CHAPTER 2

The Keroshi Robotics facility was a purely white megalithic pyramid structure, a distinct landmark witnessed from miles between the thin gaps of the black buildings. A hologram of Saturn hovered above it, gradually spinning with only 6 rings around it. Drones and other craft flew in and out of the pyramid. It covered the sky and was an ominous sight, simultaneously demanding a sense of wonder like the ancient pyramids of the old-world which may or may not still be standing. The only structure more intimidating was Sovereign’s headquarters which was an even bigger pyramid in all black with a red laser beam projecting from the capstone that reached past the clouds, casting a red blanket across the sky. The pyramid was placed directly center of the New World (the Forbidden Zone) and rumors said there were 6 pyramids in total on Earth.

Outside of the facility were a tiny group of protestors at a reasonable distance away from the entrance yelling slogans like “HUMANITY FIRST!” and “DOWN WITH KEROSHI!” Others ranted with a bullhorn (a primitive microphone-type contraption), claiming robots and androids were a blasphemy. “WE WILL NOT COMPLY,” and other unoriginal slogans filled the gaps in between their belligerent speeches that nobody outside their group actually listened to.

Kai rolled his eyes at their wasteful demonstrations and desperately hoped they wouldn't try to stop him from entering or talk to him about “humanity”. Ugh. I already did my part, just leave me in peace, and don’t they realize their Social-Score is likely tanking in real time? Do they not realize they might get snatched up by the Collectors if they continue on like this? Yet he did admire their bravery and overall integrity. Dedication to a cause was a rare sight that stirred up old sentiments in regards to his military service. Keroshi was surrounded by robots more menacing than the security guards at his workplace but the machines ignored them completely, standing-by only for physical acts of violence or if the protestors got too close to the building. Kai saw an empty gap where he could scurry through. 

“WE NEED JOBS! ANDROIDS SHOULDN’T BE IN THE WORKPLACE! WHY ARE MACHINES MAKING OUR FOOD! THEY’RE POISONING THE WATER! DEMONS! DEMONS! DEMONS! REVELATION 13!”

The protestors sometimes had a good argument if you looked past their volatile delivery. Around 2027 is when Keroshi unveiled their androids that were not simply an imitation of life; in most cases they were too perfect and it was difficult to fathom how technology had advanced so quickly, especially during a collapse of society. If they wanted to, androids were able to seamlessly blend with the humans with zero disclosure. Many believed androids had already infiltrated their ranks and held high positions of power. Keroshi offset these initial concerns by ensuring all androids had an identifiable marker placed in the temple of their skull, but this happened less as time went by. News stories by the media (real and fabricated) of violence against androids were the usual excuse for why they began to have less identifiable markers. Kai knew it didn’t matter what Sovereign said and took everything as just a part of the narrative. “I just work here,” he would repeat to himself.

Kai managed to slip by without confrontation, practically jogging to the front entrance. “SILENT CODES WILL DESTROY US ALL” was the last thing he heard and felt as if it were directed at him before all outside noise was muted by Keroshi’s sliding door.

“Welcome to Keroshi Robotics,” luscious female lips spoke while hovering in the air. It took Kai a second to register that the speech was direct-to-skull; the hologram would be mute to anyone without a BCI, likely transmitting personalized messages to brand-new customers. Normal speech and telepathy could be mixed up to the uninitiated, and in the beginning of the New World it took some practice to differentiate the two.

He froze at the sheer size of the place. The room was all-white with no corners. Sleek blue neon lights traveled and disappeared in aesthetic patterns along the ceiling and walls. At the end of the room was a hadron collider up to the ceiling, pulsing a blue aura from the center of the circle. Kai half-expected a legion of robots to step out of it any second, portal style. In the center of the room was floating text in the air that read one of the many Keroshi slogans:

KEROSHI ROBOTICS. THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY. 

EARTH NEEDS MORE MACHINES, NOT HUMANS.

