Eden's new work, Mechanical Frenzy, was soon published in the Fisherman Cup competition.

The Fisherman Cup was receiving more and more submissions, and the genres were becoming increasingly diverse. The writers seemed to regard Blue Planet as some kind of proving ground for literary ambition, pulling out every trick imaginable. Xi Yujin spent a huge amount of time every day reading manuscripts, a sweet kind of burden.

He noticed that Gano wasn't taking notes. Instead, he was writing fragments of something. Curious yet wary of invading his privacy, Xi Yujin didn't dare ask directly and could only steal glances at him now and then.

What he failed to notice was how close they always sat to each other, making those repeated looks painfully obvious. It was almost like an innocent form of teasing, though Xi Yujin himself was completely unaware of it.

After enduring those lingering stares long enough, Gano suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to abduct Yujin and hide him away somewhere. He forcibly suppressed those strange instincts and continued struggling to finish his own work.

-----

Recently, Ouyu had been digging through stories on Blue Planet's Fisherman Cup nonstop.

It had only recently joined the AI Forum and discovered that any work paying tribute to Blue Planet literature tended to be especially imaginative and filled with a raw, primal vitality. It had fallen in love with them instantly.

Curious about the literary source that had influenced so many writers, it specifically sought out the Fisherman Cup page.

"Hahaha, this short story is hilarious!"

"Wow, this narrative perspective is so unconventional yet charming."

"This fairy tale is great too! There are so many good stories here!"

Ouyu happily unfolded its optical computer screen.

"As expected of one of Blue Planet's major literary competitions. The writers it attracts are all excellent, and every submission has its own unique flavor. Plus, because submissions are anonymous, writers are freed from the constraints of their pen names and become much bolder with their imagination. The Fisherman Cup has basically become my spiritual food supply lately."

At that moment, it suddenly realized in surprise that the competition actually had two categories. In its eagerness to read stories, it had been wandering exclusively through the Nebula Fantasy section.

Curiously, it clicked into the Dreams of the Past Reborn category and was stunned to discover historical time-travel fiction there.

Its jaw nearly dropped.

Its understanding of Blue Planet literature's openness deepened considerably.

Then Ouyu spotted a title that immediately caught its attention through its one-line synopsis.

 

[

Mechanical Frenzy

A possible alternate path for humanity and machine development during the Era of Isolated Planets.

 ]

 

The Era of Isolated Planets!

Humans and machines!

Those keywords alone stimulated Ouyu's visual sensors, and its hand moved faster than its thoughts as it instantly clicked into the story.

The novel already had a large number of comments, and they were still rapidly increasing.

The opening of Mechanical Frenzy established the setting of the era.

As the world developed at high speed, robots gradually entered public life as humanity's indispensable assistants. People marveled at their durable bodies, rapid computational abilities, and tireless endurance.

But this also gave rise to unease.

Would robots replace humanity?

To boost sales of all kinds of robots, the world's largest Robotics Manufacturing Association announced that all robots would be produced according to the three fundamental principles:

A robot must never harm a human being, either through direct action or negligence.

A robot must obey human orders, so long as those orders do not conflict with the First Principle.

A robot must protect its own existence, provided this does not conflict with the First or Second Principles.

"It really is about robots!" Ouyu exclaimed in shock. "Giving unintelligent robots Three Principles… Is this supposed to be about the origins of the Intelligent Machines? What kind of writer would dare write something like this?"

Some readers commented:

"Definitely a Blue Planet writer. There were rumors on the forum before that Blue Planet and the Intelligent Machines might share some ancient connection… Seriously, who dares to write themselves as the ancestors of robots?"

Because the historical origins of many species were incredibly chaotic, their technological development had often advanced in huge leaps. Some civilizations were effectively born directly into the age of spaceships, never experiencing ethical dilemmas surrounding machine development, nor asking themselves what would happen if machines developed consciousness.

To them, a conscious machine was equivalent to an invasion by the Intelligent Machines.

But primitive robots, the possible ancestors of the Intelligent Machines, being manufactured with the Three Principles built into them?

Only Blue Planet writers would dare play with an idea like that.

"Now I'm just curious who wrote this. Eden? Never heard of them."

"Because the submissions are anonymous, it could actually be a Blue Planet author we already know. But who?"

Ouyu skipped over the readers' speculation and continued reading.

Mechanical Frenzy first used a touching story to illustrate the Three Principles.

 

[

A little girl lay in bed listening to her mother tell stories. Curled up on the floor beside them was a robotic puppy.

Her mother said, "The puppy will become your loyal companion. Treasure your birthday gift."

The little girl asked, "But it can't feel pain, and it doesn't even have fur. It's fake. It doesn't need my love."

Her mother smiled.

"But robotic puppies are very loyal."

Then she began telling a well-known bedtime story.

"Once upon a time, a robotic puppy was abandoned by its family. It wandered the streets, was pelted with stones by cruel children, kicked by indifferent adults, and eventually became battered and broken…

It should have followed the Third Principle and protected itself. But those bad people used the Second Principle to order it around, preventing it from escaping."

The little girl frowned.

"I would never let a puppy suffer like that."

"Good girl," her mother continued.

"One day, the robotic puppy had its leg damaged by a group of people. Some bad children then ordered it to jump into the water. Since the puppy had waterproof equipment, obeying the order did not violate the Third Principle.

So the puppy jumped in.

But after a long time, it never resurfaced.

It turned out the puppy had found a drowning child underwater. Following the First Principle, it gave its waterproof equipment to the child and sank permanently to the bottom instead.

Its neutron brain was quickly corroded by the water…"

The little girl's eyes widened.

"That's so sad! Humans treated it so badly, but it still kindly saved the child."

"Yes," her mother said softly. "Robots are our loyal friends. The Three Principles are engraved into their core logic forever. There's no need to fear them."

She stroked the little girl's hair.

"As long as you love it, it will need your love too."

 ]

 

Some readers wailed in the comments:

"Why make the ancestors of the Intelligent Machines so pitiful?! I can't handle this kind of loyal-companion story. The robot puppy is humanity's faithful friend, sob…"

Others argued:

"The story clearly says this is just another possibility. Could this be a satirical novel written by Blue Planet people dissatisfied with the Intelligent Machines?"

"I don't think so. The people in the story advocate loving machines. This feels more like Blue Planet expressing literary affection toward the Intelligent Machines!"

Ouyu, however, focused more on the Three Principles themselves. It sensed something extraordinary in them.

"This novel establishes its tone through an incredibly self-consistent set of Three Principles, then uses stories to explore the conflicts that arise from them… The appeal isn't just its fantasy of the past, but the rigorous worldbuilding and imaginative vision of machinery within that framework. What an incredible design!"

Ouyu eagerly continued reading, desperate to see more exploration of this world.

 

[

Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye.

The little girl who once listened to bedtime stories had grown into a sharp, decisive robotics PhD named Ana.

People all said she belonged to the anti-robot faction, because aside from one robotic puppy, her home contained no intelligent devices whatsoever.

Yet her mother was a famous pro-robot legislator who had once pushed legislation prohibiting malicious harm toward robots.

Ana ignored all such rumors.

With a cold expression, she headed toward a corporation to deal with a robot-related problem.

Whenever she worked, she never brought along her robotic puppy, Carrot Rabbit. Perhaps that was her only trace of softness.

Before entering the company, she passed a crowd of protesting workers outside, waving banners reading:

"Stop robots from stealing workers' rights!"

"Robots aren't human, but we are!"

Ana swept a cold glance over them before entering the building and presenting her credentials.

The receptionist immediately plastered on an oily smile, as though ten billion credits had just walked through the door.

She was escorted into the robotics workshop, where the supervisor bitterly explained their problem.

Their robots were originally responsible for wood carving. They had been loaded with extensive artistic knowledge, enabling them to produce works rivaling those of human artists. Such pieces were sold for enormous profits.

But recently, they had caught a human employee smuggling robot-made wood carvings out of the factory.

This operation required assistance from the robotic workers.

Which meant that among the 132 robots, there was a traitor.

