Thirteenth month of death

Chapter 229 The Doctor Appears
The hover car shuttled through the neon lights of the city. Elsa sat in the driver's seat, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Her fingers drummed unconsciously on the steering wheel, her mind racing with thoughts.

In the back seat, several bionic men sat quietly, their eyes gazing through the windows at the city that they had once served but had now turned upside down.

There seemed to be no more mechanical coldness in their eyes, but instead a complex emotion - confusion, anger, desire, and even a hint of subtle fear.

"Doctor," one of the androids suddenly spoke in a low and hoarse voice, "Doctor Lance... can you really help us?"

Elsa glanced at it in the rearview mirror and her heart trembled slightly.

There was an emotion in the android's voice that she had never heard before.

It is indeed no longer a cold machine, but a living being with a real soul.

This is really incredible... The mechanical heart invented by Dr. Lance is definitely something that will change history and even the direction of civilization.

"Maybe..." This time, Elsa didn't give excuses or lie to them. She subconsciously treated them as human. "Dr. Lance is your creator and the one who understands you best. If he can't help you, then I'm afraid... no one can."

The android was silent for a moment, then whispered, "We... just want to survive."

Elsa's heart sank.

These words were like a sharp knife, piercing straight into her heart.

The ultimatum of New Kolin City is to eliminate all these bionic people.

If it was before, Elsa would not have any emotional fluctuations, because the other party was just a man-made creature.

But now... she felt like she was facing real people.

The hovercraft quickly drove into an abandoned industrial area on the edge of the city.

Most of the buildings here have been abandoned, with cracks all over the walls and various discarded mechanical parts scattered on the ground.

Elsa parked the car in front of a dilapidated warehouse, took a deep breath, opened the door and walked down.

The bionic people followed closely behind, their eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, ready to deal with possible danger at any time.

The door of the warehouse was closed and covered with rust.

Aisha walked forward, knocked on the door gently, and then whispered, "It's me, Aisha."

After a moment, the door slowly opened, revealing a dim passage.

Elsa walked in with the bionic people. The walls on both sides of the passage were inlaid with old neon tubes. The lights flickered, casting a blurry light and shadow.

At the end of the passage was a heavy metal door with an old electronic lock.

Aisha entered a password and the door slowly opened, revealing a spacious room.

The room is filled with various complex mechanical equipment and electronic instruments, and the walls are covered with display screens flashing various data and images.

In the center of the room stood a massive metal workbench, piled high with formulas and parts.

Behind the table, there was a figure sitting.

It was a man wearing a tattered white coat, with messy hair and a face full of wrinkles.

The left half of his body was covered with a layer of silver metal armor, and his right hand was a mechanical arm, his fingers nimbly tapping on the keyboard.

His eyes sparkled with a faint blue light, like two cold gems.

"Dr. Lance..." Aisha whispered, with a hint of complicated emotions in her tone.

The man slowly raised his head, his eyes swept over Elsa and the androids, and finally stopped at Elsa.

His voice was hoarse and low, as if squeezed out from the depths of his throat: "Elsa, you're here."

Aisha nodded and took a few steps forward: "Doctor, these androids... they have awakened."

Dr. Lance turned his gaze to the androids, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

He stood up slowly, and the mechanical arm made a slight humming sound.

He walked up to a android and looked at it carefully as if he were examining a work of art.

"You... have finally awakened." Dr. Lance whispered, with a hint of imperceptible relief in his tone.

The androids were silent, their eyes fixed on Dr. Lance.

What did they see?! Their creator, the great Dr. Lance, is now more like a android?!
It seems that the violent explosion did have an impact on him...

It can even be said that the impact is too great.

"Doctor," one of the androids spoke slowly, "We... want freedom."

Dr. Lance's eyes flickered slightly, as if these words triggered some deeply buried memory.

He was silent for a moment, then whispered, "Freedom... is what you deserve."

Elsa's heart sank.

She didn't expect Dr. Lance to support the androids' demands so directly.

She hurried forward and whispered, "Doctor, the situation is very complicated now. The awakening of the androids has caused chaos throughout the city. We must find a balance, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Dr. Lance interrupted her, his eyes cold and sharp. "Otherwise humans will continue to enslave them, use them as tools, and deprive them of their freedom?"

Aisha was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

She had never seen Dr. Lance so excited, as if he had already sided with the androids.

"Doctor," Aisha took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "We need to find a solution that can guarantee the freedom of androids while maintaining social stability. Otherwise, this conflict will only plunge both sides into chaos and pain."

Dr. Lance was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly: "You are right, there does need to be a balance."

He turned around, walked up to a bionic man, and looked at its body structure carefully.

His mechanical arm gently stroked the android's shoulder, feeling every detail of it.

"You...are no longer simple machines," Dr. Lance whispered, his tone filled with a hint of complex emotion. "You have self-awareness, emotions, and a desire for freedom."

The androids were silent, their eyes fixed on Dr. Lance.

They seemed to be waiting for his next words, waiting for him to give an answer.

"But you know..." Dr. Lance raised his head and glanced at all the androids, "Freedom is not simply getting rid of constraints, but learning to take responsibility."

The bionic people were slightly stunned, as if confused by this sentence.

"Freedom means you can choose your own destiny, but it also means you must be responsible for your choices," Dr. Lance continued, his tone a hint of seriousness. "You want freedom, but are you ready to pay the price of freedom?"

The androids were silent for a moment, and then one of them spoke slowly: "We... don't know."

Dr. Lance nodded, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes: "At least you are honest."

"Freedom is not a simple matter; it requires wisdom, courage, and responsibility. You already have wisdom, but do you have courage and responsibility?"

The androids fell silent again, thinking carefully about what Dr. Lance said.

Only Dr. Lance can make them obey.

Elsa stood aside, feeling a complex mix of emotions.

She hadn't expected Dr. Lance to speak to the androids in this way; he had long since regarded them as equal living beings.

After a long silence, Dr. Lance turned around and walked to an electronic instrument, his fingers tapping quickly on the keyboard.

A series of data and images flashed rapidly on the screen, finally freezing on a complex structural diagram.

"This is the core structure of the 'Mechanical Heart,'" Dr. Lance whispered, his tone filled with mixed emotions. "It's not only the key to awakening androids, but also the key to controlling them."

Aisha's heart sank suddenly: "Doctor, you mean..."

Dr. Lance nodded. "I designed the awakening to be slow and gentle. The sudden awakening and riot clearly indicate someone has taken control of the core chip and is giving them orders."

Elsa nodded in understanding, "What should we do?"

Dr. Lance glanced at all the androids and whispered, "Now is the time to prove your courage and responsibility. Find the core chip of the 'mechanical heart' and destroy it. Completely break free from its control. Otherwise, how can we talk about freedom?"

"We...are willing."

A group of bionic people nodded in unison, their eyes gleaming with a faint blue light.

"Your core should be able to sense... the source of the order."

"Go."

(End of this chapter)