CH. 02: 2B's Story/Sympathy

CH. 02: 2B’s Story/Sympathy

“We have lost communication with a few troopers from the YoRHa squadron that were heading to Earth. They are most likely still alive, as their black-box responses are still active. We have narrowed down the location of their signals. Any YoRHa squadron troopers stationed on Earth are to investigate the issue.”

It was a short and bizarre announcement. It was not rare for YoRHa squadron troopers to go incommunicado. Once they were on Earth, they could at any moment engage in battle with Machines and at times be surrounded by enemies.

It was bizarre however, that their black-box responses were still active. After the black-box response disappears, it is formally recognized that the android is destroyed. The backup of the android’s personal data is then uploaded into a new chassis. Although the memories leading from the last backup to the android’s destruction are lost, previous memories and its personality are preserved. In this respect, androids are semi-immortal. As long as their personal data is intact and chassis are in stock they can be repeatedly reconstructed.

But reconstruction cannot be initiated without confirming the destruction of the android. This is to prevent the confusion of having more than one instance of its personal data.

In other words, no matter how severe the circumstances, as long as the black-box response is still active, there is no other choice but to let the situation play out. The self-destruct mechanism that the YoRHa squadron androids are equipped with is mainly for preventing leaks of confidential information, but it is also a last resort for the troopers to escape the battlefield. If their chassis is destroyed in the explosion, they are able to start anew in the Bunker.

“Didn’t we hear some similar news at the resistance camp too?” asked 9S. 2B added, “That recently there’ve been many resistance troops who’ve lost contact…”

Because troops of the resistance were not outfitted with a black box, it was unknown whether or not they were still alive. But they all lost contact near the same area, the very same area that the missing troops’ black-box responses were detected.

“I don’t want to burden you two any further after your help with the desert case, but I’d like you to keep it in the back of your mind.” 2B remembered the words of the resistance camp’s female leader, Anemone. Just hearing her tone of voice was enough to know how concerned she was about her comrades.

The resistance on Earth had been of long standing. It was said that they were sent to exterminate Machines even before research on the YoRHa android began. It was unclear when Anemone was sent to the front lines, but it was at least before the first YoRHa attack. That was what 2B deduced from the conversation of the camp troops. Anemone had suffered the continual loss of her comrades for that long.

2B could occasionally feel the strong gaze of Anemone. Her face probably reminded Anemone of a comrade she had lost in the past. The first time they met, Anemone was clearly caught off guard. Even though Anemone tried to play it off, the shock was obvious in her voice and expression.

Anemone projecting her memories of loss onto 2B was not particularly bothersome, so 2B purposefully pretended not to notice.

People tend to search for more similarities between two entities as soon as they notice a few. Even if they know it’s futile, they search for traces. That is what it’s like for people who have lost someone dear.

“The situation the other androids are facing is a bit concerning, isn’t it?” asked 9S.

Was she a culprit as well? Was she trying to compare? Was she trying to search?

“I have a feeling we should get going soon,” said 9S.

“You’re right,” 2B said, and began to research their next destination.

The black-box responses of the YoRHa squadron troops who had ceased communication were not far from the city ruins. But due to the collapsed buildings and deformed terrain that obstructed their path, they were forced to take an alternate route through the underground waterway. Even though the distance traveled was short, the expedition took time because of the detour.

“This is…? Is it an amusement park?” asked 9S. They had been underground until the very last moment, and had not realized what kind of place their destination was until they were standing in the middle of it. 9S was bewildered by the peculiarly shaped structures that appeared as soon as they surfaced, and understandably so. The structures were a far cry from the city ruins or the desert complex. On top of that they kept hearing strange sounds.

“Explosions?” asked 2B. It didn’t seem like they were all that powerful, but 2B still set her hand on her sword.

“No, not explosions, but probably… Umm,” 9S rested his fingers on his temples. He seemed to be trying to remember something. “Fireworks. See, over there,” said 9S, who pointed toward the sky. Sparks of light spread across the sky. They were similar to the shape of a flower.

