CR-ST-1: Special Visitors' Channel

CR-ST-1 Special Visitors' Channel	Operation Lucent Arrowhead: Roam the Exhibition Next CR-TR-1
"Despite your... unusual method of entry, it is my pleasure to provide you with commentary for your brief visit."

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Characters
Ela Doc Iana Fuze Reynell Miłosz Strangely-Dressed Durin Grumbling Soldier Commanding Officer Bewildered Soldier Alert Soldier Slick Soldier Tired Soldier Galería Security
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6

Summary Ela leads her squad into Magnethill No. 2 again to investigate the disappearance of Ash and the others. Not only do they find key clues, they also happen to foil a kidnapping.
<Background 1>
[Ela and Iana rappel down into an underground bunker. Ela activates her communicator.]
Ela	We've arrived at Magnethill No. 2. Repeat, we've arrived at Magnethill No. 2. Doc, how are things over on your side?
Doc	Exterior clear. Considering the unique properties of Magnethill No. 2, I suggest we meet up.
Ela	Agreed. Drone recon report, Iana.
Iana	Almost no different from the way we left it. Readings are virtually the same, and there is no sign of activity from any other party. Looks like the quarantine on Magnethill No. 2 has been pretty well enforced.
Ela	Which is to say, there's nobody here. And that's not good news, because we're here to look for the missing Ash squad. Keep your eyes open. We'll proceed to Levi's main lab once we rendezvous.
<Background 2>
[Ela stands in front of a large gaping hole.]
Ela	Here we are.
Doc	Are you sure?
Ela	This is where Levi's main lab was, according to the map.
Iana	We were only one step behind Cohen. There were tremors, then... I don't know if it was that madman Levi, or something wrong with the equipment, but the whole lab disappeared into thin air.
Doc	Into thin air? Are you sure?
Iana	I'd say that in my expert opinion, it's the most fitting description of the events.
Doc	That just doesn't seem possible.
Fuze	No explosion can wipe out all evidence that a lab ever existed. It wouldn't have left a big hole like this, sending only a few tremors through those outside.
[The ground suddenly starts shaking.]
Doc	Earthquake? Or is it like you said...
Iana	It's not an earthquake!
Ela	The tremors might well be linked to the disappearance. Find cover and wait for the tremors to pass!
<Background flashes white>
<Background 3>
[Elsewhere, a group of Bolívar soldiers are marching up some stairs.]
Grumbling Soldier	How many floors are there? My legs are starting to scream.
Commanding Officer	Keep going up, we need to reach the Reynell's penthouse.
Grumbling Soldier	Can't we take the elevator? Why do we have to climb these stairs floor by floor?
Commanding Officer	You think I don't want to? Recon report on the security here indicates that the penthouse is only accessible by these stairs and his own private elevator. There are guards posted by the elevator on every floor. Security is weakest on the stairs, that's where we break through.
Grumbling Soldier	Guy's just a Kazimierzian who came to make some money, isn't he? It's not like he has anybody backing him up. Why do we have to be so careful just to get him to sign a transfer agreement?
Commanding Officer	He has money. That's all the backing he needs. Keep moving. Quit looking around!
Tired Soldier	I'm completely spent, boss... I'd rather take the lift and fight my way through.
Commanding Officer	Shh...
Tired Soldier	Captain?
Commanding Officer	(Whisper) We've almost reached the office! Quiet down..
<Background 4>
[A Vulpo man in a classy white suit opens the door for his secretary.]
Reynell	A letter? I told you, you can open those on your own. No need to ask me.
Miłosz	It says for your eyes only, Reynell.
Reynell	Where is it from?
Miłosz	Kazimierz... looks like it's from your uncle.
Reynell	Ah, the usual inheritance demand.
Miłosz	Also... one from the Dossoles municipal government.
Reynell	A letter from the city? Probably nothing important. Should be another stupid banquet invitation.
Miłosz	Maybe Candela will be there. We could discuss the opening ceremony with her. It's not far off, after all, and you've spent so much time and effort on it... It's probably going to be spectacular.
Reynell	Come, stand with me, Miłosz.
The man walks up and stands by the red-haired Vulpo's side. They admire the artwork at the end of the room, about the height of two persons.
Reynell	I'm naming it "The Fall of Order". What do you think?
Miłosz	Er... sure. You want to show it at the opening?
Reynell	We've always been straight with each other, haven't we?
Miłosz	Is that twisted curve intended to represent the "fall"?
Reynell	No, it represents the fleeting gaze of society on man. A dogmatic gaze that considers all that does not conform to be madness. Lines that can only emerge from a post-Profound Silence Iberia.
Miłosz	The Iberian Inquisition. Certainly a symbol of order.
Reynell	...
Miłosz	On the right... does that indescribable cone represent the spires of Leithanien?
Reynell	No. Imagine Sargon and its millennia of wind and sand, the lords ameer, the Padishah, the golden city... fantasizing the exotic is also a construct of internal order. The last gasp of imagination, once broad, now left with nothing but cliche.
Miłosz	Yes... Right, that makes sense.
Reynell	I pulled all of that directly out of my behind.
Miłosz	Er... Your artistic style has always been unique, from medium to expression. How many golf balls did it take? A thousand? Two thousand?
Reynell	That's not important. What's important is the last one. Would you do me a favor and put the finishing touch on it, by placing this one on top?
Miłosz	What would happen?
Reynell	It will be completed, and at that moment—
He sees shadows flash past the bottom gap of the office door. The door is kicked open before he could react. The whole room trembles, causing the teetering sculpture before him to collapse, sending golf balls flying everywhere.
Miłosz	..."The Fall"?
[Bolívarian soldiers march inside the office.]
Commanding Officer	Reynell and you, secretary over there. Hands on your heads and get down. No sudden moves.
Miłosz	Who are you?
Commanding Officer	Doesn't matter. You and your boss are going to come quietly, if you know what's good for you.
Something is approaching rapidly from above. Must be a particularly big fowlbeast, the officer thought. He pays no heed to it and points his crossbow at Reynell, the half-collapsed golf ball sculpture standing between them. Then, he hears a loud noise from the ceiling, right above what remains of the sculpture. Then another.
<Background shakes>
This time, a large hole appears in the ceiling, along with the sound of broken planks. Several dark shadows fall through the shrapnel-mixed dust onto the floor of Reynell's office, smashing what remained of the sculpture, sending golf balls flying in all directions. The soldier was about to let out an expletive, but it died in his throat. The shadows began to move.
[Ela is first to stand up.]
Ela	Everybody alright?
Iana	Just a little scrape.
Fuze	I'm fine.
Ela	Doc?
Doc	I... I'm okay.
Iana gives Doc a hand and sees he is holding a golf ball, which left a round mark on his forehead.
Doc	I'm fine... other than a little knock from a golf ball.
Ela	Next question. Anyone know what happened, other than that we somehow fell into a pile of golf balls?
[The soldiers, Reynell, and Miłosz stare in bewilderment at the group.]
Commanding Officer	...
Miłosz & Reynell	...
Bewildered Soldier	Why didn't we go just in through the roof? We wouldn't have had to climb the stairs if we did that.
Commanding Officer	Shut up. Prepare to engage!
[The soliders begin to fire bolts at them...]
Ela	A crossbow?
[...as Ela reloads her rfile.]
Ela	...Prepare to engage.
Reynell	I guess you aren't exactly friends. Did you bring a weapon, Miłosz?
Miłosz	(Shrugs) Nope.
Reynell	Well, in that case... You'd better duke it out amongst yourselves to decide who gets to kidnap me. There's only one of me, after all.
[Reynell casually pours a glass.]
Reyenll	A drink, Miłosz?
Miłosz	Pass. I still have to protect you.
Doc	Kidnap?
Fuze	A furry kidnapping party? That's new.
Commanding Officer	Enough chit-chat! Drop your weapons and get away from Reynell, or we'll shoot!
Iana	Well, they're coming for us, kidnappers or not.
[The soldiers start firing again.]
Ela	Find cover! Iana, Doc, take the non-combatants and get out of here! Fuze and I will cover you!
<Background Team Rainbow begin firing back.>
Commanding Officer	No Sankta halos, and they don't look like Blacksteel either... Do these idiots have a death wish? They just think guns look cool? Move! Don't let them get away with Reynell!
<Background The groups keep shooting...>
Ela	On your ten, Iana!
[Iana snipes down a soldier.]
Iana	Hostile down!
Alert Soldier	Those guns aren't just for looks!
Commanding Officer	Stand your ground! We have backup! Reserve squad! Quit fooling around and get out here!
[More Bolívarian troops charge in.]
Doc	I can't get to the non-combatants! There are too many of them. Iana and I are suppressed— Reloading!
Iana	I'm up! Frag out!
[Despite the explosion, the soldiers appear unfazed.]
Iana	Ineffective! Hostiles are blast resistant!
Ela	Roger. Fuze, smoke.
Fuze	Smoke grenade out.
[The room begins to fill up with smoke.]
Fuze	Smoke won't solve the real problem. Need a Cluster Charge? I still have plenty.
Ela	That's one way, but Grzmot works better here. Iana, Doc, get those non-combatants to cover! Fuze and I will cover!
[The smoke begins to dissipate.]
Fuze	Firing!
<Background Fuze and Iana fire at the soldiers while Iana and Doc rush towards Miłosz.>
Miłosz	Stay back!
Iana	Don't resist! I'm taking you to cover!
Miłosz	Why do we have to—
Iana	Look out!
[Miłosz narrowly dodges a knife.]
