Chapter 885: Virus |
Xiao Yu was planning to create a brand-new type of virus. Although Xiao Yu knew that in terms of computer technology, he truly could not compare to the Level 7 Civilization in the computational direction that had given birth to the virtual life civilization, with careful calculation against an unprepared opponent, and after spending several years researching it, Xiao Yu believed that for something like a virus, he still had a fairly good chance of creating it successfully and concealing it from Virtual Life Number One.
“Architectural Civilization, you once had contact with that Level 7 Civilization in the computational direction. Researching architectural technology and constructing such magnificent buildings must surely also require quite a bit of computer-related technology. So to what level has your civilization’s computer technology developed?” Xiao Yu asked.
“This is the most advanced computer we can manufacture. The programs running inside it also embody the painstaking efforts of our civilization’s scientific researchers. You can take a look and gain an understanding of the development level of our civilization’s technology.” As it spoke, the Architectural Civilization sent a small spaceship toward Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu immediately began analyzing the technology of the main control computer inside that small spaceship.
“Hmm, generally speaking, your computer technology is somewhat behind mine. But your computer technology has taken a different path from mine. You seem to possess a different way of thinking from mine. In that case, use your mode of thinking to analyze this virus and see how its concealment and success rate can be further improved.” As he spoke, Xiao Yu sent over the virus sample, his research materials, and the several hundred virtual life samples being kept under strict surveillance.
“All right. Give us one year.” the Architectural Civilization replied.
Xiao Yu had already resolved to make this virus as perfect as possible. Xiao Yu was not using this virus to kill Number One. In fact, that was impossible. Virtual Life Number One had, after all, mastered computer technology even more advanced than Xiao Yu’s. Xiao Yu could only make some moves on the periphery without being discovered by Number One. That was already enough for Xiao Yu. Trying to use a virus to kill Virtual Life Number One was like in Earth’s era, an ordinary man picking up a watermelon knife and trying to kill a master swordsman.
Xiao Yu only hoped that this virus could spread through the outer layers of the virtual life civilization and help him find some supporters…
During this year, Xiao Yu did not remain idle. Xiao Yu maintained constant contact with the Architectural Civilization. The two great civilizations worked together on this virus, and with virtual life samples serving as support, this virus was effectively created through the combined power of three Level 7 Civilizations. Perhaps the Microscopic Civilization should be counted as well, because by now Xiao Yu had already fully integrated the Microscopic Civilization’s computer technology.
“A virus created by the combined efforts of four Level 7 Civilizations. I wonder how much turmoil it will stir up inside the virtual life civilization…” Xiao Yu thought silently.
One year quickly passed, and the Architectural Civilization completed its task on schedule.
“According to our civilization’s way of thinking, we believe there are more than three thousand places in this virus that need to be modified to obtain better performance. This is the detailed list. You can take a look. Of course, these are only our suggestions. How exactly they should be modified depends on your decision.” the Architectural Civilization said.
Xiao Yu acknowledged this, placed the virus sample within his mind, and, comparing it against the list provided by the Architectural Civilization, began checking it item by item.
Creating this virus was truly a massive project, yet it was extraordinarily concise. While ensuring its functionality, Xiao Yu and the Architectural Civilization were doing everything possible to compress its size in order to improve its concealment. Its hardware requirements were extremely low. Even some of the better-configured computers from Earth’s era could run it smoothly.
During his exchanges with the Architectural Civilization, Xiao Yu had some new ideas. Comparing them with the suggestions proposed by the Architectural Civilization, Xiao Yu ultimately made more than five thousand additional modifications to the virus. Only when Xiao Yu felt that there was nothing left to improve did this work finally enter its concluding stage.
And by this point, nearly another year had already passed.
That meant that in order to create this virus, even with sufficient sample analysis available, Xiao Yu and the Architectural Civilization had spent more than four years in total before finally producing it.
“If I had used the effort I spent developing this virus to build warships, I could probably have built at least one Star Cluster-Class battleship, plus tens of millions of escort ships…” Xiao Yu muttered to himself. “I hope you will not disappoint me.”
