Transcript:Guardian Angel

The following is a transcript of Guardian Angel. The English translation was provided by Project Nemo.

MISSION 40

GUARDIAN ANGEL

“Shuttle Return”

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Operation location: Comona Is.

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Prior to mission

NVS [Possibilities in the world of computers]

Caster	On that note, now for our continuing story on notable new technologies from Neucom as well as other companies.
	.
	.
	The duplication of human consciousness through “sublimation”.
	First of all, we are linked up with the one in charge at the site who is advancing its development, Neucom’s Dr. Simon, via Data Swallow, so
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	.
	.
	let’s begin there.
	Hello.
	Oh... may I blather on now?
	Well... uh, perhaps I should start talking about the history?
	Computer technology from around when governments still held power
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	was little more than a tool for humans.
	And so, only in such fantasies known as “sci-fi novels”, “films”, or “video games” did we see such dreams known as “robots” and “cyborgs”, where computers or machines were given personality.
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	However, as for a clever computer or artificial life-form that has the complex sentiments of human beings so far,
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	I have yet to meet one.
	Why is that?
	The conception is mistaken from the start.
	—yes. Making life from nothing is still something only God can do.
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	Instead, if we humans, in contrast, could become machines or computers,
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	that’s a possibility.
	—just for example.
	I wear glasses, but
	thinking a certain way about it,
	you could call me a partially mechanized cyborg.
	A number of mechanisms like this are there to supplement human ability.
	A final realm in extension of that would be
	to digitize the personality that composes the human brain as-is, as data, and
	.
	copy it onto computers;
	in other words, developing a bootleg copy of the brain.
	That is my research.
	—you follow?
	This is not a pipe dream of times past.
	In practice, approving of this plan,
	there are those who wish to participate in experiments as well as repeated offers from Neucom, at least....
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	Some of the mainstream media are slamming me and my experiments, but uh...
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	It’s like the way people way back when used to criticize, when they saw the shape of an airplane and asked if such a heavy lump of iron would fly;
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	foolish cowards—.
Caster	Oh! Excuse us.
	It seems some circuit has gone bad.
	Doctor, can you hear us?
	Well, let’s go to commercial.

Cynthia [Dispatch Request]↵

Cynthia	Pardon the interruption.
	This is a dispatch request. Or more accurately, a briefing.
	New R-Numbers have also been deployed.
	Test various ones so you find a Coffin that suits you.
	.
	Well then, we should be meeting up there.

Briefing

A space shuttle used for the space development program that we at Neucom are advancing will return.

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However, we have caught hold of intel that General Resource is trying to interfere with this.

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Please escort the space shuttle, that it may be able to land in safety.

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Mission start

Takeoff

Cynthia	The shuttle, of course, has no weapons on it, so
	we are to become its shield.
	Heading out!
Fiona	Spread out and guard it; not just horizontally, but vertically, too.
	.
	Let’s go!

Cleared for takeoff

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Intercept

Hit from behind

Cynthia

Behind you! Careful, now!

00:30

Cynthia	Unaided visual confirmation on the shuttle.
Fiona	And the welcoming committee has showed up for it, too!

00:40

R-808

Requesting relief ASAP!!

R-808 is shot down

Cutscene

R-808	Direct hit to engine section!
	Landing impossible! We’re gonna crash!!!
Cynthia	I believe I said to be the shield!?

* Mission failure

Annihilate first wave of targets within 3 min. 59 s

Mission Accomplished

Cynthia

Mission complete. We’ll return, too.

Unable to annihilate first wave of targets within 3 min. 59 s

NEU	You succeeded in the escort.
	Now go on to sweep up the remaining forces, please.

Update Target

* Second wave of targets appears

10 s elapsed after second wave of targets appear

Cynthia	Now, to deal with these busybodies!
Fiona	After this, we just scatter them!

Second wave of targets annihilated

Mission Over

Cynthia

Mission complete. We’ll return, too.

Landing

Fiona

Land right after the shuttle.

Landing

Debriefing

The space shuttle, thanks to your escort,

was able to land safely.

After mission end

When “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” achieved

Cynthia [I thought so....]↵

Cynthia	First off, this message is a personal matter.
	And... oh right,
	the shuttle guys were thankful, too.
	The results of the experiments in space didn’t come to naught, either.
	I, too, am thankful that you came over to Neucom.
	.
	If I had your skills,
	I’d surely be able to sync with whatever new R-Number, too.
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	It was as if you could even feel the wind on your wingtips, I thought.
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	—that’s all.
	Later....

Fiona [After that]↵

Fii	Today, after that,
	I met with the shuttle people.
	They said that the feeling around the time you come descending from space to the sky is the rediscovery of gravity that you know through your body.
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	That we can’t ascend any higher than the sky...
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	I felt that when meeting with them.
	When I encounter people like this,
	I felt I could get used to even Neucom’s newness.
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	How are you?
	Have you gotten used to it yet?
	—Fii, out.

When “MISSION OVER” achieved

Cynthia [For starters, good work.]↵

Cynthia	You haven’t come back yet?
	About the shuttle thing....
	Thank goodness they were able to land somehow.
	With this, Neucom’s continued experiments in space have not gone to waste,
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	though it’s a bit of a shame we were a bit inefficient taking care of General.
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	I’ll consider today’s flight data my own way, and
	next time I’ll send them to you.
	Refer to them by the next sortie.