Trust

Never The Same

She didn't know what she had expected from the building but the lack of sound as she entered unnerved her a little, it was odd enough that she had seen no resistance to her entry. In a building so lavish and owned by someone obviously incredibly wealthy, it would seem obvious to have a complex security system or even for her to have encountered the same rude man who had handed her the business card in the first place, but she saw not a single soul until she had reached the atrium and was stood scanning the floor-by-floor building layout for the offices of either the overtly professional Ms. Lee or the considerably warmer Miss. Ahn, she hoped to see the latter. A voice echoed around the empty hall and startled her, it was a cool calm woman's voice, the woman in question came clicking up to her at an alarming pace in impressively high heels, a frown set into her otherwise professional face. From afar, you might mistake her for a high quality android, but as she neared Yongsun, she saw all the telltale sins of human life, from the wrinkles and laughter lines, to the steady rise and fall of her heart behind her bossom. The woman came to an abrupt stop next to Yongsun and tutted, asking how she had gotten inside and who she was, when there was no quick response, she got out a handheld device and held it up to Yongsun's temple, it pipped once, loudly as it was so close to her ear, and the woman fell silent in assent with the small print covering the small LCD screen. "Ah, I see, Welcome model: #KY1991221, Given name: Kim Yongsun. How may we, at Magnus Industries help you today?". Her tone was pleasant enough but there was a smugness that some remaining humans couldn't hide from the feeling of being the creators of the first androids centuries ago and this woman clearly relished the thought.

Reluctantly, Yongsun answered that she was looking for Miss. Ahn and she produced the business card which had been in her hand since she had received it. The woman gave a small nod and pressed softly at a place just below her jawline, where it met her earlobe. Just below the surface of her skin, completely invisible, ran a small network of wiring, an implant, used as a somewhat rudimentary cell phone, obviously it had been inserted upon her joining the company and it seemed now that it's technology had heard the name of the Vice President and had called her immediately. Yongsun wondered if all employees had the same implant or if the people higher up had better ones somehow. The thought made her smile and she kept her mind open as she was shown the elevator and asked to get off at the 84th floor, one floor below the very top of the building. As the noiseless elevator sped up at an alarming rate and stop abruptly on the correct floor, she stepped out and heard the almost silent mechanism of the doors close behind her, a sound that she guessed humans could not hear but due to her enhanced senses, she could hear every piston and cog in everything from this elevator, to the wristwatch on her left arm. Directly ahead of her was a magnificent set of dark oak doors, completely offset by the clinical white marble which ran throughout the building. She stood for a moment as she had done on the pavement outside and just stared at the the warm and inviting look of the door, until she heard a sound off to her right and turned to find the office's owner red faced and barely holding onto a mound of paperwork panting as she fumbled with her keycard and opened her door wide. She beckoned for Yongsun to enter behind her since she seemed to not have the breath required to greet her before depositing her armful of papers onto an already over burdened desk. The desk was the same oak as the door and as Yongsun looked around the office, she saw that it was full of books and papers and silly little things that had seemed to have been saved by Miss. Ahn just for a reminder of the best of humanity, everything in this room was out of place but yet somehow wasn't at the same time. Yongsun thought it must be that it looked like an old fashioned study compared to the clean cut building it was housed in.

"Ah, now. I see your interest has been piqued Miss..?", her voice was soft and welcoming and Yongsun felt happy to be addressed as though she were not a freaky android but any human being that might bump into Miss. Ahn on the street and discuss old memories from thier school days and the likes. She said her full name and sat in the chair opposite the woman with a reciprocated smile, it seemed effortless to be happy and pleasant around this woman and she wondered how a personality like Miss. Ahn's had ever gotten to be associated with a snooty woman like Ms. Lee in the first place. As she looked around the room in more detail, she heard Miss. Ahn talk about a tour of the building and wait for a response in turn. Yongsun nodded and asked what exactly what they did here. At this point, Miss. Ahn became a little solemn and her demeanour changed to suit the new mood saturating the room. For a moment, neither one of them spoke and Yongsun almost felt as though she should leave, but something told her that she had asked the exact question that needed to be asked and that she was in no harm at all with this one woman, in this cosy office, with the fire burning in the grate behind the Vice President. Shifting slightly in her chair, Miss. Ahn made a pyramid of her fingers and rested her elbows on a small clear space of her desk directly in front of herself, she sighed and looked directly into Yongsun's eyes with a slight wateriness in her own, her voice was a little shaky as she spoke and Yongsun reached across the table to comfort her, her empathy program kicking in, Miss. Ahn let her right hand fall to the desk and be held.

"What we do here, Miss Kim. We used to be a saviour for the lost, making new bodies for the deceased or almost deceased. Now, I don't know what this company has become and I don't know how to fix it. Miss Kim, we need your help..I need your help.".

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AsianPersuasion90
For anyone interested: "Magnus Industries" is in reference to St. Albertus Magnus, who was alleged to have created one of the first automatons in the early 18th century.

Comments

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DragonKingYeba #1
Chapter 3: This is a very interesting fic, im curious to see how this storyline will unfold. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
chocochipc00kie
#2
Chapter 2: Hmmmm.. interesting premise.