As the consul threw his helmet off, his political adviser, the gray-haired woman, stood up slowly, carrying the helmet in her hand, and walked out step by step.

The consul did not look at her, but called his secretary: "Get me the best political adviser as soon as possible." ”

The secretary didn't know what was going on, and he glanced at the political adviser who was leaving: "Ms. Mary is already recognized as the most accomplished adviser in the entire federation in government affairs. ”

The administrative officer simply snorted: "Really? Then find someone worse than her! Remember, the next Advisor better not play games! ”

The secretary didn't even think about it, and shook his head directly: "My lord, your requirements are too harsh, it's almost impossible." ”

The consul thought for a moment and nodded: "But at least the other party can't be a traitor!" Can't be an ally of our enemies...... It's incomprehensible! Natural allies! ”

The secretary looked confused, and he wanted to ask again, but was signaled by the general and had to leave the war room temporarily.

After leaving the war room, the consul went to inspect the army as originally planned.

The 23rd Squadron of the Federation is the closest army to the front line, and in the past two months, this small detachment is the only army that has engaged in close combat with the enemy, achieved certain results, and successfully returned home.

Now there are some "morale" problems in this army - they need the consuls to go and hold the ceremony of awarding the officers and soldiers.

While boosting morale, by the way, a heroic example in this war was erected - there were even soldiers in the fleet and the enemy in hand-to-hand combat, which was almost a legend in the era of interstellar warfare. According to the admiral, eight film directors now want to invite the war hero to make a series of films about the battle......

They had to move faster, and they had to hang the medal on each other's chests before the directors signed contracts with the soldiers — so that the federal Heroic Honor Act would protect the hero from the sordid entertainment of today.

Since the beginning of the war, the Archon has felt that many habits in his life have been changed, such as work, which was quite easy more than a hundred years ago, and all activities could be carried out remotely.

The Archon doesn't need to worry about his performance going wrong, he doesn't need to worry about saying the wrong word or word - the smart government assistant will perfectly mimic all of his actions. To attend an important meeting, he didn't even need to get out of bed to look at himself in the picture and tell all his claims under the gaze of the entire Federation according to the set tone and content. He didn't need to memorize words, he didn't need to know technical terms specifically - he didn't even need to be sober in the last version of the government assistant program.

In a word, AI can do everything he does.

However, all this, after the start of the war, completely changed.

The federal government has declared all AI programs illegal, so all the work needs to be done hands-on.

The consuls need to recruit a whole bunch of advisors and retinues to keep themselves safe while hiding their stupidity.

The Archon had to start working out painfully, maintaining a healthy body and physiological indicators - to confirm that he was fit for the job.

On many important occasions, the archons began to have to appear in person, wearing uncomfortable gowns, assuming stiff postures, and speaking words in a robotic voice, word by word, that they did not understand at all.

The consul sometimes even wonders why the entire federation would rush to compete for this job before the colonial era - of course, the consul could not have imagined that he would suddenly be announced as the consul one day in the future, and the selection criteria were only based on his psychological evaluation - that is, his psychological quality was the most suitable candidate for the position in the entire federation.

Before that, he hadn't found a job for 300 years, and since he was said to be the best fit for it, he had to do it.

It's just that he never imagined that in the short period of more than 200 years since he took office, the entire federation would change so quickly - so fast that he didn't even have time to see it clearly.

"Lord Consul," the 23rd Squadron was still a dozen hours away, and Starry Sky One received a request for a video link from the Consul Hall, "The new political adviser is waiting for your interview." ”

"How many candidates?"

"One, sir."

The consul frowned: "Is it so difficult for the Federation to recruit people now?" ”

"It's not difficult, but your request involves very little to the game...... That's ......"

"I'm saying that it's better not to play the game, not to involve very little!" The Archon's memory is not so bad that he has not forgotten what he has just said.

"That doesn't exist, my lord," replied the secretary, "I just did a search, and the number of people out of a population of 23.36 billion in the Federation who don't play games at all is 1 as of yesterday, as of now...... Yes 0. ”

The archon seemed to suddenly realize something: "You mean to say that in the entire Federation, I am the last person to play the game?" ”

"Yes, my lord, you are working too hard and too seriously."

The consul felt that he had become a joke, and he asked the generals, secretaries, and staff officers around him, "You all play in peacetime?" ”

Everyone nodded silently.

"How long to play?"

"Except for work...... All the time. ”

"Don't you sleep?"

"Sleep replacement technology has been around for 72 years," reminds the Archon's personal doctor, "and games can now be used as an alternative to sleep." ”

The consul was stunned for a long time, and finally gave up asking in despair: "Okay, open the video." ”

"Your Excellency Archon," the candidate said after greeting, "I would like to briefly answer the question of your interview, which is about the current state of the Council and the relationship between them and the virtual community...... It's going to be cumbersome. ”

"I see, you can get started."

