AUTOMATA x SISTERS: The Rebel Path
Chapter 002: No. 2
AXSTRP Chapter 002 20220102e2
Different communication, thought patterns, and sounds:
Present scenarios
Past scenarios
"Speaking"
Name: "Speaking in the past"
'Thinking or speaking mentally'
Name: 'Thinking or speaking mentally in the past'
Prologue
Before the Pearl Harbor Descent Mission commencement: 13th Orbital Satellite Base - "Bunker"
16 YoRHa prototypes gathered in the hangar. The captain began her final speech to inspire the YoRHa Squadron…
No. 1: "It has been thousands of years since aliens invaded the Earth… Yet, until today. We have been unable to land a decisive blow against them. All of you are to embark on a mission with me to take back Earth. That said, all of you had outstanding results in our simulation drills. If it's anything like those, we should have no problem accomplishing our mission. This mission will be a turning point in the war between machines and mankind. Brace yourselves."
All YoRHa prototypes except the captain: "Understood."
After the speech, everyone went to their own positions. No.1 was discussing something with another YoRHa prototype, so No.4 moved toward No.2…
No. 2: "No. 4…"
No. 4: "Hey, captain No.1 sure seems like a reliable captain, don't you think?"
To see her captain working professionally with others, No. 2 could only reach one conclusion…
No. 2: "Yeah. Having someone like No. 1 as captain is reassuring."
Unlike others, No.2 lacked confidence in herself and her coming mission…
No. 2: 'Machines and androids have been trapped in a deadlock for a long time. In order to break through it, a new type of automatic soldier figure was created, specializing in combat. We are known as "YoRHa". During simulations, I only achieved comparatively average results. Even though I need to be concentrating on our mission, I'm much more nervous than I should be…'
No. 2 looked around. All her squadmates had already got onto their own flight unit. Only she hesitated…
No. 2: 'I wonder if I'm capable of executing our mission properly…"
[Automata Era: 11,941 December 8]
(4 years after No.9 rewrite Project YoRHa) (2 years after the 14th Machine War started)
"Commander White. Call off your suicidal bomber, or I will purge your forces. This is your only warning."
"Who are you? How do you get into our channel?"
"If you put Pearl Harbor Descent Mission on hold, I may tell you."
"You have no authority here. Reveal yourself or I will…"
After entering the Earth's atmosphere successfully, Captain – No.1 reported back to Commander White that the YoRHa Squadron reached their destination point as planned. However, a glitching female voice cut into their comm channel uninvitedly. Then, the connection between the YoRHa Squadron and the Bunder was suddenly severed. Leaving the YoRHa Squadron in dark…
"Transmission to Bunker: This is YoRHa Squadron Captain No. 1. Please respond. Repeat. This is No. 1. Please Respond…" No. 1 spoke to the comm again and again but there was no response. The YoRHa Squadron could only follow the original schedule and execute the mission without their superior.
"This can't be real…" No. 2 still had difficulties believing that they lost the Bunker support.
"Does anyone know what's going on? I never heard that voice before," No. 4 asked in the comm.
"No idea. Simulations didn't include this scenario," No. 21 answered as emotionlessly as usual.
"Don't care. We just need to fight like before," No. 16 responded coldly.
"Is this machine lifeform's attack?"
"No idea. I never heard machine talk."
"Shut up. We're still in mission. You guys need to focus."
Flying in hostile airspace controlled by the machine network, the YoRHa prototypes spoke loudly on their comm like a bunch of primary school girls. Being blissfully unaware of everyone could track their signals and triangulate their positions easily. After all, none of them were over 1 year old, and this was the first time they entered a real-life battle. Commander White didn't teach them how to survive in a real battlefield and that made the whole YoRHa Squadron into a band of over-glorified rookies …
'This will be all right. This must be all right. With No. 1 leading us, losing Bunker's contact won't be a problem. Of all of us, No. 1 is at the top in both intelligence and combat. The one most suited to be a soldier. When she is being the captain and watching over us, then it's okay. If other things follow out drills, then even I…' No. 2's nervous thought was interrupted by a sudden warning…
"What's that?"
"Unknown… Wait, I've got them. Coming from behind. They'll catch us in 120 seconds."
UN - Ver. 1.01 - AGL 12,208m
"What's with these guys? They are following us."
"No response on the IFF.
"Calm down. We don't know whom they are yet," No. 1 ordered but no one knew what to do.
"They're climbing. Are they looking for a fight?" No. 16 asked others.
"Wait. We know nothing," No. 21 warned.
"Don't do anything rash. Their IFF may be damaged."
"How do you know?"
Suddenly, the bogeys' IFF changed from "UNKOWN" to "FRIENDLY". Everyone lowered their guard. Watching those bogeys fly past them in supersonic speed…
"Flight units!"
16 unknown flight units surrounded the YoRHa Squadron. They looked similar to the models YoRHa used now but their cockpits and weapons were different. While the YoRHa flight units place their pilots in their bomb bays on the exposed pilot seats, the unknown flight units put their pilots in their heads like traditional aircraft canopy. Moreover, YoRHa flight units pointed some of their weapons backward but the unknown flight unit pointed all their weapons forward…
"They're contacting us!"
