Story/Freaky Pandemic/E1-1 (Part1)/Script

[...Halloween afternoon.]
[Griffin base.]

[P7 walks dejectedly through the parade square with a Dinergate following carefully behind her.]

P7: Ahhhh, seriously! I'm so mad!
Hey, tell me, do you think that prank was too tame? Or did I pick the wrong target? What good is a prank if nobody reacts to it!?

[The Dinergate raises its head to look at P7's angry face, and its camera lens opens and closes with a quiet whir.]

P7: I get the feeling that something has been spying on me all afternoon...
Urgh... If only I could use my minimap to see which direction the enemy is looking from... I need to ask the Commander to put that function in...
Ah, we're home.

[...In the dormitory.]

[P7 throws herself onto her bed and pulls out her tactical tablet, scrolling indifferently through one window after another.]

P7: What the heck is this...
"The recent outbreak of the new type of USO infectious disease has allegedly claimed the lives of several humans already. The cause and transmission of the disease is still under investigation, and currently the only known information is..."

[...Meanwhile. ]
[At the base's parade square.]

Welrod MkⅡ: "...The only known information is that infected humans manifest large, brightly-colored blotches on their body."
Hmm...this seems most dire.

[Welrod frowns as she reads the words displayed on her tactical tablet. ]
[P90, who is manning the position with her, peers over to look from the side.]

P90: Whatcha looking at?
Oh, it's a news article that MDR posted on the message board, which means it's most likely fake...
I mean, look at how she's seriously saying, "there's a fear that Dolls might get infected too". How could Dolls catch human illnesses? What a silly girl.

[Welrod turns to stare at P90 with a stern look.]

Welrod MkⅡ: That is not true. Have you not realized it yet, P90?

[Welrod drags P90 to their workstation. P90 doesn't quite understand, but she looks out at the base parade square with Welrod.]

Welrod MkⅡ: Look, over here, and there, and behind there too!

[Welrod exclaims in a hushed voice while pointing her finger out at several locations.]

P90: What's that...hm?
Why does everyone have those weird, colorful patches on their body? Is this some kind of prank makeup for Halloween?

Welrod MkⅡ: Hah...do you even pay attention when you stand sentry...
In any case, something is not quite right here... Although I do agree it seems unlikely that Dolls can catch human diseases.
But still, we cannot rule out the possibility of some wicked conspiracy either. We need to act seriously like proper detectives—

P90: Welrod, quick! Come take a look at this!

[P90 pushes her tablet into Welrod's face before the latter can finish her words.]

Welrod MkⅡ: ...!
These replies...

[Welrod's face blanches as she looks at the messages on the tablet.]
[Just then, Welrod hears hurried footsteps drawing closer to herself.]

Spitfire: Welrod, something bad has happened!

Welrod MkⅡ: What's the situation? Take your time, no need to—

Spitfire: It's 75! big sis 75's been... Welrod, did you see MDR's post on the message board?
A lot of people replied about how these colored spots suddenly appeared on them, and MDR said it must be that new disease...

[Welrod scrolls down on her tactical tablet.]

Welrod MkⅡ: Mm, I saw those pictures too...
Some people posted that a drone bumped into them, and they found those spots on themselves after being sent to the treatment room. Others said they discovered the spots after finishing simulator training...
Tch, Miss WA2000 is affected as well? Apparently the Commander asked her about the spots on her body while she was handing in a report...

P90: Hah! How did Fr FAMAS end up like this? She said she sprouted these colorful spots after patrolling the warehouses on the east side of the base—

Spitfire: These aren't important! The important thing is that I saw a picture from big sis 75 in there! What should I do, 75's been infected...
D-Don't tell me she'll be sent off to the scrapyard...

Welrod MkⅡ: Spitfire, calm down!

[Welrod briefly reproaches Spitfire, and then her tone softens.]

Welrod MkⅡ: It seems like we have no choice but to accept MDR's conjecture.
That said, I still don't have a theory regarding how this dark umbra spread to the base...

P90: I know! Surely some source of evil snuck in and spread its tentacles of terror everywhere!

Spitfire: Evil...? Tentacles?

Welrod MkⅡ: She is saying that a human must have served as the source of infection and made contact with everyone.
That line of reasoning makes sense. Now, as for the humans on the base...

Spitfire: Could it be Miss Kalin?

