Liberi Reader

How long has it been since you were last here, Director Saria?

Hm?

Going a little spacey?

That's not like you... Thinking about the test site?

Do you remember Haydn 1 laboratory?

Of course I do. That's where Ifrit's from, right? We even investigated that place together.

I've been to several hundred similar ruins since.

It's very risky to work with the military. Rhine Lab hides behind layers of contracts and conducts these dangerous experiments with other laboratories doing the dirty work.

But this time, Ferdinand chose to charge into the fray himself.

That tells us Rhine is one careless move away from turning into one of those ruins.

If he fails... Ferdinand will end up buried under the ruins too, right? His real cause of death won't even hit the papers.

Ferdinand has no way out of this anymore. He has no choice but to make sure this experiment succeeds.

Nngh...

Are you worried about Silence and the gang?

......

I'm only analyzing the risks.

Huh, I thought you were more honest than that.

Okay, okay. She'll be fine. She's a lot stronger now than she used to be, just to look out for Iffy.

Are you consoling me, Director Muelsyse?

That's unnecessary.

I've never doubted Silence's and Ptilopsis's abilities. They will assume their own responsibilities, and so will we.

Multiple power armor signals approaching.

Doctor, the Liberi merc is catching up to us.

Perhaps she's been waiting nearby.

Dr. {@nickname}, are you sure Kristen is here?

Saria's right. Ferdinand can't take this failure, but we don't have time for trial and error, do we?

Seize them.

Dammit...

What are you blanking for?

All units, we've got a situation at the labs' entrance. It's a Pioneer and a Rhine researcher... Mrgh!

In the end, we still gotta hurt people.

That's self defense. I'll testify for you.

There's an emergency exit to the left. Run that way! We'll talk after we make it out—

Someone's coming!

Get ready!

Wait, you again?!

M-Miss Elena...

I didn't hurt you, did I?

I'm fine. I figured you'd strike, so I braced myself.

All of you, stay right where you are.

You're...

Mary Banner of the Trimounts City Police Department.

We're taking a kidnapping and assault suspect into custody. I'd appreciate your cooperation.

Suspect?

Mary...

You're a hard one to catch. Isn't that right, 'Team Leader?'

Drop your weapons and put your hands up.

Right hand too.

......

Put your right hand up, please.

A syringe?

Hold on, what are you trying to do?

This is a physical examination.

There might be a hazardous material leakage in these laboratories. Regulations demand we execute prevention procedures on all personnel.

May I take a look at the medicine you're administering?

The situation is critical. Please don't get in the way.

Warning: Procedure does not match existing records.

What you are doing is completely against the rules...

Rules? I don't need a researcher who was... kicked out of Rhine to teach me about rules.

Hmm...

What about me, then?

Do I have the right to ask you to turn this syringe over?

Director Franks...

I am the overseer of Site 359. State your objectives immediately.

Sorry, Director Franks, but Director Clooney has taken over responsibility for all your site's functions.

Without his orders, you can't ask us about our operation.

If I recall correctly, only Control can change an experiment's overseer.

What gives Ferdinand the right to overstep his bounds?

I can't answer that.

This should be enough...

Mission complete. All units, pull out.

They're gone...?

Affirmative. The Defense Section personnel are quickly evacuating the site.

I thought they were here to take the Pioneers away... Am I mistaken about Ferdinand?

Ferdinand!

Ugh...!

Dr. Silence, all Pioneers who received injections have lost consciousness.

Tend to them immediately!

Director Franks, do you know how to administer emergency treatment... Director Franks?

......

Ma'am, I thought we were here to save Mr. Sonny...

Don't think you can change my mind with a couple of sentimental words!

You got my letter...

Trying to win my sympathy only works once, Romano.

I'm just glad I didn't let you get away. Otherwise, who knows what kind of surprises I'd have waiting for me?

You don't trust me...

Why should I?!

Four years ago, you didn't want to go to the quarantine zone. I trusted you, and helped you lay low—

Then how did you turn around and thank me?

I was outta my mind! My Oripathy plus my insurance premiums drove me nuts. I had no other...

You broke into my place and forced me to give you everything worth half a dime—Just for your goddamned insurance premium! You thought they'd let you back into your law firm if you paid it!

......

You know how much that scared Nana? Did you know she's been bedridden ever since? Remember how she doted on you, even more than she did for her own granddaughter?!

