Chapter 2
Upon entering the SDC, everyone in attendance, excluding Weiss and Blake, stand awestruck by the impressive decor and technology. A moment later, we are greeted by a woman with an... older resemblance to Weiss.
Willow: "Hello students of Signal Academy. My name is Willow Schnee, and I shall be your guide through our prestigious company today."
Weiss: "Huh? Mother? What are you doing here? I'd figured you'd still be in Atlas."
Willow: "Well, your father had come for his annual inspection and I took this opportunity to bring Whitley along for a short vacation, though when we heard of your overlapping trip, your father asked me to oversee the tour as he believes he can only trust someone in the family to complete such a task. Though he would've preferred to do this himself, he also understands that these inspections of his tend to leave him a bit busy."
Weiss: *sigh*"Of course. And what of Whitley?"
Willow: "He and Klein are currently at our Vale penthouse until I return. But enough about that! Your father doesn't allow these sorts of trips very often, and so we'd better not waste time with our idle chitchat."
Glynda: "Mrs. Schnee is correct. You can worry about your family matters later. Now class, be sure to pay attention to what Mrs. Schnee has to say and definitely be sure to stick together. No one is to stray to far from the group, lest you end up lost in this large building. Mrs. Schnee, if you would kindly start us off?"
Willow: "Of course. Please follow me as I bring us to our first destination of the tour, and I shall explain our history and purpose." She starts walking towards a short staircase which leads into a guest hallway filled with photos and panels of info like some sort of museum. "While the world now may know us for many prospects such as the development of revolutionary technology, power grid facilities and certain medicinal research, it didn't start that way. Many of these businesses within the SDC were developments that came over time. But when we started, we only specialized in one application that we still contribute to today: developing weapons for military contracts. The company was founded by my father, Nicholas Schnee, who played a part in the Great War that ended almost 80 years ago now. He was an up and coming scientist working for the Atlas military who lent their aid to Vale during the war when their previous deal with Mistral turned sour. Father developed the device to administer a special serum created by fellow scientist, Will Scarlatina the first, to create the perfect Super Soldier, and the two of them created the renowned hero who won Vale victory over Mistral, Captain Jaune Arc, AKA Captain Vale." We see various pictures of a white haired man with blue eyes, one alongside a brown haired guy in a lab coat, most likely Dr. Scarlatina. And then we see the hero she mentioned, a blonde male in blue pants, black combat boots, armored with a white chestplate and shoulder guards with gray trim over a black top, the chestplate featuring two creascent shapes layered over eachother in yellow, and equipped with a golden dipylon shield featuring Vale's emblem in black. "After the war, father founded the Schnee Dust Company as a weapons development program which eventually grew into what we know it to be now. Our current CEO, Jacques Schnee, was appointed as fathers successor due to the arranged marriage between Jacques and myself with Jacques seemingly holding greater business sense than myself, as it was Jacques innovations that increased the business from solely developing weapons. Which brings us to our first destination." We come across a large door that opens to reveal a VERY large room, almost like a warehouse made of the whole floor we were on, filled with various workstations for all the scientists working here. "Here we have our companies brilliant minds conducting their intended research to help revolutionize the future of Remnant. Depending on ones project, their station is moved to an individual room on a different floor for the sake both space and safety." Every station was divided by transparent walls, almost like office cubicals, and up front where we are, is a room a bit bigger than the other stations labeled 'head scientist'. "I would like to continue our tour here with a quick conversation with our Vale branch head scientist, Dr. Cinder Fall. If you'll excuse me for a moment to speak with her first." She steps up first to the labs front door and inputs a code confirming her authorization and entering the lab. We can see Willow and another woman with short dark hair and golden eyes talking through the dividing wall but can't hear a thing, the room filled with various tables, computers and shelves of books and files. While we wait, Weiss, Yang, Blake and I quietly talk ourselves.
Yang: "And to think that this will all be yours someday, huh Princess?"
Weiss: "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that!?"
Ruby: "Guys, please. Let's not get ourselves into trouble here."
Blake: "I'm still not sure how convinced I am about that whole Captain Vale story. I mean, it's not implausible to think this Jaune Arc was a war hero, but the concept of a super soldier serum in those times compared to now seems kind of... iffy, to say the least."
Ruby: "Not unless you're a genius like Scarlatina was. I've been to the Captain Vale exhibit of the history museum and have read his part in it, and so have looked into his career achievements several times to see the kind of man he was. It's actually pretty fascinating."
Weiss: "While the details may be danced around quite often, our records do seem to hold an unfinished replication of Scarlatina's serum recipe. Seems like grandfather was trying to preserve his work after he died during the war, but was unable to perfect it due to a lack of information."
Blake: "If someone could actually perfect that formula and make a person very much like the supposed Captain Arc, it leaves a lot to be considered on whether or not it'd be a good thing or a bad thing."
Yang: "Eh, maybe. But I say we let the officials cross that bridge when we get to it. After all, it's been almost 80 years since the war, and no ones been able to copy it. I think we're in the clear."
Ruby: "I hope so. But there's something else on my mind. A little less significant, but I can't help but feel like I heard the name 'Scarlatina' before I studied him the first time..."
Yang: "I think you're remembering our senior who graduated two years ago. Velvet, I think her name was."
Weiss: "Right, the rabbit Faunus from the photography club. Isn't she attending Beacon now?"
Blake: "I've been keeping contact with her since then, and found she's also working part time as a freelancer for the paper."
Ruby: "Think she's somehow related? Or just a random coincidence?"
Weiss: "I mean, it's definitely a possibility. But it's also not really any of our business." That's when Willow returns and motions us to enter the office.
Willow: "Students. Allow me to introduce our head scientist within the SDC Vale branch, Dr. Cinder Fall." As we see the woman from before turn away from her desk computer and stand up.
Cinder: "Hello students of Signal. I understand you must be curious as to my role here. In a nutshell, I oversee the progress, both the good and the bad, of the projects conducted by all our other scientists and report it all accordingly to my superiors, so that they may decide whether or not a person's project with worth continuing or must be terminated. I myself am also allowed to conduct projects of my own but I mostly have to work on whatever specific projects the board wants me to do, these projects being what are deemed more important than others. Why don't I show you something I've been working on myself? Over here we-" She stops dead in her tracks when notices me, showing a face of recognition. Everyone seems confused until she speaks up. "You there, red hoodie with the glasses." Being the only matching that description, everyone turns to me, which confuses me as well.
Ruby: "Me?" Somehow I think I know where this going, but I have to be certain first.
Cinder: "Yes you. What is your name, if I might ask?"
Ruby: "Uh... Ruby. Ruby Rose..." Recognition shows itself again upon hearing my surname.
Glynda: "Dr. Fall, just what are you getting at here?" Seeming kind of frustrated at her suddenly questioning one of her students.
Cinder: "You wouldn't happen to be related to a one Summer Rose... would you? Your resemblance to her is... uncanny." And it is going where I think it is. Should've known.
Ruby: "Yes. She's my mom. Though now I have to ask how you know her? I know she used to work here, but I don't know anything besides that."
Cinder: "She was an old... I guess colleague of mine before I become head scientist. Though I guess the better term for it would friendly rival. We got along sort of well but we were mostly rivals to each other as we both often caught the attention of the previous head. So much so that he selected us both as candidates to be his successor upon his coming retirement. However, I ended up winning by default after her unfortunate accident all those years ago. I must say, you are definitely her spitting image. While we may have been rivals, I still respected her as a fellow scientist, so you have sincerest condolences for your loss."
Ruby: "Uh, thanks?" Something about her tone doesn't completely convince me though.
Cinder: "Tell me, Ruby. Are you by any chance curious as to your mother's old work?" That caught my attention straight away.
Ruby: "Um, yes, actually. I want to follow in her footsteps, and I've always wondered what she was working on when she died. But, how do you know about it?"
