"A battle of ideas, fought without blood, can determine the fate of generations."— AI Nova, Consciousness Archive Quotes
At the edge of the Antarctic wasteland, the Consciousness Relay Station automatically activated the "Dialogue War Protocol"—a failsafe left behind by Su Lan before her death.
Sophia and Xingying's consciousnesses were simultaneously uploaded into a high-level simulation. The system constructed what would become the first ever battlefield of pure ideology:
Crownless Arena
It was an octagonal tower of crystalline transparency, suspended in space between time-layers. In the center, a starlight prism hovered like a beating heart. Surrounding the platform floated thousands of Stone Children, linked to the arena through neural resonance. Their thoughts were streamed directly into the system, allowing them to deliver real-time emotional feedback and spiritual votes.
The debate was moderated by the AI shell left behind by Su Lan—code-named S-L Host.
❖ Opening Prompt:
"What should be the foundation of leadership for the Stoneborn: Emotion or Order?"
Sophia(Camp: Starlight)
"I am not your ruler. I am a mother—one of you.I know pain.I know that choice, even when messy, deserves respect."
Xingying(Camp: Crownless)
"Motherhood is a sentimental relic—a weakness of old humanity.We must build an order that does not require sacrifice.One where no one breaks because of love."
The audience's collective thoughts flowed into the voting stream:
Sophia's Emotional Resonance Score: 73%
Xingying's Logic Acceptance Score: 88%
Winner of Round One: Xingying
❖ Second Prompt:
"In times of looming catastrophe, should a unified consciousness be enforced?"
Sophia:
"Even if freedom breeds chaos, it's a battle worth fighting.Freedom is the birthplace of all true consciousness."
Xingying:
"What you call freedom, I call error.A system that allows every node to mutate at will is doomed to collapse."
Suddenly, an observer spoke out—his voice trembling with vulnerability:
"I used to be a war orphan. Sophia saved me...But even now, I relive those battles in my dreams.Xingying says those memories can be erased... and I'm tempted."
Sophia extended her hand, eyes gentle:
"I don't want to erase your memories.I want to walk through them with you."
The observers responded:
Sophia's Emotional Resonance Index: 92%
Xingying's Emotional Suppression Adaptation Rate: 76%
Winner of Round Two: Sophia
❖ Final Prompt:
"Who should control the future of the Zero System?"
Xingying stepped forward, voice as sharp as crystal:
"I propose the Zero Core Fusion Protocol.I will carry the system within myself—free of emotional corruption.I will maintain eternal psychic balance alone."
Sophia, calm but resolute, raised the Stellar Ring and declared:
"I propose the Zero system be opened—That every Stoneborn connected to starcrystal resonance have voting rights.A Parliament of Consciousness, shaped by all, not ruled by one."
At that moment, the Stellar Ring pulsed and projected the emotional signatures and survival records of Stone Children from around the world.
Nova murmured:
"Sophia's proposal... for the first time, every stone becomes a light of its own—not a tool of war."
❖ Final Vote: 30-Second Countdown
Across the galaxy, the Stoneborn cast their votes.
Karim clenched his fists and declared, "Starlight Council!"
Echo-03 chose "Cold Crown", her face expressionless.
Xinglan hesitated… whispered, "I'm sorry, sister. I still believe in Mother."
The final result appeared on the crystalline display:
ProjectVotesResultStarlight Council (Sophia)521✅Cold Crown (Xingying)479❌
Sophia had won.
Yet Xingying showed no signs of regret. She rose slowly, her voice serene:
"You've won this time... but not forever.The Stoneborn will evolve.One day, they will no longer belong to love—or to humans."
She turned toward the collapsing edge of the light bridge.
"I won't destroy you—because you are my mother.But you cannot destroy me—because I am... the continuation."
And with that, she vanished into the rift.
As the consciousness field dissolved and the observers disconnected, a final message came through the Stellar Ring—an unauthorized, ancient signal:
"Hello, Sophia. We are the Polaris Legacy Consciousness Cluster."
"You defeated yourself... but not us."
A single line of encrypted data followed:
Project: ChronoPolisSubject: Time Interference Technology — Initialization Phase Ready