I really liked something Chen Fan once said:
"...Huh?"
Bathed in the glow of fluorescent blue light and dim yellow-white incandescent light, Chen Fan stared blankly at the half of a mechanical arm lying on the scorched ground.
What the hell was this?
Carbon-Based Lifeform... Universal Intelligent Terminal?
A thought instinctively surfaced in Chen Fan's mind: Did this thing distinguish between Carbon-Based Lifeforms and Silicon-Based Lifeforms?
As you thought, lifeforms within the Human Alliance are diverse. Carbon-Based Lifeforms account for only around 60 percent.
The suddenly ringing Electronic Synthesized Voice startled Chen Fan, but having watched plenty of science fiction movies in his previous life, he quickly calmed down. "You know what I'm thinking?"
The fluorescent blue light flickered like breathing.
This unit possesses a surface-thought reading function and can simply read the shallow thoughts within a Carbon-Based Lifeform's thinking organ.
This is also one of this unit's standard operating procedures.
"Holy shit, that's awesome..."
Chen Fan could not help but let out a sigh of amazement.
Never mind anything else—this thought-reading and thought-control capability alone was enough to prove that the technology it contained far surpassed anything he could comprehend!
Looking at the mechanical arm before him, Chen Fan's mind was filled with countless questions. He opened his mouth, yet had no idea where to begin.
After hesitating for a while, he chose a relatively safe question.
"What... is the Human Alliance?"
The Human Alliance's full name is the Pan-Universal Human Alliance. It is a cross-universe alliance established by numerous advanced civilizations.
Among them, human civilization holds absolute dominance and is also the only Level 9 Civilization.
The Human Alliance governs numerous universes. The universe you inhabit lies on the edge of Human Alliance territory and has not yet been formally incorporated into the Human Alliance's domain.
Chen Fan: O.o?!
Though he did not understand a lot of it, it... sounded pretty damn impressive.
Especially the part about human civilization holding absolute dominance—it immediately made him feel much more secure!
For one thing, he was human too. Rounding things up, that meant he counted as a member of the Human Alliance.
He really knew how to comfort himself.
For another, in Chen Fan's view, an advanced civilization capable of cross-universe travel had to be easier to deal with than one still stuck in an age of feudal superstition!
With that thought, Chen Fan's earlier panic faded a little further.
After pondering for a moment, he asked again, "Why did you come to this universe?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Chen Fan remembered his earlier speculation about the Research Ship.
In an instant, his expression changed:
"Let me make this clear first! The Research Ship you're looking for isn't with me! I've never seen any Research Ship!"
This time, it was the Intelligent Terminal's turn to crash.
The Intelligent Terminal fell unusually silent for several seconds before asking in a solemn tone, "You know about the Research Ship?"
Once he realized what he had done, Chen Fan wanted nothing more than to slap himself across the face.
Why did he have to run his mouth? Wasn't that practically shouting that he had something to hide?
"I... I heard your earlier broadcast."
Following the principle that confession earned leniency, Chen Fan poured out everything he had experienced in his dream.
Remembering the obscure whispers in his dream that had tormented his mind, Chen Fan could not help muttering, "Could you people have some public decency? Do you know how disturbing it is to leave your Freedom Microphone on?"
Intelligent Terminal:?
"That broadcast frequency is an Academy of Sciences-exclusive frequency within Human Alliance territory. It does not count as..."
Halfway through, the Intelligent Terminal fell silent again.
Come to think of it, this universe did not yet count as being within Human Alliance territory!
Realizing this as well, Chen Fan immediately put on an expression that said, Just as I thought. "Look at you people. A grand advanced civilization, and you can still make this kind of mistake..."
The fluorescent blue light flashed violently several times. After a few seconds of silence, the Electronic Synthesized Voice rang out again. "On behalf of the Human Alliance, I offer you our apologies. The specific compensation plan will be discussed and proposed by the Human Alliance Academy of Sciences."
A compensation plan? What compensation plan?!
Realizing that the other party was not some impossible-to-reason-with "machine," Chen Fan's nerves, which had remained taut ever since he crossed over, relaxed somewhat. His previously suppressed thoughts gradually became more active.
Excitement gleamed in Chen Fan's eyes. "Can you tell me what kind of compensation plans there are?"
Compensation from an advanced civilization!
If he could catch this windfall, wouldn't he take off on the spot?!
Sorry, this unit's database contains no relevant information. Please wait patiently for the Academy of Sciences' compensation plan.
"The Academy of Sciences you mentioned... how do I contact it?"
Sorry, no available communication node has been detected. Unable to connect to the Human Alliance main network...
Chen Fan's expression froze. "..."
Fine, fine. So that was how it was going to play out?
Thinking of all the scams and traps he had encountered in his previous life, he let out a long sigh and interrupted the Intelligent Terminal. "So, you currently have no way to contact the Academy of Sciences, and no way to give me any compensation either, right?"
...Theoretically speaking, there is still one backup plan.
Chen Fan's gaze shifted slightly. "Go on."
That must begin with this unit's mission.
Under Chen Fan's strange gaze, a deep blue beam lit up from the severed arm's palm.
The beam gradually converged in the air, forming a clear three-dimensional image that displayed a completely unfamiliar Star System.
The image was extraordinarily realistic. Chen Fan could even clearly see asteroids and meteors slowly moving through the Star System!
"This is... a Holographic Projection?"
Chen Fan's eyes shifted slightly as he muttered to himself.
The Intelligent Terminal did not respond. The Star System image in the Holographic Projection flickered away, replaced by a conventionally designed starship and a peculiar Möbius Strip-shaped structure.
The TE913 Research Ship, under the Dangerous Technology Administration of the Human Alliance Academy of Sciences, lost contact while carrying out an investigation mission.
Based on the final coordinates transmitted before it went missing, the Dangerous Technology Administration launched a large-scale search operation but failed to produce any useful results.
During the 3,673rd cross-universe broadcast call to the Research Ship, the Dangerous Technology Administration received an unknown signal on the same frequency.
Chen Fan came to a sudden realization. "This signal... was probably me, right?"
Yes.
The Intelligent Terminal gave an affirmative answer.
After analyzing the coordinates, the Administration suspected that the region contained an undiscovered unknown universe with a complex structure.
To search for the missing Research Ship and rescue the researchers aboard it, the Dangerous Technology Administration decided to activate a cross-universe transmission plan in order to establish preliminary contact with the target signal.
Because the target universe had a complex structure and lacked any surrounding infrastructure, this transmission plan carried an enormous risk.
After confirming that the target signal came from a Carbon-Based Lifeform, a large number of robots carrying Carbon-Based Lifeform Universal Intelligent Terminals entered the wormhole.
Just as the Dangerous Technology Administration had predicted, the wormhole experienced abnormal tremors during transmission.
The transmission consequently failed, and all the robots were destroyed by spatial turbulence caused by the wormhole's collapse.
As of now, this unit should be the only Universal Intelligent Terminal that luckily passed through the wormhole.
P.S.: Thanks to Xiao Qiu MAX for the Alliance Leader reward!
And thanks to all the other readers for your rewards as well!
You're amazing, boss!!
Before you continue