Story Reader / Festival Event Story / The Night Train on Reunion / Story
F.O.S. Academy. Please ensure that you have all your personal belongings with you when alighting.
With the door now open, the Gray Ravens step out—and are surprised to see that the "F.O.S. Academy" before them is not as they remember it.
Where exactly is this...?
The Science Council. The road sign is there.
What are we doing here, though?
We'll need a few more passengers to kick off roaming officially. Do allow me to explain the rules using Lee as an example...
Me?
While ensuring everyone's safety, of course.
I don't know why you sound so confident...
Having asked all of you to get off, the mechanoid is now looking this way from inside the train.
...No. A conductor cannot leave his train, just like how a captain cannot leave his ship.
I'll be observing all of you from the train.
Seemingly to assure all of you, Conductor waves this way.
I... have a bad feeling about this.
Well, it's just that it feels awful getting bossed around by a mechanoid...
And being watched at all times.
Awful indeed...
While unsure how they're supposed to go about what they've been told to do, the Gray Ravens, seeing that they don't have other choices, walk down the hall.
A few minutes into walking down the hall, however, the Gray Ravens hear something coming from up ahead.
...Jeez, this is ridiculous...
...Where are the codes? Where are they?
Coming this way is a group of Constructs—with bags of all sizes and weapons of all sorts.
Judging from the geological survey equipment and portable radiometric dating equipment they're carrying and the colorful dirt on their bags, you can tell that they don't fight.
This group of Constructs is obviously an archaeological team.
Uhm? Wait...
The Construct leading the team salutes your way.
There you are, at long last!
Lee!
?
Thank God you are here, which means we don't have to go to the Science Council to dig the data out.
Wait, what in the world is...
The Gray Ravens... and Lee! Please, sir! I have a few quick questions for you here!
Stop pushing me. Uhm, sir, I was just wondering if you could quickly shed some light... on the structure of the materials in Hetero Tower...
Jeez, my foot...
Before you know it, you and the rest of Gray Raven have been surrounded by the overly excited Constructs.
Why are they all trying to talk to Lee?
Does any of the missions we've been on recently have to do with WGAA and their archaeological team?
Not that I remember...
Trying his best to handle the Constructs, Lee seems every bit as confused as the rest of Gray Raven.
...Can someone please just explain to me what's going on?
Right... Apologies. Guess we got a little worked up here.
But, see, we're all very inspired by everything you did in the battle at Hetero Tower.
Especially when Hetero Tower was... revolu... revo... What's the word again?
Reversed!
Right. So, when Hetero Tower was reversed, we submitted a request to Sir Nikola asking him to send us on an expedition mission around the area.
For archaeological purposes?
Why would you want to go there, though? I can't think of anything there that's going to be worth your while.
But, you see, the stratum there changed drastically after Hetero Tower rose up, and this is what we found...!
The satellite map on the screen shows a few zones that are extra bright.
No matter where you go in this world, there are things waiting to be discovered! Just because they haven't been found, doesn't mean they aren't worth anyone's while.
I know, right? Someone's spent three years digging but hasn't found anything worth mentioning.
I'm going to make your jaw drop when I hit the jackpot!
So shut your trap already, you lousy janitor!
Oh? Why don't you give cleaning a try, then?!
With his members quarreling, the vice-captain of the archaeological team moves over this way.
Please have a look at this.
Is this... a broom?
She shows Lee a stick-like device with all sorts of weird items tied to it. From the bristles at its end, you can tell that it is—or that it used to be—a broom.
This is a cleanup brush we redesigned to cope with the Punishing Virus.
Are you sure this thing works...
Engineering Department has checked it and said it works.
And I've also got... this.
She shows Lee another object that looks like a spatula.
And I gather you guys cook when you're out on missions?
This is not a spatula but a shovel we use to remove dirt! And, of course, we redesigned it to...
Totally got it. So you were saying you guys wanted to go on an expedition mission around Hetero Tower, right?
That would be correct, yes.
Not trying to burst your bubble here, but there is still a lot we don't understand about the tower.
Even if the area of free of threat from the virus, Task Force will be prioritized when it comes to taking on an expedition mission.
Which is to say that the request you submitted most likely won't be approved.
But...
There is so much more to that tower than meets the eye.
I can make your wish come true, though.
Following the robotic voice, "Conductor" appears behind all of you.
With the same swing of its robotic claw that you saw it did before, the archaeological team goes poof. Then, your surroundings start transforming...
Into an eerie space of crimson red.
Wait, what in the world...
No stranger to this place, are you, Lee?
...How did you find out about these?
Taking a step forward, Lee tightens his hand around his gun.
Roaming works by picking up historical data that's important to you from the past year, replaying it, and determining the historical values of these digital tidbits.
While the battle report you submitted to the Science Council lacked in details and core information, Lee, what's in there was sufficient for me to form a preliminary ecological model.
And the battle you went through at Hetero Tower, Lee... I can see that it's rather significant to you.
And to verify it, new interaction is required... and I'm sure we all know the drill here.
