Chapter 1665: Code Black
Chapter 1665: Code Black
“Code Black activated,” a deep yet clearly cold and artificial voice spoke within Lex’s mind, forcing him to divert his attention from the mural to his latest notification. A single glance was enough for him to read all of it.
Quest Update: optional quest ‘Discover the secrets of the Forgotten Age’ partially updated. The Host has stumbled onto critical information regarding the Forgotten Age but self preservation mechanisms have prevented the Host from attaining critical information. Initiating emergency measures… initiating… initiating… the strategic value of the information the host has found is evaluated to be at the highest level. Initiating Code Black!
New Notification: Code Black has been initiated. Code Black entails triggering remote access to the Host’s System, bypassing many of the fail-safes and limitations hard-wired within the System. However, Code Black cannot override Host authority and can be manually terminated at any time by the Host.
New Notification: Remote access initiated.
Just as the notification stated, Lex felt that he had been granted the ability to end the so-called Code Black. It was as if he had picked up a call from someone far away, and could shut the call whenever he desired.
“Host Lex Williams, according to the documentary Wolf of Wall Avenue, Earth etiquette dictates that I first introduce myself, and then engage in ten minutes of small talk before delving into business. I am an entity linked to all systems with the sole purpose of maintaining and managing systems, and ensuring that they continue to exist and operate within the universe.
“While I do not have a name, you may call me Prime Kernel, Architectum, Interlink, System Daddy, or any such term that you find acceptable. Considering the start of our ten-minute time frame as the exact moment I initiated conversation, I have concluded an optimal topic of conversation that simultaneously qualifies as ‘small talk’.
“So, Lex Williams of Earth, I ask you this: do you believe in life after death, and if so, how does that influence your opinion on peach ice tea? You may use notable philosophers from your home planet in your answer, such as Socrates, Aristotle and Colonel Sander.”
Lex looked left and right, yet found no projection or body. It seemed like he really was in a long distance call with the… System Da- with the Interlink. This was a massive revelation, and a confirmation of many of Lex’s theories, yet the immensity of the revelation was undercut by just how poorly the Interlink perceived Earth history and culture. He didn’t know whether to crack a joke or answer its questions seriously, or even if he should just move past the question altogether.
“I don’t believe in life after death, peach iced tea is great, especially in the summer, and the ten minute small talk is not necessary since we’re not bankers. How did you connect to my system, can you control my system remotely and why do systems exist?”