level_act34side_03_end

Audio Log #13

(Unknown language, unknown time)

The reactor of a United Starline starship still burns so brightly.

Since the atmosphere control center crashed, we've been shrouded in dull gray clouds. A radiant sight like this certainly lifts the spirit.

To my pleasant surprise, Valeria was also on the starship. I discovered once she landed that she had come to bid farewell to her mother. Ever since joining the stargate modification project, she has been completely absorbed in her duties. It was surprising to see her still concerned with worldly matters.

If she still has a mind for such things, perhaps we might finally talk about that wedding that's been put on hold for the past ten years?

…I soon dismissed that thought as foolish. The woman I once knew now stood before me like a stranger. I could no longer discern what she was thinking.

As she stood before her mother's life support pod, her expression was one I had never seen before. It was neither sorrow nor regret... it was envy.

What could she possibly envy about her dying mother? Was it the peaceful release offered by the machine's simulated world?

You're still here, Jordi? Everyone else has left...

Sorry, I didn't know there would be a tribunal today.

That's okay.

The search logs... you've asked quite a few questions. 'How big is the ocean?' 'Is it bigger than the land?' 'By how much?'

'Can Ægir cities float to the surface?'

'How do the Ægir tell whether it's day or night?'

Is this how you've been trying to understand Ægir? I fear it may confuse you even more.

I...

Mr. Avitus... I'm not sure why, but I feel really excited.

In the Inquisition's nautical charts, the ocean extends only a few nautical miles from shore before giving way to unknown regions marked in grayish-blue.

In some areas, we couldn't even get near the shore.

But your charts are so detailed. Geological features, energy pockets, local fauna and flora... There are so many pages, I don't even know where to start.

The forests at the heart of the ocean, icebergs that never melt, thermal vents deep in the trenches...

For a moment, I thought that the land, sea, and sky were all mine for the taking, that I need simply reach out. Like everything was made for me.

Sorry, that sounds really arrogant, doesn't it?

Quite the opposite, young man. It is but a most basic desire.

But I...

The young Ægir looks up and gazes at the coral-shaped terminal. Holographic images and words leap up and down, illuminating his soft eyes.

I've been in Milliarium for a whole day now.

But I can't handle your tech, I don't get your discussions, and I'm even lost with directions.

The tribunal that just happened... I have no idea how you guys settled your disagreement.

I did a search for Breogan, the ship designer, who I thought was my ancestor. I saw his face, heard his voice, and looked at his designs.

Is there really anything I have in common with him? Would his descendants really turn out to be someone... like me?

I couldn't find a single sign that says I belong here.

Ægir is like a lighthouse, bright and tall. I always knew it existed, but when I finally followed its light and reached its base...

Why do I feel lost instead?

Breogan. It's been many years since his name was last spoken.

He was a remarkable man, even amongst the Ægir. He was the most talented designer in the Academy of Technology, but left everything behind to go ashore, right when his country needed him most.

Even this city is connected to him, albeit in a somewhat unusual way.

How so?

It was through this city that he went on land. The Institute of Development Planning even tried to penalize a few consuls for failing to stop him.

Er...

Listen, Jordi. I cannot ascertain whether you are truly bound to him by blood, though such a connection holds little significance.

What matters is that there can be no doubt that you are Ægir.

I know I am. But how do I prove I belong here, if I can't even trace my own heritage?

A true Ægir needs no proof of that.

But I understand. We all search for answers in the past.

I'm no different.

I can say with a straight face that I am one of Ægir's foremost authorities on prehistory. I firmly believe in the weight of history, and that it contains truths and patterns that will show us the way forward.

(Mutters) But what if its a way of destined destruction for Ægir?

...I'm sorry, what was that last part?

Are you alright, Skadi?

Huh? Did you say something, Doctor?

Sorry. I was just thinking about Shark and Swordfish.

They're probably on a killing spree right now.;They're probably worried about you.;Chin up, Skadi.

I'm not worried about them. They're strong.

Nothing good ever happened to those around me, which is why I was always alone—until I joined Rhodes Island.

Now it's happening again.

I'm here.

Mm.

Thank you.

Are you afraid you'll bring disaster to the Hunters?

Maybe.

But we hunters aren't afraid of the bad end we might bring to each other.

Because we all share the same grim fate, we can trust each other with our lives.

This time though, it might not be just the Hunters.

I could bring disaster to all of Ægir.

You won't. I believe in you.

Mm.

That's what Captain Ulpianus always said.

He would explain our battle plans in great detail to everyone else, but with me, he simply said he believed in me.

...He believed I could complete my mission even if I couldn't memorize those complex strategies.

And do you believe him?

Mm.

He was always so reliable and had an answer for everything.

I remember the songs he wrote before battles. He said we could use them as codes to communicate because the Seaborn didn't understand music.

But I just liked the songs.

He had a great sense of direction, too. He could always lead us all back, even when we were lost in those maze-like nests.

We could always count on him to point the way, until...

Until the final battle?

Yes. The 1st and 4th Companies sacrificed themselves to clear a path, while the 2nd held off the Seaborn that were rushing back.

Captain Ulpianus led the charge and soon arrived at the target, the core organ of the Firstborn.

Then we lost his signal.

I thought he was dead, so it fell to me to deal the killing blow.

But he wasn't.

Yeah. I don't know what happened that day.

I still don't know why he didn't come back.

And the more I don't know, the more I feel like I need to do something.

Trust your warrior's instincts, Skadi.

Remember? Woosh, pow, thud?

Ha. Rush in with a 'woosh', knock them down with a 'pow', and finish them with a 'thud'.

I remember.

Arrived at target coordinates.

We came as fast as we could. Though not fast enough, it seems.

This is a graveyard.

Giant shipwrecks and Seaborn remains lie entangled in a grotesque embrace. Pale flakes descend like snow.

While some have given it a more romanticized name, marine snow, it does little to hide its cruel nature: fragments of organic matter, both Seaborn and human.

The sweetness of blood and the stench of death, intensified by the cannon's lingering heat, spread with the falling flakes.

The Abyssal Hunters' strong sense of smell magnifies all of this, and Specter cannot help but cover her nose.

This shouldn't be unfamiliar to you, Shark.

The fleet pins down the Seaborn with superior numbers as the Hunters flank and eliminate the swarm's core. We've used this tactic often.

This is the same scene we see each time we leave their nest.

I know... perhaps we've spent too much time on land.

It's not a pleasant thing to recall.

One engineering mothership, ten battleships, numerous smaller ships... The wreckage positions on the seabed indicate they stayed in formation. They were not taken by surprise.

There are signs of gravitational distortion on nearby rocks. They tried to stop the Seaborn using force fields.

But the Seaborn were faster. The ships weren't even able to form a crossfire.

They fought with them in close quarters...

Something's not right.

What's the matter?

The squadron's destination was Nest 37, but all the ships appear to be headed for Milliarium.

Besides, now that the squadron is destroyed, why haven't the Seaborn made their next move?

Swordfish.

Let's go.

Ngh—

Ugh—

Alright, grab my hand.

I did tell you to stay on the corvette.

Deep-water equipment may keep you from being crushed by the water pressure, but even the Ægir are at the mercy of the ocean currents without proper training.

I could use some help, once you're done laughing.

Imagine you're dancing with a rowdy partner. Counter her moves and find your balance. This is how you fight the currents.

You're light. It shouldn't be hard for you.

...Don't look at me like that.

I'll meet you up ahead.

A broken lighting array...

Trace amounts of organic tissue on the broken metal frame... Human, and Seaborn.

Find anything?

Some tissue that matches the sample provided by the Institute of Development Planning. It's Tullia.

Milliarium was parked here around 40 hours ago. Based on the location of the array, she had left from the circulation system's sewage exit at the edge of the city.

...But why did she leave?

It's hard to reconstruct the scene with what's available. The currents have already washed away most of the clues.

I'm afraid we won't find out if Tullia was a cultist with a grudge against the Waterway Program or what happened to her from here.

This is two hours away by ship from Milliarium's present location. Even with deep-water equipment...

She couldn't have swum back.

Based on the remaining tissues, it seems she had encountered a Seaborn.

There's no way she could have survived.

Right.

A dead end.

That's... the direction the Abyssal Hunters went.

The battle may be fiercer than expected.

The Waterway Program is in its final phase. Once Nest 37 has been located, we can clear the Seaborn from this entire area and open up a Waterway.

This can't just be a coincidence...

Could the incident with Tullia have something to do with the attack on the fleet?

Or maybe her incident is just a red fin to distract the Sea Patrol.

There are too many new uncertainties, as if everything's sucked in a giant vortex.

...Let's go back to the city for now.

Hard bank to port, full speed ahead! Go around that ridge and turn back. That should lose a third of the Seaborn on our tail.

Ngh—

Sir, the Seaborn have breached the hull!

They're inside the ship!

Keep the evasive maneuvers going, helmsman! We'll deal with the ones inside.

Camouflage coating down to 10%! We'll be fully visible soon!

Buy as much time as you can!

Yes, sir!

Gugh—

Take care of the rest, Shark.

Abyssal Hunters?

Gladiia.

I recognize you, ma'am.

Have the other ships made it safely back to Milliarium, Madame Consul?

Thank goodness...

The more of our elites we save, the more strength we'll have for what's ahead.

Are you the commander of this vessel?

Yes, ma'am.

We were ambushed. A large swarm of Seaborn left their nests and appeared on the squadron's route... Virtually unheard of in previous beacon deployments.

We couldn't reveal our battle plans. We had to retreat.

Our ship was the fastest in the fleet. The most logical tactic was for us to delay the Seaborn while the main fleet retreated.

How many survivors are there on your ship?

Twenty-six... Less than one in ten.

Why the silence, Madame Consul?

I see.

I'm sorry, commander. Your ship and your twenty-six men are the only survivors.

All Seaborn inside the ship have been eliminated.

There's no better way to tell you, so I'll make it brief... the thousand or so men whose retreat you were covering fell into an even bigger ambush.

We happened to see your ship weaving through the complex terrain as we arrived.

But what you couldn't have seen is the Seaborn had you completely surrounded. You were just chasing your own tail in their trap.

We failed the mission.

Yet <i>we</i> were the ones who lived. The losses are... much worse than expected...

But you did live.

Lift your head, Ægir.

You and your men are just as much Ægir's elites, and you will give your strength to what's ahead.

For now, Laurentina and I will bring you back to the city.