Story/Night 9-1 (Part1)/Script

[You often bid people farewell.]
[And you meet them again just as often.]
[You often cut your transmissions to them, and often wait for them to contact you again.]
[You repeat those everyday things that seem perfectly natural.]
[……]
[Until that day comes, and you realize…]

M4A1: ...
…M…16-nee… Why… are you here?

M16A1: It looks like Persica didn’t lie to me. You have changed.

[All the meetings and farewells you’ve been through…]
[Are the final gifts that Fate has left to you.]

[……]

M4A1: Your… looks…
What happened to you!?

M16A1: Me?
M16A1: I was captured by SF and went through all sorts of suffering. Is that so surprising?

M4A1: Why! Why!?
16-nee… how could this have happened to you!?

M16A1: Many things are not as they appear to you.
I am helping you, in a different way.

M4A1: First AR15… now even you...
I’m sure Persica has a way to fix you…
So please… 16-nee… I won’t abandon the chance to bring you back this time!

M16A1: But I can’t do that now, M4.
I still have… something that I need to finish.

M4A1: Why!?
What is all this for!?

M16A1: ...

M16A1: It’s for you, for everyone’s future.

[Ah…]
[Shh!]

M4A1: In that case, why don’t you choose to believe in us!?
There’s no need for you to face this by yourself...

M16A1: ...
(sighs) People are like trees. The higher the branches grow into the bright sky, the deeper the roots must grow into the lightless underground.

M4A1: I am your team leader, and your friend.
There’s nothing we can’t overcome as a team…
We’ve overcome so many obstacles together… I’m sure that this time, we’ll also be able to...

M16A1: ...

M4A1: As long as you’re willing to believe in us...

M16A1: ...
I… I believe...

[...Wait a minute, if this keeps up, she’s going to convince M16-san!]
[Ah… that’s right…]
[I’ve got it!]
[How about this?]

M4A1: I am your team leader, and your friend.
There’s nothing we can’t overcome when we’re together…
We’ve overcome so many obstacles together… I’m sure that this time, we’ll also be able to...

M16A1: ...
It’s not like I don’t believe you!
Ahhhh, there’s some things I really can’t tell you!

M4A1: Hah?

M16A1: Ahhhh, you talk too much! I’m heading back right now!

[Er…]

[……]

Garand: I think...
Er… I don't think M16-san talks like that...

T65: Huh? Really?
But if I change it like that, it’ll solve the problem!

M3: I, I also think M16-san wouldn’t say something like that to M4-san...

Garand: Yeah, if T91-san sees this part, she’ll immediately realize that this M16 isn’t like the one she knows.
Our most important objective is not to let her find out!

T65: Ahhhh, why is this such a pain in the ass, how can I make it right!?
I don’t care anymore, go get me a drink, T77.

T77: ...

T65: Ahhhh! It’s just getting a drink, not changing the script!

T77: ...It’s too much trouble to communicate with you, senpai.
I’ll get the same soft drink as before.

Garand: …”It’s because I trust you that I chose to do this.”
That sounds more like it.

M3: Mm… I can imagine M16-san saying that...

T65: How come you’re all agreeing with the changes T77 made to the lines!?

Garand: That’s because… they sounds more normal...

T65: You’re all bullying me! Screw you guys, I’m going home!
(TL Note: The word T65 uses is 切八段, which is a childish way of saying “I won’t be your friend anymore!”)

Garand: If you go back now, we won't be able to make the video.

T65: Uuu...

Garand: T77 changed it for your sake too, T91-san.
You too, T-65-san, didn’t you work so hard for so long just for this?

T65: ...
I know that…
We’re going to all this trouble because M16-senpai suddenly disappeared!
It’s all M16-senpai’s fault!

Garand: ...T65-san, there’s no point in thinking that now.

T65: ...
I wish that someone would tell us…
That M16-san’s disappearance was all just an act...

M3: But the Commander already told everyone...

T65: But that’s M16-senpai! Something’s got to be wrong somewhere!
She was just recovering a document, what could SF do to her?
I know, she must have gotten lost on the way back!

