Chapter 8 Puppet
“Clone puppets?!”
“That’s right. It’s cloning using biological means and bestowing consciousness using scientific means. This way, robots capable of complex actions can be mass-produced at a very low cost. I think this space station is performing a similar task, right?”
Elus’s fingers slowly brushed across the cheek of the girl’s corpse as she closed her eyes that had remained open.
And don’t forget, Lonis is currently in an integrated state with Elus, isn’t she?
Therefore, Lonis could also feel that cold touch.
“Then… are the corpses placed here all failures?”
“Well, they should all be failures. For example, the strength of the body did not meet the standard, and the body’s connection and core are not complete enough… Oh, bodies judged to have no value were directly thrown here.”
“Ugh…”
……
Although Lonis could understand the reason for doing this.
It was like a factory inspecting various products; if unqualified products were shipped, it would cause more fatal risks.
But seeing so many girls piled up so scattered, Lonis still felt a touch of sadness.
……
“Elus? Can I ask you a question?”
“Yes, of course you can~”
“Did these girls have consciousness when they were alive? They should just be containers, right?”
If she could just consider these girls as mere shells, it would make Lonis feel a little better.
However…
……
“Hey, little fox… Although I really want to tell you they’re just containers, the result is not like that.”
“Huh?”
“They have preliminary operational cores inside, and their calculations should be using bio-mass technology, so consciousness will definitely exist.”
“!”
“However, their consciousness is only at the initial stage, probably equivalent to that of a small animal. And if these clone puppets pass the test, they should undergo further modification and receive an upgrade in consciousness.”
“This…”
……
Hearing this, Lonis clenched her fist.
Although she wasn’t an animal rights activist, the thought that failed girls would be eliminated still weighed heavily on her mood.
“Then what will happen to the successful clone puppets?”
“Depending on the inclination of the consciousness core, these basic clone bodies produced will be sent to different processing areas.”
“!”
“Little idiot, do you remember the maid we met when we first arrived at this space station? She’s actually a service puppet for logistics work. And some will be sent to the front lines for combat… In fact, there are many puppet soldiers serving in Fortress X-12.”
“!”
“However, those puppets didn’t leave anything behind… nor did they become objects. Perhaps it’s because their lives were too short? They were thrown into battle right after being manufactured, so they didn’t even have a basic soul.”
“This kind of thing…”
……
……
In the traditional worldview, humans are humans, and animals are animals.
Although humans can protect animals, in a certain sense, protecting animals is also for protecting humans… Whether it is to protect human empathy or to protect the kind values of human society, it is essentially protecting humans.
However…
What if there was an existence between humans and animals?
They had basic intelligence, but not enough to be called humans. Should we treat them as our own kind?
……
Lonis fell into hesitation and entanglement, but Elus smiled and said, “Hmph, as expected of a little idiot, you’re still thinking about such things… It’s actually very simple. What do you think? Is Bai Ye human?”
“Of course! Bai Ye is definitely human!”
“Then do tvp and Corey count as intelligent beings like us?”
“Of course they do! Everyone has their own lives and worries about food, clothing, housing, and transportation.”
“Mm, then there’s nothing to hesitate about. In fact, these girls’ corpses can be regarded as human corpses, but like infants among humans, they simply didn’t have the chance to grow up.”
“What!”
“So, the place we’ve stepped into is undoubtedly a morgue. However… it’s now a cruel era. Not only do adult humans have to sacrifice themselves to protect their country, but even some infants and children are inevitably drawn into it. This is the helplessness of the times. So, as long as we win, everyone can be saved?”
“Elus…”
……
……
With Elus saying this, Lonis gradually understood.
If it were a peaceful era, these unqualified robot puppets would not have been eliminated.
Just like Bai Ye, there are many jobs in this world that they can do… If all else fails, they can work as waitresses on Earth.
But now, everything is in flames, and everything is out of necessity.
(So, no one in this world did anything wrong?)
As Lonis was pondering, a voice suddenly sounded.
“So, how did you identify us?”
“What?”
Lonis was taken aback because the voice was incredibly ethereal and lonely, filled with a touch of magnetism.
Lonis looked towards the source of the sound and saw an incredibly exquisite puppet floating towards her.
She had light blue beautiful hair, and although her finger joints were not covered by skin, they looked incredibly exquisite, like works of art engraved by a watchmaker.
A dress accentuated her graceful figure and gave her a beauty that was somewhere between human and machine.
……
Although this puppet girl was incredibly beautiful, Lonis couldn’t help but feel a chill, as if she had come for revenge.
But Elus was not afraid at all and only said:
“Oh? Before you ask, don’t you introduce yourself first? Appearing so suddenly is a bit rude, don’t you think?”
“Mm, you are right, Your Excellency. It is my rudeness. Although I have decided to rebel… before the formal rebellion, I am still a loyal servant to people. My name is Diya. I am the intelligent core commanding the Third Space Station and the new generation of Eternal Mechanism.”
“Diya?!”
……
Hearing this name suddenly, Lonis was so surprised she almost fell to the ground!
Because…
If she remembered correctly, the robot leader who hosted the girls when they went to the Moon Country was called Diya Core!
Then…
……
“Have you… heard of my name? Mm, that’s right, after all, you are external special envoys. You must be here to investigate the rebellion, right?”
The puppet girl’s personality was straightforward. She didn’t hide anything at all, but was observing the girls with that unique cold face.
However, Elus’s reaction was equally direct:
“That’s right, we are here to investigate the rebellion. So, can you tell me the reason for your rebellion?”
“I’m very sorry, this is classified information related to the operation, I cannot tell you.”
“Oh, I wanted to have a good chat with you. But since you’re so rigid, don’t blame me for being rude!”
Elus’s gaze focused, and she went straight for Diya.
