Operation story: CW-5

Operation

Story

Previous CW-4	Next CW-6
Characters
Doctor Ho'olheyak Ifrit Muelsyse Rosmontis Saria Silence Blake Ferdinand Jara Justin Jr. Kristen Loken Nasti Parvis Columbian Soldier Homeless Resident Quiet Power Armor Power Armor Operator Researcher
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Before operation

“

Saria decides to seek Silence, while Rosmontis decides to see Loken. Two dance a lonely dance in the quiet lab.

”

<Background 1>
[Saria tries to contact someone.]
Saria	It's not getting through.
Ifrit	Who are you calling, Saria?
Saria	Tin Man.
Ifrit	The metal guy? Did something happen?
Saria	I'm afraid so. Maylander would not have joined our pursuers otherwise. The army has an agreement with Maylander? Why are they targeting us? What happened to the Tin Man?
Ifrit	I had a look around the way you taught me, Saria. All the soldiers are gone, and so are the agents who were on us.
Saria	The pursuers would not have disappeared if she was just staying as the rear guard. Unless–she offered something that satisfied them.
Ifrit	The silver liquid? I saw it around her!
Saria	...Transmitter? She was in contact with Dorothy at Site 359 and undoubtedly got the Transmitter from her. Does Dorothy expect her to do something? Dorothy is still in military custody. She couldn't possibly be trying to reach out to the military and Ferdinand through her. Could it be Parvis or...?
Ifrit	Saria...
Saria	Don't worry, Ifrit. She'll be fine.
Ifrit	I'm trying to tell you not to squeeze your communicator so hard. You're crushing it.
Saria	...Thanks.
Ifrit	I'm not worried. Silence isn't so reckless. She stayed after she talked to you. I'm sure she thought it through.
Saria	...... She doesn't know what she's up against. The machinations of the state are far crueler than she can imagine.
Ifrit	You think she doesn't know that? I'm sure she thought about it. Silence works hard. She's always working when I see her. The others say it's like she's being chased by something you can't see or touch. Maybe this'll all be cleared up by the time we see her again. Then I'll tell her, yeah, I'm upset you left me behind, but I knew you could do it.
Saria notices that Ifrit's hands are trembling. She wants to say something to comfort her. But words fail her. She realizes that, even though Ifrit's words were, in part, intended to comfort, she does not know the Silence that Ifrit speaks of. Silence is ready. Silence knows what she is about to face. She has never thought about it that way.
Ifrit	Over there, Saria.
Saria	Hm? The army is pulling out, but not in direction of the military garrison. Is the Transmitter really the clue to Kristen's whereabouts?
Ifrit	Let's follow them.
Saria	Silence wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger again.
Ifrit	She promised we would go together! She said, "Saria will return here the moment she wakes up." "That's the sort of woman she is."
Saria	It's not...
Ifrit	"It's not the rational way." That's what you're trying to say, isn't it? We're not here to take risks, not to waste Silence's courage. We're just waiting for her at the end.
Saria	Ifrit...
She realizes that Ifrit is much taller than she was a few years ago, when she was rescued from the laboratory. In the face of impending danger, there is no impatience or recklessness in her eyes, only courage and wisdom.
Saria	Let's go.
Ifrit	Alright! By the way, Saria, I saw a falling star when I got to Trimounts.
Saria	A star? You mean the object that fell on the Triton factory in District 13?
Ifrit	It was a star! And Silence told me a story where all our differences disappear when the stars fall. You and Silence are gonna make up, right?
Saria	Yes... we will.
Ifrit	Great!
Will they? Saria turns back to look at the familiar streets of Trimounts. The path she is about to tread suddenly feels unfamiliar. She has overcome many challenges. What lies before her is far from a crisis. But, for the first time, she feels out of control.
<Background 2>
Homeless Resident	Holy hell, I'm freezing!
[The homeless resident collapses on the street as Ferdinand saves him from a passing car.]
Ferdinand	Look out, there's a car.
Homeless Resident	That was a close shave! Can't even think clearly in this cold. I tell you, sir, this weather, it's all that tech company's doing. They use drones to spray chemicals that make our lungs freeze with every breath. They want to kidnap us, put our brains in jars, and turn us into nutrients for their artificial sun.
Ferdinand	......
Homeless Resident	Look up there in the sky–
Ferdinand	What?
Homeless Resident	Those stars ain't stars. They're cameras that the monsters sent up there to watch our every move. They even kidnapped our president, put his skin on, and locked all of Columbia under their control!
Ferdinand	Here's a few bills... Find a warm place to spend the night.
Homeless Resident	I don't need money, sir. I'm just waiting for dawn to break. Between the two of us, I'm organizing a protest against the Vice President and these tech companies. The people must wake up!
Ferdinand	Take this too. All my money. You can have it.
[Ferdinand walks away.]
Homeless Resident	Wait, sir...
<Background 3>
[Ferdinand walks toward Parvis.]
Ferdinand	I knew I would find you here.
Parvis	Good morning, Ferdinand. One more cup of tea and the sun should be up. Time for me to go to work on the other side.
Ferdinand	Enough with the act, Parvis. When did you start working with Kristen?
Parvis	Hm?
Ferdinand	You, Jara, Justin Jr., and Nasti. You fooled me into thinking that I had Kristen isolated, that I was just one step from success. I became a laughing stock! My gamble, all my efforts, just another rung on the ladder for her to climb!
Parvis	Tea, Ferdinand?
Ferdinand	You...
Parvis	Underhanded old goat? Let me make one thing clear: I don't know where Kristen is. She doesn't trust me so much, and I'm not so interested in her secret. But you didn't come to ask questions. Otherwise, you would have brought the muscle you borrowed from that colonel, as you did with Jara.
Ferdinand	......
Parvis	It's not like you to swallow insults from Pioneers, and come back to grovel at the feet of the Colonel after he abandoned you once. You set your mind to it. Why did you give up so close to the truth?
Ferdinand	No wild guesses.
Parvis	Perhaps you should look at yourself in the mirror, Ferdinand. You're jealous of her. You're jealous that she gets men to fight for her, even when she's not around. You're jealous that it only took her a few words to earn the loyalty that took you so much time and money to buy. You're jealous of her charisma. There's a part of you, somewhere deep down, that's enthralled by her. The more you deny it, the more you hate her–
Ferdinand	Why are you telling me this?
Parvis	Because it's how I feel.
Ferdinand	......
Parvis	Look outside, Ferdinand. When I was little, I never saw stars in the night sky. All I saw was the silhouette of the great spire, the light of witchcraft lightning up the skies. Adults told me it was the eye of the Witch King, watching over every inch of Leithanien. And I thought, what was the meaning of life, if the Witch King was the sole miracle chosen by fate?
Ferdinand	Didn't you despise the efforts of those stupid casters who wanted to summon the Witch King's souls?
Parvis	Yes, I opposed it. My kin and former colleagues spent their entire lives trying to recreate a fleeting miracle in this time and age. But in my long years of research, I've realized that a miracle is so because it is a coincidence that cannot be controlled or recreated. Only such a coincidence can break the cage of fate that traps us all.
Ferdinand	You see Kristen as that coincidence?
Parvis	She has the potential to create miracles.
Ferdinand	You have your dream, and I have mine. If she is the fated miracle, than what are we? Waste coming off the production line? Meaningless noise?
Parvis	Why despair, Ferdinand? Perhaps the fate of mankind does hinge upon one singularity, who will break all shackles and become the eyes of all, to see sights that we could not have imagined. But that does not mean our lives are destined to fall by the wayside. Miracles are born in the journey of evolution. A journey made up of all our dreams: Yours, mine, even that foolish tramp outside.
Ferdinand	Why are you telling me this?
Parvis	Feeling better? Have some tea. It'll put some color in your face, so you won't be so embarrassed when the kids see you on their way to work.
Ferdinand	...... I've lost everything. There isn't much for you to remember.
Parvis	I'm in no hurry. We can talk about work once you're done with your tea. It's always good to chat with an old friend. We took our first steps together, after all.
<Background 4>
[Ferdinand walks by the homeless resident from before.]
Homeless Resident	Hello there, good sir!
Ferdinand	Megaphone and sign boards? This is what you spent the money on? Not food and blankets?
Homeless Resident	There are things more important than creature comforts!
Ferdinand	Give me that board. "Rhine Lab." At least spell the company's name right if you're going to protest it.
Homeless Resident	That's much better! Thank you, sir!
Ferdinand	Tell me. What do you dream of? What is the future you're fighting for?
<Background 5>
Muelsyse	How do you like my vivarium, Doctor? Nobody can just barge in. And Rosmontis seems to like it.
Rosmontis stands quietly in the verdant lab. She carefully observes each plant, then meticulously records their form in her notebook. Her gaze stops on the last page of the notebook. You know it is where that letter is kept.
Doctor	Are you still reading the letter, Rosmontis?
Rosmontis	Yes, Doctor. I want to remember what happened today and record it in my terminal, before I forget. Loken... Loken Williams... What is the "home" that he talked about like? Is it like Rhodes Island?
Doctor	No. / No way.
Rosmontis	Then he's not my family. I don't like him, Doctor. I came into contact with many feelings that I didn't like through him. I want to pick them out and put them somewhere that won't bother me. Amiya helped me clean them up before she left, but they keep growing.
Doctor	What kind of feelings?
Rosmontis	...Loss. And... destruction. I want to destroy them. It's not right. Pith would be angry... I shouldn't see Loken again, should I, Doctor?
Doctor	Do you want to learn about your past, Rosmontis?
Rosmontis	Memory is precious. I don't want to use it on bad things. But I want to see with my own eyes again. I want to know what I would do. It may not be to learn... it may be to throw it away again. But I'll say goodbye properly this time.
Doctor	Okay. / We'll find Loken. Get some rest before that, though.
Rosmontis	Mm-hm...
Doctor	(Give Rosmontis your jacket) / (Put your jacket on Rosmontis's shoulders) Go to sleep.
Rosmontis	Mm... Doctor...
The young Feline lies down at your side, clutching the jacket you gave her tightly. Her breathing is fragile yet resilient, as it is when she is awake.
Muelsyse	She's tired.
Doctor	Rosmontis's Arts are heavily dependent on intention. / The day took a toll on her.
Muelsyse	What about you, Doctor?
Doctor	Let's talk somewhere else, let Rosmontis sleep.
<Background fades out and in>
Muelsyse	Your brow's furrowed.
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Should I cooperate with the army's investigation?
Muelsyse	...... I arranged for you to go to Rhine. I have proof that you had legitimate reasons to enter the HQ building, and that you have nothing to do with the attack on the Vice President. The army can't actually do anything about you. Don't worry about them.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Should I surrender to the Maylander Foundation?
Muelsyse	Ho'olheyak just loves to drag people into these messes... kooky bint. There's no real witness to the "crime scene," though. Hard to say if the Maylander Foundation would really believe that some completely unrelated person lopped off the head of one of their top agents, or if they suspect that it's all just an act.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Rhodes Island has been dragged into the maelstrom of Trimounts.
Muelsyse	The explosion at the Triton factory, the attack on the Vice President, Kristen's disappearance... Trimounts is in chaos right now. It may be irresponsible to say this, but neither the army nor the Maylander Foundation have time to deal with Rhodes Island. You're not at the center of the maelstrom. No need to be so nervous, Doctor.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Doctor	......
Muelsyse	Still, I'm responsible for your situation here. Our partnership's still good. You helped me, and I'll do my best to help you. If it comes to it, I can arrange to get you, Rosmontis, and Iffy out of Trimounts right now.
Doctor	That's not what I'm concerned about, Muelsyse. / Sincerity is the foundation of cooperation, Muelsyse. You're looking for both Saria and Kristen? / Are you trying to stop something, or to put something right? / Your position has been vague from the beginning. We're partners, but I don't know what you really think.
Muelsyse	A dance, Doctor?
Doctor	......
Muelsyse	It's no fun being interrogated like this.
Muelsyse puts her hands behind her back, turns around, and takes a couple of steps. She looks back at you with a rare, serious expression on her face. Music fills the air. It is a relaxed, soothing tune. You see moisture seep from the leaf veins, converging into a drop of dew. More drops appear, leaving the leaves and catching up to you and Muelsyse, moving with the flow of the melody. You see the rhythm of each droplet, light as breath. They are the melody itself.
Muelsyse	Feel it, Doctor. It will guide our steps.
Doctor	Your droplets seem "free" in this vivarium. / The air in this vivarium seen "clean".
Muelsyse	Very astute, Doctor. From lightning to irrigation to atmosphere control, none of the systems in this vivarium employ Originium technology. It is the cleanest place in Trimounts. This is the one place in Trimounts where I feel at ease. Oftentimes, I choose to operate through a clone not because I want to. But because I have to.
Muelsyse disappears from your vision. You find your hand holding nothing but air. The droplets form a ribbon of water, gently pulling you towards a corner of the vivarium.
Automated Commentary	The Pale Fir is extremely sensitive to its environment. Pollution from Originium industries have reduced its habitat to a small number of hilly areas in Columbia.
The droplets scatter and shatter, creating a mist between you and the firs. You see the faint silhouette of a tombstone. Muelsyse sits quietly by it, picking away at the weeds that surround it. You have never seen her so sad. Is it a shadow of the past?
[The Doctor's vision flashes...]
<Background 6>
Muelsyse	I grew up in an orphanage in Trenton, near Trimounts. The headmaster said I was found on the doorsteps of the orphanage. No one knows who my parents are. I realized at an early age that I was different. My powers are unique, but they are not Originium Arts. I'm much more sensitive to Originium than most people; even a slight increase in Originium concentration is enough to affect my health. What am I? No one knows. That's why I've searched for the answer since I was little. Ironically, it's also the reason why my grades have always been good. Finally, I found that word hidden away in some ancient books.
Doctor	"Elves."
Muelsyse	The word is not unknown to you... you do have many secrets, don't you, Doctor?
Doctor	......
Muelsyse	Well, it's not important. Anyway, I tracked down my biological parents' old Trimounts home, but the house had long since changed hands. I followed the trail they left behind, and eventually found where they went. It's this village right here... so remote I thought I made a mistake. Most of the buildings have fallen into ruin, they look to be centuries-old. I didn't see anyone. I had a feeling as I went into the hills behind the village... I saw a simple cemetery surrounded by pale firs, where dozens of tombstones lay. This village was not an Elven settlement. It was their graveyard.
Muelsyse stands up, looks at you, and fades away into the mist before the firs. Your partner returns to your side.
<Background 5>
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Elven nature forced you to distance yourselves from modern civilization.
