Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"You're still the same as before. Don't get a stitch in the side." Muirses patted her on the back. "Seeing you're still so energetic, I'm relieved. You must work hard in the future. Even if you don't pursue a career in scientific research, I'll still be your director."

"Thank you, Director Muirseth." Alex nodded and bowed solemnly. "Ah... I almost forgot. Director, I'm sorry to excuse myself. I have something to discuss with a colleague."

"Go ahead, I'll just take a walk." Muirses waved his hand, signaling Alex to do his own thing. After Alex left, Muirses' expression with squinted eyes froze.

——Alex Mercer died in an experimental accident five years ago.

She had witnessed the corpse being burned, and she had even gone to visit Alex's family, so the matter should have been settled. But in this place, she once again saw the living Alex Mercer.

why?

Resurrection? Cloning? Or...

Muirseth's expression turned serious, and he thought of several possibilities in an instant. But it was obvious that this [Alex] had no memory of death. Although it was possible that the memory loss was caused by technical defects, it could not be confirmed. But since even the body had been cremated, the possibility of resurrection was indeed very slim.

So it's a clone? And the clone has the original Alex's memories inserted into it?

But can the clone really have such similarities with the original person?

In the previous contact, Muirseth was almost certain that the Alex in front of him was almost the same Alex he knew.

This made Muirseth very suspicious. Who is this Alex?

Deep uneasiness made Muirses start to panic. After all, since he could completely replicate Alex, he might be able to replicate Noah Kyrielight. She even began to suspect that the commander-in-chief had deceived her. In fact, the Noah she was with later might be fake?

Because of this incident, Muirses no longer had the heart to continue exploring the underground building and directly disbanded the water clone.

She wanted to confirm that the current Noah was still Noah... and not something else in disguise, but she thought about it and couldn't think of a way to confirm it. It was not until now that Muirseth realized that she knew too little about Noah.

Although they addressed each other in a very intimate way and had a good relationship, Noah seemed to rarely reveal her past and rarely talked to me about her little secrets.

She was able to distinguish Alex because she saw Alex's body being cremated with her own eyes, so she knew that the Alex she saw was not the Alex she knew. The real Alex had turned to ashes and was buried properly.

But...what about Noah?

Could it be that Noah was also copied and replaced like Alex?

Could it be that the real Noah has also turned into a cold corpse or turned into ashes without her knowledge?

The thought of this possibility made her feel cold all over, and she even wanted to question the commander-in-chief.

But she finally calmed down. On the one hand, it was against the rules for her to sneak into the Special Containment Procedures Department, and there were many ways to explain this matter, such as cloning. The most important thing was to make sure that Noah was still Noah and had not been replaced by someone.

But the flaw...are there any flaws in this replacement?

Muirseth thought for a long time but could not come to a conclusion.

But she thought of a way. She had to find the so-called flaw in Alex first.

Muirseth rediscovered Alex's file from the list of casualties. As the director, it wasn't a confidential file, so her investigation wasn't hindered. And when she discovered the experiment Alex was involved in was codenamed "Black Light," she seemed to have grasped a clue.

According to the original report, Alex Mercer originally planned to be buried according to the family's wishes, but in the end he chose cremation.

why?

Is there any reason why cremation is necessary?

Muirseth was no fool and quickly realized the problem. Alex didn't have any external injuries on his body at the time, or there were no obvious external injuries. In addition, when they met underground, Alex said she was worried about [infection].

...So, could the initial leak have been a virus test?

Although she didn't know whether there was a connection, Muirseth finally found some clues. Although the black light experiment was a top-secret experiment, she had her own set of methods.

If you don’t have enough authority, then seek external help.

So she took out the terminal and selected a contact.

"Mel—I need your help."

After the call was connected, Muirseth spoke.

"Please, this is really important to me. I hope you can help me investigate the information about the black light experiment."

A member of the engineering department, a capable subordinate of Nasti, and also a part of Muirses's vast network of contacts.

Meier - one of the designers of the Rhine Life Firewall.

If I really want to investigate... Mel is one of my best choices.

Chapter 20: To this day, she is still my light

"Alex Mercer died in an experimental accident five years ago. Her family has received a pension and living allowance. Her sister is still in college, and her parents are retired. The family has put aside the grief of losing their daughter five years ago and is working hard to move on." Mel read the entire message to Muirseth word for word, then raised his head uneasily. "I don't think it would be a good idea to disturb them, right?"

"...I don't want to disturb them, but I have to confirm some things." Muirseth certainly didn't want these people to recall the pain of losing their daughter again, but her concern for Noah overwhelmed her inner guilt. She was really worried about Noah, and some of his recent abnormal behaviors made her think more.

Especially since Noya seems to have never left Rhine's life recently. It's clear that her freedom has not been restricted - that's not right...

Muirseth suddenly remembered that now there seemed to always be Saria beside Noah.

What if Saria was the one who restricted Noah? She thought of a terrifying answer. If Saria's mission was to guard Noah, then everything made sense. Although Noah was allowed to contact her, he was always under Saria's surveillance.

