|
That was honestly less-than-illuminating. Alright let's see what's behind door #4.
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2017 22:46
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 21:34 |
|
|
SSNeoman posted:That was honestly less-than-illuminating. Alright let's see what's behind door #4. Well you can sort of see what happened in parts 1 and 2 - Watase became incredibly aggressive and suspicious during times when he was questioned about it, leading Ukita to believe he was faking it and planning on making Ukita a scapegoat for the deaths and terrorism. I don't quite remember why 3 was relevant. Possibly Ena trying to seduce Ukita to hide something with Watase, and hinting that he actually still had his memories.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2017 23:09
|
|
|
The overall theme was 'they're acting like they're hiding something from me' with the me in that case being Ukita. That's pretty much it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2017 00:19
|
|
Cyouni posted:I don't quite remember why 3 was relevant. Possibly Ena trying to seduce Ukita to hide something with Watase, and hinting that he actually still had his memories. We'll get to it eventually, but the basic gist for the third one is that Ena really tries to seduce Ukita, but the moment Watase enters the room, she immediately backs up and goes "I don't know what happened, I was just looking at computers and Ukita yelled at me", giving Ukita the idea that she's trying to gently caress him, and not in that way. Watase and Ena were the ones that Ukita mistrusted most: Watase for obvious reasons, and Ena because Ukita knows that nobody outside of researchers is allowed inside of LABO, and while Yuuri gets a pass because he figures she's Subject Y-II (and is correct in that), Ena is completely unaccounted for and seems really suspicious. So Subject N further justified his distrust of the two with memory manipulation and he flipped his poo poo.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2017 17:31
|
|
Terabyte Disk: 09/16/2030, 12:15  ...at the memory right before Ukita had been infected with Subject N's malice.  {Be careful, Hikorin. N's just up ahead...} Yeah, I got it. I'll be careful this time to make sure she doesn't corrode me like she did back when I encountered her in Watase's memory.Natsuhiko pulled himself together and looked into Ukita's memories.  (I knew it... this is where Mr. Ukita was infected with malice.)But something felt off. ...It was too quiet.  (Huh!? But weren't the others with him at the time!?)No, that wasn't all that was odd. Natsuhiko had ''looked around'' of his own accord. Which meant-- (This isn't Mr. Ukita's memory! It's just like with Watase--!)A voice then filled the air. ???: It would appear that you have realized that this is no ordinary memory, no?  Natsuhiko gasped and watched in surprise as Subject N's body-- --slowly stood up.  ♪ BGM: Evil and Nightmares ♫  No, that is incorrect. I am not Subject N. On the other hand, nor am I Keiji Ukita proper.She was talking much differently that the ''spirit'' of Subject N that Natsuhiko had encountered in Watase's head. Much like how that spirit's speech and personality had been strongly influenced by Watase, this one had most likely been influenced by Ukita. Natsuhiko talked back to her as he thought that. Then what are you? Malice incarnate? No, to get right to the point-- I am 'BC particles'. What...?Subject N jeered at Natsuhiko. Are you familiar with the 'informational field theory'? Huh? No, I'm not... Hmph, you are a disgrace to your mother. The informational field theory began as a hypothesis proposed by your mother, Dr. Miyoko Tenkawa, 16 years ago. Ah...Now that she mentioned it, he had seen a book about that in the reference room when his mind was linked with Watase's.     It would appear the apple fell far from the tree. You can use your mother's thesis to explain my existence. Just as the introduction said, information is essentially energy.Tips posted:TIP: BC energy And that information energy is spread using BC particles as an intermediary. Even if you are incapable of BC, this process is constantly occurring... Right in the middle of 'something' that everyone possesses. What 'something'...?The girl tapped her head when Natsuhiko asked that. The brain. BC particles cover the whole globe. Naturally, that includes people's brains as well. And the impressions and sensations that result from people's mental activities are constantly converted from the electrical signals in their brains into BC particles and are thus preserved through them. In other words, there are BC particles lying around in Ukita's brain that reflect his mental activities. Subject N then transferred her own thought information into Keiji Ukita's brain. When she did, the BC particles that carried her thought information mixed with the BC particles that were in Keiji Ukita's brain to begin with. Those two groups of BC particles interacted, becoming a new distinct group of BC particles that stayed in his brain. I am those particles. So basically, you were born from the blending of Mr. Ukita and Subject N's spirits? Spirits? Ha! I never imagined Dr. Tenkawa's very son would believe in something so occult! Well, if that's how you want to interpret it, then go ahead. That's not the important matter at hand, anyway. What -is- important is that I most certainly exist here. Exist...? Yeah, you exist, all right.Natsuhiko glared at her and spoke in a clear voice.  