Facility 53 (2)
Vikki walked past the large fountain into the reception area. The waiting area was a large carpeted room full of soft leather recliners and sofas with massage functions. Large screen TVs adorned the walls with local news stations being broadcast on each. A glass refrigerator in the corner offered refreshments for anyone that had to stay for an extended time. It wasn't inviting, but it was comfortable.
Ignoring all of the distractions, she walked directly toward the main desk.
"Good morning, Miss Copperland," a busty woman wearing a red blouse and a black pencil skirt greeted Vikki enthusiastically.
She would normally greet anyone that entered and ensure they had the qualifications to continue onto the premises, but it wasn't necessary in the case of anyone belonging directly to the Copperland family.
"You don't have to get up, I'm just here to see my mother." The young woman walked past the receptionist, not glancing in her direction.
Beyond the waiting room was a simple hallway, with a single elevator. Stairs could be accessed in case of an emergency, but unless you wanted to set off an alarm it was better to not open those doors.
Vikki pressed the button to recall the elevator to the ground floor and waited for the doors to open. Entering the elevator and closing the door, she inhaled deeply, the facility wasn't one of her favorite places.
Gently placing her dainty hand on a palm reader, the buttons changed, displaying new menu options. Selecting the subterranean floor, the elevator started to descend as she removed her palm and prepared to speak to her mother.
The elevator dinged as it reached the first basement floor and the doors slowly opened.
"Vikki, what are you doing here, you never come here!" Killian greeted his sister as bright lights flooded her vision.
"Where's mom?" She didn't want to prolong her stay and chose not to make small talk with her twin.
Her shoulder brushed Killian's side as she stepped past him and overlooked the research lab.
The first subfloor was designed with safety in mind, and looked more like an office space, with desks and computers, than a research laboratory. She noticed a couple of people in lab coats typing at workstations, likely filing reports, but did not find her mother.
"She's on Level 3." Killian turned toward his sister and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I know you don't like it down there, would you like me to let her know you're here?"
"No, it's okay," the petite woman sighed, "she'd probably just lecture me about our future if I did that."
Walking past the rows of desks and busy researchers, she approached an unoccupied computer and sat in the chair. The faint glow of the computer screen illuminated her hands as she tapped away at the keyboard, logging in.
{Log in:} Vikki.CopperLand
{Password:}************************
{Assignments}
{Privileges}
{Finances}
{Security}
{Access}
She selected the access menu and was instantly greeted with new options:
{Level 1}
{Level 2}
{Level 3}
{Level 4}
{Level 5}
…
{Level 10}
She keyed over level 3 and hesitated for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the enter key and the computer screen turned black.
The tiles beneath her chair split apart as a platform appeared, slowly lowering the young vampire into a tube-shaped shaft before the floor rejoined itself. A dim green light illuminated the surroundings as the faint clanking of gears brought her toward her destination. Her chest tightened as the stale air of the secret corridor entered her lungs.
A brief period of silence passed before a hissing sound filled the narrow tunnel. A rush of fresh cold air washed over her body as white lights filled the passage from below.
Vikki stretched her legs out, standing firmly on the stone tile as the chair she was on met with the new subfloor. Her eyes filled with disgust as she saw rows of hospital beds with IV and blood bags hanging from them, their patients seemingly comatose.
"Vikki, my dear, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Vivian smiled seeing her daughter.
"You asked to talk to me when I called you about Alex, did you forget?" Vikki spoke with disdain, if it hadn't been for that request she wouldn't even be here.
In public the two got along, but they had their differences like any mother-daughter duo and would rather keep apart when they could.
"Ah, yes, It's about the boy then," The older vampire said while she removed a blood bag from one of the patients and began drinking it.
"Do you have to do that? We made the supplements for a reason! This is barbaric!" Vikki turned her head, refusing to watch.
"Darling, you are a vampire, act like one," she said as she threw the bag of blood toward her daughter.
"I've already taken my supplement, I shouldn't overfeed," Vikki refused, knowing that overfeeding could result in a blood lust.
"Nonsense, there's no replacement for the real thing. Plus, you'll have to teach your little boyfriend how to feed soon!" Vivian smirked.
"You better stay away from him," she screamed, not willing to let anyone harm her love.
"Don't worry, as long as you turn him, no one in the family will touch him. You've claimed him long ago and he is qualified to join the family. He's already been tested." Vivian attached a new bag to the patient to withdraw and store more blood.
"Tested? Did you send those thugs after us? What the Hell is wrong with you?!" Vikki stared at her mother with an open mouth, not believing what she heard.
"Oh, hunny, you'll understand when you've lived a few hundred years. It's for the best!" Vivian laughed, "It's not like you can enjoy him as a normal human!"
Sick of the conversation, Vikki refused to reply to her mother. Instead, she returned to her chair, and prepared to leave the research floor. She didn't want to continue the conversation with her mother any longer for fear that she might say something she would regret.
She quickly tapped away at the platform's control panel, hoping that she could retreat even a moment faster.
"Don't make us take action Vikki, do the right thing." Vivian warned her as she input the passcode to be transported back to subfloor 1.