CR-7 Emergency Exit

Sir, all ceremony attendees are under our control now, and Reynell has been secured on his balcony.

Good. Are our reinforcements in position?

Fifteen trucks are parked outside the gallery perimeter.

You don't need me to tell you what to do next.

Sir!

Remember, tell those huasos not to wreck the art as they load it on the trucks.

If anyone damages a single piece, I'll take a finger off them.

Roger.

Oh, also, don't forget to confiscate the terminals off those pampered shits.

And any belongings they have on them, I'm assuming we also...

Hmph. You get it, I like that.

I don't care how you handle the people, but the art, you use a feather touch on that.

Go. I still need to see Señor Reynell about something.

Good morning. Nice view of the sunrise?

Sorry, you're far too cultured for that. I should be asking you if it's 'beautiful,' no?

...

The silent treatment? If you think you're any safer for it, you're gravely mistaken.

But let's get on topic, which is that I have no topic for you. All you need to do is sit here, behave, and act like you're a victim of a terror attack.

—That's what you're casting me as?

Oh, look at that. You do have a mouth.

Sorry, my fault. I thought you'd seen through something or other, but then I thought a little more, and no, this is just the coincidental idiotic concoction of a man blinded by greed.

How about that? Upstanding airs a moment ago, and now you're starting to lose your temper.

No, I have no complaints at all regarding this coincidence. Because I've come to see it for what it is, simply the finishing touch on my final creation—

And of course, because it was coincidence and not your intention, I thank Lady Luck before you, Captain.

Excellent. Now shut up.

Sir, Sir!

What? Intruders?

No, actually, it's...

We'd better talk inside.

Papá, did we get the date wrong or what?

Impossible. Look at the scene—a crowd was here just moments ago. Something happened.

So someone saw us, reported to Reynell, and he ran back inside the gallery?

This isn't Reynell's MO. Supposing he did know we were coming, he might be outraged, or excited, but he'd never turn tail and run.

So what is this...?

Huh? A terminal? Is that mine?

Hello? Ernesto?

Speaking.

How's it going? Getting somewhere with your personal business?

Arleta, notify the street art people not to go near the Galería, at least for today.

What? Why?

They've planted a huge amount of Originium explosives in there, ready to blow at any time.

Originium what?

Eheh... ahaha...

Arleta, I don't like the sound of that laugh. Where are you?

Me, Ela's gang, Tecno, Diaz, the artists... everyone's in the plaza in front of the gallery right now.

So why don't you get out of there, fast?

Sorry, bro, but I've got a few questions for you too.

Ernesto, why are you this clued in? Where are you?

...

Cool, got it. Tell me every last piece of information you have, Ernesto.

Arleta!

Or else I'm going in to save you like I don't know a damned thing.

Pelotudo!

I tell you to make sure your men don't wreck the artwork, and you proceed to ruin one personally!

Sir, just hear me out! Inside that pitcher I broke, there was a... a...

...An Originium bomb.

A what?

And it's—it's not even the only one!

I spotted a suspicious wall in the stairwell, like it was freshly plastered over, which didn't seem right...

So you broke the wall down? And there were bombs there too?

Not bombs, they were... detonation controller nodes... which means there's more than one detonator, and there could be more explosives than we know.

—That's what you're casting me as?

I thought you'd seen through something or other, but then I thought a little more, and no, this is just the coincidental idiotic concoction of a man blinded by greed.

(Deep breath)

Sir, these things could level the whole gallery! And we don't even know how they detonate! It could be manual or timed!

Let's load everything as fast as we can, take the cash of the rich guys, and call it here!

You're ready to just walk away?

The bombs are inside the Galería! Ready or not isn't the question here, sir!

If we don't pull this off, we'll be public enemies of the Coalition government and Dossoles!

All we have to do is run! They won't catch us!

Run where? Into the wilds? Hand a couple hundred gold certificates to each man and disband? What have we been risking our lives for?

No—Sir, I'm serious, if worst comes to worst we can ditch the country as mercenaries—or bandits!

Bandits?

I... I'm just supposing, my point is we don't have to play along with Reynell's insanity.

...

Fine, I get it. Who else knows of this?