No matter how much logic you pile in front of me, I have only one opinion. And that is that I will bring Mr. Ukita back to normal. Those thoughts won't change, whether you're a spirit or BC particles or whatnot. Oh...? Then are you saying you'll erase my existence? You can indeed eradicate me just by wishing for me to vanish. In the end, I'm nothing more than a vague, bodiless entity. So even if you erase me, it will not weigh upon your conscience in the slightest. Is that not what you are thinking? ...Like hell it won't weigh on my conscience. But I have to do it. After all, that's what Mr. Ukita wants as well. Hmm? That's what he wants, you say? Isn't that obvious? At his core, Mr. Ukita is a man of justice, so-- !!She glared at Natsuhiko. Just what is it that you know of the man known as Keiji Ukita? You have only obtained incomplete information regarding him: the surface of his memories and his motive for committing this act of terrorism. That's all. Yet you claim to know what it is he desires? How presumptuous can you be!? ... Do you understand now? In the end, even Senses Sympathy is nothing more than incomplete communication. Humans can never reach a mutual understanding no matter how much they talk, touch, or use BC on each other.Tips posted:TIP: Qualia They just 'try to understand each other' by looking at fragments of information about each other. But by being in Ukita's brain, I have become one with him and seen his entire life from birth to this very moment. I am the only one who can claim to understand him. The only way to truly understand another is to become one with them. That's why I gave Ukita just what he wanted. What he wanted--? Take this, for example.The scene in front of them changed the moment Subject N said that.   ...Go ahead and laugh. I know it's fragile justice. But it's my choice. If killing you means it'll put an end to all of this, then I'll do what I must. (If I don't, Captain Kasasagi will kill both Subject Y-II and Natsuhiko... I'll protect everyone. Then my life will finally have meaning!) Even if it means staining my hands in sin for the first and last time in my life...! Ah... You say that Ukita changed because I'm in his brain? Preposterous. I just gave him a little nudge, that's all. Both Ukita and I wish to punish the wicked and protect the weak. That is why we feel Captain Kasasagi must be punished. You've done nothing more than make a fuss just because the way Ukita was acting earlier was a little different from the 'Ukita' that you know. Now then, let me ask you again. Does Ukita himself truly desire my erasure? ...!Natsuhiko couldn't help but fall silent. She was just as formidable of an enemy as the Subject N in Watase's head, but in a totally different way. Natsuhiko could feel his fighting spirit whittle away even though he hadn't been corroded by malice. (Is... is it really okay to erase her!? Aren't I just butting my nose into Mr. Ukita's business where it isn't needed!?)As he started to think that-- He heard Yuuri's voice.  (!!) {Even if Mr. Ukita's desire is to judge the wicked, he would still never punish Captain Kasasagi. Because that's something the real Mr. Ukita never even considered. He ceased to be himself from the moment his spirit blended with N's. So you have to bring Mr. Ukita back to his true self!} ...! Composure began returning to his confused mind. It was then that he noticed the contradictions in Subject N's reasoning. ...You almost had me, Subject N. Whatever do you mean? Mr. Ukita's true desire wasn't just to 'punish the wicked'. It was also to 'never kill anyone'. There's no way you could have overlooked that, could you?Subject N suddenly laughed at that comment. ...Splendid insight. It would appear that you are not as stupid as I assumed. Of course not. Maybe I can't understand Mr. Ukita in the slightest-- But in spite of that, I looked through his memories that whole time with the intention to understand him. Hmph... though either way, it's still an incomplete understanding.A look of resignation rose to her face. She then sighed and looked at Natsuhiko. But it truly is a shame. Just a bit more and I would have corroded into you. Huh? You didn't notice? I had already begun to worm my way into your mind from the moment I started listening to your opinion. Though I failed thanks to that unexpected fly getting in my way. Just one more step and you and I would have become one. Then you and Ukita could have killed Captain Kasasagi together.Those words sent shivers down Natsuhiko's spine. You... you really are malice incarnate...! You only just realized that? Isn't that why you came to erase me? ...Yes. You're right.Natsuhiko looked back at her and spoke. I'm sorry, but it's about time for you to go now. You're right. I'll stop putting up any fruitless resistance. ...Oh, but could you promise me something before you erase me? What? Ukita is not aware of my existence. So at the very least I'd like for you... to remember that I was here. That I was more than malice incarnate-- that I was a being with a mind. ...! I used my malice to try to grant Ukita's wishes and to worm my way into you. That was all out of my own will. You see what I'm getting at? Even someone who possesses no body nor brain like me does indeed exist. Cogito ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. Then in that case, what is the core, that is, the 'mind', that is aware of those thoughts? Is it the mental activities occurring in the brain? Can a mind only exist in the presence of a brain? ...No. A mind is an accumulation of 'information'. You cannot use the presence or absence of a brain as a basis to determine whether or not something possesses a mind. That applies even if I am nothing more than a gathering of information energy spread by elementary particles. Even if I were digital data recorded into a medium-- I still have a mind. My life lasted for only a few hours, but I most certainly did exist. I can disappear in peace so long as you swear never to forget that. Yeah... I won't forget you, Subject N.She smiled happily when she heard Natsuhiko tell her that. Thank you, Special Observation Target Na2.That was the name of the one Ukita had tried to protect. From the bottom of her heart, the girl understood Ukita's lonely sense of justice. Natsuhiko looked towards her with respect--  
TheMcD fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Apr 19, 2017 |
|
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2017 17:36
|
|
|
Ah. She's potentially got a whole world to put brain ghosts in. Is... is this what Q wanted?
