Dull clangs filled the air as Apex tossed his axe and the old sword used by Popola into the back of the truck bed, the weapons clattering about. Between the scanners they used to identify him as human and their network, the machines must've already been aware that he wasn't an ordinary human, but he doubted they knew the full extent of things.
Push come to shove, he wouldn't hesitate to make use of all his abilities, but he'd stick to using weapons in conjunction with enhanced strength for the time being.
Honestly, the more he learned about the Machine Network, the more questions he had. If some hive mind connected them all why hadn't every machine the planet over converged to kill him? Why did none of the machines seem to adapt to the way he fought? Were any of the machines wandering this forest even connected to the network?
It'd be easy to assume that any abnormal machines that didn't attack him were disconnected from it, but he knew so little he couldn't be sure of that. There was no guarantee that being disconnected meant machines would be friendly.
Hopefully this trip shed some light on all that.
He changed for it, donning black cargo pants, boots, and a similarly colored tank top. He'd have put his cloak on too but-
A2 turned the corner, emerging from the back of the cabin, massive sword in hand. She opted for her usual tattered gear, never wearing any of the clothing they retrieved when she left the cabin. All the tears and holes never bothered her, especially with the monopoly she had on his cloak.
"You ever plan on letting me wear that for more than a day?" He questioned while holding open the flap of the truck.
She tossed in the blade with the rest of the weapons as she joined him at the truck before fixing him with a blank stare. "…No."
He chuckled while the smallest of smiles played across her lips. It still wasn't a common thing, but it was always nice to see her being more expressive.
"Catch." Devola's voice filled the air as she and Popola emerged from the cabin. Radios, small and black in color, were tossed their way. "We've been working on these for a little while. The range is pretty good so we shouldn't have any problems."
He clipped his to his pants while A2 attached the small thing near the collar of the cloak, Popola and Devola carrying identical ones on opposite sides of their hips.
"There's one more thing we prepared. I assume you're aware of the chip system that's vital to your operation, A2?" Popola said, pulling out a thin black object, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. At A2's nod she continued. "Aside from the slot dedicated to your OS chip, we noticed that all the others were empty."
"They were experimental. Chips containing data that would improve overall efficiency were supposedly in development, but I know nothing beyond that." A2 said.
"We thought as much. I doubt this thing can compare to anything YoRHa has put together, but we have created something that should be compatible with your system and offers some basic functionality." Devola said. "This chip will link up with your systems and relay real-time data about your vitals as well as your location to us. I hate to have wasted my time but if you don't want to use it-"
"I will install it." A2 took the chip and shuffled into the back of the truck without pause.
"Didn't think she'd be so quick to take it." Devola muttered. If that wasn't confirmation that A2 fully trusted the two then nothing was.
They followed her lead and got into the front of the truck, Popola at the wheel and that castle their destination.
-Route A, No. 031-
"Machines are responsible for that?" Popola questioned, disbelief clear as day as they emerged from the forest line, the truck slowing. Thanks to data Navi was constantly collecting, finding a path suitable enough for the truck to get through hadn't taken nearly as long as expected.
Despite how quickly they'd returned since he and A2 had last been here, the bridge had undergone a complete transformation. Fences, made of wood and intensely sharpened littered the entire length of the thing, groups of armored machines standing on guard around them. Combine that with the imposing backdrop the castle behind them made and she couldn't be blamed for her surprise. Machines repairing and claiming an old structure of humanity other than factories? No one word came close to describing how hard it must be for them to grasp something like that.
"I'm starting to think this was a bad idea." Devola said as Popola brought them to a complete stop on some grass beside the bridge, many machines beginning to make their way towards them.
"We should've done things my way." A2 said through the small opening between the truck and its back. Devola and Popola had added a sliding window beforehand so that they could all talk throughout the trip.
"Yeah, not so sure that would've been any smarter, Two." Devola muttered before looking his way. "How many machines did you say were in there?"
"Too many to count." Apex said, ignoring the exact number Navi provided that went well over the hundreds. It's not like they had seen every part of the castle so they couldn't be sure about that.
After Popola and Devola checked their guns once more, both frowning, they stepped out, joining A2 at the back end of the truck who handed over his axe. Unsurprisingly, she wore the same frown as the others, outright glaring at the machines crossing the bridge.
They were going to be on edge the whole time, weren't they?
'They are sworn enemies, master.' Navi said. That they were, that they were.
All but one of the machines stopped at the sharpened fences. With a sword at its hip and a cape on its shoulders, one lone knight came to them.
"Welcome." It said. Apex couldn't be sure whether it was the same one he'd seen reporting to the King or another; some machines varied the pitch of their voices but just as with their appearances, they tended to sound almost indistinguishable from one another. "Follow me."
