Zeroth Directive

Archive II

Many came to see the scion of the famous Athopoulou family when the Rhodes Island office was first established. From her botanical fragrance, to her gentle words, to the meticulous craftsmanship of her dress... everything about her was the very image of a well-bred young lady. She took young patients into the hills to pick herbs on sunny days, teaching them about the leaves and roots of medicinal plants, and the process that turned them into medicine to relieve pain. She told children who feared that their illness would prevent them from becoming heroes that they themselves would be the first person they saved, and it would be their first step on the path to becoming a hero. Surprisingly, Dr. Lena has received mixed reviews in the office's recent patient surveys. One patient complained that she had banned her from drinking, catching her in under thirty minutes no matter which establishment she went to and preventing her from emulating Bacchus the Drunken Hero. Another lamented that he could not do the work he loved anymore, as he was no longer allowed to swing a hammer with his Originium-covered arm to make weapons in the traditional manner. Most patients did not believe that the gentle doctor would use forceful measures, until one day a hulking and ferocious patient came rushing out of the consultation room to complain about her at the front desk. The man, a well-known ruffian, claimed that she had insulted his veneration of Heraces, and was trying to record his name in a book so that everyone would know he was a weak Infected. But he quickly lowered his raised fist at the sight of her coming out of the consultation room with her staff in hand, calmly explaining that registration was necessary for the establishment of an emergency medical system, and that the man's actions had demonstrated that he does not truly venerate the heroes, only the muscles that allowed him to bully the weak. She prescribed medicine for the troublemaker, and a bottle of pheromones labeled 'Your Heroic Spirit'. The concept of 'hero' is a vague one, and everyone's understanding of 'heroic spirit' is different. The idea that Oripathy saps the heroic spirit, an ancient saying of unknown origin, has become a widespread belief in Minos. Even without discrimination from others, those suffering from Oripathy will leave the temples of their own accord, abandon their dreams, and even turn to a life of crime. Fortunately, operators at the office know that all they need to do with patients who have given in to despair is drag them into Lena's consultation room, and their dependable supervisor will use the fragrances of plants to calm her countrymen down.

Archive III

The HR operator lost his way when he came to the 'Mountain-Rimmed Garden' for the first time. When he asked two Athenians where to find the supervisor of the local office, one said that the 'Flora of Athopoulou' was the only Oripathy doctor he knew, before being interrupted by his companion, who said, 'Do not compare an Infected to a hero, even if Dr. Lena has indeed done a lot for us.' Flora is one of the heroes worshipped by Minoans, the legendary gardener of the 'Mountain-Rimmed Garden'. It is said that she had a superhuman affinity for plants, being instinctively in tune with the breath of nature, even bringing back dead flowers to life. She is the patron hero of Minoans who worked with plants, herbs, and perfumes, and Operator Perfumer's family was no exception. The Athopoulous were once one of the most famous families of Athenius, one that both gardeners and fashion-seeking merchants depended on. The family has long since fallen from its high perch, and most of its members have left Athenius, but there are many who still remember the former head of the family, Steros Athopoulou, and his daughter who left for distant lands at a young age. Having learned of this past, the HR operator now sat in Perfumer's consultation room, listening to grateful patients call her the 'Flora of Athopoulou'. Seeing no reaction from Lena, the curious operator asked if she felt uncomfortable with the title. She looked surprised for a moment, then answered in the negative. Returning to the office months later, the operator found that patients were no longer calling Lena by that lengthy title. A short distance away, a smartly dressed, gray-haired Vulpo with a cold expression on her face was writing up a citizen who had committed an offense. She stopped the operator when she saw the Rhodes Island's logo on his clothes, and their conversation was recorded as follows: 'How much do you know about Lena—or rather, 'Operator Perfumer'? How much do you know about the Athopoulou family? 'You've heard what the patients called her... you asked her how she felt? Hah, did you expect her to tell you the truth? 'Of course she was used to it. For the better part of two decades, she sat at the breakfast table every morning hearing her father sing her praises, calling her the brightest the family had ever seen and the 'Flora of Athopoulou', as if those words would do more to help her grow than the cystymilk on the table. 'Of course she could always let go of her past. Most of the family have left Athenius at my 'behest', but why remind her of those days when she was kept chained by training and rules? ...Even if she might not think of it the same way. 'Anyway, I've dealt with the matter. No one will bring it up ever again. 'Why? Because as a former member of the family, I hated the name Athopoulou as much as she did, that's all.'

Archive IV

A medic found a special notebook in the flowerbeds at the branch office, recording the common and scientific names of plants, as well as short comments written in Minoan—a little dictionary of plants, so to speak. She initially thought it was written by a child who idolized Lena, but it was Lena herself who showed up at the lost-and-found. Lena told the curious operator that she had indeed written those notes herself; however, their purpose was not so much to remember, but to forget. Lena left Athenius years ago under unspoken pressure from her family, attempting to restart her perfuming career and botany studies elsewhere, but ran into difficulties with communication. The language and naming conventions of the Minoans were shaped by their love of poetry and stories, so without an actual physical object, it was impossible to explain to a Victorian merchant what a 'Reflection of Narcissus' was, and she had a hard time progressing her perfuming work until she memorized the names of plants in the common tongue. 'This was the most basic thing, and what I would tell any Minoan child who wanted to follow in my footsteps. But the truth is, I never spoke the names of plants in Minoan after I left my homeland... I hated them.' The operator's impression of Lena had always been one of polite gentleness. She rarely if ever recalled Lena directly expressing her like or dislike of something. Yet it seems her return to Minos—this 'home' that once rejected her—had caused her to abandon her restraint. 'The scientific naming of plants is structured and objective, reflecting a precise truth, such as their family, genus and species, their discoverer, and their characteristics. Minoan names for plants are vague and ambiguous, full of meticulous poetry. I understand its beauty as well as anyone, but I also understand how it causes people to place expectations upon those names.' Having grown up shouldering the expectations of her family, it was fortuitous that Lena had a natural affinity for plants and nature. She gladly accepted coursework far beyond what was reasonable for a child, the massive amount of plant names and etymology she was expected to memorize, and her father's pop quizzes, all in the name of her love and passion. At the time, she did not understand the compromise that her harmonious relationship with her family was built upon. Not until she left Athenius and saw flowers from her homeland again did she realize the burden that all the names and stories of plants she memorized had become. She could no longer find it in herself to call them by the names she once knew them by. On this return to her homeland, and in her communications with patients, Lena once again hears the stories and names of plants that she spent more than a decade memorizing. But she understands that her patients are calling to her in the same way she might instinctively say the name of a familiar plant in Minoan as she gathers herbs in the forests of Athenius alone. The burdens of the past are lifted, and she once again flips through the 'dictionary', communicating with Minoans in the words they are most familiar with. She is now able and willing to extend a helping hand.

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