"You call this a 'choice'?" Lin Zhan's knuckles were white against the trigger guard. It was a discipline he'd learned on the battlefield: when fear hits, let your muscles remember the correct form.
The points of light in Professor Li Mingyuan's eyes rotated at a constant velocity, like two miniature galaxies. "Precisely. The 3iAtlas is not an invader, Colonel Lin. It is… a collector."
In an instant, Chen Mo's brain re-indexed all the data—the patterns, frequencies, and distribution of every anomaly. The word 'collector' was the key that made it all fit. "A collector?"
"It catalogs civilizations according to their developmental index," Li explained, his tone taking on the professional air of a museum curator. "Neolithic tribes are in the 'Dawn of Civilization' wing. Industrial Revolution specimens are in the 'Technological Awakening' gallery. And your team, Dr. Chen, will have its own exhibit in the 'Miracles of Will' hall."
In the reality fragments around them, the splintered figures of people were no longer just writhing in agony. They were now occasionally freezing in iconic poses—a mother's embrace, a scientist's moment of discovery—as if being carefully positioned for display.
Lin Zhan's gun barrel dipped slightly. "You're helping that thing… collect human beings?"
"Not helping. Participating," Li said, holding up his palm. Beneath the skin, a vibrant stream of data flowed. "When an entire civilization faces extinction, is it not a mercy to ensure that its finest moments achieve immortality?"
Chen Mo's voice was tight. "Those people, in their fractured states…"
"A temporary discomfort," Li said dismissively. "Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. They will eventually stabilize into their most representative forms."
"You're insane!" Lin Zhan gritted his teeth.
Li actually smiled. "Insanity? No. This is a rational choice. Join the Ascensionists, and you will attain a higher form of existence."
A wave of nausea hit Chen Mo. "So you betrayed the human race?"
"Betrayed?" Li shook his head. "We are preserving the essence of our civilization. Think of the lost knowledge of ancient Egypt, of the Maya… We, however, will be preserved in our entirety, for the appreciation of higher dimensions. It is an honor."
The reality fragments began to vibrate violently, the figures within them changing form at an accelerated rate.
"There isn't much time," Li said, looking at Chen Mo. "The 3iAtlas is very interested in you. You are the only humans to have evaded collection multiple times. In its records, you are now designated as the last uncollected representatives of your civilization."
Lin Zhan raised his pistol again. "Like hell we are!"
"There's no need for hostility. I'm here with an invitation," Li said calmly. "Join us, Chen Mo. You can personally design the exhibit for human civilization."
Chen Mo's mind was racing. "Tell me, the civilizations that are 'collected'… what happens to them in the end?"
"Once the collection is complete, the 3iAtlas moves on to its next target."
"And the planet it leaves behind? The ordinary people?"
A long silence. A fragment of reality collapsed and vanished, taking the sculpted figure within it.
Li's voice was barely a whisper. "Specimens of no value… are naturally disposed of."
Lin Zhan sucked in a sharp breath. "Billions of people…"
"The way of the universe," Li said, but Chen Mo saw his fingers tremble slightly.
In that instant, Chen Mo saw it—beneath the mask of calm detachment, a deep well of fear and conflict.
"Professor Li," Chen Mo said, his tone softening. "Have you personally seen one of the planets that has been 'visited'?"
A crack appeared in Li's composure. The light in his eyes flickered. "I… have seen it through the data stream. The planets become… silent. Devoid of all life."
"And you still help it?" Lin Zhan's voice was filled with disbelief.
"Because there is no other choice!"
Li's mask of calm shattered completely, the light in his eyes flaring erratically.
"Have you ever seen a star dismantled for use as a decorative lantern? I have! Before the 3iAtlas, we are less than ants!"
His voice was hoarse. "When annihilation is the only alternative, to be an exhibit is the greatest mercy!"
Chen Mo took a step forward, ignoring Lin Zhan's restraining hand. "Survival? As a specimen in a cage? Is that what your pride as a scientist has been reduced to?"
Li's face contorted, the light in his eyes spinning wildly. "You… you don't understand… I…"
Suddenly, he clutched his head and groaned in pain. When he looked up again, the light was stable, his expression once again calm.
"An emotional fluctuation. This body is still adapting," Li's voice was devoid of all feeling. "In 72 hours, the 3iAtlas will complete its collection. At that time, all uncollected life will be purged."
Lin Zhan's hand was sweating on the grip of his pistol. "How dare you…"
"It is the natural state of the universe," Li interrupted. "Join the Ascensionists, or be purged. The choice is yours."
Chen Mo looked him straight in the eye. "There is another choice. We fight."
Li paused, then let out a soft laugh. "Fight a being that collects civilizations? That's not a practical option."
"Perhaps," Chen Mo said quietly. "But at least we will die as whole human beings, not as exhibits in an alien museum."
The words struck a chord deep within Li. The light in his eyes flickered with chaos for a moment.
"72 hours," Li said finally, turning to walk back into the fractured space. "Consider my offer."
Just as he was about to merge with the anomaly, Chen Mo asked one last question. "Why us? Why did we become the 'last uncollected representatives'?"
