Chapter VIII:
Under the Weather
No.9 kept the mirror steady. His sly smile persisted throughout the duration of the file. A grin that imparted the impression that No.9 knew something the rest of the world did not. Something 9S craved to learn for himself.
"I hope these memories find you," No.9 explained. "I've met some special people during these missions. If you're watching this, you must have already met at least one of them."
9S leaned in to ensure he would not miss a single detail.
"I bestow these memories to you. Do with them what you will. I know the direction YoRHa is headed. I can see it from here. I've scattered the rest of my information to make it harder for others to find it. These memories are only for our eyes. Find the rest of them if you want."
9S could barely contain himself. He was almost certain his search would reach a dead end, yet such an outcome was no longer a danger.
"If he somehow hasn't already, Amos should set you on the right track. We aren't ending this ordeal on the best of terms so it may take some effort to get him to cooperate. I guess if you're watching this then you've already succeeded in that much, though. Good luck."
The projection of No.9's confident smirk disappeared completely. At first, 9S became furious. Furious at his pod for terminating the footage. "The hell are you doing, you stupid polygon!? Play it!"
"All data contained within the respective file has already been viewed to completion," Pod 153 informed.
9S wanted to murder something. Why No.9 insisted on consistently cutting off these memories just as they became intriguing was beyond him. The thought of it being an intentional ploy to further capture 9S's interest did not escape him.
"That can't be everything! Pod, do another scan of the files. Find another one with a similar date."
"Pod 153 to Unit 9S. There are no other files with a matching date."
9S clawed at his hair, scratching about for a new idea. While the footage did not fail to raise a plethora of questions, it did at least answer one of them. "I've already met Amos, but he gave me no reason to believe he'd have any connection with No.9."
Pod 153 worked up the courage to voice a suggestion. "From where was this storage unit retrieved?"
"Huh? I found them in an old ruin near a wall."
"And where did Unit 9S first encounter Unit Amos?"
It was through the occasional mention of the name that 153 was familiar. She was uncertain as to what or who Amos was. Whether he be an android or machine remained unknown.
9S's blood-tinted eyes widened. He did not need further explanation. 153 made her point loud and clear.
It came as no surprise that the twins would attempt to stop him as he fled through the halls like a deranged madman. Popola's first attempts to calm him down were expectedly diplomatic. She only asked for an explanation behind his urgency. An explanation which she was denied. In turn, the twins denied him a means of leaving the vicinity. They took up positions on either side of the hall to block his way.
9S was forced to stop.
"Just tell us what's going on," Devola demanded.
While he was in a rush, he had no real reason to not explain it to them. He sighed and gave up the chase if for no other purpose than to avoid conflict with the only two people in this dying world he could safely call "friends."
"We discovered a memory contained on the chip that No.9 used as a message. Amos was mentioned by name. I need to ask him about it."
"Amos," asked Popola. "Well, that would make sense. We did recover the memories from the same building he calls home. Can we see this file? I would like to know more about what you plan on involving yourself with."
Without the need of being asked twice, 153 did as requested. As irritating as it was, 9S did not bother trying to intervene. 153 played the file to completion. The twins observed in silence. 9S did not fail to notice the way their once curious expressions warped over time. Some aspects of the footage blatantly disturbed them. A fact that was evident in their worried expressions. As 9S listened to the brief recording once more, he started to feel the same foreboding cloud befall him.
"So, that's No.9," asked Devola. "That's the person you want to revive? There's something off about him. I mean, there's something off about you too, Nines, but this is different."
Popola nodded at her sister's words of caution. "I'm afraid I must agree. Looking beyond that, I still fail to see how any of this is meant to help you regain your own memories."
Her curly-haired sister was quick to reinforce the argument. "Exactly! I know you may think you're the same person, but you're not. That No.9 guy was alive years ago. His personality data was probably programmed differently and his experiences will never be the same as yours."
"I need to see him," 9S exclaimed. "He will help me remember!"
