Arknights story · Operator Records
Recorder
A group of noble art aficionados want to film a documentary about Scene, but only a single one sees it through to the end.
1 scenes, 229 lines
1. Interlude
229 linesAlas, what a charming evening – you are even more beautiful in this light. Do come in, they're playing a lovely song.
Many thanks.
Look at you, you came all the way out here to pick up little old me. I'm unworthy.
I meant what I said. I'm willing to bet that a single glimpse of you would be enough to see that piano player over there forget the piece entirely.
Say, who is that lady?
And what is she doing here?
We often say that photography is a sophisticated art, that a moment of time frozen inside a photo is instantly captivating. Whether out of a genuine obsession with art or a simple clinging to elegance, is hard to say.
The lady over there is Pasado, a member of our Photography Society, and she's extremely fond of the latest up-and-coming photographer, Scene.
Scene? Oh, that lovely young girl? I do recall enjoying some of her work the other day. Those photos really set my heart free, I could feel the love for life within them.
Precisely!
An adorable young photographer whose name has never appeared on a guest list before, managing to win award after award... Who wouldn't be dying to learn more about her?
We were just discussing the idea of shooting a documentary about her, to record her entire creation process from beginning to end. The perfect way to present her artistry!
Excuse me, would you happen to be Scene? I'm the one who sent you that correspondence.
......
*Beep*—*beep*—!
*Bzzzt*
You are Scene, aren't you? I've written to you before. We're a group of photography enthusiasts.
There are many in our group eager to learn from you, and since you're planning to hold a photography session in the near future, we'd like to shoot a documentary capturing your creative process.
If it is not too much trouble for you, would you allow us to follow you and observe how a photographer with such a unique understanding of the art captures such profound images?
As I'm sure you well know, there are many who struggle to find meaning. And even among those who don't, they are often unable to elevate themselves to the next level. They fail to self-actualize.
Participating in a live photo session will be an invaluable experience for many newcomers, and they'll surely have much to learn from a master such as yourself.
......
Um, Scene, ma'am?
......
Beep beep!
Ah, um...?
*Beep*—*beep*—!
Oh, um, excellent! I'll take that as your agreement? Thank you so much. In that case, what does your schedule look like?
*Bzzzt*
B-Battlefield ruins? Scene, ma'am...
......
......
Um, yes, very well. In any case, we'll provide a list of names who will be participating. Is there anything else you need from us?
Beep beep!
*Bzzzt*
Oh...
'I agree to be filmed, but please do not interfere with my creative process during the shoot.'
Yes, yes, I understand your request, and will make sure it is conveyed clearly to all participants.
Then, I suppose I shall take my leave...?
Beep beep!
*Bzzzt*
......
I look forward to seeing you soon. Goodbye.
(She... is nothing like what I expected... What's the matter with her? She didn't move at all...)
(Well, whatever. With a reputation like hers, there's no way she's a bust.)
......
Beep beep!
...... I t ' s h e r e ...... I f o n l y ...... I c o u l d h a v e ...... a c t u a l l y b e e n t h e r e ......
Beep beep!
Boop––!
*Chime* *Chime*!
A swarm of nimble little robots accompanies the taciturn photographer, lining up in formation around the ruins, each with their respective roles.
The crowd can only watch in astonishment as the robots assemble photographic equipment faster than they can react, before proceeding to survey the geography.
The passage of time has long buried blood and bone under these ruins, and stepping onto these grounds is like sinking into a long, drawn-out groan.
The machines carry the slender photographer through the dense mud and ruins.
Beep beep! Beep beep––
Scene is beginning her work. What astounding diligence.
This is it, children! Pay close attention, and see how Scene captures her masterpieces!
Yes, sir.
......
They're already gone. What about us then?
We should go too.
I thought this was going to last a bit longer.
A place like this is best appreciated when you can hold it in your hand or see it hanging on a wall. When you're actually here in person, the meaning behind it is lost.
Our ride is here. Let's get going.
......
......
Beep beep!
Scene went over there.
Need to record some things for my commentary later.
'On the first day of the shoot, we arrived at the ruins. Perhaps Scene chose this spot because of the unique fascination young people have with the dark and edgy.'
'In contrast to our expectations, she did not conduct her shoot by herself. She had machines assemble her equipment and ferry her around. We still don't know exactly why.'
'Perhaps that's a part of her craft.'
You're next.
'Kids often like to delve into these types of settings in an attempt to show off the depth and complexity of their thought.'
'She's not going to stay here more than three days.'
I don't think that's a very nice thing to say.
And I don't think this documentary's going anywhere.
Scene is on the move again. Stay on her.
