3 3 301 DialogEnable —0.4 km away from the conservation area.
4 4 401 2 1516
5 5 301 You have been strolling alone in the woods for almost 2 hours after learning about where the safe area is.
6 6 301 There is no perfect way to tackle the struggles the conservation area faces. Even when the night ends and the sun rises, the survivors will still curl up and hide in the dark corners.
7 7 301 "How many more graves do the people on the surface have to dig for what might have long been gone?"
8 8 401 2 1516
9 9 301 You find an endless field of wooden poles planted before you as if the universe is echoing your thoughts.
10 10 301 Climbing up a small hill, you find a familiar figure once again.
18 18 301 DialogEnable 1 Is it the same for the stargazing lady?
19 19 301 Standing quietly next to Haicma, you look up alongside her, watching the corner of the universe unveiled to this part of the world.
20 20 301 The passage of time becomes hazy until Haicma eventually moves, fixing her hair after the wind tangles it.
21 22 301 Haicma You don't look up at the stars from down here often, do you? 1
22 23 302 No, not really... You? 24
23 24 301 Haicma I prefer operating at night, so distant stars are what I can see. 1
24 25 301 Haicma Starry nights are calming. They are very suitable for organizing my stored data and collecting my thoughts. 1
25 26 302 And reducing stress for the time being. 28
26 28 301 Haicma Stress... 1
27 29 301 Haicma Do you require fresh air on a balcony as well? 1
28 30 302 I seem to recall saying that a hilltop is more suitable. 32
29 32 301 The two of you are standing on a small hilltop right now, where the cold night air gathers.
30 33 301 Haicma I don't think your premise supports it based on my analysis of the experiment results. 1
31 34 302 What premises? 35
32 35 204 1 10
33 36 301 Haicma The location, the air, and... you. 1
34 37 302 Me? What's wrong with me? 38
35 38 204 1
36 39 301 Haicma ...
37 40 301 Haicma Data suggests that your skin temperature has been steadily dropping moderately. 1
38 41 302 It's nighttime, after all. What does it have to do with anything? 42
39 42 301 Haicma I can help you maintain a certain temperature. 1
40 43 301 Haicma Like a radiator of sorts. 1
41 44 401 2 1543
42 45 301 Before she finishes speaking, Haicma grabs your arm after getting closer behind you.
43 46 301 Radiating heat, she keeps the two of you warm as she said.
44 47 204 1 1
45 48 301 Haicma A human's hand is indeed very delicate. 1
46 49 301 As a soldier, you would have interpreted her words as a threat if someone else had said it.
47 50 301 Haicma It's not very hairy. Humankind's atavism is less severe than I expected. 1
48 51 302 Sorry about that. 52
49 52 301 Haicma You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault. 1
50 53 301 Haicma Although it does make for a less diverse presentation for humankind, which is regrettable. 1
51 54 401 1 36
52 55 301 Suddenly, Haicma rolls up your sleeves, revealing the bandages hidden underneath.
53 56 401 2 1543
54 57 204 1
55 58 301 Haicma My estimation is correct. A new injury. 1
56 59 401 1 207
57 60 302 It's fine. It's just a scratch. I've treated it. 61
58 61 301 Haicma Initiating another full body assessment. 1
59 62 302 Waitwaitwaitwait—that's not necessary. 63
60 63 301 Haicma Human bodies are very fragile. I need to be 100% sure. 1
61 64 302 I promise you this is the only injury. 65
62 65 302 How did you figure it out, anyway? 66
63 66 301 Haicma Your wrist was turning slower than usual compared to past records. 1
64 67 301 Haicma I've created a separate folder about you. Please don't try to hide from me. 1
65 68 302 ... 69
66 69 302 The people in the conservation area were a little restless. Small disputes were inevitable. 71
67 70 204 1 3
68 71 301 Haicma Is the situation this bad already? 1
69 72 302 It's not looking good... 73
70 73 301 Complications and misfortunes in the conservation areas are immeasurable.
71 74 301 But, miracles or not, someone has to stand up and try to hold onto something, especially when that something is a spike coming for you.
72 75 204 1
73 76 302 ... 77
74 77 301 You sit down where you are, probably exhausted from all the walking you have done. Sinking your fingertips into the ground, you grab some of the soil, clutching them in your palms.
75 78 301 ...Until something else appears before you.
76 79 302 Paper? 80
77 80 204 1 1
78 81 301 You look up to find Haicma staring at you eagerly.
79 82 302 Don't worry about me, Haicma. 83
80 83 302 Those were just small quarrels. 84
81 84 301 Haicma nods before passing you some pens and brushes.
82 85 301 She sits down next to you, opening her own sketchbook.
83 86 301 You take a peek. She seems to be putting down the color of the night sky.
84 87 301 You try to sketch as well, but you soon discover that you cannot ignore the arguing voices in your head.
85 88 301 Your lines begin to tangle together, struggling to become defined shapes.
86 89 301 "Why are we staying here?" "How many more graves do the people on the surface have to dig for what might have long been gone?"
87 90 301 ...
88 91 302 Haicma. 0
89 92 204 1 1
90 93 301 Haicma I'm here. 1
91 94 401 1 36
92 95 302 DialogDisable What will happen... 96
93 96 302 ...if we leave Earth? 97
94 97 204 500 1 10
95 98 204 1
96 99 401 1 45
97 100 301 DialogEnable Haicma It must be very difficult in the beginning. 1
98 101 301 Haicma Assuming that you are traveling indefinitely, you first have to perform mass modification on the remaining human population. 1
99 102 301 Haicma The coordination between humans will be the first problem Babylonia has to solve. 1
100 103 301 Her calculation is unsympathetic, but it is closer to reality.
101 104 301 Still, it is not what you wanted to hear.
102 105 301 Haicma Then, you will have to locate a habitable planet. 1
103 106 301 Haicma You also have to consider the possibility of encountering other intelligent lives and civilizations. 1
104 107 301 Haicma New planetary environments may send humans down an entirely different path. 1
120 123 302 Can we really just go...? What will happen to Earth? 124
121 124 301 Haicma thinks for a moment before answering gently.
122 125 204 500 1 10
123 126 204 1 1
124 127 401 1 207
125 128 301 Haicma I suppose she will smile as she sends us off. 1
126 129 301 Haicma Like how a mother treats her grown children. 1
127 130 301 Without sadness, her face is serene and hopeful as starlight softens its edges. The corners of her mouth rise subtly.
128 131 302 Wouldn't it be a shame for humanity to abandon everything? 132
129 132 301 Haicma Not everything. They will bring with them memories, hopes, and... 1
130 133 301 Haicma Miracles. 1
131 134 301 Haicma I think that's enough. Hm, it is enough. 1
132 135 301 Haicma You won't be lost just because you are not who you were. 1
133 136 301 Haicma You will find a new home, like it's written in the stars. 1
134 137 301 The night breeze passes the dunes, engraving her smile forever in your memories.
135 138 301 Miracles. Ineffable they may be, they are what humanity seeks all their lives.
136 139 301 Someone is always searching for the stars, even on the darkest nights.
137 140 401 1 36
138 141 302 Hm? 142
139 142 302 Have you finished painting your starry night? 143
140 143 204 1
141 144 301 Noticing some changes in the background of her painting from the corner of your eye, you cannot help leaning in and taking a peek.
142 145 401 1 205
143 146 301 However, Haicma closes her sketchbook immediately.
144 147 301 Haicma Journals are private. I don't recommend prying. 1
145 148 302 Sorry... 149
146 149 301 Haicma ... 1
147 150 301 Your upset scribbles seem to have caught Haicma's attention. You better flip to the next page...
148 151 301 Haicma Excuse me? 1
149 152 302 Hm? 153
150 153 204 1 1
151 154 301 Haicma Were you journaling as well? 1
152 155 302 IT ISN'T. 156
153 156 204 1
154 157 203 500 1 0.25 -100
155 158 301 You have a feeling that Haicma has been waiting for that answer. Catching you by surprise, Haicma leans in, her white hat covering most of your vision while your "painting" is fully exposed.
156 159 204 1
157 160 301 Haicma You... are a Post-Reconquista Age abstract-surrealist? 1
158 161 203 1 0.25
159 162 302 Please don't treat my scribbling as artwork... 163
160 163 301 You flip to the next page immediately. Had that piece of paper belonged to you, the thermite grenades you are carrying would have been used by now.
161 164 401 1 36
162 165 302 Now's my turn. It's only fair. 166
163 166 204 1 10
164 167 301 Haicma stays silent for a while before finally opening her sketchbook. She forcefully folds the other half of the book to the back in such a way that you can only see one page.
165 168 204 1
166 169 401 1 208
167 170 301 What you see is undoubtedly a masterpiece that will have the WGAA in awe.
168 171 301 From another perspective, the uniqueness of this painting also makes it completely different from every other exhibit of the WGAA.
169 172 302 This is amazing! 173
170 173 302 Why would you hide it? 174
171 174 301 Forget it. You should focus on drawing something passable in response.
172 175 301 You turn back to your piece of paper, desperately trying to come up with something to draw.
173 176 301 Haicma ... 1
174 177 204 1 1
175 178 301 Haicma ... 1
176 181 301 The drawing hiding on the next page of her book is just an ordinary sketch.
177 182 301 AniZhuanchangBegin It is a portrait of a human with a smile like a pond that never dries, its water as clear as a mirror.
183 189 301 DialogEnable After bidding Haicma farewell, you have since returned to Babylonia, having been kept on standby without end.
184 190 301 The lengthy rescue mission is over, meaning all participants will have to face insurmountable paperwork.
185 191 301 Causes... analyses... conclusions. Good, you have filled them all. You have more or less finished writing all the reports you are required to complete.
186 192 301 Stretching your sore shoulders, you turn off your terminal, push away your chair, and stand up.
187 193 301 As you rest, the galaxy before you keeps reminding you of that night.
188 194 301 What will Haicma be doing right now? Is she still wandering somewhere dangerous? Or maybe she is searching for another perfect location to stargaze, somewhere she can see Babylonia.
189 195 301 Regardless, a storm is coming. This will be the calmest night before the storm.
190 196 201 1 500166 1
191 197 301 1 Lucia The Transport Force is ready, Commandant. 1
192 198 301 You holster the pistol that you maintained not too long ago and grab your terminal.
193 199 301 Straightening your collar, you adjust your uniform before walking toward the Gray Ravens as they wave at you.
194 200 302 (If we meet again...) 201
195 201 301 You recall the last promise you made to each other.
196 202 302 Haicma... 203
197 203 302 AniZhuanchangBegin Don't get dragged into this storm. 204
