Ar Tonelico : From Discord to Harmony

Sapphire · Oct 19, 2016

Ar Tonelico : From Discord to Harmony
Part I - Asciydria
Length - 30 chapters
Summary: A child awakens in a strange place only to find herself carrying the fate of the world. Can this young Reyvateil and her sarcastic AI companion climb to the top of the tower in time to save it, or will it all come crashing down around them? Follow our heroine on her journey to save Asciydria Tower and to learn what it means to be a Tower Administrator.
Chapter Index:
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Chapter 1 - Awakening
Chapter 2 - Sentinel
Chapter 3 - Lessons
Chapter 4.1 - Origin
Chapter 4.2 - Origin
Chapter 5 - Plasma Bell
Chapter 6 - Departure
Chapter 7 - Echoes
Chapter 8 - First Song
Chapter 9 - Ascent
Chapter 10 - Prome Wall
Chapter 11 - Hunted
Chapter 12 - Tremors
Chapter 13 - Approach
Chapter 14 - Her Past
Chapter 15 - Crossing
Chapter 16 - Survival
Chapter 17 - Chronicle
Chapter 18 - Administrator
Chapter 19 - Recovery
Chapter 20 - Chase
Chapter 21 - Oblivion
Chapter 22 - Growing Colder
Chapter 23 - Linkage
Chapter 24 - Connected
Chapter 25 - Reactor
Chapter 26 - Promise
Chapter 27 - Alone
Chapter 28 - Blastline
Chapter 29 - EXEC_IN=FINITY/.
Chapter 30 - Epilogue

Ar Tonelico : From Discord to Harmony
Part II - Ar Ciel
Length - 60 chapters (estimated)
Summary: [WITHHELD]
Chapter Index:
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Phase 1 - Asciydria Tower
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Chapter 1 - Two Years
Chapter 2 - Beachhead
Chapter 3 - Visitors
Chapter 4 - Landfall
Chapter 5 - Crash Site
Chapter 6 - In The Dark
Chapter 7 - Harmonics
Chapter 8 - Two Administrators
Chapter 9 - Meeting
Chapter 10 - Preparations
Chapter 11 - Descent
Chapter 12 - Reflection
Chapter 13 - Ignition
Chapter 14 - Launch
Chapter 15 - Across The Sea

Phase 2 - Ar Tonelico Tower
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Chapter 16 -
Chapter 17 -
Chapter 18 -
Chapter 19 -
Chapter 20 -
Chapter 21 -
Chapter 22 -
Chapter 23 -
Chapter 24 -
Chapter 25 -
Chapter 26 -
Chapter 27 -
Chapter 28 -
Chapter 29 -
Chapter 30 -

Phase 3 - Metafalss Tower
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Chapter 31 -
Chapter 32 -
Chapter 33 -
Chapter 34 -
Chapter 35 -
Chapter 36 -
Chapter 37 -
Chapter 38 -
Chapter 39 -
Chapter 40 -
Chapter 41 -
Chapter 42 -
Chapter 43 -
Chapter 44 -
Chapter 45 -

Phase 4 - Harvestasha Tower
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Chapter 46 -
Chapter 47 -
Chapter 48 -
Chapter 49 -
Chapter 50 -
Chapter 51 -
Chapter 52 -
Chapter 53 -
Chapter 54 -
Chapter 55 -
Chapter 56 -
Chapter 57 -
Chapter 58 -
Chapter 59 -
Chapter 60 -

Foreword
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This is an Ar Tonelico alternate universe that features the existence of a fourth tower and a fourth Reyvateil Origin in a story where events of the third game fail to save the planet. How does this change things for the world of Ar Ciel?
I wrote this with the intent for it to be a little more mature than the existing Ar Tonelico story. There are no plans for sexual content (sorry—not sorry), but expect intense and graphic depictions of violence and coarse language. Please, consider this my warning. Part I mainly follows two original characters in an original location, but Part II will begin to bring in some of the Ar Tonelico characters and locations you know and love. Expect some of them to die eventually; this is an alternate universe, after all! No one is safe.
I'd also like to add that while this work is posted on another site (Ao3), I'm currently in the midst of rewriting the 10 chapters released so far to bring up the writing quality. In light of that, I'd highly recommend holding out for the higher-quality revisions. That said, it will not slow my release schedule—it pays to have thirty-four chapters of backlog! The standard I've set for myself since first posting this work on Tumblr is one chapter every two weeks at minimum, releasing extras every now and then depending on the editing speed of myself and my editor. I will release the early revised chapters as I finish them—no two-week delays for those.

Finally, I absolutely welcome constructive criticism! I consider myself a fledgling writer, and I'm very eager to hear about lore inconsistencies, illogical and/or poorly-written sections, irritating formatting, or even simple spelling errors. I'd like this work to shine as brightly as possible, and I'm certain that it will thanks to the help of all of you. I hope anyone eager for more Ar Tonelico fiction—and even those simply hungry for a new story—enjoys it! Without any further ado, I'd like to present Ar Tonelico : From Discord to Harmony.

Alpha Notes (SYLPHIRA)*
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Syealh - Linkage (Derived from Yeal)
Khalcet - Armor (Derived from Khal and Cecet)
Herawa - Authority/Override
Lusyanna - Hardlight (Derived from Lusye)
Ignir - Launch/Fire
*Hymmnos—the language of song on Ar Ciel—is prevalent in the later parts of this work, from minor songs to tower commands to the three unique Extract songs found later in the story. Alpha Notes in particular are unique Hymmnos words that are unique to their specific tower and administrator. Hymmnos is an incomplete language, let's be honest; in light of that, I've had to create a few of my own words, outlined above as the protagonist's Alpha Notes, used in certain points throughout Part I and Part II. I've done my best to create them sensibly, deriving many from other, existing words.

Ao3 Link

Revisions:
This is a new section that I hopefully won't have to use very much. In here, I'll note story elements that had to be revised post-release. Within, I'll make notes of said revisions, dates they were made, and reasons for doing so.
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November 27, 2016 - The protagonist—Reyvateil-Origin Sylphira—will now have a reduced physical age. Her body, formerly resembling that of an eighteen-year-old, is now that of a twelve-year-old. Edits have been made in earlier chapters to reflect that. The reason I did so was that I wanted Sylphira's body to reflect that of her young mind, as per what a Reyvateil's Cellophane dictates. Also I feel like it will hopefully be more compelling to see a child cease to be... well, a child, over the course of her journey.

November 27, 2016 - Asciydria Tower's map has been updated to include renames, certain new locations, and a couple new appearances for various components. New locations include Sphilar Prism, Lyra Village, and Mist's Reach. Renamed locations include Shrapnel Damage --> Discharge Scars, Secondary Functions Control Center --> Tower Control, Plasma Bell --> Plasma Bell/Lift Generator Complex, and Research/Testing Modules --> Insight's Edifice.

Intentional Canon-breakers:
This being an alternate universe, and myself being far from perfect, there are unfortunately gonna be times where canon has to be broken, sometimes intentionally. In this section, I'll detail specifically what's broken and why I did so—assuming I can avoid spoilers.
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The existence of a fourth tower, fourth Reyvateil Origin, and second Orgel. None of those could exist in the unaltered AT universe due to the sheer amount of money, time, and resources that would be required to create such things. I broke this rule because, naturally, the story wouldn't exist without the protagonist or her tower.

Sylphira has a unique component in her body known as an SD-cellophane. The creation of a new type of cellophane was an unfortunate necessity, as none of the currently-existing ones fit the bill for what I needed. D-cellophanes didn't exist yet in the time period when Sylphira was created, and while an HD-cellophane would be viable, it has one fatal drawback that makes it utterly useless for the protagonist of a story. The personality of one using an HD-cellophane—like Shurelia and Tyria—is fixed, not malleable. They physically cannot undergo character development, and I found that unacceptable since I really wanted to make Sylphira's growth from a helpless child to a fearless and competent Tower Administrator a big central feature of the story.
Naturally, the SD-cellophane does have a drawback. It allows her mental and physical states to change, yes... but it has Sylphira's malleability turned up to eleven.

In the standard Ar Tonelico universe, 'organic' matter—blood, for example—maintains its form even when removed from its host Reyvateil body. In From Discord to Harmony, however, matter removed from a Reyvateil host reverts to biofluid after 20 seconds. I made that decision because I believe that the idea of having one's existence be so tenuous and fragile that the things you leave behind flat-out disintegrate... well, I thought it would be more compelling and horrifying.

Sapphire · Oct 19, 2016

Chapter 1 - Awakening

Darkness, confusion, disorientation. Walls all around, claustrophobia.

My eyelids fluttered weakly as I gained consciousness. I felt so light, as if I was floating in an endless void of nothingness. Instinctively I reached out, extending my withered, atrophied arms… and was abruptly stopped by something—a curved wall, the interior of a hollow tube. My lips parted to inhale a breath of air, yet a sudden torrent of fluid rushed down my throat. A flash of panic seared through my mind. I cried out, weakly pounding my fists on the inner surface of the chamber. A siren wailed from the outside, the sound muffled through the curved walls.

In an instant the cylinder rotated and split open, dumping my half-drowned body on the floor before I could think. I gasped on tenuous, frigid air—the first air I'd ever tasted. My hands trembled as I planted them on the icy metal surface, shivering uncontrollably. It was bitterly cold, beyond anything I'd ever understood, and a thin layer of ice had already begun to encroach over my soaked skin.

A glacial wind whipped past my naked feminine form with a twisted howl, sending me into violent shivering spasms, arms tightly wrapped around my torso. I opened my eyes—only darkness met my gaze.

Blindness. Panic, fear, uncertainty.

"H—hello..?!" I croaked with difficulty, my first word snatched away by the gale-force winds. Only silence returned my muted cry.

"Is… is anyone there?! Please… I need help! I don't know who I am, I can't remember anything!"

I faltered for a moment as fragmented shards of memory resolved in my newborn mind. Mother, father, brother, sister—family. I have a family… right?

"…Mommy?" I tried feebly. "Daddy?"

Nobody came. I was alone here… wherever 'here' was.

With gargantuan effort I struggled to my feet, only for my knees to give out almost instantly. I hunched over, acutely feeling the cold. My extremities tingled faintly. I couldn't understand how, but I somehow knew that was bad. Frostbite. It's frostbite… how do I know what frostbite is…? Did anyone ever tell me? Have I seen it before? No, that's impossible, I can't remember it…

I feel so weak… One hand extended out in front as I scooted along in a lopsided crawl, my elbows and knees scuffing on the ice-encrusted deck. The scrapes and dings were nothing compared to the plunging temperatures that assailed my skin.

Despite that, a faint sensation passed beneath my body—an indentation in the smooth floor. Something new, something different. Two fingers locked into the wide groove, having become the path that I blindly followed. Please tell me this leads somewhere… I'm gonna die if I don't get out of this weather.

At least… my vision is starting to come. The void before my nascent eyes began to break apart, murky and blotchy shapes resolving in the space ahead.

Not enough to make a difference, though—my palm skidded on a smooth patch of ice, the surface unnaturally slick as if I was being pranked. Unbalanced, I slipped and smashed my forehead on the deck. "Ow!"

However, it seemed that the bonk to my head was exactly what I needed… stinging pain notwithstanding. Dazzling light flooded my eyes as my vision swiftly improved, blurry shapes resolving into detail with sudden and astounding clarity. I couldn't help but gasp in relief, one hand pressed against the throbbing bruise above my eyes.

Where is this…? Chancing it once more, I staggered to my feet, shivering violently all the while.

I cast my gaze about, examining the space that I found myself in. Top priority was an exit, or even some kind of shelter to protect me from the harsh and glacial winds.

I stood near the edge of a wide, circular plate of steel, thirty meters in diameter. The floor was littered with a wild tangle of cable bundles and wires, partially-buried beneath layers of ice. Wherever this was, it was abundantly clear that it had been deserted for an incredibly long time.

Four large barrel-shaped objects lay spaced evenly along the disc-shaped platform's perimeter, lying on their sides and pointing inwards. They dimly flickered with lights, each sustaining a small holographic display. Endless streams of glyphs scrawled across the tiny screens—they seemed tantalizingly-familiar. Somehow, I knew them.

The very center of the circular platform was dominated by some kind of large, cylindrical apparatus. A countless number of cables and hoses emerged from the squat cylinder, hooked up to every electrical device in the area. Three transparent pods hung from the sides of the central structure, evenly spaced and linked up with even more tubes and wires. With a flicker of realization, I understood that I had emerged from one of those chambers—the other two lay dormant, empty.

The circumference of the disc-shaped platform was surrounded by elongated sheets of blackened steel, extending outward from the center like enormous flower petals. Mounted on frozen hinges, the metal leaves appeared to be able to fold upwards, closing off the entire area from the elements.

I desperately wished that they had been sealed; I could feel my newborn body beginning to shut down as my oxygen-deprived state took its toll, the cold doing the rest. My hands and feet were nothing more than frozen blocks of ice at this point, ears going numb. I gasped for breath in the thin air, my chest rising and falling rapidly as my lungs struggled for air. My vision flickered, a bout of lightheadedness sending me reeling.

There were no doors, no yawning corridors that led to shelter, but… my eyes locked on the barely-visible edges of a hatch, almost hidden beneath the layers of ice. I lurched over on unsteady legs, vision cloudy behind the mists of my breath. Blue-tinged fingertips tore frantically at the seams, but it was no use. The hatch wouldn't budge. It had been fused shut after years and years of exposure to the bitter cold. My shoulders slumped in defeat. There's no way out…

It's not fair… I've only just been born, and I'm already gonna die here! I sniffed loudly, fighting back tears. Even though I didn't yet know what it meant to live… I still didn't want to die.

Lifting my head in despair, I caught a glimpse at the sky beyond the platform… and my jaw dropped, eyes widening with shock. With unsteady footfalls, I staggered over to the very edge of the disc, gaping at the vista. No way…

Sky—endless sky in every direction, a deep blue that faded to inky black at the edge of space. Countless points of light twinkled in the void. A gigantic purple moon hung low on the curved horizon, glittering with a tenuous system of rings.

The curved horizon of the planet… this is a planet, I thought to myself, resolute. It's called Ar Ciel. …Wait, how do I know that?

I cast my gaze downwards, peering over the edge of the precipice. It was moments before I was forced to dizzily stumble back, stomach doing vertigo-induced backflips. Wherever this was, it was located incomprehensibly high in the air, practically at the edge of outer space.

The nearest layer of clouds was far, far below, almost invisible in the vast distance and resembling a giant quilted blanket. The puffy white mists spread across the world as far as the eye could see, hiding the entirety of the surface. No forest-green met my eyes, nor the azure-blue of the ocean, nor even the dull brown of dirt and mud. It cast the convincing illusion of a world without ground, of solely cloud and sky.

But… but even so… where is this? What am I standing on? Redoubling my courage, I inched back over to the edge of the abyss, peering down through the metal fins. What I saw made my heart stop, lips parted in mute awe.

The upper sections of an immense tower lay below, seemingly infinite in height and vast on all sides. It would have been a gross underestimation to compare it to mountain peaks—the structure was beyond mountains. It was like comparing acorns to a majestic oak tree.

I couldn't make out much detail from above—the spire's own bulk obscured a great deal, its lower regions invisible behind vast stretches of plating and machinery. But even so, what I could see took my breath away. I saw a pair of leaf-like fins larger than towns, rising vertically from a wider section fifteen kilometers down. I saw the curved side of a huge cylinder, glittering with ice crystals and slowly rotating in an eternal dance. I saw a vent large enough to fly airships through, pulsing with harsh blue light and spewing gas. And encircling it all, a pair of glittering and translucent rings orbited slowly, silently, shimmering with every color of the rainbow.

This is… incredible. Transfixed, it even took my mind off the cold. Now I cast my gaze upward, expecting to see the inky sky, yet only more steel met my gaze. I realized that I wasn't even at the tower's summit—it somehow kept going, rising up towards the darkness of outer space… and perhaps even beyond.

I had to stare for several long seconds to comprehend it. The ceiling above seemed to copy the platform beneath my bare feet, a ring of leaf-like metal plates encircling it in a mirrored fashion. The center of the upper disc was adorned by yet another squat pillar. It was then that I understood; the two sections were made to join together, 'petals' interlocking with their reflected brethren. Even the central apparatus appeared to be meant to extend downwards, meshing with the cylinder that had apparently housed my sleep pod since time immemorial. The entire structure lay nestled within an alcove within the spire's flanks, a vast tower wall blocking a full third of the sky at my back.

I shivered once more, hugging myself as I turned my gaze back to the incredible view below. If I have to die… at least I got to see something so beautiful before I went.

Something caught my eye—a glimmer of light on my left forearm.

"What the…?" Icy fingers reached down towards the strange marking that adorned the limb, colored in with a beautiful blue ink.

Is this a tattoo…? Why do I have this? Is it an identification code of some kind? I tweaked the inked skin with a numb finger… and realized that the marking wasn't inked. It was physically part of me. It was a socket.

My eyes snapped wide open, numb fingers locked onto the ornate symbol. Lines had been etched deep into the skin, carving out an ornate pattern vaguely shaped like a cross. A small depression at the center pushed deep into my arm, the empty space swirling with faint light—light that came from inside my own body. A deep tremor traveled down my spine, scalp prickling. This… this is a part of me?!

I stumbled back a step, gaping in shock. My legs felt like jelly. "No way… no way…" I breathed. "What am I?!"

My question was immediately answered with a sudden rush of wind from behind, knocking me off-balance. Multiple patches of ice—as if in cahoots with the harsh tempest—found themselves perfectly positioned to help push me along—into open sky.

"No, no, no NO NO!" I shrieked as gravity joined in, taking hold as it inexorably dragged my body towards the waiting abyss.

My spine impacted something rigid as I bounced off the steel petals, the back of my head quickly following suit. It knocked me senseless, to the brink of unconsciousness. As a result, I barely felt anything when something in my arm gave way with a sickening snap, bashed against something solid and unrelenting as I slipped between the sheets of metal.

A feeling of vertigo, the howl of wind snatching at my ears, the lurch in my stomach at the sudden sensation of free fall… and nothing but infinite sky in every direction as I plunged towards the distant clouds.

"You were created for great things, Sylphira. We need you, more than ever in this time of great upheaval."

"…"

"…Sleep well, little one. Wake when you're ready. The others say that you won't, that I have to let go… but I know that you'll come around. Until you awaken and join us in this world, the tower guardians will watch over you and keep you safe. Just be sure that you return the favor in time… administrator."

I awoke suddenly with a choked, muted cry. Fire raged throughout my upper body, everything below the waist cold and numb. A dull ache throbbed in my neck, and a gentle whisper of a breeze tugged at my skin. Snow-white locks of hair wafted into my eyes, driven by the wind. My stomach growled like a wounded animal, throat as dry as the desert. I got the vague feeling that I'd been unconscious for a long time.

The fall… I'm alive…?

With enormous effort, I lifted my heavy eyelids. From what I could tell thanks to my peripheral vision, I lay face-up in the middle of a lush forest. Tall stalks of grass tickled my shoulders, pebbles and dry needles digging sharply into my back. I flinched upon turning my gaze upwards; burning shafts of sunlight met my eyes, filtering down through a vibrant green canopy of coniferous foliage—from twisted cedars to graceful pines. I even caught a glimpse of two enormous redwood trees, rising far above their smaller companions.

The trees rustled quietly as a soft wind meandered through the woods, summoning a sudden rain of needles and leaves. A nearby creek chuckled and gurgled as water rushed between the rocks. A cacophony of countless birds accompanied by chirping crickets gave the vibrant forest a warm, inviting feel. I had the urge to leap to my feet, to run amongst the trunks and hear the crunch of deadwood beneath my feet… but I couldn't seem to move my legs.

How did I survive…? My gaze remained locked upwards, directed at a large hole in the weave of branches —presumably I'd created that on my descent, punching through the canopy at the end of my long fall. If I'm in a forest now, then I must've fallen right off that tower. So that means… this is the surface!

A sharp pain ripped through my body, drawing a moan from my lips. Taking stock of my physical state, things didn't seem good. I can't feel my legs… or my right arm… or my fingers, ears, nose… maybe it'd be easier to think of what doesn't hurt.

Experimenting, I rolled my right shoulder—the arm lifted weakly in response, uselessly dangling from the elbow at an odd angle. A faint bulge in the joint marked the presence of a jutting shard of bone; I was incredibly lucky that it didn't burst free from the skin, or I likely would have bled out before even gaining consciousness.

I bit back tears, fighting the urge to cry. Chest heaving, I flipped the limb out of my sight. Don't think… don't think about it… calm down, you need to get through this. Please hold it together, just for now…

At least my left arm seems okay… I can't feel my fingers, though. The digits had turned black, badly damaged thanks to frostbite—but they were all I had. I snaked the limb down, exploring the rest of my naked body as I took stock of my condition.

Ow… Both of my legs flopped uselessly, immobile and lacking sensation as if they were no longer attached to my own body. My right arm was numb, the elbow having shattered into pieces. Scrapes and bruises crisscrossed my frame, and my nose and ears were heavily scarred by frostbite due to the icy temperatures from where I'd awoken.

I need… to get help… or I'm gonna die here. At least I can crawl with one arm… it's gonna hurt, but I can do this. Gritting my teeth, I braced my good arm against the ground, ready to push. Flipping myself over… now!

I choked on a horrible whistling scream, numb fingers scrabbling at the dirt as a red-hot poker tore through my neck. It was if the flesh itself had been suddenly set alight. My body went limp a moment later, tumbling back into the foliage. I coughed hoarsely, choking on something warm and metallic that rose up from the back of my throat. A trickle of hot liquid made its way from the corner of my mouth.

It lasted for what felt like an eternity, leaving me whimpering in pain and terror—in actuality, it had merely been seconds. The sensation blessedly faded, leaving my mind clear… though my horror remained, eyes blurring with hot tears. Oh no… oh no, no, no… With numb and trembling fingers I reached out for my throat, gingerly mapping it for injuries.

My wrist bumped against a rough, jagged object that penetrated deep into the flesh. It felt like… bark. With mounting panic, I continued to explore; the piece of wood protruded clean through my neck, emerging from the nape and continuing deep into the ground, effectively anchoring me to the forest floor. Oh god, no…

I… I gotta be brave. Gritting my teeth, I pushed hard, struggling to lift myself from the jagged spike. Come on… come on… A torrent of white-hot pain rushed through my mind, paralyzing my feeble attempt to pull free. NO! NO, I CAN'T DO IT! It hurts… it hurts so much… A pained, hacking cough escaped my body, more flecks of blood wetting my lips. Unable to keep it up, my body went limp. I breathed shallowly, air whistling out through the puncture wounds in my throat. My heart pumped frantically, jump-started by pain and fear.

I had no other choice. I couldn't get free. Inhaling long and hard, I cast my voice out with the intent to call out for help.

"Heeee…" I croaked inaudibly, the forced cry quickly decaying into a sickening whistle of air.

I can't even cry out! My voice won't work!

"Heee… heeeeeelp…"

The shafts of sunlight began to fade from the canopy, the visible patch of blue sky overhead quickly shifting to a fiery orange—nighttime was approaching. Already, shadows of the trees began to encroach in a sinister fashion, darkness quickly spreading throughout the woods.

I was afraid of the dark.

