AI Android VS AI Android

"Since we didn't discuss anything beforehand, I have no idea what kind of demands the other side might make."

Mimata Chieri looked at us as she spoke. Even when we'd first reached out after acquiring Energy-Link Industrial Company, they'd only specified the meeting date and location without any further details, making it impossible to guess what the representative wanted.

"Then how about we establish our own upper limits for money or shares in advance?"

We all nodded at Han Yuhyeon's suggestion. If we didn't know their conditions, it made sense to define what we could offer first.

Mimata Chieri and Eve had already researched transaction values for companies on the scale of Energy-Link Industrial Company, so setting our maximum payment was straightforward.

Once we'd settled on our price point, Eve closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and spoke.

"They're here. Just stepped into the elevator."

The time was exactly eleven o'clock—the moment we'd agreed to meet the representative. They were certainly punctual. Soon the elevator doors opened and a single figure emerged: a woman in a form-fitting black bodysuit and a motorcycle helmet adorned with horn-like protrusions.

The skintight bodysuit left little to the imagination, clearly revealing her gender. She had a toned, athletic build with generous curves—a strikingly attractive figure.

"Hello. I'm Taira Ryuta, co-representative of TG-Tech Industry."

"I'm Han Yuhyeon, co-representative of TG-Tech Industry."

"I'm Eve, CTO of TG-Tech Industry!"

We introduced ourselves one by one. The woman in the helmet and bodysuit still hadn't removed her headgear. Something felt distinctly off…

"I am Lala Sinclair, daughter of Caiden Sinclair, founder of Energy-Link Industrial Company."

The name rang a bell. I didn't recognize Lala Sinclair herself, but Caiden Sinclair—the founder of Energy-Link Industrial Company—was infamous in the game as the "dead genius psycho."

Before his death he'd scattered steel-wolf constructs like the ones I'd seen in New York across the globe, causing widespread damage. He'd released so many that they even appeared as common field monsters in the game.

Yet the man responsible was already dead, and Lala Sinclair was an unknown quantity. The fact that she refused to remove her helmet in our presence suggested she was anything but ordinary.

Lala Sinclair shook hands with me first, then with Han Yuhyeon. When she finally reached Eve, both of them visibly flinched.

"You are?"

"Android?"

They each took a step back, dropped into combat stances, then closed in again and began exchanging blows at blinding speed. Both possessed remarkable martial skill; they traded several combinations in an instant, yet neither managed to land a meaningful hit.

Their bodies were equally durable—neither seemed to register the impact of fists or kicks. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠After a prolonged exchange they simultaneously retreated several steps.

What the hell was that about? Eve and Lala Sinclair now faced each other with fists raised. A section of the Dark Merchant Tokyo branch ceiling split open as a machine gun emerged, locking onto Lala. At the same time, Lala pointed her finger at Eve.

The tip of her finger had opened like a gun barrel, aimed directly at Eve. In a space as large as the Dark Merchant Tokyo branch, stray bullets would still cause catastrophic damage. My regeneration could handle it, but Han Yuhyeon and Mimata Chieri were at risk. I stepped forward smoothly, positioning myself between them.

"I don't know what's happening, but shouldn't we talk first? If this continues, we'll have no choice but to side with Eve."

Lala Sinclair regarded me for a moment, then nodded.

"I also assumed it was a trap when I realized the person we were trading with was an android."

"Same here."

So Lala Sinclair was an android. From their exchange, it seemed androids didn't get along—though I still didn't understand why.

"We didn't set any trap. We're sincerely interested in acquiring the company to obtain Energy-Link Industrial Company's technology."

At Han Yuhyeon's reassurance, Lala Sinclair stared at her face for a long moment before nodding.

"Impressive. Face recognition that doubles as a lie detector?"

Her words were true, so it would have been strange if the system had flagged them as false.

"That's right. I genuinely didn't know you were an android."

"Understood. Let's resolve the purpose of my visit first."

