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OD-ST-2
A Funeral
Operation Originium Dust: Task Record
Previous OD-6 (Story)

––Our friends sleep here forevermore––
Characters
Elderly Infected
Backgrounds
Desert
1
The son of the Lord of Long Spring's rebellion is quashed, but an Infected pays the ultimate price. Team Rainbow gathers around his grave to honor his memory, but the battle is not yet over — Long Spring is still in chaos.
<Background 1>
Elderly Infected (Sargonian) ...He went home, and left the world behind.
(Sargonian) Our hearts ache because fate is ever unjust.
(Sargonian) But we need not grieve. Because he is now free from the suffering of existence.
(Sargonian) We sing for him, as he has at last returned to the earth.
(Sargonian) His relatives, his loved ones, need not shed tears.
(Sargonian) Death is a mercy of our world. And we are the heirs to all things.
(Sargonian) ...May it all turn to dust.
(Sargonian) ...May it all return to the wild.
(Sargonian) ...To which we too will one day return.
A roughly polished stone monument adorned with a few lines carved into its uneven surface stands in the shadow of a dead tree.
"Here lies our dear friend, Miarow."
"He was Infected. He was a Doctor."
"He was a good man."
Ash ......
[Tachanka goes to Ash's side.]
Tachanka Are you okay?
Ash ...Hard to say.
Tachanka I heard the old lizard man say that only important people get funerals in this country.
Most ordinary folks just die when they die, and their families bury them in the wastes. No tombstones, no mourning.
The people who live on the huge platforms, the moving cities, have to cremate the dead and bury the ashes under those major roads, since space is so precious in the city.
Cemeteries are rare in an ordinary settlement, where a disaster can come through and wipe out any memory of where the dead are buried.
There's basically no religion in Sargon. Most people here don't believe in an afterlife. They think the dead return to the earth, and become part of it.
Looking at it like that, it's a pretty honest and practical culture. I like it.
Ash So Miarow's grave will be lost someday?
Tachanka Probably. But we held a funeral for him. And that was important.
Ash I can't really accept that.
Tachanka Why?
Ash After seeing what I saw, it's hard to accept how he went.
We probably bear some responsibility, Alexsandr.
If it weren't for Miarow, we would've had a much rougher time here.
I've been thinking, what if we'd moved a little faster? If we were tougher? If we really decided to do something for those sick people?
If we...
Tachanka I don't think it's a good idea to get caught up in thoughts like that.
Miarow made his own choices. This isn't your fault.
The big girl was trying to fulfill her duty. As an aristocrat growing up in this culture, in this system, her willingness to shelter the sick was definitely a noble act.
Judging by how the Rhodes Islanders talk, Miarow was very, very sick.
For him, death was something that hung over him every day.
It's a miracle he lasted as long as he did, in his condition.
That's how they live. And there's not much we can do about it.
Ash But did we really do the right thing?
We were so sure that if we reached out to help them, we would actually be helping them.
And I have no idea why.
We lived with those sick people.
But we didn't know anything about the Infected. We thought of that "Oripathy" like a slightly infectious cancer, the deadly, incurable disease we already knew.
But this isn't a disease, really... it's a disaster.
We don't know anything about it. And we still tried to save them.
Tachanka You can't blame yourself for nothing, Cohen.
It's pointless.
I understand what you're feeling.
But you can't deny what we did.
Remember when I was up on that roof with nothing to do? I had all that time on my hands.
I sat there, watching Miarow's clinic, watching the people who lived there.
As a visitor from another world, I witnessed this one.
I'm not a sharp person, but even I could see the many, terrible, cruel things.
One night, one of the townsfolk was carrying a package from another's house under the cover of darkness.
It was a burlap-wrapped parcel, about as tall as a man.
Ash ......
Tachanka I watched them load the package into a handcart and make their way along the edge of town to the rocky desert, disappearing behind the boulders on the south side.
I saw it happen just like that several times. Maybe twice in the past three weeks. And it must have been happening in other places too, where I couldn't see it.
Ash You never mentioned this before.
Tachanka I didn't want to say anything. I didn't have a reason to.
You're right. We're outsiders. We're not from this country. We're not even from this world.
We can't understand the people here. Their history, their culture, their lives, their feelings, we couldn't hope to know.
And I have no right to point my finger at something I don't understand. There's a reason they do what they do.
That's how it should be.
But then, one night, my curiosity got the better of me. I followed the path to the boulder where they buried the sack.
I saw the light shimmering beneath the sand. I saw the dust rising up from the rocks and dissipating into the air.
That dust is so bright, in the dark of the night.
I knew, of course, what was in the sack. I could probably guess what the dust was.
And naturally, we all know exactly what it is now.
There was an old woman who sat by the door of the house where the sack came from. After that night, I never saw her again.
Kötz spent every day with the townsfolk. He must've known about it too.
Ash *Sigh*.
What was the excuse you made up before...? Everyone looks like they've had chemical warfare training? They know to cover their noses and mouths? What a lame explanation.
Tachanka Because I'd seen the reason.
Tachanka Consoles Ash
Tachanka You just asked me if we really did the right thing.
The answer is simple: we helped them. Because that's what our morals, our conscience, told us to do.
Aging, illness, and death are inevitable. In this world and ours.
Even if there wasn't this Oripathy, the people wouldn't suffer any less.
Even without the disease, they'd have war, taxation, and natural disasters crushing the poor.
See their Lord and this town, what kind of a society do they live in?
Such feudalism would be far behind the times in the history of the Earth we know. But it's the reality for them.
