3 3 301 DialogEnable If the Pantheon still existed today, it probably won't stand any more impressive than this.
4 4 301 A giant chandelier, beautiful and extravagant, hangs from the magnificent dome, illuminating the mural of The Last Judgement above with its refracted lights from multiple angles.
5 5 301 No one knows if there are any discrepancies between that and the original. No one cares whether the details match the records for that matter.
6 6 301 All it has to do is to be there, just like the pillars carved with scenes taken from the Divine Comedy, and contribute to the opulence and grandeur of the building.
7 7 301 Every inch of the place is indescribably ostentatious, and unfortunately, this is probably the last and dreamiest opera house left in the world.
8 8 301 A place like this exists only in Babylonia, in the last Eden of the human race.
9 9 201 1 500005
10 10 301 1 Performer Farewell, my dear comrade. 1
11 11 301 Performer May your future be filled with light and love. 1
12 12 301 And those were the gentle final words of the performer playing the soldier as he collapsed in a pool of blood, giving his comrades his best wishes before slowly shutting his eyes.
13 13 202 1
14 14 301 RImgBg1Disable The maroon curtains drop and the opera entitled "The Acadia Evacuation" draws to a close.
15 15 401 1 36
16 16 301 The lights slowly dim and for a moment, there's silence in the fully-packed opera house.
17 17 401 1 12
18 18 301 But soon, a thunderous applause fills the entire auditorium.
19 19 301 The well-dressed audience stand, giving a standing ovation to what they've just watched.
21 21 301 Then, a beam of light breaks through the darkness, illuminating the stage.
22 22 301 Right in the center of the dome's Last Judgement mural is a hole from which the light of the artificial sky poured in.
23 23 301 The ray of light falls directly on the girl who has been standing in the center of the stage for some time.
24 24 301 She is the soul of this opera, the composer of the ode that has taken the world by storm—Selena.
25 25 301 She seems to be in a bit of a daze, as if she cannot believe her eyes. Her wandering gaze sweeps across the dome, the mural, the pillars and finally lands on the audience.
26 26 301 She seems to have seen something, for when her eyes reach a corner of the auditorium, her gaze abruptly snaps back.
27 27 301 But she quickly gets a hold of herself, giving a perfect curtsy to the audience.
28 28 301 AniZhuanchangBegin She does not give a tedious thank you closing speech, but rather, holds that pose for a very long time, until the golden glitter has fallen and the audience starts making their way out.
32 32 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 When the last member of the audience leaves, she straightens up, glances around the auditorium, then instantly dashes off in a certain direction.
42 43 301 1 0 The Construct to whom she called out slowly turns around, looking at her.
43 44 301 The Construct is not dressed like the rest of the audience with their polished shoes and snowy white embroidered shirts, not to mention tuxedos.
44 45 301 Standing right in front of her is a completely ordinary Construct. He wears the standard construct outfit, completely at odds with the opulence of the opera house.
45 46 301 This is one of the guests specially invited for this opera performance. Besides civilians, the opera house occasionally gives out tickets to military soldiers to thank them for their hard work and service.
46 47 301 At Selena the librettist's behest, a few tickets for this performance have even been reserved for Construct soldiers.
47 48 301 Construct What do you want? 2
48 49 301 0 There is no formality from him whatsoever. In fact, he comes across as pretty rude.
49 50 301 It is as if the person standing before him is not the youngest, most talented librettist in Babylonia, but a nameless foot soldier.
50 51 301 Selena Was there some aspect of the performance that you were unsatisfied with? 1
51 52 301 Construct Oh, does my opinion warrant the attention of a genius librettist? Do you artists actually plan to gather feedback from every member of the audience until all you receive is praise? 2
52 53 301 Selena That's not what I meant. I just wanted to know why you didn't applaud just now. 1
53 54 301 0 She quickly realizes what she has just blurted out. Anyone listening would think that it is no different from what the Construct has said. If anything, it has come across as even more arrogant.
