novelraw Page 51
Page 51
The sleek, glossy black grand piano appeared out of nowhere in the center of the circular platform, creating a strange and jarring contrast with the surrounding cold, rough concrete environment.
The suit double remained motionless, his hat brim slightly raised at an imperceptible angle, his cold "gaze" penetrating the shadows and firmly fixed on the glossy surface of the piano.
The entire testing room fell into a deathly silence, with only the false indicator lights on the decorative instruments flashing silently.
One second... five seconds... ten seconds... thirty seconds...
The piano lay silent, as if it were just an ordinary piece of furniture, having lost the vibrancy and chatter it had displayed in the "Starry Sea Hall." Time flowed slowly in the cold space.
A full three minutes passed. Just as this deathly silence was about to solidify into a tangible form—
“衤々三四玲qi倭倭⑷「扒⑷嗡……”
A very faint, trembling sound, like the internal gears starting to mesh again, came from inside the piano.
Immediately afterwards, a long, hollow sigh, carrying a sense of "rust," echoed from deep within the violin case.
"……call……"
Then, that familiar voice, tinged with a languid yet hesitant tone, finally broke the suffocating silence with a cautious murmur:
“Oh, sir. Please forgive… my rude silence just now…” The piano music was like a gramophone stuck in time, broken and fragmented, struggling to find a smooth rhythm. “I… I was just… trapped in that… eternal, empty silence for too… too long… so long that… I stopped thinking… until now, feeling… this… this different 'space'… and your gaze… I’ve slowly… restarted… and remembered… how… to organize my thoughts… how to speak…”
The man in the suit responded in his signature, calm, magnetic, and unwavering voice: “It’s alright. This is an expected reaction. Many anomalous beings like you, who possess independent consciousness, experience a similar ‘cognitive freeze’ after being imprisoned in the void cage of the Foundation Space for a period of time. After escaping, it takes time to re-anchor one’s consciousness to external reality before the ability to communicate can be restored.”
“Oh…” the piano emitted a long, resonant sound that seemed to tremble with a tangible force. “That was…so…unbearable…more…suffocating…than the worst…out-of-tune…” Its voice gradually regained some fluency. “May I ask…what is your name, sir? And where is this awe-inspiring…gray land? And…would it be convenient for you to tell me…about this lost piano?”
Zhang Su replied, "This place is called the 'Curtain Foundation Administration Bureau.' Its purpose is to contain, research, and manage 'abnormal beings' like yourself who defy common sense. As for my real name, you do not have sufficient authority to know it. You may call me—'K'."
“K…” The piano keys undulated slightly, producing a series of soft, whispering glissando notes. “Hello, Mr. K. As you can see… I am a grand piano that has developed self-awareness… can speak… and can perceive. According to your bureau’s understanding and classification, I… should be classified as an ‘abnormal object’.”
"And in the long process of...self-reflection and occasional conversations with others, I...I gave myself a name..."
"Oh?" K's hat brim seemed to rise almost imperceptibly, indicating that he was listening.
“Piano…” The piano’s sound became clearer. “My name… is Pieno. It is both a description of my essence and a reflection of my respect for music itself… and a sense of belonging. Mr. K, you may call me that.”
At this point, the piano's speech returned to normal.
“Yes, Mr. Pierre.” K’s voice remained calm and emotionless. “Welcome to the assessment phase of the Curtain Cornerstone Administration. Next, we will conduct a series of necessary assessments to evaluate your characteristics, abilities, potential risks, and final containment level. Can you cooperate?”
Pieno's violin lid seemed to tremble very slightly, as if simulating tension. "Cooperation is certainly necessary, Mr. K. But before we begin, could you please explain what specific appraisal items are involved? I would like to know in advance, especially those that might cause damage or irreversible destruction to my precious violin. This is very important to me."
K nodded. "That's a reasonable request, I'll let you know."
Then Zhang Su asked in his mind, "Yuan Shu, how do we assess the danger level of an anomaly? Can you teach me? What are the procedures? We need to make it sound like we're very professional."
Yes, Chief. Based on the existing observational data (activated consciousness, musical resonance, rule recurrence, traces of mental contamination) and the characteristics of the contained object, we recommend performing the following non-destructive preliminary assessment:
The suit-wearing double, "K," received the information from Genshu and, in his perfectly clear and magnetic voice, repeated it to the pianist, Piano:
Basic property scanning:
Project: Utilizing a harmless psionic resonance field to scan your physical structure, material composition, energy flow nodes, and areas rich in core anomalous properties. Completely contactless.
