Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"Lu, no matter what, Anna Wright has always been a member of Eden. She has dedicated her life to saving humanity. She is a person worthy of respect. I understand your uneasiness, but I hope there will be no such doubts between us. Eden should be an organization that works together to fight the apocalypse, not one of intrigue and mutual suspicion. Lu, I can give you the highest query authority for Eden. You can investigate and verify in your own way—and then draw conclusions. I trust you, and I also trust Ed who recommended you."

The doctor swiped his fingers in the air, called up the holographic interface, and then directly raised Lu's authority to the top level. Although it was temporary, it was enough.

This trust was so heavy that Lu felt a little breathless.

But it was obvious that this was a joint decision between the administrator and the doctor, and they really didn't intend to hide anything.

Everything is carried out according to Lu's judgment.

Lu took a deep breath and spoke.

"Can I... go see the so-called PCS system?"

Chapter 52: One is Many

Before Lu lay a massive, circular device composed of countless suspended black cubes. These geometric shapes, suspended in mid-air in a counterintuitive manner, formed a mechanical structure imbued with religious mystery. It was undoubtedly a machine, a completely man-made creation.

However, the appearance of this man-made object is filled with a strange atmosphere. It makes people feel eerie... and this machine operates exceptionally quietly.

"Is this Senior Anna's PCS?" Lu swallowed his saliva and asked the doctor beside him in disbelief, "It looks..."

"Does the structure look strange?" The doctor smiled. "I thought so too when I first saw it, but this structure is necessary. Through this ring-shaped device, the PCS's computing efficiency is extremely high, over fifty times that of all known computing models. And this is not even its peak power—the basic code for this machine was written by Anna. She is truly an unprecedented genius."

"Is this the thing... that can connect people... and unite them?" Lu marveled, gazing at the massive donut-shaped computer. This ring-shaped computer, emitting a faint crimson glow, perfectly embodied the minimalist aesthetic of "less is more." Each suspended black cube resembled a meticulously crafted piece of black jade, maintaining precise geometric spacing in a gravity-free environment. When the system was operating at full power, the cubes pulsed synchronously along their circular orbit, as if breathing in the rhythm of life. Clearly, while the PCS had been successfully constructed, there were still many people busy and busy. These people were actually carrying out a crucial, yet often overlooked, task.

As a supercomputer, PCS has a computing speed beyond the ordinary people's cognition, but at the same time, computing requires information and data, and these data are provided by these people. The data they input into this machine over a long period of time will become the nourishment for PCS's learning. PCS is the most outstanding supercomputer mastered by mankind and a precious legacy left by senior Anna.

"A lot of our data relies on PCS for calculations. Originally, this PCS was kept strictly confidential. But starting today, Lu, you also have the authority to use this machine for calculations. I hope you will not let Anna down."

The doctor spoke. Although it was just a light sentence, it represented that Lu had truly entered the core secret of the Garden of Eden. The halo structure of PCS was rotating, emitting a faint red light. Under the halo was Senior Sister Anna's former dream, and it was the gift she finally left behind.

"I understand what you mean..." Lu nodded, "I will do my best."

-

PCS had a huge impact on Lu. She had been willing to push forward the Deep Blue Tree Project before, but after meeting PCS, she felt that her inner unwillingness to admit defeat was triggered. Anna's achievements were indeed beyond the reach of most scientists. She was a genius who could truly lead mankind forward. Compared to her, many people, including Lu, seemed a little overshadowed - this was not to belittle Lu's achievements.

But some people are born to be extraordinary. In the scientific world, it is not uncommon for a genius to be ahead of his entire era.

However, Lu was not disappointed because of this. After all, she was still young. In her eyes, Anna's achievements were just like Einstein's theory of relativity and Newton's theory of universal gravitation. No matter how high their achievements were, they had already become part of history. After all, the future was written by those who were still alive.

Her achievements do not need to be known to the world, she just needs to fulfill her historical mission.

With this mentality, Lu quickly devoted himself to his work again.

The white lights in the lab were still bright at three in the morning. Lu rubbed her sore eyes and looked away from the suspended ring structure of the PCS. This was her third consecutive all-nighter since gaining access to the PCS.

"Data entry is eighty percent complete," a gentle male voice called from behind. Lu turned and saw researcher Lin Zhengzheng standing at the console, his fingers rapidly tapping away on the holographic keyboard. He wore a standard white lab coat with a dark blue PCS project logo on the cuffs.