54 55 301 So she stops and instead looks fixedly into his eyes.
55 56 301 Construct Applaud that fabricated fantasy opera? 2
56 57 301 0 The Construct snorts in derision.
57 58 204 1 7
58 59 301 Selena What's so funny? 1
59 60 301 Construct I thought this reward from the military was something special, but I didn't expect it to be a ticket to watch such an insulting show in this hellhole. 2
60 61 301 Construct And now, the one who made this insulting and humiliating performance is standing here asking me why I'm seething. Is there anything more ironic than this? 2
61 62 301 Selena I don't understand what you mean, and I didn't mean to offend you. 1
62 63 301 Construct The presumptuousness of your opera is offensive enough. 2
63 64 301 Selena What was it about that opera that angered you? Please tell me! 1
64 65 301 Construct Then let me ask you what was it that you were trying to say with your opera? 2
65 66 301 Construct Did you intend to praise the fearlessness of the hero? To praise the greatness of war? Or did you want to express your condescending sympathy and so-called compassion for those who gave their lives? 2
66 67 301 Selena Condescending sympathy and compassion... No... 1
67 68 301 Construct Don't even try to deny it. The true intentions of the creator can always be seen in their work. You should know this better than me, a mere fighter. 2
68 69 204 1 4
69 70 301 Selena I wasn't sure. That's why I'm here. I was hoping to get your opinion. 1
70 71 301 Selena I know you had first-hand experience of the retreat, and I just wanted to get your approval. 1
71 72 301 0 The soldier lets out another snort.
72 73 301 Construct You ask why I wouldn't applaud? Why don't you go back and look at the stage you built? 2
73 74 301 Construct You wanted to create a scene of post-war ruins on that magnificent opera stage, so you carved bullet holes in the plaster and chiseled out cracks. I can see that you spared no effort in setting it all up and making it perfect. 2
74 75 301 Construct ...Yes, it's perfect. 2
75 76 301 Construct It's so beautiful indeed. You remade a ruined Pantheon, but not the ruins of a battlefield. 2
76 77 301 Construct You didn't know that the ruins should have borne scorch marks, and be adorned with mottled blood and broken limbs scattered about... 2
77 78 301 Construct Your ruins are respectable and clean, just like your pitiful imagination, that's all. It bears no resemblance to war. 2
78 79 301 Construct Do you really think that when you're out on the front lines, the world is still as orderly as it is in Babylonia? It would be utterly impossible for that grand funeral service you had in your show to actually happen on the front lines. 2
79 80 301 Construct And a eulogy with accompanying funeral music? Pfft... We don't even have time to attend to the cries of the living, so how on earth would we have the time to comfort the dead? 2
80 81 301 Construct If it were just these superficial things, I wouldn't be losing my temper like this. 2
81 82 301 0 He suddenly raises his voice, as if to question.
82 83 301 RImgBg1Shake Construct What were you trying to convey with the final scene? 2
83 84 204 1 7
84 85 203 DialogDisable 1000 1 0.5 600
85 86 301 DialogEnable 0 Selena takes a step back.
86 87 301 While she did write every line of the opera herself and the show has just ended, for some reason, she struggles to recall what happened in that scene. It has all been a blur to her.
87 88 301 She only vaguely remembers that she had the dying soldiers on Earth wishing the soldiers who left Earth well.
88 89 301 A death without regrets, a sacrifice without bitterness, and with a prayer for the future... It was the most dignified and perfect curtain call she could think of.
