Shift Up is based, I'm going to play the fuck out of Stellar Blade.

More than a Tool

I head towards the location we agreed to meet and not before long, I saw her figure by the distance. So this Marian is a specially-made Nikke, and from Elysion no less. Her appearance alone shows that much with how unique her designs are compare to the mass-produced ones. She was staring at the towering Ark and I find myself stopping, raising my eyebrows as it seems like she was deep in her thoughts.

Very human-like...

I exhale through my nose before I came up to her, "Marian, I presume?"

She blinks before she turns around and gave me a salute. "Yes, Commander!" She gave me a smile that just looks so real I find myself hard to differentiate to a real human's. "I am Marian. Thank you very much for obliging my selfish request, Commander."

"Hm." I nodded. "Now, what do you need to have me go out and meet you like this?" I asked, I knew I sound stern but this is just how Commanders are. "I expect a good reason."

Marian looks at me, blinking before smiling once more. "I would like to spend time with Commander!"

"..." My eyes widen in shock, blinking a few times. "You..." I was not only caught off guard, I was baffled with her answer. "...want to spend time with...me?"

Marian nodded, "Hm!" Then she made a thinking pose, "You know, getting to know each other, what we like and what we don't like?"

What the...is she...is she for real? Didn't she know how Commanders views Nikke? It should be obvious by now, they were all tools for us Commanders to use against Raptures. The Commander's life takes priority and they were all wired to protect the Commander at all costs, even if they were to die by it. I imagine not many Nikkes would like Commanders because while they were programmed to do that, they still have human emotions. I feel like they would think they were enslaved or something. Although Nikke rights became a thing after a certain incident, I don't think Nikkes are fond of Commanders that much.

So to see Marian wanting to know me? Like any human would and lacks any malicious intent from her Ki Signature alone? That was just shocking to me who believed nearly all Nikkes held Commanders as their least favorite thing in the world while others are neutral about it. I can sense many of them just harboring some kind of dislike towards their Commanders so I'm just baffled.

"Are you...serious?" I asked, blinking. "You don't mind my presence at all?"

This time, she was the one who showed me a confused expression. "Why would I? You're my Commander! I don't mind at all!" She smiles yet again before catching me by surprise by taking my hand and brought me somewhere. "If that's all, let's go! I know a place where we can chat!"

"Oi, what are yo-"

"Come on!" She said as she looks back at me with a smile and a giggle.

I honestly don't know what this Nikke is thinking but I...merely let her lead me to whatever café she had recommended.

We arrived at the café and ordered our drinks. I specifically ordered a cappuccino and a slice of strawberry cake.

"Commander, how do you like the cappuccino?" Marian asked as I sipped, my hat rests on the table right beside me.

"It's good." I replied, heaving a satisfied sigh from the hot cappuccino. "..." I look at her and she just smiles back to me, showing no ill intent of any kind. "Marian."

"Yes, Commander?" She places down her cup.

"Who else is in our first assignment beside you?" I asked.

"Oh, they're the mass-produced Nikkes from both Missilis and Elysion. When I suggested that we should meet up with Commander, they didn't want to and said that we'd all be assigned to different Commanders after this assignment anyway so there was no point in getting familiar with you." She replied and I mentally nodded to myself, that's pretty logical reasoning but they're not being honest.

They just dislike the Commanders, and I don't blame them for not wanting to meet me.

If anything, Marian's the weird one here.

"I see." It's very uncanny how Marian seem very human unlike the Androids which are just mass murderers. "Marian, what's your favorite food?"

She looks at me, surprised before beaming her smile. "Well, I don't particularly have any favorite. If it's good, then it's good enough for me!"

"So no favorites then?" I nodded, sighing quietly. "Marian...were you..."

"Commander?"

"Were you...a human before...?"

What a foolish question.

"Of course!" She replied but it didn't seem like she was particularly bothered by it. "Though, I don't really remember my memories as a human back then."

She said that as if that wasn't sad, it bothered me seeing them talking like...robots. Ugh, what am I thinking? They are robots, robots specialized in combat. Just because they look like humans doesn't mean they're one...and like she said, she didn't have any memories of their time previously as a human.

I retract my statement of them being unlike the Androids but at least they're not mass murderers.

"I see." I nodded, Nikkes seem human because they used to be one. "Any hobbies?"

"Hm..." She tries to think of one before smiling. "I like playing games!"

"Games? What kind?" I asked.

"JRPGs! Oh, and fighting games!" She said, mimicking a gesture of holding a controller and playing games. "I play them a lot in my spare time while eating snacks."

"I see."

Nikkes might seem human, but they're not one. Formerly humans and retain no memories of their past lives. It seems most of their activities as well as preferences derived from when they were humans because I'll have a hard time believing they have any sort of hobbies as a weapon. It'll be more of an AI rather than a human if that was the case.

"Then can you recommend me some games?" I asked her and she immediately brightens up as if she found a gaming buddy.

"Then, then! How about Earthcraft?" She suggested. "It's a survival game with cubic world! It's the top game and has never been beaten by any other games in sales! You should try it!"

"Sounds fun." I smiled. "Does the game have multiplayer?"

