()||<BIN>9</BIN><黑屏1>0,10</黑屏1><BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:
()||<黑屏2><BIN>80</BIN><BGM>GF_Café</BGM>:At the Café.
NPC-Kalin(3)<Speaker>Kalina</Speaker>||:(Sighs)
()||:Sitting at the bar, Kalina lets out a heavy sigh.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:... +I'm sorry for causing you trouble.
NPC-Kalin(0)<Speaker>Kalina</Speaker>||:Nah, it's not your fault... GSh-18 only said that because she doesn't know about your situation. +Don't take it to heart, okay?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:I'm not bothered by what the doctor said. Also, it makes sense. +No matter what difficulties I may have, she's simply saying what she believes to be right from her point of view.
NPC-Kalin(3)<Speaker>Kalina</Speaker>||:...
()||:Kalina smiles bitterly and gets up from her seat.
NPC-Kalin(4)<Speaker>Kalina</Speaker>||:Still, do give the upgrade a good think.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:Yeah, I will.
()||:After casting another worried glance at XM3, Kalina finally takes her leave.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:...
()||<黑点1>:XM3 picks up her ice-cold drink and sighs. +...She has known this day would come for a long time, but now that it is actually upon her, she is still at a bit of a loss. +In any case, right now, she ought to...
()||<黑点2><BIN>80</BIN><Night>:...
()||:There weren't many people in the Café to begin with, and as time goes by, it becomes even quieter than before. Even Springfield has left to tend to her duties in the Integrated Logistics Department. +Everyone has a job of their own. They can't possibly stay here just to keep XM3 company.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:...
()||:Alone at the bar, XM3 stares at the document lying in front of her as she fiddles with a bullet.
()<Speaker>????</Speaker>||<BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:Is Springfield not here?
()||:Just as XM3 is gathering her thoughts, someone suddenly takes a seat beside her and casually addresses her—so casually, in fact, that XM3 wonders if they're actually talking to her.
()||:Thunk. +The newcomer places a bottle of wine on the counter with a dull noise.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:I guess she's busy.
()||:With an equally casual reply, XM3 takes the bullet in her hand and turns to look at the other party.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:...!
()||:Clink.
()||:The bullet falls from her suddenly nerveless fingers onto the counter with a crisp sound.
()||:XM3 gapes at the person who has suddenly appeared. +Never did she think she would meet her here, of all places.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:Eh, just as well that she's out.
()||<BGM>GF_xGS2_27</BGM>:It is ST AR-15.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:...AR-15?
AR15Mod(5)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:You know me?
()||:ST AR-15 doesn't seem too alarmed by the fact that this unfamiliar Doll has just called her by name. +At the end of the day, this is Griffin's base and said Doll is a Griffin Doll. +She is exceptionally accommodating to her colleagues...with a few exceptions.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:Yeah... I've heard all about you.
AR15Mod(3)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:Really now? I'm honored, then.
()||:ST AR-15 gives an offhanded reply and opens her bottle of wine.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:Do you drink?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:If it's just a little, sure.
()||:ST AR-15 shrugs, then reaches below the bar and brings two glasses back up with practiced ease.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:Judging by the look on your face, you must be in a spot of trouble, aren't you? +We may have become drinking buddies entirely by chance, so do you want to talk about it?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:...Nothing would please me more.
()||:XM3 takes a glass from ST AR-15 and nods to her. +She watches as ST AR-15 tops off both their glasses. As she lifts the glass to her lips, XM3 finally speaks her mind.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:I was once assigned to protect M4A1. +After that, I began refusing neural cloud backups, and every battle I went through had me dancing on the knife's edge of starting from zero.
AR15Mod(2)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:Pffft.
()||:ST AR-15 sprays out her mouthful of wine.
AR15Mod(3)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:(Coughs heavily)
()||:After nearly choking on XM3's sudden bombshell, ST AR-15 wipes her mouth and looks at this colleague that she once thought was a stranger.
AR15Mod(5)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:What do you mean?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:During that joint exercise with the Military, M4A1 had just recovered and asked to be sent back to the battlefield. +Back then, I received orders from the Commander to escort her to the area of operations. +We ran into S.F. forces along the way and I was destroyed. The Military sent their forces to pick her up. +You should know what happened after that better than me.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:No, I know that, I'm talking about that last sentence of yours. +Why did you refuse to back up your neural cloud?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:...During that mission, I said a bunch of lame, empty things to M4. +But in the end, I was destroyed by S.F. and removed from the battlefield. +When I thought about it afterwards, I realized the reason why I failed was because I took the concept of death too casually.
AR15Mod(2)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:You were being too casual about dying?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:The biggest difference between human soldiers and ourselves is that Dolls get to try again any number of times, and this privilege makes us fearless in the face of death. +Perhaps this is a good thing under certain circumstances... But I've come to realize something. +Soldiers who do not fear death cannot become good soldiers.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:So you stop backing up your neural cloud just to create a sense of urgency for yourself? +Are you actually insane?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:I might be.
AR15Mod(2)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:(Sighs) I thought I managed to find a drinking buddy. +Turns out I stepped on the mother of all landmines instead...
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:I know it is rather abrupt of me to discuss this on our first meeting. +But I don't know when I'll get to see you again.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:And how much of what you want to say is meant for me?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:Part of it, at least.
()||:ST AR-15 scratches her head and puts her glass back on the table.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:And what you're about to ask is going to offend me?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:You are most perceptive.
AR15Mod(3)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:I mean, it's written all over your face... +Eh, not that I mind. Just make sure you're prepared to pay the price if you really make me mad.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:But of course.
()||:XM3 takes a sip from her glass, as if to muster her courage.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:After that failure, I pondered the issue of Doll death long and hard. +The conclusion I came to was that I had become careless and sloppy during battle because I didn't fear death. +It was this attitude which led to me being easily hit by shells and bullets. +If I had been more focused and more careful, things would not have ended up that way. +And after realizing that, I made a decision.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:You decided to stop creating backup copies of your neural cloud to make your "unlimited" lives finite?
()||:ST AR-15's hand tightens a little around her wine glass.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:I really feel sorry for you. Or rather, for your pea-sized brain. +Your stupidity astounds me.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:After I started fearing death, I became so strong I surprised myself.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:So what does this have to do with me? +At the risk of sounding cold, it's not like I can help you or anything. +I'm neither an engineer nor a psychiatrist. +If you want a suggestion from me, all I can say is—back yourself up. +That's all.
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||:Of course. I didn't mean to bother you with something like that. +I wanted to ask you about something else.
AR15Mod(0)<Speaker>ST AR-15</Speaker>>||:What is it?
xm3(0)<Speaker>XM3</Speaker>||<BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:What went through your head when you chose to blow yourself up?
()||<SE1>AVG_Door_Hit</SE1>:Thud! +ST AR-15 slams her glass down on the counter.