Let's Play: Ever17

...Of the prologue. Now we make our choice!

Do we want to play as the awkward, young Kid, whose routes are arguably more introspective? When playing as him, we can opt for either the mischievous, trolly You or the misterious elevator girl (that I kinda can't describe too well because... well, mistery.). I personally like to let You's route for the end.

Do we want to play as the dorky, determined Takeshi, whose routes are more concrete and arguably more dynamic? When playing as him, we can opt for either deliciously voiced adorably tsundereish tanukiTsugumi, or innocent, cute Sora. I personally like to start with Tsugumi's route, or at least do it before Sora's.

I may prefer whatever, but the decision is all yours. You have until... dunno, tomorrow? To decide what you wanna do.

The fuck did I just read?

I vote for playing as the Kid and going for elevator girl, because I think she's interesting and she has the best design.

The Tsundere. She looks like the snarky/deadpan character and those are the best character traits.

Let's open with Tsugumi. I have no concrete reasons for voting in this fashion.

As decided earlier, I vote for Takeshi and Tsugumi.

And really? You's route for the end? I played the mystery girl's route last and it worked really well, IMHO. But of course that's something we can discuss later (or maybe in a discussion thread for this game where spoilers are allowed? It would be nice for those of us who've played this game to discuss the current going-ons in the LP and other things related to this game without having to spoiler stuff all the time.)

More Zero Escape fans! :D



As for routes... after refreshing my memory on what happens (turns out that the game was about as mindscrewy as I remembered it being, ahaha), think I'd also go with Takeshi's route and Tsugumi, as much as I'd like to get past Sora's route.

Also, I'm guessing that 'elevator girl' is the girl with pigtails that Kid lost sight of? Unless I'm getting confused about things.

I think they both work pretty well for the end. I like to leave You's in particular because...

...Yeah, I'll probably make a discussion thread soon, so that we can discuss the key differences between raccoons and lemurs. And spoilers, of course.

And yes, the elevator girl is the girl with pigtails that Kid lost sight of when pushed into the elevator. I really like her. But we might as well call her for her name since we do see it in the OP. So yeah... Sara.

I won't start until tonight (since I'm half cooking right now), so the voting is open until then.

In the meanwhile, have some trivia. For the Fate/Stay Night fans, did you know that the actresses that voice Tsugumi, You and Sara also voiced Rider, Sakura Matou (yes, Sakura) and Rin Tohsaka? And do you recognize Keiichi's voice from Higurashi? ...Yep. Coco's voice actress also voiced a certain pink haired bratawesome shinigami in Bleach.

There is now a discussion thread.

Okay, it is time to count.

Takeshi -> Tsugumi = 4
Takeshi -> Sora = 1

Kid -> Sara = 1
Kid -> You = 0

You guys don't kow how much I love you. I'll get working right away then.

Let's do this.



I quietly

opened the door.





I heard the mechanical announcement, but didn't understand what it meant.

Takeshi: "The battery... is probably dead".

I pushed the button, but my PDA didn't respond. Thanks to the help of the backlight of my display, I had found the emergency manual opening mechanism for the door.

Takeshi: "Hey, are you alive?"

I spoke to the girl.



She looked a little tired.

The floor was silent. I heard the sound of water flowing somewhere, it was a muffled sound... but there was no sign of anyone around.

Takeshi: "What's going on here?"



Takeshi: "Let's go see if we can find anyone else."





Most of the doors were locked as if to keep us from intruding. We found a floor directory, so we decided to look around the rooms listed on it.



It was called the 'rest area'. On the floor there were scattered a mess of bags, a pair of shoes, wrapping paper from the souvenir shop and other stuff.

As I expected, there was no one there.

There was a thick set of shutters in the circular space in the center of the area.



I laughed an empty laugh.

Takeshi: "I wonder if this area is under construction. That's probably why nobody's here. Yeah, I bet that's why."


"What... is wrong with this guy?"

Takeshi: "Let's try the next place."



The door down the corridor was shut firmly.

Takeshi: "Doesn't this door open?"

Girl: "I don't think it will. I don't see a switch."

We chose a corridor that was open and walked slowly down it. We didn't come across anyone.

It felt like we were walking a route that someone had set up for us...



There was a stand selling tuna sandwiches. It smelled like they had been cooking until recently.

Takeshi: "Hey, mister, I'll take two of the sandwiches that are half-price on weekdays."


Poor Takeshi went loco on us. :(

Takeshi: "Looks like he ran off and left his stand. Doesn't he have any pride? Huh? There aren't any other customers here! ...Business isn't exactly booming, is it."


And this girl doesn't seem to give many fucks.

Takeshi: "I'm hungry... I wasted too much energy walking around... And my friends take off somewhere without telling me... Don't you think that's rude?"



Girl: "We just met, and I don't particularly care about you."

Takeshi: "Okay, okay. Whatever you say."

That's okay, you will love us eventually. You better. [/yandere]



Everywhere looked the same.

Takeshi: "I wonder if everyone is hiding somewhere. Maybe they are trying to surprise us."



Takeshi: "Well, it's just kind of a feeling..."

I had to speak to stay calm. I felt like if I went quiet, I would return to the darkess of before.



"Lemurian Ruins"

...They were filled with silence. If it weren't for the paper garbage strewn across the floor, it would have been hard to believe that anyone had been around.

Takeshi: "Where is everybody...? Hey! Gimme a break here! Where did everybody go? There is a limit to how far you can take a joke..."



Takeshi: "..."

Takeshi: "Why doesn't anyone come out...?"

I sank to the floor. I didn't know why but I was having trouble breathing.

Against my will, I started to sweat.

Takeshi: "What do you think? What happened here? Why haven't we seen anyone...?"



She said this without changing the expression on her face.

Girl: "This is not normal. If this keeps up... we could be in danger."



Takeshi: "..."

She stared at me with calm eyes.

I thought I heard a low groan from somewhere. I swallowed nervously, and nodded.





I quickly stood up and followed her. I was exhausted, but I used every ounce of my power to push ahead.

We jumped into a small entrance on the side of the corridor.



We started climbing up stairs at top speed.

We ignored our pounding hearts. We simply ran.

We ran without looking back.

We ran...



The knob didn't budge.

Takeshi: "Damn, why won't it open?"



The whole structure rocked. The hatch gave off a squeaking sound and the knob bent unnaturally.

Takeshi: "?!"

Girl: "This way!!"

The girl screamed.



We had no time to go down each step. We jumped down towards the direction where we could see the corridor.

The impact with the ground rattled my knees terribly, but I ignored the pain.



Takeshi: "Phew..."

I was out of breath. I gasped.

Takeshi: "Haaa, haaaa, haaaaa. Fwaaaa, huuuu, haaaaa. Hiihii, huuuu, haaaaa."


...What? Oh well, it is your way to cope with crisis so I won't snark at you too much. Yet.



The girl's expression didn't change.

(Anyways, she hasn't lost her breath much after running that hard...)



Takeshi: "I want to rest..."



Takeshi: "...Fine then."

I sat down on the floor. The girl walked slowly ahead down the corridor.

We could see hundreds of colorful fish swimming comfortably outside of the windows. The room was quiet, too.

It was just the two of us. Me and her.

Then I remembered that I still didn't know who she was.

She had told me to 'do what I want', but...

Until then we'd been trying to escape together.

I wondered what she was all about.

It was all... a mystery to me.



Her voice caused me to look up. She hadn't said it to me.

Takeshi: "Hey, was somebody there?"

I asked this as I stood.

Girl: "..."

The girl stood still, her eyes focused in the distance. I followed her gaze.



I hadn't heard any footsteps.

(What in the...? When did she get here?)

Park staff: "...from here. This area is not safe. Please escape... Please. Please, you must escape from here. It is dangerous, it is dangerous..."

She looked slightly panicked.

Takeshi: "Hey, hey. What's happened? What's dangerous? Stay calm. Explain what's going on..."

Park staff: "You need to escape... we have had... unexpected... trouble. Level Delta... Tief... Blau."

She mumbled this again.

Park staff: "Please escape. Please. Please, get out of here!"



Fwaaaaash!

Takeshi: "Uuuuwwwwaaaaaahh!!"



Glass shattered. A massive amount of seawater... and countless fish came flooding in. It was as if they were attacking me!



Takeshi: "W-whoaaa!"

The approaching swell mowed down everything in its path. It swirled and swallowed debris on the floor, someone's dropped purse, a floor guide for the facility; anything and everything it encountered.

(I wonder how fast that water is moving...)

Ridiculous thoughts flashed through my mind.

(And, I wonder how fast I can run.)

There was no guarantee that the water wouldn't catch me.

Takeshi: "Whoa! Whoaaa! Whoaaaaaa!"

