"..."
Screwllum pondered for a few seconds. "Herta, I have no intention of questioning you, nor do I deny the efforts you've made.
However, I hope to allow knowledge and inspiration more room to grow freely."
[LMAO, the "Nitwit Society " probably fried Screwllum's CPU.]
[One by one by one? One what? Ugh, even I feel anxious watching this!]
[Screwllum's inner OS: How do I even respond to this?]
[Hahaha, aren't you two in the same club?]
[One of the smartest people in the world, yet losing at trash talk.]
[Another historic moment worthy of the annals!]
——
"Enough!"
The camera zoomed in on Herta. "If you don't want to do it, then quit. Take your tech with you I don't need it. I'll find someone else to collaborate with, even the Intelligentsia Guild. At least they won't just bail on me."
Herta paused at the doorway, her back to the camera.
"Screwllum, we've known each other for so long. This is the first time I've ever...
felt like you're just a block of cold metal."
[Damn, that line hits hard!]
[Who said my Herta can't throw shade? Come here and take this L!]
[This is brutal. Screwllum is a mech, so calling him "cold metal" is spot-on!]
Then.
The screen cut to black, returning to the familiar setting of Herta's office, with Herta standing in her usual spot.
Stelle looked puzzled as she approached Herta. "You're back?"
She might as well have added, "The audacity."
"Check whose name is on the office plaque. Why wouldn't I be back? Hmph, even if someone leaves, it won't be me. I'm staying right here."
Herta crossed her arms. "What, don't like seeing me back? Pfft, I don't care what you all do. Just don't bother me."
[Hahaha, I'm actually dying, this segment is proof the writer lost it.]
[I can't even she literally just walked out, and now she's back?]
[Truly a genius normal minds can't keep up.]
——
Stelle smirked and turned to Screwllum instead.
Screwllum nodded politely. "My apologies, Trailblazer. I'm afraid you've witnessed an unseemly display."
"What's up with her?" Stelle pointed at Herta.
Screwllum tilted his head slightly. "Are you concerned about her mental state?"
"I'm more concerned about the researchers' mental states."
"Thank you for the humor it helps ease the tension.
The emotions of organic life are like tides. I simply failed to account for the moon's pull.
Let Herta have some time alone. Venting her frustrations may facilitate our discussions later."
The subsequent plot, delivered through Screwllum's exposition, reintroduced the "Cyberpunk City Penacony"
and the Etheric Tape embodying the "Spirit of Penacony."
The audience gained a clearer understanding of Penacony's backstory,
along with the significance of the tape to the Simulated Universe.
The dialogue also name-dropped a new faction the Galaxy Rangers.
Most crucially, since the Simulated Universe was about to shut down,
this was the last chance to explore its secrets.
...
With Screwllum's assistance, Stelle entered the Simulated Universe.
Screwllum's voice echoed in her mind.
However, Stelle stared at Silver Wolf's projection and scratched her head. "I think I'm hallucinating."
Screwllum: "That is a normal phenomenon..."
Stelle cut him off. "The hacker's right in front of me!"
"Oh? I see. Conclusion: That is a holographic record generated by the Simulated Universe."
As Screwllum explained,
Silver Wolf suddenly spoke. "Hey, you. Why're you staring at me like that?"
Stelle shuddered. "She's real?"
Screwllum: "I accelerated the Simulated Universe's sequence. She is not addressing you this is merely archived footage.
Do not interrupt for now. Listen carefully; we may uncover further clues."
This "Silver Wolf" was supposedly a past recording, yet her presence felt unnervingly lifelike.
She enthusiastically emphasized the tape's importance—
a hacker's second pair of eyes, second brain, second heart.
With it, one could even recall the flavor of the fourth piece of mixed popcorn eaten at a movie premiere.
Guided by Screwllum, Stelle was synced to the perspective of her companion, Kafka.
The journey was silent, save for Screwllum mentioning his past encounter with Silver Wolf.
In his words: "She attacked, I defended. Neither prevailed, as both held back. She failed to breach the defenses of the Difference Engine, and I could not stop her from leaving unscathed."
As the plot progressed, Stelle and "Silver Wolf" seemed to reach the Simulated Universe's endpoint.
Silver Wolf smirked. "LMAO, there's a tiny Herta doll here.
Talk about narcissism—her face is everywhere in this station. Paintings, sculptures, projections galore.
I was gonna graffiti a mustache on one, but the spray wouldn't stick how cracked is that? The whole station's flimsy as paper, yet her portraits are impenetrable?"
The usually quiet Screwllum suddenly interjected. "Herta once commissioned me to design an encryption tool. So this is where she applied it."
[LMAO, there's a tiny Herta doll here.]
[Back in Season 1, there was a foreshadowing where Silver Wolf claimed Herta's hacking skills were inferior.]
[Yeah, I remember! Didn't expect it to pay off here?]
[Where's the payoff? This program was made by Screwllum, and Silver Wolf couldn't hack it? Screwllum's that good?]
[It's the Genius Society you think they're playing around? Current records show only 84 members in the entire universe!]
——
Finally, they arrived at the deepest layer of the data chain.
But...
Screwllum sensed something amiss.
By his analysis, if the Silver Wolf they saw was indeed past footage,
she could not have reached this point otherwise, the tape would not remain intact.
Thus, the hypothesis contradicted the facts.
"An untimely third party has appeared here.
Even the most skilled hacker could not locate a specific target within the Simulated Universe's vast data in a short time unless..."
"Unless there was a suitable guide!" Silver Wolf finished his sentence.
"She—she talked?" Stelle scrutinized Silver Wolf.
"Tch, I knew at a glance you weren't human!"
"Hah?" Silver Wolf gave her a deadpan look.
"Maybe explain what's happening to the girl beside you first? She looks very confused."