Machi, Sora, and Yuka wandered around the ground floor of the exhibition. The prototypes were all so advanced and spectacular that one could hardly stop gazing at them.
Bio-mechanical suits to increase muscle strength, domestic robots, assistants such as the ones they had seen in the lobby, AIs with odd code names, and many, many more, technology was advancing very fast, maybe just too fast.
As they walked through the prototypes, Machi and Sora saw a woman a short distance away, in her 30s, with short hair, with a youthful and welcoming appearance.
To Yuka's surprise, Machi and Sora ran to her, hugging her enthusiastically at the same time.
"Miss Kaoru, we missed you!" Machi and Sora said at the same time.
"Girls, you've grown so much, it's been a while since I last saw you," Kaoru replied, clearly pleased to have met them.
"Machi, you've grown up into such a fine young lady," Kaoru said to Machi.
"And you Sora, you look as restless as ever."
"Hmm, no fine young lady for me?" Sora asked, frowning.
"Yes, of course, you little brat," Kaoru replied in amusement.
The three laughed with great complicity.
"Yuka, come here, I want to introduce you to Miss Kaoru, she's the nurse who took care of us when we were little, she's like a mother to us," Machi called to Yuka, who had stayed a few meters away.
"Miss Kaoru, this is my friend Yuka, she also had some hard times, so I sympathized with her."
"Nice to meet you," Yuka said with a Japanese greeting.
"Nice to meet you Yuka, thanks for being Machi's friend. When you need to go to the hospital ask for me, I can make the injections hurt less." Kaoru said smiling. Yuka managed something resembling a grin.
"Machi, you like robotics a lot, don't you? You must be loving this place?" Kaoru asked.
"Yes, this place is surreal, this station must weigh at least half a million tons, and yet it levitates like a feather, Hiraima's inventions leave me completely dazzled, I would like to know who the inventor is. Inside it's not different, it's all so...advanced." Machi said enthusiastically.
The small group noticed that the visitors were gathering in the center of the ground floor around the bulky object covered by the thick canvas.
"Oh, it's true, according to that panel, there are a few minutes left for the big reveal, a prototype will be presented to the public for the first time, shall we watch it together?" Kaoru suggested.
"Yes, sure!" Machi and Sora agreed. Machi pulled Yuka close to them to prevent her from getting separated in the middle of the crowd. Yuka wasn't very social, but she was a good friend.
As the hour approached, a voice crackled over the station's loudspeakers, the effect of such a deep voice in that space was simply overwhelming.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, thank you for coming to our exhibition, it is with great honor that we unveil today, for the first time, to the whole world, a unique, absolutely innovative project by the company Sato Industries".
Machi was not very happy to hear the name "Sato Industries", that company mainly manufactured military robots. Machi hated war machines. Furthermore, the owner of that company was the grandfather of someone she simply despised: Hiroshi.
After a nerve-wracking countdown, the thick canvas began to slide down, the impetuous machine was unveiled in all its splendor. Screams of astonishment echoed from the crowd. The machine had simple, stark lines, but it inspired a familiar feeling in the eyes that gazed at it: respect and fear.
After a few seconds, the announcer's deep voice was heard again in the cavernous space. "Here is the great revelation, the most recent military project of the Sato Industries company, we have a special person with us today to demonstrate this machine, he is already inside the cabin of it, please a big applause for the grandson of the owner of the Sato Industries".
Indeed, inside the machine, there seemed to exist a type of compartment where a person should fit. When the opaqueness of the glass diminished, the person inside was no other than Hiroshi, with a mocking smile on his lips and eagerly looking at where Machi was.
"The demonstration will take place on the lower floor, which has a bulletproof enclosure. Please, the interested can go inside the yellow line, which is located on the perimeter of this floor." The voice announced.
That wasn't good, Machi thought, it wasn't good at all.
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