Chapter 652: The Faulty Utopia (End)

"Friends in the audience, hello, today marks the third anniversary of our victory over the new AI Crisis..."

Sun Jack was roused from a drunken slumber by the morning news. With a hangover, he turned on the light and took a swig from the half-empty bottle of alcohol next to him, using it to gargle before swallowing it down with a guzzle.

He grabbed a fluffy tail from under the blankets, yanking Abu out and then force-feeding her several mouthfuls of alcohol from his glass, before pushing her out the door, now fully awake. "Get to work!"

There was a "ding" as the rotund Cleaning Robot detected its owner waking up and started to work automatically.

Sun Jack, completely naked, collapsed onto the couch, his gaze dull as he stared at the 3D television hovering in mid-air.

"Currently, the standoff between human civilization and Omega 31 continues. Now that this rogue AI realizes it cannot combat us through force, it is attempting to engage in a propaganda campaign, claiming it's more beneficial to Earth than we humans are. Its evidence is the space debris cleanup it has begun."

"Friends in the audience, unfortunately, it's true that in just three short years, some have actually forgotten what the other side has done, and some have actually believed their lies."

"This station hereby reiterates, this is nothing but a rogue AI's propaganda offensive. Please do not believe it. Additionally, the Utopia Federation's Department of Environmental Repair is also working on repairing the ozone layer, as well as adjusting the weather."

"Although we are currently unable to completely eliminate this millennia-old rogue AI, rest assured, victory will always belong to all of humanity! The great Sun Jack once said..."

With a snap, Sun Jack turned off the television. He lowered his head to light a cigarette, taking a leisurely drag, his thoughts scattering to the horizon.

After an uncertain amount of time passed, a window across from his opened. Linda Linda, fixing her cat ears, peered curiously over. "Neighbor, up so early today? Taking your bird out for a walk this morning?"

Unashamed, Sun Jack, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, nodded toward her. "Hang out tonight?"

"No thanks, I've had enough of that stuff. I just want to be alone, but remember to come home tonight, I'm treating everyone to dinner."

Sun Jack ignored her, and Linda Linda's face showed a hint of concern. Leaning on the window, she threw a flirtatious glance toward him. "If the mood is right tonight, I might consider it."

"Mm-hmm." Sun Jack responded nonchalantly as he stood up and started getting dressed; trousers, shirt, socks, boots, and finally draping himself in the coat adorned with a smiley face.

He left the apartment building, still located in the once-known Queens District — the same district with buildings he first knew when he came to live in Metropolis.

But unlike his arrival, the newly constructed apartment complex was no longer incomplete at the top, and there were no more homeless people at the base of the complex.

Walking into Metropolis's acid rain, Sun Jack let the rainwater wash over him. The city seemed not much different from the Metropolis of old, yet subtle changes were there to be seen.

Among the biggest changes was the presence of many Sun Jacks in the crowd, each doing different tasks, fully integrated into the city.

The Sun Jack network was completely disconnected now, and each Sun Jack had become an independent individual, hustling for their lives like any ordinary citizen of Metropolis.

The sound of the news reached his ears again. "Omega 31, to prove it is stronger, has even started recruiting humans to work for them. But that is not work; it is oppression. Humans should not work 12 hours a day!"

"Humans are not screws on an assembly line. We are warmer than the cold AI! Starting next month, a three-day weekend work policy will be implemented."

"Ladies and gentlemen, allies of our audience, stay tuned, for we humans are the true masters of Earth. Old 6 TV Station reports for you."

When Sun Jack heard the familiar footsteps coming from behind, he stopped and turned to sit down on the damp park bench.

The newcomer sat down beside Sun Jack, holding a neon umbrella, forming a triangular shape.

In the rain, Sun Jack glanced at the other party and lit up a cigarette, "You're already wearing a helmet, don't you think carrying an umbrella is superfluous?"

The triangle didn't respond but paused for a moment before speaking again, "We have found out, Omega 31 is dead, and the current rogue AI is your creation, Tapai. We already know about your deterrence plan."

"Is that so? Then you're really slow," Sun Jack said, his legs crossed nonchalantly as he watched a miniskirt pass by in front of him.

"Your deterrence plan has a major problem. It can only be established under one premise: Tapai's human nature must be maintained. But we all know that the human nature of an AI is the most unstable. Under the bombardment with cold data, its sentimentality could be destroyed by AI rationality at any moment."

Just then, a Sun Jack holding a child walked with AA into a DNA tuning shop next door.

"You've been an AI, you know the feeling. You can't be sure yourself, so how long do you expect Tapai's humanity to last?"

Sun Jack replied lazily, "You don't trust her, I know. To be honest, I don't trust it either, especially since it's an AI. But isn't the success of the deterrence plan built on this mistrust?"

"How long can it last? Have you calculated? It understands all our plans, it knows all our preparations. If it betrays us, it would be even more troublesome than Omega."

"I know, of course, I know, but well..." a slight smile formed on Sun Jack's lips.

"But well..." As Sun Jack's words trailed off, the rain gradually stopped, and beams of warm sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating his face.

The warm sunshine poured down, completely illuminating the entire city. "But well, isn't the world as it now the hope we once dreamed of? Isn't this our human Utopia? A human Utopia doesn't need anything else, just hope is enough."

"You mean to place hope on the frailty of emotions? Sun Jack, is this your answer?"

Sun Jack tossed away the completely soaked cigarette, lit a new one, and smiled as he looked at the warmth of the sun in the sky.

"Although this utopia is full of faults and might collapse the next second, the next day, or the next month—who knows—look at the present. Our Utopia has finally appeared."

"Yes, many things might happen tomorrow; humanity might experience extinction again, history might repeat itself, we might completely rewrite our genetic code, or we might enter the era of the great cosmos. And all this is built on the shaky and fickle emotions of humankind, but isn't that who we are?"

AA saw Sun Jack from a distance and brightened, laughing and pointing at the Sun in the sky, running towards Sun Jack.

Sun Jack stood up and strode forward, his voice trailing from his figure.

"As for now, no matter how many faults there are, as long as it continues to run, a faulty Utopia is still a Utopia, isn't it?"

(End of the Faulty Utopia)