The door to the Deputy Commander's office opened, and Moore emerged from the room. Three of his subordinates, who had been waiting in the reception area, stood up from the sofa.
"How did it go?" asked Rapi, rising to her feet as the squad leader. Moore, however, glanced at the female military secretary of the Deputy Commander. Soon, his gaze returned to them, silently urging them to talk outside.
Nodding, the three subordinates handed over the items they had held for Moore. They were clad in body armor, wearing headsets around their necks, and helmets rested on their heads without the chin straps fastened. They had been told it was fine to come as they were, but in the headquarters filled with military personnel in uniform, they couldn't help but stand out.
With backpacks on their shoulders and protective mask cases slung over their shoulders, their preparations to leave were complete.
Moore motioned for them, and as they walked out into the corridor, they entered the elevator that led to the ground floor of the headquarters.
"...It seems like we've been found out."
They couldn't talk calmly with surveillance cameras watching them. The details would have to wait until they were inside the elevator heading back to the outpost.
As they left the headquarters building, they retrieved their respective firearms that they had left in custody. Boarding a nearby elevator, they began their journey back to the outpost. It was only then that Moore started to explain the details.
"...It's about Exia. Just before she was shot, it seems she burned her brain."
As Moore voiced this, each of them, although with individual differences, either averted their face or wore a solemn expression. Observing the three, Moore continued with his explanation of the meeting with Anderson.
First and foremost, the Central Government was investigating the hacking of the database by Exia, suspecting a connection with Heavenly Ascension. They had yet to discover the involvement of the Counters, which, while not comforting, Moore informed them. He leaned back against the elevator's wall, allowing himself to be swayed by its movement, and took out a soft pack of cigarettes from his pouch. As soon as he bit one, Rapi, with practiced ease, extended a turbo lighter toward him.
"Thank you."
"...So, about being found out...?"
Rapi pressed the button of the turbo lighter while asking Moore about the meaning behind the single sentence he had uttered in the elevator of the headquarters building. Blue flames erupted from the turbo lighter in her hand, casting a violet smoke from the tip of the lit cigarette.
"...I was asked if we had gained any clues on the surface."
"...And what was your response?"
"That's the problem."
Pinching the cigarette between the two mechanical fingers of his prosthetic left hand, Moore exhaled the purple smoke gently. At the same time, a sigh escaped him.
.
.
.
"...Syuen seems to have suddenly interfered with the communication network inside the Ark."
"...She prohibited the word 'Unchained.' We can neither search nor input it. Do you... know anything about it?"
.
.
.
Moore recited the conversation he had with Anderson in the Deputy Commander's office, word for word, from a few dozen minutes ago. Upon hearing this, Rapi let out a faint sigh.
"...How could he have found out... No, it can't be."
As if expressing his unease, he said the words with a disgusted tone.
However, it wasn't that he had found out; it was the possibility that he had known all along. Not about their actions, but about the existence of the Unchained itself.
Deep furrows appeared on Moore's forehead as that possibility crossed his mind.
"Commander, please don't get too worked up," said Rapi, her eyes narrowed. She reached out, grabbing the cuff of his sleeve and looked up at him.
When she noticed his red eyes wavering with uncertainty, Moore closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes again.
"...I'll be fine. It's about time."
The estimated arrival time at the outpost was displayed on the elevator's LCD panel.
Soon, the elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened.
The appearance of the outpost, unchanged since this morning, greeted them.
Stepping out of the elevator, they made their way toward the outpost's headquarters building. Anis, who followed behind, finally spoke.
"...Is Syuen... going to face no consequences...?"
"...That's likely."
"Why!?"
Anise's scream pierced their ears. Moore stopped in his tracks, turning to look back at her.
"Exia was killed! Because of Syuen!!"
"...Even so... Exia was the one who illegally hacked into the Central Government's database. In the eyes of third parties... President Syuen would appear to be in the right. Reporting and denouncing are not crimes, at least."
It sounded cruel, but Moore stated the undeniable truth in a calm tone to Anis. However, she was emotionally unstable.
One moment she glared up at him, and the next, she tried to head back to the elevator. He reached out his left arm to her shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Let go! I'm going to see Syuen!"
"And what do you plan to do by going there?"
He stopped her, and Rapi moved in front of Anis, blocking her path.
Trapped between them, Anise began to pour out her emotions.
