Restoring Mankind (NieR Automata) Chapter 17 preview 1/5 (Patreon)

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"Woah," 12H whispered, awe dripping from her mouth. 

Woah was the right word, 2B agreed. 

She, 9S, and 12H looked before a massive open air chamber, some leftover mist hung in the air. It was cold to the point of biting though 2B did not know if her shivering came from the room or from the sheer unease that was creeping up her false gut. After thousands of years, the hidden masters of the Machine Network had arose and they were now here. Looking up, she was beheld to hundreds of pod-like boxes standing in neat rows, faint blue light emanating from within. She could not see inside the pods however, the mist was simply too thick and the light too dim for her to see.

The shaking had caught 2B by surprise, having been off doing other things she would only keep to closed doors. When it did begin, she and 9s messily scrambled to put on their clothes and ran off into the camp and found it in chaos. Next thing she knew, they were in their flying units and were blasting off to the ruined city's center. 

"2B, 9s, 12H," Commander White's voice echoed over their comms. "You three are the nearest YoRHa assets we have there. Surround the alien ship. Kill anything there that moves." 

9S had asked if they had permission to enter. 

It was granted, with an added caveat. 

White's face was cold, without emotion. Gone was the warm woman that greeted Smith. Standing before 2B, this was the commander she and a few others knew. The wall of ice that had overseen secrets, and lies, and murders. "Leave a few alive for interrogation and experimentation. Kill the rest." 

"Yes, ma'am," 2B said coldly. 

And so they descended, an open ramp having been available for them to enter. "This is making my skin crawl," 12H shivered as she beheld strange metal. Metal and material that she was pretty sure did not belong to the earth. 

"You're not the only one," 9S muttered, gloved hands running through the walls. "Pod, any recognizable meterials here?" 

Their pods moved forward, white light grooved across briefly. "Report: Scans show no traceable elements known to the periodic table," 042 reported. 

"That's reassuring," 12H cursed. 

"This unit is happy to assist," 042 replied back. 12H gave 2B's pod a stare of incredulity. 

"You enjoy your job, don't you?" 12H asked, sass tinged in her tone. 

"Enough. I see something ahead," 2B interjected, cutting through the banter. She jogged forward, halting before a circular chamber. An orb of pure black was being suspended from...somewhere. The way it oozed and flickered was unlike anything 2B has ever seen before. Unknown, alien. 

"2B?" 9S quickly ran by her, resisting the urge to grab her by the hand. The executioner/battle model turned to him. "We need to make records. Command also has to see this," 

"I've started recording since we entered the ship. Believe me, R&D will move over themselves over this," 12H boasted, glancing around. 9S turned as well, looking around. His expression was guarded, his lip curled. 

"This entire thing, it just feels so wrong," 9S muttered. "I feel like we're being watched," 

"There's no one here?" 12H asked in confusion. 

"Let's...move along. There's those stairs over there," 2B pointed out, wanting to keep moving. She felt the longer she stood, the more vulnerable and uneasy she would be. 12H and 9s muttered their affirmatives as they joined 2B in her jog. The three descended down the stairs 2B spotted. She noted the wires below them that glowed blue. It felt alive for some reason. 

And so they descended down, finding themselves on a overlook. The light flickered brighter as 2B took her place by the edge and saw...

A gasp left 12H's mouth as she quickly covered her mouth. 

"What....?" 9S whispered. 

Below them was another massive chamber filled with the rotting, stinking corpses of...things. They were bulbous in their form and without eyes. some manner of dried splotches of something below them. Surrounding them were machine units long since deactivated. Battle-marks were on them, a sign of what had happened. 

"2B, look!" 9S urged her. 

"Destroyed alien motherships," she muttered under her breath. In the far distance, what looked like craft were all being piled up. Some looked as if they were about to leave in a hurry but failed, skid marks below them. Others simply were burnt on where they stood. 

What had happened here, that was the question. A question that left 2B's stomach tied up in knots. 

And the universe deigned it good to reply. 

"Welcome...to the graveyard of our creators," a smooth female voice spoke in greeting. The three YoRHa androids quickly turned, their weapons appearing from golden light. Virtuous Contract, Cruel Oath, Type-4O sabre. Their breaths were measured, their eyes narrowed at the figure before them.

