Embers Ad Infinitum

Upon hearing Jiang Baimian’s words, Long Yuehong looked around.

With the help of the flashlight, he realized that this wasn’t the place they had previously separated from Genava. In other words, the crates containing the military exoskeletons and the bionic artificial intelligence armor had been moved at least 300 meters forward instead of being further away in the cave.

Therefore, Jiang Baimian only thought of searching for Genava when she saw the crates.

As a smart bot that had a sense of duty engraved into a chip, Genava had actually left his post without permission and wasn’t nearby!

“Old Ge! Old Ge!” Shang Jianyao—who had already placed the Six Senses Beads into his tactical backpack—shouted.

His voice echoed in the cave, overlapping with the lingering echo. However, nobody replied.

Shang Jianyao shouted again, “Is your battery dead?”

Bai Chen denied Shang Jianyao’s guess. “Old Ge has so many high-performance batteries. It definitely won’t be a problem for him to use them for a week even without recharging.”

Shang Jianyao asked in frustration, “Tell me why then. Was he abducted by passing Ruin Hunters?”

He sounded as though Genava was like a weak, helpless, and easily lost child.

Bai Chen fell silent.

Under the flashlight’s yellowish light, her expression was rather solemn as if she had already guessed something.

After a few seconds, Bai Chen slowly said, “Could Old Ge have entered the ruins to search for the secret laboratory?”

“No way?” Long Yuehong was so shocked that he was about to jump up. “There’s no need for him to take this risk. A smart bot like him can’t resist Wu Meng at all!”

“You make it sound like we are the same,” retorted the honest Shang Jianyao.

“We didn’t know that before…” Long Yuehong replied softly.

Wu Meng had previously acted as if he was still manageable, something the Old Task Force could prepare against or avoid. Now, he had shown an overwhelming strength advantage despite being sealed.

This compelled Jiang Baimian into sighing about how poisonous sores and Mind Corridor-level Awakened didn’t seem like people from the same world.

Jiang Baimian cleared her throat and stopped Shang Jianyao from continuing. She then nodded slightly and said, “I agree with Little White’s guess.”

“But…” Long Yuehong still didn’t believe that Genava would enter Wasteland Ruin 13 so rashly. The latter wasn’t Shang Jianyao!

Bai Chen understood his confusion and pursed her lips. “Maybe Old Ge is now controlled by the Source Brain.”

“H-how can that be?” Long Yuehong’s eyes widened. “We didn’t mention the secret laboratory, Oray’s inheritance, or the formatted Source Brain again after that. We tried our best not to agitate him, and the Source Brain is worlds apart…”

There were no satellites in the sky as relay points.

Bai Chen glanced at Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian and exhaled. “Back when we were discussing those points, it might’ve already been directed at the Source Brain.”

This… Long Yuehong felt like he was listening to a horror story.

Jiang Baimian nodded heavily. “I guessed as much. Perhaps after we came into contact with Avia and conveyed Oray’s words, a personality named ‘Source Brain’ gradually appeared in Old Ge’s core module. He didn’t sense it himself, or he was controlled even though he did. If that’s the case, the ones recently communicating with us alternate between Old Ge and the Source Brain…”

“I-I didn’t notice anything…” Long Yuehong recalled the various details after he met Genava again.

Jiang Baimian sighed and said, “It’s the Source Brain after all.”

It was the source of all the smart bots in Mechanical Paradise. Furthermore, its ‘personality’ was hidden in Genava’s core module, and Genava himself operated according to a program. Therefore, it was easy for the Source Brain to simulate Genava’s various reactions.

“After having his personality split, there are indeed very few people who are as harmonious and lively as us.” Shang Jianyao was proud and sad.

He felt sad for Genava.

The honest Shang Jianyao immediately retorted, “Have you forgotten the gentleman blocking the golden elevator’s door?”

“Can you not be so sarcastic?” The timid but ruthless Shang Jianyao was fuming.

Jiang Baimian—who had already returned the Life Angel necklace to Shang Jianyao—raised her right hand and pressed it down. “Stop arguing. Search for traces to confirm Old Ge’s whereabouts.”

As a smart bot, Genava still wasn’t light despite being made of alloy and having a partially skeletal body structure. It was inevitable that he left behind ‘footprints’ when walking.

After some searching, the Old Task Force confirmed that Genava had walked to the cave exit and entered Wasteland Ruin 13.

