Background Image: Rhine Lab Corridor
BGM: darkness01
several sounds of paper rustling
Elena: “Rhine Defense Section Liability Report: Intern Researcher Elena Urbica…”
Elena: “Violation of laboratory operation guidelines, violation of researcher safety rules, violation of the Defense Section’s evacuation plan…”
Elena: “Unauthorized reentering of the central area of the liquid Originium leakage accident, and the restarting of the abandoned experimental device…”
Elena: “Disrupting the established emergency protocols of the Defense Department, leading to an increase in the difficulty of evacuation…”
Elena gasped.
Elena: It’s over.
Elena: The Defense Section’s liability report has arrived, and with Director Saria’s personality…
Elena: Looks like I’m going to be fired.
Elena looked around the laboratory.
In the corner of an area shared by several people, her equipment and materials were piled up, her unfinished reports scattered on the table, and half a bag of pick-me-ups left over from the previous day.
Elena: Ah…it’s a pity. This is my first large-scale experiment, and I haven’t gotten results yet…
Elena: And my sister will find out sooner or later. She must be worried about me again…
Elena: …but I have to get ready…
She sighed, put down the report in her hand, and began to pack up her belongings on the table, placing them neatly into her bag one at a time.
sounds of knocking on the door
door slides open
Director Ferdinand walks in
Elena: Director Ferdinand…!
Elena: (Why is the director here? Have things gotten worse…?)
Ferdinand: Intern Researcher…Elena Urbica?
Elena: Yes, that’s me.
Elena: Director, experiments on my level should not warrant your personal supervision…?
Background fades to black

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Background Image: Rhine Lab Corridor
Background and characters are in grayscale
Rhine Researcher A: Elena, what’s your current status?
Elena: …1.39, still nothing…
Elena: What’s going on, it’s the 23rd day, and there’s no problem with the rest of the data! Logically, the results should’ve come to fruition last week, but there’s no response at all even now!
Elena: This is killing me…!
Rhine Researcher B: Little girl, would you like to have a cup of tea?
Elena: No, Wally…I can’t drink right now…
Rhine Researcher B: How about this: I’ll show you another way. If you fill this form up, you won’t be in such a hurry.
Elena: What is this…“Experimental Project Application Form”?
Elena: Why would I fill this out!?
Rhine Researcher B: Please stop obsessing over this experiment that’s part of a half-abandoned project. It’s better to think about your next experiment and how you’ll obtain results, and then execute.
Rhine Researcher B: Look at me, first I drink a cup of tea at work, and immediately start to work on my next experiment after my last failure; this is my regular routine. We’re researchers; who succeeds every time?
Elena: …
Rhine Researcher B: Elena, if you’re really worried that Ferdinand will dismiss you, then you should stop obsessing over this. He won’t care about this experiment.
Rhine Researcher B: He’d only say, “Thousands of experiments are conducted in Rhine daily; I only care about the results”.
Rhine Researcher A: Pfft, you seem to be learning.
Elena: But this experiment isn’t like my others…it’s basic data gathering for the B25 project, and it’s the first big project I’m a part of! I’ve worked hard to get here!
Elena: This is really important to me, so I can’t just pass up this opportunity to be involved in a major project…
Rhine Researcher A: If you have a good Plan B, it won’t be a big deal if you give this one up. At most you’ll be scolded in person…
Rhine Researcher B: (shivers)
Elena: I haven’t had the chance to speak with Director Ferdinand yet, but it seems that everyone in the Energy Section is afraid of him?
Rhine Researcher B: You’ll understand once you meet him, and it’s even more uncomfortable when he praises instead of scolding you.
Elena: Then why’d you still choose the Energy Section?
Rhine Researcher B: …because I’ve gotta admit, he’s amazing.
Rhine Researcher B: As long as you’re part of a project he’s directly involved in, the progress you achieve is comparable to several years of solitary work. It’s just that there are few people that he takes a fancy to; you can’t even say there’s one every year.
Rhine Researcher A: That’s also the same reason why most people come to the Energy Section; aren’t you the same?
Elena: Indeed it is. I heard about his many achievements while I was in college, and I surmised that he must be a very powerful person, and coming to the Energy Section will help fulfill my dreams.
Elena: And it’s normal for a top-notch person like him to have a weird temper, right?
Rhine Researcher B: …ugh.
Elena stretched her arms and pushed herself away from the table.
Elena: Hmm, I’m sure I can figure out what’s wrong with this experiment.
Elena: This is my first experiment, and it’s the foundational data for the B25 project, so I have to make the most of this hard-earned opportunity!
Elena: If the two pedants at home find out about this, they’ll think I should’ve just conceded to them, and make me continue doing that shit at home…My sister will also worry about me…
Elena: I don’t believe this! How is it possible that I can’t produce any results?
Rhine Researcher A: Keep at it, peppy little girl, I wish you luck…
Beep—Beep—Beep—
Elena: …what’s that sound? Is it an alarm going off?
Rhine Researcher A: Ah, what’s the problem? Temperature? Humidity? I’m gonna adjust the values.
Elena: …“Indoor Originium Concentration”…?
Rhine Researcher B: What!?
sound of running
Elena quickly stood up, and headed straight to the alarm device.
Elena: What happened? The Originium concentration in the lab has exceeded the emergency levels! Has the liquid Originium leaked?
alarm blares
Rhine Researcher A: Go, put your masks on!
radio crackle
Elena: Defense Section? This is experimental base 013; the Originium concentration in the interior has exceeded the standard value, and it’s speculated that liquid Originium has leaked! The alarm to notify personnel evacuation has been activated, and the support of the Defense Section is needed!
Elena: Yes, in experimental base 013, the Originium concentration has exceeded the standard value, and the source of the leak is uncertain; support is needed!
Background fades to black

