EX03 Lost Chapter
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EX03 Lost Chapter
Theater Ruins
This section of the story was originally part of a teaser for the current chapter and can only be accessed from Story Replay in Codex.
Huaxu inputs the keywords “Kowloong” and “Art” which yields a recording of a theater performance. The play of the “Paragon Sovereign” heralds the breakthrough of a young actor named Changyu, who stars as the protagonist “Black Guardian”. He earns a round of applause for his outstanding performance. Ending the recording, Huaxu wonders why Luna would want to access such data.
Next, Huaxu inputs the keywords “Kowloong” and “War”. A Pulao Crew member crosses a battlefield and reports to Qu about lost nodes in the East Wall Defense Line and suggests she retreat. She refuses and decides to hold the frontline in order to give her subordinates time to retreat. As Qu kills the last Corrupted in the 43rd barricade, the soldiers are able to evacuate the heavy artillery. While there were no oversights in Kowloong’s command, it did little to reduce casualties. Qu connects to Heng Ji and tells him to make the final preparations. Huaxu muses on Qu’s thoughts when she made this choice, before sending the data.
Kowloong Theater
At Luna’s behest, Huaxu replays its data regarding various key characters in Kowloong.
Changyu manages to acquire the data of his past, which was previously sealed while he was still an inhabitant of the Nighter before being sold to the Akdilek, by making a deal with a mysterious person who managed to smuggle the data off the ship. Changyu activates the machine containing the data to learn about his past.
In a dilapidated old theater in Kowloong sits an old director. The theater boasts a long tradition, but is currently on the verge of shutting down because of economic hardships. Changyu, who is a member of the theater crew, is determined to save the place when he learns of this.
Changyu proposes to the director that they catch a gig in KCC’s celebration of the development of the world’s first zero-point reactor as a last ditch effort to save the theater. However, on the following day, all their plans fall apart. In a shocking development, the zero-point energy experiment has failed, causing the city-wide celebration to be canceled and a curfew to be imposed throughout the KCC. All machines and androids are to be scrapped due to the emergence of the Punishing Virus. From a distance, Qu’s speech rouses the Will of Kowloong in the citizens’ hearts. But for Changyu, “the Will of Kowloong” means nothing if it cannot bring back the theater.
At the theater, Yusheng, one of the veteran actors, bids the others farewell as he takes his leave to fight on the frontlines against the Corrupted. The director chooses to stay with the theater he inherited from his ancestors until the end instead of joining Qu’s Tabula Akasha, and then commands Laoyu, another member of the theater, to take Changyu to evacuate on a ship. Changyu stubbornly refuses to leave, but the director reveals that he already sold the theater a long time ago to finance the medical expenses of Yusheng’s wife.
An explosion outside the theater interrupts their conversation. The city descends into chaos, but the theater troupe decides to put up their last performance in order to calm the crowd and give the Pulao Crew an opportunity to repel the Corrupted attack. Changyu himself manages to land a decisive blow at a Corrupted – earning his first victory against the enemy of mankind.
Galvanized by the performance, the citizens rally to take up arms against the Corrupted. As the theater crew helps evacuate the citizens, Changyu hears a loud noise coming from nearby and runs off to inspect. There, Changyu comes across a fatally wounded Yusheng in his last moments. Changyu pursues Yusheng’s murderer–a corrupted Guardian I model–and confronts it, but ends up falling down from the rooftops during the battle. Before the Corrupted kills Changyu, a member of the Pulao Crew rescues him. Laoyu and the director also arrive to help. The director collects Yusheng’s body and returns to the theater while, Laoyu carries Changyu towards the port.
Kowloong War
In response to Luna’s order to provide everything she needs to realize the Ascendants’ goals, Huaxu presents to her the records of Qu’s actions during Kowloong’s first war with the Punishing Virus.
The failure of the zero-point reactor experiment and the subsequent emergence of the Punishing Virus devastate the KCC. As a last resort, Heng Ji, an official of the KCC, proposes that they proceed with Construct modifications for their front-line soldiers. Qu, the leader of the KCC, counters with the argument that their Construct technology is not yet suitable to be put into use, as it causes several side effects. Heng Ji also notes that Villier has not been seen since the last time he was alone with Huaxu.
After Heng Ji leaves, Qu asks Huaxu to calculate the possibility of humanity’s survival against the Punishing Virus. Huaxu replies that humanity faces certain destruction. Qu then asks the question again, this time expanding the scope from human civilization to the rest of the planet. Huaxu replies that there is a very small chance that Earth may survive.
