Operation story: CW-4

Operation

Story

Previous CW-ST-2	Next CW-5
Characters
Doctor Ho'olheyak Ifrit Muelsyse Rosmontis Saria Silence Ferdinand Jara Loken Nasti Tin Man Columbian Soldier
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Before operation

“

Loken invites Rosmontis and snubs Muelsyse. Faced with an unconscious Saria, Silence wavers. In a luxurious hall, Jara stays silent.

”

<Background 1>
Rosmontis	You wrote the letter? You wanted me to come here?
Loken	Yes, my child. I even wanted to go looking for you myself. But time is short, so I had no choice but to have a friend deliver that letter to... Rhodes Island. Yes, Rhodes Island, that's what it was. And after the disaster... I heard that organization took you in. Have they been treating you well?
Rosmontis	They are... my family. Dr. Kal'tsit, Amiya, the Doctor, Blaze, Radian... and everyone in the squad, they're all my family.
Loken	So you mean... you've found a new family...*cough* *cough*
The frail man coughs violently, and his naturally crooked body seems to droop even lower. He stares at Rosmontis, as if wanting to go move to her, but a thin wall of water stops him in his tracks. Muelsyse knows who he is, and so do you. This is the very same name that cropped up many times in Rosmontis's files. The criminal that should have been well behind bars has suddenly appeared before you, acting as a grandparent rushing to visit his grandchild after work.
Doctor	You came alone? / You came here alone... to find Rosmontis?
Loken	This is what I wanted. Nothing to do with anyone else. Let me... let me get a good look at you...
Rosmontis	......
Loken	You've grown up, girl. Over the past four years... no, it should be five soon enough...? I've thought of you so many times while we've been apart. Whenever I think about the time we were separated from each other, I just feel so... sorry. *cough* *cough*...... *cough* *cough* *cough*... I'm sorry... that I couldn't protect you from them. Those mediocre hacks with their superficial goals... they destroyed the future we could have had together.
Rosmontis	A future? Were we supposed to live together? But I don't remember you. Um... should I have remembered this? I record everything I don't want to forget in my terminal.
Loken	You've forgotten who I am? Have you lost all your memories, and forgotten the wrongs I've done?
Rosmontis	Are you a bad man? Did you do something bad to me?
Loken	That's not for me to answer, my child. It would make this meeting meaningless. Your memory loss... it should not have been an effect of the experiments. Could there have been another party? Maylander, or perhaps Rhine?
Muelsyse	Don't aim those eyes my way, Mr. Williams. I'm just the teensy weensy Director of Ecological. Besides, even if the old goat was here, his precarious code of ethics wouldn't be any worse than yours, right?
Loken	This has nothing to do with ethics. Rhodes Island, did you wipe the girl's memories and manipulate her emotions?
Doctor	I won't dignify that with a response. / It's not something Rhodes Island would do.
Loken	Yes, you couldn't have done that. It was my work after all... I was so meticulous that no one could have possibly stripped away such an important part of her when her vitals were functioning normally. Oh, I see now... it was me after all? Perhaps I didn't make enough observations... Yes... We didn't have the luxury of time... The pressure of consciousness is honestly beyond anything a layman could comprehend... Or could it be... that you passed your memories onto your sibling?
Rosmontis	Um... I... don't know how to answer you.
Loken	There must be a way, let me think... Any fragment of that incident is beyond meaningless, same as the records and data, they all belong in the garbage dump. But emotions, shapes, scents... oh yes, smells, that's it.
Rosmontis	A... floral scent? This smells like... crushed juice... smeared on the walls, and on my hands... No... no... Stop, stop thinking about it! I don't want this!
Loken	Yes, I knew it! I'm still somewhere in your memories! Please, child, bring out those memories, remember your hatred for me, let your anger fill your body, your mind, your omnipresent spirit!
Rosmontis	Ugh...
Doctor	Stop. Get out of here. / You're hurting Rosmontis.
Loken	Hurting her? No, her pain comes from the past, not the present. I only want to give her the gift she's been longing for.
Doctor	This is not a gift. / This is torture.
Loken	Do you actually understand her pain? Everything you know about her and her experiences is second-hand information from Maylander. Don't you think she has the right to be angry, to hold resentment? Oh, I know. Haha, both you and Maylander are walking the same path. You want her easy to control, because you're afraid of her, afraid of... ...A weapon of reignited anger.
"Weapon." Everything you experienced with Rosmontis in Chernobog comes flooding back before your eyes. The fights desperate with determination to live alongside the pain of farewells. Yes, you've heard the term used many a time in the past to describe the Feline girl by your side. She felt it was harsh before, but this time it's unbearable. Because it came out of Loken Williams's mouth, the root cause that led Rosmontis here in the first place. You have many ideas on how to refute his claims. It also occurs to you that if Kal'tsit were here, she would be capable of coming up with an even more extensive response. But another thought comes to mind before your words.
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	(Punch him) / (Kick him)
[The Doctor punches Loken's face/kicks Loken's gut.]
Loken	Gah...*cough*...haha... I see you're outraged by my words, that's fine. You're not willing to think of her as a 'weapon.' But, just look at her... She's standing in front of you, even wielding a sword for you.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	(Slap him)
[The Doctor slaps Loken.]
Loken	Gah...*cough*...haha... I see you're outraged by my words, that's fine. You're not willing to think of her as a 'weapon.' But, just look at her... She's standing in front of you, even wielding a sword for you.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
[Rosmontis channels her Arts.]
Rosmontis	...... Doctor, please get behind me. My sword might be about to pierce through the building's outer wall.
Doctor	Rosmontis, you...
Rosmontis	Enemies. There are enemies closing in quickly. I will protect you, Doctor. My mind still feels like... it's a mess. up. But Dr. Kal'tsit and Amiya told me my mental state is a lot more stable now. They allowed me to protect you. And this is one thing I can definitely do.
Doctor	Thank you. / ...... / I know.
Loken	Doctor... of Rhodes Island. If you truly care for her, then you should know what she really needs. Just ask yourself this... what are you trying to protect? A soldier that would die for you, or a child with a traumatic past?
Doctor	......
The question is not difficult to answer, but it is obvious that Loken is not interested in your reply. From the moment he stepped into the room, he has been staring directly at the white Feline girl next to you, his turbid gaze full of enthusiasm, sorrow, and a certain kind of anticipation.
[Several powersuits enter the room.]
Rosmontis	They're here!
Loken	Such a pity that this is the end of our meeting. You're not ready yet, my child... but I know you will be. I'll be waiting for you at "home."
[Loken stands up.]
<Background 2>
Muelsyse	Hold it.
Loken	You actually caught up... no, you were waiting for me. Which one of you is your true self? The silent one in the room earlier, or the one right here?
Muelsyse	That's not important.
Loken	Your Originium Arts are quite interesting, or perhaps... no, forget it, I don't have time for this curiosity. Do you have business with me, Director of Rhine Lab?
Muelsyse	...... Where's Kristen?
Loken	Ah...... but you're the Rhine one here. Are you sure you should be asking me that?
Muelsyse	The only way you could have gotten out of prison is with her help. Your being here means the work she entrusted to you is already complete. She's done preparing, right? She's really planning to...
Loken	Pitiful girl.
Muelsyse	Hey... I'm not about to let a rotten geezer who looks like he hasn't showered in three days call me pitiful.
Loken	Astonished, unwilling, and anxious... you're afraid, little girl. You're afraid of being betrayed by those you trust, and of being abandoned by others. Well, the worst is your confusion... You're at such a complete loss that you have no choice but to ask an "outsider" like me. Such a familiar feeling it is...*cough*, *cough* *cough*... When my teacher handed all my research to Maylander, when he expelled me from the academy... When my students submitted all my data to the military before I did, and I had to speed up my experiments, leading to that ultimate failure... When my family sold everything we had in D.C. and disappeared... I saw that very same look in the mirror.
Muelsyse	...My eye bags can't be that bad? I just don't get it... why would she trust that wretched woman from Maylander and you over Saria, or... ugh.... Are you stalling for time here? If you're waiting for Ho'olheyak to pick you up, I won't necessarily lose, you know?
Loken	You don't want me for an enemy, girl.
Muelsyse	...Huh?
Loken	Do you really think you could stop Kristen and I just by catching up to me? Or, maybe... You want to catch me, to catch... Kristen?
Muelsyse	...... I...
Muelsyse falls into a daze. Loken turns his back and yet she still doesn't act. Only when the familiar wind caresses her face so mockingly does she realize that Loken is no longer anywhere to be seen on the streets.
Muelsyse	I let him go... what am I doing...?
<Background 1>
[Muelsyse received the feedback from her clone confronting Loken before.]
Muelsyse	......
Doctor	Muelsyse? / You listening?
Muelsyse	Oh, Doctor. I'm... I'm right here, heard everything you said crystal clear, yessiree.
Doctor	Did your clone manage to stop Loken? / Is your clone in danger?
Muelsyse	Clone... My... *ahem* Yes, my clone outside. Doctor, you guessed right. They couldn't have let such a terminally ill old man come here by himself. Before his assistants got him away, I only managed to get one thing–Loken Williams is definitely involved in Kristen's plans.
Doctor	The "home" that Loken spoke of... / The secret that Maylander and the army are scrambling for. The puzzle pieces are overlapping. And they're pointing right at Kristen Wright's hideout.
[The Doctor's terminal rings.]
Rosmontis	Doctor, your terminal... there's a new message?
Doctor	It's from Maylander. / Maylander has some new information to share with us.
Muelsyse	What a coinkydink, I was just wondering when we were gonna see the Tin Man again. You got roughed up by the army because of him, so it's only right that he should make it up to you, isn't it?
Doctor	Rosmontis, are you ready to proceed with the mission?
Rosmontis	Yeah, I'm fine.
Doctor	Muelsyse.
Muelsyse	...Huh?
Doctor	Thanks for standing with us. / Thank you for helping Rosmontis.
Muelsyse	Ah... haha... our cooperation is far from over, so you're going to wear out those words if keep standing on ceremony, you know? ...... Doctor... do you really trust me so much?
Doctor	What did you say?
Muelsyse	Nothing. Alright, let's get moving.
<Background 3>
[Ifrit heats up the room with her Arts.]
Ifrit	Silence, is the temperature okay... not too hot?
Silence	You're controlling it very well. Saria's body temperature has stabilized, and she should be out of danger. Ifrit, you should rest for a bit. Using Originium Arts for a long time will wear you out.
Ifrit	No, I'm staying with Saria. I still remember back in the white room... she kept me company when I was stuck in that bed. I was always in pain, my mind was totally messed up, and I couldn't stop myself from burning everything I saw. I don't even have a clear picture of every visit, I just know that every time I opened my eyes, she would there at my bedside, and I felt so relieved. So now I want to stay here and keep her company. Even though she won't open her eyes... I'm sure she can feel that I'm here.
Silence	...I'm sure she can. She just needs... a bit more sleep.
Ifrit	Um... Something still feels off.
Silence	What's wrong?
Ifrit	I just realized Saria isn't that much taller than I am. And also... her palms are soft, with such pretty nails too. Just like your hands, Silence.
Silence	Yes. Saria is... of course, an ordinary human.
???	I'm afraid she's quite far from "ordinary."
Silence	Director Jara...
Jara	She prefers to solve problems by herself, without a word. She always keeps a straight face that deters people from voicing their opinions. Would you like to make a guess just how many employees from Defense I had to offer psychological counseling year after year?
Silence	Are you... unhappy with Saria?
Jara	Unhappy? Hmph. One year I asked Kristen if she was set on transferring a researcher to make the head of the Defense Section–Guess what the woman there did when she found out? She threw three dozen listening devices onto my desk, and right in my face, shattered them to pieces with her newly developed Arts. An unfortunate thing, as a couple of them were operating on behalf of some of our dear government departments. They were just a little wary of such a rapidly-progressing tech company. I was happy to share some "controllable" information with them, to get them to ease up a little. I spent some time dealing with the trouble that came with the incident... but who could deny the determination and skill of that young Vouivre?
Silence	I guess... Saria has always been like that.
Jara	Sure enough, many years have come and gone, and if you compare her then and now, it doesn't seem like there's been much development.
Silence	She's the most resolute and determined woman I know.
Jara	Who ever said she wasn't? I've watched she and Kristen walk their paths, and I'm well aware just how decisive and strong she is. But even such an outstanding individual can't stand against... the whole damned country. If you let her take on these obstacles she hasn't overcome in all this time, she'll only be smashed to bits.
Silence	......
Jara	Here.
Silence	Car keys...?
Jara	Take Saria and Ifrit and leave, before it's too late.
Silence	Saria... wouldn't want that.
Jara	No, she wouldn't. But I'm not talking to Saria right now. Aren't you the type to go "innocent lives shouldn't be put at risk?" This girl shouldn't be involved, and neither should you. No one needs to die here.
Silence	... I need... a bit more time.
[Jara's terminal rings.]
Jara	......
Silence	Director Jara?
Jara	I'm afraid we're all out of time. Take the secret passageway out, now.
Silence	What's wrong?
Jara	An old friend has come knocking.
<Background 4>
[Jara meets with Ferdinand in the conference room.]
Ferdinand	This conference room... Whenever we had meetings, Parvis would sit by the window, Muelsyse likes to sit in the middle, and you... Director Jara, you sit here, furthest from Kristen.
Jara	And you're the same as before, always standing behind somebody else's seat.
Ferdinand	Hm... how nostalgic.
Jara	Would you like something to drink? Red wine, or should we pop open the champagne?
Ferdinand	Is there an occasion?
Jara	Of course. Mr. Ferdinand Clooney is enjoying a career upgrade, and also returned to Rhine Lab... Sounds like a cause for celebration?
Ferdinand	You think I'm here as the army's guide? No, they have their own plans for Rhine, and I don't approve at all. Because I know that if something happens to the Vice President while he's here, that's the end of the company. Kristen can ignore the existence of Rhine Lab, but not me.
Jara	The event today went off without a hitch.
Ferdinand	Don't play dumb with me, Jara. You may not know just what kind of people run the army. They could repeat today's adventure anytime they want. So before those savages rip a dozen years' worth of time and effort to shreds, can you just tell me the truth–what exactly is Kristen doing?
Jara	Did Colonel Blake not tell you? The very first day Dr. Wright disappeared, I handed every document about Control and her projects right over to them. And for the record, it happened more than once. I worked days of overtime just for this.
Ferdinand	Heh, "Dr. Wright," as if you two have the most ordinary collaborative relationship. Should I show Blake the picture hidden in the darkest corner of your office drawer? Or has our dear HR Director already come up with an explanation for why she's hidden the New Year's card little Kristen wrote her two decades ago?
Jara	...That's just an old photo. Kids aren't as cute and well-behaved after they grow up. Ferdinand, you know that better than me. That sock in the jaw at Site 359 still smarting?
Ferdinand	...Heh. She's gone into hiding, like a child clinging to her favorite toy. Except it's not a toy, it's a goddamned superweapon, with some real forbidden secrets behind it. So you should find and drag her out, if you still care about her. Or would you rather watch her die for the vaguest of ideals?
Jara	...... Even if... I couldn't bear to watch her go that far ahead, how do you suppose that stopping her is within my power? This is Kristen we're talking about, Ferdinand. She'll take everything you have. Do you think she would ever leave such a major weakness–if you really want to treat the relationship between me and her as a vulnerability–so easily within your grasp?
Ferdinand	Good... great. You refuse to cooperate. And what about the others? For example... Saria. You rescued her, and you've hidden her somewhere around here. You're so willing to talk to me, just to buy her more time to escape. Let's say she manages to escape. Who could she even go to? Rhodes Island, caught up in the same mess, or that group of Maylander agents who love spinning webs just as much as you do?
Jara	...I have no idea what you're talking about.
[Ferdinand's terminal rings.]
Ferdinand	The military just picked up a new piece of intelligence. Saria... as well as the company behind her, Rhodes Island, are suspected of helping Kristen steal classified information pertaining to national security.
Jara	......
Ferdinand	Maybe working at Rhine Lab for more than a decade has made you naive enough to... assume your old boss was some hero of justice?

After operation

“

The Tin Man is ambushed. The Doctor falls into a trap. Jara is under pressure. A wind brushes across Silence's face, she turns around, and no longer wants to run away.

”

<Background 5>
[The Tin Man walks through the alley.]
Tin Man	Hmm... the usual stench of the sewers, and spots where the light doesn't reach. These alleys are all the same. Urban planners probably can't afford to invent new ways to do their jobs at the speed these cities pop up out of the barrenlands. It's just too bad that you miss out on the local scenery if you use these nooks and crannies too much. Am I right, my good subordinate? Isn't it better to get a view of the city from above?
A gust of wind blows through the empty alley. All the un-exhaled smoke rings swirl back into the cracks in his metal. The Tin Man wonders if this is an opportune time to hack a few coughs as if choking. A lighter floats right in front of him as soon as the embers of his cigarette die out.
???	"Banal" is such a lamentable assessment for a city like this with no history.
Tin Man	...Ho'olheyak. You were supposed to make contact three days ago.
Ho'olheyak	Oh? I had the impression that you're not particularly punctual yourself.
Tin Man	If you could just tone down your volume. Why did you pick this place for our meeting?
Ho'olheyak	Did you forget? The factory in District 13 is close by.
Tin Man	Did you find the item from the other day?
Ho'olheyak	Yes, but unfortunately there are only fragments left. Fragments of... stars, with no way to guide the lost.
Tin Man	And Kristen? Where is she?
Ho'olheyak	Well...
Tin Man	Are you watching the sky?
Ho'olheyak	You get a clearer view of the sky without the skyscrapers around. Do you think Kristen might be hiding in a star up there? If so, then how are we supposed to find her?
Tin Man	Ho'olheyak, you went into the library two months ago.
Ho'olheyak	I'm a historian, isn't it basically my job to visit libraries?
Tin Man	We're talking about Maylander's "library" here. I don't recall authorizing that.
Ho'olheyak	You know I can't contain my curiosity.
Tin Man	Just like right now...
Ho'olheyak	If I could trouble my employer with... a question that I've been awfully curious about...
Tin Man	What is it?
Ho'olheyak	Your smoke. Other than the clouds you puff out, the few wisps that slip into your body... where exactly do they go?
Tin Man	Is this why... you have the tip of your tail on my chest?
Ho'olheyak	I smell my favorite scent on you... history. So if it's at all possible, I'd love to get a good look at every little piece of your body for my research... Where should I start? Your head? Chest? Extremities?
Tin Man	...Ho'olheyak. Do you really think... betraying the Maylander Foundation is the right choice here?
Ho'olheyak	Of course... not. Maylander holds most of this country's secrets. And in Columbia, secrets can be traded for wealth... or used as murder weapons. I spent three whole years before I finally managed to get into the Historical Society, and spent another three to gain your trust. Do you know what six years means to me? Being a Maylander agent has already taken... one-seventh of my life.
Tin Man	Then you shouldn't be wasting the rest of it behind bars or on the run.
Ho'olheyak	Yes, yes... I know. And yet... if my time here isn't enough to embrace what I've been yearning for my whole life, then what difference does it make if I live another ten years or one more minute?
[The Tin Man grabs Ho'olheyak...]
Tin Man	Maylander won't allow anyone, least of all a defected agent, to access information they shouldn't be accessing. A shame you only have me to see in your last moments.
[...who pushes him back with her wind Arts.]
Ho'olheyak	Then I can only pray to the stars... that the dead won't speak so easily.
Tin Man	Fine, let me switch up the question– –Do you really think you can kill me?
Ho'olheyak	I'll never know... until I try.
[Ho'olheyak unleashes her wind Arts at the Tin Man, which somehow burns his metallic body instead.]
Tin Man	Hrgh– Huh? Your air manipulation shouldn't be affecting me... no, this isn't a K'uk'ulkan ability at all.
Ho'olheyak	You know me just so well, don't you. But, fortunately, I'm not exactly completely clueless as to what you are. Ordinary Arts have no effect on you, but...
Tin Man	...A curse. The power of the oldest Sarkaz witchcraft, a soul-imprisoning curse.
Ho'olheyak	It's been an awfully long time since you've had a taste of something like this, hmm? That one year when a Maylander agent went deep into the Bleached Wasteland to investigate the ruins of the Sarkaz Royal Court, and suffered an unprecedented, life-threatening injury–
Tin Man	I didn't expect Maylander to leave those files intact.
Ho'olheyak	You can't have thought that I ventured into Maylander's top secret database just for Kristen?
Tin Man	I did remind him that documenting everything isn't necessarily a good habit to have, all the time.
Ho'olheyak	Hmph... According to you, only the long-lived would have such an extensive memory, while the rest of us just want to grab as much knowledge as we can, so naturally come up with different methods. Otherwise, how could we short-lived beings hope to resist the control of people like you?
[The Tin Man strikes Ho'olheyak despite being caught on fire, who dodged it.]
Tin Man	Huff... hah... If you really want to destroy this body, you probably need a little more time.
Ho'olheyak	I have two minutes to spare.
Tin Man	So, you're not even going to come out of hiding to greet me... ...Banshee?
[A Banshee is shown in the corner...]
???	––
Ho'olheyak	Weren't you just talking about how unwilling you are to show yourself?
[...and reveals herself to be Nasti.]
Nasti	Like I said, I have no interest in watching you murder your own boss. But he's more than just that.
Ho'olheyak	Oh? Old acquaintances, are you?
Nasti	Personally? Not at all. But my blood knows him.
Ho'olheyak	Fascinating. I've been over it many times, and this guy here... doesn't smell Sarkaz. Be careful of any tricks he might play. I don't want him to resurrect right after all the trouble I've gone through to kill him.
Nasti	I won't let him interfere with the next step of the plan.
Tin Man	Hmm... I can't do it. A delicate trap you've laid. I had guessed that Ho'olheyak might have planted something in the sky, but I didn't expect a banshee's curse to be hidden in the noise of the construction site.
Nasti	My blood has taught me the power of words, and the sound of machinery clashing and colliding is the language I hear most.
Tin Man	An amazing talent to have fooled even me. There are only a few banshees, including those in the Royal Court, who could make me suffer like this. Were you born in Kazdel, or the Valley of the Banshees?
Nasti	It doesn't matter. My blood is not pure enough, and I haven't experienced any grand events either. Right now, I'm just a engineer living in Columbia doing whatever I want.
Tin Man	*cough*...haha... have you found a home... in Columbia?
Nasti	...... What about you?
Tin Man	Ah... so many years have passed by in a flash. I've heard, that over the past two centuries, those two youths... Theresis and Theresa have finally built Kazdel as a Nomadic city. I don't even know myself what Kazdel looks like today. Are the streets still as crowded, the flags hanging on the city walls unchanged for a millennium, the undying furnace in the core still as hot as ever? ...... Can you relight my cigarette, child?
Nasti	This little spark can't hold the remaining warmth of your soul.
Tin Man	I know. I only... want to stay a little longer to ask you a few more questions. What did you see, in Kristen's dreams?
Nasti	...The future.
Tin Man	Has she actually promised you... a change to the Sarkaz's fate? Do you believe she can do what no one has been able to accomplish over the past millennium?
Nasti	No, she only showed me a possibility. A possibility... that came from within myself.
Ho'olheyak	Alright, Engineer Girl, if I could just trouble you to ask my darling employer if he has any last words?
Nasti	The fire is almost out.
Tin Man	Time moves too fast for an old man like me.
Nasti	The last question is mine. An ancient one like you must have seen the fall of many Kazdels, and surely you must have thought of and searched for a place– (Speaks in Sarkaz) Where is the Sarkaz promised land?
Tin Man	Promised... land, hm... *sigh*...
Ho'olheyak	Time's up.
A silvery green tail shatters the Tin Man's sigh with a strong burst of wind. The last spark fizzles out at the same time the cigarette hits the ground.
<Background 2>
A bone whistle sounds. Trimounts has never heard such a sound. Neither the residents in their deep sleep or the office workers working overtime will be aware of what has just happened. Other than those who've made an appointment.
[The Doctor contacts Rosmontis.]
Doctor	Rosmontis, did you hear that?
Rosmontis	Huh?
Doctor	Logos was too busy to come to Trimounts, right?
Rosmontis	My terminal says Logos has a lot to do. He hasn't trained with me for a long time, so I haven't been using my full strength in my sessions.
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Don't make things hard for Mechanist.
Rosmontis	I know. My devices are like the Rhodes Island cabins, if they break down, it takes a long time for Mechanist and Closure to fix them.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	It's been hard for Blaze and Sharp.
Rosmontis	Mm. Blaze and Sharp always complain that training with me is more tiring than going out on missions.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Rosmontis	Before we left the landship, Radian told me that Logos would come back with Amiya soon. I miss Amiya too. I miss her so much. Doctor, will we be able to see them, after we finish this, and return to Rhodes Island?
Doctor	I miss them too. / I hope we can see them soon too.
Rosmontis	Doctor, did you make it there?
Doctor	Yes, the message says we're meeting in this alley. / I think the Tin Man should be already waiting for me?
Doctor	We'll go home soon, I promise.
<Background 5>
The alley is dark and silent, like an abyss. Something rolls out from the murky shadows. Perhaps it's due to its material hardness, but as it rubs against the ground, it eerily resembles a cog out of its wheel, a frightful rattle echoing through the darkness of the night. It rolls straight to the alley entrance, where light and darkness meet. It turns out to be a metal head. The upper half is usually obscured by a hat's brim, and the mouth on its lower half often has a cigarette exhaling rings of smoke while spouting words that are at times perceptive, and other times incongruous. But now there is no cigarette, no hat, no trench coat, or even the part that should be present past the neck. There is only a head.
Doctor	The Tin Man... / ...is dead?
???	I would take it easy, if I were you. After all, if you do make any moves, I can't guarantee that your head won't end up rolling along with my old employer's there.
Doctor	Let's get to the point. / You didn't come here just to banter with me.
[Ho'olheyak reveals herself.]
Ho'olheyak	Sure. Two things–It's time for Rhodes Island to end your excursion in Trimounts, and the other, as you've just seen, the leader of the Maylander agents, the "Tin Man" has been murdered. We need a culprit.
Doctor	And you've picked me. / Should I feel honored?
Ho'olheyak	Your frailty certainly affects the credibility of the idea. But the mundanity and perfectly enigmatic vibes of Rhodes Island makes you an excellent target for Maylander investigations, even if just for a bit.
Doctor	You want to buy Kristen some time. / You want to buy yourself some time.
Ho'olheyak	It won't do you any good to look for other secrets, okay?
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	It's not like I can run.
Ho'olheyak	Are you going to try and call for help? You might want to lower your gaze, my tail won't exactly agree.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	It never hurts to get a better understanding of each other.
Ho'olheyak	Or do you want to employ your expert negotiation techniques, to list a number of reasons why I can't do anything to you? What a pity that Trimounts is not Tkaronto, and your opponent is not some black-hearted pharma.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Ho'olheyak	I've had my eyes on you ever since you stepped into Trimounts. At first, none of this had anything to do with you... or Rhodes Island at all. Even if you and Saria are moving in the same direction, roleplaying as heroic firefighters, why haven't you dispatched a few more men like that good old mechanic to mop things up quick?
Doctor	......
Ho'olheyak	If you're not going to talk, then why don't I... tear your chest open and take a look at the secrets hiding inside?
The silvery green Liberi approaches. Her plumage scrapes the fabric of your hood, emanating a soft but piercing sound.
Ho'olheyak	At first, I thought you were the same as those other eccentric scientists, trying to find some sort of revelation about the future in Kristen's research. After all, we're such a silly species, aren't we? Limited lifespan and unlimited ambition. The moment we realize the limits of what we can accomplish in our short lives, we become willing to surrender our arrogance for just a moment, and beg for a shortcut. But on you...*sniff*...I smell no trace of that desire. What do you dream of, and what of your past? I'm becoming very interested in you now, "Doctor."
[Sounds of people running are heard.]
Ho'olheyak	But unfortunately, my colleagues are about to show. Hold your friend's head in your hands, and enjoy a captivating session with Columbia's top agents. You might find yourself astonished. Think through some answers to my questions during your interrogation.
Doctor	I hope I don't give you the chance to run.
[The Doctor turns out to be a water clone of Muelsyse that mimics their appearance.]
Ho'olheyak	Wait... Why... are you here?
Muelsyse?	Heehee... did this hood ever come with a guarantee of who would be under it?
[The clone dissolves.]
Ho'olheyak	...A water clone. Grrr. Any more tricks up your sleeve, pathetic Elf? Doesn't matter. Dr. {nickname} of Rhodes Island... we will see each other very soon.
<Background 2>
Rosmontis	Doctor, there are a lot of people rushing towards that alley.
Doctor	They're Maylander agents. / Rhodes Island has been set up.
Muelsyse	It's a good thing you used your brains and "borrowed" my clone for that meeting, otherwise you'd have fallen into that horrible woman's trap for real.
Doctor	She's definitely left evidence implicating Rhodes Island.
Muelsyse	You heard everything she said over the comms, right? Did we make enemies of both Maylander and the military?
Doctor	I'm afraid so.
Muelsyse	Ah... hahaha... you're not joking, are you? Doctor, if you and the Tin Man had any plans, now would a good time to share them, you know?
Doctor	......
Muelsyse	Your silence implies... Wait, Doctor, you can't mean that he... Something really happened to that mega mysterious super agent in the trench coat with a tin can for a head?!
Doctor	I heard a banshee's bone whistle. / The knell has tolled for him.
Muelsyse	That was a bone whistle? Wait, banshee, you say? Of the Sarkaz variety? Was it for Kristen? Did she...? ......
Muelsyse suddenly falls silent. She looks up at the sky above Trimounts. There is nothing up there besides thousands of stars. You cannot help but recall Ho'olheyak's question from earlier. Why did you come to Trimounts?
Doctor	Kristen... What sort of person is she exactly? / What exactly is the dream that she's chasing?
<Background 6>
Ifrit	Quick, Silence! Over here!
Silence	Mmm...
[An alarm blares.]
Silence	This alarm... did something happen to Director Jara...?
[Silence wobbles.]
Ifrit	Silence, are you okay?!
Silence	I'm fine. Saria...
Ifrit	I'll help you carry her. Your face is all sweaty, if Saria doesn't wake up now, they're gonna catch us!
Silence	Don't push the blame onto Saria.
Ifrit	But your face... you look like you're about to...
Silence	I'm fine, Ifrit. I just happened to remember what happened earlier. I watched her fall in front of me, and my very first reaction was not worry, or surprise, but regret.
Ifrit	Because... you were mad at her?
Silence	Yes. If that really was the last conversation we ever had, I didn't want to think... that I was blaming her. Actually I've never... I just... I don't know who else can hear me out.
Ifrit	Then just patch things up.
Silence	...Huh?
Ifrit	And then, when Saria wakes up, we can go back together. How about it?
Silence	... She'll return here the moment she wakes up. That's the sort of woman she is.
Ifrit	Fine, I think I get it, neither of you is gonna go home, are you?
Silence	That's right.
Ifrit	Then, why not work together?
Silence	Work together...?
Ifrit	Yeah, Silence. Even though you got some new gear on, you're still a doctor. If you keep on running like this, you're gonna get hurt or even die. I know Saria is a great fighter. Even I've started to know that teamwork's important, yet she still likes to work alone. If it weren't for us, Saria would be in an even worse situation right now! Neither of you wanted me to tag along, but at the very least, you gotta promise me that you'll work with Saria. Otherwise, the two of you will worry about me, and I'll worry about you guys too!
