[Interior of Base 0, fifteen minutes into the operation.]
M16A1: RO, this should be the heart of Base 0.
The Commander just swept the place for us. There’s no better place to set up the anti-jamming field.
RO635: Oh, we’re there already? How can you be sure about that without detailed maps of this area?
M16A1: Which would you place your bet on, downloaded data or my experience on the field?
RO635: So you’re banking on your experience...?
Fine. I’ll make the preparations now. SOP-II, find a high vantage point upstairs and keep watch.
M16, hand me the verification data for File No. 7.
[M16 fishes out a storage drive and tosses it over.]
RO635: Thanks.
M16A1: Treat that well. We almost lost our lives over that thingy.
RO635: ...
This was extracted from Safe House 3, wasn’t it?
M16A1: “To recover all of Lyco’s research data from when he was alive”. This is pretty much the AR Team’s raison d’etre.
Now here we are, on the final step.
RO635: (Chuckles) You don’t seem particularly thrilled.
M16A1: You know I don’t give a damn about this.
RO635: (Sighs) Still worried about M4A1...?
But whatever the case, M16, I’ve always looked up to you all...
I read your battle records, and your performance on the field has always been impeccable.
What you and SOP-II did during Operation Arctic Warfare only reinforces that.
M16A1: Don’t be ridiculous, RO. T-Dolls are technological goods. The newer the better, like yourself.
There’s nothing worth looking up to in someone like me...a T-Doll who can’t even save her own team leader...
RO635: M4 will be fine, M16.
M16A1: Haha... It’d be nice if that had come from Miss Persica.
[M16 smacks RO on the shoulder.]
M16A1: Eh, don’t mind me. I was just grumbling. Is the anti-jamming field ready?
RO635: Yes, I’m about to activate it.
M16A1: Notify the Commander to be prepared. S.F. is bound to detect our presence the moment we activate the field.
RO635: ...M16, what is this place?
The way you and Persica behave...leads me to suspect this isn’t just a simple Sangvis base.
M16A1: Of course it isn’t just a SIMPLE Sangvis base. We’re right on Sangvis Ferri’s doorstep. We can run into anything.
But if you ask me what I know... Sorry, this is the first time I’ve ever been here.
RO635: You don’t act like it.
M16A1: Oh? Sadly, according to my neural cloud...I really haven’t been here before.
RO635: Really...?
M16, if you’re hiding something from me...
M16A1: You’re the team leader. You know I can’t hide things from you.
[...M16 shrugs and establishes a connection to Persica’s channel.]
Persica: Ah...are we starting? My coffee is just ready.
RO635: Since we’re short on time, Miss Persica, we’ll focus on the objective of searching for File No. 7.
You may record whatever you need, but please allow me to reject investigations of low priority.
M16A1: Haha, that’s a bit harsh, isn’t it, RO?
RO635: The AR Team is created to recover Lyco’s data. Isn’t that what you said?
This is the safest, most reliable strategy for Griffin’s and 16Lab’s sake.
Persica: It’s fine, RO. Go look for File No. 7.
I...I just want to see you guys in action...
After all...chances like this are hard to come by...
RO635: Yeah...I understand...
The anti-jamming field is activated. I’m now connecting to Sangvis Ferri’s mainframe to start searching for File No. 7.