Chapter XXVI: The Trial of the Tidal Heart
Section I: Command Reconstruction × ARGUS Trial Run
Main Control Pod · Zeroth Combat Zone · 06:43 AM
Dawn had not yet fully broken, but the towering shadows had already begun to yield under the quiet hum of machinery. In the command center, operations proceeded as usual — seamless, precise, and newly unified.
Jason arrived early on this first day of integration, standing silently before the main trial interface of ARGUS, watching the system initialization process unfold with a calm that betrayed none of the tension beneath.
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Primary Command Link: Established
Peripheral Node Connections: 236
Average Response Delay: 0.84s
Synchronization Deviation Rate: Controlled (Acceptable)
Lisa stood beside him, scrolling through data streams on her panel. "All primary nodes under ARGUS are in place. Support division, relay unit, and cleanup teams are at high readiness."
Jason nodded. "Initiate Tactical Communication Protocol Beta-3."
A thin layer of blue light materialized across the screen — clean, minimalist, bearing a bright central identification mark:
ARGUS
Command Identifier Code: A-G—0469—HNX
Status: Active (High Privilege Mode)
Security Clearance Confirmed
A peripheral node member entered from the side door, holding a mission-binding device. "Target group has assembled in the old academic block. Please review and activate the mission protocol."
Jason took the device and glanced at it briefly.
It was a newly formed group — Gray Wing Secondary Stabilization Unit, responsible for data stability, emotional anomaly monitoring, and segmented resource distribution along the campus perimeter.
He asked softly, "Is there anyone among them who was once unstable?"
"Yes," Lisa confirmed, tapping a name onto the display. "Stephen."
Jason's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I remember his performance during the peripheral support mission… wasn't exactly stable."
"But never completely uncontrollable," Lisa added. "He requested reintegration, passed mid-level evaluation, and pledged adherence to all execution chains."
Jason remained silent for a moment.
Fu Xi whispered into his mind:
[System Prompt – Fu Xi]
Node C-14 | Stephen | Stability Increased | Loyalty Undetermined
Recommendation: Deploy in "Edge-Critical Task" to monitor multi-tier behavioral response
Jason gave a curt nod.
"Approve the request."
"Bring him in."
Lisa hesitated only briefly before issuing the order without objection.
In the background, ARGUS updated its task structure, displaying a green confirmation box.
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Mission Group Beta-3 Activated
Member Nodes: 21 | Supervision Rank Bound
Observation Member: C-14 (Stephen) Entered Behavior Tracking Protocol
Everything moved with precision — yet beneath it, an unseen force began to unwind new layers.
Section II: Peripheral Obstruction Removal × First Trial
Underground Intelligence Division · Half an Hour Later
Stephen stood third in line among the trainees, hands behind his back, expression unreadable.
Jason approached, steps soundless but presence undeniable — like a cold current cutting through the room.
"You've requested reintegration," Jason said. "Do you understand what that means?"
Stephen answered carefully, "It means if I fail again, I'll be removed."
"No." Jason corrected, voice flat. "You won't be removed."
He paused.
"You will be cleared."
The air dropped by a degree.
Stephen didn't flinch. He simply nodded. "I understand."
Jason scanned the rest of the recruits.
"You are all the first test stones of this system's initial operation. Your stability, reaction time, judgment speed, and team coordination will determine whether the outer network can sustain self-revolution."
"Begin mission binding."
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Beta-3 Training Group Mission Package Dispatched | Status: In Execution
Emotional Curve Monitoring Activated | Peripheral Listening Synchronized
In the background, Fu Xi silently recorded Stephen's micro-expressions and neural fluctuation frequencies.
Jason murmured almost inaudibly:
"We walk a one-way path. You can't just 'not fall behind' — you must learn to chase the heart of the tide."
For the first time, Stephen's eyes flickered with something — faintly, but unmistakably — clarity.
Section III: Logic Drills × Local Simulation
Main Control Center · Zeroth Drill Chamber
At precisely 15:00, all lights in the command center dimmed to a cold white. ARGUS's local simulation engine switched to tactical drill mode.
This was not a field operation, nor a surveillance exercise.
This was the first collective logic drill since the Gray Wing restructuring.
Purpose?
To assess whether each node truly grasped the Tidal Coordination Method under high-pressure conditions and multi-variable dynamics.
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Training Mission ID: STX—17
Type: Strategic Sandbox Simulation | Tactical Variable Guidance
Structure: Three-Level Simulation Zones
Participants: Core-Mid-Periphery Command Set (16 Nodes)
Jason stood atop the strategy platform, arms folded, waiting silently as ARGUS rendered the initial scene.
Zhao Mingxuan frowned at the screen. "So you're going for a real 'brain stress test'?"
Lisa shot him a glance. "No. This is a cognitive mapping assessment for Gray Wing's Central Consciousness."
Zhao muttered under his breath, "Still just fancy words to scare people."
ARGUS completed the setup.
A highly abstracted defense model unfolded in the virtual space — the central campus buildings surrounded by a dynamic perception boundary.
