()||9<黑屏1>0,10BGM_Empty: ()||485<黑屏2>:...Early morning, October 23rd, 2064. On the border of the "Dead Sea", Contamination Zone RHB_2047. +The Elmo's enormous silhouette finally emerges from the heavy fog around Avernus as it drives up to a party that has been awaiting its arrival for some time. +However, there are no flowers or cheers, only a group of silent and orderly people wearing hazmat suits. ()||<黑屏1>0.7: ()Stasi Agent||683<黑屏2>BGM_23S_Crossroads_Warrior:Chief, we have completed the takeover of the Elmo. Please provide further directives. NPC-Romy(4)Romy||:... ()||:After the technicians' tinkering, all access restrictions on the Elmo have been lifted, and the vehicle can now travel freely. NPC-Romy(4)Romy||:Search for bio signs and recent operation logs. ()Stasi Agent||:Yes, ma'am. ()||AVG_Team_Running:The Stasi Dolls surge into every corner on board the Elmo while Romy waits quietly in the ops room. LS26(0)Edith<通讯框>||AVG_tele_connect:Frau Riefenstahl, there are no humans on board the Elmo... NPC-Romy(4)Romy;LS26(0)||:...Understood. NPC-Romy(4);LS26(0)Edith<通讯框>||:We've turned the Elmo upside down and looked through every nook and cranny. +All interior CCTV footage was wiped after the autopilot was activated ten minutes ago. +The jeeps in the garage cannot be located. As the operation logs have been formatted, we can't determine whether they were lost in battle or stolen. +However, we have already placed checkpoints on all exits along the perimeter of Contamination Zone RHB_2047 beforehand; there's no way for them to give us the slip. NPC-Romy(4)Romy||:What else have you found? NPC-Romy(4);TFQ(0)Dagmar0,60<通讯框>||AVG_tele_connect:The elite Griffin Dolls and the high-end Paradeus unit in their custody are all unaccounted for. +All that remains is a few Dolls locked inside their repair tanks. We haven't been able to wake them yet. NPC-Romy(7)Romy;TFQ(0)<通讯框>||:... +Don't let any word about this get out. You all stay and guard the Elmo. TFQ(0)Dagmar0,60<通讯框>||:Yes, ma'am. ()||AVG_Card_Reader:Beep-beep-beeep. +The alarm clock starts ringing at 0440 Frankfurt time. +It is a reminder set by her secretary Finn Hoffmann. ()||AVG_21Winter_FT_Heel:Romy gets up and leaves the ops room without any hesitation. ()||<黑屏1>: ()||Stop_AVG_loop<黑屏2>9: ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<黑屏2>741:The enclosed backseat of the sedan is dark and so quiet that one can barely hear the wind howling outside. +Romy's face is lit by the faint light on her communicator. She fiddles with a cigarette, seemingly in no hurry to light it. NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann<通讯框>||AVG_tele_connect:I have been trying to get in touch with the general's secretary, Herr Kurt, but his response is always that General Schweinsteiger's diary is fully booked. +The time of the party conference is still to be determined. The chairman has already declared that he would not be attending this time and asked the vice-chairman and Herr Oberstein to speak on his behalf. +Since you took up the position as the director of the Ministry for State Security this year, in addition to the ministerial meeting and the State Council that you have routinely participated in before, the National Defense Council will now be open to you as well. I have put that into your diary. +...In addition, the plan for that meeting has not been finalized. The deadline set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is fast approaching, but Herr Oberstein still has not responded. +That sums up everything for the week so far. NPC-Romy(4)Romy||:...And how is the matter in Frankfurt progressing? NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann<通讯框>||:As per your instructions, the relevant regulations have been drafted and sent to Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Transport. They will be implemented at 1700 today. NPC-Romy(4)Romy||:I will arrive in Frankfurt at 0900. +Have someone else attend the routine meeting at 1400 for me, and get me an appointment with the folks at the Ministry of Finance. +Send a reply to Oberstein, tell him I'll definitely be there at the party conference next week. NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann<通讯框>||:Sure thing, Frau Riefenstahl. NPC-Romy(4)Romy||:Monitor the situation regarding the Elmo and Galatea closely. Get some eyes from Departments 8, 19, and 20. +Tell Q to interrogate the "Polar Bear" herself, then have her report her findings to me. +Recall all dispatched agents and remind the three deputies that their year-end review is just around the corner. NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann<通讯框>||:Yes, ma'am. +I have set reminder alarms for your upcoming appointments. Please go ahead and rest for a while. ()||AVG_tele_disconnect:Romy terminates the call and lights the cigarette between her fingers. +She watches the sky brighten gradually outside the car window with squinted eyes. +Now she must get all the rest she can, because a new storm is brewing in Frankfurt. ()||<黑屏1>: ()||BGM_Empty<黑屏2>9: ()||AVG_engine_speedup0.7:On European route E51. ()||<黑屏1>: ()||730<黑屏2>0.5: ()||GF_21winter_avg_nightbar:A nondescript white sedan drives along the highway. A Doll wearing a white cap grips the steering wheel in silence, while the man sitting in the passenger's seat tugs at his tie, which is caught in his seatbelt. NPC-Keven(6)J||:What's the time? NPC-Keven(6);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:It is currently 1147, UTC +1, Frankfurt time, October 23rd, 2064. The day is Thursday. NPC-Keven(7)J;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:How much longer will it take to get there? NPC-Keven(7);Sterling(0)Sterling||:Agent J, it hasn't even been two hours since we left Berlin. +We're only about halfway there. We haven't even reached Weimar. NPC-Keven(12);Sterling(0)||Rope:J scrunches up his tie in great frustration. NPC-Keven(12)J||:Verdammtes Frankfurt! Just the thought of going to the meeting makes me wanna die. +Tell me, why do special agents even have to attend such meetings?! ()||:The Dolls are all suddenly very busy with their own things, as if they have just received a dozen work calls and got no time for their colleague's gripes. ()||ClothingUp:J clicks his tongue in annoyance. When he realizes that even Amaris is ignoring him deliberately, he puts his seat back as far as it can go with quiet indignation and puts on an eye mask and earplugs that seems to have been conjured out of thin air. PPQ(0)Brigitte||:Hey, your chair is taking up my space! NPC-Keven(8)J;PPQ(0)||:I'm taking a snooze! Y'all shut up! NPC-Keven(8)J||0.6: ()||:In just a few minutes, J has gone from grumbling to snoring happily. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:The windbag finally shut up. Sterling(0)Sterling||:Now we can finally talk serious business without getting interrupted. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Hm? Is there anything else I don't know about the mission? Sterling(0)Sterling||:No, it's not about the mission, but the organizational restructuring of our squad— NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Oof, fancy words like these give me a headache. Simple Doll language, please? Sterling(0)Sterling||:... +To put it simply, I would like you to take over as our squad leader. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:What?! Me? Sterling(0)Sterling||:Yes. Although I don't have the access clearance to read your profile, I've heard quite a bit about your past escapades. On top of that, you're a WWIII veteran, which makes you the most logical choice for the position to me. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:No, no, no... No thanks! PPQ(0)Brigitte||:Why are you turning it down? We all think you'll be perfect as squad leader. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:That's because you don't know me. After working with me for a bit longer, you'll know what a nightmare I actually am~ Sterling(0)Sterling||:Sure, we look forward to working with you. PPQ(0)Brigitte||:Since you're so eager to prove yourself, we'll do our best to keep up with you. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:...You know what sarcasm is? ()||BGM_EmptyAVG_Camera_Focus:Before Sterling can say any more words of encouragement, Amaris turns on the radio in the car. ()Female DJ||AVG_Jukebox:... +When on an idler's bed I stretch myself in quiet. +There let, at once, my record end! +Canst thou with lying flattery rule me, +Until, self-pleased, myself I see,— +Canst thou with rich enjoyment fool me, +Let that day be the last for me! +The bet I offer. +... NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Is that... "Faust"? That's an opera from two centuries ago, no...? Sterling(0)Sterling||:Yes, and it's still a classic to this very day. ()Female DJ||:...The classic opera "Faust", directed by the legendary Henry Heinrich, will once again take to the stage in the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. +You can look forward to a magnificent performance given by a star-studded cast, which includes Uwe Seibert, Angela Schumann, Thomas Kroeger, and Mark Burchett! NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:The Alte Oper in Frankfurt... Didn't that building get bombed to bits? PPQ(0)Brigitte||:It was rebuilt. Restored to exactly how it was before, apparently. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Exactly how it was? ()||:Amaris lets out a low chuckle. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:When you put something broken back together, no matter how close to the original you get, it will still be nothing more than a crude knockoff. ()||<黑屏1>0.7Stop_AVG_loopBGM_Empty: ()||<黑屏2>160:Medical Center, Ministry for State Security, Frankfurt. ()||GF_EV9_IntermissionClothingUp:A blond man lies unconscious on a bed. A medic in a white lab coat inserts a butterfly needle into the vein on his elbow with quick and smooth movements. Blood flows into the vacutainer blood collection tube. ()Medic||:Do I put Dupieux as the patient's name? NPC-maya(2)Q||:Yeah, just put Dupieux. No point using his codename here at HQ. ()||ClothingUpAVG_tableware:The medic unties the tourniquet, pulls out the needle neatly, then sticks a label bearing the patient's name onto the tube and places the tube into a sample bag. ()Medic||:Heh, hard to believe a man like this also sheds red blood. +It must've been quite difficult transporting him from the border into Frankfurt, Frau Q? ()||ClothingUp:Q is reading some kind of document on her tablet. She taps the screen every now and then. NPC-maya(2)Q||:Thanks to the anesthetics from your department. They were very effective and saved me a lot of trouble. NPC-maya(2)Medic<同时置暗>||:Then why don't I treat you to a coffee after work? NPC-maya(0)Q||:Huh? Shouldn't I be the one treating you to a coffee? NPC-maya(0)Medic<同时置暗>||:You'll do that? NPC-maya(0)Q||:Nope. NPC-maya(0)Medic<同时置暗>||:Ouch. Then will you let me do the treating? NPC-maya(1)Q||:You should just send me the money for the coffee directly. +That'll save time for you, me, and the barista. Way more efficient that way. NPC-maya(1)Medic<同时置暗>||:...Frau Q is as cold as ever. ()||AVG_2023Slow_Keyboard_Correct:Beep-beep-beeeep. The lab instrument emits a soft noise. ()Medic||ClothingUp:Let me see... No chips or signal transmitters detected in his body, and his vital signs are all stable. +The blood test and tox screen will take a bit more time. Once the results are out, I'll have my Doll assistant Alisa send it to your mailbox. ()||:Q's hand pauses slightly. She looks up with a frown. NPC-maya(0)Q||:Sure. +Is the Stasi hiring Dolls as medical assistants now? +I gotta say, the whole world has grown too reliant on Dolls. NPC-maya(0)Medic<同时置暗>||:...I mean, Dolls are relatively cheap labor that work hard and never get tired. They don't even need rest. +Where can you find better employees? NPC-maya(0)Q||:Fair enough, but they have a fatal flaw. NPC-maya(0)Medic<同时置暗>||:Hm? NPC-maya(1)Q||:They don't make good scapegoats. NPC-maya(1)Medic<同时置暗>||:... NPC-maya(2)Q||:Move this guy to the special interrogation room later. ()Medic||:Got it. ()||0.7/CGDelay>AVG_20Winter_Door_Open: ()||AVG_20Winter_Door_Close:Q closes the message on her comms tablet and leaves the medical center quietly, closing the door behind herself. ()||<黑点1>0.8: ()||<黑点2>412AVG_doorknock_wood:Knock, knock. +Following the directions given by the secretary, Q knocks politely on the office door. ()Romy||:Enter! ()||AVG_20Winter_Door_Open:Q pushes the door open and enters the office. Romy seems to be wrapping up a call. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:Of course. Thank you very much. I'm also looking forward to it, Frau Ulrich. +Oh right, I still haven't congratulated you on your promotion... That goes without saying. Right. Auf Wiederhören. +... ()||:Romy hangs up. She drums her fingers on the desk. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:Take a seat. ()||ClothingUp:Q pulls out the chair across from Romy and sits down. NPC-maya(2)Q||:Boss, I've come to give you my mission report. Three things altogether. +One, the "Polar Bear" has been brought back to HQ in secret. The first round of routine examinations has been completed; no abnormalities have been found so far, so he's ready to be interrogated. +Two, the "Evangelist" stood the "Polar Bear" up, but based on the clues, we have a pretty good idea about his true identity—he's a member of the Socialist Unity Party. +Three, the investigation you had me carry out in Moscow is going somewhere. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:Alright, good to know. +Regarding your second point, I suppose I'll just tell you—the "Evangelist" is dead. You don't have to worry about him anymore. ()||:Q nods. She knows better than to press the subject. +Because her boss, Romy Riefenstahl, is also a member of the Socialist Unity Party. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:The Bee Sting System that the "Evangelist" was in charge of is now ours. I'll add you to the list of administrators. ()||ClothingUp:Q sits up straighter in her chair. NPC-maya(2)Q||:Congrats, Boss! +Now there's no one left in the Stasi who can hold you back. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:After the Sunspot Incident, the general demanded the Stasi to go through restructuring and put forth a solution no matter what it takes. This design is what the folks over at the Ministry of Science and Technology came up with. In order to spy on the Neo-Soviet Union, the "Evangelist" turned the "Polar Bear" against them. +We have invested too much money and resources into this system, and we cannot let the remote control sit in the hands of outsiders just because of the selfish interests of a select few. NPC-maya(2)Q||:I have a feeling I shouldn't be learning about any of this? NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:I'm telling you about it because it concerns your subsequent mission. +I've already pulled every able body back to Frankfurt. +I only have one job for them—to fill up the positions that the bastards from Internal Affairs want to meddle with. +It doesn't matter how well they do in the positions, they simply mustn't free up any openings. Do you understand? NPC-maya(2)Q||:Loud and clear, Boss. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:I'll treat you to that dinner I owe you after this blows over. NPC-maya(2)Q||:Great, I'll hold you to it. +But I have another question... +Some of my colleagues seem rather pessimistic about the future. Should I do something about that? ()||AVG_20Winter_Book:Romy signs her name briskly on a document, then moves on to the next. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:Don't waste your time and energy on trying to encourage fools who can't see the bigger picture. +It's going to be a tough battle ahead. Just focus on your task at hand. NPC-maya(2)Q||:Alright. ()||<黑屏1>0.7AVG_20Winter_Door_Open: ()||BGM_Empty553<黑屏2>AVG_20Winter_Door_Close:Q leaves Romy's office and closes the door. ()||AVG_keyboardtype_sci:Still standing at the same spot, she tries to recall the list of agents that have recently been transferred back to Frankfurt. She looks up their locations using her tablet— NPC-maya(0)Q||: NPC-maya(0)Q||:...What's taking J so long to get there? +Did he drown in the Main or something? That wouldn't count as a work-related accident, would it? ()||<黑屏1>0.7: ()||<黑屏2>710GF_21winter_avg_nightbar:On the gantry, a row of cameras are facing the direction of oncoming traffic. +Under the gantry hangs a pale blue screen that is constantly scanning all passing vehicles. +Amaris drives the car onto a steel bridge straddling a river—the misty Main. +A looming shape is vaguely discernible across the glistening water— +The towering iron statue is like Prometheus under the sky, guarding the fire that has been weathered by war but never extinguished—Neu-Frankfurt. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Since when has Frankfurt gotten so big? I don't remember having to drive this long before... Sterling(0)Sterling||:In order to preserve its status as the capital and a city-state, Frankfurt merged with nearby Mainz, Wiesbaden, Raunheim, Neu-Isenburg, Offenbach, Eschborn, and other places. The former Frankfurt is now known as the Frankfurt District. ()||AVG_20Winter_Book:Sterling eagerly reads aloud the relevant passage from the Frankfurt Guidebook in her hand. Sterling(0)Sterling||:After the merger, Frankfurt's jurisdiction area expanded to span more than 800 square kilometers, with a permanent population of more than six million. +Because the merged Frankfurt is like a beating heart, Frankfurt is now hailed as the "Heart of the German Democratic Republic". NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:The "Heart of the German Democratic Republic"? Fascinating. ()||<黑点1>: ()||<黑点2>84:As the car exits the highway and drives into the city, the buildings in sight are suddenly much denser. +New buildings built in the style of the last century are occasionally interspersed with ancient architecture that has survived through the ages, giving this city that rose from the ruins of WWIII a touch of historical flavor. +There are quite a lot of vehicles on the road at this time. The traffic is moving slowly, with red tail lights forming a long line. ()||<黑点1>: NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||<黑点2>730:However much Frankfurt has changed, the traffic is still horrendous as ever. +Heck knows if we can even make it there in time. PPQ(0)Brigitte||:Who cares if we're late? They'll just dock Agent J's pay. NPC-Keven(8)J||AVG_XXS_kick<震屏3>:Dock my pay?! Who dares dock my pay?! ()||AVG_Rain_Heavy:Vroom... A municipal cleaning vehicle drives past them along a frontage road, spraying a high-pressure jet of water so loud it completely drowns out J's voice. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:What did you just say? ()||ClothingUp:Having jolted awake, J pulls off his eye mask and lets out a heavy huff. NPC-Keven(12)J||:Just focus on driving! NPC-Keven(12);NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:Amaris shrugs. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:We're on your payroll, so whatever you say. NPC-Keven(9)J||AVG_brake:Whoaaa! ()||<震屏3>:Screeeech! The car brakes abruptly. The three Dolls remain securely seated; only J almost gets thrown against the windshield. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:There's been a collision up ahead. ()||:J cranes his neck for a better look. The water vapor in the air is obscuring the view. He can just about make out the chassis of a large vehicle lying on its side. NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||Stop_AVG_loop:A car turning right skidded and crashed into the street-cleaning vehicle, causing a multiple pile-up. +More cars not braking in time and rear-ending the cars in front. ()||0.4AVG_20Winter_Horn_Car: ()||AVG_20Winter_Horn_Car:The already-slow traffic has ground to a total standstill. Restless drivers take their exasperation out on their car horns, and deafening honks instantly fill the air. NPC-Keven(9)J||0.5:... ()||AVG_Alarm_Distance:A few minutes later, three ambulances arrive at the scene with their sirens blaring. +Paramedic Dolls file out of the ambulances. They quickly take stock of the situation and get to work triaging and moving the injured. +J stares out the window pensively. NPC-Keven(10)J||:You never know if tomorrow will ever come. NPC-Keven(10);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:All I know is that you're definitely gonna be late, J. NPC-Keven(9)J;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||AVG_Thunder_Dry<震屏3>:! ()||<黑点1>: