A Dilemma of Values

Really? It's already been sent?

Mmhm. Handed a printed copy to the Messenger just this morning, and he took off with it right away. Now it's all up to the reviewers' feedback whether the journal picks it up.

Thank you so much, Closure — I mean, Advisor!

Oh jeez, don't call me that. I'm nowhere near qualified to give you advice in your own field. The best I could do was help you sort through your ideas.

Umm...

But you're the one who gave me the idea of writing this paper in the first place!

Sure, but I just figured it'd be a waste letting a gem like you go undiscovered.

You also steered me in the right direction while I was writing it!

I mean, yeah, it's the first academic paper you've ever written. Of course you'd need some pointers.

You even helped me put the finishing touches on it last night!

......

Snowsant, when you put it that way, I—

(Yawns)

—Don't feel so sleepy anymore.

Huh...?

I know you're a self-taught prodigy and all, and that you've always buried yourself in your research without paying much attention to academic journals and stuff...

But putting me down as the lead author? Really? Was that like a trap so you could say I plagiarized you?

I-I didn't think the order of the authors mattered. So, as a way of showing my gratitude, I—

I'm the corresponding author, thank you very much! My name goes after!

*sniffles*...

And let's not even get into all the punctuation errors, mixed up heading levels, poorly marked citations, just dumping all the references at the end...

If it's gonna be like this next time, I'll have to start charging an editing fee! One thousand LMD per word!

I'm sorry!

Lastly, can you tell why, just why, you sent it to me...

(Lets out a pained yawn)

...Handwritten?

No one even accepts handwritten manuscripts these days! I spent half the night just typing it all out so I could proofread it, and the other half trying to squeeze in all those charts and diagrams somehow!

But I calculated the price of paper and ink, and found that printing it would be two LMD more expensive than writing it by hand...

(Clutches her head with both hands)

Snowsant, correct me if I'm wrong, but you wanna be a great scientist, right?

That's right.

And to be a great scientist, you have to publish a lot of papers, right?

Mhm. That's what you told me.

And do you realize that there are expenses other than paper and ink?

Such as?

Publication fees.

Publication fees? H-How much?

Depends on the journal, but it's always at least four figures.

F-F-F-F-Four figures???

L-L-L-Let me figure out what expenses I can cut...

(Takes out her tablet)

(First, I can't touch the money that's supposed to be sent home...)

(Then, there are the self-research topics... Right now, there are three items...)

(Lets out a long yawn)

I wouldn't worry about it too much—

(No, I can't move around the funds I've already allocated for the projects either...)

Snowsant?

(The only area I can afford to cut is food expenses... Waah...)

Are you listening?

Fine, whatever.

If you're gonna be like this, I'm gonna catch me some shut-eye. I've got a meeting with Kal'tsit in ten minutes.

(I don't know even know when this fee is due... But if I can have it pushed back, maybe I can scrounge up enough money...)

Um, C-Closure...

She's asleep?

Snowsant?

Is Closure asleep?

Um, yes... It's all my fault...

I don't think you did anything wrong.

Things never go right the first time. As long as you apologize and don't make the same mistakes next time, it'll be fine. That's what Liskarm always tells me, anyway.

Mm... Thank you...

Sorry for bringing you all the way to the cafeteria just to drink plain water with me.

Don't worry about it.

So, were you looking for Closure for something?

There's something wrong with my communications terminal, but Engineering's had its hands full of late. If I went through the standard channels, it'd take three whole months to get it fixed.

Yesterday I finally mustered the courage to head to Lutra to ask Mayer for help, but she's also really busy...

So I made up my mind to report the problem to Closure directly... but she was asleep.

Is it serious?

Well, it's not like it's unusable. The main issue is that the signal gets choppy sometimes, but Engineering's been pushing it back because it's low priority.

Have you tried taking it apart? If it's a bad connection or something along those lines, maybe you could fix it yourself.

I'm afraid of breaking the parts inside...

Um, maybe I can give it a try?

Really? You'd do that for me?

If it's not something I can handle on my own, I'll just put it back together, so don't worry.

You fixed it already?

There was a small metal component in its Originium circuitry that rusted, so I replaced it. You shouldn't have any more issues with choppiness.

Here you go!

Woah... Let me give it a try.

......

Umm...

Is something wrong?

I want to test it, but I'm not sure who to call... I wouldn't want to bother anyone.

Why not just... pick one at random?

I-I'll figure something out.

Umm... Is this Liskarm?

Yes... My terminal's been fixed...

It's not cutting out at all... or making any static...

Oh right, now I won't have to guess whether Franka's being serious or just joking around...

Sounds good!

Mmhmm! Bye!

Thanks again, Snowsant. How much do I owe you?

Huh? Umm...

Let's not worry about that... It was just a tiny metal part, and I basically recycled it from the Engineering Department. It's not like I had to buy it or anything...

Materials are one thing, but your labor is another.

Just now, Liskarm mentioned that she'll go to you if she needs a terminal fixed. More people might need things fixed too, so we can't have you going into the red for them.

I think you should charge something. It's only fair.

(More people... Need things fixed... Charge something... It's only fair...)

(The publication fees!)

Th-Th-Then... I'll take you up on that!

Mhm.

(Breathes deeply)

Then... How about twenty LMD?

Twenty?!

But didn't you say your publication fee was in the four-digit range?

I know it isn't much, but high volume with low margins is the best way of doing business. Nobody would come if I charged too much...

So, twenty is enough. Twenty is just right.

Phew... That takes care of everything.

Now, to check the tags...

These two terminals belong to Liskarm and Kroos.

There's also Vanilla's pet water dispenser, and Instructor Dur-nar's calculator.

Including Jessica's terminal from yesterday, that makes a total of five times twenty.

So, that's a hundred LMD in one day. Making money this way... seems pretty fast?

A four-figure publication fee... Assuming it's just five thousand, then the amount I've earned today would be—

One-fiftieth...

I need to work harder.

But I wonder why all these communication terminals have the same problem?

Mine doesn't though. How strange.

Who is it? Come in.

It's me, Jessica.

Hi there. I've finished repairing everything, so you can take them back now.

Sounds good!

This is what we owe you. One hundred LMD.

You're paying me now? What if there still are problems...

Instructor Dur-nar said that making you do minor repair jobs is selling your abilities short.

Oh! Um, tell her I appreciate that!

Then, er, thank you for the payment.

Oh, by the way, why do all your terminals have the same point of failure? Is there some kind of design flaw?

I asked Liskarm, and she thinks they sacrificed reliability for performance, and used relatively rust-prone materials in the circuitry...

Which I guess would be the component you mentioned.

It wouldn't be a problem under ordinary conditions, but operators often have to work in hot or humid environments, so the terminals break down faster.

And is there no way to make it work without that part?

I don't know... Not even Closure could do anything about it, after all.

Oh...

Oh right, Instructor Dur-nar asked me to tell you one more thing.

She said it's fine to have you work on minor stuff like water dispensers and calculators, but it's best for Engineering to handle standard-issue things like the terminals.

Why's that?

As a policy, Engineering doesn't want us doing private maintenance on standard-issue equipment. Repairing things using inconsistent materials will just make future maintenance more expensive.

Wh-What do I do then? Should I talk to Instructor Dur-nar...?

Don't worry about it.

She said she'd turn a blind eye to it, given your circumstances and the fact that Engineering has such a back-log these days.

She just wanted to remind you to use your own judgment.

(Lets out a long sigh)

So, next time someone asks you to fix their terminal, would you still agree to it?

That's...

I guess I'll use my own judgment.

Orchid's fountain pen, twenty LMD.

Hibiscus's food processor, twenty LMD.

April's music player, twenty LMD—but it took two LMD to replace the buttons, and another one to replace the exposed headphone cable so she doesn't notice anything. So, that's a net of seventeen LMD.

Durin's nail clippers...

Even an amateur could reassemble a nail clipper, so I won't charge anything for that.

Altogether, that's only fifty-seven LMD this week...

What do I do? If business continues to be this bad, I won't be able to make five thousand...

Plus, how much time do I even have to come up with the publication fee?

If I fix all of them, that'd be a hundred-sixty LMD!

No, no. It was one thing when I didn't know about the regulations, it's another to knowingly break the rules...

But, the publication fee...

*sob*... I don't want money to be the first stumbling block on my way to becoming a great scientist.

Hmm, what if I replace the structure of the Originium circuit entirely, and find a workaround that doesn't use metal parts at all? Would that still violate the regulations?

But how could I manage something not even Closure could?

......

No, I have to give it a shot. For the publication fee.

I'll repair everyone else's terminals using the old method first, then use my own to fiddle with the Originium circuitry.

You can do it, Snowsant! You have to do it, so you can get your papers published, become a great scientist, and afford to have three meals a day... with dessert!

