Nikola Tesla entered the foyer of the Ambassador Hotel in Vienna in a cheerless disposition, feeling he had just wasted hours of his precious time, potentially even his entire trip to his fatherland – although he did enjoy the undeniable perks of catching up with the latest art production of the empire.
Then he spotted her: a young lady in a reddish auburn dress embroidered with black silk around the lapels and sleeves of the jacket. She was standing at the reception counter, which, together with the travel dress and the assortment of suitcases next to her suggested she had just arrived.
Nikola smiled and casually strolled over to the counter, leaning against it with his left elbow some distance from the lady. "Well, well, well, it would seem miracles do occur at times."
She looked at him, surprised to hear the familiar voice in such an unexpected situation, but giving him a mild smile anyway: "Nikola. I didn't know you were in Vienna."
"Yes, and I am just about to stop regretting it," he grinned pointedly. "You look particularly lovely, Helen, if I may say so."
"Has your business here failed, then?" she asked, ignoring the compliment. With Nikola Tesla, it was dangerous to pick up on these things – not that it ever stopped him sending more her way.
"Oh, the usual utter disaster," he waved his hand dismissively. "Cannot be helped when dealing with the feeble-minded. One of these days I will lose my faith in this degenerate empire and leave them to their own devices."
"You certainly seem to have an interesting story to tell. Unless you're too disgusted to share it," Helen anticipated.
"Oh, I'd be happy to share my vision with you, Helen," he assured her with a bit of a sour grin. "You're most likely to be the only person in Vienna to take my side."
"Well…" she started, but the receptionist returned at that moment and cut off the conversation.
"My apologies for the delay, madam. Your room is now ready," he handed her the key, "and our staff will bring up your luggage momentarily. Welcome back, Mr. Tesla," he added. "I trust your meeting at the Town Hall went well?"
Nikola fought the urge to roll his eyes and gave the receptionist a charming fake smile. "Oh, it satisfied my expectations fully," he replied pleasantly, and Helen had to suppress a chuckle. Nikola offered her his arm, which she accepted, and they walked towards the staircase.
"Are you sure you need a separate room, though?" he tried when they were out of hearing distance from the reception. "I'd be happy to let you share mine. You know I barely use the bed anyway – you'd have it all to yourself," he added with hope.
"I knew I was missing something," she nodded as if she had just found proof for a theorem. "And here it is!"
"Can't blame a vampire for trying," he shrugged. "How about a walk then? Once you've freshened up, or whatever it is you ladies do…"
"Very well, then; meet me in the foyer in an hour," she agreed.
"Can't wait," he winked at her, and left her at her room's door, while he continued his ascension to the attic apartment he occupied.
An hour later they indeed met in the foyer, him in an immaculate black suit and she in a simple but elegant brown walking dress decorated with fur and velvet roses, over which she wore a beige cape with reddish brown embroidering. She was an image of warm sunshine on trees, and so they headed for a park to meet her peers.
"So…" she smiled at him encouragingly as they treaded the fine gravelled pathways among the flower beds in full spring bloom, "what did you propose to the imperial leadership?"
"Oh, I wasn't in the palace this time," he corrected her, but she remembered herself at the very moment.
"Sorry, you've been to the Town Hall. In any case, what was it about?"
"Very well," he started and she could see excitement creeping into his face and lighting up his eyes. "Electric lights, Helen. Think – the whole city lit up by electric lamps at night, and all households being electrified instead of using gas. I have been constantly working on improvements of electric lighting, and now I felt confident that I could make it happen, here in Vienna. Just envision it, Helen, it would be so spectacular. But I'm afraid that we're closer to having electrified trams than street lights and households."
"I love the idea, Nikola," she said, truly impressed. "But what about the source for all this energy? It would have to be massive!"
"Thank you, Helen," he nodded in appreciation. "We would have to build a power station, of course. And it so happens I have been working on a prototype system that I have been testing, successfully, I might add, at my own house. I am confident I could make it work for a city as well. But the Rathaus doesn't believe in me. Hurts my feelings, as you can surely imagine."
Helen smiled at him with sympathy. His vision was ingenious and if he had been given a go by the Town Hall, he would have definitely turned the Austrian capital into the World's Eighth Wonder; but, like countless times before, she suspected he was too early with his inventions. The civilization wasn't ready for them yet.
To cheer him up, she prompted him to tell her more about the power station. When he finished, her admiration for his mind had reached new heights, but could not find words to tell him.
He woke up from his dream momentarily and turned to her. "But you haven't told me the purpose of your visit, yet."
"I am here to see The Sleeping Beauty," she said with a taunting smile.
"Oh, are you? I thought they had a very good production of it in London," he raised an eyebrow, willingly taking the bait.
"All right. I am meeting someone from the ballet company after the performance."
"Anyone interesting?"
"Oh, yes. Very much so," she nodded and her expression confirmed her statement.
"Well, you certainly know how to get a man on the edge of his seat," he asserted. "Metaphorically speaking. Come on, tell me."
"It's Sanctuary business, really. She's an abnormal."
"You don't say. An abnormal ballerina? May I come?"
"It might be dangerous," she said, to give him fair warning, even though she was unworried about his ability to make his way through dangerous situation without so much as a scratch. She was actually glad he asked to join her, it would be extremely useful to have him there, just in case something goes sour.
"Your point being…?" he gave her just the reaction she had anticipated, and she smiled.
"It will be my honour, then," she said and Nikola returned the smile.