Story Reader / Floating Record / ER05 Sands of Wrath / Story
Meanwhile, at Oasis.
Our leader left with a team of our men to take care of the Hetero-Creatures that showed up, and we're having trouble getting hold of them because there is strong magnetic disruption where they are. How many times are you going to make me repeat that?
We already asked the instructor to come down and he's on the way here, but you can go ahead and tell me what you need while we wait.
Nope, not gonna do that. You don't seem like you're in charge here. The mayor said I needed to speak with the one in charge.
Says the man in the bizarre outfit as he takes a swig from the flagon around his waist.
Phew... boy, this is my first time delivering a message, and this sure is making me nervous.
Hey, you aren't supposed to drink here!
Don't sweat it. This is just wheatgrass juice. See, I can't take alcohol...
Wait, you're from "New Oakley" but you can't drink?
Seeing the suspicious look on the soldier's face, the man quickly corrects himself.
Well, I can't really drink when I'm out on an official errand now, can I?
Says the man as he burps. He twists his flagon open to let the soldier smell its content. It smells anything but alcoholic.
Want a sip?
Think I'll pass...
The soldier shakes his head.
Well, that's a shame... Glek glek.
The man takes another swig of what he claims to be wheatgrass juice, filling the air with a crisp aroma.
And I thought you guys were on friendly terms with Babylonia, no?
Heard from some guys from out of town that you've worked together a few times but taken some loss?
Most of the guys that they send down from Babylonia are Constructs and are good to go again with some quick fixes, but that ain't gonna fly with you human soldiers, no?
Have they ever treated you people at all? Or do they just go puff when they're done with their business?
We'd have still gone to help those people even without Babylonia's help. I'd stop sticking my nose into people's business now if I were you.
The soldier clutches his gun and, as he does so, he can seem to feel the heat coming from the blood-tainted name tag in his pocket.
C'mon, man, chill. I was just saying...
Say, where is the guy I'm supposed to talk to? Is he still on his way?
I am right here. How can I help you today?
As a steady voice comes from behind the man, the soldier standing before him salutes the person behind him.
Sir Ballard!
I heard we had a friend hailing from "New Oakley" ready to share some intel with us.
After saluting the soldier, Ballard turns around to face the man.
I am the one in charge of the Forsaken when Watanabe is away, so feel free to talk to me.
Feeling intimidated by Ballard's stern demeanor, the man quickly stands upright as he fastens the flagon to his waist.
Yes, I came to share some very important intel with you.
Are you sure about that?
After hearing what the man from "New Oakley" had to say, everyone looks dubiously at him.
I swear to God I'm not lying. The commandant who shared the intel with me seemed important enough.
Based on the way that angry Construct followed that commandant's orders, there's no way the commandant is here to defect to us, right?
And you were saying Babylonia is trying to add "New Oakley" to their territory? That's a whole bunch of nonsense!
Are they seriously going to fight for this land on Earth now when they abandoned Earth and left it to suffer?
They've come a long way since the Great Evacuation, though. At least they seem willing to work together now.
C'mon, son, you weren't even born when the Great Evacuation was happening!
Right, but I've been fighting alongside Sir Watanabe for long enough, and I believe what I've seen with my very own eyes.
You know what his problem is? He's being too much of a pushover. We wouldn't have been where we are today had he tried to keep this base's independence by force.
Just think about how we're all still here trying to keep this base safe and how he has to personally get rid of the Hetero-Creatures himself.
Alright, that's quite enough.
With Ballard's stern tone of voice, the argument quickly dies down.
Sir, Babylonia doesn't seem like they want to talk this out at all, and that's what we're all having such a difficult time swallowing here.
A man who has never spoken until now speaks up.
We understand why they want to do what they're trying to do, but the way they're going about it screams arrogance.
The Clean Zone belongs to everyone and isn't Babylonia's private property.
They seem to still think of Earth as something they own and don't realize that there are people trying to survive on this very planet they abandoned.
"New Oakley" is an important source of food to the Forsaken, and we just hate the idea of seeing our lifeline privatized again.
