level_act25side_st01

<i>If, in a century or a millennium, our descendants walk among the stars, the masses will sing her praises.'</i>

She sat on a tree stump, humming as she observed the shapes of the clouds above. It was not until her mother called for her that she hopped off and ran toward the voice.

The low flight that they were about to take was all too familiar to her parents. Otherwise, they would not have taken her along.

Her goggles were strapped on, and her seatbelt fastened. As the engines roared, the aircraft began to slide down the runway.

The wind brushing her cheeks grew stronger and stronger. Scared, she closed her eyes.

Then, her body felt very light. A nauseous feeling gushed through her larynx, and her heart raced to the tip of her throat. She squeezed tightly into her mother's embrace.

Fortunately, the feeling didn't last very long. When the aircraft stopped jolting, she slowly relaxed.

But she was still afraid to open her eyes...

Until her mother lightly tapped her shoulder.

She finally found the courage to open her eyes and look around.

From this angle, the city where she had lived her whole life felt so foreign and strange. The crowds that she was struggled to squeeze through now looked like tiny, insignificant insects.

Her mother pointed up, prompting her to look.

The sky was so clear and bright.

Outskirts of Max, District of Columbia, Columbia, 1099

Federal Nomadic Prison

Sir, you're sick.

What? I'm as healthy as can be.

No, I can tell. Alcoholic, crapulent, and insomniac. In this oppressive nomadic prison, surely you haven't had the chance to enjoy much of the finer things in life?

Heh, you're right about that.

Haha, I mean no offense.

I get the sense that you might need some rest and recreation. Have you been to Siesta? Minos?

Please stop making fun of me.

No, no. This is an invitation. Please, choose one. Think of it as a way to kill time as this boring wait drags on.

...Minos.

Ah, Minos... The fruity aroma of its streets rides the wind past its pristine white walls. More importantly, the innate elegance of its beauties will have you reluctant to leave...

Alright, alright. I can already imagine the extravagant life you live. I'm green with envy—

No, what I'm saying is that it's all prepared for you. 'All prepared for you.'

What do you mean?

I believe an illness like yours can only be cured in such an environment. And you've been a great help for me across a variety of matters. Men like you deserve the finest of treatments.

After a few months, any gloominess clouding your mind will have completely dissipated. You'll be as strong and sturdy as the Minoan craftsmen. You may even enjoy a stimulating romantic encounter.

—Mr. Justin Fitzroy Jr. Let me say this again. I'm fine. Please stop toying with me.

Please, Mr. Justin was my father, call me Justin Jr.

*sigh*... Alright, Justin Jr... So even Business Section people at Rhine Lab know their medicine?

No, no, no. I don't know the first thing about medicine. Who would be interested in something so complicated that can affect no visible, immediate change?

Then what in the world are you talking—

I'm sure you're dying to know what kind of illness you have and who spread it to you.

Take a look around you and remember—

Your superior, that unsympathetic, good-for-nothing judge, and even the old warden, so unpleasant even after he retired...

You should've been hailed as a hero after you retired from pioneering, or at the very least enjoyed a comfortable life with a fancy house in a nomadic city on a government stipend.

But now?

Y-You looked into my background?

That's suiting medicine to the illness, sir. And the way I see it—

—your situation is hopeless.

The remedy I prescribe is a vacation, a luxurious home, bottles of fine wines, beautiful specimens of your preferred gender, and top-notch security service.

I... I don't understand. I know what you came here for. You're gonna take that one back with you.

If you made it all the way here without trouble, then Rhine Lab and the brass must already have an agreement?

What's the point of bribing me now?

I need an answer first. Are you willing to take fate into your own hands?

Heh. Who isn't?

Right, which is why you're very unlucky, and also lucky in a way. At the very least, you know the obstacle in front of you and your predicament. For instance, you've always played lackey to someone else. You were deliberately ignored, and cast here.

You also know what you want. For instance, you've been planning to propose to a certain someone, which got delayed by this trip, right? Oh~ I wonder how that proposal would go on the Minoan plains?

Ah... Yes... I... haha.

What do you need me to do, Justin Jr.?

It's simple. Sell the information on all of the prison's 'special procedures' to Rhine Lab. I guarantee you'll find the price I'm willing to pay more than attractive.

Th-That certainly wouldn't be hard, but...

But you'll be held accountable? Haha, we came prepared.

I mean it. The old men behind you have a serious appetite. I spent twice my budget to get all this in order... They've been plenty arrogant the last couple years, and that won't do.

Those greedy, selfish idiots haven't been willing to face facts. What, do they think they're some kind of Ursus or Leithanian nobles? Haha.

I prefer practical men like you, and so does Rhine Lab.

So, you could make a considerable fortune out of all this. Then, you and I can send those stubborn old men to prison. They won't get a chance to turn things around for the rest of their miserable lives.

Doesn't that sound nice?

You want me to defect—?!

I... Uh. Hold on.

Who the heck...? Couldn't have picked a worse time. Hm, a letter from the bank? I thought I paid it all off...

...Ugh!

Justin Jr... This money?

Did I forget to mention? Haha, my bad. Seems I'm not fit to be a doctor. This is your first course of treatment.

So much...

And the most effective cure for your disease is—'power and wealth.'

I guarantee it will get to the root of the problem... on behalf of Rhine Lab.

I understand.

Pleasure to work with you, Justin Jr.

The pleasure is mine.

Let me ask one more thing. Is Rhine Lab full of men like you?

Hm? No, no, no, no... They're all freaks. The freakiest you've ever seen. But I'm cool with freaks.

Like the one we're looking for today.

It's all ready, sir.

Good, good. After all that effort, I finally get to meet our famous freak.

Please don't forget what we talked about. I hope you'll be at my cocktail party in Trimounts next month... As my personal guest. No invitation necessary.

She stood in the center on the day of her parents' funeral. People came and went around her.

One after another, men she didn't know offered their condolences in front of her parents' portraits. A science journal's editor-in-chief, a high-level government official, a legendary investor in the finance world, the representative of a technology conglomerate...

All of them looked so, so saddened. Saddened that the genius inventor husband and wife brought the world of science to new heights, only to both die young.

None of them could understand. They couldn't understand why, when this era-defining technology—flight—had just taken off, why would they waste their energy and effort on something as meaningless as reaching the highest altitude possible.

All of them were furious. Furious that, with the death of the Wrights, the government-sponsored plans became a laughing stock, and their enormous investments had all gone down the drain.

One by one, the guests all left. She alone stood in front of her parents' grave and lifted her head up to look at the clear sky.

Yet it was so, so dark and gloomy.

The light is blindingly bright.

Past the passageway's dark shadows, the uncharacteristically bright lights keep Justin Fitzroy Jr from opening his eyes.

The brightly glowing laboratory is, right, exactly the same as the ones in Trimounts.

Justin Jr. takes two steps to feel things out and finds his attention instinctively drawn to the equipment so clean and shiny that there is light reflecting off of it.

'How much did this cost to build? They built all this for this one man's sake?'

Deep in an area of the laboratory untouched by light, an old man whose face is hidden guards a radio as ancient as himself.

...Haha. This is a prison? You call this a prison?

Goddamn. Kristen built a whole replica lab here just for you?

She thinks really highly of you, doesn't she, Convict No. 30?

You aren't the regular liaison, but I've seen your face.

You're a Rhine Lab director?

Well, that's just hurtful. I played no small part in expanding the company to its current size in such a short period of time. How could Kristen not have told you about me?

I have no interest in people like you. I'm a sick, crippled man. What do you want from me?

...Don't talk like that.

I've read your file. You were extraordinary. If it wasn't for—

*cough*—*cough* *cough*—

Sorry, I'm pretty sensitive about the past.

Oh. Alright.

But I'm really curious. What is it that Kristen wants you to accomplish so badly she went to all this trouble?

She didn't tell you... *cough*... which means you have no need to know, boy.

This isn't the first time a science freak has mocked me.

Well, no biggie. My job here is to take you away. Looks like your little project has moved on to its next stage. She needs you there in person.

It's about her 'survival plan.'

...So you <i>do</i> know, you sly little punk.

All I know is Kristen has had you working on something to do with Originium and the human body.

It's not my area of expertise, but at the very least, I know one thing. Rhine Lab's Control is not a coward who fears death, and she definitely has no illnesses that need healing—

Which means there's something else going on that's making her desperate for a way to extend her life... some kind of extreme circumstances.

You're a smart one... No wonder she chose you to bring me out of this place.

But you'll have to wait a little longer. It's almost time for the Vice President's speech.

A speech? You're into politics now?

No, today is going to be an interesting day. Patience is a virtue, kid.

Now, we still have to introduce ourselves. I'm...

Loken Williams.

It's a pleasure. I'm Justin Fitzroy Jr., Business Section Director at Rhine Lab, an outsider to the world of science and technology.

I'm only here to bear witness to history, sir.

Dear Columbians of Trimounts. This is your Vice President, Conrad Jackson.

I'm sure many of us are confused by today's press conference. Before I explain anything, I'd like to have a chat with you all.

Do any of you feel that, on our Terra today, it's gotten hard to focus just on the cities or even the country in which we reside...?

There is more and more to be proven, exchanges between nations have become more frequent, and likewise conflicts and confrontations have become more intense and unavoidable.

So I want to ask all of you. Columbia has only be around for a handful of decades, but our history is already as rich as any other nation's. What is it that we have used to achieve this?

It's our thirst for knowledge that drives us to explore the boundaries and depths of science. It's the pioneering spirit that flows in the veins of every single Columbian. That's my answer. That's our answer.

And to 'maintain' these two things, we are always willing to pay the price, no matter how high it may be.

What is Jackson talking about?

The next election is right around the corner. He hasn't really done anything the last couple years, so he's probably anxious.

Paying a high price...?

He's not exactly off to a great start.

In this city of technology, Trimounts, there are over a dozen special plates—

On those plates, we're working tirelessly on countless research projects. We're developing, discovering, and guaranteeing our future ways of life...

Many of you here are participating in those projects, and I am very proud of you.

In just two weeks, we will announce an achievement that is truly the greatest among them.

It will change the landscape of international relations. It will allow us to seize the initiative, to never again to fear any storm across any lands.

It will be Columbia's first step into a new era.

First step into a new era...?

I heard Jackson was already a famous orator and activist back in college... Heh.

And now he's holding a press conference in Trimounts. You know what that means, right?

Let's cut to the chase, Colonel Blake.

You need my help, and I need yours. This is easy.

Help... yeah... sure.

A super weapon crafted specifically to keep that damned Shard of Londinium in check... Who knows how much money the military poured into that thing?

But now, Kristen and all the techs on the project have disappeared without a trace, overnight.

And that—What does the handbook call that big ring again? 'H.A.M.H.R.R.?' Dammit... How did she hide such a big thing?

The military is being pretty gentle as it is, not surrounding the city with an entire fleet of high-speed battleships.

And this is what I'm here for.

I have to admit... Kristen really took me for a ride this time, but what reason do I have to believe that a failure like you can take care of this problem?

There are lots of companies in Columbia that can rival Rhine Lab. There's nothing stopping us from taking a military approach and handing everything over to some other place—

—You're right, Colonel Blake. I failed, but I'm no fool.

If the military were really that hardy, you would have done this a long time ago. You army guys were never the meek humanitarians you're trying to play.

And I, the... <i>former</i> Director of Energy... I know Rhine Lab. With my help, whatever you end up doing will go much smoother.

Especially if you want to take care of this as quickly and as quietly as possible.

Why should I trust you again?

Is there anyone easier to keep in check than a failure with nothing to his name?

I never thought there would come a day when you called yourself a failure, Ferdinand. Why are you so fixated on this?

Always high-and-mighty, never revealing her secrets. She threw everyone's hard work and achievements under the bus, sacrificing the whole of Rhine Lab...

Kristen doesn't have the right. No one does.

Alright. That's the most convincing thing you've said today.

Hallway outside Control's office, Rhine Lab, Trimounts

I don't actually like this feeling a whole lot.

Too quiet... The air's so chilly and dry, and the light's awfully cold. No idea what's up ahead, either.

Things weren't so lively back in the day... Most of the time, everyone was just busy with research.

We rarely ever saw each other, but after meetings, we'd party and get drinks, pad the table legs with the project reports we'd just finished.

I miss that feeling... The feeling of being accepted, the feeling that we were making a difference, that our work had purpose.

You have to feel nostalgic for that too, don't you...?

...Kristen.

You can stop dragging your gross tail across the floor? Nobody's coming to clean today...

Ho'olheyak.

Oh, so you come here to cry your eyes out, huh? Guess I should've stayed hidden a little longer.

Were you waiting for me?

Mm-hm.

Then why are you standing all the way over there?

