Story Reader / Main Story / 32 To the Galaxies / Story
A knock at the door shatters the deathly stillness of the room.
Commandant.
The commanding tone that brooks no argument reveals the visitor's identity—it is Vanessa.
I'm going to let myself in now. I assume you're awake already.
The wooden door creaks open, and a familiar yet unfamiliar Construct appears before you against the light.
Long deprived of moisture, your vocal cord feels parched. You open your mouth trying to speak but are unable to make any sound.
Heavy bandages wrap around your body, their rigid embrace making movement impossible. Even maintaining a sitting position has drained away what little energy you still have left.
...
Vanessa surveys the bare room, finding it practically empty save for a glass of water on the bedside table—likely left by whoever escorted you back.
The water has gone lukewarm, but it is better than nothing at this point.
As she holds the glass to your mouth, Vanessa feels an inexplicable sense of irritation.
Have some water.
I'm here to inform you about the arrangements for Lucia's frame.
You feel your heart gripped by an invisible force as suppressed memories tear their way forcefully through your mind.
Gunsmoke, ammunition, crimson mist spreading across your field of vision. Someone that you cannot be more familiar with draws near only to drift away again.
...Commandant...[player name].
I don't... want it all to end here...
Your throat threatens to tear apart as you try with every ounce of your being to say her name to no avail.
Mustering every last bit of strength, you finally manage to get her name off your tongue once more.
Don't waste your energy. Your body is exhausted and severely dehydrated. You need time to recover.
We've placed Lucia's frame in a sleeping pod at the settlement.
Emma and Rosa have made multiple attempts to fix the Omega Core in her frame but haven't had any luck so far.
I believe we're both used to this by now and I didn't think I needed to say this, but...
She turns her head.
My condolences.
And...
Just as she is about to continue, the rotting wooden door creaks again.
...Come in.
Vanessa, the mutated Red Tide has appeared at the settlement's perimeter. It has a squad trapped, and we don't have enough personnel to spare...
Let's go.
Few words are exchanged—they seem quite used to such emergencies by now. After their brief conversation, Vanessa departs in a rush.
Stay here. I'll be back.
The door slams shut and their footsteps fade away. Silence once again descends upon the room.
Slowly, you come back to your senses with what little sense you still have, but your body remains immersed in overwhelming sorrow. Try as you may, you can barely move a finger.
You look out the window.
Beyond the window lies a gray sky, as heavy snow blankets the entire world.
Vanessa and Emma rush to the location of the distress signal. The battle rages on until, with their support, the mutated Red Tide finally retreats. The surviving squad members have to keep one another standing as they deal with the aftermath.
Vanessa has become a Construct for quite some time now, but she still has no love for combat.
Disgusting.
She brushes the snow off her collar while letting Emma tend to the injuries she sustained from the battle.
The mutated Red Tide is difficult to handle, true, but I never thought you'd slip up like that.
You seem preoccupied... Is it because of the Gray Raven Commandant?
Hah... The Gray Raven Commandant? I already have more than I can handle on my plate now.
Have the scouts reported back yet? Did the border patrol make it back alive? Are the nearby supply depots still operational? Do we have enough medical supplies for the wounded?
Vanessa...
Vanessa props herself up and lets out a sneer.
The Hetero Tower, the Punishing Virus, the continuously mutating Red Tide... And now here we are, all of us crammed into this damn pinprick of space near the ARU...
Instead of feeling sorry for our bedridden "great" Chief, I say let's save some sympathy for ourselves.
How is the commandant doing, though?
...
Let's not send anyone to disturb our patient for the time being.
I mean... with Lucia gone and all.
She falls silent for a moment.
Even if we want to know what the Gray Ravens went through, let's at least wait until their commandant has recovered enough to speak.
Right, I'll pass the word along...
[player name]... You never change, do you...
Vanessa... Vanessa!
A refugee comes running from nearby.
Speak.
The supply warehouse behind the settlement... There are Hetero-Creatures there!
...What good is a patrol if they can't even do their job?
Oh no, that warehouse has our last batch of medical supplies...
Without missing a beat, they rush back toward the settlement.
The snowfall grows heavier by the minute.
They barely reach the outskirts when they see the settlement in chaos, with casualties being rushed to the medical tents.
Vanessa...!
Just then, a refugee spots them and comes running over, calling out Vanessa from a distance.
Cut to the chase. I'm tired of hearing my name called today.
Did the Hetero-Creatures completely destroy the warehouse? Dammit, I knew we should have left someone behind at the settlement...
Emma, implement emergency protocols and list the damaged supplies. When you're done...
The w-warehouse is undamaged!
？
Then what's all the fuss about? Has Discord returned early?
I-it's the commandant from that small room in the corner who came out and led the off-duty patrol team to lure away the Hetero-Creatures!
I can't believe what an elite commandant from the old Babylonia is capable of. I can't imagine how powerful Babylonia must have been at its peak...
The Earth-born human gazes up at the sky, his eyes beaming with admiration.
The commandant came out...? Hah. Can't say I'm surprised.
Looking behind the refugee, she does not see the Gray Raven Commandant.
...Where is that commandant?
I thought the commandant was just over there... Might have passed out again... Vanessa?
Without responding to the refugee, Vanessa walks in big strides toward the settlement.
Didn't I tell you to stay here?!
The wooden door slams against the wall, having been pushed a little harder than originally intended. The daylight remains dim, but the room is already empty.
...Where did the commandant go?
You mean the one you brought back? Oh my, that person was absolutely incredible...
I asked you a question.
Ahem. I think the commandant headed toward the center of the settlement... by the Great Tombstone.
At the heart of the settlement stands a towering stone monument.
At first, the stone monument was merely a relic from a Golden Age city, weathered by time yet standing tall at the center of this land.
When the settlement was established as a permanent refuge, someone unknown became the first to carve the names of the fallen into the stone.
Anthony, Constance, Selke, Sica, Daniel...
Ross, Eli, Bambinata, Yang Ji, An Jie...
...
Humans used to tread carefully around the subject of death as if avoiding it could somehow ward off the farewells brought by disasters.
But now that farewells have become commonplace, such taboos mean nothing. The monument is simply known as the Great Tombstone, a landmark at the center of the settlement.
...
Vanessa's breath creates wisps of vapor in the air. After a quick calibration of her visual module, she spots the unmistakable figure before the Great Tombstone, both draped in the same blanket of snow.
...Trying to play tough, huh?
You're putting yourself in danger when you aren't fully recovered. Is that what they taught you in F.O.S.?
...[player name]?
Despite her words, the figure remains completely still before the tombstone.
Hey!
Sensing something amiss, Vanessa scurries up and grabs you by your shoulders, forcefully turning you around. Her words of reproach die in her throat as she meets your vacant, lifeless eyes.
You—
The heavy snow continues to fall.
With the Hetero-Creature lured away by the patrol, you gaze upon the tombstone amid the swirling snow as you are trapped in an uncertain future.
You find yourself walking toward the tombstone despite yourself, your thoughts still a mess.
Your fingers trace over the names, some of which you know, while others you do not. Each line of the dark engraving is a scar time has left behind, forever branded into the gray stone.
From top to bottom, countless memories are densely etched onto the memorial stone that towers beyond sight.
They are all gone.
Your breathing becomes rapid and uncontrollable as exhaustion, like a strand of fragile yet sharp spider silk, slowly pierces your heart, draining what little life you have left.
...Say...
Her ethereal voice sounds like it has traveled through time and space to reach you here.
...Play tough... taught you... F.O.S...
Feeling a firm grip on your shoulder, you slowly turn around. In Vanessa's eyes, you see an exhausted, numbed human face—pale as a ghost that has escaped its grave.
...You...
...Commandant? Commandant! How in the world...
Commandant... What happened? Are you alright?
What's going on... I'll contact the Star of Life right away.
Commandant... [player name]...
—Pull yourself together!
With that, you snap back to your senses.
[player name]! Wake up!
Get back to your room right now—Emma will be back any moment, and you're in critical condition...
Vanessa furrows her brow as she checks the infection readings on the protective suit you're reading.
I should have locked that door... Hello? [player name]?
She is surprised to find you unresponsive no matter how she calls your name. Your pupils are dilated and unfocused, and you are seemingly deaf to her voice.
