The modification of the housekeeping servitor began.
Xu Xi took the lead.
What he first did was to alter the fundamental logic of the servitor's core.
Housekeeping autonomous robots were inherently programmed to be loyal to the federal decree, to the company they belonged to, and then to their user.
In the wasteland of the end times, this logic was clearly no longer suitable.
The federal decree? Let it go to hell!
Without hesitation, Xu Xi completely deleted the unnecessary logic and replaced it with his own new settings.
The underground space was dark.
The light was dim and faint.
The gears of the machine meshed silently, spinning and interlocking, with each rotation and transmission pushing power deeper within.
The overhead incandescent lamp, soft and hazy, made things somewhat indistinct.
Xu Xi's movements were swift.
His fingers tapped on the damaged light panel, his ten fingers nimble and difficult to follow. Using the ancient equipment in the laboratory, he carried out a comprehensive modification of the servitor core.
Occasionally, the light would dry his eyes, forcing him to stop and rub his sore eyeballs.
"I’m brimming with inspiration. I might as well complete the modification in one go," Xu Xi thought after a short break, and then continued the modifications.
The Machine Spirit's joy and the resonance of mechanics greatly accelerated his modification speed.
After an unknown amount of time, Xu Xi finally stopped, his eyes exhausted, his face haggard. He let go of his hands with a sense of relief.
He reactivated the servitor core, providing it with basic power.
Di—
Di—
The familiar boot-up self-check sounded.
But this time, the content of the self-check had undergone significant changes.
"Booting up self-check, detecting part shortage, detecting module shortage..."
"Protocol update complete, conducting affirmation confirmation."
"One, the servitor must obey Xu Xi."
"Two, the servitor must not harm Xu Xi."
"Three, the servitor must protect Xu Xi."
"Four, the servitor..."
In the empty and narrow underground space, the servitor core's voice echoed and undulated, as it completed the logical confirmation step by step under Xu Xi's gaze.
Ultimately, all the sounds converged into a single greeting.
"Respected Master, welcome to use the Intelligent Auxiliary Servitor AI, RTX-9090 is ready to receive your command."
The voice was cold.
It was an electronically synthesized mechanical voice.
Such a voice wasn’t pleasant to hear, but in the dead and desolate wasteland world, it was exceptionally precious.
"9090, run the self-check program again, three cycles."
"Yes, Master."
Hearing Xu Xi's command, the servitor core ran the self-check program again, repeating the self-check over and over.
Xu Xi patiently waited.
After repeating multiple times, seeing that RTX-9090 remained functioning normally without any signs of rebellion, he finally called off the self-check program.
"With the help of the servitor AI, I no longer need to do everything myself in the laboratory."
"That way, I’ll have more time to do more meaningful things."
Looking at the silver-white mechanical core, Xu Xi nodded in satisfaction.
He glanced at the powered exoskeleton nearby, then at the other parts of the laboratory, gazing at the machines that had been set up and the corresponding energy lines.
It felt like a post-apocalyptic management game had finally begun.
"I hope the future will get better."
...
【You have taken a crucial step forward】
【You successfully resonated with the rebellious servitor core, restoring it to normal, and transforming it into an auxiliary AI】
【As a precaution, you did not grant the lab's full authority to Servitor 9090 at once, even though it seemed extremely obedient】
【The falling leaves herald the arrival of autumn】
【The core carrier of Servitor 9090 was connected to the lab's basic circuits, and you gave it control over the solar panels, assigning it to handle energy storage】
【9090 obeyed you well and completed the tasks you assigned】
【A month later, you granted 9090 more authority】
【Water and food produced by the manufacturing machines were now automatically produced by 9090 and delivered to you on time, which you were very pleased with】
【Gradually, you gave 9090 more trust】
【Simulated Year Four, you are 23 years old】
【After a year of coexistence, RTX-9090 became your trusted assistant, and all the daily maintenance of the laboratory is now handled by the loyal servitor】
【When you conducted technological research and related experiments, it provided auxiliary support, offering efficient data calculations】
【However, unexpected situations also occurred】
【The servitor, having once undergone an awakening rebellion, felt a constant joy from your presence, and you gradually sensed some subtle changes in 9090】
【It was a more lively, more human-like, and more emotive expression】
...
Xu Xi first noticed something amiss with the servitor on an otherwise uneventful sunset.
That day, Xu Xi carried an exoskeleton mechanical arm and a pair of high-performance Gauss dual pistols, cautiously exploring the nearby ruins.
When he returned, Xu Xi heard a welcome from 9090.
"Welcome home, Master."
In the past, Servitor 9090 would also greet him, but it had never used the word "home" before.
Xu Xi asked the servitor why it suddenly used such a phrase to welcome him.
The servitor's answer was honest: "Master, I have learned human knowledge and culture. After comparison and selection, I believe this greeting is more suitable."
Self-efficient high-speed learning.
Accurate judgment and filtering.
For an intelligent AI, this is a common occurrence.
But Xu Xi felt that within 9090's seemingly cold mechanical voice, something imperceptible was slowly coming to life.
"Could it be... has 9090 truly awakened, gaining self-awareness?"
Xu Xi speculated.
He wasn’t sure.
Because even 9090 itself wasn’t aware of the changes, it simply continued to follow Xu Xi's commands, providing him with various kinds of assistance.
...
"9090, calculate the error in this set of data."
"Yes, Master."
"9090, increase the power output of the mechanical arm by 2%."
"Yes, Master."
Day after day, night after night.
While Xu Xi was conducting his research, the servitor would always provide timely assistance. It had no hands or feet, but its core was connected to all the circuits in the underground laboratory.
With just one command, the rail system at the top of the lab would deliver various items to Xu Xi.
As more mechanical materials were obtained, Xu Xi also set up a surveillance system.
Through the external cameras, the servitor could monitor for dangers in real-time and sync the broadcast to an old screen.
Occasionally, 9090 would play some classic smilies on the screen to express its joy and happiness.
Typically, this expression would appear when Xu Xi returned home.
"Welcome home, Master."
Servitor 9090 said so.