Story Reader / Floating Record / ER07 Soaring Beyond / Story
The astronaut-shaped mechanoid seems unaware of being followed.
It weaves nimbly between holographic beacons, treating the faint red flashes not as warnings of danger, but as if they were forming a wide path across the damp soil.
The trackers maintain just the right distance from the mechanoid, ensuring there is always cover within sight to hide behind if needed.
As they advance, the vegetation grows increasingly sparse.
Understood.
Adjusting the mode of the Levi-Gun, Liv cautiously sends it out ahead to scout.
The moment you leave the forest, the entire city comes into clear view.
At the end of the tranquil canyon, an expansive clearing unfolds, with steel battlements proudly standing at its heart amidst the mountain foothills.
Sentry turrets spiral across the surface of the massive walls. From afar, the orderly mechanical grooves resemble a bird's nest, but you know each recess is large enough to house a full-sized spacecraft.
Against the colossal reinforced concrete foundation hundreds of meters tall, even the surrounding buildings appear insignificant.
The structures on both sides resemble a ship's keel, firmly anchored to the ground. The towering, symmetrical supports rise upward, holding aloft tracks that point straight toward the sky.
Here is Aerospace City...
Deep within the vast forests of the Far North, humanity has turned the fantasy of the Fountains of Paradise into reality—a structure that reaches closer to the auroras and the Milky Way than any towering tree ever could.
This lost city from the Golden Age stands more magnificent, more glorious than any miracle humanity has dreamed of for thousands of years.
We've finally found our target...
Times have changed, and although it's impossible to determine whether Aerospace City's defense systems are still operational, charging straight in is definitely not a rational choice.
...What is it doing?
At Liv's warning, your attention snaps to the front, where the mechanoid at the edge of the forest is starting to move.
Is that a signboard?
The mechanoid doesn't rush forward. Instead, it retrieves a stack of flat, metallic plates about half the height of a person from its storage pack. After unfolding the support frame, it drives the spikes into the soil.
Repeating this process, several metal plates are arranged into a low fence-like barrier facing the forest.
<color=#ff4e4eff><b>WARNING: ENTERING SENTRY TURRET RANGE AHEAD. DO NOT APPROACH.</b></color>
Each metal sign bears the same phrase, hand-sprayed in red paint, a far cry from the official warnings one would expect in a restricted area.
It's probably meant as a message for the refugees. I suppose this is... an act of kindness.
If the city's defenses are meant to keep outsiders away, what's the point of these warnings?
Could it be a trap?
This whole area is within Aerospace City's defense perimeter. Once those warning signs are removed, unsuspecting refugees would naturally walk straight into the sentry turrets' firing range.
We can't rule out that possibility, but we're too far away to tell for certain right now.
At the very least, you can be certain for now that this mechanoid harbors no ill intent toward the refugees.
Are we sure it means no harm?
Liv still appears to have some reservations about this risky approach.
Aerospace City doesn't discriminate against refugees.
Besides, with Liv's combat prowess as backup, making a clean escape won't be too difficult if things go south.
After making sure the holster is well-hidden, you take a deep breath and step out from behind the rocks.
You adjust your movements, trying to mimic the surface survivors encountered in previous missions. For a brief moment, you regret not taking those acting classes at the World Government Association of Art.
But the situation leaves no room for such distractions.
...Hello? Um... excuse me, but is this Aerospace City?
The mechanoid stops its work, and your eyes meet with the sensor cameras beneath its space helmet.
Who, are you?
A deep, steady male voice speaks—perfectly matching what one would expect from a mechanoid. And yet... something feels off. Shouldn't it be acting less like its kin that follows preset protocols?
You speak cautiously while watching the mechanoid's reaction.
Why, are you asking me?
Because we just saw you setting up these warning signs over there...
The display on the mechanoid's helmet flickers once, seemingly in approval of the answer.
I am, Dimitri.
After the brief introductions, Dimitri moves toward you with measured, mechanical steps.
Follow me. It's not safe here.
The sentry turret's fire control system won't recognize my signal, so make sure to stay close.
The mechanoid must have encountered many similar situations before. His movements through the dangerous borderlands are practiced and graceful, as if weaving an intricate spell through familiar territory.
Liv quickly updates Babylonia with your location and status before rushing to follow the mechanoid.