In a flashback, Villier laments Huaxu’s existence as a machine. He believes that Huaxu, whom he sees as the pinnacle of Gestalt technology, must not share the same fated destruction that humanity faces under the threat of the Punishing Virus. Villier vows to grant freedom to Huaxu. He then makes a backup of Huaxu’s data and leaves the city.
During a meeting of Kowloong officials, Moyuan, a high-ranking Kowloong official and a friend of Qu’s, volunteers to embark on a mission to negotiate with the World Government and find out more information regarding the zero-point reactor experiment. Over the following days, Moyuan sends a series of messages narrating how the failure of the zero-point experiment has led to the creation of the Punishing Virus. She is unsure if she will be able to remain unaffected by the virus because of her mechanical prosthetics, but she reassures that she is on her way back to Kowloong before her final message is cut off.
In the meantime, Qu orders the fortification of defenses and the evacuation of the city’s people. The KCC broadcasts the emergency statement of the World Government regarding the Punishing Virus. Androids and machines throughout the city are recycled. Citizens evacuate to the port to leave Kowloong. Abandoned properties become hotbeds for crime. Qu then calls for all remaining citizens to gather at the plaza.
Qu reveals the truth to the masses: the Punishing Virus encroaches upon the borders of Kowloong. She encourages them to partake in the Tabula Akasha project while the soldiers buy them time; this is based on Huaxu’s calculation that although humanity is doomed, Earth itself has a chance to survive. If they are to exist on Earth in the form of backed-up conscious data, then they may “survive” the death of their mortal bodies. Qu declares that the Will of Kowloong binds them together, and they shall emerge victorious as long as one Kowloonger remains standing until they have backed up their minds.
She succeeds in uniting the people of Kowloong through her speech. Before leaving, she gives her citizens the freedom to choose whether to stay behind and become a part of Tabula Akasha or to escape the city via the port.
The defensive line gradually falters despite the efforts of Qu and her forces. When a corrupted Moyuan ambushes them, Qu herself engages and ultimately defeats her in a duel.
As the battle rages on, Qu continues to endure the loss of her comrades while focusing on her goal: the activation of Tabula Akasha. One day, she is informed that everyone’s data has been backed up. Having accomplished her mission at last, Qu crumples in relief in the middle of the battlefield. She is saved by Phecda and Prime Constructs—the KCC soldiers who have voluntarily undergone Construct modifications despite the side effects.
Uploading data to the Tabula Akasha was only the beginning. As its creator, Qu’s fight to preserve Kowloong continues on.
The Life of Tai’E
In an abandoned factory, HNB1, a Tai’E model robot equipped with a human emotion module, is activated and finds itself hanging upside-down. Another Tai’E, named HBG3 and a specialist in strategic analysis, uses its blade to free HNB1 and explains the situation they are in.
14 days ago, they were supposed to be returned to a factory for routine inspection. However, for some reason, they were instead left in an abandoned facility. Because they are unable to reach HQ or find other Tai’E models, the pair agrees to first activate the backup power of the place they are in. They manage to restore power and find a projection of Kowloong’s map marked with danger spots, along with a recording of Qu’s speech, in the main control room. From these, they come to the realization that a war against the Corrupted broke out during the time they were deactivated.
Before they are able to fully process the situation, an alarm goes off, warning them of an intruder. HNB1 and HBG3 prepare themselves for battle, but the intruder is revealed to be none other than a little girl in pigtails carrying a panda doll. Sensing her fear, the two drop their weapons and dress her wounded knee. The girl sees that the robots are not affected by the Punishing Virus and opens up to them. She reveals that she was separated from her father while they were on their way to evacuate on a ship. The robots attempt to ask the girl about the nature of the Punishing Virus, but to little avail. Following their duty as Tai’E models—to ensure human safety—the pair resolves to bring the girl to the evacuation point.
The group comes across anti-robot graffiti by the roadside. HNB1 and the little girl pick up a spray can and draw over it an image of the three of them together. A rumble of explosions interrupts the trio, and they use an abandoned car to leave the lower city area. However, the road is soon blocked by the KCC army’s defensive line, forcing the group to continue to the evacuation point on foot.
The group narrowly avoids the Corrupted and decides to take a break before continuing on. HNB1 visualizes the terrors of the war unfolding in other parts of the city and wonders if the visions are an emotional simulation or an error in programming. The little girl approaches HNB1 and senses its fear. She comforts the robot by wrapping one of her hair ribbons around its damaged arm.
While the girl is sleeping, HNB1 and HBG3 gather supplies and discuss the current situation. HBG3 asks HNB1 to execute it immediately if it shows any sign of infection so that it will not turn into one of those bloodthirsty Corrupted they have seen.
