“It’s a placeholder,” Leon said as his eyes were fully focused on the elegant smartphone he’s been fiddling with for twenty minutes now.

  Opposite him, Tara took a sip from her tea, raising an eyebrow in question.

  It’s been a few days since Leon figured out the truth about the Genesis Code of the Androids, and he was currently meeting Tara at a nearby upscale cafe a few minutes from campus for Lunch.

  “A placeholder for what?”

  “For the source code, of course, duh,” Leon shot back, earning him a click of her tongue in return.

  “Alright, I think I need a little bit more information regarding the thing we’re talking about here. Don’t assume I can read your mind, Leon.”

  As she explained her point, he soon understood the nature of the problem, smiling awkwardly.

  “The GenoTech Androids. I cracked their code.”

  Tara tilted her head a little, trying to process the meaning of her words, when the answer appeared soon in her mind.

  “You hacked into confidential software of a mega-corporation?”

  Leon shrugged disinterestedly. “Naturally. You were there last time.”

  “No, I do not claim any knowledge of your clandestine activities.” Tara waved her hand in denial. Unfortunately, this only increased Leon’s desire to tease her further.

  Much to Tara’s skepticism, he grinned while his hands systematically took apart her smartphone.

  “What are you talking about? You seemed very interested when I did it last time.”

  “I was tolerant and open-minded. Never said I approved it.”

  “Come on, as long as we don’t get caught, there’s no reason to be concerned.”

  Tara shook her head and replied, “ First of all, there’s no we, only you. Secondly, if anything goes south, I will put all the blame on you.”

  Her answer left Leon stunned. “You’re throwing me under the bus?”

  “No, I am breaking up with you beforehand.” Tara’s face was completely serious as she spoke the last sentence.

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “Most definitely, I will.”

  “Hahh…,” Leon huffed, putting Tara’s smartphone back together before turning it back on. Encountering the lock screen, he quickly flipped the phone around towards her to scan her face ID, soon after connecting it with his laptop.

  “That’s why people say Romance is dead. Me and you against the world my ass!” Leon muttered under his breath as he got access to the operating system of Tara’s phone.

  “Don’t blame me. You only got yourself to blame-..., do you mind finally telling me what exactly you’re doing?” Tara suddenly changed her train of thought mid-sentence, having watched Leon’s unexplained actions long enough.

  Looking up at her, his expression became thoughtful.

  “You have a phone from Alpha Dynamics,” Leon said softly.

  “Yes, most people do. They still have the highest-selling phone models, especially with the new security system.” Tara added, unsure what he was implying.

  Leon nodded in return. “I know, but security lies in the hands of the provider. I’m just making sure you won’t be affected.”

  Tara observed his actions for a moment, holding back a helpless smile.

  “You’ve gotten rather paranoid recently, Leon. This is not like you.”

  He shrugged. “Better safe than sorry. I learned that lesson a while ago. Anyway, back to the original topic. I cracked the Android software and wanted to show it to you.”

  “Not a chance.” Tara shook her head. “I already told you, I want nothing to do with this. I’ll never be able to look Jade in the eye knowing what you’re doing. That AI is strictly patented and enforced.”

  “But there is no reason to. The code that everybody thinks makes those Androids special doesn’t exist. It’s a dud.”

  Tara raised an eyebrow at his answer.

  “What does that mean?”

  Finishing up the last touches on her phone, Leon finally returned it to her, his face assuming a serious expression.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “Perfectly imitated humanity. That is the major selling point of GenoTech’s Androids. An AI that is closest to adopting its own individuality and personality. A machine with thoughts and expressions. That statement, however, is completely false.”

  “And why is that?” She asked.

  “Because those Androids that supposedly are closest to their own individuality actually have none of it at all. Not even a little bit. Even less than all other attempts at creating a real, true artificial intelligence.”

  Leon paused for a second, trying to find the right words as Tara looked at him with a blank expression.

  “The GenoTech Androids are made to remain as simple machines with no growth potential. That’s why they update the model periodically, to update its software. The Genesis Code—” Leon explained. “The code that is equivalent to the Android's soul is designed to never change. It will never be real.”

  “And why must it be real?” Tara pointed out. Leon locked eyes with her in confusion.

  “Because it would make creating a true autonomous android impossible.”

  Tara smiled at his dumbfounded face. “Maybe they never planned on creating one. Maybe the only thing they were ever supposed to be is a product.”

