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Chapter 17: Murderers.

The elevator’s descent was a maddening stretch of silence. Over half an hour of waiting until they reached the exit, and then a long hallway that ended in a circular nexus of elevators. Lattice scanned the area, the HORNET head of her AC twisting right and left to give her a complete view. “Well, where to now?”

“We stick together. IBIS may have been destroyed, but we still have no idea if anything else is still ‘alive’ down here.” Jack’s normally serious tone had jumped up several levels. This was a Raven’s mission, and he was deadly serious about it.

Static played through Seta’s cockpit. “Raven, can you hear me? Please respond.”

“Amy? Yeah, I hear you.” The white noise washed over her voice, but he could still make out what she was saying. “We’ve reached a fork in the road, as it were. Any ideas?”

“Hold on. We’re receiving a mission update from the Crest Representative, since Mirage is withholding information.” There was a general sense of annoyance in Amy’s voice, but Seta couldn’t tell if it was from the mention of John or Mirage being stubborn. He hoped it was the latter, since he wasn’t completely sure if Amy was over the matter of his brother just yet. “Okay, we’ve got a general map of the area. Crest’s representative says it might be a bit out of date, but it should get you down to the main area. After that, you’re on your own.”

“Alright. Down we go then.” Seta said as he compared the map to what lay before him and finding the right elevator in only a few seconds. “Third one on the going clockwise, guys.”

“Roger. We’ve received maps as well so don’t worry about giving directions, Seta.” Genobee’s voice never wavered, as unrevealing of the Raven’s emotions as ever. Swiftly, Dual Face moved onto the elevator and waited for the others to join it.

“This route leads us to the path that Raven took to defeat IBIS…” Jack murmured as his AC lumbered onto the platform.

The Nine Breaker nodded. “Yes. This elevator takes us directly to that area. Curious.” Coffin Guard and Ray Arrow had moved onto the platform as well, and the elevator began its descent.

Lattice shifted uncomfortably in her cockpit, a bit unnerved by the silence that had once more settled upon their collective. “It never really was clear what our mission was besides investigating this area. I know Mirage had been poking their nose into this Layered, but just what were they trying to find?”

“Ancient technology.” Genobee answered simply. “As for our mission, it might have something to do with those AI controlled machines that attacked the Ark.”

“That would be a likely assumption, given the last’s approximate heading.” Jack turned his AC, facing Coffin Guard. “What’s your opinion, Raven?”

Seta was a little unsure of how to answer. How many half-truths could he get away with? “…I think it might have something to do with the Babylon Incident, as well as those AI units. Perhaps Mirage uncovered something, and this is the OAE’s way of keeping them in check.”

“I highly doubt that.” Fox Eye turned its gaze away from Coffin Guard, instead focusing its attention on Genobee. “The OAE isn’t as powerful as it appears. I hardly believe that it could keep any Corporation in check without the help of Ravens.”

“You can hardly blame their lack of strength on anything though; they are a new organization after all.” Lattice shrugged.

“It isn’t that.” Jack-O declared fiercely. “Groups such as the OAE are merely puppets for the Corporations. They use them as a means to deplete an enemy without expending their own resources, thereby avoiding use of Ravens. It’s a way to minimize our use, because the Corporations feel they’ve become too reliant on us.”

“…You sound as though you have a grudge against the Corporations.” Seta said.

“…Not the Corporations themselves; just those who would use Ravens as pawns to be tossed away once a better option appears, and those who would forsake being a Raven to become a Corporate lackey.”

“I see…” Seta nodded and let silence settle over them again. The hum of the elevator droned on endlessly as they continued their descent.

“…I see. So Crest really does trust you.” Helen commented as John took his seat in the Command and Control room.

“Giving me a map of the second Layered? No, that was just a little thing I picked years ago.” He reclined in his chair, watching the screens outside the sound proof control center display each pilots vital signs and AC status. Below them were several stations where the Raven’s Operators monitored their respective charges, separated by a layer of bullet proof and sound proof plexiglass. Letting his ponytail hang behind the chair, John began his short wait. It wouldn’t be long until the elevator reached the surface again, only another minute or so.