I ran frantically.

...while doing my best impression of Keanu Reeves.

And jumped in the air. There was water flowing underfoot.

Takeshi: "Whoooooa..."

I slipped.

I knew this was bad.

If I took a spill, I would be sleeping with these fish!

Girl: "You are so much trouble...!"



The girl had grabbed my arm and yanked me forward with incredible force.

She ran lithely, like a tiny gazelle...

She probably does gymnastics...

And her speed? It felt like I just hopped into a car. It almost felt as if though she might rip my arm off.

And track running...

Her strengh was unbelievable.

And weight lifting...

Park staff: "Over here! Hurry! Hurry!"

Girl: "I know!"

Takeshi: "?!"

And even harder to believe was that the park attendant was running ahead of us, leading the way.

Or Takeshi is just out of shape.

(When did she...?)

It looked like she had just been sucked into the swirling waters ahead, but... no.



Park staff: "This is no good! It's not functioning! Go back!

Girl: "There is no time!"



Takeshi: "Crap. Which way do we take to get outta here?"

We all ran without stopping, looking for an exit.





Park staff: "Yes!"

Girl: "I'm going!"



She kicked through some metal mesh and into a big air exhaust duct. It was a sloping pipe-like tube.

We shot down the incline stumbling. It sounded like there was a crazed froth of angry water roaring behind me.

No, I was already caught up in it.

Everyone was just flushed along.

We were spun in circles. I had no idea which way was up and which down.

And then we were all spit out in a corridor on the lower level.

Saved by a hair, the shutter on the duct clanked shut solidly behind us.

The flow of water finally stopped.


AGAIN! LET'S DO IT AGAIN

Aaah...

It was solid ground. It was a floor. I was safe. I wasn't in the water. I was alive. That was good...

...

(Good?)







Park staff: "However, 30 percent of the facility is already..."



Takeshi: "Hey, wait just a second... I thought we were going to escape UP?! If we go down...! Hey! What are we supposed to do now?"



Park staff: "I'm sorry, but..."

The employee looked extremely sorry and was bowing.


As much as we do not want to win too many Sorapoints™, we don't really need to be complete douches, so...

Takeshi: "No, relax. Yeah, let's all relax... I'm glad to be safe, but more important than that right now is who are you guys? The chick in black ran like something bionic... when the glass broke, that attendant was right next to it, but she took of at warp speed... what's up with that? And don't tell me that this is part of this theme park atmosphere?"



Park staff: "..."

Neither of them tried to answer.

The fish on the floor were still jumping around.

Park staff: "I'm really, really sorry..."

The park employee was bowing so low that her head approached the floor. For some reason, her clothes were completely dry.

Girl: "It doesn't do us any good just standing around here, can you show us the way?"

Park staff: "Certainly. There is a relatively safe place nearby. I will take you there..."

(RELATIVELY safe...?)

That was about the same as saying that everywhere else was dangerous.

We turned around and started heading to the back of the corridor we'd been washed down. I looked at a panel and finally realized we were in Zweite stock---basement level two.



Takeshi: "So are we the only folks here?"

Park staff: "I do not know. I am currently investigating."

Yeah, right, 'Investigating what?' I thought as we walked...

Park staff: "Ah!"



Park staff: "Three other people are approaching."

Takeshi: "...What?"


I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU.

Wow, that Tsundere is pretty boss. Why isn't she the main character?

The only reason I wanted to get Sora route out of the way first is because it's the worst route.

That being said, that tsundere is pretty boss. Sadly, Takeshi is not. Kid is better, no worries.

Park staff (You): "For a while I wondered what was going to happen to us, but..."

It was one of the female employees that I'd met once before.

Park staff (You): "I'm glad we survived... hey, aren't you..."

The girl finally noticed us.

Takeshi: "I didn't think there'd be anybody else here."



Takeshi: "Bout as good as I look, I suppose."

Park staff (You): "Seems like you had a rough time of it, too..."

Takeshi: "Hey, lucky guess."

Relaxing a bit, I returned her smile.



One of them was the girl who I thought was named Coco. When our eyes met, Coco grinned.



Takeshi: "It's been a while. It doesn't have to be right now, but Coco, will you tell me a joke later? I'm really in the mood of one."

Do you have a death wish, Takeshi?

Coco: "Sure. No problem, I'll think of one."

She nodded brightly.

Kid: "..."

The other person was the kid I helped to the infirmary. His expression looked darker somehow. If he'd become super upbeat all of a sudden that would've been weird too, but... for some reason it bothered me.

Takeshi: "Is something wrong with him? He doesn't look so hot."

I'd bet he is cold, actually. That was quite the swim he took.

Park staff (You): "Oh, he is a bit..."

The attendant hesitated.

Park staff (You): "By the way... Hey, Sora, do you have any idea what our situation is?"

The girl attendant addressed the question to the staff member in the dress.



The attendant called Sora said this.

Park staff (You): "In that case, let's go to the Central Control Room. We can monitor things in detail from there, right?"

Sora: "That sounds good. I wish I were more useful..."

Park staff (You): "Don't worry about it, Sora."



Park staff (You): "We're going down to Dritte stock; the third floor underwater. You're coming, right?"

Takeshi: "Y-yeah. I'll go."



It looked like there were a number of these narrow corridors above and below other corridors and rooms. I figured that they were probably used as shortcuts by employees as well.





Takeshi: "I'm Takeshi Kuranari."

You: "Good to know you, Takeshi Kuranari"





The whole time the girl in the dark clothes silently watched our exchange.

"I saw him much before that orange haired skank did!"

We went down the stairs together. Me, Coco, You, Sora, the Kid, the girl in black; six of us total...

We arrived at Dritte stock, the third floor underwater.





It seemed like this was the Central Control Room.



Sora: "Let's see. It looks like directly accessing it would be the fastest route."

Sora faced the monitor and held up both hands. Instantly the content of the screen began to change, with a number of windows opening, closing, and searches for data underway.

Takeshi: "Hey... you can operate these computers without even touching them? I've got the latest cell phone and it has a touch panel. And it's got a kinetic-recharge function..."



Takeshi: "Huh? Oh, it means that even if the battery dies, if you walk around with it or shake it, it will recharge itself. It takes a while though."

I took my PDA from my pocket and lent it to Coco.



Coco took the PDA and shook it using short movements like she was shaking maracas.

Seriously, these sprites are the best.

PREPARE TO FACE THE FURY OF COCO. NO SURVIVORS WILL BE TOLERATED.

Takeshi: "Yeah, like that."

The lamp that indicated the battery was dead lit up.



Takeshi: "The harder you shake it, the more it lights up."

The lamp flickered. I didn't know if she was having fun or what, but Coco kept up her maraca act for a while.

It looked like the PDA wasn't broken. All I had to do is wait and it probably would work again. It seemed the professional diving waterproof specifications it had boasted were actually true.

Sora: "..."

Sora typed quietly on the keyboard.

(What?)

She was typing on the keyboard, but... it looked like her hands weren't even touching it. I figured that was my imagination.



Sora said it in a businesslike manner. She seemed done with the computer.

Everyone looked at her.

Sora: "Everyone, please be calm."

As she said that, I noticed she looked a little pale. The room went quiet as the focus shifted to her.





Sora: "The whole floor is flooded, except for one segment of stairs."

You: "Flooded? The whole first floor?"

Sora: "Yeah. All of the partitions have dropped and it isn't possible to get through any of its corridors."

Girl: "In other words... there is no way up."

Sora: "That is correct."

Takeshi: "..."

Sora: "And as for Zweite stock and Dritte stock... the watertight doors did not close in time and Sector 3 is completely flooded."



Sora: "However, some rooms do have water from the flood we just experienced. Currently the bilge pumps are functioning, but it will take a lot of time for the water to completely drain."

You: "Bilge pumps?"

Coco: "Does that mean we have electricity?"

Sora: "Let's see... some parts of the electric system, including the elevator are not functioning. The cause of this is unclear, but it would seem that circuit damage in each section is playing a role. That is another reason that I was not able to survey the situation adequately before"

(What does she mean 'she' wasn't able to...?)

Something about her words nagged at my mind, but I listened to the rest of what she had to say.

Sora: "However, the generator is functioning normally and supplying power. So as long as the generator is operating as well as the circuitry, the water should be cleared with time. Incidentally, the internal air pressure of the complex is 1 atmosphere. The air is 22 percent oxygen, 75 percent nitrogen, 3 percent helium and the temperature is 24 degrees Celsius..."

Girl: "So, what you're basically saying is, we're safe for a while, right?"

Sora: "I'm sorry. That is correct... everyone, we will be forced to wait inside the complex for a while."

