Yes, Domina 2035

CHAPTER 2

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: