Dark Temptations

by Eric Alan Williams

  “K that could have waited for me to get home, or a phone call.”

  “Sorry, I prefer the personal approach, especially when the counselor wished me to report to you directly. A cord extended from his hand, that hooked into one of Ezra’s tablets. “If you will sign this, I can transmit it to the school. She needs a permission slip signed to be able to take an additional class being offered now that her grades are where they need to be.”

  Sitting across from them, Polanski noticed the droid. He remembered that unit. It was an older model, HKC. He could tell it had been refurbished. He walked over. He noticed the K-2 on the front. His heartbeat sped up a little. “No way?”

  K2 looked over and instantly recognized him. “Agent Polanski, it has been a while.”

  “I thought your droid ass got demolished and recycled? How are you here?”

  K looked at Ezra, “I belong to Ezra Huxley now.”

  “I thought you were recycled?” Polanski asked again.

  “Detective Draven Thunder acquired me before that could happen and had me refurbished to be a house droid as well as a Nanny unit.”

  “A Nanny unit? But still, Draven was killed over a decade ago?”

  “His son Xairin Thunder survived that crash and inherited me and signed me over to Detective Huxley after his human status had changed.”

  Polanski looked at Ezra. “Wait, your star witness, is one of Draven Thunder’s kids?”

  Polanski turned around and walked off, speaking sarcastically. “Well, fuck me in it being a small world!”

  Marine leaned forward. “You know fat bastard too?”

  K2 nodded. “Regrettably so. He and my former handler, Agent Thunder, disagreed on several occasions.”

  “If you will sign the release, I can transmit the consent to the school. I think this class would highly benefit Raven and keep her mind challenged.”

  Ezra signed the consent on the tablet. The cable from K2’s hand withdrew. Using his internal modem, he sent it to the guidance office. “Done. Thank you, Ezra.”

  “So, you know Polanski?” Ezra asked.

  “Yes, while I was Draven Thunder’s patrol unit when he was an enforcer when he made Agent, he managed to have me transferred along with him. Polanski was his human partner. I worked alongside both of them, though Polanski often refused help from a synthetic.”

  “Why would anyone refuse help from a droid?” Grace asked.

  K2 shrugged. “He sighted religious reasoning for his objections to my assistance. He is partly the reason I was assigned to be decommissioned in the first place. Detective Thunder managed to keep me from being recycled and had me refurbished after that with my new designations.”

  Marine scoffed. “Well, he sure as hell doesn’t come off as one of the religious types now.”

  K2 shrugged. “Nor did he then.” He looked at Ezra. “I shall return home until it is time to pick Raven up from School.”

  “Okay,” Ezra replied.

  _____

  Cecilia had scanned in every single document from Draven’s stored files. Arcaidus began sifting through them, creating digital formats. “Cecilia, based on the data you have collected, your husband had several unsolved sensitive cases that were shifted to cold status, all of which were during his partnership with an agent named Roland Polanski. After the agent separated from their assigned pairing, your husband’s caseloads had an 86% increase in successful completion rates.”

  Cecilia looked over at the computer screen with a nasty look across her face. “Is Roland Polanski still employed with Interpol?”

  “Yes, and there is documentation of him interviewing Xairin, according to Eve.” She looked off to the side, scoffing.

  “Who is the lead investigator into Xairin’s case and the current murders?”

  Arcaidus replied. “There are four currently assigned. Agent Ezra Huxley, Agent Marine Evans who is also a society registered werewolf of the Yeti Tribe. Agent Hannibal Quessenberry, and newly promoted Agent, Grace Tomlin.”

  “Arcaidus, you said there were other murders that were similar in nature in other districts? Out of curiosity.”

  Arcaidus interrupted her. “Roland Polanski has been in each of these districts during the timelines of the murders based on previous Interpol records of his past employments. In each case, there are news files, but not a single law enforcement file to correlate.”

  “And without an investigative file in place, it would be considered fake news, or an unsubstantiated claim if it went to a conviction.”

  Arcaidus replied. “Based on current laws, yes. The only hard files you have are the ones that your husband made records of that had the official Interpol barcoding. You will need to take the paper files to Interpol, however the connection to Roland Polanski, due to the deletion of files in previous employment locations, will make it difficult to prove a, quote, dirty agent, is connected to these events.”

  “Unless we can get him to talk?” She added.

  “According to medical records that Eve allowed me access to, Roland Polanski was in a falling accident in 2110, which resulted in damage to the frontal bone, coronal suture, and the parietal bone of the skull. Agent Polanski has a cybernetic titanium cap replacing these three areas that were implanted along with an internal neural dampening device built into the underside of the cap. The battery life of the implant is listed to be no less than two hundred years.”

  She scoffed. “Accident my ass. Still, that wouldn’t make him immune to being enthralled.”

  Arcaidus replied. “This is true; however, the presence of enthralled cells could be used as evidence of him being manipulated should a blood test be performed.”

  She sighed. “DAMN IT!”

  Her eyes turned solid black as her fangs elongated from her canines. “Arrange a mode of transport for me to Bastion City, and a meeting with the four agents working Xairin’s case.”

  “It will be done,” Arcaidus replied.

  _____

  1313 De Carlo Lane, De Carlo Sub-Zone 289.

  Xairin arrived with Jason alongside him in a ritzy suburb outside Bastion City. It was roughly a five-minute flight at max allowed flight speeds. Xairin didn’t care too much for all the mansions around him as his blue jeep transitioned to land mode, but the neighborhood was peaceful, at least. The town was shaped like a loop, which reminded Jason of a crescent moon. 1313 was at the very end of it. They entered a wooded stretch, which made Jason feel right at home, while Xairin appreciated the privacy.

  They pulled up to a metallic solatex wall that was being slowly erected. The gate had already been installed with a doorman, a robust droid, much larger than K2, and far more muscular. He had a cyclops head, having a band going all the way around the head, in which the eye could move to. The black metallic scaled droid approached the jeep, scanning the physical features and ocular cavities as it approached the driver’s side door. Xairin rolled the window down.

  “Xairin Thunder. I am Guard Unit 2. I am an AKD-Model-42. An Assault-Kill-Droid. Your grandfather has purchased twelve of us, each with numerical designations, from 1 to 12 we are also patched in, with Arcaidus for maximum efficiency.”

  Xairin’s eyebrows raised. “Okay... No immortals guarding the property?”

  “Your grandfather felt you may want more privacy and felt that a droid detail may be more to your liking, but the mansion does have sixteen bedrooms currently, which could house additional staffing.”

  “Mansion?” Xairin asked.

  “Continue up the driveway, I have already transmitted your arrival to the other droids.”

  Xairin rolled his eyes. “Okay.”

  Jason looked over at Xairin. “Bit high tech.”

  Xairin huffed. “Well, I am a prince, so I guess, get used to it.”

  Xairin pulled up into a round driveway that went circled a stone water fountain. He noticed a medium-sized mansion, with an almost dark purple-colored exterior. The mansion’s architecture had an American Queen Ann style to it. The home was c
learly old, and probably bought at a steal, thanks to the nano ants, it was getting a robust upgrade.

  Off to the side of the home, was a garage that had four doors that slid upward. Xairin and Jason got out as another droid approached. This one was a simple Personal Assistant droid, having the same scale chassis, but a more realistic humanoid form. This one was blue with a slender feminine appeal. She had a pleasant voice. “I am Assistant droid 1, one of seven, your grandfather is awaiting you in the house. The home has been upgraded for handprint and ocular verification to allow entry. I will park your jeep in the garage.”

  Xairin nodded. Jason and Xairin got out and held hands as they walked up the steps. The handprint module next to the oval-shaped door, lit up, Xairin scanned his palm, then his eyes, the door opened. He could hear metal locks unlatching.

  Inside, the house was still pretty bare, not a lot of furniture yet. The floors were shiny in most places as they were being replaced with solatex that resembled sandy marble flooring. Xairin noticed a spiral staircase and shiny dark tan walls. “Thank goodness for no white walls. I hate white walls.” Xairin said.

  Damien came around the corner. He was dressed casually, wearing shorts, a polo t-shirt, a black one, and flip flops. Xairin wasn’t used to seeing him dressed down. “No suit or cowboy attire today?”

  Damien smirked. “I dress down on occasion.”

  He noticed Xairin and Jason holding hands. He didn’t exactly frown, nor smile. He was okay with interracial relationships, it was just, he felt protective was all. “I see you two hit it off pretty well?”

  Xairin smiled as he looked at Jason. “Yeah, we have.”

  “Well, come on, let me show you around,” Damien said.

  He pointed at the windows. “Each of the rounded shaped windows, have already been replaced with Translumite, which, as you might know, is both blast-proof, bulletproof, and soundproof. It can reflect most laser fire.

  He led them into the living room, which was oval-shaped. “Most rooms in the house are oval or octagonal, with the exception of the kitchen and some of the bedrooms.”

  The same sandy-colored flooring and dark tan walls were dominant throughout the home. “The darker themes should help with light glare, especially in the morning.”

  The kitchen was next. It was furnished. It had darker themes, black marbled cabinets, flooring tiles, and contrasted with a chrome-colored refrigerator, dishwasher, and a walk-in chrome-colored freezer. There was a black metal table with nine chairs. The kitchen was large enough to host a small party. Xairin smiled as he looked at the teardrop lighting, and the two islands set up in the center of the room. The oven was also chrome-colored, facing the refrigerator. It was perfect. “I love it.”

  Damien led them into the rectangular-shaped dining room, which was off from the kitchen. Another large metallic table running the length of twenty-five feet, rounded at both ends, was there, fitted with fourteen chairs to match. “If you will look over here?” He pointed to a dark brown china cabinet that had been filled with exquisite dishes. It had teardrop lighting, as well.

  “Nice!” Xairin said.

  “This light switch, if you press the button in…” Damien said as he demonstrated. The wall beside the china cabinet slid over, retracting inward, revealing an LED lit up, display of more than a dozen types of rifles, shotguns, handguns, and laser pistols. It included four throwing axes and two curved swords.

  Jason’s eyes grew large as saucers. Xairin smiled. “Are there more hidden weapons in the house?”

  Damien smiled. “In every room in the house, you simply press in the light switch, and you will see a weapon case activate. In the kitchen, there is a button on the side of the fridge. You press the octagonal-shaped wall tile in, and a case will come out from underneath one of the cabinets.”

  “Useful,” Xairin said.

  Arcaidus appeared as laser lights shot out from the walls until a perfectly solid holographic form, of the white-robed assistant appeared. “That is not all Xairin.”

  Xairin nodded. “The droid at the gate said you were patched in.”

  Arcaidus nodded. “Simply say, activate the laser doors.”

  Xairin said. “Activate Laser doors.”

  Each doorway, multiple blue lights shot down, connecting like a net. “You can set up barricades to allow you additional protection should an unwanted visitor manage to make it inside the mansion. There is constant motion detection, that can detect some phase walking variances.”

  “Deactivate laser doors,” Xairin said. The doors vanished.

  Damien led them into the round-shaped study. Damien had taken the liberty of filling the room with several old tomes already, most of them copies of materials he had collected over the years that Xairin could study on his own, which related to Immortium lore. The study had ten feet high walls, filled with shelving around most of the room. There was a computer already installed in the study, with a large thirty-inch screen, several chairs, sofas, and a built-in a hammock. Xairin also noticed a hanging bar. Xairin asked. “Same thing? Press in the light switch?”

  Damien nodded. “Xairin pressed it. One of the bookcases retracted inward. This one was like the one in the dining room. It had rows of rifles, laser pistols, and two swords just like the ones Helena had given him.

  “Are you really expecting this much bad company?” Jason asked.

  Xairin shrugged. “My grandmother Lilith was kidnapped, and there is this gorgon faction that doesn't care too much for me, so you never know.”

  Damien nodded. “Not to mention monster hunters, as well as other factions that we hear about, that is attempting to challenge both the Conclave and the Society.”

  Jason smirked. “Okay.”

  They passed by six bedrooms that were side by side along the hallway on the ground floor, which at present are currently void of furniture aside from hidden weapons. Each room was oval-shaped, fifteen by fifteen in diameter, with ten feet high walls. Xairin walked in one of them. He noticed the same dark tan walls, same flooring, but also noticed an open bathroom, with a white toilet, white pedestal sink, section of white tiled flooring, and a jacuzzi tub, with rounded opening glass doors, and six shower jets above. Damien stepped in. “Each bedroom looks about like this one, with the exception of the master bedroom on the top floor.

  They went by another room, just out beside the end of the hallway from the six bedrooms. It was a security room. Inside it was stocked with weapons, from wall to wall, along with computers. AKD-7 was standing at one of the computers, monitoring it. He had a cable extending from his chest, patching himself in. His head spun around. “Greetings, I am Guard unit-7. This is the control room, Control room-one.”

  “Control room one?” Xairin asked.

  The droid replied. “Yes, there is one on each floor...”

  “Okay,” Xairin said and turned around, walking out. Jason looked a little curious, but at the same time, it was really starting to set in that he was attempting to date, someone, who in his mind, might be out of his league.

  Damien took them back around to the receiving room. He pointed to the right. “That closet has a secret door inside, leading down to a chamber underneath the home.” he took them over to the closet. It was a walk-in closet, he showed Xairin a button underneath a shelf. When he pressed it, the back wall slid over, and a metal staircase was exposed. “That leads down to essentially a bomb shelter. It is under construction right now.”

  “Great, so is there a pool?” Xairin asked.

  Damien nodded. “Off from the kitchen, there is an indoor pool with a hot tub.”

  “Is it filled yet?” Xairin asked.

  “No,” Arcaidus replied as he rematerialized. “It is still being renovated.

  Xairin crossed his arms as he looked at the hologram. “Are there holo-emitters in every part of the house?”

  Arcaidus nodded. “It is a new security feature that all council members and the royal family are to expect. If the droids fail to protect, holographic guards c
an be created in every part of the home to ensure adequate additional defenses.”

  “What's to stop you from showing up, oh say, if I am being intimate with someone?” Xairin asked sternly.

  “I will announce myself before materializing.”

  Xairin’s cheeks puffed out as he exhaled. “Well, it is what it is. I would love to have a swimming pool working by tonight if that is possible?”

  Arcaidus nodded and vanished.

  Damien showed Xairin the upstairs. He noticed the nine bedrooms, each much like the ones on the first floor. Each was empty, with the exception of having their own bathrooms. The master bedroom, which was at the furthest end of the house, was furnished. Damien had picked out a king-size bed, with black sheets, and black comforters and pillows. There was a computer desk, with a high-end system waiting, along with a flat-screen sixty-inch TV mounted to the wall in front of the bed. There was a hanging bar built into the ceiling, along with nightstands on each side of the bed. Xairin loved the long dresser running the span of the wall underneath the TV.