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Chapter 23: Mission: Save Alexander! Part 2
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"How much longer do we have to wait?" A2 demanded, tapping her foot impatiently. She was waiting in the spot 9S and Jaqueline had sent to Commander White in the message, along with her fellow rogue ex-YoRHa units, the household's pet mad scientist, and of course, Alexander.
"I don't know. Maybe another couple of hours?" Jaqueline mused with a shrug. She sat next to Alexander, whose complexion had not changed at all since she'd diagnosed him.
On the one hand, that was good. He wasn't getting worse and thus about to die abruptly. On the other hand, it meant he wasn't getting better, either, and whatever had infected him was now entrenched in his body.
Alexander moaned softly and Jaqueline gently stroked his hair while injecting a vial of painkillers into his arm.
He had been brought to the meeting spot because escorting White back to their home was a bad idea. It was their secret haven, a refuge none knew of.
They'd made sure Alexander was comfortable, though. Hatchet and Sebastian had converted an old bathtub in a sort of medical bed-capsule. It was lined with pillows and blankets and had a number of medical apparatus welded onto the sides. IV drip, heart monitor, and a few other important items meant to track the Last Human's health were all hooked up to the boy who lay in the tub.
Said tub had been carried to the meeting spot by 2B, with Jaqueline following behind. They reached the area shortly before A2 and 9S did, after they returned from attacking the small, out-of-the-way base and upload her message to the Terminal.
All they could do now was wait for White to read it, and come to them. And she would. Jaqueline had made sure of that.
But waiting meant being out in the open with a sick patient, and even Jaqueline's skills could only go so far. A2 adjusted one of the blankets covering Alexander, who shivered and snuggled deeper into the warmth.
"He'll be fine, A2. I promise," Jaqueline vowed, looking at the worried mother calmly. Inside though, she was also deeply concerned. 2B was the same, barely able to hide her apprehension. 9S paced back and forth, muttering to himself about plans to infiltrate the Bunker if worst came to worst.
His break-in plans didn't have to become reality, though, as the sound of an engine filled the air, and everyone looked up to see a Flight Unit approaching them.
It was still too distant to make out clearly, but the Flight Unit seemed to be colored white, which was a good sign, and had come alone. Also a good sign!
"Are those people being carried by the Flight Unit?" 9S asked aloud, using his visor to zoom in on the approaching machine. Indeed, two tiny dots were just barely noticeable, struggling in the vice-like grip of the Flight Unit's arms.
"Looks like Whitey is bringing company," Jaqueline joked, though her voice was strained and her grip on the edge of Alexander's medical bed tightened.
Tension only heightened as the Flight Unit grew closer. No missiles or lasers were fired at them, so that was nice, but the worry did not fade until the commander arrived and set the aerial mech-suit down.
"6O!" 2B exclaimed in shocked at the same time 9S cried out, "21O!"
The operators in question dangled from the Flight Unit's grip, though their struggles ceased as soon as they caught sight of the ex-YoRHa androids.
"Oh my gosh, 2B, it's been so long!" 6O exclaimed happily, but was cut off by a gesture from Commander White.
"Shut it," the C-type growled at her, hopping out of the Flight Unit. "Do not speak until I say so."
"So glad you got my message, Whitey," Jaqueline said, smirking playfully at her old lover.
"You…" White fumed, but held off on saying anything. She glared at A2 and the others, her gaze sharp, and her hand reflexively reached for her baton.
"Try anything and I'll tear you apart!" A2 snarled, summoning forth Faith.
"Threaten me again, and I'll show you how obsolete you really are!" White shot back.
Sparks flew between the two, and 9S gulped in fear and stepped back.
"Should we, I don't know, stop them?"
"Nah, best to let it out of their systems now rather than later," Jaqueline stated. "Let them get their dick measuring out of the way first, then we can talk."
"It's for the best," 2B added. "A2 and the Commander have unresolved issues. I think, if we let them work out their differences…"
Her words of sagely advice were lost as A2 exploded into action, throwing herself at White with a feral howl.
White countered the vicious overhead sword strike with her baton, which soon unfolded into a larger, more complex club-like weapon which crackled with electricity.
The two exchanged blows, White using her stun-club while A2 fought with her blade.
White was methodical, and despite her rage, fought calmly and with skill, only counter-attacking. A2 fell back on her old method of 'keep hitting it until the target or the weapon breaks.' Against the Machine Lifeforms, such a tactic was effective.
