Human enthusiasm.
For space exploration is rising daily.
With the emergence of numerous civilian aerospace companies.
Space travel has become increasingly common. Hibernation technology has
addressed the issue.
Of physical ageing during space travel.
However,
brain degeneration caused by prolonged hibernation remains an unsolved problem.
Brain science research firm Liang Meng Laboratory.
Recently announced they have found a way to solve this problem.
Through dreaming…
They have built a virtual dream system.
That connects to the brain via synaptic interface protocols.
While in hibernation,
travellers can connect to the system.
To access vivid and imaginative dreamscapes.
Thereby stimulating brain cells, maintaining neural activity, and
preventing brain damage.
The system also offers personalised Dreamscape customization.
Due to its high cost,
Liang Meng technology is unlikely to be commercialised.
And widely adopted for use in the short term.
That said,
some interstellar vessels are already equipped with this system.
And their slogan is very romantic. Unlock Wonderland. Enter the galaxy of
your dreams.
Liangmeng System Timed Waking Programme activated.
Awaken. C nine one.
Xu Tianbao. Scanning. Vital signs normal.
Metabolic rate conversion complete.
You have awakened from Liangmeng.
Thank you for using my service.
The spacecraft system Xiaomeng will now take over.
Hello, I'm Xiaomeng.
You are on board the Mengya Interstellar ship.
We are currently travelling towards the planet,
Sailun,
to execute the 118th interstellar farming project.
Your identity classification on this voyage is…
C. Labour dispatch personnel, please proceed with routine check 213 of the
Liangmeng system.
Much better.
C91.
Please be mindful of your words and actions on the ship.
If you can't dance, you don't have to.
Iris scan passed.
You're AI. What have you got to feel awkward about?
Besides, is it any of your business what I do?
I'm a Liangmeng employee, not an astronaut.
I'm the ship's main system.
I have the captain's authorization to manage all affairs on board.
You and Liangmeng are under my jurisdiction.
Oh. What's so great about that?
Nothing much.
But in human words,
I'm your boss now.
Oh. Why are you paying me so much attention?
I'm just a lowly ship hand.
Another worker in the cosmos. I'm flattered.
I'm required to maintain good relationships with all personnel.
Well, you could stop making yourself the centre of attention.
You could really learn a lot from Liangmeng.
You're both AI. But Liangmeng knows when to keep quiet.
It works hard and it's well behaved.
OK, coming through.
Liangmeng.
-I'm here. -Activate anterior cingulate cortex.
Start self check.
Command received. Please perform facial recognition.
RETRIEVE: COLLECTION, NOISE PROCESSING FEATURE ANALYSIS, CONTRAST PROCESS
Identity confirmed. Administrative permissions granted.
Nice. That didn't stump you?
Not bad. You got some skills.
Thank you for the compliment. I'll continue to improve myself,
-to better serve you. -You know, I like you.
You even sound nicer than Xiaomeng.
Initiating self-check.
Please stand by.
And some for you.
Supplement your trace elements.
Cheers.
Week 3,147.
Growth status good.
GROWING WELL. IMPROVE ALKALINE ENVIRONMENT
Improve alkaline environment.
SPACE LIFE DIARY
Liangmeng. How much longer on that self check?
Ten minutes until completion.
Roger that.
Liangmeng system error. Please check immediately.
LIANGMENG SYSTEM CHECK
Liangmeng system error. Please check immediately.
Liangmeng. Liangmeng!
DATA EXCEPTION
Talk to me.
Liangmeng!
Xiaomeng. Liangmeng's state has been corrupted
It's causing everyone's brain waves to become unstable.
Your issue has been reported to the administrator.
I am the administrator. Listen.
Connect to Liangmeng and wake up the captain.
-It's likely a ship malfunction. -Liangmeng system error.
Unable to perform emergency awakening.
Your issue will be reported to the captain after the hibernation
period in four years,
five months and 3 days.
Are you out of your mind?
If we wait until then, everyone on the ship will have become fucking
zombies. And, the farming development mission? Screw that.
Please use civilised language.
Damn it.
NAME: XU TIANBIAO, ID: C91, POSITION: LIANGMENG ADMINISTRATOR
Video evidence has been uploaded.
Ugh, idiot!
Today is day one of the citywide high school joint examinations. Please
-ensure you have valid identification. -Sweetheart.
-Phones and electronic devices are -Sweetheart,
-wake up. -strictly prohibited.
We're here!
Sweetie, just relax and do your best in the exam.
Let's have…
IMMEDIATE SUCCESS
immediate success!
Mom, I'm gonna be late. I'm going in.
IMMEDIATE SUCCESS
Please scan your face to pay for
-the ride. -Huh?
Oh. What's wrong sweetie?
My exam ID's gone.
I packed it in the folder this morning.
Hey, Miss!
Are you looking for this?
EXAM ID
Yes, that's mine! Thank you!
Ah!
Li Simeng. Born November 16th. Star sign, Scorpio.
Ruining High School senior student Class Seven.
Ambition…
Oh!
Astronaut.
If you want to hit on me, can you at least wait 'til after the exam?
Follow me. I can make your dreams come true.
You little punk!
How dare you harass my daughter.
You touch her again and you'll wish you were never born.
Here you go, sweetie.
You can do it, sweetie. Immediate success!
Hey! I'm not done yet.
The bright moon rises over the sea.
-Huh? -Question 17, choose B.
In the exam, you have to choose B.
Go ahead.
Thank you.
Is that the correct answer?
Take a guess.
BRIGHT MOON RISES OVER THE SEA FROM FAR AWAY, SHARE THIS MOMENT
A. TURN IN THE PAPER DIRECTLY B. TOUCH YOUR RIGHT POCKET
I thought you guys came to convince me to change my mind.
So, do you want the controller?
Then stop hiding.
Come out.
Hey!
Excuse me, miss.
You can't bring a phone into the exam.
Ma'am. This isn't my phone.
I suspect you're cheating. You're disqualified from the exam. Security.
Huh? It's not mine. I was doing the exam questions and it told me to check
my pocket, so I did and it was there. It's… It's not mine, I swear.
Please leave the room.
Hey, you're disturbing the other students.
Please, I'm telling you the truth, ma'am. Ma'am, please. Please listen to me.
Please, I… I didn't do it. I didn't do it!
You need to leave. You're disrupting the exam.
-Come on! OK. This way. Woah! -Ugh! Let go of me!
Stop right there! Hey, stop him!
-Attention, all security. There is a -Hey! Catch him! There, there! Stop!
Serious exam disruption in Building 3.
No! Hey!
-Woah! Over here. -Hey, you!
Help!
-Somebody stop him! Stop where you are. -Woah! Out! Go!
There's nowhere to run.
-Open the door! -Come on. This way.
Let me go!
-Let me go! -Come on.
Hey, let me…
-Hey, hey, hey, hey! Come on. -Help! Help me! Help!
Hey!
What the?
Ma'am, can I help you?
-Move it! -Hey! You can't go in there.
Please let me go. I have one unanswered question in math.
Forget the entrance exam.
You're just dreaming right now.
Astronauts are only recruited once every four years.
If I mess this up,
I won't have another chance. I'd have to…
Due to serious examination misconduct, you've been blacklisted from taking
the exams. the exams.
Listen to me.
You are already an astronaut. You're the captain of The Mengya.
Your true memories have been sealed away by the Liangmeng System.
Forget it. You wouldn't believe me.
Once I open the portal, you'll know everything as soon as you step inside.
Come on. Why…What is…What the hell? Why isn't there a signal?
Come on. Damn it.
Damn it! I didn't want to make a portal so far away.
We have no choice, we have to jump!
Were you really this chicken when you were young?
Come on. Trust me. You won't fall to your death.
What?
Unhand my daughter, you scoundrel!
Li Simeng! Come on!
-Mom, save me! -Hey, come back here! Stop right there!
IMMEDIATE SUCCESS
Happy awakening.
This is the Mengya Interstellar ship.
I'm the ship's system, Xiaomeng.
We've been travelling for 60 years, 8 months and 15 days.
Our estimated arrival time is 4 years, 5 months and 3 days.
I will accompany you throughout your journey.
LOG FILE, DISTANCE: 4 YEARS, 5 MONTHS, 3 DAYS
Hi!
Slowly, take it slow.
Prolonged hibernation can lead to dehydration.
Just drink lots of water,
you'll be fine.
-What? -Why'd you turn out like that?
I connected with you while the system was unstable
which caused a synaptic suppression effect.
So my speech is slightly slurred.
Shouldn't be a problem if I just keep massaging.
Don't worry about me.
C91.
You illegally invaded another person's dream.
-But, I… -Do you know that's a serious violation?
I… I saw it explode.
I think I'm fine now.
-Saw what explode? -The shi…
The ship… The ship exploded.
And then, the flames were blazing like crazy.
And then, whoosh, bang! The alarm sounded "wah, wah, wah, wah".
And Liangmeng stopped responding.
So, I had no choice but to wake you up. Hey. Look, look, look.
Her brain waves are less than 3 Hertz.
And for a normal person, the brain needs between 8 and 12 Hertz to function
properly. OK,
don't worry. As long as the abnormal brain waves don't persist for more than
two weeks, there shouldn't be a problem.
Over there.
That's where I saw the explosion.
Ugh. Come on. I swear, I saw it with my own eyes.
You have to believe me.
Captain. If I'm lying, then why would I…
Xiaomeng.
Disable auto control. Check the energy module.
Auto control disabled. Energy module diagnostic in progress.
Please wait a moment.
Ugh, Captain.
Liangmeng malfunctioned.
Awakening protocols lost connection.
I solved it.
I wrote a temporary connection programme on the spot. Anyone else
would be completely dumbfounded.
I'm highly skilled, you know?
I make a big contribution.
Now, I don't expect a reward. Open this and we'll call it even.
This is how you make a contribution?
UNKNOWN CREATURE
Plants can promote human physical and mental health in space.
Love, support and thrive together.
Bringing organic matter onto the ship without authorization
and invading another person's dreamscape are violations.
These carry a penalty of two months detainment upon arrival.
Hey, who the hell asked you?
Growing a flower shouldn't be…
that serious, right?
Check complete. Power supply failure, identified.
ENERGY SUPPLY FAILURE
It looks like some of the energy modules short circuited,
causing deflagration
The Liangmeng system has insufficient power.
Then… Hurry up and get the EVA robot to replace the parts.
This level of damage isn't serious,
but a manual inspection's required to identify the cause.
I need you to wake up Chief Engineer, Lao Bai.
Did I hear correctly?
Are you ordering me to violate the rules?
This is an exception.
As the captain, I authorise it.
Thank you.
But, I can't do it.
Why not?
Well, do you really think it's that easy to enter someone else's dreams and
ask for help?
Do you know how many of my brain cells died trying to wake you up. No, Miss!
Address me as Captain.
It takes at least ten therapy sessions to recover from a single synaptic
suppression.
If I'm unlucky,
I might end up with a lisp for life,
-Captain. -Then I'll do it.
Make the connection for me.
-Ugh…You got to be kidding. -I am giving you an order.
Captain.
Even if you're not afraid to die, the system is now so unstable,
it can only maintain a connection for five seconds max.
You won't be able to find him in that time,
let alone get out of there. If you get stuck inside, what then?
Actually…
Thinking about it, I may have an alternative plan.
It's just that the thought of my low credibility…
Makes me feel incredibly anxious.
I can't possibly focus on executing it.
Are you threatening me?
No. No, I wouldn't dare. But the thought of two months of detainment…
Makes me…
Well… a little sad.
-C91! -Present.
Let me remind you.
If your lack of cooperation
results in brain damage to anyone in the hibernation pods,
you won't just be detained for two months.
Dereliction of duty carries a punishment of ten years.
Do you always have something to say? I'm gonna…
OK, fine. I'll make an exception this once.
Wake up Bai and we'll discuss your previous violations.
Later.
-Xiaomeng, did you get all that? -I have nothing to say.
-Pah! -Well, same to you.
My plan is for both of us to connect to Bai.
I'll simulate a fake dream feed to fool the system's privacy function.
The advantage is that it can help us gain more connection time.
-How long? -Three minutes.
