act19side

Only Dorothy knows the exact location of the 'Hub.'

Could it really be that Dorothy destroyed the system she created herself...? Can she control this creation?

You can't imagine that, can you?

That's because you've never considered the possibility that Dorothy would inject herself too—That she would plug herself into that thing.

It's not like you saw her do it.

I didn't, but I know her.

Her heart lies with the Pioneers. For them, she would do whatever it took as many times as it took, without hesitation, and she'd choose to stop when and if it became necessary.

I have to find her.

Her research is more impressive than I imagined. Our experiment is not over yet—

What's going on? Where are the Defense personnel—

Director Clooney, the observation station's surrounded!

On whose authority...? No, it doesn't matter who they are. How did they find out about the site?!

Haha...

My Arts... Finally, it's enough for those control panels you use to disrupt communications. It did take me some time, so I've got to thank you for teaching me patience.

You did it right in front of me...

If you would just... pay more attention to what's going on around you and listen more carefully when you talk, you could've figured me out.

They're here, Director Clooney... Ugh!

Rhine Lab Energy Section Director, Ferdinand Clooney.

We have proof beyond a reasonable doubt that you have violated clinical laboratory regulations and have been conducting illegal experiments at this site.

Surrender immediately and order your subordinates to drop their weapons.

This is all just a misunderstanding. Please let me make a call.

Not exactly in accordance with procedure, but... knock yourself out.

The number's not in service...

Who do you work for? I need to talk to the colonel.

Look, I know a lot of colonels who run a lot of regiments. You want to be a little more specific?

Well...

There are countless weapons pointed at him.

The name is frozen on the tip of his tongue.

Suddenly, Ferdinand is relieved that he did not reveal the name to the crowd.

Pick up your comm.

It's me.

Hahaha...

I get it now, Kristen.

You won. Congratulations.

This was never about winning or losing, Ferdinand.

Your bet almost destroyed Rhine Lab.

Rhine...

I told you I would build the most fantastic laboratory in all of Terra here, and I did it.

I will ensure that the Rhine name lives on gloriously in the epoch to come.

And what about you? Do you really care about Rhine, Kristen?

You don't. You only want to burn all our efforts as fuel for yourself.

It's for Rhine's sake that you must be stopped...

Rhine Lab doesn't belong to you. It doesn't belong to anyone.

Ferdinand Clooney, you're too easily distracted. Rhine doesn't need an academic like you.

You came here just to fire me, Control?

I'm reminding you to make the smart choice.

You mean... accept your proposal to hire a top lawyer and use your relationship with the government to have me locked away in a state prison for two centuries?

How smart that would be.

Ferdinand—!

He... He killed himself?

*cough*... The floor structure here's broken through...

I think he might have escaped, ma'am.

It's a pain in the neck to catch these smartasses who make preparations in advance... but not like we had much of a choice.

After him. He won't get far without help.

It all turned out just as you wanted, Saria.

The situation has changed... thanks to the message you and Rhodes Island brought here.

Ferdinand failed, and you 'saved' Rhine Lab once again.

I should go.

Saria—

I don't remember everything that happened all those years ago.

I noticed that you've tweaked your Arts casting methods. The reconstitution effect your calcification has on matter particles is more complicated and intricate now.

You abandoned the formula that the two of us developed together in the early days.

Defense techniques that have been cracked have no value.

And I was the only one ever to crack calcification.

...Yes.

Goodbye, Kristen.

He hated these preparations.

After all, only losers have to resort to backup plans.

Ferdinand's laboratory has never needed so many plans. After all, he has always had a masterful control of the tides.

Many say that he is a capable businessman, but they don't understand.

He simply stays on the right path and marches on endlessly.

As long as you walk faster than anyone, money and attention will come pouring in.

And with these resources, he can walk faster and farther.

But...

Today, he has no choice but to walk this dark, narrow path. An escape route that he never seriously considered he would have to take.

There is someone waiting for him at the end of this path.

Why would anyone be waiting for him?

His coworkers, his family, Elena... None of them knew about his plan.

Aside from him, there should be no one who knows this place.

You're here at last, Ferdinand.

I've been waiting entire minutes.

Ho'olheyak.

I never expected... *cough*... that the last person to help me would be a mercenary.

Oh?

You aren't here to help me.

Then—Why not pull the trigger already?

Relax, Ferdinand. I'm not here to kill you either.

I'm not sure I believe that.

The colonel... The army wants me silenced. I'm sure of it.

And Kristen wants me locked up... I'd turn crazy like Loken Williams if I ended up in prison. Either that, or I would have to roll over and rot away as a corpse.

Mad scientists are hardly a strange sight here in Columbia, but it's not like the military or the government could shoulder the infamy that comes with sacrificing civilians in evil experiments.

I have no idea... how Kristen caught wind of what's going on in the site so easily or how she managed to convince the bureaucrats in the government in such a short amount of time...

Oh...

It's you.

You are no normal mercenary. You are a spy... Did the government send you? Who do you work for?

Shh, let's not waste our breath on all that.

In Columbia, men like you can't hide anything, not even escape routes that look so discreet on the surface.

He watches as the woman in front of him walks closer. A chill runs down his spine.

Not even the conversation he had with Kristen a few minutes ago made him despair.

Yet, right now, with the Liberi reaching her hand out toward him, an extreme pain rushes up from his stomach and claws at his throat—