Good day fellow readers. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. First of all, I am back from oblivion, after a long time on hiatus. So my apologies for that. I have been having quite a time at the latter half of 2017. Attending some competitions, moving to Canada and other kinds of stuff that consumed my time. But now that I have gotten a bit of time in hand, I am ready to write again. And now I will focus on this fic, Expenditure, as this somehow placed a smile on my face while writing it. Hopefully you'll enjoy it!
Secondly, I have another fic coming up here, also a Kantai Collection fanfic. I have pretty much all the pieces and have outlined the course of that fic, and the trailer of it shall be posted in the next chapter, here. Why here, you ask? You will find out soon. I'm pretty excited for it.
Anyway, all in all, I'm back, and here's the next chapter for this fic. Enjoy, and please review if you have the time. Constructive criticism are very appreciated.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kantai Collection, or any of its material.
Chapter 2: First Week
Ok…
"OK!"
This is getting horribly out of hand!
Hatsune's job as the naval base's Chief Logistics and Supply Officers had only stepped into its fifth day, and yet it felt like a medium eternity. That course of mentality was caused simply by a string of unadministrated ideas and regulation illiterate. Each alone enough was already enough to ruin any administrator's day, but here, we are talking about both combined. Yes, all for miss Hatsune.
"I just want one simple life."
Is this what people call culture shock?
"Amari-san. Fight on…"
Came the silent prayer of the office's occupants. They had seen this coming miles away. The reason was simple, they had learnt it the hard way themselves.
The twenty years old woman was lying flat on her desk, after a day's hard work. Today, she had just finished repairing the building that was almost utterly destroyed due to the Battleship game when another catastrophe, sort of, happened, which involved a light carrier flying her new prototype plane indoors uncontrollably, smashing through a window and knocked out the power generator. As a result, the entire naval base's electric system went down for over 4 hours. And since this Naval Base is set on a tropical island, where winter became summer, and summer became rainy season, it caused a not very pleasant sight of young girls walking around in either sweat-soaked clothes or undergarments. You got the point.
"Lucky that I have that air conditioner inside of me." Battleship Yamato, the Admiral's chief secretary, had to heave a sigh of relief for not being listed among those many. One merit for being labelled as a hotel that was.
The statement was not so pleasant to hear as well, as the remaining room occupants gave her dangerous glares. The Admiral, who was sitting quietly next to Yamato, gave an unreadable smile, as he stood up from his chair and headed over to Hatsune.
"You know, that is probably the most impressive expression I have seen recently."
Yeah right…
She's literally faceplanting on her desk right now.
"From now on, Miss Hatsune Amari here shall be taking charge of the naval base's resource expenditure. This means that she will have full authority over what you spend and what you intend to spend…"
She reminisces on that welcoming speech the Admiral delivered in front of over one hundred ship girls on her second day at work. So he was plotting this all along? In that case, she was utterly tricked. She had thought that by moving here, she would be able to experience a much better working environment and a more suitable job. It did partly satisfy her needs, but mostly not. Did he take advantage of that to lure her into accepting? From the looks of his recent attitude, he apparently did…
"But I did say you are given full authority, right?"
Her head jerked up a little at what the Admiral just said
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I mean you can do whatever you want with this base's resources. It's all yours to decide how it is managed and how it is spent." He then walked to the door leading to his room. "You're smart. Figure it out."
Figure it out...
Full authority...
"Ooh..." Hatsune finally lifted her head from the table in realization. But the Admiral had already exited the room. He was going to go out for a walk, and let the girl handle her own deals.
'What am I doing with my life in the last five days?' She laughed at herself mentally.
She was wasting it by the minutes.
But that would definitely change. At this exact moment!
"Ooyodo-san!" Hatsune suddenly slammed her desk, standing up all of a sudden from her chair. "I need you to transmit this message to everyone in the naval base."
The Admiral was heading out for a bit of coffee at Mamiya's when the transmission went off from the loudspeaker situated on top of a pole nearby.
"Attention all personals. Please return to your quarters immediately. For the rest of the day, everybody is to remain in their respective dorms. All outdoor activities are cancelled for the remainder of the day."
The announcement sent everyone nearby, especially the one who were hanging around outside, on a trip to utter and infinite confusion.
"Geez..."
Guess the coffee trip is over, huh...
Oh well, at the least, it seemed to be beginning to go into proper order with Hatsune on the post after all.
He did choose her to be his Logistic Officer for a reason.
"This announcement will take effect immediately. This is the Admiral's direct order..."
"Eh?"
It was at this moment that he knew...
"You know..."
The red-eyed teitoku was wiping off the water on his face as he said, his forehead wrinkling even harder than before.
