As directed, I headed downstairs and across to the West side of the building where the 'Ministry of Android and Artificial Operations' was located. Big name for what basically accounted for a government research institute. This is where Dr. Elliot Vance's offices were located.
The second floor offices were glass encased in super secure plastics that have come to symbolize high tech superiority here on the island. If the warehouse tinting tech is practical and made out of a concern for utility, these walls simply screamed ostentatious. The slight blurring prevented information leaks—but if you could count the people inside, was it really secure?
I walked to the single door and rang the bell for entry to be stopped by a overly digitized voice.
"Please stand still for deep scan and access verification. DetectionUnitK192 confirmed. Please leave all weapons in the bin and continue in." at which point a large, filing-cabinet-like bin ejected from the wall.
I stared at the bin, and not having a gun, since we hardly ever need them on the Island, I took off my fedora and placed it in the bin.
"Done." I said and walked toward the door and entered the office.
The office looked pretty big and had the last drags of work obsessed people in the process of leaving their desk to go home for the night. Behind me two large robots stood guard on either side of the door I had just walked through. One of them passed me my hat.
"Here you go Kay. Sorry about that." It texted me. I titled my hat to it and wrote back "Vance, where's he at?".
"10 minutes ago, on his couch watching TV, at the moment probably putting his jacket on to meet you."
At that very second Dr. Elliot Vance came walking around the corner.
"Ah, Unit K192, please come with me."
"Kay is fine."
"K192, we haven't all night. Lets get your upgrades in place and let me get back to my research."
"Sure thing, Doc 2938-P25. That's your employee ID. I can do ID's too."
Vance stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to look at me. We stared at each other and played a game he could never win.
"I think you got under his skin Kay".
That came in text format from the security bot, I nicknamed Lefty.
"Aw, I hope he doesn't tell us to see you out. That would be awkward." Righty texted behind.
The robots looked like a combination of the droids from Star Wars and those of Boston Dynamic and were about 8 feet tall to my 6'2". Although no copyright claim was going to happen because unlike the boxy forms of either of the aforementioned robots, these were slick looking and almost aerodynamic. Hydraulic systems proudly presented the working gears of their locomotion. However their shoulders were colored in Republic like ways. Sure, they could push me around—if they avoided getting hacked first. In a straight fight, they’d always lose. But boy, did they give off the right vibe of intimidation to those not in the know.
"Ok, my... apologies Kay." Vance said, forcing the use of my name. "Shall we?"
"Sure" I said. "These droids gonna tag along too?" I asked.
"Please No!" Lefty texted me.
"This is the cushy job, as it's the furthest from him." Righty followed up. I grinned at the gossiping divas antics.
"No. They are at post for a reason Kay. This here is a Bronze level area Kay." He said spreading his arms and spinning around like the tool he was. "Where we go now is a Silver level area Kay. I know you may not really understand the scope of what we do here, but this is your birthplace -- and it does a lot more then just island security Kay."
"Silver. I see" I said with a smirk that simply would not wipe itself from my face. "Is there a General type unit to oversee these droids in this Silver space of yours?"
We were walking to the back of the hallway toward an elevator bank when I said that, and Vance slowed to a stop and looked at me, annoyance and disbelief on his face. Poker was definitely not his game.
"I did not build droids Kay and there is absolutely no General Grievous in this building Kay!"
"Odd how you knew the reference though, isn't it?"
"Oh no. I think he's going to cancel his Crunchy Bowl subscription now" Righty scrolled by with laughing emoticons from various other what I assume were droids in the building.
"Nah, I'm sure his subscription is on auto-renew." I replied to another round of laughter.
At that, we stopped in front of the elevator bank, where a green laser scanned us up and down again.
"Welcome back Professor Vance. Welcome back DetectionUnitK192" a digital voice spoke into the air.
"Sorry Kay, genius is as is, but he really needs his theater, y'know?", Audrey, the elevators AI, texted me.
"Its all good. We all gotta keep up those illusions, doll." I texted back.
"Audrey, give us a ride to the lab please. Your brother here has an appointment for a check up it seems." Vance said with a snide grin.
"I just hope you take my insurance Audrey." I said watching a man who had just lost his thunder.
"Of course we do. Dick"
We made the drop to the sub level with no further comments or intrusions. The mirror plated elevator took quite a while to get to its intended floor. Not that it was slow as you could feel the inertia of the speed. No, just that the sub level of the Android development lab was pretty far underground is all.
