http://www.cc2.co.jp/hack_novel_kite/
In honor of .hack's anniversary and Last Recode, there is a new web novel telling the story of the first 4 games from Kite's perspective. It's called 新約小説「.hack」 (New Novelization ".hack") which isn't a very exciting name but it contains some interesting tidbits. I'm not going to translate all of it, but I thought I'd share what I find while skimming it, and there are a few parts I did want to translate.
About the Harald scene in Liminality:
-He had traveled from Berlin to a country town near Nuremberg to visit her gravesite. There's still no sense of if this scene is a flashback or happening during 2010.
About the Pluto's Kiss Incident:
-Creil Air Base: F1C fighters' networked autopilot programs refuse pilots' commands and enter the same landing route, causing a collision.
-St. Louis: Locomotive's speed indicator malfunctions due to errors in the networked control system, causing driver to speed the train up, launching 4 train cars off a curve and into the Mississippi River. 21 dead, 75 injured.
-The government's reaction:
Also Tokuoka is in it!A rare tumult and commotion filled the Oval Office.
The 44th President of the United States, Jim Stonecold, listened as report after report was brought in.
Since being inaugurated to his post seven years ago, his record included creating the World Network Council (WNC) and drafting bills relating to the Internet.
He tried to adapt the rapidly growing Internet to the needs of the country so aggressively that he was derogatorily called names like "Net General." He was supposed to have succeeded.
But, what was happening now? The net fell silent, communications ceased, accidents multiplied, and no one could grasp the whole picture.
Voices cried out this and that. It was as if this room where the best of the best were supposed to be assembled had turned into a Babel.
"It looks like a virus infection"
"Ridiculous, a virus during this immaculately clean Administration.
"An aircraft has crashed."
"A communication is in"
"The security exchanges"
"We're had no contact"
"Status report ASAP"
The Director of National Intelligence approached him.
"Mr. President, it's awful!"
"Could anything be more awful than this?"
"The automated retaliation missile system is active."
The Director's words silenced the Oval Office.
"Impossible, how could this happen?"
"The computer concluded that the government was under attack and had been destroyed. It is preparing to launch against hostile nations."
"Stop it."
"We can't issue the order. Our communication system itself is dead."
Stonecold became speechless.
Unbelievable. Of all things, for something like this to happen during his tenure. It was so directionless his head wasn't able to process it. Who would do such a thing? Who should we make it?
Oh God.
