Operation story: CW-7

Operation

Story

Previous CW-6	Next CW-8
Characters
Doctor Ho'olheyak Ifrit Kal'tsit Saria Silence Blake Ferdinand Jackson Jara Justin Jr. Business Clerk Columbian Soldier Nervous Entrepreneur Researcher Researcher
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6

Before operation

“

A bizarre structure hangs in the sky above Trimounts, and everyone reacts to the sight of it in their own way. The most unforgettable night in Trimounts is about to unfold.

”

<Background black>
November 21st, 1099 7:11 P.M., H.A.M.H.R.R. Mission Elapsed Time 00:03:00
<Background 1>
Researcher	Brr... ugh... Phooie, freezing around here. Asshats keep shutting off the heaters. How many complaints am I gonna have to file before they realize we're here at night on overtime?
[The researcher's phone rings. He picks it up.]
Researcher	Hey, honey, what are you calling for? Hold on... I'll speak to you outside.
<Background 2>
Researcher	What day is it today? Um... nine days out from the project deadline. Progress is looking bad for us. I won't be home today either, no. Our anniversary...? Oof. Sorry, it's been crazy the past couple days... I know, honey, you've been looking forward to that restaurant forever... I know, I know, I'm sorry. The VP was touring Rhine Lab, so the egghead idiots on the Board have been going insane. They're forcing every project to produce interim results immediately, or else we're SOL. I'm not coming up with excuses, honey, it's just... Listen, I can't do today, I'll make it up to you some other time, I swear. Hello? Honey, are you there?
[The caller hangs up.]
Researcher	...Shit. If only something would just... happen. Why won't the offices blow up? Why won't goons rob a bank? Why don't Trimounts's stupid city treads just snap in half... Anything.
Night gradually sinks in. The office lights are set for another all-nighter, the shadow caging in this one pitiable researcher. He gives a shiver. They say snow's coming in a few weeks. Someone bumps past him out of nowhere.
Researcher	Okay, my fault for hoping.
Eventually, he shuffles his feet, stepping back into the high-rise. Just as he's stifled his urge to stay outside a little longer, an irritating droning noise emits from far off. Catastrophe alarms, sounding with no warning. A PA demanding evacuation echoes through the streets. The researcher subconsciously leans to hurry his gait. But suddenly, he notices everyone around him coming to a slow halt, all gazes drawn at once towards the sky. With great skepticism, he lifts his head again.
Researcher	–What the... hell is that?
A massive toroid, in sluggish revolution, rises up from behind the building. In the dark, as mechanical devices unfold, the neon of the city that glares off the upper surface becomes one with the structure, metal luster shining too brightly for the naked eye. It is so imposingly majestic, so impossibly elegant, that it could only be the stuff of the most beautiful dreams ever dreamt. It pierces through the clouds. And inexplicably... it rises still.
Researcher	Some kind of... ring?
<Background black>
7:13 P.M., H.A.M.H.R.R. mid-flight
<Background 2>
Justin Jr.	I'm very interested, of course, extremely interested.
Nervous Entrepreneur	Really? Well, that's swell! If our project can get Rhine sponsorship...
Justin Jr.	Take a seat, ma'am. Anything to drink?
Nervous Entrepreneur	Uh... plain water will be fine, Justin, sir.
Justin Jr.	Please, call me Justin Jr., even. How about some wine? War took the Gaulish Empire, but I thank the troops for leaving us the best vineyards intact. Please.
Nervous Entrepreneur	I-If you insist. Thank you.
[Someone knocks the door.]
Justin Jr.	Come in.
[A clerk enters.]
Business Clerk	Director, your office phone has been ringing non-stop.
Justin Jr.	Tell them I'm busy.
Business Clerk	You have... some friends of yours looking for you.
Justin Jr.	Mayor Benjamin, Councilman Chris, Deputy Phil, Commander Colette. Who else?
Business Clerk	You have a Mr. Lewis. The one in charge of industrial sec.
Justin Jr.	Hmph.
Business Clerk	They say–Who might you be, ma'am?
Nervous Entrepreneur	Ah, sorry! I'll wait outside!
Justin Jr.	Don't worry about it, no secrets here. Go ahead.
Business Clerk	Er, right.
Business Clerk	They appear to be extremely unhappy with the articles you deposited at Plate Seven. They were under the impression the project was a more–"ordinary" one. Commander Colette went to Mr. Lewis. I'm afraid all Plate Seven monitoring files will be lost by tomorrow. The Mayor and Councilman have returned every case we've sent them over the past few years, and declared they'll no longer be seeking your aid for campaigns. The Deputy made some very... radical statements. I hear he's gotten an emergency arrest warrant for the state prosecutor, and seems to be on the way here now. I've notified Defense, but we can't keep them away for long.
