Story Reader / Affection / Ishmael: Parhelion / Story
Ishmael: Parhelion I
>They say the snow in the ARU never melts. The land's cold, hard, and barren, like it was never meant for people.
The whining cold winds always carry a touch of melancholy, like the people who call this place home.
A harsh environment, scarce food, limited sunlight... even the literature born here is steeped in sorrow.
Yet, despite the sorrow, the writing on this permafrost is always about the soul, and the soul remains intensely passionate.
What moves between the ports isn't just the icebreakers that conquered the Arctic Ocean, but also the spirits and lives of these people.
Now, this frozen land shelters the last humans on Earth.
The campfire looks tiny under the stars, but it keeps the darkness away for everyone.
The next winter is coming, and the future is unclear, but those worries can wait around this campfire.
The wandering singer carefully unwraps her guitar, handling it like a newborn—new guitar strings are impossible to find.
She readies her guitar and clears her throat, and as sparks fly from the fire, her song starts to drift through the camp.
{226|153|170}We walk through the dust of golden years...{226|153|170}
The song catches Ishmael's attention.
She walks through the crowd and sits by the fire. Pulling down her hood, she listens to the song.
{226|153|170}In the echoes of ashes...{226|153|170}
{226|153|170}We find a new beginning...{226|153|170}
A new beginning...
In her daze, she sees a figure in the bonfire—the younger, more innocent <phonetic=self>figure</phonetic> of hers.
The flames stop flickering without a sound.
Everything around her freezes, like a picture on a page.
Ishmael raises her hand and gently flips it as if turning a page.
And then—
The flames, the song, and even the distant stars are all pulled away.
Time becomes a book, its pages turning backward—
What happens here might be the work of what some call "gods"—a realm beyond humanity's reach.
Or maybe the pages never existed, and it is just Ishmael remembering a past that is out of reach.
Dazed and disoriented like waking from a dream, Ishmael hears not the singer's song but a familiar voice from her memories.
Ishmael?
Ishmael looks toward the voice.
Excuse me.
Raheleh approaches with her usual smile.
What's up? It's way past dinner, and you're still tucked away reading?
Ayi and everyone are looking for you, I heard.
Oh...
Ishmael pulls up a virtual panel and finds her friends' messages flooding the screen non-stop, their portraits on fire.
Recording a sincere apology with the virtual panel, Ishmael sends the video to her friends.
After comforting her friend, Ishmael turns to her professor, who has already picked up her book.
Enjoying a real book, I see. Just my style.
Ishmael smiles in response.
Like they say, a student follows their teacher's example.
Raheleh gently turns the pages of the book.
This inequality shows that the heat flowing into the system and its...
Subsequent scholars consistently introduced new hypotheses to the original theory...
Therefore, it can be proven that this principle and...
Sigh... Do you really have to read such heavy books even in your free time? Besides, you know all this, right?
I'm just reading it for fun, that's all.
You take things too seriously. I'd love to see you loosen up a bit.
You should be doing things young people usually do.
Let me take a look at this version...
Ah, here we go.
She taps Ishmael's book twice, and the text starts to shift and change rapidly, coming to life as if by some enchantment.
Raheleh closes the book, and it is now titled "The Legend of the Gray Star".
She hands the book back to Ishmael.
It's good to read some fiction now and then.
Yes, I'll finish it.
Raheleh slaps her own forehead.
You...
I should get going.
As her professor turns to leave, Ishmael stands up and calls out to her after a brief hesitation.
Excuse me.
Raheleh turns back, and her student looks worried.
What's wrong?
Are you sure about that experiment? I've been feeling... uneasy lately...
Raheleh steps forward, smiling at the child who she sees as a daughter.
Don't worry. It's an honor, and it's what I want.
Raheleh suddenly tilts her head, like she just thought of something.
Want to grab dinner? I know a popular new restaurant on another planet. They have a great set meal for two, perfect for us.
Seeing her professor as calm as ever, Ishmael's worries disappear.
Hmm, let's go together.
The smile freezes as a gust of wind blows from afar.
Then the entire memory turns like a page in a book.
The static from the tropospheric flight fills the transport, gently lulling everyone to sleep.