“You were part of the Babylon Incident.” Kirima words were a statement of fact, and the tone he used made that well known. “Kisaragi may not have played a large role in that particular conflict, but we have our sources. I know that it wasn’t a battle, as should you, Miss Helen.”

“That I do. I never would have thought that Crest would try to take the Silent Line for itself like this, but it makes no difference.” Helen smirked as she pushed a data sheet toward John, who promptly ignored it. “My associates at Mirage prepared for this in advanced. Five Ravens, at the very least, are on their way here. We will put a stop to your plans, Tatsunoko, one way or another.”

There was a small silence that punctuated Helen’s words. Harold, the OAE representative, was about to speak on the matter when John began laughing. It was soft at first, but grew in volume until it filled the room. “Y-you think that’s a threat?” he asked between chuckles, “Really, you do? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Mirage, completely dependent on Ravens… what a pity. It was fun while it lasted, you three, but I’m quite finished playing games.”

“What are you talk--!?” Kirima froze as John pulled something from his coat, moving faster than the Kisaragi employee’s eyes could follow. Three silenced shots put down any conversation that might have followed.

“…Fools. I don’t have time for Corporate banter anymore.” John replaced his pistol in its hidden holster and purposefully left his briefcase in the room, walking out of the silent chamber calmly as not to arouse suspicion. The operators noticed him leaving however, and one grew suspicious.

“Ah, Representative Tatsunoko. Might I ask where you’re going? The Ravens are about to reach IBIS’ domain.”

“I won’t be long.” John said with a smile. “I’ve got some personal business to attend to.”

“Alright.” Amy let him go with that. She was a little unsure of what to think of Seta’s brother, but he seemed honest enough. That assumption would change however, when she noticed a small splatter of red liquid on the windows above her and decided to check it out. Her scream was heard even from a fair distance away. It was lucky for her that she immediately ran out of the room and headed for the nearest lavatory, because only a few minutes later the bomb in John’s briefcase went off, incinerating the better part of the two rooms.

The excessively long pathways and even longer elevator rides had put almost everyone on edge. Seta, however, was cool as ice. For some reason, he felt no fear in this area. He felt as though he had traveled the dark halls before, like a bad sense of deja vu, but other than that he felt fine. Lattice had been shaken by the silence, however. For some reason, every minute spent in the underground city felt like an hour in a coffin. Her operator had repeatedly told her to calm down, but it wasn’t helping. If anything, having a haunting, masculine voice call out through static made it worse.

“…Still no targets detected. Moving into the final elevator.” Genobee reported. His monotone was steady as ever, but the Nine Breaker felt himself getting a little tense as they moved through the complex.

“To IBIS, then.” Jack-O nodded as he proceeded through the next door. Fox Eye walked like a king, but its pilot was getting a bit jumpy. The emptiness of the Silent Layered was like a tomb, and he was an archeologist just waiting for whatever skeletons remained to come back to life. There was nothing though; not even the metallic corpses of the white and grey AI controlled ACs that had been defeated before IBIS.

Coffin Guard walked onto the elevator with Dual Face and Ray Arrow close behind. “So this is it, huh? Where that final battle took place… What do you think the Corporations found down here beside IBIS’ busted frame?”

“They didn’t even find that. The Raven who defeated IBIS destroyed its body completely, leaving nothing to salvage.” Fox Eye looked up as the elevator began to rise, the aim of its Karasawa following. “…But I still feel that there is more to this place than just IBIS. This area is relatively small when compared to the rest of the Layered, and yet it is viewed as more important than any other area. Why is that? After all, IBIS’ mainframe was almost an exact copy of the Controller’s, so why not study it instead?”

“I agree.” Dual Face set its eye on Coffin Guard, Genobee watching the AC with more than passing interest. “It seems as if there is more to this area than just a Controller copy.”

The elevator finally reached its end, stopping flush with the floor of a large arena. The entire area had been torn apart by weapons fire, but that wasn’t what stopped both Genobee and Jack-O in their tracks. They had both seen photographs of the chamber IBIS resided in, and the one major difference that shocked them both speechless for a few moments was what was missing from the room.

