So, after an extremely long break, here's another chapter. Sorry for the long delay, but I'm just struggling with where to go with things. I think I can get a chapter a month out, as I have an idea of what to do. I honestly don't have an end goal in sight, and I really hate to just wander with the story. I hope this lives up to what you've come to expect.
I've also started another story and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as you've enjoyed this one. You can find it at Nifty Archive: lone-wolf-ranch.
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Sex isn't a significant part of this story, nor is it graphic. If you're looking for masturbation fodder, look elsewhere. This story will have many slow times, just like there are in life. Other times, things will fly at you too fast. There will be dull days, and exciting days. It's just how it's flowing.
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We were discussing our travel plans when Alex called to ask
if I had a few minutes. Five minutes later, he entered and placed a small box
on my desk. Before I asked, he explained, "Prince Billy mentioned wanting a
better phone, and as you are starting your trip tomorrow, I thought you might
want to try the next thing in technology."
I was intrigued, so I opened the box. I expected a smartphone or maybe a device
worn in the ear. I was certainly not expecting to find a syringe filled with what
looked like mercury. I picked it up and examined it while Alex explained.
"In your hands is what many consider the future of many areas of science. That syringe contains three billion nanobots. Each one has its own processor and RAM. They can function independently, form small processing units, or combine to form a computer faster than anything you'll find anywhere."
I examined the syringe and asked, "As interesting as this is, what does it have to do with a new cell phone?"
Alex grinned and replied, "You have, in your hand, your next and last phone. You also have in your hand, the ultimate security device, the future of medicine, and the ultimate personal computer."
I was considering his words when Joshua stood and snatched the syringe from my hand, saying, "No offense, Alex, but there is no way I will allow His Majesty to be your guinea pig. I don't doubt the technology, but there needs to be a lot of field testing before we inject those things into the King."
Alex started to reply when Niko rolled over and said, "I
agree with my brother. You can't inject that stuff into the King until you're
sure there is no possibility of any ill effects. If you want a guinea pig, use
me."
Joshua and Billy both quickly said they would also volunteer in my place. Alex looked hurt as he looked at me and said, "Forgive me, Sire; I would never risk your health. In my excitement, I failed to explain that this technology has already been injected and integrated into the bodies of thousands of volunteers. The first small test was done two years ago, and the last group of two thousand has been testing it for over a year. There have been no ill effects; of any kind."
Alex went on to explain how the nanobots could sense the brainwaves of their host. Using this internal link, they could be used as a telephone, internet browser, and many other augmentations to their host's bodies. While he was explaining how the telephone feature worked, there was a knock at the door.
"That would be my team. I called them while we were talking and had them program nanobots for Prince Joshua, Prince Niko, and Prince Billy. I hope that's alright?" Alex said, looking around the room.
While Niko opened the door, Billy asked, "What do you mean
you called them while we were talking? I never saw you make a call."
Alex smiled and replied, "I was injected with nanobots yesterday. As I told
you, you can make calls using your voice or your mind. I used my mind."
Niko looked at Alex and asked, "I understand you used your
mind to connect the call, but how did you communicate?"
Alex answered, "I used my thoughts to tell the nanobots what I wanted to say.
They used a computer-generated voice for me." He then turned to me and asked,
"May I inject the Princes, Sire?"
I thought for a moment, then said, "Billy and Josh can speak for themselves. I will only give consent for Niko if the princes will revoke their objections and allow me to be injected as well."
Joshua tried to object, but Billy cut him off, saying, "We must
allow the King to make his own decisions. We've done our job, Joshua. We've
made our objections and offered options, but in the end, the King must do what
he feels is right."
Josh paused, looked at me, then said, "Papa is right. We have given our opinion,
but you must do as you see fit. Will you at least allow us to be injected
first? That way, you will know what to expect?"
Smiling, I reached out and gently touched my son's face as I said, "Your desire
to protect me is touching, but if I understand this technology, it will improve
my safety, not endanger me." I turned to Alex and offered my arm.
