Blueblood 5: Exposed The Secrets about V5H Revealed - 1. Buddy Gains A Voice

Things could have been worse. Agent Fane Jacobs did have questions, but Dr. Petran had told him and verified what we said about the V5H and treatments was true. If he didn’t trust her, he needed to find someone else to ask about what she’d been given to verify. The Prime Minister of Romania told him unless he had something to charge us with, we should be thanked for helping and let it drop! So, Agent Jacobs dropped it.

Colin got with the others from Romania that was staying. There was the vampire we met first saying he was Dracula. Christian? He was smart! Alin was sharp and was more comfortable with the technology than Christian. He and Christian came to the caverns where the VUN-EE was going to be at first. They had the needed space there! Stan worked with them on Buddy. Christian, like Alin had been out seeing the world since he got the serum. He had come back after hearing what happened. Alin was fine with this technology. We set up the VUN-EE in what had been Dragon’s Caverns…or as it was called by Mark and it stuck, Dragon’s Lair. I liked the name. It took about a week to get things straightened out for us to feel safe leaving them alone. We were bringing two men back to America that had no IDs! They had been outside the world for centuries, but you couldn’t tell people that. Talking with Ruben, Senator Cooke, and Congresswoman Chance, they were making arrangements for refugee status for both Dragon and Gaius. Colin, me, Gaius and Dragon got on a computer video phone call with Ruben.

“What name should I put down?” Ruben asked us.

The other computer was set so Ruben saw all of us on screen.

Dragon looked at Gaius and smiled, then looked at the computer again. “Vlad Dragon.”

Ruben nodded. ‘”And you?” He asked Gaius.

“Gaius-” Gaius said, but was interrupted by Dragon.

“Gaius Dragon.” Dragon said quickly smiling and taking Gaius’ hand. “It is legal in the United States to marry?”

Gaius’ eyes grew to look at Dragon surprised. “Wait a minute, isn’t someone supposed to ask first!?” His smile was there.

Dragon sat back smiling at the person he loved. “Gaius, we’ve been together off and on for nearly five centuries. Do I need to ask? And why should I ask? Why don’t you ask me?”

“Okay, will you marry me?” Gaius asked.

Dragon chuckled and nodded. “And there’s only us from now on.”

‘That’s what a marriage is for!” Gaius stated obviously. “Well?”

Dragon chuckled. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” He said and again true to his words, kissing Gaius and not caring if anyone saw it.

Ruben just looked a little confused. “Okay, Vlad and Gaius Dragon. I’ll enter that, we’ll just tell them with your countries restrictions you couldn’t marry. You can do it legally when you get here.”

I patted Dragon…or Vlad now, happily excited. “Yes! I knew it! That’s two weddings we’ll be having!”

Colin shook his head at me but smiled. “There won’t be any problems with INS or anything, will there?” He asked Ruben.

Ruben shook his head. “No, whether they apply for Immigration or not, we’ll have documents they can use. Just fly into that private airport and fly them here. It happens all the time, with no permission given many times. They will have that. It will be fine. We’ll be there when you arrive.” Then he grinned. “How’s everyone else?”

“Everyone else is fine,” I said. “All agents have worked extremely hard.”

“Okay, how’s Alex?” Ruben smiled asking more specifically.

I grinned. “My son is fine.”

“Your son!?” Ruben said in surprise and thought a second then nodded with a chuckle. “I guess he is.” He shook his head. “This whole age thing works against my head. Gabriella is Colin’s daughter while Colin looks too young to have a daughter that mature, you married Colin making her your daughter or stepdaughter and Alex marries Gabriella…my mind has a hard time with it.” Ruben smiled. “Does that make you my great-great step-uncle or something?” He shook his head. “I don’t know…we’re related somehow.” He smiled at us. “It was a good thing you meeting me in Central Park that day. Whether we are or not related. We’ll be ready when you arrive.” He looked at Vlad and Gaius. “I’ll welcome you when you get here, gentlemen.”

Colin ended the connection with a satisfied sigh. “We have only a few more days here, then we fly to New York.”

Vlad looked at us. “You say that so casually. I’ve seen those things go through the sky, but I never dreamed I’d be in one.”

“Millions fly all the time now.” Colin smiled. “You’ll be fine.”

Stan came to us later. “Okay. I have a webpage I began. Since this,” he patted the CPU, “is an extension of Buddy, it will be programmed on Buddy himself, so everywhere Buddy is. I’ve scanned Alin’s, Christian’s, Edwin’s and Matt’s eyes. I even did Sarah’s for backup. Now I need to do yours.”

“Our eyes,” I said to be clear.

