CHAPTER 21 – DEBUT
Devon finally woke and completed his first-of-the-day routine of taking a shower, getting dressed, and making the bed. He had heard Nick talking to someone downstairs and quickly realized Michael had returned. He smiled at the thought. He and Kitt's former driver hadn't always gotten along, but that had gradually changed. Their friendship was closer now than ever, and he had missed the other's presence the last couple of days.
Nick expected Michael to pull the same stunt on Devon as he had on him. Knowing his partner as he did, it was inevitable.
Michael's ghostly avatar fully "solidified" mere seconds before the Director exited his bedroom and approached the stairs.
"Did you sleep well, Devon?" his sire asked as his son paused for a yawn before descending the stairs.
"I slept quite well, thank you. In fact, since my…" Devon said as he took the first steps toward the floor, then halted to stare at the second figure in the seating area. "Who is…"
Michael's avatar stood and turned to face the speaker. "Yo, Devon! Long time, no see!" he exclaimed gleefully.
"What the devil?" Devon said as he tripped and landed awkwardly on the steps. "MICHAEL! How on earth is this possible? You're… I don't mean to be indelicate, but you're dead! You died last year!"
"That's what Nick keeps telling me," the avatar complained. "But I'm not. And I'm beginning to feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. Maybe I fell through some interdimensional hole or something."
"What sort of rubbish is that?" Devon countered disdainfully.
"It's okay, Devon," Nick grinned as he took to his feet as well. "He set me up the same way a few hours ago."
"And he had pretty much the same reaction you did," Michael said in an oh-so-smug tone.
Nick passed an arm through the avatar's chest. "This is a hologram, Devon. More specifically, it's an 'avatar,' since it's a human form."
Devon managed to regain his feet, but remained on the steps. "Bonnie is responsible for this?" he asked in a gruff voice of disapproval.
"She gave me the technology to create the illusion, yes, but trying to fool you into thinking I was flesh and blood, that's on me," Michael admitted freely.
Devon attained the ground floor and cautiously approached the avatar. Michael held still for the inspection, but maintained the expected human motions of blinking, breathing, and slight changes in balance. "Quite convincing," Devon decided after nearly half a minute. "Except for the lack of a heartbeat or any scent."
"You picked up on that faster than I did," Nick admitted reluctantly. "But I stayed on the stairs longer than you since no one told me it was an illusion."
"Sorry, Devon, but I just had to do it," Michael apologized with debatable sincerity.
"Of course, you did," the other countered neutrally.
"He couldn't help himself, Devon. After all, he is who he is. And you should know that he can do impersonations – create avatars – of Bonnie, Robin, me, and…you…as well," Nick informed his offspring. "You have no reason to be angry at him for that. It wasn't his idea; it was apparently Bonnie's."
"Bonnie's?" the younger man said with disbelief, yet he knew it was true. Even if the others had presented the idea, only the talented cyberneticist could have followed through with it. "But why?"
"I don't know, but I think it's a good idea," Nick replied. "According to the earlier case files, there have been times it would have been helpful, even just as a distraction, to have a doppelganger of us. And this new device allows them to do that."
"Them? You mean Kitt can do this as well?" Devon wondered as he took a seat.
Michael's avatar answered this time, and reclaimed his own seat. "Yes, he can, and that's why I was gone so long. It took a couple days of practice with all the avatars so you couldn't tell it was a fake from the get-go. That included movements, body language, facial expressions, speech patterns, and word choice. Kitt needed lots of practice with the first ones, and I needed his help with the last ones. So, yeah, it took a while. But it was fun."
"I can see where your own…avatar…would be the easiest for you," Devon decided, "And I can definitely understand why you would need help with the verbal skills. Forcing yourself to abandon your usual…shall we say 'free-spirited' speech and attempt to utilize good grammar and a more extensive vocabulary must have been quite daunting."
Michael sat straighter and leaned slightly forward as he countered, "I am obliged to inform you that I can indeed refine and restrict my speech to adhere to a more stringent artificially imposed structure of such linguistic parameters as circumstances demand, or if the appropriate opportunity presents itself, Devon, but I must admit that my personal preference is to say, 'Nah, why bother?'" he finished with a smug grin.