“IBIS is gone…!” Jack shouted in amazement. The entire wall where the AI had resided was completely gone, leaving only a dimly lit hallway behind it. The lights were flickering, some having shorted out in the years that had passed. “…Did Mirage take it?”

“No.” Seta shook his head, a single silver line tracing up his right eye. “I don’t think that’s the case… Look, there are tracks right where it used to sit.”

“…Hmm…” Genobee nodded. There were tracks there, and they ended a few meters into the hallway beyond, where a stretch of burnt plate started. “Perhaps it moved to reveal something else?”

“That’d be my best guess. Whatever’s down that hallway… is something I don’t think just anyone was supposed to see. It’s strange, I know, but it’s just this weird vibe I’m getting from seeing all of this.” Several more lines traced across Seta’s still green eyes, like a silver weave that continually restructured itself. Something was happening within him… Something was waking up, and it wasn’t Steven.

“Seta…” Lattice looked at the black and silver Core with a growing sense of worry for the man within. “…Are you alright?”

“…Yeah, I think so. Don’t worry about me Lattice. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay…” She nodded, but she wasn’t about to stop worrying. This was where he had died after all.

“Ravens, keep it professional.” Jack had regained his composure. This may have been an intriguing event, but that was no reason to lose his fellow Ravens in idle chit-chat. “Let’s move in: we’ve got more ground to cover than we originally anticipated.”

All four ACs began moving into the darkened hallway, only Seta noticing that the elevator had begun to descend behind them. He ignored it however. There was more to worry about in front of him than behind him.

Joshua shook off his stunned stupor, ducking behind a pile of crates as more shots rang out through the hanger. Three of his best men were dead, lying on the ground near the madman who had killed them.

‘What the hell is going on here?! Why is Seta’s brother trying to take that…’ A spike of panic shot through his mind. “Hey, keep him away from the MTs! If that nutcase gets in one, we’re toast!”

No one answered him, but several of the mechanics he could see hiding close by nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, all they had were tools to fight with, while John had a pair of pistols and an unknown amount of ammo. Things were not looking good.

“Sorry gentlemen, but you’re not who I’m after at the moment. Just stay out of my way and no one gets hurt.” John smiled to himself, thoroughly enjoying his actions. To hold sway over life and death was an addictive experience, he had to admit, but there wasn’t enough time to savor it.

“Like hell we’ll stay out of your way!” One mechanic shouted before throwing a wrench at John. It completely missed, but it was enough of a distraction for several others to move into better positions around him. “Don’t you know the mechanic’s code?”

“…There’s a mechanic’s code?” Joshua whispered to himself. He shook his head to clear the random thought. “Look, Tatsunoko, just put the guns down! What the heck do you want to accomplish, anyway?”

“That’s simple. I just want to change the world. Simple enough, wouldn’t you think?” Taking aim, John picked off a mechanic who was dashing toward better cover. The body hit the ground and rolled, leaving a trail of red on the asphalt floor. “And it would be even simpler if you didn’t try to get in my way!”

Joshua cringed at the noise. One more death, one more lost friend. He had to stop this. He was about to call out to John once again when he noticed one of his mechanics motioning to him, fingers and thumbs repeatedly tapping against eachother. ‘Stall him? What are they planning?’ Taking a breath, Joshua relaxed behind his crate. Whatever it was, it had to work. “Look, you say you want to change the world. What good is that going to do? Nobody cares if the world changes! They’ll just keep doing whatever they please, because they can.”

“Not if they’re dead.” John shrugged. The kid had a point, but it would be moot when he was finished. “Besides, with the kind of power I found below here, I can truly reshape the world in whatever way I want.”

“…The Silent Line? What’s it got to do with this?”

“Ah-ah! Now you’re trying to find out Corporate secrets!” The man spoke with a sarcasm that bordered on extreme, “But if you really want to know, I found the secrets of our past. I found our history down there, the history of the human race! All the technology we lost in the great destruction is simply waiting to be taken, and I know exactly how to get it. Mirage, Kisaragi, Crest, even the new Navis Corporation… All of them are powerless before our history!”

“History huh? You mean ancient technology!” Joshua shook his head in disgust. “Is that all you people think about? Power? It means nothing to you what everyone else thinks and feels about it! What about us? We have people we love, people we want to be with! All that power you want so badly will only destroy them!”

“People you love? You actually think you matter? Don’t make me laugh! The only people I’ve ever cared for died here! There’s nothing left here except empty memories and the power to change.” The mechanics were moving. He could see each and every one of them, slowly shifting and tensing. They were about to die.

“No! I have someone I care for! I’m willing to die for her!” Joshua shouted back. “Just because you’ve lost something doesn’t mean you have the right to change everything! At the most, you should change yourself into someone who uses those ‘empty memories’ as strength!”

The mechanics moved as one, leaping towards John with whatever they could find for weapons. They couldn’t match John’s speed however. The man spun in place, trigger fingers rapidly pulling and releasing as each target came into view. They all fell, dying.

“…Memories as strength, huh?” John dropped his pistols, letting them clatter to the ground with the still falling bodies. “No, I don’t think so. You’re still pretty naïve, like Seta was. He’s a murderer just like me, though he doesn’t acknowledge it. You all are.”

“…I see…” He balled his fists, knuckles turning white as a puddle of blood spread into view. He stood up and turned, facing John. “If that’s what you want to believe, do so. Rely on machines to get you through. My friends…” he looked down, turning white as he saw Stratford’s corpse. “…my friends are all I ever needed. Amy too; if she was gone, I’d remember her, always. I’d keep going. I will keep going!”

With a roar of unbridled rage, Joshua rushed toward John with his fists at the ready. The PLUS merely side stepped the blow, a single punch knocking the boy out cold.

“…I’d kill you for being so foolish, but I don’t have the time.” John quickly moved to the nearest MT in the hanger, boarding it without a second thought.

Description
Chapter 17: Murderers.

The elevator’s descent was a maddening stretch of silence. Over half an hour of waiting until they reached the exit, and then a long hallway that ended in a circular nexus of elevators. Lattice scanned the area, the HORNET head of her AC twisting right and left to give her a complete view. “Well, where to now?”

“We stick together. IBIS may have been destroyed, but we still have no idea if anything else is still ‘alive’ down here.” Jack’s normally serious tone had jumped up several levels. This was a Raven’s mission, and he was deadly serious about it.

Static played through Seta’s cockpit. “Raven, can you hear me? Please respond.”

“Amy? Yeah, I hear you.” The white noise washed over her voice, but he could still make out what she was saying. “We’ve reached a fork in the road, as it were. Any ideas?”

“Hold on. We’re receiving a mission update from the Crest Representative, since Mirage is withholding information.” There was a general sense of annoyance in Amy’s voice, but Seta couldn’t tell if it was from the mention of John or Mirage being stubborn. He hoped it was the latter, since he wasn’t completely sure if Amy was over the matter of his brother just yet. “Okay, we’ve got a general map of the area. Crest’s representative says it might be a bit out of date, but it should get you down to the main area. After that, you’re on your own.”

“Alright. Down we go then.” Seta said as he compared the map to what lay before him and finding the right elevator in only a few seconds. “Third one on the going clockwise, guys.”

“Roger. We’ve received maps as well so don’t worry about giving directions, Seta.” Genobee’s voice never wavered, as unrevealing of the Raven’s emotions as ever. Swiftly, Dual Face moved onto the elevator and waited for the others to join it.

“This route leads us to the path that Raven took to defeat IBIS…” Jack murmured as his AC lumbered onto the platform.

The Nine Breaker nodded. “Yes. This elevator takes us directly to that area. Curious.” Coffin Guard and Ray Arrow had moved onto the platform as well, and the elevator began its descent.

Lattice shifted uncomfortably in her cockpit, a bit unnerved by the silence that had once more settled upon their collective. “It never really was clear what our mission was besides investigating this area. I know Mirage had been poking their nose into this Layered, but just what were they trying to find?”

“Ancient technology.” Genobee answered simply. “As for our mission, it might have something to do with those AI controlled machines that attacked the Ark.”

“That would be a likely assumption, given the last’s approximate heading.” Jack turned his AC, facing Coffin Guard. “What’s your opinion, Raven?”

Seta was a little unsure of how to answer. How many half-truths could he get away with? “…I think it might have something to do with the Babylon Incident, as well as those AI units. Perhaps Mirage uncovered something, and this is the OAE’s way of keeping them in check.”

“I highly doubt that.” Fox Eye turned its gaze away from Coffin Guard, instead focusing its attention on Genobee. “The OAE isn’t as powerful as it appears. I hardly believe that it could keep any Corporation in check without the help of Ravens.”

“You can hardly blame their lack of strength on anything though; they are a new organization after all.” Lattice shrugged.

“It isn’t that.” Jack-O declared fiercely. “Groups such as the OAE are merely puppets for the Corporations. They use them as a means to deplete an enemy without expending their own resources, thereby avoiding use of Ravens. It’s a way to minimize our use, because the Corporations feel they’ve become too reliant on us.”

“…You sound as though you have a grudge against the Corporations.” Seta said.

“…Not the Corporations themselves; just those who would use Ravens as pawns to be tossed away once a better option appears, and those who would forsake being a Raven to become a Corporate lackey.”

“I see…” Seta nodded and let silence settle over them again. The hum of the elevator droned on endlessly as they continued their descent.

“…I see. So Crest really does trust you.” Helen commented as John took his seat in the Command and Control room.

“Giving me a map of the second Layered? No, that was just a little thing I picked years ago.” He reclined in his chair, watching the screens outside the sound proof control center display each pilots vital signs and AC status. Below them were several stations where the Raven’s Operators monitored their respective charges, separated by a layer of bullet proof and sound proof plexiglass. Letting his ponytail hang behind the chair, John began his short wait. It wouldn’t be long until the elevator reached the surface again, only another minute or so.

“You were part of the Babylon Incident.” Kirima words were a statement of fact, and the tone he used made that well known. “Kisaragi may not have played a large role in that particular conflict, but we have our sources. I know that it wasn’t a battle, as should you, Miss Helen.”

“That I do. I never would have thought that Crest would try to take the Silent Line for itself like this, but it makes no difference.” Helen smirked as she pushed a data sheet toward John, who promptly ignored it. “My associates at Mirage prepared for this in advanced. Five Ravens, at the very least, are on their way here. We will put a stop to your plans, Tatsunoko, one way or another.”

There was a small silence that punctuated Helen’s words. Harold, the OAE representative, was about to speak on the matter when John began laughing. It was soft at first, but grew in volume until it filled the room. “Y-you think that’s a threat?” he asked between chuckles, “Really, you do? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Mirage, completely dependent on Ravens… what a pity. It was fun while it lasted, you three, but I’m quite finished playing games.”

“What are you talk--!?” Kirima froze as John pulled something from his coat, moving faster than the Kisaragi employee’s eyes could follow. Three silenced shots put down any conversation that might have followed.

“…Fools. I don’t have time for Corporate banter anymore.” John replaced his pistol in its hidden holster and purposefully left his briefcase in the room, walking out of the silent chamber calmly as not to arouse suspicion. The operators noticed him leaving however, and one grew suspicious.

“Ah, Representative Tatsunoko. Might I ask where you’re going? The Ravens are about to reach IBIS’ domain.”

“I won’t be long.” John said with a smile. “I’ve got some personal business to attend to.”

“Alright.” Amy let him go with that. She was a little unsure of what to think of Seta’s brother, but he seemed honest enough. That assumption would change however, when she noticed a small splatter of red liquid on the windows above her and decided to check it out. Her scream was heard even from a fair distance away. It was lucky for her that she immediately ran out of the room and headed for the nearest lavatory, because only a few minutes later the bomb in John’s briefcase went off, incinerating the better part of the two rooms.

The excessively long pathways and even longer elevator rides had put almost everyone on edge. Seta, however, was cool as ice. For some reason, he felt no fear in this area. He felt as though he had traveled the dark halls before, like a bad sense of deja vu, but other than that he felt fine. Lattice had been shaken by the silence, however. For some reason, every minute spent in the underground city felt like an hour in a coffin. Her operator had repeatedly told her to calm down, but it wasn’t helping. If anything, having a haunting, masculine voice call out through static made it worse.

“…Still no targets detected. Moving into the final elevator.” Genobee reported. His monotone was steady as ever, but the Nine Breaker felt himself getting a little tense as they moved through the complex.

“To IBIS, then.” Jack-O nodded as he proceeded through the next door. Fox Eye walked like a king, but its pilot was getting a bit jumpy. The emptiness of the Silent Layered was like a tomb, and he was an archeologist just waiting for whatever skeletons remained to come back to life. There was nothing though; not even the metallic corpses of the white and grey AI controlled ACs that had been defeated before IBIS.

Coffin Guard walked onto the elevator with Dual Face and Ray Arrow close behind. “So this is it, huh? Where that final battle took place… What do you think the Corporations found down here beside IBIS’ busted frame?”

“They didn’t even find that. The Raven who defeated IBIS destroyed its body completely, leaving nothing to salvage.” Fox Eye looked up as the elevator began to rise, the aim of its Karasawa following. “…But I still feel that there is more to this place than just IBIS. This area is relatively small when compared to the rest of the Layered, and yet it is viewed as more important than any other area. Why is that? After all, IBIS’ mainframe was almost an exact copy of the Controller’s, so why not study it instead?”

“I agree.” Dual Face set its eye on Coffin Guard, Genobee watching the AC with more than passing interest. “It seems as if there is more to this area than just a Controller copy.”

The elevator finally reached its end, stopping flush with the floor of a large arena. The entire area had been torn apart by weapons fire, but that wasn’t what stopped both Genobee and Jack-O in their tracks. They had both seen photographs of the chamber IBIS resided in, and the one major difference that shocked them both speechless for a few moments was what was missing from the room.

“IBIS is gone…!” Jack shouted in amazement. The entire wall where the AI had resided was completely gone, leaving only a dimly lit hallway behind it. The lights were flickering, some having shorted out in the years that had passed. “…Did Mirage take it?”

“No.” Seta shook his head, a single silver line tracing up his right eye. “I don’t think that’s the case… Look, there are tracks right where it used to sit.”

“…Hmm…” Genobee nodded. There were tracks there, and they ended a few meters into the hallway beyond, where a stretch of burnt plate started. “Perhaps it moved to reveal something else?”

“That’d be my best guess. Whatever’s down that hallway… is something I don’t think just anyone was supposed to see. It’s strange, I know, but it’s just this weird vibe I’m getting from seeing all of this.” Several more lines traced across Seta’s still green eyes, like a silver weave that continually restructured itself. Something was happening within him… Something was waking up, and it wasn’t Steven.

“Seta…” Lattice looked at the black and silver Core with a growing sense of worry for the man within. “…Are you alright?”

“…Yeah, I think so. Don’t worry about me Lattice. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay…” She nodded, but she wasn’t about to stop worrying. This was where he had died after all.

“Ravens, keep it professional.” Jack had regained his composure. This may have been an intriguing event, but that was no reason to lose his fellow Ravens in idle chit-chat. “Let’s move in: we’ve got more ground to cover than we originally anticipated.”

All four ACs began moving into the darkened hallway, only Seta noticing that the elevator had begun to descend behind them. He ignored it however. There was more to worry about in front of him than behind him.

Joshua shook off his stunned stupor, ducking behind a pile of crates as more shots rang out through the hanger. Three of his best men were dead, lying on the ground near the madman who had killed them.

‘What the hell is going on here?! Why is Seta’s brother trying to take that…’ A spike of panic shot through his mind. “Hey, keep him away from the MTs! If that nutcase gets in one, we’re toast!”

