()||<BIN>9</BIN><黑屏1>0,10</黑屏1><BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:
()<speaker></speaker>||<BIN>187</BIN><黑屏2><BGM>m_avg_casual</BGM>:...In the Transvaal Region of South Africa. +After a hard sprint, four Tactical Dolls lie panting on the sand that stretches out to the horizon.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:So tell me, TEC-9, why did you throw that maple syrup-covered sandwich at that human's face?
TEC9(0)<Speaker>TEC-9</Speaker><Shake>||:Ughh... B-because humans are really scary! +He had veins just like ours on the back of his hand when he reached over to me!
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:There there, don't cry, that human didn't mean ill... +At least, not before you threw that sandwich into his face.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:And you, why do you need to slather everything you eat in maple syrup?
TAC50(0)<Speaker>TAC-50</Speaker>||:Because maple syrup makes even the worst-tasting food edible!
()<speaker></speaker>||:NTW-20 sags weakly into the sand.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||<BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM><黑屏1>:<color=#A9A9A9>Are these strangely troublesome and somewhat sticky people really my teammates?</color>
()<speaker></speaker>||<BGM>BGM_Hello</BGM><回忆><黑屏2><BIN>8</BIN>:...One week earlier, in the Commander's office.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:Commander, about this mission to the Transvaal...
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:What's the matter? Do you have any questions?
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:Commander, I've always carried out my missions alone, and I've completed them quite well, if I may say so myself.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:Yes, you have, NTW. You've always been a very capable Tactical Doll.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:But I have three teammates on this mission.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:This mission involves a vicious criminal organization. They've been stealing Dolls from all around and reselling any that they manage to reformat, while dismantling the ones they can't. They are ruthless and disciplined. +While their branches in various areas have been repeatedly raided and the Dolls they were using have been recovered, there are still human members at large.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:My mission this time round involves recovering rare parts left behind in the organization's HQ before their members can get them. +After taking their most recent range of activity into consideration, there is a 93.7% probability that I will not be making direct contact with human criminals.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:I'm not worried about whether you can handle contact with human criminals. However, you've been working solo all this while. I think it's time you learned to work in a team.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:... +Understood.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:Oh yes, one of your team members, TEC-9, was once employed by the organization. +Fortunately, she couldn't complete the assassinations given to her because she was terrified of human beings, and thus they abandoned her. +She should be able to provide you with a lot of useful information.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:Understood. I'll be mindful of her safety.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||<黑屏1>:Don't worry. The teammates I chose for you have irreplaceable strengths. I'm sure they'll be able to help you during this mission.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||<黑屏2><BIN>187</BIN><关闭蒙版><BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:We'll carry on with the mission, then. According to the original plan, we ought to have been at our destination by now. +It might be hard on us, but in order not to waste time, let's run all the way there!
TAC50(0)<Speaker>TAC-50</Speaker>||:Alright!
TEC9(0)<Speaker>TEC-9</Speaker>||:Yeah!
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:Come on, NTW-20, keep up!
()<speaker></speaker>||:As the setting sun draws out the shadows of the three running Dolls, NTW-20 is compelled to shout:
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||<黑点1>:Heeeeey—! You guys... +Are running the wrong way... It's this way...
()<speaker></speaker>||<黑点2><BIN>55</BIN><BGM>m_avg_casual</BGM>:...Two hours later, near the criminal organization's HQ.
TAC50(0)<Speaker>TAC-50</Speaker>||:Whew— we're here at last! +I thought these criminals' HQ would look fancy and all, but this...
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:<color=#A9A9A9>Well, we finally made it, so we can officially begin the mission.</color>
TEC9(0)<Speaker>TEC-9</Speaker><Shake>||:(Whimpers) I've got to face scary humans again...
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:Are you afraid, TEC-9? +You shouldn't be. The organization's been raided several times, so there aren't many of them left.
TEC9(0)<Speaker>TEC-9</Speaker>||:Yeah... I know... +It's just that anyone who's held out this long is probably going to make it really tough for us...
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:Yes, this will probably be a tricky encounter.
()<speaker></speaker>||:NTW-20's gaze turns to the windows of the HQ building.
TAC50(0)<Speaker>TAC-50</Speaker>||:Which is why we should have dinner first before scoping the place out. ♪
TEC9(0)<Speaker>TEC-9</Speaker>||:Sounds great!
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:We ought to have a good rest too.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:... +So we're not going in right away?
()<speaker></speaker>||:PTRD pats NTW-20, who is rooted to the spot.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:Don't worry, we'll do the job we came here to do. +However, we should fill our bellies first.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:...Alright.
()<speaker></speaker>||:TAC-50 produces a bottle of maple syrup out of nowhere and happily dumps it all on various food items. +TEC-9 takes refuge in PTRD's embrace, trembling as she reads horror stories featuring humans.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:<color=#A9A9A9>This is fine too. Leaving them here will help avoid a lot of unpredictable risks.</color> +<color=#A9A9A9>I'll find the parts swiftly and then we'll be able to head back to base.</color>
()<speaker></speaker>||<BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM><黑点1>:NTW-20 quietly makes her way towards the HQ building.
()<speaker></speaker>||<黑点2><BIN>18</BIN>:An hour later, NTW-20 has climbed her way into the building through an external air vent.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:Alright, I'm in, though I got lost for a moment. +No biological matter detected; moving in.
()<speaker></speaker>||<黑点1>:NTW-20 takes a deep breath, and then crashes down through the ceiling—
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||<BGM>BGM_Hello</BGM><黑点2><BIN>18</BIN>:NTW? What took you so long?
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker><Shake>||:What are you doing here?!
TAC50(0)<Speaker>TAC-50</Speaker>||:You're just in time. Maple Moon finished scanning the building's structure. +Here, I'll share the map data with you.
TEC9(0)<Speaker>TEC-9</Speaker>||:Why do you look so miserable? Did you run into humans or something?
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:I...I'm fine... +...How's the mission going?
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:We did a quick search and found several wrecked computers. TEC-9 is trying to restore their data.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||<黑点1>:NTW-20, come with me and continue the search. TAC-50, stay here and help TEC-9.
()<speaker></speaker>||<黑点2><BIN>167</BIN><BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:...In the basement of the criminal organization's HQ.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||<BGM>GF_Memorial</BGM>:NTW-20, why did you leave the group and go off on your own? +If there's anything you're unhappy with, you can tell me now.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>;PTRD(0)||:Unhappy? No, there's nothing I'm unhappy with.
NTW20(0);PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:Then why did you leave the group without saying anything?
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>;PTRD(0)||:What's wrong with that? I've always operated that way.
NTW20(0);PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:The Commander explained to me that you've only ever carried out solo missions.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:However, we're on the same team now. Do you understand?
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:Yes.
()<speaker></speaker>||:While NTW-20 placates PTRD with perfunctory agreement, her eyes are drawn to an old motorbike. +PTRD steps in front of NTW-20 as she looks at the bike and stuffs a package of maple syrup salad into NTW-20's hands.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:Here's an analogy you might not like much. +The four of us are like the ingredients of this maple syrup salad. We're all in this together.
()<speaker></speaker>||:NTW-20 looks sympathetically at the maple syrup salad in her hands.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:When you try to leave the team by yourself, it's like the grapefruit in here trying to work its way free of the maple syrup. +You think you've gotten free of the shackles of the maple syrup, but in truth you've left a trail of it behind yourself... +By following the maple syrup, we can find you.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>;PTRD(0)||:Does TAC-50's maple syrup have some kind of tracking ability?
NTW20(0);PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:...
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:NTW-20, do you know what maple syrup is?
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:Yes...
()<speaker></speaker>||<SE1>AVG_tele_connect</SE1><BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:The communicator beeps at an inopportune moment.
TAC50(0)<Speaker>TAC-50</Speaker><通讯框>||<BGM>BGM_Sneak</BGM>:<color=#00CCFF>TEC-9 just finished recovering the data. Most of it was unsalvageable, but the bits we managed to piece together are really important!</color>
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:What does it say?
TEC9(0)<Speaker>TEC-9</Speaker><通讯框>||:<color=#00CCFF>"The last batch of products in HQ will be transferred to the location indicated by the buyer at 2am on the 17th."</color>+<color=#00CCFF>These humans...they're going to move a shipment of important goods from here tomorrow!</color>
TAC50(0)<Speaker>TAC-50</Speaker><通讯框>||:<color=#00CCFF>They're high-end fire control cores...</color>
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:No wonder they're taking such a big risk to get them back.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:Stand by over there, you two. I'll contact the Commander and report our findings.
()<speaker></speaker>||<SE1>AVG_tele_disconnect</SE1>:The transmission ends. +PTRD makes a long-distance call to the Commander.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:I didn't notice it at first, but this place doesn't have signal coverage... +I can't contact the Commander.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:That's not surprising. The dense terrain naturally causes severe interference. +On top of that, you have this building blocking all reception. It would've been strange if you could get through.
PTRD(0)<Speaker>PTRD</Speaker>||:Let's go. We'll meet up with the others first.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||:Sure, hop on.
()<speaker></speaker>||<SE1>AVG_engine_speedup</SE1>:PTRD looks back in confusion, and sees that NTW-20 has already started up the motorbike.
NTW20(0)<Speaker>NTW-20</Speaker>||<黑屏1>:<color=#A9A9A9>So, what exactly IS maple syrup?</color>