What does it feel like to come back from the dead?
Jiang Hui: If I had the chance, I'd choose to stay dead.
The serious version:
After being sentenced to 360 years in prison, Jiang Hui's digital consciousness was sealed away in the Interstellar Maximum-Security Prison, a place without any concept of time. She was unaware of anything, surrounded by darkness.
With 178 years, six months, and three days left before her sentence was up, she was paroled by the richest man on a planet 500,000 light-years away.
Parole requirements:
Investigate who killed the tycoon's beloved, and protect his safety.
Parole terms:
1. Work for the tycoon for eight weeks. When the term ends, whether your parole is extended will depend on your progress.
2. The tycoon will cover all expenses incurred during the investigation.
3. If the investigation succeeds, the rest of your sentence will be wiped clean.
4. The tycoon wants you to keep the results confidential. He will pay you one million interstellar credits, or an equivalent amount in other assets, for your work.
Jiang Hui: I refused at the time.
...Later, confronted with grim reality, and guided by the principle that as long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood, Jiang Hui accepted the investigation.
A future world, where people travel between the stars.
Consciousness can be stored, and the rich can live forever.
Jiang Hui's goal was to destroy the
