Part 13

For the record, I really have no idea what to do with the 2p code now that I have it, but here's a regular update for now.


Shadak is a pretty cool name for a town, I admit.

We're coming up on a town.

...what's left of it, anyway.

Looks like it's been abandoned for a while now.

Hold that thought, sir. I just picked up a vital sign.

Let's check it out.

OK!

She's not even making fun of his constant stops anymore. She's just accepted it.


Good question. He'd be shot on sight if he tried to sneak around the government zones.

The whole area's been devastated.

Stay on topic, mister.

Could normal weapons possible have caused this much damage?

Normal weapons? No. But Tchernenko...

Not that you actually know anything about Tchernenko except that it's some sort of weapon.


The blue dot on the far left is Clark, who refuses to move any further for no good reason. Well, I know the reason but it's pretty much Square being lazy. The dot on the right... who knows?


Negative. I've got a feeling somebody's watching me, though.


Oh, great.

Huh?

Give me back my DAD!

"Oh, I see. I didn't hear you the first time."

Hey! Cut it out!

By this point, the kid is throwing rocks at you. This is funny, but if we really were as unfriendly as her thinks, this kid would be very dead.

Rebel! Rebel! Dirty rebel!

What's your problem, kid?

Why are you always attacking us? Why? Why did you take dad and the others away?

Hold on! The rebels did WHAT?

You should know!

Listen! I'm not with them, all right?

"Well, technically I am, but that's not the point!"

...Really? C'mon! You've got to help my dad! The rebels won't let him take a break!

He's not hard to convince.

But...

This way! C'mon!

......

May as well follow him.

All right.

Keep an eye out for Emil, though.

"So you can execute him."


Your Wanzer's too big. They'll see it!

Guess I'll have to walk it.

This gets more contrived every second.


Jeeze, you're slow, kid. I'll just run ahead. I mean we're only in two dimensions so I'm pretty sure what we want is just to the right, here.


They make the adults work like this all day long!

No, don't use cover or anything. Just sit out in the open. It'll be great when you get shot.

Wait a minute... that's a government Wanzer!

No! The rebels only use those when they're doing bad things! Dad says they're "exploiten" the "proletetariot"...

I guess we couldn't have a Russia mission without some Marxism.

...WHAT?

He's forgotten how to say anything else.

Johansen!

Don't do anything rash. He's still got his eyes on us.

Somebody's got to put a stop to this!

Get 'em!

"I'm not your dog, kid. Wait, did you just-"


What are you doing? Let these people go!

H...hey! We're just following orders, comrade! Wait... aren't you the mercenaries we hired? Stay out of this! These are funds for the revolution!

What kind of revolution steals from the people it claims to represent?

Stupid kid should have let me keep the Wanzer if he was just going to get to kill them all.

Planning on doing something about it? Damn shame your Wanzer's so far away, isn't it?

It's just over there. I mean, it's a bit of a jog, but...


Hello, Clark! Wonderful that you chose to show up at this precise moment! Sorry I can't stay to chat but I'm very busy running for my life.


Alright, now it is ON!

Insert a great deal of carnage and destruction here.


Wait, where'd he go?

You mean Mikhail? The kid you left back at the bank because he's a twit?


I... I can't find my dad!

Are you sure you looked everywhere?

Y... yeah!

"Even under the bed?"

He wasn't with the other adults. Waaaah! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!


Ah!

Dad!

Mikhail... you're safe!

Yeah! It's all thanks to Albert!

Did Albert ever actually tell the kid his name?

I owe you, mister. Now we can evacuate to somewhere safe.

Wait! What's going on, here? Why are the rebels attacking you?

It's par for the course for them. Oh, they CLAIM their revolution is "for the sake of the people", but they'll loot anything they can get their hands on to fund their forces. And THEN they've got the nerve to blame it all on the army!

...That's horrible!

Oh, we had no love for the government. The administration thought of nothing but strengthening the military. But these rebels are ten times worse!

Yeah!

Quiet, you. The adults are talking. Seriously.

But a lot of people still don't realize what's going on. It's about time we stood up and let them hear the truth!

You've got THAT right!


"Good bye! We'll never forget you, crazy mercenary guy whose name you never told us but we somehow know anyway!"


I guess they paid us for teamkilling.


Yeah, that wasn't very profitable, but it also wasn't very hard.


huh? How right you were.

"I mean, not in this particular situation, but..."

Look... if we bilk orders, Kernelight fires us. Then what?

WE JUST MURDERED A BUNCH OF OUR EMPLOYER'S MEN!

...... Well, let's just find Emil.

And once we've... found him?

Just leave it to me.

O... OK!


A little more before stopping. Just this side area.


These things... I'm not really sure what they do. They look shielded, though, so for once the laser was useful. None of them actually did anything to hurt me at any point.


These things can lay mines, so they're a bit tougher.


I've got a good few special weapons, but no homing missiles so far. Oh, well.






That's the results of this sortie. That's it for now. This area is nearly done.