Sudden Event

* Characters

Anby, Belle, Billy, Hacker, Nicole, Wise

**Sudden Event** is the fifth act in Chapter 000 of the *Zenless Zone Zero* storyline.

## Dialogue

 **Commission Description**

Every day's a surprise in New Eridu... and 10% are truly shocking.
### Everything Ready

**Nicole:** OK everyone! Thanks to (Proxy)'s help, preparations are complete. It's time for the next step!
**Nicole:** Anby! Explain the plan!
**The quiet girl nods, then takes out a folded map from her pocket and hands it to Billy. Billy holds the map up as instructed for everyone to see.**
**Belle/Wise:** Isn't that a map of New Eridu?
**Anby:** That's right. The plan: Enter the Cretan Hollow. Defeat the superior Ethereal, Dullahan, then recover the strongbox.
**Anby:** ...
**Belle/Wise:** That's... it?
**Anby:** Yep.
**Belle/Wise:** So what's with the map of New Eridu?
**Anby:** Nicole says we have to show some professionalism, and we can't let our partners look down on us. Otherwise, it'll be hard to bargain with th— mpffh...!
**Billy covers Anby's mouth before she can finish speaking. Nicole takes the map back and quietly reprimands her subordinates.**
**Nicole:** Saying too much again? Billy, why weren't you paying attention?
**Billy:** It's not my fault! How was I to know Anby's idea of a "professional" meeting was this...
**Billy:** Ah! That's why she watched all those crime investigation movies before the meeting!
**Belle/Wise:** Um... We can hear you guys...
**Nicole:** Ahem. Anyway, as Anby said, the goal is simple: find and retrieve the strongbox!
**Nicole:** Monitoring the real-time situation within a Hollow won't be possible from the outside, so support and guidance inside is up to you guys!
(New Commission Added - The Proxy and the Hare)

## The Proxy and the Hare

### Description

Finally, everything's ready for the recovery of the strongbox.
Once that's taken care of, you can give yourself the day off!

### Size

Story
Medium

### Rec. Level

 30
 Lv. 8

* Rewards

Inter-Knot Credit300Inter-Knot Credit300Dennies30000

* Challenges

### Plan B

Take out a new device: Flat-screen monitor!

### None Left Behind

Collect all observation data in the area

This Commission is missing challenge details.Can you help out? Click here to add more.

**Nicole:** Alright, we made it into the Hollow! Now let's find my strongbox.
**Billy:** Speaking of which, Nicole — who told you about the location of the strongbox?
**Nicole:** Hah! That's a trade secret! You thought I'd just spill the beans like that?
**Nicole:** Since we're on the same side, I guess I can let you in on a little secret.
 I'm all ears.
 You just want to show off, right?
**Anby:** Please don't put her on the spot like that. Nicole gets super sensitive in times like this.
**Nicole:** Hey! I told you not to say too much, Anby!
**Nicole:** Ahem! Actually, it was really easy! I have a few contacts at the Association who just so happened to have the records of routine observation missions and Ether resources for this Hollow.
**Nicole:** I gave them an offer they couldn't refuse, and asked them to help compare data from the last two mutations. Locating the strongbox was as simple as circling up the changes!
**Billy:** Is that right... so when that Red Fang dude mutated into an Ethereal, you just used his high Ether levels to act as a roadmap for you. Sheesh, Nicole, you're good!
**Lorem Ipsum**
**Nicole:** Ahem! Actually, it was really easy! I have a few contacts at the Association who just so happened to have the records of routine observation missions and Ether resources for this Hollow.
**Nicole:** I gave them an offer they couldn't refuse, and asked them to help compare data from the last two mutations. Locating the strongbox was as simple as circling up the changes!
**Billy:** Is that right... so when that Red Fang dude mutated into an Ethereal, you just used his high Ether levels to act as a roadmap for you. Sheesh, Nicole, you're good!
 Huh? Why'd you say that again?
 Hang on. Didn't you just say that?
**Nicole:** Proxy? Are you daydreaming? Isn't it time to go? I may know the approximate location of the strongbox inside the Hollow, but it's up to you to get there!

**Anby:** Hmm... the air around here seems to have grown thicker.
**Billy:** Yeah. The resolution on my video sensors just dropped, too.
**Nicole:** That means that we've already— (Static)
**Nicole:** Right, Proxy?
 Sorry, I didn't catch that?
 Huh? Did you say something?
**Nicole:** Don't drift off while guiding us! I paid top dollar to hire the best Proxy around, "Phaethon"! Watch out or you might just get a negative rating on the Proxy Network!
**Lorem Ipsum**
**Nicole:** Watch out or you might just get a negative rating on the Proxy Network!
 ...That's weird.
 We might have a problem. And I'm still mad.
**(Belle / Wise), the "assistant" who had been at (Proxy)'s side noticed a slight difference, an insignificant error in the H.D.D. System's backend.**
**Belle/Wise:** Weird. The H.D.D. link (isn't stable. / seems unstable?)
**Belle/Wise:** Wait a sec, I'll sync and try a debug.
**Billy:** Manager? Do you want to continue?
**Belle/Wise:** Listen up guys, the Ether activity has impacted our H.D.D. signal. (Be careful! / Hold tight!)

### Outside Intervention

**[ERROR]**
 ...
 Reestablishing connection through the backup link.
**[ERROR]**
 ...
 ...Logging out of the link setup. Reconnecting the default parameters.
**[ERROR]**
 ...
 — Shutting down link data firewall and executing a forced connection.
**[ERROR]**
**[ERROR] [ERROR] [ERROR]**
**Unable to connect.**
**An unfortunate turn of events suddenly occurs. It doesn't matter how much you adjust the equipment, change the way you try to connect or search for the Bangboo signal. The tools you're familiar with are unable to establish a connection with the Bangboo in the Hollow.**
**In principle, there shouldn't be any technology that can establish communication between the outside world and the Hollows. But there's some tech in (Proxy)'s secret workshop that "defies" that logic.**
**The Hollow Deep Diving System or H.D.D. system for short.**
**This H.D.D. system is the secret weapon that made the siblings famous in the Proxy industry.**
**Years ago, they developed this system out of ancient technology they stumbled across in the Hollows. They constructed a device that allows you to transfer your consciousness to a certain device that you can control remotely.**
**This product of so many people's hard work has yet to betray them. Until now.**
**Belle/Wise:** I couldn't reach Nicole and the others on the phone either, they must have gone into the Hollow!
**Belle/Wise:** Without support from a Carrot or Proxy, she's definitely going to get lost in there...
**Belle/Wise:** Even people highly adaptable to Ether will become monsters if they stay in a Hollow surrounded by Ether for too long...
**Belle/Wise:** If I don't contact her soon...!
**Belle/Wise:** Let's try to restart it...
**In an anxious frenzy, (Proxy) tries what only someone unacquainted with the profession would try — unplugging it for a moment.**
**Unlike the anxious siblings, the only thing on the massive screen in front of them is a constantly blinking text cursor...**
**...a cursor? Looking at the power cord now unplugged from the computer, the two face each other. Shivers run down their spines.**
 (Belle / Wise)... why's it still running?
**They confront an answer that they had purposefully ignored. What if the H.D.D. hasn't failed them?**
**What if their inability to connect isn't something wrong on "this side"?**
 ...External interference?
 Our system... has been hacked?
**The text cursor continues to flash, like a stranger's beating pulse. (Proxy) places two slightly shaking hands on the keyboard.**
 —Who are you?
****\_****
****.****
****\_****
****.****
****\_****
****Ha\_****
****I thought you'd never figure it out\_****
****"Phaethon"\_****
**Ding—! [You have received a new anonymous document]**
**Belle/Wise:** —What's this guy up to?
****Watch what's in the attachment\_****
****This system now belongs to me, so find another way to play it.****
****I suggest you hurry\_****

## Post-Act Dialogue

### Mandatory Dialogue

(Chat with Belle/Wise)
**Belle/Wise:** (The timing on this hack is terrible, (Proxy) — what are we gonna do? What do they want from us... / I never would've thought someone would hack into "Phaethon"'s system. How rude...)
 This (could / may) have something to do with Nicole.
 This (could / may) have something to do with the commission.
**Belle/Wise:** (Let's get in touch with Nicole, pronto. We have to see what that guy's sent, ASAP! / Whatever it is, we can't waste any time. Nicole needs our help — we have to see what that guy's sent, ASAP!)

## Change History

Released in **Version 0.13**[Edit History]