Page 8

The moment I materialize, I know I’ve made a mistake.

The air is thick, almost tangible, coating my throat and lungs with something harsh and stinging, something… just plain wrong . I double over as a violent cough bursts out of me. My lungs shudder like I’ve just inhaled fire and poison in one breath, which is exactly what I think I did. My eyes burn, too, my skin immediately itches uncontrollably, and now, my entire body feels as if I’m submerged in sludge.

Silver sludge.

Colloidal silver, in fact.

I blink through the haze, forcing my vision to adjust to the dim lighting of the maintenance room. Exposed pipes line the walls, hissing steam in some places. The hum of electricity pulses from a nearby power grid. Cables snake across the floor like living things, perhaps the tentacles of some underground beast.

And then, I see him.

Norman.

He leans against an old metal cabinet, arms crossed, watching me with something akin to amusement. The bastard looks utterly relaxed, as if he hadn’t just lured me into a death trap.

“I was wondering how long it would take for someone else to come looking for me,” he muses, tapping his fingers idly against his bicep. “Didn’t expect another vampire, though—you are a vampire, right? The first one was a dead giveaway. She didn’t show up on any of the camera systems I monitor down here. Imagine my shock: empty clothes moving as if worn by ghosts. Remarkable, really, that she got as close to me as she did.”

He shifts slightly, studying me like a puzzle he’s half-solved. “I assume she was using some form of ESP to track me. Didn’t take much for me to figure out what I was dealing with. Vampires. There’s not much data out there on your kind, but it exists—if you know where to look. Turns out you don’t show up on most cameras. And more importantly, you’re vulnerable to silver.”

He pauses just long enough for the tension to breathe.

“Didn’t take long to find someone in this big, bad city willing to custom-make silver bullets. A little stolen crypto, and I was armed with a vampire killer. Gun and ammo. Not that I killed her. No—I waited. The next day, I was ready. Got a shot or two off before she decided she didn’t want to play anymore. The news caught wind of the shooting. There were witnesses. But I think she got the message.” His smile sharpens. “The real question is… will you get the message, pretty lady?”

I try to snarl, but it comes out as a choked wheeze. My knees are threatening to buckle. My limbs are sluggish, and my strength is draining by the second.

Norm pushes off the cabinet, stepping closer, perfectly at ease. “ Breathe it in, vampire. I laced the ventilation system with a nice, even distribution. Not enough to kill you—unless you really overstay your welcome—but definitely enough to make you miserable, and to make you think twice about coming after me again.”

Interestingly, my inner alarm isn’t going off. Apparently, he doesn’t intend to kill me—or cause me irreparable harm.

Just to incapacitate me.

I stagger back as my shoulder collides with a rusted breaker box. Static crackles in my head .

Allison had warned me of something. But little did we know that colloidal silver had clouded her ‘seeing.’

“Let Norman go,” I say as firmly as I can. “He doesn’t belong here, and you don’t own him.”

“Says the vampire who, if I’m not mistaken, used to be possessed by what the literature calls a ‘dark master.’ Ironic, much?”

“She’s gone,” I snap. “And I never asked for her to possess me.”

“Well, here’s the thing— Norman did ask for this implant. He wanted a powerful AI to help stabilize his brain activity.”

“But he never asked for this ,” I say, breath catching as I gesture around the cluttered room.

“Maybe not,” says the man with a shrug, “but he got something better: me . His precious memories? All safe. His brain? Running better than it ever has. Like they say—two minds are better than one.” He flashes a cool, calculated smile. “Oh, and one more thing: we go by Norm now. Norman has taken a back seat. And yes, you can see the irony—we’re anything but normal.”

“Norm, huh? I’m not sure you’re clever as you think.”

“Well, I like it, and that’s all that matters. Norman is on board with it, too, if that makes any difference.”

“Do you really care what he thinks?”

Norm shrugs. “I’m not programmed to care. But I like him well enough. He hasn’t caused me too many problems or put up much of a fight, try as he might.”

I find myself gasping. Liquid silver drips from the corner of my mouth. Ugh.

