Arknights story · People, A People
PA-ST-2 Flawless Blemish
The truth is revealed at the end of the hearing: The Ursus Student Self-government Group reunites and rescues the other imprisoned students. Antosha mourns his fallen friends and joins a group of workers. The First Army's new weapon is ready for testing. Ursus is once again shrouded in dark clouds.
1 scenes, 228 lines
1. Interlude
228 linesOrder.
The witnesses have spoken. All present have heard their statements.
Considering the scope of the Katorga Incident, and the many contradictions in the testimonies we have heard...
The committee will now adjourn to deliberate behind closed doors.
This hearing is hereby concluded. We will announce the final verdict on the Katorga Incident in two hours.
Discussions surround her again. A few nobles accompany the arbiter out of the chamber and into the inner council building.
Absinthe shakes her head and walks through the noisy crowd, meeting the parliamentarian's eyes as she leaves.
The parliamentarian is impassive, his gaze penetrating her and casting into nothingness beyond. But he silently raises his notebook—
It is completely empty.
Phew... what a farce.
Even the scion of Treplev strays. It is beyond belief.
The focus is still on Sonya Mykhailivna. How do you intend to portray her, Arbiter?
It depends on what kind of 'cautionary tale' we need her to be.
We need her to be a lunatic.
The new nobles are trying to use His Imperial Majesty as a shield. They even have the audacity to praise her for protecting the emperor!
We must magnify Sonya Mykhailivna's threat. This is our opportunity to deal with the upstarts now. Fail to do so, and they will grow even bolder and continue to distort the truth!
We will decide when Duke Treplev arrives. He needs time to recover from the shock.
Wait...
What's that sound?
Arbiter!
What happened?
Word just came in that Prison No. 3 was raided! Many prisoners have escaped.
It's a mess out there right now. Your presence is needed to maintain order.
How did they get into Prison No. 3 so easily?!
Most of our units were deployed to this area. Those left were unable to spot the miscreants in time.
...Wait.
The students outside?
They just dispersed. Do you mean...?
......
I mean find their leader and bring him in right this instant, you fool!
Yes, sir!
Hey, wake up!
Who are you?
You must be Rania. We've seized this prison.
We should leave before reinforcements arrive.
Is this real... you came to rescue me?
Not just you. Come.
Feeling a mixture of joy and surprise through his sleepy mind, Rania steps over a jailer lying on the ground.
His thoughts drift. So his reputation has grown so great... he will return to the Student Assembly, and become a leader on par with Olga.
Students... friends, comrades!
I knew that the flames of liberty never died as soon as I saw you!
Group Two, hold the gap! The cells on this side are all open!
*cough*—
As you can see, though the dank cage trapped my flesh, it could never hold my—
Out of the way!
...It's alright.
I know you came for me. For—
No one answers. His former fellows seem so unfamiliar to him now.
Phew, I'm exhausted.
I'd hardly gotten the dust of that hellhole off before you dragged me into this.
Oh, quit complaining, not even Zoya's saying anything.
Are your plans always this bold, Sonya?
I didn't think we could pull this off right under their noses...
We were worried when you said you would appear at the hearing to stall for time.
Natalya had already made the arrangements. You didn't need to take the risk.
Gummy didn't have to be here, but she came.
Hmph, speaking of which...
Zima—
I already apologized! Besides, I hardly got hurt at all, and Istina said I helped! Don't scold me.
Who said I was scolding you?
If not for you and Instructor Dur-nar... and Crownslayer, we would have had to be on guard against attacks from the mobility layer. You definitely helped.
Hey, she admits it. Just as today's operation may not have gone so smoothly if Zoya hadn't gone to the hearing and played her role.
We won't exclude anyone anymore.
I wasn't excluding them... never mind. We all saw that my plan was bad.
But I didn't expect to see all the students with all their different ideas and methods come together into a single coherent team by the time I saw you all again.
Good work, Istina.
Who was the reckless fool who gave me no choice but to do that?
Alright, both of you, it's time for us to think about what's next.
Oh yeah, before we left, Instructor Dur-nar told us not to go back to the office when we're done, and go straight to a safehouse that Rhodes Island prepared.
How did she put it... 'lay low until it blows over'?
We'll have to operate covertly in Grypherburg moving forward. Fortunately, I've already made arrangements with the school, and we'll have no problem receiving intel from them.
Let's get moving, then.
Mm-hm.
Let's go!
What?
Seeing Zima's inquiring gaze, she realizes what Zima was talking about and takes out a brand-new iron badge from her bag. A tightly clenched fist is depicted upon the badge.
Good, you have it. Don't you forget it.
You should have been one of us. You are now, and you always will be.
Zima...
My condolences, Zoya.
Zima may be all smiles and sunshine most of the time, and she never used to like wearing this herself. But now, wait till you see the look on her face if she ever catches you without that badge—
That's enough of that. We have some laying low to get to.
So many twists and turns. This place sure is hard to find.
Probably to ensure security.
Yeah. Zoya and I were moving from safehouse to safehouse, just like this, from one week to the next while you were operating in the other cities, so that we could continue to receive intel and plan our next steps.
Not a job for me, at any rate. I would be bored to death in two days under normal circumstances.
It's not that bad.
Just Rosalind being her restless self.
Oh—
There you are.
Huh, this is your safehouse?
Just consider it as Rhodes Island's.
Sonya, is that...?
'Crownslayer' Lyudmila. Operator for the Grypherburg office, just like us.
(Nods)
......
They don't recognize you. Looks like you didn't really take what I said to heart.
Rhodes resources in Ursus are limited. They should be reserved for those who need them the most.
Besides, I did go to the office and got Gummy's help.
We helped each other!
Well, that's a start, at least.
You can stay here for a while. Dur-nar will let you know once things blow over.
Hm? What about you?
I'm leaving Grypherburg for a bit.
There has been a major development with the mark I was tracking. I have to go and verify.
......
Gummy...
Mm-hm.
Why are you following me? Go back.
You're going to the place Papa talked about in the message, aren't you?
It's my mission.
I don't even know which satellite city he was talking about specifically. Following me doesn't mean you'll find your father.
It's not about the danger. But it's just not necessary right now for you to—
Lyudmila.
Yes?
Will you tell me if you find that satellite city and see my parents?
I will.
That's true.
But Zima said it wasn't important, and Leto said she didn't plan on having much to do with you anyway.
Istina and Absinthe were quiet. I have my own ideas.
......
......
The red-haired woman falls silent. She clutches her fists in the darkness before relaxing them.
She looks into the girl's earnest eyes, then slowly shakes her head.
But I was in Chernobog.
I was part of Reunion. I share responsibility for its evils, whether they passed through my hands or not.
Running away won't do any good. I don't ask for forgiveness or reconciliation. But this time, just this once...
If there's still a chance to make things right again, I have to go and take it.
Gummy's eyes widen as she ponders Crownslayer's words. Then she smiles and takes out a honey drop from her pocket.
Through the gloves, she puts it into Crownslayer's palm.
What's this—
A promise.
I know why Zima said it wasn't important. We've grown up, we're old enough that we can find calm in our hearts without having to take it out on someone, without having to hate.
I'll wait for you to come back, with news about Papa or Mama—or both!
I want to believe. I want to believe in you, Lyudmila.
The following day, I went back to that street, alone.
Hey, careful, this job's from the Council faction, if we break anything—
Did you see it, though? That idiot Pavlovich was crushed to a pulp in that quarantine zone.
Maybe we all trampled his corpse!
Keep quiet! Not everyone here's on our side.
Come on, who else could there be, we're all—
......
W-Who are you?
I'm looking for someone. I won't bother you. If you're worried that I might snitch—
Pavlovich deserved it.
Antosha bows and walks through the workers to the other side of the street, that door in his memories.
After he was expelled and left penniless, it was Matvey who took him home, where he really felt like he was eating with family for the first time since he came to Grypherburg.
He remembers Matvey's mother, always with a serene smile on her face as she stirred the pot of borscht and quietly ladled one of the few pieces of meat into his bowl.
I...
He looks up, greeted by the familiar scent of beets and onions.
Dim light seeps out of the slightly open curtain. He could not help but peek.
An old woman takes out a clay pot from the cramped kitchen, and pours borscht into three separate bowls.
Three?
Could that be for me—
What did you write in your letter...?
Hello? Somebody there?
Hearing a voice coming from inside the house, he tucks the notice of Matvey's death into the edge of the window and flees like a thief in the night.
(Whispers) Govno!
(Whispers) When did you become such a coward, Antosha?
What's the rush, young man? Could you move over a little?
......
The burdenbeast's tired. Moving old furniture's not an easy task, eh?
Antosha nods and shifts sideways.
Matvey?!
The mirror on the burdenbeast cart reflects the grey street, his own unkempt visage, and a silhouette from what is now the past.
Matvey's face is covered in sunlight. He seems so real, so alive, no lamentation on his face, nor dust-covered wound, only a cherry flower on his chest...
The color of blood, diffuses from the center of the flower out towards the petals.
Is that you, friend?
I saw you, List, Yura... I...
I remember everyone's death, your prayers and farewells, and those who never left their last words.
Will you tell me that none of this was real? You will, won't you?
No, Antosha.
?!
Did you ever imagine the life I could have led?
I would have stayed in school, made more friends, and writtn the first poem of the year by the river in the spring.
When there is no class in the afternoon, I would have gone home, reading the words I wrote for my mother while she made soup.
She would not understand, but she would smile and say, 'Tuck in, my university synochek.'
Ah...
Matvey, Matvey...
Why am I the one who lived...
Because you still have a chance to live the life I wanted.
Let it go, Antosha. You have carried that burden for so many years.
A beautiful life like that... can I truly live it?
...Can every Ursine?
If I had never chosen to resist this land of oppression, Matvey... Would you and I have become friends?
The figure from the past does not answer, but only sighs softly.
It is the second time that Antosha has wept since he left home.
He still lives, but part of his soul will remain beneath the rubble of Katorga forever.
Live...
If I give up now, Matvey will forever remain a traitor to the empire's nobility.
One day, I will carve his name and the professor's, and the names of all the Unbound, on a plaque for the martyrs...
Give me time, my friend.
He wipes his eyes with his dirty, dusty sleeves.
Then, he moves his feet and joins the workers' procession.
On the other end of the procession, a young man gazes upon this unfamiliar city, not even realizing that the crate on his shoulder has slipped off.
Hey, brother!
What's so interesting? Let us see it too.
I think... no, never mind.
You've been with us for a few days already, no need to be shy! Look more cheerful, we're in Grypherburg!
Grypherburg...
Yes, it was a hard journey to Grypherburg...
The light in the sky begins to fade, like a curtain being closed.
What's the Marshal summoning us for?
Is it not enough that he beheaded his bodyguards for the assassination attempt? Does he want our heads too?
Or you're overthinking it. There's just some situation developing.
Even after that small rebellion two weeks ago, the Fourth Army is still in a stalemate with the Second Army on the whole.
What do you mean?
It's just a guess, but we may not be able to stay out of this for much longer.
But the First Army has always been—
Always been?
...A-Always been independent of any faction. We do not participate in political struggles, and we only ever fight for Ursus's interests.
Correct.
And in that case, you have nothing to fear.
If I may be frank, Marshal, you must have an important reason for summoning us back from our respective assignments.
Of course.
What is the reason?
Our new weapon has passed theoretical validation. It is now ready for testing.
We must coordinate and conclude this test discreetly.