Zeroth Directive

Archive III

Of all her coworkers from Blacksteel, Jessica is the one that Laura worries about the most. From a bystander's point of view, perhaps 'Jessica's family is loaded' is reason enough for Laura to befriend her, but interestingly enough, it was Jessica who laid the groundwork for their friendship. Laura was infected with Oripathy after graduating from college, and was forced to give up on a job offer from a tech company and join Blacksteel Worldwide instead, known for its tolerance of the Infected. Yet before this, Laura had no experience getting along with mercenaries. As to be expected, on her first mission, the mercenaries already had strong doubts about the green engineer's unusual ideas. And when Laura found herself in that difficult position, it was Jessica who stepped forward to support her plan as well as persuade the other mercenaries to trust her. When questioned about this afterward, Jessica noted that she saw a bit of her old self in Laura, from back when no one believed in her. It was through the trust of Liskarm and Franka that she finally mustered her confidence. But regardless, she thought that Laura also deserved a chance to be believed in, and Laura responded to her trust with results. This is how their friendship began. [Blacksteel Worldwide - Operational Records] Inquiry Scope: Laura Arias, Jessica Brynley Control Clearance: Liskarm ...... 'Jessica, why didn't you follow the plan and use the equipment I set up?! Do you know how bad things can get if you don't follow regulations?! 'You see that big wheel spinning really fast? Your hand almost got caught in it! You see all this sweat? That's how anxious you made me! 'You're always like this. Last time, and the time before that, and the time before... Don't give me that teary-eyed look. I'm not falling for it! Don't think I'm gonna go easy on you!' 'You... You said that would buy the workers more time. B-But, have you considered how dangerous of a situation that would put you in? '...... '*sob*... What do I even do with you, Jessica? I've talked to you about this so many times already... 'Leave me alone. I'm not crying. Go away! 'Waah... Go away. I'm not eating any dessert you're buying me... '*sob*... You say we're going to that restaurant you need to reserve a year in advance? '...What're you laughing at? I'm gonna eat till I drop! Hmph.. Don't you look at me with those teary eyes then!'

Archive IV

'There's a flame burning in Almond's eyes.' An Engineering operator described the scene she saw that night. She remembers Almond working overtime in the laboratory, and that she was bringing her a cup of hot cystymilk, but when she opened the door, she found Almond frowning as she stared intently at the computational model running on the screen, the simulated flame reflected right in her eyes. The operator was shocked, as she had never seen such an expression on her face, but when Almond turned around and started chatting with her, that expression was nowhere to be seen. Then, as she spent more and more time onboard Rhodes Island, more and more people started to realize that her petite body packed a huge amount of energy, as though at a moment's notice she could leap high into the sky to snatch something. Almond's lively personality may give the impression that 'she's very laid-back.' But in reality, the amount of effort she puts in has reached a level her coworkers could only dream of. She is able to lock herself in the laboratory all day, repeatedly work out the projects' most minute details with her team members, or run all over the place to secure the funding she needs. Motor systems and safety are two of her top concerns, and to obtain perfect performance numbers, she is willing to pull multiple all-nighters testing in the lab. Once, she was even found passed out in front of a work table. Yet, when others ask her why she's willing to go to such lengths, she always answers evasively with excuses like 'my career' and 'dreams,' but no amount of questioning can get her to elaborate on those dreams. Some were worried that, as a Blacksteel employee, perhaps her participation in Rhodes Island R&D projects implied some kind of ulterior motive, though these rumors were quickly dispelled after her projects kept yielding results, while her attitude toward work remained unchanged. Even after her cystymilk had gone cold, she continued to stare at the screen. Compared to what she had lost, she thought she had yet to achieve enough, to jump high enough. [Voice Log] Sometimes, I still dream of that morning we left Bolívar. The sky was pretty dark, and the shocked fowlbeasts were flying in circles above us. Mom loaded the last crate onto the car, I sat down on the crate, and then the engine started to roar under my butt. The car started to move, and it got faster and faster. There was a loud boom. My dad covered my ears. I could make out where the fireball had landed. That was where our house used to be. My mom's medical certificate, my grandma's workshop, and all the dolls I couldn't bring with me were all still there. I looked at it again, and all I could see was a firelight soaring up into the sky. There was nothing left.

Search

Almond

Archive I

Promotion record

Archive II

Outfits

Operators

Archive III

Archive IV