()||9<黑屏1>0,10BGM_Empty: ()||BGM_Hume_FourAdventures<黑屏2>7550.5: ()||:Outside Hebe's villa, Mainz District, Frankfurt. ()||AVG_20Winter_Door_Car_Open:Nele gets out of the car arranged by Frau Hebe and finds herself in a verdant area.+All kinds of lush trees and shrubs are pruned in tasteful shapes, while ivy clings lazily to the villa's external fences and walls. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:Kessler Manor, No. 68... ()||:Nele brushes aside the leaves blocking the door sign and is finally able to confirm that she has come to the right address stated on her piece of paper. ()||:Outside the understated and minimalistic villa, a slender woman is watering the plants in the garden.+As if sensing Nele's approach, the woman looks up and smiles. NPC-Hebe(0)???||:Frau Cornelia Schaefer, I presume? NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:Yes, hello. Are you Frau Hebe? NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:I am. ()||ClothingUp:Hebe puts down her watering can, walks over to Nele, and takes her hand amiably. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:I'm so sorry for making you come all this way. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:No, it's okay! I'm the one who's taking up your time... ()||ClothingUp:Hebe pats Nele gently on the head and invites her into her garden. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:Please do come in. ()||<黑屏1>: ()||AVG_wind_grass<黑屏2>7740.5: ()||:Nele pushes open the elegantly-shaped wooden gate and steps onto the soft grass. She inhales the faint floral aroma in the air. NPC-Hebe(3)Hebe||:Please take a seat, Frau Cornelia. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:Just call me Nele. ()||AVG_20Winter_Drink_Tea:Hebe pours some tea, which has been sitting ready on the table, into the cup in front of Nele. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:You have the same clear, soft eyes as your cousin. NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:Thank you. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe;NPC-Nele(0)||:Meyer says you two grew up together and remained very close until you went to different universities. NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:That's right, my cousin has always been very nice to me.+She's always thinking of me even when we're apart. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe;NPC-Nele(0)||:Of course, or she wouldn't ask me to recommend you some possible boyfriends~ NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:Ugh... ()||ClothingUp:Nele leans back in her chair with an exasperated groan. With a chuckle, Hebe gestures at an attendant to serve their dessert. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:What kind of boys do you like, Nele? NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:Well...+Someone with a sense of justice and duty...? NPC-Hebe(0)||0.5: NPC-Hebe(1)Hebe||:That's it? NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:Yeah... ()||:Hebe gazes into the distance thoughtfully. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:I can tell without asking that you haven't been in more than two relationships, am I right? NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:Huh?! How do you know...? NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe;NPC-Nele(2)||:Haha, I have my ways.+Still, your cousin mentioned that back when you were trapped inside a burning building, a Stasi agent charged in there to save you?+She thought something was going on between you two~ NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:You mean Agent J...?+I only asked him a favor because of what happened with Galatea... NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:Also, it was Mia who got me out; he didn't really do much... NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe;NPC-Nele(1)||:What happened with Galatea... Are you referring to the scandal concerning Professor Gray? NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:Yeah... NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe;NPC-Nele(1)||:From what Meyer told me, you said Professor Gray was always kind to you, and that you'd learned a great deal working under her as an intern. You also loved your work at the lab.+So you asked the Stasi to investigate why Professor Gray had turned from a well-respected teacher into a public enemy? NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:...+I just wanted to retrieve my research data from Professor Gray's lab. As for the professor herself... ()||:Nele's heart pounds uneasily. NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:There's light and darkness in everyone.+To me, Professor Gray has always been an earnest and righteous woman with unyielding tenacity.+I don't understand the darkness that was hidden inside her, but I will always remember the light that she had given me. NPC-Hebe(3)Hebe||:A splendid answer. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:I have also experienced betrayal at the hands of a trusted mentor. I was young back then, just like you, and it had caused me a lot of pain and suffering. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:Uh... NPC-Hebe(3)Hebe||:But from what you have just said, I know I have nothing to worry about. You are strong, my dear. ()||ClothingUp:Hebe slides her tablet over to Nele with a smile. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:A lovely young woman like you deserves an outstanding partner.+Following your cousin's request, I've picked out a few young men out of the new recruits at the Ministry of Health. See if any of them catch your eye? NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:Uh... ()||:Staring at the profiles lying in front of her, Nele squirms in her seat. NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:I'd rather be forced to proofread my underclassmen's theses... ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<黑屏2>9AVG_20Winter_Door_Open: ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<黑屏2>768AVG_20Winter_Door_Close:After the long and painful meal, Hebe leads Nele into her dressing room. The interior of the manor smells faintly of fragrance.+Inside the spacious dressing room, there are rows upon rows of clothes, jewelry, shoes, and all kinds of accessories, categorized by color and style and displayed in an orderly fashion.+The disorienting sight reminds Nele of the time when she conducted an experiment while having a fever. She had prepared the reagents according to the total volume, but after adding in the final sample, she realized she was still very far off, and she couldn't even remember what she had put in and what she hadn't. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:I quite like the ones you picked. I'll investigate them a bit further, and if everything checks out, you can have a dinner date with each of them. NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:Right... thanks... NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe;NPC-Nele(0)||:Now let's see what we can do about your look for your appointment with Herr Vogt.+Herr Vogt is not a shallow man who judges a book by its appearance. Trying too hard in dressing up will actually put him off. NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:I understand. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe;NPC-Nele(0)||:What do you usually wear? NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:A lab coat over pajamas. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:... NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:If a superior is visiting the lab, I'll dress a bit more formally. Basically a lab coat over a T-shirt and pants. NPC-Hebe(0)||0.5: NPC-Hebe(3)Hebe||:I see. ()||:Nele can see a hint of despair flash past Hebe's eyes. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:Nele, do you usually spend most of your time in the lab and barely ever go out and socialize with others? NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:Yes... How could you tell? ()||:Instead of answering, Hebe simply chuckles. Then she pulls several simple but chic dresses out of the wardrobe of light-colored clothes.+They are all things that Nele would never even go near. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:I think these would suit you. Want to try them on? NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:...Okay. ()||AVG_Door_Open_Close:Nele enters the changing room with the dresses in her arms as if she was about to face a death squad. ()||<黑点1>: ()||<黑点2>9: ()||<黑点1>: ()||<黑点2>0.5768:...Some time later. ()||ClothingUp:Rustle...+Hebe brushes Nele's hair gently while trying to console her. NPC-Hebe(3)Hebe||:It's alright, my dear. You don't usually wear dresses, so it's perfectly understandable that you're not used to it. You don't have to blame yourself. NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:I'm sorry... I'm really sorry... ()||:After putting on the maxi dress and coming out of the changing room, Nele had tripped immediately and knocked down a whole rack of accessories. She scrunches up her face and desperately tries to put the extremely embarrassing moment out of her mind. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:Haha, you really don't have to beat yourself up over that. It's actually a good thing that it happened. NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:...What do you mean? NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe;NPC-Nele(2)||:It shows that the clothes that I had chosen for you didn't actually suit you.+It's much better that you slipped in my dressing room than in front of Herr Vogt, don't you think? NPC-Hebe(0);NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:Thank you, Frau Hebe... NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe;NPC-Nele(0)||:Then let's tidy up what you're wearing, add some volume to your hair, and apply some light makeup. Anything else would be unnecessary.+After all, you're young and already very beautiful. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:I... I'll defer to your judgment... ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<黑屏2>9BGM_Empty: ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<黑屏2>7550.5AVG_20Winter_Door_Car_Open: ()||ClothingUpAVG_20Winter_Door_Car_Close:Hebe smiles and waves after putting Nele into the car sent by Vogt. ()||AVG_Moto_Run1: ()||ClothingUp:When the car has driven out of sight, Hebe hands her assistant a hard drive. NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:Analyze it. ()Assistant||:Yes, ma'am. What is in here? NPC-Hebe(0)Hebe||:Nele's communication logs.+Look through every single conversation, message, and email. ()Assistant||:Understood. ()||0.5: ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<黑屏2>9: ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<黑屏2>GF_EV9_Story7510.5: ()||AVG_engine_speedup:On a highway in Frankfurt.+Inside the speeding sedan, Nele tries to stay awake as she takes in the cityscape in the morning sunshine from the suspension bridge.+A thoroughfare cuts straight through a swathe of villas with low red roofs, making it look like a flawless slice of red velvet cake. ()||AVG_tele_connect:Beep—a message from Mia. ()Mia<同时置暗>||:Did everything go well? NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:I just met Frau Hebe. I'm now on my way to see my grandfather. NPC-Nele(0)Mia<同时置暗>||:Have you done as I told you and purged everything that had to do with Griffin and the Stasi from your comms logs? NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:Of course. I've even deleted the contact details so that there's absolutely nothing to find even if Grandfather looks through them. NPC-Nele(0)Mia<同时置暗>||:Good. Now get some rest while you're on the way. You'll have to be extremely careful when talking to your grandfather. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:Yeah, Frau Hebe said the same. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:How are things on the Instructor's end? NPC-Nele(2)Mia<同时置暗>||:The last time we communicated, she told me the operation had already begun. I'm guessing she'll only get in touch again when it's over. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:Right... I hope things go well for them too. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||0.5:By the way, what kind of place is the White Zone? Why can't I find any information about that? NPC-Nele(0)Mia<同时置暗>||:All I know is that it's basically top secret. Other than that, I've got nothing. NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:No wonder she asked me to take special note of the terrain in the White Zone... NPC-Nele(1)Mia<同时置暗>||:Just do the best you can, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:Don't worry, I got this. ()||0.8AVG_tele_disconnect: ()||:Nele puts down her communicator and looks out the window. ()||:When the sedan drives past a junction, the eye-catching blue signboard catches Nele's attention.+"Raunheim, Wiesbaden-bound." ()||AVG_magic_circle_start:Nele turns on the real-time GPS on her tablet and confirms the fact that she is currently traveling towards the district center from the southeast. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:Herr Chauffeur, doesn't Grandfather live in Raunheim? Why are we heading towards Wiesbaden? ()Chauffeur||:...Herr Vogt no longer resides in Raunheim. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:Then where does he live? In Wiesbaden? ()Chauffeur||:...+You'll find out when we get there. ()||:It is clear that the chauffeur does not wish to answer. Nele raises an eyebrow and decides to keep her questions to herself. ()||:Whoosh... The moment the sedan drives into the district area, the erect noise barriers block Nele's view.+Under the watchful gaze of the increasingly frequent speed detectors on the roadside, the car slowly decelerates as it travels downhill along the road... NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:...Hm? ()||:While the car is stuck in traffic, Nele spots a white piece of construction in the distance through the gaps of the noise barriers.+It is a very tall wall towering in the district center. From this distance, it looks comically out of place, almost like a giant's building block toy. ()Chauffeur||:Is something the matter? NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:No. ()||ClothingUp:Nele sits back and quickly identifies the nearby buildings on the map. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:The Diet, the court, the administrative building... government offices...+...Huh? ()||:Behind the Diet complex on the map is a completely grayed-out area, which matches the location of the tall white wall in the distance.+No matter how much she zooms in on the map, it will not show her any of the buildings within the area... except for a small one right on the edge labeled "Sanatorium". NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:Herr Chauffeur, do you know what that white thing over there is?+Uh, hold on—? ()||:Even though they are caught in a gridlock, the chauffeur wordlessly inches the vehicle forward, so that the noise barriers once again block Nele's view. NPC-Nele(1)||0.5: NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:Did he do that on purpose...? ()||:After a moment of silence, Nele asks again evenly. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:I just saw a tall white wall at the center of Wiesbaden District, just to the north of the Diet complex on the map.+Do you know what that is? ()Chauffeur||:Oh, some kind of purification quarantine wall, I think?+There's a sanatorium there. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:...I see. ()||:The long line of traffic ahead shows no sign of moving.+Nele notices that the chauffeur keeps looking at her through the rearview mirror. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:... ()||ClothingUp:Nele drops her gaze casually. While yawning, she surreptitiously uploads a screencap of the satellite map to the cloud.+The car slowly moves forward... ()||:Just as Nele swipes back to the homepage, everything around her suddenly goes dark. ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<黑屏2>167: NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:... ()||:Through the car window, there is nothing but boundless darkness ahead. White light after white light whizz past overhead. The signal comes and goes. ()||AVG_tele_disconnect:Realizing that the light from her tablet is reflected on her own glasses, Nele quietly turns off the screen. NPC-Nele(0)Nele||:How much longer will it take...? ()Chauffeur||:Please get some rest. I will wake you when we arrive. ()||:Nele blinks. She asks no more questions. ()||AVG_engine_speedup0.5:After turning several corners, only the monotonous rumbling of the vehicle can be heard in the tunnel.+Fighting her drowsiness, Nele slowly closes her sore and puffy eyes... ()||<黑屏1>: ()||9BGM_Empty<黑屏2>: ()||<黑屏1>: ()Chauffeur||<黑屏2>9:Please wake up, Frau Schaefer.+We're here. ()Nele||:Ugh... ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<睁眼>7430.5: ()||:The chauffeur makes himself scarce as soon as he has escorted the groggy Nele into the enclosed elevator. Nele has not even got the time to register the building she has entered.+Only after the chauffeur is gone does she realize that none of the buttons in the elevator do anything when she presses them, nor does she see an emergency button.+There are CCTV cameras in all four corners on the ceiling recording her every move... NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:... ()||AVG_door_storehouse:Thunk, thunk—that sounds like the pulley passing through a joint in the track sections.+Holding on tightly to the handrail, Nele can only roughly judge the elevator's course by the inertia she is experiencing as it climbs and descends periodically.+She feels like a caged animal being transported to god-knows-where... ()||<黑屏1>: ()||9<黑屏2>: ()||0.5AVG_20Winter_Doorbell: ()||<黑点1>: ()||<黑点2>BGM_Hume_LibraryAdventureAVG_BaseDoor_Open7140.5: ()||:After a long journey, the elevator doors finally slide open again.+Trying to overcome her motion sickness, Nele slowly exits the elevator and takes in her surroundings cautiously... and realizes that all the people milling about are dressed in police or military uniforms. ()||0.5: NPC-MK18(0)???||:Frau Cornelia Schaefer. ()||:Just as she is at a loss as to where to go, a military Doll standing next to the elevator calls out to her. NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:Hello, I am Herr Vogt's housekeeper. You may call me Sonya. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:...Hello. NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:Please follow me. ()||ClothingUp:Sonya takes the package out of Nele's arms and walks toward the security gate of the basement lobby. NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:Please put your bag and coat inside the tray.+Also take out everything in your pockets, all metal objects, and electronic devices, and place them here. NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:... ()||ClothingUp:Nele grits her teeth, then follows Sonya's instructions as quickly as she can and places everything tidily into the plastic tray. ()||AVG_Card_Reader:Beep. Having detected the change in weight, the black conveyor belt starts running slowly, sending the plastic tray through the security scanner. NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:Please head that way and stand behind the line. ()||:Nele peers at the black security gate, then strides through calmly. ()||AVG_2023Slow_Keyboard_Correct:Beep. The indicator light flickers green. ()||ClothingUp0.3: ()||ClothingUp:A garrison soldier in uniform sweeps Nele from head to toe with a hand-held scanner. ()Garrison Soldier||:Alright. ()Garrison Soldier||:Look at the camera. Open your mouth, nod, blink... ()Garrison Soldier||:Place both of your thumbs here. NPC-Nele(1)Nele||ClothingUp:... ()Garrison Soldier||:Right. Now sign these. ()||AVG_20Winter_Book:Nele glances at the titles of the documents quickly—+"White Zone Private Visit Approval Form", "White Zone Private Visitor (Category D) Non-Disclosure Agreement"... NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:So many documents...? ()Garrison Soldier||:Someone will brief you on everything soon.