by Bekka Black
Text from Alphonse Frankenstein to Victor Frankenstein
October 30
5:54 PM
Alphonse
Victor, I don’t know what you’re up to, but please call me. I know you don’t believe it, but I care very much about you. Please, let’s talk.
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
October 30
6:16 PM
Victor
In a truck 20 minutes out from Brussels airport.
Henry
U ok?
Victor
Burnt hands. Broken ankle. Ok
Henry
How did u get out?
Victor
Broke thru the wall with a chair. Jumped on the windmill’s sail and rode it to the ground
Henry
Like an action hero!
Victor
Busted my ankle when I landed. Not heroic. Painful
Henry
Where’s Elizabeth?
Victor
Book me first flight from Brussels to Bodo, Norway. She’s on the ship
Henry
How will I pay?
Victor
I have cash
Henry
Where’s V.V?
Victor
In my backpack. Laptop’s off. Battery out
Henry
Wireless?
Victor
I took out the wireless card on the last plane with a pen. Like Macgyver
Henry
Is he trapped?
Victor
Hope so
Henry
Can u really be sure? He’s been a step ahead of u the whole game, Victor
Victor
Book flight. Elizabeth sent this picture. Study picture for clues. Gotta go
Text from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
October 30
6:36 PM
Henry
SAS Flight 1874. 7:15. Arrive 11:40. Layover in Oslo
Victor
Nothing direct?
Henry
Nope. It took a lot of work to get that one on such short notice
Victor
Thanks, Henry
Henry
Can u make it?
Victor
Will keep u posted
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
October 30
7:12 PM
Victor
On flight. Think on picture
Henry
U don’t know where she is?
Victor
Only V.V knew
Henry
What do we do?
Victor
Study the picture. The painting is called “Cemetery in Snow.” Caspar David Friedrich painted it
Henry
He died in 1840, painted Cemetery in Snow between 1817 and 1819
Victor
Thanks! Keep thinking
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Alphonse Frankenstein
October 30
7:13 PM
Victor
Dad, I’m in trouble. But I can’t call right now
Alphonse
What can I do?
Victor
Tell ship’s security that Elizabeth is on the ship somewhere, or I hope she is. She was kidnapped
Alphonse
Kidnapped?
Victor
Long story. Please just do it. Trust me. It’s serious
Alphonse
I want an explanation.
Victor
As soon as I can. Please promise me u’ll start a search now
Alphonse
I will.
Victor
Have them start with cabins 1840, 1817, 1818, 1819
Alphonse
Why?
Victor
Caspar David Friedrich died in 1840 + he painted Cemetery in Snow 1817-1819
Alphonse
You are worrying me, Victor.
Victor
Good. Don’t text her phone. The man who has it will know u’r looking for her. Would be bad
Alphonse
I’ll start the search now.
7:17 PM
Victor? Are you still there?
Text from Alphonse Frankenstein to Victor Frankenstein
October 30
7:49 PM
Alphonse
Security mobilized. Lydia hysterical. Please don’t be pranking me, son.
Victor
Thanks, Dad. I’m on a plane to Oslo, then Bodo. I’ll meet the ship there
Alphonse
A plane to Oslo? What the hell are you doing there?
Victor
Trying to save Elizabeth’s life. Have they found her?
Alphonse
No. She’s not in those cabins you mentioned, nor is she in hers or anyplace else we’ve looked.
Victor
Have to shut off phone now. Flight attendant crabby
Text from Alphonse Frankenstein to Victor Frankenstein
October 30
9:00 PM
Alphonse
Police will meet you at the gate and give you a charter flight to Bodo.
Victor
Elizabeth?
Alphonse
No news. But you’ll be here soon, as soon as that charter can get you here.
Victor
Thanks, Dad, for coming through
Alphonse
That’s my job, even if you don’t always see me doing it.
October 31 - Doorway to death?
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
October 31
12:04 AM
Victor
No news. Dad got me a charter to the boat. I’m here now. Everyone’s searching
Henry
No luck?
Victor
There must be a clue in that picture
Henry
But what clue?
Victor
She also said “Because I’m close to this” What do you think it means?
Henry
Cemetery in snow. Shovels. Gateway to death
Victor
Doorway to death!!!! Doorway of death! U’re a genius!
Henry
I am?
Victor
Remember the Queen Mary? The Death Door?
Henry
The engine room. Door 13
Victor
I’m on it. Will let u know
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
October 31
1:02 AM
Elizabeth
I’m ok, Henry!
Henry
What happened?
Elizabeth
I was locked up in storeroom 13 near the engine room
Henry
R u ok now?
Elizabeth
I might never be able to sleep in a dark room again. Otherwise, ok
Henry
Leave the lights on as long as u need to. Did he hurt u?
Elizabeth
He scared me half to death, but he didn’t do anything else. I think he had orders from V.V to wait
Henry
I’m glad u r ok. How’s Victor?
Elizabeth
Looks like crap. Details later. Gotta go
Text from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
October 31
1:12 AM
Henry
Is she really ok?
Victor
She’s really shook up, but she doesn’t seem to be hurt at all
Henry
So she’s ok?
Victor
Near as I can tell
Henry
How about u?
Victor
Am typing this with two fingers. Otherwise, ok
Henry
As a former quadriplegic, I can tell u it could be worse
Victor
Do I at least get points for fixing that problem?
Henry
&nbs
p; U get points. U’ll see
Victor
Henry, u r creeping me out. U sound like V.V
Henry
And why do u suppose that might be?
Victor
R u messing with me?
Henry
:) Take good care of Elizabeth. Miss u both! Glad it didn’t end in tears after all
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
October 31
10:47 AM
Full details
Thanks for knowing that Mary Wollstonecraft message came from me. I didn’t dare use my own phone because I knew V.V was monitoring it. Thanks to you, I had Waldmann’s Ingolstadt virus and I stuck it into E.E’s code.
