Babylonia
10:00 a.m.
Babylonia, 10:00 AM
As you browse through the file marked "Classified" on the terminal, you and Lucia exchange a glance before signaling to Hassen that you've finished reading.
You'll find pretty much everything in there.
"Three rescue teams have vanished one after another at the Copperfield Aquarium, and there's been no word from them since..."
Copperfield Aquarium... The name lingers in your mind, unfamiliar yet hauntingly resonant, as an inexplicable sense of deja vu rises.
Nearby, the discussion in the conference room continues.
Search and rescue missions don't usually get rated this high-risk... Is there something dangerous inside the aquarium that can't be officially disclosed in a file?
Among the missing teams, two of them were on par with elite squads.
Lucia's gaze sharpens. The significance of two elite squads alone speaks volumes.
...I see. Does intelligence analysis suggest any Ascendant's involvement?
I wish that was the full extent of it...
We suspect that even the force behind the Ascendants might be...
[player name]?
It's okay.
This should be your off-duty time, but this mission at Copperfield Aquarium can't really wait...
Copperfield Aquarium... The crimson swell of the Red Tide drifts once more across your sight, a hazy veil through which two silhouettes emerge like fragments spliced from old film reels, surfacing in slow motion before fading away.
Yeah. Have you heard much about it?
After Babylonia left Earth, that place should've been left abandoned. But given it was a prominent Copperfield family asset, our archives likely still have visual records of it...
A rather baseless question slips out unchecked.
...
How did you know?
Nikola.
The mission briefing only mentioned rescue teams, and we haven't said a thing about the Purifying Force so far.
Where did you get this information?
You detect the sharp edge of interrogation in Nikola's words at once.
The Purifying Force receives missions only through secure, specialized channels. Their movements are untraceable by design. That's need-to-know intel, highest clearance.
So, how did you know the Purifying Force went to the aquarium?
I'm not doubting you, but we need to understand what's happening.
...?
...You "saw" it?
...Tell us about it.
Hassen and Nikola exchange a glance.
An Ascendant used the sewers to avoid Babylonia's satellite surveillance, led the Red Tide into the aquarium, and then...
The blurry images freeze on grotesque Hetero-Sapien limbs. No matter how hard you stare, the Red Tide's illusion obscures what lies beyond.
Bianca switched to a frame called "Stigmata" and stepped inside the aquarium. After that...
The blurry images freeze on grotesque Hetero-Sapien limbs. No matter how hard you stare, the Red Tide's illusion obscures what lies beyond.
...
You "saw shadows"...
I can't accept vague explanations like that. Or maybe...
Nikola's gaze now clearly carries a scrutinizing edge.
Relax, Nikola. You and I both know the Gray Raven Commandant is the last person to be doubted.
Hassen places his hand on Nikola's shoulder, his words steady and deliberate.
...Okay.
Nikola gives a faint nod and settles back into his chair, seemingly trying to gather his thoughts.
After experiencing such "hallucinations," you have discussed the situation with Asimov.
Simple deja vu fails to explain these intricate cause-and-effect visions, while dismissing them as mere fabricated memories doesn't account for their startling level of detail.
No... it can't possibly be a Mind Beacon problem.
I've checked your Mind Beacon every way I can, and more than once. There are no issues whatsoever.
Given your experiences... I suspect the answer lies in the "Time Prison".
I haven't been through the same "events" as you, but from what you've described, this "Time Prison" sounds like a distorted timeline.
Remember when you used the White Noise device to connect with Selena inside the "Time Prison"? At that time, your Mind Beacon was fully exposed to "abnormal time."
That might explain the deja vu you've been experiencing at certain times. Those visions could be fragments from such "abnormal timelines."
I'm not sure.
Humanity's understanding of the universe is still incomplete. We are all seekers on this journey.
This is just one possible answer I can derive from the current circumstances...
...
Have your visions given you any more details?
Like the Ascendant's movements, or even rough locations of Bianca and Chiko?
...
After exchanging another glance with Nikola, Hassen ponders for a moment.
The mission goes ahead as planned. As for the specifics, we'll re-evaluate once we've factored in the intel you've given us and figure out if we need to send in more people.
And keep this under wraps. Don't breathe a word of it to anyone else.
The conference room door softly clicks shut from the outside. Silence settles back into the room. After a moment, Nikola speaks.
I'm deploying a covert team to investigate the Purifying Force, thoroughly. As for Kurono, we need to move immediately to assess any potential intel leaks.
Hm?
Bianca only switched to the new frame just before landing, and Stigmata was developed under Kurono's tightest security protocols.
If there was a breach, we need to trace every possible vector and ensure it never happens again.
But if it's not...
"Time Prison", "visions"...
Asimov may provide a physical explanation for what [player name] has been seeing, but until we have the data verified, I'll remain skeptical.
For that to happen at this particular moment... I can't help but question whether there's more to it.
I understand your concerns, but our primary objective is still the same. We need to extract Bianca quickly and figure out exactly what happened at the aquarium.
The Gray Raven Commandant has extensive field experience. While these are just theories at this stage... if they become reality, whether it's a full-scale Red Tide Influx or some Ascendant engineering those Hetero-Sapien creatures, either scenario would be far more difficult to control.
...
Nikola falls into silence but accepts Hassen's judgment without protest.
Which elite squads do we still have stationed in Babylonia?
Dark Aries, but I still don't recommend deploying them for now. Cerberus is on a surface patrol mission and hasn't returned yet. There's also...
Babylonia
Operations Room
Babylonia, Lounge.