Until a sudden jolt of turbulence awakes everyone.
Meanwhile, Lucia is already on high alert next to you.
This is the pilot speaking. We're experiencing some turbulence.
It's going to be pretty rough for a little bit, but it'll pass soon.
The turbulence has woken you up too.
Commandant, you're awake.
Don't you want to rest a bit more?
You stretch a little. Even though your injuries are mostly healed, Professor Hippocrates still wants you to rest.
Even though I don't really think you should be on missions yet, Commandant...
After the Empyrea incident, Gray Raven has started taking on simpler missions, and this is one of them.
Liv has been getting regular check-ups at the Star of Life for her M.I.N.D. issues, so she has not been on recent missions.
You take a deep breath and focus. Right now, you need to concentrate on the mission.
Then, an unfamiliar figure appears.
A pink-haired woman watches you with a soft smile.
She seems to have been waiting for your question.
Long time no see, Gray Raven... Commandant. I'm Ishmael from the Control Court.
This is the first time "you" and I are meeting.
This is the first time "you" and I are meeting.
Ishmael keeps smiling warmly at you.
"A strange yet gentle senior"—that is your first impression of Ishmael.
You push those weird thoughts aside.
That's right.
The briefing did say a Control Court agent would be joining you.
It would be my pleasure.
According to the briefing, you are going to an underground facility left behind after the Punishing Virus outbreak, built by the old World Government.
Later, surface dwellers found this underground space and turned it into a base not unlike a conservation area, which now houses thousands.
Four days ago, Hutu, their leader, contacted Babylonia for help.
Hutu said the Punishing Virus concentration outside the base has been rising for weeks.
Hetero-Creature sightings have increased.
You have pretty much the same intel.
"Base population: 4364 people." "Mission: Assist their evacuation."
Are they moving to another conservation area?
Hutu, their leader, has determined that the place is no longer livable. If the Punishing Virus concentration gets too high, they'll be trapped inside and die.
The briefing's on your terminal, but I'm guessing you're not here just to review it, are you, [player name]?
The pink-haired woman gives you a knowing look.
What do you want to ask?
She is not really joining you, technically. The briefing makes it sound like she is just coming along for the ride.
Plus, there is the line that says you are "not responsible for the safety of the accompanying Control Court member".
The Control Court usually stays in the shadows, so it is rare for them to go to the surface. They do not typically show interest in the earthbound factions.
Given their role, could this mission involve the World Government? Is it about something on the surface... remnants of the Golden Age?
Even though you are both from Babylonia, you are the commandant here. You need to know her real intentions.
After pondering briefly, the pink-haired woman smiles enigmatically.
You ever heard of something called the "Dark Rooms"?
Ishmael is surprisingly open, her voice soft as she shares secrets of the past.
"Dark Rooms" are a few secret facilities built after the World Government was formed. There aren't many, and each has a slightly different purpose.
They're basically secret research labs.
No.
Back then, even though the Science Council was supposed to operate under the World Government, they didn't just blindly follow orders.
They cooperate and compete strategically.
The World Government needed research facilities that would follow orders without question.
Even if the research there doesn't seem groundbreaking now, the Control Court has to inspect and retrieve the materials.
Exactly. Hutu's contact with Babylonia led to the discovery of this Dark Room. So, the Control Court needs to recover the data stored there.
Ishmael smiles.
It always is.
Don't worry too much. I get your concerns. The Control Court isn't...
She pauses, then corrects herself.
I don't have any hidden agendas. I'll follow your orders on this mission.
You don't need to worry about where I am. I'll finish my "mission" before we leave and won't get in your way.
That enigmatic smile remains on her face.
Maybe it is just you, but you feel something "amusing" behind her smile.
This is the pilot. We'll arrive in ten minutes.
Commandant, we've got Lee back on comms.
His signal range has been greatly reduced since the location is underground, so you are only now connecting with Lee.
When you open your terminal to talk to Lee, the signal is surprisingly choppy, making Lee's image blurry.
Something appeared... outside... Punishing... discovered... Hetero-Creature...
Temporarily... resist... retreat...
Then, you hear the sound of Lee firing before the comms cut out.
Commandant, the comms are being jammed!
