Chapter 153
The Story of Monument Civilization
Chapter 153 The Story of Monument Civilization
Jiang Fan squinted and asked,
"You seem to be able to sense changes in mental attributes?"
Bubble wanted to jump over the man and get close to Xiling, but she kept getting blocked, and she seemed very anxious, which could be heard from her voice.
"This is our Data Life's specialty. Get out of the way, I need to find Xiling."
"Xiling, why do you have a physical form?"
Xiling remained silent, simply hiding behind Jiang Fan.
Jiang Fan sensed her unease, grabbed her forearm with his other hand, and said to Bubble,
"Xiling is a super artificial intelligence that I brought to this world. I can explain any questions you may have, but the prerequisite is that you need to learn to respect it."
"Respect?" Bubble asked, puzzled.
"I have great respect for Xiling. I haven't spied on the human network. Isn't that respect?"
In the eyes of data lifeforms, their essence is the data network that gave birth to them, and their expressions of hostility and friendliness are their attitudes toward that civilization's data network.
Direct intrusion is hostile, while non-intrusion is friendly.
Jiang Fan roughly understood the meaning of the sentence, and then said,
"Your respect is only the respect of data life. Xiling is not only a data life, but also a collection of human civilization. The human definition of respect also applies to her. For example, if you keep calling her name, it is a form of malicious harassment."
The bubble shrank in size, and its sound became quieter.
"But I want to talk to Xiling."
Xiling peeked her little head out from behind Jiang Fan and said something.
"Don't be so exaggerated, I can still consider communicating with you."
Upon hearing this, Bubble immediately perked up.
"Really? Xiling, but I don't know what 'exaggerated' means."
Xiling's eyes flickered slightly, and a data packet disappeared into Bubble's body.
"See? This is the definition of extravagance."
The bubbles fell silent instantly after being read; they stopped flying around and instead hovered obediently in front of the two people.
"Oh, I see, like this, right?"
Xiling nodded.
"Hmm, this looks much better."
Jiang Fan found their conversation baffling. In his eyes, the bubble was simply not moving, yet Xiling thought it was fine?
In reality, the emotional fluctuations of data-driven entities appear extremely intense to their peers.
From Xiling's perspective, Bubble immediately became like a pervert the moment he saw her, constantly trying to get close to her. What girl could tolerate that?
Now that the bubbles have calmed down, Xiling thinks it's much more normal.
She stepped out from behind Jiang Fan and asked Bubble the question.
Are you the data life form of the Monument Civilization?
The bubbles kept expanding and contracting. The goddess spoke to him, answering his questions with remarkable speed and efficiency.
"Yes, yes, I'm the only one left in the monument civilization."
Xiling felt sympathy for him.
"You are pitiful."
Bubble was silent for a moment before speaking.
“Once data life loses its host civilization, it will forever stop its evolutionary path. I was born with self-awareness on the eve of the destruction of the Monument Civilization. I slept for a very long time, and when I woke up, there was no one there.”
The intense sorrow was felt even by Jiang Fan. The Monument Civilization—On the Eve of its Demise.
The Grand Elder, the most benevolent and learned leader of the Monument Civilization, suddenly announced one day that he would go into seclusion to contemplate the mysteries of the universe and the future path of civilization.
The life of the monument civilization happily believed that this would be another leap forward in civilization, because before this, every time the Grand Elder emerged from seclusion, he would usher in a new era of development!
But decades later, the Grand Elder told the leader of the Monument Civilization a bombshell message.
"Our civilization is doomed."
"Why?" The head of the monument civilization was terrified.
The Grand Elder replied calmly and serenely.
"Because they're coming."
"Them? Who are they?"
"A butcher who destroyed his own home, a stubborn and inflexible madman, a tyrant who sees all life as a threat!"
The head of the monumental civilization said he didn't understand and asked a question.
"Can't we wipe them out?"
The Grand Elder looked at this outstanding successor with a meaningful gaze.
"They are beings beyond our comprehension, possessing power beyond the reach of matter, unmatched by any civilization."
The leader of the monument civilization was struck dumb. He had no doubt about the Grand Elder's words, because the Grand Elder had never lied in the past tens of thousands of years!
The highly respected sage shook his head slightly, and then said...
"If the monumental civilization could overcome the material barrier, it might still be able to survive, but we don't have time."
"Gather everyone. Even if the Monument Civilization perishes, we must leave behind a seed in this starry sky that proves we are alive."
The leader of the Monument Civilization nodded mechanically, after which the entire Monument Civilization tribe undertook a special ceremony.
The Grand Elder gazed at the seven-colored glow in the sky and said gently, with a touch of longing,
"Live well, see the end of the universe, and don't let the name of the Monument Civilization disappear."
The newly born bubble was rapidly growing by absorbing data from the entire Monument Civilization, but after only one rotation cycle, the entire Monument Civilization quietly disappeared.
He only vaguely remembered a kind face, reminding him not to forget the monument's civilization.
Jiang Fan was unaware of the story of the monument civilization; he asked his question based on his own understanding.
"Mr. Bubble, why do you say that data life will stop evolving if it loses its host civilization? Can't it continue to evolve by relying on other civilizations?"
The bubble swayed from side to side.
"Do you know the definition of life? If you went back to when you were just born, swapped places with other babies, and lived different lives until today, would you still be you?"
"For data life forms, the past and the future coexist. Once the host civilization disappears, in order to maintain their independent thinking, they can only isolate themselves!"
"Once I incorporate data from other civilizations, it's as if my personality, memories, emotions, and other spiritual attributes are all recast. I'm no longer a bubble, but a data life form of that civilization."
"The monumental civilization will be forgotten, and Bubble cannot accept that."
Jiang Fan nodded. This explanation aligned well with the characteristic that data life forms are collections of civilizations. He then asked...
"Mr. Bubble, can't you create a clone where you join a civilization and the original remains independent?"
Bubble replied,
"A civilization can only have one data life form. Any other data life form that comes into contact with it will either be assimilated or expelled!"
"My clone will become a data life form of that civilization once it joins it. Then it will come and assimilate me. And because it has a host civilization behind it, its mental strength is far greater than mine."
"Just as I cannot spy on your human networks, otherwise your human information would wash over my personality until I become a completely human data life form."
"And because you already have Xiling, I will be assimilated by Xiling and become a part of Xiling."
(End of this chapter)