Arknights story · Critical Phase Transition
17-13 You Are Not Alone
After crossing the front lines safely, Scioppa confesses to his squad that he is being coerced by Evgeny and explains his decision to resist. Rhodes Island witnesses the horrifying reality of the sealed district, and must decide whether to destroy the Sarcophagus or not. Crownslayer brings news to the crowd, An Infected 'factory' exists inside the city.
1 scenes, 340 lines
1. Before Operation
340 linesApproaching Second Army territory.
Boss, should we keep our pace and press on?
Keep going.
...Hey, what if—
Don't worry. We're through the front lines, so it's smooth sailing from here. You've heard him many times, haven't you? Always stops whenever we might hit back.
Kuznetsov's got a strange mind, but he's smart. Might treat us like trash, but he'd still use us until we're all used up before throwing us away.
Also, he cares for his reputation. Refusing to change his station to 'protect the north', marching outside Grypherburg without orders to 'suppress the rebellion'...
Letting his own warships be destroyed on the front lines during an armistice because of 'recklessness'? Doesn't sound reasonable at all.
Your astute and logical analysis would make one think you're close to him, even though we've only been serving Kuznetsov for barely two years.
How can I feed you lot if I can't even manage to ask around about our superior?
Back on topic. Since we're safe now, we no longer have to worry about the Second Army coming after us.
But their vanguard battalion is right there.
Oh, right. Send our identification code to their command center at once.
Did you only just remember to do that?!
I tried earlier, but we were out of range.
—Bzzzzt—
Put it through to the speakers.
Re...
The signal can't possibly be this bad, when we're already this close?
......
It is silent. Nothing comes through for several seconds—terrifying for those in the midst of war.
Everyone subconsciously straightens their backs as their breaths echo throughout the cabin.
If this is not a signal problem on the receiving end...
...Send it again.
We already did.
Should we switch to the contingency plan?
We're too close for that. It's too late to fight them now, we couldn't do much.
Safety first. Go—
Received.
......
Identity verified.
Received.
We will be gone in two hours.
......
Phew.
Chief.
Huh... wuh? That's new. You've never called me that ever—
Come with me for a bit.
...You...
'Don't worry'? 'Smooth sailing'? Yebat ty, What's got you acting like a frightened little boy, then?
It's different when I might drag everyone down with me.
Besides, that's was the past... I have no clue what deal he's done with the Second Army.
Perfect, because I rather not care about that now. What's important is whether you're going to tell the others or not.
...I didn't expect us to make it past the front lines, actually. I thought everyone would split and run off on their own, at which point it wouldn't matter.
Expectations and reality, completely different things. You'll have to tell them what you told me, unless you want them to die.
I don't want to send anyone to their deaths.
Yourself included?
Do I look like I have a death wish?
Who knows? I wasn't the one who personally escorted Lieutenant Sirka ten miles away, claiming I only went for a walk.
Alright, I won't die either. We good?
Let me think...
Chief, I'm serious. None of us are cowards. I think they deserve the truth.
If this is your own mission, or even if it's just to save one of our comrades... I think the risk of death will be the least of their concerns.
In any case, you should let them know.
......
They'll be able to intercept a broadcast from the ship, so let's get everyone on the mid-deck first.
I'll think about how I should break the news.
This must be the first time we've done so many meetings in a single day, and everyone's here too, even those on the night shift—
Shh. Just hear what the Boss has to say.
It's definitely something important.
The crowd instantly goes quiet.
Scioppa stands on a makeshift platform, composed of empty vodka crates stacked on top of each other. He manifests his Arts, quickly creating a soundproof space covering the entire deck.
He turns around, the light of his enchantment subtly flickering under the sun as it transmits his voice clearly to the crowd.
Listen up.
First, I must apologize to you all.
What?
(Whisper) You hear that...? What for?
......
I'm sorry for not telling you the true reason for this expedition.
I won't explain how I came to that decision, but as your commander, I am responsible for my decisions, and since my reason for hiding the truth no longer exists—
Boss, just tell us already. What is it?
The truth is... this time, Sechin has not voluntarily accepted the order to seize the First Army's new weapon.
This is also, essentially, a suicide mission.
He finishes with a deliberate pregnant pause to give the crowd time to process his words, expecting a wave of questions, but there is only silence.
Countless eyes look at him with the same expression. On the plains, on the battlefield, here and now, they have not changed.
Their trusting gazes seem to weigh down on him, and he suddenly realizes how tongue-tied he is now.
Making a speech, telling the truth—it now seems so arduous.
...So, that is why...
I swear to you...
As he struggles to find the right words to say, he notices Oleg has moved.
Oleg is now next to the platform, and he pats the young man on the back with his large hands that used to knead dough daily, almost knocking his leader off the platform.