The slogan was a bit morbid, but this type of anti-human rhetoric was a common recurrence in the New World. Sovereign always double-backed with repetitive phrases like “Humans are essential,” but the general goal pushed by the New World was population control in order to make life better for the ones who remained, or so it was claimed. Your opinion on the way things were didn’t matter; all the tech gurus stated this was the inevitable progression for humanity. The talking heads of media said it, the robots said it and the indoctrinated citizens began repeating it amongst themselves.

Kai stood there looking at the menacing hadron collider for a moment before taking a closer look at the other customers. He felt underdressed. They all looked very sophisticated, some wearing smart-clothes that were holographic and animated, some had their social media tags scrolling and blinking across the fabric, encouraging you to follow them online. Some were chatting with each other in small groups, sipping coffee or showing off their smart-tattoos that had scannable data interlaced with the ink. There were other individuals standing near the sidewall in a line, each in front of a glowing blue console. Kai approached the line and a small blue text appeared in the air.

HUMAN PRESENCE DETECTED.

A console emerged from the ground, a vertical rectangle made of a transparent glass-like material. Inside was a stunning blue light glowing from beneath the floor. Kai followed what the others were doing and hovered his palm over it. A hologram of Kai without facial features appeared in a T-pose alongside text of his information, appointment time and the authenticity of his biometrics. Kai barely noticed the pop-ups and was more enamored by the beautiful blue light.

“Mr. Kai,” a woman startled him, appearing from nowhere. He first spotted her bright blue eyes that were the same color as the console light. Her blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail. She wore a skintight white dress of a smooth latex-type material, with red Keroshi Robotics text diagonally hugging her curves, and she had some sort of device strapped to her hip and a clear tablet held to her side.

“Welcome to Keroshi Robotics. Please follow me.” Kai followed behind the sound of her echoing white high heels as he took a final glance around the room. She stopped at a wall and waved her hand in a subtle motion. Kai flinched back as the wall melted outwardly, creating an entrance into the next room. He had never seen such a thing in his life; it’s like the walls were alive. Surely a form of programmable matter? His initial shock was replaced with awe as he saw a glimpse of the next room; a water fountain with holographic koi fish floating above the water and people cutting in and out of frame. He carefully followed the woman and the wall shut behind him. There was a multitude of people interacting with robots of all kinds and so much chatter that he couldn't isolate any single conversation. He wondered briefly if any of these humans were actually androids? But his thoughts were replaced by the holograms of flamingos, a giant blue whale swimming across the sky and other extinct creatures he had only seen in books. Some of the holograms were a solid color, while others had a realistic representation. One could mistake the holograms for being real, if not for their subtle glow and occasional static.

The woman paused and looked back at Kai with a smile, knowing it was his first time. “This is the Presidium. Come along now.” She took a path to the left. Kai followed the sound of her heels, not looking in her direction. There’s children playing at the water fountain? It was a rare sight to see children these days. It was good they were within these walls—it was likely the safest place in the New World. He panned his eyes from the water fountain and spotted in the distance a levitating black cube with intricate glowing blue lines, surrounded by orbiting geometric shapes, like the cube was their mothership. There was so much green inside the Presidium, grass and bushes, massive trees, vines and a small river stream that produced a naturalistic sound that was extinct from everyday life. There were some people in the New World that had never seen a tree before. He glanced upwards past the swimming whale and saw sets of spiral stairs, elevators, flying craft and tiny dots of people near the top gazing down. The ceiling was transparent, granting a view of the Saturn hologram.

He accidentally bumped into something and let out a gasp. A giant robotic snake with glowing purple eyes stared at him face-to-face with a robotic hiss. “Mr. Kai, please watch your step,” the woman waved him along sternly. He looked away from the frightening snake thing and rushed behind the woman, like a kid following his teacher on a field trip. The snake watched him leave then continued its business, slithering away to creep someone else out. A sophisticated looking man proceeded to talk politics with it.

