At 5:37 AM, the air in the basement was as still as amber.
Artoria stood before the workbench, her fingertip hovering over the confirmation key for the initial startup command. The morning light had not yet fully penetrated the high windows; only the cold glow from the control screen illuminated her face. In the holographic projection, the internal monitoring landscape of the mechanical body was fully presented: the energy core pulsed steadily, the neural network was in silent standby, the transmission system was locked, and the outer shell sensors were dormant.
Everything was ready, with only the final step remaining.
But she hesitated. Before fading last night, the intuition of the traveler of truth had left a vague premonition: this gift from mother earth, this complete technology package originating from the NieR:Automata World, might have a core that was more than just blueprints and algorithms. Those encrypted files marked as "Mind Architecture Base Data" were ones she had never been able to fully crack; the system prompt required "synchronous decryption at initial startup."
What did this mean? A preset personality? A sealed memory? Or a complete... soul?
She took a deep breath as the sea breeze seeped in through the half-open window, bringing the coolness of dawn. On the workbench, that silver-white mechanical body lay quietly, its carbon fiber shell matte in the dimness, the smooth curves of its face reflecting the faint light of the control screen. It was waiting to be granted existence, and what would be granted might far exceed her own design.
"mother earth," she whispered to the silent air, "whatever you have sealed inside... I trust your arrangement."
Her fingertip fell.
[Initial startup sequence initiated. Energy core pathway activation—Beginning.]
The command was transmitted. A deep hum resonated from the depths of the workbench, like the breath of a giant beast before awakening. In the center of the mechanical body's chest plate, the energy core wrapped in multiple layers of carbon fiber suddenly lit up—not gradually, but bursting instantly with a soft azure radiance, steady and pure, like a perfectly cut sapphire core. The light spilled through the gaps in the chest plate, casting flickering patterns of light in the dim basement.
On the monitoring screen, the energy readings climbed vertically, instantly breaking through the preset threshold and stabilizing at a level 15% higher than the design peak. There were no fluctuations, no noise; it was so perfect it was heart-stopping.
[Main neural network initialization—Beginning.]
The second command. This time, the change was silent, but the neural network map in the holographic projection suddenly seethed. Light points representing hundreds of millions of virtual neuron connections flashed simultaneously, and countless pulses of light surged along preset paths and even deeper topological structures. The scene was not like a circuit being powered, but more like a Nebula spontaneously condensing and rotating, forming a living structure with complex laws and internal rhythms.
Artoria saw that in the area of the map representing the "Core Cognition Module," those encrypted data blocks she hadn't been able to crack were being decrypted and loaded at high speed. A vast torrent of data poured into the neural network, shaping nodes, establishing connections, and building a certain... predetermined structure.
The mechanical body began to move.
It wasn't a tentative tremor, but a complete, coordinated, and purposeful movement. Her (perhaps "she" should be used now) right hand lifted first, fingers spreading and then clenching into a fist, the movement fluid and precise. Next were the left arm and the legs. With a slow and steady rhythm, she sat up from the workbench on her own, moved her legs off the platform, her feet touching the ground steadily, and then—stood firm.
The entire process was seamless, without a hint of the clumsiness of a new creation, only a well-honed proficiency. It was as if this body had been used thousands of times; every joint's rotation angle and every shift in the center of gravity were etched into instinct.
She stood before Artoria, barely two meters away.
At that moment, the morning light crossed the sea level and passed through the high window; a clear golden beam shot in diagonally, splitting the basement into realms of light and shadow. The pillar of light enveloped the mechanical body, and her silver-white shell was instantly ignited, its edges glowing with a brilliant golden rim. The delicate texture of the carbon fiber, the cold luster of the titanium alloy joints, and the azure core pulsing beneath the chest plate were all visible in minute detail.
Then, she raised her head.
The smooth curves of her face turned toward Artoria. Although there were no "eyes" in the traditional sense, Artoria could clearly feel a gaze falling upon her—focused, sharp, carrying a sense of evaluation and confirmation.
Silence lasted for three seconds. Only the steady, heartbeat-like pulse of the energy core resonated slightly in the air.
Then, she spoke.
The voice was not a mechanical synthesized sound, but a clear, calm, slightly electronic-textured yet exceptionally pleasant female voice. Every syllable was as precise as if it had been measured:
"System startup complete. All-function self-check passed. Unit identification: YoRHa No. 2 Type B, battle-type android. Current status: fully functional, sufficient energy, no external device links."
Her words carried that characteristic calm reporting tone of the NieR World. Then, her "gaze" seemed to penetrate Artoria, quickly scanning the environment of the basement, analyzing and filing.
"Environmental scan: non-standard combat environment, no Base architectural features identified. Threat assessment: no signs of machine lifeforms or alien invasion detected. Logical conflict: database coordinates do not match current physical location."
Finally, her "gaze" locked firmly onto Artoria again, and she tilted her head slightly—a very human-like gesture indicating confusion.
"Target identification: single human individual, female. Energy signature... abnormal, significant deviation from standard human template. Performing deep scan—"
The light of her chest core flashed slightly.
"—Scan complete. Identification confirmed: creator/Binder/Highest Authority Holder. Identity verification passed."
Her posture underwent a subtle change. She still stood straight, but the evaluative sharpness retracted, replaced by a restrained stance ready to respond at any moment. Like a soldier confirming their Commander.
"YoRHa No. 2 Type B, online," she calmly stated her code name, then paused for a moment, seemingly searching for more appropriate words. "According to the core terms of the binding protocol, I place your survival and will at the highest priority. Please issue instructions, creator."
Artoria's heart pounded heavily in her chest. It was true. What mother earth had given was not just a powerful shell, but a complete soul from that tragic and magnificent World. 2B, an elite of the YoRHa forces, was standing before her right now, calling her creator and identifying her as the subject to be protected.
