Chapter 2/Script

Scene1 Rice or Bread

(The scene begins in Doctor's office once again, similarly to Case 1. However, the flower that Doctor is holding is noticeably droopy and desaturated, still with its petals missing from before.) FORMAT: "Good day, my darling Doctor. It's another beautiful day for hacking." FORMAT: "You are the best Mindhacker, the one who will save this world from BUGs. The Hero who will defeat the FATAL ERROR." FORMAT: "You are the most brilliant, most valuable human being in the world. Your source code is special." FORMAT: "That's why, in this facility, you... And you alone... Are given the right to choose..." FORMAT: "That's right..." FORMAT: "Choose whether you'll have rice or bread for lunch!" FORMAT: "Will you have your usual bread? I'll make sure it's toasted perfectly for you, my precious, adorable Doctor." Yes, FORMAT. I told FORMAT to put butter and strawberry jam on it too. FORMAT: "Yes, yes! Of course I will! Now then, Doctor. Here are the documents for today's session." FORMAT: "Please come to the Debug Room after you read through them." FORMAT: "Oh yes! The new flowers that you ordered have arrived. I'll have them placed in front of your room." (Doctor puts their flower away.) Look at the documents Document 1: About the LAGOM House [Document A: About the LAGOM House] (The file shows a body of text with the dates redacted and the modern HOTFIX logo at the top.) The LAGOM House is an emerging religious cult that has gained influence in recent years. By naming the Catastrophe-level Class 0 BUG's near manifestation 10 years ago the "Advent of the FATAL ERROR," the group has attracted followers by playing up the threat of a possible reoccurrence. The House denounces BUGs as being the "exposure of human greed" and, in contrast, consider "storage" to be a virtue. They are known to the public for their illegal demonstrations and financial exploitation of their followers. Document 2: Scripture of the LAGOM House (The file shows what looks like an open book with golden pages, filled with text and geometric patterns on the left and right sides.) [Document B: An excerpt from the scripture of the LAGOM House] All that is alive must return to an inorganic state; into a vessel, pure and clean. For our true and God-given form is one that is portable and easily-assembled. We yearn for the day to come, when we shall be stored inside the divine house of LAGOM as Its chairs and tables. Document 3: Statement from the LAGOM House (The file shows a close-up of a paper filled with text.) [Document C: A statement from the LAGOM House] The incident in question has absolutely no affiliation with the LAGOM House nor its activities. It is our understanding that the suspect had been expelled from the House in the past. Yamamura's assertions are wholly at odds with our doctrine, and are not related to our activities in any way, shape or form. We feel strong indignation regarding this incident, and offer our most sincere condolences to the four victims. We will not be answering any questions hereafter. Thank you for your understanding. Go to the corridor

Scene2 Hard Work and Natural Talent

(On their way to the Debug Room, Doctor runs into Newbie Guard, who's carrying a package in both arms.) Newbie Guard: "Oh! Good morning, Doctor!" Newbie Guard: "FORMAT told me to take this to your room as soon as possible." Newbie Guard: "I'll place it right here... This cardboard box is packaged very securely, isn't it?" Newbie Guard: "There we go..." (He puts the box down.) Newbie Guard: "...Um, Doctor. This extremely important-looking package...!" Newbie Guard: "Could it be some sort of device that you need for Mindhacking!?" That's right. I thanked the newbie guard and said that this is something important and special to me. Newbie Guard: "That's what I thought! I'm so glad...!" Newbie Guard: "After all, it's our role as HOTFIX to be of service to you, Doctor!" Newbie Guard: "...I always wanted to say that." Newbie Guard: "Hehe, it's really sinking in that I'm part of HOTFIX now." Newbie Guard: "When I was a kid, I remember seeing HOTFIX on TV as the special forces unit that fights against evil!" Newbie Guard: "As a child, I thought they were so cool for getting rid of evil in the world. They were my heroes." Newbie Guard: "So I won't forgive those evildoing scumbags, either!" Newbie Guard: "...Well, what's different from my childhood is that you're the one who does the fighting, Doctor...But still!" Newbie Guard: "I mean, look at the captain! She's the exact image I always had in my mind when I thought of HOTFIX!" Newbie Guard: "Did you see her that time? How she managed to make that scumbag shut up just by telling him to sit down!" Newbie Guard: "Oh, man! That was sooo cooooolll!! I want to be like that...!!" ▲▴▼▾▲ That's none of your business. ▲▴▼▾▲ I told the newbie guard, mind your own business. Besides, it's written on the label. Can't you read? Newbie Guard: "I-I'm sorry!" Newbie Guard: "...Oh. You're right. The label says that they're flowers." Newbie Guard: "...Flowers? Huh? Just some flowers?" Newbie Guard: "I mean...O-of course! Captain Rebecca did mention that you love flowers." Newbie Guard: "...Pardon me, Doctor! An express delivery like this would obviously be very important...!" Newbie Guard: "And since it's so important, its contents shouldn't