Chapter 15 Underground Shelter

Two days later.

United States, Brooklyn, an abandoned farm, an underground air-raid shelter.

"Wow!"

Jask walked out of the hafnium alloy elevator, his eyes wide, like a curious elementary school student, eager to enter the underground space:

"So cool! So cool!"

Jask stood in the brightly lit space, slowly turning around, scanning his surroundings:

"I've dreamed of having a secret base like this since I was a kid, look at this... it's just awesome! The energy is supplied by nuclear batteries, inexhaustible, so the lights here can stay on for thousands of years without going out, and there's no need to consider saving energy."

"And look at these equipment and parts, basically everything that can be made of hafnium alloy is made of hafnium alloy, and where rigid materials can't be used, new anti-corrosion and anti-aging plastics are used, so there's no problem using them for hundreds of years."

"Lin Xian, you just woke up not long ago, so you may not know much about the materials science of this era. In the materials world now, plastic is really amazing. All kinds of new plastics are not inferior to hafnium alloy at all."

"Of course, I'm just saying that in terms of durability, they can be comparable to hafnium alloy, not in terms of hardness and strength. Shaped hafnium alloy is indeed invincible at present; but anyway, now that plastics can be developed to this extent, don't you think it's amazing?"

However.

Lin Xian shook his head:

"I don't think it's that amazing. I don't know what the education was like in the United States when you were a kid. Anyway, in our Dragon Country, we've been calling plastic bags white pollution since we were young, saying that they won't degrade even if they're buried in the ground for decades or hundreds of years."

"So, now you're telling me that plastic can last for hundreds of years without aging, and I'm not surprised at all. I guess I was fed too much toxic chicken soup when I was a kid, which made me think it should be like this."

Jask spread his hands:

"There's a big difference between not being able to completely degrade and not aging for continuous use. Besides, plastic is a general term, and there are also differences between plastics. Some plastics are environmentally friendly, recyclable, and quickly degradable, while others can achieve stability for hundreds of years."

"Forget it, forget it, let's not talk about this. I'm just shocked that... Einstein built this secret base so cool!"

"Sure enough, every science and engineering man has a dream of a secret base? It stands to reason that people like Einstein who don't eat or drink and are immortal don't need such luxurious facilities at all. He can lie in a coffin for hundreds of years without dying."

Lin Xian followed Jask further inside:

"But don't forget, although Einstein's body changed after being hit by the space-time particle, and he could see the false future, but..."

"[He is essentially still a human being.]"

After a pause.

Lin Xian continued:

"As long as you're human, you'll have emotions and desires, you'll have yearnings and needs, and at the same time, you'll make mistakes, you'll regret, and you'll feel guilty."

He pointed to the canned food, drinking water, and hibernation pods piled up like a mountain in the corner:

"Look at those things. Einstein clearly doesn't need them at all, but he still prepared them very well."

"This shows that he still regards himself as a human being. He doesn't consider himself noble like a god, nor is he arrogant like Turing, wanting to be a judge and observer. He always stands on the side of humanity."

"Hmm..."

Jask rubbed his chin and shook his head:

"I have a different idea from you."

He turned around and looked at Lin Xian:

"I've had more contact with Einstein than you have. He's a very rational person, not as sentimental as you say."

"Of course, people change. Maybe the Einstein you met in 1952 was so sentimental. But after so many years, the President of the Genius Club, Einstein, that I know has become extremely rational and rational."

"He shouldn't bother to prepare food, water, and hibernation pods. It's completely meaningless; and for people like Einstein who have lofty ambitions, eating, drinking, and sleeping are not that important."

"So, I think the reason why these things exist here..."

"[Is it possible, Lin Xian, that these foods, water, and hibernation pods were actually prepared for you by Einstein?]"

Lin Xian stopped and pointed to himself:

"Me?"

He laughed as if he had heard a joke:

"For Lin Xian? Or for Douglas?"

"That's not clear."

Jask shrugged:

"On the way here, didn't you tell me what happened in 1952? Einstein was still looking forward to reuniting with Douglas."

"Even if he couldn't see the future of reuniting with Douglas, he would rather doubt himself than suspect that Douglas was deceiving him."

"So, he used the space-time particle and the small oven to preserve your watch, and kept the farm looking like it did in 1952, afraid you'd get lost."