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 02:15
|
|
|
quote:
Oops, I let my guard down and she almost corroded me!
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 02:51
|
|
|
Come on Natsuhiko. I get why you would've been taken by her the fiirst time but this was weeeeeaaaaaak.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 03:58
|
|
|
drat it Natsuhiko you idiot did you learn nothing from last timeSSNeoman posted:Come on Natsuhiko. I get why you would've been taken by her the fiirst time but this was weeeeeaaaaaak. What he said.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 04:04
|
|
|
At some point I should ask: you want the text dumps for the character bios? You learn some interesting things about the characters that way. For example, did you know Ukita's a vegetarian?
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 06:08
|
|
Cyouni posted:At some point I should ask: you want the text dumps for the character bios? You learn some interesting things about the characters that way. Sure, hit us with it.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 17:23
|
|
ENEMY, ENEMY, AND ENEMY: 09/16/2030, 16:31 ---- --  ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ Ukita was still unconscious. Watase looked at Natsuhiko and Yuuri from the side.  ...You guys done? Yeah... How long did we take? Well, only about five minutes, give or take.From an objective perspective, the entire affair only took a small amount of time. Within that time, Natsuhiko and Yuuri had their second encounter with ''Subject N'' and erased her once again.   Ghh...!He held his head and leaned against the wall.  M-my head...! What!? Are you okay, Natsuhiko!? Ugh...!The headache felt like the one he had when he arrived at LABO this morning. But it was subtly different.   And his five senses hazed over as well. Wh-what the hell...!? It's like molten lava's pouring into my head...! Lava in your head...!? I-it can't be... the aftereffects of contact with N...? ...!Natsuhiko gasped at Yuuri's suggestion. --That was very possible, come to think of it.  Coming in contact with her brought the risk of her corroding into you.  Natsuhiko shook off her malice and erased her both times---  In such a short span of time, Natsuhiko had fought twice with an opponent who was trying to corrupt him. Which turned out to be even more of a mental and psychological burden on him than he had expected.  H-Hikorin, are you okay...!? Y-yeah... I'm okay...Natsuhiko forced a smile as he answered. More importantly... Are you okay, Yuuri? I-I think I'm okay. It wasn't as if I was directly connected to Mr. Ukita's mind, after all... N only came in contact with me indirectly through you, so her influence was minimal, I guess. I see... That's good then.It appeared that Natsuhiko served as a sort of padding for her. At any rate, as long as Yuuri was okay, Natsuhiko was fine with that. And with that thought in mind, he shook his head and slapped his cheeks. His senses soon came back to him.  ...Yeah, looks like I can keep going. No problem. No problem...? Are you sure you're okay, Natsuhiko? You're as pale as a ghost, you know? Some of the others have to be infected with malice too. Are you... sure you can keep up with the erasure? Yeah, I can. Keep them coming.Natsuhiko gave a strained display of bravado. At any rate, this was not the time to give up. Because if Natsuhiko couldn't do it, then Yuuri would have to be his replacement. ...More importantly, we need to make sure if Mr. Ukita's malice has disappeared or not. I think we're probably good, but better safe than sorry... ...Yeah, that's true. Guess I'll try to wake him up. Old man! Wake up, old man!After a few slaps on the cheek, Ukita finally groaned.  ...Ugh... ghh... Good. He's awake. Ukita looked around with vacant eyes. Mr. Ukita, are you okay? How do you feel...? I mean, do you feel like malice has disappeared from within your mind or anything? Huh? Natsuhiko and Yuuri are here too? A-and that's Mashiro over there! What in the world...?Ukita's eyes widened. From the looks of it, Subject N's malice had faded from him. Natsuhiko sighed in relief and answered his questions. It's a long story, but----Natsuhiko summarized the situation Ukita had been put into.  And how Natsuhiko and Yuuri were also Senses Sympathy users, and were thus the only ones who could cancel out that malice.  ♪ BGM: Close to the Truth ♫ ...So in other words... my personality was overwritten with BC? I think that's an appropriate way to put it. I-I see... So it's an ability far more powerful than we had imagined.Ukita spoke regretfully and then looked at Watase with a gasp. Then does that mean the same happened to Captain Kasasagi!? Yeah... well, something like that. After Subject N amplified my malice, I shot at the kids. So Natsuhiko erased all of my memories in self-defense. He then finally restored my memories for me just a little bit ago, you see. I see...Ukita muttered that with a complicated look on his face. ...Who else do you suppose is still infected with malice? I'd say the most likely candidates are Jun and Ms. Tachibana. Wait a second, what about Salyu? That girl came at me with an axe, you know? ...Natsuhiko thought for a second.  (The possibility that Salyu's infected with malice isn't completely out of the question...)To be honest, he was frightened by the thought. Salyu already had a dangerous side to her. If she were infected with malice, her actions would become truly unpredictable. In that case, who's the most dangerous of them all...? Huh? Why would Jun be-- To be honest, about two hours ago, I attacked her from behind and stole the bullets from her. Y-you what!? Why would you do such a thing!? Well... I thought I'd need a weapon if I wanted to oppose Captain Kasasagi, and I had the gun, so... It's very possible that she's bearing a grudge against me now. (...!)  