Operation story: CV-7

Operation

Story

Previous CV-6	Next CV-8
Characters
Franka Helena Jessica Laura Leone Liskarm Miles Sylvia Woodrow Bank Manager Bank President Convoy Leader Jittery Bank Employee Terrified Bank Employee
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Before operation

“

After watching groups of residents leave their homes to be shipped off to the frontier, Jessica finally makes up her mind to help the locals reclaim their money from the bank.

”

<Background 1>
[Jessica and Laura watches the evicted Davistowners waiting for the buses taking them to the frontiers.]
New Year's came and went, but the freezing wind and snow continue to nip at Davistown, leaving not a shred of warmth. Amidst the crowd outside the plate waiting for their ride, Miles drowsily thinks to himself—how long has it been since he's waited for a bus like this in the cold.
Laura	So what kind of place are you headed to in the frontier, old man?
Miles	...Somewhere warmer than here, at least. Don't worry about me. They showed me mercy by allowing me to be buried along with my old neighbors.
Jessica	I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...
Miles	What's done is done, kid. Best to just move on, and stay out of trouble. Right, I just remembered. The last time I was waiting for a ride like this, it was to head to a nomadic city to attend my little sister's funeral. It was a cold day just like this one. Helena, Woodrow, and Leone... They all stayed with me while I waited for the convoy to show up. I was holding a bouquet stuck inside a vase from Helena's diner, and wearing an old suit Leone lent me. Freezed my ass off for hours. Weirdly, I can even clearly remember how long Woodrow's beard was that day. But everything after I got on the bus is just a blur, like looking through a layer of frosted glass. I think I went to a huge city, but it also seemed smaller than Davistown. I think I cried a lot, but it also feels like I didn't cry at all... After that, it's just me hopping on a bus back to town, and my friends helping me get off. I actually do remember what happened after that. I went to Helena's place and started drinkin' and drinkin'. Got pretty sloshed, but I somehow still remember everything I said that night.
[The buses arrive.]
Convoy Leader	The convoy to the frontier has arrived! Hop on the bus, people of Davistown!
<Background black>
<Background 2>
Leone	Don't you act like I've forgotten, Miles! You told me, "when the time comes, stuff my body into the plant's furnace, and see if... my ashes can... make the people here sneeze..."
The engineer throws his head back and takes another huge swig.
Leone	As soon as you finished talking, the town was perfectly fine, but I was the one who got the mother of all sneezes. Haha... Hahaha... Back then, nobody laughed. Nobody could laugh at all. But now, it seems so damn funny. What do you think? Don't just sit there all quiet! Drink, Miles, drink!
<Background 1>
[Helena and Woodrow shows up.]
Helena	Sorry we're late.
Jessica	Woodrow, Helena... Where's Leone?
Helena	Right before we left, he said he needed some time to figure things out. Said he'd be back later, then popped open another bottle.
Woodrow	...But we're out of time.
Miles	No big deal. If anything... maybe it's better this way. Tch, damn weather... Why does it have to be so cold?!
Woodrow	Well, once you're on that bus, you can kiss this weather goodbye.
Jessica	Woodrow!
Miles	Ain't nothing wrong with what he said.
Jessica	I'm sorry...
Miles	*sigh*... Stop apologizing, Jessica. This whole damn time, it was the bank's fault, Blacksteel's fault, and sometimes, even our own fault. But you... you never did nothing wrong. So stop blaming yourself. We weren't expecting much from you in the first place—
Miles realizes his mistake the moment the words leave his lips, but before he has a chance to explain himself, the convoy leader has already grabbed his arm.
Convoy Leader	If you had something to say, you should've said it earlier! Now get on, you're the last one!
Miles	Jessica, I...
Convoy Leader	If we wait any longer, I trust you'll take personal responsibility for any Rusthammers or Catastrophes that show up? Now get a move on!
