"H-hey…2B?"
9S timidly spoke up after a long bout of silence. Missions took them all over the planet, often for very long distances. Seeing as 2B was famously the stoic silent type, this often meant hours of travel with not much banter, save for occasional quips from 9S that often went unanswered. Long misshapen shadows streaked the desolate landscape in front of them, occasional breezes sweeping across the sparse grasses. It was probably improper for 9S to regard war-torn cities as "peaceful", but it was difficult to not absorb the scenery with awe when gaps in combat arose. 2B would probably scold him for this.
2B responded with an inquisitory hum, about as much a verbal signal of interest as 9S could expect. He still hesitated to go on with what he intended to say, struggling not to blush, "Well, the other day in the bunker, I accidently caught our operators…well, they were exchanging data through their manual ports, which I thought was interesting. You hardly see androids using those anymore, and I-"
"We receive all our data wirelessly. Manual ports are unnecessary and impractical." 2B interjected 9S's nervous rambling in a matter-of-fact tone, catching her companion a bit off-guard. Yet to turn around or face in his direction, 9S had trouble gauging her. The fact that she didn't immediately say "Manual ports were discontinued a long time ago" meant that she was aware of their existence. Either she didn't understand what he was implying or she was playing coy.
Unsure of which, 9S continued. "Well, yes, but I heard that manual connections can actually transmit data much faster and in much larger quantities, in cases of a lacking signal or in emergency situations." Though presented in as factual a tone as possible, 9S knew he wasn't telling the full truth. Indeed, manual transmissions could transfer much higher data rates, but advancements in wireless transmission were made for a good reason; manual android-to-android connections raised data security concerns, and the high rate of transfer can cause…interesting effects.
Having heard strange noises coming from 21O's quarters, 9S had come to check and see if she was in need of assistance, only to find her sitting on the floor with 6O, connected with a high-speed serial bus cord. The noises coming from the both of them seemed…unusually lewd to 9S, not having known that androids even still had a manual port. Though it is true that older-edition android models had a manual data access port on the backs of their necks, it was said that this function was removed in later models when wireless technology was made a far more practical alternative. Why were they connecting to transfer data? Why were they moaning and squirming like that? Stunned, 9S gawked for a few moments before becoming aware of himself and scurrying out of the room. It didn't even seem like they had noticed him.
Back in his own quarters, 9S typed away furiously at his computer terminal, deeply curious as to what he had just witnessed. In theory, he could try to ask 6O what the manual port was all about, but that would mean admitting to his eavesdropping, an awkward admittance he didn't want to subject himself to. Best to not make things awkward with your operator, the one android you have to make mandatory contact with on a frequent basis.
Digging deep into archival files, he finally came across a write-up on old maintenance complaints from models with manual data ports. Many units seemed to complain of dizziness, shortness of breath, chest tightness, blurry vision, and a feeling of euphoria. This seemed symptomatic of data overload, in which an android is bombarded with so much data that systems start to falter under the pressure, causing temporary, incidental malfunctions. Footnotes also mention that androids sometimes came away with data they normally shouldn't have access to. A short-run of T type models were produced to combat this issue, blank-slate models with minimal AI with the express purpose of exchanging high volumes of data from the bunker to deployed androids. Of course, these models were discontinued once wireless communication was made standard.
"Data overload…" Brushing his hair away, he tenderly fingered around the back of his neck, not feeling anything abnormal at first. After a few moments, he found a small panel covering something, flush with the rest of his skin and nearly unnoticeable at first-touch. He reached into a drawer by his bedside and pulled out a flat-tipped key, reaching back again and gently prying off the panel. Lo and behold, he could now feel a small serial bus, smaller than his pinky. He blushed almost immediately, finally realizing what 21O and 6O had been doing in the private of their quarters.
Did 2B know what manual transfers did to androids? She knew what they were, so she must have a basic idea of their side-effects. She was surely judging 9S for even suggesting something so lewd, especially since it had little practical purpose. If not for his visor, he would probably try to hide his face in embarrassment. "Sorry, I just thought…" Finally, 2B turned in 9S's direction. He almost jumped, smiling sheepishly and trying to calm the redness rising in his cheeks. "We have no need for that anyway. It's pointless." He detected a strange hitch in her voice, but was unable to pin down the emotion attached to it. Trying to laugh it off and lift the air quickly thickening around them, 9S chuckled and looked away, "Yeah, you're probably right."
