Chapter 9
~o~
Their mission had been a success, but it was not without its losses. Very few had survived and even fewer had escaped the vengeful pursuit.
Out of five flight units, only one was speeding through the air, high above the dense forest. However, it wasn't alone.
Following in its wake were five machine lifeforms, their upper bodies mounted on narrow plane-like platforms, as if they were cockpits on fighter jets. The fan propellers on their sides boosted them forward using anti-gravitational properties, allowing them to keep up with their target. Out of the machine guns sticking out from the nose of their platforms, they fired numerous electric orbs that streaked through the air. While the bullets were smaller and weaker than usual, they more than made up for it with their speed and numbers.
Amid this storm of gunfire, the flight unit frantically dodged side to side, but it could only delay the inevitable for so long. It was taking hits here and there. While the damage was relatively minor, it was still accumulating fast enough that it was beginning to affect its operation. Normally, it would have been a simple matter for a YoRHa soldier with a flight unit to take out just this many machine lifeforms, but there was an issue…
"It's no good; we can't keep running. We have to fight. Pod, turn this thing around and fire on them."
"Negative, this pod is not rated for direct combat."
"Just do it!"
"2B, you can't fight like this. Drop me!"
"9S, I told you to shut up!"
On the underside of the flight unit, 2B was slotted into the flight unit. However, both of her arms were outside of the flight unit's arm holsters and controls. Instead, she was holding onto the ruined body of 9S to her chest. The scanner unit was missing his left leg and left arm, rendering him relatively immobile and combat ineffective. Despite that, 2B still held onto him tightly, allowing Pod 042—also slotted into the flight unit—to pilot in her stead.
For all the good that it was doing for them.
The flight unit shook violently before Pod 042 aborted its turning maneuver to return to flying straight forward once again, allowing it to dodge more effectively.
"Report: hull integrity breached. Fuel leak detected. Proposal: land and commence repairs."
"We'll be sitting duck if we do that. Hold on, let me try something." 9S turned his head to look back as he reached out with his remaining arm.
"9S, don't—!"
"Hacking!"
It was a pause of only a second before 9S jolted in place, gasping loudly as the electric feedback ripped through his innards. However, there was a smirk on his face.
The machine lifeform in the lead of the flight group suddenly decelerated, crashing into the machine directly behind it. Both machines exploded, forcing the remaining three to dodge out of the way to avoid the debris. The three resumed the chase, but the distance between them had grown large enough to give the YoRHa soldiers some leeway.
"Your vitals are already low as it is. Don't do that again," 2B chided.
"I feel fine." As if timed, 9S coughed out a splatter of hydraulic fluid that flew away with the wind. "Mostly."
"Pod, administer a logic-virus vaccine to 9S."
"Administering." There was a small pause. "Report: success."
"Can we escape?"
"Negative. Unable to sustain current energy output for longer than 9 minutes and 37 seconds."
"2B, let me just—"
"No." 2B slapped his hand down. "Pod, how is 9S doing?"
"Subject's vital signs are reaching borderline status. Proposal: initiate immediate field repairs."
"2B, there's not enough time," 9S said. "My state will simply roll back to my last upload twelve hours ago. You need to drop—"
"How many times do I have to tell you to shut up?!" 2B glanced back and found that the three machine lifeforms were still chasing them, but fortunately, they weren't in firing distance yet. "Pod, how long?"
"4 minutes and 27 seconds."
"That should be enough," 2B said. "Pod, do a barrel roll and switch roles with me."
"2B, what are you—"
The flight unit spun in a spiral, but the moment that it flipped over 180 degrees, exposing the underside, 2B used the momentum to throw 9S high into the air. While 9S was screaming in surprise, 2B inserted her hands into the flight unit's arm holsters just as Pod 042 was ejected from the interior. The pod flew up, grabbing 9S's remaining arm. Despite that, it didn't stop the fall, but merely slowed it down as the both of them were dragged down to the forest below.
Grabbing the controls within the arm holsters, 2B righted the flight unit and initiated the transformation to mobile configuration. Spinning around just as the flight unit took on a humanoid robotic form, the momentum still dragged her backward. However, the sudden deceleration was at odds with the machine lifeforms flying at full speed, resulting in the front two reaching her at that moment. She swung the arm of the flight unit as an energy blade sprouted out, bisecting both machines in a single slash. As the loose and sliced gears and scrap metal flew past her, she fired the mounted guns at the third machine lifeform, riddling it with plasma bolts and causing it to explode in a fiery burst.
There were no more enemies in sight, but there were more important matters to be concerned about.
