Chapter Zero: Prologue
Chapter Zero: Prologue - Scene I: "Introduction"
NARRATOR: Welcome to the 2214 visual novel. It is a reboot of the original web comic.
NARRATOR: Not only will this be an entirely new type of presentation for the story, but it will also be a complete reboot of the story as well.
NARRATOR: 2214, as a web comic, suffered from pacing issues and inadequate space for explanatory text.
NARRATOR: This new visual novel format will provide ample space for text in addition to music and other media elements to enhance the story.
NARRATOR: To get started, this visual novel works best on a 16:9 aspect ratio screen (most computer monitors, televisions, and smartphones in landscape mode).
NARRATOR: Switching your browser to full screen mode will provide the best experience. Please note that this site requires a modern, up-to-date browser. Avoid IE.
NARRATOR: The controls, from left to right, are as follows:
NARRATOR: Go to beginning, previous scene, replay current scene, advance to next frame, skip to next scene, skip to most recent scene, menu, get link to scene, and go full screen.
NARRATOR: If you're on a computer, you can use the space bar to advance and your arrow keys to switch scenes and replay the current scene. Enter toggles full screen mode.
NARRATOR: If you have read the 2214 web comic, please note that the story will deviate somewhat from the original work. This is a reboot; it is not merely a remake.
NARRATOR: Let's begin.
Chapter Zero: Prologue - Scene II: "Prologue"
NARRATOR: In the year 2214, a massive interplanetary migration is scheduled by a global quasi-governmental ruling group known as "Zetsfir".
NARRATOR: The governments of most countries have coalesced into a global entity. Zetsfir's disproportionate influence over the world government is protested by many.
NARRATOR: Although there is no official reason for the forced migration of a portion of the world's population, it is speculated that an impending crisis is the cause.
NARRATOR: Those who refused were forcibly taken to the migration spacecraft, known as the "Morgan's Gate", named after Dr. Raul Morgan, its designer.
NARRATOR: The "Gate", as it's colloquially known, was assembled in Earth Orbit from 2186 to 2194 and is the size of a large city.
NARRATOR: It was designed to sustain human life for hundreds of generations.
NARRATOR: Rumors began to spread that something had gone horribly wrong with the migration plan, however...
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene I: "Gesh's Desperate Atrocity"
NARRATOR: Saulsburg, Oregon. January 18, 2214, 3:14 am.
NARRATOR: Mr. Disphumis!!!
Negotiator: Please, listen to reason!
Gesh: So... the negotiator has arrived...
Gesh: Don't you get it?! You will not take me alive or intact!
Gesh: Unnngh... Just save your breath, already! There's nothing to discuss here.
Negotiator: Please... just put down the detonator and let's talk this through, alright?
Gesh: Can't you hear me? There's nothing to discuss! I am not your lab rat.
Gesh: My DNA is not yours to toy with!
Gesh: Nobody alive has the wisdom to handle this situation with any sense of decency.
Policeman: Just how much explosive does he have on him?
Negotiator: It's deeper than that, Mr. Disphumis.
Negotiator: You literally contain information inside your brain cells that could save the world from tragedy!
Gesh: NO DICE!!!
Gesh: IT'S NOT YOURS!!!
Negotiator: Please just listen to reason!
Negotiator: One small sample of your brain tissue will provide the missing data to ensure a successful migration!
Negotiator: The extraction procedure will not harm you at all.
Gesh: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!
Gesh: Sorry, lady. I am taking these secrets to hell with me.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene II: "Zetsfir Institute - Upcoming Experiment"
NARRATOR: Zetsfir Institute, March 11, 2214, 9:10 am
Azurat: What's our status, folks?
Dr. Pathos: Dr. Disphumis, I know he was your brother-in-law, so I don't know how to approach this...
Azurat: You don't have to worry, Martin. He had some serious issues ever since my wife's accident. It's a very difficult situation all around.
Azurat: Between having the government questioning us about everything under the sun and the pressure to get results...
Azurat: I just want to focus on the task at hand, so never mind the subject matter.
Dr. Pathos: Yes sir. Understood.
Azurat: Anyway... is there any news on possible remains? We are running out of time with only four days to obtain the samples.
Dr. Ross: Azurat, since downtown reconstruction started, it doesn't look good for any remains in the area. However...
Dr. Ross: The quantum A.I. system has interpolated much of the missing data via the process of elimination.
Azurat: That's good, Dr. Ross. We shouldn't rely on that any more than we absolutely have to.
Dr. Ross: Right, it's not perfect...
Dr. Pathos: Dr. Ross, do you think there's any chance we could proceed without Gesh's brain tissue?
Dr. Pathos: I mean... you know... in the worst case scenario.
Dr. Ross: Theoretically. It depends on the results of the tests.
Azurat: Which I would have to leave up to you. I'm afraid I cannot be present for such a thing, which you know I'm against, Jeane.
Dr. Ross: I'm sorry, Azurat. I wish there were another way but the council...
Dr. Pathos: Wait, I've actually been wondering, though... who exactly is the test subject?
Dr. Ross: Oh my... Azurat, you haven't told him yet?
Azurat: ...
Azurat: Hmph. I was desperately looking for a suitable replacement.
Azurat: This is the last person in the world I wanted to use for this experiment. Yet, my hands are tied.
Azurat: The only suitable person alive with the exact genetic traits. The only one who carries the "Disphumis Factor".
Azurat: My daughter, Ravenna.
Dr. Pathos: Oh. I didn't know...
Dr. Ross: She looks exactly like her mother.
Dr. Pathos: Cute. She has your ears though.
Azurat: You watch it, bub.
Dr. Ross: But... testing on your own daughter... are you sure about this...?
Azurat: I'm going to ask her tonight about doing the experiment and if she still feels up to it.
Azurat: Just... I sure wish there were another way.
Azurat: If anything goes wrong, I swear I will never forgive myself.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene III: "School Bus"
NARRATOR: Saulsburg, Oregon. 3:14 pm
Sara: Hey, Ravenna, what are you doing after school today?
Ravenna: Karate again. I almost have my next degree black belt.
Sara: Oh, by the way, did you hear? James got his letter today.
Sara: He was picked for the migration!
Ravenna: Um... my Dad's working on something to do with that...
Larry: Isn't your dad Azurat Disphumis...?
Larry: ...and your uncle was Gesh Disphumis, the lunatic who's responsible for that suicide bombing downtown?
Ravenna: ...
Sara: Larry!!! What's WRONG with you?! Why did you bring that up?
Larry: Yeah, yeah. But her family's been at the center of a lot of bad stuff lately.
Larry: I mean, her dad helps those creeps force people to leave Earth against their will!
Larry: Also, why is his last name "Disphumis" when your Uncle Disphumis was your mom's brother? How's that work?!
Bus: Y'all jez chill.
Larry: Oh, here he goes forcing that slang again... Mr. 4.0 GPA trying to play the cool guy!
Bus: Don't be gettin' all wild up in here.
Sara: The migration is tough for everyone, Larry.
Ravenna: Hey, what's up, School Bus!
Larry: Why do they call you "School Bus"?
Bus: Don't you know?
Bus: I'm big... got a yellow coat, and I'll sho' 'nuff take y'all to school!
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene IV: "The Death Toll"
Ravenna: (It'll be while until we get to my stop...)
Ravenna: (May as well listen to the radio.)
Ravenna: (My stop is the last stop. That means I get to see... this... every day.)
Ravenna: (Uncle Gesh... why did you feel this was necessary?)
Ravenna: (Were you really so selfish as to snuff out all of those lives without a second thought?)
Ravenna: (How else can we look at it? Senseless but more importantly... it's evil.)
Ravenna: (Just... evil.)
Ravenna: (Oh. The news.)
NEWS: Good afternoon, Saulsburg. Our top story comes from the investigation into the massive suicide bombing downtown.
NEWS: The estimated death toll from the bombing has been increased to six thousand.
NEWS: This makes the incident the most severe domestic bombing in Oregon history.
NEWS: Our sources confirm that the attack was indeed related to the migration protests.
NEWS: Twelve city blocks of Downtown Saulsburg were completely leveled following a standoff with authorities back in January.
NEWS: The entire area will remain blocked off and off limits to all non-emergency traffic until further notice.
NEWS: In other news...
NEWS: Those drafted for next year's migration are urged to have all financial issues squared away.
NEWS: All selected migrants will be required to report to the Raleigh dock facility on February 26 next year.
NEWS: Those required to report will be sent a shuttle pass prior to this date.
NEWS: Early boarding for the "Morgan's Gate" colony ship began on February 20 this year.
NEWS: The "Morgan's Gate" will begin its extensive journey to the planet "Pleiades-47" next March.
NEWS: The 47th planet discovered in the Pleiades cluster was confirmed in 2186 to support life and was selected...
Ravenna: This is too horrid, Uncle Gesh. Even for you.
Ravenna: Why were you so bent on stopping the migration?
Ravenna: You didn't solve a thing. You only killed thousands and made the situation worse.
Ravenna: Karma... no... just a simple chain of cause and effect. Evil begets evil.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene V: "Zetsfir Council"
NARRATOR: Zetsfir Insitute, 7:21 pm
Chairman: Ladies and gentlemen of the council, before us are those in charge of research for the migration crisis resolution project.
Chairman: Since major setbacks have arisen due to the suicide bombing, our project has taken some detours.
Chairman: I am, however, pleased to know that we may proceed with the project.
Chairman: Professor Disphumis, what were your findings on Gesh's DNA sample?
Azurat: As you are aware, Chairman, Gesh had a rare genetic mutation exclusive to his blood line that contained encoded binary data.
Azurat: This trait was shared by my late wife, as well. Unfortunately... we lost her during system testing on board the Morgan's Gate.
Chairman: Yes, again, my condolences, professor.
Council Member: Professor, were you able to obtain enough data to complete the program?
Azurat: Unfortunately, without recovering the brain from the rubble, we had to rely on incomplete samples from my wife and interpolation...
Martin: We are confident that our partial model is suitable for preliminary testing.
Chairman: I see.
Chairman: I take it that testing was delayed further due to the lack of suitable test subjects and the significant risk involved?
Azurat: Well, yes... I'm afraid the only suitable test subject...
Council Member: Is your daughter, am I correct?
Council Member: Would I be accurate to say you have personal reservations due to that fact?
Azurat: ...
Martin: Ma'am, the risks involved are not trivial.
Martin: She did agree plus, due to her genetic expression of the code in question, her chances of survival are greater than most...
Council Member: Dr. Pathos, I do not mean to sound insensitive but the stakes are quite high. We are willing to accept certain risks.
Martin: You are willing?! What about his daughter? What about his wife? We've already lost people as a result of...
Azurat: It's fine, Martin.
Martin: But aside from that, although we can perform testing, we still don't have any of Gesh's actual tissue so the system won't be reliable!
Council Member: You were told that for security purposes.
Council Member: In truth, we have the brain - intact.
Council Member: Currently, the data is being extracted and stored in one of the mainframes for the "V-CORE" project.
Chairman: That means we already have everything we need.
Chairman: That means we can proceed for certain. Our main objective is to perfect the temporal gate systems...
Chairman: Professor, is something wrong?
Azurat: N... no... sir.
Azurat: Nothing.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene VI: "Uncertainty"
Azurat: Have a good evening, Martin.
Azurat: I have to pick up my daughter from her karate lesson.
Azurat: How did it go? Did you advance to shodan?
Ravenna: Yes I did! Although... this test was a lot tougher than before.
Azurat: That is totally baller.
Ravenna: Yep. Uh, listen, pop...
Azurat: Yo.
Ravenna: Some of the people at school are giving me a hard time because of Uncle Gesh and... well...
Azurat: Listen, kiddo. You're not responsible for what he did. You know that.
Ravenna: Yeah I know that already. It's more that they're spreading rumors about your job.
Azurat: ...
Azurat: ...I see.
Ravenna: I know you're not allowed to talk about it but...
Azurat: Listen, Ravenna, we had a big meeting with the council today and they want to move forward with the experiments.
Azurat: You still cool with that? Because... honestly... I'm not.
Ravenna: I'm the only one suitable, right? Plus I have the best chances of surviving.
Ravenna: Plus it's for the long term survival of humanity.
Azurat: You're REALLY just all hunkey-dorey fine about all this?!
Ravenna: Of course not! It's not like I actually look forward to it!
Azurat: Yeah. I'm glad to hear you say that. Listen...
Azurat: What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this cockpit, alright?
Ravenna: Of course. I won't even tell Bus.
Azurat: Ok. Good. Now, listen...
Azurat: Today, the Zetsfir council suddenly let us know they obtained Gesh's brain.
Ravenna: WHAT?! I thought it was destroyed!
Azurat: Pffft, yeah, plus they had people out in the rubble searching for traces of it.
Azurat: Plus they had us wracking our brains trying to assemble the data through other means...
Ravenna: Umm... what data?
Azurat: I'm violating multiple global laws telling you this but Zetsfir has us developing technology to make sure humans survive the migration.
Ravenna: Isn't the Morgan's Gate supposed to support life for centuries?
Azurat: Yes but there are other factors involved. One is the manipulation of the human genome to adapt to the new planet. The other one...
Azurat: Sorry, Ravenna. Let's leave it at that.
Ravenna: Oh, alright. I'll pretend I didn't hear anything.
Azurat: Ravenna! Wise up! I'm not screwing around, here.
Azurat: The DNA your Mother's side of the family carries actually contains synthetic data that contains precise instructions for this.
Ravenna: I know you said we have the "Disphumis Factor" but I thought that was just white hair, red eyes, and more strength than normal.
Azurat: I don't know all of the specifics. Still... here's the part that's REALLY going to get me in trouble if it gets out:
Azurat: That cylinder in the back seat.
Ravenna: I was wondering why you took out part of the back seat and had that thing jammed in there.
Azurat: It's a little something I'm working on... but I'm not supposed to.
Ravenna: What does it do, exactly?
Azurat: It's some kind of compact wormhole generator. Like I said, though, it doesn't work yet. Zetsfir commissioned one on the Morgan's...
Azurat: I've already said way too much.
Ravenna: ...
Ravenna: Pop, I don't trust Zetsfir. I don't like what they're doing.
Azurat: Most people don't, kiddo. It's just that none of us have much of a choice but to go along with things.
Ravenna: They've never taught us anything in school about how they got so powerful.
Azurat: That right there is the whole reason they ARE so powerful. It's because they can control information.
Azurat: Not to mention their secrecy fuels speculation so the lies and theories further cloud the truth...
Ravenna: I want to get to the bottom of this migration business. What's the REAL purpose for it?
Azurat: Listen, Ravenna. Some questions are not worth asking. If you get too curious, bad things can happen.
Ravenna: Bus says that, too.
Azurat: Ah! Marvin Jensen. How is he doing? I heard he was likely to be valedictorian if he doesn't get busted for hacking!
Ravenna: He's doing well. Is it okay if he comes over tonight to help me with some homework?
Azurat: Sure thing. I always like picking his brain on things, although I'm going to be too tired tonight so I'm going to bed early.
Ravenna: We'll be extra quiet, then, so you can rest.
Azurat: *YAWN* Hmm, appreciate it.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene VII: "Sorrow - Past and Present"
Azurat: ...
Azurat: I must admit that I have an unusually bad feeling about the experiment.
Azurat: Maybe it's something the Zetsfir council isn't telling us. I don't know.
Ravenna: What if you just quit your job and we can go off-grid or something?
Azurat: Living on the run, constantly hiding and sneaking around? Impractical in this day and age, to say the least.
Azurat: Besides, the surveillance grid tracks every vehicle, communication device, and financial transaction.
Azurat: Those off-grid stories are from an era 200 years ago. I've yet to see anyone able to hide from the world government.
Ravenna: Hmmm....
Ravenna: (There has to be something we can do...)
Azurat: It was during early testing of the system involved in these experiments that your mother was killed.
Azurat: It was a standard diagnostics routine she was running at the time.
Azurat: The V-CORE prototype activated normally but started to exhibit anomalous behavior.
Ravenna: Yeah, but you never figured out why?
Azurat: Right. We were never able to identify the reason.
Azurat: I had just returned to the lab with some coffee.
Azurat: The next thing I knew... she was...
Azurat: ...obliterated. Not even a trace left behind.
Azurat: The lab shut down for a mere two days before the project resumed.
Azurat: No answers were ever provided.
Azurat: Zetsfir offered me a generous paid leave afterward...
Azurat: ...but instead, after the funeral, I buried myself in my work, hardly leaving the lab.
Ravenna: I do remember going to stay with Uncle Gesh for a few days...
Ravenna: ...but he was institutionalized the day I arrived.
Azurat: Yes. That's right. Seeing him unravel made me realize that I had to pull myself together.
Azurat: Despite everything else, I have to give Zetsfir credit for making sure our needs were met.
Ravenna: ...
Azurat: You were always her top priority, Ravenna. Even on her busiest days with Zetsfir, you came first.
Azurat: Your expression of her bloodline's unique traits always fascinated her. You had so much energy.
Azurat: Of course, with your above-average strength, sometimes you could be a real handful.
Ravenna: I was only six years old...
Ravenna: It's hard to remember.
Azurat: We knew that you were different than your mother. Your traits were more dominant.
Azurat: In fact, you quickly attracted Zetsfir's attention. They wanted to perform experiments right away.
Azurat: Your mother and I were able to stop them for years until the situation, according to them, became too dire.
Azurat: They could have forcibly taken you away but they knew we would take our research and run if they did.
Ravenna: An insurance policy of sorts?
Azurat: One hell of an insurance policy, kiddo. I never put all of my cards on the table and they've always known that.
Azurat: You could say that Zetsfir and I have been at a stalemate when it comes to using "the nuclear option" to get what we want.
Azurat: Of course you can credit your mother for defending you.
Azurat: It wasn't just Zetsfir. Your teachers and the police were afraid of your strength.
Azurat: Should you have become a delinquent, it would have been troublesome for everyone, or so they said.
Azurat: They wanted you to undergo treatments to restrain your abilities but your mother and I prevented that.
Azurat: Of course I knew you wouldn't go down the wrong path.
Ravenna: Ha ha, I'm a goodie two shoes..!
Azurat: It's hard to believe it's been ten years already. I may have come to terms with it but...
Azurat: I would not be able to come to terms with such loss again. This is why I'm against the upcoming experiment.
Azurat: Even if my unsanctioned copy of the V-CORE becomes operational, what good is a time machine if I can't go back?
Ravenna: It seems far-fetched that such a thing could even exist. Does Zetsfir really think it's possible?
Azurat: I've studied the theory behind it quite extensively, Ravenna. Only in theory so far but it's a solid concept.
Ravenna: But going backward is totally out of the question?
Azurat: Yes. Based on this model, absolutely.
Ravenna: Do you think there's any chance that Mom...
Azurat: Ravenna, the system wasn't finalized. It would have been fatal. Let's not get into the details as to why.
Ravenna: ...sure.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene VIII: "Come Over"
Azurat: Alright, Ravenna.
Azurat: Your school's out tomorrow for an in-service day.
Azurat: Still... don't stay up too late, alright? They want you to report to the lab tomorrow.
Ravenna: Ok. Bus is just gonna come over for a couple hours so we can compare our history class notes.
Azurat: Sounds fine. Say "Hi" to him for me, okay?
Azurat: I'm exhausted and going straight to bed. I have to pick up fuel canisters for the Hovercrane in the morning.
Ravenna: Wait... we were flying around on low fuel tonight?
Azurat: Nah. I increased the safety limit. Besides, it's not like it would plummet to the ground.
Azurat: Didn't they teach you about magnetocraft this semester in your engineering class?
Ravenna: Sorry, Pop. We haven't studied hover engines yet.
Azurat: Young lady, no daughter of mine is going to get her magnetocraft learner's permit...
Azurat: ...let alone fly an S-class Hovercrane GT-4 without understanding the physics of hover engines!
Ravenna: Sure, Pop. I'll get Bus to help me study that tonight, too, ok?
Azurat: See to it! Ha ha, and with that... I'm off to catch some Z's.
Ravenna: (Now to call Bus...)
Ravenna: (Come on, Bus... pick up already...)
Ravenna: Whoa! What the...
Ravenna: That was kinda odd.
Ravenna: Sounded kind of like one of those ancient data port devices.
Ravenna: !!!
Ravenna: Hello?
Bus: Yo, Rave. You jus' call?
Ravenna: Yeah but the connection was acting really weird.
Bus: Hah hah! Naw, Rave, that was just me switching to a secure line.
Bus: Don't want those spy creeps listenin' in.
Ravenna: Um, secure? As in encrypted?
Bus: You know it!
Ravenna: Isn't that illegal?
Bus: ...
Bus: ...yeah...?
Bus: ...and...?
Ravenna: Hey Bus, you still coming over to help study tonight?
Bus: Sure. Beats sittin' around here all night, anyway.
Ravenna: Great. Dad said it's okay but we can't clomp around and make a bunch of noise tonight because he's trying to sleep, ok?
Bus: Aw. Guess I'll have to leave my clompin' boots here at home, then.
Ravenna: Heh, heh.
Ravenna: There's some other stuff I'd like to talk about tonight if you're up for it.
Bus: Sure but hey, Rave...
Bus: Secure line! You can tell me now if you want.
Ravenna: Okay... Well, what can you get regarding the Morgan's Gate? Specifically, something called a "V-CORE"?
Bus: Oooohhhh.... that's gonna be tricky, even for me.
Bus: Tell you what, though. I'll see what I can find and then I'll head on over to your place, ok?
Ravenna: Thanks, Bus. Don't get caught.
Bus: Nah, it's all good. I won't get caught.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene IX: "Spam and Secret Plans"
Ravenna: That was quick...
Bus: Hey, Rave. Got here as fast as I could. Listen...
Ravenna: Heya Bus! Come on in. I was just going through a bunch of my e-mails.
Bus: Listen, I used my Dad's old password and... believe it or not... it still worked.
Ravenna: Are you serious? Their security is THAT bad?!
Bus: Not quite. I had a backdoor set up back when he was alive and there was one system they forgot to reset.
Bus: Now what's this all about? Why all of a sudden...?
Ravenna: Please, not so loud. Dad's asleep and... I don't want him to know.
Bus: I gotcha. Lemma hang my coat up.
Ravenna: Sorry, Bus, give me just a few more minutes, here. I'm just trying to clear out all of this junk e-mail.
Bus: That's cool. No rush.
Bus: 1107 unread messages? Dang...
Ravenna: I... uh... get a lot of spam.
Ravenna: ...among other things...
Bus: Sorry to snoop on you, Rave, but I just gotta read this one.
Ravenna: Knock yourself out.
Bus: Ha, hah! How's it gonna be all like "e-mail from Grandma Chubbs up in here" with... whaaaaat...?
Bus: "Y'all need some brain surgery? Well we got a do-it-yo'self kit... Enjoy brainlessness..."
Bus: PFFFTTTTT that's sooo stupid! Where they come up with this stuff?!
Bus: HA HA HA HA HA! PROPER!!!
Ravenna: Well, Bus, if you like that, I have about a thousand more...
Ravenna: Oh... more of these, too...
Bus: Oh...
Ravenna: ...jerks...
Bus: I'm sorry you gotta deal with that BS, Rave.
Bus: No excuse for hate mail, let alone death threats.
Ravenna: Eh, I'm getting used to it.
Bus: That's just it, Rave! You shouldn't have to deal with it!
Bus: Ugh... Y'all cowards don't even know what she's been through...
Ravenna: It sucks, Bus. Sometimes I wish I could just join that stupid migration and get off this hateful planet.
Bus: Don't talk like that, Rave. You know you don't wanna leave your friends and your dad behind.
Ravenna: I know. It just... kind of becomes too much sometimes.
Ravenna: Anyway, Bus, I'm done for now. Can you show me the data you took?
Bus: Sure thing. This is stuff I grabbed from the Morgan's Gate's computers. It's a little outdated but I found it interesting.
Bus: Some blueprints and diagrams, here. There's this V-CORE system you mentioned...
Ravenna: Bus, please... not so loud...
Bus: Gotcha. Anyway... it all centers around this cryogenic system. Something to do with computer code stored in DNA.
Bus: Yeah... I haven't dug too deeply yet. It's all kind of mind-boggling.
Bus: More of this thing in a glass tube. It's as if it's central to the whole system somehow.
Ravenna: Wait a minute, Bus. Go back to the other one.
Bus: Hold up. Is... is that...
Ravenna: A freakin' BRAIN?!
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene X: "Investigation Plan"
NARRATOR: 11:09 pm
Bus: I think that about covers the history class stuff.
Ravenna: Yeah. Sorry that I'm having a hard time concentrating.
Ravenna: I just can't stop thinking about having to go to Zetsfir's lab tomorrow.
Bus: Don't go.
Ravenna: It's not like I really have a choice.
Bus: I don't blame you or your dad for anything... but you know damn well I hate Zetsfir.
Bus: They killed my dad, after all.
Ravenna: He worked aboard the Morgan's Gate, right?
Bus: Yeah. He came across some info he wasn't supposed to.
Bus: I know because I was a nosy kid. Got into his files, found a bunch of shady stuff.
Bus: Higher-ups found out what he knew... next thing you know, he got pushed out of an airlock.
Ravenna: ...I remember worrying they were going to do that to my pop when he was assigned up there, too.
Bus: Same here. They tried to make it look like an accident but I knew better, Rave. It was no accident.
Bus: Y'know, if they're really using brains and other human parts for some... whatever... kinda project...
Bus: That might get an independent investigation going by the World Government to look into this migration business.
Ravenna: How would that even work...?
Bus: Yo, I got the cargo shuttle launch schedule, too. If we could find and take some evidence from a shuttle...
Ravenna: Bus, that's extremely dangerous, The shuttle docks are insanely well-guarded.
Bus: I can take out all of the surveillance equipment beforehand. All of the guards there are robotic, too.
Ravenna: They're robots but they have guns, Bus.
Bus: Yeah but they're slow. Their night vision systems also have this bad glitch...
Ravenna: Listen, Bus. Are you absolutely sure we can get past them?
Bus: No but there's a good chance. If we do things right, we could not only get the migration cancelled but have Zetsfir stopped!
Ravenna: My Pop could go back to his old university job then, too. Not to mention I wouldn't have to be part of a risky experiment.
Bus: And I could finally have those bastards held accountable for my Dad's murder, Rave.
Bus: The stakes are crazy high either way. What do you say...?
Ravenna: ...
Ravenna: Let's do this.
Ravenna: I'll sneak out early in the morning. Let's say... 6 am?
Ravenna: I'll pick you up. Meet me in the Saulsburg mall parking area?
Bus: Yeah. Gimme a call when you're on your way. I'll gather up all the data I can on the shuttle dock.
Ravenna: Great. We should...
Azurat: HAY GUYS! What's going on?
Bus: Oh! H.. hi, Professor Disphumis!
Ravenna: H..h..hey, P... Pop! What's cookin'?
Azurat: Nah, I'm not cooking anything this late. Just got up to re-fill my glass of water.
Azurat: Good evening, Marvin. How have you been? I trust that you're helping my daughter get good grades.
Bus: Yes, Professor. We just finished studying.
Azurat: Marvin, please just call me Azurat, okay? I consider you to be family, after all.
Bus: Sure thing.
Azurat: Is everything okay? You both seem kind of nervous.
Ravenna: Oh, we were just talking about... uh... you know... those threatening e-mails.
Azurat: Oh... yeah. Don't worry about those, Ravenna. I've already spoken to the police about that.
Azurat: I understand that it's scary for both of you. Please try not to worry too much. Most of that stuff is just empty threats.
Azurat: The police do keep an eye on this house, your school, and the dojo.
Bus: Well, I should be getting home soon...
Azurat: Be safe, Marvin.
Ravenna: I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?
Bus: Right. Give me a call.
Azurat: Well... I'm going back to bed.
Azurat: Don't stay up too late, Ravenna. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.
Ravenna: Yeah... big day tomorrow...
Azurat: Hmmmm.....?
Ravenna: Yeah... big day tomorrow...
Azurat: Yeah... Try to get some sleep, kiddo.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene XI: "Heading Out"
NARRATOR: March 12, 2214 7:21 am
Ravenna: I OVERSLEPT!!!
Ravenna: Not good... not good...!
Ravenna: Sorry, Bus... no time to respond!
Ravenna: I hope it's charged up...
Ravenna: Let's see...
Ravenna: Sorry, Pop... I'll learn about hover engines another day.
Ravenna: Right now, I just need them to work.
Ravenna: YES!!!! We have power!
Ravenna: Time to go for top speed.
Ravenna: I should give Bus a call and let him know I'm on my way.
Ravenna: Hey, Bus!
Bus: Yo, Rave... where are you?!
Ravenna: So sorry! Overslept!
Bus: Heheh. Again, huh? Well, you on your way?
Ravenna: Yeah, I'm gunning it. Heading toward town right now. Should be there in about ten minutes.
Ravenna: Heading toward the mall. See you in a couple of minutes.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene XII: "Meet Up at the Mall"
NARRATOR: Saulsburg Mall, 8:45 am
Sara: Oh, hey, Ravenna!
Sara: I didn't know you were such an early bird.
Ravenna: Yeah... not really my thing when there's no school.
Sara: No doubt. We're on our way to the Mulletastica concert.
Ravenna: That's neat! You too? I'm here to get tickets today.
Sara: Ha ha! That's so funny, Ravenna. You're such a kidder.
Ravenna: Heh... heh... whut?
Sara: The show's been sold out for months, ya know? By the way, how did your karate test go?
Ravenna: Oh. the test? I passed.
Ravenna: As for the show, eh. I gotta be honest. I was never a huge fan of their music anyway.
Sara: Really? Coulda fooled me. Anyways, what brings you here?
Ravenna: Uh... um, well...
Sara: Ohhh, somebody's got a hot date! Did you and Larry reconcile your differences and...
Ravenna: Holy Hell no, Sara! What is your deal?
Sara: Hey, Ravenna... I was just teasing, you know? You feeling okay?
Sara: You're acting really weird today.
Ravenna: No... it's just... I wish I could talk about it but... I just can't right now, sorry.
Linda: Sara, we need to get going.
Sara: Sorry, we do need to get to the concert. The lines are going to be kilometers long.
Ravenna: Sure. Hey, Sara, Linda, maybe we can meet up after the concert, ok?
Sara: I'll hold you to that! The concert will be over around 5 pm, so I'll give you a call.
Ravenna: I'm sending you my new number. Had to change it due to.... uh...
Ravenna: Hmmm. Guess they're in a hurry. Why can't I send Sara this message, though...?
Bus: Rave! There you are!
Ravenna: Hey, Bus. Sorry about being late.
Bus: It's okay. We did miss our first window of opportunity though.
Ravenna: Dammit. Sorry, Bus. What's our next chance to sneak in?
Bus: Well... The shuttle I had in mind is transferring to the launch pad right now.
Bus: The next one we could check out launches around 8 hours from now, so that's a good candidate.
Ravenna: Oh, I kinda made plans...
Bus: Plans? You mean at your Dad's lab?
Ravenna: No, no, other than that... Just let me tell Sara I can't... huh?!!!
Bus: What's up?
Ravenna: I can't send messages. I think my comm's broken.
Bus: I wonder what the cause is. Mine's been acting up all morning.
Ravenna: Can you still get into the shuttle dock systems, though?
Bus: So far, so good. I already installed my override program into their security systems.
Ravenna: Let's get into that shuttle, then. We should have plenty of time to get out before...
NARRATOR: WHAT'S GOOD, LUNCH BOX!
Bus: Not him... not... now...
Bus: For the last time, it's "School Bus", not "Lunch Box"!
Slum Bus: Naw, you gotta change it. Too close to my glorious title, pimp!
Bus: Slums, you ain't no pimp, dude.
Slum Bus: An' you ain't no 'leet hacker, nerd!
Bus: That's real nice comin' from a script kiddie, Slums.
Slum Bus: SCRIPT KIDDIE?! Chump-ass wannabe Cap'n Crunk, I can take down the whole infrastructure!
Ravenna: Uh, what infrastructure?!
Slum Bus: Damn, girl, how'd you end up with a nerd like this weirdo?
Bus: Shut the hell up, Slums. We're childhood friends.
