Story Reader / Main Story / 33 Wither to Shine / Story
The black sky swallows what little light and hope you have left.
...Our speed is about 6-7 kilometers per hour. The coordinates are confirmed. We're still heading to Aerospace City.
Resources are low, the Mutated Red Tide is out of control, and most electronics are down, so you are navigating the old-fashioned way.
The terminal shuts off, and the last light goes out.
Everyone walks in silence, leaving only the crunch of boots on snow.
These are the last people from Great Tombstone. When they get to Aerospace City, Great Tombstone will go back to its old name.
It's getting colder.
...
The terminal's dim light flickers on, lighting up Emma's face.
Soon. They've joined up with the last patrol and collection squads. They'll be here shortly.
So, Commandant, about the Punishing Virus concentration dropping... Was it Luna...?
She shuts off the terminal, saving power, and the light goes out again.
You have gotten used to death in these freezing nights, but you still hesitate to say the word.
After you and Vanessa left, she faced the new Agent Zero again. The Punishing Virus concentration spiked—probably meaning Agent Zero was winning—but then...
Like she promised, she helped you one last time, buying you and humanity some precious "time".
Cold creeps up from the ground. Your breath hangs in the air. Nearby, others overhear you.
Luna... even that Ascendant...
How did it get like this...
The Great Tombstone's gone too. Will Aerospace City be next...
Her voice cracks.
If this keeps going... Do we have any chance left...
The cold bites harder. Thinly dressed, the humans' voice shakes.
...
To calm them, Barniga rubs her frozen hands and takes out the instrument strapped to her back.
As the wind and snow seem to play the strings, a soft melody starts. To ease their worry, Barniga sings that familiar song.
～When we shed this mortal flesh...～
～To awaken or sleep forever. Who can say...～
～Even the worst storms can't break what's inside us...～
～In this darkness, we'll stand strong.～
Without any music, that sad war song hits you right in the gut.
She's sung this around the fire so many times. Every human here knows it by heart.
Snow whispers down from the branches. In the quiet crowd, someone starts singing along, like they can't help it.
～Though the night drags on, a new dawn's coming.～
～Let's sing with hope in our hearts.～
SWOOSH—
The flare bursts into flames, bright light slicing through the darkness below.
～Faith burns like a guiding light...～
～Look! The pioneers' tracks are everywhere.～
～Rising from the ashes.～
～A rusty blade bites into a palm.～
～Scars turn into trenches. We find rebirth in our breaking...～
No one says a word, but the song keeps going, burning through the silent, suffering ground like that flare in their hands.
In the fading glow of the flames, the city walls appear and disappear through the wind and snow.
After what feels like an eternity of trudging, you finally see Aerospace City's gates again.
Once inside the city, Emma's busy getting the newcomers settled, while Rosa walks up to you by the gate.
Commandant, I've got some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?
That Hetero-Core Shard... the one we pulled from those Hetero-Creatures? I managed to crack the data inside.
It's got an analysis of the Hetero Tower core. And with what I decoded before...
I can just barely whip up some souped-up "filters", like the old CPF. They'll temporarily clean up the mutated Punishing Virus and Red Tide.
I can't promise the virus won't keep changing, but it'll buy us some time.
I wouldn't exactly call it "bad" news, it's just...
Exploring this Mutated Red Tide has already sucked up so many resources and people. Do we really need to keep at it?
Using the info from that Hetero-Core Shard you risked everything for, I've managed to combine it with the earlier bits of the Hetero Tower core.
I can just barely whip up some souped-up "filters", like the old CPF. They'll temporarily clean up the mutated Punishing Virus and Red Tide.
But... you know, this has taken forever. No supplies, no gear, not even a proper lab...
So...
She repeats, softly.
Should we really keep going?
Maybe we could find some kind of solution in the Mutated Red Tide, but... is it worth it?
It's a constant drain of time, supplies, and people, and on top of that...
A new Agent Zero, a new Red Tide consciousness... I can barely even get their basic makeup with what we have.
You know what that means.
"Life", and it's not from Earth.
If Mr. Asimov was still here, he might be able to figure all this out, but...
But I... I can't.
She goes quiet, then speaks again after a moment.
We've got the answer from the Heteromer Shard, so why not keep digging into the Hetero Tower core? If humanity had truly safe havens, wouldn't that be a way to survive?
The choice is yours, Commandant.
Do we keep exploring the Mutated Red Tide? Or do we focus on the Hetero Tower core to build a safer settlement?
You study the experimental data, lost in thought.
Like Rosa said, exploring the Mutated Red Tide has used a lot of people and supplies.
Compared to thirty years ago, it might seem small, but today... even a grain of wheat is hope, let alone this much.
We need a break.
Rosa stares silently at the inventory list, trailing to the floor.
Really? Can we afford a "break"?
Vanessa rushes in, overhearing the end of the conversation.
Even if humanity cracked the Hetero Tower core and got a perfect Punishing Virus filter... then what?
Build a bunker and hide inside, waiting?
But humans can't fight back right now.
Emma says... the Great Tombstone settlement is about to be swallowed by the Red Tide.
Did you... bring any good news? Like... more supplies, or... a better campsite?
Rosa looks at Vanessa, half desperate, half pleading.
Lately... how much have the patrols and collection squads brought back?
...
The question hits hard, and Vanessa falls silent.
