You are Marnie, an unwilling resident of City 87-O. After years of putting up with a stifling existence, you've finally managed to carve out a potential path to freedom. Thanks to the actions of you, your Digimon, and your allies, a way out of this digital ark is finally coming into sight. After training hard, carrying out arduous missions, and defeating several powerful foes, your partner, Phascomon, has unlocked his Ultimate-stage Digivolution: Astamon. Only a few steps remain before you can ascend The Tower, enter the portal at its pinnacle, and make your way into the real world, where you can finally see the sights that have eluded you all your life.Since your last excursion into the depths of a data center, you’ve been taking it easy at home, watching the news near-constantly while waiting for bots to bust down your door. Fortunately, no such thing seems to be incoming. The raid on the scanning facility has gone unreported, thanks to the lack of public-facing damage, and the city-sanctioned media has no reason to broadcast their own attempt to take you and your allies down. ==Thread 1:https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6216903/Thread 2:https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6254189
However, in the criminal underbelly of the city, frequented by cynical youths by yourself, video footage has been circulating for the past three weeks. Censored clips of bots and City Digimon firing on humans have been uploaded onto the network, courtesy of your Code Cracker friend. A sentiment of discontent is spreading among those in the know, and mistrust is turning into outright anger among the most disenfranchised delinquents. Using this propaganda, the underground terrorist cell you’ve allied with—the Dogs of War— have been amping up their recruitment efforts and making up for the numbers they lost during the deadly raid on their base. You’ve seen hidden codes on the walls of subway stations and alleyways, and you’ve spotted more than a few encrypted ads online. Communication has been sparse, so you’re unsure how well this initiative is going. Either way, you’ll need to contact them again soon and push for further contact. You’ve spent the last three weeks relaxing, since your partner’s power-up negated the need for harsh training, but you’re both eager to move forward with your bid for freedom. On a dreary Wednesday afternoon, you watch numerous Digimon circle around The Tower, before making their way Southward- Brigadramon chief among them. You finally decide to get up and stretch your legs, after spending the last two days sedentary. "Where are you going?" Phascomon asks, from his brand new plush armchair. He's become fond of it ever since he Digivolved. "I need to take a walk. You coming?" He flicks the remote with his claw and turns off the television. "You bet, I'm getting bored too.""Hololize." He transforms into a trail of data and returns to your wrist-bound Digivice.
You step out onto the street, wary of the patrolling bots. Just like last time, they've been doing street surveys to collect metadata from human citizens, in order to identify their locations at the time of Operation Augur. Thanks to the trusty encryption suite that you received from Doc Cracker, you've managed to spoof your location and feed false info to the bots. You're not out of the woods yet, though. Despite passing yet another inspection, if you ever do anything suspicious, they might be inclined to review your very first metadata submission, and discover that it was flagged incorrectly. As such, you've made sure to stay cooped up at home, only leaving for small errands or when boredom hit the very limit. Today, you're feeling more dull than ever. "Anywhere in mind?" Phascomon asks. There are some spots you could visit. Your next goal is to visit the hospital, preferably with the help of an ally or two, and see if you can find a Cutemon. Obtaining the little Digimon will help cure your friend, Bella, of the damage done to her model and data during the last mission. You're not quite ready for action, but you could visit just to scout it out.Doc Cracker has also been asking for you. You'll want to head over to his apartment eventually, but today might be a good day for it. He's very interested in hearing about Phascomon's transformation into Astamon, and you feel like you owe him enough to oblige. Or you could push both of these tasks aside and just try to enjoy your day. You and Phascomon have been growing closer over time, it might be nice to go enjoy some of the City's activities with him. He'll have to watch from inside the Linker, but you can still spend a fun day together. You could do with some more active relaxation after the long string of high-intensity action you've dealt with recently.>Scout out the hospital. You'll be going there sometime, and you want to keep an eye out for security measures, Digimon traces, and network access points.>Head to your usual Code Cracker, Doc. He's interested in doing some research on your partner, and it'll be nice to catch up with him again. You also need to send him the data from the last tool of his that you used.>Spend the day relaxing with Phascomon and finding something to do outdoors. You haven't done stuff like this in a long while, but as you found out last time, it's far more fun when with a friend.
Busy busy weekend, and took a few days off, but back with thread three! Short timeskip into the future.Big thanks to kind drawanon for the thread image, it's badass
>>6297144>>Head to your usual Code Cracker, Doc. He's interested in doing some research on your partner, and it'll be nice to catch up with him again. You also need to send him the data from the last tool of his that you used.the cutemon's more important, but if we're not ready for a fight then it can wait.
>>6297157+1Take it easy with prep
>>6297144>Head to your usual Code Cracker, Doc. He's interested in doing some research on your partner, and it'll be nice to catch up with him again. You also need to send him the data from the last tool of his that you used.And tell him about the podding.>>6297146You're welcome, OP. The least I can do.
>>6297144>Scout out the hospital. You'll be going there sometime, and you want to keep an eye out for security measures, Digimon traces, and network access points.I feel bad for her.
>>6297144Visit the Doc. He might be crackerd but he is the best guy we know
>>6297144>Spend the day relaxing with Phascomon and finding something to do outdoors. You haven't done stuff like this in a long while, but as you found out last time, it's far more fun when with a friend.
>>6297157>>6297187>>6297297>>6297481>>6297389>>6297522Writing!
>Head to your usual Code Cracker, Doc. He's interested in doing some research on your partner, and it'll be nice to catch up with him again. You also need to send him the data from the last tool of his that you used."Maybe we could just see how Doc is doing." "Good idea. I hope he's alright in his new house.""Just don't make any more comments about the place, alright...?""No promises- Hey! Okay! I was kidding!" He says, as you start rattling the Digivice.You pack your things up, make sure your smuggling partition is loaded up with your remaining tools, then head downstairs and back to Doc's place. You're in need of a refill anyway. Your supplies have been low, and you've been eyeing your empty coffers during your three week break. As you exit your apartment through the front door, you see several bots on the other side of the street, scanning people for their metadata. Even though you've passed the check already, you stay far away from them. You'd rather not chance any interaction.As you walk, you keep up a stream of conversation with Phascomon. "It's nice to be out again." "Yeah. I know we don't need to train much anymore, but I'd even take the sewers over doing nothing for so long.""Napping all day not your thing anymore?" "Don't get me wrong- nothing beats a twenty-four hour snoozefest. But ever since Digivolving, yeah, I've felt like I've needed less of it. Like I've got more power stored up.""That's good. There must have been a lot of data packed in there." "Oh yeah, tons. Hey, remind me to ask Doc what an OOPART even is. I've been wondering!" You take note of that. After a bit more walking, you reach the seedier part of town, where the bots rarely approach.
It’s a bit more chaotic than usual. You spy a few older teens leaping across a rooftop, moving in lazy arcs thanks to their f1oat activations. On the ground, several of them are spraying graffiti onto a wall. The shortest one is varnishing it with persistence code, ensuring that automatic resets can’t wipe the artwork out. They ignore you, until you come across a street brawl. Several different punks are punching each other sloppily. You’ve been in some scraps before. It’s easy to get carried away when there are guardrails in place. With just bare hands, or even improvised weapons, there’s only so much pain someone can feel in the simulation. Only damage to one’s data can breach that threshold, and Digimon are the most common culprits with their deadly attacks. After being on the receiving end several times, you’ve come to appreciate the City’s decision on this front. Pain sucks.Just as you think that, one of the teens flings a trash can lid at another’s head, intent on getting him in the teeth. He ducks, causing the disc to fly right at your face. Phascomon acts before you even parse the danger. Data begins streaming from your Digivice as he attempts to materialize and destroy the threat. Fortunately for you both, your reaction is almost as fast. You clasp your hand over your wrist, disrupting the process and stopping him from hololizing in front of countless spectators. Only then do you glance up to see what he was riled up over. The whole sequence of events only takes three seconds or so, but it’s enough for the lid to get close and smack you in the bridge of the nose. You flinch, feeling your face go numb. Your head is rocked backwards, but it’s nothing compared to a bullet. You're left unfazed.The brawlers start yelling out in indignation and pushing the blame to one another. The guy who dodged the lid walks over, looking you up and down. “Sorry! You okay? Didn’t mean to drag you into-“ “I’m fine.” You say, brushing it off as you look towards Doc’s building in the distance. You feel your Digivice vibrate, and you can tell that Phascomon is livid at them. “Huh. That looked like a big hit. You really okay? Nothing at all?” He asks, his eyes going wide. “What? I said I was fine, go back to your slapping.” You retort, already beginning to walk off. The sound of their fighting dies down, and when you glance back, you see that many of them are staring at you in wonder. Maybe to them, these hits actually mean something. But you’ve had worse. Dangerous beasts have tried to destroy you with all manner of attacks. A stray shot from a metal lid is nothing. Even though these guys are sick of the city's artificial confines, they're still engaging in it with their acts of rebellion. A while ago, you were just like this. But now that you have a Digimon, you're making a real difference, you're pursuing your dreams with actual power. You no longer need to walk on the ground like them.
By the time you enter the apartment, you've forgotten about the sensation on your face. Phascomon isn't so eager to let it go, though. "Those little rats! Dragging others into their stupid little scrap!""You know I can't let you out just to deal with them... Too much heat." "I know, I know..." "And they were just playing around anyway.""Just gets me mad, is all. I'm supposed to be strong enough to-" "You are. It's not the same, okay? That wasn't a real danger. It's not going to be the same anymore. Just watch." He nods uneasily on the screen. =="Marnie! There you are. Been too long." Doc cries, as soon as you enter. Unlike last time, he's waiting at the door for you, instead of having one of his Kokuwamon usher you in. "Hey, Doc." "You seem like you're in a good mood. Any space for me?" Phascomon asks.You feel the air. It's much colder than before, he must have some sort of new coolant system in place. "Yes, lots! Come on out, my good chum, and let's get a look at you." "Hololize." As you place your partner on the carpet, you examine Doc's overjoyed expression, and break into a smile of your own. He must be excited to examine a Digimon with Ultimate-level potential. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him, and you've delivered it. He's eager to get going, and his fingers are veritably twitching. "Doc, the heat sinks are all activated." Solarmon says, floating around a corner. The Digimon gives the two of you a friendly wave, and you return the gesture. "Thank you kindly. I've prepared for this, Phascomon. Sinks are on, coolant is running, storage racks are setup, my little apartment is now ready for your biggest form. Make yourself at home." "If it bricks, just turn back." You say. Reassured, Phascomon clambers onto the sofa and Digivolves. "Phascomon, Digivolve to..." You feel energy pass between you both, but summoned solely by your partner. It's another sign of your massive progress. You feel the partition grow many fathoms hotter, and for a moment, you fear that Doc has underestimated his capacity. Fortunately, before it becomes too hot to tolerate, Phascomon transforms into a bipedal figure, clad in a pinstriped suit, a luscious coat, and a massive gun slung over his shoulder. |"ASTAMON!"He clasps an already lit cigar between two fingers, blowing simulated smoke into the sweltering air. "Buon giorno, Doc."
"MARVELOUS!" He yells, clapping his hands and standing up to examine him from every angle. His enthusiasm reminds you of Squid,and it makes you laugh a little. Doc rarely loses control in front of you, but this is revolutionary for him. Fortunately, he regains his decorum soon enough. He coughs and settles down into a stool, looking at the both of you. "Ah- I've forgotten my manners. Kokuwamon!" Kokuwamon 1 walks into the room with a platter of snacks and several cups of tea. The little Digimon waves to you happily, then returns to the back. "There we go. Now, I believe you have a lot to begin sharing?">Start talking about the raid before anything else. That was the most important event that happened recently. Explain Operation Augur, Sealsdramon's attack, and everything that led up to Astamon's digivolution.>Allow him to examine Astamon first. He's clearly excited about this, get it out of the way and let him sate your curiosity before you move on to different subjects.>Return the fiber optic cable that you used on Bella. The Lifel1ne.app should have data insights in it, which he can use to improve it in the future and make network travel safer.
>>6297724>Start talking about the raid before anything else. That was the most important event that happened recently. Explain Operation Augur, Sealsdramon's attack, and everything that led up to Astamon's digivolution.Set the stage first and foremost. We haven't seen Doc in a month and he needs to know
>>6297724>Start talking about the raid before anything else. That was the most important event that happened recently. Explain Operation Augur, Sealsdramon's attack, and everything that led up to Astamon's digivolution.
>>6297724>Allow him to examine Astamon first. He's clearly excited about this, get it out of the way and let him sate your curiosity before you move on to different subjects.I wouldn't force the cooling system too much.
>>6297724Changing vote from >>6297727 to backing >>6297743I don't wanna tax Doc's systems needlessly lest the system detect anything if anything goes wrong. We revert Astamon back to Phascomon after Doc's done, THEN we give him the full rundown
>>6297724>Allow him to examine Astamon first. He's clearly excited about this, get it out of the way and let him sate your curiosity before you move on to different subjects.Bah, fine. We shouldn't let the cooling run too long. He should be aware of the propaganda vids
>>6297785Good thinking.>>6297724>Allow him to examine Astamon first. He's clearly excited about this, get it out of the way and let him sate your curiosity before you move on to different subjects.
>>6297724>Allow him to examine Astamon first. He's clearly excited about this, get it out of the way and let him sate your curiosity before you move on to different subjects.
Locking!
