Episode 3: Seth and Ari - Part 1

Whaaat?!!

You're leaving?! Here? Us?!? Now?!

Why!! Where to!? Who wi-!

This out of nowhere?

Did something bad happen?

If it's something you need help with, all of us could-

No.

It's personal. There's no reason for you to be in it.

What... that's not a Terry answer at all...

Look at the boring old man doing gravitas!

You think we just go "Yes sir, understood!"?! Not happening!

Right, Boss?

Nope. We're not doing that.

Boss!! Is this TV time to you!!

Let go of me!!

Looks like he's already squared it with the Boss...

Nothing to be done then... byeee...

Yeah. I'll call.

Hmph!

Come back safe.

...Hmph. He actually left.

Must be serious. I've never seen him shut a conversation down like that.

(switching off the TV) Lain. Over here.

What.

A job just came in. Amatech HQ, of all places.

Amatech HQ??

Amatech security has been crawling all over Midground for days.

Nobody knows what they're after, and the traders can't work. The Merchants' Guild wants it looked into.

Terry said something about Amatech.

He said his friend, Dr. Seth, was with Amatech.

Fine. We'll go. And we can tail the old man while we're at it.

No digging. Do the job and come back.

Yeah yeah~

I'm in! Amatech coverage? That's a huge story.

I'll come as well.

Stop. Identification.

We're just walking through?

Emergency security measures are in effect. Your cooperation, please.

Fine. You won't move, we move you!

It's tense out front... so many people walking around with the Amatech mark on them.

Security team, by the look of it. That's not standard guard kit.

What are they hunting for so hard?

Per the Merchants' Guild, since yesterday they've been sweeping all of Midground for one specific robot.

A robot?

An old military frame called Zero-P. The project was shut down years ago... so why now.

Suspicious~ and that smells like a story~

We're in too deep for now. Look around more. Talk to the traders.

Civilians are not permitted here. Turn around.

We're still at the entrance.. isn't this a public road?

An Amatech asset-protection operation is under way. We would appreciate your cooperation.

Appreciate this. Move.

...Removing you by force.

I passed somewhere on the way that didn't sit right. I'll go ahead. Follow me.

Ru!! I'm the one in charge!!!

Look over there.

That... what is that? The whole building's gone.

(scanning) Blast damage. Two days ago, roughly... this looks like a disused tram station.

The station is Amatech property. Decommissioned on paper - but there are power draws logged right up to last week.

So they sealed the area to clean this up?

...Lain. Look at this.

Search target data. 'Zero-P - military prototype, human brain implant.'

And... 'Full-Dive unit - girl-type frame.' They want this one too.

A human brain in a robot? A girl-type?

There's more. 'Subject: Seth - Head of Research Division 3...'

...Seth?

Wasn't Terry's friend called Seth?

Something happened at this factory, and Dr. Seth was in it.

This could be why Mr. Terry left in such a hurry.

...All this, and they still haven't found it.

And Terry might be the reason they haven't.

Nothing left to pull here. Let's go back and lay it out.

I tried calling Terry. Nothing.

He's been dark a while now.

What Amatech was tearing Midground apart for was Zero-P and a girl-type robot.

And Dr. Seth's name came out of the factory wreckage.

......!

There were signs of an Amatech operation at the factory.

Dr. Seth was at the middle of it. Mr. Terry leaving in a hurry is almost certainly this.

...Terry can handle Terry. He's a grown man.

Still...

If he needs us he'll call. Moving then isn't too late.

...Fine. For now.