"It's obvious, isn't it?! Why is she doing this? She killed Exia because she didn't want her identity to be revealed, because she couldn't manipulate us anymore!"
Anis tried to shake off Moore's left hand from her shoulder, but he didn't let go. His grip tightened, pressing against GODDESIUM's skin, keeping her from moving forward.
"Calm down, Anis... The fact remains that Exia hacked into the system."
"Exactly as the Commander says. Besides... escalating the situation won't do us any good."
Moore and Rapi, probably the calmest two among the squad, overlapped their words in an attempt to calm her down.
Perhaps regaining some composure with their calm tones, Anise's force to move forward weakened. Once Moore's left hand left her shoulder, she muttered only one thing.
.
"...What a shitty situation...!"
.
...No one, neither Moore nor Rapi, nor Neon, opposed her words.
"...Excuse me!"
At that moment, an unexpected voice called out to them. Moore turned around, his helmet's chin strap swaying, and saw a girl wearing a deerstalker cap and an Inverness coat, her cape standing out.
"...Who might you be?" Moore's first words were cautious to avoid sounding impolite.
"Novel?"
"Neon, do you know her?"
Just to confirm, Moore threw the shortened cigarette into the portable ashtray and asked. Neon nodded.
"Yes. Um... she's from the same Protocol Squad as Exia..."
"Oh! How did you know it was a message from Exia!?"
"A message from Exia?"
"Oh, you are Captain Moore, yes! It's an important matter, so let's come inside to talk!"
How important it was, no one knew. However, she was a rare visitor to the outpost. Moore nodded and led her to the commander's office in the headquarters building.
Guiding her inside was fine, but...
"The difficulty level was the highest! It was an impregnable code! However! Private Detective Novel didn't give up, you see!"
...Would this lengthy introduction continue?
Moore, sitting on the sofa in the commander's office, had already removed his combat jacket and was working on maintaining a just-disassembled assault rifle, wearing a short-sleeved black shirt.
There was more soot from shooting than he had imagined. Fortunately, he had been given ample time for thorough maintenance.
Novel, who was still standing, began recounting her achievements with animated gestures. It had been at least ten minutes.
The squad had just returned from their mission. Neon was leaning back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. Anis, with her hazel eyes half-closed, was tilting a bottle of carbonated water toward Novel.
Only Rapi was paying close attention, but Novel continued her one-man show, seemingly unaware.
"And finally! I uncovered the true identity of the long code!"
"...Was it The Dancing Men, a story with dolls carrying flags as word separators?"
"No, it wasn't! The code was based on the infamous ACTV-X from the past—why do you know about that!?"
"...Never mind that. Please continue. Or I'd be happy if you got to the main point."
It seemed Moore's assumption that Novel was an enthusiastic fan had hit the mark. She muttered something under her breath, her round eyes shining brightly, a clear sign of her excitement.
However, Moore paid no mind and instead gestured with his eyes for her to proceed. Anis, one arm draped over the backrest of the sofa, was sloppily sitting while chugging from her bottle, and Neon had finally started making snoring-like noises.
Novel realized no one was taking her seriously and felt like crying.
"...I'll listen to your tales of hardship and explanations later. I'd appreciate it if you could get to the point now."
"Ah!! Your thirst for knowledge...! From now on, I shall call Captain Moore 'Watson'!!"
"... ..."
Moore thought that while he was indeed a storyteller, he wasn't as earnest as the former military doctor, and interacting with women wasn't his specialty. Despite this, Novel seemed prepared to finally get to the main topic.
"...Then I will relay the information I received from Exia."
After clearing her throat, Novel continued.
.
.
.
"Unchained aims to destroy Nike's immortality."
.
.
Thump. His heart leaped in his chest.
.
.
.
"Unchained is used to destroy the nanomachines in Nikke's brain, freeing her from the constraints of immortality."
.
.
.
Stab. A sharp pain shot through his brain.
.
.
"...That's all. Hmm... I have no idea what this means."
"...We have nanomachines in our brains?"
"This is news to me."
.
.
Their voices started to fade, and ringing in his ears dominated his sense of hearing.
His breathing grew heavy.
His vision blurred.
.
.
...What is happening to him?
.
.
.
"...Commander...? Commander!"
.
.
.
A familiar, melodious voice called him "Commander."
Blurred vision was filled with a familiar figure shaking him, the touch of their hands on his shoulders feeling like a distant event.
