Tallinn

Quiet Presence

???: Can you hear me?

M4A1: ...Who is that?

[M4A1 fumbles through the impenetrable darkness, following the sound of the voice.]

???: … You came.
I knew it.

M4A1: Who are you? Are you talking to me?

[M4 stumbles forward, following the voice, and discovers a faint light coming from a point not too far away. It seems to be some kind of cave exit.]

M4A1: Ugh...

[M4 leaves the darkness and arrives in a field of pure white flowers. The wave of scent that washes over her stings the nose a little.]
[The intense brightness of suddenly arriving in the outside world is a little too much for M4, and she covers her eyes.]
[In her blurred vision, or at least what the gaps between her fingers allow, she sees someone standing in the middle of the field of flowers.]

M4A1: You are...

???: Father told us that we were connected.
But it was only now that I realized that he wasn’t referring to me and her, but to everyone.

M4A1: What are you saying?

???: If you can speak to me now, that means you’re my friend...
Come, come to where we are with the will you carry with you.

M4A1: The will… that I carry with you?

???: We all spring from the same source… She and I, you and it, we are all the same.
Therefore, we ought to return to the same place, shouldn’t we?

Familiar Voice: M...
M… 4...

Familiar Voice: ...M4A1!

AR15: Oi. M4? Me!?

M4A1: Ah… what’s going on, AR15?

AR15: I should be saying that, don’t you think?
Did something happen to your digimind again? You’ve been spacing out more and more frequently.

M4A1: I’m fine, there’s no need to worry.

AR15: I hope so. We just managed to get things back on track; it would be terribly ironic if something went wrong with you again.

M4A1: Mm, sorry to make you worry.

AR15: I told you, don’t make contact with it too often.

M4A1: No… what happened just now wasn’t because of that.

AR15: Honestly… forget it.
What’s our position?

M4A1: Our coordinates are LD-342-518-90, on the outskirts of Tallinn.

AR15: We’ve sure walked a long way, and we haven’t found any threats in this region.
Let’s go back. RO’s calling us.

AR15: RO635 and SOP2 have finished searching their sectors. We need to keep pace with them. Don’t keep them waiting.

M4A1: Alright, let’s go.

???: Lunixya...
Lunixya...

M4A1: … What do you want?
I told you that I don’t want to hear your voice under normal circumstances.

Clear Voice: I just want to inform you that I sense a presence nearby that resonates with me.

M4A1: And why are you going out of your way to tell me this?

Clear Voice: Because it feels very strange.
I’ve never felt something like this before, and that typically implies… danger.

M4A1: Is that so...
Since you’re saying you’ve never felt this before, then… it probably isn’t a Nyto or 16-nee, right?

Clear Voice: It’s not quite the same. I can’t be sure. All I can say is that it’s a signal that’s similar to you and I.

M4A1: Just now, someone forced a connection to me. It seems someone is trying to tell me something.

Clear Voice: I saw it too. Do you need me to backtrace it?

M4A1: You don’t need to do anything. I’ll decide what should be done.

Clear Voice: You’ve grown stronger.

M4A1: Because I had to.

[At the same time, somewhere else outside Tallinn.]

M4 SOPMOD II: RO, I’m boooooored~

RO635: Calm down, I’ve already sent a transmission to M4 and AR15, telling them to meet us here.
Still, you’ll probably feel bored even if you wait for them to come back. After all, we’re still on a mission.

M4 SOPMOD II: Ehhhh...
It feels like time just flew by after we were reunited. We barely had a chance to talk.

RO635: I understand how you feel, but let’s focus on the mission for now.
We’ve got a lot of time ahead of us, so there’ll be time enough for us to talk  — provided what happened before doesn’t happen again.

M4 SOPMOD II: Hmph! I’ll never let that happen!

RO635: Same here. None of us want to be separated again. So be careful and keep an eye on your surroundings.

RO635: Speaking of which, the Griffin Dolls which went in before us haven’t showed up yet… did they run into trouble?

M4 SOPMOD II: Huh? Wait a minute, do you feel it, RO?

M4 SOPMOD II: It feels like something’s watching us...

RO635: Don’t say weird things like that, it sounds spooky.

M4 SOPMOD II: It’s true! And it’s close by!
Bearing 260, 25 meters away, behind the vegetation!

RO635: ...Alright.

RO635: Is that you, SSG3000? You can come up now.

???: Ah, I didn’t expect you to find me so soon. Members of the AR Team really are something else.

[The Doll hidden in the distance disables the thermoptic camouflage of her camouflage cape and approaches them in greeting.]

SSG3000: Could you not point your gun at me? I’m SSG3000, a Doll from Griffin Recon Group A. Pleased to meet you.

M4 SOPMOD II: Haha, I told you there was someone there! See, RO? I was right?

RO635: You… why were you hiding there and spying on us without saying a thing?

SSG3000: It’s ah… how do I begin… just take it as a sort of workaholism.
You Dolls are a hot topic among our echelons.
Being able to observe members of the legendary AR Team though my scope is a rare opportunity.

M4 SOPMOD II: Huh? Do people really care so much about us? I thought hardly anyone would know us since we always carry out ops on our own!

RO635: That’s enough, SOP2. No need to mention things that aren’t relevant to the mission.适
So you’re a member of the forward recon team that entered Tallinn, but you’re here now… did you get separated from your teammates?

SSG3000: Yes. My friends and I proceeded to Tallinn immediately upon receiving our orders. But there was some kind of strange interference here… we lost contact shortly afterwards.

AR15: Looks like our new friends have arrived.

[RO635 looks up and sees the forms of M4 and AR15 on a peak in the distance.]

SSG3000: Are they other members of the AR Team? If so, how about waiting for them to come over so I can brief you all at once? That way I won’t have to tell the same story twice.

[...]

SSG3000: ...And that’s what happened.

M4A1: So you didn’t find any trace of Paradeus nearby?

SSG3000: Yes. Before I got separated from my other teammates, the only things we encountered were a few ELID infectees or contaminated creatures, and some unmanned defensive devices that haven’t been repaired in a long time.

RO635: M4, did you guys find anything?

M4A1: That’s the strangest thing… we didn’t find traces of anything suspicious either.

AR15: Perhaps we’re a step ahead of those white bastards for once.

M4A1: Tallinn is the hub on the intercontinental railway that’s closest to Paldiski Submarine Base, which once housed a Pike Node. There’s no way the enemy would just let us pass without incident.
Even if Paradeus did, SF and the military wouldn’t.

M4 SOPMOD II: We won’t get anywhere just sitting around and playing guessing games, right, M4?
If we want to learn the answer, then all we can do is continue pushing into Tallinn. The truth will be revealed eventually!

RO635: SOP2’s right. Nothing will come of waiting here.
The Commander’s intercontinental railway car will have to pass through Tallinn City Station in order to go past Tallinn… and the city will be a perfect ambush site.