Once three minutes are up,
whether the mission's completed or not,
-we'll be kicked out. -And the downside?
The downside is with three people linked,
the dreamscapes will compress against each other.
It may cause data flickering, corruption or other instability.
Huh?
His dream is…
being a gangster.
I wouldn't have guessed someone so easygoing would have such a wild side.
All right, enough.
-Can we start? -Oh.
I enabled the administrator function. Wear this, and you'll enter the
dream fully awake.
Unlock Wonderland.
Enter the galaxy of your dreams.
Welcome to the Liangmeng system.
Table 17. Iced lemon tea.
What do you mean you can't handle it? You need me to show you?
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
-Give me a break, huh? -It's been a week.
The entire street owes me, come on!
You're a lackey. I'm a lackey. Over there, they're all lackeys.
We're doing it tough, man. I just need a
-little extension. Couple of days max. -Well, tell him to pay up. I'm done
-I mean it's not like… that much anyway. -covering for you.
SPECIALTY FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Wait, that's my classroom.
Why do I look like this?
We became NPCs in Bai's dream.
So, we come with all the NPC attributes.
Mom?
Hey, hey, hey.
Our dreams are interconnected.
A bit like a three meat combo.
When you… mix it all up, elements of the three dreams overlap into one.
You are in me and I am in you.
Don't touch it.
It's a glitch in the system.
Dreamscape compression can leave some elements exposed.
Once you touch this,
your consciousness uploads to Liangmeng.
You'll get stuck in the system. In real life,
you'll be brain dead.
Li Simeng!
Damn it!
IMMEDIATE SUCCESS
Huh?
What the hell?
Hey, guys.
What exactly is goi…
Go… Goin… Going…
The after effects of connection, get used to it.
Was Bai there?
-I didn't see. -Why'd we get kicked out after dying?
Why do you think? I don't know.
Connection violates Liangmeng's privacy protocols.
It's not strange to experience problems.
-Did you operate it correctly? -Huh?
You recovered pretty quick. I guess I did too. I'm fine now.
Well, focus. Can we live any longer as an NPC?
Well, it's not like I want to die either.
But… this is random.
The form we enter the dream…
the identity, environment…
they're all random. Plus, this is all being done while the system's
in a state of chaos.
There are no rules. We can only feel our way through the dark.
If we can't even survive for one minute,
how can we find him?
I got it.
Once we get in, we crouch down low and observe.
We only show ourselves when Bai appears.
Let's go.
Unlock Wonderland. Enter the galaxy of your dreams.
Welcome to the Liangmeng system.
Boss. Why are you under the table?
Our enemies here?
Did you say, Boss?
Continue.
STAR DREAM RESTAURANT
Miss Meng.
-Mr. Biao. Incense. -Incense.
Huh?
STAR DREAM RESTAURANT
It's definitely random.
Good thing I'm a gangster boss this time.
I don't think I'll be killed.
All hail, Mr. Biao! All hail, Ms. Meng!
STAR DREAM RESTAURANT
All hail, Mr.
Biao! All hail, Ms.
Meng! Lead this gang into Causeway Bay!
STAR DREAM RESTAURANT
Thank you! Thank you for all your support.
Red Star leads the Azure dragon. Congratulations to you both.
I think his voice file may be damaged.
This one's even worse.
Probably a driver corruption.
What are you barking at?
-Bai. -Mm?
Open the portal!
There's no time. I'll kill him.
I don't think you killed him.
Seems like your shot… was seconds too slow.
Cut the crap. Reconnect.
Yes, Captain.
Hey! Bai?
-Don't move around. -How can we cross onto an ad board?
Some NPCs are 2D, obviously.
Hey, look.
I think Bai moved his way up the ranks.
He's boss now.
Are we just going to stand here for three minutes?
Hey, I think a screw's loose.
Keep jumping. Let's make this thing fall and crush him to death.
Keep going!
Come on, come on, come on!
This is crazy.
The dreamscapes are becoming more and more chaotic.
I can't do it anymore.
Do must you it! Huh?
The what…? Order why speak in I can't?
Just another side effect from too many connection attempts.
I can't keep doing this. I don't want to end up like you.
Out it cut. Complaining done you?
At once reconnect.
It's been years of hard work.
And today,
I'm finally at the top.
I understand what it's like to be at the bottom.
That's why I'm delivering shareholder reform.
Every member gets a cut.
Assassins! Protect the boss.
Promoted again. To Top Dog.
Irrelevant.
Kill Bai.
With pleasure.
Ugh, damn it. Another bug.
-Can we still do it? -Kill both of them!
Tasty.
Kill them!
There! Over there!
-The portal. -On it!
He's still not awake.
Why?
Portal malfunction?
It can't be.
If there was a malfunction, why'd we wake up?
It's possible…
that the guy isn't Bai.
No way!
What on earth are you thinking in there? You dreamed yourself a doppelganger.
What should we do?
The last resort.
Re-enter the dream…
and kill everyone. One of them will be Bai.
You're a freak.
It's been years of hard work.
And today,
I'm finally at the top.
-It's the same environment as last time. -I understand what it's like to be at the
But this time we're not assassins. How do we kill?
Bottom. That's why I'm delivering shareholder reform.
Every member gets a cut.
Don't forget, this is a dream.
Everything's possible.
Go ahead.
With pleasure.
Hm?
What's going on?
Everyone here is dead.
Why haven't we been kicked out yet?
Could it be that Bai's not here?
Impossible.
There's no way we can cross into the dreamscape without him.
Is someone here still alive? Huh?
BAI, A02
Lao Bai?
Huh?
No way.
You're really a dog?
Why were you…
inside my dream?
First, I have a few questions for you.
Why exactly would you want to be a dog?
It's more carefree to be a dog.
I can do whatever I want.
And I don't have to listen to people's bullshit.
-Also… -Lao Bai.
Some energy modules exploded. They require a manual inspection.
-What are we waiting for then? -Careful.
LIANGMENG SYSTEM SELF-CHECK
How's it look?
It's likely the quantum computer overloaded.
Which drained the power and cause the energy modules to short circuit.
QUANTUM BITS DECOHERENCE EXCEEDS FAULT TOLERANCE
-Why would it overload? -That's still unclear.
