keypad on the side. Carter leaned against the wall as Vincent punched in the numbers. Carter nonchalantly observed and couldn’t explain why it seemed important to him to watch. Five-eight-forty-five-oh-five, he repeated in his head. Vincent watched him silentlyand then covered the keypad for the last number. He punched it with flourish. The doors opened with an efficient
whoosh
.
They passed the weapons room, the doctor proudly pointing to rows and rows of twelve-gauge shotguns, each with a pouch of shiny silver bullets the size of his thumb. Carter nodded appreciatively. They would stop a werewolf, vampire, or zombie in their tracks, he thought with satisfaction.
A diplomat took out a cell phone as if to film. He looked at Vincent, with a question in his eyes.
“Do you mind if I film?”
“Be my guest. All of you.” Vincent gestured broadly.
They all withdrew their cell phones and started taking pictures.
“Impressive firepower. I bet it would take down an elephant, rhino, or hippo as well,” McAdams added with a smile.“
Seems incongruous to have guns in a family theme park,” the ambassador from China grumbled.
A few people murmured, the crowd shuffling uncomfortably.
“Welcome to the twenty-first century!” Vincent shouted with pride, ignoring the observation.
The doctor led them into a vast facility lined with five rows of computer consoles. Uniformed techs sat absorbed at each screen. Vincent walked briskly ahead, waving the president and his entourage forward. Carter lagged behind, and his group took positions in the back of the room, silent sentinels lining the curved wall with quiet observation.
The entire facing wall was a collection of hundreds of screens that changed with the rapidity of a blink. Naked men in pens, a dining area filled with Gothically dressed vampires, their pale faces large on the screen. Various shots of the park, closeups of workers, guests, and monsters. There was aninfirmary with doctors in lab coats treating ailing inhabitants of the park. One room had rows of vampires having blood drawn.
President McAdams called out. “Are they giving or getting transfusions, Vincent?”
“Neither, Mr. President. We are taking their blood to study it. Imagine, if you will,” Vincent warmed to his subject, “if we could isolate the enzyme in a vampire’s blood and use it to tame a wild population.”
“A wild population of what?” the Chinese ambassador asked, his face alert.
“Why, of revolutionaries and malcontents. Think, gentlemen—war will be obsolete.”
There was a murmur of discussion in the room, with some rumblings of approval.
A general walked forward, considering the screen showing a vampire calmly having his blood withdrawn.
“Sometimes being a revolutionary is not a bad thing, Dr. Conrad. Let’s not forget our own great country was founded by revolutionaries.”
“The US government is a democracy and would never turn against its people,” Vincent retorted.
“Governments don’t turn on its people, corrupt politicians do,” the general said gruffly.
“Come now, General Anthony, is it?” Vincent asked. “We are talking about Vincent Conrad and the United States of America. We are all perfectly safe.”
McAdams walked over and pulled the general aside. They spoke, their faces serious. There appeared to be a disagreement, but the general was discreetly but firmly disciplined.
Carter watched the exchange with fascination. Most people were absorbed with the many screens. There was a gasp, and a tremor seemed to travel through the group.
Carter’s eyes were drawn to a monitor showing a deserted street filled with dilapidated houses. The room grew silent as the guests turned their attention to the image of a house that turned into an interior shot. There was a collective inhale, followed by uncomfortable rumblings. There was a mass of squirming people all fighting over something on the floor. The shot closed in on the back of a man’s head. He
whoosh
.
They passed the weapons room, the doctor proudly pointing to rows and rows of twelve-gauge shotguns, each with a pouch of shiny silver bullets the size of his thumb. Carter nodded appreciatively. They would stop a werewolf, vampire, or zombie in their tracks, he thought with satisfaction.
A diplomat took out a cell phone as if to film. He looked at Vincent, with a question in his eyes.
“Do you mind if I film?”
“Be my guest. All of you.” Vincent gestured broadly.
They all withdrew their cell phones and started taking pictures.
“Impressive firepower. I bet it would take down an elephant, rhino, or hippo as well,” McAdams added with a smile.“
Seems incongruous to have guns in a family theme park,” the ambassador from China grumbled.
A few people murmured, the crowd shuffling uncomfortably.
“Welcome to the twenty-first century!” Vincent shouted with pride, ignoring the observation.
The doctor led them into a vast facility lined with five rows of computer consoles. Uniformed techs sat absorbed at each screen. Vincent walked briskly ahead, waving the president and his entourage forward. Carter lagged behind, and his group took positions in the back of the room, silent sentinels lining the curved wall with quiet observation.
The entire facing wall was a collection of hundreds of screens that changed with the rapidity of a blink. Naked men in pens, a dining area filled with Gothically dressed vampires, their pale faces large on the screen. Various shots of the park, closeups of workers, guests, and monsters. There was aninfirmary with doctors in lab coats treating ailing inhabitants of the park. One room had rows of vampires having blood drawn.
President McAdams called out. “Are they giving or getting transfusions, Vincent?”
“Neither, Mr. President. We are taking their blood to study it. Imagine, if you will,” Vincent warmed to his subject, “if we could isolate the enzyme in a vampire’s blood and use it to tame a wild population.”
“A wild population of what?” the Chinese ambassador asked, his face alert.
“Why, of revolutionaries and malcontents. Think, gentlemen—war will be obsolete.”
There was a murmur of discussion in the room, with some rumblings of approval.
A general walked forward, considering the screen showing a vampire calmly having his blood withdrawn.
“Sometimes being a revolutionary is not a bad thing, Dr. Conrad. Let’s not forget our own great country was founded by revolutionaries.”
“The US government is a democracy and would never turn against its people,” Vincent retorted.
“Governments don’t turn on its people, corrupt politicians do,” the general said gruffly.
“Come now, General Anthony, is it?” Vincent asked. “We are talking about Vincent Conrad and the United States of America. We are all perfectly safe.”
McAdams walked over and pulled the general aside. They spoke, their faces serious. There appeared to be a disagreement, but the general was discreetly but firmly disciplined.
Carter watched the exchange with fascination. Most people were absorbed with the many screens. There was a gasp, and a tremor seemed to travel through the group.
Carter’s eyes were drawn to a monitor showing a deserted street filled with dilapidated houses. The room grew silent as the guests turned their attention to the image of a house that turned into an interior shot. There was a collective inhale, followed by uncomfortable rumblings. There was a mass of squirming people all fighting over something on the floor. The shot closed in on the back of a man’s head. He
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