Earthspirit: Distant Relic

Operator Record Distant Relic
Sometimes, work is the simpler part of living. Unlock conditions Raise Earthspirit to Elite 2 Level 60. Have 200% Trust with Earthspirit.

Characters
Earthspirit Provence Miss Bachmann Office Operator Louis Mercenary Mercenary Captain
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4

“

After receiving letters from Professor Bachmann's daughter, Earthspirit finally decides to use a few days of her precious leave to go meet in person. She doesn't want to get into trouble, but finds herself buried in it.

”

<Background 1>
Earthspirit	Brr, it's cold.
Office Operator	All the more reason to knock, instead of wasting time out here.
[Earthspirit walks up to a door and stops before it, but ends up coming back.]
Earthspirit	But I don't know her that well.
Office Operator	Glad to see you're as shy as ever, even after all these years.
Earthspirit	It still feels weird that we've become colleagues, even after all these years.
Office Operator	Alright, then I guess I'll help you out, as a colleague.
[Office Operator walks up to the door and knocks, and a woman opens up.]
Leithanian Woman	Yes?
Earthspirit	......
Office Operator	Miss Bachmann, this is Glacier, the "Earthspirit" whom you wrote to.
Miss Bachmann	Ah, yes. I found a box labeled "To Glacier" written on it while going through my late mother's belongings, so I asked you to come and pick it up. And you're finally here.
Earthspirit	I was on my way to visit family, so I stopped by to see what Professor Bachmann had for me.
Miss Bachmann	Please, come in.
<Background 2>
[The woman, now known as Ms. Bachmann, pours water into a glass for Earthspirit.]
Miss Bachmann	We pried the box open because we didn't know what was in it. Only after reading the letter inside did we learn it was meant for you. We're still not sure what the stuff we found is, though. I wonder if you could tell us.
[Earthspirit opens the box.]
Office Operator	Hm... a piece of paper and a rock? We came all this way for this?
Earthspirit	It's a design for an Arts Unit inhibitor, but still very much in the theoretical stage. She taught me how to hear the vibrations of certain minerals using Originium Arts, but all that turned to pure noise after I became Infected. At least treatment at Rhodes Island put an end to that. Now I can hear them again, even clearer than before. At the time, though, we were at our wits' end. She believed the Oripathy increased my Arts output, so she said she'd make me an inhibitor after I'd worked for a full year.
Miss Bachmann	An Arts Unit? How hard can it be to order a custom-made Arts Unit in Leithanien? Why did Mom have to do it herself?
Earthspirit	Simply suppressing my Arts would have prevented me from hearing the sounds at all. So it could only be made by someone familiar with both the Arts involved and the vibration frequencies of minerals, who could manually calibrate the inhibition of different wavelengths–like tuning an instrument.
Miss Bachmann	Sounds fascinating. Too bad she never completed it.
Earthspirit	I could still use an inhibitor like that, though... If she'd come this far, perhaps I could continue her research.
Miss Bachmann	What about the rock then?
Earthspirit	It's a beacon stone.
Miss Bachmann	Sorry, I'll need more of an explanation than that.
Earthspirit	Some rocks undergo metamorphism when they come into contact with Originium, resulting in metamorphic rock that contains Originium. Such rocks react to my Originium Arts, allowing me to sense them with the help of a tuning fork. The professor would use the rocks with the strongest reactions as beacon stones. We used to bring them on our field trips, leaving them behind to mark our path.
Office Operator	Wouldn't your beacon stones get mixed up with others using the same method to pass through the same area?
Earthspirit	Not many people do this in the first place, and it's even less likely that their stones would use the same frequency. If anything, it would help us identify who else had passed through.
Miss Bachmann	Sounds like a convenient Art.
Earthspirit	It's just about causing small vibrations in matter. Frequency control is a relatively minor part, the key is understanding the mineral composition.
Miss Bachmann	So why did she leave this to you?
Earthspirit	Perhaps it's a clue, a way of asking me to use my Arts to search the city for this beacon's frequency. Is that okay with you, Parker?
