Theia's Test and Cannonball Send-Off
I was panting like mad as I forced that psycho killer bastard to his knees. Shutting down the starlight in his head made mine throb like it was about to explode too.
"Hah... hah..."
What a pain in the ass. How the hell was I supposed to dodge gunfire inside such tight quarters? Redirecting every bullet he fired into my barrier had my brain burning up. Sure, I'd fired a shot myself while escaping... but that was just a cute girl's little mistake, so it's fine.
"Heh heh... what? It was nothing. Just some nobody."
Ah, yeah, it was a bit tricky. Ahem.
I shrugged, trying not to look too pleased with myself. If I hadn't played the original game, I might've gotten tripped up. But hacking security on doors, vaults, even people's heads? I'd done it a million times as minigames.
"I focused on the cores that were activating."
Perk of being a possessor, I guess.
The game's protagonist pulled off her classic "Possessor amazing!" routine, scratching that deep itch. Yeah! In the original game, you could only hack cores visible on-screen. Makes sense—it's a game. No matter if you used x-ray vision or whatever, it had to show up for the player to hack it.
But I'd awakened as a Netdiver and hacked cybercores with my senses spread wide. Recalling that sensation, I unfurled it again, and soon I could feel warm starlight around me—even the ones invisible to the eye.
"No big deal."
Whoops. Better not push it. I still don't know Theia's exact personality...
"I just used this, that's all." I wiggled my extended finger and lifted the glove-shaped cybercore.
True enough... but I'd seen this glove core before. It was a Legendary-grade equipment item from the game. One core with four functions! All defense utilities! In-game, it went in the weapon slot but was pure tank bait, so niche builds only. But now that the game was real, no such thing as a bad core.
"It's defense-focused, so it was easy to adapt."
Bulletproof or blade-proof barriers via force field—that was the core function even lab techs could use.
"Yeeep... of course."
Spotting his scouting ability, I'd activated detection resistance right away. Technically, it was a thin, wide force field—blocks map-hack types like his, but not Theia's invisible-to-the-naked-eye version. I'd figure out the rest later...
For now, business first. I pressed the pistol barrel to his forehead.
"Didn't you say to kill him?"
Slipping out of stealth, Theia met my eyes with a blank expression. Unlike Dorothy's, those blood-red irises revealed nothing.
Theia murmured low. "Keep talking back. No point in sparing you then?"
I pressed the hot barrel against her special suit. Her brow twitched. Locking eyes with her sharpening glare, I said, "Kill me anytime you want. Or..."
I dragged the barrel up her smooth suit. Even with the scraping sound, she didn't snap my neck.
Because she's 'good' aligned? Or... just because killing me would be a loss?
Click. Like when I'd threatened the researchers, I pressed the barrel to my temple.
"Want the catalyst back right now?"
Can't unspill the milk. Could they even extract Netdiver catalyst from my spilled blood?
"You think I'm doing this for some stupid catalyst?" Theia sneered sharply, seeing my act as childish bluff.
"No."
But a menhera queen who'd carved six tally marks on her wrist. What about her madness?
"Gonna die someday anyway. Might as well piss you off first—win-win." I grinned and pulled the trigger—BANG!
Crunch... crash!
"You...!"
Theia pinned my arm faster than that, slamming me to the floor.
As expected. She still had attachment to Netdivers. Or maybe she couldn't watch a kid attempt suicide right in front of her—like some saint.
Hmm. Better observe Theia's alignment more.
"Never... never pull that shit in front of me again..."
Theia pinning me whispered softly. Then, with my seized gun, she aimed at the trembling, kneeling armed guard's head...
BANG!!
Thud.
Avenging J's death in my stead. He'd tormented Dorothy, but didn't deserve that. No, none of the lab kids did...
I glared at Theia—clearly connected to the Resistance running the lab—and muttered, "Pissed you off a bit?"
"Yeah. Thanks to you."
Words I'd actually heard from my ex while dating. Spicy, huh, sis?
I'd layered a force field on my temple anyway—no real death even if I'd fired.
"Do it again, and I'll kill you myself."
"Heh heh..."
Pinned under her, I laughed. Hating myself for only resisting like this.
"Got it?"
I need to get stronger. Especially to protect Dorothy.
"Yes. Sorry."
Theia supported me out to the entrance. Neither the armed guard remnants nor the government troops spotted us. Only in an empty railing corner did she drop stealth.
"Stand straight now."
"Yes."
Special suits are total bullshit. Stealth covers anyone nearby too? If Dorothy and I had this, we'd have grabbed the Netdiver catalyst and everything else and bounced.
"...How's your leg."
"Fine."
Of course, stealth hides from allies too... so I'd stumbled a few times under her rough guidance. My wounded leg screamed agony even dragged lightly on the ground.
But.
Whoosh... splat!
"Ha...! Wow... hahaha...!"
The vast sea soothed my wounds with its breathtaking view.
Finally! Out, you fuckers! Dorothy, sis is coming! Just hold on!
"Now... time to check your test results?"
Oh, right. Her.
I gripped the pistol tight, glaring at Theia. Why escort me to the main gate like this... Time to probe this world's Theia's 'alignment.'
Depending on story choices, protagonist Theia shows different sides. I'm a skip-happy speedrunner, but I know key branches change her alignment based on decisions.
Worst case, escape-Theia kills useless me. Problem is... even best case, she's no pushover. She'd fail me, then pile on missions to exploit my Netdiver powers...