By our standards, they're not living in a civilized world.
I've seen enough *profanity* over the years, Cohen. You know what I mean.
This world sucks. But there's still something we can do about it.
Don't turn your back on our good work. Morality and conscience aren't wrong.
Ash ...*Sigh*.
You're right, Alexsandr.
Forget I said anything. I'm just too tired.
Tachanka It's been too long since you got a good night's sleep.
We're all tired.
<Background 1>
Tachanka Someone's coming.
[Picale approaches Ash and Tachanka.]
Picale ......
......
......Sorry......
I don't know what to say. This is all on me.
Because I was stupid and impulsive.
The tall Reproba holds a golden seal. She grips it tightly, infusing it with her own conviction.
The seal melts and falls from her hand, spilling onto the roughly polished stone tablet.
Ash Originium Arts...
Picale That was a medal of honor given to my father by the Lord Ameer. He was one of the Ameer's strongest warriors, and the town of Long Spring was a reward for his service.
My father was strong, kind, just.
He always was, ever since I was small.
The Tulla family was built on the blood and bones of miners.
For years, my father grew wealthy digging Originium out of the ground.
But with it came the spread of Oripathy. It was just the miners, at first... but it eventually spread through the town.
When the Originium closer to the surface was all mined out, my father closed the quarry. He wouldn't let anyone dig any deeper.
He created the Infected quarter, and sent men to protect the people living there. He couldn't just sit on the pile of Infected corpses and count his gold.
He always hoped my brother Drudge and I could do better.
I don't know what happened to Drudge while he was studying in Columbia. I just saw him turn more and more evil.
It wasn't until my father kicked him out of the house that I realized the man was no longer my brother.
But I disappointed Father too.
I'm not a worthy successor to his achievements, or his legacy.
I'm unworthy.
I did nothing. I couldn't protect Long Spring. I couldn't protect my father's people. I couldn't even kill Drudge. I let him get away.
Tachanka Drudge's supporters, what kind of people are they?
Picale I don't know them well. All I know is that they are from a Columbian organization called Volvort Kochinski.
It wasn't the first time I dealt with those Columbians...
They're wicked and greedy. All they care about is how to dig more rocks out from under the town. They don't give a thought to the people living in it.
Tachanka Sounds familiar.
Ash Hmph...
Picale My father used to say that if I just became a warrior, I could protect my home with strength alone.
A warrior can defeat another warrior. But violence isn't a solution to true evil.
...I never understood what he was referring to with "true evil".
I always thought Drudge had turned evil.
...But now I know Drudge was just a tiny little sliver of evil. And it was still enough to beat me.
Tachanka There are times when a fight to the death can't solve the problem.
What are you going to do next?
Picale I don't know. Drudge ran off, and his mercenaries fell apart.
But he left behind those monsters. Long Spring isn't really habitable anymore...
For the time being, at least, I have to protect my home. That's where the town's survivors are.
Tachanka How many people can your home house?
Picale ......There's a shelter in the basement of the manor. It can hold a lot of people, but we don't have enough food and water.
Sorry, I shouldn't be complaining to you about these things.
I actually came to thank you for protecting the people of Long Spring through all this.
Ash No thanks necessary.
Picale I... I have something I must do. Excuse me.
[Picale leaves.]
Ash ......
Tachanka She's a good person. It's hard to believe that evil *profanity* is her brother.
[Franka approaches Ash and Tachanka.]
Franka Here you are, Miss Cohen.
Did I come at a bad time?
Ash Oh, no. We were just about to leave.
Franka The Infected gave this to me. It's Dr. Miarow's... estate. In the box.
After talking it over with the Infected, they decided it would be best to give them to you.
Ash ......
Tachanka Open it.
Ash Is that proper?
Tachanka Of course. He was our friend.
[Ash opens the box.]
Miarow's Mementos
Tachanka What's inside?
Ash A map. And a book.
Franka It's a Sargonian version of "The Traveler's Guide to Urban Columbia".
As for the map... It looks kind of old. Let's see here...
Oh... This area should be Tkaronto. It's a Columbia border city. I've been there before.
Tachanka And is this stack here money?
Franka Columbian gold certificates... Dr. Miarow actually had some savings.
Ash I remember he said he would leave here someday and go to a place called Columbia.
Tachanka "To become a real doctor."
Ash Short as his time was, he still had a plan for his life.
Franka Hold on. There's a note here. Let me see.
......Hmm......
Ash What does it say?
Franka ...Should I read it?
Ash Go ahead.
Franka "If you're reading this note, thank you for helping me deal with this stuff."
"Give the money to someone. I definitely don't need it anymore."
"Don't lose the box. It was my mother's."
"Although I don't know who you are, my friend,"
"I still hope your life turns out okay."
"––Miarow"
Ash ...I don't know how to express myself here... What can I do or say in the face of his legacy?
Franka Dr. Miarow was a strong man.
Dreams are a luxury for the Infected. They're like precious, fragile gemstones.
Even in Columbia, the Infected are zoned to certain areas of the city. Most people live their whole lives struggling to get out of them.
The vast majority of the time, contracting Oripathy is a death sentence... if a deferred one.
Reality forces you to give up on your dreams, your lifestyle, and ultimately life itself.
It's hard for anyone to be hopeful about life in the face of cruel reality.
What on earth was supporting him?
Tachanka Someone like Miarow should not have lived like this. He shouldn't have died like this.
[Tachanka walks away.]
Ash Wait, where are you going?
Tachanka To find the big girl.
Ash Why?
Tachanka I want to talk to her. I have a plan.
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