http://nier2.com/blog/2017/03/07 ... novellas/#more-5385This novella has 6 separate sections that tend to shift the perspective between 9S and 2B. It’s never clearly stated when it’s supposed to take place, but simply from the narrative, the reader is lead to believe that this is sometime before the start of the game, on a mission to the desert zone.
▼ Part 1
It opens up with 2B dispatching a bunch of Bio-machines with the Type 4O sword in order to check for an important message from the Bunker at an access point.
Appearing out of the distance comes 9S.
9S: 2B! Is that a message from the Commander?
2B: No, it has nothing to do with our current assignment. It’s about another mission. (Changing the subject) This wasn’t our rendezvous point.
9S: I know but, I thought… I could help you……
2B: There’s no need.
9S: (shrug) No, it doesn’t look like it. Well, we met up safely, so why don’t we head toward the target area?
▼ Part 2
9S: Uwaah! I’ve got sand in my shoes again! Doesn’t it bother you?
2B: What does?
9S: Your shoes must be full of sand, aren’t they?
2B: I can tell somethings inside them, but it hardly impedes my ability to move, so…
9S: Don’t you hate how the sand sloshes around in your shoes like that!? Even if you can still walk fine, doesn’t it feel horrible?
2B: Emotions are forbidden.
9S: Aaaaaaaaaalright.
The narrative here explains that it was probably due to a failed squadron that later YoRHa androids were instructed to suppress their emotions. 2B believes, for all intents and purposes as battle type androids, emotions are not necessary… especially for herself.
They work their way through the vast desert area and come across the ruins of the Barren Temple (lit. Sanctuary of Sand). 9S points to what looks like the shadow of a building in the distance.
9S: Ah! Could that be it?
Pod053: Affirmative: This is the investigation target. A large building left over from human civilization.
9S: It seems to be what they called a sanctuary, some sort of religious building. Specifically, it was called the “Barren Temple”, I think. I suppose people from long ago used to live here but later turned it into a religious temple…… I guess.
9S was so excited to explore temple that he forgot about the sand in his shoes.
9S: C’mon, let’s check it out, 2B!
As 9S dashes off, a smile nearly forms on 2B’s face, but she suppresses it by quickly following after him.
2B: Emotions are forbidden……
She only meant to say this to herself, inside her mind, but she actually spoke them aloud. 9S heard her say something and turned around to face her.
9S: Did you say something!?
2B says it was nothing and they both continue their way toward the entrance of the temple.
▼ Part 3
As they entered the temple, the sound of the wind from outside in the desert faded away. It was suddenly so much quieter that 2B thought that all sound had disappeared.
9S: It feels like someone turned on the AC in here, huh?
Pod053: Negative: There are no such air conditioner units at this current location in the temple entrance. You are merely experiencing the difference of temperature from the outside to room temperature.
9S: Oh for craps sake, I realize that. It’s just a feeling.
The only sound in the room were their own footsteps and the low frequency humming of the two Pods. Part of the ceiling had caved in, allowing a brilliant stream of sunlight beaming through the still air.
9S: It looks like the sand’s even made it this far into the temple.
A nearby staircase and adjacent landing, the walls as well as the floor below were covered in mounds of sand.
Pod053: Conjecture: The sand mounds throughout the central hallway and multiple areas along the walls were placed artificially: however, exactly how it arrived there is unclear.
9S: I wonder why they’d do such a thing? You don’t have any idea?
Pod053: Affirmative.
So much of the old world’s legacy was a mystery. Even if humanity fled to the moon, that doesn’t mean they were able to take all of their records with them. That’s why it was important for the androids to conduct such investigations and record their findings.
2B: (To Pod042) Are there any Bio-machines nearby?
No enemy signals appeared on her visor screen, but she asked just to be sure.
Pod042: Response: There is no enemy signal within the temple.
Pod153: Warning: Both the stairs and portions of the ceiling are damaged further ahead.
9S laughed.
9S: You don’t need to tell me to know that, huh, 2B?
2B nodded. Halfway down the stairs, a huge boulder blocked the way.
9S: This used to be part of the ceiling. Much of it has been worn away, but you can still make out some of the pattern on it.
Both 9S and 2B raised their eyes to the partially collapsed ceiling above, exposing the brilliant blue sky beyond.
9S: I wonder what caused it to collapse.
At any rate, their ultimate task wasn’t to engage in battle with the Bio-machines but rather to help humanity return to the surface of the **et, and hopefully as close to their original form as possible. And that also included preserving natural heritage sites and other locations of the past as well, which meant avoiding battle near these areas and drawing out the enemy far enough away as not to further damage the ancient relics of humanity.
