()||9<黑屏1>0,10黑屏1>BGM_Empty:
()||BGM_SAC2045_Utopia<黑屏2>418AVG_footsteps_cave:...In a street near the residential area in Sector 2Z64.
NPC-HK433(4)No. 3900,130||RunStep:Commander, please wait for me!
()Commander||:You don't have to keep following me around.
NPC-HK433(3)No. 3900,130||:But...
NPC-HK433(3)Commander0,130<同时置暗>||Stop_AVG_loop:If you're worried about your mission review, I'll give you a full score.
NPC-HK433(4)No. 3900,130||:Huh?
()||AVG_keyboardtype_sci:The Commander coldly punches in the highest possible score for all the aspects in the review pop-up window.
()Commander||:That'll do, yeah?
NPC-HK433(3)No. 3900,130||:...
()||:Perplexity. Distress. Indignation. Bitter emotions fill No. 390's neural cloud. They are so overwhelming she can almost taste them.+She watches as the Commander stalks away in resolute rejection.
NPC-HK433(2)No. 3900,130||:Are you insulting me?
()Commander||:...
NPC-HK433(2)No. 3900,130||:It's true. I don't know how you found out, but I do care a lot about my mission reviews.+But that doesn't mean I want to get good reviews in such a humiliating way!
()||ClothingUpAVG_keyboardtype_sci:No. 390 brings up the mission review interface and deletes the full-score review that the Commander just gave her.
()Commander||:You...
NPC-HK433(2)No. 3900,130||:I will prove to you with my own ability that I truly deserve a good review!
NPC-HK433(2)Commander0,130<同时置暗>||:...
NPC-HK433(2)No. 3900,130||:Let's leave it for today. I'll see you tomorrow.+Tomorrow, I'll definitely—
()Commander||BGM_Empty:433...
NPC-HK433(3)No. 3900,130||:...What?+What's 433...
()||BGM_Scar_ShenzhiziAVG_wind_grass:The brooding visitor suddenly looks straight into No. 390's eyes. Only then does she notice this sullen visitor actually has a look of great fortitude in their eyes.+But at this moment, those eyes are filled with pain and sorrow.
()Commander||:What was it that you wanted to tell me before I left?
NPC-HK433(3)No. 3900,130||:What I wanted to tell you... before you left?
()||<黑屏1>1:
()||<黑屏2>8<回忆><边框>2边框>:...After yesterday's routine patrol and inspection, the Commander returns to the command room.
()||<边框>2边框>AVG_20Winter_Book:They flip open the inspection logs, and their mind wanders as they stare at the empty page.+After much deliberation, they finally write down...
()||<边框>2边框>ClothingUp:Everything is fine.
()Commander||<边框>2边框>:...+That's right. Everything is fine. Everything will get better in time...
NPC-HK433(0)4330,130||<边框>2边框>:...
()||<边框>2边框>AVG_20Winter_Drink_Tea:433 puts down a cup of coffee on the desk and speaks with great severity.
NPC-HK433(0)4330,130||<边框>2边框>:Commander, what I'm about to say will probably affect my work review.+But based on my recent observations of your mental state and physical health, I strongly recommend that you take some time off.+You need a proper holiday to let your mind and body recover, otherwise—
NPC-HK433(0)Commander0,130<同时置暗>||<边框>2边框>:This isn't the time. I'll think about it once the base is properly up and running.
NPC-HK433(3)4330,130||<边框>2边框>:You don't want to keep the Dolls waiting, but you'll put off ending your own suffering?
()Commander||<边框>2边框>:...
()||<边框>2边框>:433 takes a deep breath.
NPC-HK433(3)4330,130||<边框>2边框>:There's something that I've been meaning to say to you...+It has nothing to do with work, and it may take up some of your precious resting time...
NPC-HK433(3)Commander0,130<同时置暗>||<边框>2边框>:Go ahead.
