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kpwu
long
tale

kulupu wi wawa unu

[CHATLOG START USER.ULE && OWNR.JUR]
>>ULE: Juror, wake up. I have finally found that which we need.
>>JUR: Yuletone, you should know not to bother me for 'nothing'. You know what I 'do' to 'annoyances'.
>>ULE: This is not a false alert. Guerra came to me.
>>JUR: Guerra ? Oh, this is a 'good' thing. Finally.
>>ULE: I have sent her to you. She should arrive soon.
>>JUR: Wait. You 'sent her' ?
>>ULE: Yes. I would have escorted her but we need all the manpower we can have.
>>JUR: I DON'T 'CARE' ABOUT YOUR 'MANPOWER'
>>ULE: I'm sorry sir, had I known-
>>JUR: Shut up. I have 'no doubt' she will come. What I'm 'worried' about are her lap dogs.
>>ULE: Oh.
>>JUR: Don't 'oh' me. This will have 'repercussions', Yuletone. You will not 'get away' from this ordeal 'unscathed'.
[CHATLOG END]

This was the chatlog of the conversation I found between Juror and Yuletone. 21 confirmed to me that Guerra was the professor's name. It was an old name he did not use anymore.

Using the geographical metadata from the conversation, I traced it down to a fortress. 21 was rushing toward it right now.

"Aria, I sense the presence of the third active soulbot. I have to warn you though, they won't be on our side.

"This one is the 3rd soulbot, nicknamed Embryo. It is called such because of its main feature. To emulate a soul, it was implemented with an embryo. It has been years since it was put into function, and now the embryo has grown. We can only guess that the reason of Embryo's hostility is because of that."

"Understood."

After a few hours, we emerged from a tunnel into a large cavity. In the middle of the cave, towering, a fortress. It stands tall and grim, its many windows and lookout posts dark. Juror is expecting us.

In front of the fortress, Embryo floats lazily. Grotesque spectacle. Number 3 itself is a half spherical machine. Under it, connected with many tubes, a figure in foetal position. Dark hair marking its head, but its long and thin, fragile limbs are all curled up on themselves, as if they had never been used.

A computer voice, with no human quality except for its word, rises out from the machine. "Finally, number 21. You come. We have awaited your arrival, and finally we meet.
-Number 3.
-For an obscure reason, Embryo wanted to see you. But now it distresses them."

Indeed, from the curled figure, a wail. It's trembling, shaking, crying. "Oh, Embryo, is she distressing you ? Don't worry then." 21 assumes a combattive stance "We'll just take care of the naughty lady."

The Embryo stops shivering and a warm glow surrounds it. 21 dodges to the sside and a large beam shoots out from Number 3, just where 21 stood.

Using the momentum of her dodge, 21 rushes Embryo and punches it, but Number 3 rotates to block the punch. "Aria !" But that won't stop me. With my mind's arm I reach through 3 and punch Enbryo. Of course, it tries to stop me with its own arms. But, even if I'm a simulation, I know how it feels to uncurl my limbs, to take a stretch. Embryo falls down, and becomes a red splatter below.

Immediately, 3 drops down to retrieve it. "That bought us some time, but we should hurry", 21 says while rushing inside the fortress.

>CRIMSON_UNDERGROUND_08 : Juror