Tear streaks cut through the grime on my cheeks as I sobbed, shivering in the frigid night air—partially from the cold, mostly out of sheer terror.

A heavy rasp emanated from a cluster of ferns at my side. It was the ominous sound of breathing, no doubt belonging to some kind of predatory animal that hid amongst the deep shadows of the undergrowth, stalking me. Thanks to my feeble, wounded, and helpless state, I was essentially an easy meal to the denizens of the woods.

My chest heaved as I struggled for air, the puncture wounds in my neck combined with the sheer terror making it extremely difficult to breathe. I wasn't sure what would kill me first—being devoured, or being suffocated.

I'm… I'm so scared! Someone, anyone, please >HELP ME…<

I hesitated despite myself, not doing so much as blinking. What was that sensation…? Something had changed in my mind, an ethereal barrier seemingly crumbling away. It felt as if I'd reached out into the empty void beyond the confines of my own consciousness, tugging on a waiting thread.

A thread from what, though…?

A low growl rumbled amongst the ferns, bare meters away. It cruelly drew me back to the situation at hand—my own death. The padding footsteps grew louder. I began to hyperventilate, trembling like a leaf.

I didn't want to see, but I had to. My eyes as wide as saucers, I rotated my head a few degrees—as much as I was able. A terrifying pair of luminous green eyes peered back at me through the brush, glowing brightly in the inky black. Moonlight glistened off its fangs as the presence snarled, preparing to pounce. I was unable to look away, watching with a sort of horrified fascination.

The creature howled in agony an instant later—a needle-thin spear of light descended from on high, impaling it. The charred scent of flesh filled my nostrils, making me gag.

A muted hum echoed amongst the tree trunks as an object smoothly descended from the canopy, suspended in midair. A powerful spotlight burst to life with a loud clunk, training on my limp form. I squinted, blinded by the sudden luminescence.

>YOU REQUIRE URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION,< a mechanical voice calmly remarked.

>WE WILL BE ARRIVING MOMENTARILY,< the same robotic voice announced, speaking with the same synthesized buzz as before. I went to nod in understanding, but my impaled neck made it impossible—not to mention excruciating.

I wasn't sure I remembered when I was moved to the stretcher, the stars twinkling overhead as they whisked me through the air—but it came to me in flashes.

When the spotlight had eventually faded, the strangest thing resolved in my vision. Hanging in the air was a mysterious robotic drone, clad in polished white plating and blinking with tenuous azure lights. A small assembly of sensors and lighting rigs mounted on its nose spun back and forth, surveying the dimly-lit woods while the machine called for a 'recovery team'.

Vaguely shaped like a spinning top, the drone was about 45 centimeters at its widest and double the height. Its metallic body appeared to be made up of four main components—an oblong, armored fuselage at its core, spaced with hatches and sensors—a wide ring that encircled the fuselage at its midsection, made up of a plethora of fins and control surfaces—and two cylindrical engines attached to the ring on opposite sides, topped with intakes and ending in large thrust-vectoring exhausts at the base, from which colorless lights softly pulsed.

The next thing I knew, there were more of them. The night air was suddenly filled with a multitude of additional thrums. Four other machines had dropped from the leafy ceiling to join their ally. Three of the newcomers were identical to the first, their ringed bodies bobbing in the air. The fourth was something new, and much larger. About the size of a dining table, the drone featured four large exhaust vents that kept it aloft, lighting up the forest by themselves with harsh white light. As the machine descended to the forest floor, I caught a glimpse of its flattened dorsal side. A stretcher took up the majority of the drone's upper surface, surrounded by a number of scanning devices and several small containers, secured in place with straps. Each one was proudly emblazoned with a red, cross-shaped symbol.

Agony. One of the drones had taken advantage of my distraction to cut through the shard of wood that had penetrated my neck, freeing me from the forest floor with a thin laser. Uncaring of the fact that I was writhing in pain, the four machines deposited me atop their larger cousin, grasping my limbs with arachnid robotic arms that extended from their bodies. Without delay, we ascended into the dark sky flying off to… who-knows-where.

Now as I was forced to look straight up, I stared at the sea of stars, unable to make out anything else in the gloom. I… I still have so many questions. I know my name, though… At least, if that was me that the man in my dream was talking to.

And if it was, then it means that my name is Sylphira. And, he called me an… administrator? I don't know what that means…

>WE HAVE ARRIVED AT SECTION C, SILVAPLATE,< the drone stated emotionlessly—though its synthetic voice was now undeniably tinged with a feminine tone. My ears began to pop rapidly as our aerial convoy shed altitude, the howling wind swiftly falling silent.

A vast, dark mountain that blotted out the very stars dominated the skyline ahead, the peak's features invisible beneath the cloak of night. At the base of the mountain, a small doorway that shone with warm light beckoned invitingly. It seemed to tunnel deep within the innards of the rocky formation, leading towards the unknown.

Our small group descended into an empty field before the glowing portal, nearby treetops rustling softly under the assault from the machines' wash of engines. As my consciousness began to wane the machines rushed through the immense doorway. It led into a dimly-lit corridor—the panelled walls were inlaid with bunches of cables and complex piping systems, many of them cracked and torn apart. The walls themselves were pockmarked and rusted, giving off the very clear notion that whatever or wherever this place was, it was ancient.

It was then that I realized how exhausted I was, my eyelids struggling to remain open. I cast my gaze overhead once more, drowsily watching the flickering lights pass by. The hypnotic pattern helped soothe me to sleep, everything fading to black.

Khona Moshr · Oct 19, 2016

And watched, there is not enough Ar tonelico fanfics, I do want to know what generation is this reyvateil or is that a spoiler

Einsig · Oct 19, 2016

I am now vibrating uncontrollably.

Sapphire · Oct 19, 2016

pianoman said:
And watched, there is not enough Ar tonelico fanfics, I do want to know what generation is this reyvateil or is that a spoiler

No worries! It's not a spoiler. The protagonist is a Reyvateil Origin. The nature of her existence will be explained in future chapters.

Quickshot0 · Oct 20, 2016

Sapphire said:
a thin layer of ice had already beginning to encroach over my soaked skin.

'Was already beginning', or 'had already begun' ?

Sapphire said:
My question was immediately answered with a sudden rush of wind from behind, knocking me off-balance. Multiple patches of ice—as if in cahoots with the harsh tempest—found themselves perfectly positioned to help push me along—into open sky.

To be fair I was already wondering if jumping off might be a better choice to freezing to death, if no alternate options opened at all that is.... I mean, you can always hope for some kind of super lucky non-fatal landing. It's super unlikely if you are but a normal human, but not impossible. Besides... you could have seen more of the tower on the way down.

Sapphire said:
As I result, I barely felt anything when something in my arm gave way with a sickening snap,

'As a result' ?

Sapphire said:
I'm… I'm so scared! Someone, anyone, please >HELP ME…<

And if she'd figured that out earlier maybe she could have gotten off that section of the tower in a different way...

-----

Well, it seems interesting enough to see where it's going.

Sapphire said:
No worries! It's not a spoiler. The protagonist is a Reyvateil Origin. The nature of her existence will be explained in future chapters.

Hmm, considering each Origin had a unique mental design, based on what they were able to do at the time and what they were to be used for. I wonder what kind of mental structure she ended up with.

Edit, also that tower looks like it's one of the most epically large railguns ever designed.

Sapphire · Oct 20, 2016

Quickshot0 said:
-

Thank you very much! Spelling errors have been fixed. I've got no idea how I miss these with two others reading over my shoulder as I write.
Her mental state is... a little tricky to nail down, to say the least. I can't say much without spoiling, but she's different, arguably broken.
And yeah, the gun is enormous. When deployed with rails extended, it tops out at thirty kilometers in length. Though, I suppose Harvestasha is technically bigger.

Baughn · Oct 20, 2016

I would have expected they'd tune down the biology-emulation a little bit, in someone they wanted to survive. Bio-fluid may be good at emulating human biology, but this is over the top. Beta Reyvateils, at least, are basically made of nanites; witness Misha's shape-shifting.

That said, eagerly anticipating more.

Oh, but the paragraph breaks seem to have gone missing. Probably you were using indentation to mark new paragraphs; that doesn't survive SV very well, so you should use double linebreaks instead.

Sapphire · Oct 20, 2016

Baughn said:
-

As a counterpoint, I'd argue that the fact Reyvateils can become pregnant with humans (the fetus would need a steady supply of blood and nutrients) suggests otherwise. Biofluid is definitely something in my story that becomes more prevalent later on; I have it set that anything expelled from a Reyvateil's body (spit, blood, body parts, etc.) breaks down into clear liquid within seconds. The only reason I don't mention it in chapter 1 is because the protagonist never actually saw her own blood, so she was never able to witness it reverting into said clear liquid.
In terms of what Reyvateils are made of, I was under the impression that each and every one of them (aside from 3rd-gens, of course) were made up of biofluid, and it was simply a combination of the Triangular Nuclear Loop and the Cellophane that maintained their bodies, even dictating how they grew. Don't quote me on that, though—sadly I haven't been able to find a whole bunch of documentation on this stuff, so I've been doing the best I can with the information I have. I've had to fudge a lot of biology with the Origins in particular (specifically the depths of their cybernetics, how their brains work, and the nuances of being connected to the tower), and I can only hope that I've done it in a convincing way that both reads well in the story, and sounds plausible in the AT universe.
This is gonna sound kinda dumb... but I actually don't know how to do a linebreak. I'm new to SV, so I don't really have a handle on formatting yet.

Sapphire · Oct 20, 2016

Chapter 2 - Sentinel

"Ahh!"

I awoke with a sudden start—perhaps from another dream. Blinking dazedly in the bright lights, I found myself sitting bolt upright in a plush bed with silky sheets. A thick, cream-colored blanket covered my slim frame.

Rubbing the sleep dust from my eyes, I caught a detailed look at my surroundings. The bed that I lay in was pushed into the corner of a small, spartan room. Sparsely-decorated was a gross overstatement—aside from the cot that I lay in, only a haphazardly-stacked pile of plastic crates sat in the far corner of the room, piled against the bleached and sterile walls. Sunlight streamed in through a large window mounted on the wall… though upon closer examination, I realized that it was nothing more than a display screen, simply emulating a window. A pattern of sealed, circular hatches lay spaced out across the tiled floor, which gleamed like polished obsidian. At the foot of my bed, a yawning doorway led out into a familiar-looking corridor—the one I'd been carried through by those machine… things. A faint mechanical hum resonated from the hallway, a plethora of distant and incomprehensible pieces of machinery running.

On that note… why am I alone here? I peered around in silent confusion, half-expecting someone to come through the doorway in response to my thoughts. No one did, of course.

"Oh!" With a shock, I realized that I didn't hurt anymore. Of course, my right arm felt stiff, my torso blotched with a multitude of bruises and crisscrossed with faint scars… but I was okay. I wiggled my toes experimentally, face lighting up with glee as the blankets shifted with movement. Reaching up with hesitant fingers to check my throat, I found only two patches of scar tissue—scars that would fade with time. Somehow, the wound that had penetrated right through my neck seemed as if it were already years old.

I released a loud sigh, my shoulders slumping with relief. "What happened to me?"

"You fell all the way from the Apex, idiot," A disembodied voice replied, smooth and feminine.

I couldn't hold back the squeak of terror, covers flying off as I leapt from the bed. Long strands of hair tumbled down, tickling the backs of my bare thighs.

The same voice laughed quietly with a musical tone, echoing through the small room. I vaguely remembered hearing the same tone from the machines that had rescued me in the forest—though the unknown woman seemed more… human, now.

A soft mechanical hum suffused the chamber, invisible projectors warming up as they came to life. A holographic figure appeared a moment later, floating in midair.

