story_hibisc_1_1

What is it this time, Hibiscus? I've humored you and gotten the checkup. You do what you do with the other workers.

It's not about the physical screening! You have to be here today, Mr. Gali!

Stop pulling my sleeve, I've got to fill the boss's orders...

Hey! Gimme back my keys!

I finally found an expert who can come in and help find out why everyone in the workshop's conditions have been flaring up with no rhyme or reason!

I'm not giving you back your keys unless you cooperate!

Hey, stop it, you brat!

Take it easy, Hibiscus... What's the matter, Gali? Have you eaten yet?

Wallen? Stop her!

There's no use hiding behind him!

Yeah, you can't hide now that I've gotten skinnier!

Remember to watch what you eat so you don't regain all that excess body fat!

I know, I know.

What happened to the guy who used to complain about the annoying new doctor? Still can't believe Hibiscus managed to win your stubborn ass over.

You askin' for a fist to the face? Hibiscus, I caught him drinking beer last night, all those empty cans...

Hey now! Don't listen to him!

Well, I've been monitoring everyone's vitals... Once should be fine, I guess, but don't do it again!

...You sure are patient. The doctors from the last hospital couldn't wait to get away from here once they saw a bunch of Infected.

No wonder the patient records were full of errors. We should continue to work together, Mr. Gali. Rhodes Island treats the Infected with care and attention!

Fine, fine, I'll think about it. Just gimme back my car keys.

Huh? That's a completely different matter! The expert still hasn't...

I know, I know, it's your first mission, you want to look good. Don't worry, I'll put in a good word with your supervisor.

That's not the problem, Mr. Gali! I really do suspect that—

Well, look at that, a personal welcome from the boss?

What are you doing here in the middle of the day, dressed like <i>that</i>? Do all government employees have this much free time?

I guess the rumors of you mellowing out have been greatly exaggerated. I'm not here to argue.

Then... Hey, what's that equipment on your back? It's not time for the annual inspection yet! Besides, you're not who handles our inspections—

Forgot to take your meds or something? You think I'd have come on my own without being asked?

Are you Mr. Edgar?

Wait, don't tell me <i>this</i> guy is the expert you were talking about?

Mr. Gali! Mr. Gali! I...

One second.

Yes, I'll take care of the rest... Bye.

The results are in. The safety equipment is really worn-out, with lots of cracks in the isolation shell. No wonder the workers keep getting sick.

Folks from the Engineering Department tell me this part is out of production, and that it'd be cheaper to just buy a new machine.

A new machine, eh?

I know it's not cheap, but the workers will never get better in this environment.

Alright, we'll get it replaced.

...Really?

If a few quid is all it takes. We're all old neighbors from the slums.

Thank you! But it might take more than a few quid... here's the catalogue.

...You could buy half my workshop with that kind of cash!

Well, there's also this.

An industrial equipment subsidy... did you get that from Edgar?

I understand that you might have some history with him, but these are all official documents, and I added comments where the legalese gets confusing.

I can even fill out the form for you, if you're busy. All you'll need to do is review it before signing.

I see... Oh, Hibiscus, your office just called. They want you to go back.

Huh? Why would they call you?

I was so busy I didn't even realize that the contract expired half a month ago. I'll work out your pay...

No need for that, Mr. Gali! I'm here as a volunteer!

No, but...

It's okay, really! I was planning to stay a little longer anyway. I'll talk to the head office.

Cleaning up the workshop, installing the new equipment, plus the necessary safety training... All that will take at least a month. You'll be short-handed.

Once the new equipment is ready, I'll also need to follow-up with everyone, to make sure there's no rebound—

It's okay, Hibiscus. You've done enough.

Do you have a lot of stuff? I can take the car out.

...Are you having problems, Mr. Gali?

If money is the issue, I can help you apply for a medication subsidy that all factories that employ Infected are eligible for.

Don't try to take on everything alone! It's okay to accept help from others once in a while. And I could introduce you to—

For heaven's sake, could you just stop?! Has it never occurred to you that you're my biggest problem?

What do you...?

Do you know how much delay your checkups have caused? My phone's been ringing for two days straight with all the people demanding to know when their orders will be ready!

I... I'm sorry, Mr. Gali, I didn't know the factory was so backlogged. But I've adjusted the treatment plan...

Enough. I know you want to look good, to feel like you've accomplished something on your first mission.

But first you called Edgar here, and now you want to me stop working and replace my equipment? Everyone could be out on the streets starving by tomorrow!

...Are you that concerned that you won't be able to deliver on time? Don't worry, I've looked it up!

Work delays due to equipment repair and replacement are eligible for city subsidies, legal relief, and health subsidies... for up to a month.

Mr. Edgar said that the facility is eligible for an equipment subsidy that will cut the out-of-pocket expense for new machines in half!

Enough! Edgar this, Edgar that! Do you even know who he is? Do you know which noble holds the leash on his collar?

Little factories like us can't afford to miss a deadline. Health subsidies? They'll just end up in somebody else's pocket!

I-I'll get it cleared up, make sure everything is actually in order...

Get back here! Do you still not get it?

Every time you do any of this shit, someone learns about it, and those nobles take another bloody cut out of my pocket!

No wonder there were new inspection stamps on the aging machines... No wonder the supervisor at the city council looked confused when I brought him the files...

Your factory isn't licensed, is it? It's a private sweatshop employed by nobles.

Yes! Do you finally get it? The best thing you can do for me is pack your stuff and get your ass back to that Rhodes Island!

Okay, I'll go, but there's one last thing I want to check first.

Are the results from the previous hospital's checkups accurate, or were they fudged?

Because I don't see how such mild symptoms could deteriorate so much in just a year.

It's not a problem with the data, is it? It's the work... you made them trade their lives for money, didn't you?!

So what if I did? Their lives would be worth even less if I didn't get them these jobs! Where do you think we are, Londinium?

How many boots do you think I had to lick just to hire the Infected? All so I could take on orders the uninfected workers wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole!

You...

Are you guys arguing?

No, just talking... About work.

Whatever. Edgar came back and went around the workshop measuring stuff. And something about taking half a month off?

Would those big companies even agree to that when we haven't finished their orders? ...Hey, why aren't you guys saying anything? What's going on, Gali?

Just get back to work, Wallen. I'll take care of it.

You'll take care of it... Kid, we're sick, not dying. Don't try to take everything on yourself.

If the factory's having trouble... you can always take on more orders. We can handle it.

Wallen...

Don't worry, I'll let you know if I ever really need help.

Alright, then come and get your grub when you're done here. We saved plenty of meat for you.

...They knew?

They're Infected, not stupid. The only way they can live a better life is to make the most of their already-infected bodies.

But that's only because they don't have a choice. It doesn't mean they have to just sit and take it. It doesn't mean they can't have hope for the future!

Hope? You kidding me?

Do you expect the fat bastards above us to suddenly grow a conscience and start handing out money? Or the workers to eat your bland-ass food every day until they're sick to death of it?

When you don't have long to live, might as well use that time to earn some cash and make life better <i>now</i>.

...Do you really think that's what they want?

Wallen exercises every day, Bard has virtually quit drinking, and Elsa has put away her cigarettes after smoking all her life.

Do you really think they don't care about living longer?!

The Infected have the right to be healthy too. They may be willing to give it up for their livelihood, or for their children—

But that's no excuse to expose them to dangerous work, or use them as a trading chip for your profits!

Are you done yet?

Will anything you're saying get me new machines and new jobs that are completely risk-free?

I've done plenty. The stones aren't bloody growing on <i>me</i>. No one forced me to deal with Infected workers, or to put up with your crap.

Now get outta here. I've got work to do.

...I'm sorry.

Gali? You got the files?

...Whatever the nobles behind you are thinking, Edgar, whether they want money or the factory, this is between us. Don't drag a little girl into this.

Hey! What are you—

Suppressant dosage and usage guide, protection equipment manual... and a checklist for machine safety devices.

Whoa, would you look at that? Hibiscus, of all people, staying up late?

Closure?! Already? How did you...

You thought I'd ignore a late-night request from our little Hibiscus? I've already approved your application for discounted suppressants.

...Thanks.

As for the private message you sent... Well, it's not like I <i>can't</i> pull some strings to get a sweet discount on this type of equipment...

I just wanted to double-check that you really think this is necessary.

I... I just think that Mr. Gali really does care about his employees.

So if a discount can change his mind, then maybe all the changes in mindset and improvements in health I've worked so hard for will actually take root.

I know Rhodes Island has no obligation to do whatever I ask, but—

That's not what I meant.

What I meant is we're not talking pocket change, even with a discount. Are you gonna spend years worth of your own salary to buy him the machines if he doesn't agree?

Of course not! My job is just to make one final check on everyone's behalf, and make sure they know what they need to know.

My powers are limited, but I want to at least do what I can, try to push a little further. That last push may be all that's needed for real change.

Who's sending me work messages at this hour? I'm gonna sue their pants off... Edgar?

Didn't you tell me to send him home because of his feud with the factory owner? What now...?

They just keep coming! What's wrong with him?

They aren't for you, Closure. I linked the monitoring bracelet notifications to the terminal.

Why are you still here? Is your ride not here yet?

There's... something I wanted to confirm with you. Were you checking on the machines in the workshop last night?

You were monitoring me?

You left in a hurry after yesterday's checkup and didn't take off your bracelet. I got a notification on my terminal about abnormal Originium activity.

Ah, forgot about that. Here.

Now get going if you're done. I was just making sure Edgar didn't mess with anything... What's the matter?

I... I ran an imaging scan last night, which showed a Blood Originium-Crystal Density of 0.2u/L... the same as when I was diagnosed with Oripathy.

...What do you mean?

Have you ever considered the possibility that you've been... infected?

