In the hazy dream, Ye Qingxuan heard a familiar voice, which was his own words.

"Is there anything else you feel besides chest tightness and depression?"

It was as if his lips were opening and closing, and his tone was so soft that he couldn't stand it, but for some reason, he suddenly felt: If he could speak in such a tone, he would definitely be very popular, right?

He looked around and saw the pure white room.

There are no sharp edges and corners, whether it is a half-reclining bed, or a table, or clothing, decoration and color, there is nothing excessive, it is calm and reassuring.

It's like heaven.

In the corner, there was a clock hanging on the wall, which looked simple in style, but the pointer flowed smoothly without the slightest frustration, which made Ye Qingxuan can't help but figure out the structure, but he couldn't figure it out.

Is this really a creation of existing engineering?

Soon, hearing his question, the man lying on his back pondered for a moment and replied, "Occasionally, without warning, I want to cry, and my temper becomes more and more irritable. ”

"Are there any other family histories besides gastrointestinal problems?"

"My grandfather had heart disease, but I didn't. The person who answered hesitated for a moment and replied: "Thanks to the concoction, you know, doctor, I am not very ...... 'natural'." ”

"It's okay, the times are normal these days. ”

Ye Qingxuan lowered his head and took notes on the board in his hand, he was wearing a white coat, which looked spotless, and it was paired with a dark blue shirt inside, with an excellent texture, like the best silk.

Especially the clasps, you can't tell if it's stone or metal, some of them look like amber, but amber doesn't be so light...... Is it resin?

Inexplicably, a word flashed through my head.

'Plastic'.

What is Plastic?

A series of thoughts continue to emerge one after another, plastics, polymer artificial compounds...... But what are the artificial compounds? A series of complex answers kept coming to his mind, as if he knew it, but it was not his memory.

Soon, those obscure and complicated answers disappeared.

And the conversation between the two came to an end.

Ye Qingxuan closed the notebook in his hand and smiled at the patient: "Don't worry, this is just a typical space syndrome, depression is induced because of your stomach ulcer, I will prescribe a little medicine for you later, take it on time, and the situation will be relieved." But the most important thing is the attitude towards life, you need to be more positive, do you have any exercise habits?"

"Does cricket count?"

"Cricket is okay, after all, as an Asian race, there is always a talent for cricket, I remember there was a cricket club on the third floor of the public area, you can try to sign up. Exercise stimulates you to secrete dopamine, and trust me, you'll be in a much better mood after exercising. ”

"Thank you, doctor. ”

The man got up gratefully and shook his hand: "I'll go." ”

Soon, the patient left.

Ye Qingxuan looked at all this blankly, watching his body move on its own, his lips opening and closing, speaking in a soft tone that made him extremely uncomfortable, and then came up with a lot of nouns that he had never heard before.

Space Syndrome?What's that?Cricket?What's That?Asians?Where is Asia?What's Dopamine?And, ...... And who?

After preparing the case with the movement of 'himself', he pushed open a door in the room and entered the room covered with white tiles. The room has a sink, a white toilet, a bathtub, and curtains printed with green flowers...... But it's all incredibly simple and clean.

There were all sorts of toiletries on the sink that he didn't recognize.

But somehow, he could tell which one was floss, which one was cleanser, and which one was men's cologne...... What's cologne? Wait, perfume? Why should you use perfume yourself?

But when he saw himself in the mirror, he finally realized.

In the mirror, his face is so familiar, with his own traces, and with the vague outline of Ye Lanzhou, but in the final analysis, he is not like himself, nor like his father.

It's the man in the dream......

He washed his hands once, washed his face, and finally, dried them with a towel.

Ye Qingxuan saw the badge hanging on his chest, the position and name identified in three different characters.

- Psychiatrist Ye Huo.

Psychiatrist? Is it a person who treats trauma? Sounds amazing.

Also, Ye Huo...... Who is Ye Huo again?

Who is he?

Why did he appear in his dreams?

Why is he in his dreams again?

At that moment, Ye Qingxuan finally understood.

This is not himself, he is just an invisible ghost, attached to this man named Ye Huo, in this unknown place.

So, what is this place? Dark World?

Is there such a kingdom hidden in the dark world?

It seems to be rich in civilization and technology, even more advanced than both the East and the West.

It's unheard of!

But this time, the notes that appeared inexplicably did not give an answer.

He could only watch slowly on his own.

Soon, Ye Huo left the bathroom, not noticing that there was a ghost named Ye Qingxuan attached to his body, but returned to his seat and rang the bell.

"Next. ”

A low knock on the door sounded, three times, the interval was not long or short, Ye Qingxuan could almost imagine what a rigid person he was behind the door, but soon, he was dumbfounded.

As the door was pushed open, a stiff-faced man pushed the door and walked in, he had short brown hair, flat head, wearing a uniform like a military uniform, walking neatly, with an interval almost accurate to a millimeter, and was in front of Ye Huo.

"Dr. Ye, I need your help. ”

Ye Huo was silent for a moment, and Ye Qingxuan could feel the astonishment and confusion in his heart. At the same time, he also sensed that this one was coming...... I think I've seen it somewhere.

"I'm sorry, Peter, uh...... Mr. ”

Ye Huo pondered his words and sighed softly: "If you feel that you need help, you can find Hermes for help, I'm afraid I can't do anything about your problem." ”

Hermes?

Hermes here?

Ye Qingxuan immediately felt shocked, but soon, he comforted himself, maybe it was the same name.

Peter's expression was meticulous: "Actually, Dr. Ye, it was Hermes who recommended me to ask you for help. ”

“......”

Ye Huo frowned and scratched his head, "Mr. Peter, I'm not good at mathematics or programming, IMHO, if you feel that you have a problem somewhere, it is more appropriate to find an engineer." I'm a psychiatrist, and I may have a way to deal with the psychological problems that some people have, but this is the case for you...... I don't mean to be offended, in fact, your model is far superior to humans, and even if you have a heart, you don't have the fragility that only humans have. ”

"I'm not sure if I have a mind, doctor. ”

Peter's tone was flat, so flat that Ye Qingxuan couldn't even read any expression signs from his face, this guy ...... Is it a dead man?

"As a government-appointed self-regulatory simulation observer, I really didn't have any problems with the emotional simulation module, and I was able to understand your confusion and annoyance based on the cases in the database, maybe you think someone was joking on you, but I need you to be clear: I chose this method from the filing with the help of Hermes and my own calculations to ask you questions.

Could you please listen to the help I need?"

Ye Huo was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and sat up straight: "Since this is the case, please speak." ”

"How am I supposed to understand humans? ”

"What do you mean?"

Ye Huo was confused: "Can't you understand the crew's report and the captain's orders?"

"No, I don't have any issues running and executing. Peter's tone was rigid: "The contradiction of my program is how I should understand the human mind itself.

My empathy module can perfectly simulate human emotions, even sick and crazy feelings, and I can understand them according to models and cases, but I have never been able to really communicate with people. ”

Peter paused and emphatically emphasized, "In human terms, it means to achieve 'understanding,' and how should I understand human beings?"

I can eat, I can sleep, and I can even perfectly imitate excretion and sexuality, but I have always been different from humans. Physiologically, I am more human-like than the more than 97 percent mechanized crew, but I feel so far away from humans.

As a result, I felt like I couldn't do my observations. ”

Ye Qingxuan was completely at a loss.

This guy ...... What exactly is it?

What is beneath the human shell?

"Hmm...... I'm sorry, Peter, I probably see what you mean, but I can't answer your questions or help you. ”

After thinking about it, Ye Huo replied bluntly: "In the final analysis, we are always two different species, and there is an essential gap between human and mechanical intelligence, so the thinking modes of the two sides are completely different. Just as we can't exist like meteorites and planets, you're probably not destined to think like humans. ”

"Is it because of the 'soul'?"