Takeshi: "For a while? How long is that?"



Sora: "I am continously sending out a request for assitance. However... right now there is no guarantee that it will reach anyone. All communication lines to Insel null, includin the emergency ones, have been physically severed and are unusable. I have also been attempting to make contact via a seafloor cable network, using sonar... right now I cannot estimate when the network will be back online."

Takeshi: "So we're like little kids lost smack in the middle of the ocean and nobody can hear our SOS..."

Sora: "Exactly."

Those were the cold, har facts we had to face. There was every reason for everyone to get depressed. I sighed...





One of the group was determined to dispel the gloomy atmosphere. You spoke so fast it was almost scary.



You: "Rap-tap-tap-tap Ta-da!"

Takeshi: "...Hey, wait, wait! What did you just say?"

You: "I'm a freshman at Kyumeikan Girl's College. I work here part-time and only over the holidays. Well, I'm kind of new to this whole tour thing, but I will be leading it today..."

Takeshi: "No, no. After that."

You: "Huh? You mean my name? Yubiseiharukana Tanaka."

Takeshi: "Yubise... what?"

You: "Yubiseiharukana Tanaka."

Takeshi: "I can't get my tongue around that."



Coco: "Hey, I have a question!"


A wild GLOOM DESTROYER appeared!

You: "What might that be?"

Coco: "Can I call you Nakkyu?"

You: "Yes, please do. And what is your name?"

Coco: "Coco Yagami!! And this is Pipi!"

Pipi: "Bow-wow!"

Her pet dog appeared from nowhere.

Boy was she full of energy. Leave it to the elementary school kids...

You: "And how old are you?"

Coco: "I'm in ninth grade."

Takeshi: "W-what?"

TAKESHI fainted!



Takeshi: "No... it's nothing..."

I just thought that surprises never cease.

You: "Okay, nice to meet you Coco and Pipi."

Coco: "Thank you!"

Pipi: "Woof!"

You: "What a cute dog!"

Pipi: "Bow-wow!"



Coco: "I think so, too."

I wondered if maybe there wasn't enough oxygen in the room... I was getting a headache.

Girl: "..."

The girl in the black clothes gave our upbeat companions a cool stare.

You noticed the look.



Takeshi: "Huh? Why are you asking me?"

You: "...Aren't you together?"

Takeshi: "Stupid. What are you talking about?"

I-it's not like I like her or anything.

You: "Hmmmm..."

Takeshi: "What is that supposed to mean?"

Tsugumi: "Tsugumi."

I realized the girl had spoken.



It was just loud enough to make out what she was saying.

Tsugumi: "That's my name."

You: "Hi Tsugumi! Nice to meet you!"

Tsugumi: "..."

She turned her back. You shrugged slightly.

I thought Tsugumi might have been embarrassed. There was something kinda cute about her.

(Tsugumi, Tsugumi. I think that's a bird's name...)

I remembered her tugging me along in the aquarium and running like the wind.




Do you even have to ask?

Takeshi: "Hey, Tsugumi... thanks for helping back there."

I walked over to her and said this.

Tsugumi: "What are you talking about?"

Takeshi: "You saved me in the aquarium, right?"

Tsugumi: "I didn't mean to save you. You were in the way."

Takeshi: "...What?"

Tsugumi: "If you had tumbled there, you would have been in the way. I mean you were an obstacle."

Tsugumi looked annoyed as she said this.

(This chick's intense! And scary...!)

And she has more balls than you have showed so far, Takeshi~

In my mind, I retracted my earlier thoughts about her being cute.

Tsugumi and I glared at each other for a while.



You jumped in between us.

I walked away from Tsugumi and she looked away from me.

You: "Sora, it's your turn to introduce yourself."

You, who was totally in control of the situation, turned to Sora who was working on the computer.

Sora: "Oh, you mean me?"

Sora took her hands from the machine and game towards us as if she were gliding.



Sora: "Actually... I am the assistant chief."



Takeshi: "Assistant chief... so you're pretty high up then?"

Sora: "Only in name, I'm really just an assistant. It's no big deal."

Takeshi: "But, Sora, weren't you up at the gate above ground? You were giving some kind of explanation at the entrance, right? I only heard half of it, but..."

Coco: "Oh, you're right. Are you the girl from before?"

Sora: "That's right! So you noticed... we are short of people here. From time to time I do that kind of work."

Sora smiled.

Takeshi: "Uh, I'm Takeshi Kuranari. I'm 20. I'm a junior at university."

Coco: "Nice to meet you!"

Sora: "Yes. Nice to meet you."


Un placer conocerlos, chicos.

Everyone laughed cheerfully.

...But aren't we missing someone?

Everyone laughed except Tsugumi, that is...

It took a little effort, but the atmosphere finally loosened. You started gathering us up.

You: "Okay, now everyone! Now that we have just started having so much fun, it's time to say good-bye---"

You then takes a machine gun out of a drawer and kills everyone. Bad end.

Coco: "Uh, Nakkyu! Wait a second! We haven't asked somebody's name yet."

Coco pointed to the corner of the room.



Pipi: "Woof."

We'd completely fogotten him. He'd been quiet the whole time, trying to stay out of the way and mostly kept to the corner of the room.



You looked at the boy and her face stiffened a little.

Coco: "So let's ask..."



Coco tilted her head as she asked him the question.

Kid: "I..."

He looked down. I couldn't figure what he was waiting for...

Kid: "I... Who am I...?"





Takeshi: "What?"

Coco: "Huh?"

Sora: "...?"



Kid: "My... name..."

Takeshi: "Maybe you've got amnesia."

















You: "That's right... he can't remember anything."

Sora: "Did you suffer a concussion? You might have bumped your head severely somewhere."

Takeshi: "Yeah, you could've taken a tumble when trying to escape..."

Tsugumi: "Hmmph..."

Tsugumi had let loose a nasty snort when I said 'tumble'.

You know Yuu Asakawa's voice is awesome when even her "nasty snorts" are beautiful. Or maybe I just have a girlcrush towards a fictional character, I hear that's a thing too.

Kid: "I don't know... I don't remember anything. Hey. Where is this?"

You: "We are in LeMU, a marine theme park."

Kid: "La... my...?"



He tilted his head.



And Coco gave exactly zero fucks.

I never noticed how much of a badass Coco was when I played. Well played, Coco, well played.

Thankfully at least the electric drink dispenser was working; each person poured the drink they wanted in a paper cup.



Coco: "Cheers!"

Takeshi: "Okay then. Cheers."

Kid: "C-cheers.

Tsugumi: "..."

The string of events leading to the sudden toast went something like this -

'Hey, kid, don't you know anything about before? Not even something personal about yourself?'

'What do I know... Oh! I know... I'm kinda thirsty.'

That was the reason.

But reason aside, we needed a breather, so the timing was good.

Takeshi: "Hey, Sora, what about you? Don't you wanna drink?"

Sora was standing stiffly.



Takeshi: "Well, how about taking a load off? You have been standing the whole time."

Sora: "I'm fine, but thanks for your concern."

Sure... I thought. Sora seemed older than me, polite and serious. She seemed the typical Japanese woman. Prim and proper would be a fit description for her.

I looked around at my surroundings.

You was next to the kid and chatting with him. Sometimes he would laugh or shake his head weakly. I could overhear bits of their conersation; they were talking about his memory.

You: "It's not that out of the ordinary. You'll be fine, it will fix itself in time."

It looked like the two of them were drinking orange juice.

Tsugumi was a way off from everyone and looking into the distance. I had no idea what she was drinking. I didn't have any idea of what she was thinking either.

After agonizing over whether to drink apple juice or cocoa, Coco finally decided on both. But she then proceeded to forget about her drink, take a hold of Pipi's front legs and start dancing around. It was a cute scene...

After things had calmed down, You and everyone gathered in front of the kiosk.



You: "First is what has happened. Next is what we should do now."

Sora: "You, would you mind if I addressed the first of those topics?"

You: "Please do, Sora."

Sora stood in front of everyone and held out her arms. Suddenly, a holographic window materialized in the air. I had no idea how the whole system worked, but I figured that it was the same one they had used at the entrance to the park.

Sora: "I will explain..."

And this is what she said.




I have to mention Hirameki's god awful translation, grammar and even formatting. Which I try to placate in the transcription as much as I can being a foreign, engrishy person myself.













Sora: "I would like to be able to gauge the current situation more accurately... however, some monitors and sensors are still not functioning normally. As a result, I can't obtain accurate data, and can only provide an outline of the situation..."

Takeshi: "Hey, sorry to ask you the same question again, but.. the first floor above us is flooded, yeah?"

Sora: "Correct. I have requested confirmation from our complex management system, LeMMIH, and it has been confirmed."

