78 78 301 The screen shakes for a moment as if someone is shaking the camera. A moment later, the picture becomes clear again.
79 79 201 1 500019
80 80 301 1 Construct This is Babylonia's WGAA Ground Survey Team 2, ID... Uh, what was it again? 1
81 81 301 Construct That Allen... always asking us to record by the books... Forget it. To hell with him! 1
82 82 301 Construct Anyway, this huge discovery we made is what really matters! 1
83 83 301 The Construct reaches for the camera lens, turning it to a nearby cave.
84 84 301 Construct This place is marked as property of the World Government, but it doesn't show up on any list of assets. 1
85 85 301 Construct If this is where someone stashed their private collection... Hehe, I can't just let precious works of art collect dust in a cellar! 1
86 86 301 As the Construct's excitement mounts, the camera slightly shakes again.
87 87 301 Construct Well, then. The plan is to complete preparations for exploring the facility, codenamed "X-51", within thirty-six hours! 1
88 88 202 1 1
89 89 301 DialogDisable The image suddenly cuts out.
96 96 301 DialogEnable 1 Hassen What happened after that thirty-six hours? 1
97 97 301 Celica The operation was halted, and Team 2 was evacuated with a 30% casualty rate. 2
98 98 301 Hassen With that many casualties, some things must have been done to suppress the news. 1
99 99 301 Celica Correct. So, following the rules at that time, all members of the team underwent a level two memory wipe to remove any memory of the mission. 2
100 100 301 Hassen Does that rule still exist...? 1
101 101 301 Celica You abolished it after that. Seems like you've forgotten. 2
102 102 301 Hassen That must have been a part of several inhumane and meaningless regulations toward Constructs I abolished to suppress the Kurono and all factions in Parliament that were detrimental to Earth's recovery. 1
103 103 301 Hassen After all, this is what "they" deserve. I guess I forgot... Anyways, what happened after that? 1
104 104 301 Celica The entrance to Facility X-51 was destroyed by a remote-controlled bomb as part of a backup plan, then everyone was evacuated via a transport craft... 2
105 105 301 Hassen ...I'm guessing there's more to the story. 1
106 106 301 Celica Looks like the issue still hasn't been resolved. I found a surveillance record marked "Trivial" by the Intelligence Agency— 2
107 107 301 Hassen ...? 1
108 108 202 1 2 1
109 109 301 Celica reaches out and clicks on Hassen's terminal, playing an audio file—
110 110 301 An unintelligible sob, its tone a mix of male and female, its voice indistinguishable between a human or a machine, can be heard in the recording.
111 111 301 ??? Sapien, wake up. My dear Sapien—
112 112 301 ??? It's time.
113 113 301 ??? Time to wake up. Time to take back our home—
114 114 201 1 500011 -450
115 115 201 2 500001 4 450
116 116 301 1 Hassen ...What's this? 1
117 117 301 Celica Various recordings from an unknown source, the sound signatures belonging to multiple human and bionic vocal cords. 2
118 118 301 Hassen Whose? 1
119 119 301 Celica The owners of the voice... are either classified "Deceased" or reported "Missing" before the Post-Pandemic Age. 2
120 120 301 Celica ... Sounds like it came straight out of a horror movie from the Golden Age, but it did happen. 2
121 121 301 Celica Then a nearby surveillance team brought this back— 2
122 122 301 Celica taps another record on the terminal.
123 123 202 1 2 1
124 124 301 CODENAME:SAPIEN-766583848779826883
125 125 301 Ngh... The pain... The pain...
126 126 301 We are forced to this position by our own creation.
127 127 301 Ah, is this what a machine is?
128 128 301 It knows no satisfaction, no exhaustion, no mercy, no sympathy.
129 129 301 Ah, Sapien's Road. It ends here.
130 130 301 Ah, how sad, how painful.
131 131 301 However, we have created children who may surpass us.
132 132 301 However, we have left something in the depths of this Earth, in its mechanical brain.
133 133 301 Ah, what joy, what delight.
134 134 301 We... will live forever.
135 135 201 1 500011 -450
136 136 201 2 500001 4 450
137 137 301 1 Hassen What's this? 1
138 138 301 Celica ...It's unclear. We can only guess that Sapien here refers to the same thing as that "Sapien" in the record. 2
139 139 301 Celica Maybe it's a concept, maybe a name, maybe... 2
140 140 301 Hassen Hey, wait. Isn't that... 1
141 141 204 2 2
142 142 301 Celica You mean the Mole People? Even for a joke from science fiction... It's still too old. 2
143 143 301 Hassen ...I didn't think you would know about it. 1
144 144 301 Celica The WGAA has been showing films from the Golden Age... 2
145 145 301 Hassen So, what did you see...? 1
146 146 301 Celica ...A 132-minute black and white silent film. 2
147 147 301 Celica The only things I remember are the villain with the face of a fly, and a pig's head strung on a stick. 2
148 148 301 Hassen ...Let's get back to the matter at hand. 1
149 149 204 2 4
150 150 301 Celica Is it possible to reopen the excavation of this facility? 2
151 151 301 Hassen You mean... 1
152 152 301 Celica Isn't that what you're thinking now? 2
153 153 301 Hassen Indeed... 1
154 154 301 Celica Let's take this opportunity to send down the Task Force to impress the others in Parliament. 2
155 155 301 Celica If I remember correctly, you've been racking your brain over them for quite some time. 2
156 156 301 Hassen ... 1
157 157 204 2
158 158 301 Celica I better let you decide for yourself. I'll get you a new cup of coffee. 2
159 159 202 2 1
160 160 203 1 0.25
161 161 301 Celica picks up the coffee cup and leaves the bridge.