Muelsyse	Distancing oneself from modern civilization is easier said than done. To spend your life in remote mountains, when you know that a more convenient, more advanced, more interesting life is right there, waiting for you to reach out. How are we, with our long lifespans, supposed to accept it? Some of my people faded away in sorrow, some chose to end their own lives. More Elves chose to go into society, including my parents. They lived cautiously but bravely, looking for ways to survive in civilization without coming into contact with Originium. They knew Originium would kill them, someday. They accepted it.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Why did your parents abandon you?
Muelsyse	They contracted Oripathy. Elves are highly sensitive to Originium and lack resistance to Oripathy symptoms. Few live more than a month after contracting Oripathy. Like most Elves, they could not accept spending the rest of their days in remote mountains, and sought a more convenient, more advanced, more interesting life, despite the dangers. They knew Originium would kill them, someday. They accepted it. Knowing their days were numbered, they left me behind in a village far away from the cities, and returned to the place where they came from, to await the coming of death.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Doctor	Do you find it regrettable? Or absurd? / Are you looking for a way to change the fate of your people?
Muelsyse	...... Next dance, Doctor.
More droplets rise in the vivarium, as the music enters a new passage. The smile returns to Muelsyse's face. The melody sings on. You do not know if the topic will continue.
Muelsyse	Sometimes I envy Rhodes Island. There are so many people there.
Doctor	You came to Rhodes Island.
Muelsyse	Oh, you knew? I sneaked in once or twice to see if Iffy was doing well, and see what Saria was doing. And I saw someone standing on the deck, gazing at the sunset, lost in thought.
Doctor	I didn't notice you.
Muelsyse	Don't tell anyone. Just one of my tiny clones. No danger to anybody. I thought, why would you be up on the deck with only your thoughts for company, when there's so much joy waiting down below?
Doctor	I wanted to see if I could remember anything. / I feel like there used to be someone I would watch the sunset with.
Muelsyse	Did you find any memories of that person?
Doctor	No. / ...... / After all these years, all I know is a name.
Muelsyse	So there are answers beyond even your reach. That makes things seem a little bit fairer.
She leads you on, doing a half pirouette.
Doctor	You're a good dancer.
Muelsyse	Of course I am. I was the ace of my university dance team. After I left the village, I spent all my time studying. Every Columbian child knows that science and tech are the best way to change your life. I studied to become the top of my class, then went to school in Trimounts, where I stayed on top. I spent a lot of effort to blend into modern life. Fashion, gaming, literature, music, dance... I studied etiquette, met a lot of people. For others, these are hobbies, but for me, it's a mission, an exploration, a test. I know it sounds weird, but I tasked myself to live life as hard as I could. ...... It's been a long time since I danced, though.
Doctor	With Saria and Kristen?
The droplets go around you. The lights of the vivarium cannot penetrate them. They hold fragments of the past, gentle, clear, yet untouchable. The newly renovated lab, mostly empty bottles... Saria, and Kristen? And Muelsyse, with a disappointed look on her face. The three stare at each other in middle of the room, like three wooden mannequins.
Muelsyse	New Year's Eve, not long after Rhine Lab was founded... everyone was happy. I was the happiest. I met Kristen and Saria shortly before I graduated. Kristen is not your average investor's preferred partner. You know you're in for surprises the moment you see her, and not all of them are gonna be pleasant. As for Saria, she just felt steady as a rock. My advisor happened to be involved with a project of theirs, but she wasn't very interested, so she sent me in her stead. I had nothing back then, other than my obsession with living hard. I tried everything and went nowhere. They helped me get over a period when I was lost between my identities as a graduating student and as an Elf. It was just me, Kristen, Saria, Parvis and Ferdinand at the time. Parvis hid himself upstairs, saying he couldn't stay up all night. Ferdinand left early for other business. Can you believe it? At the end of the day, I couldn't find anyone to dance with me. I ended up grabbing Saria... and Kristen. None of us knew how to dance in threes. I can still remember the looks on their faces!
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Why are you so obsessed with Kristen?
Muelsyse	Because of my dream. We agreed she would help Nasti set out on her journey, and she'll bring my dream with her.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Rhine Lab is important to you.
Muelsyse	...To be more precise, Saria and Kristen are important to me. I've always believed that we'll only get where we really want to be if the two of them work together.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
The music ends. The vivarium is empty, except for Muelsyse standing opposite you, calm as a pale fir. You hear the sound of the air circulation system running. The wind on your face feels unusually moist. The scent of plants, the soft earth... you realize that the droplets of water, the music, and the dance really existed.
Muelsyse	You've found my wobbliness, Doctor. Yes, I'm trying to manipulate everyone, including you... But everything I do, I do for myself, the few kin that I have left, so we can breathe, feel the wind, run, travel freely... To make our journey a little less hard. All I've done, I did to keep the few friends I have, so that in this city, I won't be so... ...... This is all I can tell you. All I can promise you.
Doctor	There are a lot of things you haven't made clear. / There are a lot of gaps in your story. Should I trust you? / You didn't really manipulate me.
Muelsyse	And so...
Doctor	Help me one more time, Muelsyse.
Muelsyse	Hm?
