Boundary Convention

Chapter IX Exoneration

"let us start."

Magnetic sounds echoed in the small room.

The sound came from the front, and then from the back, from the left, and it seemed to be from the right, from the top of the head, but it seemed to spread from the heel.

It is everywhere, as if there is no place to escape, no place to hide.

"Mo Shi Xin, please remember that every sentence you speak now is very important, please be sane, objective, and authentic in content."

The voice without emotion continued to echo.

Since ancient times, people have been accustomed to pursue "speaking skills" in dialogue, and use it in torture and interrogation, and regard it as an art, looking for contradictions and mistakes between cadences, confronting prisoners tit for tat, and unilaterally Seeking a chance to win, he killed him with one blow, trapped his inner line of defense, and made him confess.

It's like a 'sword'.

This is the word 'sword'.

"Where were you when the course deviated?"

The voice from the loudspeaker did not stop, not even a brief gasp for breath. Calm and dry, it's like a spray of waves slowly pushing here from the skyline on the sea. From a distance, it may be very quiet, but until you get close and realize that it is a tsunami and hear its roar, it is too late.

Heavy, sharp, yet precise with timing.

Just like an 'axe'.

This is the word 'axe'.

"I'm in the operating room."

Mo Shixin replied softly.

Although she was indeed a survivor, she did not panic at the sight of an ax like the nun who survived the Danish attack.

"The operating route is predetermined. No one can change the route without interference from human factors. As one of the people who hold the route management key, I think it is necessary for you to explain what happened at that time."

"The scene was too chaotic. I really don't know what happened. I only know that there is a problem with the route data. Lanna ran out in a hurry, saying that she wanted to rescue the data, and then gave me the key. I was so stupid at the time, I didn't know what was going on, but..."

"But what?"

The 'axe' words suddenly grew louder in Mo Shixin's ears.

While talking just now, a rectangular 'head' was stuck to her ear without anyone noticing.

The head extends from the ceiling, supported by a composite mechanical arm, which is the artificial intelligence "Jacob" ordered by the coalition government.

This name was probably chosen in the hope that it would avoid those terrible disasters for the 'Pharaoh' like 'Jacob'.

There are no fancy decorations on it, only a huge 'eye'. This camera is connected to the outside room, and the content of the interrogation is output in real time for the evaluation of the experts present. Of course, this eye has a deeper meaning effect……

"However, based on my escape experience and judgment, I think there should be a problem with our computer data. There is a serious deviation in the prediction of the freezing speed of the sea surface. In order to avoid being grounded, the system automatically deviated from the route and hit an iceberg. .”

"You mean, the main cause of this accident..."

With that said, Jacob followed the track on the ceiling and moved to the front of Mo Shixin.

It deliberately made its own voice very long, and deliberately slow and cumbersome when the mechanical arm moved, making a screeching sound like a rusty door that could not be opened. Enough to cause anxiety. This is also one of the skills of the "axe" style of speaking, making maximum use of environmental and dynamic factors that can stimulate other people's nerves, destroying the logic of lies of the interviewees and distracting them.

Even this interrogation room was designed for this purpose. The small space, poor lighting, and perfect sound insulation are all things that can seriously disturb the mind of a mortal.

"Is it because there are some tiny bugs in the program we prepared before?"

"Tiny?"

Mo Shixin raised his head slightly. Looking at the big red pupils with the turbid purple pupils, there is no emotion closely related to the lie, but a sense of resentment.

"If this is a small bug, will it cause such a result?"

Hearing this, Jacob shrank back a few centimeters as if he had been wronged by the refutation. Of course, it is impossible for artificial intelligence to back down for reasons. The reason why it has to back down is just to aim at the camera's lie detection system. This system judges through voiceprints, micro-expressions, and a series of small movements and even heart rate and sweating conditions. Its performance far exceeds that of traditional lie detectors. Even in the face of trained people, the accuracy Up to 98.905%.

The red eyes spun twice like the lens of a SLR camera, and after a short silence, they came together again.

"However, based on the information we received and the Ars feedback in the operating room, when the flight path deviated, your vital signs showed unusual changes, specifically manifested as sharp pupillary constriction, abnormal fluctuations in blood pressure, etc. It is almost exactly the same as the nervousness when you submitted the error report before, and the most active area of your brain at this time is the creative area, which is different from the physiological response that humans should have in an emergency, and is closer to..."

