Honkai Encyclopedia: Start with the Sky Meteor!

Dr. Chadwick in front of him is probably over 70 years old. His appearance is almost the same as when Pioneer first met him.

The same pair of brooding eyes, but with a bit of turbidity in the whites of his eyes.

He seems to be unable to sense Pioneer's presence. Perhaps you should walk around and observe this room first.

There are several unsent letters stacked on the desk in front of the old man.

The cover of the letter is written in a sloppy font: "Sending is not approved, it is recommended to return."

The safe on the wall, I don't know what is stored in it.

It may also be completely empty... because Calderon Chadwick here can't keep any secrets.

Several books are scattered on the ground. Pioneer looked at the titles of the books and was sure that these books had nothing to do with Chadwick's profession and research topics.

It is hard to imagine that the old man would be interested in "The Music of the Immortal Boat Chiming Tribe". Perhaps he has really been here for too long.

(Pioneer: Dr. Chadwick, is he under house arrest here?)

(I should go talk to him.)

The Pioneer returned to Chadwick.

"Can you feel me?"

She asked.

"Ah... they sent someone new, didn't they?"

"It's the same no matter who comes. I've said the same thing countless times... I'm useless to you now."

Chadwick didn't seem to remember the Pioneer.

"You used the "selective blocking drug"..."

The Pioneer reminded.

"How... do you know?"

"Ah... I see. This is not reality... You are not someone sent by the company, right? ”

“Great… I haven’t had a normal conversation with anyone for a long time. I have everything here… They will meet any of my requests… I just don’t have freedom.”

Chadwick suddenly realized.

“What did they do?”

The pioneer asked.

“At first, they pretended to be polite. They tempted me with all kinds of things, trying to exchange my knowledge with material and promises… but it didn’t work.”

“Then they lost their patience. They began to force me to read literature related to the theory of imaginary number applications…”

“… But the effect of the “blocking drug” is far better than expected. It not only blocks the knowledge in my mind, but also blocks my ability to learn related knowledge.”

“Later, they accepted the fact that I had become a useless old man. From a certain point on, their strategy became to wait for my death. ”

Chadwick replied.

…

[Raiden Mei: “So, Chadwick is trapped here because of the company’s intention…”]

[Theresa: “Is this Interstellar Peace Company still a human being? Just throw it away after using it?”]

[Kiana: “How abominable! How can this be?”]

[Susanna: "Chadwick is so miserable..."]

[Herrser of Knowledge: "The family has connections with the Interstellar Peace Company, right?"]

[Shigure Kirara: "No wonder the Hound family doesn't allow anyone to get close to Chadwick, and they even send someone to watch him."]

[Theresa: "He's just a beast!"]

[Himeko: "Chadwick is no longer of any use to the company, and is no different from garbage."]

["Although this is cruel, it's the truth."]

[Padofilis: "Alas, I feel so sorry for Chadwick..."]

[Aponia: "This is also Chadwick's own choice. Since he helped the company with research in the beginning, he has to bear the consequences..."]

[Xi'er: "But..."]

...

"I'm sorry."

The Pioneer didn't know what he could do for Chadwick.

"... There is nothing worth paying for. This is the price I should pay."

"The only benefit of being under house arrest is that as time and pain accumulate, the guilt weighing on me seems to have eased a little."

Chadwick shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"What will happen next?"

The pioneer asked.

"I got some fragmentary information from the people they sent. Combined with my own inference... the company may plan to wait for my physical body to die and then tamper with the remaining memories in my brain."

"They probably think that no matter what means I use to keep silent, once the moment of physical death, the remaining things will be at their mercy."

"I am very scared, young man... I am afraid that the defense line I have built will completely collapse at the moment of death."

"If this continues, the company will one day master the technology of "imaginary pulse" again and monopolize it. In the end, all my efforts will be in vain..."

Before Chadwick finished speaking, a strange voice interrupted him.

"Please allow me to deny it, Doctor - your efforts are not in vain."

"We meet again, Dr. Chadwick."

Screw Gum suddenly appeared in front of the two.

"Screw... Screw Gum? ! I didn't expect... I never thought I would see you again..."

Chadwick was very surprised.

"I once thought so. Fate is unpredictable, but it finally showed its kind side to you and me."

"I came to tell you, Doctor, your efforts were not in vain. Even after the death of your physical body, you still stick to that knowledge and leave no opportunity for those with ulterior motives to take advantage of you -"

"——It is not the effect of the drug, but the obsession and persistence engraved in the foundation of your consciousness. ”

The screw mumbled.

“…”

“That’s good… That’s perfect.”

“You knowDo you know, Screw? I have always regretted it. When I first met you, I blocked the voice of my heart. "

"A simple sentence, but I have been unable to say it for most of my life. I think... now it is time for me to hear it myself."

Chadwick's face showed regret.

"Speak out, Chadwick. Human life is fleeting, and few people can pass the end without regrets. Your life is not happy - but being able to have this moment at least means that it is complete."

Screw Gum said.

"I joined this experiment not for any concept, but for myself. I want my talents and fields to be seen by the world, that's all."

"Thank you, Screw Gum. Thank you, kid. I feel... much better, maybe never so good..."

After Chadwick said what was in his heart, his face showed a smile he had never had before.

"Thank you for your hard work along the way, Dr. Chadwick. Now, if you don't mind, we will accompany you to the end of this journey."

Screw mumbled.

...

[Herrser of Knowledge: "If I had known this, why did I do it in the first place?"]

[Padofilis: "Is Chadwick's life coming to an end..."]

[Jezi: "It may be a relief for him to end it this way."]

[Kiana: "It's finally over. I don't know how long Chadwick has been tortured."]

[Susanna: "He also has his own selfish motives. At that time, maybe he knew that he couldn't do this, but he still did it..."]

[Alicia: "Chadwick wanted to prove himself, but this method eventually hurt him."]

[Herrser of the Void: "Humph, in the final analysis, it's just a cocoon for himself."]

[Yulandel: "...Alas. ”】

……

The Trail Blazer helped Chadwick up, and the three of them walked outside.

“Mr. Screw, please tell me…what do everyone in the club think of me?”

Chadwick asked.

“I haven’t collected the opinions of the majority on this. However, there is a lady’s evaluation, and I think I can relay it on your behalf.”

““Calderon Chadwick has broken through the problems that many immortal old monsters have been unable to break through in just a few years. He is the real ‘genius’.”

Screw Gum replied.

The Trail Blazer heard Chadwick laugh with satisfaction… and then stopped talking.

“Take us to wake up, Miss Star.”

Screw Gum said.

Everyone left this dream of memories.

Then, the Trail Blazer received a text message from Screw Gum.

ScrewGum: Thank you, Miss Star. You unearthed the mystery surrounding Dr. Chadwick and helped him find his freedom.

Trailblazer: He is no longer in the dream.

ScrewGum: I have managed to convince the family to bring Chadwick's memory remnants back to the Black Tower Space Station.

Screw Gum: As a witness to his complete life, I would like to invite you to see him off together - provided that you have this intention.

Pioneer: I will be there soon.

Screw Gum: Miss Black Tower and I will wait for you in the confinement section.

Pioneer put away his phone and went to the Black Tower Space Station.

Confinement section.

"Welcome back, Ms. Star."

"After two Amber Ages, Dr. Chadwick finally gained freedom - he is with us now."

Screw Gum said to Pioneer when he saw him.

"Why is he in a dream?"

Pioneer still had many doubts and asked.

"Dr. Chadwick's nightmare became a reality. When his physical body died, the company used the advanced technology provided by the Memory Court to extract the memory in his brain and sealed it in the memory bubble."

