|
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles |
Don Quixote |
Aha! I believe thou has been indubitably bested this time, Lady Rodion, for my ensemble of playing cards hold more value that your own and shall win me this game! |
Rodion |
Really, now? |
| Don Quixote |
Indubitably! I shall bet all mine own chips to prove as such! |
| Rodion |
Ohoho. Bold move. |
| Rodion |
Though you do realize this means I'm gonna have to call your bluff, Donqui. |
| Don Quixote |
Try it if you must, for this three of a kind shall topple your entire kingdom! |
| Rodion |
Oof. Sorry, Chiquita. Royal Flush~ |
| Don Quixote |
…Fie. |
| Don Quixote |
How does your luck consistently exceed mine in this activity? Witchcraft is afoot. Witchcraft! |
Dante |
<Hey, don't feel too bad, Don Quixote. You did make her sweat a little for that one.> |
| Don Quixote |
M-Manager Esquire?! Has thou been observing our match this entire time? |
| Dante |
<The tail end, mostly.> |
| Dante |
<It's… nice seeing you guys get along.> |
| Rodion |
Awwww, Dante~ That's so cute! What's making you think that, though? |
| Dante |
<Well, from what I've seen in The City, it always feels like groups kinda just splinter off or get destroyed.> |
| Dante |
<Everyone's out for themselves… I mean, it makes sense why, but it feels weird to be part of one of the few groups that actually feel like a group, even if it's just through contractual obligation.> |
| Dante |
<After more than a year of being employed by Limbus Company, even with the environments we've all been subjected to, it seems like all of us are holding up kinda well together.> |
| Rodion |
Mmm. I getcha, I getcha. |
| Rodion |
I mean, think about everyone we ran into recently. The Pequod, Wuthering Heights, La Manchaland… A lot of groups kinda do just dissolve, don't they? |
| Don Quixote |
That is quite the intriguing pattern. |
|
The discussion topic makes Yi Sang look like he's about to add to it, but he refrains, looking away with a somewhat nervous look. |
|
Gregor and Hong Lu do the same. I suppose the topic's a bit too much of a deep cut right now. |
|
Though the burden of finding another topic to latch onto seems to be one that no one on this bus wants to bear. |
Faust |
Ahem. |
|
No one apart from Faust, evidently. |
| Faust |
Vergilius has received word of our next objective from LCA. |
Heathcliff |
Oi, Faust, not to interrupt, but… is it just me, or do you seem a bit more unsure in your tone there? |
| Rodion |
I wasn't gonna point it out, but yeah, you do sound a little more uneasy than usual. What's the deal? |
| Faust |
That is because the objective is of utmost importance, potentially more than our typical detours. |
|
Faust then let Vergilius take the floor. He looks over at everyone else with his usual glare, but with subtle hints like his hair being a bit more on the messier side than usual, it shows how dire this is. |
|
What could've possibly happened that we have to take care of? Is it something having to do with the headquarters? |
Vergilius |
Look. I am aware of how eccentric you all may be at times when it comes to following directions, but I need you all to listen up this time. |
| Vergilius |
We will be heading to O Corp. next. From what I've been issued within this letter, O Corp. is in a state of regional emergency. |
Ishmael |
Regional emergency? |
| Faust |
Consider, if you will, the trumpet system that Lobotomy Corporation used to use. |
| Faust |
The first trumpet signals a situation where the threat level is not exactly high, but also not low enough to disregard. The second trumpet is more troublesome. If the danger's not dealt with here, the threat might start getting exponentially more worrisome to the point of no return. |
| Faust |
This system went all the way up to a hypothetical seventh trumpet, which signaled the extinction of humanity as we know it. |
| Faust |
Obviously, none of the departments ever reached that point, but consider the thought of such an event happening in your mind for a moment. |
Yi Sang |
That sounds quite harrowing to witness… |
| Ishmael |
So in regards to O Corp., where exactly are they? |
| Vergilius |
From what I've heard, somewhere in between the fourth and fifth. |
| Ishmael |
Haaah… Of course. |
| Vergilius |
According to the letter, approximately 20% of all individuals living within the Backstreets have been compromised, and 40% of individuals in the Nest have reported the same fate. |
| Vergilius |
We are tasked with finding the Distortion in the area and dealing with it before the situation gets any more dangerous. |
| Vergilius |
After suppression, the LCA will transport them back to headquarters for study as well as questioning. |
| Vergilius |
Ishmael, as the most prepared Sinner within the group, you'll be happy to know that they sent a guidebook in advance. |
|
Vergilius hands off said guidebook of O Corp. to Ishmael. |
| Ishmael |
Thank you. I guess I'll do the due diligence of reading since no one else will… want… to… |
| Ishmael |
Shit. I think I understand why they're a little on edge now. |
| Heathcliff |
You too, lass? What the hell is going on 'ere? |
| Ishmael |
What's 'going on' is that we're a suicide squad. O Corp. is within the bottom three districts to live in. I never understood why at first, but now, reading this, I get it. |
| Ishmael |
A Distortion there is akin to a death trap. |
| Heathcliff |
It can't possibly be worse than living four hours a day, can it? |
| Ishmael |
Try a totalitarian state. |