Popola shook her head. "No, he will not. I know you want your memories more than anything. Trust us. This won't help you. Why don't we visit some of the places the old 9S went to? Like we did at that underground city. Just being there helped you remember."
"Anything's better than messing around with that guy," Devola explained.
She glared venomously at the projected screen. She cast a begrudging gaze upon the android in frame. He was identical to 9S in every way. His hair, face, likely even those clear blue eyes. All features 9S surely possessed but there was still a clear distinction that she could not place. Something unexplainable that rubbed her the wrong way.
"I don't like him. Not one bit. I don't like his creepy smile. I don't like his weird implications. I don't like his overly calm voice. I don't like his thousand-yard stare. And from what he's said, even Amos doesn't even like him! You gotta be pretty messed up to get on a Legionnaire's bad side."
"Whether you like him or not is irrelevant to me," 9S snapped. "Resurrecting No.9 will help me remember! He was partnered with a prototype of 2B. He went on missions in this very area with her! He is me! How you can't realize that is beyond me."
"Forget this business," pleaded Devola. "When this storm finally dissipates, we can leave this place behind us forever. We can find some new resistance base to get kicked out of. We could explore some faraway land or we could take you back to the area we came from. It'll be way better than the insane necromancy you're trying to pull off!"
"I've heard enough of this," 9S practically yelled. "It's none of your concern!"
Popola titled her head. She looked on with interest as his composure was starting to shatter. "It is our concern. How many times must I spell it out? Seeing you impaled on the blade of a vengeful machine or android over some boneheaded conflict that could have been avoided does affect us. Dearly."
"If 2B was here, do you honestly think she'd disagree with us," Devola questioned. Her lips curled into a deep scowl.
153 remained silent for most of the debate. She likely was content with flying under the radar, but the unexpected turn in events provoked her. Being in the presence, and likewise, under the protection of the twins probably had an effect as well.
"Negative. YoRHa Unit 2B would likely not be in favor of Unit 9S's self-destructive nature."
At that point, 9S was about ready to kill her.
"You worthless pile of hovering shit!"
He turned and thrust his sword in the air. A strike she was easily able to dodge by simply flying closer to the ceiling. It did not discourage 9S. He lunged at her but was grabbed by Devola. She forced him against the wall and had him disarmed before he could retaliate.
"Cool it," Devola ordered. "If you wanna fight someone then I can gladly take you up on the offer…"
"You relax too, sister."
Popola approached from behind her. She rested a hand on Devola's shoulder. 9S watched as Devola instantly responded with a calming exhale. She did not allow 9S to slip completely free, but her grasp did loosen.
The straight-haired twin kept a calm disposition despite everyone else having fully lost their collective temper. Her tone was far more stern than her tranquil, if not slightly saddened visage.
Popola turned that serene disposition on 9S. "Who's doing it? Who's compelling you?"
A question that caused 9S to cease his squirming. He froze in place and stared on with confusion. "What are you on about?"
"You're not yourself. My sister and I never knew you very well, but from the vague interactions we've had in the past, I know you aren't yourself. So, tell me. Who is leading you down this path? Who encouraged you to chop off that man's arm? Who told you to resurrect No.9? Who asked you to carve that awful symbol into your own hand?"
"Nobody!"
"Was it Amos," asked Devola. "4S? Someone at the camp?"
"No! None of them!"
The same soothing hand that calmed Devola slid over to 9S's shoulder. It had the same astonishing effect.
"We just want to help you," Popola reassured. "But we can only do it if you tell us what's happening."
Neither of them ever gave any cause for alarm. Elaborating to them became a tempting prospect. His eyes darted to Devola and back to Popola. Vertigo took hold and left him woozy. Exhaustion swept over him like a crushing mace. His vision began to tunnel.
His lips parted. Softly, he uttered the word. "Che…rubsss…"
"Come again," one of the twins asked. His vision blurred to the point of being unable to distinguish them.
