Film (after battle)

... So let me get this straight. Dude was here just a minute ago, and now nobody knows where he wandered off to?

Yeah. Bloke just turned up outta nowhere, flapped his gums, then did a runner before anyone could grab him.

*sigh*

Ezra let out a long, listless sigh, as though she was getting sick and tired of even complaining about Kim.

Lady Ezra... I cannot say your frustration is misplaced. Yet I trust you are also aware that, more often than not, Mentor's actions have carried a profound design.

He has never left his post without purpose so far...

No, I get it, okay? But c'mon... Would it kill him to give us a heads-up before he goes zoomin' off on his own again?

It's not like we'd stop him! What are we gonna do, tie him up? Lock him up in a closet? We don't do that in our team, right?

Remember last time? We all thought he was being a good patient and sleeping it off in the recovery ward, but nope! When the LCE got infiltrated, he snuck out without telling anyone and came back like nothing happened. And the team leader didn't even chew him out for that...

...! Lady Ezra, that's...!

Oopsie. Wasn't supposed to mention that... was I?

... Then the reason he failed to participate in the operation was...

... simply because the LCD was lax in supervising its personnel. Is that what you're suggesting?

... Lady Moses bade us hold our tongues for this very reason. She knew full well Mentor's intentions would be misunderstood in precisely such a manner...

What part of this have I misunderstood? Did you not just disclose that the man deserted his post without authorization?

That's the thing! He wasn't just wandering around. He was outside, all alone, taking down the Ring Automanikins who'd locked down the elevator that leads into the LCE Department.

Yeah, it's not like he was dealing with the strongest enemy out there. But the recovery ward didn't have an emergency alarm, and nobody from the department was there to warn him either. He somehow just... caught on and did the job himself...

Huh...

Heard it's all thanks to him that the facilities team managed to get the comms back up and contact that LCE Chief dude way faster - and that helped the LCA to actually deploy. They would've been delayed for another hour or two if he hadn't stepped in, apparently.

And he went fighting even though he still wasn't fully recovered, so he came back looking like he'd been processed through a meat grinder. So yeah, he did end up staying in bed like a good patient... in a lot of pain.

Ahem. Then the soldier is not entirely deserving of reproach.

Nope. He's a "less talking, more doing" type, I guess.

Anyway, we were all stuck inside the building back then during the incident, so fine, I suppose there was no helping it. Today, though - never mind. It's always like this with him! He always slips away and pops back in, saying, "It's done."

My point is... what happens if one day, one of those solo missions doesn't go his way and he just drops dead in the street somewhere? How are we supposed to help him then?

.......

Actually, how does he even know what's supposed to be done in the first place when nobody gave him any instructions?

Hmm... Bloke's got to be relyin' on his gut feelin', innit?

Gut feeling...?

Look, I only saw the bloke for a bit, so I can't say I've got him all figured out.

He's an annoying bastard, but he didn't strike me as some clueless sod who doesn't know where he's steppin'.

Heathcliff scratched at his chin, then kept talking as though he were stating an obvious fact.

Today's proof enough. He's not one of us, so Clockhead couldn't have reached him from that far and sent him to back us up... And there's no way he just happened to run into us just when we were about to get into battle, innit?

Then...

Well, could be bloke's got some stupidly sharp head on him and pieced things together. Could be that.

But I've got these moments when I get a flash of that gut feelin', however you want to call it. My bossman, Matthew, said he could "hear" that kinda shite, too. Said "I can hear them gears turnin'," or "I think I hear rats scurryin' about..."

He'd do things you couldn't make heads or tails of. Listen, there was this one time when we were expectin' a life-and-death fight. Matthew says he can "hear them gears turnin'," walks into a random pub, starts throwin' back drinks like he'd lost his bloody mind...

Uh-huh. That does sound like someone who's lost his bloody mind...

Back when I was on the ship, some sailors used to drink the barrel dry before battling Whales to blunt their fear... only to stumble around on the deck and fall overboard.

Yeah, and Boss could knock it back like a Whale. Still, the point is, gettin' plastered right before a turf war's not what most sane people would call a good idea. Had us all cross, so we went stompin' after him...

And guess what, turns out that pub was the secret hideout where the opposing Syndicate was holed up. They were crowdin' around the gaffer, running their mouths about how they'll kill him and put an end to the Dead Rabbits. That's when we came storming in and had them surrounded instead.

Not a single one of 'em got away. We beat them bloody, every last bastard... and Boss knew it'd play out that way.

Sorry, but this really sounds like barstool bragging to me... You sure that wasn't just a coincidence?

I should think... it was no mere chance.

If you are saying as much... then surely this was but one among many such "coincidences." Is that not so?

Yeah. Every time Matthew pulled one of those stunts, our lot ended up growin' bigger. Wouldn't have kept working so neatly if it were just a coincidence.

... It is likely what is often referred to as, indeed, an "instinctive sense," or "experience-based precognition." More accurately, an unconscious process by which information accumulated in the subconscious is sorted and converted into sensible conclusions.

There have been some extremely rare cases in which Heathcliff has demonstrated the ability to arrive at coherent conclusions that surprise even Faust. On further analysis, it would appear that he was employing a mechanism similar to a "sixth sense," as some people call it.

Is that a compliment, or are you takin' the piss out of me?

Though my mentor does not see fit to explain each step he takes...

When all has passed, I often find that no footfall of his was taken in vain.