Speaking of this, Jacob selected his eyes twice more, and then moved them up at a very fast speed, and stopped almost when they touched Mo Shixin's nose. After that, the lights dimmed slightly imperceptibly, revealing a sense of coercion that has been irresistible.

"Human Response to Crime."

"I was terrified then."

Mo Shixin said slowly, she looked directly at the dazzling red light without blinking, and tears began to seep from her eyes.

"My first instinct was to run away, but thinking of Lanna giving me this key because of trust in me, I thought it was my responsibility to find out the situation, but I was not familiar with these, and I was afraid of making things worse. "

As she spoke, she wiped away her tears with her hands.

"I've done everything I can, I don't know what else to do, Lanna left in a hurry, leaving me alone..."

"In the entire scientific expedition team, there are five people who have the key. Why are the login permissions of other people blocked, only yours is fine."

"I was very scared. At that time, the first reaction was to correct the route. I wanted to contact other people who had the port command, but... I couldn't. The key did not belong to me. I was doing the course correction. The time is also in accordance with the established procedures in the system, I, I just turn them off and turn them on again."

After hearing this, 'Jacob' slowly returned to its original position from Mo Shixin's nose. It tilted the camera slightly, as if it was looking down, thinking about something.

"What's the matter with your hair? It is understood that you were emotionally unstable on the plane of the rescue team, and your hair turned white overnight."

"Lanna is just like my mother..." Mo Shixin sobbed softly.

'Jacob' listened silently, and after a while, the intense red light from his eyes subsided, and the incandescent lamp in the room returned to its original brightness.

"Miss Mo Shixin, I hope you can tell the truth. The supervisory committee attaches great importance to this matter, and it can even be called outraged. This matter is not only about your GST, but also about the coalition government, and even all mankind..."

"Aren't you also a thing made by GST..."

When 'Jacob' was speaking, Mo Shixin murmured in a low voice, no matter how small the voice is, it is impossible to escape the voiceprint sensor of 'Jacob', but it did not respond to this, and Yes, he continued.

"... the loss, the current aftermath work is difficult to carry out, thousands of broken families are blocked outside the door of this building, natural disasters or man-made disasters, the coalition government has the obligation and responsibility to give these families and all mankind a satisfactory reply."

"I've said all I know."

"Very well, then, let's move on to the next question."

"Please."

"Your father, Mo Hesheng, has a deep conflict with the CEO of the group, Herman. What do you think of this matter?"

"I don't know much. My father is a very straightforward person."

"Has this clouded your judgment in the operating room?"

Mo Shixin frowned.

"The disputes between my parents have nothing to do with me. I have been in the Dunkeld class since I was very young, and there are my mentors and classmates there."

"Speaking of your mentor, do you know that the treatment she led has caused great harm to your father?"

"What treatment?"

"Very well, let's move on to the next topic..."

"What treatment?!"

Before Jacob could continue, Mo Shixin stood up from his seat and grabbed his iron neck.

"What do you mean by the treatment just now? There is also great harm! What happened to my father!?"

"This is an irrelevant topic, we will not discuss it here."

"You tell me clearly, otherwise..."

At this moment, when Mo Shixin was twisting the mechanical head, severe reprimands came from other places.

"Stop it, Mo Shixin."

This is not the sound made by Jacob's mechanical voice, but an emotional and hasty scolding.

"It's being interrogated now, and you won't be allowed to be presumptuous. We promise not to hide this matter from you. After the interrogation is over, we will hand over the materials to you one by one."

This should be the voice of the experts sitting outside watching the interrogation. Mo Shixin knew that her behavior might have deceived the experts, so she pretended to be stunned for a while, with her lips half-opened and half-closed, as if hesitating to speak look like.

After a while, he sat down.

"Um……"

she said, breathing heavily.

At this moment, she felt a little joy in her heart. For the first time in her life, she felt joy at her deceit.

People outside have been completely confused by her acting skills, she really wanted to draw a slight angle at the corner of her mouth, and use this inconspicuous way to show her contempt for others, but at the same time she was very Sober, after the conversation just now, she probably understood the meaning of the supervisory committee. They only need a reasonable result to deal with the outside world. As for the truth, maybe they don't care.