Slum Bus: Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Anyway, I got plans this morning. Smell y'all later.
Bus: Yeah, yeah... Hope yo' fat ass sits on a tack... Mumble grumple script kiddie...
Ravenna: Bus, who was that moron?
Bus: Ugh. The "Un-crunkable" Carl Grunch, a.k.a. "Slum Bus". My stupid arch rival.
Ravenna: Oh, isn't he also that conspiracy nut that thinks Zetsfir is a front for a global death cult?
Bus: One in the same, Rave. One. In. The. Same.
Ravenna: Ha! Here he is. One of his videos.
Slum Bus: The news media won't mention how Zetsfir's beginnings are connected to the death cult by the same name from 100 years ago!
Slum Bus: In the link below, you'll find the cult's teachings. They believe mankind must be "guided to the stars" by force!
Slum Bus: We have to BEAT THESE PEOPLE! Take down their funding! Take down their infrastructure! Whatever it takes!
Slum Bus: It's only a matter of time, y'all, before this video get taken down and I might even end up in jail...
Slum Bus: ............
Ravenna: GAH! See, Bus? My connection keeps dropping!
Bus: Well, at least this time, it shut that guy up. I hate Zetsfir but... come on...
Ravenna: So.... he mentioned something about taking down infrastructure...
Bus: That idiot couldn't even break into an unencrypted network. He's a joke.
Ravenna: I was just wondering if you think he could have been responsible for our comms messing up.
Bus: Naw, Rave. Not likely, knowing that guy.
Ravenna: My dad was already gone by the time I woke up this morning. I just thought he'd have called me by now.
Bus: That is weird. He was going to tell you what time to show up at his lab, right?
Ravenna: He was so tired last night that he didn't say. I'd assume so.
Bus: Listen... We shouldn't waste time. The sooner we get to the shuttle docks, the better.
Ravenna: Yeah. Maybe we'll get what we need before noon. Do you think so?
Bus: I'd say if everything goes well, yeah. Can you fit me on your air scooter?
Ravenna: My dad upgraded the hover engines so it can support 150 kilograms. Think that's good enough?
Bus: Ehhhh.... what if I said maybe I shouldn't have had that pizza, triple cinnamon roll, and grande iced mocha earlier...?
Ravenna: Well, now I'm more worried you might get motion sickness.
Bus: Naw, that ain't the problem, Rave. Then again, we're not shooting for the mesosphere.
Ravenna: I've got the scooter out in the front lot. Let's go scope out the shuttle dock.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene XIII: "Sneak into the Shuttle Dock!"
Bus: We just have to find the best way to sneak in.
Ravenna: I'm going to take us up to a higher altitude so we can get a bird's eye view of the place.
Bus: If you can catch up to one of those cargo transports, I can unlock its rear door and we can hitch a ride inside!
Ravenna: You sure? It would be hard to do that without being noticed...
Bus: If we time it just right... just trust me on this.
Ravenna: Alright. Well... let me see if I can catch up to one.
Bus: Whoa! Rave, do you have to fly this thing so SUPA FAST?!!
Ravenna: Yes... sorry. Just try to hang on, okay?
Bus: Considering the alternative... I'll do my best.
Bus: Get us right up behind it, okay?
Ravenna: Nice work, Bus! How did you manage to do that?!
Bus: Now we just wait until it docks.
Ravenna: How do we know this is going to the shuttle dock?
Bus: I figured out the schedule while I was waiting back at the mall, Rave.
Ravenna: As soon as we arrive, we're going to need to get out of here without being seen.
Bus: Leave that to me. Chances are that it's all automated, so I can just jam the surveillance gear for a few minutes.
Ravenna: I really hope we can pull this off, Bus. I'm getting a terrible feeling about this.
Bus: Let's just focus on the mission and leave the doubts aside for now.
Ravenna: I think we made it in. Let's motor.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene XIV: "Shuttle Dock Infiltration"
Bus: Okay. The security cameras and sensors have been disconnected from the network.
Ravenna: What about the guards?
Bus: Anything robotic should be temporarily out of commission. We just have to avoid any live guards.
Ravenna: Alright. Well, here goes nothing.
Ravenna: Bus... listen... do you hear footsteps?
Bus: Yeah. Crap. Not good.
Ravenna: We're going to have to sneak past...
NARRATOR: FREEZE!
Guard: Stay right where you are, you two.
Ravenna: Ugh! Don't shoot!
Bus: Hey listen, man, we just got lost, ya know?
Guard: Do you think I'm stupid, kid? Hands where I can see 'em!
Bus: Yeah, yeah, alright, take it easy, pal.
Ravenna: Are you really going to arrest a couple of... WHOA, IS THAT SHUTTLE GOING TO STOP?!!!
Guard: Huh? Which one...?
Bus: Damn, Rave! Did you kill him?
Ravenna: No way. He's just in for a short nap.
Other Guard: Hey! What's going on over there?!
Bus: We're good here! Just had a little accident!
Other Guard: Who are you?
Bus: I'm 240 pounds of academic public transportation, BIZNEEYATCH!!!
Bus: YOU JUST GOT HIT BY THE BUS!
Ravenna: Whoa...
Bus: Come on. We gotta move.
Bus: There it is, Rave.
Ravenna: How do we get in? The doors are way up there!
Bus: Hmmm... Let's try something...
Bus: Yo, Rave! The artificial gravity's switched on!
Bus: Y'all's sideways!
Ravenna: Great! We can just walk on up, then. Of course we're dead if the gravity switches off.
Bus: There. Unlocked and opened!
Ravenna: Awesome... We did it, Bus!
Ravenna: Now let's see what they're transporting to the Morgan's...
Ravenna: Um... Bus...? Did you shut the door?
Bus: No... I don't know what's going on, actually.
Bus: My comm's dead. I can't access the network.
Ravenna: Mine too... again.
Ravenna: I think we'd better worry about getting that door open before we search for evidence.
Bus: Word. I'm gettin' awfully claustrophobic up in here all of the sudden.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene XV: "Launched!"
Bus: Still no luck with your connection either?
Ravenna: No. I can't access the network or make a call.
Ravenna: You'd think the guards would be trying to get in here by now.
Bus: If they did, we'd be in serious trouble.
Ravenna: I think we're in serious trouble no matter what, Bus. We assaulted two guards.
Bus: They had guns and we didn't. I call it self defense.
Ravenna: Does that apply for trespassers? I kind of doubt it.
Bus: Hey, I'm a hacker, not a lawyer.
Bus: Yo! What the hell is that noise?
Ravenna: It's hard to tell when the artificial gravity is on, but I thought it felt a little like the shuttle was moving.
Bus: Crap.... this shuttle wasn't supposed to move to the launch pad until 5... I thought...
Ravenna: What are we going to do?!
Bus: I don't know how to break this to you...
Ravenna: We're going into space, aren't we...?
Bus: Yeah. I kinda s'pose we are.
Ravenna: ...
Ravenna: ...well, this didn't go as planned.
Bus: Sorry, Rave. I really miscalculated on this one.
Ravenna: Hmmm... well, look at it this way:
Ravenna: Now we can investigate what's happening on the Morgan's Gate!
Bus: If we can't find evidence of something shady with Zetsfir in here, our best bet is up there, huh?
Bus : Of course we're still gonna have to figure out how to get back...
Ravenna: I'm sure they have working comms on the Gate, so I'll give Pop a call as soon as we arrive.
Bus: Maybe we should hold off until after we've found some evidence.
Ravenna: Why's that?
Bus: Because both of us are going to be grounded for a year once our folks know what we're up to.
Ravenna: Yeah. Good point.
Ravenna: Hey, Bus, boost me up to that window, ok? I think we just entered orbit.
Bus: I thought we'd feel a lot more G's than we did.
Ravenna: Me too. Anyway, I think I can get a glimpse of the Gate from here.
Bus: Alright.
Ravenna: Oh, wow...
Ravenna: That is huge! I've seen hundreds of pictures but seeing it in person is just... I dunno.
Bus: How 'bout you get off my shoulders so I can take a look?
Ravenna: Alright. As soon as we dock and the door opens, we're going to have to make a bee line for the bay exit.
Ravenna: Then we'll have to figure out where to go from there.
Bus: I guess there's no turning back from here.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene XVI: "Into The Gate"
NARRATOR: Morgan's Gate Colony Ship
Bus: I think we're approaching the Morgan's Gate..
Ravenna: We're going to have to make a run for it as soon as we dock.
Bus: We should be passing through the airlock right about now.
Bus: I think the coast is clear. You'd think they'd guard this area a little more to keep people from trying to leave.
Ravenna: No doubt. Well, let's go.
Bus: I don't have a map of this place so I guess we'll have to get to the city level and ask around.
Ravenna: Sounds like a plan. I want to hear how people are coping with being forced into this, too.
Ravenna: Looks like we need to go that way...
Ravenna: Look at this, Bus! I can't believe how many people are here already!
Bus: This place... is packed. Wasn't expecting this.
Ravenna: They look surprisingly okay. Let's talk to some of them.
Ravenna: Hello!
Passenger: Hello there. Are you new here?
Ravenna: Yeah, just got here today.
Passenger: I see. I hope they weren't too rough with you.
Ravenna: Rough? Like how?
Passenger: Some people don't react well to the marking.
Ravenna: Oh... um... "marking"?
Passenger: Everyone is implanted with a tracking chip upon arrival. I mean that.
Ravenna: Oh, yeah... sure, nah, it went okay... heh heh.
Passenger: That's good to hear. They want to keep track of everyone to make sure they don't go into restricted areas, you know?
Ravenna: How do you feel about all of this?
Passenger: Shhh! Not so loud! Didn't they send you to orientation?
Ravenna: Oh... um... sure! I just... uh... kind of dozed off during that... Yeah.
Passenger: ...
Ravenna: Heh, heh, heh...
Passenger: Well, young lady, you're an interesting one. I guess I can share a few thoughts with you.
Passenger: To tell the truth, they don't take well to dissent here. Still... there are rumors of a passenger takeover.
Ravenna: I figured there should be something like that.
Passenger: It's no secret that most of us aren't happy about having our lives permanently uprooted.
Ravenna: Are you even allowed to say goodbye to your friends and family?
Passenger: Huh? You're asking some strange questions.
Passenger: Sure, sometimes. Usually, entire families are drafted to migrate. I guess there were some exceptions, however.
Ravenna: I heard a much different story in the news... but I can see how that might be. How about you?
Passenger: My immediate family is here. We're livid about never seeing our extended family again, to say the least.
Passenger: Let's just keep this low-key but there's a growing resistance movement here. Most of us want to return to Earth.
Ravenna: I figured that. I'm not staying here if I can help it.
Passenger: Listen... be careful spreading this but there's a meeting tonight...
Bus: Hey Rave, this guy over here knows how to reach the lab area.
Ravenna: Sorry, let me get right back to you, okay?
Passenger: Sure, no rush.
Bus: Sorry to interrupt, Rave. I think I found someone who knows the layout of this place pretty well.
Ralph: Hey, there. So, yeah... rumor has it there's top-secret equipment on level 4-B.
Bus: How do we get there?
Ralph: Go that way.
Ralph: Really fast.
Ralph: If something gets in your way...
Bus: Look, we didn't come here for 228-year-old movie quotes, pal.
Ralph: Fair enough. There's an elevator over there. I'll leave it to you to figure out the access codes, alright?
Bus: Sounds good to me. Thanks buddy.
Ralph: Don't mention it.
Ravenna: Bus, we should figure out what to do if something gets in our way. It's not like we can just "turn"...
Bus: Unfortunately, I don't know what to expect here.
Ravenna: There's the elevator.
Bus: Well, the access code was easy enough to brute force through the local network here.
Bus: Really, it's disturbing that there's no link to the global network. It's completely isolated.
Ravenna: Yeah... I don't like that at all. I can't call home from here!
Bus: This is gonna complicate things.
Bus: What in the world is that thing...?!
Ravenna: I'm thinkin' trouble.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene XVII: "Encounter with O.P.T.I.S."
Bus: This ain't good, Rave. We can't get around this thing.
Ravenna: What is it, exactly? It's huge...!
Bus: It's an older autonomous security model...
Bus: Overpowering tactical interception system, or OPTIS for short.
Ravenna: We have to get past it. Does it have any weaknesses?
Bus: Yeah. Its anti-gravity system has a fatal flaw that makes it easy to flip over.
Bus: The problem is that it will kill us if we get close enough to attempt that...
Ravenna: Watch out, Bus! It's coming this way!
Ravenna: I have an idea on out-maneuvering it, Bus.
Ravenna: Follow my lead.
Bus: Let's Rock.
Ravenna: Can you jam its sensors? I can distract it.
Bus: You're going to let it shoot at you?! Its beam turrets can kill in one shot!
Ravenna: I know, Bus, but we're stuck here. Can you do anything to its sensors?
Bus: There's something I can try. Whatever you're gonna do, Rave, BE CAREFUL!
Ravenna: I know, I'll be care...
Ravenna: Whoa! You weren't kidding!
Ravenna: Whew... y'know... maybe I did underestimate this thing.
Bus: Rave! It's firing out of control!
Bus: I jammed its sensors but...
Ravenna: AGGGHHHHH!!!!!
Bus: RAVENNA!!!
Ravenna: I'm still alive, somehow. I guess it wasn't a direct hit.
Ravenna: This... really... hurts...
Bus: Damn this thing...
Bus: Hang in there, Rave... Time for a...
Bus: BUS WRECK!!!
Ravenna: It looks like you've stunned it, Bus!
Ravenna: This is going to totally kill my arm, but it's now or never...
Ravenna: Take cover, Bus. I've only got one shot at this.
Ravenna: Trying to kill us, you creepy robotic son of a...
Bus: Yo, Rave...
Bus: I know you're unusually strong, but...
Ravenna: I don't know how I managed to do that, either.
Bus: ...
Bus: We need to find a first aid kit right away. Your arm looks... bad.
Ravenna: It's broken, I'm sure of it.
Bus: You're going to go into shock at this rate.
Ravenna: Ordinarily, yes. Until we find some bandages, I'll improvise.
Ravenna: Give me a little privacy for a moment, Bus. I'm gonna fix this up a bit.
Bus: Sure, Rave. I'm going to look for a first aid kit and call for help.
Ravenna: I don't think we're going to find any doctors in this area, Bus.
Bus: Well... if they're willing to kill intruders like this...
Bus: This is so messed up... what are they guarding down here...?
Ravenna: There. I used my t-shirt for the time being. It will at least stop the bleeding.
Bus: Anyone else would have passed out by now. We need to get to the infirmary.
Ravenna: I'll be okay for now. The main lab is up ahead.
Bus: Hey... Rave...
Ravenna: Yeah?
Bus: Don't you think we should just concentrate on getting back home at this point?
Ravenna: ...no. We've come this far.
Bus: Yeah, and almost got ourselves killed.
Bus: I want to find evidence of corruption and stop the migration, Rave. Don't get me wrong.
Ravenna: Bus, we're going to be arrested if we return empty-handed. We may be arrested regardless.
Bus: ...but we'll still be alive.
Ravenna: I know how you feel, Bus! You have to understand... this is our chance.
Bus: Yeah, it was my idea, I guess. I say we go into the lab and see if we can find some first aid kits.
Ravenna: Sounds like a plan.
Chapter I: Chapter One: Earth, 2214 A.D. - Scene XVIII: "Angel of Vanishing"
Ravenna: I have no idea where we are.
Bus: Want to go back the other way?
Ravenna: No, I doubt the labs are that way. This is vaguely familiar.
Bus: Well, I think this area is modeled after Zetsfir's main lab on Earth.
Ravenna: If that's the case, I think I know which way to go.
Ravenna: Here. I'm going to see if they have any medical supplies.
Bus: I'm going to check out that room over there. It looks... important.
Bus: Rave... you might want to come take a look at this.
Bus: I think I found the room we saw in the data.
Bus: Interesting...
Ravenna: Whoa... this is...
Bus: Our old friend, Mr. Brain-in-a-tank.
Ravenna: Hey, Bus...I've gotta tell you something.
Bus: Um... yeah...?
Ravenna: That brain is my Uncle Gesh.
Bus: What...? You're serious? I thought...
Ravenna: I'm serious. My Dad told me Zetsfir recovered it in secret.
Bus: How...? How is that even possible? I thought the explosion...
Ravenna: Listen, Bus. You can't tell a soul.
Bus: Don't worry. The secret is safe with me.
Bus: By the way... come over here for a moment. I found something interesting.
Bus: I managed to use my Dad's old password to get in. There's a lot of info here.
Bus: For one, this whole setup is some kind of space-time distortion system.
Bus: ...
Bus: Hey, Rave? You okay?
Ravenna: Sorry, Bus. I zoned out.
Ravenna: I'm starting to get dizzy from the blood loss.
Bus: Rave, maybe you should sit down. Don't push yourself.
Ravenna: Bus... I'm sorry... I kept a lot of information from you because my Dad made me promise...
Bus: It's fine, Rave. I already figured a lot of it out on my own.
Bus: I know your DNA has code for this system in it... the experiments... this brain thing...
Bus: Plus my Dad was working on this project, too. I spent hours reading through the data.
Bus: So... this system is gonna create a wormhole in space to make the migration shorter.
Ravenna: How long is the migration supposed to take? Hundreds of generations, right?
Bus: It says here that this ship will sustain life for seven millennia.
Ravenna: That's longer than the age of the Pyramids in Egypt...
Bus: Yeah, almost twice as long. That's hard to imagine.
Ravenna: Maybe they don't want to take chances. Once this ship is on its way., there's no turning back.
Bus: I'm skeptical this thing will hold together for 7000 years.
Bus: The destination is about 444 light years away. Damn... no wonder...
Ravenna: Yeah, the news has been talking about it. Some Earth-like planet in the Pleiades cluster.
Bus: Everyone currently aboard this ship will never see it.
Bus: Kind of sad if you think about it...
Bus: Rave...?
Bus: Rave...? You really should take it easy...
Ravenna: Ugh... Bus... something isn't right...
Bus: What's wrong?
Ravenna: I... think... I think I'm starting to hallucinate...
Ravenna: What the... holy... hell...?
Ravenna: Stay... away... from... me...
Bus: What is that...? What's going on, here...?
Ravenna: Get back... Bus... Run... Get out of here...
Ravenna: This is just like what happened to mother...
Ravenna: Mother...? It can't be... No...
Ravenna: Stay... the... hell... back...
Ravenna: GET AWAY FROM ME!!!
Bus: RAVE!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!
Bus: LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!!!
Ravenna: MOTHER?!!!
Bus: Rave! Get a hold of yourself! The system activated somehow!
Bus: We have to...
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene I: "Pandora"
NARRATOR: The colony ship "Morgan's Gate" would complete final preparations and finish boarding on February 20, 2215.
NARRATOR: It would depart from Earth Orbit on March 16, 2215 at 16:00 UTC, never to return.
NARRATOR: At that time, there were 9268 women, 9180 men, and 15293 children on board with a total passenger count of 33741.
NARRATOR: The planet Pleiades-47 a.k.a. Kaperth
NARRATOR: Orbital city "Pandora"
NARRATOR: Kaperthian year 1278
Saja: Well...?
Saja: How's it look?
Virulyde: You are seriously asking me, an android, for an opinion on aesthetics, commander?
Saja: Virulyde, drop the formalities when we're not on duty.
Virulyde: Commander, technically, we're still on duty.
Virulyde: Regarding the dress, however... they did a good job fitting it for you.
Saja: Technically, they're fitting it for Rosetta, my cousin. I just happen to be the same size.
Virulyde: Right... for her wedding. By the way, aren't we meeting your aunt for dinner?
Virulyde: Let's go now, Saja. I must eat something.
Saja: Sure thing, Virulyde. I just had to get this fitted for her tonight.
Saja: We'll head over to the restaurant as soon as I get changed. By the way...
Saja: For an android, you sure have quite an appetite.
Virulyde: I still require certain chemicals from various substances, you know.
Virulyde: So...
Virulyde: How long have you been assigned to the Pandora orbital station?
Saja: I'm stationed here for routine security duties until my next assignment from Fumacine's HQ.
Virulyde: I wonder how much of our support they need here. They must be anticipating something major.
Virulyde: Hiring the full elite Fumacite trio here... that being us and all...
Dregweht: Mrrrowwrrr!!!
Saja: Hey, Vie, your "pet" isn't technically allowed in here.
Virulyde: No worries.
Virulyde: Dregweht! System command: Weapon mode! Transform now!
Dregweht: Mrrrowwwrrr.......
Virulyde: Problem resolved. We're still licensed to carry our weapons, correct?
Saja: Yes. We are technically part of Pandora's defense personnel right now.
Saja: Let me go back to my quarters and get changed. Meet me at the restaurant in 20 minutes.
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene II: "Nectar of the Gods"
Saja: Let's have a seat over there, Aunt Marie.
Marie: Didn't your friend become the head chef here?
Saja: Malachi? Yeah... he mentioned something like that.
Virulyde: Hellooooo...! Am I late?
Saja: No, we just got here. Let's sit down.
Marie: You must be Virulyde.
Virulyde: Yes, Ma'am.
Saja: How rude of me. Aunt Marie, meet Virulyde. He is an android from Aufdek.
Saja: Virulyde, this is my Aunt Marie. She's here for my cousin's wedding.
Virulyde: Pleased to meet you.
Marie: Yes, pleased to meet you as well. You... sure put away the orange juice, don't you?
Virulyde: Yes, Ma'am! Citric acid is a core component for my battery array.
Marie: I have never seen an android that can eat and drink before. How fascinating!
Marie: In fact... I've never seen a human drink as much liquid in one sitting.
Virulyde: Really...?
Saja: Virulyde is an advanced prototype from Aufdek. He has trained with me since we were kids at Fumacine Academy.
Saja: He and Malachi are the other two members of our esteemed "Elite Trio".
Virulyde: *glug* *glug*
Saja: Virulyde, you are going to be sick if you keep that up.
Virulyde: If I keep this up? Negative, commander. I'm keeping this down.
Virulyde: Nectar of the gods...
Marie: Alright, this is starting to get disturbing.
Virulyde: Saja and I have been stationed here due to orders from Fumacine HQ.
Virulyde: For obvious reasons, we can't say much about it but Pandora security needs our help right now.
Saja: It seems the threat of Zetsfir forces attacking has become elevated.
Saja: As Virulyde said, I can't elaborate much in an insecure location...
Malachi: Oh... look who it is...
Manager: Malachi! Don't do what I think you're about to do!
Virulyde: ...so we have to be on the lookout. We really need to find Malac...
Malachi: **SLAP** HEYA, VIRULYDE!!!
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene III: "Briefing"
Malachi: Man... I can't believe I got fired for that!
Virulyde: ...
Saja: ...
Malachi: Umm....
Malachi: So, anyways, sorry about that Virulyde... didn't know your mouth was full.
Virulyde: Next time, I'll be sure to spray in your direction!
Saja: Where did you get that glass...?
Virulyde: *glug* *glug*
Virulyde: Ahhhhh...
Saja: Well, anyway, let's head back to my quarters. I need to fill you both in on some things.
Saja: Okay, you two.
Saja: Here are Zetsfir's most recent attack points.
Virulyde: It looks like they've been busy.
Malachi: Why this pattern?
Saja: Well, Malachi, with this strategy, Zetsfir can gain full control of any orbital station around Kaperth.
Saja: By tying up security forces around these areas, a strategic opening is available to Zetsfir.
Malachi: Now that we know their strategy, we could reinforce the weak points in our forces. Easy enough.
Saja: That's just it. Zetsfir reacts to that countermeasure by increasing their own numbers.
Saja: No one knows where they are headquartered and their massive number of troops remains a mystery.
Saja: There has never been any intel as to where a base could be located. They seem to come out of nowhere.
Virulyde: It has been that way for all of history, though. Nothing new there.
Malachi: No global coalition has ever once launched an offensive campaign against Zetsfir.
Saja: Right. The most the world has ever accomplished has been purely defensive and mitigative.
Malachi: Not to mention no one knows why Zetsfir is obsessed with the genocide of those who believe humans originated on another world...
Virulyde: Hey, Malachi...
Virulyde: I'm still supposed to take you back down to the surface, right? To Grady's place?
Malachi: Yeah, I'm staying there until Fumacine officially assigns me here. I did just lose my gig at that restaurant, after all.
Saja: Actually, you both should head down there now. Grady actually requested you two for a small job.
Saja: It has something to do with the ruins. Apparently, there was an odd heat signature the other day...
Malachi: Oooh! Sounds interesting!
Virulyde: Not to mention Grady's wife has the best cooking on the planet. Yummers.
Saja: You'll also need to have some maintenance done on the ShockShadow while you're there.
Malachi: Right, it needs some minor repairs. I'm sure it'll get us to the surface in one piece, though.
Virulyde: We will be back before the wedding, commander.
Saja : Be careful, you two.
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene IV: "To Grady's Place"
Malachi: You ready?
Virulyde: Yeah. Let's head down to the shuttle dock.
Dregweht: Mrrooowwrrr....
Virulyde: Oh, right. Dregweht also needs some diagnostics run.
Malachi: I thought Dr. Maxwell was in charge of that?
Virulyde: The lab's in charge of maintenance. Grady can run the tests.
Malachi: Okay, before we hit the ruins, we'll get the ShockShadow tuned up and have Grady check your hamster.
Virulyde: Dregweht is not a hamster.
Malachi: Yeah, whatever, dude.
Virulyde: Traffic control gives the all clear for departure.
Malachi: Let's head on out.
Virulyde: So.... Malachi, what do you think Zetsfir is up to now? They've been hunting down more Xenomigrationists lately.
Malachi: Other than the fact their entire religion revolves around that, I don't know.
Malachi: Beliefs can't be wiped out by eliminating believers.
Virulyde: Zetsfir doesn't see it that way. This war has been going on for so long that the supposed rationale has been forgotten.
Virulyde: All of this killing and destruction over the theories of human origin. Utter nonsense.
Malachi: Who knows, Vie. Saja and I both became orphans because of it.
Malachi: For the honor of the Fumacine Empire and for the fallen, we fight to protect the innocent.
Virulyde: Zetsfir seems to have a very strong desire to eliminate the idea that humans did not originate and evolve on Kaperth.
Virulyde: Our country's adherence to Xenomigrationism is viewed by Zetsfir as blasphemous, while it is, at best, very unpopular in the rest of the world.
Virulyde: Malachi, even without being a human myself, I have to ask: Why is this idea considered so dangerous?
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene V: "The Legend"
Grady: Long time, no see, boys! Did you hear?
Virulyde: Yes! There's a team excavating the ruins and they detected some anomaly.
Grady: That's right, buddy! I want you two to go in there and have a look around.
Grady: It's dangerous in there but I'm confident you two can handle what might be creeping around.
Malachi: I heard a rumor that these ruins might be some kind of alien "ark". Is that possible?
Grady: We estimated its age, based on samples taken from the hull, to be almost seven thousand years old.
Malachi: You don't think it could possibly be the...
Grady: Yep. It very well could be. Come inside and stay awhile! I have a crew that will get to work on your shuttle.
Malachi: So it really could be the sacred ark? Won't Zetsfir come after it?
Grady: It's almost certain they'll try to destroy it. We have to go through it as fast as possible.
Dregweht: Mrrrowwwrr....
Lucy: KITTY!!!
Virulyde: Dregweht is not a... uh, nevermind...
Grady: Oh, right, your critter there needs a check-up, huh?
Virulyde: Thank you very much!
Lucy: Grandpa? Tell us the story about the ark again, pleeeease....?
Grady: Sure. Hey, you two help yourselves to some of this fine cookin', ok?
Virulyde: Oh yeah! I'm starving!
Malachi: (Vie... you just ate!)
Virulyde: (Correction: I was about to eat. Then you made me give Saja and her aunt an orange juice shower.)
Malachi: (Oh, right. Ehhh..... Also, that sounds a lot worse than what actually happened.)
Greta: ...Anyway..
Greta: ...So we found an entire city within the ruins. It's exactly as the scrolls tell us.
Greta: They say humans arrived in this world about a thousand years ago and began their journey around four thousand years ago.
Greta: What isn't clear is the definition of a "year" within the context of the scrolls. Our modern calendar began 1278 years ago, after all.
Greta: Zetsfir destroyed nearly all historical records prior to 700 years ago and the length of a year must have been redefined.
Grady: The legend in the scrolls is consistent with what was discovered in the ruins.
Grady: "The world was without people, without cities, and without change..."
Lucy: Then "The Great Bird" flew down!
Grady: Yes. "The Great Ship", or the "Ark", descended on the planet.
Grady: "A great bird carried a city from the heavens, pouring out the many peoples to inhabit the world."
Grady: "For the people fled a place which was to befall a great unknown calamity. And their will was weak, yet their journey was undertaken."
Lucy: And then the angel...!
Grady: "And there was an angel made from a woman and the mind of a demon. This angel had the power to send people to other worlds and ages."
Greta: We're still not sure what "ages" means, here.
Grady: "One day, the angel met her child from her previous life, sending her far away so that she may live..."
Grady: "The angel wept as she sent away her child, wishing for her safety and to bring peace to the next world."
Grady: "Those who did not partake in the great journey did surely meet the great calamity and were destroyed."
Virulyde: There's something that bothers me about the "mind of a demon" part... I don't know why...
Virulyde: Why does this story seem so familiar...? Not just like I've heard it dozens of times... but... some old memory...?
Malachi: Vie, what's up?
Virulyde: Eh, just a weird nagging feeling. I think we should check out those ruins, though.
Grady: Head over to the Southwestern island of "Graves". The excavation site is on the Northwestern part of the island.
Grady: The ShockShadow should be ready now, so head on over when you're ready.
Malachi: Hey, Grady, what do you think the "calamity" from the legend was supposed to be?
Grady: Could be anything. Maybe it was a comet or an asteroid, maybe some big war. Who knows?
Grady: I've always wondered about the angel and her child. The legend put a lot of emphasis on them.
Virulyde: Yeah. Anyway, thanks for all the help and the great food, too!
Malachi: Thanks, Grady!
Grady: Take care, you two.
Greta: Grady, do you think they'll be okay in there? What if Zetsfir attacks?
Grady: Fumacine and Kadmas are both monitoring the airspace. Besides... those two are elites. They'll be fine.
Grady: Something's bugging me, though. It feels like those ruins are calling out to all of us somehow.
Grady: Like it's... like things are finally about to change...
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene VI: "Ruins"
NARRATOR: Ancient "Ark" Ruins
NARRATOR: Western island of Graves
Virulyde: Just beyond there, from the looks of it...
Malachi: This is the first I've heard of an excavation. It's probably good that the news stayed quiet about this.
Virulyde: Zetsfir would have been all over this by now otherwise. It's only a matter of time, though...
Malachi: They've dug out a fair bit around it, from what I see here.
Malachi: ...
Malachi: ...wait... ALL of this area? That thing's almost the size of Fumacine city!
Virulyde: Looks that way. You and I are going to be the first to explore inside of it.
Malachi: Let's head down. Considering the deterioration of the hull, there should be a place to enter.
Virulyde: Here.
Malachi: So this has been here around a thousand years...? How did they find it?
Virulyde: I think there was a landslide or something. This wasn't buried through natural means. This was deliberately hidden.
Malachi: Zetsfir erased so much of history that I wouldn't be surprised if they were behind this.
Virulyde: If so, that means they already know about it. Which means... we'd better stay sharp in there.
Malachi: Parts look like old advanced technology but there are signs of more primitive civilizations, too.
Virulyde: Almost as if the technology was long forgotten by whomever lived in here after it was built.
Malachi: Our ancestors..?
Virulyde: If the scrolls are historically accurate, yes, the earliest humans on this planet.
Malachi: Vie, check this out!
Virulyde: What is that...?
Virulyde: An... optical disc....?
Malachi: What is an "optical disc"...?
Virulyde: It's an ancient data storage item.
Malachi: What? I've never heard of such a thing before. Data is stored in holographic blocks around the universal network...
Virulyde: Wait... how do I even know this? I think I know how to access the data on this!
Virulyde: Spinning it under a laser...
Malachi: Laser? Like a beam weapon?
Virulyde: Any machines in here that were used with this are long since disintegrated. Dr. Maxwell might be able to build something, however.