+Pay special attention to this bit here—NDA clause 1.1, "Upon departure from the White Zone, the Visitor shall not disclose any internal information or observations related to the White Zone to any external party. Any breach of this obligation shall be deemed an act of endangering national security and will be subject to legal consequences accordingly." NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:... ()||ClothingUp:Ignoring all the questions bubbling inside her, Nele quickly puts her signature and the date on all the documents. ()||:The garrison soldier leafs through everything and files them away efficiently. Then he points down the corridor. ()Garrison Soldier||:Straight down, through the door. ()||:Behind the glass partition at the end of the corridor is a heavy metal door that oddly reminds Nele of an operating theater in the hospital. NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:I will be waiting for you outside. Please come out soon. NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:May I ask... what's behind the door? ()||0.5:Sonya makes no response to Nele's question and simply walks away through a special passage. ()||<黑屏1>: ()||9<黑屏2>0.5AVG_door_elecport: ()||<黑屏1>: ()||<黑屏2>2730.5: NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:(Coughs) ()||:Inside the airtight carriage, Nele coughs violently with her back against the cold inner wall. ()||:Her throat convulses involuntarily as she recalls the comprehensive biological scan and the final anti-microbial blast she was just subjected to in the sterilization chamber. NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||ClothingUp:...Was that really necessary? ()||:Sonya holds out a tray full of lozenges, medical face masks, and tablets for motion sickness.+Next to her is a large cardboard box, in which Nele's coat and belongings, which she had to part with at the security checkpoint, are messily stashed. NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:...No, thank you. ()||ClothingUp:Nele takes a deep breath and packs up all her belongings one by one.+Her communicator still has no signal reception, and black tape has been applied to the top of the screen. NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:All recording devices are prohibited within the White Zone.+When you leave the White Zone, they will inspect your belongings again. Please cooperate with the procedure. NPC-Nele(1)||0.7: NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:May I ask a few questions. NPC-Nele(1);NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:Please go ahead. NPC-Nele(1)Nele;NPC-MK18(0)||:I'm just here to visit my grandfather, why did I have to go through such stringent security and sterilization procedures? NPC-Nele(1);NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:You must comply with the standard regulations of the White Zone. NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:... ()||AVG_engine_speedup%%type_id=2%%duration=1%%delay=0%%range=3:Nele sways lightly along with the motion of the carriage.+She can roughly tell that they are descending in circles, like driving down a winding mountain road. NPC-Nele(1)||0.5: NPC-Nele(1)Nele||:Where are we going?+And... what exactly is the "White Zone"? NPC-Nele(1);NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:Do you understand the concept behind the Black, Red, Yellow, and Green Zones? NPC-Nele(1)Nele;NPC-MK18(0)||:Yes, I know what those are.+Zones are divided according to the ELID contamination levels. The Green Zone is currently the cleanest.+From what I know, the contamination levels in the Mainz District has pretty much reached the limit of what our purification technology can achieve. NPC-Nele(1);NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:It has not.+The actual limit is reducing contamination levels to zero—complete purification. That's the White Zone. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:That's impossible.+Unless the place is totally isolated from the outside world, with zero contact with the external air and water sources. ()||:Sonya smiles. NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:That is indeed the solution. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:Wait... ()||:As the carriage travels on, Nele comes to a sudden realization. NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:The White Zone isn't even on the surface of the earth, so naturally there's no contact with the air outside... NPC-Nele(2);NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:Correct. Our water is also purified aboveground before entering the White Zone. NPC-Nele(2)Nele;NPC-MK18(0)||:An underground zone?+The money needed to build something of this magnitude must've been astronomical... NPC-Nele(2);NPC-MK18(0)Sonya||:Building something from scratch is always easier than fixing something, don't you think? NPC-Nele(2)Nele||:... ()||:Nele lets out a light sigh, and the thrill of exploring the unknown starts brewing within her. ()||0.5: ()||<黑点1>: