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It had been a wild few weeks, from battling creatures, to getting cures for leaflings, but there was still a lot more ahead.
Saym had planned to go on another Night mission to grab another cure, so she decided to go around the camp, checking in on everyone to see if there was anything she could do to help, and pass the time.
Though, unfortunately to Saym's surprise, there wasn't anything she could really do for anyone at that moment.
When speaking with Captain Olimar, he'd offered to tell his story on how he'd crash landed on PNF-404.
She was pretty eager to hear the tale,
"I'd be happy to listen, Captain. Afterall, you did save us from having to risk coming back here, with Oatchi's problem and all." Olimar smiled and nodded, as they both sat down, Oatchi and Moss laying down beside them as well. "Well, let's start from the beginning, shall we?" Olimar spoke, as he began to tell the tale of his crash.
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Olimar sighed, closing off his final Sentence.
"The last bit I remember is being dragged somewhere by Moss and the Pikmin, but the rest of my memory is a bit fuzzy, from being a leafling and all."
Moss whined a bit, and Olimar reached over, softly patting her on the head while trying to comfort the large green dog.
"Oh, was that why you told us it wasn't safe to leave just yet? Because the leaves cause anything it infects to not be able to leave?"
Olimar looks back to Saym once again, with a saddened expression across his face.
"Yes, it is. As I said before, Moss here snuck on my ship as I tried to escape the first time, and she became very ill once I got completely out of the atmosphere and into orbit... I tried to turn around to safely get her back and... well, it all went downhill from there.."
Saym looked down at the time, there were still a few hours left before she'd have to head out for the mission. Olimar took quick notice of the rookies reaction to the time,
"Well, I'm guessing you don't have to leave for a few more hours, is that correct?"
She looked up from her watch, kind of embarrassed she'd made it that obvious,
"Y-yes sir... I have around 3 or so more hours left I think? I didn't seem to be rude, I just-" Olimar gave out a slight chuckle.
"You are quite alright, in fact, we can keep chatting if you'd like, I've honestly quite enjoyed the company, especially since the Pikmin nor Moss are into two-way conversations,"
he looked over to the green dog, who had already managed to fall asleep beside him.
"Maybe you too would have a tale to tell as well, even if you'd mentioned this is your first mission?" Saym looked to the side, then softly sighed,
"Well, not quite a story from here, but I do have a few from my home planet, Montain..." She looked back at Olimar, while slightly fidgeting with her hands.
"Well, if it's a touchy subject I wouldn't want to intrude, it's up to you if you're comfortable telling me."
He reassured the rookie, who seemed to still be a bit on edge by the question.
"Well, it is a bit of a long one, but... I also feel like it'd be wrong of me to do so... with everything you've gone through, I..."
She took a second to try and form a sentence, "It just feels wrong for me to speak of my own issues, when someone else is dealing with their own."
She looked over at Oatchi, who had also fallen asleep during Olimar's speech, then looked back.
"Well, it doesn't bother me, just as long as you feel comfortable telling me. If you ever need to cut the conversation though, don't be afraid too. I know it took me a while to be comfortable talking about my own stories, when I first got into my first big crash.."
she nodded to Olimar's request, and began to tell her story.
---
"Well, it all began when I was just finishing a training college. I was working at a cafe around 7 minutes away from where I stayed to help pay for the classes.
There, I'd met two of my greatest friends, one who I'm even still friends with to this day; Koi, and Keesh.
We'd all have similar shifts, so it was quite easy to connect.
It only took a couple of months before we started hanging out after work, the three of us would all plan to hang out around different parks or simple, unique places we found in the city.
We did this for a couple years, then Koi recommended we all take a trip to a tavern in the mountains called 'The Crystal Terrarium',
she'd told us all about trips she'd went on there in the past, but we all knew it'd take a while for us to save up enough to go, since we were still paying off our different fines, and it was a pretty fancy location.
It took us around three or so years in order to save up enough to make a worthwhile trip there. We planned to stay there for a week and a half, and saved enough extra to hopefully explore the hidden parts of the cavern areas.
At the time, I was still able to drive, so I grabbed the stuff I packed, and drove over to meet Keesh and bring her along with them to where they all planned to meet up.
Koi had already told us beforehand that she'd drive herself there, that in order for her to be able to get enough hours to stay the full time there, she had to do a few extra hours before leaving.
As soon as I'd gotten there, Keesh was standing outside, a couple bags beside her as she struggled to try and pick them up all at once. I helped her carry the bags she couldn't grab, and got her stuff packed into the backseat of the car.
She excitedly told me about looking up the location beforehand, realizing just how special this place was. They were home to one of Montain's largest explorable Cavern, having it's rooms even located towards the mouth of the cave.
You see, the whole place was located inside the mouth of the cave. a Giant entrance turned into a resort of some kind, with explorable cave systems that reach almost completely down the mountain itself.
