A machine's guide to Divinity

ASCENSION /// ACT III CRESCENDO: [Part I]: Beneath The Rising Sun

"You're out of your depth, bozo."

Leaping with her sword outstretched, J cut downwards at N. Evading the strike, N turned to face her.

"J, what are you doing?" N asked, dodging thrusts and knocking away her blade.

J didn't reply, continuing to pressure N with a diagonal strike.

"... Is something wrong? Do you need help? J?" N spoke, trapping her blade between his arm and cutting her hand off.

Pushing him away, J walked toward him with her head down.

"Company's orders. They want you executed."

Firing a railgun at N, N barely dodged the projectile while flying above and slamming down, pinning her to the ground.

"Something's wrong with you, You'd never betray Tessa..." N started, realizing something dreadful.

J never had the chance to free herself from her administrator: Cyn. That would mean Cyn was free to edit, delete, modify, and possess J whenever she wanted. Essentially, J was nothing but a puppet now, held up by the Solver's strings.

"No, you'd never betray Cyn..." N sighed, forming his hands into blades. 

J tore herself from N's grasp and was about to cut N's head off, but the word 'Tessa' made her flinch.

"J, I know you're there, stay with me!" N shouted, ducking under bullets and blocking J's claws.

"Gross. And you didn't even like her," Cyn replied, using J to speak.

With a triangular step, J broke N's guard and held her blade at N's throat.

"Th[is] is [w]hat the com[pany] would've wanted after all," J spoke, her voice alternating between Cyn's.

Lifting her arm and pulling her close, N turned and lifted J before throwing her over his back. Failing to break her fall, J lay, stunned as N regenerated his neck.

"You're right, Cyn would've wanted this. But do you think Tessa would?" N reasoned, forcing her to look at his eyes. And to his dismay, N saw a horrified J stare at him before her expression glitched into a mundane expression, one that he had seen from Cyn.

"Tessa DIED because of us, J, Do you really want to betray her? Do you really think the company is more important than her?" N shouted, trying to get through Cyn and reach J.

"Look. I don't know how much you hate me, but don't you want all this to end? Don't you hate Cyn for taking everything from us? Our memories? Our friends?" N continued as J landed a spinning kick, almost knocking N off the Earthmover.

Unresponsive, J fired a rocket at N, trying to blow him up. Kicking it away, N saw the projectile explode and open up a new passageway leading to the Earthmover's interior with a sign saying: BACKUP GENERATORS.

[[INCOMMING TRANSMISSION]]

This is Khan Doorman. Disassembly drone designation N, I am using a proximity reader to send this message, so expect unstable transmission. At the end of the passage ahead is a fortified airlock with a keycard— (reconnection) to access the backup generators for the Earthmover's shields. If you can hijack and sabotage the generator, we would—(reconnection) directly attack the Earthmover, for we have three —(reconnection) Cannons fully charged.

I have acquired the general blueprints from—(reconnection) will be waiting for your clear signal.

"Khan?! Now's not the time to—"