[Beep.]
Carter: ...Right, understood.
Continue monitoring them, Yegor. Wait for my instructions.
[Carter ends his transmission.]
Carter: The Mastermind has left her nest. Shall we engage?
Electronically Processed Male Voice: Do you lot possess anything resembling a memory? I do not wish to remind you again that the Mastermind won’t send out her main body.
Her main body is hidden in some nuke and air-raid-proof bunker. Anyway, there’s no point counting on you lot to get things done.
Besides, I’m looking forward to the performance that’s about to take place. Please don’t interrupt them.
Carter: Our units will continue to stand by.
Electronically Processed Male Voice: Good.
The “key” within her… will soon form a connection with M4A1 again.
Oh, they might already have connected, just that we can’t perceive it as human beings. Hehehe, the thought of it is quite interesting.
Carter: What reaction do you expect that “key” to have?
Electronically Processed Male Voice: It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s not an answer that I can imagine.
I only look forward to interesting things...
Carter: Aren’t you concerned about matters between M4A1 and the Mastermind?
Electronically Processed Male Voice: I’m uninterested in contested things, unless one side wins. You may do as you please, as long as you can ensure “the plan” carries on…
...Until we verify the presence of the “key”.
[At the same time. The AR Team remains stuck in their waypoint.]
M4 SOPMODⅡ: SF is still outside and blasting us! We can’t hold out much longer!
M4A1: If they wanted to attack, they could have done that already, but their aim is to capture me alive...
RO635: What about the Commander?
M4A1: The Commander just shook off SF, he’s still on the way.
M4 SOPMODⅡ: But we can’t wait any longer! We need to fall back soon!
M4A1: We need a plan!
I’m the only one they want. Let me be bait, and we’ll retreat in two directions at once!
M4 SOPMODⅡ: I will never accept splitting up again!
M4, didn’t you say we’d never be apart again?
M4A1: But if this goes on, nobody’s going to make it! I don’t want to put you all in danger because of me!
M4 SOPMODⅡ: You’re not the only one with a mission, M4! Our mission is to protect you!
M4A1: But we might fail, both the mission, or at protecting everyone...
M4 SOPMODⅡ: I’ve already lost AR15 and M16!
If I have to lose you too, then I’d rather die with you in a crater!
That’s the order we received upon being rolled out! I’ll fulfil it to the end!
RO635: I’m here too, you know.
Don’t just think of yourself. Our opinions are very important too.
I may only have been an official member for a few hours, but my digimind and SOP2’s are quite in sync.
M4 SOPMODⅡ: That’s right, let’s spend our last moments together! I can accept that, whether they end in victory or death!
M4A1: …
[M4A1 sighs.]
M4A1: We really are a bunch of idiots, aren’t we?
M4 SOPMODⅡ: Oh yes, what a shame.
RO635: Maybe we really should die together, since none of us can discard any of us.
Hehe, we’re just a bunch of unreliable civilian dolls, after all.
M4 SOPMODⅡ: No, wait a minute.
M4A1: What’s wrong?
M4 SOPMODⅡ: RO, if I’m not wrong, you weren’t from the same batch as us, so you should be able to backup your neural cloud, right?
RO635: Eh? Er… I guess…
But I joined secretly, so the neural cloud backup is with the Commander, and downloading it is going to be a bit more troublesome...
M4 SOPMODⅡ: Oi! That means you’re not going to die at all, right!
RO635: Uh… well, there’s that possibility, at least…
But, but so what, you can’t just exclude me because of that!
M4 SOPMODⅡ: Haven’t you considered giving back my share of emotion for you? Otherwise you can just stand aside and watch me and M4A1 hug and cry!
RO635: How can you do that! That’s going too far, is the AR Team really such an exclusive group!?
M4 SOPMODⅡ: If you don’t like it, then go change to a non-reproducible neural cloud!
M4A1: Pffff….
[M4A1 laughs.]
M4A1: Honestly, I can’t stand you guys any more. You’re still squabbling even at a time like this.
M4 SOPMODⅡ: You’re finally smiling, M4. I can relax when you’re that way.
M4A1: Is… that so?
RO635: It doesn’t make you look like a team leader, but I don’t really care all that much at this point.
Rather, in your last moments, you look more like my sister than my leader.
M4A1: It really is an honor for me…
I’m sorry for what happened in the past. Many things happened and I didn’t dare approach you guys about it.
I don’t know how I can become myself. There’s too many opinions and I don’t know which ones to choose…
But now, none of that is important.
Yes. I won’t be afraid of making sacrifices, because sacrifices have value.
Whether I die once or countless times, whether it happens to myself or others, instead of worrying, I’m going to accept it, and give it greater meaning.
I believe that my thoughts right now come from my own will and my own choices.
RO635: M4, what’s wrong?
M4A1: Nothing.
As I thought, all I need is to stay in the AR Team.
M4 SOPMODⅡ: Hehe. That’s what we all think.
RO635: Let’s do our best in the final moments!
[M4A1, RO and SOP2 smile and hug each other.]
M4A1: Then it’s decided.
Let them come! We’ll never be separated again!
M4A1: I’m sorry, Captain Yegor. In the end, we were no match for your military dolls.
Our victories only have meaning when we go forward together, when we fight together, when we enjoy the memories of life and death together.
...XM3.
I must have disappointed you back then.
If I can see you again, I hope that I can tell you to your face…
That from this moment on, this is a part of my life!
Commander! As you can see, we’re surrounded by the SF Mastermind’s units! Our situation is critical!
We’re falling back towards you, and we desperately need your assistance!
Please have your forces hurry! Punch a hole in the SF encirclement from behind and open an exit for us!
The AR Team is here, waiting for your rescue! We’ll fight to the end, until you show up.
I believe that you’ll save us once again… so please, we’ll leave it to you!