'Hold on. '

She had to maintain control over micro-expressions, even if she was just a little careless in front of Jacob, her mask would be ruthlessly torn off.

"The next question, why didn't you wear protective clothing, this is very important, because all the deaths are related to protective clothing, this is not your responsibility, this is a fatal omission in the design of the R \u0026 D team, you just need to tell me, you , why didn't you wear it, when the incident happened, the control room you were in was very close to the protective clothing storage room, why didn't you wear the protective clothing?"

"I can't grab them. When a disaster happens, everyone goes to grab protective clothing. I'm too weak."

"Right."

Jacob said, tilting his head.

"Well, tell me about another survivor."

"That's the child of my mentor Lanna. The pressure of the sea water saved her life. When the liquid nitrogen drifted here, the concentration was already insufficient, so the ice surface on the sea was relatively thin, which made the child's life easier." The safety cabin successfully broke through the ice... To be honest, I am an atheist, but seeing this scene, I think... God, maybe there is..."

"Please ease your emotions a little bit."

"Um……"

As Mo Shixin said, he wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeves, bringing out some tears.

"Next question, within your GST group, there are strict assessments for newborns."

"Yes, wait, why are you asking this, your questions are getting weirder."

"We have to conduct qualification tests from birth, so do you know your own birth report?" Jacob ignored Mo Shixin's question.

"I don't understand."

Mo Shixin simply shook his head.

"My father didn't show it to me. Later, I heard from my classmates that the birth reports of our group were lost due to computer problems. I didn't know more about it, and I didn't care about it."

"We have investigated your resume and the history of all subjects in the past 12 years of GST. You are very good, and the teacher's evaluation of you is also very good. You are hardworking, hardworking, and upright. Although your personality is too introverted, you are also good at communicating. "

"Um."

"It might be a little strange for me to say this as an AI, but..."

Speaking of this, Jacob suddenly paused, then quietly leaned into Mo Shixin's ear and whispered something.

"You act like a machine."

The voice was very low, like the low growl of a ferocious beast when it issued a warning. It was at this moment that Mo Shixin shook his body, feeling that a hole had been exposed in the airtight defense line.

Although it was only for a moment, she had a huge panic. Could it be that her behavior had been exposed? She didn't know if Jacob caught her micro-expression because of this hesitation, so she pretended to be calm Eye to eye with Jacob.

"Just kidding, don't care about it, as long as you see your graying hair overnight, no one can doubt your sensibility. Let's summarize your speech. The direct cause of this accident is the emergence of previous experimental data. The serious deviation was caused indirectly by a major mistake in the research and development of protective clothing, but in the final analysis, it should be due to the change speed of Iceland's glaciers exceeding the normal range, so this accident is undoubtedly a "natural disaster plus man-made disaster", right? "

"Yes."

"The last question, this is a question I put to you on behalf of the high-level coalition government. You can choose not to answer, but this will not affect my judgment of you in the slightest."

"Please."

"How do you think we can escape the giant ice age in 200 million years?"

"Emigrate to other planets."

"Okay, thank you, Miss Mo Shixin."

After coming out of the interrogation room, Mo Shixin did not stay in the special detention center of the coalition government for too long. He was released after being held for less than seventy-eight hours, which was far lower than the coalition government's regulations. The maximum detention time, especially for a person related to a major accident like her, the detention time is even shorter.

This means that her acting skills are qualified. Just as she thought, what this accident needs is a truth that will convince the world. Although Mo Shi has many doubts and Jacob's test cannot completely determine that she is not lying, but The attitude she showed is very convincing. If she is further investigated, the accident will become more complicated and confusing, and more people may be involved. It is impossible for the outside world to believe that it is an 18-year-old The girl directed the accident, and the truth is sometimes too magical, which is not the truth the world wants.

As she walks out of the Coalition government's Public Safety Administration, the heat is on her face, and even normal temperatures seem uncomfortably hot, accustomed to the air-conditioning in the detention facility, which is set too low...or maybe it's just because she's been in Iceland so much. long.

"Miss Mo Shixin, can I have an interview with you?"