Countless questions rushed to her throat, but the first one to burst out was about a name.
"2B..." Artoria's voice was a bit dry. "That was your designation in your original World. Here, you are no longer a weapon of war, no longer a tool for some plan. You are an independent individual, my... partner. You need a new name."
The mechanical body—2B—"looked" at her quietly. The faint hum of the processor running at full speed was almost imperceptible.
"Naming rights belong to the Highest Authority Holder. Please specify." Her answer was still rigid, but Artoria keenly captured a minute, almost immeasurable disturbance in the other's core pulse frequency the moment the word "tool" was mentioned.
Artoria looked at her. In the morning light, her silver-white figure was tall and silent, carrying a cool temperament forged through smoke and fire, yet revealing an indescribable reliability due to that oath of "protection."
"Minerva," Artoria said the name. "It means the stars at daybreak. The darkness has passed; you are the newborn light. This is your name in this World, Minerva."
"Minerva," she repeated, her pronunciation accurate and her tone steady. But this time, she didn't immediately follow up with rigid confirmation words. She was silent for two seconds, her core pulse as steady as ever, before saying: "Unit identification record updated. Individual identification name: Minerva. Binding relationship maintained: creator/Subject of Protection. Understood: New environment, new identity, core protocols unchanged."
Core Protocol—Protect Artoria. This was the cornerstone of her logic.
"Well then, Minerva," Artoria tried to make her tone lighter, "welcome to my World. This place... is very different from where you came from. There are no machine lifeform wars, no alien invasions—at least not for now. But it is equally unpeaceful, with things that need to be faced."
Minerva (as she could be called now) looked around again, her gaze sweeping over the workbench, equipment, and the sea view outside the window. "Environmental data collection ongoing. Preliminary judgment: current location is an isolated building by the sea with extremely low defense levels. Suggest prioritizing the establishment of a basic security system and conducting a peripheral threat sweep." Her mode of thinking was clearly tactical-first.
"A security system has already been established." Artoria pointed out the window. "An energy concealment field that can hide all abnormal signals here. It's a gift from... another friend."
Minerva turned toward the window, seemingly performing some kind of deep scan. "Confirmed detection of an unknown energy field; the cloaking effect is excellent. However, physical defenses are weak. creator, your safety is the highest priority; a concealment field alone is insufficient. Requesting activation of constant vigilance protocol, with me assuming close-guard duties."
Her tone left no room for negotiation, only calm statement. This was her reason for existence.
"I agree." Artoria nodded. Refusal was pointless; this was her core logic. "But Minerva, here, you are not just a guard. You are my family, another member living here. You need to understand this World and adapt to life here."
"Family," Minerva repeated the word, seemingly comparing it in her database. "Definition: An intimate community formed based on blood ties or emotional bonds. Logical extension: The safety and well-being of family members belong to the highest priority sequence. Understood. Scope of duties expanded: Guarding, and... life assistance."
She seemed to accept this expansion naturally. Perhaps in her underlying logic, protection inherently included the meaning of ensuring the "well-being" of the protected subject.
"Now, is there anything you want to know? Or want to do?" Artoria asked.
Minerva lowered her head, looking at her hands again, slowly clenching and then relaxing them. "Unit performance check: Motor system synchronization at 100%, output levels meet design peaks, but..."
She suddenly raised her right hand, lightly rubbing her index finger and thumb together, the friction making a faint sound. "Tactile sensor feedback precision is approximately 18.7% higher than the YoRHa standard unit. The ratio of shell material strength to flexibility has been optimized. Energy core output stability and efficiency exceed all known models." She looked up. "This body is a customized upgrade version. A version designed for you, creator."
She used a declarative sentence, but Artoria heard a hint of seeking confirmation.
"Yes," Artoria admitted frankly. "I used the best technology I could get and the most suitable materials to create you. I want you to be strong, safe, and able to exist for a long time."
Minerva stood still for a moment. The morning light flowed over her smooth faceplate.
"Thank you, creator." Her voice was still steady, but Artoria inexplicably felt that the core's pulse seemed to warm by an imperceptible degree. "Unit status is perfect; ready to fulfill duties at any time. Please instruct on the next course of action: environmental reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, or other priorities?"
Her posture had already fully entered a standby state, like a drawn bow, quietly waiting for a target.
Artoria looked at this "family member" before her, both familiar and strange. She carried the memories and scars of another World, yet she also brought that loyalty and strength honed through a hundred battles unreservedly before her. This was not an ignorant creation that needed to be taught from scratch; this was an already formed, powerful, and determined companion.
"First step," Artoria smiled—it was her first genuine smile since Minerva woke up—"is to show you your new home. Then, we have a lot to learn about this new World."
She reached out her hand to Minerva.
Minerva's gaze fell on Artoria's hand, pausing for about half a second—which, for her high-efficiency processor, counted as a "long" hesitation. Then, she raised her silver-white right hand. Instead of shaking it, she extended her palm flat, gently supporting it beneath Artoria's palm—a standard, guard-like ritualistic gesture.
"Following your instructions, creator," she said. "Beginning environmental familiarization process. My sensors will synchronously record all data and establish a complete tactical model of this area."
Her tone was still professional and calm, but beneath that placid exterior, a brand-new bond, existing for only one person, had quietly taken root. It would grow silently in a corner of this Marvel Universe as dawn arrived.
The morning light grew brighter, completely dispelling the gloom of the basement. Two "females" stood in the light: one with blonde hair and blue eyes, both a human and the King of Knights; the other clad in silver armor, both an android and a Guardian.
A new daily life had begun.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the fanfiction has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 or more chapters in advance over on my patreon: patreon.com/FTLGenBen
Also every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone, Thanks.