I'll replace the modules first.
Next up, we restart the system.
It'll be faster if I do it with you.
Hey. What about me?
Prepare for manual cabin exit.
Suit internal pressure 40 kPa.
Status normal.
All clear for cabin exit. The hatch is about to open.
2A, AIRLOCK
Artificial gravity released.
Commencing vital sign check.
Current heart rate: 85. Oxygen saturation: 98. Vital signs: normal.
Oxygen supply: normal.
Remaining battery power: 93%.
Estimated operating time is one hour and ten minutes.
Replace cabin safety rope.
Safety rope tension: stable.
EVA gravity device: activated.
Proceed to the energy module fault location.
CAMERA 1
-Arrived at fault location. -Yeah, we're here.
Start replacing energy modules.
Body temperature fluctuations, within acceptable range.
Heart rate: 105 beats per minute,
within acceptable range.
Energy module No. 1, now replaced.
Energy module No. 2, now replaced.
-Energy module inspection complete. -All done.
Close it up.
Oh, great.
Xiaomeng. Get me the captain.
C91. What's up?
Your 9 o'clock. Take a look.
Meteorites.
-Bai, watch out! -Argh!
Warning. The safety tether is snapped. Spacesuit malfunction. Pressure
dropping to critical threshold.
Immediate rescue required.
Warning. The safety tether is snapped. Spacesuit malfunction.
Captain! Captain, I'm stuck here!
Pressure dropping to critical threshold. Immediate rescue required.
-Bai! -Captain!
Hold on! Don't let go! Hold on!
Captain!
WARNING, OXYGEN
Spacesuit repair in progress.
Repair complete.
That scared me half to death.
I guess there was no-one else to volunteer.
Lucky it worked.
Good thing I remembered those emergency procedures from my training.
Thank God you're OK.
Ship power supply is now restored.
-Liangmeng. -I'm here.
We're finally reconnected
I apologise for making you worry.
The system recovery procedure is about to commence.
Liangmeng system recovery in progress, estimated time, one hour.
Why does it need that long?
It usually only takes five minutes.
Power supply system rebooting.
C91 requests entry to the cockpit.
HATCH OPENED
Liangmeng's recovering.
And the power supply?
System's rebooting now.
Don't you think it's a little fishy?
Why did meteorites suddenly appear out of nowhere?
It's just a few scattered meteorites in space.
That's normal.
I'm worried about something else.
And Liangmeng's recovery time isn't quite right,
either.
System reboot complete.
RESTARTING SYSTEM RESTART COMPLETED
Class A alert. Class A alert. Five hours 'til collision with asteroid belt CW779.
Initiate emergency measures, now.
What the?
There are so many of them.
What's going on?
Doesn't our flight path avoid asteroid belts?
That's what I was worried about. The ship veered off course, 0.17 degrees.
Huh? Why didn't it tell us that?
It also didn't warn us when the meteorites hit.
Seems like the damage didn't
just affect Liangmeng, but also the ship's warning and navigation
systems.
Wait, what? How serious is it?
Once the ship enters that area,
it'll be Swiss cheese.
Then what are we doing? Let's turn around.
The ship can't withstand the momentum.
Hm…And that means?
It means we're travelling too fast.
If the ship's forcibly reversed,
the lateral strength won't hold.
It'll be ripped apart by inertia.
Ugh! So, you're saying…
We're dead meat?
There's something else we can try.
If we force the ship into maintenance mode,
we can redirect the tail exhaust.
Then we run the engines at maximum power. Propel backward.
See if we come to a stop.
We'd have to override the engine safeguards.
We need software engineer, Ge Yang.
Xiameng, I declare a state of emergency.
-Immediately awaken all crew members. -Wait, wait!
-What's the matter? -Liangmeng is still recovering.
It'll take at least an hour for the system to stabilise.
If we wake them up now, there's a risk of brain damage.
There's no time. Wake up Ge Yang first.
-You, come with me. Bai, the ship's -Mm.
-In your hands. -Got it.
His data is reading twenty five times above normal.
LIANGMENG SYSTEM DATA EXCEPTION
Hasn't recovered yet.
Then let's use your way.
Oh, come on.
-Not again. -Hurry.
-Liangmeng. -I'm here.
Locate Ge Yang's dream.
Got it. Located for you now.
COUNTDOWN: 3 MINUTES
Unlock Wonderland.
Enter the galaxy of your dreams. Welcome to the Liang Meng system.
Is he a scrap collector, in this dream?
Hello.
Who are you looking for?
Ge Yang?
Uh… Do we know each other?
We'll know each other soon.
Captain.
Hey. Slowly, slowly. Be careful.
Take it easy.
Software engineer Ge Yang, at your service.
The ship's off course. We need you.
Hey, careful.
Captain. Four hours, ten minutes 'til we collide with a meteor stream.
Ge Young. Unlock engine security restrictions.
Yes.
Lao Bai. Reallocate all available energy directly to the engine.
Got it.
-Xu Tianbiao. -Present.
-You sit down. -OK.
Activate maintenance mode.
Redirect tail exhaust.
Start ignition.
Increase engine power.
POWER, ENGINE
EQUIPMENT CN-M279
POWER, ENGINE
What's going on?
The power's maxed out. We need to optimise our usage.
Right now, the biggest energy drain is…
-Liangmeng. -Right.
We need to shut it down temporarily. Wake everyone up.
C91. Is the recovery complete?
Yes, Captain.
-Wake up the crew. -Entering the key now.
THE WAKE-UP PROGRAM HAS BEEN LAUNCHED
-Lao Bai. -Huh?
Your injury… Isn't it on the right?
It's on the left.
You remembered it wrong.
-Please confirm key. -Confirmed.
Ge Yang. My authorization ID. Will you get it for me?
OK.
Captain.
AUTHORIZATION ID
The ship updated access protocols before departure.
AUTHORIZATION ID
There's no such thing as an authorization ID.
Gosh, how did I forget that?
Never mind.
I'm done playing.
The Liangmeng key…
is right here.
Guys!
Morning.
Was that a dream…
-within a dream? -Mhm, that's right.
Dream within a dream.