The small figure was tiny, standing a mere fifteen centimeters in height. She could have easily stood in the palm of my hand. Her pudgy, childlike body was shrouded in a modest navy blue robe, ending just above the knees to display a pair of stubby legs, pale in color. A small hood hung from her shoulders. Her no-nonsense face burned with a pair of large charcoal-gray eyes, topped with a mop of short, shaggy hair that shone a midnight-black. The figure peered deeply into my eyes, an exhausted and world-weary look plastered on her face.

"Um…" I hesitated. "Who… or what… are you?"

The tiny figure's pudgy face soured. "Broken spine… shattered elbow… countless bruises and lacerations… severe frostbite on your fingers, toes, ears and nose… and the neck punctures!" she cried, waving stubby arms with annoyance. "You're so, so lucky that the branch didn't hit your spinal cord or arteries! You would've been dead long before I found you. Anyway, I'm Sentinel," she added as if an afterthought, folding her arms. "I'm the collective networked intelligence of the tower guardians… if that didn't go sailing over your head. Basically, I'm an artificial intelligence—or an AI, to keep it short."

I flinched at Sentinel's brusque remarks, ruminating on her words. Wait, she said…! "Tower… guardians? I thought I fell off that tower."

She laughed softly, bobbing in the air as she drifted closer. "Well… you did… sort of. You fell from the Apex, which is all the way up in Section A, down here to Section C—that's about fifty kilometers. The first step is a real doozy!" My knees weakened at the thought, influencing me to plant my body back on the bed.
The AI paused for a moment, seemingly gathering her thoughts. "The only reason you're not a puddle of goo on the forest floor was because Section B of the tower is shrouded in a cocoon of energy shields. The Prome Wall barrier caught you like a… fishing net, if you know what that is. It slowed your fall—barely, but just enough nonetheless!"

Suddenly advancing to grab hold of my cheeks, Sentinel glared deep into my eyes. "You need to be way more careful, though!" she scolded. "You're the Tower Administrator; I can't just have you galavanting around, risking your life! Not when you've only just woke up. While I can't argue against the entertainment value of base jumping from the Apex, odds are you'll end up splattered somewhere on one of the islands."

I shifted back, shaking her loose. "Get off! And… I don't know what you mean when you say that…"

"Base jump. Noun. A sport comprised of jumping from struc—"

"Not that," I added hastily. "Administrator… I don't know what that means." Turning my gaze down, I peered at the socket on my arm that swirled with faint lights. I couldn't describe it, but the mere sight of the odd marking sent a chill down my spine. "I don't even know who or what I am."

Sentinel raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "…Huh. Really?" She sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose with clear exasperation. "This'll be fun…" The small AI closed the gap once more, uncomfortably close as a fire burned in her gray eyes. "Can you walk, at least? I need you to come with me."

I nodded obediently… and froze, catching a glimpse of my bare chest. I was naked. A strangled cry rose from my lips, a clump of wadded-up sheets and blankets covering my nether regions in an instant. "Um…! CLOTHES?!"

The AI rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "Don't you have Linkage armor or something?"

I remained frozen in silent incomprehension, trembling slightly.

"…Never mind. The look on your face tells me that I might as well be speaking Pastalie. That aside, you're aware that I'm just a collective of machines, right? I don't care whether or not you wear clothes."

"P—please!" I stammered, begging.

She huffed angrily, hologram flickering in time with her temper. "Fine. Give me a minute." The AI's brow furrowed, her eyelids closed.

"And… a mirror," I added, hesitant. Sentinel slowly and eerily lifted her head, scalding me with a baleful glare before returning to her previous zen-like state.

I tweaked the soft fabric panels with a finger, a frown plastered across my face."…This is made out of what?"

The AI released an explosive sigh of exasperation from her perch across the room—a small nub that jutted out from the wall. "…Like I just said, it's symphonic power that was converted into solid matter. I honestly can't believe you don't know this! For an Origin, this is basic knowledge… You don't know what Origins are either, do you?" Accusation entered her voice.

"Of course not!" I defended myself, wriggling my hips as I squeezed into an unremarkable pair of underwear. "How would I know—I was only born yesterday! Literally and figuratively!"

Sentinel sighed yet again, banging her tiny head against the bulkhead and muttering all the while. "They pre-programmed you with the ability to crack dumb jokes, but couldn't even be bothered to drop in so much as a primer course in sound science? I continue to question the intelligence of my builders. Well, either that, or something in your brain got borked. It's just another thing that we'll need to deal with. For now, just finish putting on your clothes and let's go already!"

A long moment of uncomfortable silence persisted before the AI finally spoke, her voice tinged with a hint of remorse. "…I'm sorry, by the way."

I lifted my gaze, in the midst of pulling a loose undershirt over my head. "Sorry…? For what?"

Sentinel glanced from side to side, apparently nervous. "Well… you're my administrator! I exist, alongside my tower guardians, for the sole purpose of protecting both you and the tower. It's just…" she trailed off, mellowing out. "I haven't talked to anyone else—or even seen anyone else—for centuries. It's been… more than a little lonely… and I'm really out of practice when it comes to even basic conversation. I've been short with you, and I'm sorry."

Her statement elicited a gasp as I buckled a charcoal-gray skirt around my waist. "It's okay, I can understand your frustration… I think. But… centuries? Really? How old are you?"

The AI paused for a moment, biting her lip while she dredged up ancient memories. "Construction of this tower began in the year 3014. I first came online fifteen years later in a big laboratory complex at the construction site. That was in 3029, though you couldn't really call me 'alive' then; at that point I was nothing more than a couple simple computer systems hooked up together. Heck, I didn't even have consciousness yet! But, that brings me to my point… the current year is 3770, which makes me a whopping 741 years old." I couldn't help but feel awed, buttoning up a collared and sleeveless top, the fabric tinged a lovely sky-blue.

Sentinel sure seemed to enjoy talking—she continued, both eyes locked on me from across the room. "Awful social skills aside, though… I'm really glad that you woke up! I'm at the end of my rope here."

"…I don't get it."

"Well," she replied, tiny holographic displays resolving about her body, "over the centuries I've been keeping an eye on things—the tower's structural state and the world itself. Y'know, atmospheric conditions, radiation levels, climate patterns… anything I can see from up here. Which, sadly, isn't much; my drones aren't exactly designed for all this. We need to act as soon as possible, and I can't do it without the administrator!"

I frowned pensively, soft fabric sliding over my skin as I pulled up a pair of socks. "Without… me? What's happening? I don't understand…"

The small AI seemed to flinch, collapsing in on herself. "Both the tower and the planet are literally falling apart. The tower is a more immediate thing, but… I mean, it's that versus the entire planet! It's pretty obvious what the priority here should be. I'll skip the history and scientific lessons for now, but our planet—Ar Ciel—got… uh, a little bit screwed up by incredible disasters a long time ago, and it's been deteriorating ever since. If my estimates are right—and I trust my guesses more than most peoples' facts—then Ar Ciel will come apart at the seams within a decade."

At the seams?!

"We need to get in contact with the other towers," Sentinel finished with a worried breath. "That is… if they even still exist anymore. Maybe we can get help."

My eyes widened in shock, breath taken away. For the barest of moments, I forgot about the urgency at hand. "Other towers? You mean, there's more?"

The AI nodded sagely, black hair falling into her eyes. "That's right. There should be three other towers…" she mumbled something under her breath, "that is, if those guys who went up north did their jobs right." Shaking her head wearily, she continued her thought. "There should be three other towers… but I have no idea if they exist anymore. Asciydria Tower's largest antennae were fried seven hundred years ago, and the smaller arrays on my drones didn't last much longer thanks to solar radiation. We're cut off here."

I inclined my head, understanding the urgency—if not the nuances behind it. "So," I began, down on one knee as I pulled on a pair of boots, "I guess… if I'm supposed to help you save the world, then we'd better get started." I didn't know why I had phrased it in such a way, but it just seemed… right. The AI had noticed, too; Sentinel's unreadable gaze penetrated deep into my eyes. What she was looking for, I didn't know.

I stared pensively into the small mirror, knuckles whitened as I gripped the handle. A small girl stared back at me, her soulful, ocean-blue eyes glittering with uncertainty.

She couldn't have been more than twelve—her body had only just scratched the oncoming walls of puberty, the barest of curves gracing her slim frame that would undoubtedly flourish in the coming years. Long strands of snow-white hair shimmered under the artificial lights, falling into her face and down to the backs of her knees. Shaggy and unkempt, it had clearly grown out during her slumber—however long that was. Her fair skin was practically bleached white, having been sealed within a pitch-black pod since time immemorial. The girl's face was round and soft, with delicate bone structure and a significant amount of baby fat in her cheeks. The center of her visage was adorned with a diminutive button nose. A small mouth lay beneath it, marked with emotive and slightly glossy lips.

She seemed to radiate an aura of timidity and inexperience, the girl's body language speaking volumes of her strength and fortitude—or lack thereof.

I took a long moment to twist my face, running through a number of bizarre and varied facial expressions. "…Neat."

A sardonic laugh erupted from Sentinel, who watched restlessly. "Of all the things I expected you to say, that wasn't one of them."

I ignored the jab, setting the mirror down on the bedside before turning to face her. "Um… by the way," I ran my fingers experimentally through a handful of soft white hair, "would you happen to have some kind of… um, blade… or other sharp thing around here?"

Sentinel rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "Oh, come on. Offing yourself is a little bit dramatic, isn't it? I mean, you don't look that bad."

"That's not what I…"

The AI giggled softly, a striking contrast to her previous attitude. "Check those crates over there," she gestured to the far corner of the room where the stack of containers lay. "I had these brought down last night while you were under; they're filled with medical supplies and survival gear. I'm pretty sure that there'll be something you can use in there."

I panted with exertion, fighting at the topmost crate with atrophied muscles. The large containers had apparently been vacuum-sealed; at last, the lid popped off with a faint hiss. Peering in apprehensively, I earned an eyeful of a plethora of small white boxes, emblazoned with the same red cross-shaped symbol as the stretcher drone from before.

"Those are medical supplies," a voice spoke directly in my ear with uncomfortable proximity.

"Gah!" I practically jumped out of my skin, whirling around to spot Sentinel hovering directly over my shoulder.

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Giving the intruding figure an eyeroll, I plunged both hands into the open crate, poring through the contents. It wasn't long before I had found my first 'prize'—a long strip of white cloth, a bandage.

Exhaling with relief, I hastily wrapped the cloth about my forearm… and the strange marking that pulsed with light. The AI gave me a silent, questioning look.

I returned it with a shrug of incomprehension. "I can't explain it, but… I just feel really weird walking around with it hanging out. It makes me feel like I'm naked."

"Fair enough…" the AI muttered.

Continuing my hunt through the pile of mixed containers, I drew forth a number of useful supplies—first aid kits, preserved food packages, bottles of purified water, heavy tarps, and wool blankets. And finally, upon opening the last crate, I found what I had been seeking. "Here we go!"

"It's always the last one…" Sentinel breathed to herself, waiting impatiently.

I dug through the innards of the final container, poring over the incredible variety of tools and bits of equipment. At the bottom of the bin, my digits closed around the object I'd been searching for—I drew forth a wicked-looking knife, encased in a hardened plastic sheath. Wrapping a hand around the firm rubber grip, I gingerly drew the blade from its sheath. The polished silver metal gleamed in the artificial light. About twenty-five centimeters long, the tool was enormous in my hands. A little over a third of its length was taken up by the handle and guard. The blade was single-edged—very keen, tapering off to a rather sharp point—but it sported a deep series of serrations along the back edge.

I gave a small smile. "This is exactly what I wanted!" Reaching back with my free hand, I grasped a large wad of hair, lifting it above my head like a sacrificial offering.