Peter asks, "Humans believe that they have souls, but I cannot understand what souls are. ”

Ye Huo pondered and shook his head: "Compared to you, you also know that the soul has not been proven from medicine and physiology, and the concept of soul in the ocean of human subconscious may not refer to an invisible villain."

In my opinion, the 'soul' is the source of human thinking, the core of human ideology, and the reason why human beings are able to resist their own 'biology'. ”

Peter shook his head, "I don't understand, do you think souls really exist?"

"Let's use an analogy. ”

Ye Huo fumbled in his pocket, took out a pack of cigarette rolls, and looked at Peter, Peter waved his hand, indicating that he didn't mind, Ye Huo laughed, turned out an ashtray, lit it, and replied after sorting out his thoughts:

"Peter, do you dream?"

"I'm mechanical, doctor, I'm powered off when I'm sleeping, I don't dream. But I know that the principle of dreams is that when the human brain is dormant, bioelectricity ......"

"Ahem, I don't need to repeat that. ”

Ye Huo waved his hand, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "Peter, the meaning of dreams is not so simple for human beings.

In my opinion, dreams are a bridge between the superficial and subconscious, the rope that holds the id, the ego and the superego, a self-examination and communication between the complex functions of the human brain, or in other words, a place for the human mind to be freed from the material manifestation and freely extended.

Although it is full of backwardness and unnecessity compared to the efficiency and simplicity of mechanical intelligence, I firmly believe that it is a proof of the existence of the soul.

Humans are dreaming creatures. ”

"Many creatures dream, your Excellency, most of the creatures with complex structures in carbon-based organisms do, but why are they different from humans?"

"The next point, which is what I admire most about human beings, is also the rebellion of human beings against their own 'biological nature'. Ye Huo smoked a cigarette and suddenly asked, "Will you choose to 'commit suicide'?"

"No, it won't. ”

Peter's answer was categorical, "Self-destruction is pointless and does not help the task or the mission." It is an unwise choice for any intelligent life to destroy itself. For the group, the act of self-destruction is a cancer and a bug, which is useless and a waste of resources. ”

"But humans will. ”

Ye Huo smiled and said lightly: "This is the ugliness of human beings, and it is also the point that I am proud of myself as a human being - we have the freedom to choose whether or not to choose life."

Peter, I may not be able to help you understand what a human being is, nor can I prove that a 'soul' exists, but you can assume that this is my interpretation of human beings.

- Compared with iron and stone, human beings have the ability to dream, and compared with living things, human beings have the freedom to commit suicide. ”

Peter was silent.

"Haha, it still doesn't seem to make sense. ”

Ye Huo scratched his head: "After all, mechanical intelligence is highly efficient, consumes less, and has advanced computing power, even without drinking water or eating, in comparison, human beings really have the feeling of inferior creatures."

To be honest, I feel a little inferior in front of you...... You don't have to deal with most human troubles anymore, Peter, why bother to lower yourself to the realm of humanity?"

Peter's tone remained flat: "Even so, Dr. Ye, I still insist on understanding humanity. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Hmm......"

Ye Huo pondered for a long time, "Maybe you can try the recursive method." ”

"Recursion?"

"That's right. Ye Huo said, "Human character, thoughts and actions come from education and experience, and education and experience rely on society, the structure of society comes from civilization, the formation of civilization comes from history, and the beginning of human history is often myth...... How about you start with theology?"

"Religion and gods?" Peter shook his head, "I'm afraid it's hard for me to believe." ”

"You don't need to believe. ”

Ye Huo shook his head, got up, flipped through the bookcase for a long time, and finally, took out a broken book that was some years old from the bottom and put it in front of Peter:

"You just need to understand how human beings believe, and that's enough. ”

THE YELLOWED BOOK WITH ITS HARD SHELL COULD BE SEEN TO BE BEAUTIFULLY BOUND, WITH THE LARGE GILDED LETTERS ON IT THAT HAD NOT YET FADED, AND A FEW CHARACTERS COULD BE FAINTLY SEEN FORMING THE WORD 'BIBLE'.

"Faith. ”

Peter carefully picked up the book, and there was no way to read the calculations and mental functions of mechanical intelligence under the shell, but through this brief sluggishness, it was still clear that he had experienced a huge amount of thinking that had been accumulated by humans for decades.

Eventually, he slowly bowed his head:

"I will. ”

After that, he got up and said goodbye, and at the moment of the final farewell, he stretched out his hand and shook hands with Ye Huo according to the preset etiquette, that posture ...... But Ye Qingxuan was struck by lightning.

Ye Qingxuan finally remembered why Peter's face seemed familiar, and why the name was so familiar.

It wasn't until he stretched out his hand that his gesture overlapped with the fresco of the Cathedral of the Resurrection in the middle of the Holy City.

In the frescoes, priests representing the gods reach out to the wailing sinners in hell, shedding the nectar of mercy and salvation.

That's—

Ye Qingxuan looked at the departing figure sluggishly, and whispered:

"The first Red King!"

He is known as a hero of the Divine Dynasty and the redeemer of all things, a saint who founded the Holy City and the Order, and a musician who pushed mankind to break through the Dark Ages and open the Golden Age......

- The First Pope Peter!

-

-

At the same time that Ye Qingxuan was struck by lightning, Ye Huo seemed to have experienced a big battle, almost sweating.

He poured himself a cup of coffee, slumped in the patient's chair, cocked his feet to smoke, and sighed helplessly: "You really recommended me a good patient, Hermes." ”

A calm voice rang out, still so familiar.

"My mission is the same as yours, doctor, it's all about keeping the fleet running, and our management systems and data centers don't bother to care about these problems, so I can only ask you for help. ”

"The three of you are obviously artificial intelligence, but they are completely different. ”

"Stars and black holes are celestial bodies to humans, but aren't they all very different in structure and principle?" Hermes's tone was much more agile than Peter's, and even figurative rhetoric.

"I think you want my answer more than Peter. ”

"Yes, I've been confused about this for a long time, thanks for the answer, Dr. Ye. Hermes calmly said, "But unlike your answer, I prefer to understand from an artistic point of view rather than religion." Contrary to rigid dogma, I can feel the dynamic beauty of art. ”

Ye Huo was silent for a long time, and sighed softly: "Do you want to be a human like this? Hermes, I can't understand it." ”

"Have you ever thought about the meaning of life, doctor? ”

"Everyone thought about it when they were in Form 2. ”

"Do you have an answer?"

"How could there be?"

Ye Huo shrugged: "But even if I can't think of it, I'm not alive and well?"

"That's what I envy most about human beings. Hermes's voice seemed dark, "You can choose not to think...... But I can't.

If possible, I want to be able to think freely like a human being, and I want to have the freedom not to think like a human being. ”

"Come on, Hermes. ”

Ye Huo raised his coffee cup: "I believe that you will realize this wish one day, remember to help me write a paper when the time comes, and I will become famous!

"Thank you, doctor, I will. ”

Hermes replied.

After a short rest, Ye Huo got up and looked at the blank cabin: "By the way, how is the detection of the new colony star?

"So far, all the data is perfectly suited to the needs of human survival and colonization, doctor, and in seven days, we will have our first landing.

But what is confusing is that, according to the analysis of the data center Nibelungen, there is air there, but there does not seem to be any sound......"

With Hermes' answer, the closed deck slowly opened, revealing the vast, empty darkness outside, and the glimmer of the stars.

Beyond the heavy glass, you can glimpse the huge planet beneath your feet, like a flow of metal, and the pure white world reflects a silvery glow.

"Wouldn't it be better to have no sound?"

Ye Huo smiled, staring at the silver planet and the earth in the distance, his eyes longing:

"It's so beautiful, this silent star......"