Following Hassen and Nikola's reassessment, the mission's threat level has been updated, prompting adjustments to gear and provisions.
As Lucia organizes the combat supplies, you sift through the mission reports from the last three operations...
Commandant.
I'm applying to join you on the surface mission. You approve it first, then I'll go talk to Celica about it.
I was going through your mission files and suddenly found out that your mission rating's been adjusted.
I've heard that promise too many times before, but it's rarely kept.
I should be going with you...
...
Covering for him—rushing out mid-adjustment in a specialized frame just to find you in the lounge—was already more than generous. Don't push your luck.
The specialized frame is in a critical adaptation phase. Right now, field deployment is not advisable.
...
I still think...
A brief chime from the terminal interrupts your conversation. Hassen has sent some extra video footage.
Lee...? Lee, are you there? Asimov is looking for you...
...Just remember: safety first, no exceptions. And keep your comms open all the time.
The call drops, and Lee's image vanishes from the terminal's screen.
Liv can't join us this time either...
The Empyrea frame has always been a work in progress. Ever since Liv got back to Babylonia, the Science Council's been wanting to revamp it, which means Liv has to be available to help them out constantly.
Yeah, these are all good things.
Everything will be fine eventually.
...It's a notice from the transport aircraft. Some mission supplies just got delivered straight to the plane. We need to go check the inventory as soon as possible.
At this hour, most of Babylonia's soldiers and staff are tied up at their posts, leaving the corridor leading to the transport aircrafts pretty empty.
Just as you are about to pocket your terminal and head for the landing pad, it chimes again—a message from Nikola with intel from the third rescue team.
...Bianca?
Bianca shows up on camera, wearing a dark frame that you find both strange and oddly familiar.
Our primary objective is to confirm the survival status of the first and second rescue teams, and locate Chiko, the vice captain of the Purifying Force who went missing at the aquarium...
We've made it... to the designated position... Below us is the Copperfield Aquarium...
She shifts slightly, revealing a leaden gray ocean behind her that looks like a liquid graveyard, weighing heavily on the earth's surface—
Your own heartbeat drums in your ears as a shadow takes shape at the ocean's edge...
...
A pale girl commands the center of vision, her silent presence drawing your gaze upward, beyond the sea's horizon.
Suddenly, the silhouette of a female Construct materializes right before you.
...Commandant... [player name]?
I'm... not at the aquarium...
Ugh... is this visual distortion from a M.I.N.D. deviation?
Nothing. She's completely unresponsive, like she can't hear a word you're saying.
Careful... tropical fish... Red Tide at the aquarium...
Just like that, Bianca's image flickers a few times and then she's gone.
...
The red-eyed girl just stands there, silent, her finger pointing into the distance.
There, you witness the Red Tide surge backward into the ocean as a huge, humanoid shadow starts to slowly emerge from the water. It's chanting a dirge, a sound as crushing as a tsunami.
A jolt of cold sweat runs down your back as Babylonia's harsh, artificial sunlight snaps you out of that "vision."
That is... the "lost" remains of the Hetero-Humanoid twins.
It's anyone's guess how the Ascendants managed to snatch the barely surviving twins, but with "samples" in hand, "breeding" new monsters is clearly a breeze for them.
Bianca's fragmented words still echo in your mind. The aquarium... the Red Tide... "Hetero-Creatures"...
Before you can make sense of it, a sharp buzz from your terminal jolts you back to the present. Your transport is leaving soon.
Your brain feels thick, like a waterlogged sponge, as you fight against this intense feeling of deja vu...
...Is this the medicine you need?
That's right, thank you...
Consciousness creeps back into your body, and the muffled voices of nearby people drift into your awareness.
Commandant?! You're awake!
When your consciousness finally returns, you find yourself lying inside the transport craft. Lucia and a familiar blonde-haired young man stand nearby, their faces etched with concern as they look at you.
We were just watching the mission footage. At first, we were talking about Bianca's frame, but then you just... took off. You walked forward without saying a word, like you weren't even there...
I tried to get you to stop, but it was tough. Murray had just hopped off the transport and said hello, but you just plowed right into him...
Should I get Star of Life on the horn for you?
In your hazy mind, the visions you just had remain sharp and vivid.
Regular terminal comms in Babylonia can be bugged. Outside the military's encrypted channels, classified intelligence is typically relayed the old-fashioned way—on paper.
A slightly urgent voice cuts into your thoughts.
Departure's almost a go. Make sure you've got all your personal gear, and all non-essential personnel need to bail out now.
No go. The surface's been too rough, especially in your drop zone.
The Punishing concentration is off the charts, and with these shifting winds, it's a real gamble for our flight.
After I drop you, I still have to swing back and pick up another team headed for the disaster zone for rescue ops...
As your mind races through various possibilities, you catch sight of Murray getting ready to disembark.
Gray Raven Commandant? Do you need something else?
The young blonde man turns, a puzzled smile on his face.
I still think you should get checked out at the Star of Life... Hm? What's this?
You're not entirely sure this young man can be trusted, but given Lee's connection to him, along with those fragments Nikola once mentioned, he seems like the only option left.
At least this is a far safer bet than a transport robot or trying to transmit it through the terminal.
Dust motes hang in the harsh artificial sunlight. A cloud drifts past, and blinding pinpricks of light pierce your vision. Everything around you feels surreal. Murray stands before you, his image shimmering under the intense glare—
Alright, but...
Murray steps off the transport with the chip, completely bewildered by what just happened.
With a deafening roar, the transport slowly pulls away from Babylonia.