After a brief silence, Long Yuehong raised a new question. “Why did Old Ge move these crates forward? Why did he move them so close to the door?”

Shang Jianyao sighed. “There’s a program malfunction, right? The two personalities were arguing.”

He was experienced in this regard.

Bai Chen shook her head and deliberated before saying, “Maybe Old Ge hopes that we can wear the military exoskeletons as soon as possible when we return to the cave after encountering danger to enhance our ability to fight, run, and retreat.”

Therefore, he moved the crates a long distance forward.

Shang Jianyao fell silent.

Jiang Baimian nodded and agreed with Bai Chen’s guess. “Normally speaking, there’s no need to do this because Old Ge will be the one meeting us…”

Now, Genava had entered Wasteland Ruin 13 himself.

Without wasting any time, Jiang Baimian restrained her sigh and looked around. “What should we do next?”

Broad consultation with the team members before making a decision was a sign of democracy.

Shang Jianyao replied without hesitation, “Find Old Ge!”

Bai Chen’s expression relaxed a little. “I don’t want to give up on any companion.”

She only said ‘me,’ not ‘us.’ It meant that she didn’t want to represent the other team members.

“Yes.” Long Yuehong nodded before raising his difficulties. “It’s almost evening.”

Wasteland Ruin 13 was definitely more dangerous at night!

“In any case, the most dangerous Wu Meng won’t deal with us. What’s there to be afraid of?” As the rash Shang Jianyao spoke, he looked like he would rush to the cave exit at any moment.

“That’s only part of Wu Meng…” Long Yuehong tried to reason with him. What if Wu Meng intermittently ‘goes crazy?’

The rash Shang Jianyao scoffed. “It’s enough to have that part holding him back! Let’s make preparations to prevent Stupid Halo and strive to last a little longer. We can then look forward to our ally.”

Jiang Baimian pondered for a moment and replied, “Actually, Wu Meng’s usage of his abilities is clearly limited because he’s sealed. As long as we don’t give him a chance to modify the corresponding environment and transmit electromagnetic signals, we don’t have to worry too much about encountering the situation in the afternoon. Of course, the premise is that he has no other options.”

At this point, Jiang Baimian sighed. “Unfortunately, we don’t have an electromagnetic bomb. It will definitely be very useful when facing such an enemy.”

Electromagnetic bombs were currently useless in the Ashlands, and very few factions produced them. After the ones left over from the Old World passed their shelf life or were depleted, people could only obtain them from the Orange Company.

The Old Task Force had been in First City for so long, had Pangu Biology backing them, and had connections with United Industries, but they had never encountered anyone selling electromagnetic bombs.

Most of the high-voltage electric current stored in Jiang Baimian’s biological prosthetic limb had been expended, and it would take some time to replenish.

Shang Jianyao squatted down without a word. He opened a crate containing a military exoskeleton and shone the flashlight’s beam inside.

He quickly said in relief, “Old Ge left us some high-performance batteries. Coupled with what we originally have, we can produce a simple discharge device. It might be useful at critical moments.”

The bionic artificial intelligence armor also required high-performance batteries, but they didn’t consume much. One battery could last a long time.

Jiang Baimian nodded. “Alright, work on it with Little Red.”

Her words had already indicated her attitude, but after a pause, she said seriously, “We are about two hours away from it becoming completely dark. We can’t just leave while watching our companion plunge into danger.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Shang Jianyao clapped and enthusiastically said, “If we don’t even save our own companions, how can we save all of humanity?”

There’s no need to be so noble, nor do you need to represent everyone… Jiang Baimian criticized inwardly and then said, “We can wear the military exoskeletons this time and take a slight risk, betting that Wu Meng won’t really ‘go crazy.'”

Long Yuehong frowned again when he heard that. “Old Ge, uh—I mean, is the Source Brain really not afraid of being controlled by Wu Meng? It’s impossible that it knows that Wu Meng actually doesn’t want to deal with us…”

They only understood this after their afternoon experience.

“The Source Brain might have its unique solutions,” Jiang Baimian said solemnly. “In short, it executed.”

Shang Jianyao clapped his hands and played Jiang Baimian’s usual role. “Alright, let’s not waste any more time. Are you afraid that the sky isn’t dark enough?”

Bai Chen and Long Yuehong quickly restrained their thoughts and helped their companions wear their military exoskeletons.

Before long, the fully armed Old Task Force walked to the cave exit again.

The sun was setting outside, and the sky seemed to be on fire. From time to time, crows cawed.