[[ NINE ]]
When my eyes open next, it’s not by choice. An alarm was set to go off at exactly 6 AM -- it’s blaring its tones, and I’m livid. It’s just my natural reaction to early morning alarms… Though, compared to my old job, 6 AM really wasn’t so bad. So, fueled with resentment for the early hours, I rose from my bed. Tired feet carry me to the bathroom, and a light comes on automatically. I’m met with my face. Obviously, it’s not what I’m expecting; it’s a man’s face, and I jump away from the counter like there’s an intruder in my mirror. I lose my balance and topple to the floor with a yelp.
I’m still in this dream?!
Did I actually get isekai’d?!
This genuinely can’t be!
I’m on the floor, delicately picking myself up. My body is toned, a far departure from the soft body I’m used to.
“I thought sleeping would end this…” I mutter miserably, still not used to my male voice. I wipe my face with a hand, and can feel stubble already growing. I’ve never shaved a face, let alone my own -- how am I going to… No, focus! “... Did I really get sent to another world?”
I vaguely recall a being called Gatekeeper, but something tells me that’s not the root, not that I can remember any real details about them. I can’t pinpoint it at all, and ruminating on it by the minute is making me irritable. So, attempting rationality, I set it aside.
What’s this guy’s morning routine? Maybe I can just skip it.
I venture into the main living area of the apartment; the guy’s got a one-bedroom flat, and the kitchen is really just a set of counters with unnecessary equipment. Looks like the commander was a little bit of a chef in his free time; there’s some stuff resembling an air fryer and a cooktop in the kitchen, as far as I can tell. My appetite’s just not there, though, so I skip breakfast entirely. In fact, I skip everything, having fallen asleep in the commander’s military uniform I can easily just beeline it to the office.
I try not to stare on my commute. I was too tired to gawk the night before, but now that I’m rested, I really am in awe at my surroundings. It’s not everyday, if ever, that anyone gets sent to the future for some arbitrary reason, so my eyes are everywhere. I ask myself a million questions, and the knowledge of the commander answers every one. I’m growing more adept to my surroundings by the minute, but I’m still an alien here. How long can I really keep up the ruse that I’m Purem’s commander? There’s no answer for that one. I’m at a loss.
When I arrive at my office, it appears Clear is already present, still in his wheelchair, but there are four other NIKKEs (I assume) lined up at the wall for apparent inspection. Unlike Clear, these NIKKEs are all female, and the lot doesn’t seem to belong to just one of the Big Three. They’re expressionless, staring forward as I enter. That’s right… How did the commander treat his NIKKEs before I came along…? I’ll get found out in no time at this rate. A cold lump forms in my throat in fear.
“Morning everyone,” I muster.
Everyone looks at me.
I fucked up?!
The four NIKKEs lined up in their own way show their shock. The first one, who resembled an iDoll model, dropped her jaw just a bit, glossed lips agape in awe where her visor hid her eyes’ wideness. Following that, a pink-haired girl seemed shocked stiff; she lacked her apparent usual helmet, so dandelion gold hues stared dead-on me, purely in surprise. A black-haired Nikke named Lunari, the group’s sniper, was nearly offended by my actions. Finally, a short green-haired NIKKE whose name cropped in my head as Ukenna looked absolutely ecstatic, barely keeping quiet. They still stood in their places, but it was clear that my greeting shook them up rather greatly.
Then there was Clear.
“Commander,” Clear said, his voice nearly stern. He was brimming with concern, but raised a hand in gesture. His expression lightened, but clearly only in pity. “Are you alright? You typically enter the office in silence, dismiss the girls and take a nap on your desk. Not to mention, you’re about thirty to forty-five minutes early…”
“... Clear, you’re not supposed to talk about the nap part…!” Ukenna, the petite one with green hair, whispers… loudly.
What kind of guy was this Commander?
I kind of stand there, frozen in my tracks.
I kinda wanna do better than this guy, but it would be really weird, right?
I shut my eyes.
“Sorry. I ate something weird.”
The entire squad wants to say ‘yeah, right,’ but they collectively hold their tongues. I awkwardly clear my throat, and move my feet. I sit at the desk I woke up at yesterday, and get a better look at my team.
Purem.
First up was Clear, member 0 of the squad. As stated before, he was wheelchair bound, but his apparatus was clearly a bit more future-inclined than a regular wheelchair. It syncronized with his system to allow him to move the wheelchair touchlessly, and the fixture had an overall slim machinelike look to it, the wheels covered with a metallic plate that matched the overall exterior of the chair -- white metal with light green highlights. He had a healthy head of ear-level white hair, purple eyes, and a fair look to him overall that made him look rather delicate compared to the only other male NIKKE model I knew about. Being so unusual as a male NIKKE, it’s a wonder how I even have him, even for rehabilitation, but I have no answers in my mind as to why the commander would have even shown interest.
