Chapter Text
"That's...odd. Her speech is off, but... I swear she seemed alright? Maybe I missed something. If I scan her again, perhaps-"
"Don't hurt yourself," 2B snapped, arms crossing. "Something about her messed with your scanner the first time. Maybe it's for the best that you don't try again." It was sound enough logic, but 9S still frowned at the idea. Certainly another scan couldn't hurt their chances to ensure she was- officially- fully functional--
"Scan complete," Pod-153 reported, having completed a scan of its own, much to 9S' open, shocked dismay. (So he couldn't scan her, but his Pod got away with it? Somehow?!) "No obvious malfunctions detected. Android is in optimal condition."
That seemed to catch the persocom's attention, head tilting up towards the Pod. "Chii is not an android," she corrected, in a soft tone. "Chii is a Chobit- a persocom."
The two stood there a moment in stunned silence, Chii moving forward- once again ignoring the other two androids in the room- to stand closer to Pod-153. Reaching up cautiously to try and grab the arms with her fingers. Delicately and with much caution, attempting to satisfy her own curiosity of what she was currently looking at. It was then 9S remembered there was much to discuss and no time to waste, shaking his head.
"Oh, uh... A persocom, huh?" A pause. "Wait, a persocom?! Those are most certainly from...the last days of humanity on Earth!" Or something like that? The timeline was blurry, but record still held that persocoms were a close companion of humans thousands of years in the past. Helpers of their daily lives, and even romantic or familial companions to some others. It had been something 9S had studied eagerly when he first found out...but given how little data was given- lost over the years- and how new data was hard to come by, he had eventually outgrown the topic, to put it one way. To meet one now...!
"I've never heard of a Chobit, though... Pod, run a full-access search for me? Using "Chobits" as a keyword." A quick, "Acknowledged," was given, but from there... What did that mean? Persocoms already had so little data on them, but whatever a Chobit was... This was definitely going to give him new data to study for years to come!
"Chii wants to know...what the year is," she said suddenly, turning to the androids. Once again, that dreamy face turned laser-focused on those around her, eyes glancing unsurely between 2B and 9S. The two even slyly exchanged a look of their own, uncertain. "Chii knows it is approximately 1:36 PM, but not what the date is anymore."
"Well, about that... The year is 11945." She's an older model, right? So for her, what year would she have? 9S couldn't help but inch a little closer out of curiosity as her eyes moved off of him, processors running as she took in the information he gave.
"Chii has been asleep...a long time," she mused softly, hands falling to her sides. Suddenly, her mother's lab looking this way made sense. The way things were so broken and dusty made sense. It was all because... "The last date Chii has saved is from 2006." She had been awake a short time longer, but self-maintenance and updates had stopped at some point during her ever-growing depression. However, an internal, sad reverie missed out on 9S' reaction, mouth falling open in shock as he immediately began crunching numbers at a breakneck pace.
"2006?! That's almost 10,000 years!" His delight was unmistakable, despite the constant reminder to control his emotions... Although to be fair, 2B could hardly contain her surprise, either. To have lived amongst humans, huh? "Then you were made by humans! Lived among them, right?"
"That is right." Chii nodded, though still seemed quite uncertain and perhaps uncomfortable with the situation...? "Chii lived here- in Gabu Jougasaki- with Ms. Hibiya and Hideki. Ms. Hibiya helped make Chii a long time ago, to be Hibiya's daughter. Chii even had an older sister. Chii's sister is long gone, but Chii still got to live near Ms. Hibiya, since Ms. Hibiya owned Gabu Jougasaki. Hideki...found Chii. Lived here with friends. Made new memories.
"But then, an explosion happened. Hideki had to leave to get groceries, and try to help other people. Chii...never saw Hideki again. Even though Chii looked for Hideki every day." Her gaze moved back to the pod in the room, the air now thicker with sadness than it had been before. History comes with a caveat, after all. "Hideki not coming back... Chii didn't know what else to do. Ms. Hibiya made that pod for Chii to go into, so Chii could be safe and wait. So Chii did. Waiting for someone to find Chii..."
Her gaze fell to the floor, both androids silent; feeling her pain as if it was their own. Nine thousand years ago, Chii had lived here among humans. Obviously had a close relationship to one of them, as well as a familial relationship to another. And yet... She awoke to a world without any of them, much less any human at all. Those who had survived long since left for the moon and who knows what could be done about that. (Aside from entirely nothing. It was a pointless endeavor, anyways.)
"O-Oh... I'm sorry to hear that," 9S spoke up, voice gentle. "I... I don't know, but if it helps any... 2B and I have lost quite a lot, too..." He floundered for something more to say, then his mouth dropped open, eyes wide under his bandana as he gasped softly. "Oh-! Our names! I never told you our names! Geez, what a backwards way to-! A-Anyways, I'm 9S. This is 2B. There's also our Pods; mine is designation 153, while 2B has Pod-042."
Chii's eyes followed each wave of his hand, processors running noticeably as she registered the information. It was odd to think that this was their origin point, as far as "servants of humanity" went. Hearing her register information so loudly, the ears alongside her head that defined her as separate from humans... Yet, in the same breath, it was so exciting to have someone like that around. Unlike the whole of YoRHA, she knew what it was like to be around humans; lived alongside them, during the era where they lived on this planet. There was so much to learn from her...! He ever-so-greedily wanted every last drop of information she had to give!
"It is a pleasure to meet you, 2B, Pod-042, 9S and Pod-153." There was a lot of greeting bows to be had, but it truly only enhanced the experience for 9S. Old-fashioned greetings, too! But no, he really had to try to not get too distracted. There were (slightly) more important things to do, here. For example...
