Story Reader / Main Story / 31 Shaper's Ripples / Story
And that Commandant will be pinned down by a pack of useless "rotten wood."
You glance up at the folks Cradle labels "rotten wood." They're all looking at each other, terrified.
So... any conclusions yet?
There's no way we have one yet! I thought just finding that corpse on the second floor was enough to freak anyone out...
But seriously! That weird "Red Tide" Hetero-Creature or whatnot just showed up downstairs! ...And now there's one on the seventh floor as well?
And that person back there looks like they've been dead for days...
...
Hold on— isn't that the merc who sneaked in three nights ago to swipe our cookies?
Yeah! I was wondering why he hadn't shown up for days to steal our stuff... So he's dead? Maybe the mercenaries turned on each other?
...
You seem pretty skilled. Are you a cop or something?
So, what's your real reason for being here? If you're lost, this is way out of your way, isn't it?
You barely know who they are, so there's no guarantee they'll buy into any of your time-travel talk.
The bigger issue is... even if you manage to spell it all out and tell them what's coming, you can't begin to guess what that might lead to.
The subway? But isn't that way too far from here...
They glance at the body on the floor, then exchange wary looks before finally turning your gazes this way.
You're a cop, so you're probably better at investigating and taking the lead than any of us. What's our next move?
It's dangerous up there too. I even spotted some mercenaries who just died.
Good. The fewer of them, the better. Maybe that fancy custom robot took them out.
When we first get stuck here, a high-end custom robot shows up to talk with Yoku.
Right, it's been days since we've run into that invincible robot. Yoku, did she tell you anything?
No. I have no idea.
Hmm, she's kind of like...
She's just a robot, you know. Some rich folks like to make them look like their favorite characters. Sometimes they'll even do chores or act as bodyguards, but that's pretty much it.
Oh, really? I recall you had one with you—wasn't her name Lucia? She was impressive, able to handle just about anything in a fight.
...Seriously? A robot that can take on anything? Even those Hetero-Creatures?
Yuko, who has been lethargic all along, suddenly looks up with wide eyes.
Wait, are you serious?
But that getup she's wearing? It's obviously a custom paint job, right—plus, it uses this year's hottest design trend.
Yep. I've come across loads of these requests on freelance sites.
World Government Association of Art even said, "This frame's going to bring back the Golden Age's glory" when they were designing its coat, so Ayla must have looked up some old data for inspiration.
That rob... uh, where's Miss Lucia now?
No, she's the same as Chaos—there's no danger for her at all.
Rose! Didn't I say to stop mentioning that monster?
...
I can't exactly say... I know her.
She's choosing her words with caution.
I only spot her dashing and chatting now and then... I did ask her name once.
Rose scans the crowd, nervously shaking her head. Only now does she realize they're all glaring at her with revulsion.
Has Chaos done something terrible to them?
That's a monster. I've actually seen someone's skin decay the instant they touched her.
Yoku says that monster's far more dangerous than the occasional street creatures or those berserk work machines. Didn't you just get here? Then how do you already know its name?
Rose tilts her head to the side, like she's trying to recall whether she ever mentioned Chaos by name. Luckily, she doesn't ask any further.
Anyway, getting this news while we're stranded is a lucky break.
Yuko, you're close with her—got any leads?
Yuko turns her head away and remains silent for a long moment. It's only when the building starts to shake again that she finally speaks, her face set in a cold expression.
I don't know.
You two aren't fighting, are you?
Fight with a robot?
Well, it's an advanced custom robot with personality data—it's bound to have its own quirks. Arguing with people isn't all that surprising, right?
Name? I've never heard Yuko bring it up.
She glances over at Yuko, who still doesn't seem interested in discussing it.
She's a hmm... young girl with black braided pigtails, wearing a green cloak.
The glimmer of hope that just surfaced flickers out in an instant.
You want to ask more questions, but you hold your tongue. You're not sure about her ties to Cradle, or if she's already planted the wrong ideas in these people's minds.
Blurting out that you know the truth wouldn't gain you any allies, even if you manage to explain everything. Failing to clarify would only stir up more complications.
...It's just... you can't believe you almost let such a vital piece of information slip by unnoticed.
Cradle clearly has the means to reach this city ahead of schedule, which is why Vonnegut put up the force-field barrier—she's likely been in contact with these folks for quite some time.
But since she calls them "rotten wood," you're guessing they won't spill any important intel...?
Just then, Barley—who's been quiet this whole time—finally speaks up.
You look like you know that monster pretty well.
Hey, don't you think this is weird?
This isn't the first time we've run into those creepy, twisted Hetero-Creatures. We ran into something like them a few days back, right? We still don't know why they appear.
Sure, they look scary, but they haven't actually attacked anyone. And you—didn't you say these bodies were taken out by those Hetero-Creatures? But wasn't it the dead mercenary who struck at us first?
I don't care how those things operate. I wouldn't get it anyway. I've only got one question: why did everything go completely off the rails the second you appeared?
Do you understand why your squad failed the rescue simulation?
You might say it's because human nature is ugly. Fine, think that if you want. But unless you grasp the real cause, you'll repeat the same mistakes in actual combat.
The tougher the conditions, the more people start mistrusting everything. Their fear and suspicion will turn even would-be rescuers into threats in their eyes.
So what's waiting at the far end of fear? Anger.
It's a built-in survival instinct: anyone can reach a breaking point under enough pressure. Calm them down first, and everything else will fall into place.
[player name], you performed well this time. You'll be in charge of the next simulation test.
Unknown threats, fear, anger... It's true. I've been so focused on the Red Tide infiltrating the Golden Age that I haven't explained anything yet.
And that Commandant will be pinned down by a pack of useless "rotten wood."
So this is exactly what you had in mind, isn't it, Cradle?
They really are just ordinary people. We shouldn't involve them in such complicated matters. Besides, messing with what's already happened could cause serious problems.
While that idea isn't wrong, we shouldn't skip communicating with them, either.
With everyone looking at you uneasily, you let out a small sigh. You're just about to say, "I really should explain a few things to everyone," when the Twin Observation Tower suddenly starts shaking again.
This quake hits especially hard, causing the lights in the exhibition hall to flicker on and off.
Hey... did you guys hear that creepy noise?
In the dark, Darcie's voice is shaking uncontrollably.
We found out your secret. You're gonna shut us up for good, right?
You can hear them on the upper stairs—tap, tap... sounds like they're on the tenth floor coming down.
Now, with the whole place shaking, you can pick up a rushing noise, like a wave about to crash.
But there's something freaky up there...
What makes you think we have to listen to you?!
***！！
Even though they're unsure, they push on through the darkness.
Hold on!
Inside the exhibition hall, the lights finally catch a break, once again illuminating everyone gathered.
It's like every disaster is colliding at this exact moment, with Yuko's horrified look signaling that something terrible is about to unfold.
Where's Rose? Where did she go?!
Could it be one of those Hetero-Creatures?
You don't think that monster called Chaos took Rose, do you?
Seriously, we're half-dead from hunger—how fast do you think we can move? Just making it to the stairs has already wiped me out!!!
She yells this while splitting off from the others, combing every corner in search of Rose.
Forget that kid! Keep this up and we'll all end up dead! Plus, this might be some scheme to split us up!
****, fine!
I'll check downstairs. You guys search this floor—and don't forget the bathroom. What about you?
Where could Rose have gone? What snatched her away? Why didn't she cry out? Did she not even get the chance to scream?
The name Rose mentioned, and a very familiar one at that.
Your thoughts are racing as you dash up the stairs. The moment you reach the eighth floor, you spot a drop of vivid red blood at your feet—stark and glaring in the faint light.
It's still fresh. You can't tell if it's Rose's, but at least it means whoever's hurt hasn't gotten far.
You speed up, tracing the bloodstains deeper into the expansive, silent hall. Each drop seems to fall closer to the next, as if warning you that you're closing in on what's really happening.
At the end of the trail, you find a hairpin lying quietly in the corner—Rose's.
A cold dread settles in your chest, as though you're plunged into ice.
You tighten your grip on your gun and cautiously move toward the corner where that hairpin rests.
Using the wall as a shield, you quickly pivot and take aim at wherever an enemy might be lurking...
But in the gloom, Rose's body is suspended from the chandelier overhead in a grotesque pose.
Her head hangs low. The flesh on her face and neck is decayed, marked by two huge handprints—like some Hetero-Creature grabbed her by the neck and smothered her—and then...
A soft footstep pierces the stillness. You whirl around to find the figure who haunts your dreams lurking in the shadows.
...
She slowly looks up at the corpse hanging overhead, too stunned to move.
Chaos gives a sad shake of her head.
...
She carefully holds out the small transparent box, revealing an apple-shaped fruit inside.
She nods.
...
...It's... part of a Hetero-Creature's memory.
Cradle's been itching to get your memories. If you go ahead and eat it, she might just end up swallowing both it and you together.
...
She stays quiet, as though she's asking, "Are you really prepared to face this ending?"
If all goes according to plan, this fruit will fuse with Cradle, making separation almost impossible. That way, I can keep her in check and stop her from freely controlling the Red Tide.
It's connected to the Inver-Hetero Tower, so it won't change even if time is reversed. Whatever happens—good or bad—sticks around, much like recovering old data, unless she manually wipes it out.
But if you swallow this fruit... you're guaranteed to die. No human can survive taking in a Hetero-Creature's memory like that.
People's memories are huge and take ages to digest. But... if luck's on her side, she could spot this chat between us from the beginning.
Then, before it's too late, she could extract the "fruit." In that case, we'd lose—there'd be no way to contain her anymore.
...
We've discussed so much, but you've forgotten it all. Do you really still believe in all this?
...
You walk up to Chaos. The moment you take the small box from her, a shrill scream erupts at the exhibit hall entrance.
What are you doing?
I was starting to worry about how long you were taking to get here! That Red Tide has already flooded the seventh floor!
What did you get from that monster?? That thing—hold on, where'd it go?
Chaos is gone, leaving no trace behind.
Where's Rose?
There's no time to say anything—Darcie spots Rose's body suspended in the air.
You... you killed her?!
You took something from that monster, and then killed her?!
There's no time to get the words out before someone else's fist slams in.
It's almost an automatic act of self-defense—in an instant, the attacker is already pinned to the floor.
This jerk!!
Ahhhhhhhh!!
Starvation and fear drive him to the brink. Confronted by an unfathomable catastrophe and imminent death, his pent-up emotions erupt in a single furious impulse—he seizes the knife and turns it on you.
Darcie!! Enough already!!
Blood sprays.
The blade doesn't catch you, locked in your own struggle, but sinks into Yuko instead.
I knew it... you really betrayed us!! Those corpses—you're behind them too!!
Yuko doesn't deny it. She just clutches her side, wincing in pain as she staggers backward a few steps, then positions herself next to you and Barley.
Darcie breaks down completely, crying out as she dashes frantically up the stairs.
Go... I'm already...
Still...
Pinned to the ground, Barley nods with gritted teeth. Yuko stops resisting and allows herself to be carried on your back.
EEEAAAHHHHHHH!!
The moment you lift Yuko onto your back, an agonized scream tears through the air from the stairway where Darcie is.
It hurts! It hurts so bad! Aaaah!
Then there's the thud of someone rolling down the steps and vanishing into the Red Tide.
Darcie!
Of course you're getting the hell out! You two are nothing but monster-loving traitors!
He suddenly whips out a gun from out of nowhere, aims at you, then quickly tilts it downward, taking aim at the helpless Yuko.
Go to hell!!!
Suddenly, gunshots of a different caliber ring out all at once.
Bullets rip through Barley's chest and back, and he drops to the floor with blood streaming from his mouth, nose, and wounds.
A figure dressed in a mercenary's uniform quickly emerges from the darkness.
It's me. I noticed he was about to attack you, so...
A mercenary?! What are you up to this time??!!
No...! Just go! I'll keep this guy busy!
Yuko presses a hand over her wound and forces herself upright, as though she's about to pour all her pent-up anger into the figure before her.
Yet the mercenary just stands there, eyes fixed on Yuko, not moving an inch.
...Go! Hurry!!
She staggers forward, almost collapsing at the mercenary's feet, and only then does the mercenary finally take off her protective mask.
Yuko... it's me.
...?
Yuko... Yuko... Why are you here?