Work... Projects... Things to fix... Everything looks good.

It's one o'clock, huh?

Maybe I'll stay up a bit later tonight... Need to investigate how the circuitry in the terminal is connected.

It's only 10:30, and I'm already done with all my work. Guess I was pretty lucky today.

Now, time to take a look at that circuitry.

Can't connect it like this, or like this...

Ugh, I've already spent weeks on the circuitry alone.

But if I try using this—

Wait, I haven't worked on today's research project yet. I've got to take care of that first.

Phew... Haah...

I have a good feeling about this one. The connection might just work.

Time to pull an all-nighter!

Huh? You want me to grab all the terminals you've already fixed? You're going to go over them all again?

It's because I found a new way to connect the circuitry, a simpler way that bypasses the need for the metal part that rusts easily.

Really?

Not even Closure could figure it out!

Hmm, now that you mention it... I guess so?

Let me try to remember whose terminals you fixed...

I've kept the receipts, so we can go off of that.

Me, Liskarm, Kroos...

Oh right, considering this is an upgrade, you can't just charge the same twenty LMD, right?

True. Since I decided to make this change on my own, I can't ask for your money at all.

...Huh?

Well, aren't you just a saint, Snowsant?

Heheh...

That's right! She's been hard at work fixing up the terminals for how many days now? How can she not charge a cent for them—

C-C-Closure?!

Wow, I'm here for two seconds and I'm already hearing all about your under-the-table dealings.

Jessica, since you're only an accomplice, head back to the dorms for now. I need to have a word with the prime suspect first.

Y-Yes, ma'am!

Snowsant?

......

What, so scared you can't walk?

...N-No, that's not it.

Then come on in and let's have a chat.

Close the door.

Yeah...

First of all, let me ask: how are your personal projects and daily work going? How much are you letting this side gig get in the way?

I-It's not getting in the way at all! I'm finishing all my work as always, and I'm making progress in my projects too!

Really? Then when are you getting to sleep every night?

Somewhere around... three or four?

......

Ahem, moving on then.

Given how you're trembling like a baby fowlbeast, I take it you realize the problems this business of yours could cause.

Yeah...

Let's hear it then.

Privately repairing standard-issue equipment without authorization might increase the Engineering Department's maintenance expenses further down the road...

Mhm, sounds like you really know your stuff. Who told you that? Jessica?

Instructor Dur-nar reminded me.

Dur-nar?

(Nods)

Glad to hear our old vets still have their priorities straight—

Wait, hold up, she told you all that, but didn't bother stopping you? Or even reporting it to me?

Great, sounds like I've another score to settle.

This has nothing to do with her... It was my own decision.

Do you really have the luxury of worrying about others right now?

Engineering's already overwhelmed with all sorts of orders and requests. This terminal repair thing might be what finally breaks the burdenbeast's back. You get what I'm saying?

All their metal components originally came from the same batch. Even if some go bad faster or slower, they fall in pretty much the same window. We're already trying to squeeze in time to put together an organized repair-and-replace.

But now, since some of them are fixed but others aren't, that's just one more set of data points for us to wrangle.

I... I have a ledger, and I've kept track of whose terminals I've worked on...

I'm aware you have the receipts.

But can you guarantee that all the materials used in repairing them came from the same batch?

...No.

Which means that to make things more convenient going forward, we'll have to swap them all out again anyway, which is a complete waste of resources!

Sure, we're only talking a few dozen metal components this time, but who knows how big the bill will be next time!

I understand. I know I did wrong...

(I was planning on giving her a stern talking-to, but seeing how obedient she's being, it's hard to find the words...)

Ahem.

Anyway, as the head of Engineering, I'm declaring that as of today, your repair shop is closed indefinitely!

I-I accept your punishment...

W-Waaah...

(Shoot, she seriously started crying... Was I too hard on her?)

C'mon, stop that. Stop crying.

(Blows nose)

So, why did you decide to start doing this in the first place?

I don't have any money, so I can't afford the publication fee...

Publication fee?

Wait, didn't I already tell you—

Oh, I guess I forgot, huh?

(Wait, this might be a bitter pill to swallow, but she needs to learn her lesson. Can't let it become water under the bridge that easily.)

In any case, don't do it again.

Let me take a look at your ledger and see how much money you made.

...Your net profit was only a thousand LMD?

And you even covered the cost of materials beyond the scope of the request, out-of-pocket?

