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Special Museum Operation
- Pepe
Look at the level of detail. This guy could even imitate expressions and mouth movements.
- Pepe
Let me see inside your mouth. Aaah...
- Nameless Mummy
(Opens mouth)
- Pepe
Hmm. I can see structures resembling vocal cords. So why haven't you said a single thing?
- Pepe
Speech is just movement of the vocal cords and associated muscles. You should be able to emulate it...
Pepe approaches the mummy and places her hand on its throat. The mummy follows her movement, placing its hand on Pepe's throat.
- Pepe
You know...
- Nameless Mummy
...
- Pepe
You... know...
- Nameless Mummy
Yo... oo... no... oo...
Pepe draws her hand back, covering her mouth in amazement, wonder in her eyes.
- Pepe
So you CAN speak...
- Pepe
Inconceivable... the artificers of the Shah's time were amazing...
- Pepe
Right. I once read about that in Artifacts of the Old Calendar Era...
- Pepe
There were those who could seal a consciousness in gems by etching Originium circuits on it, then place it inside a body of gold, allowing it to survive for millennia without decay.
- Pepe
Lost... Zhayedan technologies... the Shahanshah will be very interested...
- Pepe
The trove must be somewhere deep inside your memories.
- Nameless Mummy
...
- Pepe
Just copying me isn't enough. You need to tell me where it is.
- Pepe
Let me see...
- Pepe
'First, the heart. At its first beat, we come to be. Second, the lungs. At their first breath, we come to feel.'
- Pepe
'Third, the bowels. We fill them with food, cultivate our tongues, and develop our own likings. Fourth, the liver. We go into the night, awake and alert, for duty and obligation.'
- Pepe
Fifth...
- Pepe
What came fifth?
- Pepe
The verse ends there...
- Pepe
Looks like the Arsalan researcher never found the answer.
- Nameless Mummy
...
- Pepe
But you'll help me find it, won't you?
- Nameless Mummy
...
She stretches out her hand and places her fingers on the mummy's throat.
- Pepe
Yes, hanimefendi.
- Nameless Mummy
Yes, hanimefendi.
- Pepe
Stop copying me.
- Nameless Mummy
Stop copying me.
She moves her hand from the mummy's throat to his hand and shakes it firmly. The mummy shakes her hand back.
- Nameless Mummy
...
- Pepe
I'll take that as a yes to our cooperation.
- Narantuya
I'm here, Ajazi. Why aren't you at the door?
- Narantuya
Where are you?
- Narantuya
What?!
- Narantuya
(Whisper) What do you mean you don't know where you are?
- Narantuya
How am I supposed to go in without a pass...? Why is this office door built like a bloody vault?
- Narantuya
We don't have time, the evacuation's almost done!
- Narantuya
...
- Narantuya
Ajazi, is the hall window next to the curator office's window?
- Narantuya
Yes, I know it's high.
- Narantuya
I'll be careful.
- Aspasia
Please be quiet in the museum. Disorder is the enemy of reason.
- Aspasia
Do not push. The statues and murals displayed here are not protected by glass cases and can easily be...
- Aspasia
As I said, this statue was almost damaged. We don't want to see that happen, of course.
- Aspasia
History may lie in the past, but that doesn't mean it's not of our concern. What we almost broke might be the joy of those who conquered the peaks centuries ago, or their mirth as they raised their goblets to one another.
- Lost Tourist
How enlightening and professional...
- Lost Tourist
...But are you sure you need to keep carrying that statue? Along with everything else you're carrying right now?
- Aspasia
Yes, I'm bringing it all back to where it belongs.
- Lost Tourist
You sure take your work seriously, even when the museum is about to close.
- Aspasia
...Close?
- Lost Tourist
They announced about an emergency. Haven't you heard? It really gave us a fright!
- Lost Tourist
That bumbling woman who was guiding us couldn't tell left from right, and I mean literally.
- Aspasia
I do agree that certain affairs at this museum leave much to be desired.