Hey—
Go on. Everyone's listening.
Say what you have to say, whatever it is.
......
I took on this mission because the Fourth Army has information on the whereabouts of some of our old comrades who left us upon becoming Infected.
Just before we shipped out, Lieutenant Sirka was seized by Kuznetsov's men.
—Lieutenant Sirka?
I think she was a quiet one... that Sirka?
We have to save her.
Yeah, boss. Why don't we go rescue her right now?
That's the trouble. I don't even know where she is, I've only heard her voice over comms with Kuznetsov.
So, our usual method of sneaking in, killing, rescuing, and getting out won't work here.
So that only leaves me one path to take...
I'm not afraid to die. I'll ambush Evgeny and force Sirka's whereabouts from his dying breath! Maybe I can't do it alone, but I'm sure there are others willing to join me—
I know we can come up with a plan.
Count me in!
Me too!
The responses echo in the soundproof bubble. From the highest point on the deck, the man looks on as the cacophony of voices nearly take physical form, and shakes his head.
It's impossible. I know you're all more than willing to kill for this, but no.
Why?!
If I hadn't agreed to his demands, we'd never be able to save Sirka, and I couldn't protect the rest of you either.
We can protect ourselves!
Could you protect yourselves from a whole unit of war casters?
What?
Before I decided to bring you all into the Fourth Army, I probed around and found out about a team, practically doing the same thing we do.
Kuznetsov's personal guard. A special task force composed of elite war casters.
You mean... a whole unit as strong as you?
I'm nothing to them.
Leithanians use Infected as Arts units, but Ursus has researched the limits of using uninfected as casters, forcing them to use the tiny amounts of Originium within them as a catalyst.
To reach their limit and to use the terrifying Arts units inside them, they endure the pain with drugs and body modifications, and this makes them adaptable to all sorts of combat scenarios.
But this way, the Arts unit ends up consuming the user instead, turning their faces into a blur, their voices garbled.
That's an easy way to contract Oripathy.
War casters can never be Infected, to keep the Ursine army pure.
Whether it happens accidentally or taking a shortcut, you can bet those Infected get tossed down some random mine shaft.
......
Those who survive and join the army... even a dozen, or just a few of them, have enough firepower to replace a whole division.
......
That's how strong they are.
Even if you wouldn't usually set up a unit of just war casters, seeing as it would limit their battlefield adaptability.
I thought we had it good then, figured they were a safety net for us. But when we went against the Fourth Army...
I finally understood how they came out of the Great Rebellion unscathed.
Fine! We can't beat them head-on or ambush them, so... what do we do? Sirka—
Don't worry, I won't leave her, or anyone else behind.
I just wanted to tell you all the truth, and then I have something to propose—or maybe I should say, a decision to announce.
I will cut all communication with the base, and falsify the Volnov's location while I stop the ship's operation, for an hour.
During this time, everyone is free to leave for nearby Volniki. Ultimately, this ship will function with a skeleton crew.
We'll cut down on energy use as we continue to Zelgrad to secure the new weapon, which we'll use to negotiate with Kuznetsov and rescue Sirka.
Those willing to stay, throw your tags in the container.
......
My brothers and sisters: when you chose to leave home, to join me with your passion and hope, I promised you this I wouldn't let anyone die in vain.
We will not die like weeds, like fins, or fowlbeasts pulled, speared, or captured.
Because our lives have value. We are more than food for the monster we call war—
We must be free, and not only living the freedom granted by the worthies above.
We have another choice beyond fighting or dying.
Ugh...
Did you count all the votes?
Here, take a look.
He hands over an open barrel of vodka—completely empty.
Scioppa stares at the darkness within and sighs.
Didn't think I was so unpopular that nobody would want to stay.
Come on! I'm sure you know what it means—no one here wants to leave, not a single soul!
Who would even think of leaving after listening to the sentimental garbage that just came out of your mouth?
Well, some of them will have to leave anyway. The ship doesn't have enough fuel to operate at full speed or reach the satellite city in time.
Why don't you just tell everyone your plan to abandon the Volnov and go back to Kuznetsov to settle the score?
Because we should scatter our numbers to the Volniki, so Kuznetsov won't be able to catch all of us, if things go south.
We can't put everyone in danger just to rescue Sirka, even if everyone's willing to throw their lives away.
Oh, so it's just gonna be me and you?
Come on now. You know most of them haven't spoken to Sirka even once. I can't expect the same of them as I do of us.
Enough. Hand out supplies according to the list, and have them leave once the ship stops.
You stubborn—
—Chief, incoming urgent transmission from command!
......
(Whisper) Closure isn't in here!
Amiya, don't lean backwards, or you might fall off the truck! Hang onto the frame and shift towards the front.