>Allow him to examine Astamon first. He's clearly excited about this, get it out of the way and let him sate your curiosity before you move on to different subjects.You can tell that Astamon wants a chance to move around in this form and enjoy that sense of power. However, the partition just isn’t built for this. You nearly bricked your own home trying it, and this one is barely hanging on with all of Doc’s upgrades. No, you’ll need to revert him to his Rookie form as soon as possible. Better to get this out of the way.“It can wait. I think you’re raring to go. Why don’t you do your research first?” “Wise choice, I think I’d be too distracted to listen well. Astamon, how exactly did you hit this stage?” ”Didn’t need to beat an Ultimate like you suggested, Doc. But we did find a massive cache of data that must have been from one.” He begins to explain your adventure in the partition, keeping it light and steering away from the more exciting points. You chime in intermittently to steer the conversation back to the archives, and the mysterious package you found in the radar room. “Astamon was wondering what an OOPART is. We only got the name of it.”"Oro Salmón. Which I now know is my gun.""I'm no expert, but I've heard of these packets before. OOPART stands for 'Out of Place Artifact'. It means that the item itself is an anachronism." "A what?""It means they're out of place relative to their time periods. These are ancient packets of data that widely encompass old concepts from... who knows how many years ago?" "You mean like, back when humans were on Earth?" You ask, sitting up with sudden interest. "Probably. After all, our growth and progress as a species has been stalled ever since we entered the Digital World. There's not much history to speak of, so every bit of data that represents history has to come from before. Does this make sense?" "It does." Says Astamon, looking at his trusty gun with newfound awe. "It's kinda like my book, then.""So this weapon is ancient? It's a part of me now. But I can't quite unravel every aspect of it.""Don't beat yourself up now. Can you read and write from your own Digicore?" "No, not really. It just happens. Apart from the skills that I-""There you have it. It's a part of you, that doesn't mean you can pry it apart down to its ones and zeros. So don't fret about it." He nods, then spreads his arms out for Doc's scanner.
"Marvelous, marvelous... This form is many times denser than Porcupamon! Oh, I'd love to get a sample of a Cargodramon so I could compare it... But no, I don't dare make you do such a thing. Bringing one down is heat you cannot afford." "Yeah, we don't plan on it. Not unless it's unavoidable. But we should be fine inside a partition, right? Or the Network. We could try and get you an Ultimate sample now that we can actually fight them." "What are you checking for?" "There are types of data that I can identify. Insect data, beast data, sea beast, dark beast, reptile... I'm scanning you to see if you've swapped direction from your previous forms.""Oh. Well, I can tell you that. I went from Puppet to Demon Man.""Man sounds about right. You're substantially more humanoid. May I?" He asks, holding a hand out towards his face.Astamon shuffles, but nods."Just for you, Doc." Even when seated, he's quite a bit taller than you both. Doc needs to stand on a chair to start touching the humanoid lower half of your partner's face. He stops just shy of pulling at his lips, when Astamon growls in displeasure. "That's all for the face. Your suit- May I have a sample?" "I don't want to let you rip it up. This is a nice suit.""Sorry Doc, nothing that he's not willing to do. It's all part of his body." "I know, I know. Forgive me, you two, I'm barely holding it in." Giddy with the excitement of scanning an Ultimate, Doc continues to whip out all manner of tools. He takes readings for a whole hour, leaving the two of you getting rather bored. You ask a few more questions and share some details about how he loaded the OOPART up, but most of the questions are business related. Finally, he notices how exhausted the two of you are getting. "I think that's enough. Go ahead and turn back then." "Phew!" Astamon releases the energy and shrinks back into his Rookie form.
"How do you feel? You took that form for quite a while." "It tires me out more than Porcupamon, actually. But since we weren't doing anything, it wasn't too bad." "What about going between forms? We should try that out while we have the chance." "Good call." Doc raises an eyebrow, but is eager to test it out once you start explaining the concept to him. "Back when we made use of it, Phascomon got exhausted when repeatedly swapping between levels. It was really useful to access all of our abilities, but he said it was tiring because he had to exert his Digicore each and every time." "I see, I see... It does stand to reason that jumping straight upwards might be particularly taxing. How about you Digivolve in stages?"You keep up the testing for a bit more, going between Phascomon, Porcupamon, and Astamon. You manage to gain some new insights. Doc's hypothesis is correct. He gets less tired when going from Champion to Ultimate, or Rookie to Champion. "Some sort of term differentiation might come in handy. How about we refer to it as 'Warp Digivolution' when you jump straight to Astamon?" He suggests."Sounds good to me.""Yeah, fits. Something natural about it." You agree. With that, Doc's tests are finally done. "What did you learn from all that?" "Astamon is a truly marvelous specimen." He says, as Astamon shrinks back down for the umpteenth time. "I've learnt a lot about the structure of an Ultimate-Level, the materials that make up their body, and key identifiers that separate them from Champions. On a personal level, he's strong. Ranged capability, dense limbs that are capable of dishing out damage, I only wish I could have him shoot in here so I could examine the firepower." "Yeah. Get a holodeck next time, maybe." "I'm still making improvements. This is no good for a long-term base, so I'm pacing myself." "What else about him? Is this form strong enough to fight Brigadramon?" You ask. "Theoretically, he could put up a fight. But... I'm sorry to say, a Mega Level Digimon is truly formiddable. The gulf between stages shrinks as they rise up the ranks, but it's not only natural filesize. He's had decades to be pumped full of data, and has all of the city's support. It won't be a clean sweep, ever." "Okay. Then-" "Then how do we bridge that gap?" "I don't know."
"You don't?" "Helping the two of you reach Ultimate was the absolute extent of my abilities. My own partners here have only reached Champion, you know. Your growth has already been meteoric. I had the right idea about you both." You feel your chest swell with pride, but it's not enough. "Surely there's a way to get to Mega too..." "Marnie. Your growth has been nothing short of historic. If your exploits could be published, you'd quickly be legendary in this city. What's the rush?" "The rush is that one day, that blue bastard could swoop down and take us out. Then our whole journey would be for nothing.""Even so, don't you think you could benefit from taking it easy for just a little bit? You don't have to jump straight for the top after climbing another step. Maybe enjoy your new power, your new freedom, try to see some more of this city. You're still young. Your dreams aren't going anywhere.""Aren't you listening, Doc? They are! We could still be defeated, all our time and effort could be wasted. That's why I want us to climb out of here before it has a chance to go wrong." "It won't be for nothing, either way." Phascomon quips. "What do you mean? If we can't leave-" His ears flick, and he shuffles about in his seat with an inscrutable expression. "Uh huh. Hey. It's near noon. We've got more fish to fry. Give him the rest of the rundown.""Oh, right." You haven't seen him get moody like this in a few weeks. Things have been going great at home. You shrug and move on to the next topic.>Show him the lifel1ne data and talk about the damage it did to Bella. If he can improve it, you might have a safer piece of tech to use for the next time. He could also give you some insights on the Hospital trip, since you're forgoing your scouting mission today in order to speak to him. >Prioritise telling him about Sealsdramon and the Dogs of War, including their current state. He might have some idea of the chaos going on, since he lives in a seedy district. You also want to get his thoughts on everything that's happened regarding the City Digimon.>Write-in: Ask him a specific question about Astamon, to see if he has an answer after scanning. This can be chosen with the other votes.
>>6298282>Prioritise telling him about Sealsdramon and the Dogs of War, including their current state. He might have some idea of the chaos going on, since he lives in a seedy district. You also want to get his thoughts on everything that's happened regarding the City Digimon.>Write-in:How did the City got the OOPART in first place.
>>6298340+1
>>6298282>Prioritise telling him about Sealsdramon and the Dogs of War, including their current state. He might have some idea of the chaos going on, since he lives in a seedy district. You also want to get his thoughts on everything that's happened regarding the City Digimon.>Discuss the system that City Digimon seem to have that preserves them even after death.How insane would it be to ride that line the same way we did the infiltration? We'd be heading directly to where explicitly defeated digimon are processed. If it's near where the portal is, it's worth a one-way trip.But it's also important incase Wind ever gets the idea.
>>6298282>Show him the lifel1ne data and talk about the damage it did to Bella. If he can improve it, you might have a safer piece of tech to use for the next time. He could also give you some insights on the Hospital trip, since you're forgoing your scouting mission today in order to speak to him. >Write-in:How did the City got the OOPART in first place.
>>6298282>Prioritise telling him about Sealsdramon and the Dogs of War, including their current state. He might have some idea of the chaos going on, since he lives in a seedy district. You also want to get his thoughts on everything that's happened regarding the City Digimon.
>>6298282>Show him the lifel1ne data and talk about the damage it did to Bella. If he can improve it, you might have a safer piece of tech to use for the next time. He could also give you some insights on the Hospital trip, since you're forgoing your scouting mission today in order to speak to him.More and safer tools are required for future exploits. Captcha Password: W0MNA
>>6298340>>6298367>>6298569>>6298411>>6298444>>6298598Sealsdramon and OOPART. Writing! Also in a week from now I’ll be going on vacation for a few days, so posting will pause for about 4/5 days starting from next Saturday.
>>6298612Thanks for the heads up!
>Prioritise telling him about Sealsdramon and the Dogs of War, including their current state. He might have some idea of the chaos going on, since he lives in a seedy district. You also want to get his thoughts on everything that's happened regarding the City Digimon.“One more question. How would they have obtained an OOPART in the first place?” “I’d wager they always had it. You said you found it in an archival room, right? It must be some sort of truly ancient record.” ”And the rest were eaten. That’s… bad. You think DarkTyrannomon managed to decrypt them all?”“Oh no. Maybe.” You say, your face going pale at the thought of him powering up even further.“No, unlikely. He may be able to consume the data volume, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s using all of it or gaining the information within. You said you needed to run a tool to unpack it all, he most likely just used it as fuel.”Doc slowly sips on his cup of tea. “What a massive waste.” “Courtesy of a massive bastard. Why are you so interested in the OOPART anyway?” “It’s something from humanity’s golden age, isn’t that enough of a reason?” You fiddle with your inventory, looking at the book.app longingly. Ever since Squid decrypted it, the title has been different. “I want to know how they dredge these things up. Maybe if it’s not that hard… I could get something else to learn about, y’know?” ”It was a lot of material. I wish I could describe it, but it’s hard to put it into words. It taught me how to shoot, how to lead better, even how to cross my legs just the right way.” Phascomon tries to place one stubby limb over the other, but he can’t lounge in the same intimidating fashion as his Ultimate form.“Like I said, I’m no expert. I assume these archives are just handed down and refreshed every so often. Maybe if they have enough info on a topic, they could compile a new one. But I don’t know what the process is.” You shrug. You suppose it’s another mystery that only the system will know of. And you can’t exactly ask a bot about it either, since there’s no reason for a human to encounter something like it. The answer is unsatisfying, but it’s as good as you’re going to get. “Anyway, the partition mission wasn’t the worst part of that day…” ==
The two of you begin telling him about the attack, starting with Liza’s lapse in judgement. He seems particularly annoyed when he hears about Lenny walking into the base with a target on his head. “How careless. They should have stayed out.” ”Could have gone better. We heard an explosion right after, like a whole bunch of breaching bombs going off at the same time. But we were occupied deeper in.” Bit by bit, you tell your tale. You go over the eerily silent Espimon, Leomon’s last stand, and finally, the actual fight with Sealsdramon. He seems concerned when you bring up the casualties. “A rogue agent. That’s a higher level of freedom than I’m used to. I knew that footage was real the moment I saw it, Squid did a good job stripping everything identifiable from it." He pauses. "What was it Hi-Commandramon said again? About how he got away with it.” ”That Sealsdramon was finding workarounds for the mission rules.” “I’ve only heard of City Digimon deserting once in my life. And it was nothing major. Just one fugitive who got hunted down. Disobeying to this degree is new to me. I’m sorry to say, there’s nothing that can be done for those folks. At least they’re not DMIA, so the suffering was finite.” “What about the podded? When I was inside…” “Nothing to be done for them either. They’re essentially static objects. If I was Wind, I’d smuggle them to the surface. Then the bots can bring the pods to The Tower. Their odds will be better then.” He doesn’t push you for more info about what it’s like inside. You described it as best as you can, and he picked up on your discomfort.”There’s really nothing? I haven’t even tried breaking them yet.” “No, I doubt you could, even with the power of Astamon. MAYBE, just maybe Brigadramon could, but that’s out of the question, obviously.” “Then they’re as good as dead.” “Which is why I suggest bringing them to the surface. Non-zero chances then.”
You eventually move on to Sealsdramon’s defeat. “You sent his data somewhere?” “And he left the rest for Kaus Gammamon.” “But where?” ”I’ve been thinking of it, but I don’t really have an answer. The most I’m getting is an instinct. In my Ultimate form, I have some kind of link to a different server. And I just knew that if I deleted him in that way, he’d go there. Nothing else, just that phantom affinity.” “I see… I’ll look through the data I got from you and see if I can learn anything else from your connection ports.” “Do you think they have other Sealsdramon?”“Most definitely. They’ll have more than one of everything. It’s a good thing you established a rapport with that Hi-Commandramon, maybe it’ll come in handy during your future projects.” ”He’s not the handiest ally, but right now, the Dogs of War are unstable too. Not that I ever liked them.”“They seem to be struggling now, but the whole point of the scanner was to increase their arsenal and power recruitment. Have you heard about them lately?” “I have. Some of the punks I sell tech to wanted to splurge, so they could pass their initiation tests. There are a lot of them now. They took a heavy blow, but I think they’re shaping up for a big change soon.”You think back to the fight downstairs, wondering if they had something to prove after all.== A while later, you get a notification. You quickly stare at the text box, reading the occupant’s name. R: Hi M. Sorry, been very busy here. Let me know what you need 4 it, I can come soon. “It’s Ryan. Finally, they’ve been way too quiet.” “Quiet about what?” You explain the long streak of silence to Doc, and reiterate your plan to visit the hospital and look for Cutemon. “They must be busy with cleanup. Oh! Did you message Squid about the radar tracker yet?”“No, she hasn’t asked me anything about setting it up.”You message Ryan using your usual system of burners. 9$:(-;1: ask for a scan first. 3/4 days? Meet there.
