
Caroline
Pathfinder from Anita Energy Company, young and sharp-eyed, holding a flag-shaped exploration beacon, with a polite robot dog following behind. Compared to her mature and cautious partner, Caroline is livelier, though that's an understatement. From Yejue's complaints and helpless comments from other Anita employees, it's clear that Caroline trusts her first instinct over extensive planning and hours of waiting for instrument results. Maybe this is also a way of following her heart — Caroline's dream is to keep venturing into uncharted territories.
Before Caroline was recruited by Anita as an official employee, she was a carefree explorer who had been obsessed with explorations since childhood. Everywhere she went, from barren deserts to hills with stunning sceneries, she planted the flags she always brought into the ground, gradually scattering traces of her all over the world. Leaving marks on brand new things is one of the inclinations of humans; at least, that's how Caroline explains it, and always so emotionally at that.
Finally, when the young explorer planted her umpteenth flag, Anita's liaison officer found her. Anita tapped into the strengths of this young lady who wandered the wilderness alone and gave her the chance to become an official "pathfinder," extending the paths she walked into another dimension.
However, the first time Caroline paired up with Yejue, the two got so close to breaking out into a fight in the Chaos Space. From that moment on, Caroline sensed that her unique, independent working style was being unprecedentedly threatened, and she committed herself to defending her right to freedom no matter what! Needless to say, to date, her protest hasn't proven very effective yet, for she still has no option but to work alongside Yejue.
Judging solely on Caroline's competency as a pathfinder, all of her physical indicators and field exploration expertise are irreproachable. Maybe her lifestyle of constantly climbing high and low has trained her well, or maybe she was already inherently fit as a fiddle, but Caroline is unbeaten at trekking, consistently walking swiftly and steadily regardless if it's on mountains or flatlands. Her colleagues joked that if the Bonfire City hosted a Walk-the-City Contest, they would without a doubt recommend Caroline to participate right away.
Among the present Anita staff, no one would disregard Caroline's opinion anymore, though everyone agrees as a whole that there was a reason why nobody approved of her working style at first. The way she selects the best path based on her instinct and years of exploration experience tends to come off as "We should go here because I said so!" which admittedly doesn't sound very reliable. Precisely because of that, her most trusted partner is actually a robot dog, Shepherd, who never doubts the path she picks under any circumstances.
Caroline and Yejue are currently working for one of Anita Energy Institute's research projects and overseen by the research supervisor, Nicola. This evolved the duo who's already often at odds into a rather inharmonious trio... which naturally makes people wonder, is a staff arrangement like that really okay?
Caroline once tried to adjust to city life. Initially, she used her earnings as a pathfinder to rent a small living space. Then, she attempted to engage with people around her, much like when she gathered messages in sparsely populated areas. Eventually, she delved into hobbies like fashion, food, and trends, similar to her colleagues.
Yet, she soon realized her efforts were not paying off as expected. Despite having trendy items in her place, they ended up forgotten on the shelves. While she made a few friends and learned about what was in vogue, staying connected was impossible due to limited access to communication devices until she returned to Bonfire City. By then, her friends had made other plans, and the topics that interested her had become outdated.
Caroline is not too disheartened by this, as she is new to conventional social interactions. This realization prompts her to consider the lifestyle that truly suits her. Perhaps the pathfinder's way of life is more fitting, as the well-trodden paths of others may not be her true calling.
"Generating power using lobsters? What on earth are you thinking, Caroline?!"
Yejue's voice booms through the glass door of the lounge. Caroline instinctively covers her ears, having grown accustomed to these outbursts. As Yejue strides into the room, Caroline shouts at the same volume, 'But I really want to eat them!"
"Fine, but why would such a request even pass the review?! Why not enjoy them at a seafood restaurant in Freeport Ⅶ during your break? Our funds are limited, and the monocrystalline silicon I ordered hasn't arrived yet!"
"I approved it," states the acting director of the power station, seated on the sofa, barely lifting her eyelid.
"Oh, so it was you... who approved it?!"
At Yejue's question, Nicola nods, casually filling in numbers on a Sudoku grid in a magazine. "The system filtered it out, but I kept hearing someone screaming for lobsters, so I put it back. If all goes well, we can enjoy lobsters today."
Yejue, waving her report in frustration, stands stunned in the doorway. Caroline, still covering her ears, braces for another outburst from Yejue. Only Nicola remains composed, engrossed in her Sudoku puzzle.
"...So, what brings you here? It wasn't about lobsters, was it?"
"No, it wasn't... I got sidetracked by the whole lobster situation. Well, I was supposed to inform you..." Yejue clears her throat, irritation evident, "That you've been selected as one of the initial members for the pathfinding operation in the newly discovered Chaos Space. And I'm your partner, of course! We're embarking on a new explor..."
Before Yejue can finish her sentence, Caroline leaps from the sofa, snatching the report and bouncing with excitement.
"I knew they'd approve our requests!"
"It's the result of our teamwork! But remember, you still need to complete your duty days at this station..."
"Yeah! Got it, got it! Let's have lobster tonight to celebrate!"
Caroline cheers and darts outside. Her departing figure in the corridor hints at a new beginning, leading toward uncharted territories.
Hello, Conductor, I'm Anita's Pathfinder, Caroline. Nice to meet you!
I'll be ready soon! See you in a bit!
A Pathfinder's job is to provide the best route possible — I have a lot of experience in that, so leave it to me!
Don't be fooled by my skinny appearance. My endurance is actually pretty good. Most long-distance runners don't have very developed muscles, right? The same logic applies.
Instead of drinks and snacks, I'm delighted when I get a bottle of chilled purified water after work!
My gaze looks somewhat fierce? Well, that's why everyone is a little afraid of me. But it also leaves a lasting impression, so... I guess it's a blessing in disguise, hahaha.
Information provided by locals is indispensable for Pathfinders. So, my job also requires excellent conversational skills. I mustn't let the conversation die after just a few sentences.
I've always loved adventuring in all kinds of new places since I was a child, but I never thought I could land a job that suits my interests. Accepting Anita's offer to become a Pathfinder was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Conductor, I haven't argued with Yejue in my recent missions. Compared to her, I feel that the Researchers at Anita Energy Institute, especially the acting director, are the real problem... No, it's not like I'll listen to Yejue just because of that.
And that wraps up this report... Oh, right. Here, I found this souvenir on the way. It's for you. It's the fruit of a rare plant. It can be used as a decoration after it's been dried.
Conductor — I'm back!... Ah, that was close, almost... We're supposed to shake hands and hug only after giving the report, right? I remember!
The place I live in has no furniture or decorations. It's completely empty. Yejue said there's no trace of life there when she visited last time. But I don't stay home anyway! My true home is the road of exploration!
...Discovered a new unexplored area?! I want to go. Of course I want to go! You must send me! Alone or with a partner, I'll go — Conductor — let me go —!
I've always adventured alone in my job as a Pathfinder and I've gotten used to enjoying it alone. But now I feel that it's not bad having a place to come back to either.
Let's go pioneer a safe zone!
Sorry, victory's gonna be mine this time!
How about you guys consider a voluntary retreat? This will be better for us all!
Don't even think about stopping us from pioneering a new route!
Pathfinders aren't to be underestimated!
Is this... the result of overly trusting my instinct?
I still wanna go... on more adventures...
Gosh, I'm... not that used to so many of you congratulating me all of a sudden. Makes me a bit nervous. Hahahahaha! But I'm really happy. Thank you.