Story Reader / Floating Record / ER08 The Long Goodbye / Story
The battle-scarred Construct stands atop their M.I.N.D., gazing down at the vast expanse of memory data below.
This place... this is where he first found them, all those years ago. The memories come flooding back.
At that time, I did find those missing kids.
It's nothing like the simulations in my memory data.
This wasn't some classroom quiz with multiple choice answers. There were no do-overs.
I...
He draws a long line across his chest, a grim reminder of the endless struggle ahead.
I witnessed everything.
At first, I found some refugees hiding in a shipping container... I decided to evacuate them first.
By the time I got there, only one survivor remained.
I was also attacked by the Corrupted, left lying on the ground for... I can't remember how long. Fortunately, Thompson found me in time.
Thompson and I found Euan, but his frame was severely damaged. We had to perform emergency treatment while waiting for Babylonia to evacuate him for intensive care...
But Euan pushed me away.
Vital fluid soaks through Wanshi's artificial hair at the back of his head—the attacking Corrupted had inflicted a severe wound.
Even though this is his long-desired "second chance", even though he returns to the battlefield as a Construct this time, his injuries are still just as severe.
...
Wanshi takes down the nearest Corrupted with his gun and opens the door.
I choose to believe in what my fallen comrades said... There must be more people, more Constructs out there who need me...
In the end, I only found a handful of kids.
Behind the door, a dimly lit room reeks of blood. Huddled beneath a military cot, the children stare at them with wide, terrified eyes, clutching medicine boxes like lifelines.
You... Huff...
It's safe now. It's safe. Come to me, everyone.
A few children crawl out from under the cot, clinging to Wanshi like frightened animals. They keep glancing nervously at the doorway, expecting more of those Corrupted to burst in at any moment.
Why did you stay hidden... Why didn't you evacuate with the others?
Suddenly, a child lets out a heart-wrenching wail.
No... They left in such a hurry, they left so many medicines behind!
W-we fought as hard as we could to protect the medicine... But those things chased us here... Nathan told us to hide, and he... look at him now...
The boy points towards the corner. Huddled amongst the terrified children, Nathan sits alone. The Punishing Virus has ravaged his body, and blood pools around him on the floor.
...
Wanshi immediately lifts the children's clothes. He spots several infected wounds and quickly tears open his first-aid kit. Ignoring their frightened cries, he swiftly injects them with the life-saving serum.
Oh, kids...
The refugees erupt in a wave of emotion, their voices rising in a chorus of fury.
Was it really worth putting so many lives at risk for a few boxes of medicine...
You prioritized finding these stragglers... but what about us? We were trapped in those containers, desperate for rescue, and no one ever came...
No... We were just...
We were already stretched too thin to help anyone else... we couldn't even save those right in front of us.
And look where that got us! Everyone in those containers is dead... except me.
Enough with the complaining! We all made sacrifices...
We saved nothing and wasted a ton of resources. How are we supposed to evacuate now... Ugh!
They weren't just "wasted resources."
A metallic hand clamps down on the refugee's flailing arm.
You mean, "our fallen comrades".
...!
Shorthalt's gaze sweeps across everyone present, finally resting on Thompson. He takes off his mask.
Kamui managed to evacuate a group of stragglers. How many casualties did your squad suffer?
Only Wanshi and I remain. Euan is gone... This is his nameplate. Wanshi found it.
Shorthalt takes the scorched nameplate and pins it to his chest.
Let's get these kids out of here! More of those things are coming.
The boy who had been wailing earlier chokes back his sobs. The other children, frightened by the argument and the heavy tension outside, huddle closer behind Wanshi.
He won't chew you out. No need to be scared.
Doctor... are you angry with us too?
A little girl cautiously offers Wanshi a small medicine box, the surface damp from her sweaty palms.
Doctor, do you think we did enough?
Wanshi's hands suddenly freeze in the middle of bandaging.
Why?
Nathan told us these meds were precious... You left them behind, but we remembered his words and protected them... Did we do the right thing?
Can we go to Babylonia now? Will we find families there?