Office Operator	Should be fine, as long as it doesn't endanger public safety, or draw the attention of others.
[Earthspirit uses her Arts to track the beacon's signature, and...]
Earthspirit	I sense a trail leading outside the city.
Miss Bachmann	Should we check it out?
Earthspirit	Now?
Miss Bachmann	If not now, when? You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you?
Earthspirit	I could always come back another time. And Professor Bachmann always told me that curiosity leads to ruin.
Miss Bachmann	This is a nomadic city, you know. You may not be able to pick up the trail next time, if it's outside the city.
Earthspirit	I'm here on vacation, not for work.
Miss Bachmann	This isn't exactly work, is it? Whatever you find belongs to you. Walk a few steps, make some easy money.
Office Operator	We have time, Earthspirit. I just heard from the hotel that it's going to be a couple of hours before they get the room ready anyway.
Earthspirit	They sure are sloppy... Alright, we'll go and try to get this done before dark.
<Background 3>
Office Operator	Never thought I'd see a place like this outside the city.
Miss Bachmann	Are you sure it's here?
Earthspirit	Yes, this is where the signal led. Hm... a cave with a tunnel leading beyond. The entrance has caved in.
Miss Bachmann	Huh? Is this mine what mom left you?
Earthspirit	It seems to have been abandoned long ago. And I'm not aware of her owning any private mines.
[Earthspirit uses her tracking Arts.]
Earthspirit	The signal goes further in. It's beneath the cave-in.
Miss Bachmann	Beneath? We should have brought tools.
Earthspirit	Leave it to me.
Earthspirit touches the ground with the end of her staff, and the collapsed area begins to liquefy. Then, the ground begin to roil. Soon, an elaborate metal box rises to the surface.
Miss Bachmann	There must be something valuable inside!
???	That's good news.
[A number of mercenaries surround Earthspirit and co....]
Office Operator	Hey, what are you doing?
[...as a nobleman named Louis walks in.]
Louis	Thanks for the heads-up. Now I can get my hands on the full legacy of Professor Bachmann.
Earthspirit	Miss Bachmann?! Was this a trap?
Miss Bachmann	Sorry. I wish there was another way, but my husband insists that we tie up all loose ends. We can leave once we sell these, right honey? We can live a better life in Columbia, like you said?
[One of the mercs shoot Ms. Bachmann in her leg.]
Miss Bachmann	Ngh!
Louis	Her leg? Where are you aiming? Shoot to kill, not maim.
Miss Bachmann	What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?!
Louis	You have no idea how much time and effort I spent planning this. But Bachmann left behind little beyond a house and a bunch of useless rocks. And now that I have my hands on the last remaining piece of the inheritance, I don't need you. I'd rather not have to split the spoils. This will give me the capital I need to make a comeback in the Columbian mining sector. Just look at this. An abandoned mine outside the nomadic city. An opportunity of a lifetime.
Earthspirit	Stop this!
Louis	My dear Miss Glacier, I hear you've turned down invitations from multiple Rim Billiton companies. Join me, and I'll allow you to live and serve me. I'll even give you a leadership position.
Earthspirit	Sorry, I'm not looking for a career change. The pay may be nothing to write home about, but working for Rhodes Island has many perks for an Infected.
Louis	Have you never thought about escaping the cage of everyday life? About a vacation, where you don't have to worry about when you'll return to work. About having time to just lie in bed, without needing to think about anything. Don't you want to live a life like that?
Earthspirit	Who doesn't?
Louis	Then join me. You'll have authority, and plenty of vacation time.
Miss Bachmann	Ugh...
Earthspirit	You said the same thing to Miss Bachmann, didn't you? I'll admit your words may be tempting to the young. But I've been around long enough to know that jobs like that simply don't exist. Anything offering such great conditions is probably a scam.
Louis	Hmph. Still, sparing your life was part of that offer. You would be wise not to defy me.
Earthspirit	It's bothersome enough keeping track of my boss' condition at Rhodes Island. I took leave for New Year's, and I'd rather spend it on my own projects, thank you very much.
