Chapter 134: The Sound from the Past, the Outcome for the Future

Chapter 134: The Sound from the Past, the Outcome for the Future

Everything has two sides, just like a coin always has two faces.

The increasing thought infiltration near the Invader Barrier turned into forced control, causing chaos in the passenger living quarters, but it also helped the research project on this side.

Chen Feng felt a little better.

To be honest, he didn’t need to struggle or weigh his options much. If truly necessary, as long as the goal could be achieved, he would not hesitate to abandon everyone, including himself.

Some things really shouldn’t be thought about too much.

Chen Feng didn’t rest for long before he received another notice from Tang Tianxin.

There was trouble outside, and it was big trouble.

She could no longer control the situation.

When Chen Feng reappeared in the living quarters, Tang Tianxin was waiting for him in the plaza with a worried expression.

“See for yourself.”

Tang Tianxin pointed into the distance.

In the four corners of the large plaza.

At the entrance of the bar, inside the basketball court, and around the internet cafe doors, men and women were fighting each other.

This was really, truly, fighting, all jumbled together.

There were no battle cries or shouts, only the thudding sounds of fists and feet hitting flesh.

Even though these people were fighting, they all strangely avoided the items and equipment around them, not damaging a single blade of grass, a single table, or chair.

Although they all seemed to want to kill each other, they were also extremely civilized and polite.

Apart from these people trying to “eliminate” each other, everyone else went about their business as usual.

For example, a pair of parents were sitting with their child on a bench in front of the flower bed in the middle of the park, tutoring math.

When others fought, they carefully avoided this family of three.

Chen Feng tried to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t understand a word. It was above his level.

“I really have no way. I can’t control it. All the security officers have already been dispatched.”

Tang Tianxin sighed, “If this continues, within a day or two, probably everyone will show these symptoms, and all these passengers will be lost.”

Chen Feng fell into thought.

Since he had nothing else to do, he might as well try to use his brain and see if he could solve this problem. It would also be a training exercise for his own abilities.

He said, “Let’s first analyze the situation. Look, these people are fighting so fiercely but not damaging the Spacecraft. Does that mean protecting the Spacecraft aligns with a certain behavioral principle in their minds, one with very high priority?”

Tang Tianxin nodded, “Yes. Although they seem unreasonable, there is a certain logic to their actions.”

“So, as long as we find their logic, we can naturally solve this problem.”

Tang Tianxin paused, then quickly calmed down, “I let you see me make a fool of myself.”

“How so?”

“In the past, I should have been best at handling this kind of thing. I panicked too much.”

“It’s fine, not your fault. You just regained your emotions not long ago. You need some time to adjust to mastering this ability that humans should inherently possess.”

Tang Tianxin shook her head, “But we don’t have much time. I’m not qualified to slowly enjoy being weak.”

Then she sank into deep thought, no longer paying attention to the “battlefield” ahead.

Not long after, she produced an analysis.

The reason these people were fighting each other was to prove their genes were superior and to eliminate those they considered not good enough.

The motivation for their actions stemmed from a certain biological instinct of humans as a species.

It was the instinct for racial reproduction.

Just like all life on Earth, the highest priority instinct for single adult humans when they have nothing to do is reproduction.

Now, as the depth of the infiltration influence on these people kept increasing, their underlying thoughts were further altered. Their actions naturally became more extreme, only following the highest instinct.

“I just checked the production area. It’s still relatively stable. So, I think these people are too idle right now, so much so that their only remaining goal is to act according to this instinct.” Tang Tianxin clapped her hands, “We need to give them something to do. Make them too busy to even think about reproduction.”

Chen Feng asked, “Then why are the people in the production area so well-behaved? Your logic is contradictory.”

“This Spacecraft was originally designed to fly to Proxima Centauri, with a flight time of forty years. So, long before takeoff, the Escape Faction established extremely strict rules. Negligence during work would face severe punishment. People in the production area, during work hours, simply don’t dare to have other thoughts.”

Chen Feng said in surprise, “How come I didn’t know about any rules or regulations?”

Tang Tianxin spat at him in annoyance, “As a hijacker, have some self-awareness. You never asked, so naturally no one told you.”

“Alright. Even if your analysis is correct, didn’t you say reproduction is the highest instinct? Then why are they afraid of punishment?”

“Because the punishment is exile into the Universe. Without life, there is naturally no qualification for reproduction. Survival is a prerequisite for reproduction.”

Chen Feng nodded, “Good, then let’s find something for them to do.”

Not long after, everyone who could still move was ordered to the production area.

Chen Feng’s order was for these people to try to solve unsolved math problems. They had to work on the thousands of still-unanswered math problems in the world and couldn’t stop until they solved them all.

As for the others, those already dead were beyond help.

Those still alive could naturally be saved. After being saved, they would all go learn math for him.

“Making people do endless math, you really are merciless.”

“What’s the big deal? Their logical thinking is so strong now. Only math can tire them out. Even though I don’t understand math myself, that doesn’t stop me from making things difficult for others.”

Tang Tianxin was shocked by his uniquely unconventional thinking. She could only say he was talented.

Day by day, the Spacecraft got closer and closer to the edge.

Over there, the project members, by analyzing Lin Bu’s brainwave activity, gradually captured more and more information.

Converting the still-unintelligible radiation wave signals into signals humans could understand was clearly an extremely difficult task.

Every change in Lin Bu’s brainwaves contained a huge amount of information.

