Loading — Booting Software

Commencing system check
Scanning…
Scanning…

Alert: A third Pod wishes to join this conversation.
Authorize invitation?
YES/NO

Accepted. Sending invitation to Pod 223.

Sending…
Sending…

Pod 223 has accepted the invitation.

Initializing Pod Conversation.

Pod 042: This is Tactical Support Unit Pod 042. Control has been assigned to 2B.

Pod 153: This is Tactical Support Unit Pod 153. Control has been assigned to 9S.

Pod 223 is logging in. Unexpected delay due to descent from the atmosphere.

Pod 223: This is Tactical Support Unit Pod 223. Control has been assigned to 27H.

Pod 042: Combat data exchange requested.

Pod 153: Exchange accepted.

Pod 223: Exchange accepted.

Pod 042: Proposal: Data should be exchanged regularly for greater efficiency.

Pod 223: Proposal accepted.

Pod 153: Proposal accepted. Data will be exchanged regularly for greater efficiency.

Pod 223: Exchanging data with Pod 042 and Pod 153.

Pod 153: Data received.

Pod 042: Data received. Thank you for your cooperation.

End communication.

Using a Flight Unit was one of the few things that could make an android feel truly alive. The wind blowing against their face, hearing the roar of the engine, withstanding the fire from entering the atmosphere, even seeing the ocean flying beneath them. It was exhilarating, liberating, and terrifying. Had they been organic instead of mechanical, they were certain the excitement and terror would be shooting adrenaline through their veins. For now, they had to settle with the mechanical equivalent of adrenaline and veins.

27H kept in formation with 9S and 2B, 2B leading at the front. 9S flanked her left while she flanked 2B's right. She wondered what went on in the Battler model's head, sometimes. One moment, she was ignoring 9S, the next she gave him just a scant amount of affection. She did not know what was going on between the Scanner and the Battler. And by the looks of it, it seemed the better idea was to keep her nose out of it. Then again, she wondered if there was a point to it. She was going to be deactivated soon, anyway. May as well enjoy what time she has left.

"Hey, 2B," 9S radioed. "Why do you think they sent a combat model like you to a recon job?" Huh, that was a good question. "If all they want is intel, we Scanner models are built for that kind of thing." That was an excellent question. Scouting in enemy territory alone was dangerous, but Scanner models were built with a hacking ability. That served as good self-defense in tight situations, though only 9S could wield a weapon. 27H wondered to herself why they kept pairing 2B up with 9S on these missions. Not that she ever mentioned it, but perhaps something was happening? No one knew, and they were going to find out.

"Orders are orders," 2B replied tersely.

Wow, 27H thought. And they said I was blunt at times.

"Alright, alright."

The first wave of machines appeared on their own flight devices. Puny little things that shot large, but slow-moving dark energy projectiles. No matter. All three androids fired, and the wave was eliminated straight away. 9S evaded when a projectile came too close. 2B slashed at another and 27H remained in the back.

The second wave appeared in formation. As with the first wave, they were easily eliminated. Were they even trying? 27H wondered about their mental processes sometimes. 9S kept saying the machines couldn't understand complex processes, but she had seen what the machines were capable of. Yet she was still surprised sometimes at what they pulled. The telltale sign of an incoming call appeared on 2B's intercom. 6O's face appeared on the holograph.

"2B, you're going to have some new weaponry installed from here on out," the Operator informed. 2B saw the Operator typing on her interface from her peripheral. "I'll put up instructions for you. Make sure to commit them to memory!"

"Roger."

The third wave of machines appeared in formation yet again. Flanking either side of 2B, 9S and 27H fired. 2B unleashed a missile attack at the center of the formation, wiping out at least five machines in one go. 9S and 27H shot down the rest of the stragglers.

At some point, they switched over to manual controls. Another wave of machines flew in, firing relentlessly at them. They certainly seemed fond of organized formations when in the air, 27H silently noted. Why didn't they have this same organization while on land?

Noticing a machine life form flying too close to 2B in her blind spot, 27H activated a shield around her and her Flight Unit. The machine bounced right off, falling to its demise. Startled, 2B whipped her head to the Healer unit.

"You're welcome," 27H wanted to say. Instead, she only smiled. With ease, 2B and 9S finished off the rest of the wave.

Three more waves of machine lifeforms attacked them. And with little difficulty, the three androids wiped them out. 27H shielded 9S when she saw a concentration of hostile projectiles closing in on him.

"Thanks!" 9S called out.

"No problem," 27H replied. Her joy was short-lived when she saw two more machine life-forms fly in. Just their luck, they were medium flyers.

Well, she thought. Let's get this over with.

The first machine attacked with a long-range laser. Spinning slowly around to trap the androids in the crossfire. The second machine spun rapidly to ward off close-range attacks. No matter. 2B unleashed an area-wide missile attack, striking both machines in the joints. 9S struck again and again, and 27H activated her shield. All three fired relentlessly. 2B sliced off one-quarter of the second medium flyer.

