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Chapter 112: Renya Gouto 6
Oh hey, a conversation between 2188!Gouto and an unfinished art asset.
Music: The Chills (Yoshimi Kudo)
The last time I saw you was two months before my death… Roughly a year ago, I think.
…Chairman Ogata? An AI construct based on Chairman Kengo Ogata… Why would this be in Morimura's files...? I see… So this is how she managed to raise all those funds… She must've used this AI to access the Shikishima Chairman's hidden network.
Not quite. I'm afraid that was originally my idea. The good Professor Morimura was only following my orders.
So all of this was by design? Your design? Leaking the prototype nanomachinery to the black market… The catastrophic consequences…
You're the one who exploited her. If you blame anyone, blame yourself. We were so close to losing Project Ark entirely. Now, we must prioritize the project above all else. I'll finally have my second chance at life.
…You're planning on downloading yourself into a clone…
A brave new Earth is waiting for me.
I won't let you do this...
What is Professor Morimura doing now?
…She's dead.
By that hitman's hands, I presume. That's humanity… Self-destructive to the very end. Only a few survivors left now. I give them three days at most. My deepest condolences for your imminent death.
Shut up, construct! Your project is over!
Unfortunately for you, the Ark has already set off.
It's still within comms range.
You don't have clearance.
Out of the survivors, the ones who would have clearance…
Despite the fact that this scene involved a character who didn’t even get shown onscreen, who we have never heard from before and—spoiler alert—will never hear from again, it was actually incredibly consequential for the rest of the game. Lotta implications there. But I’m getting ahead of myself a bit. The rest we’ll decode after the game is finished.
Music: Staring Into The Void (Yoshimi Kudo)
Suppose I am the professor. Then what?
I want to know the truth. I want to know the reasons behind all of this… But that seems unlikely. I imagine you’re not inclined to tell me anything.
And why’s that?
It’d be inconvenient for you if we had all the facts. Considering you’re trying to eliminate us.
……
From the very beginning… You never intended for this world to survive.
I do.
So you think I’m enabling the kaiju now? Even though I’ve got more reason to hate them than any of you?
That is true, at least. You’re clearly not on the kaiju’s side. After all, they are a threat to your primary objective. Which would be to carry out the plan you formed in 2188.
Plan?
However, that plan may now be untenable. The situation has deviated too drastically.
Consider Operation Aegis
(If Operation Aegis succeeds… A world reset will no longer be possible. This operation goes against Professor Morimura’s agenda. She will stop at nothing to prevent it.)
Recall when I brought you to the underground UFO. I believe you said something like… It was out of your hands.
Consider Remark in the UFO
Music: The Tower of Knowledge (Hitoshi Sakimoto)
Yes…
Honestly, Okino-kun… You can’t take anything else in life seriously… So why do you put so much time into all this…? *sigh*
Just talking to myself. More importantly, look at this mess… Something unpleasant must have happened here.
Most likely.
Probably left here by Ida-san…
External damage suggests the weapon was a phaser.
I see…
…Is it really possible?
I have a fairly comprehensive grasp of this system. This abnormality all comes down to the D-Code, right? I should be able to get rid of it.
Why would Ms. Morimura push for Operation Aegis if this was an option all along?
…… …Well, you said it yourself. She’s either being controlled by someone… Or she could be trying to save herself.
That’s not right…
…That file system hadn't even been analyzed yet… How did you gain access…?
I have a senior admin ID. Access privileges for the entire system.
You somehow got access to an account that high-level?
Yes. I have my ways.
It’s barely operational. I won’t be able to process much here. Well, not much choice… I'll have to send direct instructions to the command ship.
Command ship?
The mothership in orbit. It can send commands directly to the UFO.
Is it… an ark? Some grand design from the people of the future?
…Either that, or a base of operations for an alien invasion.
80% of Chihiro’s lines in this scene are just bad attempts at playing dumb, lmao.
But we don’t have that long. Time to find another link.
Will this fix cut off the kaiju’s attacks?
It should be able to solve the problem at its core…
That’s out of my hands.
Which means… We’ll still have to deal with the kaiju already generated. We don’t know how many the factories have produced. If we could just verify their numbers… Hm… We’re going to need the Sentinels after all.
Music: UNPREDICTABLE (Yoshimi Kudo)
No matter how you try to fix it, your plan is irreversibly impacted. The most direct fix would be eliminating the D-Code. Then, you would just restart the loop anew…
Which is, in essence, your goal.
…You’re overthinking this.
Do you really think that’s gonna work on Gouto? Dude’s like a bloodhound for plot beats that didn’t fit into the script neatly.
Use Loop on Chihiro
You need them to destroy all the sectors' mainframes. And therein lies your goal. You want this world destroyed so the timeline can be reset.
……
But you have one major obstacle… And that's Operation Aegis.
Use Operation Aegis on Chihiro
It causes a terminal to seal itself off in self-defense… Preventing anyone from using it to control the world. Once all the terminals are sealed off… We'll be severed from the mainframe. Effectively preventing any further loop or extinction.
……
But... if that happens, your plan is null and void. We'd be stuck in a loop where your goal was impossible.
What do you plan to do about it?
Use Police Records on Chihiro
We discussed the suspect of Ms. Morimura's murder… And you asked me who I think did it.
Use Chihiro Morimura on Chihiro
Music: Hard Pill to Swallow (Kikuchi Yukinori)
God, Gouto’s got this whole thing figured out, eh?
No fuckin’ reaction. Guilty as hell!
She was a staunch advocate of Operation Aegis. A thorn in your side. Someone in the way of your reset.
An interesting theory, if also an incorrect one.
Believe me… I understand why you'd view me with hostility. Certainly, Renya Gouto was responsible for chasing you out of Newmen. Even if it was on Shikishima's behalf. A buyer, simply eliminating liabilities. After that, you took the lead on Project Ark… under Kengo Ogata's oversight.
Oh shit, it all comes back around!
Use Kengo Ogata on Chihiro
…And Shikishima’s Chairman, who recognized your talent. He passed away in 2187. His age caught up with him. But the other Kengo Ogata is perhaps more relevant. The one you created after his death using his memories… An AI construct. You were letting it control you.
Oh my god, she admit it!
Yes... Renya Gouto found that AI. The log was recorded in the colony after your death.
You set it so that she’d download your memories.
*agitated huff*
It's clear this project was not a selfish endeavor. I'm sure you felt a sense of duty to save humanity. But you were also trying to bring Kengo Ogata back to life. So Professor Morimura takes over Chihiro Morimura's clone. And presumably… Kengo Ogata would take over Nenji Ogata's clone.
Not my boy Nenji!
*flustered breath*
That's why you're so intent on sticking to the plan. Certainly, from your perspective… Ms. Morimura was expendable. She had to die. Her very survival endangered your ultimate goal.
And that was the end of Gouto.
…Well, not quite. But it would have been funny if it was.
We’ve just got two more events left, one of which locks this final Gouto chapter off.