What have I done.

EPISODE 01 Play House

R0 - 1 Resurgence

Doctor.

A title that may as well be his name.

Well, everyone knew him as a 'Doctor'. He wasn't sure how or why, but apparently he is one- at least before he forgot his own identity. Perhaps one of the best doctors judging by the expectations they had with him, but he couldn't really say.

Truthfully, it was hard to play the role, especially for one he could not remember no matter how hard he tried or how deep he dug for clues.

Amnesia, they had said. Will it still be memory loss if there were none for the mind to recall to begin with?

Still, he always made sure to do his best for them- his subordinates. Sure there were times where they drove him up the wall, or threatened his sanity with their antics, but it was clear they were thankful that he filled the position.

Especially those his past self had personally cared for, despite his lost memories.

Something in him ached when he saw them- those eyes. Eyes that, even in their lowest moments- tired and afraid, pained and weary- had seen the barest sliver of Hope. In him.

Him. A lost fool. Way over his head didn't begin to describe his position.

And yet... he found that he couldn't find it in himself to disappoint his wards and himself, or the person that he once was. It was hard, incredibly so, but he wanted to keep that Hope alive. Or at least, to preserve it until he could pass the torch to someone else more fitting for the role he played.

His mind might not remember how to heal, but he swore that his hands will again learn what to do.

Doctor. A title that he would keep than his own name, for he knew of nothing else.

9:26 AM \ Sunny \ Visibility: 12 km

Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Inc.

Sat on his chair in his newly furnished office, the esteemed Doctor of Rhodes Island wondered where it all went wrong.

He wasn't sure when did that same profession also entailed leading combat operations for one of the most prominent underground paramilitary organization in modern Terra- whilst keeping the guise of a pharmaceutical institution.

Did he also mention being hunted by terrorists was a common occupational hazard? Not to mention the Catastrophes...

His past self really should've read the fine print. Idiot.

Nothing, however, compared to this.

This being the unfortunate reality of being bound to what he believed was the bane of his existence:

Paperwork.

Looking at the veritable mound of paper on his desk, which he could well believe was alive and very much still growing, he nodded to himself. He really should've been called a Secretary instead.

If anything, he'll be more at risk in getting carpal tunnel than anything else short of Oripathy. Afterall, his hands were more often than not stained with ink rather than blood.

Even if both are rather equally a bitch to clean.

Honestly, he would usually just throw his hands up and leave it all to Kalt'sit. She always handled these better than he could anyway. Granted, she'd probably strangle him at the end of the day, but...

... but what?

Kalt'sit... who did he...?

... Ah, right. The jolly green-themed ice queen who also happened to be his senior in the field. While it was plainly obvious she didn't really like him all that much, he couldn't imagine her resorting to causing him physical harm if she sees him slacking off-

Okay, fine- He, for some reason, vividly could, but a small part of him feels that she just cares deeply about the efficiency for the work they put. Though, the larger part is more concerned about the moments of nigh-helicopter parenting she does for them, particularly to that one girl.

Yet, for all her frosty nature, she would have probably dealt with this situation better than he could.

Unfortunately, she wasn't here- wherever here was. Her protégé, however...

"Doctor? Are you awake?"

He blinked, turning to see a familiar pair of ears poking into his office from the door.

Speak of the bunny.

"Morning, Amiya. Come in and take a seat."

Amiya offered a muffled thanks as she stepped in, donned in her signature worn yet well-cared for coat on top of her usual dress. Her bright cyan eyes locked onto his despite the visor of the full face mask he wore and gave a small smile.

"Good morning, Doctor!" she chirped.

Despite her youthful and soft features, this small girl carries the weight of leadership. He and everyone well believed Amiya to be more than capable, but he tries to help as much as he could.

She also happens to be his stubbornly self-appointed assistant these days.

He eyed the papers and the bag that Amiya brought, along with a tumbler of what he smelled was coffee. Not missing a beat, the brunette handed it to him with a nod.

"My savior."

"Thank Penguin Logistics, Doctor!" Amiya smiled. "They got a lot of groceries for us during their last trip in the mainland."

He nodded as he savored a sip, "Hm, they still around?"

