act46side

Save your suspense over victory or defeat for the next time we meet across the board.

Surface temperature, 17.8 degrees, stable.

Radioactivity index, 97.5, stable.

All indices within safe limits. Target is stable. Proceed with sampling.

By Kjeragandr... This really is something that fell from outer space. Didn't think we'd get to see it for ourselves.

By Kjeragandr indeed... Our Kjerag's been changing a little too fast, I feel like.

Hello? Elena, can you hear me?

How're you doing in there? Hunky-dory?

Ah... I don't... feel too great, honestly. This new model of power armor... Still not too used to it.

Everything's gone dark in here, I think I might have hit a power switch or something by accident... Wait, it's you, Director Muelsyse! You're blocking the camera!

Oopsies sorries!

Look, there's no need to be so nervous, most of the armor's functions are automated. Just imagine you're wearing a nice, thick hazmat suit.

Also, Nasti promised me this model has a hundred-percent reliable emergency eject function. It'll shoot you out to safety the moment it smells trouble.

It'll <i>shoot</i> me out?! What if I go too high or something—

No, this <i>really</i> isn't the time to worry about that.

Seriously, relax a little. This is your career's big moment, y'know, you should be enjoying it.

Alrighty then, all ready?

I've gotten this far...

Alright! Let's do this!

Deep within the mountains hides a clearing rarely set foot in by man.

The mysterious object that fell from the heavens lies in the center of the clearing. Surrounding it are countless probes and sensors, like some ancient altar.

Elena slowly moves the power armor forwards.

She can sense countless eyes boring holes into her even through the cockpit. Everyone awaits this historic first contact.

The irregular indigo object is right in front of her. Elena takes a few deep breaths, then slowly stretches out her hands.

The robotic arms make contact with it.

There is no explosion, or flash of light, or unexpected activity. It is like an ordinary handshake.

As gentle as a snowflake falling to the ground.

We've got the preliminary analysis of the sample, Chief Urbica.

What's it say?!

The results are really surprising...

We have no idea what seventy percent of its composition is. It's not any sort of material known to man.

But it seems like its structure has been severely damaged.

As for the remaining thirty percent, we're sure that...

There is fundamentally no difference between its main component and the somatic cells of Terra's Elves.

Did you say... Elves?

But why... would Elves come from outer space...?

It might be completely unimaginable, but based on what we've seen from the sample, the conclusion is clear.

If we're sure that this part of it is just like an Elf... then wouldn't the damage to its structure mean that it ran into some sort of danger before it fell...?

So this is the 'meteorite' you were looking for?

En—Saintess, what are you doing here?

Shh! Not too loud...

I snuck out of the Court. I could hardly miss the chance to see our guest from beyond the sky up close.

It seems... rather more dangerous than I imagined?

Unknown objects always have a certain amount of danger.

Its fall onto Kjerag, was it pure coincidence, or some sort of unexpected factor? Or to put it in another way, what sort of causal relationship does it have with Kjeragandr's dormancy...?

Right now, we don't even know where to start with our research.

The life of a scientist is bitter work indeed.

Oh? What is this screen for...?

That's a sonographic imager.

Based on our observations, this unknown object is constantly sending out a type of infrasonic wave.

It's very regular, always repeating across the same frequency band.

How curious... If it weren't for your explanation, I would have thought it was some kind of writing.

Writing...?

The shape of this frequency closely resembles ancient Kjerag symbols that were used to transmit information.

It's very simple, with an extremely limited vocabulary. It's mostly carved on rocks or trees, to inform your friends of the prey's location, or the movements of a fierce beast, that sort of information.

Hmm... The similarities are striking, now that I think more about it.

Enya! Can you read this language? Could you translate it?

Only somewhat. If you want to decipher it, I'll have to go back to the Hall of Writings to find <i>Memory and Symbols</i>—

I've got it here!

Huh?

When I snuck into the Vine-Bead Court, I scanned all the books they let you borrow the whole way through with my terminal, just in case... Aha, here!

I didn't think you would...

I'm begging you, Enya, please!

Alright... I'll give it a try.

Enya takes the terminal from Elena, and with some guidance, she finds the relevant text.

She looks at the diagrams in the ancient tome, writing out her translation in the snow with her finger.

<color=#000000>Destruction... has arrived</color>

Huh? What happened?

This is a place Kjeragandr prohibits anyone from setting foot. She won't let anyone through.

Look... it's that <@tu.kw>Saintess Statue</>. She uses <@tu.kw>it</> as a medium to repel intruders with <@tu.kw>Avalanches</>.

Just like earlier, <@tu.kw>Avalanches</> will occur, in the direction the <@tu.kw>Saintess Statue</> is pointing towards, <@tu.kw>pushing</> enemies with great force and dealing <@tu.kw>True damage</>.

All that just to drive some intruders away...?

Enemies need only stepping into the <@tu.kw>Avalanche Area</> to raise the <@tu.kw>Avalanche</> <@tu.kw>Warning Index</>, and the <@tu.kw>Saintess Statue</>'s <@tu.kw>SP</> increases too.

Once the Warning Index reaches a specific threshold, an <@tu.kw>Avalanche</> will occur.

There's a big guy over there headed our way!

Watch. The <@tu.kw>Avalanche</> <@tu.kw>Warning Index</> increases based on the <@tu.kw>intruding</> enemy's <@tu.kw>Weight</>.

The heavier an enemy when they step into the <@tu.kw>Avalanche Area</>, the stronger Kjeragandr feels their intrusion, and the higher the <@tu.kw>Avalanche Warning Index<@tu.kw> will climb.

I'll back you up!

The <@tu.kw>Avalanche Area</>'s flashing. An <@tu.kw>Avalanche</>'s about to strike!

Wha—What happened?!

Operators in an <@tu.kw>Avalanche Area</> will also increase the <@tu.kw>Warning Index</> and trigger <@tu.kw>Avalanches</>.

Triggering an <@tu.kw>Avalanche</> will also <@tu.kw>push</> Operators inside the <@tu.kw>area</> in the <@tu.kw>Saintess Statue</>'s pointing direction by one tile, and they also take <@tu.kw>True damage</>.

At least that was a <@tu.kw>deployable tile</> behind me. Were it <@tu.kw>not the case</>... I think I'd have taken <@tu.kw>even more damage</>.

No room to fall back... Mind your surroundings, and try your best to not trigger any more <@tu.kw>Avalanches</>.

We'll have to try and block enemies outside the <@tu.kw>Avalanche Area</> to keep Aurora safe.

Hm? I was hoping Kjeragandr could help us drive away our enemies.

From this position... concentrating our foes in the <@tu.kw>Avalanche Area</> could prove advantageous, don't you think?

Let's leave it to the Doctor to decide whether to keep the <@tu.kw>Avalanches</> coming or <@tu.kw>not</>.