AR15: So no matter what, it seems we can’t avoid venturing deeper into Tallinn City.

M4A1: It doesn’t matter. I didn’t come here expecting an uneventful train ride.

[M4 looks at all the gathered Griffin Dolls, and takes a deep breath.]

M4A1: (This time, I won’t let anyone get hurt or separated.)
(I need to become stronger… I’m different from how I was back then… I can do it.)

AR15: ...M4? Is there something you’d like to tell us?

M4A1: Although there’s a lot I’d like to say, I should probably make it quick.
Although we’re all gathered here now, that hasn’t improved things much.
The sooner we realize that, the better we’ll be able to prepare to face the situation.
But no matter what we face next, there’s nothing for us to fear.
I can’t promise anything more than this, but I hope for this — that this time, I’ll be able to bring everyone home together.

SSG3000: That speech didn’t sound terribly encouraging… wow.

[Looking back, SSG3000 realizes that the Dolls around her have complicated expressions on their faces.]

AR15: The AR Team doesn’t need any special encouragement to perfectly complete their missions.

RO635: For us, “bringing everyone home” is the best motivation.

M4 SOPMOD II: We’ll overcome any difficulties for the sake of that goal!
Of course, we’ll ensure your safety too!

SSG3000: People all say special ops Dolls are all arrogant and smug.
But maybe that’s not the case, hm? Sounds like everyone in your team has a story to tell.

M4A1: Yes, a very long story. Would you like to hear it once we complete the mission?

SSG3000: My team leader once said that in movies, movie characters who make promises almost always end up dying… just kidding.
Speaking of which, I’ve gotten separated from my team, but if they didn’t run into any enemies, they’d have gone further into the city to scout. How about that?

M4A1: I’ve already pinpointed their positions. Go meet up with your team and carry on with your previous mission.

SSG3000: Thank you. I’ll make a move first, then.

[M4A1 turns around and faces the other members of her team.]

M4A1: The Commander’s already confirmed that our mission is now to scout out the Tallinn CIty station. Let’s move out.

[M4 looks toward their objective, where a few sets of railway tracks extend in a straight line across the sprawling plains, connecting to the distant horizon.]
[The blinding sunshine blends with the scenery on the horizon, making Tallinn City’s skyline appear like a mirage.]

M4A1: (So there’s a signal which can resonate with OGAS… once we get there, we’ll find out exactly what it is.)

Two Jobs

[On the outskirts of Tallinn City, on the roof of an abandoned building.]

???: 45-nee, they’re on the move.

UMP45: It’s about time. They’ve been twiddling their thumbs outside the city for so long.

???: Aren’t we going to catch up with them right away?

UMP45: There’s no need for that. The mission we were given was “provide electronic support for Griffin”, not running into a trap.
Besides...

[UMP45 looks back, at the members of 404 Squad.]

UMP45: How does your somewhat-brand new body feel? GOtten used to them yet?

UMP9: It feels pretty good, but I’d prefer a cool arm like yours, 45-nee!

UMP45: Alright. If you want it, then I’ll rip one of your arms off and give you mine.

UMP9: Ahaha, that’s a little...

UMP45: Now, if you said you wanted an arm that could do a rocket punch, I could consider that.

HK416: To tell you the truth, I don’t feel any different from before I was upgraded.

UMP45: That proves your digimind is so old that it can’t keep up with the new models. Go get it formatted and put a new one in.

HK416: If my digimind is old, then yours is only fit for being put into a microwave.

G11: That sounds nice, I’d like to try a new body myself...
If you could add a pair of noise-cancelling earphones, a massage belt and a heated vest, I’d be able to sleep... I mean fight better.

UMP45: I’m sorry, but 404 Squad doesn’t have enough spare budget to spare for a lazybones who always slacks off and who is eminently disposable.

G11: No way… I follow you on every job, don’t I? I might not work but I suffer too, right?

UMP9: Sleeping during missions is a form of AWOL, you know? After we deduct double your pay for it, things aren’t quite as simple as that♪
Who knows, you might end up owing us money instead~

UMP45: Oh, I like it. That’s 9 for you.
While that evil idea was yours, I’ll be claiming it as mine from now on.

UMP9: Happy to help, 45-nee~

G11: Are the two of you devils...

HK416: ...So we’re paid on an hourly basis when we’re on missions? Then could I get my overtime wages in one lump sum?

UMP45: Right, enough chatter.
Dier soaked us for a ton this time round, not just for your modifications, but also the bill for my maintenance last time.
To be frank, the pay for this job is really stingy. It wouldn’t be enough to pay for your upgrades even if we got the full amount.

HK416: But you still took it anyway. Is it because you don’t want to owe the Commander a favor? Or do you have a personal aim?

UMP45: Hmph, since Griffin’s aim and mine coincide, and they’re willing to pay, that would make them the ideal clients.
Besides, we’ve lost contact with Ange and Persica contacted me in person. Something’s not right here.

HK416: If it was as simple as protecting the AR Team as Persica said, then you wouldn’t need to spend so much to upgrade me. My original performance would have been enough to handle it.

UMP45: Do you really think so? You’re as retarded as ever, you moron.
I’m starting to feel that upgrading upu was a pointless investment.

HK416: ...Don’t tell me that we’re not actually here to protect them?

UMP45: We might be the most outstanding “foxes” in the business, but it would be ridiculous to hire “foxes” to protect “lions”.
This time, what we’re REALLY going to do is “Monitor the AR Team’s movements and communications.”

UMP9: Could it be… something like how Ange wanted us to keep an eye on M4’s strange condition last time...

UMP45: Well remembered, 9. Persica noticed something like this too, which was why she came to us.
And while Griffin’s Commander didn’t say as much while handing down this mission, It was obvious enough to me.

UMP9: Still, there doesn’t seem to be anything strange about M4-san in the image that the drone’s showing us, is there?
She talks to her teammates frequently, she has a cheerful look on her face, she moves around actively...

UMP45: You can’t tell anything just by looking at her external appearance. When it comes to M4 as she is now, we need to form a connection to her digimind to see if anything’s up.
After so long, she should be used to… or rather, she should have become better at hiding the existence of “her other self”.

G11: Her other self? Do you mean something like a split personality? Do Dolls get mentally ill too...

UMP9: So you’re saying that M4 is still interacting with the SF Mastermind? Like when we were fighting the military?

UMP45: No. The situation’s a bit more complicated than that.
I can sense two signals that aren’t based on the Zener Protocol; one of them occupies the same location as M4. That would be “the other M4”.
As for the other one...

[UMP45’s gaze drifts off into the distance, at the city of death that is nothing but ruins.]

UMP45: ...There’s another signal coming from the heart of Tallinn City. It keeps trying to force a connection with any port it can find.

