Read The Outer Worlds: Book One of the Epherian Chronicles for Free Online

the Out Drifter,’ said
Michael. ‘That’s a scary looking thing you have there.’
    ‘ This is probably my best invention to date. It’s made using a
programmable silicone base overlying a micro carbon skeleton with a
replicating nano-bot matrix. The nano-bots give this one the
ability to grow and develop.’ Thompson looked down at the synthetic
organism; his eyes were twinkling with pride.
    ‘ I have no idea what you’re talking about; how can a synthetic
organism grow?’ asked Michael.
    ‘ The technology is advancing at a rapid rate and entering a new
era of development. Self-replicating synthetic organisms will soon
be the norm. It really is a fascinating time to be working in the
field. Please, follow me.’ Thompson Vega turned around and walked
into the apartment.
    Michael
scanned the dark and dingy room. The entire apartment was crawling
with bizarre synthetic creatures and other more conventional
droids. There was a giant robotic ant, which was about a metre in
length. It was walking in circles around the apartment. There were
several massive synthetic spiders on the walls, and a large dog was
sitting in the corner of the room. The dog was staring at him with
glaring, dark eyes. Michael had only seen a few dogs in his life
and this one was by far the largest he had ever seen. It had thick
black fur, ears that pointed sharply upward, and an oversized
jaw.
    ‘ Is the dog real?’ asked Michael.
    ‘ No. Dog-Two is an advanced synthetic battle droid. About three
years ago a customer came here and asked me to construct a
synthetic dog that could endure severe battlefield conditions. He
paid up front, but he never returned.’
    ‘ Why do you call him Dog-Two?’
    ‘ Dog-One was my first attempt. Unfortunately Dog-One tried to
kill me, so I had to start again from scratch. Thankfully Dog-Two
is more stable than his predecessor. I have programmed him to be as
loyal as he is savage, yet he has been sitting in the same position
for the last twelve months. I think his loyalty programming is
competing with his battlefield programming and creating a state of
perpetual stagnation. He won’t let me near enough to check what the
actual problem is.’
    Michael stared
at Dog-Two for a moment. The dog bared its fangs at him and its
nostrils flared.
    ‘ He likes you,’ said Thompson.
    ‘ He looks like he wants to eat me,’ said Michael
nervously.
    Thompson
laughed, which sounded more like a mad cackle. ‘Don’t be
ridiculous. Synthetic organisms cannot eat.’ He leaned over the
trolley and looked down at Ivan’s body for a few moments. He then
examined him with a handheld scanner.
    ‘ I can have your android fixed in twenty minutes.’
    ‘ How much do you charge?’
    ‘ Nineteen hundred credits for a full restoration.’
    Michael
groaned and shook his head. ‘Are you joking?’
    Thompson’s
eyes narrowed and he laughed anxiously. ‘Actually, my price is
reasonable.’
    ‘ I was hoping to pay less than a thousand.’
    ‘ Hmm, I could do a basic repair for a thousand, but I can’t
give you any guarantees. It would only be a patch job. He
definitely needs a new hydraulic motor; the cheapest one available
is four hundred and ninety nine credits. I will then have to
restore his internal wiring, and I can get away with using inferior
components. His battery terminals are cooked; I can use generic
terminals, but he won’t operate on full power, and he will be
vulnerable in high stress environments. I will also have to rebuild
his synthetic tissue and replace his missing arm; I would have to
use low-grade silicone fibre. He also has some radiation damage to
his inner circuit boards and his processing unit. I don’t have to
replace them, but he just might display some unusual behaviour. The
job can be done on the cheap, but if he starts falling to pieces
then it has nothing to do with me.’
    Michael knew
it was probably the best price he would be able to find on the
station. His GCTD account was dwindling down