“This week should be fine. The heat from our last adventure isn’t crazy high, and I don’t think we’re going to cause a mess big enough to attract more eyes.” "I don't need to advise you further, I think. You're well-versed enough in how this all works by now. Ah- The girl is in that sorry state because of the lifel1ne, right?"You hand it over to him. You've been talking for quite a while, so you don't want to speak in great detail anymore. You just nod and motion to the cord. "Our data got disrupted by a big train Digimon beforehand. Might be related to the damage, might not be." "I'll look into it, and I'll send you a delivery if I can iterate on a new version with confidence." You're not excited about using it, but if there's no choice, it's better than nothing.== After making a little bit more small talk, you decide to start heading back. You've handled pretty much everything you came here to do. If there's anything else you might be forgetting, now might be the time. Or you could just go home and plan out your hospital mission.>Write in: At most two questions/Lines of questioning that you want to check in on with Doc.>Go home, that's all you need to know.
>>6299416>Write in: At most two questions/Lines of questioning that you want to check in on with Doc.What does he know about other servers? And if we get back to the real world, is i possible to bring a Digimon with us, or no?
>>6299416>Write inAbout the Leomon data Liza got after her Digimon died and if relationships between humans and Digimon without Digivices could result on trouble.
>>6299457>+1 supporting
>>6299436>>6299457>>6299778Writing!
>Write in: "Oh, I thought of a few more questions. Remember how I mentioned Liza and Seadramon?" "Mhm." He says, while tinkering with the optic cable. "Do you know what to do with his data? I managed to get it to her for safekeeping, but I don't know how she can actually make use of it. I was thinking of consulting you, but I forgot until now." "Ah... Salvaging his data was the right choice. She can use that as a Digi-DNA sample. Leomon is quite a good pull." "That's it?""Yes. Was there something else?" "No... I was just wondering if there was a way to bring him back." "Not as far as I know." He says, shaking his head sadly. "If I knew how, I would bring Kokuwamon back. But I didn't get his data either." Solarmon rotates quietly from the far end of the room. "Do you think she'll be okay? When partnering up with a Digimon, a Digivice ain't a MUST, right?" "It certainly isn't. I've met a few people who didn't keep one with them. It's inconvenient, that's all. You don't have an easily-accessible partition to feed them and run essential code, you can't pull them out of the public eye, so on and so forth." "And you can't Digivolve." "Not in the way you two do. Now, I don't speak about my other clients often... But there are a few people who live out legal, average lives with their Digivices. The only difference between them and another puzzle-solver is that they have a Digimon to go home to. A little secret that keeps them from going mad with boredom. So maybe she could just find comfort in having a friend, even without a Digivice" "Really? And their Digimon don't want to go out and fight? Or get stronger?" "I suppose not. I don't pry, like I said. Or perhaps they have an alternate arrangement that helps them gain strength." "Going back to Liza... There's the inherent danger of Seadramon being impossible to hide, right?" "Yes, that's the only real thing she has to worry about." That puts you at ease, just a little. Ironically, since Seadramon is so big, you assume that any risks are going to be immediately obvious to them. It'll be harder to do something stupid when she can't actually get her acquaintance anywhere.
"Hey, I've got one too. You know how you said you'd examine my outbound signals, or something?" Doc puts his tools down to give Phascomon his full attention."How does that work? Have you had success with it before?" "Yeah, I'd like to know too. I'm a bit curious about the other server he mentioned." Doc seems excited at the prospect of giving a lecture."We know, of course, that City 87-O is not the only server in the Digital World. There must be other ones with humans, and there's the true Digital World I told you about. There may be servers that carry out certain functions, and there are ones with strong markers. Certain Digimon have traces in their code that could point to an origin point within these. For example... There's something called an 'Eastern server' I've gleamed from specific Digi-DNA samples. I don't know what East this is relative to, but Digimon with that trace data tend to look similar. Or have overlapping aesthetic features." He slides a display upwards, revealing a yellow Digimon with a bone in its hand. You feel the smallest hints of familiarity, but you know you've never met this thing. "This is a rare one. Apemon. And look here-"
Doc swipes to the right. A tiny Rookie Digimon appears, looking like it's made of clay and rope. "I found similar markers in this Digimon's code. Hanimon. See the string around it? These knotted coils have some kind of symbolism that is present among other Digimon. While Apemon is a bad example of a physical resemblance, the data is unmistakable." He pulls up a series of graphs. They're completely indecipherable to you. Phascomon looks stunned as well, as he beholds the sheer volume of data. Pie charts, fluctuating line graphs, and pulsating bars flash at the speed of light. He highlights them in purple, flashbanging the two of you with an overwhelming amount of visual stimulus. "And these are completely absent in something like Solarmon, who-" "Okay! I get it!""You can put the graphs away now!" Doc, luckily, catches on and closes the display window. You blink harshly. "What does that have to do with the server again?" "Simply put, Digimon may have affinities with particular places. I could find some other Digimon species that have an equal affinity with your trace markers. But at the end of the day, all of us are here in 87O. So this information is purely hypothetical. I will never be able to understand what these servers are like without a point of comparison." "Damn..." "Oh well."
"One more thing. These servers- If there are Digimon in them, I'd say they're on the same level, right? Level, like the network and all, remember the last exposition sesh?" "Yes, that's a fair assumption. Or at least within tolerable parameters for the majority of Digimon, so long as the average cyberbiodiversity is the same.""What about the real world? Can Digimon go there?" You look at Phascomon, biting your lip. This is something you've been wondering too. You've tried very, very hard not to actually think about it, because the closer you two have gotten, the more that this concept has stung. That's why you haven't asked Doc this question in any of your previous trips. But your partner has been having the same thoughts, evidently. You look at Doc hopefully, and he meets your eye with a scrunched-up, uneasy expression.Then he dashes your hopes."I doubt it. Heavily. I cannot predict how the physicality of a Digimon would express itself in a world that isn't comprised of code." Phascomon's shoulders slump. "Oh." That's it then. Once you find your way through the portal, you're going to have to part. He'll go to the Digital World with the power of Astamon, to carve out his own niche as the strong leader he wants to be. And you'll be exploring the real world. Without one another.No, you really don't want to consider it. Maybe if you push this away and keep trucking forward, you'll forget all about this until you're about to step through the portal. That way, you can follow your lifelong dreams without hesitation. And you're sure he needs the same. You get to your feet. "I think we should go back." "Ah, wait-" He holds a hand out, looking bashful at ruining both your moods at the very end of your visit. "Your .apps. I've gotten you a refill. Even whipped up some new ones for you to play with.""Thanks, Doc." You flash him a weak smile and hold out your wrist for Phascomon. He hololizes himself without another word, and the two of you begin making your way downstairs. == "Hey-" "Sorry, it's naptime." He says, as the two of you exit the apartment lobby. You're not in the mood for talking either, but you force yourself to stay alert. "I don't think so. Look over there."
Phascomon watches through your goggles as you snap them on. You run your finger over the green laurels on either side of your eyegear. It feels like they've grown longer somehow. The two of you stare blankly at the ring of shouting punks, cheering one another on as a fight breaks out in the middle.But it's not another fistfight. Two Digimon are going at it, right there in public. "GOBURIMON! GET HIM!" A green, child-sized creature slams a club down onto empty air, narrowly missing its target. GOBURIMON- ROOKIE- ONI- VIRUSPULSEMON- ROOKIE- BEAST MAN- VACCINEIts opponent is green as well, and is zipping around while clutching its chest. It's wounded and gritting its teeth in pain. Prickly hairs stick up in anger, as it faces down the Digimon and its tamer. It looks around for an escape route, but the path is closed by the dozens of spectators. "What are they doing...? Ain't they scared of being spotted?" "A whole load of Tower Digimon flew away earlier. Maybe surveillance is light today. That guy- I don't see a Digivice on him." "Then where are the bots? Aren't they drawn to this stuff?""They should be coming any... Oh. The scanner. It's down." You look up at the skyline, but find yourself unable to see the giant dishes from here. They've stopped spinning ever since DarkTyrannomon wrecked the inside. You're sure there's a backup, and it won't be down forever, but maybe their response time has been affected by this. They can't look for every single rogue Rookie or Baby anymore. "Why's he doing that?" "Posturing. Impressing all those chumps. I don't know. But this doesn't look like a fair fight. These people, they're-""They're making a sport of it." You agree.Maybe it's hypocritical. You've hunted down Digimon to fight before, for the sake of getting stronger. Phascomon needed fuel, so someone had to go. But this is just a bit different. They're treating this Pulsemon like it's a new toy, to be smashed for entertainment.
"You think you could deal with it on your own?" "That Goburimon? Easily. But look at them. They're hungry. If they think I'm just another Wild Digimon, they might do something stupid. And I'm sure you don't want me cutting all their ankles apart. That'll bring the fuzz down like a hammer.">Leave it be. You're not meant to be raising heat today, and interfering might leave traces, or attract the wrong kind of attention. Just take it as an unfortunate result of the status quo changing just a little, and return home. >Try to interfere without being caught. Tip it in Pulsemon's favour with some .app usage from afar. If servitors eventually show up here, they'll pick up on these traces of illegal program usage, and there's a chance it could lead back to you if they choose to heavily investigate. However, this will mean that you escape notice from the punks. >Show these guys a real fight, and crash their party with Phascomon. You'll disguise yourself from identification, of course, but you can't put together a foolproof appearance so quickly. Your face will be hidden with a static veil, your metadata will be obscured, but you'll make a huge impression by showing up with a Digimon of your own. That might be what it takes to dispel these jerks, but it might stick with you.
>>6300003>Show these guys a real fight, and crash their party with Phascomon. You'll disguise yourself from identification, of course, but you can't put together a foolproof appearance so quickly. Your face will be hidden with a static veil, your metadata will be obscured, but you'll make a huge impression by showing up with a Digimon of your own. That might be what it takes to dispel these jerks, but it might stick with you.I feel the spite flowing through me...
>>6300003>Try to interfere without being caught. Tip it in Pulsemon's favour with some .app usage from afar. If servitors eventually show up here, they'll pick up on these traces of illegal program usage, and there's a chance it could lead back to you if they choose to heavily investigate. However, this will mean that you escape notice from the punks.This is just cruel. Cruelty serves a purpise. Senseless cruelty just for cruelties sake is wasted effort.
>>6300003>Show these guys a real fight, and crash their party with Phascomon. You'll disguise yourself from identification, of course, but you can't put together a foolproof appearance so quickly. Your face will be hidden with a static veil, your metadata will be obscured, but you'll make a huge impression by showing up with a Digimon of your own. That might be what it takes to dispel these jerks, but it might stick with you.
>>6300006+1>"Marnie. Your growth has been nothing short of historic. If your exploits could be published, you'd quickly be legendary in this city."Become LEGEND
>>6300003>Leave it be. You're not meant to be raising heat today, and interfering might leave traces, or attract the wrong kind of attention. Just take it as an unfortunate result of the status quo changing just a little, and return home. Not my pidgeon.
>>6300003>Show these guys a real fight, and crash their party with Phascomon. You'll disguise yourself from identification, of course, but you can't put together a foolproof appearance so quickly. Your face will be hidden with a static veil, your metadata will be obscured, but you'll make a huge impression by showing up with a Digimon of your own. That might be what it takes to dispel these jerks, but it might stick with you.Establishing character moment v2: with extra COOL farming
>>6300048If artanon is here and so inclined, a "I am Legend" movie poster riff with Marnie and Phasco would be pretty baller IMO.
>>6300006>>6300029>>6300048>>6300185>>6300009>>6300057Fighting!
>Show these guys a real fight, and crash their party with Phascomon. You'll disguise yourself from identification, of course, but you can't put together a foolproof appearance so quickly. Your face will be hidden with a static veil, your metadata will be obscured, but you'll make a huge impression by showing up with a Digimon of your own. That might be what it takes to dispel these jerks, but it might stick with you. "Let's go get them." "Cover your face first.""Already on it." You say, as you open up the encryption suite. The tools within have come in handy over and over. You're glad you picked this one, out of the three programs Doc offered you a while back. "Hololize." Once you're done, you send Phascomon out without further hesitation. You've veiled your face with static, and you've put on a different jacket. It's a loose coat that's fastened around your collar with a silver clasp. Loose sleeves flutter in the breeze as you activate f1oat. The outfit is just a random one from your wardrobe, picked to make you slightly more inconspicuous as you leap off the ledge with your partner on your head. "Copying my style, huh?" Now that you think about it, it kinda resembles Astamon's garb. You don't have time to respond, for you're rapidly approaching the crowd from above. A few watchful eyes take notice, yelling out in surprise at your sudden appearance. You swoop down on them like a bat, landing lightly on one foot in the middle of the circle. All eyes are on you in an instant. "What do you think you're-" The Tamer starts, before taking notice of the Digimon standing tall atop your jet black hair. "Pick on someone your own filesize." Phascomon snarls, as the Goburimon peels away from the wounded Pulsemon. His confused grimace turns into a cocky smirk. "Oh, you looking to get in too? Well too bad, this is my catch. In fact-" Goburimon slaps his club into his palm menacingly. "Hey, Goburimon. How about we do a three-for one?"