Cinder: "Admittedly, had she not have died, she was actually more considered for the position due to her project. But when she passed and I was appointed instead, the board ordered me to pick up her work as it was deemed important. The only thing that's frustrating about it is that when she died, all her research data and the project was lost with her, so I had to start completely from scratch based on what on what little we knew about it from observing her station." She directed us towards an open wall full of... spider cages. "Mrs. Schnee's already informed me that you all are already aware of the story of Captain Vale. The reason I bring that up is because of the serum that basically created him. Many places have been attempting to recreate that serum after the data was lost with the death of Dr. Scarlatina. Summer's project was her own attempt at creating a super serum of her own and was using various spider breeds as the test subjects. We've been attempting the same thing for years since then but for some reason, the serum hasn't been affecting any of the spiders we have here." I focus my attention to the species names on the cages and notice a commonality.
Ruby: "Excuse me, Dr. Fall? Are you aware that your spiders are all species that carry venom?"
Cinder: "Hm? What does that matter?"
Ruby: "If the serum isn't affecting the spiders, then perhaps it's because it's instead being adapted to the spiders venom and thus instead of hosts for the serum, they're becoming carriers for it." Cinder looks on in awe.
Cinder: "Carriers..." She proceeds to looks through the nearest computer for scan data. "My god, you're right! How did I not notice this until now!? This would mean that they could pass the serum down to whomever they bite." Then surprisingly, Cardin speaks up about something.
Cardin: "Hey, hate to break up the nerd fest over there. But one of your cages is empty."
Cinder: "What!?" She rushes over to find only webs inside one of the cages along the wall. "Apologies students, but I must insist I leave things off here. Mrs. Schnee, I strongly advise you all leave now. I need to keep this room locked down until I find out what happened. Good day everyone!" She rushes all of us out of the room, locks the doors behind us and closes the shutters to keep anyone from viewing inside. Everyone is left in bewilderment for a moment until Willow decides to speak up.
Willow: *ahem*"Well, I suppose while she handles that, we can continue on with the tour."
Cardin: "Finally. We can move on from making this about that nerd."
Glynda: "Enough Mr. Winchester! One more disturbance and beratement and it's detention for you when we return!" She says with a stern look before turning back to Willow. "Mrs. Schnee, please continue."
Willow: "Ah, yes. Now over here we-" But I can barely focus when Yang decides to whisper with me.
Yang: "Psst. Hey. You okay?"
Ruby: "I'm not even sure what to think about that... What could Mom have possibly been doing with making carrier spiders? It doesn't make any sense." Blake of course catches onto this and decides to join in.
Blake: "Well whatever it is, try not to let it get to you, Ruby. Things aren't always as clear cut as they appear. I'm sure she had a good reason for this." Then Weiss joins as well after listening the whole time.
Weiss: "Maybe I can try accessing the labs servers for whatever data they have left of her old work. See what they actually know."
Ruby: "What? No! Weiss, I can't ask you to do that. You could get in serious trouble if your dad found out."
Weiss: "But I-"
Ruby: "No. Just... Stop. I don't want you to potentially ruin your future because of me. I'll find the answers myself eventually. For now, let's just focus on what's happening now and finish the tour." As I push past them and start listening to Willow. And though they still look concerned, they decide not to press it and listen as well.
Willow: "And over here we have two more of our best scientists. Our top geneticist, Dr. Grey Merlot. And robotics engineer, Dr. Arthur Watts." We see an grey haired man missing an arm, evident by his right sleeve being knotted up.
Merlot: "Greetings, students. And welcome to the Schnee Dust Company." Merlot seemed friendly enough but Watts seemed displeased and muttered under his breath.
Watts: "Hmph. Children in the lab. What is the world coming to..."
Willow: "Dr. Watts has been around for a little longer than Dr. Fall and still seems to hold envy against her for gaining the head scientist position."
Watts: "Of course I am! To think an amateur like her could be considered superior to my genius."