"No, they went on another run two days ago." she replied with a shake of her head. "But I sent instructions to return and investigate an activity Firewatch reported last night. They'll likely be back by tomorrow morning."

"An activity?"

A troubled look crossed Amiya, "Alpha Point's drone scouts detected strange movements at eighteen hundred just outside their patrol range. I've dispatched Firewatch for recon and to provide overwatch for Penguin Logistics when they arrive. Their findings are in the reports with me."

"I see." he said with a frown mirroring the girl's "Let's discuss it with the others later. Speaking of reports, any good news?"

"Yes! We've finally established more stable logistic routes that'll last us for a while, and I've also compiled our records from the trading posts. It's not much, but we're expecting only steady positives starting this month onwards." she dutifully recited with a smile.

Her good mood was infectious, so much so that he couldn't bring himself to whine in despair as she placed another pile of papers on his desk.

"I'll look over it... in a bit." he managed to say "Thank you for your hard work, Amiya."

"It's still far from smooth sailing, but we're close. It's all thanks to everyone, Doctor. At least, those who are still with us..."

He frowned. "Don't worry, Amiya. We'll find a way back home with everyone."

"... not everyone."

A heavy silence clung to the air. With a sigh, the Doctor decided to divert the attention to the other thing Amiya brought.

"What's with the bag?"

Amiya blinked, her crestfallen expression washing away. Biting her lip, she replied, "It's about that other matter- with the locals. It was difficult, but I believe our efforts earned us a place to call ours for the time being."

"Officially, at least in the eyes of the local community."

"Yes, officially. Our main site is still hidden." Amiya amended, "Since we're used to keeping it as our cover, Rhodes Island is now a registered fledgeling pharmaceutical situated in Patch. Ms Warfarin will fill you in detail about it tonight, as well about her future plans for the commercial district of Vale."

'The mainland?'

He slowly nodded, still uncertain. "And the bag...?"

She grimaced, "We, uh, were listed as an eligible institution for taking... internships from the local academy. It would've normally be no issue, but someone came and submitted an application here yesterday while we were in Alpha Point..."

'Internship? Here? What?'

His incredulity must've been obvious as Amiya started fidgeting under his gaze.

"Can we say no? At least, not now since we're still starting?"

Amiya hesitated "We... could, but that could bring us under more scrutiny. We've established an identity, but if they find that none of us actually existed until half a year ago..."

They haven't ruled out the possibility of rescue, not yet, but they came to a decision to plant their roots and figure a way out themselves. If they find it, good. If they were rescued, then all the better.

Rhodes Island is very much familiar in being self-sustainable, given time and resources- things that they're going to run out soon unless they expand their options. Still, getting discovered by the wider world was something they should avoid for as long as they can. Had they been in a better position, they wouldn't have tried meddling with things or risked stepping on anyone's toes. Much.

"We were lucky, Doctor. If it was difficult to stake our claim here, it would be impossible had we turned up anywhere else." she sighed "This world feels familiar but very much different from ours, even better in some ways, yet it seems that... it seems that prejudice follows us, no matter where we go."

A rare moment of anger passed him as Amiya touched one of her ears, his eyes locking onto the faded scar on the back of her hand- to the rings on her fingers, some that he noted were slightly discolored.

Huffing, he went to change the subject. "Isn't the closest school for Specialists in, what, Hunting? I figured they'd at least have courses to let their students know how to patch themselves up. I'm certain they could train them better than an upstart 'pharmaceutical.'"

The girl nodded, "They're a combat academy, yes, but it's a recent policy for their students to at least have an experience in a civilian field besides being solely hunters, or Huntsmen." she said, testing the language, "Translation is still a issue, but I believe it's to avoid having their students from being fully separated from the rest of society."

He blinked. "So, not like Ursus?"

"Of sorts... Here, they train Hunters for mainly those... things. Not soldiers for their borders, or so I'd like to hope."

He nodded, having already encountered and studied what they could from the abnormal and vicious local fauna. They had a local term for it, but it escaped the mind. For now, he turned his attention to the elephant in the room.

"I... I didn't think anyone would look at us as a good place to be an intern." he said, gesturing to the bag.

"I, erm, expected no one would either, to be honest. Our name is new and obscure and its location fairly hidden, at least not without looking." she admitted, flushing in embarrassment "And yet, someone did."

Doctor sighed

'Let's get this over with.'

"Maybe it'll help out with our cover." he weakly quipped "May I?"

Amiya nodded and presented a familiar jet black dufflebag, placing it on the floor and lightly nudging it over. Leaning closer, Doctor felt an odd mix of anxiety and anticipation as he eyed the logo of a chess Rook next to a caption that read 'HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT'.

Gingerly, reverently even, he pulled on the tag, and gently parted the zipper. A strong sense of foreboding suddenly made itself known as it settled on his shoulders, as if letting him know the weight of his decision.

His excitement warred with dread, optimism clashing against cynicism. What if this wasn't any good? What if it was? Will be it be a wasted investment, or the big break they sorely needed? As the zipper passed halfway, all background noise became muffled, and a faint tune seemed to play in his mind...

Then, behind his mask, he blinked, paused, and thought-

'This is dumb.'

And harshly pulled, the zipper sliding open with a sharp squeal.

"Hie?!" Amiya, who stood silent and had been intently staring at the process, flinched and squeaked, her eyes wide in surprise. "Doctor?"

Woops.

"Ah, sorry, sorry."

Shaking his head, he carefully retrieved a black hardcover portfolio folder, running his thumb over the logo of Rhodes Island. With bated breath, he pulled out the file. Next to the symbol of Vale-crossed axes and a laurel, - he was greeted by a small picture of an awkwardly smiling young girl.

A child?

Shaking his head, he began to skim the contents of the file.

A student from the Valean Academy, Signal, who had chosen to apply here for the program mostly due to proximity from her home. Lives with her father and half-sister, with the mother missing, likely presumed deceased. Aside from her age, fourteen, he didn't find anything alarming.

He found a note from HR saying the girl as being too reserved and timid, but that's nothing new. He has a Jessica.

The file concluded with another note, this time it was about her appointment schedule. Tomorrow afternoon, it would seem.

Satisfied, he held out the file, allowing Amiya to take a look for herself. There's going to be more papers to sign, he despaired. Retrieving his coffee tumbler, he muttered out the name of their new intern.

"Ruby Rose..."

Time - Unknown \ Weather - Unknown \ Visibility - Poor

Rhodes Island

Caution: Originium Particles Above Maximum Threshold. Activating Safety Measures. Please Stand By. Warning: Originium Particles Above Maxi-

"Results?"

"Good news, doctor. Though we're still going above acceptable margins, this is the first we've seen a positive improvement. Thanks to you, this could be the best result we've ever had. Congratulations!"

"Good. Now, adjust accordingly and run it again."

"... Ma'm?"

"Conduct the test again."

"A-ah, er, I would advise against it, doctor. We could hardly contain the experiment as it is. I believe it's in our best interests take caution and postpone the test for, say, a week. The energized particles should have fully receded enough to continue the tests by then."

"Your advise is noted, but we do not have the luxury to spare a week. Run the test again."

"Doctor... with all due respect, we are treading into unknown grounds. We have little to no existing thematic research to fall back on regarding this field in Originium Arts."

"Profes-"

"We are trying to find a way to tear into reality, for Lord's sake! For all we know, we could be well on our way to producing our very own man-made Catastrophe! Right in our faces!"

"..."

"Doctor...?"

"...With all due respect, Professor, a Catastrophe will be the last thing we should worry about."

"..."

"Do you ever wonder what would happen once Reunion finally realizes why we haven't made an honest effort to push back for so long? To know that we are currently now stretched so thin?"

"That is...!-"

"Why agencies such as Penguin Logistics and Black Steel are breathing down our necks because the top operators that they lent to us, in good faith, are missing?"

"..."

"That doesn't even begin to describe the talks with Lungmen and the Karlan Trade. Now, good professor, I will not bar you to consider all measures of safety and precautions for us and our personnel, but the next time I tell you to- Please, do run the test."

"... I hope you know what you're doing, Kalt'sit. For all our sakes."

...

...

"Amiya..."

Out of all the things I could've done during lockdown, I chose this.