Nick laughed, while Devon covered his eyes with one hand, tightened his lips and shook his head in disapproval.
"Very good, Michael," Nick said. "If you can do that, you can effectively sell the illusion, and that's what it's all about."
"Did you bother to include my accent in your practice sessions?" Devon asked, ignoring Nick's comment.
The avatar shook his head. "It turns out we didn't have to. Somehow, Bonnie had already programmed that part to kick in automatically."
"You didn't make my avatar do anything foolish, did you?"
Michael's image looked the other man directly in the eyes. "Devon, I only used your avatar about thirty seconds, and Kitt only did for about a minute. That was what made me realize how much practice it would take. For me, those few seconds were enough to learn that I'd have to adjust my speech patterns and word choices to match each avatar – especially yours. Kitt's time was specifically to check on the accent issue – that's all."
Nick cut into the conversation. "He said earlier that they didn't do much with yours. After all, the image no longer matches since your transformation."
Michael explained further, "As far as we could tell, the accent was already in place as part of the programming. That helped us understand why Kitt has always denied having a Boston accent. It's caused by some odd aspect of his speech programming, and it's not intentional, and he wasn't aware of it until now."
"Fascinating. I had no idea," the Director replied thoughtfully. "I had always believed it to be a deliberate affectation on his part, but apparently that is not the case."
"That was a big surprise to both of us, but I suspect Bonnie already knew."
"Probably," Devon concurred.
"And although it's great to have a human form again, it's also a severe drain on my power packs, so I'm going to thin out the image to save energy," Michael announced as he attenuated the intensity of the holographic display.
"Nick says I look like a ghost when I do this," the revised avatar stated as Devon's eyes went wide in shock. "But I'm not. It just lets me use the image, but not have to spend extra time in deep recharge to recover from it. It's either this or a micro-version of me, which Nick says is too weird, so I'll stick with this. At least it gives me a human form to work with, if only a holographic one."
"Under the circumstances, I shall learn to adjust to this new version of you," Devon declared.
Nick leaned forward to address both of them. "Now that that's settled, I'd suggest you have some breakfast, then we'll head into town for tonight's lesson."
"Which is…?" Michael prompted.
"Learning to control himself around fresh blood – lots of it this time instead of the small-scale version he practiced in front of the mirror while you were gone."
"And how do you intend to arrange that?" the avatar asked.
"Indeed," Devon agreed.
"That's why I was hoping you'd be back tonight, Michael. We need your help on this one. We need you to eavesdrop on the local emergency services radio frequencies for any shootings or car accidents, and get us there as fast as you can. We don't know the streets well enough to get there on our own, so we need you for that, too."
"What are we to do when we arrive at those locations?" Devon asked.
"I'll check the area for survivors and see if we can help. If so, I want you to join me and pitch in any way you can. I want you to learn to handle yourself around such situations without giving yourself away. We won't be able to use any abilities that may call attention to us. No flying, super-strength, yellow eyes, or fangs. You may not change, but I don't even want you to look hungry. That can be just as suspicious."
"I'd suggest you go through the first aid kit before we leave," Michael commented. "If you intend to help, you'll need something to work with."
"Very true," Nick agreed. "I'll do that. I'll even add Nat's medical bag. It has several things beyond even a well-supplied first aid kit." He turned toward Devon. "You should probably take a couple changes of clothing, and maybe swap your current outfit for something more expendable. I'll add some extra large trash bags to cover the car seats while I'm at it."
Refreshing the supplies delayed their departure, but the delay revealed an unexpected advantage to Michael's avatar. His scanner could be used to locate various items more efficiently than the vampires, so Nick quickly started telling him what he was hunting, and Michael would locate it with his scanner, then use the ghost avatar to show him where it was instead of trying to describe the location. After the supplies were gathered, organized, and stored in Michael's trunk, the trio headed into town.
They spent the next eight hours dealing with shooting victims and car crashes. Michael listened to the appropriate radio frequencies and selected the most likely scenes for fresh blood. To avoid encountering the same ambulance or rescue personnel, he chose locations from all over the city. After helping fifteen severely injured people, Nick decided they were done.
"Can you tell an improvement, Devon?" he asked as he removed the gloves he'd used on their last "patient." The vampires needed no protection from any disease that might be present, but used gloves to minimize any blood stains and avoid transferring any body fluids from one "patient" to another as much as possible.
