The only remaining major tech company in the world that isn’t based out of Atlanta, Sakaguchi Automations is quite famous for its vastly different work culture and business presentation. Whereas companies like Magitek and Blyth Industries carry a kind of silliness to them, an appeal to younger people, maybe a sense of irony about themselves at times, Sakaguchi prides itself on professionalism.

And so when I enter their section of the east wing, everything changes. No more giant colorful banners hanging from the ceiling with colorful pop art logos. One large poster with Sakaguchi’s block-letters logo, and a bunch of people in business suits. Finally, people who are actually wearing full suits, the same way my dumb ass dressed even though hardly anyone else among the convention-goers is doing it. I find almost a kinship with these businessmen wearing fancy suits, even though they are forced to by company policy and I did it because I was being more professional than I needed to be.

Eastern Union workplace culture is different in crazy ways, I’ve heard; my job at the Atlanta Cares bank requires us to wear office clothes every day, yeah, but we still joke around and I get to say bad words to my boss sometimes and get away with it. In the Eastern Union, most companies are very strict about being formal, polite, and professional, to the point that the businessmen showing off their products aren’t even attempting to smile. Actually, I’m sure most Eastern Union countries aren’t this bad; this is exclusive to Sakaguchi, which is on another level of professionalism entirely, No wonder Karina’s dad works there.

All that from the part of the world where every single city gets their own cutesy mascot. I don’t get it, and maybe that’s for the best.

I’m not that suspicious of Sakaguchi, if only because their headquarters is on another continent and its Atlantean offices are a lot less influential on the city than, say, Magitek or Blyth, but I still need to check out the stuff around here. I have no ulterior motives behind coming here, even if it happens to be the section of the convention center where Karina is working.

Right, even if they aren’t directly involved, there’s still some investigating I can be doing, because I have a strong feeling that with every moment I continue my search in here, I’m going to end up accidentally stumbling into something way bigger than I expect.

The first thing I see in this section is actually a small TV in the corner playing a series of news clips and a slideshow of images, though the roar of the crowd makes it impossible to hear, if there is any volume at all. Next to the TV is a sign that is advertising a two-hour panel and Q&A by Dr. Rosa Mendez of Georgia State, who will be discussing the Social Media Killer and her impact on the technology industry in Atlanta. It’s sponsored by Sakaguchi Automations, which I guess is the closest thing you can get to a “neutral party” when it comes to the tech expo. All these months later, and she’s still the talk of the town.

...I really hope we find Jones first, because I’m worried what will happen to her if anyone else gets to her before us.

Next, after a lot of automobile exhibits that take up a lot of space--almost no one in Atlanta drives, so why are they even showing this stuff off--I come across what seems to be the central attraction of the whole Sakaguchi section: the “Sakaguchi Knights,” ten of them lined up and holding (hopefully fake) weapons.

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These have been big enough in the news that even I’ve heard a ton about them. It was a secret, but got “leaked” a few months back as an obvious way to build attention-- Sakaguchi is now unveiling the first ever mass-produced combat androids. And while you don’t typically get military-focused technology shown off at a consumer electronics convention, the Sakaguchi Knights are a big enough deal that they’re here anyway.

Battle robots... A lot of lives would be saved if the bulk of soldiers in the war were robotic. they did have some mechanical units piloted remotely, mostly tanks, but the war moved too fast with too much carnage to keep up with the same research & development that most major wars go through. It was enough that even the scientists backed out.

I don’t know how to feel about these Sakaguchi Knights though. They’re geared towards defense, I guess, judging by the name. There isn’t much information known about them... other than the fact that they’re soldiers, they’re smart (for robots), and they’re very, very expensive.

I guess they could act as a good aid to the police if they are trained properly, but they could be just the excuse the Republic of Georgia needs to get mired in yet another foreign war, this time in Central Europe or something. There’s always somewhere. And if these were ever related to the Ascendants stuff in any way...

So I continue to stare at these modernized Gobot-looking things and wonder. Wonder why they’re showing off weapons of war at a tech expo. Wonder if I should be paying more attention to Sakaguchi after all. Wonder about why they’re even called “knights.”

...

...

And then I decide that this is useless and go off elsewhere.

I’m worried about spending so much time at this tech expo by the time I get done looking, it’ll be night, and I’ll have gone twelve hours without eating anything but an apple. I don’t know about you, but days where I don’t eat much almost invariably end up with ruining my whole week. I’ll skip two meals, and then I’ll be starving and eat a huge meal... but then two hours later my stomach’s already rumbling again, and I can’t get back into a good eating rhythm for days.

This could just be me. But it does mean I need to get out of here by lunchtime, at least for a little bit. I’m not really hungry now, but I know I will be.

So, instead of standing here pondering the ethics and morality of proudly advertising a new line of robot soldiers, I should move on and see the other parts of the convention center. They’re showing the Sakaguchi Knights off in a couple nights at their big press conference, anyway. Unless something big goes down, I imagine we’ll be seeing a lot more of them soon.

The next big exhibit that Sakaguchi has to offer... Actually, I kinda do want to know where Karina is. I wonder if she’s still helping her dad with stuff. She said she helped set up this whole section for the past week, but since everything’s all ready and going, maybe she’s on break? I’d be pleased to walk around with her for a little while, after all this solo wandering. We’re a dynamic duo, me and her.

I ask one of the men in suits standing around, “Hello, I’m looking for my friend who’s working around here. Have you seen her?”

The man stares at me blankly. Oh, I guess that was too vague.

“Uh, she’s a girl, and she looks... um, like you guys... Oh that might have been offensive. She’s Japanese, I mean. And she’s a bit bigger, pretty short, I think she’s working with her dad, who’s a bald guy.”

The man still doesn’t respond. He’s starting to look a little nervous.

“Hello?”

“S-sorry,” he says. “English, ahno... No. English no.”

“Oh. Sorry about that.” Crap. Now how am I going to find her in this huge section? This convention center is too big!

(She’s standing right there across from me on the other side of the room.)