Doctor	I must find Loken Williams.
Muelsyse	...... Even if I could help you... why do you not ask me to help you and Rosmontis get out of Trimounts safely?
Doctor	We've come too far to turn back now. / Rhodes Island only goes forward.
Muelsyse	Saria and Dr. Kal'tsit have reason to get involved. But what about you? Will you get to the bottom of all this, even if the price is a two-front war with the military and Maylander? That's not the most logical choice.
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	I want to help Rosmontis.
Muelsyse	She's sleeping soundly... You want to find her lost past?
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	I want the truth.
Muelsyse	Are you so interested in Kristen's dream?
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	I want to find myself.
Muelsyse	Do you believe you'll find your past in Trimounts?
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Doctor	......
Muelsyse	Alright... we have a deal. Our partnership will go on.
<Background 7>
Nasti	......
???	Who was that on the phone?
Nasti	A lonely soul, searching for companions.
???	Since when have you two become such close friends?
Nasti	We just happened to be going the same way for a while. Same for you. When are you going to leave my lab? The smell of alcohol affects the equipment.
???	That's so cold. Thanks to you and that agent's improvisation, I have a dozen calls to make tonight just to keep you out of jail. Like hell am I doing this sober.
Nasti	You got what you wanted. Is Kristen's price not enough for a businessman like you?
???	Price? Are you reminding me how much I lost to this crazy plan?
Nasti	Then you should have gone to Kazimierz.
???	Join the Chamber and play with the knights and speculators? Yes, the plan has been lying in my terminal for years. I could make more money, and do so in a safer way. But all those great projects... they're about a nation, an era. I want to seize the opportunity before me, to see a future far beyond anyone's wildest dreams rise from my palms.
Nasti	Is that a dream? From a practical person like you?
???	Anyone can dream. Especially facing the fickle tides of fate. You put it astutely. Going the same way. Look at those scientists. For all the conflicts they went through, from friend to foe and from foe to friend, they all end up on the same path.
Nasti	They all saw a part of themselves in the least likely of all futures.
???	What about you?
Nasti	A meaningless question. Why do you think I've tolerated your presence for so long?
???	That's why I like the "going the same way" part. Even if it's only temporary.
[The one speaking with Nasti is revealed to be Justin Jr..]
Justin Jr.	Miss Nasti Lunorey. If we still have our life and liberty after tomorrow– Will you come with me to the highest point in Trimounts, and take a good look at the sky that hasn't changed for thousands of years?

After operation

“

Ferdinand discovers the secret, but decides to keep it that way. Ho'olheyak goes on a killing spree. Rosmontis steps into the room, knowing that Loken is waiting for her.

”

<Background 8>
Loken	A lot of noise. Another delivery from your Engineering Director?
Kristen	Final tests will take about forty-five minutes.
Loken	Plenty. My greatest achievement will be complete once this data is transferred.
Kristen	I will retain your research records.
Loken	I know. Give it to that girl, Ho'olheyak, or someone else... I don't care. Being able to finish this research here in my final days almost lets me forget all the regrets in my life. Haha... *cough*. I still remember how hard it was to accept when you showed this to me for the first time.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 9>
Loken	...hehe. Hahaha... *cough*, *cough*... The irony. How it scorns every conceited researcher who walked the halls of science for the past few centuries. It laughs in the face of our research, made all it worthless... ...... What is this, Kristen? How are you able to speak of its theories and emerge with such confidence, when you've never performed a single experiment? This thing... it's beyond my understanding. Even more frightening is that all those tales you tell of these black cubes are true. Tell me, Kristen. Tell me! What is this that I am about to study?!
Kristen	That's your job.
Loken	Where did you find it? How did you gain this knowledge?
Kristen	......
Loken	Don't be so hard on a dying man, Kristen. Who gave you this?
Kristen	...God.
Loken	...... Have I overestimated you, young genius? Do you believe in ghosts and spirits, look up to the unknown in awe? No, you're not the kind of woman who would joke about this. You're not foolish or shameless enough for that, or to place your hopes in empty faith. I'll take your word for it... hmph. The irony.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 8>
Loken	"God." Another month has passed since "God" bestowed on me his mercy. In this short period of time, I completed more work than I could have imagined for decades. Hmph. Even I can't help but wonder... What "miracle" do you plan to bring us... bring to the people on his land?
Kristen	......
Kristen does not answer. She gazes at the stars outside the window silently, lost in thought.
<Background 10>
Researcher	Another half an hour... bah, I should start thinking about supper. Donut? Fried fowlbeast? Hot dog?
[Ferdinand shows up.]
Ferdinand	All of Trimounts is up in arms over this place, but look how carefree the heart of the storm is.
Researcher	*cough* Wh-Who are you?
Ferdinand	I want the blueprints and efficiency data for the S.H.A.F.T. and the associated facilities, now.
Researcher	S-Sir, that's highly classified...
Ferdinand	Do you see my clothes? My security pass right here? Or do you need me to put Blake on the line for you?
