Booker still didn't quite understand why Liao Qi was so anxious.
It’s not that understanding Paradox’s identity isn’t important. But in his opinion, this is something that will only take a long time to come.
What's more, there are more urgent things that need to be solved right now.
For example: how to solve the current dire financial difficulties of the organization; how to quell the riots currently taking place on the seventh floor of the resettlement area; when will negotiations with the "ten layers of government" take place; and most importantly, what will the organization do to the corporate liaison office's previous collection? The processing of the message that arrived...
However, Liao Qi was determined to verify a conjecture at this moment.
And he refused to say what the specific conjecture was.
This made Booker feel helpless.
The other party's attitude was very determined, as if he would die immediately if he didn't go on this trip.
So in the end, Booker had no choice but to sigh and agree.
Before getting off the car, he used the communication channel to connect with the person in charge of the "Enterprise Liaison Room", and then informed:
"Ask the guests to wait a little longer. Liao Qi and I will go there later."
"Ah? Then let her wait here? Leader Erwin, this matter is very..."
A very embarrassed voice came from the other end of the communication channel.
"I know this matter is important, but we also have urgent matters here... Just make up some excuses and find a way to appease the other party. Besides, if you become impatient after such a short delay, then I have to suspect that the other party is here to negotiate. Sincerity.”
Booker finished speaking quickly and then hung up the communication.
The new safe house to store the multi-purpose printer is located in an abandoned chemical factory. A tragic leak occurred here more than ten years ago, and until now, the surrounding residents are unwilling to set foot here.
But three years ago, the Icarus Liberation Front used the technology of the Abyss Dark Web to reduce the concentration of nearby pollutants to a level acceptable to normal people. They did not announce it to the outside world, but transformed it into a safe place. house in case of emergencies.
After getting off the car, the two ignored the danger warning signs around them and walked quickly into the factory.
Just when Booker was about to ask Liao Qi again what kind of conjecture he had. As if aware of it, the other party suddenly turned to him and asked:
"Booker, do you know what 'horse' means? It's the horse in the sense of the abyss and dark web."
Horse? Why are you asking this suddenly?
Booker was a little confused at first, but then nodded and answered:
"I know, a concept about deep-diving salvage. Sometimes, some AIs wandering in the abyss dark web will not choose to directly kill the intruding abyss wanderers, but will either force or seduce them As your own medium that can enter the basic reality, you become a horse that carries them galloping in the basic reality."
"So how is this different from 'possession'?"
Liao Qi continued to ask in a deep voice.
"Possession by evil spirits will obliterate the consciousness of the abyss wanderer, hide its own program in the substitute, and completely seize the opponent's body in the base reality. But because the verification of the mandala cannot be completed, this will eventually trigger the brain The apoptosis program of the machine interface kills the host.
"Although becoming a horse will also take away the body, the AI will retain that person's self-awareness, because they will need the host's consciousness to complete the verification of the mandala. In other words, the host has the power to commit suicide if it does not cooperate with the verification. "
Generally speaking, most of the AIs that have blended into human society in this era have found their own "horse".
There are even some guys with no brains who worship the Abyss Dark Web and regard being ridden by AI as a strange religious experience.
At this point, Booker suddenly understood what Liao Qi's guess was.
yes!
Why didn't I think of it before?
Perhaps the pressure brought by the "paradox" to him was too strong, and the differences in levels between them were so great that he never even thought in this direction?
"Paradox" came to them because he wanted to choose his own "horse"!
"I understand, is that what you meant?"
Thinking of this, Booker nodded repeatedly, and then asked seriously.
…
What do I mean?
Jiang Zhou, who was in a hurry, didn't understand why Booker suddenly had such an expression of realization.
He came to the multi-purpose printer in such a hurry just to let Liao Qi rush over to save his life.
For this reason, he couldn't think of any good reasons to convince Booker, so he could only transform into the Riddler and take the risk to let the other party bring him here.
As for how to explain it later... let's save our own lives first.
