Deep Management Post Rescue

You should call off this operation! This place isn't safe...!

We came here to find and rescue our missing crew mates! The team is not going to leave any stone unturned!

Things might get hairy, but we'll handle them as they come.

My only concern is to find trails and pick up signals of our crew! We're leaving no one behind!

I understand... Endmin! We should keep up with them!

We searched this place and ... that place... I don't think we missed anything...

Endmin! Found anything?

I guess we'll have to wait and see if the rescue team found something.

We made a discovery—!

A fellow crew member familiar with these parts told us about another trail. The local teams would use it to commute.

Perhaps our lost crew mates are down there, but we have no one to spare... My Endfielder friends, I ... I'm wondering if you can help us investigate the place...

No problem! You don't have to ask. We're heading down there anyway!

Here! Take this backup elevator key! It should activate the elevator here.

Are you the ... Deep Management crew? And is this a special ... UWST welcoming ceremony...?

It's not Aggeloi...! It's people! The people finally found us...! We're saved!

I was so scared... I thought the rock buggers would bury us all...

Did we make it...? I'm not dreaming, right...?

I hope you won't mind. The last few days have been incredibly stressful for the crew.

Your arrival literally lifted the lid off the pressure cooker... So our celebration ... got a little out of hand...

Let's give the crew some space... And I say we head over there so we can discuss the situation.

Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Phyllis... And if I'm not mistaken, you're from Endfield Industries.

That's right! I'm Chen and this is our Endmin.

Chen ... and the Endmin? I never expected to meet figures from the textbooks here... Well met and thank you for saving us. Can you tell me how you managed to reach this place?

That's really incredible... I didn't expect you to run into Mila and Penny... This Quarry is indeed smaller than it looks...

Huh? So the three of you know each other?

Yeah. Penny is my mentor and Mila is like a fellow apprentice of sorts... But Penny taught us really different things.

And I feel much better now knowing that both of them are alright.

So, the only thing left to do is to find a way to get everyone out of this place.

We actually have a backup elevator over there. It's meant for emergency scenarios like this, so it comes with its own motor.

But when the disaster struck, the Ankhor you mentioned probably broke the motor. We tried all sorts of ways to get it fixed but none of them worked.

However, I remembered something you said and I believe the problem lies in a fried internal component. The issue might be similar to that of the super crane...

So I wonder if you can help us by taking a look at it. We need to check if it can really be fixed. Once the elevator works again, we'll simply take it to reach the surface.

We have Phyllis to thank for keeping us alive all this while... We were panicking and running around like headless fowls but Phyllis kept her cool and got everyone together.

She brought us to this place and together we built a barricade that successfully kept the Aggeloi out... Phyllis never panicked. Not even for a sec! I don't know how she got her nerves of steel...

Phyllis is just incredible! I really envy the crew at the Hardware Division for having such a reliable manager... Our manager is just a nerdy egghead obsessed about research...

I just wonder why Phyllis visited the Deep Management Post back then when she should be packing things up at the hardware storage.

Hmm... I heard her talking to our manager before the disaster struck us... I think she came to the Deep for some research data that were not uploaded yet...

Endministrator, is there anything I can help with?

Interesting question. Perhaps you wish to know why I'm at this place when I should be somewhere else.

Are you that curious about me? I won't mind telling you the reason why I'm here.

I actually came here to look for special records — the history and ... true value of the Aburrey Quarry that survived the years.

Yes, and no.

I found a piece of "history" that belongs to the past but it lacks the "value" I seek...

You have keen senses.

You're right, Endmin. I hoped my search could reveal something useful because ... there's always a solution to a problem. I might come up with a working alternative for the future of the Quarry.

But I failed. Nobody expected the disaster to hit us so badly... Perhaps I lacked the fortune and luck for changing fate itself.

Thank you for your kind words. Let's hope that happens.

When I look back at my life, I can't help but feel that fate always dealt me a poor hand whenever I needed her help.

Phew! Finally got ourselves out of the underground! All that tunnel crawling really makes you appreciate the fresh air out in the open...

Wow. That place is actually pretty close to Ramon. We really took the *long* way around...

Hey! We're back!

We're back! We're alive!

*Hik, hik*

I think this ended really well! A just reward for all the stuff we did...!

Endmin! I heard that you've rescued the entire crew from the Deep Management Post! This is incredible news! I'll be waiting for you at my usual place!

Endmin! You're back! You really saved the lives of our crew in the Deep Management Post!

Heheh! It's what we Endfielders do! I'm just glad we were able to help! Right, Endmin?

None of this would have happened without you! Please give us an opportunity to thank you properly!

Thank you, friends from Endfield!

Thank you so much... If you hadn't fixed the super crane, I don't know how long we'd have to wait...

Yeah! I even wrote my will... Getting rescued and seeing the sun again almost felt like a dream...

Alright, that ... that's enough thanking for now, crew! We still have to pack our belongings. Our redeployment plan is already back on schedule.

I guess I'll talk to you later. I need to assign a few jobs to the crew.

Isn't that Mila, Penny, and Phyllis? Endmin, maybe we should talk to them.

Penny! Phyllis! Oh... I'm ... I'm so happy to see you in one piece!! I thought ... I thought I'd never see you again...

I was also really worried about you and ... Madam Penny... I'm just glad everyone's alright.

Hmph... Phyllis, I thought I told you to talk straight. Dress your words poorly and the listener is bound to hear something, girl. Stop making an awkward clown of yourself.

