act16mini

I gotta remind you, when you're at that depth, you move forward a little bit further and there's no signal.

Yep.

If something happens down here, I'll come back to report.

It's getting darker.

The seal on the sluice gate holding back the water is still in decent condition, and the channel's not blocked. Still operating normally.

What else do I need to check... Originium crystal growth range and activity.

The condition of the support struts. Whether or not they're at risk of collapse.

The condition of the drains. Whether or not they might leak.

Also the air quality. Whether or not there's a chance of toxic gas leakage.

Watch your step, Sandbeast.

The lights down this way are broken too.

I can't really see anything with only my headlamp.

Sandbeast, help me take a peek.

The ventilation shaft's been pierced by an Originium crystal. Floor's covered in fragments, and the crystal surface is still thin. This one's only just emerged.

But there, there is but total darkness.

It looks like there's huge cavities on the back of the support struts. Were they burnt away... or perhaps bored clean? It's crawling with Originium slugs.

But there, there is but total darkness.

There's water pooling above, not yet showing signs of seepage, but there's abnormal airflow in the water. Bubbles are coming up mighty strong.

But there, there is but total darkness.

Your backfin, it's covered in Originium dust.

The color of the blood vessels...

Toxic gas leak.

We've got to go.

Getting hauled back up to the surface from the bottom of the mine takes yonks.

I never did figure out exactly how long. Just chinning up and looking out into the distance was enough for me.

I think this when other pitsinkers would count the rocks they managed to haul up. Didn't matter how much ore you took out. Mine owners didn't really care.

Only those very small, privately-run mines would seek out temporary pitsinkers. Drilling ever deeper shafts, extracting ever more valuable Originium ore, the bottoms of the mines ever more dangerous.

You're still with me, right, Sandbeast?

No haul for me today.

Although there might still be infected critters about, I put away my weapon to have a hand free. Despite this, operating the sluice gate one-handed is really tough. Eats up a lot of time.

I do my best to run out, feeling Sandbeast's lowered backfin pricking my arm.

This was the first sandbeast I bought.

I remember two years back when I bought it. The shopkeep gave me a piece of colored paper and a folded photo.

He told me that the way the lantern light looks passing through the capillaries in the sandbeast's backfin tells you the mine's air quality.

It's been a pretty handy detection method. This time, before I felt out of breath, I recognized that dazzling dark violet on Sandbeast's body.

He told me that with a fella this sensitive, the life lost wouldn't have to be mine.

Captain, raise the cage, if you would.

We're heading back up now, Sandbeast.

I got a pretty decent pay packet, could use it to buy that new feed they put out... We could also go see a doctor. Gotta keep you healthy.

Time was, the folks in the mine wouldn't tell me if things were dangerous, or ask me if I really wanted to go into the pit. They could wait until I was lifted back up to the surface, watch how I breathed, look at the color of the blood in my nicks and scratches.

As the cage rises, I can't hear Sandbeast's breathing over the blowing of the wind and the rumbling of the machines.

It isn't moving. All I can do is chin up and look out into the distance.

After a while, the darkness begins to crack open, just a tad. I can tell it isn't just some trick of the eye from spending too long in the dark, and it definitely isn't me hallucinating.

It's daylight.

You'll be alright.

It feels like I've always been waiting for this moment.

When we're up top, breathing in that fresh air, getting some sun, we'll be alright.

Like that fantasy I've been holding on tight for.

Look, it's the entrance—

It comes to me, that the aftereffects of the earthquake Catastrophes are still ongoing, what with all the dust and sand in the air.

There's no daylight at the entrance.

Checking on a sandbeast is real simple. If the membranes of the backfin have increased bloodflow, it shows that the poison's already had time to accumulate in the body.

If Sandbeast keels over, then I'll just have to buy a new one.

I've still got two sacks of feed in the house, people can't eat it.

Tomorrow morning, I'm thinking of checking out a mine in another direction.

Tomorrow morning...

It'll be alright once daybreak comes.

Where's your sandbeast? Popped its socks?

Well that's not good. We don't want any pitsinker who doesn't come with her own sandbeast.

Those things were basically born to die. If you're not willing to part with the money to buy a new one, you'll quickly meet your end down in the pit.

And you're Infected too. Whew, look, we can't afford that sort of hassle here.

No answer? You deaf or something? Or you just some fool bugger who got her sandbeast killed?

Alright, get going. Better not see you again.

Medicine for sandbeasts? I don't have any, and to be honest I've never even heard of such a thing.

Well, you don't always take meds for your average cold, right? There's even fewer people who would want to give them to a sandbeast.

Best to just buy a new one. These little fellas don't live long anyway, but I can guarantee that this lot were born real healthy. Won't die of the sickness before you get to the pit.

If you're not going to buy, best get out of my store then. I'll say it once more, there's no medicine for sandbeasts. That's just common sense.

You were going to buy a sandbeast to be a pitsinker without even knowing the basics? If the sandbeast dies and you don't, that's called a good day.

Sandbeast, I didn't—

Daybreak.

The dawn light weaves between the bars of the empty beast cage before it stabs her, ending a long, long nightmare.

And yet it's hardly an improvement.

Never mind.

Hear me out, empty cage.

I didn't get it killed.

I tried my best. But when you're down in the pit, it runs into toxic gas. The whole point of the sandbeast is to see how the air's doing.

Deep in the pit, where it's always darkest...

Why, why am I shaking?

Mate, d'you know which one of these transport trucks is heading out first?

You want to go see it?

Yeah, I still remember where I first saw it. Just need to head back thereabouts to find it again.

I still remember... the ray of light.

Other than the dark, what should I be feeling for?

You will remember.

It... actually rescued me, let me keep living on.

It exists, right?

Yeah, it exists.

—The sandbeast opens its eyes.

Wait, Sandbeast, where are we going?

To find the thing you want to find.

You can bring me there?

No, it's no good if it's just me.

But I've only got...

Whoa, let go!

Hood, hood...

...Hood?

Why is it holding on to the Doctor's hood so tightly?!

Atop the rock wall, among the sand dunes, streams of water flow out from holes all about, converging into a pool in the center.

Please let go, if you don't, it's going to tear—

The rock walls and stone columns come together to form a rocky barrier, blocking the oncoming sandstorm and protecting those on its leeward side.