Weedy: Together Aboard

Operator Record Together Aboard
It isn't a fear of the elements that stops her heading for faraway places.

Unlock conditions

• Raise Weedy to Elite 2 Level 1.
• Have at least 50% Trust with Weedy.

Characters

Blaze Weedy Closure Assistant Operator Luli Medic Operator

Backgrounds

1 2 3 4 5

“

With her employment contract about to expire, Weedy gets an invitation from an old friend to return to Iberia. Closure freaks out, not knowing that Weedy has already made her decision.

”

<Background 1>
Rhodes Island Bioengineering Lab 10:00 A.M. \ Sunny, clear
[Someone knocks the door...]
???	Weedy?
[...and enters, who is revealed to be Closure...]
Closure	Oh, sorry, sorry.
[...as she disinfects her hands with the spray at the doors.]
Closure	I used the disinfectant spray at the door... and I wasn't doing any experiments before I came... I'm coming in, okay? I don't wanna hear any whining that I smell like machine oil this time.
[Closure walks in.]
Closure	Anyway, your contract's almost up, and they make us do an interview before we can renew it. I brought the draft for the new one. Not much has changed, really; just trying to get HR off my back. ...... Hello? Anybody home? Dang, I forgot. Weedy and Blaze always do physical training at this hour. Guess I'm off to the training grounds.
<Background 2>
[Weedy waves her hand...]
Weedy	Over here, Luli.
[...as a woman named Luli walks toward her table.]
Luli	Sorry I'm late. I almost didn't recognize you.
Weedy	Is that so? Speaking of which, if I didn't know any better I'd think you were born and raised in Columbia.
Luli	I have spent an awful long time in Trimounts, after all. We haven't seen each other since Iberia, have we?
Weedy	I was in the audience when you gave Rhine Lab's presentation at the last Trimounts Bioengineering Frontier Conference.
Luli	Really?
Weedy	I was going to meet you after the session, but I had to leave for an emergency call from the Medical Department.
Luli	So you were the Rhodes Island representative who had to withdraw?
Weedy	We'd just taken in a batch of patients in critical condition, and they needed my expertise.
Luli	You do realize how competitive that conference is, don't you? There are so many universities and tech companies fighting for those slots.
<Background 3>
[Blaze charges up her chainsaw...]
Blaze	Spike the temperature to herd the enemy where you want them, then finish 'em off with the chainsaw. Hyah!
[...before bursting down a rock as Closure shows up...]
Closure	Blaze! Got a moment?
[...and swings it.]
Blaze	Hey, Closure. How'd you like my move just now?
Closure	Spicy. It's just you here, though? Where's Weedy?
Blaze	We cancelled today's training.
Closure	Huh? Why?
Blaze	I thought it was about yesterday at first.
Closure	Yesterday, huh...?
<Flashback starts here>
<Background fades out and in>
Blaze	Careful!
[Weedy charges up her defensive Arts as Blaze struck her with an Arts-infused chainsaw.]
Blaze	At these temperatures–
Weedy	No need to hold back. I want to test the limits of the water cannon post-modification.
Blaze	Can you take the recoil though?
Weedy	Should be fine. It's a chance to put that physical training to the test.
Blaze	Alright then.
Weedy	Get ready, Leaf!
[Blaze charges up again and strikes at Weedy, this time resulting in a big steam explosion.]
<Flashback ends here>
<Background fades out and in>
Closure	What...? Did you... knock her out?!
Blaze	No! Nothing to do with that! She cancelled to go see an old friend.
Closure	Oh yeah?
Blaze	A Rhine Lab employee, apparently.
Closure	She never told me about that...
[Closure realized something.]
Closure	Wait, Rhine Lab?! And that didn't raise any alarm bells for you?!
Blaze	(Shakes head)
Closure	Weedy was one of the first to join Rhodes Island, her contract's about to expire, and I've been trying in vain to track her down these past few days. And now she's meeting with an old buddy from Rhine Lab. On top of all that, just the other day she got injured while training with a certain someone.
Blaze	Hey, she wasn't injured! I know it looked bad, but I took her to Medical for a full checkup.
Closure	Either way, all signs point to...
Blaze	No way.
Closure	I sure hope not. Seriously, why would you swing for the fences in training? Don't you know how strong you are?
[Blaze charges to the fences.]
Blaze	Weedy knocked me back too, you know... She's gotten a lot stronger and more skilled.
<Background 2>
