CHAPTER 22
2B's mind was whirling as she walked the familiar halls of the Bunker. It had been… oddly long since she'd been here. Without realizing it, she'd gotten used to the vibrant colors of the surface world. The Bunker, in contrast, seemed so dull.
She passed by dozens of familiar faces - people she knew the designations of, but had never had a real conversation with. How much did she really know about any of them?
In a daze, she didn't quite realize she'd made it to the Commander's office until she was being called in. "Enter, 2B." The door opened automatically in front of her as an invitation.
Mechanically, 2B stepped into the room. The Commander sat at a large executive desk - grey, of course, like everything else. There were no personal items decorating the service. It was nearly entirely bare; all reports were submitted digitally, so the desk was more of a status symbol than anything else. A sign of the Commander's absolute authority in this space.
She gestured from her large, ostentatious office chair to a smaller chair in front of the desk. "Please, sit."
2B sat. Her swords were unequipped, as a show of deference, so her back was flush with the stiff chair back.
"Do you know why you're here?" asked the Commander.
"No," replied 2B. "I was instructed to come immediately, so I did. No other details were given."
"I've called you here to discuss your recent mission."
2B's brows furrowed slightly, but her expression remained otherwise placid. "My apologies. We managed to locate the traitors, but they escaped. Rest assured that we are still looking for them. They won't get away."
The Commander looked back at her, stone-faced. For all that she was the only one at YoRHa not to wear a blindfold or a veil, her expression was no easier to read. "I'm sure they won't," she agreed neutrally. "But that's not why I called you here. I'm referring to your other mission."
A flash of panic streaked through 2B, although she gave no outward indication.
"Your report is overdue by several weeks," the Commander admonished. She tapped a fingernail against the desk in a slow rhythm. "That isn't like you."
2B felt her pulse involuntarily quicken. The Commander's gaze felt as heavy as rocks.
The Commander held out the silence a moment longer, before finally breaking into a small, shallow smile. "So I decided to take your report here in person." Her voice was gentle, but the words were barbed thorns.
The sudden shift in topic had 2B feeling off-guard and uneasy. In an effort to regain her footing, she clarified, "You mean the investigation of the Tower?" Her throat felt dry.
The Commander's smile widened at this, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yes, exactly. We here in the Bunker have been quite curious what you found, as our remote investigations have revealed nothing."
2B highly doubted that. The Bunker made a habit of finding things out. The only question was how much they knew.
It took her shockingly long to recognize the feeling running down her spine as guilt. She was afraid, because although her actions had been well-intentioned and she'd always prioritized her mission and YoRHa, she realized now that at some point she'd deviated from the condoned procedure. She wasn't sure how her actions would be received.
"I'm still gathering data," she responded. "I didn't want to submit a report before verifying what we found. Misinformation could be dangerous."
The Commander listened placidly. "I understand. However, I believe limited information is better than none at all. If you share your data, we can evaluate its… accuracy."
2B realized with sudden clarity that she can't share her findings. Because out of context her consorting with the enemy, and her failure to kill him, might be misconstrued. It appeared... treasonous.
Before 2B could decide what to say, what was safe to share, the Commander spoke up again as if reading her thoughts. "I understand that I may have put you on the spot. If it helps I've already heard most of the details already. I merely need you to confirm a few things."
This time, 2B couldn't quite stop the audible intake of breath that escaped her lips. She schooled herself immediately, but her back still felt unnaturally stiff. She had to forcibly will her shoulders to relax, because showing discomfort here was all but an admission of guilt, and she hadn't done anything to feel guilty about. Her meetings with Cain were a calculated risk to eliminate a greater threat.
"Yes," continued the Commander, "we've already called in 9S earlier. His report was both fascinating and concerning."
Interrogating suspects separately, seeing if they'd give the same answers. A classic technique for rooting out traitors. That's why she wasn't warned of the purpose of this meeting in advance, so she didn't have a chance to compare stories with 9S and - she wasn't a traitor, dammit!
Think, calm down. 9S couldn't lie. He wouldn't. So she should be fine if she told the truth too. He hadn't witnessed any of her… private rendezvous, so it shouldn't appear too incriminating.
"Did you know that we do regular screening of our backup files?" said the Commander conversationally. "As part of our regular checks for data corruption, we also flag any files containing certain keywords."
Fuck. Her emails. They went through the company servers. Had one of the messages to Cain raised a red flag? She'd been careful of her wording, but he might not have been…
"Indeed. I was very alarmed to notice this file was contained in 9S's latest data upload."
Her thoughts ground to a halt. Wait, 9S?
It took her longer than it should've to look at the data shared by the Commander - encrypted to prevent redistribution, and programmed to auto-delete shortly after receipt. She opened it, and the words were damningly familiar:
[Top Secret] YoRHa Disposal - Nier Automata
[Project 0 3-0 1 : Disposal of YoRHa]
(Note that this information is classified as Level-SS, meaning that it must not be disclosed to anyone involved in the YoRHa project, including the Commander of the Bunker.)
The backdoor of the Bunker has been set to open once the time approaches to switch to new models when enough combat data has been collected. The Bunker will be disposed of by having it be deliberately attacked by machines. At this time, all materials regarding the YoRHa project, including this document, will be lost, and falsification of the information that mankind still resides on the moon will be complete.
2B stared at the file in a daze. How? How had she forgotten about this? It had all seemed so important in the moment, but then Cain had reappeared and attacked them, and she'd focused on that. She'd all but forgotten about that library and it's cursed secrets.
"Of course, the contents of this document are disturbing, if true. I do not appreciate the insinuation that there are parts of YoRHa's workings which were deliberately hidden from me." The Commander's voice lowers dangerously, and her eyes hold a fiery rage and the promise of retribution. "I am working to confirm the validity of this document. Discreetly."
A deep breath, and the rage is hidden beneath a facade of calm. "But that's not why I called you here, 2B, no, 2E." The Commander looked 2B dead in the eye, and asked point blank, "Why haven't you killed 9S yet?"
2B should respond, she really should, but this was all too much. She had one shock after another, and she can't even feel the fear from before. She just felt numb and confused.
"This document proves undeniably that 9S knew, or reasonably suspected, that humanity's survival on the moon was, in its wording, 'falsified'. Were you aware that 9S possessed this information?"
"I was," 2B choked out numbly.
"I see. How long were you aware of this security leak?"
The honest answer escaped from 2B without her conscious choice, "Since the beginning, when he found the files. The first day the Tower appeared."
"That long. Indeed, I was worried it might be like that. That's why I arranged for your recent mission. Three dangerous traitors, all highly trained Type-B battle units specialized in close combat, would naturally be challenging opponents for a Scanner. You might say his very life was in danger."
The Commander placed her elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her folded hands. For the first time in this meeting, the disapproval in her gaze was undisguised. "Why is 9S still alive?"
Ending V: [V]ictim Blaming
# A/N: I had this chapter lined up for nearly a month, but had too much work stress to post. On the other hand, the work anxiety was very useful as inspiration for this chapter.