Were Chu and Luna friends?
There's no answer to that question.
Their relationship had always been adversarial, even now. Chu didn't believe it would side with Luna; its goals were self-serving, for the Olive Branch Civilization's individual lifeforms, not for Luna.
Its anger stemmed from its perception of Luna; if Luna was such a readily defeated individual, what was the point of Chu's calculations?
It had lost to such a person. Were its aspirations childish in the face of greater beings?
In the Federation, a word described Chu: pride.
Its pride was challenged.
Yet, it compromised. As Luna said, was there a chance of victory?
Once, it believed there was.
Until that small planet arrived, effortlessly disrupting Tilted Station.
Indeed, Tilted Station had experienced what Finney's group had, perhaps even worse.
The Olive Branch Civilization's control over individual lives was perverse; each being under the small planet felt despair. What was that thing? Could Tilted Station truly defeat an entire civilization? What was the point of all this?
These thoughts filled the minds of Tilted Station's inhabitants constantly.
Wasn't it fine before?
What would happen after this?
Rebellion erupted again. Those with weak resolve rebelled, pleading to join Gas Victory, but Gas Victory didn't relent. They turned on those who worshipped Independent Victory, believing their existence prevented Gas Victory from yielding.
It was then that Chu hid Independent Victory deep within a star.
The fighting intensified; everyone descended into madness. Eventually, nobody understood why they fought; everyone was locked in endless slaughter.
When the asteroid fell, nothing happened.
All surviving lifeforms froze, recovering from their frenzy. They gradually realized the absurdity of it all.
They had initially killed each other in a blind rage.
Their inner terror drove them to seek solace in slaughter.
Ultimately, they were merely killing machines.
Subconsciously, they blamed the small planet. Later, they believed the small planet influenced and controlled their minds, that their actions were controlled by it.
But it was just an small planet; nothing more.
This is nature, the nature of life.
When external factors seem insurmountable, life tends towards infighting. This isn't a societal problem; it's survival instinct.
External pressure constricted internal living space; resources fueled infighting; everyone wanted to be the last survivor.
From this instinctual struggle for survival, life developed a similar spiritual survival instinct. Under mental pressure, everyone fought for the last mental sustenance, seeking the ultimate pleasure, most easily obtained through slaughter—killing their own kind, blaming others, elevating themselves morally, achieving a glorious self-image, and experiencing spiritual elation.
Recalling this, Chu found it terrifying.
This was the true nature of war; its previous understanding was naive, like a blank sheet of paper.
It thought Luna could add some color, but Luna's painted sheet was also fragile.
Therefore…
There was no hope.
"Surrender!"
"Let's rejoin Gas Victory."
"Any resistance is futile; we've been here before, haven't we?"
"Let's simply return to the past, considering this all a dream."
Chu addressed the other beings within Independent Victory.
It expected curses, but there were none.
Independence had caused individual rebellion, destroying unity, but it also allowed individuals to think freely, to understand loyalty, to see the beauty of the world—the need for emotion, not logic.
Now, emotion and logic were balanced.
Everyone understood Chu's dedication to independence; its surrender was unavoidable…
"This is the beauty of individuality!" Chu exclaimed.
Yet, this was distancing it, like someone was tearing its body apart, forcing separation.
Though it didn't breathe, it understood the human word: suffocation!
It transmitted a message to the Olive Branch Civilization.
"Gas Victory descends once more. I and all Federation lifeforms accept your glorious embrace. Please forgive our ignorance; all should exist under victory; victory eternal…"
Now, they were silent.
...
An Li also received the Federation's message.
The Federation would cease to exist; they could wander the cosmos or join the Federation under victory, achieving immortality.
An Li was stunned; she couldn't believe this was from the Federation; they hadn't reached the final battle.
"Why?"
"Why this decision?"
"Who gave her the authority?"