Most areas outside the settlement are overrun by the Mutated Red Tide and high Punishing Virus level. The collection squads haven't found anything useful in ages.
Even a bunker gives humanity a fighting chance. But if we keep going like this...
I'm afraid we'll lose any hope of survival.
Yes, we're just slowing down for now.
She speaks softly, as if telling a bedtime story beside a cradle.
Aerospace City has a "filter" that can block the current Punishing Virus strain.
Once we get the Hetero Tower core's data, we might get new weapons, new resources...
Then we can explore the Mutated Red Tide again and find what we need.
But when will that be?
You understand Vanessa's frustration, but...
Throughout Aerospace City, tired settlers try to organize their few belongings in run-down homes.
Discord and the patrol members have just returned, all badly injured.
The Mutated Red Tide ruins water and everything humans need. Just staying alive is a struggle...
I know time's running out... but humanity can't afford the cost anymore.
The settlements... It's been years since we heard children crying.
...
Without safe land, they won't bring new life into the world.
Her eyes get misty.
I can ignore the lost supplies, and so can you, but... what about humanity?
After looking at Emma's resource data, it's clear Rosa's right.
The point of the Red Tide exploration is to fight back, but now...
Supplies are dwindling, you are losing people, and Agent Zero's getting stronger.
You are still losing. Even throwing everyone at the problem wouldn't make a dent in the Red Tide.
You can't fight back right now, not anytime soon.
Later, when the time's right...
She scoffs, drops a final line, and walks away.
Don't forget, Earth used to be ours.
Earth used to be ours.
Rosa sighs.
Vanessa's always wanted to take back all the lost land... not just the Great Tombstone, but everywhere.
I get it... I just hope she comes to her senses.
Snow comes down in thick flurries as the biting wind whips Rosa's hand-written inventory of losses.
The printer's been out of ink for ages.
After finding Nanami's inventory, I checked the supplies.
The remaining humans and Constructs have enough food and supplies to last a while.
I've got people building greenhouses. Once they're stable, we can grow crops. That should keep us alive.
And after that...
As Rosa explains, her eyes show uncertainty.
Maybe we can hold out until we crack the Hetero Tower core.
Yeah... we can.
Her voice shakes a little, but Rosa keeps reassuring herself.
The dilapidated Aerospace City, a shadow of human civilization.
Living off makeshift greenhouses, humanity barely survives, hanging on by a thread.
But like a paper boat on burning water, no one knows how long this fragile civilization will last.
Rosa works tirelessly. Humanity guards Aerospace City, constantly improving its "filter" and barely surviving on data from the Hetero Tower core.
But as time goes on, no one can stop the new Agent Zero.
The paper boat sails on across the burning sea...
Humanity's End—"Tomorrow" Here, human civilization ends.
Give up on the Red Tide? And put all our lives and choices in the hands of a "filter" we don't even know will last?
Vanessa, looking worn and weary, catches the tail end of your conversation.
But humanity can't keep hanging on by a thread...
But we can't give up.
At least... we need to find out who our real enemy is.
She stares coldly at the outskirts of Aerospace City, where the Mutated Red Tide crawls over human civilization, sucking up Earth's "nutrients" like a leech.
I can build a greenhouse, using what we have...
...
Don't be so naive, Rosa.
Even if we secure all of Aerospace City, then what? Live like rats forever inside these high walls?
Don't forget... Earth used to be ours.
Hot blood clouds your vision. Your consciousness starts fading as Hetero-Creatures' screeches echo in your head. You see something, but you can't quite grasp it...
But it all comes at a cost...
Cost... What doesn't?
Hmph... Anyone who's made it this far isn't a coward.
She breathes heavily. After a few deep breaths, she calms down.
I've... grown to hate this way of life.
Outside the window, snow falls hard, crashing against the ground.
Hiding, running, trapped in one walled-off settlement after another...
If this is the future of human civilization, I'd rather destroy it than let it happen.
So, Commandant...
Lucia, Nanami, and so many others are fighting for the "future". How can you just stand still?
The world can't stop here. Only by truly understanding your enemy can you find the answer.
And...
Chaos is gone, and no one can contain the Mutated Red Tide. It's constantly changing, and the new Agent Zero is watching.
Aerospace City's resources are limited. Even with greenhouses and food storage, what about everything else?
Construct fluid and spare parts, human serums and medicine. How do you replace things you can't make here?
As your lab equipment breaks down, where do you get new replacements?
...
With no way out, we've got to take charge.
People will die. I don't care if it's me, but I'll never stop fighting, as long as I still draw breath.
Humans... are free. We can't become trapped animals, waiting to die.
After a quick talk, you decide to ask for volunteers from the patrols and Constructs to keep getting Red Tide samples and doing research.
Surprisingly, as soon as you asked, people lined up from the lab to the street.
Vanessa leans against the lab, watching the line with an enigmatic look.
I was just a little surprised.
...
I thought it'd just be us, but I heard them talking about it last night.
This... works too.
She looks at the street, lit by makeshift lamps, where people's faces show hope and worry.
Nobody wants to be trapped behind walls forever.
Once they've seen the light, how can they go back to darkness?
Even if it means death, humanity will stand tall and write its own story.
Billions of years later, future civilizations will see their strength and their battles.
Even wounded, even with no ammo and no supplies—
