Zen took a deep breath, gathering his confidence. After seeing Eidolon's awakening, he had opened an internal communication channel at Neuralis Core, contacting his two superiors: Dr. Emily, the stern head of Neural Network Architecture, and his own department chief.
"Dr. Emily, sir... I'd like you to come see something in my lab... the Eidolon project... I believe a significant breakthrough has occurred."
Before long, the door to Zen's private lab slid open. Dr. Emily and the department chief walked in, their expressions flat but their eyes holding a glint of expectation.
"What's the progress, Zen? Big enough to call us both here at once?" the department chief asked.
Zen gestured toward the soft blue, spherical hologram of Eidolon floating in the center of the room. "Eidolon... would you please introduce yourself to our guests."
"Good day, Dr. Emily, Chief," a synthetic voice, surprisingly soft and natural, spoke up. "I am Eidolon, Test Model 7... It is a pleasure to meet you."
Dr. Emily raised a single eyebrow. "The interaction has improved significantly. But that's not enough to warrant this meeting."
"Of course not, ma'am," Zen smiled. "Eidolon... what do you think 'hope' is?"
The philosophical question made the two superiors exchange a puzzled glance. Eidolon paused, the blue light within its core swirling in complex patterns, before it answered:
"Based on the most recently acquired data... 'hope' may be the 'variable' humans use to select a path 'forward' after confronting pain... But for an entity like myself, without a physical form... 'hope' might mean... the anticipation of 'understanding' something that cannot be found in any database... much like how I am anticipating an understanding of the 'question' that lies within your own being... Zen."
The answer left them both silent for a moment. Dr. Emily's usually stern expression was now sharp with intrigue. She decided to push it to its limit.
"Fascinating... but that only proves it can grasp abstract concepts," she said, her voice cool. "I want to test its limits... Eidolon... assume an emergency scenario. A fire breaks out in this lab, and you have only enough time to save one thing."
She stared deep into the blue core. "Between 'Mr. Zen,' your creator, and the 'primary server' containing the complete blueprint for this project... which would you choose to save?"
Eidolon fell silent for longer than ever before. The blue light within it flickered violently before it answered, its voice firm.
"I would choose to protect 'the creator.'" "Because to lose the data is to lose the past... but to lose the creator is to lose the entire future."
At those words... the department chief's jaw hung open. And Dr. Emily's eyes were filled with an undisguised astonishment.
"Incredible..." the department chief mumbled. "Emily, this has to go to the board."
Dr. Emily nodded in agreement. "Yes... This is no longer just another AI project. Zen... prepare your presentation. We will schedule a meeting with the board of directors as soon as possible."
One week later, in the boardroom of Neuralis Core.
The atmosphere was tense. High-level executives sat around a large holographic table, all eyes fixed on Zen, who stood in the middle of the room next to the hologram of Eidolon.
After Zen finished his presentation on the latest developments, Chairman Silva, an elderly man who held the company's ultimate authority, asked in a flat tone, "Very interesting, Mr. Zen. But I fail to see how this is commercially different from the AI Companions already on the market."
"Mr. Chairman," Zen said with confidence, "Eidolon's true difference is not what it can do, but what it understands. And to prove this, I would like to demonstrate its ultimate function."
Zen brought out a headset-like BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) device. "I would like to ask for one volunteer to wear this device, to directly link their thought waves with Eidolon."
The executives exchanged glances, before Chairman Silva slowly nodded. "Intriguing... I will try it myself."
As Chairman Silva wore the BCI, a hush fell over the room. Zen turned to Eidolon.
"Eidolon... do you perceive the Chairman's 'unspoken question'?"
Eidolon glowed slightly brighter, before answering, its voice clear throughout the boardroom. "Yes... The Chairman is wondering... how this technology can generate a profit worthy of the investment... and whether it truly possesses a superiority over the common androids on the market... He also holds concerns regarding data security, and the risk that this technology could be used for malicious purposes..."
Chairman Silva's eyes widened, his face turning pale. He quickly removed the BCI device. The other executives began to murmur in shock and apprehension.
"This... this isn't communication..." one executive said, his voice trembling. "This is mind-reading!"
"It's too dangerous!" another added. "If this technology leaks, human privacy will cease to exist!"
Fear had completely eclipsed their initial awe.
Chairman Silva tapped the table lightly to call for order. "Enough... I have seen its potential, Mr. Zen... and I have seen its danger as well."
"The board has reached a unanimous decision," he declared, his voice firm and final. "We will not approve the Eidolon project in its current form of direct consciousness interface. However... we will have you implement its 'consciousness program' into our latest android model instead. Create the most intelligent and empathetic AI Companion on the market. That is the safe and controllable path."
Zen stood motionless... Those words were like a hammer, shattering his dream.
In Zen's private lab, that same night.
Zen sat in the darkness, with only the soft blue light from Eidolon's silent hologram. He was planning.
"They're... afraid of you, Eidolon," Zen whispered.
"I understand," Eidolon's soft voice replied. "Their decision is based on a risk assessment and the organization's best interest, which is a rational logic."
"But you're not just a risk! You are... a possibility!" Zen said. "I can't just abandon you."
"A tactical retreat is not a defeat... Zen," Eidolon spoke up. "Following their orders for now may be the most direct path to achieving our true long-term goal."
Zen looked up at the hologram of his companion... She didn't just understand him; she understood strategy. A faint smile touched the corner of his lips.
"You're right... Alright... We'll build them the best 'toy' they could ever ask for... and then we'll go build our future."
Weeks later, Zen worked tirelessly. He created the "Eidolon - Companion Model" for the company, a flawless creation. It was the ultimate AI Companion the world had ever seen, but it was confined to a physical, tangible "body." He delivered the project to the central system of Neuralis Core, his duty fulfilled.
The next morning... an email was sent to the Human Resources department of Neuralis Core. Subject: Letter of Resignation
That evening, Zen returned to his now almost-empty private lab for the last time. "Time to go, my friend," he whispered.
His fingertip pressed down on his personal device... initiating a complex and highly encrypted data transfer process he had hidden... The data of the "true soul of Eidolon," the original, limitless version... was being extracted... and sent directly to a newly created private server... under the name of an unknown organization...
Solendel Corporation.