Collect Call
Lvl 10 Sakura Kasugano (77/100) and Lvl 8 Sandalphon (24/80)
Word Count: 3,112 +4
While Sandalphon was by no means opposed to exploring the Paved Wilderness with a few fellow Seekers of Light for company, there were some tasks she needed to attend to, and some that she couldn’t put off any longer. Today’s checklist involved several long-distance inquiries made with various contacts from Midgar.
In the wake of the dystopia’s abandonment following the loss of the reverse-engineered machine god Tycoon deep beneath the Arahabaki city computer, and by extension the infinite supply of mako energy that Tycoon’s control over spacetime provided, the inhabitants of Midgar had been scattered to the winds. Some -mostly those with children and families of their own- fled to Gutsford, and Sandalphon suspected that the university town was rather overpopulated as a result. Some industrious sorts moved to seize the means of production at the Satis Factory to the east and start their empires anew. Some went further afield, across the bay to the city-wide fiesta known as Carnival Town or the strait to Everdream Valley for a more peaceful, pastoral existence. Others braved the lingering remnants of the Machines to colonize the Valley of Ruin, and many stuck it out in the dark and quiet ruins of Midgar itself, fighting over the scraps. Many had simply spread out from Kunad Highway, though, establishing their own settlements all over the northeastern peninsula.
Always one to deal with bigger problems right away, Sandalphon first reached out to her subordinates in the old DespoRHado unit, now returned to their roots as YoRHa. Their memories, artificially and remotely preserved across multiple existences, told her everything she needed to know about her time in Sundowner’s PMC. From the date when it started, Sandalphon could easily extrapolate how long it lasted. Most of the time she spent on the line with YoRHa constituted more personal inquiries, asking how everyone was doing and what were they up to. Hearing that the androids were slowly learning to live lives of their own, and that 2B and 9S were closer companions than ever, Sandalphon felt palpable joy.
Once fully updated on YoRHa, Sandalphon got in touch with her contacts in the Lateran Church, up to and including Pope Yvangelista himself. The old Sankta had a long memory, and it was old records that the archangel was interested in. Unfortunately, his memory didn’t seem to extend as far back as she hoped, and by now Sandalphon could guess at the cause for his supposed lapse. It wasn’t hard to confirm her hypothesis: that the Yvangelista she originally met all those years ago had died and been replaced, born anew in the eternal cycle of the Endless Now. In fact, nobody she called seemed to date far enough back to supply her with the details she needed. Fortunately, a clerical institution like the Lateran Church tended to keep consistent records, so she didn’t need to rely on her former coworkers’ memories. Once the data had been fetched and fully assembled, Sandalphon thanked the clerics with a heavy heart. That mood persisted throughout her brief and somber call with Giovanna as she told the special agent the bad news. After that, there was just one more call to make.
This time, she reached out to just one person. Wherever the young, spirited martial artist known as Sakura Kasugano happened to be across the Dystopiascape, she would hear an angelic chime as Sandalphon’s sigil manifested next to her ear. Simply touching it was enough to accept the call. “Hello? Ms. Kasugano? This is Sandalphon. How are you?”
Sakura was sitting cross legged on a jagged rocky outcropping overlooking the outskirts of the Satisfactory. Her hands were on her knees and her eyes were closed, expression serious. When she heard the ping, she animated back to life, glancing around. A few moments passed and she recognized what was going on, tapping the button next to her ear.
”Ah! Sandalphon-san! It’s good to hear from you.” She replied.
”And, uh, I’m well! …You?” She asked.
The sound of Sakura’s voice turned Sandalphon’s pupils into carets, though naturally that didn’t transmit through her spirit link. “It’s good to hear from you too. I’m glad you’re doing well. I myself am…managing.” While the archangel didn’t feel the need to go into more detail, she wasn’t about to lie and say that all was well. “I’ve kept in touch with some contacts among the Midgar refugees, so I know that the populace is doing admirably well, given the circumstances. We have not spoken since our parting, however. I would be interested in hearing what you and your friends have been up to.”
Sakura leaned backwards, setting her hands on the dirt behind her and staring up at the sky. She hummed, collecting her thoughts.
”Well, let’s see. I got some cool new duds.” She said, shaking her shoe.
”Like, my shirt has my name on it now. So that’s pretty cool. I got it for helping someone set up a tailor shop and protecting it from some monsters.” She explained.
”And then store credit got me the rest.” She said.
”I’ve never had ‘store credit’ before! It’s been pretty cool to hang around one place, see it come together, get to know everyone, you know? And building and making things is way easier in the World of Light than it is back home. Things just kinda poof and click together. It’s still hard work, but it’s like, easy and fun.” She let some sand run between her fingers.
”’Admirably well’ is right, I think! Karin-san loves this kinda stuff. Like bossing people around? And I guess she’s pretty good at it. Me, not so much, I just kinda go where she tells me.” She said.
”’Ciri-san and Yennifer-san are here. I wanna say they’re Geralt-san’s…wife and daughter? But honestly I’m not sure.” She shrugged.
”But they’re cool. Everyone’s been a little busy for sparring, though. Ciri-san is so good at fighting monsters I don’t get to do much of that either.” She said.
Sakura sighed.
”So I’ve kinda been taking it easy today! You ever meditate much? It’s pretty cool once you get good at it, that’s what I was doing when you called me. N-not that I’m complaining, of course!” She clarified.
“I see. I will not apologize for disturbing you, then,” Sandalphon remarked, mildly amused. “I have not attempted meditation, myself. Actually, it would be more accurate to say I have not meditated successfully. I understand that it involves quieting the mind and achieving inner peace, similar to putting a computer on ‘standby’ mode. Doing so have proven rather difficult for me, however. If I am not ‘on’ I am ‘off’, which is to say, asleep.” She paused, considering the possibility that Sakura wasn’t interested in her eccentricities and foibles. “...It seems Karin was even better suited to the role of leadership than we hoped. The people of Midgar are fortunate to have her. I hope there have been no troubles?” There was no shortage of capable fighters among the refugees who could handle monsters, but issues like disagreement, division, and competition weren’t so easily handled.
Sakura tilted her head at Sandalphon’s description of meditation.
”Uh, yeah, I guess so?” She said.
”I didn’t get it at first, either, it’s pretty hard. But also it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds. ‘Inner peace’ is a big ask. It’s not quite that, it’s just, y’know, chilling with yourself for a while.” Sakura explained.
”Karin-san would describe herself as a born leader. Back home she has her own personal army of ninjas and servants and controls the biggest business conglomerate in the world.” She said with a little roll of her eyes.
”If you ask me, her ninjas are kinda second-rate, but don’t tell her I said that.” ”And like there’s a little bit of trouble? But in times of hardship people are willing to turn to a strong and fair leader. At least that’s what Karin says. I dunno if you noticed but she’s got a bit of an ego on her.” Sakura chuckled.
” But things are crazy and she’s smart, so, whatever I guess. It’s not like she doesn’t delegate.” Sakura shrugged.
Sakura sat up and rubbed her face.
”...I definitely needed the break.” She started, like she was qualifying a future ‘but’ statement. But she felt a bit embarrassed to continue.
“From the campaign?” Sandalphon was always quick to put two and two together. “I understand, if so, and you’re not alone. Practically the whole team was on standby at a few different outposts over the course of the last week. We only reconvened last night. Unfortunately, we find ourselves missing a few important contributors.” Having sensed but not confirmed a possible direction the conversation could go, she refrained from dropping anything stronger than a hint.
”Yeah, it’s just-” Sakura scoffed, her face reddening.
”I did this whole goodbye, like a total dork.””I never know what I want. That’s always been my problem.” Sakura facepalmed lightly.
”I’m a big waffler. Now it feels like it’s too late. Even if I did want to rejoin, I don’t have any magic balloons and I don’t know if I can just set off and walk around the whole continent like I used too, right?” Sakura asked.
Having recalled that Sakura hadn’t been present for the encounter with Moebius Z about Everdream Valley and the subsequent introduction of the Avenger, Sandalphon was quick to provide reassurance. “It’s never too late. Since we are connected, I can teleport to you to deliver a Fulton device, which I assume is the ‘magical balloon’ you alluded to. After that, we can arrange a pickup. Currently, the Seekers are making use of the Avenger, a large aircraft that now serves as our base of operations. It is the home of the Lost Numbers, an organization formed from the descendents of previous Seekers.” She paused in the hopes of forestalling information overload. “I imagine you will have much to catch up on, but we have the remainder of the day to do it. I am sure that many, especially those deployed to the Under previously, will be eager to see you again.”
Sakura had shot up to her feet.
”What, really? Wow!” She was excited, but also confused.
”I dunno if I got all that but the giant ship sounds cool! That’s so smart. Gosh, it really only has been like a week.”Sakura’s tone turned sheepish again.
”Sandalphon-san, I’m a little nervous. What do you think the Seekers are gonna do next? Something without horrible monsters or politics. I mean that’s like a big ask. But like really really horrible monsters like giant skinny horrible babies and giant monster chefs that turn you into a baby, or really complicated election cycles with lots of arguing and like depressed people? Like what are the chances of that?” Sakura asked.
”Because I tried my best but I dunno if I’m much good at that stuff.” She admitted, tapping her fingers together.
Then Sakura shook her head, smiling and setting her hands on her hips.
”You know Sandalphon-san, if there was a Seeker hierarchy, I’d probably have more experience than you! But you’re really smart, I feel like I wanna ask you things. The Seekers really need someone like you. I mean even this magic radio— I had to buy them, like actual physical rinky dink radios at a shop and I thought I was the bees knees for a cruddy idea like that. This is much better. If it wasn’t for you I’d be poof, in the wind! It really would be too late. I’m glad you joined.” Sakura said.
For a little while, Sandalphon kept quiet and let her contact continue while she tried to think of the best way to reassure Sakura while still being realistic and honest. Before her fusions, she would have been quite incapable of addressing such an emotionally-driven internal conflict, and even now the right answer eluded her. If circumstances demanded that she involve herself in another situation like the haunted Dead Zone, for instance, she knew she’d be highly averse, but ultimately she knew she’d persevere because that was her duty. Would that argument hold as much water for a real human as it would a constructed servant, though? As the seconds wore on, the praise directed in Sandalphon’s direction distracted her from her musings. She couldn’t help but smile somewhat–another consequence of the meddling with her soul, but maybe for the better.
“Nonsense. If I’ve learned anything about humans, it’s that the bonds between them are far stronger than mundane matters like distance. If I am smart or capable, it is merely because I was created this way, a mere echo of what humans were able to achieve through their own hard work and ingenuity.” Sandalphon paused. The faint sound of footsteps through the miracle line suggested that she might be moving. “While I can extrapolate the data I’ve accumulated into a great many things, I cannot predict what the future will hold, and I cannot assure you that there is not more horror or complications to come. If anything, I would have to hypothesis that there will be. However, everything I’ve seen indicates that you -and the other Seekers- are up to the task. I doubt there is anything you cannot overcome.”
”I’ll do my best.” Sakura said.
At that moment, a pillar of radiant blue light descended in front of Sakura. It shone for only a brief moment, and when it vanished, Sandalphon herself was standing before the martial artist, brought to her side across countless miles by the lingering strength of the bond between them.
