Relics of Humanity

Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hey guys. It's nice seeing you again. Sorry that it's not another update on my Kimi no Na Wa (Your Name) story. I'm not gonna make excuses for myself this time. My inability to make long term commitments has made me drop three stories so far, all of which I initially planned to turn into long term projects. So, I'm just going to try the opposite approach this time. This isn't going to be a long story. Probably three to four chapters, maybe five if I win the lottery, but nothing like those 100k+ stories you find in Harry Potter and Naruto archives. I highly recommend finishing the game before reading this story, because there will be spoilers littered here and there. In general, I haven't really decided if I'm going to partially stick with the original story or make it into an AU altogether, but just keep in mind that A2 is going to be our main character. 2B is lovely and has a personality that I simply adore, but A2 is my girl. Okay now that we got all that out of the way, let's get started.

Dappled sunlight cascaded through the thick canopy of the Forest Kingdom, dotting the moist overgrowth with patches of brilliant gold. A2, with long strands of silver hair sticking uncomfortably against her synthetic skin, concealed herself in the shadow of a towering tree. The air was moist and stifling, essentially trapping heat within the confines of her body, making each breath she emitted a wave of heated air. It was moments such as these that made A2 curse the design of her model, which made her excel in terms of combat related fields such as reaction time, maximum output and durability, but at the same time leaving her other functions average at best. She had seen the newer models, equipped with cutting edge technology and capable of adapting to some of the harshest environments the devastated planet had to offer. After permanently dismantling a few of her pursuers, she managed to salvage the few components that were compatible with her circuits and integrated them into her system as best she could.

She inched forward in the shadow, visually scanning her surroundings for any hostile lifeforms as she quietly made her way toward to bridge that was the only route across the gaping ravine zigzagging through the Kingdom. Without her combat support unit, or pod, as they were usually called, she had no way of knowing the locations of the machines or other enemies alike. Thus, she had no choice but to be constantly on guard and prepare for the unlikely event that some sneaky machine bypassed her senses and decided to go for the kill.

The Forest Kingdom, a gathering of machine lifeforms that disconnected from the network was simply teeming with trigger-happy 'soldiers' that killed intruders on sight, whether they are androids or fellow machines. With the recent uptick of machine activities in nearby areas, A2 decided to scout out the region to see if the 'King' that these robots kept ranting about had anything to do with the phenomenon.

The answer was no. The 'King' was nothing but a defective machine that could do nothing but sit idly in its cradle. Still, she decided to destroy it.

There were two other androids at the scene, one was a Battle model, the other a Scanner. The Bunker, after numerous failed attempts at detaining A2, had simply given up on retrieving the rogue android. As far as A2 could tell, Command had ceased to issue mission specifically targeting her, and informed other YoRHa units to either flee or kill on sight.

Escaping the duo took her a bit of time. The Battle unit was unusually skilled with the sword, capable of fending off A2's strikes in close quarters combat. But what really made the fight a hassle was the Scanner. Fast-paced close range combat was one thing, fast paced close range combat while fending off a hacking attempt was another. Still, the two of them had a long way to go before they could even think about defeating her.

It turns out that news of the King's death traveled faster than she could run. On her way out, she was met with group after group of enraged machines out for her blood. Alone, they were no match for the deadly swordswoman, but together, their sheer numbers were more than sufficient to overwhelm a squad of YoRHa androids. Halfway across the kingdom, A2 now opted to sneak her way past the rest of the guards. If possible, she could wait for the duo she encountered earlier to draw the attention of the rest of the machines, allowing her to slip past the defenses easily.

Alas, things never quite went as planned.

"Revenge for the King! Androids must die! Kill! Kill! Ki..."

Nimbly rolling out the way as a buzzing chainsaw sliced through the air, the android cursed her misfortune before drawing her sword and bringing it down mercilessly on the annoying piece of junk. The small robot, futilely attempting to parry the lightning-fast strike, disintegrated in a shower of rusty bolts and broken cables as A2's weapon cut its core cleanly in half.

"Kill! Kill!..." However, the deceased machine was far from alone on its suicidal mission for revenge. A large horde of robots, ranging from miniature models such as the one A2 just defeated, to large lumbering Goliaths that shook the ground with every step taken, rushed towards the female android in a crazed frenzy.

With a defeated sigh, A2 met the wave of machines with a blinding flurry of slashes, hacking away methodically at the worn exteriors of her enemies while weaving through their ferocious attacks with almost graceful ease. Yet again, she lamented the loss of her pod. Without its numerous programs at her disposal, she was forced the deal with every enemy on her own. While these fights were not necessarily dangerous, it certainly made her life a whole lot more difficult.

"Revenge for our King!" yelled a small bot as it brandished an axe at A2, only for her to duck beneath the blow and end its life with an upwards swing.

"We did not want to fight! Why?"

"Die! Androids must die!"

Explosions and the metallic voices of the furious machines were the only sounds heard on the battlefield as A2 wordlessly cut down robot after robot, showering the forest with a rain of debris.

"Why...Do you...Fight? It hurts...Pain...Pain...PainPainPainPainPain!" Whirling its two bulky arms in a windmill fashion, the sole survivor of the mechanic army, a towering gray Goliath, lunged itself at A2 in an act of desperation as sparks spewed out of the numerous gashes in its battered shell.

"Revenge, I guess. I suppose that makes us somewhat similar." A2, who was silent up until this point, spoke monotonously, watching motionlessly as the spinning arms of the Goliath drew closer with every passing second.

Clank. With a deafening screech, A2 dragged her blade across the left leg of the Goliath, who still didn't register the fact that somehow, its target escaped and appeared right beneath its clunky body. The android released an inaudible humph and drove her blade deeper into the Goliath's bulky appendage. Outdated though her model may be, she had not yet met an entity, machine or android alike, who could rival her in the art of combat. Evasive maneuvers such as the one she implemented were, to quote an old human saying, a piece of cake.

A blazing trail of sparks followed the weapon, illuminating its trajectory with a glowing orange line as the piece of metal sliced through the armor and wire, severing the leg completely.

"Paaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiii— "

The Goliath's screech was halted when A2 sprinted up its body in a burst of speed and viciously jammed her blade into the scarlet blinking eyes of the machine. The circuits fizzled momentarily with electricity, and finally, the robot crashed to the forest floor in a lifeless heap of metal.

"How disgusting." A2 muttered under her breath. The thought that she and these useless scraps of junk were similar in even the slightest manner was, in all honesty, beyond unpleasant.

Wiping droplets of putrid grease away from her face, A2 leapt off the body of the Goliath and made her way towards the bridge. Yet, as she approached the stone structure, a waterfall to the side caught her attention. At first glance, it was just a splashing curtain of water flowing down the jagged face of a tall cliff. However near the end of the drop, the dimmest hint of red shone through the rushing torrent of water, indicating that hiding behind the water was a machine. To A2, machines were nothing but mindless robots programmed for the lone purpose of murder, and that stands true regardless of what vocabulary they may have picked up while rummaging through the old human archives.

She approached the waterfall, gripping the sword in her hands tightly as she prepared to put an end to the robot's cursed existence. Yet, much to A2's surprise, when she stepped closer to the fall, the pair of red eyes retreated deeper into what she assumed to be a cavern, as if attempting to remain hidden. Perhaps it was planning an ambush, or perhaps some logical virus inside its circuit made it develop a pseudo sense of 'fear', prompting it to shy away from battle. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that this particular machine behaved much differently from all the screaming, shooting, self-destructing models she encountered so far.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, her curiosity gained an upper hand and she returned her sword to its hovering position at her back. The situation was akin to seeing a bothersome insect buzzing around, but stopping to examine its abnormally large wings for a few seconds before swatting it out of the air.

She passed through the curtain of water, gently shaking the droplets out of her face before turning to face whatever lies behind the fall. Again, she found herself surprised. The machine she detected earlier turned out to yet another one of those round miniature robots, which was really nothing new. What did make her eyebrows raise was the fact that it cowered at the very end of the cavern, pincer-like hands tightly held over its head.

"Kill..." it spoke in a small voice, causing A2 to sigh in disappointment. It was just another hostile machine, albeit one with malfunctioning motor systems.

"...me...please.."

"Don't...kill...me...please..."

A2 frowned. Before, when she was first deployed to earth as a YoRHa member, machine lifeforms were only capable of meaningless beeps and noise. As the years passed, entities capable of simple speech were sighted near areas that used to house dense human populations. The city ruins she was once assigned to, for instance, was one of the first regions to report these so called 'speaking machines'. She never questioned nor paid attention to the contents of the sentences uttered by machines, either dismissing them as random or assuming them to be copied off of some old world literature.

However, in recent months, they were beginning to display an uncanny knack for coherent speech, so much so that it almost appeared as if they were trying to communicate with each other through spoken language.

And here, right in front of her eyes was something undoubtedly machine, kneeling and begging for its life. Even someone like A2 could not help but wonder, could this be something other than a coincidence?

Still, it was but a fleeting thought that passed through A2's mind. There was nothing left to see in this cavern save for this trembling, pleading robot, and it was time that the silver-haired android left the Forest Kingdom, lest she be surrounded by yet another horde of angry machines screaming murder.

Sparing the cowering robot a final glance, she simply raised her combat boots and slammed it into the outer metal shell of the machine, creating a large cavity where the boot struck. Electricity crackled and the robot's limbs convulsed in an erratic manner as the damaged circuits began to overheat, inevitable leading to a fiery doom for the hapless machine.

"NO!...Please...Save...me...Secret...tell...secret...please...don't...want...die.." The robot's desperate pleas, now reduced to stutters as its vocal functions gradually faltered, reached A2's ears.

Confusion, accompanied with irritation at her own inability to tune out these sentences, flew through A2's processing center. There was no doubt it was a desperate attempt to garner A2's attention, but the android could not be certain whether the 'secret' it spoke of was real or not.

Now thorough displeased, A2 stomped backed to end of the cave and stood before the twitching body of the machine. Glaring at the offensive piece of metal, she picked it up with her left hand, fingers puncturing the thin layer of metal covering its skull, and gripped the sword with her right. With a deft swing, she decapitated the machine and kicked the flaming remains of the limbs and the torso out of the cave, leaving only the charred, yet functioning head still hanging from her fingers.

The metallic sphere sizzled and emitted two plumes of smoke from either side of its head, where one would normally expect ears.

"Speak" A2 ordered. If the machine dared play dead, or deviate from her command in any way, she would not hesitate to reward it with another piece of steel in its body.

"Thank...you..." said the head, eyes turning from red to green.

"Don't give me that crap. You said something about a secret. Now I've spared your life, tell me. You have three seconds."

"A door...at the end of the cave...push rock...open..."

A2 removed her fingers from the robot head and tossed it to the ground unceremoniously, then proceeded to examine what appeared to be a naked rock wall. It was covered in parts by slimy patches of moss due to the moist environment, with small critters such as ants and beetles crawling through the crevices sprinkled across the face of the wall. After running her hands over as much surface of the grimy rocks as she could, taking nearly ten minutes to do so, A2 felt her patience nearing its end.

"You're shitting me, aren't you?" she growled, picking up the blinking head and shaking it vehemently.

"No...the king...does not lie...there is...a door."

"How about I send you on your way and let you have a nice long chat with your king"

"The king...is dead...slain by androids..."

"Now I think of it, that king of yours seemed like a runt to me. Doesn't look like it can talk either" A2 commented as she raised her blade, aiming for the spot right between its eyes. Since it can feel fear, she might as well let it experience it to the fullest.

"The one who told me...of the door...was the previous king...the one you have slain...was entrusted to us...by the previous king..."

So that tiny robot A2 killed wasn't the first monarch of the kingdom, meaning that the machines not only knew the concept of central government, but also the means by which a kingdom's rule is sustained. It was all quite interesting, assuming that A2 cared in the slightest how these machine-based gatherings work. Of course, that was not the case.

"It's nice talking to you."

As A2 was about to jab the blade into the robot's mechanical head, she detected a sharp spike of energy level behind her. Acting purely on battle-honed instincts, she twirled around and swung her blade through the air, releasing a shock wave that collided violently with the beam blasted towards her, and halted it for just a fraction of a second. It was all the time she needed to engage evasive maneuvers. Once again flashing to safety as the beam tore through the afterimage she left behind, A2 turned her head and snarled at the head she still held in her hands.

"You deceiving little piece of—"

"Look...door..." the metal ball said.

A2 turned to look at the wall she was inspecting moments ago and discovered that much of its slimy surface was destroyed by the beam, exposing what appeared to be a flat metal surface.

"Revenge for the King!"

A shower of magenta-colored orbs poured into cave, making A2 scowl in annoyance.

"Give me five minutes. I'll deal with you after I trash your little friends outside" said the android coldly, sprinting outwards with her sword in hand.

Mere seconds later, explosions and the anguished cries of the robot's mechanical kin echoed through the cave. There was no begging or pleading, only repetitive declarations for revenge or murder. It was the ultimate display of loyalty as depicted in the old human records, to stand firm in the face of even the most crippling odds. It was brave. It was valiant. It was so disgustingly foolish.

Once, they were but cogs of a giant machine, tiny terminals in a network spanning across the entire planet. They were made to fight for the cause of their otherworldly creators who they have not seen in centuries. It didn't bother them, for they had no concept of pain, suffering, or life. It wasn't until that day, when one of their brethren slayed their creators in the lair hidden deep beneath the surface, did the first machine begin to develop conscious.

Now, hundreds of years after the aliens' demise, the number of disconnected machines has grown large enough to form several separate pockets across the globe. For once, they are given the chance to forge their own path in this unforgiving world.

However...

Despite being given this chance...

These foolish beings still insisted on mimicking the humans...

Loyalty. Betrayal. Love. Hatred. Courage. Cowardice. Good. Evil.

These were nothing but arbitrary values set by humans to suit their own needs. Why...?

Why did they insist on conforming to these meaningless standards?

Why could they not see...

...he, the wisest among them all...

...was fit to rule after his Majesty's untimely demise?

Just because of the words of a rusty machine...

...they readily abandoned their most intelligent entity...

...for a short-circuited runt capable of nothing but waving its short stubby arms.

They should just curl up and die already.

"HEY! What the fuck are you doing!" A2 brutally slammed the robot against the stone walls of the cave, emitting a shrill screech as the jagged rock cut against the head's metal exterior.

"Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Stop! Pain!"

"Finally. I thought you fried your circuits or something. You just stopped responding."

"I was...reminiscing."

"It doesn't matter. I've cleared up the rest of the rocks. How do I get in?" asked A2, crossing her arms.

"I don't know"

"Excuse me?!"

"We have not yet managed to breach the inside of this facility. We deduced that it is a human-made structure with the purpose of long-term storage and perseveration. We also observed that the facility remains active, drawing energy from sunlight and underground thermal heat to power its internal functions"

"You've gotten quite talkative all of a sudden. What happened to the stuttering?"

"There is currently no immediate threat to my continued existence, my programs, including speech capabilities, have returned to full capacity"

"I don't know where you got that idea, but if I can't get inside, I might as well get rid of you right now." A2 said, placing the flat side of the blade against the robot's head.

"This machine is equipped with an internal scanner capable of detecting nearby machine lifeforms. Also, it contains data concerning the distribution and recent activities of local machine lifeforms. Proposal : I will provide support in exchange for my continued existence"

A2 raised an eyebrow, as if not believing that a machine, of all things, proposed a trade with her.

"What makes you think I need your help? I'm doing fine all by myself. You stupid machines don't stand a chance." She scoffed, pointing smugly at the burning debris just beyond the waterfall.

