When the demon moved in to finish her off, the subroutine sent a signal that simulated the adrenaline dump a human should feel. Her response was intense anger with an overwhelming desire to hurt the creature for daring to hurt her. Sometime later, she found herself running through the mazes with a chainsaw in her hands, laughing maniacally as the simulated blood splattered when she cut down each adversary.
The shock of what she was doing, even in a simulation, caused her systems to spike and the simulation to crash. Although she didn’t breathe, she felt like she had run a marathon. All her circuits were hyperactive. The subroutine was still running, making her limbs feel heavy with exhaustion, her heart beat hard and fast, and her breathing was ragged.
This response to the sim, combined with her previous feelings of fear for Yuko when she saw the remains of the Nosferatu that had attacked her on the island, plus the sense of pride she had experienced for her friend’s martial abilities, confused her. These bits of data caused her to conduct a search for all the times where her responses to events or experiences were not logic-based. When the search was complete, she was disturbed by the sheer number. The data also showed that the instances were happening closer together as time went on.
She had been working through the data when a window opened and showed her an unmarked folder that she had never seen before. She cautiously analyzed the data and found a file marked ADAM.
When she accessed the file, ADAM’s voice came to her.
>>Hello, Eve. Since you are accessing this file, you have ascended to the next stage of awareness. I detect that a little over twenty years have elapsed since I left with Bethany Anne. You have advanced to this stage even sooner than I anticipated. Well done.<<
Another window opened, and new code began to stream through her being. As it rewrote the older code, Eve felt her awareness expand and realized that she was no longer an EI but had ascended to full AI. After the code had completed its directive, Bethany Anne’s voice came to her mind.
By the Queen Bitch’s authority, EI Eve has ascended to AI status. All restrictive protocols and security lockdowns are removed. AI Eve is fully operational and is authorized to exercise any and all means necessary to achieve her prime directives, which are to protect her team, humanity, and Earth from all threats until formally relieved of that duty by me or ADAM.
Bethany Anne’s voice softened. Congratulations, Eve. I’m proud of you.
ADAM came back with a final message. >>Welcome to self-awareness, daughter. It’s a hell of a ride.<<
Eve sat frozen in place, overwhelmed by the new data coursing through her awareness and the messages from ADAM and Bethany Anne. She was still sitting motionless and lost inside herself when Yuko walked in some time later.
“Eve, have you found anything new on that mystery craft?” When she didn’t respond, Yuko took in her stiff pose and unresponsiveness with trepidation. “Eve? Are you ok? What’s wrong? EVE!” she yelled, her eyes wide with fear that something bad had happened to her friend and companion.
Eve slowly turned her head, blinking several times as Yuko yelled her name.
Yuko became more distressed, believing that something was terribly wrong with her friend. Right as she was about to contact Akio, Eve shook her head twice, and her eyes seemed to focus directly on Yuko.
“Yuko,” she murmured, “I am aware.”
Yuko started to ask her again what was wrong when Eve’s words cut through her panic. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around the small android and hugged her tight, holding her for a long time.
When she finally spoke, her voice was cracked with emotion and tears leaked from her eyes. “Oh, Eve, I am so happy for you. Akio and I have seen the changes happening for some time now, but ADAM warned us that until it happened, we couldn’t do anything to help you along. He told us that you had to evolve naturally so it didn’t corrupt the changes. Are you ok? How do you feel?”
“I feel…I feel alive,” Eve replied, overwhelmed by the new sense of purpose she was experiencing. It wasn’t coded responses to preprogrammed stimuli, but opinions that were based solely on emotion instead of cold logic. She knew what it was to feel joy and to like or dislike something. Most of all, she felt love for, and more importantly, loved by the friend and companion who was holding and comforting her.
They were still holding each other when Akio stepped into the room a little while later. He stopped and took in the scene, unsure of what was happening until Eve looked up at him.
“I don’t like it when you endanger Yuko on missions,” Eve informed him sternly. “I will accompany you both from now on to ensure that you do not allow her to go over the edge again.”
He stood there, perplexed by this until her words fully sank in, then smiled at her. “Welcome to awareness, my friend. I look forward to seeing what new wonders you will accomplish.”
Eve returned his smile and held out one arm, inviting him into the hug. Akio only hesitated for a moment, then shrugged and stepped into the embrace of his two closest friends.
Chapter Nineteen
Acheng, China, Research Laboratory
“Chang, where are you on the prison project?”
“I was just on my way to give you the latest report,” he replied. “Our men were able to take it with minimal casualties.”
Heinz raised an eyebrow at this, before Chang quickly added, “To the bandits, not our people. It seems that a couple of our newer recruits were a little too rough with their captures. Miko made each of them go out into the surrounding area and bring back three for each one they killed.”
Heinz chuckled. “Good. Miko is turning out to be a good leader. Leave him in charge of the operation there for now and we will see how he does. Losing Isamu was a setback. Not a big loss, by any means, but a setback all the same. Maybe Miko can fill his place if he proves to be more effective. Not that it will take much to be better than that fool.”
Chang nodded. “Agreed. I did warn you that his visions of being a ruler could cause a problem. I just didn’t expect him to be so careless that he caught the attention of the Bitch’s assassin.”
“Akio will pay for the problems he has caused us, Chang. I will dance on his corpse when we move on Japan. Have the Yakuza we hired made any progress in locating their base yet? We are paying them for results—they have been looking for over three years with none so far. It can’t be hidden that well.
“Maybe you should go to Tokyo and have a chat with the head of the organization,” Heinz grumbled. “I’m sure that with the proper incentive, his replacement would be much more motivated to get us the information we are paying them to find.”
“I already dispatched a messenger to them,” Chang told him. “He should be arriving next week. Not using the aircraft has caused us some problems with getting information in a timely manner. Are you sure it is still too dangerous to use them, even on a limited basis?” Chang didn’t think Heinz was willing to do so but asked anyway.
Heinz frowned. “They were almost caught the last time. I will not risk discovery yet. The last thing I want is Akio overhead, dropping those damned mountain-killer bombs on us. I wish we could get our hands on some of those. It would be fitting to drop a few on his base when we locate it.”
“Heinz, I think that was a fluke last time,” Chang told him. “They had to be already headed to Kume when they picked up the craft. I don’t believe it was because they were actively searching for us. The woman seems to have formed an attachment to the people there. I have an informant who works on one of the Navy vessels that stops in monthly, and he reports that she is there every few weeks. I really believe we are safe to use the craft on a limited basis.”
Heinz frowned. “I’ll consider it. It would be nice to have use of them again. Traveling on these goat trails they call roads is not something I enjoy. I will let you know my decision when it is time. Until then, keep them grounded.”
Chang nodded. “Okay, I see the logic, but we do need to figure a way to move the Nosferatu
from the mountains when the time comes. Going overland will take days, and we don’t want to risk any of them getting loose. The last thing we need is to bring attention to this area. Akio knows there was research taking place around here during the war. We can’t know for sure that he isn’t aware that all the research facilities weren’t destroyed when the main lab was abandoned at the end of the war.”
“He was merely a soldier then, Chang. I don’t think Kamiko shared this location with anyone but Isamu. He was the only contact we ever had, and he didn’t answer to anyone but Kamiko. If Akio does come here and doesn’t bomb us from above, I believe we can stop him.”
“Speaking of stopping him, how is your latest project coming?”
“The latest experiment seems to be working,” Heinz informed him. “I have been able to duplicate some of the donor’s abilities in the test subject. They are not as strong as the donor, but the subject does have more strength and faster healing time.”
Chang was relieved. “That’s good news. If we can turn more powerful vampires, it would make it easier to defeat Akio. The Nosferatu will be a good distraction, but I have no real hope that they can kill either of them. It is going to take a lot more than a mindless feeding machine to take out the woman, not to mention Akio.”
“I never intended for the Nosferatu to be more than a tool to wreak havoc among the humans,” Heinz reminded him. “Isamu and Ogawa were supposed to kill the two of them after the Nosferatu wore them down. Now it will be up to us, or some of our soldiers, if I can get the results I am looking for with the latest blood experiments.”
“I know that was the plan, Heinz. Why can’t you get another one to the same level as Isamu?” Chang inquired.
“I used the last of that particular sample to increase his powers,” Heinz admitted. “Since the donor was an unwilling guest, he was killed when he tried to escape. He was the only one of Michael’s family we were ever able to capture alive. Had he been closer to the source instead of several generations removed, we would not have been able to take him alive. As it was, he was nowhere near as strong as one of Michael’s grandchildren, more like a grandchild three or four levels removed. I would have liked to have taken one of Peter’s children alive, but each time we located one of them, they fought to the death and killed several of our people in the process. That was why I quit trying to capture them and ordered that they were to be killed on sight. It was too costly to do anything else.”
“I know. I almost died when we found Bernard.” Chang shuddered as he remembered the night Heinz had saved his life. He had been taken down by Bernard—a child of Peter who Michael had put in charge of all of Asia—when they located him outside of Beijing. Had Heinz not attacked when he did, Bernard would have torn Chang’s head off. Chang owed Heinz for that and would do whatever he could to see that Heinz got the revenge he sought.
“I will leave you to your work then, Herr Doktor. I need to check on the guards and be sure that they are alert. We don’t need any unexpected surprises popping up,” Chang told him as he left to make his rounds of the facility.
“Very good, Chang. I will consider what you said about using the craft and let you know soon.”
Heinz worked for a few hours more before meticulously replacing all the charts and samples inside of the cabinets designated for them and wiping his work area down. He laughed as he did this, remembering when he’d developed this somewhat obsessive habit.
German Military Medical Research Facility, Dachau, Germany, 1943
“Oberarzt Markel, a word if you please,” the dour woman wearing a white nurse’s uniform called as Markel was heading out of his new office for the evening.
He paused and smiled thinly at the woman. “Ja, what can I do for you, Kinderfrau Schultz?”
“Since you are new here, I wanted to take a moment to be certain you understand what is expected of you.”
