterly, and hearing his words, Yugong Lian and Yoshikawa Yuki exchanged a helpless look and sighed.
That was just how Ryuji was, stubborn and always stirring up trouble. Honestly, they were worried this attitude might land them in trouble one day.
“Ah! Look at this!”
Suddenly, Ryuji, who was browsing the website, seemed to find something exciting and pointed to the computer screen.
“Look! I can't believe it; that guy is actually on the list!”
“What? What's going on?”
Seeing Ryuji's excited expression, Yugong Lian and Yoshikawa Yuki leaned in curiously, only to see a post asking for help from the Gang of Thieves. The poster claimed to be a stage actor who had been practicing hard for an upcoming performance but was framed, resulting in lost employment and being kicked out of the theater troupe. So, she turned to the Gang of Thieves hoping they would help her take revenge and force the person who ruined her career prospects to repent.
And that person's name was not unfamiliar to them.
“…Duanmu Ai?”
Seeing the name, Yugong Lian was also taken aback.
“How come it's her?”
“I knew it; I always knew that girl was up to no good!”
Compared to Yugong Lian's confusion, Sakamoto Ryuji appeared very smug. Ever since Duanmu Ai had ridiculed the Gang of Thieves as worthless on a show, he had disliked her. Now that he had finally found an opportunity, he did not intend to let it slide.
“That settles it, then. Our next target is her!”
“Hold on, this is just one side of the story on the internet. We should at least investigate…”
“It's simple, just input her name and see if she has a palace to find out!”
While saying this, Sakamoto Ryuji snatched Yugong Lian's phone and typed in Duanmu Ai's name.
Then… the air around them suddenly changed.
“As I thought!”
Seeing what appeared on the screen, Sakamoto Ryuji clapped his hands excitedly.
“That's it! We'll make sure she repents! Admits her crimes and errors!”
Chapter end
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