"Most definitely. I am far more aware now of my reactions, ergo I am more capable of controlling them," the younger vampire vowed.
"I agree. You've done quite well with this, although both of us definitely made a mess of ourselves. By the way, I was never concerned about you losing control and attacking anyone, which was definitely the case for me when I was newly-made. I was far more worried about the smaller things, the temptation to lick the blood, or at least to smell it. The physical cues that give that away would be rather alarming, and an observant bystander could notice and mention it to the wrong person. We don't want that to happen."
"No, we don't."
"Does this mean you're done for the night?" Michael asked from behind them.
"Yes, it does. It also means…" Nick smiled broadly as he as he gazed at his offspring. "that your lessons are complete, and you're ready to be a fully independent young vampire."
"Thank heavens!" Devon said with obvious relief.
"You can return to the mansion whenever you wish, but I'd highly recommend you wait until tomorrow afternoon or later. Michael can take you, or you can fly back. Your choice; yours and his, actually."
"Very well. I do expect you to instruct me in the use of hypnotism at some point."
"I will, but that was not necessary at this stage of your development. That's not all you lack, but I intend to teach you all that I can over the next year or two. For now, you need a break, a chance to be on your own for a while, and return to your regular life as much as possible."
"But first, the two of you need a shower," Michael cut in. "You're absolutely filthy and you're not getting inside my cabin like that, even with the trash bags. I'd suggest you head into that alley and fly home from there, since there aren't any cameras in that area. I'll get back on my own," he said as he pulled away from the accident scene.
Now abandoned, the two men looked at each other. "He's right. We are filthy," Nick admitted with a grimace. "Let's head back and clean up."
The vampires were in the showers by the time Michael arrived downstairs just before dawn. Since the others were occupied, Michael decided to take advantage of the opportunity and contact Kitt through their link.
He told his friend that Devon had finally completed his training, and would be returning to the mansion soon. He also had to tell Kitt how thoroughly he'd enjoyed fooling the two vampires into believing he was still human and had been out of touch for a while.
After their showers, Devon accepted a bottle of blood from Nick, then went to bed, while Nick came downstairs in his pajamas. He removed the bloody refuse from the trunk and cabin of the Trans-Am. He took the used clothing to the laundry area, and the rest to the trash.
He had known from the scent that the blood was disease-free, unlike that of one of the car accident victims they had helped. He had asked the ambulance crew if he could add their used gloves and such to their own collection for proper disposal as biohazard material. The incident had given him the unexpected opportunity to allow Devon to experience the scent of diseased blood. While the blood would have no effect on the vampires, the fledgling would now know how to recognize it and to take extra precautions to avoid spreading it to other mortals.
While Nick worked, Michael's ghostly avatar manifested. "While the two of you were cleaning up, I contacted Kitt and told him you were finished with Devon's training, and he'd be heading back to the mansion soon."
"Sounds good. He'll be glad to get back to business as usual," Nick commented. "And I'll have to arrange for him to have a small refrigerator and his own blood supply as well."
"Yours hasn't gone bad from being stuck in your fridge there, has it?" Michael wondered as Nick withdrew an opened bottle of blood-wine and poured himself a glass.
"No, it should be fine. All that was left was blood-wine. It lasts a lot longer than straight blood," Nick explained as he took a seat on the couch beside the car. "But the pure blood in the bottles we normally use isn't truly pure human. That would only last about four days. Ours is usually good for about two months since we add a drop of vampire blood to each bottle. It acts as a preservative, but doesn't affect the taste."
"Cool. It would be nice if that could be used to extend the normal blood supply. But I suspect there might be a risk of bringing tons of people across if you did that," Michael surmised.
Nick nodded. "Exactly. If there was a way to neutralize that risk, it would be a big help to all of us, but for now it's out of the question."
"Too bad. There are several things about you guys that would be a big help to regular humans if both sides could get along."
"I know," Nick said with a wistful sigh. "Maybe someday. I can't help but wonder what will happen when they find out about us. And how soon it will happen. Sometimes I think maybe the FBI or CIA or NSA – you know what I mean – might already know about us."
"You mean like the 'little green men' or Bigfoot?" Michael's avatar asked cynically.