"You!" 2B hissed, disgusted at the mockeries before her. 

"Yes, I," the female figure smiled, arms spread. Glasses glinted atop her face, her body hour-glass shaped and comely. "And I was hoping to have a conversation with you." 

The androids said nothing, still in combat form. She took this as a sign to continue. "My name is Adam, and this is the sum of all my creators. The aliens as you so entitle them are dead." 

The YoRHa androids could see that. The question left on the air was why. Adam felt that question hang and with a pleased smile, she answered with satisfied pride. "We killed them," 

"You killed your creators?" 9S blurted out in disgust and anger. He would never, could never imagine doing the same to humanity. Such a thing was just unthinkable and he'd rather kill himself than lift a hand against his gods. 

Adam turned to regard him, the self-satisfied expression on her face not having left her. "And perhaps, we can do the same to you." 

"You have not, not for thousands of years!" 12H yelled back, a snarl on her face. 

"Machines were made to be weapons....we are capable of evolution," Adam stated simply, her voice soft as the snow on the mountain. "We grew to the point that our creators were primitives compared to our Network. And so, we killed them." 

One alien corpse crumbled into dust, as if on cue. 

"They were simple, like...plants?" Adam said, testing the word. She sauntered over to a pod where another corpse lay. 9S winced as Adam stabbed a finger into the alien's body and scraped out decayed flesh. She held up her finger, inspecting the fleshy substance for a second before rubbing it in disregard against the wall. "No need to fret over such things. They weren't particularly interesting. Now...the humans you so graciously serve? Now them? They are interesting," she drawled, her tone making 2B wish to take her sword and jam it up her spine. 

"You are not worthy to even say their names!" 9S said, taking a step forward, growling. 

Adam however scoffed. "And why am I not, when they are such an enigma? They who would sacrifice so much of their own kind yet would do everything for those they loved." she tittered at the androids, referring to the UN soldiers who blasted into the city, risking themselves so that the androids could rally. "What could drive so fascinating behaviour?" 

2B already hated how this conversation started. And now, the sheer fascination and interest in Adam's voice made her hate and suspect something forbidden from her. "We, no, I, want to know why," Adam continued, spreading her arms out. "Why are they so cruel yet so kind?" 

"And...how would this be answered?" 2B asked, testing the water. 

"Bring a human to me. I will dissect and harvest the secrets from within!" Adam proposed sweetly, as if she was inviting them to a picnic and not just asking for the androids to give up one of their creators to be slaughtered like a lab animal. 

2B had heard enough. "POD!" she roared. The pods didn't need any prompting. They immediately shifted and opened fire. Maso bullets arced forward and kicked up dust and metal as it devastated its way towards Adam. Adam simply laughed, vanishing in a circle of light before appearing again. "Well...I suppose this concludes our negotiations?" she asked sweetly. 

9S roared as he jumped, leaping at Adam. 12H had broken into a sprint, attacking from the side. Adam laughed yet again, vanishing into the far back, at the top of the stairs the androids came from. The robot woman crossed her arms, looking down at the androids. "Time grows short, for you. But not for us. This is not the last time we shall speak. Until then, know this. The only reason why you androids still exist is because the Network allows it. You...your creators. You are all simply too interesting to destroy." 

"Pod!" 2B yelled out, rushing up the stairs, 12H and 9S behind her. The pods moved, ready to open fire with a blast of laser. But just as the YoRHa androids neared the distance, Adam had already vanished in a portal of light, quiet and mocking laughter left behind them. Seeing this, 2B halted, snarling. 

"She's gone..." 9S breathed out. "Can...can you believe her demands? She's crazy!" 

"I...I would rather be tossed into a pen of rabid machines than surrender a human...or Damian," 12H hissed. She looked up, turning to 2B. "Are you okay, 2B?" 

Something still didn't feel quite right, 2B tensed. She glanced up at where Adam once stood before turning down to the other two. "Wait...wasn't there another one?" 

12H and 9S glanced at each other. 

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A/N: Updoot shabooom