Misconceptions (after battle)
... Hm. That should be all of them.
Surveying the area with measured alert, Aeng-du cast the blood from her sword with a few sharp flicks before sliding it back to its sheath.
Huh, they're not changing back... Doesn't look like beatin' up the Distorted ones reverts them immediately this time around.
Perhaps a fortunate turn of events, in a way. Let us search for clues while time allows us.
Right, right... You take that side, Aeng-du. I'll search here.
Ezra and Aeng-du moved about as though they were used to this kind of situation. Without even taking a moment to catch their breath after the battle, they began searching the space.
P-prithee...!
Don Quixote was the first one to voice her doubt in the surreal, unfamiliar situation we found ourselves in.
We battled Distortions upon our arrival hither, yet never before have I beheld our surroundings changed with so sudden a flash!
Prithee, I cannot make sense of this situation. Couldst thou render a detailed account of this Distortion phenomenon?
Ah... Apologies. It would appear I overlooked the briefing due to the urgency of this predicament.
This is, according to the definition presented by Lady Moses, a "Location-type Distortion."
It's basically when a whole space Distorts. And since places and buildings can't move on their own, the Distortion gets fixed in a certain space.
As for this one... Looks like the Distortion's already progressed pretty far along. Middle stage, probably? They don't usually get this big, but this one here's covering almost an entire street.
Then those people...
They entered this space and got caught up in it. And our job right now is to get to the bottom of the phenomenon - what exactly gets people caught up, and what happens to them once they're in.
Of course, we can't really rule out the possibility of a powerful Distortion that's encroaching upon its environment... Oh, by that I mean when a Distortion bleeds into the space around it and warps it.
... Oh, man, I'm actually talking like our team leader. Rubbed off on me, I guess. Hehe.
Ezra continued with a sheepish giggle.
In any case, we won't be able to suppress or cure the Distortion even if we whoop these guys' asses a hundred times.
We need more clues to help us locate the Inflection Point... Maybe we should examine these people over here, too?
With a call, Ezra directed our attention to rows of collapsed people all around, all of them clad in dopo robes.
And these are...
The glyph emblazoned upon their headbands - "Chu (推)", bespeaks propulsion and pursuit. It marks them as Ch'unokkuns, functionaries charged with scouring and hunting runaway Nobis.
You hail from the Homeland as we do. I am unsurprised that you know of them.
... I could hardly fail to know, for I, too, was once enumerated among their quarry. Scientists and technicians were daily being dispossessed of their stations in S Corp., after all...
So it was no idle tale... Scientists who ply their craft without fattening S Corp.'s coffers are seized forthwith and made Nobis of the Corporation.
Indeed. I count myself fortunate to have absconded with my friends afore the Brand of Nobi could be impressed upon us; otherwise...
"Nobi"... the wretched appellation conferred upon the people for the convenience of those in power. A vile practice and an excuse of their powermongering - nothing more.
... The so-called "Taboo Hunters" of S Corp. operate by much the same anatomy. Does the breaching of Taboo summon the hunter, or does the hunter first seize his prey, to thereafter frame the captured with invented transgression?
If the powerful so desire to chase a man down, to take possession of his very being and keep him caged, then they need only decree that he should bear the lot of a Nobi. Such is what S Corp. has become today.
My mentor, too, is one of the victims of that accursed practice...
Then could these people have been sent out to capture your mentor or Yi Sang?
Or me, perhaps. Or none of us.
You mean to state that they may be conceptual forms of Ch'unokkuns generated by Distortion. That is a plausible conjecture.
We are getting nowhere with this clue-hunting.
With a heavy sigh, Outis pressed her fingers against her brow as if her head were starting to pound in frustration.
To delve further into the matter, it is necessary to determine why the S Corp. and its Ch'unokkuns have appeared as the motif of this phenomenon.
... Considering the course of events we have seen so far, would it not stand to reason that the Distortion stains all nearby things with memories most foul?
... The presence of Ch'unokkuns suggests a possible correspondence to Yi Sang's memories. Conversely, however, the absence of T Corp.'s Time Collectors weakens that hypothesis.
In which case, the most plausible theory is that this particular Distortion could have stemmed from Bamboo-hatted Kim or Aeng-du's memories.
.......
Aeng-du furrowed her brow and fell into thought, as though she couldn't grasp the full picture of the problem.
I've seen a few Distortions that show trauma or affect their surroundings...
But this one? I'm not getting that pop! of inspiration. Can't even guess at what this Distortion wants, either.
*POP!*
The white flash of light suddenly drowned my vision again as Ezra clutched her head and cried out with annoyance.
Ugh! If only the Team Leader was here... Cracking this would've been a piece of cake!
And... we're back. So this is why you kept asking whether we'd seen anything bursting with a pop...
The N Corp. employees must have it rough, too... getting dragged into the Distortion like this.
I mean, what else were we supposed to do? It was self-defense. They were about to attack us.
I suppose finding the root cause and taking care of it would be the fastest way forward.
Let's just do what we can for now...
Okay, first, we need to develop the film we found here. We'll head to the nearest darkroom, and...
Nah, actually - let's first drag that slippery, hat-wearing colt back here and get him talking about the Ch'unokkuns. That's probably our best bet.
Ughhh! Every time we take a job, that slacker just slips off without telling anyone!!!
As one part of me watched Ezra stamp her feet in frustration...
... I was also carefully following Heathcliff's team through the other part of my vision.
<... Oh, I think I can help with that.>
... Have you located him?
... Huh? What? Boss Clock found something?
<Yep. I found where Bamboo-hatted Kim is right now.>