"Cherubs. The… cherubs…"
A sensation of dread washed over 9S in a fearsome wave. The feeling that he had upset someone was overwhelming. It drew 9S's attention up to the heavens like a magnet. Normally, he would be greeted by nothing but darkness and an empty ceiling. The darkness remained but he saw no end to the corridor. It was replaced by a terrible sight only he could bear horrifying witness to.
The warped, cranky frowns of crying infants took form in the void. They looked down on him. White eyes, skin like salt, and mouths lined with teeth. The babies, or rather, the cherubs floated high above him. Each one was massive in scale. A terrible sight that only he could visualize.
They were angry. Rightfully angry. As 9S lost consciousness and fell limp in Devola's arms, his last thoughts were of his punishment.
A sin as grave as speaking so openly of the cherubs could not go without retribution.
The scanner's consciousness fluctuated along with his awareness. A vast majority of his time was spent without consciousness entirely. He would briefly wake up and take a fleeting glimpse of his surroundings. A dark room occasionally lit up by flashes of lightning was where he lied. At least one of the twins was present with him each time his eyes fluttered open. He could not say who nor could he determine where the other had run off to.
Other times, he would stir to a state of half-sleep. A void of darkness where the only sensation to be experienced was the crying of unseen babies. Those were the far more terrifying moments of this feverish state. They felt like they would last forever. Surely the cherubs, as benevolent as they must have been, would never do him any real harm. His logic failed to console him. There was something undeniably horrific about their whines. He begged aloud for them to allow him an exit. He swore to never speak of them again but none of his pleas alleviated his punishment.
At one point, he awoke to find Amos looming over him. He sat on the floor while one of the twins stood behind him with an oddly shaped sword in hand. After examining the wild outline of her hair, 9S assumed her to be Devola. The sword in her arms had a bright, practically glowing emerald embedded in the hilt and a jagged blade.
Amos abruptly reached for him. His massive talons engulfed 9S's peripherals. Unable to move away, 9S helplessly lied there as Amos removed his visor. 153 attempted to intervene, but 9S knew better than to expect her to stop that hulking brute of salt.
9S was under no illusions that there would be a slip-up at some point. One way or another, the twins were likely to see the strange coloration of his irises. Out of the two dueling secrets he kept from them, it was apparent that the one regarding his eyes was more likely to be discovered. He wished to at least keep them concealed for a little longer.
He would not have to worry about it for long. His consciousness faltered and he soon found himself back into that wretched void. Once again, he could do nothing but listen to the upsetting squeaks of entities unseen. Hours marched on before the torment ended. 9S opened his eyes to find Amos alone.
Idly, the monster plucked away at the strings of Devola and Popola's lute. It was an impressive thing to witness. Amos did not produce any real music, but he somehow managed to toy with the strings without slicing any of them in half with his arched claws.
Voices started to seep through the walls. The words being spoken were inaudible, however, the tone of the conversation was easy enough to understand. Someone nearby was having a rather heated argument. 9S checked his surroundings. It took all his strength just to move his head. Apart from Amos, the only other person in the room was 153. She floated near a window, quietly watching the rain shower down from the gray heavens.
Knowing who and who was not present severely narrowed down the suspects. It must have been the twins. Hearing them argue was concerning. 9S would otherwise not be able to fathom such a conflict. The mere possibility of those two being at odds with each other over anything seemed far-fetched.
Amos overheard the arguing at around the same time 9S took notice. The Legionnaire sat the instrument down and stood up. With stealth, he approached the wall on the opposite side of the chamber. His heels were always the first to hit the floor. He did not make a peep as he so expertly traversed the debris-covered floors. The beast pressed an ear against the wall and listened.
Lying around was pointless so he sought to remedy his less than ideal situation. Somehow, every attempt to push himself off the floor failed. Neither his arms nor legs would cooperate. His body felt cold. His eyes struggled to remain open for any real length of time. His head was scalding. Vertigo assaulted him for even the slightest movements. Fatigue kept him in place.