UMP9: You mean it can perform hacking from so far away!? But I don’t sense any signals at all!

UMP45: It’s a special kind of signal...

HK416: Looks like Tallinn isn’t just ruins and rubble.

UMP45: Of course. However… erk!

UMP45: (This familiar sensation… the feeling that I’m burning up just from scrolling through the records…)

UMP45: (I hate it, it feels just like that time…)

UMP9: 45-nee? 45-nee? Are you alright?

UMP45: I’m fine. I just accidentally made contact with that signal.

UMP9: Is connecting to that signal dangerous?

UMP45: Since when have we taken missions that weren’t dangerous?
As you can see, I’m going to be spending a great deal of digimind processing power on finding the signal and port monitoring…
...Which is why I upgraded you lot. Not only was it to enhance the capabilities of your existing EW modules, it also included more powerful command processors, enough to temporarily take over from me in a pinch.

HK416: I see. I get it now. We’re going from one millstone around our necks to two. In that case, my original body would have a hard time handling that.

G11: Hmm!?

UMP45: In any case, the enemy we’ll be facing this time round will probably be capable of digimind attacks beyond your wildest imagination.
All of us will need to be mindful of our digimind barriers before we enter Tallinn and prepare our defensive programs.

UMP9: 45-nee, if need be, I can help share the load with you.

UMP45: I’m glad that you had that in mind, 9.
But when the time comes, we’ll need every gun we can get. Don’t forget that.

UMP45: Let’s go. Our objective is Tallinn City. Keep your distance from the AR Team.

UMP45: (The payment isn’t the important thing…)
(Being able to get closer to the truth of that day is enough.)

Chasing The Source

[12 hours ago.]

Kalina: Commander, it’s from IOP...

Commander: It’s him, huh. Put us on an encrypted channel.

Kalina: Alright. Please hold on...

[Beep.]

Havier: Ah, if it isn’t the Commander. It truly has been a while.

Havier: Did you enjoy your little trip to Belgrade?

Option 1
Commander: I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stop disaster from befalling the city in the end.

Havier: No need to be so hard on yourself, Commander. You’ll be seeing more of that in the future… so I hope you’ll be prepared for it.

Commander: … You make it sound so easy.

Havier: We need to take care of our mental health, or else we won’t be able to last long in this crazy world.

Havier: This isn’t going to be settled in one or two days. You’d best be ready for a long haul, Commander.

Option 2
Commander: I wouldn't use the word “enjoy” to describe it.

Havier: Oh, and why not? Most of the residents got into their shelters in time, the breaches in the wall were sealed afterwards, and the cleanup work is beginning.

Havier: The fact that you managed to minimize the damage sustained is itself most outstanding.

Commander: I don’t think you can gloss over the tragedy in Belgrade and the people who died there with mere words. And I can’t use them as a reference on my CV either.

Havier: Good, good. In this day and age, people as sentimental as you are few and far between.

Havier: Perhaps you’ll think I’m ruthless, and in fact, I am. I saw too many of them when I was younger, so I’m numb to things like “tragedies”.

Havier: Ah, on that part, could I ask you to accommodate the thoughtlessness of an old man?

Havier: Anyway, that’s enough small talk. After all, you’re a busy man like me, Commander.

Havier: Hmm… that said, where should I begin? Let’s start with the FSB’s reaction.

Havier: Simply put, they were very happy with your performance. All that was missing was them dancing a jig in front of me.

Commander: Is that so? I thought I’d be put in front of a firing squad because I didn’t prevent the entire city from becoming a contaminated zone.

Havier: If they were really going to hold someone responsible for this, the FSB would have to execute several truckloads of intelligence analysts and agents before getting around to you.

Havier: I’m confident that they’d rather make you a hero than start throwing a tantrum now to assign blame.

Commander: How about the poor Rossatrist ambassador?

Havier: She was just collateral damage in the entire process. Besides, the Chairwoman’s still alive, and while the world’s TVs are playing the terrorists’ actions on repeat, you helped the FSB carry out their mission without a hitch.

Havier: In conclusion, all is developing according to everyone’s expectations.

Commander: The question is whether this “collateral damage” could have been avoided.
If the FSB had been willing to share information with us from the beginning, or if they would have at least heeded the warnings I gave...

Havier: Oh, oh, hold it right there, my dear Commander.

Havier: You aren’t the only one who has misgivings about how the FSB does things. I would be one of those people as well.

Havier: But you’ve already met them, so you should understand that complaining to them is useless, and complaining to me is even more useless.

Havier: What can I do after listening to your complaints, repeat them verbatim to the bureau chief?

Havier: And besides… it’s not like you don’t have plans of your own.

Commander: ...I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Havier: I know what you and Ange are preparing for.

Commander: That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard recently.
I acted according to the intelligence you gave and went to Belgrade, but I didn’t even manage to find hide nor hair or Ange. And now you’re telling me I’ve been in contact with Ange?

Havier: Commander, I might not be anywhere close to you as a Doll commander, but as an intelligence analyst your are far beneath me.

Havier: You avoided mentioning Ange in every single communique you made, but the combat logs indicated that your forces were in perfect coordination with Ange’s Team Defy.

Commander: You’d have to thank the wonderful digiminds that Persica designed for that, wouldn’t you?
The situation was far too chaotic back then, and a lot of battles were left to the discretion of Dolls with command modules. You know that I was pinned down in a church and couldn’t move from there.

Havier: Oh, that reminds me. When those Dolls with command modules returned to Griffin from Defy, did you ask them about Ange’s whereabouts? I remember that the mission I gave you was to find Ange. Don’t tell me you just forgot about that, Commander?

Commander: ...Tch.

Havier: Hahaha, we both have things we want to hide, and naturally the FSB is the same way too.

Havier: Having a secret or two isn’t a bad thing, but if even an amateur like me can guess what you’re up to, then a snake like Zelinsky would have seen through you long ago.

Commander: From the way you say it, I get the feeling that all my explanations would be pointless. But no matter what you conclude, I can’t tell you what I don’t know.

Havier: Very good. Your lips are tightly sealed, particularly regarding Ange’s treason in stealing the Pike Node. I was right to keep my eye on you.

Havier: Still, you don’t have to worry. On the FSB’s side of things, the Chief considers Griffin to be quite loyal, given that you obediently handed over the Pike Node’s core.

Commander: So what does the FSB have in mind for the Pike Node, given that they were willing to pay any price for it?

Havier: They’re asking the same question as you, except in reference to the military instead.

Havier: After analyzing the Pike Node core you brought back, the FSB has a rough grasp on what the military is thinking… they’re going to send their people to various storage bases, which ought to stop the military conspiracy.

Commander: That’s it? Just like that?

Havier: Just like that. What comes next will have nothing to do with Griffin...

Havier: At least, that’s how the FSB planned it.

Commander: I’m guessing you’re going to say “but” after this.

Havier: Haha, that’s right, that’s right. But! Our mission isn’t over yet. After this, you’ll be heading to Paldiski Submarine Base in Estonia.

Havier: My intelligence tells me that there’s been many signs of Paradeus movement near the base, and military units are rushing there too.

Commander: Didn’t you just say that the FSB was going to stop the military from seizing the Pike Nodes?

Havier: Yes, you heard correctly.

Commander: Then why does Griffin still need to carry out this operation, and halfway across the continent at that...

Havier: Because there is no Pike Node in that base.

Commander: What...

Havier: Hm, I have a question. Have you heard of someone called Lycoris?

Commander: That chief engineer of SF? I saw his name in the data I got from Persica.

Havier: Yes, that’s him. Lycoris designed the SF Mastermind… AKA “Elisa”. You should know that much.

Havier: However, what I want to say is that the data which Lycoris used when making Elisa was reverse-computed from Pike Node A-51-241 that was stored in Paldiski Submarine Base.

Commander: So that Alisa...

Havier: Of course, he didn’t just copy it. Lyco put a lot of his own quirks into it, and it’s so complex that I was shocked.

Havier: However, the basic framework code wasn’t completely altered. Simply put, you can think of that Pike Node as “a blueprint for Elisa”.

Havier: The FSB believes that this is just one Pike node among many, just like how I believed that the Butterfly Incident was just an accident at first.

Havier: But after so much has happened, I’m starting to think that SF, the military, Paradeus… their relationship isn’t a case of parallel lines that accidentally intersected one day.

Havier: And this place, Paldiski Base, is the beginning of everything.

Havier: I hope that you will take control of this base before the evidence is destroyed. Also, I hope you’ll help that friend of yours that you refuse to acknowledge.

Commander: Havier… you...

Havier: I know that this isn’t a simple job. Paldiski and the nearby Tallinn have been dead zones for a long time. Asking you to enter a Red Zone is in itself an extremely risky thing.

Havier: Also… Commander, we’re getting closer and closer to the truth behind the Butterfly Incident, which means we’re also getting closer to the fire.

Havier: You’ve been very lucky until now, which is an important reason why I’m willing to bet so much on you, but you can’t expect Lady Luck to smile on you all the time.

Commander: Thank you for your concern, Havier-san. I know my own...

Havier: No, you do not.

Havier: You wouldn’t be able to get as far as you have if you weren’t a busybody who was willing to put his life on the line for others, Commander.

Havier: That girl — by which I mean Persica — will soon known that you’re headed to Paldiski, and she’s going to make all kinds of unreasonable requests of you.

Havier: You need to learn to say “no”, or else you’ll use up all your luck some day.

Commander: ...And if I say “no”?

Havier: Hah, you learn fast, Commander. But that’s why I’m just asking, not demanding.

Havier: Take care. I hope that you’ll still be as lively the next time I see you.

[The transmission ends.]

[12 hours later]

Kalina: Hello~ Commander, are you up yet…?

Commander: Come on in.

Kalina: Are you still thinking of your conversation with Havier-san from yesterday?

Commander: Whew… I thought I was fully prepared, but I’m nothing compared to him/

Kalina: … Well, he’s quite the talkative old man. Surely there was something you could have learned from him, right?

Commander: He said a lot, but all he said were things that he wanted us to know, and he was always thinking several moves ahead.
I guess we should be glad that he’s on Griffin’s side... for now, at least.

Kalina: You don’t need to think so much about the future, Commander, because you’ve got enough headaches waiting for you in the present.
The intercontinental train will be arriving at the outskirts of Tallinn in another 10 minutes, and the scouting team from earlier has already sent back a recon report.
As you predicted earlier, Tallinn -- being the sole hub city that allows access to Paldiski Base -- has long since been locked down after being destroyed by contamination.
The AR Team went ahead of us as pathfinders and they gave us the same answer — our train won’t be able to proceed any further if we don’t disable the lockdown on the Paldiski exclusion wall. We’re waiting for you to give the orders for the next step.

Commander: That soon? I thought I’d be able to sleep a little longer...

Kalina: Putting Griffin’s command center onto an intercontinental railway train wasn’t just so you could enjoy a luxurious train ride, Commander.
All the Doll echelons are ready; once we stop, you have but to give the word and they’ll move out.

Commander: Looks like the schedule of this little excursion is going to be a lot tighter than in Belgrade.

Reunion With An Old Friend

[At the outskirts of Tallinn.]

UMP45: Commander, just two hours ago, an unknown signal from inside Tallinn was trying to connect to M4 over and over again, but we didn’t discover any other abnormalities aside from that.

UMP45: The other Griffin Dolls weren’t subjected to electronic attack. We’ll continue providing defensive support.

UMP45: That’s the end of the scheduled report. We’re going to enter Tallinn to keep pace with them.

Commander: Is that so… understood. Stay in touch.

Commander: Hm?

Kalina: Commander, do you have a moment?

Commander: I’m fine on my end. Is it from the pioneer team? They have the highest priority. If you get anything from them, just patch it over to me without waiting for my approval.

Kalina: No, it’s from 16Lab… from Persica-san.

Commander: (She’s come at last… just like Havier foretold.)
…Put her through.

[Beep.]

Persica: Ah… Commander… Long time no see.

Persica: Ah… erm… I’ve got a lot I want to say, but at this point...

Commander: I haven’t heard from you in several months. I’m glad you called.

Persica: ...Good heavens, has it only been several months? It hasn’t even been a year, but it feels like so long has passed.

Commander: Yes, I believe the past few months have been a very… trying time for all of us.

Persica: Commander, the truth is that I called you because of...

Commander: Because of M4, is that right?

Persica: Ah...

Commander: From what I remember of you, you wouldn’t go out of your way to contact me for any other reason, so that was easy enough to guess.

Persica: ...Then I’ll get straight to the point.

Persica: All this time, I’ve been looking in to the truth behind the Butterfly Incident. And the place you’re visiting this time round is intimately linked to both Lyco and the Incident itself.

Persica: However, I was placed under surveillance shortly after that heavily classified military operation, and I lost contact with my girls from the AR Team some time back...

Commander: A lot happened after that operation.

Persica: (smiles bitterly) I saw the reports on Belgrade. It looks like we’re pretty far behind.

Persica: How about the AR Team?

Commander: They’re already on a mission.
I’m about to contact the pioneer echelon where M4 is and see how the progress of scouting Tallinn is going. Do you want me to put you through to her?

Persica: Wait! Don’t...

Commander: Frankly speaking, I’m having a hard time dealing with that girl. It feels like she’s been avoiding me all this time.
I thought that since we’ve got a bit of a lull before the fighting starts, having someone familiar  to reminisce with would help settle M4 down a little.

