Глава 14

Hey, that thing in front of us, the 'tree' root, don't you guys think it looks like a tower?

You noticed it the moment you stepped atop the deck.

It stands tall in the middle of your field of vision, uniting the golden sea with the quiet sky above, yet not fitting in with either.

Is it really a tower?

It is taller than anything you can imagine.

Why is there a tower here in the Originium sea, where everything ends in stasis?

The answer springs forth unbidden.

...Babel.

The airship's goal was here all along.

She must be on top of the tower, guiding the myriad souls!

Indeed. She is waiting for us.

That tower is our only beacon in this featureless ocean.

All the answers we seek are where we started.

We will climb Babel and face her.

And then...

Amiya.

Yes?

I'd say I'm pretty clear-headed right now.

Making it all the way here... There's no way that I haven't figured out what I want to do.

There's still lots of people on the outside fighting their asses off. If we weren't so quick on the draw, I think we'd be seeing a few more familiar faces here among the dead heroes.

Hey, old hag, bring your little monster out to help us!

It's gonna be pretty rough, the way we're headed.

I... cannot do that. Mon3tr is unable to appear here, and I do not wish to arouse any unnecessary attention.

Grrr, another one of those reasons that you don't want to talk about?

Dr. {@nickname}, I am severely limited by the environment here, but it should have no influence on you.

I will need you to move the ship.

I've never really taken the helm before.;This is the deck, not the bridge...

You need not worry.

The heading of this Rhodes Island does not depend on your skill at the helm, nor on any machine or energy generator.

We are within Originium.

You will have noticed by now that you hold special significance to Originium. The reverse is very much the same. It is equally as irreplaceable to you.

I thought I wasn't supposed to know this.;I thought you wouldn't tell me this.

My silence has many reasons.

Frankly speaking, I still have reservations on whether or not I should be helping you retrieve this knowledge.

Because of the things I've done in the past...

I understand now.;You said that you hate me.

Hate, torment, anger. I cannot deny it.

At the time, I did not only lose Theresa.

I also lost someone that I once hoped I could trust.

...Me.;You felt disappointed.

I was very disappointed... in myself.

I was not completely aware of your 'changes'. Or rather, my preparations were insufficient to reverse the outcome.

We were able to glimpse the first rays of light of our goal, but Theresa's sudden departure extinguished the flame.

Once more we are plunged into deepest night. If we do not make the right choices this time, the darkness will be eternal.

Maybe you shouldn't be trusting me again.

...No. I should trust you.

I did worry that if I allowed you to regain your memories regarding Originium... it might bring about unforeseeable changes.

But over and over, you showed proof to me, to Amiya, to everyone, that my worries were unfounded.

The only thing I can say for certain is that we walk the same path. From Chernobog to Londinium, your experiences and your emotions have shaped who you are today.

And now—

You protected us, saved us from being devoured by the Originium and turned into complex flows of information.

You made Rhodes Island appear, and have afforded us the opportunity to continue on in this stillness.

Dr. {@nickname}, show us the way out, and find the right path for yourself.

The direction that our future takes, where Rhodes Island heads next... It is all up to you now.

Alright.;...;I knew that all along.

Rhodes Island—

Advance.

You feel the movement of the ship beneath your feet.

Passing through the Originium sea. Passing through the army of the myriad souls.

The tower gets ever closer.

Why's the sea so choppy all of a sudden?

The myriad souls are affecting the surrounding environment.

The Assimilated Universe... is no longer stable.

It's hard to move any further.;The deceased Sarkaz are blocking our way.

The myriad souls are angered.

They... They're all looking this way.

Sure, let them gawk.

They can watch me step on their heads! Gonna run right over them!

A great wave resembling a palm swats at the tiny Rhodes Island.

W grins and laughs.

She takes a running leap into the wave.

W!

W disappears into the maelstrom in an instant.

But in the next, her laughter rings from within the golden mist.

Haha! I knew it!

That thing isn't part of the Originium sea! I can blow it open!

I never thought—I would get to open up—

BABEL!

The sounds of destruction ring out, from quiet cracking to roaring collapse.

The great pillar to the sky should not have been damaged by such tiny bombs, but some of its roots peel back, hanging down towards the miniscule people aboard the ship, providing a route from the deck to the base of the tower.

Let's go! Quickly!

You climb the fallen structures with all haste.

To your surprise, the white material feels soft and pliant, almost like some sort of... cloth.

Amiya—

Up here!;I've got you.

Amiya touches the 'roots' lightly.

In an instant, countless hands stretch towards her. From the sea, from atop the tower, from the void.

Close your eyes, Amiya.

Close your eyes...

The King spurs them, the King drives them, the King enslaves them.

The King rules us, the King leads us, the King inspires us.

You have arrived.

You are among us.

The myriad souls...

The Originium sea is close to boiling.

The myriad souls thirst for the King of Sarkaz. The myriad souls wish to force the King of Sarkaz to stay.

Go on ahead, Amiya.

Go and see Her Highness. Obtain the answers you seek, and overcome them.

Logos...?

I also miss Her Highness.