The group watched as as soon as Emil's words left his mouth, the twins doubled over in pain with their hands clutching their heads.
What the hell?
"What have you done?" though Rose's tone was accusatory, she too didn't know why or what happened.
Why did his words trigger something?
Immediately the two Scanners were at their side, so was 6O, even if she didn't know where the problem was, she and 21O were holding the two screaming women.
"There's nothing to worry about." the cryptic boy answered, earning a frown from Robin.
9S stared at his screens, as he hacked into Devola, while Number 21 did the same thing with Popola. He looked over back and forth between the data he was seeing between his and her screens.
It was the same.
The influx of data was the exact same, and it came from within the two.
As if…
"The firewall that was keeping their memories locked…" he spoke. "It's gone."
He remembered Number 21 asking if it could have been removed, and if they could attempt doing so, but they hadn't had the chance to try yet, but they knew it was there.
And now it wasn't anymore, and memories were freely leaking out.
"The amount of data is causing them pain, but it should settle soon." or so the redhead hoped, a lot of data all at once hurt an android's brain, no matter who, it could either cause issues such as data being overwritten, but in this case probably it wouldn't.
Because these were memories they had all along, but couldn't access.
And in fact, soon enough, the two women just slumped against the two Operators in exhaustion, but they weren't screaming anymore.
Signal that everything should be where it had to be all along.
But if the block was removed, that meant…
"You gave them their memories back." Robin stated, looking at Emil, who just seemed to be staring at the two.
Still…
"How did you know?" how did he know how to remove the block afflicting them? Robin, but really all of them wondered.
It was something that had been there for thousands of years, was Emil that old too?
What happened that long ago?
"The only way for them to get back their memory, was for a human to forgive their sins." even though it wasn't their fault.
It was never their fault, not these two specifically, nor all the other twins that ended up paying for the war they caused, and for forcing the Devola and Popola they knew to fight them.
That caused it all.
But they believed they were right back then…
"But they never committed any sin." Anemone pointed out just what he thought.
"Yes, I know." Emil turned towards her. "That's why I gave them back what belongs to them, but it's not the only reason."
He then rolled over to Robin. "I believe you said you wanted to discover the truth of this world right? About us humans? Well they can help me explain, so that's why I have them back their memories."
"And also… they paid for way too long the mistakes we have committed. I spent so long running away from my memories… if I hadn't forgotten I could have helped them sooner…"
And maybe, all these lies about humans being alive and the androids suffering for no reason for all these years too because of it…
None of this would have happened had they have known…
But in the end, none of them would be here today, sitting around a patch of flowers like it was a bonfire like a bunch of old friends.
Like he and his friends used to do…
"The important thing is that you did, eventually." A2 placed a hand on his head. "Things can always change."
And she knew it well.
So many things changed in the span of this last year, from her bland life full of hate, regrets and violence.
Actually, a lot changed for them all.
For the better.
Things they thought were impossible have been proven not to be that way.
So it wasn't so weird in the end that Emil could have known them, or maybe another set of twins, and knew how to unlock their memories, and if only a human could do that…
"Wait, does it mean that Robin could have done that all long too?" she was human, no? 2B asked. "Technically I'm no longer a human." the raven replied.
"But if I had known about this I would have definitely tried, I can relate on a personal level to their story, so I would have never let them suffer any longer than they already did. If 20 years do feel like a lot to me, I can't imagine thousands of them." it was really too much.
It wasn't something she was supposed to know though.
"To tell the truth, I am not part of the humans that created them, so I don't know if it would have worked. Also, now the matter is solved so probably we shouldn't be thinking about this much more." she turned to the still recovering twins. "I'm more interested in what they have to say."
Though she still wondered if the humans of this planet and hers were somehow related.
Another mystery left unsolved.
Soon enough, the two girls re-opened their eyes, though they still leaned against the two Operators. Their brain must have been put under so much stress it wasn't a wonder it took them so long to recover.
"How are you feeling?" 6O leaned closer to Devola, not quite knowing what to ask in this situation.
Surely the sudden influx of massive amounts of data must not have felt good.
She was no Scanner, but probably they could all tell how much it could hurt, if this hadn't been explicit enough already.
Like a very strong headache.
"Weird, but… these memories… they feel familiar."
"They feel ours." Popola finished what her sister was trying to say.
It was a lot to take in, things that they had forgotten for a long long time, but they felt like they were legit, that they belonged to them, they were theirs.
Even if what they saw almost felt like an entirely different world that they used to live in.
But by no means in peace.
Unlike now.
So many things had changed…
And perhaps, like Emil said, it would be time to speak the truth about humans, and why they weren't here anymore.
The twins were reminded of someone between them here, that had been looking into something important, and very much relevant to this topic.
"Nico Robin, do you still have those documents of Project Gestalt?" Popola asked, knowing that she probably still had them, and was confirmed when the human nodded.
"I also have something at home." Emil quipped.
"Uhm Emil…" Robin scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. "I may have taken them… I'm sorry."
"Oh, I see…"
"In the end I'm still a pirate, old habits die hard. I wanted to give them back once I solved this, I never had the occasion to tell you I took them." instinct of an archeologist.
Or better known as insatiable curiosity.
"I suppose there's no need for it anymore, they're more useful in your hands than mine I guess." Emil excused her. "You're a sort of researcher, no?"
"You can say that, yes." she then got up. "I assume I should go get those papers then, give me a moment."
She knew very well where she had left them.
They were the very first item on the desk she'd been provided for her and A2's room. She had read and re-read them multiple times, but she could hardly make any sense out of this.
But finally something will shed light on this mystery.
At least this one.
But Robin's instinct told her this was something big, to be hidden under whatever program was holding back Devola and Popola's memories.
So they may never tell anyone about this.
Reminded her of whatever mystery the World Government must have been hiding, for the fact they exterminated her island to hide the Poneglyphs, and what was written on them.
If this Project had something to do with the fate of humanity on this planet, what told her that it was a similar thing that the Government could be hiding? Certainly it felt world changing just as much, should it be revealed.
If they went to such drastic measures to hide it.
All to keep people silent about things others have done, to keep them from the truth.
Too many similarities.
But for now better learn whatever she could from this for now, and make hypotheses later.
So she went back to the others with the papers she collected.
"Here's what I have."
"If I may interrupt…" no one expected one of their Pods to have an interest about this topic, as 153 floated in the middle of them. "It has occurred to this Pod that Unit 9S has found similar records in the Machine Tower, and are stored within his inventory."
Though he had been too preoccupied with other things to know, care, or remember that he did. So he had 153 hand them over to Robin.
"Would you read them for everyone, please?" Popola asked, once again being met with a nod, as the human began to read.
September 24, 2026
A report has been submitted to the prime minister regarding the Rampaging Weapons Incident that occurred at the National Arms Laboratory in June. Though the laboratory's budget and allocated human resources are expected to see significant cuts, a team of staffers will continue maso research under the umbrella of Project Gestalt.
Records of human experimentation conducted using maso are scheduled to be disclosed to concerned parties separately as level-6 classified information.
She never understood what that term maso meant, but she understood that this was an experimentation of sorts, on humans.
For whatever reason.
January 3, 2045
It has been decided that the United Nations will launch a full-scale investigation and infiltration operation in order to determine the cause of the massive Legion outbreak in the Tokyo area. Details regarding the progress of Project Gestalt are to be shared as part of this effort, though we will insist that any information which leaves the country must first be thoroughly verified by our committee.
In particular, information regarding "relapses" (name tentative) must be kept in the strictest confidence.
Whatever had happened, relapsing usually meant something bad, whenever someone was sick or hurt. It meant the progress in a positive direction was lost, or at the very least, it went backwards.
April 18, 2764
We have received troubling reports from multiple administration zones that the Replicants have started to behave as if they have developed senses of self. It is currently under investigation what implications this might have for Project Gestalt as a whole. As other disclosable matters have already been directed to the Administrators Union, they have been omitted here.
This term, Replicants, was different from Gestalts, and apparently they developed a sense of self, reminding Robin a bit how machines eventually learned to think, and then to feel.
And when people learned to think for themselves it meant one thing…
It leads to conflict.
Much like the Government and the people of her island.
She continued to read, this time the two new documents the Scanner handed to her. Things she didn't know about yet.