"Oh, wait just a second!" Sentinel interrupted, a sly tinge in her voice. "If you're trying to get rid of your hair, I've got you covered!" A large tangle of haphazardly-mounted robotic arms unfolded from the ceiling, each one wielding various types of medical knives and scalpels… and more than a few bonesaws and witheringly-large needles. The entire rig seemed as if it had been hastily welded together in the last twenty-four hours. "I can take it all off, right down to the scalp!"

I let out a nervous laugh, skirting away from the nest of machinery. "Um… thanks, but… no thanks. I just wanna get rid of some of it. It's been bugging me, and I think I'd prefer short hair anyway."

I carefully positioned the large blade—and with a swift sawing motion, I effortlessly cut through the thick strands. A faint gasp of satisfaction rose from my lips as the heavy tugging sensation on my scalp vanished. Wildly swinging my head around, I enjoyed the feeling of cool air on my now-exposed neck. The AI sighed, losing interest. "How boring."

Hopping to my feet, I swiftly made my way back to the cot. Grabbing the mirror, I peered in with some apprehension, half-expecting to see a mangled and uneven mop. It was not the case, though; my hair now only extended just past my chin. I brushed long bangs out of my eyes, smiling. "Much better!"

Sentinel glared disapprovingly at the large mess of hair on the tiled floor. "Organics are disgusting." She snapped her stubby fingers, a tiny arachnid drone scurrying into the room an instant later. Chirping quietly, the small machine nudged the clumps of loose strands towards one of the innumerable circular hatches recessed into the surface. Metallic pings emanated from beneath the floor as the hatch rotated, splitting open to reveal a dark shaft. Working quickly, the machine shoved the tangle of white hair into the yawning pit. The shaft immediately flared up with flickering orange light, accompanied by the faint rush of igniting flames. The foul odor of burning hair reached my nostrils.

"How do you people live with yourselves?" Sentinel questioned incredulously, her small tower guardian skittering from the room as the hatch resealed with a muffled clunk.

Arms crossed impatiently, the AI bumped up against the steel bulkhead. "Anyway, can we go now? You slept in really late, and most of the day's already gone!"

I held up a finger, heading back to the stack of containers. "Sorry, almost done… give me just another minute!" Digging through the bottom container once more, I extracted several more objects—one of which being a heavy belt, molded from blackened leather. Returning my new knife to its sheath, I clipped it onto a belt loop, wrapping the whole thing around my narrow waist. The plastic scabbard lightly slapped against a hip as I drew forth a white hooded cloak, found in the pile of clothing Sentinel had brought me earlier. Swinging it over my shoulders, I clumsily fastened the clasp above my collarbone.

Last thing. Hefting a small rucksack from the crate, I quickly stuffed it with a sparse number of supplies—a first aid kit just in case, a few packaged meals, and a pair of water bottles. Slinging it over one shoulder, I got to my feet. "Okay, I'm all set now."

Sentinel nodded gratefully, gesturing to the doorway. "Finally. The place we're heading to is beyond the range of my holographic projectors, so I'm gonna send a tower guardian to meet you on the outside. We're going for a little walk." The AI drifted through the exit, her holographic figure fading into nothingness as she crossed the threshold.

I followed suit, cautiously stepping out into the dimly-lit hallway that I recognized from the previous night. This is the corridor that those machines carried me through… it's weird, though. That little room is so clean; yet only a couple steps out, it's completely run-down. Listening carefully, I heard something that I hadn't heard before; the haunting exhale of what sounded like an enormous pipe organ, echoing through the unknown structure's innards from a source indescribably far away. A prickle went down my spine.

Down the right-hand passage, I flinched at a dazzling flash of sunlight from the end of the tunnel. Guessing that was where I was meant to go, I began my short trek down the corridor, my atrophied legs already beginning to ache with exertion.

Minutes later, I stepped from the large portal into the daylight. Lush stalks of grass tickled my bare knees, a wonderfully-soft breeze caressing my bare arms. I held a hand up in front of my face, squinting—the sunlight was blinding to my newborn eyes. With a swift motion, I reached back and flipped the hood of my cloak up, the heavy fabric shrouding me as a shadow descended over my face. Relieved, I finally got the opportunity to gaze at my surroundings.

I stood in a tall sea of vibrant green grass, stalks bending to and fro as they were buffeted by a light wind. The entirety of the open field was littered with immense, smooth boulders, the remnants of a glacier that had passed across the land countless centuries ago. A deep lake of crystal clear water lay at the far end of the field, carved out of the rocky terrain by the ancient wall of ice. The buzz of innumerable insect swarms and the ceaseless croaking of frogs filled the afternoon air.

A wide variety of hardy trees—gnarled cedars and proud pines—tenaciously sprung from crevices among the rocks, gradually thickening into a dense coniferous forest in the distance. A chorus of bird cries rose from among the branches, evidence that life flourished here. Spaced out amongst their smaller cousins, gigantic sequoia trees soared above the woods, acting as guardians of the forest.

Beyond the woodlands, the thicket of conifers thinned out and gave way to rocky slopes at the foothills of an immense mountain range, their summits capped with a dusting of snow. Light breaths of cloud came off their peaks, dissipating seconds later in the choppy air currents at higher altitudes. Several large glaciers stealthily lurked amongst the valleys between the rocky giants, leaving behind clean streams of water and enormous boulders as they continued their trek across the land.

I turned my gaze to the left, and saw only more mountains. I turned my gaze to the right, and saw… nothing but open sky. The ground simply fell away into oblivion. Tenuous patches of cloud parted at that moment, the sight taking my breath away.

Numerous islands rode in the sky, bobbing on the air currents. Some were relatively small, only a hundred meters in diameter and scraped bare of life—others were truly enormous, large enough to host their own lakes and mountain ranges. It suddenly clicked for me; the ground where I stood was no different. "This place… is an island in the sky?"

"That wasn't already obvious?" Sentinel's voice emanated from a nearby source, imbued with static. "These are the Isles of Aria." I turned around at the sound of her voice, and spotted a massive drone standing in the shadow of a huge boulder. Standing on four powerful, tree-trunk legs, it must have been almost three meters tall and double that in length. A wicked-looking horn protruded from the machine's elongated snout, flickering with dull wisps of energy. An immense set of jaws glistening with pearly white teeth snapped once—it could have crushed reinforced steel with ease. A pair of ghastly glowing eyes glared balefully in my direction. I couldn't explain it, but the tower guardian's face was beyond terrifying. Vaguely human-shaped yet elongated, its features worked in sequence with an oversized maw to create a profound feeling of wrongness. The machine probably could have killed someone just by looking at them the wrong way.

Two razor-sharp spikes rose from the behemoth's powerful shoulder blades, making it look even more intimidating than it already did. Covered in heavy sections of plate armor, polished to a sheen, the tower guardian was evidently built for one thing and one thing only—obliterating its victims in the blink of an eye. Strips of pulsing blue light ran across its armored flanks, partially illuminating the blackened mechanical inner workings of the drone.

I stumbled back in mute terror, landing on my backside amongst the tall stalks of grass.

The AI burst out with raucous laughter, emanating from the behemoth. "Administrator? You know that it's just me, right?"

"Shut your face…" I muttered softly as I clambered back to my feet, cheeks burning with mortified embarrassment. Lifting my head… something in the corner drew my eye, a formless shape obscuring the sky. I squinted with incomprehension, unsure of what exactly I was looking at. No, that's… that's not real… is it? I craned my neck upwards, eyes widening as they struggled to take in the sheer scale of what I was looking at.

The gigantic mountain from the night of my injuries, the one that housed that tiny room, the endless hallway, and blotted out the stars themselves… it wasn't a mountain. It was nothing more than a small part of the whole.

At last I understood. That's… Asciydria Tower. It's enormous.

What I'd assumed was a mountain was in actuality a squat cylinder, perhaps five kilometers in diameter and gouged with innumerable scars from the floating islands that encroached on its flanks. Its worn surface had been consumed by splotches of rust, grime, and wild patches of vegetation, almost hiding the once-smooth white plating that made up the object. Soaring up from the center of the cylinder rose a gargantuan pillar, punching through tenuous wisps of cloud as it soared into the sky. In stark contrast to the object it emerged from, the pillar was made from a charcoal-gray steel plating. Amongst the wispy clouds, I could barely make out strange pieces of architecture anchored to the column's upper flanks.

On the pillar's south face, a complex system of vertically-oriented pipes clung to the curved wall, still gleaming a bright silver despite the structure's weathered state. It was at that moment that I realized with clarity—that was the source of the eerie whistling moans emanating throughout the long corridor within the spire.
On the opposite facing to the north, the column bulged out from the side of the tower, forming a sort of platform that extended out into the open sky. I couldn't see much detail from all the way down at my vantage point, but I caught a glimpse of building rooftops, of great scaffolding networks, of enormous construction cranes that dwarfed the tallest trees. It's… a dock for… airships, I think.

The wrecked hull of an airship clung to rusted docking clamps at the skydock's terminus, the vessel itself almost as big as a mountain. Though it had apparently seen better days; its skin was flayed, ragged patches flapping in the wind. The hull had seemingly been ensnared by giant roots, anchoring it to the harbor in the sky for all time. Trees grew from the crevices in its skin, and a small waterfall cascaded out through a gash in its midsection, the tumbling water turning to mist on its long descent.

The remainder of the column's surface was covered in huge metal plates and lengths of piping, large enough to fly small aircraft through. Trees and shrubs sprung from any surface they could find purchase on, creating a network of roots that stretched from ledge to ledge. Lakes took up residence in natural hollows across the tower's flanks, and multiple waterfalls tumbled into the abyss below. Altogether, it created an incredible blend of nature and technology.

Ever higher, the column vanished into a sheath plated in white metal that flared outwards, the tower widening. The sheath was, again, obscured by patches of grime and vegetation that had seemingly consumed the entirety of the structure. Around this sheath, a ring of eight enormous plates orbited, glinting with sunlight as they spun through the sky in an eternal dance. Deep grooves etched into their polished white surfaces seemed to radiate pure energy. Indeed, small bolts of lightning even arced between them, the soft rumble of thunder echoing in the distance.

Beyond that, the sheath ended suddenly to reveal the pillar once more… which erupted outwards into a superstructure that dwarfed any other part of the tower—and one that wouldn't have any trouble housing its own cities. Altogether, the superstructure must have been at least twenty kilometers tall, taking up the bulk of the spire's midsection.

To me, the tower section almost resembled the head of a bird of prey, beak pointing into the wind. The most striking feature of the 'head' shape was undoubtedly the singular eye, visible at the dead center of the structure—presumably, the far side of the tower looked identical. The eye's pupil was made up of an enormous white disc, stained with patches of rust. A brilliant luminescence emanated from a circular chasm that ran around the disc's circumference—the iris. A sort of ring or collar encircled the outer rim of the man-made canyon, making up the eye's sclera—the white found in an eye. The entirety of the assembly spewed thick clouds of gas, dissipating in the atmosphere. It was evident that the 'eye' was in actuality an immense exhaust vent, linked up to some kind of engine or power source located in the depths of the superstructure.

The bird's 'beak' shape was formed by an enormous opening that was recessed deep into the tower's structure, in front and beneath the large eye-shaped vents. From down here, it almost seemed like a sort of hangar, similar to the skydock on the lower parts of the tower.

Indeed, the superstructure even had a sort of elaborate crest, bristling with 'feathers' in the form of enormous winglets, rising from above the beak and descending from behind the eyes. The remainder of the crest was formed with a large, bulky module that soared out from the back of the tower's 'head'. I couldn't describe it, but something about that simple module seemed aweing. Recessed with large exhaust vents and clearly showing the seams of some enormous hatch, I couldn't deny being curious about what said hatch was meant to contain.

