Story Reader / Main Story / 25 Everglowing Justice / Story
Conference room, Babylonia.
Sitting in a corner, Wells keeps his gaze on the Silver Falcon badge in his hand.
The Gray Ravens are now around the coordinates provided by the Kurono test subject and have discovered the target flying fortress.
A team of Task Force has been ordered to head down as support. Won't be long before Dark Aries arrives as well.
Say what's on your mind, Wells. You've been quiet for far too long.
...
My apologies.
We've had all the information compiled. Aurora Squadron's main force is in the central flying fortress, but it's going to take us a while to break through the line of defense formed by all the smaller flying fortresses surrounding it.
That Construct by the name Echo... who's also the Kurono test subject, has made her way into one of the flying fortresses.
We've constantly seen small flying vessels fall, and our guess is that it's the doing of said Construct.
We need to be fast and get our hands on the data before they destroy...
Kurono is aware of what's happening and has had a few private squads sent over with whatever excuses they can come up with, while having no time to cover up their action.
Speedy as always, huh.
We have the upper hand because we made the first move this time. Our teams on Earth hit them when they were least expecting a hit.
But Kurono...
Wells clenches his fist around the Silver Falcon badge, feeling a twinge of pain as the badge's pointed end stabs into his palm.
Calm down.
All of this... will come to an end sooner or later.
In the extravagantly furnished office, Collins opens his mouth to speak while absentmindedly going through the reports in hand, all the while not even looking up.
We sure... never imagined things to go this far. Say, is this what you had in mind?
Well... never quite saw this coming, but we always play it by ear, right?
Norman seems to be reading the same reports.
Well, true... but that's not without its risks.
Which is why I think I'll try to get Trojan back home soon before we find ourselves trapped in the swamp.
How's everything looking on your end, Collins?
Mediocre... but that's not something to ruffle our feathers.
The best always comes last...
The terminal sitting on Collins' table beeps a few times as two encrypted files arrive.
See... speak of the devil right there. Got one for you, too.
That's great... and let's hope this is good enough to finally make those geezers back home jump to their feet and do something.
Having gotten what he wanted, Norman cuts the line.
Collins, however, takes no offense. He looks out the window—past which he seems able to see through space and see Earth beyond.
Gotta say it's a shame that I don't get to be part of this cosmic act...
In Utopia's Control Room.
Standing upright in the middle of the control room, a test subject has numerous wires connected to their body, the machinery around them humming away. Pickman removes his gloves and fine-tunes one of the machines.
M.I.N.D. fusion... 100%.
Rejection reaction detected. Remaining consciousness about 71.03%.
Dr. Pickman... are you really sure about this?
Of course.
His tone is gentle but firm.
This is going to be my greatest experiment yet, so it makes perfect sense that I validate it myself.
You only get a fusion of M.I.N.D. so perfect and vast when the samples have lived by the same rules.
And all the time and effort going into building this utopia... is finally paying off.
We're only one step away now...
...From finishing my greatest experiment yet.
Pickman keeps his gaze on his test subject, captivated and mesmerized.
But the follow-up...
I'll leave it to you, son.
You already know exactly what you need to do, don't you?
But...
Pickman lets out a quiet shush to stop the researcher from saying another word.
You know exactly what that place is like that we'll all find ourselves at, right?
You and I and every single life there is... we'll see one another there again.
Now... let's get started.
...Of course, Dr. Pickman... Teacher.
Pickman seems a little taken aback hearing the research call him this. Looking at the researcher—who goes way back with Pickman himself as his student—Pickman breaks into a faint smile.
Let's do it.
He walks into the vessel.
