Liberi Reader

S-Sir. Our bolts...

They... stopped in mid-air?

—

Hit the deck!

What the...?

Did you hear that, Elena?

It sounded like...

Like metal vibrating at an extremely high frequency.

The heads of the bolts shook themselves apart.

How powerful could Director Franks's Originium Arts be?

It's not all Arts.

It's her technique. She's THE authority on applied Originium Arts.

The Pioneers won't be able to lay a finger on her.

—

You're right. There's someone else we should be worried about...

Oww...

Take care of Joyce. She's still in bad shape.

Not to mention Sonny and his men...

Firebomb!

On it!

Don't aim, just throw!

—

Good god...

Why... why won't you listen?

I don't want to see you hurt.

Why don't you tell that to the men you tricked onto your lab table?

I didn't trick them.

They're safe. Very safe.

If the experiment succeeds, they'll never have to face the dangers of the wastes again.

Isn't that what you wanted, Sonny?

......

—

Watch out!

Sam...?

Sir... Sonny, run...

Take the others and get out...

Out to the barrenlands... where the corporations can't find you.

The barrenlands...

Yes... we're Pioneers...

Ha... haha! They're afraid of the wastes... we're not!

......

What's that, Sonny... a letter? Someone back in town waiting for you to write? Man, you lucky bastard.

Maybe it'll become evidence.

Evidence?

To let the people out there know what happened to us.

I thought we were just gonna save Dirk and the others.

What if we fail?

I wanna leave behind something, Sam. If we don't make it, I want people to know that we tried.

Why do we have to wait for you to give us a chance?

That's not fair.

Don't come any closer.

Grr...

My research was never intended to be used against you.

It was designed to help you deal with the beasts of the wastes, overcome harsh terrain, and survive Catastrophes. To give you a chance.

It's supposed to protect you!

Hah... protect us?

Did you ever ask what we wanted?

Won't you just let this go?

Ha... haha!

No.

No, I don't wanna.

What's the situation at the site?

Defense says no one has left it.

If all goes according to plan, Dorothy's 'Hub' should be complete by now.

Any news from Elena?

Negative.

As of the last communication, she had not arrived at the observation station. Defense staff have not seen her.

......

Go and prepare the latest batch of Transmitter.

How much do you need?

One-third.

Time is running out for Rhine Lab.

The experiments are going well, Colonel. We're in the final phase.

We can't wait much longer.

The aftershocks of the Victorian Incident continue to reverberate. Both our friends and our enemies are making preparations.

We believe a weapon like that remains in the hands of someone, somewhere.

A century of hard work could vanish in the blink of an eye if they target one of our cities.

We'll be dragged back under the dark clouds, at the mercy of other nations.

That's why we need more advanced technology... the technology to deliver our weapons to any location with precision, regardless of distance.

Yes. Columbia needs a 'guide'.

You're smart, Clooney, and you're more practical than most smart people.

When this deal is done, I look forward to a fruitful partnership with the new Control of Rhine Lab.

The feeling is mutual.

Send more hands to the labs to package the reagents.

Yes, I need all of it.

Whew... these guys are a headache.

—

You've seen my Arts. They're nowhere near as practical as Greyy's.

Yes, we've proven that their liquid structure is extremely resilient.

And there is worse news.

Did I mention that there's more of this material stored above us, all over the lab complex? Like, ten thousand times more, give or take.

Maybe you should have mentioned that sooner.

You said they were byproducts of the experiments. What was the main objective?

A new technology that would replace traditional Arts Units.

Energy was responsible for developing this special material. It's extremely sensitive to microvibrations, making it the ideal medium for receiving and encoding neural signals.

We call it 'Transmitter'.

Under ideal circumstances, it can turn someone with ordinary Originium Arts assimilation into an outstanding caster.

That's why... even the byproduct... can be very... dangerous!

Olivia, I can't fight and give a lecture at the same time.

Sometimes I wish I had one of those devices like in Joyce's brain. That way, I could tell you stuff with just a thought.

