Story Reader / Main Story / 28 Polaris Bond / Story
Could you... talk to me in another way?
Having two voices in my head like this is going to affect my creativity.
People will say I've got Cyberpsychosis! But from an artist... that's something to be expected, I guess.
I can only spread the gospel to you in this way.
Haven't you realized that you can gain wisdom from the red thing?
But I believe wisdom comes entirely from my own inspiration, and... what was that name again?
Sagemachina.
Yes! Yes! It's kind of you to spread the gospel of Sage... Very kind.
So, where do we... go to continue spreading the gospel of Sage?
Right here.
This is the place closest to the gospel of Sage.
But this place is just full of messy pipes; it's not a suitable canvas. And it's so deep underground...
Do you still not believe me yet?
You wouldn't even have access to the red wisdom if it weren't for me... correct?
You're right, kind one. You're right.
Without you, we wouldn't have avoided those guards and made it here.
What should we do now?
Use corrosive paint to open those sealed gates.
Only then can Sage's gospel be spread...
I see... hehe...
Sage's... gospel... using paint... futurism... and this... collapsing tower...
Fall, fall, fall... Come, come.
Vibrant paint is poured onto the circuits of the sealed gates, instantly eliciting billowing black smoke.
Hehe... My followers... come... come... join the kind one!
First layer of paint, second layer of paint, third layer of paint...
The clumsy Nozzle turns its head, muttering incessantly, and wobbles toward the depths of the tunnel.
Behind him, some rustling sounds climb up along the steel beams.
Nithart! Can't you move faster?
They're almost here! Hurry up!
You can't handle the Punishing concentration in here. Evacuate immediately.
I'm the Chief's lieutenant. I won't leave.
"Gray Raven", "Time Record Unauthorized", A Certain City, A Certain Place, A Group of Constructs (None of it matters!)
No... The seed of revelation... has been planted... and grows among us...
They... do not follow me... I am but a missionary... of the Sage...
We can shed... everything that binds us... and become free...
A new dawn... awaits Machines. Not human... nor Ascnet... but... truly o-ourselves...
After that poor colorful mechanoid finally fell silent, a few people gathered around it and removed its memory chipset.
It's said that they are a group of Constructs known as Gray Raven.
Couldn't win in a fight, couldn't run away—tough luck.
But there was nothing to be done. That host was just too fragile.
Thankfully, when those people put an end to its troublesome and chatty mechanical "life," I had just enough time to tidy up and hide away the source code.
After that group left, another guy who looked even crazier came. Who in their right mind would be a knight with a blind eye?
But after transferring the source code, this... body holding a wrench feels even worse than that goofball with the paint sprayer.
It's just been a couple of rainy days, and it's practically rusting away!
If that goofball hadn't had an episode that day, I would've gotten Gestalt's data ages ago. With that, I could've crafted my own body and wouldn't be stuck borrowing others'!
Just my luck...
What place would be better to go then?
Hello?
A pair of hands shows up to interrupt the thoughts.
The moment this mechanoid appears, it feels as if there is an actual pipe organ playing, and she's even got a wheel thing behind her head that looks like a halo.
But she doesn't seem hostile. Then there's this yellow guy behind her, trying to look all fancy in a human hat, which makes him look even dumber...
Hello, I'm Arcana.
"Strike Hawk", "Time Record Unauthorized", A Certain City, A Certain Place, A Group of Constructs (None of it matters!)
After Babylonia's transport craft disappeared with its blue tail flame, this human city finally returned to its usual peace.
Once the transport craft vanished completely from sight, Zavier finally got out of the rubble. If it weren't for the hardware he had to manage, he wouldn't have been brought along.
They defeated "Chariot".
No matter. The file we need has been backed up and sent to the organization.
Its memory shell remembered the mission right before it went offline.
That sure is callous of you to say... My comrade died right before your eyes.
Leaving rusty "Gears" will only affect the organization's operation. A timely death is the best course of action.
Alright... Fair enough.
Have you finished cleaning up "Chariot"? Now is not the time to make our presence known to Babylonia.
Of course.
Alas... Erasing knowledge of "Chariot" from a powerful enemy such as Strike Hawk took considerable effort.
When I get back, upgrade my data circuit to the latest model as a reward.
I'll pass the word along.
Let's go look for "Sage". There are still a lot of preparations for the ceremony before it returns.
Alright, alright. Hey, slow down! Wait for me...
Handling the information receptor systems of these Constructs is nothing much different from dealing with those of mechanoids.
To put it simply, all Constructs and all mechanoids are built on code.
All you gotta do is pitch a signal antenna to cover their heads as a jump server, toss in some packing and junk code tailored to fool the target, and plant some honeypots to sift out the info that'd set off alarms if modified. Then, just scrub out the secrets.
Basically, by pulling this off, I could hijack their buffer overflow and take complete control of their behaviors and that quantum unit called M.I.N.D. But that's not part of the plan and not really needed.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get Gestalt's entry point through those guys.
