Click…Click…Click…
Li Xuan sat in the sterile black of the interface chair, a neural ring snug against his temples, his pulse syncing with the soft pulses of light across the console.
His breath slowed.
[Input prompt received.]
Neurax responded in a monotonous tone, akin to that of a lifeless robotic machine.
[Beginning neural reconstruction. Anchor point identified. Commencing full-sensory emulation…]
[Ring…]
[Ring…]
The ringing grew louder, pulsing stronger and stronger as Li Xuan's eyes flickered restlessly beneath his closed lids. His dizziness gradually began to fade as it was being replaced by the steady, repetitive rhythm of clicking belonging to the system.
According to Li Xuan's interpretion, the prompt was being transferred from simple words into a scripture that only the deepest part of his mind could capture.
Right now, the system is stimulating the emotional-symbolic memory by descrontructing the prompt using Li Xuan's personal memory and a general overview of his prompt.
By using the latest Chinese invention in advanced brain-machine interface, Neurax stimulates the direct sensory center belonging to the subjects. Similar to the previous experiments Li Xuan and his colleagues tried on other animals, Neurax makes the brain believe the feelings attached to the prompt are what he is feeling.
[World is restarting according to prompt…]
[Neural echo synchronization at 82%… 89%…]
[Immersion depth: 32%…42%…]
The robotic tone of Neurax echoed softly in his ears.
Given his expertise in the field and familiarity with Neurax's procedures, Li Xuan already knew what to expect next. Bracing himself, he anticipated a powerful surge of consciousness crashing down upon him at any moment. He understood clearly, it was wiser to be vigilant against your own creations rather than relax simply because you built them.
You never know if your invention will elevate you to godhood or end your life the very next second…,
He resisted the urge to open his eyes until he was certain the procedure had succeeded and that it was truly safe to do so. Even in darkness, he could distinctly feel the gentle caress of a breeze against his skin, gradually restoring awareness to every part of his body.
Fully conscious yet cautiously patient, Li Xuan awaited Neurax's instructions, as well as confirmation of a successful transfer. Unconsciously, he began comparing his own experience with that of experiment R-17, feeling a quiet sense of enlightenment.
This must be how the rat felt when we typed in the prompt, an culmination of all our efforts to create a harmless machine…,
He nearly chuckled at the thought but kept his reaction internal, careful not to distract Neurax as it continued its delicate work.
[Sensory override complete]
[Immersion depth…100%...Construction…100%...]
[Subject: stabilized.]
Then came the voice. Clear, neutral and mechanic, belonging to the system.
[Neural sync complete. Host stablization…confirmed]
Almost instantly, a sharp wave of consciousness surged through Li Xuan, seizing him with sudden clarity. His chest tightened as if compressed by some unseen force. His mouth, previously dry and tasteless, flooded with bitterness, a foreign sensation, something strange forming within. He couldn't grasp exactly what the system was doing.
What is this sensation…?, he wondered anxiously, his eyes still sealed shut. Fear lingered in the depths of his heart, yet he fought to maintain composure in the face of the unknown.
Pat… Pat…
Without warning, Li Xuan felt gravity return as he was gently placed onto a solid surface. The sensation of floating faded abruptly, grounding him firmly in reality. He inhaled sharply in anticipation, only to be overwhelmed by a strong, acrid odor permeating the air.
Smoke?, he questioned internally, quickly realizing this wasn't ordinary smoke from burning wood. It carried a distinct, unmistakable scent.
Gunpowder!
BANG! BANG!
His heart leaped violently, slamming against his ribcage in shock from the sudden explosion of sound. The echo reverberated sharply, leaving behind a bitter aftertaste of gunpowder. Li Xuan's eyes fluttered rapidly beneath closed lids, his lips trembling subtly in restrained terror.
[You may now open your eyes…]
The robotic tone echoed into his eyes, his eyes subsconsciously hesistated whether to open them or not after experiencing the shock of his prompt.
What if I opened my eyes to myself being in line to be executed?!? This is not what I signed up for!
As though Neurax could hear his thoughts, it responded monotonously by lending a screen with words written all over it.
[Rest assured, Host!]
[Neurax_1.0 analyzed the circumstances of the prompt with your safety in mind!]
[Neurax can confirm you are completely safe from any kind of bodily violence.]
Alright…, Li Xuan seemed somewhat perplexed by its calm response, how come you can read my thoughts so clearly?