Regardless of his best efforts, he could do nothing more than lie there and wait for his mind to drift back into the depths.
Crying infants, eternal slumber, and endless voids were only the beginning of this enigmatic journey. The extended periods of sleep brought 9S to the strangest of places.
Of all the locations he could have dreamed up, he awoke in a library. A massive chamber filled with rows upon rows of books. Stairs led up to a second level. A catwalk wrapped around the walls of the enormous structure. Windows lined the ceiling, but no light entered through them.
Chandeliers dangled from on high. Candles were posted on the bookshelves. None of them offered light. Every last wick had been extinguished a long time ago. Just as there was no identifiable light, there was no obvious darkness either. It was a space without either dichotomy and even as 9S clearly perceived it, he was unable to fathom it.
The growls of Amos. The distant voices of Devola and Popola. None of them could be heard here. Wherever he was, he was far away from his companions. An unsettling truth that he could do nothing to remedy.
9S circled the bottom floor. He did not disturb any of the innumerable books on the shelves. Each one had a date written along the spine. Dates that were never older than a decade or so. He came to a stop when he finally spotted a book with an actual title. He read the words aloud. His voice bounced off the walls. The library's acoustics were uncomfortable.
"Vincent Law…"
A name he did not recognize. 9S opened the book to a random page. The word "Anamnesis" was repeatedly inscribed on each page. It was written across every line until each page was filled from margin to standardized margin. He flipped through the book yet nothing changed. A constant repeat of the same word that he knew full well he had never seen written or heard spoken before.
The book was useless. He made a mental note of the word on the off chance that it might prove to be more than an author's pretentious choice of vocabulary. It may be something worthy of asking the twins about the minute he was free from this surreal place. He threw the leather-bound scripture to the floor. Random books were the least of his concern. He needed to find them.
9S scaled the stairs and found two doors on either side of him. He walked around the wooden fencing and entered the door on his left. It led to a small office. A lone desk stood before him. There was no one inside. Nothing of note could be found. He checked the other room but it was just as desolate.
The android returned to the bottom floor. In between the two staircases was a massive pair of doors. They presumably led to some lower level. 9S turned and set out to explore what laid beneath this building.
A voice from behind stopped him.
"Who was 9S? What did he want? Why did he persist?"
9S twirled around to see who was addressing him in such a bizarre way. Standing at the center of the library was a girl of around his height. She had orderly black hair cut in a style almost reminiscent of Popola's. The girl wrapped her arms around a massive crystal ball. She wore a bright red dress.
"Who are you," inquired the silver-haired boy.
While the android did indeed have a girl's body, but her voice did not match at all. It was the voice of an aging man. A deep, authoritative tone. One that 9S felt he had heard before. Somehow. Somewhere.
9S removed his blindfold. He wanted to see this entity with his own eyes. Those two orbs of scarlet shined in a world devoid of light and darkness alike. The girl offered no reaction to their color.
"The questions that fascinate me more are," 9S explained. "Who is No.9? What did he want? Why did he persist?"
"Trying to understand a precursor is impossible without understanding the dots that connect you to him."
9S patiently smiled. "Yeah, maybe. But I already understand those dots. I am 9S."
The entity veiled behind the body of a young girl tilted her head. The movement was off. A gesture far too automated for even an android. It appeared as though someone else was wearing her skin.
"Your mind is clearly elsewhere. Could it be that your obsession with those twins is rapidly overwriting your obsession with your precursor?"
His smile turned to comical laughter. 9S's cackling filled the library. It was no less demented than the warped world which imprisoned him. A desperate attempt to appear less fearful than he truly was. Whether the facade worked or not was a different story.
"I think I've been able to balance the two fairly well."
