And this might be the last one: his Operator Record.
Carrion's Operator Record: Mysteries to be Solved
Whatsherface? The scary one. The medic who is never truly alone. Kal'tsit! She is one of Rhodes Island's leaders. I heard she was the person responsible for my initial surgery, back when my shoulder was crystalizing. It's the kettle calling the pot black, but she's a creepy person. It's like… like she's built different, if that makes any sense. I admire the Doctor for being able to stand up to her on certain aspects. Their triumph card was mentioning how happy Amiya would be if they did something and that's how he usually bent Kal'tsit's arm.
The result? Activities that to a person as work-focused as Kal'tsit would seem irrelevant. She's probably going to take all loses into consideration and demand the operators an equal increase on our performance, so the least we could do was nod and, for the time being, enjoy the festival.
Which I would totally love to do. Like, inviting Zoya to have a look around the lobbies and the many stalls? Sounds lovely. Unfortunately for me, the theme of the festival was food. It wasn't usual to be given the chance to go around the landship and stuffing your face with tasty delicacies for free, but… it wasn't as simple in my case.
Dobermann basically gave me the order to assist, regardless. She knew of my little issue with food, but I had been working so hard on my training that she wanted to use any excuse to kick me out of the training grounds. It's still a long way ahead of me until I master the whip, but I like how much it expands my range, though I've also been working on close-combat to make use of my ursus strength. Leto was a dear and helped me reaching new heights of pain tolerance as her punching bag, haha.
I considered disobeying the instructor and staying with Zoya to help her finish the reports she had to complete by the end of the day. It wouldn't be much fun for me if I went alone, but there were some sensitive details to the tasks my friend had to complete. Which sucked. Going to the food festival with Zoya had been the only reason I had been restlessly waiting for that day. How unlucky!
"What is this?" I asked, taking a look at the tickets Zoya gave me after the bad news.
"I thought that you wouldn't have much fun at the food festival, since you can't really enjoy it fully, so I asked for some favors." She patted my shoulder, a mix of apology and remorse saddening her eyes. "I know things are not simple when it comes to them, but it's up to you to use those tickets."
I contained the urge to hug my friend. She had been really looking forward to the festival, too! Blyat! Next time someone gives her too much work during festivities, I'll bite someone! Zoya patted my back out of the room and I was on my lonely way to the lobbies.
"Okay, I found my goal for today. I'll go join Click for today! By the end of this, I'll use all the footage to make a happy memory for everyone, one that can be enjoyed by those who didn't participate! I'm motivated!"
The streamer was already a mouse ball when I found her. Too many all-you-can-eat challenges. I picked Click up and allowed her to boss me around like she always did. Mikhail, go there… Mikhail, do the prance! Mikhail, go spread false rumors about a legendary desert hidden in one of Magellan's canned shaved ice… That last one was just evil, which is why I did it out of my own volition. It was good for the penguin's business, haha. What a pair of trolls.
"Hello hello! We're back to you for the next event of the day! We're infiltrating Silverash's stall! Sidekick! Explain the context!"
"Out of all the food stalls, this is the only one that allowed bookings prior to this day. As expected, all the tables were reserved just to get a chance to taste Matterhorn's finest!"
"Did you hear that, my dear viewers? Bookings in a food festival! That's against the rules!"
"Not actually. I heard Enciodas asked the Doctor especial permission to-"
"It goes entirely against the spirit of a food festival, my young assistant! We must free the food from the wicked felines!"
"What's with you and felines anyway?"
"They look really scary, Mik. Still! We're getting into the feline's den and running away to share their tasty dishes with the rest!"
"Hahaha! So we're going to be like phantom thieves! Neat!"
"That's the spirit! Leeeet's gooooo!"
