No Such Thing As Too Prepared

No matter how many times I see it, the wonders of Elzion's technology never cease to amaze me. The screens that project images so clearly you'd swear the people were right in front of you... Objects that float and signs that glow. It all takes your breath away!

That's kinda weird. I thought the people from this era would all be used to these sights by now.

Well, of course, this isn't the first time I've seen these kind of things...

However, every time I see them, I can't help but feel amazed. I guess I'm trying to say that I hope I never get used to them.

Hey, you guys!

Huh?

What is the matter?

Have you spotted a drone around here?

A drone? I don't think so...

Lord Aldo, I have little knowledge of these things you call drones... But are you referring to those cute machines I sometimes see flying around Elzion?

I don't know if I'd call them cute... But I think that's what he's talking about.

I see...

I must apologize, but just like Lord Aldo, I've not seen any of those around recently.

Is that so... Well isn't this the pits...

Did something happen to your drone?

The thing is, I got my hands on this really important drone needed for my research. But as soon as I turned it on, it suddenly flew off and didn't come back. The GPS wasn't set up, and now I don't know what to do... *sniffle sniffle*

Waaaaahhhh!

H-Hey, are you all right?!

Is he not feeling well?! Perhaps, we should call for a doctor...

No... There's no need for that. This is not the time to be wallowing in sorrow!

So, you're fine, right?

I'll do whatever it takes to find that drone! My grand research is on the line!

H-Hey, wait!

Sometimes, I feel that guy's got a few screws loose...

Lord Aldo!

Huh?

It...

It was truly heartbreaking to see that.

What the?

What the heck does heartbreak have to do with what's going on here?

The sight of someone so despondent, yet not giving up... That drone must have great value for him to look so desperate. We, too, must lend him a hand and search for that drone!

Y-Yeah, you're right, I suppose. He did look pretty desperate.

Why don't we ask around about the drone?

No!

Wait. Did you just say "No"?

Of course we should ask around, but there's something we must do before that. I'd like to learn more about drones should something go wrong.

Huh... Do you really think that's necessary?

You can never be too prepared.

I have little to no knowledge about these drones...

Well, if you're so insistent on learning more, then I see no problem with that.

Oh, I'm so happy that you see it my way! We can expect better results this way!

But who exactly are we gonna ask to teach us?

I got it!

Do you have an idea, Lord Aldo?!

Za'ol over at Ishar's knows just about everything when it comes to machines. Let's stop by and ask him.

You know someone like that?!

Then let us be off to meet this Lord Za'ol!

Ya want me to teach ya about drones, is that it? I don't appreciate this kinda request on short notice.

Well, some things came up and you were the only person that came to mind. You seem to know everything about machines, so I figured that must include drones.

May we ask you for your help in this matter?

Well, why not?! I was just puttin' the final touches on a prototype drone. I can use it to teach ya.

Heeey, time to wake up! Boot up and get over here!

Good morning. What is the nature of your request?

They can speak as well. How interesting!

You didn't know that, Little Lady?

I've only seen these things from a distance... This is the first time seeing them up close with my own eyes!

Then, I can assume you've never touched one either.

Indeed. I'm hoping to learn so many new things today!

I'm gonna do my absolute best to understand everything you teach us.

Ya look like you've got the motivation, so I'll show ya the important things.

Lord Za'ol, could you explain how to operate a drone?

It's pretty simple, you use the voice recognition software to give it orders.

Does that mean you must use some sort of special magic?

It's not that complicated. Try givin' it an order.

Well then... Could you please come closer to me?

Understood.

My goodness! It really did understand my voice!

You see that, easy as pie. Drones these days are about as good as it gets. You can count on them to follow almost any commands you give them.

This is way over my head, but the technology here is Elzion is something else.

I can't help but be marveled at this... I now understand the basic operations of the drone, but what else should I know about using one?

Ah, yeah, well you see, drones'll go into sleep mode automatically when their batteries start to run out... But if you need to force one to shut down, then ya gotta hit the switch on its back.

Umm...

Don't worry, Lord Aldo. I've listened very carefully, so listen to me!

Sorry... I guess it's all goblin to me...

The reboot sequence is where things get a bit tricky. How about you take crack at it?

Why of course. But I'd appreciate it if you guided me through the process.

No problem. First, ya got to remove the cover on the drone's back.

Let's see... Ah yes, I can see the cover. I hope this works...

Well just look at that. You're a natural.

Ya gotta go easy on it. Don't be like my daughter Amy who smashes everything she touches.

Finally, something I can understand...

I removed the cover, but now I see a lot of complicated wiring inside.

If I touched it, it'd probably explode or something.

That's fine. Do you see the five cords? If you disconnect them one by one starting from the right, the drone'll drop down to reserve power. From there, you can reconnect the cords starting from the right again.

One at a time, right? I must do this extra carefully...

That's it! You're doing it!

Now if only Amy could be so careful hahaha! The last time I asked her to do that, she pulled out all the cords at once and caused the drone to short out.

