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nOnce Sam returned to the lab it was time for the usual examination. On the surface the three were clean without a single injury, meaning they didn’t run into a calamity like they did the other day. An initial scan had already been performed to make sure there had been contamination. The process itself was nothing but a routine check up just in case they missed something and to send the report the Resistance HQ requested.

n“Alright.” Sam said as he put his extra large coffee cup on a nearby table. “Sorry for the wait. Let’s get this done with.”

n“Tsk…”

nFor some reason Zero Three clicked her tongue, prompting everyone to look at her. She turned away looking annoyed but said nothing which was rather unusual.

nNormally she would berate me for wasting their time…

nSam guessed it had something to do with the argument she had with Nine. He was curious about what the blond Valkyrie said that made the young one seal her sharp tongue, but he chose to leave it for another time.

nThose two are in a bad mood so… he thought, glancing at the three one by one while working the tablet in his hands. Guess that leaves Zero five.

n“Everything is ready. You can go in now.”

nWith Sam giving them the go, the three Valkyries went to the next room and each entered the device they usually use. As they floated inside them the transparent containers closed and once they were sealed the viscous green liquid began to fill the interior. Their legs were submerged first then soon their torsos and once it got to their necks the Valkyries closed their eyes and entered a state of slumber.

nWell, two of them did, at least.

n“Um… Doctor, is there some problem?” Zero five asked, turning left and right after noticing that she is the only one whose container had yet to close.

n“Ah, don’t worry, Zero five.” Sam said, looking at her from behind the one sided glass wall. “There is something I wanted to discuss with you first. Do you mind coming here?”

nAlthough confused, the Valkyrie with the long ponytail went back to where the Doctor was. She stood in her usual spot and asked the obvious question.

n“Doctor, wouldn’t it be more efficient if you asked me earlier?” She said, glancing at the two in the other room, floating in the green liquid with their eyes closed. “Or you could have waited until after the examination.”

nSam looked at her for a few seconds then averted his gaze. While she wasn’t exactly wrong, Sam had a reason for going through things in the order he did. Coughing into his fist a few times, he turned to the Valkyrie with a serious look and answered her question.

n“The reason I did this is because I don’t want anyone to know about it.” He turned to glance at the two in the next room then went on. “For the time being it would be for the better if the only ones who aware of it are you and me, Zero Five.”

nThe Valkyrie was silent for a moment, unable to guess what it is that required such secrecy. Only one thing came to mind, and what Sam said next was the confirmation she needed.

n“It’s about the time you asked me if I saw you as a human.” Sam said.

nHearing that only seemed to to further confuse Zero Five. The Doctor had told her to never mention the topic again yet here he was bringing it up. She wondered if she was in some kind of trouble, regretting the time she had asked that question.

n“I have been thinking about it for a while now.” Sam said. “It is a big philosophical question. What makes us human? Why can’t you, someone who looks like us and has cognitive abilities on a similar level, be considered human?”

nZero Five could only stare blankly at Sam, after all he seemed to have misunderstood her question even though she had already explained herself. She wanted to know if people sometimes mistook them for humans, and if she could blend in normal society without anyone noticing.

nThat question was born from the way Sam treated the three of them. The Valkyries only interacted with a few other humans but compared to them Sam was the only one who acted the same way as he would when interacting with people, which led to her wondering if he is unable to see the difference.

nZero Five had no desire to be recognized as a human. In fact her programming prevented her from cultivating such desires. However it seems that didn’t stop humans from doing so, whether it was out of moral obligation or fear.

n“After letting it bother me for the past two days I came to the conclusion that I didn’t know enough to completely dismiss the idea.” Sam said. “That’s why I want to do a little experiment.”

n“An… experiment?” The Valkyrie tilted her head as she repeated the word.

n“Yes.” Sam said with a nod. “In order to make up my mind, I need to gather more information, and to do so I need your help in this experiment.”

nZero Five stayed silent for a few seconds before nodding. She didn’t see any problem with her assisting him so she was quick to agree.

n“If it is something within my power then I don’t mind.” She said, showing a rare smile Sam had never seen before.

nIt made him hesitate a little, but he didn’t come this far just to stop now.

n“Then let’s start with something simple.” He said, pausing for a few seconds. “At the moment all I have is sound and visual information. In order to get a more accurate image what i need are those gathered through my other senses, such as touch, smell and taste.”

n“I… see…” the Valkyrie replied, sounding as confused as before.

n“To do that I need… I need to make physical contact with you.” Getting over the first hurdle, Sam went on. “Are you okay with that?”

nIt was then when Zero Five realized for the first time that she had never touched any human before. It wasn’t something out of the ordinary but the fact that it didn’t happen seemed rather strange.

nFor reasons she didn’t understand she started to feel nervous, however logic told her that there was no problem with her agreeing to his request. And so she did.

nSam watched as the Valkyrie started fidgeting nervously, giving him shy glances before nodding.

nOdin, you really are a genius. Sam thought, carefully observing the cute way Zero Five acted, which was programmed into her for this kind of situation.

nSan slowly walked over to her until only one step separated them. The Valkyrie lowered her head, unable to look him in the eyes. She didn’t know it herself but her face was already red. The artificial heart in her chest was beating at a pace far quicker than what she was used to making her feel a bit scared.

nAs she waited for the moment his hand would fall on her skin, Sam went behind her and began running his fingers through her long ponytail.

n“Hm… though it’s far silkier, this feels no different from normal hair.” He said.

nIt felt no different from normal hair. Obviously it’s not, however Sam could tell it’s not the same as the synthetic hair used in wigs. He couldn’t believe Odin went to so much rouble just for the details.

nGlancing behind her to see what he was doing, Zero Five saw Sam take a few strands and bring them closer to his face.

n“This scent… it’s no different from normal shampoo.” Sam said after taking a few whiffs.

nTurning around quickly, the Valkyrie answered in a flustered voice.

n“Well, we use the same product as other soldiers… I think…”

n“I see…”

nShe didn’t know why but seeing him sniff her like that made her feel wierd, although she didn’t really mind it. What bothered her the most was how hot her face was getting and her rising heart rate. The only time she had experienced such phenomena was when fighting the calamities, however unlike those time she didn’t feel uncomfortable.

nFor a moment Sam had all his focus on the silky black hair in his hand. He knew the Valkyrie were offered the same stuff as other female soldiers, but he thought that they’d at the very least get some special care products just for them, since they aren’t exactly normal soldiers.

nLetting go of the long ponytail, Sam decided to move to the next step. He had already crossed the line so he had nothing to worry about, but that didn’t prevent his hands from shaking.

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