The director grinned.
Agatha Becker was the director of the Center and one of its first employees. She never celebrated her birthday, so no one knew how old she was. They only knew that she had been born before the Age of Abundance and had been on the development team of the first «Capsule of Life», but her real old age was not reflected in her appearance. She looked like a woman in her prime. Whether it was the merit of her invention or something else, it worked. The director was good-looking.
Speaking of the invention, thanks to it the «Capsule of Life», people were able to forget about diseases and live many times longer. Correction of DNA defects, cell renewal, and deep diagnostics of all body systems with the possibility of eliminating problems they learned to treat everything simply and quickly. Still incorrigible, unfortunately, remained only vices that had no biological basis, such as stupidity, or evilness. Madame director was an amazing person a legend in her industry. She had time to innovate and manage one of the largest enterprises in the North Atlantic Alliance, but at the same time she did not forget about herself.
As much positive and high emotion was given by Agatha, so much negative emotion was broadcast by Derek Crawford, the head of the production lines. He remained one of the incurable.
Madam director, he rose in greeting. Let me tell you that you are irresistible today! He stretched his already thin lips in a smile, then bowed.
Derek Crawford was a controversial character. Despite the many negative shades of character, he was a great professional, and the position of head of production lines was well deserved. He had a great education, and most importantly real knowledge, and a special talent to perfectly perform the work, giving it a minimum of time.
Thank you, Crawford, Agatha answered him without a trace of emotion. Well, gentlemen, she said to him and Adam. Lets wait for Chen and get started. We have a lot to talk about.
She took a chair at the beginning of the long glass table. She dug into her purse, pulled out a pad, and began studying the report tables. A free couple minutes. Adam remembered his plans and decided to use the time in an unpleasant but useful conversation with Derek:
How was your weekend? taking a seat next to him, Adam began in an unpretentious manner.
Not bad. Not bad at all. What did you want?
«Thats how he feels» Adam thought.
I was wondering about the cyber dog project of increased realism. Was looking at the work in progress yesterday, so I remembered
Crawford smirked.
Well, what do you want from me? The projects closed, its over, you know that.
Thats the thing, I know. Just like I know youre the only one who can give me access to it, Agatha excluded. Id like to finish what I started.
Perket, did you drink too much over the weekend and youre not out of it yet, or what? Your doggys closed, forget it!
That wasnt the answer Adam wanted. He couldnt back down, or Crawford would become even more arrogant.
Maybe we can make a deal.
Make a deal? What interest do you have in a decommissioned project? I guarantee you, itll never be put back into production. People dont need that many dogs, remember?
I have to get the prototype to the finish line, and consider it a professional interest.
You can tell someone else.
You dont believe me, fine! Ill tell you what. Ill get you a table at the Royal Harley, and you get a week of after-hours access to all the project materials. How does that sound?
A sly smile slid across Crawfords face. The truth was, it wouldnt cost him anything to give access to the project, but he didnt like to do anything without benefiting himself. And he also didnt understand the true intentions of the requestor and was afraid of being cheap. But a reserved seat at a table in the citys finest restaurant, where all reservations were kept for months in advance, was a good price.
Its a deal, but no jokes, he decided to agree. Ill give you access, but youll work only in the archive. If you want, you can take your whole workroom there. Nothing about the project must leave the archives, is that clear?
Yeah, no problem Adam confirmed the arrangement.
Im here!
Chen returned to the office with two glasses of coffee. He handed over one glass and kept the other for himself. Taking a seat at his desk, he took an audible sip of his blueberry latte through the tube, then winked at Adam. He liked the upgrade.
Well, I see that everyone is in place, the director began, having finished going through the reports. Lets go over the main things: over the weekend, the thirty-second assembly line failed to meet the plan, and the seventeenth assembly lines figures slipped. We need to find out what the problem is and eliminate it before the losses become critical. Next, the latest advertising campaign has already yielded results. According to the statistical agency, we can exceed the planned figures for this quarter. If, of course, we continue to work at the same pace. Speaking of pace, Adam, youll have an introductory meeting today with Robert Audley of RoboticsGansIndustries. Try to negotiate a contract for 200,000 units. If you can negotiate that many «sergeants», we wont have to look elsewhere.
Why dont you let Chen handle it? Im not much of a salesman, you know
Adam, I want it to be you. Youre the creator of «sergeants» and no one else is going to present it better than you. Besides, you know how I feel about Audley. I think youll do just as well as Chen.
RGI was the Centers largest customer in the field of military robotics. The history of cooperation between the two organizations was rich and intense, as was the history of the relationship between the Centers director and Robert Audley. However, unlike the former, the latter was in an extremely poor state. It is not without reason they say that from love to hate there is only one step. And this step is inevitable, if we are talking about treason and betrayal. Since the breakup, Agatha had avoided seeing Robert as long as she could, but business is business. As much as she wanted to erase her ex from her life completely while taking care of business, she couldnt.
Would you do that for me? Agatha asked finally, looking at Adam intently.
The one who knew the history of the difficult breakup nodded understandingly. Just three years ago, the Centers director and Robert Audley were one of the citys most successful couples. Roberts career growth and Agathas success had been in the news at regular intervals, and their photos from social parties had even appeared on the covers of major news outlets a couple of times. But then some young girl literally drove Robert crazy. He abandoned business, did not hesitate to find out the relationship with Agatha in public. There were rumors that the girl was married and had no sympathy for Audley, but Robert did not know the word «no». Who that girl was, remained a mystery, and how things turned out further, also did not become public. To find out the details no one could, although many people tried. For various reasons, they all failed, but the result was not surprising because Audley had great power that extended far beyond the city. Despite this, Agatha did not bear the humiliation and left Robert. Fortunately for the city, the relationship between the Center and RoboticsGansIndustries was not affected by the separation of their heads. The two had correctly assessed the risks and were above spoiling the long-standing profitable relationship between the giants of their industries with personal problems. And again, business is business. There should be nothing personal in it.
The Center was engaged in the development of software and the technical skeleton of most combat androids. «Sergeant» was the name of the technical platform that hid the Centers best work in the field of military-industrial complex support. These platforms were in service with governments, large security companies, and of course, they were supplied to such a whale of an industry as the RGI. The shipment of military orders had a weighty share in the Centers budget, and projects related to it always found funding and technical support.
Chen, now for you,» the director continued. Call a press conference and present to the public the look of our future new products. I have reviewed your presentations and Im sure they will be to the liking of our partners. Special praise for the color choice. Emerald is something incredible!
I wanted to emphasize the consistency and fundamental nature of our company. I wanted to convey that robots are not just expensive toys. They are deep, mysterious and luxurious.
That is indeed a good idea. Good for you! Derek, youre all right,» Agatha continued. Just get on with the production. Im sure you can do it.
Of course, Madam Director! Crawford answered without concealing his bravado.
Well, thats fine! If no one has anything to add, I suggest we end the meeting and get to work.
No one wanted to add anything. The meeting was over. The clock showed a beautiful combination of two ones and two zeros. Leaving the office, Adam moved leisurely toward the elevator. His workplace was four floors down, with just under an hour to go before the meeting, which meant he could look at the «hanging» projects.
The Life Capsule required an updated body and system layout to integrate additional equipment. «Numismat, an android commissioned by the main banking department. All the calculations and technical documentation had already been worked out, but required careful checking. If it had to be checked manually, it would have taken weeks. There was a neurointerface available a favorite tool that allowed to quickly deal with boring bureaucratic red tape.
The workshop was empty, as usual. It was a large, open room with many tables, shelves, machines, and tools of all kinds that belonged entirely to Adam. For many months now, the only guests in this space have been robotic assistants of various configurations and purposes. For some reason, no one was drawn to the workshop.
Ah, there you are!
The neurointerface lay in its eternal place. Small goggles with sensors, slightly dusty, flashed blue in a welcome way, indicating they were ready for their intended use. Adam sat down in his chair and slipped them on. The processor buzzed pleasantly, and the lenses blurred and then blackened, hiding the entire world from view. Darkness in its true form. Two seconds, three
«Its junk again,» Adam thought to himself.
No sooner had the thought been replaced by a new one, than a hologram of a young girl appeared in his mind, which smiled pleasantly and spoke:
«The Shining Neurointerface welcomes you. Please do not remove the neurointerface until the synchronization with your nervous system is complete. It will only take a few seconds. With the neurointerface Shining you will be able to assimilate a large amount of data in an instant, get information about everything, turn all your thoughts and dreams into reality. The Shining neurointerface erases the boundaries of the possible!».
The girl disappeared and an inscription appeared in her place:
«100% synchronization complete.»
Adam saw his workshop again, but no longer through his eyes. Everything was happening as if in a dream, a controlled dream, in his mind.
«Open reports on the Life Capsule 3.0 and Numismatist projects,» he mentally commanded.
Hundreds of pages flashed before his eyes. They were alternately marked in green, moving from one stack to another. The stack of checked sheets quickly grew fuller, and soon, words appeared on top of it:
«Checked. No errors detected.»
Adam removed the neural interface and glanced apprehensively at his watch. The time was 11:33. His head was a little sore, a standard side effect of using the Shine. But two major tasks had been completed.
After making a few notes, dictating the inspection report, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. It was necessary to put his thoughts in order. There was an important meeting ahead, and in such a state it was not only impossible, but absolutely contraindicated. There was too much at stake. His temples throbbed, his ears rang, and weakness pressed down on his head. Adam jerked convulsively, took a deep breath and, feeling wildly weak, fell into a dream.
Chapter 2: The Phenomenon
What are you doing, Tagged?! We must get back to camp before dark. Theres no escape in these woods from the creatures. Dont stop!
Adam stood before him, a tall man with thick, light blond hair on his face and a small braid on the side of his shaved head. His right eyebrow was cut in two by a long scar, and instead of an eye, the eye socket was filled with a prosthetic.
All right, Quiet, lets go!
Adam didnt recognize his voice. He didnt recognize the man whose back he was scrutinizing so closely. Nor did he understand why the area called a forest was so different from the familiar forest.
Instead of tree trunks, wide black poles were pointing dozens of meters into the sky. Instead of leaves on what had once been branches, dull yellow and copper-red tattered cloths fluttered in the wind. It was hard to tell whether they were part of the pillars, or whether the huge cloths had somehow managed to rise up and remained there, hooked firmly into the black branches. The unusual pillars were aiming for the sky, but the strange-looking ivy, on the other hand, was perfectly at home near the ground. Its long tentacles crawled through the grass, enveloping the trunks of the pillars. Sometimes they interlocked with each other and formed rope bridges or even whole walls, which the birds eagerly nestled in. The grass, too, was unusual. Its color varied from yellow to bright red, and there were some purple islands. It seemed that every color and combination of colors was possible in this forest, except green.
Adam obediently followed the strange guide. Adam followed the strange guide with dexterity and confidence. Sometimes he raised his left hand above his head, made signs with it, and then hid it again under the hem of his cloak. His right hand was always at his hip, close to the holster of his needle.
Quiet jumped over another snag, cocked his head toward the sky, and immediately stopped. Adam, staring up at another majestic pillar, didnt see it, didnt have time to react, and lightly grazed Pathfinder.
Im sorry, Quiet, my heads spinning! Im not myself for some reason.
To the right, beyond the ivy thicket, there was a terrible sound: someone on the other side of the natural wall stomped heavily, roared, and in the next instant tore through the thick growth with mighty blows, revealing himself. Such a monster Adam could not have imagined even in his worst nightmares. The creature wasnt just big, it was enormous. Four meters tall, several tons of muscle and bone. On a thick neck that no man could wrap his arms around, it had a broad head, from the mouth of which, through the gaps of half-rotten lips, the dull yellow huge fangs were visible. A moment, and the creature, pushing off with its hind paws, was close enough to strike. Adam was unable to move, not even to cover himself with his hand or recoil, obeying his instinct for self-preservation. He took the blow just as the ivy had been torn apart by the creatures paws seconds earlier.