Chapter 1: One Pod, One Operator
11,945, June 21st
Unit 6H awoke to the quiet hum of the bunker surrounding her and passing chatter outside her door.
It was an oddly quiet morning. She hadn't had a mission in a while for a number of reasons, but the official statement was so she could "recover."
She slowly and awkwardly slid out of bed and began to process waking up and preparing for the day.
As she would every other day, she began by checking her inbox. Inside sat a single unopened message.
"10O: details on upcoming assignment."
Ah. She thought. A message from an operator. I suppose that means I'll be working with someone new, then.
The email itself was relatively normal. The only odd things were the meeting time and small note at the bottom of the message.
For one, they were meeting incredibly late for a mission briefing. Outside of typical deployments. Second, "Top level classification?" just who was she working with?
She proceeded to get dressed in her usual standard attire of her undergarments, followed by the standard issue battle dress.
She flourished her desaturated bright blonde bob cut hair, letting it settle almost on top of her shoulders, as she inspected her work in the mirror. She nodded in approval before leaving her room.
She had heard of the old world and how they used a strange and addictive chemical known as "caffeine" to energize themselves for the day ahead. It was days like so where 6H wished she had something like that.
As if it were her day off, 6H began with a leasurely walk around the bunker. Every single off day, she'd make a point to stay moving. Three laps around the bunker, exactly. No more, no less.
She was on her last lap as a figure emerged from the hangar elevator in front of her, she stopped, politely waiting for them to get to where they're going so she could continue.
What was she wasn't expecting, however, was a disgruntled 33B to emerge from the elevator.
33B was an... Interesting character. 6H had seen her around before after the mission near the factory and by the now flooded city.
The two never spoke, however. Despite 33B general style and demeanor always sticking out to a relative degree. Dressing up in a grey button up dress shirt with rolled up sleeves and a black vest, with black shorts and thigh highs leggings giving her a visually distinct attire compared to most of the bunker. She also donned uncharacteristically bulky combat boots. With charcoal black hair pulled up into a loose and messy up-do.
6H was immediately jealous of the uniqueness of battle unit's appearances, while also being in awe of the confidence she seemed to radiate. It was strange, however, that she never seemed to speak to anyone.
"G-Good morning, 33B!" for some reason, 6H wanted to try and change that.
33B simply ignored her and walked past as if she didn't exist.
"Weirdo…" 6H muttered under her breath. Even when she was trying to be nice, she was just getting ignored.
I guess some people are just like that. 6H thought, turning back around to continue her walk.
As she tried to step forward, 6H found the tip of one of her shoes caught on the other foot. When she tried to rush her feet to stabilize herself, a heel slipped from under her foot and finding herself falling face first to the floor.
THUD
"Ah~ Ow~" 6H sat up, inspecting her high heels.
"Dammit all-" she re-fastened her heels, hobbled to her feet and finished her walk.
"Report:" her Pod appeared behind 6H. Speaking as monotone as ever.
"Unit 6H has regressed an estimated 33.333% in performance." the Pod mocked.
"Gee. Thanks for the update."
"Should this be marked in 6Hs performance log-?"
"No!" 6H interrupted.
"The one time wasn't even my fault." she crossed her arms, thinking back to 33B strange and dismissive behavior.
"Analysis:" the Pod continued. "6H failed to stabilize herself, regardless of fellow unit 33Es behavior."
"Wait- what?" 6H stopped, looking at the Pod.
"Unit 6H failed to stabilize herself-"
"No no no- you don't understand, that was 33B." 6H corrected.
"Incorrect. My database indicates that the unit that passed you goes by designation 33E." the Pod responded.
"Your database must be out of wack, then."
"Incorrect. My database was updated this morning with data from unit 6Hs inbox."
So then is she the unit I'll be working with? Is 10O her operator? 6H thought. She wasn't even mad anymore. Just curious. A new designation? That must be exciting.
6H quietly continued about her day alone, mostly reading, until the time to deploy was upon her. She found herself waiting on the elevator to the hangar, the designated meeting spot.
Once the elevator arrived, she entered. She turned around to press the confirmation button, but found 33E was there and had already pressed it for her. She squeaked.
"When did you get here!?" 6H demanded.
33E didn't respond.
Silence filled the metal cage as the doors slid shut.
6H could only sigh. "So… We're partners? I guess?"
More deafening silence.
She huffed, leaning on the wall next to 33E. "I'm curious though, my Pod corrected me earlier today, telling me you're an E class unit? What even is that?"
33E turned her head slightly, giving 6H the worst case of "stink eye" she'd ever seen. 6H shrinked back to the opposite corner of the elevator.
"Not very talkative, I see…" she rubbed her arm.
Saved by the oddly harmonious scraping of metal against metal, the doors opened. Revealing operator 10O waiting, with one arm wrapped around a tablet she was currently burying her face into and the other tapping away. Probably at some logistics that only operators could have the will to care about.
The two units stopped in front of her, as more silence ensued. 33E stood as stoic. As if lost in her own world, while the operator simply didn't notice either of them.
6H cleared her throat, signaling the operator of their presence. She snapped to attention, smiling.
"Ah, Thirty-Three. Good to see you. That must mean you're 6H…" the operator spoke.
There was a strange motherly energy she emitted. It was kind of like the vibe she got from unit 19D. But softer? She got the impression that 10O was a guide for 33E, of sorts.
"Yes, ma'am." 6H nodded in affirmation.
"Good. Very good. I see you're already acquainted with Thirty-Three." the operator turned around and began walking to the hangar.
"Acquainted is a strong word. We've- well, I've made eye contact." 6H said, glancing at 33E.
The operator let out a soft scoff of laughter. "Yes, she's like that. I promise she isn't as robotic as she seems. Just… Reserved."
33E rolled her eyes, sighing.
"I've worked with her regularly, when she's actually assigned missions. This one… Is different, however. As you might have guessed." said the operator. Her smile was slowly fading into concentration. With a few more taps on her tablet, a pair of flight units entered the docks.
6H rubbed the back of her neck, "I was curious, seeing as we are being deployed at a rather strange time…"
"Of course. It's only natural for you to have questions. But the long and short of it it is that this is Thirty-Three here's first public mission with this designation." 10O said, inspecting the flight units.
"What do you mean by public, exactly?"
The operator slowed to a stop. She let out a sad sigh.
"Thirty-Three is- Well she's a new type of unit we're testing."
"Hence the designation "E"?"
"Exactly." The operator just as slowly returned to her inspection.
"We've been finding that, for currently unknown reasons, random sects of units have been going AWOL. The "Executioner" unit is designed to seek out these traitors without needing to burden other active units." 10O stepped away from the flight units.
"In short, she's designed to detain or even destroy other YoRHa units that threaten mankind."
6H blinked. That certainly wasn't what she was expecting to hear.
"I- I didn't realize that so many YoRHa units were going AWOL…" 6H averted her gaze to anywhere else in the hangar. There was an uneasy tension that had developed.
33E approached and entered one of the flight units. It's color shifted from a deep black to that of a vibrant white.
"I wouldn't worry too much." Said the operator. "It isn't even that many in the grand scheme of things. Just enough for command to try and avoid burdening other active units."
6H was familiar with units going AWOL. What made her uneasy was the fact that this mission was likely an execution mission.
6H looked around. "Doesn't 33E have a Pod?"
"Ah- no. That part of why you're going as well. Executioner units like Thirty-Three aren't assigned pods and since she's one of the first of her kind, she'll be accompanied by other units to record her initial progress." the operator said, tapping 6Hs Pod. It hobbled back and forth in the air with a pleasant whirring.
6H followed 33E, entering the remaining flight unit.
The operator stepped in front of both units, "I'll further discuss the details of the mission on a secure channel. Let Thirty-Three answer. The coordinates will already be entered into your flight units. If you ever find yourself lost, just use the only set of coordinates in the unit's storage that isn't the bunker. Good luck."
With that, 33E began to lift off, leaving 6H to scurry behind.
As 6H exited the hangar, she took a second to soak in the outer linings of space. White specs referred to as "stars" dotted the vastness of emptiness around her. It was rare she'd ever get to just fly somewhere.
Quickly, the pair dove down towards the earth. 6H looked over the path recommended by the auto pilot as they entered the atmosphere.
Panning and scanning the HUD of the flight unit's map, she found their destination was some random spot over the ocean, fairly removed from any documented area.
