Synduality: Noir Part 2

What is this?

And you! Just what are you doing?

Why do you need to use a rocket?

This is a test.

A test?

Ready for launch!

Ready to launch Kanata 1!

-Time to get you up into the clouds! -

Main engine start!

Lift off!

Wow!

8,000.

8,500.

9,000.

-The problem arises here. -Problem?

- -The limit.

Dang it!

Well, that's all I've got.

Satisfied?

The 10,000 meter limit.

So it's still there after 20 years.

WEST COAST OIL COMPANY NO.003

Won't you tell us what's going on?

What exactly are we testing for here?

Histoire.

What do you mean? What about Histoire?

What do you know? Mystere!

- -

Histoire is real.

What?

Up there.

So Histoire was above us.

That's why no one could find it.

How do you know?

As luck would have it, we made contact during our travels.

You mean with Pascale?

What was your master like?

Yes.

Master was the type to dance to the beat of her own drum.

But she was also consistent and with purpose.

She had a lot of dreams to accomplish,

so we went around fulfilling them.

It was like she had wings powered by a thirst for knowledge.

Mystere learned a lot of things from Master.

Then one day…

We made contact with Histoire.

Somewhere out there,

by sheer chance, we happened to make contact with Histoire's network.

We tried hacking in for more information.

We managed to breach several layers of security

before finally gaining access to Histoire.

We only did it once.

But that was enough to confirm that Histoire truly does exist.

But how do you know it's above us?

The signals were exospheric.

What?

They came from outer space?

Before the Tears of the New Moon,

the Space Race paved the way for a variety of space technologies,

but the technology was all but gone by the Amasia period.

Where exactly did you make contact?

That remains to be seen.

Mystere still isn't her normal self.

In truth, not even 70% of her potential has been expressed.

And still, you were able to handle the Silver Storm.

-You confuse me for a hack or dud. -

While the dud has reign over Mystere's faculties,

Mystere enters a self-repair sequence.

However, the repairs are nowhere near complete.

But this, at least, is now available.

Noir!

Kanata?

-Mystere! -

You see?

What happens to Noir?

We switch places from time to time.

The dud has shared access with Mystere's activity log.

It'd be a pain to have to update her on everything after the fact.

How's that for considerate?

I will accept your praise.

Right. Good job.

You want to go to Histoire, hack?

Of course I do!

Then you need to be ready.

Tomorrow, we train.

Mystere will get you in shape!

Yeah, bring it on!

This is my dream come true! I'll do whatever it takes!

Master…

Someone else has wings, just like you did.

Does this mean our adventure will finally have its conclusion?

I'm counting on your rocket.

So basically, you need me to break the 10,000 meter limit?

Can anything even withstand such altitudes?

If not, we'll just have to make them!

We'll leave no stone unturned.

Just you wait, Histoire!

-Ouch! -

I said I'd do whatever it takes,

but is this really necessary to get to Histoire?

Of course. You doubt Mystere?

The memory regarding where the connection was made is, for the most part, complete.

The last signal was around here.

Giza?

This is quite far from Rock Town.

So…

we go to Carthage.

Records indicate that this place

had a radar for exospheric observations prior to the Tears of the New Moon.

It could likely shed some light on Histoire.

Giza may be further away,

but Carthage is 2,000 kilometers as the crow flies.

There are no Nests in the area, and supplies will be hard to come by.

Such harsh conditions require not only physical fitness…

- -…but also great mental fortitude.

Mystere will do whatever it takes to get to Histoire.

You hear that, hack?

You must push past your limits!

You did good, for a hack.

Tomorrow's menu is all set up. Make sure to let the dud know.

Mystere will return to self-repair.

Kanata?

PUB ED-JOE LEGACY FOODS & DRINK

So? How did your training go?

Wow!

Does your stomach hurt?

What?

-No… -

Hey! Drink's up!

Here's your ultra-strength synthetic protein, the Ed-Joe Special!

Going on week two with this drink, hey?

And still not sick of it.

-It tastes so bad! -It tastes bad, but you still drink it?

It's so I can go to Histoire!

It's firing him up.

Maria!

Listen up. Three glasses is all you get.

Or else you'd drink me out of business.

Got it, sir.

How's the rocket development going?

Still at the hypothesis stage.

But just you watch. I will break the 10,000 meter limit.

Have you at least found any leads?

None. But I'm gonna do it.

Where is all this confidence coming from?

Ever heard of, "Anything one can imagine, one can make real"?

We even made it to the moon over 200 years ago.

Things were different back then.

Doesn't matter.

It's not just a theory.

Only those who persevere get to see their dreams come true.