"Heh! Sounds perfect. Liking the cut of your jib already, pinkskin! Let's go!" His ugly visage scrunches up further as he examines the two of you."Hey, runt! How about I-"Phascomon doesn't give him a chance to grandstand. He lunges forward, and you call out his attack, cool as ice. "Eucalyptus Claw."Crimson edges tear through the night, flashing before Goburimon's face and cleaving his club into several pieces. He backs away, gigantic sweat particles forming on his forehead. The crowd goes wild. "What the- That's cheating! Come on, grab him!" "I ain't getting close! Those claws are wicked! Oi, you little-"Instead of using a special attack, Phascomon cuts him off again by drop kicking him straight in the jaw. A pained 'Oooooh...' echoes through the crowd as Goburimon falls onto his rear. The boy yells in surprise, running forward to pull his partner back to his feet. "How's that thing so strong?!" He demands. Your eye twitches underneath the disguise, and your posture visibly stiffens. "That's not a thing. That's my partner. Phascomon, he's charging." Sure enough, Goburimon is puffing out his cheeks. "Goburi Bomb!" He spits out a fireball, trying to catch his enemy by surprise. Phascomon looks like he's about to dodge, but he abruptly glances at the crowd behind him. The punks pick up on the warning, and the fastest ones start scrambling away immediately. Others yell in surprise as the ball of light heads their way. Boom! It detonates against your partner instead of blowing up a spectator."Yes!"
You feel a pang of concern, but you can sense his heartbeat pulsating strongly through the Digivice on your wrist. There's minimal distress emanating from him. When the smoke clears, he's standing there with singed fur, but looking no worse off. "Impossible! Nobody can survive a Goburi Bomb!" The Rookie cries. The circle of spectators starts to reform, but they're quickly repelled as Goburimon screams:"GOBURI STRIKE!"Like a Sportsball pitcher, he flings sphere after sphere of dazzling fire at Phascomon. They move impressively fast, and you doubt he can dodge all of them. The crowd is at no risk of getting hit anymore, since that direction has been cleared out. The cheers turn to jeers, now that they're being put at risk."Hololize!" You suck Phascomon into your Digivice, evading the stream of attacks. You aim your Linker at a spot behind Goburimon and repeat the phrase, sending out a packet of blue light that quickly coalesces back into the shape of a little koala. Phascomon swipes at Goburimon's back, ripping through the brown jacket and sending him to the ground with ease."ACK! I YIELD!" Once again, the audience erupts into shouts of glee. A good show has been put on, and the tables have been turned. The boy places his hands on his mostly-bald head, and his sandy mohawk droops pathetically. "You- WHAT THE HELL! Why are you getting in my way?!"
You stare at him blankly, before taking a step towards him. He's way bigger than you, but the way you've just demolished his Digimon has clearly intimidated him. He backs away apprehensively. "You think this is some kind of game? Torturing some-" When you turn to look at Pulsemon, you notice that it's nowhere to be found. It must have fled when the crowd parted. Good for the little guy, you suppose. "-Digimon so these dumbasses can gawk and laugh?" You throw a thumb over your shoulder. The crowd quietens down a little when you start insulting them too. "It's not like it's all for fun! I'm just trying to pass initiation! Why are you messing with me if you already have a Digimon of your own?!""What initiation?" You demand. But you already have a good idea of what's going on."Ugh... You know. The ads! The Dogs of War! I worked hard to convince him to pick me, and now look at him!" Goburimon is lying flat on his stomach beneath Phascomon's foot, not daring to make a peep. "You'd better make sense, fast. And you- You try to nibble my toes, I'll sink these claws into your head. Capisce?!" The Rookie nods pathetically.Instead of getting an answer from him, a member of the crowd speaks up. You turn to look, and notice that it's the same guy who spoke to you earlier. He's the one the trash can lid was meant to hit. "They put out a notice a few hours ago that there was a Digimon signal. To get in, we need to bring that Digimon to them.""Okay. So you convinced him to partner up with you. What about the second one? Why hunt it down like that?" This time, the mohawk-sporting Tamer finds his tongue. You hold on tight to your anger, giving him the opportunity to defend himself fairly. Maybe, just maybe, he'll say something sensible."It didn't want to go with anybody! So I just needed to beat him up... And then a buddy of mine gets a ticket in." Phascomon raises his claw, and you wonder if he's about to execute Goburimon in anger. You recall how he met his first Tamer. It was exactly like this: Pressed into horrible servitude through violence, and linked to the old Digivice. "Another sad little Garden King." He mumbles. Fortunately, he just steps off his defeated foe's head, keeping his claws poised to defend himself.
"Why'd you have to go spoil everything? What business is it of yours anyway?" "Digimon aren't just TICKETS, you trashy little poser. That Pulsemon had a whole life of its own you were trying to rip away. And you all-" You turn to glare at the audience. "None of you think this is wrong? You're so bored that you'll laugh and cheer while a living thing gets ripped apart in front of you?" Some of them look away in shame, while others glare back in stubborn defiance. The trash can boy mumbles halfheartedly:"I did offer... To partner up with him. But he said no, so..." "I think the Dogs of War will be disappointed to know what kind of recruits they're getting. Maybe I call ahead, huh? Let them know to watch out for a little hooligan and his Goburimon."[/red]"You know them?" Mohawk guy asks, staring blankly at your partner. You don't want to expose more of your personal information than you need to. You've already made a huge impression and disrupted the crowd. Letting slip that you work with them will increase the risk of being identified, so you step in and shush Phascomon. "Just get the hell out of here already. You have your Digimon- That is, if he still wants to partner up with you after how badly you commanded him." "And if you want your little friend to live, you'd better stop taking fights you can't win." Your partner says, rubbing his nose dismissively. "You're going to mess with a wild Digimon who doesn't think twice eventually.The Goburimon stares up at him, doubt evident on his ugly face, but the teen crouches to whisper something in his ear. He seems happy with what he hears. They both stare at you conspirationally, but you turn away and ignore it. The crowd parts as you start walking away. A few cheers ring out, despite your lecturing, and eventually, they're whooping and clapping again. You feel that sense of irritation building. >Ignore them. Let that attention build in a positive direction. You've pulled off a massive power move, and it's sure to get people talking. You could use that in the future if you show up around here with Phascomon. You don't need to antagonize them further, when you can make use of this reputation to strengthen your own street cred. >Turn around and give them a piece of your mind again. You were like them once. You know exactly what to say, how to attack their insecurities, how to taunt a crowd of posers who are acting out just to feel special. You don't need them to be impressed, you'd rather burn that bridge than let them feel an inkling of satisfaction.
>>6300615>Ignore them. Let that attention build in a positive direction. You've pulled off a massive power move, and it's sure to get people talking. You could use that in the future if you show up around here with Phascomon. You don't need to antagonize them further, when you can make use of this reputation to strengthen your own street cred.We won't be here because our goal is the outside world. But even so, what Doc said holds true: people still live and exist in here and will continue to live and exist in here after we are gone. Better give people hope where they had none, in our eventual absence
>>6300615>Ignore them. Let that attention build in a positive direction. You've pulled off a massive power move, and it's sure to get people talking. You could use that in the future if you show up around here with Phascomon. You don't need to antagonize them further, when you can make use of this reputation to strengthen your own street cred. Dragging this argument would be childish.>>6300191It would be a good practice but I've got things to do.
>>6300615>Ignore them. Let that attention build in a positive direction. You've pulled off a massive power move, and it's sure to get people talking. You could use that in the future if you show up around here with Phascomon. You don't need to antagonize them further, when you can make use of this reputation to strengthen your own street cred. These guys are trouble, though. Keep an eye out on our way home. Don't want any stalkers following us.
>>6300615>>Ignore them. Let that attention build in a positive direction. You've pulled off a massive power move, and it's sure to get people talking. You could use that in the future if you show up around here with Phascomon. You don't need to antagonize them further, when you can make use of this reputation to strengthen your own street cred.We should be more concerned about being tailed later. Wherever we change clothes, it should be somewhere discrete or crowded. An ambush we can deal with, but a dox is the only threat they've got with any weight.
>>6300615>Turn around and give them a piece of your mind again. You were like them once. You know exactly what to say, how to attack their insecurities, how to taunt a crowd of posers who are acting out just to feel special. You don't need them to be impressed, you'd rather burn that bridge than let them feel an inkling of satisfaction.
>>6300615>Ignore them. Let that attention build in a positive direction. You've pulled off a massive power move, and it's sure to get people talking. You could use that in the future if you show up around here with Phascomon. You don't need to antagonize them further, when you can make use of this reputation to strengthen your own street cred.We dont crush those beneath us that cant do us harm. And that means we also dont obliterate their spirit or destroy their egos. That is how problems are created
>>6300622>>6300636>>6300773>>6300841>>6301007>>6300968Moving on! Writing
>Ignore them. Let that attention build in a positive direction. You've pulled off a massive power move, and it's sure to get people talking. You could use that in the future if you show up around here with Phascomon. You don't need to antagonize them further, when you can make use of this reputation to strengthen your own street cred.You take a deep breath, then let it go. The guy sidles off with his Goburimon, tails between their legs, now that all the attention is on you. The trash can guy is staring really hard now, and you try not to look back at him. He's the only one who saw you up close earlier, and you know that it'll be bad to linger around him. The crowd doesn't chase you down, as you make your way out of the delinquent district. Phascomon returns to your Digivice as well, as you clamber up onto the rooftops and start heading home.Along the way, you're more vigilant than usual. You go in a completely different direction to throw any pursuers off your trail, then quickly descend to street level. You swap to your usual outfit, making sure the diagonal zip of your jacket is drawn tight, then start walking towards a park. You blend in with a group of picnicgoers, sitting there on the ground for a bit so you can keep an eye out for anybody suspicious.Finally, when you're convinced that it's safe, you get up and start walking home. "Well, we sure made a splash." "Yeah... I don't think I scared them very much, though." "Mhm. Not enough to make them think twice about doing the same to other Digimon. But it's a good first step, you showed up, after all." "Let's just go back." "Hang on, can we buy some snacks first? Since we're out here anyway." "Okay." You get home a bit later than usual that night, your inventory laden with goodies. As soon as you settle down, you check your message history with Squid.
Her replies have been sporadic. She hasn't answered any questions you've had, and whenever you've expressed concern, she's only given you short, insincere-sounding assurances. It's been three weeks already, and you now know that they're too busy with recruits to entertain you. You wonder if showing up at their base would be welcome at this time. 9$:(-;1: Hey. Wondering if you've got a moment.CalamariCracker: Caught me at a good time. Hi.9$:(-;1: Did R ask you for the scan yet?CalamariCracker: Yes. I'll get it done before you head out. B is doing well- health wise, she's still really upset. 9$:(-;1: Thanks.9$:(-;1: I met a prospective recruit today.9$:(-;1: You guys have been swamped huh?CalamariCracker: We've been using it nonstop to make these little tests yeah. W's idea for getting new friends.9$:(-;1: Any luck?CalamariCracker: A few new ones. Looking good.9$:(-;1: Is that why you can spare R?CalamariCracker: YeaCalamariCracker: Ok smth came up gtg! CalamariCracker: Come by after the task With that, she goes offline. You send her a token to authenticate your next burner account. You'll be swapping to a new IP address soon, to keep things fresh. There's not much left to do except set things up for your visit to the Hospital. You watch the Tower while you go over the tools that Doc left you. The fighting force of Digimon have returned, and Brigadramon's familiar form is circling the pinnacle once again. You wonder what they were attending to. "Hey, Phascomon." Your partner looks up from his bowl of ice cream. "Yeah?" "I think we need to brush up on a bit of training. In case the hospital trip goes badly." "Not keen on blowing past 'em with firepower?" "No, I'm not. Remember what Hi-Commandramon said? They probably know that we have an Ultimate-stage Digivolution by now. If we use it too blatantly, it might prompt a faster response. Brigadramon left the Tower just this morning. He's actively flying off on patrols more often nowadays, I don't want to take the risk of getting on his radar." "Yeah, I get what you're putting down.""Let's just practice until Squid gets back to us. I'm hoping we can settle this without having to fight." You hope she can confirm Cutemon's presence. That'll be a massive time-saver. ==
The next morning, you turn on the news like you always do. Phascomon is still hanging from a branch in his Digivice, sleeping off a large dinner, so you're left to flick through the channels by yourself. Your eyes quickly widen in surprise as you look over the footage. The side of an office building has been blown out, and numerous cars have been damaged by the debris. You watch the live feed as servitors stride into the danger zone and suck vehicles into their inventories with specialized tools, slowly removing them from the scene. There's a large cordon visible at the edges of the block. The footage soon segues into a studio, where a reporter-bot with a suit and tie looks straight into the camera."Yesterday morning, a City 87-O Digimon suffered a catastrophic crash, damaging a business partition and resulting in multiple injuries. Early reports have allowed us to determine that this incident was the result of an altercation between a hostile Digimon, and our sanctioned security forces. Citizens are reminded that engaging in unsupervised activity involving Digital Lifeforms is a violation of the Digital Lifeform Conservation Act. For their own safety, and the safety of these creatures, Citizens are encouraged to come forward with any information regarding-"You pull up several displays to get a better look at the damage. Surprisingly, it's not a massive scene. It looks like a Cargodramon went down against a building. There must have been a fight, like they said, but you don't actually see any evidence of it. Since it took place in a work district, nobody has firsthand recordings either. Puzzle-solvers wouldn't start capturing footage, nor upload it onto underground sites. By now, Phascomon has woken up, and is looking over the scene with fresh eyes. "What do you think?""I think the Dogs of War are up to something again." You nod in agreement. They're the only ones you know of who have the potential to do something like this. They've been secretive lately, and you're left to wonder what this is all about. "Oh well. We'll ask Ryan about it once we meet up."
You'll be spending the day practicing at home. You don't have a Holodeck, so you have to run the numerous training programs within your Digivice, in order to make sure Phascomon is in tip-top shape. In terms of combat potential, you feel confident he has enough tricks up his sleeve—but this training will reflect your ideal approach for the Cutemon search in the Hospital, rather than being a straight upgrade to his abilities. >Offense training: Prepare for a fight. The response time from the City Digimon has been improved recently, thanks to all the chaos, and you might run into enemies more often. A good offense will be key, so you can blast through obstacles and get to your objective as quickly as possible. >Agility training: Utilize a stealthier approach. You're willing to take it slow and avoid notice completely. The City is already going through a few different crises at once, you don't want to attract any kind of attention to a side-mission that's inconsequential to your long-term goals. >Defense training: Phascomon is already quite good on this front, thanks to his huge filesize compared to regular Rookies. He has a whole form dedicated to it. But while you can easily tank shots with Astamon or Porcupamon, your ideal route is to stay as a Rookie for the whole mission, in order to keep the heat low. Keeping up his stamina and staying on the defensive will be key for that. It's a more balanced approach, if stealth fails and you're unwilling to Digivolve.
>>6301453>Agility training: Utilize a stealthier approach. You're willing to take it slow and avoid notice completely. The City is already going through a few different crises at once, you don't want to attract any kind of attention to a side-mission that's inconsequential to your long-term goals.the City has been largely clued in to loud approaches, so a purely stealthy approach might be the way to go.That is, assuming we have any means at all with dealing with invisible Espimon watching corridors.
>>6301453>Offense training: Prepare for a fight. The response time from the City Digimon has been improved recently, thanks to all the chaos, and you might run into enemies more often. A good offense will be key, so you can blast through obstacles and get to your objective as quickly as possible. Snore em all.
After the next update, I'll be gone for a bit! Flying off on Saturday and won't have time to write before heading to the airport.
>>6301582>Flying off on SaturdayWow! Me too!>>6301453backing >>6301455this is a sneaking mission so Evil Snore abuse is our key to victory
>>6301453>Defense training: Phascomon is already quite good on this front, thanks to his huge filesize compared to regular Rookies. He has a whole form dedicated to it. But while you can easily tank shots with Astamon or Porcupamon, your ideal route is to stay as a Rookie for the whole mission, in order to keep the heat low. Keeping up his stamina and staying on the defensive will be key for that. It's a more balanced approach, if stealth fails and you're unwilling to Digivolve.Don't expect shit to hit the fan but be prepared for when it does.
>>6301453>Agility training: Utilize a stealthier approach. You're willing to take it slow and avoid notice completely. The City is already going through a few different crises at once, you don't want to attract any kind of attention to a side-mission that's inconsequential to your long-term goals.A pacifist approach to not angry Dinofren that much.Offensive sounds better against Espimon though.
>>6301453>Offense trainingWe can't count on escaping detection, and we already have defensive forms. Plus, this will pay more dividends next time we DO have to fight.
>>6301453>Agility training: Utilize a stealthier approach. You're willing to take it slow and avoid notice completely. The City is already going through a few different crises at once, you don't want to attract any kind of attention to a side-mission that's inconsequential to your long-term goals.
>>6301455>>6301599>>6301819>>6301583>>6301552>>6301801>>6301594Locking!
>Agility training: Utilize a stealthier approach. You're willing to take it slow and avoid notice. The City is already going through a few different crises at once, you don't want to attract any kind of attention to a side-mission that's inconsequential to your long-term goals. You decide to use a stealthier approach. The largest threat isn't an individual encounter: It's your own freedom. If you get caught, things get a thousand times harder. You want to focus on stealth, so Phascomon will need to be sneaky. You'd rather not fight at all, whether it's in Rookie form or a stronger one. If things take a turn for the worse, you know he can bust out heavy firepower, so the last resort is still there. The next morning, you begin training anew. Your Digivice still has the same few categories of training programs, but you've managed to upload location data into it, based off the partitions that you've charted. You focus on indoor hallways and tight corners. You doubt you'll find the Digimon just walking around the rooms. No, it only makes sense for them to be within the Hospital's partition, in a ghost environment much like the shopping mall. You prepare him to navigate such a place, while simulating several patrolling Commandramon. The Digivice simulations aren't as good as a Holodeck's, but you make up for it by running the training session with an iron fist. The moment he's spotted by the enemy, he only has moments to take them out before they can sound any alarms. The two of you keep up with your drills, with minimal slacking from him.
"Hey. Did you get any more Optical Camouflage from Doc? I can't be the one doing all the training, you need to sneak in too!""I did, don't worry. I've been working on intel and charting out the blueprints. Lots of footage to go through, since we're not scouting it out manually." You're worried that if you visit, they'll latch on to your damaged leg. Scouting is too risky. Your part of the mission is to identify escape routes and danger zones using online resources and emergency navigation maps. You've also put together VPNs for yourself and Ryan, to make sure they don't tag you when you enter. Finally, the day before you're scheduled to go, Squid gets back to you with the Radar Scan. There's a triangulated green zone around the building where a Cutemon signal was located. The old scan was dated about 20 years back, and you're left wondering if it could be the same Digimon. "Hey, look at this." "Oh? That's a surprisingly big area, I thought it'd narrow it down a bit more.""Must be because of the interior. There's so much room to hide." "I don't think they'd have Digimon just walking around inside. My guess is that it slips in and out of the partition to get around." "Do you think it works for the City?" "No way to tell. Hey, how did she get the scan done anyway? They didn't get their hands on a radar dish."You shrug. Yet another thing to ask them later down the line. ==
The day of the operation finally arrives. Unlike Wind, you're not one for vacuous codenames. This is 'Operation fix Bella's face and your leg'. To succeed, you'll need to liaise with a Cutemon and convince it to accompany you to the base. It's a difficult task, thanks to all the security, but you've committed to it by now. Ryan is meant to meet you a distance away from the Hospital. You want to take some time to grill him on what the Dogs of War have been doing. He was in a bad way by the end of the last mission, and you hope he's gotten his act together. "You got everything packed?" "Yeah. One moment, I'm just going over the .apps again..." There are three new programs that Doc has gifted you. Unlike last time, you actually have multiple copies of all of them! However, you've only been able to master one. You'll have increased effectiveness with this tool, and you'll be able to trivialize specific scenarios with it.>Fr1tz.app. This tool sabotages physical electronics in a specific radius. In a Hospital, this is an extremely big issue for the bots. If you use this in the right place, you'll be able to divert all their resources and attention to resolving the breakage. Perfect if you're close to being discovered, or need to cover your tracks in order to move into a sensitive area. Of course, if you're not experienced with this, you'll likely damage something vital.>Sp00f.app. Instead of breaking electronics, this program is able to falsify the information displayed by machinery. This is a less destructive way of shifting attention around while within the Hospital, and also has a lower chance of causing collateral damage. If you're not experienced with this, you'll flounder a bit when deciding what kind of information to make up, in order to get the desired reaction.>W1pe.app. By flashing heavily corrupted metadata at a servitor, this .app forces them to rollback to a previous save state in order to avoid catastrophic damage. In essence, it wipes its memory of an extremely recent event, giving you the chance to slip out of sight or escape questioning. Using this without proper practice or experience could brick the whole bot, which would raise warning bells.
See you guys in a couple days! Sorry for the relatively short one, once I get back, we'll move on to the hospital.
>>6302066>Sp00f.app. Instead of breaking electronics, this program is able to falsify the information displayed by machinery. This is a less destructive way of shifting attention around while within the Hospital, and also has a lower chance of causing collateral damage. If you're not experienced with this, you'll flounder a bit when deciding what kind of information to make up, in order to get the desired reaction.I think this will be the most effective on Espimon. Wipe is bot focused when we can sleep them, while Fritz alerts the whole building. Spoof is something to investigate without calling for backup, and interesting enough to get the less disciplined Espimon to slack off.
>>6302066>>Sp00f.app. Instead of breaking electronics, this program is able to falsify the information displayed by machinery. This is a less destructive way of shifting attention around while within the Hospital, and also has a lower chance of causing collateral damage. If you're not experienced with this, you'll flounder a bit when deciding what kind of information to make up, in order to get the desired reaction.
>>6302066Sp00f
>>6302069>>6302111>However, you've only been able to master one. You'll have increased effectiveness with this tool, and you'll be able to trivialize specific scenarios with it.We still have Fr1tz to damage vital things and W1pe to brick a bot or two if need be, preferably not in the hospital
>>6302066>Sp00f.app
>>6302067See you soon, QM! Have a good weekend.
>>6302069>>6302111>>6302154>>6302176>>6302197I’m back! Will rest for today and then write it up tomorrow. Onwards to the hospital!
>>6303984Great, waiting hyped.
>Sp00f.app. Instead of breaking electronics, this program is able to falsify the information displayed by machinery. This is a less destructive way of shifting attention around while within the Hospital, and also has a lower chance of causing collateral damage. If you're not experienced with this, you'll flounder a bit when deciding what kind of information to make up, in order to get the desired reaction.You’ve learnt how to spoof information on screens and diagnostics displays. This will come in handy when trying to draw attention away from yourself in a non-intrusive manner. The other two .app files are also ideal for infiltration, but you’ve chosen to prioritize this one first and foremost. “Everything is ready.” You set up your proxy program, so that you can submit metadata from it when you're questioned in the future. Your alibi is simple: you were just relaxing at home during the mission timeframe. Metadata is enough to prevent further investigation, even if nobody vouches for you. They don't expect that it can be spoofed, and they're not actually looking that hard, since they're surveying hundreds and thousands of people in order to brute-force their suspects. ”Let’s get a move on. I hope that chump has managed to get a grip.” “Yeah. He's not the strongest, but I guess he's the only one they can actually spare for now."Ryan and Gizamon were among the least impressive of the Dogs of War, but they did survive, so maybe they've gotten stronger. You'd rather have Liza or Bella along, but alas, neither is an option anymore. ==You reach the Hospital grounds bright and early. Ryan is waiting by a small park, his Digivice hidden in his pocket. He waves to you as you approach, and the two of you quickly open up a private comms channel so that your Digimon can speak. "Good morning." "Hey.""Morning. How've you and Phascomon been?" "We've been doing good. Mostly practicing our approach." "Brushing up on stealth tactics."
"Tell us a bit more. We're not caught up on the plan here." Gizamon asks. You see his little pixel depiction jumping in the corner of your goggles HUD. "We're gonna go in there and look for a Cutemon. Squid said that there's one somewhere in the area. It's attracted to uh... However healthcare works for you humans," replies Phascomon, pacing back and forth in the other corner. "So we need the two of you to go in and scout first. Would've preferred you do it earlier, but you were almost uncontactable..." He complains."Yeah, sorry about that. Things have been busy at the base since the last mission." Ryan gulps. "I'll fill you guys in later. Let's go inside, then?" "No, I can't loiter inside for long. Look." You pull your pants leg up just a little, revealing the mild damage. Ryan stares at the raised geometry for a bit, then looks back at you with a blank expression. Luckily, Gizamon picks up on it a bit faster."Oh. She can't stand around too long, because a bot is going to scan her and try to admit her for treatment.""Exactly. And I can't go around with a face disguise either, it's too suspicious. So we need you to walk around inside, take a look, and then find some kind of partition entrance." "Why a partition entrance?"To your relief, it's Ryan who answers this time, proving that he's not solely a burden. "The Cutemon probably isn't running around on the surface. You said it heals people? Like, for fun?" "You could say that. It's part of its data to help people and Digimon out, as far as I know. But even if it's helpful, and the bots appreciate it, they can't have it running amok. They'll be trying to leash it.""It'll be a problem if they've already done that. It's harder to get the help of a City Digimon. So our best case scenario is that it's a wild Digimon that just lurks the servers and heals people when it feels like it." "Okay. I don't think there'll be much trouble when I'm scouting. What about you two? What're you doing in the meantime?"
You've been considering it on the way here. While he handles the scouting phase, what'll you and Phascomon be taking care of? >Search the outskirts of the Hospital. The Cutemon, or Wild Digimon for that matter, could be hiding OUTSIDE the actual place, rather than within the Network or Partitions. Even if you're wrong, it'll be helpful to examine the surrounding layout and compare it to your map scans, so you can chart out an escape route and share it with Ryan. >Observe him directly. Have him share a video feed so you can backseat his exploration of the Hospital. This will prevent you from doing anything while out here, but it could ensure that he doesn't miss some vital detail. If you don't have that much faith in him to report on his findings properly, this is a good contingency. >Locate the Network Access points in surrounding infrastructure. Instead of examining the physical space, you'll be searching for a way to enter the Network, then slide straight into the Hospital's partition without entering the actual building. However, taking this path will bring with it the usual risks of Network travel. The only solace is that it'll be over a very short distance, so it couldn't be as bad as the last route you took to the scanning facility.
>>6304338>Observe him directly. Have him share a video feed so you can backseat his exploration of the Hospital. This will prevent you from doing anything while out here, but it could ensure that he doesn't miss some vital detail. If you don't have that much faith in him to report on his findings properly, this is a good contingency.
>>6304338>Observe him directly. Have him share a video feed so you can backseat his exploration of the Hospital. This will prevent you from doing anything while out here, but it could ensure that he doesn't miss some vital detail. If you don't have that much faith in him to report on his findings properly, this is a good contingency. Is a medical scan different from the scan for metadata?
>>6304338>Search the outskirts of the Hospital. The Cutemon, or Wild Digimon for that matter, could be hiding OUTSIDE the actual place, rather than within the Network or Partitions. Even if you're wrong, it'll be helpful to examine the surrounding layout and compare it to your map scans, so you can chart out an escape route and share it with Ryan. I want a way to escape this time.
>>6304349+1 for escape plan
>>6304338>Search the outskirts of the Hospital. The Cutemon, or Wild Digimon for that matter, could be hiding OUTSIDE the actual place, rather than within the Network or Partitions. Even if you're wrong, it'll be helpful to examine the surrounding layout and compare it to your map scans, so you can chart out an escape route and share it with Ryan. A smart play... Mostly for a clean getaway, or else I would have voted for network infiltration.
>>6304346Yeah. The typical metadata scan has the bots requesting a specific segment and then identifying what a person was doing during that timeframe. A medical one would be different, where it looks into a person's code, data/avatar expression, etc to see what's deviating from baseline human programming and causing issues.
>>6304441This is me, btw, if it matters.
>>6304338>Search the outskirts of the Hospital. The Cutemon, or Wild Digimon for that matter, could be hiding OUTSIDE the actual place, rather than within the Network or Partitions. Even if you're wrong, it'll be helpful to examine the surrounding layout and compare it to your map scans, so you can chart out an escape route and share it with Ryan.
>>6304339>>6304346>>6304349>>6304397>>6304441>>6304770Outskirt searching!
>Search the outskirts of the Hospital. The Cutemon, or Wild Digimon for that matter, could be hiding OUTSIDE the actual place, rather than within the Network or Partitions. Even if you're wrong, it'll be helpful to examine the surrounding layout and compare it to your map scans, so you can chart out an escape route and share it with Ryan. "We're gonna check out the exterior building. Y'know, confirm that our escape routes work, look for points of interest, whatever I couldn't scout out online." "Got it. We're heading in then." Ryan waves goodbye. He hangs up the call, taking Gizamon along, and heads through the large entrance. The Hospital isn't particularly crowded. It never is, since most people don't get injured if they stay on the rails. Only rogue elements like Digimon or Malware from Code Crackers are able to cause damage to a person. You hazard a guess that most of the patients are only here because they're paranoid about their symptoms. There's just not that much room to receive wounds in 87O. Considering that, if you show up with your leg like this, you're going to need to explain why. And then they'll likely request Metadata in order to diagnose the cause and treat the injury. It'll be nothing but trouble. You don't want to go in until you absolutely need to. Instead, you walk around the outskirts, taking in the various sights. You've just left the small park in the adjacent lot. The surrounding buildings are all hab-units or small stores. You take a look at one that sells fancy mirrors, stifling a laugh. "What?""Nothing, it's just really funny that they're trying to cash in on it next to a hospital.""Nah, I still don't get it. What do you mean?"You realise that you've never chatted with Phascomon about redesigning.
When somebody wants their body parts, height, or major aesthetic features modified, they visit the Hospital. The bots are a little cagey about it, and you assume it's to prevent somebody from transforming themselves beyond recognition after committing crimes. Most of these edits leave people looking just a bit different, to get rid of little flaws that they dislike about their own avatars. You've never undergone the process, thanks to your mistrust for the place. It's not like there's much you'd look to change anyway. Maybe height, if anything, but it's not worth placing yourself at the mercy of these robotsPhascomon looks surprised as you explain all of this to him."That's nuts!" "Well, we're all just avatars in a simulation anyway. It's not that difficult to wrap my head around." "What about haircuts and outfits? You've done those at home, right?" "Oh, those are fine. We can handle those by ourselves." "So people can just... make themselves green?""Huh? No. What kind of question is that?" You ask, pausing your walk to stare at your Digivice screen. "You'd think people would make bigger changes instead of just buying a new nose. What about giving themselves horns or something! Y'know, like a Digimon. If I could modify my forms without Digivolution, I'd just keep making myself stronger.""It's not a miracle tool. They stick to changes that are within the realm of human possibility." "Hmph. Doesn't sound like they're leveraging that tool well enough." "I'm sure there are bio-Crackers who do exactly what you're talking about, but I haven't seen anyone with an actual wacky appearance before.""So, the Mirror store— you mentioned a while ago that they're expensive? Like they're screens or something.""Yeah, it's trying to cash in on people who are fresh from the procedure. I think plenty of the patients here are actually coming to get their changes approved, instead of being treated for an injury."You sense that Phascomon wants to ask more questions, but you've gotten distracted for long enough. You move away from the mirror store and continue searching.
You identify several rooftop routes that you previously charted. Thanks to your scouting, you realize that some of them are no-go zones. There are a few with balconies overlooking them, meaning that witnesses could be standing on them at unpredictable intervals. Snitching is common among people who play by the rules, so you don't want to chance it. On the other hand, some ground routes that you once discounted prove to be better than expected. One of them has security cameras lining it, but with Fr1tz.app, you could blast them for long enough to dive into the long maintenance tunnel beyond it, and emerge far beyond the Hospital. You take note of all of these potential spots, eventually coming up with a plan. While you search, you keep your eyes out for any Digimon. You spot a few traces passing across the outskirts, with a handful even going into the building. One set of tracks seems to get stronger, marking out the creature's presence as being recent. "Something's been here.""And it's not far." "Doesn't strike me as a Cutemon. It's too bestial." "It's going kinda close to the building, though. Do we have time for it? I don't want to get caught by a bot while wandering too close." "Hmm..."The two of you ruminate on it while waiting for Ryan's update. You sent him a request for info earlier, but he replied that he was busy, much to your chagrin.>Follow the Digimon traces. If there are multiple groups of them living in the Hospital's vicinity, they might know each other. Digimon packs often have social dynamics localized around their feeding grounds. You could get a clue about Cutemon's whereabouts from them. >Don't get sidetracked by a different Digimon. You still have time for a limited search of the Network Access points. You probably won't find anything perfect, but there's gotta be some sort of entrance in a surrounding building.
>>6305138>Follow the Digimon traces. If there are multiple groups of them living in the Hospital's vicinity, they might know each other. Digimon packs often have social dynamics localized around their feeding grounds. You could get a clue about Cutemon's whereabouts from them.
>>6305151+1
>>6305138>Follow the Digimon traces. If there are multiple groups of them living in the Hospital's vicinity, they might know each other. Digimon packs often have social dynamics localized around their feeding grounds. You could get a clue about Cutemon's whereabouts from them. This is the kind of option you expect by searching the hospital. Plus I don't want anything half assed related to the network.
>>6305151>>6305243>>6305366Writing!
>>6305138>Follow the Digimon traces.
>Follow the Digimon traces. If there are multiple groups of them living in the Hospital's vicinity, they might know each other. Digimon packs often have social dynamics localized around their feeding grounds. You could get a clue about Cutemon's whereabouts from them."I think we've got a little bit. It won't be anything I can't handle." The two of you start following the tracks. They take you a bit closer to the building, and you pass through a small garden with blocky hedges and low-definition shrubs. The greenery here is particularly saturated in color, like they're trying to breathe extra life into it. It's much brighter around the Hospital, making it difficult to avoid looking suspicious. You do your best to avoid the windows, but luckily, no bots seem to be patrolling inside or outside. "Hey, they're getting more distinct." "I'm starting to make out footprints." You pause beneath a coolant unit, examining how it's fastened to the wall. The Hospital itself has numerous rooms that are sequestered away from the outside world, and they require numerous external blocks to provide them with storage space and temperature reduction. You assume there's some kind of resource allocation protocol accessible from within. It could serve as an entry point for later. "Marnie, move!"You step backwards immediately, dodging the flowerpot coming from above. It slams heavily into the ground and bounces wildly, rolling off into the bushes. While you look around for your attacker, you hold your Digivice up and prepare to send Phascomon out. He's wary of an ambush coming from the ground level, and is raring to go, but you don't want to hololize him until absolutely necessary. "Damn, that's gotta be a Digimon." Or some jerk throwing furniture out of their room, but that seems unlikely. You stare at the edge of the building and try to make out any further motion.
"Seems like it doesn't want us getting close." "Also not very in-character for a Cutemon to be dropping things on my head.""Maybe it thinks it can just heal you after." You zoom in on the roof, trying to figure out where exactly the Digimon is hiding. It's difficult to get a good glimpse of it, until it pokes its whole head out to stare at you. "Hey, you're..."You send Phascomon out on instinct, expecting some kind of projectile attack from the creature. Fortunately, it's too busy staring at you to throw any more flowerpots, and its hostility evaporates when it sees your partner. You didn't get a good look at it the last time, but its general shape is familiar. PULSEMON- ROOKIE- BEAST MAN- VACCINE"You're the chump who was getting trounced!""I wouldn't put it that way." Pulsemon sniffles, slowly emerging from the edge of the coolant block. He looks like he's in better shape today. There are no more visible injuries, and apart from a slight limp as he shifts around, he's in good health. "You recognized me even before my buddy here came out?""I've got a good eye for these things." He says.Pulsemon looks around shiftily, making sure no other humans are lying in wait. Once he's satisfied, he descends from his spot to join you on the ground, stopping a safe distance away. The surprise reunion fills you with optimism for today's search. You have a lead already."I'm Marnie. And this is Phascomon over here." "The name's Pulsemon. And thanks for the other day. I had to book it before I could give a word of thanks, but you two saved my rear! Now- What're you doing skulking around?"He sounds suspicious, despite your aid the previous day. You look to Phascomon, gently prodding him with your foot. He takes the hint and steps up to handle negotiations.
"Don't get your laces in a twist, we're not here to mess with you. We're just looking for a particular Digimon. Just our luck that you showed up, huh? Now, we didn't come to collect any debt, but what say you scratch our backs and answer a couple questions?""I guess it's the least I could do. Let's get somewhere quieter, then you can ask away."He starts zipping off. You watch him run from cover to cover, leaving trails of static electricity as he moves. This DIgimon runs remarkably fast, leaving you to wonder how he got caught in the first place. He must have slipped up somewhere. Just to be safe, you return Phascomon to your Digivice and follow on foot. If you get spotted, you can just say you were just watching this rare Digimon out of curiosity. Pulsemon takes you through the hedge, until you find a spot where the green walls are particularly high. He settles beneath a block of leaves and signals for you to sit down as well. A small assortment of snacks are scattered about, with numerous wrappers littering the area. "Do people vandalize this place?" You ask, staring at the trash distastefully."No, this is just my emergency hangout spot. Why?"Ah. The trash must not be teleporting itself to the sewers, since Pulsemon was the one consuming the food. There was never any automatic registration of it as litter, after being emptied out by a human. You push an empty can away and sit cross-legged on the fake grass. "Where'd your partner go? Left him in the dust?""Hololize." Pulsemon watches in amazement as Phascomon's data pushes its way back into existence. He yawns and stretches as he looks around the hedge alcove. "Nice spot to hang out in... But not if you want to stay hidden. Why are you hanging around a Hospital instead of taking your chances out in the city? Can't be much food in here.""There is for me! This place is like a buffet. Human data aplenty!"You exchange a look with your partner, immediately getting ready to fight. If this Digimon is hunting down people and eating them, you need to delete it at once. "Uh... Like, patients?""Of course!"You shift your stance into a half-squat, preparing to spring away."The bots don't notice them going missing?""What? Why would they go missing? I just take their data from the machines. Always a treat when Sportsball players get scanned!""What data, exactly?" "Y'know, biometrics, metadata copies, heart rate signals, they all go straight into me!" He declares, his tail twitching happily. You breathe a sigh of relief. "That's a real misleading way to put it, Pulsemon... But anyway, that's not what I meant to ask-"
"We're looking for a particular Digimon. We heard that they've been sighted around the Hospital. Do you know a Cutemon?" Pulsemon's expression changes immediately. He sits up straight and tosses a bag of chips aside. "What business do you have with the boss?""Boss?" Phascomon asks, raising an eyebrow in amusement. You share his reaction. You can't imagine a fluffy pink bunny leading this guy around. Pulsemon looks like a fairly strong Digimon, his mishap with Goburimon aside. "Yeah. But the boss is... indisposed at the moment. I've been trying to get to him too, but there's been a bit of trouble."Pulsemon starts pacing back and forth. "You're not making much sense, bud. Come on, work with us here." "The boss and I both hang around the Hospital. But recently, some punks came by, and have been stirring up trouble. They scooped the boss right up. I got hurt trying to get him outta there. It's been a few days, I've been monitoring the situation, and I'm afraid they're gonna move him soon...""Move him into the Network?" Pulsemon nods. Looks like you came here just in time, then. If you had been a few days later, the Digimon might have ended up somewhere else. "How do we get into the Hospital Partition?" "You have to do it from inside. There are some access terminals I use.""We have to pick one that doesn't set off any alarms then. Or doesn't log us.""VPNs will do the trick.""Have you two done this before? You don't sound weirded out at all. Not very often I meet humans who are experienced with this kind of thing.""We've been around." Pulsemon looks towards the building wistfully, and you think about how best to integrate him into your plans.Of course, all of these approaches are dependent on what info you get from Ryan when he comes back. You'll adapt them to fit the results of his scouting.>Have him lead you and Ryan through the Hospital. You're more likely to get where you need to be even faster, with a guide who frequents this area. However, moving in a group like this might get you caught easier. You have zero experience working with this Digimon, you don't know if you can function as a unit. >Get instructions from Pulsemon, then rendezvous with him inside. You'll need to follow his tips, as well as Ryan's info, and find a way to enter the partition by yourself. You can leave him to his own devices with confidence, since he's not likely to be caught. Worry about you and Ryan first and foremost.>Write-in: Some other specific way to use him.
>>6305833>Get instructions from Pulsemon, then rendezvous with him inside. You'll need to follow his tips, as well as Ryan's info, and find a way to enter the partition by yourself. You can leave him to his own devices with confidence, since he's not likely to be caught. Worry about you and Ryan first and foremost.
