Dark blue shadows consume the pale cyan sky.
The two of you barely make it back to the conservation area before nightfall claims the world.
Officers? You're back already? Did you... figure out what was happening?
I'm afraid not. Our vehicle was damaged by Hetero-Creatures, and the power unit was compromised. We couldn't reach the mining area.
But we'll be back with a replacement unit tomorrow and fix the vehicle...
Oh, don't you worry about that. Happens more often than not. I'm just glad you two made it back in one piece.
The conservation area supervisor waves a hand, hardly concerned.
With the Task Force squad deployed to the mine, we're stretched thin out here. We can only manage perimeter patrols, and that route... well, it is a favorite spot for those creatures.
And that old vehicle? It breaks down more often than it runs. It's nothing you did wrong.
Actually... we did find something. Another vehicle, abandoned on the road. It had the same Conservation Area 368 markings as ours.
Oh? That'd be the two from yesterday, then... Sigh, I told them not to go. But some people always think they'll get lucky, that they'll find a fortune in scrap.
What's a bit of ore worth if you lose your life for it? They never know when to quit...
A deep frown creases the supervisor's brow. But after a weighted silence, she ventures a hesitant question.
But... um... Officers? You didn't... see them, did you? The people?
There was no one around the vehicle. But based on the tracks, it looks like they made it into the mining area on foot.
The tension in the supervisor's brow softens, the stern lines giving way to a look of weary relief.
They made it to the mine? Well... that's something, at least. They grew up in those tunnels. They know every corner. If anyone can stay safe in there, it's them.
And the Task Force squad is still in there, too... They'll be alright.
Her words feel as much for her own benefit as for yours.
Do Hetero-Creatures appear often around here?
Not necessarily...
The supervisor waves you onward, her brow furrowed in careful deliberation.
We're not near any official Babylonia "<color=#ff4e4eff>Dead Zone</color>". The local Punishing concentration is low, so large groups of those things rarely gather.
That all changed a few years back. There was a minor explosion in the mining tunnels. After that... they just started showing up. Out of nowhere.
I sent a report up the chain, and Babylonia eventually dispatched a Task Force squad to investigate.
The squad went down the mine a few times. Their theory was that the explosion must have opened a new passage connecting the tunnels to some other place, letting the Hetero-Creatures wander in.
Ever since then, we've started seeing them on the perimeter roads, too...
Dong—
The deep, resonant chime of the conservation area's clock cuts through the air.
...Goodness, I've completely lost track of time! It's gotten so late. Please, let me at least get you both something to eat. You must be worn out.
Oh...
The supervisor freezes mid-stride, a fleeting internal debate visible on her face before she dismisses it.
You should save your supplies for when you really need them. Come on, it's the least we can do. It's nothing special—honestly, it's barely palatable—but it's hot and it'll keep you going.
The path opens as you turn the corner, revealing the open space of the central plaza.
The darkness retreats from a crackling bonfire, where flames dance against iron pots. Inside, a watery gruel simmers, the evening's scant offering of grain watered down to feed the many.
For dinner... is this really enough to feed everyone?
We make do with what we have. Here, this one's for you... and this is yours.
Without waiting for a response, she shoves a chipped ceramic bowl into your grasp.
Are the shipments from Babylonia not enough?
Most of what Babylonia sends are crops and seeds for planting. The ready-to-eat rations are a small part of it.
She wipes her hands on her clothes nonchalantly and assumes her post behind one of the iron pots.
The iron pot gurgles softly, its watery broth so thin that the sparse grains occasionally surface like secrets from the bottom.
There aren't many Hetero-Creatures around, but this is mining territory. The soil was never good for large-scale farming.
We used to trade mined minerals with passing merchants for proper supplies. But now...
After a few perfunctory stirs, she scoops a half-ladle of gruel and pours it for the first person in line.
The creatures in the mine... it doesn't take a horde to be deadly for ordinary folks. So now, we survive on Babylonia's supplies and what little our stubborn fields provide... Next!
With a tap on the pot's edge, she signals the child to move on.
The child carries her bowl to the campfire and drains it in one desperate gulp, the watery gruel clearly a mere tease to her hunger.
Officers, is it... too difficult to eat? I'm sorry. This is truly the best we can offer.
With a smile, you respond to the supervisor's concerns, then lead Liv toward a quiet corner.
...Half a ladle for the children. A single one for the adults.
Liv watches the ladle in the supervisor's hand, her pursed lips a silent critique. Such meager portions could never sustain these growing children and working adults.
This is barely enough to survive on...
You tilt your head toward the residents, a silent prompt for Liv to watch them eat.
Commandant, you mean the residents...?
Food is scarce and danger looms, yet the community exhibits no unrest.
A profound, almost unnatural, calm has settled upon them. Though every face bears the pallor of malnutrition, not a single pair of eyes reveals sadness, anger, or any emotion at all.
The people simply move through the line, eat, and depart with a quiet, mechanical efficiency.
This goes beyond numbness; it's...
It's so quiet. Unnaturally so...