Takeshi: "So we can't get outta here."

Sora: "Currently, the top priority is requesting assistance so I am doing my utmost to get the communications system back online. I must request your patience..."

Sora bowed her head.

I was feeling depressed again. I didn't want to admit it, but we were in deep trouble.





Takeshi: "You just keep trying to make everyone feel better, don't you?"

You: "Oh, I'm sorry. Would you prefer my dark, despondent, we're doomed approach?"

Takeshi: "That's not what I'm saying..."

You: "Anyway, how about another drink?"

You came out with a huge industrial sized bottle and held it up comically.

Takeshi: "I just can't get over how cheerful you are, given how totally screwed we are."

I complained again without thinking.

You: "I said that's not it at all. I'm like this precisely BECAUSE of the situation."

You said this with a bit of a sulk.

Takeshi: "Yeah, you are totally right... I'm sorry."

You: "There is no need to apologize. Here you go."

Gulp, gulp, gulp...

She filled my cup to the brim with juice.

Takeshi: "Hey, hey..."

Sluuuuuurp.

But most of it was just bubbles.

Takeshi: "This is good!"

You: "Isn't it?"

Sluuuuuuuuuuuuuurp.

Takeshi: "Thanks for the juice."

You: "Anytime. And it's on the house."

It is sad but, most of the appeal of this small conversation isn't conveyed well enough on either text or screenshot. Without You's snarky snarkpants voice actress, it just isn't the same.

You shouldered the massive bottle and took it back inside the shop. Carrying it she teetered like a penguin.

(Geez, she's a funny one...)

I laughed without thinking.

...Do you even think at all, Takeshi?



Tsugumi was leaning against the shop wall and staring after You, with an expressionless face. I wondered what she was thinking... I had no idea.

Takeshi: "Even if we are going to wait for help... we can't just sit on our butts doing nothing, right?"

I casually tried to strike up a conversation with Tsugumi.



Tsugumi: "You act like you're all serious, but there is actually nothing going on in that head of yours, is there?"

...Imagine your own BURN.gif here, because I don't seem to have any, for some reason.

Takeshi: "What? That's not true! I'm thinking. I'm always thinking. Yeah. I was just... thinking of a way to keep us from getting bored."

I rattled off the first thing that jumped to mind.

Tsugumi: "...Sure. Whatever."

Tsugumi gave me an annoyed look. She seemed exasperated... I didn't want her to expect anything from me, but her attitude was frustrating.

Takeshi: "Arrghh... Hey! Alright, everyone listen up."

I had an idea, so I called to everybody.

Tsugumi: "Huh?"

Coco: "What?"



You: "What? What? What happened?"

Kid: "...?"

Everybody gathered around.

Takeshi: "We're not gonna accomplish anything just spending time like this, right? So I just thought, why don't we all split up and look around the complex?"

Sora: "Why? Don't you think that staying in one place would be safer?"

Takeshi: "No. I think that we should check to see if 'staying in one place' and doing nothing is really the safest thing to do. You know, walk around, see what we can find and scope out any dangers. If we do find some, we can tell everyone to watch out for them or do something to get rid of them. And we can see if there is a safer place... and then we could all gather there."

Proactive protag, go!

Sora: "But, Takeshi..."

Takeshi: "It's not like the rescue squad is about to burst in the door, so if we're going to have to be here in LeMU for half a day or a day or so, then... we should find out what kinda place this is and get to know it like our own house."

Sora: "In that case, I can provide you with an abundance of information..."

Takeshi: "No, that's not what I mean. Listen, Sora, you have to look after the communications network, right? You were just talking about some sensors or monitors weren't working right and you can't get a full sense of the current situation."

You: "Oh, I see."

You clapped her hands together.

You: "So, while Sora is trying to send an SOS, we should use our own two legs to see what kind of a situation we're in. How about it, Sora? That would be easier on you, wouldn't it?"

Sora: "Yes... I suppose it would. But, there are still the dangers..."

It seemed that Sora was unsure.

Tsugumi: "Alright, I'll go then."

Tsugumi suddenly laughed. It looked like she was laughing, but her lips curled nastiliy.

Takeshi: "Hey, Tsugumi! Where are you going?"



Tsugumi's expression was blank again. Turning around, she headed for the entrance to the emergency corridor.

Takeshi: "Hey, you can't just... Come back here! Hey, idiot!"

She was already out of sight. Her shoes clacked on the metal stairs as she climbed.



Sora: "I'm worried..."








Well guys, I think I'll leave it there for today and possibly tomorrow. I'm not feeling well and I can foresee a pretty big familiar shitpoopstorm incoming.

Takeshi runs with all his might, the distant screeching getting closer. He resists the urge to fall to the ground, to surrender to his relentless hunter. But he pushes through the increasingly scorching pain in his legs, trying to find somewhere to hide from it's cruel all-seeing eye. Even now he can feel it's burning stare pointed at him, completely devoid of any human emotion.

"DE-GLOOM-INATE!" Bellows the machine as it gets even closer, the audible roar of it's speakers make Takeshi's teeth clench. No matter how quickly he retreats, or how many rooms he puts between it, he can't find any sort of safe haven. The taste of blood lingers in his mouth as he bites down on his lip to avoid screaming away what little energy he has left.

The others are already dead, it got them before they realized what they were locked in with. Takeshi fled when their screaming began. "It was too late to help them." repeats Takeshi to himself as he frantically continues his descent deeper into his prison.

Takeshi's foot strikes a loose pipe and he comes painfully tumbling down to floor. All he can do is resist the urge to pass out as he desperately attempts to hobble to his feet. But it's too late. It has already found him and now towers over his cowering frame.

It's too late. It's too late. It's too late.

my internets really slow, would it be possible for you compress the images a little with irfanview or something? each one is about 1mb each right now

Emo kids' biggest nemesis. Soon, in your local theaters.

Coco is just a snark bait fountain, isn't she.

Oh, crap. I'll work on it ASAP, thank you for telling me!

Edit: dr@man, does that look better?

yes, its alot faster now. thank you

Man, I love this VN, it's definitely my favourite one, best story ever. I'm glad someone is LP this!
Too bad you already choose, but in my opinion Sora is the best woman in the game. Her route is so awwww ç_______________ç And I always detested Tsugumi somehow, I can understand a tsundere character but she goes too beyond sometimes, acting like and asshole.

Glad to hear that. I derped with the screenshotting and saved all of it in .pngs, that's why it was all so big.

You can always vote for the next to be Sora when we finish this route. <3






Sora's brow furrowed and her expression stiffened.



The kid had broken his silence and everyone was a little surprised.

Kid: "It's like Takeshi says. It doesn't do us any good to just stay here."

He continued without pausing.

Kid: "Tsugumi just went to the second floor. I'll bet she is just going to look around there. So why don't we look around the third floor?"

Oh Kid, I'm so proud of you! Brave and coherent, without sprinkling your phrases with unreasonably long elipses!

You: "Hmmm..."



Coco: "Okay. Let's do that then."

Takeshi. "Sounds like a plan."

I gave big nod.



Sora finally nodded slightly. Once everyone's minds were set, things picked up.



Sora said she was going back to the control room to get data, so we went our separate ways. You, Coco, the kid and I went to search around the complex. We decided to check the normal corridors and the emergency corridors above and below them on the third floor.

Splitting into pairs where the corridor forked, we agreed to meet back there when we had checked the corridors ahead. We did that over and over.



I wondered if water was leaking anywhere. I figured that the water pressure would send water spurting through any crack it could find. Also, I thought there might be other people that had been left behind.

According to Sora, the system had told her that there were six people in the complex. Still, there was no guarantee that was right. I thought that if we found somebody else, it might change our situation.



I hoped there might be a door to the surface that we simply were unaware of... as silly as it sounded, I couldn't really throw away that shred of hope. While we were out searching, Sora continued to try and get into contact with LeMU's central computer, LeMMIH, and gather more information.

Sora had said that she wanted to establish a means of communicating with the world outside.



But Tsugumi was nowhere to be seen.

You: "Tsugumi hasn't come back."

Takeshi: "We can't just let her run loose... I wonder where she is."

Sora: "Shall I check?"



Sora: "We checked the life reading scan of people inside the complex. Even if Tsugumi were moving around, she should still appear in the results of this scan. That is of course if she is in the complex..."

(And if she is alive...)

I managed to keep that thought from coming out of my mouth.

It only took a moment for a map of LeMU and data from the sensors to appear. There was one fuzzy light on the second floor.

Sora: "That would be Tsugumi..."

There were a number of lights in a room on the third floor. I figured that was the Control Room where we were.

Kid: "Oh!"



Kid: "Hey, isn't that strange? Look..."



