Chapter 837 - 116: Witnessing Cyber Psychosis: Machine Soul Ritual

[Lille: They’re gone.]

"Who?"

Elliot looked bewildered.

[Lille: Since you boarded the public tram leaving the factory, Network Supervision has been accessing the backdoor in your prosthetics to check your status.]

[Lille: I guess they must be tracking you somewhere nearby, probably on the tram or elsewhere. Anyway, they’ve been monitoring you.]

"Why are they watching me?"

[Lille: Rather, when aren’t you under surveillance... When I say ’surveillance,’ I mean they’ve decided to focus temporarily on reviewing your data.]

[Lille: I remember explaining to you already, all legal citizens of the European Union are under 24-hour surveillance. The difference is whether they choose to look at your data or not.]

[Munemasa: Plus, it depends on the data storage and processing capacity of the entire monitoring system. People with no value might have their data circulating through processors and storage spaces unnoticed throughout their lives.]

[Munemasa: But you, ever since Network Supervision investigated you once, you are no longer among those people.]

Elliot was speechless: They were constantly being watched; Lille didn’t need to tell him this, he already knew.

This saying had long circulated in Europe’s extensive network. Many inaccessible BBS had mentioned it, and even on some larger forums, this view was often seen.

But before... he was one of those "worthless" people.

Elliot had always had a mostly positive attitude towards this kind of surveillance: the ID system and surveillance network greatly ensured the safety within the European Union. After all, if you’re not a criminal, why would you fear public surveillance?

As for personal privacy... how can someone who doesn’t understand information technology fully ensure confidentiality when using these technologies? Like those monks who completely avoid using prosthetics?

He’s just an ordinary person, Network Supervision couldn’t possibly publicize his privacy online to make him publicly humiliated, right?

But now he suddenly realized this surveillance seemed to be a bit overbearing...

The main reason was, he seemed to be no longer a "law-abiding citizen."

Elliot swallowed hard: Right! He’s no longer a law-abiding citizen!

"Can’t we... can’t we close the backdoor?"

[Lille: Closing the backdoor is also an observable anomaly, so most of the time we use deception.]

[Lille: Deception is much more clever than refusal.]

"It’s indeed clever, but I want to know what I should do now?"

Elliot lay on the sofa, though the illusion shattered, and though he experienced the process from Hell to Heaven, and back to Hell, upon hearing the voice in his head, the disappointment brought by the sense of gap quickly vanished.

Instead, the curiosity about an uncertain future began to bud.

After finishing, Elliot’s gaze was drawn to the TV: it was reporting on this incident again.

[Foxstone Police Station reported:]

[At 14:23 today, a malicious injury incident occurred at the European Tunnel Company’s Factory No. 2 in the UK.]

[Preliminary investigations showed that the suspect had enormous debts that he couldn’t repay and was frustrated due to declining job performance, leading to a rampage in the factory, disrupting production and retaliating against society.]

[Joint reconnaissance by the relevant company and Network Supervision revealed that the suspect had long used outdated prosthetic software and failed to maintain his prosthetics properly...]

"Moreover..." Elliot paused, a scene flashed in his mind of a head battered and bloodied by heat and impact, "I want to know... what’s the deal with the cyber psychosis?"

It’s cyber psychosis, right? It must be psychosis! This news made it sound like he was a normal person!"

[Lille: He was indeed cyber psychosis.]

[Lille: His name is Sylvan Zaka. When you linked the control panel, I found his work log containing some records.]

[Lille: A typhoon might make landfall again in Foxstone soon. Previous damages and future risk resistance demands have increased factory production targets. They set very high targets for him, but he couldn’t meet them.]

[Lille: According to the information, he’s spent over 20 hours in the factory each day this month. He’s practically been wandering the production line daily, watching this worker, or that machine, just hoping to increase efficiency a bit more...]

[Lille: But he couldn’t make it happen.]

[Lille: Odd, he should be very active in the factory. Haven’t you seen him?]

Elliot shook his head: "I was at Factory No. 1 before."