Miss Bachmann	It hurts... Ugh...
Louis	Oh, shut up. Kill her first!
Mercenary A	Want us to shoot her?
Louis	With your aim? No need to prolong her misery, just get it over with.
Mercenary Captain	Draw your swords!
[One of the mercs charge at Earthspirit, but she uses her Arts to immobilize him.]
Mercenary A	Hey, I can't move! Something's grabbing my feet!
Mercenary B	No, you're sinking!
Earthspirit	You shall not pass.
Mercenary A	Help! It's up to my chest! I can't breathe!
Mercenary B	Grab my hand!
Louis	Damn it!
Mercenary B	We can't get through!
Louis	Is this your final answer, Glacier?
Earthspirit	Take it however you'd like.
Louis	I changed my mind. Kill all three of them.
Office Operator	Wait, I haven't–
Mercenary Captain	Switch to crossbows. Shoot them from a distance!
Mercenary B	Yes, sir!
Mercenary Captain	Target the Caprinae! Kill her and stop her Arts!
[The mercs fire at Earthspirit, but the R.I. operator protects her with his shield.]
Office Operator	You're not hurting my colleague.
Mercenary Captain	Oh, forgot about you.
Mercenary A	Captain, this place is too cramped. They could easily block all our bolts with that shield, and the Caprinae's Arts are preventing us from closing in.
Mercenary Captain	What a pain...
Louis	I'm not paying you to stand around! Do something!
Mercenary Captain	Alright.
[The merc captain reveals a cache of explosive munitions...]
Mercenary Captain	How about this? Explosive bolts we found at the cave entrance!
[...before having the mercs load them...]
Office Operator	Not gonna happen!
[...and take aim at the ceiling.]
Office Operator	What? They're aiming above our heads?
Louis	Cause of death: cave-in due to disrepair. What a perfect conclusion!
[The mercs open fire, with the explosive munitions triggering a cave-in.]
Office Operator	Watch out–
<Background fades out>
Miss Bachmann looks up and sees only a great mass of black. A tire-sized rock falls towards her. Before she has finished processing what is going on, a white hand enters her field of vision. Rocks turn to sand when they touch it, and flow through the gaps in its fingers onto her cheeks, still warm from the hand's touch.
<Background fades in>
She sees a Caprinae grabbing her shoulder with one hand, the other hand raised high in the air. She smells a familiar scent of dirt and grass, just like that of her mother. A sense of security surrounds her, one that she had forgotten for close to twenty years.
Earthspirit	Are you okay?
Miss Bachmann	Thank you... you could do that?
Earthspirit	It only took a few calculations. Glad I wasn't late this time.
[The mercs continue firing at the ceiling...]
Office Operator	They're aiming deeper!
[...causing the cave to start collapsing.]
Earthspirit	The whole place is coming down!
Office Operator	Are they trying to bury us alive?
Earthspirit	Get over here, Parker!
Office Operator	I think we should run!
Earthspirit	She can't walk! And those guys have blocked the way!
Office Operator	Well, we can't just sit here on our thumbs!
Earthspirit	Just trust me!
[Earthspirit channels her Arts...]
Office Operator	Wait, Earthspirit! Stop! The warning light on your monitoring ring has turned red!
Earthspirit	A false positive.
Miss Bachmann	Are those... bones?
Earthspirit	Don't look.
[...and unleashes it...]
Earthspirit	Stick close!
Louis	Hahaha! Die!
[...with destructive results.]
<Background fades out>
At first, the rocks turn into sand of various colors, like stars falling from the sky. The grains gradually increase in size, hitting the ground like the spring rain. The rocks at a distance also begin to fall, hitting the ground hard. Rather than swallowing the three of them up, the liquefied ground rises like the tide and lifts them.
<Background fades in>
Office Operator	Earthspirit?!
Earthspirit	I'm fine, just calibrating things! Cover your nose and mouth, and don't let any dust get into your body, or you'll be making a lot of trips to the doctor!
Miss Bachmann	You're analyzing the composition of each falling rock and each inch of earth, and vibrating them at different frequencies? And you call that "a few calculations"? If anything goes wrong...