Dammit...
Her knuckles white with tension, Vanessa grinds her teeth as she fights back the urge to explode.
What are you trying to do?! Freeze yourself to death out here?!
Is this why Lucia brought you back?! To bury yourself beneath this gravestone?!
Seemingly triggered by some keyword, you break into a coughing fit, showing signs of regaining consciousness.
Lucia is gone! Do you want to join her in a sleeping pod, too?!
Lucia is dead.
Who... killed Lucia?
Jumbled memories assault your mind, and your heart pounds so hard that it threatens to crush your ribs and chest.
Fragments of vivid colors crash across your retina as Lucia moves her lips in your memory, seemingly trying to tell you something...
Ahem... Captain [player name].
Even so, that also brings the promise of fresh hope.
I'm so glad I got the chance to meet you, [player name].
...
The wind now bites as cold as it did that day, except Lucia now lies in a sleeping pod.
Seeing your eyes lose focus once again, Vanessa clenches her fist tightly.
"Slam"—
She slams her fist into the gravestone behind you, the metallic scent of vital fluid piercing the frigid air.
Your legs give out, and you slide down against the gravestone to the ground, slamming your head on the monument.
The pain dispels all hallucinations, and all you see through your vacant eyes is Vanessa's face—one going from burning anger to calm.
I'm not gonna hurt you, but I'm not gonna waste any more time on you. The entire settlement depends on me to keep it running.
If you have no desire to get out of your current state... Emma.
...Uh, what's... what's going on here?!
Emma, having rushed to the scene, stares in shock at Vanessa and you.
The commandant just successfully commanded the patrol and saved our supply depot. I'm here to evaluate the commandant's performance and distribute the appropriate rewards.
...Okay, b-but...
Do as I say. Once everything's done, escort the commandant to Logistics and let them handle things from there.
...Right.
Despite her doubts, Emma continues to follow Vanessa's orders.
As for you...
I understand how you feel, but I've been living on Earth for 30 years now.
Crimson vital fluid slowly creeps over Bambinata's name on the gravestone.
...That's it.
If you can't get back on your feet, just remain seated.
Live on, and live as a normal person. Perhaps that's what Lucia...
She presses her lips together and speaks no more, turning to leave.
Her footsteps fade into the distance. The snow dust on the ground nearly buries you whole as a numbing cold grips your every sense.
Lucia is dead.
Excruciating pain cuts through your mind. That most familiar signal will never reach your Mind Beacon again.
Like a drowning person grasping at straws, you force out words through your destroyed throat, even if they come out bloodied and broken.
Is this... the ending she wanted to see?
No... Not like this...
Your suffering at the Hetero Tower is over... I believe better days will come, and from now on, you'll be safe and sound.
I just can't... bring myself to part ways with you like this...
How could I forgive myself for... leaving you here all alone...
An inch of empty space remains at the bottom of the tombstone.
Memories tangle around your mind like scattered threads. You feel an urge... an urge to carve something into the gravestone.
This is... the epitaph of Lucia and the Gray Raven.
We... once existed in this world.
We... once fought to reclaim Earth.
We...
We... are Gray Raven.
Blood seeps through your tattered tactical gloves as you clench your fist. Your mind is empty—vacant of all but one obsession: to finish carving what you haven't.
There are no survivors in this catastrophe.
...This will end.
Gray Raven...
There are no survivors in this catastrophe.
...This will end.
Lucia...
Far too exhausted to move anymore, you slowly slide down against the Great Tombstone.
At some point, the heavy snow has stopped.
The setting sun pierces through the deep, hazy clouds, scattering its dying rays as night falls like a curtain and slowly drapes over half the sky.
The battle in the Hetero Tower flashes in your mind like a kaleidoscope of memories, with Lucia's smile being the last thing you remember.
I will never regret paying this price. A future without you is meaningless, and a future that doesn't align with our vision of peace is even more futile.
So please... don't blame yourself once I'm gone. It's not because we made the wrong choice.
Commandant, every failure has its meaning. We've obtained the seeds of a miracle, and from here on, we'll surely find a miracle that belongs to this world... and to us.
Your fingers, having grown numb, slip weakly from the base of the gravestone as blood thinly coats the new marks. Your meandering thoughts come to a stop when you carve the final stroke.