[The convoy leader drags Miles into the bus.]
Helena	Don't take it the wrong way, Jessica. That's not how he meant it.
Jessica	I know... But, he's not wrong either... I've done so much here, but in the end... I never actually accomplished anything. ...Nothing changed.
<Background 2>
Leone	Who is it? Oh, Woodrow? Or is it Helena? Stop rushing me, I already said I'm over it. I'm gonna go see Miles off—
[The one that enters the diner turns out to be Sylvia.]
Leone	What do you want? Hah, what, you're here to chase me out too?
Unlike what Leone is used to seeing, Sylvia does not apologize, bow her head, and run off. She stands there for a moment, tightly clutching something to her chest, then stiffly puts one foot forward and walks into the diner. She keeps walking until she reaches the seat closest to the counter, sits down with her back to the door, and stares straight at the empty chair in front of her.
Sylvia	Mr. Theremin... Are Woodrow and Helena... going to come back?
Leone	Woodrow? And Helena? How's that any of your business? They went to see Miles off—
The cold wind blowing in from the crack in the door Sylvia left behind whispers as it circles past the mouth of the empty beer bottle. It sends a shiver down Leone's spine.
Leone	They went to see Miles off and will be back in a bit. But nobody wants to see you, got it? If you do, then scram. Just... leave me alone.
Sylvia's fingers are tightly clasped together on top of the table. She gulps down a mouthful of water and forces herself to turn and look at Leone's face. It is then that he finally sees what she had been clutching. A ring, silver in color, with a few diamonds inlaid across it.
Sylvia	Mr. Theremin, I can't—
Leone	Who gave you that ring hanging around your neck?
Sylvia	The ring?
Leone	Couldn't have been me or Benny... So that leaves... ...Him?
Their eyes meet. Sylvia nods slightly and clutches the ring once again, her eyes burning with an almost crazed determination. The look in her eyes reminds Leone of someone. Carl's eyes. The night before he departed, he disappeared for a few hours. And when he returned, his eyes looked exactly like those of the person now in front of him.
<Background 3>
Laura	You know, Jessica... our team also has to pull out of Davistown the moment we receive the order. Whatever else happens here, we have to return to the ship.
Jessica	I know. I know that... We're leaving. Miles has already left. Woodrow and Helena said they're leaving too. Leone probably won't stay either... Everyone will be gone. But I... What have I done for them?
Laura	Well, if you ask me... You cleaned up the bandits terrorizing the place, helped Leone save his house, and told Cliff that the bank had overstepped its authority. Even if you don't want to acknowledge it.
Jessica	But in the end... it was all in vain. I... I let everyone down. Or maybe even worse, it's just as Miles said... Nobody expected anything from me in the first place. It's all because I went and stuck my nose where it didn't belong...
Laura	Jessica!
Jessica	No, even so, I still... ... Laura, I need to go out for a walk.
Laura	Now's not the time for that. We're about to return to the landship... I'll help you pack your stuff, so just take a nice nap. I'll wake you up when it's time to go, okay?
Jessica	...I have to do this.
Laura	Where are you going?
Jessica	I don't know.
Laura	You sure about this?
Jessica	Mhm.
Laura	... Don't take too long, okay?
Jessica	I... I'll try my best.
<Background 2>
[Helena and Woodrow returns.]
Helena	Stop drinking already, Leone. —Wait, you're sober?
Leone	As sober as I ever am.
Helena	Wait... and Sylvia? What's she doing here?
Leone	She insisted on waiting for you two to get back, so she could have a chat with all of us.
Sylvia stands up from her seat, still gripping the ring tightly. Blue veins are visible across her white knuckles.
Sylvia	Helena, Woodrow, Mr. Theremin... I... I know of... some money in the bank.
Woodrow	Of course there's money in the bank. What's the point of telling us that?
Sylvia	I mean... Blacksteel delivered a large sum of cash to serve as reserve funds. And it's all... sitting in a vault right now.
Leone	Why?
Sylvia	The bank wants to prepare for Davistown's new residents. They're going to clear out the entire plate to welcome the precision technicians, R&D personnel, and managers that form the cornerstones of the new industries... To meet the demand for their deposits and loans, there's... a lot more cash in the bank than usual. Maybe... enough to let a large group of people start a new life in the frontier. ...So, that's the situation.
Leone	That's it? What are you getting at, Sylvia?
Helena	...Someone actually sober wouldn't be asking that, Leone.
Leone	...
Woodrow	But here's my question. If you're saying what I think you are, I need to know. Sylvia, do you expect us to return the money to its rightful owners? Or do you want us to take it...? By force.
Sylvia nods slightly in an almost unrecognizable manner, then continues fidgeting with the ring on her chest while waiting for the final judgment. The diner is deathly quiet.
Helena	...At least we're all on the same page. Leone, you in or not?
Leone	...
Helena	Say something.
Leone	No, I... I know this money should've been ours, but... I don't wanna be criminal scum. Like those bandits.
Woodrow	You really think the bandits were the biggest crooks in Davistown?
Helena	So, you're with her, Woodrow?
Woodrow	...No.
Helena	No?!
Woodrow	I admire her courage, but this is too much of a long shot. For example... Sylvia, you got a map of the bank?
Sylvia	...Yes.
Woodrow	Give it here.
Sylvia	I don't have anything on paper, but I do know that it's a hundred paces from the bank's front entrance to the master control switch. Based on my stride, that'd make it about two hundred feet... Before that, there are three turns, at steps forty-four, seventy-four, and ninety-three. The landmarks are a potted plant, a floor lamp, and a counter. From the master control switch to the entrance of the vault, you have to pass through the reception room, go through a hidden doorway, and then down a thirty-six-step stairwell. Afterward, there will be a straight path, which will take—
Helena	You... You actually memorized all that?
Woodrow	Doubtful. Sylvia, how far is it from your seat to the entrance of the diner?
Sylvia	I just walked eighteen paces, and after the sixth step, I made a right-angle turn for a total distance of about thirty-six feet.
Woodrow	She didn't memorize it... She's just been there countless times. As you just heard.
Helena	Woodrow, what do you reckon our odds are if you joined us? And what about with Leone?
Woodrow	... How're we supposed to get all this cash out to the frontier without leaving any traces?
Helena	I can take care of that.
Woodrow	I don't doubt you can survive out there, but what about the money...?
Helena lets out a sigh. She nimbly hops over the bar counter, picks up the knife on the table, and bends down to pry up the floorboards. Creak, creak... Pop. A cloud of dust, ancient and full of history, rises from her feet.
Helena	Don't act like you got me all figured out just 'cause you found that box when the water leaked. The man who left me this place as well as his passbook... Any idea when I met him?
Woodrow	Surprise me.
Helena	When I was eighteen. At the time, my old man was trying to sell me to his boss's son, so he could climb up the ranks. When I heard the news, I ran to the bar and hid there all night, which is where I met him... In the end, we hopped on his burdenbeast in the dead of night and rode until that stifling old place was nothing but a distant memory.
Leone	Wait, you eloped with him when you were eighteen, but by the time you got here...
Helena	We'd broken up. Hadn't seen him for over two decades. I lived by my lonesome in the frontier for over twenty years. You think after all that time, I wouldn't have learned how to line my petticoats with goldbacks?
Helena flashes a sweet smile, removes the weapon from her shoulder, and places it on the table in front of Sylvia.
Helena	If you boys ain't in, I'll do it myself.
Leone	You and Sylvia... are going to rob a bank? Just the two of you?
Helena	Maybe I'll be caught outside the vault, maybe I'll get trapped inside and end up a pile of bones buried in cash. Maybe I'll die trying to escape... Either way, as long as I draw breath, I will see this done. That's how I'm approaching this, anyhow. Now, I need to know where you two stand.
Leone takes out a wrench from his toolbelt and places it next to Helena's weapon.
Helena	Your move, Woody.
[Someone opens the door...]
Woodrow	Who's there?!
[...who turns out to be Jessica.]
Helena	Jessica? What are you— Why now of all times?
Jessica	I... I don't know.
Leone	You don't know?
Jessica	But... I need to do something. I need to make a difference.
Woodrow	If what Miles said is still bothering you, you'd best just forget about it. You still got the time, the energy, to do so many great things. No need to tie yourself down to Davistown and a bunch of old fogeys past their prime.
Jessica	No, Woodrow... Too many times now, I've had the drive, but kept falling short for any number of reasons... I didn't have the ability, or the time. The situation changed on me. Orders, or requests. Even now, I'm not sure what it is I can do. I'm stuck watching helplessly as you're all driven away one by one, to an uncertain future in the frontier. If I don't make a difference this time, I feel like... I might get used to it. To never making a difference. And if that happens, I can see myself believing—to protect my own mental health—that I've always been incompetent. That I could never protect anyone. I can see myself thinking there was never any special meaning to picking up a gun. That I'd just made a wrong turn somewhere in life and was stuck with it. I... I don't want that to happen. So much so that I'd die to make sure it doesn't.
Sylvia	Um...
Jessica	Sylvia?
Sylvia	If you truly see this as your last chance... Well, this is also our last chance to take back what's rightfully ours from the bank. Will you help us, Jessica?
As soon as Sylvia stands up, Jessica sees the look on her face. Her complexion is frighteningly pale, but her cheeks are unusually sanguine in a way that only serves to make the former more shocking.
Woodrow	Enough.
[Woodrow draws his gun and points it at Jessica.]
Jessica	Woodrow? Why are you pointing your gun at me?!
Woodrow	Forget everything you just heard, and scram.
Jessica	Why? What's the meaning of this?
Sylvia	We have to get to the bank...
Woodrow	Sylvia...
Sylvia	...and take back what belongs to Davistown.
Jessica	...Take back?
Woodrow	Go, Jessica. Go back to your friends.
Jessica	Woodrow!
Woodrow	You came here for a shoulder to cry on, and we offered you a hot drink and a pat on the shoulder. No more, no less. You're still young. Every day of your life is a new beginning. I'm serious.
Jessica	...
As if her tears had frozen over and evaporated, Jessica's vision suddenly becomes clear. She sees the unusual blush across Sylvia's cheeks. She sees the wrench and the unfamiliar weapon sitting on the table. She sees the dark hole in the muzzle of Woodrow's gun. For the first time in her life, she makes up her mind in a split second. She walks towards Woodrow's pistol, approaches Sylvia, and draws her own gun from her waist before placing it in on the table front of her.
Jessica	I'm in.

After operation

“

The robbery proceeds smoothly, and in the wake of a huge explosion, a mountain of bank notes appears before everyone's eyes.

”

<Background 3>
Franka	All squads are fully prepared and ready to return to the landship at a moment's notice.
Liskarm	Where's Jessica? Still can't reach her?
Laura	Her communicator... is broken again.
Franka	Twice in one operation? That's too much of a coincidence. What is that girl up to?
Laura	...
[Jessica returns.]
Laura	Jessica, you're finally back!
Jessica	...Sorry.
Franka	Don't worry about it. Laura's already packed your bags.
Jessica	It's not that... I... I'm... here to say goodbye.
Franka	Goodbye?
Liskarm	Are you applying for temporary leave?
Jessica	...I guess?
Liskarm	And your reason for doing so?
Jessica	Personal reasons. There's some personal stuff I have to do, no matter what.
Liskarm	And how long will you be gone?
Jessica	I don't know. Maybe a week, maybe a year...
Liskarm	Did you hit your head? Do you really expect us to grant temporary leave for up to a year?
Jessica	If that isn't an option, then... can I hand in my resignation?
Franka	You're quitting?!
Jessica	...
Franka	Ah, right. You said from the start that you're here to say goodbye. And goodbyes don't need an application.
Liskarm	I don't know what brought this on all of a sudden, but I need to remind you: If you leave the team, everything you've worked so hard for in Blacksteel will likely go up in smoke. Whatever it is you need to do, are you willing to trade all of your efforts until now for it?
Jessica	...
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 4>
Leone	These are the last explosives left in the mine. Let's go grab 'em.
Jessica	Okay.
[Jessica jumps down.]
Leone	I'll do the inspection. You go ahead and rest for now.
Jessica	Um, Leone...
Leone	What is it?
Jessica	Are you sure about this...? About blowing up the furnace? I know I shouldn't be saying this, but you were so reluctant when we talked about blowing up the energy tower...
Leone	If we don't blow it up, how else are we gonna seal the secret passage and hide Helena's whereabouts?
Jessica	...
Leone	As for what I personally think... It ain't important. Don't matter no more. Ain't a single thing left in Davistown that can be fixed up. But if we get that money, there's still hope for us, someday down the road. Out on the frontier. Right?
Jessica	...There will be. For sure.
Leone	Heh. Hope. Hope... Who knew one last glimmer of hope would be so damn expensive? But for this last bit of hope, for this ticket not to reach the end of the line today... I have to accept that, even if it costs me my life.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 3>
Franka	I have no idea what you're trying to accomplish, Jessica, but can you guarantee you won't regret it?
Jessica	...
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 2>
Helena	When using the welding gun, pay attention to the angle between it and the weld. Holding it too high causes spattering, and makes it easy to get hurt.
Jessica	For a woman who runs a diner, you sure know way too many things.
Helena	Heh. I spent more than two decades traveling across grand ol' Columbia. I had a lot of choices.
Jessica	...When you got dumped, did you ever think about going home?
Helena	Dumped? Oh, I get it. Leone must've gotten the wrong idea. Nah, I'm the one who dumped him. He ended up being a real by-the-books sorta fella... Didn't suit that gruff face of his one bit. Back then, I was dead set on travelling across Columbia with him, but he thought I was too wild... Still, we supported each other across the barrens, and I ain't saying it was a bad life. But one night, he suddenly proposed to me. Said he couldn't stand all that wandering no more, and he wanted to settle down on some plate. Going through the same motions in the same place, over and over again? I couldn't imagine a worse punishment. So I turned him down, left him all my money and possessions, and told him I'd make a terrible wife. Then I mounted my burdenbeast and rode off into the sunset.
Jessica	But... you still ended up in Davistown.
Helena	In his letter, he said he'd finally fulfilled his old dream, and wanted me to drop by to visit. So I came here, thinking the whole trip about how to turn him down in a way that'd let him keep his middle-aged dignity. But... you know the rest. I was too late. He'd already passed away.
Jessica	And then you inherited his diner and stayed...
Helena	I didn't inherit it, I recaptured it. It'd been ransacked by a gang of thugs. Must've fought off at least fifteen of 'em.
Jessica	Huh?
Helena	That's how life is. Romantic stories ain't always have romantic reasons. More often than not, the journey is just the punchline.
Jessica	All these years... Have you ever had any regrets?
Helena	Regrets?
Jessica	Like, for eloping, for breaking up, for not being able to see him one last time. Or for staying behind in Davistown... Stuff like that.
Helena	Nope. I feel bad about a lot of things, but I wouldn't say I regret 'em. I've enjoyed the results of my choices, and accepted the costs. All with complete peace of mind.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 3>
Jessica	...I don't know.
Franka	You made such a huge decision without even thinking it through?!
Jessica	That's not what I mean. I've given a lot of thought to your questions, and I've heard other people's answers too. In a sense, I even agree with them. But I can't just regurgitate what they said and let them make my choices for me... Because in the end, their answers aren't mine. I don't know if throwing away my past life is too steep a cost. I don't know if I'll regret this later, nor do I know what'll happen to me in the future. But despite all that, I have to do this.
Liskarm	I understand. Nevertheless, I have to reject Jessica Brynley's request to be temporarily discharged from the team.
Jessica	I see... Then I'll have to resign.
Liskarm	Jessica...
Jessica	Liskarm... Captain?
Liskarm	Even the slickest, most experienced veterans who don't give two shits about their job wouldn't throw around the word "resign" as casually as you do. But I also have to imagine that maybe what I'm seeing here is... a Jessica who's finally cast aside her fears and self-doubt. A Jessica who's truly found herself. I still object to your decision, vehemently, but if you've made up your mind...
Jessica	I'm sorry. I really am...
Franka	Give it a break already. ...And stay safe out there.
Laura	Jessica...
Jessica	I'm sorry, Laura.
Laura	To tell you the truth, I had an inkling this would happen when I couldn't contact you. But if you've already made up your mind, can I get one last hug? Think of it as a parting gift.
Before Jessica can answer, Laura has already taken a few steps forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her. With her back to Liskarm and Franka, she also stuffs a tiny slip of paper into Jessica's pocket.
Laura	(*whispers*) Wait until we're gone to read it. (*whispers*) Take care... Stay safe.
Franka	Anything else we need to do, Captain?
Liskarm	No.
Franka	Then... let's get going.
[Liskarm, Franka, and Laura heads off, leaving Jessica alone in the now-abandoned BSW safehouse.]
<Flashback starts here>
Jessica	Woodrow, are you and Leone really going to be safe out there in the woods? After the heist, there will definitely be a bunch of people after you.
Woodrow	You really need to start thinking about your own future, instead of fretting over us geezers.
Jessica	...I haven't given it much thought. Maybe I'll have plenty of time to figure it out from a jail cell.
Woodrow	Not planning on staying a mercenary?
Jessica	I just don't want to spend the rest of my life on a battlefield.
Woodrow	Jessica... Whether you decide to keep fighting or to put the battlefield behind you, I just hope you won't blame yourself for not finding an answer.
Jessica	What did you end up choosing?
Woodrow	After the Revolutionary War, I stumbled around blindly for a long, long time. Until I finally decided to live a boring life, day by day.
Jessica	Does that really count as an answer?
Woodrow	Why not? Just 'cause you're the only one who thinks so, doesn't mean it's wrong. You're still young. Got a long road ahead of you.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 3>
Jessica	Will I... find my answer?
As she looks at the now-abandoned safe house, Jessica feels a soreness coming from her nose. She sniffles and gives it a rub, then opens up the slip of paper from before. Following the instructions of a few numbers scribbled on the note, Jessica turns to an inconspicuous corner of the safe house where she finds a partition made from wooden boards.
Jessica	Five, six, seven... The back of the eighth board is hollow...
The cavity behind the board is filled to the brim with equipment, all brought here by Jessica herself when she set out from Blacksteel's landship. Sitting on top is another note in the same style of scribbles. "I take it you have unfinished business in Davistown. This gear should come in handy." "Just forget about everything else and do it. I believe in the choice you made, so believe in yourself, too." At the bottom of the note is one last line. "Goodbye, Jessica. Hopefully, we already parted ways on a high note."
<Background 5>
Jessica	Sorry, I'm not late, am I? I needed some time to sort through my gear.
Woodrow	It's fine. We still got five minutes.
Helena	Where'd you get all this stuff?
Jessica	A parting gift from a friend.
Helena	Then I'll have to give 'em a right-and-proper thank you if we ever meet again.