Alex took the syringe from Joshua and said, "If I may, Sire, my team can inject the princes while I inject you. Then we can educate all of you on the basics of their use."
I nodded my agreement, so while Alex was wiping my forearm, the other technicians did the same to Billy, Joshua, and Niko. I felt the tiny needle break my skin and watched in fascination as the syringe emptied into my bloodstream. I'm not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't what happened. Minutes after the injection, a display appeared in my vision.
Alex laughed and said, "I'm assuming the heads-up display has booted up. That was usually the first thing our test subjects noticed. You should sense them connecting to the communication sectors of your brain. Most find it easier to close their eyes and relax until that connection is established. Once that is done, I will guide you all through making a few calls."
Alex spent the next hour teaching us how to communicate with our nanobots and then teaching us how to communicate with our nanobots. What I mean is that he taught us how to tell them what we wanted and how to receive their replies and input. He then taught us how to make calls verbally and nonverbally using them, send and receive emails, research information on the internet, and do simpler tasks like putting notes in a calendar. He also told us how to access the computer network here on the island that held all the information known about vampires.
We had just mastered nonverbal phone calls when Niko got a look of surprise on his face, rolled to the door, and opened it to find two lab techs with two of his new chairs, one wheeled and one tracked. Once they were inside, he shifted himself to the wheeled chair and laughed as he used his nanobots to control the chair.
Ted had been silent through all of this, simply observing, but when he saw Niko controlling his chair with his mind, he asked, "When can you inject my pilots and me? I'm assuming you can modify our aircraft like you modified Niko's chairs?"
Alex replied, "Each pilot will have to consent individually,
but we can have injections customized within fifteen minutes of getting
consent. As to your aircraft, all the Dracul military planes are already
modified, and our pilots are online. I was told that the time lost between
thought and action affected flight once the speeds exceeded Mach 20. The
ability to control the planes via thought makes things more efficient."
Ted nodded as he said, "If you would please modify the Crown's aircraft, I would
appreciate it. Start with the ACJ-380, the G-700, and the Bells we use for His
Majesty. As to injections, the Crown's pilots will be injected, or they can
return to flying humans around. The advantages of these injections cannot be
ignored."
I asked, "How many injections do you have available? And how
fast can you produce more?"
I could tell Alex was contacting someone, then he said, "We have enough to prepare
two hundred injections, and we can produce a thousand a week. May I ask what
you have in mind, Sire?"
"Can you inject all my pups before we go to England? Except for Millie and Val.
I think we will wait a few months for them. I want to be with Charlie and Davey
when they get theirs." I turned to Joshua and Billy and asked, "Anyone else?"
Josh said, "I don't have to be able to read your thoughts to know your ultimate
plan, Sire, but for now, I would say all ministers, the general staff, all
household staff, and all of the dukes you're going to name during your trip."
Billy added, "I have to say I agree, but you can't make it mandatory. Say that they'll
agree if they want to keep their position. Give them the option to refuse."
Niko showed his insight when he turned to Alex and asked, "How quickly can you set up a production facility to produce enough to inject all vampires worldwide?"
Alex thought for a moment, then said, "I'm sure the Crown owns a facility somewhere we can repurpose within a few months. We could achieve that goal by the end of next year, Your Highness."
I considered everything Josh, Billy, and Niko had told me, then turned to Alex and said, "Get production started as soon as possible. I agree with Billy. Anyone in service to me will be connected via nanobots. They can leave my service with my blessing if they choose not to be injected. Vlad will be injected as part of his parole. Any vampire above an Alpha is required to be injected. Because I hesitate to interfere with the fates' choice of Alphas by placing an outside requirement on them, all vampires, Alpha and below, will choose for themselves."
Alex asked, "You said to inject your pups, Sire. Do you mean
those that live here or all of them? Do the adults have the option to refuse?"
I looked at Billy. When he nodded, I said, "All of my pups. And yes, the adults
have the right to decline."
Alex said, "We should have your family injected and trained within the hour, Sire. The ministers and general staff in the hours following that. By nightfall, everyone at the castle will be online."
