Ashamed to face anyone, Anemone had walked away from everyone else.
But it was times like this that she would inadvertently run into people. This time as well—she ran into No. 21, Shion, Lily, and No. 4. They said they would “take a look around,” so it wasn’t too great a coincidence when they encountered Anemone loitering around the camp grounds.
That was fine. It was her fault. But then No. 16, Dahlia, Erica, and Margaret appeared. They had just come back from gathering water. What bad luck. She’d run into eight people at once.
Still wanting to be alone, Anemone was slowly backing up when it happened.
“Ugh. Ah … ahhh!”
Lily collapsed, clawing at her neck. Erica screamed, “Don’t touch her!”
Anemone held back No. 21, who had tried to run toward her. She released the safety on her gun.
“She’s infected.”
Right as everyone save No. 4 and No. 21 aimed their guns, Rose appeared. She understood what had happened at a glance. Rose gave Anemone a signal with her eyes. Sonia and Gerbera drew their guns.
“What are you doing! Stop it!”
No. 2 jumped in front of Lily. This idiot again, Anemone thought to herself.
“No. 2! Don’t go near her! It’s an infection! She must’ve contracted the logic virus from the last battle!”
The logic virus that the Machines spread could all of a sudden overwrite data in an android’s cyberbrain. Then it would destroy the android’s consciousness and take over their body.
“What about the shield? Is it not working?”
No. 16 tilted her head to the side. The newer models might have them, but Anemone and her generation did not.
“Lily!”
No. 2 carelessly approached, but Lily pushed her away. Her body-control system was already affected. There was no way to prevent further infection, or save her. There was only one thing to do: kill her before the infection progressed and she went rampant.
“Wait!”
But this time it wasn’t the idiot, No. 2.
“Aren’t you all family? Lily said so. Are you going to watch your family die?!”
No. 21 stood in front of Lily. Dahlia shouted.
“Move over! We’re going to shoot you too!”
“I won’t! I can’t accept her death without trying anything!”
“We’re doing this because there’s nothing we can do!”
“I can! I’ll eliminate the virus!”
“There’s no way …”
Dahlia’s words were cut short. Looking up, Anemone could see No. 16’s gun aimed at the back of Dahlia’s head.
“No. 16, stop.”
Rose spoke up.
“Once you’re infected, there is no cure.”
“Shuddup! If No. 21 says she can do it, it’s possible!”
Using her voice as a cue, No. 2 and No. 4 held Lily down. They moved without hesitation. They mumbled, “Reprogramming, start,” as No. 21 started typing on her terminal. Lily’s body jerked off the ground. No. 4 screamed.
“What is this strength?”
Lily’s right leg tried to kick No. 4, who was holding down the left leg. Anemone’s body had started moving before she could think.
“Anemone?!”
Rose’s voice brought Anemone back to reality, realizing that she had thrown her gun away and was holding down Lily’s right leg. No. 4 was right—Lily was impossibly strong.
“The ghosts are coming … Nooo!”
Lily’s voice was strangely cracking. The infection was spreading to her vocal mechanisms. Were they going to make it?
“There’s no such thing as ghosts! I’ll fix you!”
Lily’s legs kicked up in the air, as if they were disagreeing with No. 21. Before she knew it Anemone was sent flying back. With too little time to brace herself, Anemone groaned as she hit the ground with full impact. Yet she still got up. She had to contain Lily, or else No. 21’s procedure would be interrupted.
As Anemone stood back up, swaying, she saw Dahlia and Margaret already holding Lily down. “Captain!” Dahlia cried.
“I don’t want to lose anyone else!”
Dahlia, Anemone, and the rest of the named androids had killed comrades that were infected by the logic virus before they became a threat. They couldn’t do anything else.
But if there was a way to save them without killing, they wanted to bet on that possibility. Killing comrades didn’t get any easier after the first time; in fact, it became harder with every comrade they had to end with a bullet to the head. If there was another way …
“But …”
Rose probably felt the same. But being the leader, making the decision was a lot harder.
“Rose! Trust us! Isn’t protecting your comrades the responsibility of the leader?” No. 2 said as she held down Lily’s shoulders.
But suddenly No. 2’s expression grew strained. Anemone wanted to ask what had happened, but before that she felt her own face pucker up into a scowl. It was hard to breathe, let alone talk. Her lungs were about to burst.
“Gravity … attack …” Dahlia said, her voice a low moan. She had been knocked off her feet, and was pinned to the ground. Anemone was also on her stomach, unable to move.
“This is bad! She’s starting to acquire enemy attacks!”
As expected of a newer model, No. 4’s voice was the same as usual. They probably had better resistance to gravity attacks than the older models.
“No. 21! How much longer?”
No. 16’s voice carried panic. “Just a little more,” said No. 21, as she removed a small chip. Lily tried to bat it away.
“No!”
No. 2 clung on to Lily’s left leg. She couldn’t move because of the gravity attack. Anemone desperately dragged herself toward Lily. She grabbed Lily’s right ankle. No. 2 held on to the left leg. If they could hold down Lily’s legs, they could restrict her movements …
“Installing data!”
No. 21, who had finally moved behind Lily, raised the chip in the air. It most likely contained a vaccine program.
“Please! Come back, Lily!”
Lily’s beast-like howling drowned out No. 21. No. 21 wrapped herself around Lily to stop her writhing. Their bodies intertwined and fell down.
Right as Anemone started to suspect that the vaccine had failed, her body lightened. The gravity attack stopped.
No. 2 and Rose rushed forward at once. Rose lifted Lily into her arms, as did No. 2 for No. 21.
“Virus eliminated from the central nervous system. Force rebooted.”
While she was slightly out of breath, No. 21 was as calm as always, to the point where Anemone thought she could be a little happier.
“Big sis?”
Lily looked up in confusion at Rose. It seemed she didn’t remember how she got there or what she had been doing.
“You were infected by a virus. No. 21 returned you to normal.”
Lily’s eyes opened wide, and looked over to No. 21.
“I told you. That I’d … fix you.”
No. 21 was calm, but clearly exhausted. She leaned her head on No. 2’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
“I told you it’d be okay.” No. 16 said a little boastfully, which Dahlia followed up by poking No. 16’s head.
“You were panicking too, weren’t you?”
“Shut up! You wanna go?”
“What did you say? Bring it on!”
Margaret sighed, “Again?” as Dahlia and No. 16 started to squabble again. This time, Anemone didn’t feel as annoyed.
While she wasn’t planning on getting close with them, Anemone decided she would acknowledge the new group. They had kept her from having to kill a comrade. That was an act of pure sincerity …