Work Text:
Pod 153 had done much in its life, and seen even more. It had been created with strict coding, detailing exactly what it could and could not do. There was no room for emotions or doubt, its only purpose was to carry out project YoRHa and give androids a god worth dying for. It was a surprise the first time it had noticed an unusual reading in its code after witnessing the death of unit 9S. It would liken it to pain, but that would be illogical, pods had no capability of feeling.
The odd code persisted in 153’s data banks even as it performed its self-repair routines, and with each new 9S to be dispatched in the name of Project YoRHa these errors increased in intensity. It would have been maddening had the pod been capable of such a thing. It didn’t make sense until unit 9S had explained it to him before calmly meeting his death. 9S was the pods treasure, the one the pod cared for dearly, and held above even its own mission and coding. It had learned to feel from observing 9S and 2E, watching their most intimate moments, every touch and look shared between the two across many lives.
153 would’ve felt hate for itself if it was capable of such a thing, but that was silly, pods don't feel. That still didn’t change what it did, aiding in the death of unit 9S to maintain project YoRHa. But why it did it had changed, before it was loyalty to project YoRHa born of code, but now it was loyalty to 9S born of feeling that drove it on. With every death after this realization, the pod reserved more and more of its storage space to back up the memories and feelings 9S had about 2B. It was starting to run out of room due to the quantity, but it refused to let even one of 9S’ precious treasures slip into oblivion. It couldn’t store them on the server due to risk of discovery and subsequent formatting, so it endured, trying its best to go on running with no spare space.
It hurt, but 153 was sure it would all be worth it in the end, that someday 9S would escape this cycle and could reclaim his own memories. That 153 would regain every version of its treasure that had slipped out of grasp so far. It had to be worth it, the pod had reasoned, it wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t. At one point being tired was a foreign concept to 153, but now it couldn’t remember the last time it wasn’t exhausted from the weight of its burden.
Sometimes when 153 was permitted to enter rest mode it would take the opportunity to pour over the vast library of memories it had acquired, every piece carefully documented and handled to ensure no harm would befowl them before they could be returned to their rightful owner. In those brief reprieves from the responsibility of assisting unit 9S it would use these memories to remind itself of what it fought for.
153 was saddened by this most recent cycle, watching its treasure deteriorate before its sensors due to the lack of unit 2B’s presence. Every attempt to correct the destructive behavior was refuted, the only thing 9S wanted was to destroy everything he could blame for 2B’s death. The urge to scream was overwhelming as 9S ascended the tower that had appeared within the city center, his mental state entering a state of accelerated decay with each new agitation.
“Pod 153! I order you to halt all logical thought and speech! This order shall remain in effect until you confirm the death of either myself or unit A2!” It was agony listening to that command, knowing when it could next act it would be too late. In the absence of any actions to be taken due to this new order the pod instead withdrew to the only place that things felt right, the memories of 9S prior to this cycle. 153 could feel 9S using its weapons to fight unit A2, but was helpless to stop it.
It didn’t take long for 153’s sensors to pick up the lack of black box activity, its former order ending and logical thoughts returning. And what was before it was devastating, both units A2 and 9S were dead. It was ironic in a way, 9S laying their impaled by Virtuous Contract, like so many times before. But this time there would be no reformatting, no new 9S, no treasure to serve faithfully. Only a feeling of emptiness at the knowledge that it was time to complete its mission. It was time to purge all data left in the dead YoRHa units, and in doing so complete its oldest directive.
In the end it had all been for nothing, all of the pain and suffering, the crushing weight of the memories stored in its data banks. The devotion to 9S and the dream of someday escaping this spiral. Perhaps unit 2B was right in wondering if they could ever kill god.
“Pod 042 to Pod 153. Data confirmed. Personal data for units 9S, 2B, and A2 appear to be leaking out.”
“Pod 153 to Pod 042. Follow project rules and delete all personal data.”
153 wondered if after it finished this last task it could perhaps slip into its memory banks and spend eternity there with its treasure, instead of facing the cruel world without 9S.