Reprisal

by Charles Tillman

  Both crewmen paled, knowing that Heinz would not hesitate to do that or worse to them.

  Chang took a few deep breaths to calm his temper before he continued, “Did you at least find out what happened to Isamu and Ogawa? Or were you equally inept at performing that task as well?”

  The crewman inhaled deeply to calm his fear and launched into his report, consciously keeping it short and concise as he knew from previous experience that was what Chang expected. “There was no sign of Isamu or any of the others. We hailed them on the radio as planned but didn’t receive a response. There were signs of rebuilding on the island, and many villagers were out working the fields and around the town. The last time we were there, this was not the case. It can only be assumed that Akio found out what Isamu was doing and killed all of them. Otherwise, I don’t see how the islanders could be rebuilding. Isamu was supposed to have turned all of them to Nosferatu by now to be on schedule for the raid planned when the Bitch’s assassin’s base is located.”

  Chang’s face darkened in anger. “Go secure your craft. Do not speak to anyone else about any of this. Go. Get out of my sight before I kill you myself.” He turned and stalked away from the visibly terrified crewmen, heading down to the lower levels where Heinz kept his labs.

  I need to talk to Heinz so we can figure out what our next step is, Chang thought as he approached the lab. I told him that Isamu was unstable and not the person for this. His fantasy of being Sho Mitsuro endangered the mission with his play-acting all those months. He should have just turned them and got ready for the attack, which was probably a big part of why he failed.

  “Heinz, the crew I sent to Kume has returned,” Chang called as he walked into the lab unannounced. “Isamu did not answer, and they report that the islanders seem to be rebuilding. It can only mean that Sho Mitsuro failed us.”

  Disdain dripped from his voice as he uttered the name. “They also reported that another craft in the area gave chase. They believe they lost it, but if it was the Dark One, we might be compromised.”

  Heinz growled as he stood, knocking his chair over in a clatter. “Put the patrols out and secure the base. If Akio comes here, I want him taken down.”

  “Already done,” Chang informed him. “The Were soldiers are out patrolling now. Dieter leads them. I have recalled Miko and his group as well. Twenty wolves and our enhanced vampires should be able to take him if he comes here.”

  Heinz grimaced as he stalked around the lab. “I want them watching around the clock. Akio can walk in the sun, so have the Weres maintain watch during the day.”

  Chang watched Heinz warily as he continued to storm about, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes glowing red.

  “That idiot Isamu, this has to be his doing. I should have listened to you when you had concerns about his idiotic plan. I didn’t think him taking a little time to practice conquering a small island before we sent him on his true mission would lead to such a colossal failure. Now, we need to start over with that part of the plan.” Heinz snarled as he slammed his fist onto the metal desk, leaving a deep dent in its top.

  “This has set us back a few months, but we can gather the humans we need to rebuild our Nosferatu numbers from the small villages in the mountains here,” Chang reasoned. “We will need a place to hold them until we’re ready to strike. That was the brilliance of using Kume—it was far enough from a major population that there was little chance of anyone finding out until we were ready to move onto the next phase. I suppose there are other islands closer to the Chinese coast we can use although it will make the transport time longer.

  “Yes, start gathering the humans. I have a location we can use until we’re ready. For that matter, the location already has people we can use to get started.” Heinz stood silent for a moment as he considered. “Yes, that would be perfect.”

  “What are you thinking?” Chang prompted when he said no more.

  “There is an old military prison in the mountains roughly a few hundred kilometers northwest of here. A local bandit has set himself up as a warlord and is using it for his base. Between the people he has there and whatever prisoners he has taken as hostages, that should give us a good start on what we need. I will give you the location, and you can send out a group to scout the area for us. I was thinking of using it before I let Isamu convince me that the island was the way to go. It is deep in the mountains and will provide the secrecy and protection needed as we build our ranks. Then, when it is time, we will unleash hell on Tokyo and end the Bitch’s people. Our Nosferatu will strike terror in the hearts of the Japanese who allowed themselves to be defeated in the war.”

  Chang hid his grimace. Heinz’s obsession with punishing Japan for losing the war was as bad as Isamu’s delusion of being a king. “When you are ready to proceed, give me the location and I will send some troops to get the information we need. Then we can take the next step in securing our rightful place as rulers over these pitiful humans.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  TQB Base, Tokyo, Japan

  Eve made a final adjustment on a large puck-shaped device. “Akio, I have modified the sensors in the drones. They will be ready to launch in a few hours. I expanded their frequency range and hope I can break whatever masked that mystery craft.”

  It looked to Akio like an oversized puck at first glance, but closer scrutiny revealed it was comprised of hundreds of pea-sized drones linked together like young spiders riding their mother’s back.

  “I haven’t seen that design before. How does it work?” Akio asked as he looked closely at the unit.

