Chapter 5:
Discovery
As 2B stepped down from the Access Point transporter, the sudden shift in atmosphere was visible. The camp before her was alive with movement, with androids hurrying around in every direction, their expressions tense and filled with urgency, a polar opposite to the uniform and calm area in the bunker.
The base itself was compact, wedged tightly between a cluster of half-collapsed buildings. Jagged walls loomed on either side, casting uneven shadows over the few narrow entry points that marked the only accesses in or out. Makeshift barriers and salvaged tech framed the perimeter, giving the impression of a temporary stronghold—turned permanent. Above, cables hung between broken windows, feeding power to portable lights and consoles scattered throughout the camp. Slight dust drifted everywhere, being visible against the few sunbeams penetrating the inside.
'A smart defensive position.' 2B thought.
The ground beneath her boots was dry and uneven, a combination of rough patchwork of packed dirt and shattered concrete. Sunlight filtered faintly through the cracks between the buildings, casting light that stroked her face with a gentle warmth she hadn't felt in the cold, sterile corridors of the space station.
She loved and hated that feeling simultaneously.
She took a breath, steadying her inner systems. The mission was clear: recover the Pod and keep a low profile. No unnecessary engagement. No attention. Just in and out, quiet, and efficient. Neither she nor the rest of YoRHa knew for certain whether the Pod had been taken by a machine or some other party. Given the classified nature of the operation, she judged it best to keep the information to herself. Only the Commander, 6O, and 2B herself were aware of it. No one else in the field was to know.
Ever since the Independist Strife on the Australian continent in the year 4519, protocols have changed. Security wasn't just focused on machines, the restrictions and scrutiny also extended to other androids as well. The Council of Mankind wasn't taking any chances. One defector with the wrong data could jeopardize everything. She rarely heard of defectors; loyalty to mankind was overwhelmingly strong among androids, but it had happened before.
And she had been deployed to eliminate them more than once.
Their faces still lingered in her memory, twisted in fear, anger, and betrayal as she struck them down. Some cursed her name. Others begged her not to kill them, pleaded not to be forced back into the system. It wasn't something she could forget. She always assumed she'd eventually learn to accept it as part of her purpose in life. She waited for that moment to sink in over her last few years of existence.
But it never did. Each person she had to kill left her feeling empty, not in an emotionless way but rather in a hollow way that her purpose was nothing worth, a hollow form in itself, who only existed to hurt others. She hated having been given this personality. Other times she was thankful she had that personality. She didn't know which to choose. To have been programmed with this personality while being assigned to do such a task was explainable for 2B with a single word: Cruel.
She saw other E-Type YorHas, at least those who had their identity public, with cold, sometimes bordering sadistic personalities as they slaughtered any betrayers. She couldn't understand why she couldn't be like that. In a morbid way, she sometimes wished to be like that, just to make the pain go away, but other times she felt disgusted at the thought. She hated having to wear an imaginary mask, hiding her feelings. She wasn't sure if the mask was for others or for herself, or maybe for both
The only small comfort was knowing they hadn't truly died. Their consciousnesses would be reuploaded into a new body, all memories intact up to the moment of defection. Everything beyond that, such as their motives for defection, the desperation, and the final words—was stripped away and stored on the Commander's own secure server for examination. A sanitized resurrection, carefully edited to ensure they won't have any thoughts of betrayal again, at least for the time being.
But even knowing that, it didn't make it easier. It didn't dull the feeling in her chest when her blade met them. The hesitation and the emptiness that lingered. Especially when some of them would salute her with a calm and unknowing demeanor just hours after what she did to them. No memory of her, no betrayal. Just clean slates, looking back at her like a normal comrade.
Especially 9S.
A part of her was grateful to have been assigned this mission so soon after eliminating him. It gave her something else to focus on, a way to forget, at least temporarily. It also delayed the inevitable reintroduction, his bright-eyed greeting, him introducing himself to her "new" partner, and his cheerful rambling about whatever trivia he'd picked up in the first few minutes of his "new" life as they prepared for their "first" mission together.
'Stop.' She whispered to herself in her mind.
'Stop thinking about all that. Concentrate.'
She forced her mind to quit wandering and concentrate on the task given to her. She scanned the landscape once more, this time more acutely.
Her eyes scrunched slightly behind her visor in slight confusion.
