NIER: AUTOMATA - THE WOLF - 1

The shuttle landed in the bay with a cacophony of clattering and hydraulic whines. The Bunker was designed to take in live specimens, but it happened so rarely that the systems had all but begun to atrophy. It was a surprise they still worked, let alone that anybody remembered how to operate them.

"It was a fantastic job on your part to capture it alive," Commander White saluted 2B and 9S perfunctorily. "Even if you are top-class field operatives, the 'alive if possible'' designation was filed more as a suggestion than a command."

2B saluted back immediately, 9S after a moment and with a bit of sarcasm.

"Any time a non-machine animal shows aggression toward androids, successful living captures become a vanishingly rare eventuality. You've both performed far above expectations."

"Surely you only asked us because you assumed we could get it done?" 9S asked with a grin that suggested the notion of them failing was comical.

"You received the assignment because you were in the area and it was a high priority." Commander white looked at him flatly, "Even if models showed you two having the highest likelihood of mission success, they still put a live capture as less likely than the total loss of both units."

"Commander, our battle with the animal didn't suggest capabilities that made total loss a possibility," 2B responded stiffly, "It would be worth reviewing the records of its previous attacks. The model was wrong."

"I've reviewed the records enough, due to their nature they are Sensitive Compartmented Information." Commander White's tone became stern, "Your access to records kept by Type-R and Type-Z units is need-to-know."

"Potentially sending us to our deaths seems pretty need-to-know," 9S scoffed.

"Commander, if all previous attacks were on science-class androids, why would the models suggest high danger to a battle-class and scanner?" 2B ignored him.

"The beast is documented to have stalked and evaded previous units in a way that suggested extremely high intelligence," The commander softened, "Any time humanlike intelligence is demonstrated by an organism, its threat level is placed at maximum until such a time as we can prove it shouldn't be."

9S gave 2B a look, which for once she met.

"Even with the element of surprise, it shouldn't have been a mechanical possibility for it to destroy a unit, regardless of type." 9S pushed.

"You should know as well as anybody that 'loss beyond recovery' does not solely describe destruction in combat." Commander White looked down her nose at him, "Such as when you hacked into a machine database which obstructed your communications with the base. Several failed return signals designated you as a loss."

"Some communication in that case would have avoided a lot of trouble, 2B could have told you I was fine," 9S protested, "I don't particularly like experiencing a remote kill command without knowing-"

"As her scanner unit, your failure to respond marked 2B as also lost." The commander seemed to have settled on making an example out of him for arguing, "Any compromise to your system security leaves her vulnerable, and either of you bringing vulnerabilities aboard is something we can less afford than manufacturing replacements for the pair of you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, commander," 2B bowed before 9S could protest.

"We assigned you to retrieval because we expect you two to take risks, calculated ones," She jabbed a finger at 9S. He saluted loosely but refused to bow. "There was no implicit risk in the work the units it previously attacked were doing, but they wound up designated as losses. I have no interest in arguing or explaining our systems of risk assessment beyond that."

"Yes, commander," 9S sighed. You didn't win arguing upwards.

Commander White cooled down a bit and both 2B and 9S relaxed, but not before 2B shot 9S a particularly harsh glance. She was a kiss ass, there weren't many better ways to put it. Or maybe there were. She didn't suck up so much, she just did her job exactly how they told her to do it when they told her to do it and she didn't argue back even when they were wrong or screwing her over. She didn't like being chastised or chewed-out, she didn't like things slowing her down or interfering with her work even in microscopic ways, and seemingly the only thing she ever worked for or got off on was the person telling her to kiss their boots informing her that her lips had done a good job cleaning them.

If there was a better term for that than kiss-ass, he'd need more time to come up with it.

"Either way," Commander White finally continued, "You'll be finding out exactly what the thing's real threat level should be. I want you both to head down to research to look into it."

"Commander, neither of us are trained in research work." 2B saluted but protested, at least as much as you could protest without actually offering any resistance.