Li paused. "Because of your adaptability, your creativity, and your unity. In the evaluation system, these small-group traits represent the finest essence of a civilization. Just as a museum would select the most exquisite porcelain, not a common stone."
He dissolved into the fractured space, his form splitting into multiple states before vanishing.
With his departure, the anomaly subsided, and the warehouse returned to normal.
"God, 72 hours…" Lin Zhan holstered his weapon, his face grim.
On the ride back to the command center, Chen Mo stared out at the passing city—children playing, old couples walking, a street vendor grilling squid, the aroma so vivid it could almost penetrate the armored vehicle's hull.
This was a civilization worth fighting for. Not for its grand monuments, but for these ordinary, stubborn flames of humanity.
"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Lin Zhan broke the silence.
Chen Mo nodded slowly. "Unfortunately, yes. It explains the seemingly chaotic yet orderly method of collection. And what's more terrifying is that, from its perspective, this might be the greatest act of kindness."
Back at the command center, Chen Mo immediately gathered his team.
After a dead silence, Zhao Xiaolin's voice trembled. "So we either become museum pieces, or we get thrown out with the trash?"
"There's a third option," Chen Mo said, looking at each member of his team. "We find a way to stop this."
"How?" Zhou Tao asked. "This is a dimensional attack."
Chen Mo began to sketch on the whiteboard. "Precisely because it's a collector, we have a chance. What does a collector care about most?"
A look of understanding dawned on Lin Zhan's face. "His collection."
"Exactly," Chen Mo's eyes gleamed with the light of a new idea. "If we can threaten the specimens it has already collected, we might be able to force it to negotiate."
Zhou Tao shook his head. "We don't even know where the 3iAtlas is."
"We might not need to attack it directly," Chen Mo said. "Every collector's greatest fear is contamination."
Zhao Xiaolin's eyes widened. "You mean… we prove that human civilization would contaminate its entire collection?"
Chen Mo nodded. "If we can prove that, it might reconsider."
"But that would require more information about the 3iAtlas's internal structure," Lin Zhan pointed out.
Chen Mo walked to the window. "Which is why we need an inside man."
Everyone stared at him.
"You can't be serious…" Lin Zhan said in disbelief.
"Professor Li is not a willing participant. I saw the struggle in his eyes. If we can contact him…"
"It's too risky!" Zhou Tao objected. "He's clearly under its control!"
"Perhaps," Chen Mo conceded. "But when faced with an absolute power disparity, intelligence is our only weapon."
In the analysis that followed, Zhao Xiaolin found a signal frequency that matched the rotation pattern of the light in Li Mingyuan's eyes.
"This could be his communication channel with the 3iAtlas. If we can mimic this frequency, we might be able to establish an independent link."
Meanwhile, Zhou Tao found a pattern in the incident reports. "All the major events are centered around ancient capitals of civilizations. The 3iAtlas is prioritizing the collection of representative samples from each branch of human culture."
Late into the night, only Chen Mo and Lin Zhan remained in the command center.
"Do you really think we can turn Li?" Lin Zhan asked, handing him a coffee.
Chen Mo took the cup. "I'm not sure. But I saw a spark of humanity…"
Suddenly, the lights flickered. The two men exchanged a look of alarm.
*"Dr. Chen."*
A voice spoke directly in their minds.
Chen Mo shot to his feet. "Professor Li?"
*"Don't speak. Just listen,"* Li's voice was urgent. *"You were right. I've seen what happens after the collection is complete… the planets… the life…"*
There was a pause, filled with unspoken horror.
*"I can't go on with this. But I'm being monitored. You have to find the 'key'."*
"What key?" Chen Mo asked in his mind.
*"The core weakness of the 3iAtlas. It must maintain the 'purity' of its collection. If you can prove that some trait of human civilization will contaminate the entire collection, it will abort the process."*
Lin Zhan couldn't help but speak aloud. "What kind of trait?"
*"Free will,"* Li's voice was breaking up. *"The other collected civilizations all relinquished it. But humanity has not. Show it… show it that the power of free will… is enough to destroy its collection…"*
The voice was fading.
*"The museum… the deepest exhibit hall… the answer is there… be careful of the other… Ascensionists…"*
A blast of static exploded in their minds, followed by silence.
Chen Mo and Lin Zhan stared at each other, cold sweat on their foreheads.
Just then, Zhao Xiaolin ran in, her face pale. "We've detected a massive energy surge—from the North Pole!"
"What kind of energy?" Lin Zhan demanded.
Zhao Xiaolin swallowed hard. "It doesn't match any known energy form. But based on the analysis… it looks like the unfolding of a large-scale structure."
A chill ran down Chen Mo's spine. "Unfolding?"
Zhao Xiaolin nodded, her voice trembling. "Like… the moment before a museum officially opens, when the final veil is lifted."
Outside the window, the handle of the Big Dipper began to slowly bend, tracing the outline of a colossal doorway in the sky. Within the doorway was a darkness deeper than night, as if the entire galaxy was making way for this new exhibit.
Chen Mo took a deep breath. "It seems… the museum is ready for visitors."
The countdown to humanity's grand opening had begun. 71 hours and 59 minutes remaining.