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TEDDY!
Did you hack into my terminal and change the alarm settings again?!
If you mess up the traction calculations again, I'll hack into your sleeping pod and lock you inside.
Or else you're gonna end up smashing your own fingers with a hammer someday.
As far as these additional frame repair costs go, I'm not gonna fill out the reimbursement forms for ya.
****! You know what, forget it.
Karenina can't seem to come up with a good comeback.
It's time to head over to Gestalt. Asimov and the Gray Raven Commandant are waiting for us, so chop chop!
Teddy says, giving Karenina no time to react.
Just as they step out of the Engineering Force's main entrance, they run into someone they weren't expecting to see.
Hey, Christina! It's been a while!
...What are you doing here?
Can't believe you didn't tell me you were going to upgrade your frame. This suits you so much better!
I'm feeling like my little sister's all grown up all of a sudden. Oh, this definitely brings tears to my eyes.
There is no Christina here.
C'mon, we've been through that already. I probably don't seem like the emotional type, but words like those can still hurt sometimes.
Well, I'm leaving now if you've got nothing else to say.
Woah, is that all you've got to say to your brother?
Wait, haven't you seen the news these days? Well, granted you haven't, you've seen all those guys in the lab coats, right?
...
Teddy nods at Karenina to go ahead while she slips into a quiet side corridor.
We only have a few minutes, so you'd better get straight to business. Won't do us any good if they see us still in touch.
Alright, fine...
I was sidelined at the core management meeting. The old man and Victoria teamed up to seize control of Norman Mining Corp and meddle with Gestalt...
Phew... well, fast, ain't it?
...Well, didn't you see all of these coming your way when you inherited that stupid amount of fortune? You made this choice yourself.
Wealth and freedom. You've made your choice, no?
Christina? Are you there?
I'm right here if your eyes aren't just for show. I'm pretty busy actually, so just say whatever you want to say.
C'mon, I'm here to discuss our "little plan" with you!
...Close the door. I've already switched the nearby surveillance.
How's Victoria doing?
The old man is still claiming she's "recovering from illness". I've seen her a few times through surveillance, though, and she kept asking me where you were because she wanted to hang out with you.
I've tried to get her out. No luck so far, though, since the geezer's men are always around.
I get the feeling they want to use Victoria for something, but I can't do much about it.
Leonardo furrows his brow.
Everyone in Norman Mining Corp's upper echelons knows that no matter who the next successor is, it won't be Leonardo.
People recognize him as an outcast.
Charles Norman, Norman Mining Corp's power holder, favors the talented Christina and the frail Victoria, who's making a long-term recovery from her illness.
He never trusted you. He's not going to let Victoria go because she's the only leverage he has over us.
I can't get Victoria out, but I can still make life a little difficult for the old man.
Thanks for the smokescreen by the way. I've got my hand on some fresh intel.
A cascade of transaction records for all sorts of resources and money flows past the screen.
...Kurono? Are you sure this is right? I... don't find this joke funny at all.
Are you doubting me?
Oh no, it's just... I really didn't see this coming.
The butler might think he's covered his tracks well, but he's gonna need a professional to do the job when it comes to destroying information.
Like you?
Well, they can't afford me.
Having ties with the infamous Kurono Group... that's bold.
How do you plan to use this information? Going public with it is pretty risky, and we most likely wouldn't be able to stay out of the mess.
That's your problem, not mine.
I just want Victoria out.
Don't you want out of Norman Mining Corp? "Dominik's successor"?
Leonardo knows Christina hates it when people call her that.
What good would that do me, though? Getting out of Norman Mining Corp doesn't mean I'll be able to make it out of Babylonia, right?
...
It's like going from a small cage into a bigger one.
Says Christina as she quietly types strings of complex codes into her terminal, all the while without stopping.
"Dominik's successor", "Little Dominik", "Future Dominik"...
She despises these names, but has gradually gotten used to living under their rules and titles.
I've already been remodeled into a Construct, and there is nothing much I can do even if I make it out of here.
