text

[deem]

Hey guys, 9S here.

Recent events got me thinking we should have some provisions in place, in case of future attempts to abduct or imprison anybody. Units like 2B, A2, and me have black box signals we could detect, but as for you guys... I've come up with some tracking modules that you can activate in case you get in a tough spot. They just look like little round pins with stars on them, figure nobody'll give them a second look.

They're easy to activate and deactivate. All you do is press on the raised star shape for five seconds. Simple, right? They'll derive energy from your body heat, and don't need direct contact, so I think it'll work. I'd like to enable at least a few people to detect those signals, but you'll need equipment like my goggles or Dirk's uh, shades. So let me know if you're interested.

Also while we've got access to materials, if anybody has equipment or repair needs, just give me the details.

Private: Dirk
Hey, can I ask your help with something? It's...not really a small favor, but I think you're the most capable.

Private: Julius
There's something I'd like to ask you about, when you've got the time.

Private: 2B + A2
After recent events, I think we should make plans in case we sustain heavy or lethal damage. Can we talk about that?

Comments

[deem]

Well, for units like me, overheating can lead to exploding, so...

[That'd be awfully inconvenient for any humans around, to say the least]

It's more of a YoRHa thing. But there's plenty of equipment that humans can use.

[lalliho]

[Yeah... Note to self, don't fight close to 9S or the ladies.]

Oh. So it was just an example of stuff you're able to do, not how you've already got stuff done. Right...?

[deem]

I can do way more impressive stuff than that, but I got some new clothes with the others recently, so I made those modifications.

Figured it was better safe than combusting, especially since I didn't really trust the locals before all this.

[But then, they're far different from the friendly and curious little Palai, so why wouldn't he be?]

[lalliho]

I didn't think they were that bad...but they took my roommates and stopped letting me work for a while. I guess I wouldn't have been able to do that as much if my magic was obvious.

[deem]

The way they were about our initial entry here had me a little suspicious.

[He may be a lot of things but overly trusting of non-humans? Not at all]

But hey, they try to lock me out of places electronically, so it doesn't exactly impact me. Might as well leave the doors wide open.

[lalliho]

Was it bad? Maybe I don't remember...

[No, he's just astonishingly trusting despite how standoffish he is. People being nice to him sets off more alarm bells than anything.]

Oh. I guess it makes sense you're good at that.

[deem]

The whole individual processing deal with repeating the same rules over and over seemed a little authoritarian, if you ask me.

[Not that he necessarily minds it when he understands the order of things, but humans are god-tier, why are aliens trying to order them around?]

That's one thing my unit type's good at, getting past locks and all that.

[lalliho]

Isn't that normal? They have to make sure things are safe.

...Mm. That's a little suspicious.

[deem]

I don't know if it was about safe, exactly. Not like that where I come from anyhow.

Infiltrating enemy territory's just part of scouting, isn't it?

[lalliho]

They did stuff because they were scared. Why would they be scared if they thought it was safe? They needed to learn how to handle new stuff and keep everything okay, and it was scary.

[He's just a simple boy!!!]

Maybe. My enemy can't lock anything. I don't fight other people. Not anymore, not really.

[deem]

I was designed to be intuitive. And it didn't feel right to me then. So when they captured some of the others with no good cause, it reinforced that impression.

Letting people in when they doubt their own security is pretty questionable.

[More than a little in his eyes]

I didn't fight people either. I fought machines.

[Apologies to all the simple boys out there who will understandably question the distinction between him and machines]

[lalliho]

Yes. Taking Ruby and Riza was wrong. They could have worked better with us. But I'm glad they didn't keep us out just because they didn't trust us. Isn't that being friendly and trying?

[...hmmmmm.]

but who locked the machines

[deem]

Not exactly. If they're studying us, they've got something to gain. In which case it could be purely utilitarian. On the other hand I'd say the Palai were friendly. Maybe too much for their own good.

[Enough that it certainly concerned him. Rather disarming though]

But they used locks themselves. Wouldn't be at war so long if they didn't know how to use locking mechanisms.

[lalliho]

What they gain is understanding and knowledge that they're safe? I agree the Palai definitely should probably have died with how they lived though.

You don't need locks to war...

[lalli no that's not

lalli

lalli the point is right there]

[deem]

From what I've heard, they treated the people they took like test subjects, to some extent. I wouldn't call that simple security.

[Lalli...Lalli please]

But wouldn't you secure your bases and facilities, so the enemy can't just waltz in, right? We've been at war for millennia.

[lalliho]

No. That was wrong but I mean when we first got here. Questions aren't bad, just annoying.

I don't know. Trolls can't use locks.

[deem]

It's the way they went about it that rubbed me the wrong way. I just don't think their intentions are necessarily good ones, where we're concerned.

They must not have anything they need to secure if they don't lock anything up.

[lalliho]

I doubt they're all the same...

well no they're monsters and just want to kill

[deem]

It's the ones in power that we have to worry about.

Huh. Machines were created to destroy, but they can still lock things.

[lalliho]

Yeah but we're all coven people and we aren't the same. Emil and I are both humans from the same world but we're really different?

Weird. That sounds like a waste of time if you're just going to unlock it anyway.

[deem]

What I mean is; those governing have given us an idea of what they're inclined to do to us now.

And I guess the point is they're trying to keep units like me out. They're just not successful.

[lalliho]

Oh. If that's all you mean, then I guess.

They should probably stop trying and focus on damage instead...

[Don't help the enemy???]

[deem]

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. The people in power don't necessarily represent the whole population.

There's a lot of them, so they can try for both. My unit type may be made for infiltration, but the others are combat models.

[lalliho]

If there's that many, they should just all attack at once so no one can stop them... What stupid things.

[deem]

They've engaged in large-scale attacks before. But that also gives us a pretty localized target, and usually there's heavy casualties on both sides after incidents like that.