The tower continued to rise up past the superstructure, incomprehensibly tall and almost beyond my range of vision. Ice crystals glistened on the tower's flanks at higher altitudes. I caught a glimpse of a single point of burning light, radiating with incredible brilliance from the sides of a slowly-rotating cylinder, an object that I'd spotted when I'd awoken on that icy platform… but that was it. The top of the tower was obscured by its own sheer bulk.

An armored paw lightly batted at my shoulder, almost knocking me to the ground. "Hey, close your mouth, will you? I can take this body and practically walk it down your throat."

I slowly rotated to face Sentinel, eyes as wide as saucers. My voice shook as I pointed with a trembling hand. "That's… that's a really big tower."

The machine huffed with amusement. "You're telling me. Besides, you're the one that fell off it."

Still in awe, I nodded shakily. "How tall is it?"

The tower guardian's immense head lifted to stare up at the spire. "From anchor to summit, it stands at 105 kilometers. The tower's summit itself rises just above the edge of the atmosphere."

"That's… wow…" I trailed off, astounded.

We were both silent for a long moment. I continued to stare up at the immense structure, transfixed by the hypnotic movements of the orbiting plates.

The AI finally broke the silence. >SO,< she boomed, stomping an armored foot against the boulder. The ground shook, eliciting a sudden shriek of distress on my part. >LET'S GO!<

Baughn · Oct 20, 2016

Sapphire said:
This is gonna sound kinda dumb... but I actually don't know how to do a linebreak. I'm new to SV, so I don't really have a handle on formatting yet.

No, you clearly do...

Newline? \n? Carriage return?

Just hit the enter key twice.

As a counterpoint, I'd argue that the fact Reyvateils can become pregnant with humans (the fetus would need a steady supply of blood and nutrients) suggests otherwise. Biofluid is definitely something in my story that becomes more prevalent later on; I have it set that anything expelled from a Reyvateil's body (spit, blood, body parts, etc.) breaks down into clear liquid within seconds. The only reason I don't mention it in chapter 1 is because the protagonist never actually saw her own blood, so she was never able to witness it reverting into said clear liquid.

In terms of what Reyvateils are made of, I was under the impression that each and every one of them (aside from 3rd-gens, of course) were made up of biofluid, and it was simply a combination of the Triangular Nuclear Loop and the Cellophane that maintained their bodies, even dictating how they grew. Don't quote me on that, though—sadly I haven't been able to find a whole bunch of documentation on this stuff, so I've been doing the best I can with the information I have. I've had to fudge a lot of biology with the Origins in particular (specifically the depths of their cybernetics, how their brains work, and the nuances of being connected to the tower), and I can only hope that I've done it in a convincing way that both reads well in the story, and sounds plausible in the AT universe.

I haven't seen much of Aquagon lately, possibly due to the situation in his home country, but you can always post questions at SPOILERS - Ar Tonelico and * nosurge discussion thread. Would be great to get a bit activity.

I'll add your fic to the list once you've fixed the linebreaks. It wouldn't do to have them turn people off.

We already had a bit of discussion on this particular theme, though. Here: SPOILERS - Ar Tonelico and * nosurge discussion thread | Page 4. Anything Aquagon says can pretty much be considered to be canon, though of course you can't always follow canon in every last detail.

aquagon said:
As for if Reyvateils could be killed from physical trauma, I'll just quote Tsuchiya's words on the matter: "Well, to start with, most of the time, when humans die because they've lost a large part of their body, it's due to blood loss or shock. It would be the same with Reyvateils, but the one thing that is rather different is that they won't necessarily die if they take damage to their heart.

Still, if that actually happened, most Reyvateils would die of the shock. Even a particularly strong-minded Reyvateil would find it hard to keep their cool in that sort of situation. After all, Reyvateils' psyches are modeled on the human psyche. Their bodies are stronger, in some respects, than human bodies, but since their minds are largely the same, most Reyvateils would probably die from panic or shock if they were presented with such a difficult situation. " (source: Technical Data Compilation Room Issue #4).

Although since people don't in fact die from mental shock, in practice... that's not how I think it'd work out. We know that Tsuchiya doesn't think there's a physical reason they'd die, at least, and I concur.

(I'd love to ~~kidna~~ invite him for lunch one day and just talk for an hour. He seems an incredibly interesting person. Sadly we're living on separate halves of the world, and also he's hopefully busy with some kind of sequel.)

...would they still appear human? Yes, most definitely, up to and possibly including broken bones. I don't suppose I'm disagreeing with anything you've shown so far, it's just that she hasn't actually been in as much danger as she appeared. On the other hand, an attempt at treating her like she were human would be doomed to failure, and her body should regenerate in short order as soon as the foreign elements have been removed.

...no, sorry, haven't read chapter two. It's really late, and I'm hoping it'll be more readable by morning.

Tirfarthuan · Oct 20, 2016

Yes! More Ar Tonelico! And this is looking like a really interesting story, I'll be eagerly awaiting more!

Sapphire · Oct 21, 2016

Baughn said:
-

...Oh! Linebreaking like that. I'm a dummy, I'm sorry.

I'll fix that right now.
I'm a little bit worried about asking questions (because some of the questions would likely be super-obvious spoilers for future story stuff), but I fully accept that I need to ask about... certain things and certain events I've already written for future chapters, and whether they're somewhat-plausible in the AT universe; and if not, how would I change them in a way that works. in spite of that, would you still recommend openly asking in the AT thread?
Also, to be honest... it's a little comforting to know that a Reyvateil can (theoretically) sustain pretty heavy injuries without dying, shock notwithstanding. The protagonist's current injuries were something that I had to debate with one of my editors to keep in their current state without toning down. One thing that'll become very clear soon enough (and frankly, is probably already obvious considering what I did to her in the very first chapter) is that I'm a horrible person to my characters, so this won't be the only time I'll have to balance injuries with Reyvateil biology.

Quickshot0 · Oct 21, 2016

Sapphire said:
Rubbing the sleep dust from my eyes, I caught a detailed look at my surroundings.

'I gave a detailed look' or 'look of my surroundings' ?

Sapphire said:
The Prome Wall barrier caught you like a… fishing net, if you know what that is. It slowed your fall—barely, but just enough nonetheless!"

I don't quite understand this, is this referring to it reducing her impact speed on the B section walls? Because from B to C is more then enough distance to reach terminal velocity again. I'd rather assumed it was the tree branches that broke her fall, there have been rare cases known of pilots jumping from planes with out parachute that survived due to that.

Sapphire said:
While I can't argue against the entertainment value of base jumping from the Apex, odds are you'll end up splattered somewhere on one of the islands."

If only she'd been awake to see it all, clear evidence that she should have done it less haphazardly! Or have discovered she could contact the tower AI earlier.

Also I have my doubts on if terminal velocity would have been enough to splatter her fatally... well maybe. Still it's just 200-300 km/h... well assuming terminal is the same for Ar Ciel that is. I'm assuming it is though, as I think such details would roughly correspond with Earth still.

Besides... wouldn't the scarier scenario have been her missing the islands entirely and falling to the surface?

Sapphire said:
Asciydria Tower's largest antennae were fried seven hundred years ago, and the smaller arrays on my drones didn't last much longer thanks to solar radiation. We're cut off here."

I don't know about that frying thing, it's controlling the drones well enough after all and thus can communicate with them. Besides would small drones carry receivers of sufficient sensitivity or transmitters of sufficient power to bridge a really large gap? Why would they bother designing ones that did? What would you use them for that the tower arrays weren't meant for?

As such I think the loss of the tower communication systems would maybe be a sufficient explanation. I'm also presuming this includes things as secondary arrays, backups etc... possibly due to I don't know... the entire antenna spire at the top being lost or something?

Alternately this tower is completely beyond the horizon even at its top from the other towers and as such depended on a relay satellite for communication. Such units do exist and if the one or ones they were depending on were lost or became non-functional, turned off or otherwise, they wouldn't be able to communicate regardless of their local resources then.

Sapphire said:
Peering in apprehensively, I earned an eyeful of a plethora of small white boxes,

This sentence bothers me a little, though I'm not sure it's really wrong... Maybe it's just me?

Sapphire said:
I carefully positioned the large blade—and with a swift sawing motion, I effortlessly cut through the thick strands. A faint gasp of satisfaction rose from my lips as the heavy tugging sensation on my scalp vanished. Wildly swinging my head around, I enjoyed the feeling of cool air on my now-exposed neck. The AI sighed, losing interest. "How boring."

I hope she finds someone to work a bit more on it, as I rather doubt she made the best of cuts there... so it probably looks like really badly cut hair... which it isn't for some reason though? Or perhaps she just can't see from the front?

Sapphire said:
Sentinel glared disapprovingly at the large mess of hair on the tiled floor. "Organics are disgusting."

Really? You're saying that to what's basically a walking supertech device? Probably should be more careful about throwing those stones, as one can wonder if these might not strike itself.

Sapphire said:
dissipating seconds later in the choppy air currents at higher altitudes.

'air currents of those higher altitudes' might be more clear? The sentence is kind of implying the air is some how gaining a lot of altitude after passing the mountains otherwise, as you're 'at higher'.

Sapphire said:
a ring of eight enormous places orbited,

'eight enormous plates' ?

Sapphire said:
which erupted outwards into a superstructure that dwarfed any other part of the tower—and one that wouldn't have any trouble housing its own cities. Altogether, the superstructure must have been at least twenty kilometers tall, taking up the bulk of the spire's midsection.

To be fair a 5 km diameter pillar has plenty of volume in theory to put cities in as well. Assuming it isn't solid of course.

Sapphire said:
To me, the tower section almost resembled the head of a bird of prey, beak pointing into the wind. The most striking feature of the 'head' shape was undoubtedly the singular eye, visible at the dead center of the structure—presumably, the far side of the tower looked identical. The eye's pupil was made up of an enormous white disc, stained with patches of rust. A brilliant luminescence emanated from a circular chasm that ran around the disc's circumference—the iris.

I'm a little confused, earlier on its implied the 'mountain' she came from is actually the tower itself. But that would mean she'd need to look pretty much exactly up to see more of the tower. But from that angle I don't think you could 'see' all the features she's describing in the section above and what follows. Unless she's inadvertently using more then just her eyes here?

Either that or I'm misunderstanding where she is? If she's at the edge of the islands I suppose she'd have a bit more angle to work with.

-------

I kind of wonder what the power supply is for this tower though... Presumably it isn't Ar Tonelico as otherwise it could have fallen down when Shurelia shut it down temporarily. Or has that not happened yet?

Well for now I'll instead speculate that it's related to the Orgel singularity engine in the graph, though that kind of sounds more like something Ra Ciela would build then Ar Ciel. Or I could be misinterpreting the name. Maybe it's a kind of duplicate to the Ar Tonelico Orgel? Though I'm pretty sure that doesn't look anything like that... Hmmm, curious.

Quickshot0 · Oct 21, 2016

Sorry for the double post, but else this response might get buried under the rather large other response by me.

Sapphire said:
I'm a little bit worried about asking questions (because some of the questions would likely be super-obvious spoilers for future story stuff), but I fully accept that I need to ask about... certain things and certain events I've already written for future chapters, and whether they're somewhat-plausible in the AT universe; and if not, how would I change them in a way that works. in spite of that, would you still recommend openly asking in the AT thread?

At least two alternate option comes to mind, you can start a conversation, where you only invite people with some knowledge on AT and thus would be relatively private. Or you can use some kind of chat program to discuss it in a more immediate and quick way with them. Or of course you can do both.

Sapphire · Oct 21, 2016

Quickshot0 said:
-

Again, thank you very much! Spelling errors have been rectified.

Quickshot0 said:
I don't quite understand this, is this referring to it reducing her impact speed on the B section walls? Because from B to C is more then enough distance to reach terminal velocity again. I'd rather assumed it was the tree branches that broke her fall, there have been rare cases known of pilots jumping from planes with out parachute that survived due to that.

