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lndslorepuzzler · 3 months ago

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Under Deepspace: Galactic Sunset, pt 1-10

01: Bonfire: FMC wakes up to herself and Qi Yu beside a bonfire. Qi Yu chastises FMC, "The line between being kind and being dumb is very thin. A small, smart fish swims away while it still can when the big fish are hunting." She points out that he was swimming directly into a whirlpool, which he has no response for. He claims that saving FMC was just his act of kindness for the day, and asks how long the "malicious creature will keep an eye on (them...)" after which comes the best exchange in the main story.*1

Then, discussing animals in general, Qi Yu says, "Animals that are fond of humans usually have a tragic end... One moment you're cute and cuddly, the next they toss you aside. You're forgotten, left behind. ...And you? Wasn't there something important you forgot about?"

He informs FMC that he's keeping the protocore from the Wanderer, but gives her an invitation to 'Hunting Day' at The Nest. FMC says he must be a regular, which Qi Yu gives a flippant response to; then he makes a point that she'd best wear a disguise to get in, pick up some local lingo and stop flashing the Hunter's Watch. He says he'll cover for her when it matters, but points out that one "(has) to pay a very high price for obscure information. Especially for stuff involving-... Mysterious protocores."*2

02: Desecrated Soil: In a dark alley, Shen Xinghui is confronted by a stranger, while the Astronomy Channel talks about a dead planet, -P0159, recently discovered by the DAA. The stranger says he can't believe that Shen Xinghui was involved in Isaiah's death, that he would never attack their comrades. "As you can see, I'm a monster now... You don't want to end up like me, right? But sooner or later, you'll be walking down this path as well. Only she can save us. You, of all people, should know!" He says he's seen "that thing" with her.

Shen Xinghui cuts him off, saying "Until that day comes, no one should even think about getting close to her. The same goes for me." The stranger accuses Shen Xinghui of being a traitor, forgetting about his home. Shen Xinghui kills him; he "transforms into specks of light soon corroded by black particles. They dissolve into the cracks of the road." Shen Xinghui leaves, and the narration notes "Cleanup isn't necessary. No one would notice there being one less person of their kind. Besides, this city is riddled with filth."

The next scene brings Shen Xinghui to The Nest, where he tosses the bartender a blood-smeared, damaged protocore. The bartender notes that he always takes bounties but never rewards, and Shen Xinghui points out that he might be on the bounty list, too. He says he won't be coming to Hunting Day, and the bartender gives him a dark-colored envelope.

Shen Xinghui notes that "someone deliberately stirred up trouble in The Nest today. But he doesn't have the patience for it... There are three pairs (of eyes watching him.) It's likely his actions in the alley caught their attention. After all, birds of a feather flock together. If he makes his move here, he'll have another bounty on his head. He needs to be more careful in Linkon from now on." FMC walks into The Nest, and Shen Xinghui catches her by the arm and pulls her outside.*3

03: Luminous Veil: Now in Azure Square, FMC and Shen Xinghui have a chance to talk; FMC figures that Shen Xinghui's dodging of her questions means that something bigger is going on, but he turns the conversation toward her intentions to enter the N109 Zone. She thinks about how they've reached an understanding, in that neither of them asks the other any questions. Shen Xinghui points out that it's not the getting in, but the surviving/getting out that's going to be tricky, and tells FMC about the protocore auction. He explains that Onychinus is likely going to auction off a high-grade protocore to the highest bidder due to their earlier business transactions being ruined by Lumiere destroying a large number of protocores.