  Yet that was exactly what didn’t make sense. Of course, Leon couldn’t tell Tara that. For her, those Androids symbolized nothing but another technological advancement, just like any other.

  Leon, however, knew the bigger story. The truth about where the software, the AI came from.

  The mysterious and forgotten Phoenix Project has been deeply hidden in the archives of the AllNet, locked away behind multiple security barriers.

  Dr. Andrei Kotova, former researcher on the secret project and current chairman of the GenoTech Conglomerate, took the work that had been deemed incomplete and created universal household androids that took over the robotics industry.

  Based on Dr. Irvine’s words, this act of supposed ‘theft’ is what has given GenoTech an enormous advantage, not only in the present but also in the future. As long as GenoTech is able to finish the Genesis Code, complete what the Phoenix Project was unable to do, they would be able to create fully autonomous androids with individuality.

  That would be the case if only there were a Genesis Code to improve on.

  As Leon realized, GenoTech didn’t even try to complete the Genesis Code, ultimately deciding to abandon it altogether instead of pre-writing the Android’s personality.

  Why was that?

  Did Andrei Kotova give up on finishing it? Did he realize he wouldn’t be able to do it after a group of world-renowned scientists, including him, had failed?

  Maybe completing it was never his intention in the first place. He might never have intended to create a true artificial intelligence at all.

  Still, what remained was the question of why?

  To get an answer, Leon might not have another option but to meet the man. He only didn’t know how. He didn’t have any close connections, and he doubted he could just walk and ask for an appointment.

  Even if he got a meeting, he couldn’t just tell him he hacked into their heavily protected and secured Android system and wanted to ask questions about the code.

  That wasn’t the way of learning more about his father’s legacy. Not to mention, it wasn’t anything urgent enough for him to take unnecessary risks.

  “Anyway, it doesn’t really matter.” Leon waved his hand, trying to change the subject. On the other side of the table, Tara smiled as she leaned back, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

  “I don’t know, you seemed really bothered by it a moment ago.”

  “It’s nothing,” Leon denied, shrugging. “Just curious. If you were working on something groundbreaking, would you be stopping after almost succeeding?”

  “That seems a bit vague.” Tara pointed out as Leon shook his head lightly with a laugh.

  “For example,” Leon began. “Imagine you were very close to building a time machine, would you stop right before finishing it, waiting for decades while sabotaging any progress of ever completing it?”

  “That depends…” Tara replied.

  “On what?”

  “Whether that time machine does more damage than good. If it does more damage, I would stop and prevent it from ever being built.”

  Leon visibly paused as her words registered in his mind. It was a point of view he hadn’t cared to think about until now.

  What if it did more damage than good?

  It was a viable statement, an ethical concern that used to have more weight in the distant past compared to the present.

  As Leon racked his brains, a tall, suited figure slowly approached their table with confident steps. He wore a polite smile with a deep gaze that oozed confidence and seriousness.

  It was Tara who reacted first, smiling gently in surprise.

  “Evan, how come you’re here?” She asked, to which the young man nodded curtly.

  “I just got a coffee-to-go before seeing you two.”

  Finally looking over, Leon took in the figure he recognized as Evan Caddel. He was present at one of the maglev races at GenoTech’s pit box. He also was the friend who Tara used to like, or maybe she still did?

  Leon wasn’t sure based on her reaction and the fact that she was dating him. However, he also couldn’t deny that his relationship with Tara was more comfortable than intimate, based on friendship.

  It was weird, more so because Leon didn’t know how he felt. He’s simply never been in such a situation before.

  Evan Caddel smiled lightly, looking straight into Tara’s eyes.

  “I have something important to talk about with you if you’d have some time. Do you mind?” He asked.

  Tara nodded in understanding, looking over at Leon, who waved a hand in assurance.

  “It’s okay. I’ll meet you later after class.”

  She smiled again, picking up her drink before ruffling his hair.

  “Okay, genius boy. See you later.”

  Leon watched as both of them left the cafe with slow steps, but his thoughts were still occupied by her prior statement, her reply to his hypothetical question.

  “More damage than good, huh?” He mumbled under his breath, taking a sip from his drink.

  Maybe the answer to the questions he was looking for regarding his father and his legacy was completely different from what he expected.

  ……….

  ‘Most scientists only realize the scale of their achievements by the consequences.’

  ~~Dr. Benjamin Harper’s Memoirs~~