Story Reader / Main Story / 28 Polaris Bond / Story
Landau tries to calm himself by calculating the geometric fractals on the wooden wallpaper in the glow of sunset.
Yet every time he lies on the bed counting those patterns, he is reminded of that night in rural Siberia, when his grandmother was knitting sweaters with sticks as thick as a finger while telling him religious stories.
Her sweaters had the most intricate patterns, but Grandma was just an ordinary woman who had survived several wars.
Was it natural talent? Or perhaps it was a deep human instinct? He wondered.
Most people can't understand the mathematical principles behind these complex patterns, but that doesn't stop them from creating intricate designs on their doodles.
That's not exactly true. He smirked.
How can the entropy of a completed series of Shakespeare compare to Shakespeare himself...
He glances at his watch. It's 5:50 PM.
He sits up abruptly and picks up the communication terminal beside him.
Hello? Luwei, are you there?
Igor, you need me?
It's so late already. Why are you still here?
They're giving you a welcome party, not me.
It's been so long...
Where's Villier? Is he still in the lab?
Hmm... Villier didn't leave with Dr. Leibowitz when Leibowitz got off work, so Villier should still be there.
Go and get him.
Uh... I don't know if he'll listen to me.
Tell him I said so. He listens to me.
Alright, I'll try.
Okay, see you at 6:30.
Landau hangs up, stands up, opens the window, and lights a cigarette. He sees from the corner of his eye that the light in Braun's room on the first floor is also on.
(No wonder Braun hasn't shown up at work lately. Maybe he really doesn't get along with Korolev...)
Landau's room faces the council's most famous garden wall. Every summer, the 300m-long, 3m-high wall is covered in ivy and various flowers. It is the spot where many young couples in the academy confess their love.
Each couple would leave a small pot of roses there as a symbol of their love, even if they don't end up staying together. This means extra work for the council's public workers, who have to collect these withered plants every winter.
In his early days at the council, Landau would occasionally take a break, pour himself a drink, and secretly bless these young lovers. He believed that nothing was more precious than youth in a time like this.
The sunset is at its peak, and under the flower wall, young lovers stroll in pairs.
They're in their prime in their twenties.
Landau instinctively reaches for the glass by the window, only to realize it has been empty for three years.
(▼ヘ▼#)...
The little yellow robot by his side looks unhappy. It nudges Landau's arm.
Do you remember the bottle was filled with wine when we first came here eight years ago, 42?
Make it how it was before, 42.
(一︿一)
42 seems reluctant to give his owner alcohol, but it simply nods and flies out to message the residence bureau for a wine delivery.
Youth is indeed wonderful.
Landau stretches, puts out his cigarette in the glass ashtray, and leaves his bedroom.
The room dims right away as Landau steps out, and the sunset glow that was illuminating the wooden fractal wallpaper finally pierces through the facade. The golden light is now shining on the cold and monotonous projection screen.
I didn't expect Section 2 to be so open-minded...
Of course, we are. It's a fact.
The middle-aged man, who is going a little bald, tilts his head back and downs his drink.
Do you think the masses can read and understand our deep spaceship blueprints?
Sometimes knowing too much can be a heavy burden for ordinary people... But the Science Council has always been open about it.
Anyone interested in learning can apply to study at the Council at any time.
Knowledge and truth are universally accessible. Actually, whether they are accessible doesn't depend on knowledge and truth itself.
The refined woman with glasses sitting next to Korolev says.
Anyone who wishes can apply to the Council for spacecraft blueprints and even build an aerospace plane or space station in their backyard.
Knowledge and truth that aren't accessible are as meaningless as flowers in a vacuum jar.
Whether it can be built is one thing, but we have no say in whether someone can get the permits.
Yes, as Miss Schwartz said, there are no qualifications to obtaining knowledge and truth.
Landau notices Villier's frown and gently pats his shoulder. Villier takes the hint and leaves the table.
Hmm...
Your new student seems to have a strong personality, which is great.
Yeah... but he can be a little strange. He always says he doesn't like crowded places.
What do you think? Is he talented?
Yeah.
A few days ago, he proposed a multidimensional quantum anti-key scheme based on discrete finite groups. He looks quite promising.
Why don't you just take him? Oh... you don't really take students anymore, right?
