Arknights story · Critical Phase Transition
17-17 Never A Moment's Doubt
Talulah cuts her way into the sealed district to rescue the Infected. Sirka searches for the Generalik's whereabouts. After Closure helps the Infected troops, she finally reunites with the Doctor's team. In the face of an out-of-control Sarcophagus, Amiya exhausts her strength to stop it exploding, saving the last chance to revive Kal'tsit.
1 scenes, 286 lines
1. After Operation
286 linesDammit!
Those cowards, hiding behind their bunkers. We don't really know the lay of the land behind the wall, so it's hard to break through their defenses.
How much longer until Talulah gets here?
There's a lot of enemies on her side, I reckon she'll need a little more time.
Like she said, all we have to do is pin down the defenders until she comes to reinforce—
Err... What was that—
As soon as the words leave his mouth, another shell flies over his head, heading towards his comrades behind him.
Just as he thinks about telling them to duck for cover, a drone swoops past him, intercepting the shell in midair. Even so, the resulting explosion shakes the ground.
Wh-What the... Closure?!
Behind him, countless whirring drones rise into the air, whistling as they fling themselves into the incoming shells.
Heh, no need to wait for her to save you.
Thanks to you guys buying time, my EM interference countermeasure's complete.
Bunkers scanned, enemy signals marked, spontaneous combustion safeguards disabled—
Go, show them what you've got!
The drones head towards the stone wall's gates one after the other. Not long after, explosions and the wails of Ursine soldiers ring out from behind the bunkers.
The defenders were clearly caught on the back foot by this chaotic assault. They flail at the flying lumps of iron, unable to conceal their positions any longer.
Since when were drones this useful? If we had this kind of firepower...
Whatever, now's our chance! Charge!
She lets out an involuntary snap of the fingers.
You...
Heh, we took care of this spot earlier than planned. The side gate is ours.
But there's still plenty of defenders inside, Talulah. I'll need your help.
...Understood.
Go find the Rhodes Islanders, Closure. Leave the soldiers to me. Reunion will make sure they don't get in your way.
I still have quite the score to settle with these people.
...Bzzt... Hailing... Colonel Nikonov...
...The enemy's breached the wall, lighting fires everywhere they go. Nobody's answering when I call the garrisons...
...Need a report on your command center, stat. The fuel factory's our top priority. We need to protect the Infected resources, we can't let them fall into enemy hands! If there's any danger, execute the contingency plan—
A hand reaches out, picking up the communicator on the fallen man's body.
What contingency plan?
......
...Who are you?
The one who picked up this communicator. Your colonel died by my hand not too long ago.
What do you think you're doing?!
All you need to know is that you're next.
She clenches her fingers. The voice whines as the communicator is crushed, the shattered fragments slipping between her fingers, tinkling as they fall onto the floor.
We've taken care of the remaining soldiers outside, Talulah. Plan said Closure's going ahead to find the Sarcophagus, while Sirka's looking for the Generalik.
As for the 'fuel factory' we're searching for, some of our captives said it's here.
How convenient. One of their officers said the same thing just now.
Open the door.
The steel door slowly swings open, revealing rows of man-sized vats inside. A few people narrow their eyes. They may be veterans of the battlefield, but they still dread what they are about to see.
But they are surprised. This place is not exactly the same as the factory outside. These vats have red lights flashing under them. Talulah steps forward, peering into the first vat she sees.
She sees a young woman, her body intact. Countless slender tubes are attached to her mouth and nose, the Originium crystals on her body glimmering a dark yellow.
These lights are on, unlike the ones in the expansion plate...
I saw it! That girl's eyelids just twitched!
They can still be saved. Turn off the main breaker first.
As the breaker switch is pulled with an ear-piercing screech, a blade flashes.
The glass in front of Talulah shatters into pieces, the oily preservation fluid gushing out and splattering across her feet.
The woman is slowly pushed out the vat by the force of the spilling liquid. Talulah helps her up with one hand, using her other to pull away the tubes all over her.
......Hrmh......
Still conscious... Quick, save the rest of them!
Got it!
Renewed hope snaps everyone out of their reverie. The dread they felt earlier has become a force propelling them as they charge towards the rest of the vats. For a moment, all that can be heard in the room is the sound of glass breaking and varied greetings.
...I... Am I safe...?
Yes, you're safe.
I swear to you, you will never have to see those people ever again.
Reunion...
What?
You must be... Only Reunion would save us. I knew it, everyone knew it...
When they brought us here, many people cried, especially the children... Until some people told us stories about you. Everyone... began to believe.
But those officers stopped us, saying Reunion was just a bunch of crazy terrorists...
But we're in Ursus. Only madmen care about the Infected in the first place.
Thank... you...
But... where's the white-haired Liberi? Isn't she with you?
What did you say? A white-haired Liberi?
Before you arrived, a white-haired Liberi came by. She told us we had to hold on, that people would be coming to save us soon!
And she said—
Never give up struggling. The meek will become weak.
Only those with strength have the right to survive.
......!
We've gotten the rest of them out, Talulah. We need to be quick, the other factories have Infected waiting for us.