Justin Jr.	And here I swore we got along well enough. *sigh* How fragile a friendship is. Wouldn't you say, ma'am?
Nervous Entrepreneur	Justin, sir, I-I'm only here to ask you to invest, I don't think I should necessarily be in the loop on all this...
Justin Jr.	Aren't you curious, though? What could Rhine Lab have that scares these elites, and bureaucrats, and black suits in white gloves, so badly that they'd crawl out of bed in the middle of the night to get to work?
Nervous Entrepreneur	I... I don't know. A-A nanodroid that extends your lifespan forever... or something?
Justin Jr.	Nice idea. If someone came to me with a prospectus and technical prototype, you know I'd invest.
Nervous Entrepreneur	Ha... haha... Um, I am wondering a little– –why you'd call me up, of all people...
Justin Jr.	Have you ever heard of Stade syndrome, ma'am?
Nervous Entrepreneur	Huh? I-I've seen it in the files. A rare hereditary condition, I think? Very rare, highly fatal, and extremely stubborn. Sufferers of it aren't usually expected to live beyond forty-five, and more than likely pass it on to their children. I assume it was Rhine Lab that developed–
Justin Jr.	Look, no rush to win your potential sponsor over. But, yes, fairytale ending, there's a miracle cure out for Stade syndrome, and while Rhine Lab had no involvement in the research, it goes without saying that many have reaped the benefits. Pity it arrived a little late, is all. Old Justin Sr. died of organ failure from Stade syndrome three days before they finalized the drug.
Nervous Entrepreneur	Justin Sr.? He must be...
Justin Jr.	Sure was. And his son, Justin Jr., was informed out of the big wide blue, after struggling in fear for a decade and change, that he could live like a normal human thanks to the med. Bam. The nightmare that plagued my family was gone. Like it never even existed. Only later did I learn that the key element in the drug popped up when an intern researcher happened to mess up some reagents. That's fate. Hah, that's how it goes.
Nervous Entrepreneur	I... um, well, at least you're free of the disease now.
Justin Jr.	Because of a random, dumb mistake? The incapable might call it "a twist of fate" and when the curtains are closed, pat themselves on the back for it, even. They see it as a gift of chance. But I– I can't stand it. I won't stand for it. I'll have this phenomenon safe and secure in my own hands. I'll grip it. I'll control it. I'll dictate to it where it goes.
[An alarm blares.]
Nervous Entrepreneur	A Catastrophe alarm? Why does it have to be now...? Justin, sir, we need to evacuate!
Justin Jr.	Ha, finally.
[Justin Jr. phone rings. He picks it up.]
???	Justin Fitzroy Jr.
Justin Jr.	Well, if it isn't the Supreme Court, you've finally got me.
???	What is your pledge?
Justin Jr.	I pledge it will lead Columbia forth.
???	What guarantees that?
Justin Jr.	Is my participation not enough?
???	Your many "friends" are dissuading me at this very moment. They tell me Columbian law shouldn't allow your people continue in their unbridled ways.
Justin Jr.	If a mere fondness for sending out cases of money does unbridled ways make, then what, pray tell, do Kristen's actions sum to? Justice, you told me that it's not for the protection of any sanctimonious "ethics" that Columbian law works.
???	It must hew the brambles, for those who make forth.
Justin Jr.	I ask, then. What is your verdict?
???	If Columbia's court pales timid and weak, then I should see no reason why it deserves my further tenure.
Justin Jr.	Much obliged.
[Justin Jr. hangs up.]
Nervous Entrepreneur	Was that just a... a Supre–Supreme Court Justice calling? What... research are you... are Rhine Lab even handling?
Justin Jr.	Easy, easy. Rhine Lab's no danger to the law. You're with a trustworthy firm.
Nervous Entrepreneur	But...
Justin Jr.	Ah, well, back on topic. About what I've been stashing in the jurisdictional care of my "friends." Go pull the curtains, ma'am. You won't want to miss the show tonight.
[The entrepeneur walks to the window and pulls the curtain to see H.A.M.H.R.R. flashing in the sky.]
Nervous Entrepreneur	What is... that? How is something that big... flying? Is that... another Rhine Lab project?
