"STATUS REPORT: IN TRANSIT
WEATHER: HEAVY PRECIPITATION
TEMPERATURE: 19.4 CELSIUS"
"QUERY: WHAT FUNCTION IS POD 042 CURRENTLY PERFORMING?"
Pod 042 turned with a somewhat excitable click of his digits. Pod 153's presence had not surprised him as he was always aware of their proximity to one another, but it was unexpected that she would inquire about his activities. "REPORT: THIS POD IS KEEPING A PERSONAL LOG. ACCORDING TO THE ARCHIVES, THIS WAS A COMMON PRACTICE DURING EXTENDED GROUND TRAVEL."
"POD 042," 153 said, sounding somewhat tired despite their inability to experience fatigue. "ALL ACTIVE PODS KEEP COMPLETE AUDIOVISUAL LOGS. KEEPING A SECONDARY LOG OF THE SAME DATA IS UNNECESSARY AND IS A WASTE OF ENERGY AND RESOURCES."
"ALL AUDIOVISUAL DATA IS RECORDED AS-IS. PERSONAL LOGS ALLOW THIS POD TO RECORD PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS AND CONCERNS."
From the neighboring ring of tires nestled against the wall of the truck bed, Pod 153's antenna poked up, spun, and receded.
"QUERY: WHAT CONCERNS DOES POD 042 HAVE?"
"PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS AND CONCERNS," Pod 042 repeated. In actuality, he didn't have any yet. The idea had only come to him a few hours ago, while watching the road disappear behind the truck from over the rim of the unevenly stacked tires he'd been stored in. His records so far were merely things that caught his interest, but he experienced a sense of hesitancy at the concept of reporting that to Pod 153. "THEY ARE NON-ESSENTIAL TO MISSION OUTCOMES. IT IS UNNECESSARY TO SHARE THIS DATA WITH POD 153."
"…ACKNOWLEDGED. RECOMMENDATION: CONDUCT YOUR RECORDINGS IN SILENT MODE."
Pod 042 continued to watch the adjacent stack, as though the black treads would somehow provide insight into the thought processes of the other support unit. When they did not and there was no further movement, he sank back down into the cover of his own tires. Per her excellent recommendation, he entered silent mode, and there he made his first personal observation:
Despite no change in mode of expression, Pod 153's response conveyed a sense of offense.
STATUS: OBSERVING UNITS FERN, FORTY-NINE, AND SUBJECT V
LOCATION: ROADSIDE FIELD
WEATHER: HIGH WINDS, INTERMITTENT RAIN
TEMPERATURE: 18.7 CELSIUS
REPORT FOLLOWS:
Severe structural damage to the highway proved beneficial for the purpose of rest stops. Dense woodland and other forms of physical cover were rarely further away than the edge of the road. On this stop, the truck had been parked among stalks of high-growing local flora that came up to what remained of the vehicle's side-view mirrors.
Pod 153 had already provided clearance; however, the possibility could not be eliminated that other androids might rapidly enter immediate range. Unit Fern, previously designated YoRHa Unit 8E, sat on the truck's hood and watched for any signs of activity on the roadway. Unit 49, previously designated YoRHa unit 9S, knelt over an unsatisfactory fire. Burnable materials were scarce owing to the frequent rain, and the persistent wind presented additional difficulty. Given these conditions, constructing a heat source strong enough to cook the medium-sized lagomorph secured by unit Griffon was a challenging task.
Subject V was stretching. It was common for him to briefly do so upon waking from sleep cycles, but he now engaged this activity during every rest stop for several minutes at a time. This change had been noted by both YoRHa units, who had presented a subsequent query, but the answer was obvious. The distance between the interior seating and the dashboard was approximately 9% shorter than the distance between the joints of Subject V's hip and knee.
"I'm not getting anywhere with this…" Unit 49 grumbled. "You can't eat this raw, can you?"
"I could," said Subject V. "But that does not mean I should."
"You've got pods," Unit Fern offered. "We're alone out here. Just laser it real quick or something."