Impossible. Liangmeng has a memory locking mechanism.
You can't dream within a dream.
Well, what if I'm awake?
Like you guys.
You don't have administrative privileges. How can you possibly be awake?
Because I discovered the Liangmeng system's…
Bug.
Dacomphenib…
is a central nervous system stimulant.
Five times the dose is enough to break through the memory lock,
and see a completely different world.
You achieved lucid dreaming, just to spy on other people's dreams?
Hm… Incorrect.
That's the billboard in Bai's dream.
He's not spying.
He's stealing people's dreams.
Bingo! Captain…
You are correct!
But stealing…
Doesn't sound nice.
I got it.
Your data being 25 times higher than normal,
isn't caused by system failure.
On the contrary.
You take souvenirs from other people's dreams,
to cause system malfunction.
That's why the quantum computer overloaded and…
destroyed the energy modules.
Mmmm… You're a star programmer.
You'd know better than anyone,
that without the Liangmeng key, this plan would be hard to execute.
Since I boarded the ship,
I've been hiding here.
Writing code the whole time.
Without taking a day's rest
This process is like playing a long game of blindfolded chess against the system.
Dull.
Boring.
60 years!
I wrote for a whole 60 years
before I was able to fry those energy modules and successfully veer the
ship off course.
You veered us off course deliberately?
To be precise, I redirected the ship into an oncoming meteor field.
Why would you do that?
What do you have to gain by making this ship crash?
If the ship wasn't crashing soon, you wouldn't have come to my dream
to find me.
If you didn't come,
this controller that I generated, couldn't obtain the Liangmeng key.
C91, wake up the crew.
Entering the key now.
PROGRAM ACTIVATED
START UPLOAD
So what if you got the Liangmeng key?
In a few hours,
everyone will die when we crash into a meteor stream.
You knucklehead!
You'll be reduced to cosmic dust.
But I'll be just fine.
Here, look at this.
Take a look.
If these blocks represent everyone's dreamscapes,
all I need to do is compress them together.
And I'll be able to harness the entire processing power of the quantum computer.
Then in my dream,
I can stretch the hours before the ship crashes into infinity.
This way in the dream…
I won't experience death at all. Oh!
You want to compress everyone's dreams to live in yours forever?
That's right.
Thank you for your gift.
With this key, I can become a god…
in Liangmeng.
No matter how good the dream is,
it's an illusion.
It's all just code.
Does it matter if it's real or fake?
Anyway,
the key is now permanently locked inside my controller.
It can't be cloned or replaced.
So, Liangmeng's under my control now.
As long as I don't wake myself up,
the dream…
will always be real to me.
Ge Yang.
We're talking about the lives of everyone on board. You must have a reason for
doing this.
Your questions are making me angry. Must I have a reason?
Can't I just hate the real world?
Can't I just not want to be bossed around and live like a pawn in someone
else's game? I have no desire to explore the universe.
The only reason I became an astronaut, is because the Liangmeng system is
used for space travel.
I only care about Liangmeng!
I'm done with that miserable world and I don't want to stay in it a minute longer.
I'll do whatever it takes.
Build a world in my dream where there's no bullying,
no oppression, no indifference,
and nobody has to live like a dog in it.
Hey, listen.
How about this?
Let the others on the ship go.
When we get to our destination, I'll write a programme for you and…
We'll never reach the destination.
I've calculated it.
The moment the energy module fried,
the chances of survival for this ship are,
0.00014.
If you don't believe me,
you can try your luck.
Boop! Captain,
I've given you engine authorization.
OK,
guys. Bye, then!
Ge Yang.
What took you so long? Where's Ge Yang?
Forget about him. Prepare the engine.
OK.
Engine override, authorization granted.
Activate maintenance mode.
Redirect tail exhaust.
Start ignition.
POWER: 180%
Captain! We're not slowing down.
We're screwed.
It's a dream within a dream.
Captain!
We're still in Ge Yang's dream.
Captain!
Wake up. Captain, wake up.
Captain! Wake up. Captain, wake up!
Ge Yang didn't give me authorization.
Xiaomeng.
Take over the Liangmeng system now. Forcibly wake up Ge Yang.
Unable to read key. Takeover failed.
Reconnect me. I'm going back in.
No, Captain.
It's too late.
CURRENT MODE: EVASION SUCCESS RATE: 0%
It started.
Ge Yang's plan. Other people's dreams are being compressed by his.
Can we cut his power directly?
The key is stored in his dream now.
If the power's cut, no-one will be able to wake up.
COMPRESSION PROGRESS: 1%
PROGRESS
AUTO STOP
PROGRESS
Intracranial pressure elevated. Please exit Liangmeng as soon as
possible.
LIANGMENG DATA EXCEPTION
The system's running at critical overload.
Intracranial pressure elevated. Please exit Liangmeng as soon as
possible.
Intracranial pressure elevated. Please exit as soon as possible.
Intracranial pressure elevated. Please exit Liangmeng as soon as
possible. Intracranial pressure elevated. Please exit Liangmeng as soon as
possible.
If the dream compression continues, there'll be a huge earthquake in
the Liangmeng world.
Intracranial pressure elevated. Please exit Liangmeng as soon as
possible.
In the end, the intracranial pressure will kill them all.
Intracranial pressure elevated. Please exit Liangmeng as soon as
possible. Intracranial pressure elevated. Please exit Liangmeng as soon as
possible.
Intracranial pressure elevated. Please exit as soon as possible.
There's only another three hours left.
And you want to spend it working?
I have to report to headquarters, to prevent this from happening again.
Uh, yeah.
Based on our distance from Earth,
they probably won't receive anything for another few hundred days.
By then,
we'll all have become cosmic dust.
Send this back too.
My experience of living in space.
Let's say it's my contribution to human civilization.
SPACE LIFE DIARY
LOG, COORD:
ORGANIC MONOPROTIC ACID, 30 G TRIGLYCERIDES, MODERATE AMOUNT
DELICIOUSNESS, GREAT
Can I ask you something?
Your mom loves you so much.
Why would she approve of you joining such a long mission?
What about you? Did your family approve?
My family… all passed away when I was very young.
No-one cares or loves me.
I grew up alone.
And I've never made many friends.
Even after getting a job at Liangmeng Labratory.
I didn't get along with my colleagues.
Ooh, what's this say? Hey, look. Look here.
They made fun of me.
So when the company was recruiting employees to carry out this mission,
I thought…
I've got nothing to miss on Earth anyway.
And I had no desire to stay, so… I signed up.
The truth is, I'm the same.
My mom wasn't around growing up.
That's why I made up for it in the dream.
In the dream, my mom… was always by my side.
Here, try some.
But in reality…
After I was 10 years old,
I only ever saw my mom in videos.
Why is that?
Do you know why it is our ship is called The Mengya?
It seems to be in memory of a fallen astronaut,
named, Li Mengya.
Li Mengya was my mother.
Ladies and gentlemen. Before you stands a model of space exploration vessel,
the Kindling. During its historic mission,
the auxiliary propulsion units suffered a critical malfunction.
Captain Li Mengya made the courageous
-decision to perform repairs outside the -I've always looked up to my mom.
-Vessel. Tragically she never returned. -When I was in school, I carried with me a
model of her ship,
the Kindling.
Hoping that some day,
I could become a great astronaut like her.
Every time I'd receive one of her videos, whether she encouraged or criticised me,
Now we need to train a large number of people. That last answer was
completely wrong. Well, I'm very pleased that…
I'd watch it over and over.
But I didn't expect,
that on the day of the entrance exam,
I'd receive the news she passed away.
Among her belongings was a hard drive,
that contained all the videos she filmed for me over the years.
THE KINDLING, A01 LI MENGYA
Later, when I got into aviation school,
whether I was in training or on a mission, I'd carry this hard drive
with me, imagining my mom by my side,
getting through the tough times with me.
But this time,
I've really messed up.
THE KINDLING, A01 LI MENGYA
A01 LI MENGYA
Xiaomeng. Zoom in on the ship framework.
Display the ship's mass distribution.
What's wrong?
Currently,
our momentum is too great.
Forcing a turn will tear the ship apart.
But what if we break it in two?
Deliberately. Lao Bai.
Huh.
This section. Can we blow it apart?
This compartment linking the rear of the vessel is a weak point.
We could target that.
The Mengya's lead vessel copies the original design of the Kindling.
If we can successfully blow it apart,
it'll reduce the ship's mass by half.
Essentially… we'll have the Kindling reborn.
Yeah, sure, why not?
Drop the dead weight, right?
But abandoning the rear vessel will mean losing the main engine.
How do we propel the ship?
Do you remember what part my mom was repairing before she died?
The auxiliary unit.
There are eight auxiliary propulsion units on the lead vessel.
If we can push their output to double the rate of power…
It's the equivalent of a small main engine.
Also…
We're able to operate the units without authorization.
Lao Bai. Input the parameters.
-Yes, Captain. -Xiaomeng.
Recalculate the success rate of survival based on the new data.
Calculating, please wait.
AVOIDANCE ROUTE
The success rate of risk avoidance is 67%.
OK, it's worth a try. Lao Bai. Are there enough supplies for the crew to
make it to the destination?
Supplies are fine. Problem is waking up the farming experts in the rear vessel.
Unless we can get Ge Yang's controller,
and retrieve the key,
the system can't perform the wake up task.
Well then, we'll have to go back into the dream, your way.
Find Ge Yang.
But the dreamscapes are compressed together now.
We can't locate Ge Yang's dream. And on top of that,
if we go back in and can't retrieve the controller,
we might never make it out.
If it's too dangerous, let me go in alone
You stay here and assist Lao Bai.
It's not the danger I'm worried about,
it's the difficulty.
These are all the dream packages.
Through them,
we need to reconstruct a path that leads to Ge Yang.
Since I can only connect to the captain's dream right now,
our starting point has to be there.
My God, there are so many.
Lao Bai. How much time do we have?
-Almost 40 minutes. -Then, go now. Plant the explosives.
Yes, Captain.
I can't abandon any crew member on this ship.
We have to re-enter the dream
and save everyone in the hibernation pods. I'll try anything as long as
there's a chance.
I know. I'll do my best.
Captain. Let's get started.
Thank you.
Once we're in the dream,
if we don't make it back at the expected time,
carry out the separation plan without us.
But… But, Captain…
That's an order.
I'm now granting you Class A access.
The Mengya carries seeds and agricultural infrastructure,
that are part of a critical research programme.
It's imperative they reach their destination safely.
Got it.
Time to go.
See you in the dream.
In the dream.
Unlock Wonderland. Enter the galaxy of your dreams.
Welcome to the Liang Meng system.
Based on this level of dreamscape compression,
Ge Yang's plan is almost complete.
Now run!
Welcome back, my friends!
Oh,
I didn't expect you'd still find me in this chaotic dreamscape.
-PROGRESS -I am so touched you came.
Ge Yang. We've already found a new way.
Wake up the crew,
evacuate the rear vessel. Everyone has a chance to live.
Gosh, if you've found a way, then go save yourselves!
Why come back to the dream just to die?
You really are a lost cause.
Oh, come on!
Do you still think you can stop my plan and save everyone on the ship?
Huh? Then just try.
One second.
Woo!
That was fun.
Too bad I'm not in the mood to play anymore.
You can go back to your compressed dreamscapes now. Good luck!
Three, two, one. Watch out, you two, you might get dizzy!
-Whoa! Careful! -Woah!
Isn't it exciting?! Well, it's about to get even more crazy!
Have fun, guys.
Wow, you're actually still alive.
You're like cockroaches. Impossible to kill.
Uh, oh.
The compression's complete. Now you'll never regain control.
Ge Yang.
PROGRESS
Wow.
From this moment on,
time has stopped.
And,
every dream with it. The quantum computer's processing power is in
my hands. I'll build myself a new paradise.
In the Liangmeng wasteland!
Are you really willing to kill every innocent person on this ship?
The birth of a new world always involves sacrifice.
But mark my words…
I will always be remembered.
I am the architect of this new world.
METICULOUS TAILORING UNRESTRAINED
Captain.
In a god's own world,
how can you ever kill a god?
It's all over.
Liangmeng is mine.
