Connected

Piece of Plastic

Don't ever take time for granted. Eventually, it's a resource we're all going to run out of.

DIANE

If there's one thing I fucking hate more than anything, it's wasting time. Time wasted, seconds becoming minutes, minutes becoming hours, time was money. Lots of money, in my business.

Ever since my great grandfather started Mogwai corporation back in 2099, we've been the leading mega corporation for military weaponry.

But, in this day and age? The military doesn't need tech anymore. No wars to fight, Nuclear bombs have gone out of fashion, so who do we sell to? There's several crime bosses who need weaponry, to do god knows what. I never give a shit, long as I get my money.

Po was wasting my time, failing to capture my android, and like I said, I hate having my time wasted.

The elevator leading to Akido's penthouse was taking far too long. I mean sure, having a penthouse overlooking the city was nice. You got a beautiful view of the night life and those neon lights are really something from high up.

Still, one hundred floor skyscraper just to get to a fucking penthouse?

When the doors finally opened, I stepped inside a luxurious suite. The floors were wood for a few feet before it stopped.

The interior was lit up by lights which hung on the walls. It was mostly empty, aside for a single table which sat low against the floor. A beautiful woman sat there, wearing a kimono,long black hair stretching below her spine.

Akira Akido. A young girl with a sharp mind. Head of the world's leading mega corporation in pharmaceuticals and bionics.

"Diane. Your reputation for being punctual proceeds you." She said,her voice soft,but lacking the asian accent I expected. I'd spoken to this girl several times before,but it always managed to amaze me how American she sounded.

"Time is money Miss Akido." I said, sitting down in front of her.

She tapped the table with her index fingers, revealing a holographic image of Akido Corporation.

"As you know, my facility here in Neo City was attacked by some unknown assailants. Two weeks ago to be exact."

"So I heard."

Akira chuckled, her eye's glaring at me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

"Cut the bullshit Diane. I know how your men operate. Your silent operatives are getting rusty."

"I have no-"

"I know you were behind the attack on my building."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I thought you were intelligent honey. You're showing otherwise if you won't listen to reason."

"I'm not a woman without reason Diane. I am intelligent. Intelligent enough to be running the world's largest multi-trillion tile mega corporation in pharmaceuticals at just nineteen. While I may be a woman of reason, If I had to choose between evidence and reasoning? I'd choose both. Reasoning without evidence to prove that reason, is just a lie."

Again she tapped the table, and video footage, clear video footage, showing Po's team, complete with audio as well. Clear as day, it was that idiot...what was his name again?

Akido had me covered, since an image showed of the kid I put a bullet in. Hal was his name. Hal's voice was recognised and she found his identity and linked everything up to me.

Smart girl.

Too smart.

"You want to keep lying to my face Diane?"

"I-"

"Where. Is my synthetic?"

I wasn't intimidated by some brat. I was getting pissed off. This whole meet was a waste of my time.

"I don't know. It got away and it's somewhere in Neo City."

"He. He is somewhere in Neo City."

I rolled my eye's, "It's a fucking robot. It can't feel, it can't show empathy. IT, is just a bunch of ones and zero's, not able to think for itself. It's a piece of plastic not a fucking human. It was built. Not born."

Akira nodded.

"And my doctors?"

What?

"E-excuse me?"

"Doctor Roland and Doctor Alice. They're missing. Completely missing. They've been wiped from existence, their social media accounts are gone, impossible because Alice is very active on social media, their names are missing from our website and they're nowhere to be found. Doctor Roland is the man who made the scientific breakthrough of the century, perhaps the biggest breakthrough in  human history, but he's somehow vanished and not a soul has noticed. Strangely too, you announce a new weapon being in development just a few days after my facility is attacked. Now Diane, you can't tell me all of these are coincidences. What have you done with my doctors?"

No one. Not a single soul, intimidated me and I be damned if some fucking brat did.

"They're in a facility."

"Where?"

"That's classified."

"Is it? Well,information can be bought nowadays."

"Good luck trying to find it. I practically managed to wipe two of your employees from existence. What makes you think you can find out classified information Akido?"

She leaned closer, "You don't want this war Diane. Find my synthetic and give my doctors back and we leave this matter alone."

My patience ran thin with this bitch.

"You think I'm scared of you? Huh? You fucking young brat? You might have brains honey, you might have a shit ton of tiles, but you don't have respect for your elders and I own a company that runs on war. You want a war bitch? Bring it. I'll raze your company to the ground with you along with it."

I stood up, keeping my chest high. "I'll find your synthetic. But if you want him, you'll have to take him or find him first. But neither of those are going to happen."

I left the penthouse, leaving her alone with her empty little suite.

I was at the top for a long time, and I was going to stay at the top. You don't get to the top of this corporate food chain by being a little bitch.

I was going to get my hands on that synthetic, robot whatever the fuck it was.

No matter the cost.