3 3 301 DialogEnable It has been 15 days since Liv returned to Babylonia. It is also the 15th day she has been adapting to her new frame.
4 4 301 The peaceful facade of Babylonia would have tricked her into believing that everything has gone back to normal... if not for the obstacles and pain she has experienced throughout the adaptation.
5 5 301 The Constructs that returned with Liv either have been sent to Star of Life, are currently being treated, or have their names recorded on the casualty list.
6 6 301 Those who once gathered at conservation areas 043 and 046 have mostly survived, but the conditions of a few of them are still critical.
9 9 301 Apart from following the protocol to work on her adaptation, Liv has mostly spent her time in Star of Life, assisting the doctors there and looking after the patients.
10 10 301 She seems to have brought her habit on the surface back with her. Besides taking care of the patients, Liv will also jot down their particulars in her journal.
11 11 301 She knows that terminals that contain nonessential information will be reset after her frame is destroyed, so she has chosen pen and paper instead.
12 12 301 —Cosette, brought to Babylonia from the surface, is also staying at Star of Life under observation. She seems to be doing fine right now.
13 13 301 Celica has told Liv that Cosette will be transferred to the Youth Center later to await adoption. Or she might stay there until she has grown up.
16 16 301 —It has been over two months since 【kuroname】 was injured at the Pulia Forest Park Ruins.
17 17 301 Since returning to Babylonia, the commandant has been receiving the best medical treatment possible.
18 18 301 But the days pass by... and 【kuroname】 shows no sign of waking up. Not even when the heavily wounded Simon has woken up from his coma and comes to visit with the medical personnel's help.
19 19 301 All the doctors in Star of Life know full well that if 【kuroname】 does not wake up soon, there might be no waking up at all.
20 20 301 Being in a coma for over three months will create irreversible complications in a human's body.
21 21 301 Even if a miracle happens after three months, the best option the Chief commandant has is to turn into a Construct.
22 22 301 But miracles do not just happen. Not to mention that should the commandant wake up, all that awaits are the "adjustable" plans the Parliament has planned, eagerly paving the road to the end of a hero's journey.
23 23 301 Whenever night falls, and most of the patients and nurses are asleep, Liv will still be busy working in the halls of Star of Life.
24 24 301 The only time she stops is when she receives the daily mission report from the surface, and she will take a brief rest, eased by the images of the figures in relative safety.
25 25 301 AniZhuanchangBegin She is... a sparrow, trapped in an hourglass. Knowing that she will soon be buried by the shifting sand, she still refuses to give up on searching for a way out.
27 27 301 AniZhuanchangEnd As noon arrives on another busy day at Star of Life, Liv departs briefly for the Science Council.
28 28 301 She is already ready to return and continue to help after finishing today's adaptation at the Council.
29 29 301 As long as she can offer an extra pair of hands, she can give everyone else a little breathing room, and more patients can be treated.
30 30 301 But she finds someone she has not seen for a while in Asimov's laboratory.
31 31 201 1 1091001
32 32 301 1 Bianca ...I understand the details. The specialized device you requested has been approved as well. It'll arrive here tomorrow. 1
33 33 203 1 0.25 400
34 34 201 2 1031001 -400
35 35 301 Liv ... 2
36 36 301 Seeing Liv enter, Bianca simply nods at her without saying anything.
37 37 301 Bianca I'll be going if there's nothing else. 1
38 38 202 1 2 1
39 39 201 1 500004
40 40 301 1 Asimov Of course. 1
41 41 201 1 1091001 400
42 42 201 2 1031001 -400
43 43 301 1 Looking at Liv, Bianca seems to have a thousand words left unsaid in her eyes. Still, she remains silent, nodding again and bidding farewell.
44 44 204 1 4
45 45 301 Bianca Take care. 1
46 46 301 Liv ... 2
47 47 202 1 2 1
48 48 301 AniZhuanchangBegin As she watches Bianca leave the laboratory, she hears another familiar voice from the door, one she has not heard for a very long time.
52 52 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Hippocrates Good afternoon. 1
53 53 201 1 1031001 3
54 54 301 1 Liv ...Huh? 1
55 55 203 1 0.25 -400
56 56 201 2 500404 1 400
57 57 301 1 Hippocrates What? Do you have to look like you just saw a paralyzed patient playing football? 2
58 58 204 1
59 59 301 Liv My apologies, Professor... I was just surprised to see you. I heard that you left Star of Life to focus on academic research, and you're no longer teaching or practicing. 1
60 60 301 Hippocrates You're not wrong. I applied for early retirement to concentrate on things and research that I actually care about. 2
61 61 301 Hippocrates But in times like this, no one gets to stay on the sidelines, I suppose. So here I am. 2
62 62 301 She shrugs, smiling.
63 63 301 Hippocrates Asimov has told me what happened to you on the surface. 2
64 64 202 1 2 1
65 65 201 1 500004 8
66 66 301 1 Asimov ... 1
67 67 201 1 1031001 -400
68 68 201 2 500404 1 400
69 69 301 1 Hippocrates I've also checked on the Gray Raven Commandant. Not an easy job to bring someone with a brain injury like that back in one piece. 2
70 70 301 Hippocrates Don't be too hard on yourself. Choices were made, and the die was cast. I know what happened down there. You did your best. 2
71 71 204 1 2
72 72 301 Hearing the words the Professor used to say to comfort her students, Liv shows a hint of bitterness in her smile.
73 73 301 Hippocrates Word is that you're making an extraordinary frame here? 2
74 74 301 Hippocrates You got me curious. Tell me more. 2
75 75 201 1 500004 8 -400
76 76 301 1 Asimov ...It's classified. 1
77 77 204 2 2
78 78 301 Hippocrates I've submitted my request and signed the NDA. Here, see for yourself. 2
79 79 301 She opens her terminal and shows Asimov the notice she just received.
80 80 301 Hippocrates Unless you don't trust the doctor that delivered you? 2
81 81 401 2 608
82 82 401 100 2 625
83 83 301 Right as she finishes saying that, the sound of containers being knocked over and a little girl gasping can be heard from a cubicle inside.
84 84 204 1
85 85 301 Asimov The notice just says you're allowed to join. I don't think you've agreed to do it yet. 1
86 86 204 2 1
87 87 301 Hippocrates I should learn more about the project before coming to a decision, shouldn't I? 2
88 88 401 2 1515
89 89 301 Asimov does not bother to argue anymore. He tabs on the monitor before him and pulls up a folder for Hippocrates.
90 90 301 Hippocrates I see... So this is it... 2
91 91 301 Hippocrates ...It's the frame that utilizes the data from an agent, isn't it? 2
92 92 301 Hippocrates Kurono is in over their heads, trying to make an Ascendant of their own. It might be powerful on the battlefield, but the frame comes with a side effect, doesn't it? It "attracts" the Punishing Virus like an actual Ascendant. 2
93 93 301 Hippocrates Since the user of the frame cannot withstand the infection, they'll die soon after they're deployed. 2
94 94 301 Asimov But attracting the Punishing Virus is the effect the Omega Weapon needs. That's the only way it can capture the virus. 1
95 95 301 Hippocrates But where does it send the Punishing Virus? 2
96 96 301 Asimov ...We're still unable to explain most of it. Right now, all I can say is... the Omega Weapon functions more akin to a "tunnel" or a "wormhole" that pulls in the Punishing Virus. 1
97 97 301 Asimov This frame has brought us hope precisely because it can make the Punishing Virus go away for real. 1
98 98 301 Asimov With proper control, we can even cure the Corrupted. 1
99 99 204 2
100 100 301 Hippocrates You won't be looking like this if things have been going this smoothly. 2
101 101 301 Asimov ...This specialized frame cannot control the rate it draws the Punishing Virus. 1
102 102 301 Asimov Given the current virus concentration on the surface, it is very likely that the Omega Weapon cannot keep up with the amount the frame is drawing in. 1
103 103 301 Hippocrates What will happen to the virus that the Omega Weapon cannot capture? Will they just infect Liv? 2
104 104 301 Asimov answers her with his silence.
105 105 301 Hippocrates This is only going to give us another Corrupted. If things go wrong, we might even get another Ascendant. 2
106 106 301 Asimov Commander Nikola agrees that we might risk turning Liv into an Ascendant. That's why he has asked the Purifying Force to support the operation. 1
107 107 301 Asimov I was just confirming the situation with Bianca earlier. She's bringing over some... equipment tomorrow that requires special authorization. 1
108 108 301 Hippocrates Equipment from the Purifying Force... a M.I.N.D. needle probe? 2
109 109 204 1 8
110 110 301 Asimov And an EMP discharge collar. 1
111 111 202 1 2 1
112 112 201 2 500404
113 113 301 1 Hippocrates ... 2
114 114 301 Hippocrates Did he tell you about this? 2
115 115 203 2 0.25 400
116 116 201 1 1031001 -400
117 117 301 1 Liv Yes. Asimov and Commander Nikola told me before we started the adaptation. 1
118 118 301 Hippocrates Do you know what those two things do? 2
119 119 301 Liv One of them monitors my M.I.N.D. activities, and the other one can directly extinguish my M.I.N.D. 1
120 120 301 Hippocrates You signed the agreement after you'd learned about them? 2
121 121 204 1 19
122 122 301 Liv I did... since I don't want to become the enemy either. 1
123 123 301 A hint of gloom flashes on the cheerful Professor's face, but she has not voiced any disagreement.
124 124 301 Hippocrates What if we retrieve Liv before the infection crosses the threshold? 2
125 125 201 1 500004 -400
126 126 301 1 Asimov Even with the specialized frame, the Omega Weapon cannot hold on for too long. 1
127 127 301 Asimov Everything is a work in progress. We can only improve it after testing. 1
128 128 301 Hippocrates Didn't you solve this once? With the Smith boy... Chrome? 2
129 129 301 Asimov The way I solved that was by including an inhibitor so that the Ascendant data wouldn't surpass what he could handle. 1
130 130 301 Asimov There are two reasons why we can't use an inhibitor this time. 1
131 131 301 Asimov Drawing in the Punishing Virus is, by default, an act of surpassing the threshold. If we put a limit on that, this project wouldn't be able to do what it's meant to do. 1
132 132 301 Hippocrates Hmm... Of course those people would come up with something like this when they consider human lives simply part of the cost of their experiments. 2
133 133 301 Hippocrates But this isn't turning a heater on and off, where our options are either hot or cold, inhibitor or no inhibitor. There must be another way. 2
134 134 301 Asimov There would be, but the specialized frame is developed from an agent's data, so its essence is similar to an Ascendant. 1
135 135 301 Asimov Connecting with the M.I.N.D. of a frame like this often means corrupting a commandant's Mind Beacon. 1
136 136 301 Asimov After getting the data from Chrome and the fight with the Hetero-Hive Mother, I reinforced the inhibitor on the Glory frame. 1
137 137 301 Asimov Right now, his specialized frame is as stable as Arclight. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, both frames only have a 0.64% chance to deviate. 1
138 138 301 Asimov But should a deviation occur, only the Gray Raven Commandant 【kuroname】 can stabilize his M.I.N.D. 1
139 139 301 Asimov Given that 【kuroname】 is still in a coma, we've lost our only guarantee. 1
140 140 301 Hippocrates Is that why Kurono is so obsessed with 【kuroname】? 2
141 141 301 Asimov I wasn't too keen to find out the details, but it certainly seems like it. 1
142 142 301 Asimov They have trouble solving the infection, and they couldn't get their hands on Constructs with remarkably stable M.I.N.D.s. 1
143 143 301 Asimov Without a commandant who can withstand it, the frames they build can't be deployed, or it'll just result in the user's demise. 1
144 144 202 1 2 1
145 145 201 1 1031001 19
146 146 301 1 Liv ... 1
147 147 201 1 500004 -400
148 148 201 2 500404 400
149 149 301 1 Asimov ...How do you know about Kurono, Professor? 1
150 150 204 2 2
151 151 301 Hippocrates A sweet young man promised I'd be interested in 【kuroname】 and Project Winter, so I let him talk. 2
152 152 204 1 7
153 153 301 Asimov ...? 1
154 154 204 1
155 155 204 2 1
156 156 301 Hippocrates He said he wanted the project to continue smoothly so the frames they make could improve and stop hurting the users. That's why they need my help. 2
157 157 301 Hippocrates Oh, how passionate young people are nowadays. I didn't even give him an answer, and he was showering me with praise for over ten minutes. And I thought my old researches were all but forgotten. 2
158 158 301 Hippocrates People often ask me how I stay so young, but no one listens when I say it's healthy diets, enough sleep, regular exercise, and staying away from cigarettes and alcohol. 2
159 159 204 1 8
160 160 301 Asimov ... 1
161 161 204 1
162 162 301 Asimov Are you joining the research? 1
163 163 301 Hippocrates Hold on. One more question. 2
164 164 301 Hippocrates Why Liv? 2
165 165 202 1 2 1
166 166 201 1 1031001
167 167 301 1 Liv That was my choice. 1
168 168 201 1 500004 -400
169 169 201 2 500404 400
170 170 301 1 Hippocrates But I've heard that they were eyeing you before you applied. 2
171 171 301 1 Asimov No one could avoid the outcome, even if it weren't Liv. 1
172 172 301 Hippocrates Save that kind of speech for someone who hasn't seen her share of death. When the number of lives isn't a factor, I'll always care for those I care about. 2
173 173 204 1 8
174 174 301 1 Asimov ... 1
175 175 204 1
176 176 301 Asimov The most important factors we considered were M.I.N.D. stability and strain. 1
177 177 301 Asimov We have to exclude those who have their M.I.N.D.s damaged by a specialized frame—they would require something more stable. 1
178 178 301 Asimov Among our top three candidates, Liv is second on the list. 1
179 179 301 Hippocrates Oh? Who's first? 2
180 180 301 Asimov Lee, who's also from Gray Raven. 1
181 181 301 Asimov Still, this frame is just our first attempt. There is still a lot of uncertainty, but someone out there has been trying to suppress it. 1
182 182 301 Hippocrates Someone, huh? I can hazard a guess who that is. Who knows, maybe we're talking about the same person. Were those the only things you considered? 2
183 183 301 Asimov The other factor was the fact that Liv applied for the program herself. 1
184 184 301 Hippocrates lets out a deep sigh, switching to a more comfortable posture on the chair.
185 185 301 Hippocrates Alright. I agree to join the operation. 2
186 186 301 Hippocrates The agent's data would've caused all kinds of issues, even from the simulated connection during adaptation. 2
187 187 301 Hippocrates The migraine you feel would be the most obvious one, yes? 2
188 188 201 1 1031001 -400
189 189 301 1 Liv ...Yes. 1
190 190 204 1
191 191 204 2 14
192 192 301 Hippocrates Right, you wouldn't have said anything if you weren't asked. 2
193 193 204 2 1
194 194 301 Hippocrates Although frames aren't my specialty, I can still help when it comes to M.I.N.D. stability. 2
195 195 301 Hippocrates I'll also be the attending physician of your commandant. If we can get 【kuroname】 to wake up, we'll at least have a shot at tackling problems regarding the M.I.N.D. 2
196 196 301 Liv ...Thank you, Professor. 1
197 197 301 Hippocrates Of course. If you have any requests, now's the time. 2
198 198 301 Hippocrates taps the monitor in front of Asimov and presents the design of the new frame to Liv.
199 199 201 1 500004 8 -400
200 200 301 1 Asimov ... 1
201 201 301 Hippocrates I'm not the one who does the modification, but the more the frame matches what you want, the better it is for you in your future battles. 2
202 202 202 1 2 1
203 203 201 1 1031001
204 204 301 1 Liv ... 1
205 205 301 Looking at the pure white frame on the schematics, she is reminded of a similar piece of paper she once held in her hands.
206 206 301 Liv ...Wings. 1
207 207 301 Whether it is 【kuroname】 or the people who are still struggling...
208 208 301 If only the Eclipse frame could fly, Liv would be able to travel over the hills and the flood, through the danger to wherever she is needed—to help those she could have saved.