  “The drones attach to the delivery vehicles until they are ready to deploy,” Eve explained. “Each vehicle carries enough drones to provide a surveillance network covering roughly twenty-five square kilometers. I have completed enough of them to blanket a two hundred kilometer area surrounding where I last detected the craft. They can move very fast for short distances and can attach themselves to other objects. I can track the signals from here, but it isn’t strong enough to give us anything except a location if it gets too far from its transport.

  “The transports can follow and move additional drones to the area as needed. The transports also serve as a relay for whatever information the drones record. In addition to this, they have some stealth capabilities. The bodies are capable of limited color changes to blend in with the surrounding environment.”

  “That’s brilliant, Eve,” Yuko told her as she stepped into the android’s workspace.

  Eve smiled at the praise as she nodded to Yuko.

  “Do the drones have any offensive capabilities?” Akio inquired.

  “No,” Eve replied. “You can send a Pod in with pucks if that is needed, but I am not able to design offensive weapons without one of you specifically requesting it. My programming does not allow me to take a life except when performing my prime directive of protecting Yuko, you, or the base from an immediate threat.”

  Akio paused and thought for a moment. “How difficult would it be to give the drones some offensive capabilities?”

  Eve responded immediately. “They could be made a little larger and equipped with a more powerful Etheric power source. If the power source was overloaded, it would create a significant explosion. I would need to reconfigure the size-to-weight ratio to keep them small enough to remain stealthy but large enough to deliver a big enough blast to do some damage. Multiple units could be linked together to inflict greater damage if needed.”

  “That could be an effective counter if we are not able to track the craft again. Please work on the design to give us those capabilities,” Akio directed. “I think we will need every advantage we can get before this is over.”

  Eve nodded. “I will work up the design and get the new units into production. Until they’re ready, I think I can figure out a way to use the larger power supply in the transport vehicle to give you limited offense. It will require getting one of them close enough to do damage. They were not designed with that in mind and don�
�t have the ability to lock onto objects like the drones.”

  “Whatever you can do until the new units are designed is better than nothing. I feel that there was more to Isamu’s actions on Kume than we currently know. I want us ready for whatever comes,” he added as he left the room.

  “Eve, I still think what you did here is amazing,” Yuko told her. “I do agree with Akio that we may need more offensive capabilities, but I am certain you will come up with an equally brilliant design for that as well.”

  “Thank you, Yuko. I will not let either of you down.”

  Yuko smiled. “Now that we have that settled. Have you been able to give any more thought about the business I asked you about to help the people on Kume?”

  Eve grinned and beckoned her to follow. She led Yuko into a larger room adjacent to her lab and motioned toward a pedestal sunk into an alcove in the wall.

  Yuko inspected the device. It consisted of two wires coming out of the pedestal that ended in a set of goggles attached to a pullover cap, for lack of a better description. The goggles were connected by a strap that could be adjusted to the user’s face and covered both eyes. The inside of each was lined with small silver dots that she could not fathom the purpose of. “What is it?”

  “You’re holding the prototype for a virtual reality simulator,” Eve announced. “We discussed a business that centered around entertainment, and we talked about something like the old video games. I found some files that ADAM had loaded of some things that were in development before the WWDE. They were for a full-immersion virtual reality experience. The technology in the goggles allowed the user to experience whatever scenario was playing as though they were actually living it.

  “The data ADAM had was for some military applications to train soldiers in different tasks. It had everything from unit combat operations to defusing improvised explosives. The programming was advanced for the time, but the interface was very bulky and uncomfortable. I’ve worked out a way to use the goggles to provide stimulation through the optical and neural pathways to give the user feedback and sensations as though what they are experiencing in the simulation is really happening,” Eve proudly told her.

  Yuko’s mouth fell open. “That’s amazing! Is it safe for humans to use? We can’t put something out there that could harm anyone.”

  “I have tested them as far as possible without a live test. All the data shows that they will not cause any physical harm to the user, but until I can do live testing, I can’t be one hundred percent sure. Would you like to try it?”

  Yuko smirked as she turned the goggles over, examining them. “What kind of scenarios do you have?”

  “So far, I have only loaded a walk along a mountain stream. If you stand on this raised area, it will move as you walk, giving you the feeling that you are walking along the bank of the stream. It is tied into the terrain and will raise or lower to give you the resistance of going up a hill or the ease of going down. There are also some small vents built into the unit that will emit the scents of the forest and some weather conditions to add to the overall experience.”

  Yuko was practically bouncing with excitement. “How do I activate the program?”

  “Put the unit on your head and pull it snug enough that it blocks all outside light. I will give you a countdown and activate the simulation.”

  Yuko pulled the goggles over her eyes and adjusted the straps as instructed. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  “Simulation beginning in five, four, three, two, one.”

  The darkness changed to a softly-lit green screen that filled her vision. Seconds later, it changed to a sunlit path that meandered through a forest of giant redwood trees next to a fast-moving brook. The clear, blue sky showed through the treetops.