Woodrow	One last run-down. After we go through the door, Helena and Leone are in charge of clearing any obstacles and grabbing the money. Jessica and I will be on crowd-control, then we catch up afterwards. Once the deed is done, Helena takes the money with her through the secret passage, while the rest of us draw attention away from her. Any questions?
Leone	If only there were more explosives... We oughta give that bank a little surprise.
Helena	Settle down. If the info we got from Sylvia is correct, we'll need to save most of them to breach the last door.
Woodrow	The key to our success is speed. We don't have much time. The mercs on duty will be back in half an hour.
Jessica	Even if we can get the job done in that time, the explosion will definitely attract Blacksteel's attention. However, most of the mercenaries are back on the landship tonight, and it'll take them time to arrive.
Woodrow	If it comes to that, just leave it to me. I'll buy you the time you need.
Leone	Time to go.
[The gang goes to carry out their part in the heist of Davistown's bank.]
<Background 6>
[Helena, Woodrow, and Jessica enters the bank, fully locked and loaded.]
Terrified Bank Employee	Who the hell are you—!
Woodrow	Hands off the alarm.
Terrified Bank Employee	Aaaaaagh—
Jessica	This is a robbery.
Helena	As long as y'all cooperate, nobody's getting hurt or dying tonight.
Jittery Bank Employee	No way... How is this happening—
Woodrow	Shh... See, you're in the same boat as the other young lady over there. This is your one warning. We won't be so kind next time. Now then, folks. Just don't panic, and follow our instructions. Those are the conditions for your survival.
Bank Employees	...
Helena	Seeing how there are no objections, why don't y'all mosey on over to the main lobby and squat down with your hands on your heads. We all know each other here. No funny business. Now move it!
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 2>
Sylvia	You'll need to pass through a total of four doors to get to the vault. The first is the door to the reception area, which needs a key, but any employee can get it. The second is a passcode lock in the reception room. The code changes every day, but there are certain rules. From what I've gathered, today's code should be...
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 7>
Leone	Perfect. The reception room key works.
Helena	Next up is the secret door... Behind the tapestry to the right of the entrance... Over here. Looks like Sylvia was right on the money.
Leone	Seven, nine, four, four, six, one... It worked? Well I'll be damned. That girl's got one good head on her shoulders.
Helena	What's next...
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 2>
Sylvia	Inside the vault, there are two more doors. One's a security fence, the other is a vault door weighing dozens of tons. The security fence can be broken through by force, but because it's connected to the security system, the only safe way through is via passcode. The code is split into three parts, one for president, one for the manager, and another randomly generated by a cipher. The cipher is located in a safe inside the reception room, and you'll have to force that one open.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 7>
[Leone blasts open the safe with explosives.]
Helena	How'd it go? Didn't damage anything inside the safe, did you?
Leone	Mint condition.
Helena	Can't believe your skills haven't rusted after not using 'em in years.
Leone	...
Helena	What's the matter? That was an invitation for you to start bragging. I mean, ain't nobody else in this town with your skillset.
Leone	Don't mind me. Just worried how Woodrow's doing...
<Background 6>
Woodrow	...And that's number twenty-two. Now you're all tied up. Next up is—
Bank Manager	I never imagined these would be the circumstances we'd meet again in, Miss Brynley...
Jessica	I'd recommend worrying about your responsibilities first. Also, I've heard this bank keeps a series of secret numbers, two of which are held by you and this gentlemen here. I hope you're both willing to cooperate.
Woodrow	Now take a walk with us. If you're not feeling cooperative, well, guess I'll have to shoot you. Pick up the pace!
<Background 8>
Helena	Good evening, you two.
Bank President	H-Helena?! Wh-What's the meaning of this?
Helena	You got nothing to fear, sir. I just wanted to ask you a few simple questions. Will you tell us the passcode, or do we tie you to this door and blast you both to pieces? Your choice. Friendly reminder: it is not a crime to reveal secrets under life-threatening duress.
