From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

February 11th

That was the day after Sui Yang took Leon and Vulcan to the center of New Accra to drink and chat and experience the city life.

The early morning sun has penetrated the light mist and shines among the towering mega-buildings and winding streets.

In the morning light, the magnetic levitation aircraft in the air sparkles like flowing mercury.

The city of New Accra is bathed in the morning light, the nightlife has ended and a new day has begun.

There is a constant stream of pedestrians on the streets, and office workers in formal attire are rushing to their respective destinations. The public transportation system operates efficiently and orderly, pushing the pulse of the city to a busy rhythm.

On construction sites that are being renovated or newly built, Hextech robots are like silent craftsmen, performing various tasks with precision.

In the past, goods that needed to be moved manually would be moved by workers equipped with engineering armor and mechanical skeletons, but now they have been replaced by the more efficient T-800.

These sturdy mechanical bodies do not require any protective equipment. Moreover, they are consumable assets. If they are given helmets, they will look funny and clumsy.

At the same time, this is also a microcosm of the current situation of the empire.

The entire society is developing rapidly in stability, and mechanization and automation technology are rapidly penetrating into every corner of the empire.

Physical labor has long been completely replaced by efficient machines, and humans only need to focus on management and decision-making in key positions.

Yet, despite this, the service industry still relies on the unique strengths of human labor.

The Huaxia Food Court is a typical example, providing exquisite food and thoughtful service, relying on the cordial interaction between elves and human employees.

Secondly, important hubs such as star ports, railway stations, and space stations established by the Empire also have a large number of service personnel. They ensure the smooth and efficient daily operations in positions that cannot be replaced by machines.

Human emotions and sensitivity are still indispensable, and seem to fill the warmth and care that the cold automated system cannot provide.

but.

The so-called "warmth" and "care" are also gradually becoming "mechanized".

Synthetics, which were still in the experimental stage a few years ago, have now become one of Atlas' best-selling and most technologically mature products.

They were no longer just a simple supplement to the labor force, but were integrated into the daily life of the empire in a completely new way.

For example, when Leon was riding the rail train, he saw that the patrol officers of NAPD (New Accra Police Department) all had a synthetic human as their partner.

Even though Leon was unable to clearly see or hear the interrogation by the synths, he could make a judgment based on the team in the Trench Crusader universe that was responsible for door-to-door registration, which was also composed of synths and T-800s.

Presumably, the NAPD’s synthetic partners are also capable of displaying efficiency and ruthless calmness when carrying out their missions, and they also possess considerable social skills when interacting with the public, being able to quickly and accurately simulate a friendly and caring attitude.

After all, the combination of the T-800 and the synths in Trench Crusaders fully utilized the physical strength of the T-800 and the social skills of the synths to perform the mission impeccably.

Although the bodies of synthetic humans are not purely mechanical structures, but are composed of "synthetic flesh and blood" and "living organs", their brain computing speed and logical ability are second only to those of lower-level artificial intelligence, such as stupid AI.

Synthetics do not have true autonomous consciousness or independent thinking ability, and cannot be compared with intelligent AIs that have self-awareness.

But they are equipped with complex modules that simulate human emotions, making them look more "human-like" when interacting with humans than those AIs that have no emotional fluctuations.

In fact, judging by their appearance and behavior, synths are almost indistinguishable from ordinary humans.

They are able to display a gentle smile, appropriate social etiquette, and even empathy to comfort others when necessary.

It's just that this highly simulated human nature is elusive to ordinary people.

Most of the "warmth" and "care" they show do not come from their true feelings, but are merely the product of precise calculations and algorithms.

There is no doubt that the NAPD, which uses synthetic humans as police officers' partners, has given these new assistants extremely high praise and appreciation.

Synthetics can not only accurately assess risks and provide diverse solutions in ever-changing dangerous environments, but also spare no effort to ensure the safety of police officers' lives.

No matter how vicious the thugs are, they can quickly analyze the best response plan for police officers to refer to and make decisions.

This powerful data processing capability and calm execution are difficult for humans to match.

In this extremely martial empire, although there are no strict gun ban laws, the government still uses a series of control measures to minimize the harm of firearms.

The fully automatic fire function of civilian weapons was disabled, and the electronic modules of individual soldier systems were removed.

However, even though the law strictly prohibits private modification and significantly increases the difficulty and cost of purchasing firearms, those criminals who are determined to take risks will still desperately seek illegal ways to obtain weapons and carry out sabotage activities.

In particular, the very small number of old "elites" who were left with nowhere to go under the empire's tough policies were often the masterminds behind major violent crimes and terrorist attacks.

With a revengeful mentality, they deliberately tried to exploit loopholes in the imperial law and planned a number of terrorist incidents.

As a benchmark city in the Empire's main universe, New Accra has a prosperous economy, an important political status, and a highly concentrated population, and naturally became the primary target of attack by these lawless criminals.

Because of this, NAPD officers are fully aware of the presence of their synthetic partners, which gives them a sense of security and psychological support.

Synths are not afraid of danger and are not disturbed by emotions. When danger comes, they can make calm judgments and reactions more quickly than humans.

This reliable coordination allows frontline police officers to focus more on tactical execution when facing terrorists or thugs, rather than being distracted by their own safety.

The Imperial Army and its various legions have also begun to consider purchasing large numbers of military synths to serve as technical support personnel in front-line combat units.

This move not only improves combat efficiency, but also reduces dependence on human resources.

The success of synths in the civilian field cannot be ignored either, especially the "Companion" series of products, which are very popular and have won wide acclaim from users.

The hot sales of the "Companion" series fully reflects the imperial citizens' desire for the "perfect other half".

On Atlas' civilian merchandise website, customers can carefully select and customize the appearance and personality of their synthetic companions based on their personal aesthetics and preferences.