Hahaha! That's doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

I've got no clue where she gets it, but she's about as impatient as it gets. She does remind me of...

I did it!

Program reboot completed.

You did very well for your first time. You've got a talent for this.

Heehee... You honor me too much.

The drones most commonly used these days are identical to this one. I trust you'll be able to handle them.

I feel like I've figured these things out, and it's all thanks to you, Lord Za'ol!

Thank you so much for taking the time to teach me!

Lord Aldo! We're now ready. It's time that we found that missing drone!

Oh, yeah! I nearly forgot. The guy was asking around Gamma District... So we might as well start by asking around Theta District.

Agreed! Let's hurry up and find that lost drone!

They're searching for a drone? Could it be that its GPS isn't working?

A drone without an owner, you say? Could you be talking about that...?

Do you know something about it?

I was hauling things to the airport a little while ago. I saw this confused looking drone buzzing around the area. It didn't look like its owner was around, and I couldn't tell what it was doing.

It might've been scanning the area... So, was that your drone?

Not exactly. But that drone's incredibly valuable to a friend of ours.

This friend of yours must be quite the character to value a drone like that. You find them pretty much everywhere.

He's not interested in just any drone, but this one drone in particular.

To most people, it's probably just a plain old machine, but to him, it's priceless!

Should he just let it go? Of course not!

I-I don't think he really meant it that way...

I-I'm not sure what I said wrong, but I get it... It's important. I hope you can find it.

Please allow me to give you my sincerest thanks...

Your assistance and kind words will never be forgotten!

O-Oh... Aren't you just the most polite young lady...

Hahaha...

Are you two also looking for a drone? What a coincidence.

What do you mean?

Some archaeologist asked me about it in Gamma District a little while ago. So, you guys are playing some kind of game, right?

Well, no, actually...

We are lending our aid to the man you spoke to before.

Is that so? Then this is perfect timing. Actually, when he asked me about the drone, I told him that I hadn't seen one around.

But as I was coming here, I saw one that matched his description.

Really truly?!

Yeah, there was a strange drone circling around in the skies above Elzion.

Where's that drone right now?

Well, I can't really say... It flew off somewhere a short time later. I wanted to go tell that guy about it, but I didn't have a reason to go all the way back to Gamma District. I'm glad I got the chance to tell you guys about it.

As are we.

You have our deepest thanks for this happy coincidence.

I swear to you that your invaluable information will not be used in vain!

I-I hope so, too...

Haha...

Well, thanks for the help. We'll keep what you said in mind during our search.

So... You're saying there's a lost drone somewhere? That's weird!

How so? If a drone loses sight of its owner, then logically, it would be lost.

But you just said that it's a drone. Usually drones don't go anywhere without someone. Even if they're in auto-mode, they'll follow their programming, and then go home.

Maybe that's what happened?

Unfortunately, I believe the chances of that are extremely unlikely.

How so?

The owner of this drone has been looking absolutely everywhere for it.

Ah, yeah, that's right. If it had gone home, then its owner would've found it.

However! I believe we have just received an important clue!

Huh? From something I said?

Without a doubt. We'll find the drone for sure!

I-I don't think I said anything that useful...

Quite the contrary...

Believe in yourself, you little genius.

Your knowledge may be the clue that leads us to the drone.

A-A genius?! Ahhh...shucks...

Haha... Don't you think your compliments are a little over the top?

Lord Aldo, we have all the information we need. We're so close I can smell it.

According to the man we talked to before, we should find the drone's trail at the airport. No guarantee that it's the right drone, but let's go check it out...

Wait just a moment.

Why the hold up, Cynthia?

Unfortunately, the drone'll have moved on from the airport already.

You think so? Then where the heck is it?

If my assumptions are correct, then it could only be in one place...

Route 99! I'm certain of it!

That old highway? None of the information we got pointed us in that direction.

That's why I'm sure it'll be there.

How do you figure that?

Our eye witnesses reported seeing the drone at the airport and in the skies above Elzion. In both cases, it appeared to be scanning its surroundings. Then according to the young genius, the drone could be using its "auto-mode" to patrol the areas around Elzion. At least this is what came up with at the moment.

But don't you think it's a little strange? The guy said the drone flew away the moment he turned it on, right? I don't know anything about this "programming" or whatever, but he didn't have a chance to tell it anything.

That's why I'm assuming the orders were given to the drone some time ago. The program must have been implemented before the man got his hands on the drone.

Now I think I'm starting to get it... So, if the drone is scanning all of Elzion, then the only place it hasn't gone is Route 99. In other words, that's the most likely place we'll find it!

You hit it right on the nose. Our Lord Drone must be around there!

Y-You're calling it Lord Drone now?

Teehee... I guess while searching for it, I stopped thinking about it as just some machine.

Just you wait our little lost Lord Drone! We shall rescue you without fail!

Hey, Cynthia! Wait for me!

Lord Drone! We're here to find you! Come out, come out wherever you are!

Is it really gonna be around here?

Huh?

Hey, look at that! Isn't that the lost drone over there?!

Huh? Where do you see it?! Where's Lord Drone?!

What do you mean?! The thing floating over there...

What in the world are you talking about?!

It's flying right in front of you!

Y-You don't mean!

This is Lord Drone?!

You really didn't realize that?!

B-But the one that Lord Za'ol showed us looked completely different than this one! And this one seems a little long in the tooth...errr vintage.

No way... Could it be...?!

What is it now?

This one has a much more rugged design than the other one... You can see the wear and tear of time on its body.

There's no doubt about it! This is a classic drone!

The heck to you mean by classic?!

OH! Come to think of it, he did say something about finally getting his hands on this drone. It must be precious to him because it's so old!

That has to be it!

But... A drone's a drone, right? I guess it does look a little different, but that's all.

Perhaps, that's true of your run-of-the-mill drones these days... But these older models have completely different internal structures and systems.

Which means that everything that we learned from Lord Za'ol about drones might not help us.

Is that right?!

Well, we won't know for sure without trying! If we can manage to reset Lord Drone, then it'll pause its current programming and should return home!

Do you think you can do it, Cynthia?!

I believe so! We are the only ones who can reunite Lord Drone with its owner! First things first, let's switch it off! Lord Za'ol told us it should be located on its back...

Yes! I found it! It's time for you to take a nap, Lord Drone!

Here goes nothing!

Did it work?!

Not yet. I still need to unhook the cables and initiate a reboot!

I'll just open up the body cover... Oh, lucky us! The cable arrangement looks very similar to the new drone. I'll just do it like before...

I-It's done!

Did you fix it?!

I-I'm not sure to be honest... But maybe it worked!

Rebooting program...

Ahh!

You're pretty amazing, Cynthia! The drone's really rebooting...

Ree... Reeeeee... Reboot...

What's going on?

Huh?

Compleeee...ted...ted...ted!

Whoa! What the, ?

My goodness! What's this?!

Targets identified. Engage elimination protocol.

Wh-What's it doing now?! It was quiet just moments ago.

I... I...

I messed up!

I should've known that the older models were different than the new ones!

What're we going to do, Lord Aldo?!

It looks like we've got to do things my way... Let's stop this thing, Cynthia!

O-Okay!

System damage confirmed... Shu...tting...down...

Oh no! We hurt Lord Drone, and it's all my fault!

It's not your fault, Cynthia. There's nothing I could do to help you...

No, don't apologize... Things always end this way with me... No matter how much I prepare for every possible problem... I messed up even though I did my absolute best to study all about drones at Lord Za'ol's shop.

I'm such a incurable idiot...

Cynthia...

We'd better go apologize to the owner...

Yeah... You're probably right.

That's the least I can do... Even if that means I have to take responsibility for it.

Cynthia, there's no need for that...

Hah... It's embarrassing to think that I thought I knew everything about drones...

Well then, let's go, Lord Aldo.

Yeah...

I see... I thought it was a bit odd, but I suppose it can happen...

Wh-What did you say?! You broke my drone?!

Please forgive me...

I did my best to reunite you with your drone, but in the process I caused the drone to lose control... This all happened due to my inadequacy!

Please accept my my most humblest apologies!

Cynthia really did her best to bring the drone back to you. You can blame me for this...

We're so sorry for breaking your treasured drone.

Oh, I see... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shocked, but what's done is done. It sounds like you did everything you could...

You're not angry with me?

The drone was already old to begin with. It was only a matter of time.

It's just a shame because it's impossible to get my hands on another one like it...

Oh no!

And I took out a 30 year loan on it too... Had to use my house as collateral...

No way!

This would have been the research project I worked on for the rest of my life...

Stop right there, you are angry!

It's okay, Lord Aldo! It's natural for him to be angry! It's all because I wasn't good enough... Ahhhh! What is wrong with me?!

I can't even do the most basic tasks to help someone. I'm a complete failure!

Calm yourself, Little Lady. There's no need to be so hard on yourself.

Lord Za'ol! Why are you here?!

That drone! Is it really the same one?!

Yer darn right. This is the same old drone you guys decided to knock around like a toy.

It's an old clunker, but that means it's as tough as nails. I just swapped out a few parts and voila! Good as new!

Ohhhhhhh! Are you saying it'll keep working?!

Lord Drone... I'm honored to see you again!

Whoa! Cynthia!

Huh?!

Hahah! Why don't you keep your distance for a little while?

Phew... I almost thought you were gonna smash it up again.

Oh... I'm sorry for getting a little too excited there.

Hahah! Well, it's a good thing the drone's all right.

I can't thank you enough Lord Za'ol! We were able to reunite Lord Drone with its owner all thanks to you!

Lord Drone looks like he's happy.

Now that you mention it, I think so, too.

Is it really happy to back with me?! That makes the crippling loan I took totally worth it!

Tee-hee! Now listen Lord Drone, don't go wandering away from your owner again!