Finding the right material is a crucial part of the photographer's shoot.
What am I trying to express through my lens?
When my heart has to convey its ideas, how should I bring them out?
How should I tell my story to such bleak scenery before me? And then tell that story to others?
'Wartorn ruins are unlike any other scenery.'
'Scene must have a starting point in mind, to have chosen a place like this.'
'Everyone has their own reasons for doing the things they do.'
'This morning, Scene climbed to the highest part of the ruins and overlooked the entire area. It looked like her robots were noting down important locations.'
'I'm not sure what she plans to do this afternoon. Maybe she'll dedicate some attention to the places she's chosen, to see if they have what she wants to express.'
By first light, Scene has already finished her preparations and set off once more.
She follows the same process as yesterday as she embarks on her solitary trek: assembling her equipment, surveying the terrain, and avoiding obstacles.
Behind her lies the stillness of the ruins, and the bustle of the crowd.
Scene got up early today. We have to hurry.
The hot water isn't even ready yet, and you want to head out?
She's just pretending to be busy for another day. What's the point of getting up early? We're just in for more of the going-around-in-circles like yesterday.
After she's done milling around, we still have to put all that effort into editing the video. Then she's the one who reaps the recognition, prestige, and money –– I've seen enough of people like her.
Hear me now and believe me later. If you'd been through what I've been through, you wouldn't let a person like that use you again!
Really...?
Then I'll go without you.
She just shows up, ignores everything anyone says to her, and runs around doing whatever she feels like. How's she ever going to accomplish anything?
That's the only lesson we should be learning.
'A battlefield holds a different meaning for everyone, and I'm not sure what the rubble and ruins mean to Scene in particular. However...'
That's not quite right for this place...
'The photography has just started, so I can't wait to make a great documentary this time around.'
'It's lunchtime. We thought Scene would take a break from work to head back to the tent, since that's where we keep all the food.'
'But she seems to have brought some quick eats with her, and makes those her lunch.'
'Um... I'm recording all of this to maybe give us a better understanding of her.'
Why don't you head back to eat and swap with me when you're done? Scene is photographing that shell crater right now, and I don't want to miss this part.
Alright, sure. I'll go get–– Oh, he already left.
Be right back!
Day after day, Scene continues to wander through the ruins.
She does not speak to anyone, only silently ordering her robots around, kicking up a trail of fine dust over the rough ground.
She remains silent, for the battlefield is whispering to her.
Within her camera, the ruins change from real objects to shadows: the present moment turns into a flat, delicate sheet.
But behind it is the weight of reality, a freeze-frame of a moment powerful enough to overwhelm reality itself.
It is more real than the things written on a page, an affirmation of the very land's experience, a call to awaken one's consciousness.
Scene has read the records of this war: back when the battlefield was cleaned up, a crossbow bolt pulled from a corpse was heavier than the body itself.
They clearly knew they would die, yet they still fought on.
Their blood dyed the ground black, so thick that not a single plant could grow here.
The distant morning light penetrates the thin clouds and sprinkles across the ground. This place of death finally glows with a bit of the sun's golden light.
Atop a high, withered branch, Scene presses the shutter to record this moment of false life.
A hoarse fowlbeast rises from the dead branch, its thin claws loosening up a small puff of dust. Time flies away from this single fragment of a moment.
Behind the fine dust hide the restless eyes of others.
I haven't slept soundly these past few days. Been waking up with a headache every morning.
What's she doing up so early? The material isn't going anywhere, and she's not even saying anything.
And she's staying so close to that place too. Sure knows how to pick a good location.
Newbie photographers just don't know how to get things done.
'Ninth day of the shoot.'
'I don't know if every battlefield turns out to be like this.'
'I wondered if anyone came here to paying respects to fallen family members, but in the few times I've followed Scene around, I haven’t seen flowers or anything of the sort.'
'Maybe too much time has passed, or the cities have gone too far from these ruins for anyone to ever come back again.'
See that? She's just a pretentious foreigner.
She's a foreigner? Never would've guessed.
Yeah, from Bolívar. I bet she's participating in our Photography Society on behalf of the nobles. Probably came here after hearing they wanted to do a shot of a battlefield to curry their favor or something.
Let's drop it. You really shouldn't talk behind someone's back.
What's the big deal? Someone like that already knows she's being badmouthed. It'd be weirder if you didn't give her some shit.
'My pants are already dirty. That one's putting on a good show sitting in a car like that, not getting her feet dirty at all. Wasted a bunch of time just looking around idly.'
'If photography's such a good profession, how much money can I make from this documentary?'
We really need to cut that part out...
Hah, I'll be the one making that call. I'm the one editing the video, not you.