"Same here. But I guess that leads into what I meant to ask to begin with... You could travel with us, if you'd like. Since there's not...much here..." That kinda felt terrible to say. It was a little terrible, right? She just lost a whole lot being woken up like this- in this time- but since there really wasn't a lot she could do here...it would be better to come with them, right? Instead of hiding out in here, where machines could possibly find her... And what if they were mean machines!! That would be even worse!
Suddenly remembering there was another party to consider, 9S turned to 2B hurriedly, eyes widening slightly under his blindfold. "Th-That is, if you're okay with it 2-"
"It's fine," she said shortly. Right to the point, as always. It was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one; to be able to pick at Chii's mind and learn more of the rich history of humans...! It'd be invaluable data, without a doubt. 9S nodded, a small smile rising up on his lips.
"Well... There you have it. If there's a way we can help out, we'd want to do it. Right, 2B?" She only gave a grunt, that time, but Chii once more seemed to remember something in their words, eyes lighting up.
"Chii...has friends that need help. Chii's friends need help!" And without a word more, she raced past the androids with unexpected speed, taking the first few, remaining steps on kitten heels before hopping up to the ground floor with unnatural ease, and continuing on her way without pause. 2B sighed, but equally left without a word; she didn't need to be a Scanner to see Chii wasn't combat-capable. Leaving her to her own devices, especially without a thorough check of this building... Might as well not risk it. That left 9S in the dust, giving a sideways glance to his Pod, before hurrying after 2B.
No results to report about yet, huh... Whatever a Chobit is, it's either something lost to time or otherwise deeply buried. Something that only makes his curiosity burn all the brighter, despite the struggles ahead.
Four flights of stairs later, and he spots 2B standing in a doorway down the right hall, second from the last. Catching up to the duo, 2B casting him a glance as Chii- from within the room- opened up a dirty, bent door into a- Oh! It's a closet! The inner wall had seemingly collapsed with most of the room next door, but despite that, most of the things within were still intact. Likely sitting in about the same place as they were left, if elements had been kind. 9S was able to spot a dirty (potentially useable) blanket or two, a rotted, cardboard box, and what appeared to be a sneak peek of a folded up futon...? Wonder if that's useable...
Chii ignored all those things, instead pulling out a solitary, plastic box from the floor level. Firstly checking it over for any signs of damage- of which there wasn't any, aside from plenty of dust and debris- and then popping the lid open to check inside. A small, relieved smile showed on her face, carefully closing it back up. Scans showed...two smaller persocoms within the box? So... Were those the aforementioned friends, then?
"Sumomo and Kotoko are in here," Chii announced, grabbing the sides and lifting the box up, as if to show 2B and 9S the proof of her words. "Sumomo and Kotoko could not function for as long as Chii did... So Chii kept them safe in Hideki's box. 2B and 9S...can help Sumomo and Kotoko?"
"Well, we can't, but we know some people who just might be able to," 9S mused, openly surveying the rest of the room while he spoke. Chii had booked it up here without a second thought, right? So... Had she lived here or in the room downstairs? Granted, she mentioned a "Ms. Hibiya" a lot- her mother figure/creator- so that must've been her room, right? Did Hideki live here, then? Had Chii lived with him? (The thought has a certain feeling wiggling in his body... Can't tell what it is, though. Excitement? Envy? Emotions can occasionally be hard to parse through.) "Y'know, these rooms... They're kind of like our rooms on the bunker, huh, 2B?"
"I suppose," was her short, clipped response, but... Her eyes silently took in the room, wondering what it must've looked like in their heyday. Though 9S was probably right- perhaps a little smaller than the bunker's rooms- it wasn't much the same at all, either. The closet off to the side, a broken television, that wide window...a kitchenette near the front door; this room seems like it would've been far more cozy than their rooms were. Homey, was the word.
Not that she'd announce such thoughts.
"Anyways, we'd want to head to the Resistance Camp," 9S continued, head turning back towards Chii. "That's where the people are who can help your friends." The persocom perked up once more, nodding hard enough to send her hair flopping around her body like large wings about to take off.
"Chii will follow 9S and 2B to the Resistance Camp," she parroted, smiling happily. It seemed like a settled deal, 2B stepping back as 9S returned to her, both staring to leave the room, when... "Chii... Chii can also help?" Once they turned around again, she continued, "9S is studying humans? Chii used to live here with Hideki, Sumomo, and Kotoko. Chii knows about Gabu Jougasaki Apartments best, but maybe...Chii can also help 9S learn about humans?"
Were it possible, 9S would likely feel his throat fill up with hefty emotion, overwhelmed at the idea of learning about humanity directly from a source who'd personally lived among them. And while his android senses couldn't recreate such a feeling, the rush of heightened emotions that flooded his systems at the offer was a fair replacement. He couldn't stop the awed, hopeful smile on his face if he had put actual effort into it. "Y-Yes! I... Wow, I really appreciate that, Chii! Ah, but first... Resistance Camp!"
Something had to keep his head on straight, and thankfully, their current objective served such a purpose. Honestly, 2B could be a little proud of him for that, watching him hurry ahead while waiting for Chii to exit the room. Once she had gotten close, 2B nudged her, looking over with a tilted head.
"You'll be safe with us. Just keep close, Chii." After receiving an understanding nod, 2B headed out, making sure to keep Chii close as they both left the apartment building shortly after 9S. He might have his wires frying off right now, but Chii was also carrying a box with more important, potentially helpful persocoms with her... Given that she hadn't proven herself to be fully there, it seemed for the better that 2B would allow herself some wiggle room to be protective.
All that leaves now...is to get to the Resistance Camp. Everything else can be figured out after the fact. And that's a damned good start.