.
.
.
"Commander, are you finally clear minded!!"
"Sorry! What's the situation!!"
"As you can see."
"What will you do?"
"What about our casualties?... Very well. Then let's proceed, squad, follow my lead!!"
.
.
.
"Commander!!"
A clear and melodious voice reached Moore's ears, pulling him back. His unfocused eyes found a single point to focus on: Rapi's face.
He had been sitting on the sofa, dazed, while Rapi knelt in front of him, shaking his shoulders gently, repeatedly calling out his name until he seemed to regain consciousness.
"...Rapi?"
"Yes. It's me... Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"
"...I seem to be exhausted."
...Could exhaustion lead to symptoms akin to hyperventilation?
Relieved that Moore finally responded, Rapi stood up. He was still holding the dismantled assault rifle, but he placed its barrel on the table's makeshift blanket and rubbed his temples with his fingertips.
While Rapi, along with Novel and others, stared at Moore, who had shown clear signs of distress, she gently grasped his hand when she sat down next to him.
Checking Moore's condition using the activated features, the display showed a cautionary yellow sign.
It was Moore, after all. He might still be capable of movement, but he was human. And he had just been in combat. Rest was undoubtedly necessary.
"...Exia is alive," Rapi said.
"...What?"
Moore's recently focused deep brown eyes turned towards Rapi. She nodded, confirming the information.
"...What does that mean?"
"...I don't understand why Watson is surprised, but... we are going to the data center together now. Are you coming, Watson?"
"...Yeah. Let's go."
"...Commander..."
Her fears had come true. Moore rose, and Rapi, her gaze filled with anxiety, could only watch as he put on his combat jacket.
----
"Hey... newbie and your crew... what's... going on?"
They didn't need guidance, but there were things Novel wanted to know—specifically, the contents of the deciphered code. However, in the room they had arrived at within the data center, there was a figure typing on the keyboard, matching the silhouette that Moore and the others remembered.
Undoubtedly, Triangle and Anderson himself, as affirmed by Exia, had stated that Exia had been "shot."
"...Are you really Exia?"
"If we define authenticity through the body and appearance... I am the real Exia."
"...It seems so."
"But... how did..."
Anis questioned with a mixture of suspicion and bewilderment. Exia's evasive affirmation convinced Moore that it was indeed her.
But, as Neon pointed out, they didn't understand how Exia, who was supposed to have burned her brain and was then shot, was now alive again.
Witnessing Anis's bewildering expression, similar to seeing a ghost, Exia paused her typing.
Curiously, Exia turned her gaze to Novel, seeking an explanation.
"I decoded the cipher Exia sent, but I couldn't understand its contents. That's why I came to ask."
"...I... encoded a message... What was in the... message?"
At that moment, Moore's face contorted. He instinctively slammed his right hand on a nearby desk, repeating rough breaths.
"...Commander."
"Commander, are you really okay? If you're not feeling well, should you go back? Resting is important..."
"I'm fine. It's just... fatigue, probably."
"Master... please don't overexert yourself."
"I'm not pushing myself... too hard."
As Rapi rubbed his back and Annis and Neon expressed concern, Moore's response was unwavering.
They couldn't help but worry, and their faces reflected that concern.
On the other hand, Exia attempted to search for the unfamiliar term "Unchained" on the keyboard, but she fell silent, realizing that even inputting was impossible.
When asked by Exia when she had sent the code, Novel answered that it was about six hours ago.
"...About six hours ago..."
Exia crossed her arms, lost in thought.
While tapping one of her folded arms with her fingertips, she looked up at the ceiling, murmuring to herself. Then, she tilted her head, showing various gestures. Gradually, wrinkles creased her forehead.
"Are you... alright?"
Moore, not in the best condition himself, couldn't help but voice his concern, echoed by Anis and Neon advising Exia not to strain herself.
"Um... Exia...?"
"...Ah... I... I hacked into the Central Government's database... and was... shot, right?"
Exia spoke as if she had remembered everything.
Upon hearing this, everyone looked puzzled. Exia recognized their expressions and showed a gesture as if to explain, saying, "It's going to be a long story."
At that moment, Moore, who had finally turned his body towards Exia, pulled out his mobile device along with everyone else and showed it to her.
Exia's eyes lit up.
"Oh... You understand... Psycho○'s development isn't that far off."