Justin Jr.	I'll be honest, you're not really a qualified entrepreneur. You're a flip-flopper. Scare easy. Not confident enough, always second-guessing. Got a habit of spending too much time on how you word things. To be frank, it's no wonder Trimountian investor circles don't like you. Lucky for you, none of that matters to me. Rhine Lab will buy out your power laboratory in whole, I'll provide you ample funds, and it will be seen to that all is done to support your research endeavors to come. If Lady Luck is on our side, and one day you rise to directorship at Rhine Lab, then it's not out of the question that you might get a little section carved out for you. Just as our young Dr. Franks got.
Nervous Entrepreneur	That's... I don't understand, so much has happened today...
Justin Jr.	Just say yes. Because luck doesn't claim the credit here, for it has been my decision. Where the hand of Justin Jr. reaches, there is random chance no longer, ma'am. I help the lunatic to succeed.
Nervous Entrepreneur	...I understand, Director Justin. Looking forward to working with you.
Justin Jr.	And welcome to the Rhine Lab family. Cheers.
<Background black>
7:25 P.M., H.A.M.H.R.R. mid-flight
<Background 3>
Jackson	Seems we've finally found it, Colonel. Bitch of a process, eh?
Blake	...... We weren't anticipating Kristen would have another propulsion unit ready to go for H.A.M.H.R.R. She hid the whole contraption under a garbage heap, and now she's sailed the damn thing through Trimounts airspace like she owns it. This is all my fault.
Jackson	No point in talking the blame now, Colonel. Things are all headed for the worst-case.
Blake	H.A.M.H.R.R. is still flying for S.H.A.F.T., bound for its upper surface with an ETA of twenty minutes. Based on what the manuals say, it'll be hovering within about five klicks of the S.H.A.F.T., which gives it maximal odds of taking down any ground targets in its angle of drift. But of course, "Arc-01" is in no suitable position to launch attacks or counter enemy positions right now. Our plans never extended beyond demonstrated feasibility within Trimounts.
Jackson	Five klicks of altitude is something the average aerial unit just can't do. Your considerations were all-comprehensive outside of that blindsiding.
Blake	We're dispatching specialist drones from the District capable of higher altitudes, but we still need more time. Meanwhile, we have every regular drone allocated to Trimounts already on liftoff. They'll interfere with H.A.M.H.R.R.'s continued ascent as best they can.
Jackson	Effects look to be limited. Seems the military gave this ring thing some sturdy armor. I thought these Maylander drones were advanced for Columbia as is. Outstanding work. Medals for all the generals, I say. The DOD has a hell of a lot resting on this.
Blake	..."No point in talking the blame now," sir. What's important is we get the situation back into your hands.
Jackson	Into "our" hands, Colonel. Personally, I understand the pitch the army is making. Ever since the Bolívar debacle, your people have been mighty eager to get back on the stage. But we're all Columbians, aren't we?
Blake	Goes with saying, when I enlisted, I pledged my loyalty to Columbia. Kristen still won't contact us, and won't respond to any hails from us either. These aren't the actions of an opportunist or kidnapper, but if this is a bluff by the military, we can't say anything for sure. All we can be thankful for is–no matter what she intends to do, the S.H.A.F.T. is under our control and always has been. She has no way to...
[Blake's terminal is receiving a dispatch, but he rejects it.]
Blake	Sorry, Mr. Vice President, let me proceed.
[Blake's terminal receives a dispatch again.]
Jackson	Colonel, it seems your people have some urgent news for you.
Blake	......
[Blake responds to the dispatch.]
Blake	It's me. I'm with the Vice President right... ...Charging? Haven't we been in total control of the S.H.A.F.T. this whole time? How could it... Shut the whole S.H.A.F.T. down immediately! You can't? What do you mean you can't? How hard can it be to find the goddamned switch or breaker or whatever it is and flip it? Pull out the wires! Kill the power source! Do whatever it takes, I don't care what facilities we damage! ...... ...What? You're telling me, you've done everything you can, and the S.H.A.F.T. has not only failed to shut down, its goddamned energy readings are still climbing? ...... Bring every ounce of explosive we have in Trimounts. Blow that thing to kingdom come.
Jackson	It's already charged, and if you blow it up, the energy dissipation will level the entire city, Colonel. That's what Maylander's agents are telling me. You've got a crafty one on your hands, hah.
Blake	She's out of her goddamned mind! How much does she hate Columbia?! What is she up to?! Hold on... I can think of one possibility. –The District. It's the District. If H.A.M.H.R.R.'s angle deviates far enough, it's probably gonna threaten Max D.C.! Our beloved President is still situated there. Kristen... she intends to destroy the heart and the brain of Columbia. We have to evacuate all personnel in the District immediately.
