HI3: Previous Civilization

Down in the underground base, Rin wandered excitedly from place to place, gasping at every new sight—completely unaware someone was following her.

The moment she set foot in the base, her presence had triggered an alert. Had her personal data not already been registered, the elevator systems would have detained her on the spot. After all, this wasn't some casual facility from the M78 Nebula.

(Or, as a certain azure-skinned scientist might do: if there's no test subject, just set your inventions out, change disguises, and entice cosmic visitors to come steal them. But that's another story.)

At present, Fan and Ruoyin trailed quietly behind the girl. Soon enough, Rin paused at a large pane of glass looking into a training area where mechs were busy. She stared, fascinated by one peculiar robot hurling test dummies through the air.

These mechs were modeled after Titanfall 2 designs—especially the beloved "BT," complete with basic AI. EINSTELN had contributed heavily to their development. In Break of Dawn, anyone lucky enough to pilot a BT was instantly the coolest star in the room. However, the cost was too prohibitive for mass production. Some pilots were so enamored with their BTs they practically lived in them. Who needed a spouse when you had a giant robot?

Rin's eyes sparkled at the mechanical spectacle, clearly longing to try it herself.

That was when Fan gently tapped her shoulder from behind.

"You know this isn't a place for you," he remarked.

Startled, Rin jumped. She recognized she wasn't supposed to be here and instantly panicked, picturing a bizarre fate: perhaps tied up over a boiling cauldron while masked cultists chanted around her. Shaking off the nightmarish image, she spun and bolted.

But not everyone is an M78 Nebula heroine. After running for a while, Rin found she hadn't moved an inch from the same corridor. Realizing her flight was futile, she shut her eyes tight.

'Come on, Rin—think, think! Should've just snagged my own ID instead of Sis's. Where is Sakura when I need her? She's gotta rescue me, or I'll be sacrificed as some weird ritual…'

Her dread came partly from attending the "welcome party" when she and her sister first joined. That day, she'd witnessed how wild these people could be: Sakura had her teeth reimplanted using advanced tech, while K (the one assigned to "welcome" them) ended up on a wooden cross, with Yàn dousing him in gasoline and setting him ablaze—all while chugging so-called "Oolong Tea." In truth, it was 96% spirit dyed with color. The memory scarred her, leaving her suspicious of any "Oolong Tea" offered in Break of Dawn.

Suddenly, someone chuckled. Fan placed a light hand on her head.

"Alright, alright," he said calmly. "Quit freaking out."

"You—!" She recognized him, bracing for the worst.

"You're quite bold, sneaking down here with your sister's pass," Fan said. "If the base hadn't pre-registered your data, you'd have been caught in the elevator."

Rin realized she wasn't being threatened, exhaling in relief. Slowly, she turned to face a young man in a white coat and a tall maid in black-and-white. She scratched her hair, giving a nervous giggle.

Fan sighed. "You've had your little escapade—time to head home. If your sister notices you're gone, she'll flip out."

Hearing that, Rin went rigid. Her expression resembled a kid who'd flunked an exam and dreaded bringing it home. Fan recognized that look; he'd experienced something similar in the past (in another life, perhaps).

Ruoyin tugged Fan's sleeve, snapping him from his thoughts. He noticed how Rin eyed him warily.

"Sorry," Fan murmured. "Got lost in my memories. Didn't mean to scare you."

She eyed him uncertainly, edging back. Fan glanced at Ruoyin, who shrugged in a half yes-half no manner.

"All right—let's set that aside," he said. "Rin, how about you get your own pass? So you can explore here without sneaking around next time."

Instantly, her eyes lit up. "Really? You can do that?"

Fan nodded, holding thumb and forefinger slightly apart. "I have at least that much influence."

"Sweet! Woo-hoo!" she cheered, bouncing around with her schoolbag. As she jumped, a sheet of paper slipped from it, fluttering between them. The three went silent, staring at the slip—her test scores—until Rin dove onto it, clutching it to her chest, cheeks aflame.

"You… saw that, right?" she asked timidly.

Ruoyin cocked her head. "We didn't see a thing. Absolutely not. Definitely didn't see how you scored only 200 in total."

"Wha—? You said you didn't, but you just told me you did!" she wailed. "This is so humiliating!"

Fan scratched his cheek. He'd intended to pretend nothing happened, but Ruoyin had been too blunt.

"Okay, okay. Do you still want that pass, or shall I phone your sister to—"

"I do want it!" she blurted, cutting him off.

While they walked to the ID office, she gradually relaxed, skipping a bit, sometimes glancing around curiously. Once they arrived, the staff confirmed her identity and issued a pass granting minimal clearance—mainly for touring non-sensitive areas.

Holding the pass overhead, Rin asked, "If I lose it, I can get another, right?"

Fan nodded. "Yes, just come back here. Otherwise, your sister might be informed to fetch you."

She tucked it away with exaggerated care. "Got it, Fan-nii!"

Truth be told, physical passes weren't too important—digital verification handled most security. But the pass helped avoid accidental tussles among allied members. In Break of Dawn, every odd policy had an even odder origin.

"Master," Ruoyin reminded him softly, "it's already dinnertime."

Right on cue, Rin's stomach growled. She blushed, hugging her abdomen. Fan suppressed a grin.

He extended his hand politely. "Well then, milady—care to join me for dinner?"

Rin jolted backward, arms crossed, eyes narrowing:

"Fan-nii, what is this? Are you a lolicon? Going after little girls is a crime, you know!"

Fan twitched. He opened his mouth to respond, but Rin lifted her hands, cupping her cheeks melodramatically:

"Aha, I get it—it's my fault, not yours! I'm just too dang cute for my age…" she teased.

Now it was Fan's turn for a dead-eyed stare. 'This kid sure knows how to milk a moment. Give her an inch, and she takes a mile.'

A spark of electric light danced beneath his feet. In an instant, he appeared behind her, clamping a hand on her head and lifting her like a kitten. She let out a yelp:

"Ow, ow, ow! Okay, I'm sorry—I'm sorry! I won't tease you again!"