The group sets out at dawn and approaches the war zone. The girl screams upon seeing piles of bodies, and a Corrupted jumps down from a building. The sound attracts other Corrupted nearby, and HBG3 becomes infected by the virus during the battle. HNB1 keeps its promise and executes HBG3. HNB1 then resolves to fulfill the duty of Tai’E until the end, not because it is programmed to, but out of its free will to protect the little girl.
HNB1 and the little girl approach the evacuation point. HNB1 continues to shield the little girl from the Corrupted and push on, despite its infection levels steadily rising. Eventually, the pair makes it to safety. The members of the Pulao Crew assume that HNB1 is a Corrupted threatening the little girl, and open fire. HNB1 dies knowing that it has successfully protected her and fulfilled its mission.
Hidden Story
In the ARU territory, Luna asks Huaxu to replay its conversation with Qu regarding humanity’s survival under the Punishing Virus. Luna claims that the recording is not what she was looking for and wonders why Huaxu would present it to her. Luna comes to the conclusion that someone must have ordered Huaxu to do so. She then forcibly decrypts Huaxu and discovers another recording from Qu. In the recording, Qu states that if someone defeats her and takes Huaxu, she would willingly decrypt the entirety of Huaxu’s database and make it easily accessible; she believes in human possibility, no matter how small it may be, and the massive amount of information contained within Huaxu will serve as the key to rebuilding civilization.
Luna assumes that Qu must have made such a decision without accounting for the possibility of the Ascendants being the ones to defeat her and take Huaxu. Thanks to this, the Ascendants uncover the location of the World Government’s experimental high-gain antenna cluster buried in the ARU.
Meanwhile, Roland, Gabriel, and Lamia act separately from Luna to carry out their plan. Roland notices Luna’s recent tendency to be alone and senses something amiss with her. The three are discussing the result of their probe into another mysterious Agent of the Ascension Network when Luna commences her attack on the ARU. Lamia believes that Luna intends to destroy everything; Roland finds this decision to blatantly showcase their power questionable because they are yet unsure of the full capabilities of both Babylonia and the mysterious Agent.
In an abandoned building, the robot with the numbers “421” painted on its body asks a shadowy figure if they will still side with the Ascendants. The shadowy figure answers affirmatively, saying that Huaxu's involvement has made things more interesting. “421” questions the man about Huaxu and offers information that will allow the man to escape Babylonia’s pursuit in exchange. The man accepts and implies that Huaxu’s true master has not changed.
In New Murmansk, Kaplan, the former director of the research institute responsible for the tragedy involving the Forest Guards and Amberia, meets up with Staessen. He suggests that they “clean up” the research institute along with Amberia’s remains to cover up the truth regarding the incident. Staessen is unable to refuse, because the technology provided by Kaplan has been essential in maintaining the ARU’s infrastructure. Staessen plans to take what they can from the laboratory and then destroy the place, hoping to erase their debt by doing so.
At the port, Luna descends in the form of a white light. She warns nearby humans to leave before summoning what looks like a railgun and beginning her onslaught.
Amidst the chaos, Kaplan and his researchers manage to evacuate to the research institute, leaving Staessen to handle the defenses and evacuation of the children and elderly. Staessen and some of his men also eventually retreat to the research institute and descend underground to a place named the “Reception Hall of Peace.” In the past, test subjects would be sent here to be injected with experimental drugs and filtered out.
Luna follows Kaplan to the research institute, where the antenna she has been looking for is hidden. She penetrates the armored plating protecting the place with ease and kills Kaplan. She then confronts Staessen, who expresses his regret that he will never see the day when the ARU moves on from its dark past and then presses a detonator button that causes the hall to collapse.
Luna emerges from the explosion safely. She meets up with Alpha outside and shows her the antenna she has obtained. Despite their victory, Luna does not seem happy. She questions Huaxu about what the so-called human possibility mentioned in their conversation earlier is. Luna refutes Qu’s words and concludes that the Ascension Network is the only path forward.
In Babylonia, Hassen and Nikola discuss the contents of a top-secret file. The file contains a recording of Luna’s attack on the ARU made by the Ouroboros Team. They suspect that Luna had an ulterior motive behind her actions. Aided by the information previously provided by the Commandant of the Gray Ravens, they continue to analyze the available data on Luna.
Hours after the destruction of the ARU, the Forsaken and Forest Guards arrive at the ruins to rescue any survivors. Diana is skeptical about whether they will find anyone, but Rosetta tells her to have hope. Watanabe is lost in a train of thought. He thinks about how humanity is easily swept away like dust, but they resolve to rebuild anew no matter how many times they are destroyed.
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