"Hahaha! I've finally done it!"
I threw my hands up in the air, the cackle echoing against the metallic walls of the lab. Before me sat the prototype a power source stable enough to fuel every one of my eccentric inventions at once. It was a masterpiece of mad science, if I do say so myself.
I didn't wait for applause. Instead, I flipped open a box of chocolate cake that had been sitting on the workbench. "Cake time, Z23!"
Z23 sighed, though she didn't refuse the fork I offered. "Now that you've finished your... project... Rhodes Island has sent a formal request. They need you to prioritize medical devices. Or weapons. Preferably both."
She took a delicate bite of the cake, her expression softening despite herself.
"Well, I've got nothing better to do," I muttered, my fingers already dancing across the terminal. I scrolled through the store, casually purchasing several high-end medical blueprints and a handful of what I'd consider 'low-tier' armaments.
To the Elite Operators, they were god-tier; to me, they were Tuesday's warm-up.
I felt the sugar rush hitting.
I needed a beat. "Z23! Play it! Play Goldship!"
Z23's face went deadpan. "Again? Truly?"
"Play it!"
With a look of pure resignation, she reached over and pressed a button on the boombox. The frantic, high-energy beat of the Goldship theme exploded into the room.
"Goldship! Goldship! GOLDSHIP!" I sang along, hopping around the lab with a fork still in my hand.
"Not again..." Z23 groaned, covering her ears as she retreated toward the door.
In the Wasteland of Terra. Far from the bustling corridors of the landship Rhodes Island, the air shimmered. With a sharp crack of displaced reality, a girl tumbled onto the scorched earth. She wore a flowing blue dress, her long hair whipping around her face as she scrambled to her feet.
"Weeeiiiii?!" she shrieked, her voice cracking in a panic. "Where am I?! What happened?!"
She spun in a circle. There were no racetracks here. No cheering fans. No lush green grass of Japan. There was only the vast, oppressive silence of a wasteland devoid of life. No trees, no birds just dust.
After a few minutes of frantic breathing, she forced herself to calm down. "I... I need to find civilization. I need to find a map."
She shielded her eyes against the harsh sun, spotting a jagged silhouette in the distance. A building.
"There! I can ask for directions to the nearest city and head back to Japan," she told herself, her voice trembling. "I have to get back to Mother. She'll be so scared..."
She took off. Even in this thin, dry air, she moved like a blur, her Umamusume heritage allowing her to cover the distance in minutes without breaking a sweat. As she reached the structure, her heart sank. It was a crumbling ruin, windows shattered like jagged teeth, the interior choked with dust.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" Daiwa called out, her voice echoing through the hollow halls.
Empty. Abandoned. The silence was her only answer.
Back in the lab, I was cross-referencing material lists for the new Rhodes Island contract when my vision flickered. A translucent blue window one only I could see snapped into existence.
[ ALERT: A Umamusume 'Daughter' has arrived in Terra ]
Mission: Find your missing daughter.
Reward: Filling the hole in your heart.]
The blueprint slipped from my fingers, fluttering to the floor like a wounded bird. My breath hitched. A sharp, localized pain flared in my chest, making me gasp.
"Daiwa..." I whispered. The name felt like a brand on my soul. "My... she's here. I have to find her."
I didn't grab my coat. I didn't shut down the power source. I simply bolted for the door.
[ Assimilation: 91% ]
The number flashed in the corner of my eye, but I ignored it. I sprinted through the hallway, nearly colliding with a pair of figures.
"Whoa! Why the hurry, Agnes?" Z23 asked, catching her balance. She was walking with Amiya, the young leader of Rhodes Island looking up with concern.
"I'm going to see the Doctor. Move!" I snapped.
Amiya blinked, her rabbit ears twitching. "Do you want me to come with you? You look distressed—"
"Do whatever you want!" I growled, shouldering past them without a second glance.
Amiya stared after me, stunned. "How... rude."
Z23 just shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "Eh, you'll get used to it. When she gets like this, there's no stopping her."
I didn't hear them. I was already at the Doctor's office. I didn't knock; I slammed the door open so hard it bounced off the stopper.
"Doctor!" I shouted, my eyes wide and frantic. "I need your help. Now!"