"Watch out!" 9S called. 27H immediately cast a barrier around 2B, deflecting the too-close firepower of the first machine. Calling upon the Flight Unit's weapon, 27H struck the center of the first machine flyer. It exploded and fell to the ground. 9S and 2B flanked both sides of the second machine, hacking relentlessly at its other flight devices. 27H provided support with long-range fire. In a short time, the second flyer met its end.

2B's intercom beeped again with a message from Operator 6O.

"Bunker to 2B. Come in." 9S and 27H listened in. "I've set a landing point for your flight units. You'll be touching down quite a ways from the Resistance Camp, unfortunately." Oh well. "Sorry for the trouble, but we can't risk the enemy discovering their position."

"Understood," 2B replied.

"Good luck down there!" 6O chirped.

Ending the communication, the three androids switched their Flight Units back to auto and sped forward.

The three of them disembarked on the landing site 6O had marked. It was the top of a building situated between four other buildings. 27H scanned the area for any immediate threats, finding none in the immediate vicinity. Exiting their Flight Units, they moved forward while the Units were automatically called back to the Bunker. 27H silently questioned how they were always returned safely to the Bunker on auto. No time to think right now. They needed to rendezvous with the Resistance.

Scaling the rooftop exit, the androids were greeted with the sight of the ruined city. Majestic trees snaked through the cracks of what was once a flourishing metropolis, vegetation long since having reclaimed the land. The skeletons of different buildings were rusted, exposed a long while to the merciless elements. Down below, the husks of different automobiles laid scattered around, rotted debris littering the streets. As if to protest the solemnity of the emptiness, a few moose and boars roamed around the ground. There was a haunting beauty to it, 27H thought. Maybe it was a morbid fascination? She didn't know, and she didn't care to ask. Once the humans returned from the moon, life would return to the planet. Hopefully, she would live long enough to greet them.

"Target location acquired. Marking on map," Pod 042 chimed. The Pod sent the data to the other two who were accompanying the androids. "Proposal: Proceed to target location."

9S wandered to the edge of the debris bridge, marveling at the sight. Kneeling, he scanned the empty majesty of the city before them.

"Check it out," he said. 2B and 27H joined him. "To think, this was once a center of human life and activity."

"Focus on the job, 9S," 2B reprimanded, going on her way into the building ahead.

"Sheesh, it was just a short minute," 9S complained. He still stood up. "Though I wonder if there's a shorter way down."

"We could always jump," 27H suggested. 9S recoiled at the mention.

"27H! What the heck?!"

The senior android simply continued. "We could jump, then hold onto our Pods to safely glide down. If one of us gets damaged, I could simply patch you up." 9S gawked, questioning the mental health of their senior.

"Out of the question," 2B cut in. "We are not recklessly endangering ourselves just for a shorter way out. There's a perfectly functional set of stairs."

"It was only a suggestion," 27H said, shrugging.

"27H, I'm gonna agree with 2B. That's way too risky," 9S said.

"Alright," 27H relented.

The descent to the ground was largely uneventful. Aside from the big, gaping holes in the floors, there was, as 2B pointed out, a perfectly functioning set of stairs. And being the safest, least likely option from which to lose screws and joinery, they took the stairs. Not that 9S complained, but 27H's suggestion earlier threw him off. 27H, being a former D-Type and now an H-Type, should know better than to suggest such a risky move. Was it because of her impending deactivation?

But then again, they were soldiers built to serve humanity. Dying for their cause was part of the programming, he liked to think. He didn't like the idea of dying any more than the next YoRHa soldier, but it wasn't his place to complain. Their job was to secure the Earth for the humans living on the moon. There wasn't room to gripe.

He noticed out of the corner of his eye the senior android wandering over to the edge of each floor, staring wistfully outside. He admitted, he wasn't looking forward to losing someone he thought of like a big sister, as the humans would put it. But what else could be done? 27H's time and service to YoRHa were almost complete. She would serve posthumously as a model on what a perfect YoRHa soldier should be. Was it natural, then, that he felt like he was going to miss her?

Emotions weren't allowed, yeah. But he still had them for some strange reason. He'd have to look into why later. There were machines on this floor.

2B's hand reached for her blade, but then 27H held out a hand to stop her. Confused, 2B and 9S looked at their senior. Silently, 27H pointed at the machine, which oddly enough wasn't attacking them.

"Some of these machines are non-hostile unless provoked," she said. "They don't even react to androids anymore until they've been attacked." His curiosity piqued, 9S walked over to a nearby window and looked out. A few more machines on the ground floor loitered around, looking around aimlessly. Their beady yellow eyes flickered on and off in imitation of a blink, then turned and walked a few steps in another direction.

It was… odd, yet fascinating. It'd sure spare them a fight or two, not that he's complaining. Machines didn't understand complex concepts, so he wouldn't worry too much.