AND you waived the entire bill for someone?

In the end, you fixed up over a hundred items and only made a thousand LMD?!

I was aiming for high volume through low prices, so I set the price at twenty LMD...

There's a floor to how low you can go with that strategy!

I got a mean fifty LMD just from changing out the power cord of the Doctor's kettle while they were busy going through paperwork!

Eh?

A power cord doesn't cost that much, does it? Plus, you're basically just plugging it in, aren't you?

Ah, ahem. That was simply an example.

Fifty LMD might be a bit overkill for a hot water kettle, but we're talking high-tech terminals here!

Repairing delicate machinery like that means taking them apart with specialized tools and carefully replacing the components. That's gotta be worth at least fifty or sixty!

But back on topic—your paper has basically already been accepted. It only needs some minor tweaks and it's ready to publish.

I was only stopping by to hand you the reviewer's comments when I caught you running a black market repair shop in the dorm hallway.

Wait... What did you just say? My paper... It only needs a few minor revisions?

This isn't a dream, is it?

What do you think?

Also, I have another piece of good news—

(Whispers) I should've told you this first, but better late than never.

You don't have to pay the publication fee either.

Wh-Wh-Wh-What?

I'm your corresponding author, and Rhodes Island is your employer. Naturally, we'll be covering the fee, so you can stop worrying about breaking the bank.

Really?!

I can't believe this, I need to pinch myself—

Ow!

......

Oh my gosh!

Ohmygosh, Closure! I'm going to be published!

Waaaah, I'm finally going to be published! My paper is going to be...

Have you calmed down yet?

(Rubs eyes)

Mmhmm!

The publication fee was originally two grand, but I applied for a special hardship grant for you, and managed to get it down to fifteen hundred.

Rhodes Island can easily cover that, so you don't need to stay up all night fixing toasters anymore.

That's...

I just realized that, in the end, you're just paying it for me...

Yeah, so?

Um... Isn't that a bit...

......

A bit what?

I-I'm thinking that maybe...

Maybe, the publication fee... I...

I think... I should pay it myself after all.

You and Rhodes Island have been so good to me, but all I've done is give you more work. I'd feel bad taking your money too...

I respect the hustle, but you're still short five hundo.

I can, um, make up the difference by continuing to fix things for people...

Huuuh?!

Not the standard-issue equipment, I promise! I'll stick to fountain pens and water dispensers, I swear!

I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know you already let me off easy, and I feel really bad about it!

But if I accept someone else's charity and use their money to pay the fee without earning it myself, I won't be able to sleep at night!

......

Snowsant, are you serious?

I...

(Breathes deeply)

Yes, I'm dead serious.

Can you guarantee it won't get in the way of your work or your research?

I swear it!

You might not even get any business without these terminals, you know.

I will.

You sure?

I-I can go around asking everyone if they need anything fixed. I'm sure there'll be someone!

(Chuckles wryly)

Well, knock yourself out.

Does that mean... I can continue fixing things for people?

What, are you trying to get me to change my mind now?

N-N-No! Thank you so much, Closure!

But remember to raise your prices. Twenty is lowballing it so much I feel secondhand pain.

I will!

Also, you'd better get your butt in bed by midnight every night.

That... might be asking a bit much...

It's not up for negotiation. If anyone else gets sick, I'll give them sick leave; but if you get sick... I'm cutting your wages!

Noooo! Fine, I understand!

One last thing. I overheard you and Jessica talking about how you managed to simplify the design and bypass the metal component?

That's right.

Do you have a blueprint? Let me take a look.

Mhm...

Well, I'll be. That's just crazy enough to work.

Snowsant, I'm going to take this with me and look into it a bit more, maybe make a few improvements. If all goes well, you'll be in charge of rolling out the standardized updates for all our terminals.

Huh? You're... putting me in charge?

It's your blueprint, your idea, your hours of lost sleep. Who else would be in charge?

Also, this approach is pretty novel. After you make some progress with your work, keep looking into it. Who knows, maybe you've already got a second paper on your hands?

A-A-A second paper?!

C-Closure! I-Isn't it a bit early to think about my second paper when my first still hasn't been published?

And what's wrong with that? If you've got the ability and the work ethic, why shouldn't your hard work be rewarded?

Alright, go celebrate with Jessica. I've still got a meeting to get to, so I can't join you.

Oh, and before I forget again, here's the letter from the reviewer!

Bye bye!