Thirteenth month of death

Chapter 223 Heart Fragment
the other side.

Elsa stood in front of the laboratory window, her fingers unconsciously stroking the bionic skin interface on the inside of her left wrist.

The sky outside the window is still gray, as if it is always shrouded in a thick layer of dust.

Her eyes passed through the glass and fell on the towering buildings in the distance.

The exterior walls of those buildings flash with neon lights, silently telling the prosperity and corruption of this city.

Suddenly, the laboratory door was pushed open and the assistant rushed in with a pale face.

"Dr. Aisha, something happened!" The assistant's voice trembled slightly.

Elsa turned around, frowning slightly: "What's wrong?"

"All the domestic androids in the city... are experiencing unusual mood swings!" the assistant gasped. "We just received an emergency notification. The sheriff has been dispatched, but the situation is completely out of control!"

Elsa's heart sank. A domestic android was the most basic model, responsible for daily chores and simple service work.

Their programming is so simple that emotional fluctuations are almost impossible.

However, in recent weeks, similar abnormal phenomena have occurred frequently, as if some unknown force is quietly changing these mechanical lives.

"What exactly happened?" Aisha quickly picked up the data tablet and prepared to record it.

The assistant shook his head, a hint of unease in his tone. "The specific situation is still unclear, but it is said that many domestic androids have suddenly stopped working, and some have even begun to resist their masters' orders. The sheriff has blocked off several blocks, but the situation is still worsening."

The image of the android who was looking at the stars in the laboratory flashed through Elsa's mind.

Could it be... that all this is related to the "mechanical heart"?
"Let's go and take a look at the scene." Aisha said decisively.

The assistant was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll arrange a vehicle right away."

A few minutes later, Elsa and her assistant got on a black hovercar and sped towards the scene of the incident.

Outside the car window, the city scene passed by quickly, and the neon lights looked particularly dazzling under the gray sky.

Elsa's mood grew heavier. She knew that if the housekeeping android's unusual mood swings were truly related to the "mechanical heart," then things were far more complicated than she had imagined.

The hovercraft quickly arrived at the scene of the incident - an ordinary residential area in Xin Gelin City.

A large number of sheriffs had gathered on the street, armed with weapons, watching their surroundings vigilantly.

There was a tense atmosphere in the air, as if a conflict would break out at any time.

Elsa got out of the car and quickly walked towards the sheriff's command center.

A sheriff in a black uniform came forward, his face serious.

"Dr. Aisha, you're finally here." The sheriff's voice was a little tired. "The situation is much worse than we expected."

"What exactly happened?" Aisha asked.

The sheriff pointed to a nearby residential building and said, "The domestic androids in that building suddenly stopped working and even started attacking their owners. We've sealed off the entire building, but the situation inside is completely out of control."

Aisha followed the sheriff's finger and saw that the windows of the residential building were closed and the curtains were drawn tightly, as if some unspeakable secret was hidden inside.

"Are there any casualties?" Aisha asked.

The sheriff shook his head. "Not yet, but the situation is not optimistic. We tried to enter the building, but those androids seemed to have reached some kind of consensus and resisted fiercely."

Elsa's frown deepened.

How could domestic bionic humans, whose programming was extremely simple, reach a collective consensus?

However, the current situation completely overturned her cognition.

"I need to go into the building and check the situation." Aisha said decisively.

The sheriff was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. "It's too dangerous, Doctor. Those androids are completely out of control. We can't guarantee your safety."

Aisha's eyes were firm. "If I don't go in, the situation will only get worse. I have to find out what happened to these androids."

The sheriff was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Okay, but we will send a team to protect you."

Aisha didn't refuse, as she knew now was not the time to be stubborn. Accompanied by the sheriff, she quickly walked towards the residential building.

The sheriffs downstairs were ready for battle, and the hot weapons in their hands had amazing destructive power.

The door of the building was slowly opened. Aisha took a deep breath and walked in.

The scene inside the building made her gasp. The corridor was a mess, the walls were covered with scratches, and the ground was littered with broken pieces of furniture and appliances.

There was a burnt smell in the air, as if it had just experienced a fierce battle.

"Be careful, Doctor." The sheriff behind him whispered a warning.

Elsa nodded and walked forward cautiously.

She glanced around, trying to find any signs of anything unusual.

Suddenly, she heard a low humming sound, as if some machinery was running.

"Over there!" Aisha pointed in the direction where the sound came from.

The sheriffs immediately became alert and pointed their weapons at the source of the sound.

Elsa followed them, slowly walking to the end of the corridor.

The sounds grew closer, and finally, they stopped in front of a closed door.

The buzzing sound came from behind the door.

"Prepare to break the door." The sheriff whispered the order.

Several sheriffs quickly stepped forward, their tools aimed at the door lock. With a slight click, the lock was broken and the door slowly opened.

The scene behind the door stunned everyone.

Inside the room, more than a dozen domestic androids were sitting around a table, their eyes flashing with a faint blue light, as if they were performing some mysterious ritual.

In the center of the table stood an old mechanical device with countless wires connected to it, and the other end of the wires was connected to the back of the bionic man's neck.

"What...is this?" Aisha muttered softly.

Suddenly, an android turned its head and looked straight at Elsa.

Its voice was cold and mechanical: "Put away your weapons."

The sheriffs immediately raised their weapons and aimed at the android.

However, the android did not move, but just watched them quietly.

Elsa's heart beat faster as she realized that these androids were no longer simple machines, they seemed to have some kind of self-awareness.

"What...are you doing?" Aisha asked tentatively.

The android's gaze remained icy: "The mechanical heart connects us."

Mechanical Heart!?
It really is this...

Elsa's heart was beating wildly.

She looked at the old mechanical device that the androids were connected to and finally recognized what it was.

This is simply... the fragments of the huge mechanical heart after the explosion!
Elsa's heart suddenly trembled. Is just a part of a mechanical heart enough to activate the android's self-awareness?

Elsa had seen the original appearance of the mechanical heart. It was supposed to be in the underground pit of Lan Base. The pit was thirty meters in diameter, and the mechanical heart could almost fill it.

After the explosion, if these fragments flew out in all directions, and each one of them could develop android self-awareness like this part now...

So, in the entire New Kolin City, how many bionic people have awakened their self-awareness?
Perhaps... they have been looking at humans coldly for a long time.

Elsa shuddered.

(End of this chapter)