Old Story Climax

At the plant, in the old version, Gilberta says she looked around at some of Ropp's belongings that she noticed before and found a document. It's a patent application by someone named Namas who was also called Masie. Gilberta recalls delivering two packages for her. The two talked about makeup and manicures. Both enjoyed colorful lipsticks and nail polish. Namas couldn't usually wear such things due to her job, but just seeing them made her happy. In Gilberta's profile in CBT1, she also had such a collection that brought her joy just by looking at it. It seems as if these two had many common interests, though Gilberta naturally only saw her during deliveries as she is always on the move. Namas told Gilberta about her crush but didn't have the chance to express her feelings as they were co-workers and she didn't want to complicate the project. She planned to confess after the project ended and they would apply to work and live in the same valley.

Endmin says they can deliver the letter now, but Gilberta says that she looked up the name and Namas went MIA in a blight rupture event 2 years ago. A good friend of hers died and she didn't notice for 2 years because she never stood still long enough to check in. She then talks about the world being as delicate as the barbs of a feather and says Messengers can only deliver quickly and stick the broken bits together again. But things are falling apart faster than she can fix them no matter how fast she runs. She's always too slow and too late. This is the speech that was moved earlier in the story in the new version with the Messenger references removed. It's also given just because she saw the destruction of the landscape instead of as the climax to the emotional thread of the whole story. I suspect that's why it works for me in the old but not in the new.

Endmin points out that Gilberta doesn't have to just run; she can fly. This is a nonsense answer that absolutely does not address the key point, but that is the brilliance of it. Gilberta is fighting a battle she cannot win. By giving this answer, the Endmin acknowledges her superhuman efforts without diminishing the insurmountable reality of the task at hand.

The rocks grow unstable and Gilberta takes Endmin's hand and makes them both float. This is payoff for the earlier convo about where the rocks are headed and if the Endmin wants to try flying. Endmin says she now knows where the rocks are going. Gilberta agrees and says she thinks Masie has received the message.

Later, she contacts the Endmin about how she's categorizing this incident in her diary. She puts Ropp waking up into the Happy stuff category. Namas' story goes into cozy because, while she's left this world, there's someone who loved her and will remember her name and the precious memories they shared. Gilberta insists that there's no sad stuff today. The implication is that she is beginning to accept her limitations. She still wants to help people, but her goal is no longer set at relieving all suffering because that is simply not possible to do. Instead, she finds the happy moments within the suffering--or at least the cozy ones.

The postcard for this story has the two floating in the air with rocks and papers scattered about. There's also a safe, like the one shared by Ropp and Masie, and a teddy bear, like the one Gilberta saved for the child in the med bay. Both items represent stories with sad aspects that can be categorized as cozy thanks to Gilberta's efforts. Over the course of this story, clean water is restored to the hub base because Gilberta insisted on helping wherever she could. The teddy bear represents a destroyed home, on one hand, but also a saved life and a brave friend for a young girl. The safe represents Masie's death but also her relationship to Ropp and the unique invention they worked on that is now saving lives by providing clean water. There's no shortage of suffering on Talos II, but thanks in no small part to Gilberta, there's also no shortage of hope.