"Ms. Mo Shixin, can you please tell me what happened?"

"Some people on the Internet now claim that the coalition government suspects you to be the instigator of the accident. What do you think of this?"

The first person to greet her outside was not her father, nor Chen Yang, but an overwhelming number of journalists. She had been active in the back line and had no chance to see such a big formation. These reporters rushed like a swarm of insects. Looking at the police cordon built for her by the police, the microphone was waving like fangs and claws. It really shocked her who was calm but unprepared, but it was only to that extent.

She was halfway there when she stopped suddenly.

Facing one of the microphones, he said in a slightly crying voice.

"I don't know, I'm distressed, but I'm so scared, I want to cry, you guys make me feel like a monster."

Then she covered her face with her sleeves and walked forward. Of course, this was not to hide her crying face, but to hide her smile. Deceiving people is indeed addictive, if it is for yourself.

At the end of the cordon, a car was parked.

It was black, and Mo Shixin recognized it. It was her father's classic car. She had been sitting in the back of this car since she was a child when she went to school. She opened the car door, but her father was no longer in the driver's seat.

"Your father wants me to pick you up, Xiao Mo."

Hearing this, Mo Shixin realized that the man in front of him holding the steering wheel and smiling weakly was Chen Yang.

I haven't seen him for so many years, and Chen Yang has also received a heavy blow from the years, and there are many ravines and wrinkles on his face. Although in Mo Shixin's impression, Chen Yang has always been a man with unshaven beard and unkempt appearance, but he has never been like this, with a beard so long that it covers his neck, so she didn't recognize such an unkempt man all at once. Chen Yanglai.

Mo Shixin didn't say much, and sat silently in the seat where she sat many times when she was a child, looking out at the scenery. Chen Yang kicked the accelerator, and their car left the crowd gathered at the gate of the police station far away, and drove away...

In the car, Mo Shixin fell asleep.

Due to the heavy academic work in the past, she always fell asleep when her father drove her back, which may have become a habit. She slept very soundly this time. Every time she slept in the detention center before, she would recall what happened that day, and the scene where Lanna parted with her at the end, which made her feel very tired after waking up. Because of monitoring her brain waves, she was even worried that Jacob might see something from it.

After about forty minutes, she woke up, and it took about forty minutes to drive home from school, and it seemed that it only took nearly forty minutes to get here from the detention center... Although looking at the An unfamiliar building, Mo Shixin was not sure if this was her home.

Chen Yang took her up the winding stairs and walked step by step to her former home.

When Chen Yang opened the door for her who didn't have a key, suddenly there was a looming roar from the depths of the house.

"No! I will never do it!"

"But…"

"No need to talk! It's the same several times."

"Don't be so hard-headed, He Sheng."

The person who was angry was obviously the father, but the gentle and bitter voice was a little strange.

Chen Yang walked in front and took her to her father's room step by step. She hadn't seen her father for many years. Gently pushed Chen Yang, signaling him to go faster.

And Chen Yang just looked back at her, shook his head, and didn't speed up his pace at all.

Just when he was about to approach the room, Mo Shixin noticed that near his father's room, there was a man in a black suit and well-dressed, leaning against the wall, thinking about something. This man looked a little old, It can be regarded as the twilight years, and in terms of temperament, it has similarities with Herman.

"How about it?"

Chen Yang asked the old man.

The old man shrugged.

"No, he's too stubborn."

"This is also reasonable... However, the situation is different now."

"oh?"

"Xiao Mo is back."

With that said, Chen Yang turned his body sideways and pushed Mo Shixin to the front.

"This is Xiao Mo."

"Um."

The old man looked Xiao Mo up and down and nodded.

"It's grown so big."

"Yes, but do I know you?"

Mo Shixin nodded politely to the old man,

"You probably don't know each other, but I saw you when I was a child."

"Well... May I ask what you are discussing with my father? I think he seems a little too excited."

"this……"

The old man looked distressed, stared at Chen Yang, and then quickly changed the subject.

"Your father is still waiting for you. I'll tell you when you come out."

After all, he pointed out the half-open door for Mo Shixin.

She couldn't wait to walk towards the door and walked into her father's room.

Chen Yang and the old man glanced at each other, sighed at each other, and stood still outside the door.

