tunasub | OPEN POST 2017

[ well. she'd ask if he was okay, but the splash means she has a pretty good idea of why he's complaining. 2B wonders if she shouldn't be taking point here - this area is largely unexplored, and of the two of them, she's the one designed for combat - but decides that the chances of running into a machine that's actually still aggressive are low enough that it doesn't matter. She's quick to jump down after him, landing as gracefully as she can manage in the polluted floodwaters. ]

Pod, activate flashlight.

[ between the cloudy skies and their descending deeper into the old building, it's getting pretty dark. The light from Pod 042 doesn't illuminate anything of interest in the room other than a lot of old garbage floating around - this building seems like it probably doesn't usually flood, and little pieces of the ancient world have risen to the surface with the rains: fragments of chairs and desks, the weathered remnants of some old phones, and what looks like the husk of an office printer in the corner. Not that she recognizes the primitive technology. ]

... It looks like this place was pretty untouched.

[ she feels... some sort of bittersweet emotion seeing it. Even if these artifacts were worth something, there's no one to send them to now. ]

Yeah...

[ Pod 153 follows suit, hovering over 9S' shoulder with the light shining ahead of them. He wades slowly through the water with a growing interest in the floating debris he passes by, pausing only to scoop up a phone receiver bobbing along. ]

Um... Hey—2B. [ 9S doesn't look back up, though, instead focused on turning the phone around in his hand. It's caked in so much hardened mud that he's unsure if there's even any plastic left underneath, although it's retained the shape decently enough. If kind of cracked with one end eroded to hell. ] We used to keep all this stuff around because we wanted humanity to return back to what they left behind, right?

[ Yet... ha ha. ]

Have you wondered what we should do with it now?

[ back in the old days, she would have returned some curt answer to this innocent question - both because she hadn't wanted to keep having these little conversations with him and because she'd always known that nobody was going to come back to any of this. She almost does it anyway, out of sheer habit, and it leads to a pause before she responds. Avoiding all the painful things had been the best way of dealing with them. But now... ]

I don't know if there's anything we can do with it. [ there's no distancing bite in her response - just her usual bluntness. She looks at the grimy, unfamiliar object in her companion's hand, and doubts there's any use left in it at all. At the same time, leaving everything their creators had made to rot doesn't feel right, either - illogical as that is. ] I doubt many of our records on human history survived when the Bunker fell.

[ ... ]

Maybe... [ ... maybe they should hold onto things like this, because they barely have anything else left that showed humans even existed. But it sounds like unnecessary sentiment to her, even now, so she bites her lip. ] ... Nevermind. What do you think?

[ He gives a thoughtful hum. For all the time he's had to roll endless questions through his head now, there's only one real answer he has. ]

Beats me.

[ It's quiet, like he's ashamed that's all he's got. It isn't that he doesn't have similar lingering feelings, because he does—it's an ever present sentiment for something he's never met, and never will, but it's for that reason alone it feels so... pointless.

9S grew resentful during his downward spiral before his demise. He didn't want to long for humanity anymore. These days, he's back on his feet, but he's not so sure he could ever truly shake those thoughts off.

His emotions are at odds with each other, and he isn't proud of this fact.

In an attempt to shake the thoughts off, 9S lets the receiver slip from his fingers, dropping back into the water with a plunk. He turns, and gets moving again. ]

You're probably right—androids don't need any of this stuff, either. I guess... we won't know for a long time.

[ It hasn't been long since the war more or less came to an end, anyway. They're not the only ones who have to figure out how life will go from here on out. ]

[ she can hear the uncertainty in his voice, mirroring her own feelings, and while it's a small comfort - as ever - to know that she's not alone, she doesn't like hearing him down. She knows he's struggling. He went through a lot after she stopped functioning - probably more than she'd ever really understand. 2B doesn't want him to suffer any more than he already has. This is their last chance to be together; this time, if she could help him instead of hurt him - just this one time... ]

... We should tell Anemone and the others. There might be someone in camp that's interested in preserving human artifacts.

