Part 177: NGAE: ~/cyan/betray/green sigma\$ !! && chmod u+rwx *

Let's cheat spectacularly at saving Alice's life.

VLR OST: [Consternation]




Damn" Where did she go?!



Then suddenly the world shifted.




_{Wha...what was that...?}



It was the same sensation I'd felt when I saw the vision of the bombs exploding...
Had it been a premonition?
...
...



VLR OST: [Strain]


I need to find Alice, now!




Damnit Alice, where are you...!



Yes, you do actually have to choose. No, there's no notable dialogue for the other rooms. Yes, Alice will die unless you run straight to Crew Quarters.




Yeah... Yeah! That has to be it!



I get neither the reference nor the relevance of that trophy name to the present situation but yeah we sure did bust through a plot lock, technically.





The moment I entered the crew hallway, I made straight for the door to the number 2 room.







I swallowed and threw open the door.





999 OST: [Trepidation]


Alice... So you were here.



As I spoke, her eyes turned toward mine, but I didn't get the feeling that they were looking at me.
Her skin was pale and sickly, and one of her hands held the scalpel like I'd caught her in the middle of something.



Listen in: [English/Japanese]


What are you doing here?


It's okay...
I'm just here to help you.


Help me...? What do you mean?


Just let go of that scalpel.


No...
I need it to get this bracelet off.


...Huh?


Remember what Zero Jr. told us...?
The bracelet comes off when your heart stops...
So I just have to—




Stop!



Before I even finished the word I was running.

I grabbed both her arms and wrenched them back, pulling the blade away from her chest.




Nooo! Let me go! I have to do this!
I can't take it anymore!
This whole thing is like a nightmare I can't wake up from!
The only way I'm going to get out of here is to die—!


Knock it off!



With a grunt, I tore the scalpel from her hands.



[Music fades out]




*Pant* *Pant*



It was a second before I felt a burning pain in my left hand.
I'd apparently cut myself getting the damn thing away from her.
Very quickly it progressed from a dull throbbing to a hot line of pain across my palm.
I clenched my teeth and squeezed my hand tight.
I was so focused on my pain that I barely heard Alice collapse.



She didn't respond when I shook her.




Hey, are you all right?!
Alice! Say something!
...
...



There was a moment of terror before I realized she was still breathing.
I didn't know why, but it seemed she'd only passed out.




Shit... What am I supposed to do now...
Oh man...
Maybe the infirmary...? It's got all those medical things...



Buoyed by adrenaline, I hefted Alice's body and took off toward the infirmary.