A Quiet Soul

What I mean is, hold it steady!

—!

We did it... I can feel it.

......

It's amazing, isn't it? Both Kal'tsit and I used to be this small.

Oh, thank goodness! The Sarcophagus's energy output is stabilizing too!

But this is just the first step. This temporary storage has limited separation abilities, we can't keep Kal'tsit in there forever. Next, we need to find a relatively quiet environment—

Why the cluck is it so damn dark in here?!

......?

Ah, I think I can see—

...People?

I can sense soldiers outside attacking this place, Doctor. And this isn't the space we were just in, we've returned to where we started—

Hmm? What is this?

That's rich coming from a girl with rabbit ears growing out of her head. What, never seen a chicken before?

This thing wasn't here when we came in!

Stop shouting, you're giving me a headache!

Listen, I'm no 'infected lifeform', and I'm no 'thing' either! I'm a chicken, a hen! Is that so hard to understand?

Shush!

(Shakes feathers) (Looks around)

Something's not right...

Didn't Kal'tsit bury me outside that black thing? Explain to me both why I'm not dead, and why I woke up inside this thing.

(Indescribable barrage of clucks) WHAT—

Err...

Did you... stop the Sarcophagus?

Wait, how did you get in here? I thought you stayed up top—

You walked away so fast, I didn't have the chance to ask... That ID code of yours means you must know Lada, right?

That's my Lita. I never could keep up with her.

......

Oh, you were asking about the Sarcophagus, right? Let me see...

It's currently stabilizing. The weaponized modules melted down during the energy offset. Right now, the energy output module is the only one still operating.

Ah, that's... that's great to hear. Lita always made the right choice.

You saved a lot of people. I should... I should thank you.

We should thank you too. Once we sort everything out here—

But isn't the Fourth Army still at the borders of the Central Governorate?

I don't know... Nobody knows all the details.

...You've thoroughly gathered information, and you're rather intelligent.

Alright, leave this to me. You should escape, and go do what you're supposed to do.

Enough...

My wife died here... At least give us one last bit of alone time.

But—

...I might not look it, but I'm actually one of the researchers here, too.

Now that some are dead and the rest have fled, I must stay and see this place through to the very end...

That is my responsibility.

Do a headcount, quick. Make sure all our people and the rescued Infected are accounted for.

We're in luck. The defenders are retreating, so there's nobody who can stop us now.

That's where the problem lies. They retreated far too easily.

Not to mention the firepower and manpower we faced when we stormed the place isn't up to the standards of what a secret military installation would have. It's like they're deliberately withdrawing.

...And before we entered, some of the soldiers outside didn't even try to attack the evacuating Infected.

I don't know if they're dealing with internal issues, or if they want to scoop us all up at once. We need to leave right away, just to be safe—

Bombarding their own damn city...

Tell everyone to retreat using the route we planned out! I'll find a way to draw their attention!

Talulah—

Just go already!

......

Sirka? It's dangerous here, you need to evac with us, quickly.

No, you all go first.

I have something I need to retrieve, forgot it in the Generalik's residence.

Generalik! Please wait, Generalik! Please check your private channel, the Marshal is looking for you.

Out of the way! All of you!

Before you use my mother to threaten me, you should take a good, long look at your medals! Are useless wretches who quiver at the sight of a few traitors fit to call themselves soldiers of Ursus?!

What are you doing here, Generalik—

Who is manning the cannons? Have your worthless fingers degenerated to the point they can only be used to play cards?

I-I can explain—

Don't think you can hide your dereliction of duty from me. Why are you not concentrating your fire on the gate? Why are the main cannons not yet ready to fire?

We're not being negligent, Generalik. It's only been ten minutes since the order to retreat was issued. If we fire the main cannons now, many of the men still in the sealed district will be—

There's still plenty of traitors in there too! According to the itinerary I drew up, as long as they're not stupid enough to shoot themselves in the foot, any friendly fire will still be within controllable limits.

I am tired of you using your bleeding hearts as an excuse, Lieutenant Colonel Bondarenko.

...Ah—

Zelgrad is my city, but do not forget that it is also Ursus's city. Each grain of rye you swallowed since the day you enlisted was so that you would obey my every order today.

