Quinn listened as the professor explained what they had found in the Trueblood that had been brought to them. He did not understand all of it but it seems there was some sort of bio-weapon in all the new Trueblood. As the professor went on, he could not help but notice a young vampire sitting in the corner of the room. Her sadness drew him and he walked over to her, still nodding as the explanation continued.
"Cher....what is wrong?"
"It is my Maker, Sir. He drank some of the trueblood before the illness was known to us. He is in the other room. I can feel everything he feels...the torment is unreal. Nothing natural could be this evil."
"No Cher...you are right. This was made by men, not nature. We hope to find an antidote, or at least a treatment. Go to your Maker. Tell him that someone wishes to speak with him when he is up to it."
"Of course, Sir. Might I know who to tell him?"
"Simply tell him I said 'missit me Dominus' and he will understand."
Quinn watched as the young vampire ran to the other room. Hushed voices could be heard as he walked back over to the doctor.
"....and as such we have been unable to even slow down the process. We would not even know as much as we do had it not been for the selfless act of the vampires in the other room. One of them is infected and the other helped him get to us. It was they who figured out that the catalyst was contained in the synthetic blood. Sadly, I do not think the older one has much time left."
Quinn glanced over and saw the young vampire nodding at the doorway. He turned back to the Professor.
"Please keep up your research. I will be back shortly."
He walked quickly into the other room and knelt next to the bed. The vampire laying there was in the final stages of the infection and could barely raise his head. He rested a hand on the old vampire's chest and the looked to him, not with pity, but with sadness.
The old vampire rested a weak hand on Quinn's and spoke in a whisper.
"Tu sei uno forte, ma diverso. Ho bisogno di chiedere un vantaggio di voi. Non avrò la possibilità di pagare di nuovo, ma tutto quello che ho accesso a sarà vostra in cambio. Questa è la mia unica progenie. Lei è giovane, ma molto forte, e molto intelligente. Questo è il motivo per cui è stata scelta da quelli che avevo a mia disposizione. Devo chiedere che si prende lei e la sua affermazione come la tua progenie. Lei ancora non capisce il nostro mondo, come lei è stato riparato da quando è diventata un vampiro. Ho avuto la sua formazione in tutti i modi lo so, e lei vi servirà bene."
(You are a strong one, but different. I need to ask a boon of you. I will not have the chance to pay you back, but all that I have access to will be yours in return. This is my only progeny. She is young, but very strong, and very smart. This is why she was chosen from those I had available to me. I must ask that you take her and claim her as your progeny. She does not understand our world yet, as she has been sheltered since she became a vampire. I have had her trained in every way I know, and she will serve you well.)
The old vampire looked to his progeny and spoke again in a whisper.
Figlia mia, come il tuo creatore, ti comando di servizio di quest'uomo come mi hai servito fino a che non fa la scelta di liberarti. Hai fatto bene a trovare me uno così forte. Ora posso affrontare la vera morte in pace. Se si, fammi un ultimo gentilezza. Preferirei morire da una mano forte che essere ucciso da questa morte spreco di malattia. Fate questo per me, chiedo solo questo per risparmiarvi più dolore. Lascia che sia una rapida morte per le mani. Uno come il tuo nuovo Guardiano è certo di avere lo strumento necessario con lui.
(My Daughter, as your maker, I command you to this man's service as you served me until he makes the choice to release you. You have done well in finding me one so strong. Now I can face the true death in peace. If you would, do me one last kindness. I would rather die by a strong hand than be killed by this wasting death of illness. Do this for me, I ask only this to spare you more pain. Let it be a quick death by your hands. One such as your new Guardian is certain to have the needed tool with him.)
Quinn nodded, walking to the young vampire, who knelt as he approached.
"Your name, young one...what is it?"
She looked up and whispered, "Arabella, if it pleases you."
He smiled at her and motioned for her to rise. He pressed his hand gently to the small of her back, sliding his fingers along her spine until her fangs dropped. Chuckling, he pricked his thumb on her fang and let a few drops of his blood fall on her tongue. She swallowed it without question, then bit her lip, leaning forward and kissing the wound closed. She looked to Quinn quietly as he walked over to one of his bags. He drew out a silver tipped stake, being careful not to touch the silver and handed it to Arabella. He motioned her forward. Blood tears were in her eyes and she drove the stake into her maker's heart. She was instantly covered in his blood as he burst. Quinn stepped to the other room, coming back in with a lab coat. He laid it on the desk at the edge of the room.
"Take what time you need for your goodbyes. There is a De-Con shower in the corner. Clean up and put on this lab coat, then join me in the main room. We will see to more suitable clothing for you later."
Quinn walked from the room, leaving her to say her goodbyes in private. As he walked passed her, he took the stake from her hand and carried it back into the main lab. He handed it to the professor.
"Here is a post-mortem sample, Professor. Perhaps it will help in your research. Burn the stake when you are done with it."
The professor took the stake, carefully wiping the blood into a container before deposing of the stake in a bio-hazard can. Quinn nodded and they spoke about the research, sharing the information they each knew while Quinn waited. After a time, Arabella joined them, her hair freshly washed and the lab coat wrapped tightly around her. She moved to stand behind Quinn's left shoulder but said nothing. When they were done talking, Quinn picked up the bag he had brought with him and walked to the door with her in tow. He stopped at the lockers by the door and grabbed a burn-phone. He dialed for a car to take them to his suite and instructed them to have someone there to take measurements for clothing when they arrived. If he was going to be in civilization, he could at least look like it. When the car arrived, Quinn and Arabella climbed in and the car pulled away toward downtown.
