Story Reader / Affection / Ishmael: Parhelion / Story
Then, Ishmael uses the time travel terminal to contact other travelers.
Finally, someone finally answers Ishmael after a long wait.
This is Si. I've received your message.
This is Ishmael. We're on Andymion, and our coordinates are...
The person she is talking to pauses with surprise, then chuckles.
...Ishmael?
You're still alive?
I am.
Do you have anyone else with you?
"Gray Raven" is here with me.
I see... Cough... cough!
You feel a wave of unease.
Are you hurt?
Don't worry about me.
When I escaped "Shrike", I grabbed some files from the time mainframe—early research. I thought we could rebuild "Shrike" later.
Let's meet at Andymion. I'll give you the data then.
After you agree on where to meet, you ask Si a question.
Ta mentioned you to me at the time mainframe.
You hold back your questions. You can ask him more later.
Andymion
Two days later
Ishmael and you walk deep into the forest.
The rendezvous point is just ahead.
After pushing through the thick forest, you arrive at a clearing.
A spaceship sits quietly, sunlight filtering through the leaves and dancing on it.
The ship is covered in vines and moss.
Through the window of the cockpit, you see a time traveler in the pilot's seat—
He has been dead for a long time.
Ishmael and you step forward to take a closer look.
At least a standard year has passed.
A storage device and letter rest beside Si, and he is holding a photo.
Ishmael picks up the letter. It is a short message.
I got your message, but it's from a year in my future.
I'm sorry, but this is where I stop.
I hope the data helps.
It's up to you now, Ishmael.
Ishmael finishes the letter, folds it, and puts it away.
May your soul soar with the Four-Winged White Raven.
She looks silently at Si's body.
I knew him.
He would tell anyone who'd listen how adorable his kid was.
He always brought back desserts he and his wife made after every vacation to share with us.
I saw their family photo—they were a really happy family...
She smiles a little, her voice determined.
You don't have to comfort me.
Let's go. We need to find Ta in this time period.
The light and shadows remain unchanged among the trees where Si rests still.
Seeing his face, you still can't shake the doubt.
Was Si at the time mainframe too?
That quick look in the past wasn't enough for you to remember everyone, and with Si's passing, you will never know.
Andymion
One week later
Andymion, one week later
The two of you hide in the shadows, watching the young Ta·3T-class go into her room.
Yes. I've left enough information. It's all explained clearly.
Si's data was surprisingly thorough. I didn't think he could get that much out so fast.
If Ta follows our instructions, "Shrike" will be built somewhere else.
That's right.
Meanwhile, we can do other things too. We've got 40 years after all.
We just need to check on Ta every so often.
Not exactly. "Shrike" has learned a lot, and we'll try different ways to stop the "Terminus Year".
...I don't know yet.
I've never done a 40-year mission before, so I don't know how much this will change things.
And now...
Before Ishmael can finish, everything goes blurry in your view for a second, then clears up.
Beep—beep—
You hear a faint signal coming from somewhere on you.
Ishmael pulls out the terminal, her face lit up.
We did it!
The time mainframe's back. "Shrike" is already rebuilt in the future.
Ishmael frowns too, looking confused.
It was a little fast indeed.
Changing history is usually not easy.
I thought it would take years of changes before we would receive signals from the future mainframe.
Ishmael thinks for a moment, then shares her theory.
Maybe "Shrike" is always likely to happen.
The matter seems settled, but you are still suspicious. It feels too easy.
Because "Shrike" is actually "outside of time".
To see how reality changed, "Shrike" was "anchored" to a fixed year when it was built.
If time's a line of points, each moving forward...
Then "Shrike" is a point that stays still.
"Shrike" exists alongside real-time, but is hidden from it.
Time travelers come straight back to "Shrike" after missions to minimize the impacts of changes to history.
It depends on how much reality has changed.
I once saw a record about a time traveler who changed reality substantially but didn't get back to "Shrike" in time.
The changes messed with him, and he lost his memories.
He used to be a geographer before joining "Shrike".
After reality changed, he became a painter.
Amazing, but dangerous too.
Ishmael holds out her hand.
Take my hand. We should go back now.
You hold hands tightly as the terminal activates, and blue light surrounds you again.
"Shrike" Research Institute
"Shrike" Research Institute.
With a familiar dizzy feeling, the scene transforms.
You are standing on a white hexagonal platform, surrounded by mechanical arms, with control consoles nearby. Staff members are still recording data in the distance.
Everything looks the same, but you feel like you have been gone for a lifetime.
Footsteps come closer.
The mission data... Ishmael?
Ta·3T-class is looking at documents in her hands, only noticing you when she looks up.
Have you shown "Gray Raven" around "Shrike" yet?
Seeing Ta·3T-class, Ishmael runs up to hug her.
I'm back, Ta.
Ta·3T-class stares at Ishmael, shocked, before realizing what happened.
Where... were you?
So. You two were the ones who left the data.
When she hears about how the Punishers attacked "Shrike", Ta·3T-class looks troubled.
I'll put countermeasures in place to strengthen "Shrike's" defenses.
But none of that matters as much as you being back safely.
She looks relieved as she gazes at Ishmael.
All that matters is you're alive.
"Gray Raven", thanks for all you've done for Ishmael.
After that, your team goes on mission after mission.
You have seen worlds end.
Another planet gone...
You have also seen stars being born.
That mission went smoothly.
You have narrowly escaped death over and over.
"Gray Raven", watch your back!
You keep altering the course of history.
Things should improve from now on.
The whole civilization fights a brutal war against the Punishers and Substance-0.
The war is universe-consuming, yet the moments are lost like tears in the rain.
But some things cannot be changed.
There are fewer and fewer time travelers.