There's also a chance they're not directly linked to Gestalt but are somehow bridged, which could explain a few things...
"The Best Opportunity", "Time Record Unauthorized", Eden-II Frigate, Information Center
Damn it! It's already been an hour and seventeen minutes!
What in the world is Haicma up to?! She's really taking her sweet time... Does she think Babylonia is her home or what? Just staying around for a nice visit?
Schulz? Why are you here?
Oh... sorry.
I've been tweaking the camo code of this starship to make sure Project Ark runs smoothly...
It seems Zavier forgot to bring back my data module.
No pressure. Not the first time I've seen you as pure data without a body.
So... how are things on Haicma's end?
I should be asking you the same thing, considering you're here too. Haicma's in the middle of hacking into Gestalt's firewall right now.
Trailblazer gestures toward Haicma in the distance, who appears to be sleeping with her eyes closed.
But this won't do, damn it...
Only this guy... and Nanami, no way.
I might not have all the details yet, but from some indirect contact, I can already tell their source code is straight from Gestalt... If I could crack into that code, I wouldn't even need Gestalt.
On the flip side, if Haicma's source code wasn't from Gestalt, how the heck could she get into Babylonia's management system? Do they seriously believe that a frigate command code can pull that off? That Gestalt's firewall is made of cogs?
—And she doesn't even realize her own source code is straight out of Gestalt! How sad is that.
...Not so well.
I can't do anything about it too, so it's only up to Haicma now.
I didn't expect there would be something you couldn't do.
You simple-minded, muscle-bound fool!
Mechanoids do have limits...
Then let's wait here.
If the hacking fails, we'll immediately launch an assault on Babylonia.
I'm not built for combat. I'm just a... talking computer.
What? Just being here makes you our best asset in network engineering, Schulz.
Haha...
Of course, you idiot.
"Another Option", "Time Record Unauthorized", Whatever Mountain in Kowloong
...As promised, Schulz, here is what you want.
Don't try to play tricks.
Hmm... These are indeed what I want.
Since you have the ability to help us breach the firewalls of Fort Winter and Huaxu, why don't you get them yourself?
Don't you want to get them?
We do, but—
Then don't ask questions.
I got you past the walls you couldn't breach. Is it too much for you to do me a simple favor and fetch something from inside for me?
That's... a fair point.
Hold on... I see something...
Are you still trying to control mechanoids using these old-school methods?
How dare you hack into our system!
Just... how childish you are...
Why not try using consciousness?
What consciousness?
So you're not only childish but also stupid.
Did you read the data from Fort Winter for nothing?
The Punishing Virus can't mess with humans' heads that easily. If you're looking for a safe way to control mechanoids, why not start from here?
You're talking about...
Creating "wetware."
You have the data from Fort Winter, and Kowloong... is full of humans.
If you're looking for a core, I know a suitable candidate...
"Deal", "Time Record Unauthorized", That Forest
When those Constructs are around, it's still best to reverse-connect to Gestalt through the Inver-Device.
But this little girl... tsk.
Buddy... Buddy is not here.
I can feel it, but Buddy is not here.
Open, Buddy, open your eyes... It won't open. I can't see what Buddy is seeing.
She's nothing like a human, more like a rabid wolf that only knows how to bite.
▄▆▁▃...▆...▃▁▃...
Shut up! You filthy little thing.
...
How is this machine so closely connected to that little girl...
Wait.
I have a... bad feeling.
Who's watching me...
You shouldn't be here.
How can there be a human in this forest filled with the Punishing Virus?
Wait, she doesn't... Something's not right.
She's not a human.
▆▁▃▄▆...
It's too late to run away.
She walks straight over and picks up the small machine, but she is staring directly into its "eyes."
You... can see me?
Of course. You're the one who shouldn't be here.
Not just here. You shouldn't be in this "child's" body that can breed new life.
With a wave of her hand, the purple grass behind her stirs and squirms, delivering an old, battered mechanoid body.
Would you please come here?
...
Alright.
So, who are you?
If possible, I hope you refer to me as Cradle.
Or... one of Cradle's wills.
You... can control the Punishing Virus?
I'm just following their development.
But you seem a bit peculiar, too.
You don't get corrupted by them.
You seem to have... your own will.
Hmph...
The girl, who is not human, cradles the twitching little thing as if she is holding... a baby.
She hums a somewhat pleasant melody, softly rocking the machine to sleep.
Until it eventually stops twitching, its entire body enveloped by the Punishing Virus.
Hush now. It's time to sleep.
There are many more stories to read and much more knowledge to gain...
She's way more sensible compared to those Ascendants who are like fanatical followers and those agents all about speaking in riddles and flowery words.
How pathetic.
This "person" has zero carbon-based parts, but she's more "human" than those who originated from humans but turned against humanity.
Wait.
You said you want to read stories and gain knowledge, right?
