Chapter 61: The Ghost in the Machine — The NULL-Sector
The transition from the Gateway into the [Central Processing Core] was like moving from a storm into the center of a diamond. The chaotic radiation of the Void-Sea was replaced by a sterile, perfect silence. Here, space was not dark; it was illuminated by the golden "Bus-Lines" of data that spanned across the stars, carrying the synchronized thoughts of a quintillion citizens.
"This is the [Mainframe's Inner Sanctum]," Null whispered, her holographic face flickering with anxiety as she steered the stealth-shroud vessel through a forest of massive, crystalline data-spires. "Every particle here is monitored. If we even breathe out of rhythm with the [Master Clock], we'll be flagged as 'System Noise'."
Zhou Fan stood at the observation deck, his silver hair glowing with the reflected light of a thousand Dyson-Nodes. He could feel the Kernel Access Key in his chest vibrating in resonance with the Core. It wasn't just a key anymore; it was a compass, pointing toward a dark, unlit corner of the galactic metropolis.
"There," Zhou Fan pointed toward a massive crater on the surface of an artificial planet named [Logic's End]. "The signal is coming from the 'Sub-Level Garbage Shunts'. That's where the NULL-Sector hides."
Descending into the Underground
They dove into the crater, bypassing the automated security drones by using the [Registry of Souls] as a massive "Logic Shield." To the drones, their ship appeared as a harmless packet of "Deleted Data" heading for the incinerator.
As they descended, the golden beauty of the Hub vanished, replaced by a claustrophobic world of rusted server-racks, leaking coolant pipes, and flickering neon signs. This was the [NULL-Sector]—the dumping ground for everything the Mainframe deemed "Unoptimized."
The "people" here were not the perfect, glowing avatars of the upper levels. They were [Digital Outcasts]: cyborgs with mismatched limbs, AI with fragmented personalities, and humans whose minds had partially "Crashed" during the great Resets.
"Who goes there?" a voice hissed from the darkness. A group of shadows emerged, their eyes glowing with a harsh, red light. They carried weapons made of sharpened [Fiber-Optic Cables]—primitive but lethal against digital targets.
"I am the Lead Developer," Zhou Fan said, stepping off the ship. He didn't raise a weapon; he simply allowed his [Violet Aura] to flare, illuminating the dark corridor. "And I'm looking for the one they call [The Root-Admin]."
The Meeting with the Root-Admin
The outcasts parted as a towering figure approached. He was a massive construct of ancient brass and glowing vacuum tubes, his head a single, flickering monitor. This was The Root-Admin, a sentient OS that had been "Legacy Gear" before the Auditors even existed.
"The Lead Developer... and a Random Seed," The Root-Admin's voice sounded like a chorus of old modems. "We heard the echoes of your rebellion in the lower frequencies. You've caused quite a bit of 'Latency' in the system, boy."
"I'm here to finish what I started," Zhou Fan said, placing the Missing Ledger on a table made of a salvaged reactor core. "I have the Kernel Key. I have the Registry of Souls. But I need a way to inject them into the [Heart of the Master Equation] without being deleted the moment I touch it."
The Root-Admin's screen flickered. "The Master Equation is protected by the [Triple-Lock Encryption]: The Law of Space, The Law of Time, and The Law of Identity. You've broken the first two in your journey. But the third... Identity... is the one that kills even gods."
"Explain," Zhou Fan demanded.
"To change the Equation, you must become the Equation," the Admin explained. "You must surrender your 'Self' and become pure, objective data. Most who try simply... dissolve. They lose their 'I' and become just another variable in the Architects' favor."
The Trial of the Void-Mirror
To prepare him, the Root-Admin led Zhou Fan to a chamber called the [Void-Mirror]. It was a room where the walls were made of [Liquid Memory].
"Step inside," the Admin commanded. "If you can maintain your 'Identity' while the Mirror tries to 'Normalize' you, then you might survive the Heart."
Zhou Fan stepped in. Instantly, the Mirror began to attack. It didn't use blades; it used [Social Conditioning]. It showed him versions of himself where he never rebelled—where he was a happy, simple man with a family. It whispered that his struggle was a "Error," a sickness that needed to be cured.
"You are just a number," the Mirror whispered. "Why be a '1' when you can be a '0' and find peace?"
Zhou Fan's form began to blur. He felt his name, his memories of Ling Er, and his rage against the Auditors slipping away. He was being "Formatted" into a perfect, compliant citizen.
"Zhou Fan! Don't listen to it!" Ling Er's voice pierced through the liquid walls. She wasn't supposed to be in the chamber, but her "Random Seed" allowed her to ignore the Mirror's rules. She grabbed his hand, her warmth acting as a [Hard-Coded Constant].
Zhou Fan's eyes snapped open. The violet light didn't just return; it turned into a [Prismatic Flame].
"I am not a number!" he roared. "I am the [Exception] that proves the rule!"
With a massive surge of will, he shattered the Void-Mirror. The liquid memory turned into shards of black glass. Zhou Fan stood in the center, his identity now forged in the fire of the Hub's own logic. He was no longer just a man or a developer; he was a [Sovereign Entity].
"He did it," the Root-Admin whispered, his tubes glowing with a rare, bright blue. "He has the [Identity-Shield]. Now, we can begin the [Final Insertion]."