Chapter 45 Wade's Curtain Call_1

Wade had so wished that the children could eventually grow up, but they still remained children.

Perhaps he had known all along what choice Cheng Xin would make, still hoping against hope for a miracle; but he was disappointed. Could humanity truly not carry on?

At the final pass, even the strongest people might falter. His gaze dimmed, something extinguished, extinguished forever, as the years collapsed around him.

For Wade, "Forward! Forward!! Advance by any means necessary!!!" was the best description of him.

History has a startling consistency. Zhang Beihai decided to go to hell himself, resolved to kill his "children" with his own hands like a father, without hesitation, but he hesitated during the last step. His steadfast conviction, hiding his inner self, having walked alone for two centuries, he did not hesitate until the final seconds. His hesitation was the divine glow of humanity.

Wade also hesitated at his last moment, his steadfast conviction, hiding his inner self, having walked alone for four centuries, he had not hesitated, yet at the end, he did. His hesitation was there in his heart, the humanity he had always defended; he just wanted humanity to grow.

In his final words, Wade said the most desolate sentence: "Little girl, you see, I kept my promise."

This sentence was meant less for Cheng Xin than for Yun Tianming, to whom he felt both guilt and gratitude. In silence, it seemed he had made a promise with Yun Tianming, a promise borne of Yun Tianming's love for Cheng Xin.

Wade kept his promise to Cheng Xin, kept his promise to Yun Tianming, choosing to give up, choosing "humanity."

"Little girl" shows that Cheng Xin, or perhaps humanity, was still not grown up, unprepared to make choices, unwilling to accept the universe's cruelty, content to live in an ivory tower.

Perhaps he was tired, like Logic who could no longer protect the children. Like a father, he did all that he could, and left the ultimate fate of humanity to fate itself. He was weary...

Such a steadfast hero, one who could deceive anyone, even the Trisolaran world, steadfast for four centuries, became, in that moment, the most pitiable person in the world.

He grew old, he grew weary... He could save for a moment, but not for eternity.

The foolish, blindly infantile human world aged him, slowed him down, made it impossible for him to go on...

Zhang Beihai was happier than Wade, for in his last moment, he felt content; his children had grown up, "all the same!"

Zhang Beihai was fortunate, he had accomplished his mission, fulfilled a father's wish, and left a spark for humanity; he could take his final bow contentedly.

Logic was also lucky, having completed his mission, standing alone with his sword deterring the Trisolaran world for more than half a century, bringing the greatest turning point for the fate of humanity, he too could take his final bow contentedly.

But what of Wade? To allow humanity to grow, he had struggled for four centuries, a person with humanity at his core, disguised as a beast for four centuries, and in the end, he could not go on, it was meaningless, his illusions shattered.

A bare finale, having nothing... nothing at all...

...

Soon after, Lin Sen and Logic met with Wade, whose appearance gave off an extremely tough image, his face bearing a faint smile, as if appreciating something?

The smile on his face did not make people feel warmth or relaxation, but sent shivers down their spines, a suffocating kind of coldness.

At this moment, Wade had just sent off Yun Tianming's brain, and Cheng Xin had also entered hibernation as a liaison, leaving Wade with nothing but his thoughts.

Wade saw Lin Sen in the room and, unsurprised, spoke directly, "Do you have a plan for me? I am very willing to serve your Wallfacer project." He always got straight to the point when talking to people, never beating around the bush or engaging in meaningless actions.

On his way here, he had been pondering the purpose behind the Wallfacer seeking him out. He had just dispatched Yun Tianming's brain, and due to a tether snapping during the last acceleration, the craft carrying Yun Tianming's brain deviated from its intended course, potentially lost in space, its fate unknown to anyone.

Now that the Wallfacer was seeking him out, it was unlikely to be about the Staircase Program. More likely, the Wallfacer had some plan that required his execution, which he was naturally pleased to undertake.

In Wade's mind, the Wallfacer, like himself, was in the profession of deception and betrayal; they were cut from the same cloth.

Logic greeted him with a smile, but Lin Sen dispensed with pleasantries, immediately producing a plan document:

"Here's a plan concerning the research of artificial intelligence. Take a good look at it.

You can contact General Chang Weisi and gather a group of AI experts to create an intelligent system that integrates the command of warships with escape surveillance.

Its command system must be connected to a brain-interface, requiring the commander to have absolute control over the warship, and it must be absolutely flawless in logic and operation. Remember, if there are any loopholes in the system architecture, it could result in our complete loss of the Deep Space Fleet.

The issues are very complex, requiring you to plug all potential escape loopholes for the Deep Space Fleet.

General Chang Weisi will explain to you the strategic importance of the escape monitoring system. This is also a plan of the Space Force. Your task is to establish the objectives, find the solutions, and execute them.

That's the core of the plan. The public face of the plan will be research into strong artificial intelligence, replacing the increasingly difficult and heavy human labor, liberating productivity.

Strong AI is also a byproduct of this system. You understand its significance, right?"

"Why choose me?" Wade was still expressionless, but his heart showed a hint of excitement.

"Your duty is deception and betrayal. You need to establish the most fundamental rules for this artificial intelligence system, similar to the Three Laws of Robotics.

Wade, this battle is perilous, and your system is vital. All I can tell you is that you need to think more…"

"My honor..." Having said that, Wade left Lin Sen's office with the document in hand.

The conversation was exceedingly brief. Wade's mind worked quickly, and he quickly understood Lin Sen's intention, needing Wade to refine the underlying logic design of this intelligent system.

Most people would remain on the surface, needing to prevent any warships from escaping until the surrender of the Solar System's human forces is received. Wade knew it wasn't so simple; the final war wasn't just about conventional warfare.

His job was deception and betrayal, and Lin Sen's final words, "You need to think more..." certainly contained some hidden significance that would require careful thought in the future. But one thing was certain, he fit Lin Sen's requirements, otherwise, the task wouldn't have been assigned to him.

That meant Lin Sen was letting him act according to his own will, but how Lin Sen knew Wade's true intentions would probably be hinted at later!

Wade couldn't afford to interact too much with Lin Sen. Once he understood Lin Sen's implications, he needed to establish the goals, find the solutions, and execute them.

After Wade left, Lin Sen and Logic were plunged into a flurry of activity. On one hand, they needed to stay informed about the current state of society and major news. On the other hand, they needed to motivate the staff of the various departments directly under the Wallfacer. Naturally, all these were Lin Sen's tasks. Lin Sen might provide some direction on the big picture, but details could only be left to the researchers themselves.

Time rushed by...