act42side

You have determined that the momentous migration has come to a conclusion in reality.

That conclusion has been mapped onto the space you are in. The rift that looks as if it has been plowed open by a Catastrophe bisects the plaza in front of the Basilica. By the rift, there is an even more eye-grabbing pit.

Ugly scars in what should have been a city trapped in stasis.

The ring-shaped machine sits silently within.

Did the PCS system... crash?

You look at Priestess. She remains calm, as if she does not care about what has happened in the slightest.

You feel uneasy.

Analysis complete! Ten standard seconds ago, at least two massive explosions took place in the Basilica plaza.

I'm certain the instigators were Exusiai, Executor, and a silver-haired Sankta. The constant flickering of the freeze-frames by the explosion point are proof enough.

The programmatic bombs we helped Exusiai make worked.;The machine's structure shouldn't have been that weak.

We can't pat ourselves on the back just yet, Doctor!

(Priestess still hasn't made her next move.)

(We need a way to stop her from changing the situation, no matter what.)

You're right. Its structure would definitely have been able to withstand any attacks the angels can execute. It was designed to operate in even harsher environments, after all.

(Priestess should be able to reactivate it. We need to stop her from doing that.)

*sigh* Sorry, Doctor.

I should've come alone to carry out this mission. I never should've let you take on this risk—

You're used to standing in front of me by now, Mon3tr.

(Smile);Thanks.

Huh?

Things might not be as bad as you think.

I can verify Priestess's condition now.

Her... condition?

You walk past Mon3tr toward Priestess. Mon3tr immediately tenses up, and she pulls on your arm.

Doctor!

Don't worry.;Trust me.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she lets go, but decides to stick close to you as you walk ahead.

You stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Priestess.

This city's scars are rather inharmonious.;You've allowed these redundant parameters to mix with your data.

These unremarkable strings ultimately caused the entire program to crash, {@nickname}. There is no guaranteeing a language will operate in eternal perfection.

I know what you want to say. Even Originium, the language we created together, has limitations.

It needs more time to adjust and iterate.

Sometimes I cannot help but wonder if what is truly stopping Originium from reaching perfection is not a design flaw... but us.

Human emotion and reason are both able to fetter the development of a language.

We debated this several times during the creation process, but there was never a clear winner.

Luckily, we both accepted that this uncertainty exists within Originium.

...I don't understand your meaning.

Has memory loss affected your ability for divergent thinking?

I'm glad to see you so perplexed, though. It is a marked difference from how I used to communicate with {@nickname}.

'Perfection' implies a strict upper bound. 'Flaw', on the other hand, means we still have the chance for a breakthrough. This was {@nickname}'s stance on the matter.

When the crisis we must resolve is still inexplicable, chasing perfection will only lead us to our graves.

No, this has nothing to do with the current circumstances.

You... can't change this situation.;This is different from our first encounter on the deck.

When did you figure it out?

Just now.

...You could have stopped the programmatic bombs from detonating.;...You could have used Originium to close the rift.;...You could have left the saints trapped in the maze.

It would have been easy for you to do that.;It's like when you awakened and ruined Rhodes Island.

You didn't eliminate Mon3tr and me from the get-go.

You've got problems of your own.

That much is obvious, {@nickname}.

But only now have you mustered up the courage to stand by me.

I had hoped the one standing by my side could have peacefully shared in the solitude that took root deep in our thoughts, during our long hibernations.

It's a shame you can't do that.

We are not as we were in the past. Far too much has happened since, has it not?

You really haven't hid anything from me.;You're more like a... riddle.

Still curious about me?

This 'Mon3tr' no longer has any limitations on her. She can clear up some of your confusion.

You fear {@nickname} will learn the truth, AMa-10?

To be honest, I would much rather {@nickname} come to me in person, like earlier.

My days in the sarcophagus were excruciating. It was as if my thoughts were floating through a fetid morass, wherein I lost all sense of the flow of time.

My only consolation was the never-ending loop of debates seared into our minds, though not to reassure me of our shared vision.

I have never once doubted my path.

Through 'debate', I got my only chance to communicate with a certain someone again—

......;I—

I'm not demanding you understand everything on my mind right away. Before the final day comes, you can continue to walk the path you believe in.

Our disagreements are destined to continue, even if you no longer remember that one's reasons for disagreeing with me.

I look forward to seeing how your beloved Terra can prove to me that your struggle still has some value... the way the people of Laterano just did.

But there is something else I am equally certain of. Oracle <i>will</i> return.

So, {@nickname}, I will wait for you.

As she looks out at the city devoid of life, she sighs.

At times, I think they are far too like us. If you had enough time, perhaps...

She begins to fade away.

Ah, yes, I can indeed restore AMa-10.

If you are determined to see it done, make a wish to Originium, {@nickname}.

I will hear your voice.

Priestess vanishes without a trace—your target is gone.

There is only silence, absolute silence. You and Mon3tr are the only ones left trapped inside this colorless ghost town.

She's gone...

Umm... I guess that's it, then?

Perhaps.

The Sanktas resolved their crisis by themselves.

I've also confirmed Priestess's current condition.

Her loss of control over Originium is more serious than we thought.

That's really important information, Doctor!

While we can't be sure how long she'll need to get back to normal, at the very least, we have a chance to stop her.

Oh, right, she mentioned... Kal'tsit... earlier...

I don't trust her, Mon3tr.;We shouldn't wish upon Originium, even if it's for Kal'tsit.

I know. I don't approve of using her methods to bring back Kal'tsit either.

She inflicted grievous wounds on Rhodes Island and Laterano. Every time she appears, she drops something mind-blowing on us, and then points toward some even more unknowable crisis... I don't understand her at all.

We've been researching a long time now.

We have our own methods.

We're going to be setting out on a really long road, aren't we?

You finally notice what's odd about Mon3tr. Your enemy has retreated, the crisis has passed, but the young woman, normally so lively and energetic, does not smile like she usually does.

She even looks somewhat solemn.

Mon3tr hasn't been reconstructed for very long. You still haven't gotten completely used to her new appearance, nor has she had the time to adapt to the changes in her body, or the loss that cut her to the bone.

But she has been thrown into mission after mission far too quickly. Rebuilding Rhodes Island, saving Laterano... Perhaps it has taken up until now for her to finally have the chance to speak her mind.

No need to be so pessimistic, Mon3tr—;Don't give up, Mon3tr—

I'll bring back Kal'tsit!

I'll also protect Amiya, and you too!

Mon3tr looks up at you all of a sudden, interrupting your train of thought.