Injustice For All

Are you here on some new mission?

Actually I'm off-duty today. The Barkeep here really helped me out on that last case, so I thought I'd pay him a visit as a customer this time.

I'm honored that I was able to be of some assistance.

No, thank you, for your dedication to justice, and cooperation.

Woowoowoo! Off-dutyyy! Know what that means? Means I don't have to explode in anyone's face today!

Maybe not by order, but keep screaming like that and I'll short-circuit you for a little "accident."

Well you're a big ball of no-fun! Don't you have a lighten-up mode in all those fancy settings of yours?

Keep it down you two. You're disturbing the other patrons.

Understood.

I'll hush up, sorry.

Haha, I could use some of these pods, never a dull moment.

Sorry, getting an incoming comms transmission. Clock, put me through.

It's the Administrator. Connecting.

Apologies for calling on you off-duty.

Not at all. You have something urgent for me?

That's right. I take it you know the Industrial Ruins?

There was an illegal trade there. The EGPD went over there to make the arrest, but were unsuccessful in bringing everyone in. We attempted to run scans on the device left at the scene of the crime for any leads, but to no avail.

I didn't want to involve you unduly, but I need your expertise. Find any info on the trade that you can from the terminal there.

I should be able to do that.

You and Clock are the best when it comes to data analysis. I'm counting you on.

Thank you.

Well look at you Clock, getting mentioned by name by the Administrator. I wanna be famous too!

You heading there now?

Yeah. You don't have to come with me on this one, though. I'll be fine alone.

We'll come too. The quicker we get it done with, the sooner we can come back here and relax.

Appreciate it. Let's go.

This is the terminal the Administrator was talking about.

Understood. Initiating data analysis.

......

Well whaddya know, the great Clock's struggling to come up with anything.

Requesting radio silence from scrap metal.

Clock, you need support?

That won't be necessary. The fire walls are unusually strong. However, I should be able to override them unassisted. Since you are supposed to be off-duty today, take this downtime to relax while I work on this.

Okay, got it, thanks.

Shame you have to be out working on your day off, huh?

Wrongdoers don't take days off. It's only natural that people who stand against them, like me, don't either.

Wow, that shows real commitment to the job. What made you want to be part of the force in the first place?

My father was a politician. But, he was found to be corrupt and lost his job as a result.

What?!

It's all part of the job, the political world's never been a clean one. But he wasn't the kind of man to commit outright felonies. He was used; imprisoned for crimes that he didn't even commit. He died in jail serving out a sentence that wasn't his. They never found those responsible for this. My father was just another expendable pawn in their machinations.

I'm sorry to hear that. What happened to you after that?

After my father lost his job, my family had to move into the Elzion slums.

Not the happiest of childhoods, but I fought my way out of there, aiming to one day become an officer. I was, and still am, determined to clear my father's name.

And I'm determined to catch anyone who abuses their power to evade the law, like the ones responsible for my father. When I do, I'll make sure they feel the full brunt of the law.

I see...

My dream is to have a world free of corruption, where criminals are properly judged by a fair legal system. It's not something that will happen overnight, but I can't just sit by and relax while there is so much I can do.

If I can even just stop one person from suffering needlessly, the world will become a slightly better place.

Data analysis... complete.

Not looking so hot again, Clock, what's gotten into you today, huh?

What's wrong, Clock? Weren't you able to find anything on the trade?

Not exactly. It seems, however, that the situation is going from bad to worse.

Clock? It's not like you to beat around the bush.

There is another terminal like this one, somewhere else in the Industrial Ruins. If I may, I would like to hold my report until examining that one as well.

Okay, fine by me. Let start looking for that other terminal then.

Is this the one?

Verified. Terminal is a 99% match to the target parameters. Initiating analysis. ...

Clock, are you mad about something?

Requesting radio silence.

......

What could possibly happen to make Clock angry?

Data analysis complete.

Report. What have you found, Clock?

I was unable to verify details. However, it seems an orphan is involved in the crime.

......

An orphan? You mean like a kid?

They were using some kind of code to communicate, but from the context that much is clear enough. They brought the orphan to the trade, perhaps even as part of the trade. There are records that some kind of medical procedure took place in the dilapidated research lab before they left.

So where is that?

There are several possible locations. However, Xeno-Domain is the most likely.

Can you confirm whether they've cleared out already?

Unable to give precise confirmation. The situation is currently in progress making it hard to obtain reliable data.

We have to hurry.

Sorry, Aldo. But It doesn't look like we'll be going back to the bar anytime soon.

Got it, let's go!

Thank you.

Cetie! What about this terminal?

Clock, what's the security level like? Can you hack it?

Yes. Performing analysis immediately.

Thanks.

Even I don't feel like giving Clock any hassle this time.

Analysis complete. Part of the data has become corrupted, making a complete extraction impossible. However, records of the medical procedure the criminals performed on the orphan are still readable.

Like a pre/post operation report?

It appears so. Playing back audio file.

0032 - Pre-operation Journal. I have no mother, no father. I've never met them, not even once. 0032 - Post-operation Journal. This is a picture of my mommy and daddy. I miss them. When can I go see them?

Is that it?

Didn't make any sense to me. Sounded like diary entries, or something to me.

That is unlikely, the dates are both from the same day. It seems that procedure 0267 is currently being performed in the Research Sector.

What! We have to get over there now!

There's no time to lose!

Located the target material. It seems to have been disguised.

This one? You're telling me they're inside here?!

Take it easy, Aldo. You can't rush these things.

Accessing device. Simulating correct procedures for operation shut down.

Oh come on! At a time like this?

It's coming this waaay!

Clock, keep doing your thing. I won't let you be disturbed.

Shutting down pod operations.

Hey, kid! Are you hurt?

Confirming vital signs... All vital readings are positive.

Where am I?

Phew, he's okay.

Who are you?

Friends of justice. You're safe now.

Mommy, daddy? Where's my mommy and daddy?

Did you get separated from your parents?

What now?

Ohhh... I don't know. Where's my mommy and daddy?

Why?

Number 0617, this child is an orphan. It is very unlikely this child has parents still.

Mommy, daddy?

Where are they? Mommy, d-daddy... Whaaah...

There, there, it's gonna be okay.

Medical procedures on parentless orphans. Where have I...

No. They can't be performing memory transplants, can they?

Memory transplants?

I've heard of this before. Implanting memories into an orphan's brain to trick them into thinking they've always been part of a family. Once they're handed over to the surrogate family, it's like nothing ever happened. There've been rumors of this in the past, but I never thought there was an organization actually doing it.

That's...that's just so wrong.

Looks like we've got ourselves a few pesky lab rats.

And after all the work I put into finding this place in Xeno-Domain. I can't believe my rotten luck to be sniffed out just before my largest shipment of goods yet.

Although I'm afraid I can't let you go free, you've seen all my best secrets after all.

Goods? Those are children you're talking about!

And very precious goods at that, I'll have you know. Ones that bring me a phenomenal profit.

So, you stole these children's memories from them for your own selfish gains?

I don't see why a happy future needs the wretched memories of being a poor orphan, living in squalor.

In that case, how about I take away your happy future!

I'll make sure your only view of the sky will be framed by iron bars.

Impossible! Just who are you? Where did you get that tech from?!

Agent Cetie, COA. You're under arrest, dirtbag!

Well, that wasn't exactly the day off I had in mind, but at least we caught the bad guy.

It's not quite over yet though.

I've already informed the Administrator, but he was nothing more than a pawn. I squeezed him for all the information he was worth, but we aren't any closer to finding the people who supplied the kids.

So you're saying there's somebody else who was giving orders to this guy?

That's right. The orphans in Elzion are looked after in government-controlled facilities. There's only a handful of people with the power to be able to extract them from orphanages undocumented.

What kind of people would do this to children, though?

There must be someone who's posing as the children's guardian, and then passing them off in secret. There's some real sick people out there, Aldo. The kind that shouldn't ever be mixed with innocent humans.

I didn't realize things could get so warped.

The worse thing is the kids who had their memories messed with don't even realize anything's wrong. The fact that there's already so many out there that I wasn't able to help just gets me so frustrated and angry.

We can't allow this evil to go on toying with lives. I'll drag them into court by the scruff of their necks myself if I have to.

Sorry to keep you waiting, Cetie.

I read your field report. Good work out there.

Thank you, sir. But there's no time to lose, I'm going after whoever's behind all this.

I'd like to work exclusively on this case. I'll bring those scumbags in, no matter what.

That won't be necessary. There won't be anymore investigations.

What?!

As of now, the case is closed.

Sir, you can't be serious! Children are suffering out there! We have all the evidence we need to put these guys away. Why would we quit now?!

......

Is somebody pulling strings from above? Did they tell you to stop investigating this case? You're telling me there's somebody who's able to bend the system to their will, even the Administrator?

Cetie, it's done. I won't hear anymore about this.

......

I've arranged for you to have an extended break from duty. Get some rest, Cetie. Get your head clear, forget about this case.

......

Cetie, I... I don't know what to say.

Is justice nothing but a deluded dream? What happened to the justice in the judicial system, huh?