"Michael, I need your help again," Quick said, floating in the virtual boudoir with seemingly billowing curtains and a view of unscathed Paris. He was not visible, and being the host Claudia would not find him if he did not want her to. Quick moved to the door that was closed. Manipulated virtually it opened inward and then quick floated in a hallway with French panelled walls and old gas lamp sconses csting pools of yellow light.

      A door opened from elsewhere and then Michael was there, fully rendered in a smoking jacket of velvet and quilted satin. "Here I am, Ma Petite."

      "I need help. It is important."

      "Ask."

      "Is there anyone who's terribly old school and gone corporate in manufacturing? Or just anyone infamous still that I could ask. I have a large project."

      "Manufacturing of what exactly?"

      "Personal computers. Mobile preferably. Someone who could go into production...someone black craft, or at least quite gray."

      "Black craft, eh? What are you into little one?" Michael asked.

      "A revolution," Quick answered.

      "Have you checked the usual industry sources?"

      "Yes. I have a crew sifting through old news but it will take a long time to find the right individual. If you can help..."

      "You can give me some time to consider?"

      "Some," Quick said.

      "You need a gray craft talent now in manufacturing loyal to your cause?"

      "I don't forsee large profit of the financial sort."

      Michael appeared to hold his hand to his chin in thought. Quick's symbols shifted impatiently. "Have you also checked among friends of your father?"

      The Metro Noir. They had the connections to distribute possibly... "I believe they could help in distribution, if needed, but my father never told me the occupations of his friends."

      "A few names come to mind, but I will need to make certain of things. I will contact you, if I get what you need."

      "Thank you." Quick opened a panel and disconnected completely.

      The crew were looking at Claudia expectantly when she removed her headset. "He'll contact me if he finds anyone," Claudia said to them. "Did you get anywhere?"

      "We can get names of manufacturers past and present and tell you where their factories are, and we can get a decent list of known hackers or associates, but putting them together, getting the BW on any of them..." Robbie said.

      "Near impossible," Claudia finished. "Sascha, what about our other project?"

      She was sitting perched on the table with her own mobile at her feet. She frowned. "I got into somewhere with the process you planned, but I have no idea where it is. I don't recognize prompts or code or anything. I can still send to it. And I can leave."

      "I'll take a look in a while," Claudia promised.  It had been nymph. Nymph had gotten them somewhere...but there had to be more to it. There was more needed. "Any thought on hard min reqs?"

      "Dual line capable with cable and mobile linking," Erik said.

      "Nice," Claudia said. "I think we need optimum a/v acceleration and decent resolution on display. Full color. As much memory as we can afford. Myriad parallel ports, all the basic interface types for peripherals."

      "What are we going to do for processors?" Marcus asked, "The rest can be thrown together, but you really need a lab to turn out working processors. Or are you looking for a manufacturer of processors rather than an assembly line?"

      "We don't have a contact at all yet. When we do, we will know how to get the processors and assemble the machines. How big do you think that would make one?"

      "Never fit in a hand held," Leonore said, "I've made enough boxes to know what you can cram into each. A machine with all that would have to be a book at least."

      "You could do voice input combined with touchscreen and get rid of keys entirely," Marcus said, "Mine is like that, when I know I'll use a lot of text I hook up the key pad." Marcus had a nice system; it was uber-portable.

      "Redundant having three modes of input, it's all the same to the machine, just more work for the processor and more things to go wrong," Robbie pointed out.

      "Engineer a new breed of mouse," Claudia said, "I loved my mouse when I was a kid. You can handle it, feel like you're having control. But what if something that size had keys for text and music, voice recognition and tracking ball, and was cordless."

      "A remote control with excellent cursor movement, that's what you're saying. They have something like that for really large multi-component systems, usually has it's own simple processor inside and uses infra red beams, has to be aimed," Jayne said.

      "What you could do is have all the display and input in one very compact device, like a phone, and the rest of the the power and hardware, drives, ports...the heavy stuff separated but attached by cord," Marcus said.

      Claudia shook her head. "We're getting away from the goal here, myself included. This isn't a machine we want. It's a machine any fool can use. It shouldn't be so tiny it becomes obscure. It should be something a pair of friends can work together. Movable but not pocket size."

      "Yeah, I see what you are saying," Marcus admitted, "But the ideas were good."

      "What you need then is large display and input, redundant or not," Sascha says, "and make the rest as compact as possible."

      "I can see that," Robbie agreed. "Clearly marked keys, music included, and nice big display, the rest built-in inconspicuously."

      Claudia nodded. But just what shape? Because we will need a casing."

      "Wait till we have the hardware established," Sascha suggested. "You want to try this nymph thing again?"

      Claudia bit at her lip. "It occurs to me that we must say something to nymph but it would also have an understandable technological reference. Have you tried the word mother?"

      "Yes."

      "M-A-T-E-R?" Claudia asked.

      "Latin?" Sascha asked.

      "Or, it'll be Greek," Claudia said as Sascha typed. She knew she was right when Sascha drew in air and clenched her fists.

      "Mother! Perfect! We are in!" Sascha shouted.

      "Really?" Robbie asked, "what sort of access?"

      "Mother...nymph. Mater. We are totally in the mainframe with full access, we could make popcorn here!"

      "No, don't mess with the kernel!" Claudia warned.

      "I wasn't really going to," Sascha said, "But, look!"

      Claudia walked over to the table, leaned against Sascha's arm and looked at her display. Columns of changing code but it made sense. "It's sexigesimal code," Claudia said, "Figures."

      "Base sixty numerical code?" Robbie asked. "Why?"

      "Sumerian," Sascha said, "smallest number combining number systems based on ten and twelve, like a weird metric/english ancestor math."

      "Lots of ancient cultures messed about with number systems, just like mathmeticians today," Claudia said, "Just like binary is base two math. The hardware has to still communicate in binary, but the software must all use this sexigesimal code language."

      "You don't think the hardware would actually be sexigesimal?" Sascha asked, "This is Alexandria we are talking about."

      "No, I really think it's still binary hardware, it's just run with this custom code language. I've seen a terminal in Alexandria before. The computers there are running a custom GUI type OS..."

      "Then they already have a translation program that translates user input to sexigesimal and vice versa, and they must have translation to other platforms for the server to function..."

      "The backdoor passwords weren't in the code, but they got us here to the raw code, but there didn't seem a way to get what we wanted by using the front door. Yes, there must be a translator program already, but it might not work for us as is, even if we had it, because we aren't running their OS."

      "It's a question of whether it would be faster to adapt their translator or just design a new one. Want me to work out a translator?" Leonore asked, "I think I could do it."

      "Do it with me," Sascha suggested, "I'd like to work on it."

      "That's totally acceptable," Leonore said. As Claudia stepped out of the way, Leonore came to the table.

      "Server up?" Claudia asked.

      "Miko," Robbie said hiking a thumb to the front bed room.

      With a nod, Claudia walked to the curtain and opened it. Miko was there, Marek asleep in the second bed. "Server up?" Claudia asked quietly.

      "Yeah, I'm watching," Miko said.

      "All right. Just let me know if Michael shows up."

      "I will," Miko said.

      Claudia left him, some days it was boring to sit monitoring the server, but they all took their turns. "I'm going out a while," Claudia told the others. "I'll try to stay around camp, but I'll have my mobile."

      Careless nods. The crew was enthralled by the Alexandria computer.

      "Claudia!" Miko called.

      Claudia turned from the door and looked back to the front of the trailer's interior. Miko held the curtain open. "Michael is here now," he said.

      "I didn't know he'd be that quick. Tell him I am with you."

      "He says to give you this message: Go to Leipzig."

      "Leipzig? Is that all?" Claudia asked.

      "He gave them Bruce Wayne...who's Bruce Wayne."

      "Who did?" Marcus asked, "That's no friend if he's giving away your real name, Claudia."

      Claudia shook her head. Michael could be trusted.

      "Anyway Michael is saying he knows you won't like that, but it was necessary. He can't even tell you more now except to go to Leipzig."

      "Thanks Miko," Claudia called.

      "Why would your old friend tell someone your IRL name?" Marcus asked.

