Those are the words that 9S repeats over and over again in his mind as he drops to his knees and settles back on the ground. Naked, save for the cloth that 9S has deposited upon his shoulder for later attention. He says nothing else once 2B turns her back to watch the door. The process daunting, its consequences unknown, 9S sighs as he accesses his OS in favor of prodding through his software.
9S activates safe mode, shutting off his connection temporarily to the network. It shouldn't seem off if it comes across as routine maintenance, and so he hides behind that shroud. The soft whisper of his entire body powering down would introduce that the process has started. His head falls slack, chin touching his collar while his eyes shut.
There's surprisingly less of a struggle than he previously anticipated, though that may be owed to a sudden resolve in knowing this is their reality now. As he travels within his own consciousness, time passes far enough for him to face this simply as another mission. That fearful look in his face seems to disappear for the time being once he finally disables his connection to the Bunker. Quietly and without error, 9S initiates his own reformatting, deleting any protocol functions set in place by Command. The immediate release of discovered data, his automatic connections to the operator in favor of routine contact, everything.
As he grazes through what's left, 9S comes across a final setting. It's written in code that makes little to no sense, much like his contingency. Although, he hadn't put it there. This doesn't look like anything he could build in. It makes no sense, he's not sure what he's turning off, but the second he does...
9S is hit with a visual barrage of download alerts, his visuals crowded with progress bad after progress bar. In his silence, he can only marvel at this and question himself. What... What's going on? What is all this? Files that had been hidden in an unknown drive?
They all flood in. Each memory like a heavy weight thrown in his arms to be piled up higher and higher. Those messages become images, video-like recollections that all seem to star a particular android, who's name he'd plastered all over his own OS.
2B.
Suddenly, the feelings of deja vu start to make sense. When he realizes this is every single moment he'd shared with 2B, he becomes angry in knowing Command had hidden these from him. These are his memories, considered property to someone else and how dare someone rob him of the one thing he can--
She kills him.
She smiles at him in so many memories. It's soft, almost nonexistent, but enough that he can feel it and notice it. 2B had been by his side for so much longer than he had known, and something hopeful and warm had sparked in his chest until the recollection of his demise took stage.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six times. Six murders by 2B's hand, all of which start out seemingly cold-blooded and merciless, yet become quicker and less painful each time. As if she'd grown soft to him. 9S is frozen in terror to what he witnesses, because it seems each killing comes on after he learns more about the humans.
Humans.
All of it floods in. Disaster after disaster. Data collections with his designation plastered all over it. Files he never remembered making because they reformatted him so many times. The moon is empty, piled with supplies that no human will ever consume because they've been dead for years. The Council of Humanity is nothing more than a figurehead. Working in the likes of a deity who does nothing but its followers function as if it sees all.
It all makes sense.
The truth is a weight 9S never truly thought he would carry. It bogs him down and threatens to suffocate him while he's stuck within the mental confines of safe mode. He wants to be angry. At YoRHa. At 2B. At the humans. But as everything floods in and shrouds him, everything comes full circle and he realizes his loyalty is a giant waste. They're all lambs to a slaughter. Meant for nothing more than killing machines and being killed.
Perhaps this was the only option.
9S shelves his feelings in favor of finishing the job. His resolve has him desperate to be with 2B, despite her orders. Perhaps it's a coping mechanism, or a desperation to move on and not be alone in this. But he repeats "it's her programming" as if that will make it better. Because he doesn't want to hate her. He doesn't want to be scared of her. If he tells himself he isn't, then he isn't. Right?
It's done. 9S finds it easier to sever his connection to the Bunker for good once his hands hold everything he'd earned. He deactivates safe mode, restarting his systems where his eyes suddenly open and soft clicks follow the very stiff, robotic-like posture adjust as his head lifts back up. 9S takes a sharp inhale, as if he'd held his breath the whole time. He's pale. Eyes glazed over. But with him disconnected, the timer starts. 9S shelves every feeling he has in favor of calling for 2B, his voice stern. ]
It's done. I need you to power down into safe mode immediately. We don't have time.
no subject
Those are the words that 9S repeats over and over again in his mind as he drops to his knees and settles back on the ground. Naked, save for the cloth that 9S has deposited upon his shoulder for later attention. He says nothing else once 2B turns her back to watch the door. The process daunting, its consequences unknown, 9S sighs as he accesses his OS in favor of prodding through his software.
9S activates safe mode, shutting off his connection temporarily to the network. It shouldn't seem off if it comes across as routine maintenance, and so he hides behind that shroud. The soft whisper of his entire body powering down would introduce that the process has started. His head falls slack, chin touching his collar while his eyes shut.
There's surprisingly less of a struggle than he previously anticipated, though that may be owed to a sudden resolve in knowing this is their reality now. As he travels within his own consciousness, time passes far enough for him to face this simply as another mission. That fearful look in his face seems to disappear for the time being once he finally disables his connection to the Bunker. Quietly and without error, 9S initiates his own reformatting, deleting any protocol functions set in place by Command. The immediate release of discovered data, his automatic connections to the operator in favor of routine contact, everything.
As he grazes through what's left, 9S comes across a final setting. It's written in code that makes little to no sense, much like his contingency. Although, he hadn't put it there. This doesn't look like anything he could build in. It makes no sense, he's not sure what he's turning off, but the second he does...
9S is hit with a visual barrage of download alerts, his visuals crowded with progress bad after progress bar. In his silence, he can only marvel at this and question himself. What... What's going on? What is all this? Files that had been hidden in an unknown drive?
They all flood in. Each memory like a heavy weight thrown in his arms to be piled up higher and higher. Those messages become images, video-like recollections that all seem to star a particular android, who's name he'd plastered all over his own OS.
2B.
Suddenly, the feelings of deja vu start to make sense. When he realizes this is every single moment he'd shared with 2B, he becomes angry in knowing Command had hidden these from him. These are his memories, considered property to someone else and how dare someone rob him of the one thing he can--
She kills him.
She smiles at him in so many memories. It's soft, almost nonexistent, but enough that he can feel it and notice it. 2B had been by his side for so much longer than he had known, and something hopeful and warm had sparked in his chest until the recollection of his demise took stage.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six times. Six murders by 2B's hand, all of which start out seemingly cold-blooded and merciless, yet become quicker and less painful each time. As if she'd grown soft to him. 9S is frozen in terror to what he witnesses, because it seems each killing comes on after he learns more about the humans.
Humans.
All of it floods in. Disaster after disaster. Data collections with his designation plastered all over it. Files he never remembered making because they reformatted him so many times. The moon is empty, piled with supplies that no human will ever consume because they've been dead for years. The Council of Humanity is nothing more than a figurehead. Working in the likes of a deity who does nothing but its followers function as if it sees all.
It all makes sense.
The truth is a weight 9S never truly thought he would carry. It bogs him down and threatens to suffocate him while he's stuck within the mental confines of safe mode. He wants to be angry. At YoRHa. At 2B. At the humans. But as everything floods in and shrouds him, everything comes full circle and he realizes his loyalty is a giant waste. They're all lambs to a slaughter. Meant for nothing more than killing machines and being killed.
Perhaps this was the only option.
9S shelves his feelings in favor of finishing the job. His resolve has him desperate to be with 2B, despite her orders. Perhaps it's a coping mechanism, or a desperation to move on and not be alone in this. But he repeats "it's her programming" as if that will make it better. Because he doesn't want to hate her. He doesn't want to be scared of her. If he tells himself he isn't, then he isn't. Right?
It's done. 9S finds it easier to sever his connection to the Bunker for good once his hands hold everything he'd earned. He deactivates safe mode, restarting his systems where his eyes suddenly open and soft clicks follow the very stiff, robotic-like posture adjust as his head lifts back up. 9S takes a sharp inhale, as if he'd held his breath the whole time. He's pale. Eyes glazed over. But with him disconnected, the timer starts. 9S shelves every feeling he has in favor of calling for 2B, his voice stern. ]
It's done. I need you to power down into safe mode immediately. We don't have time.