Like the fact that there was no more energy in the flight unit left.
Disengaging the locks, the flight unit opened up just before 2B leaped out of it. She spread her arms and legs out to slow her descent, even as the flight unit itself fell past her. The wind pounded against her as she dropped in a free fall. In the distance, she could see the treetops of the forest fast approaching, estimating her time limit as 47 seconds.
A chime rang out.
"2B!" 9S's voice came out through the communication link. "We landed safely. Where are you?"
"My flight unit ran out of energy," 2B replied. "I'm currently free-falling."
"What?! How much time do you have left?"
"30 seconds."
"Aim for the tree trunk, feet first!"
"It can't support my weight," 2B said. "20 seconds."
"It's not supposed to," 9S explained. "Use it to reduce your velocity!"
"10 seconds!"
Without any more time to talk, 2B righted herself to an upright position, aiming her feet diagonally at the approaching treetop. The crown of green leaves that topped each tree made it difficult to determine where exactly a particular tree's trunk was, especially in the midst of a forest, but the center of each crown was the best guess she had. She fell into the branches and leaves, the sole of her feet smashing straight through the tree's trunk like a comet in an explosion of wood chips. She went through two more trees in a similar manner before there were none left in her path.
She hit the ground feet first, the impact shattering her legs at the knees and flinging her into an unstable tumble across the soil. There was little that she could do as she rolled uncontrollably before her back slammed into a tree. Her body left a deep impression on the tree's trunk, even as she fell forward, landing on her side. There, she lied still in the soil while her system diagnostics brought up numerous damage reports and error logs.
"2B! Are you there? Answer me!"
"I'm… I'm fine…" Despite herself, 2B pushed herself up from the dirt, but that was the limit of what she could do. She turned her body and fell onto her back. Looking up, she could see the trail of destruction that her descent had left through the trees, and the ensuing sunlight that filtered through those gaps. She propped herself up on her elbows.
"Just stay there. Pod and I are coming to you."
"…right. Stay here. I can do that." Shutting off the connection, 2B sent her coordinates to him as she did her best to ignore the pain.
If the reports hadn't made it clear, looking down at her legs showed just how much damage she had sustained. Both of her legs below her knees were gone, exposing the various wires and machinery. Hydraulic fluid was actively leaking, but without staunching gel from her pod, there wasn't much that she could do to stop it. More than that, errors were continuously popping up on her display. If this kept up, she would be at risk for a logic virus.
"9S is in a worse condition, isn't he?"
The other YoRHa android had suffered the loss of limbs as well as plenty of damage during the fight with the Goliath-class and the aftermath. Most of their team had been wiped out, but she had still managed to complete the objective and escape the conflict zone with 9S. The fight had bought them a considerable amount of usable combat data that would be invaluable to future conflicts, but 9S's long-distance laser communication unit had been so damaged that uploading their current data and memories was impossible. Without it, their regular communication units had a spotty connection at best with headquarters because of the jamming.
"2B!"
9S's lone hand was holding onto Pod 042's arms, letting it float him along just above the ground. Despite the fact that Pod 042 normally wasn't able to handle her own weight for long, it seemed to be chugging along with only a few wobbly movements. That could have been because 9S simply weighed less or his lost limbs actually made a substantial difference. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about either option.
"9S," she simply greeted, waving a hand weakly.
Pod 042 brought 9S over and promptly lowered him to the ground, setting him beside her. The moment that it did that, it immediately began a scan of her.
"Vital signs are poor. Applying logic-virus vaccines," Pod 042 said. "Report: success. Beginning application of staunching gel."
2B blinked as her mind became a little clearer as a good portion of the numerous error reports disappeared. Pod 042 lowered itself to her severed legs and began spreading gel dispensed through its hand into the leaking wires. While it was doing that, she turned his head to look at 9S.
"Have you already started your own field repairs?"
"Yeah, all done with," 9S replied. "Or at least, as much as it's going to get. We'll need to get back to the Bunker for further repairs or to transfer to a new body."
"Were you able to contact an Operator?"
"No, but they can still see our black box signals," 9S answered. "They'll probably send someone, but with the war going on, I'm not sure how long that'll take."
"If we need to fight, will you be able to?"
"I'm good for a few hacks. Maybe five before I have to get another vaccine."
"It will have to do. Without my legs, I'm only able to defend," 2B said. "Pod, did you get hit?"
"Negative. All systems functioning at 82% efficiency." Pod 042 suddenly whirled around to face the forest. "Alert: machine lifeforms detected in the vicinity."
