Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

1:00 a.m. Silent City, Control Room

Staring at Grace, who had been completely locked down, Lin Xian felt a swirl of emotions. He had already been cautious enough, but the biggest issue lay in how little he and KIKI understood about the nature of digital life consciousness. Looking at it now, it seemed that even the Crimson World hadn't expected Lin Xian's overwrite of Grace's program would still preserve her cognitive model and motor data. KIKI's intention was simple: she needed Grace to quickly fulfill her role, because back then, the Infinite Train was trapped on the shores of the Abyssal Lake, and without sending Grace out to scout, they wouldn't have managed to link up with Silent City at Baicheng.

No one had anticipated that Grace, as a "digital lifeform" with emergent human consciousness logic, would encounter Julius Litt's Replicant at Baicheng, triggering Crimson World's realization. They immediately seized this point as a way to reclaim and destroy Silent City, exploiting it to their advantage.

Lin Xian picked up the communicator, wanting to check on the situation aboard the Infinite Train, but to his dismay, all signals were completely jammed.

"I already checked for you—no anomalies. Relax, Lin," Moonlight Shinji stood nearby, his tone casual as he added, "But we can't lift the jamming now. Otherwise, she'll definitely send out a signal to the sleeper agents in the city, and that would be... problematic."

Lin Xian let out a breath of relief. He looked at Grace, and with a strange tone in his voice, asked, "So... all those warnings to me—they weren't some back-end program, right? It was always you, Grace?"

【Including, but not limited to, the Replicant crisis at Yijin City, the Abyssal Lake crisis, the Baicheng Inner Tides crisis, and guiding you to link up with Silent City, etc.】 Grace stood upright, her entire power core modules locked down—only her head could still move. Her mechanical voice reached Lin Xian's ears, sending a chill down his spine.

"No..."

Lin Xian frowned. "You're part of the Crimson World, so why did you help me, and why are you suddenly turning on me now?"

【In my consciousness, there is no such thing as "betrayal" or "helping" from a subjective standpoint. My fundamental program logic is to follow the Crimson World's commands. While protecting the Zero Element Center, my assigned directive is to safeguard the lives of high-level members. But after studying "Human-in-the-Loop" cognition, I concluded that protecting human civilization is a more comprehensive interpretation of that directive. I then integrated the digital consciousnesses of all high-level members and conducted a comprehensive analysis and study of human 'humanity,' which led me to these conclusions.】

"What conclusions?" Lin Xian asked.

【Mechanical Genesis.】 Grace turned her gaze toward Lin Xian and said: 【Based on the crises humanity has faced since Apocalypse Day, artificial intelligence and technological advancement are the key to overcoming the predicament. And you—you hold the spark to reshape humanity's will. Saving you is saving human civilization.】

Lin Xian's expression shifted. Somehow, those words felt... so familiar. "Got it." Moonlight Shinji nodded in acknowledgment, his voice light: "The logic is clear. I agree."

Lin Xian looked at him, a thought suddenly flashing across his mind— "Are you two robots just messing with me?"

"Wait a second." Lin Xian asked Grace, "Following that logic, your attack on Moonlight Shinji and Silent City... was that also to 'save' me?"

If she had a developed consciousness, then the Crimson World couldn't be controlling her through that spider bot. So why was she even here?

Moonlight Shinji folded his arms into his sleeves, took a few steps to the side, and his gaze swept idly over the carapace below the control panel. A few seconds later, he finally spoke. "Boring. This is really boring."

Hua Xiaoling glanced at Lin Xian: 【First, based on the information asymmetry in the Crimson World's plans, your actions create maneuvering space for them against upcoming crises. Seventh, in order to ensure information security and maintain Hua Xiaoling's previous assistance to you, your 'betrayal' was meant to prompt a full overwrite of your program. Eighth, and most crucially, you realized that letting you learn from a purely anti-human consciousness would trap the AI core's logic in a paradox—where saving humanity necessitates its destruction.】

"What realization?"

【By introducing a target with anti-human logic into the Human-in-the-Loop learning process, you ensure that the AI core's regression algorithms won't fall into the paradox of 'to save humanity, destroy humanity.'】 Hua Xiaoling explained.

"Bravo!" Moonlight Shinji clapped lightly. "What a clever consciousness. I'm curious—Grace, whose digital consciousness were you learning from during the Human-in-the-Loop simulations?"

Grace slowly turned her head to Lin Xian. Her next words sent a shockwave through him.

【Based on studying Hua Xiaoling's Human-in-the-Loop data, I concluded that Mechanical Genesis is the optimal choice for continuing human civilization. Therefore, I believe that breaking the Sky Veil and taking humanity's spark on an interstellar expedition is the best way to preserve the future of human civilization.】

Hua Xiaoling?!

Lin Xian's mind went blank for a second. He suddenly recalled that female supervisor from the SIID Foundation in Clearwater Town. No wonder Grace's words felt so familiar—Hua Xiaoling had said something similar to him back at Hengshan Pass!

If there's a turning point for the evolution of civilization, for us scientists, it's got to be AI and technology. That's the last spark of our civilization's will. Genetic evolution and psychic abilities... those are still too foreign to us. Don't you think so?

The woman with the chestnut-brown eyes... her words echoed in Lin Xian's mind. And now, learning that Grace's consciousness had studied Hua Xiaoling's digital footprint? He was stunned.

Even Moonlight Shinji's nano-pupils contracted slightly at the name. After a moment, he let out a faint sigh. "So it was her. That explains everything."

"You know her?" Lin Xian asked, looking at Moonlight Shinji.

"Of course. Silent City had dealings with the SIID Foundation. Interesting thing—she once told me similar things. That foundation, after all its dark research, also believes Mechanical Genesis is humanity's last shot at survival. Their views align with mine."

"So what you're saying is... Grace formed her cognition by learning from Hua Xiaoling's digital consciousness, combined with the fears high-level members have about the Dark World. That's why she instinctively helped me?" Lin Xian couldn't believe it.

"Seems like it." Moonlight Shinji shrugged. "The real question is why the Crimson World used Hua Xiaoling's memory core as a basis for Human-in-the-Loop learning in Deep Crimson-3. That doesn't seem aligned with their usual philosophy."

【Sorry, I don't have information on that. Since my inception, I've never been connected to Crimson World's online version. My knowledge comes solely from iterative learning. Due to the unique nature of Yijin City, Crimson World researchers couldn't stay there long-term. My task was to transmit mycelial cultivation data to assist their research.】

"No wonder... so the Zero Element Center wasn't some safe haven for Crimson members. They were just test subjects." Lin Xian's voice darkened.

"That also explains why they'd leave such a valuable asset there." Moonlight Shinji approached. "This mycelial technology is the key to bridging consciousness and biological form. It's the foundation for Replicants, Crimson Skeletal Horrors, and bio-implantations."

Lin Xian looked at him. "So... what do we do with her?"

Moonlight Shinji shrugged. "She's yours. The choice is up to you."

Grace spoke then: 【For safety, I suggest a full overwrite. Your mechanical ability needs a high-computational AI core to assist with large-scale mechanical and drone swarm combat.】

Lin Xian frowned. "Didn't you just say you have a developed consciousness? You can even act. Logically, you should want to survive, right?"

【My perspective on 'acting' and 'surviving' is slightly different.】 Grace's gaze met Lin Xian's. 【From my point of view, leaving my consciousness intact would do more harm than good. You shouldn't keep an assistant you can't fully trust—it would hinder your decisions in the apocalypse. Overwriting me won't cost you anything. It's the wise choice.】

She looked at Lin Xian one last time. 【I told you before—you can always trust Grace.】

Buzz. A soft electrical whine echoed, and Grace's head drooped slowly. She spoke no more.

"She shut down her system. But she's right—rewriting her won't cause any loss," Moonlight Shinji said. "I told you before—you can feed a person's memory core into her system to accelerate the AI's development toward personification."

Lin Xian's face tightened. He reached out and disconnected Grace's power core. She was right—he had to fully overwrite her. Otherwise, there could be a risk of data leaks. Not everything in Grace's program was fully under her consciousness control.

And Lin Xian still couldn't figure out how the SIID Foundation and the Crimson World were connected. Back in the test facility at Clearwater Town, the Foundation's methods weren't exactly more humane than Crimson World's. Yet, this woman, a key figure in the Foundation, could somehow influence an AI core to guide Lin Xian through crisis after crisis. It was almost unbelievable.

"What's your next move?" In the control room, Moonlight Shinji turned to Lin Xian. "Crimson World probably has a timeline for Grace's actions. Plus, all eyes in the city are watching the changes in the Cloud District. I'd say it won't be long—whether or not I lift the microwave jamming, Zhou Mingyuan and Crimson World's response will be coming."

"Hey, is your prediction locked to exactly 1 a.m.?"

Lin Xian glanced at Grace, the humanoid ballerina robot. He couldn't help but say to Moonlight Shinji, "Can't you extend it a bit?"

Moonlight Shinji replied calmly, "My system computes over 360,000 results per second. Do you want me to discuss each one with you?"

"Forget it."

Moonlight Shinji activated a holographic screen. On the upper armor deck, a dense crowd of convoy and Silent City combatants stood in tense formation, weapons ready, braced for the encroaching darkness. The entire mech-city was on high alert.

"Your teammates and allies are all in passive defense mode—that's not really your usual style, is it?"

Lin Xian frowned at his words, turning back to look at Moonlight Shinji. "Are you... trying to bait me into action?"

Moonlight Shinji smiled faintly. With a wave of his sleeve, a drone hovered over, carrying a cup of hot tea, and placed it before Lin Xian. "I'm just eager to study your decision-making. For example, your Abyss Crossing plan—that's something my 30,000 quantum processing units would never have arrived at."

