Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Absorb other people's negative emotions, make them feel better, and then use words to guide them not to think about those annoying things temporarily.

Therefore, people who communicate with Noah often quickly forget their troubles. Many times, Noah feels that she might be suitable to be a psychological counselor. It is just that fate pushes her to keep moving forward.

"Of course I have to do the checkup, and I'll accompany you throughout. As for the botanical garden—I'll take you there once you're feeling better. As the director, I have the authority to ask for leave on your behalf," Muirses said with a smile. "That's only if you're feeling better. I just heard you were getting better, and then it suddenly got worse again. How reliable is Rhodes Island?"

"This is my own problem. It has nothing to do with Rhodes Island." Noah hurriedly explained to Rhodes Island that the whole thing could be said to be the worsening of the oripathy caused by his own expulsion of the unknown consciousness, and it had nothing to do with Rhodes Island's treatment.

"Alright, alright, all you do is protect Rhodes Island. You should have just listened to me and joined Rhine Life after graduation. We're open to talent from all walks of life. Even if you're a history major, we can still open a history department." Muirseth put his hands on his hips. "Then wouldn't we be colleagues? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"I went there to get treatment for my illness—" Noah scratched her head embarrassedly. To be honest, if her grandfather hadn't helped her contact Rhodes Island, she might have stayed in Columbia. After all, she couldn't become a knight if she went back. It wasn't difficult for Noah to get a graduate student or even a professor title in Columbia. However, in order to get treatment for her illness, Noah left Columbia, and then returned to Casimir because of Margaret's instructions. It could only be said that it was a matter of time and fate.

"Ore sickness... ah." Muirses touched the Originium crystal cluster on Noya's face with some concern. "It's okay. Rhine Life Science and Technology is the best in the world. We can definitely cure you."

What Muirseth said was not groundless. If Columbia was the forefront of science and technology, then Rhine Life, which possessed the most luxurious geniuses, could be said to be the most dazzling pearl in Terran science.

Christen, a luxurious genius, a legendary figure, seemed to be born to refresh the upper limit of Terra technology. The paper she wrote at the age of 20 had already driven the entire academic community into a frenzy. Many of the by-products of her research could cause earthquakes in the Terra technology circle.

Genius? Genius is only the threshold to seeing her. Columbia can be said to have become almost synonymous with Terra Technology because of Christen's existence.

Some people are born to lead humanity forward.

Kristen is clearly that leader, a true, living legend who has been written into the textbooks.

It was this person who, together with Saria, Muirseth and others, founded the original Rhine Life. Since its birth, Rhine Life has shouldered the important task of guiding mankind forward.

Being able to become a member of Rhine Life is something worth boasting about.

"Rhine Life...what kind of organization is it?" Noah was actually somewhat curious. After all, in the past, she only knew that Rhine Life was an organization composed of almost elite members with strong scientific research capabilities, but she never really realized what kind of behemoth it was.

As one of the founders, Muirseth was naturally the person who knew Rhine Life best, so she asked curiously.

"Rhine Life... is an organization that pursues the future!"

Chapter 3: Transmitter Therapy

Pursuing the future?

What a grand vision...

When Noah heard these words from Muirseth, he couldn't help but sigh that the word "future" was too far away for Noah.

Perhaps because he sensed a hint of loneliness in Noah's smile, Muirseth did not continue the topic. Noah's data had been handed over to Rhine Life by Rhodes Island through the terminal. It had to be said that it was a miracle that Noah was still alive.

More than 20% of the body has begun to crystallize into Originium, the entire back has begun to show signs of petrification, and the internal organs have almost all been invaded by Originium. Generally speaking, this level of illness is enough to issue an endangered species notice.

However, Noah's physique is quite special. Her physique is quite compatible with the Originium system, or in other words, her body is fusing with the Originium, and the Originium is working on behalf of her organs. During the test, it was even discovered that vascular tissue for transporting blood appeared in the Originium. In other words, the Originium in Noah's body is now perfectly integrated with her.

Such examples are extremely rare. Even for Rhine Life, this is the first time that such a...strange situation has occurred.