…
With a deadened thud, the goliath-class machine collapsed into the sand, sending waves of dust and particulates down and around in its wake. Pod 042 confirmed aloud only moments later, "Goliath-class presence no longer detected. Defeat confirmed."9S sighed, patting his pod with relief. "Finally. What a bear." 2B returned her sword to her back without a word, letting out a soft sigh of her own. This goliath was comparatively smaller and easier to deal with than most, but its defenses were difficult to break through, making for a long and arduous battle. Looking to the sky, a faint rumble of thunder broke through a growing cloud cover. Seemed a rainstorm was closing in. "2B to 6O, the goliath has been defeated." Now walking away from the aftermath, 2B and 9S waited a long few moments for the operator to respond. Finally, 6O chimed back, faint interference overlaying her voice, "Good job guys! It seems a heavy storm is coming your way soon, and we're getting some signal static. Best to get out of there while you can." "Got it."
The nearest access point was on the other side of the canyon, a ways away from their point in the middle of the desert, so they hastened their pursuit in that direction. Even as they ran, daylight darkened around them and the rumbles of thunder grew more persistent. Fat raindrops soon began to fall, heavy enough to tingle on the surface of their skin. Though androids are built to withstand a minor amount of water, they aren't completely waterproof, and such can't hold up very well to being submerged or thoroughly soaked. 9S grimaced, sending his pod over his head to block the falling drops as the air grew ever thicker with moisture. "Damn, it's really coming down. We'll suffer water damage at this rate. We better take cover, 2B!" Groaning, 2B nodded in agreement, "Seems we'll have to."
By the time the two found cover in a rocky overhang, lightening was fiercely striking the sands, reverberating electricity through the already-thick air. "Operator, seems we're stuck until the storm passes." 9S only received thick static in response, even after waiting several seconds to see if anything would get through. "…and our signals are blocked too. Great." 2B removed her visor and shook it around vigorously to dry it. Holding non-native moisture up to an android's ocular sensors is bad for the mechanism, after all. 9S took off his as well, draping it over the arm of his pod to dry. Glancing over at 2B, he accidently met her pale blues, catching himself after a moment and looking away with a blush. Seeing as deployed androids usually wear their visors at all times, they rarely see each other's eyes. It's uncomfortably revealing, leaving one feeling almost vulnerable. Eyes convey a lot of emotion, something androids are essentially prohibited to display or succumb to. "You…have really pretty eyes, 2B." Without even so much as a pause, "They're no different than any other android's." "…"
Sitting cross-legged at the edge of the overhang, 9S looks out over the landscape with quiet fascination. There's something oddly beautiful about a rain storm, something weirdly serene and peaceful in all the chaos. The sky flashes with electrical activity, making for a mesmerizing light show. He hardly notices 2B stepping up beside him. He rouses himself from his thoughts, scolding himself for dozing. 2B would probably tease him for this. And yet… "It's…kinda pretty, isn't it?" Looking up in surprise, 9S catches 2B gazing thoughtfully out onto the landscape, not looking down to meet his eye. 2B is usually not one for emotions, or at least not for letting emotions slip. She's probably no more emotionless than any other android, no more or less able to feel than a standard model, but she's fashioned herself a pretty thick mask. 9S wishes he could break through that façade one day, peel back the layers and see the real 2B. Finally, he follows her eye line back out onto the sands, smiling faintly. "…Yeah. It sure is."
…
How many hours has it been now? It seems like the storm hasn't let up at all, and flooding has started to take over the land below them. Freedom doesn't seem to be in sight. Now sitting at the back of the overhang, 2B and 9S exist in mutual silence. Not much has been said for quite a while, besides occasional quips from 9S that get muted replies from 2B. Though the air is thick, the atmosphere between them has seemed to lighten over the hours they've spent waiting on the storm to clear.
"Why did you bring up the manual ports?" Suddenly breaking that long-held silence, 2B speaks up. 9S blinks, looking over to her. She continues to stare out, seeming hesitant to meet his eye. "Oh, uh…I don't know, I just kinda…" "9S." She was looking at him now, dead-on and intensely. 9S couldn't help but shrink a bit, not accustomed to her direct gaze. He rarely got her to look his direction, let alone eye-to-eye. She felt so far-off most of the time, it almost made 9S feel lonely. Right there beside him, but clearly somewhere else. "I want to connect to you, 2B." He finally decided to say it, come right out and tell the truth. 2B paused, eyebrow tweaking with interest. She sensed he had more to say, and so paused to let him continue. "I know I'm just your scanner. I'm here to provide support, that's it. I know that, but…" He paused again, suddenly regaining his hesitance. He pictured back to 6O, sobbing openly over contact to 2B about her earlier rejections. He wasn't sure he wanted to feel the paint that made 6O ache so much.