Are you kidding me? There must be something wrong with your equipment. I never go in the workshop without my protective suit. You have any idea how much that cost me?

You bought your suit from the hospital you worked with before, didn't you?

Yeah, what about it?

Why would you trust a doctor who can't even screen properly out of fear of the Infected to take their preventative measures seriously?

...You're talking crap! I always see the best doctors for my checkups!

And if I'm really Infected, why don't I feel anything? Show me the report! Damn it... what's with all these figures and diagrams?

It's the estimated growth trend of your Blood Originium-Crystal Density. Mr. Wallen told me that the high-risk work began last March. Working off your current data...

No! This can't be happening to me!

Look at all this medicine! It wasn't cheap getting it delivered from Columbia! I've been taking it for so long, I should've developed resistance to it!

...Say something! The report's fake, right? So that I'll buy your products?

Mr. Gali, please, calm down...

And just tell me while you're at it...

What's with that look on your face? You're laughing at me, aren't you? Stop looking at me like that!

I said, stop looking at me like that! You're happy that I'm Infected, aren't you? You think it's karma that I'm joining your little Infected family?!

...I'd never wish that on anyone, no matter how much I dislike them. The uninfected can never understand the pain faced by the Infected.

I don't need your preaching! I'm not gonna become trash like you people, even if I'm Infected!

My factory... I have enough money to pay for treatment for the rest of my life! I... I...

I haven't even left this bloody place yet... There's still so much I had to do...

Dammit all, I don't want to die...

No one does. But it takes a lot of effort just to live. And courage, to keep one's desires in check. And to do all you can to live a better life, no matter how dire the situation.

There is nothing funny about what you believe are futile efforts.

Once the rocks show up, I won't be able to negotiate with those people anymore... I'll have to find someone else to take over the factory. The fires have to stay lit.

It's not a matter of a few days... How long can I keep living like a normal person, if I do things your way?

...For a long time. Congratulations.

Congratulations?

You're very fortunate. While your crystal density has passed the pathological threshold, you haven't developed any symptoms.

Which means you're not technically Infected yet. Your condition will improve as long as you stay away from sources of infection, wear proper protection, and receive appropriate treatment.

...This isn't a joke, right?

It's not. You're one step away from full-blown Oripathy, and you should be wary of the organizations that you used to work with.

As for why I didn't tell you this right off the bat... I wanted you to know how the Infected feel.

...I don't need you to tell me! I know their situation better than you do!

I thought you might have forgotten.

The people here see you as a kid from the slums who made it big and gave back to his old neighborhood.

Even as their health and circumstances deteriorate, all they ever talk about is how hard things are for you, and how they can help you cut costs.

They can hardly make ends meet themselves...

I don't believe that someone they all trust and care for so much is only doing this to exploit them.

'It's okay if the equipment is a little old; it's okay to take a few more orders...'

Those kinds of thoughts are like the crystals in your bloodstream, rising to the surface whenever they accumulate. And they must be prevented, just like Oripathy.

Here are the subsidy application forms from Rhodes Island, including suppressants and the equipment that needs to be replaced. The channels are plenty discreet.

Our relationship is just client and contractor. Whatever decision you make from here on is none of my business.

But at least try not to let those people down.

Alright, my ride is here. Goodbye, Mr. Gali.

Wait, the forms you brought... Let's talk about them. And I want to speak to your supervisor too—

Stop rushing me, dammit! You in a rush to go to hell or something?

Gali! I've got your stuff here! Now come out of your room!

Put it over here, it'll make it easy to move that machine. Hey, this cord isn't the original, is it?

I should ask the office to send a proper engineer... Hey, wear your gloves properly!

...So which bigshot ordered you to bring in all these new machines?

Did it ever occur to you that maybe I was moved by her sincere pleas and found a conscience?

I might've believed it five years ago.

Yes, and I know you still hold a grudge ever since I withdrew my investment and took a job for a noble on the city council, but I needed money for my dad's treatment.

Spare me, that's none of my business.

Well, whatever you say... It was the higher-ups who forced these orders for military parts on you, wasn't it?

...How did you know?

Someone would've swallowed up this little factory of yours a long time ago if I didn't.

You should take on some normal orders now that you've got the new machines. I've already talked to the guy at the city council who handles factory licenses.

Thanks.

Mr. Wallen? I said we didn't need your help! The equipment testing is bad for your health! Shoo!

Me? I'm alright, I'm wearing protective gear, and I can use Arts... Fine, I'll go with you!

The number you are calling is currently unavailable. Please leave a message after the tone.

Hibiscus! I've called you three times already! How long is this gonna take, seriously? The guys from A1 are gonna break down my door if you don't get back to me!

Anyway, I wanted to say it's really impressive how you got the situation under control in such a short time. And on your first field mission, too. You even got Edgar to buy the new machines.

Patience, professionalism, sticking to your guns, predicting the client's needs... We should work together on a business venture some time.

Seriously though, come back soon! We're holding a party to celebrate your success and we need the guest of honor!