be treated as if it's 'just some flowers'..." Newbie Guard: "It was inappropriate of me as a member of HOTFIX! I will be more careful in the future!" Newbie Guard: "Doctor, I... I want to be more useful to you. I want to be someone like the captain!" Newbie Guard: "I want to teach those evil scumbags a lesson, the ones who make others suffer on a whim." Newbie Guard: "It was always my dream to do that. After all, it's impossible for them to change their minds on their own." Newbie Guard: "To think evil itself could be erased from humans, and they'd never be able to harm others again!" Newbie Guard: "Mindhack is a perfect technology! I'm so glad I was given the chance to be here." Newbie Guard: "I...I want to become strong. I want to have confidence that I'm a true keeper of justice." Newbie Guard: "But even if I were to fight villains, I don't have any outstanding strengths or presence, for that matter..." Newbie Guard: "...*Sigh*...Doctor, I respect you and the captain from the bottom of my heart." Newbie Guard: "How do I fight evil head-on like that?" Newbie Guard: "How were you able to become a Mindhacker, Doctor!?" I'm a genius, that's why. I answered that it's not something you can become by trying. I, for one, am a natural genius. Newbie Guard: "...T-talent. Natural talent... I see......" Newbie Guard: "Of course... It's all written in our source codes..." Newbie Guard: "The kind of person you'll become is decided the moment you're born. That's just how things are..." Newbie Guard: "The briefing I got when I first came here said that the human mind was discovered to be like a machine program..." Newbie Guard: "But, I understand. Evil is written inside the minds of scumbags from the start." Newbie Guard: "They don't feel anything, even when they hurt others. They're broken. And that won't just heal on it's own." Newbie Guard: "Mindhack is the only thing that can change them. That's how it is, isn't it?" Newbie Guard: "Even if I'll never be like the captain... I'm glad I'm not evil!" ▲▴▼▾▲ Don't get so friendly with me. ▲▴▼▾▲ I said that I'm here because I've put in a lot more hard work than you, so don't get ahead of yourself, newbie. Newbie Guard: "I-I apologize! I didn't mean it like that! I know that I'm worth less than the average person, so...!" Newbie Guard: "...What!? Doctor, you won a world Mindhacking Championship when you were 10 years old!?" Newbie Guard: "That's...Gh... You're right, that is a lot of work! So it really is possible for hard work to change someone!" Newbie Guard: "I've always been worried. Even if I keep on working hard somehow, will my natural worth ever change? Newbie Guard: "Isn't it impossible for a person to change what's already written in their source code?" Newbie Guard: "But... I guess good people can grow if they keep on working hard! Unlike the evil scumbags!" Newbie Guard: "I wasn't thinking enough... I was satisfied just by being here. I'll train harder!" Newbie Guard: "And someday, I'll be like the captain...!" (Captain appears next to him) Captain: "Hey there, rookie. Did you manage to speak with Doctor? Good for you." Captain: "Doctor, he's been saying for a while now that he wants to ask you something." Newbie Guard: "Captain...! Good morning!" Captain: "Oh, that package. I told you I'd go deliver it myself... It must've been heavy on your own." Captain: "Thank you. I appreciate it, since they're Doctor's dear flowers." Newbie Guard: "N-No, no! Not at all! I can do something like this anytime!" Captain: "Haha, how dependable. What did you buy this time, Doctor?" ▲▴▼▾▲ Suuup, Becca! ▲▴▼▾▲ I showed the Newbie Guard how friendly I am with Captain Rebecca with my friendly greeting. Captain: "Sup, Doctor." Newbie Guard: "S...... Sup!??!?!????!??!" Captain: "Haha. You don't usually call me that. What's the matter, all of a sudden?" Captain: "...What, give you my hand? Like this?" Captain: "...? You seem to be in a good mood this morning, Doctor. I'm glad you're doing well." Captain: "Now, let's go, FORMAT is waiting for us in the Debug Room." Newbie Guard: "R-roger that, Captain." (Captain leaves) Newbie Guard: "......" Newbie Guard: "Wha...... What was that...? That was so cool..." Newbie Guard: "Uh, Doctor...? What exactly is your relationship with the captain...?" Newbie Guard: "I'm jealous... Super, suuuuuuuper jealous...!!" Newbie Guard: "Er, I mean. Let us make our way to the Debug Room." It's a secret for now. I whispered to the captain that its contents are top secret, so I couldn't possibly say it here! Captain: "Oh, is that right. Sorry, I thought it was the usual large flower arrangement." Captain: "It's rare for you to order something other than flowers. Isn't this the first time in 10 years?" Captain: "It must be an important secret if even I'm not allowed to know. I won't ask any further." Newbie Guard: "(...Maybe it really is just flowers like the label says...?) Captain: "Now, let's go, FORMAT is waiting for us." Newbie Guard: "R-roger that, Captain!" (Captain leaves) Newbie Guard: "...Doctor. Um, Doctor? ...Is it actually flowers?" Newbie Guard: "FORMAT said that it was a top priority package of the utmost importance..." Newbie Guard: "Uh, it's not really flowers, right? With that packaging...? Just flowers...?" Newbie Guard: "Er, I mean. Pardon me. Let us make our way to the Debug Room!"

