Page 7 of Dark Embers

“This is the actual size of the device,” I clarified as we observed the sphere, just an inch in diameter. “But for greater study, we’ll magnify.”

I tapped a zoom command on the tablet, and the 3D image grew to the size of a beach ball. “How in-depth would you like to go into the schematics?”

“The basics will suffice,” Celeste replied. “Honestly, I trust your judgment on this. If you believe it’s worth investing in, we have the finances to make it happen. If you’re on the fence, maybe we need to talk to Kai about working on something else.”

“Of course.”

This was how our conversations usually went. Celeste didn’t want to know how each little part of something worked. She just needed to know that itdidwork.

“Let me explain the design in the simplest form so you have a basic understanding of how the device works,” I began. “First of all, you’ll notice that the shape of the system is similar to a golf ball. You can see the tiny divots encompassing it. Those are sensors that are ultra-tuned to a particular hormone—the one that vampires excrete when they need to feed. Kai calls ithemoghrelin. The thirstier they are, the more hemoghrelin they release, and the easier they are to track. That amount indicates just how dangerous they’ll be.”

Celeste tapped her bottom lip in thought.

I manipulated the controls again, and the outside of the image shot out as if it had been blown apart. “As you can see, within the device is a GPS unit, as well as a cellular chip for transmission. These GPS units will let us know where the thirsty vampires are located. The cellular chip will tap into local services and transmit levels of hemoghrelin directly to the servers here at the Dome.The military will have live data to observe and be able to react accordingly. And, of course, a solar-powered battery is powering it all inside.”

“You’re traipsing out of the ‘basic’ information zone,” Celeste said.

I chuckled and shrugged. “I guess even I get wrapped up in the technicalities of Kai’s designs. These devices will allow us to shift from tracking vampire attacks to detecting actual vampires.”

“Thirstyvampires,” Celeste corrected, pointing up a delicate finger.

I tilted my head to one side. “Well, yes. But that gives us a chance to prevent attacks versus waiting for them to happen.”

Celeste nodded. “And how many of these devices will we need?”

I sighed. “At least a hundred, to start. We’ll begin testing in Chicago then expand from there. Kai has mapped a grid of the city with the pertinent locations to install them, mostly on street lights where they’ll be well-hidden. From there, he plans to implement this technology into the watches the military wears so they can detect imminent attacks on their patrols.”

Celeste’s emerald eyes shimmered in the light from the holo-schematics. At last, she nodded. “Let’s bring the necessary parts in and get these built and distributed.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “We haven’t gone over cost yet.”

“I don’t need to see the numbers,” Celeste replied, flicking a lock of her red hair over her shoulder. “I’m not worried about cost as long as everything is accounted for in the end. And don’t seem so surprised; if these devices will help us prevent vampire attacks, there’s really no choice. We have to do it.”

I nodded in satisfaction. It was a good thing Celeste coupled her bluntness with altruism. “I’ll let Kai know. He’ll be pleased to hear of your approval. Hopefully, it’ll give him more motivation to stay in his position.”

Celeste tilted her head, her red hair angling to the side. “Has Kai been complaining about his job?”

I frowned and offered a hedging shrug. “He expressed an interest in being transferred to the military, but I talked him out of it.”

Celeste pointedly blinked several times before giving a short laugh. “Kai? In the military? He’d get eaten alive—and not by vampires. Can you imagine him trying to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Arthur Dracul?”

I chuckled, imagining how the General would react to Kai’s corny jokes.

“Believe it or not, I’ve seen Kai in combat, and he’s a force to be reckoned with,” I said in my oldest friend’s defense. “He’s knocked off his share of vampire heads in the past. But his talents are better spent here at the Dome. I’m giving him the responsibility of monitoring this new system, so he’ll have contact with the military as data comes in.”

“Hopefully, that will be enough military involvement for him,” Celeste mused. “As much as the fox irritates me, it would be odd not to have him lurking through the halls.”

I leaned forward and offered a playful, faux-shocked expression. “Are you actually warming up to your relentless admirer?”

She rolled her emerald eyes, the motion exaggerated by the catching light of the hologram. “Hardly. And if you mention any such thing to him, I’ll make you regret it. He’s already like ahorny dog I have to kick off my leg. If he even suspected I felt anything but disdain for him—which I don’t—he’d never leave me alone.”

I burst out laughing, slapping my knee at the mental image she painted.

She scoffed, clearly not amused, which only made my laughter harder to stifle.

“Alright, I think that’s all I have for you today,” I said when the rumble in my chest finally subsided, and then I dismissed the hologram and turned off my tablet.

“Actually, there’s one more thing I wanted to discuss with you,” Celeste said, rubbing her hands together. “It’s about Arya.”

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