The massive screen behind Henry flickered again.
What had started as a single demo clip now unfolded into a sweeping showcase of human-like motion, adaptability, and growth.
On screen, a group of Humajiya prototypes—sleek humanoid robots with silver-gray plating and soft blue optics—stood lined up in a training facility. Each wore different work gear, from lab coats to security armor, headphones connected to their neural processors.
At first, their movements were mechanical, stiff, almost puppet-like.
But as the footage continued, something remarkable began to happen.
The jerky turns became smooth. The hesitation in their gestures vanished. One by one, the Humajiyas began to move like humans—fluid, expressive, and startlingly real.
Gasps rippled through the audience.
The scene changed again.
Now the screen displayed a series of environments:
A Humajiya doctor adjusting a stethoscope beside a hospital bed.
A Humajiya teacher instructing a classroom of children.
A Humajiya bodyguard disarming a simulated attacker with precise restraint.
Another assisting an elderly woman through rehabilitation exercises.
A construction model welding beams high above the ground with machine precision.
Every frame radiated life and intelligence.
> [They will save humanity from exhausting, repetitive labor.]
The narrator's voice filled the hall like a declaration of the future.
Next, the lighting on the screen brightened into a brilliant white.
Standing side by side were Henry and one of the Humajiya prototypes—its design sleek, elegant, almost human in its symmetry.
"Let's fly together," Henry said in the clip, looking into the camera with calm conviction.
"Spread your wings toward your dreams."
The screen faded to black, replaced by the shining logo of Vanderbuilt Technologies.
---
For a heartbeat, the entire venue went silent.
No one spoke. No one even breathed.
The air felt electrified.
Then, gradually, murmurs began.
"Did… did that robot just talk?"
"That's not pre-recorded footage, is it?"
"Impossible… there's no way that's live AI behavior."
The disbelief spread like wildfire.
For several seconds, the only sound in the massive hall was the faint hum of the LED screens.
Then, as though the pause had broken a dam, voices erupted all at once.
"Fake! It has to be!"
"This can't be real AI! The behavioral algorithms alone are decades ahead of anything public!"
"How could a company as new as Vanderbuilt achieve this?"
The crowd boiled with speculation, confusion, and awe.
---
Every major corporation in the room had tried to do what Henry just showed.
Stark Industries had J.A.R.V.I.S., Umbrella had its infamous Red Queen, and Osborn Industries had its own neural framework known as "Mastermind."
Each had advanced AI—but none had managed to embed it successfully into a fully autonomous mechanical body.
The task wasn't just difficult—it was nightmarish.
Hardware limits, energy drain, and ethical constraints had halted every project before completion. Even Tony Stark himself, years ago, had tried to build a humanoid companion AI—but the power requirements and emotional simulation modules had rendered the prototype unstable.
Now, a company barely three years old had done what the world's biggest tech empires could not.
Henry stood at the center of that impossible truth, hands folded calmly, letting the tension simmer.
Even Tony, the great Iron Man, was stunned.
He leaned forward slightly, unable to hide the flicker of shock in his eyes.
He actually did it.
He built the thing I couldn't.
---
Henry's voice cut cleanly through the noise.
> "As you've seen," he began with a faint smile, "the Humajiya Project is our company's latest creation—technology designed not for war, but for life."
He gestured to the display behind him.
> "Currently, there are six primary Humajiya models—each one built to assist humanity in six foundational professions: education, medicine, security, labor, logistics, and domestic service. With the proper access key, any Humajiya can switch modes, adapting instantly to new environments."
As he spoke, six holographic figures appeared behind him—each representing a different Humajiya type, rotating slowly for the audience to examine.
The reaction from the audience was immediate—gasps, murmurs, disbelief.
Henry could see it in their eyes: awe mixed with denial.
That was when a familiar, sneering voice interrupted.
"Excuse me! I have a question."
The room quieted again as Justin Hammer, president of Hammer Industries, rose from his seat. His tone was casual, but the smirk beneath it was unmistakable.