By Prof. Tsubakiyama!? --Those words made Natsuhiko uncomfortable. ...Hold on a second, Watase. About that gun Prof. Tsubakiyama had... Was that one of the guns you guys prepared? But the gun Teach had seems to be a different gun. What!? Then where did that gun come from!?There shouldn't have been any guns in LABO other than the three that Watase's comrades had brought in. And yet Ena had a gun, which meant--  (...!)Natsuhiko was aghast.  If she was neither a terrorist nor with LABO, then--  Once Natsuhiko said that, Yuuri's eyes widened as if she had figured something out. M-maybe... Maybe she's actually with 'Security Sector 6'...!Tips posted:TIP: Eclipse Security Sector 6?Yuuri nodded as Natsuhiko and Watase tilted their heads in puzzlement. They're a secret section of the Rokumei City Security Department in charge of cover-ups. As LABO'S pawns, they do a variety of dirty work. They perform cover-ups of LABO-related affairs including Communicator abduction, among other things... Th-that's a thing!? You saw it in my memory too, didn't you? Remember how after the fire nine years ago, those people forced their way into the hospital and tried to take me away to LABO...? That was Security Sector 6.Now that she mentioned it, that name had shown up in Ukita's memory too. Furthermore, Natsuhiko remembered hearing rumors of them back in his childhood.  Those rumors... were true?Now he finally felt that all of the Seven Wonders had a hidden meaning behind them.  Was it a way to disguise the sinister truth as a simple child's gag? Or was it a conspiracy someone had tried to leak to the public? As Natsuhiko pondered that question, Ukita spoke up. Indeed, I've heard of them before... or I guess I should say it's only a matter of course that they exist. Such underhanded forces only come naturally with such a high-interest facility and organization as this one. Normally, you would commission an organization or enterprise to fulfill that role... but in LABO's case, the city itself goes through the lengths to provide such services. This all sounds like a bad joke... Well, it's not just LABO whose ethics are broken. The Rokumei City government's in cahoots with them too, after all.Natsuhiko ground his teeth as he heard that. Up until now, he'd loved the town he was born and raised in. That didn't change even when Ena had told him about the ''truth of the world'' and how Rokumei City was a fortress built to protect Communicators from that world. He had thought that the security department and the surveillance cameras were all to protect the townspeople--  (Both LABO and the city government were working in cahoots to create this abnormal world, weren't they!?)Perhaps his dabbling in Watase's and Ukita's memories had intensified that bitter feeling of his.   Kind of an off-putting place... Hmm, you think so? It almost gives the impression that the whole city is locked down.Her words were on the mark. Ever since he got stuck in LABO, Natsuhiko had wanted to get out... But outside of that birdcage was just a bigger prison. Rokumei City itself.  Is she working to ensure we don't escape? There's no conclusive evidence of that. But if she works for the city government, slipping undercover as a Rokumei Academy teacher should be no problem at all. And then she'd be able to put the students under close surveillance to see if any of the Communicators demonstrate Senses Sympathy-- Indeed, it wouldn't be strange at all if someone were to have that role. But even if she had an undercover role, she still normally worked as a teacher, you know? So why would she come to LABO today? I don't know that much. Perhaps she had a hunch about the terrorist's information, or perhaps it was just a coincidence... In any case, now that she's here, she might be working to help cover everything up.Thinking along those lines, there were several things that came to mind.  And how she recommended they turn themselves in to the security department when the kids were running away from them. (If Prof. Tsubakiyama's with the security department, then that means when she heard about the terrorist plot from us-- she must've gotten on guard and concluded they'd come to LABO.) ...So the point is, we should assume everyone's dangerous, regardless of if they're infected with malice or not. Yeah. But nevertheless, everyone needs to be brought here. In that case, who should we take care of next? Since she had been acting independently this entire time, she most likely had less information to work with than everyone else. She could get dragged into a fight without understanding any of the circumstances and get hurt.  Salyu, huh. I know I've said this before, but that girl hates my guts. I don't think this will end well, but... eh, guess I've got no choice.Watase muttered in disgust. Perhaps because he himself was fully aware of why Salyu would hate him. Okay, then I'll go look for Salyu for now. Mr. Ukita, stay here and protect the kids. What!? M-me, protect them? But... I know, I know. That's why I'm leaving you with this. This is my gun. It's low on bullets, but at least it has a magazine. Use this if absolutely necessary. But don't aim to hit. Use it as a threat only. O-okay.Ukita nervously took the gun. Okay, then I'll be going.As Watase said that and began to leave, Natsuhiko called out to him. Hold up, Watase. Are you sure you'll be fine without a gun? Don't worry. I've got these guns right here.Watase slapped his right bicep and smiled boldly. I... see... but still, be careful out there. ...Yeah.And with that answer, Watase left the shelter.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 20:13
|
|
|
TheMcD posted:
TheMcD posted:Watase filled his right arm with as much strength as he could muster and flung Salyu in the opposite direction of the axe. He found that her body was lighter than he'd imagined--
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 22:13
|
|
|
Well, at least we know he can back up his confidence!