[Neurax was built using your neural pathways and the direct stimulation of your sensory centers, Host!]
[Do you wish to know more?]
[Yes] [No]
Li Xuan: "…"
Did Ai Wei program this into the system? Thinking I have no idea how my creation works...,
Li Xuan coughed awkwardly and asked grudgingly, "May I open my eyes now?"
Ding!
[Historical-realist immersion initiated!]
[Host remains in control.]
[Observation mode active.]
[Host may now enter observation mode with full immersion]
Li Xuan mentally steadied himself, nodding inwardly as he slowly opened his eyes. The instant his eyelids lifted, brilliant sunlight flooded his vision, dazzling him with its intensity. What had previously felt distant and surreal now snapped vividly into place, his senses fully restored in a heartbeat.
It was as if he had finally returned to his own body.
The first breath Li Xuan took seared his lungs like fire.
What had started as a faint scent of smoke now grew thick and choking, an acrid haze mingling the charred remains of wood and something else, something unsettling he couldn't quite place. The air was heavy with the pungent bite of gunpowder, the brittle aroma of burnt parchment, and beneath it all, the metallic, unmistakable tang of rusted iron and spilled blood.
His mouth filled with the taste of soot and bile as his chest became increasingly heavy and his weight over the surface creaked.
The scene before him was not one he anticipated in his head, it was more chaotic than what he expected.
His hands, now larger and wrapped in animal skin, held a scroll of letters in a language he could not read, the ink blurred by heat and splattered by pieces of bloodclots. His leather-gloved hands were painted with a darkish brown paste, the tangy and rotten scent swirled into his nose.
He raised his head, watching the sky above him. It was not the ones he has seen back home in Shenzhen, it was a sickly yellow-gray. The sun did not show itself in its bright colors, it was hidden behind a veil of gloomy smoke.
The ash and the metallic smell of blood swirled in the air like a dream turned nightmare.
This is…, Li Xuan's lips trembled, France?
[You are now experiencing historical-realist immersion: Tier 1.]
[Host remains in control]
[Do not interfere.]
Neurax solemnly voiced in his head.
Li Xuan could feel a sense of something erupting within him, making him feel almost alive and free.
Did I just land myself in the middle of a revolution? Or the start of something better?
"Je n'ai rien fait de mal!" The cries ranged out in the distance, spoken in an unfamiliar language but one could feel the madness behind the cry.
His ears rang with screams, high and raggard. Screaming crowds tore the air open, their voices were laced with fury, grief and something even deeper. Hunger.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of desperate peasants surging against a line of stern-faced men in formal suits, rifles gripped tightly in their hands. Every shove from the crowd was met with a thunderous response, guns cocked and fired without hesitation, bullets tearing through faces at point-blank range.
One by one, bodies crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Blood pooled beneath them, staining the earth where they once stood.
In the background, bells tolled from a shattered seeple somewhere in the distance. There were laughter and weeping all mixed together. The weeping threaded through the chaos, nearly drowned out by bursts of manic laughter from those who had nothing to mourn.
This was chaos in its rawest form.
Li Xuan stood still at the center of the chaos. He hadn't yet had the time to fully assess himself as his mind was still reeling from the brutal scene unfolding around him. The wooden platform beneath him groaned under the shift of his weight
Lowering his gaze, he realized he was standing atop what appeared to be a wooden scaffold. His feet were clad in heavy leather boots, stiff, unfamiliar and far heavier than anything he was used to. His familiar white lab coat was gone, in its place hung a thick woolen overcoat that draped over him like a rug.
The frabic felt strange yet eerily fittin, as if his body somehow recognized it.
In his hands, the scroll trembled slightly as he took another uneasy step back.
"Il est temps…" The words pierced through his thoughts, pulling him back onto Earth. A man dressed in similar attire stood nearby, silently gesturing toward a group of stern-looking men
The language...it struck him as Latin at first but the accent, it was off. It didn't quite match the French he'd learned in school, it sounded far older, rougher, and more archaic.
Damn it, I don't know what they're saying…, Li Xuan thought with a grimace as frustration welled up in his chest.
He desperately cried out to Neurax to help him, Neurax, help me translate this now.
[As you command, Host.]
[Language comprehension activated!]
Then, like a switch flipping in his mind, the world around Li Xuan sharpened. The unfamiliar murmurs and clipped commands began to take shape.