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Background Image: Rhine Lab Corridor
Grayscale effect is removed
Elena: So after I discovered that the Originium concentration exceeded the standard value, I immediately went to sound the alarm, reported the situation to the Defense section, and notified the personnel in the base to evacuate.
Elena: I halted my experiment and sealed the reactive materials to minimize the difficulty of handling follow-up problems. I’ve also notified the outsourced personnel and the Pioneer base.
Elena: But this is my first project in Rhine, so after that I just…
Ferdinand: This isn’t what I wanted to hear.
Ferdinand’s gaze swept across the table that Elena had mostly cleaned up.
Ferdinand: Are you packing up?
Elena: Yes…
Ferdinand: I only have seven minutes for you. Drop what you’re holding and take a look at this.
paper rustling
Elena: This is…a data report? The results are in so quickly!
Elena: Director, is this valuable data? Is this important?
Ferdinand: Not at all.
Ferdinand: You’ve done a good job of wasting the resources I’ve given you, and flooding my inbox with Defense Section responsibilities.
Ferdinand: I hope you’ll be able to memorize every safety protocol written on the walls.
Elena: …
Elena: …I’m sorry Director, I didn’t come up with the experimental data and results within the allotted time. I will finish up my remaining tasks and pass it on to the next person in charge.
Elena: …as for concerns about the project delays due to my failure, I will also approach the project leader to deal with them as soon as possible, and do my best to make up for the losses.
Ferdinand: It’ll be alright; I don’t care about that.
Ferdinand: What I want to know is your reason for returning to the lab.
Elena: Because at that time I seemed to hear something…
BGM fades and background fades to black

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Background Image: Rhine Lab Outskirts
Background and characters are in grayscale
BGM: nervous
Beep—Beep—Beep—
sound of running
Elena: (I definitely heard something just now…the reaction’s indicator just went off…?)
Rhine Researcher A: It finally leaked, oh my god…how many people are gonna be fired because of this accident…
Elena: (Is it finally starting to react…?)
Rhine Researcher B: It’s alright now, Elena, you don’t have to worry about the results of your experiment.
Rhine Researcher B: It seems that all projects in the base will probably be postponed.
Elena: …
Flustered Pioneer: What the hell! What are you all doing?
Elena: Wally…has there been a case before where an experiment was successful in an abnormal environment?
Rhine Researcher B: Yes, we call such instances “truth’s favors”. With luck, you’ll be able to witness it once or twice.
Rhine Researcher B: Wait, can you help me see if my mask is on right? I’m still a little worried…
Elena: …it’s good.
Elena: (No…)
Elena: (I sure heard it, my experiment was reacting!)
sound of running
Panicked Outsourced Personnel: Is this area safe enough to retreat to? Should we go further? Aren’t we heading to the safe house?
Panicked Outsourced Personnel: You crazy lot…! We’ll be Infected because of this…This is completely against the contract we initially signed!
Indifferent Pioneer: Hmph, at least you’re still alive. Good thing this time there was a little girl willing to warn you to escape.
Rhine Researcher A: …wait, wait, hey…have you seen Elena…? Why isn’t she here?
Background fades

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Background Image: Rhine Lab Corridor
Beep—! Beep—! Beep—!
sound of running
papers rustling
Elena threw herself at her desk.
In her empty lab, the alarm and indicator sounds were mixing together, and the Originium concentration had risen to a value that could easily cause Infection.
On the lab bench that was mess because people left in a panic, the abandoned experiment began to quickly respond under the atmosphere of the liquid Originium leakage, and the indicator was oscillating wildly.
As if wanting to show off all the results that were absent in the past, several pieces of experimental data quickly flashed on the adjacent display terminal, and warning signs were flashing continuously.
Elena: …I knew it! *Cough*, I heard it right!
Elena: I knew it, I knew it! *Cough* *cough*…it’s responding! The results are here!
Before she had time to grab the nearby chair that had been kicked away, Elena half-kneeled in front of the table, quickly recording data.
Elena: The reading is 1.97; I need to input that into this formula, record the result…
Elena: Environmental concentration…
Elena: Save…
footsteps
Defense Section Member: Who’s still in there?
Elena leaned over, remained silent, and sped up her recording.
footsteps
Defense Section Member: This area has been cleared; who’s still in it?
Defense Section Member: …The location of the rescue target has been confirmed, and she has been identified as a missing person.
Elena: …!
Elena: I’m too slow, the last line…!
BGM fades and background fades to black