[A waiter walks by Weedy.]
Waiter	Excuse me, miss. Could you please move this, er... gun? It's blocking the passageway.
Weedy	Oh, sorry about that.
[Weedy pushes her water cannon out of the waiter's way...]
Waiter	Thank you.
[...allowing them to proceed.]
Luli	What's that, Weedy?
Weedy	It's a water cannon that can shoot water at various pressures, or even as high-temperature steam jets. It can be used as a portable energy source, which is useful for localized testing of the landship's automation upgrades.
Luli	Looks more like a weapon to me. That shoots people with high-pressure water jets. Or steam, apparently.
Weedy	Well, yes, combat was another application it was designed for. Researchers need weapons too.
Luli	Why on Terra would the head of Rhodes Island's bioengineering lab ever have to fight? Do they not assign security forces for their researchers?
Weedy	That's not what I meant. I had the idea of building a water cannon back when I was still in Iberia.
<Background fades out>
When the Inquisition came to Abuelo's lab. ...... They confiscated all his documents and materials. My grandfather's life's work, what would have been the first thesis in Iberia, indeed in all Terra, to detail the changes in the ocean from a combined biological and engineering perspective. Abuelo's research license was suspended. All further research was subject to direct review by the Inquisition. And he accepted it all.
<Background fades in>
Weedy	I would sometimes wonder, could I have blasted them out of his lab if I'd had a weapon like this back then?
Luli	You'd need more than a water cannon to deal with the Inquisition.
Weedy	Yes, it was just the fancy of a child. That's why I mostly use it for construction and development.
Luli	......
Weedy	Oops, I almost forgot we had business to attend to.
<Background 1>
[An assistant operator enters the room.]
Assistant Operator	You were looking for me, Closure?
Closure	Is your boss back yet?
Assistant Operator	No. Weedy went–
Closure	Yeah, I know. I didn't see her at the lab.
Assistant Operator	The bioengineering lab is out of service right now.
Closure	Huh?
Assistant Operator	Don't you remember? You came in without disinfecting last time, causing the contamination detection alarm to go off and–
Closure	Hey, I cleaned up right away, didn't I?
Assistant Operator	Yes, you used one of the hand-wash stations, putting the entire water sanitation system out of commission.
Closure	It's not my fault Weedy turned the detection AI's sensitivity all the way up!
Assistant Operator	Regardless, she decided to fully disinfect the lab and let it idle for a week before reopening it.
Closure	Someday we'll need to have a talk about how her mysophobia intersects with laboratory regulations.
Assistant Operator	......
Closure	Wait, but won't that delay your latest project? Didn't Weedy submit a bunch of reports and funding applications just last week?
[Closure thinks for a moment and remember that...]
Closure	Oh, crap, I think I forgot to approve them...
[Closure grabs some documents and sifts through them.]
Closure	Weapon upgrades for the training grounds... procurement for the Logistics Department... bridge repairs... I could swear I left them right here.
[Closure closes the files.]
Closure	Crap, don't tell me I misplaced her applications.
Assistant Operator	......
[Closure looks confused.]
Closure	Lab out of service, new projects not getting approved... She must be tearing her hair out by now. Do you know what she's been up to lately?
Assistant Operator	She received a package that seemed to contain some kind of research materials from an old friend. She's been going over them in her quarters.
Closure	An old friend? The same one who works for Rhine Lab? The one she's meeting today?
Assistant Operator	Yes, that one.
Closure	...... So she's already helping other companies with their projects.
Assistant Operator	Huh?
Closure	She's already made up her mind then... Oh jeez, how am I going to explain this to Kal'tsit and Amiya? Come to think of it, she's had a hand in half of Rhodes Island's automation projects... She's one of our oldest employees, but never gets the attention she deserves. Can't blame her for keeping her resume up-to-date. Heck, the only reason she came here in the first place is that we were the first to make an offer. I've failed her as both a supervisor and a colleague...
Assistant Operator	What are you talking about, Closure?
Closure	Do you know where Weedy is meeting her friend?
Assistant Operator	A bar, I think.
<Background 2>
Weedy	Oops, I almost forgot we had business to attend to.
[Weedy pulls out a document.]
Weedy	I've looked through the documents you sent me. Specifically, I made some corrections to the section on beachfront engineering based on Ægir technology, referencing the models and theories from Abuelo's manuscripts.
Luli	Thanks, Weedy. You're the only one I could think of when it comes to this stuff. Rhine Lab has experts on all sorts of things, but not on the ocean or the Ægir.
Weedy	No problem, it was nothing. I've been away from Iberia for a while, though, so there might be new variables I haven't taken into account. I can't guarantee 100% accuracy.
Luli	That's fine, I'll cross-check them in the field. I just wanted to gather all the materials I could pertaining to the current state of research, before I go back to Iberia.
Weedy	...... You're going back to Iberia?! Why so suddenly?
Luli	I was visited by a Messenger from the Inquisition last month.
Weedy	The Inquisition...
Luli	They brought a research proposal on maritime engineering, a handwritten letter from an Inquisitor, and an entrance permit into Iberia issued by the Inquisition. The documents you went over were part of that research.
Weedy	So they're opening up research into the ocean to outsiders...
Luli	Yes. Iberia is seeking change.
Weedy	Have you made up your mind?
Luli	Yes, that one.
Weedy	But you've spent so much time at Rhine Lab.
Luli	I'll be turning in my resignation. There's a lot of red tape involved, though. Project handovers, non-compete clauses, etc. Exactly what you'd expect from a big company. But Iberia is in my blood. No matter how far away I go, I'll always smell the scent of brine in the air, and follow it back to Iberia. There were two reasons I came here. The first was to hand over the responsibilities of the Rhine Lab liaison. The second was to seek you out.
Weedy	...... You want me to come back to Iberia with you.
Luli	Yes.
Weedy	I'm sorry, Luli, but I can't.
Luli	Because of Rhodes Island? Forgive me for being frank, but Rhodes Island is hardly the ideal employer. Due to their focus on clinical application, and involvement in crises across Terra, the resources they can offer for your research are limited. And not only did they make you pull out of the Trimounts Bioengineering Frontier Conference, apparently you have to fill in for armed personnel?
Weedy	Well, as I've already explained–
Luli	Your contract with them is about to expire, too.
Weedy	Rhodes Island isn't what you think it is, Luli.
[Luli asks Weedy,]
Luli	You still have chip on your shoulder about Iberia, don't you? Because of what happened to your grandfather?
Weedy	......
Luli	Didn't you used to say that "limitations on science are always set by people"?
Weedy	Those were Abuelo's words. I tried very hard to convince him to leave Iberia, but he never did.
Luli	Science is the exploration of the unknown, but those who passionately throw themselves into it will find many locked drawers in front of them. The ocean, the Ægir, the Profound Silence... No researcher could possibly enjoy an Iberia like that. But Weedy, the tide has come ashore, reaching up to Iberia's ankles, and threatens to drown all of it.
Weedy	So I've heard from our newer Iberian operators.
Luli	We can demand that the Inquisition release your grandfather's research. After all, it's closely linked to the maritime engineering project they sent over. Iberia needs to seek change. The locks on those drawers are opening up, one by one.
Weedy	I know. But I can't go back with you right now.
Luli	Why not?
Weedy	For the reason you brought up before tossing it aside: I need to stay at Rhodes Island. Abuelo hated Iberia, and he hated the Inquisition, for laying waste to his life's work in an instant. But he wouldn't leave the country, even after his research license was revoked. I thought it was because he was old and didn't feel like going through the effort of starting over. But there's no such thing as a utopia for scientific freedom. Far too many scientists have died in exile. Later, I began to understand that he simply wanted to keep defending what he loved doing. He was waiting for the locks to open, to pick his research back up.
