Part 87: Mission 35 - "Route Split"
: …: Where am I…?
: This is the Linebarrel’s cyberworld…
: You’re making direct contact with the Linebarrel now.: Y-You’re…: I’m Nano!: And I’m Machine!: Now, let’s learn about the extinction of mankind!: You and we, the microscopical mechanical lifeforms! Yaaay!: The extinction of mankind…?!: It all started with a certain scientist who succeeded in making nanomachines a reality…: Nanomachines, as in the things used to turn someone into a Factor…?: Bingo, and it’s by being implanted with nanomachines that a Factor gains his superhuman abilities.: Mind you, they were originally invented to heal illness and injuries.: And thanks to nanomachines, humans achieved a state where they were practically immortal. : The long-lasting dream of eternal life had become real for mankind! They no longer had any fear of death. What do you think happened next?: Well, if they couldn’t die, then I guess they wouldn’t have to fight over a lot of stuff…: Then, the world would be at peace, right?: Oh, yes, it was peaceful. VERY peaceful. So peaceful that people lost their imagination.: And that led to the extinction of mankind…: Huh…?!: Wait, back it up there! Why would peace cause people to lose their imagination, and how would that make humanity go extinct?!
: Imagination is what makes humans human. : …?!: And if humans cease to be human… then they can no longer exist. Nature does not allow such an abnormality.: …: Who are you…?: I’m the one guilty of inventing the nanomachines and the Machinas, and of bringing about the extinction of mankind…
: I am Amagatsu Kizaki.: You’re… Kizaki’s dad? But you look just like…: I figured I should assume a form around your age if we were going to have this talk.: Come with me. There’s something I want you to see.
: Th-That’s…!: After mankind went extinct, the Machina suddenly started fighting one another.
: Those are Vardants…?! There are so many… What’s going on?!: With their masters gone, this was the ultimate fate of those oh-so-foolishly pure machines.: Why are the Machinas fighting each other…?!: As you already know, the Machinas core principle is that they must prioritize human life above anything else.: And with said human life gone, the Machinas tried to become human themselves.: The Machinas tried to become human…?!: Since the dawn of time, mankind has evolved by thinking of ways to avoid death. : It was through that primordial fear of death that humans obtained their imagination.: And if it’s imagination that makes humans human…: What do you suppose the Machinas would do in order to become human?: …: They would make themselves imagine their own deaths…: Precisely. In essence, this war you’re seeing was a ritual through which the Machinas would comprehend death, attain imagination, and become human. : …: Now let’s go back a bit in time.
: No! I…: I can’t do it!: Is that kid…?!: Hm. It’s Hisataka Katou, long before he became the commander of the Katou Organization.: He worked as my assistant back then, though he had all the makings of a brilliant scientist himself. : Katou was your assistant…?: And the one he’s pointing a gun at is me: Prof. Amagatsu Kizaki. I asked him to kill me, so that I’d become the Linebarrel’s Factor. : …!
: Please, Katou… It has to be done!: But… How…: How can you expect me to just kill you, Professor…?!: …: I understand that it’s a very cruel request I’m making of you… : But I can’t trust anyone but you to see it done. It won’t be long before I…: There’s no telling when the Suicide Switch inside me will flip!: “Suicide Switch”…?: I told you, no? Nature does not allow abnormalities such as humans who’ve ceased to be humans to exist.: The humans who no longer felt any fear of death, who’d lost their imagination…: All committed suicide, one by one.: S-Suicide?!: That was the cause of the extinction of mankind.: “Commit suicide if you’ve lost your imagination.” This simple program’s coded into our very DNA. : “Coded”… Then who put it there?!: Even I don’t know our origin as a species, so I couldn’t tell you…: This could well be God’s handiwork, after He was finished creating us. : G-God…?: Please, Katou. Don’t give me a chance to kill myself as well!: P-Professor…: I want you to know… that bringing you into our family has given me so much joy…: Thank you… from the bottom of my heart…: Professor, I… I!: Gch… Uwaaaaaah!*Bang!*
: And, so, I became the Linebarrel’s Factor.: …: Can I ask you something?: Why did you do it? Why go that far to become a Factor…?: …
: I did it…: To destroy the world.: …?!
*Boom!*
: To “destroy” the world…? What do you mean?!: There’s no need for you to understand. : What the hell… Just what’re you trying to accomplish with this?!: Isn’t it obvious? All I want is to save humanity.: What humanity?! The one from the era you lived in?! They’re not even here anymore!: …?!: I don’t know how you and the Linebarrel wound up in our time…: But we’re fighting for the era we live in! For our present! This isn’t your time anymore!: …: The humanity I worked to save is already gone, hm…?
: Hrm…!: H-Hey, what’s…?!: Looks like my time is almost up…: Your “time”…?!: The repeated battles and the wounds I suffered from the compulsory teleports have taken their toll.: In truth, there isn’t much left of my body anymore.: W-Wait, but you’re the Linebarrel’s Factor, right?: If you die, won’t the Linebarrel…: No… I’ll pass everything on to my daughter – to Emi.
: To Kizaki…?: Are you kidding me?! You’re going to make her go through the same things you did?!: How can you turn your daughter into a tool of war…: You can’t the save world with ideology.: No! Saving the world’s impossible only when you don’t have any ideals to believe in!: What…?!
SRW UX - Linebarrel (Full Intro): I get it now…: You don’t have any ideals of your own. All you felt was despair, and that’s why you wanted to destroy the world…: The only reason you couldn’t save humanity was you!: I was the reason why I couldn’t save them…?!: Was there someone like me in the era you lived in? : Were there people who’d fight for the same reasons as you?!
: …: Hah, you’re really something. Not once did I imagine someone who thought like that could actually exist…: I see… I couldn’t save our world because there was no one like you around?: …: Are you telling me you can succeed where I couldn’t, then? You’d take the weight of the entire world onto your shoulders?: I’ve been carrying that weight for a long while now.: …: That’s about the answer I’d expect from you…: And if you’ll say that much, then I suppose I’ve nothing to worry about.
: This is…!: It’s time we bid each other farewell. : Kouichi, so many see in you a Champion of Justice… May I do the same?: Mr. Amagatsu…: Humans cannot create their fates, but they can still choose which one to follow…: It’s taken me until now to finally realize that.: Thank you, Kouichi…: W-Wait! I still have more—: Give my regards… to Emi…*Shutdown.*
: (What kind of things did he imagine from within the Linebarrel?) : (He’d lost his body, but still tried to save the world. What kind of dreams would a man like that have…?): (I wanted to know what I could do. There was so much I still wanted to ask him. But…): (He was no longer here…)
: …: And that’s everything he told me inside the Linebarrel…
: So, the reason why humanity goes extinct in the future is because they all killed themselves…?
: And Maj. Richard came to our time with Saya in a bid to try and stop that future from happening…
: Just as Prof. Amagatsu took Kizaki and came here from the future. 
: With the two of them aboard the Linebarrel…
: …
: Then, doesn’t that mean Kizaki and Katou were born in the future? And…
: Yes… It’s likely that’s also my case…
: But, I wonder, if all Machinas are from the future and teleported through time to come here…: Then why did they all arrive scattered across the ages?
: True, there’s a big gap between each of their arrivals.: For instance, Soubi’s Talisman has been around for some centuries, while Kujo’s Painkiller is from over two thousand years ago. : Ms. Saya, how did you and Maj. Richard make it to this era?
: I… don’t really remember.
: You don’t?: Hm. By the time I woke up, we had already crossed over…: Though the Major did say that it was chance that led us here…
: Simply put, then, the time travel method used is extremely erratic and doesn’t allow for one to specify the desired destination…?
: Hmm…: Rachel, do you have anything to add?
: Well, Time Travel is still very much a theoretical proposition right now, so I can’t give you much…: I’m more concerned with the Linebarrel, to be honest. 
: Something bad happened due to Amagatsu’s death?: More like I expected something bad to happen.: See, the original Factor has died, but absolutely nothing happened to the Linebarrel, Kouichi or Emi. 
: Hmm, you’re right… The Machina and all its Factors share the same life…: There’s only one answer I can think of for this: Kouichi’s 100% inherited the Linebarrel from Amagatsu Kizaki…
: Inherited, how…?: All things considered, it’s very likely that Amagatsu had joined with the Linebarrel’s computer.: And if he acknowledged Kouichi as his successor and passed the Linebarrel on to him…: …: That would mean that the Linebarrel and Hayase are now one and the same…
: …?!: Wh-What do you mean by that?!: I think it’s about a similar case to Joe and Tobikage. 
: Us…?: It’s like when you two fuse together, which allows you both to display all your dormant power.
: Then, when Kouichi gets aboard the Linebarrel now…: The same thing happens, yes. In other words, our Kouichi is far from your everyday Factor anymore.: …
: Mr. Ishigami… I have a question to ask.
: What is it?: In your eyes, was Hayase inheriting the Linebarrel from Amagatsu “pure happenstance” or was it one of your necessary “events"?: I’d rather not say.: And why is that?: Because, if I did, it might change events down the road and I’d prefer to avoid that.: I see. I shall ask you of something else, then.: We have made several choices throughout our past struggles.: Say we had chosen different paths to follow, would that have resulted in more or less sacrifices?: …
: I’ll leave that to your imagination.
: You are still evading the subject?!: You know everything, yet you tell us nothing… How many lives will you toy with before you are satisfied?!
: Brother…: …
: Hmph… You lack maturity, Sun Quan.: What?!: Those who have perished all chose their fates leading to that point. And as they left this mortal coil, they entrusted their cause to those who remained.: Ishigami did not determine their deaths to be. Their own wills made it so!: And we are supposed to simply tread over their lost lives?!
: Ideals demand sacrifice. ‘Tis folly to attempt to see them through without!: Then let me tell you where you can shove your brand of ideals!
: That is enough! Your bickering will not help us in the slightest!
: Then, where do you stand on this, Liu Bei? What is your opinion?: I…
And here we get an odd route split – if you can call it that. Our guys won’t actually split off, but the upcoming mission will change somewhat (including what you have to do for a secret).
Top option is to agree with Cao Cao:
: Sun Quan, I understand how you feel… However, I…: I do not believe those who have died simply erred in the choices they made…: Liu Bei…: Though they sacrificed themselves, every last one of them wished their spirits to live on in those who remained…: Do you not think Lords Sun Jian and Sun Ce also felt that way…?: …And if you pick the bottom option to agree with Sun Quan:
: Looking at the grand scheme of things, it could well be said that Cao Cao’s view is correct. However…: I’m afraid I simply cannot bring myself to accept making a steppingstone out of anyone’s life in a bid to secure our future…: …: Hmph… You have not changed at all…: Moreover, Sun Quan witnessed Lords Sun Jian and Sun Ce’s sacrifice in person. I would not expect him to abide such notions at all.: Liu Bei…From here on, it’s the same:
*Beep, beep!*
: Cpt. Jeffrey, Ms. Lam is sending an urgent transmission.
: From Lam? Alright, put her through.*Beep.*
: G-Guys, we’ve got big trouble! Sheryl was…!
: Hm?! What happened to her?!: I-It’s…
: President Howard, is this really how you will deal with Sheryl Nome?!
: Yes, it is.: But transferring her to Alcatraz, a penitentiary famous for housing only the worst of the worst? She’s a citizen of the Galaxy Fleet, so why imprison her on Earth?: Because the grave crimes she’s committed affected not only us, but Earth as well. : She intentionally beckoned the Vajra, the enemies of all humanity, into this world. And that deed cannot go unanswered.: Sheryl Nome beckoned the Vajra…?: That’s right. It’s with a heavy heart that we do this, but the Frontier Government has decided…: That she is to be put to death. : D-Death?!
: …
: You have 15 minutes, understand?: Okay…: # 107, come in.
: …: Sheryl!: R-Ranka?! What are you doing here…?: I just wanted to speak to you for a bit…: I’ve nothing to say to you! Guard, take me back to my cell!: Are you just going to run?!: …!: Sheryl, there are so many people who still believe in you.: Like Alto, and your fans…: I didn’t ask you to come here and feed me niceties! I’m no Galactic Fairy or anything of the sort… I’m just a sad excuse of a person!: …: I always thought you were stronger than this, Sheryl.: I remember what I felt when you sung with me during that battle with the Vajra!: That’s when I felt that you were also lonely…: I was…?: I’m sorry if I’m mistaken, but I couldn’t help but think of how amazing you were!: How you carried on singing, despite the loneliness and sadness you felt…: And singing with you also helped me feel like I wasn’t alone…: Ranka…: I’m sorry for this, but there’s only last thing I want to ask – and I want you to tell me the truth.: Do you… love Alto?: …: I do. I love him as much as you do.: …!: But it won’t be long before I’m dead, so I want you to keep that between us…: Sheryl…
: …
: Pii!: What is it, Ai-kun? Are you trying to make me feel better?: Pii! PIII!*Jump from the shadows!*
: Keep walking and listen to me.: Wh-Who…?!: Easy, Ranka Lee. I’ve something I need to tell you.: B-Brera…!
: Sheryl will die soon. Her vocal cords are rife with V-Type Infection and she refuses to remove them. Even if her death sentence isn’t carried out, she will not last for long…: V-Type Infection?! Sheryl…?!: Yes. She was of no further use to the Frontier, so they had her arrested. : And that’s where you come in. You’re the only one other than her who can contact the Vajra, so the Frontier’ll be looking to use you as their new anti-Vajra weapon.: A-Anti-Vajra weapon…?!: You were infected by the Vajra’s Fold Bacteria while in your mother’s womb…: That made you naturally immune to them, and gave you the ability to control the Vajra.: My mother…? How do you know about that…?!: …: Eleven years ago, after Galia 4 fell to the Vajra, the Galaxy Fleet found and rescued me from the brink of death…: G-Galia 4…?!: That’s right, Ranka…: I’m your older brother…!: …!Excuse me, I think I posted the wrong CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE picture up there.
TheMajinZenki saw fit to provide me with the actual version:
