We stood in the narrow corridor, my neck craned to look at his face. Something in our latest exchange sounded wrong. “What did you just call me?”
He blinded me with a wide, charming smile. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll find one that fits. Now, let’s get you fed and happy. I read hangry women are the worst.”
Hangry women?What was he reading?
He set off down the corridor, humming a melody that sounded vaguely classical. I shook myself off and followed, deciding wisely not to ask. For all I knew, Clanker was going through afreakishly sped up form of puberty, or whatever newly awakened cyborgs went through. I’d rather have nothing to do with that.
When we went outside, I sighed. The hotel looked so much cuter in daylight, its futuristic façade clean and colorful. The airport sprawled in the distance, spherical and smooth edged. Driverless cars moved in neat, controlled rows, picking up humans, monsters, and bots outside the terminal. I stared for a moment, grudgingly impressed by how orderly it was, like a choreographed dance.
Smart cars followed protocol. No one honked for others to go faster, no one tried to squeeze in line, and no one took longer than necessary in the pick-up spot. I used to love this kind of thing.
My mother’s lifeless face bathed in blood flashed in my mind’s eye, and I turned away, swallowing roughly.
“Let’s take the train,” I said when my voice returned. “And be careful. Don’t trip any alarms.”
“Sure thing, sugar.”
I gritted my teeth and decided not to comment. We spent the rapid train ride in blissful silence. I focused on building a tentative plan while avoiding the enticing sights outside the window. The closer we got to the city center, the more the lights and architecture beckoned, but I resisted Neo Tokyo’s pull with heroic strength.
Once upon a time, coming here was my life’s biggest dream. When the old Tokyo was destroyed in a massive earthquake that caused a series of impossible to extinguish chemical fires, the entire world was shaken. It was a horrendous catastrophe that took millions of lives. I was ten when it happened.
Two years later, the city was completely rebuilt. Neo Tokyo rose out of Tokyo’s ashes, and not only was it a much more secure version of its old self—it was also the first high-tech city in the world. Everything was redone, from the infrastructure, through architecture, to entertainment and tourist attractions.
Twelve-year old me watched videos posted by Tokyo influencers with her eyes shining bright with wonder. She asked her mother that very day if she could learn Japanese.
Seven years later, my mother died, killed by the high-tech world I so admired.
Now the smart billboards, the lit up buildings, and people dressed in local fashion beckoned. Neo Tokyo was famous for its rich subculture—and hailed as the world’s bot capital, with the largest number of robots per capita in the world. That very fact helped me keep my eyes averted until the train rode into a tunnel, and I breathed in relief as we traveled underneath the city center, neatly bypassing the worst traffic.
“Are you going to get glasses?” Clanker asked when we neared our stop.
I shook my head, knowing what he meant. A large part of Neo Tokyo was hidden from organic eyes. Virtual reality overlaid every street and building, providing more entertainment and information to everyone who could read it. The most advanced way of interacting with the virtual world were corneal implants. Most people wore special glasses that allowed them to see the augmented reality when they chose.
“I read AR is mostly used for ads, anyway,” I muttered glumly, because a part of me desperately wanted to get the glasses and I was angry with myself for being so weak-willed. “You’ll tell me if you see anything important, right?”
“Define important.”
“Anything that will help me expose Zenkyoza’s crimes.”
“All work and no play,” he murmured, standing up smoothly when the train rolled to a halt. “Let’s go, cupcake.”
We took a short walk through the crowded streets, stopping to get a wide brimmed hat from a small tourist shop. I rolled my signature purple braid underneath, then grabbed a pair of ordinary sunglasses to better cover up my face. Clanker gave me a thumbs-up and a beaming smile, and I sighed, not knowing whether to treat his approval as a good or a bad sign.
Finding Zenkyoza’s headquarters was easy. It was the tallest building in the area, made entirely of glass and steel, its shape resembling a corkscrew. Clanker read me an augmented reality information plaque that explained the edifice was supposed to be earthquake-proof, and a list of architectural awards it got for its innovative solutions.
“It says here it’s not open to visitors, and a security clearance is required to even enter the lobby,” he said with a smile as we strolled down the street, breathing in the hot, humid air of an August afternoon. Humans wearing suits passed us at a fast pace, looking preoccupied and busy.
“Just see what you can glean from here,” I murmured, doing my best to ignore my skin’s prickling.
Since I was pretty sure the hit on my life was arranged by Zenkyoza, coming here was bold, if not stupid. Looking up at the enormous skyscraper that was likely impenetrable and protected by an army of robots, I finally understood how ridiculous my little mission was.
I was a fish swimming right up to the shark’s grinning maw.
“Their security system is as tight as a bee’s butt,” Clanker announced once we walked around the whole block. “Also, we’rebeing followed by two mostly inconspicuous drones. We must have attracted attention. I suggest we depart.”
“Find me a gym,” I said through gritted teeth, swallowing my disappointment and rage. “And let’s get out of here.”
I was so naïve thinking I could do this. Just me and my clanker against the largest robot manufacturer in the world—it was obvious now that my mission was doomed from the start.