Alex and his team headed back to the lab to prepare for the work I had just given them. Ted headed to his office to make our flight plans and coordinate security with Tommy. Billy and Josh were still working on our meetings in the UK. I expected several problems, but they never came.
I had said I wanted to meet with as many vampires as possible as we traveled the world and told everyone to come up with a plan. Vlad suggested we rent large venues in the name of `The Royal Historical Society of the Dragon.' The public story was that the group was holding conferences around the world, by invitation only, to discuss the history and legacy of Vlad the Impaler. Billy had arranged large auditoriums and convention halls around the world. Without his knowledge, I made some changes to the schedule and swore my accomplices to silence.
After dinner, we all packed for our trip. Tyler managed to get each of us three suits suitable for meeting any world leader. Andrew had sent footmen armed with lists of sizes and styles to Athens to acquire casual clothing for those of us who had lost everything in Pennsylvania. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the European styles and fit, but Billy assured me he would fix it. I learned that he had sent a footman to the US on a similar shopping trip. We would meet our expanded wardrobe when we arrived in England.
After an evening of watching movies, we tucked our pups into bed. Niko slept with Jesse and Jeremey rather than risk losing control with Alexia. Morgan and Allie had been sharing a bed since their arrival, and I could tell by their scent that they had not been sexually active. When I climbed into bed, my mates wrapped their arms around me
I had told Ted I didn't want to use the ACJ-380, as it could draw too much attention. He convinced me otherwise. Tommy agreed, saying he liked the security of being able to simply lower the ramp and roll out the armored Rolls-Royce Cullinan with security in the Cadillac Escalade. Tommy knew I'd never agree to Josh and me flying in separate planes, but he insisted that we ride in separate cars. He arranged for the purchase of four more armored Rolls-Royce Cullinans, identical to the one now parked at the Woodstock house. These, along with eight additional Escalades, would be transported in cargo planes, so there would be two Cullinans and four Escalades on the ground when we landed while the other vehicles would be staged in our next location.
I woke to find Easton, Jesse, Jeremey, Chipper, Charlie, and Davie all squirming around my mates, each trying to find the perfect spot in our bed. Niko was in his chair, laughing at their antics. Billy, Scott, and I each grabbed two pups and carried them into our shower. When the cold water hit their bodies, they each let out a scream and tried to get past us. As the water warmed, they calmed down, and we washed them, then sent them to their rooms to get dressed. They objected until we reminded them we were leaving immediately after breakfast.
Breakfast was a challenge. All the younger pups were excited about flying again, while Niko and Alexia were sad at having to part. When everyone seemed finished with eating, we gathered in the courtyard and boarded the helicopters to take us to Karpathos. Mickey would take Alexia and Ariane to their parents, then bring the G-700 to London.
For the first two weeks of our trip, Mickey and Troy would ferry Josh, Billy, and me around to our meetings around Europe while the family stayed in Woodstock. The entire family would then relocate to Hong Kong for three weeks while we did meetings across all of Asia. Finally, we were to spend two weeks in Washington DC, where, after flying around the country to meet with vampires, I would have my first scheduled meeting with a head of state. That was the plan.
As we landed at Heathrow, Troy taxied to an area owned by British Airways. When Ted told us things were ready, Scott and I headed to the garage to get in the Cullinan. Niko, George, Charlotte, and several security officers also headed to the garage and climbed into the Escalade parked there. Josh and Billy oversaw leading our pups down the elevator to the Escalades waiting below the plane, and then they joined Bea and Samantha in the Cullinans. Once everyone was securely in their vehicles, the ramp was lowered, and we drove down to the tarmac and out through a gate. Half an hour later, we were pulling through another gate. The sign said `Coldstream Guards'.
Our convoy was directed to a secure parking area, and when
Billy got out, he came to me and asked, "What's going on, Greg? I thought we
were going to the house in Woodstock?"
I grinned and said, "Will wanted his kids back and thought we should meet his grandmother.
What do you think? Are you ready to meet the Queen?"