Malachi: How do you know about ancient technology, Vie?
Virulyde: I wish I had an answer to that. Honestly, I do.
Malachi: (Vie! Vie...! Did you hear that?!)
Virulyde: (Yeah... Zetsfir snooping in here?)
Malachi: (Shhh.... listen... there's something over there...)
Virulyde: (Zombie...?! No... wait...)
Malachi: (What do you mean, "zombie"? Vie, seriously...)
Ravenna: ..............
Virulyde: (See? Just look, they crave brains...)
Malachi: (Vie, knock it off... I'll try talking to.... um.... them....)
Malachi: Deka vie venas? Kuh vie estaz vernudit?! (Where are you from? Are you hurt?)
Ravenna: Ugh... what...? I can't understand you...
Virulyde: (Malachi, she isn't speaking Fumacite or Aufdeki dialect...)
Virulyde: Ahem... Kaiel vie enigizt cie tiu jin detruaitaz relikvojn? (how did you enter these ruins?)
Ravenna: Look out... behind you...
Virulyde: Malachi! R.A.B.U. right behind you! Turn around!
Malachi: Whoa! That came out of nowhere!
Ravenna: We... can't... run...
Malachi: Sie estaz vundaitak mairaboun! Miah taimaz... keh zi neh vioza... (She is badly injured. I'm afraid she will die.)
Virulyde: Neh bezonaiz hilapi sinu...! (We need to help her!)
Malachi: Huh....?
Virulyde: What is she doing?
Malachi: My eyes must be playing tricks on me.
Virulyde: ...
Virulyde: ...she just.... punched... a R.A.B.U..... into scrap....
Malachi: Hey, Vie, am I hallucinating?
Virulyde: No....? Am I...?
Ravenna: .... Guh....
Ravenna: Ugh....
Malachi: She passed out. She's in really bad condition. We have to get her to a medical facility right away.
Virulyde: Bonavoluah praavi restai vivaz! Ni raicivoz vina kuraicistoz! (Please hang in there! We will get you to a doctor!)
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene VII: "Delirium"
Ravenna: ................
Karen: She appears to have stabilized.
Dr. Maxwell: What are the results of the tests?
Karen: Her DNA does not match any records on file. Her lineage is unknown.
Dr. Maxwell: I was informed that she does not speak any known language. Is this true?
Karen: I cannot be certain. She has not regained consciousness since the amputation.
Dr. Maxwell: Yes, I see. That arm could not be saved. I'll begin the process of synthesizing a new one from her DNA.
Karen: In the mean time, we will fit her with a mechanical substitute.
Dr. Maxwell: Very good. She will need to recover more before we can do that.
Karen: Yes. She was very near death when the two Fumacite elites brought her in.
Dr. Maxwell: What, exactly, was she doing in those ruins? How did she even get in?
Karen: I've arranged a meeting with the Fumacites so we should get some answers.
Dr. Maxwell: Excellent, Karen. Please carry on. I need to head to a meeting right now, myself.
Karen: Good luck, father.
Dr. Maxwell: Let me know when she wakes up.
Karen: So... superhuman strength, huh? Just where did you come from...?
Karen: Unknown bloodline and language, strange appearance, unexplained presence in the ruins... you are quite the enigma...
Karen: I have to admit it.... I'm really going to enjoy studying you.
Malachi: Hello, Karen. How is that girl doing?
Karen: Hi, Malachi. She's stable but needs to rest. We... couldn't save her arm.
Malachi: I see... damn. At least she's alive.
Karen: We are going to grow her a new arm. Until that's ready, I have a new prototype for a mechanical arm I'd like to try on her.
Malachi: That's going to be interesting to explain since she doesn't speak any known languages.
Virulyde: Hey there!
Malachi: What's good, Vie?
Virulyde: Doc, we recovered some kind of ancient optical data storage item in the ruins, too.
Karen: Interesting! I'll give this to my father to analyze.
Virulyde: Call it a hunch, but I think this is read by spinning it under a laser.
Karen: What makes you think that...?
Virulyde: Beats me! Honest, on my honor as a Fumacite elite, I have no idea why I know that.
Karen: Excuse me. I'm going to give this disc to my father. Let's talk more at our meeting tonight.
Malachi: See you then, Karen.
Virulyde: Should we go in there?
Malachi: I dunno... Karen said she needed to get some rest.
Virulyde: We'll be quiet, then.
Malachi: (I don't think we should be in here, Vie...)
Virulyde: (She was messed up really badly. Shame about her arm, too.)
Malachi: (Come on, dude, let's let her rest.)
Virulyde: (You're right. Let's head out.)
Ravenna: (...am I dead...? Is this what death is like...? Where am I?)
Ravenna: (Why can't I move? My right arm feels... oh... no....)
Ravenna: (It's gone, isn't it?)
Ravenna: .......
Ravenna: (I can't remember anything... what happened... how I got here...)
Ravenna: Hey... that's... mother....
Ravenna: And then...
Ravenna: Everything went dark. Everything was quiet.
Ravenna: Bus disappeared. I tried calling out for him...
Ravenna: Had to feel along the walls in the dark. It was cold and humid.
Ravenna: How many days passed? No food or water. I ran out of things to use for bandages. My wounds became infected.
Ravenna: I was sure I was going to die there.
Ravenna: Then help arrived... and I used the last of my strength...
Ravenna: (Have to thank them as soon as I can...)
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene VIII: "Discoveries"
Saja: ....so I'm really looking forward to the wedding!
Rosetta: Thanks for everything, Saja. You and Aunt Marie are really going to make the big day extra special.
Marie: You two want some cookies? I just baked a fresh plate of them...
Virulyde: Did somebody say cookies...?!!
Marie: Oh, it's Mr. Orange Juice. You going to spit on us again?
Virulyde: Awww.... come on, it wasn't my fault....
Marie: Pardon me, I need to head back to my room...
Rosetta: Wait! I need to talk to you about something, Mom!
Virulyde: ...but what about the cookies...
Saja: Look. There will be no cookies for you. Don't you ever ring the doorbell, Virulyde?
Virulyde: Please excuse my egregious lack of propriety, commander. There's urgent business.
Saja: *sigh*... Very well. What's going on, Virulyde?
Virulyde: Malachi and I found a girl while exploring the ruins.
Saja: Congratulations. Maybe there can be a double wedding or...
Virulyde: No, no... Commander, you misunderstand. We found a severely injured girl inside the ruins.
Saja: Oh. I see. Go on.
Virulyde: We brought her back in the ShockShadow and rushed her to the lab's medical facility.
Saja: You should have notified me sooner. Any rescue missions have to be documented.
Virulyde: Malachi filed a full report with Dr. Maxwell.
Saja: How is she... the girl you found?
Virulyde: She will live but they had to amputate her arm. It was all sorts of infected.
Virulyde: Oh, and Dr. Karen Maxwell scheduled a meeting with us tonight.
Saja: Sure. I would like to be filled in on the details.
Karen: Thanks for indulging this meeting on such short notice, Commander Kabora.
Saja: "Commander Kabora" sounds sooooo weird. Just call me Saja, ok?
Dr. Maxwell: The android, Unit #24, recovered an ancient data storage device inside the ruins, Saja.
Malachi: Actually, I'm the one who found it.
Virulyde: This is true, everyone. Malachi found it in one of the buildings in the ruins.
Malachi: Anyway, the girl we found was badly hurt but she managed to destroy a "rapid attack ballistics unit" with her bare hands.
Malachi: Her. Bare. Hands.
Virulyde: Even the Virulyde units, such as myself, don't have that kind of strength in emergency mode.
Dr. Maxwell: Astounding. To be clear, however, she is a human, not any kind of hybrid or android.
Karen: The only other real physical oddity about her is her DNA. It is completely foreign with no matches to documented bloodlines.
Saja: What would be a likely explanation for this...?
Karen: Well, mutations wouldn't account for it. Unless she's some engineered super soldier from Zetsfir, that is...
Saja: We need to consider that as a possibility. Have any security precautions been taken?
Dr. Maxwell: She's been unconscious ever since she was brought in. It's impossible to tell what her motives are.
Saja: I would recommend she be administered muscle relaxers or restrained in some way until we can be sure of her intentions.
Dr. Maxwell: I... suppose... we could do that...
Malachi: Commander! Isn't that a bit presumptuous?
Virulyde: I agree. We shouldn't jump to conclusions. She destroyed that R.A.B.U. in a single hit to protect us!
Karen: Put me on record as being totally against harming her in any way.
Saja: Yes, acknowledged. Perhaps I was a bit quick to assume the worst.
Saja: We should monitor her closely, nothing more.
Dr. Maxwell: With her strength, may I propose that we enlist her help with defense? Once we ascertain her willingness, that is.
Saja: When she wakes up, I want to speak with her. After that, we'll see.
Karen: We will need to prepare an automatic translation device. She does not speak any known languages.
Dr. Maxwell: That little matter has been solved. I've started analyzing the data on the optical disc Unit #24 brought us.
Dr. Maxwell: Much of its contents have yet to be deciphered but I extracted enough data to build a language translation library.
Dr. Maxwell: When she wakes up, have her insert this device in her ear. It will automate translation until she learns our language.
Dr. Maxwell: In the mean time, I will continue to analyze the data from that optical disc. There is a lot of historical information on there...
Dr. Maxwell: History... perhaps... from another world in the distant past.
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene IX: "Recovery"
Saja: ...well, she doesn't look Zetsfirian.
Karen: Zetsfir bloodline DNA has been well-documented, so the evidence supports that.
Saja: Looks like she's been through a lot.
Karen: Yes but she already looks much healthier, even in the span of just a few hours.
Saja: Unbelievably resilient in addition to incredible strength.
Saja: Having her on our side would be an advantage. Let's hope it works out that way.
Karen: Yes but let's not rush things.
Saja: Take good care of her, Karen. I need to get back to my security duties.
Karen: I'll contact you as soon as she wakes up.
Karen: ????
Ravenna: ........ugh.....
Ravenna: ....hnnmmmmm...
Karen: Vie estaz maldourm! Couh vie doloraiz? (You are awake! Are you in pain?)
Karen: Metou tchion ehn viana ourelon. Vie komprenak miah plic boun. (Put this in your ear. You will better understand me.)
Ravenna: Oh... this goes in my ear, I guess. Well, here goes nothing...
Karen: It's a universal translation device. Can you understand me now?
Ravenna: Yes... I can understand... where am I...? Ugh... it hurts...
Karen: You are in a medical facility aboard the Pandora orbital station.
Ravenna: Never heard of it. How did I get here? Oh, right, I was on the Morgan's Gate and then...
Karen: Morgan's Gate?
Ravennna: You know. The migration, leaving Earth...
Karen: Earth?
Ravenna: What the... wait a minute...
Karen: Careful, now. Can you sit up?
Karen: ...don't force yourself...
Karen: Oh... let me help you with that, then...
Ravenna: Hmmm..... that's better....
Karen: Take it easy...! Don't push yourself.
Ravenna: Pandora station... no, I don't think there's a space station by that name in orbit around Earth.
Karen: What's "Earth"? Do you mean "Kaperth"?
Ravenna: Nope. What's going on, here? You don't know what Earth is...? Wait a minute... is this translation thingy broken?
Karen: No, it's working alright.
Ravenna: "Kaperth".... huh... oh...
Ravenna: What year is it?
Karen: 1278.
Ravenna: No way.... 1278 A.D.?
Karen: 1278 P.E. Pleiadesian Era.
Ravenna: Pleiades? As in the planet "Pleiades-47?"
Karen: Well, Kaperth is a planet around the star "Pleione".
Ravenna: Hooooooo boy......
Karen: Lie down and get some more rest. I have some people that want to talk to you.
Karen: By the way... what's your name...?
Ravenna: It's "Ravenna". Like the city in Italy.
Karen: "Italy"?
Ravenna: Oh, right. Nevermind that.
Karen: My name's Karen, by the way. Karen Maxwell. I'm a doctor and researcher on the Pandora orbital station.
Ravenna: Thank you for your help, Karen. You saved my life. I am going to need a while to get over the loss of my arm, though.
Karen: About your arm, we are growing you a new one from your existing cells. It will take a while, so I'll fit you with a robotic arm as a temporary replacement.
Karen: Just let me know when you're ready for me to do that and I'll perform the operation to implant the shoulder socket for it.
Ravenna: I'm still really sore, so let's wait a little while for that. Maybe in a few hours?
Karen: Ha, ha! I was going to suggest waiting a few weeks! You heal unnaturally quickly. You know that, right?
Ravenna: Yeah. I know.
Ravenna: ...234...235...236...237...
Ravenna: Ah.... legs are starting to feel stronger... actually stronger than ever... it's like I weigh a lot less or something.
Ravenna: I have to get out of here and find Bus.
Karen: Hello, Ravenna!
Karen: Wait... have you been exercising?
Ravenna: Well, yeah. Of course! I can't just stay in bed all day.
Karen: This is remarkable.
Dr. Maxwell: Hello, there, Ravenna! I'm Dr. Maxwell, Karen's father and head researcher here.
Dr. Maxwell: We have some questions we'd like to ask.
Ravenna: Oh, um...ok. Shoot.
Dr. Maxwell: Where are you from?
Ravenna: Saulsburg, Oregon, North American Union.
Ravenna: ....Earth.
Dr. Maxwell: Incredible. Are you really not from this world?
Ravenna: I don't think I'm even from this time, good doctor.
Dr. Maxwell: From what time are you?
Ravenna: 2214.
Dr. Maxwell: The future?
Ravenna: Somehow I doubt that. I think this is the distant future from my perspective. You see, I...
Karen: Ravenna, there is someone else who has been very eager to speak with you.
Ravenna: Oh, ok. Look, this is all a lot for me to take in right now.
Dr. Maxwell: We understand. Let's take things as a more comfortable pace. There's no need to rush.
Ravenna: Hey, Karen, I know you wanted to wait but I think I'm ready. Can we start installing that temporary robot arm?
Karen: Sure. Father, could you prepare and sterilize the shoulder socket?
Dr. Maxwell: Yes, of course. Ravenna, you are one tough young lady. It hasn't even been a full day and you're already walking around.
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene X: "Ravenna Joins the Team"
Karen: How is it? Is the fitting too loose or too tight?
Ravenna: It's comfortable enough. I'm surprised the operation didn't leave my shoulder joint in more pain.
Karen: Ordinarily, it would have. When I was installing it, I noticed that the infected tissue had already healed.
Ravenna: Listen, it was an open secret back where I'm from that I had an abnormally strong physical constitution.
Ravenna: My mother's side of the family had this bizarre genetic code... I dunno... my Dad explained it a million times but I never quite understood.
Ravenna: But yeah, it's just always been that way.
Saja: Ravenna? Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Commander Saja Kabora, head of security on Pandora and one of the three Fumacite elites.
Ravenna: That's quite an introduction! Pleased to meet you, Commander.
Karen: Please excuse me. I need to get your mechanical arm. Be right back.
Ravenna: To what do I owe this pleasure, Commander?
Saja: Ha, I'm sorry about that. Sometimes, I forget to drop the military formality and act like a normal person.
Ravenna: Don't sweat it. I'm just a mischief maker who can't stay out of trouble.
Saja: Just call me Saja.
Ravenna: Saja, I'm not in trouble, am I?
Saja: No, not at all! Actually, I just wanted to chat with you a little.
Saja: Could you tell me where you're from?
Ravenna: Yes, gladly. I am from a planet called Earth, from the year 2214.
Saja: 2214? From the future?
Ravenna: I don't think so. The years must have been numbered differently at some point. You see...
Karen: I'm back! Ravenna, let me see that shoulder socket there...
Ravenna: Ooooh!
Ravenna: I'm armed and dangerous!
Ravenna: ...
Ravenna: Tough crowd...
Karen: How's that working for you?
Ravenna: Hmmm..... a little clumsy...
Karen: Let's see... let me adjust the dynamic Penfield map adapter...
Ravenna: Whoa! Feels just like a real arm now!
Ravenna: Thanks, Karen! This will be great!
Karen: Don't forget that you'll have a real arm ready to be grafted on fairly soon.
Ravenna: Thank you. I look forward to having my real arm back, but this thing is pretty cool until then.
Saja: Hey, Ravenna...
Ravenna: Yes?
Saja: I would like to take you shopping. This orbital station has an excellent mall.
Saja: There's a store called "High Fashion Planet" that I'd like you to see.
Ravenna: That would be nice. I'm not your stereotypical mall rat but I could sure use a new outfit.
Saja: Ravenna, you were in the middle of telling me where you were from.
Ravenna: Oh, right. Yes, you see, in the Earth year 2214, a portion of my world's population was conscripted to live aboard an interplanetary migration ship.
Saja: Fascinating... so those ruins in which Malachi and Virulyde found you... are you telling me that was really a starship?
Ravenna: Yes. It was headed toward a planet in the Pleiades cluster, where it was intended for humans to settle.
Saja: The scrolls were correct... oh my, this is a lot to take in.
Ravenna: You feeling okay, Saja?
Saja: Yes, sorry. My country has a deeply held religious conviction that humans did not evolve on our planet.
Saja: You are quite literally the living proof that confirms our beliefs.
Ravenna: Wow... so I'm like some kind of religious figure or something?
Saja: Now, let's not get carried away. But yes, some will definitely revere you as such. I'd keep a low profile if I were you.
Saja: Here's "High Fashion Planet". Choose whatever you like, try things on, and I'll cover the cost.
Ravenna: Thank you, Saja! You're so kind.
Ravenna: I'll be back in a bit.
Virulyde: Heya, Saja! You showing the new girl around Pandora?
Saja: I wanted her to put on something decent before walking around in public, but yes.
Virulyde: That's nice.
Saja: Virulyde, she seems like a nice person. She's forthcoming... if she's telling the truth. If not, she's one hell of a good actor.
Virulyde: The evidence is on her side, from what I've heard. Karen just gave me an update.
Saja: Where's Malachi? You two are usually hanging out together.
Virulyde: He's over at the restaurant begging for his job back.
Saja: He shouldn't. Word from the higher ups says that he's about to be assigned full-time to security duties - same as us.
Virulyde: Great! Then we're officially acting as a team again, just like old times.
Ravenna: I'm back! What do you think?
Saja: Fantastic choice, Ravenna. That looks great on you.
Virulyde: Hello, there!
Saja: I'll be right back. Going to go pay for the outfit.
Ravenna: Thanks, Saja!
Ravenna: So, um... thanks for saving me back in that place.
Virulyde: I should be thanking you!
Malachi: Hello! Ravenna, is it?
Ravenna: Hi! Thanks for saving my life!
Malachi: You save our lives, too. Still, no problem, saving and protecting people is what we do!
Malachi: By the way, I'm Malachi, and this guy here who can't stop drinking orange juice is Virulyde.
Virulyde: I'm an android, by the way, from Aufdek. Number 24 of the Virulyde series.
Malachi: Yeah but he's effectively human for all intents and purposes.
Saja: There we go. All paid for. Now... Ravenna... there is something I want to ask in return.
Ravenna: Yeah?
Saja: Let's all head back to my quarters to discuss this.
Saja: Ravenna, I'll get straight to the point.
Saja: You have superhuman strength. We want you to join our group and help provide security for this orbital station.
Malachi: For all of our world's history, there has been an oppressive quasi-religious organization called "Zetsfir" carrying out mass genocide.
Ravenna: Zetsfir? My dad worked for an organization called "Zetsfir"!
Virulyde: WHAT?
Saja: Wait, guys. It could be coincidence. Ravenna, your dad assisted a genocidal cult?
Ravenna: Of course not! In my world, Zetsfir was a quasi-governmental agency working in tandem with the world government.
Ravenna: They ordered a mass migration to another planet and forced people into it against their will.... but they never went around killing people...
Ravenna: Although I wonder about Bus's dad... but no, they were certainly not some weird murderous cult!
Malachi: I'm sorry. It looks like we were the ones jumping to conclusions this time.
Saja: It could be a coincidental name or Zetsfir had far less malevolent beginnings.
Saja: But... Ravenna, Zetsfir has been the enemy of our world for as long as our written history has been around.
Virulyde: Although our written history only goes back so far, thanks to Zetsfir's efforts to erase it.
Ravenna: Again, this is a bit too much to take in all at once. Saja, what was it you wanted me to do?
Saja: Fight along side us. Help us reduce the impact that Zetsfir's forces inflicts.
Malachi: Please? With your help, we can protect our world.
Ravenna: I'm really a fish out of water, here, but yes. Of course I'll help.
Ravenna: It's the least I can do after you saved my life.
Ravenna: I do have one request, though. When I was transported here, someone else was with me. Could we search for him later on?
Saja: Of course. We will help you look for your friend.
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene XI: "Advisory"
Ravenna: Mmm, finally some real food!
Saja: Glad you like it. This is the Pandora station's finest food establishment.
Virulyde: I wonder if Malachi got the owner to re-hire him?
Saja: He'd have to quit soon if he did... oh!
Ravenna: Hmmm?
Saja: Sorry, I have to take this call. It's from HQ.
Saja: Hello, Karla!
Karla: Good evening, Commander. I've been directed to notify you that the alert status for the Pandora orbital station has been raised again.
Saja: I see. What's the situation?
Karla: We've detected the signature space-time distortions that are commonly associated with Zetsfir's incursions.
Saja: Are they in close proximity to the station?
Karla: Yes. We anticipate an attack, so be prepared to move into strategic defense positions.
Saja: Understood.
Karla: I understand you have a new recruit. Is it really that girl from the ruins?
Saja: Yes. Is this connection properly secured?
Karla: Of course it's secured. It's against protocol otherwise.
Saja: Sorry, just making sure.
Karla: Be safe up there, Commander. We will continue to monitor your area and will provide updates should we detect any further movement.
Saja: Thanks, Karla. By the way, please call me Saja.
Karla: Got that, Saja. Good luck!
Saja: Virulyde, that was HQ. There are signs that Zetsfir is about to make a move.
Virulyde: As we suspected. We are ready.
Ravenna: Were you just in some kind of phone call? I don't see any kind of device...
Saja: Oh, I forgot... you probably don't have a comm implant, do you?
Ravenna: What's that?
Saja: Everyone serving in the military has a neural connection to the universal network.
Ravenna: Oh, that makes sense. Some people had brain implants back home, too. Dad didn't like them, though.
Saja: We all received them back when we were kids at Fumacine Academy. It just makes it easier to communicate in a hurry.
Ravenna: By the way, Saja, I noticed that none of this food contains any meat. Is this a vegan restaurant by any chance?
Saja: "Meat"...? "Vegan"...? It might be the translator device but I'm not familiar with these words.
Ravenna: Meat, you know, animals like chickens, cows, fish, and that. Good source of protein.
Saja: ...what?
Virulyde: I'm confused.
Ravenna: Nobody eats meat here?
Saja: If you're asking if we eat animals, no! I've never heard of such a thing!
Ravenna: Well, that's interesting. So humans must have forgotten about eating meat or evolved into herbivores.
Saja: People ate animals where you came from? That's... kind of strange.
Virulyde: Ravenna, if people ate things other than plants, wouldn't they get very, very ill?
Ravenna: No, although there were a lot of people who didn't eat meat for ethical reasons, meat was a staple of our diet.
Virulyde: It would be safe to assume that ancient humans were biologically different, then.
Saja: It's not so much an ethical issue for us, Ravenna. It's just that we've never heard of the concept before.
Saja: To eat something other than a plant is a very foreign and bizarre concept to us.
Ravenna: I'm sorry to gross you out. Honestly, I had no idea.
Virulyde: No harm, Ravenna!
Ravenna: I have to say, though, for being completely plant-based, this food tastes really good.
Ravenna: Then again, other than the medical facility nutrient IV, I haven't had anything to eat since I got here, so anything would...
Saja: The alarm! Virulyde, Ravenna, we need to meet up with Malachi and prepare for the onslaught.
Ravenna: Right. I owe you my life, so just let me know what to do.
Saja: Let's go, you two.
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene XII: "Zetsfir Hunters"
PA SYSTEM: Emergency. All Pandora population must report to the docking area for immediate evacuation.
PA SYSTEM: This is not a drill.
PA SYSTEM: Pandora and Fumacine defense personnel are to report to section four strategic defense areas.
Saja: We will meet Malachi there, in section four.
Virulyde: Commander, I'm picking up signs of multiple Zetsfir craft approaching.
Ravenna: Whoa...!
Saja: Damn, they're attacking the hull. Defense forces out there should hold but we have to prepare for Zetsfir troops entering the station.
Virulyde: Let's hurry.
Malachi: Sorry for not catching up sooner, Saja. I was helping people evacuate.
Saja: It's fine. I just received word that the hull has been breached so we need to engage the invading troops on this level.
Virulyde: Here they come.
Ravenna: Just let me know what to do.
Saja: Kyaaah!
Saja: Hyah!
Saja: Damn, they're persistent...
Malachi: Let's see... Too predictable, these ones....
Malachi: Got some tricks, watch me fly!
Malachi: BLAAAWWWW!!!!!!
Malachi: Gotcha.
Ravenna: Okay. I know I have zero military training but if it's to save lives....
Ravenna: Hmmm. You know what? I think I can handle this.
Saja: Nice work, Ravenna. We just have to keep fighting them off like this until the defense command gives the all-clear.
Ravenna: How many do you think there are?
Saja: Usually a hundred or so make their way in. The outside defense usually takes out the majority of them.
Ravenna: I see. By the way, I'm used to much more gravity than this. It's pretty easy to move around when fighting.
Virulyde: That was awesome, Ravenna.
Ravenna: Thanks.
Saja: Let's keep moving.
Virulyde: Alright. Dregweht! System command: Weapon mode!
Dregweht: Mrowwwr...
Virulyde: There. Eliminated.
Saja: Heads up, we have more guests.
Malachi: Let's do this.
Malachi: Cake.
Virulyde: Did somebody say cake?
Malachi: Go ahead and take this next one.
Virulyde: Roger Dodger. Ok, come here, you.
Saja: Ok. We should be able to use beam weapons here. Just watch your aim and minimize damage to the station.
Virulyde: Permission to throw the generators, Commander?
Saja: Permission granted. Be mindful of the blast radius. Everyone's been evacuated, but still, watch yourself.
Virulyde: Let's rock.
Virulyde: Several Zetsfir mini-dual barrels targeted. Charging. One percent... two percent...
Ravenna: Whah...? How'd he make those things appear out of thin air...?
Virulyde: Nanomachines! Hey Ravenna, you might want to get out of the way.
Ravenna: Oh, right.
Virulyde: Charging complete. Come and get it, Zetsfir rust buckets!!!
Virulyde: GET ROASTED!!! WOOOOO!!!
Saja: Virulyde!!! I said watch the power output! You MELTED A WALL!
Viruylde: My deepest apologies, commander. I was trying to eliminate all of the dual-barrels in one shot.
Saja: That you did, Vie. You still need to be more careful. HQ will have my hide if we do too much damage.
Malachi: Dude, that was sweet.
Ravenna: Whoa! I didn't know this arm could do that!
Saja: Oh for crying out loud... Karen just couldn't help herself... and before we knew if...
Ravenna: Huh?
Saja: Oh, uh... sorry, it's nothing. I'm just surprised that they built a weapon into your arm.
Ravenna: I just guessed maybe it was because you were going to ask me to help fight.
Virulyde: Hey! Whatcha got there, Ravenna?
Ravenna: I'm not sure. It just kind of transformed on its own.
Saja: It's a beam cannon. Fire it at some of those Zetsfir robots but please be more careful than Virulyde, ok?
Virulyde: Heeeyyy!!!!
Saja: Well, Vie, just try to be less extreme next time. Ravenna, just avoid hitting their fuel tanks and they should go down easily.
Ravenna: Okay. Taking aim... Now to concentrate...
Saja: Ravenna!!! I said DON'T hit the fuel tank! It's going to blow! RUN!!!
Ravenna: Sorry guys! I'm so sorry!!!
Saja: Just get to the next sector. The bulkhead will close if there's any decompression.
Malachi: Feet, do your duty!
Saja: You just need more practice. Same goes for you Vie.
Virulyde: ...
Virulyde: I'm in no position to argue.
Saja: ...
Saja: Commander Saja Kabora reporting. We are en route to Section four.
Saja: Understood. We will head to the docking area immediately.
Malachi: Commander? Are we being evacuated for some reason?
Saja: No, Malachi. We are going to intercept a beam cannon heading for Pandora.
Virulyde: If that thing scores a direct hit, this place is gone.
Saja: Let's hurry, everyone. There's a lot at stake.
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene XIII: "Destroy the Mobile Beam Cannon!"
Saja: Malachi, prepare the ShockShadow for takeoff. We have emergency clearance for departure.
Malachi: Verifying operational capacity of the ShockShadow's shield and weapons systems.
Malachi: Good to go.
Virulyde: Commander, initiating X/A mode. Confirming location of target.
Saja: Verify its charging state, Virulyde.
Virulyde: Current charge state is 10%. It has 15 minutes until it reaches full charge.
Virulyde: At full charge, the beam output is 160 Gigajoules.
Malachi: Overkill much? Sheesh!
Virulyde: It has a weakness. If we fire a beam into the circular gap around its turret, it will detonate its beam generator.
Malachi: So if I can make that shot, it'll take it out?
Virulyde: 12.16% certainty. The reaction in its fuel source should produce more than enough of a blast to vaporize it with a direct hit.
Saja: That's the plan, then. Malachi, take us to the cannon.
Malachi: Roger that.
Malachi: We're lined up. Target in sight.
Saja: Fire at will.
Malachi: Here goes.
Malachi: We're caught up in the blast! Controls are not responding!
Saja: We were too close! Can you correct our course?
Malachi: Retro thrusters are not working! We're being hurled toward the planet!
Malachi: At this rate, we're going into an uncontrolled re-entry!
Ravenna: ...
Virulyde: We beat the odds with that shot but the odds of safe re-entry are...
Malachi: Virulyde, never tell...
Ravenna: ENOUGH WITH THE MOVIE REFERENCES!
Saja: ...huh?!
Malachi: I have no idea what you're talking about, Ravenna, but please fasten your safety belt.
Virulyde: Oh, poo....
Malachi: HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS!
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene XIV: "A Rough Landing"
Malachi: You know what they say... any landing you can walk away from...
Saja: I don't know how we're even alive right now.
Virulyde: Man, I don't know how you managed to lawn dart the ShockShadow and none of us even have a scratch.
Ravenna: That was interesting.
Ravenna: Let's do it again!
Saja: Let's not.
Saja: Pardon me for a moment. I need to contact HQ.
Saja: Karla, this is Saja Kabora checking in.
Karla: Saja! We saw that your shuttle was caught in the blast from the Zetsfir cannon's destruction!
Karla: We had feared the worst.
Saja: Aren't you monitoring our vitals?
Karla: Well, the network connection was temporarily severed. Zetsfir was using jamming technology again.
Saja: What's the situation on the Pandora orbital station?
Karla: All Zetsfir forces have been eliminated and the all-clear was given. Thanks to your efforts, of course.
Saja: We played only a small part. Give my thanks to the security team.
Karla: Will do.
Karla: Oh! Dr. Maxwell would like to speak to you for a moment. May I bring him in?
Saja: Yes, of course.
Dr. Maxwell: I'm glad to see you are okay, Commander.
Saja: Thank you. What's up, Dr. Maxwell?
Dr. Maxwell: I've discovered some very interesting data on that ancient optical disc that the android brought us.
Saja: I see. What did you find?
Dr. Maxwell: Most of the data on the disc was corrupted beyond recovery but the location of the ancient planet was clearly designated.
Dr. Maxwell: In the commotion, of course, we were evacuated before I could confirm anything but it would appear this ancient planet...
Saja: ...yes?
Dr. Maxwell: It's just not there. I don't know why the data would be inaccurate or fabricated. There's a nebula where the star "Sol" should be on the charts.
Saja: I... can't comment on that right now.
Dr. Maxwell: Yes, of course. She's with you right now. There's no need to upset her, especially before confirming these findings.
Saja: Anything else?
Dr. Maxwell: Now that things have settled down, I'm going to use the space telescope to re-examine that area of the galaxy. Oh, I did find various other items...