The kid pointed at a corner of the monitor. It indicated a single digit number.



Kid: "Watch it closely..."









Sora: "Oh, my. You're right... I wonder what could it be..."

Sora fiddled with the console, but the numbers on the monitor continued to fluctuate. The number changed every few seconds. But even while the life scan numbers changed, no new lights appeared or disappeared.

Kid: "Maybe... maybe there is somebody besides us in LeMU. If the number really is supposed to be '7'..."

You: "That's what it would mean."

Kid: "Don't you think we should go look for that person? I mean... they could be in trouble. We have to help them!"

Takeshi: "Hang on, kid. Calm down."

For a whilee all of our eyes were glued to the changing numbers. Watching them change was unsettling...

Finally -



The monitor settled on the number six.

The light on the second floor was moving around slowly, while the five lights on the third floor were all in one room, unmoving.

Sora: "Perhaps it... was just because of a malfunctioning sensor. The cause is unclear. Would you like to see what else we can find out?"

Takeshi: "Nah. Tsugumi is on the second floor and there are five of us here... so that number '6' is probably right. Don't you think?"

Kid: "But..."

Takeshi: "Well, I figure if we go look around a little more, we'll find out soon enough."

Kid: "..."

You: "...Yeah. Takeshi is right."

Takeshi: "Alright then. So, do you all wanna head back to the second floor?"

I thought it was best if we actually took in the situation with our own eyes.

Obviously someone is constantly spawn camping some poor asshole.

Nightcrawler and Wolverine have come to save you all, but first they're gonna be dicks about it.

Who wouldn't want to be a dick to Takeshi?

I actually quite like his character, but boy is he dorky. I'd probably bully him a lot if I were to interact with him IRL.








In the end, we didn't find anybody else on the third floor. We didn't see any routes that looked like they might lead out either.

Sora had told us that there was no schedule for the communications system to be back online.

We could look at the information displayed on some of the LeMMIH terminals, which were set in some attractions and in the corridors, but we couldn't operate them in any way. The cause for this was unclear, too. The fact that there were no leaks on that floor was our one saving grace.





Sora gave us 30 minutes of free time.

Okay, mom. :(

But that still didn't mean we could go running around as we pleased, so we decided to randomly hit some of the rooms and search them.

Sora held her hands out in front of her and a holographic window appeared.



Sora: "Oh... Tsugumi is on this floor... she seems to be walking in the vicinity of the elevator."

Takeshi: "You can tell that?"

Sora: "Yes. I will work in the Security Office while monitoring everyone's activities. If a problem arises, I will announce it via the intercom... and if something happens, please contact me immediately."

You: "Alright. Okay, let's split up and meet in the Security Office in half an hour."



Coco: "Okie dokie."

Pipi: "Bow-wow!"

Takeshi: "Sure. Whatever."

After closing the holographic window, Sora went into a room a further down the corridor. Apparently that was the Security Office.

Everyone headed out in a different direction from the corridor intersection. I took my PDA out of my pocket and pushed the button. It was recharged and the backlight was working without a problem.

I reset the time. After that, I tested it a number of times, but it didn't seem to be able to make a call or go online.

(Maybe I ought to give up using this to get in touch with the outside...)

I pushed the PDA back into my pocket. I had thirty minutes left.


It is bonding time! We know that Tsugumi is near the elevator, and that Sora is in the Security Office. Tsugumi's option isn't available yet, so let's just...

wait

did you say merry-go-round

fuck



There was a carousel there. Only instead of horses, it was set to a dolphin theme. It looked like its official name was the Dolphin Carousel.

With no visitors around, the ride seemed a little spooky and very lonely. Even the dolphins themselves looked sad.





Suddenly a happy melody started and the ride began to rotate. Of course, no one was riding it.

All of a sudden, it no longer seemed so lonely... but instead, much more spooky.

Takeshi: "Wh-wh-wh-what is this? This place is haunted! Even thinking about it gives me the creeps..."

Then from somewhere I heard someone snickering.



You came skipping over to me.

You: "Hey, Takeshi. When did you get here?"

Takeshi: "Looks like you are having a lot of fun..."

You: "But it is fun, isn't it? Doesn't it make you happy? Hee, hee... I always wanted to give this ride a whirl once."

You pointed to the merry-go-round.

Takeshi: "Don't just turn it on without any warning! You almost gave me a heart attack! Y-you surprised the heck out of me!"

I shook my fist in the air. I might have been exaggerating a little, but...



You looked at me sideways, and grinned mischievously.

Takeshi: "Nobody is supposed to be here in the theme park. It was like a horror movie!"

You: "Geez. You're such a chicken."

Takeshi: "Well... you were wasting energy by turning it on, too. What if there were a blackout? We have no idea how long LeMU's backup power is good for. Besides, everybody knows that you should save energy!"

Takeshi's dorkiness knows no bounds.

You: "So, you're not only a chicken but also a worrywart."

Takeshi: "W-what are you talking about? It's common sense..."

You: "Oh, Takeshi, so you didn't know?"

Next, she held her palms out and feigned exaggerated surprise.

You: "This LeMU doesn't get any of its power from outside. It is all generated inside this complex. Down more than 300 feet underwater on the ocean floor are thermal seafloor vents; basically hot springs. So LeMU takes hot water from there and uses it for steam. The power of that steam is used to turn the turbines and that's how we generate our power. While LeMU is a theme park, it is also a closed-cycle plant and a test case for self-sufficient power generation."



Takeshi: "I see."

You: "I explain it in that kind of depth and all you can say is 'I see'?"

Takeshi: "I mean, what a WONDERFUL explanation! You are a model employee!"

You: "Hmmm... Takeshi, that was sure a sexy scream you let out when the dolphins started moving. You were scared, weren't you! I think I'll tell everyone about it..."

Is she hitting on us or trolling us?

Takeshi: "Do what you want."

You: "..."

Takeshi: "...Then again, maybe you shouldn't."

The dolphins had stopped moving on their own accord. You explained that the ride ran for about three minutes each time before shutting off automatically. We leaned against the fence surrounding the Dolphin Carousel.





You: "Yup. I started at the end of April and have been staying here. This is my fourth day..."

Takeshi: "And then out of the blue you get this. Pretty rough."

You: "Takeshi, how many times have you come to LeMU?"

Takeshi: "This is the first time."

You: "Ha. Then I've only got a three day head start on you."

You laughed happily. She sure was cheerful. I had to respect her unflagging optimism and energy.

Takeshi: "You're tough. I mean, this situation is pretty deppresing yet it doesn't seem to faze you.

You: "No, I'm really not. It's just easier. I said it earlier, didn't I? Would you rather I get deppresed?"

Takeshi: "I think it is better to laugh."

You: "You're right. That's all we can do."

Then she laughed again. I tried to force a smile.

You: "Whew..."

You stretched like a cat, then she sat there and hugged her knees. I followed suit and sat down next to her.

You: "To tell you the truth... I came to work here because I thought my dad might be here."

Oh, daddy issues. People usually call this a cliché and dislike it, but to be fair, it IS pretty common in real life too, so I at least don't really mind.

Takeshi: "Your dad?"



Takeshi: "Research and development?"

You: "Uh, well... he worked on a computer program. It's the hologram that Sora uses, the LeMMIH terminals and the complex control system... I don't know the details, he worked on all of it from when LeMU was first being built. Of course, he didn't do it alone. He was one of the members involved in developing the project."

Takeshi: "Is that so..."

You: "But my father... my father disappeared one day."

Takeshi: "...What?"

You: "He just went missing..."

Takeshi: "W-when?"

You: "He... he has been missing as long as I can remember. It was when I was one year old, 17 years ago..."

Takeshi: "17 year ago... so you have no memories of your father?"

You: "No... I've only seen pictures and videos of him. I don't really have any memories... everything I just told you I heard from my mother."

Takeshi: "But why? Why did he disappear?"

You: "If I knew that, I wouldn't have come here. But the only clue to what happened is probably here... the last time my father was seen was in LeMU. So I thought that if I came here maybe I would find some clues about him. It seems like my mom has already given up, so I can't count on her. She seems to think my dad is already dead..."

'Dead'... the word 'dead' had a heavy ring to it.

You: "But you know? I believe! I believe that he is alive somewhere! He has to be! He just went missing. It's not like they ever found his body. I heard that some of my father's research is being used in the new programs on some of the latest attractions. There has to be a clue somewhere in this place about the work my father was doing. Well, the original... the attractions are already under water."

Takeshi: "..."

You: "..."

After that we lapsed into silence.

I didn't know if I should say something to her. I tried to think of what to say but didn't hit upon anything.



You: "I'm kind of in the mood for some music. Something light and fun if you know what I mean. So... I think I'll get the dolphins spinning again? Takeshi, why don't you finish looking around?"