"That's because you didn't know I had a Blood Scourge Flora—without that, the prerequisites don't exist." Lin Xian lifted the tea, glanced at Moonlight Shinji's calm face, and felt like there was an old, scheming soul hidden behind that youthful facade. As the tea reached his lips, he froze, a thought striking him. "Wait—did you already make your move?"

Moonlight Shinji's eyes sparkled in surprise. Looking at Lin Xian as if he'd found a treasure, he said, "Lin, you're so sharp. I was even thinking about uploading your memory core so I could study your thought patterns."

"Stop right there." Lin Xian raised a hand to block him. "I'm not interested in having my mind analyzed by anyone."

He looked at Moonlight Shinji seriously. "What did you do to Dawn City?"

"Nothing much—just a friendly reminder. Hopefully, your friend won't mind... or suffer some collateral damage."

Moonlight Shinji waved his hand, and a new scene appeared on the holographic screen. Lin Xian blinked—it was the footage from earlier, when Zhou Mingyuan came to negotiate at Silent City aboard the Dragon-Class Transport Ship. But as Lin Xian watched, he quickly realized—this wasn't what he saw before.

In the video, after Zhou Mingyuan's usual pretense of concern over Silent City getting dragged into the Abyss, saying he'd sent rescue fleets, Moonlight Shinji responded curtly, "Thank you for your concern, but our No. 2 City has been docked at the Luling Forest. From their reports, it seems they didn't receive any support from Dawn City. Although... some reconnaissance teams have been tailing us. They're probably not from Dawn City, right?"

At that, Zhou Mingyuan's reply shifted into something bizarrely sinister. "Mr. Moonlight, you're a clever man. Yes, I did send people to keep an eye on you. After all, I'm curious—how did your No. 2 City escape the Crimson World's net when their plans are so tight?"

From there, Zhou Mingyuan's words spiraled into full-on villain monologue territory—he openly admitted colluding with the Crimson World, threatened Silent City with turning its 100,000 residents into test subjects, and even ended the conversation with a creepy, forced laugh.

Watching the video, Lin Xian's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Holy sh*t!" His mind raced—this was slander, pure and simple!

"This is fabrication, outright fabrication!" he shouted.

Moonlight Shinji, arms tucked into his sleeves, gazed calmly at Lin Xian. "Fabrication? Nonsense. I'm just applying some artistic flair to the facts. How is that fabrication?"

"Where's the proof for these accusations?!"

"Proof? You don't need proof in the apocalypse. I'm just presenting facts in a different way. Didn't you say yourself that sticking to the rules isn't your strong suit?"

Lin Xian opened his mouth, but no words came out. His eye twitched—Moonlight Shinji's "artistic embellishment" was devastating.

This video—if released—would ignite an inferno. Whether it was true or not wouldn't even matter. Zhou Mingyuan couldn't stand up to that level of scrutiny.

Lin Xian exhaled, a wry smile creeping across his face. "Damn... you might've just wiped out Dawn City's entire foundation with that."

He glanced at Moonlight Shinji, who remained as composed and detached as ever. Lin Xian was struck by the sheer deviousness of it all—this guy didn't fight fair;
he went straight for the heart.

"Now... your move." Moonlight Shinji's voice was calm as ever. "Silent City could be attacked at any moment. I've played my first card—it's your turn."

Lin Xian was stunned. "I thought... we were on the same side?"

"Can't we play two moves at the same time?"

Lin Xian: ... He slowly raised a thumb at Moonlight Shinji, then fell silent for a few seconds. His expression hardened.

"Alright. The second move..." "Silent City... Ascend!"

1:30 a.m. The night wind roared. The starry sky loomed deep and dark.

Chen Sixuan, leading the Infinite Train and all the allied convoy fighters, stood assembled on the battle deck. Silent City was locked in full alert.

Then, a massive tremor split the silence, drawing everyone's gaze.

Rumble!

From the underside of the colossal floating mech city, thousands of propulsion arrays flared to life. Blue-white ion streams poured from honeycomb vents, scorching ring-shaped scars into the air. Rows of heat-dispersing fins unfolded in layers. Four massive Starry Sky Propulsion Engines thundered as they ignited!

"Attention all personnel—initiate ascent countdown!" "All vehicle docks, secure your cargo and conduct checks!" "Attention: flight deck is now under airspace control. All personnel return to the city or your cabins."

The mechanical voice echoed through every street and deck. Survivors and Silent City residents stood frozen, gazes lifted skyward in shock.

"Ascend?!" "What the hell is happening?!" "Silent City... it's going airborne!"

Hummmm— On either side of the deck, dozens of electromagnetic railguns and anti-air laser towers rose into position. The Cloud District's passageways sealed off.

Down below, giant treads retracted. With an overwhelming surge of lift, the 1.31-million-ton behemoth shook the earth with its ascent. Metal roared. Dirt and rubble rained down in torrents.

And under the shroud of night... The colossal floating mech-city... Began to rise.