Fly me to the moon

“Hey 2B, there’s something I want to ask…”

2B stops walking and turns her attention on 9S “What is it?”

“Well umm..” 9S looks unsure and feels rather embarrassed since this is pretty sensitive topic.

“9S?”

“W-Well it’s uhh… You know…” He laughs a little with a hint of nervousness and he starts to feel that he maybe shouldn’t ask about it.

“If there’s nothing to say then let’s just get moving” 2B says before continue to walk. 9S sighs and pod 153 decides to ask.

“Why did you not ask about it?”

“It’s not something you can talk so easily, pod” 9S replies.

“But it has been distracting you, hasn’t it? Pod 153 says "And it will eventually benefit both of you”

9S stays quiet as he is debating again whether he really should tell 2B or not. But then he decides he should tell since not telling her make it seems like he doesn’t mind on the case and that’s just not nice.

“Alright, I’ll try again and tell her for real” He says with determination and quickly call 2B again.

“Hey 2B”

“Yes 9S?” 2B stops walking again and turns her attention to him.

9S takes a deep breath and musters his courage to tell 2B before eventually telling her “You know umm when you climb the stairs and I follow behind you, I can see umm… your underwear. I can see when you fight too sometimes like when you jump or kick so uhh…”

“9S feels bothered at the fact that he sees your underwear during the operation” Pod 153 continues his sentence which makes 9S flinch and glares at pod for being blunt (Although pod just wants to help him).

“I see” 2B says and nervousness starts to accumulate on 9S since he thought 2B will see him as pervert and feel disgusted at him. But then she doesn’t look embarrassed or bothered and instead, she apologizes.

“I’m sorry that you’re bothered, 9S. I’ll be careful from now on”

9S seems to look surprised since he doesn’t expect that response at all “You don’t feel embarrassed 2B? I mean since your underwear is not exactly covering y-your.. butt..”

He then covers his face in shame for saying it “God this is so embarrassing”

2B flinches and starts to feel a little conscious about it “I never really think of it. I don’t know why our creators decide to design it like this”

“I-I’m sorry 2B!” 9S uncovers his face and bows to apologize “I’ll make sure to not look at your butt from now on- I MEAN I WON’T SEE ANYTHING INSIDE THE SKIRT! AGHH” He slaps himself on the face for saying it weirdly (but it still weird in the end) “Stupid 9S”

“It’s fine 9S” 2B says “At least you told me, thank you”

9S looks up before replying to her “No need to thank me”

“9S, I have a proposal” Pod 153 suddenly says which gains 9S’s attention.

“What is it?”

“Proposal: 9S may lend his pants to 2B for temporary solution before we arrive at the resistance camp”

“I wear 9S’s pants…?” 2B looks at 9S who looks extremely shocked before retorting to pod 153.

“Pod 153, I think you need to be returned to bunker and get fixed because that idea is really outrageous. Besides, there’s no way it would fit because the size is too small for 2B-”

“Well I can try I suppose” 2B merely replies which makes 9S looks at her with incredulous look.

“What?! Are you serious, 2B?”

2B nods and the pods seem to favor the plan which force 9S to lend the pants “Ugh… This is the worst”

Reluctantly, he manages to put down his pants and looking away in embarrassment as he hands the pants to 2B. However, 9S notices the pants haven’t been taken yet and turn his attention to 2B who just looking at him.

“Umm 2B? The.. pants?”

She flinches a little before taking the pants “Thank you 9S”

As expected, the pants couldn’t fit to 2B’s hips and 9S sighs.

“I told you, this is a ridiculous plan to begin with. Can I have my pants back now?”

2B takes it out and 9S is waiting for her to return it to him. However, 2B throws it backward and claims that the wind makes the pants flies away. This makes 9S’s jaw drop in shock and 2B just doesn’t feel any remorse at all.

“That’s unfortunate. I suppose you have to deal with it until we arrive at the resistant camp”

“Ehhh?!! No way!!” 9S looks like wants to complain but then he feels dejected instead since there’s nothing he can do.

“Then let’s move on” 2B says before walking ahead and 9S just follows her dejectedly.

“Why did you throw it away, 2B?” Pod 42 asks and 2B merely replies.

