Chapter Text
(your actions have consequences)
A YoRHa unit stands in a long, white hall. He looks out the window to watch the moon.
There, the humans wait. They are waiting for the androids to win back Earth, to win back their home from the aliens.
The YoRHa unit loves the humans. He will do anything for them. Even if it was not programmed in him, he would still feel this way.
This is his purpose.
This is why he fights.
This is why he dies. and dies. and dies. and dies. and dies. and dies. and dies.
He cannot wait to meet them.
For the glory of mankind.
A rough tug alerted his system. The thrum of life rebooted deep within his chest. Jaehyun’s eyes fluttered open when there was another prod against his hand. A rat, he thought, must have been hungry.
Through his mask's eyes he was greeted with the sight of silver hair glimmering in the light.
“Why did I have to lose both my thumbs?” The other mumbled to himself as he fumbled with Jaehyun’s hand. Between the other’s pointer and middle finger was a fine, thin knife. It had already sliced a shaky cut around the meat of Jaehyun’s thumb. For a moment Jaehyun wondered if he should let the other take his thumb; it wasn’t as if he was going to use it. This scavenger was determined enough to stay functional so why stop them here?
A loud squeak interrupted his thoughts. The knife clattered against the tomes that surrounded them.
“You’re still functional,” said the scavenger, “shit, I’m sorry, I thought you weren’t.” Jaehyun sat up from the pile now that the secret was out. The scavenger was still crouched at Jaehyun’s level but had his hands up, palms facing Jaehyun, in an innocuous display. It gave Jaehyun easy access to the scavenger’s damage; the left hand was missing a thumb and a pinky and the right hand lost a thumb, middle and pointer finger. Each was taped over with a thick, electrical tape.
The scavenger had small hands. Jaehyun’s fingers would have looked a bit odd.
“It’s fine,” Jaehyun replied. He picked up the knife with the scavenger’s eyes following him. As he brought the point back to his palm the scavenger lunged forward.
“Stop that,” the scavenger scolded, “Are your brain functions damaged?” It was impressive how he could snatch the knife from Jaehyun’s grip with only three fingers.
“I’m not using them,” Jaehyun said.
“Obviously. Were they turned off when you went into deep sleep mode?” The scavenger’s smirk got an annoyed eye twitch from Jaehyun.
“My thumbs. I’m not using those.”
“Well, you’re going to.”
“No.” How the scavenger’s eyebrows furrowed made his large eyes narrow intimidatingly.
“What model are you? You seem to be an older build anyways.” Something in the way the scavenger said that sparked a feeling of defiance deep within Jaehyun. He was thankful he wore the large mask, or the other would have had access to just how easily he stirred feelings in Jaehyun that he hadn’t felt for, well, wasn’t sure how long. “We’re probably not compatible.”
Jaehyun reached for the knife but the scavenger moved quicker. He stood up and held it close against his chest.
The scavenger had silver hair pulled back into a ponytail; pieces slipped out and framed his face. Piercings were on full display along both his ears, small silver hoops going up each side. He wore a YoHRa unit uniform—black jacket, shorts, and boots—with a thin, black choker. The only piece missing was the black blindfold all deployed units wore.
Jaehyun adjusted his mask.
“All YoHRa units were built for easy repairs,” Jaehyun said, “You’re a scanner as well. Adjusting to my parts should be easy.” Something in his words made the scavenger’s eyebrow twitch.
“I’m not—“
The wall next to them blew apart; bricks and dust flying through the air, and a thick, grey machine arm gripped onto the floor boards. Jaehyun was yanked onto his feet and pulled away before he even had a chance to watch the red eyes of the machine peek through the debris.
What he did see, though, was two long, white swords materialize behind the scavenger’s back. Scanners weren’t programmed to wield weapons.
“Ugh, every time,” Yuta mumbled to himself as he shoved Jaehyun to crouch behind a shelf. The floor shook and the sound of a crumbling wall echoed. Typically when there were fights Jaehyun would just see himself out. It wasn’t any of his business what was happening and he never planned to make it. But this time his eyes flickered down to the YoRHa unit’s hands.
Rusted metal scraping against itself chorused. Jaehyun didn’t need to look to know there was more than just the big one.
The scavenger pulled out one of his swords. With a practiced hand he wrapped a cloth around the hilt and tied it tightly against his right palm.
“If you can’t fight, leave,” The scavenger said. There was no malice, no judgment in his tone but it shifted Jaehyun’s attitude. An old competitive streak was dusted off.
“It’s been a while but I’m sure I’ll keep up.” The scavenger raised a brow.
“Hm, if you say so. You’ll need a weapon.” He turned his back to Jaehyun. “Take my other sword.”
Jaehyun had the shorter of the two swords in his hand. It was heavier than it looked but Jaehyun’s build could keep up with it.
“See? Needed those thumbs in the end.” The scavenger winked at him before jumping off the library’s rickety balcony and into the swarm of machines below. Metal clashed and engines combusted. Jaehyun hesitated. It’s been so long.
He jumped.
A machine lifeform approaches the YoRHa unit. Its eyes glow red. It is programmed by the aliens to fight androids.
They do not think like androids do.
They must be removed. The humans need a safe place to come back to.
The YoRHa unit has destroyed countless machine lifeforms. One more is nothing.
The woods outside of the library were silent. Jaehyun huffed to expel the heat from his systems. The scavenger was at his side, certainly not breathing as heavy but Jaehyun could still feel the heat radiating through his jacket.
“Your arm…” The scavenger’s eyes trailed down Jaehyun’s upper arm to the open wires where his forearm used to be. There was no pain since he had turned off the receptors the moment the wires snapped but looking at it still made him flinch.
“Well, lost your backup fingers,” Jaehyun said. The laugh from the scavenger startled him. The other threw his head back as he cackled, mouth wide and eyes scrunched up in delight. The sunlight made his silver hair shine with the colors of the rainbow.
“We still have your other hand.” The smile continued to light up his face. Jaehyun almost expected to see a flush of life along his cheeks. Both swords vanished, sheathing themselves among the scavenger’s system. “We should really get repaired. With the machines becoming more aggressive again we’ll need to be fully functional.” The scavenger stretched his arms over his head, unaware of the internal chaos he created within Jaehyun.
We? When was the last time he was ever referred to as such. It was a choice on his part, to hide and to be alone, but something in the way the scavenger carried himself had him hesitating.
“Unless,” the voice snapped Jaehyun out of his thoughts to meet with curious eyes, “you’re too scared to venture out? I could come back with an arm for you.” Maybe Jaehyun was seen through already. It made something prick under his skin.
“I’ll come.” The YoRHa unit smirked.
“By the way, my name is Yuta.” That had Jaehyun raise a brow. YoRHa units names were a number and their class. He couldn’t help but wonder where Yuta had gotten his name from.
“Jaehyun.”
The YoRHa unit wonders if he would be happier if he did not know.
The file sits in his system. It is the truth about the humans, about the aliens, about why YoRHa was made.
The humans have been dead for thousands of years.
The lie is meant to give androids purpose.
His chest starts to hurt. It feels like a pressure is crushing his systems. He turns off his nervous system. The pressure is still there.
He cannot stay with YoRHa. He will not share this truth. Ignorance will keep them happy.
He was happy?
Compared to their meeting, the walk towards the nearest settlement was peaceful.
“There should be a small group of androids to the North,” Yuta had supplied. The last time Jaehyun was awake (773 years, 64 days, 7 hours, 23 seconds ago) a small faction of machines set up a kingdom of sorts. They were relatively peaceful if left unbothered. He remembered having to go around the grand stone castle and seeing the machines carry out their impression of army drills.
“I read that a royal family lived there in the Old World.” Yuta had pulled out a book some time ago and flipped through it while expertly dodging trees. The cover was eroded as well as many of the pages. Nonetheless, Yuta was engrossed.
“Where?”
“The north, where we’re going. I read there’s this castle and only the most elite humans could live there. Never found out what elite meant to them. Some bits show these royal humans as if they’re gods but others show them as greedy and selfish.”
“Androids live there now?” Yuta nodded.
“It’s fairly recent. Previously a machine colony lived there but was wiped out by two YoRHa units. I think there might be some texts on the Old World there so I was heading that way originally.”
“Weren’t YoRHa units installed with history on the Old World?”
“We were told it was unnecessary. Seeing as they withheld the truth about human extinction I guess they didn’t want to chance us ever finding out the truth.” Jaehyun stopped.
“They told the truth?” Yuta’s head shot around. His wide eyes looked over Jaehyun.
“You knew,” Yuta stated. Every expression of genuine emotion from Yuta felt like a punch to the gut. It was natural for a YoRHa unit to be upset about human extinction, it was the reason they were built after all: “For the glory of mankind.” But it felt less like someone grieving the truth, more like anger about a lie.
“I’ve been around for a very long time,” Jaehyun said, “I didn’t think the higher ups in the YoRHa project would come clean though.”
“They didn’t do it by choice…it was leaked after the fall of YoRHa.”
“The fall?”
“The systems were injected with a virus. Any unit linked to the bunker was infected and became violent. Most of them have been destroyed.” Yuta had stopped focusing on the book for some time. His eyes were glassy. His pace never faltered.
To see those you grew around lose themselves, to watch them fall apart in front of you, it was something no one could come out of unscathed. Regardless of how you were made it would stick with you. The fragility of ‘life’, even between wires.
He spends so much time alone.
He is a rogue YoRHa unit. The title makes him a vagabond.
He cannot stay in android camps. They do not care, they tell him, but they have contacts within YoRHa.
So he roams the overgrown cities of the Old World.
He watches the animals build nests for their eggs, collect nuts for their young, run through the meadows as a group.
A lone wolf limps. Its leg is bloody and fur matted. It whimpers but doesn’t stop.
The YoRHa unit follows the lone wolf.
It felt wrong to sit around a bunch of disassembled machines but the battle left Jaehyun’s systems warming up. He was going to just pick up and go but Yuta pointed out that steaming from his ears might not be the most natural thing for an android. It had Jaehyun wondering how much damage his systems endured from the erosion of time. Two fights never left him so winded before.
The juxtaposition of the bolts and scraps of dead machines to Yuta lying on his stomach in the grass was jarring. It made the old feeling of nausea roll around his insides but he knew the ghost of a feeling would be just that.
With the silence stretching and Yuta flipping through another book (this one actually had a hard cover but it looked to be missing chunks of pages) Jaehyun felt the pull to fill the silence with something that he had been wondering about.
“Scanners were the only male YoRHA units.” Yuta didn’t look up. He flipped through another page, cheek resting on his palm, the picture of unbothered.
“Correct,” Yuta’s voice was flat.
The silence stretched between them. Yuta wasn’t going to give more than what Jaehyun asked for—if even that.
“What unit are you?”
“Why does it matter to you?” Jaehyun stopped. Why did it matter to him? Why does he care so much if this male unit wasn’t a scanner? It doesn’t change the fact that he can fight, and fight well. YoRHa was gone anyways.
“It’s—“ Jaehyun paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts together before he spoke out of line. Again. “YoRHa stated that male units didn’t work well together, so they made all battle units female. The logic never made sense but I assumed it had to be something deeper in the wiring than the shell they put it in.” Yuta hummed to show he was listening. “I guess I was curious to see how…human androids have become. It was strange to see them care about gender in the first place.”
“How human?”
“Like your name—you make choices like that, it’s all very human of you.”
“You talk about humans as if you knew one.” There was an expectant eyebrow raise but Jaehyun stayed silent. After an unmoving moment, their eyes never leaving the other, did Yuta sigh.
“An eye for an eye,” Yuta said, “I’ll share only if you share something with me as well.” It was bold of Jaehyun to think Yuta would share something for nothing. All those centuries asleep must have degraded his understanding of relationships. It wasn’t as if Jaehyun had anything to lose by sharing; he could barely recall the last time he spoke this much, let alone shared anything about who he was.
He had nothing to lose.
“Alright.” Yuta’s eyes widened. He leaned back, relaxed his shoulders, and tilted his head to the side.
“I didn’t think you’d agree so easily,” he said. Jaehyun just shrugged. “I’ll start then—did you choose the name Jaehyun?”
“I did.”
“That’s very human of you,” Yuta mimicked with a teasing smile, “Why did you change your name?”
“The name I had before was for someone else. If you’re not a scanner, what unit are you?”
“I’m a battler, B unit, 7B. A few years after I was created I decided I wanted a different body model. When I disconnected from the bunker I chose a new name.”
“You disconnected? Before the bunker fell?”
“Yes, but it was close to the fall.” Yuta looked up to the never changing sky. “How long have you been operational?” It barely took a second for Jaehyun’s systems to run the numbers.
“7,748 years.” Yuta jumped. His wide eyes sparkled in the sunlight. He leaned forward and Jaehyun stayed still.
“What?” Yuta’s voice cracked. Every display of emotion from him that felt so open, so real, made Jaehyun do a double take on what year it was. “Over 7,000–that means you were there for the last of the humans. You knew they were gone by the time the aliens landed. You—how are you still operational?”
“The last few thousands of years I spent mostly in deep sleep mode. I would only wake up to move locations if I was found.” Yuta slowly leaned back against the wall. Jaehyun could see the gears turning in his head.
“That’s why you knew the truth about the humans.” Jaehyun could practically see the list of questions forming so he stood up before Yuta had the chance.
“Let’s head out. I really miss having an arm.”
Will the wolf die? The YoRHa unit wonders. Was it left by its pack because it was weak?
The wolf lets out a weak howl.
The pressure on the YoRHa unit’s chest returns.
The wolf was abandoned.
He was abandoned.
The YoRHa unit moves out from behind the tree, determined to help. But before he can the sound of howls echo through the forest. Three wolves run up to the injured one, sniffing it, nudging it with their snouts, one even offers a bloody rabbit.
The lone wolf is no more.
The YoRHa unit stands by.
Alone.
The current world felt a bit familiar.
When they had met with the android colony Jaehyun didn’t expect them to do anything for free but he didn’t realize just how standoffish they would be. It reminded him of a time before he was full of wires.
“To the west…” Yuta mumbled to himself. He looked out, probably marking the map in his systems of where they had to go.
They were on the outskirts of the settlement. A long, shaky, wooden bridge was the only thing connecting the castle to the mainland. It sat on a lonely island of land surrounded by a deep canyon. For the price of an arm and some fingers they were given the mission to clear out a group of violent machine lifeforms to the east. They were expected to wipe them out without the repairs.
“We could have just run away with our new parts if they expected us to do it after,” Yuta said when Jaehyun commented on it. It made sense. Didn’t mean he was happy about it. If only Jaehyun still had both his hands and could just give them to Yuta so he could return to his long naps.
He could just leave now. He didn’t need another arm to sleep. It was just the thought of leaving Yuta, with his busted hands and useless piercings, that kept him following along. Maybe once Yuta is repaired he’ll stop worrying.
Yuta reached into one of his pouches and sprinkled the ground in front of him with seeds. A squirrel scurried over to inspect what he threw. It seemed disappointed when it lifted its head. It squeaked and twitched its tail. Yuta tilted his head to the side.
"Not those?" He said to the squirrel. He pulled out an acorn this time. Did he just have a collection of assorted possibly-something-an-animal-will-like food? The squirrel jumped onto Yuta's boot and got a chuckle out of him. "Okay, okay, here you go." Yuta didn't even have time to fully bend over before the squirrel snatched up the acorn and bolted away. "Rude…" Yuta pouted.
"Why do you do that?" Jaehyun spoke up.
"Why wouldn't you?" Yuta didn't wait for Jaehyun's reply before walking towards their destination.
"The animals know how to survive without our help."
"Of course they do, but it harms no one to do something nice."
He could remember a time when the world was full of life. When trees were filled with music, when sidewalks were lined with food stalls, when the murmur of voices was constant background noise. Jaehyun could see himself between two people by a lake. The smell of freshly cut grass filled his lungs while the touch of the sun caressed his cheeks. The person to his left handed him a small bag with seeds in it. The eyes of the ducks leveled him as they swam to the edge.
Flecks of white had fallen to his feet.
It did not matter if he kept the secret.
The bunker falls. So many YoRHa units along with it. How many survived, if any?
Every android learns the truth. Humans are extinct. The mission was a lie.
What are they to do now?
The YoRHa unit has been wondering for a long time now.
So many are at a loss
But why does he still feel so
alone?
A small, blue feather always dangled from Yuta’s neck. It was attached to a thick black necklace and was usually tucked inside his jacket. Like clockwork, Yuta would reach inside, look it over, and stuff it back inside. At first Jaehyun thought nothing of it, or rather, was too enamored with Yuta’s humanity to tell it apart from anything else he did. But the longer they walked together through the endless day the easier it became to pick up on Yuta habits.
Was the feather from someone? Yuta seemed the type to be sentimental. Maybe it was someone from the bunker who he left behind. Maybe it was an android that he longed to see.
An eye for an eye. If Jaehyun wanted to know about something so personal he would have to offer something in return.
Yuta tucked the feather into his jacket. Jaehyun tucked the chin of his mask against his sternum.
“Why are androids still fighting with the machine life forms?” Jaehyun said.
“It’s not with all of them, just the violent ones.” Yuta sucked his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s a lie. Some androids still fight because that’s all they know.”
“They’re still fighting even though no one is commanding them.”
“It is what we were made for.”
“What about you?”
“I...would rather not fight.”
“What do you want?”
Yuta opened his mouth but stopped. It wasn’t hesitation. Yuta slowed down as his eyes traced the skyline. He fidgeted with the piercings in his ear. Jaehyun wanted to grab his hand, hold his fingers between his own, feel the life thrumming through him. Would he feel his heart skip a beat? Would there be warmth between them?
His hand twitched.
“For someone who chose to sleep through everything…” Yuta turned his head and caught Jaehyun’s eyes through the mask, “You’re awfully curious. Why not stay awake with me longer after all this is done.” The smile that followed lit up Yuta’s entire face. His mouth was wide, eyes crinkled in delight, and perfect teeth on display.
“Sure,” Jaehyun said before his brain processors could churn through what Yuta said, “Sure, I’ll stick around.”
The pressure on his chest lingers.
The feeling gnaws at his wiring.
His systems report is clear. Maybe his scanner is faulty, he reasons. Maybe there are bugs in between his hardware. Maybe his body is finally breaking down.
A medic android opens his chest and finds nothing wrong.
The files from YoRHa have nothing on the issue.
There have to be answers somewhere.
From the corner of Jaehyun’s eye he sees the shadows of them. They linger on the edges of his sight; Never in focus but solid enough to be a constant reminder. Never do they make a noise. But their eyes, he can’t meet them, but he can feel their eyes searing the skin off his metal skeleton.
When his eyes were closed for years upon years they’d seep into his dreams. Memories of times when the sun would set over the horizon. Times when the stars twinkled above them as their laughter echoed. Times when the world was covered in thick white flakes and pillars of salt haunted the streets. Times when their eyes glowed red when they turned to him.
What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want? What do they want?
He couldn’t breathe.
“What do you think happens when we die?” Yuta looked up from his book. When he tilted his head the array of metal along his ears sparkled in the sunlight. What did it feel like to pierce an android? Did Yuta have skin like that of a human in texture? Was under the soft “flesh” imitation nerves? Or did the fake nervous system not extend that far? Jaehyun’s fingers clutched the book he abandoned long ago.
Yuta spoke, Jaehyun watched his mouth move but he didn’t process it. There was a furrow between Yuta’s brows as he took in Jaehyuns’ appearance. Jaehyun’s fingers fluttered over the edge of his mask. Yuta couldn’t see. He couldn’t see his face but why did it feel like he could.
“What?” Jaehyun said. He needed the conversation to keep moving. More eyes were on him than he would even feel comfortable with.
“Androids don’t die. We can be moved to new bodies if our current one fails.”
“YoRHa collapsed, finding spare parts has been getting difficult. What happens when you can’t transfer to a new body?” Jaehyun’s voice was light, inquisitive and his eyes didn’t stray from Yuta. Yuta turned the worn book around in his hands. His full lips were pursed as he thought.
“I guess…we just stop existing.” Yuta’s shoulders tensed. “Humans never found out what happened after their bodies failed,” Jaehyun felt something in his chest stutter, “but they believe in an ‘afterlife,’ an extended existence they were granted.” His voice was lifeless, as if he were reading a passage of text. It made something knot in Jaehyun's throat.
“Is that what you believe?”
“Does it matter? We’re not human.”
“That’s not what I asked,” Jaehyun’s voice was not unkind but it was strained. “What do you believe?”
“I…” Yuta flipped through the pages of his book without objective. “I want there to be something else. I don’t want to just…stop.” The book closed with finality. Yuta’s eyes shone. Jaehyun wanted to reach out. “And I think I’d like to be remembered.”
A flock of birds shook the leaves from a nearby tree and took flight.
There was only one pair of eyes on Jaehyun.
The YoRHa unit stands in a clearing.
He feels the warmth of the sun on his skin.
He smells the wild flowers surrounding his feet.
He hears the song of birds within the trees.
What is my purpose, he wonders, why do I exist?
A bird flutters onto his shoulder. It preens its wings from its perch.
He holds out seeds he collected. The bird hops into his palm for a small feast.
Maybe, this is enough.
When he was younger he remembered large, colorful tents and shouts of joy. If he closed his eyes he could see his parent’s backs as they pulled him through the crowds; sweet smells seeped into the air. The full moon glowed in the sky. His heart was warm behind his ribs.
“Humans liked this kinda thing?” Yuta said when they both stopped in front of the large, worn down gates to a surprisingly alive amusement park. The hinges of the gates were rusted to hell and a few of the doors were piled to the side.
In the distance was a rollercoaster with a few carts still going strong, a large, lit ferris wheel spinning, fireworks periodically shooting off, and an upbeat tune thumping along.
“Seems like machines like it,” Jaehyun said.
Past the gates was a group of machines dressed in various attempts of clown outfits complete with face paint. The tall bulky ones that had guns for hands were shooting out balloons instead of bullets. The little stubby ones were throwing confetti instead of throwing hands.
Yuta tilted his head to the side as he observed them. His swords were materialized on his back but he made no move for them.
“They’re....kinda cute.” Yuta finally said.
“Whenever machines mimic humans-” Jaehyun said while he moved closer to the gates, “-It reminds me of a child copying their parents.”
“Huh.” Yuta stepped up next to him, looked him over with a bit too keen of an eye, then tilted his head towards the cheerful machines. “Those androids said they were hostile, right?”
“Hmm, maybe they have something against fun.” Yuta barked out a laugh.
“Let’s see if these machines can talk.”
The bird comes back.
It sits on the YoRHa unit’s shoulder and stares at him with its beady eyes. It takes more seeds but does not leave once it is done.
The YoRHa unit hesitantly takes a step forward. The bird stays.
The bird stays as he travels across the city overgrown with plants. The bird stays as he crosses over rivers and streams. The bird stays when he searches through crumbling book shelves.
The pressure on the YoRHa unit’s chest lifts.
“Welcome!” “Welcome!” “Welcome!”
The machines who spun around the broken fountain didn’t stop at their approach. They continued to twirl with their colorful confetti but that didn’t keep them from greeting Jaehyun and Yuta. Both of the androids paused in front of this cute dance.
“I almost don’t want to bother them,” said Yuta. His eyes followed the smaller machines. Jaeyun wasn’t sure if Yuta noticed but he had started tapping his finger to the beat the machines were moving at.
Closer to the heart of the park was a machine that hovered over the ground in a saucer shaped pad. It didn’t move around like the other machines but it held up a triangular, colorful flag.
“Let’s try talking to that one,” Jaehyun said and pointed to the floating one.
“Welcome!” It greeted them in the same chirpy voice. “Here to enjoy the thrill of the Amusement Park?” Jaehyun kept a step behind Yuta.
“Hello, not quite,” Yuta said, taking the lead with a smile, “We heard reports of trouble here. Have you all been alright?” The machine hovered at eye level with Yuta. Its beady eyes were framed in red paint and a smile was crudely drawn where its voice box was.
“Everything is fine and fun at the Amusement Park!” The machine cheered. Confetti popped from the arm of the large one that stood by. Yuta didn’t flinch and instead gave a light, feathery chuckle to the larger machine.
“I’m glad to hear that then.” Yuta looked so fondly at the machines. Something itched under his skin. An urge, maybe, a curiosity to see if the other androids could be so friendly with what was once considered their enemies. If the androids at the castle were anything to go by it might be as rare as Yuta seemed.
“Join us for a day of fun!” A similar floating machine, this one with a wig, scooted over to convince Yuta.
“The Amusement Park is one of the greatest experiences on Earth!”
“I want to see what humans found fun,” Yuta said as he grabbed Jaehyun’s only wrist with what fingers he had left. A small spark ran along Jaehyun’s arm. Maybe later he should tell Yuta they need to redo the electrical tape. “Nothing wrong with a little break, right? Let’s think of it as part of our investigation.” Yuta continued to try and convince Jaehyun as if he even needed to.
“Let’s go on the rollercoaster first.” He knew Yuta couldn’t see through the mask but the way Yuta’s face split into a smile when Jaehyun felt his own face light up had something skip a beat in his chest.
Fighting is inevitable for a YoRHa unit.
A tall machine with a large build and long arms swings towards him.
He no longer wishes to fight. But he wishes to live even more.
He is not sure why.
With a long, thin sword the YoRHa unit cuts down the machine.
When he is sure the threat is gone, that is when he realizes.
Where did the bird go?
“Yuta, Yuta,” Jaehyun chuckled, “You don’t stand on it.”
From atop the roller coaster carts, Yuta balanced himself behind the chair. He stood with a slight bend in his knees as he readied for it to go forward. Yuta looked at him with wide, curious eyes. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything.
“What?”
“You’re supposed to sit in it.” Jaehyun slid into the same cart Yuta stood on. “Humans weren’t built like androids. If they stood on this they’d fall and die.” Yuta looked at the ground below. Jaehyun could practically see the calculations buzzing through Yuta’s HUD.
“Oh, that makes sense.” Yuta carefully slipped into the seat next to Jaehyun. “Humans were fragile.” He watched Jaehyun pull down the safety bar until it clicked in their laps.
“This will keep us from falling off.” Yuta wiggled the bar. He raised a brow when the bar squeaked loudly.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Maybe we should tell the machines they’ll need to make some repairs.”
The YoRHa unit whips his head around wildly.
The bird kept to his shoulder, was it harmed? Did the battle scare it away?
Pressure is building in his chest again.
I do not wish to be alone, the YoRHa unit thinks, not again.
The bird flutters down from a nearby tree with a small chirp.
With it returned to the android’s shoulder he makes a new promise.
He will keep this small bird safe.
“Humans did a lot of sitting at these, huh,” Yuta said after Jaehyun explained that a ferris wheel was something to sit inside and not jump on. The disappointment in Yuta’s voice made Jaehyun snort.
“Maybe you’ll just have to make one of these for androids.” A purple carriage stopped for them. Jaehyun tugged the door open and motioned for Yuta to go in first. The carriage tugged Jaehyun forward the moment Yuta sat down and dragged him off the ground, only his one arm on the door keeping him up. Yuta’s laugh echoed out of the carriage and when he moved to help Jaehyun up the whole thing shook. It made Yuta stumble and laugh even harder.
“Is this part of the ride too? Did humans use this to build their muscle?” Yuta teased. Jaehyun had pulled himself up as much as he could with his limited functions but Yuta pulled him in the rest of the way much like one would hold up a cat.
“You can add that to your version.”
With the door barely locked into place Yuta’s attention went to look out the window.
There was a time when the sun would set on this planet. The sky would be dark, the stars would glisten, and windows would glow. During that distant past Jaehyun sat in a ferris wheel with a few faces he can no longer recall. When they had reached the top the city in front of them would twinkle in the dark. Everything felt so vast then.
Now, with Yuta across from him and the suns never ending light gracing them, everything felt so much smaller. It was just them. Three arms and a grand total of ten fingers. An android who had seen the world go through its life cycle two times over and a YoRHa unit with no purpose to return to.
If Jaehyun took the mask off, would it be his own face behind it now?
Yuta’s hand pressed against his chest. The blue feather that he wore around his neck must’ve been there.
“Your necklace,” Jaehyun said. Yuta tore his attention away from the scene to focus on Jaehyun. “You touch it a lot.” Yuta raised a brow at that. Jaehyun repeated the action even though Yuta wouldn’t see it.
“A question for a question,” Yuta sing-songed. He crossed his legs and leaned closer to Jaehyun. With how Yuta’s eyes scanned over Jaehyun’s mask he knew what the question in return would be. Would there be a risk in being seen anymore?
“Why is the necklace important to you?” Without hesitation, Yuta pulled out the necklace from inside his jacket. The blue feather barely curled against his chest and nothing else was on the string to decorate it. It was rather plain for an android who pierced his ears for no reason other than aesthetic.
“I…made it to keep a friend close to me.” Yuta’s voice was oddly small, as if he shouldn’t be admitting to this outloud. With gentle hands he cupped the feather and brought it closer to his face. His eyes shone with a cocktail of love, longing, grief, and Jaehyun drank it all in. “It’s all I physically have left of them. I wanted them to see more of this world with me.” That took the metaphorical breath out of Jaehyun’s chest.
Before Jaehyun could even think to speak, Yuta followed up, “Why do you wear that mask?”
He knew the question was coming but he still had no idea how to answer it. The silence didn’t shake Yuta; he leaned back and waited with so much patience.
“It’s…” Jaehyun started but trailed off, brain processors churning but nothing useful, “seeing this face makes me remember too much and too little. It feels like a lie but also the truth.”
“Were you modeled after someone?” Human . Yuta wanted to ask if Jaehyun was modeled after a human and he couldn’t help the humorless chuckle.
“I was modeled after me.”
“What?” Yuta asked, not even sparing a moment to let that settle. Their agreement was long forgotten. Yuta had shared so much with Jaehyun after all this time together anyways, even if he didn’t realize it.
“I’m the first, and possibly only, unit to have a human's memories transferred to an android body.” Yuta froze. His eyes didn’t leave Jaehyun’s. Their carriage reached the top and stopped.
“You…were a human?”
A rumble shook the ferris wheel. Fire licked up at the sky. By the entrance of the park were puffs of dark clouds. Yuta was on his feet first.
“A machine just imploded.” The swords were on his back in a flash and one was already being held out for Jaehyun. “Don’t lose your other arm. Someone still needs fingers.” Yuta smirked at Jaehyun before jumping out of the carriage.
The moment was lost, but possibly for the better.
Jaehyun rolled his shoulders, as if he even had bones to crack, and hopped out after Yuta.
Time does not work the same for all.
The YoRHa unit believes that as long as he keeps the bird safe it will never leave.
This is true; the bird will never willingly leave him. But the bird has no control over time.
The bird gets older. And older. And older. And older. And older.
Until one day it does not wake up.
The sight before Jaehyun sent a chill up his spine. Pieces of machines—those who were just spinning in delight—were littered around the fountain. Face plates with drawn smiles. Confetti burnt to ash. A small group of machines who were still functioning huddled next to a building, shaking and holding each other.
In front of Yuta was a large tank. It had ten stubby machines with jester hats each stationed behind a gun. The body of the tank was decorated much like the park, with strips of lights and paint. All the machines on the tank had eyes glowing red: ready for battle.
“Here too?!” Yuta yelled in frustration as he dodged a line of purple bullets. From the other side of the tank they fired at the huddled machines. Jaehyun slashed the large bullets before it had the chance to kill any more.
“I think we might be in over our heads with this one,” Jaehyun shouted to Yuta as he cleared another line. Yuta jumped on the top of the tank and sunk his sword through the machine at the highest point.
“Aw, don’t think you can handle this?” Yuta mocked. Jaehyun knew he didn’t mean it. If Jaehyun wanted to back out of this fight Yuta would let him go without judgment—but he also liked to rile Jaehyun up. Maybe he liked seeing the human side of Jaehyun as much as he enjoyed Yuta’s.
“I’ll be fine,” Jaehyun said as he got in closer to the machines along the tank’s flank, “Seems like you’re having trouble holding that sword, though.” Which wasn’t a lie. The strip of fabric that Yuta used to tie it to his hand had seen better days—edges worn and weak. The few fingers held on tight and as long as he didn’t lose another, Yuta should be fine.
Jaehyun swung and destroyed a machine. On his side he narrowly avoided being hit by another machine. Yuta flew down to smash it before it tried for Jaehyun again.
“Sweet of you to be worried about me but you’ll need to keep that arm if you’re to keep fighting.”
That’s how their fight went along; banter between the two of them as they avoided the dwindling amount of bullets from the tank. Every fight, even with their lacking assets, became easier between the two of them. They became familiar with the dance of another, of how to watch their back and each other’s.
When the last machine was downed and the tank stopped its pursuit, Jaehyun flopped down on the edge of the fountain. His systems flashed a heat warning on the edge of his vision as if the excessive panting wasn’t sign enough.
Yuta had hurried over to the machines who were still functioning.
“Why did they attack us?”
“We all agreed to have fun.”
“Are they gone forever?”
The machines couldn’t cry, they weren’t built to have that function, nor could their voices fluctuate in tone like theirs, but somehow their grief, their anguish, could still be felt. Jaehyun could do nothing but watch as Yuta placed a soothing hand on the machine’s heads.
After a few more moments of Yuta speaking with the machines he went to Jaehyun’s side.
“Everything alright?” Yuta asked. Jaehyun nodded, his breathing finally stabilizing, but watched the machines pick up the parts of their old friends.
“I don’t understand what happened,” Jaehyun said, “These machines are so peaceful. It doesn’t make sense for them to suddenly turn on each other.”
“I may have your answer,” said a feminine voice from above.
Another machine flew down next to Jaehyun using the crude pipe from its back to shoot out fire to keep it afloat. The machine had longer legs and arms than the stubby counterparts but also wasn’t as big and bulky as the ones with gun hands. It shook very lightly from the power of its gears and had five tiny holes along the bottom of its head for ventilation and a speaker.
“Hello, my name is Taeil,” said the machine.
“I’m Yuta, and this is Jaehyun.” Yuta smiled kindly at Taeil. “You know why machine lifeforms have suddenly become violent?” Taeil nodded.
“I’ve been studying this weird phenomenon. Much like these machines there are other groups of pacifist machines.”
“Pacifist machines?” Jaehyun asked.
“They’re machines who disconnected from the machine network. They don’t wish to fight anymore for their own reasons. Usually this means they want to become more human.”
“More human?” machines weren’t built like androids. Androids were made to mimic humans, that’s why they have so many personalities, why they breathe, why they eat, why they bleed ; machine lifeforms weren’t built with the same intention. Jaehyun glanced at the mourning machines. But was the purpose of their existence that important?
“Yes, I’ve been able to assist quite a few others in exploring their emotions.” Yuta seemed to take everything with much more grace than Jaehyun did. Maybe it was from all the long naps. Maybe Jaehyun really should stay up longer this time.
“What about the machines who are still connected to the machine network?”
“Well, actually, machines are no longer connected to the network. It collapsed recently and all machines have slowly been gaining their own mind.” Yuta crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. Jaehyun, on the other hand, was barely following. He didn’t realize just how much he must have slept through.
“Oh, wait, that explains a lot then,” Yuta said.
“Please explain it to me,” Jaehyun quickly added.
“You’ve been asleep for most of this but after the fall of YoRHa a strange tower appeared.” Yuta joined Jaehyun to sit along the fountain as he recounted major events that Jaehyun was blessedly ignorant of. “That, too, quickly fell apart. Whatever was in there must have held the ‘machine network’ because every single machine lifeform discontinued their violence towards androids.”
“We’ve been attacked quite a few times since I woke up,” Jaehyun pointed out.
“Those are the abnormalities,” Taeil joined in, “Some machines may choose to be violent now, but that is different from these machines who seem to attack mindlessly. For example…” Taeil turned to the tank. With a somber tone, he continued, “this tank class machine. Even before the fall of the network the machines had already disconnected. They decided that they wanted their purpose to be one of spreading joy, so they learned about the amusement parks that humans loved so much and repaired one.”
As Taeil spoke he moved his arms around, twisted his wrists, and his shoulders would rise and fall with his tone. Machines didn’t have a need for body language. They didn’t talk with their hands, they didn’t need to have another machine understand their point, they didn’t need to express themselves—and yet, there was Taeil.
Humanity was bleeding into everything living thing, even without humans here.
“Even if they were still connected to the machine network their single mission would have been to destroy the enemy—androids. They have no reason to attack other machines. It’s so sad to see such happy machines turned like this.” Taeil tilted his head down. Both Yuta and Jaehyun let the silence stretch. Jaehyun sent a silent wish for all the machines lost today.
He saw Yuta’s hands grip the fountain tighter. Acting on instinct Jaehyun placed his hand over Yuta’s.
His grip loosened.
“During my research,” Taeil continued, turning back to both of them, “I have a hypothesis that these machines have contracted some type of virus. Although, I haven’t had a chance to test that theory. My software, unfortunately, isn’t advanced. If I were to hack into another machine I may suffer the same as them.”
“Have you tried finding any lingering YoRHa scanner units?” Yuta asked. “They would be your best bet.”
“Unfortunately I have yet to come across any. As you know, many of them fell due to a virus of their own.” Taeil took a step closer to them. “That aside, let me help you both.”
“Huh?”
“You have suffered damages. I’m not very familiar with android repair but I’m sure I can at least give you proper substitutes until you can find someone more qualified.”
Yuta and Jaehyun exchanged a quick look before Jaehyun spoke up, “That would be amazing. Thank you.” Taeil couldn’t smile but Jaehyun could feel it when he spoke.
“Of course. Let me grab a few things first.”
The YoRHa unit is confused. Why isn’t the bird waking up? Is it more tired than usual?
He lets the bird sleep longer but he gets lonely. He nudges the bird but it does not move.
It does not breathe.
He presses his fingers against the bird. Its heart no longer beats.
Why? Will it start up again? It has to. He keeps the bird safe.
So he walks with the bird’s limp body in his hands.
Jaehyun sat by diligently as Taeil began his repairs on Yuta’s hand. He had asked, of course, if it would be alright to observe. “I’d love to share my knowledge,” Taeil said and so Jaehyun followed every moment, every step, and kept a mental log of what Taeil was doing.
Every so often he’d ask a question and Taeil would patiently explain. Taeil’s tone, the voice he chose, was feminine and soothing. With every answered question Jaehyun began to understand the point in the choice. If Taeil were to sit down and teach machines about emotions he’d have to be approachable. But how was he even aware of what type of voice would work? Were there books from the Old World still around about it?
He wasn’t sure how a machine could feel but there was no doubt that Taeil was very much alive in that aspect.
“You’re awfully interested for someone who, not too long ago, was sleeping centuries away,” Yuta said, light hearted, but still prodding enough.
“Well, one of us has to know how to do repairs,” Jaehyun said, “Can’t have our type-b unit unable to fight.”
When it was Jaehyun’s turn he was just as attentive. There wasn’t much difference between how Taeil would go about repairing them which caught Jaehyun off-guard. “Your hardware isn’t as up-to-date but it’s also not as old as you think. Whoever you’ve gone to for repairs before must have given you the most recent parts.” Jaehyun wasn’t sure how to tell Taeil that 700 years was still quite a time ago, even for never aging androids. He wasn’t well known among androids—only the older ones had any idea he existed—and even less knew the origins of how he was created. He could feel the phantom sensation of the hair on his neck standing up.
Yuta sat back quietly but Jaehyun could see his eyes watching every move Taeil made.
“Alright, let me know if you have any connectivity issues,” Taeil said. His new arm was crude, nothing like the human copycat arm that androids had but rather just the ‘bones’ found underneath. It was similar to Taeil’s thin, grey, metal arms and the base connected to his shoulder had a cap over it to protect the rest of the delicate wiring that Taeil wasn’t familiar with. It felt…strange. The imitation nerves he had stopped at the shoulder so he couldn’t feel with the new arm but he could still control it. He’s turned off his nerves before but it felt different when he didn’t have the option to flick them back on.
“It feels weird, right?” Yuta said. His own replacements looked similar. Taeil did an amazing job of keeping the size to fit Yuta’s hand.
“Yeah, I’ve never had my nerves turned off for long.” Jaehyun lifted the arm up and clenched and unclenched his fist a few times. “It’s…I don’t know how to describe it—like my arm went numb and it can’t wake up.” Yuta cocked his head to the side but stayed silent. Questions lingered between his brows but a quick glance to Taeil kept them silent. “Thank you, Taeil.”
“Thank you. Without your help many more machines would have been lost today.”
Jaehyun looked over Taeil. The amount of care that he held not just for other machines but also them, two androids he just met, had Jaehyun wanting to do more. When he glanced at Yuta he could see the same determination flashing behind his eyes.
Were this just a few weeks before, when he was ready to give up his thumbs for the first scavenger to come across him, Jaehyun wouldn’t have cared.
Yuta pressed against his chest where the feather hid behind his jacket.
The bird, the android says, it is dead.
The YoRHa unit shakes his head.
It can’t be, he replies, I have kept it safe.
The android places a hand on his shoulder. Their eyes shine with sympathy.
It lived its life to the fullest, the android’s voice is soothing, but it was too old. I’m sorry but it’s gone.
Gone.
The YoRHa unit learns he can cry.
WHAT WILL JAEHYUN DO?
-> SPEAK UP
-> HESITATE