PNC Story/Cleansing Aria Nodes

This is a transcript of event nodes in combat stages of the Cleansing Aria event in Project Neural Cloud.

Stage 1

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Dolls are created to solve the needs of humans; when humans cannot handle a problem, using a machine to solve it instead is often the best choice – so it is with the job of a prison confessor. For humanitarian reasons, certain prisons require a professional to take confessions and counsel death row inmates. A prison is oft a poor place to work, and having to repeatedly counsel convicts alongside listening to confessions of wrongdoings leads to immense mental strain for said professional. Counseling the counselors then becomes a problem in itself. Universal Anything sensed a potential niche, and thus the SP VII special counseling Doll was created.

Hopefully development will be completed soon and it'll capture the market.

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The initial design of the SP VII gave them the personality of a compassionate and caring confessor; they were furnished with complex emotional processing systems to dampen the intensely negative emotional impact of such work. However, the SP VII Gen 1's performance after hitting the market was not ideal. Most of the Gen 1 models' neural cloud storage was filled with junk data far more quickly than expected, resulting in their neural clouds frequently breaking down. Furthermore, their compassionate personality was exploited by a convict who very nearly staged a jailbreak. UAS was then forced to perform an emergency recall of all the first-generation Dolls and improve upon them. With a new leader at the helm, the 2nd-generation SP VII Dolls followed a completely different design philosophy. The team gave the first unit of the batch a special nickname: Erika. They felt that this powerful name would be a fresh start for her.

SP VII Gen 1, development complete.

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In order to deal with the complex and ever-changing environment found within a prison, Erika's emotional modules were scaled back, and replaced with brand-new riot-suppression technology. In keeping with the service contracts signed with UAS, the prisons that returned their Gen 1 SP VIIs soon found themselves receiving a completely new confessor. The prison staff did not hold high hopes for the exquisitely made second-generation Doll, and the villainous felons imprisoned within certainly did not think too much of her either. Erika's calm demeanor only added fuel to the fire, right till the point where the prisoners tried their old tricks on her. She drew her weapons on them without hesitation.

The situation is urgent. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

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Erika retained her name during her tour of duty in prison. The prison authorities did not care much about her personal characteristics; however, what surprised them was her tremendous efficiency. Although she came off as aloof, Erika could still complete the basic tasks expected of her as a counselor. She was a patient confessor with regular criminals, and her calmness was able to soothe those death row inmates on the verge of a nervous breakdown. By virtue of her great fighting power, Erika also helped the prison guards suppress riots, even going so far as to quell insurrections single-handedly on multiple occasions to maintain order in the prison. The prison authorities were also quite satisfied by her decisiveness and efficiency in handling difficult inmates who would stymie regular confessors.

After many iterative improvements, it can finally enter service again.

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Due to her perfect record of prison riot suppression, Erika was transferred to a correctional institute that was low on manpower and needed more officers. Her new working environment was filled with more loathsome villainy than before; the deceptions of inmates serving multiple sentences, and the various dealings occurring behind the scenes. The prison management abused their authority, even to the point of hindering her work at times. As a result, Erika found herself facing an unprecedented quandary.

This is great, the SP VII is doing its job nicely.

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As Erika was searching for directions on how to proceed, she encountered a fragile girl. Said girl had chosen to confess to a crime in place of a powerful individual in order to provide for a sick family member. At first, the girl thought she would die unknown and unmourned in some corner of the prison. But as it just so happened, Erika was working there, and the girl just happened to encounter her. As a confessor herself, Erika had not expected the day would come when someone else would counsel her; in truth, many things about her had not gone as expected, much like her encounter with the girl.

Just like the other SP VII Gen 2s.

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During her time with the girl, Erika protected this innocent "convict" to the best of her ability, and she began reviewing her own past actions whilst in the company of the girl. Perhaps she would need a long time to realize what exactly the order she was protecting in the prisons represented and just what the term "prison" itself meant. However, before she could figure her thoughts out, Erika became more and more limited in the aid she could give the girl due to the confines of her job and orders from the prison management, and in the end, Erika's presence could not change the girl's tragic fate. The girl's name is neither recorded in Erika's files, nor is her ending.

Looks like she's in trouble.

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According to the incident report, Erika put in a request for a transfer after a major prison brawl. She faithfully took confessions, resolved conflicts, and put down uprisings until the day she handed her position over. The official reason for Erika leaving her position was because the second generation of SP VIIs was being manufactured based on her data feedback, and as such, the prison where she was stationed received a replacement as well. As the prototype and representative of the SP VII Gen 2 series, Erika did not think much before accepting 42Lab's invitation and joining Project Neural Cloud.

