Glory to Mankind (Nier Automata) ch 36

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Fire flickered.

Roy Fernandez leaned closer to the altar, his aged hands steady as they lit the candles. The small flame illuminated the crucifix, the picture frames, and the keepsakes carefully arranged before him; mementos salvaged from a world long gone. Smiling faces from the old days gazed back at him. Roy's gaze lingered on one photo in particular: a much younger version of himself and his wife, leaning casually against the hood of a jeepney, a small, grinning child seated snugly between them.

It was the second of November: All Souls' Day. In another life, on another Earth, he would have taken his family to visit the graves of relatives long departed. But now, floating somewhere in the vastness of space, with Manila likely reduced to cinders, this would have to suffice. He was certain his long-departed loved ones would understand. Assuming, of course, that souls could drift this far.

At his side, Estrelita sat comfortably in her chair, her prayer beads slipping rhythmically through her fingers. "I wonder," she murmured, "if they can hear us from here."

Roy snorted softly, a smile tugging at his lips. "Of course they can. Walang imposible sa Diyos."

Estrelita chuckled, her laugh a quiet melody in the stillness of the room. Roy settled back into his seat across from her, preparing to make the sign of the cross. But before his hand rose, a knock echoed from the door.

"Enter!" Roy called.

The door slid open, and in stepped 64B, carrying several bags. The Battle model's movements were measured but casual, as if she had long since grown accustomed to the quiet domesticity of this household. Her blindfold was absent for she had no need for her visor here, not when she was with family.

"I'm home," she announced, placing the groceries on the nearby table. Her gaze shifted to the altar, her head tilting slightly. "Oh?"

"Ah, anak, welcome back," Estrelita greeted, her warm smile deepening the lines on her face. She gestured toward the altar. "We're preparing for All Souls' Day, to remember the dead."

64B's processors hummed. All Souls' Day: a Christian tradition for honoring and praying for the faithful departed. It was a day for offering prayers and alms for souls believed to be in purgatory, often marked by lighting candles, visiting graves, and sharing meals. 64B did not understand the specifics of Religion but she at least understood its importance for Roy and Estrelita. 

"I thought today was Halloween?" 64B asked. She had filled her vast storage banks with information about human customs, striving to better relate to her adopted family. Halloween had stood out as a particularly colorful tradition.

"Oh, that's mostly an American thing," Roy replied with a wave of his hand.

"But Pepito…he wants to do some treat-or-tricks," she said, blinking as she corrected herself.

"Trick-or-treat," Estrelita clarified with a soft laugh. "You two go ahead and do that. Roy and I will stay here."

"You don't want him to continue your traditions?" 64B asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"We do," Roy said, his laugh rumbling deep in his chest. "But he's still young. We'll teach him about these things when he's a little older."

"And besides…" Estrelita's voice softened as the sound of excited, hurried footsteps reached the room, "he hasn't been allowed to be a child for a while. I think the relatives will understand."

Right on cue, Pepito burst into the room, his costume a haphazard masterpiece of scavenged materials and childlike creativity. A makeshift orange gi hung loosely on his small frame, complete with a poorly drawn symbol on the back. Pepito did not know how to write in Kanji however and it ended up looking like a child's scratchings. Roy couldn't help but snicker at the sight.

"I am…GOKU!" the boy declared with gusto, striking a dramatic pose before pointing at his mother. "And you are coming with me to Namek!"

64B's lips curved into a wide smile, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Of course, Goku."

Pepito grinned, savoring his moment of triumph, but then paused, his brow furrowing. "Wait...where's your costume?"

64B blinked, glancing down at herself. She was still in her standard uniform, far from anything resembling a Saiyan warrior. Thinking quickly, she straightened her posture and adjusted her expression to one of feigned seriousness. "Ah…well," she began, fumbling slightly, "I am…uh…64B… Black," she said, hastily slipping on her visor for effect.

Pepito tilted his head, his confusion evident. "64B…Black?"

"Yes!" she said with mock conviction, nodding enthusiastically. "It's my original character."

