The Android Chronicles Book One: The Android Defense (28 page)

Carlie exhaled.

“Fine. But I’m keeping my
underwear on. I just came to tell you that Adventis shares have
gone up. Evidently the news of your miraculous recovery has really
pepped up the shareholders.”

“It just gets better and
better,” Damian said. “I want to throw a party for all the Adventis
staff, Carlie. I want the press to be there. I want everyone to
know – the media, the shareholders, our competitors – that I’m back
and I’m not going anywhere. Make it the event of the year, Carlie.
It’s a strategic move. Get on it.”

He threw the towel over his
shoulders and returned to his game. Carlie shook her head but could
not suppress a smile.

The room Luke had been given
for his temporary stay at Schonbrunn Palace was even bigger than
the one he had when he was living in the Adventis building. It was
grand and airy, paneled in dark woods, with immense square windows
that looked out on a courtyard of the palace.

Luke had already unpacked
his suitcase and placed all of his belongings in the substantial
closet. He was about to lie down on the heavy oak four-poster bed,
covered with white linens, when he was alerted to a new message by
his communication console.

He accessed it. It was from
Mandelie.

“Luke, are you there? Please
call me when you can.”

Luke took his cell phone and
dialed Mandelie’s number.

Mandelie picked up on the
second ring.

“Hello?” she
said.

“It’s me,” Luke
said.

He heard her sigh in
relief.

“I was starting to worry.
Where are you?”

“I’m in Vienna.”

“Vienna!” Mandelie said.
“Why are you in Vienna?”

“I need to do something
important here,” Luke said. “You don’t have to worry. Trust me.
I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

“Okay, but-”

“Trust me,” Luke said. He
shut off his communication console.

It was early evening when a
huge and broad Rolls Royce more impressive than any other to be
found in the world left the gates of Schoenbrunn Palace, on its way
to the Musikverein. A car filled with Imperial Guards followed the
Rolls Royce.

Inside the car, Dabya looked
extremely beautiful in a long dark blue dress, a shimmering silk
wrap around her shoulders, and opera gloves. Her pale blond hair
was tied in a knot behind her head. Immense diamonds dangled from
her ears.

Luke sat beside her, wearing
a dark tuxedo and white tails.

“Do you like your room?”
Dabya said, regarding him closely.

“Very much,” Luke
said.

“You look like a royal in
those clothes,” Dabya said. “They fit you well.”

Luke smiled but said
nothing.

“I am just endlessly
fascinated by you,” Dabya said. “You look so human. But I’m sure
people say that to you all the time.”

“Often,” Luke
said.

“My information tells me
that you’re romantically involved with a girl in America,” Dabya
said. “I recently broke off my engagement to a longtime suitor. The
press was convinced that we were going to marry.”

She sighed.

“I find myself a bit
disillusioned by things, now.”

“You shouldn’t,” Luke said.
“You’re beautiful. Intelligent. You have the best human
qualities.”

Dabya smiled at
him.

“I take great pleasure in
your company,” she said.

Chapter 4.

The Musikverein was
otherwise known in Vienna as the Golden Hall. It seated nearly two
thousand people inside. Outside its façade was dominated by white
columns built into its walls and made in the Greek style. Inside,
its majestic room held rows of red chairs facing a full orchestra
seat with golden organ pipes stretching to the roof of the hall.
The walls were set with private box seats for the wealthy and
privileged.

Luke and Dabya were escorted
by the Musikverin‘s general manager to one of those private box
seats, as two of Dabya’s guards including Nikolaus took up arms
outside of the room.

Dabya pulled up her skirts
as she sat in one of the plush red chairs in the box. Luke took the
chair beside her.

“Excuse me, Princess,” a man
with an access card hanging around his neck said, appearing out of
nowhere. He was carrying a camera. “May I take your picture for the
Vienna Times?”

“You may,” Dabya said. She
put her arm through Luke’s and leaned closer to him. The
photographer snapped a picture of them both, and slipped
away.

“Now the press will wonder
if I am romantically involved with you,” Dabya said, with a slight
laugh. “But I couldn’t possibly take that picture by
myself.”

A dark-shirted waiter came
into the box and offered them drinks from his tray slung around his
neck.

“Cognac?”

“Yes, thank you,” Dabya
said. “Two glasses, please.” The waiter gave them two glasses and
left discreetly.

Luke scanned the audience
below them and noticed that several bodyguards were in attendance
among them, stealthily glancing in Dabya’s direction from time to
time.

“It must be hard, living in
the light of attention all the time,” he said.

“I’ve lived in that light
since I was born,” Dabya said. “I suppose I should be used to it.
But modern technology has made the light even harsher and more
brutal.”

The theatre
darkened.

Madrick Castleshank and
Gustaf Jorg, his former engineer, had become unwilling travel
partners. They were on the run from the authorities in America, who
were slowly drawing nearer to identifying them as being connected
to the chaos in the android circus.

The power dynamics between
them had been curtly hammered out by Gustaf Jorg the morning they
had arrived at Victoria Station in Great Britain.

“You work for me now,”
Gustaf said. “You do what I say. Here in the Old World I am
abundantly more esteemed and connected than you are.”

“I’ve traveled Europe
extensively,” Madrick said, sounding sulky.

“Traveled, yes,” Gustaf
said. “Like an ignominious tourist, no doubt, drawing your
inspiration for that hideous building of yours in New York
City.”

Madrick looked irate. But he
said nothing.

“Where are we going?” he
said.

