The domino effect

ARTIFICIAL HEART // SECOND, known by the episode title "the domino effect", is the fourth episode of ARTIFICIAL HEART, and covered a dangerous night for the group as they quickly changed their plans to retrieve a valuable artifact that had been damaged in a second terroristic incident against AutoDoc. The session took place on February 25th, 2023. It has a runtime of 04:08:36. In universe, the episode takes place from immediately where the last game left off, up until 00:14 on the 5th of Neverwinter, 2466.

### Time (IC)

21:38 (4th of Neverwinter, 2466) to 00:14 (5th of Neverwinter, 2466)

### Runtime

04:08:36

The previous episode in this arc was out on the water. The next episode in this arc is family man.

ARTIFICIAL HEART // SECOND is covered in chapters 15-17 of the manga.

## Plot Summary

### Chapter XV: The Second Attack

* Stitches and Diamant stare in shock as neither of them expected another bombing to take place. Stitches thinks, trying to remember if AutoDoc carried more than one artifact than the one she was aware of, but she has no reason to suspect that they were.
* Diamant opens up the news broadcast, finding a news reporter calmly relating that a small AutoDoc office building had been bombed, but that the fire alarm had been pulled approximately two minutes before the bombs went off, giving everyone time to escape.
* Stitches and Diamant make hurried conversation. They briefly compare the bombings to Stroke being let out of prison and the artifact being in AutoDoc possession, but have no further clues as to why this may have happened.
* Diamant texts the rest of the party, telling them that they need to meet immediately. They decide that Ringer's boat-house is the safest and nearest place.
* Stitches calls Alastor, warning him about this second bombing, and warning him that Mina's face may be on the news once again. He shows concern over the matter, and tells Stitches that she should remain out of trouble, and Stitches agrees to do so.
* Stitches and Diamant discuss theories. AutoDoc is extremely powerful, leaving many smaller companies at constant war with them for sheer recognition, but none of these companies would dare to launch a full out attack.
* She tells Diamant that Director Silvers attacked people that she cared about at the cafe the first time this happened. She relays how she expects that if the attacks continue, then he will continue to attack people she is close to. Diamant gives her clearance to leave and take care of her business.
* Diamant offers Azat's assistance, and Stitches somewhat reluctantly agrees that she could use his help and his gun. Diamant sends them both on their way before leaving herself to go meet up with the others at Ringer's place.
* Peppermint prepares to leave, but gets a text from Erlareo. He quickly tells her that the "artifact" is damaged, and they need to meet immediately, because it will be permanently destroyed soon. Peppermint agrees, and sends him the coordinates to Ringer's house.
* Auntie jogs over on foot back to Ringer's boat. While traveling, she sees that the streets are being closed down, and there's a large amount of active E-SEC vehicles. A patrol officer stops her on her way home, and asks her where she's headed. Auntie responds that she's headed home, and the officer tells her a curfew is in effect, and to make her way home as soon as possible, before driving off.
* Auntie texts the rest of the group while she keeps running, letting them know that the city is being placed under lockdown.
* Auntie is the first of the party members to arrive at Ringers place, and she is surprised to see Erlareo waiting at her front door. They both seem surprised to see each other and she asks him why he’s here, being told that he’s waiting for his sister to arrive.
* They have a short and somewhat stiff conversation before Diamant, Stroke and Ringer arrive. Diamant demands to know who Erlareo is and he tells her that it’s none of her business, Diamant becoming quickly angered. A longer conversation ensues, as Ringer and Stroke take turns insulting Erlareo and he and Diamant argue over who’s in charge. The tension proceeds to intensify as Ringer tells Erlareo that she has her house's weapons pointed at him and advises him to leave before Peppermint finally arrives.
* Peppermint calms everyone down telling them that Erlareo means no physical harm upon them, and he scoffs when he hears them calling her Peppermint, saying that that used to be her childhood nickname. The party and Erlareo then quickly discuss what they should do, and why they’ve met in the first place, starting with why Erlareo is there. He explains to the party that a powerful family artifact was stolen from them, and that it has now been damaged pretty severely. If the artifact isn’t recovered, then the artifact will possibly be destroyed, and that it must be recovered at all costs.
* The party tries to make a quick plan. Erlareo points out that Stroke won’t be able to do much with her arm in a cast, and Diamant tells her that she needs to get that fixed right away if they’re going to go on a mission within the next 8 hours. The party considers a few people before deciding that a Ripperdoc that Diamant knows will probably be best, as she can also provide a new arm.

