"We haven't even explored everything these lands have to offer, and have only just begun measuring the heights of the skies. Why fly to such high places in vain?"
—Stephenson
The Site 359 incident has been resolved through the efforts of Rhine Lab and Rhodes Island staff members, but their troubles in Columbia have yet to end. Past and future will collide as one Kristen Wright shoots for the stars and everything beyond the lands the people of Terra have known for hundreds of years.
Tropes in this episode:
- Book Ends:
- The story's first and final story sections feature the quote in narration, 'If, in a century or a millennium, our descendants walk among the stars, the masses will sing her praises.', referring to the achievements of Kristen Wright in her efforts to break past the star barrier in Terra's sky and how everyone will look back upon everything she has done as Kristen looks upwards to the stars.
- Justin Fitzroy Jr.'s appearances start and end with bailing a scientist out of prison for the sake of Rhine Lab, demonstrating just how much reach they have and will use for the sake of science. Justin Jr. even makes a note of how the prison warden he previously bribed is flourishing on his return trip to the prison with the money given to him by Rhine.
- Continuity Nod: The Tin Man comments at the end the Doctor has already been in custody of the Columbian Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Arts Units, and Originium, a reference to the Doctor's time in Columbia depicted in "Vigilo".
- Immediate Sequel: To "Dorothy's Vision" as Silence is tasked by Dorothy to find the final batch of Transmitter that wasn't gathered up in the aftermath while the latter remains in custody, only for her and everyone else to quickly stumble upon a conspiracy far larger than what was going on in Site 359.
- Info Dump: What the Preserver mainly has to offer to everyone who meets him, in particular he explained his accumulated knowledge of 13,055 years to Kristen at great length about the cosmos, the races and animals of Terra, and more science than she could ever imagine.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: In the Doctor's psychic conversation with the Preserver, a nameless Reunion member asks them if killing them is just like checking off a list to them, in an allusion to the fact the game's own mechanics revolve around killing a certain amount of enemies in order to pass through the story.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- Saria has always been depicted wielding a shield in every prior appearance made before this story. In this one, she asserts she won't wield the shield because she might need to use full force for once.
- The Doctor resorting to physical violence as a response to Loken Williams demonstrates just how far his provacation went to push them to do so.
- Rewatch Bonus: The entire "Debate" scenes with Preserver are more impactful if players had been keeping up with the main story and side story events relevant to Doctor up until the 5th anniversary. There is also a scene that is
Heartwarming in Hindsight when Doctor met Theresa again, who gave them her support and encouragement during the debate. Not only did it show that Theresa still consider Doctor as her most trusted confidant, but also lets Doctor meet the real Theresa once again, instead of her clone.