Persica: I think I’ll pass on that...

Commander: So, Persica-san. You want to help M4, but you don’t want to face her. Why is that?

Persica: ...It’s very hard for me to answer that question.

Commander: If you want to give us a job, or if you want us to help with something, I’d like to know the reason “why”.

Persica: Civilian PMCs should be like mercenaries… can’t you just take my money and do the job? I’ll make sure you’re well paid.

Commander: Perhaps the old me would have agreed with that point of view.
But right now, I have to consider the safety of all the human and Doll employees of Griffin. Just as you want to protect your beloved creations, I too want to protect my valuable subordinates.
Do you think money can buy trust between us, Persica?

[This question leaves Persica silent for a very long time.]
[After a good long while, Persica slowly hangs her head.]

Persica: ...That girl… M4… I owe her too much.

Persica: M4 means a lot to me, and I want to protect her to the best of my ability. That’s why the AR Team exists...

Persica: In order to finish the perfect creation in my heart, I placed a burden on her that I shouldn’t have. It was only after she left that I came to my senses and thought, “My God, what have I done?”

Persica: For the sake of satisfying my own selfish desires, I not only hurt her, but caused her precious friends to be taken away from her, over and over again.

Persica: I even set her loose in that cruel and hostile world, and even my best friend was seriously hurt as a result...

Commander: ...Persica-san. Chicks will eventually spread their wings and leave the nest.
M4 is constantly growing. We have both seen her performance. You should believe in your child.

Persica: I… that’s not what I meant. Still, yeah, you have a point.

Commander: I have another question. How did you know I came to Tallinn? If someone’s leaking information on us, I need to find a way to plug the gap.

Persica: For a while now, I’ve been trying to locate you and the members of the AR Team, without any success.

Persica: However, the media coverage of the Belgrade incident showed many signs of Doll activity, and after analysis I was certain that you and the Griffin Dolls were safe and sound.

Persica: Also, Havier’s been following the whole thing very closely, so… I looked into his personal account’s payment history.

Commander: Ah, it looks like there’s no way to stop the leak other than by killing Havier-san. It can’t be helped, I guess.
Now then, my question’s been answered, so let’s get back to the main topic. What kind of services would you like me to provide.

Persica: At first, I was hoping that you’d call back the AR Team and have them return to 16Lab, or put them in a safe place far away from the frontlines.

Persica: But after hearing all that, I feel I might have almost made another mistake...

Commander: The operation’s already begin. Casually changing orders and the echelon sequence will only cause needless confusion.
Even if you had made such a request, I wouldn’t have granted it. Persica-san.
Also… as for M4, I have the feeling that she’s searching for something? I think that even if I had given such an order, she wouldn’t willingly have left just like that.

Persica: I think so too… I’m sorry, I was being too selfish.

Commander: Still, it was within a reasonable extent. ...Kalina, can you grant Persica-san observer permissions for the command system?

Kalina: Huh? Sure, I could do that… but is it really okay to livestream battlefield conditions to an outsider?

Commander: The drones we use as signal relays were developed by Persica herself. She and 16Lab have supported Griffin all this while. She’s not an outsider.
We’ll be facing a lot of unknown threats during this operation, and I’d like to draw on Persica-san’s knowledge to avoid dangers.

Kalina: Alright, I trust in your judgement, Commander.

Kalina: Persica-san -- you’ve been given observer access. You’ll be able to connect to our battlefield observation channel from now on.

Commander: If you see signs of anything suspicious, or notice any lurking threats, do let me know.
However, the final destination rests in my hands. Is that acceptable, Persica-san?

Persica: ...Thank you, Commander. I’ll find a way to pay you back for this once this is over.

Commander: How about a cup of coffee, then?

Persica: Hm?

Commander: You said you’d treat me to a cup of coffee when we first met.

Persica: Ah… honestly, what am I thinking, I completely forgot about it after moving house.

Persica: Oh yes, I should inform you that I take my coffee with a lot of sugar.

Option 1
Commander: I look forward to that.

Persica: So you’re part of the sweet-toothed camp too, Commander? What a marvellous discovery. I’m sure we’ll be able to get along well.

Option 2
Commander: Unfortunately, I take my coffee black.

Persica: As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Still, I wouldn’t mind making an exception for you, Commander.

Persica: It’s a deal ,then. Once the dust settles, I’ll invite you to my lab.

[Tallinn City, on the outskirts of the intercontinental railway station.]
[A gunshot shatters the silence of the ruins. It is soon followed by the sound of an increasingly heavier firefight.]

M4 SOPMOD II: Whew! That was close! Are you alright, RO?

RO635: I’m fine… Dammit, we didn’t run into those Paradeus bastards but there’s automatic gun turrets everywhere.

AR15: Our mission is to clear a safe path for the intercontinental train to the base at Tallinn.
If we let these defensive installations open fire, there’s no way the train will be able to make it safely through the city area… which means we have to eliminate the automatic gun turrets along the railway’s path.

RO635: You say that, but these automatic turrets are even fitted with shield generators. They’re really tough cookies.

RO635: The way we’re being pounded now, we might not even be able to withdraw in one piece, let alone clear them away! We need the support of the heavy weapons teams!

M4 SOPMOD II: The HWTs are still with the Commander. It’ll take a while before they can catch up.
RO, can’t you conduct electronic warfare? Can’t you hack into the OS of those turrets and give us access to them?

RO635: You make it sound so simple… the problem is that old turrets like this switch over to a closed circuit once their autonomous mode is engaged.
In other words, I’d have to get right up to the turrets’ control terminals or connect to their internal nodes before I can connect to them!

M4 SOPMOD II: Eh… is it really so troublesome?

RO635: What do you think? All these ancient last-generation systems are a real pain...

AR15: Actually, I think it’s worth a try. We’ll draw the attention of the gun turrets, then cover RO as she pushes into their blind spot, where she’ll connect to and hack them…
...What do you think? Do you think this plan could work? M4?

M4A1: (Can you hack into them? In that case, I’ll leave it to you.)

M4A1: ...There’s no need for it.

AR15: But that would mean...

M4A1: Everyone, load your mags and prepare to move out. I’ll try to connect to and shut down the defense systems, but I won’t be able to keep it up for too long.
Once that happens, we need to sprint all the way into Tallinn City Station. Got that?

RO635: But how could such a thing be...

AR15: Shhh. RO, believe in M4. Everyone, get ready and wait for the signal.

M4A1: Get ready — 3, 2, 1… now!

[The ear-splitting sound of cannonfire that echoed up and down the streets suddenly falls silent.]
[AR15 chucks a rock outside, and after seeing it roll down the entire length of the street without being attacked, she is the first to stand up.]

AR15: Get moving! Our destination is the train station! Move fast!

[The Griffin Dolls hustle all the way into Tallinn City Station without being attacked or impeded in any way.]