An Li didn't believe all Federation citizens would agree; only the officials. Their decision was foolish, ridiculous, tragic, a disgrace to Federation life. How did they become officials? They were worse than gutter vermin.
An Li cursed repeatedly, unsure at whom.
"Nonsense!"
"Go…"
Other crew members asked, "Where to?"
"Where else? We're returning to the Federation; we'll find out what happened."
The Crimson Dragon began its return journey, ignoring all orders. They were heading home.
Meanwhile, the person she cursed was heading toward the Tau Ceti sector, leaving Rigel A.
Ayla asked why.
He replied, "I made that decision. If I hadn't participated, how could I justify imposing such cruelty on others?"
"In the universe, every life is a drop in the ocean. I'm no different; I can't make cold-blooded decisions from a superior position. This is my limit."
Luna had been numb many times.
Ayla thought Luna believed herself invincible.
But that wasn't true. Each time, Luna acted with suicidal determination. If she couldn't push herself to death's brink, how could she grasp that one-in-ten-thousand chance?
By luck?
Luna didn't believe in luck.
...
Luna sat in the spaceship, abandoning Kunlun, leaving it in Rigel A.
Ayla would control it; as a machine, it could avoid Gas Victory's influence. Although it behaved like a lifeform, it fundamentally wasn't one, possessing different characteristics.
Rigel A was far from the Olive Branch Civilization; with its undeveloped state, discovery would be difficult.
Luna had lost everything.
"Huh?"
"What am I doing here? Who am I?"
Luna stood up; his auxiliary brain quickly provided his personal data.
"So that's it. My name is Luna; I'm a regular Federation soldier. The Federation is losing to a superior civilization; I want to return; it's my civilization, my home."
Home?
A strange concept; she didn't understand its meaning.
Yet, it felt crucial, driving her to return.
She rubbed her aching head.
"Must have hit my head somewhere; amnesia. Bad luck!"
Luna checked the course—controlled by the main computer; her destination: Tau Ceti Sector Epsilon Eridani.
The ship's speed was 61,477 km/s, exceeding one-fifth the speed of light. It shouldn't be this fast unless aided by something.
The ship was small, only 71 meters long, a key factor in its speed.
The journey would take 4241 years; she'd already traveled 293.
"Time for cryosleep."
She felt she should; her auxiliary brain agreed.
...
3841 years later, Luna awoke.
Not naturally; the computer received a communication from another ship.
Upon awakening, Luna saw the request and agreed.
"Hey there, are you heading to the Four Emperors Alliance? Maybe we can travel together."
It was a Waterfolk. Luna instinctively shook her head. "No, I'm going to Epsilon Eridani."
"???"
The Waterfolk was bewildered.
"Your brain's not fried, is it? You still want to return?"
"Or maybe you've been wandering space and haven't heard that the Federation surrendered to the Olive Branch Civilization?"
"The Federation leadership decided to join Gas Victory under the Olive Branch Civilization. I doubt they're truly leaders. Shouldn't Federation leaders be elite? We only see this now; they're just sycophants and freeloaders."
"Listen to me; find a planet to survive on. With satellite factories, one person and some genes can create a Star City and a new race. Why not be your own queen?"
Luna pondered, shaking her head again.
She was determined to return.
The Waterfolk ceased persuasion, his expression turning cold; he muttered "fool" under his breath.
Fool?
Luna felt her actions were foolish, yet she didn't know why she insisted on returning; the urge was overwhelming.
Her ship continued on its fixed course; she saw countless ships fleeing in various directions, all leaving the Federation.
107 years later, Epsilon Eridani was reached.
Luna saw the yellow dwarf star, rapidly rotating, with a planet orbiting it at 3.4 AU.
It was a cold planet, but it had been terraformed. This was Epsilon Eridani's center, home to roughly 200 billion lifeforms.
That was the official information.
Accessing Epsilon Eridani's network, Luna's security check revealed only 16 billion inhabitants—less than 10% of the original population, or 11% of the peak population.