"What. That's a pass."
"Eh?"
"First time hacking? Operation's rough... but you grasped what you could and couldn't do fast."
Theia crossed her arms like a teacher, praising me.
"Like someone who's watched a Netdiver up close for years..."
Well, yeah—10,000 hours in the game. Not much for 'enjoying,' but I savored it.
Couldn't say that, so I just shrugged. Theia didn't pry—probably thought 'troubled kid' or whatever.
Anyway. Unlike feared, Theia seemed fixed on 'good' alignment...
"Escaped clean... gotta give a reward."
Reward? What...
Snap!
"Aaaagh...! Ack...!"
"Shh... hold still. I'll apply medicine quick."
This crazy bitch sliced my ear...! Wait, no—ear's intact. Then what—
Something blurred past my arm, grazing my ear. Now she's pulling wound salve from her suit, carefully applying it to the spot she cut.
Her white hair danced in my vision. She was hugging me.
"Ugh... what was..."
Pain spiked my irritation, but her next words revealed it.
"Advice one: Don't advertise you're a Netdiver. You've been cooped in the lab, so you wouldn't know..."
She'd cut above my ear—mimicking a surgical scar.
"But this world's... gone mad."
Hans. Our friend. H-subject. Dragged off after infection confirmation, back in uniform to greet us, then gone forever. Same spot as his surgical scar.
Outside the lab. In the City—game setting, our goal with Dorothy—to live as adults, you needed this scar. Or back to the lab you'd go.
"You wondered too, right? Why mercs have weird chips in their heads."
Government troops too. Security levels varied, but all chipped.
Yeah. Vaccine lab means virus exists. No zombie vax without zombie plague.
So what does my existence mean?
Theia showed her ear—scar like Hans's.
"All humanity... has a disease."
A disease limiting memory to one day. Hans, Dorothy... guards, researchers, troops. Everyone but me.
Hippocampus Necrotic Encephalitis.
"They call it the Amnesia Virus..."
Ha... missing Dorothy.
Skip.
"I know. Saw lab data."
"Aha."
She nodded without suspicion at my interruption. Seemed like she was easing me in gently... kinda sorry.
Sorry my ass! If it was real, you'd warn and ask first before cutting in, right...? Crazy bitch confirmed. No way 'good' alignment. At least neutral.
"Talking hurts more."
Guess my face gave it away. Theia sealed my ear wound carefully.
Neutral-to-evil protag this nice... must've scored higher than thought. Well, my passive is menhera magnet. Confident there.
"Then what reward...?"
Teacher. I skipped the story, but that doesn't mean I know less than tutorial-you.
Bored, I stared at the sea...
"How about this? Symptom trigger condition."
"Uh..."
Even I don't know that.
Symptom onset tormented escape planning. All kids infected, sure—but what triggered Amnesia? Unanswered in original game too. Lab would've chickened out on white-room kids if they knew—easier to tube-farm 'em like chickens.
Info unknown to full-game possessor or hardcore Resistance vax researchers... and she knows?
I stared. She laughed "haha!" hands on hips, smug.
"Don't know this? Good. I'll tell you."
She whispered while taping my ear bandage tight.
"It triggers when you fall in love."
"Pardon?"
Grinning mischievously, she straightened.
"...Seems like it. Experience-based."
Oh, just a theory.
"Hey, what's that face? Don't believe me?"
"No, I do."
Her face iced over; I fixed mine quick.
Damn... those eyes terrifying.
Theia glared, then reinforced. "Hippocampus handles dopamine, pain too. Related, right?"
She yanked my shoulder, hugging me tight.
"Eek..."
"Fall in love, hippocampus zaps hard? Virus activates wild, fries the brain."
What nonsense...
"There. Reward given... Advice from a senior?"
Senior? I turned. Theia a Netdiver too...?
"Nah, not Netdiver. Just your average... hacker."
She smirked at me, snapped her fingers.
"Not just Netdivers handle cybercores. Don't get cocky."
My glove cybercore activated. Like I'd hacked others... she'd hacked mine.
"As expected... kidnapping intent...!"
"...Tiara, what misunderstanding is this?"
Ignoring her, I surged senses, probing her head for devices.
But...
"None...?"
"Advice two: You're not the only Amnesia-immune in the world."
As I reeled, she fully seized my glove, activating a new function. My body floated up at her gesture.
"Ugh... whoaaa...!"
"So don't get arrogant. Or despair. Got it, Tiara?"
She twirled her fingers, lifting me higher. Her suit glowed wildly.
"Light hack, so you'll master it easy. Bye!"
Pointing across the sea... my force field rocketed me like a shell.
Tiara soared, spewing age-inappropriate curses.
"Hahaha! Lmao!"
Theia cackled at the girl's contrail—until a hand tapped her shoulder.
But she wasn't startled... leaned into the touch, smiling lazily.
"Okay sending her off like that? Only that one's expressed immunity factor."
Dropping stealth, the figure hugged Theia, voice worried.
"Fine. Funny she stole the Netdiver catalyst, though."
Kid... the man muttered.
If Tiara saw him: 'Huh, that researcher from earlier!' Or 'Huh, revival NPC!'
Flawless skin, sharp features. Ageless face... too perfect, screaming non-human.
He stroked her shoulder gently. "Your clone's rough life isn't your fault, Theia."
"Yeah..."
But Theia softened her sharp eyes, staring across the sea, murmuring.
"Not that kid's fault either."