|
Ishmael then frantically showcases a random page of the guidebook to Heathcliff's face. |
|
Heathcliff goes on to read it for a short while, his eyes getting wider and wider the more he keeps reading. |
| Heathcliff |
…The fuck…? |
|
Naturally, yet unexpectedly, this leads to the other Sinners being interested and passing the guidebook around. |
|
It ends up in my hands last. |
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The first header on the very first page reads "Welcome to Organization TPLP's glorious Nest!" with the tagline "WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH". |
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"Remember, if times get tough, you can always go to the nearest Wing employee! They always wear bright colors, as opposed to the suits every citizen has to wear. All citizens of our District wear the same outfit, so don't be too confused if you stand out!" |
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"As a tourist, please proofread the list of forbidden terms. Saying these terms in our District may get you taken away for introducing dangerous concepts. This mainly includes words that can introduce the ability for our Feathers to commit thoughtcrimes - thinking violent and disrespectful thoughts - about our Big Brother." |
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"Our Big Brother is not from the Middle. He runs the District and personally speaks to all of our citizens! He is a very apt leader. Feel free to go to an urban area at our designated daily Two-Minute Hate to see him! Fun fact: Big Brother used to work at the Ministry of Truth!" |
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"All citizens of Organization TPLP are as one! We breathe, speak, and think the same. Please don't introduce anything that doesn't influence our unique culture! If possible, please learn Newspeak, an abbreviated form of English meant to keep the District safe by reducing odd behaviours and thoughts!" |
|
Reactions range from stone-faced to horrified and everything in between. |
| Rodion |
How can people live like this? |
| Yi Sang |
You mean to tell me this is sustainable for a Nest's environment? |
Sinclair |
Is any of this even legal?! |
| Ishmael |
Well, it's in a guidebook. If The Head had any problems with it, they would've shut it down. |
Hong Lu |
Ah, that reminds me. If the problem is a regional emergency, shouldn't The Head have stepped in by now? |
| Faust |
Normally, that would be the case. But there's something peculiar about this particular event that makes The Head sending out their agents a risk too costly. |
| Faust |
All things considered, most Wings wouldn't consider trying to fix the problem for multiple different factors. |
| Vergilius |
Which made it perfect for Limbus Company to swoop in… despite the risk it serves us. |
| Vergilius |
If anybody without a specific set of requirements took on this contract, the City could be changed to degrees we haven't seen since the White Night and Dark Days. |
| Vergilius |
We fulfill every single requirement. |
Gregor |
I don't even know if I want to ask what that could mean. |
| Vergilius |
Just take it as that we've proven we can handle situations of this magnitude with relative success. |
| Gregor |
That still means there's a margin of error where we could fail… |
| Faust |
We will not fail. We cannot afford to. |
|
That sounds unnervingly terrifying. A situation where we cannot afford to fail. |
|
I mean, we've been there before, but having it plainly spelled out like that… |
| Vergilius |
Charon, how close are we to O Corp.? |
Charon |
For an emergency stop, a few days at most. |
| Dante |
<Do we have that much time?> |
| Faust |
Dante is asking if we can afford that much time. |
| Charon |
No. Which is why Charon will make the trip in one day. No issue. No traffic going to O Corp. |
| Don Quixote |
Wings alighteth, forsooth, we are going to crash before we even get there. |
| Charon |
Are you doubting Charon? |
| Don Quixote |
Huh?! N-Nay, not in the slightest! |
| Don Quixote |
Just… praying that there are not any obstructions on the road that would make this trip any more difficult than it already is, given that it is an emergency! We did just finish up business in H Corp. after all… |
| Charon |
We will make it as long as no one doubts Charon or Mephi. |
| Sinclair |
The next time we go to headquarters, can we ask for them to invest in seatbelts for Mephistopheles? |
| Faust |
You could just ask Faust. |
| Sinclair |
Oh, right. I guess you did make the bus. |
| Sinclair |
Faust, can we- |
| Faust |
No. |
| Sinclair |
Okay. |
|
And so, with Charon's expert driving skills, we embark on an emergency journey to O Corp. |
|
All the while, we try to practice Newspeak to blend in. Whatever that is. |
|
These terms make my head hurt more than usual. Newspeak? Thoughtcrimes? Doublethink? |
|
Big Brother? I already had to memorize the Middle's Big Brother. Why is there another one? |
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Faust can immediately see how stressful this is for me and offers me a place to sit next to her for assistance. |
| Faust |
There seems to be quite a lot going through your head, Dante. You are lucky in the sense that no one aside from the Sinners can hear you. |
| Faust |
The rest of us have to try and figure out how to alter our speech in a mere twenty-four hours at a minimum. I am glad that Faust can give me a headstart. |
| Ishmael |