Willow: "It's exactly that kind of attitude and arrogance that denied you the position. Why can't you just admit it?"
Watts: "Tch. Think what you will. I'll have what's rightfully mine eventually."
Willow: *sigh*"Anyway. As for Dr. Merlot, he has been around for longer than everyone else in this room, and was the first person the previous head asked regarding the position."
Merlot: "Yes, but I respectfully turned it down for two reasons. One being that I believed that my time has come to pass and thus the future was better left in the hands of younger minds. And two, more personally, being that the position would leave me with less time on my own personal research."
Willow: "And would you be so kind as to share that topic with us today?"
Merlot: "With pleasure." He directs towards his work station. "As you can plainly see, I am currently missing my right arm, having lost it in an unfortunate accident in my college years. Since then, I have studied the ways of reptilian genetics, in hopes of finding a way to adapt it to human DNA and thus grant us a lizards ability to regenerate lost limbs. Though it may seem like a simple concept, I always thought it would be a fruitful effort for the benefit of man."
Watts: "More like a waste of time. Not to mention the unethical implications of altering human DNA. We are not gods, Merlot. We can't just simply bend the natural order of life to our whim. Splicing human DNA with those of animals could have unexpected side effects much more costly than anything most medicines may have. If people want a missing limb back, they can just do what everyone else does and just get a prosthetic replacement."
Willow: "Dr. Watts, I would appreciate it if you stop berating others for their work and just focus on your own. Now unless you wish to share your work with us, I ask that you please stop butting in."
Watts: *sigh*"If I must, then so be it. If you would direct your attention to my station, you will notice various protypes on potential power cores I plan to use to further increase the efficiency of our cities power grid. Our own building may hold it's own clean power source but Jacques has refused to share it with the rest of the world. Therefore I plan to create something that we can share, starting with Vale's own power grid, once I manage to create something more powerful than the SDC's Dust Core."
Willow: "Please just try not to overdo it with the nuclear aspect. We're trying to make the world better, not worse." He just roll's his eyes and returns to his work. *sigh*"Why don't we just move on? Many of our scientists have their own individual projects either created themselves or personally assigned to them for further production. Such as one our veteran's over there developing our work on special hand grenades." As we see a man tinkering with golden orbs with certain bits glowing orange. "And over here with some of our newest additions developing a prototype glider board and special lightweight armor." Said board looking almost like a pair of single edged swords put together, and the white armor must've been made by a woman do to it's feminine figure. Beyond the lab leads us through sections such as the business cubicles, larger testing rooms and assembly lines, even the aforementioned Dust Core in the basement. Running into several workers, including what seems to be a fresh out of college intern with gray hair rushing around trying to do a good job. Eventually we reach the lobby once again but Willow is stopped by a... rather round man in a very dark purple suit. "Mr. Glass. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Glass: "Nothing of real importance. I was just curious as to what has Dr. Fall so agitated?"
Willow: "Seems like one of her spider experiments has gone missing." Just as she's saying this, no one seems to have noticed a small spider descending into my hood.
Glass: "Oh dear. I'm afraid this can't go unnoticed by Mr. Schnee."
Weiss: "Mother? Who is this? I don't think I'm familiar with him."
Glass: "Ah. My apologies. I seemed to have interrupted your tour. *Ahem* Hello students. I am Amoncio Glass, CEO of the SDC Vale branch as of last week. I was head scientist of the main HQ in Atlas, but Mr. Schnee recently saw fit to promote me. Mr. Schnee is currently occupying the CEO's office to review his inspection in peace, and hence why I'm here."
Willow: "And we all appreciate your efforts here, Mr. Glass, as I understand you had a bit of difficulty adjusting to the change from Atlas to Vale."
Glass: "Bah, I just needed to adjust to the slight change in the time zone. Didn't take very long."
Weiss: "I can certainly relate to that when I first moved here."
Glass: "Anyway, I must be going. I'm sure I'll see you around, young Weiss. Good day, Mrs. Schnee." He bows and then takes his leave.
