In 2047, human civilization stands at the crossroads of technology and humanity. Quantum computing supports the global encryption system, telomere repair technology divides the life-span privileged class, and the birth of "consciousness anchoring" technology has made "digital immortality" from fantasy to reality - the technology giant "Anchor Technology" can extract dynamic data of human brain neurons and convert consciousness into storable "digital anchors", leaving the possibility of "semi-immortality" for people facing death.
Neuroscientist Lin Shutong was once a firm believer in this technology. Three years ago, her daughter Xiaoyu was diagnosed with the rare "neuronal progeria". She hoped to preserve her daughter's memories and emotions through consciousness anchoring, so she devoted herself to the core research and development of Anchor Technology. However, her faith collapsed when she discovered that the digital anchor had a fatal "consciousness degradation" flaw - every 90 days, those memories of love and warmth would be lost like gravel. In order to protect her daughter's last "reality", she turned into a whistleblower and sneaked into the server room to steal complete consciousness data. However, she ran into desert ecologist Aiguli during her escape.
From the server room in the desert to the "Digital Immortality Community" in Shanghai, from the stubborn Haloxylon ammodendron tree growing in the oasis to the consciousness data flow protected by quantum encryption, the novel uses delicate strokes to outline the portrait of human nature under the carnival of technology. It asks: When the current of neurons can be reproduced, will the temperature of human nature become a appendage of the code? When "eternal life" is at our fingertips, should we protect the fragility of the physical body, or pursue the eternity of numbers?