162 162 301 Hassen buries himself in his seat and hesitates for a moment before reaching out to dial the internal comms.
163 163 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Hassen Please gather the Gray Ravens in the conference room. 1
171 171 301 1 Lucia Lucia of Gray Raven reporting for duty. 3
172 172 301 Lee Lee of Gray Raven reporting for duty. 2
173 173 301 Liv Liv of Gray Raven reporting for duty. 1
174 174 302 Gray Raven Commandant reporting for duty. 175
175 175 202 1 2 3 1
176 176 201 1 500011
177 177 301 1 Hassen At ease. 1
178 178 301 Hassen Normally, Commander Nikola would be addressing you, but these are special circumstances. I hope you can understand. 1
179 179 202 1 1
180 180 201 1 1031001 -600
181 181 201 2 1011001 600
182 182 201 3 500029
183 183 301 1 Everyone Yes, sir. 1 2 3
184 184 202 1 2 3 1
185 185 201 1 500011
186 186 301 1 Hassen Which of you knows more about the World Government's facilities before Operation Acadia? 1
187 187 203 1 0.25 -450
188 188 201 2 1011001 450
189 189 301 1 Lee I do. 2
190 190 301 Hassen Do you know what it means when a facility starts with the designation "X"? 1
191 191 301 Lee Yes. Those are "Undefined/Confidential Facilities". They don't adhere to standard designations due to their inherent nature. 2
192 192 301 Lee Is that our objective? 2
193 193 301 Hassen Smart as always. Kurono suffered a great loss with your departure. 1
194 194 301 Hassen Your mission objective is Facility X-51. Once you have secured the facility, light a red signal flare. 1
195 195 301 Hassen It's a search & recon mission with no rules of engagement. We have equipped Captain Lucia with an advanced prototype frame to prepare for unforeseen situations. 1
196 196 301 Hassen —To put it simply, you could be up against anything. 1
197 197 301 Hassen Am I clear? 1
198 198 201 2 500029 450
199 199 301 1 Lucia Yes, sir. 2
200 200 301 Hassen Everything else is in the briefing. Prepare for departure. 1
204 204 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Guide AI Preparing airdrop, altitude: 30000m.
205 205 301 Guide AI Preparing airdrop, altitude: 29994m.
206 206 301 Guide AI Airdrop preparations completed. Disengaging hook.
207 207 301 Guide AI May gravity and hope guide you.
208 208 301 RImgBg1Shake Suddenly, the four of you become weightless, and your feet no longer touch the cabin floor.
209 209 301 —Had it not been for the buckles firmly fastened to your upper torso, the four of you would have knocked your heads against the ceiling.
210 210 301 Guide AI 26407 meters.
211 211 301 Controller Hook disengagement confirmed. Beginning the final briefing—
212 212 301 Controller Mission location: Facility X-51, one of the possible locations of "Area 51" in the Golden Age.
213 213 301 Guide AI 21993 meters.
214 214 301 Controller Any information on the purpose of X-51 and its personnel has been lost. We only know that it was not involved during Operation Acadia or any subsequent asset cataloging.
215 215 301 Controller In other words, this facility had fallen off the World Government's radar long before the Post-Pandemic Age.
216 216 301 Guide AI 18402 meters.
217 217 301 Controller We sent a survey team when we first discovered this facility.
218 218 301 Controller But there was a setback that resulted in a 30% casualty rate.
219 219 301 Guide AI 13336 meters.
220 220 301 Controller So we need the Task Force to uncover what happened and assess whether the facility holds any value for further exploration.
221 221 301 Controller If any Corrupted stand in your way, eliminate them. If there are humans, attempt to communicate.
222 222 301 RImgBg1Shake Guide AI 9223m. Engaging reverse thrusters for preliminary deceleration.
223 223 301 Controller The last survey team barely scratched the surface, so we have no idea what the situation is like within the facility.
224 224 301 Controller Please be prepared for all possibilities.
225 225 301 Guide AI 6507 meters.
226 226 301 Controller One last thing—I wish you a safe landing.
227 227 301 Controller We have tried our best to ensure the safety of the airdrop, but there is a 1.73% chance of failure.
228 228 301 Controller Babylonia, over and out.
229 229 301 RImgBg1Shake AniZhuanchangBegin Guide AI 2047m. Engaging reverse thrusters for secondary deceleration.