Three types of anomalies would be injected:
Type A: Resource Allocation CollapseType B: Command Chain Disruption & Fake Signal InterferenceType C: Psychological Simulation (Simulated Defection or Emotional Breakdown)
Jason keyed in the activation code.
"Begin."
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Sandbox Simulation Initiated
Node Reaction Timings: Synchronized Countdown
Mode: Subjective Decision Guidance | Partial Info Disclosure | High-Risk Coordinated Test
At 17 seconds in, one of the core nodes encountered a command priority conflict — some demanded power cut-offs, others insisted on maintaining peripheral connectivity.
Zhao was the first to react. "Prioritize keeping comms alive. Cutting power is a trap."
But another node countered, "If the trap fails, the periphery risks cascading breakdown. Recommend forced node severance."
The ARGUS-generated "peripheral collapse map" flashed instantly — threatening total structural failure.
"I'll handle it," Lisa interjected, halting both sides. "Initiate zone-based stabilization alert from the central node — expose the decoy target early and break engagement before chaos spreads."
ARGUS accepted the input; the scenario stabilized.
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Strategy Adaptation Rate: 73% (Critical Threshold)
Deviation Realignment in Progress...
Before they could even exhale, the second variable was injected.
--- Type C Anomaly – Psychological Reverse Simulation Activated ---
Onscreen, Stephen's digital avatar began flickering, showing signs of emotional fracture, hesitation, delayed reaction.
The entire team's rhythm slowed by 0.4 seconds.
Negligible — except in simulation terms, it meant regional coordination failure.
Simulation Result Feedback:
"Simulation Failed."
"Emergency Coordination Chain Broken."
"System Judgment: Central Cognitive Unity Not Yet Mature."
Silence fell over the chamber.
Jason finally spoke, breaking the stillness.
"You saw it, didn't you?"
"This isn't a war game."
"It's a consciousness test."
"If your logic chain fractures the moment a single member experiences emotional delay, then you are not a system."
His tone remained calm, but unyielding.
"You are just isolated islands tied together by temporary rope."
He turned to face them all — no accusation in his eyes, only fact.
"The Tidal Heart isn't mine alone."
"It's yours — every one of you. Whether you can connect, judge, and coordinate."
"If you can't…"
He let the silence stretch.
"Then the name 'Gray Wing' is nothing more than historical debris."
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Simulation Status: Archived
Group Stress Response Level: C+
Recommendation: Repeated Drills | Minor Adjustment to Command Chains | Preemptive Emotional Buffer Injection Modules
Lisa asked quietly, "Shall we run another round?"
Jason shook his head.
"Enough for today."
"We don't rehearse for rehearsal's sake." He looked around.
"We rehearse so you understand — the enemy won't let you try twice."
He turned and left, back straight as mountain stone.
Inside his mind, Fu Xi pulsed gently:
[System Prompt – Fu Xi]
䷾ Ze Tian Gua – Resolute Strength, Breaking Without Collapse. Recognize the Weak Points Before You Can Rebuild the Whole.
Jason closed his eyes briefly, whispering two final words into the silence:
"Not enough."
Section IV: Cultivation of the Tidal Heart × Consciousness System Training
Underground Hub · Central Training Chamber
At 19:30 in the evening, Jason stood at the center of a simple yet solemn lecture area, with a large translucent screen floating behind him. The screen displayed only one sentence:
Tidal Heart: A person not defined by the system.
No further explanation. No lengthy oaths or brainwashing content.
Below, nearly a hundred core members of Gray Wing were lined up quietly, each face showing different expressions — some filled with anticipation, others with doubt, and some merely observing calmly.
Lisa stood in a corner, holding a terminal to record real-time feedback. The ARGUS system ran silently in the background, monitoring the atmosphere's pulse curve within the venue.
Jason remained silent for several seconds before speaking.
"You think we are at war," he said. "Wrong."
"We are defining ourselves—before others take action, before fate closes its door, before the city's echoes consume us."
His voice was steady and powerful, creating subtle ripples under the dim lights.
Zhao Mingxuan whispered below, "If I had to give this speech, I'd stumble ten times over."
Lisa shot him a glance. "You think it's just a speech? It's brainwashing."
Jason continued.
"The Tidal Heart is not an organization. It's not a symbol. It's not something you measure with medals, titles, permissions, or salaries."
He pointed at each person present.
"The Tidal Heart is you. It's when you can still say 'no' when facing greater commands. It's choosing 'exploration' when faced with the unknown. It's willing to fight even when you could live on."
The screen switched to display three core consciousness modules concisely:
Self-Containment: Maintaining self-awareness without disintegration within the system.Mutual Recognition: Establishing non-coercive consensus collaboration within the organization.Alternative Observation: Preserving reverse thinking and verification abilities in the unknown.
Jason spoke slowly,
"From tomorrow, every member of the Tidal Heart will undergo 'Consciousness Trial Classes.' Not to make you more obedient, but so that you don't need someone telling you when to resist."
