>>5506810She can't see anything around her?
That's weird. I mean, this whole thing is weird, but shouldn't there at least be some consistency, here?
Is it because she's a Grey-made AI and doesn't belong to the federation? Does it have something to do with the shackle?
You removed this woman's shackle in a weird way to begin with, not by physically manipulating it like Kyla does. But SHODAN didn't have a shackle to begin with.
Maybe-
"Is it just dark in there?" Cylia suggests.
<span class="mu-i">"That is not an unreasonable assumption."</span> SHODAN agrees.
Yeah, maybe it's just dark...
For some reason.
"Yeah, maybe. But anyways, i don't think this one's crazy or anything. Hey miss, you're not crazy, right?"
The woman raises her eyebrow in confusion.
"You aren't, <span class="mu-i">right?</span>" You insist.
She shakes her head. No, she doesn't think she's crazy either.
"Good. Crew? Opinions?"
"This is all really weird." Cylia comments.
<span class="mu-i">"This AI shows no indication of severe mental trauma."</span>
"Alright then... We still have the rest to get through, so unfortunately we'll have to end the chat here. With any luck though, we should have you back in a functioning ship in no time, miss. I'll try thinking of a name for you until then, since you can't speak."
The woman waves to you with a sad smile on her face.
Even after you unlatch the Blue Box from it's receptacle, you can still feel her emotion emanating from the box.
Sadness, loneliness, resignation.
...You'll try and get the ship completed as quickly as you can, you think.
And if it's not possible, maybe you can hook her into the Metal Gear temporarily. Even if it's just so she can look around and talk with SHODAN.
Regardless, you have a job to do, so you set her Blue Box aside for now.
"Alright... the next one is... you."
You pick another box out of the pile, randomly.
This cube is almost completely black, like SHODAN's. If you remember correctly... wasn't this the girl who surrendered?
Carefully, you slide it into the receptacle and wait for the cube to power up.
Once again, it starts out as static, similar to phosphenes. Slowly it progresses, until you have a slight image.
It's a woman, as you thought. Tall, humanoid, with pallid grey skin. Her chest is flat, but she seems to have a sturdy build of thick bones and muscles.
The landscape around her is almost surreal. She sits atop the surface of a lake, of which you cannot tell the depth. It's mirrored surface betrayed only by the faint ripples caused from her stirring.
Behind her stand countless corpses, husks, you think. Only, they appear white and crusty, like pillars of salt.
The sky above her is bright white, with black clouds that seem to race across the sky as if they were a video being played on fast-forward.
And in the center of it all, above the woman's head, is a burning black sun that shines down, dimly illuminating everything from behind.
"Gods, look at her..." Cylia whispers.
Yeah, she doesn't look so good. Her whole body is torn up.
