Dreya

Her power can overcome gravity and other force fields up to a limit, manipulate objects of certain mass to attack, and make nearby physical fragments land in a certain location like meteors.

The subject appeared alongside overflowing contamination when the Illusory Moon turned full and the DisSea Black Ring was most active. Before she was detained, she was in a transitional state between Sinner and Corruptor.

In a state of total corruption. Her entire body is covered in contamination, and almost completely devoid of humanity and rationality. Extremely dangerous.

The subject was once a "Black Ring Expedition" member, venturing deep into DisSea with other scientists to conduct close-range research on the Perishing Star. Before going to DisSea, the subject was engaged in the first phase of her postdoctoral work at a research institute, focusing on astrophysics research.

After the subject was detained near DisSea under the Illusory Moon, she was placed in confinement for observation and treatment. Since it was impossible to communicate with her using normal means, the MBCC was instructed that the Chief would personally reach out to her via dreams.

The subject was a member of the renowned Black Ring Expeditionary Force. She had voluntarily joined the expedition while working at a research institute, and kept it a secret from her family. While approaching the Perishing Star, the subject and other expedition members discovered data anomalies, and became mentally corroded like all those who ventured into the DisSea Black Ring.

The subject had lost much of her human characteristics by the [unknown - nd/rd/th] day of the expedition. Probably due to severe mental corrosion, she exhibited hallucinatory and rambling behavior. However, with the help of her companions, and her own will to survive, the subject seemed to have retained a certain level of human consciousness, enabling those who came later to awaken her.

Ever since witnessing the fall of the Perishing Star and experiencing the Apocalypse as a child, the subject has had a strong passion for both the truth and the unknown. This yearning is on full display in her subconscious, increasing the chance of the MBCC Chief stabilizing her condition.

Dreya, female, around 173 cm tall post-contamination. Her body is covered with contamination from DisSea, but one can still somewhat make out her previous clothing. She dons a face mask formed by Mania, which is used to control human thinking. She is currently bound in a call by the MBCC Chief's shackles.

After completing the Mirage dive, the subject has been put back in her cell for further observation. According to observation records, the subject does not show any movements except for breathing motions. Only when Chief appears does she engage in certain actions and dialogue.

Because she had a strong interest in astronomy and the Perishing Star before getting completely corrupted by contamination, the subject is infatuated with the night sky. She tries her best to ask the Chief to take her to observe celestial bodies and acquire astronomical knowledge.

Based on information obtained by the deep dive, the subject had been a researcher at a certain research institute before getting completely corrupted by contamination. During the Black Ring Expedition, she insisted on carrying with her six cans of mixed fruit.

[Dreya seems to want you to stay with her for a little longer]

Dreya: I would like... to hear you talk more, Chief.

Chief: ......

• Prompt: Well, what secret do you want to know about me?
• Dreya: All secrets...
• Dreya: 😘

• Prompt: Didn't we have a long chat yesterday?
• Dreya: This yearning of mine... is never-ending.
• Dreya: 😖

[Some strange noises are coming from Dreya's room]

Dreya: Chief... Could you help me put these away?

Chief: ......

• Prompt: Coffee, black tea, canned fruit... How do you hoard so much stuff?
• Dreya: It's my habit... They... will be needed some day...
• Dreya: 😖

• Prompt: These cans are fine without being kept in the room.
• Dreya: This way... I'll feel satisfied...
• Dreya: 😫

⚠ Hoarder

You stumble on a pile of objects when entering Dreya's room.

System Notifications: You stumble on a pile of objects when entering Dreya's room. You look down and find a few dozen boxes of coffee beans.

• Prompt: Case closed.

System Notifications: No wonder the Supply Office has been complaining they keep running out of coffee beans.

⚠ Where's the Monocle

Dreya has lost her monocle.

System Notifications: Dreya's monocle is missing and it makes her uneasy. You order dozens of people to search every corner of the MBCC. About an hour later, someone finally finds it on the lawn in the Outdoor Activity Area.

• Prompt: Return it to Dreya

System Notifications: I probably dropped it when I was gazing at the stars last night.

⚠⚠ Curiosity

Dreya's mental state seems to have improved these days. Today, she comes to you with a notebook.

System Notifications: Dreya's mental state seems to have improved these days. Today, she comes to you with a notebook.

• Prompt: Ask

Chief: Dreya, do you need something?

Dreya: Could you brief me on the history after we set out on our expedition? I'd like to know what had happened outside during the time I was asleep...

Chief: Sure. Let's start with the foundation of DisCity then.

Dreya: Okay.

Chief: In N.F. 23, Dr. Keylan discovered the Hypercube, a substance resistant to the catastrophe, and contained the spreading of the disaster. Two years later, EDGE was founded. Based on this agreement, mankind built DisCity and began mining Hypercubes.