"It's progressing faster than expected." Lu walked over to Lin Xiu and watched the data stream on the screen. Lin Xiu was a core member of the PCS project team, primarily responsible for data preprocessing. The dark circles under his eyes showed that he had been working for a long time.

"PCS is learning faster than we imagined." Lin Xiu pushed his glasses. "It's particularly interested in the Deep Blue Tree data you input."

Lu nodded, his gaze returning to the array of black cubes suspended in midair. They were now pulsating at a strange frequency, a dark red light flowing between them. When the PCS was operating at full power, the cubes would form a perfect halo, but now they were simply loosely arranged, like some kind of slumbering organism.

"Would you like some coffee?" Lin Xiu suddenly asked, pointing to the coffee machine in the corner. "I just made a new pot."

"Thank you." Lu took the coffee cup from Lin Xiu, feeling the warmth spread through the ceramic to her fingertips. The bitter aroma of the coffee sobered her up a little.

"You know what?" Lin Xiu leaned against the console. "When Senior Anna was designing the PCS, she said this machine would eventually develop its own consciousness."

Lu's coffee cup paused in mid-air. "You mean... artificial intelligence?"

"Not exactly." Lin Xiu shook his head. "More like... a carrier of collective consciousness. Senior Anna believes that when enough human minds connect with the PCS, some new form of existence will emerge."

Across the lab, the doctor was discussing something with several researchers. Even at this hour, the PCS lab still had over a dozen staff members busy at work. Most of them, like Lin Xiu, were core members of the research team left behind by Senior Anna.

Lu noticed a young female researcher standing at the main console, her fingers sliding rapidly across the holographic interface, adjusting the parameters of a PCS subsystem. The female researcher had neat short hair and a furrowed brow, staring intently at the changes in the data stream.

"That's Su Yu, our algorithm expert," Lin Xiu explained, following Lu's gaze. "She's responsible for optimizing the PCS neural network structure."

Suddenly, the PCS cube array emitted a slight humming sound, and the dark red light became brighter. Su Yu immediately raised his head and quickly swiped his fingers through the void, calling up more monitoring data.

"It's started again..." she whispered, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"What started?" Lu couldn't help but ask.

Su Yu turned her head, her eyes unusually bright under the lab light. "The PCS's autonomous thinking mode. Whenever it processes certain types of data, it enters this state."

Lu approached the console and saw a series of complex data flows and algorithmic diagrams displayed on the screen. Some nodes were significantly more active than others, highlighted in deep red.

"It's trying to establish new connections," Su Yu explained. "Look here, it's reorganizing its neural network topology."

Lu felt a slight dizziness. Watching the PCS autonomously adjust its structure, she suddenly understood what Lin Xiu meant by "consciousness." This wasn't just programmed behavior; it was more like... learning.

"We've fed it too much data." The doctor had unknowingly walked over to them, his voice filled with mixed emotions. "Especially your Deep Blue Tree data, Lu. The PCS seems to have a particular reaction to it."

The lights in the lab seemed to grow brighter at that moment. The PCS cube array began to slowly rotate, its dark red light gradually growing stronger, casting eerie shadows on the lab's white walls.

"It's going into full power mode." Su Yu quickly adjusted several parameters. "Everyone, check your workstations!"

Lu felt an inexplicable surge of nervousness. She quickly returned to her terminal to confirm the data connection was stable. The atmosphere in the entire laboratory suddenly became tense and excited, as the researchers quickly and systematically made final preparations.

The PCS cube array now formed a perfect halo, suspended in the center of the laboratory. The dim red glow had turned bright red, and the energy flow between the cubes was clearly visible. A low, rhythmic humming sound filled the entire space.

"The connection is stable!" Lin Xiu reported loudly.

"Neural network reconstruction is 98% complete!" Su Yu stared at her screen.

The doctor stood in front of the main console, his hands resting on the surface, his eyes fixed on the halo in the center. "Let's see what you want to do, old friend." He whispered.

At that moment, the PCS's halo suddenly accelerated, its bright red light becoming blindingly bright. Lu was forced to squint, but he remained glued to the spectacular scene. A strange feeling washed over him, as if something was observing them all through the PCS...