I've got to be careful. A kid who just lost her parents might have a pretty bad temper.

Besides, I thought you already had a water clone ready the moment I stepped into the room?

Since I'm found out, I might as well drown you right away and stuff you into a dead power armor.

Oh, I didn't know you were such a vengeful elf.

A Maylander agent infiltrating this place, huh? What are you up to?

Infiltrating? Think again. Would Control's office be <i>that</i> easy to infiltrate?

Are you working for Control? What kind of deal do you two have, and what's she got you doing for her?

Are you betraying the Maylander Foundation for this, K'uk'ulkan?

So many questions. Why don't you ask Kristen yourself? You're so close to her, I'm sure she'd tell you.

Right... You're at the end of your rope. Why else would you expect to find Control in her office? *sigh*.

Kristen really asked you to come?

If I told you I invited myself here, would that make your heart ache more?

She doesn't have the time to deal with you right now.

Perhaps she's already sick of all your backstabbing and all your distractions. Maybe she never had a place for you in her plans. Whatever you want to think...

That's not your place to say.

I'm just trying to remind you out of the kindness of my heart—or pity, if that's how you want to see it—that you should try to not be so tense.

Don't you think you know her better than I do, K'uk'ulkan. I've known her a lot longer than you have.

Maybe I don't understand her, but I know what it is she's trying to do.

It's hard to blame someone for grasping at straws when they're desperate, but if you get in the way...

...Next time, I'll really kill you.

The dreadful Liberi has vanished. Aside from the droplets of water on the sofa, the fight earlier might as well have never happened.

The door closes; Muelsyse doesn't try to give chase.

There's no telling how much truth there was to Ho'olheyak's words, but her presence alone already explains a lot.

She should ask Kristen directly. This is why she came here today, and she still has many other questions.

...Kristen.

There is no one here to answer her. Muelsyse's voice echoes throughout the empty office. Her shadow is split into two halves by the wall, like two people standing at a branching path.

When and where did this all begin? Everything that once was has changed, yet she knew nothing about it.

This familiar room... this familiar hallway both seem so foreign to her now.

She hates this feeling.

It's just like the time after she was born, when she realized for the first time that she was all alone in the world.

On the day of Rhine Lab's foundation, everyone had faith that this was the starting point of a company destined for greatness.

The idea made everyone nervous. It cheered them all up. It put smiles on their faces. It kept them up at night.

She and Saria chatted about the future on the balcony until the next day's beaming sunrise shone directly into their eyes.

At that moment, she thought that she, Saria, and all these people would walk with Rhine Lab forever.

It was an unrealistic notion.

When topics like profit, conflict, and misunderstanding piled onto her desk one after another, she couldn't help but laugh... What exactly is confining mankind?

She lifted her head to look at the sky...

It was so, so ugly.

Rest stop, Trimounts Outskirts, roughly eighteen miles from the city center

Hi there. Four large cheese dogs, extra cheese.

You got it. Coming right—

Holy shit, bro, what the heck is this?

I caught some kind of disease when I was a kid. It's only because of the exoskeleton that I'm still alive. Sorry for spooking you.

Spooking me? Hell no, that looks so cool.

Oh... so it's got to do with the Trimounts tech companies? No wonder. The gizmos they pump out are evolving so fast!

...Something like that.

Uh, my bad. That was probably rude of me, acting so surprised.

I'm used to it. Mind if I smoke here?

You can still smoke? That's amazing.

—Phew, so empty here. This road doesn't get much traffic, does it?

Just today. When the Vice President came through not long ago, the traffic jam was miles long.

Maybe it's the weather—Here, your hot dog. That's some appetite you've got, bro. Take a seat wherever you want. Not like there's anyone else today.

Thanks.

'Hot dog,' huh... Columbian fast food really is really making strides.

Well, it's all the same to me.

So why are they called 'hot dogs' again? Anything to do with the Perros?

It was the first wave of Bolívarian settlers who introduced this particular food item to the Columbian masses. This type of sausage sandwich was frequently sold in knight competition arenas at food carts attended by scantily clad Perro females or well-built Perro males.

And with the passage of time, this food item came to be known as the 'hot dog' in Columbian parlance.

Passage of time, huh? Funny how things can turn out just because of time.

Want one, miss? My treat.

No, thank you.

*sigh*, the years really haven't been kind. When I still had a sense of taste, my appetite was probably a dozen times what it is now. I guess that's how things turn out with the passage of time.