“I didn’t. The wind did it”

“Is that so? I detect an increase in coronary pulse-”

“It’s nothing!” 2B interjects with a stern tone and subconsciously increase the speed of her walking.

I think of one the crucial aspect of Automata is that memories matter. If one assumes that the Androids core programming forms the base structure, containing things like functionality of the unit (is it an A, B, E etc.. model), personality type and so on, then one could say that the experiences that the android gains are the thing that makes them an unique individual. 

So while for example, there are other battle models with the same personality type, the experiences and memories gained by that one battle unit are hers and hers alone. That makes her different from the rest of the other battle units.    

Memories make you who you are. With this in mind, when a friend of mine @kaus-quietis (Lav) had completed the major playtroughs for the first time, she proposed a dilemma that I had no thought about it before. 

The game itself (and the novels and etc…later on) tells that 2B has feelings for 9S, and he has feelings for her. So while there might not be confusion about the existence of those feelings, Lav pondered to who precisely they were direct at. Because you see, if memories and experiences are the molding force that create a person, then what about a person who’s memories are erased? Can you say that the 9S who experienced events A, B and C, is the same 9S who experienced events D, E and G? 

There is a very good example of the molding force of experiences at the beginning of the game. 9S’ memories are wiped at the end since he is not able to transfer them to the Bunker. He does not remember what he talked about with 2B during the factory mission. When 2B meets him again in the Bunker, their dynamic is different from what it was in the factory. Can one really say that this 9S that stands before 2B in the Bunker is the same one that she met at the factory?

So if 2B would fall love in love with the 9S that she encountered in the factory, then does this love/affection also correspond to the 9S, who has no memories about the factory mission? Is she falling in love with the same person, or someone different, some variation of him? 

Me and Lav had an interesting chat about this, and I thought it could be fun to share it:

——–

Lav: Either there is an onthological apparatus that contains some idea/version of android selves, or there are some things preserved in the data that is transferred, maybe the consciousness itself has the form of data in their case, but I kinda doubt that.

Lav: I would rather take the latter, though, because… well, actually no. If a conscience has some kind of “place” in the existence of everything as itself, then maybe the android consciences as a new species of consciences also belong there.

Echo: Hmm, maybe the personality type?

Lav: But that doesn’t solve the fact that they can be erased and recreated in millions with the same name.

Lav: It just can’t be, Eddy. It can’t be the same 9S.

Lav: I can’t believe there is a single 9S in all these cycles.

Echo: Hmm yes, but is the “personality type” itself erased? I think it’s just the experiences. So maybe the personality type predetermines their behavior to some degree, thus creating something comparable to universal experience?

Lav: Nah, personality type is just a strategic factor, mostly clearly it is an aspect designed for battle efficiency and military morale maintenance.

Echo: Aah right, you probably right.

Echo: I think in the couple side quest, the female android says she is going to get rid of some of the habits she does not like.

Echo: I just got this idea that there is some “core element” that stays with him, through all of the different variations. Something transcendent.

Lav: Well, going beyond, then that means that any android with the same personality type and designation can be literally 9S, which is not what we are looking for here.

Echo: Yeah I agree. That opens a different can of words.

Echo: And if the personality type was predetermining, I think that could raise the question about free will.

Lav: I see it that, just like with humans, every 9S is shaped by the experiences he went through. Maybe one 9S loves 2B less, another 9S loves her more, and then another 9S doesn’t even get the time to fall in love or something like this.

Lav: Some will be colder, some will be different, depending on the experiences. The general behavior is predetermined by the personality and type codes, but does that really mean it’s the same consciousness/self/individual?

So it seems that in the midst of the dance of death that is the cycle of 9S and 2B, there is not a “single”, transcendent “9S”. As Lav said at one point:

Memory loss is definitely a big factor. It erases your identity and your knowledge. Then, you clearly “rebuild” yourself to function again in the world, therefore you can’t possibly be the same person as before

However, what one can say for certain is that the 9S that we play as, from the point when 2B wakes up in the Bunker, to the climax in the Tower, is the same one. The reason for this is that all the combined stress, revelations and horrors of the game are the thing that fractures 9S’s psyche. If there was a reset at ending A, then 9S would not know about the extinction of humanity, thus losing one crucial element that leads to his existential crisis.