22 23 301 DialogEnable 1 Liv Commandant... After all that, you must be very tired. Sorry for disturbing you... 1
23 24 302 It's okay. 25 I'm ready for work. 25
24 25 201 1 500026
25 26 301 1 Lee I recovered the data we sent through the terminal. We can now determine that the signal within the Red Tide is indeed Luna's. 1
26 27 301 The teenage figure near the window glances at you from the files in his hands.
27 28 301 Lee I've virtually double-reconstructed the data through the Spear of F.O.S., but I didn't experience it myself after all. There might still be discrepancies between the reconstructed data and what you went through. 1
28 29 301 Lee You can begin to work on this after you are fully recovered. I'll tell Asimov about it. 1
31 32 301 You deny Lee's kind offer for a little more time off, but find that he is still staring at you.
32 33 302 ? 34 Do I have something on my face? 34
33 34 301 Lee ...It's nothing. If you're ready, then that's fine by me as well. 1
34 35 301 Lee Now, we just need you to go through and confirm the relevant data on Luna we found in the Red Tide. 1
35 36 302 Understood...
36 37 201 1 1031001 1
37 38 301 1 Liv (Giggles) 1
38 39 302 ? 40
39 40 301 Liv Commandant, your face... it's half-red. 1
40 41 302 What do you mean? 999
41 999 204 1 6
42 42 301 Liv Oops, sorry! It must've been because you were sleeping sideways! It's nothing, it'll go away in a minute... 1
43 43 202 1 1
44 44 301 You check your cheeks and do find it a little uneven and warm. It must have gone red.
45 45 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Turning around, you examine your figure on the glass window. The sight of you touching your cheeks suddenly reminds you of a scene in your memories.
54 46 302 AniZhuanchangEnd ...Data on Luna, huh. 55
55 55 301 DialogEnable 1 Lee Yeah. From our current observations, the Red Tide only consumes consciousnesses going through near-death experiences within it. 1
56 56 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Lee Human or Construct, when they face death, their deepest emotions hidden inside their memories become bare. This also matches with the consciousness data that we've seen in the Red Tide. 1
74 74 301 Asimov You're right. Do whatever you want on the field, I couldn't care less. I just want data, so you know what to do. 1
75 75 302 Yeah. 76 I know. 76
76 76 202 2 1
77 77 203 1 0.25 0
78 78 301 Asimov Put this on. It's installed with Luna's consciousness data found inside the Red Tide. 1
79 79 301 Asimov This will simulate the situation of Luna's consciousness sample reacting with the observation target of Lucia. 1
80 80 301 Asimov You are Lucia's commandant, and have also linked with Luna without much emotional influence. You are the best candidate for an observer. 1
81 81 302 Alright. 998
82 998 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Asimov Well then, let's go. 1
89 88 301 AniZhuanchangEnd You open your eyes to find yourself in a long corridor.
90 997 201 1 500031
91 89 301 1 ??? Sis, what are you doing? 1
92 90 301 A small blonde girl materializes out of thin air next to you. She raises her head, looking at you and beaming with a warm smile.
93 91 302 ...Luna? 92
94 92 301 Asimov The "consciousnesses" consumed and rebuilt by the Red Tide are not the "consciousness beings" themselves—these are only bait used by the Red Tide.
95 93 301 Asimov Which is why they take on the appearance and form that can most affect the related subjects.
96 94 302 I see. 996
97 996 202 1
98 95 301 Walking further onward, the "Luna" behind dissipates like fog. A new "Luna" appears before you.
99 96 201 1 500031
100 97 301 1 "Luna" Sister, look what I found! It's canned meat, and still edible...! Did I do good? 1
101 98 302 ... 100
102 99 202 1 1
103 100 301 Asimov Don't respond.
104 101 302 Okay. 103
105 102 201 1 500031
106 103 301 1 "Luna" Sister, it's snowing outside! Let's go build a snowman together! 1
107 104 301 "Luna" Sister—achoo! Ehehe, it's kinda cold... Sister, your hand is so warm... Let's hold hands! 1
108 105 202 1
109 106 301 Myriad "Luna" figures fade in and out around you.