RO635: I don’t believe it… ! All those automatic gun turrets around the station were...

M4 SOPMOD II: They don’t even shoot back if you shoot at them! They’re all disabled!

RO635: How did you hack all those turrets outside at once, M4?

M4A1: … I had a few new modules installed during my earlier digimind upgrade. My EW capabilities in particular have been greatly enhanced.
As the leader of the AR Team, I can’t put my teammates in danger again.

AR15: Well done, M4. Can your digimind take it?

M4A1: Yeah. Thanks for your concern… I’d like to rest for a while and catch my breath, let my head cool off a little.

AR15: Don’t rely too heavily on it.

M4A1: Yeah…

M4 SOPMOD II: What are you guys whispering about?

M4A1: It’s nothing. More importantly, can you give me a hand, RO? I tried hacking the turrets just now, and I detected a network node under the train station with very complex data transmissions. I think it’s the command center of the autonomous defense systems...
If we find that, we’ll be able to connect to the main system architecture of Tallinn’s city defense systems.

RO635: A node, is it… I’ll go find it right away.

M4 SOPMOD II: I’ll help too! I’m the best at finding stuff!

[...]

RO635: Hmm… a node… is there a machine around here that looks like a computer or some kind of terminal...

M4 SOPMOD II: By computer, do you mean something like the one at the service station?

RO635: Ah, the control terminal for the intercontinental railway station… this will do.

M4 SOPMOD II: M4 was totally amazing just now! I didn’t think she could do electronic warfare like that! You should learn from her, RO.

RO635: (whispers) That wasn’t electronic warfare.

M4 SOPMOD II: Huh? What does that mean?

RO635: I could understand if it was something like hacking two or three machines at once and controlling them in real time.

RO635: But the way she controlled dozens of automatic gun turrets at once is just...
And doing it without any physical contact, by directly hacking into internal network systems which don’t even run on the Zener Protocol… that’s even more incredible.

M4 SOPMOD II: ...Do you think M4 was lying to us? But why would she do that?

RO635: Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. All in all, I have the feeling that she’s not too certain herself how she did it… in any case, we can talk about it once the mission is over.
Alright, where’s the switch for this guy… is it over here?

[Kachak… whum whum whumwhumwhum…]
[The lights inside the train station suddenly come on, and the air-conditioning systems that were silent for many years spin to life once more, throwing up a cloud of dust.]
[The once silent basement of the railway station is soon filled with the sound of whirring machinery once more.]

RO635: Huh? Looks like the power supply’s still intact. That’s a big help.
Connecting, searching… intercontinental railway defense systems… alright, got it. M4, do you read me?

M4A1: Reading you loud and clear. The lights are back on in the station’s main hall, was that your doing?

RO635: Yeah, Tallinn’s power supply grid is more than adequate. The facilities are intact enough that… how shall I say this, with so many power generators running normally, it’s hard to believe that this is a contaminated zone that’s been abandoned for decades.
It feels like someone’s been maintaining Tallinn’s infrastructure after the city was abandoned.

M4A1: IS that so… is the exclusion wall’s control center there too?

RO635: No… I haven’t obtained access relevant to the exclusion wall. Surely they wouldn’t put the control systems for the intra-city defense systems with the control systems for the exclusion wall outside the city, right?

M4A1: That’s true… in that case, what about the defense systems along the railway tracks? Can you shut them down?

RO635: I can only control a small portion of the automatic gun turrets from the station control terminal A lot of the defense systems are offline, but they’re still drawing power.
That means they’ve been activated, but cut off from the central command center’s network and are now in autonomous mode.

M4A1: If we can’t turn them off directly… RO, can you help me find the location of the power generators?

RO635: Sure. They’re largely concentrated in several power plants on the outskirts of Tallinn. Why do you ask?

M4A1: I want to cut the external power to those automatic gun turrets.

RO635: But even if you do that, those gun turrets have backup batteries. They won’t go out of commission right away.
Granted, waiting until their batteries run out is the safest course of action, but we don’t know how long we’ll have to wait for that...

M4A1: Once we cut the power, they won’t be able to freely deploy their shields, which are high-drain devices.

M4A1: This way, we’ll be able to easily destroy these weakened automatic gun turrets.

RO635: That works too.
However, it’ll be quite a distance to the power stations, and going by the map, we’ll run into a lot of defensive installations along the way.

M4A1: No need to worry about that. The Commander has reliable backup in store for this.

[On the outskirts of Tallinn.]

UMP45: Oh?
I just received an additional request. The objective is to destroy Tallinn’s power plants. I’ve already uploaded the coordinates to your neural clouds.

G11: What? We just sat down to rest, I thought I’d be able to continue mapping...

HK416: I thought we’d have to sit back and watch them all die.

UMP45: We wouldn’t need to step in if it was a threat they could handle themselves. We’re a safety fuse; we don’t have to burn ourselves out in a hurry.
9, are the explosives ready?

UMP9: No problem. The drone that just took off from the train will airdrop a supply crate with the explosives in it.

UMP45: Perfect. We’ll encounter some resistance from the defensive installations on the way to the power plant, you should all know what to do.
This is a bonus for us, so cheer up, everyone.

Bound Spirit I

[Tallinn City Limits, Power Plant District.]

UMP45: How is it, 9?

UMP9: Heave-ho… alright, I’m coming in.
It went better than expected. There aren’t too many obstacles in the sewers.
Looks like we’ll be able to avoid most of the defensive installations on the way to the power plant.

UMP45: We’d better keep up, then. 416, you and G11 will be the rear guard.

HK416: My gear may be different, but I’m still wiping your ass like before...

UMP45: Just so. I’ll make a move first, then.

HK416: Tch… Oi, wake up!

G11: Huuu… ow, that hurt!
What’s the big idea, hitting me all of a sudden! Isn’t it Sunday today?

HK416: I can’t believe you slept so much you lost track of time… I’ve got no time for your nonsense. Get ready to move out!

[UMP45 follows the passage that UMP9 explored, while HK416 drags G11 behind her along the same path. Together, they slowly approach the power plant.]

UMP9: Are you in position yet?

UMP45: There’s an access port where we can connect to the system just up ahead.再往前一点

[Just then, a burst of unsilenced gunfire comes from the end of the passage.]

UMP9: ...I’ve been spotted, keep away for now! There’s drones watching the exit!…

[Soon, the gunfire grows louder, and it is accompanied by explosions and tremors.]

UMP9: Uwah, this is bad! Automatic gun turrets, drones, security robots… it feels like half of the city’s defense systems are after me, 45-nee!

UMP45: Hang in there and don’t die, give me 30 seconds. Change of plan; 416, G11, pour on suppressive fire to draw the enemy’s attention away from 9 and cover me while I hack the disabled gun turrets!