Bank President	You damn thugs—
Woodrow	Five.
Bank President	Don't even think about it. You bastards don't deserve a single penny! You all deserve to rot out in the frontier!
Woodrow	Four.
Bank President	You complacent idiots put all your eggs into the mine, yet still have the gall to whine to the bank after getting wiped out!
Woodrow	Three.
Bank President	Nobody gives a damn about your rotten minerals. It's the era of high tech and automation now! Your only value to Columbia is to be thrown out to the frontier, the sooner the better!
Woodrow	Two.
Bank President	You filthy, uneducated hicks! You idiots don't even have a damn clue what numbers mean! Serves you right for getting tricked!
Woodrow	One.
[Woodrow cocks the hammer of his gun...]
Bank President	Sixfivefourseveneightfour!
Woodrow	Hah... Never seen anyone spit out a string of numbers that fast.
Leone	Okay, now that your boss has squealed, it's your turn, ma'am. Give me the passcode, or die.
Bank President	Hurry up and tell them already! Do you really want to die here?!
Bank Manager	...Mr. Theremin, what would you even do with the money? Do you seriously think you can get rid of us and start over out on the frontier? Of course you can't. We're everywhere. We will follow your footsteps, and find you no matter where you go. The money you steal will smell as sweet as honey. And soon enough, our local associates will swarm all over you to eat it up. And with the promise of a few extra benefits, they'll even personally deliver your heads to us on a silver platter—
[Leone punches the manager.]
Leone	What's the goddamn passcode?!
Bank Manager	*cough*, *cough*... Three... six... eight... six... five... four. Go on, take it. You won't accomplish a thing, my friends. Nothing will change. This tragedy is doomed to happen again and again—
Woodrow	Shut up.
Bank Manager	Shut up? It is human nature to be greedy, and Mr. Theremin here is a prime example. Had he not been so eager to cling onto things that never belonged to him—
Jessica	You shut your mouth!
Bank Manager	How far you've fallen to mingle with this sorry lot, Miss Jessica Brynley. Leone Theremin here could have left this place ages ago. Taken his children with him to Ironforge City, Nulaiteburgh, or Bunkerhill... What kind of blasting engineer wouldn't be able earn enough to put food on the table? How else would he have ended up like, if not for his greed?
Leone	You...
Helena	Leone, she's right! The door's open!
Leone	...
Leone suddenly turns to look at Helena without saying a word. She is shocked to see the panic in his eyes. It takes her a few moments to understand why.
Helena	Sorry, I meant... she gave us the right passcode.
Leone	I know... It's fine. I know.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 2>
Sylvia	If you manage to open the first three doors, congratulations. The last is merely an extra credit question. It appears the most complicated, but the solution is the simplest... Blast it open.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 8>
Woodrow	Leone, how are the explosives?
Leone	Primed and ready.
Woodrow	Do it.
Like a precise surgical operation, the steel bars buried deep within the concrete are located with pinpoint accuracy and twisted until they break under the force of the explosion. The fuel ignites under tremendous temperatures, bursting into layers upon layers of flames that gently wrap around the steel. Then, at the moment it lets its guard down, all its defenses are stripped away.
The powerful backdraft caused by the explosion tears apart the stack of bank notes floating on the upper level, and the shredded paper is sent spiraling down the underground cavity. For a few moments, the snowfall here is heavier than it is outside. The four people present are rendered speechless by this "snow" that so many people could only dream of seeing.
Woodrow	Breathtaking...
Helena	...Lord almighty, I've never seen this much money in my life.
Leone	But it's also nothing compared to what the bank has bled from us.
Woodrow	No time for idle thoughts, folks. Start filling those bags. We got more than enough to keep us busy.
Jessica	...
Woodrow	Don't just stand there gawking... What are you thinking about?
Jessica	Nothing in particular. It's just... This is the first time in my life I've ever wanted money so badly. It feels new... and exciting.