Story Reader / Floating Record / ER07 Soaring Beyond / Story
An endless stream of notifications is flooding the screen of Celica's terminal in rapid succession.
But she has no time to process any of them.
The corridor outside the conference room is bustling with people. Celica weaves through the crowd and stops before an automatic door.
The sliding doors part silently. She takes a deep breath before stepping forward.
What's the status of the comms array? Have we established contact with Gray Raven?
Celica offers a quick salute before opening a message on her terminal. Having cross-referenced the data in the summary report, she delivers a less-than-optimistic answer.
We've locked onto the source of the high-energy signal, and the observation satellites have confirmed the exact coordinates of Aerospace City.
However... severe electromagnetic interference, presumably from the charging reactor, continues to affect the city and its surrounding areas.
We're having difficulty pinpointing the beacon of [player name], making communication impossible for now. However, we've received a brief report from them, which has been encrypted and forwarded to everyone's terminals.
Aerospace City... mechanoids... resistance...
Reduced to blood-red words, the brief mission report paints a picture of a snow-swept city at a distant outpost.
How far is the nearest Task Force squad from there?
According to reports from New Sophiasburgh, there are minefields on the outskirts of Aerospace City, and at least one-third of the city's defense facilities remain operational.
...
The meeting room falls into silence.
One hour earlier.
Unknown signal investigation in Aerospace City. Mission duration: <b>45:10:58</b>.
The sexagesimal digits cycle endlessly, the numbers on the leftmost side of the screen steadily climbing.
Forty hours have passed since Gray Raven's last mission report.
Surface control has confirmed with the Forest Guard that Gray Raven split up with them in the forest surrounding Aerospace City.
According to Rosetta's recollection, it should be around... this area.
He traces a circle the size of a coaster on the ancient map shared by Kowloong, then gently taps its center.
According to the field report, there appears to be no significant threat aside from the minefields and minor Hetero-Creature activities.
So... can we deploy a Task Force squad to investigate?
It's too risky. Aerospace City's defense systems are in the vicinity, and... we might provoke neighboring factions.
Have we gotten anything from analyzing those abnormal high-powered radio waves directed at Babylonia?
Not yet. It appears to be some form of encrypted message, but...
Just as Long is about to open another report, the display with the mission timer is suddenly flooded with crimson.
The white dot marking Gray Raven's position vanishes from the digital map. Not far away, ominous ripples begin to spread from a dark red mass between the contour lines.
Warning! Powerful reaction detected on ground level. Warning! Powerful reaction detected on ground level...
...?!
This intensity... Is it a reactor meltdown?!
Aerospace City is a metropolis built upon nuclear power, and its reactor is the only thing that can cause an anomaly of this magnitude within the mission area.
Asimov's fingers dart across the screen, swiftly pinpointing the source of the reaction on the map.
No one could have anticipated that Aerospace City would reveal its hidden coordinates in such a catastrophic way.
That's not right. The remote sensing satellites haven't detected any explosion, and the radiation levels in the area haven't changed...
The Kowloong researcher quickly shifts his focus to the data, dismissing what would have been the most intuitive conclusion.
A Hetero-Creature outbreak? But viral activities couldn't have generated such massive energy instantaneously.
Increasing ionization reactions... Obstructive interference...
That forest seems to be a bottomless void, ready to devour everything in its path.
Could it be...
A complex mix of emotions crosses his face as he turns to Asimov, carefully enunciating each word of his question.
Asimov, have you heard of a top-secret research project that Kowloong conducted in Aerospace City during the Golden Age?
That project's codename was...
"The bridge to heaven".
Parliament Hall
One hour and thirty minutes later
The dome casts an ethereal blue light across the chamber. This hall, which has determined humanity's fate countless times, resembles more of a gladiatorial arena—even down to its architecture.
I trust everyone has reviewed the mission briefing in the materials I sent in advance.
Tsiolkovsky Aerospace City—a place I'm sure everyone present is quite familiar with.
According to all available intelligence, Aerospace City has been occupied by mechanoids, and...
Ninety-seven minutes ago, we detected high-energy readings south of New Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula, and the energy signatures were consistent with a reactor charging for orbital operations.
These energy readings originate from a top-secret aerospace project that should have been abandoned after the virus outbreak—the magnetic accelerator track "Bifrost".
A brief wave of murmurs ripples through the hall before quickly being hushed into silence.
In other words, "Bifrost" is charging up and preparing for activation.
"Bifrost"? That's impossible...
Does it work on the same principle as a coilgun?
Although these council members may have non-military backgrounds, the battles Babylonia has faced thus far have made them acutely aware of potential threats.
As you can see, this is an attempt to enter Earth's orbit by an unknown force from the surface.
Bifrost... If used properly, its mass driver could indeed be utilized to launch a direct strike against Babylonia.
According to the report... Gray Raven is conducting reconnaissance in the vicinity?
We've failed to establish stable communications with Gray Raven so far. This mission report is all we've received from their end.
If we attempt a direct strike on Aerospace City from Babylonia...
Destroying the accelerator track would solve our immediate crisis, but do you really want to burn down the most advanced experimental cold fusion reactor from before the outbreak?
...
Even though we have the capability to replicate such a reactor, where would we find the manpower and resources to construct it?
Is it possible to attempt communication with those inside the city?
...Hold on.
Asimov receives a distinct alert on his terminal. Gesturing for silence, he opens the device and reviews the incoming data from the monitoring module.
The electromagnetic waves have temporarily ceased. It seems Bifrost's energy accumulation is under intermittent operation, and the reactor is beginning its cooling cycle.
We might be able to establish a brief communication window...
He connects his terminal to the holographic projector and opens the communication channel.
The councilors' discussion quickly subsides as everyone's attention returns to the hologram at the center of the hall.
While you rest, you make another attempt to contact Babylonia.
Your terminal is still picking up fragments of conversation, but they are just communications between the remaining resistance forces in the city and the sterile binary broadcasts from the mechanoids.
As for the colonial ship in orbit, Babylonia seems to be completely cut off by the electromagnetic interference field.
...Commandant! The signal seems to be coming back!
...This is... Sci... cil...
Babylon... Do you copy?
The final words suddenly cut through with perfect clarity—a young man's voice you know all too well.
Finally. The Parliament is holding an emergency session. Please report the situation at Aerospace City.
This is the Babylonia Parliament. We are currently holding an emergency session. Please report the situation at Aerospace City.
Bifrost has begun charging, and Babylonia has recognized the gravity of the situation. After establishing a stable connection on the secured channel, you briefly describe your encounters since you landed.
Asimov does not respond immediately. The channel is filled with what sounds like discussions in the Parliament, though their words are completely indiscernible.
While they need time to process this information, you also urgently require assistance.
After a brief commotion, Asimov's voice comes through from the other end.
The military will attempt to dispatch a Task Force squad to your location. We're currently confirming with the surrounding forces.
Is there something else?
Hanying? The Kowloong mechanoid that Gray Raven encountered during the Tabula Akasha incident?
That name is familiar... You mentioned her in your report after the Tabula Akasha battle.
Stay alert and be careful—
Your communication is once again disrupted by electromagnetic interference.
Without a mechanoid as a guide, it will take the reinforcement some time to clear the minefield even if they take our route.
You must find a balance in this chaos that minimizes the casualties before it is too late.
As Dimitri said, this ravaged city cannot endure another all-out war.
Science Council
Bifrost... I've only heard stories about it.
The ingenuity of humanity during the Golden Age is truly remarkable.
Such romantic and imaginative ideas could only have been transformed into magnificent structures during that era.
Come to think of it, that was humanity's last hope, wasn't it?
...
Asimov remains silent as he gazes at Earth through the porthole.
Awakened machines keep entering Aerospace City... Perhaps that is more alarming than the hastily activated Bifrost.
What kind of upheaval is taking place on the surface...
At some point in time, everything seems to have been spiraling toward an uncontrollable abyss.
