From Dusk to Dawn in Miyaki/Transcript

end 2.2.2023

Year: 320 CE

Waves of ships fly out of Izumo.

They look... oddly bland. Nothing too special.

People in Yakamoto spot people across the border for what seems to be the first time in decades.

Oddly, the country starts emitting radio waves.

This has never happened before.

Sizzle says ...?

Tritonia says "What is it?"

Sizzle says Izumo..

It's.. Not being weird for once?

There are people there, nd actual radio signals.

Tritonia says "Hold on."

"I'm.. just adjusting the frequency."

Radio operators hear garbled speech.

Gunshots are heard.

....Followed by the transition cutting out abruptly.

Tritonia says "Satellite photos show a lot of smoke over cities..."

"Visible... cities."

"I've never seen this before..."

"I'm going to prepare a taskforce."

Luvuria says "Count me in."

A taskforce of twenty thousand Confederate troops arrive in Halmahera and board boats.

...

---------------------------------PROLOGUE---------------------------------

A loud announcer sounds across the dock.

Authorised personnel only. Intruders will be shot on sight.

Among the troops, a man in plain clothes is escorted onto the boat, clutching a camera.

"Whose this?" a guard asks.

...

"The Confederates requested we send a dozen journalists."

"Journalists?"

"This is a special military operation."

"Top orders."

"Whatever.."

They take an elevator out of the inhospitable lower decks to a more humane-looking mess hall.

The soliders in the room seem quite tough... some have medals on their uniforms too.

The cameraman shuffles through a crowd towards his designated quarters.

Luckily for him, he was given a room for himself away from the other special ops guys.

He sits on his bed and opens his camera.

He scrolls through some aesthetic photos he took on the beach only two days ago.

Now it seems his life is just about to turn upside-down...

Feeling tired, he gets some rest, before exiting back into the mess hall.

He overhears some guys talking about the upcoming mission.

"So uh... where are we even going?" he says.

"I don't know man..."

The others kind of just grunt in agreement.

"All we know for sure is that this is a high-level operation."

"It could be nothing for all we know.."

"Or it could be hell out there."

"No one knows what to expect. Not even the strategists on board."

"We're going in blind.

"Huh."

He returns to his cabin and scrolls through the photos again.

He takes a photo of himself, not for any particular reason though.

He feels the gentle swaying of the ship, as well as the slight creaking of the hull.

It was a long road ahead, he thought.

He puts on the tv, out of boredom...

.....

National mourning lasting a month has been declared in the Confederacy to honour the victims of the Insurgency.

100 years on, what has happened to the Yomtach?

The channel is changed.

Reports are coming in saying 17 people were killed in a terrorist attack in Alkatse during centenary celebrations.

"Shit.. really?"

He takes a photo of this particular news story.

"Hmph."

The channel changes again.

This time, its a video of fireworks being launched in Aparty.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his passport.

He runs his finger over the Apartian coat of arms on the front.

Taking a photo of the cover, he puts his passport back in his bag.

Feeling unnaturally tired again, he rests more.

Three days later.

An announcer declares on the ship that they are 1 hour away from landing.

Out of curiosity, the cameraman runs to the front of the ship.

He sees land in the distance, with scattered small villages over the rolling hills.

Smoke bellows from the villages.

He sees faint figures on the shore.

However, they seem to disappear soon.

Soon, all the troops on board are summoned below deck to prepare to land.

He lines up with his designated bodyguards as the boat slows to a halt.

Alarms blare as the huge doors open.

All the troops begin walking, and the tanks trail behind them.

The army marches in formation onto the beach and up a cobblestone slipway.

The cameraman is taken aside by the bodyguards.

"So... what am I to do?" he asks.

"Go deep into this place."

"Find something, anything,"

"Am I looking for anything specific?"

"No. Just... just go!"

They lightly shove him.

Clutching his camera still, he runs across the beach and climbs a grassy slope.

Although he can hear the army marching, he is out of view now, and well and truly on his own.

He stumbles onto what looks like a rice paddy.

It's empty.

"Huh?"

"Looks like they were in a hurry."

Indeed, the rice seemed to be harvested hastily.

He enters a deserted hut next to the paddy.

It seemed to be neatly furnished. Or at least it was once upon a time.

There is a rustic bed tucked into the corner, with a beside drawer.

Taking a photo of the room, he sits on the bed and opens the drawers one by one.

He finds a considerable amount of cash.

"Huh.."

Its issued by the "Central Bank of Miyaki Despotate."

Sorting through the banknotes, he lays out each unique banknote on the bed and takes a photo.

He then puts the money in his pocket.

He also finds a passport, issued by the "Miyaki Despotate"

He opens it to find the pages damaged by water.

The faces are cut out too.

The name is intact, and it is a normal Japanese name.

He takes a photo of the page and puts the passport in his bag.

He leaves the hut, and decides to walk towards the smoke in the distance.

Suddenly, the sky turns dark, for a split second.

He looks up to see miniscule black patches in the sky.

Shreds of metal begin to fall from the sky.

Worried, he goes inside and finds a parasol.

He then continues on his journey.

---------------------------------CHAPTER 1: FROM DUSK TO DAWN IN MIYAKI---------------------------------

Having followed the smoke, he arrives in a village.

Half of the buildings have been reduced to rubble.

He takes many photos of the surroundings.

He hears gunshots in the distance.

"What.."

Suddenly, he spots unfamiliar troops in the distance.

"Oh, shit!"

He runs into one of the less destroyed houses to hide.

Shh!

"...."

"..."

"!!!!!"

"I-"

"I said shh!"

He looks across the room to see a young boy.

The boy shuffles across the room and sits next to him.

"They have a very good sense of hearing.."

"Wh...what..."

"Where am I?"

"Who are you?"

"What is happening?"

"..."

"You're from the boat we saw..."

"Very big boat... scary boat.."

"..."

"My name is Chiharu."

"But.. they told me my name is Haru."

"They took away the kana from my name.."

"What does that mean?"

"In Miyaki... kana means honour."

"No kana... no honour.."

"Chiharu.. I still don't get it.."

"P..please... call me Haru."

"I am not worthy of my name.."

"..."

"They came.. took away all the kana."

"I can't read anything anymore."

"Make.. zero sense."

"What do you mean... they took the kana?"

"Aren't those letters?"