Okay, so, instead of the Limbus Company Bus Department, we'd be the Limbus Company Bus Dep. That makes sense, at least. |
| Heathcliff |
…Doubleplusgood? The hell is that? |
| Faust |
Think of words such as "excellent", "fabulous", and "fantastic". That is what doubleplusgood replaces in O Corp. |
| Heathcliff |
For what reason??? |
| Faust |
Control. |
| Heathcliff |
Control? This is just an inconvenience! Who fuckin' creates a language like this?! |
| Rodion |
Oh? Careful, Heath; that's not very goodthinker of you~ |
| Rodion |
If you express that once we get to the Nest, they might have to unperson you! |
| Heathcliff |
UNPERSON? |
| Heathcliff |
They just… erase people? From existence? |
| Faust |
They can erase people that don't express the values they want them to, it would seem. |
|
The memories associated with something like that happening mere months ago outside of O Corp. causes Heathcliff to pause and stare down at his hands. |
|
The conversation continues around him. |
| Faust |
Those that are unpersoned within the populace cannot be mentioned either, as doing such would be a thoughtcrime. |
| Sinclair |
Thoughtcrime? How do you commit crimes within your mind? |
Meursault |
Because all crime begins with the thought of committing said crime in the first place. If you control the thoughts, you influence whether or not the crime happens. |
Ryoshu |
So they have mindreaders in there. Great. |
| Faust |
It is not that they can read your mind but more that they can read your face. If you let thoughts wander for too long, any visual clue could give your thoughts away. |
| Faust |
So unless you have an unnaturally good poker face, Faust suggests getting said dangerous thoughts out of your head quickly. |
| Ryoshu |
Guess I'll have to think about something other than using the corporate pigs of O Corp. for my art. |
| Ryoshu |
Although, if I practice crimestopping, would I be able to think about crime as long as I don't go through with the thought? Perhaps I'll be able to keep my inspiration if that's the case. |
| Ryoshu |
…Wait, what am I doing even respecting any of this garbage? Newspeak has nothing on my SANGRIA. |
| Ryoshu |
It's a crime to abbreviations and a crime to languages. |
| Ryoshu |
To abbreviate not for art, but to ruin all creative thought… F.U.B.A.R. |
| Ishmael |
We still have to learn it, Ryoshu. I don't wanna get arrested again. |
| Ryoshu |
That sounds like a you problem. If you hadn't dulled your harpoon, you would've had a you solution. |
|
Ishmael groans and looks away from Ryoshu for the time being, not wanting to get back into that conversation with her. |
|
Meanwhile, Outis has been looking pensive, trying to understand one term in particular. |
Outis |
What does it mean to doublethink? |
| Outis |
That doesn't make sense. You can't just… how do you…? |
| Faust |
To doublethink is to believe two things at the same time, both of them contradicting each other. To use logic against itself. |
| Outis |
That's the confusing part to me. Logically, it cannot make sense to use logic against logic. |
| Outis |
Wouldn't the logic cancel out? |
| Faust |
Yes. |
| Outis |
Then how- |
| Faust |
That is, unless you were able to accept both facts as the truth. |
| Outis |
…But you can't. |
| Faust |
Let me give you this hypothetical scenario. Pretend you have died. |
| Faust |
You accept the fact that you are dead, correct? |
| Outis |
Yes. |
| Faust |
We have one fact within this hypothetical so far, that you are no longer living. But Dante has just turned back the clock. |
| Faust |
Now, you are alive. You accept this fact, yes? |
| Outis |
Yes. |
| Faust |
But it's not necessarily the same you that has died because whatever caused you to die in the first place did not happen, because you are alive. |
| Faust |
However, it had to happen because you died in the first place. |
| Faust |
You are dead, and yet, you are alive. |
| Faust |
Are you able to accept both facts as true? |
| Outis |
…Yes. |
| Faust |
Then you have just engaged in doublethink. The existence of Dante as our manager is doublethink. |
| Outis |
I… did not expect that to be so straightforward. |
| Faust |
It usually is not. Faust is lucky we had an example already. |
| Dante |
<So, what, how exactly do all these terms apply to people living in O Corp. right now?> |
| Faust |
Consider this mathematical equation, Dante. Two plus two. |
| Faust |
The answer in the head of someone who was raised correctly is four. The answer for those in charge of O Corp. is four. |
| Faust |
The answer for ordinary citizens of O Corp. might be four. Or it could be five. Or it could be three. |
| Faust |
Or perhaps the answer never mattered, and the brain power needs to be diverted on another question. All contradictory, all used for controlling the mind. |
| Yi Sang |
…The truth for these people is whatever those in power decide it is. |
| Yi Sang |
And whatever they decide it is can often change depending on the day, the hour, the minute, or the second. |
| Yi Sang |
The game we are playing is being rigged, then. |
| Faust |
To us, it is. To them, it was always fair. |
| Yi Sang |
This District is but a very cruel mistress. |
| Outis |
I think you mean this District is but a pluscruel mistress. |
|
Yi Sang slumps in his seat, his hands covering his face in agony. |
|
Dread settles in quickly amongst the bus over our new surroundings for potentially the next few days. |
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No one's happy about this. Not even the typically chipper amongst us. |
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Location: Backstreets of District 15, Entrance |
|
That heavy dread followed us all the way to the Backstreets. |
|
Sure enough, as Charon said, we got there in about a day, give or take an hour or so. |
| Ishmael |
We're here. Finally. |
| Ishmael |
Okay, guys, are we ready to… not want to try and murder each other while acting like we know how this place works? |
| Don Quixote |
Most definitely! Thou will not have to worry, Lady Ishmael. |
| Don Quixote |
I have studied the language of the locals and have speedwise become plusgoodest at juggling this "Newspeak" jargon! |
| Don Quixote |
My lexicon will not forgive me for these verbal atrocities, but if it shall keep us out of prison, I will happywise butcher it! |
| Ishmael |
It's not prison I'm afraid of. It's the joycamps. |
| Heathcliff |
Why the hell are they even called that anyway? Might as well be upfront and call 'em labor camps. |
| Ishmael |
Can't. That's Oldspeak. |
| Heathcliff |
Oh, for the love of-... I need to hit something. I angerwise need to hit something. |
| Ishmael |
Hey, look. Even you're getting it. Nice. |
| Heathcliff |
Begrudgingly. |
| Vergilius |
Once you leave this bus, you must speedwise find the one responsible for sending that letter, O'Brien. I believe he is holed up somewhere here. |
| Yi Sang |
Why here instead of the Nest itself? |
| Vergilius |
It would be plusbad for him to be there now. He would be upsubbing his mind to the Distortion at this moment. |
| Rodion |
Pfft, you sound like you've been speaking Newspeak your whole life, Verg~ |
| Vergilius |
It's our reality. For now, anyway. |
|
Charon slowly stops the bus. It's a bit of an unusual way for her to be letting us off, but given how much we've already spooked ourselves with the idea of being here, it's definitely appreciated. |
|
Like usual, the bus doors open. |
| Vergilius |
Now, off the bus. |
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And The Sinners, as per usual, hop off. |
| Gregor |
Sticking back here with Charon again? |
|
Vergilius nods slowly to that. |
| Vergilius |
You'll be making a sweep through the Backstreets in an attempt to find O'Brien, so feel free to return to the bus if he's not within the immediate area. |
| Vergilius |
Once he is, however, you will be on your own. |
| Hong Lu |
Glad to see everything's completely as expected here, then~ |
| Vergilius |
Very funny, Hong Lu. |
|
Vergilius departs for the bus. I guess we have nothing better to do than survey our surroundings. |
|
The Sinners end up gravitating towards groups. |
| Yi Sang |
I'll take Faust with me to survey the southern part of this area. |
| Faust |
I agree with this arrangement. |
| Ryoshu |
Sinclair. Don Quixote. Here. |
| Sinclair |
S-Sure…! |
| Don Quixote |
Southward we go, posthaste! |
| Hong Lu |
Outis, why not come to the east with Gregor and I here~? |
| Outis |
The Executive Manager has not assigned me to a group, so I guess this works out just fine. |
| Gregor |
Didn't think I'd end up with the fellow vet and the rich kid. |
|
I ended up going with Heathcliff, Ishmael, Rodion, and Meursault to survey the west side. |
|
After around five minutes of awkward silence, Ishmael speaks up. |
| Ishmael |
So, guys, isn't it– |
| Ishmael |
…Ahem. |
| Ishmael |
So, no one here, right? Like how Big Brother says? |
| Heathcliff |
Lass, I don't think they're gonna read our minds if nobody is around. |
| Rodion |
You're really doublethinking Big Brother here, aren't you~ |
| Heathcliff |
Oi…! |
| Ishmael |
They have magic Singularity. Cannot unthink about may be real. |
| Ishmael |
I have plusgood experience with talk like Newspeak, anyway. |
| Heathcliff |
Because of that massive harpooner back at U Corp., right? |
| Ishmael |
…My doubleplusgood 'best friend'. |
| Dante |
<She only had to speak like that because she cut her tongue, I think.> |
| Dante |
<The people here are conscripted into it.> |
| Meursault |
Not in the Backstreets. I can confirm that thoughtcrime laws are not in place here. |
| Meursault |
Within the last 13 minutes and 9 seconds, I have thought approximately ~50 thoughts that violate thoughtcrimes. As no action has come against us, we can assume it is not in action. |
| Meursault |
That is all. |
| Rodion |
Oh? Meur, I had no idea you could be so rebellious~ |
| Rodion |
What were you thinking about? |
| Meursault |
The multitude of times I had sexual relations with my coworker back at N Corp. |
| Rodion |
… |
| Heathcliff |
Well, certainly not what I expected out of the lad. |
| Ishmael |
Me too, Heathcliff. Me doubleplusthink. |
| Heathcliff |
What are you talking about? |
| Rodion |
So THAT explains why you didn't respond to me asking if you liked being- |
| Meursault |
I would rather not have to think about that experience again, Rodion. |
| Dante |
<Yeesh. You and me, both. No offense, but seeing you smile felt unsettling, Meursault.> |
|
After that, the surveillance went relatively smoothly. |
|
Well, it wasn't like there were any people to survey… |
|
I've never seen any place in the City so devoid of life. Even on the Great Lake, you'd see a fellow ship every few hours. |
|
We came back to the bus, Vergilius and Charon in tow. Vergilius opens a window. |
| Vergilius |
Any signs of O'Brien? |
| Ishmael |
Doubleplusempty. No signs at all. |
| Heathcliff |
Could you just-… Fuck's sake, lass. |
| Heathcliff |
