wavenovel Chapter 69 The Rebellion of Artificial Intelligence – "Victory Base Attacked"
Chapter 69 The Rebellion of Artificial Intelligence – "Victory Base Attacked"
Chasing Light Studio, in the western suburbs of Jinghai.
Although it is already springtime, the studio today is filled with a bone-chilling cold.
This wasn't because of the temperature, but because of the extremely oppressive set design.
To film the 31st episode of Ultraman Tiga, titled "Victory Base Attacked," Gu Nan practically transformed the entire Studio 3 into a giant "secret room."
"Come on, lighting technician, turn the main light down two degrees."
Gu Nan stood in front of the monitor, his brows furrowed.
To be fair, even with more advanced technology, perfectly replicating the excellent production quality of the original Ultraman Tiga is not an easy task.
"I'm not going for that bright, sci-fi feel. The theme of this episode is 'claustrophobia' and 'invasion.' The shadows should take up two-thirds of the screen, understand?"
"Understood, Director Gu!"
The lighting supervisor immediately took action and adjusted the spotlights on the ceiling.
In an instant, the soft white light in the corridor simulating the TPC base turned into a bleak, cold light, and the darkness lurking in the corners seemed as if some monster might jump out at any moment.
"In this episode, we're not going to do big scenes; we're going to do psychological warfare."
Gu Nan turned around and looked at Chen Bo, who was holding a script and had a constipated expression on his face.
This episode is the highlight of his role as Horii, and also his "suffering episode".
"Brother Bo, are you ready?"
Gu Nan walked over and patted Chen Bo on the shoulder. "You have the most screen time in this episode. You'll be playing two roles, one is the real Horii, and the other is... the fake Horii that Hizoma copied."
"Brother Nan, this script you wrote is way too creepy."
Chen Bo rubbed the goosebumps on his arms.
The main problem was the wet makeup, which really made Chen Bo, the fat guy, suffer a lot.
"Not only is the makeup and styling incredibly uncomfortable, but the fake Horii's lines are also creepy."
"That's exactly the effect I wanted."
Gu Nan's eyes were intense. "Have you heard of the uncanny valley? When a non-human thing looks extremely like a human, but with some subtle differences, this sense of incongruity can cause extreme fear."
"In this episode, we can even capture the sense of despair that Alien feels when being hunted by unknown creatures in a closed spaceship."
"Wang Kai, how's the 'main body' of Bizomo coming along?" Gu Nan called out, turning his head.
"Don't worry, Brother Nan!" Wang Kai pushed a big guy out of the prop room.
It was a "coral-like" creature made of translucent silicone and optical fibers.
When powered on, it emits pink and purple light, making it look both beautiful and eerie.
"And this too."
Wang Kai proudly presented a bucket of pink, viscous liquid. "This is a specially made slime that's thicker and less prone to dripping. It's non-toxic, but it looks disgusting. We'll be covering the entire lab walls with it later."
"yue~~~"
Chen Bo knew that this thing would be smeared on his face, and he felt nauseous.
"it is good."
Gu Nan nodded, picked up the megaphone, and announced, "Everyone, get ready! Ultraman Tiga Episode 31, Scene 1, Action!"
……
One week later, Friday at 8 PM.
As the plot of "Ultraman Tiga" enters its later stages, although it no longer strives for visual spectacle in every episode as it did at the beginning, viewers' engagement has only increased. Everyone has become accustomed to sitting in front of the screen at this time to see what kind of "tricks" Gu Nan will pull off this time.
The title of episode 31 has emerged: "Victory Base Attacked".
"This title... sounds a bit serious."
"The base was raided?"
The viewers were buzzing with discussion in the live chat.
The video begins.
A group of researchers were admitted to the emergency room at the biological laboratory of TPC headquarters.
A strange creature has been discovered.
The camera focused on the life form named "Bizomo".
It turns out that those researchers suffered damage to their bodily functions due to inhaling large amounts of high-concentration oxygen.
Shinjo and Horii were ordered to investigate a mysterious virus. After carefully infiltrating the room where the incident occurred, they uncovered the source of the problem.
【Huh? You can get poisoned even if you breathe oxygen?】
The air is composed of 22% oxygen and 78% nitrogen. Inhaling pure oxygen will cause poisoning. This is basic junior high school chemistry knowledge, okay?
I thought popularizing science on Douyin would be more difficult than teaching in rural areas, but I didn't expect Bilibili to have so many unqualified people.
Wow, it looks just like coral, so beautiful!
[A priest: Buhao! It's a pure oxygen attack!]
[By the way, why does the GUTS team always bring these weird things to headquarters whenever they encounter them?]
Many people in front of the screen sighed in amazement.
The object resembled a glowing crystal coral, emitting a soft light in the culture tank.
Horii's team is studying it.
"This thing can absorb carbon dioxide and release a large amount of oxygen?"
Horii looked at the data, his eyes shining. "My God, this is practically a magic weapon for controlling the greenhouse effect! If we can mass-produce them, Earth's environmental problems will be solved!"
The plot here lays a huge foreshadowing—human beings have always arrogantly believed that they can control nature and control unknown forces.
However, the nightmare descended in the dead of night.
Without any warning, the laboratory's surveillance screen suddenly flickered.
The "coral" that had been quietly sitting in the culture tank suddenly moved.
It didn't have legs; instead, it flowed out like liquid, following the data cable, and entered Horii's computer.
A line of text appeared on the screen.
That was Bizomo introducing his origins.
Horii woke up with a start.
"Are you conscious?"
"I am Bizomo... My planet has been destroyed... I just want to survive..."
A seemingly heartwarming conversation.
Bizomo disguised himself as a wandering survivor, a selfless individual dedicated to purifying the environment.
It won Horii's sympathy and even made Horii think, "Maybe we can coexist."
What the Victory Team didn't know at the time was that Bizomo's home planet perished precisely because of the over-reproduction of their individuals.
Like human desires and greed, the Bizomo can be shrunk or magnified infinitely. Once the conditions are right, they will reveal their most primal form.
But the audience sensed something was amiss.
Why does this thing talk so tactlessly?
Don't believe them! Those who are not of our kind will surely have different intentions!
Horii, you're so clever, don't be fooled!
Then, a dramatic twist occurred.
Bizomo was not content to stay in the computer.
It took advantage of Horii's kindness and controlled him.
Furthermore, by controlling Horii, they tricked Nozue into giving them permission to connect to the host.
The moment the data cable was connected, the lights throughout the TPC base instantly turned a blinding red!
"Alarm! Alarm! The main control system has been compromised!"
The originally gentle background music instantly turned into rapid electronic noise.
It was a kind of oppressive feeling that made your heart race.
The base has been sealed off. Not to defend against outsiders, but to defend against insiders.
Bizomo bared his fangs.
It is not a harmless purifier at all; it is a "biological weapon" that will stop at nothing to reproduce.
It began frantically absorbing the base's electricity.
Captain Megumi initially wanted to negotiate with him:
"Listen, we are going to discuss how you and we humans can coexist peacefully."
"So, please release Horii, okay? Please..."
"We have no desire to coexist with you, nor do we need anything from you, because we can reproduce continuously in every corner of this earth..."
"We don't have what Earthlings call compassion; all we know is how to reproduce."
As the Bizomo themselves said, they do not have what humans call compassion, so once given the opportunity, the Bizomo will frantically reproduce and expand their race like endless greedy people.
"Electricity is my food... I need to reproduce... reproduce..."
The noble reason of "purifying the environment" has instantly turned into blatant exploitation for survival.
This scene sent chills down the spines of countless viewers.
It feels like artificial intelligence.
In the comments section of Bilibili, someone pointed out the metaphor in this episode incisively.
