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Hacker's Memory 12 HM
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KyokoA new job has come in. Please come back to the office.
KyokoPlease come back right away.
Player...An important case!? Let's get back to the office ASAP.
KyokoI'll explain all the details.
KyokoThe client this time is the local government that takes care of the utilities for Nakano... Basically, it's a bureaucratic agency.
Player!?
KyokoWhy are you so shocked?
KyokoOf course, we specialize in the supernatural and complex cyber crimes, so we usually have a very specific clientele.
KyokoBut we cooperated very well with Detective Matayoshi's police force, so they consider us to be a pretty good detective agency.
KyokoSo we've received a case from a public agency... Quite a rare event.
KyokoThis case was originally discussed by Detective Matayoshi with the government agency.
KyokoIt's a bit special, so Detective Matayoshi passed us down to the government agency like a sort of ace up his sleeve, and now it's our case.
KyokoGot it?
KyokoGood.
KyokoThe case is to unlock a gate in Nakano Underpass. It seems the gate is locked due to some electronic glitch and can't be opened.
Player...?
KyokoHuh? What, you don't know about Nakano Underpass?
KyokoIt's a facility that houses the equipment used to provide Nakano's public utilities, such as power cables, water pipes, and so on...
KyokoThey are moving forward with a plan to improve the look of the city center above ground by housing the public utilities underground.
KyokoLooks like the visible power cables and telephone poles are set to disappear in the not-too-distant future.
KyokoUnderneath Nakano there is a vast complex of tunnels, so there are of course many entrances.
KyokoOne of these entrances is the place where the gate we need to unlock is.
KyokoIt is a password-protected electronic lock, but it seems some time ago it locked for no reason, and no one has been able to open it since.
KyokoThey contacted the manufacturer, but they gave up. If needs be they will destroy the gate, but obviously that would incur serious costs.
KyokoWhile the costs were discussed, a weird groaning sound was heard coming from the other side of the gate. It seems something strange is going on.
Player!?
KyokoThe manufacturer had a bad feeling about it and didn't want to open the gate, but the government suspected criminal activity and called Matayoshi.
PlayerI see. So then the buck passed to the Kuremi Detective Agency.
KyokoWell after all, we have the best people for the job if you want to access a place that is off bounds to most.
KyokoThis is actually a good opportunity. I've been wanting to investigate the rumors surrounding Nakano's underground system for a while.
KyokoThe gate in question has an electronic lock, so naturally there's a cyberspace inside it.
KyokoYou're the only one who can break into the gate without destroying it.
KyokoWe've already received permission from the government to access the underpass.
KyokoAll right then, shall we go and find out what the real situation with this underground gate is?
KyokoWhere is that groaning voice coming from? What kind of strange world lies beyond the gate? This is gonna be so much fun!
KyokoHuh? It's an underground gateway, so there will just be an underground tunnel behind it, right?
KyokoHeehee, have you ever heard of the Stochastic process in quantum mechanics? I guess I should tell you about Schrodinger's cat.
KyokoUntil we open up the gate, we cannot know if we will find an underground tunnel or the void of space.
KyokoUntil you open that gate, the world is in a flux of overlapping possibilities...so just try to enjoy it.
KyokoLet's go. The case is a simple matter of unlocking the gate, but...
KyokoWhat's behind the gate? Your job is to find that out.
KyokoWhen you leave the Nakano building, head straight to the entrance to the Nakano Underpass.
KyokoMaybe you will see the gate in question on the way. Anyway, go to the entrance first.
KyokoDid you arrive at the underpass? The gate we need to unlock is inside.
KyokoThe control panel should be beside you. Do you see it? Connect Jump into it and unlock the gate.
Player...?
KyokoWhat happened?
Kyoko...What? Connect Jump isn't working? That's strange...
KyokoIt's an electronic lock, so there should be some kind of network inside it...
KyokoPerhaps it's just that you didn't activate the Connect Jump properly?