Miłosz	A sneak attack?!
Alert Soldier	Looks like you're more than just a secretary!
Miłosz	You talk too much.
Doc	Get back, sir! You're in the line of fi—
[The solider knocks Miłosz out.]
Alert Soldier	Trying to fight real weapons with a wine bottle? Dumbass—
[Doc shoots the soldier.]
Doc	Very immature. He's out cold. I'll carry him. You get that guy in white.
Commanding Officer	They're trying to take Reynell away! Stop them!
Slick Soldier	We can't get close! Their guns fire too quickly!
Commanding Officer	Dammit, what the hell are you doing when they're not firing!
Slick Soldier	They keep finding dead zones! And their coordination—
Commanding Officer	There are only four of them! How many guys do we have?!
[The soldiers keep firing at Team Rainbow.]
Doc	We're in cover! We can hold out for a while!
Fuze	Reloading!
Commanding Officer	That guy's out! Get him!
Ela	Iana, smoke!
Iana	Smoke grenade out!
[The room fills up with smoke again.]
Commanding Officer	*cough* *cough* Another smoke grenade? Is that the best you can—
Ela	Flying out. ...Sticking it. Here's a memento. Get out of the way, Fuze!
[Fuze makes a run for it.]
Slick Soldier	The other two are trying to hide!
Commanding Officer	Surround them and—
<Background flashes white>
[The soldiers collapse from the Grzmot mine.]
Doc	They swarmed without any caution for possible explosives. No tactical awareness whatsoever.
Ela	Let's disarm them first. Tend to the wounded, Doc. Clear.
Iana	Clear.
Fuze	Clear.
Doc	All clear. No casualties. That's good news. Even though we were shooting to incapacitate rather than kill, these guys were still unusually tough. That one there survived a full shotgun blast at point-blank range.
Ela	Good news indeed.
Doc	One more thing. Not sure what it means, but look at the animal ears... you can see blood vessels, if you look closely.
Ela	What?!
Fuze	Is that part of Levi's research too?
Iana	My compass isn't working. What about yours, Doc?
Doc	If we're really near Magnethill No. 2 in the Southern Urals...
Doc looks behind him, where the wind is blowing the curtains open. The squad walks out to the balcony and takes in the sight outside.
The setting sun shines down between towering skyscrapers, painting the waters red. Tourists in swimsuits lie on the beach, enjoying a lazy holiday afternoon set to ice cream truck music. The only man in the room who can still stand slowly walks towards them.
Fuze	If this is the Urals, then I'm George Clooney.
Ela	It's clear we're no longer in the mission area.
Iana	Did we teleport?
Ela	Where to? The Maldives?
Iana	It looks like a vacation spot alright... but I don't think it's the Maldives.
Ela	Maybe we can ask the unfortunate victims—Oh, speak of the devil.
<Background 5>
Ela	Could you answer a few questions, sir? Who are you? What is this place? And who were those armed men?
Reynell	I'm happy to explain a few things, out of "gratitude" for the surprising ending that you created for my work. Before formal introductions, however, I must correct one premise... I was never an unfortunate victim. Not before, not now, not ever.
Iana	Can we get back on topic?
Reynell	Very well. Welcome to the dark heart of Bolívar... Welcome to Dossoles. My name is Reynell Kowalski.
Ela	Call me Ela, Mr. Reynell. But, given that we need to quickly grasp our situation, I think we can cut the introductions. I'll ask, and you'll answer. Alright?
Reynell	Doesn't look like I have a choice.
Ela	Which country does Dossoles belong to?
Reynell	Bolívar. In name, at least.
Ela	Bolívar... You mean Bolivia? I don't know a city called Dossoles in Bolivia. What about you, Iana?
Iana	...No.
Ela	Let's try another way. Which continent are we on? South America?
Reynell	Continent? I'm not sure what you mean. If you mean the name of our "landmass," that's Terra, obviously?
Ela	Gówno......
Reynell	(Kazimierzian) Oh? It's not every day I hear my mother tongue spoken.
Ela	Your mother tongue?
Reynell	Nothing. Keep going.
Ela	I never thought I would be asking this, but... Mr. Reynell, are we on Planet Earth?
Reynell	Planet...? Earth...? I thought all I had to do was answer questions, but now I'm beginning to have a few of my own.
Ela	... Iana, maybe you can do better with the questions... Iana?
Iana does not answer. Her eyes are wide, staring at the horizon in the opposite direction of the setting sun. The others follow her gaze. Two moons are rising slowly in the distance, one brighter than the other.
<Background 6>
Strangely-Dressed Durin	Damn, only had time for one doodle before they found out. That was close... gave me a fright when all those people showed up.
Galería Security	Hold it right there, girl! You won't get away with vandalizing the Galería!
Strangely-Dressed Durin	Shoot. I'd better go. You got lucky today... Reynell.