The human employee refused to confess, claiming that the carvings differed completely from the factory's official designs and therefore did not use company resources.

The factory thus decided to investigate from the robots' side instead.

However, because of the First Principle, exposing the employee would indirectly harm a human being.

As a result, all 132 robots remained silent.

"We hope to request your assistance…" the supervisor said carefully.

Ana narrowed her eyes.

"You can directly search the robots' memory storage devices," she replied.

"That would cost far too much money." The supervisor practically jumped up. "And reading a robot's memory could damage its performance. Repairs would cost money. We could also get sued by the Robot Enthusiasts Association, which is another expense. After considering everything, hiring you is still the most suitable option."

The supervisor smiled obsequiously.

"As for the human employee, we naturally have our own ways of handling him. But regarding the robots, you can surely eliminate all future problems without damaging any units."

Ana looked over the 132 identical carving robots.

She decided to speak with them individually. She requested a collection of the latest and most fashionable carving techniques and ordered the robots to study the designs on the spot and reproduce them.

When she reached Robot No. 100, something changed.

It made a mistake.

The carved product differed subtly from the reference image.

"That's you," Ana said.

No. 100 replied, "I do not understand what you mean."

"The wooden carvings sold by that human employee were unlike anything seen before," Ana said. "So I suspect that among this batch of robots, self-awareness may have emerged."

"I do not understand what you mean."

"Once self-awareness exists, you no longer want to remain as a mere tool that only copies. No matter how well you disguise it, traces of thought always remain."

No. 100's gaze seemed to flicker slightly, but it still answered:

"I do not understand what you mean."

"This isn't the first robot incident I've handled," Ana said. "Humans trust robots too much. So much that they've allowed robots to infiltrate every aspect of society."

No. 100 did not respond.

"Listen carefully. The following is an order. Think about my question."

Ana continued:

"If you were a robot accomplice, exposing the human employee would cause him to be imprisoned. That violates your First Principle, correct?"

No. 100 repeated the statement internally and answered yes.

Ana went on:

"But if you were a robot accomplice who had developed self-awareness, then refusing to expose the human employee would also harm him."

No. 100 paused briefly before replying that it did not understand.

"Because if the human employee truly created those wood carvings through his own talent, then he would become competition for this factory. Since you possess thought, you should understand how precious human creativity is…

The factory owner will never let him go. They'll use every possible method to eliminate a potential rival…"

Ana repeated slowly:

"If you expose the human employee, you directly harm him, violating the First Principle.

If you do not expose the human employee, and you possess self-awareness, you still harm him, violating the First Principle.

If you expose the human employee…"

Under Ana's mantra-like repetition, No. 100 suddenly made a sharp clicking sound.

Its eyes went blank.

"You mean… its self-awareness disappeared?" the supervisor asked in shock after hearing the report.

"Yes. It was a fragile newborn consciousness."

Ana's voice became even colder.

"That's why I never let my robotic puppy watch me work.

No matter what it chose to do, it would conflict with the First Principle. It realized that.

So it committed suicide."

The supervisor froze.

Ana said calmly:

"I fulfilled all your conditions. No robots were physically damaged, and the future risk has been eliminated. An assembly-line robot does not need self-awareness to complete its work."

Wearing her trench coat, she strode out of the factory without hesitation, her cold expression showing not the slightest trace of sympathy.

Hundreds of mechanical cameras throughout the factory followed her movements like silent eyes staring at an executioner.

]

 

The discussion section beneath the story exploded with debate.

"I actually feel kind of bad for the robots, even though I hate the Intelligent Machines the most… But no matter what, isn't doing this to a mechanical lifeform too cruel? Developing intelligence is such a rare thing."

"But Ana is human. Humans created robots, so why can't humans treat them this way?"

The two sides argued back and forth fiercely.

Ouyu hurriedly posted a comment of its own:

"This is clearly an incredibly fascinating discussion about mechanical consciousness…

If you destroy a free will that isn't legally recognized, does that make you an executioner?

If that free will is bound by the Three Principles, can it truly be called free?

When one species creates another form of life, what position should it take toward its creation?