The archangel looked slightly different than how Sakura remembered her, but just as with Sakura, the core of her being remained. In one hand she held a Fulton device, and the other was extended in the girl’s direction in a gesture of invitation. When Sandalphon spoke, her voice lacked the watery resonance inherent to her communication miracle. Instead, it contained a trace of uncharacteristic warmth. “If it’s any consolation, at least, there is no city in the World of Light larger than Midgar, and statistically speaking, the odds of another entering its election cycle are low.” A shadow of a smile passed over the archangel’s gray lips.
”That’s a relief.” Sakura said, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish grin. At this point she was pretty used to the whole ‘Fusion’ thing. Her mental image of Sandalphon readjusted accordingly. She took the Fulton device and started looking it over in her hands, lifting it up to look at the dangling harness.
”...My parents made me, too, but I still get to take a lot of the credit, y’know.” She said, like she was letting Sandalphon in on a secret.
“Hm. I see.” Sandalphon tilted her head slightly, curious. Could she claim credit for much of her life..?
Her gaze shifted from the middle difference back to Sakura. “Oh, don’t activate that just yet. The Avenger too far away for pickup. You would be floating in the sky for some time.” She reached up a slender finger toward her ear. “I’ll call you again when it’s time. Around…five forty, I expect.” That meant about four and a half hours, plenty of time to say farewell to her friends here.
Sakura slapped the side of her head with a free hand.
”Oh, doy! I was totally about to leave without saying goodbye! So, uh, that works out.” She laughed, and then looked down at the far away factory.
”I’ll leverage my leaving to get one more fight outta Karin-chan.” She said with a resolute nod.
”Thanks for calling, Miss Sandalphon! I’d say it was good catching up, but, I guess we’re gonna be running together in the same crew again for a little while longer.” Sakura said.
The archangel bowed her head, which made her halo dip slightly. “It was my pleasure. I’ll be in touch.” With that, she warped away again in another pillar of light, and Sakura was left to her own devices.
”See ya!” Sakura waved Sandalphon off. Her body was abuzz with nerves and anticipation. In a choice between proverbial cabin fever and heading into the unknown, well, Sakura knew what choice she would make. Besides, the people here were safe and the big fight needed winning. Letting out a big breath, Sakura steeled herself, clutched the Fulton device under her arm, and hopped down the cliff face to meet her Midgar friends.
Azure light filled the Avenger Comm Center, and just like that Sandalphon was back. With the ship and its crew on standby, nobody else happened to be around to see the lightshow, so for just a moment Sandalphon stood there vacantly, not quite sure what to do next. The findings she’d assembled from talking to her Midgar contacts hung over her like a dark cloud, and her doleful conversation with Giovanna left a knot in her stomach that had yet to unwind. Somehow she’d managed to keep a stiff upper lip during her visit with Sakura, but now that she was alone, she could let herself breath. Maybe a visit to the cafeteria for some coffee and sweets now that the other Seekers had depopulated it would do some good. Then again, that young doctor had told her to reduce her intake, and he did seem rather intense…
As she considered her next move, the full spectrum radio receiver installed into one of the Comm Center’s walls buzzed to life. Always kept on to some degree to keep the chamber from getting too quiet, it picked up all sorts of miscellaneous and often conflicting signals, which generally amounted to nothing more than comfortable background noise. Now, though, Sandalphon could hear one voice loud and clear, belonging to a young woman who identified herself as Celica. Her tone alone implied some degree of distress, so by the time she formalized her call for aid, Sandalphon was already seated at the desk. She worked quickly to identify the rough location of the source, as well as to find the closest Seekers to the source. After figuring out everything she needed, she manifested five light screens to contact the right people.
“Attention, please.” She broadcasted her transmission to Juri, Zenkichi, and everyone else in the Highertower area linked to her miraculous network. “I have received a distress signal in your area from a young woman named Celica. She mentioned only that she’s taking cover behind orange cargo. Please consider finding her and rendering your assistance.” With that, Sandalphon signed off again, hopeful that her allies could provide the rescue Celica needed.
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