To achieve a certain goal, AI might arrive at the optimal solution of "eliminating humanity." The same applies to Bizomo; in its pursuit of reproduction and purification, it could very well drain the Earth's energy reserves.
The most terrifying scene appeared in the laboratory.
When Shinjo Daigo arrived, they witnessed a scene that made them physically uncomfortable.
The entire laboratory walls, floor, and ceiling were covered with pink, sticky, fleshy growths.
Those were the physical forms of the Bizomo; they were wriggling and breathing, as if the entire room had become a giant stomach.
[Ugh—this is so embarrassing!]
[This episode really put the main actors through a rough patch; their wet makeup is painful to watch even through the screen.]
[Died on the spot due to trypophobia!]
I'm still really curious about the feel of Hizomo and the Monster from the Fog... what would it feel like to squeeze them?
【Oh my gosh! This is terrifying!】
And in the middle of that pile of meat, stood a person.
That's Horii.
But upon closer inspection, everyone gasped in shock.
The "Horii" was expressionless, with empty eyes and skin that had a strange plastic sheen.
He opened his mouth, but his voice sounded like it had been synthesized electronically:
"Don't get in my way... We need electricity..."
This is Horii under Hizoma's control!
Gu Nan used extremely exquisite lighting and shadow techniques here.
He deliberately gave the fake Horii a base light, instantly turning Chen Bo's originally comical face into a sinister and terrifying one.
I've noticed that these disgusting monsters seem to really like Horii.
Haha, last time when the fog came, we specifically targeted Horii.
I can never look Horii in the eye when he tells jokes again...
……
Afterwards, Horii, who had been rescued, was filled with despair and regret.
"It was me...it was me who released it..."
"I thought it was a friend... but it turns out it just wanted to eat us..."
This line echoes Gazort's line "Friends are delicious" from "Second Contact," but this time it's more profound and more cruel.
This is the dilemma of bioethics—when humans create or introduce a seemingly beneficial "artificial life," are they prepared for a backlash?
……
After Horii was rescued, Daigo noticed Rena, who had been missing for a long time.
Lina is talking to "Daigo" on the communicator.
Daigo told her through the communicator to head to Flying Swallow 2 immediately to prepare for a mission. Without much thought, Lina headed in that direction.
Little did she know that the Daigo in the communicator screen was not the real Daigo.
The cunning Hizomo used Daigo's identity to lure Rena to the Flying Swallow 2.
Bizomo's strong learning ability allowed him to quickly immerse himself in Lina's knowledge system and master the piloting skills of the Flying Swallow.
Although this enemy has no heart, its intelligence is astonishing. This means that if we don't control Bizomo's self-evolution and development as soon as possible, the consequences will be irreversible.
Daigo then quickly piloted the Hien-1 to give chase.
Just as the Flying Swallow 2 was about to crash into the fuel tank, Daigo transformed into Ultraman Tiga in time to save Rena.
Meanwhile, after absorbing the power from the entire power plant, the life form Bizomo experienced a comprehensive increase in strength, and its body subsequently began to grow to enormous size.
With its sticky, slimy appearance, Bizomo can be considered one of the most disgusting monsters in Ultraman Tiga.
Moreover, this battle was extremely difficult for Tiga.
Because Bizomo is a liquid creature, ordinary punches and kicks have no effect on it; instead, they will stick to it and be absorbed.
However, Bizomo had no intention of fighting at this moment. He walked towards the direction of high-purity electricity, as the power plant's electricity was far from enough for him.
We can't let this monster absorb electricity!
Upon seeing this, Tiga rushed forward to stop him. He then lifted the behemoth with all his might, spun it around his body two and a half times, and threw it out with great force.
After Bizomo was slammed to the ground, Tiga pressed his advantage, knocking Bizomo down again with a series of rapid punches.
