[P]arallel Worlds [PGR] [NieR: Automata]

Chapter 2

"But..."

"We'll make it out of here." She cut off Devola before she could say anything else. "We'll make it—Ah!"

She tripped as her footing messed up causing the both of them to fall on the ground. With a thud, they remained unmoving for a bit before Popola quickly tried to move back and grab her sister. "No...no...no!" She panicked with a rushed tone as she went ahead and grabbed Devola. She could hear the machines in the distance as panic flowed through her. Looking around the forest for a location to run to, her eyes stared down at the ground beneath her. A pattern of multiple footsteps was planted. She noticed they went toward the area they ran from, however, her eyes then darted toward where they originally came from. She saw as they seemed to originate or in a sense, continue from behind the rock-covered vines. She also noticed some were returning here.

At the possible escape, she sluggishly put her sister's arm over her neck again as she went toward the vines at a quick pace.

"What are you..." Devola muttered as her sister dragged her toward a dead end. She refuses to let her sister die because. However, she knows that she would do the same should Popola and her switch their position right now. The two cannot live without each other. The two are a pair of androids that cannot exist without one another...the two of them are the only ones that can be there for one another.

Without one another at their side, then they will not be able to find any meaning in their lives. They already suffer daily from the endurance of the other android's hatred toward them. They have to endure even though she wants to scream at them that it wasn't them and that it wasn't their fault. The ones at fault were another Devola and Popola model that isn't them. Yet they cannot because they feel like they deserve the treatment towards them out of guilt for their past sins. The sins of what? For the failure of Project Gestalt. Although it was the fault of another pair of Devola and Popola models, they have to atone for their past sins...even if they weren't the ones to cause it.

Devola and Popola's eyes widened as they went through a secret passage and entered what seemed like a small cave after passing through the vines. There was a door within the cave and Popola didn't hesitate to continue pushing through.

Opening the door and moving inside she then closes it as she breathes out with anxiety in the hope that the machines don't recognize the hidden passage.

"What...what is this?" Devola muttered as there seemed to have been some sort of secretive underground layer. She tried to get up.  "Ugh!" The damaged circuits on her side caused her to fall back down on the ground.

"Sis!" Popola went and knelt by her. "Please don't push yourself. Let me continue supporting you."

"Sorry for being a nuisance..." Devola said as she felt her sister support her while grabbing hold of her side. "What is this place?" She asked once again.

"I don't know. This place looks to be a hidden facility that humans may have built." Popola responded. "It seems quiet...it must be empty."

"...Sis?" Devola noticed her sister went oddly quiet as if she was thinking of something.

"There was a trail of footprints that I noticed when I fell causing both of us to go down. The footprints seem to have gone from the direction we came from. Looking at where the footprints came from, they were from behind the vines...they originated from this place."

"Do you think those footprints might've been from androids? You think they may also relate to the access pointer and broken gate?" Devola asked her.

"Most likely. I also noticed that there were footprints that went into the cave. It might be possible they've already returned or left." Popola said.