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 22:26
|
|
|
Character Biographies Ukita's Enneagram is erroneously listed as 2 on these, but they still have information missing from the Steam trading cards.         
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 22:31
|
|
|
TheMcD posted:Well, at least we know he can back up his confidence! Also nice rugged chin there old Watase.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 22:44
|
|
|
I love that everyone's trying to do a badass pose except Mashiro and Jun 
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 22:48
|
|
|
There's some interesting bits and pieces in those biographies that make a lot more sense with us now knowing more about the characters. The one that stands out to me is Watase disliking hospitals. Yeah, I guess that would be the case. Ouch. Also, take note of Ena disliking "the naively honest". So what would that say about herself?
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 22:48
|
|
|
TheMcD posted:Also, take note of Ena disliking "the naively honest". So what would that say about herself? She specifically talked about that with Watase, iirc.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2017 23:20
|
|
|
Well, that makes Ena being deeply unhelpful despite her claims that she's looking out for the kids make sense. She isn't looking out for the kids. They're a security threat. like, uh, I think the initial negative impressions of her were on the money after all.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 02:04
|
|
|
On the other hand she likes cars and jazz, so she can't be that bad, right? 
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 03:32
|
|
|
I'm actually really surprised no one figured out what Ena is through analysis. There were hints in certain parts. On a note about Jun, those dislikes may or may not be highly plot-relevant.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 05:23
|
|
|
Cyouni posted:I'm actually really surprised no one figured out what Ena is through analysis. There were hints in certain parts. ...weren't people guessing 'Secret Agent' quite a bit?
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 05:37
|
|
|
As soon as she pulled out the gun. Now we just know what kind of Secret Agency she may belong to! Also which side that Agency is on.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 08:32
|
|
|
A quick aside on things that you can take a stab at guessing: I already alluded to it before - the bomb that Watase and his gang set was scheduled to go off just before the lockdown ended, but will in fact go off shortly after the lockdown. Why is that? It's actually not that hard to work out if you think about it, and I want to see somebody figure it out. I have faith in your sleuthing skills.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 20:42
|
|
|
I'm guessing Subject N hijacked the wireless signal (it's just information, after all), or maybe took over the main computer, or something else along those lines. Alternatively, the Q guy tricked Watase and Ukita? e: and rigged the PDA, I mean.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 21:04
|
|
|
My guess is it had something to do with Natsuhiko being in Area N since the lockdown started. Since he was using Senses Sympathy the whole time, he was emitting BC particles as well. The locks are tied to the particle levels coming from Area N but taking Natsuhiko out of there now means the computer's calculations changed.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 21:12
|
|
|
Didn't it go off just before lockdown in the other ending, where everyone died and Watase's brain got deep fried? That means something's changed. I'm betting Ena's involved somehow. I still trust her. If she planned to kill anyone she would have long ago  Maybe she somehow knew about Q's plan and changed the bomb's timer to let everyone escape. She was too dead in the other timeline to do anything.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 21:18
|
|
|
poo poo. I hosed up! I meant that it was scheduled to go off shortly AFTER the lockdown ended, in order to allow the two scientists to escape, but will in fact be going off BEFORE the lockdown ends, as shown by the Route After Normal Ending. My bad! But still, you can figure out the reason why from the information we've been given - the upcoming chapter might help a bit too.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 21:20
|
|
LOOMING: 09/16/2030, 16:36 ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ After a few silent moments, Natsuhiko spoke to Ukita. ...Um, Mr. Ukita, I'm sorry. Hmm? For what? I read your memory without permission. That's like a major invasion of privacy, so... I'm really sorry. Oh, has that been bothering you? I don't particularly mind. It was a necessary step to cancel out Subject N's malice, wasn't it? Yeah, but... I saw basically all of your memory pertaining to your motive behind carrying out this terrorist attack. Did you have a flashback of your past memories back there? Those are the memories I saw. I see... But I'm sure there weren't any memories in there that would've been problematic for you to have seen. So honestly, it's nothing to concern yourself about. Rather, I feel you helped me reaffirm my convictions. I had the opportunity to recall in such vivid detail the day I swore to fight against LABO, after all. In the process of following your memories, I experienced that day vicariously too... I think you're a brave man, Mr. Ukita.A look of regret suddenly spread across Ukita's face when Natsuhiko said that. I appreciate the sentiment. But the compliment itself isn't very uplifting when the result of my bravery turned out like this. Huh? Naturally, I remember all of the actions I took when I was infected with malice. In hindsight, they were all illogical actions, but still... The 'me' during the time my malice was amplified still certainly felt like 'me'.As Ukita muttered that, he looked at the gun in his hands. ...I shot at Captain Kasasagi with this gun. As if to push all the blame of the plan's failure onto him. The realization of just how small and cowardly I am... was truly frightening. ...Natsuhiko understood the meaning behind Ukita's words.  