"Young Master, here are the items you asked for. Uh..."
Shamila paused at the lab entrance, tray in hand.
Inside, Luca was currently being buried under a pile of squeaking, bouncing Haro robots.
She hesitated, unsure if she should interrupt her young master's "playtime."
Hearing her voice, Luca immediately sat up, shoving the colorful balls aside with a flushed face. He cleared his throat and barked an order.
"Alright, that's enough! Everyone to the wall! Go charge yourselves! Time-out!"
Hearing the command from Admin-Luca, the mini-Haros obediently turned and bounced toward the wall.
Some of them, clearly lacking in physical coordination, stutter-stepped or just decided to roll instead of bounce.
Along the wall, Luca had installed a row of semi-circular docking stations.
Each Haro had a designated charging port color-coded to its shell.
As they docked to recharge, their internal processors would link up to the lab's main server, pooling their computing power to boost the lab's overall processing speed.
Seeing most of them settled (ignoring the few clumsy ones struggling to align their ports), Luca walked over to Shamila.
His expression brightened when he saw what she was holding.
"Thanks, Shamila. Just what I needed."
He was about to turn back to his workbench when Shamila stopped him.
"Young Master, Mr. Norman Osborn from Oscorp contacted the company again. He's requesting a meeting with you."
Luca stopped. A flicker of disdain crossed his face.
"Heh. Now he's in a hurry? Tell the company to reply that I'm very busy. No time for meetings."
Shamila nodded. Seeing his firm stance, she didn't press further.
It was ironic.
Months ago, Luca had repeatedly contacted Oscorp, proposing a joint venture to develop a targeted drug for "Synaptic Cocooning Syndrome" (the disease afflicting Gina).
Back then, Norman Osborn likely saw Aurantius Industries as a failing company with zero value. Or maybe he just thought a weapons manufacturer had no business in biotech.
Whatever the reason, Osborn had rejected every request. He wouldn't even grant Luca a meeting.
Luca had been forced to find another way.
But now?
News had broken about Aurantius Industries partnering with Stark Industries. The NYPD contract for the "Arbiter" pistols was public. Luca was suddenly the hot new genius inventor of New York, appearing on TV and magazines.
And now Osborn wanted to talk.
Hmph. Let him wait. I'm not desperate anymore.
Indeed, Luca wasn't in a rush. He now had the capability to develop the drug "independently."
The inspiration came from Haro.
Luca realized that if Haro could analyze and build mechanical devices, why couldn't an AI handle biotech?
Haro wasn't specialized for it, but Baymax was.
Baymax was a healthcare robot far advanced for this era. His processor was powerful, he had a learning AI, and his database was filled with future medical knowledge.
With the right data input, Baymax could be a better researcher than most human scientists.
Luca tested this theory immediately.
He uploaded a vast amount of pharmaceutical theory into Baymax, then tasked him with synthesizing a drug that wasn't in his original database but was theoretically possible.
In half a day, Baymax had successfully synthesized it.
It confirmed that Baymax had "talent" in R&D.
Luca immediately halted Shamila's search for external labs and built his own private bio-lab, installing Baymax as the lead researcher.
The targeted drug for Gina was already near completion. Just a few more rounds of testing, and they could begin treatment.
So, Luca had no need for Osborn's help.
Although... once the drug is finished, I might contact him. If it can cure Gina, it might also work on the Osborn family's genetic disease. That would be a favor worth holding over his head.
Thinking this, Luca turned back to his workbench and opened the cases Shamila had brought.
In the center sat a combat drone produced by his own company.
But this one was different.
It was glowing white.
"Finally. I thought it got lost in shipping!"
He placed his hand on the drone. The familiar Golden Finger panel appeared.
---
[Wyvern Drone]
Source: Cyberpunk 2077 (1/5)
Creator: Militech
Status: Core Component (Combat AI Drone)
Synthesis Materials Needed: 1 Black Briefcase, 6 Metal Wing Blades, 1 Remote Control Chipset, 1 Signal Jammer.
Item Description: Business is war! The Wyvern Drone is Militech's answer for the businessman who understands true corporate warfare. When deployed, it is a lethal combat drone with advanced offensive capabilities. When deactivated, it folds into a discreet, ordinary-looking briefcase, lightweight and easy to carry. It also features anti-scanning tech, allowing it to pass through most security checkpoints undetected.
Warning: This device was originally designed to interface directly with neural implants (Cyberware). Unfortunately, you don't have a chip in your head, so you'll have to find another way to control it.
---
A drone that turns into a briefcase. Classic.
And from the Cyberpunk universe...
Luca grinned. This was perfect for his "defenseless businessman" persona.