Zhao Chen looked at the cabin before him — this chamber wasn't large, only 100 or 200 square meters or so. In its center was a machine much like the core of a computer, within which motes of unexplained particle-light flickered without cease. Zhao Chen had, of all things, a feeling of some bond forming between himself and it.
"Welcome, Lord Commander, to your coming in person to the starship's core-system cabin."
A figure of light appeared — the likeness of a pure, fresh-looking young woman of some 17 or 18 years.
"And you are?" Zhao Chen looked at this figure of light before him in astonishment.
"I am this interstellar warship's advanced artificial intelligence," the woman said.
"Advanced artificial intelligence?"
Well then. Were the Galactic Alliance to catch wind that he had this interstellar warship — privately developing advanced artificial intelligence and clone-human technology — on these two counts of crime alone, not even the Governor of Chu River could keep his little life safe.
Data link complete. Please, host, confirm whether the following personnel are formal members of the Owl Dragon Fleet; their life-genes will be shared into the T4 Reviver-class Clone-Human Starship database. And please confirm whether to, by default, add future newly serving crew members hereafter.
"Data link complete. Please, Lord Commander, confirm whether the following personnel are formal members of the Owl Dragon Fleet; their life-genes will be shared into the T4 Reviver-class Clone-Human Starship database. And please confirm whether to, by default, add future newly serving crew members hereafter."
The voice in Zhao Chen's mind, and the woman before him, sounded very nearly at the same moment.
At the same time, before Zhao Chen's eyes there appeared densely packed, teeming personnel records — full tens of thousands of them in number! The overwhelming majority of them Zhao Chen had never seen; but with a single stir of Zhao Chen's thought, a few familiar faces emerged from among them. Charlotte, Lilith, Zhao Wan'er, Annie…
"So long as you confirm the information of these personnel, then in the future, after these crew members of the Owl Dragon Fleet have given their lives, they can be revived and reborn right here." the artificial-intelligence woman said in a soft voice.
Worthy indeed of a black-tech technology — though it was only T4-grade, it already dovetailed directly with Zhao Chen's System.
"I want to ask one question. This clone-human… when the time comes, that female crew member I revive — is she still the original person?" Zhao Chen inquired with a knit brow. This was a question he pondered deeply each time he faced the T4 Reviver-class Clone-Human Starship. As Zhao Chen had grown more and more familiar with Lilith, Charlotte, Annie, and the rest — though they were his subordinates, they were, all the more, like his own family. He had to keep his family well guarded and safe!
"Rest assured, Lord Commander. Though what we use is a clone body, that is so it may fit the reborn one's body more closely; it is for that alone that clone-human technology is employed. This is, too, why it is called the 'Reviver-class.' May I ask, Lord Commander — in the stories of certain transmigration-type novels, do you hold that those reborn ones are, or are not, still one and the same person as their former selves?" the artificial-intelligence woman asked with a smile.
This question was, for all the world, as though it were putting Zhao Chen himself to the interrogation.
The Zhao Chen of now — was he the Zhao Chen of this world, or that Zhao Chen who had transmigrated here? In terms of consciousness, then Zhao Chen was, beyond doubt, still that Zhao Chen who had transmigrated over — at the least, he himself held it to be so. And this signified, too, that a female crew member reborn here would be no different in any way from the original.
"This starship will not fabricate a clone body out of thin air; only upon receiving the life-signal of a person on the roster within the database can it carry out the 'revival' procedure."
"And what if it's across a great distance? Say, at this end of the universe and that? Or if they died for some special reason?" Zhao Chen pressed on.
The artificial-intelligence woman said with a smile, "Please do not doubt this interstellar warship's technology. No matter in what space or place, and dying in whatever form, the life-message of the deceased can be received — and they shall be reborn and revived right here."
The artificial-intelligence woman paused a moment, then said further, "But please take note, Commander: upon rebirth and revival, the memory of the reborn one from before their death is likewise retained. Some agonizing experiences of death may possibly inflict enormous psychological trauma upon the reborn. And so it is not advisable for a single person to be reborn and revived many times."
Zhao Chen understood the principle within, and prepared as well to make corresponding arrangements in the future. For instance, a reborn one would need, only after passing through a set of strict and detailed physical and psychological examinations, to return to a fleet post; but should there be any failing whatsoever, they'd have to "retire." Withdraw from their current combat post! They'd be arranged to a safe career post, there to pass out the remainder of their lives. This amounted, in effect, to "retirement."
Zhao Chen drew a deep breath, and, looking at the "black-tech" before him, heaved a sigh. "I truly do hope that I'll never, ever have need of this contraption."
With that, Zhao Chen turned and left. The figure of that artificial-intelligence woman thereupon scattered and dispersed.
The active-service female crew members of the Owl Dragon Fleet did not yet know that, from this moment on, they had already been led by that great Commander onto a road of terror. An immortal, undying super interstellar legion had, right here, formally begun to hoist its sails and voyage far!
……
Galactic Star Calendar year 3032 · end of June.
By this time, the attention of very nearly everyone within the borders of the Starlight Empire was fixed upon a single matter.
The delivery date of the Northern Goose Group's arms-purchase order!
If the Northern Goose Group proved unable to deliver this batch of 3,000 T2 Tibetan Mastiffs on schedule, then they would bear the punishment for breach of contract!
The Starlight Empire · arms-procurement department.
Within one office, Marshal Huang Zhixiong was, at this moment, drinking tea and chatting at his ease with two officials holding key posts in the arms-procurement department.
"Marshal, why need you come in person; the matter you charged us with before — we'll surely see it handled to rights for you!" one official said with an ingratiating smile.
Huang Zhixiong laughed. "Not at all, not at all. I've only come to see my old schoolmates of former days; we did, after all, graduate from one and the same military academy back then."
"Hahaha…" They all looked at one another and laughed.
Huang Zhixiong went on, "Old Zhang, that matter of your son's promotion to one-star brigadier-general — I've already sent word down the line; it can be settled by the end of this year. Old Wang, the matter of your son wanting a transfer to the finance department — that I've also arranged and smoothed over with the right people. Once he's gone to the finance department, then in five years at the most… he can reach that position your son wants!"
Hearing Huang Zhixiong's words, the two officials at once fell to dancing eyebrows and flying spirits, and there and then raised up their teacups. "Many thanks to the Marshal for your patronage! Such as we, with tea in place of wine, drink a toast to the Marshal!"
"You're too kind, too kind!"
Just as the three men's talk was at its merriest —
A knock at the door came.
"Who's that? Didn't I say I'm receiving important guests just now — not to disturb us!" the official shouted, put out.
The voice outside said, "It's… it's about the matter of the Northern Goose Group's arms-purchase order."
Hearing that it was this business, the official at once perked up in spirits. He looked at Huang Zhixiong with a wicked grin. "Marshal, by the look of it they've come to deliver a 'report of victory' to you; my guess is that Northern Goose can't deliver the order-starships, and they've come to plead for mercy!"
Huang Zhixiong sat there, smiling and saying nothing.
The official, for his part, had the one outside the door come in.
"Speak, then — what's the matter you've come to report," the official said with an air of careless unconcern.
That subordinate, head bowed low, reported, "Word's just come in from the Northern Goose Group: the second batch of T2 Tibetan Mastiffs on the arms-purchase order can now be delivered."
In an instant, the three men present all looked at one another, at a loss.
Can now be delivered?
Had they, perhaps, misheard?