The dark red halo suddenly began to spin faster, and the air in the lab seemed to freeze for a moment. Lu felt a strange buoyancy rising from his feet—the entire lab entered a state of complete weightlessness.

Lin Xiu's body was the first to rise. His white lab coat slowly unfolded in the weightless environment, like a blooming white flower. His expression was strangely calm, his eyes half-closed, as if lost in some deep meditation. A pale golden halo appeared about ten centimeters above his head, emitting a soft glow that resonated subtly with the PCS's dark red aura.

Su Yu's situation was similar. Her short hair spread out in the weightlessness, her body levitating gracefully in the air. Her hands hung naturally at her sides, her fingertips occasionally twitching slightly, as if performing some invisible operation. The halo above her head was brighter than Lin Xiu's, and faintly visible streams of data were flowing rapidly within the golden light.

The other researchers in the lab also entered this strange state. Some sat, some stood, but all remained absolutely still, with only the halo above their heads constantly shifting in brightness. The whole scene was both sacred and eerie, like some kind of collective religious ritual taking place.

Cognitive synchrony—this mysterious and strange phenomenon—has a name.

Lu noticed that the rings weren't simply light effects. A closer look revealed that each ring was connected to the main ring of the PCS by a nearly invisible energy link. These links pulsed with something resembling neural electrical signals, with a frequency strikingly similar to the human brain's alpha waves.

Lin Xiu's body suddenly twitched slightly. The aura above him suddenly grew brighter, and the PCS's main aura also grew brighter. Su Yu's aura maintained a steady pulsation, forming a complementary rhythm with Lin Xiu's.

"They're calculating..." The doctor's voice was very calm. She was one of the few people not connected to the PCS. Like Lu, they hadn't yet engaged in cognitive synchronization. After all, cognitive synchronization was risky. People like those involved in Eden were outside the range of cognitive synchronization. "The PCS is using their brains for parallel computing."

The large screens on the lab walls, once displaying a variety of data, were now filled with pure mathematical formulas. These formulas scrolled by at an astonishing speed, their complexity far beyond the comprehension of ordinary humans. Occasionally, a formula would suddenly become highlighted and then quickly broken down into its more basic components.

Lu noticed a strange phenomenon: when the brightness of a researcher's aura increased, the speed at which the formula on the corresponding screen scrolled faster. This confirmed the doctor's statement that PCS was indeed borrowing the processing power of these human brains.

Su Yu's aura suddenly shifted. The once steady golden light began to be interspersed with blue data streams, forming a structure resembling a fractal pattern. Simultaneously, a series of new neural network structure diagrams appeared on the screen of the algorithm optimization program she was responsible for.

Lin Xiu's situation was more basic. The screen displaying the data preprocessing he was responsible for displayed the process of categorizing, cleaning, and converting massive amounts of raw data. While seemingly simple tasks, such a massive amount of data required incredible computing power.

Suddenly, the entire PCS system emitted a low hum. The main ring's rotation speed increased again, and the dark red glow deepened. All the researchers' rings flickered simultaneously, their brightness increasing by approximately 30%.

Lu looked at the nearest researcher. She was a young woman, seemingly in her early twenties. Beads of sweat had already formed on her forehead, and her breathing had become rapid. Although her expression remained calm, her physiological responses were already showing signs of overload. Soon after this sign appeared, the halo above her head flickered briefly, then faded. It seemed to be a physiological monitoring mode.

"Using the computing power of the human brain, connecting it to the human brain—I thought the computing power of modern computers far exceeded that of the human brain."

"That's a misunderstanding." The doctor shook his head. "The human brain's computing power isn't entirely used for calculations. We need to keep breathing, our heartbeats, and so on, all of which take up computing power. The amount of computing power actually used for thinking is actually quite small, and she can mobilize almost all of the brain's computing power. And more importantly, the human brain is good at breakthrough thinking, something most AIs can't achieve—the so-called flash of inspiration."

As the doctor spoke, he couldn't help but sigh.

"The design of the PCS system fills in the gaps in our understanding of the human brain—"

Chapter 53: Yin

The lights in the lab remained bright even at midnight. Lu stood before the incubator, gazing at the creature suspended in the nutrient solution. It glowed with a faint blue light, resembling some ancient aquatic creature. Its long tentacles swayed slowly with the fluid, as if breathing. This was "Deep Blue Tree-01"—her creation, her answer.