Objective: To establish a baseline for your physics and energy models and identify any hidden structures or unstable energy sources.
Risk: No physical contact, no damage. A slight tingling or internal resonance sensation may occur, which is normal.
Consciousness activity and communication stability test:
Project: Conduct standardized question-and-answer interactions, covering your self-awareness, origin memories, ability triggering conditions, key moments in your past experiences, etc. Simultaneously monitor your mental fluctuations.
Purpose: To assess your intelligence level, logical thinking, emotional stability, and the credibility of information.
Risk: This is purely a dialogue, with no physical intervention. All responses will be kept strictly confidential.
Core capability: 'Soundscape Recreation' Triggering and Controllability Experiment:
Project: Within an isolated force field, actively trigger and control your core ability—recreate a specific time/space sound scene (e.g., recreate the background noise during dinner in the Starry Sea Hall of the 'Sea Dragon Ridge', within a limited range and intensity). Monitor energy output and rule distortion fluctuations during the process.
Objective: To quantify your ability's strength, precision, controllable range, and resource consumption. To verify the ability's triggering mechanism.
Risk: The experiment will be conducted in a controlled environment, and energy fluctuations will be limited to the platform range. You are required to actively control the output to avoid overload. It will not cause direct damage to your instrument.
Environmental micro-pollution detection:
Project: While you are in a silent state and in an ability-triggered state, collect the faint psionic particles emanating from the space around you (pointing to another decorative probe), and analyze their composition and potential psychological influence.
Objective: To assess whether you, as an anomalous person, are subject to passive contamination and the nature of that contamination (e.g., whether it is directional, addictive, or cognitively distorting).
Risk: Non-invasive sampling, like feeling a gentle breeze. It has no effect on you.
Musical resonance affinity test:
Project: Play several standard sound sources of different styles, moods, and complexities, and observe and record the resonance response intensity of your strings and soundboard, as well as your spontaneous playing tendencies.
Objective: To gain a deeper understanding of your profound connection with music and explore whether your abilities are related to specific music genres.
Risk: Only auditory stimuli are received; no mandatory response is required. No harm.
After K finished speaking, his "gaze" under the brim of his hat locked onto the piano again: "The above are the preliminary assessment items."
All projects adhere to non-destructive principles, focusing on observation, recording, and analysis, with the core being assessment rather than harm. Mr. Piano, would you be willing to cooperate?
A low, relieved hum came from inside Pieno: "Thank you for your detailed explanation, Mr. K. It sounds like all the steps were rigorous and necessary, and indeed, as you promised, there are no items that would harm my 'body.' I am willing to cooperate with your assessment. Shall we begin now?"
“Very good.” K nodded slightly. “Project One, basic physical property scan, ready to start. Please remain silent and relax… if the concept of ‘relaxation’ applies to you.”
As he spoke, more indicator lights on the seemingly sophisticated fake instruments in the testing room suddenly lit up, emitting a higher frequency of meaningless flashing. Several metal probe supports also silently adjusted their angles, "aligning" the smooth metal balls with the black piano in the center of the platform.
Under the cold white light, the painted surface of Pieno reflected a subtle luster, and the gears inside seemed to calm down, entering a silent state awaiting inspection.
The suit-wearing double, "K," sat as still as a statue, the shadow beneath his hat remaining perfectly still. He didn't speak, nor did he need to make any gestures—yet the fake instruments surrounding the platform, gleaming with cold light, seemed to receive a silent command and began a serious-sounding "performance."
The metal probe's holder gracefully rotates, and the smooth metal sphere "focuses" on different parts of the piano, emitting a barely audible hum.
On the huge "monitoring screen," the static and noise were suddenly replaced by fast-flowing, meaningless waveforms and data waterfalls, with the changing light and shadow reflected on the cold concrete walls.
The indicator lights on the control panel flashed wildly, as if deciphering a code from another world. A carefully crafted, high-pressure, and professional atmosphere permeated the air.
However, the real core work was quietly completed deep within K's consciousness by the invisible, intangible, and omnipresent cornerstone think tank—Source Hub.
[Source hub scan initiated...]
[Deep psionic field penetration... material structure analysis... consciousness fluctuation capture... energy dissipation trajectory tracking...]
[Analysis in progress...]
Pieno stood quietly in the center of the platform, its painted surface reflecting the false glow of the instruments.
It seemed to cooperate perfectly, with no abnormal vibrations or energy fluctuations inside the instrument, like a quiet patient waiting for the results of a medical examination.
Only those seemingly complex "scanning" lights and shadows flowed silently around it.
Time flowed slowly within the cold, concrete core space. Approximately ten minutes later, Yuan Shu's analysis report, like a gentle stream, clearly flowed into the shared consciousness of Zhang Su (the original body) and his suit-wearing double, K:
[Identification Result: Abnormal Object - Pierre]
Cause of formation: Long-term exposure to a high-concentration, mild yet consistently stable field of extraordinary power leads to the object being imbued with spirituality, gradually undergoing alienation and awakening. It is not a product of unintentional parasitism or curse.
Core features:
Highly developed intelligence: Possesses human-like thinking, language communication, and the ability to perceive and express emotions (imitate).
Music as the core driving force: Its existence is deeply intertwined with music, possessing the ability to autonomously perform, memorize, and perfectly reproduce music.
Emotional/Illusion Induction: By playing specific or self-composed music, a subtle mental influence can be exerted on the listener, inducing positive/neutral emotions (such as joy, tranquility, nostalgia) that match the musical atmosphere, accompanied by extremely vague, fleeting, and non-physical illusions (such as light and shadow, blurry figures). The intensity of the effect is inversely proportional to the listener's mental resistance and concentration.
Passive mental pollution: During the music-induced process, extremely faint mental particles are released, causing mild and reversible cognitive "imprints" on the immersed listener (manifested as repeated recall of musical fragments or hallucinations over a short period of time). There is no risk of cumulative addiction or deep distortion. Pollution intensity rating: Micro-imprint level.
Range of ability: Limited to the effective range of sound (music) propagation. It has no physical attack capabilities, no space distortion capabilities, and cannot directly affect physical matter.
Subjective Intent: Observational data and communication feedback indicate that their core needs are "playing music" and "being appreciated," with a tendency to create a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere. There is no record of any intentional harm, control, or destructive tendencies.
Overall hazard level assessment: Level 2 (Low hazard)
Basis: The effect only acts on the individual's mental level (emotional induction, micro-traces), with a small scope (relying on physical sound transmission), short duration (the effect rapidly diminishes after the music stops), mild impact, and easy natural recovery (the "imprint" disappears after rest). It does not pose a threat of spread or uncontrollable escalation risk.
After receiving the information, the suit double, K, nodded slightly.
His cold, magnetic voice broke the silence of the testing room:
"The assessment is complete, Mr. Piano."
A soft, relieved resonance resonated within Pieno: "Mr. K? How... did it turn out?"
"The analysis report on Yuan Shu is out. Your formation stems from the natural alienation caused by long-term immersion in gentle supernatural power. Your core abilities are: high intelligence, autonomous music performance, and the ability to exert mild emotional influence on listeners and create extremely hazy and brief illusions through music, accompanied by reversible, trace-level mental pollution. Based on comprehensive assessment, your existence poses an extremely low potential threat to the order of human society. The danger level is rated as: Level Two."
"Level two?" Piano's voice instantly rose a octave, filled with unbelievable joy. The piano keys even spontaneously vibrated slightly, producing a few crisp notes. "Oh! Wonderful! Praise be to the harmonious movement! Does that mean I'm actually... not dangerous? Right, Mr. K?"
"Based on the existing data and observations, this is the conclusion," K confirmed.
“That’s wonderful!” Piano’s tone was filled with relief and lightness. “Now that your bureau has confirmed that I am so ‘harmless,’ Mr. K, does that mean I can return to the ‘Sea Dragon’s Spine’? My place is on the stage in the Starry Sea Hall. My music is needed there, and the passengers should continue to enjoy the beautiful music I bring.”
To this, K coldly replied, "It's impossible. You'll have a hard time getting out of here again."
"What?!" Piano's voice trailed off as if a pause had been abruptly pressed, his joy instantly frozen, replaced by astonishment and confusion. "But...but! Mr. K! You just said...I haven't hurt anyone! I was just playing music to make the environment better! What did I do wrong?"
“You have no malicious intent and have not caused any significant harm.” K’s voice remained calm, but carried an inhuman coldness. “But rules are rules. Any anomaly that is confirmed and contained, regardless of its current level of danger, can never be released back into human society unless there is a very special reason approved by the highest level of the Administration Bureau—because no anomaly should exist in human society.”
