A/N: Hello one and all! Today I present to you guys another installment in this completely whack story. I do hope you guys will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Once again, I would like to mention that this story has nothing to do with my other NieR Automata stories. This one is just for fun! So let's throw caution to the wind together and dive into the madness.
Disclaimer: NieR: Automata is the property of Yoko Taro, Square Enix, and Platinum Games. I don't own it. I just love writing Fanfiction for it.
Warnings: We're ramping up the humor a bit. Trace amounts of angst also included because this is the NieR universe. Of course there's at least a little angst. XD Lol! In addition, if you guys happen to see any major grammar errors in the story below, please feel free to let me know. With humor stories I often just roll with whatever enters the brain and don't check as thoroughly for major writing issues. The beauty of Fanfiction is that I can always go back and tweak things to make individual chapters, and the story at large, better. Thank you in advance! Enjoy the chapter!
We're Broke! Please Give Us Money!
-2-
Back when humans roamed throughout the Earth, accumulating debt was a common situation. Sometimes it was due to poor financial decisions. In other cases, a person found themselves in debt if they were to damage property, intentional or not.
Upon entering the sewer connecting the City Ruins to its flooded counterpart, YoRHa Units 2B and 9S both received mail notifications. Assuming it was from Commander White, the two soldiers quickly made their way to the nearest access point as soon as they emerged from the sewers.
Little did they know, the two androids were about to understand their human ancestors a whole lot better.
"You got to be kidding me! Now of all times!"
Feeling the weight of their financial woes, 9S let out a cry of exasperation and leaned back on his heels. Unfortunately, he leaned a little too far and gravity saw fit to drag him down to the ground below. 2B would have reached out to prevent his fall, but she was simply too stunned by their shared message to move so much as an inch. The resounding thud of the Scanner's body hitting the ground seemed to echo throughout the barren land of the Flooded City Ruins...not that it really mattered to 2B at that particular moment.
All at once, their money troubles had gone from bad to worse.
To Units 2B & 9S,
It has come to the attention of engineering technicians and other relevant staff that the damages for the two flight units you destroyed have yet to be compensated. As you both know, flight units are highly expensive pieces of equipment meant to aide in the war effort. Your recent achievements against the machines, while impressive, do not make up for the loss of vital equipment. Our department funds are depleting at an exponential rate thanks to the reckless maneuvers of other operatives trying to emulate your combined successes. This has caused great stress to all the engineers stationed here. As the department head, I have made the executive decision to make an example out of the two of you. Having cleared this with the Commander, I am now requesting the immediate payment for the flight units you destroyed as well as for the damages caused by models 5B, 14B, 17B, 21G, 22G, and Operator 6O, who thought it was a good idea to press the shiny, red button labeled: SELF DESTRUCT, and nearly destroyed the Bunker as a result. Don't ask me why we put these buttons on the flight units. We're given a blueprint and orders and that's what we follow. Please send the payment no later than May 18th, 11945. If you don't pay on time, I'll start adding interest. That is all.
Sincerely,
Director 11T of the Engineering Department
Expenses List - In Numerical Order Based on Flight Unit Classification:
Model 29: Assigned to Number 5 Type B - 15,000G
Model 45: Assigned to Number 21 Type G - 15,000G
Model 74: Assigned to Number 2 Type B - 50,000G
Model 91: Assigned to Number 9 Type S - 50,000G
Model 123: Assigned to Number 17 Type B - 100,000G (This was one of the more expensive models. 17B was particularly reckless with it in spite of countless warnings.)
Model 140: Assigned to Number 22 Type G - 15,000G
Model 178: Assigned to Number 14 Type B - 30,000G
Flight Unit Models 182, 205, and 239 - These models were destroyed by Operator 6O. Additional expenses were added for the damages done to the engineering department and the deaths of two T-Models. (Fortunately for the two of you, these operatives didn't lose any substantial memory data upon reboot. This expense would be much, MUCH higher if they had. You got off easy. Any complaints regarding this particular expense are to be issued directly to Operator 6O since it's her fault. Also, keep her away from the engineering department or I'll make sure you two NEVER get out of debt.) - 250,000G.
