Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw were Devola's eyes staring at him and Zero's bandaged hand resting on his face. The woman was a mess while sleeping, completely sprawled out on the bed, taking up all the space and lying on top of the man without any regard for his personal space.
"Good morning..." the human said as he moved Zero's hand off his face and sat on the edge of the bed.
Was she staring at me while I slept?
"Actually, it's still night," Devola said without blinking, making the situation even stranger.
...
"How long have you been here?" the human asked, rubbing his eyes, still showing a bit of sleepiness.
"About 4 hours, nothing major," the woman's comment sent a shiver down the man's spine. Four hours—who spends four hours watching someone sleep?
"Your blood tests didn't show anything, you're quite healthy, but I think you need to eat a bit more since your weight is lower than what it should be for someone your size," Devola was already beside the man, fixing his hair with her fingers. At this point, the human wasn't going to do anything because he figured that even if he told her to step back, she wouldn't.
Devola's remark made the man pause near the door.
"Wait, it's still night?" the human looked at Devola, confused.
"The night now lasts 42 hours, so you'd have to sleep twice for it to turn into morning, assuming you sleep 8 hours a day." During his journey, the human had always found it odd that nights and days seemed to last longer than usual, but he had never realized why.
So that's why my sleep schedule is so messed up?
This explained why the human always felt tired—his body was struggling to adapt to it.
The human and Devola walked to the living room, but there was no sign of Popola.
"Where's your sister?" the human asked, not seeing the twin anywhere.
"Popola is helping manage the construction of basic equipment," construction? What was she talking about?
"Could you elaborate?" the man asked.
Devola twirled her finger upward as she spoke, "Sewers, plumbing, toilets, and showers. You know, the basics for human life—we don't have those here."
A loud noise came from outside the house. The human started walking toward it, but Devola grabbed his arm.
"Wait, it's not a good idea to go outside right now. There are a bunch of YoRHa androids working out there, and they don't know there's a human here. Better stay inside." Her grip on the man's wrist was a bit tight. Devola seemed to notice this and quickly let go, making the man rub his wrist.
"Sorry, sorry. I forget how fragile humans are compared to androids. I'll try to control my strength," Devola said, looking genuinely embarrassed.
Ouch…
"It's fine," the man said, still rubbing his wrist. "So… how am I supposed to shower? You know, I'm starting to smell."
Devola didn't seem bothered by that. "Don't worry. Until the bathrooms are ready, I'll take care of it. Wait here."
With that, Devola jogged off to a door that closed behind her.
Silence.
The silence in the house was strange, interrupted now and then by odd noises coming from outside.
The human paced back and forth, observing the twins' home. It looked like a normal house—nothing particularly special.
His eyes landed on a lute resting on the sofa. The instrument caught his attention, and he sat down on the sofa, picking it up.
It wasn't exactly a guitar, but it was similar enough that the man began strumming it as if it were an instrument he knew. He quickly noticed it was a little different.
So he just started fiddling with the lute, experimenting, until Devola returned.
The red-haired android heard the human's attempts to play her lute from the other room, and a smile crept across her lips.
…
She was alone, surrounded by nothing but the white void. Her body was bare, revealing the patterns she so longed to emulate.
Is this a dream? she asked herself.
Can androids dream? Or was it just a malfunction?
"You seem tired," a voice called out, drawing her attention and making her turn her head toward its source.
Was it a man? An android? He seemed different—2E could feel it. Her blue eyes focused on the figure before her, but his image appeared blurry.
"Who are you? Where am I?" 2E asked, confusion evident in her voice. The man only shook his head with a faint smile.
"2E, even though you're young, you look weary. I'd like to say, on behalf of all humanity..."
2E's eyes widened in shock at the man's words. She was frozen in place.
"Well done, 2E. I'm proud of you—all of humanity is."
2E blinked at the man's words, and something wet trailed down her face.
Tears?
Her arm moved toward him as though trying to reach out, but he was too far away, his form fading from view like a mirage.
2E desperately tried to grasp him, but the man had already vanished.
!
"WAIT!" 2E extended her arm, only to find herself staring at the ceiling of the YoRHa ship.
The woman's bandana had been removed, revealing her striking blue eyes. 2E noticed 8E lying deactivated on the floor and 5E walking toward her. She was sprawled across several benches in the ship, using them as an improvised bed.
"You woke up pretty startled. Are you okay?" 5E's gaze met 2E's.