Let's get Victoria out first, and then... we'll deal with the rest after that.
Well, you don't know what you're missing out on. The world out there is much more exciting than you imagine, Christina.
Don't worry. We'll all get out of this place together.
C'mon, show me some love and support!
Leonardo yanks open the curtains, flooding the room with a blinding light.
Don't worry! Everything will turn out fine. You'll all leave here and live the life you want.
—Hello, Ms. Teddy. Your login credentials have been verified.
Says Teddy's terminal in a mechanical voice.
...Sure, Leonardo. Guess it wouldn't hurt to show him some trust.
Says the pink-haired Construct with a rare smile.
Guess I wouldn't mind lending him a hand if he ever needs one.
Gotta start thinking about what I'm going to do after getting Victoria out...
Well, a terminal repair shop sounds like a good idea...
With this "transaction", she's going to be able to break away from that "sacred" name. With it, the weight that has been imposed on her since birth seems to be slowly crumbling, too.
She is no longer someone's follower or replacement. From now on, she just has to be herself.
Next, she's going to rendezvous with Leonardo at the location he specified.
Despite the old man's far-reaching influence, she's confident that she has what it takes to dig up an even bigger scoop about Norman Mining Corp to get Victoria out of the old man's hands. All she needs is time...
...Leonardo?
The address she was given leads her to an apartment in Babylonia that doesn't exactly bustle with life. In it, however, she doesn't see who she was expecting to see.
On the table lies a letter that briefly explains Leonardo's intentions.
I've thought about it for a long time, and I've decided to go back home to inherit Norman Mining Corp's assets.
Enjoy life, Christina. Haha!
...
She clenches the letter tightly in her hand.
Hey, been a while!
Is this where you're working now? How's it going, Christina? Enjoying work?
There is no Christina here. If your memory still serves you, Mr. Norman, my name is Teddy.
Why... did you choose to go back to the Normans...
She left behind ample documents that could serve as bargaining chips. According to their original plan, they should first leave Norman Mining Corp, then try to dig up enough evidence to get Victoria out...
Well, guess I did that to inherit that stupid amount of fortune.
I mean I was naturally the only one the old man could have passed his wealth to since you were gone and Victoria has been trying to make a "recovery" all this time.
Oh... is that so? Well, congratulations, then...
Leonardo bursts out laughing.
So, Teddy, you haven't answered my question... Are you enjoying work?
Well, let's just say I'm surviving... I mean, I don't enjoy what I do as much as you do what you do, that's for sure.
That's good... yes, that's good.
Squinting at Leonardo, Teddy says no more.
I see you're as sharp as ever, Teddy.
You either go with wealth or freedom, so there is really no issue with the way you're putting the situation.
I've chosen the mire and I know I'm not getting out clean. But...
They're going to send down "Heralds" again, but I guess this is no news to you.
Leaning against the wall, Teddy gives him a mocking glance.
Why else would I be here wasting time with you?
You can't even handle Victoria. What a loser...
Ha, always well-informed. That's my sister.
Feigning a couple of coughs, Leonardo shakes his head and sighs.
Victoria is now on the Supervisory Board, aggressively pushing forward Project Herald as one of the heirs of Norman.
Thanks to the old man and "Dominik's Legacy", she has gained strong support from the board.
You know... those board members are almost fanatically believing in "Dominik".
He lets out a slightly sarcastic laugh.
I don't know what the old man has been telling Victoria while I've been busy scheming for power...
No one knows what he is thinking.
Thanks for the update... I'll help you, not just to stop that stinky project, but also to save Victoria.
Teddy has broken free from the Norman family's predicament, but Victoria is still in there, let alone many more "Heralds" who might be sent underground.
Never forget the value of life. No one should be left behind.
Let's temporarily cooperate and exchange some information. I don't want to work with a clueless fool.
Teddy casts a glance at the surrounding surveillance and quickly operates her terminal to cover several data points.
Alright, spill the beans. What do you have on your end?