      "Whoever he found must really be suspicious or in hiding," Claudia said, "I knew I wasn't looking for just anyone. Clearly, I am meant to go to Leipzig and they will know to recognize me and make contact...all to ensure it is not a trick, that I am not going to endanger the contact's security."

      "Robbie," Marcus called. Robbie was standing near leonore. "Robbie, any of the manufacturers in Leipzig?"

      "Oh, that," Robbie said dreamily. "I'll check in a while." He said to Sascha, "This Athen guy, what's he like?"

      "It's OK, Marcus, I need to go see John anyway," Claudia said. She really left this time. Merideth was outside hanging damp clothing from a basket on a line. It was very much freeze drying and not great for the clothes, but there was not a much better way.

      "Have you seen John?" Claudia asked.

      "He came into camp just a few minutes ago. I think he's with the horses," Merideth said.

      "We got into Alexandria," Claudia said and stood grinning.

      "No!" Meri said.

      "I did, Sascha and Leonore are working on their code now. Full access as far as we can tell."

      "I hardly believe it. Was it hard?"

      Claudia shook her head. "Just required obscure knowledge." 

      "He's coming now," Merideth said. John must have been behind Claudia and in Merideth's gaze. Claudia could hear the boots on the frosty ground.

      "Is that my Little Red?" John asked Meri as he came closer, had to be referring to the color of her cloak, dyed to rid it of being Rowan Gray. She had liked the color until seeing their costume and handiwork. Meri was nodding.

      A hand came to Claudia's back and then she could see John. He stepped about her as if in dance then stopped. John was looking at her, right at her eyes, or maybe she looked into his. "You're going to tell me where we are going next," he said.

      How? How could he know that she wanted to go somewhere? And should they all go? "Yes," Claudia said cautiously, as if it might just be another question.

      "I went back to the cathedral and all I could think or see was you, and then I knew. It wasn't sinful at all, just a sign. You are the one who decides this time, and you know."

      Claudia loved him, felt all giddy for a moment, and forced that down. "I do know a city I must go to, and it is not too far away. I just discovered I must go to Leipzig."

      "I've spent some time in Leipzig," Merideth said, "It's very nice, rather bohemian, without belonging to the forest. Artsy and political at once."

      "Very sorry, Meri, can't listen," John said. He must have looked away to speak but then his eyes were back with Claudia. She was in the cathedral with all the perfect beautiful saints...no, that wasn't her she'd been reading John's thoughts again. He picked her up, an arm under her shoulders and her knees.

      Claudia was unsure of what happened to Meri. She was able to shift her weight just enough to put her arms about John's neck, not that she feared he would try to drop her, but Claudia wanted to hold onto him.

      They were walking over snow then, it had a different crunch to it. John set Claudia down on her feet, she still held her arms up about his neck. There was a tent near them. "Whose tent is it?" Claudia asked.

      "Mine," John said. He dropped his head and kissed her. "I sat there with saints and god and all I could think was you." John was biting down on her neck. It may have been the biting that made Claudia feel breathless. John dropped to his knees in the snow. His head touched her hip and if he had worn the crown he would have drawn blood. Rather John snaked his hand under her skirts and into her shorts. He yanked the tampon out of her as if angry with it and Claudia gasped just slightly. She had his thoughts in her head again.

      There was a church, in Ballater, Scotland. John had spoken to her of saints. She had thought the marble statues so alive in the dim light and watched him kiss the lips of a stone virgin. 

      They were in the tent. Claudia was sitting up with legs bent back as if to rise to a kneel. She pulled John by his hair and kissed him. This was hungry, lustful. "Mon Dieu," Claudia said when she had breath to speak with, "Je voudrais tu."

      She reached for John's clothes just as he reached for hers, wanting them off. He seemed to get distracted as her dress fell. John cupped a hand to her left breast, kissed Claudia again. Their lips parted and Claudia was looking right at his eyes. Somehow John's thoughts were hers again: need, love, adoration. He said it aloud, "I love you."

      Claudia tore here eyes away, looked down and tugged at clothing until it was all on the floor. "Anything," John said. Claudia looked up and saw John bow his head. She felt the warmth of his breath and then his tounge on her throat. "I would do anything for you," John told her.