Total Amount Owed - 525,000G
"I think I'm gonna cry, 2B." 9S mumbled from the ground, his voice showcasing misery on a level that bordered on suicidal. "We have to pay that in ten days. TEN DAYS!"
2B bristled. "Ten days?"
"Today's the 8th!" he proclaimed, flinging an arm over his shrouded gaze in an attempt to hold back the tears. "We're doomed, 2B! DOOMED!"
"Now don't talk like that," the combat model chided, trying to calm her increasingly hysterical partner down. "We can figure this out."
9S shook his head, choking back a sob as he did. "Did you forget we're broke! We only have 5,000G to our name! The only way we could possibly make the kind of cash the engineering department is asking for in the allotted time is to collect intact machine cores...and those are really difficult to scavenge from smaller machines."
"What about Goliath class machines?" 2B asked, looking for solutions. "Collecting machine cores from them will be much easier..."
"We can't afford to take on Goliaths!" 9S bellowed, interrupting his partner in a rare show of impatience. "If we get damaged we'll have to use what little funds we have for repairs! Not to mention that we need money for regular maintenance down here, and we also need to buy recovery items for field repairs since we don't have any right now."
"But..."
"2B, there's nothing we can do! We're doomed! DOOMED TO LIVE IN DEBT FOREVER!"
The Scanner model was in full rant mode, moaning in emotional agony all the while. He'd even started rolling back and forth along the ground, which would have been comical if not for their current predicament. 2B wasn't even certain if she could remain calm about it, and she was the queen of maintaining an emotionless demeanor.
"Pod," she began, glancing over at her support unit. "How many Basking Sharks would we need to sell in order to pay back the debt?"
"ALL THE FISHING IN THE WORLD WON'T SAVE US!" 9S screamed, still rolling along the ground like a particularly fussy toddler. 2B ignored his antics and shifted her attention back to 042.
"How many?" she repeated.
"Approximately ninety-six."
The combat model hummed a sharp sound of apprehension. "What's the likelihood that we could procure that amount in 10 days? This is under the assumption that we're not given any missions to attend to."
"50%"
"And if we're given missions and other errands throughout that window of time?"
"0.00001%"
A deranged sort of laugh bubbled out of 9S' mouth upon hearing that flimsy percentage. "We're so screwed."
Pod 153, having finally recovered from whatever error had taken over previously, hovered over to her assigned unit.
"Unit 9S is experiencing the human emotion of depression. Proposal: Seek counseling."
The Scanner merely groaned. 2B sighed at the pitiful sight of her partner laying there before her in an undignified heap with dirt dusting his YoRHa uniform from all the rolling.
"You think we could run away?" he suggested, his voice taking on a lighter tone. "Start a new life? Get married? Have some kids?"
2B pressed her fingers against the sides of her head. Her pain receptors there were acting up all of a sudden.
"9S, we can't procreate," she stated, forcing patience she didn't actually have at the moment. "More importantly, abandoning YoRHa is a treasonous act."
"Yeah, I know," he muttered, pouting as he began to sit up. "I'm not really serious, 2B. It's just...that kind of debt filled me with crippling anxiety."
"I noticed."
9S' pout became more pronounced, but by slow degrees he got to his feet and started to pat the dirt off his uniform.
"Will you be alright?" 2B asked, her expression of agitation switching to one of concern.
"I guess." Sighing he turned his attention to the ocean in the distance. "We better get to fishing. Maybe we'll get lucky and manage to get all ninety-six Basking Sharks today."
"The likelihood of such an outcome is under 1%," 042 stated, smashing 9S' hopes with debilitating facts.
Seeing the distress return to 9S' face, 2B placed a hand on his shoulder. "Pod, please turn off speech functions unless there are hostiles nearby."
"Affirmative."
9S glanced at his own pod, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. "You too 153."
"Affirmative."
Having settled that, 2B marches ahead with the grace of a swan while 9S follows from behind. They walk down the crumbling road in front of them, making quick examinations of their surroundings as they go.
"There doesn't seem to be any enemies here today," The combat model notes, smirking. "That's a good sign."
9S stares out at the sea, his artificial heart heavy with an emotion he can't quite place as he looks at the billowing waves. He doesn't quite understand the horrible feelings he experienced earlier either, this sensation of the world closing in...
And yet...a small part of him wonders if he's felt these things before. Something about that all-consuming terror rings all too familiar.
"9S?"
The Scanner responds immediately, his head tilting in 2B's direction. She had already scouted ahead of him and now stands on an elevated portion of the old road. Though the sky is overcast here, light from the sun shines down upon her, drenching her in brilliant light. 9S watches the sea breeze lift from the waves. That same breeze rustles through 2B's platinum-colored hair. A few strands escape from the headband adorning her crown, but the combat model is quick to tuck those loose hairs away behind her ear, sealing them in place beneath the headband once more.
Transfixed by her beauty, 9S barely manages to catch what she's saying.
"I'm sorry. What was that?"
"I said that the best spot to fish in this area is over there." She points toward a nearly sunken building facing the open sea.
"Really?" he asks, jogging to catch up with her. "Huh. Sounds like you've been here a lot."
"I have," she answers, her voice softening. "This is a good place to think when enemies aren't present. In the past...I made time to fish here nearly every day."
"Oh? You mean before we me?."
2B hesitates in answering, but nods after a brief moment of silence. "Yes. Like you I...fulfilled many missions alone before we were assigned to work together."
9S follows her across the two sunken buildings in the middle of the area. "Were you ever lonely?"
"Doesn't matter," she tells him. "Emotions are prohibited."
"...Right."
The two remain silent as they come to the edge of the building 2B described. Without words she motions for her Pod to act as bait. Her fishing commands appear on the HUD screen soon after, and she sits down atop the electromagnetic stool that always manifested when either of them fished. 9S stood next to her for a moment, his gaze on her pod as it floated along the water.
"I used to be...scared."
2B hums as a form of acknowledgement.
"Being alone...fighting alone...it scared me," he admitted, sighing. "And today...something about being in all that debt reminded me of that. I'd forgotten what it felt like."
"To be afraid?"
"Yeah. After meeting you...that feeling just never came back."
2B visibly stiffened next to him, but 9S didn't seem to notice at all. He was too lost in his past, in memories of solitude he'd shut away from himself long before this moment in time. There were certainly gaps in his memory data, that he knew with certainty, but his early days of life remain with him.
He hasn't forgotten the loneliness, the fog, the flames, his own screams of pain.
"So much pain," he thought, gritting his teeth in remembrance.
2B watched him from the corners of her shrouded eyes. Her face was set in a frown as she recalled her own set of terrible memories...memories they would never be able to share. For now, her partner remains with her...but at some point...
Biting down on her tongue, the combat model refocuses on the swirling waves...on emptying her mind of past sorrows.
Emotions may be prohibited, but it didn't change the fact that they had them.
"Fishing will help you settle your thoughts," 2B whispers, her voice nearly drowned out by the roar of the sea. "Like I said before...this place is good for that."
Following her suggestion, 9S motions with his hand for 153 to take her place next to 042. The electromagnetic stool appeared soon after and he quickly sat down upon it. On his HUD screen were the fishing commands.
The two of them sat in a comfortable silence, content to keep themselves occupied with the menial, relaxing task.
However, they have absolutely no idea of the misadventure lying in wait for them beneath the depths.
A/N: And that's end end of the second chapter! Thank you all for reading. I hope this chapter was enjoyable for you all. I definitely had fun with it. And there's still more fun to come, so definitely stay tuned. Feel free to leave your thoughts in that review box if you feel so inclined. Best wishes and God bless you all!
Additional Note: If this story is your introduction to my work in terms of NieR stories, please feel free to check my profile. I have a lot more of them listed there along with stories from other fandoms you guys might be interested in. Like Code Geass for example. (I mention it because the Code Geass X SINoAlice event is underway. It's so good! The world of Code Geass plus Yoko Taro-esque storytelling. I can't tell you how happy this small event for a mobile game has made me. It's ridiculous.) Anyway, if you're interested in more of my work, please check out my Fanfiction profile. There's a list of my favorite stories from other author's there too. Maybe next time I'll advertise a few. Anyway, that's all for now. God bless you guys!