Pepito stared at her for a long moment, his face unreadable. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Ahhh, okay," he said, as if her explanation had solved some great mystery in the universe.

"Well," Estrelita clapped. "Be sure to come back before dinner, okay?" 

"Okay!" Pepito smiled. "Love you lola! Lolo!" 

They waved at him as he ran out, and 64B chased after him. 

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High above, overlooking the sprawl of the station, eyes were cast downward, unable to meet his. Fujikawa, typically indifferent to most matters, now regarded Camille with a quiet, personal satisfaction, savoring her visible discomfort. The source of her unease lay sprawled across the table in front of Smith, a document weighted with implications too heavy to ignore.

Smith tapped the document lightly, the sound cutting through the tense silence.

"I see two options here," he declared, his voice calm. "One: ignore it entirely. Bury it. That will, for the time being, preserve morale. But if the truth ever comes to light, and it will, questions will be raised about the integrity of my leadership."

Camille's lips tightened into a grim frown, her discomfort deepening.

"Of course," Smith continued, leaning back slightly, "questions will arise regardless. We've known the truth for some time now, yet we chose to remain silent for the sake of the greater good. If this goes public, I may well be forced to step down."

"The entire leadership staff, basically," Fujikawa added. "Except for Rossi, I suppose." He was spared from the whole charade for the simple reason that his responsibilities, supply and agriculture. He did not need to know. 

Smith ignored Fujikawa's comment and pressed on. "The second option is to confront this head-on. Expose the truth. Open this entire can of worms for the public and deal with the consequences. There's no escaping the fallout of either choice but at least the second option preserves humanity's dignity."

Camille's throat tightened as Smith's words settled like a weight in the room.

"What do you intend to do, sir?" the Android Councillor finally asked.

Smith stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a quiet sigh, he leaned forward.

"This is, quite literally, a first in human history," Smith mused, a faint tinge of irony in his voice. "No one has ever had to ask, 'How do we tackle the issue of androids discovering they've been living a lie, designed to keep them fighting an alien war?'"

Another thought entered his head. "Another question is the practicality of this. Should we risk it all in the middle of a war?" he finished his thought. 

"No matter what happens," Camille said firmly, "we are loyal to humanity. We will not abandon the fight."

Smith's gaze sharpened, his voice cutting through her declaration. "Can you guarantee that of every android?" His eyes narrowed. "What about those who have lost friends, lovers, entire lives only to learn it was all for a lie?"

Camille faltered. Her gaze dropped, unable to meet his.

"When I ordered my forces to reinforce YoRHa, it was to show that we will share burdens. To make it clear that humanity will be here as an equal, not as a master or a king. I did not want to establish a precedent of androids doing everything while we did nothing." Smith continued. "There comes a time in the affairs of men when they must prepare to defend, not their homes alone, but the tenets of faith and humanity on which their churches, their governments and their very civilization are founded."

"Franklin Delano Roosevelt," Camille recognized. "1939 Message to Congress." 

"Yes," Smith nodded. "In the spirit of that, of justice, fairness and humanity, I am of the mind we open this. No longer should androids fight for a lie but for the truth. But we cannot do this haphazardly, that would be irresponsible. We do it properly." 

Fujikawa hummed, inwardly savouring the utter look of pain on Camille's face. "How?" she asked. 

"In stages," Smith repeated, steepling his fingers. "The immediate android leadership must be informed first. Not the whole truth at once. Enough to prepare them, not enough to panic them."

Camille swallowed hard. "A controlled briefing."

"Precisely," he said. "We bring them into confidence. We give them context, evidence, a framework. Once that circle is stable, we expand it to unit commanders. Only after that do we make a public statement prepared by a commission."

Fujikawa raised a brow. "And this commission?"

"A joint body," Smith explained. "Human and android members. They will establish a factual timeline, determine accountability, and recommend how the truth should be presented. The public will see that we are not hiding, but neither are we burning down morale in the middle of a war."