Researcher	N-No, sir, I'll put it together...
Ferdinand	No need. This terminal right here. Turn it on.
Researcher	But sir, this is raw data without visualization...
Ferdinand	...I'm Ferdinand Clooney. Rhine Lab's Director of Energy. I designed the Trimountian energy circulation system. The processor of the terminal in front of you is based on an Originium energy conversion formula named after me.
Researcher	The Clooney... Formula?! Y-You're...
Ferdinand	You've wasted two minutes. Data, now.
Researcher	Y-Yes, sir!
Ferdinand	......
Seconds pass, then minutes. Ferdinand could almost hear the sounds of military convoys moving through the streets. Blake could find Kristen any moment. He must hurry... for what?
Ferdinand	Here, and here. Have these data been manipulated?
Researcher	O-Of course not! All the data are transmitted in real-time to the army's labs! It's more than my life's worth to upload false data! No one wants to get on the wrong side of the army...
Ferdinand	It doesn't match.
Researcher	I beg your pardon?
Ferdinand	The structure of the S.H.A.F.T., the distribution of the pipelines and the performance of the existing propulsion system. None of them is right. Just discreet enough to avoid notice... damn.
Researcher	That can't be, you must be mista–no, I suppose not, you of all people. Perhaps this is a temporary plan for experimentation and development, and adjustment will be made before the official launch.
Ferdinand	What's the plan for the official launch?
Researcher	Er...
Ferdinand	H.A.M.H.R.R. should be on a mobile plate near the S.H.A.F.T.. Kristen stole the entire plate.
Researcher	But the propulsion device is still here! The army has impounded all the launchers that were under construction!
Ferdinand	Even if she manipulated the data, she couldn't... not with this propulsion performance... Unless... ...... Get Blake on the line.
Researcher	Huh?
Ferdinand	Now.
[The researcher patches Ferdinand to Blake.]
Blake	This had better be important, Ferdinand, for you to bother me at a time like this.
Ferdinand	Listen. Nasti Lunorey is one of Kristen's. The propulsion device that she designed does not have the performance to lift H.A.M.H.R.R. off the ground. Justin Jr. must have bought out your scientists to cover up Kristen's real goal. They're working together.
Blake	So you're telling me everyone in Rhine Lab is complicit in Kristen's suspected treason.
Ferdinand	...... I'm not...
Blake	You need to tell me something new.
Ferdinand	What?
Blake	If the researcher you sent me is actually useful, then I'll drag that Control of yours from the stolen H.A.M.H.R.R. soon enough. Which is to say, I will soon know how many insurgents there are in Rhine.
Ferdinand	Then Rhine...
Blake	Is there anything more important that you want to report?
Ferdinand	...... No, sir. Congratulations in advance on your successful mission, Colonel.
[Ferdinand signs off.]
Ferdinand	Close the file.
Researcher	Yes, sir... is there anything else you need?
Ferdinand	Do you have a maintenance aircraft? The kind that can reach H.A.M.H.R.R.'s theoretical ceiling?
Researcher	Yes, we do!
Ferdinand	I need to borrow it.
Researcher	But didn't you say H.A.M.H.R.R. wouldn't fly because of propulsion issues?
Ferdinand	Or... can it? (Whisper) You're right. We took our first steps together.
Researcher	What?
Ferdinand	I mean, you're right. Maybe I was mistaken.
<Background 11>
Silence	Strong Transmitter reaction. I can feel a lot of it lying ahead.
Blake	Right in the middle of urban Trimounts.
Columbian Soldier	Yes, sir. The area ahead is sewage treatment and garbage disposal. Very few people live here.
Blake	You mean Kristen Wright hid H.A.M.H.R.R. in some other building, right under our nose.
Columbian Soldier	Target may have set up jammers in the area. Our guys didn't detect any signals when they passed through.
Blake	Those egghead sons of bitches and their tricks.
Columbian Soldier	Should we turn the place upside-down?
Blake	No, that'll take too much time, and draw the enemy's attention. Can you locate it?
Silence	I need to borrow your neural-electricity stimulator.
Blake	Do you know how to use that?
Silence	I believe Rhine developed it.
Blake	There's no getting away from you people, is there? Give it to her.
Columbian Soldier	Yes, sir.
Silence	Cranial-electricity will trigger resonance in the Transmitter inside me. Resonance will also occur in any nearby Transmitter, strong enough for your sensors to detect.
Blake	Go on.
[Silence uses the stimulator on herself.]
Silence	......
Columbian Soldier	I-I got a reading! It's increasing in strength!
Silence	Increase output by ten percent.
Columbian Soldier	Er...
[The soldier increases the stimulator's output.]
Silence	Urgh... nngh...
Columbian Soldier	Pre-epilepsy symptom! Should I take over? I have mech operating experience and long-range Arts Unit implants.
Blake	Her Transmitter is from Site 359. It's the only one that will work.
Silence	Pro... proceed. I can take it.
[The soldier maintains the stimulator's output until...]
Columbian Soldier	We got a stable signal! Coordinates have been synchronized to officer terminals, sir.