### Chapter XVI: Lockdown

* The party begins driving towards the clinic, using two motorcycles and a car. They are stopped by E-SEC multiple times along the way, but Diamant, using a seemingly alternative fake SIN named "Gwyneth Owens", convinces the patrols that she's an officer escorting the others home. They let her go, and she eventually arrives at the Megabuilding where the clinic is located.
* The group makes their way up the large elevator to a hole-in-the-wall office called the Widowmaker Clinic. Everyone is met by a tall pale woman with pitch black eyes, who introduces herself as Belladona Lilith. She wears around her neck an amulet that appears to be a clock-like construction that ticks forward at an incredible pace faster than real time.
* The woman appears to be extremely strange, addressing the group as if they've already been there, and having access to information she shouldn't really have. Diamant seems relatively unphased, telling her that Stroke needs her arm repaired and replaced. Lilith offers a quote of 80,000 credits, which Diamant accepts.
* Lilith then takes Stroke into the operating room where she proceeds to remove and replace her arm. She talks to her as if she’s been there before, and eerily prophesizes how many people Stroke is going to shoot at. She gives no direct answer when questioned how she knows this, but directs to her amulet, which is seemingly an artifact of some kind.
* The group talks to Erlareo while this is happening, who seems to have a fair amount of distrust and dislike towards the group. They tell him he'll need a street name to stay safe, and, sticking with his sisters motif, he goes with his childhood nickname of Candlewax.
* The topic then switches to the artifact. Candlewax explains that it is called the “Stone of Healing” or the “Stone of Regeneration”, and claims it was stolen from his family by a genie. He says the amulet can cure many diseases, heal almost any injury or affliction, and overall is an incredibly powerful artifact, which he and his sister are supposed to recover for the family.
* Lilith finishes her work, passing Stroke back off to the team and getting paid. The group leaves the store.
* Ringer catches a glimpse of Facsimilie showing up on Lilith's screen. She quickly messages it, asking it what its intentions are, and Facsimilie only responds with “I will introduce infection. All will fall before the Hive.”
* The crew drives over to the headquarters and find that there are many E-SEC vehicles here, but shockingly not a single officer within sight. They are interrupted by the ominous sound of weather alarms, and the sight of Facsimilie showing up on every single screen in sight.
* Ringer asks it what it’s doing, and it responds with “I HAVE REDIRECTED THE KINGMAKERS.” Ringer, assuming that this is a diversion for their entrance into the building, suggests that she and Stroke go in quickly to scout it out, before the rest of them go inside just yet.
* Erlareo casts a quick spell on himself and Peppermint, making themselves invisible for around 5 minutes. The group agrees to let Ringer and Stroke in first, and they sneak their way into the building.

### Chapter XVII: AutoDoc Laboratories

* Upon entry, Stroke and Ringer notice four bodies of E-SEC officers, and that all of them have missing limbs, some of them having been decapitated. The bodies are still warm, and it’s quickly deduced that this happened quite recently.
* They also notice an elevator that had had its doors forcefully ripped open and the elevator car was not in its intended position. Stroke suggests that they let the others into the building, seeing that the coast is clear, but noting that they may not be alone in the building.
* Everyone enters the building and Auntie uses her Driftglobe to light up the area, since no one except the elven siblings can see.
* Investigating the elevator doors, the group sees that there is an emergency ladder leading into a room below, where Erlareo can sense the amulet. The group of riots descend the ladder, Ringer being nervous as she is afraid of heights.
* They are met with a room littered with scattered papers and the sight of Director Silvers laying, beaten and at death's door, unconscious. Many of his bones are broken and he looks to have been caught in a fistfight, being shoved around the room, and thoroughly defeated.
* They decide to leave him for now, Stroke binding him using some grappling wire from her grappling gun, and go further into the basement to find the amulet.
* They are met with a few untouched doors, and one door that has almost been ripped from its hinges as a giant human sized hole has been punched through it. Entering quietly, the group decides to find out who is there as well, and reassess from there.
* Heading to the end of the hallway, they spot three robed figures, wearing dark red and having hoods pulled all the way over their faces so it’s impossible to tell who they are. Each of them carry with them unique swords that no one has ever seen the likes of. All three of the figures are huddled around a safe, attempting to open it and retrieve what is inside. Erlareo tells everyone that the amulet he’s looking for is inside that safe, and they all need to get it before these strange people do.
* Stroke asks the party for a plan, and recommends that they throw a stinger grenade at the three figures, stunning them just long enough for her to get the thing out of the case.
* As Stroke throws the grenade, the three people are stunned and she makes a dash for the safe. Ringer follows close behind her, gun drawn. However, the three people quickly recover from their stupor before Stroke can open the safe fully, and the rest of the party joins in to the attack to defend Stroke and Ringer.
* A violent fight begins it becomes clear to see that they are all Drow, and the leader has an odd impression on his face that appears to be what looks like a snake that was carved into his own cheek.
* The leader begins creating clones of himself, overwhelming and assaulting the entire group. While the two mooks die quickly, he seems to be able to resurrect them, which he does multiple times to keep pressing his numbers.
* Realizing that they are severely outmatched in terms of power, Erlareo casts a spell that seems to automatically open the safe, and Stroke grabs the amulet as the group prepares to flee.
* As the tables begin to turn, a gunshot rings out, as Azat and Stitches show up standing in the doorway, joining in on the fight.