"Kids. You shouldn't be here," A comm channel opened and the YoRHa Squadron heard the same glitching female voice which cut into their communication before.
"Who are you? Are you jamming our signal?" No. 1 stopped trying to contact the Bunker. The captain fully focused on the strangers now because their signals were being suppressed. All YoRHa prototypes received an unknown data package.
No. 2 YoRHa - - - Ghost-21 AhRoy
YoRHa - - - Link - - - AhRoy
Connect on Data Link
"What's going on?"
"We're being hacked!"
"What have you done?"
Alt Cunningham looked at the YoRHa Squadron. She couldn't stop herself from feeling pity for them. Maybe her new AhRoy android chassis made her more emotional. The netrunner wouldn't feel so much when she was just a digital ghost in the Net. Maybe being with Johnny changed her mind. She wasn't sure the reason behind her emotion but seeing these girls being rigged to blow made her feel sick. Although she knew YoRHa prototypes were AIs logically, she still felt wrong that the higher-up exploited those kids like that.
Alt turned her eyes to Johnny and she could see the veteran's anger clearly. The same anger and hatred the veteran showed when she mentioned the Second Central American War. Alt could just exploit the known weakness of YoRHa systems and crashed all of those kids' flight units into the sea. Preventing them from endangering Project AhRoy. However, knowing these soldiers were just kids who knew nothing made her agree to take a detour and do more…
"Your command deceived you. Once you reach the target location, they will activate the nukes inside your body and kill everyone around you."
"What!?"
"If you scan yourself, you will find a nuke next to your Black Box."
No. 2 did as she told and she discovered an explosive device inside her own chassis. She looked around and found others reach the same conclusion…
"Is this why you sever the connection between us and the Bunker?" No. 1 asked while she put her hand on her chest.
"Yes, so they cannot detonate your bomb remotely," Alt simply answered…
Suddenly, a laser beam from the surface hit No. 1. Turning the captain and her flight unit into a big fireball. Other flight units soon followed the same fate. While some unknown flight unit pilots escaped the crash with their ejection seats, the YoRHa units were not so lucky. They smashed into the ocean with their damaged flight units…
"Captain!"
"Damn it, we didn't hear anything about this!"
"Someone helps us!"
"Spread out! Staying together will only make you an easy target to the enemy!"
"Nooo!"
'It can't be…No. 1… Our captain is…' No. 2 was about to lose her mind.
Machine Network's heavy anti-aircraft fire caused the whole YoRHa Squadron to panic. The death of No. 1 shattered their unit cohesion. At the same time, the AhRoy flight units weren't doing much better. Some of them were shot down, too. Alt realized she must act before both squadrons were wiped out by the Machine Network, so the netrunner forced other flight units into the same military tactical data link network…
Initializing Tactical Data Link Connection
Flight controls transferred to Ghost-21
Flight controls established for No. 2
"Security system overridden. I am in control," Alt forced all flight units to cooperate with each other. The AhRoy Squadron deployed their radar decoy and jammer drones to try to confuse enemy air defenses. Those drones flipped out their wings. Their signature augmentation subsystem simulated the flight units to attract enemy fire. They sent back situation awareness data to all flight units…
Flight Unit Operating System v1.01
Operate by Remote Control
Equipment F15 deployed
Fire Control System activated
Setting automatic course
Entering escape route from combat zone
Order from Ghost-21
"What happened? My flight unit is out of control!"
"It is moving by itself!"
"Where is it flying to!?"
The following air battle turned into chaos. More flight units were shot down by guided laser or short-range ballistic missiles. The remaining YoRHa flight units flew in different directions against their pilots' will. No. 2 and her friends were separated. No. 2 didn't know where others go. She was still in midair above the sea, so she was forced to stay on her flight unit. Without warning, No. 2's flight unit was released from the remote control. No. 2 immediately flew back to the last place she saw her friends but was only outnumbered by a swarm of enemy missiles which just reached there. No. 2 was overwhelmed and shot into the sea…
"Wake the fuck up!"
"…MM…"
No.2 opened her eyes. The Attacker found herself lying face down on the beach, so she slowly pushed herself up. The YoRHa Prototype looked aside and found an android standing next to her impatiently. That android wore a black vest and a pair of brown leather pants. Her left hand was covered in silver metal. Some of its muscle fiber was exposed. The stranger knelt down and took off her dark red sunglasses. She looked into her eyes and spoke…
"We have a world to burn."
"What're you talking about?" No.2 was still in the process of waking up, but the stranger just slapped her in the face.
"Don't you understand? Your friends are dead. This world killed them!"
Author's Note
[20221231]
After severing the communication between the Bunker and the YoRHa, the next thing I do is separate A2 from her friends. Giving another V to Johnny Silverhand. This is how I try to kickstart the crossover for real. Leading A2 to The Rebel Path rather than becoming the beast of slaughter in canon. This is the main reason this crossover exists.
[20230102]
Did some changes to the air battle scenes. Since the AI Alt could control drones and Mech in Cyberpunk 2077, the new Alt with a new android body should be able to control multiple flight units in this crossover. It's a shame that I didn't write why Johnny Silverhand get mad in the end.