89 90 301 Construct "Farewell, my dear comrade." 2
90 91 301 Construct "May your future be filled with light and love." 2
91 92 301 0 The soldier imitated every word in the sing-song lilt of the opera singer, mimicking even the cadence, as if to mock her. 2
92 93 301 Construct This was the most ridiculous opera I've seen. 2
93 94 301 Construct Those who were forcibly abandoned and had no choice but to accept their deaths wishing a group of cowards fleeing their homeland well? What the hell is this joke? Is there anything more insulting than this? 2
94 95 301 Construct Only those like you who were born in Babylonia and have lived such pampered lives would be able to come up with such a ridiculous "comedy." 2
95 96 301 Construct Listen up! What you're putting on is nothing but a comedy that shouldn't even have been performed at all. Your entire story is nothing but a fantasy. 2
96 97 301 Construct Unlike you, I've lived through that era. I had to forsake my flesh, my humanity, and my dignity for a future, to be allowed into Eden. 2
97 98 301 Construct I became a Construct, but whenever I close my eyes, all that appears in my M.I.N.D. is the wailing cries of those who died. 2
98 99 202 1 2 1
99 100 201 2 500019
100 101 301 1 Construct My family died on Earth. I wasn't able to hold their hands as they died, but in their last moments, all they held in their eyes was only hatred, not your so-called blessing. 2
101 102 301 Construct Those who were abandoned had only hatred and those who fled had only remorse. This Eden arose from enmity and countless corpses. 2
102 103 301 Construct People would die just like animals in that war, meaninglessly. 2
103 104 301 Construct Without a religion, without glory, and most definitely, without forgiveness and blessing. 2
104 105 301 Construct There's just hatred and anger that knows no bounds. Damn! Why did we have to face all of that? Why did it have to be us who were there? Why did we get to a point when we were forced to destroy everything? 2
105 106 301 Construct Only when life becomes nothing more than just statistics will you understand the horrors of war. 2
106 107 301 Construct When humans can no longer continue being humans... only then will you understand the helplessness war brings. 2
107 108 202 2 1
108 109 201 1 500108 7 600
109 110 201 2 500019 -450
110 111 301 1 Construct We abandoned the people we were supposed to protect, then turn around and seek a respite from our suffering through shows like this, all to satisfy our need for pseudo-empathy and egoism. 2
111 112 301 Construct You, a person who's never seen hell, who's never been on the brink of death, sing praises of war and peace in a place like this? And you dare ask me why I didn't applaud? 2
112 113 301 Construct I've never seen a eulogizing opera more arrogant than yours. Forgive me for taking my leave, for it's taken every ounce of willpower to speak to you with such dignity and courtesy, and I have none left. 2
113 114 401 2 1516
114 115 203 2 1 -1000
115 116 202 2
116 117 301 Without a second thought, the soldier turns and departs, leaving Selena standing alone in the empty square.
117 118 202 1 1
118 119 301 AniZhuanchangBegin And there she stands for the longest time, her countenance never showing the slightest hint of being offended despite the insults. She keeps her head tilted upward, her eyes closed, and finally, lets out a deep sigh.
121 122 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Selena is not sure how she managed to get home.
122 123 301 Her parents are preparing to celebrate the success of their daughter's first opera.
123 124 301 Her family is celebrating joyously, while she, having locked herself in her room, has never felt more alone.
124 125 301 In the stillness of her room, her heartbeat is the only thing she can hear.
125 126 301 The soldier's words are on constant replay in her mind and a weight upon her heart. She feels as if her heart is about to leap out of her chest.
126 127 301 She wants to pour her heart out to someone, and she knows that no matter how battered and messed up she felt, her best friend Ayla will willingly lend a listening ear.
127 128 301 But she also knows without a doubt that this is her pain to bear and she is the only one who can deal with it.
128 129 201 1 500108 7
129 130 301 1 Selena Arrogant. 1
130 131 301 Selena Arrogant... 1
131 132 202 1
132 133 301 She repeats the word to herself over and over, turning it over in her mouth, as if attempting to chew it into bits and swallow it.
133 134 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Selena closes her eyes.
137 138 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Why did she space out for so long then? Even to the point of forgetting to close with a thank you speech.
138 139 301 Now she remembers. It was not because she was nervous, but because she was ashamed.