After hearing Eve as well, Lala Sinclair nodded and took a seat at the negotiation table. The rest of us followed suit.

"First, I must state this clearly. Although Lala Sinclair is a creation of Energy-Link Industrial Company, acquiring the company will not grant you ownership rights over me. Lala Sinclair exists as Lala Sinclair. I have no intention of becoming anyone's property."

Even if they sold the company, she had no plans to sell herself along with it. In essence, she wanted to be completely separated from Energy-Link Industrial Company.

"Indeed… You're a masterless android, then?"

"No comment on that matter."

At Eve's question, Lala Sinclair sealed her lips, making it clear she would say nothing further. A masterless android… I was curious whether Eve was correct.

"Based on what you've said, we'll separate all rights concerning 'Lala Sinclair' from Energy-Link Industrial Company."

"Positive. Acceptable. In that case, state your conditions for purchasing Energy-Link Industrial Company."

The negotiation with Lala Sinclair began—a battle with zero room for compromise. Perhaps because she was an AI android with superior calculation abilities, her demands came dangerously close to the absolute limits we'd prepared. We ultimately acquired Energy-Link Industrial Company for ten million dollars and five percent of TG-Tech's shares.

A company with that level of technology would normally command a far higher price, but Energy-Link Industrial Company wasn't particularly famous yet. Its reputation existed mainly within the game, which was how I'd known to acquire it. After Caiden Sinclair's death, the company had been largely inactive, so its current market value was modest.

We also concluded a separate personal transaction with Eve. Having gauged each other through their earlier fight, the two androids negotiated an exchange of technologies related to creating android bodies.

Lala Sinclair seemed interested in Eve's technology for natural facial expressions and skin texture, while Eve wanted Lala's technology for smooth, lifelike body movement.

Now that I thought about it, the handshake with Lala earlier had felt subtly different. During combat, Lala had also appeared slightly faster.

"Now that the contract is finalized, may I ask something? Why do androids immediately become hostile toward one another like that?"

"You are aware that android production by private corporations is heavily restricted?"

"Yes. The restrictions were severe after World War III. Every nation imposed strict limits."

During the final stages of World War III, AIs created solely for killing had led to countless war crimes.

Afterward, nations signed the Ujjain Treaty in India's Ujjain region, banning the production of war AIs and androids while agreeing to destroy all existing units. New research was restricted to purely academic purposes, and a treaty was established prohibiting private companies from manufacturing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠androids.

"Nevertheless, governments and corporations continued producing them in secret. There used to be many shared open-source frameworks, but over time ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠each company and nation developed vastly different operating systems and architectures. Androids can sense when another is fundamentally different."

"Furthermore, most are programmed at the base level to destroy and capture any other android they encounter. That's why meetings between androids usually end in combat."

So that's why. The closed development environment had created this hostile dynamic. The capture command probably existed because they wanted to analyze whatever the other side had built.

"Since you two stopped fighting, I assume neither of you had the destroy-and-capture directive programmed in?"

"I was created before World War III. Such commands do not exist in my system."

"My father, Caiden Sinclair, granted me considerable autonomy. He did not install any obsessive code requiring me to destroy and capture other androids."

I see. A fortunate coincidence. If even one of them had carried that directive, the fight would have continued until one was destroyed.

"We'll likely be seeing a lot of each other from now on. Let's stay in regular contact."

With the deal concluded and casual conversation wrapping up, I shook hands ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with Lala Sinclair. Since we'd granted her the position of technical advisor in exchange for the five-percent stake in TG-Tech, there would be frequent reasons to reach out.

"If you have any questions regarding Energy-Link Industrial Company's technology, please contact me."

The moment we signed, Lala transmitted all of the company's research data—excluding her own personal files. We'd need to review that material immediately.

"Will you be returning to the United States now?"

For some reason it felt like I'd just invited a walking disaster into Japan, but the transaction had concluded successfully. That was what mattered.