Until now, she'd only seen her surroundings in a peripheral-like way; acknowledging them, but not actually making sense of them nor processing their meaning in her mind. Her mind had been elsewhere, clouded by memories she hadn't wanted to face.
It was only now, with her mind beginning to clear and settle, that she registered the feeling of something that had its presence in this area subtly since she stepped off the transporter. Something in the atmosphere didn't feel right.
The camp was busy, yes; resistance camps always were, but something about it felt off. The movement was too precise. The usual hum of conversation was dampened, cautious. Tension hung in the air like a storm waiting to break.
Something was wrong and 2B knew it.
Normally, 2B wouldn't concern herself with the activities of others. She preferred not to interfere and would rather stay focused on her own objectives, without no need to complicate matters. But something in her black box urged her to pay attention this time. A quiet instinct, telling her that whatever was happening here, if left unchecked, could interfere with her own objective.
She scanned the area once more, searching for someone who might offer an explanation. But everyone was too absorbed in their tasks to notice her. Weapons were being checked and rechecked nervously. Supplies were being shuffled around, hands moving fast with voices low in tone. Outside the perimeter, there were pairs of soldiers carrying barricades to be placed outside the camp, the heavy clangs of metal striking the ground each time a barricade scraped the concrete floor echoing through the narrow alleyways.
It felt like they were preparing for an attack.
2B's instincts kicked in. She instinctively glanced at her Pod, ensuring it was active and prepared for combat or any other sudden situation. Pod-042 had its red light pulsing faintly, its two clawed hands slightly moving with the wind, as it hovered steadily at her side.
"Report: All offensive and defensive systems are calibrated for immediate use." Pod-042 spoke in its mechanical voice, as if it sensed 2B's worry and answered it before she had a chance to speak.
2B nodded slightly at the pod without looking at it as she kept scanning the soldiers for any higher-up she could communicate with.
Across the clearing, she finally spotted what seemed to be what she needed. A female android was moving through the center of the chaos, flanked by several others. She walked with an urgent stride, issuing commands to each soldier around her in rapid succession in a temperate tone; her voice cutting through the tension around her like a sharp knife. The moment each order was given, her subordinates scattered without hesitation, only sparing a nod or salute as they were moving like every second mattered.
She must be in charge, 2B reasoned.
2B approached silently. The woman didn't notice her at first; she was too focused on whatever emergency had overtaken the camp. But just as 2B opened her mouth to reveal her presence, the woman glanced sideways at 2B's black-clad figure and did a double take. Immediately, she dismissed her subordinates with a curt order, telling them she'd follow up in a few seconds.
She turned back to fully face 2B, her expression tight with tension and haste. But just as she was about to speak to the YorHa soldier, she froze. Her eyes locked onto 2B's own eyes, brows knitting slightly as her gaze sharpened, studying her more closely. Something in her shifted as if she saw something else aside from her being a YorHa android.
2B tilted her head slightly, unsure of what had prompted the woman's reaction. There was no confusion about her being a YoRHa android, this woman had likely seen dozens of them if she was indeed the leader of this camp. No, it was something else. Something personal.
Like recognition.
The woman's gaze lingered on her face with a quiet intensity, her brows furrowing in recognition. It wasn't alarm. It wasn't even fear. It was as if 2B's face had stirred a distant memory not entirely forgotten.
Her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came. Instead, she closed her eyes and exhaled sharply through her nose, turning her head to the side with a small grunt before fixing her gaze on 2B once more, her tense expression taking over once more, erasing the confused visage she wore for moments prior.
2B decided to speak first. There was no time to dwell and she had her own mission to see through.
"Excuse me," she said in her measured, monotone voice. "Are you in charge here?"
The woman blinked, finally snapping out of her daze upon hearing 2B's voice. She lifted an open palm, and the surrounding commotion dulled. Nearby androids slowed their talking pace, awaiting further instruction.
"Yes," she said, her voice steadying as she regained her composure. "I'm Anemone, leader of the Resistance Branch for the Shinjuku-Hakone region. I assume you're from YoRHa?"
"I am. Designation 2B." The woman's brow raised slightly when she heard her name. 2B chose to ignore it.
'I figured you were. I got contacted by your commander a couple of minutes ago to prepare for your arrival. But we unfortunately really don't have the time right now to issue formalities or to introduce you anywhere, there's an emergency that we got on our hands.."