"…you keep holding me at arms-length. I don't want to be that far away from you, 2B. I want to…connect to you. I want to know more about you." Looking away, 2B had gone quiet. She was again avoiding his eye line, as she always did. 9S felt a painful thudding in his chest. Was this heartache, the condition of the heart he read of in ancient human literature? He looked down and away, deciding to take her gestures as rejection. She had decisively shut him off, and he had to respect that fact. He bit his lip silently, again recounting 6O's anguish. He decided he could understand her pain now.
"Okay."
9S stopped. Okay? He turned back again, once again catching 2B's eyes. She looked clearly pensive, but his sincerity must have finally reached her. A chip had finally fallen away from her mask, and 9S knew this could be his only chance to pry away further, free more of the real 2B that had been hidden from him all this time. Fumbling into his pockets, he pulled out a small 5-foot cord, ends no bigger than the tip of a pinky. 2B could probably remark suspiciously about the fact that he had it on his person, ready at any time, but decided not to say anything. 9S thumbed around and freed the access panel from his neck, plugging into his port. "Do you want me to-" "No, I got it." Without much fuss, 2B reached behind her head and pried a fingernail into the panel, freeing it easily. That confirmed 9S's earlier suspicion, that she was well aware of this port and how to access it. He found this odd for a brief moment, but shook it off quickly, nervously waiting for the other end to enter 2B's own port. Though he was well-read on what would happen next, he still felt like he didn't know what to expect.
Taking a slow but deep breath, 2B inserted the remaining end of the cord into her manual access port. The effect was immediate, sending tingly shocks through her entire body. 9S yelped suddenly, letting out a shaky breath almost akin to a moan, eyes already seeming to cloud over. Petabytes of data flowed between them, filling out every open space of RAM they thought they had and then some. Images of memories flashed over their eyes and distant voices flooded their ears, blurring the lines of the real world and the digital.
Flooded with every emotion, thought, and memory 9S never shared with her, 2B sighed shakily, looking off at nothing in particular, trembling with the sheer force of information assaulting her senses. "O-oh, 9S…I never knew…" 9S moaned in return, hunched over and trembling in kind. He had never seen this much of 2B before, let alone all at once. Though the data overload alone sent his head reeling, he felt overcome with joy and relief for finally being able to know his dearest 2B, know bits of her surely no one else did.
It felt as if pieces of 2B were touching every inch of him. It was absolutely euphoric. Even the usually-stoic 2B was getting lost in the moment, trying to hold back her voice with muted groans and sighs. What was she seeing of him? Could it even compare to the wealth of data 9S was receiving? Did she feel the same way he did at this very moment? The pressure seemed to be building deep inside him, and though it was starting to become unbearable, he didn't want it to stop. "2B…oh gods, 2B…" She was surely feeling it too, her mind clouding over further and further as the onslaught of data weakened her defenses, her ability to resist and hold herself back. Her chest was growing so tight, her breaths came in gasps. Though intense and uncontrollable, she almost didn't want it to stop.
Her control was slipping but she loved the feeling. She never let go. She so, so badly wanted to let go.
It's coming. "N-Nines, I…!" She feebly reached for the cord but she could barely focus enough to move her own hand. She trembled violently, fingers shaky, and suddenly hunched over in intense euphoria. Succumbing to the feeling, she finally moaned with a sense of relief, as if she had been holding her breath for years. It was so wonderful, it-
She jolted suddenly. What happened? Her mind came back to her all at once, sending her reeling. Her vision was still blurry, but as it cleared, she looked up.
9S. 9S had pulled his end of the cord. And he looked…horrified? Why?
2B's eyes widened and she stood suddenly. No. She had let down her defenses. All of her defenses. He had seen, hadn't he? No. No no no no no.
"2…..2B…." 9S backed up to the wall, eyes wide with terror that quickly morphed to heartbreak and betrayal. "Why…?"
She had messed up, badly. She never should have done this. She let go too much. He knows now. Alarms went off in her head, flashing red with ferocity. She could not connect to command, but her systems knew what had just happened. She had to kill him now.
She had to kill him now.
…
…
…
The air was thick with silence, an all-encompassing, painful silence. She couldn't look back at him, face what she had just done. What she just had to do. It was all her fault, anyway. She should have denied him. She knew what he could see if she let him in. She knew, and yet she still let him do it. She had seen every single recessed memory, feeling, and thought he had always feared to share with her, and now she was stuck with it. He would forget. He had to, anyway. But she could not.
The storm was finally clearing. Finally she could leave this oppressive space, leave the empty shell of 9S behind and start all over again, start anew. She jumped out into the open air, leaving her used sword behind. She couldn't bear to retrieve it anyway. Replacing her visor in silence, she called up to command. "Disposal of unit 9S confirmed." Her operator affirmed back in her usual cheery tone, as if nothing had just happened, as if she didn't even care how his necessary disposal came about. It didn't matter.
It always ends like this.