Overview
To make amends and seek redemption for the loss of his departed loved ones, he chose a life of extraordinary adventure. He was willing to sacrifice his entire youth in pursuit of truth, challenging the merciless flow of time with his scientific discoveries and defying the world’s rigid rules with his unwavering belief. He became the advocate for those swallowed by the suffocating grip of societal norms, daring to break the laws of physics on their behalf.
But the capital markets favored shallow distractions—gaming projects and short video content. His boundless visions, however, were met with indifference. Only when humanity abandoned its obsession with rules and worldly desires would he have a chance. Yet, between his aspirations and the harsh reality, lay an insurmountable divide.
Miracles, those dazzling wonders, would never bloom in a world where people struggled for survival or succumbed to greed. His stomach was empty, and the weight of unpaid rent loomed over him. Unable to find a job or grasp a sense of purpose, he had been cast aside by a primitive era that valued conformity over creativity. Lonely, powerless, and desperate, he made a final, reckless gamble—plunging into Framequark, the enigmatic realm where he picked up the torch of childhood innocence that humanity had carelessly discarded. That fragile flame, now on the brink of extinction, flickered against the winds of indifference.
He refused to become a slave to the primal instincts encoded in human genes. So he fought to be a monk, striving to forget the temptations of hunger, lust, material desire, and the insatiable craving for control. Though the real world had shackled his body, it could not imprison his soul.
By breaking free from the chains of primitive confusion, he attained true freedom.
Preface
At midnight, stepping outside to gaze at the sky reveals the most breathtaking scene imaginable. This boundless expanse of stars unfolds in real time, filling the entire world beyond Earth. Yet, upon closer inspection, one might notice that these stars seem somewhat suspicious, their numbers so vast that they almost appear to be an illusion!
This planet, predominantly driven by humanity, can sometimes be so utilitarian that it becomes unbearable. But opening this book is not about seeking profit; it demonstrates that the desire to explore the truth has never faded. It’s just that due to busy lives, and with no one providing answers, some have abandoned their childhood innocence, willing to carry their doubts to the grave. Within the limited coordinates of our historical understanding, I aim to use paradox to praise the universe, reflect on life, and attempt to restore the essence of the world, to find the logic behind our existence.
Now, please fasten your seatbelt, and join me in the quest for answers! We will embark from Earth, piercing through the sky, venturing into a dimension that transcends time and space, a background universe even more distant than the observable cosmos…
Chapter 1 - Solitude
“If time and space can be reshaped, then how can we ever trust what is real?” Neosun said, his voice trembling with doubt.
Sitting in his wheelchair, listening to music while solving equations—perhaps no state was more fitting for him. For Neosun, those seemingly tedious formulas were beautiful landscapes, enchanting melodies. He was lonely, but he was not adrift, though such a life was unimaginable for most people. It was already five in the morning, and his brain was still working at high speed to unravel those mysteries. Long nights without sleep had sunken his eyes and dulled his skin, and many white hairs always littered his desk. He felt happiness with every puzzle he solved, a joy that few could truly understand. All this was because Neosun’s world was occupied by a grand dream. To get closer to this dream, he tried to clear the obstacles ahead with a fearless heart, despite how unattainable and distant it seemed.
Time is like a tape measure, sometimes contracting inward to dull the pain of the soul, sometimes extending outward to measure unknown answers. Although Neosun’s body lacked freedom, his thoughts transcended his legs and traveled to a place far beyond anyone’s sight. Perhaps an untainted mind is more likely to discover those unknown details. Precisely because of his physical immobility, he calmed down to observe the world. That weekend evening, Neosun invented a quantum computer capable of precisely simulating the workings of the Milky Way. Through a series of deep simulations, he used this computer to predict a transient hidden dark particle, something humanity had never discovered. He named this peculiar substance “Framequark.”
Maybe those who can do anything are destined to do something earth-shattering. This discovery inspired him to take on a great endeavor! To verify the existence of Framequark, Neosun urgently needed a special microscope, an advanced device that could further reveal the world’s truths. He planned to develop this cutting-edge observational equipment himself. However, its required precision and high manufacturing costs required ample funding. Thus, he hoped to launch the project with the help of venture capital. But his lengthy business plan looked more like an academic paper…
“The market you’re targeting is a very niche, forward-thinking group. From both a market perspective and a technical perspective, we can’t make an assessment.” Investors informed Neosun of the results via phone.
“When more real money is invested in microscopic science, it will attract more physicists. At that point, it will show its value!”
“That’s your personal ideal. The world is driven by the market, and that is an unrelated future…”
Even the most revolutionary scientific projects cannot escape the nature of commerce. The capital market had no intention of paying for theoretical ideas. Neosun needed someone who understood the value behind his project, but on this planet, perhaps that person was only himself. Without funding, his research project could not progress.
“It’s time to pay the rent! This time, it’s been way too long.”
“Can you give me a few more days? I’ve found a job and will be getting paid soon.”
He abandoned the mundane and disregarded everything, but was harshly slapped by reality. Reality refused to allow him to prove those theories difficult to monetize. The world was pulling him back into the survival system of civilization. The living expenses his mother left him were about to run out, and he submitted a resume with no degree and no work experience to several research units. But weeks passed with no replies in his inbox. Not meeting the basic interview requirements, he was turned away by all employers. Eventually, through a disability employment service, Neosun found an informal position. The job was relatively easy, involving the preliminary review of invention patents for the patent office. Before he knew it, it was Monday again, and driven by necessity, he had to interrupt his theoretical research to clock in for work…
Neosun’s social circle was extremely limited, and his introverted nature meant he had never been in a relationship. No girl had ever liked him. However, recently, a new female colleague in the neighboring archives department had taken a special interest in him…
“Would you like to see a movie together this weekend?” she asked.
“Unfortunately, I have to do experiments at home this weekend.”
“Busy again? What kind of experiment?”
“It’s about microwaves. Are you interested?” he asked.
“Can I come and see?”
“I’m afraid not…”
“Why?”
“It’s dangerous!” he said.
“Dangerous for you or for the experiment?”
“Dangerous for both.”
“Haha! Anyway, you can’t stand up, so I’m not afraid of you doing anything to me!”
“That’s a pity…”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Two weeks later, the woman noticed that Neosun always listened to a few fixed pieces of music repeatedly, and she took the trouble to jot down those tracks. Although she didn’t understand how to appreciate that music, she hoped to establish a common topic by learning about it.
“Do you really like these pieces?”
“Yes, do you like them too?”
“I just want to know why a science guy always listens to those pieces and never gets tired of them,” she said.
“Well, once you understand them, it becomes a habit you can’t stop.”
“Do you want to understand me?”
“Uh… I’m glad you asked that, but… I’m afraid I can’t get close to you.”
“Why, am I not pretty enough?”
“No, you’re very pretty and smart! What I mean is…” Neosun trailed off.
“Then why? Do you… like boys?”
“You’re a good woman, and there will be someone better for you, not someone like me, old and weak, and your parents wouldn’t agree either.”
“But I don’t care!”
“But I care.”
“Is it because you already like someone?” she asked.
“Sort of.”
“Who is she?”
“Sorry…” Neosun rolled away in his wheelchair.