And those who came into contact with Subject N came to know their true selves, whether they wanted to or not. They all came to realize the monster they harbored in the depths of their minds.  I intended to muster up all my courage and good will, but not only did I fail to accomplish my goals, I also ended up producing the worst possible results. Mr. Ukita, that's just--...Natsuhiko tried to say something, but he couldn't find the words. Ukita shook his head as if to say ''it's fine'', and continued. That's how I've always been. No matter how much I act in accordance with my beliefs, it always turns out for the worse. I drag so many people into my mess and in the end, I can never save anyone. And look at what I've gotten everyone into now... I guess with justice as fragile as mine, I should never have acted on it, should I?Natsuhiko pondered those words. (Mr. Ukita's methods were... indeed flawed in some places.)It wasn't as if Ukita had acted in accordance with a perfect sense of justice. There should've been another way. But-- Yuuri did not judge him. But Mr. Ukita... It's because of your desire to save us that Hikorin and I were finally able to see each other. Even if you were mistaken, it's all because you persisted in acting in accordance with your beliefs... So, well, I'm not sure if it will be any consolation to you for me to say this, but... Thank you.Once Ukita heard her words of gratitude, he smiled faintly. No... that's a real lifesaver. I tried to save you, but you saved me from myself. This situation's all sorts of backwards. Aha, I guess you're right.Yuuri smiled at those words. Natsuhiko smiled as well, and then turned to his thoughts. (Mr. Ukita's probably okay now... He had a strong sense of justice to begin with, after all.)Now that Ukita was free from malice and regretted his actions, he would probably be a reassuring ally to them now. ...But still, I feel like the more I know about LABO... the more I understand your feelings, Mr. Ukita. Is that so? Yes. The more you learn about the inner mechanisms of LABO, the more wicked it seems, doesn't it? I understand why you'd want to expose it, Mr. Ukita. And why you'd want to punish the upper ranks, too. Indeed. LABO holds too many secrets. It's only natural since they conduct such shady business, but... that's not the end of their problems. I've come to believe that it's for that reason that the antagonism between Communicators and ordinary people persists in this world. The antagonism... huh. BC research is indeed necessary, and there are certain truths that should remain hidden. But hide too many secrets, and I doubt you'll be able to earn the understanding of those around you. To the insufficiently informed masses of ordinary people, BC and Communicators are nothing more than unintelligible concepts. Yeah, that's true...Those words reminded Natsuhiko of what he had once heard from Ena. That outside of Rokumei City, disputes between Communicators and ordinary people had yet to die down. The thought made Natsuhiko depressed. ...Mr. Ukita, will there ever come a time in society where Communicators and ordinary people can come to terms with each other? That's what the research in LABO was really meant to accomplish, wasn't it? Mmm... Naturally, that's what I believe in, but... that's not what the high ranking officials at LABO think. The reason we devote ourselves to BC research is ostensibly for the benefit of public order and to prevent societal insecurity, but-- The real motivation is, in short, money. Money? Indeed. LABO conducts world-leading BC research and sells their results to various countries. You see, there's this foreign company called 'Betelgeuse New Treatments' that's a patron of LABO and Rokumei City. The three of them are co-conspirators in a money-making scheme.Tips posted:TIP: Betelgeuse New Treatments If that weren't the case, LABO wouldn't even dare conduct research on confined test subjects. If it were really for the sake of public order, they could just simply confine them. Maybe even let them live a peaceful life on an uninhabited island. But they don't. They use them for human experimentation. That said, the masterminds behind it all wouldn't just lay their true intentions out on the table, would they? ...That makes me sick. Indeed. That's why it's actually more favorable for them to aggravate the antagonism between Communicators and ordinary people, so--Just then, Yuuri interrupted Ukita before he could continue. No, Mr. Ukita... in the past, there were people who indeed conducted research for the sake of public order. Huh? For example?  Tips posted:TIP: AD A drug to reject BC, the power to connect people. ...!Natsuhiko gasped. True enough, with continued dosage of AD, a Communicator would be no different from an ordinary person. Or used the other way around, an ordinary person could come in contact with Communicators without fear.  Y-you say that, but I worked my way up in LABO all the way to Junior Fellow status, yet I've never heard that AD was developed for that purpose at all. I can imagine... AD has apparently been continuously in development ever since LABO was established. What I believe happened is that over the course of several years, LABO's ethics shed little by little until the original purpose of AD was forgotten. I'm not exactly sure what was on the developer's mind when they gave AD its name at the start of its development, but-- Don't you think they put their feelings into the name, regardless of what those feelings were? Hmm... I think that's a little overly sentimental, but...Ukita didn't completely reject Yuuri's line of thought. Natsuhiko likewise just barely agreed. But are there any other examples besides that? There are... The fact of the matter is that the WX particle amplifier itself is one. Yuuri calmly replied. ...Hikorin, do you understand exactly what the WX particle amplifier is? It amplifies the energy content of BC particles... ...? The information energy created inside their brain is emitted outside. Which in