Camille's self-preservation instincts screamed. But Smith was decided. "Then...there is the matter of the fallout." He continued. "Androids will likely react negatively to this. I would not blame them for finding out that humanity was gone. But I want to make it clear that our death's were greatly exaggerated. Humanity still lives, at least, a portion of it. They can rest easy with that." 

"Just because that is a fact won't make it easier to swallow," Fujikawa pointed out dryly. 

"No," Smith agreed. "It won't. But it will anchor them. Anger is easier to manage than despair. We can direct that rage to Camille."

Camille's bit her lip. She knew of course that she wasn't going to leave this alive. She was likely going to get deactivated, her name and that of her peers erased and reviled in history. But they knew what they were doing. She asked others to sacrifice themselves, it was high time for her to be sacrificed on the altar of humanity. 

For the Glory of Mankind, she whispered to herself. "I will not run or hide. Do with me as you wish." 

Smith nodded. 

Fujikawa leaned back, arms folded. "And if commanders refuse to cooperate with the staged disclosures?"

"We cannot afford to let this be a scandal. If the commanders cannot maintain their silence before we are ready, they shall be detained. Quietly and immediately."

Camille flinched. Smith didn't miss it.

"This is not being cruel," he continued, voice steady. "This is survival. If we mishandle this, the Machines will not need to defeat us, our internal fractures will do their work for them."

He allowed a beat of silence to settle.

"What is to be done with the rest of the Council? With YoRHa?" Camille breached. "With Commander White?" 

"They will have to resign once this leaves. As for YoRHa...," Smith's inner stomach grated. This was going to be a pain for him for White was pregnant with his son. "If they wish to no longer serve, I will allow that. But if they wish to keep on fighting, they can remain but on a reformed organization. For White on the other hand...her position becomes untenable. She was the commander of an organization built on a lie. Public trust will evaporate the moment the details emerge."

"She won't take that lying down, you know," Fujikawa pointed out. "It was hard enough to get her to stop working." 

"Resignation is the only dignified path left to her," Smith decided. "And before you ask," he added, voice cool but unmistakably personal, "no, her condition does not change the fact. I might even have to step down to avoid accusations of bias."

Camille looked up sharply. "Resign? Sir, your leadership is a stabilizing force. We will need you." 

"That may be true," Smith replied, "but perception shapes reality far faster than truth does. If the public believes I protected her, or delayed disclosure because of her…the fallout becomes unmanageable. It would taint the entire process."

Fujikawa clicked her tongue. "A political sacrifice."

"A necessary one," Smith sighed. "This transition must appear impartial. Clean. If I remain in command while she is forced to resign, the accusation writes itself. Even if it's unfair."

Camille took a slow breath, steadying herself. "Then who leads? Who steps in when both you and White are out?"

Smith's expression didn't waver. "My 2IC will command the rest of the guys. I intend for political decisions to be made with an elected council. I may remain to stabilize things then I shall step down."

Camille's eyes softened with something between unease and reluctant respect. "You're willing to sacrifice your position for this."

"I'm willing to sacrifice anything that threatens our long-term stability," Smith corrected. "We will all have to make difficult choices to ensure the future. If that requires removing myself from the equation, so be it."

Camille swallowed. 

He laughed. "If George Washington and Cincinnatus can do it, so can I. I will happily retire, and live life with my hot wife." 

Camille blinked, caught between disbelief and irritation. "Sir, this is hardly the time for jokes."

"Oh, I am perfectly serious," Smith shrugged. He paused as the sounds of fireworks erupted outside, orange, yellow, and blue streaks of light echoing outside his office. He paused, watching the bright show and the cheers coming from the lower floors. Then, he turned back. "Now, let's get this done. The sooner we have this shadow removed, the sooner we can recover. When you stand for lies, even for the sake of stability, you end up fighting two wars: one against your enemy, and one against the truth you're suppressing. We can't fight both." 

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A/N: This is a difficult decision but a necessary one. He wants Humanity to be clean, to start off a good slate, and not bullshit. 

And this took took too long. But thankfully, we are back on track.