Story Reader / Main Story / 32 To the Galaxies / Story
Right up ahead!
As you trudge through the deep snow, a massive white-domed building emerges dimly beyond the treeline.
Bet they'll be super happy!
Hehe, you'll see who they are when we get there...
So what exactly are you two trying to do here?
Snipey, who has been quiet the entire way, suddenly speaks up.
Hmm... good question. Beats me.
...This conversation feels awfully familiar, too.
We'll figure it out as we go! Nanami can feel power surging through her whole body!
That might be it. This is the first time I've run into something like this throughout my long journey through all these different timelines.
That should be it... I can feel that "The Big Eater" is consuming less computing power to run simulations now.
The amount of derived data is decreasing as the world lines converge, which means there is less information to process.
Snow blankets one side of the forest as small creatures peek out from the undergrowth.
Commandant! Look! There's a squirrel over there!
Having gone so long without seeing humans that it probably doesn't even know what they are, the squirrel tilts its head as it approaches and curiously observes this peculiar group of beings from nearby.
It's so cute... Do you like to pet it, Commandant?
The squirrel is startled but doesn't scurry away.
The soft fur beneath your fingertips feels too real to be a creation of some simulated world.
When you connected with Nanami's memory module, your consciousness became completely disconnected from Huaxu. Is this place... really just a simulated world?
Hearing your question, Nanami shakes her head.
Nanami doesn't know either.
I only wanted to explore options to save you, Commandant, and humanity when I first began all these simulations, but things stopped making sense to me anymore when I got swept into the temporal whirlpool.
Theoretically speaking, this is a place I came up with, but...
It's more than just that.
This is... the gift of the "future."
Hi there! You can just call me Nanami.
Nanami. Where am I?
We're aboard the Delorean-Discovery, sailing through the vast ocean of stars!
Do you remember the Heteromer Shard from Bianca's Phantom Tracer?
The "Key." A new "Key" to activate the "invitation."
It's also a message Sage left behind.
What's wrong, Commandant?
Huh...
Nanami turns around to face you and, suddenly, breaks into a smile.
I can't tell you, Commandant. Someone might be listening.
Follow me. Just leave it all to me this time!
We're almost there! Look!
Hold on, let's make sure they are not Corrupted...
No, no! They're Nanami's friends, too!
She rushes up and waves her hand with cheerful enthusiasm.
Hi, Snowball!
Hello! Welcome to the House of Love—
Uhm? How do you know my name?
Because I am Master Nanami, Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth, the Chosen One!
That's... quite a long name... I don't think we can accommodate a party of your size...
Hey! That's just my title!
And this one beside you... is... a human?
The clumsy robot starts fidgeting nervously.
Hello... Hello! It is a human! Hello!
This is the House of Love, a warm neighborhood built for humans! Welcome! You'll be our very first human to stay here!
I don't know... The humans began to disappear when it suddenly started to snow here one day.
It's too cold outside. Anyway, please come into our decorated community—
She waddles hurriedly to lead all three of you toward the white building behind.
Next, I give you the welcome ceremony of the House of Love!
Inside the relatively warmer building, several robots clumsily line up in a row in an awkward attempt to perform welcome gestures.
T-ta-da! Welcome to the House of Love!
Wow! That was amazing, amazing!
While clapping alongside Nanami, you take in your surroundings.
Is this part of Nanami's past experiences?
The hall has been decorated to look like a model showroom, with a massive machine in its center radiating gentle warmth.
On the back wall, crude graffiti spells out "House of Love" in faded but colorful letters.
Oh, you mean those letters in color?
I don't quite remember, but I think it was this visitor we had before who came and said they wanted humans to feel the true depth of a mechanoid's feelings.
They were sure that we'd have humans visiting here someday...
Who was it, though? Weird how I don't have that piece of information in my memory module...
No point dwelling on what you can't remember... Besides, you've still got cake to eat!
Oh yeah, that's right! Do give our specialty cake a try...
As Snowball hurries off, Nanami quickly makes herself comfortable by sprawling across the hall's sofa.
Haha.
Saying nothing, Nanami breaks into a big smile.
It's wonderful, isn't it? At least I helped them fulfill one of their wishes.
But where would "I" be if not here... at this time...
Pulling up her terminal, Nanami appears to be calculating something.
Oh no, this is bad! We're super close to the Aeronautical Research Lab now...
This is very bad! We're running out of time!
Nanami leaps off the hall's sofa, frantically grabs you, and bolts out the door.
Hey, you haven't tried our specialty cake yet!
We'll come back for it when we can! See you guys around, Snowball, Snipey!
Leaving the bewildered mechanoids behind, Nanami and you dash across the vast, snowy terrain.
The sun has risen before you know it. The heavy snowfall seems to have faded behind the two of you, revealing a crystal-clear blue sky ahead.
Careful, Commandant!
Having tripped over what you believe must be a rock, you fall hard onto the snowy ground.