2B looked at her oddly.
'Mission briefing didn't state any mention of any active crisis occurring currently in this region.' She thought.
"What's the problem?"
"A large mass of something has been detected in the desert region, possibly a machine horde trying an ambush. We're sending in some scouts to confirm if it's machines. This has never happened before in that area, so we can't just brush it off." Anemone answered, eyeing impatiently to the side as if she'd rather be doing anything else other than talking to her.
'Desert region?' 2B remembered where her mission was targeted in.
"My mission is situated in that same region." 2B said.
Anemone's eyes scrunched slightly
"And what's your mission about?" She asked.
2B nearly responded with "Confidential" before halting herself. Saying that would just raise more questions in itself, which was the last thing she needed. She brainstormed another response quickly.
"I was sent to assess the developing issue we were discussing in the desert region." She answered uniformly. She realized that both her mission and the sudden crisis could easily be interpreted as the same issue. It wasn't a lie, not entirely at least. With the current crisis unfolding, it was unknown if they were the same.
"YoRHa command has assumed this threat to be a major one," 2B added. "So they deployed me to examine it on their behalf."
Anemone's eyes widened with something like a welcome surprise.
"Really? YoRHa finally decided to act fast for once, didn't even wait for us to request backup. That's a first." The leader replied before craning her head to look behind 2B.
"Maybe you can hitch a ride with our scout truck that's heading there, get there faster. We help you, you help us. Unless you guys already have your own transport?" She added.
2B felt she was being tested out for her honesty with the transport question about her true purpose here. After all, relations between YorHa and other resistance groups were usually distrustful. But 2B really didn't need to lie for this, since her mission was in the same area, just for a different purpose.
"Closest Flight Unit to this region will take approximately five hours to mobilize. The YorHa Access Point in the Desert Region hasn't been fully completed for use." She stated, keeping details as simple as possible to avoid complications.
"But aren't there already YorHa units in that region?"
"Command believes I am best suited for this operation."
Anemone nodded slowly.
"Okay then, sorry for the questioning, it's just that there's been talk of some YorHa units who went AWOL and have apparently been ransacking other bases, although the other leaders I've spoken with can't confirm this to be true. Anyway, I shouldn't keep you waiting. Are you in?
2B paused, weighing her options. YoRHa had strict guidelines about interacting with non-YoRHa androids, especially when leading up to a Descent Operation. Cooperation wasn't forbidden, but it wasn't encouraged either during those times. And with her mission being classified, any involvement from resistance members risked exposure.
On the other hand, if Anemone was right about a machine horde leading an assault on this camp, then standard protocol demanded she along with every YorHa unit available in the immediate region to assist. A threat that large could be capable of leveling the entire base.
And a small spark of 2B felt an urge to help out of her own volition, of her own choice. She wasn't sure why she wanted to, but she didn't want to think about it too hard.
"I accept your proposition, Anemone."
The other android offered a soft smile.
"Glad to hear that. Let the scouts know I sent you." She nodded her head again toward the scout truck on standby. 2B nodded and made the salute, with Anemone reciprocating it. They scanned each other's gazes for a split second more before both turned opposite ways and walked away, with the latter getting quickly surrounded once more by soldiers awaiting commands, with her voice raising to issue orders once more as well.
Approximately a half hour later, she found herself in the back of a restored pickup truck, riding in the cargo bay sitting on the left side. There were 7 other soldiers with her in the truck. Sitting to both sides and in front of her were resistance androids, holding StGs AKs, and some other android-improved variants.
2B let out a soft grunt as the old truck jolted violently, one of its dusty wheels dipping into a pothole, rattling the entire vehicle. Her gloved hand tightened instinctively around the sleek form of her pod, which sat on her lap. She knew its flight systems were ready to activate at a moment's notice but her grip was less about the necessity and more about reassurance that no harm came to it.
Outside the truck's open cargo bay, she looked to her right, seeing the infinite rows of derelict buildings slowly disappearing into the distance behind them, the skeletal remains of a city. She couldn't see that far away but she could tell every single one of them had at least moderate damage, with chunks missing from their sides, twisted metal jutting out like broken bones, and shattered windows. Some of the damage had clearly come from the fighting against the machines, while others simply from the weight of time pressing down year after year.
The city itself had been holding its breath for millennia, waiting for something that never would come. These weren't the original structures humans once built. From what she'd been told, these ruins were remnants of android hands, constructed sometime around the 4500s, centuries before the alien invasion. Back then, the old android governments had been optimistic. They believed humanity would return from their refuge on the moon, and so they began to rebuild old cities, and raised new ones in anticipation. But the invasion happened, and humanity was unable to return to Earth.
She looked to the front, seeing nothing but rolling sand dunes for as far as her eye could see, occasionally jutted by jagged stones sticking out harshly. She could consider herself lucky she managed to hitch this ride, which spared her from a two-hour walk through the desert on foot, which would leave her coated in sand and spending just as long checking her body to ensure no particles managed to enter her internal systems via some microscopic cut.
"We'll reach the location in approximately five minutes." The soldier sitting in the passenger seat, whom 2B learned her name was Verdant, announced.
"Get your things ready. And remember, we're not here to fight. We're here to scout out the area and evac anyone nearby if we confirm it's a threat, understood?" She added.
Several nods and grunts were given in response. 2B herself responded with a silent nod of her own.
"Dammit, the storm's causing a ton of interference with the communicator." The driver muttered as the radio sputtered.
"Jackass, how're you holding up over there?" Verdant spoke into the radio. The only response was garbled audio with what sounded like someone talking on the other side.
"Jackass, if you can hear me, we need you and Sans to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. We'll be there in less than five minutes." The driver added.
Finally, the radio cleared up slightly.
"We've already been ready for the last hour, genius. We're waiting for the sandstorm to clear up a little more before we get the hell outta here." The sarcastic voice of Jackass responded.
"Jackass! You're okay." Verdant shouted, relief in her voice.
"Damn right I am, but I'm not gonna be too fine as soon as I find Anemone and ask why the hell did she post me up here in this goddamned godforsaken place?!" Jackass barked in response. Some of the soldiers smirked as her usual sass.
"You'll get to bitch at Aneomone soon. We'll be there in any minute now." Verdant responded.
"You better be! Sans is busting his balls over here and is about to crash out over the stress, and so am I!" Jackass continued ranting.
Verdant turned to the soldiers in the backseats and cargo bay.
"Get ready for anything. Remember what I said our goal was." She repeated. She glanced slightly at 2B before looking at the driver.
Leave the car behind that pillar over there." She said, pointing to an emerging pillar in the distant horizon, now visible as the storm was in its last moments.
"The storm's gone down enough for us to enter safely but it's still throwing enough sand around to hide the truck and our movements." Verdant murmured to herself.
A couple more minutes passed before the pillar was now in front of them. The truck's engine gave one last strained whine before it braked to a stop. Without a word, the androids leaped out in practiced motion and ran into formation as soon as their boots hit the sand. 2B followed suit. Pod 042 sprang from her lap and floated to her side, silently falling into its regular spot beside her. Verdant marched to the front, assuming command. With a hand sign, she began to reconnaissance mission.
They moved forward as a unit, toward the area where more of the pillars jutted from the dunes, contrasting the endless beige. No one spoke, the only noise being the dying wind, their eyes spying everywhere for any abnormal movement among the falling sand particles
As they inched closer, 2B couldn't help but feel an anxious curiosity as to what had caused the Pod's signal. She couldn't imagine machines traversing the desert, which was the reason she felt the machine horde warning was most likely an error. She wondered if maybe it was some android who found the abandoned Pod and decided to dismantle it or tried to sell it to some tinkerer. They would be getting the scare of their life when YorHa confronts them. But there was a greater question she had.
'Was the pod signal and the machine horde warning connected with one another?' She wondered in her mind
It was too much of a coincidence that both events happened so closely in a region where events barely occur. She didn't have any recollection of pod signals triggering regional alarms, or else there would've been at least one moment prior when this happened and would be reported in YorHa's data systems. While she could chalk it up to the alarm system in the canyon being old and not in good condition due to barely anyone being in the region, her training suggested to always expect the worst.
"Hey guys!" A sudden shout pierced the palpable atmosphere.
A gunshot cracked instantly in response; one of the soldiers fired on instinct toward the direction of the voice before realizing to their horror it was someone.
"What the hell was all that about?! You almost hit Sans!" The now familiar voice shouted frantically as Jackass emerged from behind a canyon outcrop she'd ducked under for cover, dragging a rattled Sans with her..
Verdant groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Damn it, Jackass. Could you scream any louder?" she muttered.
"Sorry, sorry! But hey, you weren't stuck inside that cramped tent for almost an hour wondering when the storm would clear up and reinforcements would finally show in this desert hellhole!" Jackass shot back, brushing sand off her shoulder.
Verdant seemed like she was about to argue back, but closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm glad you guys are safe. " She simply replied.
"Anyway, Jackass, you got any more news about this thing?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Nothing new. Only thing that's changed is the storm's dying out, and whatever was that thing that sounded the alarm will have a clean coast to cross now" Jackass said. Verdant nodded.
"Okay Jackass, you wanna head over to the truck and wait, or do you wanna come with us?" She asked. Jackass snorted.
"You really think I'll skip over the chance to blow some stuff up? Count me in!" She casually said as she took a spare AK from a soldier handing her one.
"And you Sans?" Verdant asked.
"Um, I think I'll head to the truck." He added quietly.
Jackass shrugged. "Don't cry about missing out on all the fun." She told him. He shot her a tired glance before turning around and walking away towards the vehicle muttering about how his definition of fun was different from hers.
"Anywho, let's get down to business, ladies and gents." Jackass said as she stepped forward, taking the lead before anyone could argue.
"I know this place better than all of you," she added quickly, throwing a glance back at Verdant just as the other android was opening her mouth to protest. After a few moments, she simply sighed.
"Fine." Verdant said.
"Glad you made the right choice!" Jackass responded with a grin. With a hand swipe, she got everyone to start following her lead. As they began to walk, Jackass glanced at 2B behind her.
"So, a YorHa soldier is here to grace our presence. If you don't mind me asking, what's up? You're here to provide support for whatever this thing with the alarm is? She asked curiously.
2B pondered her answer for several seconds, wondering what to say without infringing the confidential details.
After some moments, she responded calmly.
"Indeed. YorHa sent me to provide support for this possible crisis." She explained, using the same excuse she told to Anemone.
Jackass stared at her with a blank expression just before cracking a huge smile.
"That's great news! Finally, YorHa stopped shoving a stick up their own-"
"Jackass." Verdant warned.
"What? I'm just saying it's nice that YorHa is finally doing an exchange program with the rest of us now after years of giving us the silent treatment." Jackass cheerfully replied.
Several minutes passed of Jackass annoying Verdant and 2B with questions and snide remarks, with 2B dodging any questions that bordered on being confidential until they finally reached the Canyon entrance. 2B felt a little relief at no longer having to hear Jackass asking her countless questions, probably rivaling or even surpassing 9S's curiosity.
"So far, we've seen no threat from this side of the canyon," Verdant noted, eyes scanning the landscape. "That means that whatever it was hasn't breached our side yet. Thankfully."
She turned, pointing at two soldiers.
"You two, stay here. If something happens to us, confirm the alert and warn the others. If we don't communicate with you in fifteen minutes, or if you spot anything dangerous coming from any direction, you leave and sound the alarm. Understood?"
Both soldiers nodded firmly, stepping into position on either side of the narrow pass.
Verdant turned to the remaining 2 soldiers under her command, along with Jackass and 2B.
"We're heading inside the canyon. Full alert. Be prepped for anything." She stated. They all nodded.
"All right. Let's head in." She ordered.
The sun lit the first few meters of the canyon's entrance, but as they pushed deeper, the light faded quickly as it was being swallowed by the ever-narrowing stone walls. A little further in and everything ahead turned pitch black.
"Pull out your flashlights," Verdant ordered.
"That won't be necessary," 2B said.
She gave a brief glance to Pod-042. With a nod from her, the Pod floated forward and, with a soft mechanical hum, activated its built-in spotlight, illuminating the jagged passage with far more clarity than the handheld lights could've managed combined.
"Alright then," Jackass muttered with a short chuckle. "You guys really do have some cracked-up gear in that bunker of yours."
The Pod took the lead, its light guiding them through the twisted, smoothed-out stone passage that stretched for seemingly forever. Minutes passed in silence, the only sound was their footsteps against dust and stone, at least until the silence was pierced once again by the explosives fanatic.
"So anyway, as I was saying, I'm glad YorHa's finally starting to open up to the rest of civilization. I swear you guys are more paranoid about everything that moves that doesn't have "YorHa" imprinted on them. So anyway, now that we're on warmer terms, don't you think that maybe your Commander could lend me some-"
"Jackass." Verdant repeated.
"What did I do? I'm just asking." Jackass huffed slightly. Verdant shook her head slightly and nodded at the rest to continue walking. Only to be interrupted once more less than a minute later.
"And also, who knows, maybe YorHa might just let me have some access to some of their tech to build new stuff. Never hurts to ask." Jackass said. She turned to look at 2B.
"You think you can put out a word for me, uhh, what's your name?" Jackass asked as she realized she never actually got the YorHa android's name.
"2B."
'"2B." Jackass nodded as she popped out her right hand to salute her before her face suddenly took on a surprised appearance.
"Oh hey! Like that thing from that philosopher guy from the Yorkshire region or somewhere around there." Jackass said, proud of her knowledge about ancient human things. 2B looked at her confused.
"Didn't know you were into human history." Verdant quipped.
"When you're spending your entire day holed up in some tent in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do, you gotta make do with what's available." Jackass shrugged.
"Anyway, as I was saying, I'm pretty sure the poem starts out with," Jackass cleared her throat.
"To Be, or not To Be, that is the-"
"Alert." Pod-042's mechanical voice cut through the chatter like a knife. "Unknown object outline detected. Distance: 28 meters."
The casual moment snapped. 2B unsheathed her sword in one fluid motion. Around her, the soldiers clicked off the safeties on their rifles, the soft mechanical clatter sounding unnaturally loud inside the cramped passage.
A moment later, Pod-042 chimed again with an update to its findings as it scanned the sight once more.
"Update: Object displays humanoid structure. Visual analysis suggests less than 12% similarity with known machine lifeform schematics. Similarity to android form: approximately 96%. Current location: 27 meters ahead, roughly 6 meters from the canyon's opposite exit."
"An android?" One of the Soldiers whispered uncertainly.
"Don't know, stay put." 2B replied flatly, keeping her own surprise restrained.
Without waiting for approval, she stepped forward, the faint crunch of her boots on the canyon floor echoing softly. Pod-042 floated by her side, its light stretching down the dark corridor.
"Stay here. I'll approach it," 2B said calmly, her voice even. "I can handle myself."
The others hesitated for a moment, surprised by her sudden initiative, but they listened and no one followed, including Jackass who had a confused expression.
Ensuring no one was following her, 2B turned around to the front and continued alone.
'Is this android responsible for both events?' 2B wondered.
While it was true she was more than capable of dealing with whatever was waiting in the dark, that wasn't her true reason for making them wait. If this situation involved her mission, if it was connected to the missing Pod or any confidential YorHa intel, then it was her responsibility to secure the scene and recover any confidential data before anyone else laid eyes on it.
Fortunately for her, the others stayed put without so much of an argument, making it easier.
The temperature had dropped drastically inside the Canyon, contrasting with the blistering heat outside. She could make out faint steps from those who had crossed the canyon long ago, their prints remaining undisturbed due to how few passed through this canyon, with no wind disturbing them either. She knew some Type-S YorHa units passed here weeks prior to scout out the area to prepare for the Descent Operation she would partake in soon.
As she was getting closer, she could start making out more of the silhouette lying on the floor as the ground began to jut out less and the Pod's light came closer. She was now less than 15 meters from the figure. Its position suggested that the figure fell from rushing into the Canyon from the opposite entrance, which led to the open desert, likely trying to escape the sandstorm that had taken over almost an hour ago.
She paused walking. She looked at her Pod. Pod-042 didn't need instructions for what 2B wanted. It silently flew forward without her having to tell it. It hovered over the figure, keeping a height distance for safety.
The Pod's light was finally able to shine upon the figure fully, which had been nearly impossible to do so due to the uneven ground riddled with cracks and ridges that had made any proper visual difficult. But as the Pod floated above the figure, its beam finally caught the figure in full.
'What?' She murmured in her head.
Confusion stirred within her, but she wasn't sure which part of the scene triggered her confusion more; the unmistakable frame of an old Pod unit lying beside the figure, or the figure itself.
It was an android. Clearly male in build. But his clothing was the center of her confusion. Unlike any Resistance clothing or armor she'd seen. The android lay face-down, immobile, dressed in a white polo shirt and black formal pants. She remembered 9S showing her that kind of attire from one of his saved data pads about ancient human history, an outfit reminiscent of ancient human civilian wear, not combat attire.
She stared for a moment longer, thoughts circling, unable to decide whether this discovery answered any of her questions or simply raised more.
"Who are you?" She whispered under her breath. She kept her grip on her sword on her right arm steady, uncertain if this was an elaborate trap.
"Identify yourself," she said firmly, her voice echoing softly against the canyon walls.
No response.
After a moment of hesitation, she moved closer and crouched down beside him. The longer she lingered, the more her instincts told her this wasn't an ambush, at least not a coordinated one.
Her eyes scanned every inch of his head. A deep gash ran along the side of his forehead, with what seemed to be liquid coolant sluggishly seeping from the cut into the dusty stone ground beneath him. His body trembled faintly, indicating he was unconscious but alive nevertheless. He seemed to have sustained severe mechanical damage.
He needed repairs. Urgently. That much was clear.
She decided to lift him up. There wasn't anything else she could do aside from having to take him back to the camp to fix him up and then question him of his intentions with the pod. The android clearly seemed to have sustained an injury and would require repairs as soon as possible.
She finished scanning the nearby area for anything else aside from the android and the old Pod. When nothing came up, she instructed her Pod to carry the old Pod, while she carried this android.
She slid her sword onto her back and reached down toward him, taking his arm gently to lift him up.
A small yelp escaped from the android's mouth as she squeezed his wrist, making her drop him instinctively, with another cry of pain ringing as he hit the hard ground below once more.
As she looked at the android confused, she noticed the wrist looked deformed slightly, as if something had been shattered inside. She quickly slid her hands under his torso this time instead of holding him up, cradling his upper body, as his face contorted in pain as his breathing was shaky and desperate. She couldn't help but notice he was strangely lightweight.
Before she could do anything else, her Pod interrupted her.
"Halt, 2B!" it shouted. She looked at it, shocked.
It was the first time her Pod ever raised its voice
"Scanning… scanning… scan complete…" Pod-042 went silent, its behavior oddly hesitant, almost sounding uncertain to her.
"Pod, what's the result?" she asked, but it didn't respond.
"Scanning… scanning… scan complete…"
"Pod?"
"Scanning… scanning… scan complete."
"Pod!" Her voice rose, sharper than usual, cutting through the now-uncomfortable silence.
At last, it responded, but there was something unfamiliar in its voice. Almost as if it were shock.
"Scan results indicate no operating system within the subject's body."
2B's black box went still. Her thoughts, her questions, all of it, just simply stopped.
"..."
"What?" She whispered, her gaze not leaving the male android, who she now could see his facial features better as she cradled him. It wasn't the Asian features that perplexed her, but rather how he was designed to appear so young, like a human adolescent, unlike regular androids who were designed as adults.
The Pod continued, regaining its calm usual voice, but tinged with what felt like an urgent hurry.
"Permission requested to extract a sample of the subject's circulating fluid."
2B gave a quick nod, not ignoring that the Pod didn't call the liquid coolant any longer.
The Pod descended toward the figure, one of its clawed arms reaching out and delicately swiping a drop of the coolant, or what she thought was coolant, leaking from the wounded subject's head.
The Pod inserted the sample inside a small disk in between its arms that lowered from within its main frame. The disk was lifted back inside the frame and a small hum sounded from inside the Pod as it conducted scans on the sample.
It paused again; the scanning was completed, yet it didn't speak. 2B began to feel something akin to dread. The fear of the unknown. By now, the identity of this subject had unwittingly overtaken her mind over her own mission to recover the Pod.
After what felt like minutes to 2B, Pod-042 spoke.
"My analysis indicates the fluid is organic in nature. Similarity to average Homo sapien blood: 99.85%."
The world went dead silent for 2B, her eyes widening beneath her visor.
Pod-042's voice remained neutral, but the following words shattered any remaining normality in the atmosphere.
"With these probabilities, it is logical to conclude that the lifeform before us is a human being."
Hey everyone, sorry for the long waiting time.