P90: Miss Kalin hasn't been in the base for the past couple of days. Apparently she's gone to some kind of business fair.

Welrod MkⅡ: So apart from Miss Kalin...

Spitfire: The only other human who's still in the base is...

P90: ...Wait a minute! Do you mean...the Commander?

[Welrod nods slightly.]

Welrod MkⅡ: The Commander has also been in contact with humans from the outside recently... Hm, if that is the case, then it all makes sense.
Spitfire, didn't the Commander praise CZ75 last night for her great success on an operation?

Spitfire: That's right, that's big sis 75 for you!

Welrod MkⅡ: P90, sentry duty is cancelled for the time being. By the power invested in me as today's security team leader, I hereby pass down the following secret orders to you—
Proceed immediately to the data warehouse and find everything you can regarding human infectious diseases, then contact the medical team and find some way to exorcise the demonic marks which are afflicting everyone!
Take note, all these must be done in secrecy!

P90: Understood!

Welrod MkⅡ: Spitfire, I will help everyone solve this problem.
Things being what they are now, we must secretly quarantine the source of this evil... No, I mean, the Commander has to be temporarily quarantined, lest more of our fellows fall victim to this malady...!

Spitfire: Wait for me, Welrod! I'm going too!
I want to do my part for 75!

Welrod MkⅡ: Very well.
Now then, we shall act as the Secret Special Search Team until the end of today. Move out!

[...Almost evening.]
[Griffin command center.]

Spitfire: Welrod, the Commander said...he is definitely not sick...

Commander: I'm not sick! Really, I'm not!

Spitfire: Hm? Do you hear the Commander wailing from inside the secret room?

Welrod MkⅡ: Mhm, I do feel sorry for the Commander. His voice sounds broken from all the yelling.

[Welrod leaves an electronic key card on the command terminal.]

Welrod MkⅡ: I did not expect to use the secret room for a situation like this...
Just in case, let's leave the key card here. Until the matter is settled, we will just have to impose upon the Commander—

???: My, you bunch sure have a lot of time for leisure.

[The 3D projector on the command terminal suddenly lights up, but nothing is projected.]

Spitfire: This voice is...!

Welrod MkⅡ: Architect...but how? Where did a beaten dog like you obtain the authorization to make a transmission?

Architect: Hey! Calling me a beaten dog sounds so terrible! Surely I count as the base's mascot at least, right?

Spitfire: ...We don't care what you want to call yourself.

Architect: Aw, you're so boring, little miss. Today is Halloween! It's a festive occasion! I thought you'd be friendlier to me...

Welrod MkⅡ: Don't change the subject! Tell me, how did you hack into our communication channel?

Architect: You're no fun at all... You were using my neural cloud data for training today, remember? So what happened? Is there some crisis in the Griffin base? It must be so embarrassing for you to mess up like this, teehee.

Welrod MkⅡ: Tch... We were careless, everyone was in a panic, and we...

Architect: Oho? So you elite Dolls are just as dumb as me... No, wait, I'm not dumb...

Spitfire: It's good we locked up the Commander. Welrod, let's go—

Architect: Heehee, you even locked up the Commander? You think you can control the "outbreak" like that?
I doubt you can even keep outsiders from sneaking in amidst this confusion.

Spitfire: So you know about the disease!

Architect: Well, I only accidentally learned about it~ This afternoon's communication transmissions were in such a frenzy, and everyone was making such a racket that I didn't have the time to take a nap...

Welrod MkⅡ: ...Do you think we would not dare to delete your neural cloud data?

Architect: Heh, how did you know?
But what can you pitiful Griffin Dolls do without the Commander's orders?
Honestly, I can't believe I actually got locked up by Dolls like you... It makes me mad just thinking about it!

Welrod MkⅡ: Explain what you mean...!

[Whum— Whum—]
[Before Welrod can finish, alarms suddenly ring throughout the base.]

Architect: Oh my, it seems like they're here sooner than I expected.

Spitfire: These signals... They're S.F.!

Welrod MkⅡ: Architect! You knew, didn't you? Why didn't you say anything!?

Architect: I can't believe you're still barking at me... If you were just a bit more polite, things wouldn't have ended up like this, you know.

Welrod MkⅡ: Dammit, they're breaking in while security is at its weakest...
Spitfire, contact M1919A4 and Type79. Start by taking care of the trash mobs to minimize their impact.
As for you, Architect...I will settle things with you later!