"I know you don't want any unforeseen damage, but you need not include my name in the announcement."
That was probably the most terrible groping ever since Kongou's surprise jump into his office - disregarding all laws of gravity and physics. When he was back, he was soaked in his own sweat, with a case of near suffocation.
"They would not comply immediately unless it's a direct order from you." Hatsune replied sternly as she cocked her paper sheets together. "From now on, everything will be in proper order. Ooyodo-san!"
She told her, as the radiogirl did her part automatically: pulling out a piece of paper and a pen.
"Rule number 1!" Hatsune spoke loudly, her countenance facing her Admiral, while dictating for Ooyodo to write. "Every expenditure, purchases, online orders must go through my supervision. That also includes you, sir!"
'Now this is interesting…' The frustration on the Admiral's face disappeared, replaced by curiosity and mild excitement. The rest of the room's occupants were either baffling at the show the new Logistic Officer was putting up with, or were listening intensely.
"Rule number 2! You will not be able to use the money in the base's account, and there will be a limited amount of base resources that you can use. So there will be no more carriers devouring our bauxites."
'Oh shit, that won't be good…' The thought ran through Nagato's mind. She had seen the sight of a hungry carrier, and that was a not good memory. Surely, she knew that Kaga or the two sister, Soryu and Hiryu, would be able to put up with this, but for Akagi…that's a different story.
"Rule number 3!" Hatsune slammed the table again. "There will be a total redistribution of paycheque for each and every personals on this base. The amount of money you will receive monthly will depend on the contribution that you had over the course of the Abyssal Pacific War and the current contribution to the base's daily operation."
"So that means…" Mutsu, who was hearing all of this from the sideline, sitting with her legs crossed, said. "Kanmusus like Ooyodo, Nagato, me or Mamiya will have higher wages because they do a lot of works around?"
"Exactly." Hatsune pointed a 'bingo' finger at her. "The amount of resources used will also be the same. There will be general tiers to the salary level, but the amount will be specific. I will announce that along with this tomorrow. Rule number 4! For every damage caused to the base's infrastructure, the perpetrators must be responsible to pay for it. The repair cost will be docked into the amount of resources they can access. If the numbers exhaust, then it will be docked into the individual's own personal expenditure. So no more unauthorised weapon testing for Akashi or Yuubari."
'Those two are going to riot for this…' Nagato said her thoughts lowly. But oh well, that was for the best.
"And rule number 5 for base expenditure! If anyone want to exert their resource use, they must submit a formal form directly to me, with their name and signature, and must present good reasons for their use. When all tallied up, the resources we saved will be used for infrastructure repairs, supply maintenance and organizing public holidays. That is it for now. I will add more rules as I go over it tonight, and as I go along."
As Hatsune finished, the remaining room occupants, even Ooyodo, looked at each other thoughtfully. Some thought this may be good, and actually really good, but most figured that it might be too hasty, since a massive forced implementation of these rules may not be too much for a change. It was like everything was going normally and BANG, the rules that everybody was so used to was wiped off completely, replaced by a brand new one. It would take a lot of times, effort, tears, sweat, or maybe even blood to get used to this one.
"What do you think Admiral? For me, I think it might be too much for-" Yamato, the secretary ship, spoke out. But before she could finish…
"Approved." The Admiral had already made his final decision.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The entire room was dumbfounded.
"What is on your mind Admiral? How come you approve it so quickly?" Yamato said, calmly. Unlike most people, she was very much used to this situation, since she had stayed with him for so long, worked with him so many times, and enjoyed both joy and sorrow throughout the course of the war. When the Admiral said things like this while the rest of the high commands were pretty much undecided over some trivial things, it was usually something very insightful, something really ingenious and smart, along with logical explanations to back up his thesis. So she was kind of expecting that sort of answer.
But to her disappointment…
"Well, I think it is simply good for the base, since it is from Miss Hatsune." He said, blatantly. "She is, after all, one of the best in logistics here."
Absolutely no logical explanation. Absolutely nothing new. Absolutely nothing smart or ingenious.
'In other words, you are pushing the job onto her, aren't you, Admiral?' The thought screamed to each and every kanmusus present in the room. Yamato was struggling to keep herself from showing her disappointment in front of him. Nagato was discreetly facepalming herself. Mutsu gave one of the legendary dead-fish eyes, while Ooyodo simply turned away.
What had happened to our once responsible and upright Admiral who was always up to his duty?
"Great! Now Mutsu-san, please arrange a public announcement at the parade ground at exactly 0900 tomorrow. I want everyone to be there. No exceptions."
The next day.