Ah, was he an antique collector?
Nothing comes to mind.
Next was member 1, Lysanne. She was just barely a step above a mass-produced iDoll in value; a failed idol for being too plain for Prima Donna’s ranks, ejected to Purem for miscellaneous use. It looks like she was the first official member of Purem, which was now clearly founded -- or at least sponsored -- by Tetra Line. Her light brown hair was immensely long, even when it had been tied up in a massive ponytail it reached her knees. Her height rivaled mine at a fine 5-foot-11. She wore a plain black uniform; a white button-up hugged by a black jacket emblazoned with Purem’s insignia badge and a number of other miscellaneous pins that actually appeared to only hold sentimental value, fringed with a pleated skirt that only reached halfway down her thighs. She wore semi-tactical boots that retained a slenderness for looks, while still serving a purpose on the field. I couldn’t name that purpose if I tried. Her eyes were a plain brown, matching her hair. It was no wonder the girl didn’t make it as an idol; Mustang must have found no love in her plainness. Still, there was something to enjoy about her appearance, it was incredibly calming. She was the heavy weapons user of Purem.
Member 2, known as Astrid, was a pink-haired, golden-eyed stiff. She stuck by the rules even when it served no justice, and had little room for error in her life. Apparently, she grew afraid if rules were broken. She’d had her memories wiped once, and her appearance changed entirely before arriving at Purem. When she came to, she felt an immense sadness, and uses rule-following as a means to cope. The commander apparently knew all of this after being confided to, but did nothing with the information afterward. I think Astrid was just relieved the commander didn’t report her anomalous behavior as an irregular. So far, that’s been the only redeemable thing this old commander did, and we’re really putting the bar low here. Astrid was the light-weapon user, otherwise a general DPS.
Next came member 3, otherwise known as Lunari. She was the sniper, and was just as approachable. If you weren’t within a snipeable range of her, she didn’t like you, it seemed. She possessed darker skin, similar to Noir from the 777 squad, and possessed a replacement right eyeball with a different color from the other. Her right iris was a creamy white, and her left was a deep blue. Quite the contrast. She neglected to button her top, which was progressively appearing to be a uniform of sorts for Purem; a white button-up longsleeve hung on her shoulders, a bikini top (her way around the dresscode) being her only actual form of cover. She, too, had a black skirt that was relatively halfway down her thighs.
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Finally was number 4, the smallest of the group, Ukenna. She was the medic of the four, with fine knowledge on how to repair the other three in a pinch, but not a clue on how to fix Clear. Ukenna stood at a strong 4 feet, light green hair in a pair of buns at each side of her head. Her eyes were also a cream-colored white, similar to Lunari’s right eye. Her proportions were more petite, and her uniform was able to fit without any muss or fuss as a result. She was incredibly submissive, even to the point where other teammates grew used to being viciously passive-aggressive to her. It was a problem the commander did not know how to confront, so he did not.
I mulled over my squad with my arms folded. They all stared on, nothing else to do.
“... Mmm…” I hummed in thought, my face slowly scrunching inward.
…
Isn’t this just a band of misfits?! God, leave it to the isekai to hand me a crew like this, right? One is even getting bullied by everyone!
I sat back in my chair, exasperated. I put my hands over my face and groaned.
“... Um…”
One of the girls spoke up.
“... H-happy new year, by the way, Commander.”
Ukenna, submissive as she was, took her commander’s strangeness as an opportunity to break the mold. Maybe she’d always wanted to wish it to someone, but it didn’t make the interaction going so far any less weird. But, something did seem to reveal itself to me.
… It was a New Year.
“... That’s it,” I whisper, finding my key to blending in. An excuse to all my strange behaviors. A distraction! “My… My new years resolution.” Yeah, that’s what it was…! “... My New Year’s Resolution… Was to be a better person.”
“““““... Commander?”””””
All of them spoke at once. Yes, resolutions existed for the New Year still. I could use that as an excuse for being, well, me, trapped in the body of a commander!
“... Call it inspiration, but a certain squad gave me the idea to be a little different,” I said, hinting to Counters. Yes, that scripted Commander was me in a sense, but it also wasn’t Counters’ Commander was an abnormal commander, treating NIKKEs as equals. Why he did it didn’t matter. I was going to be different from the commander I was inhabiting whether I liked it or not; I couldn’t look at these five and treat them as replaceable machines knowing they had human brains in them. They were as human as me, even if they technically weren’t. I couldn’t be like the average commander in NIKKE’s universe. So, to camouflage myself, I would use the New Year as an excuse! Oh, thank God!
“... Could it have been that dream you had, Commander?” Clear inquires, clearly curious as I begin opening up. I nod my head, smiling for once.
“Yes, that’s it! I had a dream… A dream that I was a different person living a different life. And it gave me a perspective change.”
“Commander…” Astrid began, clearly perturbed.
“... You can call me Nine. I don’t need to be called Commander in private… So please, if you’re comfortable with it, call me Nine!”
“Is that even your real name?!”
“Who cares!” I burst, a fit of laughter filling the room from my very lungs as I feel a relief!
“... Um… Astrid, Commander is… No, Nine is… Acting strangely.”
“Ye-yeah…”
“... Commander Nine,” Clear manages, clearing his throat through the dissonance to try and gather some semblance of clarity amid the chaos. His voice seems to be leading into something. The girls are looking desperate for someone to make sense of all of this. Or, at least… “... Does this complete Purem’s morning briefing?”
… At least dismiss them!
“... Huh? Oh… Yeah, um.” I pause. Weird, it felt weird. “Dismissed.”
The four girls file out of the room rather quickly for some fresh air.
“... Let’s get you to the medical ward.”
“NO!” I belt, panicking just a bit. “... N-no, not necessary. I just feel a bit free after talking about the dream. No need for… any wards.”
“... If you say so,” Clear replies, his purple eyes locked on me in concern. “... You have a meeting at 800, and Mustang has sent paperwork regarding Lysanne’s check-in…”
… Right, life continued on. I’d have to be ready for mundanity. I straightened my back, set my hands on the desk, and righted myself.
“... Following this, it is planned to have a dinner with your interest at 1300.”
“My what?”
“... The woman you asked to dinner at the New Year’s ball.”
“... C-cancel that.”
“I am afraid I cannot.”
“...”
“Connections for Purem’s betterment, including funding and so forth, depend on this dinner you have planned.”
“… But women are scary.”
“Sorry?”
“... I didn’t mean to say that aloud. Forget I said anything.”
“...”
“...”
“... Commander…”
I don’t respond. The air fills with silence. I’m nervous. I suck in a breath and exhale.
“... Clear. Can I trust you with something?”
“...”
There was no answer. I turn to look at him slowly, and he’s obviously churning through a series of thoughts. Being asked to be trusted with something in such a way was a strange loophole in the way the NYMPH machines worked in his brain. I wait. I can’t just dump this on anybody.
“... I would like it if you trusted me with anything,” the NIKKE admits. Now I’m surprised.
“... Right,” I say, cautiously. I pause, looking to ensure the girls of the squad are absolutely gone. I press a button on my console at my desk, and the doors to my office lock instantly. Clear appears surprised, but something’s keeping him determined. “... Please don’t think I’m crazy… But I think I just took over your commander’s body.”
“... You…?”
“... Took over your commander’s body. I woke up in this body suddenly last night. I thought going to bed, I’d wake up from this like some kind of dream. I have his knowledge, but nearly none of his memories. But there’s another thing, too.”
“... That is, commander?”
“... I have memories of my life before this. In that life… This world was a game. That means I already have knowledge about this world. If my knowledge is correct about this world… I know a lot of things I shouldn’t.”
“...”
“... But it also means I know enough to get by in society here.”
“...”
“Please,” I say, bowing my head. “... I understand you’re a rehabilitation project your commander took on. You have no responsibilities for my sake. But help me out. I need to blend in. This feels like one big dream, but I’m not waking up yet.”
“Do you want to wake up?”
“Huh?”
“Do you want to wake up, commander?”
I thought about it. I thought hard. In my previous life… I was a female shut in at age 27. I had online friends, but nobody to turn to -- I lost my high school boyfriend months after my father died. I got fired from my job, was living on fraudulent disability, and was addicted to anxiety medication without admitting it. Psych wards were a regular thing for me -- I repeatedly didn’t think I would get as far as I did in life, and would try to end it when things got to be too much for me. I played away all my money of NIKKE, and stole money from my mother in order to pay bills, or just gamble some more on my game. I had nothing going for me.
…
“... No,” I whispered, my face suddenly feeling cold. I don't know when I started, but I was crying. Upon realizing this, I quickly buried my face in my hands. “... I don’t want to go back.”
Clear was quiet for some time.
“... Then, let’s work hard on your New Year’s Resolution, Commander Nine.”
I sat there who knew how long, simply crying into my new hands. It wasn’t until Clear brought a hand to mine, pulling my cover away to reveal a miserable expression.
“Your meeting is in thirty minutes, Commander Nine. If you would like, I can attend with you on the excuse of ‘reporting progress.’”
“...”
“If you blank, I will manually disable my consciousness to simulate an emergency you must attend to.”
“...”
“Is that acceptable?”
“... Yes,” I said, breathing deeply to the point of light-headedness. I pressed the lock button on my console to release the locks on the room. I stood, slowly, and headed to the washroom to clean myself up. But, before I exited the room, I paused. “Thank you, Clear. I’ll be counting on you.”
“I will not disappoint.”
Feeling reassured, I made my way down the hall and prepared for my meeting.
[[ CHAPTER 02 END ]]