CHAPTER 4
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"You want me to find the vampires, the ones who attacked me, and try to talk them into doing what I say despite the fact that I'm significantly younger than all of them and, to use Afina's words, a 'mongrel'?" He asks.
"Nikola, if anyone can do it, I'm sure you can." I say.
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"As you can see, the mass we assume to be the vampires have disappeared entirely since then. I've asked my people to isolate a unique signature for vampires from these shots so that we can, in theory, scan the globe for likewise signs."
Gerard looks away guiltily for a second.
"I admit, in order to successfully search for these signs, I plan to bring SCIU on board."
"A little bit risky isn't it?" I ask.
"A necessary risk."
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"Are you sure about this?" I ask Gerard as we walk the deck. The sun is low on horizon, the daylight slipping away. I glance at my watch, still only early evening.
Gerard's nursing a whisky this time and I can't help but think he'd look out of place without a neglected drink in his hand.
"Trial and error." he says.
I look at him.
"In my book, trial and error is the best method of discovery."
"An interesting motto." I say.
"But effective nonetheless, would you not say?" We stand by the rails and he glances at his drink. "To be honest, right now I feel I'd rather a nice cup of strong coffee."
I think of a nice cup of tea, freshly brewed and sitting on an empty desk. Daydreams.
We watch the sun fall slowly for a few moments before I offer company for the dreamed drinks.
We leave the outside world to its business and head into the belly of the ship towards the canteen. We pass Will as we enter, talking to members of Gerard's crew.
"Magnus." He calls when he notices me.
"Will." I signal I've heard and for him to come over to the drinks stand with us.
He bids his farewell to the crew members and joins us as I make myself my beloved tea.
"I've just heard from Abbey, via Mal, unofficial of course, that something's been found out in the denser mountains, towards the desert." I nod, he continues. "It doesn't look like SCIU planned to share it with outsiders but it looks like it could be the missing vampires. Maybe we should check it out? You know, before SCIU get there and cause world war three."
The thought scares me because I know how true it could be but I don't show it. I turn to Gerard.
"I'm with young Zimmerman." he says. "We should investigate promptly. Perhaps I could persuade yourselves and our resident vampire to lead the team?"
I smile at the hint.
"I was going to ask anyway."
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I pull my jacket closed, the heat from the desert has faded and now it's quite chilly. Beside me Will is shivering.
"You alright there Will?" I ask.
"Fine. Just got cold quickly."
Our guide, Nigella, passes him her spare set of gloves. Will nods thanks.
"My readings say we're close to the outlaying signatures." She informs us as she studies what appears to be her phone. I walk to her side to see for myself.
"You can get an app for anything nowadays." I say as she shows me the screen.
She laughs. "You really can."
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We head up into the mountains, the maps we have tell us there's a valley soon.
"Wow." Will and Nigella pause at the bend. I reach them and stare at the scene ahead.
"They worked fast." Will says without turning away.
"Golden Age remember children." Tesla says, walking straight past. I follow, not wanting to leave him alone just yet, two types of worry running through me.
"Remember what happened a few days ago, Nikola. We don't know what kind of greeting we'll get."
"Not good if the Praxian greeting was anything to go by." Will adds, joining us.
I shudder internally at the suggestion.
We walk towards the young vampiris city cautiously. It doesn't take long before we're noticed. I wonder as we walk whether they knew about us before we reached the valley.
We halt just short of the settlement's boundary.
"Hello." Tesla says in his usual cheerful manner.
It takes a moment and then one of the watching figures joins us, another stands nearby within earshot.
"Greetings, humans and... bloodkin?" The vampire says. "My name is Theraus."
I smile and bow my head in polite greeting. Beside me Will and Nigella decide to take it a bit further and actually bow their torsos slightly to Theraus. Tesla merely repeats my gesture.
"Hello Theraus, my name is Helen." I say, hand to chest. "And this is Nikola." I indicate, he waves. "Will." He nods. "And Nigella." She smiles and nods shakily.
"May we enter your lovely settlement?" I ask as politely as I can.
Theraus seems to consider us for a moment before he answer. "Yes. Follow me."
We do as he asks.
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"We are aware they are some differences since our sleep began." Theraus is saying.
We're sat in a new building that I would happily call a senate. It's empty except for us, Theraus and four other vampires introduced as Hira, Medusa, Kronus and Harus.
"Yes, there have been many that I'm aware of." Tesla agrees. I nod confirmation.
"Tell us, what are you? You smell of vampiris blood but do not seem to be one of our kind." Medusa asks.
I smile at the female vampire. "In my youth, myself and four friends experimented with source blood. Vampire blood." I add for clarification. "We each developed different results. I found myself with the gift of longevity, whereas Nikola, here, found his vampiris heritage was awoken."
She nods and returns to merely watching the conversation.
"Do you know what has occurred to our queen, Afina?" This time it is Harus who speaks.
Tesla looks to me and I shift uncomfortably.
"I-" Tesla cuts me off. "There was an incident with a map to Praxis." He tells the listening vampires. "It was rigged to explode when accessed in the vicinity of a vampire or those of vampiris blood."
Theraus closes his eyes, as do the other vampires. He sighs. "That is unfortunate." He says at last.
"How did this incident occur?" Harus again.
This time I don't let Tesla speak for me. "It was me." I admit. "I offered her the map in exchange for humanity and all other sentient life on the surface of earth. And also for myself."
Theraus' expression is hard when he looks at me. "Explain." He orders.
"Afina was determined to rule again. We couldn't allow it." Tesla says.
"We did try reason, explanations, but to no use. She shared her plans with us but I assume that was because she intended to kill us."
"She actually tried to kill me." Tesla adds. "Because I a 'mongrel.'"
"That is no reason." Hira states. It's the first time she has spoken.
"There is no reason to reduce stock when your numbers are low." Medusa agrees.
"We must consider the consequences of your actions." Theraus tells us. "But before we ask you to leave, please do tell us of your full reasons for coming here."
"The human race has found its feet after, the fall of the, vampires who followed Afina's brother. We believe attempts to return to what was normal for both races will only lead to war."
Theraus seems interested, less angry.
Tesla continues. "There are groups within the human governments who will most likely try to impose human ways upon you." There was a grunt of disapproval, most likely from Kronus. "We came here today to reach you before they come looking. To ask you to consider a compromise between our two races."
Tesla turns to look at me. "Helen, here, has been leading the fight for non-humans to live alongside humans in peace. I'm sure with her experience of dealing with these humans we can come to some sort of agreement."
Tesla stops talking and we wait hopefully.
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AN: I finally persuaded them to leave the ship! And they've found Afina's vampires. Now what...
