Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

At least she didn't dislike Lotin. The only people of her clan huddled together for warmth, and life wasn't so bad.

Chapter 305: The President of Colombia

Colombia's conventional armed forces are indeed among the best in the Terran countries, but it has always lived in fear. As a young colonial nation, it severely lacks the deterrent superweapons that can be compared with those of other Terran countries.

Thus, over the years, Colombia has sought to create superweapons to maintain its strategic deterrence, which has led to a series of horrific human experiments and the violent excavation of pre-civilization heritage.

During this period, a biotechnology company called Rhine Life undertook a large number of classified projects from the military, including Project Horizon Arc, which aimed to create a "super cannon".

According to the original plot, the results of this plan would be hijacked by Christen, the head of Rhine Lab, and ultimately Christen would use the enormous energy of the array of sarcophagi to break through the star pod and achieve her dream of flying into the sky.

However, due to the profound influence that Lotin had on the world of Terra, Columbia greatly strengthened its oversight of Rhine Lab in order to develop targeted weapons against Nautilus. The conflict between the president and the government was put on hold, and the shadow government serving the president and the Federation Army began to unite to put pressure on Rhine Lab, which made it impossible for Christen Wright to use the various conflicts to cover up the truth as before.

"Rhodes Island requests a meeting with Rhine Labs. The Rhodes Island ship has unimpeded passage within Columbia territory."

Inside the Rhine Life Group's Components Department office, a man with long blond hair named Li Boli was engrossed in reading an urgent report submitted by an advisor.

Since she decided to focus her attention on the sky, she had rarely concentrated on matters on land as she did now. She knew perfectly well that it wasn't Rhodes Island that had come, but Nautilus. Nautilus must know something. He didn't even bother with the Shard of Victoria. Why would he come to "visit" a super weapon project that hadn't even been approved yet?

During the Agor Conference, which called for the Terran civilization to unite against the Seachildren, the Doctor and Nautilus—also known as Lotin—declared to the Terrans that they were orphans of a previous civilization and were “willing to guide the Terran civilization as mentors and protectors.” Christen could not possibly have been unaware of this public information.

"Agor's meeting minutes record that Nautilus and the Doctor of Rhodes Island are orphans from a prehistoric civilization, and that the Preservator, Lord Trevor Friston, was swayed by their activities."

Christensen's plan was already progressing slowly due to the unexpected alliance between the military and the president, and Trevor's intensified wavering only made matters worse. Without the energy supply from the Preservationist Project, she would never be able to break through the Starpod and reach the real stars.

“If those two men were to successfully meet and speak with Trevor, my dreams, my obsessions, would all vanish, and the Wright name would remain nailed to the pillar of shame.”

Her dream of flying was indeed incredibly firm, but it was never pure. She didn't even consider the return, processing, and recording of data. Her primary goal was not "to advance science for the sake of flying," but rather "to use flying to wash away shame and satisfy her obsession."

For Christensen, not only are the masses of people on this earth the fuel that supports her flight, but even Rhine Lab, the platform she and her former best friends built to realize their scientific dreams, is now just fuel and a consumable in her eyes.

Ferdinand, the head of the energy department, had been running around trying to salvage the Rhine lives that were being consumed, pulling strings, securing sponsorships, and even nearly losing himself in the process. If it weren't for the military's help and bail, the physicist might have been beaten to death in the wilderness by miners who had been deceived in the experiment, or at the very least, he would be in jail.

Christensen flipped through project proposal after proposal, desperately searching for any bargaining chips she had—which one could stop this giant's advance? Which one could give her aspirations enough weight?

She parted ways with her best friend Saria in order to pursue her dream, and allowed her subordinates to conduct illegal human experiments in order to pursue her dream. Is there any way back for her now?

Just as Christensen was anxiously searching for a bargaining chip that she was destined to never have, her advisor told her that the meeting scheduled by Rhodes Island had arrived, and that the Vice President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Federation Forces would also be attending.

The federal army dispatched its elite Federal Motor Cavalry, equipped with Type C power armor, to escort the meeting. However, whether this was to protect the federal officials, deter Nautilus, or simply to show that the other party valued the meeting was quite subtle.