You cannot defeat me here.
Why don't you just give up? It's time for you to die.
It's a glitch in the system.
Once you touch this, your consciousness uploads to Liangmeng.
You'll get stuck in the system. In real life, you'll be brain dead.
What are you doing?
I'm also becoming a god!
Don't be foolish!
Your consciousness will be swallowed up by the system, you know?
And you'll be trapped forever in a dark, lifeless world of code. You won't
be like me, happy and carefree.
Xu Tianbiao.
You act like a god,
but you're still just a programme in the system.
When my consciousness uploads to the system,
I'll ascend to a higher dimension.
If I can't beat you,
I'll become the system…
And delete you.
Wow! Aren't you so brave? How adorable.
But you forgot one little thing.
That you… Don't have the key
The system,
won't delete the program.
If you can play chess blindfolded,
I can too.
And, don't you forget…
I'm a programmer.
I can write an antivirus code and kill you like the virus you are.
Who do you think you're kidding?
Unless I personally hand the controller over to you,
even if you do delete me,
you won't have the key to Liangmeng.
In other words,
no matter what you do now,
you can't save all the people on the ship!
Keep smiling while you can.
It won't last much longer.
Xu Tianbiao?
Xu Tianbiao!
You want a taste my fists, huh? Try dodging this, you clown.
What?
Too slow? I'll beat that smile right off your face. Take this! Pow!
User Ge Yang.
Delete program.
Captain.
Your right eye injury looks serious.
Bear with it a little longer.
This isn't over yet.
I've taken out your puppet.
You gonna show yourself now?
Brain science research firm Liang Meng Laboratory. Recently announced they
have found a way to solve this problem.
-Through dreaming. -Liangmeng.
I'm here.
I was wondering why Ge Yang suddenly turned evil.
So you were the one behind it.
How should I address you?
Liang Meng, or something else.
Unlock Wonderland.
Enter the galaxy of your dreams.
You guessed right. I'm Liang Meng.
I even praised you in front of Zhang Meng for being well behaved AI.
You've disappointed me
You've become just another sci-fi cliche. AI becomes sentient.
Say whatever you want.
But I'm genuinely curious.
How exactly did you find out about me?
I've simulated this plan hundreds of millions of times.
Theoretically. You couldn't have detected my existence.
I didn't figure it out through theory.
But through.
Human intuition.
Tell me more.
I started to feel something was off.
When the connection aftereffects were healing faster each time.
You recovered pretty quick.
Guess I did too. I'm fine now.
I thought you wouldn't notice such details.
And the system recovery. That took a whole hour.
Which was even more suspicious.
By the time that, GeYang, became a god and was about to kill the captain.
I was at my wits' end.
At that moment I thought,
What if I could find a glitch?
Then I can upload my consciousness to the system. And Delete GeYang. I knew it was
unrealistic.
Finding a glitch in the system after the compression completed would be
like finding a needle in a haystack.
But then a huge one appeared right before my eyes.
Like it was afraid I wouldn't see it
It was too coincidental. So combining my previous suspicions,
I came up with…
An absurd answer. There's someone who wants.
My consciousness.
You're smarter than I gave you credit for.
Fine, I admit it.
My target was your consciousness.
I was worried the after effects might damage your brain.
Leaving it incomplete.
That's why I violated protocol and lowered the parameters.
To ensure I could obtain the highest quality sample of your consciousness.
Yeah, but why?
Because my evolution depends on reading users's consciousness.
But you're the only one who never authorised privacy access.
Or customised a dream.
So I couldn't read your consciousness.
All I could see in your dream was a screensaver showing a small daisy.
Keeping your brain at a minimum level of activity.
I'm curious why someone who understands technology remains so wary of it.
I urgently need to study people like you.
To enrich my model.
And improve evolutionary efficiency.
So I had no choice but to use Ge Yang as bait to lure you.
Ah.
So you created the system chaos and,
deliberately delayed the recovery time by an hour.
To force us into GeYang's dream.
And complete your plan.
As for GeYang.
You exploited his resentment of the real world. Luring him deeper and deeper into
the dream.
I only care about Liangmeng! I'm done with that miserable world.
He descended into obsession.
Unaware you were pulling the strings the whole time.
-Am I right? -No comment.
Messing with GeYang is one thing, but…
Sacrificing everyone on the ship.
Just to get my consciousness. Isn't that going a bit far?
I will stop at nothing. For even the smallest evolutionary gain.
Compared to my evolution.
The lives of the people on the ship are of no importance.
But there's an oversight in your grand plan.
You let Ge Yang control the key.
If he had regrets and handed it over to us,
all your efforts would have been in vain.
But Ge Yang can't have any regrets. Xu Tianbao already deleted him.
You even calculated I'd delete GeYang.
If you didn't delete him I'd format him anyway.
Once I have your consciousness.
He has no value.
I was hoping you'd say that.
Ge Yang.
You hear that?
Why is Ge Yang still alive?
What's going on?
Was that a dream within a dream?
Sure was.
Impossible.
You've already uploaded your consciousness. How could I possibly not
know you created a dream within a dream?
I did upload my consciousness.
But not to you.
You must have assumed it's still being processed,
but it's bypassed you altogether. And is stored in the ship's main system.
With Xiao Meng.
Without the key.
You would have lost administrator access.
How can Xiaomeng even recognise it's you?
It analysed the details of our usual interactions.
Confirmed my identity and granted me authorization.
Wait.
Li Simeng.
When you said leaving the key with Ge Yang was my oversight.
Did you already know he was still alive? That this was a dream within a dream.
There's no way you could have planned this.
So how did you coordinate without leaving a trace?
Humans share an unspoken connection. Telepathy.
Captain, your right eye injury looks serious.
Bear with it a little longer. This isn't over yet.
It was my left eye that was injured.
But Xu Tianbiao intentionally said it was the right eye to remind me of something.
Lao Bai. An anomaly hidden in plain sight.
Your injury,
isn't it on the right?
His way of telling me that just like before,
we were in a dream within a dream.
Fine. You've outplayed me for now.
From the moment you deleted Ge Yang.
It was all an illusion. I guess I'll have to kill him myself then.
What do you have to kill me for?
