Photosphere

Photosphere is an artbook for Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere. That artbook is devote to characters of that game-it include their "interviews"; and it also has backgrounds about corpotations.

Scripts
The first page(Electrosphere's background information):

There was a change of era. The omens of change had gradually manifested themselves from the time toward the end of the last century. But, as is the case in any era, it was be considerably later before people became aware of this vast transition in the context of their daily life.

What form did this epilogue - epilogue to an age where state-level politics and judicature were at the apex of the power structure - take? How did the economic might of multinational corporations similar to those of today gain effective dominion over this world? The creation of the transnational economic co-operative now known as USEA (Eusia) is inextricably linked to these events. In the ongoing cycle of transnational merger and acquisition revelry, as company upon company attempted to ride out a recession or gain access to a new market, the age at length gave life to a corporate monstrosity, General Resource, that was almost a living entity, like a giant assimilating amoeba. Little by little, ‘it’ gnawed away the political and judicial framework throughout USEA (Eusia). You see, there was no meaning to be found in borders and sovereign currencies for a multinational corporation with planetary-scale intelligence networks and economic capacity. In due course, ‘it’ created an internal post aimed at the autonomous defense of USEA (Eusia) and employed armed personnel. So it was that the world accepted this new authority, and the transition was complete. Or so it seemed…

But the quickening - of an existence perhaps best described as a new genius of will; a cell divided from the very body of ‘it’ controlled. It was in a world of information networks created by the billions of terminals that ‘it’ had scattered - a space spun of optical telecommunications, which ‘it’ so ironically named the ‘electrosphere’.

The future is now.

There are three players in this beckoning cold war period, set in the two realities of USEA (Eusia) and the Electrosphere: General Resource, which dominates through its long-established and monolithic economic power; Neucom, which continues to increase its strength through innovate technology and new information capacity; and the UPEO, which has continued, after reinventing itself, to pursue its mandate for peace keeping from the end of the last century.

Meanwhile, one man desires chaos.

General Resorce Ltd. personnel
Abyssal Dision [Ace Pilot - General Resource Defense Force] At some time we all feel the constraints of the flesh. This is not in itself a bad thing. Just that those with the will to overcome these constraints feel no compunction to mention them. You see, life, which is sustained within flesh barriers, is bound by desires. And so, we are forced to obtain with currency even the most minor of essentials that sustain life. Mankind has never known a single occasion of release from this curse. These lead us to awareness. That it is in fact his very own flesh-flesh bound by all manner of desire-that limits mankind. Don't these desires we have make for an exemplary yoke? Because, falling short of self-destruction, nobody can elude these things called desires. All I seek is a future that lies a slight jump above that which is called' evolution'. Well, shall I leave it at that for now?

Keith Bryan [Ace Pilot - General Resource Defense Force]

This is the time - go and face the lofty skies! How's it feel, that winged COFFIN of yours? Cherish your solitude! Believe in only those wings, and that instant will deftly take your life. Know this. Challenge the skies, only visible with eyes peeled wide. I reckon I am big enough man to concede when somebody does have ability. All combat hinges on your capability to make split-second decisions. Follow me? Keep it neat - always! You've gotta know what it is to push to the limit. WILL your vulcans strike the target! lngrain into your flesh, the knowledge of experience. Use this! Brace yourself straight away, even in the trickiest of situations. Don't be afraid and just take it on the chin. Listen close-remember that those that don't act don't get results!

Martha Yoko Inoue [Darkness of Enigma RnD - General Resource Defense Force]

Time is memourial memory, a series of instants. The true meaning of that termed ‘now’ is beyond our comprehension. For it is impossible to stop the ‘new’ and examine it. That’s why, the past dissolves; the future is unknowable too. On occasion, it is the accumulation of trivial meaning. Only the void comes to all without partially. People who have mentally stored away as knowledge such destiny – the meaning of their earthly existence.

Neucom Inc. personnel
Cynthia Bridgitte Fitzgerald [Ace Pilot - Neucom Emergency Unit] Suppose there is constant danger to be found in our pursuit, with scientific and technical models, of that which we refer fo as our 'potential.' In which case, it is only those who accept and acknowledge their own imperilment who are qualified to talk of the hidden potential of the Electrosphere, as if it were a wonderous dream or somewhat utopian. The coming world to which all shall presently proceed-yet, it is at this time, still a domain composed of alien perceptions and feelings, where all is completely new, of which no one has yet experienced. If you insist that this place truly exists, then I would really like to know about it, to see it, to feel it. That's right. Even if the cost would be to endanger my body, I don't mind at all. Think about it. It is actually this flesh, necessary for us to live, that has imposed constraints on an existence, so steeped in mystery as the soul and psyche. Have you never felt this? What I want is the ability to pry open the door to this new world. That and nothing else.

Simon Orestes Cohen [Neucom Inc. Staff] How about it then? Shall we start by taking a look here at, say, our human history, and see where it takes us? Ah, I remember now. At the time when politics still held sway, computer technology was nothing more than a human tool. Then, in our imaginary world-of SF novels, movies, computer games and the like-we gave our machines, our computers, personalities, believing that one day the fantastic-robots and cyborgs would become a reality. But, you see, that idea was fundamentally wrong. God is the only one to whom the power of creating life from nothing is allowed. That's the way this world has been created. However, not in that way, but if we humans were to become the machines or computers, then there's quite a possibility, don't you agree? I know you do. This extreme world takes that which forms a human brain, the personality, and converts it without alteration into numerical data, which is then duplicated on a computer. Basically it's a direct brain transplant to the electrosphere. This is the research to which I have dedicated my life-it is my hope. Now then, I'm going to make it plain and clear here: this isn't one of those wild stories that our forefathers clamoured about. It looks like the coming age will be on our side. I'm sure that YOU will have need of me again soon. I look forward to that time. Well, then. I'll be seeing you. Have a nice day.

UPEO personnel
Fiona Chris Fitzgerald [Ace Pilot - Special Armed Response Force] It's a habit of mine... Even when thinking 'I can do that, 'Only I can do that', or 'I can't do that', I'd always, quite unnecessarily, go over it one more time before commenting. A quiet girl - I hate the phrase. Incurable habit: that's the only thing she ever taught me as she walked on ahead of me, further and further away. Like, we all find it easy to compare something close to us. So, I always moved along without getting too close to her. So as not to be noticed; so as not to hurt anyone.

Erich Jaeger [Ace Pilot - Special Armed Response Force] The truth is that it was the stars that I always longed after. Nope -it wasn't the sky at all. After all, looking down on the town at night from the roof of some skyscraper. Surely, that's an experience we all share. And at that moment, didn't the lights of the town on the ground look far more beautiful than any star in the sky? That's when I wondered how this might look viewed from a much higher vantage point. Pretty silly, huh? Nevertheless, that was my motive, if you can call it that.

Rena Hirose

[Ace Pilot-Special Armed Responce Force]

(an interview from the game)

Rena    ...uh, yes. My days off? Mmmm.... A stroll in the park... I can’t do. Stuff like reading books or watching a movie. It’s normal. It’s not at all.... Interviewer   (And your dreams?) Rena    Right now, having become a pilot like this is already a dream-like story, you see. Though lately... what I think is that if the body, for humans, is nothing more than a receptacle for the mind, then that’s something meaningless to me. I am always flying with my mind. Because the body doesn’t have wings, but the wings of my mind... gave me the sky. And as it is, I want every mind to turn into wings.