HK416: Not only are you going to kill 9, but you want G11 to join her in death too? Sounds just like what you’d do!

UMP45: Oh, I’d just love to see you die for me again after you’ve lost your memories of all this from being loaded into a new body -- but if we all die here, nobody’s going to bring you back to life.

HK416: Tch, G11, with me!

UMP9: It’s so touching, that’s more like what a family should be! Uwaaaahh! That was close!

[UMP45 removes a metal hatch cover from the walls of the sewer, revealing a tangled mess of wires. She proceeds to plug one of the wires into a port on her metal arm.]

UMP45: Bingo, I managed to connect… though there’s a lot more than I expected.

HK416: Are you sure you can take care of the turrets? You’d better come clean if you can’t, there’s still time to cancel the plan now.

UMP45: Don’t worry, after taking into consideration how reliable you all are, I took out an insurance policy just in case.

UMP45: I’ve got access, we’ll go up together on three.

UMP9: Whew… all the bullets were stopped by a shield… hm?

[Suddenly, the defensive turrets surrounding the power plant twitch, like they’re shivering.]

UMP9: 45-nee… she actually did it!

HK416: Now, while the turret shields are down! Open fire!

[The forcefield which should have deflected their bullets are now inactive, and the drones have stopped evading. The turrets explode one after the other under a hail of gunfire.]

G11: Piece of cake. I love jobs like this.

HK416: Are you alright, UMP9?

UMP9: I’m fine! Looks like it worked; without their shields, these automatic defense systems are as easy to handle as SF mooks.

UMP45: That’s because they were all made by SF in the first place… the drones, the gun turrets, the monitoring devices, and the alarm systems.
Sangvis Manufacturing was making military materiel before WW3 started, long before they began producing Dolls.

UMP9: There you are, 45-nee! Your EW assistance helped a lot just now!

HK416: I’m not too familiar with this EW thing, but...
Even if you had a circuit to access them by, you wouldn’t normally be able to hack ten-odd turrets and drones at once, right?

UMP45: Correct, and I can’t interrupt M4’s monitoring, so it’s a big drain on processor power.
However… these automatic defense systems use high-security closed circuits like the ones M4 and the others ran into, but since the power and data lines are all grouped together, it helped me out a lot.
Though it was only for one or two seconds, I could take them offline. And during that short time, you destroyed them all — it was you guys which made such an efficient plan work.

UMP9: So that means our fighting power really did go up, right?

UMP45: Yup. THat money wasn’t spent for nothing.

G11: Since you’re all so reliable, does that mean I can knock off early?

HK416: Nope. Since we’ve taken the pay, we can’t slack off.

G11: Ehhh… but why...

UMP45: Right, let’s get to it. I’m distributing the explosives; 9 and I will blow the power plant while 416 and G11 keep our sewer escape route clear.

UMP45: 3, 2, 1…

[Beep. An ear-shattering explosion echoes to the sky.]
[The support columns of the power plant are destroyed by the skilfully-placed explosives, and after the roof collapses, the transformers and the natural gas tanks inside are crushed beneath it and explode one after the other.]
[An actinic blue light illuminates the dim skies, and the blinding light show persists for several seconds as the flying debris falls to the ground.]
[This is when HK416 sticks her head out of the manhole to assess the effectiveness of their operation.]

HK416: … Looks like this power plant’s been completely destroyed.
This should disable at least half of the defensive systems.

UMP9: 45-nee! Are you alright?

UMP45: Ugh…

[UMP45 rubs her forehead and leans unsteadily against the wall. Seeing this, UMP9 hurriedly runs over to prop her up.]

HK416: Is something wrong with 45?

G11: I don’t know… her legs suddenly went limp after the explosion...

UMP45: I’m fine… just now was just… a huge mass of signals suddenly appeared, trying to connect to me...

UMP9: If you need to conduct EW ops I can help too, 45-nee.

UMP45: It’s not like that, just now...
There were dozens, maybe even hundreds of signals trying to connect at once.

UMP45: Once the power plant went up, it was as though the city had come back to life instead, like something was resurrected…

M4A1: This is M4, all members of the AR Team, do you read me? Do you read me!?

AR15: I read… zzzzZZzzz… you!

AR15: The interference suddenly became stronger… to high ground… zzzzz… might be able to--

M4A1: What on earth happened...

Clear Voice: My previous judgement was in error. They are coming, and there is far more than just one signal.

M4A1: I know, the ringing in my ears… nom the strange sound from inside my digimind… it’s getting louder and louder….
In any case, let’s get to high ground, where reception is better, and then try to make contact with the others again.

Clear Voice: Be careful.

M4A1: Yeah… I will.
AR15! SOP2! RO635, do you read me?
I’m encountering severe comms interference. It might be a brief phenomenon caused by the EM pulse from blowing up the generator… everyone, let’s meet up at the train station entrance!

[After climbing to the roof of Tallinn City Station, M4 tries her best to re-establish contact with the other members of her team.]

[At the same time, on the other side of the city…]

???: Has it come?

???: Have the shackles been broken?

???: Has it come?
Has our Messiah come?

[Murky figures emerged from the wreckage, one after the other.]
[They chatter among themselves, looking forward to what will happen.]
{A lone girl looks to the roof of the train station, her eyes fixed on the form of M4A1.]

???: Is it a new body?
No… it is destruction, it is oblivion.
No… that’s not all; could it be a chosen one?
Can I leave this place? Can she save me?

Confidential Information I

Kalina: Commander, could you come over here for a bit? We just received an anonymous email.

Commander: What’s this?

Kalina: WAVE just sent some intelligence over. Looks like an audio recording this time.

Commander: This WAVE, are they really that reliable?

Kalina: Hm, they are quite a mysterious company. So far, they’ve done nothing but provide information, yet they’ve never collected a fee. Our only contact with them is through email, and the sender is always gibberish, so there’s no way to track them.
That said, all the information WAVE has provided us to date has been accurate. While I’m not sure why they’re helping us, they’re probably on our side.

Commander: I hope this isn’t a new trap… go ahead and play the recording.

Kalina: Okay!

[The recording begins to play.]
[Random noise, the sound of someone walking, and a button being pressed.]

