Zeroth Directive

Archive II

Nowell was the first client who came to seek my assistance at the Londinium office after the war, not for himself, but for the child he was accompanying. I was surprised to find him looking exactly the same as he did thirty years ago, when he passed through my village and made me a pair of glasses. I was around the same age as the child at the time. He didn't recognize me, and I didn't say anything. He was anxious at the boy's stubborn refusal to cooperate with medical personnel, but never lost his patience, just like how he listened to a farmer's child thirty years ago, before producing a pair of glasses like a magician and saying that he would collect payment once I graduated from university. Does he still remember those few pounds he has yet to collect? We proceeded with the registration process. Nowell had brought the boy here at the request of his parents—whom he had assisted during the evacuation—in order to examine him for Oripathy. The boy had calmed down by then, and Nowell knelt down to speak to him in a low and serious tone. From what he said, I gathered that he understood quite well the tragedy that had occurred here in Londinium. He was unsurprised by the results of the examination. The child had finally stopped struggling and sat on the stool. As I was drawing his blood, I kept waiting for the words to come out of Nowell's mouth. But he did not ask the question, even when all the tests had concluded. Had he stopped searching for that certain someone? The invisible shadow behind history, whose identity no one in town knew? Were they ever even a real person? He never asked, so I could only guess. Perhaps he had already found them, or perhaps he had simply stopped obsessing over it. Regardless of the reason, he was there, standing, waiting in silence... As though he finally had unlimited time to spend at his leisure, without having to hurry to the next village, asking the question few knew the answer to. [Addendum] Operator Nowell entered Londinium and assisted the Self-Salvation Corps in evacuating the survivors. Reports about his agelessness and his search for the 'Unicorn' are to be archived with no immediate action at this time. Expenses incurred by Operator Price of the Londinium office in purchasing corrective lenses have been reimbursed by the Medical Department as an employment benefit. —HR Department Archive

Archive III

Mr. Miltner admitted he had low expectations when he first reached out to Rhodes Island, particularly as we had already turned down several visitation requests for various reasons. He did not give up, however, attributing the previous failures to bad timing, such as the landship being too far away, or the subject of his visit being away from the ship at the time. Far from being frustrated, he continued to submit his requests to meet with Operator Nowell. When his eighth request finally went through, the rest of the process went surprisingly smoothly. Even though Norwell claimed not to know any middle-aged men by the name of Georgia Miltner, and showed clear reluctance regarding this 'family visit', and even though Mr. Miltner himself admitted having doubts about whether this Nowell of Rhodes Island was really the one he was looking for... the meeting came to pass, at long last. [Audio Log] 'I've lost track of how many leads came out empty. Middle-aged Vulpo optician by the name of Nowell... there were three who fit all the criteria, in Victoria alone. 'But none were the one Grandma Madeline was looking for. None were... my great-grandfather. 'My father had already passed away, but I'd always hoped to tell Grandma Madeline that I found Great-Grandpa Nowell, while she could still see and hear. 'Do you know, she isn't even that concerned with being able to see him one last time. She just wanted to ask him a question, and hear the answer. 'That was the one thought keeping her going for a century. To me, she's always been a healthy, happy, and well-to-do old woman, which made me even more curious about this Great-Grandpa Nowell. 'And at long last, I'll get to see him with my own two eyes. 'I hope it's really him.' After the meeting, Operator Nowell escorted Mr. Miltner all the way outside the ship. They bid each other farewell with a smile. It seems Mr. Miltner had finally found his man. [Addendum] 'Have you found peace?' 'I will. Someday.' 'Then... 'That's all Grandma Madeline wanted to ask, and all I need to know.'

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