Liv senses something unsettling in the air. The crowd isn't silent; it's a low hum of whispers that swell and recede, a sound more unnerving than true quiet.
They feel so muted... emotionally...
Nearby, a few children who have already finished their meals are chasing each other. You catch one gently by the shoulder and hold out the bowl of dinner you were given.
The child accepts it, her small hands wrapping around the bowl, and looks up at you.
...Aren't you going to eat it?
Though her response holds no excitement, her hunger is undeniable.
More tellingly, she shows no fear, which implies that accepting extra rations isn't against the rules.
We have plenty of food. Go ahead and eat.
...
The child cradles the bowl, nods slightly, and returns to where she was eating before.
...Commandant, something doesn't feel right.
Liv's brow furrows as she studies the crowd.
The campfire casts long, grotesque shadows that writhe around them, yet the residents wait in line, conversing quietly as if nothing were amiss.
It's like... like something is missing from them...
Screech—
Suddenly, the mechanical snarl of an engine tears through the evening quiet.
A frantic, violent pounding shakes the conservation area's gate.
Open the gate! Open it now! Someone's injured! Hurry!
That voice... The patrol team?!
Bowls and chopsticks are abandoned as the gate yawns open with a metallic scream, letting a ramshackle vehicle rush inside.
It's Lyam! Lyam's injured!
My leg! My leg...!
The vehicle is a wreck, painted in the horrifying crimson of large, soaking bloodstains.
What happened?!
We were at the mine behind the conservation area, the safe place where Hetero-Creatures have never shown up! We were going to take a rest...
His words tumble out in a frantic rush as he leans his full weight onto the soldier's wound, his hands slick with blood.
Lyam just went to the tree line to take a leak. He wasn't gone ten seconds before we heard screaming!
It hurts... Mom, Mom... It hurts so much...! My leg!
When we got there... that Hetero-Creature was... it was on him! Thank god we had weapons...
Mom...
Despite the direct pressure, blood pulses from the wound, likely a severed artery. Lyam's voice is fading, growing thin and distant.
Where's the doctor?! Dr. Melinoe!
Mama... I'm scared... It hurts so much...
I'm a doctor. I can help...
Liv moves to intervene, but another is faster. A stranger bursts from the crowd and skids to a halt beside Lyam.
In one fluid motion, she kneels and takes over, her hands pressing decisively on the wound.
Dr. Meli! Dr. Meli! It hurts... it hurts so much... there's so much blood...
Lyam seizes her sleeve, his moans ceaseless as he clings to this new, desperate hope.
Shh, it's okay. It's gonna be alright. I'm right here.
Melinoe offers reassuring words while working with frantic, untrained haste—cleaning the injury with rough swipes and clumsily seeking a tourniquet.
Witnessing the woman's jarringly coarse actions, Liv freezes in place for a heartbeat. Then, her own pace instinctively sharpens, quickening from its earlier lag.
Excuse me... do you need help? I'm a Construct from Babylonia's Gray Raven squad. I'm trained in wound debridement procedures.
But someone suddenly steps between them, blocking her way.
Officer, I'm sorry...
Liv furrows her brow, giving the conservation area supervisor a confused look.
Um... Well...
Please, come here and help us.
Hearing the exchange between the two, the woman kneeling on the ground turns her head and makes her earnest plea.
But...
Lyam needs help. Now's not the time to worry about that.
...
Wordlessly, the supervisor steps aside. Though still confused, Liv quickly kneels beside the injured man.
It's a Hetero-Creature bite, and we're already seeing signs of infection. The priority is the serum, followed by a thorough flush with saline...
Like this...
Liv cleans the wound, explaining the key techniques to the other woman as she works. Melinoe listens intently, stepping in to assist whenever necessary.
But without painkillers, their efforts are met with the man's raw, agonized cries as the disinfectant bites into his flesh.
Argh! Nngh... AAAAGH!!
Mom... Mom... Am I going to die? Mom...
It's alright...
Before Liv can utter a word of comfort, Melinoe drops everything. She rushes to the injured man's side, cradling him in her arms as she gently massages Lyam's forehead.
Shhh... It's okay, Lyam... You'll be alright.
I'm here. The pain is leaving now... Lyam...
As Melinoe tends to him, Lyam's breathing loses its ragged edge and his cries dwindle. A calmness settles over him so completely that it seems her very touch is leaching the agony from his body.
Huh...? What are you— Oh.
Their unusual interaction catches Liv's attention. She instinctively looks up, only to see Melinoe's sleeve sliding down as she cradles the injured man...
A cold, metallic glint reflects the firelight, revealing arms that are distinctly not human.
...
Next... we need to debride the infected tissue and remove any foreign matter.
Disinfect... and now a basic suture. Just like this.
In a few deft motions, the wound is wrapped and secured. Only after a meticulous inspection for infection does Liv finally pack away her medical kit.
From now on, the focus is on regular disinfection and changing the gauze.
...
Melinoe offers Liv a silent, grateful nod. Then, rising, she gathers the unconscious boy into her arms, his body limp from blood loss.
...I'll take Lyam back to the medical station.