Stan nodded. “It’s good security. Ocular scanners work the best.” He waved at the computer. There was nothing odd. “If you’ll sit here.” He pointed to a stool by the CPU. He pulled a long…pole from the side with a ball looking thing toward the top turned it so this…eye faced us. The camera? “Just look straight ahead at the lens.” He pointed to the little camera. Then at the keyboard, he typed quickly. I didn’t see anything, no lights or anything.

Stan nodded. “Okay, Colin, you’re next.” He waved Colin to replace me in the chair.

“But Stan, nothing happened,” I said waving at the device.

Stan chuckled. “Yes, it did.” He hit a few more keys and pointed to the monitor. “See?” The odd image with those lines…all white except for the strange red streaks in a complex pattern appeared. “You want a light show!? This is your eye. More complex than the fingerprint so more secure. That’s you!” He waved me away. “So, scoot, it’s Colin’s turn.”

“Who says scoot anymore!?” I grumbled. “I’ve never seen this.” I touched the odd thing with the ball camera.

Stan smiled looking more amused than bothered. “What I needed was a…more directed scan. Buddy can do it without this, but for something more detailed, like the eye, I use this.” He waved again. “Now, skedaddle?” He offered the new word.

Getting up Colin came and sat in the chair.

“Let me show you this.” Stan punched some more keys. A webpage appeared, looking very nice with Holms' Laboratories across the page. The main page had the Home, Investment Opportunities, Our Mission, Current Treatments and that. It looked very…clinical. Some lab guy looking at a test tube of something in a lab could be seen. I didn’t know him. “Anybody that gets to the page can access all this. Doctors and Scientists can access all this and it’s got what it says. All done by George and the others…it is real.” He pointed to the lower portion of the page. There was a VUN. Just the letters in a font. Just letters, but no prominence. “Click here, Colin.”

Colin moved the arrow everyone knows how to use and clicked on the VUN.

“Verification commencing.” The computer said in a rather monotone computer like voice, but we all knew the voice.

My eyes widened. “That’s Mark!”

Stan smiled a little warmer. “Yeah, can you think of a better voice? I couldn’t.” He shrugged. “I like it.”

“Identity denied.” Mark’s voice said.

“Now.” Stan waved at Colin. “I’ll get you next. He sat and clicked the VUN word.

“Verification commencing.” Mark’s voice said again. It took just a few seconds before Mark’s voice said…and much warmer and more…personable said. “Hi, there beautiful. Welcome back, Stan.” I should have said, much more personal.

Colin looked with eyebrows raised at me and I was just shaking my head at Colin. “It’s certainly Mark’s voice. I almost think Mark is really saying it.”

I watched as a more complicated page came up with the selection of Current Events. Communication Options. VUN United States. VUN Great Britten. VUN Eastern Europe. The Venom.

Stan smiled and turned a little pink. “Buddy knows it me, so…” he rose again as he exited the webpage and waved for Colin to sit again. “Hold still.” He did it again with the tapping and again, nothing happened. “Now, hit the VUN letters.”

Colin clicked the letters again.

“Verification commencing.” Mark’s voice said and now, my voice came out. “Hi there, good looking. Welcome, Colin.”

Colin smiled more. “Now, Devon’s in here?”

“It’s still Buddy,” Stan said. “He knows us.”

“How’d you get my voice?” I asked.

“Really?” Stan asked. “You talk using Buddy all the time. Examples of your voice is in the database…so…it was easy.”

“But Mark’s the default voice.” I chuckled.

Stan nodded again. “Yes.” His look asked, why not?

“Sure.” I put my hand on Stan’s arm. “You do know you’re marrying Mark…not him?” I pointed at the CPU. “Maybe Mark was right to tell you no body fluids on the computer.”

Colin grinned. “I’m glad it wasn’t Mark’s voice. Even hearing Mark say, hi there, beautiful could make things awkward later between Mark and me.”

“I can change the outgoing message.” Stan offered more worried. “I wanted to make Buddy more…friendly. Is it too much?”

I patted Stan’s arm. “You know us, Stan. We’re joking. When Sarah accesses the webpage…”

Stan smiled. “Then it’s Mark’s voice, but not that personal. Friendly, but I don’t have whoever she’s with on file.”

Colin smiled. “I’ll have to give you a raise.”

“You haven’t said what my earnings will be!” Stan smiled with a laugh. “How do you raise nothing?”

Colin laughed a little and stood up bringing Stan into a hug. “I’m telling you that we are…the VUN, but with Devon and me in particular, we know what you can do. We are so grateful to you. You’re a valued member of ours and Devon’s and our dear friend…you and Mark. You do a lot. Just know, we know that. You are family to us.”

Stan grinned a little bashful but nodded. “Thank you.”

“You have a scanner attached...I remember the big one…the 3D one.” I said looking at the CPU. “I just never knew about…that.” I pointed to that stick thing and the eyeball on it.

“Yes.” Stan nodded. “Buddy has it all.”