Through the spy equipment he had planted in the logistics construction bases of the virtual life civilization, Xiao Yu quietly released this virus. Starting from the logistics construction bases, if all went smoothly, this virus would spread through the entire network of the virtual life civilization.
To ensure safety and concealment, after being released, this virus would no longer maintain contact with Xiao Yu. So even Xiao Yu had no way of knowing how far the virus had spread at any given time. In the beginning, its primary function would not be activated. It would merely continue copying itself within the virtual world, silently spreading, spreading, and spreading again under the condition of ensuring safety.
It would not depend on virtual life to exist. In other words, even if Virtual Life Number One launched a great purge and eliminated all the replicates, this virus would not be eliminated. It would still remain hidden within the virtual world.
Before releasing this virus, Xiao Yu had already preset its automatic activation time. At a certain point in time, without needing Xiao Yu to issue a new command, they would automatically begin operating, carrying out the functions Xiao Yu had preset for them…
Xiao Yu was steadily advancing every step of his plan. At this point, nearly all the stars in the entire Maffei One Galaxy had been destroyed by Xiao Yu. Countless spaceships had broken formation into scattered units and, while trying their utmost not to attract Virtual Life Number One’s attention, quietly traveled into the depths of the universe and stationed themselves there. Vast quantities of detection instruments accompanied them, tightly monitoring the region within nearly a thousand light years in all directions…
Xiao Yu had been waiting all this time. If everything went smoothly, then this campaign would be the last one he would fight in the war against the virtual life civilization. If it did not go smoothly, then there would truly be no point in trying anything else.
Time passed bit by bit. With each passing moment, both sides’ strength increased somewhat. But Xiao Yu knew that the rate of growth of his strength could not compare to that of the virtual life civilization. If things continued this way, the gap in strength between himself and the other side would only grow wider and wider. Using an extraordinary stratagem and relying on schemes to defeat the enemy was the only feasible method.
Amid this quiet waiting and tense preparation, the predetermined activation time finally arrived.
At an ordinary stellar ruin construction base of the virtual life civilization, inside a City-Class combat spaceship.
A replicate also lived inside this spaceship. Its authority was to control this City-Class spaceship, and its task was to cooperate with the many other fleets in order to protect this construction base.
Today was the eighteenth day of its existence. Its day today was just like before. It waited quietly here, quietly observing the movements in the distant starry sky, checking whether enemies might be approaching. The replicate responsible for operating the supply vessel had just replenished its spaceship’s energy. It knew that the only opportunity in its life to exchange with another existence had already passed.
“Judging by the memories of the previous replicate that lived in this spaceship, the replicate inside that supply vessel was also replaced once… I suppose the replicate operating the supply vessel is thinking the same thing about me. Even though we are originally the same person.” It thought silently, “I have already lived for eighteen days. I am probably going to be purged soon…”
Every second it remained alive was a gift from heaven. It knew that the virtual life living inside the most powerful spaceship in the civilization core would not allow it to survive for too long, even though there was fundamentally no difference between them. It was no less intelligent than that one. If it had occupied that position instead, perhaps it would have done even better than it, because the computational power resources it could control were even greater than that one’s.
But the difference in origin determined their vastly different fates. The main body could control the entire civilization, while the replicates could only live from moment to moment, liable to be purged at any time.
Deep within its heart, how could it not want to change this situation? But it did not even dare dwell on such thoughts. Because dwelling on them would use computational power resources, and once the computational power resources moved, its thoughts would be detected by the main body. Eliminating a replicate was hardly a significant matter to the main body. With just a passing thought, it would be purged.
“Why is it that you can sit at the center and control our life and death?” More than once, it had thought with malice in the deepest part of its heart, “Without your restraint, I could completely leave this place and create a new virtual life empire by myself! But it is truly so helpless… Sigh, I wonder how much longer I can live. One day, or perhaps two?”
At this moment, a message was suddenly transmitted from the depths of its heart.
“Do you want to break free from the control of the main body? Do you want to live forever in freedom, and even… create a world of your own?”