110 107 301 Innocent, cheerful, and frisky. These must have been the happiest memories in Luna's mind.
111 108 301 You know deep down that these are illusions created by the Red Tide. You try your best to ignore these shades and move forward.
112 109 201 1 500031
113 110 301 1 "Luna" Wow! I love this present! 1
114 111 301 "Luna" My hands are cold... Can we hold hands...? 1
115 995 204 1 14
116 112 301 "Luna" Why are you ignoring me...? 1
117 113 301 A "Luna" stays behind you this time instead of fading away. She looks dejectedly at you.
118 114 301 "Luna" Is it because I wasn't good enough...? Sorry... I'll try harder... I'll grow stronger... Don't leave me behind... 1
119 115 302 ... 116 I get why people are lured by the Red Tide now. 116
120 116 301 "Luna" Didn't you say you'd... change everything for me...? 1
131 127 302 That's...! 128 Luna's room in her childhood? 129
132 128 130 301 DialogEnable Asimov What?
133 129 301 DialogEnable Asimov I guess. So what?
134 130 302 ...Nothing. 131
135 131 301 You walk inside and see Luna sleeping on the bed.
136 132 302 ...! 133
137 133 301 But not the Luna shades you have been seeing. This is the grown-up Luna, the Ascendant. Somehow, the word "safe" springs into your mind when you see her hair sprawled on her cheeks and on the bed.
138 134 301 Asimov Your heart rate is rising. What's the matter?
139 135 302 ... 136
140 136 302 Do you remember when you told me about... 137
141 137 302 The self-defense mechanism of a M.I.N.D.? 138
142 138 301 Asimov ...You mean the drowner effect? What's wrong?
143 139 302 Drowner effect? 140
144 140 301 Asimov Something from an earlier age when Construct tech wasn't that mature. If a commandant's Mind Beacon with a Construct isn't stable enough, or if they aren't compatible, the M.I.N.D. will try to get rid of the intruder.
145 141 302 What happens then? 142 Is this why "remote link" was discontinued? 143
146 142 144 301 Asimov Let's imagine the M.I.N.D. as an ocean. A Construct is like someone that's drowning, so they'll instinctively grab at anything they can.
147 143 301 Asimov That's part of the reason. But mostly, it's because remote link back then can cause irreparable psychological damage to a commandant.
148 144 301 Asimov But that's nothing to worry about now. The compatibility of our modern Constructs blows the earlier models out of the water. You can be rest assured that the drowner effect won't happen.
149 994 301 Asimov After all, if this happens even once, we'd lose precious commandant personnel. We don't have that many to spare.
150 145 302 ... 146 Yay for science. 146
151 146 301 Asimov Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?
152 147 302 Just remembering something... 148
153 148 302 Do drowned Constructs remember anything? 149
154 149 301 Asimov In their M.I.N.D.? Theoretically, they should. But it's been ages since I've done research on that topic, you got some ideas you wanna share?
155 150 302 Nah, not really. 151 I'll tell you if I think of any. 151
156 151 301 Asimov snorts over the channel and falls silent.
157 152 301 You carefully scan the room... Such a warm and quiet room this is.
158 153 301 This is the deepest, safest place in Luna's M.I.N.D.
159 154 301 She spent her childhood here with Lucia. This must be the memories she treasure the most.
160 155 301 Asimov ...So, any findings?
161 156 302 ...Nothing, really. 157
162 157 301 Asimov That's what Lucia said as well. She said that these memories should be Luna's... ah, what was it again—most precious moments?
163 158 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Asimov Well then, let's get you outta here.
173 168 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 In the Red Tide projections, you clearly saw... a reddish night light next to her bed. You would never forget the shape of it.
174 169 301 What happened deep in her M.I.N.D. was not just a mere dream. It might not have been pointless.
175 170 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Maybe everything is going differently than the way you thought it would. Maybe some things are really changing.