Dr. Maxwell: Frankly, some historical and cultural entries about Earth were... disappointing.
Karla: How is that, Doctor?
Dr. Maxwell: Earth was a similar world to our own in that many wars and conflicts marked the ages.
Dr. Maxwell: Sadly, most of civilization became decadent, proud, and apathetic. There was a lot of social unrest and a lack of unity.
Saja: That doesn't sound too dissimilar to our own world, Doctor.
Dr. Maxwell: Perhaps you are right. Anyway, I won't keep you. Please contact me once you return to the Pandora orbital station.
Saja: Take care, Doctor.
Karla: Saja, nice work on taking out that mobile cannon. Reconstruction has started on the Pandora station.
Karla: You are expected in Fumacine city tomorrow to receive your next assignment.
Saja: In person? Must be important.
Saja: Okay. We will report to Fumacine city tomorrow.
Karla: Take care, Saja!
Saja: Talk to you later.
Saja: We are to report to Fumacine city tomorrow. I'll arrange for a transport ship to pick us up.
Virulyde: We'd better head into town and get some rest.
Saja: Go on ahead and book us a room. I'll catch up with you.
Virulyde: Sure. Time to get some OJ at the bar!
Saja: Hmm.... let's see...
Ravenna: What's that, Saja?
Saja: It's a map. I'm checking our location. We landed on the shoreline of the Eastern island of the Graves archipelago.
Saja: Come over here and have a look.
Saja: We are here.
Ravenna: It looks like this planet is smaller than Earth. Maybe that's why I feel so much lighter!
Saja: That would make sense, if "Earth" was a larger or denser planet.
Saja: Right here is where Malachi and Virulyde found you.
Ravenna: Oh! I see. The Morgan's Gate ruins.
Saja: The ark ruins? That ship was called "Morgan's Gate"?
Ravenna: Yeah. It was named after a scientist that worked on it.
Saja: Interesting. Dr. Maxwell said there was a lot to learn about your world...
Ravenna: Oh yeah? Like what? Our movies? Music? Sports?
Saja: Umm... oh, uh... nevermind that... look at this...
Saja: This is Fumacine City, the heart of the Fumacine Empire.
Ravenna: Your home? You three are the "Fumacite Elite Trio", right?
Saja: Well, yes, we grew up and went to Fumacine Academy, but I'm originally from Kadmas.
Saja: From this region.
Ravenna: How about Virulyde?
Saja: Virulyde was constructed in the laboratories of Aufdek, here.
Ravenna: And Malachi?
Saja: ...well... Malachi's from Fumacine City... sort of.
Ravenna: Hmmmm....?
Saja: It's.... complicated...
Saja: Let's go into town and meet up with those two at the hotel.
Ravenna: Virulyde's probably drowning his sorrows in orange juice already!
Saja: Ha ha! Yes, indeed.
Chapter II: Chapter Two: Pleiades-47 - Scene XV: "Morgan's Gate - Exhumed"
Ravenna: Hey, Saja...?
Saja: Yes?
Ravenna: Since we landed, I've noticed that the climate seems a bit colder than what I'm used to.
Saja: It's possible we've just adapted to a colder climate over the years. Are you comfortable?
Ravenna: Well, I could use something around my shoulders.
Saja: Let's head into a clothing shop. That's a standard style outfit so we should be able to find matching accessories.
Ravenna: Great!
Virulyde: Hey there. I booked a hotel room for you two and one for Malachi and myself.
Saja: Thank you, Virulyde. Ravenna and I are going to do some shopping.
Virulyde: Sounds like a plan. We have a little time to kill before calling it a night, I suppose.
Virulyde: I think I'll head over to that juice bar and guzzle some OJ.
Saja: Well that was fun. I think it's about time to get some sleep.
Ravenna: Probably a good idea.
Saja: That really matches your outfit.
Saja: Hmmm.... Malachi and Virulyde were supposed to stop by.
Ravenna: They're both probably still at the bar. Does Malachi... drink?
Saja: Everyone needs hydration, so yes. What a strange question...
Ravenna: No, I mean alcohol.
Saja: Alcohol? Like fuel or cleaning fluid?
Ravenna: Oh... alcoholic beverages don't exist here, either.
Saja: People on Earth drank... alcohol? I've never heard of such a thing. Isn't that dangerous?
Ravenna: It can be. I wasn't old enough to try it.
Saja: How bizarre.
Malachi: Good evening.
Ravenna: Heya!
Saja: Is Virulyde still at the bar?
Malachi: As far as I know. I'll look for him later.
Ravenna: I'd like to look for my friend when I get the chance.
Malachi: What does he look like?
Ravenna: He's a big guy. He wears a bright yellow overcoat and a matching hat. He looks like a school bus.
Saja: A "school bus"?
Ravenna: Hmmm... guess that's not a thing here, either.
Saja: Ravenna, we have to be careful. You are considered a prime target by Zetsfir.
Ravenna: I know but we can kick their asses.
Malachi: Oh hell yeah we can!
Saja: Still... don't run off without us. Let's stick together.
Malachi: Can't be too careful.
Saja: Zetsfir hunts down and kills anyone connected to the belief that humans came from another world.
Ravenna: Right, we've covered this.
Saja: Yes we have. But you should be aware that even casual discussion of these ideas could get someone killed.
Saja: For instance, if you don't watch what you say in one of these bars, a Zetsfir sympathizer could turn you in for a reward.
Ravenna: Yikes. What some people will do for money...
Ravenna: Guess that much hasn't changed.
Saja: From what I've heard, human nature has always involved war. Kadmas, Fumacine, and Aufdek used to be at war with each other.
Saja: It was only about two hundred years ago that our nations finally came together to fight as one against Zetsfir.
Malachi: Of course, since we can't find Zetsfir's home country, it makes things difficult.
Saja: The Fumacine Empire is still dealing with internal strife since the King died around a year ago.
Saja: The government there has been in shambles and the Prince is unpopular. It doesn't help that we ultimately still answer to him.
Malachi: Ahem. Uh.... excuse me. I think I'll go track down Virulyde.
Saja: Oh... I should have been more considerate.
Ravenna: Huh? What was that all about?
Saja: Malachi has... connections... to the royal family. Let's just leave it at that.
Malachi: *sigh*
Virulyde: What's poppin'?
Malachi: Hey there, Vie. I was just about to go looking for you.
Virulyde: I'm right here, my dude.
Malachi: Hey, man, do you think we're going to be fighting Zetsfir for the rest of our lives?
Virulyde: Hmm, well, I was built for that purpose, so I know I am.
Malachi: No, I mean, do you think we'll ever get to a point where we won't need to fight them?
Virulyde: That's why we do what we do, isn't it?
Malachi: Yeah, man. That's right.
Virulyde: Ravenna seems like she fits right in with us. What do you think?
Malachi: She's... remarkable. She's stronger than anyone else, that's for sure.
Malachi: Plus she seems so innocent, you know?
Virulyde: How so?
Malachi: In her position, and with her power, she could easily take over a government.
Malachi: She'd practically be a religious figure if the world found out about her.
Virulyde: Yeah. Yet, she only seems to want to find her friend from Earth.
Virulyde: Say, that's a strange looking owl flying around.
Malachi: I don't think that's an owl, Vie.
Virulyde: Wait a sec...
Malachi: What is that thing? It's just hovering there. Is it a shuttle?
Virulyde: Looks like it's not too far away. It's slowly rising in the sky.
Virulyde: I'll switch to infrared mode and zoom in.
Virulyde: It's the... ruins!
Saja: Is that the...
Ravenna: Morgan's Gate? But... how? What's levitating it? It's far too massive!
Malachi: Not to mention it's engines shouldn't even be operational. Something is lifting it!
Saja: It has to be Zetsfir. They've decided to just grab the whole thing. Unbelievable!
Virulyde: A 5-D gate is forming above it.
Virulyde: It's phasing out of our dimension.
Saja: I need to report this to HQ immediately.
Malachi: I'm sure half of the world just witnessed it.
Virulyde: Well... this complicates things, doesn't it?
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene I: "The Mercenary"
NARRATOR: Royal Palace, Fumacine City
NARRATOR: Capital of the Fumacine Empire
Bachan: I'm so glad you came to our aid, Sir Jensen.
Bachan: You come highly recommended. Rumor has it that you are able to operate the newly discovered time portal inside the ruins.
Bachan: As you may have heard, the ruins have recently been moved to a more... secure... location.
Bachan: We need your help.
Bachan: A small group of rogue elites under my command have inadvertently managed to interfere with our plans.
Bachan: Unfortunately, they are among our many misguided citizens who subscribe to the silly idea that humans came from another world.
Bachan: They are currently traveling around with a person of interest. This individual is a key symbol of their fairy tale beliefs.
Bachan: When they return to the capital tomorrow, I need you to do something for us.
Bachan: This person must be eliminated at all costs. They present... a threat to our plans.
Bachan: First, kill this individual. They are in the custody of this group of rogues. They are all highly dangerous.
Bachan: Second, we need you to reactivate the systems aboard the ruins. The power systems and structure are currently being restored to working order.
Bachan: Achieving these objectives is of paramount importance. My superiors are quite stubborn on this issue.
Bachan: Name your price.
Sir Jensen: Reactivating that time portal in the ruins is no problem. Hunting down and killing somebody ain't happening, though.
Sir Jensen: I don't kill anybody who ain't tryin' to kill me. Got that, Prince Fumacine?
Sir Jensen: I just can't kill innocent people... no matter what I gotta do.
Bachan: Rojo...
Rojo: Yes, your majesty?
Bachan: Please accompany our friend.
Rojo: Of course, your majesty.
Bachan: Ensure the first task is carried out when they arrive tomorrow.
Rojo: The ruins are en route to a safe location as we speak.
Rojo: Our first task, however, is to confront these four individuals who fled Pandora during the recent attack and subdue them...
Rojo: ...by any means necessary. Sir Jensen, if you don't kill, I will.
Sir Jensen: ...
Rojo: Once we've finished here and neutralized the threat, we will take a shuttle to the new location of the ruins.
Rojo: That's where you will restore the system to full working order. I'll supply the missing data...
Sir Jensen: Look, lady. I'm doing this alone.
Sir Jensen: Ever since I got here years ago, I gave up on teamwork. I don't need help from you or anyone else.
Sir Jensen: Last time I teamed up, my friend got vaporized. I'm never going through that again. It's like I said...
Sir Jensen: I ain't killin' nobody. I'm going.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene II: "An Unknown Delay"
Ravenna: Good morning, Saja!
Saja: Good morning, Ravenna. I'll need to request a transport shuttle.
Ravenna: Hopefully Malachi isn't flying it!
Saja: Malachi's an excellent pilot. We just miscalculated the blast radius on that cannon.
Ravenna: Sorry.
Saja: Pardon me for a moment. I'm going to arrange the transport.
Karla: Good morning, Saja. We've been looking into the situation further with the unexplained movement of the ruins.
Saja: It looked like some kind of external system was levitating them.
Karla: There was a 5-D gate detected above the ruins during the time they were spotted.
Karla: The gate shut once the ruins vanished in the upper atmosphere.
Saja: Karla, since we are scheduled for an in-person meeting in Fumacine City today, I would like to request a transport shuttle be sent to our location.
Karla: About that... The higher-ups have re-scheduled that meeting for tomorrow.
Saja: Oh? That's odd. I wonder why...?
Karla: As you are well aware, there is some conflict within the government here.
Saja: Yes. The Prince is become more unpopular among the citizens.
Karla: It's not just that. Within HQ, we've had some... differences of opinion. The chain of command is breaking down.
Saja: So some people will be charged with insubordination, right?
Karla: It's not quite at the level of outright insurrection. There is just some chatter.
Saja: What does this have to do with the meeting being rescheduled, Karla?
Karla: There was a guest at the royal palace this morning that spoke with someone here at HQ.
Karla: I'm not privy to all of the details but my superiors were strongly advised to keep your group away from the capital until tomorrow.
Saja: Hmmm. The Prince's idea? I don't know what to think about that.
Karla: No, no, no.... that's just it. The Prince was expecting all of you to be here today. We were told it was a bad idea to allow that to happen.
Saja: Be careful, Karla. Deliberately going against the Prince's wishes is grounds for court martial.
Karla: I'm well aware of that. We all are.
Karla: Anyway, Saja, I will have a transport shuttle sent to your location tomorrow morning.
Karla: Until then, just stay aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious individuals that might be hanging around.
Saja: Thanks, Karla. I'll speak with you again soon.
Saja: Our meeting in Fumacine City has been postponed until tomorrow.
Ravenna: Huh. I wonder why?
Saja: I'm not too sure myself. Something strange is going on at HQ.
Malachi: Good morning!
Malachi: Hey, Ravenna, I noticed you looked chilly last night so I got this scarf for you.
Ravenna: Heya! Thanks, Malachi! I love it!
Malachi: It looks great on you. So, are we about ready to head back to Fumacine?
Saja: Actually, the meeting has been rescheduled for tomorrow.
Malachi: Weird. I wonder why?
Saja: It's... umm... well, I'm not really quite sure about it myself but we'll just have to stay here for today.
Malachi: Well, okay, I guess that's fine. Have you seen Virulyde yet today?
Saja: I think he probably went right back to the juice bar as soon as he woke up.
Malachi: Oh, yeah. That guy, I'll tell ya.
Saja: Let's go take a little walk and unwind today.
Ravenna: I saw a really nice field of flowers on the way here yesterday. Let's go there!
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene III: "A Peaceful(?) Interlude on the Plains"
Ravenna: This planet has some interesting vegetation.
Ravenna: It's kind of like back home but different.
Malachi: These wild flowers grow all over this island.
Saja: They're used in herbal teas, too.
Malachi: Oh, here comes Virulyde. I'll let you two chat.
Ravenna: Saja, do you really think we can stop Zetsfir's genocide? Just the four of us?
Saja: Only as part of a larger effort. Without the combined forces of Fumacine and Kadmas, we wouldn't have a chance.
Ravenna: Fighting an unseen, unknown enemy seems difficult.
Saja: It is but we've kept them at bay for hundreds of years.
Virulyde: Hey, Malachi. Fancy meeting you all here.
Malachi: Where have you been?
Virulyde: I went over to the other island to check out where the ruins used to be.
Malachi: By yourself? Why didn't you tell us? Also, how did you get over there?
Virulyde: It's called a boat, Malachi. I took a boat early this morning. Oh... and I found this thing lying on the ground...
Malachi: What the hell is that?
Saja: ...
Saja: Hmmm.... we should probably go check out the spot where the ruins were excavated.
Ravenna: That place? It brings back some unpleasant memories.
Saja: It's probably best that Virulyde decided to check it out by himself, then.
Ravenna: I'm still willing to go along if we need to have a look.
Virulyde: Hey, Malachi? Let me see those goggles.
Malachi: No way, dude.
Malachi: Virulyde, get your friggin' hamster off of me!
Saja: Those two are the strongest and most skilled in all of Fumacine's military.
Virulyde: Dregweht is NOT a hamster!
Saja: They've proven themselves to be essential in the fight against Zetsfir.
Dregweht: Mrooowwwrrr!!!!!!
Saja: Sometimes, however....
Saja: ...they're idiots.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene IV: "Ravenna's Radio"
Saja: Alright, everyone. We've had an extra day to relax.
Saja: Virulyde, I would like to remind you not to take any unauthorized trips while we're on duty.
Virulyde: My apologies, commander. I was merely curious about the site of the ruins.
Malachi: It wasn't in vain, at least.
Virulyde: True. I found this strange device on the ground next to the pit where the ruins had been.
Saja: What is that?
Ravenna: Oh! It's my radio!
Virulyde: A radio? An electromagnetic communications device?
Ravenna: Yeah! It was a gift from my mom when I was just a little kid!
Saja: Virulyde, it belongs to Ravenna. Please give it to her.
Ravenna: Thanks. I must have lost it in the dark while wandering around in there.
Ravenna: I was so... out of it... that I didn't even notice I'd lost it in there.
Ravenna: Hmmm.... It doesn't pick up any stations.
Saja: Oh, it wouldn't. It's probably not compatible with our communications technology.
Malachi: Dr. Maxwell could probably modify it for you, though.
Ravenna: That would be nice as long as it still works like it does now, too.
Virulyde: It would be nice if we had a way to communicate with you in case we get separated.
Ravenna: That's a good idea.
Saja: It's about time for bed. Tomorrow, we head back to Fumacine city for real. I expect everyone to be well-rested for the meeting tomorrow.
Saja: Oh, also... stay on your toes. I have it on good authority that we need to watch our backs in the capital.
Virulyde: I don't like the sound of that.
Malachi: Me neither. I have a feeling that our recent actions might have run afoul of a certain monarch's wishes...
Saja: Good night, you two.
Ravenna: I guess I could have asked Karen to give me a communications implant...
Saja: No need. If you're not comfortable with an implanted device, we can set up another communications device for you.
Ravenna: I've had this radio since I was a kid. I just don't want it messed up.
Saja: Dr. Maxwell will take good care of it if you want to have it upgraded.
Ravenna: I'll think about it. Let's just get some sleep.
Saja: Yes. That's a good idea.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene V: "Official Decree"
Bukavac: Your report, Prince Fumacine?
Bachan: Zetsfir council, my report brings positive results.
Bachan: I must, however, humbly request more time.
Bukavac: We will grant you more time if we deem it necessary.
Bachan: It seems that finding assistance was difficult and even the best one I could find refuses to kill.
Bachan: If I may ask, is it absolutely necessary to kill the girl from the prophecy?
Samael: What is this insolence?
Kulshedra: Prince Bachan Fumacine... do you question our orders?
Pithius: Perhaps you desire a most painful correction! You shall have her eliminated by any means necessary.
Bukavac: Now hear us.
Bukavac: What we have ordered in ancient times must never be known to the mortals who roam this land.
Bukavac: Our purpose required a great sacrifice. "Earth" was the only sufficient offering.
Kulshedra: Humanity could not be allowed to become extinct. We created the path to spare them.
Bachan: ...
Bachan: By the gods...
Bachan: So it's all true? That legend isn't a lie to drive nations apart?
Bachan: Humans came from another world in ancient times? My lords...
Bukavac: Enough!
Bukavac: If you tell one soul, you shall perish along with your kingdom.
Bukavac: Your precious... "companion"... will be shown no mercy, either.
Pithius: Dare not defy us.
Samael: You are to see to it that the proof of the great exodus is destroyed.
Bukavac: She could undo all of our great works.
Pithius: If she is allowed to live, she threatens to erase the existence of us all.
Bukavac: So be it. If you cannot get anyone to do our bidding, you shall see it done with your own hands.
Bukavac: Here. Come forward and take this.
Bachan: She's.... this is her?
Bachan: I have to kill.... her?!
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene VI: "Saja's Unforgotten Pain"
Saja: Unnnhhh... no.... please....
Saja: Please stop....
Saja: Mother... Father.... what's happening...?
Saja's Mother: Saja... please run...
Saja: Mother... you're hurt. Who did all of this?
Saja's Mother: Zets... Zetsfir... purge...
Saja: Where's Father?
Saja: Mother, let's go, let's get you to a hospital!
Saja's Mother: You have to run away from here, Saja... find your aunt Marie and take refuge somewhere.
Saja: I'm not going anywhere without you and Father!
Saja's Mother: I can't make it. Save yourself, Saja.
Saja's Mother: I wanted to watch you grow up. To be there... Your father and I both...
Zetsfir Thug: You there. Shut the hell up.
Saja: Mother... why are they doing this?
Saja's Mother: It's a purge, Saja. They want to wipe out every last believer...
Zetsfir Thug: I SAID SHUT UP! You migration theorists... trying to create a supreme class to justify oppressing others...
Zetsfir Thug: Trying to claim you're from the heavens... to rule over the rest of us... It's our duty to stop the spread of your lies!!!
Saja's Mother: Saja.... I'm so sorry... I...
Zetsfir Thug: DIE, YOU FILTHY MIGRATION THEORIST SCUM!!!
Saja: NO!!!!! MOTHER... FATHER... NO!!!!!!!!
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene VII: "Are We There Yet?"
Ravenna: *yawn*
Saja: Good morning, Ravenna.
Ravenna: Up before sunrise!
Saja: Yeah. Our transport will arrive soon.
Ravenna: I think I'll have a cup of that herbal tea... or maybe some... wait... does your world have coffee?
Saja: Yes, we have coffee. We have hundreds and hundreds of types of coffee.
Ravenna: Let me at that java!
Saja: Get dressed and meet us at the cafe across the street. Vie's probably depleting their orange juice supply.
Malachi: You know, I'm going to miss this cozy little town.
Saja: We can come back soon.
Ravenna: Ahhhh..... I am fully caffeinated and ready to go.
Virulyde: Heyo.
Saja: Let's go hop on our transport shuttle.
Ravenna: Um... Saja?
Saja: Yeah?
Ravenna: Are we there yet?
Saja: Almost.
Saja: By the way, Fumacine City is the largest city on the planet.
Ravenna: Yeah, it's where you grew up?
Saja: Shortly after Malachi and I were... orphaned... we enrolled in Fumacine Academy and joined the military upon graduation.
Malachi: My adoptive parents were both killed in a purge when I was young.
Saja: Mine were both murdered by Zetsfir around the same time.
Ravenna: That's... so terrible... I'm very sorry to hear that.
Malachi: It's a major reason why we fight against Zetsfir.
Saja: The Fumacine Empire actually requires all of its child citizens to join Fumacine Academy and requires a minimum of two years of service after graduation.
Malachi: We moved to Fumacine and joined voluntarily, though.
Virulyde: I was sent to Fumacine as part of a trade deal between Aufdek and Fumacine. Being an android, I didn't really have much of a choice in the matter.
Virulyde: Not that I mind, though! Saja and Malachi are my best friends!
Dregweht: Mrowwwrrr...
Virulyde: Oh, you too, Dregweht. We'd never forget you.
Dregweht: Mrowwrr......
Saja: Ok, everyone!
Saja: Here we are, at last. We're home!
Ravenna: This place is huge, like you said, Saja! It kind of reminds me of Saulsburg back home!
Saja: Remember to stay close to us, Ravenna. I've been alerted that we need to watch our backs right now.
Ravenna: Whoa...
Malachi: What is it, Ravenna?
Ravenna: What's that huge thing way up in the sky?
Saja: That's the royal palace. It's the government headquarters of the Fumacine Empire.
Saja: Fortunately, the Fumacine military headquarters is down here in the center of the city.
Ravenna: So this place is laid out in a radial pattern?
Ravenna: Makes it a little easier to navigate, I guess.
Virulyde: Ohhhh.... I wouldn't bet on that! It's awfully easy to get lost around here.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene VIII: "Fumacine City - Arrival"
Pleione: Welcome back, Saja!
Pleione: I heard your group is going after that ancient ship that Zetsfir stole!
Saja: Heya, Pleione!
Saja: Wait...
Saja: We're going after the stolen ruins?
Saja: Zetsfir gated it away! It's not like we can go after it!
Pleione: It was just a rumor. Doesn't make sense, now that I think about it.
Pleione: There have been a lot of rumors floating around as of late. I know, top secret, hush-hush and all that...
Pleione: They promoted me at headquarters, so I get to hear all of the juicy stuff now!
Pleione: Oh, by the way, is that new girl you found in the ruins with you?
Saja: Oh... uh....
Malachi: Peppy Pleione!
Pleione: Mighty Malachi!
Pleione: ...ooooooh!
Malachi: What?
Pleione: Your hair is growing back already!
Malachi: Yeah...
Malachi: Yeah... it's finally growing back.
Saja: We thought he'd be permanently bald after he set his hair on fire working in the kitchen at that restaurant.
Pleione: Looks good, Malachi.
Malachi: Thanks!
Malachi: ...
Malachi: Actually... speaking of hair... Saja, have you noticed that Ravenna and Virulyde have exactly the same hair?
Saja: Now that you mention it, they have the same hair color but also those long spines on the sides...
Saja: Wait a sec...
Saja: Malachi, where is Ravenna?
Malachi: I think she's with Virulyde. They went off to get some food.
Saja: Okay. We'll need to make sure to regroup with them before heading to HQ.
Malachi: I'm going to go find Virulyde and Ravenna. It's nice seeing you again, Pleione.
Pleione: Okay, Malachi! Let's grab a coffee before you leave town again. Sound good?
Malachi: You bet! See you later!
Saja: So, Pleione... you finally managed to climb up in the ranks, huh? Harder than it looks, isn't it?
Pleione: Yes, it's definitely a lot of work. Listen, Saja...
Pleione: There are a lot of us at headquarters who have heard some scary things. The Prince is... well... he's been acting strangely.
Saja: If you're heading back that way, I'd like to come with you if that's okay. I'd like to gather some information.
Pleione: Sure, you'll be coming in later for a briefing, anyway!
Ravenna: ...so it's kind of weird how that guy was right after all.
Virulyde: Yeah. How he thought Zetsfir was a death cult was certainly spot on, even if he was thousands of years ahead of his time.
Ravenna: I wonder what happened to everyone. How did they end up? What did Bus and I miss out on?
Ravenna: Well, I mean... there's a chance Dad finishes his time machine and comes after us. If we could jump forward in time, so could he, right?
Virulyde: Maybe. Time Travel isn't my area of expertise.
Virulyde: What would you do if he was able to find you?
Ravenna: We'd find my friend, Bus, and then travel back in time.
Virulyde: Then what? If you were trying to stop the migration... you must realize that would erase the existence of this world, right?
Ravenna: Hmmmm.... yeah, now that I think about it...
Virulyde: Ravenna, we can't just allow you to do that.
Ravenna: I mean, this is all proof that humans survived the migration! There would be no need to prevent it!
Virulyde: Assuming time travel even works that way. Still, we have the right to exist.
Ravenna: Of course you do! I don't want to erase anyone!
Virulyde: You're a good person, Ravenna. I can tell.
Dregweht: Mrowwr!
Virulyde: See? Even Dregweht thinks so!
Ravenna: Heheheeee!
Malachi: There you are!
Virulyde: Hey, man. What's up?
Malachi: Oh, Saja and Pleione are just catching up.
Ravenna: I'm going to go meet up with them. Good chat, Virulyde. Malachi, see you again in a bit, okay?
Malachi: Sure. Don't get lost, Ravenna!
Malachi: Hey, Vie...
Virulyde: What's up, Malachi?
Malachi: I bet you a choccy fish that those three gab for an hour.
Malachi: Want to play some video games until it's time for the meeting at HQ?
Virulyde: You read my mind! It's been a long time since I've had guests at my place. It might be a bit dusty.
Malachi: Let's go. I'm totally going to win this time, by the way.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene IX: "Party at Virulyde's Place!"
Virulyde: Gotcha!
Virulyde: Oh yeah! You are toast!
Malachi: Crap. This controller sucks.
Malachi: I bet we don't get re-assigned to the Pandora station, Vie.
Virulyde: Yeah, maybe we got a little careless.
Malachi: Ravenna hadn't had a chance to get used to her arm cannon. We didn't have time to help her get the hang of it.
Virulyde: I melted a wall, so, yeah, that happened. At least we avoided any civilian casualties.
Virulyde: So... are we really going after the gate?
Malachi: "Gate"? What's that?
Virulyde: Ravenna called the ruins the "Morgan's Gate", right? You said Pleione mentioned we were going to be sent to find it?
Malachi: I don't know. That doesn't seem possible. It vanished right before our eyes, didn't it?
Virulyde: Yeah but what if we entered one of those 5-D gates before they close?
Malachi: That would be risky.
Virulyde: Man, I am so beating your ass at this!
Malachi: Ugh. I'm off my game today. Let's do another round.
Virulyde: Haven't had enough, eh?
Virulyde: I'm having those weird dreams again.
Malachi: The ones about being a suicide bomber? The whole "give us your brain" thing?
Virulyde: Yeah. It's in some strange city that I've never seen, too.
Malachi: Stick to the electric sheep, Vie.
Virulyde: Ugh. Okay, I'll use my points to stock up on those. Dang, you actually beat me this time around!
Saja: Hey, guys.
Virulyde: Hey, Saja.
Saja: ...
Saja: Where's Ravenna?
Malachi: Isn't she with you?
Virulyde: Oh, crap.
Saja: Perfect. We managed to lose her.
Malachi: We need to go look for her.
Saja: Guys, we've been summoned to the royal palace.
Virulyde: We have to find Ravenna.
Saja: Yes, we do. As soon as our conference with the Prince is over, we search the city for her.
Saja: I'm sure her translator device or something has a tracking beacon. You know how Karen is...
Virulyde: Oh man, this is bad. We were even told to be on guard...
Malachi: Stay cool. Let's get through this meeting and then we'll find her.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene X: "Tracking Developments"
Dr. Maxwell: This is very peculiar...
Dr. Maxwell: A star system used to be here.
Karen: Still examining the data from that disc?
Dr. Maxwell: Indeed. I'm using the space telescope to re-examine that region of space.
Karen: Nothing there?
Dr. Maxwell: Nothing in terms of a star or planets but there is a small nebula in that location.
Karen: Let's make sure the telescope is oriented properly...
Dr. Maxwell: I've verified that it's focused on the right area. The relative coordinates are very clear in the data.
Karen: Hmmm... 142 light years away.
Dr. Maxwell: Right. What we're looking at is how it appeared 142 years, or 444 "Earth years", ago.
Karen: I'll zoom in.
Dr. Maxwell: See...? Just an odd-looking nebula.
Karen: Not indicative of a supernova.
Dr. Maxwell: Not at all. I don't know what could have caused this. Maybe it was...
Karen: It was what?
Dr. Maxwell: It was what prompted the migration in the legend. They might have seen something coming.
Karen: Hmm... Oh, that tracking beacon alert, there.
Dr. Maxwell: Isn't that the girl rescued from the ruins?
Karen: Ick! What was that?
Dr. Maxwell: Oh, they're still doing reconstruction on the lower levels.
Karen: Whew. I thought we may have been under attack again.
Karen: Anyway... that tracking beacon. Yes, it's her. She's not with the others. Odd.
Dr. Maxwell: I'm fairly sure she's not authorized to run around by herself, especially not in the capital, of all places.
Karen: Maybe I'd better make a call. Excuse me for a moment.
Dr. Maxwell: Alright. You make sure she's okay. I'm going to get some lunch, Karen.
Karen: Remember your diet, Dad!
Dr. Maxwell: Yes, yes. My diet. Bleh.
Greta: Mrs. Greta Kaperth speaking. How are you, Karen?
Karen: Doing well, Mrs. Kaperth. How is your husband?
Greta: Grady is finishing up some work on the new shuttle craft. He's looking for someone to take it for a test flight, come to think of it.
Karen: He's always tinkering with the latest technology, isn't he?
Greta: Yes, he's always liked working with flying craft. We're not keen on implants and genetic engineering, of course.
Karen: I know. That's okay.
Greta: Some things we just prefer to do the old-fashioned way. Enough about that, is there anything you wanted in particular?
Karen: Yes, I'd like to request a transport to Fumacine City. We need to check up on someone in our care.
Greta: How convenient. Grady wants to test out the new ShockShadow II. I'll ask him to send it to Pandora.
Karen: Thank you, Mrs. Kaperth! You and Grady are so generous!
Greta: They did name the planet after our ancestors, so we try to contribute to the good of humanity whenever we can.
Karen: Your family has done a lot to help those in need over the centuries.
Greta: After you're done taking care of things in the capital, stop by our place. I made plenty of food!
Karen: I'd love to. See you soon!
Greta: Have a safe journey.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene XI: "Summoned to the Palace"
Virulyde: I wonder why they summoned us to the royal palace?
Malachi: This is very unusual.
Malachi: We might be in trouble for recruiting Ravenna on the spot? I don't know.
Virulyde: Maybe the Prince wants to congratulate us!
Saja: Both wrong. It's a special mission.
Malachi: A special mission? To go after the ruins? Why meet about it up here?
Saja: Top secret meetings are always done here.
Saja: The main palace is totally wiretap and bug proof. The exits can be sealed off in an instant if needed.
Virulyde: We still need to find Ravenna once we're done. Hopefully, she hasn't left the city.
Saja: Very unlikely, Virulyde. She's almost sure to look for us at HQ in the center of town.
Virulyde: Looks like the Prince did some redecorating. Bleah.
Saja: I haven't been here since I was a child.
Malachi: I hate this freakin' staircase.
Bachan: Thank you all for coming here.
Bachan: As you may have guessed, I have some very important business to discuss with the three of you.
Saja: Greetings, your majesty. To what do we owe this pleasure?
Bachan: The girl who was found in the ruins. She is with you, am I correct?
Bachan: Turn her over to me. I will take her into custody.
Saja: Your majesty, I regret to inform you that she has left our group for the moment.
Bachan: What?! You let her out of your sight?
Bachan: This is highly unacceptable. Not only have you violated one of our crucial directives by not turning her over immediately...
Bachan: Ughhh.... and you're supposed to be our top elites... Incompetent, bumbling... no, treasonous...
Virulyde: (What's with this guy? Is he constipated or something?)
Saja: (Shut the hell up, Virulyde...)
Bachan: Did you say something, robot? Huh?!
Bachan: ...ugh... damn it to hell...
Bachan: You were all careless enough to let her get away!
Bachan: Therefore....
Bachan: By authority of the crown, under charges of insurrection and blatant disregard of Fumacite military defense protocol...
Bachan: I hereby place the three of you under arrest.
Saja: Your majesty! We would have reported to you sooner but we came under attack at Pandora and lost our transport as a result!
Saja: We were stranded at the Graves islands for two days! There were circumstances entirely out of our control!
Saja: If I may ask, why is the girl from the ruins so important to capture?!!
Bachan: SILENCE!!!
Bachan: Guards! Detain these three.
Guard: As you wish, your highness.
Virulyde: Something is dead wrong here.
Virulyde: I intend to fight.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene XII: "Under Arrest! The Battle Against the Prince"
Saja: Virulyde, have you gone MAD?!
Malachi: Saja, if we're arrested, it's very likely we'll be executed.
Virulyde: We can't let them lock us up, Commander. We have to get out of here.
Saja: You realize if we resist, our fate is sealed.
Malachi: Saja, not necessarily. Trust me.
Saja: I'll have to take your word for it...
Virulyde: Hey, wait a minute... these guys are...
Virulyde: These look like the same kinds of assassins that work for Zetsfir!
Saja: Wait... they do...
Saja: Hey there, wait! Why are you turning against a fellow warrior?
Guard: Are you stupid? Shut up and comply. Get on the ground.
Saja: Listen. Something is wrong with the Prince. You don't need to follow his orders.
Guard: Get on the ground. Now.
Saja: Your majesty, we will not go down without a fight! Your actions are unjust!
Malachi: Saja!!!
Bachan: Ugh... what the...
Malachi: Virulyde, I'm going to borrow your hamster sword, okay?
Virulyde: Dregweht is not a... eh, screw it. Here.
Malachi: Thanks.
Virulyde: Okay, time to take out the trash.
Assassin: Wait... uh, what are you...
Virulyde: I'm sorry I had to do that, guys.
Saja: Virulyde! Don't kill anyone!
Saja: THAT'S AN ORDER!
Virulyde: Acknowledged. I held back to 10% power this time around. My targets should survive with moderate burns.
Malachi: Virulyde, I want you and Saja to head up to the roof and let me face the Prince one on one.
Saja: Malachi... we're a team.
Malachi: I know, Saja. This is something I have to do.
Malachi: Please. Just head up to the roof. I have an escape plan.
Virulyde: Commander, let's trust his plan.
Saja: Malachi... please be careful. We'll head on up. Please hurry.
Malachi: Thanks, guys.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene XIII: "Malachi VS Bachan"
Bachan: Well... well...well...
Bachan: Even after all this time... they still don't know, do they?
Malachi: Shut up.
Malachi: It's enough to live with the shame, Bachan.
Bachan: You know you cannot hide it forever.
Bachan: Pathetic coward...
Bachan: You lived in safety, protected from all responsibilities.
Malachi: So you could inherit the throne, Bachan!
Malachi: Where were you when the people who raised me were killed?
Malachi: Huh? Well...?
Malachi: You sat on your ass while my town was slaughtered by Zetsfir!
Bachan: And you blame it on me, right? With no proof?
Bachan: Do you understand the crushing pressure of running a kingdom?
Malachi: Uggghhh... and... what of the King?
Bachan: What of him? That old man failed the people of Fumacine. He refused to listen or compromise.
Bachan: You believe that stupid theory too? About him being murdered?
Malachi: They said it was poisoning and that it happened here in the palace. It doesn't take a genius to figure out.
Malachi: It's overwhelmingly obvious that you've been working for...
Bachan: You... shut... your... damn... mouth...
Malachi: Make me, asshole.
Bachan: Incidentally...
Bachan: I've been summoned. There's no more time for this now.
Malachi: BACHAN!!! YOU BASTARD!!!
Bachan: The council awaits.
Bachan: Next time, I intend to finish killing you, Malachi.
Bachan: Until then...
Bachan: ...brother.
Malachi: Council... I knew it...
Malachi: I just knew it...
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene XIV: "Escape and Rescue"
Saja: I hope he's settling things in there.
Virulyde: Yeah. It seems like it's been a long time coming.
Saja: Did you know?
Virulyde: Yeah. Malachi was originally the heir to the throne.
Saja: I didn't want to say anything.
Saja: Vie, I've been meaning to ask you about something.
Virulyde: About how the hell we're supposed to get down from here?
Saja: No, although we need to think of something soon.
Saja: It's about the data that all Virulyde units contain.
Virulyde: This is kind of a weird time to bring that up, Commander.
Virulyde: It's data that I know is there but I don't have direct access to it.
Virulyde: What I know is that it's related to the operation of a system called "V-CORE" and all units have a copy stored within us.
Virulyde: Also, call it a hunch, but it might be the cause of some inexplicable memories.
Saja: Something about a brain used for research and another world? A suicide bomber?
Virulyde: Yeah. More or less.
Saja: Virulyde, haven't you noticed that Ravenna bears a striking resemblance to you?
Virulyde: No. That's ridiculous.
Saja: I mean your hair. You both have almost exactly the same hair.
Virulyde: Hmm. I dunno. I look this way because they designed me like this in Aufdek.
Virulyde: I'm not about to burn off all my hair like Malachi did!
Saja: Pfft, I hope not!
Dregweht: Mrroowwwrrr!
Virulyde: Dregweht? That means...
Malachi: Hey. Miss me?
Saja: Malachi! What happened?
Malachi: The prince decided to bail and gave me this nasty parting gift.
Malachi: More importantly, though...
Virulyde: Hey... what's that...?
Virulyde: Ah! They were tracking us. Here's our ride!
Ravenna: Hey, down there!
Karen: Stay put, we'll come in closer.
Saja: We were worried sick, Ravenna!
Ravenna: Sorry about that, Saja! I tried to find you but you were nowhere around.
Malachi: Thanks for rescuing us, Karen.
Karen: It's the least I can do. If you want to thank someone, thank Grady and Greta. This is their latest craft!
Virulyde: Man, it's huge! Good luck docking this at Pandora!
Karen: We actually use a mini shuttle between this and the station.
Saja: Well, let's go anywhere but Fumacine for the time being. I'm afraid things just got really complicated.
Grady: Folks, how about I give you the grand tour!
Grady: Presenting... the ShockShadow II! The new flagship of the Kaperthian fleet of transport craft.
Virulyde: Man, this thing is loaded! Three levels, triple ion thrusters, auto-gravity, onboard A.I...
Virulyde: Not to mention the aquarium filled with choccy fish, the orange juice dispenser, the mini bar...
Virulyde: I'm not even programmed to handle something this cool! Grady, you rock!
Grady: Thank our tireless engineering and manufacturing crews, Virulyde.
Saja: Grady, thank you so much for all of your help.
Grady: It's the least we can do, Miss Kabora.
Saja: Please, just call me Saja.
Grady: Here are the sleeping quarters.
Malachi: Cozy. If we're going to use this as our base of operations, this will come in handy.
Grady: In here is the conference room. All of the standard communications technology included, of course.
Dr. Maxwell: You never fail to impress, Mr. Kaperth.
Dr. Maxwell: Network connectivity is excellent.
Grady: The engine room, over here. Several different kinds of fuel can be used.
Grady: And here, of course, is the bridge. The ShockShadow II has an advanced autopilot but can be flown manually.
Malachi: Standard controls and avionics.
Malachi: Handles like a dream. This rivals any first class luxury shuttle!
Saja: Grady, is it really okay for us to use this?
Grady: Miss Saja, the Kaperth family strives to produce the best vehicles used for the benefit of all humankind.
Grady: There is simply no greater honor than to help those who protect us all from Zetsfir's evil forces.
Saja: Thank you. We are in your debt.
Saja: Now we need to plan our next move.
Saja: As long as the prince remains in control, we are all now fugitives.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene XV: "Fugitives"
Ravenna: Hmmm....
Ravenna: How would I go about getting in contact with Bus if he were somewhere in this world...?
Dr. Maxwell: Ravenna?
Ravenna: Hello, Doctor!
Dr. Maxwell: I'd like to show you something. It's... I'm afraid it's bad news.
Ravenna: I've had a lot of emotional shock lately. I'm sure I can handle it.
Dr. Maxwell: If you're sure.
Dr. Maxwell: This is a space telescope we have in orbit. It's pointed toward the location of your home planet.
Ravenna: Oh... I don't see it.
Dr. Maxwell: Yes, that's because it doesn't appear to be there. Just some strange nebula where the star system should be.
Ravenna: Doctor, can you figure out how long ago I left Earth?
Dr. Maxwell: We only know the age of the ruins. Your ship arrived on this planet 707 years ago.
Dr. Maxwell: That would be... 2211 Earth years, according to what I found on that optical disc.
Ravenna: Whatever happened, I hope it was long after I left Earth.
Dr. Maxwell: Do you have something in mind regarding... going back somehow?
Ravenna: The thing that brought me here was a kind of time machine. I don't know why it was on the ship or why it was built.
Dr. Maxwell: Despite quite a bit of research on the topic, we have never developed anything close to time travel in our world.
Ravenna: My dad made a discovery before I was born that led to him inventing it.
Dr. Maxwell: Fascinating.
Dr. Maxwell: So... time travel was a brand new invention when you left Earth?
Ravenna: Yes but it was a top secret experiment. My mother was... wait... if I...
Ravenna: She may be alive...?
Dr. Maxwell: I'm sorry... I don't follow...
Ravenna: It's nothing. Just thinking out loud.
Ravenna: This time machine, though. My dad was building a compact version in his vehicle, too.
Ravenna: But the weird part, Doctor, was that to make it all work, it had to use this "computer code" from my DNA.
Dr. Maxwell: Wait... computer code in DNA? That's what the Virulyde units were...
Ravenna: What about Virulyde?
Dr. Maxwell: I think... hmm....
Dr. Maxwell: Ravenna, what was the time travel system called?
Ravenna: Oh, it had a big long complicated name. Ummm... variable... omni... no, ortho.... orthodimensional...
Ravenna: We just called it V-CORE for short.
Dr. Maxwell: ...
Dr. Maxwell: My word... it can't be...
Saja: Ravenna, Doctor, we're having a meeting on the bridge.
Karen: ...I have to admit that I don't like the idea of being a fugitive.
Malachi: The prince will be removed from power as soon as the masses find out he's working with Zetsfir.
Karen: Can you be absolutely sure? How would we convince news outlets to convey that?
Grady: We may not need to. I don't watch the news much but word gets around that he's awfully unpopular.
Grady: Guy seems so wrapped up in his hedonistic lifestyle...
Grady: Oh, sorry folks, that was out of line.
Malachi: It's quite alright, Grady. It's true he's extremely unpopular.
Grady: I'm going to go make some oatmeal.
Malachi: I'd expect a revolution soon but it can't start via military insurrection. Otherwise I'd lead it myself.
Karen: Malachi, you should be careful about talking like that.
Malachi: Yes, Karen. I appreciate that you care about our safety. We were about to be arrested before we escaped, though.
Saja: Regarding Fumacine, we want to keep a low profile around there for now. It's best we stay away, honestly.
Saja: Gathering proof that the Prince is working with Zetsfir might be difficult. I'm not sure it's worth the risk right now.
Karen: Pandora is autonomous, so it should be safe to return there.
Virulyde: Sorry I'm late. So... what's the plan?
Saja: Virulyde, for now, we have to stay out of Fumacine. We believe the Prince is working with Zetsfir.
Virulyde: I knew something was wrong with that guy. He's such a jerk.
Malachi: He's always been a jerk, man. I'm telling you... he's probably going to be dethroned soon by the citizens of Fumacine.
Virulyde: Then what?
Malachi: We set up some kind of democracy or republic. Anything other than a monarchy or a dictatorship.
Saja: Malachi, you don't seem the type to get involved in politics.
Malachi: That is true in more ways than you know.
Karen: Virulyde, I think my dad wanted to talk to you.
Virulyde: Okay, I'll go find him.
Ravenna: Virulyde! There you are. Sorry I'm late.
Virulyde: What's up?
Ravenna: Dr. Maxwell wanted...
Virulyde: ...to speak with me? I was just about to go find him.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene XVI: "The Disphumis Factor"
Virulyde: You wanted to talk to me, Doc?
Dr. Maxwell: Yes. You know about the term, "V-CORE", right?
Virulyde: Of course. It's one of the names for the data stored within all of my kind.
Dr. Maxwell: Ravenna said that the time machine that brought her to our world was called a "V-CORE".
Virulyde: Whoah.
Ravenna: Hello again! I was just coming in here to catch a little sleep.
Virulyde: Howdy, Ravenna! The good doctor and I were just discussing the V-CORE.
Ravenna: Yeah, the time machine aboard the Morgan's Gate.
Dr. Maxwell: Ravenna, you said that the computer code that operated the time machine came from your DNA somehow?
Ravenna: Yes, there is a genetic anomaly in my mother's side of the family where our DNA actually contains computer code.
Ravenna: It's a big mystery as to how it got there.
Virulyde: Ravenna, we Virulyde units contain data that originated from human DNA. It's associated with a system called "V-CORE".
Virulyde: The purpose of this data isn't well known but it's one of the main reasons my kind was created.
Ravenna: That can't be a coincidence.
Virulyde: From what little I know, the data was extracted from a genetic trait known as the "Disphumis Factor".
Ravenna: My last name is "Disphumis". This CAN'T be coincidence.
Dr. Maxwell: The pieces are starting to come together...
Virulyde: I'm kinda lost, to tell the truth.
Ravenna: They must have done things to preserve the data that was in Uncle Gesh's brain!
Virulyde: Uncle... "Gesh"?
Virulyde: Ugggghhhh!!!!
Ravenna: Virulyde, what's wrong?!
Virulyde: AAAGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Ravenna: What's going on?!
Dr. Maxwell: Some kind of.... trigger?
Virulyde: Gesh... that name... Gesh Disphumis...
Ravenna: That was my uncle's name. Virulyde, are you okay?
Virulyde: Yeah, Ravenna. Sorry for scaring you. I'm all good.
Ravenna: Whew. That's good. Anyway, Gesh Disphumis was the name of my uncle on my Mom's side.
Ravenna: When my parents got married, my dad took my mom's family name. "Ravenna Cassini" just wouldn't sound right, anyway.
Virulyde: Ravenna, was your uncle's... brain... of some particular importance to the V-CORE project?
Ravenna: Yes. He strapped on a dynamite vest and blew himself up... along with several city blocks. He had mental issues.
Virulyde: Oh... now it's starting to make sense...
Dr. Maxwell: Intriguing. I'm absolutely dumbfounded, I must admit.
Dr. Maxwell: The Virulyde units are data carriers for the temporal displacement system in the ruins!
Dr. Maxwell: I... I need to do some more research...
Ravenna: Virulyde... what are you, exactly?
Virulyde: A battle android and a data storage system...
Virulyde: ...and, at the core of my being...
Virulyde: ...is the soul of a madman.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene XVII: "Sir Jensen's Task"
Sir Jensen: How...?
Bachan: How what? You're asking a lot of questions. I find that annoying.
Sir Jensen: This ship. It's thousands of years old. How did it get restored to working order?
Bachan: Never you mind that. You are here to do a job. Focus.
Sir Jensen: ...
Rojo: Looks like you got here just in time.
Rojo: I took the liberty of starting up the main power.
Rojo: As for starting up the systems in here, that's where you come in, Sir Jensen.
Sir Jensen: I don't know how the hell you got this thing into orbit, let alone working...
Sir Jensen: The whole place was rusting apart the last time I saw it.
Rojo: Are you able to take it over from here?
Sir Jensen: Hmmm....
Sir Jensen: Yeah. No sweat.
Sir Jensen: I've played this game before.
Sir Jensen: The control systems are unlocked and running.
Sir Jensen: Do you even know what to do with this?
Bachan: Again with the questions.
Bachan: It's a time displacement machine. Our intentions are classified.
Sir Jensen: Suit yourself.
Sir Jensen: Now give me my money.
Rojo: We will give you the money when you finish the job.
Sir Jensen: The job is done. If you have the data, like you say, it's all ready to roll.
Rojo: Yes, I have the data required to operate it... but you still haven't finished the job we gave you.
Sir Jensen: Yes I have! Stop playin' stupid games!
Rojo: You haven't subdued the girl from the ruins.
Sir Jensen: The target is a girl that came from the ruins... from here?
Sir Jensen: I'm killing nobody. Who is she, anyway?
Bachan: Here. This is the target.
Sir Jensen: (Rave!!!)
Sir Jensen: (She's alive?!!)
Bachan: Find her. Kill her. Then you get paid.
Sir Jensen: There must be something wrong with your hearing, Prince Fumacine.
Sir Jensen: No killing. If you're not going to pay, then I'm out of here.
Bachan: Ugh, fine.
Bachan: Take your stinking money. We need you to stick around.
Sir Jensen: That's more like it.
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene XVIII: "Ideology"
Hal: Gah! I can't breathe in these stupid things!
Hal: Hey, Ross. Ready to take over my shift?
Ross: Guess it's about that time. By the way, the Prince from the Fumacine Empire is aboard.
Hal: Psssh. Hate having to stand guard knowing that filth is nearby.
Ross: The council appointed him to lead the fight against the False Elysians.
Hal: I don't trust anyone from the False Elysians, even if they claim to be defectors.
Hal: Those scum think they can keep us imprisoned in this world while they get to keep all of the resources of Kaperth to themselves!
Ross: They're scum, alright, but Kaperth is rightfully ours and some day our families will live in the bliss of that world.
Laika: Take it easy, boys. We will take back our world someday. Zetsfir ascends!
Hal: ZETSFIR ASCENDS!
Ross: Zetsfir ascends!
Laika: You knuckleheads hear about the sweet plans for this ship?
Hal: We're just jobbers, Laika. They don't fill us in on the big picture.
Laika: This ship is our ticket to taking back Kaperth, boys!
Ross: The False Elysians claimed that this ship was the "ark" that brought their people from heaven.
Laika: Well, it's ours now, baby! The False Elysians can suck it!
Hal: It's our ticket to Kaperth, huh? I'll believe it when I see it.
Ross: Have you ever seen Kaperth, Hal?
Hal: Sure, not up close, but sometimes when we open a 5-D gate during a mission...
Ross: Laika, is it true that Kaperth has lots of food and clean water?
Laika: It's literally heaven. Not that fake heaven from the False Elysians' myths.
Ross: By the gods... if only someday we can actually take our civilization there...
Hal: No more rationing... no more famines... no more disease...
Laika: The False Elysians... especially the Fumacites... enjoying their Eden while oppressing us, keeping us sealed away...
Ross: Living under their arrogant religious doctrine that they descended from the heavens...
Hal: Some day, comrades. Some day.
Hal: Well... back to work, I guess. Ross, you take over this post in half an hour.
Ross: *sigh* right...
Chapter III: Chapter Three: The Fumacine Empire - Scene XIX: "Azurat Arrives!"
Azurat: Voice log entry number 4428.
Azurat: After several missteps, I have made another time jump to a point 6642 years after my initial time of departure.
Azurat: The upgraded V-CORE aboard the Hovercrane is working as expected. Acceleration to Mach 3 is no longer required to make a jump.
Azurat: These important adjustments allowed me to make a jump inside of the Morgan's Gate shortly before it was scheduled to leave Earth orbit.
Azurat: Perhaps it should not have astonished me that the migration was successful. Pleiades-47 is heavily populated and thriving.
Azurat: The people of this world have adapted in some interesting ways but they are very similar to those of us on Earth.
Azurat: Ostensibly, the culture has somehow become vegan and knows nothing of many common vices from Earth.
Azurat: Some physiological changes are apparent in most of the people on this planet, as well.
Azurat: The planet itself has about half the gravity of Earth. There are no seasons. The climate is about 15 degrees colder than Earth in most regions.
Azurat: The atmosphere is surprisingly easy to breathe. The entire planet is covered in lush native vegetation, with some invasive Earth species interspersed.
Azurat: Having no magnetic field, the upgraded quantum locking hover engines have proven to be a necessary investment.
Azurat: The level of technology is comparable to that from my original time period. This indicates some kind of setback along the way.
Azurat: No Earth languages are spoken here but an artificial intelligence translation earpiece is available that eliminates that as a problem.
Azurat: With regard to alien pathogens, advanced nanotechnology smart drugs are freely available to prevent 21st Century style outbreaks.
Azurat: Of course, the problems of war and geopolitical strife still exist in this world. It was a bit disappointing to see the news.
Azurat: To reiterate: Three weeks ago, I emerged from the jump inside the Morgan's Gate. The ship was an old, abandoned ruin.
Azurat: The search for my wife, daughter, and her friend continues. Hopefully my latest calculations have brought me to the correct time period.
Azurat: I am certain that, after an extensive investigation aboard the Morgan's Gate, they are all alive somewhere in this world.
Azurat: The many-worlds theory of time travel is correct. It is not possible to travel back to one's exact originating timeline.
Azurat: Fully accepting this reality, I will find my family, no matter how long it takes.
Azurat: I have all the time in the world.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene I: "Democracy for Fumacine!"
Reporter: We have a breaking news update on the situation in the capital of the Fumacine Empire.
Reporter: Large demonstrations are gathering in Fumacine City to demand that Prince Bachan Fumacine abdicate the throne.
Reporter: New evidence has emerged that Prince Fumacine has been collaborating with Zetsfir leaders on a secret project.
Reporter: Outrage over these allegations has led to a renewed effort to convert the government of Fumacine to a democracy.
Reporter: We go live to our reporter on the ground.
Reporter: Crowds are gathering all over the capital as citizens demand a transition to a democracy and an end to Prince's rule.
Crowd: Remove the Prince! Remove the Prince! Remove the Prince!
Reporter: Since taking power last year after the sudden death of King Fumacine the XVII, the Prince has steadily become less popular.
Reporter: New evidence has emerged from an anonymous source within the Fumacine military that Prince Fumacine has been secretly cooperating with Zetsfir.
Reporter: Although a tribunal has yet to take place due to the Prince's unexplained absence, the Fumacine military has been ordered to guard the imperial palace.
Crowd: Fumacine! Fumacine! Fumacine!
Reporter: With me is Lieutenant Karla Alcyone from Fumacine military headquarters.
Reporter: Lieutenant, have charges been officially filed against the Prince?
Karla: According to Fumacine law, any person can be charged with treason if there is reasonable suspicion that they have collaborated with an enemy nation.
Karla: The Prince has been officially removed from power until he can either be acquitted or convicted of high treason against the Fumacine Empire.
Reporter: Can you give us details on the evidence upon which the charges have been filed?
Karla: My apologies but I cannot elaborate on the evidence at this time due to the sensitive nature of the situation.
Karla: I can say that the Prince's whereabouts are known but we cannot arrest him until he returns.
Reporter: Thank you for your time, Lieutenant.
Karla: Thank you.
Reporter: Former Fumacite captain and community organizer Celaeno Kabora has been nominated among the top candidates for Prime Minister.
Reporter: What remains to be seen is the exact plan for the transition to either a direct democracy or a multi-tiered republic.
Reporter: Many of the demonstrators here today heavily favor the direct democracy option as well as a rapid transition to the new government.
Reporter: Back to you.
Reporter: Chaos and uncertainty as the people of the Fumacine Empire demand liberation and democracy.
Reporter: There are also calls for an end to conscription for all citizens in the capital. Celaeno Kabora has expressed opposition to this proposal.
Reporter: In other news, the price of orange juice has skyrocketed...
Karla: Whew... I hate being on the news... so much pressure.
Pleione: Karla, you did great!
Karla: Thanks. I get so nervous in interviews.
Pleione: There's not much we can tell the public but it's good to let them know we have things under control.
Karla: We'll have things under control once the Prince tries to return to the palace.
Pleione: Is it true that he's... you know... outside of our dimension right now?
Karla: Pleione, we can't talk about that out here.
Pleione: Oh! Sorry! I should have known better!
Karla: We don't want.... Bachan... to be aware of what we know.
Karla: Then again, I don't think he can receive information remotely from where he is right now.
Pleione: He's removed from power, thank goodness, so that already neutralizes him as a threat.
Karla: Not quite, I'm afraid. I'm more worried about the work he's commissioned from that mercenary.
Pleione: The man in the trenchcoat?
Karla: Yes. That man has knowledge of things far beyond our understanding.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene II: "To Unite the World"
Celaeno: Citizens of Fumacine City...
Celaeno: As we continue to make progress in establishing our new government, in which the people decide our course...
Celaeno: As Prime Minister, I will work with Kadmas and Aufdek to strengthen our defense both on the surface and around our orbital bases.
Celaeno: We will also reach out to our friends on the moon, "Goliath". They, too, have suffered greatly at the hands of Zetsfir.
Celaeno: Zetsfir continues to attack from the shadows.
Celaeno: We must not allow them to continue to murder the people of Kaperth and its satellites.
Celaeno: As we saw, in horror, an ancient, sacred ruin rise in the sky as it was stolen from us, we must be resolute in an offensive strike against Zetsfir.
Celaeno: As Prime Minister I will initiate efforts to reverse engineer and build 5-D gate technology and begin a mission to take back the Great Ship!
Celaeno: The time has come for us to face Zetsfir head on and not merely absorb their onslaughts!
Celaeno: As we speak, Kadmas and the Graves Archipelago are drafting agreements for a joint effort to develop 5-D gate technology.
Celaeno: Cooperating with them, we will lead the world to victory against the perpetrators of genocide and oppression.
Celaeno: The Pandora orbital station is well underway with reconstruction efforts and will be at full capacity again soon.
Celaeno: This location in orbit is crucial for monitoring 5-D gates. Our commitment to them will not change.
Celaeno: We will cast aside our former, corrupt monarchy and bring the treasonous former prince to justice!
Celaeno: For the greatness, safety, and progress of the new Fumacine Republic, I ask you to elect me as your Prime Minister!
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene III: "Cleared and Safe to Return"
Saja: So... they caught on pretty quick that the prince was working with Zetsfir.
Malachi: Fumacine's parliament wastes no time, but are we cleared?
Saja: I'd say so. We were working closely with HQ ever since we recruited Ravenna.
Karen: That's a relief. I didn't like the idea of us being fugitives.
Malachi: Is Celaeno any relation to you?
Saja: Yeah, he's a distant cousin. We don't really communicate much since he got into politics.
Saja: Personally, I find his ideas to be a bit too militant.
Malachi: The push for going on the offensive right away?
Saja: Kind of. When lives are on the line, a good strategy is best.
Malachi: Saja, I'm going to see what Ravenna and Virulyde are up to.
Saja: Okay. I'm going to check in with HQ.
Saja: I saw you on the news, Karla!
Karla: Yeah, I was assigned to do some public relations work.
Karla: What happened with the Prince during your meeting with him?
Saja: He tried to detain us!
Karla: Are you serious?
Saja: Yes! You didn't know?
Karla: We had no idea! He tried to have you arrested?
Saja: He did! It's not just that... the "guards" appeared to be from Zetsfir!
Karla: Saja, I'd like you to come to HQ and file an official report. This will be important in the case for the prince's removal.
Saja: Affirmative. I take it that it's safe for us to return to the capital, then?
Karla: It's highly odd that the prince was using Zetsfir guards. I can assure you that no one else in the government is taking orders from him.
Saja: Understood.
Karla: By the way, could you bring Malachi into this call? I have someone who wants to speak with him.
Saja: Oh, sure. Just a moment.
Malachi: Hello!
Karla: Thanks for joining the call, Malachi. I have someone who wants to speak to you.
Pleione: Malachi~~~~!
Pleione: We were supposed to grab coffee before you... wait...
Pleione: What happened to your face?
Malachi: Oh, this. The prince and I crossed swords. Sorry about bailing on you, Pleione.
Pleione: You'll all be back at HQ after a while, right?
Saja: Yes. We will file an official report on the incident with the prince.
Pleione: See you then! Malachi, you owe me a coffee! Toodles!
Malachi: We're heading back to Fumacine City, then?
Saja: Yes, as soon as we take Grady home. He has some work he says he needs to do.
Malachi: Got that! See you soon, Karla.
Saja: It's good to hear that the government is re-organizing itself.
Karla: It's a difficult transition but we're trying to figure things out as quickly as possible.
Karla: See you soon.
Virulyde: Commander, Ravenna and I were talking.
Saja: Oh? By the way, we're heading back to the capital to file a report.
Virulyde: I see.
Virulyde: You know how the Virulyde unit series all contain data related to the operation of something called a "V-CORE"?
Saja: Yes, I do. What about it?
Virulyde: The V-CORE is the name of the time displacement system that brought Ravenna to our world.
Saja: Is it one in the same?
Virulyde: Definitely. Ravenna's family genetics, on her mother's side, contains the same encoded data as the Virulyde units!
Saja: That's why she was in the legend...
Virulyde: It's not just that, Saja. My unexplained memories come from the original source of the data within my kind.
Virulyde: Her uncle's... brain.
Saja: This just keeps getting weirder and weirder.
Virulyde: The original purpose of the Virulyde units was to carry this data to be used some day.
Virulyde: Aufdek has a copy of the V-CORE but it was never discovered how to properly use it.
Saja: I know they had one but didn't understand its purpose.
Virulyde: There was a missing key in the data they preserved within us.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene IV: "Return to Grady's Place"
Grady: Hurry on back when you're done in the capital! Greta's cooked up a feast to welcome Ravenna!
Saja: We won't be gone long.
Karen: It's been a while, hasn't it?
Grady: Yes, it has! Greta will be really happy to see you again, Karen.
Saja: Ravenna, we won't be gone too long. I'm sure Greta would like to meet you, too.
Ravenna: I look forward to meeting her... plus I'm starved!
Grady: Don't worry, there's plenty to eat. There's always plenty to eat.
Saja: See you in a bit.
Ravenna: This place reminds me of home... so much...
Greta: Hi everybody! Oh! You must be Ravenna!
Ravenna: Hello!
Greta: You know, it's so strange seeing you in person after reading the legends for so many years!
Greta: I'm sure you're already tired of hearing about it, though...
Ravenna: It's just strange. Legends that are hundreds of years old... yet they're about something that just happened about a week ago.
Ravenna: I figure that if my mom really is the "angel" in the legend, she must have survived the journey, just like I did!
Greta: The legend says as much but I'm afraid that was supposed to have happened hundreds of years ago.
Ravenna: Yeah... still, dealing with time travel, there's always a chance.
Ravenna: I'm not giving up hope.
Dr. Maxwell: Mrs. Kaperth! Thank you for inviting us.
Karen: Nice to see you in person again, Greta!
Greta: Thanks for coming! Let's sit down to supper.
Ravenna: ...
Ravenna: There has to be a chance.
Ravenna: She would have had access to the V-CORE and the Disphumis factor. Anything could have been possible.
Karen: Hey, Ravenna. What's on your mind?
Ravenna: Oh, hi, Karen. I'm just thinking about the legend and if my mom might have time traveled after the legend was written.
Karen: I don't see why not, based on my understanding of how the V-CORE originally worked.
Karen: It's ancient technology that surpasses anything we've ever come up with. It's astounding that such a thing is possible.
Ravenna: Well, yeah. Even when my dad invented it, I was skeptical that it would work.
Ravenna: Sure found out in a hurry...
