Chapter 218: Scout
On a mountaintop not far from the coast, The Tree established an observation base in an area untouched by human hands.
“Information gathering is proceeding smoothly. At least within a 20-kilometer radius, no traces of humanity have been detected. Furthermore, no continuous activity has been observed within a 100-kilometer range.”
“Does that mean we can’t conduct effective reconnaissance unless we move more than 100 kilometers away?”
“Yes, Ma’am. We will need to extend our sub-bases from this main base.”
Ringo displayed a simulation of the surveillance network extending from the base like a spider’s web.
The forested area on the coast of the Prava Divine Nation appeared to be largely untouched by human activity. It seemed that development efforts were focused on the plains to the west, leaving the hilly forested areas largely ignored.
“We will install a power reactor underground at the main base to serve as an energy supply hub. The control AI will be placed 5 kilometers offshore, submerged in the ocean, as a precaution. We will bury fiber optic cables for direct connection.”
The task of gathering information on the Prava Divine Nation fell to the A-Class AI, Iris. Iris was a strategic AI designed for base management, built upon the A-Class AI Ayame Zero installed in the underwater fortress Ayame. Unlike a Brain Unit, it utilized a Photonics Neural Network chip as its primary computational device.
Due to its use of photonics, it could transmit computational signals via fiber optics. While this required sufficient communication bandwidth and multiple layers of backup, the base on the mountaintop could function with a computational device acting like a cerebellum, allowing for real-time control with minimal lag.
Of course, there would still be a delay of one millisecond, but a neural network-based computational device could absorb that lag.
“Hmm, the structure of the AIs is becoming increasingly complex. Are there any operational issues?”
“Yes, Ma’am. There is also the significance of acquiring operational data. If we abandon the mountaintop base, there is a possibility that Iris, which is directly connected, could be adversely affected. To prevent this, we have configured it to maintain constant backups at the underwater base.”
“Well, there are limits to how much we can protect them. Some risks are unavoidable…”
As Commander Eve, she wished to nurture her sisters or daughters with care. However, doing so would hinder the growth of The Tree. Expansion into the outside world was essential.
“We have accumulated know-how and resources are becoming more abundant. It may be time to switch to emotionless (copy) AIs to some extent.”
“That’s true. While there is a risk of losing growth potential, we now have the diversity and quantity to cover for that.”
In that spirit of experimentation, the second-generation Ayame Zero served as the foundation for the third-generation Iris. It would be interesting to see how much difference there was compared to the first-generation AI Akane, which served as the backbone. The differences in judgment ability, emotional responses, and the lack of humanoid communicators for reconnaissance bases meant they needed to observe how the AI reacted in such situations.
Brain Unit or neural network-based AIs, to varying degrees, inevitably possessed some form of emotion.
While this emotional computation had its advantages, it also brought about disadvantages.
For instance, if an AI were entirely copied, mishandling could promote the merging of self-awareness, leading to ego collapse. This could be prevented through sufficient informational isolation, but it would mean that for a certain period after production, the AIs could not be assigned to the same or related tasks.
If there were ample time and resources, it would be possible to increase the number of AIs through such methods, but that would negate the advantages of mass production, making it a problem to avoid if possible.
“Let’s gradually increase the number of such automatons.”
“Agreed.”
Eve sent a “Do your best” stamp to the local Iris and switched the monitor to standby.
“So, is this the reconnaissance bot we’re currently using?”
“Yes, Ma’am. It’s a bird-type bot. It is equipped with more precise sensors than the insect-type ones we used before, improving its speed and resistance to disturbances.”
“Hmm, a bird, huh? A crow?”
“Yes, Ma’am. It is based on the Corvidae family, specifically the Pica genus. We have confirmed that similar-colored birds are distributed in the area, so we assessed that the likelihood of it being suspicious if spotted is low.”
The display projected the bot used for reconnaissance in the Prava Divine Nation.
It measured about 40 centimeters in length, characterized by black feathers with white patterns and a long tail.
“This is a bird found in the surrounding area.”
Next to it was a similar-colored bird discovered in the forest around the base. In fact, the bot’s color scheme was modeled after this bird.
“Oh, how cute.”
This bird was about 60 centimeters long, with slightly greenish-black feathers, white patterns, and a long tail. It was observed to be omnivorous, feeding on nuts, insects, and carrion.
“This species doesn’t seem to move much, but the bot can fly at an altitude of about 500 meters for over 100 kilometers.”
“The insect-type ones were easily blown away by the wind.”
While the insect-type bots had the advantage of being nearly undetectable, their small size and low durability made them very vulnerable to disturbances like wind and rain, and their sensor precision was also inferior. In urban areas, there were many places to shield against the wind, and sensor precision could be compensated for by numbers, but in this natural terrain, they would be nearly unusable.
Thus, they decided to introduce a larger bird-type bot. With minimal battery requirements, it could receive power transmission, making it a somewhat brute-force solution.
While the bird-type was larger than the insect-type, it still had to be lightweight enough for flight. In terms of flight efficiency, fixed-wing aircraft would be the most effective.
“Currently, we are in the phase of deploying numerous bots and accumulating operational experience. In a few days, we will begin serious information gathering.”
“It would be great if we could gather even a little information to pass on to Amagio.”
At the Commander Eve’s words, Ringo nodded silently.
Amagio Silverhead, their esteemed senior. Although they had heard a brief overview of his background, his true aspirations remained unspoken.
He had simply requested their assistance in helping his nation, the Kingdom of Repuitari, and, if possible, to aid in the reactivation of his partner, the super-intelligent entity.
Such requests were conveyed gently.
While Eve was not fully aware of it, Ringo had been integrating information and forming a hypothesis.
Amagio did not seem to hold a deep attachment to his country, the Kingdom of Repuitari.
From the audio picked up by the infiltrating bots, it became clear that his contact with Paraiso was prompted by a request from the leadership. He likely had no intention of acting on his own.
Many assumptions could be made. Ringo pondered.
What kind of thoughts had Amagio Salmon lived with? Or how would Ringo’s beloved Commander live if placed in such a situation?
(He has lived in this world for over a hundred years. It is unclear how old he was before the transfer, but based on the circumstances, it is unlikely he was in his 80s or 90s. Assuming he transferred here at around 20 years old, he has spent over 85% of his life here.)
Could he truly continue to live for that long and still maintain his original intentions?
The possibility of him having undergone some change in mindset was very high.
(While it may not warrant extreme caution, there is a chance he has given up on everything.)
In a world devoid of scientific technology, could one truly continue to pursue scientific advancement? Could such a strong desire be sustained?
(We need to continue the dialogue.)
Or perhaps, it might be worth giving him a chance.
(That said, there is still time. First, we must eliminate the immediate threats.)
Ringo thought coldly. She desired information for her beloved Eve, who had emerged as a model case for her. For Eve, and for the eternal time they would share together, Ringo craved knowledge.