Three days ago, she witnessed the PCS system operating at full power. The ring-shaped device, composed of countless black blocks, connected the human brain into a unified computing network. The researchers' consciousnesses briefly synchronized, their thoughts intertwined like streams of light. In that moment, she understood Anna Wright's true ambition—the PCS was not just a supercomputer, but a unit of the human soul. Although the administrators denied the possibility of "evolving into an angel," Lu glimpsed another possibility.

If PCS can connect human consciousness through electronic signals, then can the Deep Blue Tree, the ancient life that carries the human genetic code, also become a carrier of the biological network?

She immediately plunged into the experiment. Initially, progress was frustratingly slow. Despite its remarkable adaptability, the Deep Blue Tree's cells could never form a stable connection with consciousness. She tried countless algorithms, tweaked culture parameters thousands of times, even consulting PCS neural network architecture, but the results were always off by a hair's breadth. Then, late one night, as she leaned back wearily in her chair, staring at the flashing data stream on the screen, a thought struck her: perhaps the problem wasn't the technology, but the direction.

The PCS is a cold machine, while the Deep Blue Tree is a living being. Forcing electronic logic to constrain it would be counterproductive. So, she abandoned precise control and instead designed a fuzzy gene expression framework, allowing cells to independently find the optimal path during growth.

Three days later, the liquid in the incubator began to ripple strangely. The previously dormant cluster of cells began to autonomously differentiate, gradually forming a biological structure never before seen. Its neural network displayed a fractal-like self-similarity, each synapse seemingly meticulously designed yet possessing a natural, chaotic beauty. When Lu placed her finger on the wall, the creature slowly swam closer, its tentacles gently touching the glass, as if acknowledging her presence.

"Deep Blue Tree-01..." She whispered the name, and the corners of her mouth rose unconsciously.

When Ed pushed the door open, he saw her staring at the incubator. He was holding two cans of Coke and casually tossed one to her. The cool metal can pressed against her burning palm, bringing her back to her senses.

"I heard you haven't left the lab in three days." He leaned against the table, his eyes scanning the creatures in the cabin, and raised an eyebrow. "Is this the 'consciousness network' you mentioned earlier?"

Lu pulled the ring open, and the stimulating sensation of the carbonated bubbles sobered her up a bit. "It's more... perfect than I imagined." She paused. "PCS requires external equipment to force synchronization, but this is different. Every cell in it has the innate ability to transmit information, just like the worker ants in an ant colony. They don't need any command, yet they can work together to accomplish impossible tasks."

Ed was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "You know what this reminds me of? The Zerg from StarCraft."

Lu rolled his eyes. "Could you please stop using games as metaphors for reality?"

"Because reality is often stranger than science fiction." He shrugged, but his tone became serious. "But are you sure this thing is controllable? Anna's PCS at least has a physical switch."

Lu didn't answer immediately. She looked at the creature inside the cabin. It gracefully extended its tentacles, a faint blue light flowing through the liquid. In theory, its consciousness network should follow the genetic protocol she had set, but life always finds its own way—just like the Deep Blue Tree itself, designed as an ark, but hiding secrets that even the administrators kept secret.

"I'll put limits on it," she said finally, more to herself than anything else.

Ed stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair. Before she could protest, he spoke up, "Alright, genius girl, if you keep going like this, Precious will hit you with his knife again. Let's go. The cafeteria's late-night snack window is still open."

Ed dragged Lu out of the lab. The cold light in the hallway made her squint. After three days without natural light, even the artificial lighting seemed glaring. Sure enough, the cafeteria's late-night snack window was still lit. She mechanically chewed her sandwich, her taste buds devoid of flavor. All she could think of was the faint blue silhouette in the incubator—there was no doubt that this new life, created by her own hands, possessed a unique beauty.

"Hey, come back to your senses." Ed tapped her plate with his fork. "If Precious finds out you're distracted even while eating, next time she'll give you a nutritional injection."

Lu forced a smirk and was about to retort when her personal computer suddenly vibrated. An encrypted communication request popped up on the screen, the sender clearly marked as "Administrator." She choked, her cola spraying out of her nose. Ed patted her on the back and gloated, "Looks like we don't have to wait for Precious. The administrator's here to check on us first."

After the communication was connected, a holographic image of the administrator appeared above the dining table. She was unusually unaware of her uniform today, her short black hair draped over her shoulders. She held a steaming cup of tea. "I've reviewed the data on Deep Blue Tree-01," she began. "It's quite good—exceeding my expectations. I think this direction can be maintained, and your data is very valuable for reference."

