Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"I heard that's where the Vulcan device is driven. But I didn't go in to see what's there. But the noise inside is very loud. The other Vulcan devices are silent. Only this one is making noises non-stop. I suggest that if you want to investigate, start from here. You'll definitely find the answer."

Chapter 1336 Construction Site Inspection

It is indeed accurate when you check it.

When Shangluo broke into the room through the window, he saw an acquaintance.

Archimedes himself was actually there, followed by a large group of people in white coats from the Syracuse Academy, all gathered around a large copper ball.

Shangluo's entry through the window stunned everyone.

"Wait! I can explain!" Archimedes jumped out of the bathtub, this time without the mosaic.

【Ahhhhh! My eyes! 】

The people around him hurriedly wrapped Archimedes in a bath towel and wrapped him up like a spring roll.

"Alas," Shangluo covered his forehead, "You said you want to explain, so you have to admit it, right?"

"We have our reasons for doing this!" Before he could finish, the person next to him covered his mouth. Shangluo had just said one sentence, and Archimedes kept saying "there are reasons" and "there are explanations", and was about to confess everything.

"Let me go!" Archimedes pushed the researcher next to him away. "Your Majesty, the King of Rome, please listen to me. Scientists are the simplest! They were born for the progress of the world!"

"Yes, I'm listening." Shangluo nodded, "Do you have anything else to say? If you have said everything, I will start the inspection."

"Wait!" Archimedes raised his right hand and pointed to the sky. "Have you checked the space station? I think they are also at fault! Those undisciplined automata made the biggest mistakes! This time it's not our fault, it's all because those automata were too tempting!"

"Huh?" Shangluo understood a little. It seemed that they were not working here for Rome, but specifically for the automaton.

"Go on." Shang Luo raised his hand to signal, "Tell me in detail why you are here and what you are doing. Sage Archimedes, you go ahead."

"First of all, Your Majesty, don't you think the existence of Columbia's automaton is an act of usurpation?"

"That's true." Shangluo nodded. Even though he had a lot of cooperation with the automata, Shangluo still believed that these inhuman beings were quite dangerous. If there was a chance, he would not refuse a solution that could solve the Columbia automata once and for all.

But he must implement this plan himself and decide when to implement it.

One reason is that automata are still somewhat useful today.

Secondly, and most importantly, the automaton would still listen to Shangluo's orders and execute them according to his will. Through the existence of the chef, Shangluo indirectly controlled the automaton.

But if someone intends to control the automaton, it would be equivalent to snatching the control of the automaton from Shangluo, which is absolutely unacceptable.

Just like destroying the moon, the Academy of Syracuse had the strongest motivation and the strongest ability to act in the above actions, because they developed the automaton technology.

In the past, this technology was firmly suppressed by the Muses in terms of ethics, but now that the automata have broken free from their cages, the ethical framework has long been broken, and their actions now seem reasonable.

"So, what are you doing here?" Shangluo asked, "What do you want to launch with this cannon?"

"Tripod Automaton (TRIPOD)"

【Good fellow!!!】

An unexpected, yet logical answer. As Shangluo had previously learned, the only thing that could counter a two-legged machine was a three-legged machine.

The current automata are strictly speaking bipedal automata. The unified code name for this type of automata is "waiter", including the chef.

In Roman mythology, [Servants] are automatons created by the god of fire Vulcan to serve the gods. This is also the origin of Vulcan's core technology.

However, in addition to the two-legged automata such as the [Attendant], the God of Fire Vulcan also created a special, three-legged automaton (TRIPOD) for his assistant. Like the Attendant, this type of automaton is collectively called the [Craftsman].

[Craftsmen] are automata that create automata. Although Vulcan's works are infused with his own divine power, the specific operations are all completed by [Craftsmen], including the work of making [Servants].

In other words, for [Servants] like the chef, their direct creator is actually [Craftsmen]. Craftsmen have a natural suppressive power over these creations and have stronger creativity.

As craftsmen, these tripod automata are also obvious in terms of wielding forging hammers and carrying materials, and they have unparalleled strength that [Servants] cannot match. They are the singularities that will truly pose an explosive threat to humans.

"What are you guys doing?" Shang Luo covered his forehead. "Who came up with this idea? Even I know that three-legged automata cannot be manufactured, right?"

"But we want to make progress too much! We cannot tolerate the [Servants] usurping the divine authority. They actually built a huge space station in the sky, which should have been our glory. So we, in a moment of excitement, decided to deploy a [Craftsman] to control all the [Servants]."

"Then stop it immediately."

"It's too late. The launch has already taken place."