Jackson	Don't worry, Colonel. The President's just told me we're fine. Armed forces in the District are mobilized, and General Barry is taking charge of the defense there. She's promised me she'll protect the President with her life.
Blake	...General Barry?
Jackson	Oh, I guess you didn't hear. She's just been promoted. Carry on with your mission, Colonel. Columbia still needs you in this dire hour. Anything else?
Blake	...... No, nothing. I swear, I'm gonna put an end to this insanity, personally.
Jackson	Don't overwork yourself.
Blake	...If you'll excuse me.
[Blake leaves as VP Jackson contacts someone.]
Jackson	Will these orders do, Mr. President? I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure about this. Still, I won't question your judgment– ...... I understand. I'll head out at once.
<Background 2>
Columbian Soldier A	You see that? What is it?
Columbian Soldier B	Is that what the brass is after?
Columbian Soldier A	Sure is a high-flying bastard... Where's it heading?
???	...Out of the city.
Silence	By appearances, an energy accumulation device.
Columbian Soldier A	Out of the city? The S.H.A.F.T.?
Columbian Soldier B	What did the Colonel call those things? "Arc-01?" H.A.M.H.R.R.? What the hell is that mad scientist thinking?
What the hell is that mad scientist thinking? Idealism. Obsession. Curiosity. Initiative. It's a trend that scientists are tied to these qualities. Silence will admit, as a scientist herself, as a former Rhine Lab employee, that when she first caught that tremendous megastructure rising to the sky, she felt a faint tug on her heartstrings. And a mortifying sense of pride. This company she once struggled for was creating–no–had created a wonder of the land... of the sky. She should by all rights bask in it... shouldn't she? Deception. Calculation. Sacrifice. Conspiracy. She quickly comes to, realizing what this marvel was built upon.
Silence	Control. Kristen Wright...
As an ordinary researcher, she never had too much contact with Kristen. Perhaps, at most, a glimpse or two of the Rhine Lab Control during wrap-up conferences at the end of the year. She still remembers the look in Kristen's eyes. In her eyes, there was only one thing.
Silence	Scientists must think about one thing, and one thing only... "And that is how to accomplish it." A scientist's sole responsibility is to push science to progress. "That alone is more than enough to exhaust us." ... ...And where is it that progress lies? Whenever Columbia's wastes see rain, the vegetation quickly turns to overgrowth. When people hand down decisions from high perches, dictating what plants are of use and what should be disparaged as weeds, it never sits well with me. We need to admit, no matter what, that that should not be described as "progress."
Kristen, and those like her, and those who wear the same guise as her... They all lay claim to their vision, their direction, as the way that science's progress should orient. She wouldn't dare say she understands the secretive, elusive Control, but she understands the rest of them, and the respective... costs of their journeys forward. Who will define progress? Who will watch over it... Hasn't it seen too many sacrifices beneath its heels?
Silence	Science must progress, of course. I am a researcher myself. I sympathize as such. But we must be aware–of the nature of the costs therein. We must be aware– –that science does not solely serve personal ideals nor obsessions.
[Silence prepares her drone.]
Columbian Soldier A	Is that a drone? Researcher. What are you doing? I don't want trouble with you, and the guys in charge don't need your help anymore, so you ought to–
Columbian Soldier B	Hey! We're talking to you!
[Silence runs off...]
Columbian Soldier A	The hell is she up to?
Columbian Soldier B	The key! Your car key!
[...and drives off in one of the soldiers' cars.]
Columbian Soldier A	She stole one of our cars? Is she insane?
Columbian Soldier B	Shit, we need to–
Ifrit	Silence! Silence!
Columbian Soldier B	Where'd the girl come from? This is a military exclusion zone!
Columbian Soldier A	The hell are you doing?!
Ifrit	Move it!
[Ifrit knocks aside the soldiers with her Arts.]
Columbian Soldier B	Ugh! Uh, do–do you know how to drive, young lady? Maybe you need me to–
[Ifrit pushes off the soldier.]
Ifrit	Shut up! I've got this under control! ...Uh, but just to confirm, left one is the brake, right?

After operation

“

Saria and Ferdinand agree to work together. Silence infiltrates the S.H.A.F.T. Within a dark tunnel, in a rare about-face for her, Kal'tsit conceals nothing.

