Robotic Vampires 9

"Easton, this way," Ray with his jacket tied around his waist leads Easton through the corridor in the middle of the night.

"I'm pressed, my bladder will blow up," Easton, still developing his characteristic courage and self-reliance, holds his lower abdomen to the edge of the corridor.

"I hear noise, who are those?" Ray went down slowly peeking through to catch a glance of what they were walking into.

"Seen anyone," Easton still breathing heavily says

"Not yet, but I think, they are close,"

"Those robots? You can count their steps,"

"Those robots are designed to move 18 steps forward and backward each time their pacing. Most likely they're in their 12th…13," after a few seconds his voice was shrill, piping, and significantly low, "go down, they're here." Both slept flat on the vertical wall for exactly 18 seconds, "they're gone, we have just 18 seconds until the return," Ray said

"Where's his apartment?"

"The one on the opposite left,"

"Alright, I'll go first, then signal you, after he had opened up," Easton suggested

"That sounds great to me," Easton tiptoed across the corridor to the left and knocked twice on the door, "knock, knock". Easton shook his head after a few laps, "he's not responding,"

"Open the door," Ray whispered,

"What?" Leaving Easton blank with no clue of what was going on, "you said I should knock until he opens,"

"Just do it," Ray insisted,

"Alright, alright," Easton plugs his hands on the door holder and pushes, "it's open," he moved inside, and not long Ray crossed over and joined him. Although a robot sensed somewhat of a petty movement before he had arrived, it was all clear.

"Hello I'm Easton," Easton waved his right hand,

"Who brought this mama to my house?" His attitude, dark yellow face - wrinkled and dry- the oddity of his pose seemed to be against Easton's smiling face, "what do you want?" Mike early forties asked

Accidentally, both Ray and Easton tried speaking at once, "I…" Ray said, "ermm," Easton said.

"You go first," Ray stretched out and touched Easton, "no, your go first," Easton counters

Alright, Ray finally spoke up, "we need clearance to the top floor,"

"Yeah, clearance," Easton nodded

"Ok, at least that's the most sensible thing you guys have said since you entered my apartment,"

Ray and Easton nodded, " Seventh Heaven to be precise," Easton cuts in mid-sentence

"What do you have to trade?" Mike said, "like something in return,"

"Nothing, for now, maybe we could help, ermm sweep the floor or clean your dirty stuff or some," Easton replied

Mike turns around and looks at the corner of his room, "there's my vacuum cleaner, I don't need a hand, I need what you have to trade,"

Ray busted his chest up, "what do you want?"

"I won't do the finding for you. You do the finding and I'll do the assessment, if it's worth the risk, I'll take it, if it's not…nice doing business with you,"

"Everyman wants something. What do you want?" Easton insisted

"Two foolish handicap badges into my apartment without a coin or anything of exchange. Nonsense, you've made your point, I'll give you half over ten for escaping those two white boxes at my front corridor," Mike walks closer to the threshold and pulls the handle and the door flips open, "Now, it's time to leave folks before I scream intruders and you get whooped tomorrow at town hall," Mike blinks, "good night folks and don't worry about coming next time I don't want to see you ever again,"

"Quite an impression for someone who doesn't know me," Easton begs

"Impression? Does it have a place in this world," Mike closes the door and walks away towards his bed,

"Maybe it could have a place in your heart," Ray wore his childish face,

"So kindhearted of me to hear such a word," Mike falls on his bed and sits back up, "I can't say the same of Norman though, well or sick, he doesn't care, why should I?"

"Please," Ray walked closer to Mike and touched him on the legs,

"Hey don't touch me. Are you a male babe," Mike suddenly retreats,

Easton says, "ok, I'll give you my lunch for the next one week,"

"Funny, but I'm dating the catering. I don't even go for rounds if you wish to know," Mike slips his hands into a small black bag under his bed, "here," he tosses an apple to Easton,

"Aye, food is really not an option," Ray exhales,

"I see you're desperate, just go and think, I'll give you the Luxury of coming back, once. Go and think, then come back in whenever time you see fit,"

"If you could give us a circle of things to get, maybe it would make the search a little bit simpler for us," Easton said

"Ok, I'll give you a choice,"

"Well that'll be a good thought" Ray giggled but when Mike kept a very serious face, "sorry," Ray apologized,

"Very good then," Mike said, "if you can get me the material for three cards. I'll use one for you guys and leave the remaining two for future fools like you. Those that would come into my house without knowing what's worth,"

Easton looked furiously at Mike, "what are the materials for each card,"

"Now you're talking," Mike smiled and said, "I have scissors, stamps, and ink. You won't need any of that,"

"That's more than enough to make us a pass," Ray said

"Well, there's one thing that's left, the silver surface,"

"Where can we get it?" Easton inquired

"Well, only Norman has it. My best guess is it's lying beside him in his bedroom,"

"That's not good," Easton felt dead for a second, "we won't be able to get it,"

Ray walked closer to Easton and pipped his mouth through his ears, "can't Ria get it done,"

"No…we won't be involving Ria in any way,"

"What do we do then?"

