Inception - Ascension Paradox, Book 1
Copyright© 2023 by L.R. Thornton
Chapter 12
The boy with silver hair greeted the audience with the words, “I would like to introduce you to Katy.”
Daniel stared hard at the screen as the silver-haired boy gestured toward the woman wearing the synthetic skin he had created. She stood up as her name was spoken and gave a slight wave to the crowd.
“In case you were wondering what the big deal about Katy is, let me put her name up on the screen for you.”
The letters of her name came up, completely different from what Daniel had envisioned. C.A.:D. I.
C. A. D. I.? What a strange spelling. What did it mean? Daniel leaned forward feeling a latent excitement take hold.
“I can tell from a few of your faces that you’re wondering what the mystery is. Well, let’s break it down for you. The first two letters stand for Cybernetic Android.”
The crowd gasped while Daniel almost fell out of his chair. It wasn’t possible! It couldn’t be!
While the crowd murmured at this exclamation, the boy with silver hair grinned. “The last two letters of her name is more of a designation. This android is meant for Defense and Interrogation.”
A new wave of murmuring rushed through the crowd. Daniel couldn’t hear anything but the sound of his beating heart as he gazed once again at the blonde humanoid. He took in her features, assessed her movements.
She contained a natural fluidity that was very human-like. She blinked, tilted her head to the side, and twiddled her fingers. Even more spectacular was the fact she sat there, dressed in his skin.
With a shake of his head, he tried to rein in his thoughts only catching the tail end of what the boy was saying. “ ... the possibilities are endless.”
The crowd surged forward. Cameras and phones flashed. Daniel noted the way C.A.D. I. didn’t blink or react in any other way to the flashing lights. Any human would have reacted to the numerous flashes but C. A. D. I. didn’t. It looked like they hadn’t worked out all the kinks. A minor flaw but one that could be corrected.
He dragged his eyes away from the android –he still couldn’t believe it—to study the kids. Who exactly were they?
“Excuse me, Professor,”’ Amy said as she got up, to squeeze by him with her cell phone pressed to her ear.
She was leaving? How could she be leaving when they were standing on the cusp of history! “Surely your phone call could wait,” he admonished in a rare tone of disapproval.
“I wish it could,” Amy said with an expression of irritation on her face. “But I have to take this.”
She scooted past him. Down the row people grumbled and craned their necks around to see past her. As she scooted down the row to disappear into the surrounding crowd, Daniel hoped it was nothing serious. He couldn’t put too much concern on it as he turned his attention back to the front.