September 27, 2054
The discovery and development of the Original has contributed greatly to the stabilization of Project Gestalt. Long-term management of the Original will be handled by the Hamelin Organization.
As per the management mentioned above, all authority regarding the cryogenic plans for the relapsed "Yonah" is to be transferred to the Hamelin Organization.
The Original, and Yonah, one of them definitely someone's name, and the Original might be the person from which everything started?
She wasn't interested in this organization, as far as she could tell it could have been some kind of government of this world, or similar. Otherwise it wouldn't have such a name.
But the last document made the gears in her brain turn very fast.
December 31, 3361
Due to the relapse of the Original, Gestalt units in preservation are now relapsing at an accelerated rate. The process of recording their bodies and gathering their DNA continues, but progress is poor.
New countermeasures and development intended to serve as a replacement to Project Gestalt are scheduled to be transferred to the Next Generation Preservation Project Preparation Committee. As for this report, it will serve as the final record of both Project Gestalt and the Committee. For information about the development plans for new android models and the refinement of existing models, please refer to the attached sheet.
Furthermore, we have received approval to consider the disposal of the "Devola" and "Popola" observer models at a later date.
"So you were… observers?" was this why Devola and Popola were so efficient at repairs? Because they needed to look after… whatever these things were? "Does this refer to the disposal of your other models too?"
Robin didn't specify but she meant after whatever event caused from that other defective set of twins. She didn't want to call them defective but she didn't find a better term.
"Yes, and no." it was Devola that replied. "Let us start from the beginning, shall we?"
"To answer your questions, we were observers of Project Gestalt, but that disposal is too early to be the one you are thinking about, and it never went through, as we have reason to assume our creators died before they could get rid of us."
"So you mean you were left without orders to follow then?" because without someone leading, androids had little purpose, White knew well.
"None besides well… observe."
And what did Devola mean by that?
"As far as we had been told, the humans of this world had been hit with an unknown mysterious illness, they called it the White Chlorination Syndrome, where they either went berserk, or turned into statues of salt." that first part Popola told sounded similar to a logic virus.
Perhaps from where the machines created the weapon in the first place.
Maybe they knew, since part of the documents were in one of their structures.
"As a last ditch effort, humans began researching these maso particles, though it could be better described as magic if you want, and created a kind of technology that allowed them to separate the soul from the body. These people became what we called Gestalts."
"We knew them as shades instead, because they looked like black monsters." Popola nodded at Emil's words.
"So then what are Replicants?" 9S asked, since the documents mentioned them.
"Replicants were a bit like you androids, bodies to contain a conscience, or in this case a soul, but as you read, with time they began developing awareness, and self consciousness." and that of course was the biggest problem.
Hadn't that happened perhaps the Project would have worked.
"Like shells to host the humans that lost their initial body." Robin reasoned. "A bit like you." A2 pointed out.
And she was right, this was so very similar.
History repeating itself, but with someone not from this planet.
Yet still a human.
"But, since you mentioned self awareness, I assume these Replicants began to turn into more than simple shells, much like machines finding out they can be more than weapons." just like Pascal's case.
"And when someone is aware it develops a sense of will as well, and when two wills collide…"
"They create a conflict." Popola finished the sentence Robin was making.
"So essentially what you're trying to say is that Replicants developing will, and becoming sentient people went against their initial purpose. And as such I assume the two factions began fighting each other." this was so much resembling androids and machines so much more, Rose thought.
How odd.
But androids were effectively made in human image.
"That is exactly what happened." Emil wobbled so that he nodded. "We used to fight shades, because we thought it was the right thing."
"My friends, they were Replicants." but not only that. "Nier was the… shell of the Shadowlord."
"Also known as the one referred to as the Original Gestalt."
"So the one that kept them in check?" White asked. "Precisely."
"But there was someone they were both really attached to, Yonah, their sister." Emil explained, earning a frown from both twins.
"This part is unknown to us." Devola stated. "Each set of twins was assigned to different villages, most likely the one with the twins that started this mess." Popola mused.
"That isn't entirely correct…" the way Emil's voice wavered meant he was about to tell something he wasn't too proud of, they knew that tone well enough.
"Well, I said they both cared for the same person, so the Shadowlord came to get Yonah's body, my friend Nier, alongside myself and the others swore to get her back… but… we hadn't realized how many people we would hurt along the way…"
"Once again, it goes back to a conflict of will." Robin said. "It's like this that wars start."
"It wasn't Devola and Popola's fault… but we've gotten too strong so they had to step in…"
"And we imagine that they must have failed." because there wasn't any other outcome, otherwise the other twins wouldn't be held responsible for… whatever happened.
"We faced each other… and when Devola died… Popola went… crazy." if Emil thought hard enough, he could still hear her screams echoing in his mind.
"She went mad with pain and sadness." Devola knew, because she too had done a similar thing, choosing not to want to live anymore when Popola died at the Tower.
"Twin models are never meant to be separated." White stated. "We had some instances of twin models within YoRHa too, and it always ended poorly, in particular we had thought of a personality whose original holder had been showing really strong feelings towards those she called family, and that we believed could have worked in strengthening bonds between units."
The Commander turned towards the red haired Scanner. "Your personality, Number 21."
"However giving this successor of yours a twin caused even more bouts of recklessness when it came to protecting said person, as such, the idea was discarded entirely, and your personality recycled for non combat units for it's calmness and seriousness, keeping 21O as an Operator assured us she'd be less reckless." she then turned to the blonde. "Though still as much attached to her family as the first Number 21 was."
So that was the story of their personality, and why they were this way.
"Personally, I always thought that giving such strong protective personalities to non-combat units was cruel, and unnecessary. I have no idea what our creators were thinking with that." no one truly did.
Why put through so many trials people that wanted to protect but couldn't do it due to their model?
"This is complicated, but as far as I understand it, our creators just wanted us to suffer and put us androids through trials for their amusement. You and us both."
"Well look at you Dahlia, speaking some sense." Anemone teased with a grin, to which the other woman growled at.
"And returning to the precious matter? What happened after that? Did Popola kill this Original after going crazy?" Rose asked, wanting to go back to the original topic.
Emil hesitated once again. "Well… no… I mean… it wasn't her."
If he had to admit, he was still quite afraid to remember and to tell about that. But again, it was their fault, so…
"Her magic went haywire due to her grief, so… I protected my friends so they could continue further."
"It was them then?" he nodded at Rose's question. "So then why put the blame on the twins, and then everything else? It wasn't them." Lily shook her head.
Why did Devola and Popola have to suffer for trying to do their job?
"They were probably punished for failing, and subsequently people must have thought we were too much of a danger to people…"
"It is not just that, Popola." Robin's tone was… dark, she was frowning, as if she was remembering something. "It's what humans do." her mismatched eyes were glaring, but not at them.
"I told you my story, no? Humans would do anything to find a scapegoat to justify their cruelty, we all know it by now." she then looked at the twins. "And they found it in them, just like the Government found it in a young child, as long as they could look like heroes in front of others."
She crossed her arms, frowning even harder, how much she hated this kind of thing…
A2 came to put a hand on her shoulder, sensing her anger, and much to her surprise Number 4 did too.
Being the good person she was.
"And then it's safe to assume what we already know, your models were… taken out of commission, and you two used as an example without even remembering why, but being equally guilty. And with time even our generation of androids was never made aware of the reason you two were like this, but perpetuated in mistreating you." Rose then sighed, turning to Anemone.
"You've made the right choice in sheltering them."
"I just did what you would have done too, I've just taken after your example." and they knew well Anemone referred to the four YoRHa they had rescued.
Their friends.
"There's something I still don't get." Gerbera spoke up. "You said Replicants are similar to us, no? So I would assume they can't reproduce, right?"
"What kind of question is that?" Dahlia rolled her eyes. "It's a legit one. Since they mentioned Replicants being shells to hold souls, like androids hold AIs, then I assumed there must have been a reason why they didn't survive until today, and this was the only one I could think of."
"Your reasoning isn't wrong, because without our magic no more Replicants could have been made, and the ones alive eventually just died." Popola explained. "So with Gestalts out of control due to the Original being dead, and Replicants wanting to get rid of us it signaled the death of humanity."
"And of course the alien invasion after didn't help either." or so White assumed.
"About that, then why whoever created us kept lying about humans being alive? What's the point?" why keep such a big lie alive? To lock away Devola and Popola's memories about that too, so they may never tell, just to watch them suffer?
And all androids really.
"Well, before we were taken, we sent the last of the human genome to the moon, hoping someone or something would save it, or restore it, perhaps that's the reason." Devola shrugged at it, but not because it wasn't important, but still most of these were just assumptions.
None of them knew what their creators had in mind after all.
Or how and why this lie perpetuated for this many thousands of years.
But out of the entire group, someone was thinking more about this revelation than others.
"You look lost in thought." A2 squeezed Robin's shoulder, since she still had a hand on it, and all eyes turned to them.
After all, Robin was not from their planet, but she had been a human nonetheless.
So…
"What if part of it didn't land on the moon but… somewhere else?" more precisely, her planet.
"Could be possible. If we learned anything, it is that anything can be." Rose didn't feel like putting down Robin's reasoning, humanity did exist where she came from.
"What makes you think that though?" besides the whole being human of course.
"Well, let's say it may tie in with something very important. You see, in my world there are a whole 100 years of which no one knows anything, and coincidentally, the World Government was born after."
Quite the coincidence too.
"It's those people that destroyed your island, right?" Number 21 asked, always on point as Robin gave a solemn nod.
"My people were studying those stones that supposedly told the story they canceled, but well… you know what happened." A2 gave yet another gentle squeeze to her shoulder. "And that's the reason why she's wanted by those people too." the rogue added.
"People fear knowledge that can destroy them more than strength and power alone." Robin knew this well, and both of the stories only served to confirm that.
"But there's another thing I was thinking about, since you spoke of magic." it might not be the same thing, but the similarities were striking, and maybe magic developed differently in her world than here.
"I mean Devil Fruits."
"What are those?" Rose frowned. "Ah right, I haven't explained them to you yet."
Robin motioned to her Pod, as it showed images of strange looking fruits with spirals on them.
"They are special fruits that have the power to donate special abilities to whoever eats them, at the cost of losing the ability to swim forever, the sea becomes your enemy, it weakens you, and if you were to fall into it you'd sink like an anchor, it also exists a stone called seatone that does the same thing should you come in contact with it, it takes your power away weakening you." she explains.
"They can be divided into three big categories, Zoan types allow you to become an animal, or more rare ones as mythical creatures. Logia types are associated with elements, they allow you to dominate an element and become one, they have the gift of intangibility too. While the last type, Paramecia types are all that aren't associated with any of the other two." much like hers.
The image stopped on one looking like a pink flower.
"This is the Hana Hana no mi, it used to be the power I had. I could clone parts of my body on any surface I wanted in multiple copies."
"Like those arms we saw you make in the server?" Gerbera asked. "That system was made exactly to replicate those powers, yes."
Unknown to her, someone was staring intensely at the picture of her flower fruit, and before anyone could say anything, Emil scurried away, saying he'll be back soon.
"Any idea what he's up to?" Rose asked but no one knew.
He somehow got triggered from talking about something from another world…
Unless…
"Sorry for the wait!" matter of fact he returned moments later with the aid of his vehicle, and using magic he was carrying… something…
A pink flower with many spirals…
Gently he placed the item in Robin's hands.
"It's this one, right?"
The human stared intensely at what once used to be her Devil Fruit, even though she saw it so long ago it was so familiar to just hold it in her hands.
"Where did you find it?" she didn't even know they could regenerate.
"It was on a tree, I found it years ago, thought it was something precious so I kept it." years ago so…
When she died.
"This is a good discovery, we could test if they work with an android's body too!" but as soon as Jackass tried to grab it Robin pushed her away.
"No, it's too dangerous." she turned to Emil again as the woman sulked to herself.
But she wanted no experiments with this.
"Can we lock this somewhere with magic? I don't want this to end up in the wrong hands."
Not that she didn't trust her, or anyone really, but she wanted to avoid wrong consequences too.
"I trust you all, but I mean to take this along with me home, and they're worth millions and millions, people would do anything to get one, and I mean to protect it."
"Leave it to us then." Devola reached out to it. "What she means is that we remember how to use magic too." Popola pointed out.
"We can close it in a chest and ward it against anything."
Robin nodded.
"I'd like that."