Glynda: "Alright students, that brings our trip to an end. Thank you for you're hospitality Mrs. Schnee."
Willow: "The pleasure was all mine, Ms. Goodwitch." They briefly shake hands. "And Weiss, your father will be working late into the night so I would appreciate at least a visit before we all have to leave." Weiss looks a little conflicted about that.
Weiss: *sigh*"I'll think abou it." Cold. I knew Weiss' family relationships were complicated but I don't think it's particularly healthy to shrug them off like that. I'd at least make an effort to patch things up. But it seems Weiss disagrees as that's all she says before we all leave for the bus outside. Once we get back, we go about the rest of the school day while Goodwitch prepares tomorrow's SDC test. After school, Yang and I left one way while Weiss and Blake left the other and they continue like this until they reach the subway station.
Blake: "I know what your thinking Weiss. And as nice as it sounds, I'm not so sure it's a good idea."
Weiss: "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
Blake: "Your planning to look into Ruby's mother on your own despite her wishes."
Weiss: "Wha-? How did-?"
Blake: "I've always been good at reading people, especially after getting to know you these past few years. Not to mention being an observer of human behavior. And I've noticed that since your friendship with Ruby started you've gradually become rather... Protective and somewhat affectionate towards her. Almost like there's more to your thoughts about her than you let on." Weiss clams up and stays silent for a moment. "Guess I was I right." It was then that she noticed a slight tinge of pink on Weiss' cheeks. "I know we may not exactly be that close, but I am always willing to lend an ear, so you know you can talk to me about these things."
Weiss: *sigh*"Okay. Fine. You're right. I... I like Ruby. Love her, even. I've felt like this for almost a year now. I just haven't said anything cause I'm worried intimidating with my... my..."
Blake: "Your reputation? Your referring to how tough it'll be to be with the future head of the biggest company on Remnant."
Weiss: "I just don't wanna scare her. And as for what you said earlier, she's done so much for me whether she realizes it or not. I just thought it's about time that I do something for her for once."
Blake: "And I get that. But this is something personal for her to figure out herself. The best that we can do for her in this instance is be there to support her, but we have no right to actually get involved unless she wants us to. Especially when she herself may not feel like she's ready to face it just yet."
Weiss: "I... I guess you're right. If she's not ready then I'd probably just end up hurting her, which is the last thing I want to happen."
Blake: "And I wouldn't worry about your reputation. If I know Ruby, she always looks at people for who they are, not what they are."
Weiss: "And that's why I love her." At this point their train home arrives. Meanwhile, Yang and I arrive home and... Uncle Qrow isn't here. This means he's either working late with a big case or he's out hitting a bar somewhere. Either way, this really isn't anything new for us. Like I said, things have been rough for him since our parents death, and really, ever since Raven's disappearance. It's actually pretty rare to have him home for dinner. The most we ever see him these days is in the morning before we all leave for the day.
Yang: "Welp. Guess we're on our own for dinner again." That's when I felt a sudden pain on my hand. Instinctively, I smack at it and find I killed a spider that bit me. At first it doesn't seem so bad. But then I start getting a weird feeling in my head. "You okay, Sis?"
Ruby: "Huh? Oh yeah. No. I'm totally fine. But I think I'm a little tired after today, so I'm just gonna go to bed early. And don't worry about eating without me. I'm not really that hungry."
Yang: "Are you sure? I can make some cookies afterwards." Clearly trying to cheer me up after everything that's happened today.
Ruby: "Thanks, Sis, but I think I just need to be alone for a minute. Okay?
Yang: "Yeah. Yeah. Just try not to let it get to you to much, alright?" Then I just head up to my room, quick change into my PJ's, just a black tank top with white pajama pants patterned with pink roses, and immediately collapse into my bed. And as I'm trying to sleep, I keep getting this same feeling in my head as I see all these flashes in my mind showing me random images of those spiders back at Cinder's lab. I'm not entirely sure what it all means yet, but I do know one thing for certain... That this was probably the roughest sleep of my life.