Science is the exploration of the unknown, Weedy. There will always be blanks, and places that are off-limits. One blank gets filled in, and another appears. The frontiers are endless. And no matter where you go, there will always be somewhere off-limits. Limitations on science are always set by people, but it's also people who break those restraints. Passionate people.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 4>
Closure	Congratulations. You passed our tests. Welcome to the team.
Weedy	You say tests... It was one interview.
Closure	Eh, we're a start-up. We need all the talent we can get. It took a lot of convincing to get Amiya to set up a bioengineering lab. You're the only member right now, so we're counting on you to make something of it! No pressure.
Weedy	......
Closure	Of course, we'll give you all the support we can, in terms of funding, equipment, experiments... Anything you need, just say the word. Just one thing... do you think we could negotiate on your requirement to wash our hands an average of 10 times every 3 hours? Hey, what's with that look on your face?
<Background 5>
[After a surgery...]
Medic Operator	The operation went well.
Weedy	Great.
Medic Operator	It's all thanks to your help fixing the sickbay's automation equipment. I'm really sorry we had to call you back like this. That was an important conference, wasn't it? You spent so much time on that thesis.
Weedy	It's okay. All five Infected are out of danger, right?
Medic Operator	Yes.
Weedy	Good.
Medic Operator	By the way, there's a child who wants to chat with your bionic seadragon. She says you promised her before the operation.
Weedy	Right. I'll head in now.
Medic Operator	Are you sure? You must be tired.
<Background 3>
Blaze	Sorry, I should've been more careful. You hurt anywhere?
Weedy	I'm fine.
Blaze	You could just focus on your experiments, you know.
Weedy	Weren't you the one who said I needed to build up my constitution?
Blaze	What I mean is you don't have to fight.
Weedy	Surgery and experiments can solve only a small part of the Oripathy problem, as–
Blaze	Enough lectures, sheesh. Just stay behind me, alright? The battlefield can be chaotic, but I'll take out all the enemies before you're in any danger.
Weedy	Don't underestimate an industrial water cannon.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 2>
Weedy	I'm staying at Rhodes Island for the same reason that Abuelo wouldn't leave his lab, and the same reason you've chosen to return to Iberia. It's not because I'm afraid of restrictions in a far-away land, but because there's something here that I'm passionate about, which I feel is important to carry on.
Luli	......
[Closure rushes into the bar...]
Waiter	Excuse me, miss...
Weedy	Closure?!
[...and walks toward Weedy before confronting her,]
Closure	Please Weedy, won't you reconsider?
Weedy	Reconsider... what?
Closure	You know how excited Blaze gets in battle. She didn't mean it. And you know I get a little hare-brained when things get busy. I didn't reject those funding applications you sent last week, I just misplaced them! Heck, I still remember the titles! "Connecting Heterogenous Arts Units," "Reengineering Ægir Maritime Technology Through Lighthouse Components"... they have a lot of potential.
Luli	(Maritime technology...)
Weedy	Misplaced? You signed them on the spot and handed them back to me. Did you forget?
Closure	Oh... Well, anyway, I want you to give serious consideration to staying at Rhodes Island.
Weedy	...... Er... did you think I was going to leave?
Closure	HR was pressing me to get your contract renewal done, but I just couldn't find you. You weren't at the lab, either.
Weedy	Luli's going back to Iberia, so I came to see her off. Oh, I forgot. This is Luli, from Rhine Lab.
Luli	About to resign from Rhine Lab, actually. I'm Luli. Let's just say Weedy and I are fellow countrymen.
Closure	Resign? So you're not...?
[Closure regains her composure.]
Closure	Ahem. I'm Closure, head of Rhodes Island's Engineering Department, and Weedy's supervisor and friend.
Luli	......
Closure	I'm not interrupting anything, am I?
Luli	No, we were just about done. I think I understand your choice, Weedy. I'll respect it. And it looks like you do plan to...
Weedy	Right, just not now. Thanks for coming to see me. Have a safe trip.
Luli	Bye bye.
Weedy	Bye.
[Luli leaves as Closure sits beside Weedy.]
Weedy	Wait, you said you went into the bioengineering lab today?
Closure	...Er, yeah.
Weedy	Didn't you know it needed to be put into idle cycle for a week after being disinfected?
Closure	......
Weedy	Closure!