"If you're referring to aliens from other worlds and Bigfoot, don't forget you're talking to a genuine vampire. Besides, I've seen beings in my time that just might be from other worlds. I've also come across some odd and terrifying things in the deep woods that even I wouldn't mess with."
"You definitely have a point," Michael conceded, then asked, "What about werewolves? Have you ever seen one of those?"
Nick shook his head. "I haven't seen any creature that could change forms between human and wolf, if that's what you mean. But I have seen what is usually called a 'dogman.' They look like a cross between a wolf or a huge dog and a human, but they don't change shape, at least as far as I know. They're far more animal – extremely vicious and aggressive – than a human. They're filthy, they're fast, and they stink to high heaven. I wouldn't tangle with one of them. I haven't seen one in the last century and a half, though."
"That is awesome! You know the most amazing things, Nick," Michael declared.
"You're part of that, too, you know," Nick countered with a smile. "A human mind and soul inside a computerized sportscar. On top of that, you now have your own hologram of yourself."
"Touché. What can I say?" Michael said, holding his hands out, palms up.
"It's interesting to watch you," Nick commented. "Your body language matches my imaginary version of you almost exactly. I can't wait to see how Kitt handles stuff like that. I know he pays attention to it, but that's not the same as doing it yourself, especially when you have to make it happen instead of doing it subconsciously."
"Yeah, but I told you earlier he did a great job confusing Bonnie and Robin."
"I know, but I'd still like to see it for myself. You understand."
"That I do."
Late the next afternoon, Michael drove both vampires back to the mansion. Michael had convinced Nick that he should join them, knowing the women would be avidly curious to learn what had transpired during the Director's training retreat. Devon would be equally anxious for an update on any events at the mansion.
Devon had decided to leave some of his possessions, including a selection of clothes and a few toiletries, at Nick's place, but took the remainder home with him. In addition, he had transported a case of blood, a "graduation gift" from his sire. Nick had arranged earlier in the day for the purchase and delivery of a small refrigerator in Devon's quarters to store his food supply, but couldn't do the same for the blood itself during the daylight.
Michael had contacted Kitt to tell him they were on their way. The AI had passed the word to his driver through the com-link.
"It's about time he came back. I've really missed him," Bonnie complained. She and Robin were in the kitchen, cleaning up after their dinner when Kitt's voice came through.
Less than an hour later, Nick, Michael, and Devon checked in with Security. The Director chatted briefly with the guard, then Michael drove to the garage and parked beside Kitt.
Robin and Bonnie were on their feet, eager for Devon to exit the vehicle.
"It's great to see you again, Devon. We really missed you," Bonnie informed him, giving him a quick hug.
Robin added, "It's good to have you back. The place just isn't the same without you."
"Welcome home, Devon. We definitely missed you," Kitt said from his parking space.
"What about me?" Nick pouted from the other side of the vehicle. "I was gone too. Did you miss me?"
"Yes, but not nearly as much as him," Robin said sympathetically.
"He's been the heart of this place for a long time," Bonnie pointed out, "and it felt far too empty without him."
The women helped their boss unload his possessions from Michael's trunk and take them to his room. Nick carried the heavy box of blood, while Devon took the large suitcase.
After unpacking and placing everything where it belonged, Devon asked the others to join him in the garage so he could talk to everyone at once.
Kitt and the women were as eager to hear of the events at Nick's place as the vampires were for an update on FLAG and the mansion. Before everyone took a seat at the table, Michael cut in. "Bonnie, would you mind setting us up so we can use our avatars while we chat?"
"Sure," she said as she moved toward the cable area nearest to Kitt. "I'll set the cuffs and their stands on the bench." She plugged the cars in, while Robin and Nick pitched in and retrieved the rest of the hardware from the cars' cabins.
After setting up the cuff and its recharge stand for Michael, Nick pulled two more chairs into seating positions beside the table area for a total of six seats. A puzzled Devon raised an index finger and opened his mouth to ask a question, but Nick beat him to it, explaining, "If they intend to use their avatars, they might as well have a place to sit down and join us."
The hand dropped to the side as Devon commented, "You are correct. It would be rude to have them stand for such a conversation. It was most considerate of you to think of that," he said with a nod of approval.