The Punishers seem to have found a way—many travelers on solo missions are killed.
"Shrike" starts to feel empty. The break room, once buzzing, is now eerily quiet.
Sometimes people would talk about it, but they would quickly go quiet. Everyone knows things are not looking good.
Ishmael says she once saw someone hiding in a corner, crying and whispering the names of the dead.
But time keeps going.
Until one day, "Shrike" is destroyed again.
It is supposed to be a normal day—until Ta and Si burst in.
The Punishers are attacking "Shrike"! Where's Ishmael?!
Everything happens like Ta said. Ten minutes later, the Punishers attack "Shrike" with the Corrupted.
"Shrike's" defenses do not last long against the Punishers.
When you find Ishmael, she is surrounded by Corrupted.
If you had arrived any later, Ishmael might not have made it.
Ta holds the injured Ishmael, her voice shaking as she whispers, "I got here in time".
You have hardly ever seen Ta so emotional.
With Ta and Si, Ishmael and you go back in time and change "Shrike's" coordinates.
"Shrike" is rebuilt, and everything goes back to normal.
Even though time has lost its meaning to time travelers, "Shrike" staff has created a standard system to measure time.
Six standard months later.
Ishmael enters the break room and sees the one she's been looking for.
You are sitting in a chair with an empty plate to your right.
A holographic screen floats above the plate, showing a news broadcast.
Judging from the faint sound, it seems to be a news clip from the past.
However, you are not watching the news but concentrating on carving something.
"Gray Raven".
Are you avoiding me? I've been looking everywhere for you.
Got anything planned for tomorrow?
Let's go for a walk.
You...
Ishmael turns and walks away.
Before leaving, she looks back. She can't shake the feeling that something is being kept from her.
She spots you in the shadows, seemingly lost in thought.
The news from the past plays on the screen, the sound echoing in the empty room.
Supercomputer 'Silence' is unveiled today. Its inventor, Blake, announces at the press conference... confirming a boundary extension forward.
The Corrupted has attacked another planet...
Welcome to the Frontend Show. Our guest today is... Panpsychism is sparking a new round of debate...
Humans have a nature to attribute the unforeseen to chance, but there is no such thing as chance from the grand perspective of history...
Would it be fair to say that you agree with fatalism?
No, I do not agree with fatalism.
Click—
Someone has muted the playback device.
Ta·3T-class's hands pause for a moment, and then she goes right back to work. She keeps her head down, still buried in the reports, her fingers flying across the old keyboard.
A friend gave me this.
That friend... was Ishmael's old professor.
Why are you here? I thought you would be with Ishmael.
She gets right to the point, clearly wanting to work without interruption.
Seeing her like that, you decide to get straight to the point too.
She stops typing and sits up straight.
Ta·3T-class does not seem surprised, as if she has been waiting for this question.
I figured you'd wait a little longer before asking me.
When did you start getting suspicious?
So, your first day at "Shrike". You're pretty sharp.
Care to elaborate?
Si's data was surprisingly thorough. I didn't think he could get that much out so fast.
Ta mentioned you to me at the time mainframe.
I contacted Si on my way to the time mainframe.
It was a little fast indeed.
Changing history is usually not easy.
I thought it would take years of changes before we would receive signals from the future mainframe.
Ishmael thinks for a moment, then shares her theory.
Maybe "Shrike" is always likely to happen.
You're right.
Have you shown "Gray Raven" around "Shrike" yet?
The Punishers are attacking "Shrike"! Where's Ishmael?!
Ta·3T-class is briefly at a loss for words.
I see.
You must have your theories. Why not tell me?
You got it, just like I expected.
The time mainframe needs "Silence" to run, and time is always a mystery.
Ta·3T-class ignores you.
It's a safety feature. If the time mainframe goes down, "Silence" sends information back to the past.
But, the points in the past "Silence" sent information to are getting closer to the present.
At first, it sent info a day back. Now, it's only about ten minutes.
That means the Punishers are getting faster.
Knowing this, do you still want to stay at "Shrike"?
Ta seems to have expected that response.
...Is it because of Ishmael?
To think you've learned this much...
She leans back, her voice sounding helpless.
...
She never survives...
Every time the mainframe is destroyed, she dies soon after because of all sorts of events.
I don't get why. Maybe... it's her professor's fault.
I can't save her... It's a closed loop.
...But there is no such thing as chance from the grand perspective of history...
The program you heard when you came in pops back into your head, and you feel a wave of absurdity.
I don't believe in "fate".
I've tried a lot of things.
Yes. That was one of the few times it worked.
Ishmael's mission to the "Terminus Year" was another try.
She met you, and her mission was cut short.
The plan was that "Shrike" would get attacked when she went to the "Terminus Year", and she'd be trapped there.
That's the message I got from "Silence" when I was in the corridor.
You remember when you first got to "Shrike" and talked to Ishmael, everything went blurry before clearing up.
It happened again when "Shrike" was rebuilt—maybe that is what it feels like when reality changes.
She gestures toward the pile of reports.
I looked at the data from both times, and I suspected you were the reason why Ishmael survived.
I checked your background, and you know what I found?
Nothing. Like you just appeared out of nowhere.
I don't know who you are, but I think you have the power to change this so-called "fate".
You've probably noticed the Punishers changed tactics recently—they're going after those who are alone.
"Shrike" won't be able to be rebuilt forever.
Before that, I want to try one last thing.
I'm trying to improve the methods of time travel.
I want Ishmael to time travel without needing "Shrike".
Think of it as me building a personal time mainframe just for Ishmael.
No one will know where it is.
That way, I can separate Ishmael from "Shrike"—maybe that will set her free.
I know this is selfish.
Could you...