Louis	W-What's going on? She can't move right now! Shoot! Shoot her!
[The mercs fire at Earthspirit...]
Office Operator	Oh no!
Earthspirit	Not so fast.
The falling dust suddenly turns back into stone, blocking the incoming bolts as they fall. As they hit the ground, they send forth ripples, as though falling into water, which build into waves that surge towards the cave entrance. And as those waves come into contact with the people standing there, the liquefied earth returns to normal.
Louis	I–I can't move!
Earthspirit	Tie them up, Parker, and call the police.
Office Operator	Alright.
Louis	Wait! Did you think she was innocent? Forging the will, stealing the inheritance–she was my accomplice from beginning to end. It was her idea to use you to find the final legacy!
Earthspirit	Forging the will and stealing the inheritance?! ...... Why did you do that, Miss Bachmann?
Miss Bachmann	You never realized? Mom never loved me. She only ever had eyes for my brother. I never got anything from her... so it's only fair that I get a bigger slice of the inheritance.
Earthspirit	What on Terra are you talking about?! Do you realize what you did? You were plotting with that guy to exploit me just minutes ago!
Miss Bachmann	Mom did so much for you, it's the least you could do to help me escape this hell! I wasn't going to take your life... Look, I'm a recent graduate, and I've been all over the place looking for a job. But with this money, I wouldn't have to work at all; I could sleep-in all day if I wanted to.
Earthspirit	...You're a spoiled brat.
Miss Bachmann	What do you know? You only visit home once a year. Adults like you only care about work, never about your family. You deserve to drown in the endless cycle of mundane life.
Earthspirit	I'm not in a position to defend the image you have of Professor Bachmann. But you have no right to criticize me, or anyone who works hard and lives their lives seriously! Yes, I'm a jerk who hardly ever goes home. Besides my work at Rhodes Island, I also accept jobs as a Catastrophe Messenger to make some extra cash. Do you know why? Did you think I do it just so I don't have to go home? Do you think anyone LIKES living like that? I was born and raised outside the nomadic cities, in a tiny town with nothing. That's what I consider home, and it never moves. It's not so bad when there's a nomadic city nearby, but they're never around forever, and they always leave us behind. What will my family do when a Catastrophe comes, if I don't make enough money for them to move to a nomadic city? I may be a Catastrophe Messenger, but that doesn't mean I have a solution other than paying to get them out of harm's way. Maybe you think you could live without a care, unlike the rest of us. But if you don't care about the deeper issue, then at least spare me your juvenile sense of superiority!
Miss Bachmann	I worked for this inheritance!
Earthspirit	Would you have gotten any of it without me? Even your Leonard here's been working harder than you.
Louis	Actually, it's Louis–
[Earthspirit channels her Arts in anger.]
Earthspirit	Shut up! I don't care what your name is!
The normally quiet Caprinae roars. But the collapsed cave walls do not echo her voice. Even the skulking skeletal creature behind her whimpers and backs off.
Louis	...Yes, ma'am.
Earthspirit	...Huff... As far as I know, Miss Bachmann, your mother loved you. She worked four jobs–professor, geologist, Catastrophe Messenger, and pianist–because she loved you and wanted you to have a better life. Your older brother suffered from malnutrition as a child, leading to all sorts of complications, and she was worried that you'd end up like him. She gave you a comfortable life, and the best education money can buy in Leithanien, but also your current... immaturity...
Miss Bachmann	So what? You say she gave me all that, but was hardly ever home. She wasn't so busy that she couldn't take a single day off, was she?
Earthspirit	One time, she wanted to take some time off and spend it with you. But then I slipped and fell in a cave during some fieldwork. She said I was in bad shape, covered in cuts from the exposed Originium. She had to patch me up and drive me all the way to Rhodes Island. So... it was my fault. If she'd gone home back then, and you talked out your feelings together, then perhaps she'd have retired earlier, and things could have gone differently.
Miss Bachmann	If you know it's your fault, then leave me alone, and let me live my life!
