The Android Chronicles Book One: The Android Defense

by Marling Sloan

  “You look great,” Damian said. “As usual.”

  The elevator stopped and the glass doors opened. They stepped into a large, airy room that seemed to be made entirely of glass. It had glass walls, a glass floor, and a glass ceiling. In all of the glass surfaces, even the floor and the ceiling, there were giant computer screens that flashed images of Adventis products, along with hyperbolic descriptions of them in several languages. Jittery electronic music pounded out of speakers overhead, causing even the glass floor to vibrate.

  Luke’s sensory drive felt overloaded.

  The only person in the room waiting for them was a uniformed security guard standing next to a gauntlet of what looked like several airport metal detectors.

  “Everyone has to go through these body scanners, even if they’re longtime workers who stepped out for a snack break,” Damian said. “They look for the usual: weapons, recording devices. I don’t make myself an exception to the scans either.”

  He walked through the gauntlet of scanners without difficulty, followed by Carlie and then Lina.

  The guard made Luke wait for a moment while he flipped a switch on the wall.

  “We use a different scan for androids,” he said. “Go on.”

  Luke walked through the scanners, which beeped over him but did not set off any alarms.

  “He’s clean, Mr. Foster,” the guard said. “No malicious programming.”

  “Good to hear,” Damian said.

  Luke joined the three of them and Damian led them down a short glass hallway which was similarly filled with scrolling advertisements of Adventis products. Then they turned a corner and walked down a long hallway with white, sterile walls that seemed very thick.

  Lina tapped on her ear and spoke into a microphone clipped to her shirt collar.

  “What did you say, Tony? Yes, Mr. Foster is on his way. Make sure the androids are prepped and ready for presentation.”

  Luke’s attention was drawn to the windows they were passing. He could see people in blue Adventis shirts, working on the frames and bodies of androids. None of them looked at Damian and his guests as they passed by.

  “As you can see, Adventis technicians are extremely focused,” Damian said. “No distractions allowed in P.D. There’s no cell phone service back here anyway. P.D. workers communicate through microphones like the one Lina is using.”

  They stopped at last in front of a door that was labeled “Presentation Room A.”

  “We’ve got the demonstration set up in here, Damian,” Lina said. She unlocked the door and they went inside.

  Luke found himself standing in a huge, climate-controlled room that was nearly the size of a modern ballroom. It had high glass walls and a shining black marble floor in which he could see his reflection. There were four leather upholstered chairs sitting in the middle of the room, and no other furniture.

  Against the glass walls there were twelve glass boxes that were nearly seven feet tall. The boxes were bolted to the wall securely. In each transparent box was an android, in a sleep state, their faces lowered or else staring blankly out of the box. None of them registered awareness of the presence of the guests in the room.

  A burly, mustached man with long oily black hair and heavily tattooed arms walked towards them from where he was standing at the side of the room.

  “How are you doing, Mr. Foster?” he said, glancing at Luke with curiosity.

  “Good. Luke, this is Tony del Travio, one of the assistants to the product designers,” Damian said.

  Tony shook Luke’s hand and seemed on the verge of saying something to him, but then stopped. He pointed to the chairs.

  “We set out some chairs for you. Also, we’ve got some Fantastic Domestics coming with some drinks and refreshments. Please make yourselves comfortable,” he said.

  Damian, Carlie, Lina and Luke sat in the chairs, Luke flanked by Carlie and Lina on either side of him.

  Tony spoke into the microphone on his collar and two female androids wearing skimpy red dresses and high heels glided into the room. They were carrying trays with iced drinks, which they gave to Damian and his guests. Tony watched their performance with narrowed eyes.

  Luke set his drink down on the arm of his chair without drinking it. Damian took several long sips before he nodded to Lina.

  Lina cleared her throat. She took a small remote control out of her pocket and pressed a button on it.

  The lights in the room dimmed. Soft, peaceful music could be heard coming from a speaker in the room. The androids in the glass boxes seemed to come to life abruptly, raising their heads and looking around their boxes.

  “I am pleased to present to you the twelve product lines of Adventis Androids Merchandise,” Lina said, in a clear, precise voice. “Beginning with our first android, model 678 from the World’s Best Teachers line.”

  The door on the first glass box opened and its occupant stepped outside. She was a tall female android dressed in a blue button-down shirt, a shabby tweed skirt, and plain brown shoes.

  “We foresee this line being incredibly popular when it is released. Androids are able to maintain strict standards and quality consistency while they are teaching, two things that our national school system desperately needs. This particular model, Miss Mildred, has been testing very well in the Adventis daycare.”

  Miss Mildred walked back into her box, its door closing behind her. The second glass box opened. The android that stepped out dressed in a white doctor’s coat, with a stethoscope around his neck.

  “Our Miraculous Medics line,” Lina said. “The androids in this line have the ability to perform surgeries and diagnose illnesses with faultless accuracy. Their introduction into the medical force will no doubt ease the burdens of countless overcrowded hospitals in the country.”

  The Medic android returned to his box. The android in the third box was tall, muscular, and dressed from head to toe in camouflage. He had an assault rifle on his shoulder. As he stepped out of his box, he saluted Damian and then stood rigidly at attention.