Before they can get any deeper into the conversation, FMC notices that a bunch of the patrol robots are hovering/watching them, and asks/tells Shen Xinghui that the people trying to capture him have decided to make a move. She notes to herself that they always find themselves in this kind of situation, and it's more likely a threat to Shen Xinghui than it is a coincidence. Shen Xinghui and FMC resonate to allow Shen Xinghui's Evol to destroy the patrol robots. They leave the scene.*4

04: COMBAT

05: Philo: Shen Xinghui and FMC show up at Jeremiah's flower shop, Philo, in a flash of light; he's startled enough to chastise Shen Xinghui until FMC peeks around his shoulder, at which point he freezes up. FMC doesn't know what to do with Jeremiah's surprise, while Shen Xinghui just reaches to water the laurel Jeremiah is holding, and tells FMC that "he's not young anymore, so he's a bit slow on the uptake now." Jeremiah starts to say 'long time no see'*5 but stops himself, and does something to the glass that makes them 'out of sight,' so they can talk. Jeremiah brings up the no-hunt zone, but Shen Xinghui explains that he needs an identity for FMC to get into the N109 Zone safely. Jeremiah agrees to help, and creates a false identity for FMC to take on once at the protore auction/inside the N109 Zone. Jeremiah tries to measure FMC for clothes; Shen Xinghui gives him a good shot with the spray bottle, and tells him she can do it herself.*6

06: Unconventional Advice: While Jeremiah goes to start taking care of the details of the false identity, Shen Xinghui and FMC have a conversation about how exactly to act convincingly in front of the people she'll be trying to deceive. FMC points out that there's no way this was a spur of the moment thing, and that Jeremiah is too helpful, and wonders why Jeremiah isn't helping Shen Xinghui, instead. He reminds her that he's 'just a normal Deepspace Hunter,' and what follows is a demonstration of all the things Shen Xinghui is telling her; she's too polite, she needs to believe she's always right, and that she shouldn't "provoke people who have yet to show their hand."*7 Jeremiah comes back then immediately leaves after glancing over them, claiming he entered the wrong room.

07: Stellar Guidance: Jeremiah gives FMC a box of supplies to aid her in her deception; she's curious about who he is, given how quickly he put all of this together, and how sincere he is about being glad to help her, despite never thinking he would be able to do so. Shen Xinghui inserts himself between the two of them, and FMC heads home, since Shen Xinghui "(has) plans today." Before he goes, he gives FMC a transmitter presumably pierced into her ear; "Even if you're somewhere in the N109 Zone with no signal, we can still track your location." He also gives her an inhibitor (which will make her "temporarily immune to 98.7% of neurotoxins") and a self-defense needle. FMC asks if he has a magic pocket or something, and Shen Xinghui gives her a bouquet of flowers ("They just happened to blossom. So, I sincerely hope you'll accept them.")

After FMC leaves Philo, Jeremiah and Shen Xinghui talk. Jeremiah wants to know if Shen Xinghui managed to stay calm when he saw her the first time, and if he really doesn't care about the Nonintervention Principle. Shen Xinghui points out that some have already stopped caring about it, or else many of the bad things happening wouldn't have happened in the first place. He also notes that the N109 Zone will be safer than Linkon in a few days.

Jeremiah says he can't remember all the faces of the Backtrackers, and agrees that the Nonintervention Principle is useless "for (those) whose presence here was always a mistake... And mistakes are bound to be corrected sooner or later. Maybe we're slowly being erased as we speak." Shen Xinghui asks about the condition of the Traceback 2, and Jeremiah wonders if there's even anyone on the other side of the Deepspace Tunnel who could respond to them. Shen Xinghui promises that Jeremiah will return, while Jeremiah points out that "having Evol doesn't make you invincible... And you're... This isn't Philos. And we, you know, aren't truly immortal. Our kind, I mean."

This passage closes out the section:

08: COMBAT (Challenge)

09: Into Deep*8: FMC takes in the information that she's learned from Li Shen (that Onychinus may already have protocores in their possession,) advice from Shen Xinghui (that a powerful reputation will keep people from messing with you,) and Qi Yu (that her best bet for getting what she wants is to make herself the bait) and decides she's ready to go. She calls Qi Yu and tells him to "meet (her) at The Nest. Show (her) how to fish."*9

Qi Yu does meet FMC; he walks her through the process of 'setting up a deal.' He stops her just before she completes the last step, reminding her that if the deal "doesn't go smoothly, (she) will be the payment, instead." FMC decides the risk is worth the reward and finishes the transaction. Qi Yu walks away, saying "Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. I hope you find the answer you seek."

10: Trap: It's Hunting Day at The Nest, and FMC is the target. The red eye is back, this time as a physical object; FMC is injected with C-003 neurotoxin, and falls unconscious. Up in a side room Qi Yu speaks with an unknown man*10 about how the situation is getting more dangerous; Qi Yu points out that things are still up in the air, and asks for/is given a small black box. When asked if he's "fine with handling over a fresh catch just like that," he asks, "Do you really think they can handle the prey I caught?"

There is then an ending sequence showing the (presumed) locations of Shen Xinghui, Li Shen, and Qi Yu; at Traceback 2, in the Arctic, and in front of/disappearing from the large painting in his studio. The text reads as follows:

Traceback 2 will reach the edge of the Deepspace Tunnel's umbra within one day.

Our journey through the Deepspace Tunnel begins.

Destination is in the Orion arm of the Milky Way--

Once the home of humanity: Earth.

Activating Course Correction Engine.

The final countdown has been initiated...

When P0159's light shines through the Deepspace Tunnel, illuminating Linkon Tower's pinnacle... The closest we've been to it in last 4.6 billion years.

This galaxy's name is derived from the Greek word, "philo." It is the most exquisite gem in Deepspace.

Philos.*11

Humanity remains shackled to time.

Fortunately, there are other lives in this boundless (unreadable)

Tonight's weather, clear sky with winds around 7 miles/hour.

Everything is serene inside the Deepspace Tunnel.

Goodnight, Linkon City.

May you rest in the Milky Way's embrace, drifting in a realm of long and happy dreams.

*1, Bar none, this is still the best thing I've ever seen. I also enjoy the implication that Qi Yu can talk to ALL animals, not just fish/oceanic creatures.

*2, Obviously, Qi Yu knows more than he lets on, as we find out later in World Underneath: Long Lost Treasures.

*3, This entire section is heavy on the Shen Xinghui lore, and seems to be painting him in the role of the classic, amoral bounty hunter. The fact that his supposed ex-companion dissipates the same way Wanderers do (in a fizzle like Metaflux) is interesting; even more interesting is that Shen Xinghui has absolutely no hesitation in killing him. Isaiah is mentioned; he has his own tag, seen below. With all of these clues, we can safely extrapolate that Shen Xinghui just killed someone who was on the same mission as he was aboard the Traceback 2, and that his physical state was deteriorating for as-of-now unknown reasons.

*4, Worth noting that at the beginning, a newscaster talks about how the Deepspace Aviation Administration found traces of organisms that once lived on P0159.

*5, Connections to life before the Traceback 2 mission, see Shen Xinghui: Myth: ()

*6, See above, with specific attention to Shen Xinghui's canon jealousy/possessiveness/abandonment issues.

*7, Refer back to *3, and the general understanding that Shen Xinghui never reveals his cards until he's absolutely sure he's on the same page as the person he's with. The FMC also mentions the feeling of danger and weight; that she is not in control of the situation despite being the one standing up.

*8, I love that this can be taken as 'into deep,' as in 'into a deep place' or 'in too deep,' as in, 'in over your head.' I feel like both interpretations work.

*9, This occurs the day after Shen Xinghui pulls her out of The Nest.

*10, He is wearing this crest, is, in fact, the EVER Group symbol.

*11, In case any of us were wondering, 'philos' is in fact the ancient Greek word for love.

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lndslorepuzzler · 3 months ago

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Under Deepspace 01: To Begin, pt 01-09

01: Deepspace Hunter: FMC goes through the graduation ceremony for Deepspace Hunters; she meets her coworker Tara. Her Evol is unstable due to a childhood injury/Wanderer attack, though it is recognized as Anhaunsen Class, Resonance. This isn't a surprise to her.

