Ayerscarpe: Seeker in the Sands

Operator Record Seeker in the Sands
Leonhardt... He's my employer. Unlock conditions Raise Ayerscarpe to Elite 2 Level 1. Have at least 50% Trust with Ayerscarpe.

Characters
Ayerscarpe Leonhardt Catastrophe Messenger (Tamika) Cowell Cruise Jr. Guard
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6

Summary Ayerscarpe travels with a self-proclaimed Catastrophe Messenger, in search of Leonhardt in a Catastrophe-devastated area.
<Background 1>
Strange Woman	Hm... This way... no, that way? What did that say again...
Ayerscarpe	......
Strange Woman	Should be this way. There's the polluted area. Let me double-check to be sure...
[Ayerscarpe walks away.]
Strange Woman	Hey, wait for me!
<Background fades out and in>
Strange Woman	Oh, what a coincidence, you were headed the right way.
Ayerscarpe	Like I said, you're needed later, not right now. But I'm starting to doubt your abilities as a Catastrophe Messenger.
Catastrophe Messenger	What? Don't talk about things you know nothing about. The job of a Catastrophe Messenger carries a huge responsibility. Many lives hinge upon being able to accurately determine the movement of a Catastrophe. It's better to be safe than sorry. Why do you think there are so few of us? You're lucky to have even met me. It's not like you've met any others before, right?
Ayerscarpe	...Cut the crap.
Catastrophe Messenger	Admit it. You need my help to enter the post-Catastrophe area.
Ayerscarpe	I admit it.
Catastrophe Messenger	Huh?
Ayerscarpe	Can we continue now?
Catastrophe Messenger	......
Ayerscarpe	......
Catastrophe Messenger	So, who's this guy who Cowell kidnapped and took into the disaster zone, what is he to you?
Ayerscarpe	(Inhale)
Catastrophe Messenger	Hey, don't be so quick to clam up. You know I'm looking for Cowell because I have a debt to settle with him. It'd be a problem if the one you're looking for is actually on his side. You brought down a whole regiment of Cowell Mining guards, practically laughing while sitting in the electric chair. You're not someone I want to mess with. So I need to know who he is. We're working together, aren't we?
Ayerscarpe	...He's my employer.
Catastrophe Messenger	Employer? Are you his bodyguard?
Ayerscarpe	Yes. We were employed by Maize Drill Inc., Cowell Mining's competitor. You may have heard of the name.
Catastrophe Messenger	The first company to send a survey team into this disaster zone, right? They entered from the southeast, quickly securing the ore deposit for Maize Drill.
Ayerscarpe	We were employed by that survey team. The veins they discovered were just the tip of the iceberg. There are indications of more exposed veins at the former site of the central plaza. The company was going to perform a second survey, this time entering from the north, and had set up a temporary camp on the edge. I went into town yesterday morning for a shopping trip... edamame... and when I returned, the camp was in ruins, and there was no one to be found. I tracked my employer's signal to the camp you were at, but found only the tracking device. And you know the rest.
Catastrophe Messenger	Well, I admire your professionalism, but I must remind you that Cowell is leading this band personally. Lots of heads are gonna roll on this trip, and your employer's is probably one of them. This is Rim Billiton. No need for you to get involved.
Ayerscarpe	My contract remains valid until my employer's death is confirmed. I do the job I'm paid to.
Catastrophe Messenger	Suit yourself. There might be another polluted area ahead. Let me check... hey, wait up.
[The Catastrophe Messenger runs after Ayerscarpe.]
<Background fades out and in>
Catastrophe Messenger	You walk fast.
Ayerscarpe	Stop complaining, Le–
Catastrophe Messenger	Le-what?
Ayerscarpe	...Nothing.
Catastrophe Messenger	I'm beginning to suspect that you're hiding something from me.
Ayerscarpe	I'm hiding a lot of things from you.
Catastrophe Messenger	...I guess, but there's one thing in particular that's concerning me. You lost contact with your employer, right?
Ayerscarpe	Yes.
Catastrophe Messenger	Then how do you know the way?
Ayerscarpe	......
Catastrophe Messenger	Multiple times, you've moved before I said anything, but it always ends up being the right direction. How are you doing it?
Ayerscarpe	Does it matter?
Catastrophe Messenger	Could it be that you're with Cowell...?
Ayerscarpe	...... Look here.
Catastrophe Messenger	At what?
Ayerscarpe	On the ground.