I mean, it isn't the first time they've done that anyway.
I totally understand where you're coming from, but let's just take a moment to remember that not everyone from Babylonia wants the Forsaken gone.
Which is why we need to strike a balance—before we have what it takes to go independent.
There is still a possibility for conservation, so there is no need for us to complicate things by being hostile.
Why is why...
Right when Ballard is about to go on, every terminal on the Forsaken in the discussion starts blaring.
A distress signal?
Their terminals all show the face of a young man now—one that looks slightly dorky without a mask on.
His name tag reads "Zong".
Watanabe has taken a team of Forsakens with him to build an area of defense where Hetero-Creatures had previously been found—and Zong was one of the Forsakens that went with Watanabe.
...Assault... All channels...
The disruption is so bad that all that's coming from Zong's side of the line now are odd phrases, gunshots, and sounds of explosion.
Zong, aren't you with Watanabe? What's going on?!
...Purifying Force... Severely wounded... Help...
As the video shakes violently, Zong keeps his eyes down. It seems like he's dragging something.
Right then, from behind Zong, everyone sees a shrapnel shell coming straight at him with trailing smoke.
Zong! Drop down now!
Before the video turns black, the Forsakens see Zong drop down.
With it, the video turns black, and everyone present falls silent. The silence, however, doesn't last long.
The Forsaken that was shouting at the top of his lungs just moments ago stands up, his chair creaking against the floor.
Dude... what the hell?
Without saying anything, the Forsaken walks out the door. The person with whom he was having a heated argument just moments ago stands up, too, and follows him outside.
Where are you going?
I don't know about you, but I'm totally ready to give Babylonia a piece of my mind here!
As he spits out the words, the other guy beside him nods in silent agreement.
Are you trying to freak everyone out now? Come back and sit down already.
Ballard!!
The Forsaken points a finger at Ballard.
Think no one knows what you've done? You were the one who founded the Purifying Force back in the Post-Pandemic Age.
Finding it hard to let Babylonia go now, huh?
I'm as good as dead to the Purifying Force.
Ballard remains unfazed.
But you're not thinking all of these through with a straight head, and that's definitely not something that either Watanabe or I have taught you.
What if the video was fake? It might seem like the Purifying Force was attacking Zong, but what if that's not what he was trying to tell us?
But it's got to do with them no matter what, and I'm sure they're keeping an eye on us as we speak anyway!
Well, be that as it may, how exactly are you going to find them? Are you just going to shout at the top of your lungs so the entire world can hear you?
And how are you going to deal with them when you find them? Are you just going to do them in without a trial?
And exactly how are you going to make sure nothing is going to happen to the border when you've met Babylonia head-on?
Ballard's shadow seems to loom bigger with every question, causing the air to grow heavier by the second.
Feeling the weight of the truth in Ballard's words, the Forsaken says no more, his body shuddering all over.
If I may, sir, what exactly are we supposed to do?
I'd have the video we saw just now analyzed by our technicians and start looking for survivors where Watanabe went to build the area of defense.
It's Watanabe we are talking about, and you don't come across a guy as tough as him every day.
We need to take the initiative if Babylonia is really behind this.
Now, I don't mean that we're getting back at them—we're just trying to get back what's rightfully ours before they go any further with the Clean Zone.
Be it getting them to do as we say or going against them, we'll need to first get our hands on a few trump cards.
We'll need these trump cards to either ask them to spill the beans about Watanabe or ask them to save him.
I don't think Sir Watanabe would have agreed to this had he been here.
But I think most people here will agree if this is something we have to do to save him.
Right. Now, we need to come up with a plan first.
And as for our friend from "New Oakley"...
Ballard casts a look at the man—who's trying to sneak out quietly.
Well... I thought I was already done here...
Guess we'll need you to stay here for just a bit longer.
Well... sure, then.
The man is about to say no—but quickly decides that he isn't really in a position to do so, given how severely outnumbered he is.
As the other people look the other way, the reserved Forsaken stops shaking his head.
...