We didn't spot him anywhere within where we were searching. |
| Hong Lu |
We came up empty, too. |
| Ryoshu |
N.L. |
| Sinclair |
No luck… |
| Faust |
No sign of O'Brien for us either. |
| Vergilius |
Not even you, Miss Faust? Hmm. |
| Vergilius |
On the bus. We'll have to try a few miles ahead. |
|
And quickly, or should I say speedwise, we got back on. |
|
Charon begins to drive again, as per our typical routine. |
|
But she does so wordlessly, something that Rodya's quick to pick up on. |
| Rodion |
Eh? No vroom-vroom~? |
| Outis |
She isn't obligated to say that every time we depart, Rodion. |
| Rodion |
Fair, but it's like… her thing. Her not saying it is basically bad luck. |
| Outis |
Says who? |
| Rodion |
Says me right now. I need my vroom-vroom. |
| Rodion |
C'mon, Charon~ Do the thing! |
| Charon |
...Vroom-vroom. |
| Charon |
Sorry. I felt quiet. |
| Rodion |
And we're back to the status quo~ |
|
Rodya relaxes in her seat while Charon continues to drive. |
|
I can see Vergilius wanting to say something about Rodya's grovelling for Charon's "thing", but he refrains from doing as such. |
|
While we have the time, I might as well ask what's on everyone's mind. |
| Dante |
<...Why… would anyone live here?> |
| Dante |
<Just generally. Why would people want to live in O Corp.?> |
| Faust |
You mean aside from those that were born in the District and have no means of escaping? |
| Dante |
<Yeah. I'm trying to say, like… why would anyone travel here to live here?> |
| Dante |
<I know that can be said about a lot of the Districts we've been to, but at least K Corp. and H Corp. have some form of working healthcare.> |
| Dante |
<T Corp.'s time tax sounds and is very problematic, but at least that's the most of anyone's problems there.> |
| Heathcliff |
Heh. Got that one right. |
| Dante |
<U Corp.'s section of The Great Lake is just generally terrifying, but, again, that's the most of anyone's issues seemingly. Ishmael, you can confirm, yeah?> |
| Ishmael |
Mhm. |
| Dante |
<A lot of P Corp.'s issues mainly seemed to be tied to La Manchaland.> |
| Don Quixote |
And verily, the denizens of that District will not have to worry about that issue any longer. |
| Dante |
<This place sounds like a nightmare. A genuine nightmare.> |
| Dante |
<What is the benefit that people would seek by coming here?> |
| Faust |
They would come here for work. |
| Faust |
For example, Moses from the LCA had taken on a contract regarding Distortion in O Corp. before joining Limbus Company. |
| Faust |
You may know this case as the Balloon People. |
| Ishmael |
Like, THAT Balloon People? |
| Ishmael |
The one I heard about from a newspaper in U Corp. because it was that widespread? |
| Faust |
Yes. |
| Don Quixote |
Verily, what is a Balloon Person? Do they float into the air?! |
| Faust |
The Balloon People case regarded a common Distortion among O Corp. healthcare and salary workers. |
| Faust |
Their heads would inflate and explode for at least 10 feet, coating everything in blood. |
| Don Quixote |
… |
| Ryoshu |
Interesting. Heh. |
| Faust |
Upon further investigation, it was found a company was redirecting lines to alleviate traffic on their works. The stresses on workers caused this mass Distortion, with the head exploding when a certain stress threshold was reached. |
| Faust |
The case was concluded when Detective Moses gave a list of people with inflated heads to that company. |
| Heathcliff |
Wait, but I haven't heard a damn thing about this place having a customer service industry. |
| Heathcliff |
Why the hell would they need one anyways? Big Brother decides everything. |
| Faust |
That is where you're both right and wrong. |
| Faust |
The actual case was Organization TPLP exploiting the Distortion to get rid of any offices they deemed that could reasonably take in information from outside of O Corp. The company that redirected the salary lines was O Corp., and extra pressure was put on healthcare workers so their healthcare knowledge could only be used in party-approved methods. |
| Faust |
Organization TPLP is simply a master at making outsiders think they are just an average Wing. Moses' handling of the case and description afterward was heavily biased due to the fact Organization TPLP had set it up to look like any other Distortion case. |
| Faust |
The list Moses gave to O Corp., while it seemed innocent to her, was in fact going to be used as a list of people to unperson. |
| Heathcliff |
Jesus Christ, Dante is right. What in the hell? |
| Heathcliff |
How could they even "unperson" that many people? |
| Faust |
They didn't. There was an excess of individuals, and manually changing their views using their tactics would take too long. |
| Faust |
Instead, they poked their heads with a needle. |
| Gregor |
…Why would anyone live here? |
| Faust |
Beyond work, I do not personally have the answer to that question. |
| Gregor |
I thought my situation back in G Corp. was already the drizzling shits. |
| Rodion |
No kidding. Making me appreciate the dinners I fished out of the trash right now. |
| Sinclair |
I-I don't know if I can personally choose between the hell I grew up in or the hell that awaits. |
| Heathcliff |
You had free healthcare, kid. |
| Sinclair |
My entire family is dead. |
| Heathcliff |
Shit, I'd rather that than unpersoned. |
| Sinclair |
…Y'know what? Yeah, that makes sense. At least I can still think about them without it being classified as a crime. |
|
