RI-ST-1 Titan's Heart

Oof... Ah.. That hurts a little...

Gavial, you're awake! Are you okay?!

I'm fine. Just a scratch.

More importantly, is that the machine Zumama's been tinkering with all this time?

Yes. I heard them calling it 'The Big, Ugly Thing.' So gross...

It's pretty badass!

So... Err, huh?

But the big thing definitely beat you down...

I can tell it's really tough, even through it knocked my lights out before I got a good look at it.

Hmm, yes it is...

But I never imagined she'd actually put together something like this.

Closure makes some weird gadgets every once in a while, yeah, but even she'd be impressed with Zumama's machine here. Haha.

Wow, are there lots of things like that at Rhodes Island?

Waaaa! Rhodes Island sounds scary...

Haha, Rhodes Island would blow your little mind.

Haha, now that you mention it, that thing would drive Closure up the wall as soon as she laid eyes on it.

Hm? What happened to the Temple?

That monster blew it up.

Oh, so that means the ceremony's over?

Yes.

And so Zumama's the Great Chief now?

Yes...

Everyone was pretty shocked at first, but...

Why did I destroy the Temple? It's simple.

It's my way of telling you all we're ending this tradition.

With your fists, you can beat down ten men. If you're Gavial, maybe you take a hundred. But more than that?

Even Gavial couldn't manage.

There's a limit to what you can do with your fists.

But with a tool? That's different. My tribe created this 'Big, Ugly Thing' that effortlessly took down Gavial and destroyed the Temple just as easily.

This is the power of a tool.

Tools can make you all even stronger!

And so I hereby proclaim the age of machines!

Everyone bought into it, so...

So she became the Great Chief. Hah, well, that's an L for me, obviously.

Huh? Yep. A loss is a loss.

Hey, Doctor, I don't need your comfort. I'm really fine.

Hmph, duh. Do you know me?

Oh, but I have to apologize to Tomimi. It's my fault you never got a chance to fight.

...That's okay. Even if I went up there, it wouldn't have changed anything.

Yeah, you're right about that one.

Hey, Doctor, what do we do now?

Ah, right! We need the engine to get back.

And as for the others, if we didn't see them at the ceremony, maybe they got lost?

Still thinking it over, Doctor? No rush. We've got some vacation time left.

Haha, I love this Doctor! Then let's get some sightseeing in while we look for the engine and the girls.

Erm, well...

Huh? Those two over there...

Hey, Yota, are you okay?!

Yeah, it's just, it kinda...

Yota!

I need a shaman!

Hey, let me take a look.

Gavial? You're alive?

Takes more than that to kill me.

Shut up for now. Lay your brother out and I'll look him over.

Tomimi, get my medical bag.

Oh, okay!

Is he gonna be alright?!

He's not dead. But he's not looking good either.

Shortness of breath, foamy, bloody spittle... Hm? And Originium crystals on the body?!

...Doctor, my initial diagnosis is heart failure brought on by Oripathy.

What?

It's Stone Disease. The symptoms aren't too bad. I have some emergency medicine in my bag, but we need to treat him right away.

Stand him up. He can't lay down. I'll give him some oxygen.

The Stone Disease did this? Ugh, I told him not to push it.

......

Hey, what's your name?

I'm Yogi. That's my brother, Yota.

Which tribe?

Eunectes.

......

What's wrong, Gavial? Your face is scaring me.

Not now.

I'm asking again: Did Zumama send you into the mines to get ore for her big metal monster?

Yes. Why?

......

I'm sorry, Doctor. No matter what, I have to pay Zumama a visit.

Nothing gets past you, Doctor.

You're the Doctor, you definitely know why.

Sorry again, Doctor. But I have to do this.

Our tribes don't have much contact with the outside world. To you and the other operators, we're a primitive backwater.

But there is one good thing about this place. You heard it, right? They call Oripathy 'Stone Disease' and treat it like an ordinary malady.

Sometimes people catch it, sometimes they die of it. But nobody thinks it's anything special, because people here die from lots of things.

Everyone looks after Oripathy patients like they're just regular sick people. All they know about the disease is you can catch it in the mines.

So very few people go into the mines. It's been that way for a long time.

Gavial caught it when she saved me.

Yeah. When Tomimi was little, she snuck into the depths of the mines. I went to rescue her, and I got sick.

Lucky she didn't.

If only I got it instead...

Don't you dare say that. Getting sick is a terrible thing. It's just bad luck.

(Whimper)

You've asked that a couple of times, Doctor.

After I got sick, the other tribespeople wouldn't let me do anything. I couldn't hunt, I couldn't even go to a gathering.

And the little runt Tomimi here was the worst. She came over from her tribe and stuck to me like glue. She did everything for me, and I had nothing to do.

In the end, they wouldn't even let me join the ceremony.

Day after day, time after time, it was 'Oh no, Gavial, let me do that for you,' you know what I mean...? That's no life for me.

Gavial didn't smile much after that...

I was so pissed off, I went to the ceremony anyway, and beat the tar out of everyone I saw on the way.

*Sob*, I shouldn't have been so pushy, Gavial...

The reality is, around here, if you can't fight, you're nothing. A waste of space.

I'd rather you let me put myself in danger than take away my freedom to do anything.

Doctor, don't you think this is funny?

I think it's funny. Only after I left the tribe did I realize what kind of hatred people have for Oripathy sufferers.

It took me a long time to figure that out.

Tch, watch that tongue of yours, Doctor, or I'll rip it out.

But I know what you mean. Out there, discrimination is what you get as an Oripathy patient.

What I went through back then, though, that was still torture for me.

Hey, you got me off on a tangent there. This isn't what I wanted to talk about.

Hmm... What was I saying?

Oh, right.

Doctor, help me out here.

Oh, I got it.

Bullshit.

Oh, I got it.

I was thinking about how that great big monster of a machine must've taken a ton of iron ore to build.

Put that together with what Zumama was saying, and we know she definitely sent her people down into the mines to get that ore.

Now that you mention it, I have heard something like that.

Now I've got no problem with that, on its face. If she just had them digging around on the outside, no big deal.

But now people are getting sick, and I have to do something.

I don't care about her age of machines or whatever. If she's throwing away lives, she's earned a clobbering.

Thanks, Doctor.

Ooh, you've got that penetrating gaze, Doctor.

Hah, but of course.

Gavial...

......

Tomimi, where is Zumama's tribe?

Um, I don't know.

Hey, Gavial, I'm really not interested in your hopes and dreams and ideals here. What's up with my brother?

Huh? You can understand our Sargonian?

Yes. The leader taught all of us.

...What is that Zumama up to?

Whatever. Anyway, Tomimi, get your minions to carry this one back to your tribe. Have Lancet-2 start treating him.

Hey, what are you doing?!

If you want your brother to live, you'll put your trust in me.

...Okay then, I'll take him back with me.

Oh? You're not coming with me?

Ah! N-No! Of course I want to go with you, Gavial. But I have a few things that need doing first. I'll catch up with you later!

What things? Need my help?

N-No! I can take care of it myself!

Gavial, do you remember the great waterfall? We'll meet up there!

Okay.

Alright. You're the one and only Gavial, I trust you. But I'm going with!

No, you won't be any help. And there's something I need you to do for me.

What?

Go tell Zumama we need to have a talk.