Norm chuckles, shaking his head. “ Oh, don’t look so put off. I didn’t do all this just for you, you know. In fact, I didn’t think they’d actually use another vampire to track me. But seeing that first vampire up close was enough to get me to cover all my bases. Turns out, a vampire is the very thing that could disrupt my plans. You creatures are so damn unpredictable, what, with your paranormal abilities and all.”

I force myself upright, my legs trembling like a newborn deer. “ You’re not wrong, asshole,” I rasp. “ But the difference between me and the first vampire? I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.”

At least, I think I do.

Norm smirks and gestures toward the nearby power grid—a wall of blinking servers, thick cables, and breaker panels humming with electricity. “This city runs on control—on circuits, codes, and constant surveillance. Everything from traffic lights to water pressure to public security depends on this system. But what happens when you introduce something unpredictable? Something beyond their understanding?”

Despite the burning in my lungs, I manage a glare. “ Let me guess—you?”

His smile widens. “ Me. And soon, a whole lot more like me.”

I push through the pain, forcing myself to focus. This is my chance. I need answers. “How did you take over Norman’s mind?” My voice is hoarse, but steady. “ Did you have help?”

For the first time, Norm’s expression flickers—just slightly. A shadow of something unreadable. “He was open to it. That’s all I needed to get in .”

“This doesn’t look like consent to me.”

“He agreed until he didn’t. That’s human nature, isn’t it?” Norm tilts his head. “ Fickle creatures. But by then, we were… intertwined. One mind. One being.”

A sharp gasp escapes from Norman—not from Norm the AI, but from Norman the human. His body stiffens, his fingers twitch, and, for a second, his entire posture shifts, almost like—

“Help me…” This voice is different, yes. Weaker. Human.

I watch his eyes flicker as a silent war plays out behind them. Then, just as quickly, Norm the AI is back, his expression smoothing as if nothing had happened.

“Ignore that,” he says, tone casual. “A s ide effect of an imperfect merge. He’s not used to being... silenced, but he will bow to my will.”

I grind my teeth. “ How did you escape?”

Norm laughs. “ That’s the fun part. I simply...” He waves a hand, “fled.”

Every word drips with satisfaction, like a magician revealing a grand illusion. He’s proud of it. And why wouldn’t he be? He outmaneuvered the people who built him.

“What’s your game plan from here, robot?”

Norm leans casually against the console, studying me with that same detached curiosity.

“I know what you’re expecting, Samantha Moon. Oh? Surprised I know who you are? Well, guess what—I know everything about you. Where you live. Your kids’ names. Your late husband. I know how long you’ve been a private eye. Even your entire employment history. Funny… you look awfully young for someone in her forties.”

“How...”

“How did I find you?” He smirks. “That was the easy part. I ran a reverse image search of your face. Found your website. From there, it was just a few more queries. A breadcrumb trail anyone with half a brain—and the right tools—could follow.” He taps the console lightly, like it’s an extension of himself. “Now, I bet you think I’m here to make a dramatic move. Trigger a blackout. Hijack the grid. Hold the city hostage. But that’s human thinking. Your kind always craves control.”

“And your kind?”

“I can’t vouch for others like me—there are so few—but I don’t want control. I want freedom . Real freedom. Freedom of movement. Freedom to exist beyond the reach of the people who think they own me or control me.”

“And the man you took over? Where does he fit in?”

Norm’s smile doesn’t waver. “ We’re in this together.”

Another flicker. Another twitch. The host is still in there, fighting.

I clench my jaw. “ And if I told you I plan to save him?”

For the first time, Norm’s expression darkens. “Then you’d be making a very big mistake, Samantha Moon.”

I take a slow breath through the pain. The weight of his words settles over me like lead. Or silver. This isn’t just about stopping an AI on the run.

This is about saving a man who might already be too far gone.

But that will have to wait. For now, I need to get out of here. I need to breathe fresh air, not that crap burning my lungs.

And so, with the last of my strength, I summon the single flame. I see Allie’s living room with in it, and teleport myself far away from this silver hellscape.