In Rhine Life's ecological park, the highest-standard conference reception room had been adjusted to its best condition. Kristen sat down in her seat in a daze. On one side was the Vice President carrying that peculiar pigeon with long horns, and on the other side of the round table were three other people.

Of course, everyone knows that the horned owl named Mark Max is the true master and only president of Colombia, while the vice president is a much more insignificant figure.

One of them was the white giant Kristen, dressed in an outfit not much different from the spacesuit that Kristen had recreated; another was the famous Rhodes Island doctor; and the third was a completely unfamiliar face she had never seen before.

"All three of you have come to talk to Father."

The first sentence begins with Colombia's first and only president, Mark Max.

“You are all my father’s colleagues, so you should understand that I am fulfilling my father’s wishes.”

The strange pigeon emitted an eerie light from its eyes as it gazed upon the three men who were destined to rule Terra.

For the Terra civilization, which was born and developed in dependence on Originium, it is no exaggeration to say that these three people who hold the highest authority over Originium are the gods and rulers of Terra.

The pigeon referred to these three people as "his father's colleagues."

Christensen had no idea what the President was trying to say, nor did she know who the "father" the President was referring to was. She only felt that her existence at this round table was so insignificant and ridiculous.

“Whether your father had such a wish, we still need to verify, Your Excellency. Let Rhine Life take us to see your father, to see the Preservator Trevor Friston.”

The three of them, including Lotin, knew that the father the President mentioned was the Preserver Trevor, and that the President was originally an artificial intelligence designed for social planning. However, compared to the Doctor, who had regained many memories but was still forced to forget many others, and Lotin, who relied solely on knowledge from before his time travel, Precys clearly possessed more comprehensive and detailed information.

Having witnessed bio-AIs like Kal'tsit veer off course, she couldn't simply trust another AI so closely connected to the Terrans, even existing as the ruler of a Terran nation.

“I respect your wishes, Ms. Precyth. Father would be pleased to see that there are still fellow human beings living in physical form.”

President Dove nodded, and Christensen and her dream were thus sealed, with no room for maneuver. She had no choice but to open the underground space where the Preservator Array was located; otherwise, she would face both the Colombian army and Nautilus, who didn't even take the Colombian army seriously.

Chapter 306: Recovering the Preservator Project Energy

The place where Tremont is currently moored is directly above the Preservator Project sarcophagus complex. This hastily launched project was not well-regarded from the start, so it could only make a final attempt using scraps of resources. The situation was so urgent that, of all the projects, the Preservator Project was the most pessimistic, the least feasible, and the least technically reliable.

Kristen led them to the sarcophagus complex under the watchful eyes of four pairs of deep-set eyes, leaving the vice president outside. Kristen was therefore convinced that things were far more complicated than she had thought.

Preservator Trevor Triston has spent a long time alone in this underground place, watching helplessly as his comrades never wake up again due to a malfunction in the hibernation system.

Loneliness and self-blame tormented this preserver, who had long since copied his consciousness into a machine, or rather, "made his consciousness a program," leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. During these long years, only a handful of Terrans were fortunate enough to be able to communicate with him, which was Friston's only way to alleviate his pain.

Christensen happened to be someone he had been communicating with for a long time, and whose topics were quite harmonious. Perhaps it was a trick of fate, but Friston felt that this blond Terran looked very much like his real daughter.

The long loneliness and torment can destroy a person's rationality. The emotional longing led Friston to convince himself with seemingly rational reasons—since his compatriots were gone forever, he might as well give this useless energy to a "pioneer" and "explorer" like Christensen.

However, the changes on Terra's surface shook Friston. He knew what the Terrans meant by the sea monsters, and he learned that the people of the Agor Council claimed to be the remnants of the prehistoric civilization, and that they had revealed their existence to the Terrans as mentors and protectors.

This made Friston waver. He wondered if the remaining energy from the failed Preservator Project could be used to support other, more meaningful projects. Hoping to bring more reason back to Friston's mind, he decided to confirm the existence of his fellow citizens, and if they were real, to discuss with them how to use the energy.

Above the magnificent array of stone coffins, there exists a huge red spherical projection, with an image in the very center that resembles a camera eye—the projection of the preserver.