I've got some original documents signed off by the Norman Mining Corp, as well as a few intercepted emails between senior members—don't ask how I got them.
What do you have to offer me?
You really trust your brother that much? I'm so touched...
...I'm leaving.
Hey, wait! Don't play this trick again.
Victoria is really wary of me, so I've only got surface-level stuff here, but I do have some confirmed intel.
The old man is obsessed with "Dominik's Legacy" because "Heralds" in the past once brought back some information...
After several days of intense work through the nights, most researchers have fallen asleep on the spot, still in their clothes.
Nikola silently stands beside Asimov in the corner of the room.
After a simple greeting, Nikola looks at the monitor in front of Asimov. The screen is full of red spots.
Are the analysis results out yet?
Yeah.
He taps the terminal. All the Red Tides, regardless of their sizes, have converged in the same direction.
The measurement data uploaded from each evacuated conservation area and the sample test results brought back by Gray Raven Commandant all point to one possible conclusion.
—Their convergence point, which is also the center of this Hetero Zone Red Tide riot, is likely to be the first city where zero-point energy appeared.
It was a symbol of a civilization's pinnacle, and also the beginning of its downfall.
...
Is the data accurate?
87.67%, there might be minor discrepancies, but the actual location won't deviate too much.
Send nearby squads to investigate immediately... Tell them to bring back as many samples and data as possible while ensuring their own safety.
No one has ever stepped near that city since Dominik and his team sealed the Zero-Point Reactor.
As the first victim of the Punishing Virus outbreak, the city is surrounded by high concentrations of Punishing Virus, making it difficult for ordinary people to approach.
It's too dangerous.
Asimov looks at Nikola disapprovingly.
I'd love to use the Omega Weapon to clear Reactor 1 directly if possible.
However...
The pioneer team led by Dominik to shut down the Zero-Point Reactor is still listed as "missing".
According to the records from the Anti-Punishing Virus Command Center at the time, many Science Council members, led by Chief Dominik, all joined the team to shut down Reactor 1.
Under Dominik's instructions, the military personnel, Norman Mining Corp technicians, and Constructs who went to assist were all arranged to stay on the outskirts of the city...
30 minutes ago, the 45 monitoring stations set up by the army simultaneously detected a surge in the Punishing Virus concentration in the area.
Within 300 milliseconds, it rose to 20000 times the original level, and we lost contact with Dominik and his team.
In the following 30 minutes, there were no further increases in the Punishing Virus concentration, and it is now spreading according to our diffusion model.
Since that outbreak, none of the monitoring stations have captured any internal energy reactions.
The General Staff ruled out all other possibilities, so we can infer that Reactor 1 has been shut down.
Since we can't accurately confirm the status of the pioneer team shutting down Reactor 1, they are still listed as missing.
There are too many uncertainties. We're concerned that using the Omega Weapon or the Longinus Arsenal recklessly might lead to unexpected incidents...
Nikola's terminal chimes in before he can finish his words. He quickly scans the message and gives Asimov a brief nod, then leaves the Science Council hall.
...
Yeah.
I have browsed through the records from the Anti-Punishing Virus Command Center. No human could possibly survive such a concentration of the Punishing Virus.
Then... how did Dominik manage to shut down Reactor 1?
Did you really think one Dominik could achieve all that on his own?
"More than one Dominik"...
What kind of world did Dominik actually see...?
Carrying those secrets, Dominik is hidden deep in a city shrouded by high concentrations of the Punishing Virus.
Asimov shakes his head and opens another interface on his terminal.
Teddy and I have unlocked the second layer of that storage card you brought and found some codes.
It seems to contain some information. The encryption method... feels quite familiar.
Do you remember the Heteromer Shard from Bianca's Phantom Tracer?
It's the core shard formed from the Punishing Virus heteromerization that was once used on Lee's Hyperreal frame.
Correct.
I can't give a definite answer, but there's certainly a probability.
But if it's Nanami... there might be some new angles we can work on.
Asimov leaves the hall in a hurry as if he has thought of something.