>>6305833>Have him lead you and Ryan through the Hospital. You're more likely to get where you need to be even faster, with a guide who frequents this area. However, moving in a group like this might get you caught easier. You have zero experience working with this Digimon, you don't know if you can function as a unit. This plus>Write-inGet instructions from him instead of following him blindly, like danger zones or places to hide, etc. Make a plan, know him better, give him some advice to work better together.Maybe you could use him to bait the bots if needed, as a complement to Marnie's apps.
>>6305851+1 time is of the essence and we know the escape routes well enough
>>6305833>Get instructions from Pulsemon, then rendezvous with him inside. You'll need to follow his tips, as well as Ryan's info, and find a way to enter the partition by yourself. You can leave him to his own devices with confidence, since he's not likely to be caught. Worry about you and Ryan first and foremost.Can we spoof stuff to look like a digimon ate the data?
>>6305851+1>>6305833I don't want to jump to using him as bait, but a local guide is a huge boon, and he can vouch for us with his boss.
>>6305851>>6305920>>6306076>>6305836>>6305994Writing!
>Have him lead you and Ryan through the Hospital. You're more likely to get where you need to be even faster, with a guide who frequents this area. However, moving in a group like this might get you caught easier. You have zero experience working with this Digimon, you don't know if you can function as a unit.>+Write-inYou need his direct guidance, but you don't expect him to know how to handle two humans while sneaking around. You'll have to make sure you're on the same page before anything else. "I have an associate who's scouting out the inside. Can you stick around here? It'll go better if all of us make a plan together." "Alright... Not like I can rush into it anyway."You wait around in the hedge for a few more minutes, until Ryan finally replies to your messages.==After the two of you get back in contact, you explain the situation to him, and catch him up on your brief meeting with Pulsemon and the aspiring recruit. He's a bit antsy about working with wild Digimon after his last run-in with them in the partition."So, you just found him here again?" Ryan asks, looking at Pulsemon with distinct suspicion. "Yup. He has a good reason to be around the Hospital." "And I'll be leading you two right to the entry point. As long as you help me get the boss away from those weirdo Digimon.""Hey, so about your first meeting with Marnie here. You're saying it was-" You hold your hands out to stop him, quickly signaling for a time-out. He trails off and looks at you in confusion, while you type up a text message. His eyes widen in understanding once he reads it. It's a bad idea to tell Pulsemon that Ryan's organization was responsible for his pursuit. You want to grill him about the Goburimon guy, as well as everything the Dogs of War have been up to, but now is a bad time. This ally is too important to upset. "Just brief us on everything you discovered while inside."==
Ryan has visited every floor to examine the layout and compare them to your maps. There are several private areas and wards that he was unable to access, but for the most part, the blueprints have been verified. There are no human staff at all, but he hasn't spotted any Digimon either. He's only seen traces inside the hallways that match the tracks of common City-employed Rookies. Pulsemon struggles to read the map, citing that he just uses instinct and memory to navigate. After a frustratingly long time, you settle on a route. You'll both need to change clothes and climb through a window with your identities hidden, then make your way up to the third floor using the staircase. The biggest danger zones are the elevators and the hallways outside the wards. Ryan also marks out all the cameras that he spotted. You'll need to hide in a blind spot and use Sp00f.app on them. Thanks to your training, remote surveillance is dealt with. You won't leave much evidence of your passage. Once you're on the third floor, you'll need to spend some time cracking through a partition that holds the Hospital resource allocation system. This is another risky point, as someone will have to actively work on the door while another person distracts any nearby bots. And after you get inside and load yourself into the partition, you'll likely have to deal with patrolling Digimon instead of servitors. "Do you go in there often?" "All the time! I can bust into any old device. You humans can't do that, right? Which is why we're going to the big office." "Do you mess with anything else apart from eating patient data?""I don't want to break anything or stir up trouble. If I do, they might start taking my presence seriously!" "If we pull this off perfectly, any damage to systems is going to look like it was done by a Digimon, you know." Pulsemon squirms uncomfortably as he thinks about that, but ultimately shrugs and continues pointing to the map. "If it gets the boss out of here, it's worth it." "Alright. Maybe they'll assume any damage was done by the kidnappers. What do you know about them?" "They're real strong! There's two of them. I think they came from the Network." "You got names for us?" "I don't. They're both kinda small, but I think they're stronger than Champions." "Huh. Aren't there city Digimon patrolling the inside of the partition? They don't care?" "There's an... unspoken thing going on in places like these. Digimon like us wander in from the Network all the time. They don't shoot every single one of us, unless we make massive trouble or actively cause damage." "Still, from what we've seen, they don't just let Champion-level Digimon walk around freely. Even more so if they're Ultimate-level." Pulsemon shrugs once again. "I dunno. I'm just sharing what I have."
"Maybe they're just not strong enough to repel them?" Ryan suggests.He might have a point. They could be ignoring these invaders out of necessity."Good thing we definitely are. But while we're inside, it'll probably send up alarm bells if I have Phascomon Digivolve. We'll be better off retrieving Cutemon without getting noticed, just like we planned." "I didn't plan for a fight with an Ultimate... I thought you said this would be a quick job." He whines, already losing his nerve. You roll your eyes. "If anything goes wrong, Astamon will be strong enough to blow it away. Just keep it together, will you?" Ryan sighs deeply, then finishes sharing the last few bits of crucial information. Now that you have the full picture, you're able to create a plan, that involves Pulsemon leading the two of you directly. All that's left is to execute it, and see what the inside of the Hospital is like.== The very beginning of your sneaking mission goes well. The two of you leave the vicinity of the Hospital, change clothes, then come back with your faces obscured by veils of static. You meet up with Pulsemon, as planned, but he just looks you up and down with a disappointed expression. "Is that really your disguise?""What?""We're wearing completely different outfits, aren't we?" Ryan asks, confused. You share his stance. You've specifically picked varied styles and colors, and even put your hair up. Pulsemon shakes his head in disbelief and crawls through the window, signaling for you to follow. As the three of you begin slipping through the hallways, you use your .app files on the cameras in your path. You use Sp00f to loop the footage for a short period of time, making sure that you're not caught on tape. If they monitor it in real-time, they'll find the gaps in surveillance, but it'll hold up to a cursory look.However, the first problem rapidly approaches. You hear multiple sets of incoming human footsteps as you walk down a particularly long stretch of hallway. Pulsemon immediately prepares to scurry beneath a vending machine, but you can do no such thing. Ryan tries a nearby door at random, but finds that it's locked. You're in a ward hallway."Damn!" You stare at the upcoming three-way intersection. The sound is coming from the right, where you're meant to go. If they make a left turn from their angle, they'll run right into the two of you, with your static veils blatantly visible. If they go straight, you can just wait for them to pass. Hiding is a poor choice with so little cover in this hall.
>Temporarily turn off your c1oak veil. If they come your way, they'll just see two regular people passing by. Nothing to worry about. However, on the off chance that they're accompanied by any bots, they'll catch sight of you immediately, and you don't want your faces to be logged by them. It'll create a direct discrepancy if you want an alibi for today's events. >Turn around and walk in the opposite direction, so they can't see that you're using a contraband .app. You'll bank on luck. If they go the other way, they'll be out of your hair in a mere moment. However, if they're going the same way as you, you can't awkwardly stop or turn back towards them without looking suspicious, or revealing your blurred faces. You'll need to waste time on going backwards, until these pesky patients are gone, and risk running into people from the other direction.>Send Pulsemon out to get their attention. No need to rely on luck, when he's an excellent distraction on his own. He'll surely pull their focus towards him, allowing you to slip by without notice. However, he'll need time to rendezvous with you after he leads them away. You'll have to keep walking without his guidance for a little while, leaving you shorthanded when dealing with Hospital hazards.
>>6306333>Send Pulsemon out to get their attention. No need to rely on luck, when he's an excellent distraction on his own. He'll surely pull their focus towards him, allowing you to slip by without notice. However, he'll need time to rendezvous with you after he leads them away. You'll have to keep walking without his guidance for a little while, leaving you shorthanded when dealing with Hospital hazards.Divide, conquer, regroup.
>>6306333>Send Pulsemon out to get their attention. No need to rely on luck, when he's an excellent distraction on his own. He'll surely pull their focus towards him, allowing you to slip by without notice. However, he'll need time to rendezvous with you after he leads them away. You'll have to keep walking without his guidance for a little while, leaving you shorthanded when dealing with Hospital hazards.Good thing we came together.
>>6306333>Send Pulsemon out to get their attention. No need to rely on luck, when he's an excellent distraction on his own. He'll surely pull their focus towards him, allowing you to slip by without notice. However, he'll need time to rendezvous with you after he leads them away. You'll have to keep walking without his guidance for a little while, leaving you shorthanded when dealing with Hospital hazards.
>>6306333>>Send Pulsemon out to get their attention. No need to rely on luck, when he's an excellent distraction on his own. He'll surely pull their focus towards him, allowing you to slip by without notice. However, he'll need time to rendezvous with you after he leads them away. You'll have to keep walking without his guidance for a little while, leaving you shorthanded when dealing with Hospital hazards.
>>6306385>>6306387>>6306536>>6306591>>6306612Writing! Might be unable to update today, busy day.
>Send Pulsemon out to get their attention. No need to rely on luck, when he's an excellent distraction on his own. He'll surely pull their focus towards him, allowing you to slip by without notice. However, he'll need time to rendezvous with you after he leads them away. You'll have to keep walking without his guidance for a little while.You crouch by the vending machine to whisper into his hiding place. “We need you to distract them.” ”Huh? But-“ “They’re turning!” Ryan hisses. Left with no choice, Pulsemon scurries out from under the machine. He crouches into a runner’s stance and takes a single second to check his shoelaces, before taking off in a burst of lightning. You feel the air crackling, and your static cloak fizzles in response. He’s gone in a flash, darting past the patients right as they emerge. One of them yelps in surprise. He slows down, becoming visible to them for a brief moment, then continues along his way. The three of them are left marveling at the sight. The middle-aged woman in their group slowly follows along, holding up a camera, and her two friends accompany her. There are no bots escorting them, fortunately. “You think he’ll get caught on camera?” Ryan asks. “Nah, he lives here, he probably knows how to avoid them.” The situation is handled, you quickly reach the intersection and turn right, moving away from the patients. Sp00f is one of those .apps that work off activation time, rather than being single-use, so you don’t burn too many copies while disabling the various cameras in your path. You eventually make it to the stairwell, which is buried annoyingly deep in the building. “You sure this is the right one?” “Positive, it has the same green door and everything.” You push the door open and start climbing the steps. There were other staircase landings that could have taken you up to the third floor, but you decided to pick one that was inconvenient to reach. The vast majority of users would just take the stairs by the entrance, making this one less likely to be inhabited. Your bet pays off, and you run into nobody while ascending.
The two of you skip the second floor entirely, ending up on the third. Out of curiosity, you peek into an open ward as you pass by. "What're you doing?" "Just taking a second. I haven't been in here before." Sitting in a bed is a young man in hospital attire. He's fast asleep, and doesn't notice either of you two. His arm is held up in a cast, and you can see fizzling artifacts rising from it. His hair is cropped short, apart from the gaudy frosted tips stabbing out from his scalp. He looks like just another street punk. You quickly retreat from the entryway, not wanting to linger and waste time. It looks like his arm got exposed to malware. The bots usually treat these injuries quickly, so he can't have been here long. The Hospital definitely sees less action than the medical institutions of old, since the sources of danger for a human are far fewer. Only people who mess with malicious code or interact with Digimon are likely to be injured, and this guy is probably the former. You move onwards, heading towards the partition office. The packet of breaching code is stashed securely in your smuggling partition, and you intend on having Ryan watch over it while you stand vigil. Pulsemon being absent wasn't part of the plan, but you'll have to make do without him. Finally, you reach the room that you need to break into, just barely avoiding a squad of three bots. The servitors are making a constant sweep of the hallway, and soon enough, they'll loop back around and run into you. There's nowhere to really hide once you've started hacking the door, so your only real option is to delay the patrol long enough to finish the job and enter the office. "Damn, the little guy could have been useful.""Yeah. Too late for that now. I'll think of something." "I timed it earlier. They take about ten minutes to finish a sweep. If they get delayed by something, they don't call in extra bodies to finish the route. They just deal with it first."You blink in surprise, rather pleased that he remembered such a thing. He's not the most reliable, but at least he's shown moments of competence. "That's why you took so long to report back, huh?" He nods, swiftly moving towards the door and holding his hand out for the code.
You look at the surrounding wards. The easiest way to cause a crisis is to use Fr1tz.app on the equipment. You're certain that messing with it won't have any consequences on the patients, it'll just send the AI scurrying in to fawn over them. You can mess with their treatment without too much guilt. However, any breakage will cause them to investigate after. You feel like you've covered your tracks well thus far, and you might not want to ruin that.You could also make use of Sp00f.app to create a less destructive distraction. However, the .app is only a visual display. You can't trigger an alarm with it unless a bot reads the data and responds. In order to utilize it fully, you'll have to wander the halls and find a situation where you can actually use it. It's a bigger short term risk, and will leave Ryan unsupervised, but could lead to a cleaner run.>Find a ward that's far from your location, then mess with the equipment by using Fr1tz. The bots will leave their patrol route to investigate the sabotaged electronics and ensure that the medical equipment is functional. However, as you didn't practice enough with the app, you could cause an unresolvable breakage that will prompt investigation. The upside is that this distraction will be extremely effective in the short term.>Investigate the rooms and try to find some kind of treatment schedule. Earlier, you saw a sign on the punk's bed that displayed his next checkup session. If you can find a chamber that they're scheduled to check on within the next ten minutes or so, you could use Sp00f to create something that they'll have to spend time verifying. You're confident you can do this correctly thanks to your training. However, you'll need to walk into rooms to check on the timetables, potentially being spotted by patients in the process. >Create a distraction with Pulsemon: UNAVAILABLE
>>6306947>Find a ward that's far from your location, then mess with the equipment by using Fr1tz. The bots will leave their patrol route to investigate the sabotaged electronics and ensure that the medical equipment is functional. However, as you didn't practice enough with the app, you could cause an unresolvable breakage that will prompt investigation. The upside is that this distraction will be extremely effective in the short term.
