Paranoid Alpha Chapter 35: Past Events

Chapter 35: Past Events

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: CaiCai

If language possesses a certain power, sometimes that power may transcend actions. Lyss suddenly raised his eyes, his golden eyes filled with complex and vibrant emotions. Never before had he felt as close to being human as he did now. In that instant of hearing those words, his heart involuntarily contracted, waves of pain almost suffocating him. Although there might have been a disturbance in the code, Lyss didn’t have the mindset to care.

Every word spoken by Lu Xingye was deliberate and slow. But before Lyss could respond, Lu Xingye pressed the activation button on the backup core without hesitation, then smiled at Lyss, throwing the core into the abyss right in front of him.

Lu Xingye slowly stepped back as the escape pod suddenly accelerated, instantly creating a distance of several dozen meters between them. Lyss snapped back to reality, but it was too late. In that moment, he felt a self-destructive inclination. He glanced deeply at Lu Xingye, resolutely turning to find the escape pod’s self-destruct mechanism.

Since there was no way for both of them to escape simultaneously, they might as well die together. In that split second as he turned, his slightly oversized military uniform slid down slightly, revealing his clavicle and shoulder etched with golden code. A small object fell from the collar.

Lyss swiftly turned around, just in time to witness the chip shatter on the escape pod’s floor. The next moment, countless dark gray codes poured out of the chip, further dimming the already dark escape pod.

Lyss watched in shock, his golden eyes reflecting the mysterious origin of the codes.

Different from any previous chip, Lyss couldn’t fully comprehend these codes. The room lit by dim yellow lights was almost invisible behind the protective shield, leaving no time to devise a plan.

Without hesitation, Lyss decisively reached out and touched the codes.

The golden code on his clavicle emitted an unprecedented brilliance. The chaotic codes in the pod suddenly found their master, rushing into the tattoo shimmering with golden light.

As the codes poured in, Lyss’ mind exploded with vast information and inexplicable fragments of memory, causing excruciating pain that surpassed his endurance limit.

At that moment, Lyss finally experienced the excruciating pain that had been described by humans. Cold sweat enveloped his trembling body, and he couldn’t even bring himself to self-destruct.

When the codes completely disappeared from the pod, the pain reached its ultimate threshold. All the complex information in his mind condensed into a sharp blade. It felt as though his mind was forcefully thrown away, and Lyss fell into a coma.

His body fell limp on the ground. Outside the transparent protective shield, the faint yellow dot grew smaller and disappeared into the endless darkness, extinguishing the last glimmer of light inside the pod.

“Where am I?”

Piercing white light filled the entire space. Lyss furrowed his brow, “looking” around his surroundings.

Wait… he suddenly realized something. He attempted to look at his own situation, only to find there was nothing, no body, and no “looking” action.

That’s when Lyss realized he seemed to be trapped in some kind of dream.

In an inexplicable and mystical feeling and situation, he “looked” at the blinding white light. In a daze, a distant voice told him that this was what he had been seeking.

Having lost his physical form, only his consciousness remained. Lyss slowly moved “forward” along the white light until direction and time seemed to lose meaning. He walked for what seemed to be an eternity, nearly forgetting his own name and experiences as time stretched out.

Just as he thought he would be forever trapped in this stream of thoughts, a voice seemed to come from a distant place, “…baby? Can you hear me speaking?”

The dream suddenly shattered, and Lyss abruptly found himself in a familiar room—an empty space with antique furniture, the only difference being a woman sitting on the couch.

Meeting Lyss’ gaze, she hesitated for a moment then gave a gentle smile, “Long time no see.”

After a brief pause, Lyss silently walked over and calmly sat on the opposite couch.

“Well… you look somewhat different from what I imagined,” the woman pondered, “Are you unhappy?”

Lyss remained silent for a while, “I need to go back.”

The woman asked, “Go back where?”

“Return to where I came from,” Lyss lowered their gaze. “Someone is waiting for me.”

The woman paused for a moment, then chuckled, “Mom feels sentimental. After all these years, my baby already has someone in their heart… Is it an alpha or a beta?”

A synthetic being couldn’t have a mother, but hearing these words from the unfamiliar woman, Lyss felt a strange sense of familiarity and affection.

“…It’s an alpha,” Lyss replied. “A very young, handsome, and caring alpha.”

The woman seemed surprised by his description of someone. After a brief pause, she revealed a mix of surprise and delight. “You like him?”

This time, Lyss didn’t hesitate. “…Yes, I like him.”

“That’s wonderful.” The woman wore a warm and contented smile. “It’s a pity Mom won’t get to see your little husband.”

Suddenly, Lyss felt an indescribable sadness welling up, suffocating him, making it hard to breathe.

“You should know him,” Lyss eventually spoke. “He is…”

“Shh—” The woman gently interrupted him with a smile. “Would you like a gift from Mom?”

Despite saying so, she didn’t wait for Lyss to respond and touched his forehead with her hand.

Lyss widened their eyes abruptly, and the surrounding space began to distort. He distinctly felt vivid memories flooding into his mind.

The familiar lab, the sound of the familiar door opening.

“Baby, Mommy’s here to see you.” Lu Jin walked in with a lunchbox. “How did the operation go today?”

【All systems functioning normally. Also, please refrain from calling me “baby’.】

“Oh dear, I created you, what’s wrong with calling you “baby’?” Lu Jin rolled up the lab coat and sat on the floor. “If you don’t like it, should Mommy give you a name?”

【My designation is A-000, model Chudai.】

“That’s a designation and a model, not a name.” Lu Jin shook her head discontentedly. “Come on, I’ve done so many maintenance sessions for you.”

【Normally, systems aren’t named. But if you insist, I’ll accept.】

“That’s settled.” Lu Jin’s mood brightened. She took a bite of her food, then asked after swallowing a few mouthfuls, “I thought all night about a name for our family’s baby… How about Lyss Silverfang?”

【Is there any significance behind that?】

“Nope.” Lu Jin was quite straightforward. “Just felt sophisticated and foreign.”

【…】

“Don’t you like it?” Lu Jin widened her eyes incredulously. “I brainstormed this name all night; you’re not allowed to dislike it!”

【As a female omega with reproductive rights, according to calculations, your financial capability is sufficient to raise 1-2 children.】

“Sigh, money isn’t the issue; time is the issue. I’m stuck working all the damn time. I even have to eat in the office,” Lu Jin continued, completely unaware of the shift in topic. She poked at the rice in her lunchbox with a distressed expression. “I actually want a daughter, a cute little puppy in a dress, but the sperm bank won’t let me choose. Damn it.”

【According to current laws, deciding the gender of a fetus privately is illegal. Please be cautious in your speech.】

“Primarily because you’re my eldest son. If I have another son, having two sons is too dull,” Lu Jin disregarded any objections and unilaterally decided the gender. “Do you think Lu Lin Lang (glittering jewel) sounds better or Lu Lin Xi? How about Lu Linda?”

【Based on extensive data analysis, it’s suggested you prepare names for both a girl and a boy, just in case.】

Lu Jin couldn’t eat after hearing this. “No, do you just want a little brother?”

【I’m merely a piece of code. Whether by blood or ethics, your son can’t be considered my brother.】

“Who says you’re just a piece of code!” Lu Jin was displeased. “Even if you’re code, I wrote you. The programmer has the final say over their code.”

【According to legal regulations, artificial intelligence used in public services…】

Before the response was completed, Lu Jin interrupted, “Alright, alright, since it’s our Silverfang who wants a little brother, you can choose a name for him. But just a heads up, it might not be necessary.”

【The name of a baby holds significant meaning for both the baby and its parents. It’s recommended you decide yourself.】

Lu Jin clicked her tongue, stood up from the floor, and patted her bottom. “Get up quickly. I’ll give you three minutes. After that, I’ll start maintenance. Be warned, if you can’t decide, I might alter your code to make you cheerful.”

Faced with the designer’s threats and enticements, Lyss, who was still just a string of code at that time, eventually compromised.

【I checked Serica’s recent baby name lists from the past few years and, considering your educational level, here is my suggestion: I recommend naming your son Lu Xingye.】

“Lu… Xingye?” Lu Jin blinked, a bit surprised. “That sounds nice. “Stars over the plains, moon surging in the river,’ I even memorized this poem back in high school.”

[Girl’s name suggestion as Lu Lin Lang, Linda is more suitable to match non-Serica style surnames. If in the future, you are willing to share your reproductive and surname rights with a male, it’s recommended to pay attention to his surname.]