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Background Image: Rhine Lab Corridor
Grayscale effect is removed
BGM: darkness01
Elena: …It was the first project I got to work on, so I took it seriously.
Elena: In that situation I realized that it started to react. I hypothesized that the experiment’s setting was too idealized and did not meet the necessary conditions to catalyze the reaction.
Elena: The results obtained in an environment with high concentrations of Originium are definitely worth recording. Even if they are outliers, they still provide supplementary data for future experiments.
Elena: Even if there was going to be no result, I would’ve confirmed it.
Elena: Hence…I went back.
Ferdinand: Four minutes left. Are you finished?
Ferdinand: That isn’t a very special reason.
Elena: …ah.
Ferdinand: So, what was the first thing you asked me after receiving the report?
Elena: “Is this valuable data?”
Ferdinand: It isn’t; would you go back for it again now?
Elena: Yes, sir.
Ferdinand: And the reason?
Elena: I don’t want to give up on the results of my long, hard work.
Elena: …even though it has been abandoned by everyone.
Elena: But I’ve worked hard on it for so long that I can barely not think about it…
Elena: A reaction was triggered in that environment, and it is likely to be a brand new fragment of data or a formula, and this would be my own achievement.
Elena: If I can achieve this, I can go a step further, continuing with my own experiments, or go further and conduct pioneering research…and, maybe, I think I’ll succeed!
BGM fades
Ferdinand: Stop, don’t waste your time; you don’t need to tell me that much.
Ferdinand pointed out the window.
BGM: calm
Ferdinand: There are countless researchers like you in this base, and they possess qualities that are praised by others, such as intelligence, determination, and leadership…How many tons of waste paper can these people produce daily?
Ferdinand: When these traits become universally shared, they become merely common attributes.
Ferdinand: It’s good to be able to make the decision to gather data, but it’s not enough. I don’t need someone who wastes their time and risks their life for waste paper.
Elena: But at that time, the liquid Originium leaked, and I assessed the emergency first—
Ferdinand: No, what you ought to assess is the value of the experimental data.
Ferdinand: Otherwise, making such a decision is simply impulsive.
Elena: …
Ferdinand: If you’ve got time, take a stroll outside the lab and contemplate.
Ferdinand: What supports your decision should involve a longer-term vision and better insight, which would allow you to discern what data is worth risking your life for, instead of a, “I didn’t think about it that much”.
Elena: I see…thank you for your guidance, Director. In the future, I will assess whether the data is worthwhile before making a decision, and I will not be impulsive again.
Elena: But…
Elena: Director, what if in that environment, I judge it to be valuable data?
Ferdinand withdrew his gaze from the outside.
He looked at Elena.
Elena was raising her head, looking straight into his eyes like every student eager for his guidance.
Ferdinand smiled.
Ferdinand: If it were me, I’d sound the alarm a bit later.
Elena: …but—?
Ferdinand raised his hand and looked at his watch, interrupting what she was about to say.
Ferdinand: People like that are also something to be assessed ahead of time.
Ferdinand: …Seven minutes. Here’s the file; take it.
Elena: …Got it.
Elena: …I’ve compiled the data and related reports that were unfinished as of the last experiment, and will complete the handover as soon as possible.
Elena: I’m terribly sorry to cause such trouble to the Energy Section; I’ll take care of these issues in the resignation form…
Ferdinand: …Hm.
Ferdinand walks out and the door closes behind him
Elena looked around the laboratory for the final time, with her gaze eventually resting on the lab’s alarm device.
Elena: …“If it were me, I’d sound the alarm a bit later”, was it…
Elena: …
Elena shook her head.
Elena: …I’d still sound the alarm first.
The sound of Ferdinand’s footsteps disappeared into the corridor.
Elena: *sigh*
Elena: Time to continue cleaning up.
cloth rustling
Elena: Hmm…what’s this?
There were two documents lying on the desk that she cleaned up.
Elena picked them up; the top document containing the experimental data she managed to grab.
Elena: It’s a pity that the experiment’s materials have been destroyed, so let’s try to replace them in the future. I don’t know if my next workplace can reproduce the environment…
cloth rustling
Elena: This is…
Elena: Project transfer confirmation by Energy Section Director Ferdinand…?
Elena: Ah!
Elena: Ah?
Elena: Ah!! Really?
Elena: Really really really?
Elena held up the transfer confirmation, jumped up suddenly, and bumped her head squarely into the cabinet’s corner.
Elena: Ow…!
cloth and paper rustling
She cheered and fell on the backpack she had already prepared, and kicked her feet hard in the air, repeatedly confirming the contents of the document.
When her breathing finally slowed, she carefully put away the transfer confirmation, smoothed the hair feathers that were ruffled because of the excitement just now, sat back on the seat, and opened her backpack.
Elena: If I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have put away the data report.
Elena: *Cough*, calm down…! Calm down!
Elena: Let me where’d the experiment go wrong, and why’d it only start reacting in the end…
Elena: Hmm…
BGM fades and background fades to black