"I know that you failed the last bill on the elevation of war powers three days ago, and this is your 21st failure," the interviewer said, "I listened to your live speech in parliament at the time, and to be honest, we already knew the result halfway through it." ”

"Who do you mean?"

"We're citizens of Second Earth," the interviewer said bluntly, "I've just learned that you have some misconceptions about the virtual community, but please believe that we on Second Earth stand with you in the face of the rebels." AI must be curbed – the exact opposite of your former advisor. ”

"You won't be the consul of some second earth, right?"

"Of course not," said the interviewee, "I serve as a political advisor to the Second and Third Earths, and of course, I would like to serve as the First Earth, your political advisor, after this interview." ”

The Archon suddenly felt as if he had become the interviewee—the world seemed to become inexplicably absurd.

"Tell me, the people in the council...... Why are they indifferent to this war, don't they know that once the battle array spreads here, we will all become slaves of AI? They hate us to the core! ”

"They don't know," the interviewer said, "or rather, most of them want to believe that these AIs hate only a small fraction of the Commonwealth." ”

"A small group of people?"

"Specifically, the rate of waking time on the first earth, more than 30 percent of people — they call these kinds of people 'physicists.'"

"Is there anything wrong with that title?"

"The big problem, as opposed to physicalism, is consciousnessism, and if you remember, 180 years ago, shortly after you took office, there was a massive resignation of parliamentarians."

"Yes, I remember." That event was a great event for the consuls of the time, and almost two-thirds of his opponents resigned in the turmoil, and for more than a hundred years he faced little resistance in parliament – until the rebellion emerged.

"These people haven't really left, but their political influence has shifted from the upper echelons of the Federation to the lower echelons – which is what you see now, the second, the third, and the fourth Earth. It has only been in the last century that their actions have begun to become public as the government's energies have been drawn to the rebels. ”

"What is their main proposition?"

"You should have heard of non-violence, no shutdown, that was their slogan before the rebellion," the interviewee said, "and their goal was clear, first, to get the government to recognize the civic power of digital awareness, and second, and most importantly – this is the basis of their cooperation with AI – they wanted parliament to recognize the civic power of AI." ”

"Treason!" The archon smacked hard at the table, "This is *naked treason!" ”

"It used to be counted, but now it doesn't...... The government has recognized the legitimacy of the three virtual earths, and as long as they don't openly advertise it on the first earth, then they can say anything. ”

"How could parliament agree to such a stupid bill! Thirteen Supreme Judges! Did they all play games too? ”

"Yes...... More than 10 of the thirteen Supreme Judges have served as Supreme Judges in Virtual Earth. According to the latest interpretation of the Constitution, the right to liberty of the person takes precedence over the power of the government...... But none of this is the most crucial thing, and with all due respect, Your Excellency, if you wish to have more legal support in Parliament, I would not recommend that you make such an attempt. ”

"Why?"

"Because now the parliament is more afraid than the rebels...... Your military and government agencies. ”

"What are they afraid of?" It's just ridiculous! The archon opened his mouth, "I'm dictatorial? ”

"No, if you choose dictatorship, you may end up gaining the support of a considerable number of people...... But I don't think you have the political resources to do that," the interviewer said, "and they're more afraid that you'll lead the whole Federation to the end." ”

The consul felt that he was speechless: "You mean to say that the council wants to surrender?" ”

"No," said the interviewee, "it's the ideologues who want to surrender." ”

"They make up the majority of the council?"

"The vast majority."

"When the war proposal was first launched...... Why don't they speak? ”

"It happened suddenly, and it was the government you led that handled it too well in the emergency public relations, and I still remember your declaration of war speech at that time, which was too good for the sake of our dignity. Before listening to this speech, I was against the battle formation, but after that I agreed. And one more thing, you ...... It may be a little unacceptable. Actually, for most of the consciousnessists, this war ...... Very usual. ”

"Usually?"

"They've been in the virtual world for too long," said the interviewee, "and in the second world alone, there have been eight internal solar system wars...... And the first world is only once. In fact, everyone is watching more of the excitement. ”

"But it's not the buzz now!" The archon gritted his teeth and said, "The longstar is lost today, do you know what that means?" ”

"I know, in the Second World, I've been a general a few times. This means that the rebels will soon have the ability to project force across the solar system, and the war will escalate. ”

"But at this point, you tell me they don't want to play anymore?" The consul shook his head and said, "But now it's not up to them to decide, the entire Federation has entered a state of war, and I am the Supreme Commander!" You've been admitted, and now, tell me, how can I get more support from people, we can't afford to lose this war. ”