"This is a rare situation, but in the case of a live specimen like this which we've designated a maximum-level threat, any direct study has to be done either by or in the presence of combat-certified androids." The commander shrugged, "The specimen will be heavily sedated, and you'll likely just be overseeing as a Type-R does the work-"

"Commander, forgive me, but I was hoping for a chance to relax after our time in the field." 2B's voice wasn't protesting, he realized, almost more... pleading? "For every twenty-four hours in the field, we are supposed to be allotted two hours of personal time. Perhaps we could delay this until after that?"

"This work will be regarded as taking place in your personal time slot," The commander said flatly.

"Bullshit!" 9S yelped. 2B flinched, but he wasn't sure if it was from what the commander had said or his yelling, "If you're calling it work, how can you justify cutting into our personal time with it?"

"Your designations specify twenty-four hours of certified work, which you've done. But neither of you are certified for research work, so this is designated in the same way we would record a unit receiving training in another discipline."

"Yes, commander," 2B saluted, though 9S could make out consternation on her face. He watched her turn on her heel the second the commander had dismissed them and start making her way toward the research division. He had to struggle to keep up.

"Can you believe that?" 9S sighed when he had fallen in behind her.

2B didn't respond, if anything, she just started walking faster. 9S couldn't tell if she was mad at the commander or...

"Hey, you don't think this is my fault, do you?" He protested, "The commander does things like this even when she isn't mad at me, don't blame me here."

She just kept walking, 9S couldn't get a good enough look at her face to see her expression, but he was pretty sure she was scowling.

"I'm not sure what you're upset about, what do you even do in your free time anyway?" He pestered.

"What I want to, usually," She responded hotly without slowing down.

"Look, if you're trying to get it over with as quick as possible, don't bother. Knowing the commander, the better plan would be to try to drag it out long enough that it cuts into our next work assignment."

"If those are the kind of calculations that go into your decision-making, I understand why the commander mistrusts you."

"I'm serious, this isn't my fault!" He sped up enough to get in front of her, but he was surprised to see she looked more depressed than angry. "That's just how the commander is sometimes."

"So it would seem," 2B responded in a voice that was completely void of emotion, despite her face.

They had arrived at research, which was lit up in a way that designated it was restricted, but as soon as they were in range, the doors hissed open.

There were a couple different science androids gathered around the containment cell with the specimen, looking through the alloy glass and chattering to themselves in fascination. It wasn't like any other animal in the catalog, they could safely rely on that. It was like a wolf in some ways, but it was giant, bipedal, and had clawed hands with opposable thumbs and impressive manipulation capabilities. They had put in several different items, seemingly unable to decide if it would best amuse itself with children's playthings, dog toys, or a salt lick. It was able to pick up and investigate all three with human-like dexterity, but what it decided to do with those things afterwards was usually either to sniff it, chew it, or both.

"Battle-Type android is present in the lab," One of the scientists announced over the lab comms, "All androids who lack clearance for experiment viewing are asked to vacate."

The huddle of scientists turned and looked at 2B and 9S in an almost resentful way, all but two or three of them shuffling out of the lab. When the doors hissed shut again, the sudden lack of noise was palpable. At least for a moment.

"2B!"

One of the remaining research androids stepped forward and bowed. She was short, shorter even than 9S, with shaggy red hair and a research scope built into a pair of glasses. She was also thin, even by the standards of androids built to waste absolutely nothing in terms of space and material. When she offered a hand, it was practically skeletal, but her skin was rosier than either 2B's or 9S's, making it look like she had a permanent full-body blush.

"Ah," 2B gave a very short and awkward handshake, "9S, this is 5R."

"When I heard we took the specimen alive, I knew it had to be you!" 5R gushed, barely even glancing at 9S. "But I never dreamed you'd be the one coming down here to do my research with me!"

"This will be coming out of our off-time," 2B responded flatly.

"I know, I know," 5R filibustered as she gestured toward the thing in the cage excitedly, "The last thing you want to do when you could be relaxing is spend time down in the lab poking and prodding the big fuzzy thing you just fought, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime! I'll give the commander my highest commendations of your work. I'll see to it you never have to work down in the labs again! You know, unless you want to."

"That's very kind of you-" 9S started.

"Hold on, I need to put the lab in lockdown mode!" 5R started jogging away. "I can't wait another second to get started on this!"

5R started furiously interfacing with the computers on the other end of the lab, shuttering viewports, locking doors, tightening hatches. 2B looked at her, sighed, and clasped her hands behind her back as she waited.

"She's nice," 9S teased.

"She's... intense..." 2B responded softly.

"Sorry, you find somebody intense?" He pushed, "You scared she's going to attack? Betray us? Ask you on a date?"

"People who take more joy in their work than their leisure... concern me." 2B responded flatly.

"As opposed to taking joy in neither, which is normal, I guess." 9S sighed performatively.

"Okay, ohmygosh, sorry," 5R came bolting back and started to interface with the terminal in front of the cage even more aggressively. "So here's the deal. We've got this thing on the absolute strongest sedatives we have. It probably shouldn't even still be breathing, let alone awake!"

"Can't you just like... double the dose?" 9S looked at the animal nervously.

"What? No!" 5R scowled, "Double the dose of a sedative doesn't make a stronger sedative, it mostly just makes poison. Chemicals aren't food."

"How about a dose of a second sedative then?" 9S shrugged angrily, "I don't know, I'm assuming we're going to have to get in there with it."

"You're coming up with a bunch of ways to make poison," 5R rubbed the bridge of her nose like she was trying to explain it to a child, "Look, it doesn't matter. We've simulated android stimuli in the containment and none of them make it attack, so it's probably just kinda... drunk..."

"Drunk?" 9S yelped indignantly.

"Even when we began combat with it, the creature didn't engage in direct attacks." 2B cut off further protest. "A lack of direct attack does not mean it is safely sedated, perhaps just considering a longer game."

"Right, but if it is, that's human-like intelligence, and that's even better!" 5R saw the worried look on their faces and changed course, "We have a bunch of failsafes in place. The second either of you is in actual danger, we're ready to euthanize the target if need be."

"Wouldn't it be easier to replace us than the target?" 9S huffed.

"Easier? Yes." 5R responded casually, "But ethically, I couldn't allow it."

"Unless you got the order to allow it," 9S murmured.

"I guess?" 5R scowled, "But command only intervenes in studies when it's a matter of security."

"Comforting," 2B responded flatly.

"Look, don't get dissuaded," 5R pulled up a scan of the monster in containment and pointed to a red line running up the spine, "We've found tech implants inside of it, so 9S should be able to interface and block any attacks."

"I'll have to operate on absolute maximum security," He sighed. "Getting hacked on The Bunker doesn't just screw me, it screws the whole site."

"Oh?" 5R's face scrunched up guiltily. "We uh... already scanned it for outgoing signals, it's an internal circuit only."

"You already scanned it?" 2B and 9S both yelped.

"Our lab auto-scans everything in the cage!" 5R raised her hands defensively.

2B's hands balled up into fists. After a second, 9S laughed.

"I don't ever want to hear from the commander that I'm not cautious enough after hearing that."

"The Bunker probably has firewalls or something!" 5R protested, "We don't get hijacked by every Machine that gets sent up!"

"We don't send Machines up," 2B sighed.

"Look," 5R blanched, "How about we just don't tell the commander about this one, huh?"

"I don't know," 9S teased, "Maybe she'll be so happy we caught the science team's negligence that she'll let us off of research duty.

The two girls both turned and glared at him.

"Or maybe she'll reassign the job to another scientist who cares less about our safety." 2B kept looking at him coldly.

"Exactly!" 5R grasped for the liferaft she was being given, "Look, you have my word that I'll do everything in my power to keep you guys safe from outside the cage."

9S was going to push and protest further but 2B set a hand firmly on his shoulder and started to force him out of the room into the transitional area between the lab and the cage.

"Alright, what's the angle?" 9S lifted her hand off of her shoulder and followed her into a decontamination chamber.

"What do you mean?"

"First she concerns you, then when you get a legitimate reason to back out, you're gung-ho to get in the chamber?"

"Her enthusiasm for her work concerns me, I do not doubt her proficiency for it." 2B kept her face turned, but 9S felt he was being judged regardless, "It is possible to separate the quality of somebody's work from their attitude toward it."

"Why do I feel insulted?"