      What? What didn't John do for her already? The flat of his hand touched the place her heart beat. The pressure of John's hand on her chest grew stronger and then Claudia fell back onto her cloak's satiny lining. She smiled looking at John, lying over her, petting her hair. "Anything," he said again. A tiny kiss. "I would kill a wolf for you."

      "And if he wasn't only a wolf?" Claudia asked.

      "If he hurt you..."

      "Just the bad list."

      "As you wish," John said. He kissed her face again.

      "Live with me forever?" Claudia asked. Would he do that? Would he be undead for her?

      His head nodded slightly, but he did not look her in the eyes. John spoke in whisper, "For you. For you I would."

      "Be inside me?" Claudia asked. He didn't really need words to answer. John just was.

      They had made love and feeling completely loved and floating Claudia thought, and wouldn't I do anything for him? Embrace emotion, cook over smokey fires, travel Europe in a trailer...just break everyone's laws. Give up immortality if given that choice to live a lifetime with John?

      Claudia sat up. John was resting at her side, awake but eyes closed his right arm under his head. Her eyes moved over his naked body and Claudia saw the penis of her husband, soft like a flower part and only partly smeared in blood. There was a part of her sickened by the sight, that felt a sort of wrongness. And then there was part of Claudia that found this the most beautiful and wholesome of things, something she had to take into her mouth as if to swallow. The second part of her won out.

      When Claudia was done she looked down through strands of her own hair and this beautiful part of John was entirely clean. All parts of Claudia felt right. She smiled to herself.

      "You are so sweet to me," John said to her.

      Claudia looked up, shoved her hair behind her ears and over her shoulders. Eyes half-open John looked at her. She smiled.

      "You were going to give up all kinds of blood drinking," he said. Claudia knew it wasn't meant as accusation. John really would have been able to stop her if he thought Claudia would later consider this negated her vow and regret, he would have stopped her.

      "Wasn't all blood," Claudia said, "and I don't care." She lay down again, mostly on her ribs and hip but Claudia threw an arm and leg over John to share warmth. "Do you think we should ever have a child?" Claudia asked.

      "I've wished it," John said quietly, eyes closed again. "I always thought you didn't want to, seen that you take pills."

      "I started that before I was even with you. But I'm older now. I could stop. I could be 18 by the time a child was born. It doesn't have to be very soon, we could still wait. I just think if Merideth has done it and Elzbieta is, then I could. We could try to make it happen on purpose."

      "I've wished it Claudy, God, in secret I have...but I have this bad feeling. It's like hesitation but not really. It's being halted by a fear of something unknown."

      "Trepidation?"

      "Yes, I feel a sense of trepidation when I think of it. Claudia, look what we have done so far. The power to effect things...it's starting to really scare me. What would a child of ours become?"

      Claudia nodded her understanding. "From what I gather of others fears upon bringing a child into the world are normal." She had reason to fear not doing it sometime soon. "I fear that I will never do it."

      When Claudia saw John's eyes she knew that he understood. If she took the blood from David one day, she could never have a child afterward. "Claudy," John said, unable to really comfort her.

      "You can't know how the desire for more pulls at you once you have the blood in you," Claudia tried to explain. "I love you, still every so often I feel a second desire holding me to something other than you. I want to be with you, John, and I want the blood. I left Rome with you, I did all I said. I think that if all this ends I will not have a reason to hold it off any longer. I want you to be with me, John, but whatever happens later, if we two had a child, there would always be that. There would always be that proof that we were Human and we did love each other. We might even have many descendants and watch over them. All the Jewel family is watched and protected by Vampyres that were close to the family, or of the family itself."

      John turned and curled his body into Claudia's. "Have a child with me Claudy, whenever you are ready, do that with me, just don't speak to me of later and afterward till we're there. I know. I know there will be changes. Just don't speak of it, not to me, I don't want to hear. Will you do that?"

      "Yes," Claudia said and pet John's hair, "when I speak of the future it will only be of the tribe, not what may happen to us, only the tribe's future will matter. We will have a child, it will be beautiful, you'll see, just perfect. Everything will be fine." And then you will have to leave them with Alaric to lead, Claudia said silently, because I must eventually take the blood and I must have you with me.