However, this special fusion method also caused a huge trouble for everyone. How to clean the source stone in Noah's body?

Generally speaking, there are two treatments for Originium sickness: suppressing the growth of Originium or eliminating its presence in the patient's body. One is conservative treatment, the other is radical elimination. However, in Noya's case, using radical treatment would likely damage his already self-circulating metabolism and even cause severe bleeding. If this were to happen, there would be no hope of recovery.

But if conservative treatment is required... conservative treatment is ultimately about prolonging the patient's life, inhibiting the growth of Originium, and allowing the patient to live as long as possible.

Both of these... don't seem very suitable for Noah.

However, Rhine Life was indeed quite capable, and they quickly came up with a new plan. This plan was based on a project of Rhine Life, which was confidential in itself. It was only officially made public after signing a confidentiality agreement with Noah and Rhodes Island.

Rhine Life wants to treat the disease through something called "transmitter".

The developer of this thing is Dorothy, who is also the director of the Originium Technology Application Department. In other words, Miss Dorothy is a scientific research expert on par with Muerses and Saria. Even among the Rhine Life, where everyone is an elite, she is a top talent.

The [transmitter] is shaped like mercury and has a silvery appearance like liquid metal. Dorothy proposed a treatment method, which is to inject the transmitter into Noah's body. Through external manipulation, the transmitter will eat the mineral crystal clusters in Noah's body bit by bit, and then gradually excrete these particles. Because the treatment time is very long and it will not cause damage to Noah's still normal body, the speed of the transmitter's swallowing only needs to be slightly faster than the growth rate of the source stone in Noah's body.

The human body's self-repair ability can quickly repair such minor injuries, and Rhine Life also has special treatment equipment. In theory, this method is painless and risk-free.

However, to say that there is no risk is actually only based on the data provided by Rhine Life Science. As for things like neurotransmitters... although magical, there is no record of their clinical application.

This thing had just been developed and had not yet been tested. Rhine Life did not hide its intention to use Noah as its test subject.

"...I disagree." How could Saria agree to such a haphazard treatment? "The transmitter hasn't undergone clinical trials and isn't even a finished product. We shouldn't play with patients' lives."

"But this is the best way. Miss Noah can no longer be treated with conventional methods, and you should understand that." At this time, Parvis, the director of the structural department who firmly supports neurotransmitter therapy, tried to persuade the former director of the security department. They were old acquaintances. After all, although Rhine Life was jointly founded by the General and Saria, the first scientists to respond to them were Parvis and Ferdinand. It can be said that the directors sitting here now are the backbone of Rhine Life.

Except for the general manager - she never participates in such meetings. She has her own things to do.

"If there is no record, there is no record. You are doing the same as before, trying to break the bottom line. Science cannot be blindly radical." I don't know if Saria missed the countless quarrels that had happened in the past, but she seemed more determined than before.

"I think this matter deserves more consideration. The transmitter isn't fully developed yet, and we're using it to test whether..." Muirseth naturally sided with Noah. Although she was also a member of the Rhine Lifeforms, she was sentimental by nature, so she didn't think this was a good move. "Are you being a little too impatient?"

"We are not forcing Miss Noah to join this experiment. I think we should respect Miss Noah's opinion." At this time, seeing that they were about to fall out, Yara, the director of the Human Resources Department who had been silent, finally spoke. However, she did not speak from the perspective of Rhine Life. Instead, she threw the topic to Noah. After all, Noah had been eavesdropping. In this rare meeting where all the senior executives of Rhine Life gathered together, Noah seemed a little out of place.

"I agree with Yara. Besides, this matter has nothing to do with me, right? Can I leave now?" Nastie, director of the Rhine Life Engineering Department, also spoke up. "I have my own things to do."

"Except for a certain director who is still investigating Sami, there aren't many opportunities for everyone to make collective decisions right now, so just wait a little. But my opinion is - I also finally got in touch with Rhodes Island and plan to cooperate, how about you all understand my difficulties?" The director of the Business Department, Justin, could only shake his head. He had seen many people at Rhine Life, who had extremely high scientific research capabilities but very average emotional intelligence, lose popularity because of a meeting.

Energy Coferdinan, who had been silent all this time, looked at Noah, who was as silent as himself, then looked at Parvis beside him, shook his head, and did not continue speaking.

In reality, this meeting was destined to be fruitless. The neurotransmitter therapy proposal was merely Director Dorothy's personal opinion. However, as the Director of Rhine Life, he supported Director Dorothy's opinion. In any case, more experimental records would benefit Rhine Life.

The finished version of the transmitter is something that even the military is coveting, so the sooner it is developed, the better.

The meeting was now clearly divided into several factions. Muirseth and Saria, who believed it was unsafe and wanted a different treatment, were on one side. Parvis, Ferdinand, and Dorothy supported neurotransmitter therapy and were trying to convince Noya to accept it. Nasty, who was already dozing off and wishing to remain indifferent, was on the other side. And finally, Yara and Justin, who were completely neutral and believed that Miss Noya's opinion should be hers.

With the general manager not participating and Director Mariam of the Scientific Investigation Department unable to participate, the remaining eight department heads' wrangling with each other will most likely be fruitless.

They were all at the forefront of their respective fields, but each held their own distinct positions, often conflicting with one another. The people in the administrative department weren't a big deal. Compared to the people in the research department, they were more like a facade for Rhine Life, or rather, the face that Rhine Life presented to the outside world. They generally had no say in research matters, and the only person who could possibly restrain them was probably the former head of the defense department, Saria.

Of course - this first word should be put in quotation marks.

After all, the chief has not yet signed his resignation letter, so Saria is still nominally the director of the security department.

"Um, can I say something?" Noah raised his hand and asked as the heads of various departments were arguing fiercely. "I think I should have the right to speak."

"You go." Yara stretched out her hand, signaling the other directors to be quiet. In front of this woman with an inexplicable sense of oppression, most of the directors seemed to give her face, so Noah's voice was slightly separated from the noise.

"-I agree to accept transmitter therapy." Noah's words were not very heavy, but very clear, leaving no room for anyone to refute.

"Are you sure?" As the lead researcher on the neurotransmitter, Dorothy was attempting its first therapeutic application. She understood the risks and knew it was somewhat unfair to Noah, the first test subject. But she also knew it was the only way to cure Noah. Still, out of caution, she asked. "This could very well be a matter of life and death for you."

"As you said, neurotransmitter therapy is probably the only way to cure me. If that's the case, I have no reason to refuse treatment," Noah said. "Besides, if my life can provide even a little help for the medical use of neurotransmitters, I think that's a good thing in itself."

"..." Saria looked at Noah in silence. She didn't expect that Noah would agree to such a chaotic experiment.

Human testing is a hurdle that most technologies cannot avoid, and it is also the most difficult hurdle to overcome ethically.

Many times, it is impossible to truly verify the feasibility of technology without human trials, but at the same time, if they fail, the results of many experiments may leave sequelae or even death to the subjects.

Noah's meaning was actually very clear. Since I could only get cured in this way, it would be worth taking a gamble. Even if I failed, it would still add some experimental data to neurotransmitter therapy.

Although it seems like a gamble, it actually represents an expectation for neurotransmitter therapy itself. This expectation is not about whether it can cure oneself, but whether this treatment method can be popularized in the future and whether it is effective for those seriously ill patients.

But since I have accepted it, Muirseth and Saria can only follow my opinion.

"...Really...why did you agree to this..." Muirseth complained to Noah, who was sitting in a wheelchair in a daze, while peeling an apple. "Don't you know that kind of thing is very risky?"

"I know." Noah turned his head and said with a smile, "But I think this treatment has great potential based on your description."

"It has potential, of course... but that kind of thing..." Muirseth shuddered at the thought of the mercury-like liquid metal. "Is it really okay to inject that thing into the body?"

"The experiment will eventually progress to human testing. I'm just experiencing it in advance," Noah replied. "I know my situation well. If there's no other way to suppress it, I can only live for about three months at most, right?"

"...Three months..." Muirses still found it hard to accept the act of counting the days he had left on his fingers. "What if there's a better way? I'll ask the commander-in-chief. She can do anything."

"Miaomiao, you really care about me so much. I can't give you anything in return." Noah said with a smile, but just as she smiled, a piece of cut apple rabbit was pushed on her mouth.

"Eat yours. I'll follow up on this matter from start to finish. Although the Ecology Department and the Originium Technology Application Department don't really have any connection... but there's still room for connection. I'll apply for joint research right away." Miu Miu stuffed the apple bunny into Noya's mouth and shook her head helplessly. "You want to live a long life. I don't have many friends. I can't lose one in three months. I won't be used to it."

"Gu—" Noya wanted to say something, but with the apple in her mouth, she obediently chewed it up and swallowed it. The sweet juice spread along the tip of her tongue, making her mouth curl slightly. "Delicious, is it a new variety?"

"Well, I made this new variety of apple for myself." Muirseth said with a smile, "You are the first person besides me to eat this kind of apple~"

"Then I'm truly honored." Noah nodded. "It's delicious. We should promote it."

"That's a bit troublesome—although it's delicious, this apple is very difficult to grow," Muirseth explained. "It requires a very demanding environment and will develop various diseases if you're not careful. It's a typical laboratory plant."

"I see." Noah nodded. "Is that why you didn't publish it?"

"There's no rush for this. It's just a project we did on the side. Our ecology department isn't just focused on improving plant varieties—" Muirseth said with a smile, but as she spoke, her tone softened.

"...But now, I want to research a fruit that can heal you..." Muirseth muttered to himself. "That way, you can stay by my side."

Chapter 4: The Easy-to-Handle Miss Miu Miu

Mercury-colored liquid was slowly injected into Noah's body. On the first day of the neurotransmitter treatment, with almost all the directors of Rhine Life in attendance, everyone was closely watching the first application of the neurotransmitter on a human body.

Before this, neurotransmitters had only existed in laboratories, and people had no idea whether they would undergo special changes in the human body. Perhaps, they were a deadly poison to humans, or perhaps, they were the solution to all diseases.

The first day was obviously the most important. Everyone was keeping a close eye on Noah's situation, and Saria was ready to call a halt at any time.

But nothing happened. Noah was still lying on the hospital bed, her breathing still steady, although everyone knew that the transmitter had been injected into her body and should have started to take effect according to the settings.

However, since this was the first experiment, the most conservative dosage of neurotransmitter was chosen as much as possible, giving priority to the safety of the experimental subjects.

After all, no matter how hardcore it is, most people will not go to the highest difficulty level at the beginning to train their courage.

"Noah, how are you feeling?" Dorothy asked through the glass. "Are you still awake? Do you feel any dryness in your mouth or any pain?"

"...No." Noya carefully felt it, but it turned out that there was nothing unusual in her body. Not to mention pain, there wasn't even the itch she had expected. It was as if nothing had happened. She even doubted whether the liquid injected into her body was real.

"In theory, the transmitter will immediately clean the Originium in your key areas, such as the spine and nerves." When Dorothy set priorities for the transmitters, she had specially set up a program for conservative erosion of key areas. These transmitters have always been obedient. Her main concern is that the special environment of the human body will have a special impact on the transmitters themselves.

But theory is theory, and practice is practice. No matter how perfect the theory, clinical applications must always take into account unexpected circumstances. Even Dorothy, the creator of the transmitter, couldn't claim to fully understand it. It must be said that the very existence of the transmitter is a miracle. This special metallic liquid is the pinnacle of Rhine Life Source Stone technology and application. Developed with the approval of the General, it's a super singularity technology that far surpasses Terra's current technology.

That’s right, Singularity Technology——

This is the name given to this surreal technology within Rhine Life. Even within Rhine Life, there are very few technologies that can be called singularity technologies.

Each singularity technology is enough to induce a leap forward in Terra civilization, and even become the technological starting point of a certain era.

Just like the Originium Furnace placed in the Originium Industry, or the Pure Originium placed in the Originium Purification Technology, they are both the most advanced technological crowns.

Being approved for human use was already a risk in itself, so Dorothy wouldn't let this opportunity slip away. She also had respect for Noah, who had proactively agreed to the experiment.

There is no doubt that Dorothy is a conscientious researcher, but even so - Saria did not let her guard down against Dorothy.

Most researchers of Rhine Life are paranoid to some extent. It is precisely because of this that conservatives like Saria eventually part ways with Rhine Life.

——They will do anything for a "beautiful" idea.

Her kindness is real, her humanity is real, but the things she does... are never something normal people can understand.

The transmitter was indeed a groundbreaking invention, but its creators had no idea of ​​its limits. This was a very dangerous matter. Before the experiment began, Saria specifically asked Dorothy how much she knew about this singularity technology.

But the answer is—Dorothy doesn't know either.

But she had a hunch that this technology could bring Terra unimaginable benefits.

But at the same time, she seemed to ignore the potential dangers of this technology.

As the second person in charge of the experiment, Ferdinand was also paying close attention to the condition of the subjects. He took the initiative to take on the task of the second person in charge and was very concerned about the situation of this experiment.

As everyone watched, time passed by minute by minute. After seeing that Noah's physical condition had not changed seriously, those who were paying attention to this experiment breathed a sigh of relief.

"The transmitter won't trigger a rejection reaction in the human body—we succeeded."

When Dorothy announced the success of the experiment, the whole laboratory was in an uproar. The researchers, who had not slept well for several days and whose hair was almost pulled out due to human trials and adjustments for the neurotransmitter, hugged each other and even kissed, no longer caring whether the other person was male or female. For these researchers, the joy of the successful experiment far exceeded anything else.

"This is just a temporary success in the experiment. There's nothing to celebrate." Although Ferdinand said this, the corners of his mouth had already begun to rise uncontrollably. The only one who was still frowning was Dorothy, the first person in charge of the experiment. She looked at Noah lying on the hospital bed. The neurotransmitter would be injected many times. This was only the first success. What would be the result after the neurotransmitter continued to increase in Noah's body?

Whether the neurotransmitter itself is harmful to the human body, or whether it will cause irreversible damage.

These are all unknowns.

She could only breathe a sigh of relief after the experiment was completely successful.

"Ms. Noah, I want to confirm with you again, the transmitter has not caused you any trouble, no matter what it is." Dorothy asked for the last time, but Noah finally gave an answer that there was no problem.

Muirseth left the observation room immediately, and the termination of the observation program also represented the successful conclusion of the first round. After Noah was pushed out of the laboratory in a hospital gown, Muirseth also stepped forward and hugged Noah.

"Congratulations, we have seen that the fusion rate of somatic cells and Originium is decreasing - this means that we are overcoming one of the biggest problems in Terra's history!" Muirseth's excitement was not fake. Although she was very worried before the experiment began, after the first round of experiments, she really saw hope. The fusion rate of somatic cells and Originium is the most fundamental criterion for judging mineral disease. When the fusion rate actually began to decline, there was no doubt that Noah's body was getting better.

The transmitter really began to eat away at the Originium crystal clusters in Noah's body, and was also helping Noah recover his physical condition.

And, more importantly, so far, the neurotransmitter has not triggered any rejection reaction.

Once the transmitter slowly erodes the Originium crystal clusters in Noah's body and reduces the Originium fusion rate to a certain standard, Noah may even be able to completely get rid of the troubles of the mineral sickness.

This is more effective than any previous treatment, which is definitely good news for those seriously ill patients.

"We've successfully reduced the somatic cell fusion rate of the test subjects by 1%—previous treatments could only be described with one simple, crude word: failure. Now, we'll define success ourselves!" Ferdinand gave a speech to all the researchers after the successful experiment. "Transmitters have only conquered oripathy. In the future, transmitters can become our hands and feet, our will. Imagine, when transmitters exist in everyone's body, the cost of communication between people will be reduced, and even thousands of miles apart, people can communicate through a single thought. Terra will redefine the meaning of efficiency!"

The speech was so passionate that one researcher wanted to pull out the remaining hair of his head. There was no doubt that when this experiment was made public, everyone here would leave their names in this legend.