However, at this moment, the cunning Bizomo set his sights on the nearby Flying Swallow 2. He knew that it was Tiga's weakness, so he began to use Rena to restrain Tiga.
Bizomo unleashed electric shocks from his eyes and arms at Flying Swallow 2, leaving Tiga with no choice but to block them with his bare body.
Afterwards, Bizomo used an electromagnetic wave barrier emanating from his own arm to block the Zepelion Ray.
For a moment, Tiga was already at a disadvantage, because his special attack couldn't get close to him at all.
Bizomo converts high-purity energy into powerful electromagnetic waves, forming a shield.
However, on the other side, the members of the Victory Team did not hold them back.
They rescued Lina!
Then, Bizomo's electric current will no longer be able to harm his companions!
Tiga tightly restrained the electric current-releasing Bizomo with both hands, forcibly transforming into his powerful form.
Click click click!!
Daigo's brute force, characterized by its joyful nature, proved effective!
He snapped Bizomo's arm in one swift motion.
Finally, Tiga unleashed a Delasium Beam, completely annihilating it, bringing an end to this battle that had swept in from within.
The battle is over.
But there was no cheering.
As the sun set, Horii stood on the ruins by the sea, staring at the pool of pink liquid, speechless for a long time.
Daigo walked over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Horii..."
"This guy is really tough to deal with, but he's also quite pitiful."
"Huh? You sympathize with such a vicious guy?"
"It is an unrecognized life form created by advanced science, whose sole purpose is to survive."
Horii sighed.
"The sad thing is that it was born without a heart, and that's how it evolved. If that guy really had a heart, maybe he could coexist with us."
Horii removed his helmet, a bitter smile on his face. "Is technological progress really all good?"
"The inhabitants of Planet Bizomo want to produce oxygen and improve the environment, which is a good intention. However... if we don't respect life and don't set boundaries, won't this 'goodwill' turn into a disaster that destroys us?"
Daigo fell silent.
He had no answer.
This is because it is also a contradiction that Tiga, as the giant of light, has been observing on this planet.
Similarly, humans are evolving, exploring, and even trying to play God.
But in this process, they may often pay the price for their arrogance.
The camera zooms out, focusing on the still-smoking breach in the TPC base.
That is the scar left by Bizomo, and also a warning to humanity.
The screen gradually goes black.
The end credits song began to play.
In the real world, news clips about Dolly the cloned sheep, footage of the artificial intelligence Deep Blue defeating human chess players, and various controversial reports about gene editing abound.
Sigh, we must keep the technology firmly in our own hands.
If Bizomo had any will, he wouldn't have appeared on Earth; instead, he would have continued living with his creator.
Technology itself is neither good nor evil, but humanity, the creators of technology, needs to have a sense of awe.
……
The weekend after this episode aired, a rare "collaboration" occurred between Bilibili's technology and film/television sections.
Countless content creators started discussing a serious topic—bioethics and the crisis of artificial intelligence—starting from episode 31 of Ultraman Tiga.
The well-known science popularization content creator "Hardcore Brain" released a video titled "AI Out of Control: When Tools Have the Desire to Reproduce, Are Humans Still Safe?".
In the video, he highly praised the depth of the script for this episode:
"I initially thought 'Ultraman Tiga' was just a tokusatsu film, but I never expected its exploration of 'artificial life' to be so profound. Bizomo is not just a monster; it's also a metaphor for the 'technological singularity.' It possesses the instinct for unlimited reproduction, the wisdom to deceive humans, and even the ability to control systems that can turn around and control humanity. Isn't this the kind of powerful artificial intelligence we're most worried about right now?"
On Weibo, the hashtag #TigaTalksAboutBioethics# also trended on the hot search list.
Many parents initially scoffed at their children watching "monster-fighting" movies, but after watching this episode with their children and hearing Horii's monologue about "respect for life," they all fell silent.
"This show... is pretty good."
"It's a blessing for kids these days to be able to see such profound films."