Well then, let me ask another question.

How do we stop this experiment?

......

I know you put a lot into it, and I understand your loyalty to Dorothy. But...

Enough, Olivia, you're reminding me of my sister again.

The project is important to me, but something's clearly not right with Dorothy... did you think I was the kind of person who can't get my priorities straight?

I... just... need... to... think.

I haven't spent enough time here. I wish I pestered Dorothy more...

...The caster.

What?

Elena, if the things before us are products of Originium Arts, where is the caster?

It's not Dorothy controlling them. They're just there by her side.

The missing Pioneers...

The one place in the lab that Dorothy is most hesitant to show us.

Use your Originium Arts, Elena! Aim behind her!

Max power, right?

—

No, not there!

You shouldn't have done that, Elena.

I... I can't stop... what's going on?

It's like my limbs aren't my own... how much is that equipment worth? Never mind... got to hold on...

It's not just us. Even the Pioneers...

An earthquake?

Hang in there!

Star... stars...

Joyce... Olivia... I can't keep my hold on her...

I'm losing sensation in my hands!

A-Arts...!

Never thought the day would come when I would be giving myself electric shocks...

Electric?

Electricity can interfere with Originium Arts effects...

Did you say that this research is focused on vibration?

Yeah... and?

Sand.

Sand's everywhere in the lab. On us, too... so small we never even noticed.

Keep looking for the test subjects, Elena!

I'll stop Dorothy.

Sir, the reagents have been loaded.

Good. We're going to Site 359.

You're going there personally?

Did I not make myself clear?

Er, I just thought there were enough staff there already...

Tell me, why is it that the more important an experiment is, the more times it has to be repeated?

Er... to avoid errors?

Because an important result must be absolutely reliable.

Is Director Franks not reliable?

Dorothy? She is driven by her emotions, and achieved great things because of them.

But her emotions may also become a weakness, at key moments.

What about Elena?

I hope you grow faster than her.

She is motivated, but too inexperienced. She may not be able to make the best possible decision without my advice.

There's only one person at Rhine Lab whom I trust implicitly—me.

......

Dr. Silence...

*Cough*... hello, Director Franks.

How did you come this far? I thought the vibration membrane would cut off nerve signals to your limbs.

I'm a physician. I know the human body a little better than you do.

I'm sorry. I know it must be uncomfortable.

The experiment will be complete in just a little bit. I'll set you free when we're done.

And then...?

Is it really worth the damage that's being done?

Look at the people who are struggling right now.

Don't... give... up!

Grab... my... hand!

Those focused on the future tend to ignore what's happening in front of them.

I've seen many people like that at Rhine Lab.

But Director Franks... Dorothy... you're not like them.

There are tears in your eyes when you look at Sonny and the other Pioneers.

......

I can feel their pain.

But which is worse? A moment of pain, or an eternity of pain?

The life they lead is a quagmire, Dr. Silence.

I want to pull them up, give them the same chances that you and I once had.

A drowning man may struggle even more when he feels someone pulling him.

But is that really him refusing help?

The bog has choked them, but I hear their cries for help. I've extended my hand, and I'm not about to pull it back now.

But you need to stop.

Your drone... when did you...?

While you were talking.

I've seen many places since I left Rhine Lab, some of them even worse than this sand-filled lab of yours.

A physician knows how to keep her equipment clean at all times.

Still...

Dorothy... she won't even think about giving up...

(My hands are getting number.)

(Another shock? I'll probably fry my nerves.)

...Light.

Light? My Arts? You didn't use to love my Arts show this much, Joyce.

Stars... bright...

Far away.

Where are you looking... what are you looking at?

No, what really matters isn't what you're looking at...

It's what you know... what did you learn that Olivia and I didn't?

Home...

In the light.

Huh?

You... you're moving?

Wait, you were unconscious... that's why the vibration membrane didn't affect you as much.

The direction you're pointing...

That's the direction the silver constructs are gathering in.

I know where the missing people went.

Look, a door opened—

That's...

Door... opened?

No, look out—