But, is this what “horse” actually means?
No wonder the guy who drove those spiders said he passed its test.
It turns out that he wanted to turn himself into a mount that could gallop in the basic reality.
Having said that, if you really become the opponent's horse, it will be quite miserable.
After all, Jiang Zhou's body was imprisoned in the prison of Tartarus, and he only had more than 20 days to live.
This is comparable to Xiang Yu who traveled through time in Gaixia and found himself a hellish start.
Wait a minute...
Combining the concept of "horse" with Booker's expression of realization before, Jiang Zhou roughly guessed what the other party was thinking.
So, he followed the other person's words and asked:
"Then do you think my guess is possible?"
In this regard, Booker held his chin and thought for a while, then said:
"As far as the information I know is concerned, when AI chooses its own 'horse', it will look for someone who is more suitable for itself. In fact, many abyss wanderers will even reach agreements with some AIs to become At the cost of the horses, I can borrow their power in the Abyss Dark Web."
As they spoke, the two passed through layers of security verification and arrived at the secret room where the multi-purpose printer was placed.
"But there is no doubt that the level difference between us and 'Paradox' is too great. If He wants to use us as horses, there will be only one ending waiting for us, and that is for the mental index to plummet to madness."
Booker said this after inviting the members staying in the secret room out.
"level……"
Jiang Zhou murmured.
"At the very least, only by breaking through the limits of human intelligence at Depth 7 can He choose us to be His horses."
Having said this, Booker frowned.
In this case, is this the true meaning of "Paradox" when it said, "Do what you are supposed to do"?
Improving the level of their lives through adjustment and transformation is what they "should do".
Does the other party intend to train them as their own "steeds"?
Thinking of this, Liao Qi had already walked over with the data cable extending from the multi-purpose printer.
"Anyway, my suggestion is to connect again and try asking the other person face to face."
…………
"You, you, you, you... are you sure you will bring me a new*%￥%￥new new horse?"
Although he flatly rejected the request to become the opponent's horse, Jiang Zhou was not killed immediately.
An agreement was reached between him and the "woman" wearing a black veil.
Jiang Zhou promised that he would bring him a more suitable horse candidate.
And that candidate can also pass its trial.
If he can't, then he is willing to become the other party's backup choice.
Most of the AIs in Depth 2 are equipped with personality interaction interfaces, and negotiating terms with them is easier than bargaining with a vegetable vendor.
Therefore, even within the logic of AI, it does not believe that it can conjure people from the physical layer out of thin air. But after he promised to let him handle it if he couldn't do it within the stipulated time, the other party readily agreed.
After all, it was just a few minutes of waiting.
After calculation, a native person without any adjustments and modifications will not be able to make any waves in its hands.
So Jiang Zhou took advantage of this opportunity and sat next to the textile machine in the center of the hall.
The woman in black gauze stood at the door.
"There are still 111,100 seconds..."
it said suddenly.
Jiang Zhou took a deep breath. He sensed the star connected to him, and then...
drop down.
…………
It was the familiar falling feeling from before again.
When Booker was able to feel everything around him again, he found himself and Liao Qi in a gorgeously decorated hall.
Complex and gorgeous.
In the middle of the hall, there is a huge and simple textile machine, and the unknown existence "Paradox" is sitting in front of the textile machine.
The entire composition looks like a surreal oil painting.
"Paradox" is still a body composed of countless changing color blocks, but compared to the last time, the colors of those color blocks have become darker and more detailed.
It was as if He was seriously injured.
Of course, Booker understood that this was just his illusion, just another form of visual special effects.
As expected, the other party pulled them over again!
"Mr. Paradox, what is your purpose in bringing us here this time?"
Seeing this, Booker immediately lowered his head and asked.
Jiang Zhou, who was next to the textile machine, calmed down and said:
"This time, you took the initiative to come."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, pointed at the woman in black gauze behind them who was eager to try, and continued:
"But now that it's here, this is a trial."