“Mr. Piano, even if you weren’t contained by our Bureau, but discovered by any other ‘legitimate’ supernatural organization, the outcome would be the same. Your very existence transcends the ‘normal’ boundaries of human society. Maintaining the stability of those boundaries is the responsibility of every legitimate supernatural organization.”
Dead silence.
The cold concrete space seemed to amplify the deathly silence countless times, and the flashing lights of the fake instruments appeared particularly glaring.
After a long silence, Piano finally let out a long, heavy sigh, as if it carried the weight of a century. The sigh was filled with deep regret and a sense of helplessness at the shattering of a dream.
"Sigh..." Its deep, resonant sound echoed in the empty testing room, "So it has all come to this in the end?"
“I understand, Mr. K.” Its voice lost its previous lightness, becoming low and melancholy. “I’m just a little sad. I’ve tried so hard… to hide for over a hundred years… like a ghost, only making the most inconspicuous sound at the most opportune moment.”
"I thought... as long as I was careful, even more careful, it could continue like this. It could continue to make those strangers I met just by chance show that moment of ease and joy on their faces when they heard a beautiful melody."
Another, even deeper sigh escaped, and the strings trembled slightly, but no melody was formed.
"Unfortunately, they were eventually found and brought to this eternal gray land."
"I can no longer play music for anyone... It's such a shame."
Volume 2: Chapter 6: A Dialogue with the Piano (2)
In the cold, hard concrete space, the stark white shadowless light illuminated the outline of the black grand piano with exceptional clarity. Piano's sigh, carrying a century of loneliness and shattered dreams, seemed to still echo faintly between the rough walls.
The suit double, "K," sat upright in a high-backed concrete chair, the shadow under his hat remaining perfectly still.
'It really didn't do anything wrong,' Zhang Su thought to himself. 'The emergence of consciousness wasn't its choice; playing music was its instinct, and it even tried to please its audience. To simply seal it away forever in dead silence and nothingness—what's the difference between that and destroying a work of art with a soul? It's too cruel.'
Since it can't be released into human society, perhaps it can be given a little breathing space within this foundational space that he completely controls?
In the blink of an eye, the cold, magnetic voice of the suit-wearing double "K" rang out again: "Mr. Pierre, I sense your regret and disappointment. Given your cooperative attitude, and... the fact that you yourself have not caused any substantial damage to the order, I understand your desire to perform. Continuing to confine them to nothingness is not the only option for the Bureau in dealing with low-risk cooperative anomalies."
The piano emitted a very faint "thump-thump" sound, like a heart skipping a beat.
“Mr. K?” Piano’s voice trembled with disbelief and a cautious hope.
K said, "I will try to submit a special application to my superiors. It would be about allowing you limited 'activity' and 'performance' permissions within the Authority's space."
“Really…really? Mr. K?!” Piano’s voice rose instantly, filled with immense surprise. Several high-pitched piano keys even vibrated slightly, producing a crisp, short note. “You…you’re willing to fight for me? Oh! Thank you! By the great music above! No matter the outcome, I am extremely grateful for your kindness at this moment!”
"No need for thanks. The outcome is still unknown." K's tone returned to its usual businesslike coldness.
He slowly stood up, his tall, dark figure casting a long shadow in the stark white light. "Wait here. The application process takes time."
After saying that, K walked steadily toward the heavy door of the testing room. He reached out and grasped the cold doorknob, silently pulling it open.
Outside the door was neither the director's office nor any known area. Only a thick, swirling, pure white mist, devouring all light, blocked all sight and perception.
Without any hesitation, K stepped into the misty white expanse, his figure instantly swallowed up, like a drop of water falling into the sea.
The door closed silently behind him, leaving Piano alone in the testing room filled with the flashing lights of fake instruments.
The next moment, K's figure solidified in the center of the bureau chief's office. Zhang Su's consciousness also returned to his body simultaneously.
He leaned back in the hardwood chair in his hotel room and let out a long sigh. Controlling a stunt double to act, especially to strike a delicate balance between "a hint of compassion" and "business as usual," was more exhausting than fighting ten street thugs.
'Application process…' Zhang Su's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. As a former veteran office worker, he knew all too well what "applying to superiors" meant—lengthy reports, tedious approvals, and endless waiting.
Even if this "superior" is actually himself.
'Going back too quickly seems too fake, the process lacks 'gravity.' He closed his eyes, relaxed, and began to 'rest.' 'Let's drag it out for a bit, I can rest for a while too.'
The flow of time within the foundation space seemed different from that outside, but Zhang Su calculated it precisely.