Suddenly, he could understand the language being spoken. Conversations and hushed whispers floated to his ears with startling clarity.
So this is French… but from the 1700s, he thought, a flicker of realization passing through him, of course it sounds different. I should've known…
Creak! Creak! Creak!
A cart suddenly rolled into the square, its wheels thick with mud and dried blood as two grim-faced men in red-trimmed coats pulled the cart by themselves.
Behind them, four more came as they strained beneath the weight of something long, wrapped in oil-stained clothes and chained like a prisoner.
All of a sudden, the crowd stirred and gradually fell into deadly silence. Before long, the crowd erupted in fearful shouts and whispering loud enough for Li Xuan to catch on,
"It's the blade!"
Could this be what I think it is...
Li Xuan turned to the men as they approached the scaffold. The men nodded to him with what seemed like reverance, they peeled the cloths back slowly.
Beneath the cloth was a massive crescent of steel.
It was blackened at the edges and gleamed coldly where the light hit. The blade was not smooth, it had been chipped from use.
The lead guard muttered something under his breath, seemingly signaling the other guards. With a heavy grunt, they raised the blade into place before sliding it along rusted tracks.
It locked in with a thunderous clang, followed by a shivering groan of tightened rope and its iron weight.
This is the guillotine!!!, Li Xuan exclaimed joyfully in his head, marveling at the details of this scene.
He could hardly believe it.
He was witnessing the blade being installed in real time.
The detail, the immersion, the raw authenticity.
It was beyond anything he imagined. In his heart, he silently praised Neurax with deep admiration. But more importantly, he gave credit to himself for designing a system so formidable it could reconstruct the chaos of the French Revolution with near-perfect vision.
This… this must be what Napoleon felt, he mused, a rush of pride swelling in his chest. My Napoleon-loving heart… it's been fulfilled beyond words.
Next thing I know, I'll become Napoleon himself, he thought with a thrill. And I won't forget to input a better prompt next time once I'm out of this simulation.
He couldn't contain the euphoria bubbling within him. His lips curled upward into a faint, almost menacing smile enough to draw wary, even angry glances from those nearby.
Beneath the satisfaction, Li Xuan was deeply impressed by the depth of the simulation. The crowd's raw energy, the passion, the sheer terror and madness in the air. It didn't feel like a simulation anymore.
Perhaps, it had been real. It felt real. It was real.
"May I introduce everyone to the louisette?"
A loud solemn voice rang out across the execution field, instantly drawing the attention of those close enough to hear.
The voice belonged to a man cloaked in a deep navy coat, its sharp lines adorned with gold piping that traced his sleeves and lapels elegantly. He emerged from a cluster of formally dressed men. Their crimson stashes draped proudly across their chests, clear markers of their allegiance to the regime. Brass buttons gleamed down their torsos in tightly aligned rows, each etched with strange symbols.
Symbols that drew grimaces from many in the crowd, symbols they have known too well.
White gloves. Tall black boots polished to a shine, and polished sabers sheathed at their sides.
Upon their heads, they sported tricorn helmets crowned with red plumes, a blood-red feather curled like a question mark. Beneath those helms were expressionless and unreadable faces. They stood in precise formation, unmoving and obedient.
The Royal Guards, Li Xuan thought to himself with certainty as he looked onto the stage and directly into the man in the front.
"A device authorized by his Majesty to punish those who owe loyalty to the crown and have failed to paid their dues to the royal treasury," the man announced, "By His Majesty's decree and in his boundless love for the common people, he has banned the use of the breaking wheel, deeming it a cruel and inhumane way to end the life of his citizen."
The mention of the King stirred immediate unrest among the crowd. They erupted into boos, their voices laced with scorn and fury. A few hurled curses and some raised their fists in open defiance. Yet the man continued, unshaken. His face remained still, formal, solemn and almost mask-like.
"With compassion in his heart," he continued," His Majesty has persuaded the National Assembly to pursue a more humane method to punish the disloyal and the dissidents."
"The machine was tested, judged and found successful. The National Assembly has decided to name it the guillotine. From this day forward, it shall serve as the righteous hand of justice against those who betray the crown, and the soul of this nation."
A chill settled over the crowd. The man's eyes, once simply unreadable, now seemed hollow and void of life. He slowly turned to Li Xuan, his gaze heavy and dull.
"Bring out the traitors."