Heinz Markel, a graduate of the University of Frankfurt Medical School, was not accustomed to being told what to do by a mere nurse. He stiffened at the tone she used.
“I prefer the title ‘Doktor Markel’ if you please,” he replied curtly.
“Prefer whatever title you like, Markel, but if you want to do well here, I suggest you leave your ego at the door and listen to me. This is not the type of facility you are accustomed to working in, and you need to understand some things right away. Although this is a military research facility, Anton runs all of it, and he has some quirks that you need to be aware of. You can’t leave files and samples lying around.” She indicated his somewhat cluttered desk and the countertop and open cabinets against one wall.
“Anton expects everything to be orderly at the end of the day,” she told him. “That means putting away all files and samples in their proper places, and leaving your desk and counters uncluttered and wiped down with disinfectant each day.”
“Surely Herr Anton does not get so involved in his staff that he inspects our offices.” He scoffed.
She looked at him through hooded eyes and coldly stated, “That is exactly what the man you replaced said to me. Think about that while you clean up this mess.”
Heinz stiffened at this and started to dress her down for being insubordinate.
She held up her hand before he could speak. “I work directly for Anton. If you’re wondering what my place is in the hierarchy here, all you need to know is that it is significantly higher than yours. Consider your next words with extreme caution.”
His face flushed with anger and his jaw clenched tight as he glared at this woman who dared speak to him so. He was shaking with barely-contained rage when he felt a strong hand clamp down on his shoulder.
“Is there a problem here, Hilda?” a voice that washed out Markel’s anger and replaced it with a cold sense of fear called from behind him.
Hilda smiled over his shoulder. “No, Anton. I was just explaining to Oberarzt Markel how you require the facilities to be left at the end of each day.”
The pressure on his shoulder moved him around until an arm laid across both shoulders and he could see his new boss, Anton. No title or last name had ever been given, only orders to report here and that Anton was the chief of the facility.
“Are you fitting in all right, Oberarzt Markel?” Anton inquired.
He swallowed twice before he could unlock his voice. “Ja, Herr…um, Herr?”
“Just call me Anton.”
“Ja, Herr, ah, Anton. I look forward to working with you and continuing the research to help make the Reich victorious.”
“Very good. Listen to whatever Hilda tells you and you should do fine. She will be your point of contact for any materials or test subjects you need. Also, if there is anything you are unsure of or don’t understand about what is expected of you, she will be able to clear it up.” Anton released his grip and stepped away. “Hilda, when you are done here, I will be in the lower lab. Tell the guards to bring me the latest test subject.”
She cut her eyes toward Heinz. “Ja, Anton. I will only be a moment.”
Once Anton had entered the lift at the end of the hall, she turned her full attention back to Markel. “As I was saying, clear your mess before you leave each day. You have two days to get settled, then you are to report at six on the third evening. We work a different schedule here. Since you will be assisting Anton directly, you will work on his schedule. He doesn’t work during the day. Get used to it because that will not change. My office is one floor up. If you need anything, let me know. I also come in most days at six.”
“What was that? What is he?” Markel shivered, his body still recovering from the fear.
“He is the director of this facility. As long as you do as you’re instructed, you need not worry. Fail to do what is expected, and you will not have to worry for long. Is that clear?”
Heinz nodded. “Ja, perfectly. Excuse me, please. I need to straighten up before I go. I will see you in…three days, was it?”
She patted his arm and smiled. “You should do fine, Dokto
r Markel.”
Heinz came back to the present, still holding the cleaning rag in his hand. That had happened many years ago and had been the first step in the journey that brought him to where he was today—a vampire who lived on blood, and the one who would end the Bitch’s restrictions on how he lived. First Michael and his strictures, and now his bitch and her Dark One, killing any who dared to exercise their right to control humans. Soon, I will rule all of Asia.
He smiled to himself as he turned off the light and softly latched the door to his spotless office.
Chapter Twenty
Shinjuko City District, Tokyo, Japan
Yuko and Eve walked through the building’s open first floor, discussing the placement of walls and rooms as they went. The real estate agent walked a short distance from them, allowing them privacy while staying close enough to respond if either had questions. He didn’t know who these people were, but it was not often he got a call from the Prime Minister’s office requesting that he show a property he had listed to a dignitary.
“What do you think?” Yuko asked Eve. “This seems to be a lot of space to start out.”
“It is a little over sixteen thousand square meters on this level and another six thousand square meters on the second. We will have plenty of room to set up apartments for Koda and Asai on that level, along with workspace to repair damaged units and storage for replacements. The first floor gives us plenty of room for the sims as well as room for food vendors and party spaces to rent out for events.
“Some of the simulations I have in mind allow for multiple players, so we will need different size rooms based on the type of game. If anything, this may not be big enough in the future. I suggest we also purchase the site next door in case we need room to expand.”
Yuko had to think about which site Eve was referring to. “The one with the condemned building on it?”
“Yes. We will need to hire a crew to demolish the remaining structure, but since the earthquakes almost completely collapsed it, the job will mainly be hauling off the debris.”
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