"Huh???" Zheng Shijie was stunned for a moment, "How did you launch it? How come I don't know?"

"The [Craftsman] modified this giant structure and made it more suitable for the structure of the barrel. Three days ago, the first [Craftsman] was launched."

"Then what are you doing here?" Shangluo asked in surprise, "Shouldn't you run away now that you succeeded?"

"Ah," Archimedes covered his forehead, "Originally I didn't have to be here. But the [Craftsman] was launched off track and into a nearby orbit. We are here to control the craftsman to change the orbit."

"Why don't you give the craftsmen a warp device, too?"

"He's not stupid." Archimedes said helplessly, "He refused. He knew that thing would explode."

"Ah," Shangluo said helplessly, "Really, I think he is easier to work with than you. Do you have any pictures?"

"Yes, yes, yes, please look." Everyone made way. Between them, there was a screen propped up on the table. The image on the screen was spinning and turning upside down, and the circular space station could be vaguely seen on the screen.

"What is it doing?"

"Because the orbit is only a little bit off, we are controlling it to dismantle itself in such a way that it throws off mass and reaches a higher orbit."

"Is it obedient?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. He obeys our orders completely, except for letting him die. Because the way we control him is the threat of death, and he will not execute orders that will kill him."

"Give me the remote. I'm taking over this matter. You guys, pack your things and prepare for the court-martial."

Chapter 1337 Tripod Machine

"It's really... really surprising." After receiving the news, the chef revealed a hint of fear in his tone - Shangluo hadn't received any other emotions from him for a long time.

The tripod is an exception.

After all, from the original design, the tripod is the creator and nemesis of the biped. These [craftsmen] can decide the fate of [servants] like switching on and off a light bulb.

However, according to Shangluo, only 20 tripods were built, because according to legend, Vulcan himself only built 20 tripods for use. If the information is true, or Syracuse did not violate the regulations, the tripod here should be one twentieth.

"So, Your Majesty, King of Rome, have you ordered the tripod to stop its operations?"

"Not really. I just thought you might need the help of the Tripod as well?"

Shangluo asked tentatively.

"No, no, no! We don't need it!" The chef quickly refused. They could solve their own problems behind closed doors, but if there was an unexpected force interfering with them, that would be another problem.

"Really not necessary?" Shangluo asked again.

"If you insist, we can do it. We will execute your orders unconditionally." The chef did not resist any more. Shangluo's orders were the goal of the Colombian Automaton State, and all his instructions would be executed unconditionally.

Even if they allowed a natural enemy like the Tripod to enter their fortress,

"Then let the tripod enter the space station."

After all, the structure of the bipedal machine is still limited by the shape of the human body, and the three tentacles of the tripod machine are more suitable for the work of the space station. And the problem is not just the shape.

Shangluo had seen those bipedal machines working before - as [waiters], they were more than capable of doing housework. But their strength was so weak that they could even knock down an underage girl with one punch. This level of strength was obviously not suitable for work.

Therefore, the waiter's daily work is generally not about carrying heavy objects, but about lighter and more technical work.

Although there is no weight in space, it still takes strength to move objects, because moving an object requires force. Weightlessness only allows movement to be maintained for a long time without the need for force.

But the powerful tripods are different. These machines are born to work. The three-legged figures can walk freely on the outer walls of the space station and pass through narrow corridors, which is far more useful than the humanoid two-legged machines.

However, Shangluo still didn’t know how these three-legged machines restrained the two-legged machines - but judging from the chef’s performance, the efficiency of this restraint might be quite high, otherwise the chef wouldn’t be so cautious.

"As you wish, my Lord." The chef responded to Shangluo's order, "We will allow the tripod into our fortress. We will regard him as your agent and obey the orders he conveys."

After the call was hung up, it was almost time for the tripod to enter the space station. On TV, a tripod could be seen climbing the outer wall of the space station and approaching the entrance.

"By the way," Shangluo asked, "how do you control this tripod?"

[Well, how should I put it, the tripod is actually very stupid. 】

"What do you mean? You're very professional but also a bit dumb?"

[That's the reason—but in terms of versatility, tripods are inferior to bipeds. Tripods can't solve every problem like bipeds can; their strength and ability are entirely focused on their craftsmanship. So this "stupidity" isn't in the usual sense, but rather because tripods are so focused on their primary role that they struggle to perform tasks beyond their primary role.]

"So the tripod is controlled by logic?"

[No, it’s actually through voice. It’s the remote control in front of you. You speak and it will obey. The power of words is strong, and it applies here too.]

"Is this a remote control?" Shangluo looked at the console in front of him - there were no buttons on it, just a screen. The screen continued to display what the three-legged creature had observed, and it was not far from the space station.

