Elegy from Another World

A stared intently at the scrolling data stream on the holographic screen, his fingers rapidly tapping on the virtual keyboard, his eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light. His voice, transmitted through an encrypted communication channel to a distant conference room, carried an undeniable authority in every word: "Ladies and gentlemen, after decades of research and development, the latest fully immersive brain-computer interface system is finally available! It can perfectly synchronize neural signals, allowing users to experience 100% realistic sensations, whether it's pain, touch, or emotional fluctuations... This is the ultimate form of virtual reality! Humanity will completely break free from the constraints of the physical body and reshape itself in the digital world." His tone grew increasingly impassioned, as if he could already see countless consciousnesses soaring freely in a virtual galaxy.

B sat alone at his empty desk, the neon lights of the city skyline flashing outside the window. He gently swirled the wine in his glass, a cold smile playing on his lips. "We've partnered with the world's top gaming companies and will soon be launching a revolutionary virtual world. Wealth, power, even a second life… everything will be redefined." His voice was low and calm, yet it carried an arrogant air of controlling destiny. "The class barriers in reality will be completely shattered—of course, rebuilt in a more subtle way."

C stood before the isolation glass of the laboratory, recording data with an expressionless face. Inside the incubation chamber, the experimental subject violently slammed against the reinforced glass, emitting muffled roars. C reported into his headset: "The 9,500th 'Humanity Stripping' experiment has failed. After completely erasing morality and emotion, the experimental subject is left with only primal bestiality, unable to develop the cooperative abilities required for advanced civilization." His voice was cold and mechanical, as if stating a conclusion unrelated to himself.

D leaned back on the old sofa in the study, his fingertips tracing the yellowed pages of a philosophy book. Hearing C's report, he sighed softly, "It seems the contradiction between good and evil in human nature is actually the cornerstone of maintaining social structure. Completely eliminating humanity would only create mad beasts." His gaze fell on the setting sun outside the window, as if grappling with an unsolvable question: "If civilization must be built upon the chaos of human nature, is our so-called 'progress' merely self-deception?"

E sat with his legs crossed in a leather swivel chair, the screen in front of him displaying real-time surveillance footage of prisons worldwide. He casually scrolled through a batch of prisoners' files and said nonchalantly into the communicator, "Send all the death row inmates selected from prisons around the world to the new world as initial NPCs. Since the death penalty has been abolished in the real world, let them become slaves or livestock in the virtual world—after all, they've already been abandoned by society." His tone carried a condescending indifference, as if he were arranging the fate of a batch of expired goods.

F was sweating profusely at the gym when E's instructions came through his earpiece. He scoffed, the veins bulging on his arm as he lifted the dumbbells: "Makes sense. The ultimate value of this garbage is to become nourishment for the new world." Beads of sweat dripped down his chin, reflecting the naked utilitarianism in his eyes. "Survival of the fittest, that's the eternal law of the universe."

Under the spotlight backstage at the press conference, facing millions of viewers in a virtual projection, G displayed a professional and radiant smile: "Our collaborative game is about to launch globally! Players can freely explore a world of swords and magic, experiencing real life-and-death adventures..." His voice was infectious, as if he were describing a utopian ideal, but a subtle shadow flickered deep in his eyes.

H, lurking in the shadows of the data center, monitored the login data of users worldwide. Hearing G's presentation, he chuckled softly into the encrypted channel: "Of course, they won't know that behind those 'intelligent NPCs' are actually living consciousnesses." His fingers tapped lightly on the console, like playing a silent requiem.

I huddled in the cramped monitoring room, the screen flashing bloody images from the virtual world—plunder, enslavement, torture… Her fingertips trembled slightly as she murmured into the communicator, “Just as the higher-ups predicted. Without legal constraints in the virtual world, plunder, enslavement, torture… humanity’s true nature is laid bare.” Her voice was hoarse with despair, as if she were witnessing a slow suicide of civilization.

J stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of a high-rise building, looking down at the city below, which swarmed like ants. Hearing I's lament, he picked up his coffee, took a sip, and said indifferently, "When good and evil lose their consequences, the cloak of civilization crumbles at the slightest touch." His expressionless face was reflected in the glass, as if he had already accepted this cruel truth.

K sat in his top-of-the-line office in the financial center, a screen in front of him displaying the economic curves of the virtual world. He smiled contentedly at his satellite phone: "The 'caste system' driven by capital has been a resounding success. The rich monopolize virtual resources through brain-computer interfaces, while the poor are utterly deprived of any chance of rising above their circumstances—the Matthew effect is irreversible." His finger lightly traced the ever-widening wealth gap on the screen, as if admiring a work of art.

L lay on a beach chair on his private island, listening to the sound of the waves and K's report. He lazily took off his sunglasses and replied to his watch, "Very good, this is the ultimate form of stability." Sunlight shone on his well-maintained face, as if even the years could not erode this tranquility built on exploitation.

M sat bolt upright in bed, his pajamas soaked with cold sweat. He growled into the communicator hidden under his pillow, "Hey! You really want to activate Project 'Fire Seed'? This is suicide! You know how they treat traitors—they'll skin you alive and make you wish you were dead!" His voice was distorted with fear, and his nails dug deep into his palms.

Jie Zhouyi stood alone on the rooftop, the cold wind ruffling his hair. He gazed at the city below, divided by neon lights, his tone eerily calm: "Don't you think this world is too pathetic? The rich live forever, the poor are slaves forever... If someone has to pay the price for change, let me, the 'bad guy,' do it." His fingertips gently caressed an old metal badge in his pocket, engraved with a faded gardenia pattern.

M clutched her hair, nearly in despair: "But what about your family?!"

Dr. Jie Zhou looked up as a shooting star streaked across the night sky. His voice was as soft as a sigh: "There will always be someone who becomes the spark that ignites a prairie fire... even if my name is etched on the pillar of shame."

Project "Spark" has officially launched, codenamed "Jasmine = Liscia".