Part 63: Day 29 - Story

Day 29: Story

Music: Romantic


I mean, we’ve never really talked to each other. After all, I was here because I trusted Carmen, not you.





Music: Ricardo's Revenge


I couldn’t answer his last words because I didn’t want to desolate the only hope he had left. That was my selfishness, believing that he would be at least happy in a fleeting dream he could not wake from, lying in restless sleep.

Music: Strange Dream


I’ll have to check out another way next time.



I heard treatment is needed for a while because my parts were full of Enkephalin. It’ll probably be tough. Bit painful, too.



But somewhere deep in my flickering consciousness, someone called out to me. That familiar, yet unfamiliar voice said this: “No, you cannot. Here, you must ask my permission for anything. Even for death.” And then you saved me. Opened my eyes once again to here where we stand, sadly.



It’s impossible, even if everyone tries. Well, there is something to get out of all this. It’s to try and live. Even though life is full of pain, if I have to find and hold onto even the tiniest speck of possibility, if that’s what you and the voice wished for… I can’t help but give a shot at living up to your hopes, now can I?



But for the first time, I think that maybe it was me who called you.

*static*




We were both caught up in the karma of the past. I’m not the one who has changed. It’s you, manager. You’re the one who’s finally starting to see clearly.



In summary: A admits to letting Giovanni believe a lie in order to give him a peaceful rest, since he was probably going to die from the Cogito dosage experiments. In the present, Netzach's going to be needing some additional maintenance, but he'll be fine. He tells X that they're both caught up in the karma of the past, but that X is finally starting to see clearly. With the Fearlessness to keep on Living acquired, the seed grows to a full 30%.

Glad you're doing better. Does this mean you'll be putting in work now?

Yeah, I guess so. I wouldn't mind if you want to let me sleep through another day, though…

Yeah… Not happening.

Music: Dear Lorenne


After all this? Even if you turn back the clock… Do you really think your regrets can be so easily washed away as if nothing happened?

In summary: Angela asks us if going back in time will be able to remove our regrets.

This scene is actually special, since it's related to the number of Core Suppressions we've completed-showing up after hitting 30% regardless of who we used to get there or what order we do them in.

Music: Emotional


One thing I didn't mention last time is that the memory scenes that play out involving this person all have old-timey camera effects going on on them, so there's little flickers of black lines and stuff like we're watching an old movie. It's a neat effect.

"…. ……."

Don’t be so humble. You could have gone to any Wing you wanted. But you still chose to come here; is it because of your trust in me? Just you wait, I’ll make sure you won’t regret your decision.



Everyone is forcibly locking away their own light and potential… And here, this is the treatment I’ve told you about. The treatment for the soul. Trust me, we’ve made a worthy first step. People will gather around us soon enough.



In summary: We remember joining some kind of organization with the mysterious shadowy lady who is definitely Carmen. She mentions that everyone's subconscious leads to death, as people forcibly lock away their own potential… and that she's got some kind of treatment for this.

Music: Forgotten Entrance of Memories


Lady Angela must have showered you with praise for your work, right?





…Such glorious, yet boring platitudes. I myself had a burning passion in the past. Being responsible for a whole department, how charming is that? I hadn’t even acquired a taste for coffee back then. Should I say I developed that taste after learning the bitterness of life?



One time, I even insisted on managing the Abnormalities myself. I thought that only allowing employees on the field was plain ridiculous. Seems pretty absurd to look back on it now. You must be asking yourself, why have I become like this?



Music: Romantic Memories


Chesed, what did you write up this time? I told you that this will change nothing.

But please, just look it over. This does have a statistically proven impact, and it even costs less. This will be beneficial for everyone.

Listen, Chesed. No matter how strongly you insist, using machines in place of human employees will never happen.



It’s clear that it will benefit everyone. The casualties caused by Abnormalities will be lowered, too.

How many times do I have to repeat myself? No the first time, and no yet again. Return to your post and finish your work.

I’ll never give up on this. I swear to you that you will like the plan in the end. I’ll keep developing and furthering it, and I’ll continue to show you again and again, no matter how many times I may have to.

Music: Forgotten Entrance of Memories


A few of our employees have made the suggestion to temporarily close down that part of the corridor. There are body parts that still have yet to be disposed of.

Alright. I’ll order it to be blocked, and have them take detours.



Like yesterday, this answer doesn't change anything.



Surely that Abnormality had knocked them out before disintegrating them… I’m— Yeah, I’m sure it was a painless death.

In summary: Chesed used to give a damn, trying to get Angela's approval for a program where robots would work with Abnormalities. She turned it down, however. Even now, he still seems to care about our employees somewhere deep, deep down.



Same thing, less time. We're down to 8 minutes to play with.

Yesterday was rough for all of us, without the regenerators.

Don't worry too much about it. It was… only clerks. After all. And they don't count in the first place, right?

Pretty much, yeah.

Well, I do still have to clean them up afterwards. Try to be conservative, manager.



Finally, a nice quiet day without any distractions… feels like it's been forever.

Manager! There's a problem!

_{...Just had to say something, didn't I?} Okay, Malkuth. What's up?

It's Yesod. He's… Um… There was something off about him at today's meeting. I don't know if it's a problem or not, but I think you should speak with him.

I guess so… Let's find out what this is all about, I suppose.

_{(Yesod previous story: 1, 2, 3, 4)}

Music: Through the Mist










I’d give you a compliment if I didn’t have so much work to do. The Information Team has a task they must do periodically.



Among the tremendous amount of information we gather, there are some that should remain off limits to the employees for security reasons. The names of the employees are one such thing.



There is no way for me to know what the criteria for stripping the records are. They are set by another department, not us. We only manipulate the information we receive, per orders. Isn’t it funny?



Whenever I introduce myself as the Sephirah of the Information Team… I sometimes feel something bubbling up inside of me.



You will get the list of employees soon as well. Please do not forget to review it after you have finished expunging the documents.

Ms. Angela, what do you think it means to remember someone’s name?

This is a work you regularly do. Why are you so emotional about it today?

Maybe names were marks atypical beings gave each other, to engrave each other upon their memories. Someone might have named you Angela following the same concept.



I knew you would say that.



Referring to employees by name is not recommended here. When employees first enter the company, each one receives their own unique identification number. This is to allow the company to identify them using the minimum amount of personal information. We have their numbers in our data storage devices. Malkuth has never called the employees by their names ever since she started working here.



This is not to say that Malkuth deserves to take all the pain as well. None of us do. What kind of poor taste is that, to lock us inside metal bodies, and throw us into an endless loop of days that feel just the same as yesterday?



I heard you might be one of the architects responsible for our creation. The only thing I could do here is remember the names of a few forgotten employees, and eternally despair… Feeling nauseous from even a single breath of air… Have you had fun watching your guinea pigs run around in circles?

......

Music: Until Dawn




He was unmoved, even after hearing about what happened to Elijah. Some said he lacked empathy. But nobody realized that his emotions were festering on the inside. Maybe he began falling apart from long ago, ever since Carmen left this world. He slowly became expressionless. He wouldn’t allow himself to have even a paltry joy. He also couldn’t stand having even the smallest part of his body exposed.



To not let what Elijah did be in vain, instead of taking the time to grieve, everyone knew they needed to utilize this result to the fullest. He tried to maintain a facade of level-headedness, but his attempts to remain rational slowly morphed into an obsession. He started to wear long sleeved clothing that also covered his neck. Not much later, he started to scratch himself harshly.



Health check-ups were needed to prevent further damage. Persuasion became coercion, and coercion led to the use of physical force. He was tied and bound for the check-up, but he resisted so desperately that it was hard for us to watch him. Eventually, it turned out that he wasn’t infected at all. Was that really fortunate, though?



When I saw him last, he wasn’t lucid or cognizant to any human speech, and his body was completely covered in scratches. No one has seen him since then.

Music: Boss Warning


In summary: Yesod reveals to us that the Information Team periodically purges employee records from its systems, based upon orders from another department. He then goes on to talk about the importance of names, then comes at us directly for being one of the founders of this place. It's about then that he starts breaking down, and we remember Gabriel, who was a former employee who went a bit nuts after Elijah's death.

As a side note, there is a single line that was cut from the script to the game, placed when Angela would leave. I'll put it below, and leave in the line before it for context.


We're not really missing anything, but it reads like originally Angela was supposed to basically try and force herself to have the last word.

Next time, on Lobotomy Corporation: Yesod tries to kill us because he's an AI and this is a video game.








Okay kiddos, just heard from management-it looks like our department's the next to get hit.

I was really hoping we'd somehow dodge it. Yesod's always been the level-headed one. He seemed… fine.

Does seem that way, doesn't he?

His problem is he gives a damn. Around here, all that does is cause problems.

There is hardly room for caring in this world. A place devoid of mother… is no place at all.

Case in point, Yesod would be sad if he got buzzsawed in half.

And you wouldn't?

…eh.

Mr. Blond, you haven't spent as much time here as some of us so you may not notice, but… There's a kindness behind that harsh exterior. Feelings that run that deep can bubble up into a whirlpool, and then... Well, there goes my nice, quiet day in Information.

...Hm. I guess I might have misjudged the guy.

It is best to view nothing by its surface appearance. Look within, beyond, and only then can you proceed.

That... was an unusually relevant thought from you, Sephiroth.

Anyways, I'm gonna' go mosey. Try not to tear up the place while I'm gone.

Hey, if you're gone, does that mean-

We all can have a break after this is dealt with. For now, find a team that seems shortstaffed and help 'em out.

Yes, D.A.D.…

See you tomorrow then, I guess.

If we're lucky. No dying on me now, kiddos.