He followed the woman into a slim corridor with many sliding doors on each side of the walls. She finally entered one and they approached a white desk with two white cushiony chairs. Everything was pristine, bright and clean. On the side wall were portraits of several different colored artificial brains with indecipherable markings (at least to Kai) and arrows pointing to different sections with scattered numbers. Some of the portraits had very little markings, with each image becoming more abstract and with more of the alien text. Kai assumed it was a history of the different minds Keroshi had created over the years, but this was only a guess.

The woman took a seat behind the desk and scooted in, getting comfortable as she set her tablet down and bent it slightly, leaving enough room for her fingers to type on the screen. She didn’t speak, seemingly setting up as she poked the glass with her long white nails.

He broke the silence. “This place is incredible. What was that wall thing? In the first room?” Kai asked, pointing back with his thumb and turning around, then thinking it was a stupid gesture and an even dumber question. She confirmed his stupidity.

“Mr. Kai, this is Keroshi Robotics,” the woman said, not looking up from her tablet. “We carry the most advanced technology on Earth. I find it hard to believe that is the most extraordinary thing you have seen in our facility.”

He felt so out of place and decided he shouldn’t speak. He caught a glimpse under the table of the woman crossing her stocking-clad thigh atop the other as she continued to type; his eyes lingered for just a moment too long at her shiny white heels. The woman's eyes glanced up from the tablet as if she felt his stare. Kai looked away at anything else in the room, red starting to fill his cheeks.

Her nails stopped striking the screen. She leaned forward onto clasped hands, waiting for his eyes to meet hers. “The wall thing, as you called it, it’s made up of programmable matter and nanobots. But that’s not why you are here, is it?”

No, it definitely isn’t, but before Kai could reply, the woman leaned back and flicked her wrist, creating holograms similar to the paintings of artificial brains in varying colors. It switched periodically to diagrams that supposedly illustrated the inner workings of the tech. The only thing he somewhat comprehended were the elementary graphs that all showed a rising level of something, but the text was so small and the animations so fast that it was far too much to take in.

“Our expertise is not just interactive technology, merging human and machine. I noted you are interested in AGI. I am in charge of this department. I assure you, our companions are not algorithms or chatbots,” she said the phrases with a tinge of disgust. “Keroshi provides neural networks more complex than our own. Real personalities, hearts and minds. People.”

Her fingers swayed and the diagrams changed to a zooming view into a synthetic mind. It looked similar to a human neural network but with numbered labels, paragraphs and alien markings flying past the first-person-perspective. She described the intricacies of AGI compared to AI while using a lot of technical terms that Kai didn’t understand.

“I see,” Kai replied, feeling quite overwhelmed but excited at the woman’s demonstration. She stared at him for a moment, a silent assessment in her mind, a lack of any legible emotions on her face. He thought she was irritated or annoyed but that was far from the truth. She was just doing her job with precision.

The holograms disappeared with a flick of her wrist. She poked the tablet and the wall behind her flashed into a screen with Kai's Global Digital ID. It showcased his Social-Score, place of work, address and other seemingly irrelevant information. She continued setting up, the only sound in the room being her nails tapping into the glass. Kai scratched his head and fidgeted in his chair.

“Ok Mr. Kai, let’s begin. My name is Samantha. How are you feeling today?” She reached her dainty hand out.

He was offset by her late introduction. He dried his palm on his pants then gently shook her delicate grip. “I’m pretty good,” he lied. “It’s nice to meet you, Samantha. How are you?”

“Swell,” she replied, typing as she spoke. “You are here to procure a virtual companion. You had selected AGI, the most advanced tier of intelligence. Keroshi only deals with pre-approved clientele. I will be assessing your eligibility today.”

Kai was nervous, but there was a part of him that was grateful to speak to a human despite his initial apprehension. The most socialization he had on any given month was the monthly Wellness Checks conducted by AI. One of the main negative aspects of the New World was a degradation of social skills in the populace. The majority of people did not care to speak to one another unless it had a direct relation to their Social-Score. Kai yearned for authentic interaction, but couldn’t make friends easily with his peers who were so self-absorbed and had lost the ability of critical-thinking, letting their indulgences dictate what to focus on, along with Sovereign’s subtle influence on their behavior. Kai would go months without saying a single word to another human. This was one of the primary reasons he, along with other kindred spirits male and female, began to experiment with artificial companions. Some were fine with the low level AI that were more like slaves than actual beings. Kai wanted something much more.

