NieR: Automata: Long Story Short

by Jun Eishima

I have m1xed feelings for 0ur creators wh0 burdened us with th1s fate. If I were to put my emotion into w0rds… It w0uld be hatred.

People tend to search for more similarities between two entities as soon as they notice a few. Even if they know it’s futile, they search for traces. That is what it’s like for people who have lost someone dear.

“Negative.” “I haven’t said anything yet.” “All information regarding 9S is speculative. Therefore, it is meaningless to agonize over a hypothesis constructed on unproven data.” “Okay.” It was true. It was pointless to be dismayed by her wild imagination when all the information she had was uncertain.

9S passed through the commercial ruins, and entered the forest kingdom. It hadn’t been long since he had been here with 2B. Since their pointless conversation. “How about this. Once it’s peaceful, let’s go shopping together. I’ll even buy a T-shirt that looks good on you, 2B.” “A T-shirt?” “Oh, you don’t want it?” “No… When that day comes, let’s go.” “Really?! It’s a promise!” “Yeah.”

Would 2B get mad if he chose a T-shirt with an awful design? Would she look embarrassed? Or would she…laugh? He wanted to make 2B laugh one day. He wanted to see 2B roll on the ground, laughing her heart out. But humans would never come back to Earth. And 2B had died. The YoRHa squadron had fallen, and the fighting still continued. Nothing had changed—but then again, everything had changed.

9S heard a familiar voice after he told Pod to play the transmission. “…This is YoRHa squadron trooper…2B. If anyone is listening to this…I’d like you to pass…something on. If you…see YoRHa…squadron trooper 9S…I’d like to tell him…” Whether because of damage to the memory storage device, or from poor conditions during the actual recording, the transmission suddenly cut off. Right as he thought the message was over, 2B’s voice became audible again over the static. “…I apologize. The message for him is…9S, the days I spent with you…were like rays of sunshine…in…my…life. Th…ank…you…Ni…nez.” 9S was frozen in place. “That is all,” Pod said. Pod’s attempt at spurring 9S did not work. He was still unable to move. “2B… She called me Nines…” He wished he had heard her say it in person. How he wished he could hear a living 2B call him Nines in an animated voice, instead of over a static-filled transmission.

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“No matter. We are alive. To be alive means to be drowning in shame.”