:(

Takeshi: "Hey, You...?"



The dolphins started spinning again. You didn't come back.

It looked like she had disappeared to the corridor behind the merry-go-round.

(...I guess I should get out of here.)

It was as if the dolphins saw me off. I left the room behind.

Ah, Takeshi, Mr. Nice Guy. Nobody likes the nice guy!
Heh, honestly I like how easy-going he is, it's a nice change from the usual hyper/uber nervous protagonist you see alot in anime. He's a dork and knows it! I'd probably tease him alot too, but he's too cute to actually bully.
Takeshi melts all the ice queens!

I never noticed how yandere You is. I keep expecting her to shank someone and then giggle happily. She has those wild mood swings too, especially on her route. Guess it comes with the job, she puts the 'manic' in 'manic pixie dream girl' (although she's not as genki as Coco. No one and no thing is as genki as Coco.)

One of the things I'm not sure whether I like or not about Ever17 is that almost every character is bizarre to the point where they might transcend relateable human behavior. I think Remember11 was a little better in that respect.

Even Sora? She seems pretty reasonable and normal so far.

There was a sign with a the LeMU mascot on it. This was where I had peeled the macot outfit off of the kid. That Myuyun raccoon dog mascot...

I didn't see any raccoon dog stuffed animals next to all kinds of key chains, hologram pendants, seafood snacks and other stuff. I still had no idea what that raccoon dog was.



He wasn't really looking at anything, but his gaze seemed fixed. He just kept staring at the ground.

I expected to see a hole open up in the ground he was staring so intensely. He had his hands on his temples.

Takeshi: "How's your headache, Kid?"



Takeshi: "What's the matter? Did you find something? Or did you remember something?"

Kid: "Uh...? I... um..."



Takeshi: "I just told you a bit ago. I introduced myself. I'm Takeshi, Takeshi Kuranari."

Kid: "Oh. Is that right? This is... what am I doing here?"

Takeshi: "Oh, great."

I sighed. It's that amnesia thing. The Kid couldn't even remember what he had just said. He just moved from one topic to the next, forgetting the last.

Takeshi: "This is the marine theme park LeMU. Something happened and we are trapped here."

Kid: "Le...mur? What do you mean 'trapped'?"

Takeshi: "That's something I'd like answered myself."

Kid: "Uh..."



Takeshi: "Takeshi Kuranari."

Kid: "Takeshi... Kuranari?"

Takeshi: "Takeshi means samurai in Japanese"

Takeshi, honey, I thought all of this was happening in Japan? And that you were all speaking Japanese?

Kid: "Uh..."

Takeshi: "Maybe you should start taking notes. You know, keeping track of my name, the other people, where we are and stuff."

Kid: "Notes? Yeah, maybe I should..."

Takeshi: "It looks like you understand what taking notes means. Take good ones. Even when you are eating. And if you remember, you can make a memo of your name too."

I gave the Kid a memo pad and pen I had filched from the kiosk.

Kid: "Thanks. Hey, can you tell me what year it is?"

Takeshi: "You forgot that, too?"

Kid: "Yeah..."

Takeshi: "It is 20... uh, what year IS it?"

I searched around in my pocket. My entrance ticket stub was crumpled and stuck to the back of my PDA.

Takeshi: "Oh, that's right. It's 2017! Take notes! Write it down!"

Kid: "Okay. 2017..."

He was writing it down. It looked like he hadn't forgotten how to take notes.

Takeshi: "So why'd you wanna know the year?"

Kid: "Yeah, kind of."

Takeshi: "Kind of?"

I'm... pretty sure that's now how you answer to a how/why kind of question.

Kid: "I thought that if I heard the year I might be able to remember at least my birthday."

Takeshi: "I see. Come to think of it, you don't even know how old you are, huh?"

Kid: "No..."

Takeshi: "By the looks of it, I'd say you're not a day over 42."

Oh, you.

Kid: "What?!"

Surprised, the Kid felt his face.

Takeshi: "Ha, ha, ha. I'm kidding! Relax! There is no way. You're probably around 14 or 15. If you are 18, then you've got a baby face. Geez, don't tell me you forget your own face?"

Kid: "...F-face?"

Takeshi: "If you're worried about it, go take a look in the mirror. You could sketch a self-portrait in case you forget later..."

Kid: "Oh. Yeah... maybe I will."

(Geez. He's got it rough...)

But his serious expression had relaxed. That at least was good.

Takeshi: "Alright. Well, I'm gonna get going. When it's time, you come to the Security Office."

Kid: "Oh, the Security Office. Where is that? ...And where is this again? I'm sorry. I really don't know."

Takeshi: "It's alright, I understand. If you don't come, then I'll come looking for you."

Kid: "Okay. Thanks... Takeshi."

Takeshi: "Hey, you remembered."



The Kid had been taking notes and sure enough, there it was. My name, Takeshi, but spelled wrong.







But I wondered what she was doing there. Besides, she was the only one that had been doing deskwork the whole time we'd been trapped. I imagined she would be getting a different kind of tired from what we got walking around. Mentally tired, maybe.

As I was thinking that, I knocked on the Security Office door.

Knock, knock.

Takeshi: "Hello? Sora, you there? Wait, this metal door is so think you couldn't even hear me if you were..."

I pushed the button for the intercom on the panel next to the door, but Sora didn't reply.

Takeshi: "I wonder if she isn't in there."

The door wasn't locked, so I pushed the open button and it opened.



And it was dirty.

The front wall was packed with monitors. They were all stained dark form cigarette smoke. Ashtrays were stacked up like it was normal. And there was a huge sign plastered on the wall that said 'NO SMOKING'.


And this is one of the reasons Hirameki went broke. The other being, of course, lack of market for VNs in the west.

But I restrained myself and kept looking. Sora wasn't there.

Takeshi: "Sora? Hey, Sora? Where are you? I didn't think you were the type to go running off without telling anyone..."

I took another step inside the room.



Takeshi: "Waaaa!"

All of the windows in the wall monitors opened and closed.

Sora: "T-Takeshi... when did you get here?"

For some reason, the voice sounded like it came from the shadow of the desk. It was a blind spot and I couldn't see her.

Takeshi: "So you are here, Sora. I thought you'd probably be all stressed out from the work and situation so I came to take a look. What are you doing in that weird place?"

I approached the rear of the desk as I talked.

Sora. "Oh, no! Takeshi no! Please don't..."

Takeshi: "Huh?"

Sora: "I-I'm busy right now..."

I couldn't see her face, but she sounded embarrassed.

NAUGHTY SORA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE?

Sora: "If you don't mind, can you wait outside for a little bit?"

She spoke hesitantly.

Takeshi: "Oh! Are you changing?"



Sora: "Uh, no, not exactly. But I suppose it is something like that. Takeshi, aren't you going to change? If you don't mind employee work outfits... the changing room is directly behind this room. Just turn on the corner of the corridor and you'll find it."

Takeshi: "Nah, I'm alright. I'm just a little damp and uncomfortable, but I'll get used to it."

Sora: "I see..."



Takeshi: "I'm sorry to bother you. I'll go look around a little more. Good luck."

Sora: "Thank you."

During our whole exchange, Sora was hidden and I didn't see her. I waved in Sora's direction, though I figured she couldn't see me, and headed for the exit.

Takeshi: "Hey, it's not good for you to stay cooped up in here. Take a break once in a while."

I said without looking back.

Sora: "Okay, but plaese do not worry about me. I like my work. If I really get into it... I can go for days without sleep just fine."



I don't really understand what she meant.

(But I suppose... she's probably really into her job.)

I imagined that system engineer was probably just an occupation that drew 'interesting types' and felt satisfied with that.



I took my PDA from my pocket and checked the time. There were 17 minutes until the time Sora had said. I wondered where I should hit next.

I went in the far door, which was open.



(Where am I?)

I had been aiming for the elevator, but wound up somewhere else. The sign said 'Qualle', I had no clue what that meant.

Reading the explanation, I learned that this was a gondola in the shape of a jellyfish. I wasn't particularly in the mood for a ride...

I checked to see that there was no damage to the floors or the walls and left.




Well hello there.

Tsugumi was standing there silently. She was in front of the closed elevator doors with a stern look on her face.



Tsugumi: "..."

It looked like Tsugumi had noticed, but she didn't reply. Her eyes stayed fixed on the door.

Takeshi: "This elevator doesn't go to the surface."

I was reading a nearby sign.

Takeshi: "It says that to go to the floating island, Insel null, we should use the elevator in the center of the floor."

Tsugumi: "..."

Takeshi: "Hey, Tsugumi. Just standing there isn't going to make the elevator come."



