snsant

Twenty?!

But didn't you say your publication fee was in the four-digit range?

I know it isn't much, but high volume with low margins is the best way of doing business. Nobody would come if I charged too much...

So, twenty is enough. Twenty is just right.

Phew... That takes care of everything.

Now, to check the tags...

These two terminals belong to Liskarm and Kroos.

There's also Vanilla's pet water dispenser, and Instructor Dur-nar's calculator.

Including Jessica's terminal from yesterday, that makes a total of five times twenty.

So, that's a hundred LMD in one day. Making money this way... seems pretty fast?

A four-figure publication fee... Assuming it's just five thousand, then the amount I've earned today would be—

One-fiftieth...

I need to work harder.

But I wonder why all these communication terminals have the same problem?

Mine doesn't though. How strange.

Who is it? Come in.

It's me, Jessica.

Hi there. I've finished repairing everything, so you can take them back now.

Sounds good!

This is what we owe you. One hundred LMD.

You're paying me now? What if there still are problems...

Instructor Dur-nar said that making you do minor repair jobs is selling your abilities short.

Oh! Um, tell her I appreciate that!

Then, er, thank you for the payment.

Oh, by the way, why do all your terminals have the same point of failure? Is there some kind of design flaw?

I asked Liskarm, and she thinks they sacrificed reliability for performance, and used relatively rust-prone materials in the circuitry...

Which I guess would be the component you mentioned.

It wouldn't be a problem under ordinary conditions, but operators often have to work in hot or humid environments, so the terminals break down faster.

And is there no way to make it work without that part?

I don't know... Not even Closure could do anything about it, after all.

Oh...

Oh right, Instructor Dur-nar asked me to tell you one more thing.

She said it's fine to have you work on minor stuff like water dispensers and calculators, but it's best for Engineering to handle standard-issue things like the terminals.

Why's that?

As a policy, Engineering doesn't want us doing private maintenance on standard-issue equipment. Repairing things using inconsistent materials will just make future maintenance more expensive.

Wh-What do I do then? Should I talk to Instructor Dur-nar...?

Don't worry about it.

She said she'd turn a blind eye to it, given your circumstances and the fact that Engineering has such a back-log these days.

She just wanted to remind you to use your own judgment.

(Lets out a long sigh)

So, next time someone asks you to fix their terminal, would you still agree to it?

That's...

I guess I'll use my own judgment.

Orchid's fountain pen, twenty LMD.

Hibiscus's food processor, twenty LMD.

April's music player, twenty LMD—but it took two LMD to replace the buttons, and another one to replace the exposed headphone cable so she doesn't notice anything. So, that's a net of seventeen LMD.

Durin's nail clippers...

Even an amateur could reassemble a nail clipper, so I won't charge anything for that.

Altogether, that's only fifty-seven LMD this week...

What do I do? If business continues to be this bad, I won't be able to make five thousand...

Plus, how much time do I even have to come up with the publication fee?

Snowsant lies down on the chair, involuntarily glancing at the eight terminals sitting on the table, awaiting repairs.

If I fix all of them, that'd be a hundred-sixty LMD!

No, no. It was one thing when I didn't know about the regulations, it's another to knowingly break the rules...

But, the publication fee...

*sob*... I don't want money to be the first stumbling block on my way to becoming a great scientist.

Hmm, what if I replace the structure of the Originium circuit entirely, and find a workaround that doesn't use metal parts at all? Would that still violate the regulations?

But how could I manage something not even Closure could?

No, I have to give it a shot. For the publication fee.

I'll repair everyone else's terminals using the old method first, then use my own to fiddle with the Originium circuitry.

You can do it, Snowsant! You <i>have</i> to do it, so you can get your papers published, become a great scientist, and afford to have three meals a day... with dessert!

Work... Projects... Things to fix... Everything looks good.

It's one o'clock, huh?

Maybe I'll stay up a bit later tonight... Need to investigate how the circuitry in the terminal is connected.

It's only 10:30, and I'm already done with all my work. Guess I was pretty lucky today.

Now, time to take a look at that circuitry.

Can't connect it like this, or like this...

Ugh, I've already spent weeks on the circuitry alone.

But if I try using this—

Wait, I haven't worked on today's research project yet. I've got to take care of that first.

Phew... Haah...

I have a good feeling about this one. The connection might just work.

Time to pull an all-nighter!

Huh? You want me to grab all the terminals you've already fixed? You're going to go over them all again?

It's because I found a new way to connect the circuitry, a simpler way that bypasses the need for the metal part that rusts easily.

Really?

Not even Closure could figure it out!

Hmm, now that you mention it... I guess so?

Let me try to remember whose terminals you fixed...

I've kept the receipts, so we can go off of that.

Me, Liskarm, Kroos...

Oh right, considering this is an upgrade, you can't just charge the same twenty LMD, right?

True. Since I decided to make this change on my own, I can't ask for your money at all.

...Huh?

Well, aren't you just a saint, Snowsant?

Heheh...

That's right! She's been hard at work fixing up the terminals for how many days now? How can she not charge a cent for them—

C-C-Closure?!

Wow, I'm here for two seconds and I'm already hearing all about your under-the-table dealings.

Jessica, since you're only an accomplice, head back to the dorms for now. I need to have a word with the prime suspect first.

Y-Yes, ma'am!

Snowsant?

What, so scared you can't walk?

...N-No, that's not it.

Then come on in and let's have a chat.

Close the door.

Yeah...

First of all, let me ask: how are your personal projects and daily work going? How much are you letting this side gig get in the way?

I-It's not getting in the way at all! I'm finishing all my work as always, and I'm making progress in my projects too!

Really? Then when are you getting to sleep every night?