Story Reader / Floating Record / ER06 When Day Breaks / Story
On the way back to the temporary camp, An Jie maintains her silence. Only when passing the cliff marked with broken trails of blood does she come to a halt.
...They threw my deputy off this cliff here...
If you find his body while clearing the mine tunnel, please give him a proper burial for me.
She holds no particular attachment to her deputy. Like all her previous deputies, this one was merely a more efficient human tool to her.
But they didn't deserve to die like this.
We will give proper burial to every body we find in the mine tunnels.
Despite her cold gaze and clear distaste for the woman, Bridget doesn't refuse An Jie's request.
...Thank you. I know you're all good people.
Heh, playing the saint now, are we? We really don't mind if you just tell us what you want, you know.
...
An Jie falls silent once more.
After entering the corridor lined with laboratories, she finds herself unable to identify which one belonged to the professor.
With the Kurono soldiers' hostility growing more palpable behind her, An Jie carefully tests each door ahead.
One, two, three...
Knowing she has no chance of outpacing the Kurono soldiers' weapons, she's too scared to make any sudden moves.
None of these. The access card isn't working.
Her face remains expressionless as she informs the Kurono soldiers of the bad news, her fingers tightening around the access card in her hand.
While researchers from Norman Mining Corp are able to access a few public laboratories with the access cards they have, An Jie has this other access card that she got from her professor.
And through subtle probing along the way, An Jie is now sure that these two Kurono soldiers are unaware of that particular card.
Darn it. I guess we have to keep moving.
The damp environment poses a threat to these incomplete Constructs, machines built solely for combat.
How did we end up getting stuck with this damn mission...
Now, don't try anything funny.
He prods An Jie with his weapon as a warning.
I'm sure you know that researchers from Norman Mining Corp don't have enough clearance to access everywhere. I might be the person in charge, but this is the only access card I've been given.
Just a little further back... just a little more...
We can only access the public labs, and we'll use them to hack into the private lab's terminal. I'll get what I need, and you'll be able to go home.
Here...? Wait, not yet. Go a little further...
Humph.
The soldiers accept her explanation quietly, slowing their pace and letting her work alone at the front with the access card to open the door.
The stiffness in their joints is real. Without waterproof equipment, both Construct soldiers are having a rough time.
Who the **** would know to bring waterproof gear? How the **** were we supposed to know the mine would be this damn humid...
Bingo.
An Jie stands perfectly still, maintaining her pose as if merely testing the access card, and presses it against the wall—
Beep—beep—beep—
The moment she presses it, alarms blare throughout the area, and infrared targeting dots appear on the two Kurono Constructs standing in the corridor.
****!
Ignoring their stiff joints, the Kurono soldiers instantly raise their weapons at An Jie.
But it's too late—the cold, bulletproof metal door slams shut before them with a heavy thud.
Farewell.
She listens coldly to the sharp clangs of thermal weapons striking against metal behind the door—until she hears two dull thuds that signal bodies hitting the ground in quick succession.
She doesn't look back.
For the rest of the journey, only heavy footsteps echo through the mining tunnel.
Kurono soldiers... secret laboratory... the mining tunnel they just passed...
Bridget isn't the only one who's unsettled—since entering the Konstantin Mine, Trojan has grown distant and distracted as well.
For reasons unknown, everything here feels strangely familiar to her.
This isn't mere deja vu—she's certain that she's experienced all of these before.
Sure, we picked you up from the Konstantin Mine, but... I couldn't find any records of your background before that.
I couldn't find any detailed reasons why Norman Mining Corp recruited you in the first place. There's just one report mentioning that you used to work at Norman Mining Corp's Konstantin Mine.
And what's more...
Leonardo puts away the old paper report, now wearing his usual impish grin.
I think you're just fine the way you are now, auntie.
Hey now.
So, do you really have to get involved with the new mission to excavate the Konstantin Mine?
...Yeah.
Gazing out the window, Trojan falls into an unusual daze.
I can't shake this feeling that I've got to go to that place.
Someone has to go anyway, so it might as well be me... Hey, Boss, shouldn't you be happy when an employee volunteers for work?
Happy about what? About having to pay you an extra fieldwork allowance?
Just send the mission details to me. I'll handle everything else myself. Bye!
While she might not be a time traveler, her remarkably simple background points to only one thing...
She does have a history with the Konstantin Mine.