Karen: Didn't you say that someone else was with you when it happened?
Ravenna: Yes. His name is Marvin Jensen. He wears a big yellow coat, not that he'd really stand out much in this world.
Karen: I could search the population databases for that name and see if anything comes up.
Karen: Hmmm.... there is a "Sir Jensen"... but there's no associated data. Could be someone's alias. Not even a single photo... strange.
Ravenna: Most likely not him.
Karen: There is some location data but it's not useful. Last known location was... oh, this is odd, actually.
Ravenna: Hmmm?
Karen: The royal palace in Fumacine City, shortly before we arrived there.
Karen: Not very many people are allowed inside there. In fact, the last people there were Saja, Malachi, and Virulyde.
Ravenna: That doesn't sound right. They didn't mention a "Sir Jensen".
Karen: When they get back, let's ask them about this.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene V: "Next Directives"
NARRATOR: Fumacine Defense Headquarters, Fumacine City
Karla: Thank you for the detailed report, Saja.
Saja: I think we covered everything in there.
Malachi: Bachan seemed to be in a hurry. He briefly caught me off guard, landed an attack, and then left.
Karla: And the guards were wearing Zetsfir uniforms, right?
Virulyde: Yes. No insignia but the style was identical.
Karla: We already have a solid case against the Prince but this will be useful to have on file.
Saja: If I may ask, what was the primary evidence against the prince?
Karla: He was seen entering a transport shuttle that immediately entered a 5-D gate.
Saja: Oh!
Saja: That was very careless of him. It's almost as if he wasn't trying to be covert!
Karla: It's possible he doesn't care. If he's working with Zetsfir, it's possible he never intended to even return.
Saja: Still... it's very bizarre that anyone would be so careless.
Karla: Perhaps he forgot that we are still able to monitor the palace despite being otherwise bug-proof.
Virulyde: Maybe he's simply out of his mind.
Karla: If he tries to return, we will detain him for questioning. As things stand, he will not return to power.
Saja: Celaeno is probably going to be elected Prime Minister, right?
Karla: Running unopposed. The election is almost certain to go in his favor.
Karla: We have analyzed the latest information you gave us, Virulyde.
Virulyde: Regarding the V-CORE?
Karla: Yes. In the effort to develop 5-D gate technology, it has been decided that we need to obtain a V-CORE copy.
Virulyde: As I stated in my report, Aufdek has one.
Virulyde: They... uh.... aren't likely to hand it over, though.
Karla: This is true. As you know, Fumacine's diplomacy with Aufdek has been shaky since the incident with the first 23 Virulyde units.
Saja: I'm still not sure if that was Aufdek's negligence or an unforeseen problem that caused them to go out of control.
Karla: We lost a lot of troops as a result. Ever since, we have experienced difficulties negotiating with Aufdek.
Karla: Your next mission, therefore, will require a significant degree of stealth.
Saja: Awaiting your orders.
Karla: The higher-ups have directed us to obtain the schematics of the V-CORE.
Saja: Just go in and steal it?
Karla: Do not take it by force. The idea is to ultimately reverse engineer it.
Karla: The facility housing the V-CORE has been identified. We have a plan for Virulyde to run an analysis of it on site.
Virulyde: I am equipped with the ability to do that. If we can gain access to it for just a few minutes, I can gather enough data from it.
Karla: This is strictly classified but we are also interested in replicating its time displacement abilities, not just the dimensional shift function.
Saja: Entering Aufdek will be tricky. Their industrial and research districts are heavily guarded by automated weapons.
Karla: Nearly all security in Aufdek is automated. This makes it possible to disable over the network using Virulyde's systems.
Virulyde: It's tricky but possible. I have disabled their security on previous missions.
Saja: We will fly in low and disable their security as soon as we're in range.
Karla: Exactly. Once you are inside the facility and the surveillance is disabled, run a detailed analysis on the V-CORE and come back here.
Saja: Roger that.
Pleione: Hey, Malachi!
Malachi: Hey there, Pleione. Sorry about not getting you that coffee before.
Pleione: It's fine. If you have a moment, we could go over to that shop for some.
Malachi: Sure, sounds good!
Pleione: By the way, it looks like your face is healing up.
Malachi: Yeah, it's getting better. Might have a nasty scar for a while, though.
Saja: Hey, Malachi. We just got our orders for our next mission.
Malachi: Oh yeah?
Saja: We'll be headed to Aufdek tomorrow. We're going to exfiltrate the schematics to their V-CORE.
Pleione: That's going to be a tough one...
Malachi: Don't worry, Pleione. We can handle stuff like that with no problem.
Saja: Virulyde will be doing most of the work this time.
Virulyde: It shouldn't be a problem. It's not too different than what I've done before.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene VI: "The Night Before Aufdek"
Ravenna: Bus has to be somewhere in this world, right...?
Ravenna: If Pop's time machine ever worked, wouldn't he have found me by now?
Ravenna: This can't be... permanent. There has to be a way home...
Malachi: There you are!
Malachi: Grady probably isn't used to having people hang out on his roof.
Ravenna: Hey, Malachi. I didn't realize you three were back.
Malachi: Yeah. Sorry it took a bit longer. We met up with Pleione and spent the day at a coffee shop reminiscing.
Ravenna: Pleione's the lady with the purple hair, right?
Malachi: Yep, that's her! She went to Fumacine Academy with Saja, Virulyde, and me.
Ravenna: I see. How's that cut on your face feeling? It looks better already.
Malachi: It's fine. There will probably be a scar until I get it fixed.
Ravenna: Understandable but it does kind of look cool. It's like the mark of a warrior.
Malachi: Eh, I could live without it. Enough about that, though...
Malachi: We're going on our next assignment tomorrow. We're headed to Aufdek for a stealth mission.
Ravenna: I see. I'm not... the best with stealth.
Malachi: We wanted to ask you what you wanted to do.
Malachi: You did great helping us fight Zetsfir back on Pandora but... this mission isn't your responsibility.
Ravenna: I still owe all of you my life for saving me.
Malachi: Whatever debt you may feel you have has been paid many times over, Ravenna.
Malachi: We want to allow you to choose your own path from here on out.
Ravenna: ...
Ravenna: Let me think about it for a while.
Malachi: That's fine. We do leave tomorrow, just so you know.
Ravenna: I noticed your planet has two moons.
Malachi: Yes. How many did your planet have?
Ravenna: Just one. There were some research and mining colonies on it.
Malachi: Yeah, that smaller one is called "David". It's primarily occupied by mining colonies. It provides a lot of materials for construction in orbit.
Malachi: The larger, purple moon is called "Goliath". Quite a few people live there. Pleione is from there, as a matter of fact.
Ravenna: Really? That's pretty cool! I didn't know she was from there.
Malachi: Goliath is like its own nation. We go there sometimes when Pleione visits her parents.
Malachi: Its gravity is about a fourth of what it is here. It takes some getting used to. There's some interesting creatures there as well.
Ravenna: I'd like to check it out sometime.
Malachi: Sure, come along with us next time we go there.
Ravenna: Do you know anyone by the name "Sir Jensen"?
Malachi: Can't say that sounds familiar. Is it someone you know?
Ravenna: I want to find a person by the name "Marvin Jensen". He's the person who was with me when I was brought here.
Ravenna: The moment I arrived, he wasn't anywhere nearby.
Malachi: Hmmm. We could check the universal population database...
Ravenna: Karen did that earlier. The only person who came up was a "Sir Jensen", who was in the royal palace not long before you were there.
Malachi: That's... interesting. No one else was there besides us, the prince, and his lackeys.
Ravenna: He hated the Zetsfir that existed in our world. There's no way he would join forces with them.
Malachi: Ravenna, I'm going to head back inside. I'll ask Saja about this.
Ravenna: Thanks. I guess I'll head in, too.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene VII: "Departure for Aufdek"
Grady: Be careful, all of you.
Greta: It was nice meeting you, Ravenna.
Ravenna: Likewise! Thanks for everything.
Greta: Be sure to come back soon!
Malachi: I'm glad you decided to come with us, Ravenna.
Ravenna: There was just this strange feeling, you know? Just in case I could help if things get rough.
Saja: We shouldn't have to do any combat on foot but I appreciate your willingness to lend us your strength.
Virulyde: Aufdek... I haven't been there in a while.
Saja: I know you're not fond of your birthplace, Vie.
Virulyde: Eh... it's no big deal. I'm no longer their slave.
Saja: Once we're in range, try to access their network, Virulyde.
Virulyde: Understood. It might be a good idea for me to manually pilot and control our weapons systems.
Saja: You know the intricacies of their ground to air weaponry better than we do.
Virulyde: Okay. I'm going to try to access the network. We should be nearly in range.
Virulyde: Hmmm....
Virulyde: The encryption is a lot stronger, isn't it...
Virulyde: This is....
Virulyde: ...different...
Virulyde: Zm9yY29ub2NsaWNl
Virulyde: MjAwNTAzMTYtMDcyMQ
Virulyde: Y3J5cHRvcy5uaXRyb2Nvc20uY29t
Virulyde: What the hell just happened...?
Saja: Status?
Virulyde: Should be good to go. I can control most of the weapons and surveillance.
Malachi: Honestly, it's almost too easy.
Virulyde: Well... let's not get overconfident. If they can fix their network before we're done, we will be sitting ducks.
Saja: What kind of time frame are we talking about?
Virulyde: We're talking about hours. I gummed up the works pretty good with my signature Viruslyde!
Malachi: Pffft.... "Virus Slide"? Dude, are you serious? That's so freakin' corny.
Virulyde: Hey, c'mon. It's like a portmanteau of "virus" and "Virulyde". Work with me, man!
Saja: It's not the time for this, guys.
Virulyde: Okay, everyone. Next stop...
Virulyde: Aufdek.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene VIII: "Into Aufdek"
Saja: Here we are. Bring us in low.
Saja: Some of their weapons are firing...
Malachi: But they don't seem to be aimed directly at us.
Saja: They were supposed to be disabled. What's going on?!
Saja: Virulyde?
Virulyde: Ugghhh... I am not sure, commander.
Virulyde: Something isn't right. I'll try to take them out.
Saja: Virulyde, wait... we don't want to...
Virulyde: I'll destroy all of their weapons, commander!
Saja: Virulyde, I didn't say fire at will! Stop this.
Virulyde: Don't we want to disable them? Think of what they've done...
Virulyde: Made the Virulyde units with free will, yet enslaved us...
Virulyde: Not to mention how they've poisoned the atmosphere...
Saja: Virulyde! STOP! Cease firing!
Virulyde: Payback! It's long overdue PAYBACK! DIE!!!
Saja: VIRULYDE! STOP! THAT IS AN ORDER!
Saja: VIRULYDE! I DEMAND THAT YOU STOP THIS UNAUTHORIZED ASSAULT IMMEDIATELY!!!
Virulyde: Commander...
Virulyde: NO.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene IX: "Virulyde's Insurrection"
Saja: Virulyde Unit Number 24! What the hell is wrong with you?!!
Malachi: Something is very wrong, Saja. This is not like him at all.
Ravenna: Is it... hmmm....
Ravenna: (Is Uncle Gesh in there somewhere...?)
Virulyde: Heeeeeehhhhhh.....
Saja: I will not tolerate any further insubordination!
Virulyde: No one is asking you to "tolerate" it.
Virulyde: I'm only fulfilling my true purpose.
Virulyde: BEHOLD!
Virulyde: THE TRUE FORM OF A VIRULYDE UNIT!
Virulyde: A GOD!!!
Virulyde: Our true purpose...
Virulyde: To administer judgement upon the False Elysians.
Virulyde: We will assist the glorious stewards of space and time.
Virulyde: We will keep the plan on course. We will stop those who seek to interfere...
Virulyde: We will facilitate the guidance of humanity to the correct path...
Saja: You will obey me. You will stand down.
Saja: You WILL respect the diplomatic policies regarding Fumacine and Aufdek.
Saja: DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!!
Saja: DO I?!!
Virulyde: Hmmm.... heheheheheheh....
Saja: I will not hesitate to deactivate you if that is what I need to do.
Malachi: This isn't right at all. He's been taken over.
Ravenna: This brazen tone. The unhinged phrasing. Delusions of grandeur.
Ravenna: Uncle Gesh.
Malachi: Ravenna, what are you mumbling about over there?
Ravenna: Now probably isn't the time to explain. What do we do?
Malachi: It's the worst case scenario, I'm afraid.
Malachi: We're going to have to try to knock some sense into him.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene X: "Battle Against Virulyde"
Saja: I think I understand what's happening.
Malachi: Do tell. Please.
Saja: This is exactly what happened with the first 23 Virulyde units.
Malachi: I was afraid of that.
Ravenna: What happened with them?
Saja: Part of the "mystery" code inside all of them was activated somehow.
Ravenna: Any chance it happened while connecting to Aufdek's network?
Malachi: Seems the most likely.
Saja: Yes. Obviously the network intrusion didn't work as planned. Aufdek still has a backdoor to the 24th unit.
Malachi: Damn it. We should have anticipated it.
Saja: Virulyde has been scanned many times for system vulnerabilities. This must have been hidden very well.
Saja: My guess is...
Malachi: Saja, I hate to say this about our comrade but, at this rate, he's going to kill us.
Malachi: Our best bet is to defeat him and get him to Dr. Maxwell.
Saja: A temporary deactivation seems like the only option at this point.
Virulyde: Executing V-CORE directive 02-B.
Virulyde: Connected to master control system.
Saja: I am your commanding officer, unit 24. Make one wrong move and I will bring you down for deactivation.
Virulyde: You are not...!
Saja: Know your place. Respect the chain of command.
Malachi: Saja, do you think this will work?
Saja: He had free will before this. Maybe we can get him to fight whatever is controlling him.
Malachi: Let me try.
Saja: Okay. Be careful, Malachi.
Virulyde: Unnnggghhh....
Virulyde: Ugh.... what's going on here...?
Virulyde: ...........
Virulyde: What's going on? Why are we out here on the bow of the ship?
Virulyde: Guys...?
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XI: "A Somber Decision"
Saja: ...
Malachi: Hey, Vie. How you feeling?
Virulyde: Really confused.
Malachi: Saja... I can't...
Malachi: Please excuse me.
Saja: Listen... Virulyde...
Saja: You were taken over, remotely, by some unknown party.
Saja: ...somehow.
Virulyde: I knew it.
Saja: At this point in time, you are at risk. We are all at risk.
Saja: For the time being, I have no choice.
Saja: I have to deactivate you.
Virulyde: It's okay, Saja.
Virulyde: I agree.
Virulyde: Dr. Maxwell should be able to identify the source of the malfunction and remedy it at the hardware level.
Virulyde: Alright. Let's get this taken care of.
Saja: Thanks for being so understanding, Virulyde.
Virulyde: Hey, there's a reason I have an emergency shutdown switch. We know what happened with the first 23 models.
Virulyde: The safety and security of Fumacine is my top priority.
Virulyde: You know the drill, commander. Right there on the back of my neck. Go ahead.
Saja: We'll get you repaired soon, Vie. Until then...
Saja: Sweet dreams.
Saja: It's done. He's shut down for now.
Ravenna: Is he going to be okay?
Saja: Yes. He was created with an emergency shut off switch for this very reason.
Saja: We will return to Pandora and have Dr. Maxwell perform a full diagnostic.
Malachi: I'm sure they'll be able to determine what happened.
Saja: I'll need to contact HQ. Obviously, we have to abort the mission.
Saja: I'll be right back.
Ravenna: Do you think Virulyde will be okay?
Malachi: I think so, yeah. It just sucks to have to shut him down at all.
Malachi: It's so unfair that these kinds of things can happen.
Ravenna: So... the first 23 units went out of control?
Malachi: Yeah. They went berserk just like this and ended up killing a lot of people.
Malachi: Virulyde was supposed to be the first of a new line that was not susceptible to it.
Ravenna: Oh, I see.
Malachi: Dr. Maxwell found and removed other glitches in Virulyde before.
Malachi: It's going to be okay, Ravenna.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XII: "Temporary Deactivation"
Karen: We have started analyzing the logs from Virulyde's memory.
Karen: Nothing was recorded during the time he was under remote control.
Saja: Anything unusual before that? He started acting strangely right after connecting to Aufdek's network.
Karen: That may have been the point at which the control program was initially run.
Karen: After that, some alternative network seems to have connected.
Saja: From where?
Karen: I'm not sure. It didn't use the normal network hardware he has installed.
Dr. Maxwell: Good evening.
Saja: Good evening, Dr. Maxwell. What have you found so far?
Dr. Maxwell: Hmmm. Quite a few different things, to be honest.
Dr. Maxwell: This strange transformation you said happened... there are no systems installed to facilitate this.
Dr. Maxwell: There is quite a bit of damage to some of these circuits due to high voltage.
Dr. Maxwell: Furthermore, there are traces of nanotech substance here that aren't part of his system.
Karen: This is very similar to what we saw on the specimens from the incident with the original 23 units.
Saja: As I thought. Is this the same...?
Dr. Maxwell: It appears so. Whatever happened to him was what happened to the original Virulyde series.
Dr. Maxwell: Hmph. This is going to take a while, I'm afraid.
Karen: We have to identify the cause of the malfunction in order to create a mitigation device.
Dr. Maxwell: There is a lot of data from the original series that could come in useful here.
Saja: *sigh*
Saja: I was really hoping it wasn't this bad...
Dr. Maxwell: We will figure something out, Miss Kabora.
Saja: Thank you both. I am going to give Malachi and Ravenna an update.
Saja: *sigh*
Karen: Saja...
Karen: Virulyde will be operational again before you know it.
Karen: You don't need to worry.
Saja: I know. I have full confidence in you.
Saja: It's just... Virulyde, Malachi, and myself have always been a team.
Saja: The worst we have to fear as humans in terms of the network is losing the function of our comm implants.
Saja: Virulyde's very being is at the mercy of unknown attackers who can take control of him.
Saja: We're unable to even know who did it...
Karen: We can remove his network capabilities, if it comes down to it.
Karen: Dad's going to analyze the data more carefully and figure out what hidden system was used in the takeover.
Karen: We just need some time.
Saja: Thanks, Karen. You're right. I'm sure it will all turn out okay.
Malachi: I guess we really didn't have a lot of time to give you a proper tour of this place before, huh?
Ravenna: Well... other than getting something to eat and going shopping. Seems like the mall here is pretty big.
Malachi: Yeah, Saja loves it.
Saja: Hey.
Malachi: What's new, Saja? How are they coming along with Virulyde?
Saja: Determining what exactly went wrong will take some time. There's also some repair work involved.
Malachi: Oh. They'll be able to fix him, though, right?
Saja: Yeah. I'm sure they will.
Malachi: I am going to treat him to all of the orange juice he can drink once he's back to normal.
Saja: I'll hold you to that!
Ravenna: Same!
Saja: For the time being, we are off duty. We have some spare time as a result.
Saja: Ravenna, would you like to see some more of this place?
Ravenna: Yes, please! Actually...
Ravenna: I'm starving. Can we get something to eat?
Saja: Of course.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XIII: "Gathering Information"
Saja: We will get something to eat first...
Saja: Then it's time to gather some information.
Ravenna: Gather some information...?
Saja: You'd be surprised at how much can be learned through underground channels about Zetsfir's activities.
Saja: There are spies here from all over the world and even some working for Zetsfir, unfortunately.
Saja: If you know who and how to ask... there's a lot of good information that isn't available through official channels.
Ravenna: That's actually pretty unexpected, I have to admit.
Saja: Malachi, put that away.
Saja: Over there is where Malachi buys his video games.
Ravenna: This place is bigger than I thought. Is this entire section a mall?
Saja: Pretty much. This section is a tourist attraction of sorts. Here, I'll show you.
Saja: We are here.
Saja: Commercial sub-level A4.
Saja: Here's High Fashion Planet on the main plaza level, where we just were.
Saja: And the docks...
Ravenna: That must be where we were fighting Zetsfir.. and here's the restaurant...
Saja: Yes. And here's the residential area and my quarters...
Pleione: Heeeyyyy!!!!!
Pleione: Whatch'a doing?
Saja: Hey, Pleione!
Saja: Actually... good timing.
Saja: Has anything new come up with regard to Zetsfir's 5D gates?
Pleione: It's funny you should ask, Saja. Some really large gates have been opening in low orbit over the past few days.
Saja: Since we arrived?
Malachi: Huh. This is the first I've heard of any new activity. It's been quiet over the past week.
Pleione: These are harder to detect. We didn't know how to look for them until yesterday when we got some new data on scanning techniques.
Pleione: At least one of those gates appears to be one that the Prince was using.
Saja: This new information... did it come from one of our spies, or...?
Pleione: This is probably not the best place to discuss it. We have a new informant, let's leave it at that for now.
Malachi: Ah, ha! Good to know.
Pleione: There's still a lot of chaos at HQ and we're still working on a new plan since the Aufdek mission didn't pan out.
Pleione: Oh, by the way, how is Virulyde doing?
Saja: He will be fine. Dr. Maxwell is going to do some repairs and prevent a future takeover.
Pleione: That's good. As you know, until he is in working condition, any further missions have been suspended.
Pleione: I'm sorry to run off but I have a meeting. Later!
Saja: See you later, Pleione.
Malachi: Take care, Pleione.
Pleione: Toodles!
Saja: Hmmm.... Zetsfir's deploying gates again but not attacking. I don't know what to make of it.
Malachi: We've strengthened our exterior defenses a little but I wonder if it's enough.
Saja: Let's eat and then see if any of our informants have updates.
Saja: If any of those gates are left open long enough, there might be a mission to go through one.
Malachi: To the planet Zetsfir?
Saja: If it exists, maybe.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XIV: "Zetsfir's Orders"
Sir Jensen: No good. I can't take control of it again.
Bachan: Lousy. They must have caught on that we took control.
Sir Jensen: Just what is a "Virulyde Unit", anyway?
Bachan: A series of androids. We need to regain control of this 24th unit again as soon as possible.
Sir Jensen: They took it offline. Nothing I can do now.
Sir Jensen: It started doing some weird stuff when I ran the program. What's the purpose of this?
Bachan: Once again, too many questions.
Bachan: Ugh, fine. I'll indulge this.
Bachan: This particular Virulyde unit is with a group of traitors. We want it to subdue them.
Sir Jensen: These "traitors" wouldn't happen to be the companions of this girl from the ruins, would they?
Bachan: You're quick to catch on.
Sir Jensen: That's a pretty low down trick. You should have told me that from the start.
Bachan: I'm honoring your stipulation that no one is killed. Isn't that good enough?
Sir Jensen: ...
Sir Jensen: Yeah. That's fine, then. As long as we're clear on that.
Bachan: The Virulyde unit is of a lesser concern right now, anyway. We need to begin preparations for this ship's transformation.
Sir Jensen: I still don't see how this entire thing can just do that so quickly...
Bachan: Rojo.
Rojo: Yes, your majesty?
Bachan: The council wants to speak to us soon. Prepare a communications channel.
Rojo: Of course. By the way... let's drop the aliases.
Rojo: Address me as Unit #25.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XV: "Dinner"
Saja: I'm really sorry about the wedding, Rosetta.
Saja: We weren't able to get back in time.
Rosetta: Oh, didn't Mom tell you? Amid all the commotion, we rescheduled it. We have plenty of time.
Rosetta: With you keeping us safe, we have all the time in the world.
Saja: We certainly try. Our time off-duty might be short-lived, though.
Malachi: Hmm... I don't know what to eat.
Ravenna: I think I'll get what I had last time. It was pretty good.
Rosetta: It's so nice to finally meet you, Ravenna. I have so many things I want to ask you.
Rosetta: Maybe it's best if we wait until another time for that. I know you have a lot on your plate.
Ravenna: Likewise, nice to meet you. I'll have a lot on my plate once the food arrives but... trust me, it won't be on there long!
Malachi: Don't get between Ravenna and food. You may lose an arm...
Saja: Malachi!
Malachi: Oh! Sorry! My big stupid mouth... poor choice of words.
Malachi: Uhhh...
Ravenna: It's okay, Malachi. If you interfere with my meal, I might eat your arm.
Ravenna: Besides, it's not like my arm's gone forever, right?
Malachi: Of course. Dr. Maxwell will probably have it ready for you soon. We could go check on it if you like.
Ravenna: You know...
Ravenna: I don't think I want to see that arm before it's attached to me. It just seems like it would be unsettling.
Saja: You two... I swear...
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XVI: "Virulyde's Status"
Ravenna: That was a good meal. I'm stuffed.
Saja: Yeah. I think Malachi is still begging to get his job back.
Ravenna: It won't be that long before your next mission, right? We're just waiting on Virulyde's repairs?
Saja: Yes. I'm sure we'll receive our next assignment as soon as Virulyde is operational.
Ravenna: Let's go check up on him.
Saja: Okay. Here comes Malachi.
Malachi: Yo.
Saja: We're going to the lab to check on Virulyde.
Malachi: Cool. I wonder how they're coming along with that?
Ravenna: We've been here about a week, right?
Malachi: Yeah. 8 days now, if I recall.
Ravenna: Your hair has really grown back a lot since we got here!
Malachi: Well...
Malachi: That's because I use Happy Herbie's Hair Hurry!
Ravenna: Oh, I didn't know you used hair products!
Malachi: Of course! I had a little mishap working at the restaurant. Ever since, I've been lathering my head in the stuff to get my hair back to normal.
Malachi: Speaking of... don't you use hair products, Ravenna? I mean... the way you get your hair to stand up like that on the sides...
Ravenna: Nope! It just does that! Nobody knows why!
Saja: Ravenna, have you noticed that Virulyde's hair does that, too?
Ravenna: Yeah. I haven't given it much thought but I think it's because Virulyde contains a copy of the data that's encoded in my DNA.
Malachi: Uh, Ravenna... Virulyde's an android. He may contain that data but he doesn't have DNA.
Ravenna: Well... duh! I know he doesn't look that way due to that. I figured he was made that way on purpose, though.
Saja: Let's head on down to the lab.
Karen: Hello, Saja.
Saja: How are things coming along?
Karen: We've identified the "black box" system that was used in the takeover. It's been removed.
Ravenna: Whoa... he looks kind of creepy like that...
Karen: We had to partially disassemble him in order to perform repairs. Some circuits were badly damaged.
Malachi: There won't be a risk of any future system hijackings?
Karen: I believe we have that situation resolved. It was due to an oversight, that's all.
Karen: The vulnerability no longer exists.
Malachi: That's good.
Ravenna: Sorry to bother you about this, but...
Ravenna: What's the scoop on my arm?
Karen: I believe it's about 30 percent through the development stage. Do you want to see it?
Ravenna: No... no, I'd rather not, thank you.
Karen: Okay, suit yourself. If I may say so, it looks quite nice so far.
Ravenna: Yeah, I'll take your word for it!
Karen: It won't be ready to attach for a few more weeks, I'm afraid. Our bio lab does things a bit slowly.
Ravenna: No rush.
Ravenna: I think I'll head back out to the mall.
Karen: Saja, do you think it would be possible to take us to Goliath in a little while? We have some business there.
Saja: Of course. I think Pleione wanted to go visit her family soon, anyway.
Karen: Excellent. I am going to finish up my work on Virulyde and then we will bring him aboard the ShockShadow II when you're ready.
Saja: I'll speak with the others. I'll be back soon.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XVII: "Destination: Goliath"
Ravenna: It was a little unsettling.
Malachi: I know. They'll get him put back together soon.
Saja: Yes, in fact, Karen's finishing him up right now.
Malachi: Oh, good!
Saja: She's going to have him brought aboard the ShockShadow II. We are going to take Karen and Dr. Maxwell to Goliath.
Pleione: Goliath? You guys going there?
Saja: Yeah! Do you want to come along?
Pleione: Yes, please! I haven't visited my folks in a while!
Saja: I guess we'll depart as soon as Karen finishes up with Virulyde.
Dr. Maxwell: Repairs are complete but, by protocol, we cannot re-activate him until a number of diagnostics are completed.
Karen: It's safe to transport him as-is?
Dr. Maxwell: Yes. The ShockShadow II has the necessary facilities to complete the tests and such.
Saja: Malachi is preparing a shuttle to the ShockShadow II. We can leave whenever you are ready.
Dr. Maxwell: Excellent. There is an important experiment taking place on Goliath and our presence has been requested.
Saja: Understood. We're currently in a lower state of alert, so our trip has been authorized.
Karen: I'll get Virulyde sent to the docking area.
Karen: He's headed to the docks. The crew will take him aboard now.
Saja: When you are ready, we should head down there, too.
Dr. Maxwell: Let's go.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XVIII: "To Goliath"
Dr. Maxwell: That should do it.
Karen: Safeguards are in place to prevent accidental reactivation.
Karen: Should we wait before beginning the diagnostics?
Dr. Maxwell: That would be best. We should arrive on Goliath soon.
Malachi: Been a while since we've visited Goliath.
Saja: It has.
Pleione: Y'know my parents would probably like to meet Ravenna.
Saja: We are trying to encourage her to keep a low profile, Pleione.
Ravenna: I'm not worried. As long as I'm not on the news or anything, that is...
Malachi: Yeah. At this point, I think anyone who might be a problem already knows, anyway.
Saja: Judging by the Prince, anyway.
Pleione: Not to change the subject, but who might be responsible for taking over Virulyde?
Saja: Someone with deep knowledge of the Virulyde units.
Malachi: I wouldn't think it's Aufdek, though. He was destroying the city like crazy. They wouldn't want him to destroy their own city.
Pleione: Not unless they wanted a false flag pinned on Fumacine. That still wouldn't make sense, considering the history of the original Virulyde units.
Pleione: With the ruckus caused in Aufdek, I don't think sneaking in there and getting data on the V-CORE is going to happen any time soon.
Saja: Most likely, we need to get a lead on any other potential copies that might exist.
Pleione: Fortunately, my dad knows a thing or two about that.
Malachi: Really? That could be very useful.
Ravenna: The V-CORE on the Morgan's Gate activated when I was near it. Do you think the copies might also react to me?
Saja: We don't know much about them but I wouldn't rule it out.
Pleione: I'm going to contact HQ just to check in. Looks like we'll be entering the atmosphere soon.
Malachi: Is the V-CORE really the key to manipulating the 5-D gates?
Saja: So I hear. I'm not completely sure where Fumacine HQ received this information but it's the best lead we have.
Ravenna: All I know is that it can act as a time machine. All this 5-D gate stuff is new to me.
Saja: Having access to Zetsfir's base of operations is our world's best chance for peace, so I'd say it's worth a shot.
Saja: Let's bring the ship in for a landing near Pleione's family home. The conference facility isn't too far away from there.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XIX: "Goliath - Arrival"
Ravenna: Hmmm.... I feel even lighter, now.
Malachi: That's because there's a lot less gravity here. This moon is smaller than our main planet.
Saja: It takes some getting used to.
Saja: Pleione struggled to adjust for a while back at Fumacine Academy when we were kids.
Malachi: I stopped making fun of her as soon as we came here, though.
Ravenna: What happened?
Saja: Malachi tried to show off how high he could jump and ended up hitting his head on a lamp post.
Ravenna: Yeah.... I can relate. I hurt myself a few times showing off as a kid.
Malachi: Lesson learned. Just walk more slowly for a while and you'll get used to the gravity.
Ravenna: I was so weak when I first arrived on the main planet that I didn't notice the change quite so much.
Pleione: Did I hear you all mention me?
Malachi: Just reminiscing about when you were adjusting to Kaperth's gravity as a kid.
Pleione: Oh, well, I got used to it. Anyway, I'm heading into town!
Saja: We should do the same once Dr. Maxwell and Karen leave for their conference.
Karen: Actually, Saja, we're just about to head over there.
Saja: Is Virulyde secured?
Karen: Yes, he's in the sleeping quarters on the ShockShadow II. He's in hibernation mode for now.
Saja: Understood. Thanks for being so diligent with his maintenance.
Karen: Sure. It's our job, after all.
Karen: Let's regroup after the conference.
Saja: Absolutely.
Saja: In the mean time, let's go for a little walk and then head into town.
Ravenna: Sounds good to me. I'd like to have a look around. This atmosphere is very... purple.
