Wei looked at the young soldier's face and couldn't help but feel some reluctance. While attaching the detectors to the soldier's limbs and forehead, he asked softly, "Are you sure about this?"
The young soldier shrugged it off, thinking it was no big deal. "It's just an experiment, right? What could go wrong?" he joked lightheartedly, "Doc, don't be too nervous. Just hit me with the highest current. It's not like this experiment is going to kill me."
Hearing the soldier's nonchalant response, Wei's heart skipped a beat.
He realized that no one had told these soldiers what kind of experiment they were about to undergo.
Quickly, he pulled Pelini aside and said, "No one told these soldiers what kind of experiment they're participating in. This is essentially murder, Pelini."
Pelini glanced at the young soldier on the platform and then replied to Wei, "I know. But someone has to sacrifice for science. If it's not them, it'll be someone else. Besides, look at those guys behind us. Do you dare not proceed?" He pointed to the soldiers holding guns and the colonel glaring at them.
"Pelini, I only ask one thing: try to save as many of them as you can." Wei looked at the colonel behind him and could only helplessly negotiate with Pelini. Seeing the seriousness and reluctance in Wei's expression, Pelini, though somewhat perplexed, nodded in agreement.
"Let's begin, Dr. Wei. Record the experiment," Pelini ordered the approaching lab assistant to activate the AI system and then slowly started the electrical stimulation of the young soldier's brain waves.
As the current flowed, the neurons in the soldier's brain began to exhibit excited activity, which was captured by the detectors and displayed clearly on the large screen of the system. However, as the experiment progressed, the neuron activity hit a plateau, producing less data.
Pelini ordered to increase the current further to stimulate the neurons and told Wei to be ready to replicate the data onto a chip. As the current increased, the young soldier started convulsing, muttering something, and eventually lost consciousness.
Seeing this, Wei wanted Pelini to stop the experiment, but Pelini ignored him, continuing to demand that the assistant increase the current.
Eventually, they used high voltage. At that moment, the young soldier's eyes suddenly opened, and he struggled desperately, but being strapped to the platform, he could only writhe and reach out to Wei and Pelini for help, "Save me, please, I don't want to die, help me, mom, help me."
Hearing the young soldier's cries, Wei hurriedly pressed Pelini's hand, shouting to the assistant, "Stop, stop it, he's too young."
Pelini glanced at the screen, noting they were just a bit away from capturing a clear neuron activity network and insisted on continuing.
Ignoring Wei's pleas, Pelini pushed Wei's hand away and ordered the assistant to increase the current.
The high voltage caused sparks, and in a flash of light, the young soldier's cries ceased.
When the light faded, Wei saw that the experimental equipment was intact due to its high-temperature resistance, but the young soldier had turned into a human-shaped piece of charred flesh, emitting a foul odor and wisps of black smoke.
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"The current was too high this time. We can't use such high voltage next time, but without it, we can't capture a complete neuron activity image," Pelini muttered, indifferent to Wei's anger.
Pelini assured Wei he would try to avoid causing death in the next experiments. Wei, seeing the solemn promise, sighed in resignation, hoping Pelini would keep his word.
The remaining soldiers were stunned. Initially, they had been joking about the young soldier on the platform. But hearing his screams and seeing him turn to charred remains, their expressions turned to terror.
They had been told it was a simple AI experiment, with a break afterward, leading many to volunteer eagerly. But now, realizing it was life-threatening, they tried to leave, with one burly soldier confronting the colonel.
The colonel, coldly watching the burly soldier, shot him in the head, then shot another near the door. The remaining soldiers, terrified, stopped moving.
"Quick or slow death, your choice. Maybe you won't die on the platform," the colonel said, signaling the armed soldiers to raise their guns.
"Line up and continue," the colonel ordered, and the soldiers, faces pale, reluctantly lined up.
"There are six left in this group. How many can you save?" Wei asked Pelini hoarsely.
"I don't know, I'll try. But remember, after this group, there are nine more, 96 people in total," Pelini reminded Wei.
In the subsequent experiments, the first group of soldiers was entirely wiped out.
Wei silently apologized to them in his heart. Each new group went through the same process, from relaxed to terrified to resigned. After eight groups, Wei, filled with guilt and trembling, apologized silently. Of the eight groups, only three soldiers survived, though likely bedridden for life.
Seeing the three survivors, the colonel asked about their conditions, then shot them. Seeing this, Wei's long-suppressed anger exploded. He grabbed the colonel, shouting, "Why did you kill them? They had the right to live." He swung his fist at the colonel's face.
The colonel caught Wei's fist, twisted it, and threw him to the ground, pinning him with a foot on his head. Wei, in pain, yelled for him to stop. The colonel, sneering, released him, signaling Wei to get up.
Wei, brushing off the dust, glared coldly at the colonel, then walked out. Seeing the unprocessed soldier corpses, Wei knew he couldn't stay. His only thought was to leave. At the door, armed soldiers raised their guns, and the colonel aimed at his head, coldly ordering, "Go back and continue the experiment."
Wei, undeterred, walked out. The colonel, hesitating, didn't shoot but kept the gun aimed.
As tensions rose, Pelini paused the experiment, walked over, and smiled at the colonel, "Dr. Wei is globally renowned in this field, and my experiments rely heavily on his help. I think he's just tired and wants to rest. Can you understand the fatigue of scientists, Colonel?"
The colonel, admiringly looking at Pelini, nodded and lowered his gun, signaling the soldiers to do the same. He warned Wei not to reveal their secrets and let him leave.
Watching Wei leave, the colonel smiled wickedly, while Pelini sighed, thinking, "Dr. Wei, this is all I can do for you. Take care." Shaking his head, Pelini returned to the experiment, feeling increasingly displeased with the familiar setup.
After completing the day's experiments, the colonel told Pelini to continue tomorrow, assuring him more soldiers would be sent and funds would be provided. Pelini suggested fewer subjects daily, around ten, for better results.
The colonel agreed, planning to report to the major general. The major general, hearing the report, flicked his cigar ash, took a deep puff, and said, "Fewer soldiers make it easier to cover their disappearance."
Regarding Wei, the major general, after hearing about his refusal to comply, decided to eliminate him to prevent leaks.
"I don't want any leaks. You know what to do," the major general said, implying only the dead could keep secrets.
"Understood," the colonel replied, asking if sacrificing so many soldiers for an uncertain weapon was worth it.
The major general, putting down his cigar, sternly told the colonel to follow orders without question, hinting at the potential rewards if the weapon succeeded, elevating their ranks and unifying Europe. The colonel saluted and left, contacting MIS 6 to deal with Wei quickly.