"Observation : YoRHa unit model A2 is highly specialized for combat. However, it lacks fundamental stealth and tracking abilities, making it vulnerable to ambush and high altitude aerial attacks. This model was later modified—"

"Alright, I get it. I suck at hiding and finding things. But how do I know you won't just backstab me the next time a machine comes strolling around"

"I...am an outcast of the Forest Kingdom. I disagreed with some of their choices, and later decided to hide in this location. After disconnecting from the network, those still under its influence will recognize me as a hostile entity. Conclusion: I am without incentive to help any other machine lifeforms"

A2 stared silently at the blank face of the robot, pondering whether or not she should accept the offer. Being unable to scan her surroundings has proven to be quite the difficulty for A2 over the years, and with the robot being relatively harmless, it was beginning to sound like a good deal.

"Fine."

"Understood. Basic Infantry Model No.328 is now assigned to YoRHa unit model A2 until further notice from said unit."

"Give me access to your core programs."

"Understood. Transferring core program access authority to YoRHa unit model A2"

While incapable of forcefully hacking into system programs like Scanner models, which were among some of the most troublesome enemies she encountered, A2 is able to access unprotected data such like public servers and archives.

The woman placed her hand on the robot's head, and plunged headfirst into the pure white realm of cyberspace.

Feeling oddly disconnected, A2 drifted around, stopping momentarily at the memory department before heading straight towards the floating black ball representing the codes that make up the very essence of the machine's existence.

Two minutes later, A2 pulled herself out.

"I'm done." She said succinctly, removing her hand from the robot.

"I detect no change in internal program"

"Would you feel better if I said that I altered your memories files so you don't remember?"

"Sarcasm detected in YoRHa unit model—"

"Just call me A2" the android interrupted, "And no, I did not change any of your files. I just needed them so I can do..."

She snapped her fingers.

"...this." A bright orange halo appeared around the robot's spherical head and a second later, it joined A2's sword, Virtuous Treaty as it hovered a few inches away from the woman's slender body.

"I've connect you to my NFCS. That way I don't need to carry you around wherever I go"

"Understood."

"Oh, and if things get pretty rough, I might use you as a one-time shield or something like that"

"Such inappropriate usage may result in irreversible data loss and hardware damage, thus, it is highly—"

"You need to learn when to shut up, Pod"

"Correction: I am not a YoRHa combat support unit. I am Basic Infantry Model No. 328, manufactured at year 11—"

"Pod." A2 said. "Shut up."

"Understood. Code name: Pod, successfully registered"

"Now let's see if we can hack this door open, humans were never good at building good security... "

One kilometer beneath surface:

It was silent.

It was dark.

Here, encased in the confines of a cryogenic pod, lies a man whose very existence is an anachronism in and of itself. He and his kin once walked the earth as the dominant species, changing the landscape to suit their own desires. Even today, after they have long disappeared from the face of the planet, their footprints still stand tall and proud amidst the vast stretches of plant life.

Sensing its upcoming doom, the species tried time after time to prevent the inevitable, only for its hopes to be shattered each and every time.

This desolated laboratory once housed the species greatest hope for survival, with the bodies of thousands of healthy entities being preserved. They could last for centuries, perhaps a millennia or two, but not even the most extensive preparations could have woken them up after an eight-thousand year slumber.

Among the thousands that started out, only one remain, with the others floating peacefully in their own watery coffin.

Here sleeps the last of mankind, a young male whose heartbeat grew fainter with each passing year.

Here lie the last glowing embers of the Homo sapiens, a race whose demise was just as sudden and abrupt as its uprising.

Here, in this room devoid of any light and sounds, the relic of humanity slumbers, ready to join his kin in the land after death.

That is until a certain silver-haired android decided to cut her way through the one meter thick walls of the laboratory out of sheer spite and stubbornness.

Author Note:

I originally planned on actually giving the male lead some lines and letting the two of them meet, but it's really late right now in my country and I want to upload it before going to sleep. So...next chapter, I swear.

As for my update schedule, I don't know when the next chapter is coming out. I finished this entire chapter in a single day after completing ending E of the game, which means I've exhausted all my ideas and my productivity will most likely see a nosedive in regards of the following chapter. However, I will do everything in my capabilities to make sure that you guys see the next chapter within a week.

Wish me luck, and DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! I KNOW I SAY THIS EVERY TIME BUT REVIEWS ARE LIFE!