Chapter 1.5 - Virtual Reality: NG-PPT-42T8
Proceeding to the destination point, Jan and the others find themselves in a shrine-like room.
Jan: Mikhail… Mikhail, are you still with us?
Mikhail: I’m tracing you closely. Did you find the ambassadors?
Jan: We’ve arrived at point NG-PP6-42T8. I still can’t see any signs of the ambassadors. Can you scan for their position from there?
Mikhail: Just a moment. …Hmm, I’m seeing life signs at your current location. Um… can you walk around the perimeter and confirm your position? That area must be comprised of multiple levels. Shouldn’t the ambassadors be there?
Jan: …What’s that over there?
An altar-like object surrounded by a fence is visible in the interior of the room. A shock courses through Jan’s body when he touches the fence.
Jan: Damn, the fence!
Mikhail: C-Captain! What happened!?
Erich: Captain. This is an emergency! Get out of that place immediately!!
Jan: Erich!? What kind of emergency?
Erich: Someone is hacking in!! …I’m almost certain it’s the same program that triggered the reconstruction of that room earlier! Something else is at the ambassador’s captivity point… an macrophage? …No, it's something different. A level 4 virus! It’s an extermination program!!
Jan: Attack specs!?
Erich: My attempts to analyze the enemy are being blocked!! You’re in danger! Log out now!
Jan: Understood! It appears that someone from the outside is causing massive interference here… it’s time to withdraw. Log out at once.
Melisse: Captain!?
Jan: No objections. Mikhail, bring us back.
Mikhail: Understood. Commencing recovery. ...? …??
Jan: What’s wrong?
Melisse: Captain…
Jan: You’ll have time to voice your opinions later, Melisse.
Melisse: No… something’s not right… I can’t move…!!
Erich: Your consciousness is stuck there!?
Before their eyes, a huge extermination program appears and blocks their way.
Jan: The extermination program…!!
Erich: Dammit!
In the Archon police station operating room, Erich gets up from tracing Jan and the others and gets into a dive port. He starts preparing to log in.
Erich: I’m logging in from here and using a direct approach to force the others out!
Mikhail: W-Wait just a minute! Your equipment hasn’t been prepared! It’s too dangerous to go in there unarmed!!
Erich: This is about the Captain’s life. …And I’m concerned about that program that’s causing the interference. If I don’t see it for myself… Mikhail, trace me and bring me back!
Mikhail: H-Hey!
Back in virtual reality.
Mikhail: …Captain? Captain!!
Jan: What’s wrong!?
Mikhail: Dammit, that crazy bastard! …Erich is logging in to that point to attempt to log you out manually!
Bugs: !!
Jan: What!?
Mikhail: He’s not even armed! …Captain. Once Erich logs in, please take care not to involve him in any battles!!
Bugs: Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! Erich hasn’t received training for combat like the rest of us! He should know better than anyone what it means to log in to a situation like this!!
Jan: ...I see. At any rate, it seems that once we log out we should make some changes to our organization. The question is whether the ambassadors’ force of will will hold out until then.
Mikhail: Preparations for your recovery are complete. Follow Erich’s directions and we’ll get you back somehow.
Erich logs in right in the middle of the battle.
Erich: Captain!!
Bugs: Erich!!
Jan: …That was a stupid thing to do.
Erich: Like I told you before, what you are experiencing is someone hacking into this space. What concerns me the most is that your consciousnesses are locked to this point. I’m going to use a direct approach to force you out one at a time. Please just try to relax…
He tries to approach Jan, but is intercepted and deleted by the extermination program.
Lactis: Dammit!
Melisse: !!
Jan: Erich!?
Bugs: Erich!? Erich… Erich!? No! No, it’s not true…
Melisse: …Bugs.
Bugs: …Right? Melisse? This isn’t real, right? Because how could Erich be gone … Captain, this is just another hallucination, isn’t it? I… I… if my operator is gone… I… it’s not true! It’s not true!
Battle with the extermination program “Auduhmla.”
Mikhail: What’s going on!? On this end Erich’s life signs are fading fast! He can’t be…
Jan: What’s his condition!?
Mikhail: The medics are examining him. He appears to be in a state of cardiac arrest.
Jan: …I see.
Mikhail: Erich…
Jan: The security unit has been eliminated. Was there any change in our surroundings?
Mikhail: The interference from outside appears to have ceased. You’ve also been released from the coordinate lock.
Jan: I see. Can we proceed with logging out the ambassadors?
Mikhail: …Yes. Now that the lock is gone I don’t think there will be a problem…
Jan: Understood. …We’ll proceed with the mission. In compensation for your partner’s life…
Lactis: …What?
Jan: No, never mind. It’s nothing.
After the extermination program is destroyed, stairs appear, sinking down into an underground area. The figures of seven children and one woman are there.
Jan: Is this the place? Mikhail!! Open up a link! We’ve arrived at point NG-PP6-42T8. Let’s get them out of here. Verify!
Mikhail: …Circuit connected. Obtaining records of their thought patterns from the assembly headquarters. Confirmed – the people at your location are the Goodwill Ambassadors.
Jan: That means… the ambassadors are children?
Mikhail: …Children?
Melisse: Some kind of PR stunt? Could this all be for the benefit of the media?
Jan: I know these talks were intended to boost public opinion, but using children for such a dangerous game...
Lactis: We’re police officers. We’ve come to rescue you. We’re going to perform a compulsory logout, so just try to relax… huh?
Eleanor: There’s nothing to fear, no need to be afraid. We’re going to the promised land. 'That person' told us so, right? …Right. After this we’re going to the promised land.
Jan: 'That person?'…Wait! Who is 'that person'!?
Lactis: Captain, watch out! There’s a self-delete switch on her necklace!
Jan: Self-delete!? Get these kids out of here now!!
Lactis: On it! Performing the compulsory logout! Mikhail! Are you ready to receive them?
Mikhail: Leave it to me! We can recover them at any time.
Lactis: Perform the logout in 10 seconds. And get us out of here as soon as the ambassadors are out!
Eleanor: “So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image…” [Revelation 16:2]
Jan: Wait!
Ignoring Jan’s admonition, Eleanor presses the switch and disappears in a flash a light.