-RECORD 2-

"Sis."

"What is it, Calai?"

"Nothing. Ha ha ha!"

"Uh... Okay."

Undergoing start-up operations. The first kind of sensory enabled was auditory. There were shuffling noises and Calai grunting.

"Sis! Sis, get up! Come on! Sis...! No! Let go! Sis!"

Then, sensors then indicated surface damage due to intense heat. The first survival operation after basic start-up was the ether converter. Like Organics, CASTs also breath. However, instead of essential gases, CASTs take in airborne materials known as ether. Ether is an essential material for CASTs because of how it can be distributed throughout the CAST system for numerous operations. To simplify, ether to CASTs is an Organic's food, water, essential gas, lubricant, and energy source. It also comes in food as well, which is why a CAST can consume Monomates. As for excretions... Daddy commanded that I should not describe how it happens unless perfectly necessary.

By the time my start-up operations were complete, all I could hear were the sounds of lava boiling and my own breaths. As I rolled onto my side, repairs were already underway. The deteriorated exterior chipped away as a new shell created by the collection of ether emerged. That is the rapid healing process of a CAST. It only takes a few minutes to recover the exterior. As for the foreign contaminant, it will take some time to nullify and excrete. It was causing errors in 27% of movement processes, especially with my right arm. Responses to the arm lagged by a 74 millisecond abnormal delay. Accurate movements with it were not possible at the time I was testing it.

As I stood, massive footprints were identified. Such monstrous footsteps can only be made by a combat-category ranger-type Cast. Then, there were smaller ones. These resemble Calai's footprints. She seemed to have been taken away against her will due to the evidence of shuffling feet, evidence of her foot sliding against the surface, and the distance of the soot from the epicenter of each footstep. That much is obvious.

Now, I needed was a weapon of some sort. Abductions often display hostility. Coincidentally, I was placed down next to crates. The covers of each one seemed to have met destruction by large photon bolts. Upon inspecting, all I found were five Monomates, a Frame, a Core Shield, and a Brand. The Brand is a blue-type photon Saber-type weapon. Although I do not prefer it, I had to use the Brand. My preference is a Rifle-type weapon as a means of offense.

As a standard issue for Pioneer 2, each individual has a bracelet or an arm guard that doubles as a personal storage device and safety enhancer. In my case, it was an arm guard on my left arm. I took the orange box containing the Brand into my hand and pressed a button on it. The box vanished into a blue flash and a beep from my arm guard, indicating that it was registered into my storage device. I did the same with the blue boxes of the Frame and Core Shield and the green boxes of the five Monomates. The device also operates in harmony with the other pieces of gear equipped onto the individual. For example, the Frame being equipped onto the storage device gives optimal operation to the pieces of even an Organic's bikini according to the enhancements of the armor selected. The armor effect does not apply to flesh.

I usually did battle training with Calai. Although I am a butler-type Caseal, battle training was entertaining. However, Calai is more optimized to combat than I am. She is a combat-category Ranger-type Caseal, which is also why I had my hands on a Rifle-type weapon to begin with.

Upon tracing the footsteps, I found myself venturing through more relics of Pioneer 1 inhabitants within the molten cave. It was not hard to trace the footsteps, as identified earlier. I crossed over bridges, through steam, and through unlocked doors. Each room was as hot, if not hotter than the others. Soot never seemed to be lacking anywhere. Even so, not a single creature or person came into sights. It was, as Organics would call, lonely.

After some time of traveling, I entered a cold zone. I could see clouds of my own gaseous excretions expelled from my nasal cavity exposure points. The air was damp, the floor was wet and occasionally slippery, the walls collected condensation, and occasional organic plant life sprouted out from between some rocks. I also found some boxes. No usable items were found, though I did find CAST parts in the latter crates. It was like the CASTs were dismembered by lethal means. I despised the sight. However, I could not comprehend the intention. Processes often calculated the CASTs were hunted by scavengers, the most obvious solution. However, in worst scenario, what if the military was involved? It would not be surprising after the late news reporter Nol unveiled WORKS, which was a military secret operation proven true by numerous sources. However, she committed suicide before the complete investigation can be finished. What a waste.

On the way deeper into the cave, I found a transceiver on the floor. Upon investigating, I soon discovered that it had a recording from Calai. I looked around and then activated the recording.

"Sis, I'm apparently going to an underground resistance force. It's near a place with waterfalls. However, it seems they're planning on moving again. Hurry!"

The transceiver sparked upon the finish of its task, rendering it unusable. I stood up again and continued to where I believed she was heading. Hearing her voice motivated my energy reserves, making me increase my pace to a jog. I just knew I will find her soon!

Then, when I came upon an Organic. She was down on a knee. She looked like a combat-category Force-type Newearl in a pink outfit and tapped her shoulder. She jumped up in surprise and swung a wand at me. I blocked her attack with my left arm and shoved her away. I looked down to where she was to find a dismembered Cast.

Before I could speak, she cast Foie, a straight fireball technique. I dove out of the way to accidentally land on an Autogun, a blue-type photon Handgun-type weapon. I took it into my hands and strafed around the FOnewearl, trying to come closer as she continuously cast Foie. When I was too close, she cast Gifoie, which had a fireball that circled and fanned out further away from her. It seemed she was using it more as a barrier. Upon a brief moment of timing its movement, I dashed straight in. Before she could release control of the fireball, I tackled her down. Since she was a lightweight target, pinning her down was simple. However, even though my weight was overbearing, she still thrashed. Organic persistence is odd.

After some time of simply sitting on her, she finally calmed down. "Finish me off already," she panted.

"Why?" I asked.

She frowned at me. "What? Am I a prisoner to you? I'd rather die than be one!"

Organics are interesting. My problem with militarized Organics is that some of them talk of death with little regard. Unlike CASTs, there are no official records of memory data transferring from one organic to another, let alone saving perfect memory data.

"What?" the FOnewearl barked. She was shaking and her pulse rate was excessive. Her eyes shined intensely. To summarize, she was scared but attempted to keep a strong output.

"May I ask a question?"

She stared at me for a while. "Oh," she said. "W-what?"

I crawled off her and stayed on my knees as I faced her. "Have you seen a Caseal heading through this direction? She may have been accompanied by a RAcast."

The FOnewearl raised herself upright and held the back of her head, where her head collided with the dirt. "I don't know, but that one HUcast is proof that my teammate came around here."

I knelt down next to the HUcast to investigate its cause of death. It was most likely an ambush because of the exposure shot straight to the spine. However, the finishing blow was the shot to the left side of the head. To a CAST, our most vital organ would be the head. Quite simply, CAST heads are similar to Organic heads and hearts. It was a guaranteed lethal shot if a humanoid takes a shot to the head, which is especially all the more reason to deliver head shots as a Ranger-type individual.

Most likely, the FOnewearl's friend has shot to kill by the one lethal blow. It was all the more reason to stand and pursue the friend. Even so, I was stopped by the FOnewearl.

"I know you're going to follow him," she said. "If you are...!"

"I am only looking for my sister," I answered. "Now, step out of the way."

The FOnewearl stared at me. "Promise me you'll not hurt him."

"I will not keep that promise. Just know I will not kill anyone unless they are willing to harm me or my sister. Now, move." The FOnewearl stepped out of my way and I headed through the only other door from where I entered into the room. It was more cold, damp surroundings. However, I was not alone. The FOnewearl was following behind me. I honestly did not want to waste time with her or that man following Calai. All that mattered was finding Calai.

-END RECORDING-
LOCATION: RAGOL
SCENE: UNDERGROUND CAVES