She wouldn’t have to do this on her own, which was good as Celeste was the one that came up with some good ideas. She was the innovator. Eve had high hopes for today. Showering and dressing in quick time, Eve put her hair up in a ponytail and walked out of her room heading to Celeste’s to see if she was up. Knocking Eve let herself in and realised the room was empty. Eve turned and headed towards the staircase passed her sister’s and parents suite to the upper landing and across to the staircase heading down. As she reached the ground floor she heard voices recognising Celeste’s and Regin. Eve smiled and walked towards the door and knocked, pushing it open on hearing the ‘enter’ request.

  “Good morning Eve, would you like breakfast?” Regin asked her. “Good morning. Yes please. Thank you.” Regin got up from her chair and picked up the house phone as Celeste waved her over. “Breakfast for one more please Alice.” Eve watched Regin listen to something on the phone and then put it down. She re-took her seat as Eve reached Celeste and kissed her on the cheek taking a seat of her own. “I hear from Celeste that you girls were working on a project and you want to continue here?” Eve nodded as Regin poured coffee into a spare cup and handed it over to her. Eve knew Regin had long ago started ordering several more cups than she needed as visitor’s tended to join her unexpectedly. “You have somewhere to work?” She asked. “Yes they have given us a work room out the back.” Regin nodded. “O that’s good. I’d be interested in seeing it.” She told them. Both Celeste and Eve grinned. “We should have it up and running by this afternoon, come by what about 4?” Celeste asked Eve she nodded in agreement. “Excellent 4 it is.” Regin told them.

  “Now how’s it all going back home?” Regin asked. Celeste frowned and looked at Eve. “Isn’t your father getting the reports?” Eve nodded, “he is.” “We know the official line Celeste, what I’m interested in and I expect so will Marcus and Serenity will be as well, is what you think.” Regin told her. Eve watched her friend deciding what to do. It took her a few minutes. “With the greatest respect, I do not know you and I hold allegiance to Lord Marcus and his family. I would speak with them and only if instructed to do so, would I speak with others.” Eve wondered what Regin thought of that. “I see,” Regin told her then added some bite to her voice, “your life is in our hands, is that wise?” Eve could see Celeste getting prissy as she nodded, “wise or not, it is how it will be.” Regin smiled at them both. “Excellent. Eve I will speak with your mother on this.” A knock at the door brought another plate of food in and it was set before Eve. “Ok ladies dig in.” Regin told them. “Was that a test?” Celeste whispered to Eve knowing she would hear her. “Yes it was and you passed well.” Regin told her. “Wow your hearing must be phenomenal.” Celeste told her stuffing sausage in her mouth. Regin nodded. “It is good ask my husband.”

  They whisked through breakfast quickly. Eve was eager to see her creation. She made their excuses to get on with their project and left as soon as was polite. Her obligation now split. She had to be back at the training ground at 9 tonight so they needed to get on. Eve shepherded Celeste out the door. “So girl, apart from the kidnapping and getting everyone back safe and sound, well sort of, what did I miss?” Celeste asked her. Eve knew it was coming. Eve sighed, “why do you always assume you missed something just because you weren’t there? It’s very irritating.” Eve quickened her pace not wanting ears in the house to listen in on the conversation. “Hello remember me? I know you that’s why. Where there’s trouble there’s Eve.” Celeste moved into a jog to keep up. Eve pierced her lips in annoyance, “I haven’t looked for trouble here.” Celeste grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. “You haven’t created any chaos? Haven’t killed anyone? Haven’t challenged anyone or called them on their shit?” Eve shook her head and Celeste let go of her arm. “Hell, things must have been bad.”