[Lille: Hmm... your transfer here is somewhat related to him. Recently he fired quite a few underperforming workers.]

[Lille: Do you want to look at his work log?]

"Yes."

...

[Work Log 20771101]

[Sylvan Zaka: The typhoon is coming! We must hurry with production, or it will severely disrupt communications across the channel.]

[Sylvan Zaka: Foxstone is a heroic city! As a member of the European Tunnel Company, protecting public communication is my duty!]

[Sylvan Zaka: Haha! I’m going to write this phrase within the internal network; I believe everyone will strive for this goal.]

[Sylvan Zaka: Come on! Rampant production! Let us conquer nature with industrial technology!]

[Sylvan Zaka: Efficiency above all!]

[Work Log 20771102]

[Sylvan Zaka: The new production plan is very useful, I’m replacing it on all production lines.]

[Sylvan Zaka: This model requires high tension from both humans and machines; there cannot be any errors.]

[Sylvan Zaka: The manager praised me; I need to work harder, for the performance bonus!]

[Work Log 20771103]

[Sylvan Zaka: The production line had problems again, sigh, these idiots... why does someone always make mistakes?]

[Work Log 20771104]

[Sylvan Zaka: My left arm prosthetics have recently had occasional delays, the repair shop said it’s due to voltage instability, but I’ve spent all my money. Hopefully, it won’t malfunction... The factory is counting on me.]

[Sylvan Zaka: Keep holding on, there will be a way.]

[Work Log 20771105]

[Sylvan Zaka: The error rate is increasing! These fools!]

[Sylvan Zaka: Those above don’t understand! We need better equipment! We need more experienced workers!]

[Sylvan Zaka: If this continues, we won’t meet production targets... If this continues, bonuses, the operation of the Anglo-French channel, all will be disrupted. If the typhoon causes channel interruptions, how many people will suffer?]

[Sylvan Zaka: We need to do better...]

[Work Log 20771105]

[Sylvan Zaka: There have been constant malfunctions recently, and productivity fell by 3%. The manager scolded us for 20 minutes during the meeting and even threatened layoffs if we don’t meet targets by the year’s end.]

[Sylvan Zaka: He speaks easily, but doesn’t he know how exhausted we are here? With this time spent arguing, why not apply for more funding to add machines and workers!]

[Sylvan Zaka: Workers’ skills are lacking, operations are not standardized, efficiency is too low, I’ve had to adjust each one, and some people are just skimping off work all day...]

[Sylvan Zaka: Machines, workers, engineers, and supply chains, these things are the soul of modern industry, but now only machines are dutifully performing.]

[Sylvan Zaka: Old Tom is in good shape, but the operator is so dumb, almost got all prosthetics tangled inside. Hopefully, he won’t have issues, or we’ll have even fewer machines.]

[Work Log 20771106]

[Sylvan Zaka: Today I got furious; a new operator mistakenly adjusted the speed of the conveyor belt, causing a batch of goods to get stuck. Really wants to rip his prosthetic off and shove it up his ass!]

[Sylvan Zaka: Machines also hate these people, I can feel it.]

[Work Log 20771107]

[Sylvan Zaka: Little Blue, Little Red, Old Tom... they’ve been emitting strange noises more frequently lately...]

[Sylvan Zaka: I feel they’re protesting, protesting how stupid the newcomers are! Protesting that damn manager, who’s worthless, can’t secure any resources!]

[Work Log 20771108]

[Sylvan Zaka: I finally understand! Those machines—Little Blue, Old Jack, they’re not malfunctioning, they’re protesting!]

They’re not dissatisfied with production, they’re dissatisfied with those idiots! Managers, newcomers, and those lazy bums! They’re expressing themselves to me, wanting me to speak for them.

I must appease the Machine Soul, must improve efficiency! Anyone who doesn’t listen, I must make them shut up!]

[The Machine Soul must be appeased!]

[Today is a good day.]

[Tomorrow, we’ll see a brand new production line; the Machine Soul will be very happy.]

[Efficiency above all!!!]