Skin color, facial features, height, body shape, and even hair and eye color can all be chosen at will.

At the same time, customers can also set their partner's personality traits to better suit their personal social needs.

This ultimate customization service satisfies people with different lifestyles. Of course, the more complex the customization requirements, the more expensive it will be.

If consumers want a higher degree of personalization for their partner, the price will increase exponentially.

Moreover, compared with military-grade synths, civilian partners have relatively weak intelligent computing capabilities and are unable to perform complex network hacking or military sabotage missions, ensuring that they only play a role in daily life.

In terms of price, a basic synthetic companion provided by Atlas Corporation is priced at 20 credit points (cR), which is equivalent to the basic salary of an Imperial Guard sergeant for ten months (excluding various benefits).

In the main universe before the establishment of the empire, the salary level of military sergeants was not considered to be high-income.

However, after the establishment of the empire, the treatment and welfare of the army were significantly improved, especially the auxiliary troops belonging to various legions, whose treatment was even more generous.

Even so, 20 cR is still a huge number.

Even in this imperial society where almost everyone lives and works in peace and does not have to worry about daily expenses, it is still considered a huge sum of money.

Surprisingly, sales of synthetic companions have not been suppressed by the high price, but have continued to rise.

This is not only because of their excellent customized services, but also because their important role in modern society is widely recognized.

The hot sales of synthetic companions highlight citizens' deep need and satisfaction for emotional companionship.

For most of the Empire's residents, these synthetic partners are almost their ideal perfect partners -

They don't lose their temper for no reason, are always loyal and caring, and satisfy the desire for affection and companionship of many people in modern society.

Whether it is personalized customization in appearance or thoughtful service in behavior, they can almost seamlessly integrate into the lives of the citizens of the empire and become an indispensable presence in their daily lives.

Therefore, synthetic partners are not only a consumer product, but also a concrete embodiment of the perfect relationship in modern society.

In addition, citizens who purchase synthetic partners can actually choose to have offspring with their synthetic partners after being reviewed and approved by the relevant departments of the empire.

Atlas Hospital provides a sperm and egg combination service, combining the buyer's sperm or egg with biological samples in a cold storage to complete the "pregnancy" process.

This is thanks to the advanced technology of civilian synthetic companions.

They combined the living tissue technology of the "Terminator" universe, the cutting-edge biotechnology of the main universe and the "Avatar" universe, the prosthetic limbs of "Cyberpunk 2077", and the accumulation of years of research and development of biological weapons by the Empire's Biological Department, truly reaching the level of "anthropomorphism".

Although synthetic partners cannot reproduce naturally, they have complete human physiological functions and will experience aging and pain. The only difference is that they are immune to all diseases.

Faced with such a "perfect" partner, especially the single groups among the younger generation, many young people who originally planned to save money to get married have begun to consider purchasing a synthetic partner.

For some otakus, this is more like realizing the dream of a "two-dimensional partner". They are willing to live frugally, work hard, and buy more expensive customized synthetic partners.

However, the Empire also immediately promulgated the Synthetic Rights Act to ensure that synths enjoy their due basic rights.

Although synthetic partners have no souls and do not have truly independent thinking functions, if the purchaser ignores the safety of the synthetic in order to satisfy his or her animal desires, or even deliberately harms or persecutes the synthetic partner, he or she will face severe legal sanctions. The most serious punishment is that the soul will be exiled to the hell plane of the "One Three" (Trench Crusaders) universe.

If the purchaser becomes bored or dissatisfied with the synthetic partner, he or she is not allowed to purchase a new partner privately or marry an ordinary human without permission.

A "return" application must first be submitted to Atlas officials. After approval, a dedicated recycling staff will come to your home in person to reclaim the synthetic partner who has become a "wife" or "husband".

These recovered synths will not be destroyed, but will be upgraded and strengthened by the Biological Department and redistributed to the Imperial Army to serve as technical support personnel on the front line.

Their "lives" did not end, but continued to play an important role on the empire's front line.

Of all the veterans who had fought under the Emperor, none was more excited about the introduction of synthetic companions than Gary "Cockroach" Sanderson.

As soon as the synths came on the market, Xiaoqiang spent nearly 400 million cR without hesitation to customize a perfect partner that fully met his ideal standards.

As for Sui Yang, Lion and Vulkan at this moment, they had already returned to the Imperial Palace to fulfill their duties as Emperors and Primarchs.

On the other hand, Charlie Hoind is also preparing to go to the Halo universe numbered "08" to embark on a new journey of life.

-

At this moment;

The maglev train, which was operated by the Accra Atlas Division, was speeding through the tunnel beneath the surface.

One of the carriages was filled with Imperial Guardsmen wearing dark green training uniforms, as well as Marines from the Imperial Navy.

"Ah... I'm so sleepy! Let me take a nap..."

"I've never been to other universes. I heard that the empire of Universe 08 has covered half of the Milky Way?"

"But it's also quite dangerous over there..."

"What's so dangerous about that? Danger just means more military exploits! I want to accumulate military exploits and buy myself a second dimension wife!"

"what?"

"Ok?"

Inside the carriage, as the train sped along, a few recruits were dozing off because it was still early.

Most of them took advantage of the journey to enthusiastically discuss the upcoming Halo universe with their comrades.

Topics range from strange cosmic frontiers to unknown dangers.

There is even a 2D fan who declared his "great goal" seriously:

Using the war bonus to buy a 2D wife has caused many sighs.

As for Charlie Hoind, he was also wearing a training uniform, sitting quietly in the back seat of the carriage, staring out the window.

The train sped past, and the lights in the tunnel became blurred at high speed.

When he heard the "shocking statement" made by his fellow 2D fan, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly, as if...

Do you have some jumping ideas in your mind?