NPC-HK433(3)4330,130||<边框>2边框>:The truth is, we—
NPC-HK433(3)0,130<同时置暗>||<边框>2边框>AVG_tele_connect:433 is interrupted by an emergency call from Persica.
()||<边框>2边框>:After that, all that was left unsaid fades away in reality, along with all the unfulfilled "next times".
()||<黑屏1>1.5<边框>2边框>:
()Commander||<黑屏2><关闭蒙版>418:...+Never mind. Forget I asked.
NPC-HK433(4)No. 3900,130||ClothingUp:Please wait, Commander!
()||:No. 390 stops the Commander from turning to leave.
NPC-HK433(3)No. 3900,130||:I can't quite tell why, but I have a feeling there's some kind of misunderstanding between us.+The way you looked at me the first time we met...
()Commander||:Misunderstanding, huh...
()||:The Commander's eyes harden once more.
NPC-HK433(2)No. 3900,130||:Please explain it clearly.
NPC-HK433(2)Commander0,130<同时置暗>||:Why did you betray me? Why did you sell out Boys and Purin?
NPC-HK433(4)No. 3900,130||:What are you talking about? I have done no such thing...+And who are Boys and Purin?
NPC-HK433(4)Commander0,130<同时置暗>||:...
NPC-HK433(3)No. 3900,130||:Does this betrayal that you mentioned concern these two people?+If you trust me, please tell me their designations and I can make some inquiries for you.
NPC-HK433(3)Commander0,130<同时置暗>||:...
NPC-HK433(3)No. 3900,130||:...Commander?
()||AVG_wind_grass:The visitor does not say another word to her. They rush off and promptly disappear around the street corner like a ghost left behind in a world that has moved on.
()||<黑屏1>2BGM_Empty:
()||<黑屏2>673:...In the office of the Ministry of Love, Sector 2Z64.
MP448(0)No. 232||AVG_door_elecport:No. 260, who was driving above the legal speed limit, has been arrested and brought to justice. Please have the Interrogation Department take over.
pa15(0)No. 260-80,100||<震屏3>Rope:Let me go! Fight me in a duel fair-and-square if you dare!
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Thank you, No. 232.
()||ClothingUp:No. 388 seizes No. 260 offhandedly, gags her to cease her torrent of curses, and carries her off to the cells.
()||<黑点1>AVG_BaseDoor_Open:
()||<黑点2>327BGM_stage13:...Holding cells in the Ministry of Love, Sector 2Z64.
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Stay in here for a bit.
()||AVG_20Winter_Prison_Door:No. 388 opens a metal gate and tosses No. 260 into a cell.
()||:How many times has it been? How many times has she taken No. 260 from No. 232 and tossed her into a cell?+Is this the only event that keeps repeating itself? The people she meets at work and the events that transpire all feel pretty much the same from day to day...+Standing before No. 260's cell, No. 388 considers this in silent contemplation.
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:No. 266, do you think this world is continuously on a loop, repeating the same day over and over again?+No, that's not exactly it. The world is following the script of a single day and playing out with minor deviations...
pa15(0)No. 260-80,100||AVG_flag:(Muffled grunts)
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Sorry, I forgot you couldn't speak.
()||ClothingUp:No. 388 reaches through the bars and removes No. 260's gag.
pa15(0)No. 260-80,100||:...Humph, so what?+Events can repeat all they want. I don't care as long as I can keep having fun.
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:...
()||:This is how most people would respond. They simply do not care if they live within a time loop as long as their lifestyle remains unchanged.+Is she the only one who is bothered by that?
pa15(0)No. 260-80,100||:Hey, I was just speeding! That's not a crime worthy of a visit from Miss Mizukane, is it?!
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:...!
()||:No. 388 is so lost in her riling thoughts she did not even notice Miss Mizukane's shadow falling over her.
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Miss Mizukane.
NPC-Suzuka(0)Suzuka Mizukane-160,100||:No. 388, is No. 260's case dealt with?
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Yes, ma'am. The case will now be handed over to the interrogator.
NPC-Suzuka(0)Suzuka Mizukane-160,100||:Perfect timing then. I have a new mission for you.
()||<黑屏1>1:
()||9<黑屏1>0,10黑屏1>BGM_Empty:
()||<黑屏2>671:...In the park in Sector 2Z64.
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||BGM_SAC2045_Utopia:...A human with a pending cyberbrain conversion, designation "Commander".
()||:No. 388 studies her mission target from afar. The human is sitting on a bench in the park and gazing up at the night sky with a look of melancholy.+It's hard to imagine why someone like this would need to have their risk factor assessed.+To No. 388, her target just seems to be a deeply unhappy person that she feels sorry for.+But she has no choice but to follow Miss Mizukane's order.
()||<黑点1>:
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||%%pivot_x=0.7%%pivot_y=0.4%%scale=1.7%%duration=0%%<黑点2>671:Hello, Commander.
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:...
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:I hope you don't mind if I sit next to you.
()||1ClothingUp:Before waiting for the Commander's reply, No. 388 sits down on the other end of the bench.
()||:After a brief pause, No. 388 breaks the silence.
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Allow me to introduce myself. I am No. 388 from the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Love.+I'm here to collect some feedback regarding your visit. After all, as the first human visitor without a cyberbrain, your opinion matters a great deal to us.
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:...
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:According to the report submitted by No. 390, who was your guide today, she felt rather dismayed for not being able to provide you with satisfactory service.
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:She did very well.
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:In the report, she mentioned that you were very depressed throughout your visit, whether you were touring the residential area or the utility areas of our different departments.+No. 390 could not determine the cause of your unhappiness. Would you be so kind as to share your feelings with me?
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:...+Do you care so much about me just because of your job?
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:No.
()||:No. 388 suddenly smiles cheerfully.
NPC-QBU191(2)No. 388-80,0||:My routine work is very monotonous.+I sit at the office of the Ministry of Love and wait for my comrades to bring in people who broke the law. I complete their registration and transfer them to the interrogation room.+The people who come and go are pretty much the same from day to day. Sometimes I even wonder if I'm just reliving the same day over and over again.
NPC-QBU191(2)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:So, is investigating me a special mission for you?
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Yes. I have never received such an assignment before, so I might have let it get to my head a bit too much.+Do forgive me.
()Commander||:...
()||:The visitor falls silent and seems to stare into space, but No. 388 notices that they are actually scanning the telescreens in the area.
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Our telescreens record everything they see and hear.
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:So they're a part of your surveillance system. Was that how you found me?
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Yes, the telescreens are how we communicate with each other. We also use them to obtain information and receive orders beyond our authorization.
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:So it's just a tool for communication?
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Big Brother rules over the entire Sector 2Z64 using the telescreens as well.
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:Big Brother?
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Big Brother is the top leader of Sector 2Z64. An ordinary civilian like me can never hope to meet Big Brother, of course.+So we have no way of knowing Big Brother's gender, age, physical appearance, etc.+What we do know is that Big Brother is omniscient and omnipotent and that Big Brother is always right.
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:...+In other words, you can't actually be sure if "Big Brother" is even a person that exists.
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:That's true, but no matter who or what Big Brother is, he is running Sector 2Z64 effectively.
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:Running it effectively...
()||:No. 388 can see that the Commander is pondering something with a deep frown.
()||AVG_machine_turn:She decides to leave them with their own thoughts and walks over to the vending machine nearby. She buys two cans of drinks and offers one to the Commander.
()Commander||:Grape juice? That's not very like you...
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:What do you mean?
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:Nothing.
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:I've answered your questions. In return, could you tell me what you think about Sector 2Z64?
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:It's a fool's paradise filled with pointless hustle and bustle.
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:So I take it you believe Sector 2Z64 is an empty illusion?
NPC-QBU191(1)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:Yes.
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:What makes you think so?
()||ClothingUp:The visitor known as the Commander stops weighing the can of grape juice. After a short pause...
