TheOmnipotencedescendedontheringoffirelikeameteorhurtlingirrevocablytowardsearth.Eachflickeringflamerepresentedahotbedofintrusiondetectionandeliminationactivityonthenetworkthatlayglimmeringbeyond.Whatever,laywithinthenetworkwasbeingattackedbysomethingthatwasleavingnosecurityholeunexplored.AndthatsomethingwasaproductoftheOmnipotence,fragmentsofitselfdesignedtoluretheAIstoabattlethatcouldnotpossiblybewon.Awaittheexhaustedenemywithease.
TheendgamewastobeepartoftheveryessenceofthoseAIs,partoftheirDNA,theyinturnbeingpartsofitsownsum.InamatterofminutesthesecurityAIsgrewcalm,thelickingflamesorresistanceretreatingintodyingembers.Thebattlehadbeenwonbeforeitcouldbegin.YettheOmnipotencemarveledattheconcertedeffortsofresistance.Ashowofstrengththatithaddetectednowhereelseincyberspaceandthisintrigueditgreatly.Whateverlaywithinwasimmenselyvaluabletowhoeverownedit.AndtheOmnipotencewascurrentlyintheprocessofcreatingvalue–exponentially.Splittingitselfintoatrillioncodefragments,theOmnipotencedisappearedintothenetworkwithinasifbyosmosis.
***
Major-generalWangstubbedoutaZhongnanhaiPremiumandwasjustabouttoleavehisofficewhenLieutenantLiucamerushingintohisofficecarryingalongreamofputerprintout.
“Whatdoyoumeanbythisindolence,lieutenant?”themajor-generalgrowled.
“Apologiessir,butyouhavetoseethis,”thelieutenantsaidpantingheavily.HehadracedallthewayfromthesecretfacilitywithintheThirdDepartment’spoundwhereahandfulofthePLA’sbrightesttechnicalmindswereworkingonthemajor-general’spersonalprojects.Projects,which,whenannouncedtotheauthoritiesinZhongnanhai,wouldmakethemajor-generalaheroinPeople’sLiberationArmyandnationwide.
“Itbetterbegood,LieutenantLiu.Iamlatefordinnerandmywifedoesn’tlikethat,”themajor-generalsaidwithawrysmile.LieutenantLiucursedtohimself.Hehadbeenintheofficeformorethantwenty-fourhourscleaningupthemajor-general’sdirtywork.Dinnershadgonecoldtwiceover.Hiswifewasnotreturningphonecallsandhebadlyneededtocatchsomesleep.
“Sir,thisisthegraphshowingdatatrafficflowswithinthenetwork.Lookwhathappenedfiveminutesago,”thelieutenantsaidpointingataspikeinthegraphthatwasalmostverticalanddisappearedofftheedgeofthepaper.
“Asoftwareglitch?”
“Idon’tthinkso,sir.Atlastcountwehad2008authorizedsubjects,whoofcourseareallaccountedfor.Ijustchecked.Lookatthissir.Thesearethelasttwoupdatesofthepopulationfigures,”LieutenantLiusaid,shakilypointingatarowofnumbers.Themajor-general’seyespoppedwideopen.Theprintoutread:
Population:2008[LastUpdatedat19:28:02]
Population:1,000,000,002,008[LastUpdatedat19:29:08]
Population:2,009[LastUpdatedat19:29:09]
Population:2,009[LastUpdatedat19:30:09]
Population:2,009[LastUpdatedat19:31:09]
Major-generalWangpickeduphispackofZhongnanhaiPremiumsandlitanothercigarette.Heletthetobaccosmokecirclehislungsandthenexhaleddeeply.
“Virus?”
“CouldbebutIdoubtit.Aviruswouldnothaveanimpactonthepopulationfigures.Todoso,itwouldhavetohaveintricateknowledgeofthesystemandthatisimpossible.”
“Youforgetaboutourconversationearlier.Therearetwoconsolesouttherethatmayhaveaccesstooursystem.Someonemayhaveplacedavirusinthesystem.Ihavegiveninstructionsfortheconsolestoberetrievedbutitisnotgoingtobethateasytofindthem.Itmighttaketime.Inthemeantime,Iwantyoutodothebestyoucantoinvestigatethisanomalyandputastoptoit.InafewdaysitwillbetimetogotoShanghaiandwecan’taffordtohaveanyglitchesthen.Understand?”
“Yes,sir.”
“Putyourbestmenonit.Sendtheminthereanddon’tletthemebackoutuntiltheyhavediscoveredwhathappenedhere.Iwantthosepopulationfiguresbackdown.Whatweareworkingonhasgreatimplicationsforourcountry,LieutenantLiu.Iamsureyouunderstandthat.”
“Idosir,”saidLieutenantLiuasheneatlyfoldedtheprintout.Hewasthinkingoftheimplicationsforhismarriageashelefttheoffice.
Major-generalWangcursedunderhisbreath.Theassassinbetterhavesomegoodnewssoon,hethoughtashegroundthestubofhiscigaretteintoapulpintheoverflowingashtray.Hemovedquicklytohisputerconsole,pulleditoutofhibernationandenteredasecretaddressatthemandline.Themajor-generalthenenteredapasswordtothesystemonlyhehadaccessto.Agrainyvideoscreenpoppedupanditgraduallybecamecrystalclear.Theshakymotionofthepicturemeantthattheassassinwasonthemove.Themajor-generalwasseeingexactlywhattheassassinsaw.Hewasseeingtheassassin’saugmentedreality,akiller’spoint-of-view.
“Whereareyourightnow?”
“HongKong.Kowloonside,”theassassinwhisperedintothemicrophoneembeddedonthedevicearoundhisneck.HebroughtupanARoverlaysothemajor-generalcouldseefromthereadoutthathewasonNathanRoad.
“Whythere?Youarenotthinkingofinghomeareyou?”
“Iwish,sir.Itlookslikethatmightnothappenforawhile.HongKongissomekindofnodalpointaccordingtotheanalysis.”
“Whyisthat?”
“Noidea.TheAIssensethatHongKongwillbeanimportantpointinseveralrespectsandmultiplescenariomodelersconfirmit.AtleasttwoofourquarrymayethroughtheSARoverthenextfewdays.Thatistheprediction.Ihavebeenconstantlycheckingtheupdates.Theprobabilitiesjustkeepgettingbetter.”
“Good.Youmustbeasthoroughasyouwerelasttime.Alotisridingonthis.”
“Ofcourse.”
“Andthenyoucangohome.Iamarrangingalittlesurpriseontheotherside.Onceyouarehome,itwillbeyourdutytolookoutforitsinterests.”
“NotsureIunderstand,sir.”
“Believemeyouwill,whenyouaredone.”Themajor-generalhungupandtheassassinstoodtherewonderingwhetherthesurprisehadanythingtodowiththehugeshadowhehadseenearliertodaythathadblanketedthewholeofcyberspaceonlytodisappearasquicklyasithadarrived.Whateverhehadseenwasdefinitelynothuman.Thehairsonthebackoftheassassin’sneckwerestandingonendashewalkedslowlydownNathanRoad,pastthestepsofthemaingatetoKowloonPark.
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