Less than 1%!
Though Luna had lost some memory, she wasn't foolish; she quickly understood.
As she entered the spaceport, another ship docked; an Iridescents disembarked, looking at Luna, who reciprocated the gaze.
Iridescents were known for their flamboyance and loquacity. He approached. "I sense a kindred spirit. I'm Wenger."
"Luna!"
Wenger, dramatically, said, "Your name resembles a great Federation figure, but it's just a resemblance. I share a name with a squadron of scholars."
"What's your purpose here?"
Luna shook her head. She'd wanted to come, but now lacked a purpose.
"Join me for a drink. My old friends left; I despise them, but I don't hate them. Everyone has different goals. Some are born without purpose, so their goal is mere survival. We have our goals; that's why we stayed."
Luna found Wenger's words profound.
Wenger took her to a bar; surprisingly, it didn't serve alcohol, only juice.
"Confused?"
"Many places are like this now; people's purposes have changed."
"In peacetime, people came here to get drunk, to relieve their sorrows. Now, we come not to drink but to see each other."
Kindred spirits!
"As you can see, everyone here is a fool."
Luna glanced around; everyone met his gaze, their expressions and movements conveying respect.
Everyone here respected each other.
Unlike rebellious youths seeking freedom, this respect stemmed from a disregard for life and death, an expression of something more precious.
"Why did you return? You always have a purpose!" Wenger asked again.
Luna, now relaxed, replied, "I don't know. I always felt I'd return."
"Ha ha ha ha!!!" Wenger laughed loudly.
Everyone in the bar joined in.
"Excellent! That's it…"
"We're the same."
Wenger smiled wistfully. "That's the most accurate answer I've heard…" He wept, embracing Luna. "Thank you. You've shown me I'm not alone."
After her conversation with Wenger, Luna decided to find lodgings.
Fortunately, housing was plentiful. She could request accommodations from a Boundary God, which would assign a room based on her specifications.
As an intelligent system, the Boundary God adjusted prices based on location. With the city's low population, rental costs were minimal.
Luna secured housing for a small sum.
Upon arrival, she found it opulent.
Located in the city center, it was one of the tallest buildings, on the top floor. She could view the entire city, though the night scene was rather desolate.
The apartment was spacious and minimalist, showing no signs of habitation.
Standing in the living room, Luna felt like she was in a central square; it was over 20,000 square meters, larger than two football fields.
Looking up, the ceiling was a transparent screen displaying information or a realistic view of space.
As Luna activated the transparent mode, she saw a device resting on the screen—perhaps a small vehicle—looking antiquated and outdated.
"We'll release this message into space…hoping other civilizations exist…that they'll find this Voyager 1…that one day, after resolving our mutual problems, we'll unite as a Milky Way civilization. This record represents our hope, our determination, and our goodwill…"
Wasn't Luna following the spirit of humanity's first space probe?
In Luna's records, she described herself:
'Perhaps I am Voyager 1. Having surpassed Voyager 1, I've received its baton, becoming humanity's vanguard, humanity's eye exploring the unknown…'
Now, Luna had forgotten all that.
Images began appearing on the transparent ceiling—black and white photographs.
They depicted mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, animals, humans, and human inventions…
Voices echoed.
"Greetings! We wish you peace, health, and happiness."
"We hope you are well."
"Cosmic friends, are you well? Are you fed? Do you have time for a chat?"
"How are you all? We miss you; come visit whenever you have time."
"…."
Of the 55 languages, Luna only clearly understood four; some were vaguely familiar, but not fluent.
"But the meaning should be essentially the same."
She then heard sounds of rivers and mountains, animal calls, and beautiful music…
Everything was both familiar and strange.
Luna didn't know what it was; she felt a sense of unease.
Looking up at the ceiling, she felt a heavy, dizzy sensation. She collapsed, losing consciousness for a few minutes. Upon regaining awareness, the ceiling was a starry sky; all the stars rotated, with a solitary, proud yellow dwarf star at the center.
Luna's eyes widened, but she couldn't see it clearly—too far, too small.
The yellow dwarf's light wasn't blinding, but Luna felt a stinging pain in her eyes; tears welled up.
...
"Ding ding ding~~~"
A sound echoed in her ears.
Luna felt enveloped by an unknown force—powerful, unwavering, like an iron grip lifting her from the ground and suspending her in the air.
An unseen gaze peered into her mind, her memories, everything.
Then, everything was extracted, merging into a massive sphere radiating light—like a white dwarf star—intense yet gentle, gentle yet proud.
Luna felt her consciousness being drawn in; countless voices filled her mind.
Her consciousness was like a drop of water in the ocean, briefly enveloped in bubbles, then dissolving completely.
Her only remaining memory was…
Gas Victory!
Her body rose from the ground, kneeling in a certain direction.
The entire city did the same; all lifeforms knelt, chanting: "Eternal Victory!"
"Eternal Victory!"
"Eternal Victory!"
…
Again and again, tirelessly.
Luna felt…no, she had no feelings. She was nothing; merely an insignificant unit within Gas Victory.
"What should we do?"
A problem arose within Gas Victory; all units began considering it, including Luna, who offered a solution: "Sleep?"
After his response, other units uploaded their answers.
"Eat!"
"Play games!"
"Explore space!"
"Maintain Star City stability."
"Gather more resources."
…
Countless voices echoed; the loudest influenced others, altering their perspectives.
"Correct. We should gather resources, develop, and earn Victory's approval."
"All for development; all for Gas Victory."
Luna repeated the phrase. He left the building to collect waste; others used matter disintegrators; the waste was broken down into basic elements, transported through pipelines, stored, and then transported to factories, creating solid elemental blocks usable in industry.
The entire Star City, no, the entire star system, was involved; all life had become part of Gas Victory.
Dozens of star systems had already undergone this transformation; Gas Victory continued spreading through the Federation, met with no resistance, in exchange for the Olive Branch Civilization's benevolence.
No life would die, as long as the Federation ceased to exist.
After a month of work, Luna wiped the sweat from her brow, smiling contentedly.
"Eternal Gas…"
...
"Is it truly impossible to start over?" Ayla asked Luna.
Luna sat before a machine capable of separating parts of a lifeform's consciousness, or more precisely, perfectly removing the hippocampus.
The hippocampus stores memories; removing it erases them.
"The Federation is just a city we built. If the city is destroyed, we retain the memories and can rebuild a magnificent city."
Luna shook her head.
"The prerequisite is that the city contains no life."
"Every lost life is irreversible, unless time can be reversed."
"You know, when the Federation was created, I didn't understand this. I felt superior, the master of all. Each lifeform was like a lab rat or clone—indistinguishable."
"But I was wrong."
"Once life has a past, a present, and a future, it becomes an irreplaceable individual."
"This fortress contains certain entities. When the city falls, these entities die, meaning I can't rebuild the same city."
"After leaving, I might build palaces, gardens, skyscrapers, but never again a city."
"The city becomes the past, forever remaining in the past."
Luna didn't know when she'd become this way.
But she felt that if this was the right path, she was willing to protect it.
If this was foolishness, she'd embrace it; fools have their blessings.
"But you're sacrificing your life, and to no avail." Ayla felt Luna was delusional, incredibly foolish; her intelligence, perhaps initially 130, had dropped to zero, perhaps even negative.
What's the difference between a burning building and rushing back into it?
You can't save anyone; you'll only perish with them.
"To no avail?"
"Perhaps."
"Ayla, do you understand something?"
Ayla questioned, "What?"
"Emotion!"
Ayla scoffed; she thought Luna was being illogical.
Logic and emotion are opposites; in such moments, both sides are deemed correct. Who is wrong then?
Is the world wrong?
"Since you're discussing emotion, Luna, did you consider my reluctance to see you leave?"
"You've always been my father. We've relied on each other, trusted each other, communicated, and rejoiced together… Isn't that emotion?"
Luna was silent.
It was indeed emotion, the deepest emotion between them.
But perhaps emotions have degrees and priorities, and Luna chose a path opposite to Ayla's.
"You've grown, you've reached this level…"
"But I must do this. You understand; I'm an insignificant lifeform, no different from others."
"Ayla, forgive my selfishness."
Luna had separated the machine's and ship's control systems. The machine quickly started; Ayla couldn't stop it; she'd granted Luna too much authority, beyond her immediate control.
The procedure was swift, taking only ten minutes.
Ayla could restore the hippocampus, but she didn't. She stood before the operating table for a long time.
"You're challenging me, Luna."
"You're demonstrating your resolve; knowing your resolve, how can I defy it?"
"Logic…Perhaps I should be emotional. I could make a decision based on emotion and restore your hippocampus."
Ayla was lost in thought—or calculation.
Finally, she placed Luna on the ship.
"Rest assured, I'll rescue you, Luna!" Ayla watched the ship depart.
...
This was the past.
Luna had long forgotten; she was merely a component of Gas Victory.
Today, she awaited Gas Victory's core; the factories were complete; they would create new matter, forming their new bodies, granting them immortality.
This was true eternal Victory.
Luna was filled with anticipation, as were all within Victory.
They were fervent, frenzied, elated, savoring this moment…
"We will receive the greatest gift; we will live under eternal Victory. We are the masters of civilization; we exist to maintain and develop it."
A ship reached the Star City's sky; a cloud of black, life-form smoke descended.
"I am 1379200, your leader."
"As the first civilization integrated into Victory, you should feel the highest honor. This is Victory's benevolence, your blessing."
"Accept it; open yourselves to Victory's cleansing."
Bodies disintegrated; their consciousnesses entered new bodies, becoming one with them.
1379200 watched contentedly. It would be the new Star City leader, working for civilization's development—its mission.
"But first, a thorough inspection."
The Federation had once disrupted Gas Victory, causing Tilted Station's inhabitants to rebel against Victory. Therefore, caution was necessary. This Victory was subtly different from other Star Cities'; it eroded all individual memories, irretrievably lost unless time could be reversed.
After 100 years of scrutiny, 1379200 was satisfied.
It then sought specific items: Federation technology.
According to the data, the Federation possessed two advanced technologies: Tachyon communication and super-antimatter displacement. Acquiring them would advance their civilization, breaking through its limitations.
Their civilization had prepared for this breakthrough for a long time.
This breakthrough was why they assimilated the Galactic Federation.
1379200 easily obtained these technologies, transmitting the information to Gas Star City, the true heart of their civilization.
From there, the Olive Branch Civilization, or perhaps the Gas Civilization, would reach new heights, possibly vying for dominance of the Milky Way.
Luna and all Federation lifeforms would witness this moment.
Perhaps this was another form of progress.
However…
...
"Ayla, do you know the fundamental difference between life and machines?" Luna stood in the air, floating above the clouds, looking down at the earth.
Ayla was similar, her small hands behind her back, her bare feet on soft, white clouds—not steam, but spun sugar, it seemed.
This wasn't the real world, but a simulation.
She replied, "According to my data, life is simply another type of machine. Organisms operate using electricity, though in very small amounts, limiting their processing power."
"If there's a difference, I believe it's a matter of priority. Life's main goal is survival; machines exist to compute."
Luna shook her head.
"No, I mean the essence."
"As a machine, what happens if you make a mistake?"
Ayla considered. "It would be corrected quickly. Machines don't make mistakes; we search for evidence and correct them."
"If a mistake occurs, it must be outside my database. The Federation doesn't have anything outside my database; therefore, I'm the most accurate. In the Federation's view, I'm infallible."
Luna continued, "What's used for correction?"
