Глава 16

This is what we feared the most...

The Kolossal Prime Vein is drying up.

The rumors we heard, that Ursus is accelerating the extraction of Originium... it's all to hide the exhaustion of the ore vein.

It began here in the northmost parts of Ursus, and it will only accelerate.

Within four months, the Originium deposits in Ursus will drop to thirty percent of previous levels.

This is the real reason why the Grand Duchess put the mining district on lockdown.;They can't hide it forever.

You did not need to ask the question. One gaze exchanged with Mon3tr, and both of you have the same name in mind.

The only one who could have done this—

Priestess.

There's no one else.

Why would she do this?

The exhaustion of the ore vein cannot be stopped or reversed.

Ursus will collapse.

Not just Ursus.

Exhaustion on such a scale will have ramifications across Terra.

Is this what she's after?

I have an idea!

Oka is also a relic of the old civilization... a by-product of your experiments.

If she caused the exhaustion of the ore vein, then there might be some useful information left within.

See if you can read it.

How would I...?

Our means are limited. You'll have to insert your hand, like I did when I collected the sample.

Don't worry, it won't harm you.

Following Mon3tr's instructions, you crouch down and immerse your hands into the liquid Oka.

You wait.

You do not feel any different.

You await some kind of change, or response, like the 'miracles' that happened so many times before.

Nothing happened.

The product of a previous civilization seems to reject you, denying your connection to it.

Could it be that it has already lost its ability to hold information?;Or perhaps, she had no intention of leaving any information to us.

It's possible.

Mon3tr! Doctor!

Come! I found something!

There's a hole behind the waterfall. When I climbed up and stood there—

I heard a sound of an unusual frequency from the cave. It didn't seem natural—no, it definitely isn't natural!

It's like... it's trying to communicate some sort of information through audio waves!

Huh?

Let's check it out.

This is—

This space was hidden behind the waterfall?

It's... impressive.

Listen carefully to the sound of the liquid impacting the rocks! Some of the sounds are of a particular frequency, like it's trying to draw attention to itself. It's very different, and you can definitely tell.

I tried to decipher the ones I heard. It took a while to record the various pitches—

There! Did you hear that?

All I hear is the rain! I can't even hear you speak—

Doctor?

You close your eyes and allow yourself to be immersed in sound.

Until you identify the sound that is constantly changing in frequency.

I...

I hear it.

—Did you say you hear it—

The sound rushes into your consciousness. Sometimes it is formed from several high frequencies, sometimes it is short and sharp, like a meticulous music score.

You soon realize that it represents some sort of code, or perhaps language.

You try to recall all the languages that you know, categorizing them in your mind, and you soon realize that you are hearing the same word, just in different languages.

I've copied it down...

It's just a hunch, but if we decipher it using the standard encoding for communication between nomadic cities...

I think it's referring to the same word, in many different languages. I could identify Ursine and Gaulish from it! I think they both mean—

'Unknown language'

'спорить'

'dibattito'

'débat'

'biànlùn'

Upon the rocks, the liquid in the mine is communicating the same word at you—

<color=#000000>'Debate.'</color>

<color=#000000>'Debate.'</color>

Yes, Dr. {@nickname}.

If you still believe you made the right choice.

If you still believe in the future you described.

Then refute me with reality, and prove to me...

That thing which you hold so firm...

'Hope.'

...It's an invitation.

What?

I said, it's an invitation.

One that I must accept.

(Whisper) You think it's a message from Priestess?

Yes.;I know what she means...

We should leave, quickly.

We'll go back to the lab once Ksenia has gathered her samples.

We must try to contact Amiya...

I wonder how Amiya's team is doing.;I hope Amiya has made contact with Raidian.

Did you hear a sound?

What sound?

Something heavy stepping in water.

The waterfall is pretty loud.

Are you sure it's not just your ears ringing? Perhaps lingering effects from having to process too much information just now...

Wait.

Ksenia? Is that you?

It's not Ksenia's footsteps. Not the right weight or rhythm.

What's... that—

Frenzied crying, frenetic breathing, thick mucous liquid dripping from the fangs.

Its entire body is covered in a hard layer of dark-red Originium, forcing it to stand on its two hind legs.

You see it raise its front paws—

Not paws. A pair of withered hands, indistinguishable from that of a human.

An Originium-infected manglerbeast.

I have the samples!

Why are you just standing there?

The strange manglerbeast, which seems so removed from reality, is right behind her.

Run, Ksenia!

Run, Ksenia! Don't look back!