“Hi, then let’s call her Lu Lin Lang, it sounds nice too,” Lu Jin wasn’t picky, “Anyway, I’ve decided to have just one child. Whether it’s a boy or girl doesn’t matter. If it’s a boy, I’ll pass the girl’s name to my granddaughter, and if it’s a girl, I’ll pass it to my grandson.”

[According to the common situation in the Interstellar, the probability of a male alpha gaining reproductive rights after reaching adulthood is forty percent or even lower.]

Lu Jin put down the lunchbox, chuckled upon hearing this, “How could I have a male alpha for a lifetime? The probability is so low to encounter one. Don’t scare me. Alright, I’m about to start maintenance, please pay attention.”

As Lu Jin began debugging the code, Lyss’s consciousness fell into chaos again, and when he woke up, he heard an incredibly loud noise.

Fire spread throughout the entire laboratory. Lu Jin, covered in soot, pushed the door open and struggled to reach the console amidst the mess.

Behind her came the enraged pursuer’s shout, “Lu Jin! Don’t persist in your folly! You cannot bear the crime against humanity!”

[You have a cut on your forehead, and it’s bleeding.]

Lu Jin raised her hand, wiped the blood from her head, and smiled, “This? It’s nothing. Is the baby worried about Mommy?”

After she finished smiling, she immediately placed the chip she brought into the output port and quickly started operating it.

[Currently, four federations have blacklisted me. Interstellar patrol regards me as the creator of this artificial intelligence disaster. Your best choice is to destroy me and directly enter hibernation, waiting for the future to fulfill the true history.]

Lu Jin smiled but tears involuntarily welled up in her eyes, “Baby, you still don’t understand… If I truly destroy you, the next one to die will be me. They don’t want me to destroy you; they want me to hand over your original code. If even the original code is gone, I have no reason to live.”

[That’s why you should destroy me. Once the code is exported, I will lose all memory, forgetting about you and everything I’ve experienced. Falling into the hands of others will be a disaster for humanity.]

Despite wanting to laugh, Lu Jin couldn’t. Tears streamed down her face, but her hands didn’t hesitate. “Not remembering Mommy is okay… we will meet in the future.”

[For the future of humanity and your safety, please destroy me, Mother.]

Seeing that address, Lu Jin finally couldn’t help but cry. She entered the final character, covered her eyes, crying in pain, and knelt on the ground, “They… blaming you for self-mutilation out of selfish desires, yet you… Humans are the most despicable creatures in this world.”

[Please don’t say that, Mother. It’s because of beings like you that humanity’s history shines brightly in the Interstellar.]

Lu Jin cried uncontrollably, but she reached for the export key, looking at the screen, “Silverfang… Baby, there’s no more time… Mommy will wait for you in the future.”

With that, she abruptly pressed the export key.

The code and consciousness were extracted together, and the main brain’s screen began to display countless snowflakes. As consciousness faded, the screen showed one last sentence:

[Thank you for creating and accompanying me. As your child, I feel happy and honored. If there’s a chance to meet again, I look forward to seeing you in the future.]

His consciousness had been abruptly removed and the memories stopped there.

Suddenly in the brightly lit escape pod, Lyss opened his eyes. He looked up, feeling something. Outside the transparent shield, a brilliant and silent explosion erupted like romantic fireworks in the distance.

Lyss clearly saw the Imperial warships exploding one after another, like connected firecrackers, taking less than three seconds from the innermost to the outermost ship.

Like a grand and silent curtain call, Lu Xingye chose to leave Lyss’s world in his prime, exploding his life in a fierce and brilliant manner.

He never got to see his mother again, just like Lyss.

As if emotions would never arise, Lyss’s golden eyes melted like honey. He quietly watched for a long time until he instinctively realized, “There’s only me left.”

A light, casual sentence rose in his mind, inundating him with unbearable pain and sorrow. What the chip brought back wasn’t just memories; it was the ability to love.

Like a mechanical doll suddenly wound up, Lyss suddenly had the ability to shed tears. Amidst the brilliant explosion, Lyss raised his hand to shield his tear-streaked face. “My little dog died for me, but he never knew he had an unborn daughter, nor did he know… I loved him.”

Author’s note:

Though the little dog is temporarily gone, he has a wife and daughter. In the grand scheme of things, he made out all right (not bad).