I believe Mr. Leibowitz hasn't accepted any new students for a long, long time.
Yeah, I mean, Leibowitz's last student is right here with us.
You never thought your student would go to Section 2 for astrophysics, right?
Uh-huh, and we have you to thank for coaxing her into it, of course.
Nope, I definitely didn't do that.
I think Leibowitz knew all along. I mean, it's the stars!
I thought you'd say he would write an algorithm to predict which star his student would end up planting potatoes on...
Mr. Korolev!
Schwartz closes her mouth in embarrassment.
By the way, Igor. We need to submit the budget for the second half of the year next week.
What about it?
Huh!
Korolev slaps his thigh and sits up straight. He looks a bit drunk.
You don't want that Kalon kid to get another 20% of the budget now, do you?
I think the mechanical prosthetic replacement technology they proposed is quite interesting.
Did you eat too many Ladoga mushrooms? Has it gotten into your brain...?
Don't drink so much, Korolev.
Dawnlight and the orbital array will cost money to build!
Isn't Section 3 also starting to hire?
I heard from John that you've hired quite a few novelists and playwrights recently. What's that for?
For Gestalt. We can't start everything without having the entire team.
You haven't officially started yet?
Korolev looks shocked.
I thought you started when you came back!
That's impossible...
Building Gestalt requires experts and scholars from every field. It integrates basic science and engineering. Dominik said I don't need to worry about the budget, but the numbers on the report are... tsk tsk.
Landau clicks his tongue with a smile.
Why do you need novelists and playwrights?
You can't expect us lab rats to write creative stories, can you?
I know that Mr. Landau is definitely good at telling jokes.
You, haha... One day I'll have Leibowitz send you to me for a taste of hell.
Landau laughs brightly.
I mean, designing something like this requires knowledge from every human discipline and field. I do plan to borrow some talents from Sections 1 and 2, and also some funds.
See! He's going to poach our people! I should complain to Dominik about you!
I think the Council will approve the funds for your new array and Dawnlight...
But that also depends on whether the United Foundation can squeeze out more money, especially for Section 3... The Council and the Foundation want results. They'll evaluate us in the first, third, and fifth years...
Damn, I don't like that Trillard guy at all.
A smooth talker... He sounds like he's chanting every time he speaks!
That's politics for you.
Ah, politics, politics! Always politics! I hate it!
What's about this?
Landau pushes a glass of vodka to Korolev.
Want to take this to the space station?
Ah, it wasn't me who said it...
Korolev quickly gulps down the vodka in his shot glass and takes the bottle from Landau.
I think that might be hard.
It's yours.
You better keep an eye on him, Schwartz.
This guy might just drink the whole bottle and actually take it to the space station.
Ah, okay... I will.
Nonsense! I'm sober 99% of the time when I'm drawing blueprints!
Then you'd better not be in the office during that 1%...
For a moment, the round table erupts in laughter that echoes through the restaurant.
The Science Council's dining hall is a three-story building with an eclectic style. This architectural style is centuries old. It can only be seen at a few historical sites and some newly built exhibition halls.
Villier is standing on the balcony outside the full-length glass, gazing at the majestic white tower standing alone in the night.
It used to be a Tycho-class radio telescope but is no longer operational.
The voice of a blonde girl interrupts Villier's thoughts.
Hello, I'm Valentina from Section 2.
Villier ignores the woman's greeting and continues to gaze at the telescope.
When the telescope was built, this park hadn't been planned by the Council yet.
The telescope was shut down after the Council moved here to prevent electromagnetic interference.
She doesn't seem to realize Villier isn't listening to her. She keeps talking while she leans on the railing.
Of course, now it's Section 2's headquarters. Sometimes children would visit it. The real observation radio telescope mirror arrays and interference network are in remote mountains and deserts.
But many dense arrays and interferometers are no longer as effective with all sorts of overdevelopment in the past decade. We really need to put them into orbit...
...
Feeling a bit embarrassed by Valentina's enthusiasm, Villier thinks about going back into the restaurant, but his embarrassment is quickly dispersed by her endless chatter.
Although the Tycho-class telescope is the largest one left from the old era, it's still quite big from this angle... By the way, your clothes tell me that you are from Kowloong?
Mr. Korolev took me to see your observatory before I graduated! I heard that Kowloong's 8000-sq-km mirror array is still the largest astronomical observation array in the world!
