[hider=Aoife's time at Rhodes Island so far...]Aoife's prognosis wasn't good. Not only had she received a massive dose of originium, but she had gone without treatment during the most crucial stages. It took a few weeks on the landship to stabilize her condition and get her orientated as an operator, but the medical team was starting to consider more drastic, experimental treatments for her. A caprinae operator named 'Polka', who had been assigned to a newly-established clinic in Sargon, possessed arts surrounding originium that could be the key to extending Aoife's life. Operator Earthspirit had been planning to head to the Hisn-ul-Zahra clinic for research into the catastrophe patterns unique to Sargon and was willing to take Aoife along with her. Aoife has been at the clinic for about a week, undergoing treatment with Polka. Next to the clinic, Rhodes Island also established an orphanage, primarily to care for infected children.[/hider]
[hider=Seven's time at Rhodes Island so far...]Though distant, Dr. Kal'tsit demonstrated an awareness of Seven's condition and seemed, every once in a while, to assign Seven on missions that lay outside of Rhodes islands stated goals; missions that appeared to be personal projects for the doctor involving relics of the past. Few and far between, these missions, expectedly, had not provided Seven with an answer nor a solution. One day, Kal'tsit approached Seven wordlessly and handed her a dossier. In it were photocopies of a letter and a photograph. The photograph seemed to show the inside of a massive, artificial cavern. A large, imposing, obsidian octahedron was suspended from the ceiling of the cave via chains. The letter came from a 'Catch Lightrace' and was addressed to 'Stitch Canvas', AKA operator Minimalist. Catch was apparently still on his quest to look for their mentor, and had been wandering the Durin underground. He had recently happened upon another abandoned city, and took a picture of the strange object, as he knew that Catch "liked geometric shapes". What the letter failed to mention, most likely thanks to Catch's naivete, were the catwalks, scaffolds, and military equipment that seemed to surround the object, clearly evident in the photo.

[color=a2d39c]"This was Catch's last letter. Take Minimalist with you. Head to Hisn-ul-Zahra to prepare and gather a team. Determine what nations may be involved before going to Acahualla."[/color] Kal'tsit offered these instructions cryptically, but what remained unspoken was the usual, 'secure the object or destroy it'. Given the size of the artifact, destruction seemed to be the only option.[/hider]
[hider=Mood piece][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqMqOIa9vnk[/youtube][/hider]
[b][u]Sargon - Hisn-ul-Zahra City Plate - Rhodes Island Branch Office - Early afternoon[/u][/b]

The lunch rush due to activity at the neighboring orphanage was dying down as Rhodes Island personnel went back to their business. A young, local, Rebbah male, Baltasar El-Kabti, entered the office, looking worried and agitated. He had been working part-time for the Branch office for a while now, taking care of the children at the orphanage. He was an orphan himself, and infected, but he had grown up before the branch office had been established. Still, it was clear he cared for the children and admired what Rhodes Island was doing to help the unfortunate in the city.

[color=0054a6]"E-excuse me, but has anyone seen Nur?"[/color] he asked in a thick Sargonian accent, wasting no time as he wandered the office, looking for anywhere that the child he was looking for could be hiding. [color=0054a6]"I didn't see him at lunch today."[/color] Nur was one of the infected orphans that Baltasar looked after; a quiet, Liberi boy who often had his head in the clouds.

Selim, AKA operator Jericho, a large but older Aegirian gentleman who mostly helped with fixing old appliances, stood up and approached Baltasar, offering a reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder. [color=a187be]"Calm down Baltasar, when did you last see him?"[/color]

[color=0054a6]"At breakfast,"[/color] Baltasar explained, [color=0054a6]"I know he went on an errand to the market, but I don't think he's returned yet. I went to the market already, but I couldn't find him in the crowd. I was hoping maybe he'd be here."[/color]

Selim took a long draw from his cigarette-shaped medical inhalation device before citing protocol, [color=a187be]"He must have gone with some of the other kids, did you ask them?"[/color] Selim didn't seem too worried; the streets of Hisn-ul-Zahra were pretty safe, Lady Ameera Zainab kept the city clean and prosperous.

[color=0054a6]"I-I haven't,"[/color] Baltasar replied, feeling ashamed that his panic had blinded him to this obvious step.

Sensing the boy's plight, Selim looked around the office. Everyone was pretty busy, but there were a few newcomers who didn't have assigned roles yet. To be fair, one of them was just Polka's patient, and the other was just passing through, but they were Rhodes Island operators all the same. [color=a187be]"Hey, Ash Girl, Seven, do you two mind helping Baltasar find Nur?"[/color]