M3: If only that were true...

Garand: I’d very much like the Commander to tell everyone that the events of the past few weeks were all fake...
But neither the Commander nor RO-san have been willing to talk about this…
Perhaps… something unimaginable really happened to her...

T65: Hmph! Anyway, I don’t believe those SF outside are really that great!
This is the great M16-senpai we’re talking about!
It’s M16...

Garand: Yes, so I’m sure that she’s just been delayed by other things. She’ll come back.

T65: But even if we can keep waiting...
...
After T57-senpai came to visit, she said...

T77: senpai, your apple juice.

T65: Ah! Thank you!
Alright! I forgive you for changing the script!

[T77 gestured with her hands.]

Garand: T77-san, you’d best tell her directly. if you use hand signals… I’m worried they might be misread...

T77:I’m putting T91’s milk tea on her room table.
The table won’t hold any more milk tea.

Garand: So she… hasn’t touched any of it yet?

[T77 shook her head.]

T65: ...
So she doesn’t even have the energy to argue with the Commander about whether or not M16-senpai disappeared, huh...

T77: M16-senpai’s been gone for so long...
Do you think T91’s digimind broke down?

T65: That’s what worries me most.
According to T57-senpai… we can’t let T91 get any worse…
If she hasn’t broken yet, then she’s on the brink of it.

M3: Eh? Is, is it really that bad…!
I thought the reason why T91-san was gone for the past few days was because she was undergoing maintenance...

T65: So it really was just maintenance…
But who knows, as time goes by, and her condition gets worse and worse...

M3: How did things end up like this…
Can’t Persica-san and the Commander do anything?

T65: ...That person went missing, and that girl admired her more than all of us combined…
At the beginning of all this, I suggested to the Commander that we should make T91 forget about M16-senpai… but it was rejected.

T77: If T91 learned that you suggested that, she’d hate you for life, senpai.

T65: Let her hate me, then, hmph.
If she had the strength to hate me, it’d be better than this.

Garand: Still, the solution the Commander came up with after that might be better than directly altering T91-san’s memories.
That is… if we can successfully complete it...

T65: That’s why I called you all here!
Making this short film will be a snap with all of us here!

T77: Even if it’s to help T91 pull herself together...
Will it really work? It’s essentially something we’re using to deceive her.
It’s like shining a beam of light over to someone at the end of their rope and expecting them to walk on it to come to you.

Garand: If they really have no other way out, then that light means is synonymous with a future.
What we’re doing is just to create the impression that “M16-san will be back soon.”
M16-san’s the one who’ll be cheering her up, T91 won’t notice anything wrong with it.

T77: ...
What if M16-senpai really doesn’t come back?
Or… what if M16-senpai comes back, but she’s changed? What will we do?

T65: ...
How… how could that be!?

M3: ...

Garand: ...

T65: M3-senpai. Garand-senpai, say something!
If M16-senpai’s gone, then M4, and T91... and the others...

Garand: ...
Since the Commander and the AR Team all believe so much in M16-san, we shouldn’t waste our time imagining things.
No matter what the future holds, right now we ought to focus on what’s in front of us.

T65: That’s right That’s the way!

T77: Since you’re all so optimistic...
We’ll just have to hope that the filming later will be a success...

M3: Huh? Later?
Didn’t the Commander arrange for it to be done by tomorrow morning?

T77: Isn’t tomorrow morning basically tonight?

M3: ...
Eh?
Ehhhhhhhhhh!?
Ga-Garand-san...

Garand: ...Yes, it is
.

M3: I thought the preparations were dragging on because we had lots of time...

T77: Oh no, we’re doomed.

Garand: Ahem… if you don’t take time to prepare beforehand, you’ll have to work harder later on to make up for it.
Still, there’s no need to worry, the only thing left is minor stuff that can be easily settled.

T65: We’ve already written everything we need on the script, how much more troublesome could it get?
Hmph! It’s nothing more than lugging a camera around and filming some stuff, right?
Let’s go, T77!

[……]

T77: While she says everything is written on the script...
T77: Reality rarely plays out as the script says it will.

[……]