139 140 301 The accusatory light pours through the dome above, showering the guilty with its brilliance, leaving them nowhere to hide. She knew she was guilty the moment she saw The Last Judgment mural on the dome.
140 141 301 That arrogance was rooted in every fiber of her being.
141 142 301 She finally knows why she could not recall her state of mind when writing those librettos.
142 143 301 Because there was none. There was no state of mind to speak of, nor was there any deep contemplation whatsoever.
143 144 301 It was her first time coming up with her own libretto without referencing existing librettos. It was her decision to select an unfamiliar era as the subject, which she then used as a canvas to arrogantly depict her fantasy of humanity's glory.
144 145 301 Even in the early stages of her writing, she already had the faint sense that something was wrong. That was why she stood anxiously on stage when receiving the applause.
145 146 301 Because she was not deserving of it.
146 147 301 When her gaze fell upon the motionless imposing Construct soldier who continued sitting, coldly surveying the people applauding around him, that anxiety finally grew into an uncontrollable wave of shame that ran down her spine.
147 148 301 AniZhuanchangBegin She was so ashamed that she did not dare look up for a long time.
151 152 301 AniZhuanchangEnd She has always loved opera and music from a young age. In the beginning, she had to use robots to perform the operas she wrote and directed in small exhibitions. She never imagined then that her operas could one day be performed on a real stage by real performers.
152 153 301 Dreams coming true should have been a joyous occasion, but as she stands on stage receiving the praise heaped on her, all there is in her heart is but an endless, empty void.
153 154 301 Why were they crying? Why were they cheering? What was it about this hollow opera that moved them?
154 155 301 She could not understand at all, for she did not put anything into it.
155 156 301 What else was she thinking of?
156 157 301 Oh yes, that it was truly unimaginable.
157 158 301 It was unimaginable that, beyond those walls was the most advanced floating city the world had ever seen, but within those walls was an extravagant and excessively old-world opera house.
158 159 301 It fulfilled the fantasies humanity of this era had of classical elegance. It was as if they could gain a small peek into the magnificence of history and soak up what is left of that era just by being in the opera house.
159 160 301 There is always a polarity to extremities. The more humanity and technology advanced, the more people look to the old-world for symbols of nobility.
160 161 301 That which is scarce is always more precious—this law always holds true. It is precisely because resources are scarce that the beauty created from the accumulation of such limited resources can be so resplendent, so dazzling.
161 162 301 She used to yearn with all her heart to be there. Everything beautiful gave her indescribable heart palpitations then.
162 163 301 When her eyes landed on the columns with the Divine Comedy sculpture relief, she finally understood where the heart palpitations were coming from.
163 164 301 She heard the low growl of the beasts masked by the sound of loud cheering.
164 165 301 It was a wolf, a lion, a cheetah.
165 166 301 They were the beasts within.
166 167 301 It was from that moment that she vaguely started to see the truth behind the glitz and glamour.
167 168 301 The final curtsy was not one of gratitude, but rather, one of prayer.
168 169 301 No, it was not a prayer, or to be more precise, it was not just a prayer.
169 170 301 It had nothing to do with religious etiquette. Rather, it was simply the final farewell by the most devout believer to the beliefs she held dearest.
170 171 301 And in the next moment, she dashed out of the opera house, after that soldier.
171 172 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Because now that she knew her sin, she recognized that it was he who would bestow the final judgment upon her.
172 173 401 1 36
173 174 401 2 1515
174 175 301 AniZhuanchangEnd The terminal on her wrist suddenly gives off a fluorescent glow, cutting her thoughts off.
175 176 301 It is a confidential mail of a test she did before writing that libretto... to think that they have chosen this time to respond.
176 177 301 Selena skims through the meaningless small talk and calmly fixes her gaze on the conclusion.
177 178 301 1 AniZhuanchangBegin "You have a good level of affinity with Tantalum-193. Your Construct surgery success rate is judged to be high."