I've kept your lessons to heart, Madam. If I've dressed up my words, know that it is solely a matter of honorifics and intended for respect... As well as a dash of displeasure for being your unfortunate apprentice.

Kyaa... Phyllis... Penny... Please ... please stop fighting...

Fighting? Don't you worry, darling. I don't argue with little brats who can't keep their feelings in check.

Oh, how true. Those unchecked feelings are grounded in confusion... Someone obviously could have done just a little more and solved this problem entirely.

But no... She didn't do her part. Perhaps she chose not to.

Hmph.

Phyllis... Are ... are you talking about someone I know...? I ... I don't understand...

It's alright, Mila. That someone will figure it out.

I ... I really don't know, Endmin... I guess ... I guess you find this all very confusing as well...

Ah ... ahem...! End ... Endmin! Luckily for us that ... that super crane still works, right?

I heard that ... that it's been here for a while! It's ... it's even older than me!

That's right! The veteran crew always said how the super crane ... kept us all on schedule! It's ... it's the one that did all the heavy lifting... Just like this time...

Hngh... I ... I think I'll really miss it...

This is why we ... we really need to say goodbye to it ... properly...

And that means no ... no crying... And no fighting! Come on, people...! Just ... just get along!

Because ... because we might ... we might never see it again...

Huh?! Never see what again? Didn't Penny tell you? We're moving the super crane to Quarry K0327. The Endmin of Endfield Industries fixed it, so there's no way we're gonna leave it here...

It's coming with us?

We're going to Quarry K0327?

Well, these little girls never bothered asking this old lady.

Come on, Penny! You should have! Well, at least you told them about that fat raise you negotiated for the entire crew... Oh, we also get to keep our entire fleet of heavy machinery and take them with us... Erm, you did tell them, right?

...I didn't.

...

...

...

Come on, darlings. No one's losing an arm or a leg if they didn't get informed about this. Things will be fine.

Indeed. None of this is fine.

Oh my heart. Fine, but you won't get an apology out of this old lady... You girls are always overthinking things and this is just another prime example of that nonsense—

Thank you, Penny!

Thank you, Penny!

End ... Endmin? You ... you looking for me?

Ye ... yeah. I ... uhm ... it felt ... felt like being in a dream...

I ... I'm really happy ... but I also feel ... feel kinda empty inside...

I ... I don't care what happens but ... I ... I will put more effort into it!

I'll ... I'll be a good ... good material inspector at the new ... new quarry!

What is it, Endmin? Need me for something?

I'm alright. Some things just had to be said.

I guess it can't be helped. My mentor has a cranky temper but she's also really nice.

She's probably going to stay the same after we go to the new quarry.

I'll just work on myself and do my best to live with it. And yes, luck has indeed turned around for me ... so I'll try to make the best of things.

Endministrator of Endfield Industries. What is it? You want a few words with a mean, old lady?

Poor little Mila lost her parents in accident when she was really young... That terrible thing gave her a bad stutter that she couldn't fix.

Fortunately, Mila is hardworking, committed, and enjoys collecting data about rocks. This is why I taught her everything I know. The baby girl sucked all the lessons up like a sponge, she did.

I hope she can maintain her professional dedication and take up a career that she loves.

At least that way ... I can face her parents with a little peace of mind when I kick the bucket.

Phyllis? Hmph. Sweet little Mila was held back because her parents left too soon. But Phyllis ... she became what she is because she learned too much from hers.

I wanted to keep it from you, but you probably already noticed. She wasn't raised by your typical family of frontiers crew... Certain things in the blood won't come off, even if you're wearing the UWST outfit.

I thought her rich Bander relative would eventually take her away and settle her in some fancy Bander penthouse away from the frontiers. But the girl refused and stayed. The fool of a brat even changed her fancy family name and insisted on working as the Quarry Hardware Division Manager...

Part of me wanted the little girl to be strong and ready to face blightshowers that may show up any minute... But that would deny her the happy childhood that everyone should have in their memories.

Fortunately, Phyllis grew up with a mind of her own. She knows what she wants and what she should be doing...

Then one day I accidentally saw that she had rejected plenty of sugar-coated invitations far more dangerous than a blighted cave of buggers. I realized that the girl has grown her wings and no longer needs my protection...

They are beacons of hope. Hope that goes far beyond a simple quarry, one that is large enough for the future of the UWST.

I try not to interfere with the girls or give them too much of my old, cranky ideas. I want to see them trying out new things and coming up with brand new solutions of their own...

My generation faced challenges unique to our time. Naturally, we came up with our own way to work things out.

The new generation will be facing new problems. The girls must come up with their own strategies... Strategies that they themselves could use.

Hah. There's always a solution to every problem and I have faith in my girls, just as I always had faith that my old partner's never-ending hibernation would end.

Before I forget, I believe this old lady owes you a word of gratitude.

Thank you for what you did for us, Endministrator of Endfield Industries. You did everyone here a big favor.

And I ... We will not forget

—We shall remember everything that happened today, and you as well.

Endmin, I'm mostly done arranging our redeployment. My next job is to oversee the handover and transfer...

We really should have given you Endfielders a special party for helping us out, but I guess we have to settle for these tokens of our appreciation! Please accept these gifts, Endmin! They come from everyone of the Quarry crew.

I really hope to see you again in the future, my friends from Endfield!