Story Reader / Affection / No. 21: Feral / Story
The speeding wheels roll up sand and dust from the dry, bumpy road.
The route to your destination is rough, but the ORV is at no risk of flipping over as you keep its speed under control—thanks to the modifications done by the Engineering Force.
You jolt the steering wheel to avoid a large bump as you go through the mission details in your head.
The mission location is an old-growth forest 42 km from this Conservation Area.
The manager pulls up the map as she talks.
This was a designated natural reserve area before the Punishing Vurus outbreak. It contains large numbers of unique plants and animals.
After the outbreak, this area became a restricted "Dead Zone".
The animals might have escaped in fear, but the plants are there to stay.
The Punishing doesn't cause harm to plants... At least before the appearance of the Hetero Zone.
So there will definitely be a lot of plant species we want to take samples of in this virgin forest in the Clean Zone. I'll send their images to your terminal to help you identify them.
The manager's tone turns from nervous to excited as she begins to talk about her line of work.
With these samples, we can expand our collection, and future generations can learn about these plants not just from computer simulations!
You open the map to check your location.
...
No. 21 is staring intently at you—or, to be more precise, at your hand that is holding the steering wheel.
No. 21 immediately lights up upon hearing your question. She nods in excitement and her tail starts wagging.
You can't help but study the little girl, who notices your attention. Her tail freezes, ears straighten and fur stands up slightly.
I can reach the gas pedal just fine!
Noctis always drives.
Captain says driving is useful. I should learn it.
You can no longer ignore the excited look on No. 21's face from the start of the journey and stop the car to let her sit behind the wheel instead.
There's no reason for No. 21 to lie, and this also gives you a chance to go through the mission checklist in the last 10 km.
While you're looking at your terminal, a furry head pops into your arms.
No. 21 leans over, facing you. Her white locks flow down your arms as your eyes meet her odd-colored pupils that seem to be fluttering around, searching for something.
She reaches over behind your ear...
Snap...
The back of her hand graces your ear as she buckles in your seatbelt for you.
Safety first.
No. 21 wiggles back into her seat and fastens her own seatbelt.
Your ears are hot, [player name]. Do you have a fever?
You open the window on your side while No. 21 closes hers.
You look out at the vast expanse of cloudless sky without realizing the seriousness of the situation.
The wind... so loud.
You clamp onto your seat to avoid flying off as the wind rushing in from the window slit drowns out your desperate pleas.
No. 21 believes in never slowing down while driving—and this ORV, with its extra horsepower usually used by the Engineering Force, suits her perfectly.
In the immense force of acceleration, flashbacks bring back to mind some details of your time with No. 21.
In the few missions you've been on with Cerberus, Noctis was always the one driving. You remember seeing him always keeping the steering wheel from No. 21—and it hits you now that he was, in all likelihood, doing it to prevent his M.I.N.D. from losing it.
Captain said she had no time to teach me. Only the result counts.
I learned it myself. From "86 Downhill", "Fast and Passionate", "Gone in 20 Seconds"...
I passed the test first, but Captain always lets Noctis drive.
Guess I should have listened to Vera...
Thump!
The wheels hit a bulge, sending the car flying into the air.
The world turns to a blur while all the commotion and noise grow distant.
The odometer, GPS, and dashboard vanish beyond consciousness.
Time stretches endlessly as you float in the air. Your pupils flatten like compressed springs, rendering your vision useless.
You see nothing but a tiny area between your eyes—the drop of sweat on your nose, the sun's rays, and strands of white hair brushing your face.
Thud!
Your heart skips a beat as the vehicle lands on solid ground. Blood rushes throughout your body, bringing an exhilarating sensation.
All the fatigue building up in the last few days disperse in an instant.
Did you become lighter?
No. 21 suddenly asks you the weird question.
When you're fast, you forget many things.
And you become lighter, like you're flying.
Do you feel it, too?
I want to make you feel lighter.
Is she trying to share "weightlessness"?
Without so much as a warning, she simply dumps at you whatever she wants to share with you.
And crude and straightforward as she might be, this is No. 21 in her element.
You feel your heart thumping in your chest and your body temperature rising as blood rushes throughout your body.
It is as if you grew a pair of wings and are flying toward the sky.
Then let's go faster!
No. 21 presses a red button that doesn't look safe, causing blue flames to burst out from the back of the vehicle. You feel as if the car is going to shoot straight up into the sky.
Hahaha!
Looks like she's been dying to drive because Vera wouldn't let her.
Seeing how much No. 21 is enjoying this, you decide to let down your guard and allow yourself to enjoy the ride.
She finishes off with a beautiful drift and parks at the entrance to the forest, leaving rows of burnout marks on the ground.
The door clicks open and a small figure hops out of the driver's seat steadily onto the ground.
We got here earlier than expected.
You're not getting off?
You're not going to admit that you're feeling weak in the legs now with the dopamine gone.
Car sick? I'll go at double the speed on our way back, then. It'll be over super fast!
You immediately reject her proposal in a voice a pitch higher than you intended.
I am a Construct. I never get tired.
You are a human. You need to rest. I will drive.
I can go even faster than that.
But I can't!
Deciding not to challenge the Construct's ability to withstand extreme acceleration, you take a different approach.
Oh...
...Understood. I'll do as you say, then.
I want to see how much "fun" there is for myself.
Without so much as a warning, she simply dumps at you whatever she wants to share with you.
She usually accepts gifts given to her without reserve.
No. 21 remains as expressionless as ever, but her eyes flicker with excitement and anticipation.