Only me—I haven't dared tell anyone else. I was worried the news would panic the men, so I came straight to you.

Very well done.

Go. Tell them they can stop hauling. Clean the cuicos downstairs of every last drop of their grease, then we evac immediately.

Thank you!

Oh, also, stop losing your head. Speak calm, walk slow, and don't let them see a single crack. You hear me?

My boy, after so much loyalty, so much preparation, so many decisions, so many points of no return... you go off to be a bandit?

I lost my chance to turn back.

So did you.

A terrorist attack 'collage?'

Reynell set up the bombs, the Captain took the crowd hostage, and neither seemed to know what the other was up to. That's what Ernesto tells me, anyway.

...They're both insane.

Yeah, both of them are crazy. We need to prep for the worst-case scenario, with the hostages prioritized above all else on all counts.

Let's hash out a concrete plan of action. We've got five names to our side. Iana, Doc, Fuze, me, and Rhodes Island's Catapult...

Count me in too.

You sure?

Don't forget my past life.

Besides, it's not just that Reynell bastard trapped in there, and not just the investors either—many are ordinary folk. I have to go.

Papá...

Don't try talking me out of it, I'm going.

Who's talking out? I'm going too!

You?

You and the others can forget it. It's dangerous in there—

Come on, Papá, think about it. Sure we've never been firefighters, but otherwise, we're thinking everything you're thinking, no?

Guys, listen to me! We're about to rescue everyone in the Galería!

This is entirely voluntary! Everyone who's in, step forward and listen to Ela!

If you don't want to go, no pressure! Head back to the neighborhood, in case Mateo makes a move on our community and screws us before he's down for good!

What do you think? You going?

Don't wanna die, I'll be real. I'm not going. Think of all the pictures still waiting for me to take them.

(Shrug) I kinda want to see those art investors piss their pants in fear.

That's tasteless.

Tasteless?

Pant-pissing's no good show. What I wanna see is the art Reynell bought.

I thought you'd have to cough up for tickets from Reynell to see the goods, but it changes things if we're going in to save them anyway—

I—I—I mean, if you're gonna...

What are you pulling out Reynell's pamphlet for?

...This.

Galería Krysztauowa Exhibition Hall 2, Exhibit 14. An anonymous Minoan bard's manuscript from the night before Sargon annexed Minos.

How could such a beautiful poem, such a precious manuscript, end up bought by Reynell...

I learned Minoan just for this one poem! I'll recite it for you right now—

Don't bother. It's all Minoan to me.

Ugh...

*sigh* What the heck are you crying for?

When I just think about that bard's bitter fate, and then I think about that manuscript, and then I think about me, I just—I just...

I'm going, is what I am! Even if the bombs blow me up when I see it, it'll be worth it! I have to go!!

Considering the number of hostages, we can have the majority of our people evac the ones we rescue. Best leave HVT suppression and explosive disposal work to us.

Catapult, is Tequila on comms right now?

I got him.

Mr. Tequila?

Miss Ela? Don't tell me you're crashing the Galería with Arleta. It's dangerous in here—

We're the ones you hire to deal with this sort of thing, sir.

...

Catapult says you're trapped in a darkroom on the east wing third floor of the gallery, and the room is filled with explosives. Seeing how lively it is downstairs, there should be plenty of people shut in there, correct?

Yes.

Are the Captain's men in there? Have they noticed the bombs?

They should be there, but it's too noisy. I can't quite make anything out... hold on—

Tequila?!

(Whisper) Two soldiers passed by the darkroom entrance just now. They were discussing how to load the art onto their trucks.

Good. That's what we'll build our plans around.

(Whisper) Say, is something this small really gonna blow up whoever's in there?

(Whisper) Blowing up the galería's glass walls is one thing, but we're talking about the warehouse that Mateo used as his command node. Who knows if he has patched up the walls here...

(Whisper) Of course it will.

(Whisper) But... okay, you're rappelled outside the second floor, but you're still standing against a wall... Shouldn't you bust a window, and throw these things in?

Did you hear something just now?

It was like... donk, donk, donk?

Well, except it was five donks.

Three.

Who gives a damn if it was three or five? Doesn't matter, we can die of old age holding this bunker if we want. All those idiots in the plaza can do is stand around drooling—

Deployed! Time to pull back!

Ela, this is Fuze. We should have hostiles from perimeter defense coming out now. Get ready to engage.

And Catapult, it's about time we move.

Don't you think... the explosions already woulda knocked them out?

Never assume your enemy's an idiot, even if he really is.

Incoming, incoming!

Are you... some kinda genius?

Not in a million years. What I have is training, intel, synergy with my teammates, and just a little pinch of technology.

It's that simple.

Fuze, sitrep?

Clear.

Defenders are pretty lazy. Zero guard against us storming them, and we didn't give them any time to notify their superiors.

Good work.

Time to begin the siege.

Everyone, we have to act quickly. Don't get sloppy, and don't give the defenders any time to react.

Let's go.

Did you hear something out there just now? An explosion?

Think so.

No way those lunatics actually came crashing in...

For what? To rescue Reynell?

No more hallucinating. Catch. This one's some sorta Yanese porcelain. Might smash with a single bump. Careful.

You almost smashed it along with the entire display case just now. You turn around and tell me...

By the way, didn't our leader break that vase thing, and say he was going upstairs to report to El Capitán? How come he's still not back?

Probably still climbing the stairs, just like the first time we came.

Or he's talking with El Capitán about giving these things a home. Maybe they've even figured out how much each of them are pocketing—

Grenade out!

No hostages in the room! Take out the defenders!

The hell? You guys?

Don't wimp out! Their rapid-fire doesn't pack enough punch!

I... I'm not scared, I just want to find somewhere safe to call for reinforcements—

Don't even think about it.

Grr. Decent shot.

Shame your charges just now were too weak. Took less from that than a slug bite—

And how about now?

Wait, you're the attackers? You must be crazy to seriously—

Of course we're serious.

Ela, what's that thing you say... Clear?

Nice work, but give us a heads up next time.

Doc, Iana, keep moving per Tequila's directions to the bulk of the hostages. Hostage safety is priority one.

No rash action in a bad situation. I'll lead the others to sweep the first floor of defenders, then we'll rendezvous with you.

Copy.

Diaz, Tecno, let's go.

Diaz?

...

Look at all this art. Palladulis Throwing a Javelin—a Minoan statue. This one's a pure gold, gilded enamel revolving vase from Yan...

And a manuscript from the great Ursine author Sergei Katayev... let me see which one of his it is...

...'A Receiver Electrifying, or, In the Mire of the Heart.'

Damn it all. This is the one. Reynell has it in his collection.

He and Mateo are two kinds of scoundrels. One's blowing it up, one's selling it all... nothing but...

Whatever. We'll leave it to the next guys to sort out. Let's move.

S—Stay back! I'm not letting you in! You come in and we'll take you with us—

(Scratching noises about the door can be heard.)

The—The noise is gone. She's gone...

Tut-tut-tut. What a scary scene.

What was this flick called...? Oh, Panic at the Museum: The Sankta Slaughter. This is the one by that Sarkaz director who lives in Columbia.

Figures they made the villain a Sankta in this one then.

Looks like Reynell's security isn't too busy most of the time. Guess all he can do is sit here watching tapes and fantasizing about murders taking place in his gallery.

Good for them, though?

The way El Capitán sees it, everyone worth anything is downstairs moving stuff already. Meanwhile you've got us, who don't really care two ways about him, and we get to sit here on cushy guard duty—

There's trouble downstairs! I want a report from anyone who knows what, ASAP!

Trouble?

There's gunfire and explosions down there! People on the sixth floor heard it! What's going on with you?! Are you blind or deaf?!

(Whisper) I told you to turn the volume down a little, but no you wouldn't.

(Whisper) Shut up, you!

I'll contact downstairs straight away!

—Ugh, nope. Not getting through.

Would I be asking you if I could?!

I want you to figure out what happened downstairs immediately! If there are troublemakers, flatten them! If they're fighting their way in, I want them out! Getting the art into the trucks is our highest priority!

Don't go, Scardullo, don't! Nobody who goes downstairs ever comes back!

That Sankta woman's gone crazy! I saw her kill everyone in a public bathroom, and now she's after our lives!