I envy a young lady like you.

I wonder how many things on Terra are built atop of this passage of time.

Everything is.

I guess you are right about that.

It's been a while, Dame Kal'tsit. When was the last time we met?

The day of Theresa's ascension ceremony after the war was over. Most Sarkaz who still had a lingering nostalgia for Kazdel were there. You were no exception.

What should I call you now?

Tin Man. That's what my coworkers call me. It's an apt descriptor, and not like names have much meaning to me anymore.

You represent the Maylander Foundation.

I do.

A powerful revenant.

An <i>once</i>-powerful revenant. And besides, you know that the Teekaz are closely connected to every corner of the world, and the Columbian plains are no exception.

Or would it make you feel better if I told you the whispers of hatred still keep me up at night, and that I can't wait to turn into a flying fortress and fly straight back to Kazdel?

No. So the Maylander Foundation noticed Rhodes Island long ago.

This isn't the first time you've showed up on Columbia's radar, even if the last time was just a minor legal dispute... Was that in Tkaronto or someplace else?

Rhodes Island is still a young organization.

You know who it belonged to and what course it is taking.

*sigh*, I'm not trying to talk you into giving up, but based on our agents' intel, too many old friends are mixed up in this mess. A fair amount of them are your old friends, too.

I have no issues with Rhodes Island getting involved in this, so long as you hear Maylander's thoughts first.

Is it thoughts you want Rhodes Island to hear or demands?

Regardless, personally speaking... I do hope we're on the same side this time, Dame Kal'tsit.

I understand.

Are those girls yours?

The Tin Man lifts his head up to gaze at the bottom of the dark clouds. Not far away, a pure white Feline and a fire-red Savra sit on a bench.

The Savra girl enthusiastically tries to tell something to her buddy, but her buddy simply stares at the sky, seemingly paying no attention whatsoever.

She is thinking about the past.

She seems to know why she received that letter and why she had to come back to this country, but she actually doesn't understand it all that well.

She is simply thinking that there are things you have to face, sooner or later.

Hm. I should remember this place, but... I don't think I wrote it down.

Why didn't I write it down?

Do I... need to remember this place?

Duh. You don't remember anything, no matter what I ask you. This sucks!

Do you remember?

Me? O-Of course I remember!

Hm?

This is Columbia! I've been here, and I hear you've been, too!

Oh... I remember them... I see now.

It's a cruel twist of fate, Kal'tsit, but you'll have children so young face their fate head on?

This is their decision. I have no right to intervene.

Kal'tsit silently looks at Trimounts shrouded in dark clouds in the distance.

Its tall skyscrapers remain under the thick, dark clouds; its base hidden by the fields around them.

Likewise, the Tin Man lifts his head.

Up in the sky above the city and the entire lands, at an unreachable altitude that mankind has dreamt of reaching for thousands of years—

—A burning fireball is tearing through the skies like a falling star.

Ifrit, do you want to hear a story?

A story... Alright. Today's story takes place in a beautiful city in Sargon...

There was once a well-respected king, loved by his people, but when he finally grew old, he had an anxious look on his face, never calming down for even a second.

He gave it his all to rule his city, but he found that not one thing in the city would bear his mark forever. His statues would crumble, and his legends would fade. People forget too easily.

In the final days of his life, he eagerly hoped for there to be something that could truly symbolize his whole legacy and ensure that it would be told for generations to come.

And so, he asked his wife. He hoped to find this treasure with her together.

They searched all over the lands and found a bottomless pit of gold, clothing that restored youth, a magic mirror that allowed its user change races at will, a sword that could rend mountains, and a treasure map that led to mythical realms.

None of these were what the king wanted. They were all too specific, and the desires they bore were too strong. The old king did not think any of these could represent his legacy.

This left the queen stricken with grief. She prayed to the night skies that her husband would get his wish. Finally, hearing her faithful prayers, a star arrived in the mortal realm—

Ifrit stares blankly at the blazing red tail sweeping through the sky.

She suddenly recalls a story out of the thousands that Silence has told her.

Legend has it, there is always hope wherever a star so happens to land. The differences that divide mankind are mended the moment the star reaches the ground, and everyone's wishes will be fulfilled all at once.

Will a star come falling down? There's no time to think. Time is flying by.

I wish for—