Like a wave, the crowd divides to create an opening and then converges just as quickly, swallowing the doctor and blocking Liv's view.
You move to intervene, but the press of bodies is a silent, firm refusal.
The two groups are frozen in a wordless impasse until the supervisor parts the crowd, protectively guiding Liv.
Sorry about that, Officer.
...That's Ms. Melinoe. The doctor stationed here in Conservation Area 368.
The only one we have.
...
A single glance is all it takes. In unison, you and Liv step back.
The gesture is a silent accord that drains the fight from the air. As the tension breaks and the crowd scatters, the supervisor's hesitant expression softens into one of weary apology.
Thank you, both of you, truly. Haha... If you hadn't been here, Lyam would've...
Oh, Lyam's the boy who was hurt. Poor little thing.
She swiftly changes the subject without missing a beat.
His parents were miners. Didn't make it out when things went bad. He was born down there. Had never once seen the real sun.
Just to keep him alive before Babylonia found us, his family would risk the tunnels, trying to trade scraps of ore for formula... for anything.
And then... before he turned three, they were gone, too.
...
He's probably forgotten her face, but when the pain takes him... he still calls for his mother. I suppose that's just instinct, isn't it?
She lets out a sigh.
Thank goodness Meli was close by. The pain alone could have...
At the mention of the name, the supervisor freezes, the words catching in her throat like a bone. Then, she simply shakes her head, offering nothing more.
...
Internal conflict twists the supervisor's features. She stammers, hesitates, and finally wrests the words from within.
Ha, haha, yeah, that was her. The only doctor we have here.
She stresses the word "only" again.
Maybe Meli's specialty was... something else. Haha. We don't really ask about her past.
Well...
The supervisor scratches her head in hesitation.
Ah, what does it matter now? I suppose there's no harm in telling you.
She just showed up one day. Wandered out of the mining area. That was a while ago now.
The mining area...
Yeah. It's poor here, that's no secret. But at least there are not many Hetero-Creatures. Years back, when folks found this conservation area, they just trickled in.
That's just life now. People come and go. You don't ask about a person's past. If you get along, you become family. If you don't, you part ways. Nobody cared what she did before.
A bit of learning, the ability to read the labels on the medicine Babylonia sends... that's all we needed. That was more than we had.
Hah! You should have seen old Jack trying to cure his sciatica with headache pills! And Sunny... the girl thought you were supposed to drink the whole bottle of cough syrup in one go!
But Meli... she changed everything. Everyone here—young and old alike—absolutely adores her. Since she arrived... I'm not exaggerating when I say accidents and mishaps have been cut by more than half.
The woman rambles on about all the changes the doctor has brought to the conservation area.
You take your leave of the supervisor, who seems reluctant to end the conversation. On the walk back to camp, the moonlight silvers the rooftops and stretches long, slender shadows across the ground.
That doctor isn't human.
She leaves her hands in plain view—intricate mechanical constructs of interlocking gears and components that are unmistakably artificial.
I'm not sure. Her hands... they have mechanical skeletal structures, but Constructs can have those too...
Liv recalls everything she just witnessed.
I've also noticed... that she can influence the human mind.
It's hard to define. It was like she was "regulating" the mind, or perhaps... "extracting" the sensation itself. It wasn't brute-force control, but she certainly had some level of influence.
Such neuro-technologies were researched during the Golden Age, but it was a highly specialized field. My knowledge is limited.
When that boy, Lyam, was in pain...
She either "regulated" or "extracted"... a core emotion. Most likely his "pain." Or his "fear."
Just like the state of this conservation area.
Liv gazes toward the central plaza, worry etched in her eyes.
Dark clouds slowly veil the moonlight above.
Stripped of "fear" and purged of "anger," the residents now exist in a state of placid harmony, making this conservation area a place of unsettling perfection.
Yes.
The terminal casts a soft, ghostly blue glow.
...Here.
Melinoe. Female. "Human"—or so they claim.
According to her own testimony... she was a doctor working for the mining company here, stationed in the mining area.
Yeah. According to the records, the miners endured extremely long shifts deep underground. Her role was specifically to treat the depression and psychological strain that developed from such prolonged isolation in the mine.
I've actually heard of such roles, but...
She purses her lips and continues reading through the document.
According to her statement, after the Punishing outbreak, she managed to survive inside the mine by relying on stockpiled supplies. It seems she only made her way here to Conservation Area 368 once those supplies were finally depleted...
Either way, it's just plausible enough that Babylonia's bureaucracy wouldn't question it.
In the wake of the Punishing Virus, such scenes grew commonplace. Conservation areas have become sanctuaries, steadily collecting the dregs of humanity who had been surviving in the shadows.
She's from the mining area... A doctor... and potentially a Construct...
She is. The supervisor initially told me that the doctor of the medical station had gone out with the patrol team...
Looking back now, I think the supervisor was also lying.
Should we track her down and find out who she really is?
Every moment you wait increases the risk. That doctor is either a key witness or is hiding something worse. No one vanishes at the very moment Gray Raven arrives without a compelling reason.
Understood, Commandant. We move tonight.
