Arknights story · Operator Records
Fertile Soil
Helen, Kristen's old secretary, is now Saria's secretary, and she walks into Saria's office anxiously on her first day working for the new Control...
1 scenes, 247 lines
1. Interlude
247 linesHeave—ho—
Heave—ho—
Helen?!
I thought you said you might be leaving. Did you come to pack your stuff?
Yeah, uh, I mean, no. Miss Jara gave me a month of PTO. I thought that was her way of telling me to resign.
Turns out she was retiring.
She took me out for dinner before she left and said she hoped I would continue to work for Rhine.
That's great to hear! So the Pantry Alliance lives?
You know, I kind of wish they’d just fire me.
Why?
...Wait, today's Saria's first day in her new position, right? Are you still the Control's secretary?
Yeah. I get back to work after lunch break.
Haha, I see.
I guess Miss Jara really trusted you, didn't she?
No idea.
All I know is that I could count the total number of times I saw Kristen in the office all these years with my two hands.
I end up hearing about most things on the news first. The same goes for this changing of the guard. I don't even know what happened...
Sometimes I can't help but think, am I actually working for Rhine Lab?
Of course you are! You know how many trees there are in the lobby, how many lights there are on the ceiling, how many desks there are on each floor... that's exclusive, insider info!
Look, I'm being serious.
Sorry, just a little joke. Anyway, weren't you complaining that you had nothing to do when you were Kristen's secretary?
You know Saria's reputation as a thing-doer. You won't be bored when you're around her.
I also know her reputation for being difficult. Why do you think I'm standing here?
Huh? Oh yeah, this way leads to the Defense Section, doesn't it?
Saria wants to use the office of the Defense Section Director as the new Control's office.
Apparently, my first job is to convince the new Control to move her office.
Well, I'll wait for the good news.
You're just waiting to laugh at me, aren't you?
Hey, no one's ever won a battle against Saria in the history of Rhine Lab. You'll be famous if you're the first one.
Oh, screw you. Guess I'll go now to meet my fate.
Good afternoon, Control. My name is Helen—
Maylander requests permission to intervene in the investigation on the Hall of Stasis.
Have we completed our investigation and recovery efforts?
Yes. All relevant assets have been entered into the database.
Then give Maylander the necessary permissions.
Yes, ma'am.
Did you need something, Control?
I've reviewed the ongoing and pending projects in each section. Bring me a detailed report on the marked items, including staffing, revenue, and expenditure.
I've sent you the link.
All projects associated with Trimounts... I see. I'm on it.
The quarterly report of the Structural Section is ready, ma'am. We would like to request early approval for additional budgeting of Project Three for the current quarter.
I've looked at the request. Looks fine overall. Approved.
Things are quite chaotic following the loss of Director Parvis. We are unable to come up with the funds immediately.
Freeze the assets of Project Two and use it for Project Three.
But—
I've reviewed the progress reports and data on Project Two. They are unsatisfactory. Inform the director of Project Two that I will be auditing it personally.
Understood.
District officials would like to discuss our pilot qualifications and ongoing experiments in certain fields.
Make an appointment for tomorrow. I'll oversee the discussion. Make sure the relevant directors are present, and inform the officials of the time.
Yes, ma'am.
...
(She's dealing with all these requests simultaneously... efficiently, effectively...)
(She doesn't even notice me...)
(Oh dear, Helen, what should you do?)
(An appointment request from Mr. Justin Jr.?)
(Remarks... 'a young man with potential'?)
G-Good afternoon, Control. My name is...
Justin Jr. mentioned it. Sky Jagger, 'a future star'.
Eh, hehe, he's exaggerating...
Of course. Justin Jr. sees more future stars than there are stars in the night sky over Trimounts.
I understand. I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm more special than anyone else.
But I promise that I—
Did Justin Jr. tell you about my rules?
Huh?
Saria points towards the boxing ring in a corner of the office.
Huh?!
Huh?!
You want Rhine Lab to invest in your passion project? Last three minutes in the ring.
...
Yes?
If this is your way of interviewing people, I've got no reason to decline. If you're just being an a-hole, then all the more reason for me to make you realize that you're messing with the wrong guy.
(God, this guy is completely clueless!)
(Saria's toughness is the stuff of legend... why would she...?)
Frankly, this is easier.
For a long time, I eavesdropped on TIT classes by day, and fought hoodlums in the slums by night.
...
Saria and Sky put on gloves and enter the ring. A fiery bout ensues.
Helen watches on blankly.
