PNC Story/Standard 2-2/Script
Croque: We're here. This is the entrance to the Cyclopes Sector.
Persicaria: The Sanctifiers patrolling the borders don't look too tough. Is it because the agents of a military sector can fight, so they've gone lax on their defenses?
Croque: Or maybe it's because we've gotten stronger! Relax, Persicaria.
Professor: In any case, thanks for your hard work, Persicaria, Croque. How're you faring with the firewall, Antonina?
Antonina: Must you really ask?
Before she was done speaking, the firewall vanishes.
Croque: That was sick! I have to hand it to you, Anna, you're way more efficient than what even the rumors say.
Antonina: Not Anna. Antonina. Still, the protocols here are the same as…
Antonina: Ugh… whatever, hurry on in. Otherwise, the Sanctifiers are going to come round again.
Croque: A military sector indeed! The smell of diesel is everywhere, it's so soothing~
Persicaria: It feels so quiet, and there are no agents on the street at all… It's nothing at all like Rossum.
Croque: Alright, no more of that, I'm getting a very bad feeling about it. Still, where did all the people go? I guess they're on the production lines.
Persicaria: Why do all these buildings look so… run-down?
Persicaria: We'd better be careful, I can't help but worry about whether one of these walls is going to suddenly collapse…
Croque: Aw, you're such a worrywart, Persicaria! Every construction site has walls like these, and when Svarog HI was still building reactor piles, their scaffolds were waaaaay more hardcore than this, it's…
Thud!
Before Croque finishes her sentence, the wall beside her suddenly collapses.
Croque: …I can't say I've seen this before…
Persicaria: Croque! Are you alright?
Croque: Almost got me… What kind of shoddy construction is this? Is it up to standards?
Antonina: Don't jinx it,Croque… Huh? Wait!
Antonina: This doesn't look like it was caused by long periods of neglect. Look here! The other side of the wall's been swiss cheesed!
Persicaria: What's going on? All the buildings leading towards the sector are either covered in bullet holes or they're bombed-out wrecks…
Antonina: There must have been a vicious battle here for the buildings to be damaged like this.
Croque: But why? The Cyclopes Sector is one of Svarog's key sectors. It ought to be the hardest place for an intruder to breach.
Croque: Plus, if there were intruders, wouldn't there be Sanctifiers around too? Isn't it their job to maintain order in the first place?
Persicaria: That's true. Not only are there no agents on the streets, there are no Sanctifiers around either.
Persicaria: It just feels like… something truly terrible has happened in Cyclopes.
Antonina: Ahem. If you ask me, I think the agents and Sanctifiers might be in… there.
Antonina: You can see behind these buildings from this angle now that the wall's out of the way. Take a look.
We look up, in the direction where Antonina is pointing. In the distance is a massive translucent barrier running across the length of the Cyclopes Sector.
It's too far away, so we can't make out what's on the other side, just some murky clouds of sand and dust.
But when we listen closely, we can hear the faint sound of machines roaring…
Croque: That should be the main district for weapons development in the sector. Why did they wall it off with a barrier?
Persicaria: Strange indeed. Maybe Simo's around there. Let's head over and take a look.
Croque: We're almost there, we should be able to get a good look…
Croque: But it's been getting noisier and noisier as we go, and this sound…
Croque: Say, could it be that the "wreckage of war" we saw earlier were made by these things…?
As we draw closer, the view on the other side of the wall becomes clearer, and the noise in our ears grows more distinct, until…
The mad hellscape on the other side of the world spread before our eyes, in all its animation, with nothing reserved.
The distant sound of mechanical roaring was actually a mixture of gunfire and explosions, and the roiling dust clouds were the aftermath of explosions. Countless heavily-armed agents are… fighting amongst themselves in there.
Agent: Die!
Agent: Take this!
They bear similar appearances, yet they gaze at each other, hatred burning in their eyes, spouting fire at each other with practiced movements. Shell casings and severed limbs, gunshots and curses, all combining with the drifting gunsmoke above the battlefield, forming a macabre overcast.
Agent: You're done for!
Agent: Uahhh–
Agent: [Target annihilated. Battle Feedback +1.]
Croque: What the hell?! What kind of "research district" is this?
Croque: These agents are slaughtering each other! That booming we heard just now was the sound of tanks and artillery!
Antonina: But you said this was a military sector, not a… warzone sector. Was there a mistake with Simo's intel?
Croque: No, Svarog doesn't have "warzone sectors." Simo's exact words were that it was a place for "digitized weapons manufacturing and testing"...
Croque: Oh no. Is Cyclopes' Sector research and testing actually–
- Weaponised Dolls, isn't it?
Antonina: I'm afraid so. They lock them up behind walls and have them kill each other. Just like a colosseum.
Antonina: However… this is definitely something the humans would do.
Professor: Ave Caesar… Morituri te salutant.
Persicaria: Still, good thing there's a wall here, otherwise we might get caught up in the battle… Hm? Did you say something, Professor?
Professor: No, it was nothing, but if this is for weapons testing, there ought to be observers or testers, right? Can you spot any of them?
Persicaria: Ah, right. If this was done for the purpose of collecting data, then there should be agents responsible for collecting and processing the data. But all the ones we see don't look like they've got that as an objective…
Persicaria: And they look very familiar… Like I've seen them before…
Croque: Hang on, look over there!
Croque: Isn't there an agent under that roof overhang?
Persicaria: You're right, there's an agent on this side of the wall too, and she looks way more normal than the others, she's just sitting there and...er, observing?
Croque: It looks like she's measuring the length of something. Let's see if we can communicate with her. Let's go, Persicaria!
Persicaria: But I'm not too familiar with engineering-related subjects. Maybe you would be more suitable, Croque?
Croque: Eh? Me? Nonono, I'm just not…
Croque: Urk?! Persicaria, quit pushing–
Croque: (Whimper) Um, hello?
Agent: …
Croque: Sorry to interrupt your work, but, but do you know where this place is? What are they doing on the other side of that wall?
Agent: …
Croque: Are you gauging the distance? I, I'm pretty good at this sort of work too, haha… Wanna talk?
Agent: …
Croque: …
Persicaria: What's wrong, Croque?
Croque: She completely rejected me... I'll never approach someone else again... No no, I think it's better if I never speak again. I should just lock myself up in a room with nothing but a set of gears and some lubricant…
Antonina: Get a grip.
Croque: Ah, sorry! I was starting to slip back into my nihilism mode again... But yes, that agent... Though she's definitely not Simo, she seems really familiar.
Antonina: (Sigh) Serves me right for putting my hopes on you. Let me handle it.
Antonina: Heya! Your most trustworthy friend, Antonina, is here!
Croque: A-Anna? Are you broken?
Persicaria: That's Antonina's "business mode"... must be your first time.
Antonina: Hello there, Miss Agent! How do you do? Pleasure to meet you!
Agent: …
Even as Antonina spouts friendly, welcoming greetings, her face remains the same as she approaches the agent.
Antonina: No need to worry, we'll go back right after we find our friend! Speaking of which, those agents over there seem pretty scary! Do you know what's up with them?
Agent: …
Antonina: That's okay, you don't have to tell us. We're not here to make trouble! Here, I'll describe what our friend looks like...
Saying so, Antonina stands in front of the Process and practically shoves a picture of Simo into her face. The agent is stunned.
Antonina: Our friend is called Simo. Easy to remember, huh? He's about this high, he's got silver hair…
Agent: ...!
Agent: [Detecting unfamiliar agent approaching. Signature: No match.]
Agent: Please, move aside... You're in my way.
The agent pulls Antonina's hand aside, glaring at her viciously, a spine-chilling look in their eyes.
Agent: I'm sorry, but I cannot answer any of your questions. Please do not continue harassing me any further, or I will call the Sanctifiers over to take care of things.
Antonina: Okay, okay, no need to get worked up! I get it, we'll go…
Antonina returns to our side. The agent glances at us, then immediately turns around and runs off.
Croque: Ahahahahaha, you got shot down too, Anna! And you even spoke to her like that...
Antonina: Got a problem?
Croque: N-Nah…
Persicaria: Curious. That agent's attitude changed immediately once Simo's name came up. Could it be…
- She might have come into contact with Simo.
Croque: That makes sense, Professor! Simo's been scouting Cyclopes for so long, of course he's been in contact with some of the agents here!
- Simo might've done something here.
Croque: Really? But the top priority for our scouting missions is stealthiness, right? Simo's not the sort who would do something outside of his boundaries…
Croque: Hm, but he DID spend a long time here without saying a thing, so maybe… Hard to say…
Persicaria: Unfortunately, she refused to say a thing... If only we could clarify things with her.
Antonina: That's fine. We'll have plenty of opportunities to ask her questions.
Antonina opens her mobile terminal. Her fingers fly over the keyboard, and a small display appears in mid-air.
Persicaria: Is this...a location-tracking system?
Antonina: I knew it wouldn't be easy to communicate with that agent, so I snuck a transmitter on her just then.
Croque: No wonder you got so close... Tsk, why didn't I think of that?
Antonina: Ah, looks like the transmitter's stopped moving. Let's hurry over and take a look.
Antonina: We're here.
Croque: This building... It looks pretty messed-up from the outside. Do these agents live in a place like this?
Antonina: Maybe it's a secret base or something. Wait, someone's coming over!
Croque: Eh? So soon? Let's get outta here, I don't want to have to have that awkward conversation again…
Persicaria: Calm down, Croque! We're here to gather intel, aren't we? People are more likely to get the wrong idea if you act like that.
Croque: (Whimper) Okay, but…
???: ...Why are you here?
?: Squeak-?
Persicaria: That voice! It's…
Croque: It's Simo! It really is Simo!
Croque: What are you doing in a place like this?
Simo: …I'll explain later. Behind you!
Croque: Sanctifiers? Since when have they been onto us?!
Simo: I'll handle the left. Professor!
Professor: Croque, Persicaria, Antonina, formation!
Persicaria: Roger!