Both 9S and 2B tensed up with the latter summoning her one-handed sword into her hand. However, before either of them could do anything more, a voice sounded out from behind a tree.
"Wait, we don't want to fight!"
Tentatively, a white flag on a pole came out from behind the tree. It waved up and down several times, causing the two YoRHa androids to glance at each other.
"It's capable of speech?" 2B whispered.
9S shrugged his shoulders, though he quickly turned his gaze back to the flag. The flag waved a few more times before a cylindrical head peaked out. Glowing green eyes stared at them for a few moments before the same voice from before came out of it.
"Please, don't shoot!" It held out its hands to show that it was unarmed, except for the flag. "My name is Pascal, the leader of our village. We can help you."
"2B…" 9S tensed up.
2B's grip on her katana tightened.
"We're not your enemies." Pascal stepped out from behind the tree, revealing his bulky form. Following that moment, machine lifeforms of various sizes and shapes stepped out from their own trees, surrounding the YoRHa soldiers. "We only want to help."
"We can't trust what the machines say," 9S commented.
"We're not like other machines," Pascal quickly said. "We mean no harm; we only desire a peace existence."
2B and 9S shared a look, unsure of how to take those words.
"If it's of any reassurance, we already have a relationship with you androids. In fact, if possible, I'd like your help to meet with Anemone after we're done repairing you both."
"Anemone?" 2B questioned.
"The leader of the Resistance Camp," 9S said. He turned his focus back to Pascal. "Why do you want to meet her?"
"We would like to ask her to spare our village."
~o~
Now, this was what John was thinking of when he thought of the future.
In front of him was a holographic display of the Earth, floating in mid-air. It was displayed in several shades of tan and brown, but each icon had a vibrant color that stood out from the rest of the drabness. It was actually quite impressive, but what was more awe-inspiring was the fact that he could actually touch it. Reaching out a hand, he pressed his palm across Asia, feeling the mountainous terrain on his skin.
Hard-light. It was basically a projection of light that could become solid. He wasn't sure of the mechanism of it, but the fact that it existed at all was certainly a game-changer in a way. It almost made him forget about the fact that he was actually supposed to be reading what was on the map.
"I thought you didn't digitize important information for security reasons."
Commander White nodded her head, taking a step forward to be by his side.
"In an unsecured location like this camp, yes. However, the pods are uniquely encrypted and designed to erase their data storage if they are ever hacked."
The pod in question was floating unnaturally in the air, looking like a small steel box with arms attached to its underside. In fact, it looked more like something that should have been on an assembly line, making cars or something. It was an odd sight to see it using some kind of projection to display this solid holographic image in front of him.
Inside the command tent, there was a limit to the number of androids that could be in here due to rank and space, but to say that it wasn't crowded would be a lie. There were probably more androids in the tent now than there would usually be, probably due to his presence. They filled up the space such that there were only a few feet of clearance in between each person. Despite all of that, it still just reminded him of a busy command center rather than a packed stadium so it wasn't too bad overall.
Besides, he was getting used to the attention by now.
Before he could contemplate anymore, John was pulled out of his thoughts by the smell of coffee. Another pod had come up to him with a cup of coffee in its hands. It smelled divine, especially since it actually had the scent of real coffee rather than the synthetic mud that he was forced to endure in the latter half of the Legion war. Besides that, it smelled pretty fresh. Seeing him looking at it, the pod offered the cup to him.
"Thanks, buddy." Smiling, John took the cup of coffee in one hand and patted the pod on the head with the other a few times in the same way he used to do for his dog.
The pod froze, and he could have sworn that it leaned into his final pat before he pulled his hand back.
John simply watched as the pod seemed to jitter in place, not really knowing what to make of it. Taking a sip of his coffee, he turned his gaze back to the holographic map, not noticing the fiercely envious stares of the other pods and androids around him.
The world displayed in front of him showed the various bases, hideouts, and camps that the androids had around the entire world. Save for a few—well, more than a few—exceptions, most of the bases were on a coastline that bordered the Pacific Ocean. In fact, he couldn't find any place where they really seemed to have made any headway inland from there. However, this did put into perspective just how much of the planet the machines owned. The androids really were a resistance.
"So we never did discuss the machines yesterday, but…just what are they? What do we, or rather, you know about them?" John traced his finger along the map, drawing a line between each outpost in Japan. Honestly, there were very few bases, and most of them were situated on the eastern coastline.
Anemone, who was standing on the other side of him, decided to answer.
