I am the Emperor of Humanity across the Multiverse

In the core terminal room on the third basement level of the Governor's Mansion, where the artificial intelligence was stored, the space was fairly spacious, with several rows of what seemed to be fireproof and magnetic-resistant hard drives. The temperature was kept between 16°C and 18°C.

Mike, Maggie, and three other investigators were attempting to hack into the hard drive array using a disconnected portable computer, aiming to extract classified information related to the planet of Abundance, as well as secrets from both the UEG and UNSC.

However, all their efforts ended in failure. After all, their computers were no match for the intelligent AI responsible for protecting the data, named "App."

Even so, Mike and his team managed to physically cut the network at the precise moment, synchronizing with their colleagues to complete a "disconnection" operation, preventing the AI from interfering with their occupation of the facility.

"Who are you? Where are you from?"

At that moment, a cold voice echoed throughout the core terminal room.

The AI projected its appearance on the central control panel at the front of the room, glaring angrily at Mike, who was the closest to "her."

Mike merely glanced at the AI before returning his attention to the portable computer strapped to his wrist, continuing to engage in what seemed like a futile task. In reality, his actions were helping the company's tech team gain a better understanding of the AI's workings.

Swish!

The sound of the sliding doors interrupted Mike, Maggie, and the others from their work.

Thud, thud.

Heavy footsteps followed, growing closer to their ears.

It was Samuel Young, whose towering height nearly touched the ceiling, entering the core terminal room alone.

"Boss."

Upon seeing him, Mike, Maggie, and the others quickly set aside their tasks.

"Don't be so formal," Samuel Young waved them off and said, "I'll handle the interrogation of the AI. You all take a break."

"Understood."

With clear instructions, Mike and the others nodded at Samuel before leaving the core terminal room one by one.

Soon, only Samuel remained in the room.

As for the AI "standing" on the control panel, she widened her eyes in shock as she watched Samuel approach. Clearly, his unusual height caused her electronic brain to race, trying to comprehend the situation.

Samuel stopped in front of the AI, gazing down at her.

In the Halo universe, humans had developed two types of AI: the smart AI, like the one before Samuel, and the dumb AI.

The term "dumb" didn't mean unintelligent; rather, these AIs were traditional programs. They couldn't think independently, speculate, or feel, nor did they possess the ability to learn extensively.

As long as the hardware remained intact, dumb AIs could run indefinitely, assisting humans in various tasks.

On the other hand, smart AIs were created by scanning and copying the neural networks of human brains, making them essentially a "new species."

Because the scanning and copying process destroyed the original brain tissue, humans in the Halo universe typically only initiated the creation of smart AIs after the volunteer had died.

The most influential smart AI that had caused the UEG and UNSC to face an AI rebellion was Cortana, a "masterpiece" created when Catherine Halsey cloned her own brain and had it scanned and copied while still alive.

Despite Halsey's methods being cruel and illegal, Cortana became one of the most powerful smart AIs.

Smart AIs inherited parts of the personality and memory of the volunteer and had superior information processing, learning capabilities, and even creativity, far beyond human abilities.

However, smart AIs had a lifespan of about seven years. After that, the accumulation of knowledge and self-awareness would overload their systems, leading to madness or "rampancy," necessitating mandatory destruction.

Samuel, who was familiar with the general process of creating smart AIs in Halo, had long since arranged for the scientific and biological departments of Atlas to conduct joint AI research after acquiring mature condensed matter technology.

They used cloned brains of personnel ranked D and below, scanning and copying their neural networks to construct AIs restricted by Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.

But so far, Atlas had only a few prototypes. Their cognitive abilities and learning capabilities were almost nonexistent, let alone being able to replace existing big data AIs.

Therefore, Samuel needed this AI to "stay alive" and to sincerely provide him and Atlas with all the technological and strategic information humanity had developed in the Halo universe.

Moreover, the reset ability gave Samuel room to turn the AI to his side and test the waters without the risk of failure.

"Who are you?" App, after a brief moment of shock, quickly returned to her cold demeanor and attempted to repeat her earlier question to Mike and the others.

However, before she could finish, Samuel interrupted with blunt honesty:

"We are from Atlas in the primary universe, a cross-universal military-industrial complex designed to ensure humanity's survival across the stars, protecting us from aliens, heretics, and even supernatural threats."

As he spoke, Samuel reached into the left pocket of his uniform and pulled out a small hard drive, which he connected to the main control panel using a universal interface.

This action allowed App to quickly browse through information about Atlas, including its founding history, details about the relic bases, space gates, battle footage from Universes Zero-One through Zero-Seven, and even some references to the Warp.

She saw the terrifying, distorted scenes created by the Moid Cultists rampaging across the Antarctic continent of Terra, along with the horrific mutations they caused.

" . . . "

After quickly reviewing the data Samuel had provided, App's expression immediately became grave.

Without needing any explanation from Samuel, she could verify the authenticity of the information. Edited videos or manipulated images could not escape her detection.

At this moment, Samuel continued speaking: "Each of us transcends conventional thinking. We are all unfinished maps, not mere physical reconstructions, but complete individuals. Humanity's potential will also be realized through crystal technology."

!!!

Hearing this, App was utterly stunned. In disbelief, she exclaimed, "How do you know about the AI Council?! That's impossible!!"

"I not only know about the AI Council, I also know it was founded in 2310," Samuel paused and then added, "You AIs have protected humans on multiple occasions without their knowledge in Universe Zero-Eight. So, I believe Atlas and the AI should cooperate, helping each other.

After all, internal conflict isn't the only threat to humanity in Universe Zero-Eight. A race of aliens known as the Covenant will eventually wage a war of annihilation against humanity."

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