"Grandpa told me... bad people come. Then no human is worthy of kana."

"Kana is for the Overlord.."

"Sigh... make no sense."

"You are not from Miyaki."

"You never understand."

Haru peeks through the window.

"Bad men gone."

"Follow me."

The two walk down the cobble road.

"What happened here?"

"Why is everything destroyed?" the cameraman says as he takes photos

"Every time we upset the Overlord... they tell me..."

"A house gone."

"There were 500 of us here."

"One day, half of them gone."

"House gone too."

"Mum and dad... disappear."

"Neighbour said they went to The City."

"Then neighbour gone too."

...

"Who is the Overlord?"

"Overlord rule Miyaki. Lead us into battle against dangerous Jenoces."

"I-I'm sorry... I ask so many questions..."

"What is Jenoces?"

"No worry. Come in."

They enter a bigger house in the woods.

The boy uses 5 different keys to unlock the door.

They enter the well-furnished house.

There is a hole in the wall with cables dangling out. Was a TV meant to be there?

The boy leads the cameraman upstairs.

They enter into a bedroom.

The boy sits on his bed and retrieves a crate from under it.

He opens it to find books.

"Bad books."

He searches for a specific book.

He gets one out called "An outlander's guide to Miyaki."

He hands it to the cameraman.

"Take, read."

"I go make meal."

He turns the page.

.................

The first page is pretty blank. It reads "I wrote this book one year ago."

The one is crossed out, and replaced with a two, which itself is crossed out and replaced with a three.

This repeats until 96 is reached.

He turns another page, and it reads:

Hello, outlander.

I guarantee that the situation will not change for centuries. Not until someone finds this book.

No outlander has ever come to Miyaki.

And I cannot imagine one will for a long time..

My name is Hideo.

Wherever you may hail from...

Miyaki is your world turned upside down.

4 years ago... (100 years ago)

We peacefully led our lives in Yakamoto.

One day, ships arrived.

They marched soldiers dressed in white into our villages, and told us to offer rations.

We refused, and they killed my wife.

We tried to fight back, and they killed five more people.

And then no one resisted.

They tell us it is for the Overlord.

Yet we do not know who the Overlord is.

All we know is that we must obey.

We are forbidden from leaving our villages, or we will be shot.

...

On year 2, they built a dome across Izumo.

And their brainwashing program began.

First they upset our circadian rhythms.

They used the dome to simulate day and night...

FIrst they prolonged days and shortened nights, then they would swap at random intervals.

We lost track of time in weeks.

Then the soldiers went to the villages, and ransacked our houses.

Using some kind of... paint...

They took all our books.

Then they painted over all our signs...

Leaving only the kanji.

We were forbidden to fix any of them...

Then they gave us our books back

again.. just the kanji.

Then they took the first kana from all our names.

We were forbidden to use our birth names.

I don't know why...

On Year 4, a scout arrived from our neighbouring village.

They told us the revolution was imminent...

But half of us were sceptical.

We thought it was some kind of set-up...

But the others knew we had nothing to lose...

I think about how stupid I feel now.

Half of the houses disappeared overnight.

And if there was no house...

That's it.

They were dead..

At least that was all they had left, wasn't it? Hah..

They told us to increase our food output so we could fight the army of Jenoces.

We know nothing about anything outside our borders.. so people took it for granted.

The only thing I know is history.

No present, no future.

And we're frozen in time.

Please, outlander. If you find this... Leave and get an army.

Echo our calls for help.. and maybe we can all find out the truth.

.............

The rest of the book is blank.

Haru comes back upstairs.

"Sorry, I didn't know if you were hungry.."

The cameraman says "Listen, Haru."

"An army is here. I came with them."

"This will all be over soon!

The sky outside goes dark suddenly.

"WAH!"

The boy runs downstairs, and the power goes out with a thud.

He comes back up.

"Patrol, hide."

They both get under the bed.

"Why is it dark?"

"It's night time now... and I'm not home..."

"I've been bad.."

An alarm blares in the distance

Curfew violation in House 37A.

Surrender immediately or face capital punishment.

Haru says "Where boat?"

"Boat take you home?"

The cameraman says "I..."

"Yes.. the boat."

"Safety first.."

"I.."

"The men that took me here told me to find something, anything."

"We'll go back to the boat... bring the book."

"Then we'll go home.."

"It's safe at home.."

They leave the house and run through the woods

"I remember its this way.."

The dome above begins to flicker between day and night.

"AGH!"

"It's blinding me!!"

They pass the rice paddy, and the hut has since been destroyed.

They climb the grassy hill next to the beach

"It's just over..."

"....here..."

The boat has since gone.

He runs towards the footprints the army left behind and falls on his knees

"No... nononono!!"

"Where did you go?!"

He sees a helmet half-buried in the sand.

It's a helmet from a Yakamoto soldier.

He finds a letter inside written in Japanese.

All the kana have been removed.

"Where did they go.."

"Haru... where did they go..."

"!!!!"

"......."

"Alright... you know... Plan B...."

"In an isolated country... with no way out.."

"I..."

"Haru..."

"Where is "The City?""

To be continued....

------------------------- Chapter 2: Kana -------------------------

"Over there."  Haru says, pointing towards the distance..

The cameraman sees where he is pointing - a faint silhouette of many high rise buildings.

At its centerpiece is an outstanding tower, which crests like a tulip.

The centre of the crown gleams in the sunlight. Odd, he thought...

Haru says "We don't go to City."

"City... dangerous.."

"That where they take Kana."

The cameraman says "So... what do they do with the kana?"

Haru says "I... don't know..."

"But... stranded."

"We must discover."

The cameraman says "Its dangerous like you say.."

"My first priority is to get you safe."

"Then to take photos.."

The sky suddenly turns dark.

The flashes of gunfire are briefly seen on the horizon, before the sky flashes back to day.

Haru says "Friends?"

The cameraman says "...."

"I don't know..."

"Well... the only way is forward."

"I need more photos."

"I have an idea."

The cameraman takes out a portable tripod and sets it up.

He puts the camera on the tripod, and sets it on a high shutter speed video.

"Now we wait..."

They sit on the roof of the building together, watching the sun rise.

Haru says "Look."

He points at the fake moon.

The moon is flickering in and out of view, but the moonshine remains.

Haru says "Nisemono Kagayaka..."

"Grandpa call it that."