If not for the incredible storage capacity of the Quantum Network, and if human electronic information storage still remained at the level of the early 21st Century, just one microsecond’s worth of information would fill all of humanity’s hard drives.

The researchers needed even more massive computational power to simplify, constantly refine this information, find its patterns, and finally summarize it into simple, understandable messages.

On this day, Ou Qinglan pushed open the door to Chen Feng’s office and said.

“Chen Feng, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is, just now, we finally identified a pattern. The radiation wave in Lin Bu’s mind completes one cycle every ninety minutes. The bad news is, with our current computing power, we need at least a year to fully decrypt its content.”

Hearing this, Chen Feng pointed in the direction of Earth, “Can’t we ask the World Government for help?”

“In fact, they are already helping us. Their Central AI allocated ninety-nine percent of its computing power to me. My estimated time already includes that.”

Chen Feng sighed, “Then I’m afraid it’s too late.”

Ou Qinglan: “Yes.”

She was about to leave when Chen Feng stopped her. “Have the more than twenty-six thousand able-bodied passengers on the Spacecraft stop their math problems and put all their effort into assisting the Quantum Network’s calculations.”

Ou Qinglan accepted the order and left.

In the past, she would have definitely asked why.

How could human calculation assist a Quantum Network?

But now she didn’t ask. The infiltration had affected her pretty deeply too.

Actually, Chen Feng was quite curious. If every human brain truly possessed the same rigorous thinking pattern as a computer, how powerful would its computing power be?

Ou Qinglan gave him an exact answer within half an hour.

“Thanks to you letting them start math training early, they now had a solid foundation and could start working directly. In thirty-six more days, we will complete the preliminary analysis and create a Simulator that lets you hear the acoustic simulation signals of the radiation waves ‘seen’ by Lin Bu.”

Chen Feng was overjoyed. “Great!”

The combined computing power of over twenty thousand people on the Spacecraft had forcefully increased all of humanity’s computational capabilities by ten times.

The Invader’s technology was indeed unbelievably powerful.

Even more unbelievable was that Chen Feng’s accidental, unconventional move had turned the Invader’s method of attack into his own aid.

Chen Feng checked the time.

Thirty-six days was still too long, not enough time.

He waved his hand grandly. “Full speed ahead, approach the edge at maximum velocity!”

It was time to go all out. Do or die.

Half a day later, the Spacecraft officially arrived at the edge of the Invader Barrier.

“How long now?”

“With the increased computing power, only eighteen days are needed.”

Chen Feng clenched his fist tightly.

Success!

Eighteen days later would be exactly October 27, 3020 AD.

Some things were really destined by fate.

October 27, 8:00 AM.

One hour and forty-three minutes remained until the judgment hour.

Chen Feng received a pitch-black small box from Ou Qinglan. The box was connected to an in-ear earbud.

Ou Qinglan smoothed her white hair and said, “It’s a success. Next, you can wear this and approach the Invader Barrier. You will hear some sounds. The closer you get, the clearer the sounds will become.”

Chen Feng nodded, put on the Azure Star, stuffed the box into his clothes, and put on the earpiece.

He turned his head to look at the space beyond the stars.

It was still empty.

He looked back toward the direction of Earth.

Over there, the Military’s million Warships were still standing ready, vigilant.

He gave Tang Tianxin a carefree smile and waved at Lin Bu’s head. “I’m going. See you later.”

He entered the airlock. The hatch opened, and Chen Feng leaped out.

The Azure Star emitted light, and he set off alone, quickly approaching the edge.

Just after leaving the airlock, the sound in his ears was very faint and chaotic.

Three minutes later, he completely reached the edge.

He flicked a metal pellet from his fingertip. It had just moved less than half a meter from his body when the pellet was decomposed into particles invisible to the naked eye.

The sound in his ears finally became clear.

Chen Feng jolted all over, shocked beyond measure.

The sound was actually “The Sounds of Earth”!

The biggest question that had always been in Chen Feng’s heart was finally answered.

Why did the Invaders come?

How did the Invaders find Earth?

How did they master the means to control humans?

Case solved.

On August 20 and September 5, 1977, humanity launched two spacecraft, “Voyager 2” and “Voyager 1”.

Each spacecraft carried a copper phonograph record with a gold coating called “The Sounds of Earth”.

This Golden Record carried humanity’s mission to communicate with the Universe’s Galaxy.

This was originally humanity’s goodwill cast into the Universe, but in the end, it invited the calamity of extinction.

Humans wanted to earn a place in the Cosmic Civilization circle.

But this qualification came too early and too fast; humanity could not bear the consequences.

Ou Qinglan had said that the information ‘seen’ by Lin Bu followed a ninety-minute cycle.

The natural sounds and twenty-seven world-famous musical pieces recorded on the Golden Record containing “The Sounds of Earth” added up to exactly ninety minutes of audio.

These sounds completely exposed the sound wave information the human brain could receive and process, exposing humanity’s thought structure and logical patterns.

The Invaders used the Golden Record as a base point to reverse-engineer the human brain structure, easily gaining insight into human thought.

The high-purity uranium-238 embedded in the Golden Record’s cover had a half-life of 4.17 billion years. Alien Civilization that captured the Golden Record could use this to calculate the launch date of the probes.

This further exposed humanity’s brief history and level of Civilization.

In short, this act of goodwill made the Earthlings into easy, pitiful prey.