The inside of the convention center can only be explained as a technological and architectural marvel. From the outside, the convention center looks good but on the inside is the real treasure. The front entrance led directly to the lobby which was decorated with holo-screens which showed real-life news and sports happening in real-time. From the lobby was a grand door that towered at an impressive 20 feet tall height that led into the ballroom. Inside were holographic floating lights that filled the air like little fireflies. The tables were set with white sheets and fine china and silverware. Six seats at each table. There was enough room to fit all the invited people for seats while the others would just stand. The whole ballroom still had room for those who wanted to dance and beyond that was the stage where the most brilliant minds of the century would go and speak about their research.
Along the walls were paintings that looked priceless and even digital art that nowadays was very popular as some of them were very entrancing to look at. After going inside the pillars that aligned the walls opened. Small holes opened up and from there came the sound of whirring. An attendant came out on the far stage and when he did, his whole head came to view in the center of the room as a floating head. "Please, wait to be seated by the waiters, everyone before we begin." As if it was practiced from the holes a pop sound can be heard as metallic balls pop out from the pillars.
In midair, they stopped and floated in midair as if suspended by strings. Then from the ball a little glow can be seen emitting from all of them before they all started floating towards the guests. 60 of them could be seen coming up and saying the same message. "Hello, I am your waiter for today! There are six seats to a table. If you do not have a group of six with you, I will put you with others that do not for tonight." The bot said. It's a small little thing when you really look at it. It was just a dark grey ball with an "eye" in the middle that must act as its visual sense.
"We would like to be seated together please," David says to the bot. After hearing confirmation, the bot takes the group of six to a table that is in the front. Being one of the first groups that already had a group of six, they had luckily gotten seats that would be good for them.
"This little thing is just floating in the air. How?" Amaya says. David answers excitedly, "I don't exactly know the actual design of how it is floating but I can only assume that it is managing to float because of magnetic fields. Using its own magnetic field, it creates its own form of travel most likely by repelling the magnetic fields with here, to keep it afloat. But just the amount of programming that must go into not only that but its internal gyroscope which gives it direction-," Zack pipes in and says, "I'm sorry for my friend here, once he goes on about technobabble, he will not stop."
Amaya smiles and says, "That's fine, it's not bad to talk about what you love." Reynaldo smiles and nods at that answer. "Anyway, before the meeting of the minds starts, we should talk about the deal," Reynaldo says.
Seeing that business was beginning, Zack, Kai, and David became serious. Kai says outright, "Let's keep this short and just say that we will treat everyone with issues regarding their cybernetics. If it's a repair job, then the price will be set based on what needs to be repaired and we will be compensated by California Med based on what we repaired. It won't be based on the hourly rate, just on what was repaired and we want it to be paid 10 percent below the market price for repairing the same thing. If it is to treat something like a genetic backfire of a cybernetic then we really will not be able to help unless it is a pure tech issue. If it goes into genetics then that will be you. Again, if we were to be fixing this type of issue, then we wish to be compensated with the normal pay given for such an operation."
Reynaldo, Amaya, and Hana are taken off guard by the detailed explanation of what they wanted. Not only that, the terms were way better than what they were intending to offer. Earlier in the day, the three were already talking about how to handle this. Reynaldo even said that with how he fixed that cybernetic, Cal Med had decided that it would be worth spending a bit to reel these people in. 'Are they dumb.' Reynaldo thinks.
"Why would you want to be paid 10 percent lower than the market price on fixing cybernetics?" Amaya asks. 'I wanted more but these two knuckleheads are too nice.' Zack states in his mind. "Seeing that we as a group need money, We decided it this way. Don't think of it like we are losing out though." David says. "While others would use that market price to sustain a living or profit, we only need 10 percent lower than that as most of these problems and situations are just fixes that can be solved with careful analysis on our part.. For the same price that we are doing the replacement as we are already making more than 40 percent of a profit value because we can do less to fix it the same and even better than those repairing it at market price." Kai says. Zack hearing this opens his mouth wide and thinks, 'Why did you have to say that.'
Not only that but the others are stunned too. All the thoughts popped in at the same time. Amaya asks, "Then why not use that advantage to gain more money?" Kai says, "Because this way, in the future we would be able to discuss more terms for things that we may need. Give some slack on our part so we can receive the same from you all." David nods. Zack thinks to himself, 'Money would still be good though.'
"Hello everyone, we are ready to proceed with the event." The attendant appeared on stage again. "As of now the food and drinks will be brought out to you all." In perfect synchronicity, the tiny robots all came out with food hovering behind them on trays. Ooo's and aaa's were heard throughout the whole ballroom as the food was brought to their tables. "May, Richard Andrade, please make his way to the stage for the first reveal please."
"Finally, the good stuff," David says. "The good stuff?" Amaya asks. "He's talking about when the scientist would go up and reveal their research that they've been working on." "Ahh," Amaya nods. The scientist starts to speak about his research into organic technology, which he says has not worked but still speaks about interesting theories that have the plausibility of working.
"He really enjoys this doesn't he?" Reynaldo asks Kai. "Yeah, the kid really does. Ever since he was young actually." "Kid?" Reynaldo asks. "Oh, David is 21 and that's four years younger than me, so I call him kid when he isn't listening." Kai giggles. "Wow, does that mean he's in college still?" Hana asks after picking up on the conversation. "No, he started and graduated from college when I did. He was 14 years old when I first bumped into him." After hearing this, Reynaldo, Hana, and Amaya who was just listening in the background just look stunned at this information.
"Don't let that fool you though. David has been smarter than just about anyone I ever knew since he was 14, and that made him mature a lot faster than others do." Kai says. "That sounds kind of sad," Hana says, looking at the shaggy haired guy. "I know it sounds that way, but you should see him when he works with machines. Man, becomes a kid all over again," Zack chimes in.
While this whole conversation has been going on, David has just been enamored in the idea of organic technology. The night went on like this for about an hour before there was a break for the organizer of this event was supposed to give the speech on the advancement that the company is going to make.
"Do you know what "advancement" Gene Corp is trying to make?" Hana asks the group. "Not anything good." Reynaldo flat out says. "What do you mean by that?" Zack asks.
The mood in the group suddenly changes to a rather serious note that Zack, Kai, and David don't really understand. Amaya looks at them and says, "To be honest with you guys, we aren't here only to make this deal with you guys." After saying that she looks to Reynaldo and Hana. "They're on subvocal right now." David states.
Subvocal was an idea that existed in the 21st century but the actualized efficient product was made in the 22nd century when a war that almost broke out caused advancements in being able to silently communicate in infiltration missions. Since it never broke out, the product then became available in public with a weaker range. Since then, the tech has advanced exponentially. Now, one only had to have a transparent patch that is as small as a penny to be put right behind the ear. Through wireless connection, the patch will use the softest vibrations from breathing to formulate words that the user would want to say without anyone hearing anything but a breath.
"Uhh, guys? Mind filling us in on what's going on?" Zack asks rather impatiently. David and Kai don't say anything, but they are getting rather impatient also. Reynaldo seems to break off from the silent conversation they were having and says, "There is more going on behind the scenes with Gene corp." "Well yeah, but that's all corporations," Zack sighs, "I guess you guys mean something else though."
"You're right," Amaya says. "If by something else you mean illegally changing and strengthening the base cellular structure of humans then yes, we mean something else," she states seriously. After dropping this little bit of information, Kai, Zack, and David immediately look around to see if anyone heard what Amaya said.
"You guys cannot be saying that type of stuff here," Kai says as he looks around worriedly. David leans in further into the table and whispers, "Are you implying that Gene Corp. violated the Modification Accord?"