- Lost Tourist
She brought us to this dump, then disappeared without a trace.
- Aspasia
I must dissent. This is no dump. It is Minoan—
- Lost Tourist
You have no idea how scared we were when we realized we were lost.
- Lost Tourist
We'll be trapped in here with all the ghosts, if we don't get out in time!
- Lost Tourist
Look at that armor, that altar for live sacrifice...
- Nearly Fainting Tourist
Yeah! That's why I never liked museums...
Aspasia catches the tourist before his head hits the floor.
Statue, clay jar, and goblet litter the floor, alongside the cannons that the Iberians used to carve open Bolívarian trade.
- Lost Tourist
My dear! Are you alright?!
- Aspasia
Fainted from a panic attack, I suppose.
- Aspasia
I have some smelling salts here that should bring him back to his senses, but I advise you to get him examined thoroughly later.
Aspasia deftly crushes the cotton-wrapped glass tube, and places a wet cotton swab in front of the tourist's nose.
As the tourist comes to his senses, she lifts him up and calmly carries him to the front of the line.
- Aspasia
An emergency, you say?
- Still Light-headed Tourist
Oh... You sure have strong arms...
- Aspasia
Follow me, ladies and gentlemen. I will protect you, if anything happens.
- Still Light-headed Tourist
Wow...
- Medjehtiqedti
*sigh* No more running around like this, alright?
- Medjehtiqedti
I remember you. You're Lazvar's pet—
- Medjehtiqedti
—Hey, no scratching! I just rescued you from the crowd! The least you could do is let me hug you for a moment or two.
- Medjehtiqedti
Aww, you are so soft and fluffy. Where did Lazvar get you? I wanted one like you, but he wouldn't tell me what breed you were.
- Medjehtiqedti
I didn't know why I found you so fascinating, until I realized that you looked like one of those cloudbeast statues from the Age of Shadow.
- Medjehtiqedti
Say, since the staff are helping the visitors evacuate, and I can't have you running around the place, I'll take you to my workshop and show you the statue that's being restored.
Medjehtiqedti descends several flights of stairs, arriving at the conservation lab.
The air in the room is kept cold and dry to protect its contents. A single incandescent lamp illuminates the spacious room. Her exhales quickly turn to white fog.
The underground floor is dead quiet, the restoration staff being mobilized to help with the evacuation. She sniffs and feels her heart race.
- Medjehtiqedti
No worries, little guy, here's my table...
- Medjehtiqedti
...
Some resin-like, gold-colored substance remains on the table: leftovers from Titi's work—repairing artifacts with Originium Arts.
But the cloudbeast statue on the table is nowhere to be seen.
- Wandering Staff
I-I didn't see any cloudbeasts...
- Foreign Traveler
A shadow flitted across your forehead just now, an ill omen. I fear you will meet with some misfortune soon.
- Medjehtiqedti
What... are you?
- Medjehtiqedti
Did you come back to life like that old mummy?!
- Medjehtiqedti
Hey, I didn't fix you so you could run around like Anat's research subject!
- Medjehtiqedti
And most certainly not to bring misfortune upon myself!
- Warehouse Custodian
Did I hear someone scream? What happened?!
- Warehouse Custodian
Oh, Medjehtiqedti Hanimefendi... What are you doing down here?
- Warehouse Custodian
I thought you wouldn't be coming back for a while, with the museum being closed for the day, so I put away the artifacts under restoration...
- Medjehtiqedti
Oh...
- Medjehtiqedti
...Never mind. I'm in the mood to put in some overtime today. You can go.
- Museum Security
What? No sign of the visitors evacuating the southeast wing? Izaja was supposed to bring them out!
- Museum Security
I have to lock the gates! The vice curator gave the emergency shutdown order personally. I don't even want to think about how bad it must be.
- Museum Ticketer
Did anyone look inside?
- Museum Security
Yeah, but they didn't see anyone. Where did Izaja take them?
- Museum Security
...
- Museum Ticketer
Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?
- Museum Security
Listen...
- Museum Ticketer
To what?
- Museum Security
The wind.
A procession of a dozen people walks out the front gate into the sun.
They follow their leader—a woman carrying herself in a serene, dignified manner—in an orderly fashion.
She holds a pale-looking tourist on her shoulder, paying no heed to the wind brushing at her garment and caressing her hair, as though a statue that has stood for many years has come to life.
- Museum Security
I feel like I've seen this scene before...
- Museum Ticketer
...I know. I've seen that statue plenty of times.
- Museum Security
There's a statue in that pose?
- Museum Security
Anyway, thank goodness, now I can lock the gates.
- Lost Tourist
Thank you so much. Here's my card. My family runs a gem business, and you will get the VIP treatment, if you ever choose to visit.
- Passionate Tourist
Come visit us in Yan and let me introduce you to my son! Rather handsome young man, if I do say to myself. My sister also has a daughter who just started working at the Tianshi Bureaus. She's single too, if that's your preference.
- Aspasia
Thank you, but there is no need... I simply did what I must...
- Aspasia
—
Aspasia turns around with a start.
The roll-up door is being pulled down, and security guards set up a sign that says 'Closed' in front of it.
- Aspasia
Where's my goblet? And my clay jar and statue!
- Elegant Woman
Where did Nana go? It's getting late.
- Elegant Woman
She's not at the guava and berry shop, or the enamel and porcelain shop, and not even her favorite celestine-laminated pipes...
- Extravagant Man
What a waste of time. I tell you, that cloudbeast must have been eaten by that rampaging zombie at the museum.
- Elegant Woman
Oh no! How horrible!
- Extravagant Man
It's just a pet. I'll buy you another. In fact, I'll buy you anything you want!
- Extravagant Man
Never mind the gems—I'll buy you the entire gem trading post!
- Mysterious Animal
(Raises head)
- Elegant Woman
...
- Extravagant Man
Is that a yes?
- Elegant Woman
No, look at your feet...
- Mysterious Animal
(Glares)
- Extravagant Man
Pah, Lazvar's cur.
- Extravagant Man
What are you looking at?
- Aloof Citizen
...
- Extravagant Man
Ahem. Oh, hello there, Lazvar. I didn't see you.
- Extravagant Man
Good timing. Let's do some business. My girl is very interested in this gem trading post.
- Elegant Woman
Wait, I never said that...
- Extravagant Man
I have a mobile platform in east Sargon that includes extensive Originium refineries, dye factories, food processing plants...
- Extravagant Man
I'll throw some gold and jewels on top of it. That should get the deal done, shouldn't it?
- Lazvar
No, thank you, I'm not interested.
- Lazvar
The weight of this trading post is too much for you to understand.
- Extravagant Man
Weight, huh... if nothing else, you've inherited your grandfather's arrogance.
- Extravagant Man
A word of advice. Either keep a few fierce manglers to intimidate people like he did...
- Extravagant Man
Or have your little cloudbeast greet VIPs like me. At least it knows when to grovel...
- Extravagant Man
Ouch! Y-You bit me?
- Mysterious Animal
(Bares teeth)
- Mysterious Animal
Woof!
- Extravagant Man
No! Stay away from me! Help—!
- Mysterious Animal
Woof woof woof!
- Lazvar
That will do, Woof.
- Lazvar
He's gone.
- Woof
Woof!
- Lazvar
You want me to pet you? Let's see... here?
- Woof
(Licks happily)
A fowlbeast flies over and perches on the shoulder of the young trading post overseer's shoulder.
The overseer fiddles with the metal fowlbeast's mechanisms, turns its coil spring, and lets it fly.
- Lazvar
He's getting increasingly active.
- Lazvar
I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing him as I am. Mio doesn't often go out alone like this.
- Lazvar
Maybe the man was right. I should have my cloudbeast greet important guests.
- Lazvar
Hm... could Mio really bring him over?
