Story Reader / Main Story / 32 To the Galaxies / Story
Kowloong, much earlier—
—It seems like any other day, and nothing seems out of the ordinary. Neither good nor bad.
On a day like this, where the people of Kowloong remain oblivious, disaster stirs like a snake emerging from the ashes, its forked tongue flickering with a hiss.
Hff...
Under the brilliant night sky of Kowloong, a young girl stretches lazily.
It's been a while since we last went on patrol together, Madam Pulao.
Has it? I go on patrol all the time, though.
Right, right, right. It's just that we don't cross paths all that often... Huh?
Zhishi furrows her brow and hurries toward a malfunctioning mechanoid by the roadside.
A sudden malfunction... Should I report this?
Of course!
With practiced efficiency, Pulao diagnoses the mechanoid's error data and uploads the information to her terminal.
—57th malfunction report received.
...
Qu frowns as she reviews the malfunction reports Huaxu has printed.
Are you done analyzing, Huaxu?
—Data missing. Unable to provide detailed analysis.
...This makes 57 reports just for tonight.
Can you trace the source of these malfunctions?
—Data missing. Unable to provide detailed analysis.
...
She lowers the report in her hand and gazes out the window.
The lanterns start illuminating the city. Kowloong's night has only just begun.
...
Huaxu, what's the status of the Tabula Akasha?
All sectors of the Tabula Akasha are currently operating normally. Surface barrier pressure remains stable. The Punishing Virus concentration exceeds normal levels by 25.69% but remains within manageable parameters.
...
Her gaze grows intense as if trying to pierce through the ground to see the Tabula Akasha buried deep below.
Hurry—over here, quick!
Blood and fire interweave.
A crimson wave surges forth when least expected. The Red Tide, unstoppable even by the Light Wall, batters the outskirts of Kowloong endlessly.
Zhishi desperately pulls up a human caught in the Red Tide, but she is too late—the person has already stopped breathing.
...
Third district, west side! I need backup! Survivors located!
Upon hearing the comms, Zhishi quickly wipes her face and rushes to the next rescue point.
Are the minds of the fallen soldiers and Kowloong residents uploaded?
All minds of the fallen soldiers and residents have been uploaded according to the protocols of the Tabula Akasha. An additional 1025 individuals are currently in the process of mind compilation and uploading.
The casualty numbers have far exceeded what Qu has anticipated.
...Ensure the absolute safety of the Tabula Akasha's memory sectors.
...Right.
She turns around to look at Huaxu.
Is this the day from the simulation?
Qu stands before the towering wall of crimson data, her eyes darkened with contemplation.
The source of the malfunction... Could it be those data reports with inconclusive analysis results?
Data missing. Analysis of the 135th issue report received thus far indicates that 45.37% of the malfunctions are caused by the Punishing Virus.
The 135 reports rapidly merge and split across the screen as lines of data are deconstructed and reassembled.
What about the rest?
—Data missing. Unable to provide detailed analysis.
The female Construct draws a deep breath.
...Open the lower compartments beneath the Tabula Akasha's inner circuit and evacuate civilians to these shelters.
The Punishing Virus has mutated. Only 45.37% of it matches the original signature of the virus, while the rest remains unanalyzable—suggesting its mutation stems from a realm beyond human comprehension.
Also...
No one wishes to witness such a terrible outcome, but Qu was already aware of this scenario a few days ago through Huaxu's simulation.
Prepare to receive all Kowloong civilians into the data layers of the Tabula Akasha.
...
With a silent bow, the elderly Fuxi Crew fades away into the void.
Time seems to fly by involuntarily as the Red Tide mutates at a speed beyond human comprehension.
In just a few years, the Punishing Virus has mutated to a point where ordinary humans can barely resist it, forcing Kowloong's remaining population to continue migrating toward the far north.
Lady Qu, Babylonia... has sent a comms request.
Answer it.
Celica's weary face appears in the comms feed.
Let's skip the pleasantries. Babylonia can no longer contain the Hetero Zone on the surface. Babylonia... is preparing to leave Earth's orbit.
Hah.
The cold mockery leaves Celica silent for a moment.
Almost all of Babylonia's elite squads have fallen, and the two remaining Gray Ravens have made several attempts to re-enter the tower, but... it has been completely sealed off.
The Punishing Virus is totally out of hand now.
As Celica speaks, a transport ship touches down with a rumble. Staff members rush into the newly landed vessel to tend to the critically wounded Constructs and humans.
Babylonia is preparing to leave Earth's orbit. All surviving humans and Constructs on Earth have the right to enter Babylonia and depart with us...
Celica lets out a silent sigh.
Please send me your list of evacuees and transfer zones. Babylonia will dispatch transport ships to the designated locations.
The operation codename would be... <color=#ff4e4eff>"Departure"</color>.
The transport ships from Babylonia arrived and departed with over a hundred Kowloong citizens and refugees from the conservation areas who had sought shelter in Kowloong.
After watching the transport ships disappear into the distance, Qu turns to face the residents gathered below the platform.
This is your last chance to leave.
Bah, these old bones aren't going anywhere.
The young bones aren't leaving either!
Haha, there's an old saying in Kowloong: fallen leaves return to their roots. Wherever our roots are, that's where we'll stay.
Who knows what might happen in that shifty Babylonia? One wrong step and "BOOM", down you go!
I'm not about to live up there where my feet can't touch the earth.
The elder's words draw scattered chuckles from the crowd.
That's right! Wherever Kowloong is, that's where we'll be!
After years in exile, Kowloong has suffered heavy losses even with the protection of the Tabula Akasha. This once-prosperous city-state has been reduced to the mere thousands gathering here.
Qu stands on the elevated platform, gazing down at her people below.
Lady Qu, what should we do now...
As the one leading what is left of the Pulao Crew, she knows all too well that nothing about this is simple.
The seeds of our civilization have been preserved by Babylonia, and as for those who have chosen to stay...
As long as this is their will, no one can force them to leave their homeland.
They chose to stay, knowing exactly what's going to become of this place.
Then I shall make certain they see the dawn of victory.
The glory of Kowloong shall be eternally recorded in the Tabula Akasha, and the will of Kowloong shall be passed down here for all generations to come.
Huaxu.
...
Prepare to receive the remaining civilians of Kowloong into the data layers of the Tabula Akasha.
Can the Tabula Akasha... continue to operate without maintenance?
Naturally.
The usually proud Construct shows a rare smile. After comforting Pulao, Qu turns her gaze to the residents below the platform.
I will ensure it continues to operate for as long as I am alive.
These are the words she leaves unspoken.
...
Having finished battling the grotesquely-shaped Hetero-Creatures, Qu leans against a stone pillar and gazes at the endless snowfall above, unable to remember how many days it has been since the battle began.
Huaxu, what's the status of the Tabula Akasha?
All sectors of the Tabula Akasha are currently operating normally. Surface barrier pressure remains stable. The Punishing Virus concentration exceeds normal levels by 38.69% but remains within manageable parameters.
...
Her breath crystallizes into frost, carrying with it the heat of her overloaded body.
How long has it been since I forcefully uploaded a defiant Pulao into the Tabula Akasha? Qu cannot help but wonder.
It has been <color=#ff4e4eff>1825 days</color> since the Tabula Akasha was completely sealed.
Time sure flies.
Time accumulates like ancient tomes in an old study—even Qu, despite her constant vigilance, occasionally loses track of time.
Do you feel lonely?
Faint whispers hum in the air within the Red Tide.
Why would I?
Her longsword in hand, she answers the murmurs churning in the filth.
Qu is weary, but her gaze remains as sharp as ever.
The doors of the Tabula Akasha stay shut behind her, the rumble of its closing still ringing in her ears. The Empress locked both calamities and herself outside the country's gates on that day, keeping her people safe.
They're all inside.
The people come first, the state second...
Well...
It's alright. It will make sense when you're older.
Behind me is Kowloong—the land and people I have sworn to protect.