Silence	...Ifrit.
Ifrit	Just say yes or no. I'll even behave and go back to the Doctor. Just promise me!
Silence	I...
Ifrit	Some words are easier to say when you're a team, right?
Silence	Where did you learn all this?
Ifrit	The Doctor passed taught me all these people skills!
Silence	...I'll think about it.
Ifrit	Great! Uh, Silence, what's that over there?
[Ifrit sees a Transmitter blob ahead.]
Silence	A Transmitter... that just appeared?
Ifrit	It's all silvery and flowy. Real pretty!
Silence	Don't touch it! Ifrit, that's... very dangerous.
Ifrit	Dangerous? No way, more than my flames?
Silence	It's another product of Rhine's experiments.
Ifrit	For real? Then I'll burn it up!
Silence	No, just wait and see. Don't be too quick to destroy it.
A small lump of silvery substance gushes inside the test tube. Ever since it left Parvis's home, it has lingered without a target direction, as if it has lost its hub directive. As if its only mission is to lead her to Parvis.
Silence	Profess... Parvis never does anything without purpose. His appearance earlier, couldn't have just been him wanting to chat with me... he deliberately led me to think he was the goal in this race for the Transmitter. Could it be... the truth was never...
Ifrit	Silence, the door's over here!
[Something shocks Ifrit...]
Ifrit	Agh–! How could... did someone spot us?
???	Stand back, Ifrit.
[...which promptly got struck by a familiar fist.]
Ifrit	Calcification...! Saria, you're awake! Hooray!
Silence	But you're...
Saria	I'm fine.
Silence	You're not bluffing a doctor that easily.
<Background 7>
Saria	I'm just holding this door until it's safe enough for you to leave. QED, I'm perfectly fine.
[More drones are heard in the corridors.]
Saria	The military mechs are closing in on our position. This path is no longer safe.
Silence	Director Jara...
Saria	She wouldn't hand over the information that easily. And so, there is only one possibility remaining.
<Background 4>
Ferdinand	...Ten minutes. They should have run into Blake's people by now. The old Saria would have probably stood a chance to escape unscathed. However, she's injured and carrying two extra burdens. Want to guess how long she can last in front of a fully armed special forces unit?
Jara	......
[Jara's phone rings...]
Ferdinand	Your phone is ringing, ma'am.
[...and she picks it up.]
Jara	...... It's me. Of course. I'm always willing... to serve Columbia. Thank you for the advice.
[Jara hangs up.]
Ferdinand	By now, you should be willing to believe me that I did try my best. I tried my hardest just to secure this opportunity to talk. If you had agreed with me earlier, then our Defense Director's life would at the very least not be in danger. But you still sent them on that path... to that secret passage known only to Maylander agents. Saria might die because of you, and the next one to go may well be the one you're most concerned about.
Jara	......
Ferdinand	I'm hoping from the bottom of my heart that you think the question over. Where the hell is Kristen Wright?
<Background 7>
Silence	Director Jara... works for Maylander?
Saria	I investigated her ten years ago and found nothing. It was only when the Tin Man showed up and I left Rhine Lab that I got more clues to confirm it.
Silence	She's been at Rhine for a long time.
Saria	She knew Kristen even before I did.
[The drones are closing in.]
Saria	Ifrit, attack the window on your left.
Ifrit	Gotcha!
[Ifrit punches a nearby window, but it did not budge.]
Ifrit	It's so sturdy!
Silence	The glass in the experimental labs is all reinforced, so ordinary impacts aren't going to be able to smash them. And if we break them now, we'll attract the attention of the soldiers downstairs.
Ifrit	We can use my fire to cut through the glass. I can control my flames already, so I'll be able to do it.
<Background fades out>
Ifrit	(The teacher mentioned this in my Originium Arts classes... fire can be tempered, be silent, and become a quiet anger.) (Make my flames into a sword.) (Make my flames into a single thread––)
<Background fades in>
Ifrit	Hyah!
[Ifrit unleashes her flame Arts at the window, slightly damaging it.]
Ifrit	It cracked... a little bit!
[The drones are getting closer.]
Saria	*cough*...*cough*...
Silence	You've split the enamel.
Ifrit	Saria, just hold on a little longer!
[The window shows noticeable damage.]
Ifrit	I'm halfway through, I can do it!
Saria	Focus, Ifrit. Don't get distracted.
Silence	When you were unconscious, Director Jara told me that there's no way you can fight against the entire country.
Saria	Mhm.
Silence	So if it is as you say, that Maylander and the military have come to some kind of agreement, then we truly are facing off the entire country right now.
Saria	Yes.
Silence	Your heart rate and body temperature are spiking near their limits, and you've only just woken up. Your body is taking a serious toll.
Saria	Perhaps.
Silence	Saria, you're at your limit.
Saria	Silence, Jara modified your drone. I've seen... the prototype blueprints.
Silence	When did you...?
Saria	Its current load-bearing capacity is at least two adults for a short distance glide. Get out through the hole Ifrit opened, and the drone will be able to take you to the roof of the opposite building.
[The drones try to break through the door.]
Saria	You'll have to act fast. I'll wait for you to go over, and then I'll exit through this door and divert the pursuers. Their numbers are many, and I won't be able to fend them off for long.