One thing that's gonna come up a bit later on in the story is that the Prome Wall hadn't actually been activated until she'd woken up, along with many other tower systems. Much like Suspend, a lot of the spire's systems had gone dormant to match her state after [UPCOMING PLOT THING]. While the wall is loosely modeled after its Harvestasha counterpart in AT3, it's quite different in a few regards; the one that pertains to this being that it has a really slow activation time, and during that time sheets of half-solidified energy that make up the wall (I've taken to calling it hardlight) swirl about the tower while the barrier is in the process of materializing. I like to think that it would be like falling through an incredibly dense cloud—thought obviously not enough to stop her from shattering her spine, among other things.

Quickshot0 said:
Also I have my doubts on if terminal velocity would have been enough to splatter her fatally... well maybe. Still it's just 200-300 km/h... well assuming terminal is the same for Ar Ciel that is. I'm assuming it is though, as I think such details would roughly correspond with Earth still.

Besides... wouldn't the scarier scenario have been her missing the islands entirely and falling to the surface?

The comment about being splattered on the islands is actually a subtle reference to the fact that dying in her case = turning into a puddle of biofluid.
You're right about the Sea being a lot scarier; however, the protagonist doesn't know about its existence yet. As far as she knows, it's just really dense cloud cover.

Quickshot0 said:
I don't know about that frying thing, it's controlling the drones well enough after all and thus can communicate with them. Besides would small drones carry receivers of sufficient sensitivity or transmitters of sufficient power to bridge a really large gap? Why would they bother designing ones that did? What would you use them for that the tower arrays weren't meant for?

As such I think the loss of the tower communication systems would maybe be a sufficient explanation. I'm also presuming this includes things as secondary arrays, backups etc... possibly due to I don't know... the entire antenna spire at the top being lost or something?

Alternately this tower is completely beyond the horizon even at its top from the other towers and as such depended on a relay satellite for communication. Such units do exist and if the one or ones they were depending on were lost or became non-functional, turned off or otherwise, they wouldn't be able to communicate regardless of their local resources then.

The array at the top of the tower doesn't control the drones—it's relegated to satellite communications and direct transmissions. The tower guardians use their own built-in antennae to maintain contact with their brethren. I should have been more clear about the state of long-range arrays on the drones, I think that was lost in translation during the revision. Only the largest machines (like automated airships) would have had antennae powerful enough to reach the dwindling number of satellites after the Grathnode Inferia—none remain now.
And you're correct about needing satellites to communicate with places beyond the planet's curvature. Even if the array was fully-repaired, Asciydria would never be able to communicate with Metafalss or Harvestasha without the use of its space gun to launch satellites. However, Asciydria Tower is actually situated rather close to Ar Tonelico—it's located near the tip of a peninsula in southeast Sol Cluster, to the point where if its array was working, it would be able to communicate with Ar Tonelico if anyone was listening. Of course, the drawback there is that Asciydria was extremely vulnerable when the Grathnode Inferia happened. More on that in a future chapter.

Quickshot0 said:
This sentence bothers me a little, though I'm not sure it's really wrong... Maybe it's just me?

It's not just you; i couldn't think of anything better at the time of writing, though.

I'll come up with something better.

Quickshot0 said:
I hope she finds someone to work a bit more on it, as I rather doubt she made the best of cuts there... so it probably looks like really badly cut hair... which it isn't for some reason though? Or perhaps she just can't see from the front?

I like to imagine that it looks pretty awful in certain places, but neither she nor Sentinel cares enough to remark on it. Sylphira's not really one to focus that much about her own appearance when all her spare time in the early stages of the story is taken up learning about the world she apparently has no memories for, and the later stages spent figuring out how to stop the tower from collapsing in on itself.

Quickshot0 said:
I'm a little confused, earlier on its implied the 'mountain' she came from is actually the tower itself. But that would mean she'd need to look pretty much exactly up to see more of the tower. But from that angle I don't think you could 'see' all the features she's describing in the section above and what follows. Unless she's inadvertently using more then just her eyes here?

Either that or I'm misunderstanding where she is? If she's at the edge of the islands I suppose she'd have a bit more angle to work with.

I like to think that she would've been able to see most of the details in Sections B and C just fine from her position at the base of the Silvaplate. She's looking at the tower from its side, so there's more laid out and it doesn't bulge out as far. While almost all of Section A is invisible to her, she can still see the power regulator module as it juts out as far as the reactor exhaust does (the spinning cylinder is the power regulator's housing, the brilliant glowing light is the Ardel crystal within).

Quickshot0 said:
I kind of wonder what the power supply is for this tower though... Presumably it isn't Ar Tonelico as otherwise it could have fallen down when Shurelia shut it down temporarily. Or has that not happened yet?

Well for now I'll instead speculate that it's related to the Orgel singularity engine in the graph, though that kind of sounds more like something Ra Ciela would build then Ar Ciel. Or I could be misinterpreting the name. Maybe it's a kind of duplicate to the Ar Tonelico Orgel? Though I'm pretty sure that doesn't look anything like that... Hmmm, curious.

The tower has two main sources of energy—one is the Orgel, the other is a system of pipes in Section C called the Mistral Artifice.
Funny thing about that... I actually left a little easter egg on that map. If you zoom in real close on the Orgel, you can see the faint silhouette of something in the light—a metal sphere. You can probably guess what it contains. The Orgel itself is brought up in a big way in the first phase of Part II, and I will do my best to elaborate on that when the time comes.

Quickshot0 said:
Sorry for the double post, but else this response might get buried under the rather large other response by me.

At least two alternate option comes to mind, you can start a conversation, where you only invite people with some knowledge on AT and thus would be relatively private. Or you can use some kind of chat program to discuss it in a more immediate and quick way with them. Or of course you can do both.

Mmh... that's an excellent point. I guess I'll have to find someone willing and well-versed in AT lore, and either doesn't care about this story or doesn't care about spoilers.

Baughn · Oct 21, 2016

Sapphire said:
Mmh... that's an excellent point. I guess I'll have to find someone willing and well-versed in AT lore, and either doesn't care about this story or doesn't care about spoilers.

*snort*

What Quickshot is dancing around saying is, "We won't mind if you drop by our IRC channel. There's lots of people interested in Ar Tonelico there, and you'll be lucky to make them stop talking."

That said, there's also the discussion thread here on SV. Seriously, don't be afraid of asking.

Sapphire · Oct 21, 2016

Okay! I'll get compiling a big list of questions, then. I think it's a better idea to post them in the general discussion thread; that way, I can spoiler-tag them so no one accidentally sees when they might otherwise not want spoilers. Cause frankly, A LOT of these questions are compromising, especially the ones involving the end of the story as Part II grows to a close.

Quickshot0 · Oct 21, 2016

Don't be afraid to come by IRC either, a lot of Ar Tonelico things can be a little involved and being able to ask immediate follow-up questions then would help figure it out more quickly. We get enough story type spoiler questions there anyway, so I doubt anyone would care to much about their being spoilers.

Sapphire said:
The tower has two main sources of energy—one is the Orgel, the other is a system of pipes in Section C called the Mistral Artifice.

I see, but it's that it is called the 'Orgel Singularity' that caught my eye. As that's information I thought only came from the two prequel games to the Ar Tonelico games. I suppose here to I'm kind of politely dancing around the issue on if you already know fully how and in what way the Orgel actually works. A question that came up to me due to the naming, together with an alternate theory on what that power system might really contain in a sense.

Sapphire said:
One thing that's gonna come up a bit later on in the story is that the Prome Wall hadn't actually been activated until she'd woken up, along with many other tower systems.

While interesting, it's actually not what I meant to refer to with the question. Specifically I was asking which impact it was helping her slow down for. As it would seem to far up to matter for the islands and thus the only alternate option that came to me was that maybe she bounced off part of the B section, and it had helped to slow that impact down.

To put it another way, I have no reason to think the Prome Wall would be anywhere near the top of the islands, and thus wouldn't have had any influence on her impact speed on those.

Though this does make me wonder now if anyone noticed the tower changing its operation then, because presumably the place is inhabited.

Sapphire said:
You're right about the Sea being a lot scarier; however, the protagonist doesn't know about its existence yet. As far as she knows, it's just really dense cloud cover.

True, I was just thinking the AI wouldn't know or care.

Sapphire said:
I like to think that she would've been able to see most of the details in Sections B and C just fine from her position at the base of the Silvaplate. She's looking at the tower from its side, so there's more laid out and it doesn't bulge out as far. While almost all of Section A is invisible to her, she can still see the power regulator module as it juts out as far as the reactor exhaust does (the spinning cylinder is the power regulator's housing, the brilliant glowing light is the Ardel crystal within).

My concern was a bit because the tower has a spread out part before the B section, which presumably would block some of the immediate arc one can see up if one is looking from what is basically near exactly next to the tower, considering the description implies she walked out of it. But I'll admit I can't really be sure if it would block the view to the particular features you're describing. And I can understand if as an author you want to describe the local structure a bit.

Though even then I think technically speaking she might not be able to see the vague bird like resemblance from looking below, if you take a look at the top view (Yes it's different that from below, but still), that one would realize that the internal shaping of the B-section probably wouldn't be as clear from her vantage point. Well that's perhaps just a detail, or possibly a reference to her being able to better backwards engineer the shape from such angles then a normal human could... Hmm.

Sapphire said:
The array at the top of the tower doesn't control the drones—it's relegated to satellite communications and direct transmissions. The tower guardians use their own built-in antennae to maintain contact with their brethren. I should have been more clear about the state of long-range arrays on the drones, I think that was lost in translation during the revision. Only the largest machines (like automated airships) would have had antennae powerful enough to reach the dwindling number of satellites after the Grathnode Inferia—none remain now.
And you're correct about needing satellites to communicate with places beyond the planet's curvature. Even if the array was fully-repaired, Asciydria would never be able to communicate with Metafalss or Harvestasha without the use of its space gun to launch satellites. However, Asciydria Tower is actually situated rather close to Ar Tonelico—it's located near the tip of a peninsula in southeast Sol Cluster, to the point where if its array was working, it would be able to communicate with Ar Tonelico if anyone was listening. Of course, the drawback there is that Asciydria was extremely vulnerable when the Grathnode Inferia happened. More on that in a future chapter.

My complaint was more about 'solar radiation' burning out drone receiver/transmitter arrays. If this was actually true then all the drones would be presumably inoperable or on completely autonomous mode, as you'd have no way to externally control them any more. Except if they have backups I suppose. But if you had backups the original issue might return, unless they're particularly small. Also Solar radiation sounds a bit like a 'just so' excuse, something that just conveniently broke that one system but not really anything else really, like for instance all the other towers... Basically it seems a little a contrived an answer.

Also after Ciel nosurge and its 'amazing' levels of solar radiation, I'm a little dubious about those so easily killing all comms, certainly some what hardened space variants were shown surviving 'astonishing' amounts of punishment. Though admittedly that is another planet and they built other tech, it still stands out to me.

So I instead asked whether the drones even needed such a powerful array in the first place. Presumably drones wouldn't be expected to need to operate far from the tower in the first place, right? So you might not give them very long range comms then either, correct?

And as an alternate I suggested that perhaps the tower being beyond visual range could be an alternate solution, with sat failure then being the reason, if for some reason you really thought the drones should have such a feature. The nations in an alliance around Ar Tonelico after all would have covered a very large amount of land. So being that distant wouldn't seem inconceivable location wise. Air ships can travel long range as well and this tower clearly had a very good airship facility, it doesn't matter really for orbital infra structure making either, satellites will over time get where they need to be. And it could have been that the local nations there had something particular to contribute in helping the tower along.

