Thanks to Ignis76 for finally getting me to stop procrastinating!


"Shall we?" Naravelia smiled as she gestured toward the exit.

"I suppose." You turned back to the other three androids in the room. "See you later, Anemone, Popola, Devola."

Anemone spoke as she made her way past you. "As Naravelia said, I have matters to attend to- ones that she has inflamed," she sent a glare toward one of your guides as she said this. "Hope it goes well, Theodore. You're in good hands- Naravelia knows the camp well enough for this."

Devola helped her sister up. "We'll swing by with lunch when you're done with the tour, Theo."

"I'll look forward to it." You turned back to Naravelia and 6O as you heard Anemone close the door behind her. "Shall we? Where are we going first?"

Naravelia almost managed to speak, but 6O was a step ahead. "The hospital would be a good place to start. It's nearby, and I heard that one of the H-types there really wants to meet you!"

Naravelia gave a frustrated glance at 6O before speaking. "…Sure, I was about to suggest that location anyway. There are some androids there that I wanted you to become acquainted with."

"Who are they?" You posed the question to neither android in particular while heading toward the door.

"Basil and Avicenna. They should be on their shifts right now; they'd be good for you to know."

"Why?" An answer hit you. "Is it because they know almost everyone in the camp? Since they're in the hospital, and everyone's had to go there sooner or later?"

Naravelia smiled. "Good deduction, but not necessarily why we're heading there first. We'll basically be making a counterclockwise loop through the camp."

6O perked up upon hearing this. "Uh, Naravelia…"

She gave a less-than-pleased look toward the offending android. "What?"

"…I've been delegated to give Theodore a tour of the camp."

Naravelia paused as she closed the door behind everyone. "You can't be serious."

"I am! I have the orders right here. Do not make be bring higher-ups into this."

"Guys, guys." What was going on? "Calm down, it's just a tour."

"But-"

"He's right, 6O," Naravelia interrupted, "let's just show him around, alright?"

"You-" 6O seemingly bit her tongue, "…Fine." Her tone shifted away from displeasure. "Let's go!"

You followed as the two androids led the charge ahead of you, but you couldn't help but feel worried about what was happening. There was something larger going on that neither 6O nor Naravelia were letting on.

Once again, you found yourself in the main plaza of the camp. Your guides led off to the right, away from your room. You followed them, but your mind was elsewhere, engrossed, in the moment, in how the plaza had changed. Before, you had just seen it as an area in the middle. Androids worked on crafts, repaired weapons, talked idly in the shade. You weren't sure how, but you thought your perception of it was changing.

Shaking yourself out of the moment, you found yourself at the threshold of the hospital- at least, that's what you attributed the beds and all the white cloth stretched overhead to signify. Off to your left, an android sat doing some diagnostics over a motionless body, grimacing at the arcane data that flashed up on his screen.

But ahead of you, Naravelia was talking with two androids. While you passively noticed she approached them with an open demeanor, you couldn't help but notice the hushed and frustrated tones from what you assumed were the doctors. There was something else about how they acted which was different, but you couldn't quite place it.

To your right, however, you noticed the tell-tale dress black of a YoRHa android, although the uniform struck you as only slightly different than, say, 2B's or 50G's. Her sleeves ended higher, her skirt didn't flow as low, and something- a hood, probably- pooled behind her neck. She was looking away, into one of the buildings alongside the hospital, almost expectantly.

"That's 71H," 6O whispered, "but she wasn't the one I was talking about."

You were about to ask who was, but Naravelia walking back, with only one android in tow, seemed more pressing for your attention. It was slight, but you could tell through her slightly flat tone that Naravelia was less than pleased with the current situation. "Theodore, may I introduce you to Avicenna."

She gestured to the android behind herself, a taller man with his blond hair pulled back, tied behind him. His clothes bore old stains, faded almost as much as the fabric beneath, and his overcoat seemed stitched together from several different garments. He almost looked disinterested and dismissively at you, which did strike you as odd. "Pleasure, I suppose."

"It's nice to meet you, too." You weren't sure how much deference or respect to show him. "You're one of the doctors, right?"

"Correct. Were you our sudden scare a few minutes back?" He gave a momentary glare toward Naravelia.

"I… suppose? Naravelia didn't really know any better at the time, so I can't blame her."

"Still shouldn't have bothered."

Both you and Naravelia almost jumped at hearing this bold statement. While you remained silent, she managed to voice some of her frustration.

"Avicenna!"

"What? I'm not going to make this more palatable for you. You knew what was going to happen." He turned back toward you. "Now, while it's been nice to meet you-"

"Wai-"

"-I've got things I need to be doing." He began to turn away.

For a moment, Naravelia couldn't think of anything to say. "Hang on, don't you have anything you want to say to him? Anything to ask?"

He stopped turning, and looked back over his shoulder. "Perhaps. Why isn't he over in the Kingdom of Night or on the Moon?" He returned to walking off.

"Avicenna!" Naravelia chased off after him, leaving you to stand there in confusion over the whole situation.

A small crash caught your attention to the right as another YoRHa android stumbled out of the building after running into the side of the doorway. 71H stepped forward in an attempt to steady her, but the new android quickly regained her composure. She scanned the area, her eyes going wide on seeing you. She quickly dusted off her uniform and hurried toward you.

As she made her way toward you, she had this general air of worry- her eyes were always focused on you, she toyed with her hands as though she were uncertain of what she should do with them, and it took her a second to actually form words.

"-You're…" Her speech was halting and yet petered out, like she was thinking a mile per minute.

"Yes, I'm Theodore. And you are-?" You offered a hand to shake, which she quickly (and quite strongly) took in both of hers.

"O- 103H, I'm just a doctor here- well, I'm an H-type, what else would I be…" She rambled on, speaking extremely quickly, a far cry from- wait a second.

"You were on the radio, weren't you? A few days ago, with a Scanner, talking about books?"

Behind her, the other YoRHa android brought a hand to her face in exasperation. "You were listening? I mean, that wasn't really my best work 'cause the books were really interesting and I couldn't put them down to spread out my work but I did the best I could with-"

"103H, stop." 71H stepped forward, prying the other android's hands off your own. "I knew you were bad at keeping yourself in check, but this is a whole other level for you." She turned to you. "I'm really sorry about that. Usually, she has the best bedside manners, but she can go… overboard."

Behind you, 6O cheerily chipped in. "She used to be an Operator!"

"To literally no one's surprise."

While 103H and 6O took offence, you noticed a different detail. "Did you happen to know her, 6O?"

"Yeah, we used to be close friends. I mean, we still see each other every once in a while, but she's been a lot busier lately."

"It's not my fault!" 103H tried to defend herself, "61's a slavedriver, and I really don't have much time outside of everything else I have to do."

As 6O and 103H continued to catch up with each other, you gaze shifted back to the beds. Something about them had bothered you, and you were finally coming around to why.

71H followed your gaze. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," you waved her concern away, "but… why are there so many beds?" You motioned over to the singular non-functioning android, "They don't seem to be used that much."

71H uncomfortably shifted, and you heard 103H grow quiet behind you. "That's the thing," 71H spoke up, "it's a completely different ward whenever there's a machine attack. We've often had to leave androids deactivated, on the floor, while we worked on others."

You turned back in surprise. "How… how many androids get hurt in an attack like those?"

"We had thirty-six from the last battle, but that one was a quite low."

Thirty-six… since they had to be deactivated, that meant they were probably severely damaged, like 9S was. But having so many…

103H had stepped up beside you and began to speak, apparently attempting to focus your thoughts elsewhere. You missed her first few words as you were wrenched back up to reality. "-on a tour, so come on, why don't I show you something interesting?" She pulled at your sleeve with surprising strength, forcing you to follow her into the side building. She pulled open a cabinet and dove into each item's uses and applications at a blistering pace- far too fast for you to follow.

You felt your thoughts drifting again, to the androids who were damaged and destroyed in the assaults. And to have so many every time they attacked. How many androids have they irrevocably lost in these moments of terror?

The reality of the war came crashing down upon you. This wasn't an isolated incident with Sigma - Kaon. Was something like this happening in Xi or Pion? How much better or worse were they faring? How did the androids live like this, where at any time, they might face their last battle?

Your thoughts then turned to the machines. The attackers. The ones you had seen face-to-face with their soulless, glowing eyes, bearing down on you and the androids guarding you. Simone, the mad songstress, who trapped you in her realm filled with her previous prey, marking you all as next.

Who was leading these machines? They seemed aimless enough when found on their own in the city, at least, but something had to be coordinating them for the assaults. Perhaps this would be something to talk about with 2B, 50G, or 47D. They'd probably know more than anyone else about this.

A thought of Pascal's Village sprung up in your mind- they were all machines, but they had all apparently sworn off the militaristic life. And in the amusement park, the peaceful (mostly, you corrected yourself) machines there had mentioned being disconnected from some "machine network", whatever that was.

Whatever this whole situation was, you figured that you didn't have all the information that you needed. You filed these questions away, for some time later when you could ask them.

Your reverie finishing, you tried to pull yourself back to the present. 103H was wrapping up her spiel and was starting to pack things back where they found them, occasionally glancing at 71H, possibly innocently trying to ask for her assistance.

904 hovered back up to your side, showing 6O nervously toying with her hands. After a moment, she worked up the courage to speak. "I think Naravelia's occupied. C'mon, I think you might be interested in what I have to show you."