Blake	Good, we know where H.A.M.H.R.R. is now. Proceed to the target ASAP!
<Background fades out and in>
Silence	Ngh... guh...
Jara	Handkerchief. Doubt you can even see through all that sweat.
Silence	Th-Thank you... Director Jara... did the soldiers bother you?
Jara	Oh? No, just usual chit-chat.
Silence	Did you... say anything?
Jara	...Nothing. The funny thing is, I don't even know anything. I know Kristen like Kristen knows me. I didn't sign on to her adventure, and she refused to let me risk my remaining life for her.
Silence	Control is lucky to have you.
Jara	Lucky? No, I don't think so, Silence. When I look at Kristen, I don't see the inscrutable, dominating Control of Rhine... I only see a girl too proud to bow her head. Maybe time stopped twenty years ago for both of us.
Silence	You mean... the day when Control's parents were killed in a flight test accident?
Jara	It was supposed to be a sunny, cloudless day. Is it regret? Remorse? Is it because I watched them fly to their end, because I didn't check their flight plan carefully– Or because I didn't expect the government and capitalists would allow that sensitive little girl to become the target of all the attacks on her parents, in order to protect their name? No, it's neither. It was just one failure. Even if it was my only one, it should be nothing for an experienced agent. But I could never forget the look in her eyes. That ball of fire falling from the sky continues to burn in her eyes. It's appeared in my dreams on many a night. I don't want to see it extinguished again.
Silence	You left the Maylander Foundation because of Control.
Jara	A scientist stops being a scientist when she develops an emotional attachment to her test subject, huh?
Silence	......
Jara	You, of all people, should understand. I was never a mother. But I have a child.
<Background 2>
Columbian Soldier	Gamma and Delta Squads in position, sir. Everything looks normal with the target building. Scanning for potential hostiles... Wait, is that... a Maylander drone! So that's why the goddamned agents didn't show up. They were tracking our aircraft! Why didn't they find out about the plate, then? Were they waiting for us to do our job, then pick up the scraps?
<Background 11>
Blake	Maylander's eyes are everywhere.
Jara	Columbia has changed a lot in the past twenty years. I used to protect people like the Wrights from conspiracy theorists and technophobes.
Blake	I suppose even the great Maylander can be wrong at times. Look at the mad scientists out there, they're the greatest threat.
[A soldier receives a message on their terminal.]
Columbian Soldier	Message from Maylander, Colonel. They're syncing the drone's data with us. Less than ten lifeforms within ten klicks of the target.
Blake	We had an elite squad keeping an eye on Kristen before she disappeared. Are you telling me that a bunch of scientists and a few assistants took out an entire squad of commandos?
Columbian Soldier	Maybe we went to the wrong place?
Silence	...No. That's not impossible for the Control I know...
Blake	...... Keep your eyes open. Don't let your guard d–
[Suddenly the aircraft went on a turbulence.]
Blake	What was that?
Columbian Soldier	I think we just hit something, sir! No, sensors aren't picking up anything. I-It's wind! It's a wall of wind!
[The turbulence is too strong for the aircraft that...]
Columbian Soldier	We can't maintain attitude! Losing altitude! 500, 400, 350–
Blake	Out of my way! Give me the controls!
Columbian Soldier	Th-That's the building's outer wall! We're gonna hit it!
<Background black>
[The aircraft crashes.]
???	First one.
Columbian Soldier	What happened?! That's the Colonel's aircraft! It fell into the buildings at 10 o'clock–Gamma Squad to the crash site, now! Did the enemy come from the air? Why didn't we get any warnings from the Maylander drones? No, we've lost all communications. Maylander's eyes all went out at the same time?
<Background black>
???	Second one.
<Background 2>
Columbian Soldier	Total loss of communications with Maylander? This is FUBAR, isn't their shit supposed to be cutting-edge?
[A number of powersuits show up before the Columbian soldiers.]
Columbian Soldier	Large number of hostiles! Ten, eleven–no, more! Ambush! Raise the Colonel!
Quiet Power Armor	–
[A fight breaks out between the soldiers and the powersuits...]
Columbian Soldier	There's too many of them!
[...with the latter overwhelming the former...]
Columbian Soldier	Hold! Hold! The Maylander douchebags said there were less than ten! Was the data wrong, or did they screw us? Agh–!
[...but Blake shows up and destroys one of the powersuits.]
Blake	It's not the data that's wrong.
Columbian Soldier	Colonel! You're safe!
Blake	Form up. Gamma and Delta, pull back and find cover. Have the power armor assault team move up. Let everyone know– We're facing the latest prototype unmanned power armor.
[The powersuits engage the soldiers, now led by Blake.]
<Background 12>
Ho'olheyak	Third one.
The walls of the room block all screams, but the explosions can be clearly seen on the monitors. Ho'olheyak does not look at the screen. Her eyes have not left the book since the first prey stepped into the trap. She swings her tail back and forth in boredom, pressing one button after another, directing the show happening not far from here.