Generalik, urk—

I'll give you one last chance, Bondarenko. I want to see the main cannons ready in five minutes.

Remember, there's more than one gunnery officer in the First Army!

...Ahem, Marshal, i-it's me... A thousand pardons, I know this is the Generalik's private channel...

Generalik, I dare not hang up on the Marshal. Please, take the call.

...Give it here, then get out of my face.

'Soldier of the First Army', hah, what a worthless honor...

Respect those below you, Anatoliy. This is not the first time I had to remind you.

But there is a more pressing matter at hand. You promised me, did you not? All you were to do was obtain the data on the Sarcophagus, then return immediately.

Mother... I tried my best to get the results you wanted dearly.

But you made me sit back and watch as those marrow-sucking parasites crawled all over my city, made me stand shoulder-to-shoulder with abject cowards, fleeing in disgrace—

You really do want to take my life.

Everything I have done was to keep you away from this meaningless battle, my dear.

The Fourth Army approaches Zelgrad even now. Do you want me to look on helplessly as my own son is drawn into this fetid swamp?

The Fourth Army... Haha, what difference is there between them and those traitors in the city? They have all turned their backs on this great empire, turned their backs on the creed you once taught me.

You were always molding me into a loyal pet, Mother... So why is it you who let go first?

......

...Bzzt...

......?

What is going on...?

...You repeat that?

You didn't mishear me. I am in your residence in the sealed district, using your private frequency to speak with you.

I am the spy dispatched by the Fourth Army—

Y-You're the one who tried to assassinate me that day.

Indeed. That is how Marshal Kuznetsov does things. Every important figure in the First Army is on his list. He has been plotting for three entire years.

So are you begging me to throw you a lifeline now?

I beg that you cease fire for a moment, until the First Army can pick me up on your ship. As you and the Marshal had promised earlier.

Naturally, you will not only be saving my life... I am hesitant to say this, but I harbor a deep-seated hatred for Marshal Kuznetsov.

Young lady, if you have concealed the information I require out of 'hesitance', then I am more than happy to restart the artillery.

Why do you think we can trust a thief and assassin who has barged into our home?

Your High Excellency, I am willing to give you all the details and spend an entire day verifying my identity, but the march of the Fourth Army will not stop.

I have a more effective method in mind: I will directly access Marshal Kuznetsov's private channels, and lead him into saying what you wish to know.

?!

Wait—

...Yevsey? What news?

Marshal Kuznetsov, I am a spy in contact with Yevsey. Due to an emergency, I had to borrow his comms equipment.

I must first verify your identity.

I am the informant he planted in Zelgrad. My identification code was sent to the command center five minutes ago.

......

'Emergency', you say?

The city is falling into chaos, and I have lost contact with him for the time being.

Civil unrest in Zelgrad?

Very good. Continue your report.

Many rebels of unknown identity infiltrated Zelgrad. They contacted the city's Infected, then launched an attack on the sealed district.

Part of the city garrison seem to be playing along, refusing to meet their challenge. The Generalik appears to be planning to abandon the city.

(Deep breath)

A mutiny is brewing within the troops. A familiar situation, perhaps due to some outside influence.

Do you still remember the mutiny of the Cassian? Those troops who always supported your father to the last, but could not accept your military reforms.

Ancient history. They have already paid the price for their rashness.

Hardly a secret within the Fourth Army. My father left behind many festering boils. Many of our current policies had to be enacted to resolve the mess.

If I may be so bold, are these 'festering boils'... 'debts of love'?

...Surely your intelligence has nothing to do with such flimsy hearsay?

I fear they are related.

The entire Ursine aristocracy knew your father. Marshal Andrian was a model soldier of the empire. Loyal, determined, stubborn, and crude...

But they also knew he was one of the empire's most prolific lovers. The captain of the Cassian was his last sweetheart's nephew.

Right now, rumors are spreading that ten or so years ago, when army officials were in Grypherburg to report to the Tsar, he and General Svetlana Ulyanova Buterina, not yet Marshal—

Enough prattling! Where are you going with this?

