Disconnected

[2B]

This post will contain heavy spoilers for Nier Automata. You have been warned.

Thinly woven, a rickety rope bridge hung far above a ravine, promising the sweet relief of death to anyone who was to plummet down in the winds. Upon it, stumbled a lone black clad girl together with what could’ve only been perceived to be a flying rectangle.

“Alert: Virus contamination rate 90 percent.” From somewhere beside her, Pod continued to inform her of the situation, as if she wasn’t aware of it herself. She’d grown to appreciate the small flying assistant in all her endeavors, alas, its AI left a lot to be hoped for at times. Unlike Androids, it didn’t possess the concept of free will.

“Alert: Unusual heat generation in central nervous system. Internal combustion imminent.” The feedback provided by him was overwhelmed in static as her auditory systems had long since failed proper function.

Her visual sensory systems were long since taken over as well, her vision interlaced with imagery of itself, the feedback clashing as she could barely distinguish what was actually there. It was only her knowledge of the area from the past, that allowed her to continue.

Continue?

The girl limped forth as she forced her legs to move, her nervous systems flaring with naught but pain as the motors winched her forth step after step. She had to get away - to an area without others, to avoid infecting them.

The bridge she crept upon presented the ever alluring ravine to plunge into. To end this madness and suffering. But she had to get ac-...

Her thoughts scrambled as the infernal pain overwhelmed her. All feedback disappeared for a second as she could hear and feel the explosion within. Ah.. The internal combustion.

Staggering forth, she almost collapsed as her vision returned - colourless. Almost across - so few steps to go. Smoke arose from her midframe as movement became ever more difficult. She feared something would snap and break - give in under the enormous strain she placed the machinery that lay underneath her artificial skin.

“Alert: Damage to data backup system. Said damage will make it difficult to retain self-consciousness upon backup.” Pod droned on, its voice now naught but static in her ears.

“Bunker’s gone… There’s...no point backing up anyway…” The bunker. YoRHa. It was all gone, there was no use in doing so - and the servers were already infected regardless. Backing up and restoring would only complete the infection. Worthless.

Stumbling from the bridge onto ground again, before her she saw the abandoned mall - her destination. There was no apparent android activity here. No risk of spreading the infection further. A safe place to perish.

Her hopes perished as her malfunctioning eyes caught a glimpse of the dozen androids in the doorway. Ah… More infected YoRHa. “Pod...sword.” she grunted, her hand extended forcibly to her side as it lay in wait for the requested weapon.

“Alert: Unit 2B is in critical condition. NFCS and FFCS-systems are offline. Engaging in combat is inadviced.” Pod droned, awaiting for further instructions.

“Just shut up and do as I tell you!” the android bursted out, before the white blade finally materialized in her hand. By the time such was the case, they were already upon her. A raise of blade so sluggish that an elder could’ve outperformed her, the android parried an incoming strike.

The corruption to her systems too great, she staggered backwards from the force of the strike… Without even glancing behind her, 2B knew. She was only a step or two from plunging into the ravine and meeting her bitter end.

So this was it. She had no hope of defeating even one of them.

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The whirl of blade caught her by surprise, as the android stood there, dumbfounded. With singular sweeps, the force strode through the YoRHa ranks as their blade sang, cutting down the infected androids with ease.

“A...2...” was all she could muster as her legs finally gave in and 2B collapsed onto her knees. Raising her blade, she brought the tip along her chin, before slicing upwards. The blindfold upon her eyes split into half as it drifted down to the ground.

“Guess this...is it…” 2B spoke as she casted her eyes upward to her saviour who now looked down upon her. Opening her eyes, their natural blue colour was overtaken by the telltale red glow. The infection was done, and the host was done for.

Within her, the virus told her to attack and rampage. To lash out at A2 with all her might despite her damaged systems. Fight. Fight. Fight. Fight.

Sword in hand the girl groaned as she drove the blade into the ground. “These are...my memories. Take care of everyone for me… Take care...of the future… A2…” Heaving, the girl panted as she forced herself to stay put, to not grasp the blade from the ground that she had embedded her memories with.

This was it for her she thought, as A2 stepped forth laying claim upon the sword before driving it through her dying kin. The blade no longer hurt, not significantly anyway. The virus numbed it, or maybe she was just in too much pain to feel it anymore.

“2B!” A scream echoed into her ears as she bled upon the blade. A glance, she saw 9S. He stood upon the bridge. “Oh… Nines…” she whispered as she felt herself fade. Falling backwards, the android collapsed onto the ground as death, if such thing existed for androids, lay claim upon yet another.

[2B]

Still spoilers for Nier Automata in here.

The all encompassing darkness began to crackle, overtaken by a dim light shining through. With the light, reality began to trickle through as well, the feeling of cold ground against her skin materializing first within her sensory systems.

“...to YoRHa Unit 2B. Confirmation requested.” a voice, inhuman and cold, machine like, rang in her ears as her auditory receptors booted up. “Support Pod 042 to YoRHa Unit 2B. Confirmation requested.”

“Nnngh…” It appeared her body was at least functional as she slowly began to push herself off of the ground and the world materialized completely before her eyes.

“Unit 2B to Support Pod 042, confirmed. Pod, contact the bunk-...” she began to instruct the floating white rectangle, which frankly somewhat blended into the white void that this place seemed to be. Her instructions cut short as her thoughts came to a halt. The bunker was no more… Hadn’t she died, as well?

“Alert: Emotional instability detected in Unit 2B. Unit 2B should calm down.” the Pod noted in its dull voice, a notion entirely disregarded by its apparent owner.

Mayhap this was afterlife, as the humans had called it? A blank void where one awoke after death. How she even knew of the descriptions humans had had for it, she couldn’t remember. But… For her to be in the afterlife, when she had never really truly lived, was an unfathomable feat in the first place. Perhaps it was naught but a database that some shard of her backed up data had somehow fragmented to. A shard that had now gained consciousness.

Her short, silvery white hair swooned as she stood up from the ground. The short black dress swung around her hips. Given the design with its cut open side, the dress could swing free, providing very little restriction… But, the design was in no way modest, showing plenty skin, even with the thigh high socks. But of course, such was of no concern to the owner of the dress, nor had it ever even crossed her mind.

“Pod, where are we?” she inquired her floating rectangular companion as she glanced around. Of course, the scarf upon her eyes could’ve fooled one into thinking she couldn’t see, but such was hardly true. The device relayed all the data she collected to the bunker… Or at least it had once done so.

“Location: Unknown. Network, detected. Joining impossible at given time.” Willpower, its voice had none. Clearly, the pods - unlike their android companions possessed no free will of their own. Simply an AI to instruct and aid, rational at all times.

“Pod, system diagnostics.” she requested as she allowed the assistant to scan her sensory readings.

“Unit 2B: Black Box functionality, normal. Near Field Combat System: Online. Far Field Combat System: Online. No traces of infection detected. Unit 2B should be fully operational. Current orders: None. Connection to Bunker: Offline.”

Of course, none of the information was news to her, given she could see and feel the information… But regardless of it, she appreciated to hear it, in the event that her own systems would have been deceived.

“Suggestion: Unit 2B should investigate the nature of this world.” A fair idea, not without its merits… And without orders from the Bunker, she had no better approach for the situation. As such, she simply began to walk in the void, heading toward naught in particular.

“Pod, create a map of the area.” were her final instructions as they continued along their journey in the void of white, disappearing in its luminosity.

[2B]

Head tilted back as 2B eyed the towering structure before her, the android couldn’t help but wonder. Just exactly what was this stone-built structure that confined a whirling vortex of colour.

“Pod, scan the structure and save the data for future.” the android noted as she slowly began to encircle the structure, as if to see whether the whirling mass of colour could be seen from the other side, and if the structure persisted. Pod took off from her side, the pale-coloured rectangle soaring through the skies as it encircled the structure and began to analyze the collected data.

Without any advanced scanning functionalities, 2B could see that it was likely built out of stone. To add to that, judging by the eroded nature of the stone, it had been here for quite a while. The android found herself longing for the scanning capabilities of 9S, the lifelong curiousity he had always brought to her day. Of course, it was just a piece of data in his personality, but did that really matter?

To 2B, he was just as real as she was to herself. Maybe even more real, than a human would’ve been. Of course, to YoRHa, emotions were forbidden, a taboo. Something deemed unnecessary for combat and function… But then, why had they not removed the functionality? Why forbid it but not eradicate the possibility for it?

“Notification: Scanning, complete. Gateway-like structure suggests that this is a door. Other side: Unknown.” Shaking her head, the YoRHa unit cleared her head as the support unit returned by her side, providing her with the collected. Without 9S, she’d have to make do with just her own intellect and Pod’s abilities.

“Suggestion: Unit 2B should investigate further. Advice: Pass through.” Quietly, the analytical machine hovered on tow to its owner as she headed toward the gate.

Did Scanner models perform their research this recklessly? 2B wasn’t sure, but it would be the first time for anything. After all, she wasn’t meant for this task, as such, the execution was left to her judgement.

The Black Box within her fired up, providing the android with power as her legs picked up the pace, the heels of her boots driving into the ground to provide traction as she began an athletic run.

After all, if she was to disappear into the whirling madness, she might as well jump and prepare for the worst.