Mr. Dolly's Game III

Gazing out at the glistening coastline and distant skyscrapers, a long-forgotten name came to Ardelia's mind — Siesta, a volcanic city wrapped in warm memories.

But, this was La Fantoma — the gem of Band, the gilded city of Talos-II.

As a renowned geologist, Ardelia was invited to speak at a major academic forum on "Order in the New Geological Ecology of Talos-II." She had only planned to deliver a standard presentation, but to her surprise, her speech caused quite a stir.

Corporate representatives quickly surrounded her, sharing blueprints for a new industrial park and asking for her thoughts. Senior researchers eagerly shared their latest findings, hoping to spark potential collaborations with Ardelia. Even government officials brought thick binders and invited her to join their next major project.

Just like that, a quiet field researcher had become the star of the show.

What began as simple handshakes soon turned into warm compliments — "You're an inspiration to us all." In the elevator, someone stopped Ardelia with a notebook, asking for an autograph to hang in his lab. At crosswalks, kids would shout, "I wanna be a scientist too!" Even a street vendor handed her a soda, saying, "My nephew loves geology — got any book recommendations?"

At first, Ardelia found it moving. She nodded politely to every earnest face, patiently answered each well-meaning question. But slowly, exhaustion crept in. She didn't resent these people, nor did she dislike their attention. It was just... she wasn't ready to be "known".

After a grueling three-hour roundtable, she pushed open the door and ran. She passed a giant poster of herself labeled "Young Female Scientist Role Model" and vanished into the crowd.

That's when she realized: Mr. Dolly was gone.

No one knew what it was or where it had gone. In a shopping mall, a woman screamed about "something fluffy" bumping into her. On a rooftop, a flower bed was trampled flat by "something pink." Someone even posted a blurry photo of "something round" darting over the ticket gate — carrying a bag of cotton candy.

Ardelia tracked these clues and searched half of the city. Her shoes wore thin, mud clung to her skirt, and headache crept over her.

Nearly out of breath, she stumbled out of a side alley and stopped.

It was a patch of untouched wilderness at the city's edge — untamed, bursting with wildflowers. The sea breeze carried their fragrance in gentle waves. And there, lay Mr. Dolly, sprawled at the heart of it all, motionless as the earth itself.

"What are you even doing here?" Ardelia asked, half-frustrated, half-amused. Mr. Dolly didn't answer. He just rolled over lazily.

Ardelia walked over and sat beside him. Then, she switched off her handyterm. The meetings, the obligations — all of it could wait.

After all, nothing suits a geologist better than the open wild.