As he moved forward, 9S came to an abrupt stop.
He crouched down and reached out, picking up something that glinted faintly under the pale light.
A strand of golden hair.
For a moment, he simply stared at it, confused.
Then, he activated his optical sensors and began a detailed analysis.
But as the data started appearing on his interface, his expression changed drastically.
"This… this isn't possible…" he muttered, in disbelief.
The others stopped, watching their companion's sudden behavior.
Realizing their attention, 9S quickly raised his hands.
"Hey, it's fine! Nothing's wrong with me!" His voice sounded nervous, but sincere. He knew exactly what they were thinking—a logic virus.
No YoRHa unit could afford to let its guard down against that.
"Explain yourself," 2B ordered.
"I… found something strange," he said, almost out of breath. "The molecular composition of this strand of hair… doesn't match any YoRHa unit, nor any type of android ever recorded."
He paused, his eyes shining with pure astonishment.
"It's not synthetic, so the only possible explanation… is that it belongs to a human."
The silence that followed was absolute.
Even the Pod seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if its logic was struggling to process the absurdity.
"A… human?" 2B repeated, her voice almost inaudible.
Her head tilted slightly, as if trying to grasp the meaning of that word.
Human.
The term was embedded in every line of YoRHa code—in their missions, their oaths, their protocols.
Serve humanity.
Fight for humanity.
Reclaim Earth in the name of humanity.
For the glory of mankind.
Humans were the supreme masters.
The very purpose of every android's existence.
And yet, since 2B's creation, she had never seen one.
No unit had.
Not even the Commander, high above in the Bunker, could claim to have encountered a human.
"Have you lost your mind?"
One of the side units stepped forward, her voice tense. "It can't be a human! They live on the Moon—it's impossible for them to have come to Earth!"
"It's more likely this is a trap set by machine lifeforms," another added coldly.
9S felt the weight of their gazes upon him—no longer just concerned, but suspicious.
He took a step back, trying to remain calm.
"Hey, relax. I know how crazy this sounds, but my analysis doesn't lie! The structure of this strand of hair is completely organic! It's human!"
The air felt heavier.
No one spoke, but the collective thought was the same:
If 9S were infected, his words would be nothing more than lies generated by a virus.
He knew that—and still, he held his gaze steady.
"Think about it," he said quietly. "Does it make sense? For a thousand years, no human has come to Earth. But… what if one of them finally decided to return?"
"Return…?" 2B repeated. "But why? And why would YoRHa keep it hidden?"
9S fell silent for a moment, staring at the golden strand in his hand.
"Let's continue the mission."
2B's voice echoed while everyone was still lost in thought.
Her tone was so firm that a single sentence was enough to snap them back to their senses.
Without another word, the androids resumed formation and began advancing through the silent forest.
They couldn't afford to waste any more time. The target had disappeared from the detection zone, and every second spent there increased the risk of losing its trail completely.
"Considering the speed at which he was moving, he could be very far from us by now," 9S commented, adjusting the visor over his eyes as his fingers moved rapidly across the holographic console projected by the Pod.
His tone was analytical, but there was a hint of irritation. He clicked his tongue in frustration.
Shortly after, he crouched again and placed a hand on the leaf-covered ground.
"Hm? Wait… there seem to be traces of someone else."
2B approached.
"Someone else?"
"Yes. Based on the pattern of the tracks, he was… chasing something," 9S replied, his gaze fixed on the display. "The tracks are linear and fast, as if the target was fleeing and he was following closely behind."
9S's Pod emitted a brief beep, processing the data.
The screen displayed traces of residual energy—signs of recent humanoid movement.
"What was he chasing…?" 9S murmured. "A machine lifeform? Or maybe someone from the Resistance?"
2B remained silent, watching as her partner continued analyzing.
"These footprints…" 9S crouched, running a finger along their outline. "They belong to someone from the Resistance. No doubt."
"So he wasn't just wandering," 2B observed.
"It looks like the pursuit stopped here…" 9S glanced around, noticing the shift in the pattern. "The steps slowed down. He wasn't running anymore. Maybe he fell into a trap. Also… there are signs of a small explosion in those trees."
The trail led northwest. 2B slightly tilted her head, following the direction with her eyes.
Suddenly, something caught 9S's attention. He crouched again, this time in front of a small fruit tree.
The leaves were broken, and there were clear signs that someone had picked fruit from it.
"There are traces of fruit being plucked…" he murmured, touching the broken branch. "And here… bite marks."
"Not an animal. And no android eats fruit. This is further confirmation of my theory," 9S continued.
The discovery was as unsettling as it was absurd.
Androids could imitate humans, think like them, even dream of understanding them—but they were not human. And now, right before them, there was a real trace of one.
They continued following the trail.
After two minutes of marching, 9S suddenly raised his hand.
"Stop. Slow down."
He focused, scanning the horizon digitally.
Then, the target's location appeared.
A few meters ahead, among the trees, stood the silhouette of a man. 9S zoomed in.
The man seemed to be standing still, one hand near his ear, holding what appeared to be an old-model communicator transmitting a radio signal.
"An analog radio?" 9S murmured. "Who still uses that?"
He adjusted the frequency. It was dangerous—the kind of technology that could be easily intercepted.
The reading showed a stable communication channel, but the detected voice pattern belonged to the other side of the forest.
"He's talking to someone…" 9S concluded.
But before he could intercept the signal, his curious smile vanished. He froze for a moment, his body going rigid.
His scanner had detected another signal—not ahead, but behind them.
"No…" he muttered, clenching his teeth. "That can't be…"
2B turned immediately.
"9S? What is it?"
He raised a hand and replied in a grave tone, his sensors flashing red.
"The enemy is coming straight toward us."
Suddenly, multiple energy signatures appeared on the radar, surrounding them.
"Defensive formation!" 2B ordered, already drawing her blade, while 9S adjusted his position and the Pod began charging energy for firing.
---
(End of Chapter)