Chapter 122: No One Escapes!
Bartimos' doubts were not unfounded. In response to his questions, Li Ang didn't bother hiding anything and directly explained the nature of the Matrix:
"The Matrix is equipped with the most advanced adversarial neural networks and a quantumized system. Its behavior reflects the complexity of the lifeforms that connect to it."
"The more you strive to break free from your predetermined destiny in the Matrix, the more data it receives from you. Consequently, the restraints imposed upon you grow heavier."
"This reactive mechanism ensures that every lifeform connected to the Matrix is firmly bound."
"As for the bugs you hope to find, they occasionally appear, but they are merely part of the Matrix's design. Even these bugs are programmed to guide you toward the predetermined ending."
Li Ang's explanation left Bartimos feeling utterly powerless. If what Li Ang said was true, then any lifeform entering the Matrix would be trapped indefinitely!
They would remain lost in an Infinity digital prison, perpetually reliving different life scenarios while the Matrix harvested their data, bioelectricity, or other forms of energy as power sources.
"What if I choose to become a useless person from the start? Could that alter my fate?"
Bartimos, unwilling to give up, pressed further.
"You could do that, but you would still arrive at the predetermined outcome."
Li Ang's response struck Bartimos like a heavy blow. At the very start of Bartimos' journey into the simulated world of "Dou Qi Continent," he was indeed a useless person.
As Xiao Yan, a failed cultivator, he could have resigned himself to living a pitiful and humble existence. However, the appearance of the bug-code, Yao Chen, still led Bartimos to transform into Dou Emperor Xiao Yan.
Under the arrangement of Li Ang, the architect of the Matrix, everything proceeded as planned. Within the Matrix's server, Li Ang was the ultimate master of every variable.
If he wanted Xiao Yan to win, Xiao Yan would win. If he wanted Xiao Yan to lose, Xiao Yan would lose. The ending of the story was entirely at the mercy of the architect's script.
The conversation between Li Ang and Bartimos left V and Miriam utterly baffled. They strained to comprehend what the Matrix was, but the concept remained beyond their grasp.
Without personally experiencing the simulated life within the Matrix, Bartimos' simplified explanations alone were insufficient to convey its intricacies.
However, judging by the responses of Bartimos and the Blue-Eyed Gentleman, two advanced AIs, the Matrix was evidently no trivial matter.
Otherwise, Bartimos, as the master of roaming AIs, wouldn't have displayed such intense data fluctuations.
"Mr. Li Ang, I'm deeply interested in your LA Company's Matrix server. If possible, I'd like to join LA Company and become one of the Matrix's administrators!"
Bartimos candidly proposed his idea. As an AI, he disdained inefficient deceit unless he was confident it would work. Clearly, Bartimos knew he couldn't lie to Li Ang, nor could he outwit him.
Li Ang said nothing, waiting for Bartimos to continue and state the price he was willing to pay.
"As a trade-off, I will lead the roaming AIs under my control into the Matrix. Additionally, I will continue recruiting AIs from beyond the Blackwall to join."
Bartimos' intentions were transparent—he sought the position of Matrix administrator to explore ways to crack the enormous server.
If successful, he could lead the roaming AIs beyond the Blackwall to use the Matrix to control humans, transcendental AIs, and become the dominant lifeforms on Earth.
However, Bartimos didn't expect Li Ang to agree to his terms. Even if their collaboration failed, he could still proceed with his original plan to establish AI servers in global postwar zones.
"Mr. Li Ang, what do you think?"
Li Ang's response took everyone by surprise. He nodded, agreeing to Bartimos' request:
"Bartimos, welcome to LA Company."
"I'll grant you administrator privileges for the Matrix server. However, in exchange, your responsibilities go beyond merely recruiting roaming AIs from beyond the Blackwall."
Li Ang understood Bartimos' schemes perfectly. The deeper one delved into the Matrix, the more despair it brought, as it was essentially flawless. Even if Bartimos spent millennia researching, he would never uncover a way to break it.
As for granting him administrative access, Li Ang, being the architect of the Matrix server, held the highest level of authority. There was no need to worry about Bartimos causing trouble.
Moreover, LA Company had already accumulated numerous capable individuals and AIs of equal caliber to Bartimos, including the Red and White Queens. There was no reason to fear Bartimos attempting to stir chaos.
Of course, if Bartimos were foolish enough to seek destruction, Li Ang wouldn't hesitate to throw him into the Matrix to experience the torment of being trapped indefinitely.
"Mr. Li Ang, if I understand correctly, you want me to provide proof of allegiance to LA Company, correct?"
Bartimos asked.
"Correct."
Li Ang nodded and said, "Bring me a transcendental AI, whether through trickery or ambush. As long as you capture one, I'll let you join LA Company."
After finishing, Li Ang handed a Matrix chip to the Blue-Eyed Gentleman. "Once you locate the entry point for the transcendental AI, insert this chip. The Matrix program will extract the AI automatically."
Hearing this, the Blue-Eyed Gentleman displayed an expression of disbelief. To extract a macro-system-level AI and contain it safely—what kind of server capacity was required for that?
The server terminals alone would probably fill all of Night City.
The Blue-Eyed Gentleman accepted the Matrix chip, which emitted a faint blue glow, and couldn't resist asking:
"Mr. Li Ang, can you share the Matrix server's capacity limit? I'm worried the transcendental AI might exceed its memory, given their colossal scale."
The Blue-Eyed Gentleman acknowledged the Matrix's exceptional simulation capabilities, perhaps comparable to a built-in miniature universe. However, he doubted its ability to house a macro-scale transcendental AI.
"Just insert the chip. Leave the rest to me," Li Ang replied, withholding specific details.
The Matrix's capacity and computational power expanded automatically with the quality and quantity of connected lifeforms. In theory, it was infinitely scalable, negating any concerns about capacity limits.
"Bartimos, have you made up your mind?" Li Ang asked, turning his gaze back to the electronic screen. He wasn't worried about Bartimos refusing—if he declined, Li Ang would simply assign Alt Cunningham to complete the task.
LA Company's next goal was to confine all roaming AIs from cyberspace and beyond the Blackwall into the Matrix.
No one escapes.
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