"I'll think of something," Easton turns around and greets Mike, "thanks for your time, I appreciate,"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flynn finishes with the command center General from the sky somewhere around his office and turns around to Holland, "Command center has just finished a classified operation on Safe Heaven. The place is under the control of the United States," Flynn says

"That's good news sir," Holland says,

"Also, the Chief of Staff has made it clear, once the order comes from above to sweep out heaven, we act immediately. This time we'll be sending in the Delta Forces, we don't want any mistake,"

"Yes sir. And sir what about the encrypted details we downloaded from the server in safe heaven in the sky? Z and Shae are still having a hard time with the codes,"

"Do you think they need extra hands," Flynn jerks, "if we need to bring in other computer operators, to get a quick response, we'll have to,"

"I don't think that will be necessary, I'll talk to them and see how far we can get in cracking those codes,"

"We need them soon, very soon," Flynn moves away a little distance and turns, "Capt. What about the communication issue with our guy in heaven,"

"There are no radio contact within or outside Heaven, not yet,"

"Keep a very close eye on that server, someone is about to make a mistake,"

"Yes sir," Holland salutes and walks away

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Easton found a way to pass out a letter to Ria in the seventh heaven to meet during lunch. They both sit surrounded by the crowd clustering in the cantine, "I'll need your card to visit Murphy tomorrow morning," Easton looking back and forth asked,

Ria taps on the elongated beef "I thought you said you had a way of getting another card,"

"Well, we have a little twist of decision. And this is the only available way,"

"I'm not giving you,"

"Why? I'll find a way to give it back to you before you get to work by 6,"

"Yes, that will work, just that I and Norman get to work together now,"

"Ohh that's not good, but we really need that radio for easy communication," Easton flapped his chicken then tossed it into his mouth,

"What do we do now?"

"Well, expect you're going to steal three silver surfaces from Norman's room, sorry to say, you're room, then we don't have a choice,"

"I'm not giving you my card," Ria stretched her face and looked Easton in the face, "tell your supplier or whatever his name is that I'm not getting into any more trouble than I already have,"

"You should think about it," Easton turns around and spots his teammates. Boss flings his hands and calls on Easton, "here, it's a little group meeting," Boss says

"Seen you've made new friends,"

"Goodbye Ria, when you actually come to your senses send me a response through the cook on the red bandana,"

Easton walked through the path of several tables and sat in-between Jackson and the boss, "so what's so important that I had to be interrupted from my discussion…"

"With the vycountes?" Robert said and everyone almost got blown into laughter,

"I'm serious, why am I here?" Easton became a little bit straight faced

"Ok, first how far have you gone with the card stuff," Ray asked,

"Ria won't give me her card and she hasn't agreed to steal the silver surface,"

"Huh, so…" the boss replied

"Were screwed," Easton answered,

"I knew it. Your plan would just be a failure like the rest of us," Robert smacks his palms,

"You said Murphy normally goes to the technology by 5, why don't we wait for him on the way up," Ray suggested

"Yeah, but it turns out Mr. Psycho is sleeping over in technology,"

"That's hard work we got there," Jackson said. Everyone kept silent for a few minutes then the boss speaks fast, "why don't newly appointed Mrs. Norman do the talking instead,"

"Rai and Murphy aren't working in the same section plus the psych isn't interested in what she has to say," Easton said

"How are you even sure he'll listen to you then," Robert asked smashing his teeth against another,

"When we reach that bridge we'll cross it," Easton then sat up and finished his food, "what's the second thing you wanted to talk to me about,"

"Well, the seventh generator has spoilt badly, we will need two extra hands with me as a combo to fix it all night,"

"I would go but I have work to do with finding Murphy," Easton says

"He'll need someone to look over his shoulder," Ray adjusted his waist belt. Boss said, "James and Smith are both I'll, we need to protect them. Jackson and Robert you're up," he said, "you two will go to bed now, we start by 8,"

"And finish when?" Jackson asked,

"When the generator is finished I guess," Robert answered

"Yeah, when the generator is finished," Boss mimicked

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Z hovering around his computer peeps around Shea's commuter and comments, "It's upside down Hindi mixed with Russian. I'm done with the first line,"

"I don't need your help fixing things. I can fix things without your help," Shea blinks on Z's face,

"I was just helping,"

"Well, I don't need it," she talks low this one, "take your brains elsewhere,"

"What do you say?" Z stops typing for a moment,

Shae yells, "I'm saying you should stop stalking me," she turns around and locks face with Z's, "since you came to this facility you've just been making things hard for me, I don't and will never need your help,"

Holland immediately steps in, Sergeant Shea and Mr. Z my office, now?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening Easton almost entering his room, is stopped just outside the threshold by a blonde lady with a red bandana, "hey handsome, this is for you," she pulls out a flat glass-like card with Ria's face stamped in the front. He smiles, "tell her, her services would be greatly appreciated,"

"And this," she brings out a note from her right side pocket,

"What's that?" Easton asked

"A Note, it says CORRIDOR…by the restroom," she says, "I don't know what it means,"

"Well, I know what it means" Easton smiled