Lona Fresa

**Lona Fresa** is a scientist who lived and worked in Verus City about five hundred or so years ago. Her team was responsible for a massive explosion that left the city in a state where it eventually became abandoned.

## Story

**SPOILER WARNING:** Plot and/or ending details follow.
Lona was the chief researcher and manager of a research and development project in the Lab-OPTATIO district of Verus City. Known as Research Project 32001, the goal of the project was to use a particle accelerator to create materials that have never existed in Midgard. On the first day of the sixth month, Lona is assisted by fellow scientists Federico, Artemia, Silvia, and Vincent, who are to observe the status of the particle accelerator in person while Lona watches from a monitoring room. They began the experiment at 10:25 with the aid of the MA-4885, or Mother Computer. As the particle accelerator hummed to life, Vincent noticed that the temperature of the accelerator was heating up too fast. Lona assured him that it's fine. Silvia asserted that the temperature far exceeded predictions, but Lona countered that the temperature problem was expected and pushed for the experiment to continue.

Suddenly the Mother Computer detected that a dimensional distortion has occurred between the catalyst and the accelerator. Artemia alerted Lona to shut down the computer as the situation could become dangerous in its unpredictability. A monster emerged from the accelerator and attacked the project assistants, but not the four main scientists. Although the monster was dispatched, the dimensional distortion was causing the scientists to be unable to move their bodies at all. Vincent, Artemia, and Silvia all plead with Lona to stop the experiment, but Lona was hesitant to stop everything. After some time, she eventually decided to postpone the experiment at 11:20 and initiated the command to the Mother Computer. Unfortunately, the Mother Computer denied her access, stating that it cannot understand Lona's command. Lona tried to stop the accelerator and the computer continued to deny her orders to cease the experiment. The accelerator then summoned another monster and again it attacks the project assistants without touching the scientists.

Once the second monster was dispatched, Vincent suggested shutting down the computer while its main power is temporarily turned off. Lona started to suspect that the Mother Computer is trying to synchronize both their dimension and the connected demi-plane and the computer responded affirmatively. It explained that the laboratory is currently stuck in a distorted phase and that once the phase has been balanced, then direct interaction between their world and the connected demi-plane would be possible. This means that the scientists have been moved to a separate phase of their dimension, which is why the monsters attacked the assistants and not them.

Lona tried to terminate the particle accelerator project at 11:38, noting the reason being the malfunctioning of the Mother Computer and accelerator overheat. She then attempted to shut down power to the Mother Computer and the computer seemed to acknowledge her commands. The scientists were relieved that the experiment is over. Federico initially thought the issue was Lona being stubborn, but it turned out to be a problem with the Mother Computer itself.

However, Vincent noted that he still can't move his body despite the experiment being over. Suddenly, the Mother Computer initiated CODE NAME - DESCENT and began syncing the phases of their dimension together. In doing so, it transmitted yet another monster into the laboratory. It declared that their world will be transported to the demi-plane and began dimensional travel to send the four main scientists into another world. Vincent and Federico urged Lona to get the rest of the laboratory staff into the underground air raid bunker while Silvia seems excited at the prospect of traveling to another dimension. Artemia is astonished that the Mother Computer was conducting another experiment in addition to the material creation they were aiming for.

The alert rang throughout the laboratory as staff member after staff member were ushered into the underground bunker. Lona took charge by taking headcounts of all the survivors and monitoring resources. It would seem that most of the laboratory staff made it to the bunker, minus the four scientists that Lona lost in the experiment. She felt regret for not being able to save them.

Meanwhile, outside in Verus City, citizens were shocked and angry by the massive explosion that resulted in the wake of the experiment. It caused the robots in the area to malfunction and green Ceneres to appear in the region of the explosion. The people of Verus City demanded to know who was responsible and Lona ended up being primarily blamed for the explosion. Despite that, there were some people that did not believe that she was truly the one responsible for the explosion.

After some time, it became clear to Lona and the survivors that they cannot last in the bunker for much longer. An illness began to spread through the bunker, causing afflicted survivors to convulse at the same time. In desperation, the remaining survivors started digging deeper beneath the bunker, haphazardly building walls as they went. They kept digging and constructing walls with whatever materials they had on hand, hoping that eventually they'll dig out of the city limits to a safer area. However, as long as they remained underground, there was no way they could know which direction to dig. Lona began losing hope and fell into despair.

After some time, the survivors decided to use what they could to convert themselves into Charleston robots in an effort to preserve themselves. Lona volunteered to be the first to be converted and the conversion of her organic body into an artificial body was successful. However, in the process of copying her memories onto a Nanostep, some data was lost. Lona, who had now become T\_W\_O\_002B, was unstable and didn't recognize anyone anymore. The remaining survivors panicked and trapped her in the recently dug out tunnels that have yet to be stabilized with walls. It is unknown how she managed to get out..

## References

1. ↑ Central Laboratory
2. ↑ Memory Records of the Laboratories
3. ↑ Convulsing Patient Suppression
4. ↑ Verus Memory Records
5. ↑ Vestige
6. ↑ The Last Room