When Mo Hesheng raised his head, Mo Shixin didn't recognize his father at once.

Or she didn't dare to recognize her father... Not everyone has the courage to admit that a shriveled, sick and crooked thing is their father.

But after hesitating for a while, she gently moved her lips and said in a trembling voice.

"Father... I'm back."

Mo Hesheng stared at the open door with his blindfolded eyes and hesitated for a long time before reaching out his hand towards the vague figure.

"Shixin... is it Shixin?"

Although the excitement in his tone could not be concealed, it seemed a bit dull due to lack of vitality.

"It's me, I'm back, father."

Mo Shixin stepped forward, helped his father who was kneeling on the ground, and hugged him tightly.

"I'm back, Father."

"Are you hungry... Later, I will cook for you."

Mo Hesheng patted his daughter's back, and some tears leaked from Bai Yi's eyes.

Then he let go of his tightly held hands, and touched his daughter's face with both hands.

"You've lost weight..."

"Father, you...you too, how are you doing recently? If you want, I think I can find a way to ask someone to arrange some new jobs for you, like astronomy..."

Mo Shixin said, wiping the tears from the corners of his father's eyes.

"Astronomy... Astronomy... I won't go back, I won't go back, I can do research at home, I have been monitoring the signal of the Phoenix Galaxy for these years... Ah, that's right."

As he spoke, Mo Hesheng seemed to have suddenly remembered something. He pushed Mo Shixin away vigorously, almost pushing Mo Shixin to the wall, then picked up an old mp4 from where he was squatting just now, put it in front of Mo Shixin, and pressed play key.

"Let me tell you, I met a friend a few days ago and he told me a story. It was so wonderful that I recorded it."

Mo Shixin put his ear close to the mp4, but he didn't hear any meaningful sound, there was only noise, even if it was something that needed to be deciphered, it would obviously be a regular sound, and now what his father played was just Just pure noise.

But Mo Shixin didn't want to make his father sad, so he pretended to be interested and continued.

"Friend? What friend, where is he?"

"He, he's on my balcony, come here, come here!"

As he said that, Mo Hesheng took his daughter's hand, limped, and trotted into the balcony next to his bedroom.

There is a place full of Mo Shixin's memories. She still remembers how her father spoke freely under the stars, and how her father cherished that astronomical telescope.

But when she came to the balcony, she was stunned. The high-magnification astronomical telescope that her father had always cherished so much had been dismantled... No, it cannot be said to be dismantled, because it does look like it has its original shape , but anyone can see that it can no longer be used for astronomical observation.

"Close the door! I'll open the window!"

Mo Hesheng said in a commanding tone, but where is there a window on this balcony?

This astronomical telescope is now standing on the balcony so sadly, all kinds of inexplicable electronic components and plastic waste have been stitched together on it, it is not soldered, nor is it relying on wires, it is simply simple with tape Sticking together, this machine is like a patient suffering from cancer but desperate to die. His body is full of unrestricted growth tumors, which makes Mo Shixin feel a chill.

"Come on, sit down, this is a grand and magnificent story, it's so tragic, you must listen to it."

"Father...Father...where are your friends?"

"It's here."

Mo Hesheng said and pointed to the terminally ill telescope.

"Although it speaks a little softly, he will also write while speaking, can't you see? The words are densely packed on it."

Mo Shixin stared at the instrument, and burst into tears. The astronomical telescope that stopped working even had its mirror broken. GST has not provided funds to Mo Hesheng for a long time. That friend can only be imagined by him.

Father he has gone mad.

"What's the matter? Daughter, are you hungry? I'll cook for you."

"Um."

Mo Shixin nodded.

"I'm hungry, let's get back to the story."

Covering her face, she lied to her father just like she lied to anyone else.

When the father and daughter came out of the room, Mo Hesheng went straight to the kitchen.

As for Mo Shixin, because of his heavy footsteps, he had to walk very slowly, and it took him a while to come out.

"Did you see that?"

Chen Yang squinted, glanced at Mo Shixin, and then turned his head to the side, probably not wanting to reveal his expression.

"I tried my best, maybe I found out too late. But... I really want to help him."

"I know, Uncle Chen, it's not your fault."