Earthspirit	But this man will throw you under the bus the moment I hand him over to the police. You want me to let him go too?
Miss Bachmann	He's got a criminal record; I had to get someone smuggle him into the city. Destroy his fake documents, and they won't let him in. That's the best way to get rid of him.
Louis	You... you backstabbing bitch!
Miss Bachmann	You betrayed me first!
Louis	You'd be dead already if I could move!
Earthspirit	So, are you asking me to make the decision?
Miss Bachmann	You said you were sorry, right? Then let me live my life.
Earthspirit	I'm sorry... Miss Bachmann. Making decisions is for leaders. I just do the job I'm paid for. Besides, you dragged me into your family matters while I'm on vacation. Can you pay me overtime?
Miss Bachmann	What?! You dirty, stinking Infected...
[After Earthspirit thinks of the best solution...]
Earthspirit	I'll take you to the hospital to get your wounds treated, and then ask your brother what he thinks. If he's okay with it, things can stay as they are. If not, then it's off to the courts.
Miss Bachmann	You'll ruin my life!
Earthspirit	Maybe you ruined it all on your own. Let's split up, Parker. We'll meet up in front of the Bachmann home once we're done.
Miss Bachmann	Wait!
Office Operator	Understood.
<Background 1>
[The R.I. operator returns.]
Office Operator	Everything's taken care of on my end. Didn't think I'd ever see you lose control like that.
Earthspirit	Ahem. I never lost control... It was just... let's call it stress relief. ......
Office Operator	What are you looking at?
Earthspirit	Their house. The last time I was here, the plants in the garden were trimmed, and the walls were neat and clean. How did it get so run down in just a few years? Professor Bachmann worked so hard to support her family, and for what?
Office Operator	I guess you should spend more time with them when you're the head of the household. Now explain the monitoring ring, Earthspirit. Under normal circumstances, I'd be required to report that to the HQ immediately.
Earthspirit	Did you see that thing behind me?
Office Operator	Just a faint silhouette. Was it a living thing?
Earthspirit	Yes. Not everyone can see it, but it gets clearer when I cast Originium Arts. It should've been fairly visible back there. My Arts depend on accurate control of the output. Most vibrations only require a small amount of energy, and the rest goes to waste. And since only a little bit of it is used, the excess gets radiated. At some point it began to draw in creatures like that, which feed on the waste energy. And with the help of the Casters at Rhodes Island, I discovered how to draw upon the energy contained inside it. But that causes a direct flowback into my body. Which is why the warning light on the monitoring ring lit up. So there's no need to worry, but we'll need to do something about the data. I don't want to be put on medical leave if the Doctor or Kal'tsit finds out.
Office Operator	Understood. You've never been a good liar, so I'll believe you.
Earthspirit	Thanks, Parker.
<Background 4>
[While Earthspirit is having lunch with Provence...]
Provence	Oh? Sounds like you had quite the adventure over your vacation.
Earthspirit	Too much adventure for me, I'm afraid. I took a detour to see Professor Bachmann's daughter, but I never imagined the trouble that'd bring me.
Provence	Don't eat so much fried food. Here, have some veggies.
Earthspirit	But a little bit now and then improves my mood. Want some fries?
Provence	I guess that means your mood needs improving? Don't push yourself too hard, okay? But no, I don't even know how you can stomach those cold, soggy things. So, what was in the box?
Earthspirit	Geological units collected from north of Ursus.
Provence	Sounds like things are about to get busy for you.
Earthspirit	Not really. The professor said these came from unexplored lands. We may not get a chance to visit there in our lifetimes. She always said she'd leave them to me someday, but I didn't expect her to already have made the preparations.
Provence	Isn't it hard for researchers like you to keep your curiosity in check?
Earthspirit	I still have a lot of hobbies. I get to do what I like after work, rather than worrying about what needs my attention. Besides, I made a promise to the professor. My job is just to keep these safe, and report to Kal'tsit and the Doctor. Nothing more, nothing less. ...I just remembered that I still haven't made my report. Ugh... looks like another rough afternoon.

See also

• Extra Work