"Yeah, thanks, Nick," Michael's avatar said after appearing beside the vampires.
Devon and Nick each held the back of a chair and waited for the ladies to take a seat, then helped them scoot closer to the table.
As Nick took a chair, he faced Kitt's vehicular form. "Which one do you intend to use, Kitt?" From his position, he missed the broad, knowing smiles of the women.
Devon didn't. "Is something going on?" he asked Robin and Bonnie.
Before they could answer, Kitt replied, "Yes, Devon, they know something you don't."
A blue light coalesced in front of his scanner and began to configure into a human form. A few seconds later, the new avatar announced with Kitt's voice, "I now have an avatar of my own," he said proudly.
He watched the vampires and the other avatar for their reactions. Nick and Devon sagged in shock. Their eyes went wide and their jaws slackened. Michael's avatar lost cohesion and aborted with an unexpected red flash.
The women laughed at their companions' reactions.
"We knew that would surprise you," Bonnie chortled. "We were stunned as well. He looks great, though, doesn't he?"
"I'm glad he kept his own voice," Robin added. "It just wouldn't be him without it."
The new avatar took a seat. He withdrew a pair of sunglasses from the chest pocket of his sport coat. He donned them while Michael rematerialized in the other vacant chair. "These complete the ensemble and make me feel more like me," he explained.
Nick spoke next, "Well, I for one am glad I never had my own mental image of what you might look like as a human, since it would seriously conflict with your new image. I'm also glad I didn't have to come up with one. There had to be a lot of decisions to make to end up with a result like this, but you did an excellent job, Kitt. Your avatar…is definitely YOU."
"Yes, it is," Michael's image agreed after studying the other hologram for a long moment. "You had mentioned that you might want to look like my brother, and I can see that in the facial structure. I'm not sure where you got the rest of it, but the look, and the voice, and the sunglasses, which remind me of your scanner, all come together as YOU. Great job, Kitt."
Now that the others had seen the full effect of his efforts, Kitt removed the sunglasses and returned them to his pocket to afford the others a better view of his light brown eyes while they talked.
Devon had steepled his hands on the edge of the table while the other spoke. He stared intently at the avatar, then turned to Bonnie. "I have no idea what possessed you to do this, and I'm not certain I see an actual need for it in terms of their work for the Foundation, but…this…fills a profound emotional need I hadn't known was there."
Addressing Kitt's avatar, he added, "Kitt, you know I am not one for tactile encounters, but were it physically possible, I would dearly love to welcome you into my arms as the son whose face at long last I can see. Oh, if Wilton could only see you now!" he said from the depth of his heart. He reached for a tissue to prevent the tears welling in his eyes from trickling down his cheeks. "Well done, my son," he said, his voice nearly breaking. "I'm so very proud of you."
After a long moment to collect his thoughts and emotions, he addressed the group in general. "As you know, I already considered this group to be a family. I haven't really had one since my parents died so long ago, and the right woman never came along. But at least I found a like-minded companion in Wilton Knight. Together we conceived a means to make a difference in a great many lives through the combination of the right people and the technology necessary for that task.
"Initially only Wilton saw Kitt and Michael as the sons he'd always wanted instead of…" Devon swallowed hard to gain the resolve to say the dreaded name. "…Garthe. He died before he had the chance to meet Bonnie, but I have no doubt he would have loved her as a daughter as well. I know I do.
"As we worked together, I grew to feel the same toward the three of you. There are few who have ever earned my respect, my admiration, and my affection as you have done. I may not have shown it, and certainly never said it, but I began to see you…as family.
"The last year has seen many changes in this family. Michael's transformation. The addition of Robin and Nick, who mean so much to me as well. And of course, my own recent transformation. I expected no further changes for some time to come. But…these new… avatars…" he said the word awkwardly as if for the first time. "…fill a void of which I hadn't been aware. To see Michael and Kitt in human form adds a depth, another dimension, I never expected. To look at us now is to see a true family, one that others would understand as they never could without the avatars. To commemorate this, I would like to commission a portrait, a family portrait, with the vehicles in it, of course, to place in my office to remind me – us – of this day and how very proud I am of all of you."
He held out his arms to encompass as much of the group as possible. "This…is what it's all about – family."