(Tl Notes:..I'm sorry, her references is from what?)
Firstly, it was revealed in the group chat that Exia remembered her own cause of death, seemingly because she had the conviction that she would do the same if she were in that situation.
However, the reason she would willingly burn her own brain, in other words, the motive to permanently erase the secret she had discovered, remained unclear. She seemed to sense that it was due to a different incident unrelated to hacking.
And now, the main topic was at hand.
The details of the deciphered code, which revealed the existence of nanomachines in Nike's brain, were explained.
The formal name of these nanomachines was "Neuro-Implanted Machine for Protecting Human," abbreviated as NIMPH.
This was the foundation of Nikke's kind of immortality or rather, her eternity.
Implanted in their brains, these nanomachines backed up memories to a completely clean brain by preserving, erasing, or overwriting memories, ensuring that even if memories were erased, the preserved ones could be restored.
In theory, as long as the brain wasn't physically destroyed, they would be immortal. But this raised the question: why was Exia alive, given this system?
She seemed to want to keep it a secret, but Moore's headache returned the moment he read the formal name and acronym "NIMPH." He sent a message to the professor via chat, asking for an explanation, and she sighed in resignation as she tapped on her terminal.
She confirmed that Protectors were installed in the brains of Protocol Squad members as a condition for keeping the secret. These Protectors were designed to prevent intrusion and brain scans by other organizations, but they also proved useful when shots were fired at their heads. Exia guessed that upon impact, the scalp, part of the frame, and the Protector were blown away, but the brain itself remained intact, allowing for backup.
Furthermore, they were rare because they also supported data management within the Ark and aided Enick, the AI. Although hacking into the Central Government's database was a serious crime, there weren't many substitutes for the kind of work they did. Exia seemed to believe they had been let off because they were indispensable.
Even when she started burning her brain, the core of immortality, NIMPH, was unharmed. This was likely because she was shot immediately after starting, making it possible to back up.
.
.
.
"...We can... finally... meet... the end..."
.
.
.
Exia's words in the chat appeared on Moore's deep brown eyes.
—And he couldn't help but feel an inexplicable, strangely intense envy.
-----
*Just to be clear, Captain Moore does not have suicidal tendencies (so what's going on)*.
The door to the Deputy Commander's office opened, and Moore emerged from the room. Three of his subordinates, who had been waiting in the reception area, stood up from the sofa.
"How did it go?" asked Rapi, rising to her feet as the squad leader. Moore, however, glanced at the female military secretary of the Deputy Commander. Soon, his gaze returned to them, silently urging them to talk outside.
Nodding, the three subordinates handed over the items they had held for Moore. They were clad in body armor, wearing headsets around their necks, and helmets rested on their heads without the chin straps fastened. They had been told it was fine to come as they were, but in the headquarters filled with military personnel in uniform, they couldn't help but stand out.
With backpacks on their shoulders and protective mask cases slung over their shoulders, their preparations to leave were complete.
Moore motioned for them, and as they walked out into the corridor, they entered the elevator that led to the ground floor of the headquarters.
"...It seems like we've been found out."
They couldn't talk calmly with surveillance cameras watching them. The details would have to wait until they were inside the elevator heading back to the outpost.
As they left the headquarters building, they retrieved their respective firearms that they had left in custody. Boarding a nearby elevator, they began their journey back to the outpost. It was only then that Moore started to explain the details.
"...It's about Exia. Just before she was shot, it seems she burned her brain."
As Moore voiced this, each of them, although with individual differences, either averted their face or wore a solemn expression. Observing the three, Moore continued with his explanation of the meeting with Anderson.
First and foremost, the Central Government was investigating the hacking of the database by Exia, suspecting a connection with Heavenly Ascension. They had yet to discover the involvement of the Counters, which, while not comforting, Moore informed them. He leaned back against the elevator's wall, allowing himself to be swayed by its movement, and took out a soft pack of cigarettes from his pouch. As soon as he bit one, Rapi, with practiced ease, extended a turbo lighter toward him.
"Thank you."
"...So, about being found out...?"
Rapi pressed the button of the turbo lighter while asking Moore about the meaning behind the single sentence he had uttered in the elevator of the headquarters building. Blue flames erupted from the turbo lighter in her hand, casting a violet smoke from the tip of the lit cigarette.
"...I was asked if we had gained any clues on the surface."
"...And what was your response?"
"That's the problem."
