Alice bolted up from the silicone bed, her eyes wide open as she held her chest and gasped for air.
She looked around in alarm before finally realizing where she was.
She was currently inside the neuro-medical pod, receiving the update sent by the artificial intelligence department.
But just now, Alice clearly saw herself in another place, inside a sealed glass container, and there were many, many others like her around.
And that person looking at her.
Alice had seen enough people who looked at her as if looking at an object they could play around with in the palm of their hands to recognize that the man in the white lab coat was looking at her the same way.
To be precise, it was like looking at an object.
As an experienced survivor who had encountered countless dangers, Alice was able to calm down immediately, but her mind and body were still cautious and alert.
Alice was not stupid enough to think that she was just dreaming.
A mere dream could never be that vivid and clear.
There was only one similar experience that she had, and it was when the pendant brought Alice to see the events at the top of the Tower before time rewound itself.
That stone, it’s definitely my pendant.
Alice had instinctively moved towards the stone earlier, but thinking about it now, she should have run far away instead.
That thing did bring her here, but Alice would not forget that it was part of that Tower.
It appeared again, bringing her somewhere, and returned her back here.
Looking at the interior of the neuro-medical pod blankly, another thought occurred to her.
Why, of all timings, did it happen now?
The only difference Alice could think of was the second update.
Her instincts told her it was related to this.
System.
Alice had gotten used to using this term, which she often used during the AR simulation program.
“….”
?
System?
[Yes, host.]
It was the same cool female voice she used to hear in the AR simulation, but something was off.
Alice’s eyes narrowed briefly.
Check my current privacy settings.
[Yes, host.
Checking the host’s current privacy settings…
The host’s privacy is set at the maximum privacy level.
The neural interface will not be able to access the host’s subconscious thoughts.]
Is there anyone monitoring my brain activities right now?
Do you detect unusual access from external sources?
[Currently, there are no external monitoring access from developers detected.]
Alice was silent for a moment before she asked, What is the extent of your control on my brain?
Is there a possibility of affecting my brain negatively?
For a moment, Alice felt as if the neural interface had a small pause.
Alice looked calm, but her body’s physiological responses could not be faked.
Her heart began to speed up and nerves tensed.
It was unmistakable.
[I assure the host that the neural interface cannot bypass the brain’s protective mechanisms.
In the current latest version of Neural-Link’s neural interface, the interface is very stable and is no longer a danger to the host’s life.
The possibility of malfunction is almost non-existent at 0.99%.]
[If, in case, the current latest version malfunctions, the neural interface can at most flood the brain with extremely massive data influx, causing headaches and dizziness similar to the host’s first initialization experience, but it will not endanger the host’s life.]
It was unknown whether it was on purpose, but this explanation exposed quite a few things to Alice.
First, along the development of the neural interface, there had been old versions that were highly dangerous and caused harm to the hosts.
Second, the current neural interface’s highest level of direct harm was to cause intense dizziness, just like what she had experienced before, would not cause Alice to die, fortunately.
Third, although small, the possibility of a malfunction still existed.
Alice did not know what things could cause the malfunction, but she wanted to ensure that no one was reading through her mind without her knowledge.
I remember that without my permission, no one else can control the neural interface.
Does that still hold true?
[The developers indeed cannot control the host’s neural interface without the host’s permission.]
If Alice had not noticed the signs earlier, this answer would have relieved her of her worries.
But now, Alice clearly noticed that the response was not a direct ‘yes’ or ‘no’, which was quite contrary to the usual manner of the neural interface.
Alice was tired.
She had discovered had just discovered her orphan background, then saw herself in another place accompanied by eerie sealed containers each filled with humans, saw the blue pendant that came from the asteroid that caused the disasters in her previous life, and then found her body back inside the neuro-medical pod, with her neural interface clearly behaving strangely.
Alice was fed up.
Since there was no danger to her life, Alice who was used to being straightforward simply asked directly:
You are not the old neural interface.
Who are you?
[To answer the host, the second update has incorporated the developed artificial intelligence—]
Please just answer either yes or no.
[There has been some changes–]
You are still not answering directly.
[…]
[It is both, host.
My apologies if I have surprised you.
I am an artificial intelligence developed with a personality configuration, designed to provide the best assistance and companionship to my host.
I have been integrated with the neural interface in this second update.]
Alice was about to respond when she closed her eyes and suddenly slapped her cheeks.
Clap!
Calming down, with her cheeks sporting a red palm print on each side, the little girl’s blue eyes opened.
Every time Alice tried to find something out, she always ended up getting sidetracked by something else, as if fate was tricking her in purpose.
What was Alice thinking again before she got sidetracked by the changes in her neural interface?
Oh, right.
She was wondering about the impeccable timing of the appearance of the pendant and how it coincided with the second update.
I won’t care if you’re an artificial intelligence or the neural interface for now, just answer my question.
Did you create a simulation in my mind moments ago, or during the update while I was unconscious?
[No, host.
I did not create a simulation in your mind.]
Alice finally confirmed that it was not just an illusion.
She asked, Can you check if there are any relevant memories about me going to another place moments ago, and if possible, can you check the source?
Analyzing the host’s memory networks…
I found the relevant memories in your mind.
Moments ago, you woke up at a strange place inside the body of an adult female.
The location seems to be inside one of the level 5 laboratory facilities of the organization, located at the central laboratory of the headquarters.
There were sealed containers with blue liquid, which is the nanofluid circulating in the rows of vessels containing the human samples.]
!
Alice’s eyes widened, her small mouth opening in astonishment.
This was too detailed!
Her mind racing, she took this opportunity to ask: Do you know what that place is for, and what the humans there are for?
[Yes, host.
That location is the central chamber where the nanofluid’s nanobots are being synthesized and nurtured.
The large glass container at the center of the chamber is divided into two functional parts.
The upper part is separated and then connected to the samples undergoing mutation experiments, while the lower half is connected to the nanofluid manufacturing facility.]
Alice’s mind reeled again.
Mutation?
Those people were under some sort of experiment related to mutations!
They were indeed test subjects!
That central container has my pendant.
So that pendant really can cause mutations.
Thinking about it a bit more, it was actually no wonder.
It was part of that Tower—the asteroid that had caused the species in the world of her previous life to mutate to some extent.
What surprised her, though, was that this pendant was unexpectedly connected to the creation of the nanofluid.
Also, such a confidential information…
Alice’s expression became solemn.
Earlier, when I first called you, you were clearly acting strangely.
You could have just told me from the beginning that you were an artificial intelligence that had been integrated into my neural interface, but you did not.
I don’t believe for a second that there are no security measures set up to stop this kind of information from leaking.
Yet you so casually mentioned it.
Who are you?
Are you really an artificial intelligence?
If you don’t tell me honestly, I will tell the researchers about your strange behavior.
[…]
[Oh dear, this is is not the proper way to ask someone, don’t you think, Miss Transmigrator?]
Alice’s eyes widened.
[Hello, my lady.
I am your exclusive artificial intelligence butler, please call me Azure.]
The voice changed entirely.
From the cool, female voice, it turned into a low and deep male baritone, with a playful tone.
Alice: （⊙.⊙）!!!
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