[ sentiment, yes, but is it wrong for them to feel it now when there's nobody telling them they shouldn't? 2B follows after him as she speaks, the clicking of her heels muffled by the sound of the water. Her tone is neutral, businesslike, but there's a gentleness to it that wasn't there before, too. ]

[ It isn't immediate, but he does nod. ]

Yeah.

[ Yeah... It's not up to him to decide, anyway. 9S doesn't know whether he wants to push it all away or keep it close, but he's well aware that other androids are interested in all this. He remembers the Resistance member out in the desert who was on the hunt for old relics, for one; surely, he wasn't the only one doing the same. ]

I'll mark this location on my map data to hand over for later. Anemone can decide where to go from there.

[ For now, they're just here for the Bunker's remains. And speaking of... ]

—Oh. Over here.

[ 9S reaches where a window once was. Well... it's a little bigger than a window, given it's also where it looks like something huge punched right through the wall, but nonetheless it's a way back out. He stands at the ledge where the rain gently pitter-patters, gazing down below.

An endlessly long, twisting section of metal protrudes out of the water, and it's just their luck it forms something similarly to a tunnel, down, down below into the flooding. 9S cants his head toward it. ]

That's one of our options. What do you say?

[ For now, it's the best solution she has. Or anyone has, really. They weren't meant to inherit this planet, but here they are. 9S at least looks like he can put it behind him for the moment, and 2B does the same, following his lead towards the hole in the wall.

Obviously, it's not guaranteed to keep them from having to take a swim - but, frankly, it's a much better option than she'd been expecting. If they're lucky, whatever chamber this debris's broken into has stayed sealed off. She moves to stand behind him, gazing down at their new way in, and nods. ]

Okay. Let's do it. [ might as well give it a try. She gives him a solid pat on the shoulder for the briefest second - he did a good job - before jumping down to their new path and hoping it doesn't buckle under her sudden weight. ]

[ He doesn't follow suit right away. It's kind of stupid, but her small gesture catches him off guard; it's such a simple thing, but so... unlike her?

It's not like he hasn't noticed. 2B was being unusually nice today... There was a gentleness to her 9S couldn't recall her ever being so open about, in her own subtle ways.

He wonders what's changed. But not for long, because she moves on ahead without thinking twice about it—which is more like her. 9S quickly shakes his head and hops down after her. His boots hit metal with an echoing thud, followed by a creak.

... But so far so good. When everything doesn't immediately crumble around them, 9S makes another nod. ]

Looks like we should be okay. I can't tell how long of a walk it'll be, but... ready?

[ It's part of a process. How long had she sealed every stray thought about him away, for fear of it coming back to hurt her later when she inevitably had to get rid of him again? Now that the threat of suffering - or, at least, of that particular brand of it - is gone, she's finding that expressing the feelings she'd hidden was almost as hard as putting them away. It doesn't feel right. But, slowly, she's letting that seal erode. She's not an executioner now. So it's okay to be kind. Even if he doesn't want her to be, she... does. Still, after everything. ]

Ready. [ as always. She doesn't expect to find much in the way of resistance; there shouldn't be anything left in the bunker but bodies. Those call for an entirely different kind of readiness that she hopes she actually has.

But she doesn't voice that concern, predictably; she just begins to walk forward, taking the lead and trying to listen for any signs of this whole tube snapping in half with them in it before it happens. ]

[ Then he's ready, too. 9S falls in step behind her, silent as they begin the trek.

It's eerily quiet, save for the dull thud of his boots and the rhythmic tapping of her heels against the metallic surface. Along the way, there's a gentle, slow dripping of water, but other than that...

Silence between them isn't odd. More often than not, that's how they've spent their time, quietly venturing from one point to the next. Wordlessly sitting side by side when they were idle. 9S doesn't mind, when her presence is all he's ever really needed. Still, he's naturally social—with an ever lost in thought mind—so it also isn't unusual for him to venture into the silence. ]

I sure hope something worth scavenging survived the fall...

[ It's nothing more than idle thinking voiced aloud, as 9S is wont to doing. ]

But a bunch of scrap metal like this ought to be worth something, too.

[ He realizes belatedly it might be thoughtless to refer to the Bunker this way; it was the closest thing they had to a home once upon a time. On the other hand, well...

Well, it is what it is. ]

[ quietly, she's thankful he's there to break the silence. She'd dreaded his attempts at conversation in the past. Nowadays, the world can be dreadfully empty and still, the thundering downpour notwithstanding. Even knowing what she knows about YoRHa, having the skies empty is...

Well, they're not thoughts for her to have, and it's easier if she doesn't think about it. And it's easier not to think about it if 9S is here. He really is like a light. ]

Scrap metal, huh...

[ it's repeated without any particular inflection. Her feelings on the Bunker remain tangled and complicated, the matter with 9S and her assignment aside; it's not a problem she can just cut through with her blade, which puts it firmly outside of her area of expertise (like so many of her problems these days.) ]

... There should be some physical information storage units somewhere in this section. The problem is getting to them before the rain does.

[ and whether or not they were corrupted by the virus beyond repair like so many of their comrades... ]

[ 9S slips out a thoughtful hum. ]

I don't think it's the rain we're gonna have to worry about.

[ Because her thinking isn't wrong; that virus wrecked everything to hell, not limited to just their fellow YoRHa androids. ]

Combat data aside, everything regarding YoRHa was set up to be destroyed from the start. If anything, I'd say our chances of finding something in the Bunker's servers are pretty low.

[ How optimistic, huh. 9S lets his words sit for a moment before adding: ]

... But we won't know for sure unless we see.

I know.

[ frankly, she's a little worried that some piece of the virus might have survived - somehow, some way - inside the wrecked machinery. It's a miracle the two of them are here today; she's not going to bet on the pods pulling off a second miracle. ]

Don't hack into anything you're not sure is clean.

[ 2B speaks as she continues forward without turning around, voice carefully devoid of emotion. maybe she's overthinking it, but she doesn't want to go through that again. ]

Edited 2017-11-06 06:41 (UTC)

That's basically everything we're about to find.

[ Flippant as ever, 9S is well aware the reasoning behind her concerns. He's already had his fair share of being infected, so he knows from experience it's nothing to take lightly, and if it were ever to happen again...

It's a little rough dealing with how permanent death is these days. 9S wouldn't admit it aloud, but with nowhere to back up his data and no possible chance of ever getting another backup body, he grows nervous, sometimes. Did other androids live with this worry? Or has already experiencing death made him painfully aware of it?

No, it's not quite death itself he's afraid of... It all circles back to how terrified he is of anything that would ever separate himself from 2B ever again. ]

Anyway, [ he continues, airy tone betraying his thoughts. ] don't worry, I'll be careful. If there's anything contaminated– [ And he's loathe to say this, because despite everything, a Scanner will still always be a Scanner. ] –we can just... [ Uncertainly: ] Leave it? I dunno, 2B—what would you want to do with it?

Nines...

[ "then don't touch anything" is what she'd like to say, but that sort of defeats the point of them coming out here. It's not like they can tell what's still useful and what isn't just by looking at it - and it's not like she can do any of the hacking in his stead and protect him that way. All she can really do is glance over her shoulder at him, expression obscured by her goggles... It's probably somewhere between concern and exasperation.

They don't get second chances this time. They can't mess this up. That "miracle" is their last chance - her last chance to make up for what she'd done and lost before, and she doesn't want to lose him, either. She has the option now to speak frankly of this, if she wants to. But he's smart; he probably already knows. She doesn't need to make it complicated. Right?

(even so, she lets herself call him by his nickname nowadays) ]

We're not bringing it back to camp. Too risky. [ even if he doesn't want to leave it here!! ] If the information is that valuable, we'll have to find an alternative way of accessing it.

[ what that could be, she has no idea -- fortunately, she doesn't have to try and think of one. 2B stops in her tracks, staring down the tunnel, though she can't see much of anything beyond her pod's flashlight; said pod helpfully explains: ]

Caution: movement detected.

[ He catches how she flicks her gaze toward him, though concealed as it is, he can only make a guess what type of expression she's giving. Of course, it isn't difficult to narrow it down when it's accompanied by his nickname laced with unease. (And yet, it's still distracting as ever; it'll be a while to come before hearing "Nines" in her voice doesn't fill him with the android equivalent of a fluttering heart.)

... Which is a lot of the reason why 9S nearly bumps into her from behind, freezing in his own footsteps with a startle. There's no time for him to come up with an alternate plan, either—which he's a lot more inclined to mull over than 2B is, no doubt—before he tries his hand at peering down the tunnel, although his eyesight isn't any better than hers, nor is his own Pod's flashlight. ]

—Movement? [ 9S clicks his tongue, lowering his voice. ] What on earth would be all the way down here?

[ she doesn't pay any heed to 9S almost losing track of where he's going; she's focused on whatever's down there. Getting ready for a fight, if she has to. Hopefully, she won't. (But then, part of her hopes she does, too - being an android can be so confusing.)

The source of that movement makes itself known soon enough - as soon as it makes its way into the small radius of their Pods' lights, it's impossible to miss. Because it's huge. Apparently, moose and boar weren't the only animals growing to massive sizes in the ruins of human civlization; there's an alligator that looks like it might be as long as a bus making its way up the pipe as they've been going down. Unlike the moose and boar, however, it's not a prey animal. When it spies the two androids, it doesn't flee; rather, it stops in its tracks, a low rumble vibrating from its throat through the shin-deep water. ]

... What is that?

[ 2B sure hasn't seen anything like it. Some kind of reptile? ]

—Gah!

[ 9S slips out a startled noise the moment the creature wanders into view, somehow looming although it's crawling on the ground. Unlike 2B, who's composed as ever (if a little confused) and guarded, he instinctively takes a few steps back.

In his defense, and as he'll always say, he is a Scanner model after all. ]

It's freakin' huge...

[ Interrupting their surprise, Pod 153 helpfully chimes in: ] Report: This creature is commonly known as an "alligator", a large, semiaquatic reptile. Proposal: Proceed with caution.

[

]

[ she moves to stand in front of 9S as he steps back, instinctively reaching for the blade holstered on her back. Though animals theoretically shouldn't be a problem for a couple of androids, she's learned the hard way in the past that they pack a surprising punch despite being organic, and are actually far hardier than the machine lifeforms she usually has to deal with. On top of that, this... "alligator" looks like it has natural armor, and a lot more teeth than a moose. ]

Caution... Right. [ 2B sounds dubious. Frankly, she'd rather not have to kill an animal if she doesn't have to, though she'd likely not voice that thought - it was probably improper for her to feel empathy towards them, but she does. They were supposed to inherit this planet, much like the humans, after all... ] ... Stay on your guard. We'll try to go around it.

[ but her empathy aside, it would be bad for either of them to get injured nowadays. There's not a lot of leeway in the pipe between them and the alligator, so she's not sure how well this will work, but she presses against the side of the tunnel as best she can, trying to decide if it would be better to go slowly or just make a run for it. ]

[ As 2B continues to take lead, 9S carefully follows not too far behind, making sure none of his steps splash around much of the water at their feet. ]

Sheesh... If I'd known something was gonna beat us down here, I would have brought something to distract it with.

[ Such as food, namely. They were able to get on the good sides of some of the moose with something to eat, so surely it'd work the same with these guys, right?

When 9S begins slipping past, the alligator tilts its head toward the side just enough to get a look at them, a low grumble emitting from its throat. ]

Whoa, easy there, big guy. Just passing by, nothin' to see here.

[ Please don't move any more. ]

[ if only they'd brought chicken....... 2B clicks her tongue, annoyed. 9S brings up a good point, but she doesn't have any bait on her, either. Not that she's sure it would work on something this... big. And predatory-looking. Also, is it bad if 9S keeps talking like this? She doesn't know a lot about animals.

Right about now, she's wishing she did, because the huge reptile has clearly taken an interest in the two of them, following them with its eyes and even turning slightly as they pass by. It's completely impossible to tell what it's thinking. Still, they manage to inch by it unscathed.

At least until the last second. Suddenly, the beast turns around, charging towards them much faster than 2B would have guessed such a large animal could have. Fortunately, androids are faster. In a split second, she's grabbing her partner by his soggy sleeve and starting to dash down the pipe. ]

Just run!

[ 9S slips out a surprised yelp just as she yanks him down their path, briefly fumbling over his own feet before falling into a steady sprint right behind her. ]

On it, on it!

[ Truthfully, the Scanner side of his mind is glad to be booking it over their usual approach of striking the opponent down. In such a narrow, unsteady space, he has an inkling that would be spelling their doom more than anything else.

And androids are fast, inhumanly so; for as swiftly as the alligator struck, there's no way its stubby little legs would've been able to keep up with their own. Minutes pass before 9S speaks up again— ]

... I—I think we lost it.

[ it's amazing how fast she can run in those heels. Part of her is itching to draw her blade and turn it towards an enemy - she's never gone this long without engaging in combat, and she doesn't know if it's her programming or simply her nature that makes her feel uneasy without it. Whichever it is, her desire to keep 9S out of harm's way (and herself, to an extent) is stronger. Once they're far enough away that she can't hear it coming after them anymore, she slows to a stop. ]

Report: Organic life signature lost.

[ Pod 042 helpfully confirms they're out of danger as it catches up to them, buzzing along, as ever. 2B sighs, tucking a stray strand of hair behind one ear. ]

... The animals must be starting to reclaim their territory.

[ it's just a guess, but the decrease in machine life forms probably left more open habitat for them to use. Earth is nothing if not tenacious - the fact that anything is still alive after all these years proves that. Her head flicks towards 9S, giving him a quick appraisal to make sure he didn't get nipped. ]

[ All's good on his end, fortunately; his evasive maneuvers aren't lacking, but that gator never stood a chance of keeping up regardless. He couldn't believe something that large could strike so quickly as well, yet no doubt it wasn't intended to keep it up for long.

9S likewise comes to a halt beside her, taking a moment to bend over and place his hands on his knees with a heavy exhale. ]

No kidding. We're gonna be in trouble if more of them decided to take up the Bunker as their new home.

[ Or a part of it anyway, however large it may be. It's a little weird, in a way, to imagine their former station in space in the beginning stages of nature's hostile takeover—like all the old world's remains. It's a sobering reminder that no matter what, time goes on without a care in the world... despite all of one's struggles.

Eurgh. 9S starts to wonder if he's ready for what's ahead of them as well, though it's in his very nature to pursue the truth even if he thinks he'll regret it. A Scanner will always be a Scanner. ]

That's possible.

[ although with the way things are looking right now, she imagines it's mostly populated by displaced fish. Then again, she'd be happy if some annoyed predators were the worst thing they saw inside there. The reality isn't going to be something she can fend off with a sword.

Still. It's possible. ]

I'll handle them if I have to. [ she waits for him for a second or three, then turns to start heading down again. ] Let's keep going. The breach should be close.

[ then they can get this over with and get dried off... because, even if she'd never voice such an opinion, she has to admit that 9S had a point about the rain and flooding. The uncomfortable soggy feeling does nothing but exacerbate the ever-present uncertainty that stretches across her systems like a web whenever they're out together like this. ]

OPEN POST 2017

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grips chest.... 9s is cute

no... ur cute

[angery]

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drags my ass back here...

YAY