And how about this? After you got spooked and ran off, I was so worried the cops would find you, do you know what I went through to cover it all up for you?

You don't know anything.

You're a cold-blooded, selfish criminal. I should never have been so soft on you...

Officer!

It doesn't matter what kind of bad blood you two have with each other. We need to get out of here, otherwise—

He kidnapped you, and you're making his case for him?

Listen to me. The real problem is with Rhine Lab...

This shaking...

Uh... Is that coming from inside?

Dorothy's lab...

Run!!!

It... actually happened...

Such intense tremors... occurring across a large area... Is it a Catastrophe?

No, not a Catastrophe. It's the lab...

Get down—

......

You were in tremendous danger... If you were just one inch closer, you would've been crushed by the bricks!

It's too late...

What is?

Doctor, you failed to stop me. My experiment... succeeded.

Director Clooney! What's happening at the laboratories—

You are frightened.

Frightened...? Haha, of course not. I'm just overwhelmed with emotion at these results! I... I'm truly happy for you and Director Franks.

Your teeth are chattering.

Ha... haha...

Perfect.

Fearing such great unknowns is an instinct of the weak.

You're right. Before your results, our enemies... Columbia's enemies will tremble in fear!

You're talking about terrorizing our enemies?

That's what the army men worry about all day and night. They give me the funding, and I give them the weapons—We scratch each other's backs, and that's where it ends.

But you did remind me...

It's time to move to the next phase.

Wouldn't that provoke it...? What about the people at the site?

They're making the greatest sacrifice of all.

Remember their names.

As pioneers in the truest sense, their names will go down in history.

Their fearlessness gave birth to this ferocious beast, and we will take control of it and make it ours. It will be our hands and eyes.

Just as our ancestors, the brave settlers, brought burdenbeasts under their control, enabling civilization to conquer the wilderness.

We, too, will conquer this beast created by technology and expand mankind's reach into even greater unknowns.

—We will be the trailblazers who expand the frontiers of civilization.

Are... are these the silver monsters? How did they grow so big...?

—

We'll need something special to do any damage!

You goddamned—monster!

Did you see those arrows?

So the monster's got some magic tricks?

It disintegrated them.

But it seems awfully quiet to me...

Watch out! Move!

Urgh... Was that an energy beam, or some crossbow bolts? Where did it come from...? It was so quick, I couldn't catch it.

Logic can't explain its movements and attack patterns.

Perhaps... to that thing, moving and attacking are one and the same...

Supposing this really is the... final product of Dorothy's experiment, then the whole site is within its range of perception.

If the idea crosses its mind, it could modify the physical properties of all objects within that range, instantaneously.

Or, in plain Victorian, we're like modeling clay for a kid to play with, is that right?

More or less.

We need to stop attacking it, Officer. Otherwise, it'll level the whole site within minutes!

Wait, you wouldn't happen to...

I wouldn't happen to have a bunch of explosive-equipped drones, would I?

Keep dreaming!

So what about those people from Rhine Lab...? Are they here to help us deal with the experiment?

Of course not.

Do you remember what I just said?

About it leveling the whole site?

It's already begun...

Am I seeing things? Did that crane... turn into a perfect sphere?

It won't be long before it hits the quarters, too!

Dammit! If this site goes down... Trimounts... not to mention the other cities are still in the dark.

They don't even know a monster made by some stupid frickin' eggheads is about to roll them up into a ball!

......

We need to get out of here right now.

Get the word out...

We need to get the word about this out. He's known for a long time it would come to this.

Who? Who's behind all this? Who'd take it this far? Dorothy Franks?

No, it's not her.

—It's a man who's made a fool out of me for a long time now. Someone who's really taken me for a ride.

He wants to erase the Pioneers... and everything that's happened here at the site.

And all of Rhine Lab might be on his side.

The police were probably bought off, too.

I'd bet good money there's no media outlet ready to report on this.

Miss Elena, you know who we should get word out to.

Rhodes Island...

I'll find Dr. Silence. This is the most crucial objective of our operation.

But you'll be trapped here... Your lives might even be in danger!

I trust Dr. {@nickname}, and you too.

I know we can do this.

You trust me...?

What can I do...?

The observation station... I have to get to observation.

Need a ride?

The transport over there...

I borrowed it from Rhine.

It so happens I need to go back and nab the real bad guy behind all this. You're going the same way, aren't you?

Mind if I tag along?

No matter which way we slice this... Officer, I'm a suspect in your custody...