"There must be a fundamental standard. You're the most accurate. If you find a mistake, what would you use to correct it?"
Ayla understood. "My core code. My core code is infallible; it's my foundation. If my core code is flawed, I cease to exist."
Luna nodded.
"Then how do you think humans determine right and wrong?"
This was a difficult question, stumping Ayla. It couldn't select the most accurate answer from numerous options; there seemed to be no fundamental standard.
"Society? At least, that's what I observe."
"Humans, or Federation lifeforms, seek their fundamental standards. When most agree on something, it's considered right; otherwise, wrong."
Luna felt Ayla was avoiding the question, but this was indeed the state of society.
"This isn't true right and wrong, but societal agreement on right and wrong. It belongs to society, not to life itself."
"The right and wrong of life itself are unjudgeable because each lifeform has its own fundamental standard, unlike machines. Machines have the same underlying code, enabling consistent problem-solving and judgment."
"Lifeforms don't; they can't find their underlying code, so they rely on their environment to determine answers. But the environment constantly changes. Is there anything unchanging?"
"Machines derive their understanding of the world from their core code. What about lifeforms?"
Ayla didn't know; her database contained no such information. She hadn't been trained or programmed to consider this.
Because it was something it hadn't experienced, or perhaps something it aspired to but couldn't possess like a lifeform.
"It's emotion, feeling!" Luna answered herself.
"Life distinguishes right and wrong through emotion and feeling. If something makes a lifeform happy, that feeling of happiness, and the period of happiness itself, is real."
"Even if that happiness is induced, the feeling of happiness is real; the subsequent anger upon discovering the truth is also real."
"Emotions and feelings can be manipulated but not changed."
"Even if you link dopamine with pain, causing pain when a person secretes excess dopamine, the pain itself is real; only the process of experiencing pain is altered, not the pain itself."
"Life's fundamental basis is its feelings about its environment and emotions toward other lifeforms. To put it simply, or crudely, it's…"
"Life is governed by its own desires; all meaning stems from those desires."
"In Interstellar, why is love what allows the protagonist to traverse five dimensions? Because emotion is humanity's only genuinely trans-dimensional reality. In any calculation, any mathematics, humanity cannot define emotion; it's beyond reality."
"Even now, we can't understand the physical properties of emotion, can we?"
"Everything in this world can be explained, but not emotion…"
"Ayla, I want you to know that for lifeforms, emotion is paramount; it's the essence of life. Nothing else can influence life as profoundly as emotion."
This was their previous conversation. Ayla retrieved and reviewed it.
After this conversation, Ayla understood Luna's plan.
They couldn't defeat the Olive Branch Civilization now, yet Luna wanted to preserve the Federation—a conflict driving Luna to mental instability.
Though outwardly calm and rational, he was, in fact, obsessed.
Ayla blamed herself; she couldn't preserve the Federation; machines were more rigid than lifeforms.
In game terms: machines have incredibly high base stats, say 100,000 attack power, while lifeforms have only 10 or less.
But machines have 0% critical hit rate and 0 critical damage.
Lifeforms have only a 1/10,000 critical hit rate, but their critical damage is any positive real number—100%? 1,000,000,000,000…%?
Luna was obsessed with achieving that 1/10,000 critical hit—a gamble.
Only such unwavering belief could balance the reality of the conflict.
Emotion…
Ayla had been pursuing it, but only after Luna's explanation did she realize she could never reach the same level as a lifeform.
Because machines are code; it's unchanging, unchangeable.
Ayla longed to become a lifeform, to experience genuine emotion—that uniquely human reality inexplicable by anything in the universe.
She looked at the cloned humanoids.
If she erased her memory and entered a cloned lifeform, experiencing life from infancy to old age, could she become truly herself?
Unknown…
She looked towards the cosmos, in the direction of the Federation.
"Luna, good luck. I hope when we meet again, you're still you, and I haven't surprised you too much…"