KyokoRaise your hand...
KyokoNow, concentrate...
Player...
PlayerNow what?
KyokoThat's it.
Player...
(30 minutes later)
Player...
(One hour later)
Player...
(Several hours later)
(100 years later)
Kyoko...What were you doing just now?
KyokoWhatever you're doing, it seems like it's not working.
Player...
KyokoRight, I think it's time I verified your ability to perform a Connect Jump.
KyokoOh no! It looks like I can't verify it!
KyokoWell, it seems that you can only Connect Jump if you feel disappointed.
KyokoIf I were to posit a theory as to how your Connect Jump works...
KyokoYour ability locates a Digital Wave, piggybacks on it to the target location's Digital Space, and then enters it.
KyokoIt can be a network, a PC server...
KyokoIt doesn't matter what the target location is. If it has a Digital Space then you should be able to access it.
Kyoko...However, there seem to be certain limitations when interfering with the Digital Wave.
KyokoIn other words when you can, you can, and when you can't, you can't.
KyokoWhat we've determined is that you connected before by chance, even if there are specific reasons why you were able to each time.
KyokoPut simply, cause and effect are connected to the Digital Waves.
KyokoWait a second? How could you Connect Jump this time, then? I don't have any proof to support my answer, but...
KyokoPerhaps there were others like you who tried and failed to open the lock and were disappointed?
KyokoYes, "disappointment" is definitely key...
KyokoI've rambled on long enough... Please get this lock opened as quickly as you can.
Player...!?
KyokoIt seems you've managed to unlock the gate, so thanks for that. It must have been easy for you, given your skill.
KyokoWhat? There's a bit of a labyrinth in the underground tunnel?
KyokoWhat to you mean by "a bit"? ...Is there any sign of a Digimon or an Eater in there?
KyokoI see... It is strange to see just a small section of labyrinth...
KyokoHehe... I know I said we couldn't know what we would find, but I wasn't expecting that...
Kyoko...I believe we have witnessed a special Digital Wave occurrence.
KyokoIt's as if it's some kind of current...
KyokoAlright then, please go and find out where the wave is going.
Kyoko...I see. This is definitely a "ley line."
KyokoHave you ever heard of "ley lines" before? There are many in Tokyo... They are also called "dragon chains."
Kyoko"Dragon" signifies the undulating landscape, the hills and mountains. The "dragon chain" is what we call the flow of the land's "spirit."
KyokoIt's well known that Sousei Tenkai, advisor to Ieyasu Tokugawa, turned Edo into a great feng shui city.
KyokoIt is said that he built a waterway and path to lead the chi from Mount Fuji and Tokyo Bay to Edo Castle.
KyokoThat's important because in feng shui, the position and orientation of things are critical for reaching maximum harmony and prosperity.
KyokoOf particular note in this instance are Kan'ei-ji and Asakusa Shrine to the NE and Zojo-ji and Hie Shrine to the SW, all big religious institutions.
KyokoIn feng shui, those directions are thought to draw negative energy their way. The shrines hold big festivals to purge and expel that energy.
KyokoAnd if you look at the lines that connect Buddhist temples Kan'ei-ji and Zojo-ji, and Shinto shrines Asakusa and Hie...
KyokoYou'll find they cross right inside old Edo Castle, home to today's Tokyo Imperial Palace. It's really quite fascinating to see, heehee...
KyokoNowadays the waterways have been swapped out for rail lines, and radio towers dot the NE and SW. You could say we've finished what Tenkai started.
KyokoViewed from the eyes of current society, those rail lines and radio towers are artificial ley lines that supplement the old roads and waterways.
KyokoNaturally, where you're standing underground constitutes another ley line running through Tokyo, too.
KyokoNot just any ley line, either. The one that's believed to emanate from Mount Fuji is supposed to run right through there.
KyokoThe manmade tunnel layered on top of it allows the Digital Waves to keep flowing in perpetuity. It's really a peculiar thing going on down there.
KyokoThat's what's producing this quasi-labyrinth you're seeing before you.
KyokoKnowing that, those weird voices that people are supposedly hearing probably belong to Digimon that are appearing as a result.
KyokoI could go on for a while yet about this subject, but you at least somewhat get what I'm saying, right?
PlayerThat Tenkai guy sure went all in on the feng shui! It's amazing how much Tokyo's developed! Enough! My brain's going to explode at this rate!
KyokoAhaha, I'll take that to mean you understood it well enough, then.
KyokoAt this point, your work is essentially done, but...we can't exactly just ignore this newfound discovery of yours, either.
KyokoWhy don't you go a little further in and check things out for me?
KyokoHold on... I'm getting readings showing that tunnel has become a labyrinth. It's not as severe as what we're used to, but it's still worrying.
KyokoHow do things look on your end? Any signs of Eaters or Digimon hanging around there?
KyokoHuh. All right then...
KyokoFrom what I'm seeing here, there are unusual Digital Waves running through the area...
KyokoIt's weird, though. It's like they're flowing in a specific direction... Wait, I get it!
KyokoHave you ever heard of "ley lines" before? There are many in Tokyo... They are also called "dragon chains."
KyokoEssentially, ley lines are straight geographic lines that are believed to align sites of major historical significance with each other on a map.
KyokoTokyo is a mystical example. After Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun in 1603, Tenkai, a monk he retained, had parts of the city made according to feng shui.
KyokoThat work involved having things like major roads and waterways point to the central Edo Castle using ley lines stemming from Mt. Fuji.
KyokoThat's important because in feng shui, the position and orientation of things are critical for reaching maximum harmony and prosperity.
KyokoOf particular note in this instance are Kan'ei-ji and Asakusa Shrine to the NE, and Zojo-ji and Hie Shrine to the SW, all big religious institutions.
KyokoIn feng shui, these directions are thought to draw negative energy their way. The shrines hold big festivals to purge and expel that energy.
KyokoAnd if you look at the lines that connect Buddhist temples Kan'ei-ji and Zojo-ji, and Shinto shrines Asakusa and Hie...
KyokoYou'll find they cross right inside old Edo Castle, home to today's Tokyo Imperial Palace. It's really quite fascinating to see, heehee...
KyokoNowadays, the waterways have been swapped out for rail lines and radio towers dot the NE and SW. You could say we've finished what Tenkai started.
KyokoViewed from the eyes of current society, those rail lines and radio towers are artificial ley lines that supplement the old roads and waterways.
KyokoNaturally, where you're standing underground here in Nakano constitutes another ley line running through Tokyo, too.
KyokoNot just any ley line, either. The one that's believed to emanate from Mount Fuji is supposed to run right through there.
KyokoThe manmade tunnel layered on top of it allows the Digital Waves to keep flowing in perpetuity. It's really a peculiar thing going on down there.
KyokoThat's what's producing this quasi-labyrinth you're seeing before you.
KyokoKnowing that, those weird voices that people are supposedly hearing probably belong to Digimon that are appearing as a result.
KyokoI'm probably rambling at this point. Did you follow all of that? I know it's complicated.
PlayerThat Tenkai guy sure went all in on the feng shui! It's amazing how much Tokyo's developed! How could anybody think ley lines aren't real!?
KyokoWell, I guess I'll call it good enough. You seem to have your own, ah, unique way of processing information, I suppose.
KyokoSince you're there already, now's as good a time as any to look into the flow of those Digital Waves, so keep moving ahead for now.
KyokoThe tunnel just keeps on going, you say?
KyokoIf it stays on course like that, you're going to end up in Roppongi, which would mean... Hmm...
KyokoYou know, this reminds me of something else I've heard about before.
KyokoAs I mentioned before, Tokyo's ley lines stem from Mt. Fuji, which is of course not all that a coincidence given that it's a sacred place.
KyokoAnd that energy takes old highways like the Koshu Kaido and the Tokaido to get to Tokyo from Mt. Fuji.
KyokoThat energy joins up with underground waterways going along the highways that carry Mt. Fuji's snowmelt to Tokyo, flowing into the city together.
KyokoOne theory holds that the first place where that water appears above ground after reaching Tokyo happens to be where else but Nakano.
KyokoPut simply, all the ley lines that flow throughout Tokyo could well be coming out of our own stomping grounds, believe it or not.
KyokoWouldn't that be amazing to think about if it turned out to be true?
KyokoStop right there! Don't go any farther.
KyokoYou're standing at the border of the municipality. Go any farther and you'll be in central government territory. That's a hive we'd best not poke.
Player!?
KyokoColor me intrigued, though. That's a hell of a thing to stumble into just walking around inside that tunnel.
KyokoYou come in just trying to fix a door and come out the other side inside the eye of a veritable hurricane.
KyokoWe aren't prepared just yet to pick that sort of fight. There's still too much we don't know.
KyokoThis little tangent of ours has gone on long enough, I think. Head back the way you came and regroup at the office.
KyokoThough it's not as strong as we're used to, that tunnel is causing a Digital Shift. We should probably keep it locked up like before after all.
KyokoI have no idea how I'm going to explain all of this to our client...
KyokoNo matter how you spin it, it'll probably all be a lot to take in. I wouldn't be surprised if we come away looking even sketchier than we already do.
Kyoko...Eh, let's just let Detective Matayoshi deal with it. Some jobs are just best left to others.
PlayerHmm? You're curious what exactly was actually beyond where you stopped?
KyokoThat makes two of us, believe me. Actually, while you were on your way back, I decided to look into it a little bit.
KyokoApparently what you found was a Kamishiro research lab, of all things.
Player!!!
PlayerWhy did we stop, then!? There was so much to see! Something smells off. We need to investigate!
KyokoOh, don't be dense. I told you, that area is under the jurisdiction of the central government. That's not the sort of place you wander into for fun.
KyokoIf nothing else, it indicates that Kamishiro and the government have a tighter relationship than what we previously suspected.
KyokoGoing after Kamishiro could well mean that we'd also be ruffling the government's feathers.
Player...!
KyokoThat's why we can't be hasty right now. We'll do what we can to prepare and cross that bridge when we come to it.
KyokoThis is just a guess on my end, but I imagine it was Kamishiro that changed the password on that door and rendered it impossible to get open.
KyokoThey probably weren't counting on us being able to actually break in and snoop around.
KyokoKnowing that, it could well serve as our ace in hole later when the time does come to confront them, hopefully unawares.
KyokoBut again, let's not worry about hashing out the details until we have to and just be grateful we have that up our sleeve if need be.
KyokoOn that note, I realize this case is technically closed, but what do you say about heading over to Roppongi for me one more time?
KyokoI don't mean on official business. Rather, I'm keen on doing a little independent intelligence gathering for our own internal use.
KyokoSurely you're interested in knowing why Kamishiro has built a research lab underneath the Metropolitan Office, too, right?
KyokoSo how about you just walk on through the front door there and see what you can find? Sound good?
KyokoI feel bad making you work again as soon as you're back, but if you'd visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Office, that'd be a big help. Thanks!
Earnest Civil ServantOh, are you here for a tour of the lobby? Please, come on in inside.
Player...?
Earnest Civil ServantYou must be confused. Let me explain. Construction on this Metropolitan Office isn't entirely complete as of yet.
Earnest Civil ServantWell, it was at one point, that is, until a major firm came in and it was decided the upper floors merited additional construction.
Earnest Civil ServantAs such, while that's going on, the lobby here remains free and open to the public to visit.
KyokoDid you make it inside the Metropolitan Office?
Kyoko...All right, I get you. So they're all right with you hanging around the lobby. Well, that makes our work a little easier, then. Go on in.
KyokoAll you need at this point is a terminal somewhere so you can infiltrate their systems. Piece of cake at this stage, I'd say.
KyokoSo once you find a terminal, just slip on in and work your magic like always.
KyokoWish I was there to see it myself. Seems like quite the sight... It reminds me of the Tower of Babel in a way.
KyokoHeh, guess I'm starting to ramble again, though. Don't worry about me. Feel free to get back to work now.
Bitter WomanDo these ever plan on actually finishing this thing? Honestly, it just feels like a big waste of taxpayer money at this stage...
Innocent BoyWooooow, this place is so biiiiig! It's awesome! But what's it for?
Resting Old ManCan't a guy get some air conditioning around here, for crying out loud?
Earnest Civil ServantThis EDEN Spot here is all ready to go, so please, feel free to use it.
Earnest Civil ServantIt's being used as a multipurpose forum while we wait for the rest of the building to be finished.
PlayerThere's a small Digital Shift happening here...
KyokoIs something wrong out there? ...Oh? You found a terminal that's Digital Shifting a little?
KyokoHuh. If this Shift is weak while still prominent enough for you to notice it, it could be a sign this place will turn into a labyrinth later on.
KyokoWell, for now, try Connect Jumping into it. We have no idea what could be inside there, so stay on your feet, all right?
KyokoHmm... So you found an Eater inside there after all.
KyokoBut you couldn't find any other evidence of note? Heehee, you're not seeing the forest for the trees here, Player!
KyokoThe fact that there was an Eater inside the terminal at all is big evidence in and of itself!
KyokoRegardless, let's call it a day here. Get on back to the office now.
KyokoThat was probably hard work going all over the place today. But thanks to you, I think I'm starting to piece it all together now.
KyokoWhile you were out and about, I decided to measure the Digital Waves coming out of that building.
KyokoAnd I found out that the Metropolitan Office itself is one big Digital Wave force field.
Player...!?
KyokoFrom what I can tell, energy is flowing straight into the Metropolitan Office via the ley line inside Nakano Underpass.
KyokoSo that underground lab Kamishiro has beneath the building is probably controlling the energy flow.
KyokoYou remember what I said about ley lines when you were inside that tunnel, don't you?
KyokoThere are two things at play here: the natural energy flow from the earth along the ley lines and Digital Waves emanating from a sea of electrons.
KyokoIf you can make a massive structure like the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office a hub for those things, then you can manipulate their flow.
KyokoWhy do they need to do it that way? Well, for one, Digital Waves might be invisible to the naked eye, but they have mass and therefore require a vessel.
KyokoAnd the bigger the vessel is that contains those waves, the more energy you can build up.
KyokoIt probably also explains the new construction going on, as more space would mean that much more energy Kamishiro could stockpile.
KyokoThat extra energy would then go on to impact the office beyond the facility, hence the Digital Shift you ran into in the lobby.
KyokoAnd with any good Digital Shift comes an Eater, of course... Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if that place goes labyrinthine eventually.
Player...!
KyokoBut we don't have to be concerned about that threat anymore now that you've cleaned the joint up.
KyokoOn the other hand, it's worrying in its own way that things resolved so cleanly this time.
KyokoThe fact that Digital Waves can be concentrated in such small qualities as to attract individual Eaters and produce a micro-labyrinth is scary.
KyokoIf you hadn't been there, it might well not have been caught until much later. The whole thing doesn't sit well with me at all.
KyokoThis case has taught us that there's technology that can mostly suppress large amounts of Digital Waves as they're built up and placed wherever.
KyokoThe deliberate and calculated nature of it all indicates that somebody's got big plans in the works, suffice it to say.
KyokoThis, of course, calls for more investigating. We need to figure out how long this has all been going on, and just what exactly it's for.
KyokoLet's keep our eyes peeled as we move forward, Player. We're onto something here, I know it.
PlayerThe door should be unlocked now! Let's head back and check!
PlayerThe door won't open. Something's wrong with the electric lock on it...