2.

Oh, no.

I zip right around.

I literally dropped myself right in front of an enemy android. This is Pascal's worst fear. What have I done?

I try to amble my way back up to the village but, naturally, the android snatches me before I get far.

He is fast, like a bolt. His hand is gloved, cold, and tight around my wrist. A chill travels up the base of my spine to my shoulder blades and I shudder involuntarily. Cold, like the machines.

"Wait," he says, like I have a choice.

He sounds tense, strange.

He has stopped me but other than grabbing a hold of me, he is not showing aggression. This is odd. I do not know how to respond.

Stay away from the androids, Pascal told me. We are trying to make peace, but they are still the enemy. Our war goes back countless years.

For now, stay away from the androids.

I sure have botched that.

I wait, uncertain. Maybe one of the machines in the village will look down and see us and help me—but maybe not, because we are sheltered beneath the boards that make up steps. I have wedged myself into this nook and the android followed me in. Maybe Pascal was right to keep me hidden in the village. I have no survival instinct.

I turn. The android is the same height as me, but his head is bowed, his face hidden. His hold on me is so tight it might snap my wrist if he adds any more pressure.

"Um." I do not know what to say. "Hello."

Probably not that.

His head lifts and he seems mystified.

"Pod 153." He is speaking like he is on a cloud—voice light as air. "Please confirm that this is a human being."

"Unit 9S has already received confirmation." The floating box behind him—the thing that identified me as a "human"—has a feminine voice. Is this like his sidekick or something? "Proposal: Unit 9S should detain this human life form and consult command."

I jerk away and the android starts. He grabs for me again and this time his grip isn't as tight.

"How come you're here, on Earth?" he asks. "Did I sleep through a meeting? No way. Everyone would've been talking about this."

I stare.

"Man, this is unexpected. I've gotta tell 2B. Though should I? She might be like my pod and suggest we 'detain' you, like it's my right." He lets go at last, leans back, and assumes a thinking position with his arms crossed. "Androids—or their pods—can't just tell humans what to do, can we? I mean, can we?"

I shift my weight from foot to foot. "Um, I think you have me wrong."

He waits, head tilted.

"I am a machine life form."

"And I am a moose. C'mon, this is my first time meeting a human in person—you can drop the act. The closest I've ever got to humans is listening to the council broadcasts from the moon." His head snaps up. "Ah, we shouldn't talk here. Follow me." He grabs my hand—again, like I have a choice—and starts tugging me down the path. "How did you get to Earth, and why are you coming from the machine village? Is this some kinda espionage operation? If so, a scanner unit like myself is sufficient to do that kinda work. In fact, my partner and I have already been tasked with investigating Pascal to figure out his nature."

He takes me further and further into the woods, rambling away.

Pascal told me androids are to be avoided. They're violent. They won't hesitate to strike me down, especially outside of the village.

Pascal is trying to have friendly relations with them but that doesn't mean all of them will listen.

Pascal's teachings . . .

"If you've been scouting this area, what do you think? Pascal might have a really advanced code, specifically for a machine, that makes it so he can appeal to the emotions of androids. We're built with such things, after all, unlike machine life forms." The android goes on and on as we descend a small hill. "I guess we have you humans to thank for installing emotions in us, huh? But Pascal says he doesn't like warfare or fighting, and now that he and other machines have been disconnected from the network . . ."

He is not scary, after all.

The trees become thicker.

I could tug free. I could ask him to leave me be.

But my own curiosity is lit up like fireworks.

He looks like me. He thinks I am a human. He is speaking about Pascal but other than mistrust, he does not show violent intent. Hovering on his back is that long spear with an unsettling face on it, but he hasn't taken hold of it once.

He whips around and I jump in alarm.

"Shit! I am so sorry. It's my first time meeting a human and I'm kinda flustered." He lets me go, finally, and puts a hand to his chest in some kind of salute. "My name's 9S. I'm a support unit. It's an honour to meet you."

I don't say anything.

He relaxes. "May I ask your name?"

"Well, ah, Pascal calls me 'Ribbon'."

"Ribbon?"

When Pascal found me, apparently all I had with me was a ribbon wrapped around my wrist with some kind of number on it. Hence the name. I am uncertain if I should tell this 9S android about it.

"Well, it's an honour, Ribbon."

The pod floats closer. "Proposal: Unit 9S should contact command. This human being seems lost and command can provide shelter, and also shed light on the situation."

9S glances at his pod, and then at me. "What do you think, Ribbon?"

He is asking me. He is not ordering me around or "detaining" me.

He saluted me.

In his chain of command, maybe humans are high up?

Wait. Pascal's teachings. He told me androids were created by humans, so am I as high up on the command as could be?

So—in this situation—if he thinks I am a human—

He's awaiting orders?

A silence gathers while I scrutinise him. He is standing, waiting, hands lack at his sides.

I did not expect this today. I thought my day would consist of taking a peaceful walk, playing with rabbits, and then heading back to the village and studying.

"Do not contact command," I say.

Although 9S is friendly, Pascal has cautioned me to avoid both outside machines and androids for my own safety. I am a special machine. I cannot let 9S take me right into the base of the enemy.

"My post is here," I add. That should be enough, right?

"Post?" He sprouts a grin. "I knew it! You're investigating. I didn't know humans were partaking in missions on Earth." He comes in close, crowding. "Ribbon, can you tell me about human operations? What kind of tactics are you employing? I thought YoHRa was your only card—'humanity's only hope' and all—but maybe you've been strengthening yourself up on the moon?"

The moon. He has mentioned that before.

The humans he serves are all on the moon?

"Oh, uh, it is confidential." Because I am bad at lying, especially to an android who seems full to the brim in curiosity. I get the feeling he will never stop asking me questions if I answer one.

"Aw, that sucks." He sets a hand on my shoulder, lifts it off, and then puts it back on. "This is amazing. You're warm, Ribbon."

I swallow. "Yeah."

"I can't believe I've finally met a human being." He sounds breathless.

I jump when he grabs my hand again, but instead of holding it, he inspects it.

He goes through each of my fingers, wiggling them. "We really are modelled after you."

Really. Are all androids this friendly?

"And this!" He laughs and touches my hair. His hand is cold against my scalp, even through the glove. I close an eye as he fiddles with some strands. It feels—nice?

"This is fascinating. I'm touching a human!" He seems lost in his own adventuring. I am used to being poked and prodded at by curious machine children, but this is a little different because he looks so much like me. So androids will act similarly to my design?

Something materialises beside us, so fast and unexpected we both rip away from each other in alarm. I land on my ass, my senses haywire, while 9S scratches his head. Even though he stepped back, he doesn't seem as startled.

Another android with silvery hair and a black headband—a female android—stands where we just were. She has a heavy sword drawn, white and ethereal, held in both her hands.

"9S." Her voice is sharp. "Who is this?"

My tail bone throbs. She didn't outright attack me but she might as well have.

Her. She might be the type of android Pascal warned me about.

I cannot stop staring at her. Am I afraid or star struck? I am really unsure.

"Oh, uh, 2B." 9S sets a hand on her arm. "It's okay, this is—"

"9S, who is this unidentified—?"

"He's a human."

She jolts away from him, and then settles her stare on me. "What?"

Now I get the feeling I really have to play along.

I clear my throat and give an awkward wave.

"What?"