Heinrich

Heinrich's publicly accessible resume addendum is fairly extensive. In his adolescent years, he underwent militia combat training before enlisting in the military, earning plenty of medals for his gallantry while serving in the Earth Union. After Freeport Ⅶ's Reality Stabilizer exploded, he joined in on the rescue mission without hesitation, only to return critically injured, having to disappear from public view for some time for his medical treatment. He eventually recovered with his physical fitness and combat ability better than ever, albeit he lost an eye. Thereafter, as the Earth Union's influence weakened, Heinrich chose to become a BCRL soldier, briefly inspiring a bunch of other Earth Union soldiers to do the same. He then settled down in Shoggolith City in the years to follow and has been a BCRL Agency chief for over ten years.

As soon as he joined the BCRL, they focused on creating an entire recruitment campaign based on him, with his posters renewed annually even until now. His status as a modern-day hero, dignified yet personable looks, and all-encompassing military experience formed the essence of the imposing, steely-eyed Heinrich pictured in the campaign posters.

Yet, he didn't appear to be interested in these campaigns and even found them dishonoring. A tacit deal then formed among the BCRL Agency staff: Whenever Chief Heinrich showed up, they'd hide all of his posters. After all, they felt bad when they saw him frowning at these posters at work.

After repeated visits to the Eternal, Heinrich slowly starts opening up about stuff unrelated to work and responsibilities. Whenever he talks about his family, his expression visibly softens, exhibiting the love he has for them. However, few people on the train have the courage to probe him for more personal details, so everyone can only understand more about him through other ways.

Heinrich often gets in touch with his family at the gangway connection where there's no one around, but surprisingly, all he ever seems to talk about with them is trivial household stuff. For example, check if you've brought your keys before heading to the hospital for work, pay attention to what seasoning you're using when making soup, do not turn up the heat when attempting to cook something new, remember to return the tools you used to wherever they were, or else you won't be able to find them next time... The person on the other side never finds these reminders annoying, seemingly always agreeing with him in delight, and similarly, Heinrich never once sounded mad or anxious. Their conversation tends to end with him saying, "I'll be back soon."

"Hmm? My parents? They're very loving. Mm-hmm, really! You guys heard him, right? He's so mushy on the phone—"

While Dorothy holds up a small megaphone to gossip with everyone with one foot on the train seat, Heinrich approaches from behind her and clears his throat.

"...Don't forget to wipe the seat clean, Dorothy."

Heinrich is currently lying on the operating table after partaking in a rescue mission at Freeport Ⅶ.

That coastal port was the hometown he grew up in before it had a Reality Stabilizer built. The moment the explosion occurred, he applied to rush there and help despite the dangers, only to be greeted by a catastrophic scene that regular people would never be able to handle seeing. He and his companions fought to the very last moment until he lost consciousness and could no longer hold his weapon, and the next time he opened his eyes, he was already lying on the operating table.

Needless to say, Heinrich thinks about his death. To people in the military, it is an honor to sacrifice themselves on the frontlines after battling with might and main. Still, there are a few things in his heart he just can't bear to leave behind: the soup made in tin cans in camp, nights where everyone sings and jokes around the table, and the young lady he met in the hospital—Loya.

He realizes that he wants to continue living and save more people with his own power, but gradually, he starts seeing things from the third-person point of view and witnesses what happened when he was taken into a room earlier. Numerous researchers, some of whom he recognized, had been arguing around his unconscious body. Among them, Loya came forward and said, "Since all of you worry that he might become a Deep Sleeper, I'll take care of him by myself." Then, he sees himself being wheeled into a new operating room and attached to unfamiliar equipment...
Before darkness slowly swallows him whole, he sees someone reaching out to him.
...

Twenty years later, as a war hero, Heinrich will casually tell people how his wife Loya had saved his life, but he never once divulges the ins and outs of that circumstance. As for what exactly healed his fatal injury and saved his life while he disappeared from public view, it is likely that the people will never get to find out.

Among his personal belongings lies one such photo: Young Loya beams at the camera in her military hospital uniform, and young Heinrich, who was far less brawny than he is now and who still had both eyes, also flashes a faint smile.