No time wasted, it turned around, leading them towards the bridge. Apex had to take the first step, the other three quickly falling in step around him despite clear reservations about what awaited them.
They rounded a number of spiked barricades, machines steeping out of their way. All stared. Specifically at him and A2. It was starting to feel like the machines saw her as some kind of legend or bogeyman. He wouldn't be surprised if she'd destroyed a few of their number long before they met.
They were led through the raised gates and into the castle, the same pattern of machines stepping aside and staring at them persisting right up until the caped knight stopped them before a wooden door not far from the wing containing the throne room.
"The King will be with you soon." The machine said, opening the door and stepping aside. A2 took the initiative and went ahead, glancing around the room before signaling for them to follow.
"Fancy." Apex commented off-handedly as he looked around. The room itself was almost as big as the entire cabin, but the furniture was what really stood out. A canopy bed took up the back center of the room, dressers not far on either side of it. In one corner of the room were long and short sofas, two of each, placed around a low coffee table. The rest of the room was rather barren excluding the pair of glasses doors leading out onto a balcony.
"Are machines truly capable of putting together something like that?" Popola muttered, struck by the sight. "It's-It's unbelievable."
"Don't let down your guard over some decorations." A2 reminded as she continued her own examination of the room. Her focus was on the doors and different cracks in the upper portion of the walls. If it came down to it, she'd be ready to run or fight.
They spent a few minutes checking it over from head to toe; looking through the empty drawers, investigating the surprisingly comfortable furniture, all while the twins used their scanners to look for anything out of the ordinary.
A knock at the door put an end to that.
A2 took the lead once more, opening the door. The King, cane in hand, stood beyond the doorway, eyes yellow. "White one." The King greeted A2 before its eyes landed on Apex and took on a green hue. "Welcome to my kingdom, all of you."
A2 and the others held their silence, regarding the machine cautiously. The King was completely unfazed by the silence, carrying on. "I wish to give you a tour of our home."
"I came here to destroy machines." A2 stated, that cold edge he hadn't heard in quite some time very much present.
The King didn't pay it any mind, turning. "One should know what it is they were protecting." The King said before heading down the hall.
"It's a good chance to get a better look around." Apex said as he and the twins went ahead. A2 didn't hide her dissatisfaction but followed all the same.
From the throne room, to what appeared to be old smithies, some overgrown courtyards, and other unused portions of the castle, they were led all around, the King explaining what a room was or would be for once they had the chance to repair things. Without the pressure of having to stay hidden or moving quickly he could actually take it all in and appreciate what they were managing here.
One person, be they human, android, or machine, would've had a difficult time managing half of what they were doing here.
In time they were led out the rear gates, a caped knight accompanying the King as they looked out on the village from a distance. Repairs were underway, even more damage done to the buildings since last time, but other machines were still going about their lives. Talking, playing, trading. All the stuff expected of villagers.
"Other machines, those still enthralled by the network, see what we are building and are driven to destroy it." The King said. "They know nothing of diplomacy, so we must fight, but we can never win. Not against their numbers." The King focused on A2, eyes yellow once more. "Will you do it? Will you help protect my people?"
A2 spared the King nothing more than a momentary glance before nodding towards them. "I'll be back."
"Be careful." Popola called out as A2 left the trail leading down and began to round the village to head into the forest, likely not at all thrilled at the prospect of being the center of attention among the machines.
"You are free to roam the town and castle as you see fit. My knights will protect your vehicle during your stay." The King said. "I hope you come to see this place as we do." It said before retreating back into the castle with its escort, leaving them to their own devices.
He hadn't expected them to just be given free reign, but they were going to put it to good use and collect as much data as possible.
-Route A, No. 031-
"-but that can't be right. There must be something we're overlooking." Out on the balcony connected to the room provided to then, Apex picked up on bits and pieces of the conversation Devola and Popola were having inside, propped against the stone railing and gazing out across the machines below.
They traveled up and down the place, the two scanning every machine they crossed though, according to them, there existed no clear difference between this group and the machines that doggedly attacked them. The technical stuff flew over his head but from he could gather, there was either something their scanners weren't picking up or the change had to do directly with software, the latter of which fell outside the realm of their specialty.
Whether they figured anything out, he hoped things worked out. They and A2 were distinctly unwilling to engage any of the machines in conversation or approach them. He wasn't expecting them to suddenly trust or look forward to seeing the things but surely, they'd see that associating with the odd group had more benefits than not doing so.
The Forest Kingdom was the perfect place to try and broaden their horizons so to speak.
Then again, this was hundreds of years of ceaseless battle and lost friends he was talking about; not something easily forgotten or forgiven.
'Exposure therapy was a popular method to treat certain issues.' Navi added. 'It may prove particularly ineffective in A2's case however.'
They were in agreement there. Would A2 ever do any more than, at best, tolerate them?
Only time would tell.
...
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