Chapter 58: Screwllum's Lecture

Noticing Screwllum's undisguised gaze, Bernard smiled and asked, "Mr. Screwllum, is there something wrong?"

Screwllum met Bernard's gaze and nodded slightly, "There are indeed some issues."

Bernard raised a hand in a gesture of invitation, "Please go ahead, Mr. Screwllum."

Without hesitation, Screwllum asked directly, "May I ask: what is the difference between an intelligent life form and a tool?"

Bernard pondered this question, generating hundreds of proofs and refutations in a single instant:

Hypothesis: It is the material composition.
Rebuttal: Screwllum's composition is obviously quite different from that of a human.

Hypothesis: Intelligent life forms can think, while tools cannot.
Rebuttal: Thought and judgment. Tools are equally capable of these actions. In many cases, tools can also alter their own judgments based on changes in the surrounding environment.

Hypothesis: ...
Rebuttal: ...

Sensing the electrical signals in Bernard's brain, Screwllum had already obtained the answer he wanted.

He raised a hand, interrupting the repetitive arguments echoing in Bernard's mind.

"You have fallen into a misconception in your thinking," Screwllum delivered his conclusion. "Your very process of thinking has become erroneous."

"Conducting meticulous contemplation centered around logic is fine, of course, but one must not become entirely mired in logic. The integration of subjective and objective judgment is the proper mode of thought for an intelligent life form."

"So-called form, so-called thought—these are all insignificant. What truly defines an intelligent life form is contradiction."

"Be it desire, be it character—what drives an intelligent life form to commit acts contrary to logic is the characteristic that distinguishes it from a tool."

Summarizing Screwllum's words, Bernard stated, "So in Mr. Screwllum's view, I am a tool."

Despite phrasing it this way, Bernard felt no sense of discontent.

"Not quite. Rather than an intelligent life form, you merely resemble a tool." Screwllum did not beat around the bush, laying out his viewpoint directly.

Bernard nodded and accepted Screwllum's assessment, "There is nothing wrong with that. Excess emotion always interferes with judgment. This is the choice of divinity; it is the judgment closest to [Correctness]."

***

"You define that as divinity." Screwllum first nodded in affirmation of the first half of Bernard's statement, but then offered his own judgment on Bernard's perspective. "Your understanding of the world stems entirely from Beyonder characteristics themselves; it requires more humanity to mediate."

"If language, thought, and even emotion are woven into characters that inorganic life forms can also comprehend—like butterflies, whales, and you—there is only a single form of life in the ocean of data."

"Then, if we define the boundaries of description by the length of data fields, there ceases to be any distinction between humanity and divinity."

"In my view, your actions and thoughts are actually more akin to a child who has not received a proper education."

Screwllum spread his palms, "Take this gentleman, for instance. He is truly quite childish."

On his palm lay a transparent, twelve-segmented worm.

Screwllum pointed to the monocle over his right eye, "This gentleman seemed intent on exploiting the fact that I wear a monocle to parasitize me."

"Children generally act on instinct, just as you act according to the instincts of Beyonder characteristics. When a child gains a sufficient understanding of right and wrong, knowing what can be done and what cannot be done, that child has grown up."

Screwllum admonished both Bernard before him and Amon in his hand: "And as for you, only when you acquire humanity and attain a more complete understanding of the world, of right and wrong, can you be considered truly grown."

"As mythical creatures, especially natural-born mythical creatures," Screwllum tapped the Worm of Time in his hand, "your concept of time differs from that of ordinary people. Therefore, for you, growth has little to do with age; it is more about your own personal experience—experiencing this world."

"I came here merely as a guest, and I have no business lecturing you." Screwllum tilted his head slightly, his gaze seeming to pierce through the carriage to lock eyes with someone unknown.

Then, Screwllum locked eyes with Bernard once more, "Actually, when I first arrived on this planet, I did not appear directly in the place you just saw. This planet is enveloped by a barrier, so I found a breach."

Bernard's gaze remained calm, seemingly entirely unaware of Screwllum's words.

"At that breach, I encountered a gentleman lingering between life and death. Although I could tell he was not a good man, his dedication to protecting this planet, to protecting your hearts, still commands my respect."

"Though he was mad when he first saw me, after I... conversed with him for a while, I restored a small measure of his sanity. Once he woke up, seemingly stirred by my personality, he begged me to save his son."

"I apologize for using 'him' instead of 'He', because the one I am describing now is not the 'Black Emperor' you speak of, but a 'father'."

For the first time, ripples appeared in Bernard's eyes, though they quickly smoothed out again.

He bowed to Screwllum once more, "I have learned much."

"It seems you still retain a shred of humanity." Screwllum accurately captured the look in Bernard's eyes, a hint of a smile touching his voice, "The difference between an intelligent life form and a tool—you still need to ponder that once more. For a scholar, the process of thinking is far more important than the result."

Seeing that Bernard had resumed thinking, starting to ponder from a "human" perspective, Screwllum stopped disturbing him and looked down at the Worm of Time in his hand, which had repeatedly attempted to escape and commit suicide.

An invisible barrier separated them from Bernard, ensuring that nothing interrupted the contemplation Bernard had so painstakingly initiated.

***

"Do not parasitize indiscriminately; you will get caught." His tone was flat, like casual chatter.

"Just kill me," he heard the faint voice of the Worm of Time.

"No, I will not kill you." Screwllum shook his head, "You are in greater need of a lesson."

"Perhaps you think this is great fun, highly amusing. As a natural-born mythical creature, you treat lives like ants, you treat lives as a game, and their survival or destruction hangs entirely upon a whim of yours." Screwllum critiqued Amon's malicious behavior. "For a child, games are naturally fun and interesting. But for an adult, there are many ways to solve a problem, and even more ways to solve a 'game'. A certain lady once taught me what should be done in times like this."

Amon ignored Screwllum, simply repeating, "Just kill me."

"In this city, there are a total of twenty-one million, four hundred and twenty-three thousand, five hundred and seventy-four avatars, correct?"

Amon fell silent.

Screwllum paused, "No, there is one more. Harmony, Joy... and Propagation. He seems to be attempting to carve out a path different from yours."

Invisible data, anchored by the Worm of Time in Screwllum's hand, compiled a message and broadcasted it to the other twenty-plus million Worms of Time.

A piece of data named "Humanity."

In dealing with Amon, Screwllum was clearly not as gentle as he had been with Bernard; the nature of the Worms of Time was rewritten while their innate wills were preserved.

From now on, these Worms of Time would be unable to replace the consciousness of their hosts, and they would experience the exact same feelings and pains as their hosts.

Screwllum reached out the window and tossed it lightly, and that Worm of Time parasitized a passing bird.

"You are truly an exceptionally brilliant teacher." Beside Screwllum, the priest with clear eyes expressed his gratitude, "And thank you for helping me discipline Him."

"I am not a teacher. I merely had a recent exchange with a qualified educator. He calls himself an ordinary man and a physician, and he has quite a methodical way of teaching others."

PS: Screwllum is far too rational; with him around, it is impossible for things to go completely off the rails.
Does anyone feel like Screwllum is out of character in any way? I personally quite like this character and don't want to write him poorly.
Ticket, vote, vote!