Um...
Ah! So you can talk. I was starting to wonder if you have some hearing or speech difficulties.
I just... don't want to talk. Is that hard to see?
Science Council Section 3... Villier?
The girl examines Villier's ID badge.
So, you're Dr. Landau's student? No wonder you also refuse to use implants like he does.
I'm not his student, and... Do you know you chatter like a sparrow?
I do?
The girl gives him a bright smile, unfazed by Villier's sarcasm.
Are you... Korolev's student?
Yes.
Hmm...
Oh! There you are! Checking out this old relic?
The small balcony becomes even more cramped as Korolev tries to squeeze in with his slightly chubby body.
I heard from Landau that you're from Kowloong?
What about it?
Three Ptolemy-class telescopes will be delivered to the orbital platform tomorrow. Would you like to visit the International Space Station with us?
Villier doesn't respond. He waves his hand and leaves the crowded balcony without looking back.
Weird one that is...
Doesn't seem like he likes to talk at all.
God only knows when the three telescopes would have been completed without the strong support of Kowloong's new leader. I was hoping to thank him...
Thank him?
You don't know? He's the younger brother of Kowloong's new leader!
The "The Quantum Neural Synapse and Advanced AI Matrix" is a supercomputer and AI project led by the Science Council. The project is a collaboration with universities and research institutes around the world. It is also the predecessor of "Project Gestalt"...
That's all they came up with?
The balding man is clearly the one with the highest status among the four people in the elevator. The two young secretaries behind him immediately chime in.
Hello, Gordon Rammuslecci, Director of Finance of the Transatlantic Economic Community. Your new suit makes you look even more younger. The temperature difference between the R&D department and the outdoor area may cause discomfort. Please understand.
We've also prepared breakfast for you. May you have a pleasant autumn morning.
Is this a pre-recorded message? But we didn't notify them in advance...
No, Director. I am the third visual simulation program of Project Gestalt and one of the creations of Section 3.
So, after more than a year, they only managed to create a program that can talk?
Patience, Gordon.
Trillard adjusts his tie. He looks unbothered by the electronic voice from above.
Do you know what Kowloong's Chiwen Crew said when they created Section 3?
What?
I have no idea.
The elevator shakes a little and the doors slowly opens.
Because they said nothing, Gordon. Absolutely nothing.
Welcome to the entrance of Section 3's mainframe lab. Have a pleasant day!
Researchers in white lab coats are busy at their workstations on either side of them. In the middle is a glass door several meters high, glowing in dim blue lights that look like stars.
Behind this door runs the greatest electrical current in human history.
Hello, Director Trillard.
A tall man calmly shakes Trillard's hand by the elevator.
Mr. Landau.
Is this Director Rammuslecci? Pleasure.
Hi.
You must be tired from the flight. Please, have a seat.
Landau talks as he guides Trillard and his group to an office on the right side of the elevator.
The office is only about 20 sqm and is filled with stacks of paper documents, computation units, hardware, and color-coded labels. It looks like a vintage library from the era before.
Across from the entrance is a wooden desk piled with documents and equipment. The photos on the table show that the owner of this space isn't entirely a workaholic.
Next to the desk is a whiteboard covered in dense formulas and iterations. Above the whiteboard hangs a workstation with three screens connected to the ceiling by cable ducts.
What's striking is that the office is completely transparent and has a clear view of the massive central computer room of Section 3.
Nice office, but... you have no privacy at all.
Privacy is an illusion in this time and age.
Landau jokes before turning around to do something.
Information is a double-edged sword.
You will have to use paper cups because everyone here has their own cups.
Landau hands a paper cup to Rammuslecci, one to Trillard, and two to the two secretaries at the back.
These are premium select Cato coffee beans.
Did you grow them yourself?
From breeding to the final product.
Rammuslecci takes a sip. The two secretaries breathe a sigh of relief before quickly picking up their cups.
Hmm, the taste... It's been a long while since I've had coffee this good. The extraction is also great.
That is also one of Gestalt's functions.
Landau lifts his white ceramic coffee cup and points to the computing array behind the glass door.
Gestalt's mechanical workers will one day handle all the agricultural processes, from cultivating to planting, watering, lighting, and fertilizing. It will then regulate the drying, processing, and packaging of these beans, as well as their distribution on the market based on its planned economy.
