blueteamnovel 876. Remember Me (Arc 8 Epilogue Finale)
876. Remember Me (Arc 8 Epilogue Finale)
876. Remember Me (Arc 8 Epilogue Finale)
The Tear Retrievers ripped through the bogs of Grandis. The celebrations had to wait for those who ventured into hell to recover the tears of the innocent. Cara’s team worked tirelessly for weeks following the war.
There was no glory to be had in an unfinished job. So long as there were tears then their job was not over. Cara’s conviction was shared amongst the ex-Scarlet Logic Dawn Collection Team members.
It was more than just a way to make ends meet. Their job was a method of atonement. The basis of their job had always focused around rescuing slaves, but they were ignorant of what became of them.
A close of friend of Cara’s died in a bath of blood when they found out the truth. Her Corrupted Persona – Solemn Regret; a Corrupted that gruesomely depicted how they had taken their life, and the weight of their guilt that drove the blade into them.
Usa was similar to Cara. But unlike her, Usa was part of a large-scale cloning experiment that created thousands of Scarlet Logic bunnies that were unnaturally gifted with firearms. Usa didn’t know if she was the real Usa. Each replication only further mutated her.
But she was certain now that there was only one Usa in the world.
No identical bunny could compare to the happy-go-lucky Usa.
Elsewhere, Snap recorded Gerina as she oversaw the redevelopment of the Bellum Empire. A princess ought to remain within their palace, but Gerina was an Empress of the people. She had lived a highly involved life, so it was impossible for her to remain cooped up in the palace.
The people of her Empire needed a ruler who was with them. Anpu and Lunaira; The First Moon were responsible for maintaining order within the Capital. Meanwhile, Inflow Direct and Caldera Industries personnel delivered precious resources and aided with difficult tasks.
Inflow Direct utilized this rare opportunity to dispense consumer-grade Serums to test the efficacy on regular humans. It was an experiment approved by the Head. As a result, there were also Minu Auditors present to oversee their operations.
These Serums would decay into ordinary water after 20 minutes of being dispensed.
Likewise, Caldera Industries issued generic equipment that utilized a small amount of Nex. In exchange, this equipment was exposed to a maximum amount of environmental Nex. The equipment in question was a device that reduced the gravity of any object touched to zero, so long as the object was not larger than 10 meters.
They were high-maintenance equipment, meaning it was impossible for smugglers to peddle their machines. It was the start of a plan to create a reliance on their tech from other Kingdoms; a method of espionage unlike anything seen before.
Where this idea came from was not known.
The greater part of Grandis saw a higher quality of life. The fears of being overrun by monsters were gone. Humans were still humans, however. One could debate if the real monsters were humans all along, considering what they were still doing to one another.
That said, it was at least safe enough for Nav to visit Grandis in person.
Nav however, felt something warm drop down the side of her cheek.
It was a tear.
“I think... I’ve risen... to the First State...?” Nav touched the tear, expecting it to be made from machine oil, or some pressure-safe lubricant.
However, the composition of this liquid was water.
“My emotions... were they so unbearable... so uncontainable that I had no choice but to rise to the First State to express them? Is this... what it feels like to be you two?”
It was indeed a tear. But they were temporary. Nav knew that losing the First State would also make her lose the ability to form tears.
Was she really a machine?
In this moment, Nav didn’t think so.
One small part of her became human even if it was just to express her heartfelt thanks.
There was hope for Nav.
Her body, though it gave her freedom to experience the world, was useless if those experiences could not be understood. What was the use of learning love if she could not express it? Or delve into emotions if they were constantly being suppressed?
A single teardrop was all she could muster.
One day, she sincerely hoped from the bottom of her heart that she would be able to do everything that a human can.
That wish was possible now that they had a device to locate the Piece of the Fallen Star.
Snap zoomed into a lone blue dahlia that grew at the edge of the cliff.
Its petals were plucked by the wind... and they departed into the great unknown.