...Right. Help her up, and get her out of here.
I'll take care of this place.
The two leave, her comrade propping up the weakened young woman as they go. Talulah slowly gets up, walking towards the door before turning her head.
The 'factory' now lays still. Spilled fluid coats the entire floor, reflecting the last vestiges of light in the distance.
She stretches out her hand, as if waving goodbye. Flames spring out of every corner of the room, engulfing the turquoise stone.
The endless toil of the Infected stops now.
...Nobody here?
There is not a soul in the giant room, only a fireplace that crackles as it burns.
Sirka approaches the desk. Books and files are scattered all over it. She rummages through them, pulling out a sheet covered in symbols from the bottom of the pile, a shiny fresh signature in the bottom right corner.
...Anatoliy—
Who's there?
Hmm? Strange... I heard a voice just now.
Suddenly, he feels an iron grip around his neck, one strong enough to lift him off his feet. He is flung into a pillar, which breaks with a dull thump.
Before the lone soldier can recover from the head-churning dizziness and pain, a knife is pressed against his back. It slips through his clothes, its tip sticking ever so slightly into his skin.
Anatoliy's whereabouts, or your life.
I... I'll talk!
It was a few hours ago... The Generalik got some news, so he left this place with his bodyguards in a hurry.
What news?
I don't know...
AHH—
H-He said: 'Those degenerates are unfit to have a piece of Zelgrad', then he got really angry, saying he had to take something away.
'Those degenerates'? Where did he go after that? Is he still in the city?
He looped around a few of the labs—they all had something to do with the prototype core—then he headed for the east of the city... Please, I don't know anything about what he was talking about!
...I see.
Just to be safe, you cannot tell anyone that I was here.
Yes, yes, I would never—
Before he can even finish, the knife has pierced his chest, nailing him to the pillar as blood streams down it.
Sirka shakes the blood off her blade as she looks outside the window.
'Prototype core'. Is that the 'Sarcophagus' they were talking about...?
The Sarcophagus was dismantled...?
What's its status?
Ursus sees the Sarcophagus as a giant energy source. Nothing beyond that function matters to them at all.
The researchers here had no way of breaking through the lockdown procedure Kal'tsit implemented, so they decided to use brute force to crack it open.
Based on what I can see, we're now in our worst-case scenario. The Sarcophagus's biological restoration function is completely destroyed...
Do we still have a chance?
Surely there's still some hope left?
It's still possible if we can restore everything perfectly!
But there's something we need to take care of first. The Sarcophagus's control system is extremely damaged! It's very unstable right now.
I knew it... The researchers had to rely on massive amounts of Originium to just barely keep it stable. Now that the Originium supply is gone, it's about to go critical.
The Sarcophagus is constantly leaking out that infectious bio-dust even now, and its energy output is fluctuating heavily!
If the energy contained within goes completely out of control and escapes, I'm afraid it's not just going to be all of Zelgrad that's razed to the ground...
Mon3tr! Can we still shut it down?
I'm trying my best here!
I can't just flip the switch Kal'tsit installed, I need to begin with a complete control system—Basically, I need time!
It's the soldiers outside! Are they still trying to force their way in?
No, the entire building is under attack.
This is the First Army we're talking about. Were they prepared to completely destroy the place?
Do these damn reckless Ursines ever think about the consequences?!
As the building shakes, countless strange, monstrous creatures gush out of the Sarcophagus's core in an unending stream.
They appear to be lost and afraid, milling about in confusion within the enclosed space.
Those are like that organism I saw that night—
How much time do you need, Mon3tr?
Around... forty minutes.
...Alright.
Don't get distracted. I'll protect Amiya and the Doctor.
Sorry for making you do this, Dive...
Wait, there's movement outside. The door might not hold much longer!
Get behind me, Doctor, I'll protect you—
No, this signal is familiar—
Whew... Made it! Did I get here on time?
Closure?!
Amiya! I knew you guys could do it! I was still really worried, though!
Eww, the heck are these things crawling on the ground?!
Watch out! Those infected lifeforms are dangerous, don't let them touch you!
Then what should I do? Will they explode or something?
I need you to help limit their movement range. My little Cycle doesn't have enough ammo.
An orderly array of drones rises up into the air behind Closure, like an impenetrable wall.
I always thought this move was too unsporting, so I never pulled it out in a real combat situation... but it's finally coming in handy now.
Perfect timing for a field test of those weapon modules I just installed...
Zeroth Order Oil Tank, identify targets, then wipe them all out!
Closure! How did you get in here?
A genius hacker-engineer has her ways! Though I did run into a fair few helpers along the road here...
That ID code Gummy got us turned out pretty handy, too. You'll never guess who I ran into outside the wall, Doctor!
As long as you're safe.
Tell me later.
I knew you guys would find the Sarcophagus core. So, can we finally—
Closure! Help me!
THE SARCOPHAGUS IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE!
...IT WHAT?!
......
Raidian...
Raidian and Closure's drones work together to form a defensive line, corralling the dangerous infected creatures within a safe zone.
At the other end of the room, Mon3tr and Closure are hard at work at the control panels.