Tsugumi finally answered me.

Tsugumi: "I know because I just saw it."

Takeshi: "Saw what?"

Tsugumi: "The elevator."

As soon as she said that, she placed her hand on the closed elevator doors and started prying them apart. The door was stopped half open, I thought it might be broken. Tsugumi looked inside.

Tsugumi: "See, the elevator is stopped on the third floor."

Scared, I peeked in.

Takeshi: "Oh... that's the one we rode down in?"

Tsugumi: "It's still there from when we escaped."

A little box in the abyss. The elevator was about 20 yards down. I thought that the floors were fairly far apart, but didn't realize actually how far.

Takeshi: "Whoa!"



WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT

Takeshi: "Don't slap... whaddya think would happen if I fell from here?"

Tsugumi: "If you fell... I think that you would die. Most definitely."

Tsugumi said it without a trace of emotion.

B-but we love you! :'(

Takeshi: "Geez... why do you want to scare me?"

Tsugumi: "You're just a coward."

Tsugumi pulled on the doors, putting them back in their original positions. Just to be sure, I tapped on the elevator button a couple of times. There was no response, the lamp didn't light up.

Takeshi: "It doesn't look like it's getting any power."



Tsugumi: "That's right, this elevator is useles..."

After that, Tsugumi went quiet again. Silence was the rule for a while.

Tsugumi rarely talked. She only said the minimum necessary... I thought that maybe she was trying to be careful of me for some reason. I wondered what it could be... I wanted to know.

Takeshi: "Hey, why don't you tell me what happened?"

Tsugumi: "It's got nothing to do with you."

That might have been true, but still. It's got nothing to do with me...

It's got something to do with me.

Takeshi: "Hey, you know something I don't?"

Tsugumi: "Something... like what?"

Takeshi: "Like about this accident. Like maybe something... something to do with the reason you're all quiet?"

Tsugumi: "Accident? This wasn't an accident... it was planned."

Takeshi: "What makes you say that?"



Tsugumi gave me a strange look.

Tsugumi: "So you feel like something isn't right, too."

Takeshi: "Maybe, I guess. Everything is just too neat..."

Tsugumi: "..."

Takeshi: "We can't communicate with the outside and our escape routes are all closed, but we've got electricity and the air conditioning still works. It's almost like someone trapped us here on purpose..."

Tsugumi: "Hmm...? I guess you're not as dumb as you look."

Tsugumi's expression loosened into a slight smile.



Takeshi: "What do you mean by that?"

Tsugumi: "I mean exactly what I said. You don't look that smart."

(Whaaaat?! This chick...! I'd love to tell her what I REALLY think of her...)

That thought ran through my mind. But I thought that would really make me look stupid, so I resisted the urge.

You are such a dork, Takeshi.
...
...<3


ITSATRAP.gif

Tsugumi's expression returned to normal.

Tsugumi: "And you probably aren't going to get out. No, not just you, but everyone else as well, all four of them. You're all the same."

Takeshi: "Huh? Well, what about you then, Tsugumi?"

Tsugumi: "I..."



Tsugumi: "It wouldn't be bad at all, I guess."

It IS a novel way to die, to be fair. It gives you a pretty cool anecdote to talk about. In the afterlife.

Tsugumi looked upward. The ceiling was covered with artificial materials. It felt oppressive...

She laughed again.





<Elevator out of order>

It caught my curiosity and I decided to have a look.



There were loads of boxes made of reinforced plastic all piled up. There was a pushcart, boxes too big to carry, and some long and narrow that a person could just hold. There were all kinds of marks, symbols and letters on the boxes and I couldn't make sense of them.

There were also a bunch of round, carbon capsules and drum-like objects.

I wondered what was inside of them. I figured I didn't really need to know.

There was a hissing noise coming from somewhere. Looking for the sound led me to an air conditioner that was in bad shape, but still working.

On the room ceiling was a crane complete with guide rails. One container was still suspended from above. It looked like it had been abandoned in the middle of work. No one had any time to clean up, everyone had fled at once...

Takeshi: "Hey, is there anybody here?"

I called out once, but nobody answered.

Takeshi: "...There is no reason anybody would be here, I guess."

There was no reply.







I arrived in front of the infirmary. While this was a theme park, it was also deep in the ocean and had other facilities. LeMU's atmosphere was maintained using a mix of gasses at an air pressure different from the outside world. It seemed like it could make some people feel ill... I reckoned that was the reason this room was so large.



I thought it could have something to do with LeMU's sponsor being a major pharmaceutical company. The room was so clean and white it was nearly blinding.

There were two normal beds and one that looked like it was for surgery. There was also a huge machine attached to one of them.

L-MRI was written on it.

I didn't know what it was, but it looked like it was some kind of scanner.

Indeed.

I saw a shelf in the wall filled with medical tools and medicines. It was probably in case somebody fell ill or got injured here. It wouldn't be possible to move anyone outside, so they would have to be treated here.

BEST. THEMEPARK. EVER.



Just so you know, the Zweite stock music was playing since the last time until this point.

(?!)

I was getting used to surprises, but the voice startled me. I didn't now who was talking, but somebody sure was.

??: "Everybody? Help? ...Did you come to help?"

It sounded like Coco... but I didn't know who she was talking to. I couldn't tell where they were.



Coco: "But... it's probably impossible... there is no way out anymore..."

What was she saying...? I wondered if something had happened to Coco...

I carefully inched toward the rear of the room. I noticed a squarish hole cut out of the floor. I peered down inside.

Inside, was a small elevator stopped. Ir appeared that there was another room directly below the infirmary. The voice was coming from there.

I pushed the button, and when the lift came, jumped in.



I arrived below. I noticed that the hatch there was slightly ajar.

Coco: "Liar... because... because..."

I eased closer and opened the hatch.


Oh, come on. Didn't you ever have an imaginary friend?

...What do you mean, "no"?

...



She was sitting on the bed. Nothing looked out of the ordinary...





Takeshi: "Takepyon?"

Coco: "Yup. You're Takepyon!"

Takeshi: "Huh?"

Coco: "Pyon, pyon - Takepyon."

Takeshi: "...Safe place, pokopon."

I have absolutely no idea of what you're referencing there, guys.

Coco: "Yeah, you got it..."

Takeshi: "I know the Ninneko Song 17. But it's not 'pyon, pyon'. It's 'pokopon', right?"

...I googled this, and am still clueless.

Coco: "Yes, yes! But..."

Takeshi: "...Huh?"



Coco pointed to herself as she said her name.



Then she pointed at me.



Pipi: "Woof!"

A puppy face peeked out from under the bed.

Coco: "Nice to meet you!"

Once again, I've been floored by your astounding logic, Coco.

Takeshi: "Oh, nice to meet you, too! ...But haven't we already introduced ourselves?"



Takeshi: "So you're calling me Takepyon. Is that it?"

Coco: "Yup."

Pipi: "Woof."

Takeshi: "Alright. I got it. So... who were you talking with, Coco?"

Coco: "What?"

Takeshi: "Wasn't someone just in that room?"

Coco: "No. Nobody was there. I was just playing around with Pipi. Pyon, pyon, Takepyon."

Whatever... I didn't think Coco would lie to me. There wasn't anyone else around.



So, now that we've finished with the stalking padding BONDING, it is time to advance the plot! I... I hope.

I took my PDA from my pocket and looked at the time.

Takeshi: "Oh, no!"

We were only two minutes late, but still, we were late.

I jogged toward the Security Office, with Coco and Pipi close behind me. We went through the sliding door.



You was standing like a guard in the narrow entranceway. The kid was next to her.

Kid: "Yeah. I got here a little before you..."

Takeshi: "Sorry. My bad, I was late."

You: "You know that in a group in our situation we have to be punctual, right?"

Takeshi: "Don't get so mad. It's only two minutes give or take."

You: "But two minutes could make all the difference in the world."


Coco comes to the rescue!


Oh, You, you're full of poop.

Coco: "Yup. I'm fine, I came straight here."

You: "Oh, that's good."

Takeshi: "...You're sure treating a lot differently than me..."



Sora looked up from the LeMMIH terminal and smiled. She walked toward us.

Takeshi: "So everybody's here... what about Tsugumi?"



Tsugumi was leaning against the lockers on the far side of the room.

Tsugumi: "If you've found out anything new, I'd like to hear about it. Did you?"

Sora: "Oh yes. I will tell you. First, there are a few things I want to review."

NO, NO THANKS.






Haven't we seen this same screen before?

Goddamnit.

Sora: "Erste boden, Zweite stock, Dritte stock... there are nearly 56 feet (17 meters) between each floor. If you go down a floor, then you go almost 56 feet (17 meters) deeper. Thus, the third floor, Dritte stock, is located at around a depth of 167 feet. Outside of Dritte is a total of 6 atmospheres of pressure, 5 atmospheres water pressure and 1 atmosphere air pressure. Even if hypothetically, you were to suddenly go out into the ocean from Dritte... your lungs would be crushed to about one-sixth of their size, and approximately five-sixth of your lungs would be flooded. You would likely die in a matter of minutes."

Takeshi: "Uh, I've got a question."

Sora: "Go ahead..."

Takeshi: "I've heard that skin divers can dive to depths of about 30 meters. Couldn't somebody just tough out the water pressure on the way up?"

Sora: "The current world record for free diving is around 492 feet. With an aqualung and pauses along the way, just about anyone could dive around 115 feet. However, the air sent to your lungs would be a highly pressurized gas. But with skin diving, they don't stop to breathe along the way. Amateurs can't make it past 65 feet."

Takeshi: "Wow. Is that right?"

Sora: "And there is one other important thing. Even if you could withstand 5 atmospheres of water pressure... could you really swim the over 167 feet to the surface?"

Takeshi: "Are you making fun of me? Hey, I may not look like it, but in high school I swam a mile."

Sora: "But aren't you talking about swimming on the surface? Swimming 51 meters across something is nothing like swimming 51 meters up something. I am talking about 51 meters in height. It would be the equivalent of swimming up a 15-story building."



On one hand, agreeing might give me Sora brownie points which I do not want in this run. On the other, explanations.

Do you really need to ask?



That was insanity.

Insert obligatory 300 reference here.

Even for Zweite stock at a depth of 34 meters, that would be about 10 stories. Just climbing that would be a bear. And besides, how would one get outside of LeMU in the first place...

Takeshi: "Yeah. You're right. That's something that guts alone couldn't get you through."

I nodded.



Sora: "That is correct. There is something else I want to say. It is an announcement... I am still working to gather information and reconnect LeMU's communication network with the outside, however... all cable, radio and network functions are down due to malfunctions, physically severed cables or flooding. I cannot provide an estimation of when we will be in touch with the outside. Sonic comunication to the outside is also down. Therefore, I have not been able to dispatch a SOS. That concludes my report..."



There was no sign of help. If there were people up on the floating island, the least they could do was send someone to check on us... I was trying to be upbeat about things, but with the first floor flooded and the partitions shut, no one was going to be coming through there. And coming through the ocean... that seemed even more impossible. The flooding of LeMU had disrupted the flow of the currents around it. It would be hard for a diver or small submersible to get anywhere near it.

Coco could swim it.

So I revisited the scene and it only made me barely uncomfortable. HOORAY FOR BEING A PUSSY.

Update coming soon.

Well, that's that. Have some levitating Coco in the meanwhile.

Pipi: "Grgrrrr. Waff."

Takeshi: "...Heeee. Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Coco: "Yeah! That's another win for Pipi!"

Pipi: "Woof."

I had just finished my 34th match against Pipi.

And I had lost 34 times. It was a pretty one-sided affair.

Takeshi: "Is there anyway that Pipi could lose?"

I like to think this whole exchange is actually referring to a game of chess.

Coco: "Oh, are you making excuses?"

Takeshi: "First off, you're the one who's making Pipi's face all funny. I can't make faces that crazy by myself."

Coco: "Well, there's no other way to do it. Pipi can't make faces alone."

Pipi: "Woof."

Takeshi: "Besides, I don't know how to make a dog laugh, so it's not really fair."

Bullshit, Takeshi, dogs laugh all the time. Or so does mine.

Coco: "Well, that's just something you have to get used to."

I wonder if I was really just getting used to it.

Coco: "Pipi laughs when he's happy. Right, Pipi?"

Pipi: "Woof, woof."

Takeshi: "Well, I'll just have to admit defeat. Kid, you wanna take my place?"



Takeshi: "Yeah. I'm begging you. I'll be the referee."

The kid had been talking with You, but he came over.



Kid: "Don't be too hard on me."

Sora: "Oh, what game are you playing? It looks fun..."



Takeshi: "It's a staring contest - canine vs. human."

Sora: "Well, that seems pretty incredible."

Sora covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.

Takeshi: "Actually, Pipi is incredible... I think I'm gonna have nightmares about this."

I shuddered.



Takeshi: "I want to get underway, but first..."

Coco: "Let's hurry up and do this!"

Takeshi: "Well, I think we need to decide what we're going to call the kid here. Is 'Kid' okay? What do you think?"

Kid: "Well, I don't know..."

Coco: "We could call him Kiddo."

Kid: "Uh... um... sure."

Coco: "Kiddo kiddo kiddo"

Takeshi: "Kiddo, huh... you want me to call you that, too? There's gotta be a more normal name than that. Like... John. It's a little random, but I like John Doe."

I know you are referring to a "normal" name, but John Smith works just as well and doesn't remind anyone of a morgue.

Sora: "Don't you think that would be a little rude to all of the people named John?"

Takeshi: "Well, it's only for a little while, so it doesn't have to be perfect."

Sora: "Takeshi, I thought that you wanted a more name-like name than Kiddo."

Coco: "Well then, Coco will think up another name! Kiddo's other name could be..."




I wonder if it is just the pronunciation or she throwing in random spanish terms, but this is sides-breakingly funny to me. She... she seems to like the idea of Kid being a virgin dog, too. Virgin as in Virgin Mary.

Takeshi: "That's too long! Anything longer than Yubiseiharukana Tanaka is out!"



You, who had been standing over by the shop, came walking directly towards me.

Takeshi: "Ah! What a pain! In honor of the mascot, I name you John Raccoon Dog Smith!"

Kid: "..."

Sora: "That's crude, Takeshi..."

Pipi: "Woof?"

Sora: "Well, let's see. Why don't I think of one... how about Melos?

Well, that is interesting.

Takeshi: "Why not Nomemo?"

You: "Well, he's got no memory..."

Takeshi: "Nah, it's bad luck to name him that, I think..."



Tsugumi cut in.

Tsugumi: "If we come up with a random name, it'll be a hassle when he remembers his real one. He is a kid... so why don't we just stick with Kid?"

The conversation had come full circle.



There was a dull, heavy metallic echo... and at the same time, there was a slight tremor.

Takeshi: "What's that?"

Tsugumi: "That tremor felt like it came from below..."

You: "Below? I wonder if something happened below?"

Sora: "I will try to investigate."

Saying that, Sora held her hands out in front of her.





Just then, a strong lateral vibration jolted the floor. The holographic window that Sora had conjured vanished.

You: "Sora!"

Sora: "It's alright... the monitor is back online, I am initiating a scan... water has penetrated the material storage space in Sector 6 of Dritte stock."

Takeshi: "It's flooding? I didn't see any signs of that when I made the rounds..."



The sound of metal giving way accompanied the massive shaking. Scenes from old movies of luxury liners being swallowed by the ocean flashed across my mind.

Sora: "There is damage to the passageways connecting the sectors. Multiple leak areas, and increasing."

Tsugumi: "Hey... don't you think we should grab hold of something?"

You: "Yes. Everyone grab something and steady yourselves!"

Takeshi: "O-okay."

I reached out for a support pillar nearby. Coco crouched down as she squeezed Pipi tightly.

Everyone held their breath.

Boom, boom, boom...

Boom, boom, boom.

Bam!

A huge shockwave rocked us. The whole floor, or rather the whole of LeMU shook. I thought I would be thrown into the ceiling one second or pulverized into the floor the next.

The souvenir shop in front of me trembled. The display of dishes in the shop fell to the floor and shattered... the pile of empty cans clattered and gave way. A stuffed animal made a beeping noise as it fell on its stomach. We all steadied ourselves against the shaking. All we could do was endure it.

No one said anything. We could hear the squeal of steel twisting.

Boom, boom, boom.

Boom, boom, boom...

Finally, the sound seemed to get further away.

The vibrations also gradually subsided.





Still wary, we headed downstairs.

We carefully moved forward down the wet and slippery stairs. With each step, the scent of seawater seemed to grow stronger.



The water level in the corridor reached around my shin... it must have been around six inches deep.



Sora: "It appears not. All major areas where leaking has ocurred have been closed off by shutting a partition, however, water is continuing to flow in through small ducts, even now. The water clearing pumps are operating at full capacity, but to make the water level recede..."

Takeshi: "The big hole will have to be plugged. Is that what you were gonna say?"

You: "But with the partition shutting off the sector of the original leak, there is no way to access it..."

Sora: "Yes, that is so..."

That crisis scene is one of my favorites on general route... Pity that viewers didn't get an opportunity to fully emerge into this one: BGM, sound and voices... A huge difference indeed...