The matter's died down, but the ripples from it are still going.

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"Product Code: SP VII" "Body Code: MDB-LP199" "Product Serial Number: SQG950A45" "Product Activation Date: 2054.08.27" "Product Name: Erika." "Neural Activation Percent: ??% (Neural cloud has been encrypted and examination is not supported.)" "SP VII, CALL NAME: Erika... Verification complete." Entered Project Neural Cloud.	"Welcome to the cloud server, Erika. May you find the release you seek here."

Stage 2

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"Erika, over here! There seem to be supplies we can use here!" "Hm? It's too cramped. Not good; I think I'm the only one who can get through... Hup, just a little, I'm almost there..." (Hisss) Erika's hearing modules detect the sound of Entropics moving not far away. "What is it? Come back, little nurse!" "But I'm almost..."	Grab some supplies.
	Take a risk and get some more supplies.
	Give up on the supplies.

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"Erika!!" "Hold on tight to me and don't let go! The exit's just up–what? Two paths?" The pair manages to shake off the vast horde of Entropics chasing them with their knowledge of the terrain. However, there is now a junction before them. "Normally, it would be okay to go down from here through the fire exit, but right now... No, if there are more monsters there.." "So we've got a quick but risky narrow passage on one side and a slow but stable ladder on the other, then?"	Take the risky path.
	Slow and steady. Take the safer path.

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"Wait! Don't go over just yet!" "Huh? Is something wrong, Erika?" "There are five or six Entropics at the end of the corridor, and the exact details of the situation are unclear. It would be dangerous to just rush in directly." "Hm... But this is the only place on this level that might have weapons." Erika looks at Dushevnaya, who seems quite worried, and then at the deformed weapon in her hand before falling silent.	Let's carry on.
	Obtain new weapons first.

Stage 3

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"Tsk, there's more and more of them; I can't let myself remain stuck in with them like this..." Erika puts some distance between herself and the Entropics and calmly considers the other tactical possibilities. "It seems there are individuals with strong healing abilities among them. If I could take them out first..." (Hiss) "Though it might be risky..."	Take a risk and focus on destroying them.
	Avoid risky tactics.

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"I don't want you to have to keep protecting me, Erika. I want to do something for you, for everyone!" Erika is clearly surprised by Dushevnaya's determination. "I have things that I can do too!"	Heal Erika and the others.
	Help scout the surroundings and keep an eye on the situation.

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"I told you before, I'll protect you.." "I won't be like how I was in the past. This time, I'll keep you safe for sure." "Whether they're Entropics or criminals, all who sin shall repent!"	Keep fighting.

Stage 4

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"O villains of many sins, it seems you're even less willing to change your ways than your friends inside the medical post." As more and more Entropics gather around her, Erika cocks her gun. "But I won't let you go near that place!" "No matter what I have to do, and no matter how long I have to fight."	Prioritize taking out the stronger individuals.
	Use harassment tactics and lure them away.

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"Warning, excessive limb strain detected; bilateral torso damage in excess of 19%!" "No, I still... I still have something that I need to do." Erika uses her gun as a crutch and shakily gets to her feet. "Looks like... I pushed myself too hard after all." "Still, I can't go down here."	Keep fighting.
	Perform first aid first.

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Dushevnaya is making her way forward near the Medical Department. "I'll protect everyone like you!" "Please be safe, Erika!"	Let's keep moving forward!

Matrix Mode 2

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>"You, you... How did you know?!" "I was forced into doing this! I'm just an accessory–" "No, please, no! I'm begging you!" The convict gives up on pleading and curses through gritted teeth. "You– Next time I won't let you... Ahhh!" In your memories, the convict's vicious, distorted face suddenly warps into a scream.	Punish him according to the prison regulations.

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>"Erika, you've done very well, and the inmates have been quite well-behaved during this time." "It's all thanks to you that things stabilized so quickly." The prison warden smiles and narrows his eyes,\b"Still, you know the situation inside our prison. We'll be counting on you for this." In your memories, the warden tosses you a new dossier.	Accept
	Refuse

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>"Thank you, Erika!" "You saved me again, just like before..." "The girl smiles shyly, and then her face falls again. "Although... I heard this place has rules of its own, and I know you have a hard time doing stuff too." "That's why I want you to leave me be next time." In your memories, the girl bows her head and speaks in a voice that holds joy, reluctance and determination.	Remain silent.