other words means...?Natsuhiko gasped in surprise. No way...!BC particles had the property of transmitting and propagating the information energy of living creatures' thoughts. In which case, amplifying their energy meant-- ...You see, there is a kind of artificial brain inside of that machine.Yuuri calmly made that statement. A-an artificial brain...!? Is such a thing even possible with modern technology!? Creating an entire brain from scratch would indeed be difficult. So a more fitting way to describe it would be-- A device that mimics the BC receptor alone-- an 'artificial BC receptor'.Tips posted:TIP: WX amplifier --A BC receptor. The organ relating to BC usage located in the prefrontal cortex of the human brain. Natsuhiko had heard about it once in one of Ena's lectures. Is that... true? Unmistakably. After all, we test subjects had always cooperated in the research and development of that machine. Wha...!? That machine was constructed 14 years ago, when LABO was established. It was built based off of the data obtained from the first test subject, Subject 'A', and improved based on the data obtained from the other test subjects. Ms. A passed away before I came to LABO, and N and I never had the opportunity to meet face-to-face, but-- That machine is constructed from the data we produced. The BC we used. Its foundation was built from parts of our very minds. And what was made was a machine that only generates powerful information energy. Without a will. Without a spirit... The generation of WX particles is, so to speak, the transmission of BC without any sort of message imbued within. All that exists within is a vague 'feeling'. That feeling is the primal objective of the ability known as BC. The desire 'to connect people'... ...Is that what it was...?Natsuhiko noticed that what Yuuri said was the answer to a question he hadn't even considered up until then: Why would an environment full of WX particles increase the efficiency of BC use? The answer was that WX particles themselves were filled with the desire to ''connect people''. ...But you know, WX particle energy is too strong. They cause damage when they enter the human brain. They also affect the genes, causing mutations. The 'desire' that WX particles have is to connect people. Even if it causes pain. Even if it recreates their bodies. So the cases where WX particle exposure caused aptitude to rise... were because of that? Yes... Though the number of people who can withstand that change is exceedingly small... But this effect definitely has the most potential to bridge the gap between Communicators and ordinary people. After all, though it's compatible with only a very select few people, that machine is still able to create 'acquired' Communicators. !! The WX particle amplifier has the opposite use of AD. It's a machine that can turn ordinary people into Communicators. 'Perhaps someday, everyone on Earth could become a Communicator through use of that machine. And thus the disputes between Communicators and normal people will come to an end.'Apparently some people in LABO thought that way... ...But do you think that's really a good thing? Say, Hikorin. I believe... that a society like that would be extremely unnatural. That maybe we should all try to understand each other, without relying on this power of ours... ...Yeah. I think so too. Because BC is a terrifying power where one wrong use could spell disaster for society...If at all possible, it would be better for people to come to a mutual understanding without relying on that power. The same went for Natsuhiko and Watase.  But that would not amount to true understanding with Watase at all.  And that was something Natsuhiko wanted to avoid.  (That in time, he'll abandon Q's mission and release Yuuri...!)Even if that was just wishful thinking, Natsuhiko still wagered on that hope. And as Natsuhiko pondered to himself, Yuuri sadly murmured. ...But in any case, Hikorin... For some reason or another, we've acquired an ability that's more than we can handle, haven't we? In some ways, maybe it's only natural for normal people to fear us... Yeah... Maybe we'd have been better off not acquiring such power unfitting of our stature. But if there is some sort of meaning in us getting this power... then I'd at least like to use it correctly.Despite his answer, Natsuhiko still did not fully understand. What was the meaning behind him getting that power? What exactly was the ''correct'' way to use BC? (... But at the very least, freeing everyone from malice like this... is probably the correct thing to do.)As soon as Natsuhiko had that thought, a sound rang out from outside the door. (!?)Natsuhiko and the others gasped and turned around. ...Who's there? Watase?No answer. But they could hear a sound like someone pounding on the wall outside.  Wait, but even if that's the case, nobody but us should know the password. Even in the off chance that someone remembered the keypad on the wall and repaired it, they wouldn't be able to come in.The kids were relieved at Ukita's statement, but immediately afterwards-- 
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 22:18
|
|
|
Ladies and gentlemen... poo poo just got real.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 22:18
|
|
|
Oh yeah she does have that thing doesn't she? Welp.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 22:55
|
|
|
Heeerrreee's Jun-ey! If I had any talent with gif making I'd make that scene from the shining with a crazy face on it, but alas.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 23:00
|
|
|
So can Natsuhiko Super Sonic Sympathy through a steel door because uh time's a factor my dude 
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 23:21
|
|
|
Danaru posted:So can Natsuhiko Super Sonic Sympathy through a steel door because uh time's a factor my dude Yeah seriously, it's going to be tricky to time it so that Jun only kills Ukita.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2017 23:32
|
|
|
And this is where we learn Natsuhiko learned nothing from the last time a smashed keypad was used as the lock and a hole was cut into the door.
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2017 00:07
|
|
|
Best Buddy Jun... WAS BEST BUDDIES WITH THE ENGINE CUTTER ALL ALONG! 
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2017 00:11
|
|
|
Cyouni posted:And this is where we learn Natsuhiko learned nothing from the last time a smashed keypad was used as the lock and a hole was cut into the door. Natsuhiko, not learning from previous experiences? Perish the thought.
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2017 03:19
|
|
|
While we're on the subject of Jun, I can't believe I didn't notice That Ponytail of hers. Cut that fire hazard off! EDIT: And is it wrong that I want the next scene to be Watase hurrying back to the shelter with a bloodthirsty Salyu on his tail? OddHaberdasher fucked around with this message at 09:39 on Apr 22, 2017 |
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2017 09:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 21:34 |
|
Overlapping crises: 09/16/2030, 16:37 ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 3 ♫ --attempting to fix the broken PA. If he could get it working, they could call together everyone who had been infected by malice. In theory, at least. (... It's been about an hour since they announced that the place was switching to backup power. That means the speakers are still online. Yet the PA can't handle facility-wide broadcasts anymore. That means that there's a good chance one of the PA system circuits located near the surveillance room has been severed.) ...This is it! If I can just connect this...!A thought crossed Watase's mind as he did repairs on it.  Natsuhiko had clearly stated his opposition to the deal Watase had made with Yuuri, but agreed to cooperate for the time being. But what move would he take once they got out of there?  (So when this is all over, will he... erase my memories again...?)That suspicion crept its way into Watase's heart.  There were people out there who could dive into people's minds and manipulate their memories as they saw fit-- There was nothing that frightened Watase more than that. Such people frightened him so much, he didn't find it that much of a stretch to label them ''monsters''. (But even though they're not monsters... it's only natural for them to do that kind of stuff. I'd probably do the same thing as Natsuhiko if I were in his shoes.)Of course, Watase could have just hidden his intention to take Yuuri to Q once everything was over. Then he would have kept his true thoughts a secret, worked himself to the bone to save everyone, gained Natsuhiko and Yuuri's trust-- Then once they escaped, he would've knocked Natsuhiko unconscious and taken Yuuri away by force. But Watase never wanted to play foul like that. It just wasn't in him. (... Then what do I want? Am I saying that I wanted to make things a bit more fair for Natsuhiko? Why am I trying to act like a goody-two shoes now of all times? I'm supposed to be nothing more than a terrorist...)But before he could finish that thought, he finished fixing the cable.   He flipped the on switch for the PA's mic as he thought that. He then tried talking into it-- Um... testing, testing.--and was met with the sound of his voice coming out of the speaker in the ceiling above him at the same time. Yes! I did it! It's working!Watase celebrated, then prepared to try calling for Salyu first-- --...!?But at that moment, he noticed someone being displayed on one of the room's several monitors.  ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ The image was coming from the camera located in B1 of Area 5's outer ring-- said camera was busted, so the footage was of poor quality, but he could still barely make out Jun. She was holding her engine cutter and pushing it against the wall. Oh crap! Did she notice the secret room!?Destroying the shelter's opening mechanism had backfired on them. Anyone would get suspicious when something that hadn't been damaged before was suddenly destroyed the next time they saw it. (Moribe hates the old man... He's in danger!) (That door should still hold for a while even against that engine cutter! I just have to get to the shelter before she breaks through it--!)Watase continued his mad dash for Area 5. But he soon came to a halt. (...!) The shadow stared at him and spoke.   ...Where are you going, Captain Kasasagi?Ena then pointed a gun at Watase.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2017 14:38
|
|