Part 112: Episode CVIII: The Tower

Episode CVIII: The Tower



Affirmative. Launching compressed conversation mode.





Affirmative. Awaiting report on the effects of unit 2B’s memory data on unit A2’s self-consciousness.
Understood. Updating as reference data for support activity.





We find ourselves back with the option to pick between A2 and 9S again. We’re going to go see how 9S is doing this time around. Apparently the intended path is to do it in this order since this is listed as Chapter 13. Don’t worry about that chapter title. I’m sure it’s nothing... Anyway, let’s see how 9S has been in the last two weeks after plummeting off that bridge.



9S was a little upset last time we saw him. What with the blood rage and all... Maybe he’s chilled out since then.





Looks like he’s awake, Devola.



Mornin’. Slept well, didn’t ya, 9S?



Gah! Put the blindfold back on, 9S! You look creepy!




Music: Peaceful Sleep



That’s right. You’ve been unconscious for nearly two weeks.
A little thank-you for saving your butt would be nice!
Where’s 2B?
......
You know that better than anyone, no? Her... black box signal... disappeared.
...Oh.
Devola and Popola are rare android models designed for medical treatment and maintenance. Without the Bunker, they are the only remaining way for unit 9S to initiate repairs. Proposal: A word of appreciation is appropriate.
......
...Thanks.
Yeah, there used to be lots of our models around. Apparently, we were put here to oversee some kind of large-scale system that was in place.
Apparently? What does that mean?
It means we don’t know. All the records from that era have been deleted. Our model kinda went nutso at some point in the past. It... ended badly.
Most of our kind were disposed of after that. But... we were spared. They used us as a sort of control group in order to ensure such a thing couldn’t happen again.
So yeah, we’re lab rats. But at least we get to be here helping out friends. I’d like to think that we’re atoning in some way for our past sins.
......
Try not to overdo it, 9S.



OK. Devola and Popola can fix up 9S if he gets owned... again. Good to know. Welcome back to the Resistance Camp. It’s a bit worse for wear. I wonder if 2B told him about the machines having teeth under their dome heads and eating a bunch of androids.



Pod mentioned we’ve gotten mail. Luckily, the Access Point and that crate with the terrible texture both survived the rampaging machines during Eve’s hissy fit back at the conclusion of Route A/B. Let’s see who the hell is contacting us now that the Bunker is toast.



Great. The dipshit androids pretending to be humans on the moon are still OK. Good to know. This is the last we ever hear from the Council of Humanity in the game. Not much point in sending out any more monthly emails or dry speeches for a while. We’ll try again in Machine War 15 in a couple hundred years.



The Resistance Camp is quite a bit emptier nowadays. All of the important NPCs like Anemone and all of the shop keepers made it. Everyone else? Fucking dead or otherwise missing! There is the one new fella with a side quest. But we’ll hold off a tad bit before speaking with him. Strange Resistance Woman, however, has something new to tell us.



Now we’ve got no Bunker, and we can’t replenish our bodies. So if we die, there’s no more recovery. If you die now, it’s the end, so I’d recommend saving as much as possible.



Just a healthy reminder that the whole body recovery respawn system is gone now so dead means dead in both gameplay and plot wise. Remember: There is no auto-save! But enough of that. We’ll come back here to sort out that side quest later. For now, let’s head out to the City Ruins proper to see...


Music: Rays of Light (Quiet)









Unlike A2, who was interested in the hulking superstructure taking up a huge chunk of the sky’s real estate for all of about ten seconds, 9S gets a full title card for The Tower and immediately wants to know what in the hell the deal is with that thing.



An enormous facility that appeared from an area beneath the ground. It would appear to be machine-related in origin. Further details unknown. Mobile transport platform detected in the section emerging from the facility’s center.
So... an elevator?

Might be worth checking ou—OH SHIT! WATCH OUT!


New Music: Emil’s Shop Theme (SPEED) (You should listen to this.)





So Emil is feeling super hyper today and is speeding across the general area doing sick jumps and singing his song at 3x speed. At least someone is having a good time in Route C.





As usual, the method of slowing down Emil is to just fire at him until he violently crashes to a stop. It’s fine. Emil survived being in ground zero for a tactical magic nuke. He’s a durable boy.


Music: Emil's Shop Theme (Instrumental)



Emil’s shop actually can _potentially sell different, much more desirable junk when he initially spawns near the Resistance Camp. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times. He’s still selling the same crappy plug-in chips A2 saw earlier. One version of Emil’s RNG dependent shop sells two of the remaining weapons for our collection. Alas, that will have to wait for another day.



To buffer the disappointment, we’ll just go ahead and sell 33 Machine Cores now that we’re here. Emil has no problem covering that transaction. Just how loaded are you these days...?



And what name should I put on the receipt?
Um, I don’t really think I need a receipt.
...YoRHa brain scan complete. “9S,” is it? Hope to see you again soon!
Oooo-kay?


Music: Rays of Light (Quiet)





Emil is a strange boy. We might see more of him during Route C. But that’s for another day. For now, let’s head down into the City Ruins’ central crater and investigate that elevator into The Tower.





Well, it looks like it connects to the rest of The Tower anyway. The gate to the entrance is locked. So 9S does what he does best and...



...immediately gets owned by the door rejecting his hacking. Before we can do anything else, a pleasant female announcement voice emanates from The Tower. Just roll with it...



We apologize for the inconvenience... but locks on each sub-unit must be deactivated before accessing the main Tower. Have a GREAT day!
......
Query: What is the motive for a machine lifeform to provide such an announcement?
There’s no reason for anything they do.





OK. Well, the announcement said something about deactivating locks on sub-units and there’s three other nodes surrounding the gate...



Let’s try sliding up to one of these thingamajigs and seeing if 9S can wor—



Nope! Hackerman has met his hacking match. Nothing is going 9S’s way this month... Again, the Tower System Services announcement voice perks up.



Special authorization keys are required to access Tower sub-units. We apologize for the inconvenience, but access is not permitted at this time. However... Today, we have a special gift for first-time visitors to this Tower. A tour of our brand-new resource-recovery units! We look forward to serving you again!



9S gets zapped by something again as the announcement concludes.



A forced message from the enemy system. Said message relays the locations of objects known as resource-recovery units.
Now they’re just messing with us...


Music: Rays of Light (Medium)



Welp. There’s nothing more to be done down here. At least not until 9S ventures to three temples resource-recovery units and gathers three special keys hidden within. As we leave the area, 9S has some questions for his Pod.



Hey, Pod. Give me a rundown on what happened while I was resting.
Affirmative. Relevant data concerns the massive facility you just accessed. It appears to be machine-related in origin, though further details are unknown. Additionally, the large structural units launched from the facility have been detected in multiple areas.
Large structural units?
Said units were marked as goals earlier. They are believed to be the so-called “resource-recovery units”.
What do these units do?
Unknown.
Where’s A2?
Unit A2’s position and current status are unknown.
All right. Mark the positions of those units on my map, will you?



While we can actually go out in the world and find all three resource-recovery units out in the world right now, the game wants us to access them in a certain order. The first one is located in the Forest Zone. I guess we have a goal now... Though Pod 153 would like some clarification.



Proposal: Unit 9S should state his intentions.
I’m going to wipe out the machines.
With the Bunker destroyed, previous orders to YoRHa units would be suspended. Proposal: Rendezvous with Resistance forces and confirm chain of command.
I don’t care about chain of command. I have one goal now. I’m going to kill every last machine. And then... I’m going to kill A2.

And so begins 9S’s journey to go from a mild mannered Hackerman to CaimS. I’m sure it’ll work out for him...






Video: Episode 108 Highlight Reel (You should watch this.)





The Tower Concept Art – Didn’t know the machines were so into spirals.