At the other side of the forest.
The twisted, winding Hetero vegetation gradually thins out, giving way to the birch and fir trees common to these northern latitudes.
Left behind by the convoy, Hanying follows the road's direction through the forest.
Hidden mines pose an expected challenge, but her advanced sensors make it easy to avoid them.
Aerospace City... Veronica...
Could Veronica be the "spiky-headed" mechanoid they mentioned? And that transport crew...
It seems wasteful for a resource-starved, isolated city to have all the soldiers' rifles loaded with armor-piercing rounds.
The tense atmosphere doesn't match what should be a routine transport mission, and...
She cannot understand humans like those soldiers.
Their indifference to a fallen comrade, their reluctance to even properly bury the dead... This isn't like any humans she's encountered before...
Is something wrong with Aerospace City itself, or is it something else...
CRACK—
A sharp crack echoes from the other end of the forest, like the sound of a bamboo pole being split in two.
But this is far from the subtropical environment suited for bamboo forests, and the perilous minefield is clearly no place for practicing martial arts.
A series of dull thuds follow in rapid succession, barely masking desperate, hoarse shouts in the background. It's gunfire, tearing through the air.
...It's the convoy from before!
The highway leading to Aerospace City remains the only lead, but the encounters along the way blur the lines between reality and illusion.
She rushes toward the source of the sound.
An eerie silence blankets the forest. Massive trees loom in the black smoke, their needles swaying gently—trembling, as if in fear.
The stench of burnt, rotting wood permeates the air as an unsettling presence closes in from all directions.
It's all mechanoids here...
Contrary to expectations, she finds no destroyed transport vehicles or human casualties at the attack site.
Scorched metal casings lie scattered throughout the forest, staining the moss black.
Fractured circuits burst from the mechanical shells, and the neatly rounded holes, marked with traces of molten damage, are unmistakably the work of armor-piercing rounds.
The scattered mechanoids emit monotonous buzzing sounds, as if still struggling to return to normal operation.
Like the unconscious moans of someone on their deathbed.
Kowloong General-Purpose Autonomous Machine, Tsiolkovsky Aerospace City...
She examines the inscriptions on the surface of the mechanoids, confirming the origin of the victims.
Clearly, everything before her is the result of those soldiers' unleashed fury.
That city is likely teetering on the brink of total collapse.
Hanying surveys the place, searching for potential clues.
This is...
Despite the physical damage, the indicator lights on the elongated mechanical structure still flicker faintly, hinting at the thoughts that once pulsed through its processor circuits.
Hanying moves in for a closer look and suddenly realizes—it's a metallic arm buried beneath the wreckage.
At the end of the prosthetic limb, human skin is faintly visible, pulsing with a bluish tint.
A human?
After carefully moving aside the remnants of two mechanoids, Hanying finds an unconscious young man.
Despite her utmost caution, the man startles awake.
...Ugh, my head's spinning...
...Your external injuries aren't severe, but I lack the proper medical capabilities to treat you further. Please be careful.
Your companions...
She weighs her words carefully while recalling her journey here. There weren't any soldiers dressed like this in the vehicle—could he have come from another transport?
The man opens his eyes and takes in the carnage around him. Lowering the hand pressed against his forehead, he turns to face Hanying.
He seems to grasp the situation, though a hint of confusion still lingers in his eyes.
I suppose my companions are all dead now... But thank you anyway. May I ask who you are...?
...I'm just a passing rescuer. You can call me Hanying.
She's unsure whether it's safe to reveal her true identity to the man.
Ah... I'm sorry, Hanying, for you to see something like this...
He clutches his temple as the wound there begins to throb with pain again.
Can you move? You need to have that wound treated before it gets worse.
It's fine... Let's head back to the city first. I can hold out until then.
That battle just now...
Besides the person before her, there are no other human remains at the scene.
It's because of me, they... I mean, these mechanoids, they were all my guards.
The young man breaks into a fit of heavy coughing, seemingly having suffered severe internal wounds. He looks around warily, hesitates for a moment, then speaks again.
Pardon me for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Aleksei, the... current governor of this city.
Those soldiers were humans who deserted from Aerospace City. They suspected me of being a traitor and attacked me, hoping to reclaim the city for themselves.
These... are they... all gone?
Ignoring his own wounds, Aleksei's eyes linger on the fallen mechanoids scattered across the ground, his face etched with sorrow.
Some can still be repaired, but the others...
Even for mechanoids, a destroyed core means death—just as final as it is for humans.
This is all my fault... Please, take me back to the city quickly. I'll find people to help them.
The young man struggles to his feet with Hanying's support.
I'm sorry to trouble you like this when we've only just met...
...It's all right.
The conflicting information makes it difficult for Hanying to take a clear stance. She maintains a calculated silence, following Aleksei's lead as they weave through the towering trees.
No matter what, she has never let her guard down.
As they reach the forest's edge, a vast expanse of frozen tundra suddenly unfolds before them.
The road stretches toward the horizon, ending beneath the arched gateway of towering city walls.
The majestic silver structure soars upward, piercing through the misty clouds above.
Tsiolkovsky Aerospace City—once the Earth's eye gazing at the stars.
Any further ahead and we'll be in range of the defense system. I have an identification chip inside me, so it won't target me.
As for you, my guest...
By the roadside, an off-road vehicle with "Aerospace City" marked on its door is parked next to the guardrail.
Please, get in.
As they draw closer to the city gates, Hanying begins to truly grasp the sheer scale of this city.
The city walls, studded with sentry turrets, cast their shadow across the highway, soon engulfing everything in darkness as they blot out the sky completely.
The towering walls stretch endlessly as far as the eye can see, completely obscuring the buildings that are visible from a distance.
The off-road vehicle soon reaches the checkpoint, where Aleksei's influence allows his unauthorized passenger to pass through the mechanoid guards with ease. As they cross under the archway, the city's interior finally reveals itself in full view.
Here we are at Aerospace City.
A peculiar expression crosses his face, pride and sorrow intertwining in his features.
Small groups of mechanoids traverse the entrance plaza with mechanical precision, their movements perfectly coordinated yet devoid of any semblance of life.
Suspended atop concrete pillars and massive machinery, the ground-based deck resembles a launch rail, its immense scale making even the distant launch towers appear modest in comparison.
Just a moment, please.
The vehicle briefly stops at the city gate where Aleksei exchanges a few words with the mechanoid guard. After the guard departs, two small vehicles depart from the city shortly after.
I've asked them to help repair the mechanoid guards outside the city. We should also keep an eye on the rebels' movements—we can't let them harm any more people.
...Of course.
She offers a courteous nod.
Cough... Now then, allow me to give my guest from Kowloong a tour of the city.
...Are you sure you're alright with those injuries?
It's fine. Dealing with the rebels is more urgent, and besides...
I want you to know... what really happened here.
A flicker of shadowy, unreadable intent passes through the young man's violet eyes.
Along every street, they spot facilities resembling residential buildings. Dilapidated letter boxes hang from the walls and porches—these structures appear to be where the researchers once lived.
The entrance halls, which should be bustling with activity, now stand in dead silence. No footsteps or casual conversations echo through the corridors. The empty windows remain devoid of any curious human onlookers.
Stiff-moving mechanoids frequently pass by on both sides of the road. They move swiftly, driven by their programming to execute urgent tasks, too busy to spare even a moment for the lifeless streets of this dead city.
Just like busy pedestrians, aren't they?
I understand your analogy, but... where are the human residents of this city?
According to the human soldiers outside the city—known as "rebels"—this city is not as deserted as it seems.
You mentioned the "human rebels" earlier, so...
Ah, no need to worry. You'll meet them soon enough.
The stories from the cargo crew soldiers are incompatible with the statement of the self-proclaimed governor of the city.
The young man shows no rush to explain himself, instead taking his time as if proudly presenting a prized creation.
They arrive at a street corner where a platform-like structure stands. The mechanoids docked there pull power cables from the charging stations, plug them into ports on their sides, and flip the power switches.
Hanying suddenly realizes that what looks like a rain shelter above the platform is actually a solar panel array.
Have these facilities always been here in the city?
Yes. Every time I see these facilities, I'm amazed by how automated this city is.
Those who gaze at the stars despise nothing more than the gravity of mundane daily life.
That's why it's only natural to leave the menial tasks to machines. It's a shame I was born after the calamity. I never had the chance like my predecessors to devote myself entirely to scientific research.
How are things in Kowloong? Sending a Construct like you for reconnaissance... Are they planning to reclaim Aerospace City?
Aleksei throws out the question with nonchalance, adopting an air of casual conversation.
...Kowloong has no such intentions. We just heard some news about Aerospace City from the outside world and came to check on its condition.
Though his deduction isn't entirely accurate, Hanying finds herself secretly impressed by Aleksei's keen observation skills.
As you can see, your secret won't cause any panic around here. So, you can relax.
A derisive snort escapes from his nose.
So tell me, what exactly happened to Aerospace City all these years?
Hold on now, let me tell you a story.
As they turn a corner, he fixes his gaze ahead and slowly begins to speak.
There was once a professor who gathered all the students in his institute to the plaza one morning.
Is this... a story about the past of Aerospace City?
In a way, yes. But for now, miss, just treat it as a story being told.
The students discovered the lawn covered with orange markers, dividing the entire field into neat, dense squares. They exchanged puzzled looks, wondering what their professor could be planning.
After everyone took their position in their designated squares, he addressed the student in the center of the front row:
If I give you a number that starts with 1, relay it to the person on your right; if it starts with 0, relay it to the person on your left. For numbers starting with 11 or 00, pass them to the person behind you. Everyone else should follow the same pattern.
Sounds like a pretty straightforward math game.
Indeed. The sounds of numbers being called soon filled the entire field. The students had no idea what they were doing. Two hours later, exhaustion had set in. Many students were sitting on the ground, some even lying down. They only engaged their minds briefly when it was their turn to relay a number.
Finally, an exhausted student carelessly passed a number starting with 1 to the person on their left, then left the field in frustration.
I'd say the game's over.
...But not in the way the students thought.
He lets out a contemptuous laugh.
The next day, the smarter students asked the professor if they had been practicing binary compilation the previous day. However, they thought those numbers were complete gibberish.
The professor did not answer but instead smiled and said a sentence in a foreign language: "Great works are built by countless effects." No one understood, so he translated the sentence for the students.
The professor announced to the students that the binary code they had ultimately produced the previous day was exactly that foreign sentence.
"Effects" sounds a bit odd here. Maybe it should be another word instead.
Haha, but their first reaction was one of shock—"None of us understood that language, yet we still completed the translation!"
The professor smiled and asked, "Do you still think your past selves from yesterday were game participants with independent thoughts?"
"I believe one of you made a small mistake," he added. "That phrase was actually meant to talk about 'efforts.'" Then, he turned and left the classroom.
...
Aleksei doesn't say anything more, while Hanying stays quiet. It's unclear whether she truly comprehends his intentions or not.
The governor leads his guest through lifeless streets into what appears to be a plaza.
Before they know it, they find themselves directly beneath the concrete base. Even when they look up, they can barely see the edge of the launch track at the top.
Aleksei brings the vehicle to a stop.
...Look, these are the foreign inscriptions imposed upon Aerospace City.
He stares at the magnificent structure in fascination, seemingly oblivious to his own injuries.
Ever since entering the city, it's as if his wounds have been healed by this place. He eagerly shows Hanying around this magnificent fortress, his enthusiasm evident in every gesture.
Looks like a takeoff runway... but this one's built for spacecraft the size of heavy starships.
Suddenly, she recalls the "Project Ark" files she once read in the Gray Tower's database.
The fusion-powered Dawn III spacecraft launched from Platform A31 of Aerospace City. After completing its assembly at the International Space Station, it gradually accelerated to near-light speed, venturing into deep space beyond the solar system.
However, the vanguard ship built by the Church was far more massive in both size and mass. With the space station long destroyed, there were no orbital transfer stations left to use.
To make the vanguard ship break free from the constraints of natural laws directly from the surface, a launch method of equal magnitude was required... And back then, what they planned to use was...
A magnetic accelerator track for spacecraft. Kowloong's codename for it was "Bifrost".
The researchers who relocated here carried out the Science Council's will, even as the world outside turned upside down, even as their dreams of reaching beyond the atmosphere faded into delirious whispers...
They continued their counting game without understanding its meaning. You see, they... are no different from the students unconsciously playing the role of computer components.
Ending the game is an act of mercy—especially for the mechanoids who've been playing along with them. We've given Bifrost a new meaning, in a much more efficient way.
Several transport vehicles are parked by the garage beneath the base. The drivers, shoulders slumped with exhaustion, hop down from their cabs and call out to their companions in the cargo holds to begin unloading.
This is the first time Hanying has seen humans since entering the city.
The cargo containers bear no markings, but they clearly aren't from within the city. Their shapes are too random and disorganized for a city built on standardized modular components. Yet these transport vehicles are identical to the one that carried her incubation pod.
This means the "key" is likely hidden among those cargo containers.
While mechanoids are confined to the city due to the Punishing Virus outside, humans remain unaffected by the virus that rages through circuits.
See? A perfect division of labor.
But they don't seem satisfied with that.
Their discontent is understandable. Give the starving bread today, and they'll demand steak tomorrow.
All the mechanoids want is a charging station—you can still be friends with them afterward.
The governor appears completely indifferent to how his fellow humans react.
Indeed, the workers maintain an understanding silence. Some occasionally cast surprised glances at Hanying, but quickly suppress their curiosity.
Is this what you meant by "the new meaning of Bifrost"... just endless labor to wear down human will?
...Of course not.
This magnetic accelerator track for spacecraft, Kowloong's "Bifrost"—its purpose extends far beyond just that.
He repeats his previous statement.
As for the rest... I'm sorry, but I cannot disclose any more details.
...
Everything encountered thus far has been nothing short of bizarre.
There are no awakened machines in the city, and even Aleksei, despite his composure, seems more like a masterfully crafted decoy.
The machines have already established their dominance, so what is the purpose of continuing to allocate resources to Bifrost?
(Could this all be her doing?)
As the vehicle turns another corner, she notices a massive dismantling device fixed into the wall at the center of the base pillar facing the plaza.
The dark brown bloodstains on the gray-white stones and iron walls are a jarring sight. She recalls the only mark time left on her old frame—the way the lone ship contained its passengers. But even the brutality of million-volt currents feels tame compared to the cruelty of the instrument before her.
Any functioning system requires reasonable rules to sustain itself.
Noticing Hanying's expression, Aleksei explains with calculated indifference.
A mechanoid from a passing formation suddenly comes to a halt in the plaza, despite there being no charging stations nearby.
Its mechanical frame is wrapped in spacesuit-like protective gear, with sensors completely enclosed within the helmet. An inscription on the helmet's crown appears to be its name: Dimitri.
The mechanoid turns toward the dismantling equipment, its upper body tilting forward in a measured arc.
That's...
She's about to conclude that she has discovered the singularity within this static realm.
The young man's brow furrows with irritation as he tries to dodge the question.
Just a common programming error.
At the summit of a towering spire overlooking the city, another witness observes this little ceremony in silence.
Her attitude toward that mechanoid borders on contempt.
Tsk. Just a lowlife's pathetic act.
Foundation Plaza
The eye-catching mechanoid slowly retrieves a withered branch and places it on the disassembly station's control panel.
Hanying recognizes the plant—it's black crowberry, an arctic perennial.
In the warmer eastern regions of Kowloong, its distant cousin is known as the azalea. While these flowers often carry messages of remembrance, they were never meant for mourning. Yet here, perhaps there is no other choice.
She poses no threat. No need to waste time on her—I'll handle this personally later.
Come see me.
The governor cups his ear, then forces his features into an awkward smile at Hanying.
I have matters to attend to. I'll take my leave now.
Feel free to use any repair stations and equipment you find in the city.
With that, he turns and leaves the plaza.
Hanying no longer needs this negligent guide either, as she has found a more crucial lead.
The previous Hanged Man must have truly "died," but... there are likely far more awakened machines in the city than anticipated.
There is no time.
As Hanying passes through the empty streets, she performs an infrared scan of the buildings. While these tomb-like structures appear as cold blue masses in the readout, the walls conceal countless heat signatures matching human silhouettes.
If guns and firearms could be detected as blurred crimson shapes too, there would hardly be any blue left to see.
How can a governor simply turn a blind eye to all this...
This seemingly lifeless city stands on the brink of being devoured by hellfire.
She must find the "key" Cervantes spoke of before everything comes to pass.
