by Jun Eishima
<Where 1s th1s?>
<Wh0 1s th1s?>
✦ ✦ ✦
It’s like I’m climbing a mountain of boulders, thought 2B.
Her left leg felt heavier than lead, and stepping forward made her breathe heavily. When she finally put her left foot forward, her right leg joints complained with a loud creak.
She half-rolled out of the flight unit, left the hangar, and stumbled a few meters into the hallway. The time it took to do all that was appalling. The Research and Development department was just past the hallway. Thinking of how long it would take made her dizzy.
The orbital Bunker was a camp for the YoRHa squadron on the front lines. It carried all the equipment and facilities necessary to deploy troops to Earth, and contained living quarters, but it wasn’t grand by any meaning of the word. Yet she felt like her destination was eons away. The hallway had a gentle slope so there were no steps along the way. Someone could walk through with their eyes closed.
Put simply, the damage to her motor capabilities was grave. She desperately needed to have R&D recalibrate her, and attempted to quicken her steps.
The commander approached her from ahead. She tried to use her left arm to salute her, but she wasn’t able to raise the limb all the way. 2B scowled. Apparently it wasn’t just her legs that were damaged.
“Ah, make yourself comfortable.”
The commander had probably deduced 2B’s condition from her awkward salute. She made a motion for 2B to put her arm down.
“Your condition seems pretty bad.”
“Since I wasn’t able to get repairs on Earth, I was forced to come back here. I’m terribly sorry.”
“No, you don’t have to apologize. Were there any other wounded?”
“Due to a battle with Machines that appeared at dawn today, 1D’s upper right arm as well as her right shoulder and 4B’s left thigh sustained light injuries. Both were able to recover, due to 12H’s efforts, to the point where they would not hinder to the mission.”
“I see.”
The commander averted her eyes to the side. This hallway, which connected the hangar to the R&D department and command room, faced “outside”—that is, outer space. They could see a black expanse dotted with stars, as well as Earth, the erstwhile home of the human race.
On that blue, beautiful planet, androids led by the YoRHa squadron were in a constant battle with Machines. No matter how many times they were crushed, the Machines kept spawning like the litter critters they were.
“Compared to enemy forces the YoRHa squadron is lacking in personnel, even though we pass it off nicely as a group of the select few.”
Up until now, they had made up for the obvious disparity in numbers by using strategy and skill. But it wasn’t enough to completely erase their disadvantage, and the battle had become drawn out. That’s why 2B expected the commander to tell her to work harder, but she was wrong.
“So, don’t force yourself, all right?” The commander smiled. At times, the commander would smile so gently it stumped 2B, even though her orders were as strict as any military leader’s and her decision-making was as cool and collected as a freshly sharpened knife.
Behind this occasional smile, there was most likely an immeasurable amount of struggle and conflict.
“Commander …” she started, and stopped. That’s my problem, 2B thought to herself. “No, never mind.”
The commander’s smile disappeared. Her lips strung together a few quiet words.
“No matter how harsh, we need to finish our job. The YoRHa squadron, that is.”
The YoRHa squadron, 2B repeated in her mind. She had struggled in the past. She had felt unbearable pain … that was certain. But she’d never complained about a mission.
“But whatever mission that may be, the responsibility falls to me. Don’t forget that,” Commander said.
It was as if the commander had read her mind. 2B had thought that the baggage she accumulated after each and every mission was something she needed to shoulder herself. No, she still thought that way. But the commander’s words resonated with her.
“Glory to humans.” This time, 2B could properly place her left arm over her chest.
“Glory to humans,” the commander repeated. She would fight under this person. In the future as well. Until they could return Earth to humans.
Listening to the orderly footsteps that receded farther and farther behind her, 2B hurried to the R&D department.
<What was that?>
<What was that, just n0w?>
<Sh0uld we f0ll0w?>
<Let’s f0ll0w!>
✦ ✦ ✦
From the moment she entered the command room, the commander was surrounded. A few operators had run toward her and blocked the path.
“Commander! It’s about the Bunker’s material storage—”
“Please allow me to report about the battle taking place in the City Ruins.”
“Please approve the materials we’re sending to the moon.”
“There seem to be some technical problems with the transmission area in the third ward of the F sector.”
Apparently the operators thought that just being the commander boosted her processing power.
“For the materials, talk to the representative of each and narrow down the storage plans to three options. Give them to me and I’ll discuss it with you.”
“Roger that.”
“I’ll listen to the battle status in 330 seconds.”
“Roger that.”
“I approve the materials.”
“Thank you.”
“Have all members in the F sector visit the access point, and investigate what’s wrong.”
“Roger.”
Phew, that’s all of them … Or so she thought, but the operators didn’t budge. It seemed like they still had something on their minds.
“And?”
“Yes,” the operators replied in unison.
“Commander! Please accept this!”
She was suddenly surrounded by outstretched packages, some of them gold and some of them silver.
“What? What’s this?”
“Today is February 14. It’s called Valentine’s Day, and you’re supposed to give brown things to people you respect.”
“Valentine’s? Is it an ancient tradition?”
“Yes! Apparently both the giver and receiver were able to experience happiness. The brown things were often wrapped in gold or silver paper.”
Figures, she thought. While the shape and size varied, all the packages were sparkling. So humans handed each other such things in ancient times.
She opened one of the packages. It was a brown ribbon. What am I supposed to do with this? was her first thought, but she said thank you anyway.
There were many mysterious ancient traditions. Since humans created the androids, it was disrespectful to even try to understand their traditions, and mimicking an action without understanding wasn’t very commendable. Mimicking this “Valentine’s” tradition was something she shouldn’t allow as a superior, but …
But I probably shouldn’t be so strict, she thought to herself. Operators faced a different kind of struggle than the members that fought on the front lines.
“Commander, um … is now a good time?”
It was Operator 6O, who managed communications with 2B.
“What is it?”
“I’d like your approval to test the new flight unit equipment in the field.”
She had been getting updates about the new equipment from the R&D department. If they were going to test it in the field, there would need to be communication between the operators and squadron members. Operator 6O had been in charge of those matters.
“Ah yes, that. For the recon mission. The person that was assigned to that was—”
“9S. If there’s no problem with the recon mission, it’ll be the last test involving the descent squadron.”
Hearing that, the commander suddenly thought of 2B’s expression from earlier.
“I see, 9S … that’s right.”
All the responsibility falls to me. She told herself the line she had said over and over in the past.
“Roger.”
“Thank you very much.”
Operator 6O bowed and left the command room. “Okay,” the commander said as she turned around. That was exactly 330 seconds.
“Let me hear the battle status.”
<Battles 0n Earth? Battle status?>
<Fighting 0n Earth? 1sn’t that about how the battles are g0ing?>
<I see. I w0nder what they mean by new equ1pment.>
<I d0n’t kn0w.>
<Sh0uld we g0 see?>
<Let’s g0 see.>