White was no mere Machine, and her combat algorithms were designed for use against both Machines and androids. After all, she was a Command model. Before the E-types were conceived up, it had always been the plan for the C's to be used as disciplinary units in the event of mutiny.
Furthermore, White's electrified baton was extremely effective as disabling technological entities. A glancing blow to A2, head caused her right eye to glitch for three seconds. A solid blow to her left elbow paralyzed it for nine seconds. Tapping it against her right knee disabled said limb for seven seconds.
Over and over the two clashed, sparks flying. A2 grew more and more ferocious as she failed to land any major hits on the Commander. A superficial cut here and there was nothing to an android, after all. Her rage caused her to overextend herself during a swing, and White vaulted over the attack before ramming her stun-club into the base of A2's spine.
With a cry of pain and defeat the rogue gynoid collapsed, twitching and spasming as lightning coursed through her body. A2 tried to move, to rise, but a solid kick to her ribs sent her crashing back down.
"You may have been made to be the best fighter, A2, but I was designed to be the best, period," White declared as she glared down at her defeated foe. There was no hint of bragging in her voice. Just fact. She was 1C, after all. The ultimate YoRHa android.
White then stomped down onto the A-type's back, pinning A2 to the dirt, a high-heel placed painfully on her back.
"Give me one good reason not to kill you," White growled, and the tension ratchetted up even higher as she removed a pistol from a hidden holster.
The gun was not one of the sleek new laser pistols used by YoRHa. It was a simple, high-caliber slug thrower used by the Resistance, perfectly designed for punching through the thick armor plates of a Machine. Against an android, even one as powerful as A2, it was more than enough to destroy any part of her body it was aimed at, especially from a close distance.
"White, wait!" Jaqueline shouted, only now realizing that maybe taunting the freaking leader of a military organization was a bad idea.
"Explain it to me! Give me one fucking good reason not to!" White shouted, her question now aimed at the other rogue androids.
"Mama?" A weak voice filled the clearing, causing everything to freeze. 6O gasped, and 21O shook her head, trying to comprehend what her audio processors had just heard.
White's eyes narrowed as Jaqueline hastily turned back to the oddly modified bathtub in the clearing with them. Beneath her foot, A2 squirmed violently, trying to break free.
"Let me go! He needs me!" she shouted, struggling. White thought it over for a second before lifting her foot. A2 shot out from under her and rushed to Jaqueline's side.
"I'm here, Alexander! I'm here, baby!"
"Mama… I'm sorry…"
"Shhh! Shhh, baby, it's fine! Mama's here, Alexander, everything is fine!" A2 shushed. She reached down and picked up the tiny bundle within the bed, gently cooing and cradling the precious entity within.
"How?" White demanded, her eyes never leaving the modified bed-tub-cradle. "How did a human survive after all these years?"
The O-types gasped, and Jaqueline grimaced. "It's a long story, Whitey. But it'll end up being a short one if I don't manage to get him help."
The eye-patch wearing gynoid turned away from Alexander and folded her arms, glaring at the Commander. "He's sick, and I need access to the Bunker's medical facilities. Now."
White hesitated for only a moment, before contacting the Bunker. "This is Commander White. Dispatch an Airbus to my location immediately. Prepare to lock down the Bunker upon my return."
After listening to some confirmation on her end, she nodded and turned back to Jaqueline. "It'll be here in half an hour."
"Good," the Resistance android sighed in relief. "That's good."
White stared at her for a long time before turning away with a grunt. She walked back to the Flight Unit and released the two Operators she'd brought along.
"Liaise with 2B and 9S, and find out everything. You are not to mention this to anyone except myself, understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" they shouted, saluting. Then, they hurried over to where their old partners stood, eagerness clearly visible.
"2B! Oh, it's so good to see you again!" 6O cheered, throwing her arms around the disguised E-type.
"It's good to you as well," 2B said fondly, awkwardly patting the enthusiastic Operator on the back.
"You sure got into a lot of trouble," 21O said with a teasing smile as she looked down at 9S. the shota-bot shuffled his feet sheepishly.
"Yeah, I kinda did," he said lamely. He looked up at her, and he couldn't help but see 21O broken and corrupted corpse in his eyes. He shook his head, clearing that memory away. 21O was fine, now. She'd been repaired.
"I was worried about you," 21O admitted. She bit her lip before giving in to the urge. She bent down and scooped up the smaller android into a hug.
"2-21O?!" 9S gasped in shock.
"I've wanted to do this for a long time!" his Operator announced. "Now, tell me everything!"
White watched the reunion without a flicker of emotion. She kept an eye on the area, and observed a certain one-eyed gynoid approach her with slow, cautious steps.
"You kept it," Jaqueline noted as she approached White while the O-types chatted with the others.
"I did," White stated, slipping the pistol back into its holster. "I see you went back to your old name, instead of using that expletive."
"You didn't delete your old memories, either," Jaqueline accused bitterly, ignoring the words she said about her name change.
"I didn't," White confirmed.
"Why?" she demanded. Hurt and betrayal rushed through the Resistance android before she shut those away.
"I had to lead YoRHa. I had no time to pretend to be in love with you, anymore," White replied tartly.
"Is that what you think?" Jaqueline demanded, pain flashing through her expression.
"We are androids. Tools made by the humans. We may act like humans, but we will never be like them. Any 'emotions' we have are merely a programmed response. A lie. No matter how I thought of you in the past, it was all just playing pretend, in the end. Androids cannot love."
White's declaration hurt more than Jaqueline cared to admit. She turned away from the Commander and walked back to stand beside A2.
A twisted expression of sympathetic pain was attached to the A-type's face, and she awkwardly patted Jaqueline's shoulder in pity.
"She's not worth it," she said after a minute.
"No, she's not," Jaqueline agreed after taking a moment to wipe away her tears.
Thirty minutes passed, and a large, hovering vehicle arrived to pick up the group. White got into her Flight Unit and watched the other androids crowd into the flying bus. With extremely care, 2B and A2 loaded up Alexander's bed into the back of the bus, and kept a close eye on him throughout the flight. White flew alongside the Airbus, acting as a guard for the precious cargo within.
They reached the Bunker without incident, thankfully. The hangar was cleared of any and all androids, as was the way to the medical labs. The labs were kept clean and functional, like all parts of the Bunker, but because it dealt with handling organic tissue, it was usually only used for studying the evolved flora and fauna of Earth, and to occasionally synthesize flesh for damaged androids.
A group of M-types waited nervously in the lab as White entered with the ex-YoRHa units and the Last Human.
"Get out," the Commander ordered them.
"But, ma'am, we…"
"OUT!"
The Medical types scurried away, leaving the area rather empty.
"A2, 2B, 9S, you should leave as well," Jaqueline suggested, eyeing White cautiously.
"No!" the A-type shouted, standing protectively in front of Alexander's bed.
"Please, it's for the best," Jaqueline pleaded. "I promise, nothing will happen to him."
"Come on, A2, let's let the professionals do their thing," 9S said, taking her by the hand and leading her gently out of the room.
"But…"
"White won't do anything to harm Alexander," 2B stated confidently.
"You have my word as Commander of YoRHa I will do everything I can do save the boy," White vowed. A2 scowled, clearly not believing her, but was finally convinced to wait outside.
As the door slid shut, Jaqueline sighed in relief. Then, she strode over to where Alexander lay and removed a syringe from her coat, injecting the pearly colored substance within it into his arm. Alexander mumbled something before falling silent, and his chest slowly rose and fell in slumber.
"Here, help me carry him over to the scanning bed," Jaqueline instructed White, who complied, hefting the seven-year-old body out of the modified tub and taking him over to an advanced medical slab. Light blinked to life as an assortment of scanners went over the last human's body.
"Okay, let's me check… man, this stuff is complicated," Jaqueline muttered as she began to type away at a console. "Hmm, let's see… 'auto-probe?' What's that?"
"Do you want me to inform you how to work that device, or do you want to fumble some more?" White asked scathingly. "Besides, if we want to synthesize a cure, we need to take a sample of his blood, first."
"Oh, no need, I just cured him," Jaqueline said, waving her hand dismissively, eyes still glued to the screen in front of her. "Okay, where would you… Ah-ha! There we go…"
"You… wait, what?" White uttered, flabbergasted. "He's cured? How? Why?"
"Well, the 'how' is thanks to what I just injected him with," Jaqueline said. "Should be completely cured in a few hours, all traces of disease purged. As to 'why,' well, I told you, I needed access to the medical facility."
A crackling hum ran through the room as White activated her stun-club and pointed it at the Resistance android. "Explain. Now."
"Always so impatient," Jaqueline sighed, before turning away to face the Commander. "Okay, so, here's the thing: Alexander was never in any danger. The illness he came down with? I put it in him."
"What?" White gasped. "You purposefully hurt a human?!"
"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch, he was never in any danger," Jaqueline scoffed. "The disease was one I made out of a modified tuberculosis virus. I had the antidote the whole time. If at any point it looked like Alexander would die, I'd 'miraculously' devise a cure for him. He'd be safe. I just needed him to seem really sick. Sick enough that the others would have no choice but to agree to send him here, to the Bunker."
"Why?" White demanded, not lowering her weapon at all.
"I needed the advanced equipment here in order to do more in-depth and invasive testing on him," the mad scientist revealed without a shred of remorse.
"You…!" White struggled to hold back her anger. "You haven't changed at all!"
"Nope," the Resistance android said with a wide grin. "But hey, this time, you can help me with my research!"
She stepped away from the console and pointed at it. "Whitey, be a dear and tell me the password so I can access the files from Project Ascension?"
White froze completely, and looked from the mad scientist to the console, then over to Alexander, stun-club lowering.
"Impossible," she muttered in disbelief. "It can't… It won't work!"
"All sorts of experiments were conducted to try and restore mankind," Jaqueline said with a shrug. "Project Phoenix, Project Lazarus, Project Prometheus, Project Timeskip… all of them failed, for one reason or another. But this! This!"
She clapped her hand eagerly like a child. "Project Ascension is different! It's the only one that can work. That will work, to revive the human race!"
"There's not enough bio-data… not enough genetic information or material that isn't ruined…" White replied, but even she was shaken by the ideas in her head.
"That was the case until A2 and her band of misfits found Alexander," Jaqueline retorted. "We can harvest from his body enough samples of DNA and other matters to begin rebuilding humanity!"
She smirked. "It's a damn good thing the Last Human is a male, that way we can work with both X and Y chromosomes. It's why the other experiments all failed. There wasn't enough human male DNA to splice or meld freely. After all, most of the DNA we have was taken from the humans who were part of the Replicant Project, and they were all that was left of humanity at the time. And out of the less than two hundred humans who made up this desperate last gamble, less than a third were male. It's why there are more female androids. There were more female bio-data, memory types and mind-engrams to use than male. Now, though, it different. Alexander's DNA is not only male and fresh, but immune to White Chlorination Syndrome, thus eliminating the last obstacle completing Project Ascension!"
She threw her arms wide. "We can finally turn androids into humans!"
"Every android in existence is 30-60% bio-mechanical," Jaqueline went on, pacing in front of White as she spoke. "Cloned human tissues was used to create us, to make us better and more human-like. The YoRHa are the ones with the most bio-mechanical components. And all it'll take is a couple upgrades to reverse engineer and install fully functional reproductive organs and turn the bio-mechanical part of us into fully organic pieces of flesh!"
"Think about it, White! Imagine it! You and me and the other gynoids, the mothers of humanity! Our artificial wombs will have real human eggs inside them, made from cloned and genetically altered samples! The males will be installed with modified phalluses containing a randomized assortment of genes and chromosomes with which to impregnate the eggs and ovum we'll possess! Mankind will rise, and be raised, by the hands of their own creations!"
White trembled. Hope warred with centuries of failures. Before, all the samples of human DNA the androids had had to work with had been ancient and decayed. But fresh genetical material, taken from a human who was still alive? The possibilities were endless!
In the midst of her mental breakdown, Jaqueline approached White and grabbed her hands.
"Help me, White! Help me bring humanity back from extinction!" the one-eyed mad scientist pleaded. "With YoRHa's technology, we can do it! We can make it happen! All those dreams we had when we were together, we can achieve them!"
White took her hands back from Jaqueline. Unconsciously, she placed them against her stomach. Gears and wire and metal lay beneath the veneer of humanity she wore. Her womb was a fake one, added simply because the designers of the androids had wanted them to be as accurate and identical to humans as possible. But with her ex's plan, could it possibly be used to create life?
For so long, she'd led the androids. Death and destruction were all she knew. Could she really change that?
For several long, agonizingly silent minutes, White thought it over. Then, she walked over to the console and typed in a string of letters and numbers. The screen lit up, revealing the data Jaqueline had craved.
The mad scientist in question let out a mad laugh as she rushed over to the console and began to read.
Once her laughter ended, she glanced over at the sleeping Alexander, and a fond expression crossed her face.
"Thank you." She pressed a button, and all sorts of medical instruments converged on the Last Human. "I apologize in advance, this may sting slightly. Good news, though! It won't hurt for long."
It was a good thing Alexander was asleep, and thus unable to witness or feel anything, else he might have developed a severe phobia of needles, saws, and laser-scalpels.