(Grits teeth)

Though you have done all you could in the name of your family's honor, even killing your own father with your own hands without hesitation, to prove that such wantonness does not run in the blood...

—!

I regret to inform you that there are still those who do not approve of your methods, who are trying to deprive you of your inheritance, sir.

So much so that you were never able to find the illegitimate daughter that Marshal Andrian carefully safeguarded, a wretched Kuranta... who is now in Zelgrad.

...Who are you?! Your voice—

More importantly, if you do not seize the chance to invade Zelgrad and silence her, she will soon bring proof of those 'rumors' to your loyal troops.

When that time comes, your authority—

ENOUGH!

Distorting facts, trying to rile me into attacking the First Army—I do not know how you found Yevsey, but you have signed your own death warrant.

Hmm...

It is as you heard, Marshal Svetlana Ulyanova, General Anatoliy Svetlanov—

Suka!

Anatoliy—

Enough, Mother! I've had enough! That filthy mongrel spawned by Andrian has dared to slander the Marshal of the First Army.

I swear, I will kill you in the most miserable, humiliating way possible with my own hands! I will drown you in your own blood and see how long a khuyovy bastard like you can last in it!

Oh, Generalik, sir, I've been meaning to ask, have you ever met your father?

Perhaps one day, we will meet again thanks to this shared blood of ours... brother dearest.

Mother...

Do not be so easily deceived, Anatoliy. She merely wanted to goad you, though what her true goal is we can only—

Lieutenant!

...Yes, Generalik?

Relay the order, all men who are able to mobilize are to head to the sealed district to capture that woman.

B-But we no longer have—

You won't live long! YOU HEAR ME?!

......

Don't rush, elderly and children first!

Hey, don't go against the flow, that's dangerous!

Also, wear your gas masks as much as possible if you've got one, otherwise cover your mouth and nose with a towel! And don't touch any strange-looking animals—

Hmm? What is it, Lyudmila?

This lady's fainted, got space on your cart?

Should be able to fit one more. Let's try it.

Lyudmila! Come over to the front, quick! Tulin might be in trouble!

Got it.

...We meet again, Ratkov.

I shouldn't let you go free.

My orders are to purge the traitors in the city.

By traitors, do you mean the people behind me?

All they want to do is save their own lives, those lives they have devoted to Zelgrad and Ursus. Surely this is not treason?

There is still a chance, Ratkov—

I was talking about her... but as you can see, we failed.

A lot of people are saying Reunion's here. The way we see it, the First Army's defenses won't be enough to hold them back.

If the Generalik still has a way to deal with them, then let him think about it.

For us, we've decided to retreat.

He just decided that all on his own. Or rather, they did.

......

...What is it, Tulin?

Need help?

Ah, Lyudmila...

Could you... help me read what it says here? I'm having some...

...'The control room for the gates is on the east side, needs a standard password, check the appendix'. This is a guide on how to use the gates.

I see. Hand it over to my people. We can leave soon.

Spasibo, Lyudmila. When I saw those letters, and how crowded together they were...

And here I was thinking you were a bookworm.

I really am interested in the knowledge and tales within books, but most of the time, I need someone to help read it out loud. Because of that, I've always learned a little more slowly than others.

......

But... 'Ivan Tulin'...

Ivan Tulin is a prolific author. Out of all the Ursine writers in the last few years, nobody wrote better than him, or more.

University students in Grypherburg love discussing the complex, finely crafted quotations in his books, always proclaiming how well-read Ivan Tulin is.

......

You're—

We did it, Tulin!

...Right.

Everyone! Listen well, for we are leaving Zelgrad!

...Lyudmila, I'll need to find some other time to discuss the tale of that author with you further.

Many years ago, he was forced to leave us. Eventually, even I lost all contact with him.

Ursus may have mocked him, banished him, even killed him... but could never destroy him.

Because we are still here, and we still have tomorrow.

At least... I made it until the Morvan fell apart.

Hah... Time for you to fight fair for once.

*cough*—

It seems you have no need for your many comrades' lives.

Get away from him!

(Ancient Ursine dialect) 'May his hand misheed its master's will, may his blade strike his own body down.'

Argh—!

You—

I... Scioppa—

Get behind me, Oleg.