Any phantom thieve would feel ashamed of us. We had been broadcasting our schemes and not precisely in a low voice. Courier caught us red-handed and we were given a warning not to tarnish the Silverash food stall. Matterhorn's stern glare reached us from the kitchen. At least the whole situation got under control with Enya's and Ensia's gentle intervention. The youngest one also gave us some deserts in secret to support Click's channel. A huge success, as my partner branded it. We went around the rest of the lobby handing the biscuits out to whoever had space in their stomachs for them. We had to quickly dispose of the evidence!
Then I saw a certain little stall near the entrance. The generals were busy bringing crates with food over from the kitchen while the little cub prepared the only dishes my body could enjoy. The aristocrat worked as a waitress, whereas the junior detective… Wow.
"What's up, Mik? Ooooh! Let's go there next! That dress is so pretty it must go down in history! Come on!"
I was given two tickets that allowed me to enter their stall, but… The zalak streamer slowed down when she noticed my unwillingness to move. She held up her cup to glance at me.
"Is anything the matter?"
I searched my skirt's pocket and gave her the tickets. "Nah. It's just that I'm not feeling like going there. But you're right. Their stall looks too good not to document it. Go check it out. I'll stay nearby."
My little friend would usually disregard it all and pull my arm to wherever she wanted to go, but Click knew something was up with me and the other ursus students. Once, she even dug some dirt to make a video of us, but after scratching the surface, she changed her mind. Quickly bouncing up with her unendingly energetic and quirky streamer attitude, she took one ticket and dived into the USSG stall.
As I watched her go, I found Istina's eyes looking back at me. The spectacled bear wore an outfit that was unnecessarily perfect, which was a bit out of character for her. I turned around and looked for the closest group of people I could go hang out with in the meantime. Simply staying nearby was enough for me. From there, I could smell Gummy's cooking. A fresh breath of tasty air in a land full of disgusting smells. The only place where I could feel I belonged… but also the last place I would dare disrupting with my presence. They were having fun. Let them stay that way. It's too bad Zoya gave me the tickets for naught. I was sure Gummy was the one who gave them to her.
A few minutes later, Click returned, took the other ticket from my hand and went back into the stall. Watching my partner go once was painful. Seeing her take my last opportunity to change my mind and diving back in crushed my heart. Aah… it hurts. I wanted to joke about it to myself, but a sudden spike of pain made me kneel down for a moment. I should have taken those suppressants before coming to the festival… but one side-effect was the numbing of your taste sense… and I…
A bag of containers was presented to my face.
"I'm back! Here! This is all for you."
"Th-That much? Oh, wow… How did you do it? I thought it was forbidden to take food outside the stalls…" For security reasons, of course. Oripathy and all that.
"Heh heh heh… It's elementary, my dear Mik… I used the second ticket to ask for more food! But since I'm on my last bite, I begged to take them back with me!"
It smelled so good I got a bit emotional… "The phantom thieve strikes back, haha."
"She sure has! Now, let's go somewhere else. I was informed by one of the comments that element K was last seen on this floor. We absolutely do not want to get caught! I wasted the last get-out-of-jail card the Doctor gave me on our last video!"
I chuckled, thinking fondly on the time I edited that one. Element K, also known as the scary medic, came to my office to make sure I edited out some confidential segments of the illicit recordings.
"But… Click, we still have to keep recording things from the festival…" I protested.
"Nonsense! We have more than enough material for an entire month! The spicy food contest, the Silverash operation, the make-your-own dish stall, Magallan's surge on popularity, the interviews, the Doctor and Amiya's words… we even recorded Saria's pun of the day!"
"Haha, Dr. Silence better not hear about that one."
"We chased Kay on her rampage through the stalls, we looked for Manticore and we even got to try Hung's experimental cuisine!"
"I'm still waiting on the side-effects of that. I'm not sure if Aak would waste the chance to give unsuspecting visitors some of his new drugs…"
Suddenly, Click took my hand and dragged me behind a circle of laughing operators. Element K passed next to us. S-Scary!