“It apparently makes use of chemical reactions. They combust many types of metals in the sky to create a variety of colors. A staple of many celebrations in human culture. That’s what I think it said.”

But there were no humans on Earth at the moment. So who was celebrating? Of course, the answer was obvious.

The amusement park was described as a place where adults brought their children to play, or possibly a place an adult could rediscover their inner child and play. Either way, it was supposed to be built for humans. It was not a novelty for Machines to invade the human facilities and use them to their liking. The factory ruins where they had annihilated the Goliath-class Machines had been used by the Machines as a manufacturing facility.

It was understandable to repurpose a factory for increasing military force, but why the Machines needed an amusement park was beyond comprehension. The Machines in the area were either dancing or repeating words like “1t’s s0 fun! 1t’s s0 fun!” and “Let’s be happy t0gether!”

Mimicking humans by shooting fireworks, throwing confetti, playing musical instruments, and dancing—it was absurd. There was nothing to gain. Furthermore, the Machines partaking in the festivities did not try to attack.

Thinking back, the Machines they saw at the desert complex had been mimicking humans too. They too had nothing to gain from their meaningless activities, and at first were not hostile. It was unlikely that these two populations had a connection, but was it okay to pass off multiple irregular sightings as coincidence?

“What should we do? Should we eliminate them?” 9S asked hesitantly. 2B shook her head and quickened her gait.

“They pose no threat, so fighting would be a waste of time,” said 2B. Besides, the black-box responses were still being broadcast this whole time, from within this eerie amusement park, inside that odd-shaped building. Her instincts told her that she needed to hurry.

“It’s about the source of the responses, but I think the location was originally a theater. I’ve come across a similar image before,” said 9S.

“A theater?”

“It was a facility used to showcase musical or dramatic performances,” said 9S.

After answering with an “I see,” 2B went to look for a way into the theater. Within the amusement park, only the theater had its access restricted. The golden metal gates that were most likely the entrance were tightly closed, and there was a canal bordering the rest of its property.

In the end, they had to resort to a reckless plan of jumping into the building from above. 9S had informed her that this style of building was vulnerable due to its use of stained glass in its domed ceiling. But he had clearly not thought about exploiting that vulnerability.

“We’re going to break through the window?” 9S asked, disappointed, after 2B explained the details of their infiltration plan.

“There’s no other way,” said 2B.

“Well, I mean…that’s true,” said 9B.

During their missions, it was heavily advised to keep from damaging any human artifacts. This was because one day, everything on Earth was to be returned to its rightful human owners.

That was why ruins that were damaged by erosion or collapse from old age underwent maintenance and restoration to preserve their ancient forms. But this repair effort was falling behind due to the shortage of civil engineering units. A few sectors of the city ruins, including this amusement park, were an example of some of the areas where this effort had lagged.

“Saving our comrades is the first priority. We can think through the little things later,” 2B said.

Until now, there had been no precedent of Machines capturing and restraining androids alive. It was usually a matter of kill or be killed. That should be the extent of what the simple-minded Machines could accomplish. What was going on?

2B jumped down toward the building to try and quell her impatience. She smashed the stained glass, successfully entered the building, and sprinted toward the source of the black-box responses.

Running down the tiered audience seats, she made her way to a circular opening. While there were no obstructions, and there was plenty of space to maneuver, the dim conditions made her visuals suboptimal. Her footsteps echoed along the high ceiling.

A large cloth that was draped ahead suddenly split open towards the sides. A faint memory of some terms she had seen in a video drifted through her mind. That large cloth was a “curtain,” and that elevated platform was a “stage.” A place made for actors and singers to perform.

Beams of light illuminated the stage. The figure that cheerfully rose into the stage was, somewhat expectedly and somewhat unexpectedly, a Machine that could only be defined as eccentric looking.

“There’s no records of any Machine that looks like that,” said 9S.