2E shifted her eyes to 8E on the floor. "Have we arrived at the lunar base?"
Trying to change the subject, huh? 5E thought.
The twintail-wearing android shook her head. "No, there's been a change of plans. We're heading to the resistance base."
The words caught 2E's attention, her confusion evident as she looked back at 5E. She had heard of the resistance—androids who followed their own desires rather than serving humanity or who had differing ideas from YoRHa about what it meant to serve humanity.
2E felt a strange taste in her mouth at the news but chose not to comment.
"Why are we going to the resistance base? Have we been assigned a new mission?" 2E hid her unease well, knowing she wasn't in any condition to walk, let alone take on a mission.
5E shook her head. "No, the resistance contracted YoRHa for supply deliveries and construction work. Commander White sent parts and manpower to help. After we land, 8E will be the only one returning to the lunar base. She needs to be evaluated to see if her body is still salvageable and for an upload of her consciousness into a new one."
2E struggled to sit up, but the ship's movement threw her off balance. She managed to grab a chair, steadying herself before she could fall.
"Understood…" 5E scratched her head awkwardly. She knew 2E was a rookie but hadn't expected a bad mission to affect her this much.
This isn't good for anyone's mental state. If it continued like this, 2E might need to be destroyed and her memory wiped for a pre-mission upload. An extreme measure, but not impossible.
"It's still bothering you, isn't it? The mission." 2E looked up at 5E as the ship shifted again.
…
"I… was created with a single purpose. And even with roughly 10 years of information and training, I still failed." 2E raised her severed arm, feeling a phantom pain in the missing limb. She wondered why androids were programmed to feel pain—it only made things less efficient.
Perhaps to make us more like humans.
"It's okay, 2E. As I said, it was your first mission. Knowledge and training only get you so far. I know you were chosen for your competence, but there's a limit to that. With experience, you'll grow. Don't feel bad—after all, making mistakes is quite human."
2E blinked at 5E's words, not expecting something like that to come from her.
Human?
"Well, at least that's what I read," 5E added, rubbing the top of her head in embarrassment.
A faint smile appeared on 2E's lips.
Human, huh...
The ship finally stopped swaying, bringing a sense of calm to the two Type E androids.
"Looks like we've arrived. Come on, I'll help you walk. There should be plenty of YoRHa androids here," 5E said, offering her hand to 2E, who accepted. The android used 5E's shoulder for support, resting her severed arm behind the woman's neck.
The ship's door began to open.
"Shall we?" 5E asked, glancing at 2E, who nodded in agreement.
"Yes, let's go," 2E replied, looking ahead as the two androids slowly moved forward.
I wonder what the Resistance androids are like, 2E thought to herself.
As they stepped out of the ship, the two androids were met with the sight of numerous YoRHa and Resistance androids working together, carrying materials back and forth. Construction supplies, machinery, and ships filled the area, resembling a massive construction site.
"No, no, no! I said it should be just one bathroom—for one person!" shouted an android known as Popola, her voice directed at a YoRHa engineering android holding a blueprint.
Was she wearing a construction helmet? It was odd to see an android in a short dress paired with a hard hat.
"Listen here, traitor! We were paid to build a communal bathroom, got it? Not a single bathroom. We're already finishing up the sewage system, so go bother someone else!" the YoRHa engineer android shot back, glaring at Popola.
Popola was taller, but that didn't stop the two from locking eyes in an intense standoff, tension thick between them.
Meanwhile, other YoRHa and Resistance androids were also caught in disagreements.
"Hey, what are you doing? That's my job!" a Resistance android protested to a YoRHa android.
"Well, clearly you're doing it wrong!" snapped the YoRHa android in response.
"What did you just say?" the Resistance android asked, indignant.
"You heard me loud and clear, scrap metal," the two androids glared at each other, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a blade. Conflict was brewing across the entire Resistance base.
It seemed that the YoRHa androids and the Resistance androids didn't exactly see eye to eye.
Even a few Pods were caught in the middle of the chaos.
"Recommendation..." a Pod began to offer, only to be cut off.
"Shut up! I know how to do my job!" shouted a Resistance android at the mechanical assistant.
2E and 5E exchanged disbelieving glances, their expressions mirroring the question running through their minds: What in the world are we witnessing?
Amid the chaos, a figure approached them. It was Anemone, her calm presence contrasting sharply with the bedlam around her. She glanced at the newly arrived ship before addressing the two Type E androids.
"Ah, White mentioned you'd be arriving. Apologies for the mess; we're in the middle of a major renovation here. Please, just... ignore all this," Anemone said, her tone nonchalant, as if the disorder was an everyday occurrence.
2E and 5E blinked in confusion at her words, unable to respond. Behind them, the ship they had arrived in was already departing, carrying 8E back to the lunar base.
WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING HERE?!
…
It had been a while since Devola left, and the man had stopped playing with the lute.
Placing it on the couch beside him, the man stood up and stretched a bit, hearing a crack in his back.
"Everything's ready, come in," Devola's voice called out. The man turned his head toward the sound, noticing the woman standing in front of the door.
The man looked at her in confusion. The android appeared to be a bit wet.
She said there was no bathroom here, or did I hear that wrong?
The man walked toward Devola, raising an eyebrow. "What happened to you? Don't tell me you were hiding a bathroom from me?"
He said with a hint of sarcasm, causing Devola to laugh softly.
"No, you dummy. It's just been a while since I did that, so I got completely soaked," Devola said, raising her hand to her mouth to hide a smile.
It's been a while since she did what?
The man was standing in front of the door, about to enter the room, when something caught his attention.
An object was floating above the room in a circular motion.
Was it water?
"Is that magic?" the man whispered softly, but it seemed Devola heard him.
"Yes, it is. Come on, come on, it's hard to control," Devola gently pushed him into the room.
"Wait, aren't the gods dead? How can you use magic?" Devola closed the door behind her.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but about my magic and Popola's... With the planet so devastated and so much MASO around, it's relatively easy to use. But I have to admit, it's a bit unstable."
Wait, what is this MASO?
The man felt the Android's hand coming close to his stomach.
"Devola?" The man held one of the woman's hands, stopping her movement.
"Come on, you can't keep your clothes on. You might end up catching a cold" the woman started pulling the man's shirt. The human just extended his arms, making the process easier.
"See, it's no big deal. Now the rest" the human raised his eyebrow in disbelief. The woman was acting quite shamelessly.
"Hey, wait, isn't it..." the human turned to confront the wild red-haired Android, but noticed that the woman had already removed all of her clothes as well. What surprised the man was not the fact that the Android was naked, but it was…
"Do you… have a womans parts?" the man referred to, what made a woman a woman.
Devola had parts that in practically a perfect recreation of breasts and a reprocductive organs, the man wondered why the woman had this, since he always imagined something like a children's doll, something that simulated, but in the end there was nothing there.
Devola looked down and then at the man, the Android was shorter than him. The woman placed her hand close to her heart, or the place where it should be.
"Me and Popola, we are not like other androids. We were built much earlier than any androids, we were the first. Our purpose is care and human life, we imagine as nurses. We were programmed to help with any human problem, illness, loneliness, depression and as you can see… sexual relief. Other androids don't have this, and probably won't, as they were designed in a world where there are no humans, so it doesn't make sense to have this function." Devola thought about the leader of YoRHa, maybe the woman had something like that, since the woman was a very old model, but it was unlikely. The woman should have been created before humans went to the moon, but if there were humans on the moon, then… Devola decided not to think too much, after all there was no need.
The water began to fall on the two people like a shower, it seemed as if when the water touched the floor of the place, after a few seconds, it disappeared gradually.
"Are you telling me that one of your functions was as a sex doll?" The man showed a scowl, one that was really prominent.
The man knew that humanity was quite questionable, since he was human too. But he couldn't be surprised, no matter how many might think something depraved about the creation of such a thing. He knew that, in the end, it was inevitable. After all, humans were social animals but also had a tendency toward loneliness. It was contradictory; we liked to be loved, but we didn't want to be close to our own species. Humans couldn't understand each other at all.
What was better than something that looked human but wasn't? No conflict, just love, but still…
Devola looked at her feet, watching the waterfall and gradually disappeared. "You know, I know you're sad because you're alone. If you want, you can use me…"
"What, no?!" The man moved back until his back touched the wall, letting the 'shower' create a barrier between the two.
Devola raised her gaze, the android's eyes meeting those of the human. The woman looked as if she had been punched.
What did she expect? She offered herself as an object of relief for the human. The man in front of her seemed disturbed by the androids, almost scared. The woman didn't know why.
"You don't have to act so strange, you know. Sex can help your mental health. It's been proven that men who go for long periods without sex start to have their mental health affected, so..." The human seemed offended by the woman's words, causing Devola to stop speaking.
"I'm not an irrational animal, Devola. I'm fine..." Now it was the woman who seemed bothered.
"No! You're not! There's a reason why we did so many blood and mental tests!" The woman noticed the man running his hand over the scar on his stomach, it looked like a scratch from a wolf's claw, and he seemed a bit nervous.
Devola felt bad, now taking a closer look. The human's body was badly mutilated; there were scratches, bites, and even puncture marks, along with some small burn marks. And they weren't few, varying in size.
It truly had been a long journey to get here.
But Devola kept stepping forward, letting the water fall on top of her head.
"You have depression, human. I know it's hard to realize you're alone, but you can't let something like this defeat you. I can help, I'm not just talking about physical things, but…" The human blinked, so that was why the android was staring at him.
Just 4 hours…
She was making sure he wouldn't do something to himself.
She wouldn't let him kill himself…
Devola slowly extended her arm until the tips of her fingers touched his chest.
"Please, let me help," the woman tried to approach gently.
This would be a scene where the man would give in and allow the woman to enter his stone heart, and then they would both appreciate each other's bodies.
Something out of a romance movie.
But real life was more complicated than that.
Humans were more complicated than that.
The man slowly began using the wall behind him for support, gradually sinking down until he was sitting completely. He hugged his knees and looked at his feet, tears began to fall in a very timid manner, and then the human isolated himself from everything.
Devola blinked, not understanding what was happening, the water from the android's magic fell on the top of the woman's red hair and splashed onto the man.
Shouldn't he be reacting differently? Why is he reacting like this?!
The android was completely confused, why did the human pull away? The situation was worse than when it started.
"Human..." Devola tried slowly to extend her hand to reach the man, but he rejected her again.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Devola recoiled in shock.
What did she know about being alone… there was nothing left to live for, everything was over. Friends, family, life expectation, any dreams—everything was gone. There was no more meaning.
What was this android thinking? That offering herself as a sex doll would solve everything, of course! Sex would fix everything! It would bring everyone back, it would fix everything…
The man felt disgusted, and even worse, this wasn't a teenager's fantasy, this was his life… and there was nothing left.
"Leave me… alone, please. I'm not asking for anything anymore, just leave me alone. An android like you could never understand," the human hugged his legs even tighter.
Devola's expression was pure desperation. The woman didn't know what she had done, but it seemed like she had done something bad, something very bad.
The woman started to retreat, even staggering until her back touched the wall behind her. She slowly sank to the ground until she was lying there.
What did I do?! What did I do?! What did I do?!
Devola began to feel very ill, if she had the capacity to vomit, she would. Her head was spinning, and her vision was blurring. The only thing the android could see clearly were the man's tears falling to the floor and mixing with the water.
"Leave me alone…" the man whispered again, making the android's world shatter into a thousand shards of glass.
The red-haired android, with her wet hair, hugged her knees, mimicking the man's actions, and looked down in complete helplessness.
Her creator didn't want her near.
What did I do?!
The water from the magic, falling like a shower, formed a barrier separating the HUMAN and the ANDROID.
The sound of the water hitting the floor was the only thing that could be heard in that place.
Devola thought…
I'm sorry...
…
Author's note: The Nier and Drakengard franchises do not belong to me.
Wow, I find it incredible how the human barely entered the life of an android, and already messed up her mental health.
I don't blame Devola. After all, from an android's perspective, the problems in their lives were solved simply—lost an arm? Just put on another one. Oh, you died? Just switch bodies. The human is sad because everything they lived and loved is gone, and sex isn't the solution.
I think a normal human would act similarly. I see many stories depicting the journey into the apocalyptic world of Nier: Automata as a theme park—wow, I got teleported to this place, wow, everything is destroyed, how cool! I hope to meet 2B and make her fall in love with me! Wow, a harem of androids, I'm in paradise!
But in reality, from my perspective, if I were in that situation, I think I would react worse. Fighting every day to survive like an animal, having no one to talk to, all the life goals turning to dust, and androids that are so similar to humans but at the same time different, to the point of being in the uncanny valley.
To be honest, this isn't a life for anyone. Imagine someone telling you that you'll leave your life as you know it and live in the middle of a desert with only a knife, and they say, "Good luck, kid!"
Honestly, I don't think most people would take it well, but that's just my opinion.
I hope you enjoy the chapter.