In the future, I won't need to personally select these beans. Gestalt will handle everything.
Hmm, this is indeed the age of information.
No, Mr. Rammuslecci.
Landau interrupts Rammuslecci assertively.
This is the future, and it is a future that will definitely be realized.
I understand all that, but...
Rammuslecci puts the paper cup on an empty spot on the shelf beside him. He glances at Trillard and finishes his sentence.
But doesn't this all sound... a bit too fantastical?
Hmm?
I mean, this is just my two cents... Isn't it a bit too early to create a super AI that can govern global affairs within 10 years? Creating something like this takes decades even in sci-fi novels, right?
Confidence is a good quality, Mr. Landau.
Uh...
Landau doesn't quite understand Rammuslecci's point and glances nervously at Trillard.
Before "Project Gestalt", we already had considerable experience in exploring and validating strong AI. With this foundation, Dominik estimated that "Gestalt" can be completed in 10 years...
Mr. Landau means that both the Council and Chief Dominik have complete confidence in this.
Trillard finishes Landau's thought.
The Council has independently pushed for material science explosion and cold reactor design, but even then, "Project Gestalt" is still an intense mission requiring global cooperation. Regarding this, the Council has also considered its own interests.
Confidence is about believing, Gordon.
I mean, no one really thought the Council could actually build a cold reactor, right?
We have also made the configuration completely public.
Speaking of which... I think Dr. Landau and his mentor, Mr. Tsiolkovsky, are also one of the designers of the first generation cold reactor model?
That was a long time ago.
Sigh...
Rammuslecci shakes his head in dejection.
To be honest, I am also feeling the pressure.
I am responsible for the lives of many factory workers. Once Gestalt goes online, these people will all lose their jobs. And I...
Some people in the Economic Community also believe creating such a super AI goes against morality and is an act of defiance against God. They are also worried that one day the robot and AI crises depicted in science fiction may happen.
No, Mr. Rammuslecci.
Landau's eyes become resolute.
Pain is inevitable as we transition from one era to the next.
In this era of high productivity, if we use Gestalt as our wings, humanity will surely fly further and higher. When that happens, each person will be assigned to the work and life they most desire based on their interests and hobbies.
We can even establish our own cities on the moon. No, on Mars. Then, people will be able to choose where they want to work and live.
Also... Gestalt will never betray humanity.
What?
The two secretaries behind Rammuslecci shiver in shock.
Betray humanity?
Isn't that what people are worried about? That AI will eventually turn against and attack humanity? That it will defy the foundational commands we give them?
I can assure you, Director, in the name of the Science Council.
Gestalt will never betray humanity.
Once Gestalt is completed, it will be under the jurisdiction of the World Government.
I believe establishing a World Government that can actually coordinate global affairs is harder than creating a super AI capable of doing so, right?
It will work, Gordon.
Trillard smiles confidently.
When we give people the confidence to unite, we will inevitably move toward unity.
Gestalt and the Science Council are in the best position to give people confidence.
This is just the political benefit, Gordon. Imagine the immense energy and economic value behind it.
Hmm...
Knowing that Rammuslecci still has his doubts, Trillard stops talking and walks over to throw his cup into the trash.
Mr. Landau, show the Director your magic.
Magic?
When we see things that cannot be explained by common sense and reason, we believe they are miracles and magic.
Landau nods, picks up a walkie-talkie, says a few words, and a few researchers push a cart carrying piles of cables into the office.
What is that?
If you use common sense, it's "magic." In scientific terms, it's called "The Adaptive Scenario Engine and Visual Decision Nexus III." This is the third generation. We usually call it "Anton" in our lab.
This is just one of Gestalt's by-products. It is actually responsible for testing the decision-making process of "Project Gestalt".
Currently, it only accesses 35% of the world's internet, but it includes all major academic fields and has passed the Turing test. It is capable of handling up to 300 quintillion language model problems. Future models will have access to even more.
It can help you make any decision, Director. And I mean "any decision."
Landau turns on the device on the cart and it emits a small electromagnetic sound.
Can it tell me whether I should launch a nuclear missile?
That depends on how complex the undisclosed nuclear launch codes of the Economic Community are.
If conditions are right, it can destroy the world through your decisions. Of course, it can also save the world.