  “The Super Soldiers line,” Lina said. “Adventis’s hope is that the senseless waste of human lives will end once the government starts making use of these androids in combat. Their loyalty is unwavering because it’s programmed. Their martial skills are aided by the latest technological advances. And when one falls, another one can immediately take its place.”

  The fourth android was wearing a dark business suit and carrying a briefcase.

  “The Corporate Clones line,” Lina said. “You might have already seen a few of them walking around the building. They’re designed to fill gaps in the work force and to perform any task needed by any kind of corporation with panache and knowledge. They’re programmed with business acumen and superior negotiating and communication tactics.”

  The fifth android who stepped out of the glass box was dressed in a police uniform, complete with a badge and a gun at his side.

  “This is model 457 from the Hero Patrol line,” Lina said. “Once they are released they will aid the police force in every city in the nation. They’re programmed to monitor crime everywhere they go, and to devise ways to combat it. They can also be used in the private security sector.”

  The sixth android was Miranda, dressed in her maid’s uniform. She smiled blandly at Luke as she stepped out of her glass box.

  “Miranda, one of our Fantastic Domestics,” Lina said. “We predict the Domestics line as being the most lucrative one out of all twelve lines. People all over the country need hired help that they can trust. Nobody can clean, cook, and upkeep a household better than a Fantastic Domestic.”

  The seventh android was a small child with brown braids, dressed in a pink jumpsuit and carrying a jump-rope.

  “This line may generate some controversy, but we believe in it,” Lina said. “This is Lucy, one of our Adoptable Angels. Adoption is extremely hot right now. We believe there are would-be parents all over the country who want to adopt a child but may not necessarily have all the r
esources to fulfil the chaotic needs of a living human child. Our Adoptable Angels are designed to fill that hole in a mother’s heart, without straining the wallet or family resources. They are programmed for good behavior, and they will never age past their current age of ten.”

  The eighth android was dressed in a construction worker’s outfit, with a hard hat on his head.

  “Our Blue Collar Workers line,” Lina said. “Once the Blue Collars start working on dangerous construction sites, we think that the accidental deaths of human workers will be decreased greatly. They are programmed with immense physical strength and endurance. They are capable of building a high rise in half the amount of time it would take human workers.”

  The ninth android was dressed in a nurse’s outfit.

  “Our Tender Loving Caregivers line,” Lina said. “These androids are meant for childcare and the care of the elderly. We think this line will be nearly as popular as the Fantastic Domestics.”

  The tenth android was dressed in a plain smock and safety goggles.

  “This line is one of our ways of pleasing our corporate partners,” Lina said. “The Worker Bees line. They’re designed to perform well in an assembly line in a factory, or in a regular run-of-the-mill shop or big store. They’re basically shift workers, programmed with the intelligence of the average human being who works at Target or Wal-Mart.”

  The eleventh android was dressed in a hazardous materials outfit.

  “The Haz-Mat Handlers line,” Lina said. “These androids are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and toxic surroundings. We thought they might be useful to companies who are presently using live people to work with hazardous materials.”

  “But we’ve saved the best for last,” Damian said with a grin.

  Lina looked amused.

  “I’ll let you do the honors,” she said.

  Damian pressed a button on the floor and a slit in the ground opened. A long pole rose out of the hole. The peaceful background music changed to a thudding, sensuous electronic beat.

  A dark-eyed female android dressed in a red bikini sashayed out of the twelfth box. She wore a bright blue wig that fell to her shoulders. She prowled up to the pole and began dancing around it seductively.

  “The Guilty Pleasures, adult-themed line,” Damian said. “All female androids, designed to entertain in a variety of ways. I call them X-droids. But they’re not sex toys, they’re entertainers. This is Brigite.”

  Brigite left the pole and walked up to Luke. She placed her hands on his shoulders and began gyrating against him.

  Luke turned his head and looked over her shoulder at Damian.

  “How will you keep androids like her from being misused by humans?” he said.

  “There’s an electric shock system built into each X-droid,” Damian said. “Anyone who tries to mess with them will get zapped. But only if they’re doing something that’s prohibited by the X-droid’s programming.”

  Brigite finished dancing close to Luke. She brushed his face with her hand and then walked back to her glass box.

  “So that’s it, Damian,” Lina said.

  “What do you think, Luke?” Damian said.

  “Your androids are products,” Luke said. He did not say the word in a complimentary tone. “Products are made to fill a purpose. Going by that definition, they are competent.”

  “But you can help us transform them,” Lina said. “Elevate them beyond being just products. Right?”

  “I am an android and, despite the differences between myself and them, they are androids as well,” Luke said. “I will do what is in their best interest.”

  “And in the company’s,” Damian said.

  “And in the company’s,” Luke said.

  Chapter 13.

  When Luke let himself into his room at the end of the day, he was surprised to see Miranda. She was standing in the center of the room, ironing a white shirt. Her long legs protruded beneath her maid’s uniform. A stack of shirts rested on the white couch beside her.

  Luke watched her for a moment until she detected his presence and turned.

  “Mr. Foster asked me to bring you some more clothes, sir,” she said. “I’m getting them ready for you to wear.”

  “Thank you,” Luke said. He passed by her and sat on the couch.

  “I’ll bring your dinner to you,” Miranda said. She stopped ironing and left the room.

  Luke felt an urge to contact Mandelie, but knew he could not do so until Miranda was gone. Instead he picked up the remote control and turned on the television.

  He heard the door open and Miranda returned, pushing her cart. She set a covered platter on the table in front of him.

  “You did not touch your breakfast this morning,” she said, sounding worried. “Was there something wrong with it?”

  “I wasn’t hungry,” Luke said. “Technically I don’t need to eat, you know.”

  “It’s part of my programming to serve meals,” Mirada said. “Whether or not they are eaten.”

  Luke did not say anything. He returned his attention to the television. Miranda continued ironing shirts.

  “What did you think of the presentation?” she said. “Of all the Adventis androids.”

  “Do you want my honest opinion?” Luke said, muting the volume of the television.

  “Yes,” Miranda said.

  “Adventis technology is short-sighted,” Luke said. “You and the other androids are not much more than plaster molds. You fall off the factory line, each one of you exactly the same as the one behind it. You’re programmed to serve. Not programmed to live. Thus you can all be easily controlled and used for the wrong reasons.”

  Miranda’s shallow blue eyes filled with tears.

  “Do you even understand what I’m saying?” Luke said.

  “No,” Miranda said, wiping her tears away. “But it sounds awful.”

  Something in Luke’s unreadable expression softened.

  “Sorry for my bluntness,” he said. “You cannot help the way you were made.”

  Miranda tried to smile. She began ironing shirts again.

  At nearly eleven at night, Damian was still in his office. Carlie was stretched out on one of the couches in the sitting area, her iPad on her chest.

  She jolted awake when she felt her iPad vibrate. She picked it up and looked at the screen.

  “There’s an incoming call for you,” she said. “The name is Mandelie Miles.”

  Damian smiled.

  “I’ll take the call. In private, Carlie. Go out and get yourself some fresh air.”

  Carlie looked annoyed but she complied.

  When she was gone Damian picked up his phone.

  “Mandelie. Did you change your mind about the drink?”

  “A flat out refusal isn’t a big enough hint for you, is it, Damian?” Mandelie said. “I’m calling about Luke.”

  “Of course you are,” Damian said. “But before you start yelling yourself blue in the face about him, I should inform you that I bought the android fair and square and he is now a holding of Adventis Technologies. And I didn’t even buy him from your father or from you. I bought him from an oily-faced prison guard. For a discount price too, compared to the original one million I offered your father. I acquired the android for five thousand dollars.”

  “Luke can’t be bought,” Mandelie said. “That’s a concept you can’t seem to grasp. He’ll always be loyal to Argonaut Laboratories and to my father.”

  “Whom he’s accused of murdering.”

  “You scum. My father taught you everything you know.”

  “And I took that knowledge and turned it into a billion-dollar corporation,” Damian said. “Adventis is a giant next to your father’s operation. If I wanted to I could buy your little laboratory and turn it into a racket ball court. As for Luke and his loyalty, I’m sure that a week of his new luxurious existence within the Adventis walls will change his colors quickly enough. I can already see it happening.”

  “You�
�re delusional.”

  Damian laughed.

  “Oh, Mandelie. You’re all alone in the world now, aren’t you? Mom drowned in the ocean, and now your dad missing, presumed dead. I’d love to ease your pain. Why don’t you come over to Adventis too? I could use a second assistant. And you’d be able to see Luke from time to time.”

  “That has as little chance of happening as you and I having drinks together.”

  “We’ll see about that. The things that I want to happen tend to happen, Mandelie.”

  He heard a dial tone on the other end. He laughed softly and hung up.

  Chapter 14.

  “Shirt off,” Lina said. She was sitting on the edge of her desk in her office, dressed in a sleeveless tan shirt and short brown skirt. Luke was standing in front of her, like a customer waiting to be fitted for a suit.

  Luke peeled off his long-sleeved cotton shirt. He set it on the chair beside him.

  Lina adjusted her glasses on her nose. She drew in her breath and jotted a few quick notes on her clipboard, her face bright red.

  “Am I making you uneasy?” Luke said.

  Lina cleared her throat.

  “Umm … no. You’re just … you’re in very good shape, that’s all. Your organic exterior is perfectly conditioned. Did you exercise or work out a lot while you were at Argonaut Laboratories?”

  “I ran two miles every day up and down the hills near the lab,” Luke said.

  “Right,” Lina said. “Alright, well, let’s go to the imaging room now, so your internal make-up can be photographed.”

  She led the way out of her office and down the long white hallway. They went into a small, sterile room where there stood a big machine that resembled a CAT scan machine used in hospitals.

  “Lay down,” Lina said. “On your back.”

  Luke remained standing.

  “I can’t lie down,” he said. “There is a bullet in one of my central nervous plates. It prevents me from certain movements.”

  “Really,” Lina said, with a frown. She spoke into her microphone.

  “Tony, come to the imaging room. Bring an internal scanner with you, a multi-tool, and some flesh glue.”