Silence	...Saria.
Saria	Hm?
Silence	You still haven't given me an answer.
Saria	......
Your inability to make a genuine stand against Rhine, is it because deep in your bones, you've always been the same as them...? The same as Control?
Saria	Sorry, Silence. I thought it through, and I'm unable to give you a definite answer. If Kristen's experiment violates any laws that shouldn't have been broken, I will stop her. Just like all the wrongs Rhine has committed over the years–the wrong should be made right. For I've always believed that the stronger one is, the less rash they should be acting. But if I were to return to the past, back to when Kristen and I first met, when everything had yet to happen... I would not have stopped the Kristen then. I would not have stopped the birth of Rhine Lab. Yes, even if I knew that Rhine would create so much suffering in the future, even if I could foresee the ambitions of Kristen, Parvis and Ferdinand growing out of control... I would still stand with them.
Silence	... Saria... your answer might be even more definitive than you think.
[The window finally breaks.]
Ifrit	Silence, Saria! Did you guys see that? I opened it!
Saria	Go, Silence. If there's anything else you would like to know, we can wait until this is all over. And I'll tell you.
Silence	Alright.
Ifrit	Silence? Silence?
Silence	Hm?
Ifrit	Why are you spacing out? We gotta get moving.
Silence	......
"Poor Liberi. None of this has anything to do with you." "What exactly is it that you want? Truth, justice, or peace?" "I will tell you what you want to know." "And yet, even if you know it all, what can you do?"
This is not the answer I want.
Silence	No.
[Silence wraps Saria in a belt.]
Saria	A drone's... belt? Silence, what are you doing?!
The whirring of a drone starting up comes from behind. The unreinforced door at the end of the corridor is about to melt under the impact of the energy weapon. Saria is suspended in midair, holding Ifrit in one arm, stretching the other out towards Silence, trying to grab her. But Silence doesn't return her grip, and retraces the path she's taken in reverse.
Silence	... I should have talked with you sooner, Saria. I only just came to understand why I can't help but get mad at you. I thought it was from the falling out we had during the "Diαbolic Crisis." Or that I'm dissatisfied with the way you insist on shouldering everything yourself. But actually... the one I'm most annoyed with is myself. The blame I push onto you for not doing enough, it's only because... I built a habit of depending on you. I had hoped you could change Control, just like I once hoped the Professor could save Ifrit, and that Control could change Rhine Lab... I had hoped every deadlock would be solved by someone stronger. I'm so weak, aren't I? On the one hand, I loathe the powerful figures that manipulate everything and treat innocent lives like expendable resources and numbers. On the other hand, I still pin my hopes for the future on people stronger in not just power, but also morality and empathy. Only now do I understand that no one can truly carry everything on their own, that it's beyond the capacity of a single individual. Everyone who has been willing to help me on the way here, Rhodes Island, Director Muelsyse, Director Jara, and you... All of you want me to stay out of it. If you hadn't collapsed in front of me, if Ifrit hadn't been in danger, I might have just obediently thrown in the towel. But now–I won't back down. I refuse to allow myself to stay under your wings. I refuse to accept that I can only stand in vain as the gunfire rings right above us and open my arms to the injured. This time, I will step into the flames before any of you.
<Background 1>
The drone sends the two to a lower floor of the neighboring building. Saria smashes a window and they land smoothly. There must be more of Ferdinand's people on the lookout downstairs, but as long as there's room for action, she believes she can find a way to break through the encirclement. However...
Ifrit	Silence... what are you doing? Silence, hurry up and fly over here with your drone!
Ifrit anxiously yells at the room across, but Silence takes a long look at them before turning her back.
Saria	......
Just as Silence begins to turn, Saria gets a look at her eyes. They are brimming with regret. But more than that, is determination.
<Background 4>
[A soldier enters the room...]
Columbian Soldier	Ferdinand, we've got someone in the corridor. She says she has business with you.
[...followed by Silence.]
Jara	...Silence? Why are you...?
Silence	I'm sorry, Director Jara. I've already made up my mind. I have unfinished business, so I can't leave just yet.
Ferdinand	I remember you, Parvis's stellar student. You and Elena gave me such a headache back at Site 359.
Silence	Yes, my name is Silence. I would like to make a deal with you.
Ferdinand	A deal? Do you really think I would let Saria go? This isn't up to you.
Silence	No, this is the only thing that's up to me.
Ferdinand	That's... Transmitter, from Site 359.
Silence	–
[Silence injects the Transmitter into her.]
Ferdinand	What are you doing?! Even if you put the Transmitter into your body, it's not going to work, Dorothy's "hub" was destroyed!
Silence	The new "hub" is in Kristen's hands.
Ferdinand	That's impossible. That was my experiment, mine and Dorothy's...
Silence	A short while ago, I met Dr. Parvis. His laboratory was storing a large amount of Transmitter. Director Clooney, you must have realized it long ago. You just don't want to admit it... You would rather believe your failure was owed to a bad move, than to believe that Control was playing you the whole time. Did you really never consider the possibility? She's the one that's working more closely with the military, she had countless ways to kill your experiment with Dorothy in its infancy– –But then why did she only show up after your experiment succeeded?
Ferdinand	......
Silence	We still have a chance. Whatever Kristen is trying to do with Transmitter, she hasn't succeeded yet. Director Clooney, bring me to her. The Transmitter is inside me. I'll become your beacon to locate Kristen.