Pinching the cigarette between the two mechanical fingers of his prosthetic left hand, Moore exhaled the purple smoke gently. At the same time, a sigh escaped him.
.
.
.
"...Syuen seems to have suddenly interfered with the communication network inside the Ark."
"...She prohibited the word 'Unchained.' We can neither search nor input it. Do you... know anything about it?"
.
.
.
Moore recited the conversation he had with Anderson in the Deputy Commander's office, word for word, from a few dozen minutes ago. Upon hearing this, Rapi let out a faint sigh.
"...How could he have found out... No, it can't be."
As if expressing his unease, he said the words with a disgusted tone.
However, it wasn't that he had found out; it was the possibility that he had known all along. Not about their actions, but about the existence of the Unchained itself.
Deep furrows appeared on Moore's forehead as that possibility crossed his mind.
"Commander, please don't get too worked up," said Rapi, her eyes narrowed. She reached out, grabbing the cuff of his sleeve and looked up at him.
When she noticed his red eyes wavering with uncertainty, Moore closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes again.
"...I'll be fine. It's about time."
The estimated arrival time at the outpost was displayed on the elevator's LCD panel.
Soon, the elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened.
The appearance of the outpost, unchanged since this morning, greeted them.
Stepping out of the elevator, they made their way toward the outpost's headquarters building. Anis, who followed behind, finally spoke.
"...Is Syuen... going to face no consequences...?"
"...That's likely."
"Why!?"
Anise's scream pierced their ears. Moore stopped in his tracks, turning to look back at her.
"Exia was killed! Because of Syuen!!"
"...Even so... Exia was the one who illegally hacked into the Central Government's database. In the eyes of third parties... President Syuen would appear to be in the right. Reporting and denouncing are not crimes, at least."
It sounded cruel, but Moore stated the undeniable truth in a calm tone to Anis. However, she was emotionally unstable.
One moment she glared up at him, and the next, she tried to head back to the elevator. He reached out his left arm to her shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Let go! I'm going to see Syuen!"
"And what do you plan to do by going there?"
He stopped her, and Rapi moved in front of Anis, blocking her path.
Trapped between them, Anise began to pour out her emotions.
"It's obvious, isn't it?! Why is she doing this? She killed Exia because she didn't want her identity to be revealed, because she couldn't manipulate us anymore!"
Anis tried to shake off Moore's left hand from her shoulder, but he didn't let go. His grip tightened, pressing against GODDESIUM's skin, keeping her from moving forward.
"Calm down, Anis... The fact remains that Exia hacked into the system."
"Exactly as the Commander says. Besides... escalating the situation won't do us any good."
Moore and Rapi, probably the calmest two among the squad, overlapped their words in an attempt to calm her down.
Perhaps regaining some composure with their calm tones, Anise's force to move forward weakened. Once Moore's left hand left her shoulder, she muttered only one thing.
.
"...What a shitty situation...!"
.
...No one, neither Moore nor Rapi, nor Neon, opposed her words.
"...Excuse me!"
At that moment, an unexpected voice called out to them. Moore turned around, his helmet's chin strap swaying, and saw a girl wearing a deerstalker cap and an Inverness coat, her cape standing out.
"...Who might you be?" Moore's first words were cautious to avoid sounding impolite.
"Novel?"
"Neon, do you know her?"
Just to confirm, Moore threw the shortened cigarette into the portable ashtray and asked. Neon nodded.
"Yes. Um... she's from the same Protocol Squad as Exia..."
"Oh! How did you know it was a message from Exia!?"
"A message from Exia?"
"Oh, you are Captain Moore, yes! It's an important matter, so let's come inside to talk!"
How important it was, no one knew. However, she was a rare visitor to the outpost. Moore nodded and led her to the commander's office in the headquarters building.
Guiding her inside was fine, but...
"The difficulty level was the highest! It was an impregnable code! However! Private Detective Novel didn't give up, you see!"
...Would this lengthy introduction continue?
Moore, sitting on the sofa in the commander's office, had already removed his combat jacket and was working on maintaining a just-disassembled assault rifle, wearing a short-sleeved black shirt.
There was more soot from shooting than he had imagined. Fortunately, he had been given ample time for thorough maintenance.
Novel, who was still standing, began recounting her achievements with animated gestures. It had been at least ten minutes.