"Thinking from this perspective, then he could only have prepared these food, drinking water, and hibernation pods that humans need for Douglas, that is, you."

"After all, he was just guessing that Douglas was hit by the space-time particle like him and became immortal, but there's no real evidence; perhaps Einstein was also prepared for any eventuality, considered a lot, and prepared everything Douglas needed to survive in advance."

…

Listening to Jask's analysis, Lin Xian didn't speak.

No matter what the real reason was.

Now there was no way to prove it.

He walked to the nine chairs of the Genius Club, looking at the empty former meeting place:

"Before adopting VR online meetings, where did the Genius Club hold offline meetings?"

"Brussels."

Jask replied:

"Brussels, Belgium, the place where Einstein and Bohr had their century-long debate on quantum mechanics."

Lin Xian chuckled:

"See, I told you that Einstein is still essentially a human being. He's quite vengeful... or rather, he's still worried about that century-long debate back then."

Jask squatted down, his fingers stroking the carpet on the right side of the high platform chair:

"This is where Einstein turned into blue stardust and disappeared, right?"

Lin Xian nodded:

"Yes, Einstein pressed that button at the end, started the Genius Club meeting system, and then fell here and disappeared."

Jask pursed his lips, thought for a few seconds, and said slowly:

"Actually, the most incredible thing about Einstein is that he wasn't a time-traveler, but he triggered forced avoidance and dissipated, which is very illogical."

"The situation with him is indeed very strange. His space-time rejection is also selective. Only his eyes turned blue, but his appearance didn't change; at the same time, he didn't have any time-traveling behavior... In this case, why did forced avoidance occur?"

He raised his head and looked at Lin Xian:

"What do you think about this?"

"There's nothing strange about this."

Lin Xian said softly:

"Considering that Einstein was controlled and saw a false future, it means that all of this is a conspiracy by the real mastermind behind the scenes, the 'mysterious force'."

"So, rather than saying that Einstein seemed to be forced to avoid, in fact, he should have been forcibly silenced by the 'mysterious force'. It wasn't the laws of space-time that silenced Einstein, but the 'mysterious force' that silenced him and made him disappear."

"If there were only space-time laws restricting him, Einstein wouldn't have disappeared. Obviously, Einstein couldn't resist all of this either. He could only apologize for everything in helplessness and powerlessness, and was forcibly dissipated."

Jask also agreed with Lin Xian's idea, and then added:

"You're right, the forced avoidance that shouldn't have happened was the last straw that broke Einstein's spirit and will."

"It was also the appearance of this forced avoidance and forced dissipation that made Einstein realize that he had really been deceived and controlled, and then he thought of the things he had done over the years, pushing the future step by step into the abyss of destruction. This truth was indeed very cruel to him."

Lin Xian breathed out a long breath.

Turned around.

Looking at the computer server behind the high platform chair:

"So, this is also what we have to do now, find out the real truth, save all of this, and help Einstein make up for his mistakes, so that he can rest in peace."

"This is why I brought you here today, Jask. I haven't told anyone about this underground shelter of Einstein's. Now only the two of us in the world know about this place. It can be said to be the safest place in the world." "Those computers and servers behind should be the foundation equipment of the Genius Club meeting system. According to my guess, as long as we can break through the defense system and extract the network connection data inside, we should be able to lock down the real identities of Newton and Galileo."

"Understood."

Jask took out his small computer from his backpack, and then started a series of equipment, and began to work busily.

Lin Xian has always been unfamiliar with computer attack and defense technology.

So he couldn't help much, so he could only pull over a chair and sit next to Jask and watch him crack away.

Time passed minute by minute.

Sweat dripped from Jask's head.

The air here wasn't hot, it was even a bit cold, which was enough to show that Jask was in a bitter battle; at least... from Lin Xian's current perspective, he couldn't see any data interface, and Jask was still fighting the security system.

"No way."

After trying for four or five hours, Jask wiped his sweat and shook his head regretfully:

"Can't break through, Lin Xian. Not only can't I break through, but according to my understanding of cutting-edge computer technology, all the top hackers in this era, the 23rd century, can't handle this defense system."

"Although I don't like Turing, that is, Kevin Walker, very much; I have to admit that his computer technology, especially the security technology and hacker technology, is indeed hundreds of years ahead of the times."

