act25side

Should we turn the place upside-down?

No, that'll take too much time, and draw the enemy's attention.

Can you locate it?

I need to borrow your neural-electricity stimulator.

Do you know how to use that?

I believe Rhine developed it.

There's no getting away from you people, is there? Give it to her.

Yes, sir.

Cranial-electricity will trigger resonance in the Transmitter inside me.

Resonance will also occur in any nearby Transmitter, strong enough for your sensors to detect.

Go on.

I-I got a reading! It's increasing in strength!

Increase output by ten percent.

Er...

Urgh... nngh...

Pre-epilepsy symptom! Should I take over? I have mech operating experience and long-range Arts Unit implants.

Her Transmitter is from Site 359. It's the only one that will work.

Pro... proceed.

I can take it.

We got a stable signal!

Coordinates have been synchronized to officer terminals, sir.

Good, we know where H.A.M.H.R.R. is now.

Proceed to the target ASAP!

Ngh... guh...

Handkerchief. Doubt you can even see through all that sweat.

Th-Thank you...

Director Jara... did the soldiers bother you?

Oh? No, just usual chit-chat.

Did you... say anything?

...Nothing.

The funny thing is, I don't even know anything. I know Kristen like Kristen knows me.

I didn't sign on to her adventure, and she refused to let me risk my remaining life for her.

Control is lucky to have you.

Lucky?

No, I don't think so, Silence.

When I look at Kristen, I don't see the inscrutable, dominating Control of Rhine... I only see a girl too proud to bow her head.

Maybe time stopped twenty years ago for both of us.

You mean... the day when Control's parents were killed in a flight test accident?

It was supposed to be a sunny, cloudless day.

Is it regret? Remorse?

Is it because I watched them fly to their end, because I didn't check their flight plan carefully—

Or because I didn't expect the government and capitalists would allow that sensitive little girl to become the target of all the attacks on her parents, in order to protect their name?

No, it's neither.

It was just one failure. Even if it was my only one, it should be nothing for an experienced agent.

But I could never forget the look in her eyes. That ball of fire falling from the sky continues to burn in her eyes.

It's appeared in my dreams on many a night.

I don't want to see it extinguished again.

You left the Maylander Foundation because of Control.

A scientist stops being a scientist when she develops an emotional attachment to her test subject, huh?

You, of all people, should understand.

I was never a mother.

But I have a child.

Gamma and Delta Squads in position, sir.

Everything looks normal with the target building. Scanning for potential hostiles...

Wait, is that... a Maylander drone!

So that's why the goddamned agents didn't show up. They were tracking our aircraft!

Why didn't they find out about the plate, then? Were they waiting for us to do our job, then pick up the scraps?

Maylander's eyes are everywhere.

Columbia has changed a lot in the past twenty years.

I used to protect people like the Wrights from conspiracy theorists and technophobes.

I suppose even the great Maylander can be wrong at times.

Look at the mad scientists out there, they're the greatest threat.

Message from Maylander, Colonel.

They're syncing the drone's data with us. Less than ten lifeforms within ten klicks of the target.

We had an elite squad keeping an eye on Kristen before she disappeared.

Are you telling me that a bunch of scientists and a few assistants took out an entire squad of commandos?

Maybe we went to the wrong place?

...No.

That's not impossible for the Control I know...

Keep your eyes open. Don't let your guard d—

What was that?

I think we just hit something, sir!

No, sensors aren't picking up anything.

I-It's wind! It's a wall of wind!

We can't maintain attitude!

Losing altitude! 500, 400, 350—

Out of my way! Give me the controls!

Th-That's the building's outer wall! We're gonna hit it!

First one.

What happened?!

That's the Colonel's aircraft! It fell into the buildings at 10 o'clock—Gamma Squad to the crash site, now!

Did the enemy come from the air? Why didn't we get any warnings from the Maylander drones?

No, we've lost all communications.

Maylander's eyes all went out at the same time?

Second one.

Total loss of communications with Maylander? This is FUBAR, isn't their shit supposed to be cutting-edge?

Large number of hostiles! Ten, eleven—no, more!

Ambush! Raise the Colonel!

There's too many of them!

Hold! Hold!

The Maylander douchebags said there were less than ten! Was the data wrong, or did they screw us?

Agh—!

It's not the data that's wrong.

Colonel! You're safe!

Form up.

Gamma and Delta, pull back and find cover. Have the power armor assault team move up.

Let everyone know—

We're facing the latest prototype unmanned power armor.

Third one.

The walls of the room block all screams, but the explosions can be clearly seen on the monitors.