Story Reader / Floating Record / ER07 Soaring Beyond / Story
!!!!!
Ha... Hahaha...
Aleksei—!
As Veronica falls in defeat, she staggers backward, losing her balance.
Instead of Aleksei's supporting arms behind her, what awaits her is...
Veronica!
Hanying springs up, using her hairpin to push Aleksei back in one fluid motion.
Ugh...
But she is too late. In an instant, "Aleksei" plunges his dagger deep into Veronica's frame.
Surrender your frame controls, Veronica... "Justice".
"Aleksei's" once-composed face twists into a grimace as he calmly grips the dagger.
I once looked forward to being amazed by you, but now I see you're just too weak...
But it's fine... heh heh... I'll take your place, lead the mechanoids, and create a world where only mechanoids exist.
In his mind, he is already envisioning a grand, majestic world of mechanoids—a blueprint now lying within his reach.
A world... of mechanoids...
This... can't be...
Veronica struggles to prop herself up, staring in disbelief at the figure before her—someone who looks familiar yet feels like a complete stranger.
Stop struggling, Veronica.
You're not... Aleksei...
Hah, of course I'm not. That fragile coward thinks he can enter the sanctum of mechanoids with his mere human flesh... Such hubris demands a price, wouldn't you agree?
Every living being pays the price for their choices—you and I both.
Didn't you say it yourself? That everything could be sacrificed for our mechanoid kin... ugh...
No... I won't let you harm... Veronica...
I won't allow it!!!
Cough... Aleksei!
You won't survive without me! This pathetic wreck of a body you have can't possibly sustain...
Even so, I won't let you hurt Veronica!
Aleksei yanks the dagger out of Veronica's frame, struggling with all his might against the other presence within his body.
You may... you may control my vocal and visual module, but...
His fingers tense up as dull sparks burst from his mechanical arm.
—You will never control my will!
After several moments of internal struggle, Aleksei's own mind finally prevails. He seizes the dagger and, with all his might, plunges it deep into his chest.
—Aleksei!
Lying on the ground, Veronica struggles to prop herself up.
...Cough... I'm sorry, Veronica.
With his battered mechanical body, Aleksei crawls slowly toward Veronica.
Why...?
I'm sorry... I can't control my body anymore.
The one who calls himself "the Emperor"... His mind is like a digital ghost, controlling every mechanical part of me...
But he can't control my mind... My mind has always been human.
He coughs and lets out a slow, bitter laugh.
You used to mock me, didn't you? About how I could never fully become a mechanoid, no matter what...
...That wasn't my intention. I just...
Veronica has never realized how her harsh words have become blades, deeply wounding her friend.
I know. I know you've always been like this...
Aleksei speaks slowly, his gaze fixed on Veronica as if trying to engrave every detail of her appearance into his visual module.
I'm sorry, Veronica. Please, stop Bifrost and end this war. It's all my fault. I was too arrogant, thinking I could have it all under control...
Those aren't the words you spoke to me.
If we successfully drag humanity into the abyss, these tragedies will never happen again.
This is the bridge's final charge, Veronica. Babylonia is within our grasp now.
...There will be no more lies in that world.
Veronica, I've witnessed the rise and fall of the mechanoids in Aerospace City as a machinist. Today, you may finally lead them toward a future that truly belongs to your kind...
...I didn't know his origins, but the ghost who called himself "the Emperor" told me he could help me become a real mechanoid, so...
I'm sorry, Veronica. I can't deny it... All this calamity might have been caused by my own selfish desires.
...
He gazes at the woman before him, giving her his final smile.
I'm sorry, Veronica. I...
The damaged mechanical parts emit quiet beeps as Aleksei's expression freezes in place, his unfinished words cut short.
...
The female mechanoid silently struggles to her feet, using her spear to support herself.
Veronica...
...Take it.
She tosses a memory unit to Hanying.
Connect the key to Bifrost's central control system, and it will cease its activation sequence.
Your wounds...
That's not where my core is. My core... is somewhere else.
As the dagger pierces her shell, she notices something strange—the blade, originally aiming at her frame's core, was twisted in an unusual direction.
Perhaps... Aleksei had already begun fighting "the Emperor" for control over his body since then.
...Go. Shut down Bifrost before I change my mind.
She stands before Aleksei's broken body, silent as a gravestone.
Dimitri!
As Veronica ceases her orders, the mechanoids gradually stop fighting. Seizing this opportunity, Yulia rushes toward Bifrost where Dimitri awaits.
The blizzard rages on. Dimitri's broken frame lies exposed in the swirling snow, so frail that the wind could seemingly lift him into the sky at any moment.
Cut off... power... Stop... Bifrost's launch...
Despite his memory shell being damaged from the connection process, Dimitri stubbornly continues to repeat his previous actions.
Cut off... power... Stop... Bifrost's... launch...
This place... it's beautiful.
Stars.
Yes, stars.
The Earth... Would it look like this from space? A tiny, blue star...
Once Bifrost is built, we'll be able to go see it for ourselves...
Stop... Bifrost's... launch...
Snow falls heavily from the sky.
—Dimitri! Are you there?! Dimitri—!
Quick, hide, Dimitri... Don't let Dad find out I snuck you out.
Miss Yulia.
This goes against Dad and the others' new rules. They said all abnormal mechanoids must be eliminated, and that you're one of them...
But why would Dima be an abnormal mechanoid? I've never thought Dima was abnormal. Dima is my friend and always greets me whenever we meet...
On Bifrost, the young girl propped herself up in her wheelchair, playfully imitating mechanoid movements.
Hmm... I don't understand why things have suddenly changed like this. So many mechanoids are gone now—39 who worked on Bifrost, Bal who guarded the city gate, and...
Why did things turn out like this? We all live in Aerospace City together, so why can't we be... family?
Fam... ily.
Yeah... If only there weren't so many strange things happening here. We could've all lived together like we used to...
Stop... launch...
Dimitri is indeed familiar with the reactor's structure, just as he mentioned, having practiced the shutdown procedure numerous times before.
Even with his memory shell circuits nearly completely destroyed, he continues to perform the action etched deep within his memories.
...Dimitri!
The girl tumbles from her wheelchair and, with every ounce of her strength left, staggers into the howling blizzard.
Yula... Yula...
Bifrost...
Bifrost... has been stopped. You did it, Dima, you did it.
Tears stream down Yulia's face, crystallizing into ice.
That's... wonderful.
Without so many, strange things happening here, we, can all live together like we used to.
That's wonderful, Yula.
That's wonderful... Dima, you did it. You did it...
Bifrost...
Dimitri's memory shell begins to collapse from forcefully connecting to the reactor, his visual modules growing increasingly blurry.
Yula, do mechanoids... have souls too? Where do our souls... go?
Will I be able to see... 39 there?
You will, Dima. You will.
She holds Dimitri's body tightly, curling up in the howling snow.
Yula... Family...
It's... it's so cold here, Dima.
The mechanoid gives no response, but his body stays warm for a long while before slowly turning cold.
The mechanoid will never respond again.
