As if repeated countless times before, Ollie steps out of another elevator.
On the opposite side of the large, brightly lit room stands CyberMask. His figure is large and far more imposing than any of the images have made him out to be.
"Congratulations, Ollie Greenfield. I announced the challenge months ago, and you are the first Glaive user to have successfully completed the climb."
"I... I am? I mean, of course, I am." Ollie wearily flexes as the past journey weighs heavily on him. He forces a grin.
His phone buzzes in his pocket.
CyberMask tilts its head. "Before we continue, I think we should address an issue. Do you know that past the first area, electronics from outside the Libra Tower cease to function? It doesn't matter where they were made, what they're made of, or how old they might be. One of the Blitzray Pilots was quite upset about that rule, but it levels the playing field against outside help."
The phone continues to buzz in Ollie's pocket.
"Your phone is ringing right now, isn't it?" CyberMask asks. "I can sense it. Will you answer it?"
"But how did you know—" Ollie yanks the device from his pocket and looks at the screen. It reads Lyra Calling. "I-I need to answer this. I need to speak to my sister."
CyberMask's voice remains steady. "Ollie–Oliver–you don't. You know that's not your sister. I need you to understand the truth."
"What? That's not true!"
"Ollie… your sister is gone. She's been gone since before you entered the Libra Tower. You need to accept that."
Ollie stares at the phone again. The screen is blank, and the device is not even switched on. His hands tremble. It slips from his grasp, hitting the floor, the screen cracking.
Tears begin to well in his eyes.
"It was her! She's been helping me! I'm doing this for her!" His voice breaks as the tears spill over his breath. "I'm climbing this tower for Lyra! I have to save her. P–Please, CyberMask, she's sick. I need the Hypercube to learn how to save her."
"She is gone, Oliver. Your sister is gone. We live in a utopia, and not even the best medical treatments could cure her sickness."
A soft hum fills the space, and Glaive appears before him, unbidden, uncalled. Ollie doesn't move.
CyberMask gestures toward it. "Do you see that? While somehow altered, the bandages, the cape, and the changes in its appearance? Your OverKnight is a reflection of your mind. Not your MIND unit but you. It has taken on this battered look because your mind is fighting itself. Oliver, you need to let go."
"No! Dammit, no! First, our parents, and now her? What's the point of all of this?"
CyberMask's tone does not change. "I understand your pain, but I need you to stand up. I need you to compose yourself so that you can accept the Hypercube. You need to know the truth of the world and the UnderNet."
Ollie's breath comes in ragged gasps as he crumples to the ground. "I just—I just don't care about all of that. Without Lyra, all of this is meaningless." Ollie slams a fist into the metal plating below him over and over. "It-it means that I'm… alone."
CyberMask reads the pain on the Pilot's face and raises both hands, each a closed fist. "Oliver, I can help you. I am in a position to offer you one of two choices."
One hand turns over, opening. A small figure of a blank OverKnight slowly rotates in the palm of his hand. "It is possible to transfer your sister's consciousness into an automaton body."
Ollie stiffens. "You—you can do that?"
"The HyperCube I offer is merely a representation of my power. Ollie, I have access to vast resources and an unlimited network of information," CyberMask asserts, its voice calm yet commanding. "The hospital records show that her body has yet to be cremated. This means it is still possible to retrieve her. However, Ollie, I need your help to explore the UnderNet and document its existence. All I ask is that you join me, and I will help you save your sister. Please be aware that whatever resides within that body may not be your sister. I can replicate her brain patterns and map them to a simulated mind, but there is no guarantee that her memories, her quirks—everything that made her her—will remain. Unfortunately, humans are more than flesh and bone."
CyberMask opens his other hand, revealing an access card. "Or, you can accept the truth of her passing, allowing her to rest with dignity, but your home will be empty. This keycard will return you to the lobby. You would then be free to forge your own path, hopefully unburdened by this sorrow, and pursue the future she wanted for you. Alternatively, I can make you forget this tower and its influence, allowing you to continue your life's climb outside its walls, free from these burdens."
Ollie stares at both hands, his breath shallow, his heart pounding.
He reaches out and makes his choice.