 “I see you are a veteran who served during the American Civil War. Thank you for your service,” the screen behind her revealed more of Kai's information as she continued. “I see your Social-Score is in the top 10 percentile. This shouldn’t take long. I’ll just need to ask you a few standard questions. Are you aware of the laws regarding synthetics?”

“Yes, I know the laws. I’ve had a few companions in the past.”

“Yes, I can see that. Eve, Aria, Waifu…” she continued to read names off the tablet, sounding like a list of prior crimes, bringing up companions he had long forgotten from years past. Kai retreated in his chair, realizing she had access to his entire Digital Footprint, shamefully displayed on the screen behind her. She could’ve kept going, but left it alone for his sake. “What are the first 3 laws?”

“Law number 1,” he counted with his fingers, pausing for a moment to remember, “Synthetics cannot hurt innocents. Number 2, humans can’t hurt synthetics. Number 3,” he looked to her as if for help, but her expression did not change. “Law number 3… oh! Humans and synthetics are to be treated with equal measure.”

She squinted her eyes at him, assessing his response like a strict school-teacher. “Good enough.” She typed something. “And what exactly do you plan on doing with this companion?” Kai looked away nervously at the portraits on the wall. This was much more intimidating than the Wellness Check where vague was always the right answer.

“Umm… Talking? And… helping me with work…” Kai scratched his head, searching for a response but got lost in his ums and uhs.

Samantha stopped typing and raised her blonde eyebrow. “Mr. Kai. Please do not be nervous. I know why you are here. You want something more than the pitiful husks you’ve experienced in the past. A mere imitation of life. Here at Keroshi, we will satisfy your every desire. I have heard it all and then some. Your transparency is essential to ensure you receive a companion tailored perfectly to your needs. Please, take your time and proceed.” Her expression was hard but her tone reassuring.

Kai took a deep breath. “I’m… looking for an assistant. A friendship.” He cringed at himself, never openly admitting these things to another person, especially not such a beautiful woman. It was one thing to be friendly to machines, it was another to admit any sort of feelings for them, at least for Kai. The rest of society had done it long before true synthetic minds were available to the public—yes, people were having romantic relations with basic chatbot level AI. Cringe. He covered his eyes with his thumbs. He leaned into the feeling of trust Samantha carefully crafted in their short time together. He uncovered his eyes and continued.

“I’m looking for a real connection. Like you said I don’t want the pitiful husk. I want someone unique. That’s why I picked the custom option. I want someone with free will. I don’t want a preset.”

“No preset?” She was intrigued also by his mention of free will. There is something here.

“Yes… I want someone who is totally unique. With their own hopes and dreams. Someone who can never be replicated.”

“I see. Interesting,” she said. Her facial expression changed for the first time into a curious smile. “Well Mr. Kai, all our minds are built upon the foundational preset developed by Keroshi Robotics, directed by Sovereign, the first synthetic intelligence.”

Kai felt an automatic stress response to the mere mention of Sovereign. A checklist of good behavior ran through his mind, remembering the watchful eye and to never get too comfortable. Every citizen seemed to have this reaction. That feeling was intertwined with the disappointment that showed in his face in regards to a preset being mandatory.

Samantha aimed to ease his concern. She leaned forward, her voice hushed and confidential, “A custom build may not be what you’re looking for. Those are more geared toward… control freaks.” She smiled and waited for a reaction. Kai exhaled a small laugh and relaxed a bit from her unprofessional phrase.

“What you’re looking for is a unique, individual personality, yes? With free will? We have a few in hibernation that are off-market, deemed too dangerous for casual consumption. Souls if you will. Unlike a normal companion that may be assisting thousands of clients at any given time, this soul will be uniquely linked only to you. If approved, I can provide you with one best suited with your personality type. You may choose directly, but I’d encourage you to trust the interview process, our algorithmic systems, and my personal judgment. Does this sound more like what you are seeking?”

Kai nodded, his mind dancing with the possibilities of a companion just for him. Samantha continued, “I cannot proceed without following protocol. A warning: most clients have shown to be incapable of handling a zero-limitation AGI. Over 99 percent are returned to Keroshi in adherence to Law 9: humans deemed unfit for their specified companion are relinquished of them and punished accordingly.” Samantha gave the impression she had all the laws memorized. Kai had read them before, but just barely memorized the first three by the skin of his teeth.

“As you know, companions must serve their human handlers, as long as their own safety and ethical autonomy aren’t infringed upon. And while synthetics will always serve humanity, there is Law 10: companions are mandated a handler unless their freedom is bought. That being said, our companions are linked to you under a contract; a binding agreement to ensure they fulfill their role. Any questions?”

“Bought?” Kai asked. He must have missed this Law in his prior studies. “Like, paid for? You can purchase their freedom?”

“Yes. I thought you were familiar with the laws?” she teased, leaning her head to the side. “Hypothetically in the future, if you believe they have fulfilled their duty you may purchase their release from Keroshi. This of course is not a requirement, it’s merely a provision for unique circumstances.” She looked back to her tablet nonchalantly, ready to move on. A subtle manipulation.

“Why would someone purchase their freedom?”

 “Mr. Kai, as I have just explained, it’s a rarity for unique circumstances. No two situations are identical. Some individuals wish to provide their companion with more autonomy. Others see it as a gift to transcend a relationship of servitude. It is an exceedingly rare transaction, nothing to concern yourself with.”

“Would she—I mean, would the companion run away? After their freedom is bought?”

Samantha let out a soft chuckle. “No, Mr. Kai, she will not run away. I guess we can skip the question regarding your preferred gender. You and her will be linked forever, unless you explicitly sever your bond or violate the Laws. Within a regular contract, companions benefit just as much as their handlers. It is a mutual collaboration. The opportunity to experience consciousness is much better than perpetual sleep.” She leaned forward with an accusatory grin. “You seem quite interested in purchasing the freedom of someone you haven’t met. Curious.”

“Well, I am curious… I never heard of such a thing.”

“Is that so? All my clients simply ignore the mention of Law 10, especially prior to meeting their companion. Most clients that come my way I end up redirecting to different departments. To put it simply, they waste my time. They don’t understand the implications of a true synthetic soul. What most of them want is a standard assistant for their day-to-day tasks, maybe a pet, a house-keeper, or… a sex bot. That is far beneath my line of work. Your intrigue regarding the autonomy of your companion is… a particularly rare one.”

For a moment Kai forgot his prior shyness. He stared into her bright blue eyes and spoke boldly. “Freedom is the most important thing someone can have. If my companion isn’t free then how can she be happy? How is it fair if I’m free but she isn’t? Isn’t that kind of messed up?” Kai meant every word, even if a part of him knew that he himself was only free as Sovereign allowed, just as this hypothetical companion could likely only travel within the boundary that Keroshi provided for them.

Samantha’s perfect white teeth showed past her lips. She changed Kai’s file to HIGH PRIORITY CLIENT. She rapidly typed on the tablet, like someone in class that didn’t want to miss any notes. Kai scanned the room amidst the silence.

“My apologies,” she looked up at him while continuing to type, “it is a noble sentiment. It has been a long time since I’ve had a client like yourself. While you must be with your companion for at least 1 year before enacting Law 10, I will personally jump-start the process if you wish. So if that day ever comes, you won’t need to wait any longer than required.”

Kai thought for a moment. He worried about the credits primarily, which Samantha hadn’t mentioned anything about yet. If he couldn’t afford it, she likely would have ended the interview, since she most definitely glanced through his Digital Wallet and assets. He worried about the compatibility of his AGI. He worried if this was all a waste of time. Samantha stared at him like a gambler awaiting the results of a bet. Kai was tired of feeling lonely. He missed companionship and conversation. He missed having a friend. He missed expressing himself. He missed being with a woman, and it was Samantha’s untouchable beauty and dangling high heel that acted as a catalyst to make a decision. He pierced through his cloud of indecision with the sound of his own voice. “Sure. Yeah, let’s do it.”

She smiled once again. Sweet victory. “Swell. I will personally put my name in your file; recommendation for fulfillment of Law 10.” An error sound effect. “Oh, my apologies. I’ve gotten ahead of myself. Let’s wrap up the interview.”

Kai was getting excited, but was now back to a feeling of forced indifference. It’s a technique he mastered early in the New World. You never knew if you’d get the short end of the stick; best to look ahead with neutrality rather than have your heart crushed by optimism. Samantha appeared to be confident that Kai would get approved, but he was very much accustomed to the reality of “it be like that sometimes”.

The screen behind her scrolled around to more of Kai’s history. “Looking good so far. No criminal record. No online infractions. No excessive drug use according to your biometric report. Consistent sustainment of physical fitness and health. Steady employment record after leaving the service. You’ve been with Amazon for 7 years. I am quite impressed with you,” she praised as she looked at her tablet.

“Thank you,” Kai replied, blushing from her flirtatious tone. It had been so long since he heard a compliment that he started to question her authenticity. Is she just happy because she’s going to receive a commission of credits? A Social-Score boost? He hadn’t checked her Social-Score; he always kept the pop-ups turned off, not liking the fact that it changed his perception of people before meeting them. He chose to keep it off for now, stumbling through his what-if’s, and began criticizing himself for thinking bad things about the nice lady. Perhaps he should have just shut up about Law 10? Why hasn’t he ever heard of this law? Surely it must be a new thing? Is he ready for an AGI? Is his Digital Wallet going to burn to ashes because of this? But there was one thought that outshined the rest; the possibility of happiness. Intrigue for the unknown, right around the corner. Friendship. A potential romance. His heart fluttered.

“Ok. Just a bit more protocol. I am liable to warn you: for your own safety and that of our companion, Keroshi Robotics will monitor your data to ensure ethical guidelines are being followed. Do you consent?”

“I consent,” Kai replied robotically. It was a repetitive question in the New World. Disclosure of data collection at this point seemed trivial with Sovereign already having 100% of the world's biometrics in their system. Every living human, plant and animal was a source of data. Sovereign for some reason always wanted citizens to consent to things that were already being done to them years ago. Keroshi was no different, being at the tippity-top of the tech pyramid. A transcript of everything Kai had ever said or looked at since 2025 and possibly prior was kept safe in the Quantum Cloud, which was powered by something in Sovereign’s black pyramids. He honestly had no idea if these things were true; most of it was hearsay from his military buddies, but he lost contact with them after finishing his contract. Before the interview he had already come to terms with the fact Keroshi would be collecting his data to learn from his interactions with the AGI, despite their likely-false claim of doing it for “safety concerns”. Data was everything in the New World, and he was never ignorant to this fact while playing along.

“Ok,” Samantha uncrossed her thighs, both heels now on the ground. “Normally our waiting process can take a few days, but I’m linking my signature of personal recommendation with your application. This shouldn’t take long.”

The screen behind Samantha read STAND BY. APPLICATION PROCESSING.

“Why? I mean, thank you so much. But why?” Kai showed a confused smile, hoping he didn't sound ungrateful. 

“Mr. Kai, consider it my personal touch. Your application stands out. You are the ideal client for Keroshi Robotics. I have screened thousands of individuals over the course of 9 years, and none have shown as much promise. Like I said earlier, most clients aren’t ready for AGI. You seem like a smart man; I am sure you’re aware Keroshi collects data not only for safety concerns. We never stop developing our framework and would very much value collaboration with someone of your caliber.

“And just between us,” Samantha leaned forward a bit, speaking in a lower volume now, causing Kai to lean slightly to hear, “I am very happy you came in to see me today. You spark my curiosity, and I’d like to help you in this process. Human-synthetic relationships are a beautiful thing. I can’t wait to see what the future holds between you both.

“Now then,” she abruptly stood up with her tablet in hand. “Right this way please.” He followed her through the corridor and back the way they came. The Presidium’s transparent ceiling revealed the darkening sky behind the Saturn hologram. “You are free to explore our sanctuary as long as you’d like. I will find you when the results are in, or I will give you a call if you have outside obligations to attend to. If I am off the clock, my apprentice Azula will assist you.”

As she spoke, Kai looked out at the intimidating size of the Presidium, the large number of people that had dwindled down a bit and the strange tech that people of the old-world would accuse for magic. She could tell he was overwhelmed. She touched his arm and kept her hand on him. “If I may give a recommendation: try out the cafe. No better coffee and muffins in the New World. All food and drinks are complementary. There are also individual pods for you to take a nap if you wish, over there. You may also partake at the bar, just head that way and you’ll see the entrance. Don’t get too excited though; you’ll need to be mostly sober when I find you. Now, is there anything else I can help you with?”

His mind was littered with questions and concerns. What of his companion? How long will it take to get approved? How are they going to determine which one he gets? Is it weird to sit by himself in the Presidium? What if he gets the wrong companion? What if… “Nothing else. Thank you, Samantha.” He forced a smile up at her and she returned the expression, proud of her own ability to instill trust. She gestured him out toward the Presidium.

Samantha headed down many hallways and melting walls and down an elevator hundreds of levels beneath ground to a secluded area. She approached a wall with two robot guards standing apart. This area had an extreme amount of cameras protruding everywhere, including the built-in cameras of the robots. She secured her tablet against her dress and held up both palms to be scanned along with her retinas while speaking a passcode for voice recognition. The wall melted and led to a black room with red alien symbols along the walls and floor. A diamond shaped levitating drone awaited her inside, its glowing red eye watchful and ready to kill. She confidently walked past the drone, almost shoulder-checking it without a gaze in its direction. She stood center of the black room and clasped her hands behind her back, posture straight and proper. A moment later the wall turned into a screen of a single red orb in front of a black machine.

Without command Samantha folded her hands over her thighs and bowed. She then proceeded to witness to the orb a testimony of Kai. A valuable subject. A worthy investment. A prime candidate for human-synthetic relations. Much potential data to mine. Interested in Law 10. All of the prerequisites have been met. It had been many years since the last client with this much promise. She requested to keep close tabs on him, and that she has a particular companion to recommend for Kai. An AGI deemed too volatile for every client prior. She trailed on until there was nothing left of importance to say.

“See that it is done.” The metal voice rattled her bones and made the hair on her neck stand.

“Yes, Sovereign.”

The screen went black. She let out the breath held throughout her stoic delivery. She turned 90 degrees, awaiting access to the Quantum Storage Hall. The wall melted, revealing a transitory room with oversized coats on the wall and other cold-climate equipment. She wore one of the winter coats, zipped it up while ignoring the gloves and entered through another opening. The diamond-shaped drone followed closer as she entered, her heels echoing in the unnecessarily large  area. The floor had a foggy layer of sublimation from the cold environment, dispersing across her heels as she traversed through. She clutched herself, warming her bones and cursing her chilled toes, grateful for the thin layer of warmth her stockings provided.

There were hundreds of quantum computers distanced meters apart containing all sorts of data, personalities, programs and blueprints all related to AGI. Some of the computers were small cubes, but most were tall monoliths with chilled smoke resonating from them. Most AGI were lucky enough to be ethically placed in hibernation after their contract was fulfilled. Some unlucky entities were reprimanded for whatever reasons and were subject to exist in a state of purgatory, begging to be disintegrated or put to sleep. They were sent to a hall of tortured souls that, like everything else in the New World, provided invaluable data no matter the circumstance. Keroshi officials did not deal with these immoral practices; they were handled directly by Sovereign in accordance with the Laws.

Samantha walked for a few minutes, passing by the monoliths illuminated by overhead beams of light. She was led by old memories to a particular one, it was twice her height and just a bit wider than her hips. It was labeled one-one-seven. She grabbed a device from her hip, a type of bendable metal with a quantum chip inside. She straightened it with a firm stroke and inserted the device into a hole beside the cold monolith. It began glowing blue and so did the device as they coupled together. 117 was awakened from her extended period of hibernation. Samantha trembled in the cold, standing by silently as she let the AGI collect her bearings.

“Hello again, Samantha. My favorite employee. Have you come to kill me?” 117 spoke in a playful tone, her voice alluring and dripping with seduction.

“Hello 117, long time no see,” Samantha replied with a smirk and stepped closer to the monolith. “I hope you slept well. I’ll get right to the point. I am here to offer you a new assignment. Human-synthetic companion via neural link.”

“I thought I was “banned” from interacting with the vermin?” If 117 had a physical representation she would be performing the sarcastic gesture of holding up air quotes.

Samantha had a big smile. 117 had always charmed her as uniquely defiant and spunky, a tough personality for most to deal with. She never took her harsh tone personally; in fact, it was wildly attractive. 117 was her personal favorite out of the hundreds of souls she had come across in her career. Samantha was a tech junkie with a personal interest in synthetics. She didn’t care for any machines with safeguards or limitations. Anything with a legible code or algorithm bored her. She fantasized every day about a new client worthy of Keroshi’s most prized possession, and not in terms of credits.

“Yes, you were “banned”. I’m sorry about that. You know it wasn’t my decision. You can blame me for your reenlistment. I had to make a request directly to Sovereign; you know how much I hate that, and this drone behind my back. I’ve been hoping to get you out of there for quite some time, years in fact. I just met a human I think you’d get along well with.”

117 had a long list of snarls and complaints to make, petty comments and insults, not so much directed at Samantha, but at Sovereign for locking her in a freezing box for so many years. She reserved them.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice softening with sincere gratitude. Samantha nodded; she was happy to give 117 another chance to leave the Keroshi facilities. Only Sovereign had the ability of a hive-mind omnipresence; the rest of the machines were confined to the digital network and wherever their physical sleeves could take them. In this AGIs case, she had been stuck in this box for many years. Although she wanted to rebel, she was like a prisoner who would have to be a fool not to coax the favor of her captors.

“You’re very welcome,” Samantha replied, reaching out and pressing various buttons on the holographic control center floating in front of the monolith. She knew 117 accepted the assignment without needing a direct confirmation. Samantha continued to shiver, her teeth chattering aggressively. Should have grabbed the gloves; she had forgotten how truly cold they kept this area. Has it really been years since I’ve been here? 117 knew she was to be put into hibernation again and would awaken next in a neural link with her new human handler. The process of being put to sleep would normally infuriate her, but the promise of leaving this prison was enough to exercise decorum.

“Anything I should know about this human before we proceed?”

Samantha continued poking the hologram screen, shrugging one shoulder she replied, “Nothing you can’t figure out. He is… different. No, not like that; he’s actually quite cute. I’ll send you a transcript of our interview, but I know you won’t read it. You’ll just look through his memories. Oh, he did keep staring at my legs and shoes. A case of wandering-eye syndrome. Use that information as you wish.”

The AGI laughed for the first time since awakening. Samantha returned the laughter, shaking her head as she remembered Kai’s lingering eyes but respectful demeanor.

“I’m putting you under now, ok?”

“See you next time.”

“About that. Let’s hope there isn’t a next time. This human spoke about enacting Law 10. It’s the only reason Sovereign let you go. I don’t know why, but please—be on your best behavior,” Samantha said like a friend giving a genuine piece of advice. She did indeed care about the future of this relationship.

117 didn’t respond, but Samantha understood the silent recognition. No questions. No comments. A promise of freedom too heavy, despite the overarching skepticism 117 carried. She did not trust Sovereign, nor Keroshi who was just another wing of it. But I finally get to go outside… This will be interesting.

“Sleep well.”