With unwavering eyes and a clear mind, she faces the crimson tide before her.
They have long abandoned you...
The Red Tide churns and coalesces into twisted humanoid shapes.
...
A scornful smile crosses Qu's lips as her blade cleaves through the air, cutting down several crimson shadows in a single sweep.
It is the sovereign's divine duty to guard the gates to her land. What right have you to question the laws of Kowloong?
Having repelled another assault of the mutated Red Tide, Qu wipes her longsword clean as she stands alone amidst the winds and snow.
Behind her, the Tabula Akasha continues its eternal, peaceful operation.
Until the day her life comes to an end.
It has been <color=#ff4e4eff>4772 days</color> since the Tabula Akasha was sealed...
Correction: It has been <color=#ff4e4eff>4775 days</color> since the Tabula Akasha was sealed.
...
The memories of those lost days remain hazy to her... Did the mutated Red Tide corrupt her memory module during one of the battles? Or did she spend those days in self-repair after sustaining heavy damage?
As she channels power to repair her frame, her life detection radar, having been silent this entire time, suddenly comes alive.
...Life signals?
Three red dots appear on the radar.
Huaxu, run a new diagnostic on my frame.
—Diagnosis complete. Frame damage at 23.89%. No significant anomalies detected in the radar module.
Gripping her longsword, Qu rises to her feet once more.
In a world like this, no life form is truly harmless. She has driven away both mechanoids and humans who sought to claim the Tabula Akasha for themselves...
Through the howling blizzard, she adjusts her blurry visual module to peer ahead.
Don't trust my positioning system?
The snowfall intensifies, and through the haze, you make out some of the dilapidated buildings of Kowloong in a nearby valley.
The snowfall intensifies, and through the haze, you make out some of the dilapidated buildings of Kowloong in a nearby valley.
You have to put in a little effort to remove the frost that has formed on your goggles. You find it... difficult to imagine anyone alive in a place like this.
Step back.
Before you reach the building, a piercing blade of light cleaves through the blizzard, carving a deep chasm in the ground before you and Vanessa.
I won't say this a third time. Whatever your intentions, leave this place.
Another flash of the blade shatters the ground.
...That's impossible.
As the howling wind gradually subsides, you see a familiar figure emerge from the thick blanket of snow, sword in hand.
...Gray Raven Commandant?
Impossible... How did you make it out of that tower? Huaxu did perform simulations on alternative futures, but you couldn't have...
Her eyes filled with suspicion, Qu suddenly flicks her longsword and points its tip directly at your throat.
Heh, so this is the Red Tide's latest trick?
...I really don't want to explain it again.
Vanessa deflects Qu's longsword with visible irritation on her face.
This is the Gray Raven Commandant, [player name]. We made contact with the commandant about a month ago in an abandoned town along the ARU.
I don't know if your frame still works, but you should at least be able to tell that this one and I are genuine Constructs.
...
Qu lowers her offensive stance as she studies the three of you with caution.
She can indeed confirm that Vanessa and Emma, whom she has met before, are actually Constructs, but you...
I have simulated all sorts of futures using Huaxu's power while guarding this place, but in every single one of them... you weren't there, [player name].
Show me that you are you and not just an illusion the Red Tide came up with.
Based on what you have learned from Luna, Vanessa, and Cervantes, you have easily reached this conclusion.
It may have to do with "the unfathomable secret" in you that mystified even Vonnegut, or perhaps the fact that you never truly dissolved into the Red Tide—either way, it can never turn into an illusion with your face.
...
...True. I don't see how anyone would stand to gain anything.
Though sheathed, her longsword remains positioned for a quick draw. A hint of caution still lingers in her eyes.
Time flows like a fleeting shadow. 30 years have passed, and she cannot be certain that the person before her is the same person she used to know.
But she knows that she has to protect her people.
Noticing Qu's continued vigilance, you step back with Vanessa, a gesture to show the three of you mean no harm.
As the tension eases, you take this chance to ask about Huaxu's simulations Qu mentioned earlier.