The girl's head twitched wildly. It moved far faster than 9S's eyes could keep track of. Frame after frame was left in a ghostly trail. Her head moved at impossible angles and in every which way. The snapping of artificial bones echoed throughout the library. It all happened in the span of a microsecond. The girl's head settled back into place once the unnerving episode subsided.
"We are straying too far off-topic. I will start over. Answer each question to the best of your ability. That is all that I ask."
"What questions?"
"Who was 9S?"
Unlike his prior interactions, 9S gave this question some much-needed time to process. The more he thought of it, the more difficult it became to answer. He recalled all the leftover memories he still retained from that time. They were all so distant.
Reminiscence of moments shared between the old 9S and 2B were some of the most prominent in his mind. He could fully comprehend what that iteration of 9S felt towards the emotionless woman. A strong, friendly, and romantic attachment. An attachment that he himself could not share. He looked back on her with fondness for the sake of past experiences, yet the emotional weight of those memories was lost on him.
Out of all the memories he shared with 9S, not a single one carried any emotion. His memory of the events as they happened was completely fine. He recalled finer details of those days with ease at times. However, he could not associate himself with any of them. They were far too distant to feel real.
9S's confidence began to crumble before the stranger disguised behind a feminine face. "He was… 9S was… An android. Designed by YoRHa to act as a reconnaissance and intelligence gathering unit."
"Was that so hard," asked Red Girl. Her lips curled into an impossibly wide smile. It was as if all the certainty 9S carried himself with previously had been siphoned into the dark-haired android.
"Next question. What did he want?"
The inquiry was simple enough.
"He wanted 2…"
9S hesitated. He gave it more consideration. The obvious answer was "2B" but it was far too vague for his liking. A better response was required. He ran through the easy, vapid explanations and shot them all down. Ideas such as her attractive physique were not sufficient. They may explain the infatuation, but surely there was something more to it. On the opposing hand, ideas like her personality were utterly laughable.
In the end, he failed to find a reasonable purpose. 9S then let out a soft gasp. He was left astonished. If there was no explanation to be found there, then it would mean the answer had nothing to do with 2B at all. To his dismay, his train of thought was cut short by the impatient little girl.
"Time's up. Next question…"
"There's a time limit?"
"There is now," she muttered flatly. "Why did he persist?"
With an unknowable time limit looming over him, 9S rushed through the options. It took him significantly less time to formulate a response.
"Wait, that question is redundant. How can I answer it without answering the second?"
"Are you implying that the reason for one's perpetuation of awareness is dictated solely by their desires?"
9S stood firmly. He hid his hands inside the pockets of his shorts. They trembled with a fear that contradicted his stern glare. "That's exactly what I'm saying. Because what's the point of perceiving anything if you desire nothing?"
"What's the point of desire if you cannot perceive it?"
9S had no retort.
The black-haired girl blinked blankly. Silence befell the library. A quiet that was not given much time to haunt them.
"These are very basic questions," the girl spoke out once more. Her masculine voice radiated off the walls. It sounded more as though it came from within himself rather than her.
"The fact that you have failed to answer two of them is quite telling. Perhaps your dueling objects of desire can help you find the answers. I will send you back to them. For now, however…"
The Red Girl span around the room. She extended her slender arms outward, gesturing to the thousands of books surrounding them. Light poured down through the windows above. Rays of radiance shined on the books and illuminated their lavish bindings. It heralded the end of the enigmatic ambiance which previously existed between glowing rays and infinite shadow.
"Each of these books contains a memory," she explained. "Recollections belonging to 9S and to no one else. You are free to peruse them for as long as you remain here. Everything you ever wanted to know is at your disposal. Spend your time wisely."
Note: Here pretty soon, I'll likely be bumping up the rating. The reason being that I think I may have underestimated the violence in the second half of this story. Chapter 12 being one of the more problematic ones. It's something I had a feeling about back when planning most of this story out, but as I close in on that chapter in particular, I'm starting to second guess my choice.
I'll have my mind made up by the next update as to whether it's going to stay the same or not, but I wanted to give a fair warning.