Malachi: Of course it is! This is Goliath, the purple moon, after all.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XX: "An Android's Hidden Memories"
NARRATOR: VIRULYDE UNIT #24 --- ENCRYPTED MEMORY ACCESS
NARRATOR: V-CORE SUB-SYSTEM V.4.58.01
NARRATOR: ARCHIVE #29994 -- FILENAME "GESH REMNANT"
NARRATOR: RECORDING TIME UNKNOWN
Gesh: Gaia, why don't you see through their smokescreen?
Gesh: Zetsfir is only trying to exploit us!
Gaia: Gesh, bro, don't be so paranoid.
Gaia: Zetsfir's sole purpose is to provide a way to save humanity.
Gesh: Because of that myth, sis? You really believe in that?
Gesh: ...you actually do, don't you?
Gaia: It's not a myth, Gesh. It's science.
Gesh: Oh, please.
Gesh: A gene mutation is the key to saving the world?
Gaia: What was once a legend has been proven to be a real threat.
Gaia: Humans have to leave Earth and spread out to new worlds.
Gaia: You and I have the gift that makes it possible.
Gesh: "Gift"? Sis, that's...
Gesh: Everyone says I'm crazy but it's all of you who are delusional!
Gesh: It's a fairy tale, Gaia... Just some story, that's all.
Gesh: Whatever this so-called "threat" was supposed to be, it's just some dumb snipe hunt.
Gaia: ...it's not what you think it is.
Gaia: An event happened in the late 20th Century that was later shown to demonstrate an anomaly in our world line.
Gaia: It led to the discovery of how higher temporal dimensions work but also the dangerous ripple effect of the event.
Gaia: Earth is at the very epicenter of this anomaly in temporal causality. We only have 26 years before...
Gesh: The world is destroyed in 2224? Give me a break.
Gesh: The next thing you'll probably tell me is that the anomaly is proof that we are living in a simulation.
Gesh: You're starting to sound like the eccentric inventor of the Hovercrane series.
Gaia: You can't deny that we have synthetic computer code in our DNA.
Gaia: It's been in our family long before that was technologically possible.
Gesh: So... time travel, right? Really...?
Gaia: How else do you care to explain it?
Gaia: My husband and I are working hard to implement that code.
Gaia: We still need the missing pieces from you in order to have the system ready before the collapse.
Gaia: This is about the destiny of our species. Think it over, please!
Gesh: ...
Gesh: ...and open the gate...
Gesh: Sis, I'm telling you for the last time.
Gesh: This will only lead to a far worse disaster.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XXI: "Goliathian Gold Beast"
Ravenna: It's really peaceful here.
Saja: The people on Goliath tend not to get involved in the affairs between the nations on Kaperth.
Malachi: They also keep to themselves in terms of not attracting Zetsfir's attention too much.
Malachi: Still... they have been targeted a few times in the past.
Ravenna: It sounds like Zetsfir won't leave anyone alone.
Saja: They hunt down anyone who believes humans came from another world.
Ravenna: I know. I just hope we can do something... huh...?
Saja: What? What's wrong?
Ravenna: I heard a weird noise...
Ravenna: GAH...!!!
Ravenna: Nyuuuuuuhhhhh....!!!! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?
Malachi: Oh, that's just a goliathian gold beast.
Malachi: They're completely harmless.
Saja: Ha ha! She had no way of knowing, though!
Ravenna: Hey, Saja... come on, gimme a break, will ya?
Saja: Sorry, Ravenna. Just so you know, though, there are no dangerous species on this moon.
Ravenna: It's cool.
Ravenna: So... these are gentle creatures.
Ravenna: Hey, there buddy!
Ravenna: Ha ha! There, there.
Ravenna: I take it there are no carnivorous creatures on the main planet, either?
Saja: Carnivorous?
Ravenna: Creatures that eat... other creatures.
Saja: Were there such creatures on your planet, Earth?
Ravenna: Well... yeah. There were herbivores and carnivores. Humans were omnivores.
Malachi: The translation device isn't making sense of those words.
Ravenna: Huh. I guess the entire concept doesn't exist in this world.
Saja: All food for humans and animals grows as vegetation, Ravenna.
Saja: We've... never known it to be any other way.
Ravenna: I wonder if something happened during the migration that caused life to adapt to that.
Saja: That would be the only explanation. No doubt it was necessary for survival.
Ravenna: Strange. We were able to synthesize meat from raw synthetic chemicals in my time.
Ravenna: It was chemically identical...
Pleione: I see you've made a new friend, here!
Pleione: I'd like you to meet my parents...
Pleione: This is my father, Amos.
Amos: How ya do? Been keepin' busy, have ya?
Pleione: This is my mother, Eris.
Eris: Welcome to Goliath, everyone.
Amos: If ya would, please come back with us to the house, I wanna discush some schtuff with ya.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XXII: "Shedding Some Light on the Prophecy"
Amos: Thanks for stoppin' by on such short notice.
Amos: Ravenna? We heard you are a time traveler from the original world.
Ravenna: Yeah... I guess you could put it that way.
Amos: Here, have a look at these scrolls.
Ravenna: These are the same as at Grady's place!
Amos: You appeared in the ruins of the great ship and don't match the genetics of any known modern humans.
Amos: Do you know about what the legend says?
Ravenna: Yeah. Apparently my mother was the "angel" in the story.
Ravenna: I still don't get a lot of it.
Amos: To sum it up, someone took steps to make sure this legend survived Zetsfir's attempt to erase it.
Amos: Whoever did that was able to travel through time in order to know what would happen up until you arrived.
Ravenna: If that's true, that means... it was probably by using the V-CORE!
Amos: Unfortunately, they also knew what happened to your world.
Ravenna: Dr. Maxwell said that my planet's star system is missing from where it's supposed to be.
Ravenna: Does that mean... THAT's the result of the "calamity"?
Ravenna: So... even if I got back home... just how long would we have before...?
Pleione: Dad... you're scaring her...
Ravenna: I'm okay. Whatever happened could have been hundreds of years later.
Amos: If time travel is involved, then there's even more to it than that.
Ravenna: Huh?
Eris: The research is very limited but we have a small underground organization here on Goliath working on something.
Eris: Some experiments are being conducted right now to confirm the existence of parallel worlds.
Ravenna: You've lost me. What does that have to do with time travel?
Eris: It's why we called Dr. Maxwell and his daughter to attend the conference.
Eris: We've determined that the 5-D gates allow more than just movement in higher spatial dimensions.
Eris: Ostensibly, these higher dimensions accessed by the gates can also be temporal.
Ravenna: Uhhhh.... still not quite getting what you're driving at.
Eris: 5-D gates aren't just wormholes and the V-CORE does more than generate those.
Eris: It allows more than simple time travel, too. What I mean is that, theoretically, it allows movement across world lines.
Ravenna: World lines... like, alternate timelines? Alternate histories?
Eris: Exactly. This is the true purpose of the legend. It's to let believers know that it's possible.
Ravenna: I wonder if Pop knew about this.
Malachi: It's all theoretical, though, right?
Pleione: Although our official purpose is to obtain or re-create a V-CORE in order to reach Zetsfir's domain...
Pleione: We were also commissioned to forward our findings here for research into the broader time travel applications.
Ravenna: If that's successful, not only can I go back home but we could check other timelines for ways to avert the disaster.
Pleione: It's at least a possibility. We just need to know more about how the V-CORE actually works.
Ravenna: Do we have any more leads on how to get our hands on one?
Saja: Supposedly, there are other copies around the world.
Amos: One possible location is in the Ice Plains, near the South Pole of Kaperth.
Amos: We've been told that a duplicate was built and hidden in that area a few hundred years ago.
Saja: The Kadmasian government's abandoned project!
Amos: Kadmas did have an outpost in the Ice Plains quite some time ago.
Saja: Why would they abandon such a thing, if it's true?
Malachi: I say we at least have a look around there, then.
Amos: By the way, Dr. Maxwell told me he wants to meet up with all of you in town.
Malachi: I guess we should head into town, then.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XXIII: "Useful Information Regarding 5-D Gates"
Saja: Dr. Maxwell said he would meet us here as soon as the conference was over.
Malachi: The conference center isn't too far from here. I'm sure he'll be...
Ravenna: I think I see Karen over there.
Karen: Hey. Dad went to check on Virulyde. He'll be here soon.
Karen: I heard you had a chance to speak with the Tauruses?
Saja: Yes, we just came from there.
Saja: They filled us in about the conference. Now I understand the secrecy.
Ravenna: We probably shouldn't talk about it too much out here, I take it.
Karen: It would be wise to keep discussion of any specifics to a minimum.
Karen: What we can talk about is what we know about Zetsfir's location.
Dr. Maxwell: Sorry I'm late, everyone. I had to check on Virulyde. Telemetry was indicating some unusual activity in his memory systems.
Saja: That's odd. I thought he was in hibernation mode. He shouldn't be conscious.
Dr. Maxwell: "Dreaming" might be an appropriate term, although that's not supposed to happen, either.
Dr. Maxwell: Anyway, we learned a great deal about the 5-D gates, as I'm sure Amos told you.
Dr. Maxwell: The team on Goliath has performed a deep analysis of the waves produced by the 5-D gates and we know how to replicate them.
Dr. Maxwell: If we can obtain or replicate a V-CORE, we now have the ability to use it to produce our own 5-D gates.
Karen: Furthermore, we have documentation on how manipulating these waves allows movement through time and higher dimensions.
Dr. Maxwell: A side effect of this research gave us the location of the exhumed Morgan's Gate.
Saja: Excellent!
Malachi: We also have a possible lead on where to obtain a V-CORE duplicate.
Saja: It's not certain, but it's a start.
Ravenna: ...
Ravenna: ...I really need something to eat...
Saja: Let's get some dinner, then. We'll rest up here tonight and then head back to Kaperth.
Saja: Once we've checked in with HQ, we'll likely set course for the Ice Plains.
Ravenna: Great!
Malachi: I know exactly what I want to have for dinner.
Pleione: Oh, really?
Malachi: Yeah, I was thinking about getting a big ol'...
Pleione: ...Heaping helping of my home cooking? You bet!
Malachi: Actually, I had something in mind, but...
Pleione: Aw, c'mon, Mal. I get a chance to come home and make my specialty using authentic Goliathian ingredients!
Malachi: Well... is it okay?
Pleione: Sure! Everyone, come back to the house and I'll whip up a feast big enough to feed the entire Fumacine military!
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XXIV: "Dinner at the Tauruses' House"
Malachi: That was an amazing dinner, Pleione. I'm stuffed.
Ravenna: Yeah, if I eat any more, I'll explode.
Pleione: I'm so glad you enjoyed my cooking.
Pleione: It's not often that I get a chance to come home and actually have guests, too.
Eris: Our daughter has many talents!
Eris: Your father and I have some business to do in town, so we'll be back later.
Pleione: Okay, Mom, be careful!
Eris: Certainly. Don't stay up too late. You'll want to see your friends off in the morning, right?
Malachi: Actually, Pleione, how long will you be here on Goliath?
Pleione: I'm sort of on vacation for one week.
Pleione: Well... sort of. They want me to keep an eye on things remotely and then return to Pandora in a few days.
Saja: I see. Since you've been promoted, you're technically always on duty, just like we are.
Pleione: I don't mind. This is what I want.
Ravenna: We never really know when Zetsfir is going to strike again, do we?
Pleione: Even though we have all of this new information, we don't know when or where, sadly.
Saja: For that reason, there is never a time when we can let our guard down.
Ravenna: With the V-CORE, we can finally force them out of the shadows, huh?
Malachi: That's right, as long as everything works out as anticipated.
Saja: Let's return to the ShockShadow II. Dr. Maxwell and Karen had to check on Virulyde again.
Pleione: They left so suddenly. I was afraid my cooking didn't agree with them.
Pleione: I thought maybe they had a case of the...
Ravenna: Ew.
Saja: No, Pleione, they just get really absorbed in their work.
Pleione: That's a relief!
Malachi: In more ways than one! The facilities on the ShockShadow II aren't exactly well-ventilated...
Saja: Malachi! Stop!
Pleione: Ha ha ha ha!
Pleione: Malachi, you're too funny.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XXV: "A Foreboding Atmosphere"
Eris: Dear... are you sure we shouldn't tell them?
Amos: I'm not sure of anything, dear. The prophecy is vague sometimes.
Eris: Shouldn't we find a way to convince them all to stay here for a while?
Amos: To have information about the future... and intervene...
Amos: Is it right to change the course of this timeline?
Eris: We have to protect our daughter, Amos.
Amos: And we will. Zetshfir could attack any place. We don't know the whole story.
Eris: Can't we at least contact the Pandora station?
Amos: It's a calculated risk. If the Pandora orbital station is attacked again, they'll need their forces in place to defend it.
Eris: Amos, it's clear enough in the prophecy that something big is about to happen. Once the "angel's daughter" arrives...
Amos: "Many will die". We just don't know exactly how that happens.
Amos: If we try to warn people and they evacuate, what if the place to where they evacuate is attacked?
Eris: The Pandora station, Goliath, the outposts on David, anywhere on Kaperth...
Amos: All vulnerable. If we intervene, we could be responsible for countless deaths.
Eris: ...This burden... what is the right thing to do...?
Amos: We throw everything we have into helping them get a V-CORE so they can end this once and for all.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XXVI: "Before Returning to Kaperth"
Saja: Okay, everyone, before we get some sleep tonight...
Saja: We are going to stop at the Pandora station to drop off Dr. Maxwell and Karen.
Karen: Some unexpected problems appeared in Virulyde's system and we need to use the lab to diagnose them.
Dr. Maxwell: Virulyde is in mostly good shape and safe to re-activate but we would like to at least take a look at these issues.
Dr. Maxwell: Please excuse us.
Saja: Malachi and Ravenna, after we drop off the Maxwells, we are headed back to Kaperth.
Saja: En route, I'll check in with HQ to confirm our mission and then we're headed to the Ice Plains.
Ravenna: Sounds like a plan.
Malachi: Ravenna, make sure you bundle up before we get there. It's very cold and probably a lot colder than you're used to.
Ravenna: I'll keep it in mind.
Ravenna: Do you really think we'll be able to find a V-CORE there?
Saja: It's likely. Our lead came from a very reliable source.
Ravenna: I'm just a little worried. I feel like it just can't be that easy. Just... find it lying around, and all.
Saja: Not many people go to the Ice Plains. It's not exactly the most hospitable place on the planet.
Saja: Anyway, get some sleep, you two. I'm going to check in with HQ.
Ravenna: Good night!
Malachi: Don't stay up too late, Saja.
Saja: Karla?
Karla: Saja! How's everything on Goliath?
Saja: Everything is fine here. Pleione fed us all.
Karla: And you're feeling okay?
Saja: Well, yes, her cooking is really good.
Saja: Any updates?
Karla: Let's see. We have picked up some signs of Zetsfir using a 5-D gate in the vicinity of the Pandora station.
Karla: It appears to be for reconnaissance purposes as no weaponry or ships have entered that space.
Saja: I see. That's still a cause for concern.
Karla: A squadron has been deployed to patrol the area in case Zetsfir does send anything through.
Saja: That's good. Has the documentation been reviewed for a potential excursion to the Ice Plains?
Karla: Yes. We have approval. As soon as you enter Kaperth's atmosphere tomorrow, check in and we'll verify.
Saja: Thank you.
Karla: We are going to monitor the air space surrounding the site where your team will land.
Karla: It's just to ensure you aren't ambushed.
Saja: As is standard procedure. Much appreciated.
Karla: Saja, this is just between you and me, but...
Saja: Yes...?
Karla: Zetsfir's movements, from what we can tell, seem to be different lately.
Saja: Would we chalk that up to the fact that the Prince is with them?
Karla: That could be the reason. I just feel like they're planning something completely different.
Karla: Something... big.
Saja: It's the times when we don't know where to focus that bother me the most.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XXVII: "Zetsfir's Secret Weapon"
Bachan: We've had Sir Jensen make the final adjustments.
Bachan: Everything is ready. Awaiting your orders.
Bukavac: I see. Good work, Prince Fumacine.
Samael: This pleases us.
Bachan: As instructed, Sir Jensen is unaware of the exact nature of the V-Core's energy redirection.
Bachan: I do wonder, though, if I may be so bold...
Bachan: For what reason are we discharging the beam cannon through a 5-D gate?
Bukavac: You don't need to concern yourself with such things.
Pithius: It is a test of the 5-D gate's stability.
Bukavac: That will be all, Prince Fumacine.
Bukavac: Have Sir Jensen open the gate and discharge the beam cannon at once.
Bachan: I... have concerns...
Bukavac: That will be all, Prince Fumacine. Are you having trouble understanding me?
Bukavac: Perhaps you desire a painful correction. Perhaps your precious Unit 25... your "Rojo" would desire said correction in your stead?
Bachan: No, my lord. We will execute your commands immediately.
Bukavac: Yes, see to it that you do...
Kulshedra: Bukavac, is this truly necessary?
Bukavac: You are weak, Kulshedra.
Kulshedra: !!!
Bukavac: It is by divine providence that we cleanse the world of all knowledge pertaining to the sins of the past.
Kulshedra: Yes, but at this cost...?
Bukavac: You lack conviction, as usual. It was by our efforts that such a world may exist at all!
Bukavac: Now that the time has arrived to do what is necessary, you show a lack of resolve?
Kulshedra: No, I...
Bukavac: There are things that must be sealed away. The infidel factions seek to uncover these blasphemous things.
Bukavac: We will take this decisive action to end the threat.
Rojo: Has the V-core energy pipeline been re-routed to the beam cannon?
Sir Jensen: Yes, we're all set but...
Sir Jensen: Rojo... I mean, Unit 25...
Rojo: Unit 25 shall suffice.
Sir Jensen: Why are we firing the beam cannon through a gate? What purpose does that serve?
Sir Jensen: I'm beginning to wonder if Fumacine really needs this kind of firepower against Zetsfir.
Rojo: You needn't concern yourself with that. We are merely performing a test.
Sir Jensen: How did you get involved in all of this, anyway?
Rojo: I don't think you need to ask such probing questions!
Sir Jensen: Sheesh, alright, alright... As long as we aren't acting on the offensive here.
Rojo: You are being offensive.
Sir Jensen: Yo, alright already. Chill. I'm just not going to take part in killin' anybody.
Rojo: You are being paid a generous sum of money to do a job. Just do the job.
Rojo: I'm going to check on the troops.
Sir Jensen: (What's her problem? I know these guys are up to something...)
Sir Jensen: (I just can't bail here. There's too much at stake...)
Bachan: Sir Jensen, I have orders to begin. Open a 5-D gate and fire the cannon when I give the order.
Sir Jensen: Right... the cannon is fully charged and on standby.
Bachan: Open the gate.
Rojo: Are we starting?
Bachan: Yes. It's about to begin.
Rojo: Yes... yes... yes...
Bachan: It'll all be over soon enough...
Sir Jensen: The gate is open. The cannon is ready to fire.
Sir Jensen: (Why do I have a terrible feeling about all of this...?)
Sir Jensen: Prince Fumacine, are you absolutely sure...?
Bachan: Sir Jensen, WILL YOU RELAX? This is only a test!
Bachan: Now... on my mark...
Bachan: FIRE.
Chapter IV: Chapter Four: Global Revolution - Scene XXVIII: "Ignominy"
Karen: Thank you for bringing us back to the Pandora station.
Malachi: It's on the way but it's no trouble at all regardless.
Dr. Maxwell: I would like to run some additional tests on Virulyde before re-activation.
Saja: That's fine. I would like to see Aunt Marie and Rosetta about the new plans for the wedding, too.
Malachi: Saja, I think you might want to take a look at this.
Saja: Hmmm?
Malachi: There's a space-time anomaly ahead of us.
Saja: A 5-D gate? What orientation?
Malachi: There is a very high amplitude energy reading coming through.
Saja: That's way too close to the Pandora station...
Saja: I'd better contact them immediately!
Ravenna: Look, there it is...!
Saja: This is bad. Normally, we detect signature radiation patterns ahead of time.
Saja: This is a much larger distortion than usual, too... wait... what the...
Malachi: What's wrong?
Saja: Communications are overloaded.. or jammed... I have to warn them!
Ravenna: It's opening... is it Zetsfir?!
Malachi: No... no.... no...
Malachi: This isn't happening...
Dr. Maxwell: Emergency communications are offline!
Saja: THEY NEVER HAD A WARNING!
Saja: Aunt Marie... Rosetta... everyone in there.... they never had a chance...
Saja: YOU ZETSFIR BASTARDS!!!
Saja: NO!!! GIVE THEM BACK!!!
Pleione: Hmmm.... what gives...?
Eris: Is something the matter, Pleione?
Pleione: I can't reach anyone on the Pandora orbital station, Mom.
Karla: What is that? Are they cloud seeding again already?
Celaeno: Lieutenant Alcyone, no one is able to make contact with the Pandora orbital station.
Celaeno: When was your last contact with them?
Karla: Just about 40 minutes ago. I thought there was network congestion.
Celaeno: We need to make contact with the station immediately.
Celaeno: Establish an emergency communications link with them on any available medium. Immediately.
Karla: What's going on, here...?
Grady: Greta, dear, do you know if any of our vehicles produce condensation trails that look like that?
Greta: Dear, you need to have your eyes checked. Whatever those are, they aren't condensation trails.
Grady: It's not my eyes I'm worried about.
Greta: That's really high up there. Above the clouds, from the look of it.
Grady: Let's get in touch with Fumacine headquarters.
Azurat: Hmmm... What kind of trails are those? I don't like the look of them.
Azurat: They remind me a little too much of...
Azurat: Oh please no, I hope not...
Azurat: Something truly horrible has happened, hasn't it?
Azurat: If that's what I think it is, my thoughts are with those who have been lost.
Azurat: Ravenna, Gaia, and Marvin...
Azurat: If you're out there somewhere, I hope you're safe.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene I: "Bus Learns the Truth"
Sir Jensen: ZETSFIR!!!!!
Sir Jensen: You tricked me into helping ZETSFIR!!!!
Bachan: ...
Bachan: You don't understand our goals, Sir Jensen.
Sir Jensen: What the HELL is there to understand?! You're murderers, don't you know that?!
Sir Jensen: I thought this was just going to be a test! All of those innocent people...DEAD!
Bachan: Look... this arrangement isn't exactly voluntary, alright?
Bachan: We're just carrying out orders...
Rojo: Your majesty, do you want me to handle this situation?
Bachan: Yeah, fine... whatever.
Rojo: We've had enough of your insolence, Sir Jensen.
Sir Jensen: What a coincidence.
Sir Jensen: I'm also pretty damn tired of dealing with you two.
Sir Jensen: Fortunately, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
Rojo: Fun little toy you have there. There's only one problem...
Rojo: Do you really think you can hit me with that?
Sir Jensen: It's just a little something I keep handy for emergencies.
Rojo: Oh, it's an emergency, alright. It's an emergency for you.
Rojo: Where are you even aiming?! You're clearly way in over your head.
Sir Jensen: Don't be too sure, you mass-murdering bitch.
Rojo: WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!!!
Sir Jensen: Move yo' ass OUT OF MY WAY!!!
Sir Jensen: What makes you think I'm aiming at you?!
Sir Jensen: I'll make sure Zetsfir won't be able to repeat this atrocity.
Sir Jensen: That should do it. The V-CORE is destroyed.
Sir Jensen: The gun ain't for you, lady. Like I said... I ain't killin' nobody.
Bachan: What.... have... you... done...?
Rojo: I'll kill him... I'll kill him...
Bachan: No, Rojo...
Bachan: There's no need for that.
Rojo: Just let me...
Bachan: No... we need to get out of here.
Bachan: Let's go.
Rojo: You are so damned lucky, Sir Jensen.
Sir Jensen: Such cowards...
Sir Jensen: Just following orders....?
Sir Jensen: How could I have been so blind as to not figure out it was Zetsfir...?
Sir Jensen: My hands are stained with their blood....
Sir Jensen: I have to get out of this forsaken scrap heap.
Bus: No more of this kind of work for me.
Bus: Now that I know Ravenna's out there somewhere... I have to find her.
Bus: It's only a matter of time before they rebuild the V-CORE, though.
Bus: Hmmm.....
Bus: There should be some escape pods over there. I think I'll bail before the 5-D gate closes.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene II: "Reeling in the Aftermath"
NARRATOR: Fumacine City, 5 weeks later
Karla: Sir, I have the latest report.
Karla: Reconnaissance has notified us that the 5-D gate has been confirmed to close roughly five hours after the incident.
Karla: Without our observation point... intact... it was difficult to ascertain the closure.
Celaeno: Understood. We did not have any remaining satellites in the vicinity.
Karla: Furthermore, there has been no additional 5-D gate activity nor any similar anomalies since then.
Celaeno: They've been quiet. Surely they're aware of our plans to counterattack.
Karla: If I may say so, yes. They are likely planning for that.
Celaeno: It's difficult to simply wait for the next appearance.
Celaeno: Will we be sitting ducks? What's the status on the search for a viable replica V-CORE?
Karla: Since Pandora's destruction, the elite trio has been on leave.
Celaeno: Has the Virulyde unit been reactivated?
Karla: No, sir. Dr. Maxwell was unable to run some last-minute diagnostics due to the loss of the lab.
Celaeno: Please support the Maxwells in their efforts to construct a new facility.
Karla: Yes, sir. I'll ask Dr. Maxwell to send us a list of necessary equipment and supplies.
Celaeno: Thank you. Let's set up a rendezvous point for the shipments to the ShockShadow II.
Celaeno: I have a press conference. Talk to you later.
Karla: Understood.
Karen: Hello, Karla. How are you doing?
Karla: Same as usual. How about you?
Karen: We're holding up. Everyone's slowly getting back to normal.
Karla: How is Saja? She has not contacted me since... you know...
Karen: Saja's a little bit of a different story. She's... still in shock.
Karla: I see...
Karla: I know she lost her only remaining close family.
Karen: Yes. We... we all lost... friends... family... co-workers...
Karen: I'm sorry. I'm still not...
Karla: Don't force yourself.
Karla: Listen... I just wanted to pass along a request for a list of any and all materials, equipment, anything you need.
Karen: To set up the new lab?
Karla: Yes. That, and, once you're established with a working setup, please re-activate Virulyde.
Karen: Right. He has been down for quite a while now.
Karla: Surely you know but the pressure is increasing to find a working V-CORE.
Karen: Yes. We were told there may be one in the Ice Plains.
Karla: Right. Once your team is ready, let us know. That will be the next mission.
Karen: I'll pass it along, thanks.
Karla: Thank you. Hang in there, ok?
Karen: I'm sure our team will be ready soon. I'll have Dad give me a list of everything we need to set up a new lab.
Karla: Take care, Karen!
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene III: "Celaeno's Resolve"
Reporter: The newly-elected prime minister Celaeno Kabora is about to address the Empire today regarding Zetsfir.
Reporter: Calls for retaliation have increased since the Pandora Orbital Station's destruction.
Reporter: Forty days ago, Zetsfir committed a devastating atrocity in which the Pandora Station was completely destroyed.
Reporter: 4428 people were aboard the orbital station at the time. There were no survivors.
Reporter: Many have called for immediate action against Zetsfir, describing the attack as Zetsfir's final act of evil.
Reporter: We take you live to the main auditorium at Fumacine Defense Headquarters.
Reporter: In just moments, Prime Minister Kabora will speak.
Reporter: Today's highly anticipated speech is expected to assure the people of Fumacine that action will be taken against Zetsfir.
Reporter: We are about to head inside the auditorium.
Celaeno: Thank you all for coming.
Celaeno: As you all know, the Pandora Orbital Station, a critical outpost for Fumacine and Kadmas, was destroyed in a vicious surprise attack.
Celaeno: We will no longer tolerate Zetsfir's genocide.
Celaeno: Months before the attack, we have been making progress in developing a method to open 5-D gates and take the fight to Zetsfir's homeland.
Celaeno: I announce today my commitment to launch an all-out attack on Zetsfir's homeland.
Celaeno: We will reverse engineer their technology and execute a full-scale eradication of their military bases and weaponry.
Celaeno: Fumacine will also lead the attack on their capital, ensuring the demise of their leadership so that no one remains to continue their genocide.
Celaeno: The time has come to rid our world of the constant threat posed by Zetsfir. We have lived in fear for centuries.
Celaeno: Thank you. At this time, I will be unable to answer any questions.
Reporter: Well, there you have it... the Prime Minister gave a brief speech with some strong words for Zetsfir.
Reporter: Some, however, have some reservations about his ambitious plan.
Reporter: Sir, what do you think about Prime Minister Kabora's plans to attack Zetsfir?
Jack: Yo, let me tell ya, I hate Zetsfir as much as anybody else, hell, I had friends up there on Pandora...
Jack: But this Kabora, he's all about shootin' first and askin' questions later. Like, we can't do it that way.
Reporter: How would you propose Fumacine respond to Zetsfir's attacks?
Jack: Hey, look, like, why is he blurting out stuff about reverse engineering the gates? Giving them a heads up?
Jack: Whatever happened to stealth? Hit Zetsfir when they think we can't fight back, y'know?
Reporter: Thank you, sir. We appreciate your input.
Reporter: Let's hear from someone else here...
Reporter: Ma'am, did you hear Prime Minister Kabora's speech just now?
Elle: Yes, I did.
Reporter: Do you agree with his aggressive strategy to attack Zetsfir's homeland?
Elle: I think what happened to Pandora was the final straw. I'm glad he's taking a proactive approach, although...
Elle: I am worried about needless bloodshed. Just because Zetsfir kills innocent people doesn't mean we should.
Reporter: What do you mean, specifically, about needless bloodshed?
Elle: He said we'd attack the capital. We've never seen their homeland. What if there are innocent people living in their cities?
Elle: Their troops must come from somewhere. I don't know... don't they have families? Certainly there are children there somewhere...
Reporter: So you think Fumacine and the coalition with Kadmas and Graves would attack indiscriminately?
Elle: Well, no, I mean... we're not like that, are we? Still... innocent casualties are inevitable with that kind of rhetoric going into war.
Reporter: Thank you.
Reporter: Some opinions on the ground in Fumacine City.
Reporter: Leaders in Kadmas have issued statements criticizing Prime Minister Kabora's speech, citing that his rhetoric is irresponsible.
Reporter: We have reached out to other Fumacine officials but have not yet received any response.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene IV: "Bus Laments"
Bus: I hope they don't have tracking devices in these escape pods.
Bus: It doesn't look like they even have controls, for that matter...
Bus: ...
Bus: ...I can't even begin to process all of this...
Bus: How many people just died because I went along with their orders?
Bus: I didn't know, right? How could I have known they had aimed the beam that way?
Bus: No...
Bus: I could have figured it out if I'd bothered to look.
Bus: No, that's a cop-out, too...
Bus: I didn't want to look.
Bus: I didn't want to know.
Bus: Anything to get a lead on where Ravenna might be.
Bus: Look what my complacency got us.
Bus: How am I going to face this world, having done this?
Bus: What the hell am I going to do to atone for this?
Bus: I can't bring them back.
Bus: I can't even find my friend...
Bus: After ten whole years...
Bus: One thing's for sure. I can't tell a soul I was involved.
Bus: Atonement... that's something I'm going to have to figure out.
Bus: At the very least, I have to stop Zetsfir so this never happens again.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene V: "Azurat and Bus Meet Again"
Azurat: Ugh.
Azurat: This search is going nowhere fast.
Azurat: Ravenna's signal was there and then it wasn't.
Azurat: It just dropped off the sensors entirely.
Azurat: Huh.... what's that?
Azurat: Another fragment of that space station? After this long...?
Azurat: No, wait... that's something different.
Azurat: ...
Azurat: Neat.
Azurat: Welp... time to go be nosey.
Azurat: ...don't be a space monster...
Azurat: ...don't be a space monster... don't be a space monster...
Azurat: ...please don't be a big purple man-eating space monster...
Azurat: Wait... what the...?
Azurat: PLEASE DON'T EAT M....muh....
Azurat: Marvin?!!!
Bus: ...Professor Disphumis?! Is that you?!
Bus: Your time machine worked?!
Azurat: Marvin!!! Am I glad to see you!!!
Bus: The feeling is mutual, Professor.
Azurat: Please pardon me for saying this but...