We chatted more about our plans as we drove to the base of the mountain, then I entered the exact location onto the GPS and began the climb."
Saym looked off to the side a bit, sort of scratching her head.
"For more context... Trips to places such as these can take hours, because of how large the mountain ranges are."
Olimar nodded, then asked, "So, how long did this specific one end up taking you two?"
Saym looked back, "Well, it should've taken around 4 hours or so, if we'd made it up there..."
She once again started to fidget with her hands slightly, as she was clearly dreading this part of the story, but she continued on.
"Well... as the drive went on, I think we were around half way there..?
The car started to freak out. A nearby radio tower sent out the message that there was a large landslide barreling down the mountainside...
Although, landslides are quite common out here, normally they're caused by disturbances in the mountaintop areas or weathering. But for this specific area, it wasn't as usual.
The mountain areas are regularly checked upon, and many people are turned away from mining or building so close to this particular mountain, due to it being a popular area.
I attempted to move the vehicle to a safer spot, just as I was taught, but we'd gotten the message a bit too late to do anything, as the giant pieces of dirt and rubble latched onto the car and dragged us back down the mountain."
Saym's voice slowly became a bit more shaky as she went on, Oatchi suddenly woke up because of this, and nuzzled in closer to her. "We were dragged down a few hundred feet, before being completely submerged in rubble... but nowhere near the bottom.
The car had been flipped and beaten in the process, as windows shattered by the commotion of stones, and a collapsing tree that pierced through the windshield."
She paused for a second, setting out a troubled sigh, trying to stop herself from tearing up by the thought of it all.
"The tree had created a barrier between Keesh and I, as I tried to call out to her though...
I didn't hear any form of response from her at all..
I wasn't able to move around much, but luckily I hadn't been deathly hurt, the tree that had skewered through the windshield did leave a few branches that had pierced me in the arm and side of the stomach.
I used my free hand to search for the SOS button on the car, and as soon as I found it, the systems location reported that I had been pinged, as the vehicle continued to honk and screech.."
Saym paused again, putting one hand up to her helmet as a small tear started to form. Olimar began to have a look of concern on his face, as he slightly reached out towards Saym, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you want to keep going..? You're visibly distressed about the whole thing... I don't want to cause any problems for you."
Saym nods, once again collecting herself.
"I thank you, but I... I'm sure.
I just haven't had to speak about this for a while... takes a bit to get used to."
Olimar leans back again, placing his arm back down.
Saym too places her hand back down, and continues on.
"I'm... not sure how long we'd been down there for, since this landslide had been one of our planets largest to date, I'm sure our rescue organization had their hands full, trying to dig and pull people out from the rubble...
They'd finally gotten to us, as I'd heard the beeping come to a sudden stop, only to be replaced by the sounds of sirens and movement. Pieces of land began to be dug out from the vehicle.
Once they'd gotten to a safe enough place, they began to drill into the roof of the car, clearing out just enough room to make a pocket for more air to get through.
They then called out to see if anyone was alive, which I swiftly responded back to, in a panic. I told them everything I knew about the situation, and they made their way down.
It just so happened to be the captain who'd found me. She was pretty shocked to see me here...
Since I'd once begun the training to join their group...
But, with the help of Copper, one of their many rescue dogs, she'd gotten me freed from the branches, and lifted out of what was left of the car. She helped stabilize the area where i'd been punctured, then placed me back with Copper, a six-legged climbing and carrier dog.
Captain commanded him to go back to the recovery area nearby. He was quick to listen, as Captain had scooped me back onto the back of the giant brown and bronze dog, and sent him off.
I held onto the harness as he descended down the rubble. I felt myself start to drift unconscious, to which Copper suddenly stopped, and laid himself down to where I'd slowly be able to climb down.
We were pretty close to the bottom, but I'm sure he'd sensed that I wasn't doing well.
As I got down, I suddenly felt... a rush of pain that struck throughout me, and just fell to the ground. I'd landed on my knees and was holding the area which Captain had trimmed the branch off and wrapped up enough to keep stable.
Copper brushed my arm away with his snout for a bit, just long enough to scope out the damage done.
Then, using his front paws that were normally left up when carrying multiple people, awkwardly attempted to lift me up and carried me the rest of the way... Though, by then I'd already passed out.
I only really remember hearing him bark, and a few others talking as I was lifted up into one of the EMS vehicles...
Then I was woken back up, after they'd taken out and stitched up the area where I'd been punctured.
As soon as I was able to get my head to clear, I began frantically asking if Keesh had made it as well..."
Saym looks down, closing her hand into a tight fist so to avoid tearing up more than she already was.
"They told me... I was 'the only one there'..."
Olimar had been silently listening up to that point, although his expression changed to a mix of worry and shock.
He finally worked up the nerve to ask,
"Why would they tell you you were the only one there?"