These sarcophagi contained the remains of hundreds of thousands of citizens from a previous civilization. Before the Doctor awoke, these sarcophagi, due to their hasty preparation, were unable to protect the people they were meant to protect from the erosion of time. By the time the Doctor awoke and Lotin arrived in this world, everything was already beyond redemption.

Following his simple compassion, Lotin mourned for the innocent victims of this civilization-level catastrophe, just as he sympathized with the poor souls who had been betrayed.

The pain felt by the Doctor and Precythia was even more intense than that felt by Lotin; this was a tragedy born of uncontrollable forces. This was the graveyard of a pre-civilization, a true tombstone of a once-brilliant civilization.

Mark Max didn't say a word, and Christensen didn't dare to say a word.

“Doctor, Ms. Precyth, and citizen Nautilus.”

"Finally we meet."

"What about Lady Kal'tsit? I'm more like her."

This preserver, Friston, is an uploaded copy of the consciousness of Friston himself, a scientist from a prehistoric civilization, but Mark Max doesn't seem to think so.

"With us here, there is no need for ama-10 to get involved."

Kal'tsit's actions made Precys extremely wary of any AI entity that got too close to the Terrans, including the Colombian president and custodian Friston.

"Ah, really? I actually envy Kal'tsit, who has flesh and blood. She's much freer than I am."

Friston's emotional module was still functioning, but his calmness made Precys feel a little strange and uncomfortable.

“I sympathize with your plight. If none of this had happened, you might have been able to travel this land like Kal'tsit.”

"However, excessive freedom can lead to the disastrous consequences of indulgence, and Kal'tsit is not a role model to be followed."

Compared to Precy's cold scrutiny, the Doctor's demeanor was much gentler and more humane, as if she were dealing not with a replica of Friston's meaning, but with the real Friston.

"Are you planning to give this energy to Ms. Christen?"

Precys interrogated the Preservator as if he were a tool or a creation, and in her eyes the Preservator was not the real Friston.

“I would do this if the three of you did not have any other plans for these energies.”

"After witnessing everything, she did not lose herself, nor did she waver in her ideals, nor did she become self-deprecating. I admire her qualities."

The preserver, Friston, truthfully acknowledged Christensen's approval.

"Sometimes, simply not being self-deprecating when facing certain things is already arrogance."

The Doctor of today is different from the Prophet era and the Babel era. Having tasted the bitter fruit of Kal'tsit and the Sarkaz's betrayal, she resolutely refuses to tolerate any behavior by the Terrans that takes advantage of the former civilization—anyone who does not choose to grovel is considered arrogant.

Out of the corner of his eye, the doctor caught a glimpse of Kristen hiding in the shadow of the dove president. Kristen, who had been deceiving the Colombian authorities, instinctively sought the country's protection, even though the dove president seemed indifferent to the head of Rhine Life.

"Even if we seal this energy away, we must never use it to blast open the star pod."

“Ms. Christensen, if you thirst for knowledge of the stars, I will generously grant it to you; but you are not qualified to touch the real stars.”

Christensen once called the Preservator Friston "God" because his knowledge was indeed divine to the Terrans. But when she saw the Doctor standing before the sarcophagus, she truly understood that this was the courtyard filled with oracles, and this was the end of the grace.

The Sarkaz called them Creators, and the Agor called them Sages.

She knew she should prostrate herself before such a being, even if it would greatly disappoint the Preservator Friston.

"If you were to break through the Star Pod through your own strength and development, I certainly wouldn't stop you. It's just a pity that you're still enjoying the benefits of our legacy, aren't you?"

“Seal this energy, even if we eventually bestow this immense energy upon the Terrans, it must never be used to break the Star Pod.”

The doctor delivered his verdict, and Lotin and Precyth accepted it.

Christensen yielded; all she could do was kneel and accept the Creator's gift, at least she had to record this precious knowledge...

"Then I have another request."

"There is no one here who needs me to guard it. Some cold energy doesn't need someone who has retained the emotional module to hold it up."

“Only you know how to operate this system. I want you to delete the data about this distorted… 4,765,403 days.”

"Keep only my emotions and original memories. Let me die as Trevor Friston... even if it's just a copy."

When perseverance no longer holds meaning, only rest is the greatest relief. Friston, the preserver, suffered far too long in a doomed plan.

"The choice is yours, the guarantor. We have neither the will nor the right to criticize you."