Azurat: You look older. Just how long has it been for you?
Bus: I arrived here almost exactly ten years ago.
Azurat: Where's Ravenna? She was with you, right?
Bus: She was with me right up until...
Bus: Professor, I've been looking for her these past ten years.
Azurat: Marvin, the Hovercrane's right over there.
Azurat: We have a lot to discuss.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene VI: "Azurat and Bus Catch Up"
Azurat: ...So, you were trapped inside a cargo shuttle and it launched off-schedule.
Bus: Not just that. All communications were jammed somehow.
Azurat: We were also experiencing network issues at the lab that morning.
Bus: That's... odd.
Azurat: I don't blame you two for wanting to find dirt on Zetsfir.
Azurat: After you two disappeared, I did a little investigating on my own.
Bus: Oh? What did you find out?
Azurat: Zetsfir had knowledge of the future. Anyway...
Azurat: Do you have any idea where Ravenna might be?
Bus: Professor, I don't know how to tell you this but...
Azurat: What is it, Marvin?
Bus: I'm sure she's okay if you picked up on her tracking beacon...
Azurat: Did something happen to her?
Bus: She was badly injured right before the V-CORE activated.
Azurat: How badly?
Bus: A guard robot messed up her right arm and she ended up breaking it, too.
Azurat: She's well-trained in first aid. Did she manage to treat it?
Bus: Yes, she patched it up but she had still lost some blood.
Azurat: Her tracking beacon is in her radio. I hope it's still in her posession.
Bus: Professor, there are some people aware of her in this world.
Azurat: Really? That means she's okay!
Bus: Well... these people happen to be pretty horrible. I don't think we want them to find her.
Azurat: How do you know this?
Bus: These past ten years, I've been working as a mercenary to survive.
Bus: I've learned the local language in the Fumacine Empire and have done some work for the government there.
Azurat: You have connections! Political connections, no less. This is great news.
Bus: Hold on... it's not that great.
Azurat: You didn't get yourself into trouble, did you?
Bus: Not exactly. Well... it's complicated.
Bus: There's some kind of religion built around the story of Ravenna and her mom's arrival here.
Azurat: You're... you're kidding me. Are you serious?
Bus: Obviously they aren't mentioned by name.
Azurat: So much for keeping a low profile while we're here.
Azurat: You probably already realized this but since you and Ravenna survived the V-CORE's activation...
Azurat: My wife almost certainly did as well. She wasn't vaporized after all.
Bus: I realized that the moment I arrived here. That's awesome... I hope maybe we can find her, too.
Azurat: When did you first hear about these people looking for Ravenna? How do you know it's her?
Bus: They showed me a photograph. It's the same photograph Ravenna took of herself sitting under that tree...
Azurat: Oh!
Azurat: Marvin... when did you first hear about Ravenna in this world?
Bus: Just a few days ago. It was right before the incident with the space station.
Azurat: That disaster in orbit? Wait, that was around 44 days ago...
Bus: Wait, I'm talking about what happened today.
Azurat: It was all over the news. That happened 44 days ago.
Bus: That's... strange...
Azurat: Marvin, where have you been? Why were you in that escape pod...?
Bus: Professor... I was on the Morgan's Gate.
Azurat: How is that possible? That ship should be rusting apart by now!
Bus: Oh, it was when I arrived. It was restored and put back into orbit by...
Bus: ...Zetsfir.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene VII: "Calculating the Leap"
Azurat: Zetsfir still exists. Go figure.
Bus: They do but they've become warped and insane. It's some kind of genocidal mega-cult.
Azurat: I don't like the sound of that.
Bus: After I became fluent in the local language, I spent a lot of time learning about the history of this world.
Bus: For all of this world's recorded history, Zetsfir has been hunting and murdering people.
Azurat: I have a hunch as to why. They've taken things way too far.
Azurat: Listen...
Azurat: After you and Ravenna disappeared, the V-CORE aboard the Morgan's Gate had extensive logs of its activation.
Azurat: This triggered a major investigation aboard the Morgan's Gate.
Azurat: My first discovery was that you, Ravenna, and my wife were not vaporized but sent forward in time.
Azurat: A deep analysis of the data showed that all three of you were sent to different points in time.
Bus: How far apart?
Azurat: Because the V-CORE is spatially locked to the Morgan's Gate's position, you would all still be aboard the ship.
Bus: I was but I couldn't find Ravenna anywhere.
Azurat: All indicators suggest the destination times were after the Morgan's Gate landed on this planet.
Bus: That was roughly 707 years ago on the current calendar. The calendar system changed 1278 Kaperthian years ago.
Azurat: 707 years since the Morgan's Gate landed?
Bus: Yes, by my calculations, the calendar changed 428 years after we left. Long before this planet was settled.
Azurat: You never fail to impress me, Marvin.
Bus: Well, I've had a lot of time to work through the numbers. The years here are 1096 days and the days are 25 hours.
Azurat: Yes, I've observed that much from the star positions.
Azurat: Wait... now that I know about when you arrived, I can calculate the other two leaps from the V-CORE's data...
Bus: Ah, ha! You were able to find that out?
Azurat: Yes... but it's all relative. You just gave me a vital piece of the puzzle.
Azurat: According to the numbers I have, you jumped 4418 years and it looks like Ravenna jumped 4428 years to...
Bus: This year! So, if she's really here, she hasn't been here very long at all!
Azurat: Precisely. Sadly... my wife seems to have arrived....
Azurat: ...around 707 local years ago. She definitely would not be alive in this time period.
Bus: We have a time machine, though! We could go back and find her!
Azurat: Perhaps. There is a major catch, however. Time travel has a horrible twist to it...
Azurat: I made some errors previously and went too far into the future here before coming back.
Bus: Professor, I believe in you.
Azurat: Thanks, Marvin.
Azurat: How curious...
Bus: What is?
Azurat: The time intervals of the migration and the present day... 2214 Earth years apart.
Bus: Oh, yeah... I noticed. Hey, how did you arrive here with the Hovercrane?
Azurat: It took a while to make it possible...
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene VIII: "What Happened After They Vanished"
NARRATOR: April 29, 2214
NARRATOR: Zetsfir Laboratory, outskirts of Saulsburg, Oregon
Azurat: I would like the two of you to accompany me to the Morgan's Gate.
Melvin: For the investigation of the V-CORE's sudden activation?
Azurat: Yes. It's also related to my daughter's disappearance.
Jeanne: We're not telling the council?
Azurat: No, not yet. I need to verify some things.
Melvin: To be honest... I've had some mixed feelings about their orders...
Azurat: Let's extract all of the logs from the system for the past two months.
Melvin: Roger that.
Melvin: Wait... it's not letting me in.
Jeanne: No doubt they've increased the system's security.
Azurat: No worries. There's a back door my daughter's friend helped me create.
Melvin: Ooooh, sneaky!
Azurat: Yeah but we are going to have to answer for this.
Jeanne: It's for a good purpose.
Melvin: Professor Disphumis, I went ahead and extracted everything. We have all of the test activation data.
Azurat: Thanks, Melvin. That will be useful.
Jeanne: I still want to know why we built this thing. How is this related to the migration?
Azurat: I don't know and I don't like how the council keeps us in the dark about it.
Melvin: It's our job and all but... are we doing the right thing?
Azurat: I want to do the right thing. I have a feeling my daughter and her friend do, as well.
Melvin: Professor! Come take a look at this!
Azurat: This shows evidence of three successful time leaps.
Azurat: That means... Gaia... you might be out there somewhere.
Jeanne: Azurat, the security footage indicated your daughter and her friend were in here, right?
Azurat: Yes. It looks like they may have been involved in the recent activation.
Azurat: It shows two of the time leaps originated from that moment in time... but they ended differently.
Jeanne: They all survived?
Azurat: I don't know. They weren't vaporized. We know that now. I can't say when or where they ended up.
Melvin: Can we reverse it? Bring them back?
Azurat: Not from here.
Azurat: Hey, Melvin...?
Melvin: Yeah?
Azurat: Can we arrange a cargo shuttle launch? I need a shuttle that can transport a Hovercrane GT-4.
Melvin: Uh, sure, I'm sure we can... but a magnetocraft won't operate aboard this ship.
Azurat: Oh, I know. I just need it physically on board long enough to...
Melvin: To what?
Azurat: Both of you, it's been an honor working with you two but there's something very important I need to do.
Azurat: I'm afraid I need to embark on a very long and possibly one-way journey.
Azurat: I know I can trust in you to make it possible.
Azurat: ...and, after making some arrangements and staying under Zetsfir's radar, we brought the Hovercrane aboard.
Azurat: The hover engines were augmented with a newer, state-of-the-art quantum locking system.
Azurat: Additional modifications were made to ensure safe operation in the vacuum of space, if needed.
Azurat: With only days until the Morgan's Gate departed from Earth's orbit...
Azurat: Our team finished preparations. I'm not sure if Zetsfir turned a blind eye or what.
Azurat: With the Hovercrane now aboard the great ship and with some additional serious modifications...
Azurat: I used the miniaturized V-CORE aboard the Hovercrane to initiate the jump.
Azurat: It was risky and it required a tremendous amount of power.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene IX: "The Hovercrane's Journey"
Azurat: Strangely enough, the Hovercrane arrived outside of the Morgan's Gate.
Azurat: I'm really not sure what happened but I managed to get here... let's see... 97 days ago.
Bus: That long? Where have you been living?
Azurat: A small town in Kadmas.
Azurat: I obtained a small in-ear device that allowed me to understand and communicate with the locals.
Bus: Someone gave me one of those when I first arrived, too!
Azurat: Since I needed a place to stay, I took a job in a small coffee house.
Azurat: After a while, they found out I was really good at repairing the coffee machines, so I became the local handy man.
Azurat: After saving up some money, I took some time off and continued my search.
Bus: That's what I did, more or less.
Azurat: You said you worked as a mercenary? I just can't picture that.
Bus: Not the combatant type, Professor. It's strictly cyber warfare.
Bus: And... sometimes demolition. No direct violence... nothing intentional, anyway.
Bus: ...
Azurat: Didn't you say you came from the Morgan's Gate on that escape pod?
Bus: ...yeah.
Azurat: I won't pry but I can tell something's bothering you.
Azurat: ...
Azurat: ...Anyway...
Azurat: I was lucky to find that job in Kadmas. When we're new in an alien world, well... I guess we're the aliens, huh?
Bus: Most of the people in this world are very nice and accomodating. They know what it's like to count their blessings.
Bus: Once we find Ravenna and your wife, I have a request.
Azurat: Of course, what is it?
Bus: Let's find out if there's something we can do to save the people of this world.
Azurat: Sure thing. It sounds like Zetsfir's way out of control.
Azurat: Let's go find Ravenna.
Bus: Yeah!
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene X: "Never Give Up Hope"
Malachi: We've finished unpacking the equipment for the lab.
Malachi: They are setting things up down below right now.
Saja: ...
Malachi: Commander?
Malachi: We'll be able to re-activate Virulyde soon.
Saja: Understood.
Malachi: ...
Malachi: Saja?
Saja: Hey.
Malachi: Listen... we're all still dealing with what happened but...
Malachi: It's been six weeks and HQ is getting anxious.
Saja: Yes.
Malachi: We have to be prepared both mentally and physically for the next mission.
Saja: Indeed.
Malachi: Saja, we've all noticed that you haven't been sleeping much or hardly eating anything.
Saja: Malachi, pay it no mind.
Malachi: I mean, we're a team and all, you know --
Saja: I SAID I'M FINE!!!
Malachi: Commander... please. You have to try to pull yourself together.
Saja: ...
Malachi: I'm... I'm going below to see if I can help with the lab.
Saja: ...
Saja: ...damn it.
Ravenna: Heya.
Saja: ...hey.
Ravenna: So... listen...
Ravenna: I know we're about to start another mission.
Saja: ...yes, but for what purpose, I wonder...?
Ravenna: To find a V-CORE copy, right?
Ravenna: Look, this isn't all set in stone. What if we can go back in time and...?
Saja: ...and what if we can't? What if it doesn't work? We've been making assumptions!
Ravenna: I know it's a long shot but we just can't give up hope!
Saja: Hope? Ravenna, do you know what it's like to defend something with your life, only to lose it?!
Saja: Do you...? I know you've had a hard time being separated from the life you knew. I get that.
Saja: Still... have you seen it all taken away right before your eyes?
Ravenna: Yes. As a matter of fact, I lost my mother at a very young age.
Ravenna: I watched my uncle driven insane and my father nearly succumbed to the same madness.
Ravenna: Kids at school telling me my father was responsible for splitting families apart for the migration.
Ravenna: Getting hateful messages every day telling me to die.
Ravenna: Seeing dozens of city blocks flattened after my uncle killed six thousand people in a suicide bombing!!!
Ravenna: Having to see that carnage every day on my way home from school, no less...
Ravenna: So you're damn right I've dealt with tragedy.
Saja: Ah...
Ravenna: But I know something. I was brought here through time travel.
Ravenna: We know such a thing exists and we might be able to use it.
Ravenna: None of this is set in stone, Saja. If we get aboard the Morgan's Gate or find a V-CORE...
Ravenna: We can go back in time and prevent what happened. If there's one thing I learned since coming here...
Ravenna: It's to never give up hope.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene XI: "Virulyde's Reactivation"
Karen: I think that's everything.
Dr. Maxwell: Yes, everything is set up now. I'm just running some last minute tests.
Karen: On the new equipment or...
Dr. Maxwell: On the new equipment, yes. Virulyde is ready for reactivation.
Dr. Maxwell: We should probably have Saja present for this.
Dr. Maxwell: I know she's still...
Karen: Yeah. I'm not sure she's ready.
Dr. Maxwell: Be that as it may, we're under orders to move forward.
Karen: *sigh* ...yes, that is true.
Malachi: How are things looking?
Karen: We're ready.
Karen: Could Saja come down here?
Malachi: Might have to drag her, honestly.
Dr. Maxwell: Please, bring her in here. She needs to be present.
Malachi: Right.
Dr. Maxwell: I'm going to start the process now.
Saja: Sorry, Karen. I didn't know we were ready.
Malachi: We starting?
Karen: Yes. Oh, and Saja...
Saja: Yes?
Karen: Virulyde may have problems with emotional shock. Please be careful... you know...
Saja: Right. Oh, and everyone...
Saja: ...
Saja: Look... I... I'm sorry for being so short with you all lately.
Malachi: Are you going to be okay, Saja?
Saja: Yeah. Let's do this.
Dr. Maxwell: Sending activation command.
Virulyde: ...
Virulyde: Virulyde Unit #24 boot sequence activated.
Virulyde: Input output layer online.
Virulyde: Basic routines loaded. Directives loaded.
Virulyde: Declarative and episodic memory loaded.
Virulyde: Working memory buffer validated.
Virulyde: Personality layer active.
Virulyde: Hey, everyone. Where are we? What day is it?
Malachi: How you doin', Virulyde? Good to have you back.
Saja: How are you feeling? Any problems?
Virulyde: No problems to report. All systems appear to be normal.
Virulyde: Mind letting me out of here, though?
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene XII: "Bad Tidings"
Virulyde: Man... I feel like I was out for a long time.
Saja: You were shut down for 54 days, Virulyde.
Virulyde: This room seems vaguely familiar...
Saja: We're on the lower deck of the ShockShadow II.
Malachi: It's been remodeled as a lab for Dr. Maxwell and Karen.
Virulyde: Ah, a mobile lab, huh? That's useful. Looks like all new equipment, too.
Virulyde: They didn't bring anything from Pandora? That's kind of strange.
Malachi: Hmmm...
Saja: Virulyde... uh... about that...
Virulyde: Saja, don't take this the wrong way but...
Virulyde: You don't look too well. Are you okay?
Saja: I'll be fine. I just need to get a little rest before our next mission.
Saja: Here's your cape, by the way.
Virulyde: Hey, thanks! Now I feel more complete.
Virulyde: I'm going to grab a glass of orange juice. I need one like you wouldn't believe!
Saja: Virulyde... we'll meet you on the bridge.
Virulyde: Good deal. See you up there!
Malachi: Are... you going to tell him?
Saja: Yes. We owe him the truth. It's not fair to keep him in the dark.
Malachi: Right. It's best to fill him in as quickly as possible.
Ravenna: I really need to start looking for Bus...
Virulyde: Hey, Ravenna!
Ravenna: Virulyde! Welcome back!
Ravenna: How are you feeling?
Virulyde: Really thirsty. Otherwise, fine.
Ravenna: Um... how much do you remember?
Virulyde: Pretty much everything until I went to sleep.
Virulyde: I'm already aware of the system modifications Dr. Maxwell made.
Dr. Maxwell: Virulyde...
Virulyde: Yes?
Dr. Maxwell: Take it easy for a while.
Dr. Maxwell: The upgrades allow you to control your transformation now.
Virulyde: It definitely feels different. At first I thought it was just grogginess from being shut down for so long.
Dr. Maxwell: I'll let Saja fill you in on what's happened while you were down.
Dr. Maxwell: Ravenna, please come down to the lab with me.
Ravenna: Sure thing, Doc.
Virulyde: Hmmm....
Virulyde: Something isn't right. I can feel an odd tension in the air.
Virulyde: I may be wrong but... something terrible has happened, hasn't it...?
Saja: Listen... Virulyde...
Saja: Our next mission is in the Ice Plains. There should be a V-CORE there.
Virulyde: Understood. Hey, Saja?
Saja: ...yes?
Virulyde: Is there something else I need to know?
Saja: Uh... yeah, actually... I don't know how to tell you this, but...
Virulyde: It's obvious something really bad happened.
Saja: Pandora.
Virulyde: ... don't tell me, it's --
Saja: Gone.
Virulyde: ...
Virulyde: Zetsfir...
Saja: Obliterated it. We were on our way back from Goliath when it happened.
Virulyde: Damn them!!!
Saja: We need to get the V-CORE copy and then we can take the battle to their territory.
Saja: There's even a small chance we can go back in time and prevent what happened.
Saja: Are you feeling up to the task? We're the only team who can do this.
Virulyde: Those bastards...
Virulyde: Do you really think you needed to ask?
Virulyde: Of course I'm up for it.
Virulyde: I'll give up my own life to save our world from Zetsfir.
Virulyde: You can mark my words on that.
Virulyde: I'm in. Let's do this.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene XIII: "Getting Back to Normal"
Malachi: Ravenna, make sure you get plenty of rest tonight.
Malachi: Also, get some extra heat packs. You'll need to bundle up for tomorrow.
Ravenna: Right. I'll check with Dr. Maxwell to see if he has a box of them.
Malachi: When you get into the sleeping quarters, be careful not to wake Saja.
Ravenna: She's been napping most of the day, right?
Malachi: Well, resting per Karen's orders when she can. She's been given some supplements to help with that.
Ravenna: Drugs?
Malachi: Nah. Just some natural sedatives from flowers grown on the islands of Graves.
Ravenna: I wouldn't mind trying some of those.
Malachi: Just be sure you're well-rested, okay?
Malachi: I'm going to fly us to the Ice Plains and then I'm turning in, as well.
Ravenna: Good night, Malachi!
Malachi: Hmmm... are we finally getting back to normal...?
Ravenna: Let's see... didn't I have a heavier scarf around here somewhere?
Ravenna: Ah... here we go.
Virulyde: Yo!
Ravenna: What's up, Virulyde?
Virulyde: Guzzling OJ, feeding the choccy fish. You know...
Ravenna: Feeding the choc... uh, you know what? That's cool. Hey...
Virulyde: Yeah?
Ravenna: Do we have a bunch of those heat packs?
Virulyde: Oh, right! Where you're from, the climate was much warmer.
Virulyde: You might get really cold in the ice plains, huh?
Ravenna: That's what everyone keeps telling me, anyway.
Virulyde: I'm sure Dr. Maxwell has 'em.
Saja: ...
Dr. Maxwell: Looks like the preparations are complete...
Ravenna: Still awake, Doc?
Dr. Maxwell: Yes, Ravenna. I was just setting things up in advance.
Ravenna: In advance of...?
Dr. Maxwell: The recovery of a V-CORE. We've been instructed to connect it to power as soon as we find one.
Ravenna: HQ must really be in a hurry to activate it.
Dr. Maxwell: Sort of. We have to power it on in order to set up a control system for it.
Ravenna: Niftily neat. Say... do you happen to have any more of those heat packs?
Dr. Maxwell: Ah, yes. Let me grab a handful of them for you.
Ravenna: Thanks!
Dr. Maxwell: Here you go.
Karen: Let me have a look at that arm.
Ravenna: Thanks for the tune-up. By the way, that arm that was being grown in the lab...
Karen: I'm sorry. It was destroyed along with Pandora.
Ravenna: Yeah... I know. That's the least of our worries.
Karen: Unfortunately, we aren't quite set up yet to start over on that here.
Ravenna: Don't worry about it.
Karen: Ravenna, you should get some rest ahead of tomorrow's mission.
Ravenna: Will do. Thanks!
Ravenna: (Looks like Saja's getting some much needed sleep...)
Ravenna: (I wonder if we actually will get our hands on a V-CORE.)
Ravenna: (If we do, will it work? Can we change the past?)
Ravenna: (First... a good night's rest.)
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene XIV: "Evidence of Elimination"
Bukavac: Have we confirmed that our target was eliminated yet?
Kulshedra: There is a 100% match on the DNA found on some fragments from the Pandora station.
Kulshedra: The girl from the prophecy was... killed at that time.
Pithius: Can we be absolutely sure? Her DNA could have come from anything.
Kulshedra: It was in bone fragments. I'd say that's as positive confirmation as any.
Bukavac: Hmmm... indeed.
Kulshedra: Was this really necessary?
Bukavac: Prince Fumacine!
Bachan: Yes, my lord...?
Bukavac: It appears they are going to retrieve a relic from the Ice Plains.
Bukavac: We will permit it but... you will go there and deliver a message.
Bachan: Yes, of course.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene XV: "Landing in the Ice Plains"
Saja: Are we ready?
Saja: Malachi, you're okay with waiting here, right?
Malachi: Yes. As the plan goes, I'll stand by in case we need to leave immediately.
Virulyde: If Zetsfir starts to attack, we don't want the ShockShadow II to be a target.
Virulyde: You'll be on standby too, Dregweht. Weapon mode!
Saja: Let's head out. Malachi, if there's trouble, be prepared to lift off.
Malachi: Roger that.
Saja: Pick up the pace, you two.
Virulyde: Commander...
Virulyde: Do you want to build a snowman?
Saja: Let it go, Virulyde.
Ravenna: You weren't kidding about the temperatures!
Virulyde: My sensors are picking up the signature of a V-CORE replica in the area.
Virulyde: It should be relatively near by.
Saja: Hmm...
Saja: Virulyde, do you still have a lock on it with your short range sensors?
Virulyde: It keeps fading in and out.
Saja: Kadmas had an old outpost around here from an old war.
Virulyde: I hope there's nothing there that would cause a false positive.
Saja: Hard to say.
Ravenna: Would something like that really be out in the open?
Ravenna: It seems to me they'd put it underground in some kind of bunker.
Saja: Fair point.
Ravenna: Um...
Ravenna: Kaperth's climate, from the start, immediately seemed cooler than Earth's.
Ravenna: The temperatures on the polar caps really are a lot more extreme than I thought!
Virulyde: I'm getting a stronger reading now, Saja.
Ravenna: You can connect directly to the V-CORE, right, Virulyde?
Virulyde: As long as it has some kind of residual power source.
Virulyde: Since it's emitting some kind of signal, I'll try to connect as soon as we're close enough.
Virulyde: I've had a lot of time to think about it and I've figured out quite a few things.
Virulyde: Thanks to my powers of deduction, I've come to understand some aspects of that old legend.
Saja: Virulyde, let's concentrate --
Virulyde: All Virulyde units were created using residual data from two beings. This "angel" person and... "Gesh".
Saja: Seriously, now is not the --
Virulyde: The "angel" provided DNA for the design of the bodies while the minds were modeled after "Gesh"...
Ravenna: So, basically, you and the V-CORE contain elements from his brain.
Ravenna: That explains the brain tank...
Virulyde: Well, elements from his subconscious. My mind was stabilized but the other units weren't so lucky...
Saja: FOCUS!
Virulyde: Okies.
Saja: But, yeah, Virulyde, the Maxwells dug into the whole thing pretty deeply and found out some other things, too.
Saja: Ugh, see, now you've got me distracted...
Ravenna: Hey, take a look over there!
Virulyde: The signal is getting stronger.
Saja: That must be the entrance.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene XVI: "A Familiar Relic"
Saja: Not at all what I expected.
Virulyde: It looks like no one has touched this place in thousands of years!
Saja: I wonder if the V-CORE is really in here.
Virulyde: The signal is definitely getting stronger...
Virulyde: There's no telling what else they could be keeping in here.
Saja: Hey, Virulyde...
Virulyde: Yes, commander?
Saja: While you were shut off, I had a lot of trouble coping with the pain of what happened.
Saja: Losing what was left of my closest family and dealing with all of the uncertainty...
Saja: But now that you're back with me, I feel at ease.
Saja: I've really missed you.
Virulyde: Oh, Commander Saja! How wonderful!
Virulyde: You really DO care! You really, truly, genuinely care!!!
Saja: *urk*
Saja: ...stupid android...
Ravenna: Wow, nice throw, Saja.
Ravenna: Hey... what's that up ahead?
Ravenna: Look what I found.
Ravenna: That angel statue there. There's no mistaking it. That's definitely mother.
Saja: I've seen this somewhere before. Let's see...
Ravenna: Do you know what this means...?
Ravenna: Shortly after I arrived here, things started to click.
Ravenna: Everyone thought my mother died when she vanished after the V-CORE activated.
Ravenna: After being transported here, I realized she probably made the same journey.
Ravenna: This confirms it. The statue is in her likeness, after all.
Ravenna: But, wait, what's that around her neck?
Virulyde: The signal is coming from it.
Virulyde: It's Aufdek's V-CORE duplicate.
Virulyde: They sure found a strange place to keep it.
Saja: We should hurry up and retrieve it.
Saja: I just hope it's in working...
Bachan: Heh. So... we meet again, it seems.
Bachan: You know what? Go ahead.
Bachan: Take the stupid thing. At this point, I don't need to stop you.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene XVII: "The Prince Has Other Plans"
Saja: Watch out, Ravenna. He's bad news.
Bachan: Hey, give me a break, Kabora. I'm only doing my job.
Saja: Is your job GENOCIDE?!!
Virulyde: If you're here for Ravenna, you're going to have to get through me, Prince.
Saja: Likewise.
Saja: You took part in killing thousands of innocent people!
Saja: YOU ARE A TRAITOR!!!
Saja: I have a good mind to kill you where you stand!
Bachan: First off... I didn't choose to...
Bachan: ...wait...
Bachan: This charming young lady is... Ravenna?
Bachan: She was supposed to be...
Bachan: ...ugh, nevermind.
Virulyde: Spill it, Prince. You've already been removed from power.
Virulyde: You'll never be able to return to your homeland.
Saja: What do you know? Tell us everything and maybe you can be spared execution.
Bachan: Get real, Fumacites.
Bachan: Besides... I don't need to mess around with you rogues right now.
Bachan: But if you must know... the Zetsfir Council has called upon me to save our world from the mistakes of the past.
Bachan: Have fun with your futile endeavors.
Bachan: Oh... and don't bother coming after me. They will rip you to shreds.
Bachan: If I don't decide to do it first.
Bachan: Miss Ravenna...
Bachan: Another time, perhaps.
Ravenna: Who was that guy...?
Ravenna: Where did he go...?
Virulyde: He's bad news, Ravenna.
Saja: We need to get the V-CORE back to the Shockshadow II. Let's move.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene XVIII: "V-CORE Copy Retrieved"
Saja: ...so the Prince mumbled something about "erasing the mistakes of the past".
Malachi: We know for sure he's willingly siding with Zetsfir, then.
Saja: Yes. I'm afraid so.
Malachi: Thanks for not... you know... taking matters into your own hands.
Saja: There was a moment, there, not going to lie.
Saja: Still... murder is unbecoming a Fumacite elite.
Malachi: There's a proper way to go about these things.
Saja: We'll make sure he stands trial. That's enough for me.
Saja: If this V-CORE actually works, all of this might not be a problem anymore.
Malachi: I wouldn't get our hopes up too much right now, Saja.
Malachi: We don't know how this is going to pan out.
Saja: Fair point. Maybe we should check to see how it's coming along, though.
Dr. Maxwell: That should about do it.
Karen: I've connected it to the ShockShadow II's auxillary power circuit.
Dr. Maxwell: Excellent. It looks like none of the major systems suffered much damage.
Karen: I cleaned off most of the corrosion on the exterior.
Karen: The control ports are in good shape.
Virulyde: So... looks like it's gonna work?
Dr. Maxwell: Well... we shouldn't get too far ahead of ourselves.
Dr. Maxwell: There's a lot of preliminary tests to run first.
Karen: Not to mention some experiments so we're sure we understand how it works.
Virulyde: Lugging that thing back here was really tough.
Virulyde: Heeeaaaavy. Let me tell ya.
Dr. Maxwell: I heard you broke the statue while removing this.
Virulyde: Yeah... that statue may or may not have a head anymore.
Karen: I heard you started dragging that statue's head back through the snow by mistake.
Virulyde: ....guilty as charged.
Karen: You're a goofball, Vie. I'm going to start up the control systems.
Dr. Maxwell: How are you doing Virulyde? Everything functional?
Virulyde: You betcha. I just need to pay more attention to what I'm doing.
Saja: How's it looking, Doctor?
Dr. Maxwell: No serious damage. Other than that, we have to do a lot of testing.
Saja: That's good. I hope this plan works, even if it's a long shot.
Virulyde: I'm going to get some more orange juice.
Saja: The power to alter the past... it seems dangerous.
Dr. Maxwell: Indeed. If it falls into the wrong hands, that is.
Saja: I even worry about what this kind of technology could tempt even the most virtuous to do.
Malachi: Bachan... he had a lot of nerve.
Saja: Hmmm?
Malachi: He just shows up, taunts you guys, and threatens you.
Saja: It was an opportunity to learn a little bit more about his motives, even if we didn't get much out of him.
Dr. Maxwell: Powered up. Looks like it's running some automatic diagnostics.
Saja: Nice.
Malachi: Hey, where's Ravenna?
Saja: I think she went up to the bridge.
Chapter V: Chapter Five: The True History - Scene XIX: "Return of the Morgan's Gate - Transformation"
Ravenna: So many unanswered questions...
Ravenna: Why did Mom end up so far ahead of me?
Ravenna: That statue must have been thousands of years old.
Ravenna: She must have died of old age back then...
Ravenna: I wonder how she spent her days...
Ravenna: ...maybe I'll ask her myself if the V-CORE works!
Ravenna: I could go back, find her, and we might be able to go back to Earth somehow!
Ravenna: But, wait...
Ravenna: These people I'm with won't let me do anything that could prevent the migration.
Ravenna: After all... this world would be erased, right...?
Ravenna: What's that up there?
Ravenna: That looks like... the Morgan's Gate...?
Ravenna: When did it re-enter the atmosphere?
Ravenna: Something's strange... it looks different than before...
Virulyde: Hey, Ravenna. What's up?
Ravenna: Virulyde, call everyone to come up here.
Virulyde: Is... is that what I think it is...?
Ravenna: It's the Morgan's Gate. Why did they bring it back here?!
Malachi: No way.
Saja: What are they up to?
Malachi: No idea, Saja. This isn't good.
Virulyde: What's the plan, commander?
Saja: We'll keep our distance for now.
Virulyde: It would be smart not to charge in until we get our V-CORE functional.
Malachi: But that's just it, everyone.
Malachi: They've been able to move that huge ship around undetected.
Malachi: Just think about it...
Malachi: I think they beat us to the punch.
Chapter VI: To be continued...
Chapter VI: To be continued... - Scene I: "To be continued..."
NARRATOR: To be continued...
NARRATOR: Check out the menu if you would like to replay any scene on demand.
NARRATOR: If you would like to read the transcript of this visual novel in one big text file: www.virulyde.com/script
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NARRATOR: Again, thanks for playing. Stay tuned for updates to this story!