Read The Android Chronicles Book One: The Android Defense for Free Online

surfaces, even the
floor and the ceiling, there were giant computer screens that
flashed images of Adventis products, along with hyperbolic
descriptions of them in several languages. Jittery electronic music
pounded out of speakers overhead, causing even the glass floor to
vibrate.
    Luke’s sensory drive felt
overloaded.
    The only person in the room
waiting for them was a uniformed security guard standing next to a
gauntlet of what looked like several airport metal
detectors.
    “Everyone has to go through
these body scanners, even if they’re longtime workers who stepped
out for a snack break,” Damian said. “They look for the usual:
weapons, recording devices. I don’t make myself an exception to the
scans either.”
    He walked through the
gauntlet of scanners without difficulty, followed by Carlie and
then Lina.
    The guard made Luke wait for
a moment while he flipped a switch on the wall.
    “We use a different scan for
androids,” he said. “Go on.”
    Luke walked through the
scanners, which beeped over him but did not set off any
alarms.
    “He’s clean, Mr. Foster,”
the guard said. “No malicious programming.”
    “Good to hear,” Damian
said.
    Luke joined the three of
them and Damian led them down a short glass hallway which was
similarly filled with scrolling advertisements of Adventis
products. Then they turned a corner and walked down a long hallway
with white, sterile walls that seemed very thick.
    Lina tapped on her ear and
spoke into a microphone clipped to her shirt collar.
    “What did you say, Tony?
Yes, Mr. Foster is on his way. Make sure the androids are prepped
and ready for presentation.”
    Luke’s attention was drawn
to the windows they were passing. He could see people in blue
Adventis shirts, working on the frames and bodies of androids. None
of them looked at Damian and his guests as they passed
by.
    “As you can see, Adventis
technicians are extremely focused,” Damian said. “No distractions
allowed in P.D. There’s no cell phone service back here anyway.
P.D. workers communicate through microphones like the one Lina is
using.”
    They stopped at last in
front of a door that was labeled “Presentation Room A.”
    “We’ve got the demonstration
set up in here, Damian,” Lina said. She unlocked the door and they
went inside.
    Luke found himself standing
in a huge, climate-controlled room that was nearly the size of a
modern ballroom. It had high glass walls and a shining black marble
floor in which he could see his reflection. There were four leather
upholstered chairs sitting in the middle of the room, and no other
furniture.
    Against the glass walls
there were twelve glass boxes that were nearly seven feet tall. The
boxes were bolted to the wall securely. In each transparent box was
an android, in a sleep state, their faces lowered or else staring
blankly out of the box. None of them registered awareness of the
presence of the guests in the room.
    A burly, mustached man with
long oily black hair and heavily tattooed arms walked towards them
from where he was standing at the side of the room.
    “How are you doing, Mr.
Foster?” he said, glancing at Luke with curiosity.
    “Good. Luke, this is Tony
del Travio, one of the assistants to the product designers,” Damian
said.
    Tony shook Luke’s hand and
seemed on the verge of saying something to him, but then stopped.
He pointed to the chairs.
    “We set out some chairs for
you. Also, we’ve got some Fantastic Domestics coming with some
drinks and refreshments. Please make yourselves comfortable,” he
said.
    Damian, Carlie, Lina and
Luke sat in the chairs, Luke flanked by Carlie and Lina on either
side of him.
    Tony spoke into the
microphone on his collar and two female androids wearing skimpy red
dresses and high heels glided into the room. They were carrying
trays with iced drinks, which they gave to Damian and his guests.
Tony watched their performance with narrowed eyes.
    Luke set his drink down on
the arm of his chair