"Because it was in reference to you," The chamber door opened, "I can only wish your attitude was as adequate as your scanning."

"Adequate?" He stayed back in the chamber for a moment, glaring daggers at 2B's back as she went into the chamber, "You know, it's my adequate scanning that might be what keeps this thing from attacking us."

"If adequate scanning is the difference between being attacked and not, then I don't need anything more than adequate," 2B said it without a hint of passion or malice.

The creature, though its eyes were noticeably glazed, was just as intimidating as he'd been the first time 9S saw him. He was a little taller than 9S standing on 2B's shoulders. Covered in thick, wet black fur. He'd been pretty muddy and scuffed when they'd loaded him aboard, and it looked like the science team had hosed him down, which couldn't have been improving his mood. Teeth jutted in places along his pointed snout and he had surprisingly nasty claws on his feet. Even with his fur, he was visibly a little thin, but still bulky. And with his slow, sedated breaths he seemed to inflate so large he filled the room before shrinking back to just mostly filling it again. He radiated heat that 9S could feel outside of arm's reach, and couldn't help but dwell on the reality that it could have easily killed either of them. It hadn't put up much of a fight, but it clearly could have. It also smelled worse than when they'd taken it in.

"Testing, testing," 5R's voice came tinnily through a speaker hidden somewhere in the containment.

"We can hear you," 2B was keeping her distance from the best, but staring it down like she was sizing it up.

"You're sure it's sedated?" 9S found the far wall of the cage with his back and kept pressed against it.

"Go up and punch it if you aren't sure." 5R sounded annoyed.

2B stepped up and reached out a hand. 9S braced for impact, but as she touched it and started to stroke the fur on one of its arms, the beast leaned down and sniffed at her without any real interest. There was a strand of drool hanging several inches from its jowls, and the eyes were facing a near perfect ninety degrees in either direction. They were cloudy, unsensing. It was only upright and awake by sheer power alone, there was no more thought going on in its head than there was in the upholstery. 9S followed up and reached out to touch its snout. A big, floppy red tongue brushed against his hand lazily.

"He seems harmless," 2B commented flatly.

"Yeah, I'd say so," 9S agreed.

"Excellent, now, 9S, please get started trying to interface with his internal wiring. 2B, if you could start by describing his fur as best you can."

9S stepped back and watched 2B continue to stroke the beast's arm. He reached out and found what he was looking for, approaching it slowly, circling around it. It was like a bundle of tangled strings. He could pull and pull and pull at any one entry point, but it wouldn't mean he was getting anywhere. As he turned it over and over in his mind, he found what looked like the end of one of the strands and started tugging on that, watching it unkink from all of the other parts. As soon as it was free, he found an incredibly basic level of access unfurl in front of him. He could open and close pores, slightly increase or decrease the sensitivity of a couple senses. The kind of thing that could give you a huge edge in a fight if you were creative, but weren't all that valuable in any other case. As soon as that strand was free, the object seemed to shudder and lock back into place, tighter than before. He sighed and started turning it again, looking for a new end to pull at. He had to be slow, too. Triple-check everything you touch, constantly look over your shoulder to see if the strings you've already removed had started to move around on their own. The cluster hierarchy wasn't something most anybody used now, since there was always at least one point of failure, but it made for a great structure to hide traps and pitfalls in.

"Its fur is oily, more so than I thought it would be," 2B stroked its arm idly. "I had theorized that once clean, it would either be soft or coarse, but the creature seems to have highly active sweat glands that make its fur a natural insulator."

"Yes, we've observed the high sweat production," 5R murmured.

"I can tamp that down if you want, I have access to its pores already," 9S bragged.

"Why would you want to?" 5R didn't sound impressed.

"Well it smells awful, for one." He scowled.

"I find the smell... pleasant," 2B continued stroking the beast's arm.

"Is your nose broken, or is this a battle-type thing I don't understand?" 9S scrunched up his face.

"It could be a pheromone situation," 5R theorized. "We're pretty sure the beast is male, and if so, it would probably smell better to 2B than it would to you."

"Why would an android be susceptible to an animal's musk?" 9S looked up at where he was pretty sure 5R was, "Even a human's musk-"