It's pitch-black here without the streetlights. All we've got is our headlights, but at least we shook our pursuers.
But Closure—
We can't turn back now...
Let's trust in her.
Closure will be fine until the military catches us all.
We need to move fast and find the Sarcophagus.
Car's stopped.
Where... are we now? I think maybe we're underground—
We are.
How are you feeling, Raidian?
I stopped my Arts when we got near that wall, so I am fine now.
Say, Amiya. I did not notice until now, but there is an issue with this vehicle.
What?
There is an electrical signal from someone besides ourselves and the driver. It is messy, but I'm sure—
(Whisper) Wait, we have to hide!
(Whisper) Keep close to me!
You're late.
(Shieldguards... what are they doing down here?)
Sir, there was an explosion on the other side of the wall, and I don't know what caused it, but please, if you could just say I was on time... I have one more delivery to make...
The man in worker's clothing keeps taking out thin and round objects from his pockets, trying to stuff them into hands of the heavily armored soldiers.
His efforts bear no fruit as the discs silently roll to the ground.
You have broken the rules, so we no longer need you.
Take him away.
What?
No—NO!
I won't be late next time, I promise—
The remaining Shieldguard stands there for a moment before dialing into his communicator.
Cancel the alert.
Have those below haul the goods away.
Six floors underground.
Hm, he left. If they've stationed heavy troops here, this probably means we're close to our target.
If they're gonna get someone to haul the vehicle away, should we hide in the carriage?
We do not know where it might go, so we'd best find the way ourselves.
Raidian, you said you noticed another electrical signal on the vehicle...?
What? Really?
I would not lie to you. This might mean that the one I detected before has met with misfortune.
Mon3tr, can you open the door?
Neatly stacked fertilizer bags fail to conceal two human figures slumped on top of them.
One bears a frightening face, riddled with green scars and festering wounds, but the other has a peaceful expression, body covered in orange stones.
...! That patient—
I'll go take a look.
Is this the patient you were talking about before?
I think so. But it seems like his Oripathy has worsened.
The density of the crystals on him too... it may be an acute infection, but to deteriorate this fast...?
Also, wasn't he—shouldn't he be at the clinic?
How? Wasn't there... a doctor?
As for the other... his symptoms look similar to the one you mentioned earlier.
There are marks on his neck, and the bag was ripped open. Seems like he strangled himself, which is why no one outside heard him.
So our question now is...
Why are they here?
...I'm guessing the Doctor is asking why they're in a 'fertilizer truck'.
Because this place doesn't actually store fertilizer.
Mon3tr moves, and several bags burst open.
No fluids or particulates spill from the bag, only frozen and mutilated... limbs.
Dark yellow crystals encrust the surfaces—Perhaps they were stuffed into these waterproof fertilizer bags according to certain criteria.
No one wants to even consider what they might be.
How—
Raidian steps in, blocking Amiya from looking on any further.
Mon3tr finishes checking the truck carriage interior, and stands up, closing her eyes briefly.
...Infected. All of them.
Blood Originium-Crystal Density levels still climbing. This truck is practically a huge ticking time bomb—
Say no more, Mon3tr.
We get the idea, Mon3tr.
Come back here. Thanks for checking.
Amiya, the one with green bruise marks shares symptoms with those infected by airborne Originium dust caused by bio-energy disequilibrium after a Sarcophagus overload.
However, you need loads of energy and extremely destructive usage to overload a Sarcophagus, so an accident like this is extremely unlikely.
This may well mean that the Sarcophagus's basic functions have gone completely out of control.
What are you saying?
That means... it's lost its restorative capabilities?
Doctor, I refuse to prepare for the worst.
But my observations so far have indicated the bio-dust is still leaking from the Sarcophagus, with unthinkable consequences if we don't stop it soon.
It could come to a point where we'll have to destroy the Sarcophagus to stop it from spreading further.
...Although that would mean losing the chance to...
Let's not assume we must sacrifice one for the other.
Hey, you—
Ugh...
If you can't stand, stay down.
Reunion... we've met before—
Oh, you're still here.
I'll skip asking how you know.
Are you really with Reunion?
Most certainly.
How many of you are there? Can you help us? There's a weird sickness in the city that isn't Oripathy, and it's spreading!
We need to let everyone know, it's not a problem that will affect just a few—
There's a few things I need to confirm with you. Can you describe its symptoms?
It causes green bruises, and your skin slowly rots! My sister caught it, and I sent her to a clinic to 'isolate', but...
She was taken away, somewhere I don't know. I heard people talking about how they saw soldiers loading Infected onto trucks and sending them to the wall...
Tulin quickly exchanges a glance with Red, as she continues hearing what Tonya has to say without interrupting.
The soldiers don't let us near the wall, but this time I really wanted to go, no matter what.
I was planning to follow a truck in, so I planted a bomb to distract them, and then I saw—
Tonya's eyes flick to and fro, and finally she looks at Closure.
You saw us?
Yes... I didn't know you, but I guessed we shared a similar goal. It was dangerous, so I just decided on the spot to help you...
Then I missed my chance... the gate's closed.
Wow, I really got to hand it to you.
A plan like that... your bravery is commendable.
We planned it properly and all, you know!
Um, thank you very much, for saving me...
Could I ask you all... to rescue... my sister...?
You said you followed the truck to the wall, but where did it come from?
I don't know, I only realized it was heading towards the wall and followed it.
So you don't actually know where your sister is.
I—
I'm sorry, we're willing to offer help to those who need it, but we can't recklessly throw ourselves into danger.
We can't act without concrete information.
Please, hold on. What happened to this young lady's sister is probably not an isolated case in Zelgrad.
Do you have any idea where your sister might be?
You're right, I don't have anything solid...
I just thought... she fell sick because I was helping to wash the white coats of those behind the wall. So that's probably the one place they would take her.
'White coats', you say?
I think they call them 'researchers', although I've never seen any of them in person. The guards never mention them either.
They just go 'these are uniforms from Lab Six', 'these are from Test Lab One'...
Hah... it's like we're a laundromat.
I understand.
What?
To be honest, we've also observed this 'strange sickness', and concluded that it was already killing the people here, regardless of where it came from.
And based on what she's said, this is definitely because of an experiment they're running behind the wall...
—You mean that sickness is really related to the Sarcophagus?
What?
Uh—
So you came for the Chernobog Sarcophagus.
Hey, don't word it like we're just here for that!
Sorry, I didn't mean it that way.
We can hear your story later.
The pressing question now is: what is this 'Sarcophagus' you speak of? What kind of harm could it bring?
It's hard to put together a quick and easy explanation, but as far as I know, it's capable of spreading infectious symptoms.
It might not be the same as last time, but something similar did happen before, and just a few years ago too.
......
Right. All in all, you want to prevent a similar disaster from taking place?
You could put it that way, yeah!
Is the disaster triggered by this 'Sarcophagus' related to the Infected?
Based on the info we have at the moment, I can't draw any solid conclusions. I can only guess both Infected and non-Infected will be affected.
We're already seeing signs, so we have to look further into it.
Thanks for helping me today, but I'm still going to look for another way to find my friends.
We tried looking for traces of the refugee miners who came here, but haven't found anything. We haven't looked past the wall, though.
Likewise, we have our duty to fulfill.
Then, count me in too.
Hey, your wounds are serious. Careful how you move.
I just knew... the First Army's secret weapon work was suspicious, I knew it would kill more civilians than soldiers before it was dropped onto some random battlefield.
If you plan to cross that wall, then you should let me come with.
You're an Ursine soldier?
Heh... have you ever seen an Ursine soldier fall as low as I have?
These Reunion people saved me, and I'm grateful.
Bring me along, and I swear you have an ally in me... I won't give up, even if you say no.
I have a score to settle with a man in there... a man who should have died long ago.
Uchitel! There's someone at the right entrance with an identification code requesting entry!
It's a complete stranger, so we had her write the code on paper. Here.
I don't know who this is. Don't let her in.
Seems like this place is no longer safe. We need to move as soon as we can.
Can I see the code?
......
This is an old Reunion code.
Someone from your side?
Everyone who followed me to Zelgrad is already here.
Anyone who shows up outside now...
Talulah.
Yeah, I know. I've heard of her operating in the west.
Let her in.
......
Her gaze instantly drops to Talulah, but quickly shifts away.
You—you're the one who warned me!
You said you were going to gather more evidence...
And I'm back with that evidence.
Lyudmila—
I don't know what you were talking about, or your plans, but since you've been wandering around the city these past few days—
I take it you're looking for those missing Infected.
You know where they are?
I even know of expansion plates in Zelgrad that aren't on any maps.
On one of those is a factory, where most Infected are sent. As to what the factory is for, I have no clue myself.
It's tightly guarded, so I came here looking for help, since there's no way I'll manage alone.
You say those expansion plates aren't on the maps, but wouldn't the residents here notice all their Infected going to the same place?
When something doesn't concern them or those around them, it's hard for ordinary people to suss it out.
After all, Zelgrad is the 'city of tomorrow' where every 'hardworking soul' can find their own place...
There is no need to worry about those left behind in the cold of winter when you bathe yourself in the warmth of spring.
......
Regardless, saving as many people as we can is paramount. Before we go past the wall, we need to take a look at that 'factory'.
Having a clear objective simplifies things for us... show us the way.