>>6306947>Find a ward that's far from your location, then mess with the equipment by using Fr1tz. The bots will leave their patrol route to investigate the sabotaged electronics and ensure that the medical equipment is functional. However, as you didn't practice enough with the app, you could cause an unresolvable breakage that will prompt investigation. The upside is that this distraction will be extremely effective in the short term.I'm guessing sending Phascomon out is too risky for the relative value of evil snore.
>>6306947Use the Fr1tz
>>6306947>Investigate the rooms and try to find some kind of treatment schedule. Earlier, you saw a sign on the punk's bed that displayed his next checkup session. If you can find a chamber that they're scheduled to check on within the next ten minutes or so, you could use Sp00f to create something that they'll have to spend time verifying. You're confident you can do this correctly thanks to your training. However, you'll need to walk into rooms to check on the timetables, potentially being spotted by patients in the process.
>>6306951>>6306986>>6307009>>6307013>>6307091Fr1tz usage, writing!
>Find a ward that's far from your location, then mess with the equipment by using Fr1tz. The bots will leave their patrol route to investigate the sabotaged electronics and ensure that the medical equipment is functional. However, as you didn't practice enough with the app, you could cause an unresolvable breakage that will prompt investigation. The upside is that this distraction will be extremely effective in the short term."I'll be right back." "You gonna be gone long?" "Hopefully not." You look at your map. There's a rough loop that the bots will be making, so your best bet is to get as close to them as possible, then break the machinery in that area. They'll spend time diagnosing it and performing repairs, while being far away from Ryan's position. That should buy him enough time to break into the office. "Be careful, make sure you get all the cameras." Phascomon urges.You take it slow. You don't know where exactly the bots are going to be, so you pick a corner that seems far enough away from the office. Along the way, you make sure to Sp00f every camera, carrying out the same looping as before. Once you reach your target ward, you peek inside to see if it's occupied by anyone. Fortunately for you, it is. And unfortunately for them, you're about to mess with their equipment. The patient looks like an office worker, surprisingly. "Wonder how he got injured." "It looks a bit like your leg, doesn't it?" You squint at the man. He's currently conscious and facing the ceiling. The entire front of his body looks fuzzy and indistinct, with raised vertexes and polygons. It's a sight to behold, filling you with a sense of prickling discomfort. You can't tell where he's looking, but he hasn't noticed you. "Could be an explosion...? He doesn't look like a danger-seeker." Something nags at the back of your mind, but you can't quite pin it down. You shrug and pull out the .app file without further hesitation.
"Sucks to be him. But he'll be fine.""Yeah. Look, there's no active treatment going on. It's all just monitoring equipment." You point into the room. When Doc was fixing your leg, and when Squid was trying to help Bella, you remember them pulling out electromagnetic field generators to resculpt vertex points. No such tools are present by his bedside. You can break them without actually injuring him or interfering with his recovery. You still feel quite bad for bombing a hospital, but this route has the least amount of risk for you."Activating." Fr1tz.app detonates. The effect is immediate, causing all his electronics to fritz out, as per the name. Screens projecting his avatar go dark. His heartrate monitors spike rapidly, their screens filling with monochromatic static. His bed suddenly flattens, dropping him straight onto his back from his slightly inclined position. The motion wakes him up, and he immediately begins breathing heavily. You duck out of the doorway before the man can notice you."Hey- Help! HEEELP!" He cries for the incoming bots as you slip back into the halls and return to Ryan's position. The patrol is still several minutes away, so you hope he doesn't clamber out of bed or do anything rash."Hi. Whatcha doin?""Figlio di puttana!"You flinch, whipping your head around to stare at the speaker. Your pulse spikes, matching the erratic whirling of your victim's heart monitor. For a second, you think you've been caught. "Don't- Don't scare me like that! What the hell, Pulsemon?!""Dude!"Your little green ally rubs the back of his head sheepishly."Sorry. I was just wondering what you were doing all alone.""Causing a distraction. Come on, let's go back to the meetup point." He totters along behind you, as you leave the screaming patient behind. ==
“It’s open!” Ryan calls. You flash Pulsemon a signal with a laser pointer, and he quickly returns from his sentry post by the corner of the hallway. For a little while, you thought that you might need a second distraction after all— the cracking code took longer than expected to break through. Fortunately, it managed to finish a new cycle and open up the lock before the patrol returned to your position. ”Everyone in!” Phascomon chirps from within your Digivice. You need no further prompting, filing into the office first with your W1pe.app pre-loaded. It proves to be unnecessary. There’s no servitor waiting in the office. There’s just a large terminal, a holographic projection of the hospital, and a series of thick cables extending from the terminal and running into the walls. You see a dashboard with numerous temperature controls and orders for storage space allocation. Notably, there’s no way to control any of this from the outside. One needs to log into the partition itself, and access the sub-level of the Hospital building. “Get everything ready.” You order Ryan. “Usual procedure for entering partitions, VPNs and all.”By now, you’re familiar with the process. Ryan accepts your order without a hitch, refreshing his time-sensitive .apps and tools so that he can enter the network with a fresh timer. He’s particularly cautious after what happened to Lenny. ”Oi. Sparky. Where’d you say your boss was again?” Gizamon asks roughly. ”Last I checked, they were doing some creepy experiments using the Hospital software. I think it was a surgery room?” ”Huh? They were cutting up the Cutemon?! Isn’t that something you should have told us before?” Phascomon asks, pacing wildly in the corner of your HUD. ”No! They were just trying to copy something in his code. Weird little experiments, and they were using the equipment here.""What do you mean 'using the equipment'?" Ryan asks. You think back to the mall, and the customer redirection protocols within. Apart from being abandoned, the mall was a carbon copy of the real one, down to each store. "There's a copy of every facility in the backend. They must be using that." You answer. "Bingo. So now we waltz in, you delete those two creeps, and we get the boss back! Then he'll hear out whatever request you had." Ryan holds a hand out, preparing to jump inside.
"Wait, wait- There could be a bot handling the controls." You signal for him to stop, while you think through your options. If something is manning the controls for this room, you could raise the alarm awfully fast just by entering. Since Digimon go in and out of the Hospital backend, you assume security isn't as draconian as the data center. They might not even scan you when you enter. As long as you aren't hasty, you could get past this without putting the guards on alert.If it notices you guys, you'll be forced to use W1pe.app. That's your one backup option, but if it bricks the bot, you'll attract attention to your position.>Enter one by one and try to sneak past the guard bot independently. This option has the most points of failure, but if all three of you can go through consecutively, you could make it closer to you goal without tipping anyone off at. However, you can't observe each other's progress, you might just pop in during someone else's failure, or it could be looking right at the entrance when you enter. >Send Pulsemon in first. He's used to navigating the inside, trust him to distract and lead it away before you enter. However, he's never shown humans around before. He might not pull this off correctly, or could underestimate something.>Send Phascomon in first to use Evil Snore on the bot. Thanks to your Agility Training, you feel like you can put your faith in him to disable the bot before it can trip an alarm.
>>6307544>Send Phascomon in first to use Evil Snore on the bot. Thanks to your Agility Training, you feel like you can put your faith in him to disable the bot before it can trip an alarm.Remember the basics of CQC-don't pull out a cardboard box
>>6307551+1Also OP take this pic and imagine a crossover with Fork & Spoon
>>6307544>Send Phascomon in first to use Evil Snore on the bot. Thanks to your Agility Training, you feel like you can put your faith in him to disable the bot before it can trip an alarm.
>>6307544>Send Phascomon in first to use Evil Snore on the bot. Thanks to your Agility Training, you feel like you can put your faith in him to disable the bot before it can trip an alarm.Good ol' Evil Snore.
>>6307544>Send Phascomon in first to use Evil Snore on the bot. Thanks to your Agility Training, you feel like you can put your faith in him to disable the bot before it can trip an alarm.Nap time.
>>6307544>Send Phascomon in first to use Evil Snore on the bot. Thanks to your Agility Training, you feel like you can put your faith in him to disable the bot before it can trip an alarm.This is what we trained for!
>>6307551>>6307553>>6307561>>6307564>>6307644>>6307693Nap time!>>6307553Fuck, that’s a good one.
>Send Phascomon in first to use Evil Snore on the bot. Thanks to your Agility Training, you feel like you can put your faith in him to disable the bot before it can trip an alarm."Hololize." You send Phascomon out. He heads for the partition and prepares to load himself in, slipping into his role without skipping a beat."You sure he's got this?" Pulsemon asks. "We've been practicing his sneaking. Plus, you've seen him fight. Don't underestimate us." Ryan nods solemnly in the back. "Okay, he's been in there a couple moments. Think we can go in?" "Let's go." You confirm.== Once you load yourself into the Hospital Resource Allocation System, you take a moment to find your bearings. Instead of an office, you're in an expanse of EM wave flooring. Hundreds of panels and charts cover all four walls, many even floating in mid air. This area is the nerve center of the Hospital. You take care not to step on anything or trigger any buttons, as you make your way to Phascomon. As you'd hoped, the robot is already handled. It's leaning back in its seat with an hourglass depicted on its face. "Woah-" Ryan enters next, and is immediately silenced by your hand closing around his mouth. You glare at him in annoyance, quickly motioning to the sleeping servitor. Pulsemon, wisely, does not make any sound. He just enters and heads straight for the wall with an exit. One by one, the four of you tiptoe past the bot and move into the hallway. When you're out of danger, you grin at Phascomon. "Good work. No alarms?" "It didn't even get to reach for anything." "Wow, you sure handled it fast!""Like I said, he had it under control."
Pulsemon begins leading the way once more. Ryan sends Gizamon out as well, and he takes the vanguard along with the little beast-man. "Huh, haven't taken a good look at you just yet! You smell all wet!" He says.Gizamon wrinkles his nose, trying to get a whiff of himself, then rolls his blue eyes and follows close behind. "Threats to look out for, Pulsemon?" You ask. "Patrols! They know my face, and know that I'm not up to anything huge. Plus, I've beaten up enough of those Espimon to send a message! But they'll probably try and stop you if they see you.""Espimon and Commandramon?" "Bingpot, or whatever they say.""We planned for a subtle approach, so don't go aggravating them." You order. He nods hesitantly. "Okay. Onwards to the surgery room." Pulsemon starts leading you through the labyrinthine corridors. It's a lot less stressful now that there aren't cameras to jam every few feet. The prospect of a Digimon battle is less scary than being permanently tagged by a bot. You run into a patrol at one point, but quickly duck around a corner and wait for them to pass by. They keep marching without issue. "They look stressed out." Ryan says. "On edge." "Must be because of the guests." Gizamon adds. "That's right. They get like this whenever weird Digimon start lingering within the partition. If they start wrecking equipment or actively deleting the guards, then they call in bigger guns.""But they normally just wait for them to leave, like you said.""Mhm."
You look around the hallways. Apart from the extra-large control center, the network version of the Hospital is a replica. You can use the same map and make your way to the surgery room. However, you'll likely run into plenty of Digimon as a group, and have to evade or defeat them in turn. Maybe you can find some kind of alternate approach that's less risky. You've already done a good job of mitigating said risks, might as well keep it up.>Don't try anything new. Sneak straight for the operating theatre that Pulsemon last saw Cutemon and the kidnappers in. You have a set goal in mind, just go straight for it and endure the patrols as you intended. You've trained Phascomon to do exactly this, so the main risk is Ryan, Pulsemon, and Gizamon bumbling along.>Send Pulsemon all the way to the surgery room to scout first. Find a safe corner to camp out. In the meantime, you can do some passive exploration of your surrounding area or chat with Ryan. Once he's back with confirmation that it's the right place, then you can move out.>Instead of going there, head out of the window and wander the outer grounds. Pulsemon said he was worried they'd move Cutemon soon. They have nowhere to go but out into the Network if so. You can just camp out by the exit point and wait, eliminating the drawback of your companions being less stealthy than you. It's a practical move, but you won't know what's happening elsewhere while you do it, and Pulsemon will probably be too antsy to sit still while you bide your time.
>>6308014>Send Pulsemon all the way to the surgery room to scout first. Find a safe corner to camp out. In the meantime, you can do some passive exploration of your surrounding area or chat with Ryan. Once he's back with confirmation that it's the right place, then you can move out.The chat with Ryan is tempting and some prep wouldn't be bad.
>>6308052+1
>>6308014>Send Pulsemon all the way to the surgery room to scout first. Find a safe corner to camp out. In the meantime, you can do some passive exploration of your surrounding area or chat with Ryan. Once he's back with confirmation that it's the right place, then you can move out.I guess the main concern is if Cutemon's already been moved.
>>6308014>Send Pulsemon all the way to the surgery room to scout first. Find a safe corner to camp out. In the meantime, you can do some passive exploration of your surrounding area or chat with Ryan. Once he's back with confirmation that it's the right place, then you can move out.
>>6308052>>6308088>>6308096>>6308224Writing!
