Purrchena

Purrchena, Brand Ambassador for the Talos-II General Chamber of Commerce's (TGCC) Ætherside Environmental Impact Syndrome Relief Foundation, currently stationed at Endfield Industries as the liaison between Endfield and TGCC in the field of Ætherside Syndrome relief. The first time I met Purrchena, her sunny, cheerful demeanor and the way her personality matched her on-screen persona exactly left a deep impression on me. During our conversations, she always had the other operators in the room bursting with laughter. Another thing that left a strong impression on me was her Ætherside Syndrome. Although the relief foundation had already informed us of her condition in advance, when she suddenly fell asleep right in the middle of our conversation, I still felt a sense of admiration. Even while suffering from her own illness, she still chose to help other patients. That spirit of altruism is truly precious. — Martin Marvin Malen, Assistant, HR Division, Endfield Industries

Dear Supervisor Perlica of Endfield Industries, the Business Office, and the Human Resources Division: I hope this finds you well. To further promote communication and cooperation between our two parties in the field of Ætherside Environmental Impact Syndrome relief, I am writing to recommend Ms. Rosalind for a position in the Business Office under Endfield Industries. First, I must explain Ms. Rosalind's condition to you. She suffers from an incurable form of Ætherside Syndrome. The syndrome attacks and damages her central nervous system, causing her to frequently and suddenly fall asleep. Please rest assured, however, that over the past six years, the upgrades we have made to her personal protective device, along with the long-term medical care we have provided, ensure that her daily work remains unaffected. I am sure your organization has heard of the rescue operation Ms. Rosalind participated in five years ago. According to the post-operation summary report, when a storm suddenly doubled back, the search and rescue team and the Ætherside Syndrome patients had no choice but to take shelter in a cave. Since the original plan had been to relocate the patients, the operation's medical supplies were extremely limited. Fortunately, Ms. Rosalind, having traveled extensively with her parents and treated Ætherside Syndrome patients even in the absence of medication, had considerable experience in such situations. With her help, the patients' conditions did not worsen further. According to other team members' debriefings, when the storm was directly above the cave, an RV van that had been blocking the entrance slid out. She immediately grabbed a wooden plank and sealed the gap. After the storm passed, following coverage by our media, the name Purrchena began to circulate throughout the Civilization Band. I must admit, the relief foundation's strategy of having a representative of the patients themselves drive the relief work has indeed proven effective. It has provided us with a large number of valuable special cases while also significantly increasing demand for pharmaceuticals and medical equipment from multiple drug companies. When I recall the first time I met her, her long bouts of irregular sleep had left her eyes vacant and her face gaunt. Had it not been for Ms. Rosalind's adoptive father reaching out to me, given her condition at the time, even if her Ætherside Syndrome did not worsen, her body would hardly have sustained her into adulthood. Out of humanitarian principles, and also as an investment in the future, we provided her with comprehensive medical care and educational support. As a result, we have a thorough understanding of her professional capabilities. I believe that through this bridge built by Ms. Rosalind, both our parties will achieve strong synergy in the relief of Ætherside Syndrome patients. Should your organization wish to further advance cooperation in the field of Ætherside Environmental Impact Syndrome relief, we stand ready to provide support for communication between our two parties at any time. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. We look forward to achieving more substantive collaboration in the future. Sincerely — H, Representative of the Highburg Pharmaceuticals LLC Ætherside Syndrome Business Unit, President of the Ætherside Environmental Impact Syndrome Relief Foundation

"You're watching Frontline Face-to-Face. Our reporter has arrived at the Ætherside Syndrome medical center in northern La Fantoma and has gotten in touch with the Brand Ambassador of the Ætherside Environmental Impact Syndrome Relief Foundation. Let us now go live to the scene. Ms. Purrchena, this is Dinah. Can you hear me over there?" "Yes, hello Dinah! Hello everyone! I am Purrchena, the Brand Ambassador for the Ætherside Environmental Impact Syndrome Relief Foundation." "Hello, Ms. Purrchena. We are all very concerned about this emergency lockdown. Could you tell us what the situation is like over there? I heard you happened to be there visiting Ætherside Syndrome patients when it happened." "Huh? I mean, yeeeaahhh I could ... but are you sure you want me to talk about it now? I remember a lot of kids watch your show." "Haha, don't worry! We're professionals here. If what you say gets a bit too intense, we will give you a heads up." "Okay, cuz the patients living here are all in very serious condition. The one I remember most vividly had his back covered in wounds that looked like they had been slashed by a knife. I saw a doctor touch one of them with a piece of Originium, and the wound just twisted and contorted." "That is quite peculiar ... and rather frightening. Could you elaborate on Ætherside Environmental Impact Syndrome? We really do not know much about it at the moment." "Um... Well, it is more or less what the textbooks say. If we go into any more detail, even we would have to read through several very thick books just to barely understand it. But to put it in the words of one of the relief foundation's researchers, it is less a disease in the traditional sense and more a unique phenomenon that manifests when Ætherside environments affect the human body." "I see. Then is this sudden lockdown really because of an Ætherside Syndrome patient, just like the official announcement says?" "Correct." "So what exactly happened? There are rumors that something similar to the disintegration phenomenon seen in Oripathy positive patients occurred." "Not at all! Disintegration happens after a patient dies, but Ætherside Syndrome doesn't. I was talking to him just a moment ago, and then in an instant he was... Thank goodness I was the only one in the isolation ward at the time. Sigh, even though the medical center's condition monitoring system is very thorough, it is completely helpless against this kind of situation." "Ahh... So it sounds like the progression of Ætherside Syndrome is very difficult to predict?" "That is the hardest part about treating these patients. And the unpredictability varies from case to case. Sometimes the condition suddenly worsens. Sometimes the symptoms abruptly change." "The symptoms can change?" "Yeah. Take me for example. Right now Purrchena's symptom is falling asleep at any moment. But if Purrchena were to enter a high-depth environment without the proper protective gear, she might end up flickering like a person on a broken handyterm screen. Or there might be another Purrchena, visible but intangible, waving and greeting everyone, while the real Purrchena lies as if asleep and cannot be roused no matter how much you call. Of course, this risk applies not just to patients, but to any ordinary person who enters a high-depth environment as well." "It truly is an unpredictable illness. Therefore, everyone must make sure to wear their protective gear properly before entering any high-depth environment!" "Absolutely right! If for any reason you must enter a high-depth environment, be sure to wear your protective gear correctly. And of course, for high-depth environments, avoid unless absolutely necessary!" "Thank you for that reminder, Ms. Purrchena. To wrap up the interview, is there anything else you would like to say to our audience?" "Oooooh yes I do. Although we still cannot cure Ætherside Syndrome, please do not panic. As long as you do not come into contact with high-depth environments, there is no risk of contracting it. And please do not treat the patients around you like monsters. Ætherside Syndrome is not ... is not ... contagious..." "Ms. Purrchena? Uh... Ms. Purrchena?" "...*BEEP*" "Uh... Looks like we're experiencing some technical difficulties. Next up, let us speak to..."

...... La Fantoma. I do not think I need to repeat how well the Siesta Group manages this free city, nor do I need to elaborate on how much vitality the Talos-II General Chamber of Commerce has breathed into it. But before I talk about the free city of La Fantoma, I would like to first mention a friend I met on this journey, one who gave me tremendous help in writing this chapter on La Fantoma. Just as I did upon arriving in any other city, I wandered into a mall to figure out where to go next, just like any other commercial hub in La Fantoma. The building was packed with businesses from all across the band, and in the middle of it all was an open-air market bustling with customers and roaming vendors. I picked a drink stand with a good view and had barely sat down when I spotted a "white Feline mascot", impossible to miss. At first I thought it was some shop's costumed character, but on closer look, she was not trying to draw in customers. She just stood there staring at a dessert shop's window display, while passersby greeted her warmly, as if everyone in the city knew her. To get a feel for the city's culture, I walked up and said hello. Only after she repeatedly confirmed that I was not some tabloid reporter trying to dig up secrets like whether the Ætherside Environmental Impact Syndrome Relief Foundation had signed any backroom deals with pharmaceutical companies, did she tell me who she was. Please forgive me for not being familiar with the various representatives and codenames of TGCC's enterprises, foundations, and administrative departments. It was only after we parted ways that I learned exactly which characters made up the name Purrchena. When she learned that I was there to document everyday life in La Fantoma and write a travel guide, she bounced cheerfully and led me out of the mall, taking on the role of my guide. The food recommendations later in this chapter were all compiled under the guidance of Ms. Purrchena. Perhaps it was her vivid and animated explanations, especially when she would suddenly fall asleep mid-sentence and then wake up, scratching her head and apologizing before continuing, that even made places like TGCC headquarters feel interesting. ...... When I asked her how she viewed La Fantoma and the other free cities, she just smiled and said she would take me to a fun place, then led me away from the bustling streets and out to the beach. The crowd soon separated us, but before long, I found her again by following the people slowly forming a circle around her. She was sitting on the sand, bobbing her head to the beat of the music, occasionally changing the expressions on her electronic face screen to startle the children climbing over her and playing along. Though I was still some distance away, their laughter still reached my ears through the music. The others around either pulled out their cameras to take photos or joined in the children's revelry, dancing to the melody. She was surrounded by joy and laughter. After the crowd dispersed and the children reluctantly said goodbye to her under their parents' watch, I was finally able to approach her. I noticed she had fallen asleep again, but was still gently swaying her head. I sat down beside her and listened to her soft breathing. She must have been having a beautiful dream. — A preface to the La Fantoma chapter of Talos-II Beneath Our Feet, accompanied by a photograph of Purrchena playing with children.

November 2, Year 145, clear skies. Today mom drove the RV to a place where lots of other RVs were parked. The uncles and aunties there helped mom upgrade our RV, and now it has become so big and comfortable that even sleeping right on the floor feels great. No more worrying about getting hurt if I suddenly collapse. The uncles and aunties also gave me a really, really tasty snack. I think it was called exotic dried fin. Heh, when I grow up, I am going to buy so much exotic dried fin that I can stuff our RV full with it. ...... May 7, Year 146, snow turning to clear skies. Mom and some uncles and aunties drove a caravan of RVs to a city up in the snowy mountains. Good thing the RV was nice and warm. Mom and I did not feel cold at all. Heh, let dad go out and treasure hunt by himself. This time dad found a machine bone. He said that once he fixed it up, I would be able to go out and play with the other kids! ...... June 23, Year 146, overcast turning to rain. The machine bone did not seem to like the rain. It just stood there in the rain and stopped moving. Luckily the other kids who came along all had umbrellas and stayed with me in the rain to wait for mom and dad. But I don't really remember what happened after that. I think I had a dream. I dreamed I was riding a flying burdenbeast and went to so many places. When I woke up, mom was holding me and crying for some reason. Dad seemed to be blaming the machine bone. I tried to comfort mom, but she only cried harder. I hate falling asleep... ...... July 16, Year 146, clear skies. We came back to this place where they make movies. There are so many beautiful clothes here. This is my favorite place. I had just helped the uncles and aunties carry the boxes off the RV when dad came back with a very neatly dressed uncle. The uncle was not as nimble as I was. Even though our RV was big enough to fit all of Talos-II inside, he still had to carefully pick his way around inside it. Mom was also very happy today. She brought out a lot of the good food that we usually only save for our birthdays. ...... August 20, Year 146, overcast. This RV was not like mom's. It was very clean inside, with lots of metal boxes, cramped and cold. There were also a lot of uncles and aunties in white coats. They all smiled at me, but I did not feel happy at all. The uncle dad knew gave me a strange little box. I could hear mom and dad's voices from it, but when I took the box apart, they were nowhere to be found... ...... December 18, Year 146, clear skies. Today was my first time joining a rescue mission. All my teammates were familiar faces. The RV was cramped, but everyone was chatting and laughing. I really liked the atmosphere! But a few of the relief foundation's directors thought it was too dangerous for me to go to a place like that and said I would not be allowed to join rescue operations of that level again. I'm so pissed! The mission went perfectly, and it was not my fault the storm suddenly turned back. Still, after the operation was over, I got to see mom and dad. I even helped mom take the patients to the nearest city for treatment. Hey, when was the last time I saw them anyway? ...... November 7, Year 151, clear skies. We will reach our destination tomorrow. Time flies. It feels like just yesterday that I received the reply letter from Endfield Industries. What does the Endministrator actually look like? Is it really the same as what the textbooks say? Sighhhhh, boring! This RV is completely empty, nothing in it at all. Oh, and today I ran into mom and dad. They were transporting supplies from La Fantoma to Valley IV. We took a photo together, so they can see me in the picture and not miss me too much. But even though mom's RV is decorated exactly the same as when I was little, why does it feel like something has changed?