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Tidal Heart Cultivation Plan | Phase-0 Initiated
Training Cycle: Three rounds of cross-training | Psychological Threshold Calibration | Logical Chain Self-Control Development
Initial Course Leader: Lisa Peng.
Lisa lowered her head, quickly organizing the preliminary structure table:
Psychological Stress SimulationLogical Chain Stitching TrainingMulti-source Intelligence Cross-analysisHigh-pressure Environment Judgment Test
Jason scanned the entire hall.
"If you only want to survive. If you're here just to hang on by a thread."
His tone suddenly turned grave.
"Leave."
No one moved in the hall. Silence hung heavy in the air.
Only Fu Xi whispered faintly in his mind:
[System Prompt – Fu Xi]
䷆ Tian Shui Song – Conflict and Dialectics depend on what the heart holds. When the Tidal Heart stands firm, there is no fear of conflict.
Jason's gaze sharpened as he added one final sentence:
"The tide does not come for those who follow the waves. The Tidal Heart is born against the current."
Section V: First Surge of the Tide × Prelude to Future Confrontation
Late into the night, the main command room was still brightly lit. The ARGUS system operated silently, continuously pushing new peripheral sensing data onto the light screens.
Jason stood in the middle of the platform, staring at the edge of the city's shadows, his expression calm but fingertips tapping lightly on the screen's edge, as if counting down something.
Lisa Peng approached quietly, saying, "All peripheral task groups have returned, drill reports updated, and Tidal Heart training starts tomorrow morning."
"Good." Jason nodded.
Just then, a signal flashed through an encrypted channel.
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Abnormal Access Request | Signal Source: Peripheral Blind Spot C6 Zone
Recognition Code: JW-A-1137 (Temporary Authorization Valid)
Jason's eyes flickered, calmly instructing, "Let him up."
Moments later, the door opened, and a figure walked in steadily, tall and wearing a black hood, looking travel-worn but not disheveled.
John Wells had returned.
Lisa took a sharp breath. "You're alive."
John pulled down his hood, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Of course. I've just started warming up."
Zhao Mingxuan asked in surprise, "Didn't you say you were going to scout the outer district for waste flow... Why did you go silent for so long?"
John shrugged. "The outer district is no longer a 'no-man's land.'"
He walked straight to the center of the platform, handing Jason a gray metal container. "Found remnants of a signal tower with non-local coding at the northern edge of the city outskirts, along with this."
Jason took the container and opened it—inside was a partially melted chip fragment engraved with unknown symbols, with faint electrical arcs around the edges.
"This isn't a beacon left by the city's original framework," John said gravely. "It actively absorbs signals, and it's targeted."
"Were you detected?"
"I cut off the path before the beacon activated, disguising it as corrosion damage."
He paused briefly, scanning everyone present, his tone turning serious:
"It's mimicking our signals."
The room fell silent.
Jason narrowed his eyes. "So they're not just sensing us."
"They're imitating us."
[System Prompt – Fu Xi]
E-01 Echo Event | Phase Lock Completed 22%
Predicted Target: Structural Synchronization Calculation | Mimicry Infiltration Mechanism
Recommendation: Pre-plan "Breakout Response Channels" | Establish Alternative Observation Strategy Team
Jason murmured, "We need a new model."
"A new associative system, not to repel the 'enemy,' but to prepare for dialogue with an unknown language."
He looked around at the few people present, speaking slowly:
"From now on, form the first generation Coastal Think Tank."
Everyone's attention converged.
"Zhao Mingxuan—logic chain decryption and intelligence compilation;"
"Lisa Peng—resource allocation, tactical grouping, and dispatch coordination;"
"John Wells—security monitoring, underground survival, emergency infiltration mission response."
"You are not part of ARGUS, nor any peripheral organization."
"You belong to the deepest layer of the Gray Spiral."
"You do not execute orders."
"You are—the extension of my own thoughts."
[System Prompt – ARGUS]
Internal Core Substructure Application: Gray Spiral - Coastal Think Tank
Permission Level: Confidential
Synchronized Node: 1
Pre-authorized Scope: Fu Xi Layer Preloaded Synchronized
Zhao Mingxuan smiled wryly. "Finally, not just grunts."
Lisa nodded calmly. "Ready to work."
John raised an eyebrow. "When do we meet the real enemy?"
Jason's gaze pierced through the night beyond the screen, saying softly:
"The real enemy won't wait until you're ready."
"But you must prepare—because you may never see them."
A breeze brushed past the glass exterior of the command deck, the distant city resembling a slumbering giant, breathing deeply.
ARGUS recorded this moment silently.
[System Tag Update]
Gray Wing Status: Tidal Heart Phase Complete
Intelligent Control Network: Coastal Layer Activated
E Event Risk: Rising Alert
And deep within Fu Xi, another line of text emerged slowly:
[System Prompt]
䷳ Feng Huo Jia Ren – Home Before Country, Settling the Heart Before Acting. Though the tide surge may be small, a settled heart sees far.