3 3 301 DialogEnable 11:23 p.m. Outside of Babylonia Command Central
4 4 401 2 1516
5 5 301 You were just leaving the building after being done with work, when a sudden wave of dizziness strikes you—something forceful is clamping on your nape and dragging you toward the glow of a street lamp.
6 6 201 1 500168
7 7 301 1 Vera You just never learn, don't you? 1
8 8 302 Vera?! 9
9 9 301 Vera has her knife poised before your neck. You feel the cold steel almost licking your throat, as well as the steadfastness of her grip through her supple fingers.
10 10 204 1 13
11 11 301 Vera Need a lesson. Hm? 1
12 12 301 With that, Vera presses her knife closer and closer to your neck. Your breath pauses. Her eyes glow—red, sinister, obsessive. Staring, lips unfurling, crazed...
13 13 302 W-wait! 14 (Retaliate) 17
14 14 301 Vera Begging for forgiveness? Now? 1
15 15 301 Vera Hah, but the more you beg... the more it gets me going! 1
16 16 302 (Life-or-death!) 17
17 17 301 You raise your arm and lash out at her elbow to throw off her balance. She circles around you to regain posture, during which you hop back, gaining distance.
18 18 302 What is wrong with you? 19
19 19 204 1
20 20 301 Vera Still playing dumb? Then I'll just cut to the chase. 1
21 21 301 Vera You've been looking into me, haven't you? 1
22 22 302 ... 23 (Deny) 24
23 23 25 301 Vera I'll take that as a yes. 1
24 24 301 Vera You know I despise liars. 1
25 25 301 Vera rushes you with her knife raised. You dodge by the skin of your teeth.
26 26 302 I know what you've been doing. 27
27 27 204 1 13
28 28 301 Vera Pushing it, aren't you? Get ready for a lesson. 1
29 29 302 Sensory boosters, right? 30
30 30 204 1
31 31 301 Vera ... 1
32 500 401 1 211
33 32 301 On hearing that, Vera darkens up and her attacks grow more and more murderous.
34 33 301 Vera And? Policing me, now, are you? 1
35 34 302 Are you using them? 35
36 35 204 1 13
37 36 301 Vera Pah... You think I need that batter to feel pain? 1
38 38 302 Then why... 39
39 39 301 Vera You know NOTHING about how hellish it gets on the battlefield. 1
40 40 302 I know. 41
41 41 301 Vera Yeah? You ever had your squad mates dismembered, torn apart before your eyes? You ever had your people devoured by the Corrupted? 1
42 42 301 Vera You ever felt despair? You ever tried to stop something—even throwing your life at it—and not make a dent in the slightest? 1
43 43 301 Vera You ever died, only to live again?! 1
44 44 301 Vera's continual assault slowly edges you toward a wall. You find yourself overwhelmed and cornered.
45 45 204 1
46 46 301 Vera Soldiers turn themselves into "machines," forfeiting their souls in battle. Ravenling, you have the best of the best under you. You know nothing of war. To win against the virus, your happy-go-lucky few won't cut it. 1
47 47 301 Vera In war. You either grit your teeth and take it. Or you die. 1
48 48 301 Vera I'm only choosing the lesser evil. 1
49 49 302 But you can always recall your consciousness. 50
50 50 301 Vera ...Aha. Ahahaha... 1
51 51 301 Vera My, oh, my. Mon cher Commandant. Are you naive or are you just dumb? 1
52 52 302 ...? 53
53 53 301 Vera I'll put it this way then. Even as a Construct, doing so is no different from admitting defeat. 1
54 54 301 Vera On the battlefield, pain is life. 1
55 55 302 But you shouldn't use drugs. 56 You don't trust your teammates. 58
56 56 204 1 13
57 57 501 301 Vera Hah. You're the last person I need telling me what I should or shouldn't do—— 1
58 58 204 1 13
59 59 301 Vera Who cares if they live or die! As long as they don't stand in the way of my mission—— 1
60 501 401 1 210
61 60 301 You perform the same move from before. She responds this time by twisting the cut downward, sidestepping to maintain distance. You catch her wrist with your left hand, then chop at her knife with your right.
62 61 301 Clink, clang——
63 62 301 Her knife falls to the ground with a melodious trickle.
64 63 301 You entangle her remaining hand with your right, now keeping both her hands locked. Vera slightly raises her brows. She did not expect it to turn this way.
65 64 204 1 1
66 65 301 Vera "Commandant"... How long do you want to keep me pinned like this? 1
67 66 302 (Let her go) 67 Sorry. 67
68 67 301 Now free, Vera strokes her neck meaningfully.
69 68 302 ...? 69
70 69 301 You touch your throat as well and find it wet. Raising your hand before your eyes, you realize that it is blood. Somehow, you feel no pain from the wound, only a slight tingling sensation.
71 70 302 Anesthetics? 71
72 71 301 If she truly wanted you dead, you would not have lasted more than a few seconds.
73 72 301 Vera Guess it's impossible to get it through your thick skull... Hmph, consider our warm-up just now a little "hello," commandant of Gray Raven. 1
74 73 301 Vera spits the words out clearly. Her voice echoes like whip-cracks, demanding and intimidating.
75 74 204 1 13
76 75 301 Vera Stay out of my life. 1
77 76 302 I can help. 77
78 77 204 1 1
79 78 301 Vera ...Sure. Then why don't you wrap yourself up in a nice little gift box and send your rump over to my room? 1
80 79 302 Not like that! 80
81 80 204 1 13
82 81 301 Vera Then get lost. Birdbrain. 1
83 82 301 Vera ...Oh. You aren't doing this so you can squirm out of this whole ordeal, are you? 1
84 83 301 Vera Then let me save you the trouble. That thing about using your name? That was just me messing with you. 1
85 84 302 Wha... 85 Finally out with it now, huh? 85
86 85 204 1 1
87 86 301 Vera You didn't think I was serious, did you? 1
88 87 301 Vera How adorable. 1
89 88 301 Your honest reaction to being messed with seems to have pleased Vera. She pats you on the head roughly.
90 89 302 ... 90
91 90 301 Vera Alright alright, I'll let you go. 1
92 91 301 Vera Your name's clean. So shoo—fly, little bird. Never let anyone stop you. 1
93 92 301 Vera And. Another tip. Stalk me again. And you'll get the full Vera treatment. 1
94 93 302 Is this a threat? 94
95 94 301 Vera Damn right it is. 1
96 95 301 Vera eyes you thoughtfully all of a sudden, then squints. Something seems to have come over her.
97 96 301 Vera Wait. Change of plans. 1
98 97 301 Vera Meet me tomorrow. The current time. C-Labs. F23-C04. 1
99 98 302 C-Labs? 99
100 99 301 The C lab blocks are all deserted, and a key card is required for entry. Why would Vera want you to meet her there...?
101 100 301 Vera Come and you'll know. 1
102 101 202 1
103 102 401 2 1516
104 103 301 1 AniZhuanchangBegin Leaving you with this enigmatic farewell, Vera walks away.