Pod053: Response: The cause of the collapse may due to the passage of many thousands of years. Further details on this cause is unknown.
9S: Thousands of years, huh? That’s amazing.
2B: Amazing?
9S: Well, I mean, if the ceiling here collapsed however many thousands of years ago, then the whole temple must have been built much earlier than that. For it to be in such good shape… it’s amazing. Given such a harsh climate out here in the desert, I’d imagine there’d be more erosion than what we see here.
Then almost without warning, 9S stood up and stepped toward the room on the side of the stairs.
2B: Now what?
9S seemed fascinated over a large, stone door that hung wide open.
9S: How do you think this door opened and closed? It’s complete stone, right? With this thickness and weight… There’s no way an average human could open it on their own.
The doorway featured double doors that wouldn’t even budge no matter how hard you pushed against them. 9S tilted his head in confusion.
9S: There must be a power source somewhere.
9S looked all about the room, but unlike the hallway that was flooded with natural light from outside, the space beyond the doorway was pitch black as the darkness expanded with no end. As 9S set foot toward the darkness, Pod053 moved ahead of him.
Pod053: Proposal: Turn on the light.
9S: Okay, do whatever.
Pod053: Understood.
What Pod053 then illuminated was a space far wider than he ever could have imagined. As 9S ran into the center of the room with Pod153, the space where 2B stood grew darker and darker the farther away 9S ran. Instructing Pod042 to turn on a light as well, 2B followed after 9S.
His gaze looking up at the ceiling, 9S continued to run through the open room along the walls around the perimeter as his footsteps echoed under the high ceiling as he went. He ran here and there, stoping only for a moment to examine the floor or the side of the wall. Simply watching him go to and fro made 2B’s head spin.
9S: The floor, the walls, even the ceiling are all made out of stone! The stone was cut into huge slabs and assembled together…… It’s unlike any building construction that I’ve seen. I’ve never seen anything like it! How in the world did they they manage to move such heavy slabs of rock!? How can this one pillar support such width and height?!
Seemingly talking to himself, 9S stepped near a section of the wall.
9S: Could there have been light source here? Attached to this long, narrow fixture in the wall?
Pod053: Affirmative. There are traces of a light source fixture known as a torch or something similar.
9S: There’s one, two, there, four… a total of eight fixtures along the room. I wonder what they used this room for? Maybe they’re remnants of some sort ceremony?
After running all about the room, 9S made his way to the inner doors. The entrance doors were left wide open, but a second set further beyond remained firmly shut.
9S: This couldn’t possibly…
He rest a hand upon the door.
9S: …be a cinch to open, do you think…?
Just as 9S voiced how impossible that would be, the doors budged open with a creak.
9S: It opened!?
9S looked on in shock at the double doors that opened to the left and right. With its light shining brightly, Pod053 ducked in and out of the doorway.
Pod053: Warning: There is an extreme vertical interval between the door and the pathway further ahead.
But 9S didn’t seem to care.
9S: I’m just going to take a quick look! I’ll be right back!
The moment 9S removed his hand from the side of the door and dashed inside, the doors tightly closed behind him.
…
As 2B is trying to find him, she just barely dodges out of the way of sudden gunfire from… Pod153 and 9S himself. Apparently, he found out that she was **ning on killing him sometime and was waiting for her to make the first move… but it never came, so he decided on a preemptive strike. He manages to hack into her systems and completely take control of her…
But then 2B started to gain the upper hand anyway due to a tertiary backup ** by the Commander. She infects him with the Logic Virus that completely deletes his personal data, rendering his android body immobile and ready for the slaughter. She receives the order to destroy his head unit but hesitates. Again, she’s given the same order. Still she hesitates, even though this isn’t a first for her; she had also given peace to other YoRHa androids… At first she only felt her hand shake but now her whole upper body felt as though it were under such great pressure. There was no logical reason for it and yet she felt an acute pain in her chest.
Nonetheless, she still manages to perform her given task and lets her sword loose upon his neck.
“Signal from black box confirmed lost.”
And yet, she keeps hearing 9S’s voice in hear head:
Good-bye, 2B…
Good-bye, 2B…
2B tries to regain her composure but is continually plagued by a strange feeling and 9S’s voice echoing in her head. She asks Pod042 to open a channel to the Commander to tell her the status of the mission… and in the end, when she closes the line of communication, something like flowing quicksand overcomes her.
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