The ground floor had a caravan of rusty vehicle husks littering the outside, including one that 9S read was once called a "school bus." He wondered how many different education systems the humans had, give or take. Speaking of, didn't intel come back with some information on recent machine behavior patterns? Passing by a group of machines, 9S recalled what he had learned from recent meetings with other Scanners.

"According to our intel, none of the machines in this area are hostile." That pretty much confirmed what 27H had said about the machines in the building. Fascinating, 2B thought. "We've been seeing more and more enemies like this lately. They just stand there and stare into space. It's pretty weird." Were they even enemies anymore? It was a blasphemous thought 27H played with. The idea that machines could do something other than attack and kill androids. It was programmed into their very being to love humans and hate machines.

But where would that hate lead them in the end?

"Say, 27H?" 9S called out. "What kind of stories do you think the humans could tell if they were still here?"

"Hm," 27H hummed. "I remember there was one about a cowherd and a seamstress. Two terms for human jobs, last I remember."

"I think I read something about that, too? Wasn't it part of some festival or something?"

2B opted to listen to the two dorks talk.

"I think it was," 27H replied. "One night every year, people would write a wish on a piece of paper and hang it up on a tree. I couldn't find which one it was." She paused. "Then the next day, they would burn those papers as an offering to some deity or something. I'll have to read it again." If his eyebrows were visible, 9S would be raising one to high heaven and back.

"Why'd they do something like that?" 9S asked. Which was a good question, 2B admitted to herself. Why would humans do something so silly when they had working hands for themselves?

"I think it was to honor the story," 27H said. 2B noticed they were passing between two buildings on their way to the Resistance Camp. "The story was about a seamstress and a cowherd who were very much in love." 2B found herself paying attention to the senile soldier for once. Love stories weren't her favorite, admittedly. She wasn't about to tell why, but this one sounded interesting. And it was a nice if temporary distraction from the machines around them.

"The seamstress, who was also a princess, wove the most beautiful clothes by the heavenly river, which we knew as the Milky Way," 27H continued. "She worked so hard, day and night, that she despaired at ever finding love. Her father, who ruled the heavens, loved her dearly. So he arranged for her to meet the cowherd."

2B had no idea where this story would go, neither did 9S. But she found herself invested in what was happening to the seamstress princess. Was it her imagination or did that story seem familiar?

"The cowherd and the seamstress princess instantly fell deeply in love and married," 27H couldn't help but swoon a bit. 9S was certain a few of the other androids on the Bunker had also swooned when 27H got to this part of the story. "Their marriage was beautiful and full of love, but soon the seamstress princess stopped her work. The cowherd let his cows wander all over the heavens. The father of the seamstress princess grew angry, for neither was doing their work in favor of their love."

If 2B allowed herself to show emotion, she'd be wondering why they let themselves grow lazy and neglect their work. But somehow, it rang familiar. Almost achingly so.

"The king of the heavens forbade them from seeing each other, but the seamstress princess begged him not to separate them. The king of the heavens gave in, but he had one restriction." 9S and 2B involuntarily leaned in to hear what the king of the heavens placed on his daughter and his son-in-law. "The king of the heavens only allowed them to reunite once a year. On the seventh day of the seventh month. And only then could the lovers be together once more."

"That sounds awfully painful to go through," 9S commented.

"Oh, it was," 27H confirmed. "On the day they were supposed to reunite, the Milky Way was too tumultuous to cross." Now, 2B felt invested in the story, even if she didn't show it. "The seamstress princess wept and wept, and her cries were soon answered by magpie birds forming a bridge." 9S's eyes bulged out of his eye sockets, 2B was certain. Her own were rising beyond her hairline. "Some days, the magpies can't come because the weather is so bad. So the people would sometimes wish for good weather every year on the day of the festival. If only so the lovers could be together once more."

9S was speechless. Humans were capable of this level of compassion? Even the records he pored over barely mentioned anything other than databases and accounts. Others were dismissed as mere superstition which had no place in an android's database. And as sad as this story was, it was… strangely uplifting? Was that the word?

"So the humans sometimes wished for good weather just so imaginary people in the sky could see each other again?" 9S asked.

"I think it was a cultural thing, but it's nice to think about," 27H replied.

"That… sounds really uplifting, if strange."

"I like the story, though."

2B didn't contribute to the conversation aside from carefully hidden reactions. She'd never seen the need to sit down and listen to a story from YoRHa's oldest soldier, but the story she had just told was fascinating. An entire culture of people who were both selfish enough to wish for themselves, yet kind enough to wish well for the equally selfish and kind lovers in the story. It felt hopeful, in a way. As much as she wondered if she would ever get a chance to kill the god who put her through this cycle, she also had to wonder.

Would someone be that kind towards an android like her? Kindness was a rare thing in a world like this. Machines were not kind to who they killed, be it androids or other machines. Likewise, Battler units like herself had to be cold and ruthless to accomplish their missions. There was simply no room for kindness on either side. Glancing up, 2B saw the entrance to the Resistance Camp.

Gathering the attention of the two other androids, 2B led them through to the camp.