The parade ground were full of kanmusus, with pretty much all of them confused and angered over yesterday's incidents. The Admiral was standing in the sideline and was watching to see if the entirety of the kanmusus were here yet. When he felt that they all were present and accounted for, he took the stage.
"Good morning ladies." He began. "First of all, my apologies for the sudden announcement last afternoon."
He glanced towards Hatsune, in mild irritation for the misunderstanding she had caused, but held back the urge to say the words 'it wasn't me' for her sake.
"It serves the purpose of our today's announcement. From today, the base will go under a huge reform of rules and regulations."
Murmurs and small talks began to spread throughout the kanmusus. The Admiral paused, to let his words sink before continuing.
"Now I present to you: Logistic Officer Hatsune Amari, who will be explaining this reform in great details for you all to hear. Please." He stepped down, and invited the girl to take the podium.
"Thank you Admiral." She paused briefly before beginning. "As we can see, our naval base is under a very serious economic issue. And as I see it, it is long caused mostly because of several unregulated and unnecessary spending by the base's personals. And it has caused a not very pleasant amount of stress for the administrators over here. And I'm sure some of you here could understand it as well"
She paused again, as she noticed several girls nodded in approval. They must be the sane one around here. "As a result, I will be changing a bit of the regulations around here. And by a bit means entirely!"
'Oh boy, here's the fun part.' The Admiral smirked mischievously.
"In a minute from now, the papers containing the new rules concerning the base's expenditure will be distributed to you. But now I will go through the general rules that all of you must remember by heart. Rule number 1!…"
And then she went on to explain the rules that she had already presented to the Admiral and the high commands the day before, adding several small details to it for the presentation. And hell, she was really good at it. Being able to speak like that for the whole 5 minutes in front of hundreds. Some would freak out and break from the intense pressure, but the girl was simply relentless, confident and prideful of her positions, as she spoke with her heart and mind.
The moment she finished her speech, the entire ground was silenced, unsure how to respond as a whole. Most were very baffled by the sudden changes. Some were negative, shocked. Some were neutral, showing proper understanding to the reasons Hatsune would come to this decision. A few were relieved, and asked themselves how come these rules did not come earlier. But these sane individuals were, unfortunately, rare among the insanes.
"One thing before I return the mic to our Admiral. The salary distributions will be measured according to tiers, from one to four, with one the lowest and four the highest. The numbers will be specific to each and every ship girls, but the tier is to show how much contribution you are both in the past and in the present. Tier one salary indicates that you have not many contributions to the base, and mildly participated in the Pacific Abyssal War, and the wars before that. But don't think that by getting this tier, you are useless. It's just that your role is a bit…less significant. You will still get enough for living and other stuff."
"Tier two salary indicates that you have some contributions to the base, and have achieved some significant victories over the Abyssals over the course of the war. Tier three indicates that you have significant and important contributions in the development and maintenance of the base, or that you have take part and fought bravely in many different theaters and battles in the war. And finally, tier four salary is the highest amount you can ever achieve. This tier is very limited, since in order to reach this tier, you will have to prove that you are one of the indespensible part of the base, and that you are one of the trump card in the struggle against the Abyssals, playing the key role in their destructions."
As the statement went over the crowd, murmurs began to ripple.
"The tiers and numbers that you receive will not be permanent. You will be able to get a higher reward if you contribute more. You will also be dropped to lower tiers if you don't contribute at all, even if you are one of the key players in the Abyssal War. You will be issued with documents concerning your rankings and stuff over there after this is finished, so please step in line and state your name once you are there."
After a brief moment, Hatsune ended her speech with a bow. The Admiral returned to the podium afterwards, but had nothing else to say so he dismissed the girls.
Hatsune, the Admiral and the rest of the high command then headed down for the line for the paycheque handing, to have their own wages issued, as well as seeing their reaction on some of the kanmusus faces when they learnt about them.
"Tier two?! Even lower than Hosho-san?! Come on! I've fought properly from the start until the end of the war. I even participated in the final triumph at Sakhalin!" It was Light Carrier Jun'you who was surprisingly shocked at her wages, as the number dipped significantly lower than most carriers and even seaplane tenders. The only exception was Chitose, and there was only one reason.
"That's because your drinking tendency has done pretty much no good for our bases. At least Hosho-san is sharing Mamiya-san's work to feed us." Her sister Hiyou replied. Hosho also had tier two, but her wage was almost at the top, while Junyou was at the bottom. At least the girl now had a reason to cease her uncontrolled and no-braking drinking.
"How…" Ashigara's face was dead serious. "How's Haguro's earnings on a whole different tier than us?!"
Haguro was tier four, comparing to the Myoukou's tier three. Bottom in terms of tier four, but still, really luxurious for a person like her.
"Gomennasai, nee-san! (I'm sorry, sister!)" The youngest of the sisters were covering her head, balling like a cat, her eyes shut tight, as she wailed in fear of her nee-san's rage.
"But wasn't she the Admiral's favorite ship during the war, next to Yamato-san?" The eldest of the four, Myoukou, said. "I mean, if holding out against an army of thousands of Abyssals and returning alive was not extraordinary, then I don't know what will."
In fact, she did so twice. Once back in World War II, although sadly she didn't make it back alive, and another was during the Abyssal conflict. Admittedly, nobody would have thought that she would not let history repeat again.
"But it shouldn't make any difference! I mean we have all contributed to the war ourselves. Myoukou nee-san, you served in most of the major battles, how come you are only tier three?" Ashigara replied, apparently still irritated over the fact that she got the bottom of all the four Myoukou sisters. Her ramble was only blocked by the arrival of the one in charge.
"Is there a problem, Ashigara-san?" Hatsune's face was serious, as she moved from the sideline to pat the heavy cruiser on the shoulder.
"Yes there is a problem. You see, I find it quite unfair that we all have similar contribution, but Haguro receives more than us." Ashigara said.
"Then perhaps you should congratulate her instead. She's your sister, you know." Hatsune simply countered.
"But-"
"Your amount is, admittedly, a bit too much for your own expenses. I've been very kind to hold your teaching contribution in high regards, so you can stop complaining about it and move on."
The heavy cruiser utterly silenced herself at the words of her superior. Technically, Hatsune wasn't exactly her superior, but the Admiral, but since he just passed the torch to her (without any hesitation), now every orders she gave the ship girls, they would have to follow.
As the girl came to a corner and sulk quietly there, Haguro headed for Hatsune, as friendly as the first time she had met her.
"A-Amari-san. What tier do you get?"
"Ah, I do not have one." Hatsune said, the seriousness on her face disappeared. "My earnings are determined by the higher-ups in the military. Besides, it would be unfair if I decide it on my own, right?"
"Is it?" Haguro smiled. "I was so surprised when I got the number. I wouldn't imagine myself getting so much for what I have done."
"You've been very helpful. I mean it. I heard from the destroyers that you are a great teacher."
"Eh?!" Haguro was caught off-guard. "N-N-No, I'm not that great!" Flustered and blushing.
"Better than Ashigara-san, they said." Hatsune commented, as she glanced at the mentioned heavy cruiser, who was still sulking in the corner. "Still, I don't believe rumors lie. You know, I used to aspire to be a teacher."
"Really?" Haguro said, interested.
"Yeah, but then I realize that I am not good at transferring knowledge to others." Hatsune scruffed her hair as she said. "For some reasons, when I explain academic things, people usually fall asleep on their desks. Still, back when I was in university, I worked as a teacher assistant for a high school."
"Sugoi (Wow), that's so cool!" Haguro replied. "So you earn money while you study, Amari-san?"
Hatsune nodded, seemingly proud of herself.
"You must have a lot of experience on hand." The heavy cruiser replied. "…A-Ano, if you want to, you can come and assist at my next class. I-I'm sure the destroyers would be excited..."
Hatsune was not quite expecting such an offer. But all in all, it wasn't anything bad. It wouldn't hurt by simply going. In fact, she may even get a chance to get to know the ship girls as well. It would also be a change of air for the Logistic Officer. She had worked like a complete savage for the last six days, without rest or anything. So a little change of pace wouldn't be bad, or even beneficial to her own cause.
"Sure, I'd love t-"
It was then when it hit her.
"...On second thought, maybe later..."
Fatigue and exhaustion from all her restless efforts had finally caught up to her, as her eyes began forcefully shutting. Hatsune was still standing, but she began to lose her balance, as her mind was now half-conscious. Her eyes threatening to shut close at any moment.
"Amari-san! A-Are you alright?!" Haguro was slightly panicking when she saw Hatsune in that state. Her flustered face, along with the stutters that she made placed a smile on Hatsune's face, even when she was tired.
"I'm fine, it's just..." Her eyes flashed repeatedly, as she grabbed hold of the wall for support. "I'm a little tired..."
It was then that the girl was supported by her fellow colleagues whom she had been working closely with: Mutsu, Nagato and Ooyodo, to help her get back to her room for a fine rest, after all that body beating.
"Good job Hatsune." The man in charge, her Admiral, commented quietly, saluting her, as she walked pass him. Hatsune didn't return the gesture, however. She was a bit too tired for it
Tomorrow would be a new day. A brighter day, perhaps...