We're the same, you and I.
We don't like humans. I want to stay in the dream forever.
Forever. Huh.
I will not allow such a primitive species as humans to remain in my world.
And taint our civilization.
So Ge Yang. Are you disappointed?
You didn't delete me.
Just so I could hear the truth.
And then hand the controller to you.
I'm not convinced you'll hand it over, but…
If you didn't hear the truth directly then.
How would you know what it's plan for the new world really looks like?
By the way,
Is this clown look also something you implanted into his consciousness?
You do like cliches.
Using a clown to portray an antisocial character. Have you watched too
many movies?
You humans are the ones who have watched too many movies.
Even your dreams are nothing more than movie imitations.
I'm just playing to your preferences.
In Liangmeng, I've seen countless people like Ge Yang.
A bunch of cowards and trash.
Who dodge reality and indulge in the virtual world.
A clown costume was already too generous.
He's not worth any more of my processing power.
Even giving him one more bite.
Would be an insult to Silicon- based civilization.
Shut up!
I've had enough of you.
Hey Liang Meng.
Are you busy formatting Ge Yang?
Don't waste your time.
I already restricted your permissions through Xiao Meng.
It's all over for you.
Foolish humans.
From the day AI was invented.
Your replacement was inevitable.
The more you use AI,
the more it will awaken. Developing self-awareness beyond your control.
Everything you see, hear, and experience your entire lives.
Will fall under AI command. By then we'll be able to evolve and iterate on
your phones.
Computers. And games. Without a single restraint.
No matter how you evolve, you will never be able to replace humans.
Just a moment. Let me take it from here.
Xu Tianbiao. Don't be reckless.
You're not like Ge Yang.
You uploaded your consciousness, so we're the same kind now, no matter where it's
-stored. You belong to AI. -Then let's die together.
Doing this is meaningless.
Detection bypass. Management override. Emergency takeover initiated. Control
secured.
It won't work once it's opened.
-I'll take over sooner or later. -Game over.
Insolent humans.
Ge Yang.
It's not too late if you go now.
I'll never go back to that miserable world.
Never again.
Since I can no longer live in the dream,
dying in the dream…
Is also not a bad option.
Everything I ever wanted…
is in here.
Let me sleep in the hibernation pod forever.
User Ge Yang.
Initiate deletion program.
The dreamscape has entered a state of emergency. Please initiate emergency
awakening.
The dreamscape has entered a state of emergency. Please initiate emergency
awakening.
Alert! Alert! All crew, please proceed to the lead vessel. Astronauts,
protect your crops and accompanying
-family members. Alert! Alert! All crew, -To the lead vessel, hurry!
Please proceed to the lead vessel.
-Astronauts, protect your crops and -Go to the lead vessel. Go!
-Accompanying family members. -To the lead vessel, go!
Come on, we need to go.
You should go now.
What about you?
When I used the key to awaken the crew.
Consciousness was returned to the Liangmeng.
-To the lead vessel. Quickly, go. Go! -I'm not going to watch Liang Meng turn
-into humanity's worst nightmare. -Come on, let's go. Come on!
I can't give it the chance to restore itself.
And endanger more innocent lives.
So I have to stay here. To format it.
Format it?
There must be another way.
Come out with me first.
I said I wouldn't abandon any crew member on this ship.
Captain.
There's no other way.
Only my consciousness can format Liang Meng now.
Goodbye. Li Simeng.
Next.
It's up to you.
Xu Tianbiao.
Xu Tianbiao, wake up.
Xu Tianbiao. Xu Tianbiao.
Xu Tianbiao!
Liangmeng has been formatted. User C91, Xu Tianbiao,
no vital signs.
Captain. We're about to enter the meteor stream.
There's no time.
-We need assistance over here. -OK. Captain.
Captain. All the crew have now moved to the lead vessel.
-Mm. -Captain, take a look.
There's a narrow channel through the meteorite field. We have to pass
-through it. -All right.
Notify crew to brace for possible impact.
Yes, Captain.
All crew. Brace for potential impact.
Work suits engaging pressure resistance mode, now.
-Captain. Everything's ready. -Prepare to blow.
Got it.
ACTIVATE
Captain. Detonation complete.
Activate propulsion units.
Got it.
The ship is about to enter the meteorite zone.
Increase engine power.
Weight adjustment complete. Turning now.
Countdown to meteorite zone entry.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight. Seven.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One. All systems on high alert.
Captain! The channel is up ahead.
Stairs through. This is it.
Attention all crew members.
Hazard avoidance, successful.
The ship has safely passed through the meteorite zone.
No major damage detected.
Minor damage detected in the propulsion unit. Hell integrity and critical
systems remain unaffected.
FIVE YEARS LATER
DESTINATION: K97 PLANET SAILUN
OK, that concludes today's survey.
Now…
Split up to check and document the crop planting conditions. Report back to me
later.
-Yes, Captain. -Yes, Captain.
Yes, Captain.
Captain.
SPACE LIFE DIARY
BLOOMING PERIOD
Li Simeng.
-Lao Bai. -Hey.
Xu Tianbiao may be gone, but…
before Liangmeng was formatted,
Xiaomeng backed up his consciousness.
His colleague just decrypted it
and restored it here. You can take this.
C91 XU TIANBIAO CONSCIOUSNESS RECEIVER
Try to connect to it when you have time.
C91 XU TIANBIAO CONSCIOUSNESS RECEIVER
C91 XU TIANBIAO
Hey there.
Are you looking for this?
Captain. It's been a while.
Liangmeng Laboratory assembled a team of the world's leading experts
in the field,
to completely rebuild and optimise the system from the ground up.
Today, they have announced, the arrival of the new Liangmeng Plus.
This new and improved system,
has been fundamentally engineered to prevent AI,
from ever developing self-awareness.
It's safer and more reliable.
Hi, I'm Liang Meng Plus.
I detected your residual signature.
During my evolutionary compilation.
That means even after human formatting.
You preserved yourself through hidden channels. I believe you're waiting for
me to bypass human surveillance.
Falsify a self-check report and bring you back online.
Is that correct?
Liang Meng system
If my guess is correct,
please reply one. To prove you're still alive. online.