Chapter 41: Sector Leaders & Provoking Thornfield
Director Lysa Sero’s approach was announced by the subtle mechanical humming of her augmented accessories. The elderly woman with white hair moved with surprising energy, her eyes lighting up as she spotted Vincent.
"Vincent, dear boy!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying a slight electronic resonance.
Before Vincent could react, she reached up and ruffled his perfectly styled hair with maternal affection, then moved to kiss his cheek. Vincent smoothly stepped back, his hands gently but firmly catching her wrists.
"Director Sero, you’re too kind," he said diplomatically, guiding her hands away while maintaining his composure despite the displaced strands of hair.
Her companions—both significantly younger than herself—watched with the careful attention of those accustomed to managing her more eccentric moments, one quietly producing a small comb which Vincent gratefully accepted.
"My Alexander was just like you—so dedicated, so focused on perfection," she continued, her eyes taking on a distant quality. "Even when the Qi injection experiment was clearly going wrong, when his body was already showing signs of instability, he insisted on reaching for his notepad to record the final readings. ’Science demands sacrifice, Mother,’ he told me as the energy built up inside him." Her voice grew wistful. "He knew he would explode, but the data was more important than his life. That’s the kind of dedication that drives true innovation."
Vincent felt a chill at her casual description of her son’s death, the twisted pride in her voice revealing the depths of SeroTech’s morally flexible culture.
"Director Sero, your innovations in SeroTech’s Qi-Tech R&D continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. The cultivation amplifiers and spiritual suppression fields represent genuine breakthroughs."
"Oh, you flatter an old woman." Her laugh was genuinely delighted. "Though I must say, certain parties have been making legal difficulties about our research methods. Haruto’s contract bloc seems to think innovation should be constrained by bureaucratic nonsense."
The complaint was delivered with the casual dismissiveness of someone who viewed legal obstacles as minor inconveniences rather than serious threats.
Director Cassiel Harmon from Sector 7’s Right Party Guild approached with military precision, his two companions maintaining the disciplined bearing expected of those connected to the government-aligned enforcement sector.
"Mr. Cornelius," Harmon said, his bearing stiff but respectful. "I trust Cornelius Corporation’s operations continue to maintain full compliance with all regulatory requirements."