Everyone stays silent. Nobody dares to ask if their labors have borne fruit.
Any results yet?!
......
...How's it looking?
Doctor, we...
Closure keeps mumbling. Despite her best efforts, the Sarcophagus does not respond to her, yet she keeps working its controls.
Error
Doctor... The Sarcophagus is at its limit. We don't have time to shut it down using the proper protocols.
The only thing we can do now, before it goes out of control and unleashes disaster...
Is to destroy it completely.
......
Mon3tr speaks as calmly as possible, rendering the cruelest of judgments.
There is no time.
The Sarcophagus is no longer something that gives you hope you can bring your comrade back, but instead something that threatens to wipe out everything.
Though you harbored the sincerest of wishes, you must now make the decision to abandon your one and only chance. You must decide.
...
...
...
Why are you hesitating?
Ah...
Pretty rare to see you so careless. Distracted by something?
Yeah... I'm worried about the team that went to Ursus.
Having to wait for such up-in-the-air results isn't a very nice feeling.
You've never been like this in front of the Doctor.
I just didn't want to bring down morale, doesn't mean I don't care.
Once you're as old as me, you'll know what this sort of separation feels like.
Not exactly the nicest thing you could wish me...
Whew... And with that, Engineering is now rebuilt! That was one hell of a project!
When the Doctor and Amiya bring Dr. Kal'tsit back, they'll be in for a shock!
It really was quite the project...
Not to be a downer, but are you really so sure the Doctor will succeed?
No particular reason?
If we needed reasons to believe in each other, we might as well quit being elite operators, right?
Fair enough.
Kal'tsit!
How much longer are you going to keep your secrets?
We've discussed this. I thought we had reached an understanding.
You cannot simply ask people to pass your memories like they are a cup of coffee. Anything relayed to you by others lacks objectivity.
Are you planning to just watch as I stumble in the dark?
It's hard for an amnesiac to do their job.
Believe me when I say that you are not the only person who has to bear the vexation of not getting what they want.
One day in the future, you will understand my patience.
I will not tell you about your past of my own accord, but I will help you in all other matters when needed.
Sometimes I can't tell...
If you care about me, or if you want to make things difficult for me.
I really do care about you, far more than you can imagine.
Like I have said before, I will restrain myself and not allow my hatred towards you—or any other emotion—to cloud my judgment.
But I will always protect you, until you recover your memories, or you find yourself.
Only once that time comes can we discuss what it means for you to exist here.
You've already found yourself, haven't you?
You fully understand your duty, and know the road you insist on walking.
So go, make what you have always believed was the right choice.
'Protect the life on this great land'...
Rhodes Island will not stop because of the loss of any one person.
You will all see a different tomorrow.
Mon3tr...
We'll do as you said—
What...? No, not a thing!
But then why would a backdoor with such high authorization suddenly appear in the system? If it was here all along, how come those researchers never found it?
Waitwaitwait, this isn't just your regular security vulnerability... Why does the Sarcophagus's OS have an independently-operating program like PRTS?!
It's slow-going...
But it's shutting down the Sarcophagus!
Could it be—
AMa-10?
Kal'tsit?
I want to fix it too.
Not only does AMa-10 carry our hopes, it has also preserved a record that is very important to me.
Closure!
Can you trace the program?!
Already on it! Just need a little more time!
Five minutes... No, three! Just buy me three! I've still got a shot!
But the Sarcophagus is extremely dangerous right now! I don't know how much longer it will hold!
What... What if we can suppress its energy? Will it stabilize?
If we don't try... then how can we ever know...?
Besides, I can feel... the Black Crown answering my call...
I believe I can do it.
Theresa... Have you come to help me?
Amiya... I have not.
Your request violates the baseline command Theresa installed in me—
No matter the situation, prioritize Amiya's safety. Your safety.
But you also said I shouldn't make a choice I would regret.
Are you sure you wish to do this, Amiya?
This time... I will do everything I can. Everything.
I don't want to lose anyone by my side again.
......
The ancient superstructure lets out a terrifying whine. You can feel your innards vibrate alongside it, even though all you are doing is standing nearby.
You are unable to comprehend the frightening amount of energy contained by this machine.
Amiya stretches out her hands towards it. Black Arts flow from her fingertips, holding firm as they suppress the sheer force pouring out of the Sarcophagus. Its core begins to calm.
Urghhhh—!
Amiya!
I'm fine... Don't worry...
The day... The day Dr. Kal'tsit shielded me, is a day I'll never forget...
Every time, it's someone else who protects me...
But this time... I won't let go this time—
I can—
Once more, you witness pure power burst out of Amiya's slight frame.
You stretch out your own arm to support her. You too can sense the churning sea of emotion, the font of her strength.
Unwavering determination, countless regrets, the dread of separation... and a warmth that now only exists in memory, a deep reluctance to say goodbye.
You have all walked this long path together. You have all lost so much along the way.
You do your best to prop her up by the shoulder, trying to calm her like you always do, and share in her pain... But all that power, all that roiling emotion, is endlessly deep.
You can clearly hear the sound of some instrument shattering.
Closure!
How much longer do we need to hold?!
What... is this place?