"Multiplayer? Yeah, it does have one." Marian replied and I nodded. "Who are you going to play it with?"

I furrowed my eyebrows, "You of course. I want to play it with you."

"E-Eh? Really?" She seems embarrassed for some reason. "Thank you, I wanted to play it with somebody but never got the chance to."

"What about other Nikkes?" I asked.

"They don't exactly play games like that and they prefer to play alone." Marian replied, looking sad. "There was someone who likes to play games and doesn't mind playing multiplayer but I heard she's very important in the Central Government so her freedom is mostly restricted."

"I see." I finished my cappucino. "Alright, why don't we get going?"

"Oh, do you have somewhere you want to go, Commander?" Marian asked innocently as I stood up.

"Yeah, the games store."

Getting into the games store, I began browsing the available games. I also need a console to use since I'm mostly a PC type of guy. Marian was standing beside me looking uneasy for some reason.

"Hey." I called and she jumped a bit. "What's wrong?"

"O-Oh, nothing." She replied with a smile, trying to wave it off. "I never been in this store before so I don't know which shelves they put Earthcraft in."

I raised my eyebrows, strange. She said she likes games so why haven't she been in this store before?

"I'll ask the staff. What console are you using?" I asked.

"I'm using PX7, the lite version." She replied, smiling nervously. "Since our budget is iffy these past few years, I can only afford the lite version."

"...I see."

Tight budget? As I thought, were the Nikkes' pay lower than the commanders?

I looked for the staff and asked them for the game. I also bought a fighting game that Marian recommended to me but I noticed something as well. The staff kept looking at me and her. I mean, might be weird seeing me in my commander uniform with the hat and all in a games store, Marian just look like any other Nikke.

It might be...

"PX7 Pro, was it? You want to buy one?" The clerk asks while also glancing at Marian.

I intentionally blocked his view. "Make that two." I replied, giving a stern look at him.

"I-I see." The clerk got intimidated before cashing in the two PX7 Pro as well as the games I bought. "That would be 61,120 credits."

I paid using my card, I never once used the credits before so I had plenty stocked up. Time Patroller survival capsules are amazing, capsule techs themselves are amazing. In a world with a primitive technology like this one, I learn to appreciate the convenience I once had back in Conton City.

"Thank you for your patronage!"

Once I got out with Marian on tow as well as the two PX7, I turned my head around and saw one sign. I didn't pay attention to the signs before since they were all advertisements for products and sales, but this sign had "No Nikkes allowed" written on it.

It seems I was right, Marian was uneasy because this. I see now why she hadn't visited this games store before...

"Marian, I'm sorry for that." I said, sighing. "I didn't realized that there store had that sign there."

"Oh, n-no." She smiles, sighing in relief. "I'm just glad that's all over without any problems."

I handed her one PX7 Pro to her. "Here, have this as an apology." I was planning on giving her one even if this didn't happen. "If I want to play with someone, they should have a better console, yes?"

"E-Eh, but the PX7 Lite is good enough to play multiplayer..." She said but I just shook my head.

"You either sell it or give it to someone else and use this." I said, smiling. "Initially, I didn't trust Nikkes since I never met one in my whole life. But you changed that so accept this as my token of appreciation and apology."

She looks bewildered. "C-Commander..."

"Might be too sudden for you, but Nikkes cannot harm humans nor can they betray them. I mostly had trust issues on the personality, thought you'd be more robotic." I chuckled. "Even though we just met, I feel like I can trust you. Do you think the same too?"

"Commander..." Her lips curved as she smiles brightly. "Yes, I thought the same too."

"Plus, I need some pointers in Earthcraft. I'm a complete noob at games."

She blinked with a shock look on her face before she slowly giggles and it evolved into a laugh.

Seems like I was suspicious for nothing, they're not bad. Nikkes are much more human and they're not like the Androids. They were all programmed to protect, not to kill. And going by this meeting of ours, I can conclude that Nikkes are...human.

"Yeah, yeah." I waved off, annoyed but still smiling. "Laugh all you want but there's still some place I need to go."

She stopped laughing and blinked. "Where do you want to go next, Commander?"

"I needed some shelves for the game console and a TV."

"Oh, if that's the case then I know where to buy!"

"Well, lead on then."

I didn't know what waited me when we first assigned to a mission...

Bonus

"Commander! Watch out for the Sweeper!"

"What!?" I exclaimed.

I turned around only to see the blasted thing lit up along with the sound of hissing before it exploded to my face.

"Goddamnit..." I sighed as the title screen says "You're Dead" before I plopped down on my bed. "All my gears are gone..."

"Don't worry, Commander! I'll get it for you!" Marian says and I saw her cubic character picking up my stuff. "I'll store it into a chest later at the base." She continued. "We've been playing for hours, how about we stop for today?"

"Good idea. Need to eat something." I replied, swiping the hologram to the side and a screen with Marian's face pops in. "I'll see you tomorrow for our first assignment. It's fun to play with you, Marian."

"Don't worry about it, Commander! I'm looking forward to working with you tomorrow, Commander!" Marian said with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, thanks." I smiled, "See you tomorrow."

"See you!"

So uh...Marian, yeah. Marian.

Still the same fate unfortunately.