Good news. Defenders in the surveillance room haven't noticed our drones.

Most hostages inside are in shock, and it appears the defenders have robbed them too, but at least there are no casualties, and emotions seem manageable.

Defenders have noticed something's not right downstairs. I assume they reported to their superiors just now, but clearly none are willing to leave what must seem like their safe little panopticon.

Good news indeed. You keep monitoring them, I'll contact Ela. We'll discuss countermeasures.

Hey? Gabi, what's going on? What the hell was all the ruckus downstairs?

I... I... don't know...

Don't know my ass! You've spent long enough, quit dawdling!

I'm—I'm just... minding my surroundings, I just got to the stairwell entrance!

Your voice is trembling, huevón! What, did the spooky movie get to you? Hahaha!

Shut up! Be... Besides, I don't see you down here! It's always like this, you guys shove everything onto me—

Huh? Gabi?

Gabi??

No! We can't let anyone else go downstairs!

Weren't you watching in the surveillance room?! That Sankta madwoman didn't even have to touch her!

She just unloaded into the receiver when Scardullo picked up, and turned her into a pile of... of...

(The sobbing begins.)

What's the situation? Have you figured it out?

Sir. We sent a man on recon... and he just suddenly stopped responding...

You useless sacks!!

S—Sir, how about you send someone else to the first floor? We... We really can't spare a single man...

No response means you keep sending people down, or I stop on the second floor to shoot you all dead before heading down there myself!

Nobody move! Out!

Phew... empty...

Every scout we've sent has gone missing, one by one—maybe the first floor's h... haunted...?

What an imagination you have. Get a little sleep for now.

Who th—

Hey? Ramon? Ramon—you—you gotta say something...

Dropped again... That's... the fourth one...

Four times, four men... every time, as soon as they get downstairs, they just...

Maybe it's because they went one at a time, so we were just feeding them one by one to—

So how many do you want to doom each time?!

...

That Sankta madwoman, her mind's not right, she's a homicidal maniac, she, she... she's outside the door! She's smiling at us through the access surveillance cam!

Mayo, just hang the intercom up. She can't get in—

She's pointing her gun at me! She... She's pulling the trigger!

All she can do is wreck the cam! Just calm down!

(A gunshot rings out.)

W—What the... Mayo... Dead? Is that a bullet hole?!

EYAAAAAAAAAAGGGH!

How... about... we... watch a different tape.

...the 'Art Investor' here from Kazimierz, let's welcome our guest today, Mr. Reynell Kowalski, the new star of Dossoles's art scene!

What did you put on this for? Are you sick?!

I didn't know they taped the TV on this one!

Switch it out, switch it out!

Hello, hello~ Pleased to meet you, new faces! And it's been a whole day, old faces! It's me, your host for this program, Eure—

I don't do this, but I'm begging you, switch it again. Listening to this presenter makes my brain hurt.

...These three tapes are all we've got.

The security guy just watches these three tapes on repeat?! What do you find if you open up his brain, soup?!

Today's episode is a special for all you tourists here in Dossoles for the first time...

Let's just finish watching the movie.

You heathenly... devils... Your day of reckoning... is come...

I—I—I'm warning you, my grandpa's a big deal in Kazdel! You wouldn't wanna see his witchcraft, even in death!

Heheh, HAHAHAhahaha...

Don't you laugh so crooked—

Hahaha... witchcraft... hahahaha...

Inhabiting Gemini.

Don't look back, don't look back... because I am right... behind you...!!

TH—THERE'S NO SUCH THINGS AS GHOSTS!!

EYAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGH!

Sir, report, it's a Sankta!!

The enemy's a Sankta with spatial movement Arts, she's a homicidal maniac, her mind's not right, she can shoot people dead through surveillance cam—

Urgh!

Clear.

Clear.

I didn't think just turning the lights out when the Gemini got hit would be enough to spread that much panic...

Kill! Kill! Kill! I'll cut off your horns and hang them as chimes upon the Lateran itself!

Thank you all so much!

If you're after anything in terms of art investments, please be sure to let me—

Stop wasting breath, beat those feet!

Right, right...

Hm? Who's that you're carrying?

He got beat up for resisting, and he's still concussed. Faster if I give him a ride.

Wow. Nice to see some tough stuff among these guys.

By the way, we're in Exhibition Hall 2 of the Galería right now. Did you get to see that manuscript you wanted?

Ugh. Completely forgot about that, evacuating all these people.

Manuscript?

A Minoan bard's. Pamphlet says it's the 'highlight of the collection' for Hall 2. Know where it is?

I caught sight of it just now. It's on the other end of the hall; I can take you over if you'd like—

Lead the way, then!

Sir, you can put me down now!

You're concussed, aren't you?! Just point the way, it'll be faster!

Evac of Hall hostages almost complete.

Things went smoothly thanks to your Gemini Replicator.

(Shakes head) I didn't know we'd get a break that lucky—it was just meant to be bait, that's all. I was expecting they'd unload all their firepower on the replicate like the community people did.

All I can say is it took up a good position, and those defenders chose a good movie to pass the time.

Defenders outside the gallery are all swept now. What do we do next? Head to the third floor and rescue Ernesto?

Wait up!

You're that, um—that, er... whatever, you can't go any further that way!

What happened?

Oh, Mr. Miłosz. Not with Reynell after all, then.

No.

Situation's urgent. Tell us anything surplus after the fact. You need to leave the Galería ASAP.

You're not going to interrogate me for any useful information?

We're out of time for that.

I want to make a deal. I'll give you some information, and I'm hoping that after you have this information...

We can rescue Reynell?

Yes...

Mr. Miłosz, if Reynell hadn't set up the bombs, this terrorist attack may never have come to fruition in the first place.

Reynell couldn't wire the entire Galería with bombs on his own. He suggested the idea, that's all. I imagine you know who carried the deed out.

I know the timing on the bombs, and how to most efficiently disarm them.

And that's how you plan to coerce us?

How could I? You aren't the type to suffer coercion.

I'm just hoping my willingness to cooperate can pull together a lifeline for him.

Alright. Tell us what you know, then.

They're time bombs, set to go off this morning at 10 AM. If you want to stop them, you need to take care of four nodes along the detonator line.

One of the four is in the basement, one's in a darkroom on the third floor, one's on the balcony on the sixth floor, and one is in the ventilation shaft in Reynell's own office.

...Sounds almost true.

The one in the basement is most complicated. I suggest one of you go there with me—

I will.

Good. Tecno, take the others. Keep searching for any more places where hostages might be hiding.

Diaz, Catapult, you handle one each of the third and sixth floor nodes. Doc, Iana and I will keep heading for the top. We'll buy more time to disarm the penthouse node.

The third-floor darkroom's relatively hard to find. It's right above this hall, effectively, but getting there's a nightmare. I need pen and paper to draw a quick map of the route—

No need, I'll take it.

Ernesto!

Leave the darkroom to me and Arleta.

The sixth floor node is in the stairwell. There's a wall that'll look suspicious, and be very easy to break down.

Leave that to me.

Phew, I'm finally here, and it's just you two left. So, how do you feel seeing the manuscript—

Uh, wait, why are you carrying him now?

Urk... As soon as he saw the manuscript, he cried so hard he couldn't even breathe, and eventually passed out from his tears. It was all I could do to bear him on my back instead.

He passed out?

Doc, Doc! We need you! Someone's fainted here!

He's fine, he just cried himself out. His emotions likely overwhelmed him upon seeing the manuscript of his dreams.

Let him rest for a while in fresh air and he'll be fine.

I—If you say so...

...Miss Ela, that's every card up my sleeve. It's all yours now.

Noted.

What happens if we fail? What if we aren't able to rescue him?

In that case... I'll stay behind and keep him company.

...

I hope you can save the others before then, Miss Ela. I don't want any more people than necessary in here.

Right, I've pulled the metal casing off. Inside, there's a total of—

—Miłosz, you crackpot! There's twelve whole bomb wires here!

What? The one in the basement has over forty connections?!

Whatever, I'll settle this later.

Right now, I just need to dewire one by one, right?

Yeah. Yeah. Got it. Unscrew as fast as possible, half-connected states can send the explosives runaway easy. Understood.

Ela, how's things on your side?

Small band of resistance on the fourth floor still? Wow.

Seize that old man!