ray

Don't mind me, little one. I might not be able to move my body, but that doesn't mean I can't budge a bit.

Since you took so much effort to come all this way, I have one more question for you.

If I am the Feranmut, if I am the light you were seeking...

Considering how far you've had to come to get here, what exactly were you hoping I would help you with?

I...

Hiya there, mind if I ask if... you've seen Ray around?

Ray? Saw her just a minute ago!

As soon as I gave her her food, she walked off while munching out of her lunchbox...

It looked like she was chasing after a hairy little shadow. Must've been her sandbeast?

Thanks! Sorry for troubling ya!

Mind if I... *huff*... phew... Mind if I ask if you've seen Ray?

I've actually seen her a bunch of times today... I was just baffled.

While I was in the office this morning, I saw her turn that corner lots of times, and she seemed to be walking faster every time she did it.

Now that I think about it, I've seen you a lot today as well, Alanna...

Be... Because I'm looking for her!

Hah... Hah... Hoo...

A-Are you alright, Alanna?

I... I'm fine...

Hey.

Whoa—?!

What's up? Everyone on the ship's been telling me you were looking for me, so I came over.

Is that so... Been spending the whole morning looking for ya, nearly turned the entire ship over while I was at it!

...Sorry. I was taking Rory out for walkies.

(Feeble bellyflop)

Is it just me... or is your sandbeast a little plumper than before?

Wraw?

I've been busy with work lately, so I asked some friends at Logistics to feed it for a few days.

By the time I got back, Rory had become a ball.

Umm...

So that's why I'm taking it on walkies when I'm free.

Ray suddenly seems to remember something, rifling through her jacket pocket.

This month's installment... Not enough.

Here's my meal card. Take it. Call it... interest.

You seriously still on about that? I'm not here to get my money back... I just hadn't seen posts about your 'adventures' on the local forum in a while, so I wanted to see how you were doing.

Mmm. Haven't been any safety violations lately, so haven't had to sign any guarantee letters.

That's great.

(Long sigh of relief)

What is it?

If I had known it wasn't about the money, I wouldn't have hid from you.

Didn't you just say you were taking the sandbeast out for walkies—?!

I couldn't think of a good excuse.

You—?!

You—this—

dorm—it's—

completely—packed!

Wraw—!

There is only barely enough space for the two and the beast to pass between the sandbox and the door, and finally they find a little more leeway by the bed.

When did this sandbox become so big... Must get in the way whenever you're hopping in and out of the room.

Rory needs more space, while I just need somewhere to sleep.

The two of them sit side-by-side on the bed, watching the sandbeast gulp down big mouthfuls of water in the sandbox.

I remember how it always used to hide behind that rock there... Never thought I'd see the day it wouldn't be scared of me.

The people here aren't scary. The last time Rory smashed up a target, Instructor Dobermann didn't get mad. We ended up fixing it up together.

That's great. Glad to see your life slowly get back on track.

Y'know, nowadays I spend all my time in Engineering helping debug new equipment. I might be busy as a bee, but it's a thousand times better than life in the mines.

No more worries about cave-ins or how muddy the drinking water is. Three hot meals a day and a nice, clean bed to sleep in.

Not even my wildest dreams back in the mines had peaceful days like this.

Mmm. Rhodes Island is nice and calm. Got everything you can think of.

To be honest, I was worried if you were suited to life aboard at first.

But when I was out there looking for you earlier, I noticed everyone got to know you already. Hell, you're even chums now. I'm not worried anymore.

So that's why I wanna say, you can stop worrying about paying me back too. You've got a steady life now, so give some thought to the future.

Once you've gotten your sandbeast a nice den, get yourself a little something too. Don't need to keep being a cheapo, y'know...

As Alanna looks around Ray's room, she notices a poster stuck to the ceiling.

Is that... the Frontier?

An old poster from Columbia. Got it from a roadside hawker during my last mission.

The poster depicts a patch of overgrown land. Above that land, the night sky, strewn with countless twinkling stars.

I also borrowed some documentaries about the place. They talked about how different the wilds of Columbia are from Rim Billiton's, about how there's weird patterns carved into the ground, and bits of iron of all shapes and sizes flying through the sky.

If that sort of stuff exists, dancing burdenbeasts don't sound too crazy.

Ray stretches out a finger, pointing at the moon on the poster. Her finger follows along the path of its light, all the way to some place even higher in the sky.

Once I've paid you everything back, I'll start saving up.

Once I've got enough, I'll hire a car, and head out into the Columbian wilds to find those burdenbeasts.

...Still thinking about those dancing burdenbeasts, huh?

Mmm. And that ray of light.

But why?

If you want to go look for a herd of beasts that might not even exist, you'll be giving up the peaceful life you got now.

...I dunno.

But ever since I saw that light, I haven't been able to forget it. Like how a sandbeast in the desert's always searching for water.

But this ain't a desert. Sandbeasts here can get water whenever they want.

There's no bottomless mines here. Even the dingiest closet here's brighter than the pit.

Don't tell me you don't like the place, Ray?

It's not that... I really like it here. It's way better than anywhere I've stayed before.

Right, and your sandbeast likes it here too—

Hey, wait, where's it gone? It was here just a moment ago...

It must've headed out after drinkies were done...

But I just closed the door...

The sandbox's entrance faces the window. A half-open window.

Have any of you seen Ray's sandbeast?!

Nope, doesn't it normally follow her around everywhere...? W-Wait, did it wander off or something?

Let's go help her find it!

The security cams have dead zones, so can't say for sure if it's still aboard...

I'll go borrow a car to chase after it!

No good! Rhodes Island's already miles away from where it was when the thing scarpered!

No, I need to find it...

Alanna! Alanna! Some operators reported something hanging off the bridge running across the deck.

I see you're close to the site, could you help check it out and do some repairs?

The bridge across the deck...

A-Alright, got it!

Hoo... Hah...

You... Y-You get over here!

Huff... Hah... I'm beat...

My God, didn't think it'd be able to run all the way up here, especially now that it's a furry little doughball...