Robotic Vampires 12

Three weeks ago

Dr. Murphy runs a test on Norman's blood sample with his friend, Sam, a lanky African American. "Look it's late," Sam says stretching his neck towards the world clock stamped on the front wall, "almost 3am, I'll be going" he stands up immediately and walks out,

"see you then," Sam said

"We give up when we are so close to getting what we want to achieve,"

"Who said, I'm giving up," he pauses just outside the threshold, "I just understand the saying, tomorrow is another day,"

"See you tomorrow then," Murphy sits and adjusts the lens of the microscope and starts talking to himself "what's this guy playing?" He tells himself, "blue blood, he must empty himself and refiled with this," assuming I actually know what it is, it would be much easier,"

Still uncertain about what he saw, his head hits the table at a dull pace. He stays there for a little while and jumps up immediately, "got it," he makes a thwack on the microscope, "let's have a second look,"

"Nitrogen is present, correct…" he takes his eyes off the lens and fixes it again after some time, "Nitrogen alone can't give him a healthy heart and brains, we have other things, proteins, I know. What I'm I missing? Wait," he zooms back to his previous image, "what's this polyphenol doing in here? Is it Quercetin, it should be, yes. Quercetin is what's making Norman live long,"

He takes his face off and smiles a couple of lapses, cleans up the table, and walks away to his apartment.

Present day

Still chilly and shaky Murphy tells Easton sharing the edge of Easton's bed, "that's how I found out about everything,"

"So he controls all the vampires or whatever is in that box, with his brains,"

"Most likely but I can't say without a prove,"

"I understand, what other thing should I know about it,"

"Well, as I told Ria, don't know if she has had the luxury yet to share, but I think only half of Norman's brain is actually with him, the remaining half is probably with someone else, my best guess is his investor friends,"

"What do you mean half of his brain is not with him? I'm confused here,"

"Look at it this way, Norman found a way to install blockchain technology in humans, but to do that he'll have to change his body capacity to fit with that of the technology, hence the Quercetin - a supplement for longevity. Unfortunately for him, the memory level in his brain was full and he needed someone close and dedicated to filling up," Murphy sighs, "I don't know who he chose but if that person is anywhere in heaven it'll be super easy to find him,"

"That's if he's a him,"

"I don't know much but whoever it is, the person's breathing interval is three seconds, not the usual 1.5 seconds,"

"Alright, thanks for the walkie-talkie and Al the assistance you've brought, I'm forever in your debt," Easton flashes his eyes on his wristwatch and turns to Murphy, "bet Sam must be worried it's getting to morning already,"

"I'll see you then," Murphy walks out majestically, opens the door, and walks away.

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

"I really mustn't be gone too long," Ria said. Norman said with her on a section working on a specimen, "no need to safeguard, I guess" both chuckled

Ria walked out until the hallway and gets a note from the blonde lady with the red bandana, "from Easton,"

• • • •

Ria checked her flanks before dashing into one of the storage units, "you know I'm not allowed to do this? It better be fast,"

"Don't worry, I'll make it quick," Easton leaning on a condemned cupboard says, "we have a problem,"

"Yeah, if it's about the half Norman walking around in heaven, I'm already aware of that one,"

"Yeah, unfortunately fascinating though It's easy to find out who, just check out his long someone breaths,"

"What does that have to do with how long someone breathes,"

"According to our psycho guy, 1.5 secs is the real human breathing, 3 secs is out guy,"

"That's if he's actually a guy, "

"Why's everyone contrasting that the person is not a guy? If attributes come into play here, Norman would want to choose someone intelligent, capable…" Ria slept in thoughts, Easton continued, "...and also loyal to the course, whatever that means,"

"Loyal and capable," Ria mimics. She feels her breath slowly and carefully,

"What's going on?" Easton asked, "if there's something just say it, we can sort it out,"

"I'm the one," these word slips through her mouth, "Murphy told me one of the characteristics is nausea and fever…and I'm capable,"

"If you actually mean something make me understand," Easton pushes in some steps and holds Ria by the hands, "we've not done any test yet, the odds may be on so many people,"

"Are those people capable, huh, tell me," she yells, "my breathing interval is 3 secs, what does that mean to you?"

"It means you're likely, I say again likely to be the product Norman used, you never know,"

"You want a prove, well here you have it," Ria takes a blade from the locker behind Easton and scratches herself, "see that…" she keeps face up,

"Its blood Ria, blood…nothing more,"

"Ohh, my suggestion was wrong,"

"Well, it turns out I'll have your breath interval is 1.5 secs and I'll have to wait here for another 25 minutes,"

Ria nods and shrugs, "I didn't call myself here," she gets shocked and falls flat back.

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

Z drags his seat closer to Shae, "I'm done with my share of the encrypted piece," Shae sighs, "oh sorry I forgot, I'm not to share my success with you,"

"Well, I'm not pissed, so…" she turns around and looks him in the face, "you can help me with mine, two pages left," Shae said,

"Pass it on then," Z stretches his hands and gets the laptop from Shae, "did we just agree to our differences' ' both laughed a while then went back into a serious mood. Everyone in the control room muttered and became amazed by the sudden change of heart.

After a while, Z pauses and turns, "there's something I want to show you though,"

"one of the encrypted lines quote, 'Blockchain in human brains of humans [the technology generation]"

"Woo, Capt. Flynn needs to hear of this," Shae suggested,

"Of course, just that I've started having positive vibes for this Norman of a guy,"

"That's actually the worst comment I've heard in a while. What are you thinking?"

"Think about it, heaven on earth, I will probably not be here, I may as well be on the pitch with the balls on my feet,"

"That's fascinating but foolish, very foolish,"

"Oops, different points of view again, let's leave it to Flynn and Holland to decide then,"

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

Easton seats helplessly beside sleeping Ria on the floor, "the foolish ones are not yet born," Easton said,

"Who's foolish?"

"Oh, you're awake, thought you'll be there all day,"

"Well it's 25 minutes and the system doesn't suck in doing their job,"

"And what exactly is the job, kill those that move against Norman. Is that even clinical a bit, because I'm it's not interesting anymore,"

"It never was, but we have a job too to safe the world,"

"And what's saving the world, hmm, creating crazy humans in boxes and packaging them, for what? Huh,"

"Is that what you think?" Ria smiled,

"What are you smiling at?" Easton asked,

"In six months, Norman would probably be done with a million robots and he'll transport them to a different part of the earth, mostly Quiet countries, and impose a force colonization,"

"How long does he intend to stay as king of this world,"

"Well, he has the supplement to keep him breathing and the workers to keep the number climbing. Something tells me till forever,"

"Ohh, we really need to get to work,"

"Now you're talking! C'mon let's get out, I should be the one everyone is yelling already,"

Both get up and walk out of the storage room, to their respective department.

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

The boys had a mystique and believe that Easton was beginning to hide something from them, "boss, I'm sorry but I'm the only one that thinks Easton is becoming a rat," Smith the sick bulky guy finally recovers, strong enough to join the team,

"He's not that type, don't be worried, I trust him so should all of you," the boss said

"I won't lie, but I'm with smith this one," Ray takes his hands off his piece of scrap for a minute, "I mean, he's not carrying me to meet along anymore. My guts say he's hiding something,"

"Yeah…we need to find out, what's happening?" Robert said, "anyway, if he's hiding something, when he comes we'll find out, we're SEALS, aren't we, Smith,"

"Yeah, we are of course," Smith says.

Everyone returns to work after a few minutes Easton walks in. Ray, settling at his usual place beside the door, moves fast and bolts the glass door, "what's happening?" Easton felt unsafe,

"Don't panic, it's nothing serious,"

"Yeah, it's easy to say because you're not the one under pressure,"

"Look man, my boys here want just an inkling of what's going on. You've not been taking Ray with you this few times and everyone is worried," Boss said

"Including the part where James died because of you," Smith says

"Stop there sickler," Easton says

"Hey, who are you calling sickler, seen me with drug bag, huh," Smith shows an outrage and Rob rushes to lock him by the shoulder,

"Just so you know, James is not dead, and two who told you anything that day is your business,"

"Man, you're lucky I'm under chains,"

"Mad dog, I see…" Easton says and Smith proved his anger once more

"Enough!! Easton just tells us the latest on our target and we can all go back to our jobs,"

Easton walks over to his generator and sits beside it, "we have two Norman walking around,"

"Another superstitious part I don't like hearing," Smiths says

"Shut up man it's true, I saw it with my own eyes," Rob warns Smith

"Continue E," the boss says

"Murphy has made a point and Ria confines it," Easton says

"What's it about?" Ray said "if there's something we need to know tells us,"

"Norman has divided his brains, one part is with him the other with someone else,"

"Who?" Rob said, "Ria or his wife,"

"I thought the same too, but Norman doesn't have a perfect relationship with his wife so it is supposedly not her. And not Ria cuz she cut herself and no blue blood ran out, just the usual red,"

"What about his investor friends?" Ray asked,

"In essence, those guys are just VIP workers in heaven, they have no real information about what's going on,"

"Oops, we are right where we started," the boss moved slowly to a corner and sat, "what do we do now?"

"Sorry to say, but what do we need him for anyway," Smith said, "our main aim is to leave heaven and get away as far as possible, why are we talking about Norman and his whoever brian psych out there,"

"Well, Murphy and his friend Sam have come up with a new suggestion, that Norman and his ghost partner is the red button,"

"What?" Ray shouted, "I don't get you,"

"According to you, some time ago in heaven movement was restricted to certain areas until now," Easton said, "you also said you've checked every crook and cranny and haven't found anything suspicious, which means Norman knows what he's doing"

"And what exactly is this thing that he's doing because I'm fed up," Boss asked,

"If he's the red button, you won't suspect because you'll think red is an attribute but in real sense is the danger it brings that gives it the name - red button,"

"Smart, but funny coming from someone whose intelligence is gotten from one of Norman's most loyal engineers, Sam," Smith said

Easton retracted and said, "is that even a case or do you think it would be sleek," Smith frowned and went back to work.