• Prompt: Talk about Syndicate

Chief: Syndicate is part of DisCity. It was once the brightest gem on DisCity's crown at the peak of its mining industry.

Chief: But since N.F. 84, due to the ruin of the DisSea mines and the fall of the mining industry, Syndicate's prosperity had quickly declined and it'd descended into disorder, slowly becoming a breeding ground for illegal gangs and crimes. Even today, violence and unrest are still rampant there.

• Prompt: Talk about Eastside

Chief: Eastside was founded later than Syndicate. It's a new commercial and entertainment district. After the DisSea Explosion, enterprises from different sectors of the West District all began migrating to Eastside.

Chief: Eastside has since grown into the most prosperous district of DisCity. Its entertainment businesses have flourished and eventually become the pillar of Eastside's economy...

System Notifications: The afternoon slips past unnoticed.

Chief: We've covered a lot of things today. Let's call it a day.

Dreya: Can I come again tomorrow for more stories?

Chief: Of course. Tomorrow, let's do a deep dive on... um... the Black Rings.

⚠⚠ Stargazing

The sky is clear tonight, perfect for stargazing.

System Notifications: The sky is clear tonight, perfect for stargazing, so you take Dreya to the Outdoor Activity Area.

• Prompt: Sit on the lawn together

Chief: You like looking at stars, don't you?

Dreya: I don't remember...

Dreya: But when I see a sky full of stars, somehow I feel at peace... and hopeful?

Chief: Do you still remember the names of these stars?

Dreya: Not at all...

Chief: That's okay. See the nebula over there? It's only visible when the sky is very clear.

System Notifications: She looks toward where you're pointing and finds the nebula seemingly shrouded by faint white light among the stars. She nods.

Chief: That's the Andromeda Galaxy 2.5 million light years away from Earth. When you look at it, the starlight that enters your eyes now was in fact emitted by the earliest ancestors of mankind.

Chief: Perhaps the reason why we find the vast sea of stars mesmerizing is that it constantly reminds us of the unknown that's yet to be discovered and conquered on the other side of the universe.

Dreya: ...How impressive.

Dreya: Can you tell me more about the other stars?

Chief: Sure. Look over there...

⚠⚠⚠ Canned Fruit

While tidying the Sinners' files, you read Dreya's profile.

System Notifications: While tidying the Sinners' files, you learn that Dreya's favorite food used to be canned fruit. So you grab a can from the kitchen and bring it to her, hoping to help her recall the related memories.

Chief: Dreya? I've brought you a treat.

Dreya: What... is this?

Chief: Try it.

Dreya: Delicious... The taste reminds me of something...

Chief: This is canned fruit. This used to be your favorite.

Dreya: I see...

Chief: I guess it's because it lasts long and is portable? After all, back then you spent a lot of time in the lab or on field trips.

Dreya: Hmm... Sugar helps our brains think indeed.

System Notifications: Dreya scoops another piece of peach and tastes it. Her eyes suddenly brighten as if something springs to mind.

Dreya: I remember now... A senior in the lab was allergic to peaches, so she always gave hers to me...

• Prompt: Encouragement

Chief: Great, can you think of anything else?

Dreya: ...I don't think so.

System Notifications: She shakes her head and pushes the can to you.

Dreya: You have some too.

• Prompt: Eat
• Chief: Just a nibble...
• Chief: You just said sugar helped our brains think. I've been busy with paperwork these days, I'm afraid I need it.

• Prompt: Don't eat it
• Chief: Thanks, but I'm not a fan of sweets. I appreciate it though.
• Chief: Save the can for yourself. If you want more, go grab some in the kitchen. They have many different flavors there.

⚠⚠⚠ Listener

Although Dreya is quite introverted, many people in the Bureau like to chat with her.

System Notifications: Although Dreya is quite introverted, many people in the Bureau like to chat with her.

Sumire: The flowers have bloomed in the greenhouse, so I went to pick some. Are you interested in flower arrangement? The most basic techniques include...

Dreya: I see, I see. The thematic style, the arc style, the triangular style...

Pepper: Hehe, it's the season to plant some vegetables! Why does everybody find growing vegetables some kind of tedious manual labor? There's a ton of knowledge involved. For example, while some vegetables can survive winter, most can't...

Dreya: I see, I see. Broad beans, peas, choy sum, asparagus, and shepherd's purse can survive winter...

OwO: Are you interested in lion dance? How about you become my apprentice? I'll teach you all my secret lion dance moves! First and foremost...

Dreya: I see, I see. The key is to present the lion's emotions animatedly...

System Notifications: At first, the conversations were pretty normal, but they soon begin to get out of hand.

Roulecca: I'm explaining the skill I use for dice games seriously. Why doesn't anyone want to listen to me?

Dreya: I see, I see. Just throw the dice confidently and you'll surely get a six...