“I’ve contacted a friend of
mine who lives in Luxembourg,” Gustaf said. “We will lie low at her
residence until I’ve reached out to all of my associates and
colleagues. But neither you nor I will breathe a word of our
predicament. You understand? I am simply reestablishing myself in
Europe, and you are my employee. My assistant.”

Madrick pushed his cowboy
hat low over his face to hide his thunderous eyes.

“How did you enjoy the
music?” Dabya said.

She and Luke were walking
outside of the concert hall, in the elegant and ancient square
surrounding it. Though the hour was somewhat late, there were still
many people enjoying the square, many of them linking arms with
each other for a nighttime stroll.

Nikolaus and four Imperial
guards were surreptitiously tailing them, but Dabya took no notice
of them and Luke also put them from his mind.

“It was indescribably
magnificent,” he said. “I keep a running list of human activities
that I enjoy. I will certainly be adding the Vienna symphony to
that one.”

Dabya smiled.

“I’m glad to hear
it.”

She had her glove-encased
arm tucked in Luke’s, and Luke’s jacket over her
shoulders.

“I am glad you are an
android who appreciates music,” she said. “Music, I feel, is one of
the things that shows humanity in its best light. I speak of older
music of course. You must be less inclined to look down on us when
you are listening to our music, am I right?”

“Look down on you?” Luke
said.

“You can be frank with me,
Luke,” Dabya said. “Your great intelligence must secretly also make
you feel as though androids are superior to humans. What is your
honest opinion of humanity? Please tell me.”

Luke did not say anything
for a moment. Dabya’s question had thrown into light the persisting
question of his existence. Of course he was programmed to assist
humans with the gifts of his innumerable abilities, but did he feel
humility towards them as well? Or arrogance? No, not arrogance,
just a knowledge of which was the more superior being. In a moment
he realized the lurking truth behind all of his interactions with
human beings.

“I think I do feel androids
are superior,” he said. “I think in the end, my loyalty lies with
them, not with humans, though I was created by one.”

“But you are involved with a
human girl, aren’t you?” Dabya said, watching him closely. “Where
does she fall into all of this?”

Chapter 5.

Mandelie lay in her bed,
unable to fall asleep. She was trying not to think of Luke and what
he could possibly be doing in Vienna, but she was unsuccessful in
blocking the thought from her mind. She wondered if she could try
to send him a message, but she decided against it. He had clearly
seemed wrapped up in his mysterious task, and wanted no
communication with her for the time being.

She reached out and touched
the space in the bed where he had been lying only a few days
before. Then she got up and went to her living room.

She sank down on her couch
and turned on her television. Many of the news reports were still
buzzing over Damian Foster’s miraculous recovery. Mandelie ignored
them and settled on a rerun of a movie instead.

She was red-eyed and
slightly bleary from her lack of sleep the next morning when she
went into the lab and saw Trista, Brigite, and Jake all gathered
behind the computer at the reception desk, their gazes fixed on the
screen.

“More Koala Cam?” Mandelie
said, preparing to join them.

Jake bodily threw himself
across the screen.

“No, it’s … don’t look,
Mands.”

“What’s going on?” Mandelie
said with a confused look.

She pulled Jake off the
computer screen and looked at it.

It showed a media photograph
of an extraordinarily beautiful girl, sitting in a theater box
seat, her arm tucked into the arm of a handsome personage who was
undoubtedly Luke.

“If it makes you feel any
better, Mandelie, I’ve already sent a very angry message to Luke,”
Brigite said. “It was all in CAPS letters.”

“Princess Dabya enjoys a
night out with her new paramour,” Mandelie read the
caption.

She rubbed her
face.

“Am I dreaming?”

“It’s probably just gossip,
Mandelie,” Trista said, but she did not sound convincing. “Luke
would never go behind your back like that.”

“Wow, look at the jewels
that girl’s wearing,” Jake said.

“Jake! Not helping,” Brigite
said.

“Sorry,” Jake said. “I’m
just pointing it out. I don’t like this any more than you guys
do.”

“She’s an actual princess?”
Mandelie said. “For real?”

She tore herself away from
the screen. Trista attempted to follow her.

“No,” Mandelie said, over
her shoulder. “I need to be alone for a little bit.”

They all heard the door shut
loudly behind her.

Jake shook his head in
bewildered disgust at the computer screen.

“Luke, man, what are you
doing?”

“I don’t really want to
know,” Carlie said. She had walked into Damian’s bedroom to find
him looking at photos of supermodels and famous actresses he had
tacked up on his wall.

He was now standing back,
looking at them intently. Carlie’s entrance made him look around,
but before he had said anything she had headed him off.

“I’m choosing my date for
the Adventis party, Carlie,” Damian said.

“That’s a relief. I thought
you were turning into a serial killer.”

“I’ve gotta make a splash at
this thing. I was thinking Jessica Alba, but she’s married, right?
I’m leaning towards Kate Upton now.”

“I’m not even going to
pretend that I’m a part of this,” Carlie said. “I am going to
change the subject and tell you that I booked the Four Seasons for
the party. The invitations have all gone out.”

“Great, great,” Damian said,
only half paying attention. “Do you think you could get a hold of
Kate Upton’s people and ask if she’s available?”

“To be your fake
date?”

“To make an appearance at
the event of the year on the arm of a miraculously unparalyzed tech
tycoon. She’s not going to turn it down. Make sure you word it that
way.”

“Understood,” Carlie said.
“Please take all the photos down from your wall. It makes your
bedroom look like a creepy stakeout den.”

Damian grinned.