No one answered him, but several of the mechanics he could see hiding close by nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, all they had were tools to fight with, while John had a pair of pistols and an unknown amount of ammo. Things were not looking good.

“Sorry gentlemen, but you’re not who I’m after at the moment. Just stay out of my way and no one gets hurt.” John smiled to himself, thoroughly enjoying his actions. To hold sway over life and death was an addictive experience, he had to admit, but there wasn’t enough time to savor it.

“Like hell we’ll stay out of your way!” One mechanic shouted before throwing a wrench at John. It completely missed, but it was enough of a distraction for several others to move into better positions around him. “Don’t you know the mechanic’s code?”

“…There’s a mechanic’s code?” Joshua whispered to himself. He shook his head to clear the random thought. “Look, Tatsunoko, just put the guns down! What the heck do you want to accomplish, anyway?”

“That’s simple. I just want to change the world. Simple enough, wouldn’t you think?” Taking aim, John picked off a mechanic who was dashing toward better cover. The body hit the ground and rolled, leaving a trail of red on the asphalt floor. “And it would be even simpler if you didn’t try to get in my way!”

Joshua cringed at the noise. One more death, one more lost friend. He had to stop this. He was about to call out to John once again when he noticed one of his mechanics motioning to him, fingers and thumbs repeatedly tapping against eachother. ‘Stall him? What are they planning?’ Taking a breath, Joshua relaxed behind his crate. Whatever it was, it had to work. “Look, you say you want to change the world. What good is that going to do? Nobody cares if the world changes! They’ll just keep doing whatever they please, because they can.”

“Not if they’re dead.” John shrugged. The kid had a point, but it would be moot when he was finished. “Besides, with the kind of power I found below here, I can truly reshape the world in whatever way I want.”

“…The Silent Line? What’s it got to do with this?”

“Ah-ah! Now you’re trying to find out Corporate secrets!” The man spoke with a sarcasm that bordered on extreme, “But if you really want to know, I found the secrets of our past. I found our history down there, the history of the human race! All the technology we lost in the great destruction is simply waiting to be taken, and I know exactly how to get it. Mirage, Kisaragi, Crest, even the new Navis Corporation… All of them are powerless before our history!”

“History huh? You mean ancient technology!” Joshua shook his head in disgust. “Is that all you people think about? Power? It means nothing to you what everyone else thinks and feels about it! What about us? We have people we love, people we want to be with! All that power you want so badly will only destroy them!”

“People you love? You actually think you matter? Don’t make me laugh! The only people I’ve ever cared for died here! There’s nothing left here except empty memories and the power to change.” The mechanics were moving. He could see each and every one of them, slowly shifting and tensing. They were about to die.

“No! I have someone I care for! I’m willing to die for her!” Joshua shouted back. “Just because you’ve lost something doesn’t mean you have the right to change everything! At the most, you should change yourself into someone who uses those ‘empty memories’ as strength!”

The mechanics moved as one, leaping towards John with whatever they could find for weapons. They couldn’t match John’s speed however. The man spun in place, trigger fingers rapidly pulling and releasing as each target came into view. They all fell, dying.

“…Memories as strength, huh?” John dropped his pistols, letting them clatter to the ground with the still falling bodies. “No, I don’t think so. You’re still pretty naïve, like Seta was. He’s a murderer just like me, though he doesn’t acknowledge it. You all are.”

“…I see…” He balled his fists, knuckles turning white as a puddle of blood spread into view. He stood up and turned, facing John. “If that’s what you want to believe, do so. Rely on machines to get you through. My friends…” he looked down, turning white as he saw Stratford’s corpse. “…my friends are all I ever needed. Amy too; if she was gone, I’d remember her, always. I’d keep going. I will keep going!”

With a roar of unbridled rage, Joshua rushed toward John with his fists at the ready. The PLUS merely side stepped the blow, a single punch knocking the boy out cold.

“…I’d kill you for being so foolish, but I don’t have the time.” John quickly moved to the nearest MT in the hanger, boarding it without a second thought.