  They continued on in silence as they walked through the house and out through the kitchens passing Alice who they asked to provide drinks and snacks at lunchtime, they soon found the work rooms. Celeste rushed over to the boxes waiting for them in one and started ripping them open. Eve automatically started making calls to housekeeping for work benches and chairs and equipment. Computer networking cables and access to the in-house server. While Celeste unpacked her boxes, equipment started to arrive. “What’s with the Vamps here Eve? It’s a different kind of compound to back home. We had security but not like this and what’s with all the growling?” Celeste mumbled as she sat back on her hunches turning over a piece of equipment. Eve thanked security for the equipment and waited for them to close the door. “They’re at war Celeste, it’s one of the reasons I didn’t ask you to come. It’s dangerous here. The European Court or some of them used Father to make a challenge, it was part of the kidnapping to draw Arturo out to kill him. Luckily for us, the head of the Court is loyal to Arturo and he used the situation to clean house and came to Arturo’s aid as did Arturo’s friends.” Eve looked off into space reflecting on how close that was. “We were very lucky that day.” It was then that she noticed the two lap tops Celeste opened on one of the new benches. One of them was hers. “You brought my lap top?” Celeste looked up and grinned. “Yep, we need them both if we are going to make this project work.” Eve walked over and grabbed a seat opening up the software. “This feels like old times.” She murmured. Celeste walked over and reached out to her squeezing her hand. “It does doesn’t it.” Celeste told her.

  It took all morning but by lunchtime and the arrival of food, they had done it. All the boxes were unpacked. All the tools laid out as well as the equipment. They ate in companionable silence. “We’re going to need someone to help us.” Celeste pondered. Eve thought about that. She picked up her phone and dialled. “Charlee can you give us a couple of hours of your time this afternoon say in an hour?” “Sure where are you?” “One of the workrooms behind the kitchens.” She told him. “Ok see you then.” Eve put down the phone smiling to her friend. “Sorted.”

  They used the time before Charlee arrived to get as much completed as possible. He arrived on time knocking on the door. “Come in,” Eve called out. Charlee took several steps in then stopped. “Hi ladies, I hear we have a new member. Holy shit, is that what I think it is?” Both of them grinned at him. “That’s what we’re gonna find out. Wanna try it?” Eve asked him. Charlee rubbed his hands together. “O yeah lead me to it.” They got to work, adjusting and changing out components as needed. “This an upgrade?” Eve asked Celeste, turning a piece over in her hands for the first time and realising how light it was, she’d also noticed a more sleek design, “yeah I swopped out the metal for magnesium alloy while you were gone I went over the specs and looked at new innovative materials and found we could keep more strength like titanium but loose some of the density. It’s way lighter, has more agility and can be buoyant too.” “I like it good call.” Eve told her. “Yeah well it was over £2000 a metric tonne and I had to order 10 then shipping and taxes, then manufacturing, so its gonna cost but the castes took and we didn’t need it all so should get a few copies out of it.” Eve considered the maths. “Don’t worry about that,” Charlee butted in, “if this works Arturo is going to pay up.”

  It was ten to four when they finished. It was Charlee’s idea to put a sheet over him for Regin to come in, then take it off and do the ’big unveiling’. Eve smiled. Charlee had got right into the spirit of things, and once it was fitted it had gone surprisingly well. They had worked out a routine to show off its skills and were now waiting eagerly for Regin to arrive. There was a subtle knock and they both turned to the doorway and stood as Regin came in followed by Arturo, John, James, Pete, Pierre and her father and her mother. Shit, thought Eve. They’d all come for a look. It now made sense that these workrooms had cover from the sun going to the main house. It meant that Vamps could go anywhere in the sun.

  Regin introduced everyone saving Eve from having to do it. They all looked expectantly at her. She cleared her throat. “Ok so, Err back home, some 50 years or so ago. We fought off a vicious attack. A band of some 30 odd Vampires being led by an egomaniac wanting our keep. The kill rate on their side was ……… complete. I lost it when some of our people were torn apart.” Eve looked over to her father who smiled at her encouragingly. “Sadly, it wasn’t the first and I didn’t expect it to be the last time we were hit and no matter how we trained our human’s to defend themselves, we always lost some. It was hard to keep seeing it and the compound living with it, generation after generation of families torn apart. It felt like we had to do better. Be better and I had an idea to help our human warrior’s survive better in battles,” she paused and looked at her parents who were looking at her sadly, they nodded at her and she continued, “and it was clear they needed something to make them stronger and faster. I’d discounted Vamp blood, it only gets you so far and helps in the interim with healing and better senses then it withers away. I searched at a time without computers and mobile technology for answers. It was difficult. The only thing close was in science fiction but it was out there, guess work, imagination, archaic mainly but I was sure that where there was science fiction it could be based in fact. So I kept looking when I had the time, searching out people who had those imaginations…

  I had little success but created a model, a drawing if you will, of what I wanted to achieve, what I wanted it to do. When Celeste was growing up,” Eve looked over at her fondly, “she joined my enthusiasm and brought new ideas, technology and advances to the table. Between us, we had something viable. Celeste went on to major in robotics and engineering about its application and worked with me on that. Our first prototypes were clumsy, hard to use, no finesse and not fine-tuned enough to be workable. I got dad to stump up some more money and we spent several years in between other things, doing just that. This time, while I’ve been here Celeste did a major upgrade with new metals on the market and this,” Eve pointed to Charlee standing with a sheet over him, “is where we are now.” Eve nodded to Celeste who pulled the sheet off Charlee who stood there grinning like a Cheshire cat, in gleaming blood red from head to toe. “You won’t believe what this can do.” He told a stunned audience.

  “An exoskeleton?” James asked first with some incredibility in his voice. Eve nodded. “Yep. For our human warriors. It has its own power base and can more than double the strength of a human. They can jump higher, run faster, take a bigger hit and survive it as it also is meshed with armoured clothing so will take a bullet or knife without damage. The cost on that is high but I think worth it. Charlee show us what you got.” Charlee walked over to the counter and pulled on the lightweight armoured clothing. They had agreed to show off the skeleton first, as he put it on he was covered from shoulder to toe in a light weight metal casting, now covered in fabric that didn’t look much more that a muscled version of himself with a bullet proof vest on. It allowed for full movement and he proceeded to show them in a number of small hops, twists and pull ups. “Holy shit.” Said Pete. “I think I’m in love.”

  John growled loudly. Charlee grinned and walked outside under the canopy linking the room to the house and into the covered outdoor area, followed by everyone else as they all remained protected from the sun. He ran, jumped lifted a concrete seat and walked about. “How long does the power pack last for?” Arturo asked all business. Celeste took over the technical stuff, “12 hours at a push depending on what they’re doing.” “Charlee,” Eve asked, he turned to her, “how hot are you? Is the cooling system working ok?” He nodded at her, “feels fine.” She looked at her lap top. The remote checking software of the body exoskeleton systems appeared to be working well. “Good, you up for some sparing, Vamp style?” She asked him grinning. Charlee raised his arms and beckoned at her, “bring it on.” Eve laughed, “James give him a go. Start at human strength and move up. We have a number of sensors on this model it will give us readings. Charlee tell him when it hurts.”

  James and Charlee were at it for a good 20 minutes before Charlee called a halt. Celeste walked up to him. “You hurt? Any problems? Anything rubbing, pinching or getting in the way?” Charlee shook his head. “Nope its good.” Eve turned to James, “what do you think?” James nodded at her. “At the end there I was hitting like I would a Vamp, it took the force and he is stronger and faster no doubt about that.” Eve stood back and allowed the others to check out Celeste’s work. Everyone seemed interested. She was surprised by a hand on her shoulder, she turned into her father. “That is a wonderful thing Evangeline it might save many lives.” He leaned into her and kissed her cheek. As her father let her go her mother took his place. “I had no idea you had come so far. I am so very proud of you.” Eve shook her shoulders, “Celeste did most of the work.” “I heard that.” came across the garden “and your wrong, you did your part too.” The conversations going back and forth for a couple of hours. Charlee tried out by John and Pierre. Notes conferred from the sensors told her that it appeared to work well. They would need to inspect it later for damage.

  “Who holds the pattern?” Arturo eventually asked turning towards her. “We both do.” “Good, I’m always amazed at how technology has progressed in this world. Is this technology available to House Arturo?” Eve looked to her father. “This is from your funds father you are the holder of it as far as Celeste and I are concerned. You supported us. It’s your choice who gets it.” Eve watched her father consider what she had told him. “These are our friends, we should support them and share what we have as they have with us.” Eve nodded. Arturo picked up the conversation. “I’d be happy to part or full fund its further development for a percentage of the stock when we float it. This is a good piece of work ladies and it could save many lives not just in our world. As soon as possible I’d like our teams kitted out with them. Name your price.” Pete was inspecting the exoskeleton trying to put a knife through it. John was with him hovering. He looked like he wanted to take over. Celeste was standing there shaking her head at them. “Celeste can get back to you on that once she goes over the figures.” Arturo nodded. “Good enough. Now will it take a bullet?” Charlee looked up and paled. Pete and John stepped back grinning. John grabbed a hold of Celeste and dragged her with him as they moved. “Hay muscles keep it clean.” She told him slapping at his hand unimpressed. Eve suppressed a grin. “Yes it will.” Arturo took out his gun and aimed it at Charlee. The others moved away. “Ready Charlee?” Arturo asked him with some amusement in his voice. Charlee didn’t look ready at all but he nodded. “Now boss, you know you love me right?” Arturo fired into the body hitting the upper right corner. It didn’t penetrate and bounced off. Charlee staggered under the impact but remained standing. His grin immense. “Good.” Arturo told him. “You’re a worthy male Charlee. Make the deal John.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  People drifted off and Eve left Celeste to discuss details with John. “You have an unusual name, is it a family name?” She heard John ask. “None of your dam business is what it is, now … this deal…” There was no doubt those two did not get on. Eve wondered why and considered it none of her business either unless John over stepped, then he’d get close and personal with her boots. She headed back towards the house, she needed some food and blood before she went on duty. She heard James jog up, knowing him by his stride and the sound he made but kept going. “That was inspired Eve,” he told her, “I had no idea that was possible yet.” Eve nodded walking around the corner of the house towards the kitchens. “Well to be fair like I said, when I first thought of it, it was only in those science fiction movies and then when technology started catching up I looked into it properly, then about 9 years ago I pulled Celeste on board seriously who was doing her Uni degree, I think now that all my talk about it might have led her in that direction but she has a flare for it, no doubt about that.” Eve walked in to the kitchen. “Hay Alice could I take dinner in a few please I’m on duty tonight.” “Lord James are you staying too?” “Alice as beautiful as ever, I thought you’d never ask. Can we have it on the terrace?” Alice schussed them away. “I’ll bring it out be 20 minutes.” Eve checked her watch. “I’m going to shower, see you out there.” They headed in different directions.

  Eve got to the terrace just as dinner was being laid out. She took a seat thanking Alice for the food. Eve noticed that James had already picked up his knife and fork and had started to dig in. That male liked his food. He amused her. He was a good male. Eve picked up her own and wanted to clear the air. “Look last night, I blabbed a lot. I don’t normally do that. Must be the strain of everything and being here. What happened at the kidnapping I’d like to leave there ok?” James looked up and nodded. Eve felt less burdened somehow. She dug in to her dinner savouring the wonderful taste of beef, mashed potatoes with French beans. “So, you and Celeste. Do you know her well?” Eve swallowed the mouthful of food and loaded up another fork. “I love her. She’s also my best friend.” James stopped eating for a moment and looked at her then swallowed. “It must be nice to have her here then. Guess you missed her.” Eve nodded. “I really did. That hit home to me when I saw her at the gate. It was such an amazing feeling.” They both ate in silence for a while. “Tonight, we’re to go to the warehouse first and assignments will be given out after the training.” Eve nodded polishing off her food she pushed her plate away finished and wiping her face with the napkin. “Can you deal with this? I’m gonna take some blood and meet you outside in 10 ok.” James nodded at her and she walked away.

 

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