Also... Metafalss is that close to Ar Tonelico as well, was it really hit that hard by the Grathnode Inferia? Well ok, it failed to complete and all those other problems. But this was all more of a power problem then something else, wasn't it?

Sapphire · Oct 21, 2016

Quickshot0 said:
I see, but it's that it is called the 'Orgel Singularity' that caught my eye. As that's information I thought only came from the two prequel games to the Ar Tonelico games. I suppose here to I'm kind of politely dancing around the issue on if you already know fully how and in what way the Orgel actually works. A question that came up to me due to the naming, together with an alternate theory on what that power system might really contain in a sense.

This is how I have it written as up in Part II, Ch10.

"I can answer that," the other administrator remarked. Her voice had tinged with warmth as she seemingly recalled pleasant memories. "The Orgel is a large Songstone—"
"That sounds familiar," the young soldier added, nodding at me.
"—that emits a faint melody when spun," she continued. "Being a Songstone, it converts its own tune into light and energy. That reaction, due to the sheer size of it, generates a small white hole connected to… somewhere else. A multitude of prisms arrayed around the Orgel amplify its energy output. That's how it works."

Quickshot0 said:
While interesting, it's actually not what I meant to refer to with the question. Specifically I was asking which impact it was helping her slow down for. As it would seem to far up to matter for the islands and thus the only alternate option that came to me was that maybe she bounced off part of the B section, and it had helped to slow that impact down.

To put it another way, I have no reason to think the Prome Wall would be anywhere near the top of the islands, and thus wouldn't have had any influence on her impact speed on those.

I'm sorry, I should've been more clear. During activation, sheets of half-materialized hardlight swirl about the entirety of the tower as projectors fire up. Gradually, the projectors properly orient the barriers, closing them up into a tightly-concentrated shield around Section B and above—at that point, the Prome Wall is fully active (this also means that the projectors can be manipulated to change the shape of the Prome Wall, which will be needed much later in Part II). It's like in certain sci-fi games; when a spherical shield begins to recharge, it first appears extremely large and faint, but shrinks and becomes brighter as it fully recharges.

Quickshot0 said:
Though this does make me wonder now if anyone noticed the tower changing its operation then, because presumably the place is inhabited.

I can neither confirm nor deny this.

Quickshot0 said:
My complaint was more about 'solar radiation' burning out drone receiver/transmitter arrays. If this was actually true then all the drones would be presumably inoperable or on completely autonomous mode, as you'd have no way to externally control them any more. Except if they have backups I suppose. But if you had backups the original issue might return, unless they're particularly small. Also Solar radiation sounds a bit like a 'just so' excuse, something that just conveniently broke that one system but not really anything else really, like for instance all the other towers... Basically it seems a little a contrived an answer.

Also after Ciel nosurge and its 'amazing' levels of solar radiation, I'm a little dubious about those so easily killing all comms, certainly some what hardened space variants were shown surviving 'astonishing' amounts of punishment. Though admittedly that is another planet and they built other tech, it still stands out to me.

So I instead asked whether the drones even needed such a powerful array in the first place. Presumably drones wouldn't be expected to need to operate far from the tower in the first place, right? So you might not give them very long range comms then either, correct?

And as an alternate I suggested that perhaps the tower being beyond visual range could be an alternate solution, with sat failure then being the reason, if for some reason you really thought the drones should have such a feature. The nations in an alliance around Ar Tonelico after all would have covered a very large amount of land. So being that distant wouldn't seem inconceivable location wise. Air ships can travel long range as well and this tower clearly had a very good airship facility, it doesn't matter really for orbital infra structure making either, satellites will over time get where they need to be. And it could have been that the local nations there had something particular to contribute in helping the tower along.

I'll remove it, then.

Quickshot0 said:
Also... Metafalss is that close to Ar Tonelico as well, was it really hit that hard by the Grathnode Inferia? Well ok, it failed to complete and all those other problems. But this was all more of a power problem then something else, wasn't it?

Asciydria is actually closer to Ar Tonelico than Metafalss—the difference between the two being that Asciydria is across the sea that divides Sol Ciel/Metafalss and Sol Cluster. It's set on the tip of a peninsula that reaches out towards Sol Ciel. Shurelia is aware of its existence, but believes that it collapsed during the Grathnode Inferia.

Quickshot0 · Oct 21, 2016

Sapphire said:
I'm sorry, I should've been more clear. During activation, sheets of half-materialized hardlight swirl about the entirety of the tower as projectors fire up. Gradually, the projectors properly orient the barriers, closing them up into a tightly-concentrated shield around Section B and above—at that point, the Prome Wall is fully active (this also means that the projectors can be manipulated to change the shape of the Prome Wall, which will be needed much later in Part II). It's like in certain sci-fi games; when a spherical shield begins to recharge, it first appears extremely large and faint, but shrinks and becomes brighter as it fully recharges.

Maybe I'm not explaining my point properly... I'll try to break it up in to more distinct logic statements, maybe that will help.

- The Administrator fell from section A
- The AI says the Prome Wall helped decelerate her just enough to prevent a fatality.
- The Prome Wall does not extend over section C and thus does not influence impact speeds in section C.

There for the relevant deceleration can not have been for fall damage in Section C, as one would re-accelerate to terminal velocity before reaching the islands there.

Thus the avoided fatal impact or impacts must have been referring to one of the earlier sections.

Thus for the AIs statement to make sense, she avoided fatal falling damage in sections A and B. But not in section C as that is not covered by it.

Thus to confirm if this conclusion was correct I asked if the Prome Wall saved her from damage against the tower walls of section B. (And also A now that I look at in more detail)

The question as such only barely touches on the way the Prome Wall formation works, as it is not the question, which is thus instead where she avoided fatal falling damage. (But from the previous logic presumably impacts against Sections A and B)

I hope that clarifies the matter to you.

Sapphire said:
This is how I have it written as up in Part II, Ch10.

Oh god... they built a second one... I suppose I can understand wanting lots of power, but it's really better if they hadn't made a second link. I have a sudden urge to link to the relevant song magics from Ciel nosurge and Ar nosurge, though if you haven't played/watched them, they'd constitute spoilers to their plots to an extent. In any case the white hole and where it goes to.

------

I'll also see if I can answer some of the questions in the other thread, though others would really be better at them then me I think...

justinkal · Oct 21, 2016

So I just finished reading through what's been posted here so far. Seems pretty interesting.

If you really do plan to have more graphic scenes of mutilated bodies, it might be a good idea to make use of the section of this forum dedicated to asking mods "Is this acceptable to post on this site?" for those sections. You can't get in trouble for anything you ask about there, and mods tend to be far more lenient about what's acceptable if you ask first.

Also, if in the future you plan to make use of the font which makes Hymnnos glyphs replace alphabetic characters, please specify that in an author's note, because that font will only render here for users who have installed it on their computer (otherwise their default font will appear). In particular, many of us like to read from our phones and can't install the font there, so knowing to read that chapter on a computer is nice.

Finally, if you get confused about any formatting things, click the "Help" button at the bottom of the page, followed by the "BB Codes" button on the resulting page in order to see a tutorial of all the formatting things that you can do here. Here's a direct link to that tutorial.
BB Codes

Edit:
Also, the shape of the Tower kind of reminds me of the Monado from Xenoblade.

Sapphire · Oct 21, 2016

Quickshot0 said:
I hope that clarifies the matter to you.

Oh god... they built a second one... I suppose I can understand wanting lots of power, but it's really better if they hadn't made a second link. I have a sudden urge to link to the relevant song magics from Ciel nosurge and Ar nosurge, though if you haven't played/watched them, they'd constitute spoilers to their plots to an extent. In any case the white hole and where it goes to.

I understood what you meant, I'm just not explaining it right. I'll try and do it from this perspective... if you were standing down on the Isles of Aria and someone began to activate the Prome Wall, you would find the air getting much thicker, maybe even a little bit difficult to breathe in. Hair would stand on end, minute arcs of electricity would bridge between surfaces. Not long afterwards, the sensation would fade as the materializing hardlight was concentrated into its correct shape—shrouding Sections A and B. The reason for that is because the Prome Wall's barrier is formed thanks to projectors—a third of which are located in Section C, because the barrier can extend over the lower part of the tower too. However, its default state is to solely cover Sections A and B, to allow entry to the tower through the anchor and the use of the secondary skydock.

Yeah, the ramifications of it are a little crazy. I'm still trying to figure out how it fits in to the AU history, because a second Orgel is... well, frankly a big deal. I'm currently toying with the thought that it was one of several plans swiped from Sol Ciel, and the copying and construction of it was what caused the escalation that resulted in Seven Bloodstains. Obviously, Ar Tonelico didn't shoot at the half-built Asciydria, because damaging the Orgel is almost certainly the worst possible idea in the history of Exa Pico.

justinkal said:
-

Thank you!
Honestly... as far as mutilation goes, what Sylphira went through in Ch1 is pretty up there on the scale in terms of what I've written so far. There are a few cases with nasty amputations and stuff in the future, and my own take on the [WITHHELD]s that show up in the future is very visceral and frankly a bit gross... but as far as injuries go, they won't go much further than this. Not gonna have organs spilling out or anything. The reason that I put the warning in at all is because a friend of mine who read over the first chapter had to stop because the neck wound grossed him out too much to continue.
Not to worry about the Hymmnos! For the sections I've already written, I have it formatted like this—it's an excerpt from a healing song.

"Xe rre lusye accrroad"
"Der sorae mea"

Please give back the light
At the will of my song

The tower's design itself is vaguely meant to look like Harvestasha's older, blockier cousin—though naturally it's diverged a fair bit as construction continued.

ShadowAngelBeta · Oct 21, 2016

Ar Tonelico Jumpchain? Honestly it looks like a mutated version that quickly spawned into its own thing of some of things you can do with that CYOA.

I'll definitely be watching though. I'm a fairly good(?) AT fan... although I know just enough to stick my foot in my mouth rather than actually be helpful.

Quickshot0 · Oct 21, 2016

Sapphire said:
I understood what you meant, I'm just not explaining it right. I'll try and do it from this perspective... if you were standing down on the Isles of Aria and someone began to activate the Prome Wall, you would find the air getting much thicker, maybe even a little bit difficult to breathe in. Hair would stand on end, minute arcs of electricity would bridge between surfaces. Not long afterwards, the sensation would fade as the materializing hardlight was concentrated into its correct shape—shrouding Sections A and B. The reason for that is because the Prome Wall's barrier is formed thanks to projectors—a third of which are located in Section C, because the barrier can extend over the lower part of the tower too. However, its default state is to solely cover Sections A and B, to allow entry to the tower through the anchor and the use of the secondary skydock.

Ahh, so like that.

Hmmm... well despite what ever the AI might think and say, I still suspect the tree branches slowing her down and the stronger constitution of a Reyvateil would probably have been enough to keep her alive and going. But I guess one shouldn't complain about extra benefits.

Now if only she'd been awake for her base jump, then she could regaled people in the future with the 'incredible' *cough* experience it was.

Sapphire said:
Yeah, the ramifications of it are a little crazy. I'm still trying to figure out how it fits in to the AU history, because a second Orgel is... well, frankly a big deal. I'm currently toying with the thought that it was one of several plans swiped from Sol Ciel, and the copying and construction of it was what caused the escalation that resulted in Seven Bloodstains. Obviously, Ar Tonelico didn't shoot at the half-built Asciydria, because damaging the Orgel is almost certainly the worst possible idea in the history of Exa Pico.

Also probably the last idea in history. I expect that would have been the last thing anyone ever did on the planet really. Don't shoot fully active orgels, really bad things will probably happen. At least the theory implies it would be really really really bad.

Though perhaps only Shurelia might have an idea of how incredibly bad this might be.

On this note, don't just turn it off either, turning it off might lead to very very bad and final things. So please don't.

Ar Tonelico : From Discord to Harmony

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