On that comment in particular, Charon swerves and almost messes up a turn. Sinclair has to hold onto the seat in front of him to not be knocked into the window. |
| Sinclair |
C-Charon! Careful! |
| Sinclair |
I know this is just your driving style, but would it kill you to take it a little slower? |
| Charon |
… |
| Sinclair |
…Charon? |
| Sinclair |
Charon? Hello? |
|
At this point, we'd be expecting some sort of snappy quip, but it never came. |
|
Vergilius has to step in, thinking he may know what happened. |
| Vergilius |
Don't take it personally. She gets like this when bad memories resurface. |
| Vergilius |
Charon, Sinclair asked you something. |
| Vergilius |
His voice may be grating to hear sometimes, but you should respond so the conversation can end properly. |
| Sinclair |
H-Hey! |
|
Some of the Sinners snicker and chuckle at that comment. |
| Vergilius |
It would be rude for you not to respond to Sinclair, wouldn't it, Charon? |
| Vergilius |
… |
| Vergilius |
Charon? |
|
Charon swerves again, coming really close to messing up a turn this time. |
|
This time, Vergilius is the victim, having to use a nearby handlebar to steady himself. |
| Charon |
…Very sorry. |
| Charon |
Not feeling right. Vroom-vroom. |
| Charon |
Pulling over. Safety first. |
|
Charon violently pulls over. That wasn't safe at all…! |
| Sinclair |
W-Woah! |
| Dante |
<Charon!> |
| Heathcliff |
Did all of her knowledge of the road just disappear??? |
|
In between the ruckus of Sinners trying to find their bearings and Charon opening the bus doors, Ishmael seems particularly disturbed. |
| Dante |
<Ishmael?> |
|
| Ishmael |
…That's not Charon. |
| Ishmael |
What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck… |
| Heathcliff |
Eh? Lass, that's clearly Charon. |
| Gregor |
Same hair, same clothes, same driving skills… Yep. Definitely Charon. |
| Ryoshu |
Didn't expect Ishmael to go crazy first. Pfft. |
| Ishmael |
All of you, SHUT THE FUCK UP! |
| Ishmael |
It's her eyes! Her fucking EYES! |
| Ishmael |
Did you not see her eyes while we were all flopping around like fish?!? |
| Hong Lu |
I don't know if any of us could, given that we were, well, flopping around~ |
| Charon |
How could you unseen? |
| Ishmael |
A-And that? That shit?! That is NOT how she speaks! |
| Heathcliff |
To be fair, that's your fault. Couldn't stop shovin' that Newspeak garbage down our throats. |
| Ishmael |
Oh my fucking- Are you all somehow blind and deaf?! |
|
Between Ishmael shouting and the bus going in so many different directions while pulling over, the rest of the Sinners aren't exactly in the best of spirits. |
| Yi Sang |
Something unideal this way comes… |
| Outis |
I was beginning to think I was the only one assuming something was off here. |
|
Vergilius, however, kept calm, looking right at Ishmael as he walked over to her. |
| Vergilius |
Now isn't the time for your neuroticism to be kicking in, Ishmael. We aren't even at a high tide yet. |
|
At this rate, Ishmael stands up and frantically points at Charon while staring daggers into Vergilius. |
| Ishmael |
High tide?! Vergilius, this might as well be the beginning of a goddamn typhoon! |
| Ishmael |
LOOK at her eyes! They were light blue! That's not Charon! |
| Ishmael |
I-I don't know what happened in between us getting off this bus and getting back on, but whatever it was, it got Charon! |
| Vergilius |
Do we need to have another consultation session right now? |
| Ishmael |
Do it. Do it if you think I'm bullshitting. That's not Charon. |
| Vergilius |
I fail to see how something like her eyes, which I've seen for as long as I've known her to be grey, can suddenly turn- |
|
| Vergilius |
…blue. |
|
Slowly, Charon turns her head to us. Or at least, the individual we thought was Charon turns their head. |
|
The sight of light blue struck the majority of us with shock, except for certain people. |
|
While Ishmael's been filled with a combination of vindication and fear, certain sinners like Ryoshu and Outis look ready to brawl, and Hong Lu's got a look of curiosity on his face. Vergilius's expression at this moment is unreadable. |
|
His hands seem to be shaky. A rare bout of uncertainty had struck him upside the head while looking at "Charon". |
|
Things got worse while we were glued to our positions, completely petrified. |
| Sinclair |
I-Is that…another eye…? |
|
Not just another eye, but multiple eyes, one by one. |
|
They slowly manifest all over her, all having the same piercing light blue color. |
|
Every single one begins to stare in Sinclair's direction. |
| Sinclair |
C-...Charon? |
| Sinclair |
If this is about your driving, I-I can be less critical in the future… |
Charon...? |
… |
| Sinclair |
Charon? |
| Charon...? |
… |
| Charon...? |
Leave for your safety. |
|
That came from Charon's voice, but we all knew one thing for sure: |
|
That wasn't Charon speaking. Not anymore. |
|
It's at this rate that the individual gets out of the driver's seat, her body twitching and halfway becoming unrecognizable thanks to those eyes. |
|
Her steps, slow and calculated, shamble slowly towards Sinclair, her limbs occasionally obscured with red squares that pop in and out. |
|
Succumbing to my base instincts, I practically sprint out of the bus. The Sinners follow me quickly. |
|
This just leaves Vergilius, who is still stuck in place, and the entity in control of Charon in the bus. |
|
Noticing this, I try to scream in vain. |
| Dante |
<Vergilius! Get out of there!> |
|
Faust and Meursault quickly notice the situation and try to assist me. |