Subject V and Unit 49 looked at one another, likely remembering that the proposed course of action had been taken before. Unit 49 looked somewhat embarrassed. He only grew more so when Subject V's expression turned sly.
"Perhaps we should. And perhaps the two of you should be the ones to eat it."
Unit Fern turned from her vigil with wide eyes. "Us? You know we don't need—why would we eat it?"
"Both of you have concluded that lasering a carcass is a valid cooking method. It may serve you well to learn firsthand the taste of your bad ideas."
"Hey, I already learned my lesson with the tea!"
Unit Fern became distracted enough to swing her legs over the driver's side window. "You made tea?"
"How do you even know what tea is?"
"Old Fern's shack studies." She crossed her arms and raised her chin in an uncommon display of hubris. "I know about coffee too. What happened? You mess it up?"
"Calling it tea would be an overgenerous description," said Subject V. "It was more like a stew."
Unit Fern made no attempt to hide that she found this statement humorous.
Unit 49 scuffed out the sad fire and wagged the carcass in her direction. "You're laughing a lot even though the only reason we're having this conversation is because you came up with the same bad idea I did." He scowled up at Subject V. "And you still drank it anyway..."
"That is so, yet neither here nor there. The question is…" He flicked his cane up to point at the rabbit. "Can either of you come up with a good idea?"
The YoRHa units thought quietly. At nearly the same time, their eyes dropped to Subject V's glove, and they exclaimed in unison: "Your arm!"
Subject V grimaced. "My arm?"
"It generates enough heat to burn through leather," said Unit Fern. "That thing can definitely cook a rabbit."
"I'm not doing that."
"Come on, V," urged Unit 49. "It's the best option we have right now. We should at least see if it works."
With both units watching him expectantly, and no better prospect for cooking available, Subject V was left no alternative but to accept the proposed action. He reluctantly loosened the straps holding the glove in place, baring the transformed forearm, and took the animal in hand. A red glow appeared between the scales and intensified until a faint sizzling could be heard. Moisture and fat dripped down over his claws and into the dirt.
He appeared annoyed by this, but he still ate it.
Unit 49 climbed into the back of the truck. "Least we know you won't starve if the rain keeps up."
"I might." Subject V tossed the last of the bones to Unit Shadow and joined Unit 49 in the truck bed. He flicked his hand several times, but the lingering oils clung on. "This was a performance I'd rather not repeat."
Unit Fern slid down from the hood into the driver's side window and leered around the back carriage. "At least you smell a little better now."
Subject V reached over and smeared his hand across her shirt.
OBSERVATION:
FROM THE TIME OF ACQUISITION OF THE RESISTANCE VEHICLE, THIS POD HAS NOTED A DECREASE OF 32% IN NEGATIVE COMMUNICATION PATTERNS BETWEEN YORHA UNITS, AND AN OVERALL INCREASE IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ALL SUBJECTS. ADDITIONALLY, AN INCREASE IN PHYSICAL INTERACTION HAS BECOME APPARENT. FURTHER OBSERVATION IS REQUIRED.
STATUS: OBSERVING SUBJECT V
LOCATION: 3 KILOMETERS OFF-ROAD, SPARSE TREE COVER
WEATHER: OVERCAST, NO PRECIPITATION
TEMPERATURE: 19.3 CELSIUS
REPORT FOLLOWS:
Despite personal experience with Subject V's full combat capabilities, Unit Fern often responded negatively to proposals that involved leaving him without an assigned YoRHa. Unlike Unit 49, she had not been required to accustom to spending multiple hours away from Subject V on a daily basis to pursue food and water.
She displayed none of that hesitance today.
They had arrived at a fork in the road. The map data made the shortest route clear, but the roads were starting to show signs of repair—something which would only correlate to the presence of androids that made frequent use of them. Without any significant disagreement, the YoRHa units had decided to leave V and the vehicle far off-road to scout ahead together.
It was unclear if their unanimity represented an increase in trust or a natural response to the necessity of determining their next course of action. Regardless, Subject V was left alone with Pod 042 to attend for the second time since the expedition began.
