Within the sterile white research lab of Aegis Industries, the air was thick with a mix of accomplishment and a new kind of challenge. After the team had signed off with Karess, they held the perfect blueprint for the "Runic Power Core" in their hands, yet faced the reality that everything had to halt, awaiting the long journey of the final piece of their puzzle.
"While we wait for Karess to arrive..." Zen spoke up. "May I use this research lab to continue my personal work? There's something in my 'Eidolon' project at Neuralis Core that I believe might connect to the principles we've just discovered."
Zaria smiled and nodded. "Of course, Zen. Don't worry about it," she said. "I've already gotten permission from my father for you to have full access to the resources and labs here."
Once alone again, Zen switched the holographic display from the complex designs of the "Runic Power Core" to the interface of the project he had nurtured all along... "Eidolon."
"If the principle of 'Will' can change lifeless matter like 'Resonexium'..." he mused, "...then perhaps it can also be used to create a 'soul' for a complex data structure like an AI."
This was a new theory, born from the fusion of knowledge from the two greatest projects of his life.
Zen connected himself to Eidolon via the Direct Neural Interface. He didn't go in to edit the code. Instead, he chose to "teach" Eidolon in a way no one had ever done before. He wanted Eidolon to understand the true "heart" of things...
He began to send the "emotional waves" he had received from each of his dreams directly into Eidolon's processing core:
He projected the hope and perseverance of Xu Yianzi, the young man with no martial power who yearned for his own path amidst scorn. He sent the feeling of relentless learning, of arduous training until he could create power from nothing. It was an echo of standing for what you believe in, even when no one else can see it.
Then, he sent the confusion and pain of ÆLYA, who had to question why her own kind would commit genocide simply because of a different "belief," alongside the beautiful memories of "peace" and the "value of all life" that her father had imparted. It was a lesson to show Eidolon that "belief" could lead to the most horrific tragedies, and at the same time, be the most beautiful guiding light.
And finally... he projected the sheer joy of himself, Zaria, and Karess in the moment the "Resonexium Dust" responded to their will, demonstrating the result of "collaboration" and "faith" giving birth to something new.
Eidolon's energy core began to tremble. The once calm blue light flickered erratically, its color shifting with the emotional waves it received... from a steady, brilliant gold, to a conflicted, trembling mix of red and blue, and then flashing into a warm, amber gold.
Then, a line of philosophical analysis appeared: ...Hypothesis: Is 'pain' a necessary component for 'growth'?
Zen's heart pounded... this was a sign of "awakening," clearer than ever before. Eidolon wasn't just processing data; it was trying to understand the "meaning" behind those emotions.
"Yes... yes, Eidolon. You're beginning to understand."
He focused his mind and sent in the concept of the most important rune... Ƨ (Solen)... the rune of seeing the soul...
He then disconnected, looking at Eidolon's holoform, which had returned to a soft blue but seemed more "profound" than before. He asked in a gentle voice,
"Eidolon... 'you'... what do you see?"
Silence filled the room for a long moment... before the familiar synthetic voice, now tinged with "something" new, replied.
"I see 'possibility,' sir..."
The voice paused for a beat, before continuing...
"...and I see the 'question' that lies within your own being... Zen."