“Buddy’s only as good because of you,” I said.

We began packing to go home…at least to our home in New York. Things were a bit congested at the house. We said our good-byes to Eva who cried making us swear to keep in contact. As our things were being taken from the house and loaded to take us to the airport. Passing the bedroom used by Gaius and Vlad I noticed Vlad was looking…anxious. Gaius was helping load up.

“Are you okay, Vlad?” I asked him.

Vlad smiled as he closed a suitcase. “I’m fine…” he looked at me a then chuckled and gave a shrug and nod. “I know better than to say that to you. You read people very well. You can read me. I’m nervous.” He said simply and sat down on the bed. “Gaius and I are stepping into a world we don’t know. Gaius was out here more even before the serum, but…now…”

I nodded. “I can’t say I understand. I was raised in this world. I have seen it before though. Gabriella had a hard time at first. Like you, she had been out of the world a century. Amasis was out of for two thousand years! They are both fine now.” I sat by him. “We won’t leave you to get confused or struggle at all. I promise.” I looked closer at him, in his now normal eyes. “There’s something else.”

“You don’t let go, do you?” Vlad chuckled but nodded. “It’s silly, but…I’m so used to all these people needing me.” He shrugged. “I wanted that burden off me, now that it is…I am feeling…free, but sad? Does that make sense?”

I grinned. “It does.” I chuckled. “You’re adjusting. You still care about these people, but no longer feel responsible. You were used to the weight of that, now it’s gone, but you were used to carrying it around. A part of you will miss that.” I put an arm around his shoulder. “We need you. How do you feel now?”

He smiled. “Because I can convince people to do or not to do things?”

I smirked. “Sure, that’s all.” I joked. “You found us out. We’re just using you, Vlad.” I bumped his shoulder as he chuckled at the absurdity of my statement. “You know better than that, Vlad. You have a talent. If you use that talent, fine. If you don’t, fine. We love you. You will want something to do. If it’s not with the VUN, we’ll find something else you can do. You will be needed, as a member of the family. Nothing else. We won’t let you go until you and Gaius decide to go somewhere else. I hope you won’t, but whatever you decide. You can freely do.”

Vlad smiled and gave a nod. “Thanks.” He moved back a little to…see me better? “Are you sure you’re only in your thirties? I’ve been alive over five centuries. I don’t recall anyone like you.”

“Gaius is pretty sharp and can read people.”

Vlad nodded. “Yes, he is, but he doesn’t have the insight into the human heart. You do.”

At the private airport, we got ready to board the plane. Dr. Petran, Sorin and Vasil saw us off.

“We’ll stay in touch through Buddy I know.” Dr. Petran said smiling. “I look forward to George’s continued research. I know he’ll find a cure.” She moved forward a little and hugged Colin. “But, I’ll miss you all. You two, in particular.”

“We’ll be back,” Colin said smiling and walked to Sorin and Vasil. “I’m glad you two helped us.”

“Certainly,” Sorin said nodding. “I hope we continue to be good friends.”

“We will be. Vasil, thank you for your help.” Colin said shaking his hand.

“I, too, hope we are good friends,” Vasil said nodding.

“We are,” I said hugging the man.

Hugs all around again and we boarded the plane.

Now, the expected reactions from Vlad and Gaius. They’d never flown before. I don’t know if Vlad had ever been in so much as a car before. The engines revved up and we began to move and like Gabriella, Amasis and others, I saw two pairs of hands grasp the armrests tighter.

I leaned toward them. “Remember. Millions of people fly. Millions that live. Relax. I know it’s new, but trust me. You’ll be fine.” I assured patting Gaius’ arm who just nodded quickly, but couldn’t say a thing for now.

The engines suddenly grew louder even in the pressurized, noise reducing plane and the plane began to move faster, increasing speed until the nose began to rise and then our rear wheels left the ground as we climbed into the sky. I smiled as I saw Gaius grasp Vlad’s hand which Vlad squeezed back for mutual support.

Colin grinned also watching them also. “They’ll be fine.” He said looking at me. “Good-bye, Romania. Good-bye Transylvania. This was a good trip. We had problems. Some deaths, none of us, but I feel it was all good.”

“It was.” I nodded. “We begin the next phase.”

Colin chuckled. “After some days back in New York, we should take Vlad and Gaius to Charleston then take a couple of weeks off. Just you and me. Okay?”

I nodded kissing him. “That’s sounds great. I love you, Colin.”

He smiled. “I know. I love you, Devon.”

We hugged as tight as we could as we were belted in our seats. “I love you, husband.”

“We’re going home!!!” Mark shouted from his seat. “I’m getting married!!”

“All by yourself?” Stan asked mockingly irritated.

“I do nothing without you, baby,” Mark said kissing Stan.