"You also know that the Genius Club's meeting system is all done by Kevin Walker alone. This system is the crystallization of his highest level, plus Einstein's help... It can only be said that it's as solid as a rock and completely impossible to break through."

Lin Xian was a little incredulous:

"Is it that exaggerated?"

Jask sighed helplessly:

"Otherwise, why was Kevin Walker the most powerful hacker on earth back then? Although I don't want to praise him so much, we science and engineering people have to be realistic, he's really ridiculously strong."

"Think about it, can a person who can create a digital life in the early 21st century be mediocre?"

Lin Xian nodded silently.

That's right.

Perhaps the time interval was too long, which had made him forget how powerful Kevin Walker was.

Back then.

The super artificial intelligence VV tried its best and couldn't find Kevin Walker's real identity and real address. This was the best proof of the other party's strength.

Not only that.

The super artificial intelligence VV is the crystallization of technology 600 years later, but Kevin Walker was able to fight with the young VV and be evenly matched. This can't be described as ridiculously strong.

"In other words, in the current era, we can't find Newton and Galileo by cracking the Genius Club meeting system?"

"That's right, I'm sure."

Jask's tone was very heavy:

"Before coming, I had already made sufficient preparations, but I worked so hard just now and didn't make any progress at all."

"And Kevin Walker's defense system is not a simple brute force method that can be solved, it's quite complicated... It even has a self-protection mechanism, which is far from what this era can solve."

"[If we want to go this way, break through the Genius Club meeting system, I think, we can only ask for help from a super programmer who is more talented than Kevin Walker.]"

Lin Xian frowned.

A person who is more talented than Kevin Walker, a genius of the century...

In his mind, he could only think of two.

One.

Was the computer genius who created the super virus and sealed the upper limit of artificial intelligence, Cheng Qian.

Another.

Was the super artificial intelligence VV who died halfway through his career and was killed by a future virus.

But in fact, these two people are no different from one person.

To completely eliminate the future virus and resurrect VV, the one who tied the bell must untie it. We must rely on Cheng Qian to take action, no one else has this ability.

So...

"We can only wait until Cheng Qian is born in 2482 to resurrect VV."

Lin Xian said softly.

"VV?"

Jask heard this unfamiliar but familiar word.

Thought for a while.

Suddenly realized:

"Oh oh oh, VV is the super artificial intelligence that I accidentally killed, right?"

"Oh, I'm really sorry about this. If I hadn't been deceived by that blue-eyed girl back then, your VV wouldn't have been killed, and this battle wouldn't be so difficult now."

"It's okay."

Lin Xian shook his head:

"It's not your fault."

"Even Einstein, who is as smart as he is, can be deceived, let alone you and me? Back then, that blue-eyed girl Jia Yuxi not only deceived you, but also tricked me around and around. I don't have any qualifications to blame you."

"When soldiers come, we'll block them, and when water comes, we'll dam it. Fortunately, there is still hope for VV's resurrection. We only need to find Cheng Qian after 2482."

"As long as VV can be resurrected, our strength will naturally increase a hundred times; whether it's collecting intelligence or fighting enemies, VV is basically invincible in an era without viruses. As long as he is given enough time to develop, he has no upper limit."

Jask hmm'd.

Crossed his arms, his expression a little embarrassed:

"But, you also said that the super genius programmer Cheng Qian will not be born until 2482. By the time he grows up and has enough ability, it's estimated that it will be 2500."

"2500 is another 200 years from now. If you want to find Cheng Qian, you must hibernate again and sleep for another 270 years..."

"I don't want to either."

Lin Xian said sincerely:

"If there is another way to solve this matter in the current era, then of course that is the best solution."

"But, if this is a last resort, the last hope..."

He closed his eyes, recalling the last letter Zhao Yingjun wrote to him—

[So, look forward and don't look back. Now our mission is over, and the baton of saving the future is passed to you again. We have not left, but have turned into the wind and the beautiful sunshine in this world, and will always stand behind you.]

Look forward, don't look back.

Lin Xian opened his eyes:

"Countless people have sacrificed, sacrificed their lives, and reached this point for the future of mankind."

"If it's really necessary..."

He clenched his fist:

"I will keep moving forward until the end of the world!"

(End of this chapter)