Glory to Mankind (Nier Automata) ch 37

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Theophylact glanced around and he wasn't alone.

"If the Machines decide to launch an assassination attempt, this would be the time," Teapot muttered, nudging him.

"Let's...not think like that," Theophylact coughed, shifting in his seat.

It was the largest gathering of high-ranking officials since the start of the 14th Machine War. They had assembled to decide on a course of action under the guidance of the Council of Humanity. With recent reforms, such as folding the Army of Humanity under the United Nations' umbrella, perhaps this meeting aimed to formalize something. Indeed, much of the restructuring so far had been haphazard, with initial changes being mostly symbolic. A light blue uniform color had been adopted to represent their newfound unity, but beyond the aesthetics, substantive changes had been slow.

The conference hall hummed with conversation, a low buzz of voices echoing off the walls. Theophylact crossed his legs and arms, his gaze drifting toward the stage. There stood Camille, one of the Council's most prominent mouthpieces, deep in discussion with Dr. Fujikawa, their apparent symbolic mother. And by her side, the fiery-red hair of the Twins, their faces grim, which did not exactly instill in Theophylact any confidence. If there was one thing that lifted his old heart however was Fujikawa's presence. She was everything he imagined a symbolic mother of android-kind would be; elegant, sharp, and not a little scary. 

Camille's presence, though, was significant. If she was here, something serious was on the table. She was said to be the Council's oldest representative, if the rumor mill was to be believed. Theophylact considered eavesdropping on her conversation with Fujikawa but thought better of it.

Then, as if sensing the shift in the room, Camille ended her discussion and stepped up to the podium. She tapped the microphone gently, and the murmur of the crowd fell silent.

"Attention, all," she said, her voice calm yet commanding. "We are about to begin."

Teapot nudged Theophylact again. 

"Bet she's about to drop a bombshell," he whispered.

Theophylact shot him a look but said nothing, his attention drawn back to the stage.

Around them, the android officers straightened in unison, their movements precise and mechanical as they prepared to listen. Their glowing eyes fixed on Camille with an eerie stillness that set Theophylact's nerves on edge.

Camille hesitated, her fingers brushing the edge of the podium. She glanced down briefly, as though collecting her thoughts, before finally lifting her gaze to the crowd.

"The purpose of this meeting is to divulge something which must not leave this room," Camille warned. "Any instances of leaks will be dealt with the utmost severity." 

Oh, it was that sort of meeting. A war plan, perhaps? Human pilots had been getting involved now. Perhaps a new push? Theophylact could not help but admit excitement at that. Fighting with their creators? Yes please. The windows to the conference hall closed, and her android guards blocked the entrances, their faces steel eyed. 

​Camille hesitated again. 

Fujikawa eye her like a hawk.

"There..." Camille struggled. 

Theophylact raised an eyebrow. Murmurs left the officer's lips. 

Camille closed her eyes, as if she was preparing for her death. Then, she opened them, her face stoic. "Humanity as we know it, pre 11945 AD, was dead." 

Theophylact froze. The words hung in the air, sinking like a lead weight into the room. Around him, the android officers remained unnervingly still, their glowing eyes unblinking, locked entirely on Camille. 

And then, Camille continued. Flashing a lecturer's stick, she turned around to the wall as a projection flashed on the wall. A timeline of events. The start of Project Gestalt, its struggles, its failures. The decommissioning of the Devola and Popola lines. The death of the last Replicant. It was a menagerie of revelations that seemed far too long and far too short. And by the end of it all left Theophylact...hollow. He had endured the endless war against the Machines believing in a purpose, in humanity's survival, in a cause worth dying for. But now, that purpose felt like sand slipping through his fingers. Every comrade, every friend and lover lost, every scar earned had been for nothing?

A deep bitterness clawed at him, anger surging in firing waves. He wanted to shout, to demand why they had been kept in the dark, why they had been sacrificed for a lie. Theophylact's hands clenched into fists as he glanced at the others. Some sat stunned, others whispered frantically among themselves. He caught sight of Teapot, whose usual levity had vanished, replaced by a pale, haunted look.

Camille looked worn out as she finished her report, like someone who was forced to endure discomfort that they could not avoid. And yet, despite the cracks in her composure, Camille's voice never wavered. Her expression was stoic, almost cold, but there was something in her eyes, a utter surety that just pissed Theophylact the fuck off. 

Officers jumped to their feet, shouting and screaming. 

"How dare you?" one officer bellowed. "You lied to us! You LIED!"

Others joined in, their voices cracking with rage. 

"It was necessary fo-" Camille tried but she was drowned out. 

The officers stood, and armed themselves with whatever they could have in their hands. Boots, chairs, even water canteens. Some were fresh from the field however, and had a little bit more than harmless items. Another officer surged forward, and she raised her hand, something glinting in her grip.