The squad had just returned from their mission. Neon was leaning back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. Anis, with her hazel eyes half-closed, was tilting a bottle of carbonated water toward Novel.
Only Rapi was paying close attention, but Novel continued her one-man show, seemingly unaware.
"And finally! I uncovered the true identity of the long code!"
"...Was it The Dancing Men, a story with dolls carrying flags as word separators?"
"No, it wasn't! The code was based on the infamous ACTV-X from the past—why do you know about that!?"
"...Never mind that. Please continue. Or I'd be happy if you got to the main point."
It seemed Moore's assumption that Novel was an enthusiastic fan had hit the mark. She muttered something under her breath, her round eyes shining brightly, a clear sign of her excitement.
However, Moore paid no mind and instead gestured with his eyes for her to proceed. Anis, one arm draped over the backrest of the sofa, was sloppily sitting while chugging from her bottle, and Neon had finally started making snoring-like noises.
Novel realized no one was taking her seriously and felt like crying.
"...I'll listen to your tales of hardship and explanations later. I'd appreciate it if you could get to the point now."
"Ah!! Your thirst for knowledge...! From now on, I shall call Captain Moore 'Watson'!!"
"... ..."
Moore thought that while he was indeed a storyteller, he wasn't as earnest as the former military doctor, and interacting with women wasn't his specialty. Despite this, Novel seemed prepared to finally get to the main topic.
"...Then I will relay the information I received from Exia."
After clearing her throat, Novel continued.
.
.
.
"Unchained aims to destroy Nike's immortality."
.
.
Thump. His heart leaped in his chest.
.
.
.
"Unchained is used to destroy the nanomachines in Nikke's brain, freeing her from the constraints of immortality."
.
.
.
Stab. A sharp pain shot through his brain.
.
.
"...That's all. Hmm... I have no idea what this means."
"...We have nanomachines in our brains?"
"This is news to me."
.
.
Their voices started to fade, and ringing in his ears dominated his sense of hearing.
His breathing grew heavy.
His vision blurred.
.
.
...What is happening to him?
.
.
.
"...Commander...? Commander!"
.
.
.
A familiar, melodious voice called him "Commander."
Blurred vision was filled with a familiar figure shaking him, the touch of their hands on his shoulders feeling like a distant event.
.
.
.
"Commander, are you finally clear minded!!"
"Sorry! What's the situation!!"
"As you can see."
"What will you do?"
"What about our casualties?... Very well. Then let's proceed, squad, follow my lead!!"
.
.
.
"Commander!!"
A clear and melodious voice reached Moore's ears, pulling him back. His unfocused eyes found a single point to focus on: Rapi's face.
He had been sitting on the sofa, dazed, while Rapi knelt in front of him, shaking his shoulders gently, repeatedly calling out his name until he seemed to regain consciousness.
"...Rapi?"
"Yes. It's me... Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"
"...I seem to be exhausted."
...Could exhaustion lead to symptoms akin to hyperventilation?
Relieved that Moore finally responded, Rapi stood up. He was still holding the dismantled assault rifle, but he placed its barrel on the table's makeshift blanket and rubbed his temples with his fingertips.
While Rapi, along with Novel and others, stared at Moore, who had shown clear signs of distress, she gently grasped his hand when she sat down next to him.
Checking Moore's condition using the activated features, the display showed a cautionary yellow sign.
It was Moore, after all. He might still be capable of movement, but he was human. And he had just been in combat. Rest was undoubtedly necessary.
"...Exia is alive," Rapi said.
"...What?"
Moore's recently focused deep brown eyes turned towards Rapi. She nodded, confirming the information.
"...What does that mean?"
"...I don't understand why Watson is surprised, but... we are going to the data center together now. Are you coming, Watson?"
"...Yeah. Let's go."
"...Commander..."
Her fears had come true. Moore rose, and Rapi, her gaze filled with anxiety, could only watch as he put on his combat jacket.
----
"Hey... newbie and your crew... what's... going on?"
They didn't need guidance, but there were things Novel wanted to know—specifically, the contents of the deciphered code. However, in the room they had arrived at within the data center, there was a figure typing on the keyboard, matching the silhouette that Moore and the others remembered.
Undoubtedly, Triangle and Anderson himself, as affirmed by Exia, had stated that Exia had been "shot."
"...Are you really Exia?"
"If we define authenticity through the body and appearance... I am the real Exia."
"...It seems so."
"But... how did..."