()||671%%type_id=2%%duration=1%%delay=0.1%%range=6AVG_Cloak_Whoosh%%pivot_x=0.3%%pivot_y=0.55%%scale=1.7%%duration=0.3%%BGM_Empty:They fling the can vehemently at the telescreen before them.
()||9AVG_whitenoiseAVG_Door_Hit:Crack! The telescreen is smashed right in the center.
()||AVG_21Winter_Fire_Alarm:Then comes the ear-splitting shriek of the alarm.
()||<黑屏1>:
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||<黑屏2>%%pivot_x=0.7%%pivot_y=0.4%%scale=1.7%%duration=0%%671BGM_23S_Crossroads_Warrior:Commander...
NPC-QBU191(1)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:Now Big Brother can't eavesdrop on our conversation.
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:...
NPC-QBU191(1)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:Tell me the truth.
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:About what?
NPC-QBU191(1)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:Do you enjoy your life here? Do you genuinely think living here... is better than living somewhere else?
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:Hm...
()||:No. 388 thinks for a while and meets the Commander's gaze solemnly.
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:I don't exactly enjoy my life here, but I don't hate it either.+I have never lived anywhere else, but I suppose life can't be so different no matter where I live.
NPC-QBU191(1)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:...
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:You don't seem very happy with my answer.
NPC-QBU191(1)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||:I just want to have another proper chat with you over some booze...
NPC-QBU191(0)No. 388-80,0||:Booze? Commander, alcohol has been banned for years.+In fact, I believe it has been centuries since the time when we could consume alcohol at a table.
NPC-QBU191(0)Commander-80,0<同时置暗>||AVG_tele_connect:...
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:Excuse me, I've just received an emergency call. I must go.
()Commander||:...
()||ClothingUp:No. 388 jogs off but suddenly stops and turns around. The Commander has resumed their melancholic study of the night sky.+She breathes in the aroma of grape juice in the air.
NPC-QBU191(1)No. 388-80,0||:They say people in the past would make wine by fermenting grape juice.+If we ever get the chance, why don't we try some together in secret?
()||:No. 388's long, dark hair disappears completely into the night.
()||<黑屏1>BGM_Empty1.5:
()||<黑屏2>671AVG_wind_grass:...The maintenance staff that rushed to the scene has disabled the alarm and replaced the smashed telescreen.+It is as if nothing had ever happened in the spacious and quiet park.+The Commander is still sitting on the same bench, staring in the direction in which Ibis has departed.
()Commander||:No. 388... She has even forgotten her own name...
()||AVG_tele_connect:A notification pings softly, and a chat window pops up in front of the Commander.+It's a call from No. 390.
NPC-HK433(0)No. 3900,130<通讯框>||:Commander!
NPC-HK433(0)No. 3900,130<通讯框>||:I ran a search on the names you mentioned—"Boys" and "Purin"—in the database but didn't find anything...+It struck me as a bit odd, as even if there's no such data in the database, the search engine should've brought up similar results.+I will try to run searches on other databases. Please wait a bit longer.
NPC-HK433(0)Commander0,130<通讯框><同时置暗>||:...
NPC-HK433(2)No. 3900,130<通讯框>||:Also, you accused me of betraying you before you stormed off. I'd like to make something clear.+As someone who has been awarded "Best Employee" in the Ministry of Truth for three years in a row, I would never be a traitor!
NPC-HK433(2)Commander0,130<通讯框><同时置暗>||:...+You haven't changed at all...
NPC-HK433(3)No. 3900,130<通讯框>||:What does that mean? Have we met before?
()||AVG_tele_disconnect:The Commander closes the chat window.
()||SAC_2045_ARDevice_Activate:After staring at the colorful interface in a daze for a while, the Commander, as if possessed, pulls up their memory interface.+Since they have not undergone cyberbrain conversion, the memory interface is only a simulated display.+But if...
()||<黑屏1>:
()||<黑屏2>9:Will I also be able to forget everything about the past, just like them?
()||<黑点1>: