23 Wintry Shackles
| ← 22 Renaissance du Fantastique |
23 Wintry Shackles
After the events on the Moonbase, Alpha tracks down Luna as the latter crashes into Earth.
Reuniting with her sister at their old home, Luna discusses with Alpha that there are new possibilities the Ascension Network is attempting to execute. After exploring Copperfield Aquarium and the area where the Hetero-Tower would sprout from with Luna, Alpha receives a signal from the Ascension Network, as it forces her into her M.I.N.D.
She awakes to a simulated realm based on her old home. A simulated Luna discloses the Ascension Network is undergoing a new round of filtering to find stronger representatives of its will in response to humanity passing the tower’s trial. The new filtering affects all Agents, Ascendants, and those linked to them, including Lucia. Due to her deepening connection to the network, Luna struggles to break free from its will. She tells Alpha of Fort Winter, a Kurono research base that experimented with the specialized Construct frames. She explains that Alpha can connect to the Ascension Network once inside and find a way to break free of its control over the two of them.
Outside a conservation area, Alpha receives intrusive visions from Lucia’s M.I.N.D. of the Gray Ravens working within the Clean Zone. She recognizes a new Ascendant, Lilith, following her. The latter reveals herself to Alpha, offering the coordinates of a Kurono transport craft. On her way to the craft, Alpha speaks to the Ascension Network. It questions her past and motivations, offering her to Ascend and become an Agent. She rejects its offer and continues her journey. Arriving at the location of the Kurono transport craft, Alpha takes out the guards and commandeers the vehicle. She realizes the guards are after Lucia and inputs the coordinates for Fort Winter.
After landing, Alpha approaches Fort Winter on foot. More visions come over her as the Ascension Network attempts to force her to become an Agent. The Network reshapes her into her new frame, Crimson Weave. Yet, Alpha regains control and fights back against the swarming corrupted.
Elsewhere, Lilith and Vonnegut play poker. Vonnegut sends Lilith to destroy Fort Winter and retrieve the information left there to test her ability as an Ascendant.
Meanwhile, Lucia’s M.I.N.D. begins destabilizing from the effects of the Ascension Network’s filtering since it is a copy of Alpha’s. During a mission, her condition worsens to the point where she attacks the Commandant, but she disconnects her core to shut herself down. After a thorough analysis, Asimov determines Lucia is in danger of becoming an Ascendant due to Alpha’s battle data used to create her frame. He explains the source of the signals bombarding the Plume frame comes from Fort Winter. Nikola orders Lucia alone to investigate the source and destroy the signal.
Landing in a snowy tundra, Lucia encounters Alpha. She argues for Alpha and her to work together to stop the filtering but rejects becoming an Ascendant. Alpha, enraged, lashes out at the prospect of Lucia staying with Babylonia. They clash, and their fight ends in a draw. Agreeing that the Ascension Network is their common enemy, Alpha accepts Lucia’s plan, and the two enter Fort Winter.
Upon reaching the facility, Alpha and Lucia find Kurono’s prior research projects, including Project Winter—Kurono’s attempt to harness the power of the Ascension Network through the specialized Construct frames—and Project Cthylla. They fight through prior failed Construct experiments and make their way deeper inside.
As they enter another portion of the facility, they witness the aftermath of a battle. Alpha deduces Lilith is the culprit. The fort’s test subjects swarm and overwhelm the two Constructs.
Fighting side by side, Alpha and Lucia make their way through the complex. Worn down from the fight, the two reach the bottom floor of the research center. Alpha reveals that Kurono kept Luna in the basement of Fort Winter before her transfer to the Moon. They find the device that taps into the Ascension Network. Alpha connects to it and enters her M.I.N.D.
Alpha returns to the simulated version of her home and sister. Confessing she was relying too much on Luna to make decisions about her life, she vows to walk her own path. A version of herself created by the Ascension network attempts to force her into complying to be an Agent.
Alpha resists as best as she can against her altered half. Through a Deep Dive, Lucia joins the fight, and the two defeat the alternate half, overcoming their new round of filtering.
Back in reality, Lilith confronts Alpha and taunts her by revealing she placed an unconscious Lucia outside the facility. As Fort Winter begins to self-destruct, the two clash, with Alpha winning the duel.
Lilith surrenders and reveals Lucia’s location. She gives Alpha the core database for the facility—a token of Vonnegut’s appreciation—and flees. The fort continues to collapse as Alpha makes her way out.
In the outskirts of the Clean Zone, the rest of the Gray Ravens speak to Commander Nikola regarding Lucia’s mission. After persistent questioning by the Gray Ravens, Nikola allows them to go after Lucia. Upon touching down, the remaining members split up to find her.
Outside the fort, the Commandant walks through the snowstorm and finds Alpha carrying Lucia. Alpha questions whether or not the Commandant knew what happened to Lucia. She wants to know what they plan to do for the conflict between humanity and the Punishing Virus. The Commandant reaffirms they will not stop fighting for humanity. Swayed by their resolve for a better tomorrow, Alpha entrusts them with Lucia and the records she retrieved from the facility.
Lucia awakes in the Star of Life. The Commandant comforts her, vowing to prove her innocence in the incident’s aftermath. Upon leaving, the Commandant goes to the Science Council to thank Asimov for his help with the situation and gives him the records of Fort Winter.
On the surface, Lilith informs Vonnegut that Alpha does not want to join their faction. She gives him a copy of the data from Fort Winter, but he only wants to know whether or not Alpha would interfere with their upcoming plan to awaken Cthylla.
| ← 22 Renaissance du Fantastique |
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