The little zalak glanced at me again and showed me a smile. It wasn't like the one she always showed her viewers. That was the one she gives to her friends. Before we put an end to our activities in the festival, we made a last ran around while advertising her channel. Unlike other times, I didn't hold back while shouting that Click deserves triple the viewers she gets. I was serious about it. The little mouse was beyond brave for producing outdoors videos on her own. And the highlights she makes are so detailed they sometimes end up even more popular than her videos. I wanted to keep supporting Click as her editor… and as her close friend.
I'm so glad I ended up at Rhodes Island.
It was late. The workshop shift ended hours ago, but I stayed back to work on the edits for the festival's documentary. The food festival was a lot of fun. The more I enjoyed, the more I was determined to move mountains just to get Zoya to come with me next time. I'd plan it ahead of time if that's what it took! Just the other day, she and I had a very interesting chat about justice that helped me understanding her a little better… and also…
N-Never mind that, I'm serious! My life has taken a complete new shape since I became an operator! I have trained to become stronger… to be able to protect my friends and allies when their lives are in danger.
I've been taking Dobermann's every critique to heart in order to improve. When she called me out for not putting enough effort into it, I realized I had to push myself like I pushed my victims! Another thing she pointed out was how I always seemed to slightly miss my targets from overthinking my strikes. When launching an attack, you just have to focus on the motions and the procedures. The advanced techniques would come later, when my muscles could perform the power strikes on their own. At first, I'll admit I antagonized Dobermann a bit too much. I wanted to steal her job, after all. But I was nothing but a punk trying to bite more than he could chew. She taught me the order of things… I started respecting her more. Instructing others is a serious job that required a lot of observation and planning.
My goal didn't change, though. I've been born to bring out the best in people… even if that requires the worst means possible. I talk big, but I don't really think I will ever be able to be as ruthless as I once was. Rhodes Island has made me soft. All I know is that I will never again force anyone to change, like I did with Maxim and other kids. I forced them to change because I wanted to help and I was too dumb and too agressive to know of any other way. The world is not exactly kind to people, so I wanted them to tell the world to go fuck itself or something. Talking with Dobermann and Honeyberry helped me focus on a new path. I know how to give a lot of shit to people. I'll save that to my enemies and to the rookie operators who are irresponsible or disrespectful and must be taught of their place. Rhodes Island is a moving miracle that helps even people like me. I want to make sure it doesn't corrupt from within and devolves into the kind of lawless jungle that were Chernobog's schools.
Now, for those who are willing to grow stronger and make of this rotten world a better place… I will devote my life to them. I will help them work on their weaknesses, strengthen their resolve and plan countermeasures so that they can dispatch monsters, either aberrations or those in human form. With their help, we'll take the steps to restore the purity of justice, so that people can find hope in the future despite every twisted tragedy that takes place therein. I know I won't be the only one to seek those goals.
Maybe like that, one day, I will be able to repay all the good things I've been given. The friends I love. The people who support me. The sweet and responsible Amiya and the kind and wise Doctor. Maybe, one day, I will be forgiven. By that girl… and by myself. I don't really care about you anymore. You're dead. And you never speak with me. So just sit tight and watch, like you always do! I don't know how the real you would feel about the things I did to survive… but the real me is going to make you proud. To make himself proud!
But that's still a long way to go, haha. A long way I will walk for a long as I have feet. In the meantime, I will edit videos, go out with my friends and shake in nervous excitement whenever I get deployed on the front field. I'm still a rookie, but my story is far from over! Like the boss said!
"Are you done?"
I yelped and bounced on my seat. I touched my chest to appease my rushing heart and checked who had given me the scare of my life.
"I-I was thinking of calling it a day. I'll finish the rest tomorrow, haha. Hah…"
Awkward. She's been avoiding me all this time and now she comes find me? Last time Istina did that, things went awry. Things went… …I turned around on my sit and checked the workshop. Nobody was there. It was real late in the night. I was surprised the scholar was even awake. She had some shaved ice still on her face, which peeked my curiosity. Still, we weren't on friendly terms, so I wasn't going to point that out.
What I pointed out… was something that I should have done much sooner.
"I… was startled by what you did and… that word… Heh, as you saw, that was my freak-out button. You know. The wendigo thing. I reacted poorly… and Zima told me you were crying… I'm sorry for the spook! I'm much better now."
Istina continued to hug her teddy bear doll, her expression now colored by a ghostly tint. "I also…" She stopped. "I-!" Words failed her again.
"You know, I don't really like mystery novels, after all. I've been through enough deaths. I don't want to develop attachments to fictional characters only to watch them die the minute I turn the page. I am sucker for romance comics, though. Don't tell anyone, haha."
My comment of her favorite genre casted a sad mood over the girl. Not only she wasn't saying the things she set out to say, she also was met with rejection. I sighed and smiled.
"I don't hate mysteries per-se. I'm just not good with gore and all that. If you could recommend me a book within those lines, I would for sure give that one a try."
It wasn't easy, was it? Her best friend was sworn enemies with me. Since Gummy and Leto had already crossed that bridge, she couldn't do the same and leave Zima alone. Too bad. But I was also glad. Glad that that silly head had such a loyal friend by her side.
As her silence continued to dominate the scene, I gave it up and stood up to go back to sleep. Before I could say my farewell, she took a step forward.
"I shouldn't have done that." She muttered, holding tightly onto her doll. "You were getting closer to Gummy, so I wanted to know you better. I comprehended that things between Zima and you were as hostile as they could get, but I really wanted to leave the past behind. There's…"
The blue-haired girl hid her face by burying it onto her doll's head. A whole minute went by. Enough time for a distant clock to announce the hour. She shook her head, almost as if she had been having a private conversation with her teddy bear.
"I… have no words…" I admitted. "I always thought you read that passage because you knew how much it would affect me. I thought… it was some kind of revenge… but you were just doing detective work, huh?"
After a few seconds, she nodded an affirmation.
So… if I didn't freak out like that, she would have probably just made me a few more questions… and I could have gained a new friend if I answered right. Damn.
Sighing, I took a sad decision. "I still don't think I should be too friendly with you. I've been bold enough as it is. Until the day Zima forgives me, I'll try my best to stay in the distance."
That was another one of the promises I made to myself. Since we were going to be seeing each other as fellow Rhodes Island operators, we would have no choice but to cooperate when the situation demanded it. Outside from work, though, I wanted Zima to have as much space as she could. The day I intimidated her while claiming to be a monster… I realized that she never got over her fear of me. Zima is too lazy to give two flips about pretty much anything. Whether an enemy or a hundred, she would take them on just the same. But I'm her weak point… and that's entirely my fault. I hate her and her lazy ass… but I also am her earliest fan. I never want to see her terrified face ever again. So I'll keep my distance… until the day she gets over it. Then I'll tease her some more and she will kick my face.
…I'm looking forward to that day so much…
A piece of paper was offered to me.
"I took the trouble of giving Absinthe a pair of tickets so that you could come and see the puzzle I made. You have until Zima forgives you to think it over." Then Istina grinned. "If you're anything like her, you may need even more time."
Mockingly, the smartass went away with a satisfied look on her face. I chuckled. O-Oh, crap. What is this? A mystery puzzle? Talking about weaknesses! I might need Zoya's help with this… though I want to do this on my own as well! Gaah! I'm so conflicted! M-Maybe the Doctor can give me a hint? No! Focus, Mikhail! Don't give up, operator Carrion! You can do this!
I glanced at the puzzle again.
"…can I?"
I'm glad Istina gave me a very long deadline to hand it over, hehehe!
I may do some other Arknights-related stories, so Carrion might make a cameo in those. I wanted to finish his story quickly now that I still had Children of Ursus fresh on my mind. This Operator Record takes place on the same day as Istina's "Let's go, Let's go".
And yeah. I haven't made any other plans for this. That's it. It's done. Maybe a description of how he would work in-game as an operator? I took the trouble to make him such a detailed backstory. Screw it. Give me a minute.