A pistol.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" the officer screamed. 

Before the shot could be fired, two android officers moved faster than human reflexes could match, disarming her with surgical precision. The pistol clattered to the ground as she let out a guttural wail, struggling as they restrained her.

The room fell into a stunned silence, save for the sound of her sobs as she was dragged away. Camille's face remained impassive, but her eyes flicked briefly toward the discarded pistol. For a moment, her mask of composure slipped, the faintest tremor passing through her, but she quickly regained it.

Seeing the situation continue, Theophylact watched as Fujikawa strode forward, and replaced Camille who meekly stood back. 

"Enough," the Doctor spoke, her voice cutting through the tense air like the crack of a whip.

Fujikawa's calm yet commanding tone froze the room. Even the angriest officers hesitated, their shouts dying in their throats as they turned to face her. She stood at the podium with an authority that seemed to radiate from her, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd, daring anyone to defy her. Hesitantly, they sat back down, though some stayed standing courtesy of lobbing their chair at Camille. 

The doctor nodded, pleased that they had disciplined themselves, then continued. "This announcement was done for the sake of a policy we intend to push forward. A policy of transparency, and justice. To ensure that our relationship going forward was on equal terms." 

Equal?

Theophylact glanced up. 

Fujikawa turned to the doors and nodded. Camille's men opened it and in strode him. 

Smith.

He was clad in pristine dress blues, the crisp lines of his uniform cutting a striking figure as he entered the room. On his head, the United Nations beret, but with the Army of Humanity insignia in its center. Without hesitation, Smith strode in and ascended the stage, As he reached the podium, he paused, briefly scanning the crowd with piercing eyes that seemed to take in everything, the anger and confusion on the officers, before settling on Fujikawa and Camille.

He gave them a small nod, then turned to face the officers. 

"I am Lieutenant-Colonel John Smith, United Nations. I am the one who has decided on this course of action. Why? Because it was the right thing to do. I will not lie and pretend we did not know about this information before hand for Camille alerted us to the truth."

He pauses, letting the crowd take it all in. He speaks to them, not as an officer or a superior, but as a man. 

"You have fought for ghosts. You have bled, you have suffered, and you have sacrificed for people you have never met. And for that, you deserve the truth. No more lies, no more half-truths to protect morale. You deserve to know who humanity really is: the good and the bad."

He paused, his words hanging heavy in the air.

"Humanity is a terrible species," he said, his voice hard but honest. "We have murdered, poisoned, gassed, and slaughtered our own kind countless times. We have destroyed the world we were given, scarred it with war, and brought ourselves to the brink of extinction over and over again. We have been selfish. We have been cruel. And if that was all we were, I would not blame you for walking away, for abandoning us to our fate."

He leaned forward slightly, his tone softening, his words carrying a thread of hope.

"But that is not all we are. Humanity is also the opposite of all those things. We are capable of love, of sacrifice, of kindness that defies reason. We are a species defined not just by our flaws, but by our capacity to rise above them. We are defined by hope, by the belief that no matter how dark the night becomes, the dawn will come. That we can be better. That we will be better."

Smith's voice grew stronger now, resonating with conviction.

"I could have continued the lies. I could have told you that everything would be fine, that the fight was almost over, that victory was certain. But that is not the relationship we will have, not anymore. Humanity is not just defined by its failures or its triumphs. It is defined by the connections we share. By our need for togetherness, for family, for community. That is what makes us more than the sum of our mistakes. That is what makes us human. And that is what we will lean on. Not cynicism, not lies, but love and hope."

The room was silent, the weight of his words pressing down on everyone present. Smith took a step back from the podium, his voice quiet but no less powerful.

"I understand if this is too much. If you have nothing left to give, I will not ask it of you. If you wish to lay down your arms, to walk away from this fight, I will understand. You have done more than anyone could have asked. You have given too much. And if you wish to leave, if you wish to go and never see humanity again, you are free to do so. As far as I am concerned, you have earned that freedom. You have earned the right to live your lives, to be your own people, to find peace in a world that has offered you none."

He looked out into the crowd, his expression softening as he met their eyes.

"Go with honor. What right do I or any human have to demand more from you? From those who have endured horrors beyond measure, who have faced the unimaginable and survived? I cannot. I will not."

The silence stretched for a moment longer, and then he spoke again, his voice low but resolute.

"But for those who choose to stay, for those who believe, as I do, that humanity is worth fighting for, that there is still something worth saving, I will stand with you. I will fight with you. Not because it will be easy, not because victory is assured, but because it is the right thing to do. Because humanity is not done yet. Earth is our home, our only home, and that is reason enough to fight for her."

Smith took a final breath and straightened, his voice carrying across the room.

"That is all. The only thing left now is to ask: what will you do?" 

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A/N: Updoot.