The virus pulled V.V down into the laptop the second he started reading E.E’s code. Once I knew he was in, I yanked the Ethernet cable out of the back. With no wireless, he was trapped in there. He knew it too.
He threatened us all and set the windmill on fire. I got out, got to the first plane to Oslo.
Dad chartered me a plane from Oslo so I didn’t have to wait for the Bodo flight. Hard to believe, huh, since he’s usually so cheap about stuff like that. I called Dad from the plane and he started crying on the phone. My dad. I’ve never heard him so busted up, not even when Mom died. He does care.
As soon as I got on the Walton, I convinced the security guys to go to the engine room and try door 13. They thought I was nuts, but nobody had any better ideas. They slammed the door open and jumped on this scary dude inside. Felix Kirwin, the one V.V recruited. Elizabeth was sitting in the corner right in front of a web cam. I think Felix dumped her in front of the camera so V.V could keep an eye on her.
I spent hours explaining things to the police. They don’t believe V.V was alive, of course. They think Felix Kirwin was a hacker who convinced us that V.V was alive so he could grab Elizabeth.
Legally, that lets me off the hook, but morally I know that I did this. Just to see if I could. I didn’t expect it to go down like it did, but I didn’t think about it in advance either. I made a monster and let it go, just for fun. And it almost killed Elizabeth and me and who knows how many people. I know I got very, very lucky.
After security let me go, I went on deck and tossed Dad’s laptop into the waves. Now no one can ever create another V.V from it. Dad saw me do it and he didn’t even freak out. He just stood there staring at me. Then he hugged me and offered to buy me a new laptop.
He’s been really cool about this whole thing. I don’t think he believes me, but he’s backed me all the way anyway. That’s been the best thing to come out of this whole mess, except for you walking again.
Anyway, I told him I don’t want another laptop, not for a long while. I’m going to really unplug for the rest of the trip. So don’t expect any more emails from me. Or even texts. It’s all going to be real life and, dare I say it, nature. I hope I don’t get struck by lightning again or fall into a geyser in Iceland.
I haven’t told Elizabeth about your feelings for her, but I promise not to venture out of the realm of “just friends” with her until we’re all back in California and it’s a fair fight. There’s no one I’d rather lose her to than you. Not that I think I won’t win. Because I will. :)
See you when we get home, Henry!
Vic
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Elizabeth Lavenza
October 31
1:20 PM
Victor
Stop texting. I’m right next to u
Elizabeth
I see u
Victor
Then meet me IRL
Elizabeth
Finally
Biography
After a childhood often spent without electricity and running water, Bekka escaped the beautiful wilderness of Talkeetna, Alaska for indoor plumbing and 24/7 electricity in Berlin, Germany. Used to the cushy lifestyle, she discovered the Internet in college and has been wasting time on it ever since (when not frittering away her time on her iPhone). Somehow, she manages to write novels, including the award-winning Hannah Vogel mystery series set, in all places, 1930s Berlin. The series has received numerous starred reviews and the first book, A Trace of Smoke, was chosen as a Writer’s Digest Notable debut.
She lives in Berlin (again!) with her husband and son.
Other Works
As Bekka Black
iDrakula
As Rebecca Cantrell
A Trace of Smoke
A Night of Long Knives
A Game of Lies
A City of Broken Glass
The Blood Gospel (with James Rollins)
On writing
Making Story: 21 Writers on how they plot
Now Write! Mysteries: Suspense, Crime, Thriller, and Other Mystery Fiction Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers
First Thrills (anthology)
Table of Contents
iFrankenstein
Table of Contents
October 22 - The ship sets sail
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Victor Frankenstein
Henry's Browser
Henry's Browser
Victor's Phone Notes
Victor's Browser
Elizabeth's Browser
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Text from Alphonse Frankenstein to Victor Frankenstein
October 23 - Victor releases the crawler
Elizabeth's Browser
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Lydia Lavenza
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Victor Frankenstein
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Text from Alphonse Frankenstein to Victor Frankenstein
Email from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
October 24 - Elizabeth tours Amsterdam on her own
Elizabeth's Browser
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Text from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
October 25 - Victor starts the AI analysis
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Lydia Lavenza
Text from Lydia Lavenza to Elizabeth Lavenza
Text from Alphonse Frankenstein to Victor Frankenstein
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Email from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
October 26 - Virtual Victor (V.V.) is alive!
Elizabeth's Browser
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Alphonse Frankenstein to Victor Frankenstein
Robot Chat
Text from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
Robot Chat
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Henry's Browser
Henry's Browser
Robot Chat
October 27 - Victor gets hacked
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Robot Chat
Text from Lydia Lavenza to Elizabeth Lavenza
Email from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Henry Clerval to Elizabeth Lavenza
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Victor's Browser
Robot Chat
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Robot Chat
Text from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
Email from Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein to Victor Frankenstein
October 28 - Victor gets an email from his dead mother
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Elizabeth's Browser
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
Robot Chat
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Text from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Robot Chat
Text from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
Robot Chat
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Alphonse Frankenstein to Victor Frankenstein
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Robot Chat
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
October 29 - V.V. is like nothing seen before
Elizabeth's Browser
Text from Henry Clerval to Elizabeth Lavenza
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Victor Frankenstein
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Elizabeth Lavenza
Elizabeth's Browser
Email from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Email from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
Henry's Browser
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Email from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein
Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Henry's Browser
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Email from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval
Email from Henry Clerval to Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Robot Chat
Robot Chat
Robot Chat
Email from Virtual Victor to Felix Kirwin
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval
