Mailbox of Nines

[twoaffirmations]

( 9S is now accepting text messages and voicemail )

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[historyrepeating]

9S.

[Yeah, that really is the greeting he gets at first, just a quick calling of his name as though she were using their pod programs to communicate. It's a simple thing to fall back on, but after a moment when she starts to address him again there's something different to the tone of her voice.]

We've been here on this station long enough that I think we should establish a schedule of reporting in. Command may not be able to give us directives, but we're still technically partners.

What was the last thing you remember from home?

[twoaffirmations]

Copy that, 2B. I've been operating under the assumption we're still acting as partners.

[He makes a show of using the proper procedures before quickly falling back into casual conversation.]

What's up? Do you think your memory data's been damaged?

[historyrepeating]

[Why would you turn this around on her 9S.]

I remember everything clearly, I just want to make sure we're on the same page. What were we doing the last time we saw each other?

[twoaffirmations]

[That's literally what he does.]

Er, well... It's a little fuzzy. I know you took me back to the Resistance camp and had them prepare to send me back up to the Bunker, but when I reactivated I was here.

[historyrepeating]

That's so far from the last thing that she remembers that it doesn't even feel familiar at first. She has to take the time to think back, and there's a very telling moment of silence that comes from her end of things.

Maybe that's why she chose to do this without transmitting an image of her face. Even with her visor she thinks he'd be able to tell something was wrong by the way she can feel herself frowning in distaste.]

After Adam, then. Alright. [There's another moment of quiet, nothing from her, and then-] It's good that whatever took you did it after you'd been repaired.

[Not that she was worried or anything.]

[twoaffirmations]

[9S notices the pause, but it's not enough to tell him anything substantial. Only that he knew 2B had been worried.]

Yeah, no kidding. There's no telling when I'd be able to get repairs here. The same goes for you, 2B. We need to be careful.

[A pause, and then he adds.] You've turned off your self-destruct permissions, right?

[historyrepeating]

[Oh.

She hadn't even thought of that, not when her last memories had been ones that would automatically cancel out the need for worrying about having to self-destruct.

You can't do that when you're dead, after all.]

You used to scold me for turning that off.

[Which isn't exactly true, and isn't exactly an answer.]

day three of the music blaring

[mapsio]

9s?
Strange question for you.

Do androids need to sleep?

[twoaffirmations]

[It's not hard to tell where this line of questioning will go. 9S feels sympathy for the humans, he does, but he still lowered his own volume to avoid the same fate. Someone has to keep a level head here.]

Hey, Miss Haru.

We androids usually enter sleep mode as part of routine maintenance and recovery, but we generally don't experience negative side-effects from a lack of sleep.

[mapsio]

I suppose that really was a silly question. Forgive me. I fancied the thought of being an android for a moment, I wouldn't have to feel the way that I do right now.

[twoaffirmations]

Oh no, it wasn't!
Really!

[The lack of sleep was taking its toll, and the thought alone made his chest twist. There had to be something he could do. He wishes there was something he could do. But there's nothing, and he's worthless.]

Feeling like that means you're human. If you were an android, you'd have to sit and watch all of the humans around you suffer. I don't know if that's any better...

Is there anything I can do to make it easier? I want to help, Miss Haru.

[mapsio]

Truthfully, I wish I could tell you that you could do something to help. I would ask that you find a way to shut the music off or... I don't know. Help me finally go to sleep.

The limits of the human body are incredibly frustrating.

[twoaffirmations]

I'm sorry... I've tried, but I keep getting locked out.

I can keep you company, if you'd like?

video » un: rook (before the event)

[onlydoubts]

[ the feed starts with a bunch of books on a table. there are a few titles - about human anatomy, medical tech, diseases, history and culture as well as the solar system and travel through space. there's another book underneath one of the titles, hard to see what it is. hmm.

Bodhi turns the camera on himself. ]

We got the library open, and I found the books you wanted.

[twoaffirmations]

[Hopefully Bodhi was ready to be greeted by 9S' beaming face in return, because that's what he's getting. Just the thought about being able to sort through all those books and data... Fully intact data on human history, science, and more!]

Wow, you weren't kidding! Look at all those books... I've never seen so many intact pieces of physical archival data. It's pretty much all dust where I come from.

[onlydoubts]

Intact books are not common where I'm from, either. [ one more thing that the Empire had disposed of -- ] But there's certainly no shortage of them, here.

I'm here, right now. If you want to come by and pick these up.

[twoaffirmations]

I'll be right over!

[9S abruptly disconnects the call, and a few minutes later he's poking his head into the library, his eyes lighting up at the sight of rows upon rows of books. Data. Human history.]

Wow... Humans sure wrote a lot. I wonder how long it would take to read all of this?

[onlydoubts]

Probably ... at least five years, would be my guess. [ Bodhi shrugs, making a face as he looks around. so many books. the books that he's picked out for 9s remain on the table, under which there's a random book...

... full of human jokes. ]

At least if we're stuck here for that long we'll at least have something to occupy us.

[twoaffirmations]

If you read one book a day... [9S mumbles, counting the books by bouncing his pointer finger over them.] ...carry the two...

[Somewhere along the way he must have just lost interest, because he never gives Bodhi his results.]

Yeah, boy am I glad you unlocked this! I was getting pretty stir crazy, you know?

[He starts to sort through the books Bodhi's given him.] Now I'll be able to properly educate myself to provide medical aid to you humans.

un: kamen.rider

[nishizono]

[ so apparently he's arrived on board the terminal while some weird plague is going on. sure, okay. tetora can manage. time to contact every single person on his deck, why the hell not. ]

hey, room 509. are you alive? i'm contacting everyone on this floor, i got a question.

un: nines

[twoaffirmations]

Yeah... What's up? Who are you?

[9S just kind of gives him the benefit of the doubt here. He did ask him if he was alive first.]

[nishizono]

you can call me tetora. anyway, i was wondering if you have drugs.

[twoaffirmations]

Okay... I'm 9S. If you require medical attention or painkillers, the medbay is nearby.

[nishizono]

i'm not raiding the medbay. plus i don't know where the fuck it is just yet.

do you have any?

[twoaffirmations]

Um.

No? Do you need any help?