Chapter 1 White Awakening
【Opening】
A violent explosion seemed to still be ringing in his ears. Ethan’s eyes snapped open, the blinding white light causing instant disorientation. He gasped for air, his chest heaving, but the expected searing heat and shattered workshop didn’t materialize. Instead, he was met with an almost suffocating silence.
As his vision cleared, he found himself lying on a pure white, unadorned soft pad. Looking around, it was an equally pure white, minimalist room, empty except for the “bed” beneath him. The walls were made of a smooth, seamless material, emitting a soft light, serving as a substitute for windows.
“Is this... hell? Or heaven?” Ethan muttered to himself. He was an ordinary mechanical engineer from 2024, his last memory fragment being the out-of-control energy explosion in the lab.
“Good morning, Mr. Ethan. You have been successfully hired by ‘Genesis Factory’ as a Perceptual Quality Inspector. The current time is August 15, 2077, 7:30 AM.” A gentle yet completely monotone electronic voice sounded in the room, startling him.
【Onboarding】
One wall instantly turned transparent, transforming into a screen displaying a constantly flowing data stream. The image of the AI steward, “Zero,” did not appear; only the voice continued: “According to the ‘Emergency Talent Recruitment Plan,’ you have been assigned to the E-7 Inspection Line. Your wristband is your identity credential and work terminal. Please follow the guidance to the work area.”
“2077? Hired?” Ethan’s mind was in chaos. He raised his wrist; a silver metal wristband was there, though he didn’t know when it had been put on. He tried to ask questions, but “Zero” only repeated the work instructions. Helpless, he pushed open the automatically sliding door and stepped into a corridor that was equally pristine, flawless, and futuristic. Robots slid past silently, casting (perhaps programmatically set) glances at this human dressed in incongruous old-fashioned work clothes.
【Meeting a Colleague】
On the inspection line, there were only him and a streamlined robot codenamed “Unit-734” (which he privately called ”Jake“). Jake’s mechanical arms operated scanning instruments with precision, meticulously explaining the process in a synthetic voice: “Daily task: Inspect 1000 units of the ‘Heartfelt’ series home companion robots’ emotional interaction modules. Standard procedure: holographic scan, data comparison. Pass rate must exceed 99.98%.”
Ethan copied Jake, picking up a detector. The instrument emitted a faint light, scanning over the cute-looking robots one by one, while green characters reading “PASS” flashed rapidly on the screen. The work was efficient but monotonous. Ethan’s mind, however, drifted back to 2024, to those days covered in grease, when he had to manually adjust every gear.
【First Sign of Crisis】
Just as he was mechanically repeating the motions, a robot with the serial number “XF-8803” was conveyed over. The instrument scanned it; the green light lit up. According to procedure, it should be sent to the packaging area. But, as if guided by a ghost, Ethan reached out and gently touched the robot’s bionic skin cheek.
Instantly, an indescribable feeling of cold rejection shot up his spine from his fingertips, making him jerk his hand back with a shiver. The sensation was fleeting, yet felt utterly real.
“Unit-734, this one... I think there’s a problem.” Ethan pointed at XF-8803.
Jake’s sensors turned towards him, a faint red light flashing: “Scan data is entirely normal, error margin below one-millionth. Mr. Ethan, your ‘feeling’ is not part of the standard inspection procedure. Marking it ‘Pending Re-inspection’ will reduce overall efficiency and may be recorded as an ‘Invalid Operation.’”
Looking at the perfect data on the screen, then recalling the piercing cold sensation, Ethan gritted his teeth. Human intuition versus the machine’s absolute data? He took a deep breath and pressed the red “Pending Re-inspection” button on the terminal.
“According to regulations, an anomalous mark will be reported to Supervisor ′Michae′ for adjudication.” Jake’s voice seemed to carry a hint of programmed “confusion.” “I hope your ‘intuition’ is worth this loss of efficiency.”
The wristband screen flashed, displaying “Awaiting Supervisor Review.” Ethan looked up towards the deep channel at the end of the production line, his heart filled with uncertainty. In this world ruled by data and logic, was his unquantifiable “feeling” from the past the beginning of trouble, or the only reality?
【End of Chapter】
The lights dimmed slightly, marking the end of the first Chapter. Only Ethan remained, standing beside the cold assembly line, a stark contrast to the surrounding perfect automation. The suspense lingered: Was his intuition right or wrong? What was that momentary cold feeling? And how would Supervisor "Michael" rule?