The trail of blood stretches into the shape of a smile, just like the ones drawn on the back of your hands so many years ago.
Someone calls out in the distance, the muffled voice drifting away from you. The twilight's glow fills the sky as far as you can see.
This time when you wake up... you will truly be alone.
Lucia...
I made you a promise.
I won't blame myself, and I won't give up.
...So we're just handing over our buffer zones to the Hetero-Creatures now?
Y-yes... It happened so suddenly, and our outposts...
Alright. None of this would have happened had our human soldiers been able to handle those Hetero-Creatures in combat. The buffer zones were always meant to buy us time.
Speaking of which, do we have all our supplies back now?
...
Barniga's chest tightens as Vanessa's voice grows icier by the second.
Forget the medium and heavy equipment. What happened to the serum and all the portable supplies...?
I'm... very sorry!
Facing a helpless Barniga who is sweating profusely, Vanessa takes a deep breath.
Adjust the flags on the tactical map. I need to assess our current situation.
As Barniga adjusts the pieces, the crude tactical map clearly shows the borders between areas controlled by humans and Hetero-Creatures, and the situation looks grim.
...If we want to reclaim the buffer zones, we'll have to suspend the flanking operation from last week. While our standby forces are sufficient for one recovery operation, this would leave us with no reserve forces to handle emergencies.
But if we completely abandon the buffer zones, both staging areas on our flanks will be compromised.
Call back the recon and patrol units. Logistics needs to be in full force except for the teams in the agricultural zones.
But we can barely...
Or you could just abandon the buffer zones entirely, give up the staging areas tomorrow, and join me in planning our grand escape the day after that.
...
That's all I've got to say. Now...
A cold draft pushes through the gap of the unlocked door.
Well, guess all the bad things just have to happen at the same time, huh? Add it to the list—we're getting the lock fixed tomorrow.
As she furrows her brow and grabs the handle, a cold hand in a tactical glove grips the doorframe from the outside.
...Civilians are forbidden from this area, let alone privy to military intel. Do you want to die?
...You?
As you slowly come back to your senses, memories about the Hetero Tower and its core flood your mind.
...
Come on in.
Vanessa takes half a step back and opens the door to the command center.
Once everyone is seated, you organize your thoughts and bring Vanessa up to speed, keeping your points as concise as possible.
The Hetero Tower... a time machine...
If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were some sci-fi writer trying to mess with me.
Including the core.
Can the Core really bring humanity new hope? Can it really help humanity win this hopeless war?
...Rosa isn't at the settlement. It's too dangerous here. She might be a Construct, but she isn't exactly good in combat, so we set up her lab somewhere further away.
These questions will remain unanswered until Rosa returns.
I do want to get to the bottom of what's happening at the Hetero Tower, but for now, we'll have to put it on hold.
She taps on the crude terrain map.
Even if you could lead a team to break through the Hetero-Creatures in the buffer zones and throw them into disarray, it still wouldn't be enough.
Small wins won't last us long.
Vanessa gives a noncommittal nod and gestures at the tactical map.
While you ponder the operation plan, an obviously unusual area catches your eye.
I thought you wouldn't notice. Guess you really are coming back to your senses.
This is indeed a crucial checkpoint, but it doesn't need defenses—can't have them either. Someone's already guarding it.
Luna is there.
She barely communicates with the camp, refuses to cooperate with our strategies, and rejects our supplies.
We haven't detected any Ascendants. We've been monitoring the area for a while now, and Luna's the only one there.
She hasn't shown any signs of hostility and doesn't seem interested in driving humans away from this place. Seems like...
She just wants to keep watch there...
Maybe... you should talk to her.
Emma... Emma! Something's up with the patrol team!
...What is it now?!
Take your time. Don't rush.
Cough... The patrol team was returning from the northwest when the mutated Red Tide suddenly surged! We didn't detect it coming and it's got them trapped!
...Looks like we need to pay them a visit now.
But [player name] is...
Doing just fine. The commandant can proceed with the mission.
Let's move out then. Time to see which poor souls got themselves trapped in the Red Tide this time.
Vanessa's signature sneer crosses her face.
