43rd Day of Ymiden,
718th Arc
718th Arc
Since joining the research team in Viden’s sanctioned underworld, the Facility for Retrospective Analysis, Lord Virikai Talius could never say that his life was boring. Working with his father was a slightly different matter - the work coming from the Directorate varied from trial to trial. Though Virikai, more often than not, found himself stuck in a cycle of tedium, dealing with whatever more senior politicians didn’t have to. Most exciting was when he got to act as a liaison between the Facility and the Directorate.... or his meeting with that fascinating little Mage Hunter earlier in the season.
A shame he hadn’t the opportunity to conduct a similar meeting with Rynmere’s visiting Lord Arbiter, Yvithia damn him. Thrice.
No, politics was inconsistent, and not in a positive way. Research, however, Virikai could more easily predict. He knew, each time he treaded down the darkened steps to pass by the ever-guarded doors, what was in store for him that trial. He knew where his research was, what he had completed the previous trial, what was first on his agenda on any given trial. The pressing tasks, the tasks he could push back for a few trials.
He had autonomy. Anyone who knew anything about the young heir of the Talius line was that he thrived on autonomy, and the freedom to focus on tasks and let himself run away with his mind for a few breaks. It had been challenging, in the beginning of his training within the Facility, where his days had been filled with the dreary drudge work of an Assistant Researcher, to redirect his attentions whenever his mind wondered. The aristocrat did not always understand his place.
Then, on completion of his Certificate and promotion to Researcher within the Facility for Retrospective Analysis, he hadn’t been given more freedom. He was now solely responsible for recording the development of a young aukari girl, just as other researchers were responsible of children of similar ages from nigh every race found in Idalos. It was an ambitious project. While Virikai couldn’t claim complete freedom on the project, his ideas were just as respected as anyone else’s in the main research team. It was a good learning experience for him.
But Virikai had noted a number of issues with that particular project, namely how could the development of an aukari girl who spoke only the Ancient Tongue be compared developmentally to her kin in their natural environment? She couldn’t. Perhaps the FRA would learn nothing of significance because of the flaws in having an environment that was in no way natural. If they did learn anything significant, was it valid, when participant bias was such a risk? They needed to take it back a step.
It had resulted in his own proposal, which had been categorically refused by Trandino Adarius. Well , it hadn’t been refused, as such, merely sent away for a few trials to be revised. But Virikai had returned with an entirely new proposal.
This one was... well it was morally reprehensible.
A shame he hadn’t the opportunity to conduct a similar meeting with Rynmere’s visiting Lord Arbiter, Yvithia damn him. Thrice.
No, politics was inconsistent, and not in a positive way. Research, however, Virikai could more easily predict. He knew, each time he treaded down the darkened steps to pass by the ever-guarded doors, what was in store for him that trial. He knew where his research was, what he had completed the previous trial, what was first on his agenda on any given trial. The pressing tasks, the tasks he could push back for a few trials.
He had autonomy. Anyone who knew anything about the young heir of the Talius line was that he thrived on autonomy, and the freedom to focus on tasks and let himself run away with his mind for a few breaks. It had been challenging, in the beginning of his training within the Facility, where his days had been filled with the dreary drudge work of an Assistant Researcher, to redirect his attentions whenever his mind wondered. The aristocrat did not always understand his place.
Then, on completion of his Certificate and promotion to Researcher within the Facility for Retrospective Analysis, he hadn’t been given more freedom. He was now solely responsible for recording the development of a young aukari girl, just as other researchers were responsible of children of similar ages from nigh every race found in Idalos. It was an ambitious project. While Virikai couldn’t claim complete freedom on the project, his ideas were just as respected as anyone else’s in the main research team. It was a good learning experience for him.
But Virikai had noted a number of issues with that particular project, namely how could the development of an aukari girl who spoke only the Ancient Tongue be compared developmentally to her kin in their natural environment? She couldn’t. Perhaps the FRA would learn nothing of significance because of the flaws in having an environment that was in no way natural. If they did learn anything significant, was it valid, when participant bias was such a risk? They needed to take it back a step.
It had resulted in his own proposal, which had been categorically refused by Trandino Adarius. Well , it hadn’t been refused, as such, merely sent away for a few trials to be revised. But Virikai had returned with an entirely new proposal.
This one was... well it was morally reprehensible.