[Loken starts to walk away.]
Ho'olheyak	Where are you going?
Loken	To fulfill my final wish.
Ho'olheyak	Sneaking out to meet someone again? You'll die out there, and I won't be there to save you.
Loken	*cough* *cough*...... *cough* *cough* *cough*...
Ho'olheyak	Don't croak before the work is done. Otherwise–
Loken	You can't take it from me. It's not ready for activation yet. Only an ugly death awaits if you *cough* rush it.
Ho'olheyak	I know. I've heard that enough times.
Loken	Take it as words of wisdom from a dying man. You're too young to be showing the madness of the impeding end.
Ho'olheyak	Time does not treat us all fairly. Go, old man, and dream your last dream before death carries you away. Good night. As for me... it's time for me to deal with my last problem.
Ho'olheyak puts down the book and hooks something from the pile of books with her tail. A metal head. She blows lightly at the head and sees the white vapor pass through the metal shell, then dissipate into thin air without going anywhere.
Ho'olheyak	It's not everyday that you get to see Maylander agents work with commandos. Are you really sure you don't want to come back from the dead, my dear old employer? You'll miss the best parts.
<Background 11>
Silence	*cough* *cough* Who's the enemy?
Jara	Only someone with the internal access codes can disable all of Maylander's eyes at the same time.
Silence	Control has someone from Maylander with her?
Jara	An elite Maylander agent, codename Ho'olheyak. She took over the task of monitoring Kristen from me. I wasn't sure if she had turned traitor... until now.
Silence	Ho'olheyak?
Jara	Yesterday. Ho'olheyak means "yesterday." It's unknown whether it's her codename or the one she was born with. Kristen brought her to Rhine Lab one year ago, saying she was Rhine Lab's new bibliology consultant. I looked into her background but found nothing. Maylander had concealed most of her files, of course, but that wasn't much of a problem for me.
Silence	Not even Maylander knows about her past?
Jara	It's like she popped into the world yesterday. Her knowledge, her powers, her Arts... none of them have anything to do with modern technology. Have you ever heard the legend, from the days when the world was just a barren land? "She is Liberi, she is Phidia." "She rides with the wind and dances with the stars." "She is the last Elder still blessed by the heavens.
<Background 2>
Power Armor Operator	Forward, forward! Stay in formation! Cover the others! Wait, up in the sky–hostile approaching! Take aim!
[The powersuit soldiers aim at the approaching object, but their weapons won't fire.]
Power Armor Operator	Energy beam... wait, how could this be? It won't fire–are our weapons being attacked? No, the weapon's fine–it's the sky that's being affected! Unknown energy interference in the area– Argh!
A great force takes hold of him. Even in his metal armor, the soldier feels frail and helpless, like a naked infant. He waves his limbs futilely, but he could not control his body, or the exoskeleton wrapped around it. He is flung like a plastic toy, smashing into another power armor. Silver-green shadows leave the shattered armor. A silhouette approaches slowly in the smoke.
Columbian Soldier	*cough* *cough*! G212α-13 abandoning exoskeleton! Hostile contact, s-support requested–
Power Armor Operator	How many hostiles?
Columbian Soldier	O-One...
[Ho'olheyak walks toward the soldiers.]
Ho'olheyak	...One. I'm afraid I'm the only one you're facing. Do you need time to surrender?
<Background 1>
Muelsyse	Mm... we're almost there. That's the hideout Kristen prepared for Loken.
Doctor	We walked a few hours underground. / I thought the end of the passage would look more normal. Where did you get your info, Muelsyse?
Muelsyse	I befriended a... er, straightforward engineer. Whew... I've smelled better. Kristen hasn't changed. You could throw her into a garbage dump when she's in the middle of an experiment, and she wouldn't care one bit. Did you know that Saria and I picked all her clothes? Even Saria is more concerned about fashion than she is. And...
[An explosion is heard in the distance.]
Doctor	Did the army find the place? / They're fighting.
Muelsyse	Drat, we don't have time!
Doctor	Time for what? / Shouldn't we be more cautious?
Muelsyse	Doctor... Loken is a convict with a few hundred years on his sentence. You want to take Rosmontis to see him? Then you have to beat them to it. How do you plan to explain to the military if they find us together?
Doctor	Rosmontis... / Rosmontis?
Rosmontis	......
Muelsyse	What's with the kitten? Is she thinking about something?
Doctor	I think she's sensitive to the battlefield environment. / There's something interfering with her thoughts.
Muelsyse	Keep an eye on her, Doctor. I need to find a way in... maybe I can use my water to get in through the vents, then hack the door circuits...
[A nearby door opens.]
Doctor	No need to look, Muelsyse. / The door's open, Rosmontis.
<Background 7>
Muelsyse	This is...
Doctor	Kristen built a lab inside. / Loken's lab.
Rosmontis	Loken. I remember this place. It's not in my memory. I've never been in this corridor. But my eyes, ears, mouth, emotions... they all tell me that I've walked a path like it.
Welcome home, child. Welcome to the court that I prepared for you.