Anis questioned with a mixture of suspicion and bewilderment. Exia's evasive affirmation convinced Moore that it was indeed her.
But, as Neon pointed out, they didn't understand how Exia, who was supposed to have burned her brain and was then shot, was now alive again.
Witnessing Anis's bewildering expression, similar to seeing a ghost, Exia paused her typing.
Curiously, Exia turned her gaze to Novel, seeking an explanation.
"I decoded the cipher Exia sent, but I couldn't understand its contents. That's why I came to ask."
"...I... encoded a message... What was in the... message?"
At that moment, Moore's face contorted. He instinctively slammed his right hand on a nearby desk, repeating rough breaths.
"...Commander."
"Commander, are you really okay? If you're not feeling well, should you go back? Resting is important..."
"I'm fine. It's just... fatigue, probably."
"Master... please don't overexert yourself."
"I'm not pushing myself... too hard."
As Rapi rubbed his back and Annis and Neon expressed concern, Moore's response was unwavering.
They couldn't help but worry, and their faces reflected that concern.
On the other hand, Exia attempted to search for the unfamiliar term "Unchained" on the keyboard, but she fell silent, realizing that even inputting was impossible.
When asked by Exia when she had sent the code, Novel answered that it was about six hours ago.
"...About six hours ago..."
Exia crossed her arms, lost in thought.
While tapping one of her folded arms with her fingertips, she looked up at the ceiling, murmuring to herself. Then, she tilted her head, showing various gestures. Gradually, wrinkles creased her forehead.
"Are you... alright?"
Moore, not in the best condition himself, couldn't help but voice his concern, echoed by Anis and Neon advising Exia not to strain herself.
"Um... Exia...?"
"...Ah... I... I hacked into the Central Government's database... and was... shot, right?"
Exia spoke as if she had remembered everything.
Upon hearing this, everyone looked puzzled. Exia recognized their expressions and showed a gesture as if to explain, saying, "It's going to be a long story."
At that moment, Moore, who had finally turned his body towards Exia, pulled out his mobile device along with everyone else and showed it to her.
Exia's eyes lit up.
"Oh... You understand... Psycho○'s development isn't that far off."
(Tl Notes:..I'm sorry, her references is from what?)
Firstly, it was revealed in the group chat that Exia remembered her own cause of death, seemingly because she had the conviction that she would do the same if she were in that situation.
However, the reason she would willingly burn her own brain, in other words, the motive to permanently erase the secret she had discovered, remained unclear. She seemed to sense that it was due to a different incident unrelated to hacking.
And now, the main topic was at hand.
The details of the deciphered code, which revealed the existence of nanomachines in Nike's brain, were explained.
The formal name of these nanomachines was "Neuro-Implanted Machine for Protecting Human," abbreviated as NIMPH.
This was the foundation of Nikke's kind of immortality or rather, her eternity.
Implanted in their brains, these nanomachines backed up memories to a completely clean brain by preserving, erasing, or overwriting memories, ensuring that even if memories were erased, the preserved ones could be restored.
In theory, as long as the brain wasn't physically destroyed, they would be immortal. But this raised the question: why was Exia alive, given this system?
She seemed to want to keep it a secret, but Moore's headache returned the moment he read the formal name and acronym "NIMPH." He sent a message to the professor via chat, asking for an explanation, and she sighed in resignation as she tapped on her terminal.
She confirmed that Protectors were installed in the brains of Protocol Squad members as a condition for keeping the secret. These Protectors were designed to prevent intrusion and brain scans by other organizations, but they also proved useful when shots were fired at their heads. Exia guessed that upon impact, the scalp, part of the frame, and the Protector were blown away, but the brain itself remained intact, allowing for backup.
Furthermore, they were rare because they also supported data management within the Ark and aided Enick, the AI. Although hacking into the Central Government's database was a serious crime, there weren't many substitutes for the kind of work they did. Exia seemed to believe they had been let off because they were indispensable.
Even when she started burning her brain, the core of immortality, NIMPH, was unharmed. This was likely because she was shot immediately after starting, making it possible to back up.
.
.
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"...We can... finally... meet... the end..."
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.
.
Exia's words in the chat appeared on Moore's deep brown eyes.
—And he couldn't help but feel an inexplicable, strangely intense envy.
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*Just to be clear, Captain Moore does not have suicidal tendencies (so what's going on)*.