Is Saria...still on the same side as the General?

It would have been fine if Muirses hadn't thought about it, but once he started thinking about it, he felt that everything was connected.

Noah was inexplicably monitored by Saria and imprisoned in Rhine Life. The neurotransmitter experiment was clearly over, but he inexplicably obtained the title of Director of the Special Containment Measures Department. It seemed to give Noah a very powerful title, but in fact it imprisoned Noah in Rhine Life.

The name of this so-called Special Containment Procedures Department is strange! Containment, procedures? Could it be that this means Noah is being contained?

Muirseth was already struggling to think normally about what role Saria had played and what she had done. It wasn't her fault for overthinking it, as Saria and the Commander had always been on good terms. If the Commander had truly convinced Saria, it wouldn't be hard to understand why she had become his accomplice.

Although I don't want to doubt Saria, it's clear that Saria and Noah's relationship is not yet inseparable. There is only one possibility for this situation to suddenly occur -

Saria is watching Noah!

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Muirseth gritted his teeth. But why would the governor target Noah? Could it be that the governor was after Noah's body?

Given the commander-in-chief's personality, there must be some decisive factor for him to take a new look at Noah, and this factor must be able to convince Saria. To be honest, even Muerses couldn't think of a reason of this magnitude.

After all, that was Saria. Saria was one of the most stick-to-bottom-line people she had ever met. It could be said that even if the whole world went crazy, Muirseth believed that Saria was the normal one.

That diamond-hard woman wasn't just boasting. Having known Saria for a long time, Muirseth believed he knew his old friend well. If there wasn't some special reason, Saria wouldn't have helped the governor imprison the girl.

But after thinking about it, Muirseth couldn't think of any reason why Saria would be an accomplice to the evil, while Mel had already driven the car to the destination.

Alex Mercer's home, or rather, what once was.

Muirseth collected his thoughts, coughed and cleared his throat before ringing the doorbell. Soon, a girl with short black hair popped up. "Who are you?"

"I'm Muirseth, the head of Rhine Life's Ecology Department. This is Mel from the Engineering Department. We're here to visit Miss Alex's family." Carrying a box of beautifully packaged cakes, Muirseth flashed a friendly smile and stated his purpose straight to the point. "Excuse me, who are you?"

"My name is Diana Mercer." Knowing she was my sister's colleague, she relaxed a little and welcomed them into the living room. However, once Muirseth entered the living room, he discovered that it seemed only one person lived there, and the Mercers were nowhere to be seen.

"My parents have retired to the countryside. Colombia is still too big for them to handle," Diana explained, noticing Muirseth's confusion. "Um... what does my sister's colleague want to talk to me about?"

"Nothing strange, I just came to visit." Muirses waved his hand quickly. "After all, Alex was my subordinate before. As her boss, I feel deeply guilty about what happened to her, so I wanted to come and see if there is anything I can help with."

"So...ah." Diana clearly didn't quite believe Muirseth's intentions. After all, as her boss—if he truly cared about Alex, he would have come long ago. A sudden visit like this, complete with a gift, didn't seem impulsive at all. "Thank you so much for remembering my sister...I'm sure she'll be very happy too."

"...Well, this is just a small token of my appreciation." Feeling somewhat guilty, Muirseth handed the cake to Diana. But she couldn't just say, "I saw your sister alive and kicking in our basement." She didn't know how Diana would react to hearing that. Would she think that Rhine Life had imprisoned her sister, or something else entirely? She couldn't say.

Diana did not expose Muirseth's disguise. In a sense, she was happy that someone still mentioned her sister. In the past, Alex was her pride. She entered Rhine Life directly after graduation and was considered an elite among the elites. When her sister was still alive, she often mentioned how magical Rhine Life was and also mentioned her director, Miss Muirseth in front of her.

It is said that she does not look like a scientist, but is a very kind person.

Indeed, Muirseth lacked the seriousness of a scientist, but he knew how to be approachable.

Diana didn't think that Muirseth had any ill intentions in front of her. Even if there was something wrong, she wouldn't mind. Her sister had said when she was alive that her director treated her very well, so her attitude towards Muirseth was the same.

"Actually, besides coming to see you, I have another purpose—" Muirseth felt it was about time and said, "Excuse me, Miss Diana, if Alex... I mean, your sister, were to reappear in front of you, what would you think?"

"...Are you kidding?" The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and Diana's expression turned somewhat gloomy. "I don't like jokes like this, Director Muirseth."

"Don't be angry—I was just saying that. If, if—" Muirseth knew that this assumption was somewhat rude, but she still wanted to know the other side's attitude. "Actually, I have a situation here, which is... your sister may not be dead."

"...What did you say?!" Diana, who had been able to sit on the sofa before, was so frightened that she immediately stood up. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Don't worry, I'm just saying it's possible, that's all." Muirses quickly explained, "Actually, it's like this. I met someone at Rhine Life who looked very similar to your sister. Of course, so far, it's just a resemblance, but you know, I also saw your sister cremated... with my own eyes, so I was surprised too. I know this may be a little too unrealistic for you, and it's the same for me..."

Muirseth explained, "But perhaps... perhaps your sister was simply involved in a classified research project and had to publicly [disappear]? I was just thinking about this possibility. Could it be that she was [faked dead] from the beginning?"

"Impossible! My sister would never lie to me like this!" Diana couldn't hide her excitement. "Director Muirseth, how could you say such outrageous things!"

"So it's just a possibility - but I can verify this possibility." Muirseth took a deep breath and stated the purpose of coming here.

"I...want to open your sister's grave," Muirseth said. "Although DNA can't be tested on cremated ashes, as you know, cremation doesn't completely destroy human tissue. So I can identify bones—like the pelvis—to confirm whether they are your sister's ashes."

The reason she came here was to get direct recognition from the other party's relatives. If it can be proved that the person in the tomb is really Alex, then the Alex in the underground area cannot be the real person, which means... it is very likely a clone, or something else.

In short, we must rule out the possibility of resurrection... or the possibility of fake death.

Although he felt very sorry for the Mercer family, Muirseth still asked for their consent.

Moreover, if possible, she also wants to collect items that belonged to Alex during her lifetime and extract DNA from the hair and other items on them. As long as DNA comparison can be performed, it will most likely be possible to detect whether it is her real person.

These demands were indeed excessive, but Muirseth had to be sure of this.

Muirseth was serious. Her eyes fell on Diana. Although she had seen her sister's body with her own eyes and was not allowed to get close for special reasons, she did see the coffin being pushed into the incinerator with her own eyes. For her, it was a scene she would never forget.

Now she suddenly knows that her sister may still be alive and is participating in a confidential research.

Is this possible?

Her emotions were mixed, a mixture of surprise and fear.

She was surprised that her sister might not be dead at all and would return to her one day, but she was also terrified that this was all just a dream... Eventually, she would have to wake up. But even so, she couldn't forget that when her sister was sent to the incinerator, she was so light that she could easily lift her sister, but she turned into a small box that even she could easily move.

That's clearly my sister's weight...

But why is it so light...

Tears just flowed out of her eyes. She hadn't realized that her sister had left at that time. She cried like a child while holding the urn.

Crying is a way to vent emotions.

But when sadness reaches its extreme, people become numb. Not only can they not shed tears, but they are even unwilling to believe that this is reality. They will have a vague feeling like a dream.

When people truly realize the reality, their emotions collapse in an instant. Diana experienced this. In that instant, she felt the despair of reality like a wave that directly crushed her.

The willpower to refuse to believe in order to protect herself collapsed in an instant, leaving only endless sadness weighing down her back.

After the funeral, she cried all her tears on the way back, but when she returned home and returned to her sister's room, she no longer felt the pain and sadness, and she lay down on her sister's bed and fell asleep.

My sister's scent is everywhere, but I can never see her again.

She was very afraid of ghosts, but at this moment, she really hoped that her sister could scare her and talk to her in her dream.

Only then did she realize that those scary ghosts were actually people that some people dreamed of but could never see.

Muirseth could feel the other person's sadness, and she even regretted saying these things. After all, these were just her selfish desire to confirm that Noah had not been replaced. This was unfair to Diana.

It's like reopening a healed wound...

But soon, she heard Diana standing up, her voice trembling a little, but extremely firm.

"I agree."

"what?"

"I say... I agree." Diana's eyes were misty, and she felt like she would cry at any moment. "Whether it's relics or ashes, as long as there's a chance and a way - I want to know if she has left me."

"...Miss Diana." Muirseth didn't expect it to go so smoothly. "I must tell you, I can't guarantee that it is Miss Alex——"

"It's okay, sister won't mind me disturbing her—" Diana took a deep breath, "but I want to go and get her back myself—I want to go with you."

"Okay." Muirseth nodded without hesitation. "Thank you, Miss Diana. This is really important to me."

"No matter what, I must know the truth." Diana looked at Muirseth. "Director Muirseth, I believe in you. Even if it ends in nothing, I won't blame you."

There is irreversible happiness.

But there are also people who, to this day, remain her light.

That small grave was too small to carry her love and longing for her sister.

If there was a way to get her back - she certainly wouldn't give up.

Even if she could only shed tears in the end, she wanted to know the truth.

Chapter 21: I am Noah’s dog!

"To find a dragon and divide gold, look at the winding mountains. Each winding mountain is a barrier. If the barrier is eight times dangerous, it will be in the shape of Yin and Yang Bagua." Muerses muttered to himself while carrying a shovel, gesturing pretentiously. "Hey, do you think we should also get a Luoyang shovel or something like that?"

"You've been watching too many TV dramas..." Mel couldn't help but complain, "Colombia already has a cemetery, and they just put it there. If you go to the cemetery like this, you might get beaten up."