| Faust |
Dante's right. You must leave the bus immediately. We do not know what happened to her. |
|
She pauses in place, staring right into Vergilius's eyes. |
|
Vergilius's shaking starts to get to his body fully now. |
| Vergilius |
No… No, I'm not just going to leave you in here. |
| Vergilius |
Not until I know you're okay, Charon. |
| Charon...? |
… |
| Vergilius |
…Say something. Anything. |
| Vergilius |
You're gonna be fine. The flow said as such. |
| Charon...? |
… |
| ??? |
You know I am not Charon. |
| Vergilius |
No. That's not true. |
| Vergilius |
That's… That can't be true. Stop this, Charon. |
| Vergilius |
This isn't humorous. |
| ??? |
…I'll cut the Newspeak. |
| Charon (Room 101) |
Call me Room 101. Or perhaps, rather, an extension of it. |
| Charon (Room 101) |
Otherwise known as the Distortion your group was warned about. |
|
Vergilius can't even respond. Right away, his eyes started to spark that familiar glare of red. |
|
I haven't seen Vergilius this shaken up by anything before. |
| Charon (Room 101) |
What you don't know, and that nobody else knows, is that I have control over, well… |
| Charon (Room 101) |
Every. Single. Body. This infection takes over. |
| Vergilius |
… |
| Vergilius |
Let go of her. |
| Charon (Room 101) |
I can't. I don't control what this infects. It's involuntary. When that voice spoke to me, it never even mentioned an infection. |
| Charon (Room 101) |
It hurts to even focus on a single speck of dust when I have access to thousands of minds at once. And I'm putting all of my focus into telling you to leave right now. |
| Charon (Room 101) |
Leave. Unless you want to become one of me, too. |
| Vergilius |
…I can't just abandon Charon. Not after- |
|
Vergilius looks like he was about to elaborate, but then stops himself, the uneasiness getting worse. |
| Charon (Room 101) |
If you leave, you can find my cage… |
| Charon (Room 101) |
And break Charon free. |
| Charon (Room 101) |
Now go. I- |
|
Charon's body ragdolls on the floor. Whatever Room 101 is experiencing, it's so painful that even a controlled body experiences the full brunt of it. |
| Meursault |
This is your chance, Vergilius. Exit the bus. |
| Faust |
Leave before that Distortion takes you, too. |
|
Vergilius looks back at us. |
| Vergilius |
Haaah… It cannot be helped. |
| Vergilius |
This is the exact situation I feared when we were told to come here. |
|
With much reluctance, Vergilius gets out of Mephistopheles. |
|
It's at this rate that the remaining Sinners run back over to the four of us with great urgency. |
|
The fourteen of us start running as far from the Distortion as we can. |
| Ishmael |
The hell were you guys doing?! |
| Dante |
<We had to get Vergilius out of the bus! H-He wasn't moving!> |
| Ishmael |
Fair enough. You believe me now, guide?! |
| Dante |
<Not the time!> |
|
We don't even know the direction we're running in at this rate. North, South, East, West, doesn't matter. |
|
We just needed to get the hell away from the bus. |
|
Location: Backstreets of District 15 |
|
A few minutes into our running, some Sinners have to catch their breaths, so we stop. |
|
Vergilius visibly looks displeased about the development, but he acquiesces temporarily to slow his beating heart down. |
|
Don Quixote practically collapses on the ground. |
| Don Quixote |
Hoooh… I haven't had… that much of a sprint… since my father… forcibly put Rocinante on me… |
| Don Quixote |
My trusty steed… thathathrarelyleftmyfeetsince… 200 years agoooooo… |
|
Don Quixote coughs violently, struggling to get up. |
| Don Quixote |
Is it just mine own inadequacies, or hath the air quality here suddenly worsened? |
| Meursault |
Consider that we are in the Backstreets. |
| Don Quixote |
…So it is not just me. Thank goodness. My lungs are dying… |
| Don Quixote |
So! We are… in the middle… of a Backstreets area none of us know how to navigate… |
| Don Quixote |
What is the plan?! |
| Ishmael |
Hopefully, to find O'Brien somewhere within this general area. |
| Faust |
This would've been easier if he had just told us where he dwelled within the Backstreets, but I digress. |
| Don Quixote |
Ah, don't sweat it, Lady Faust! |
| Don Quixote |
For we… we shall figure out a solution! We always do! |
| Vergilius |
Get up, Don Quixote. We do not have the luxury or the time to laze around. |
| Rodion |
Nah. Chiquita has the right idea, I think. |
| Rodion |
We did a hell of a lot of running just now! We need to relax… Find our bearings. |
| Yi Sang |
It would certainly help me, at the very least. I have not dedicated a lot of my time to cardio. |
| Vergilius |
There is no time to "relax," Sinners. I saw the Distortion. |
| Rodion |
Eh? You mean the thing we're supposed to solve? …Then why did we run? |
| Vergilius |
Let me finish. I saw an extension of the Distortion… Not where the Distortion's coming from. |
| Vergilius |
But I at least know a name. Room 101. |
| Yi Sang |
…What a peculiar name. |
| Vergilius |
It takes over bodies uncontrollably. I say bodies in plural because Charon doesn't sound like the first nor the last victim. |
| Ishmael |
So we're dealing with some sort of parasite. |
| Vergilius |
It would seem that way. But it's one that doesn't want to infect people. It just does. |
| Vergilius |
Given how sporadically it had taken Charon without me even noticing, I doubt we'll have any time to rest. |
| Heathcliff |
Aye, however the hell it works, I don't think it's gonna affect us Sinners, yeah? |