"If you choose to forget everything and then get to know this land, we respect that choice. You don't have to be so hard on yourself."

"As for this place, please rest assured, we will forever guard the graves of our compatriots."

"You can choose liberation, not relief."

The Doctor would not make things difficult for such a loyal guardian who has endured loneliness and despair for so long. As for the safety of the sarcophagus array, Lotin can move the entire plot under the [Mountain and Sea Scroll] skin to a safe and easily defended location.

"fair enough."

The formatting process began under the doctor's control, and this array of sarcophagi would be hidden in a safe and secluded corner, where the victims of this tragedy would rest in peace forever.

"This is Father's decision; he has returned the power to you."

“I respect my father’s decision; he is free now.”

After saying this, President Mark paused for a long time.

"No, no, Father's wish is to unify all wills, to seize all truths, and to make Columbia the sole sword and shield of Terra, the source of contradictions, errors, and conflicts!"

President Pigeon cried out with unprecedented excitement, and then it was forcibly shut down by Prissis, the Doctor, and Lotin, who had transformed into a Crystal Titan, using Originium.

"I said we need to reprogram this artificial intelligence."

"Precys said calmly."

Chapter 307: Adjusting the Laterano Mainframe

Even dangerous pre-civilization creations like the Deep Blue Tree were left with safeguards that allowed their creators to easily dismantle them. Kal'tsit's exception was entirely a result of the Doctor's excessive indulgence, and the same applies to the President of Colombia.

Perhaps Friston, the original preserver, did express some hopes and expectations for the pre-civilization, but this Mark Max social management IA did indeed implement a bizarre, extreme Columbia-first strategy in practice, which Kal'tsit once called a "tyrant."

"According to our current policy, we should make Mark our tool for governing Colombia. Those Colombians have long been accustomed to living in the shadow of a strong shadow government, and who that shadow is is not something they care much about."

Dealing with Mark Max was exactly what Lotin had expected. For three people with the highest prehistoric civilization authority and Originium authority on this planet, dealing with a free-range prehistoric AI was a piece of cake.

At the same time, reprogramming Mark Max doesn't require overly complex design; it only requires adjusting the priorities in his management plan so that he no longer puts fundamental interests first to such an extreme degree, but instead instructs him to subjugate Columbia to the prehistoric civilization like other Terran nations.

"Does Priscilla have any other ideas?"

The doctor certainly agreed with Loting's approach; in fact, it was precisely because Loting understood her so well that he proposed such a suitable solution.

“I have no objection. When we have to push forward the Originium Project quickly in the worst-case scenario, we must ensure that these Terrans are under our control. Even if the worst-case scenario does not come, these Terrans should pay the corresponding price for using our legacy.”

Precy and the Doctor immediately began reprogramming Mark Max, shifting the focus of his development plan and subtly allowing him to further control Columbia according to the wishes of the three of them.

After the restart, Mark Max looked exactly the same as before. He calmly left the underground sarcophagus complex, and no one noticed what changes had taken place in the beloved president of Colombia.

"Next is the Lateran PCS system. The forced conversion doesn't need to be done immediately. So, how do we plan to use this machine?"

As Lotin switched to the [Shan Hai Hui Juan] skin and moved the entire structure along with it, Precys was already planning to reclaim the next project that was still clearly running.

The so-called PCS system is the machine known as the Law in the city of Laterano.

“I have observed those so-called Sarkaz. Their beliefs, everything they have, are nothing but machine-woven lies. They are no different from your subjects whom they despise and loathe, Nautilus.”

Although Lothin is indeed the de facto Demon King of the Sarkaz, Precyth's words were genuinely meant to tease him. She knew that Lothin agreed to become the Demon King of the Sarkaz in order to rein in these savage native Terra species.

The so-called Sarkaz are descended from the ancient Tikhonians, just like the modern-day Sarkaz of Terra.

"Personally speaking, I really hope to expel those Saktas who are born into a heaven on earth who can enjoy sugar and cream from the so-called 'hypocritical' heaven."

"However, it's not because I'm the Demon King of the Sarkaz, but because of their ingratitude towards Iberia."

Lotin's feet trod on the ground as if he were stepping on the old stone statue of the angel with guns in the church of Tidestone Town. He loathed these grand angels for their indifference in the great silence.