02: Mysterious Light: FMC and Tara go into the abandoned research base to inspect an abnormal Metaflux explosion. FMC encounters Shen Xinghui, who appears to be injured. The two of them fend off a Wanderer, during which a collar of blue/red light appears and disappears around Shen Xinghui's neck.

03: COMBAT

04: Heart Towards Resonance: FMC and Shen Xinghui defeat the Wanderer; Shen Xinghui destroys the protocore. FMC wants to leave; Shen Xinghui says they've been trapped in the space. FMC determines that the Wanderers are Luminivores. She speculates that the situation could be a trap set specifically for Shen Xinghui, or that he might be bait instead of prey. ("I'm just a normal hunter. You don't need to look too deeply into it," he says like a lying liar who lies.) In order to defeat/escape the Luminivores, Shen Xinghui and FMC resonate; this involves putting her hand over his heart.

05: Light Fades: FMC and Shen Xinghui defeat all the Wanderers. FMC realizes she's never experienced an Evol Resonance so strong before. Shen Xinghui asks FMC not to mention him to anyone and shortly thereafter vanishes into thin air. She notes that Shen Xinghui being in the research base likely wasn't a coincidence.

06: UNICORNS: Upon arriving back at the headquarters, FMC and other recruits are debriefed by Jenna, and are assigned to their departments. Tara goes to Data Analysis under Andrew, and FMC is assigned to Alpha Team under Jenna. They go out to eat in Azure Square. Tara explains how she looks up to Jenna for saving her. FMC flashes back to fourteen years ago, remembers sprinting through the ruined streets, a sharp pain moving into/through her heart. There is a makeshift shelter in sight, and a tiny seedling breaking through the soil. FMC is accosted by a small child (Lucas) who wants her help with something; he offers to give her a full set of Super Hunters AR cards, complete with the limited edition Hunter Lux.

07: Ripples: Lucas wants FMC to catch a fish for him, but runs off after he gets caught for cheating. Qi Yu appears, and says the fish will only survive a week on land. He's carrying a pamphlet about Hat Island, which is closed due to Wanderer activity. He catches the fish, which he says is a real Flammula from Lemurian legend. FMC gives him the fish to take home, saying she hopes it survives longer with him. Qi Yu leaves before FMC can finish her sentence about Whitesand Bay and at 6:15pm, FMC realizes she's late for her doctor's appointment.

08: Doctor: FMC goes to Akso Hospital for her check-in with Li Shen. The two of them bicker about her being ten seconds from a no-show; FMC asks if he really needs to be that precise ("I can't believe you're just sitting there and counting down. What are you, a ticking time bomb or something?") FMC speculates that his "vacation" was actually a trip to the Arctic to work on a secret project; Li Shen tells her not to be nosy. He checks her heart; she hopes he hasn't noticed anything is off. They banter a bit, but things end amicably.

09: Rainfall Curtain: At home, FMC contemplates her first day as a Deepspace Hunter. She gets a call from Caleb, her childhood friend who is a member of the Deepspace Aviation Administration. She tells him not to jinx himself. FMC looks out into the rain and sees a gigantic, quasi-mechanical looking red eye staring back at her. It vanishes in an instant.

1. It's especially interesting that FMC refers to Li Shen as a 'ticking time bomb,' especially in regards to what we find out re: his Evol, and his desire to be able to stop himself 'when (he) becomes a threat to her.' 2. The eye FMC sees in 09 is almost identical to the eye seen in The Nest, and is the colors associated with Qin Che.

#love and deepspace #main story #ref: tara #ref: shen xinghui #ref: jenna #ref: andrew #ref: azure square #ref: fourteen years ago #ref: tide street #ref: qi yu #ref: hat island #ref: lemuria #ref: li shen #ref: caleb #ref: the eye #ref: shen xinghui's collar

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