"The machine lifeforms are a relentless network hell-bent on destroying this world and wiping out humanity and us androids. Their numbers far exceed ours, but their artificial intelligence is rudimentary."
"I assume they have factories where they are being made."
"These are the major ones that we know of," Anemone said, pointing to various spots. "Some of our own bases were built in those destroyed factories. Until a few years ago, we weren't making much headway. Every time we blew up a facility, they would just take it back and rebuild it, but they haven't been doing that lately."
"A few years ago? That's pretty recent. What changed?"
"The destruction of the Hawaiian server at Pearl Harbor." There was a crack in her facial expression. "It controlled all the machine lifeforms for the entire Pacific Ocean."
"That's wrong," White said, intervening into the conversation. She had been mostly silent until now, allowing Anemone to do most of the explanation, but the way she tapped her riding crop into the palm of her other hand made it feel like she was a teacher admonishing a pupil. "It connected them to the machine network."
"What can you tell me about the machine network itself?" John asked with a frown.
"Very little is known about it, but it is essentially a hive mind. It allows the machines to coordinate seamlessly in large-scale assaults and for newly built machine lifeforms to be combat effective straight off of the production lines."
"So basically, the internet."
"…in a rudimentary sense, yes."
"So this server in Hawaii was basically a massive wi-fi server?"
"Again, a simplification, but yes."
"Did the machines stop working when the server was destroyed?"
Anemone and White glanced at each other. Though, this time, it was Anemone who spoke.
"Some did, but many others just became…different." She looked slightly conflicted. "Devola told us about the machine lifeforms you encountered outside the camp. All of those were disconnected from the network. There is a server in the interior of the country, but we think that it's only powerful enough to connect a certain number of machines, unlike the Hawaiian server."
John thought back to the biker machine as well as the small machines that he sniped on the bridge. They were certainly different, and from his testing, they didn't seem to be connected to any kind of hive mind.
"That's why Hawaii must be protected at all costs. If a server is re-established there, then all of our territories would be under risk of attack."
"So the reason there are so many bases on so many continents…"
Anemone nodded.
"We can't allow the machines to have a coastline from where they could launch an assault on Hawaii," Anemone said. Then she grimaced. "Or at least, that's what we were trying to do."
Commander White nodded and took over, pointing at certain points on the map which were mainly on the coastlines of mainland Asia.
"If the machines mount a large offensive, there is little that the Army of Humanity can do to stop them in these areas," White said. "YoRHa has primarily been attacking high-value targets and production facilities to stop build-ups of machine forces. The effort has been successful so far as there had been no major invasions since the deployment of YoRHa."
"But you aren't gaining territory."
White shook her head.
"Even for YoRHa, missions tend to have a high casualty rate. We are constantly adapting to the machine lifeforms with new combat data, but they are doing that as well. Each mission requires a significant amount of resources for repair and reconstruction. The materials for this are usually scavenged from destroyed machines. It is not in the doctrine of YoRHa to participate in prolonged fighting as it can become significantly expensive."
"Your forces are still fighting right now, aren't they?"
"No cost is too much to secure your safety and security."
"Aren't you overspending? Won't this weaken the defenses for humanity up on the moon? If it's between the safety of one person versus thousands, I think the choice is obvious."
"W-we're not. There are plenty of defenses, and the moon base has never been attacked," White quickly said, writing off the topic. "Also, it's our purpose as androids to ensure the safety of all of humanity."
"Is it? That's easy enough for the people at the top to say, but what about the troops on the ground?" John pointed out.
"They would say the same. All androids would."
"Uh-huh…"
John was unsure how to take that answer. His gut told him that it shouldn't be that way, but he was thinking on human terms. These were androids, and to be quite frank, they were built differently from humans in more than one way. However, speculation wasn't going to get him anywhere.
"Let's get back to that later. For now, I'd like to ask about our current situation in Japan. Can you tell me the positions of the machine lifeforms' forces and where our forward operating bases are? That is, if any has been established yet."
John's hand traced over the hard-light, enlarging the country of Japan with a quick gesture. The cartography hadn't changed much in the past ten thousand years, allowing him to read it as easily as if it was a map bought from a shop at the turn of the 21st century.
"Over here, here, and here." White pointed to several spots on the map.
"And we are here currently." John pointed to a certain spot.
As if in response to his words, each of the spots that were pointed out received their own icon, showing that the pod wasn't there just to act as background scenery. God, he loved this technology.
"And the machine's positions?"
Commander White placed several icons at different points on the map.
"I see," John muttered. They were actually much closer than he had first thought. "Tell me if I am reading this right, but this spot here…"
He pointed at the closest forward operating base.
"…looks pretty secure, am I right?
"Yes—" White answered, but just as suddenly, she turned to look at John with narrowed eyes. "Wait, why do you want to know that?"
"Well, since it's relatively safe, and they are fighting for me, I'd like to meet them."
"Absolutely not!" Popola shouted out as she stood up from her seat. She and her sister had been sitting quietly at the side, but she had reacted instantly to his words. However, that wasn't the end of it. Many voices throughout the command tent joined her to decry his statement, and there were even a few voices from outside the tent.
John took a sip of his coffee as the androids started shouting over each other. Even the ones that had been eavesdropping outside had come into the tent to voice their own objections. Despite all of this, he could only really think about how the caffeine really was doing wonders for him.
"Silence!" White whipped her riding crop down hard on the table, making a sound akin to a hammer. As the noise began to quiet down, instead of admonishing them like he thought she would, she turned to him and gave him a hard look. "The reason they are fighting is for you. Why do you want to waste their effort?"
"What do you mean?"
"They are fighting to create a secure radius around this camp. If you go to the frontlines, you'll make their effort meaningless. Worse, what if you are killed?" White asked sternly, not noticing Devola and Popola wincing. "What android could live with themselves? To go on in a world where they were responsible for a human being's death? I'd rather decommission my whole line."
If the twins looked hurt before, they were practically in the dumps now, slouching forward in their chairs with their heads bowed low.
However, this matter was something that he couldn't stand down from.
"I understand, but I still want to go. It's not like I'm not considering your feelings; that's why I asked if it was secure," John said, bringing his gaze around. He looked each android in the eyes, one by one. "If they're fighting for me, if they're dying in mine and humanity's name, then—at the very least—I should know theirs."
There was silence as the androids processed his words and their complex feelings about them. As the quiet tension stretched on, even John was starting to get an idea of what made these androids tick, in a manner of speaking, which was making his opinion of the council drop by the hour. However, the silence was soon broken.
"Please…" White said in a voice that was weaker than what he had ever heard her sound like before. "Please reconsider."
His mother had always been of the opinion that his life was the most important, that anybody else could be sacrificed. Skynet was destined to fall by his hands, and that made every sacrifice alright. Except it wasn't alright. Nobody's lives should be thrown into the grinder just because their name isn't John Connor. If they took a bullet for him, then it should be by choice—and that choice was what made them valuable. Irreplaceable.
That was why he joined the military, why he fought on the frontlines. He remembered each and every person on his team. Some died fighting while others gave their lives to save his, but he would never forget any of them. He returned those favors in turn by risking his life on hare-brained schemes and daring rescues. A savior that his mother wanted was someone preaching from the back, but he was someone who walked at the front.
"I want to go."
White's expression slowly changed back to her usual stern expression.
"If that's what you want, then I can't stop you."
With that said, she promptly turned around and walked out of the command tent.
John stared at her back as she left, watching her disappear around the corner. His first thought was that she was angry, but it made more sense for her to be reporting this to her human superiors. As much as he wanted to think that he had some levels of authority, it was more likely the opposite. The humans on the moon could probably override anything he says. The leeway that he had been given was probably due to his unique status as a time traveler and as one of the progenitors of the androids, but that would only go so far. Still, maybe this would be the impetus to push forward his meeting with them. At least then, he would be able to get a handle on what the humans of this era were like.
It was then that a Resistance soldier rushed into the tent, looking rather out of breath for an android, especially considering that they didn't need to breathe.
"Anemone, we got a problem." The soldier placed his hands on his thighs, as if he was resting. "It's Pascal."
"Pascal?" Anemone stood up from her seat. "What about him?"
"He's outside the front barricades!"
"What?!"
"We barely stopped YoRHa from attacking, but you better get out there," the soldier said. "They were carrying wounded YoRHa soldiers. Two of them. And one of those flying boxes."
Anemone sighed.
"What a mess."
"Who's Pascal?" John asked. Why would YoRHa be attacking androids who were carrying back their wounded soldiers? Shouldn't they be thanking them?
"Pascal's a machine lifeform," Anemone explained as she waved her hand to gather the people around her to move with her. "He's part of a peaceful village that we had been trading with."
"…say what?"
~o~
A/N: Author's Note: If you want to support me, please consider donating to my Ko-fi. I would really appreciate it. Thank you Yoko, Megris Vernin, and my two newest anonymous supporters!
Thanks to Vahn for editing and catching so many of my mistakes. What would I do without you?
Whew, thanks for reading!