"Um… 33E, was it?" 6H called out through the channel. 33E did not respond.
"Well- you see our destination? It's out in the middle of the ocean. Is the autopilot correct?" 6H continued to try and communicate. 33E remained silent.
This mission is going to suck, isn't it? She rhetorically thought to herself.
6H was beginning to wonder if she was specifically chosen for this mission to be kept out of the way. She had apparently built up a reputation for her "unreliability" as was described.
Why not just label me as a traitor, if I'm that bad? She thought. At least then I could try and argue my case. Or just get rid of me...
"The island hasn't been properly documented." a unfamiliar voice spoke through the channel, surprising 6H. "That's why it's not on the map. They need scanner class units to investigate before it can be integrated proper." Thirty-three spoke through the comms to 6H for the first time.
"O-oh. I see. Thanks for the clarification." 6H poorly attempted to conceal her surprise.
33E sighed, "Just hold onto any data we find on the island. It'll all be useful sooner or later."
The island finally came into view. It was shockingly small. The flight unit scanned the land mass on approach. Initial estimations set the total island at roughly less that ten thousand square kilometers.
Its shape was strangely uneven, like a mishmash of other land masses collided into one another, resulting in the lack of uniformity. Mountainous terrain cut the island down one quarter, with a gorge diagonally providing a path through. Trees cluttered most of the island as a whole, with some of the clearings not visible from their vantage point.
The operator called in, explaining their landing point and how they'd need to travel across the island before finding any signs of YoRHa.
Their target landing zone was on the edge of the island, the spot closest to the bunker. It was a steep plateau that dropped directly downward to a rocky shoreline below. But otherwise, the plateau, as small as it was, was effectively an open meadow.
They landed on the island. The two dismounting from their flight units. Thirty-three turned to the shoreline as 6H gazed out towards the meadow in wonder.
"It's… Beautiful…" 6H muttered to herself, awestruck.
"Call the operator, tell her we're here." 33E said.
6H nodded, scrolling through her contacts and the operator appeared on the HUD projected to her visor.
"Unit 6H to operator 10O. Can you hear us?" 6H declared with newfound confidence. She hadn't been relied on for communication purposes before. There was something strangely thrilling about the idea.
"Operator 10O here, I read you. I take it you've both landed on the island?" the operator asked.
"Correct, we're about to begin the search. Anything we need to know before we begin?"
The operator nodded, "A few things. Firstly, you will not be able to contact the bunker from deeper within the island for security reasons. Since there are no access points to encrypt and repeat the bunker's signal. As such, it's recommended you only upload your data when you're on your way back." she continued, "As for the island itself, there's not much to say, honestly. It has a reputation due to it's strange formation and equally strange inhabitants."
"In fact," the operator said, a look of concern forming, "The number of scanner unit's we've sent out there have disappeared."
"O-oh…" 6H deflated.
"Thankfully, you have Thirty-three on your side." she's one of the best combat units there are-!" 10O said, but was promptly interrupted by 33E.
"Specialized." 33E interrupted. "I'm a specialized combat unit. Most effective against YoRHa units. But I can hold my own against machines if need be."
An awkward silence overtook the call.
"W-well, either way, you don't have much to worry about. Most believe the scanner units disappeared to extreme weather conditions that exacerbated the rough terrain. I think you two should be fine." 10O reassured.
"Does this island even have a proper name?" 6H said, trying to change the subject.
"Oh, yes. It's obtained a name due to its infamy. Other YoRHa units refer to it as The Island of Myth. It's named after a legend from the old world." 10O said, somewhat tickled by the urban legend status of the island.
6H, on the other hand, wasn't so reassured. As far as she understood, she was marching to her grave.
Can't connect to the bunker, disappearing scanner units? And whose to say 33E won't stab me in the back? 6H mused to herself. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but the situation was unnerving, to say the least.
"Unless there's anything else, I'll leave you two to it. However, I ask you report in by the end of the week." 10O said.
"Of course." 6H said, glancing at 33E. "I get the impression this won't take that long."
10O smirked, "I think so too. But with that island, you never know for sure."
6H sighed, "All right then. Unit 6H out."
The call ended. Leaving 6H to look out to the edge of the plateau, where some terrain has been cut out.
"So…" 6H said, turning around slowly. "Where should we start?"