Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 800: Gazing into the Future

“The ultimate stage?” Duncan’s brow furrowed at the question. “Do you mean…”

“To master all known truths within their world, to unravel all its mysteries including the universe’s origins and its eventual fate, and to possess the capability to alter the universe itself—turning the laws of nature into ‘tools’ that can be manipulated and redefined, rather than unchangeable laws to which one must conform.”

As Navigator Two expressed these thoughts, his demeanor showed a trace of emotion and nostalgia. Since making his appearance, his emotional expressions seemed to have grown more aligned with those of humans.

“My creators referred to this phase of civilization as ‘Transcendental Criticality’—though they never fully reached this stage, they had grazed its brink and thus outlined the prerequisites for achieving it. Their greatest accomplishment was the creation of a ‘Time Capsule’ during the erection of the New Hope, safeguarding a century’s worth of knowledge as the end of their world loomed near.”

“Flame Usurper, while my creators never actually attained ‘Transcendental Criticality,’ they deduced through comprehensive analysis that it was possible for ‘mortals’ to achieve such a state, and that through the might of civilization, the mathematical principles of the universe could be harnessed.”

Navigator Two maintained his intense stare into Duncan’s eyes, loading his gaze with a palpable pressure.

“Flame Usurper, having observed your civilization for countless years, and after rigorous calculations, I have come to believe that the civilization standing behind you has surpassed my creators. I am eager to know, have they truly reached that ‘ultimate stage’? Were my creators’ theories on the zenith of truth accurate?”

Confronted with Navigator Two’s penetrating stare, Duncan eventually nodded slightly.

“Yes, they have reached it.”

This might have been the confirmation Navigator Two had long awaited, but upon receiving it, his eyes momentarily lost focus. He stood frozen for several seconds before abruptly snapping back to reality: “So this phase really exists… Hence, civilizations can genuinely ‘transcend boundaries’. The system is not closed…”

Duncan, perplexed, was about to inquire further when Navigator Two, as if jolted awake, hastily continued: “Then, your civilization must have already mastered observations beyond our universe? Are they aware of other universes and have begun to ponder over how to traverse that ‘barrier’?”

Duncan paused to reflect, then remembered the “message” conveyed by human civilization among the myriad stars – an event that defied their understanding, that occurred “outside the universe.”

After pondering briefly, he responded: “I can’t confirm if they’ve begun to consider the existence of other universes or the ‘barrier’ you speak of, but they have indeed observed an event ‘outside the universe’—the first and unique ‘extra-universal event’ they witnessed was the ‘Great Annihilation’, which had not yet breached our dimension of reality, or more accurately… the collision with another universe.”

“Yes, precisely! Witnessing an event from outside our universe! This marks the initial step—theoretically the ‘First Step’. My creators wanted to confirm if such a thing was truly feasible… and here it is!”

Navigator Two’s words flowed quickly, his excitement unmistakable, a stark contrast to his demeanor up until now. Clad in a white robe, his form echoing that of a long-past human with a countenance marked by fatigue, he paced energetically around a small mound, only to halt abruptly in front of Duncan, his eyes alight with fervor.

As the wind swept across the mound, the expansive plains beyond heaved with waves of grass, and rivers glinted under the sun’s glow.

“Flame Usurper, the concept of ‘outside the universe’ is crucial. Our universe is not alone; its very nature reveals the Great Annihilation as the clash of multiple universes. In essence—facing cataclysms like the ‘Great Annihilation,’ a civilization’s advancements, no matter how sophisticated, or the fortitude of its refuges, even if they span star systems or superclusters, all become futile upon the cataclysmic impact of another universe—”

Navigator Two extended his arms, his gestures dramatic, embodying not just the likeness but also the essence of one of his creators, endowing him with a persona nearly indistinguishable from a living being:

“Pop, akin to a soap bubble, obliterated.”

His stance lingered, his expression complex, as if attempting to muster a smile yet teetering on the brink of sorrow.

“In the event of ‘external events’, all constructs within our universe are rendered powerless; none can withstand such force, akin to the shell of the New Hope… despite being forged from neutron star material, it fractured as effortlessly as paper…”

As Duncan’s eyes gradually widened, a realization dawned upon him about the profound message this ancient “artificial intelligence” sought to convey.

“…Thus, for a civilization to be genuinely ‘safe’, it must master the capability to ‘transcend its world’,” he asserted gravely, “and currently, we have not achieved this pinnacle, not even the civilization I hail from, which only glimpsed the possibility of ‘transcendency’. Therefore, we must ensure that the ‘next world’ harbors the potential for ‘transcendence’, or in other words… the ‘successors’ emerging in the ‘new world’ must be afforded the chance to ascend to such a level,” Navigator Two declared, lifting his gaze solemnly, “The new world must embrace this potential, must be capable of ‘nurturing’ such a possibility.”

Duncan remained silent for a moment, struck by a profound… astonishment.

Navigator Two, this ancient “artificial intelligence”, exhibited foresight surpassing any “ancient king”. While others debated the viability of this sanctuary as a means of salvation, he was already contemplating the demise of the new world… because destruction is inevitable, whether caused by another Great Annihilation or some unforeseen calamity.

“Fear, this was the first ’emotion’ I experienced,” Navigator Two’s voice resonated, calm yet profound, “What concerns me… may appear distant, but after countless external sensors relayed the ‘sensation’ of the universe’s collapse, this ‘fear’ has been woven into my core logic. I understand, such an event is bound to recur eventually.”

“Flame Usurper, I find myself devoid of any sense of security, and truth be told, the others share this sentiment—the ‘mortals’ in our sanctuary refer to us as ‘gods’, yet they are unaware that their ‘gods’ are engulfed in a profound fear that spans from dawn till dusk. The memory of calamities on the scale of the ‘Great Annihilation’ haunts us, and until we discover a method to counteract such disasters, this fear will persistently linger. This constant yearning for ‘security’ has led me to contemplate a significant question…”

“What is the ultimate development stage a civilization can achieve, and what level must it attain to effectively withstand all calamities and thrive amidst them?”

“It might be that there is no definitive end, but from my perspective, ‘transcending the confines of our world’ emerges as a pivotal milestone.”

Breaking the silence, Duncan responded, “…So, essentially, you are concerned about two aspects: firstly, whether it’s possible for mortal civilization to grow to the capability of ‘transcending the world,’ and secondly, regarding the ‘new world’ I have conceived—assuming it truly exists—whether it can nurture such an evolution of civilization.”

Navigator Two offered a slight nod before posing a question, “Flame Usurper, are you aware of the fundamental distinction between a genuine ‘world’ and a ‘sanctuary’ like the Boundless Sea?”

Duncan remained silent, prompting Navigator Two to provide the answer himself.

“While ‘possibility’ is a term that comes to mind, it doesn’t quite capture the essence accurately. In my view, the most significant difference lies in ‘randomness’. A fully functioning and healthy universe is characterized by the emergence of ‘true randomness’,” Navigator Two elaborated, “whereas within a sanctuary, we encounter only ‘false randomness.\'”

Duncan quickly grasped the implication of these words.

“Therefore, nothing that surpasses the ‘information threshold’ of the sanctuary could ever manifest within it,” he articulated promptly, “Similar to a figure on a two-dimensional plane, no matter the speed at which it moves, or even if it masters instantaneous travel within that plane, it can never ‘ascend’—only a system that permits ‘true randomness’ can facilitate the occurrence of ‘supercritical’ events that transcend the system itself!”

“My creators referred to such phenomena as ‘Ultimate Transcendence’, believing it to be the potential zenith in the evolution of mortal civilization… at that point, we would be truly safe.”

Navigator Two’s voice softened, and he slowly lifted his gaze towards the void above where the New Hope could never arrive at the final destination.

Duncan finally comprehended the message Navigator One had conveyed to him amidst the profound depths of the sea –

“Indeed, from the very onset of our journey, Navigator Two had already deduced the eventual outcome.”

The destination that remains unreachable for the New Hope symbolizes a chasm in the progression of civilization, before which, a spaceship propelled by a jump engine and constructed from neutron star material, and a steel longsword hurled skyward with force by a warrior, stand on equal footing.

For when confronted with “external events”, all constructs within our universe are inherently fragile.