Story Reader / Main Story / 13 Fake Ascension / Story
Climbing up the long and narrow steps, you come upon a relatively safe area, finally allowing you to unload the heavy mods and empty air cylinder.
You search all the accessible floors but find no one. Only the rooms lying in ruins remain unsearched.
But there aren't any signs of activities in these rooms.
No signs of activities?
Correct. Maybe the person that cried for help is already...
I can't reach Bridget. And we can't get away from the Red Tide...
The wreckage in front of you looks like they were once a pile of furniture intentionally placed there to block the entrance, before being blown to pieces.
Let's clean up the debris first.
The four of you use improvised shovels to clear out the debris in the corridor.
Opening the doors, you find what appears to be similar storage rooms one after another.
In the last room, old daily necessities are littered throughout, accompanied by stacks of storage boxes. Several work uniforms discarded in the corner have grown moldy over time.
An old polymer screen that seems to separate a changing area for the employees stands resolutely in place on the other side of the room.
Lee steps over the scattered objects and pulls the screen away.
...?!
Seeing his odd expression, the rest of you rush over to him.
Behind the screen, you see a Construct and a human in commandant uniform.
What's a Construct squad from Babylonia doing here?
Looks like... the commandant must have been dead for over a week.
I heard from another squad leader that a squad came here on a mission but never returned.
Is this them? Do you think there are any others...?
Yes, but we're already out of range from the security terminal. We should set up another one here to boost the signal.
We'll leave it to you, Lee.
Lee nods, then he pulls out a security terminal from his bag.
Not yet. There's a lot of signal fluctuation here. We'll have to wait.
You nod to Liv and quietly watch Lee operate the delicate security terminal.
Security terminal operational. Select an area to retrieve data.
Just retrieve data from the last day they were alive.
Acquiring target data [>>>>>>>>] Complete.
Generating image from data [>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>] Complete.
Under the influence of the Spear of F.O.S., you see two Constructs and a human commandant appearing in the room.
They lean wearily against the wall and place the holo-screens from their terminals in front of them.
Looks like the other one wasn't here by the end.
Relay our coordinates to Coco. Have her meet us here.
She'll be able to find us anyway. Why don't we just let her figure it out?
Quit being stupid.
His voice sounds familiar.
Where have I heard it before?
The commandant ignores their bickering and continues organizing the data, seemingly long familiar with their squabble.
Let's organize the data we've collected. We'll prepare to head out once Coco returns.
The stern male Construct furrows his brows and nods, then begins opening up the mess of data on his holo-screen.
The blood-like liquid Rowler and I discovered nearby... It's showing signs of the Punishing Virus evolving biologically.
The last recon team investigating it is still missing. Maybe they've been absorbed into it.
The Punishing Virus... evolving...
And another squad is missing...
Absorbed into it?
The information from this one sentence is enough to fill the four of you with the same dismay as the three people in the projection.
We sampled that liquid just a few days ago, but it's now three times the size. It can cover an entire block now when it gushes out of the ground.
Gushes? Does it still recede like the tide?
I think calling it a fountain is a bit more accurate!
That may have been true a few days ago, but now it's turning into a tide.
It takes longer and causes larger cracks to the surface, but it still recedes into the ground.
We must inform Babylonia of this news. The evolving Punishing Virus is a bad omen. Not to mention that it keeps expanding.
So, the Red Tide was originally hiding underground?
No wonder it's gone undetected by Babylonia.
He had already uncovered so much. If only he had returned safely...
Good thing we've reported it. I thought my survey equipment was malfunctioning...
We've always been able to count on you, Liv. You should have more faith in yourself.
However, if a team had already gone missing here, the following team sent here should have been far more equipped...
And if that team also went missing...
The signal is unstable here. We'll have to wait until we're back to Babylonia. Do you know how it's expanding?
It's unclear, but I'm sure it has something to do with the dissolved remains.
The male Construct, Rowler, raises his hand to cover a haphazard yawn.
Dissolved...
That's right.
As he says "That's right," the projection freezes in place as if it is buffering.
The signal is being jammed here. We need to return to Babylonia ASAP.
When the projection resumes, the two Constructs at the table stand up and prepare to leave per their commandant's order.
However, a blurry shadow stands in the doorway, suddenly charging at them with a lightning-fast slash.
Coco! You—!
He opens his eyes wide in horror as he looks at the dark figures before him, then falls to the ground, limp.
After losing their commandant, the other two Constructs attempt to fight the dark figure, but their efforts are in vain.
Did that Construct, Coco, betray them?
Looks like the squad didn't exactly work well together.
No, I think something's wrong with the recording.
You mean when it was buffering for a moment?
Yeah, but... We can't prove anything without looking for more clues.
Want to keep searching, Commandant?
Alright, let's keep looking!