Thousands of incomprehensible technical inventions made him the greatest unsung inventor in human history. Although Neosun worked at the patent office reviewing invention patents, he never submitted any of his own. His low-key, cautious manner meant he never wanted to publicize his inventions. Those inventions were quietly completed in the spirit of fulfilling a promise. Most of his inventions were technologies that could not be commercially applied.
“Remove the effects of hormones, and who would be interested in whom!”
In Neosun’s view, humans were merely eukaryotes controlled by genetic inheritance, exploited by natural selection, and thus losing their self-identity. His rejection of that woman stemmed from his world being devoid of love. He remained unmarried for science because science took that place. This obsession came from an extraordinary gene recombination, a gift from both his parents…
Chapter 2 - Destined Encounter
Twenty-five years ago…
The young man, freshly graduated, had been assigned to teach at a middle school. As a chemistry teacher, he was constantly grading papers and preparing lectures. Lawn Street was his daily route home from school, a sparsely populated road he walked every day. That evening, the freshly painted benches lining the road emitted a faint smell of paint. In the glow of the streetlights, a ticket lying on one of the benches caught his attention…
“Sir, is this yours?” he asked a passerby who had just walked ahead.
The passerby glanced at the ticket in his hand from a distance.
“No, it’s not!” he replied firmly.
“3D Philharmonic Theater… it’s a ticket to a concert, this Saturday… the day after tomorrow!” He examined the ticket carefully.
“What a shame, this ticket might go to waste.”
He had always wanted to attend a concert at that theater but never had the chance. Seeing that the performing group was one he often listened to, he decided to use the ticket he found to attend the concert.
On the day of the performance, he arrived at the theater entrance, mingling with the bustling crowd, and took his seat in the concert hall. The seat was in the front row, offering a clear view of the performers’ expressions on stage. Perhaps because he hadn’t purchased the ticket, he felt slightly uneasy, wearing a serious expression as he waited for the performance to begin.
“Hello, please don’t stare at me like that, it makes me uncomfortable!” he said to the slightly odd-looking spectator next to him.
“I was looking at the left screen showing the piece being performed.”
“Hmm… I really like this one, its diverse style has a surreal futuristic feel, very tasteful.” He awkwardly tried to change the subject. This person looks familiar… he thought as he glanced at the spectator.
As the conductor raised the baton, the familiar prelude echoed through the concert hall…
“The live experience is something else, isn’t it?” The spectator next to him whispered.
“Indeed.”
The performance began, and a young woman in a red dress appeared in the center stage. She elegantly lifted her violin, opening the performance with the first sounds of the main instrument. At that moment, the young man’s eyes lit up; he felt an immediate connection with the beautiful performer on stage. Her appearance and demeanor were exactly as he had imagined in his dreams of the perfect woman. He was captivated by her performance of his favorite piece.
“The performer is so beautiful.” He barely finished the sentence before retracting it.
“She composed the main chords of this piece herself.” The spectator next to him said.
“Really? Are you talking about the lady in the red dress?”
“Yes.”
“She composed these chords?”
The spectator smiled. “Do you like her?”
“Me?”
“Yes!”
“Do you mean the piece?”
“Both the piece and her!”
“Well, of course…” He felt uneasy about the spectator’s bold remarks.
“Buddy! If you like her, go for it! Don’t hesitate!”
After speaking, the spectator stood up and left, leaving the young man bewildered, watching the spectator head toward the exit. After the performance ended, the audience rose to give a standing ovation for the excellent performance. A while later, as the front-row audience started to leave, the man prepared to follow suit when the woman in the red dress miraculously approached his seat. He watched her walk closer, stunned. She sat down in the empty seat next to him, glanced at her phone, and looked around. She didn’t notice him, but his heart was racing. Just as he was about to muster the courage to greet her, she stood up and left. He felt a mix of surprise, discomfort, and a strong sense of missed opportunity…
On the way home, he couldn’t stop thinking about the woman on stage. He had never felt this way in over twenty years. A strange impulse drove his consciousness, like a mission from the heavens. He had to meet the woman in the red dress…
But she’s so exceptional and outstanding, how can I get to know her?
Is it too ridiculous an idea? She might already have a boyfriend…
He felt that on the stage, she shone brilliantly, while he was just an ordinary listener in the audience. When he got home, he looked up her upcoming performance schedule. Finding out she had another performance the following Wednesday, he decided to buy a ticket and attend her next concert.
Chapter 3 - Unfathomable Drive
The young man stepped into the theater alone once more. After the performance ended, he was still immersed in the woman’s radiant appearance and the beautiful atmosphere of her music. As the audience exited the theater, he followed along, but instead of continuing out into the quiet night, he veered toward the stage exit, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, perhaps even say hello. He crossed a barrier, entering the performers’ passageway.
“What should I say when she comes out?”
While waiting for the woman to appear, he felt like a puppet controlled by someone else. There were two exits, D and E, several meters apart, and he paced anxiously between them.
Forget it, this is too embarrassing… I should go home! he fretted, torn between staying and fleeing. That woman looks like her… He stepped closer, only to find it wasn’t her. Another woman is coming out! Strange, she should have come out by now…
It was already 1 a.m. He had been waiting outside the theater for an hour, but the woman never appeared at either exit.
A week later, he bought another concert ticket, this time at a larger venue. He chose a seat in the front row. Maybe it’s too close! He hesitated and changed his seat to the second row.
The young man arrived at the theater early, following the directions carefully. As he entered the concert hall, he scanned the stage, looking for her.
There she is!
He spotted her immediately. This time, she was heavily made up, her tall figure adorned in a pure white wedding gown. She looked like a fairytale princess, even more stunning than before. Slowly, she walked to a piano and sat down. At that moment, the young man seemed to forget she was a performer.
One by one, notes were transmitted through mechanical means, striking the strings to produce sound. A beautiful classical piano piece flowed from her magical, gentle hands. Her performance resonated throughout the acoustically perfect hall, transforming everything around him. He couldn’t believe such a piece could come from her…
So, she plays the piano too!
After this performance, the young man bravely ventured backstage. He saw some unfamiliar faces and headed toward a lounge entrance without hesitation.
“Excuse me, sir, who are you looking for?” a uniformed staff member asked, stopping him.
“I’m looking for the woman who just performed. I’m a friend of hers…”
“She should be in the dressing room over there. I’m not sure, but you can check.”
The dressing room was large, and from a distance, he saw the beautiful woman removing her makeup. He had already seen her twice from the audience. He hid in a corner, stealing a few glances at her…
It’s her! Wow! She’s so beautiful, and such a great figure…
Her eyes, seemingly able to control the world, were filled with boundless energy. For a moment, they met his through a gap in the screen, piercing his soul. Commands from deep within his brain traveled down his nervous system to his feet. He gathered his courage and stepped out of the corner toward her. She hadn’t noticed him yet, but as he drew closer, her gaze naturally shifted to him.
Oh no, she’s looking at me…
Her presence was overwhelming, making him too nervous to look directly at her. His mind was a blur, standing so close to his goddess…
“Who are you?”
“Uh… I’m Sam, an audience member. Your performance today was amazing. I really like your outfit—I mean, your performance!” he stammered.
“Thank you.” She paused, noticing his shyness, and smiled as she continued to remove her makeup.
“Could you… give me your autograph?”
“Sure, not many people ask for my autograph. I hope you don’t mind if it’s not perfect.”
Her humility and kindness made him like her even more.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you!” Sam took the autograph and quickly left the dressing room.
His joy was palpable. He had successfully met the woman and even struck up a conversation with her, walking away with her autograph. He carefully read the name on the signature…
Nina Davis, her name is Nina!
But Sam forgot one crucial thing—he hadn’t asked for her contact information…
Chapter 4 - Magnetic Attraction
Eventually, Sam obtained the woman’s contact information through the orchestra. After holding onto it for a week, Sam finally gathered the courage to make the call. As the waiting tone on the other end of the social communication network rang, his heart pounded in his chest, but no one answered.
Maybe she doesn’t answer unknown calls… or she’s in rehearsal…
Sam sent a friend request instead. He waited in front of his phone for an hour, but there was no response. However, to his surprise, four hours after making the call, Sam picked up his phone and saw a missed call from that now-familiar number.
My god…
She had called back, but Sam, busy preparing for class, had missed it. He called back immediately.
“Hello!” a sweet voice answered.
“Uh, Hi…”
“Who is this?”
“I’m… one of your audience members.”
“Who? I can’t quite hear you!”
“I’m the one who asked for your autograph the other day!”
“Oh, it’s you! What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to know when your next performance is.”
“I’m performing in New City next Saturday. Are you coming?”
“Yes, I’ll be there. Sorry if I’m disturbing you!”
On a bright afternoon, Sam attended the orchestra’s tour performance in another city. This time, he sat in the front row. Perhaps out of curiosity, the woman glanced at the audience as the performance began. She appeared to notice Sam. Her eyes lingered on Sam for a few seconds, as if signaling something to him…
She saw me; she remembers me! Sam felt a bit surprised.
After the performance, he called the woman.
“Are you backstage?” he asked. “I… have something for you.”
“We’re in the lounge having a meal. Come join us!”
“Okay!”
As he entered the lounge, he saw the performers still in their stage outfits, chatting and eating fast food. One of the women raised her hand. “Hi! Over here!”
Sam walked over to the woman but noticed she had two companions with her, so he held back the gift he had brought.
“Is he your boyfriend?” one of her companions whispered.
“No, he’s just an audience member.”
“An audience member? You don’t usually get this close with them. He’s quite handsome. You knew him before, didn’t you?”
“Really, no…”
“Is this dinner time for you?” He sat down in the seat the woman had left for him.
“Lunch!” Nina laughed.
“Having lunch at three, you all must work very hard!” Feeling nervous under the gaze of her companions, Sam’s hands trembled, though he tried to appear natural.
“Yes, we’re used to it! Would you like something to eat?” she said while chewing.
“No thanks, I’m not hungry.”
“This is our orchestra’s live recording collection. Feel free to share if you like any of the tracks.”
“Sure…”
To avoid making him feel awkward, Nina handed him her personal device. Sam enjoys each song on the playlist. on the playlist. After a while, as they finished their meal, he returned the device to the woman.
“I’ve transferred the files.”
“How many did you download?” she asked while finishing her food.
“Do I need to pay per track?” Sam joked.
“Of course, these are our hard-earned creations. We’re quite expensive!” Nina’s companion teased. “Let’s go!” She and her companions rose, heading back to the rehearsal hall.
Sam walked out of the lounge with the women, politely saying goodbye to her companions. “Your performance was as great as always. I’ll keep listening!”
After her companions left, the woman smiled naturally. She already understood Sam’s feelings.
“Would you like some bubble tea?”
“Sure.”
Passing by an automated vending machine in the theater, Sam bought two cups of bubble tea, handing one to the woman. She noticed a prominent burn scar on Sam’s hand.
“I got burned once while teaching a class,” Sam explained.
“What kind of class is that dangerous?”
“Chemistry…”
“You’re a chemistry teacher?”
“A chemistry teacher who loves music.”
“Did you come here just to hear me play?”
“I happened to be in the area shopping, so I timed it to come today.”
Chapter 5 - Melody in the Rain
“Do you often perform like this?”
“Yes, but I love this job. Since I enjoy it, I don’t feel tired.”
“Is your boyfriend picking you up?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend!”
“Really?” Sam felt a wave of joy at these words.
“Yes.”
“You’re such a talented and beautiful woman. Doesn’t anyone pursue you?”
“Yes, but I don’t like them.”
“Why not?”
“Just no spark, I guess.”
“How lucky one would be to be your boyfriend!” Sam said half-jokingly.
Nina laughed. Whether she was joking or serious, Sam felt incredibly happy at that moment. He felt like he was the lucky one about to gain the whole world. As they walked and chatted, they reached the entrance of her apartment building.
“It’s been an honor getting to know you!”
“I’m also glad to have met you!” They both smiled at the same time.
“Can I treat you to dinner? I’d love to talk more about your chords!”
“This week is a bit busy…”
“That’s okay, I’ll keep listening to your performances.”
“Maybe tomorrow night!”
“Let’s meet at the restaurant we passed earlier?”
“Sure… See you tomorrow night!”
The next day, the usually nonchalant and introverted Sam became meticulous about his appearance. Before leaving the house, he carefully adjusted his collar and hair. He arrived early at the restaurant they had agreed upon. That evening, a light drizzle fell from the sky. The sound of hurried high heels tapping on the wet pavement created a rhythmic accompaniment as the woman approached Sam.
“I’m so sorry I’m late!”
“It’s okay, I just got here too,” Sam said, feeling relieved as his goddess arrived.
“I just rescued a stray kitten on the way here,” the woman explained.
“What happened?”
“It was meowing by the roadside, its leg seemed hurt. I moved it to safety, and later an old lady took it in.”
“That’s a tribute from one living being to another.”
“We’re all like that kitten, wandering this world. Wherever we are, that’s home.”
As the rain intensified, there was still some distance between the restaurant entrance and the indoors. Sam took the umbrella from her hand, walking alongside her and muttering to himself. “Maybe it’s because she’s not wearing makeup, so I didn’t recognize her…” As they walked toward the restaurant, Sam glanced at her, feeling a slight doubt, but it didn’t affect his feelings for her at all.
“I didn’t wear much makeup today. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not, you’re not here for a performance. You look even prettier this way!”
“You’re the kind of woman who looks beautiful even without makeup. By the way, I forgot to give this to you the other night!”
“What is it… A violin! It’s so delicate! This must be the smallest violin I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s just a key chain, it can’t be played.”
“I didn’t expect a chemistry teacher to know so much about music.”
“Maybe if I didn’t study chemistry, I could’ve been a musician! Haha…”
“I believe it. You must have a knack for it!”
Conversation flowed smoothly as their food arrived, lighthearted and full of laughter. But as the conversation shifted, the mood subtly changed. The smile slowly faded, and a brief shadow passed over their expression.
“It’s just… music was the thing that helped me when I was younger…” Sam said.
A moment of silence hung in the air. They took a deep breath…
“My parents… they were lost in an earthquake… and I ended up growing up in an orphanage.”
“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that…”
Nina sat quietly for a moment, unsure of how to respond, sensing the weight of the words.
“I can’t imagine how hard that must have been… but I can see how music became a part of you.”
“Did you always like performing?”
“My dad wants me to take over the family business, but I don’t want to deal with high society.”
“It’s great to make a living from what you love.”
“I just want to experience music and live a simple life.”
Chapter 6 - No Way Out
In the dim laboratory, piles of garbage were everywhere, and the walls were covered with formulas, pushing one to the edge of suffocation. The only way to confirm that the reclusive owner was still alive was through the trash bags. After Neosun’s failed attempt to secure funding for his particle microscope, he could only shut himself in and fight for his dream alone. Even though Framequark had not been confirmed through observation, his mind never stopped. He built a model on the assumption of Framequark’s existence, simulating its performance characteristics in the dark matter world. By calculating its interactions with surrounding matter, he reinterpreted the shape of the universe. However, unresolved questions slowed his progress. To calculate the Framequark spectrum and the precise intervals between Framequarks, it was necessary to conduct actual observations at the Framequark scale.
At one in the morning, he put on his headphones, isolating himself from the animalistic sounds of pleasure from the next door, and continued searching for answers in the chaos. He seemed to possess a power to change the world, but lacked the capital to stand out. As his research progressed, circumstances forced Neosun to knock on the doors of the capital market again. However, with no actual product, no commercial background, and no like-minded partners, he visited every venture capital firm in his hopeful black wheelchair with just a theoretical hypothesis. He opened his heart and for the first time, revealed the significant scientific discoveries behind the particle microscope project…
“Framequark? What’s that?”
“An unconfirmed dark matter particle.”
“Does it really exist?”
“We know that time and space are abstract concepts, not objective realities. I believe that only Framequark truly exists.”
“Is the particle microscope just to confirm its existence?”
“The value of the particle microscope is to verify and discover those smaller-scale microscopic particles. Its magnification will far exceed the resolution limit of the scanning tunneling microscope, completely replacing particle accelerators, and significantly improving the efficiency of microscopic scientific research.”
“What’s so special about that dark matter particle?”
“I once used a quantum computer to simulate placing a Framequark into a new universe, and it would reorganize about 32 cubic spaces based on ‘memory.’“
“What does that mean?”
“It means that each Framequark covers 32 cubic units of three-dimensional space and carries about 12 minutes of historical data.”
“Historical data?”
“It includes almost all the material in those 32 cubic units. You can think of it as a fragmented universe of 32 cubic units lasting only 12 minutes. We can use the Framequark detector to enhance the signals.”
“That sounds very difficult. What’s the point of doing that?”
“It allows the Framequark detector to return images through physical imaging of electrical signals, thereby peering into the spacetime history of those 32 cubic units.”
“You mean entering the Framequark to see past images?”
“No, it’s a three-dimensional physical scene! According to my hypothesis, dark matter, like visible matter, is flowing, but it flows faster than visible matter, leaving a historical imprint of the visible matter world at each dark matter point.”
“Can you explain it more simply?”
“Simply put, Framequark is the smallest time unit in the dark matter world and the form of dark energy in the visible matter world.”
“I think I get it!”
“In our known world, time always progresses linearly. But it is not continuous, just like an ideal circle and line do not exist in reality; it also has the smallest unit. The timeline is a collection of countless granular Framequarks, and Framequarks are hidden in the gaps connecting the dark matter world…”
“Oh?”
“When entering the Framequark world, strange things happen, and the concept of time in the macroscopic world becomes unreliable. Time becomes controllable there. Everything that happens at each moment is stored separately in each node, and that node is Framequark.”
“So, the dark matter world uses an unknown phenomenon to store the visible matter world in the past ‘space-time hard drives,’ and Framequark is the ‘data fragment’ written into it?”
“Yes! More importantly, these ‘data fragments’ can be rewritten!”
“Is it that magical?!” The investment decision members exchanged glances and continued to listen to Neosun’s explanation.
“By successfully linking two Framequarks and introducing dark energy into the first Framequark in the sequence, the time inside the Framequark will no longer repeat every 12 minutes but will open a parallel timeline based on that Framequark. As long as the precise intervals of the Framequarks are obtained, I can extrapolate its frequency range to the entire universe because Framequarks are distributed in a fixed format, evenly across every corner of the universe.”
“What do you want to do by linking them?”
“By establishing a connection between two Framequarks, creating a domino effect. Then, let the detector enter the Framequark frequency to alter some historical events.”
“You want to change history?”
“Not change it, but derive a new timeline from one set of Framequark sequences!”
“What happens to the original timeline?”
“Hold on,” another speaker cut in, only to be interrupted by another.
“Time’s up, let’s stop here for now!”
“No, let him finish!”
Neosun took out two sets of dominoes of different colors and arranged them in parallel rows, red and blue, unrelated to each other. “Look! The blue set represents our timeline, and the red set represents the new timeline.”
Neosun knocked over the first blue domino, and all the blue dominos fell one by one. Then, he placed one of the fallen blue dominos in front of the first red domino and knocked it over again. All the red dominos fell one by one due to the push from the blue domino.
“The original timeline will continue to progress as it was. As long as we find a way to introduce dark energy into that ‘blue domino,’ it will gain infinite energy from the dark energy world, thus triggering a completely new parallel universe branch.”
“So, once the Framequark is successfully activated, it will sever its connection with our timeline and develop independently into its own world.” Neosun said.
“Does this mean that as many Framequarks as there are, there can be that many parallel universes?”
“All I know is that each Framequark corresponds to the same membrane and the same energy string in the dark energy world. A Framequark itself can only be rewritten once, and each string has a Framequark rewrite limit. But I can’t determine what that limit is.”
“Alright… how does the detector get in?”
“Once we calculate the Framequark spectrum, we can instantly expand it using my algorithm with the Framequark amplifier, allowing us to enter it!”
“Framequark amplifier? What’s that?”
“It’s a gravitational device capable of establishing a quantum matrix, able to use specific rays to trigger the Framequark core time effect to expand outward.”
“Do you also need to build this device?”
“Yes, but it requires substantial funding support. This is the engineering blueprint. There are some uncertainties that need to be adjusted during the actual development process.”
After Neosun’s logically rigorous theoretical explanation, a one-and-a-half-hour project presentation ended. However, the listeners were looking at their phones while listening to his speech. Clearly, these investors haven't had the experience of funding a time machine project before…
“What’s the next project?”
“Regarding Neosun’s… particle microscope.”
“That’s too far-fetched, skip it!”
“Even if he successfully achieves the technology, he won’t find any customers willing to test it…”
“Haha! How come I’ve never heard of this person… a new star in the scientific community?”
“Just a patent examiner.”
“I heard he seems to have delusional disorder!” another investment member added.
“Gosh, you guys are really have a lot of free time?”
“From his project description, he’s very serious.”
“Yeah, a true dreamer!”
“Alright… let’s continue to the next one…”
Chapter 7 - Half Asleep, Half Awake
“Neosun, you should be more practical and stop wasting time on things that have no real significance!”
Countless times of hearing nothing back corresponded to countless times of disheartening disappointment. It meant that the fruits of his deep contemplation still couldn’t be put to use. It was the world’s complete rejection of him, a merciless and truthful feedback. His project proposals turned into nothing more than sci-fi stories. But because of this, Neosun maintained a clearer mindset, unaffected by external influences, quietly continuing to think independently about those problems. Time was slipping away, second by second; He had to use the gaps in his work to continue pursuing his dream within the limited time he had.
Neosun required equipment so advanced that even the world’s most cutting-edge scientific laboratories had never seen anything like it. The cost to develop such equipment was astronomical—starting from billions and potentially reaching hundreds of billions. Lacking the necessary equipment support, the numbers he calculated were inevitably imprecise.
He tried to detect Framequark spectra to find the answer. However, just as he was approaching preliminary results, the quantum device suddenly captured anomalous data. The interference disrupted the normal operation of the equipment. Neosun stared at the screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard, sweat soaking through his shirt. The data fluctuations on the screen were like a ghostly shadow, seemingly from another world.
“Oh my God! This is the strangest thing I’ve ever seen!”
Outwardly calm but wild inside, every nerve in his body was tormented by the anomalous data. He tried everything he could, but each attempt to reverse-engineer the anomaly failed to align with his original logic. He had a habit of falling asleep peacefully while immersed in logical thinking.
“I’ve got it…”
Just as he was about to enter deep sleep, a new idea popped into his mind. He tried to list the formulas based on this thought. The numbers in his mind miraculously arranged themselves into coherent patterns. He seemed to have found a subtle regularity within the anomalous data.
He prepared to get up and document the automated process deriving the results but realized that his body was no longer under his control. He couldn’t even open his eyes. Suddenly, he vaguely heard footsteps…
“Is someone there?” Neosun subconsciously sensed the door being opened.
“Neosun…”
A woman’s voice called from the doorway. Lying in bed, Neosun turned his gaze toward the sound. Then, a seductive and graceful woman walked toward his bedside. Her appearance made Neosun’s heart race with shock.
“Jessie? I don’t have time right now, just go! Please!”
She then took off her clothes, standing completely naked in front of him, slowly moving closer. Neosun was dumbfounded, surprised, looking at her with an embarrassed expression… but somehow, he found himself completely unable to speak.
“Give it up, come with me!” Jessie said softly, kissing Neosun’s forehead while unbuttoning his shirt.
Neosun was at a loss, but being human, he couldn’t escape his biological nature. As Jessie’s lithe, graceful body approached, listening to the warmth of her soul, his primal desires were awakened. He was captivated, lost in the moment, unable to resist Jessie’s caresses. Then, they were lost in passion, entwined in bed, experiencing each other deeply. Yet, in that instant, the more alluring unsolved problem still loomed in Neosun’s mind.
The faint sound of an alarm clock pulled Neosun out of his dream. He opened his eyes to realize it had been just a dream—a strange one. That day at work, he glanced at Jessie awkwardly, smiled slightly, shook his head, and resumed his work.
“Neosun!”
“What is it?”
“The doctor we scheduled for you is here, waiting in the conference room,” Neosun’s colleague said.
“Please don’t treat me like a mental patient. I know myself, I’m not delusional anymore, those problems are gone!”
“I just saw you laughing to yourself, did you mentally calculate something again?”
“None of your business!”
“Just have a chat, it won’t hurt. If you weren’t so immobile, I wouldn’t be bothering to take such care of you!”
He was grateful for his colleagues’ care. Reluctantly, Neosun once again accepted the psychiatrist’s consultation, but he had to state a fact: he wasn’t sick.
“Neosun, it’s good to see you!”
“Hello,” Neosun replied helplessly.
“I heard you’re working on a research project. Can you tell me about it?”
“You wouldn’t be interested.”
“I’m very interested. What’s the significance of the project?”
“Its significance…”
“Don’t worry, just speak your mind!”
“If I had listened to her then, she wouldn’t have gone out. If I had let go of my curiosity, she wouldn’t have left.”
“You mean…”
“To save my mother, to go back to my childhood to save my sister…”
“Is it like a time machine from sci-fi novels?”
“Interpret it however you like.”
“So… has your research theory gained acceptance in the academic world?”
“I haven’t published my paper yet.”
“Actually, most people, after losing a loved one, experience long-term anxiety and restlessness due to excessive grief, often accompanied by broken heart syndrome. It’s normal. Turning fantasies into real dreams might not be a good option. You need to work on stepping out of the shadow, accepting reality. Face it! Recognize it!”
“I tried, but another me won’t let go. This should fall under the category of obsessive-compulsive disorder, right?” Neosun asked.
“It’s a form of self-suggestion.”
“Is there a solution?”
“Don’t get overly immersed in fantasies. You need to stop that so-called research project. It will help with your recovery.”
“Alright.” Neosun nodded.
“Have you decided to let it go?”
“Listen, I’m quitting this damn job next week. That project, as long as I’m alive, I’ll work on it until I die… And by the way, maybe one day you’ll do the same as me.” Neosun added, turning to the doctor.
Since his sister Nova left, Neosun had been shadowed by the loss of a loved one and developed a hard-to-cure delusional personality disorder. He often got lost in various fantasies while solving puzzles. Whether these fantasies would drive him insane was something even he couldn’t determine. Perhaps only success could prove he wasn’t crazy.
Chapter 8 - Physiological Needs
“Calling you so late, did I wake you?” Nina asked.
“No, not at all!”
“How did they find me yesterday?”
“My mom thinks you’re very friendly and handsome…”
“Really?”
“Yes… What are you doing?”
“Listening to music… thinking alone!”
“Is that so?”
“Nina, let’s meet!”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes…”
“What time?”
“I’m right outside your house.” Sam waved at Nina, who was opening the window.
“What are you doing here… Wait for me!”
“I just wanted to see you. I have to go back and grade papers…”
“Tomorrow afternoon, let’s meet at the amusement park bridge!”
On the empty bridge, stood the person Nina longed to see. She had dressed up, wearing her prettiest outfit and favorite jewelry. “Hey! Sam!” Nina quietly walked up behind Sam and gently tapped his shoulder.
“You scared me!”
“Let’s try all the rides at this amusement park!”
“I’m afraid I might puke! What if I puke all over you?!”
“Then I’ll puke on you too, that way we’re even…”
Nina grabbed Sam’s hand and they walked into the amusement park, riding the Ferris wheel while chatting and laughing. As they talked, Nina leaned on Sam’s shoulder and fell asleep. Under the starlit sky, their love grew like wild grass in their hearts. Their relationship deepened over the next three months, leading Nina to visit Sam’s place…
“I’m a bit hungry, how about you?” Sam said.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll cook for you.”
“A talented woman like you can also cook?”
“What, you underestimate me? Where are the eggs?”
“Here they are! Are you making a cake?” Sam asked curiously, but Nina just smiled.
Sam watched eagerly as Nina rolled up her sleeves. It was the first time Nina was cooking dinner for a man; she prepared a simple yet classic dish, egg fried rice.
“Do you like Chinese food?” Sam asked.
“I learned it from a Japanese friend in college…”
“Wow…”
“So… does it taste good?”
“A bit… salty…”
After eating, they went to Sam’s study. Seeing a piano in the room, Nina sat down without hesitation. “Do you also like to play the piano?” Nina asked.
“I play for fun, but I can’t compare to you… Can you teach me?”
“Sure… but it’s late, we might disturb the neighbors!”
Nina played a few notes, then stood up and walked to the window, while Sam watched her profile from the side.
“You can sit on my lap and teach me softly…”
“Sam, so you're this bad, huh?”
“Nina, you’re beautiful today…”
Nina immediately turned her gaze outside the window. Sam hugged her from behind. In an instant, Nina’s face turned as red as an apple.
“Do you also love plants?” Nina looked outside, trying to change the subject.
“Nina… your face is red!”
“I’m a bit tired today, I think I should go home.”
Night had fallen, and the faint glow of the streetlights reflected softly on her face. The events of the day weighed heavily on her, leaving her restless.
“It’s so late, where have you been?” Nina’s father asked when she returned.
“I’m grown up now!”
“Well, I care about you…”
“I’ve listened to you all your life, but not this time… No matter what you say… whatever…” Nina stood up and walked out of the house.
“Where are you going? If you don’t listen to me, don’t come back!”
Nina’s father couldn’t accept an ordinary teacher as his son-in-law. Because of this, he even slapped Nina. Afterward, Nina frequently ran away from home, hiding at her orchestra colleagues’ places for days and nights while staying in touch with Sam. Not long after, a financial crisis struck, worsening the already declining family situation. Her father’s steel mill faced bankruptcy.
Chapter 9 - Genetic Recombination
“Open it and see!”
“A violin…” Nina saw a roughly crafted violin.
“The one I gave you before couldn’t be played. This one can.”
“Where did you buy it?”
“I… made it myself, as a surprise for you.”
“Wow! Sam, I didn’t know you were so handy!”
“I’m good at other things too…”
“You’re so naughty!”
“Do you like it? Try it and see how it sounds…”
She picked up the violin Sam made for her and began to play a tune. Sam closed his eyes, savoring the melody Nina drew out. “Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”
“Nina… I want to have all of you today!”
“What do you want to do? Hmph! Bad person!”
“You’re very nervous…”
Sam turned Nina into a woman. Two months later on the same day, after finishing the day’s lessons, Sam returned home, but couldn’t get in touch with Nina.
“Sam!” Nina called back.
“Nina…”
“The troupe scheduled two performances in a row.”
“Are you alright?”
“Sam…”
“What’s wrong?”
“I…”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“I think I might be…”
“Oh… really? Have you been to the doctor?”
“Not yet, but… it feels like it!”
“Then we’ll have it…”
“This is so sudden… I wasn’t prepared for this…”
“How about… we name the baby first!”
“If it’s a girl… let’s call her Nova.”
“And if it’s a boy?”
“Hmm… if it’s a boy, then… Neosun!”
“Neosun… alright.”
After they arrived at the hospital, the doctor conducted a thorough check-up, and the waiting process left them both feeling a bit anxious…
“What did the doctor say?”
“It’s a girl.”
“Wonderful, I have a daughter!”
Several months later, Sam accompanied Nina to the hospital, where she smoothly gave birth to their daughter, Nova.
“Her eyes are so big, just like yours!” Sam said.
“Her mouth and nose look like yours.”
“They really do…”
The innocent look in the child’s eyes touched their hearts with every movement. From then on, Sam and Nina began a joyful life raising their daughter, Nova.
“It’s been half a month, and my period still hasn’t come…”
Two years later, Sam and Nina’s genes recombined again. Sam and Nina had another baby. This time, it was a boy.
“It’s amazing!”
“Look, his head is bigger than his sister’s.”
“He’ll definitely be smart when he grows up!”
Time flew by quickly, passing by before they even realized it. Soon, both children were old enough to start school…
“Kids, dinner’s ready!”
“We’re coming…”
Nina untied her kitchen apron and smiled as she watched her son and daughter hold hands and run across the backyard lawn.
“Mom, what is love?” Nova asked.
“Honey, why do you ask?”
“It’s our homework from the teacher today.”
“Oh… love is thinking of others always, it transcends life and death, and it’s always there…”
“My brother and I are mom and dad’s love, right?”
“Yes, darling, exactly right!” Nina kissed Nova’s forehead.
“These were sacrificed for us. Look how clean your sister’s plate is. Eat it up, don’t waste it!” Nina put the chicken leg that Neosun had bitten back onto his plate.
“Why do we have to eat it?”
“It’s the natural order. You need to eat it to grow strong and healthy!”
“Maybe yesterday, it was happily eating grains on the farm…” Neosun mused. “Can’t we just eat vegetables and fruits instead?”
“That would be nutritionally deficient. We need a balanced diet, so sacrifices have to be made. Don’t overthink it, just eat!” Sam replied.
“Sis, why can't humans do something about their suffering?”
“Maybe plants also feel pain when they’re eaten, they just can’t express it,” Nova added.
After the family’s happy dinner, Neosun sat at the table, one hand propping up his chin, the other holding an apple, looking at the chicken bone discarded in the trash. He began to realize that the little chickens in cartoons and the chicken on their plates were not the same. He wanted to save the chickens trapped on the farm, and he wanted to teach them to speak English, so they could say ‘NO!’ to humans.
“Sis, do you see that star?” Neosun asked as they lay on the grass.
“The really far one?”
“Yeah, that one!”
“Do you think we can reach it?” Neosun asked.
“I think once we become ‘Starman,’ we can travel freely across the universe!”
“Starman… Sis! I want to become a Starman right now!”
“No, we have to grow up first! Go to school, graduate, get a job, get married, have kids, and then naturally grow old…” Nova said.
“Oh, fine…”
“But I’m older than you, so I’ll probably get there first!”
“Then wait for me when you get there, okay?” Neosun asked.
“Okay, it’s a promise!”
The next day, Sam and Nina took Neosun and Nova to the supermarket to buy fresh food…
“Dad, that fish is swimming so fast…”
“Then we’ll choose that one!”
“Okay… alright!”
Sam picked the liveliest fish for dinner. It swam quickly around the edge of the tank, standing out among its peers. It was like an “orca” navigating the cosmos, desperately searching for an escape…
Back home, Nina placed it in the kitchen sink. Neosun and Nova watched it together, talking to it, even giving it a name.
“Starman! Keep swimming, you’re the fastest!” Neosun said.
“Alright, Mom and Dad need to cook it for dinner now.” Sam said.
“Can we not eat it?”
“Sweetie, it’s not for playing, it’s for eating!”
“No…” Neosun covered his face with his hands.
After Starman’s brief freedom, Neosun watched through his fingers as the fish was stunned, skinned, gutted, and sliced before being seasoned and cooked. The fish that had been so lively in the sink just moments before was now a dish on their table.
“Neosun, come and taste it, it’s delicious!”
“It was swimming so well, and now it’s dead…”
“It wasn’t smart enough, so it became food for us. If we didn’t eat it, someone else would.”
“I’m sorry, Starman! We didn’t mean to eat you! I wanted you to live…” He reluctantly ate while mourning Starman’s fate. From then on, every time he passed the fish tank at the supermarket, he thought of Starman. The tank seemed lifeless without Starman, never again hosting a fish as vibrant as he had been. He regretted saying that it swam fast, thinking that way it might have swum a bit longer.
Chapter 10 - Developmental Disorder
“I like Dad, but I don’t like Mom…” Neosun said.
“Why?” his sister asked.
“She always forbids me from doing things and sometimes she’s really mean!”
“Maybe you’re just too sensitive… I think both Mom and Dad are great!”
Neosun was always full of curiosity, often asking questions at school that left everyone both amused and bewildered…
“Why do batteries have a positive and negative side?”
“Why does the Earth have a North and South Pole?”
“Why do we have boys and girls?”
“Two eyes, two ears, two hands… why does the human body always have pairs of organs?”
“For symmetry!” a classmate in the front row answered.
“One is a backup!”
“Why is there only one of some organs then?”
“They must have forgotten to make a backup!” another classmate chimed in.
“Why is the background of the universe black and not white? Why do we exist?”
“His questions are so weird. Existence is just existence. If you don’t want to exist, just disappear…” A mocking comment from a classmate in the back row made the entire class burst into laughter.
He never got a satisfactory response. As he asked more and more questions, he eventually lost interest in asking further questions.
“Did you learn a new nursery rhyme today?” Nina asked, holding Neosun.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star… la la… la la… how I wonder what you are…”
Neosun didn’t respond directly but started humming the nursery rhyme he had learned.
During one exam, Neosun got distracted by thinking about the solution to a higher-grade geometry problem and forgot he was in the middle of a test. As a result, Neosun failed the exam, while the classmates who envied him all scored perfect marks.
“What happened to Neosun?”
“No idea, it’s the first time he didn’t get a perfect score.”
“Maybe the praise from the teacher got to his head…”
“I think he’s just dumb. Maybe he got lucky before!”
“Haha…”
“Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!” After class, a group of students ran around pointing at Neosun’s nose, chanting.
“I’m not an idiot…” Neosun quietly retorted.
“You are an idiot! A big idiot who failed the test!”
“Don’t you dare talk to my brother like that!” Nova hugged Neosun.
“Sis… I want to go home!”
“It’s okay, don’t be scared, I’m here!”
“Not only did you fail math, but you also got zeros in two other subjects?” Nina criticized, pointing at the papers on the table.
“I…”
“Neosun, what’s going on… What are these?” Nina asked.
“Just some… imagination…”
“How many times have I told you not to draw in your textbooks?” Nina tore them out.
“Neosun, Mom needs to punish you this time. Go to the study room and reflect on your actions.”
“Stop crying!” Nova said.
“Sis, why do I exist?”
“Come on, let’s wash your face…”
Following his interests, Neosun isolated himself, learning subjects different from those of other kids his age, sketching out imagined science fiction concepts. To cope with tedious exams, he was forced to spend time on subjects he didn’t like. Over time, he accumulated hidden anxiety and began to prefer being alone.
“Mom has to go to rehearsal next door. Can you play with the kids here for a while?”
“Okay…” Neosun nodded slightly and responded softly.
As the two children grew, Nova became lively and cheerful while Neosun became very introverted and had difficulty playing with peers. Nina noticed that Neosun often talked to himself, saying strange things. His language skills were almost reduced to nodding and shaking his head. The only one who could talk to Neosun was Nova.
“Neosun, Dad and Mom are taking you to the hospital.”
“No…” Neosun shook his head silently as usual.
“We’ll be back soon!”
“Mom, what’s wrong with Neosun? He said you were taking him to see a doctor?”
“It’s nothing, just a checkup. Don’t worry.”
“What kind of checkup? Do I need one too?”
“You don’t need one. Just stay home.”
“Sis… I… don’t want to go!”
“Be good, go and come back. Mom and Dad will bring you back for your birthday soon.” Nova said.
“No… don’t want to go!”
“Remember, there will be a gift waiting for you under that tree in the green tin can…”
“Really?”
“Of course! When you come home, I’ll be waiting for you on the lawn outside the window.”
On the way, Nina and Neosun walked in silence. Every now and then, Neosun would look up at them, his eyes filled with unspoken questions. At the hospital, they anxiously awaited the doctor's results…
“This child has a congenital genetic defect, a chromosomal disorder causing a psychological barrier, known as autism.”
Whenever he was bullied by his peers, the socially isolated Neosun would cry alone. He didn’t want anyone to see him sad and couldn’t understand why everyone treated him this way.
“The child’s brain development is uneven, this part is highly functional but has impeded the development of other parts…”
“I’ve never seen a case like this in my medical career!”
“What’s this?”
“This is a brain resonance imaging scan. During fetal development, there was an anomaly in the 7th chromosome.”
“Look! There are 160 misaligned genes, and 46 of these gene clusters have experienced breaks…”
“These breaks caused rearrangements in the original structures, leading to chromosomal abnormalities.”
Chapter 11 - Unexpected Incident
“Doctor, what should we do?”
“I have reviewed the information on both children…”
“Based on the pathological system’s calculations, the probability of this outcome from your genetic combination is 95%, and Nova is the lucky 5%.”
“So Neosun’s future development may face unknown risks. You need to be mentally prepared.”
“How can this be?”
“The cause is hard to determine, and we can only monitor it regularly.”
“Sorry, let me take this call real quick…” Nina said, her phone ringing.
“Hello, are you the child’s guardian?”
“You are…?”
“This is West City Hospital. We need you to come here regarding the child. We are in the emergency department…”
“What?”
“A girl was injured at the Grass Street intersection. Please hold on, her name is… Nova!”
“What did you say?”
“Don’t worry, we are doing our best. Please stay calm!”
No one can foresee what will happen next. While taking Neosun to the hospital for a checkup, Nina received a call from a stranger. A traffic accident had occurred not far from their home, involving their other child. Rushing to the intensive care unit, Nina clung to the hope that Nova was still being rescued…
“I am Nova’s mother… Where is my child?” she spoke while gasping for breath.
The receptionist at the hospital exchanged a glance with a doctor and shook her head. “Ma’am… we are very sorry. We did everything we could…”
“What? Where is she?”
“I am sorry, let me take you there…”
Every mother’s worst nightmare had befallen Nina. Holding onto a sliver of hope, she followed the nurse down a very quiet corridor. She saw the nurse stop at room 509, the morgue, and Nina was on the brink of collapse…
“Ma’am, we are very, very sorry…”
Nova’s face was covered in blood. Nina touched Nova’s ice-cold body. The scene didn’t feel real. She furrowed her brow and, in immense pain, covered her mouth…
“Why?”
“Ma’am, please accept our condolences!”
“Why is this happening to me?” Nina wailed.
She called Nova’s name repeatedly but could not wake her child. She screamed in her dreams and despaired in her waking moments. Her fits of emotion and shouting exhausted all her energy. She sobbed uncontrollably and fainted for several days. Since then, Nina suffered from chronic insomnia due to excessive grief.
Since vehicles became smart terminals, “drivers” had slowly faded from human memory. However, due to certain developmental asymmetries, unpredictable errors began to occur beyond people’s awareness. The process of technological explosion and the commercialization of “half-products” turned innocent people into stepping stones for the advancement of civilization…
“The vehicle’s driving record system shows that at the time of the accident, the vehicle was not carrying any passengers. It was an empty car. On its way to pick up an anonymous passenger, it struck the girl at the Grass Street intersection while traveling east to west…” said the officer to the reporter.
“Can you explain the cause of the collision avoidance system failure?”
“We are investigating which part of the system was at fault…”
“Can you provide information about the passenger who made the booking?”
“The passenger just sent a booking request during that time.”
“When will the details about the victim be released?”
“The family is currently overwhelmed with grief and unable to communicate.”
Safety experts from the vehicle inspection agency repeatedly conducted technical checks on the vehicle’s system. During the time of the incident, neither the tracking system nor the execution program generated any abnormal logs indicating a system crash or other issues. Under external pressure, they eventually found the cause. The manufacturer had downgraded the vehicle’s standard features to the minimum legal requirements to cut costs, resulting in the loss of the complete collision avoidance functionality.
The hard shell of the vehicle was like a hammer forged from stolen wisdom, and the exposed wheels were like blenders shredding through life. The victims’ families believe that if the vehicle had been linked to the traffic light system for forced deceleration at red lights, and if multi-layered intelligence standards had been mandated earlier, there wouldn’t have been so many innocent casualties.
That farewell was forever. Watching Nova’s hearse slowly depart, Nina, who had promised not to cry that day, couldn’t help but follow. Sam failed to hold her back; he had never thought the gentle Nina could possess such strength.
Chapter 12 - Friends Nearby
It looked like a dead mother cat, with a kitten beside her. The kitten looked helplessly at its unresponsive mother, circling in place and crying out in confusion. The mother cat’s body was soaked from the rain; she must have been crushed while seeking shelter under a car. Neosun calmed the kitten by responding to its cries, and eventually, it settled down, purring and kneading as if nursing, trying to suckle the remaining milk from its mother. After a while, the mother’s decreasing body temperature made the kitten uncomfortable, and it continued to call out to its dead mother and to Neosun, who was watching intently.
Neosun found a cardboard box nearby and took the kitten home, giving it a bath, removing fleas, and drying its body. From that day on, Neosun regularly provided it with cat food and changed its litter. This pure black kitten had eyes that shone like stars, and aside from those, its entire body was pitch-black. He remembered the small fish he had eaten as a child, along with the vague memory of the Stranger Uncle, which led him to decide to name the kitten Starman.
“Meow, meow…”
“Starman, you’re here again…”
The texture of that plush fabric was very close to the feel of its mother, and from Starman’s seeking gaze, it was clear it wanted to knead again. Although it couldn’t suckle milk, Neosun could feel it reminiscing about its mother, recalling the brief happy times of its kittenhood. He had heard that kittens weaned too early would keep the kneading habit for life, never breaking it.
Since losing his source of income, the numbers in Neosun’s salary account had been dwindling. Starman’s arrival further strained his finances, as he spent his limited funds on cat litter, cat food, and fish cans for Starman, while he lived frugally. One day, a kind colleague from the patent office came to visit…
“Have you been eating only this, bro?” the colleague asked, looking at the stacks of compressed biscuits on the table.
“Yeah…”
“You should have some proper food!” He handed a box of steaming hot pizza to the hungry Neosun.
“Thank you!”
“Is it good?”
“It’s delicious… Thank you, thank you so much!”
“We all hope you can return to normal and come back to work.”
Neosun, who hadn’t had a full meal in two months, ate the pizza in his hand with tears in his eyes, watching his colleague gradually disappear into the distance through the window. Life forced Neosun to return to the patent office and pick up that part-time job.
A few months later, Starman, who had always been quiet, started showing changes in behavior. It began rolling around, wandering everywhere, its baby-like yowls indicating it was beginning to grow up. To distract Starman, Neosun decided to adopt another kitten from an animal rescue shelter to keep Starman company…
The group of kittens rubbed against Neosun’s wheelchair, their eyes showing a wisdom that seemed capable of communicating with humans. This was a nearly extinct sand cat. There, Neosun also saw some other small animals marked as endangered species, some of which he had never seen before.
“I noticed that the cat’s fur is somewhat unusual…”
“Its mother ate contaminated human garbage before being caught., causing the kitten’s body to mutate, turning it completely white…” the shelter staff explained. “Here is its health report…”
“Its immune system is significantly weaker than its peers, and other test results aren’t good either… So, it might have a shorter lifespan than others of its kind?”
“Yes, it probably won’t live long, and its physical condition isn’t suitable for release back into the wild.”
“What’s that?” Neosun asked, pointing to a white device.
“It’s a specially prepared air filter to prevent respiratory infections.”
Learning about its condition, Neosun was determined to choose this mutated albino cat, hoping to make its remaining life happy under his care.
“Don’t run away!”
The small body with a big head ran around, its pure white fur making it look like a little cotton ball. Neosun named it Ballman. However, one was wild, the other domesticated, black and white representing the most extreme states in the world. Because Ballman was unfamiliar with the new environment, its babyish cries were even louder than Starman’s mating calls. Starman, on the other hand, calmed down and lay quietly on the side, remaining alert. When the quarantine period ended, Neosun removed the semi-transparent partition between the two cats, and they met for the first time, arching their backs and issuing warning growls. They were of the same kind but a hundred times more unfamiliar than Neosun. At that moment, Neosun and Starman were like companions of a tribe, watching the new member from their respective perspectives.
Starman, in an absolute position of strength, looked down, but Ballman, only a third of Starman’s size, refused to back down, pouncing upward despite knowing it would lose. After falling, it got back up and ate furiously. That was its strategy, as only by eating voraciously could it become stronger. In Ballman, Neosun saw a tenacity and courage to break free from fate.
“Just a moment ago, you were chasing each other, and now you’ve fallen asleep. Can’t help it, the battery life is short.”
From fighting to wariness, from wariness to curiosity, and from curiosity to habit, Starman gradually accepted Ballman, and they started grooming each other. Whenever Ballman finished using the bathroom, Starman would always cover the litter for its brother who didn’t know how to do it. Originally burdened by limited mobility, Neosun found himself taking on a new responsibility out of love. Thus, Starman, Ballman, and Neosun seemed so equal and harmonious, Neosun’s one-person household had suddenly become a family of three.
A few months passed, and as Ballman continued to consume energy, its body grew stronger by the day. Now, the situation had changed; it was much more difficult for Starman to dominate Ballman as before. The once weak Ballman had grown as big as Starman, and during one playful fight, Starman began to lose…
“Starman! Stop it! Stop now!”
That time, Starman was fiercely attacking Ballman. Seeing Starman going too far, Neosun intervened in a panic and separated them, giving Starman a couple of quick slaps. Instinctively, Starman turned around and bit Neosun, simultaneously kicking back with his hind legs, quickly escaping from Neosun’s grasp. The bite wasn’t too serious, but the scratch from the hind claws was long and deep. Neosun forgot that their relationship was built between two different species, forgetting that its nature was that of a wild beast, this was a defense mechanism of its biological system.
Starman was angry, hiding in the shadows, staring at Neosun with wide eyes. Ballman sensed the tension and immediately went to comfort Starman by licking his body, Starman opened his mouth, revealing his white teeth, and cautiously walked out from the corner…
“Meow…”
“Come here, Starman!”
Neosun made two woven necklaces, one black and one white. He put the black one on Ballman and the white one on Starman, hoping they would care for each other and bring each other good luck.
“If only my robots could have a conceptual understanding like you two!” Neosun said as he held Starman, trimming his claws.
They slept, dreamed, stretched, sometimes happy, sometimes with their hearts racing from anxiety, and then relaxed with a human-like sigh. The little paw and Neosun’s hand had corresponding similarities, as well as those facial features and limbs that were very close to humans. Numerous homologous organs indicated they came from the same origin. Starman’s existence itself inspired Neosun, prompting him to think about how to mimic biological structures to generate consciousness, hoping to make breakthroughs with his quantum computer.
However, that anomalous data hindered the subsequent simulation experiments. Out of desperation, Neosun published an academic paper titled “Time Field,” hoping to find someone who could help him open his mind. But perhaps because the content deviated from the mainstream of theoretical physics research, the paper received no response, sinking like a stone into the sea of silence.