When the world around you finally stops spinning, you open your snow-covered eyes to find a deep blue sky above.
...Didn't even notice that!
When you hear the crunch of snow and turn your head, you see Nanami lying next to you.
Up close, you notice all the new scars in Nanami's frame.
Hm? Don't worry. I got them when I was traveling through all the different worlds.
They only affect my consciousness—nothing can damage Nanami's super-awesome frame!
It's fine! Nanami doesn't feel much pain at all!
Not at all, silly!
Nanami rolls around in the snow and giggles with glee.
I'm super happy now since I'm not traveling alone this time!
If only... we could keep traveling together like this forever, Commandant!
Mhm mhm! Nanami knows we can't. If you stay here for too long, it'll mess with your consciousness and turn you into a big dummy!
A happy journey shouldn't be built on such a dangerous premise...
...
The Empyrea frame experiment with Liv failed, but humans kept pushing forward anyway. They used up too much energy, and Grandma Earth got angry.
Then came a great catastrophe humans called "The Frailty"... then came the Eternal winter.
This isn't just a simulation—it's more like what Vonnegut mentioned before: one of the "layers" within the Hetero Tower.
If I hadn't awakened in time to rouse Liv...
But none of that happened. This is just a "simulation," Commandant.
Humanity's future didn't end here, and neither will our journey, Commandant.
Nanami rolls over and sits up.
Let's get going, Commandant!
I know exactly where we need to go from here!
Our journey is far from over!
When everything is over, when all the sad times come to an end, I'll find you again right here on Earth, Commandant!
When the time comes, you and I will embark on another journey together, Commandant!
The harsh winter will pass, and spring will come.
The world will return to how it once was.
Following Nanami along the path, you spot her past self standing beside a building ahead.
Thank you so much...
Nanami draws close to her past self and gently takes both her hands.
Commandant and I will take it from here.
The flowing timeline is severed and reclaimed as a new dimension opens once more.
Streams of time flow together like rivers as they slowly converge into one.
The curtain rises, and everything that ever was slowly comes to be, only to gradually fade into oblivion.
With Commandant's M.I.N.D. as anchor, Nanami guides Commandant through dimensions that flicker in and out of existence.
IF—
Meeting no suppression, the Hetero-Forest runs rampant and submerges the entire Earth beneath its depths.
The entire squad of Gray Raven vanishes into the Red Tide during their rescue mission.
In that world, Nanami fails to save the commandant. She stands at the edge of the Red Tide for what feels like an eternity, watching as it creeps up to the very rocks beneath her feet.
In the end, she departed Earth with the Church of Machina.
IF—
After breaching the data wall, Babylonia comes under intense attack from an unknown force.
Unable to withstand the onslaught, Babylonia plummets and crashes onto Earth.
Nanami watches as Cradle fuses with an unknown being, which yields a merged being that consumes most of Earth's surface.
Humanity's living space shrinks day by day until the Punishing Virus finally devours every last bit of it.
IF—
Babylonia finally embarks on its journey to the stars when the Gray Raven Commandant enters the Hetero Tower.
After an eternity, the Church of Machina's starship chances upon that familiar megastructure drifting through space.
Despite sending countless messages with no response, when Nanami finally enters Babylonia, she finds only a ghost ship—its entire structure devoid of all life.
This isn't just what Nanami has seen before.
These are endings that will be taking place in the "future."
Nanami silently watches as scenes shift endlessly behind the veil.
Don't worry, Commandant! Nanami is here with you.
Besides...
The truth of this world runs far deeper than this.
We must trace back further, far further than this.
Only then can we—■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
Signal waves resonate through the distant void of the deep space.
IF—
The crimson light of the Hetero Tower eventually engulfs the entire world.
Nanami quickly leads the mechanoids into space, their ship's destination unknown to all.
IF—
A crimson ocean engulfed the entire Earth, leaving no survivors among those who fought in the war.
With nowhere left to stand on Earth, Nanami had no choice but to leave the Solar System.
IF—
IF—
262537412640768743 worlds, infinitely approaching wholeness, yet never reaching that final state.
I've lived through all these, but these aren't everything I've lived through.
Don't look so sad, Commandant.
I won't let this happen.
Shh...
She motions for you to look at the stage.
Thankfully, there's still time to make everything right...
Her voice is soft, and as her finger descends, the black and white scene on the "stage" freezes frame by frame.
It appears to be a funeral, with people gathered together and mourning someone's sacrifice.
In the distance, Nanami stands at the edge of the crowd holding a black umbrella, her expression hidden from view.
We gather here today to mourn a person whose contributions to Earth will leave a lasting legacy.
This great commandant achieved countless victories despite impossible odds, bringing honor to both humanity and Babylonia.
Let us observe a moment of silence for this commandant—
To Babylonia's great warrior, the Gray Raven Commandant.
I was late that time, too.
But this time, Commandant, I promise I won't be late.