And here I thought you merely a dabbler in Arts. I never expected...

You may live, but you cannot escape your fate. This means you need to die, a greater need than ever before.

You should've made those words into one of your spells, 'comrade'.

But I'm not going to give you guys the chance. I know you can use silent incantations, but you're not going to be better than me at old-fashioned swift-casting.

—!

Get everyone out of the command center, Oleg.

I can buy you two minutes at most—

—Such... feeble incantations—

Impudent parlor tricks!

(Ancient Ursine dialect) 'I shall have thee suffer, have thee walk an endless road, where even water pure cannot wash the filth off thy body—'

(Ancient Ursine dialect) 'Where even death shall grant thee no peace!'

......

Quick—

......

—Hey—

Hey, wake up! Scioppa! Chief!

...What...

I thought I was supposed to be meeting the Viy... What are you doing here?

*cough* *cough*! If I accidentally took you and the others with me—

You're not dead, and you didn't take anyone anywhere! I'm fine, feeling a little pain at most, but fine, really.

...I'm not dead?

Of course you're not! You jabbered on a bunch, then the entire khuyovy cabin went up in flames.

But that black fire quickly died out, and those war casters disappeared.

......

They retreated. Why?

No idea, but it's a good thing all the same. I thought you burned them to death, to be honest.

I couldn't do it.

What're you talking about? You said you met the Viy, but I saw it slam the door in your face because of how much better you are than it!

...Hmph.

What's there left to say at this point? Well, I say, have everyone ready to leave the ship ASAP!

Huh? You still—

That's right. I still need to give Kuznetsov one last parting gift.

......

You certain about this? There's still time to tell everyone to get back to their posts.

I'm going to teach that man a lesson, so that he'll never look down on us again.

When everything's settled, I'll find you all.

When everything's settled, huh... Will there really be a day when all our affairs are settled?

There will be. There must.

Even matters that have gone unresolved for centuries will finally have their answer.

Who's the bad guy you're meeting, who's so bad you can't bring us along, Boss? A giant, Baba, or the Viy?

Well, no matter who it is, I'll sing you a song before you go! The one Oleg said you never finished singing—

He's going down to the end of the road, all in our name♪

Up until the second day when the sun shall rise again♪

Still we advance, draw our blades, cut down our foes♪

Still we bleed, fall to the floor, bury our dead with woe♪

Still, history pushes us, back onto our own blades we go!

...In short, I don't know how I got there either.

Like you said, this is long after my era, which means I don't really have anywhere to go. But, looking at it another way, it means I can go anywhere.

Hey, Closure, show me that 'mirror' thing, let me get a good look at my current body—

You said you were buried near the Sarcophagus, and there was an Originium mine near the Sarcophagus's excavation site, which was one of the reasons why Chernobog was able to develop so quickly despite being in Ursus's wild east.

......

Some remains, an Originium mine, the former Sarcophagus... the 'mini-house', some blank Originium I accidentally spilled, and the 'prototype' whose functionality was disassembled...

...I got it. I got it!

Closure?

What did you figure out? If it's to do with Kal'tsit, then I haven't even mentioned her yet.

I know she's dead, obviously. I knew this day would come sooner or later. Not even someone like her is an exception. But tell me, what bright idea did you stumble on?

Did you figure out what your tests were lacking, Closure?

Yep. I also know how to bring her back.

The Sarcophagus as both energy source and life pod. Memories formed from Kal'tsit's original data. Blank Originium, i.e., Oka, as a structural base... then add the base-level code we just found.

I've been treating the resurrection experiments as a biological problem this entire time. I never thought of life as a long-running program until now. It's not static code.

Maybe what makes Kal'tsit unique is precisely her self-modification command. Rather than just being a structural alteration as designed, it also set up a self-invoking closed loop.

...Maybe from the moment she set up the closed loop, she was no longer just an executed program. She began to upgrade herself, to iterate.

Then that very first self-modification command can be said to be the start of her 'awareness'.

I'll admit, I don't really get stuff of the 'revenants'... But if, say, something has been carved onto the deepest part of her soul, or if that something represents her will as a person—

Then it has to be that command.

......

—!

Did it...

......