Jan15 2032

Vampires Exist! Those were the newspaper headlines, oh I don't know, three or four years ago. Not your trashy tabloids but the Times, Herald, you name it. The wonders of modern medical developments, a rich man could literally live forever, dogs really are talking and a genetic aberration behind all those ancient myths had been identified. Big news at the time, it gave teenage Goths something to aspire to and sent those trashy taboids on a frenzy of sensationalism, "A vampire stole my car, My neighbour is a vampire," etc. Most of the hype had died down but it gave that one in a million aberration some common curiosity, some three-thousand cases supposed worldwide.

I wasn't really the sort to get caught up in tabloids, well until I met her. I was a computer programmer, one of relatively few who could work with the new EM processors. Now these babies had the processing power of roughly a slaved rigged nation and very specific power requirements, a form of AI they called it and they weren't joking. Basically they just didn't like idiots messing with them, it took quite a bit of imagination to work with one. And that was a key point, you didn't program or repair these things so much as work with them, a sort of reasoning negotiation. It wasn't easy, but I seemed to do well enough to drop off the grid and employ myself. I was much cheaper than hiring a full blown engineer and came with a good reputation.

This call out was unusual from the start. It was a luxury apartment block and naturally I figured someone had well overspent on a security system one of those old Pentiums would have less trouble dealing with, but that's the rich and shameless for you. Probably some business executive who thought he owned the world and it was there to serve him. I entered the private carpark and pulled up, opened the glovebox and took out a keycard that had been mailed to me. Reread the employment instructions.

I got out, opened the trunk and took out my toolkit, left the gun. This job wasn't quite that weird and with all the security checkpoints I didn't exactly think I was going to get carjacked. Headed over to the elevators, took the red one, swiped the card and pressed penthouse. Smiled for the camera.

Now I was running about two hours late so it was already past five; got caught up...well in a long lunch to be honest and I was expecting to get told off, had an excuse already prepared (the instructions were for a strict time schedule but hey, tell it to the hand or go call an engineer), yet the place was empty. Not a soul in sight, not a sound.

I shrugged and had a look around. The keycard only opened some doors. Firstly this was a woman's apartment, unless the gayboy that owned it liked expensive perfume, soft antiques and violent art. The latter told me she'd always been rich, the self made usually stole their wealth with opportunism and were into abstracts. It was also strategically lit, both filled with a gentle glow and completely absent of any direct sunlight, quite atmospheric and too pointlessly complicated for most males. No this was a place to set quiet music in the background and look elegant whilst entertaining a dinner party across the split levels. Besides, there was something too personal, too welcoming about it to be a guy's place.

Computer was in a far corner, set on a glass topped desk like it had just been pulled out of the box. I went to work.
I didn't even notice it had gotten dark or that she'd entered the room.

"You were supposed to be done by now," she said simply, breezing past from one of the locked suites.

I wasn't really startled but she had my attention, ghostlike in white silk, very young and intensely attractive. Hollywood attractive, looks too perfect to be real and a body that had your mouth watering at hello. I suddenly felt like I'd been single for a very long time.

"Yes I'm sorry, I got caught up..."

I began reeling off my excuse, hardly even conscious of it but she cut me off with an accusing stare halfway to the kitchen.

"No lies. I don't like liars."

That startled me, and I found myself taking in the full view of her. She snorted and turned back towards the kitchen, whilst I fixed my attention back to the computer screen. I mean obviously this was the kind of woman who found herself being propositioned all the time, I didn't want to be a cause of bother for her. I felt a little embarressed and generally inconsiderate.

"Listen I'm sorry," I told her, "I'll be out of your hair very shortly, I'm almost done here."

"I'm making coffee," she answered, I wasn't sure she'd even heard me.

The computer was mostly ready to go, I was just finishing off the software installations and entering passwords.

"What's your mother's maiden name?" I asked loudly.

"You'll have to drink it over here you know, I don't like drinks at the computer desk," she answered from the kitchen.

I looked up, she was staring. Dark, liquid eyes.

"Passwords," I clarified.

She smiled and took a sip from her mug to conceal the fact. Bleached, white teeth.
"Hatsheput," she said after a moment.

I entered it.
"Unusual name," I mentioned, it was.

"Egyptian," she said, I honestly couldn't tell if she was mocking me and made it up.

"You don't look Egyptian," I mentioned, she didn't.

She smiled again and said something under her breath, turning her back as if preparing some food, I could barely make it out and could've heard wrong,
"Like you were there."

I hit enter, stood and headed over to the kitchen bench. She was cooking toast and holding the only mug in sight, which she handed over.
"Oh here, this is yours."

I took the warm, black coffee and took a sip, some of her perfume had rubbed to the cup, which was intoxicating.
"Thank you, it's good."

She was staring again, but then so was I. She was studying my eyes, I was looking her over and feeling adrenalin from the view. She smiled again, turned and continued with her toast making.
I couldn't help but wonder if she might be interested in me; hoped. But I was being an idiot, objectifying her, if I wanted to offend a young lady I was going about it in exactly the right way.

She placed a plate of toast on the bench in front of me, her eyes had changed colour...well they'd seemed to. I didn't notice they were green before, perhaps they were catching the flourescance of artificial light but they were certainly much brighter than earlier, brilliantly emerald.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be staring at you like that. You're being very kind and I'm afraid I'm not being very cultured towards you."

She tilted her head and seemed to be speaking to herself again,
"Well there's a few cultured men I'd like to hear that from."

"Your computer is ready to go. I shouldn't be taking up any more of your time..," I said, placing the half finished mug on the bench,
"...I'm sorry for staring."

"You shouldn't say that so much," she said, coming around from the kitchen and extending a handshake for goodbye,
"...it's not always unwelcome. Usually is, but not always."

Taking her hand, in spite of myself I looked over her again...and damn if this time I was actually doing my best not to. She was looking at my face levelly, green eyes penetrating, lips full and moist, I was drawn to those lips and wanted with all my heart to pull her body hard against mine and press my mouth to hers. I really needed to get out more.

I said my goodbyes and collected my things whilst she stood and watched, staring casually. She gave me a wry smile when I gave her back the keycard, I had the nagging thought I could've kept it, but then being that presumptuous is embarressing when you get caught out so I handed it to her.

I left not knowing her name, well not more than her mother's maiden name. I already knew she was going to haunt my dreams for quite some time.



to be continued...

I think I probably understand more than most, but I won't say anything. I love the idea, Vampires existing in a futuristic setting? I did something similar to that. Don't think it merits being posted here though.(I could, but that would mean finding the last printed version of it, then typing it out again. Its pretty long, somewhere around maybe ten acts or more, with three to five scenes each).

I'd love to read more of this.:)

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