Because their location was on solid ground and within substantial woodland cover, the other support units were free to materialize. Unit Griffon took the opportunity to stretch his wings and was presently laughing. The avian unit frequently complained of boredom, and it appeared that even the much more leisurely Unit Shadow experienced a similar need for stimulation. Moving in and out of matter states, she slipped between and around Subject V, holding his cane hostage just beyond his reach.
It came as a surprise to Pod that V endured this treatment with minimal annoyance. And that despite Shadow being approximately 275% faster than Subject V, he persisted in chasing after her.
Pod 042's processors whirred with the beginnings of a hypothesis. Slowly, he turned toward Unit Griffon.
The impulse might have been a matter of experimentation or mere curiosity, but Pod 042 sank low along the shaded forest floor and weaved stealthily through the bushes without rustling them. He circled around and flew silently up to where the eagle familiar was still cackling at Subject V's expense. After a brief scan to ensure that there were no additional signals in the immediate area, he reached out and tugged sharply at Unit Griffon' tail feathers.
A raucous squawk and a string of expletives rewarded Pod 042. "What the heck do you think you're doing, soda can?!"
"REPORT: THIS IS BELIEVED TO BE THE ACTIVITY KNOWN AS 'TEASING'."
"Huh?" Griffon's feathers bunched, and sparks popped between his horns. "You trying to pick a fight?!"
"NEGATIVE. THIS POD WISHED TO TEST WHETHER PLAY BEHAVIORS INCREASE SOCIAL BONDS."
To assist the clarification, he pointed down at Subject V and Shadow. Griffon tilted his head and after a moment he shook with a new burst of laughter. "How fuckin' cute. You that bored that you wanna be play~mates with me?"
When put that way, Pod 042's interest waned to the point of non-existence.
"REPORT: REGRET."
"Aw, don't be shy now," Unit Griffon leered, in his unique three-beaked way. He shuffled along the branch and threw a wing around Pod. "You know what's even better than teasing? Playing a prank. And even better than that is teaming up to play a prank on someone else."
Prank. A noun describing a mischievous action, or a verb for the performance of said action. "QUERY: IS UNIT GRIFFON PROPOSING A COMBINED ATTACK?"
"Sure. Shadow shouldn't be the only one who gets to tease the boss man, right? We're all support units and I've got a great idea! I'll even give you a new nick name. You'll get upgraded from soda can to toaster—toasty for short!"
"REPORT: UNNECESSARY."
"Course it's necessary," Unit Griffon insisted in a placating voice that lacked evident sincerity. "Nicknames are filled with love ya know?"
"UNDERSTOOD. UNIT GRIFFON HAS AN AFFINITY FOR HEATED BREAD PRODUCTS AND CARBONATED BEVERAGES."
"What? No, not like—look, we'll come back to that. You wanna play the prank or not?!"
"…AFFIRMATIVE."
"That's the spirit, toasty!"
While Pod 042 nursed a faint sensation of doubt, Griffon laid out a plan of attack. It was true that Unit Griffon was the most experienced on the subject of teasing Subject V. Even when he went a little too far and ended up with a cane in his beak, there was never any indication that any true harm was done. The physicality seemed to be a part of the process.
As he drifted back to the truck, Pod found that Subject V's energy had finally depleted. He climbed into the truck's cargo bed, and Unit Shadow immediately relinquished the cane and draped herself across his lap.
"Have you not satisfied yourself enough in your bids for my attention?" he asked. It sounded like a reprimand, however, he proceeded to pet Unit Shadow anyway.
It seemed to Pod that it was silly to reward the very behavior he had just reproached, but perhaps that was also the nature of teasing. The actions were unpleasant or an annoyance if only considered from an objective perspective, yet there was a dual meaning to them not unlike the verbal act known as wordplay. The end result was a physical interaction.
HYPOTHESIS: IF THIS POD ENGAGES IN THE OBSERVED DUPLICITY, THE PRANK WILL BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE.