”

<Background 2>
Kal'tsit	Doctor, we need to leave immediately. I've found Kristen's energy source. Things aren't yet irredeemable. The worst-case possibility I anticipate has not yet come to pass... We still have a chance to stop her.
Doctor	What's a Sarcophagus doing here?
Kal'tsit	Kristen's plan requires mass amounts of energy, the scale and purity of which are both beyond any modern Terran's grasp, or even their imagination.
Doctor	So, she's exploiting the Sarcophagus's tech?
Kal'tsit	The sheer vastness of this energy is more than a Sarcophagus can provide, too.
Doctor	So, why is she...
Kal'tsit	I said, more than "a" Sarcophagus. I hadn't anticipated... their being in Columbia. Buried right beneath these wastes. Doctor, I need your help. And your help... is all I have.
Doctor	Uh, but Rosmontis? / I'm worried about Rosmontis.
Kal'tsit	...... Combat has concluded. She won't be in danger. I ask you have faith in her. She may still be a child, but she is nevertheless a Rhodes Island Elite Operator. And I ask you have faith... in the time you've spent with her. Whether the operation in Chernobog, or her days aboard Rhodes Island, not one past moment has been for naught, and these experiences likewise mold her even now. She will make her own choice, and we can only respect that choice. But... right now, as it falls to her, so it falls to us too.
<Background black>
7:45 P.M., H.A.M.H.R.R. now at upper S.H.A.F.T.
<Background 3>
[Saria destroyed several powersuits as someone applauds her.]
???	Incredible. I've always wondered how you learned to fight so well, busy with all those research projects. And I thought I made efficient use of my time. Do you never sleep?
Saria	What are you doing here? Ferdinand.
[Ferdinand reveals himself.]
Ferdinand	You took the words right out of my mouth, Saria. After forcibly entering a Trimountian military spec ops bureau, what could you possibly be doing?
Saria	......
Ferdinand	Let me guess. You want to find something to chase after that airborne gizmo. Maybe hijack a heavy duty army drone and tie yourself onto it, for example? Or is that thinking a little too simple, Director Saria? I never took you for the impulsive type.
Saria	Out of the way, Ferdinand. I have no time to argue with you right now.
Ferdinand	Would you look at that, how sad. The only three... well, fine, Scientific Investigation's doesn't count. The only two Directors Control left out of her incredible master plan just happen to have gathered here.
Saria	......
Ferdinand	What do you want to do? Stop the madwoman? Or... save her?
Saria	I have no need to tell you anything.
Ferdinand	I assure you, I don't mean to criticize your relationship with Kristen. I was just waiting for you. Listen, Saria. I'm not here to get in your way.
Saria	I said, out of the way.
Ferdinand	And I said, "listen."
Saria	...That's the sound of an aircraft. Ferdinand, where is that one from?
Ferdinand	The "Horizon Arc Project" isn't just that superweapon Kristen's floating through the air. It's a complete strategic program. I tapped into some connections to borrow an aircraft they use to service "Arc-01," and blew up the rest while I was at it. Let me be clear. Look across all of Columbia, and you'll find very few passenger aircraft safely able to fly near barrier altitude. They won't need much time to scramble high-altitude craft from the District, but for you, and for me, that time is more than enough.
Saria	You're proposing a collaboration. You believe–that you're seriously qualified for this?
Ferdinand	There's the same old Saria I know. As though you'd have the ability to quell every single problem, even if I wasn't there to help. But I don't have a single shred of doubt about this. In your own words, there is no reason we should clash. H.A.M.H.R.R. has reached the S.H.A.F.T.'s aerial space, and the S.H.A.F.T. has begun accumulating energy. If we let this situation unfold as is, then no matter what Kristen's up to, this will end with the Department of Defense exposed to the winds of scrutiny. And I'm sure we all know how Rhine Lab, as an "accessory" to it, will end up.
Saria	And whether it be as a clandestine military proxy, or a former Director of Rhine Lab, you'll be finished, Ferdinand.
Ferdinand	Exactly. But I'm not about to give in. We can still make it in time. We can bring H.A.M.H.R.R. back down again in a safe descent before the energy excitation, and then there will be room to pull everything back.
Saria	And is it your life you're looking to redeem, or Rhine Lab?
Ferdinand	Does it matter?
Saria	You'll have to be franker than that, Ferdinand. You've been ready with this aircraft. You've been anticipating that Kristen could get this far.
Ferdinand	Here I'd thought the busywork at Defense had ground away all your researcher's insight. Still, I've been ready for less time than you think.
Saria	Do you honestly believe this adventure of yours will rescue anything?