Chief: ?

Demolia: Here's my secret pickled vegetable recipe. I don't share this with everyone...

Dreya: I see, I see. First step, steal Demon's shield...

Chief: ??

Che: Sigh, they've put more staff on patrol these days so it's getting harder to skip training, but there are still a few blind spots left. Hey, you must not tell anyone about this...

Dreya: I see, I see. The bush in the greenhouse, the kitchen, and the tool room in the corner of the Outdoor Activity Area... The janitor in charge of that area often forgets to lock the door...

Chief: ???

• Prompt: Intervene
• Chief: Stop! Stop it now!
• Chief: Don't memorize everything they tell you! It'll do you no good!

• Prompt: Don't intervene
• Chief: Maybe you should follow her discreetly to note down all these secret messages.
• Chief: I'll go after them one by one and catch them red-handed tomorrow!

Fall Into the Stars

Sinking into the murmuring darkness
She walks against the flow of people, into the unknown.

[Phase 1]

Beneath the red light of the Phantom Moon, the Chief sees Dreya covered in contamination. Once again, neither of them can remember each other or themselves, but the Shackles bind them together and the Chief enters her mirage.

Keylan offers the members of his expedition a final chance to back out, by they are all resolved to complete the mission. Another female member of the expedition supports Dreya as she struggles to walk in her hazmat suit. She says that their "guide" has taken them on a shortcut, and they are close to the Perishing Star. All the while, a faraway voice whispers in Dreya's ear that she should join it, because humanity is too weak to resist the change that is coming. Another team member tells her that he hears the voices too, but that their guide urges them to ignore it.

At the expedition's camp, Dreya reports that their research has hit a bottleneck. They have observed the Star from a distance for several days, and have picked up messages that may be coming either from Earth's past or future, but can't gather any solid date in the Black Ring. Dreya worries about the voices getting louder, and Keylan has to snap the expedition out of a trance as the murmuring overtakes them. He urges them to get some rest.

Dreya looks up at the stars and thinks about the night when she saw the Perishing Star approach the Earth. Unconsciously she begins walking towards the voice, but she is able to block them out and returns to her tent to sleep.

[Phase 2]

Dreya comes to in the Research Institute, three years before the expedition. Her colleagues discuss the likelihood that the Perishing Star is not a normal celestial body, that it didn't come to Earth by chance, and that it's responsible for the catastrophes sweeping the world. Nevertheless, they are dismissive of the idea of an expedition to the Black Ring. Still, Dreya resolves to join Keylan's expedition, and a faraway voice praises her for not reacting to the unknown with fear, the way that most humans do.

Dreya's parents watch the tv, terrified by news of hundreds of soldiers dying in attempts to contain the contamination pouring out of DisSea. Dreya packs her suitcase, and she finds a celestial globe that she was given for her 9th birthday, which sparked her interest in astronomy. The words on Keylan's notice change to be an obituary about the deaths of the expedition team, and Dreya has a vision of her mother crying. The memory collapses and Dreya is back in the expedition, as the Perishing Star goes berserk and spews contamination. The rest of the team flees, but Dreya keeps walking toward it. A path opens up, leading her to the star. The Phantom Moon dawns over the DisSea for the first time.

[Phase 3]

Dreya believes that by joining with the ultimate truth, she can learn how the Perishing Star is connected to the catastrophes destroying the world. The faraway voice urges her on and appeals to her sense of discovery, but the Chief's voice chimes in and tells her that she is a brilliant enough scientist on her own that she doesn't need the help of an evil entity. She hears snippets of old conversations with the many people who dismissed her interest in studying the star up close. Dreya resolves that it is *because* she is a small and insignificant human being that she came to the DisSea, facing challenges head on to find the truth. She takes the Chief's hand, and they give her a gift.

[Phase 4]

A young Dreya sits by the side of a lake beneath the starry sky. The Chief asks her about the Perishing Star, and although she acknowledges that harm it has brought, she also admits to being fascinated; she claims to be the one who discovered it. She says its her duty to uncover its secrets, and that she doesn't like being ignorant. She believes that every question in the world has an answer, and this is the biggest question that nobody has been able to answer; if she learns it's secrets, that would make her the most knowledgeable person in the world. The Chief promises that in the future she will be a great scientist.

The Chief thinks about how she, and many other scientists, will die in pursuit of the knowledge she desires. The Chief realizes that that is their destiny, and in doing so they will create hope for future generations. The Chief activates the Shackles and sinks into the lake, while a red star appears overhead.

No one can reach the unknown
So, just like the others
She becomes a star and guides the
newcomers

The clothes she wore when she first joined the Black Ring Expeditionary Force. They've become tattered from time and her own mutations.

Use the gravitational pull of the Black Hole to tear ignorance asunder and uncover the mysteries of the arc of the world.