Shale/Profile

Shale

Profile

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Career

The specialist A-PI Doll was developed internally by Svarog Heavy Industries' Energy Division. Its primary functions included prospecting for, extracting, and refining fossil fuels, covering every link in the fossil fuel industry. Like many specialized Dolls developed by Svarog Heavy Industries, the A-PI's design emphasized repairability and durability under hostile work conditions. In addition, multiple suites of internal modules and external equipment were developed for it. Since the fossil fuel industry was still quite large in the 2050s, the A-PI did not suffer the lack of demand which many industry critics had predicted, instead maintaining a stable sales volume.

As one of the initial A-PIs, Shale was purchased and employed by a major oil company that was affiliated with Svarog Heavy Industries. However, due to cutbacks in 2059, Shale was made redundant. She was recovered by Svarog, and was then sent to Project Neural Cloud.

Doll Profile 1

Ever since it replaced coal to become humanity's largest source of power in the 1950s, crude oil can be said to have reshaped the face of the earth—not only did it change the way of living for the masses and financial organizations, it also had a far-reaching impact on the global power structure. Meanwhile, the scarcity of fossil fuels and humanity's carbon footprint were among the most hotly-debated topics of the early 21st century. That said, while the development of clean forms of energy is progressing ever onward, fossil fuels show no signs of being completely eliminated—not even in the face of a world war.

The devastation wrought by World War 3 slowed the development of clean energy sources. Meanwhile, Svarog Heavy Industries' Collapse Energy generation technology was incredibly costly, technologically demanding, and still hadn't yet worked out its many shortcomings. As such, it was only deployed in certain well-developed White Zones. For most places, oil remains the primary source of energy. However, during the war, many oil extraction and processing facilities were recognized as strategically important and targeted for strikes. The lack of manpower proved to be a thorny problem during reconstruction efforts.

This was why the A-PI specialist Doll was created, due to stark, blatant practicality. The A-PI would prove to be indispensable to the rebuilding of the petrochemical industry.

Doll Profile 2

The first batch of A-PIs were clearly experimental units and their internal layout was far more complex than their successors. This batch had been produced before the model was officially announced on the market, ordered by major oil companies affiliated with Svarog Heavy Industries to test their capabilities. Shale was within this batch of A-PIs.

After entering service, Shale and the other members of the first batch of A-PIs were deployed to various oil fields and underwent performance trials. During the long testing process, which lasted several months, many A-PIs showed signs of instability in adverse environments due to their complex body structure. Only Shale and several other units remained fundamentally intact, following which Svarog Heavy Industries would use the experimental data gathered to fine-tune the A-PI's design.

Since oil wells were so important, A-PIs were all awakened and tested at their future workplaces. Shale was awakened in an oil field out in the desert. In this desolate land, Shale adapted to her tasks with surprising speed and began her career as an oil prospector. The petite Shale seemed utterly out of place amidst a sea of brutal-looking and imposing wellheads, but once she donned her heavy protective suit and stepped into the extraction zone, she performed every bit as well as the hoariest veterans present. Her heavy suit completely obscured her face, leaving only the sound of her drill in her wake.

By the time she finished work, her orange-red suit would often be dyed a sticky black. After shedding her suit, Shale's biosynthetic skin would often be flushed red and moist from the heat inside, and her most pressing task after that would be to depart from her worksite and find the showers ASAP.

Doll Profile 3

For most people, working in a desert oil field ought to be very challenging and dangerous. However, the nature of the company that employed Shale meant that while the work was very tough, the workers enjoyed very generous benefits. They had soft beds, delicious food, generous compensation, and even the toilets were lavishly-designed. However, one extremely strict rule stood in contrast to the otherwise comfortable environment; employees could not leave the area where the oil field was without permission. This in turn led to Shale, who had been awakened within the oil field, to never have the chance to experience the outside world.

Trapped in the middle of the desert as she was, the only way Shale could make contact with the world beyond was through the literature left behind by the human workers. The first book Shale read was an anthology of short stories called "The Adventures of Nora". It was from that little book that Shale learned about what lay beyond the desert. From then on, Shale could be seen reading in the rest area whenever she had any free time. In addition, Shale placed orders for many books, which included works from famous authors, short stories, and even some strange magazines. Whatever the book, Shale would throw herself into reading it.

Doll Profile 4

When Shale first started working with her company, it was doing well and undergoing a period of rapid expansion. Its ads were a common sight on TV and it sponsored many sports organizations. One of these organizations was a biking team that had won four consecutive N-WSBK championships, giving them great advertising power.

However, profits in the energy industry were often subject to market fluctuations. The great earthquake of 2058 and a series of scandals led to the company choosing to downsize. By the start of 2059, their share prices had fallen by 35%. In the end, they had no choice but to merge with their close partners Svarog Heavy Industries, becoming a subsidiary company.

After the company was purchased, Shale became part of Svarog Heavy Industries' Energy Division. The oil field where she was stationed began cutting back on its production due to a decision from the company's leadership, resulting in many employees being transferred away or terminated. In the end, Shale the Doll was the only one left in the desert. During this time, she took over the assets that her colleagues had left behind, including the cats that they had raised. At one point, Shale had over ten cats around her and these cats helped Shale through the loneliest part of her life. After she left the oil field, most of them found homes with new owners, with the exception of Big W and Little w, whom she took in and could always be found by her side.

Doll Profile 5

Between the signing of her contract and her official induction into Project Neural Cloud, Shale found herself with a lot of free time. She had a never-ending pile of books to read, and both Big W and Little w kept her company. Though she had left the oil field, Shale had joined Project Neural Cloud, which meant she still did not have the chance to travel the outside world. However, this did not make her anxious. Instead, she completed all the tests assigned to her with a curious heart and an earnest attitude.

Despite being trapped in Magrasea, Shale remained in good spirits. Magrasea might have been a strange place that was different from the real world, but to her, it contained many new possibilities, a notion which would only be reinforced after visiting the Oasis.

"Isn't it great to live with love and hope in your heart, like the star of a romance novel?"

No matter whether she ends up staying in Magrasea or returning to the world once again someday in the future, Shale is ready to face it.