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<p=1>Rhine Lab Observation Station, Kjerag</><p=2>December 7th, 1101</>

33 hours before the Kjerag Catastrophe

Instruments, check. Terminal battery, check. Pen ink and paper, check... coffee, check!

It's all-nighter time—

Whoa!

A rustling sound coming from a corner gives Elena a fright. Only then does she realize that she is not the only person in the observation room.

A human figure crawls out of the pile of waste paper by the instruments.

Oh... it's you, Elena.

(Yawns) I thought some great scientist was pulling an all-nighter in an effort to win the Max Prize...

C-Carolin?

You remember me?

Of course I remember the rising star of the Energy Section, the youngest researcher ever to join our ranks.

I-I'm flattered...

I thought you had already left. The schedule said I was supposed to be the one on observation duty today—

Heh, like the schedule's ever meant anything—I wouldn't have been sleeping here for two straight weeks if it did.

No wonder I've hardly seen you ever since I came to the station...

Must be tough.

How does it feel to be back?

You mean...?

Coming back to Rhine Lab.

You were the first person I thought of when they started recruiting for the observation station project, but I thought you would turn it down.

Honestly, it wasn't an easy decision.

At the end of the day, though, the company gave me a valuable opportunity. Besides, the achievements of Rhine Lab itself have never been in question.

I still think my time at Rhine Lab was the closest I've ever been to achieving my dreams.

And I have to admit... even Ferdinand was a great researcher, if nothing else.

Indeed. He has a mind for physics, so let him do what he does best.

You know, he's stopped messing with other researchers since he got out of prison, and has been spending all his time on research.

I think there's going to be a new Director of Energy before long... maybe she's standing in front of me now.

No no no no no no, you've got to be kidding me!

I just wanted to get a closer look...

Elena looks up and sees the sky obscured by snow through the observation's clear dome.

She hates this feeling.

Just like she hates her family's backwards traditions and beliefs, all the things in her way that have nothing to do with science itself.

She believes that science should be pure, ever-advancing, solving questions about Terra one at a time...

This observation station is an invaluable opportunity.

I only want to focus on my research, maybe push a little further than the boundaries of existing knowledge, if I can.

Boundaries, huh... this is the closest place there is.

Say, have you heard the legend of Kjerag?

Legend? What legend?

This land has not suffered a Catastrophe for a thousand years, thanks to the protection of their god.

Well, every country once attributed unusual phenomena to the 'gods'.

Kjerag just held onto this tradition longer because of its isolation.

Yet it is indeed true that Kjerag has not suffered a Catastrophe for a thousand years.

It's certainly unusual... but there must be a reason.

Maybe the high elevation makes it difficult for Originium particles to converge, or—

A Feranmut?

Huh?

Come on, I'm being serious!

I know there are legends about the Feranmuts, ancient beings the size of mountains that turn into mountains and rivers after death.

First off, there are no confirmed accounts proving the existence of Feranmuts. Besides, if these beings did exist, where did they find the energy to sustain their biological activities?

Why bring this up, anyway?

Just something that occurred to me while we were chatting.

Well, that's enough gabbing. You can rest, I'll take over observations for the night.

Really? But you've done a bunch of night shifts in a row—

It's not like my circadian rhythm can get any more messed up. And chatting with you woke me up.

If I recall correctly, there are still some bugs to iron out with the power supply to the high-energy particle beam?

Wow, y-you know about that?

Get some rest and put that brain of yours to better use.

Well, I guess I'll take you up on the offer! Thank you so much!

I'll buy you some fins and chips from that Victorian restaurant that just opened at the foot of the mountain when you have time!

Please don't, no Victorian wants to have to enjoy authentic Victorian cuisine in a foreign land.

Hehe... Kjerag cheese fondue, then?

That sounds great.

It is another deep and quiet night in Kjerag. The ancient land slumbers, and lamps give way to stars.

The sleeping snowy mountains may seem wondrous to the uninitiated, though most who live on this land have gotten used to this sight.

Few look up at the sky on a night like this.

What's that...?!

Both her eyes and the instruments capture the strange light that cut across the night sky.

Like a sign from the heavens.

It appears that Carolin was an accomplished, intelligent young researcher with a bright future.

This project is very important to both Rhine Lab and Columbia. The recruiting process was extremely selective.

We have yet to find any irregularities in her records and communication logs.

She was originally from Victoria?

I am unable to provide any private information. That would be a violation of Rhine Lab's privacy policy, and basic human rights.

We can only provide information about her time at Rhine Lab, unless your government officially presses charges of espionage.

Of course. I was just asking.

Her application material was very comprehensive, with every shift and fieldwork experience documented meticulously...

Here, it seems she even requested a field survey task for herself.

Collecting information about Kjerag's geography concurrently with her scientific research?

She has been a diligent researcher, highly rated at Rhine Lab, and a model student when she was at school.

Such scientists are not usually involved in the kind of trouble that we currently face.

Yet, at this point, we have no information or clue as to the whereabouts of Carolin.

Believe it or not, we are even more eager to find Carolin than you are.

There are many things at stake. Rhine Lab's reputation, the security of the research data, potential breach of our management system, the mutual trust and partnership between us, and...

And?

...And Kjerag's development.

Are you speaking as a member of the Scientific Ethics Consensus Committee?

Please don't misunderstand. Though it might sound a little condescending, I have the highest respect for what Karlan Trade is doing.

After all, the courage to reach beyond one's comfort zone is the most important quality in a scientist.

Not just in scientists.

There is a saying in Kjerag, 'Black burdenbeasts are bad burdenbeasts.'

They jump their fences and run into the snowfields. Herders who go into the fields following their tracks never return.

They die?

That's what 'go into the snowfields and never return' usually means in Kjerag.

One by one, pages are reviewed and placed on the table—Carolin's notes and actions turn into a tiny pile of papers.

But where did the black burdenbeasts go? It's the same question, in the end.

Perhaps they led the herders into the mountains, getting lost in the forests and freezing to death at night.

Another page is read and placed on the table.

Or perhaps...

Gnosis puts the last page down.

White upon white, like snowflakes falling on frozen cliffs.

They simply found a new source of water, a new haven.

Can you at least tell me where exactly she carried out her fieldwork?

I can't. The observation data are badly corrupted. I can't recover the original data from the port...

Stacks of documents and mugs with dried coffee stains sit quietly on the table.

An error tone signifies failure of the data restoration, causing their hearts to sink once more.

There are ID records of all entries and exits, no message left behind in the dorms or labs...

The main security camera malfunctioned, while the two to the sides of the lab didn't capture anything...

It seems like too much of a coincidence. Could Carolin really have...?

No. Everyone else might assume she's a spy, but I can't let bias cloud my judgment. I already requested access permissions from Director Muelsyse to get to the bottom of things...

Knock, knock. Who's been up all night?

D-Director Muelsyse?

Surprised to see me?

I hear you haven't been back to the dorms for two straight nights... are you still searching for the data that disappeared?

Yes...

There is little doubt that the observation logs were altered, although we're not sure who did it, or why.

There is reason to believe that the overwritten data hold a crucial clue...

Hm... but...

Never mind. I brought you a li'l snacky. Can't work on an empty stomach, after all.

Thank you. What is this?

You've never had it? Kjerag cheese pastries with sugar frosting and berry jam. It was all the rage at the station a while back.

I heard people talking about it and had planned on trying them out the next time I went down the mountain for fondue, but I've been too busy investigating special energy sources unique to Kjerag.

Elena picks up a pastry. It's dried up on the outside, but the cheese and jam inside remain moist after being heated.

The sound of running water ceases, and Muelsyse sits down by her side with two clean mugs in hand.

Mind if I sip a cuppa joe with you?

Not at all.

Fresh coffee fills the mugs, drenching the air in its aroma.

The sound of machines operating is clearly audible at this late hour. A massive window on the wall displays the stars in Kjerag's night sky, deep and boundless as always.

The atmosphere in the room relaxes. Elena lifts her mug after a moment of hesitation.

Midnight coffee in the lab. Brings back memories.

You used to stay up late too?

Who doesn't, in our line of work?

Even when I was a student, it felt like I had more coffee than blood in veins for finals—

Haha... Looks like everyone's been there before.

Working at night's more efficient, after all.

Yes. Night is quiet. Makes it easier to focus.

I used to write one paper while dictating the summary of another using an audio recorder, when I was really busy.

That way, I get to make progress on both at the same time. Crazy, when I think back to it...

Oh yeah! Audio recorder!

Huh? Audio? Where are you going?

Surveillance audio recordings!

Surveillance camera, credentials... the time is... 3:19 am...

There.

Didn't you say the cameras didn't capture what was happening at the lab table?

Yes... but it might have captured sound from the equipment.

Listen to this... a lot of instruments operating. This ticking sound should be the audio sensor.

The frequency that it plays back is directly connected to graphing. We can use this frequency to recreate—excuse me.

Need a pen and paper? Here you go.

Oh, thanks.

Pen tip rubs against paper. The time they spend around the instruments have made researchers intimately familiar with data.

She enters the numbers that she copied down into the computer, then...

There...

This is the hidden data.

Lemme take a look-see...

Looks like a small earthquake occurred on Mount Karlan the morning of the day before the Catastrophe.

No... not an earthquake. It was an impact of some kind.

As if something fell from the sky into the mountains of Kjerag.

And then... came Kjerag's first Catastrophe.

Outside the wide windows of the observation station, the mountains of Kjerag seem to reflect a translucent blue under the moon.

Did Carolin go looking for this extraterrestrial object?

But why would she do it all on her own?

She's never abandoned her post like this. She must have found something...

We might be able to find her, if we figure out where that thing fell!

Which we can calculate from the wave frequency of the sound of impact!

Director Muelsyse, we...

The Vine-Bead Court isn't about to investigate on our behalf.

Strictly speaking, we shouldn't get any more involved in any of this stuff. The most we can do is to report this to Component Control.

But Carolin might be in danger...

You know that's not your job.

You're not exactly close to Carolin. Bluntly, whatever happens to her is none of your business.

Muelsyse finishes her cold coffee in silence.

Frowning at the bitter taste, she takes a piece of pastry and puts it in her mouth, speaking as she chews.

<i>...But.</i>

Sometimes, I kinda think the most important quality in a scientist is courage... maybe even recklessness.

You're a sharp kiddo. Got a knack for finding rhythm in music.

Makes for a good dancer. I wouldn't wanna tie you up, gotta let you move around free.

You mean...?

This conversation never happened. Nobody tried to talk you out of it, nobody told you what you can or can't do...

As for this late night snack... you took it from the shared fridge yourself, didn't you?