Distorted

[sixteenthgun]

[After the mysterious event in the last bit of the mission against the second Zehirut, Cobray has apparently returned to his regular self; meaning, no overlapping creepy voice and blue hair.

Having lost consciousness, he was taken to the infirmary, and now rests on a bed, looking frustrated.]

What...happened...?

Comments

[star_of_sad]

Ah, hello. You're awake now?

[Setsuko was waiting nearby.]

You don't remember? What was the last thing you can recall?

[sixteenthgun]

...I got into the Werkbau...and then the Zehirut appeared...

[star_of_sad]

It's destroyed now. Somehow you managed to do it. But...

[Setsuko takes a deep breath.]

Mr Albhard is gone.

[sixteenthgun]

Yeah. He went up against that man... Calico...

[Unfortunately, he's oblivious to what happened towards the end...]

[star_of_sad]

Yes, but that didn't kill him.

I mean... that didn't kill him yet. But the Grungust was critically damaged and its generator would soon explode...

He held the Zehirut in place. And then, well - you fired at it and destroyed it.

1/2

[sixteenthgun]

...!?

It...didn't...

2/2

[sixteenthgun]

[Cobray lowers his head.]

...And Selena? How is she...?

[star_of_sad]

About as good as you'd expect...

She tried to tell Albhard not to do it. But he didn't listen... and neither did you.

[sixteenthgun]

...

[Cobray knows he wasn't the one in control at that time, but...]

What should I do?

[star_of_sad]

I'm not sure. It's... it's never easy.

It'd be better if you addressed it some time. But - not now.

For now Selena needs some personal space. And in the meantime...

Just what exactly happened? Do you have any ideas?

[sixteenthgun]

Some...

What Calico said, about the 'Originator'...

[star_of_sad]

Was he talking about Major Ingram?

[abugslife]

That is a question I wanted to ask myself. After you entered the Werkbau, you were not yourself.

[sixteenthgun]

Not...myself?

[abugslife]

In the latter part of the battle, when you started to use Werkbau to the full of its ability against the Zehirut. You started to sound like a man with full grasp on the power at his disposal, and full, cold intent to use it.

Do you not remember?

[sixteenthgun]

[Cobray shakes his head.]

The last thing I remember was fighting the Zehirut...

After that...I woke up here.

[abugslife]

...

Did you know you are a clone of Ingram Plisken?

[sixteenthgun]

[Remembering what Calico said, this is just as difficult for him to accept.]

No...

I still don't know what to do about this...

[abugslife]

The reason you came to existence matters not. You are your own person, capable of forging his own destiny.

I would like to know what exactly happened during the time when you lost your memory, though.

[sixteenthgun]

My own...person...

[That gives him something to think about. Maybe in other organizations, having such a background revealed would have landed him in big trouble.

But in the meantime...]

I would like to know the answer to that as much as you do. No, maybe even more.

[abugslife]

I would like to know how did you summon Werkbau, as well. I thought you swore not to pilot that machine again. I thought you are scared of it.

[sixteenthgun]

That...

[That, he remembers.]

There was a voice...

It urged me to defy fate. I accepted, given the situation we were in.

[abugslife]

A familiar voice?

[a_linear_mind]

Judging from the reports...a lot.

[Willis visits a bit late with a treat. Not the usual UG Pudding but instead a box of chocolate milk that he hands to Cobray.]

Here, drink up.

[sixteenthgun]

...

[Cobray stares at the milk for a bit, before finally opening up the carton and taking a sip.

There are a few more seconds of silence, until...]

...I don't understand.

Since I woke up, most people have been cautious with me. Even Selena isn't here...

[a_linear_mind]

The fact that you don't remember is probably rubbing people the wrong way.

Well, that and acting like a completely different person. A lot of people here aren't too keen about having secrets kept from them. Even if you didn't know about it either.

[sixteenthgun]

That doesn't sound like what Selena told me.

She said that people here are people I can trust...

[a_linear_mind]

You can trust them, they just might not trust you.

I know that doesn't make a lot of sense but that's how it is.

[sixteenthgun]

You know them better than I do. I will take your word for it.

Still, I don't know what I should be doing now.

[a_linear_mind]

Take it from me, just...focus on getting by day by day.

[sixteenthgun]

...I can try.