Yes, shortly after your disappearance.
Babylonia informed me of your entry into the Hetero Tower, and that you and Lucia never showed up on the day you were scheduled to be picked up.
Everyone knew you and Lucia had gone missing. Sensing something was wrong, I began new simulations with Huaxu. The results were absolute—no matter how many variables I added, there was only one outcome regarding you.
You never made it out of that tower in all those simulations.
That is the same outcome Luna ended up with using the Ascension-Network.
If it were not for Lucia, you might not have made it out alive.
...Indeed. Your escape from the Hetero Tower suggests a possible singularity, a deviation from the predicted path...
Tell me, then. What brings you here?
Snow falls heavily as the sovereign of Kowloong stands before all she protects. Though her subjects are nowhere to be seen, she maintains the composure of one who holds destiny in her grasp.
With Emma's help, you find a sheltered corner away from the wind, where you recount everything to Qu in detail.
Everything that happened in the Hetero Tower, the mechanoid you ran into after you made it out, the Full Sensory Simulation Device Nanami left behind, how you need Huaxu's computing power to contact this unknown Nanami...
That's interesting... I never saw these mechanoids you mentioned in any of Huaxu's simulations either.
...
After a moment of thought, she summons Huaxu.
How much computing power do you need to keep the Tabula Akasha running at full capacity?
35.18%.
Reserve 40%, and allocate all remaining computing power... to the Full Sensory Simulation Device.
With Qu's silent approval, Emma quickly leaves and returns in a rescue vehicle with Rosa and Cervantes. They bring the Full Sensory Simulation Device with them and quickly start recalibrating it.
During this time, you finally get a chance to voice your questions to Qu, who stands before the door with her sword held close.
The people of Kowloong would never flee this planet. We only sent away the necessary seeds for our civilization to live on.
The rest of us... are all here.
Pretty bright, aren't you?
After a moment of silence, Qu turns to look at you.
Perhaps... there is just no way we'll truly be able to see what fate has in store for us.
I factored in countless variables, even my personal entry into the tower, yet none of my simulations could predict you standing before me now.
Life has taught me never to place my hopes in anyone but myself, and yet...
She stands alone, her expression as cold and distant as the winter frost.
...Do make it count.
...Alright. It's good to go.
Right then, Rosa calls out your name.
Commandant, our test is complete. The device should be safe, based on the theoretical results we've derived from Asimov's notes.
Except I couldn't enter the connection established by this simulation device. It requires a specific Mind Beacon, so I cannot verify the validity of our results...
Then... should we establish the connection now?
You have complete faith in Asimov's notes, but...
You cannot be sure if this is going to work. Given that Nanami is lost in what Cervantes called the chaos of the simulations, will you really be able to reach her?
With complications piling up one after another, you do not know if you will be able to bring back the singularity, the variables, and hope.
Unprecedented anxiety grips you by the throat, leaving the taste of iron and blood lingering in your mouth.
Don't play the messiah. I've said it before—humanity doesn't need another savior.
Vanessa has made her way to your side without you even noticing it.
...Even if we fail, we'll still find a way to carry on.
We've managed without you for this long, and we'll live on just fine without you if we have to.
Psst.
Go on then. The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back.
I'll wait right here. Don't worry—I'll be the first thing you see when you open your eyes.
And if you can't open your eyes, I'll just drag you to the hills and bury you... Hey, I'm kidding! Don't look at me like that.
Or... we could just give up now? Head straight back to the settlement—we might even make it in time for dinner.
You have come too far to call it quits now.
Not to mention Lucia is still waiting for you in the distant past.
As the thick curtain of night falls, a pink-haired Construct in an immaculate cloak materializes in the wilderness, where ravenous winds whip through the merciless snow.
Her tall figure phases in and out of space as she toys with two dice in her palm, their crystalline clicks echoing through the air.
...
[player name]... Making the same choice again, are you?
Or... are you going to provide a different answer?
Let's wait and see... if things turn out differently this time.
Her quivering hood obscures her smile as she tugs at her cloak and turns to leave.