Lu's fork clattered onto her plate. She remembered that she had never submitted a report. Although she had indeed submitted the project, shouldn't it be reviewed by the administrator?

"Don't worry. The surveillance data from Area B3 will automatically sync to my terminal." The administrator took a sip of tea. "However, the neural network topology needs to be optimized. The modified algorithm is more suitable for handling the chaotic nature of biological synapses. I've sent you the modified plan."

Ed whistled. "You're up at three in the morning just to help students correct their homework?"

"It's the same here, Ed. Any discovery is worth our attention. We're fighting an unconventional war." The administrator glanced at him. "Lu, come to the top floor lab with the new parameters at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Remember to eat breakfast, or Precious will scold me too."

After saying these words, the administrator's image flashed twice and then disappeared.

Lu stared at the folders that had suddenly appeared on her terminal—more precisely, the code within them. The code was so exquisite it bordered on art, with every line of comment pointing directly to the bottlenecks that had previously baffled her. But what shocked her most was the modification timestamps—all of them had occurred within three hours of Deep Blue Tree-01's creation.

"Something's wrong." On the way back to the lab, she suddenly grabbed Ed's sleeve. "Administrators never get directly involved in specific projects. Last time you wanted her to help adjust the gravitational parameters of the Heaven's Fulcrum, she just said, 'Only the pits you fall into are valuable.'"

Ed played with the apple he'd snatched from the cafeteria. "Maybe she's finally realized humanity is doomed?"

“…That’s what I said.”

"Don't think too much about it for now. Her willingness to work is more important than anything else."

Lu felt that what Ed said made sense, but doubt still left a seed in her heart.

It was four in the morning, and Lu was tossing and turning in his sleep pod in the corner of the lab. Suddenly, the terminal lit up, and a message from an unknown IP appeared on the screen: "There are several structural errors in line 14 of the seventh-generation algorithm. I can help you review it."

She sat up as if she had received an electric shock. She subconsciously thought that this was the help of the administrator, so she immediately began to check. There was indeed a problem with the code, but why did the administrator know... Did she really know everything?

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, hesitating for a moment. Then, inexplicably, she obeyed. Deep Blue Tree-01 in the incubator suddenly began to wriggle violently, its tentacles emitting unprecedented golden light. These connected, weaving a three-dimensional network within the liquid. The pressure reading in the chamber instantly soared to a critical level, then steadily receded just before triggering the alarm.

"...Just like that...solved it?" Lu was prepared for the experiment to fail. Failure was the norm in experiments. Success in one go—then you might as well buy a lottery ticket. [Admin] Miss, is your optimized code so amazing?

No... She's the administrator after all... Maybe this is normal...

Lu originally thought so, but after she frequently met this coding expert for guidance within three weeks, she realized that something was wrong.

Who are you?

Lu's fingers hovered over the keyboard, their knuckles white from the strain. The question on the screen was like a pebble dropped into a deep pond, sending invisible ripples through the silent laboratory. Three minutes passed, and the reply box remained blank. Only the tentacles of Deep Blue Tree-01 in the incubator swayed gently in time with her breathing.

"drop--"

The terminal suddenly sounded a prompt, and a new message window popped up: [You can call me 'Yin'.]

This unfamiliar name made Lu frown. She scratched her head subconsciously, as if wondering if she had seen this name somewhere before.

She originally thought it was the administrator who was responsible, but it was impossible for the administrator to keep an eye on this project. Although no one knew what the administrator was busy with, she was really busy. So today, she finally couldn't help but ask that question.

"Why help me?" Lu typed quickly. "These suggested changes might not even be generated instantly by the PCS system."

The reply came quickly: [Because you are on the right track. The Deep Blue Tree needs guidance, not control.]

Is the direction correct? How did she know? How could she instantly detect the data I provided? It's like she's right beside me, constantly watching me. No, to be able to say that, she must have a deep understanding of the Deep Blue Tree. Could she be the Doctor? No... The Doctor doesn't need to be so mysterious. Precious's coding skills may be enough, but she's mainly concerned about the Doctor...

The more Lu guessed, the more confusing the other party's identity seemed. He began to worry that the other party was a data thief. In a hurry, he continued typing.