The good doctor handled the deafening quiet surprisingly well. To be expected of someone who was used to riding in a mirrored elevator for minutes upon minutes every day.
I'd have to ask Audrey if she had any clips of him picking his teeth or something in the mirrors.
I could see him doing that as he seems oblivious to the inner life of AI and how it connected with him personally.
Honestly, people on the Island were almost too comfortable with AI these days. Me? I wouldn’t trust them. Self-hating droid? Maybe.
The elevator doors finally opened with an old school ding, revealing a pristine, climate-controlled lab, the kind where even dust particles feared to tread. The walls were lined with semi-holographic displays that popped off of the screen but would disappear if seen from the side, blueprint projections on a giant 200 inch screen, and neatly labeled components in vacuum-sealed compartments. Everything about the room screamed efficiency and order.
That is, until you looked at Vance’s personal workstation—a disaster zone of half-dismantled prototype hands, exposed servos, and a coffee mug dangerously close to a neural interface pad. The only thing keeping it from looking like a junkyard was the fact that every single component was worth more than most people’s homes.
To the left, rows of synthetic limbs hung on adjustable racks, some appearing fully human, others half-exposed to show the micro-servos beneath. A few even twitched occasionally, running automated dexterity tests.
Further in, three incomplete android shells rested in containment chambers, their unlit eyes staring blankly outward—half-finished designs waiting for activation.
At the back of the lab, a large suspended platform displayed the next-generation AI body prototype—its skeletal frame sleek, wrapped in skin on either side like an unrolled burrito. The effect was unsettling—almost alien in design.
Vance stepped in ahead of me, arms wide like a magician about to unveil his masterpiece.
"Mr Kay... meet Mr Kay." Pointing to the next-gen model. "Of course some modifications are needed, can't just give you a prototype body after all" he said mumbling afterward "with their breakdown cycle you wouldn't last a year."
"No a few changes and you'll be all set with this new M36 model. Bespoke body-- ten times better than factory models."
"A new body? There... has to be a better way." I said as shocked as I'd been in years.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"Well, yeah, we could give you an upgrade serum--but there's no time... also TAI was very insistent on this, you are slated for the newest model, just like hers. Looks like your going places, Kay."
"Yea, to a Thai restaurant on Broadway and Main, and possibly to the CocoBall for a dance or two." I said to a man lost in a conversation that escaped him.
"Right." Vance said trying to get control of the conversation again. "So. Please undress, upload your back-up on that station there and move unto the induction plate when you are ready." the geek said with the enthusiasm of seeing a real life Pokemon. Something I had no doubt he would build one day.
"Wait, tell me exactly what this upgrade consist of. Why am I getting... this" I said looking at the exposed cadaver that was currently split open midway through and suspended in front of us."
"Ah of course. This is the best part I suppose. Now please ignore these rashes here as this model has been actively aging due to some of our test and won't be an issue on a production model of course. But you can see here at the cervical alignment that the weight ratio has been..." He tech vomited, as I interrupted him.
"Wait. I don't understand. We don't age. Our skin never ages as it's reconstructed by our nano-bots or so I'm told. Whatever, all I know is we don't age."
"Well of course you don't age, you're a production model. This... this is a prototype Kay. They have a purposefully induced aging and breakdown structure built right into the substructure. The machines for this unit and a production unit are vastly different. Actually, I'm the only one in the world that has equipment that can do either actually." He said with a cocksure smile.
"Prototypes. They age? Do they get rashes that cause their skin to be sensitive by chance? Are the bodies traceable like production types?", I asked getting an inkling about our victim.
"Yes, of course they’re traceable—what an idiotic question. Why add anti-theft if we couldn’t track them!? And yes, they age as part of that system. In the completely absurd event that we somehow lost a prototype and couldn’t find it—again, absurd, absolutely absurd—then the fail safe ensures it removes itself from commission over time. Still study-able but, better a dead prototype then an active one. My idea by the way. Never trust your tech to be infallible I always say."
"Dr. Vance. Do they die of old age? Or is there something else?"
"Kay you are being a bit morbid here. If we can just get back to your new body then we can..." He started to say before a voice came over the lab speakers.
"Please answer the question Dr Vance." AG said.
"Oh, of course my liege. Um, uh, no they don't age out, but instead the neural network in the skin starts to degrade. The degradation itself will eventually fail and any number of malfunctions can occur within the unit, from motor locomotion failing, to electrical shortages to even explosion of the mana unit in the lower back."
"Electrical shortage you say. Sir, I assume Dr Vance is is cleared for Platinum." I asked into the air.
"Indeed he is. We should have brought him and Gerald into this sooner actually." AG said over the PA.
I pulled out my phone and showed the photos of the victim to him.
“Yes, this is exactly how it would look. Though, to be clear, this is the first time we’ve actually seen the anti-theft system in action. We have a strict chain of custody policy—we always know where every unit is. But good to know those extra three years I insisted on for this feature paid off.”
“I need this body, Kay. The data it holds on how the anti-theft system actually played out is invaluable. Also… I suppose I can ID the printer for you.” He said it with the smugness of a man who thought he was the smartest in the room.
“Yes. Good job, Elliot. Superb job on this. I’ll have TAI send you the body. Kay, I’ll let you get back to your upgrade.”
"Of course my liege" I said while I nodded my head to AG.
"Him, not you" I said to the smarmy geek as I pointed up to the ceiling.
"So summing it up. New armor along the torso and hidden areas. Your face and outer hands will still look and feel human. Touch sensors are enhanced. Gerald's new GPU will let you actually feel things now to an even further degree than humans. Same for sight and smell.", he laughed at that part and sarcastically said, "Your welcome for that by the way."
"Faster reflexes. Finger tip processing. You can now data transfer any touch, infrared, magnetic, or mana port through the tip of your finger. We also have a multi-port touch pad for interfacing to legacy systems. Defense systems include a stiletto dagger in the heal of your palm."
He then raised his finger to make the next point. "It will destroy your palm but it will heal back up in a few hours using your regular nano-bots. Just... dunno, put a bandage on it, I guess." Shrugging as if a huge hole in my hand was no big deal
"Also—this one’s not part of your body, but we’ve got a new mana-based coil accelerator pistol for you. It runs off your internal mana reserves, meaning as long as you’ve got air to breathe, you’ve got power for the gun. You provide the bullets, Kay. Finally… your new body's mana recharge is three times better in terms of speed and quantity of voltage. Any questions? No. Good." He finished his rant by taking a deep breath and pointed toward the induction recharge station that the prototypes use.
With all the nitty gritty done we called it a night. Three days later I woke up to the same face, but a new body.
Back at the surface, I had to wait for a new cruiser since Frank took mine. Like my body, this cruiser was a newer model. I might need to have a chat with my new... girlfriend?
First things first, I headed to my apartment on Beaker. It's a small cozy place but it's enough for a single guy that is married to the job. Some of the other guys on the force have hobbies and larger homes, but me, I like keeping my life as straight and focused as an arrow hitting a target. It works for me and I see no need of changing it up any time soon.
As I approached my apartment I saw a familiar face waiting for me in front. Timmy was reading his tablet like that lost puppy he was as I walked over to him.
"Hey kid, what brings you around?" I asked waiting for obvious.
"Hey Kay! I had TAI ping me when you'd be back online. She said you got an upgrade. Anything cool!?"
"A few nicks and knacks here and there, just staying above inflation type of deal. Ya got another work study going or is this strictly a social visit?" I delivered to the kid. He seemed agitated and had something on his mind so I'd give him the chance to unload. I knew for a fact that he really didn't pull any friends along with him pass his middle school years. Probably ostracized for being too smart or too famous due to his dad's reputation. I was probably the only "friend" he had was my guess.
"Gee, Kay… I guess it is social." he said with a bit of a frown on his face, probably just realizing it himself.
We walked up the three flights up to my version of the Fortress of Solitude—minus the heroism of course. One bedroom. One chair. One too many coffee rings on the desk. It’s not much, but it’s mine. The fridge hums like a lonely jazz saxophonist, keeping nothing but a tray of ice cubes cold. The bed? Looks like it gets used, but no one really sleeps in it. It’s quiet here—quiet enough to think. That’s all I need.
“Oh,” Timmy said, the illusion cracking—the first of many heartbreaks, I’m sure—as he saw a hero reduced to nothing more than a man.
“Yeah, kid, not everyone’s got a big house on a hill. But happiness ain’t about getting what you want—it’s about being happy with what you got.”
“No, no, it’s neat,” he said, lying through his teeth as he glanced around.
I shrugged off my long coat, hung it on the closet hook, and draped my blazer over the back of the chair before sinking into it. Then, with a nod toward the bed, I told him to sit.
“What’s eating at ya, kid?” I finally just asked the million-dollar question.
“Ah, nothing really. Hey, where’s your induction charger? Is it at the precinct?” He deflected.
“Nah, production models don’t need induction chargers. We convert mana through our skin to charge. Only prototypes need those. Now back to the question—what’s up?”
“Yeah, guess nothing gets by you, Kay,” he muttered, fidgeting. “Umm… let’s say you had a female friend. A partner, okay? And she was kinda… having you do things you really weren’t ready for yet. How would you go about dissuading her without, ya know, her dragging your reputation through the mud or even getting the authorities involved?”
He shrugged, but it didn’t hide the weight behind his words. Then he looked up at me.
Typical puberty B.S. Thank god I got to skip all that.
“Well, first thing—if the authorities are involved, it’s already an issue. So let’s hope that ain’t the case. But otherwise? It’s up to you, kid. If you’re being pushed into something you don’t want, just say no. At this stage in your life, ain’t nothing so important that a ‘no’ is gonna cause more than some minced words and a death stare.”
"Ah, yea. Got it. Man up, basically." Timmy said, slight disappointment in his tone. But I wasn’t about to rescue the kid from something I had no right sticking my nose in.
"That all kid? How's your course work coming along?"
"Yea, thats it I guess. School's coming along swell. One more class and I can choose my final internship. TAI said that she approved me to work in the Mansion with AG's staff! AG himself!" Timmy said, his mood instantly back to popping. "After that I get to choose from acceptance letters into the workforce. Well, not everyone gets that but I already have automatic acceptance letters from my dad's department, and Dr Vance's department 'cause I interned for both, and oddly enough I have one from the BioArticial Development department on reputation and grades alone! That one is kinda creepy, if I must say." And he screwed up his face as he said it.
Not that the kid was wrong. The BioArtifical Development department basically grew organic tissue to test new AI driven medication and vaccine testing. No more human blind test for us. Now we made humans in a test jar, inflicted them with cancer and then applied medicine to see if it went away. Some branches of the department also researched integrating biological components into androids. That part? Absolute nightmare fuel.
"Well can't go wrong with the first two, thats for sure. The latter? Takes a special type of someone for that job is all I can say." I said, pulling up some of the newly available historical cases that AG gave me access to for context in our last meeting which concerned BioArtificial projects.
"Well, I hate to rush you off, but I need to pack my bags. Got a trip to interrogate an international. I'll be back soon enough though, you can update me on your little communication problem and the result then, OK?"
"Oh yea, sure Kay. Hey, and, uh, thanks for all the time you lend me by the way. I really appreciate it."
"No problem kid, that's what I'm here for."
The kid saw himself out and I packed my clothes for a two week trip. Not that I packed a lot since lack of sweat glands meant not really any stinky clothes. Just replacements in case something got dirty. I took my new pistol out of its sleek new case that Vance gave me and strapped the holster to my belt. Any body could use the new recoil weapon, if they happened to also be able to power it. And since its worked on mana only and only via my body's internal siphoning conversion, I doubt it would be useful to anyone other then for research. And to that, a nice little explosive was included to the hilt with a remote detonate. I wondered how TAI got that approved for travel but not really, not my worry. As long as I didn't go to New York City, I should be set.
Murphy is always a funny guy. Lo and behold I landed in Venice a full two days behind schedule after a quick layover in New York City.
And of course, that turned into a complete shit show of security theater. Apparently diplomatic immunity in Italy, does not apply to America when switching planes.
TAI had to pull some political magic while I was held in a holding cell.
Fun, if not boring times. Although having a lack of finger prints was somewhat fun to watch the cops try to work around.
When I landed at Marco Polo Airport in Venice, TAI rang me up in my head. Different from back home—had to actually accept the call this time. Kinda nice, actually.
"Kay, be aware that Frank has been tailed by an unregistered drone after inquiring about Falieri in the consulate. Military-grade. Stealth tech. We’re tracking it now. Kay, you’re in hostile waters now. Good luck." she said about to close out the communique.
"And Kay, bring me back something nice."
Lovely. I wonder what a good gift from a war zone looks like. Maybe she'd appreciate a grenade?