| Heathcliff |
Dante could probably just rewind us to normal, if we're even susceptible to that bollocks in the first place. |
| Vergilius |
It is quite bold of you to assume that you are immortal within this environment. |
| Heathcliff |
We're basically close to it, ain't we? |
| Heathcliff |
If they can turn back me and Don here exploding, Clockhead's gotta be our cheat code for this too! Ain't that right, lass? |
|
Heathcliff quickly turns to look over at Don Quixote. |
|
Don Quixote stares back, with her radiant… blue… eyes. The same ones Charon had. |
|
The excited smile Heathcliff has gets punched out of him immediately upon looking at her. |
|
She's back to standing, yet her expression seems lost. Almost as if she's gone lucid. |
Don Quixote (Room 101) |
…I saw all of that. |
| Heathcliff |
…Dante. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
… |
| Heathcliff |
Dante, turn her back. |
| Heathcliff |
Turn her back, Dante! What are you waiting for?! |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
…You can 'rewind' physical damage. But you can't 'rewind' the brain's control being given to another person. |
| Heathcliff |
Bullshit they can't! Dante! |
| Dante |
<R-Right!> |
|
I go to try and reverse what presumably just happened to Don Quixote, but Faust gets in front of me to catch my attention. |
| Faust |
Unwise. Remember what we are dealing with. |
| Heathcliff |
Faust?! The fuck is "unwise" about getting our friend back from this asshole? |
| Ishmael |
The part where he mentioned that we are dealing with an uncontrollable parasite, Heathcliff. |
| Vergilius |
The moment the manager tries to "reverse" what happened here, it could grab them too. |
|
Heathcliff, hearing Vergilius out, starts backing down. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
…I've tried to slit my own throat enough times to know it would never work. |
|
But hearing Room 101 speak through Don Quixote makes his anger flare up once more. |
| Heathcliff |
Are we just going to leave her here?! |
| Faust |
We don't have any other solution. If this is similar to what happened to Charon, her condition is only going to worsen. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
Please find where my main body is located. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
If you can end my life, maybe… maybe everybody will be freed. Though I can't promise they'll be in the same condition. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
Every infection just adds to another brain I have to control. I must handle every single person infected. All of the hundreds of thousands of them.
|
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
Don't try to spare my life when ending it is the greatest mercy you can give me. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
The way the infection works… I can't control it. I don't know how, why, or where it spreads. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
I can only control the minds of those it has infected, not when it chooses to infect them. I can't decide if your presence overrides my control with the body's self-preservation instinct. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
I cannot give back the minds I have stolen myself, either. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
Believe me, I want to be freed. Wasting your time here just prolongs everyone's suffering. |
| Don Quixote (Room 101) |
Go along, now. |
|
Don Quixote begins to walk away. At the same time, much like with Charon, light blue eyes start to grow. |
|
On the back of her head, a pair of light blue eyes stare at Heathcliff. |
|
Heathcliff looks back at them in anger and sorrow. |
| Heathcliff |
That bastard… |
| Heathcliff |
Screw it. If an end to their miserable soddin' life is what that Distortion wants, that's what we're gonna give 'em! |
| Heathcliff |
And I'll start by getting 'em outta the lass by force. |
|
Heathcliff goes to follow Don Quixote in anger, his bat clutched in rage we haven't seen since we were in Wuthering Heights, but Rodion and Outis hold him back. |
| Outis |
At ease, soldier. …She's lost. Gone AWOL. |
| Outis |
We have no idea how this parasitic enemy even works. If we come close to her at this rate, we might be lost, too. To follow her is sabotage. |
| Outis |
We have to continue our odyssey now. |
| Rodion |
Eh, uh… pretend I'm saying what she's sayin', but a little softer, Heath~ |
| Dante |
<Not even gonna attempt to try to say something comforting?> |
| Rodion |
I-It's hard to in the moment when, to be honest, I'm freaking out, Dante. |
| Rodion |
…I was playing Poker with her yesterday. |
| Rodion |
And now, she's just… |
|
While the rest of us look on, anxious as ever about the future, Hong Lu maintains a look of… interest. |
| Hong Lu |
How unfortunate. The possibility of being forced to surrender your free will... |
| Hong Lu |
That is a feeling I did not expect to have to confront again so soon. |
| Hong Lu |
And randomly, too. Room 101's made for quite the intriguing Distortion so far, no? |
| Vergilius |
… |
| Vergilius |
Mindless chatter gets us nowhere. |
|
Vergilius seemingly wants to say something else after that but decides to turn around instead, wordlessly restarting the search for O'Brien. |
|
With no other choices in store now that we know the full extent of the danger, the remaining Sinners and I follow him into the unknown. |
|
Don Quixote… Charon… We'll find a way to get you two back to normal. We have to. |