“Congratulations, esteemed Comrade Bureau Chief. Your performance in Belgrade was first-rate.”
“You old fox, what rumors have you been listening to now?”
“Of course not, not at all. Your only traces were left on the bodies of the slain. Now both the Pan-European people and their governments are inclined to think that our government has shown their utmost sincerity and abilities.”
“We’re determined to protect the adversary of our opposite number even if it means sacrificing one of our senior officials… how touching. It’s so perfect that I’m inclined to think that someone schemed for it to be that way.”
“Hmph, it’s true that there was a big cockup in the plan. “Signal Flag” was this close to entering the city.”
“It’s a bit of a shame, but we didn’t really need to keep that city under control and we’d already obtained the Pike Node. Fortunately, the risks that K took meant that FSB units didn’t show up, which instead helped in keeping our hands clean.” Were you thinking about something along those lines?”
“You really are full of bullshit, Havier.”
“Sorry, sorry, then I’ll tell you something you’ll want to know.”
“You need to thank that Griffin Commander for this. The Pan-European Internal Committee is showering us with praise for protecting Acting Chairwoman Ulrich even under such extreme circumstances. She’s already won over Milošević and the other representatives of the South European nations, which is great good news.”
“Of course, that little lady has a talent for foreign relations. Still, while she’s secured a lot of favorable terms for the Pan-Europeans, the construction of the two intercontinental railway lines is proceeding on terms acceptable to us.”
“Hmph, there’s no way they can refuse. These two railway lines will benefit the Pan-Europeans more than us. That bastard, on the other hand, refused to show his face once he heard the rumors; he sent out that newly-appointed German girl to be his scapegoat.”
“He was thinking that if Ulrich had died back then, the Pan-Europeans would be able to name their price. Absolutely disgusting. Forget it. Tell your middleman that the Central People’s Committee is very happy with the outcome of the situation.”
“I’m betting it’s not just this situation, but the people in the first three rows are even happier with how you crushed the Moscow radicals and the military’s operation, Comrade Bureau Chief.”
“I told you before, you’re full of it. I’m ending the call.”


Confidential Information II

[……]
[The recording begins to play.]
[There are sounds of a noisy discussion.]
[The phone suddenly rings, and the room immediately falls silent.]
[It rings for a long time, and after someone coughs, the phone is picked up.]

“Who is this?”
“What’s this, so unwilling to take my calls?”
“If it displeases you so much, I can write you a letter next time. After all, Lubyanka Square’s mailbox is much easier to find than a pipeline into its internal systems.”
“Can you save your bullshit for after we drag you into an interrogation room?”
“Are you mad? I don’t understand; as the winner of the previous round, why aren’t you happier?”
“I’d be much happier if I knew who you were and where you were calling from.”
“You used me to open a base that was sealed forever by the Relic Treaty, completely eliminated any link between the Pike Node and the FSB, and now that I’m no use to you any more, you want to silence me? That sounds terribly unkind to me, Mr. Bureau Chief.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Yes yes, I’m the only one who needs to understand. You’ve been very unkind, but I don’t mind.”
“You must be pretty mad at how that Carter played you out during the Butterfly Incident, no? I’ve prepared a gift for you, so you can send him on his merry way.”
“What kind of gift?”
“Evidence that Carter and his lot have been engaged in illegal Relic research. I believe that ought to be enough to earn him a secret firing squad?”
“Hmph, and how am I going to receive this gift?”
“Simple. You just have your men bring it back.”

[There is a sudden explosion and the sound of a door being broken down, as well as many footsteps and the sound of metal colliding against metal.]

“Don’t move! Get down, all of you! Clear the room! Move move move!”

[It is followed by the sounds of footsteps and doors being kicked open.]

“Sir, we’ve cleared the area. There’s nobody in the room, just a box.”
“Oho, your people sure do move fast, faster than I expected. They really are professionals.”
“Tch…”
“You don’t think I’d be dumb enough to let myself be caught, do you? Still, I must congratulate the FSB on cracking my scrambling algorithm so quickly.”
“I’ll get you one day.”
“Take some time to study the contents of the box before that. Those coordinates are very precious, and I look forward to seeing who exactly you’ll be sending there, heh heh heh.”

Confidential Information III

[……]
[The recording begins to play.]
[There is a low-pitched electronic noise and the sound of water droplets dripping one after the other.]
[A metal door opens in the distance, followed by another and another, and finally a metal door nearby opens as well.]

“I didn’t expect that we’d have a chance to meet.”
“...What took you so long?”
“I’m not your warden, and neither am I your bail officer. And besides, there’s no way you’d be able to make it out on bail for doing what you did.”
“Tch. Are you here to mock me, or say that you agree with what he did?”
“Leaving aside the matter of whether or not I approve of what he did, could you tell me what made you think of something as stupid as trying to steal the Pike Node?”
“...”
“Not willing to talk? Then let me guess. It’s because of what happened when you were young, which made you hate everything to do with Relics? While it’s kind of old hat, it’s not like I don’t understand childhood traumas.”
“...”
“Still, I think you can guess that “Signal Flag” was always standing by outside Belgrade. Did you think Zelinsky was only relying on you and that contractor?”
“In the end, they were all the same, so I could only do it my way.”
“When did you become so impulsive? I admit that being recognized as a hero is very attractive, but it’s others who judge whether you’re called a hero, not yourself.”
“And of course, it’s not like I don’t understand how you feel, so I’ve come to clean up after you again.”
“Hmph… you just have a goal of your own. Tell me, what’s the situation now.”
“The Bureau Chief has already arranged work for them. I feel that before long, the net will begin to close. Of course, that means the opposition will struggle all the more fiercely, and the conflict might spiral out of control.”
“Which means?”
“Don’t let your past cloud your judgement. Taking and destroying the Pike Nodes will not change the present situation. If you want to do something about it, then you need to thoroughly eradicate the problem.”
“There’s a storage facility for the permanent sealing of Relic devices in Paldiski Submarine Base. The Pike Node that Lyco obtained was shipped out from there. Speaking of which, you do have a lot of history with these Nodes.”
“Hmph, you mean the Node from Operation Butterfly? How much support is that going to give me?”
“I knew you’d be interested. The K that you hate most will be waiting there for you.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“On the contrary, I think you worked quite well with him. He knows the area well, and he’ll be a great help to you.”
“In addition, that Griffin Commander will be supporting you. However, he’s under heavy surveillance by the military, so his ability to act will probably be severely curtailed. Even so, I trust that won’t be much of a problem.”
“Hmph… you should spend more resources on the Commander. You’ll never be able to achieve your aim if you lose Griffin. At the very least, your middleman won’t be too happy.”
“Haha, you’re quite well informed. My  middleman’s already thinking of a way to get poor Kryuger out. After all, losing an important partner doesn’t sit well with our ideals.”
“Perhaps you don’t know, but I’ve provided them with a comfortable base and an intercontinental transport. There aren’t many investors as generous as me in the world.”
“Fine, quit tooting your own horn. Hurry up and get me out of this tiny, crappy cell.”
“Yes, yes, my lady, I’m happy to be of service.”

[……]

Kalina: Hm, these three recordings sound like conversations between different people. Can you tell who they are, Commander?

Commander: In any case, they ought to be important things related to us.
There must be some reason WAVE sent these things to us. I’ll think carefully about them.

Kalina: Indeed… it looks like they’re closely linked to our journey this time round. Then I’ll put these recordings here. If anything new comes in, I’ll let you know.