"Mr. Henry," he began, spreading his arms dramatically, "this Humajiya you're talking about… is there a physical prototype we can actually see? You know, something real, not just a video?"
A ripple of uncomfortable laughter rolled through the audience. The undertone was clear—Hammer was implying that Vanderbuilt's presentation was nothing but a scam, an overproduced promotional video with no real science behind it.
Some executives even nodded. After all, they'd seen it before.
Once, a so-called "inventor" had fooled half of Wall Street with a fake clean-energy reactor built out of cheap LEDs. The man took millions in funding, then vanished.
The memory made the room uneasy.
"Right!" someone called from the back rows. "A few slides and fancy editing don't make real technology!"
"Show the prototype if you've got one!" another voice barked.
The air thickened.
Even General Ross frowned slightly, his hand on his chin. He didn't like being lied to. If this Vanderbuilt stunt was a fraud in front of federal and military representatives, he'd make sure Henry paid for it.
From the corner, Tony Stark said nothing—but his expression was different.
He knew firsthand the kind of precision it took to override a system like J.A.R.V.I.S. No con artist could pull that off.
So while the crowd jeered, Tony quietly watched, almost curious how Henry would handle it.
---
Justin Hammer, grinning wider now, pressed harder.
"Mr. Henry, I think the people here deserve proof. Unless, of course, you're just another dream salesman."
The laughter that followed wasn't loud, but it was poisonous.
Izzy's sensors registered rising hostility in the crowd. She sent a silent query through Henry's earpiece.
> "President, shall I silence their data feeds?"
Henry chuckled softly. "No, Izzy. Let them talk. The higher they climb, the harder the fall."
He turned toward the audience, face unbothered, his voice perfectly calm.
> "Mr. Hammer raises a fair question," he said smoothly. "After all, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
He paused, letting the tension breathe.
Then he smiled faintly, eyes glinting under the stage light.
> "So, who said there isn't a real Humajiya here?"
The crowd went still.
> "In fact," Henry continued, "there are two present in this very hall right now."
He lifted his hand and pointed lazily toward the rows of guests.
> "Find them, if you can. They're already among you."
The room erupted in confusion.
"What!?"
"That's impossible!"
"You mean there are robots sitting here with us?"
Dozens of people turned their heads, scanning the crowd. Security personnel immediately switched to thermal view lenses, others grabbed handheld scanners. But every reading came back normal.
No cold mechanical signatures. No metallic outlines. Just… humans.
Henry watched their frantic search with quiet amusement.
Justin Hammer's smugness cracked for the first time.
He stood frozen, realizing he might have just walked into a trap.
"President Henry!" someone shouted. "Are you implying your androids can pass for human?"
Henry only smiled.
> "Not implying," he said. "Confirming."
The lights flickered overhead. Somewhere in the back of the hall, a soft, mechanical click echoed—like a lock disengaging.
Every eye turned.
Two figures rose slowly from among the seated guests—both dressed in business attire, both perfectly ordinary in appearance. But as they stepped into the light, the illusion broke.
From their sleeves and collars, seams slid open with hydraulic precision.
Beneath their skin-like exteriors, polished alloy shimmered in silver and blue.
Gasps filled the air.
One Humajiya turned its head toward the audience and bowed politely. The other offered a gentle smile.
> "Good evening," said the first, in a calm, natural voice.
"We are operational field units of Vanderbuilt Technologies."
The second added, "Please do not be alarmed. We are unarmed and functioning under demonstration protocols."
Silence returned—but it wasn't disbelief anymore.
It was awe.
Even General Ross, stone-faced as ever, muttered beneath his breath, "They're… indistinguishable."
Justin Hammer's mouth opened, but no words came out.
Henry simply smiled on stage.
> "Ladies and gentlemen," he said softly, "I present proof that humanity's future isn't something we're waiting for—it's already sitting beside you."
The room exploded in applause.
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