Deep Space Wandering Fleet
Chapter 291 - Chapter 291 Chapter 291 An Unconventional Eternity

Chapter 291: Chapter 291: An Unconventional Eternity Chapter 291: Chapter 291: An Unconventional Eternity On that day, Zhang Yuan was reading a report at his desk, detailing the psychological changes of a large group of Glizerians after entering Virtual World No. 14.

“…The harsh reality always contains so many unsatisfactory elements. Having stayed inside for a long time, they no longer care whether the world they are in is real or fake…”

“The common masses, whose real lives are unsatisfactory, have many unfulfilled desires. They need a place to escape, and their addiction to the virtual world is understandable.”

“But unexpectedly, almost all of the high-ranking leaders have also fallen into such virtual worlds.”

“In the real world outside, they have vast wealth and supreme power, supposedly at the pinnacle of the world. Yet, the desires of intelligent life are infinite, and there are always things that cannot be satisfied. In that illusory world, they possess healthier bodies, almost endless energy, the ability to achieve whatever they wish, even including various superpowers!”

“With such a contrast, the outside world becomes dull…”

“As time goes by, the wealth and memories of the real world have become unimportant to them. These oligarchs spend less and less time in the real world; we predict that they will soon make up their minds to completely abandon their physical bodies and enter the virtual world.”

According to this report, when the superstructure collapses, humans can take the opportunity to take control of the Universal Factory, and then send a large number of Glizerian people into the virtual space.

This alarming investigative report makes Zhang Yuan’s heart pound.

Although the entire plan is being implemented very well with hardly any obstacles, it doesn’t make him happy. If humans were in the same situation, they could not do better than the Gliese Civilization. Philosophically, the two civilizations are essentially the same.

“Dark science!”

“Sigh.”

After reflecting for a while, he stood up and paced about, feeling anxious lately. The tightrope-walking sensation was unbearable.

“Knock, knock, knock,” his ear twitched, and suddenly he heard someone knocking at the door.

“Come in!”

It was the retired Senior Brother Zhao. He glanced at the report on Zhang Yuan’s desk and chuckled, “Worrying about how to implement this plan?”

Zhang Yuan waved his hand: “Ah… I’m not worried about whether the Glizerians will fall for it, the plan is going too smoothly, so smoothly that it is unsettling. I am thinking, if humans encounter this kind of situation, they would also fall into the same outcome, self-destroying because of this technology.”

“Oh? Let me have a look.” Zhao Qingfeng picked up the report and read it carefully.

Although he had stepped back from the forefront, he was still a member of the Scientific Council and had a certain right to know.

Zhang Yuan shook his head: “What the Glizerians are experiencing now is the most addictive ‘God Mode.’ We can surely set the virtual world a little less perfect, or nearly the same as reality, to prevent humans from becoming addicted to it. However, as long as this technology exists here, it will not be shelved forever; it will only slowly evolve.”

“It’s like when playing video games, many people choose to play in cheat mode.”

“After all, humans are creatures that seek pleasure, and even if you try to ban it with administrative orders, it won’t last long. What will happen in a hundred years, or a thousand years, after our generation has died? Who knows, maybe we’ll end up just like the Glizerians.”

“Moreover…”

Zhang Yuan paused, looked at Senior Brother Zhao with his white hair and wrinkled face, and sighed again: “The alternative immortality!”

“As long as it is allowed, humans can live indefinitely in that virtual world as digital lives.”

“This technology has been realized so quickly, and this is what scares me the most…”

Thinking of the countless Glizerians who willingly enter the virtual world makes Zhang Yuan slightly bewildered: “Is our society really ready to possess this technology? If a person will never die and lives forever in the world, Old Zhao, what will our civilization become?”

“If I remain Captain forever, after a thousand years, ten thousand years, and then a more suitable genius emerges, would I willingly give up my power?”

“Even if I personally am willing, what about others?”

After hearing such an extensive explanation, Zhao Qingfeng fell silent for a while, then sat down on a nearby chair and said, “Humans can only achieve immortality in the Virtual World, right? Life in the Virtual World is like being in a two-dimensional world; it’s impossible to interfere with the real world. It’s just a waste of some computer processing power. Those who enter the Virtual World no longer possess the wealth, power, or connections of the real world.”

With the current technology, it was possible to read memories from the human brain and upload self-awareness into a biological computer.

Some scientists had a sudden inspiration: If these memories could be rewritten into a young clone’s body and self-awareness could be infused, it would allow a person to regain their youth and achieve true immortality!

Fortunately, for humans at the moment, this technology was still in a very difficult stage!

Because “reading memory” and “writing memory” posed two different levels of difficulty. The technique for “reading memory” was derived from the Bozeman Quantum Consciousness Converter.

There was no technique for writing memories inside, which meant humans were at a loss as to how to proceed.

Especially writing a string of data into a clone body, involving the chemical changes of billions of brain neurons, was simply beyond the control of current human capabilities.

Zhang Yuan shook his head, “Old Zhao, although this is the case for now, don’t forget that bionics technology is thriving.”

“If there’s no way to turn clones into new bodies, why not just abandon the human brain and directly use a biological computer instead? After uploading the memory and consciousness, this biological computer, which carries human consciousness, can directly serve as the human brain…”

“Then, employing some bionics technology to develop a sense for the real world, true immortality would be achieved!”

“Even if these beings can no longer be considered human, and it poses an ethical difficulty, it’s not impossible to achieve technologically.”

Zhao Qingfeng said, “We can prohibit the research of such technology for resurrection and return!”

Zhang Yuan shook his head, “It’s impossible to prohibit. We might forbid it for several decades, or even for centuries. But what about later? There are too many variables…”

“What does it matter if they’re considered non-human ethically? Right now, the strong opposition is because big trouble hasn’t arrived yet, but when it comes to their own mortality, they’ll quickly become supportive.”

Zhao Qingfeng frowned; these words made a lot of sense.

Sometimes, he too lamented the fragility of human beings and the impermanence of life.

The thoughts of young people and those of the elderly are always different. Young people take risks, they can stay up all night if they like, exhaust themselves, and eat whatever pleases them without much thought to health or longevity. The elderly think differently…

Aging–the greatest and most terrifying enemy of humankind.

Who wouldn’t wish to live a little longer?

Sometimes, when he heard of advancements in Virtual World Technology, a sense of instinctual joy would arise within him.

But a civilization doesn’t need cancer cells!

He sighed softly, “That means, people like me, old and frail, yet with considerable influence, are very likely to support the advancement of these technologies… Even if it’s not happening now, it will inevitably occur over the course of thousands or tens of thousands of years.”

“As soon as a leader appears who secretly advances this, our civilization is doomed.”

Zhang Yuan said, “Yes, and it’s not just the elderly; middle-aged and young people too. If they found out, they might not admit it, but they would support such technology in secret. It’s the general trend of society!”

“After all, humans are a self-serving species. If they can survive for an extended period, they won’t consider what the future world might be like, whether it will degenerate, or become stagnant. As long as they’re alive, isn’t that enough?”

“But that’s exactly what we should be thinking about the most.”

Zhao Qingfeng couldn’t deny it; he nodded thoughtfully. Even though he was an elderly man and possibly among the first to face death, the thought of considering the entire civilization had become ingrained in him.