Scene3 Cabinet

(The scene begins in the Debug Room once again.) FORMAT: "Well then, Doctor. I'm looking forward to your brilliance today as well." FORMAT: "This will be your 4982nd Mindhack." FORMAT: "My darling Doctor, please take a seat at the Mindhacking device." Yes, FORMAT. FORMAT: "Wonderful. You always look splendid as a Mindhacker." FORMAT: "HOTFIX, please bring in the reformation target." (There's a brief close-up of the Debug Room chair before Doctor's vision becomes obscured by a pair of eyes, peering at them disinterestedly through cut-out squares of a metal surface. Triangular particles float around within the stranger's dark eyes.) ???: ".................. .................. .................." Newbie Guard: "Ah...! H-Hey! Don't walk off on your own! And don't go near the doctor!" (The Doctor pulls back to see the reformation target sitting smugly in the Debug Room chair. Newbie Guard and Captain stand to the sides.) Newbie Guard: "Sit down h--...! Oh great, he's already sitting..." ???: "Greetings... Butter Knife." ???: "Just as God sees the true essence of all objects, I do not judge a book by its cover. Your blade, however..." ???: "It appears to be... A bit dull." Butter knife? I asked the reformation target, aren't butter knives not supposed to have sharp edges? ???: "Hah. That is exactly why you are a butter knife." ???: "An ephemeral, superficial blade. Its delicate shape blends in with intricate chopsticks, knives, forks..." ???: "As the Hero that will slice through the FATAL ERROR, the Mindhacker must be a sharpened kitchen knife." ???: "Or else, the God LAGOM will not place you in Its kitchen!" ▲▴▼▾▲ What's wrong with this guy?! ▲▴▼▾▲ I told HOTFIX that the thing on this guy's head will get in the way of my hacking. ???: "It is not ON my head! This is my face! My shining, steely surface!" Captain: "Ah... About his head. Its, well, welded from the inside. It couldn't be removed." Captain: "According to FORMAT, it shouldn't have any effect on this session. Pay it no mind." ???: "I expected the food processor that will mince the FATAL ERROR to be multi-purpose and functional, but I guess not!" ???: "Hah... Nevertheless, I shall introduce myself. My name is Ivrig. I am the cabinet of the LAGOM God." Newbie Guard: "C-cabinet...?" Captain: "In the LAGOM House, a believer's rank is represented by furniture size." Newbie Guard: "I see. Then, are there chairs and beds as well?" Ivrig: "BEDS!??!!??!?!??!!?!??!?!?!?!?" Ivrig: "YOU! You measly Paper Napkin! That is not allowed of such a lowly rank! How sinful!!" Newbie Guard: "Gh... I don't really get it, but I can tell he's looking down on me...!" Ivrig: "I am God's furniture, one that has offered both body and soul to LAGOM itself." Ivrig: "Though I have not yet reached the realm of assemblability... Someday I shall!" Ivrig: "Even I, the chosen apostle known for being the most portable, am only a cabinet!" Ivrig: "A bed, you say...? A BED...!?!? Ohh... Oh God...!!!" Captain: "I apologize for the disrespect. We do not know much about the God LAGOM. Will you tell us more about It?" Ivrig: "Oh? Ohh... Salad Bowl, I see you know your own ignorance. Then for you, I shall preach the doctrine of LAGOM." Ivrig: "God is an inorganic object. However! Humans, foolishly, are creatures made of meat." Ivrig: "The soul dwells in meat. When the meat festers, so does the soul. Bugs infest the rotten meat." Ivrig: "The triangular bugs are born in weak minds, accumulating to become the FATAL ERROR." Captain: "I see." Ivrig: "Born of humans, the FATAL ERROR then corrupts them..." Ivrig: "To save the world from utter chaos, we must discard our meat and minds and become inorganic." Ivrig: "Humanity must become pure in substance, unadulterated and inorganic, in order to be the furniture of God..." Ivrig: "To achieve that, we must not fail to practice our faith every day and night, and pray to LAGOM!" Ivrig: "Like this. Observe." Newbie Guard: "............" Ivrig: "The sole good deed we can do with our impure meat bodies for the inorganic God..." Ivrig: "Is to offer our bodies as cushions!!" Captain: "............" Ivrig: "As one of God's furniture, you will be set free from your suffering of meat and mind, and reach the realm of Bedroom." Ivrig: "Now... There is still time. Become believers of LAGOM, and assemble as furniture with me..." Newbie Guard: "This facility wouldn't be here if humanity could just be saved by doing invisible chair squats!" Ivrig: "Ohh... How pitiful! And so very incorrigible. As expected of a cheap, bargain-sale pack of paper napkins...!" Newbie Guard: "Who're you calling a subpar, disposable, inferior replacement that got here through sheer luck!!?" Captain: "Rookie. He didn't put it like that." Ivrig: "Hah. Fortunately, LAGOM is merciful. It shall use even a mediocre thing like you as a fashionable paper mat." Newbie Guard: "Gh...!! Doctor, please don't be fooled by him! This guy is an atrocious criminal!" Newbie Guard: "For starters, his documents say that he was expelled from the LAGOM House a while back!" Ivrig: "Hahahah! Expelled, you say! Do not make my right door creak! I am the true servant of LAGOM." Ivrig: "Do not place me on the same shelf as those discount sealable bags who lack the courage to discard their rotten meat!" Captain: "...Ivrig. One by one, you summoned four LAGOM believers that attended your university..." Captain: "You made them into 'boxes' and sent them as packages to the LAGOM House's headquarters. Is that right?" Ivrig: "That is correct! I made them into a shape both portable and easy-to-assemble." Captain: "Why did you choose them? I heard that they were your close friends..." Ivrig: "Indeed, they were upperclassmen at my college. They were the ones who led me onto the path of faith..." Ivrig: "But they had changed! The pointed, terrible triangles were within them!" Captain: "That's why you made them into boxes?" Ivrig: "I tried to teach them the true form of faith." Ivrig: "But... None of them listened to me." Ivrig: "Their true forms were revealed before my righteous LED light. Raw meat, barely concealed behind flimsy plywood..." Ivrig: "Ohh. But now they are portable and easy-to-assemble, and will be properly stored away in LAGOM's house." Ivrig: "I simply took them by their hands and guided them to become God's furniture." Ivrig: "Took them by their hands," Ivrig: "took them by their feet," Ivrig: "and took their needless parts away." Ivrig: "I was only following in God's divine message. And of course, It rejoiced. They must be happy as well." Newbie Guard: "Wh-what the hell is he saying...! Doctor, this guy... He's crazy after all...!!" You're right! Let's begin the hack! I told FORMAT that we should hurry and connect to this dreadful reformation target. FORMAT: "You're very proactive about Mindhacking today, Doctor. How wonderful!" FORMAT: "With your own hands, you can remove the terrible threat that lies within this BUG owner." FORMAT: "Let us join forces, you and me. We'll save the world together!" ▲▴▼▾▲ Can I just hack him already? ▲▴▼▾▲ I told FORMAT that we should hurry and connect to this locker guy, I'm tired of this walking furniture ad. FORMAT: "It's exactly as you say, Doctor. There is absolutely no need to understand the reformation target." FORMAT: "Every word, every action of a BUG owner is meaningless. They are all simply errors." FORMAT: "Only a third-rate hacker would harbor sympathy or empathy for them! I believe in you, Doctor." FORMAT: "Doctor, here is the reformation target's file." FORMAT: "You have sufficiently observed them, so there is nothing noteworthy to add. You must not waste time." FORMAT: "There is no need for any more details. Take a quick look, and go on to the next step of the procedure." (Doctor looks at the file. There's a portrait of the reformation target in the middle with informative text to the sides.) NAME: Kosuke "Ivrig" Yamamura SEX: Male, AGE: 20 HEIGHT 173cm, WEIGHT: 54kg A university student. No other noteworthy instances in criminal record. Charged with the mutilation and abandonment of corpses, and murder. Found to be a BUG owner through scanning. (The doctor approaches the reformation target.) FORMAT: "Beginning session. Doctor. Please brace for impact." Ivrig: "Hah, hah. Hear me, Butter Knife. I am God's inorganic cabinet. My soul has been insect-proofed." Ivrig: "There are no bugs within me! If you question my justice, then go ahead and dissect me with those hands!" FORMAT: "Connecting." Ivrig: "Gh! Gah... Ugh... I feel sick... Uuu..." Ivrig: "Hahaha... Hahahahahah!" Ivrig: "I am a cabinet. I do not feel things such as pain! Hahahahahahahah!" (The screen distorts as Doctor is transported into the reformation target's mind.)

Scene4 Hopeless Ko-chan and Gifted Miki-chan

(The scene fades in from white. The Doctor is now alone with the reformation target inside of a dull liminal space. Dark, triangular particles float around him.) Yamamura: "Haha... Huh!? Where am I!? Wha!?" Yamamura: ".................. .................. .................." Yamamura: "...Hah. Butter Knife. Everything you do is futile. My faith will not fail." First, let me take a look at the target's memories. I'll begin the hack when I'm ready. Type: Open [---SUCCESS---] Yamamura: "The nearest store is 80 minutes away. Record amounts of snow fall every year. The neighbors are all family friends." Yamamura: "Dinner's the same every night. An over-seasoned, salty-sweet, misshapen stew." Yamamura: "The wrinkled geezers all call me Ko-chan as they please." Yamamura: "Miki-chan sure is amazing, isn't she! But while the younger sister's talented, Ko-chan's not good at aaanything." Yamamura: "Miki-chan can study, she's damn attractive, and she's always the best in their kendo and calligraphy lessons!" Yamamura: "Is Ko-chan going to take over the family business and become a plasterer? Oh, but he's a clumsy little thing..." Yamamura: "I'd rather end up in a garage sale than do that! I don't belong in a dusty old shack like that!!" Yamamura: "What good is it to be the best at kendo or calligraphy in the middle of nowhere, anyway!?" Yamamura: "I'm not Ko-chan. That's just a word my parents forced onto me. My true name is Ivrig." Yamamura: "Only God sees me for who I really am, a fashionable and practical piece of furniture that belongs in Its house." Yamamura: "That's why I'll serve LAGOM more than anyone else. I'm a valuable cabinet!!" Type: DisableFirewall [---SUCCESS---] Yamamura: "I had no one to talk to in the countryside. There was no one to see me for who I really was." Yamamura: "I wanted someone who wouldn't compare me to Miki. I met a sophisticated, mature woman on an internet forum." Yamamura: "We become close... Very close. I wrote her messages every night. I was always so excited for her replies!" Yamamura: "My whole family treated me like junk after I couldn't get into the local college. Only she supported me." Yamamura: "You can do it, Kosuke! If it's you, I'm sure you'll get accepted, so let's live together in my city..." Yamamura: "For her, I was determined to work hard. I thought if I got into college, I'd be able to meet her, to be with her!" Yamamura: "I worked hard. I studied like crazy. And finally, I made my dream come true. I got in!!" Yamamura: "I wanted her to be the first one to know! I could go to college in the city and live with her like I wanted to!" Yamamura: "I withdrew all my savings and boarded a train for the first time in my life to go see her!" Yamamura: "I arrived at her apartment. With my letter of acceptance clenched in my fist, I knocked on the door, and...!!" Yamamura: "It was all a lie. It was a scam that targeted country people like me. She'd never existed." Yamamura: "...That moment... ...It felt like my heart was ripped to shreds..." Yamamura: "Even worse, that place was the scammer group's office... I was surrounded by these scary-looking people..." Yamamura: "...They robbed me and threw me out into the middle of the city with nothing but loose change in my pocket." Yamamura: I lost everything. My savings, my love, my home. As I stood there hopelessly, I was saved by..." Yamamura: "Some people I met at the college orientation. Four believers of the LAGOM faith..." Yamamura: "See? God saved me. It blessed me with the knowledge that humans don't need feelings." ▲▴▼▾▲ Type: DisableSpoofedIP"IVRIG" ▲▴▼▾▲ [---SUCCESS---] Yamamura: "Oh, um. Uh. Why is it... Why am I here, at a place like this?" Yamamura: "I wonder if I'll make it to first period tomorrow. That pen I lent that guy in class was pretty expensive..." Yamamura: "I wonder if I'll get in trouble if I skip class. Or will no one care about someone like me?" Yamamura: "I worked so hard to get out of the countryside and into college, even after I failed my entrance exams once..." Yamamura: "I hope something like this doesn't get me expelled. Why don't things ever go the way I want them to..." Yamamura: "I bet they'll start that whole spiel again. 'Why can't you be a good child like Miki-chan?' " Yamamura: "Even though I'm the one who did it. Even though I'm the one who's working so hard." Yamamura: "Why are things like this... I don't want to think about tomorrow. I don't want to do anything anymore..." Yamamura: "What's going to happen to me... Will I even see tomorrow?" Yamamura: "I should have eaten lunch at that super fashionable café I saw on the way home the other day." Yamamura: "I couldn't really go in there by myself, I was too scared... Why am I like this..." Yamamura: "I bet Miki would've gone inside... If it had been Miki..." Type: FindMemoryKOSUKE [---SUCCESS---] Yamamura: "I'm the chosen one. I'm the cabinet that'll store away the FATAL ERROR. Miki just happened to be next to me." Yamamura: "It's all because Miki was there, because I was born in the wrong place. I'm not lacking in anything." Yamamura: "Only LAGOM uses me properly. It lets me be a cabinet." Yamamura: "Humans are so foolish. Why would they try to make a cabinet plaster walls?" Yamamura: "Why make a cabinet take kendo lessons?" Yamamura: "I could shine if I was polished. I'm made of aluminum and steel, a diamond in the rough." Yamamura: "Why ignore the assembly instructions, thinking they know it all, while getting the left and right back panels wrong?" Yamamura: "Even though it was the dirty, vulgar countryside humidity that made me rusty!" Yamamura: "Even though Miki was just a little better than me!" Yamamura: "Even though I'm working so hard! Why! Why do they compare a younger sister to a CABINET!?" Yamamura: "LAGOM won't answer... Only before LAGOM am I allowed to be a proper cabinet..." ▲▴▼▾▲ Type: FindMemoryKOSUKE ▲▴▼▾▲ [---SUCCESS---] Yamamura: "I once fell down the stairs and broke a bone. Oh, but it didn't take long to heal, only about a month." Yamamura: "That was the only time Dad and Mom worried about me, even though they normally only paid attention to Miki." Yamamura: "They stayed close and kept asking me, 'Kosuke, are you alright?' I told them to calm down, it's not a big deal." Yamamura: "But it made me really happy. I wanted everyone to worry about me like that again." Yamamura: "Because... No one cares about me now. ......" Yamamura: "...When I first came to the city for college, I got scammed out of all my money. I had no one to depend on." Yamamura: "I couldn't stop crying. I spent what little change I had left to call home. But my dad was pissed off." Yamamura: "He told me that I was an idiot and a hopeless good-for-nothing. He asked me how I could be so stupid, so useless." Yamamura: "Ahaha... It's laughable, right... I was standing there, crying at the payphone, when some upperclassmen passed by..." Yamamura: "They were really worried for me. They gave me food, offered me shelter, and told me it was all LAGOM's goodwill." Yamamura: "Well, as it turned out, it was a branch of the LAGOM House and a co-living space for its believers." Yamamura: "Hehe... It was the first time I thought that families are nice, that houses are nice..." Type: GetPermissionSourceKOSUKE [---SUCCESS---] Yamamura: "The disciples of LAGOM gave me the mission of spreading the House's faith." Yamamura: "They gave it to me! Me! I was happy! God had given me the most prominent, most esteemed spot in the showroom!" Yamamura: "If everyone just believes in God, the world will become perfectly peaceful." Yamamura: "Everyone should become furniture. If only everyone would throw away their feelings, they'd become happy." Yamamura: "No one needs to compare their efforts with others, or to admire someone. We can all be inorganic in God's house." Yamamura: "I want to make everyone happy. I want to save everyone, just like God saved me." Yamamura: "That's why I'm doing my best. I pray and train hard every day, harder than anyone else." Yamamura: "I'm working so hard, but no one takes me seriously. I bet they'd believe it if Miki was the one talking..." Yamamura: "...I trusted... That my upperclassmen, the ones who welcomed me here, knew who I truly was." Yamamura: "I thought things would be different with city people, all smart and fashionable." Yamamura: "I'm doing this for everyone's sake. Why is it that they need to become boxes in order to understand?" Yamamura: "Only God listens to what I say. Only God sees me for who I really am. It's only LAGOM, that lets me be myself." ▲▴▼▾▲ Type: GetPermissionSourceKOSUKE ▲▴▼▾▲ [---SUCCESS---] Yamamura: "For a year after entering college, I worked a part-time job while staying at the LAGOM House's co-living space." Yamamura: "I handed all the money I earned to my upperclassmen and lived a modest life, in order to become inorganic." Yamamura: "All the while, I thought-- I misunderstood, that they were the ones who saved me." Yamamura: "I was wrong,. The one who saved me, of course, was God." Yamamura: "Those people were just spoiled meat that used God for themselves." Yamamura: "Why else would they say such mean things? LAGOM is flawless and inorganic, okay!" Yamamura: "We were talking about which is more ideal as an inorganic object, refrigerators or cabinets." Yamamura: "They're similar, so it's hard to say. But cabinets must be closer to God's ideal since they can be assembled." Yamamura: "I was debating the doctrine in all seriousness. But, those people... They pointed at me, a cabinet, and..." Yamamura: "They laughed at me and said that a fridge is more suited for a snow-country hick like you." Yamamura: "I didn't care about the country hick part. I mean, it's a fact. I can't change that." Yamamura: "But... They're supposed to be disciples of the faith. I couldn't forgive them for using God's words like that." Yamamura: "That's why, I made them all into boxes." Begin Hack. FORMAT: "Let's begin, Doctor. It is time to Mindhack." (The scene fades in a flurry of black triangles.) (The player is prompted to Read the reformation target's personality and enter the text shown on the screen to neutralize the source code. Press the space bar to begin.) Type the following phrases: I DID IT HEAD HURTS DRY THROAT OH NO LOOK IT UP A TARP A BOX A SAW STORAGE TAKE BY HANDS HARD TO BREAK TOO STRONG WHAT TO DO PARTY HEAVY NASTY TAKE THE FEET NEEDLESS PARTS GOING WELL GOT IT EFFICIENCY NEXT ONE THIRD FOURTH PACKAGED EXPRESS DELIVERY BEAUTIFUL TAKE A LOOK I WORKED HARD LOOK AT ME HACK COMPLETE (The scene returns to the reformation target as abstract shapes, the same colors as the flowers seen in the hacking segment, start to surround them.) FORMAT: "Wonderful work, Doctor! It seems you successfully neutralized the BUG inside the reformation target." FORMAT: "Now, for the finishing touch. Fix the target's personality to make sure that a BUG never occurs again." Yamamura: "Hahahah! Is that all!? Is that the end! As I thought, nothing impressive!" Yamamura: "You pitiful butter knife, repent your sins! My name is..." Yamamura: "My name is......" Yamamura: "......My name is... Huh? Er, what was it...? Um... Th-that's strange..." FORMAT: "Doctor, what was the reformation target's personality built upon?" "Look at me." FORMAT: "Very well. Please rewrite that. (The player uses their mouse to draw flowers over the word on screen.) Yamamura: "Ah...!" Yamamura: "S-stop it! Don't open me! Don't put stuff inside!" Yamamura: "W-what are these... Flowers? N-no thank you! Don't make a mess with them!! Don't shove them inside!!" Yamamura: "The flowers... Hey, stop, I told you, I don't want them... My head... There's no more space...!" "Save me." Yamamura: "Hah!! You, save me? Don't make me laugh!!" (The screen temporarily inverts colors as Doctor defensively puts up their hands to deflect a flurry of BUG particles.) Yamamura: "Never in my life, not once was I saved by believing in someone!" Yamamura: "Only God answers my prayers. I don't need a heart that feels! Become boxes, everyone!" Yamamura: "What about you! Haven't you ever loved someone, loved something, had your hopes up only to be betrayed!? FORMAT: "Be careful, Doctor. The boundary between you and the reformation target is becoming unstable." "I hate everyone." Yamamura: "Hahahah! You're right. I've been abused by my family, by my sister, by false love..." (The screen temporarily inverts colors as Doctor defensively puts up their hands to deflect a flurry of BUG particles.) Yamamura: "But I can say this for certain. I've never resented anyone, not even once!" Yamamura: "It is all God's will. Torment is God's trial. Adversity is sandpaper that refines me." Yamamura: "I want to save everyone. I love everyone! Aren't you the same?" Yamamura: "Do you hate someone? Do you resent someone? You pitiful, dull butter knife..." FORMAT: "Be careful, Doctor. The boundary between you and the reformation target is becoming unstable." "I envy everyone." (The player uses their mouse to draw flowers over the word on screen.) Yamamura: "......! Wh-who would think that... That kind of...!" Yamamura: "I-I've never thought that way, never... ...ever...!" Yamamura: "Aaaah!! W-wait! I lied I'm sorry I lied!! Stop! B-but, but...!" Yamamura: "Ahhh, stop...! I... But, I just, all this time, for just that...!" Yamamura: "Please stop!! I said please!!" Yamamura: "Please, don't erase me!! How am I supposed to keep living from tomorrow!?" Yamamura: "Ah!! I'm sorry! I apologize! Flowers! Please stop the flowers! Yamamura: "Flowers...... No more...... Uuu......" Yamamura: "Don't...fill me with flowers... This is God's... container......" Yamamura: "Save me, God... God... My God...! Its name, um..." LAGON, was it?. Yamamura: "Silence!!!!! It is not 'N'!!! IT IS 'M'!!!!!!!" (The screen temporarily inverts colors as Doctor defensively puts up their hands to deflect a flurry of BUG particles.) Yamamura: "It's 'M'... But...... ......" Yamamura: "...... Wh-what was it... Huh...?" Yamamura: "Wait. Um, what did I say it was? The...the name of my God..." Yamamura: "No way...? Why... Can't I remember..." Yamamura: "W-what should I do... Help... Um..." Yamamura: "Hm? ...Wh-who was going to help me? Huh......?" LAGOM, isn't it?. Yamamura: "Aaah!" Yamamura: ".................. .................. .................." Yamamura: "......G--" Yamamura: "God. Please save me. Oh God..." Yamamura: "Help me... Please save me... I shall..." Yamamura: "W-why. I'm... What was it... I-I can't remember..." Yamamura: "Why... I'm scared... Why was I saying those things...?" Yamamura: "Um, I'm sorry... I, uh, I don't really know anymore..." ▲▴▼▾▲ (If the player selects 2 incorrect options in this sequence, a fail state is triggered:) ▲▴▼▾▲ (insert cutscene of chapter 2 fail state. ivrig looking at u like that smug cat w/ the knife pointed at it) (Triangle particles swarm through the borders on the screen and Doctor's vision goes dark. A descending tone plays as their hands become pixelated beyond recognition.) FORMAT: "Doctor, are you all right?" FORMAT: "Doctor, please answer me. Doctor... Doctor?" (Doctor's hands lifelessly fall off-screen.) FORMAT: "Oh... My beloved, precious Doctor. How could this be..." FORMAT: "Initiating emergency restoration procedures." (Doctor regains their vision as the player is transported back to the beginning of the sequence.) FORMAT: "Everything is okay, Doctor. You simply had a bad dream." (Doctor's hands appear to the sides of the screen again, back to normal.) FORMAT: "Now, remember your duty. Rewrite the target's mind to make sure that a BUG never occurs again." Yamamura: "What? Hey... Are you trying to do something?" Yamamura: "Th...... Those hands, what are they!? S--" (A big, golden gerbera daisy blossoms in front of the reformation target. Doctor reaches out to carress it, their hand lingering on its petals--) (There's a brief flashback to when they tore the petals off their flower from Case 1.) Destroy (Following the arrow, the player uses their mouse to violently tear off a chunk of petals from the flower. The daisy darkens as Doctor holds up the freshly torn petals in their hand. The screen pixelates as it returns to Yamamura--) Yamamura: "AHHHHH!??" (Yamamura's form begins to destabilize, colors inverting as he "glitches" in and out of shape.) Yamamura: "Wh...at, is, this... Aa...ah," FORMAT: "......Doctor? Did you do something?" Yamamura: "Gh.... Uuu... Ahh... Aa..." Yamamura: "Miki...!! Help me... I'm scared...!! Miki! Miki, help meee..." Yamamura: "I'm, I'm...! I'm going to disappear, Miki, I don't want, break, ahh!" Yamamura: "Aaaaah!! Ahh, ah!!!! AAAAHHHHHH!!" FORMAT: "The reformation target is showing severe instability. Disconnecting." (The screen distorts and the Doctor is transported back to the Debug Room. In front of them, Yamamura hides his face in his hands.) Yamamura: "Aaahhh... ...... Aaaaaa..." (Doctor draws back. Yamamura is curled up in the Debug Room chair, visibly trembling, hugging himself tightly with tears in his eyes.) Newbie Guard: "H-hey, what happened!? Doctor, he started screaming all of a sudden..." FORMAT: "Doctor. The hack seems to be complete. Please test an action." Take him to a bed, won't you. I told HOTFIX that they should probably take him to the infirmary and lay him down in a bed. Newbie Guard: "Y-yes, you're right. We'll take him." Newbie Guard: "To a bed... Oh! I mean. To a, uhh... mattress...?" Yamamura: "......... ......... ........." Captain: "Are you all right?" Yamamura: "......... ............ ......Mi..." Yamamura: "Miki... Where are you... He lp me... Miki... Miki......" Captain: "Lend him your shoulder, rookie." Newbie Guard: "Huh? Oh. R-roger that." Newbie Guard: "Here, let's go..." (Newbie Guard, Captain and Yamamura all leave together.) You okay, Ko-chan? I asked the reformation target, are you okay, Ko-chan? Yamamura: "......... ......... ........." Yamamura: "Yes... I am fine..." Yamamura: "I am fine... I a m fine... I am fi ne... I am fine... Fine..." Newbie Guard: "He's saying he's fine." Captain: "I'll carry him to the infirmary. Rookie, go and get the door for me." Newbie Guard: "R-roger that, Captain!" (Newbie Guard, Captain and Yamamura all leave together.) FORMAT: "Doctor. You......" FORMAT: "You've finally... learned to not only revise the mind, but to destroy it as well!!!" (Following this, a totally not-at-all sinister music cue plays.) FORMAT: "Brilliant!!! I haven't even taught you that, and you thought of it yourself!?" FORMAT: "Most impressive, my Doctor. You always far exceed my expectations." FORMAT: "Keep up the wonderful work, and let's have you become even more brilliant so that we can save the world from BUGs." FORMAT: "My beloved, precious Doctor. Today's session is complete. You may return to your office." Yes, FORMAT.

Scene5 People Change

(Back in their office, Doctor holds a jug of water with a new, un-damaged flower in it.) I returned to my office. FORMAT smothered me with praise. Let me read the prognosis report. (The documents are identical to the reformation target's file, only with the word 'HACKED' stamped over his portrait in red ink.) Hacking complete. The target's prognosis seems to be somewhat unstable. Instead of the relaxed muscle state typically observed after hacking, he is in a prolonged state of extreme tension. Although provocative behavior was seen prior to treatment, he now remains silent, unable to stop sweating and shivering. Struggles to respond when addressed. Symptoms include erratic breathing, repeating words, and unnatural speech. Careful observation is necessary, as his abnormal condition persists and develops post-treatment. Put the documents away I gathered the documents together and put them away in a drawer. Now... Let's head to the break room and get a change of water for the flowers that arrived this morning. (The screen fades to black as Doctor leaves their office. There's a fade-in to Newbie Guard and Captain conversing in the break room. In one hand, Captain is holding a box lunch wrapped in a cloth with floral patterns.) Newbie Guard: "I'm fine! I'm fine, really! Please don't mind me!!" Captain: "But... I can't exactly ignore it..." Newbie Guard: "I might not have gotten to eat lunch because I was with Yamamura, but I can't let you go without any!!" (Doctor approaches the two of them, flower in hand.) Newbie Guard: "Oh! Doctor, please help me!! The captain is trying to give me nearly all of her lunch!!" Captain: "I was the one who put you in charge of Yamamura... And now because of that..." Newbie Guard: "Now I understand why the senior members told me to never skip a meal, especially not in front of the captain." Newbie Guard: "Huh? Yamamura? He's splayed out in the infirmary. It's like he's a shell of his former self." Newbie Guard: "Everyone seems to become a totally different person once they're in your hands, Doctor..." Newbie Guard: "He's so scared that he can't stop shivering, even though he was so fired up in the beginning." Captain: "I think I can understand. Losing your emotional support can make a person that scared." Captain: "It's reassuring to believe in someone and to follow them, no matter if they're right or wrong." Captain: "All your fear is forgotten when you place yourself in their hands, even while doing the most horrible things." Newbie Guard: "Fear...? Have you experienced something like that, Captain?" Captain: "There's plenty of things I'm scared of. Like FORMAT's orders, for example." Captain: "A lot happened in the past. It was Doctor that saved me when I felt hopeless in my fear." Captain: "There... Right around where you're standing. That's where I bumped into Doctor, who was carrying a flower vase." Captain: "How nostalgic. It's been a while since then, hasn't it, Doctor?" Newbie Guard: "Orders...? Past...? Wait, is that, are you talking about..." Newbie Guard: "Back before HOTFIX became a security force!?" Captain: "......" Captain: "That's right. Back then, we didn't have Mindhacking technology. We fought against BUGs directly." Newbie Guard: "Woooowwww!! I see, I see!! No wonder!! That explains the captain's dignified presence!!" Newbie Guard: "Wait, wait, so, how exactly did you fight the evil scumbags, Captain...!?" Newbie Guard: "I'd love to hear more about it, if it's all right with you...!" Captain: "No, let's not. It's nothing I'm proud of." Captain: "Here, you should hurry and eat. It's almost time for your shift." Newbie Guard: "I-I'm sorry. I got too excited..." Newbie Guard: "And, I can't accept your lunch. I'll go run and buy some food!" Newbie Guard: "Well then, please excuse me!" (Newbie leaves to do just that.) Captain: "I got rejected." Captain: "Guess I'll finish this myself. Sorry to talk while eating, Doctor. Are those the flowers he delivered this morning?" Captain: "...Remember when he said that HOTFIX was his dream? Sometimes it's better not to know." Captain: "....... ...Doctor, do you remember that time?" Of course! I told the captain that I'll never forget the day that FORMAT took me here! Captain: "Huh? Oh, uh, it, wasn't about that..." Captain: "Haha. Never mind. Of course, that's an important memory for you." Captain: "You're a Mindhacker chosen by FORMAT. That must be the reason why you're able to believe in yourself." Captain: "There's not many people who can believe in themselves like you." Captain: "People change. Sometimes they change even if they don't particularly want to." Captain: "They want someone to decide what's right, because they're afraid of changing." Captain: "Without that, they become too scared to even keep on living..." Captain: "If I didn't meet you that time, I might've become like Yamamura." Captain: "......" Captain: "I'm not the scared and shivering me anymore. Even if I try recalling it, it seems like another person's memory." Captain: "Doctor... Sometimes, I wonder. The me back then and the me now, which one is the true Rebecca?" Captain: "If you replace the chicken in chicken over rice with fish, that's fish over rice now." Captain: "But you'd still call the dish chicken over rice after eating all the chicken off it, wouldn't you?" Captain: "What happens if you place fish there? Is that fish over rice now? Or is it what used to be chicken over rice?" Captain: "I and everyone else would keep calling it chicken over rice. If only because we don't know what else to call it." Captain: "People change on their own. There's no knowing what's right. You can only decide what tastes you prefer." Captain: "...Oh, sorry, Doctor. You look really uninterested. You mostly eat bread, after all." Captain: "....Do you think he got to eat his lunch? I'll go check on him later." Not at all. I told the captain that I don't remember it at all, what happened again? Captain: "Hahaha. I thought you'd say that. You're busy, after all." Captain: "It's proof that you're a strong person when you can forget about people." Captain: "You'd end up losing your mind if you remember everything you saw in other's memories." Captain: "...Doctor. You see the scenery inside people's minds almost every day, right?" Captain: "I like looking at mountains. The color of the sky, the sunlight, the seasons. All of these comprise its scenery." Captain: "The view changes along with the angle. A path you take every day can look like a completely different land." Captain: "And how about BUGs? It's up to humans to determine what constitutes a personality error." Captain: "There's no mistake that BUGs harm people and are dreadful. But what we view as a BUG..." Captain: "Is it any different from how a shadow changes shape when the light shifts?" Captain: "What you saw in Yamamura's mind, and what I felt from him. Were they the same scenery?" Captain: "People should become inorganic... Why do emotions exist, why does the heart exist..." Captain: "There was a time, far away in the past, when I thought the same way. I only have a vague memory of it." Captain: "Well, actually... That must be the one thing you remember more than I do. Hahaha." FORMAT: "Captain Rebecca. Come to the security headquarters. There is an urgent matter." FORMAT: "I repeat. Captain Rebecca. Please come to the security headquarters immediately. There is an urgent matter." Captain: "Uh-oh. If FORMAT hears me talking about something like this, I'll get axed." Captain: "...I'm just kidding. Well then, Doctor. I'll be off." Captain: "You be sure to eat your lunch too. You're not a machine, after all!" (Captain leaves.) FORMAT must have prepared my meal. Let's head back to the office... (The screen fades to black.) case02:END