"Cher....what is wrong?"
"It is my Maker, Sir. He drank some of the trueblood before the illness was known to us. He is in the other room. I can feel everything he feels...the torment is unreal. Nothing natural could be this evil."
"No Cher...you are right. This was made by men, not nature. We hope to find an antidote, or at least a treatment. Go to your Maker. Tell him that someone wishes to speak with him when he is up to it."
"Of course, Sir. Might I know who to tell him?"
"Simply tell him I said 'missit me Dominus' and he will understand."
Quinn watched as the young vampire ran to the other room. Hushed voices could be heard as he walked back over to the doctor.
"....and as such we have been unable to even slow down the process. We would not even know as much as we do had it not been for the selfless act of the vampires in the other room. One of them is infected and the other helped him get to us. It was they who figured out that the catalyst was contained in the synthetic blood. Sadly, I do not think the older one has much time left."
Quinn glanced over and saw the young vampire nodding at the doorway. He turned back to the Professor.
"Please keep up your research. I will be back shortly."
He walked quickly into the other room and knelt next to the bed. The vampire laying there was in the final stages of the infection and could barely raise his head. He rested a hand on the old vampire's chest and the looked to him, not with pity, but with sadness.
The old vampire rested a weak hand on Quinn's and spoke in a whisper.
"Tu sei uno forte, ma diverso. Ho bisogno di chiedere un vantaggio di voi. Non avrò la possibilità di pagare di nuovo, ma tutto quello che ho accesso a sarà vostra in cambio. Questa è la mia unica progenie. Lei è giovane, ma molto forte, e molto intelligente. Questo è il motivo per cui è stata scelta da quelli che avevo a mia disposizione. Devo chiedere che si prende lei e la sua affermazione come la tua progenie. Lei ancora non capisce il nostro mondo, come lei è stato riparato da quando è diventata un vampiro. Ho avuto la sua formazione in tutti i modi lo so, e lei vi servirà bene."
(You are a strong one, but different. I need to ask a boon of you. I will not have the chance to pay you back, but all that I have access to will be yours in return. This is my only progeny. She is young, but very strong, and very smart. This is why she was chosen from those I had available to me. I must ask that you take her and claim her as your progeny. She does not understand our world yet, as she has been sheltered since she became a vampire. I have had her trained in every way I know, and she will serve you well.)
The old vampire looked to his progeny and spoke again in a whisper.
Figlia mia, come il tuo creatore, ti comando di servizio di quest'uomo come mi hai servito fino a che non fa la scelta di liberarti. Hai fatto bene a trovare me uno così forte. Ora posso affrontare la vera morte in pace. Se si, fammi un ultimo gentilezza. Preferirei morire da una mano forte che essere ucciso da questa morte spreco di malattia. Fate questo per me, chiedo solo questo per risparmiarvi più dolore. Lascia che sia una rapida morte per le mani. Uno come il tuo nuovo Guardiano è certo di avere lo strumento necessario con lui.
(My Daughter, as your maker, I command you to this man's service as you served me until he makes the choice to release you. You have done well in finding me one so strong. Now I can face the true death in peace. If you would, do me one last kindness. I would rather die by a strong hand than be killed by this wasting death of illness. Do this for me, I ask only this to spare you more pain. Let it be a quick death by your hands. One such as your new Guardian is certain to have the needed tool with him.)
Quinn nodded, walking to the young vampire, who knelt as he approached.
"Your name, young one...what is it?"
She looked up and whispered, "Arabella, if it pleases you."
He smiled at her and motioned for her to rise. He pressed his hand gently to the small of her back, sliding his fingers along her spine until her fangs dropped. Chuckling, he pricked his thumb on her fang and let a few drops of his blood fall on her tongue. She swallowed it without question, then bit her lip, leaning forward and kissing the wound closed. She looked to Quinn quietly as he walked over to one of his bags. He drew out a silver tipped stake, being careful not to touch the silver and handed it to Arabella. He motioned her forward. Blood tears were in her eyes and she drove the stake into her maker's heart. She was instantly covered in his blood as he burst. Quinn stepped to the other room, coming back in with a lab coat. He laid it on the desk at the edge of the room.
"Take what time you need for your goodbyes. There is a De-Con shower in the corner. Clean up and put on this lab coat, then join me in the main room. We will see to more suitable clothing for you later."
Quinn walked from the room, leaving her to say her goodbyes in private. As he walked passed her, he took the stake from her hand and carried it back into the main lab. He handed it to the professor.
"Here is a post-mortem sample, Professor. Perhaps it will help in your research. Burn the stake when you are done with it."
The professor took the stake, carefully wiping the blood into a container before deposing of the stake in a bio-hazard can. Quinn nodded and they spoke about the research, sharing the information they each knew while Quinn waited. After a time, Arabella joined them, her hair freshly washed and the lab coat wrapped tightly around her. She moved to stand behind Quinn's left shoulder but said nothing. When they were done talking, Quinn picked up the bag he had brought with him and walked to the door with her in tow. He stopped at the lockers by the door and grabbed a burn-phone. He dialed for a car to take them to his suite and instructed them to have someone there to take measurements for clothing when they arrived. If he was going to be in civilization, he could at least look like it. When the car arrived, Quinn and Arabella climbed in and the car pulled away toward downtown.
