related to her REM activity.”
“She can control this consciously?”
“We believe she has total control over it.”
“And when do you believe we’ll have her complete loyalty to the committee’s efforts?”
“I’ll begin negotiations with her tomorrow morning when she wakes.”
Senator Asinas leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers together. “If you can’t assure the committee of her total cooperation this entire effort will be terminated. Do you understand?”
“Not to worry, Senator, I intend to make her an offer that she can’t refuse.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
Chapter Seven
“Biology has at least fifty more interesting years.”
—
James D. Watson
, American Biochemist
A n annoying electronic buzz woke Ryan up. He reluctantly rolled over and slammed his hand down on the alarm clock knocking it off the nightstand. He didn’t sleep well. His attempt at synchronizing his circadian rhythm to coincide with Calida’s nocturnal existence needed more time. He had tried to adjust too quickly and his mind and body suffered for it.
The small clock on the floor continued to buzz. He bent down, picked it up, and placed it back on the table. With more respect than it deserved, he turned it off, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom.
Feeling better after his shower he started to get dressed and had managed to get his pants on when someone knocked at his door. He walked from his small bedroom over to the door while taking a towel to his hair.
Ryan flipped the door speaker. “Yeah?”
“It’s Siri, we need to talk.”
“Okay.” Ryan slid the bolt and opened the door. Siri stepped inside and appeared concerned.
“Something is going on with Calida,” she said. “I went over to check on her fifteen minutes ago and I wasn’t allowed in the isolation unit.”
“You weren’t allowed in? I thought you were running this project.”
“So did I. Right now the Director is in the cell having a discussion with her.”
Ryan digested this. “I guess he can talk to her whenever he wants. Still, why wouldn’t he want you there?”
“I needn’t tell you that the man is nefarious, or haven’t you noticed?”
“Nice joke . . . so what’s he up to?”
“I guess he’s starting the recruitment process.”
“I had a phone discussion with him yesterday. He mentioned it, but I figured we’d have weeks if not months.”
“So what do we do?”
“Nothing?”
“I know you’re right. It’s just that I feel we’re gaining Calida’s trust. I know it sounds crazy, she’s a vampire, but I believe it.”
Ryan quickly went over his hair with the towel again and said, “I know, I’ve been thinking the same thing, especially after she promised not to mind-lock with me anymore.”
“She told me.”
Ryan stopped fussing with his hair and looked squarely at Siri. “Yeah? And what else has she told you? Besides the fact she wants to eat me.”
“She hasn’t said that about you, exactly. In many ways she’s a young woman in her mid-twenties. The fact that she has nineteen hundred years of life experiences to draw from gives her a serious advantage over us.”
“It has made her extremely successful at what she does, I’ll give you that.”
“Ryan, you’re a competent scientist, but you don’t always see what’s obvious.”
Ryan tossed his towel onto the sofa. “For instance?”
Siri walked over to the sofa, picked up Ryan’s towel and folded it. “You seem to have missed the obvious fact that Calida . . . well, she appreciates you in her own unique way.”
“She appreciates I showed her kindness. I’m not as thick headed as you think.”
“Oh, but you are,” Siri said and sat down on the sofa. “It’s more than that. Calida may be developing feelings for you, feelings that she’s struggling to understand.”
Ryan absorbed this. “She’s talked to you about these feelings?”
“She has. She thinks you’re sweet.”
“She’s
“She can control this consciously?”
“We believe she has total control over it.”
“And when do you believe we’ll have her complete loyalty to the committee’s efforts?”
“I’ll begin negotiations with her tomorrow morning when she wakes.”
Senator Asinas leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers together. “If you can’t assure the committee of her total cooperation this entire effort will be terminated. Do you understand?”
“Not to worry, Senator, I intend to make her an offer that she can’t refuse.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
Chapter Seven
“Biology has at least fifty more interesting years.”
—
James D. Watson
, American Biochemist
A n annoying electronic buzz woke Ryan up. He reluctantly rolled over and slammed his hand down on the alarm clock knocking it off the nightstand. He didn’t sleep well. His attempt at synchronizing his circadian rhythm to coincide with Calida’s nocturnal existence needed more time. He had tried to adjust too quickly and his mind and body suffered for it.
The small clock on the floor continued to buzz. He bent down, picked it up, and placed it back on the table. With more respect than it deserved, he turned it off, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom.
Feeling better after his shower he started to get dressed and had managed to get his pants on when someone knocked at his door. He walked from his small bedroom over to the door while taking a towel to his hair.
Ryan flipped the door speaker. “Yeah?”
“It’s Siri, we need to talk.”
“Okay.” Ryan slid the bolt and opened the door. Siri stepped inside and appeared concerned.
“Something is going on with Calida,” she said. “I went over to check on her fifteen minutes ago and I wasn’t allowed in the isolation unit.”
“You weren’t allowed in? I thought you were running this project.”
“So did I. Right now the Director is in the cell having a discussion with her.”
Ryan digested this. “I guess he can talk to her whenever he wants. Still, why wouldn’t he want you there?”
“I needn’t tell you that the man is nefarious, or haven’t you noticed?”
“Nice joke . . . so what’s he up to?”
“I guess he’s starting the recruitment process.”
“I had a phone discussion with him yesterday. He mentioned it, but I figured we’d have weeks if not months.”
“So what do we do?”
“Nothing?”
“I know you’re right. It’s just that I feel we’re gaining Calida’s trust. I know it sounds crazy, she’s a vampire, but I believe it.”
Ryan quickly went over his hair with the towel again and said, “I know, I’ve been thinking the same thing, especially after she promised not to mind-lock with me anymore.”
“She told me.”
Ryan stopped fussing with his hair and looked squarely at Siri. “Yeah? And what else has she told you? Besides the fact she wants to eat me.”
“She hasn’t said that about you, exactly. In many ways she’s a young woman in her mid-twenties. The fact that she has nineteen hundred years of life experiences to draw from gives her a serious advantage over us.”
“It has made her extremely successful at what she does, I’ll give you that.”
“Ryan, you’re a competent scientist, but you don’t always see what’s obvious.”
Ryan tossed his towel onto the sofa. “For instance?”
Siri walked over to the sofa, picked up Ryan’s towel and folded it. “You seem to have missed the obvious fact that Calida . . . well, she appreciates you in her own unique way.”
“She appreciates I showed her kindness. I’m not as thick headed as you think.”
“Oh, but you are,” Siri said and sat down on the sofa. “It’s more than that. Calida may be developing feelings for you, feelings that she’s struggling to understand.”
Ryan absorbed this. “She’s talked to you about these feelings?”
“She has. She thinks you’re sweet.”
“She’s
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