Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Just as I was speaking, my phone rang again. It was still that Encrypted Number.
This time, I chose to answer. My father's voice came through once more: "Son, do you remember the story you always wanted me to tell you when you were little? Why do butterflies stay in their cocoons for so long..."
My heart tightened. That was the most precious memory from my childhood; on every sleepless night, my father would tell me that story.
"Because only by enduring the darkness can one..." I found myself finishing the sentence without thinking.
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, then a series of piercing electronic sounds followed. Suddenly, my computer screen lit up and began running a program automatically.
"No!" Zhou Xue rushed over to try to shut down the computer, but it was too late.
On the screen, a dialog box popped up:
"Test Subject: Sun Liang
Emotional Weakness: Confirmed
Moral Test: Initiating..."
We watched helplessly as the computer was remotely controlled, files opening one after another. Finally, it stopped at an encrypted document.
"This is..." Zhou Xue gasped, "This is the complete source code for the 'Butterfly Project!'"
I immediately understood: the system hadn't been hacking into my computer; it had been confirming my identity. That phone call was a trigger to verify whether I truly knew that childhood story.
Because only those who passed this test were qualified to see the truth.
At that moment, the television, which had been dark, suddenly turned on by itself. On the screen appeared the face of Professor Lin. It was not the previous video, but a new recording:
"If you are seeing this footage, it means you have passed the first round of tests." His voice was weary yet remarkably resolute. "What I am about to tell you is the most dangerous secret in this world. And you will be among the few who know..."
Zhou Xue and I exchanged glances, fear and determination reflected in each other's eyes.
Outside, the eastern sky began to lighten. A new day was about to dawn, but we both knew that from the moment we saw this video, our fates had already changed.
Because we were about to learn that the most terrifying thing in this world is not how powerful AI can become, but how fragile human nature is.
And the secret hidden within that source code would reveal to us why Professor Lin would rather choose death than allow this plan to proceed...
"In the development of artificial intelligence, we have been asking the wrong question," Professor Lin's image continued. "We worry about whether AI will go out of control, while neglecting the fact that the real danger lies within humanity itself. The Butterfly Project is essentially a mirror reflecting humanity's deepest desires and fears..."
The video abruptly cut off at this point. The screen turned to static.
I stared intently at the source code. It was an almost perfect system capable of analyzing all traces of a person's data, accurately identifying their emotional vulnerabilities, and then testing them in the most lethal ways.
"So those AI experts who were 'deceived'—was it actually a test?" Zhou Xue's voice trembled. "The system used their closest ones as bait to see if they would develop those dangerous AI technologies for personal gain?"
Just as I was about to respond, I suddenly noticed something unusual: there was an encrypted subroutine hidden within the source code that was quietly running.
"Something's not right." My heart sank. "These codes... they are collecting our reaction data."
Zhou Xue suddenly understood, "Oh my, are we being tested too?"
Comment 0 Comment Count