I would ask of you, grant him but a little time and wait. Keep waiting, and the shape of his intent may yet become clear.

Though I confess, I have also been concerned about him of late. His recent silence is far heavier than what I have noticed in the past.

To wait...

Don Quixote began, hesitated, then stopped herself from saying more. She only gave a quiet nod.

Yeah, okay... I suppose our team leader has her own reasons for letting him be...

That said, doesn't mean I'm happy about it. *sigh*

Let us return to the task at hand and do what we can for now.

Fine, fine~

As the others quieted down, I finally had room to notice the place we found ourselves in.

There wasn't a single ray of light - just a deep red hue pressing in from every side.

I can't believe we've been chatting away in the dark this whole time, fellas. And the red lights aren't helping at all... Especially with my aging eyes.

Oh, are you looking for the light switch? It's right here -

And right then...

Don't turn on the light.

... I heard Meursault's clipped warning, his voice coming from a corner I didn't expect to find.

M-Meursault? Where are you?

<Ah... There he is. That corner. Is he... washing something...?>

I am developing the film roll, Manager. Exposure to light might ruin the entire roll. Please exercise caution.

So he'd been doing his own thing... That explains why he was quiet all along.

Huh. Didn't think you'd know how to print photographs, pal.

Mm.

<What's that for, anyway?>

You expressed the wish to have the film developed, Manager. I am carrying out that instruction.

<I... I see.>

A photo studio first, and now a darkroom... This may be no more than a conjecture, but it would not be unreasonable to suppose that the axis of this Distortion rests upon a photographer.

The film's serial numbers either match those found in the photo studio or deviate by only a single digit. It is certain that this darkroom is connected to the studio in some way.

Hm... The images bear a striking resemblance to these photographs. I also believe this building and that photo studio share a strong connection.

Oh? Where did you get these photos?

I brought some from the photo studio. I cannot name the locations in the picture with certainty, yet they all appear to have been taken at various places in N Corp.'s District. Buildings, mostly.

Hey, wait! I know what these are. People take pictures like these when supplying stuff to that department store.

Correct. The photos must have been taken by a Docugrapher.

... Meursault chimed in, holding up an odd cylindrical container in his hand this time.

He gave the container a shake every now and then with a measured rhythm. Whatever he was doing seemed to be part of the process of developing the film.

Film rolls are hardly affordable for the average resident in N Corp.

In most cases, taking photographs is done as part of professional duties.

There are approximately 21 occupations in District 14 that utilize photography. However, only a single profession involves routinely photographing specific buildings, adhering to fixed standards that can be observed in these pictures.

<And these "Docugraphers" you mentioned... are the people entrusted with that job?>

Yes. They photograph the information to be poured into Canned Experience.

A Docugrapher... How could a person of such a decently lucrative profession fall into Distortion?

Decent job, maybe. But how do we know if they're a decent person?

Ezra replied with a clear-cut answer after only a brief pause.

What makes you say that?

The photo studio we were at didn't have any darkrooms, right?

No, it didn't...

My team leader said there are other ways of processing film rolls, but in N Corp., you have to go to a darkroom to develop and print them.

Correct. Film rolls are usually immersed in developer solution to be processed.

Mmhmm! Which is why photo studios have these darkrooms equipped with red safelights right next to them.

But this place? It's pretty far from that photo studio.

... Huh. Yeah, now that you mention it...

Check out these windows. They're only covered by newspapers, all messy-like. If you consider how sensitive film rolls are to light, it's really super suspicious that this darkroom doesn't have any proper blackout panels!

And you know films can cost a fortune in some places in the City, right? Who in their right mind would print photos in a room patched up with yesterday's newspaper?

Oh...

This probably isn't even a legit darkroom. Someone just hauled in the bare minimum tools needed to develop film and threw them together in a hurry...

Someone who didn't wanna be seen printing photos. And people don't usually avoid scrutiny unless they're doing something... not so decent.

If that's the case... then I can see why they might have Distorted.

Right?

... Manager.

Meursault came to my side quietly,

still giving the strange cylinder the occasional shake.

I have a request regarding your instruction to develop this film roll.

<What is it?>

Please ensure that the light in this room is not turned on until development is complete.

<Uh... Aren't we already doing that?>

Yes. However, engaging in battle opens the door to uncontrollable variables. This is why I have judged it necessary to make a separate request.

Battle?

There is no need for concern. I am capable of participating in combat while maintaining the development process.

<W-wait... Can you slow down?>

A battle, you say. Surely there must be cause for you to believe so.

At the photo studio, reinforcements arrived exactly 11 minutes and 34 seconds after N Corp.'s Pinframe Team staff were defeated.

Deductions based on the events thus far make it clear that the photo studio and this darkroom share some kind of connection.

Furthermore, Sinner Heathcliff, Sinner Hong Lu, and Sinner Gregor have battled N Corp.'s Pinframe Team in this very location.

... I hear footsteps rushing up the staircases, approaching closer and closer.

I have a feeling I know what Meursault is getting at, but I ask anyway.

<... Meaning?>

The initial rinse is finished. The process is now halfway to the completion of the second agitation. This indicates that 11 minutes and 30 seconds have elapsed since the start of development.

A battle is imminent. Please withdraw to a safe position, Manager.

Meursault, you...

*crash*

<You should've warned us way earlier!!!>

Understood, Manager. I will follow that instruction going forward.