A violent clash beyond her comprehension is unfolding in the old office of Rhine Lab's new Control. Is that how she intends to decide the fate of a young man?
Once again, Helen is sure that she never knew Rhine, even after all these years.
(...Fifty-seven seconds.)
(...One minute, thirty-two seconds.)
Stop.
The boxing stops. Sky is on the floor on one knee, the entire side of his face swollen.
Argh—my face, my shoulder...
You were holding back, weren't you? You hardly broke a sweat.
...Because of my educational background?
Your file shows that you completed all coursework for a degree in engineering science, despite never being officially enrolled in the Trimounts Institute of Technology. Not the most scrupulous of methods, but your grades were strong.
We're fellow alumni, in a sense.
Rhine Lab welcomes everyone who respects science.
Then why?
I read your proposal on the development of impact-resistant aviation materials last night.
It's an area with great potential. You're sharp, but you lack an adequate grasp of the project's foundation, and many of your ideas are impractical.
Then why not just reject me?
You've got a strong constitution and a chip on your shoulder. You have everything a scientist needs outside of professional skills. What you need now is experience with real research projects and learn how they are built, brick by brick.
Are you interested in joining the Rhine Lab Engineering Section, Sky Jagger?
—!
Thank you.
Lemme guess... Energy?
Engineering.
Nasti won't like him. Or should I say, they won't like each other.
With what, Control?
He's underqualified and you know it. I take it you recommended him as a reminder to me.
Hehe. What I didn't tell you is that Sky is a superfan of Kristen's.
He decided to commit himself to science and join Rhine Lab because he saw the sky that night...
Then I'm glad he didn't try to earn sympathy points by telling the story.
That wasn't what caught my attention. Don't you think he's exactly what Rhine needs in this new era?
Rhine has gone through dramatic changes, and it will continue to face new challenges. We do need talent.
But I must remind you of one thing.
What is it?
There is no new era.
There are people with knowledge but no formal education in every era. They're the kind of people that science needs.
But it's only now that they'll get their chance.
If you don't mind me asking, how do you plan on dealing with Ferdinand?
I don't have any plans. He doesn't need me to worry about him.
If he gets himself out and wants to come back to Rhine, tell him that he needs to get in my ring before he can get back to his desk.
I'll let him wear his power armor, of course.
Heh. I'll tell him.
...
(What's she doing...?)
(A shower? Now?)
For some reason, Helen feels like a great weight has been lifted off her shoulders the moment Saria walks into the shower room.
She slumps on the sofa.
Helen had worked under Jara for years before joining Rhine Lab. She quickly took to the energy and vitality of Rhine Lab after joining it at Jara's invitation.
She was a hard worker, a workaholic even. She even earned a degree in energy science so that she could work more effectively at Rhine Lab.
Her efforts earned her a promotion to the post of the Control's secretary.
Little did she know that this would be the beginning of a nightmare.
Helen had little opportunity to do actual work under the elusive Kristen. Not only that, from the perspective of someone who at least tried to participate, Helen knows full well—
Kristen was a genius. She fully understood everything that was going on at Rhine Lab; she just didn't care about most of it.
The thought tormented Helen. She found it hard to accept that the leader of the company that she loved so much did not love what she had created.
(Anyone else would have perceived Saria's attitude as being the polar opposite of Kristen's.)
(But...)
(Somehow, I have a feeling that they're very alike in a way...)
(Wait, Saria just turned down all upcoming appointment requests on her terminal and pushed back all meeting requests and document reviews by one hour?)
(Is she taking a break?)
She sees Saria walk to the other side of the ring, where there is a window and a table, with a shelf next to them that has various potted plants lying on it.
Saria takes out an empty pot from the shelf and lays it on the table.
...
Helen is surprised to see something 'grow' beneath Saria's palm from the black gravel.
A 'shoot', so delicate it seems to be crafted from jade, rises from the dirt, followed by a second, and a third...
They grew upwards rapidly, intertwining with each other, as though a great sculptor is creating life out of a rock with the chisel of time.
...
The white plant-like frame is completed in a few minutes, standing quietly in the pot, approximately thirty centimeters tall.
Its branches are stark and strong, but it is composed of a jade-like calcareous substance with a delicate, tree-ring-like texture on the surface.
(Did she just create a 'tree' with her powers?)
(Are the other 'plants' her works too?)
It seems the office has suddenly fallen silent.
Of course, the office has not been particularly noisy since she came in at noon.
Now, though, it feels as if there is something in the air preventing her from speaking.
It is a familiar feeling.
She once shadowed Kristen, hoping to find out what the Control is doing when she is out of office.