Fair enough.
Scene, would you like to come back to camp for dinner tonight? We boiled some hot water in the morning. We can cook you a hot meal.
......
Hey!
I'm the one who boiled the water! Why are you sharing with her?
She has her robots to do everything for her. We need to take care of ourselves first!
Come now, show a little hospitality.
I'll go boil some more water. We're not going to run out.
Huh?
You're gonna boil the water? You don't think you've been running enough errands?
What's the point of doing that? Is she gonna tip you? Thank you? Will you get a raise?
She's gonna get both fame and fortune once we finish the shoot. And what will you get? Bah, boil water.
Enough of that, this is our job. I...
I'll do it.
Well shit, aren't you the good little worker drone?
Let's not start a fight...
I'm TEACHING you!
Look here, who here's actually treating you better? Is it the one who doesn't say a word or the other who just does her own thing? How long do you plan to stupidly bumble along as her entourage?
Work when you get work. Take a few pictures of what you're asked to shoot. And if the pictures can express a tiny sliver of what you hoped to convey, are you gonna go happily on your way thinking it's your own work?
Wake up already!
W-Well, we can always find something we want to shoot...
You could shoot something that inspires you, just like Scene––
––Shut up, dumbass!
Say that again! Try me!
Why are you–
Hah! I don't give a shit anymore.
You don't deserve to learn from me, and this film isn't worth my time.
I...
......
Beep beep, beep beep.
Beep beep.
'Ster left today.'
'He got pretty opinionated about the shoot... Or, I guess, about a lot of other things.'
'I can't leave yet. I need to finish this job. Maybe he was right, maybe I will be happy if this project manages to express even a little sliver of what I hoped to convey.'
'I can't make my own work, the way people like Scene can. But, still...'
Wait, I can't be recording stuff like that. Better delete it...
'Judging from these last few days of filming, it appears Scene loves capturing a precisely thrilling moment.'
'Naturally, war ruins have plenty of places worth digging around, and the conditions here are much more difficult than I expected. This is the first time I've been in a place like this.'
'But I'm starting to worry, now that we're short a crew member.'
Hm, you're back? Want to record something?
Ster left?
Yes.
He never wanted to be here. Not from the very beginning.
I've been thinking... can we even continue filming like this?
......
'I've taken my own pictures of the battlefield. It's different from what I experienced myself... and that's exactly what I wanted. I am trying to understand the anatomy of a war.'
'After a few days of filming Scene, I've come to realize that she is working tirelessly to tell the story of these ruins.'
'When this is over, I might like to have a chat with her.'
Lens moves from the ruins to the camp, bringing back a note.
As the crew members leave one after another, the discussions among the them spill over into outward panic.
They argue, refuse to work, and leave one by one.
Scene continues shooting amid the turbulence, slowly raising her camera and pressing the shutter.
*click*
The ruins she experiences and records are not just those of war.
......
Beep beep!
*Bzzzt*
*Chime* *Chime*!
'Scene is getting ready to apply the finishing touches. After more than two weeks, our filming is about to come to an end.'
'The last members of the film crew left about three days ago. They said there's no way we'd be able to finish the filming.'
'I've shot enough material to make a documentary of my own, so––'
......
Um... Scene, ma'am?
Beep beep!
Is this for me? Did you want to talk?
'The others all left. Why did you stay?'
Well, let's sit down and chat.
......
When you look at this battlefield, what do you think about? The clash of civilization against barbarism? The surging tide of history? Or is it... at the most fundamental level, the loss of human life?
I came to shoot the battlefield, because war took everything from me.
Not on this battlefield specifically, but that doesn't matter.
I left home and came here to be a photographer, to take pictures of all sorts of people and places. Though they are sometimes happy and sometimes not, at least they are still alive.
I'm also alive, but I've never been able to experience the things that would make me feel truly alive.
So I wanted to come face-to-face with a battlefield.
I don't have the courage to go back to that particular one. I can't, anymore. Coming here is all I can do.
I ask myself, when people look back at these ruins through a lens, years down the road, what will they think?
And years down the road, will I have the courage to go back?
Scene remains silent. Her silence persists so long that Pasado can't help but assume she won't ever answer any of her questions.
She draws a deep breath and decides to leave.
Behind her comes the sound of a shutter clicking, ever so softly. She turns back around, and sees Scene put down her camera, her lips slowly curling into a smile.
This is the first time she's ever seen the photographer's expression change.
She hears her words – slow, but resolute:
'W e h a v e t o... r e c o r d i t a l l.'
'T h e r u i n s... t h e t r a c e s o f p e o p l e.'
'T o s h o w t h e m a g a i n.'