Catastrophe Messenger	Originium dust, sand, ash... the same mix you see everywhere after a Catastrophe.
Ayerscarpe	That grey stuff is sand, not ash.
Catastrophe Messenger	Huh?
Ayerscarpe	Tiny particles of eroded limestone that would ordinarily blend into yellow sand.
Catastrophe Messenger	That's pretty specialized knowledge... but what does it mean?
Ayerscarpe	...It's normally mixed in, but now it's on the surface by itself. Someone made it happen. On purpose.
Catastrophe Messenger	Oh!
Ayerscarpe	Separating different types of sand is a special trick of my employer's. He left this as a mark, one that the enemy is unlikely to notice.
Catastrophe Messenger	So you were secretly following it as a trail this whole time. Here, there... there's a lot of it. Sounds like your employer's a pretty smart guy.
Ayerscarpe	Tch.
Catastrophe Messenger	"Tch"?!
Ayerscarpe	Just a guy who's bad with money... a real jerk.
Catastrophe Messenger	Sounds like you guys are pretty close.
Ayerscarpe	As close as it takes to punch him in the face.
Catastrophe Messenger	If that's the case, why would someone like you be working for him? Extortion? Blackmail?
Ayerscarpe	He's my first employer. Changing jobs would be a pain.
Catastrophe Messenger	Have you ever thought about doing something else? Is there anything you wish you could?
Ayerscarpe	No idea.
Catastrophe Messenger	What did you used to do?
Ayerscarpe	I... I'd never left home before I started working for Leon.
Catastrophe Messenger	...... Let's just say–purely hypothetically–that you're on good terms with your employer, and he's dead when you find him... Now you're no longer bound by your contract. Would you do anything... outside the scope of it?
Ayerscarpe	No. What are you implying?
Catastrophe Messenger	Well, there's a lot you could do with your skills. Say... taking revenge for him.
Ayerscarpe	That would be meaningless.
Catastrophe Messenger	Why?
Ayerscarpe	Simple. Anyone who could kill my employer is someone I couldn't deal with on my own. It would be suicide. The logical thing would be to turn around and leave. The bodyguard contract has expired. Regardless of whether I was at fault, there's still no reason to stay and make the situation worse. Even if I had a mind to take revenge, I wouldn't just rush in hot-hotheadedly. I would make a plan, wait for the right opportunity. Only fools let revenge occupy their minds.
Catastrophe Messenger	......
Ayerscarpe	Enough delay. We need to catch up.
Catastrophe Messenger	Over there!
Ayerscarpe	Get down!
[Ayerscarpe and the Catastrophe Messenger drops onto the ground to avoid incoming Originium dust.]
Catastrophe Messenger	Quick! Put on your mask!
Ayerscarpe	Mm.
Catastrophe Messenger	Looking at the particle distribution patterns, this wasn't caused by aftershocks. It's...
Ayerscarpe	The disintegration of Infected. There must be many Infected bodies nearby. But why? Did the Catastrophe Messenger in charge of this area not give any evacuation notice? Unlikely. The situation in the east indicates that there was plenty of advance warning. There should have been enough time to give notice and evacuate. How could this have happened? Was the Catastrophe Messenger new to the job?
Catastrophe Messenger	There's another possibility... Maybe they did give warning in time... but someone intentionally prevented the notice from reaching the population. By the time anyone realized, it was too late.
Ayerscarpe	Delay the Catastrophe warnings? Why would anyone do that?
Catastrophe Messenger	This is Rim Billiton. The mining companies run the show. Catastrophes reveal ore veins, so every time one happens it results in a scramble by the companies to claim the new ones. Sometimes, this takes the form of delaying the communication of evacuation notices... if you're unscrupulous enough.
Ayerscarpe	Bastards...
Catastrophe Messenger	Cowell planned this well, but he didn't count on your survey team moving even quicker than he did. You must have a good Catastrophe Messenger on your side. Anyway, it threw a wrench into his plans. I guess that piece of fowlbeast dung has turned to kidnapping now.
Ayerscarpe	Leon...
Catastrophe Messenger	Like I said, you shouldn't be too optimistic about your employer's prospects in Cowell's hands.
Ayerscarpe	We keep going.
<Background fades out and in>
Catastrophe Messenger	Didn't find anything.
Ayerscarpe	You searched the entire area?
Catastrophe Messenger	I scanned every inch, but nothing. No new markings.
Ayerscarpe	...You're right, the trail ends here. The prospective mining area was in the south. If that's their target...
Catastrophe Messenger	Compass doesn't work here.
Ayerscarpe	We'll expand the search radius. You said there were signs of an approaching sandstorm. How far away is it?
Catastrophe Messenger	20 minutes, tops. Oh, right! I think I caught a glimpse of a cave behind that hill. Could be man-made. There might be enemies.
Ayerscarpe	Lead the way.
<Background 2>
[Ayerscarpe and the Catastrophe Messenger enters the cave.]
Catastrophe Messenger	It's dark... Do you smell that? Seems like blood.
Ayerscarpe	Keep going.
Catastrophe Messenger	...Didn't think you'd need someone to scout the way for you. And to think I worked so hard to help you avoid polluted areas and secondary disaster zones.
Ayerscarpe	You were the one who insisted on coming with me.
Catastrophe Messenger	Fine, fine... Whoa!
[The Catastrophe Messenger runs back as someone walks toward them.]
???	Ayerscarpe? It's me!
Ayerscarpe	You're... Cruise Jr.? From the survey team?
Cruise Jr.	Thank goodness you remember me.
Ayerscarpe	Just you here? Where are the others? ...Let me take a look at your arm.
[Ayerscarpe checks Cruise Jr.'s arm.]
Ayerscarpe	Blunt trauma and some deep cuts... properly treated, though. You'll be fine. This bandaging... did Leonhardt do this?
Cruise Jr.	...Yes.
Catastrophe Messenger	Injuring an arm. Cowell's favorite punishment. Can't do anything in Rim Billiton without a good pair of hands.
Ayerscarpe	Where are the others? Where's Leonhardt? Is he with the rest of them?
Cruise Jr.	I'm the only one here. Leonhardt saved my life...
Ayerscarpe	What did he say to you?
Cruise Jr.	He told me to wait here for you... before he died...
Ayerscarpe	What did you say? He died?
Cruise Jr.	Yeah...
Ayerscarpe	Are you sure?
Cruise Jr.	I know it's hard to accept... but no one could have survived that explosion.
Ayerscarpe	Explosion... Tell me everything. I need to know what happened to him. Every last detail.
Cruise Jr.	Ayerscarpe...
Catastrophe Messenger	Hey, don't give him such a scary look. He just had a brush with death. Cut him some slack.
Cruise Jr.	Leonhardt told me to give you this.
Ayerscarpe	......
His gaze moves slowly to the bundle of clothing. The clothes he had seen so many times before look so unfamiliar now. Just looking at the blood stains makes his eyes hurt. Leonhardt always kept his clothes sparkling clean, not a speck of dust on them. Annoyingly so. How could this have happened?
Cruise Jr.	He also asked me to passed on a message... "Stay away, Ayers." I couldn't hear the next part very clearly, but I think he said... "I'm terminating your contract."
The words were like a needle piercing his ear. His hand trembles as he receives the clothes. There is a lump in his throat that he cannot swallow. In the end, all he does is take a deep breath.
Ayerscarpe	I see...
Catastrophe Messenger	Ayerscarpe... Your employer... your friend. Was he a Catastrophe Messenger?
Ayerscarpe	A decent one. It's a shame, but it is what it is.
Catastrophe Messenger	I'm sorry.
Ayerscarpe	It's okay. I guess I'm no longer contracted. I'll get some rest, then head back the way we came.
Catastrophe Messenger	Okay.
Ayerscarpe	Why are you just staring at me? Sit down.
He leans against the rock wall and slides down, setting the clothes aside. Then he feels something heavy inside the clothes. He reaches into the pocket. There is a box of edamame inside.
Ayerscarpe	......
[Ayerscarpe walks off.]
Catastrophe Messenger	Hey! Where are you going?
Ayerscarpe	Out of my way!
Catastrophe Messenger	Are you crazy? There's a sandstorm outside!
Ayerscarpe	That's nothing! Leon... he wouldn't die so easily! And even if he's dead, I'll...
Catastrophe Messenger	Calm down! You need to keep a cool head! You won't achieve anything if you don't take stock of the situation.
Ayerscarpe	......
Catastrophe Messenger	Trust me, no one wants a piece of Cowell more than I do. We've come so far! There are only so many places he can run, this deep into the disaster zone. Be patient. We're so close.
Ayerscarpe	Mm.
Catastrophe Messenger	At least wait for the sandstorm to subside.
<Background fades out and in>
15 minutes later.
Cruise Jr.	The mine exploded as soon as I got out, throwing me off my feet. I got up and ran without looking back, all the way here.
Catastrophe Messenger	Just to double-check, towards the south, along that crag, right?
Cruise Jr.	Yeah, that's the way I came.
Catastrophe Messenger	The sandstorm has mostly subsided.
Ayerscarpe	......
Catastrophe Messenger	You could stay here, Ayerscarpe, if you need some time to collect your thoughts...
Ayerscarpe	No. Let's go.
Catastrophe Messenger	......
<Background 1>
Catastrophe Messenger	The mine entrance is blocked. We can't get in on our own.
Ayerscarpe	Yup. Tire tracks. They were here.
Catastrophe Messenger	Not sure if they're leading into or away from the mine. And we can't tell what's inside from here.
Ayerscarpe	Those rocks wouldn't trap him. He could destroy them easily.
Catastrophe Messenger	But it's sealed shut, and there was an explosion...
Ayerscarpe	If he's still alive, he would have followed them, trying to rescue the others.
Catastrophe Messenger	If they're looking for new veins... there's only one way to find them. Inside. But the area ahead is heavily polluted, with high risk of a secondary disaster. Going in by ourselves is a big risk. They'll have to come back this way eventually, even with proper protection. We can wait here and ambush Cowell.
Ayerscarpe	We keep going.
Catastrophe Messenger	Can't you just accept the truth already?
Ayerscarpe	What truth? I still haven't seen him with my own eyes. Your turn. Leon can move through polluted areas unhindered. I'm sure you can manage too, being a Catastrophe Messenger yourself.
Catastrophe Messenger	I... I'll do what I can.
<Background 3>
Ayerscarpe	Wind and sand everywhere. I can't see anything.
Catastrophe Messenger	Maybe... perhaps... according to my observations...
Ayerscarpe	Shut it!
Catastrophe Messenger	Er...
Ayerscarpe	Infected creature! Behind you!
[An Infected creature sneaks up behind the Catastrophe Messenger, but Ayerscarpe takes it out.]
Catastrophe Messenger	Thanks...
Ayerscarpe	This is a bad place to fight.
Catastrophe Messenger	There's a house over there! We can take shelter.
Ayerscarpe	Mm.
<Background 4>
[Ayerscarpe and the Catastrophe Messenger runs into a house as the sandstorm brews up.]
Catastrophe Messenger	Whew... like I said, this is too much for the two of us.
Ayerscarpe	Here comes the sandstorm again.
Catastrophe Messenger	Yeah.
[Ayerscarpe stares at the Catastrophe Messenger, before...]
Ayerscarpe	You're not a Catastrophe Messenger, are you?
Catastrophe Messenger?	No, I'm not. I knew the facade wouldn't hold up ever since you mentioned that your employer was a real one. I'm actually surprised it took you so long to call me out on it.
Ayerscarpe	Who are you then?
Catastrophe Messenger?	I'm Tamika. I'm a bodyguard, like you.
Tamika	Do you still want to travel with me?
Ayerscarpe	Doesn't matter to me.
Tamika	We could both die here, though. I wouldn't get my revenge, and you wouldn't save your friend. But like I said, you could stay, and I'll keep going. Could be one less corpse in our future.
Ayerscarpe	No.
Tamika	Why? Why can't you accept that your friend is dead? Is it worth giving up your life just to see for yourself?
Ayerscarpe	......
Tamika	Do you remember what I told you about the Catastrophe warning? The one that was covered up? The Catastrophe Messenger who sent the warning was my best friend... I was the one who got her the job.
Ayerscarpe	Did you learn about Catastrophes from her?
Tamika	Yeah. My protective gear belonged to her too.
Ayerscarpe	Then how... Did Cowell kill a Catastrophe Messenger?
Tamika	Cowell Mining blocked off communications when signs of Catastrophe appeared. The residents never got the warning. She rushed back when she learned about it. The Catastrophe was very near by then, but she headed straight into the red zone to help with the evacuation. I was one step too late, just in time to see a cloud of Originium dust swallow her whole... Just thinking of what she saw in her last moments made my blood boil. I wanted to tear Cowell limb from limb with my bare hands. Until I met you, someone else who'd lost someone important... Then I understood. To be honest, I wanted to use you to get rid of Cowell. But I have to admit, you were right. Revenge isn't worth it. You're strong enough to survive here. There are many things you can do in place of your friend. Not like me. I've come too far to turn back... Leave the rest to me.
Ayerscarpe	You're overthinking it. I would've come here, with or without you. I came because there's something I wanted to see. I'm doing what I'm doing... because Leon isn't dead. My employer isn't dead, so I still have a job to do, as a bodyguard.
Tamika	How can you be so sure?
Ayerscarpe	Leon is a jerk. Talks too much, gets into trouble. Gets me into trouble. But he knows how to survive, better than anyone. I've lost count of the times we've worked together to get out of a tight spot. He's the reason I'm having this conversation with you, rather than turning into a dried-out husk in the barrenlands. I know him. Those words didn't sound like something he'd say. I need to see with my own eyes. And... he promised me something he still hasn't done. I won't let him off the hook that easily.
Tamika	Fine, assuming your friend's not dead, how are we gonna find him? Is he just gonna drop from the sky?
Ayerscarpe	No, what you said made me remember... Leon always drawled on about the properties of Catastrophes. Tch. So many things floated to the surface when I heard he was dead. Including these. You just wait, Leon.
<Background 5>
Tamika	T-That's nuts! Is that how you and your friend have been avoiding danger in Catastrophe zones?
Ayerscarpe	It was Leon's idea. I had to make do with what's available. Is there a problem?
Tamika	That's just climbing out the fire and into the frying pan... or is it the other way round? Whatever, doesn't matter. No wonder you were able to penetrate the disaster zone so quickly.
Ayerscarpe	We're here.
Tamika	Tire tracks... they've been here alright. Someone's coming! Cowell's muscles. Much tougher than the ones in the camp. Even you... We'll need a plan, find a weak spot... Ayerscarpe? Ayerscarpe?!
Guard	Argh– Help! R-Run away!
[The guards run by...]
Tamika	......
Guard	No–
[...and they are struck down by Arts attacks out of nowhere.]
Ayerscarpe	I'm back. You said something?
Tamika	...They're all down?
Ayerscarpe	I think so. I'm comfortable on the attack. Is there a problem?
Tamika	...You've got to be kidding me. Did you find you friend?
Ayerscarpe	Not yet.
[Ayerscarpe stares to the roof.]
Ayerscarpe	If he's really dead... maybe I'll become a Catastrophe Messenger.
Tamika	You...
Ayerscarpe	Wait, there's another room over there.
[A well-dressed man walks out of a nearby room...]
Cowell	Who are you? Guards! Intruders! Guards!
[...but Ayerscarpe grabs him.]
Ayerscarpe	Shut up.
Cowell	What do you want? I'm the owner of Cowell Mining! I own these mines! Is it money that you want? I can pay you!
Ayerscarpe	Enough. Just answer my question. Where's the Catastrophe Messenger you kidnapped?
Cowell	He... he's inside the mines.
Ayerscarpe	Still alive?
Cowell	A-Alive! Absolutely alive! He was the one who led us here!
Ayerscarpe	I see. He's all yours.
[Ayerscarpe hands over Cowell to Tamika and walks off.]
Tamika	Do you remember me, Cowell?
Cowell	T-Tamika? Is that you? P-Protect me! I'll pay you whatever you want!
Tamika	I stopped working for you the day you killed Claire. This one's for her... Claire...
[Tamika approaches Cowell with a murderous expression.]
Cowell	N-No! Stay back!
[The door closes.]
He did not turn back. Into the mines he went, one step at a time. His steps were anxious at first, but began to slow down as the sound from the walls became clearer. At last, they are calm, steady. Like going to meet an old friend.
Leonhardt	I-I'm sure we can talk this out! No hasty moves, okay? Please!
Ayerscarpe	*sigh*
<Background 6>
Leonhardt	Oh, it feels so good to run freely into the sunset. All these Rim Billiton corporations are the same. I'm getting sick of them. I want to take a break. For at least a month.
Ayerscarpe	And how will we eat without an income?
Leonhardt	...You have savings, don't you?
Ayerscarpe	Don't even think about it.
Leonhardt	I guess it's time to think about looking for a regular salary. Say, there's something I've been curious about.
Ayerscarpe	Go on.
Leonhardt	So I told you I was dead, and that our contract was terminated, yet you still came for me. What would you have done if you'd arrived and found out I was really dead?
Ayerscarpe	......
Leonhardt	Hey, say something. Don't tell me I don't mean anything to you? I mean, I've kept my promise, traveled the world with you... Traveling for work still counts, right? I mean, it was just a few coins... okay, maybe more than a few... but you're not holding any grudges over it, are you?
Ayerscarpe	......
Leonhardt	Say something!