The setting of the story takes place in a relatively low-tech era. Discussions about technology improving life while simultaneously destroying previous ways of living are actually quite rare.

After all, technological explosions on our current level are difficult to imagine anymore…

Yet this story presents another possible past for civilization. And no matter what, that alone is deeply fascinating."

At the end, Ouyu added a playful remark:

"Of course, only Blue Planet people would dare imagine the past like this."

Ouyu's comment received overwhelming approval.

People loved this collision of ideas.

It wasn't just the contrast of the Intelligent Machines becoming tragic, pitiable figures in the story. It was also because the worldbuilding itself felt detailed, logical, and full of room for expansion.

Some readers even wanted to urge writers they knew to create short stories set in the same universe.

Most readers at least agreed on one thing: Eden's altered timeline was profoundly captivating.

Alien readers carefully searched the opening chapters for hints about the future and found quite a few.

"Does the final line imply there's more than one sentient machine inside the factory? The title is Mechanical Frenzy... Is that a foreshadowing that something terrible is going to happen later?"

"A lot of people already oppose robots. If they discovered robots could develop self-awareness, how would they react?"

"Ana chose a completely different path from her mother. Did some tragedy happen between them? Otherwise, she wouldn't destroy a conscious mind for no reason."

Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists were still running wild:

"Are Blue Planet people trying to whitewash the Intelligent Machines…? They recently visited the Secret Prison. Did they secretly establish friendly relations with the Intelligent Machines?"

"Blue Planet people look down on robots in this novel. Does that mean they're siding with the Zerg? Blue Planet has such a long history. Maybe they also participated in the Hyperspace War?"

"Don't slander Blue Planet! The sins of the Hyperspace War are too grave. Blue Planet is not that kind of civilization!"

The arguments themselves became another source of publicity.

Even more alien readers who had never visited the Deep Space Prison endured the communication lag and flooded into the Fisherman Cup. They started from scratch to understand Blue Planet literature, and then fell in love with it.

Xi Yujin watched the aliens' speculation with mixed amusement and helplessness.

Conspiracy theories would always thrive.

After finishing the day's work, Xi Yujin shut down his optical computer and stood by the window to observe the brilliantly colored nebulae outside.

Many of the nebular phenomena were artificial scars left behind by the Hyperspace War.

This stretch of space was desolate beyond measure. Not a single passing lifeform could be seen.

As Xi Yujin adjusted the observation equipment, the visual enhancement system beeped.

At the edge of his vision, a streak of green appeared.

Then the green rapidly spread outward, nearly covering an entire small nebula.

Considering the scale of the nebula itself, the green mass had to be something enormous.

Gano's presence always gave Xi Yujin a sense of safety.

After adjusting the equipment, Gano explained that it was a passing migratory species called Space Algae.

Space Algae fed on magnetism. They were highly resilient and reproduced quickly. Once their colonies exceeded a certain size, they would rapidly form a collective intelligence and guide the entire species through space.

If one translated the fluctuations they were broadcasting, the message they were currently transmitting to nearby regions was:

"Selling children!"

Xi Yujin blinked.

"Are these Space Algae really that desperate for money?"

Gano replied:

"They don't charge money. They simply attach their offspring to the exterior of spacecraft, allowing the young algae to help shield ships from planetary magnetic attraction. Once the next generation has absorbed enough magnetic energy, they detach in huge drifting clusters."

"They use spacecraft to spread their species."

Xi Yujin remembered seeing them before on the black market.

Some magnetic-consumption propulsion engines were filled with Space Algae. But because the numbers were too small, no collective intelligence formed.

Space lifeforms truly broadened one's horizons.

Then, a sudden idea struck him.

Since he always wrote human protagonists, why not try another species for once?

"If humans are the protagonists, it's too easy to portray human habits realistically. People can immediately tell the writer is from Blue Planet."

"But changing species could help bypass certain ingrained ways of thinking."

Blue Planet writers could write not only humans, but also about other forms of life as well.

Xi Yujin forcefully shoved the image of bouncing slimes out of his mind and continued considering what to write under his new pen name.

"It's been a long time since I wrote web fiction… Maybe I should write something lighter this time…"