[Do you see that microphone? You will use it to give commands to the tripod. Please try to give clear, simple, and easy-to-understand answers. Do not use abstract metaphors or the like. As long as the command is recognized, the tripod will move according to your command.]

“Need to charge?”

[No. Whether it is a tripod or a biped, they are all driven by a perpetual motion machine, so they can continue to operate without charging. However, considering the situation in use, the performance of the perpetual motion machine is also different - the servant robot can work 24 hours a day without interruption, anyway, their energy consumption is not high. And these craftsmen, they only work 12 hours a day, and the rest of the time they need to rest and sleep. ]

"They actually need sleep?"

[Yes. Although they don't need energy, they must restore their emotions after working for a period of time, otherwise they will not be able to maintain their work efficiency. Craftsmen are much more stubborn than servants, and this is also the design they were created with. ]

"So, all I have to do to control it is speak into the microphone, right? Do I need any specific instructions?"

[No need. They will listen to whoever gets the remote control. Because the remote control has more authority than the tripod's autonomous thinking.]

From this perspective, these scientific and technological ethics are still very strict.

If nothing unexpected happened, these mechanisms would work normally, and the efficiency of the entire Roman system would not be too low. However, everyone knew that there was a big problem with the system designed by Rome. The loss of control of the automaton alone made the Romans unable to even trust themselves.

"Well, let me use it."

He picked up the phone: "Tripod. Working."

There was a murmur of reply from the other side. The tripod could not speak, but it could make some sounds in reply.

"Continue to follow your orders, then take control of the station and await my arrival."

[You seem very satisfied. Have you thought of some use for it?]

"Let me ask first, Apollonia, are there only 20 tripods?"

[Yes, I can only summon twenty. So, what are you thinking? ]

"I was wondering if I could control the Columbian Automaton through the tripods. After all, there are only 20 tripods in total, and it would be enough to have them guarding all over the world, and to prevent the emergence of too much power. And...if I could build them myself, I would probably build more tripods to establish an automaton administrative system."

Chapter 1338 Bread of the Space Station

That night, Shangluo entered the shell on the equipment that had been debugged long ago.

This shell is not a big burden for him. After all, he is a celestial being, and he won't even get bruises.

However, according to Shangluo's request, this shell was not launched using the Vulcan device, but still used a multi-stage explosion, using just the right amount of high-temperature gas to send the shell into the sky.

The fuel used during the launch was naturally Torch Element, which was a quantity that a Qigong practitioner could control. Because there was no payload, Shangluo quickly reached the intended target, and the space station was on it.

At this moment, he is not the first person to enter outer space, but he is the only person currently staying in the universe - if automata are not considered humans.

He had never experienced the space environment before in the state of celestial being, and this was his first time entering such an environment. With the blessing of the state of celestial being, he felt unusually relaxed.

The entire launch process had no effect on him, except that it kept him stuck in the chair. After entering space, without the constraints of gravity, he felt like a fish in water.

The power of the Qigong practitioner played an interesting role at this time - he did not need to use force, he could move freely up and down, left and right as if he was in creative mode. This power can actually take effect on Earth, but because compared to the gravity of the Earth, this "wind control" power is not great, and it can only fly in an explosive state.

In the Earth environment, even Fu Yuanshan, who is famous for controlling the wind, cannot use such a weak airflow to hover stably like a hummingbird. His every move makes a lot of noise. However, here, Shangluo can do this himself.

"That's very safe." Shangluo thought for a moment. "When it comes to entering space, the most dangerous thing is probably being thrown into orbit. But if I can control the micro-air currents around me, then I can do a spacewalk on my own even when I leave the ship. That's really convenient."

If anything, it felt like he had a powered extravehicular space suit. He could actually handle the space environment on his own, because the space environment would only lose one atmosphere of pressure. As long as he took a pill, he could support himself for a long time without distraction.

If it were in an environment like Mars, which is similar to that of the Earth, a golden elixir could last even longer.

He even planned to open the hatch and cross the distance between the spacecraft and the space station in his body. But under Apollonia's persuasion, he waited obediently until the docking was complete before crossing.

As soon as the docking was successful, the other end could not wait to open the hatch:

"Welcome! His Majesty the King of Rome!"

The automatons all spoke in unison. Although they were all different in model and size, the chef was behind all of them.

"Everyone. Never mind. Just one. Chef, you're doing a great job here. But just send one person to talk to me, and the rest of you can do whatever you need to do."

So many automata gathered around him, like a troupe. He was not here to watch the show, he was here to set up a sentinel for the others on the ground, so that they could get into working order as soon as they arrived.