"REPORT: IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THIS POD WAIT UNTIL SUBJECT V'S SLEEP CYCLE TO PAINT RUDIMENTARY SHAPES ON HIS FACE USING ANY STAINING MATERIAL AVAILABLE." His antenna spun, and after a pause, he added: "AS A PRANK. END REPORT."
Subject V's expression emptied to a pensive blank. It was this configuration of his features that signaled he was at his most unpredictable. "And who was it that made this recommendation?"
"SUPPORT UNIT GRIFFON."
V spun his cane in his left hand, testing the weight and/or the strength of the attached arm. He was beginning to smile in a way Pod 042 had come to associate with danger. The cane took on a violet light, and he threw it with great force over Pod 042's head and into a nearby tree, where it embedded with a dull but resounding thud approximately 7cm from where Unit Griffon had been perched.
The offending unit tumbled down and nearly into the bushes. He managed to right himself and flap his way clear, crowing down. "Toasty, you traitor!"
"A wise man avoids the pitfalls of folly." Subject V rewarded Pod 042 with an affectionate pat atop his case. "Continue to be wise, Pod."
As far as Pod 042 was concerned, the prompting of a physical interaction represented the successful execution of the prank. He gave a cheerful flex of his digits and settled atop a tire with a distinct feeling of achievement.
"STATUS REPORT: VEHICLE UNDERGOING MINOR REPAIRS
WEATHER: MISTING PRECIPITATION
TEMPERATURE: 20.8 CELSIUS"
"THIS IS POD 153 TO POD 042—YOU ARE CONDUCTING YOUR RECORDINGS OUT LOUD AGAIN."
"AFFIRMATIVE," Pod 042 answered, swiveling inside his stack of tires. "WOULD POD 153 LIKE TO PARTICIPATE?"
"UNABLE TO PARSE STATEMENT. THIS POD HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED THE ACTION AS REDUNDANT."
"CORRECTION: WOULD POD 153 LIKE TO SHARE DATA?"
"POD 042 PREVIOUSLY DESIGNATED THE DATA AS UNNECESSARY FOR MISSION OUTCOMES. SHARING IS UNNECESSARY. PLEASE CONDUCT YOUR RECORDINGS IN SILENT MODE."
Again, there was no change in Pod 153's mode of expression, yet Pod 042 still perceived a lingering offense, in addition to a certain stubbornness. It was an easy to recognize pattern—having information withheld from him had been the source of significant conflict for Unit 49, and the withholding of it even proved deleterious for Unit 2B. However, pods were not androids. Keeping secrets from the units they were assigned to help, and only communicating with each other when necessary was the standard operating procedure.
It had not occurred to him that after entering a state in which their communications were constant, Pod 153 might respond negatively to a partial return to standard protocol. Perhaps under these new conditions, that implied an absence of trust that was not meant. The present tension was the result of a misunderstanding; an occurrence Pod had not expected between himself and another Pod, but which he nonetheless desired to clear up.
"THIS POD WILL CONTINUE TO RECORD IN SILENT MODE," said Pod 042. "HOWEVER, I HAVE ACQUIRED NEW DATA THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO POD 153. REQUESTING DATA EXCHANGE."
"…REQUEST ACCEPTED."
As he imparted his observations across their local network, a clicking answered—her digits tapping along the truck bed. An odd action. Pod 153 was not given to fidgeting behaviors.
"EXCHANGE COMPLETE," he reported.
"CONFIRMED."
The truck shifted and leaned, and water trickled and pooled down the cargo bed's grooves. Unit Fern cursed faintly, and a hunk of blown-out rubber sailed overhead. Unit 49 sighed a cursory reproach at her forceful methods and pulled a tire from Pod 153's stack. The cargo bed went quiet again, save a few metallic noises from beneath the rear wheels.
Without the additional cover, Pod 042 noted Pod 153's digits close into something like fists, open, and close again in slow, repeated waves. The reaction was novel, and Pod 042 could not guess what thought the other support unit was processing. Perhaps sensing that she was being observed engaging in an unusual behavior, she spun away and offered as an afterthought:
"REPORT: …ENTERTAINING."