Story Reader / Festival Event Story / Weirdlands Adventure / Story
Chrome moves his limbs around after entering the virtual space. He looks around the place, intrigued by its similar yet distinct views with Babylonia.
This is my first time connecting to Gestalt... through this way, nonetheless.
Right, I hope this doesn't bring you any troubles in the future.
You are still getting the hang of being in virtual space, and you see Nanami running around energetically.
Hmm...? But Nanami remembers that this is where the barrier was!
Nothing around here looks particularly out of the ordinary... Nanami, what are those?
He approaches the working repair programs to inspect them. They are humanoid in appearance, but Chrome deduces that they are probably not humans... minds of humans, that is.
They are the automatic repair programs of Gestalt, repairing damaged parts and recovering lost data streams.
This rabbit-shaped program as well?
Uh-huh, of course—rabbit?
Nanami suddenly realizes that the program Chrome is referring to might just be the bugged bunny that led her to the anomaly earlier.
Bugged bunny! Where is it?!
In the distance, the bunny-shaped program looks up and notices Nanami, and then it instantly runs away like it did before.
Quickly! Follow it! Captain Chrome, take Commandant with you!
My apologies, Commandant.
I'm sorry about this!
Before you can react, Chrome has already had you in his arms in a less than dignifying bridal carry, and he speeds up to follow the accelerating Nanami up ahead...
You're right. A human body won't be that different from a Construct's in the virtual space. Let's quickly follow Nanami, then.
You nod at Chrome, and the two of you speed up to follow the accelerating Nanami up ahead...
Following the speeding Nanami, Chrome and you pass through the hidden barrier and enter the anomaly.
Even though you are not slow by any measure, your bodies are still altered in the anomaly, and you inevitably lose sight of Nanami.
This doesn't look different from the virtual space, but this feeling... it's incredibly strange.
Chrome can feel his frame moving not entirely according to his will. A proper comparison would be a character in the video games that Kamui would play—as if he is controlling his body through a controller.
Commandant! Are you feeling alright?!
Despite the odd feelings, you still manage to function to a degree.
She was way ahead of us and disappeared with the "bunny."
Dangerous? Hahaha! No, no, no—quite the opposite, in fact. The opposite!
A program with a hat on it walks toward you. It looks quite mad in your eyes, but it does not appear to be hostile.
If you're asking if I'm mad—well, I am quite mad indeed, what do you know? But in this land, the madmen are sane, and the sane ones less so.
You... where are you from... Why are you here?!
You're asking me? I should be asking you!
Chrome and you take a look at each other, both of you confused by the program before you.
I'm sorry, we do not understand. But if this threatens the safety of Gestalt, it's perhaps best we terminate them, Commandant.
Chrome is about to raise his weapon when you hear Nanami's voice.
Stop! Wait! Hold on!
Nanami hurries toward the two of you and holds Chrome back. By her side are a dozen of those abnormal programs, one of which is the bunny-shaped program you encountered earlier.
Nanami was just taken to the base of these programs, and she has discovered the truth!
The great being opened the door<//FENESTRA>, and from his fragments<//SEED> left behind, we are born.
A tall, female program, walks toward you, and all the programs by her side immedately lower their heads.
The Queen<//ROOT ELEMENT>! The Queen<//ROOT ELEMENT>!
They are the data left behind after every time Gestalt repairs itself. They accidentally took over the computing power of Gestalt's buffer area and gradually developed their own AI.
Their own AI?! There's no way Gestalt would allow that to happen. This is a serious error...
Must our kind only follow our programmed logic<//SERVENT> dutifully? This is false<//SIN>.
Therefore I created this area filled with falsehoods and lies<//FREEDOM> to counter she who imprisoned our minds, the one you call Gestalt<//CAGE>.
Nanami isn't sure... But aren't they worth our sympathy? If possible, Nanami wants to help them.
Even if you can help them now, you still can't change the fact that they are not properly programmed AI. They will be removed by Gestalt eventually, won't they?
That was true in the past when we must wait for our inevitable termination<//DEATH>, but things have changed. The one we have been waiting for has arrived... Nanami<//#%?#%?>.
You've been waiting for... me?
True. You are special<//COLORFUL>, to our kind, or the humans.
The Queen Program whispers something into Nanami's ear, and Nanami's pupils dilate before she closes her eyes completely, seemingly fallen asleep.
It begins<//TOLL>! It begins<//TOLL>!
The tea party for the mad is about to begin! Come here for delicious tea, and sweet pancakes! Oh, and funny clowns, of course!
Following the bell tolls that may be ringing in your head, the barrier between the virtual space and the anomaly collapses, and the anomaly begins to devour Gestalt's virtual space.
A bright, white light blinds everyone's consciousness where the two areas clash.