Ferdinand	If you didn't think so, then why would you be here?
<Background 3>
Ferdinand	Do you know what feeling has struck me deeper than anything else lately? I feel like nobody cares about Rhine Lab's reputation. Everyone else is either out to see what research funds Rhine can get them, or their only interest is in what Kristen's doing. You may have considered how Kristen leaves the picture, but have you considered what will become of the company afterwards?
Saria	......
Ferdinand	Yes, I know, you've all been captured by her charm and charisma. With a little soul-searching, I have to wonder if I wasn't too? Of course I was. But Rhine Lab is ours, of the blood we shed. I can't accept her setting fire to everything that I gave the sweat of my brow for. No matter what reason drives it. So I can swallow being a tuskbeast of the military, because I want to pull Rhine back from the brink. Is that so wrong?
Saria	I never thought I'd see you telling me this sort of thing.
Ferdinand	They're very Director of Defense-like words, aren't they? Frankly, I should be getting a cut of your salary for it.
Saria	I am no longer the Director of Defense.
Ferdinand	Fine. Once the dust settles on all this, I'll talk with Jara about getting a raise.
Saria	You'll need to be reemployed first.
Ferdinand	Still, you were right about one thing. Rescuing Rhine... is far from my only aim. I need Rhine, and Rhine needs me. That's my assessment, borne of reason and emotion. However– To put it bluntly, I'm curious. This is Kristen we're talking about. We know Kristen. The army wants to think she's out to blow something up, which is stupid. After working with her for so long, we know what kind of woman she is, and of course, you would understand her better than I ever could. Saria, tell me straight. What's going on in that brain of hers? How far is she going to take this?
Saria	I can conjecture.
Ferdinand	Conjecture. Very cautious terminology. Go on, then. Are you conjecturing or not?
Saria	...... Those drones currently on the attack may be unable to pierce H.A.M.H.R.R.'s armor for the time being, and cannot reach its altitude of hover. But shooting down this maintenance aircraft of yours would be simple enough for them. My guess is, the military and Maylander are deploying even greater firepower right now. Specialist drones capable of even higher altitudes. Even landing craft to convey troops. Their involvement in the front line is only a matter of time. We need to get your little craft, with near to no armor and not a single weapon installed, straight through a net of drone fire.
Ferdinand	This definitely carries a little risk.
Saria	I'll pilot.
Ferdinand	Suit yourself. Are you actually able to run this thing, though?
Saria	...I learned, once. In college.
<Background black>
7:50 P.M., H.A.M.H.R.R. altitude 3000 meters
<Background 5>
Silence	Ungh... It seems like... the Transmitter response... has started growing stronger. It should be... right around here.
[Researchers and soldiers run by.]
Researcher	Still no good! Energy readout's completely blanked!
Columbian Soldier	You can't stop it?
Researcher	Not that! The thing's blown past max display capacity! There's nothing in the manuals for this!
Columbian Soldier	Then to hell with the manual! I want solutions, dammit!
Researcher	No, no, no, the entire facility's energy supply lines should be cut by now, all of them... This energy... where the heck it coming from?
Columbian Soldier	So you're telling me, this energy is enough to turn us to ash with just one lick, but it's just coming out of thin air?
Researcher	Uh, the burden is on you to prove that hypothesis...
Columbian Soldier	Shut up, and keep giving me solutions, or I'll hurl you straight in there!
Researcher	Let me just give it another once-over, pipelines... switches... energy nodes...
Columbian Soldier	Is this... Is this son of a bitch gonna explode on us?
Researcher	The manual says... uh, I think, in general terms, current accumulated energy is now beyond the structure's theoretical safe capacity.
Columbian Soldier	If it explodes, what happens?
Researcher	I... I don't know...
Columbian Soldier	Hey... Okay. Run me some analysis. If something does go wrong... will it hit Yorktown? That's not far from here!
Researcher	Y–Yorktown? I'm not sure...
Columbian Soldier	Tell me how big it'll blow, for Pete's sake! I told my brother-in-law it was a bad idea to pioneer out near Trimounts! It's a city of headcases!
Researcher	I-I'm calculating now!
Columbian Soldier	To hell with this, I'm surrounded by science nuts! Crazy poindexters! Don't any of you have even a single breaker in your brains? Every day with your million fricking amazing projects and you never just, uh, WONDER what happens if you screw up? The minds behind Trimountian science! And you build this giant bomb that activates itself and you literally can't even shut it down?!
