Mind Trance System.
In the same way the Miguel Jump uses Orichalt
to traverse through a different plane of existence,
the Mind Trance System takes someone's consciousness data
and transfers it to the I-machine's archive.
The responses of an I-machine linked with the human consciousness
are no different from that of a flesh and blood body.
Moreover, it allows for the execution of precise jobs better than an ordinary human body
due to the superior supervisory capabilities.
Naturally, the consciousness data can be returned back to the body.
Because a back-up is made in advance,
in the case the I-machine is lost
there is no possibility of losing data.
The only thing lost will be the short memories of conducting the work.
And the feeling of fear at that time.
Installation of this system will decrease personnel loss rate to 0.03% of the current rate.
Moreover, the lack of necessity to equip them with life support systems
allows us to expect a decrease of more than 30% in production costs.
That's enough talk.
Allow me to demonstrate.
This machine hosts the consciousness data of
the Cain Arisugawa that has been talking to you.
This technology is one you could call necessary for an age of space exploration.
The Mind Trance System.
Thank you very much.
Although our normal body is the one mankind is most used to,
I think...
A daydream...
Or a remainder of those hateful memories?
Papa,
I got the news from eight hours ago.
Well let's hear them, Clair.
Let's see,
An astrogeology professor at the Planet Federation academy and an authority in the field of astrogelogy,
Attomy Kinsberg, was accused of illegally providing observation data on a resource asteroid
obtained under academy protection to a large-scale construction company, the Fujima Corporation.
Calm down, you.
Professor Attomy has declared that the one illegally providing information was one of his seminar students,
Mikuri Maya.
It wasn't me!
We get it.
That bastard just shifted the blame to you.
Shifted the blame?
Furthermore, the suspected Mikuri Maya's whereabouts are unknown since the mining accident at the Omega 3 asteroid.
Chances of survival are said to be slim.
No they're not!
So basically the Prof was afraid of getting busted and tried to kill you off.
You should be really grateful to our Fa-Loser who picked your body up while you were drifting about.
Of course I'm grateful.
But to prove my innocence I really have to return to the academy as fast as possible!
They'll detain you as soon as you get there.
But I'm innocent!
They'll just drive you into a corner with their authority.
Even if you take it to the court, they'll win through the power of money.
You'll get arrested,
sent to prison
and your life will go on a downwards spiral.
No way...
Guess there's no choice.
Should I break the good news to you, girlie?
Our Orichalt-specialized mining company, Escavate,
is currently hiring personnel knowledgeable in astrogeology.
Maya, you were top of the class in the astrogeology department, right?
Now that's great!
Alright, usually I'd take you in as a part timer,
but as an exception you'll be hired as a full-time employee.
What wonderful terms!
Wait, was I your target all along?
You knew about the professor's evil plan but still pretended not to notice...
We're not that evil, you know.
Although, I guess we wouldn't have bothered rescuing you if we didn't know you're good at astrogeology.
I can't believe this.
Are you demons?
If you've got problems, get out right now.
People who can't use I-machines properly have no place here.
Ido, that was too much.
Peace, peace.
I was going to leave even without you saying that!
Yes, I'll leave right away!
And how?
By floating all the way back?
Or you could work with us until you save up enough to pay for your ride.
I'm looking forward to working with you.
It looks like an object possessing a resource ratio of 2.0 has made a spatial jump.
It's a rogue planet releasing the strongest Miguel Storm we've ever observed.
Since the level of the storm and the amount of Orichalt are proportional,
I've got some high hopes for it.
We'll designate info about this object as top secret and conduct cover mining on it.
Will that be acceptable?
How about deploying the military just to be safe?
I said "I'm looking forward to working with you."
Yeah, I said that.
But why am I supposed to do something like this?
Shouldn't an interstellar ship of this class have its maintenance done by pros?
It's to make sure you've got guts.
Our boss is ex-military, so he can't just lose that character.
What an outdated way of thinking...
Oh right, your name?
Rick Ayer.
Just Rick is fine.
I'm Mikuri Maya.
I'll be in your care just for a short while,
because I'm leaving as soon as I gather the money.
Is what Ido said
still bothering you?
