Arknights: Call of the Deep Sea

Gloria sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea, brewed by an unknown operator. Her reaction indicated she wasn't entirely satisfied with it.

"Long ago, I thought society on land was merely barbaric and backward, though it had some notable qualities. Now, it seems even a cup of tea is filled with ignorance, and yet you seem to enjoy it so readily."

Listening to Gloria's complaints was a prominent Rhodes Island official, known to the operators as the Doctor.

Some time had passed since the Saltwind City incident, during which Gloria remained in Rhodes Island as the head of Agor affairs.

Most of the operators on Rhodes Island knew nothing about the Saltwind City incident. After all, Ghost Shark and Skadi weren't often seen, and their temporary disappearance hadn't drawn much attention.

While some operators might be surprised by Ghost Shark's recent recovery, most believed it was the medical department's treatment that had helped. The same thing happened with Gladia's arrival on the island. She was even less noticeable than Skadi and Ghost, and most operators didn't even know who she was.

The three deep-sea hunters' presence was completely disproportionate to their combat intensity.

The Doctor, buried in sorting countless documents, seemed accustomed to her complaints. The inaccessibility of ordinary people, Kal'tsit's coldness, and Amiya's excessive concern seemed to have an impact on the three hunters.

It was later discovered that perhaps due to past experiences, deep-sea hunters tended to be solitary and not good at communicating. The seemingly unbelievable legends of natural disasters also kept the operators at arm's length from them.

But deep-sea hunters are human, too, and they need to communicate, especially when they need to confide in someone, just as Skadi had confided in the ailing Ghost.

And now, that person had become the Doctor, because the three deep-sea hunters had discovered that he listened to everything and showed no fear or confusion, as if he were not a normal person. It's true that she's not a normal person, and Kal'tsit isn't a normal person either, but she clearly doesn't seem like someone you could confide in.

"You can't blame this cup of tea on land, after all, everyone who drinks this operator's brew has the same reaction as you."

"That just proves you can't even handle such a small matter, so what else can you do?"

This kind of conversation often takes place between Gloria and the Doctor, and each deep-sea hunter's interactions with the Doctor are unique.

Skadi is the type who treats the Doctor as a confidant and wants to stay by his side. Ghost Shark is the chatterbox who loves to talk endlessly with the Doctor, even if he sometimes behaves strangely due to his absent-mindedness. Gloria, on the other hand, prefers to let the Doctor patiently listen to her insults.

Finally, Gloria put down the cup of tea, but afterward, she remained silent for a long time, as if she had something she wanted to say but couldn't, and then snorted coldly. "Doctor, perhaps I suddenly want to call you by your name, Doctor Yoder."

Of course, while not many people know the Doctor's real name, it seems this isn't the Doctor's real name.

After waking from the sarcophagus, the Doctor was in a state of amnesia, unable even to recall his own name. This name was revealed to him by Kal'tsit after the Doctor returned to Rhodes Island. According to Kal'tsit, it was a name he had long ago, and even the Operators from the Tower of Babel era didn't know its origin.

For this reason, many Operators on Rhodes Island were unaware of the Doctor's real name, and many of them didn't even know it.

The Doctor accepted this name. He no longer wanted to forget anything more, and he wanted to remember more. To some extent, this was one of the reasons why the Doctor was willing to listen to the Operators. "Of course, I know that's not your real name. It's a codename, just like the codenames of the operators at Rhodes Island."

"Unlike you, I no longer remember my own name. This codename is everything to me. At least in that regard, I haven't hidden it from you, though there's no need to be secretive about these things."

Before he finished his previous sentence, Dr. Yoder launched into his own taunting counterattack.

"But you, each of you operators, always have your own little thoughts during operations, running around here and there. I heard that during your last mission, you even went all the way up the mountain to enjoy the scenery."

Of course, Dr. Yoder knew that this was because the mission was too easy for Gloria, and she completed it casually, so he didn't say anything to her, simply complaining.

Faced with Dr. Yoder's counterattack, Gloria surprisingly didn't retort. She simply glanced at Dr. Yoder for a few seconds before looking away. "Doctor, I have a question for you."

"Go ahead, though I can't guarantee my answer will be accurate."

"If you were Tallulah, after learning of the Black Snake's existence, would you still continue to fight the Reunion Movement?"

Yode paused, his pen twirling away. He looked up and gazed at Gloria.

It wasn't that the question was strange. If Amiya or Chen Huijie had asked him this question, he would have unreservedly offered his thoughts.

If it had been Kal'tsit, he might have briefly shared his thoughts, then gone back to research and shared his understanding with Kal'tsit.

But the person asking this question was Gloria, who seemed to have no connection to the Reunion Movement.

However, considering the Reunion Movement and Tallulah's fame, it was possible that Gloria had an interest in it. Of course, the doctor also considered the possibility that Gloria was testing Rhodes Island's stance on the Reunion Movement.

Yode also put down his pen, crossed his arms, and looked at Gloria. "From the perspective of an observer with hindsight, everyone's opinion is probably that they wouldn't continue. After all, the disaster that followed the Reunion Movement was horrific. But honestly, if I were truly in that position, I can only say I don't know."

Dr. Yoder understood that, in that position at the time, few could guarantee they wouldn't be possessed by the Black Snake. They might not have even attempted to assassinate Kosciuszko and join the Reunion Movement.

But he also knew that reality wasn't static. If the Reunion Movement had succeeded, even if it was a remote possibility, the situation of the infected would have improved significantly.

However, the most likely outcome was tragedy, and the Reunion Movement's current outcome wouldn't even be considered the worst.

"Let me tell you what I think. The earth doesn't care about anyone's choices, nor will it change everything because of one person. And you can no longer expect forgiveness for your own choices."

Goldetia's lips curled slightly as she listened, then, imitating Yoder's gesture, she crossed her arms and looked at the doctor. "As expected of the Doctor, you always come up with these ambiguous riddles and nonsense. I wonder if this is a Rhodes Island tradition."

The initially serious discussion devolved into Gloria's taunting of the Doctor. Of course, the Doctor was used to such taunts; this was Gloria, after all.

Gloria lowered her folded arms and gazed out the window. She was in the Rhodes Island Doctor's personal office, where she could see the scenery from the highest point of the ship.

The ship sailed through a vast desert. Aside from a few lifeless rocks in the distance, there was only an endless sea of sand.

This sea of sand reminded her of the deep sea, and the jagged rocks gradually vanished from view, as if being swallowed up.

She stared for a long time, feeling as if she had spent the first half of her life. "Doctor, I'm going on a mission tomorrow. Remember to tell Ghost Shark and Skadi I'll be back later."

Yode sighed silently, partly because of the endless paperwork and partly because of Gloria's strange behavior.

"Why are you acting just like Skadi today? One moment you're asking strange questions, the next you're being coy and asking me to deliver a message. You haven't been possessed by the Black Snake, you've been possessed by Skadi."

Gloria smiled, a smile reminiscent of Skadi's back in Saltwind City.

"If she really were possessed by me, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. At least I wouldn't be disgusted."

Gloria stood up to leave, but she took another sip of the tea she had been sitting on the side for a long time. "The taste of the earth isn't exactly pleasant, but at least it's left a lasting impression. Am I learning to speak like that, Doctor?"

"You've certainly learned the essence of the art, to be able to describe a cup of tea like that. But don't say that to the Operators who make the tea, though I doubt you'd want to interact with them."

"Oh, no."

She put down her tea and walked towards the door. Before leaving, she turned back to Dr. Yoder and said, "Thank you for listening to all my insults. It's really nice to be with you. Maybe you can build a better relationship with us Deep Sea Hunters."

"I think it's nice that you can say thank you to me, too. Thank you. You'll have a mission tomorrow, so remember to get some rest."

"...Okay, goodbye."

"...Goodbye."

Gladia walked out of the room, the door slowly closing behind her, seeming to carry a hint of nostalgia. Once it closed, everything seemed to have become a thing of the past. Dr. Yoder looked out the window where Gloria had been looking. He could sense a hint of her thoughts, but he didn't confront them. He knew he couldn't truly stop her, just as he had been unable to prevent so many things from happening in the past.

The tea had gone cold, like the bitter, icy seawater.

For Rhodes Island, Gloria had never returned.