Researcher	I wasn't on this project! I got temp assigned to work on this by your colonel! I–I would've definitely tested this thing a few more times myself...
Columbian Soldier	Zip it! I know you people too well. One little teensy-weensy hint of success and it's like you all go goddamn blind!
Researcher	But... wasn't this project led by the DOD?
Columbian Soldier	Okay, then they're ALL insane! I warned my meemaw when she said her folks were coming to pioneer in Columbia! Nation built of goddamn nutcases! Dammit, are you done calculating?! Shit, this won't work, I need to make a call...
[The soldier tries to make a call, but...]
Columbian Soldier	Why can't I dial out?
Researcher	Energy concentrations are too high, probably, uh, thus impacting signal transmission...
Columbian Soldier	Dammit! God–DAMMIT! Is there anywhere with better signal? Some other corridor?
[The soldier runs off.]
Silence	...
<Background fades out and in>
[Silence quietly sneaks by as the staff in S.H.A.F.T. fell into confusion.]
Silence	This has all fallen into chaos. Energy transmission... can't be halted? Just what is Kristen trying to do? Mmm... Transmitter response is still growing stronger... It should be that the Transmitter Professor Parvis tuned is all aboard H.A.M.H.R.R., so why is there such a strong reaction here too? Ugh... I have to...
[The energy signature rises...]
Silence	Is there a passage anywhere? I need to keep heading down.
[...as Silence heads down. Unbeknownst to her, Jara was following her.]
Jara	...... *sigh*. Silence. So you came. You chose this path to move forward. Whenever Parvis recruited for his places, he'd always tell me that the trait he most valued was a researcher's perseverance for "progress." No wonder he graded you well. ...... What... What could be on your mind right now? Kristen.
<Background 6>
Doctor	So this is our destination? / Kristen, she've kept her secrets so very well.
Kal'tsit	...... For the past while, I investigated several former Trimounts locations surveyed by Rhine Lab, until finally I found this place. And the reality was little removed from what I imagined.
Kal'tsit gives the rock face beside her a few knocks.
Kal'tsit	We're separated from the "Horizon Arc Project" S.H.A.F.T. by only a few hundred meters. I'm afraid Kristen has the way laid out there too, should you want to go sightseeing.
[As the Doctor and Kal'tsit walks...]
Doctor	Kal'tsit.
[Kal'tsit ignores the Doctor's question, but...]
Kal'tsit	...Dr. {nickname}. I presume you've gathered that there is much more driving Rhodes Island to intervene so actively in the Trimounts affair, beyond simply who and what you've seen.
Doctor	Who...? / What...?
Kal'tsit	Silence, Ifrit and Saria, Loken and Rosmontis–even the revenant calling himself the Tin Man. All of them are simply ordinary people, far separated from the truth. With regards to the Rhine Lab commotion and Kristen going out of control, the military and the Maylander Foundation are like weights once again placed on the scales, trying to preserve the semblance of a civilized nation. But none of that is what matters most, what should concern most. From the very beginning, Kristen has been brushing against something far beyond anyone's imaginations, and with that as a focus, has launched a charge against the sky. I worry her actions will bring unexpected things to bear upon Terra. My intent was to stop her before then... but we were one step too slow. On Terra today, interfering in such things is no longer easy. Civilization is much more expansive than I thought. There'll come a day when people step far enough again.
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Why not share what you know with anyone else?
Kal'tsit	It's not as if I haven't before, but the end result is never ideal. You may suggest those aboard Rhodes Island today, Amiya, Closure, the hunters with ties to Ægir... They know a great deal already, which has helped to resolve their own issues. But when you plough the fields, you never pay mind to why the horizons form as clouds, rain and lightning, yet perhaps you may want to know when the next storm will come. The arrogant acts of noble politicians versus repeated Catastrophe, the forecasted yield of crops versus new tax levies, these are things that ground life. The reality is, countless have no regard for even that much. They simply do not care for the fates of others. From a Terran's point of view, even if they did choose to believe such far-flung knowledge and information, what could they do about it? What use would it be? The wise that take note of all around them, those bare few, are the only ones able to maintain their thought. And the rest, when faced with things that outstrip their comprehension, more than often opt to laugh it off or persecute it, so as to protect their comfortable bubbles of ignorance from any outside challenge. They are no more than "lamentable," but the truth grows ever further because of them.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Isn't Kristen just trying to break through the sky?