She found out that Kristen had gone to the rooftop of the Rhine Lab HQ building, staring at the sky for two full hours.
...
Right now, Saria gives Helen the same feeling that Kristen once did.
Though they had what some might say were the greatest things on Terra, it is only in this moment that they truly belong to themselves.
Fascinating, isn't it?
We were surprised when we learned about Saria's hobby of making these calcified plants.
...Director Franks? When did you—
Shh, don't disturb Saria.
Oh, okay. Why did you...
You used to be Kristen's secretary, right?
Yes.
I came to calibrate the equipment for her before I leave. You should learn to do it; it could come in handy.
Okay.
The fitness corner and shower were designed by Nasti, at Saria's request.
Saria hasn't been back to this office in a while. Fortunately, all the data collection was done on Rhodes Island, which saves some effort.
Wait, did you say... leave?
Oh, it's not what you think.
I'm going on a business trip to the frontiers for a while, so I wanted to get certain things out of the way before I go.
...
What's on your mind?
...I know Kristen wasn't as indifferent as people outside thought she was.
Saria's work attitude is the polar opposite of Kristen's, but I feel like I see the same thing in both of them...
What is it?
Their work, or should I say Rhine Lab, is not actually that important to them.
...Very astute.
What exactly is Rhine Lab to them?
...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked.
There was a meeting of section directors in the aftermath of the Galleria Stellaria incident. At the meeting, Saria said—
'Kristen is not the embodiment of greatness. She is a flawed human being, just like the rest of us.'
'But she opened a door, and the light of greatness shines from beyond the door.'
Why shouldn't 'greatness' be the ideal?
Because an ideal is a dream that can save everyone, while 'greatness' is not. It is cold and hard, often oppressive.
But it's the fate of a scientist to be drawn by such a light, and Saria is no exception.
What were you drawn to, Helen?
I...
Helen looks up.
The sun shines through the window on Saria, who is fully focused on her plant, as though there is nothing that can disturb her.
The scene is a strange one, yet somehow holy at the same time.
I hate to admit it... but I guess it's not the light that I was drawn to, but the people who were drawn to the light.
Is that not enough?
I suppose it is.
Phew...
Saria, I've calibrated your equipment based on the Rhodes Island figures.
Thanks.
The paperwork is in order. Just consider it an extended business trip. Anything you need, Rhine can provide.
No problem. The Site 359 matter is settled, and I've resumed work in the Originium Art Section.
You know it doesn't really matter to me where I do my experiments.
Oh, and Muelsyse stopped me in the corridors with tears on her face. She complained that she's been doing too many goodbyes lately, and insisted on seeing me off personally.
She's been touchy lately.
A bit of sentimentality isn't a bad thing in times like these.
That's not something I would expect you to say.
Don't you know? I've always been a sentimental girl.
It's true that I don't know you that well.
Of all the directors, we've worked with each other the least.
That will change.
How are you planning to change Rhine Lab, Saria?
I'm not the one changing it. It will change of its own, in whatever way it chooses. My job is just to keep it going.
You know, maybe I was wrong about you.
What do you mean?
I thought you saw freedom as Kristen's special privilege. But the truth is, you allow everyone other than yourself to have freedom, don't you?
I'm not that great.
Good. See you.
Oh, and I think your secretary has some questions. Don't forget about her.
...
...
Uh, pay no mind to what Director Franks said, I don't actually have anything to ask...
I don't suppose you even know my name...
Helen. I remember.
Mm—huh?
You were with Kristen when she came to find me a few years ago.
Jara told me about you too. She believes you're up to the job of supporting me.
But I haven't been able to help at all...
I could deal with today's things on my own. But I've been away from Rhine Lab for a while, and there are many things about Rhine that I don't know as well as you do. I'll be counting on you.
(...I'm sorry, Saria, but from what I saw today, I can't imagine the day that you'll be counting on me!)
It'll be an honor to work for you!
What was it that you wanted to ask?
Well... I had a question, but it's not important now.
I was going to ask why you want to keep using this office, instead of moving into the Control's office.
You found the answer?
I thought maybe you were honoring Kristen.
Or maybe you wanted to make it clear to others that you're going to do things differently from Kristen.
But now, I suspect it's not so complicated after all.
Correct.
I didn't want to move my office because everything in this office was tailor made for me.
I'm not used to Kristen's office, and I'm not as comfortable there. It's that simple.
Yeah... I don't suppose there's another office in Rhine Lab with a boxing ring and shower.
Break's over. Let's get to work.
Yes, ma'am.