  Yuko stood in place as she turned her head from side to side. The scene changed smoothly as she turned, and she felt the sun on her skin and smelled the rich aroma of the forest. She stepped forward, and the scene moved with her as she walked. The path curved and twisted as it wound along the brook, and when she came to an incline, she felt the resistance of climbing it.

  The sights, sounds, and smells added realism to the immersive experience. Birds chittered and chirped as they darted from bush to bush along the edge of the trail. A brightly-colored dragonfly flew so close she felt the breeze its wings created on her face. It zipped past her and hovered low over the surface of the water. Suddenly, there was a big splash as a fish leapt out and caught the insect in midair.

  Yuko walked along, amazed at how real the experience was. From the feel of the sun on her face to the sound of the fast-moving water, there was nothing to indicate that it wasn’t real except the knowledge that she was standing in the base and everything she felt was generated by the simulator.

  She continued to move, experiencing new creatures and smells at each turn. Squirrels ran up the sides of trees, and at one point, a family of otters was playing in a calm eddy in the brook. Yuko hiked along, reveling in the beauty of the scene until Eve’s voice interrupted her journey. “Simulation ending in five, four, three, two, one.” The scene slowly faded back to a solid green screen as the countdown reached one. Yuko stood unmoving for a moment before she slowly reached up and removed the goggles.

  “Eve, that was absolutely amazing. I was there, walking through the forest. I heard the water flow over the stones while watching and listening to the various animals and insects. I smelled the trees and flowers. That was more realistic than some of the creeks and rivers I’ve walked beside in real life. How did you make it so real?”

  “The small dots inside the goggles stimulate your brain to project the scenario components directly into your sensory inputs, causing a physical sensation that mimics the real thing. That is the simple explanation for what the current generated by the goggles does. I can give you the scientific and physiological information if you would like.”

  “No, I am good with the simple answer.” Yuko chuckled. “Are you certain that the device will not harm the user?”

  “I already told you what the calculated risk was. Do you feel any ill effects?” Eve waggled her eyebrows.

  Yuko laughed. “No, I feel…rested, is the best description I can give. It was so peaceful there that I could have stayed much longer. How long was I in the simulation? It felt like it was only a short time.”

  “You were inside for twenty-one minutes and thirty-two seconds from the time of the first countdown to the end of the second.”

  “I can’t believe it. It really seemed like I was there for only a couple of minutes. Do you have any other scenarios done?”

  “So far, I have the one you did and five more that are ready for testing. Three of the others are nature simulations from various locations around the world. One is on a moonlit beach in the tropics. Another is a tour of the pyramids of Egypt, and then there is one where the user experiences a zipline over the Amazon rainforest. The other two are first-person shooter sims that I adopted from the military training. I changed the adversaries to fictional characters I found in some of the old video games that ADAM included in my programming. One was from a game called Doom, and the other is from a version of a very popular game called Halo. I’m also working on some sports and space-based combat sims.”

  “Eve, I think you have a winning idea here. We will need to test them fully to be sure they do not have any ill effects, but I believe we will need to find a location to open the business soon. I was thinking of bringing Koda and Asai over to run it for us. That will give them both a reason to come to Tokyo, which they both said they wanted, and will also allow them to work at something fun that will make profits that will ultimately help their people back home.”

  “That is a logical solution. I am sure both would be more than happy to work in a business that provides entertainment for many while earning the money to improve the conditions back home.”

  “I’m going to call a real estate agent and see what is available. I think a place that is big enough to expand and has room for
apartments for the girls either attached or in proximity would be best. Also close enough that we can slip out and play, too.” Yuko grinned. “I believe we deserve some entertainment time as well.”

  Eve smiled back at Yuko while nodding in complete agreement.

  “Can you hire some people to test the equipment as well as critique the sims for potential popularity, or would you rather that I do it?” Yuko inquired.

  Eve paused as she considered the question. “I can do it. I know a gamer who works at the electronics store where I buy equipment for the base. I’m certain he would be happy to try it and can get some of his gaming friends to help. What true gamer would pass up the opportunity to get paid for playing a game no one else has seen yet?”

  Yuko grinned. “Very well. If you need my help with anything, let me know. This is going to be good.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  TQB Base, Tokyo, Japan

  Eve was monitoring the drones in the command center. A small portion of her processing power was devoted to them, but her main focus was internal. She had run several scans of her systems, looking for any errors that would account for what she had determined was illogical behavior.

  The latest instance had occurred while she was working on the Doom first-person shooter simulation. She had set a subroutine to allow her to feel the impacts on her body as a human would. It also simulated heartbeat, breathing, and fatigue. She wanted to fully test the system for safety before allowing any humans into it, to minimize the risk of injury.

  She had become so caught up in the sim that she actively stalked her opponents instead of simply evaluating the functionality and reality of the game.

  She’d cut a corner in the maze and had come face-to-face with a huge red demon with curved horns sprouting from its head. Before she could react, the beast viciously attacked and threw her into a wall. It hurt.