Story Reader / Main Story / 27 Aeon Reforged / Story
Is this... the space station?
After passing through countless debris and almost reaching the space station, Watanabe finds it hard to believe what he is seeing.
The once-white hull is now covered in red growths and spherical structures eerily spread over the entire core module.
As the transport craft approaches, these structures turn in unison, pointing the remaining white parts at him like curious eyes.
Whatever those things are, it is clear the space station has been completely ruined and is no longer a human research outpost.
In his peripheral vision, he sees the drifting, lifeless remains in space.
Must rescue the survivors now.
He moves toward the location he received in the communication.
I've docked. Open the hatch.
Alright, opening the hatch now.
As the isolation door opens, three pale faces appear before Watanabe.
Are there other survivors?
The one who looks like the leader shakes his head.
We didn't encounter any other survivors. I'm afraid we are the last living souls on the space station.
Are you sure?
I'm the head of the research department. My terminal tracks the life signals of all space station employees.
He hands over his terminal on which most of the portraits have turned gray.
Turning gray means one of two things: either they're out of reception range, or their brain activity has ceased.
Upon hearing this, the woman leaning to the side hugs her drone tightly.
...Get on board. We need to leave here now.
The space station has mutated. Nobody knows what's going to happen next.
As the transport craft leaves the space station, Watanabe doesn't yet know that someday in the future, he will be involved with this place again.
Where are we going?
The research supervisor asks for the sobbing Jada holding the drone and Philip comforting her.
I'm just on temporary duty. Do you have a contingency plan?
What's the situation at the spaceport?
The Starship Fleet went haywire. To destroy the rogue ships, they lost over 70% of their ships.
His grip on the control stick tightens.
Then... where can we go?
The spaceport is gone, the starships are gone, and the space station is gone...
How many people are even still alive...
He doesn't have the answer to her question.
...
All four fell silent. Project Acadia Transfer had completely collapsed under this mishap. After the heavy losses, what has humanity gained?
In this lonely universe, there will no longer be grand spaceports and starships ready for battle.
Humanity has taken its first step into the cosmos, only to quickly wither.
And the efforts didn't even make a single ripple in this disaster.
Head to Eden II, even though it's just an empty shell now.
Yeah.
Watanabe changes direction and heads away from Earth...
Then, a "Shooting Star" catches his eye.
That's the escape pod, and the spaceport's modular cabin...
And the model is from the space station. We're not the only survivors!
Each "Shooting Star" represents lives saved.
His individual efforts might not make much of an impact in this catastrophe, but those who sacrifice are never alone.
Though the cost was immense, such sacrifices are never in vain.
—The stars are heading toward Eden, humanity's next hope.
—Inheriting the will of the fallen, the Shooting Stars will guard humanity's last stronghold.
—They are both the walls and the tombstones, silently recording these people's courage and dedication.
—Thus, Eden will no longer be an empty shell...
—Babylonia, the spark will be carried into the future.