The Machine’s skirt, which had a flared bottom hem, was obviously made to mimic a woman’s dress. But with arms that looked like branches and exposed screws on the head, the Machine was intensely grotesque.

The Machine opened its mouth. A piercing, unwelcome sound, like pieces of rusted metal grinding together, rang out. With its arms raised and chest flared, it looked like it was pretending to sing.

It was an earsplitting noise. Fighting the urge to cover her ears, 2B drew her military sword and leapt. The Machine’s processing system was probably contained in its chest, high above the ground. On top of that, the flared skirt made it difficult to cut through the body.

Even so, as 2B kept attacking, the harsh song faltered slightly. It seemed like she was inflicting some damage.

Right as she felt she had the upper hand, her vision flickered.

“W-what… What is this?” 2B asked.

Her body swayed. It was impossible to stand straight.

“It’s trying to hack us!” 9S’s voice was broken and distant. 2B heard something else mixed with his voice. She kept slicing toward the source of that sound. It was most likely something from the enemy. Something that sham of an opera singer was emitting…

The opera singer was not the only enemy. Before she knew it she was receiving blows from every direction. She realized that the “enemies” were not Machines as she flung her sword around to counter.

“Bodies of dead androids?!” exclaimed 2B.

The bodies, which were tied to stakes, were emitting similar auditory attacks.

“They’re not!” yelled 9S, “I’m detecting their black-box signals!”

Which meant that they had been captured, kept alive, and were being used as weapons.

“I’ll end this quickly,” said 2B.

She was going to demolish that opera singer and free her comrades.

Kill or be killed. That’s all she thought they were capable of. She didn’t think Machines would be able to do anything more sophisticated. That’s something she didn’t want to imagine.

She heard a sound again.

“I am g0nna be beaut1ful!”

What had previously been mixed with 9S’s voice became clearer.

“G0nna be beaut1ful!”

She didn’t want to think about what the Machine meant, so she started swinging aimlessly.

“G0nna be m0re beaut1ful!”

A Machine? Why is a Machine saying that? These degenerates only kill and destroy!

“Counter-hacking completed!” said 9S. The enemies’ attacks halted at the same time 9S spoke. 2B called Pod.

“Affirmative,” Pod replied.

Pod shifted into its Long-Distance Fire mode.

“Go!” commanded 2B.

Pod’s laser pierced the metal chest of the Machine, which was stuck in a leaning position. 2B thought she heard a scream. Neither a song nor a word. This time, it was truly just a sound with no meaning.

They left through the proper entrance. The enemy signals had disappeared, and it was easy to open the gates from the inside. But 9S’s footsteps were heavy. 2B, who saw his expression from the side, was sure she was making the same expression.

They weren’t able to save the androids that had been modified into weapons. Every android had its circuits fried. They were being compelled to move by the enemy’s system, and had no control of any of their functions. The androids were as good as dead after they were disconnected.

2B hoped, dearly, that they had not been conscious. If they had been awake or had any senses left to them while being used as weapons—how painful that must have been.

“Hey 2B. When I hacked that Machine, this strange voice...” With hesitation, 9S continued, “It had something like emotion, but—” 2B cut off the rest of his sentence with firm resolve.

“The Machines are only selecting words at random.”

They don’t have a consciousness or emotions. They just constantly execute the command to kill.

“That’s what you said,” added 2B.

But what if that wasn’t the case? What if Machines could think, judge, and at times even express emotion? What if they were autonomous inorganic beings that also housed a consciousness or emotions. If that were the case, they were almost like…

It was scary to think it through. That was why 2B used 9S’s words to bring the conversation to a stop. It was probably an unfair way of doing so.

It was okay if it was unfair. Right now, it was 2B’s priority to keep her emotions in check. If she let her guard down, she felt like something inside of her would go crazy. That would complicate their mission.

They walked silently, backs to the theater. The sounds of Machines shooting fireworks could still be heard. The dancing Machines, twirling like tops, were right by them, but took no notice of 2B and 9S.

Or so she had thought. A flying Machine swooped down before them as if to block their way. The Machine spoke faster than 2B could grab her sword.

“I am n0t an enemy.”

Looking closely, 2B saw there was a piece of white cloth fluttering atop its head. In human culture, a white flag signified surrender, but 2B had never seen it used in person. Battles with Machines didn’t end until every last combatant on one side died, so the concept of peaceful surrender was inconceivable.

“Y0u tw0 defeated the br0ken Mach1ne f0r us. Y0u will be rewarded. C0me t0 my village,” said the Machine.

The term “broken machine” was probably referring to the opera singer. It had been trouble for other Machines as well. The words “for us” and “reward” were proof of that.

“To think that a Machine could use so many words,” 9S said, in awe. Type S androids had a strong sense of curiosity. It was quite vital, as their primary function was to perform research. But an excessive curiosity would lead to one’s downfall. 2B knew that better than anyone else.

“We can’t trust the words of a Machine,” said 2B.

2B was concerned that the Machine would not understand her reply. But then she realized her words were geared toward 9S, and to curb his curiosity rather than to reach a mutual understanding with the Machine.

The Machine swung its whole body as if to shake its head.

“We have n0 1ntent1ons t0 f1ght,” it asserted.

9S’s eyes lit up. He did this whenever he saw something novel and unknown.

“I’ve never witnessed a Machine that could communicate to this extent. Let’s follow along to gather data,” said 9S.

2B’s plan to curb his curiosity had backfired. Perhaps this was a good thing. As long as his curiosity was directed at a Machine, 9S was safe. It was infinitely better than taking interest in a forbidden subject and crossing the line…

Guided by the flying-type Machine, they left the amusement park. Moving away from the irritating music and fireworks, even the sunlight and whisper of the wind felt gentler.

It wasn’t a coincidence. Soon enough, they were surrounded by trees and shrubbery. The overgrown trees gave the sun’s light a soft glow. Instead of musty air, a breeze with the smell of damp earth and grass passed through. The greenery here created a completely different environment from its counterparts in the city ruins.

Earth was so diverse compared to space, which was just one long stretch of darkness. 2B looked up at the sky and marveled at how much had changed, though they had traveled so little distance. Then she spotted something with a white trail moving through the sky. It was ascending, but it didn’t look like a firework.

“What’s that?” asked 2B.

9S stopped walking and questioned if 2B had never seen it.

“We use that to send materials from Earth to the Bunker or human base. Space doesn’t have any research materials or natural resources like Earth,” explained 9S.

“I see,” said 2B.

She had heard of such a thing, but today was the first day she had seen it in person. It wasn’t something they used frequently, and it was rare for her to have an opportunity to stare at the sky. Type B androids were given the role of combat. Her vision was used to latching on to enemies, not the sky.

Although, even if she wasn’t on a combat mission she wouldn’t be in the mood to look at something like the sky. That was because…

“Th1s way th1s way hurry th1s way,” said the guide.

2B decided to stop thinking. She started running and followed the flying-type Machine. The sound of swaying trees comforted her. The village eventually came into view.

It was easy to see, even from far away, the countless white cloths fluttering in the wind. Upon closer inspection they were all flags. The Machines were waving around white flags of various sizes.

“Does it mean they have no intention of fighting?” asked 9S.

If the Machines were familiar with the significance of the white flag, that was what it meant. They couldn’t ignore the possibility of an ambush after letting their guard down, but it was nonetheless a fact that these Machines had a higher-than-average intelligence. Surrender or ambush—either way, both were actions that took quite a bit of acuity.

“First, we would like you to listen to what we have to say,” said a Machine holding a particularly large flag. It had a unique cylindrical head and a body silhouette that made it look like it was constantly carrying something. Its movements were much more delicate than any Machine 2B had seen before, and its speech was more fluent than their guide’s.

“We are not your enemy. My name is Pascal. I am the leader of this village,” it explained.

2B could feel her eyes widening.

“2B, don’t believe anything a Machine says!” warned 9S.

He was the one who’d wanted to come to the village, but it seemed even he was skeptical of the claims that they were not an enemy. But Pascal kept an ever-gentle tone.

“It’s true. To you, we are Machines and thus we are your enemy. But this village is made of Machines that ran away from battle to advocate peace,” replied Pascal.

Peace. It was a strange word to hear from a Machine.

“We have formed an alliance with the people at the resistance camp as well. If it’s all right with you, please bring this back to the leader, Anemone,” insisted Pascal.

“This is…?” asked 2B.

It was an old model, but it looked like a fuel filter. It certainly wasn’t reminiscent of a disguised bomb.

“Anemone is in need of it. If you give it to her, I’m sure you’ll be able to see that we are a people that come from peace,” said Pascal.

“Roger that,” said 2B.

Pascal was probably not lying about his acquaintance, since he knew about the resistance camp and its leader, Anemone.

“That small path is a shortcut to the city ruins. It’s fairly straightforward from here,” said Pascal.

2B would have to ask Anemone and see if this “alliance” was indeed mutual, or if it was feigned.

They found out that Pascal had been telling the truth. As soon as 2B and 9S told Anemone that they had returned with an item from a Machine named Pascal, Anemone replied, “Ah, the fuel filter. Thanks.”

Apparently the Machines from that village specialized in fine precision work. They made parts that were difficult to manufacture at the resistance camp. Anemone and the resistance exchanged oils and other hard-to-obtain materials in return for the parts.

“Well, they’re a harmless bunch. There’s no need to worry. If you’re going back to the village, bring this for Pascal,” said Anemone.

2B and 9S revisited the village with a greasy can of oil from Anemone.

“Thank you so much for your effort,” said Pascal, bowing his head. He received the greasy oil from Anemone. It was uncomfortable to see and hear a Machine act in such a sophisticated way.

“I’m glad Anemone is a cooperative person. If only all androids and Machines could get along peacefully,” said Pascal.

“That’s nothing more than a dream,” said 9S. He was also probably getting uncomfortable. 9S argued that it was easier said than done.

“Machines have no emotions,” added 9S.

Those were harsh words for their host, who could understand what they were saying. But Pascal seemed to take no offense and replied, “You may be right.

“But if it’s not too much to ask,” insisted Pascal,” Please come by this village more often. I believe that the only way to reach mutual understanding is through communication.”

2B didn’t know how to answer. She felt like she couldn’t ignore the request, even though it was suggested by the enemy. If anything, he was right. But she didn’t want to admit it. 2B searched for the right reply. As if to disturb her thoughts, there was suddenly a sound similar to an earthquake or explosion.

“What was that?” 2B asked.

Pods 042 and 153 opened their communication displays as 2B and 9S exchanged glances. The voices of operators 6O and 12O started reporting the same news from pods 042 and 153.

“A Goliath-class enemy has appeared near the city ruins! There are multiple accompanying Machine signals!”

It was a combat order to all YoRHa squadron troopers. That earlier sound had come from the Goliath-class enemy.

“2B, these guys were trying to trap us all along…” said 9S, giving Pascal a look of exasperation.

His plan had probably been to lure 2B and 9S away and release the Goliath-class enemy while fewer personnel were stationed at the city ruins.

They hadn’t seen it, though a Goliath-class was an enemy large enough to make a mighty noise. If it was also being accompanied by multiple Machines, did luring two androids away make such a big difference?

“We were also not aware of that information. You may not believe me, but I hope you do,” said Pascal.

He was a Machine that should have no emotions, yet his tone of voice sounded somber.

“It’s okay either way. We’re going to go destroy it,” said 2B.

It didn’t matter if it was a trap or not. She was going to dismantle the enemy. That was her only job.

Even if Pascal desired communication, the YoRHa squadron troopers were built for battle. 2B bitterly remembered Pascal’s praise for Anemone’s cooperation and understanding.

2B could tell that the ground was shaking, even in full sprint. It wasn’t just the ground. The buildings and even the air were vibrating. It was easy to imagine how giant of an enemy was causing the ruckus.

But they could not get visuals on the Machine. There was a gray cloud, unidentifiable as dust or smoke, that covered their field of vision. 9S yelled, “2B!” from the side.

“Command deployed flight units! The building up ahead!” said 9S.

It was the roof of the building they had descended onto the other day. There were many similar buildings surrounding it, obscuring it from the prying eyes of enemies. The only downside was that it was far from the resistance camp and the area they were coming from.

The ground shook violently and a hot wind almost toppled her forward. A projectile had landed right behind them. If they hadn’t been running at full speed, it would’ve been a direct hit.

On the way they occasionally ran into wandering deer and boars. Even with their wild instincts, the animals were lost as to which direction to run for safety. The smell of burning flesh was proof that a significant number of animals had been caught in the crossfire.

On the other hand, they hardly saw any Machines. They had probably evacuated to safety right after the Goliath-class enemy appeared. Individually they were slow, but as a group they moved disturbingly quickly.

Their responsiveness always spelled trouble for the YoRHa squadron…

She ran with urgency up the stairs of the building and into the flight unit. She received a transmission from Operator 6O just as she was taking off.

“The sky is full of enemy antiflight measures. Please approach the scene at a low altitude.”

2B replied with a “Roger that” and lowered her altitude. With such poor field of vision, it was impossible to tell where the enemies were, much less dodge their attacks.

She passed between near-collapsing buildings and mowed down trees to close in on the Goliath-class enemy.

“Ms. 2B! I’m sending you data on the enemy’s weak points!” said Operator 6O.

“Roger that,” replied 2B.

She rapidly ascended and fired multiple missiles at the displayed points. This flight unit was of recent manufacture, but it had already been modified with measures against Goliath-class enemies. The battle data from the factory ruins had been analyzed and integrated into the firing components.

But this enemy was the same type as the one they had struggled with in the factory ruins. Even with the modified missiles, one attack was not enough to take down the enemy.

Avoiding the enemy’s laser cannons, 2B waited for her missiles to recharge. The downside of the newly issued unit was the slight delay needed for consecutive rounds of firing.

This time it was a transmission from 9S.

“Initiating hacking of the enemy system!” said 9S.

“Roger that. I’ll cover you,” replied 2B.

9S would take control of the enemy and 2B would destroy it. Last time they had lost out on numbers but this time there were only two enemies. This tactic was more than enough.

The enemy movements noticeably dulled. The missiles had recharged as well. 2B heard 9S report that his hacking was a success as she focused her aim.

The repeated hacking of 9S and firing from 2B eventually led to silence. The light in the enemy’s eyes vanished. The giant head slumped forward, pulling the body after it. 2B checked for the Machine’s signal. She was reminded of the countless times 9S had told her that it was dangerous unless she thoroughly checked that the enemy was dead.

“Goliath-class enemy, confirmation that all functions are down,” 2B reported clearly. The other enemy was on the verge of defeat. The surroundings were remarkably quiet compared to a few moments ago. Was the resistance camp okay? She told herself that she would go check after returning the flight unit to the Bunker.

Just then, she heard an ominous rumbling. Sounds similar to the earth rumbling became louder and higher in succession. The light returned to the eyes of the Goliath-class Machine.

“Impossible…” said 2B.

The enemy had definitely been dead. She had destroyed that arm with the blade as well. In reality, the enemy was functioning but not moving. There was no way it could move.

“Enemy is recharging!” screamed 9S.

His warning was drowned out. It was hard to hear anything because the atmosphere itself was shaking. The Operator’s voice came through in patches, reporting the increasing resonance from the enemy.

The shaking in the atmosphere grew into a shock wave. The most they could do was blast forward at full throttle to stay upright. They could hardly stay in position, much less transition to firing mode.

She thought she heard the words battle area, underground, and resonating, and moved her gaze to the ground. There was a crack. 2B gaped as building after building of considerable size was swallowed by the chasm, dust clouds rising everywhere.

The ground, the atmosphere, and everything around them was resonating. The Goliath-class Machine swayed and keeled over. She knew she had to withdraw, but she couldn’t move.

2B put her unit into full throttle and braced for a shockwave. She saw a white light. She thought she heard an explosion. There was a furious tremor.

Then, very abruptly, the light and noise disappeared. The silence was complete enough to make her think she was in outer space. Her auditory mechanisms were impaired from the shock wave.

2B’s ears rang. She grimaced and looked around to confirm 9S’s safety and gauge the situation. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Maybe her visual mechanisms were impaired as well.

All the things that should have been there, were not. The groups of buildings, the dense forest, the fragmented roads, and even the ground were all gone. There was a large crater, as if someone had taken an enormous spoon and scooped away the earth.

She righted her flight unit and flew over the depression. The Goliath-class Machine was not in sight. It was extremely lucky that both of them were okay given the scale of the explosion.

She breathed a sigh of relief. But it was drowned out by an obnoxious alarm. At the same time, the communication display turned into a sea of red.

“This is…?!” exclaimed 2B.

2B had never seen the words that were being displayed on the UI. alien alert—words that signified that the aliens, who had not shown themselves in several hundred years, were underground.

Another Side “EVE”

Big brother has always been by my side. I’ve always been with him, ever since I was born into this world and the moment my eyes saw light.

I already knew when I stood up onto my own legs. I knew what was valuable to me. What I had to protect. Nobody had taught me, but I knew. The answer was almost too obvious.

“Hey, big brother. Why do we have to wear such uncomfortable things like underwear?” asked Eve.

“According to records, humans concealed their genitals. Exposing your genitals was frowned upon, apparently. Just don’t complain and wear it, Eve,” demanded Adam.

“Okay. But why do we have to eat these plants? Machines don’t need to eat plants to function.”

“This is a type of fruit. Apparently humans were able to gain knowledge by eating this. Stop whining and eat in silence.”

“I see. If big brother says I should then I will. But after this, will you come play with me?”

“Sure.”

“Then I’ll try my best to eat it.”

I love to play, and it’s fun, but in reality we don’t have to play. As long as big brother is there, and he looks like he is having fun. I just said play, because big brother always looks like he’s having the most fun when we’re playing human.

Big brother, do you understand? I like to play, but I like it even more when you’re happy.

I know what you like, big brother. Ancient books written by humans. Footage of humans from a long time ago. You like anything the humans made, don’t you? When we play human, we use a table that looks just like the one from an ancient show.

If big brother could see a living human, I bet he’d be happy. If we could play with a living human, I bet big brother would have fun and smile.

“Big brother, let’s play,” said Eve.

“Not now,” replied Adam.

“Why not?”

“We’re going to have guests soon,”

“Guests? You mean that big sound just now?”

“No, that was an old Goliath-class weapon. I invited them with it.”

“Who’s them?

“You’ll know when you see them. I have to prepare the arrangements soon.”

“Big brother.”

“What?”

“Will you play with me after the preparations?”

“Not yet. I said there were going to be guests, right?”

“Then will you play with me once the guests come?”

“If we complete the objective.”

“How long will that take?”

“Let’s see… You can wait until then, right?”

“I’ll wait. So let’s play.”

“Only if you can keep our promise.”

“I will. If it’s a promise for my big brother, I’ll definitely keep it.”

If big brother is having fun, then I’m having fun. If big brother smiles, that makes me want to smile. It makes my stomach tingle with a warm feeling.

It’s because there’s no one else like big brother. There’s lots of Machines, but none of them are like us. I’m the only one that looks like big brother, and big brother is the only one that looks like me.

Even if we think differently and like different things, me and big brother will always be together. Isn’t that awesome?

Let’s play, big brother. Let’s get this over with and play.

Let’s play human, your favorite game. I’ll wear the annoying clothes and eat the funny-tasting plants. I’ll wait until it’s time.

Hey big brother, do you know what I like?