Saym took a deep breath, unballing her hand, then responded with her voice shaking,
"It's part of a protocol we have with Montain's Natural Disaster Rescue...
If there are multiple people in an accident, and you are afraid that said person may end up accidentally... Hurting themselves out of shock, from the news that another member had passed...
We're told to tell them that they're the only ones who were there... Until it was safe enough to let them know the truth..."
At this point, Oatchi was attempting to climb up onto Saym's lap, softly whining and nuzzling into the neck of her helmet.
Moss had also noticed the commotion and began to lift her head up as well, although Olimar gave her a slight pet and told her to stay there.
"I know, I know buddy..." She spoke, trying to get Oatchi to calm and sit back down.
"I'll be okay... I promise..."
Finally Oatchi sat himself down next to her, though he now placed his head on top of her leg.
"Though, Koi was alright, thank the stars... She was still at the cafe when she got the alert. Asked our boss at the time if she could go to the scene, to make sure we'd made it okay, and they agreed.
I still remember seeing her from afar, speaking with a few officers to let her come check in on me...
She never told me what all she'd said to get them to let her back there, but managed to convince them either way.
Once she'd gotten over to me, I think she realized just how bad the situation was, we didn't even speak for a good hour or so, she just grabbed me in a tight hug, as we both began to break down what all happened, together." She looked up at the sky slightly,
"It had been a rough couple of years... But we've always stuck beside each other, no matter what we'd do or go through... "
Saym glanced at the time again, noticing how the hours had flown by, with only 30 minutes left until she'd have to head out on the night-mission.
She stood up, offering a hand to Captain Olimar as well, "I... Thank you for listening,"
She felt a bit nervous about the whole conversation, but tried not to bring too much attention to it.
"And, thank you for taking the time to share your story with me as well.." The Captain shook hands with the rookie,
"I thank you for your time as well, and.. I'm sorry for your loss."
He leaned in for a simple hug, although it was quite awkward to do so with the shape and size of their helmets.
As Saym began to walk towards the teams area to start her mission, she couldn't help but think about the whole conversation over and over again, it'd been the first time she'd actually spoken about in... years, it just felt so strange for her to ponder on something for so long.
" 'I don't regret speaking with Captain... But, maybe I should avoid that conversation again... At least for now..' " She thought to herself, as she approached Collin and Captain Shepherd,
"I see your ready to start your night-mission, correct-..." Collin had started his usual speech, but was caught off guard by something,
"Is everything alright, Saym? You seem a bit... Off."
She didn't have the energy to explain what all happened, and sure didn't want to have to speak about it again.
"Ah... Yeah, I'm alright, sir! Just... was a bit nervous." She lied, hoping it'd hold them off from any other questions for now.
Although not convinced, Collin and Shepherd took her answer, and they began to prepare for the mission.
---
The whole mission was... Off.
Nothing about the creatures or the Lumiknoll were strange, they were their usual battle, But...
The team was oddly more quiet than usual. Saym had grown so used to their usual banter, she found herself calling out every once in a while to make sure they were okay.
When she got an answer from Collin, she could tell there was something up.
The background noises sounded different than usual, no longer did she hear the low sounds of the ship running in the cockpit like she'd use to, instead it was almost silent... Other than a few other voices softly speaking in the background.
Damn, how she'd wish that noise cancelation on their mics didn't work like it should, She couldn't quite tell what was being said. Though, maybe there had been some important meeting she didn't know about?
Hopefully it wasn't anything to worry about.
But it was still strange, once she got back, they'd acted like nothing happened.
Although, they all seemed to have subtle changes to their usual selves, that made it clear something had happened while she was out.
'Had someone overheard her speech earlier?'
'Was there something she'd done?'
'Is there something wrong?'
Her mind raced with these invasive thoughts, unsure of what to do.
She finished her original conversation and handed the glow sap to Yonny, then swiftly turned over to Shepherd, who was standing near the ship as always.
"Captain... Is everything alright?"
Shepherd seemed a bit confused by her question.
"Yes, we just had to speak with Olimar for a bit, during your mission. We needed to see if we could get more information on Oatchi's condition, since he seemed to know quite a bit more than the rest of us do at this time."
She tilted her head to the side slightly,
"I know Collin tried connecting you in for a bit, but I'm guessing you weren't able to hear us all that well...
Was there something you were worried about?"
That... Wasn't the response Saym expected.
"Oh... Uh-" She stammered a bit, still caught off guard.
"No, Captain... I just wanted to make sure, since I didn't hear y'all as much as I'd normally."
Shepherd teased, "What, did you think we left you out there on your own?"
"No!.. It just felt... off, for some reason."
"Well, rest assured, we were still listening in. There will be another meeting tomorrow morning, we will go over the information we gathered tonight, along with more mission plans."
Captain's response seemed to put her a bit more at ease, at least she knew the answer to her troubles.
They continued speaking for a bit, then headed back to the ship for the night.