Day 4
Morning arrives, but the simulated sunlight that usually gently wakes everyone doesn't appear. The air inside the eco garden becomes humid as the cold rain rages on, accompanied by the rumbling thunder.
Yet none of this disturbs Kamui, who is sleeping soundly in the special room.
That is until—
CRACK—
He hears a thunderclap right above his head, and the entire eco garden's floor trembles with its deafening boom. Kamui jolts awake in response.
What the—
Startled awake by the noise, Kamui scans the entire room. There's no sign of you in the darkness. He wonders if you're still outside.
Just as Kamui ponders your whereabouts, he receives a communication from you.
[player name], what was that noise just now? An explosion? Or are we being attacked by Corrupted?
Roger that! I'll meet you in the residential hall!
Kamui instantly grasps the gravity of the situation solely from your words.
The moment the call ends, Kamui bolts from the room, leaving only a gust of air to slam the door shut behind him.
The two meet in the eco garden's hall, both looking up at the dome overhead.
Storm clouds gather, blanketing the entire sky in an eerie purple-black. Massive bolts of lightning writhe like frenzied silver serpents through the clouds, occasionally striking the already unstable shield.
This is terrifying... [player name], impact from a thunderstorm of this severity will definitely overwhelm the eco garden's current defenses.
We need to find that butler robot right away and reinforce the eco garden's defenses!
Without sparing a moment, you summon the butler robot and explain the situation. After learning the details, the butler falls into deep calculation.
What do you think, [player name]?
Butler! It's an emergency! The thunderstorm's intensity is exceeding our predicted levels!
The garden's current defenses won't be enough to withstand a storm of this magnitude. We need to strengthen the defenses immediately!
The antenna on the butler robot's back stops spinning as its flickering monocular eye turns toward Kamui, whose face is uncharacteristically solemn.
Extreme weather event detected. Considering current meteorological conditions, current defenses are insufficient... Evaluating energy allocation request...
In that moment, a blinding white light, more intense than anything before, instantly floods the entire eco garden, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
Following it is an ear-shattering crash, as if the world itself is collapsing—a frenzied bolt of lightning pierces through the dome's weakened energy barrier and directly strikes the garden's power control center...
Warning...! War... ning...
The light in the butler robot's eye flickers weakly a couple of times, as if it is struggling to stay alive before turning off completely. It topples forward, collapsing stiffly to the ground.
The entire eco garden goes dark within moments, leaving nothing but red emergency lights and wailing alarms with the two. The protective dome overhead flickers briefly before vanishing completely, exposing its cold metal framework and transparent panels.
[player name], the thunderstorm just caused a complete power outage in the garden.
But we don't have the necessary permission...
In just a few brief exchanges, you and the construct formulate a new plan, your next target being the energy control center.
Without the force field's protection, the bone-chilling cold instantly invades. Plip, plop—the cold rain mixed with ice shards now forces its way through damaged ventilation shafts, crashing down onto the eco garden floor.
Darkness, panic, unease... Along with the rain comes the return of sensations these refugees had hoped to leave behind forever.
[player name]! What's happening?! Why is the power out? And this rain... how is it getting inside?
Behind Luke, other refugees rush out with terrified expressions. Upon seeing the collapsed butler robot and the leaking rain, the crowd begins to stir with panic.
Oh no! The crops! The barrier's gone—that means the seeds we just planted yesterday...
Bernie's expression suddenly changes as he tries to rush outside, but Kamui blocks his way.
Our home...
What's happening now?!
The weather is too dangerous right now! It's not safe for any of you to go outside!
But...
Kamui, what's... really happening here?
Listen up, everyone! A thunderstorm is moving through and the garden's protection isn't strong enough... Nobody's leaving the building! Stay in the residential zone—the insulation is better in here!
Bernie, help Luke keep everyone calm! Everyone else, gather up all the emergency supplies!
Luke nods firmly and grabs Bernie's arm as he tries to rush outside.
Don't be foolish... Trust [player name].
Everyone, calm down! Follow [player name]'s instructions... We'll get through this crisis!
[player name]... We don't have much time. It's our turn now.
[player name], Kamui, please be careful out there.
As long as I'm here, I won't let anything happen to [player name].
After giving your final instructions, you and Kamui put on basic protective gear before dashing into the cold curtain of rain.
Please... come back safe.
The two of you force open the doors to the energy control center. You're greeted by complete darkness, broken only by the crossing beams of your flashlights.
The air reeks of burnt circuits. The massive control center now resembles a great tomb, utterly lifeless.