"They must have been prepared, so the entire memory migration process was very fast - so fast that even Chadwick's self-consciousness at the moment of death was preserved..."

Screw Gum explained.

...

[Kiana: "This damn company actually cooperated with the people of Liuguang Memory Court."]

[Raiden Mei: "Is it Black Swan?"]

[Theresa: "Liuguang Memory Court has more than just Black Swan as a rememberer, but it is possible, after all, she is still cooperating with Shajin."]

[Yulandel: "As long as there is enough benefit, there is nothing that cannot be cooperated."]

[Shigure Kirara: "¨ˇ I don't believe Black Swan would do this. It goes against her principles."]

["She wouldn't do such a thing to Chadwick."]

[Susanna: "That's hard to say..."]

[Alicia: "Well, no matter what, the pioneers have brought Chadwick out now, but I'm afraid Chadwick can't survive anymore..."]

[Hersher of Consciousness: "Hmph, it's better to be happy than to continue living in such a dream and suffering."]

[Shigure Kirara: "Indeed, for Chadwick, being alive may be the greatest torture..."]

[Fu Hua: "..."]

...

"...That's not enough. The memory preserved in that way is just a pool of "dead water" after all; if it is not "stirred" for a long time, everything in the water will die sooner or later. ”

Heita snorted coldly.

“So, the company came up with a solution: send Chadwick to Pinoconi, and maintain the activity of the memory by connecting to the dream. Speculation: The Technology Research and Development Department must have managed to reach some kind of agreement with the family. ”

“Under the surveillance of the family, Dr. Chadwick wandered in his dreams for two Amber Ages. If it weren’t for you, Ms. Xing, their surveillance would have continued.”

ScrewGum nodded.

"What about now?"

Pioneer asked.

"I think Dr. Chadwick should take a break."

Screw Gum said.

"It's a miracle. With the little bit of self left in the memory, he can actually compete with the company until now... I really didn't make a mistake in him back then."

Black Tower sighed.

"He has always been a genius, Ms. Black Tower - but his will has not always been so strong."

"Science and technology themselves have no concept of good and evil. In the past few hundred years, he has been "atonement" for an idea he had when he was young."

Screw Gum said.

"When I heard Star Kid mention his whereabouts, I thought I finally had the opportunity to get in touch with his research... Unfortunately, I didn't expect things to develop like this in the end."

Black Tower shook his head helplessly.

"(Damn) Those devices can temporarily maintain the activity of the memory bubble. As long as they are closed, Dr. Chadwick will be able to sleep peacefully. "

"Ms. Xing, let's send it off together."

Screw Gum led the two to the laboratory.

In front of her was a blue sealed device, which contained Chadwick's bubble.

What she saw in front of her was not only a cold device, but also one-third of Calderon Chadwick's life.

She turned off the life support device.

I had expected the world to respond to the death of this genius...

...but at this moment, only silence was floating in the air.

"I don't know you very well, Doctor. We have known each other for a hundred years, but we have only met three times."

"But please allow me to call you a "friend."

"This may not be a consolation: but in my calculations, your research has the potential to save billions of lives. ”

“Unfortunately, the times have gone with the wind. Before the real disaster comes, we can only pray that the eyes of the Lord of Analysis and Knowledge can be cast on the next Calderon Chadwick.”

Screw Gum watched the bubbles in the device getting smaller and smaller.

“Hmm…should I say something too?”

“Ahem…Dr. Chadwick, although I have never met you in person, I admire your mind and research deeply.”

“You know, I don’t often praise people…but there are many overlaps in our research fields.”

“The application theory of imaginary numbers you published has inspired me more than once, and even made me…hmm…envious.”

“It’s a pity that we don’t have the opportunity to work together.”

“From what Screw and that kid said, you have suffered a lot in your life—then sleep well, Doctor Tongue. "

Heita said as he turned off the life support device in front of him.

"Huh..."

"Is this... the end?"

Heita let out a long sigh.