He's dead. It's a suicide.
President Hassen's status?
I'm patching him up, but he's still out cold.
Damn it, don't tell me it's internal bleeding...
The door bursts open as medic stationed at Command Central rush into the office.
Where's the patient? What's his condition?!
Over here! The external wounds are handled.
Good work. Thank you. I'll take over from—
Wait.
A hand blocks the medic's movement, its touch icy. Only then does she notice the chill in his tone.
All further actions will be conducted under the "watch" of the Purifying Force. The situation is exceptional. I trust you understand.
Hey, come on...
Though his words offer an apology, his attitude is rigid and imperious, leaving no room for argument. The baseless accusation instantly inflames the medic.
What are you implying? That I would hurt the President?!
As I said, the situation is exceptional. We must be cautious.
I am eliminating all potential threats.
The two other Purifying Force members silently shift their positions.
Listen, you heartless bastard! Do what you have to, but let the medic examine President Hassen now!
...You heard him.
Right, thanks for wasting precious time!
The medic quickly moves forward to examine Hassen.
It's a ruptured spleen—hemorrhagic shock. We can't treat this here; we need to get him to the Star of Life, now!
She retrieves a collapsible stretcher from her kit, unfolds it, and lays it beside Hassen.
Give me a hand!
Issarius and Crowe step forward, carefully transfer Hassen onto the stretcher, and secure him in place.
When we move him, make sure to keep—
RUMBLE—
A deep, massive rumble rolls through the room, seeming to originate from some impossibly distant core.
It's followed immediately by a violent tremor that shakes the very foundations.
The medic stumbles, but Crowe is there in an instant, grabbing her arm to steady her.
A coffee cup crashes to the floor, its contents splashing like a brown stain across the tiles. Nearby, Yan Zhen's wheelchair lies toppled, his corpse slumped beside it like a discarded doll. No one spares him a glance anymore.
What the hell... is this...?
An even more deafening alarm erupts, blaring throughout the entirety of Babylonia.
Babylonia is falling?! You've got to be kidding!
Help...
For a fleeting moment, perhaps shaken by the violent tremor, his consciousness flickers back to life.
President!
Help me... contact [player name]... go find Teddy...
Hassen's grip is a painful iron clamp on Crowe's wrist, despite the severity of his injury.
Everything... depends on it!
The words hang in the air as Hassen, finally succumbing to exhaustion, slips back into unconsciousness.
The group exchanges bewildered glances.
Let's get the President to the Star of Life first. We will contact the Gray Raven Commandant en route.
Just then, Hassen's terminal buzzes.
...
Crowe picks up the terminal and answers the call. It's Nikola.
Crowe? And Issarius? Where's Hassen?
Hassen was shot by Yan Zhen? Inside Command Central? Of all times!
A tense silence falls as everyone waits for Nikola's next words.
...
[player name]... Teddy...
A vein pulses on Nikola's forehead, betraying his fury.
He clenches his jaw, wrestles the emotion down, and exhales the tension from his body.
Issarius, get President Hassen to the Star of Life.
Your primary objective is to protect the President's life. Move out. Now.
Roger that.
As Purifying Force members swiftly evacuate with Hassen on a stretcher, Nikola strides briskly into another vehicle, his face a mask of cold severity.
Back to Command Central.
Nikola's expression is characteristically calm, a perfect mask of composure during the private transport from the residential district to Command Central.
But his fingers, drumming a silent rhythm against his arm, betray the concern he refuses to show—a rare habit that signals deep thought and inner turmoil.
He understands the gravity of their situation perfectly, yet he cannot afford a hint of alarm; Babylonia needs a steady hand at the helm.
Mentally, he runs through every possible scenario, from best-case to worst, calculating survival rates against potential sacrifices with clinical precision.
Then, the distinctive chime of Asimov's private channel cuts through the blaring alarms, a surprisingly welcome sound. For the first time, Nikola allows himself to hope it brings salvation.
How's everything looking?
We've yet to determine the Punishing Virus' point of entry, but Gestalt was clearly the primary target.
Gestalt initiated its defense protocols in time and has completed a full shutdown, containing the contamination. I've severed all power connections; the threat from that vector is neutralized, for now.
However, Babylonia has already begun its descent. The situation remains critical.
With Gestalt offline, we must shut down the engines manually. Any attempt to force-activate the computing facilities would risk renewed contamination.
You told me that Karenina was already en route to the brake room to handle the shutdown.
That's the problem. At her pace, she should have completed it by now. The system shows no change.
Something is impeding her progress. And we are rapidly running out of time.
I'll deploy all available Task Force units for backup immediately.
I'll work on isolating the Punishing Virus to bring Gestalt back online. Without its systems, regaining control of Babylonia will be nearly impossible.
What are our chances of success?
Minimal. But we have no other choice.
...Then track Teddy's signal on the surface and transmit the coordinates to [player name].
Monitor the exact moment Babylonia reaches Earth's gravitational capture threshold. Keep me updated in real-time. I need to coordinate the full evacuation.
...Understood.
Nikola's mind is a whirlwind of data streams and mission directives all the way to Command Central.
He is so consumed that his physical arrival at the office barely registers. Command Central, however, reacts instantly to his presence with a collective, audible sigh of relief.
Commander, all Task Force units near the main engine control room have received their orders.
That's not enough. Patch me through to all military personnel.
All of them?
All of them.
In that single moment, Nikola's transmission cuts through everything, reaching every soldier across Babylonia. Regardless of branch—Task Force, Engineering, Support, or Purifying Force—and whether they are hunkered down in shelters or deep in active operations, the message finds them.
****, engine output is still dropping—
Did you run the diagnostics on Section C7? Could it be that the—
BZZZZT—
...That's coming from Command...
Their heads lift in unison, gazes pulled to the intercom speakers overhead.
This is Nikola. Babylonia is projected to reach Earth's gravitational capture point in three hours and twenty-seven minutes.
Evacuation vessels are located on both sides of each level. You may proceed to these vessels for protection.
Or, you can remain at your posts and assist Babylonia.
Task Force units will immediately coordinate emergency repairs across all departments. If you choose to stay, remain at your current position. They will assign you duties accordingly.
We stand with you. Babylonia stands with you.
The broadcast is brutally short, devoid of any pleasantries. Classic Nikola.
Huh... we actually have evacuation vessels? How come I never knew?
A place this big would obviously have contingencies... Hey, aren't you going to one?
What's the point? I'm staying right here. What about you?
...Sector C7 inspection complete. No anomalies. Proceeding to C8.
The same resolve echoes through nearly every sector of Babylonia.
Countless sparks are rushing to the frontlines.
Nikola switches to a private communication channel.
This is the situation. [player name]?
From inside the transport returning from conservation area 368, a human voice answers, sharp and unwavering.
Asimov has sent Teddy's coordinates to your terminal.
I believe the quantum supercomputer is the key to this crisis. It might be able to serve as our contingency plan if Gestalt cannot be rebooted.
Go and find Teddy. I'm counting on you to handle things from there.
One more thing...
Not a mission. An order.
If the worst should happen, you are forbidden from returning to Babylonia.
This is an order. Your only duty is to obey it. Nothing else matters.
For humanity to endure, we must preserve whatever spark of civilization remains.
...
The commander has no time to ponder, offering only a fleeting glance at the communication feed.
Good. Now go. Forge a path for humanity's hope.
Nikola cuts the transmission.
Ugh, they just keep coming.
Lee dispatches another wave of helpless Corrupted before him, frustration bleeding into his voice.
Any one of these low-level enemies is trivial to him or Lucia, but they are being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, their progress completely halted as they are trapped in a grueling stalemate.
Lee, find an opening and break through. I'll cover the rear.
At least one of us needs to get through to provide backup.
That's not gonna work. I've already tried. They're reinforcing their line faster than we can advance.
We're trapped in the inner ring. A solo breakthrough is not feasible.
Gestalt is still offline, and Babylonia is deep in chaos. The engine control room is likely a disaster zone, and they're the only ones close enough to provide backup.
But now, they're pinned down by monsters at the very entrance.
They can't call for backup; no one else would make it in time. They have to break through, and they have to do it now.
HEY!! OUTTA THE WAY!!
His rough voice is a split-second warning before the attack. Lee senses the approaching presence from behind and dodges aside just as Noctis strikes down the Hetero-Creature about to ambush him.
Noctis gazes with satisfaction at his fallen trophy, but in that moment of triumph, the hunter becomes the hunted. Another Corrupted lunges—and is struck down by a different attack before Noctis can even turn.
Noctis. Careless.
#@&%*—?! Who're you calling careless?!
Save your breath, Noctis. Use it to kill more of the Hetero-Creatures.
Are you two alright?
We're fine. Thanks!
Other squads are en route. Those performing frame calibration or repairs are focused on civilian evacuation.
The alert level has been raised again. We're running out of time. We'll hold this position; you proceed to support the Engineering Force in the brake room.
Roger.
Ugh, just die already!!
With a furious roar, Karenina hammers her weapon into the advancing Corrupted. Of all the times for them to swarm in, it has to be now—she's only managed to shut down a single engine.
Now, locked in combat, she's trapped, unable to break away and complete her mission.
What the ****! Get away from that, you piece of trash!
Karenina spins on her heel, her fist connecting with the Corrupted behind her in a crushing blow. They have already shattered several components. She knows that if they compromise the core systems, the damage will be irreversible, even for her.
*%#!!
Karenina sees another Corrupted beginning to sabotage the distant equipment. With her path blocked by countless enemies, she knows she won't be able to reach it in time.
Karenina!
Karenina's gaze locks onto Lee and Lucia a short distance away, just as they manage to breach the emergency brake room.
Hurry!! Take down that piece of junk next to you before it wrecks the equipment!
Lucia instantly processes the warning and takes down the rampaging Corrupted.
We're coming to assist you.
Don't! Get to the engines on the left and shut them down first! They're more important than I am right now!
Quick! Babylonia is already in a nosedive!
Lucia and Lee share a single glance of understanding before splitting up to silence the remaining engines.
With her concerns momentarily alleviated, Karenina unleashes her full power, a whirlwind of destruction against the Corrupted. The cacophony of battle—the shrieks of dying machines and the groan of failing engines—swells and then, one by one, fades into an eerie silence.
Faster. They need to move faster. They must stop this fatal fall before it passes the point of no return.
We're almost at critical altitude!! HURRY!
Got it!!
With the final Corrupted dispatched, Karenina rushes to aid in the engine shutdown. It's a race against time, but their combined efforts prevail. One by one, Babylonia's great engines fall silent.
The immediate, violent descent has been stopped, pulling Eden back from the brink and granting them a temporary lifeline.
Yet, a deeper dread persists. The underlying threat remains unchecked. Babylonia is still a bullet aimed at Earth, carried by its own inertia, and a single moment of lowered guard could still mean catastrophe.
What's next?
We need to manually redirect the engine thrusters. We can't leave Babylonia dead in the water. Once the orientation is corrected, we can restore power. Only then will both Babylonia and Earth be safe.
We're short on manpower here. I'll get more help.
Fine, go. Let's just hope nothing else goes wrong...
HISSSSS!!
Lee is nearly at the brake room entrance when a Hetero-Creature lunges at him. There's no time to determine its origin. In one fluid motion, he evades and eliminates the threat.
Dammit, this is endless!!
We keep fighting!
Roger that.
Hey! Can any of you reach Teddy?! Asimov says we'll need her to restart the engines later!
No sooner have the words left her mouth than Karenina spins around, delivering another devastating blow to a Corrupted she had just driven back.
When the hell will these damn things stop coming?!
