()||9<黑屏1>0,10黑屏1>BGM_Empty:
()||9<黑屏2>BGM_stage13AVG_Strike_Loop:...Rumble! +A sound utterly foreign to everyday life shatters the air—endless crashing, and it's impossible to tell if it's near or far. +On both sides of the street, faces twisted in terror let out shrill, inhuman screams, like rats trapped in a cage, scattering in panic. +Nele feels as if the world itself is rapidly falling apart.
()Pedestrian||AVG_20Winter_People_Panic:AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!
()Pedestrian||:Help! We're getting bombed!!!
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
()||Stop_AVG_loop:A haze of unreality clouds her mind as she stands dazed at the curb, jostled again and again by the stampeding crowd. +She had stepped out of that desolate, abandoned castle only hours ago.
()||Rope:Beside her, Amaris clutches her arm so tightly it almost hurts.
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:There's no time to make it to the underground shelters! We have to hide somewhere! Being out in the open is too dangerous!
NPC-Nele(6)Nele||:...Right!
()||AVG_Strike_Single:Boom! Boom! +The explosions show no sign of stopping. Amaris shoves through the panicked masses, heading straight for a shop by the roadside—
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Get inside! Now!
()||:The world sways violently. If not for Amaris' grip, Nele would have been knocked off her feet by the soundwave rushing in from every direction. +They stumble through a doorway, while flashes of terrified, contorted faces sweep past her vision.
()||:Amaris shoves Nele under a heavy, solid wooden table.
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Stay in here! Protect your head!
()||:Following her orders, Nele curls up under the table, hands shielding the part of her that holds her soul and memories.
()||:She breathes deeply and shuts her eyes...
()||AVG_Explo_Distance:Boom...
()||AVG_tinnitus_01:Rumble...
()||:It feels like a century has passed before the crashing dies down, and Nele's heartbeat begins to steady.
()||<黑屏1>:
()||<黑屏2>805ClothingUp:She crawls out from under the table and sees Amaris standing guard close by.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:The bombing... stopped?
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:For now.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:Why was there suddenly a bombing...?
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:According to the latest intel from the Commander, Frankfurt and Moscow were both hit by surprise attacks from the Neo-Soviet rebels. +Nele... war has come.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
()||:War—a word that feels distant. +But now that she thinks about it, she realizes it has never truly been far away.
()||ClothingUp:Glancing around, Nele notices they've entered a bakery. It's small, and it's now packed with people crowding around the bread display to take shelter. +The shop is in ruins. Soft, clean loaves lie crushed across the floor, and the front window facing the street is filled with unsettling cracks. +Low sobs drift through the air; some people are trying to establish contact with the outside, while others converse with each other in hushed tones.
()Passer-By A||:...What's going on? Who's behind this?
()Passer-By B||:No idea. Signal reception is terrible. I can't even get online.
()Passer-By C||:(Sobs) I want to go home...
()||:Fenced in by the crush of people, Nele is pressed right up against Amaris.
()||ClothingUp:She glances at the almost non-existent signal bar on her communicator and sighs. There's no hope of getting a connection.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:Amaris, has the government issued any messages or instructions? +Like... what we should do now?
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Only the usual—keep communications open, get to the underground shelters.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:...
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:We should keep observing the situation. If there's no sign of more bombing, we'll head to the nearest underground shelter. +Right now, nothing above ground is safe.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:The nearest underground shelter... The metro station?
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Yes, Johannes Gutenberg University station is close. +If we run, we'll be exposed for no more than five minutes.
()||AVG_Strike_Single<震屏3>BGM_Empty:Boom! +A violent explosion erupts in the street.
()||AVG_Car_Crash_1:Bam-bam-bam!
()||%%type_id=2%%duration=5%%delay=0%%range=3AVG_brake:A car, flaming and out of control, barrels straight toward the bakery—
()||AVG_Car_Crash<震屏3>:Crash! +In a chorus of screams, the car slams to a stop, blocking the bakery's entrance.
()Passer-By A||10295:Scheiße! The glass is covered in blood! The driver's badly hurt!
()Passer-By B||:...Anyone have signal? Call the police or an ambulance?
()Passer-By C||:Even if we could, no vehicle could get through... If a medical Doll were around, there might be some hope for him...
()||:Nele crawls out from under the table and rushes over to the car. She tries to ascertain the injured driver's condition. +The driver's eyes are wide with terror; she gestures to him—
NPC-Nele(6)Nele||:Sir, can you tell me your name?
NPC-Nele(6)Driver<同时置暗>||:Uh... uh...
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:His consciousness is fading; he can't form a coherent answer to my question.
()||:Nele can't see any obvious wounds on the driver, but his face is alarmingly pale.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:Severe injuries can't be ruled out.
NPC-Nele(7)Nele||:Amaris, I need you to break the glass. I'll see if I can give him emergency aid.
NPC-Nele(7);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:... +Should I just smash it and drag him out?
NPC-Nele(7)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:No, ease him down carefully.
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:His injuries are that bad? I'll get inside and take a look.
()||AVG_Creep:Amaris climbs into the car and pulls Nele in after her. +One glance at the blood staining the driver's chest makes Nele draw in a sharp breath.
NPC-Nele(7)Nele||:Severe chest trauma... possible rib fractures. +We have to be careful moving him, but time is short—if we don't act now, even an ambulance won't make it in time...
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:... +Got it.
()||AVG_Broken_Glass<震屏3>:Amaris climbs over to the passenger seat, carefully breaks the window, and steps out onto the street.
()||ClothingUp:Nele follows, and together they lift the driver from the car with painstaking care.
()||<黑屏1>:
()||<黑屏2>9:
()||<黑屏1>:
()||159<黑屏2>:...
()||:The driver lies flat by the curb. His face is covered in blood and tears, making it impossible to determine his facial expressions.
()Driver||:I... ugh...
NPC-Nele(7)Nele||:Don't speak. I need to check your injuries.
()||ClothingUp:Nele gently lifts his shirt. His abdomen and chest are a mess of mangled flesh. Several broken ribs are clearly visible.
()||ClothingUp:She pulls some gauze out of her bag but doesn't know where to start stemming the bleeding.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:He's beyond saving.
NPC-Nele(7)Nele||:There has to be something I can do...
()||ClothingUp:She works desperately, but blood keeps gushing out of the driver's body and pooling around her feet.
()Driver||:Tha...nk... ugh... +...
()||:The words die in his throat.
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Nele...
NPC-Nele(7)Nele||:...
()||:The driver has stopped breathing.
()||ClothingUp:Amaris closes his eyes mournfully.
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:His injuries were too grave. Nothing you could have done would have saved him.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
()||ClothingUp:Nele stares at her blood-soaked hands in a daze.
()||<白屏1>BGM_Empty:
()||%%type_id=2%%duration=500000%%delay=0%%range=2:
()||Heartbeat814<白屏2>:...
()||:The crimson on her skin seems alive. It quivers in her eyes.
()Laplace||:What's the difference between a med student and a serial killer? +Little girl, the answer is—there's no difference. +The adrenaline and endorphins bring them the same joy.
()Laplace||<白屏1>:...Knowledge is a curse. +...Talent is a curse. +One day, you'll admit... what you inherited from me is what you've been pursuing your whole life...
()Amaris||<白屏2>159%%type_id=2%%duration=1%%delay=0%%range=2:We can't deal with the body right now. Let's find his ID and try to find his family through the database.
()Amaris||:We probably can't reach them since comms are down, but we can send an email.
()Amaris||:Nele? Nele!
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||BGM_ev2412_tranquility:Are you okay, Nele?
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:...
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Nele?
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...Amaris...
()||AirRaidWarning:Woooo— The air raid siren starts wailing again.
()||ClothingUp:Amaris glances up at the startled birds taking to the sky.
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:We're heading to the metro station.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
()||RunStep:She grips the dazed Nele by her arm and pulls her along toward the nearest metro station.
()||<黑屏1>:
()||<黑屏2>8220.5:
()||<黑屏1>:As they hurry down the chaotic staircase, the clamor inside the station rushes at them like a swarm of vengeful spirits loosed from a seal. +And yet, Nele is practically deaf to the hubbub.
()Male Stranger||<黑屏2><回忆>9:You Drecksau! Why don't you just die?!
()Female Stranger||AVG_tele_connect:Go to hell, you Miststück! It's because of you the refugees don't trust the government!
()Male Stranger||AVG_tele_connect<黑屏1>:Are you a spy? Crawl back to your own country, Schlampe!
()||<关闭蒙版><黑屏2>822:Dark emotions creep over her, clinging like ivy. +Nele feels as if she's getting engulfed by the shadows in the metro station...
()Childish Sobs||:Waaah! Mama!
()Angry Curses||:Stop f*cking shoving! Give people some space!
()Fed-Up Complaints||:When will the bombing end...?
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Nele! This way!
()||<黑屏1>:
()||<黑屏2>:
()||AVG_Creep:Amaris shoves through the crush and pulls Nele into a pocket of space.
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Stay here until we have solid intel. +Nele, pull yourself together.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...Right, I'm fine.
()||:Even in the jostling crowd, the blood on her hands and lab coat stand out.
()||%%type_id=2%%duration=3%%delay=0%%range=3AVG_Explo_Distance:Boom! +The dull blast echoes through the tunnels. +Like crickets trapped in a cage, the crowd is forced to confront an unseen enemy in the dark.
()Childish Sobs||:Uuuh... waaah...
()||%%type_id=2%%duration=5%%delay=0%%range=3AVG_Strike_Single_Loop:Boom! Boom!
()||<黑屏2>Stop_AVG_loop:The lights flicker with the tremor of the earth. Faces in panic flash bright, then dark...
()||AVG_lifttable<震屏3>:Crack! Bam!
()||AVG_20Winter_People_Panic:Plaster and glass from the crumbling ceiling rain down, causing people to scream...
()Panicked Cries||:The station's collapsing!!! Run!!!
()Shrill Screams||:Aaaaah! Don't push! Stop it!!!
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:...
()||:The cries overlap into a hellish chorus. +Voices cut short, sighs swallowed, screams shrill and sharp... +There is no escape. The cacophony of despair assaults Nele's senses, threatening to overwhelm her.
()||:Amarys tries to shield her from the worst and blocks her view. +When the bombing finally ceases for the time being, the hysterical cries soften into whimpers. Only then does Amaris allow herself to relax.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:...Nele, this chaos... won't end anytime soon.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:How long will the bombing last?
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:That's the question on everyone's mind. +Just like back in WWIII... +Everyone was asking, "When will this war end?"
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:...
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:I won't give you false hope. +So... just endure. Live for every single moment.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:...But we don't know anything... +We can't do anything...
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:...This war didn't start because of us, and it won't end because of us. +The only thing we can fight for... is to see the next dawn. +That's all.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:... +Can I really hold on?
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:...You can, Nele. +You're the strongest human I've met.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:... +You're lying.
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:... +Fine. But even the strongest human needs to eat. I've got to get you some food and water. +You've gone over twelve hours without any sustenance.
()||ClothingUp:Only then does Nele feel the weight of her fatigue and hunger. Amaris sits her down in a corner.
NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Stay here. I'll be back soon.
NPC-Nele(7)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:...Don't get hurt. There's no repair point to fix your frame right now.
NPC-Nele(7);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Don't underestimate a T-Doll.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:Right...
()||ClothingUp:Nele watches uneasily as Amaris leaves the supplies with her.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:Be careful.
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:YOU be careful. +Listen to me, Nele— +Don't speak to strangers. Even if they ask for help, don't answer.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:...
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:Just stay here and sit tight. Don't go anywhere until I come back. You hear me?
NPC-Nele(5)Nele;NPC-SCAR-H(0)||:...Okay.
NPC-Nele(5);NPC-SCAR-H(0)Amaris||:If anything happens, contact me through your communicator. +It's Griffin-made, so there is a reliable connection with the Commander. +I just added the Stasi's private channel. +Either way, you can reach me.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:Got it...
()||<黑点1>RunStep:
()||<黑点2>0.5:
()||:Amaris hurries off to find emergency rations. +And so, Nele is left with plenty of time to spend with her own thoughts.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
()||:She looks down at the pair of crimson hands before her, stained with blood and guilt that can never be washed away. +The dried blood is not just on her skin... but also in her heart.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:Once you have blood on your hands... they will never... be clean again... +This is the mark of sin...
()||<黑屏1>:
()Laplace||<黑屏2>9:...Knowledge is a curse. +...Talent is a curse.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
()Laplace||:One day, you'll admit... what you inherited from me is what you've been pursuing your whole life...
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:... +This isn't... what I wanted...
()||AVG_tele_connect:Beep. Beep-beep. +The urgent call tears her from her thoughts.
()||<黑屏1>:
()||<黑屏2>8220.3:
NPC-Keven(12)J<通讯框>||:Nele! +Where are you and Amaris?
NPC-Keven(12);NPC-Nele(6)Nele||:...We're at the Johannes Gutenberg University metro station.
NPC-Keven(10)J<通讯框>;NPC-Nele(6)||:Oh, good.
NPC-Keven(10);NPC-Nele(6)Nele||:Amaris has gone to find food for me.
NPC-Keven(6)J<通讯框>;NPC-Nele(6)||:Right. +...Actually, I wanted to tell you—stay out of Gray's matter from now on. +What you could do for her, and what you couldn't... you've done it all. +And that Makarov—return it to the Commander. +You should be wielding a scalpel, not a gun. +You understand?
NPC-Keven(6);NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:But my hands are already covered in blood. Can hands like these really be washed clean?
NPC-Keven(7)J<通讯框>;NPC-Nele(5)||:...You can't find water? Then use alcohol. +Wait, alcohol's scarce in wartime. I bet you're the type that insists on saving it for someone who needs it more. Let me think...
NPC-Nele(6)Nele||:...
()||AVG_2023Slow_Keyboard_Input:J takes a photo and sends it to Nele.
NPC-Keven(7)J<通讯框>||:...Just use disposable gloves! You're used to wearing them anyway! +See? Perfectly clean.
()||:The photo shows J's hand wearing a medical latex glove.
NPC-Keven(7)J<通讯框>||:You're a doctor. Bloody hands are normal. +If you don't like the mess, just wear gloves.
NPC-Keven(7);NPC-Nele(6)Nele||:...
NPC-Keven(7)J<通讯框>;NPC-Nele(6)||:Hello? Nele?
NPC-Keven(7);NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...I understand.
NPC-Keven(7)J<通讯框>||:Good. I'll contact you later.
()||AVG_tele_disconnect:J hangs up.
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:Will gloves... really solve the issue?
NPC-People_Female(0)???2||:E-excuse me...
()||:A timid voice interrupts Nele's musings again. +It is a dusty-faced woman, clutching a sleeping child.
NPC-People_Female(0)???||:I see you're wearing a white coat... Are you a doctor?
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:I...
NPC-People_Female(0)???||:My child's had a fever for days. I meant to take her to the hospital today, but then this happened... +Now she's burning up and won't wake up. I'm worried sick... Please, could you please look at her...?
NPC-Nele(5)Nele||:...
()||ClothingUp:Nele's eyes fall on the little one's flushed round face. The child's breathing is erratic, and her limbs are spasming slightly. She is clearly in critical condition.
NPC-People_Female(0)???||:...Hello?
()||Heartbeat:Nele's hands feel like they'd been branded with a hot iron. The crimson stain is searing hot. Painful. Impossible to ignore. +She can clearly hear all the voices screaming from the depths of her memories. +The struggle. The hesitation. The pain. The rage...
()||ClothingUp:But she lifts her head and gives her answer—
NPC-Nele(7)Nele||0.5:Yes. My hands are a bit dirty. Could you take a pair of medical gloves from my pocket for me?
()||<黑点1>: