Chapter 19: Twilight of the World: The Shores' End

Have you youngsters noticed that ship just outside the dome? I hear it's the Synth Humans that are building it. It's an inter-dimensional warship or some such... People say they're planning to fly it into that vortex thing and manipulate history. If they succeed, they could create a new world where Synth Humans are on top... I just hope it's not true. What would happen to us if our history was overwritten?

Whoa, they have that kind of technology?

An airship is one thing, but if it can travel through time we're really in trouble. Just the idea of Synth Humans tampering with history gives me the chills.

Sometimes the direct approach is best. I'd say a trip to this airship is in order.

How would we gain access to it? The only existing matter transmission engine is back in Elzion. Furthermore, Synth Human structures are semi organic. Beaming inside them would risk molecular integration.

Teleporting's out, then. How else can we get on board their ship?

One thing at a time. Let's ask around, see if anyone has some useful info.

Hey, have ya seen the ship moored outside town? It's a Synth Human warship! I hate to admit it, but...it's kinda rad, right? It's called the Synth Hydra.

I wish the engineers in Elzion'd get to work on something as awesome as that! They're just a bunch of nerds. We need more heart-pounding action in our lives, don't they get that? In fact, forget ships! Skip right ahead to crazy huge robots with rocket fist attacks! Pew pew! Boom!

You little knucklehead, don't you realize people are in real danger? Kids these days are so screwy...

I do not even understand what a "crazy huge robot" is...

Oh, uh... Think of it as like a really big version of Riica.

A Riica colossus?! Good heavens... Children in the future certainly dream of some outlandish inventions.

Amy, I regret to inform you that your explanation is lacking in accuracy. Allow me to clarify. I am an android, a fully independent lifeform. I object to being classified alongside pilotable machines!

Whoa, sorry, it was just a comparison, all right? I thought that'd make it easier for Cyrus to understand.

Verily, a giant Riica is a wonderful concept. I would love to gaze upon such a thing with my own eyes.

It's the rocket fist attack part I find interesting. "Boom," huh?

By the way, kid...what are those pipe-looking things over there? I've been wondering for a while...

Oh, those? They're for shooting up rockets and stuff. A firework maker lives in that house right there.

Fireworks, huh?

Wait...fireworks...

Ain't you a bunch of gloomy Gusses? What's got you folks so down in the mouth, huh? I'd be glad to hear you out if you've got a problem. Might help to get things off your chest, ya know?

Hi there. We have a favor to ask. Sorry, it's kind of a big one. Can you fire us out of your rocket cannons?

Tarnation, what an idea! Them's for fireworks, not people. If you wanna fly, there's easier and less dangerous ways. Jus' go skydiving or somethin'.

No, no, you've got it wrong! We want to use your cannons to get on board the Synth Human warship.

Wait, that's your brilliant idea? You cannot be serious. I'm not getting fired out of any cannon!

Dangling from a rocket as it speeds through the sky toward destruction? Count me out!

Aldo, your plan is for us to be packed into fireworks and shot at the ship? Please confirm.

Don't humor him, Riica. We'd never even fit into one of those!

I know it sounds crazy, but we need to stop the Synth Humans and we don't have a lot of options. If no one else has any better ideas, crazy is all we have to fall back on.

Urgh... I guess you're right.

There is...some sense in what you say.

Yer going after the Synth Hydra, huh? That changes things a little... Still a fool's errand, if ye ask me. But I do have an extra-large spherical shell in my storehouse. Maybe coat the inside with protective magic 'stead of gunpowder, and jack up the durability of the outer shell...

So it is doable?

I reckon it might just work. No guarantees, though.

If there's a chance, we'll take it. It's better than just hoping the ship'll never fly.

Aight, sounds like a challenge. But I'm gonna need a lot of gunpowder to fire all four of ya. Times are tough enough as it is, I barely got any left fer my own use. Though with everything that's going on right now, I doubt anywhere's still sellin' it...

Couldn't you use a different explosive? Or some kind of magic, maybe?

Gunpowder's been tried and tested over centuries of use. Can't properly regulate the size of the explosion with those others. If the calculations are even a little off, you could get blown to smithereens without ever gettin' off the ground.

Okay, so what do we do? We're running out of time here.

Don't get your tassets in a twist. I had a feeling somethin' like this may happen. Got myself a contingency plan. I've been raising these creatures called magmakin in the fields outside the dome, on the sly like. If y'all can go wrangle me, say three of them, I reckon we'll be good to go. I've studied 'em for years now, I know exactly what kind of firepower they're packin' and how to control it.

Sounds good to me. We'll go grab them right now.

Hold on a sec. Take these sunflower seeds with you. They're the perfect bait, magmakin just love 'em.

Thanks!

No problem. I'll get to work preparin' fer launch while you're gone.

These fields are amazing, it's like an ocean of golden stalks. I could walk around here for hours.

Beautiful it may be, it makes it hard to spot any incoming foes.

My sensors detect several organic heat sources. The creatures the pyrotechnician described must be here somewhere.

Then we've just got to lure them out. Here, magmakin, magmakin... Look, yummy sunflower seeds!

One down, two to go! Hard to believe something like that could hide out here. We'd better keep looking.

Feels like there's some around here, too. Fresh sunflower seeds! Come and get it!

That should be enough. Let's get these guys back to the pyrotechnician.

You got 'em? Nice work. Next step is to calibrate the cannon, but that won't take long.

Aldo, there is still one unresolved issue relating to this strategy.

Oh? What's that?

Even if the pyrotechnics work as planned, there is sure to be a security perimeter around the Synth Hydra. It is reasonable to assume the ship itself will also be equipped with missiles, lasers, and other weaponry. Taking this into account, the chances of us successfully infiltrating the ship are less than 8%.

Indeed. Any decent marksman would have no trouble picking off a human-sized projectile... Some countermeasure against being shot out of the sky would put my mind at ease.

We'd need to disable the security system and draw their attention away all at once. Can we do that? I'm drawing a blank. A huge firework being launched isn't exactly easy to miss...

We would need an inside agent.

None of us can pass as a Synth Human. Unless... No, you don't mean...

She would be more than capable of creating the opportunity we need. Chances of her agreeing to help us may be low, but we shouldn't write them off. We have nothing to lose by asking.

Do you have a screw loose? These "Synth Humans" are your enemies, are they not? Can you truly count on one of them to betray their allies for us?

I'm not sure...but like Riica says, we can at least go talk to her. We'll just be throwing our lives away if we can't get past their security.

Whatever it is you gotta do, go ahead and do it. I kin carry on just fine back here. Come on back when you're done. I'll be right here.

Sure. Thanks for everything!

Howdy. Y'all ready to carry out this fool plan of yours? Wait, izzat a Synth Human you got with you?! You sure about this?

Don't worry, we can trust Helena. She's on our side this time.

She is the one who'll prevent us being hit by attacks from the Synth Hydra.

If y'all say so... Anyhoo, your carriage awaits. Hop in and let's get this show on the road.

Feast your eyes! This right here is one of the strongest fireworks ever made. Put my heart and soul into it!

...... You're really going in this thing?

When it reaches the height of its arc, pow! Well, not pow, exactly. This's more like the Infiltration Special. How's it feel in there, gang? Comfy?

Comfy?! You've got to be kidding... It's so dark and cramped, I can barely breathe!

Yo, Aldo! Where do you think you're putting your hand?!

Sorry! Wait, that wasn't me...

My apologies, Amy. There's just so little space... Ouch! This heavy metallic implement must be Riica.

How rude! I'm made from state-of-the-art gilcamassar superalloy. I insist you take back those remarks immediately!

Whoa! Don't push, Riica, you're gonna crush me!

Awright, settle down. You'll be out again 'fore you know it. I'mma load you in the cannon now.

Hurry it up, mister! I have a feeling some of us are about ready to blow already...

Hey... Are you all really going to go through with this? I can't imagine shooting a bunch of youngsters out of a cannon is going to end well.

This thing isn't going to go off without warning, is it? Are we safe standing this close?

Aw, quit yer bellyaching. I'm a professional, I know my work.

Am I the only one who thinks this idea is completely insane?

Where's your sense of adventure? Flying into danger is what heroes do! When everything else fails, go with the crazy idea! Hey, Mister Aldo?!

Darn right! You've got the right attitude, kid. Okay, we're as ready as we're ever going to be. Take it away!

Then I will take my leave. I'll fly in front of the Synth Hydra's prow and send out a jamming signal. You'll need to get onboard before they can get their systems back online. I'll rendezvous with you later. If you succeed, that is...

Course they're gonna succeed. Brace yerselves, it's now or never!

Priming cannon... Target locked on. Adjusting for wind... And we're done. All clear. Launching in 5...4...3...2... Fire in the hole!

Whoooooooooa!

I just hope those kids will be all right...

Don't you worry! Synth Human tech is nothin' compared to my fireworks. Bwahaha!

Woo-hoooh! I thought we were done for... How is everybody?

Yeah. Looks like we made it here in one piece. I've got to admit, that fireworks guy knew what he was doing.

We must thank him. If we get back safe, that is. I imagine the crew of this ship are not going to go down easily.

Due to a CPU overheat, I may have been acting erratically before. I apologize. The whole incident has already been erased from my memory banks. We mustn't dwell on the past. Let us proceed with our objective to disable the ship.