He was just looking out for you in his own way.
Orichalt mining is a job you stake your life on, after all.
He wanted to say that you can't do it with half-baked resolve.
Staking your life sounds like a bit of an overstatement.
We conduct work in I-machines anyway.
Even if you lose the machine, you can just Mind Reload.
You don't die.
Well I guess that's how it is normally...
Rick, did you really take out an I-machine just to talk to me here?
It's a waste of energy, you really should just Mind Out already.
Now that's new.
How many years has it been since I was last told that?
Big bro here has taken a liking to you.
What is it with him?
What Orichalt- mining company?
They're just a bunch of gangsters!
I might go with the flow easily,
but that doesn't mean I'll be stuck working here forever!
I'll get out of here!
I'll get out of here for sure!
Zepher,
have you got any valuable info?
For Escavate?
I've got some.
Right here.
I'll buy it.
Is 3000 okay?
If you'd go on a date with me in your human body,
I don't mind giving to you for free.
I'll send 5000 your way.
Thanks for your patronage!
I'll send the data right away.
A new planet?
How is it?
Up to your liking?
Yes, quite.
Maya? It's Clair.
Are you satisfied with your room?
I'm sorry it's so soon after you just rested, but the briefing will be happening soon.
Could you come to the expanded space?
The expanded space?
Can't we just meet up in person?
Please be there.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, huh?
Maya!
Welcome!
No problem getting here, huh?
Um, who might you be?
The president!
My dad.
Ah, so that's what you look like.
Rick... Has arrived!
The I-Machine is your avatar, too?
Of course! This is me after all.
Looks like everyone's here.
Karla? So pretty...
You think?
Thank you.
Karla, your report.
Who's the sponsor?
It's "Planet Work."
A mining company financed with the Federation's public funds.
Very well financed, too.
Seems like this famous company obtained a right to mine Orichalt
and it's looking for an excavation subcontractor.
Whether the excavation succeeds or fails, the reward is 10 million.
10 million?! Those conditions sound great, right?
That's an extra zero over the usual amount.
Karla. There must be a catch?
Of course.
After all, the mining target is a newly discovered object
in the planetary system of Vega of the Lyra constellation with the diameter of 20,000 km.
A new planet?
Why did nobody find it until now?
Going by Federation Standard Time, looks like it suddenly manifested two days ago.
Miguel Jump?
It's possible.
A storm in the planet's atmosphere...
Even going by the remote scan data it's stronger than Level 5, the highest observed category.
If there's enough Orichalt there to cause such a storm, a planetary-scale warp is not out of the question.
The data about this new planet is full of "unknown" and "unconfirmed."
What's going on?
It was discovered just two days ago.
And they're saying to dig that? That's ridiculous.
That's why it's 10 million.
It's way too risky.
But Ido won't refuse, right?
What do you say, Ido?
This job...
I accept it.
To take up a job with this little info, that's our Ido.
You're even crazier than me.
It's too dangerous.
In the first place, how are we going to pass a storm stronger than level 5?
There's a way.
You couldn't mean...
You get it?
Proceeding with the Miguel Jump sequence.
Ido, what were you talking about?
Can you explain it to the rest of us?
Target star: Vega in the constellation of Lyra.
Deploying spatial mesh.
Unit of measurement: AU.
Putting this ship in grid 1.
Deploying grid 2 in the same space.
The new planet has two satellites with the diameters of 1000 and 4000 kilometers.
Hmm, and?
Because of their tidal force, there will be periodic changes in geological activity.
And because of that there will be gaps in the Miguel Storm from time to time.
Time until Orichalt is released from containment mechanism:
20
19
But you won't know the state of the planetary surface when you arrive!
We'll observe it while heading to the site.
Ido, even for you excavating and surveying at the same time will be impossible.
Well, we've got no choice but to send a surveying expert to back him up then.
Wait, you mean?
Containment mechanism, stopped.
Orichalt, release.
Is that why I'm in an I-machine too?
Commencing Miguel Jump.
Arrival at the Miguel Line.
Am I really going there?
You just have to report surveying data.
After that it's Ido's job.
But...
If you're scared, you can stay.
Wait a bit!
We're going there to work.
Got that?
Y-yes.
Miguel Out.
The asteroid situation is worse than I thought.
Even though I set it to a relatively safe location...
Is the office okay?
Negligible damage.
We'll have to do some maintenance later.
Send this thing out!
In these conditions?
The satellite influence will cause a storm here soon.
This is our chance.
Alright.
Launch it, and afterwards we'll retreat to a safe distance.
Throwing the Mattsun!
We're going to collide!
Stop it!
Commencing excavation as soon as we hit the surface.
There's a gravity anomaly!
Mr. Ido, with these numbers, the inside must be hollowed out!
A hollow planet?
We won't be able to set the drill up!
Please withdraw from the landing orbit!
There's a downburst.
Must be the tidal power influence.
No way!
Temporarily shut down all sensory systems other than hearing.
Reverse thrust!
Retreat to a safe distance, complete.
How's Ido and the girl?
Because of the storm the comms link is unstable.
Goddammit.
I'll be waiting for them right on the border of the rendezvous zone.
You worried about them too?
So am I.
The drill...
What do we do now?
If it's like this...
Mr. Ido! Where are you going?
There's only one thing I have to do.
Wait!
Wait for me, please!
This mesh-like pattern of cracks...
The storm probably exits through these tunnels.
Looks like it.
Judging by the satellite orbit, the time the storm subsides for is around 7 minutes.
Based on vibration measurement, the shortest distance to the storm occurrence site is 10000 meters.
Here's the fissure structure map based on vibration and electric scans.
Matches up with my prediction.
Um?
Mr. Ido, were you in astrogeology as well?
I'm self-taught.
I had plenty of time for thinking, after all.
What do you mean?
The storm?
It's coming from above.
Mr. Ido!
I can hear you.
You don't have to shout.
This is awful.
Mr. Ido, you can't do mining in this condition!
Let's leave the machines here and Mind Out!
Say what?
I'm saying, let's leave the I-machines here and transfer our consciousness data back to our bodies!
I can't do that.
Why?
I don't have a body to return to.
I'm an Evertrancer.
Evertrancer...
You abandoned your body and completely uploaded your mind to the I-machine?
That means if this machine is broken, your consciousness data will...
You shouldn't have covered me!
I won't die even if the machine is lost!
But despite that, why did you...
Мaybe I was quite a softie back when I still had a flesh and blood body.
I've got a proposition.
You should Mind Out.
Using the rest of your parts, I'll...
Are you planning to look for the Orichalt?
And if I say I am?
I'm a coward.
I can't do something like abandoning a dying person.
It'll keep me up at night.
If you equip my memory archive, we can operate in data sharing mode.
Please leave the navigation to me.
I have to listen to an amateur's instructions?
Dead ahead, a level 1 storm!
Go directly downwards from here.
Downwards?
Yes.
If my guess is right, there should be...
Jump over the next chasm!
There's a storm right behind me.
Estimating it to be level 3.
Your body can handle it.
Let it push us!
Don't ask for the impossible!
It's a straight line for the Orichalt deposit!
Let's go for it!
You've got more guts than I expected.
A dead end!
Break through it!
I guess ordering people around is the one thing you're good for, huh?!
T-this is...
This size... This radiance...
I've never seen this kind of Orichalt before.
How much time do we have until the storm resumes?
I expect around 2-3 minutes.
I'm retrieving it.
What is this?
There's strong interference with the consciousness signal!
What about the effect on the archive...
What's...
What is this?
What?
It started!
Rick, get back!
The storm in reaction is of the strongest class!
Are you telling me to ditch them?
At this rate you'll get hit by it too!
Shit!
Huh?
Oh shit, seriously?
Mr. Ido, that was too crazy!
What are you saying now?
This was your idea in the first place.
We're talking about different scales here!
You guys are insane!
Hey, you.
Uh, yes?
Maya, was it?
Good job.
Y-you're welcome.
How's the Orichalt?
Huh?
Who's that girl?
The one who came out of the Orichalt's brilliance shakes my very existence and presses the question:
what worth is in a wanderer without a body?
Below the armor, there's only chaos.