The cameraman says "How curious..."

After a few minutes, the sky goes dark for a few seconds, revealing gunfire again.

He retrieves the camera and scrolls through the footage.

"Perfect.."

He deletes the rest of the video, except for one frame.

Haru says "Nisemono Kagayaka.... on photo."

"Amazing.."

"Grandpa says... hollow like Miyaki."

The cameraman says "Hollow?"

Haru says "Hollow."

"Empty..."

"A shell... like dome."

"We are all shell, he says."

"Empty inside.. he says."

The cameraman says "That's not true.."

"We all have something special within us..."

Haru says "Grandpa says... I have nothing worth living for.."

"He... not mean in bad way."

"But we are all zombie.."

"Chess piece, he say."

The cameraman says "But you're not..."

"You're a person.."

Haru says "They took the only thing we have.."

"Our kana."

"Without kana, what are we?"

"Confused... we are confused..."

The cameraman spots a radio antenna in the distance.

The cameraman says "We need to go to that tower."

"We need to talk with outside."

Haru says "You can't."

"There is no way... no way.."

The cameraman packs his gear.

The cameraman says "..."

"Do you have any other ideas?"

"No?"

"Then let's go."

Haru says "Mean..."

"I am only trying to keep.. us safe.."

They leave the town and arrive at the radio antenna

The building is deserted, and they walk inside.

The interior is rather basic.

Next to the door is a telescope locked in a glass case.

The cameraman says "Why is this locked behind glass?"

"Its just a telescope..."

Haru says "RED BOX!"

"Red box. No.."

"We must not touch red box."

"Dead. Dead when we touch.."

The cameraman says "Surely not." reaching to open it.

He looks despairingly at Haru and hesitates.

Regardless, he gently lays his fingertips on it.

"See?"

"No dead."

Haru says "How.."

"...."

The cameraman says "They told lies, Haru."

"Not of much use to us though..."

He sits down next to a console.

He powers it on.

"Hmm.."

"It's taking a while to turn on."

He gets up and peers outside.

The moon is still flickering.

The sky goes dark again, and gunfire re-emerges.

He spots an orange glow above him.

"What... is that.."

He opens the red box and gets the telescope.

He points it at the glow and looks down  the scope.

"Huh?"

"It's a chunk of metal, and its on fire."

"A big chunk too..."

He points up to the dome.

"And its a good telescope too.."

He zooms in further.

He sees faint figures that appear to be floating just below the ceiling.

He sees them walk around as if they were stepping on something.

"Hey, Haru."

"Bring the camera."

Haru brings him the camera and puts it in his hand.

"Okay, I'll guide you through this."

He kneels one knee down, and guides Haru's hand under the telescope.

He gets Haru up on his knee, and Haru wraps his arm around the cameraman to keep his balance.

Haru is holding one end of the telescope, the other end hanging off of the cameraman's shoulder.

Carefully, the cameraman puts the camera on a high shutter speed video and connects the camera lens to the telescope.

He starts filming and carefully guides Haru to move his hand slowly in circles.

"There.."

"We should have gotten a frame."

"Haru, what do you think you can see in this picture?"

Haru says "Blurry..."

"Shadows in the sky.."

The cameraman says "Good! Good..."

He goes back to the console.

There is a small device on the console which accommodates for many storage mediums.

Taking the SD card from the camera, he plugs it in.

"Now what was the frequency.."

"Ah."

Haru says "What.."

"What this mean?"

The cameraman says "This sends a wave."

"They get the wave, and turn it back into the photos."

He sends the message down a frequency listed on the back of his camera.

He also encodes some sort of RSVP.

In a few seconds, he receives a response.

They are requesting to establish a communication link.

The cameraman says "Hm?"

finland stan

— 11/01/2023 17.57

He opens the line.

"Hello? is this Halmahera? Do you copy?"

"Sit tight, little journalist."

"They are on their way."

"Don't think you can escape me."

The line cuts to a scrambled sound but opens again.

"LISTEN! LISTEN."

"You don't know me.."

"But we will meet soon."

"Head for the coast again."

"The town directly east of here.."

"In the town hall there is an elevator. Take it all the way down.."

"They don't know about this place yet.."

"Meet us there, we have a way out."

"Halmahera received your photos."

"We have communication but no one can do anything.."

"Luckily we could encrypt our communication but... before anything could reach the dome it's been obliterated."

"I-"

"There's no time to waste, they're coming for you and you need to run NOW."

The console sparks.

The sound of troops marching draw closer.

The cameraman says "Haru, we need to go."

He lifts Haru onto his shoulders and runs.

Hesitating at first, he takes the telescope.

Hiding behind a building, he glances back and sees the troops dressed in white open fire on the building.

They disappear into the forest, and alarms set off in the villages.

Fugitive located.

Apprehend. Subjugate.

While running, he glances up.

More pieces of metal are falling from a similar spot.

Suddenly, he sees a flash.

However, the dome does not return to day.

It was an explosion.

There is now a rather large hole at the very center-top of the dome.

Stopping for a moment, he gets out the telescope and aims it at the hole.

Its nighttime in the real world, but the sky looks unnatural..

He sees lasers flicker across the gaping hole, preventing anything from entering or leaving.

He zooms in to a peculiar feature in the sky.

There's many more stars, and many of them stand out.

However, there is a void in the middle..

The cameraman says "What is that nebula?"

"Why is it so dark..."

Haru says "This isn;t the first time.."

"The hole appear 3 year ago..."

"They say they saw big metal flying into the dark..."

"They weren't supposed to look, they were.."

"Gone."

They keep walking.

They arrive at the derelict town hall.

All the houses in this village have been reduced to rubble.

"All gone..."

The cameraman says "This is the place the voice told us to go to."

They go inside, and the interior is messy.

He finds the elevator, and they get in.

Pressing the button, the elevator begins to creak and move slowly.

The cameraman says "That nebula.."

"What if it's a portal?"

"That's why metal was flying into it?"

Haru says "Maybe.."

"But.."

"Why dark?"

The cameraman says "Perhaps.. it's one way?"

"But why would they need a one way portal.."

"No idea.."

The doors of the elevator open.

They emerge into a glass tunnel surrounded by water.

There is no natural light.

They hold hands to not get lost and walk into the darkness.

The cameraman says "Why is there water?"

"Is this some kind of cave?"

They see a faint light in the distance.

"Hello?"

"Who's there?"

"Ah, seems you got my message quickly."

"Who are you?"

The lights slowly turn on.

They see a tall lady with long hair, tied around a hairpin.

Shes wearing a kimono, but it doesn't seem to fit her.

"Follow me." she says.

They enter a lobby at the end of the tunnel.

A sign reading "The Atlantis Project" stretches over a front desk, but the word "Izumo" has been spray painted over it.

The lady says "And you must be Haru."

"I hear you're one of the last ones on the surface.."

Haru says "Me?"

"I was... alone?"

The lady says "Well.."

"Functionally, yes."

"Fortunately for the people of Izumo, word spread quickly about this place before the authorities came rolling in."

"There's a few thousand of us down here..."

The cameraman says "..."

"Slow down..."

"I-"

"What is this place?"

"What is that thing in the sky.."

"Who are you?!"

The lady laughs.

The lady says "What am I?"

"A prisoner, hah!"

"I go by Shira nowadays."

"I dropped the old name for... reasons."

"Reasons your employers don't want you to know.."

The cameraman says "So... you're familiars with the Confederate Army?"

The lady says "Oh... trust me."

"I'm familiars with the people who run the Confederacy.."

"Did you know I kidnapped the president once?"

The cameraman says "You did what?"

"Hang on.."

"YOU did what?"

The cameraman goes wide-eyed.

"Ohhhh no..."

"They told me to steer well clear of your affiliates, let alone you."

"I... frankly can't believe this."

He sighs and walks away.

Haru says "Mister... mister.."

"Uhhh.."

The lady says "Hello there, little one."

"Pssst, do you want to know a secret?" She says, kneeling down to him.

Haru says "Secrets are illegal, lady."

The lady says "My real name is Sakura."

"I couldn't tell your camera friend here..."

"You see, I signed a deal with a government."

"I had to shut up, but I got something in exchange."

"And from then on, my identity was hidden."

"But I trust you Haru."

"You're special."

She laughs again.

"Hey, look."

She cups her hands and grows a small flower from the palms of her hands.

"In Gensokyo, we call this a kagaya."

"Like the Nisemono Kagayaka.."

"The flower looks sturdy.."

"But take a petal off.."

Haru picks a petal.

"Poof.."

The flower disintegrates in her hand.

"Oh, he's coming back.."

The cameraman says "Well, Miss Secret Agent."

"Whoever you are.."

"Why are we here?"

Sakura says "Well, hadn't I known you were here..."

"Well.."

"Let's just say I saved your life."

The cameraman says "My life didnt need saving.."

Sakura says "You broadcasted a radio signal, In Miyaki."

"The City picked up your signal even before I did.."

"Ugh.. you're so ungrateful."

"I could have just left you, you know?"

The cameraman says "That's not what I meant-"

Sakura says "Well, your stupidity aside.."

"These people have been trapped here for generations."

"And we might have just found a way past the dome.."

Haru says "Leave... dome?"

Sakura says "See? Even this eight year old child is more enthusiastic than you are.."

"What do you say?"

"You in? Or would you rather be left to die out there?"

The cameraman says "I-"

Sakura says "Well there we go."

"Welcome to exiled Izumo." she says, leading the two down further into the underwater city.

.                          FROM DUSK TO DAWN IN MIYAKI

------------------------- Chapter 3: Crushing Depths -------------------------

About a week has passed since the cameraman and Haru entered "Izumo-in-exile."

The cameraman is sitting in a communications center with Sakura.

Sakura says "So, you don't know what happened to your comrades?"

The cameraman says "We went back to the landing beach, and the boat was gone.."

"What gets me though..."

"How did the ship leave the dome?"

Sakura says "Perhaps it didn't leave."

"Maybe it relocated?"

The cameraman says "Well, yes, but.."

"How did we enter in the first place?"

Sakura says "I'm sure that they have some sort of control over the Dome."

"If that's the case.."

"Hmmm..."

"If that's the case, that means they've-"

The cameraman says "They've lured us in."

"But why would they want to lure a taskforce in?"

Sakura says "Tell me."

"How many strategists or scientists were on board the landing party?"

The cameraman says "My one?"

"About twenty."

Sakura says "Hm...."

"No.. that couldn't possibly be it.."

The cameraman says "What?"

Sakura says "I-"

She gets out of her seat and walks over to a man in the corner.

"We need to test all the citizens."

"On what?"

"Test them.... for their IQ."

"As you wish."

The man leaves the room.

Sakura says "There's only one way to test the hypothesis I suppose.."

The cameraman says "Well, what is it?"

Sakura says "Don't worry about it..."

"I'd be a bit embarrassed if I were wrong.."

Haru runs into the room with two other children.

Haru says "Hello."

"I bring friend.."

"Friend... meet.... uhhh..."

"uhmmm.."

"Wait.."

"..."

He runs out of the room quickly.

The two friends trail behind him nervously.

Sakura says "Well what was that all about.."

The cameraman says "Hell if I knew..."

"I.."

"Tell you what.."

"Riddle me this - why did the government make you conceal your identity?"

Sakura says "Ahh.. uhm.."

"About one hundred years ago.."

"I was caught up in some events."

"The SDS had their eyes on me."

"Heh.."

"I had something they wanted."

The cameraman says "Something the SDS wanted?"

"Wow.. you're something else.."

Sakura says "People died over this object."

"Many.. many people."

"My friend and I went to... this couple.."

"They came to take the object on behalf of the SDS, and demanded some.. gemstone.. as a premium."

"And as part of the agreement, I had to shed my identity."

"It didn't matter to me, I mean I was off-world within five minutes."

"I went to search for something else."

"And that search led me here.."

The cameraman says "...so you've been searching for almost a hundred years..."

Sakura nods.

"..."

"Who are you..?"

Sakura says "I'm still bound to an agreement, mind you."

"Besides, I don't want to put you in d-"

WARNING.

WARNING.

WARNING.

Lethal depressurisation detected in Biodome C.

Sakura says "Wh.."

"What is that?!"

She gets up and runs over to a console.

The cameraman curiously follows.

She connects to the live camera feed for that area

A large area of glass has smashed, and water is rushing in.

"Oh christ.."

"That biodome is situated above 30% of the populace..."

"We need to order an evacuation for resident areas B, C and J." she says on a voice recording, which she sends to other leaders.

She turns on the intercom.

"Attention. Shira speaking. All residents of blocks B, C and J must evacuate immediately to blocks A, K and L through the Gamma shaft."

"I repeat, evacuate through the Gamma shaft immediately."

She grabs a rifle from a rack nearby.

"Any good with a gun?"

The cameraman says "..."

Sakura says "No.. they didn't train the journalists did they.."

She grabs a pistol and puts in her pocket.

"Well, come on."

"We need to move out."

The cameraman says "Where??"

Sakura says "We need to investigate the breach."

The cameraman says "And why am I involved in this?"

Sakura says "..."

"If this is what I think it is.."

"You'll want to have documented what we find.."

The cameraman says "Fine.. okay-"

Sakura says "Let's move."

They leave the room and run down three flights of stairs.

They enter a small hangar with submarines in it.

Sakura says "Get in."

They get inside a small submersible.

The cameraman says "It's cramped in here.."

Sakura says "Well, we gotta make do.."

The submersible sinks out of the hangar and begins moving forward.

They maneuvre around some large boulders on the sea floor.

The submersible turns to face the city.

The cameraman says "Wow.."

"Who even built this place? I've wondered that for a while.."

Sakura says "Stay vigilant."

"Look out the back window and tell me anything you see."

The cameraman says "Well alright... uhm.."

"I see a shipwreck."

"Looks qu-"

Sakura says "Anything INTERESTING."

"Hey, look here quickly..."

"See that red light? That's where we're headed."

The cameraman says "So a breached area lights up like that? Useful."

Sakura says "I can already see a lot of water damage.."

They approach the biodome, being careful not to be caught in the current of rushing water.

Sakura says "Hold on..."

"Hey, look."

"The glass smashed from the outside in."

"Wait.."

"Wait wait... the outside in? No.. that's not right.."

"I thought it depressurised.."

"Unless..."

"Oh... oh god.."

She turns on the sonar.

"There's meant to be nothing here."

"Please..."

Something flashes up on the sonar.

"..."

She shakily picks up a walkie talkie-like device.

"This is Shira.."

"Evacuate all people to the bunkers, we may have been spotted."

She puts down the walkie talkie.

"And we've just been lured into a trap."

Something rocks the submersible.

"WAH!"

"What was that?!"

The cameraman looks out the back window.

"There's some kind of rope..."

"Wait.. we're moving.."

Sakura says "Something has attached to us."

"It's pulling us away from the city.."

It accelerates, and the city slowly disappears from view.

She slumps down in her chair.

Sakura says "We've been found."

She reloads the rifle.

"Whatever we're about to find.."

"I don't think it'll be pleasant.."

The cameraman says "So was your hypothesis correct?"

Sakura says "About what we're about to find?"

"Yes."

The cameraman says "I see something..."

"It looks like a spaceship.."

Sakura says "A spaceship?!?!?"

"Let me look..."

She glances through the window to see a spaceship under the water.

Sakura says "Well I'll be damned.."

The two look at each other.

"Get ready.."

The submersible is pulled into a hangar.

------------------------- Chapter 4: The Missteps of a God -------------------------

The lights turn on in the hangar as the water drains.

Two groups of soldiers dressed in white arrive into the hangar with guns.

Sakura says "Alright.."

"I know it may look bleak.."

"But I have a way out of this.."

The cameraman says "Where are we??"

Sakura says "When we leave the submersible, play along until I start running."

"Then you follow me, okay?"

The cameraman says "Cool, but where are we??"

"Where the HELL are we?!"

Sakura enters a command on the console.

The submersible's door opens.

Sakura exits with her hands up.

"Target spotted." one of the soldiers say on a radio.

The cameraman exits with his hands up and his camera in one hand.

"HEY!"

Two soldiers run to get his camera.

Sakura suddenly grabs the cameramans arm and runs across the hangar.

The soldiers give chase.

Suddenly, the submersible explodes.

Everyone is knocked over, and a few soldiers are killed.

They run over to a door and Sakura pulls out a keycard.

She opens the door, still grabbing the cameramans arm, and they run into a hallway and enter a side room.

The alarms on the spaceship begin to sound.

Critical damage sustained in Hangar A. Launch controls overridden.

In the storage room they entered, Sakura begins raiding the shelves.

Sakura says "Any questions you might have, fire away.."

The cameraman says "Where are we??!"

"How did you know where to go?"

Sakura says "This isn't the first time."

"In fact..."

"I meant to fall for their trap."

She retrieves a document.

"Take a photo."

The cameraman says "O...kay?"

He takes a photo of the page.

"So.. you know the layout of these ships?"

Sakura says "Of course."

"I've been captured many times."

"I'm just..." she struggles while reaching to the back of a shelf "...raiding..."

The cameraman says "What are you trying to find??"

Sakura says "Good journalism.. of course."

The cameraman says "You're acting weird.."

"What are you actually looking for?"

Sakura says "The kill switch for the power in this... segment of the spaceship.."

The cameraman says "What are we trying to do?"

Sakura says "Hijack."

The cameraman says "Why?"

Sakura says "So we can leave the dome."

The cameraman says "But you said this isn't the first time?"

Sakura says "I failed those times... but with your help.."

"With your help.. I'm gonna... DO IT!"

With a lot of effort, she flicks the kill switch.

The power rolls out down the hallways.

The alarm shuts off, but it still echoes from other parts of the ship.

The cameraman says "Why are we leaving the dome??"

"We can't just leave these people behind.."

Sakura says "Because I'm ready."

The cameraman says "Ready to do what?"

Sakura says "I'm ready to tear it down."

"I know you still have loads of questions.."

"But there's only one way to enter The City alive.."

"If we enter on foot, we'll be shot."

"If we fly in... shot down."

"If we try and leave the dome.."

"It's because we know something they don't."

"You know things they don't."

"Things they will keep you alive to find out."

"The photos you have.."

"Haru.."

"You're not worth shooting."

"You're worth more than that.. if you will."

"We need to lure them in and fall for their trap."

The cameraman says "So what you're saying is.. you brought me along because I'm bait??"

Sakura says "You'll be happy you were."

"Once we're done with this.."

"Once I am done with this."

They leave the storage room under the cover of darkness.

She prises open elevator doors and they enter the shaft.

They climb a ladder up to the top and emerge through the doors.

The hallways are empty.

Sakura says "They fell for my trap.."

The cameraman says "Your explosion?"

Sakura says "No."

"I am the trap."

"They know where I'm headed, the bridge, no?"

The cameraman says "I... I suppose??"

"It seems a bit.. counter-intuitive.."

Sakura says "Tell that to them, not me.."

.                         FROM DUSK TO DAWN IN MIYAKI

------------------------- Chapter 4: The City at the Centre of the World -------------------------

Sakura and the Cameraman walk to the bridge. They pass many soldiers who show no resistance.

Sakura says "It seems the soldiers know who you are."

"That's why they haven't laid a finger on us.."

"..."

"It seems she has her eyes on you."

The cameraman says "So how come I wasn't followed to Izumo in exile.."

Sakura says "It seems your... meddling.. at that radio station drew their attention."

The cameraman says "...also.. who is "she"?"

Sakura says "They won't expect what we have to bring to the table."

The cameraman says "My question?"

"...no..?"

The bridge is heavily armed.

Sakura says "Huh... this is going easier than I thought."

The cameraman says "I'm still confused."

"How come they tried to kill us down there?"

"But they've just let us walk in up here.."

Sakura says "Could be many reasons."

"For example, they could be lower down and not privy to... top secret information."

"Judging by the circumstances... they've been ordered to return someone of your description alive to the City."

"As for me.."

"..."

The ship begins to move and emerges above the waves.

The cameraman says "Look, Sakura.."

"None of this makes sense."

He walks up to a soldier.

"They couldn't allow us to just... walk in uninvited.. right?"

"They must know something.."

"Know something that we don't."

"Tell me, Mr Soldier."

"Why are you made to dress up in white like this?"

"And raid villages?"

"Why did none of you... disobey?"

"And why aren't you killing me?"

The soldier is motionless.

"..."

He notices a faint light pulse on the side of the soldier's helmet.

"I.."

"I understand."

He opens the visor to see two empty eyes staring at him.

Their pink complexion is pale, and interrupted by cables and chips along the dermis.

"Iujado."

Sakura gasps.

The cameraman says "What?"

Sakura says "What?"

She walks over.

"Is that an Iujado-"

The cameraman says "Stop."

"Just... just stop there.."

"What was that sudden gasp for?"

She turns pale, remaining silent.

The ship is slowly moving towards the city.

"You know something..."

"Something more than I do.."

He takes a photo of the Iujado cyborg.

"And what is the meaning of this?"

He pushes it to the side, and it falls onto the ground.

He turns around, and Sakura is holding a knife.

Sakura says "You weren't meant to see this.."

"None of this.."

"I... I don't know why I hesitated, I-"

"No, I must... I must..."

The cameraman says "..."

"Put that knife down..."

"P-put it down..."

He sees pulses of light on the side of her head.

She shakily points to the flashing lights

"They're...... watching.... me...."

She lunges at him with the knife.

He dodges out the way, rolling onto the ground and knocking over a few cyborg Iujado.

The ship is accelerating towards the City.

She runs after him, still shakingly clutching the knife.

"C-come back here... now..."

"NOW!"

"GET BACK HERE OR-"

She feels an electric shock

"AGHHH!!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajG1cEoImMU (moosic)

"..."

"Ugh..."

"You..."

The cameraman says "Stay... STAY AWAY!"

"I knew I couldn't trust you.."

He notices the flashing light on her head still. It has turned red.

She lunges at him again with the knife, and she strikes the console.

She screams in pain from the electric shock, and the ship suddenly jolts.

She throws the knife in his direction, slashing his neck.

He screams in pain and runs down the corridor.

The ship lists upwards and the two begin to slide down the corridor.

Sakura says "No... you/..."

"You need to come back..."

"And die... die..."

He is backed up against a wall.

The ship begins to tilt downwards again, giving him a height advantage.

Using the slope, he dropkicks Sakura onto the floor.

She pulls out a kunai and stabs him in the ankles many times.

He notices his camera sliding on the floor near them.

Just as she is about to get up, he reaches for the camera and runs to the elevator shaft that was prised open.

He runs and jumps, grabbing a pipe on the opposite wall of the shaft.

She arrives at the doorway to the lift, holding the knife.

Swinging with all his might, he lunges at her again, but she holds the knife out, impaling him in the chest.

He collapses on top of her, bleeding out rapidly.

With the little strength he has left, he clutches the camera tight.

He notices the light again.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

The cameraman gasps for air "I.... I....."

He jolts his arm, smashing the camera into the flashing light.

It starts blinking rapidly.

He smashes it again, using the last of his energy.

The blinking glitches and stops.

Sakura suddenly grasps for air.

In a sudden movement, she recoils her arm, slashing the cameraman down the chest.

She rolls his lifeless body off of her.

Sakura says "I-"

"Agh... AGH!!!"

She feels a sharp pain in her left temple. Feeling in the area, she finds blood and bits of shrapnel.

She stares down at the body of the cameraman, whose camera had just rolled out of his grasp.

She feels her temple again and looks at the blood on her finger, turning back to the camera which has been covered with blood.

"..."

"The chip.."

She crouches down to the body of the cameraman and lays her hands on his body.

Her hands begin to glow bright green.

She closes her eyes and focuses.

Suddenly, the cameraman breathes again.

He looks upwards to see Sakura now stood up, her hands glowing.

Clutching his camera and the knife ripped out of his chest, he shuffles backwards away from Sakura.

The cameraman says "No..nonono..."

"Get away... away..."

"AWAY!"

Sakura says "..."

"My name is Tenno."

"I was the goddess of Gensokyo and it's paramount leader above the High Priests.."

"The SDS made me sell my soul and hijacked me.."

"I..."

"I know I shouldn't have lied to you but.."

"When you found anything classified.."

".."

"They programmed me to put to death anyone who finds out classified knowledge.."

"My explanations to anything made no sense and I know that, I-"

"..."

"Those soldiers aren't people..."

"It's a clone army..."

"It's a whole clone army of Iujado created for her..."

"She has taken... all those people.."

"But I've.."

She faints from exhaustion.

The cameraman says "..."

Not long after, she wakes up and almost immediately continues.

"I've seen what they've done to the people the Iujado took from the villages.."

"They've been taken to the City to operate machinery of some kind..."

"Their names defiled, and staying in no same place for more than 2 days.."

The cameraman says "What machinery..."

Sakura says "She's trying to... trying to open a portal.."

"And the SDS put me here to kill me..."

"Because they know they can't..."

"But she can..."

The cameraman says "Who is she?"

Sakura says "..."

"My sister."

"Wisteria."

finland stan

— 02/02/2023 22.14

The cameraman says "But why here.."

"Why in... Izumo of all places?"

Sakura says "I want to find her."

"The SDS may have sentenced me to death..."

"But I want to find Wisteria."

"I want to know the truth behind everything..."

"Whether that falls under the truth.."

"I don't know.."

"But we need to go to her now.."

"NOW!"

"The SDS knows what I've done.."

"They're on their way.."

The cameraman says "What so..."

"The SDS is behind the events in Izumo?"

"What does your sister have to do with this?"

Sakura says "It seems they have found a mutual enemy.."

"My sister wants me dead."

"As do the SDS... I know too much..."

"But knowign they couldn't kill me... it seems they've struck a deal.."

"But I won't let them kill me. I won't let them kill you.."

"We're going to go to The City."

"We are going to find out what the SDS did to Izumo.."

They get up and walk back to the bridge.

They adjust the ship's flight pattern, and they accelerate towards the city.

The cameraman says "So... are we just flying in?"

Sakura says "She's had the army disabled."

"She's found out everything. I... I had been under the radar for so long.."

"But she knows I want to see her."

"And she knows I'm here..."

"So now she's going to kill me..."

They approach the city rapidly.

"Isn't it funny.."

"We've both been used."

"Huh..."

"Can you guess why you were sent to Miyaki?"

"The Confederacy was onto something..."

"They found a loose thread, and by sending you they've pulled the string all the way out."

"You have evidence of human rights violations on your camera.."

The cameraman says "I thought the SDS co-operated with governments.."

Sakura says "The SDS has well transcended beyond the need for governments."

They look to the top of the dome, and see the starless region of sky.

"They have their eyes set on something else..."

"Let's go find out what it is... and put a stop to it..."

They arrive inside the City at the center of the dome.

There is a huge tower in the middle, which towers ten times taller than any other skyscraper.

It has three large prongs on top which lean towards the line of symmetry, surrounding a bluish orb.

The tower has a docking station, which Sakura uses to land the ship.

They disembark, and enter the skyscraper near the top.

Inside are many offices.

People sit down in the dystopian white officies, wearing a headgear connected to the ceiling with a springy cable.

They all work on computers, doing some kind of 3D design.

He takes out his camera, and takes photos.

Please, no photos.

Come upstairs, I'm waiting.

Sakura says "Ah."

The cameraman says "I don't understand any of this.."

"We're just.. walking in so easily.."

"Haru told me it was a death sentence to do this.."

Sakura says "There's nothing I can do."

"If I make a move, I'm dead."

"I just want closure."

"Listen... the ship has autopilot..."

"The army is disabled too.."

"Go back to Izumo in exile and then go home."

"The SDS are after me and they don't know about you."

"Your information is worth millions of lives."

Sakura boards an elevator in front of him.

The cameraman says "Wait-"

She turns around and the doors close.

...

The elevator arrives at the roof of the building, underneath the blue orb.

A woman in a dark blue-purple dress stands at the edge of the tower.

Sakura steps out of the elevator.

Sakura says "Sister."

Wisteria says "..."

"Look up, my darling."

They both glare at the dark patch of sky above them.

Looking carefully, she notices tiny sparkles of light appear and disappear.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"My universe.."

Sakura says "...So that's what this is about."

"You've enslaved a nation to... create a universe with their minds?"

"..and what is the role of the SDS in this?"

Wisteria said "Well, they needed someone to dispose of you.."

"So they came to me."

"Though, I was more than glad to take on this project. After all, it caught your eye, did it not?"

New specks of light appear inside the blue orb rapidly.

Each speck of light representing a new galaxy.

"It's a funny thing, castrovalence."

"A funny thing indeed..."

"Why does our universe strive so much for normality?"

"Castrovalence... entropy even..."

"It's like the entropy of time."

"Time must remain constant."

"And not have people like you to ruin it."

"So what if there was just... a new universe?"

"A new start?"

"If you think about it... we can trace so many of Yata's problems to that... that anomaly."

"All these anomalies... they must be purged."

"Our benefactors at the SDS even set up the EOS initiative to explore beyond this galaxy..."

"To find the weakest links and destroy them."

"...and safeguard humanity."

"Well, they have it figured out now..."

There is a faint hovering sound in the distance.

Sakura says "And you think all of this will work?"

"It will all just collapse back into liminal space."

"..."

"All of this..."

"You've let the SDS control you."

"You've become their pawn..."

"What would Andrei think?"

"Yeah.. isn't that the reason for all of this?"

"Our parents. Their death at the hands of Nihilantis.."

"All those years ago, hmm..?"

"You can't change the timeline without corrupting it."

"You can't change time.."

"So you're crafting it again."

Wisteria says "I hate you."

"I... hate you."

Sakura says "Because I'm right? Hmm?!"

"You've bought into this... this wicked scheme."

"That's what the SDS want isn't it?"

"They want to destroy this universe."

"And start anew. No anomalies."

"And you've bought into it.."

"Because somehow this one has spiralled out of control..."

Wisteria says "Is that it?"

"Is THAT the truth you wanted?"

Sakura says "..."

"It's not enough. It's never enough."

"You're nothing to me."

"Youre just a small part of a bigger puzzle."

"I'm not here to die to you. I'm here to get one step closer to knowing the truth."

"I want to know why Andrei Varady is an anomly."

"I want to know why this universe must die, and why the likes of you and Carbonado were in on this."

"I want to know the truth behind the SDS, and stop this cancer."

Wisteria says "Well, isn't that a sh-"

A huge gunfire pellet almost hits Wisteria.

It came from a ship.

Wisteria says "Oh, so you've brought an alibi..."

Wisteria says "Well it's too bad... the SDS plan is already in motion."

Her eyes turn fully black.

All anomalies will be purged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L69dyk65pa0

The blue orb begins to pulsate, and Wisteria draws a quarterstaff.

Sakura wields her kunai.

A huge shockwave is generated, shattering the dome.

All over Miyaki, it begins to rain metal.

Wisteria lunges towards her, entering combat with Sakura.

The ship does another shooting run across the roof of the tower.

Sakura says "You will not kill me."

"NOT HERE."

A huge beam of light emanates from the top of the blue orb towards the dark patch in the sky.

Sakura keeps on dodging Wisteria's attacks while attempting to slash her with the kunai.

In desperation, she unleashes her elemental energy at Wisteria, disarming her.

Wisteria says "Oh.."

"Playing dirty are we?"

"So be it."

"SO. BE. IT."

She unleashes a beam of concentrated dark energy towards Sakura, who retaliates with a concentrated beam of dendritic energy.

The two struggle for power.

Waves of ships begin to fly above where the dome was.

The cameraman looks from the ship and sees huge fleets of ships at the coastline.

The beam coming from the orb grows in intensity.

Sakura says "The SDS will not destroy this universe."

"YOU CAN'T GET AWAY WITH THIS."

Wisteria says "Darling, we already HAVE."

**Wisteria focuses more energy at Sakura, and Sakura's feet begin to slip."

Sakura struggles to keep up the energy flow.

The ship goes for another shooting run, which knocks Wisteria off of her feet.

Wisteria says "AGH! STOP THAT!"

Using her dark energy, tendrils emerge from her chest.

They extend out and grab the ship.

With the strength of the energy, the ship is ripped in half and the cameraman falls out.

She throws the ship pieces into the blue orb and they vanish.

The cameraman says "AGH!"

He runs towards Wisteria, but she throws him away to the side, almost off of the edge of the tower.

The cameraman takes photos of the battle between the two as it happens.

He hastily takes out the SD card.

Havign diverted Wisteria's attention, she takes the camera and smashes it against the ground with a tendril.

"NO!" he screams, feigning his shock.

Planes in the sky begin to circle the tower as the fight picks up again.

They fire beams of energy at each other.

Sakura begins screaming as she unleashes her full energy.

Wisteria begins to lose her foothold.

Arms of green energy begin to wrap around Wisteria's arms.

The beam of green energy is slowly corrupted with dark energy, which only strengthens Sakura.

Sakura says "DIE."

Having drained Wisteria's power, she throws her off.

She then uses gravity to swing her back up into the sky and into the blue orb.

She vanishes at an instant.

The arms of energy disappear and Sakura collapses, and the cameraman runs over.

The cameraman says "Are you okay?"

"I.."

"She's gone.."

"Did you get answers?"

Sakura says "..."

"She's only one piece of the puzzle.."

"There's a higher power pulling all the strings.."

"I can't possibly know until I-"

"Very good, Tenno. Very good indeed."

The cameraman says "Who was that?"

The two turn around.

They see a man and a woman standing facing them.

It's Tenno's employers.

Aldren says "Credit where it's due, Miss Tenno. You put up quite a fight."

"And you managed to clean up our most dangerous asset.."

Alana says "Regardless, we had already predicted your exact reasoning throughout all of this."

"So I'm not surprised that it didn't cross your mind..."

"You are still of some use to us, it seems."

"Thank you, on behalf of the SDS for erasing her."

Aldren says "Yes... you've done the organisation a great deal."

Some unknown power takes ahold of Sakura, dragging her towards the blue orb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRHBcDNhZps

Sakura says "What are you- get your hands OFF OF ME!"

Aldren says "But what you thought was your intuitive thinking..."

"You still fell for our trap."

"A new universe was never our plan.."

"But it had you and Wisteria convinced.."

"That way..."

"That way you'll never come back."

"We disposed of Andrei years ago."

"But now it's time for the last of the troublemakers to go."

"This isn't just a pocket dimension, mind you."

"This is a separate multiverse."

"And no one knows how to cross between those, believe me - its beyond us."

"So, get comfortable when you're there..."

"As for the SDS..."

Alana says "That doesn't matter to us."

"All we've been asked to do is dispose of the anomalies."

Sakura says "I.."

Aldren says "And it seems your friend here has a lot of evidence against the SDS.."

"Seems like a good way to cover up our trail."

Sakura says "Whoever you're working for.."

"I'll find them.."

"I'll kill them.."

"I'll be back.."

"I'll-"

She is thrown into the blue orb.

An SDS ship arrives alongside the roof of the building.

Aldren says "Alana. Seal the portal."

Alana says "Yes."

The stars return to the dark patch in the sky.

Aldren says "Hey, camera guy."

"Get on the ship with us. We don't bite.."

The cameraman says "N-no..."

"I... I can't.."

He blinks, and finds himself sitting on the ship.

Alana says "Sorry. You don't get a choice in this matter."

The ship begins to move and fly back towards Izumo in exile.

Aldren says "Well, cameraman."

"You have a lot on that SD card of yours.."

The cameraman holds up the chip.

The cameraman says "Don't talk to me."

Aldren says "Listen. Let's strike a deal."

The cameraman says "I would never make any kind of deal with you."

Alana says "oh."

"..."

She nods to Aldren.

Aldren says "Okay, well that's off the table."

"Whatever happens to the SDS is beyond our concern."

"Our employer demanded a good scapegoat."

"So in a way... you've helped them a lot."

"Thank you for that."

"I suppose it was by chance the Confederacy found a loose thread among the SDS."

"That Carbonado was a massive thorn in the SDS' side."

"His experiments caused Izumo to become a thing in the first place."

"So as soon as they could, they sent people to collect evidence."

"But we played our cards, didn't we Alana?"

"We've found our ace-in-the-hole."

"And now we don't need you anymore."

The ship lands outside the village hall that is the entrance to Izumo in exile.

Aldren gets off with the cameraman.

Aldren says "Please. I'll walk you inside.""

The cameraman steps into the elevator in the back.

Aldren stands in front of him.

"It's a shame really."

"You are... resourceful.. but oh well."

"You'll never tell a soul about what you saw anyway."

Aldren holds up the SD card.

The cameraman says "Hey, how did you get that?"

Aldren tosses it behind the cameraman.

The cameraman turns around to pick it up, and is shot in the head at point blank range.

Bleeding out, he falls onto the elevator floor next to the SD card.

Aldren reaches in and presses the down button, watching as the cameraman's dead body descends into the underwater city.

He gets back onto the ship with Alana.

Aldren says "Job done, my dear."

Alana says "Another job well done."

The ship simply vanishes into thin air.

---------------------------------------------------------THE END.--------------------------------------------------------------------