Part 68: Round 1: Aftermath
Time to make the rounds for the first time for the third time.
By the way, the next voice clip covers almost the entirety of this update,
999 OST: [Imaginary]
Listen in: [English/Japanese]
Oh, Sigma.
Alice.
Of course! I'm teetering on the brink of the abyss thanks to you!
I didn't have a choice. I'm just trying to get out of here, like we all are.
And that's enough to justify screwing someone else over?
That's not what I meant and you know it.
If I'd known for sure that you were going to choose "ally", then I would have chosen "ally" too.
What? Am I such a horrible person for wanting to get out of here?!
I have to get out of here!
There's so many things I still want to do!
Like what?
I want to wear lots of gorgeous clothes...
I want to eat tons of delicious food, and fall in love...
What an idiot.
Excuse me?!
I was going to take your side, but after that load of horseshit you're on your own.
I'm... frustrated.
But there really is something important I have to do.
Which is?
...
...
That's what I have to do.
...
What happened to him...?
Could you... elaborate on that?
No, I couldn't.
This isn't the kind of thing I should be telling people I don't even know.
Fine.
Just tell me one thing.
Does your father's murder have anything to do with us being trapped here?
As to why you're here, your guess is as good as mine.
But it's possible that his death is connected to my abduction.
Meaning?
I was on their trail. I was tracking down the people who killed him.
How close were you?
I can't say.
But it's possible that I was getting close enough that they decided something had to be done with me.
Are you a detective?
Not a bad guess, though.
...
...
...
Well... I mean, you don't really have the... detective... look.
I didn't say I was a detective!
Then what are you? CIA?
No!
Fine. Well, whatever you are, you don't look like one.
That's fine.
...
Wh-What's she got to do with anything?
Well, you know each other, right?
I was thinking maybe you were related or worked together or something.
No. She has nothing to do with my work.
Where's somewhere?
The middle of a desert.
A desert?
Yes. But that's an awfully long story...
...
That doesn't seem fair to me.
How about you guys give up a little personal information too?
...
...
...
Who are you?
Just a garbage collector.
Any ties to Zero?
None.
What's your relationship with Quark?
You two know eachother, right?
...
...
Do I have to answer that?
Well, if you really don't want to, it's not like I can force you...
Oh.
I mean, it's not like you told us everything either.
I see... Very well then.
What's your profession?
Well, you're probably gonna think I'm full of shit, but...
A ringleader?!
You're kidding!
Nope. I'm the real deal. I lead a company of about fifty people. We travel all over the world.
It was my grandfather's grandfather who founded it, but...
My father died at a young age. I'm a fifth generation ringleader.
My old man was a trapeze artist.
He tried to do this quadruple flip and... missed...
He was pretty reckless for a guy that age.
Always talking about how he couldn't let the kids show him up... Guess he just took it too far.
I see...
You lost your father too, then...
Yeah...
...
Anyway, point is, I don't have any damn idea how I'm connected to Zero.
I got grabbed on the last night of one of our tour stops.
I'd gone out to a couple bars and gotten shitfaced.
Before I can even get a look at 'em, they hit me with that gas and I'm out like a light.
Next thing I know I'm waking up in the AB Room.
...
...
...
We still haven't heard your story, Sigma. Who're you?
I told you guys the first time we met.
Don't you remember? I was on my way home from school, and when I got into my car this white gas started pouring out of everywhere...
Are you some kind of doctor?
Huh? No, I'm still working on my degree. I'm shooting for a PhD, but I'm not quite there yet.
Yeah, I guess I have.
Can you think of anything that might connect you to any of this?
Believe me, I've thought about it, but I just keep drawing a blank.
What about Zero?
No idea.
Do any of the people here look familiar to you?
Nope. You're all strangers.
...Well, I guess I can't really say for sure about K, since I haven't seen his face. I suppose it's possible he's someone I know.
Just who is he, anyway?
Oh, come on! You know he's full of shit!
You still don't believe him?
Of course not!
I think she's a student.
At night she's a waitress or a bartender or something.
Hmm...
Well, I guess he probably doesn't really have a job, huh. He's still in elementary school, right?
Heh...
Why's that funny?
It's nothing.
Just forget about it.
...?
Yeah, you're right.
Boy his age would be in elementary school.
You don't really know much, do you? About Quark, I mean.
If it makes you feel better, sure.
...?
I got her talking when we were in the infirmary.
She says she's got some sort of medical license or something.
She's a nurse?
It could mean she's a doctor.
I don't know, she didn't say.
Just going by how she looks, though, I'd guess nurse...
...
...
...
You've been around her the most, Sigma.
She told you anything?
...
It's just kind of... there.
Like, I looked at you...
...And some part of my brain just said, "That's Sigma".
You sure?
Yeah... She's a real mystery, all right.
I honestly know about as much as you do.
So... basically nothing.
A garbage collector, an elementary school kid, a nurse, and a circus ringleader.
Plus two total mysteries.
What do we all have in common?
I don't think Zero would just grab a bunch of people randomly...
...
...
...
We should just focus on getting out of here.
I agree.
I'm gonna go check on the others, then.
Where do you plan on going?
Uh...
I see. Right. Later, bro.
Okay.