Kal'tsit	"Breakthrough." A neutral descriptor, but you still unconsciously believe that the "sky" is something that should have no limit. To any scholar across the land, all that happens high in the sky is unsolved natural phenomena, just as Catastrophe and the ocean are. They will puzzle, probe at its inner workings, use their knowledge and philosophies to dissect it all–they will research all the phenomena of the sky, never considering that "the sky should not be this way." Countless children have flown for it in their dreams, and they too quickly realize, the sky is not something that can be freely soared through. Drones and vehicle altitudes have been rigorously restricted, and the spreading of every fowlbeast's wings is constrained by instinct. This is the state of common sense upon this land. No one has ever questioned the rising of the sun and setting of the moon, and no one has ever questioned how it is all that all beings come to grow. But Kristen has steadfastly chosen "not to believe," just as poets do not believe that dreams are fiction.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Doctor	You've been pushed to explain to me before. / ...... / I'm starting to wonder just what's ahead of us.
<Background fades out and in>
[As the Doctor and Kal'tsit heads deeper...]
Kal'tsit	Just promise me one thing, Doctor.
Doctor	Go on. / ...... / As if I have a choice?
Kal'tsit	No matter what it is you find next, and think next, do not let it shake you. I am by your side. If you choose to... No. No, you won't. I trust the you that accompanied Amiya and Rhodes Island to today, and I trust that you're prepared in your own way. Despite how inescapably scarce our remaining time is.
Doctor	......
Kal'tsit	–Wait. Fall back, Doctor. What I just said will take some explaining.
You follow Kal'tsit's gaze far, to where a dangerous silver glint perches atop the rock. A woman clings to the stalactite wall with nothing but her tail, almost like she's floating in the air, taking in the two of you with great amusement. You feel uneasy. It isn't Ho'olheyak's sudden appearance before you, rather that you realize how Kal'tsit, of prudence comparable to an automated machine, has made a mistake so rudimentary, even to you. Ho'olheyak gently lands beside the two of you. Her mirthful smile draws scratches across your beating heart.
Ho'olheyak	I thought you were more cautious than that, Rhodes Island physician. But to be fair, mm-hmm... I'm surprised you two managed to find this place. Kristen never even told me its exact location.
Kal'tsit	K'uk'ulkan.
Ho'olheyak	......
Kal'tsit	Betraying the Maylander Foundation is tantamount to funeralizing your future in Columbia. What Kristen promised must be far more generous than what Maylander could give you. You and your clan chose a path of no return. And you're trying to find the source of your race's power from Control and Loken's research. I advise you to stop. This is not pursuit of the historical self, it is simply self-destruction. A vast time has elapsed in which the Elders have lost their legendary powers, and now compared to the remaining Ancient races, have no–
Kal'tsit's speech is interrupted. Ho'olheyak's tail has quietly pressed against your throat.
Kal'tsit	......
Ho'olheyak	Yes. There's a sort of pressure your calm expression and tone of voice wreak. One that makes your database of a brain capable of turning words into weapons. But you know that sometimes... speechcraft just doesn't work. The Sarcophagus from Loken and the files Kristen got from who-knows-where are enough to round off this dream we've had for a long time, a dream filled to bursting with power and might. Look at this now... look at me. My plumage, my flesh, my tail. Memory tells me how it's all begotten by my blood, a high blood by any other name. The K'uk'ulkan blood. I'm very strong, aren't I, "Doctor?"
Doctor	Can't deny it. / Please loosen your tail when you speak.
Ho'olheyak	Hahah... I don't mind your composure one bit. But, you see, if I felt like snapping your neck, then it wouldn't take much effort to do it. I remember it happening just like this before. Without all that fantastical equipment, Kristen's hardly stronger than the average person, and I could've just as easily throttled her. But she downplayed, minimized. Rejected "power." I don't really like the oddball scientist type, but she made me realize–outside of my lineage, what do I even have? It's a cruel irony. The words she says cling to you. She humiliated the calling and the memories I succeeded. I wanted so badly to return the favor– –but she seemed so impossible to strike at. The placidity, like she'd gotten everything life had to offer. So placid, it made me... envious. Made me want to claw myself apart, it shook me so badly.
Kal'tsit	She... won you over? What is it you want?
Ho'olheyak	I want to see how she ends, to guess her true intentions, to unearth her legacy. And then, I'll snatch away every last little thing that made up her mind when she ridiculed me. Maybe I'll find the answer, just like that. Before I return to my longed-for age of the K'uk'ulkan's unrivaled dominance, I want to know, in our modern sense, what worth that has– –what worth I have. That's what I, Ho'olheyak, want to do. I hope you won't get in the way, "Doctor," Dame Kal'tsit.