19. T H E E M P R E S S
The platinum sports car raced though the streets, neon lights of the city reflected onto it's windshield.
Two flags bore on the side of the vehicle, the unforgettable image of serpent coiling around sword. The crimson flags flapped wildly in the wind, as the driver accelerated the speed.
Traffic parted for The Empress' royal chariot, as she zoomed down the highway. The car purred like a dragon, as it blew a jet of icy blue fire from the exhaust pipe.
The Empress lounged in the back of the car. She wore large black glasses that concealed half of her face. She wore a diamond encrusted beret, and a modern suit with shoulder pads. Her hands rested on the skull head of a cane.
The driver of the car took Exit 66 to drive into the gated community of the science district. Knights were stationed at the exit and allowed the familiar car to pass through with ease.
The speed of the car decreased gradually, as the driver navigated the empty streets of the science district. Finally, it rolled to a complete stop in front of a high rise.
The Blood Bank of Paris, formerly known as Montparnasse Tower, stood lonely in the silent neighbourhood.
The driver hurried from his seat to open The Empress' door. Of course, the car doors had been programmed to automatically open. However, The Empress liked to know chivalry wasn't dead, so the drivers were told to step out and escort her out.
The driver pulled on the handle and the platinum door drifted towards the bumper of the car. He held his hand out for The Empress to take, which she did, in an iron grip.
As she stood to her height and looked at the Blood Bank, the driver daringly spoke.
"I hope your enjoyed your travel, my Empress." He bowed as best as he could while she stepped onto the pavement.
She lowered her glasses to the bridge of her nose, inspecting him. "I could have crawled faster." With that she turned on her heel and made her way inside the building.
The Empress' reflection appeared in the one way glass of the black building. The door was nonexistent, but as she neared the glass, an orb of red light scanned her face. The Empress opened her mouth, and the light flickered over her fangs. Upon recognising her the orb faded and an opening spiralled in glass. The woman walked forward clicking her cane as she went. The opening shut behind her with a hiss.
The inside of the building was a glowing ivy green, a fountain of water was in the centre of the large lobby. There were twelve elevators in total, lining the right and left side of the room, six on each side.
By the fountain waited three scientists dressed in white lab coats. The middle aged men carried clipboards and bowed to her.
"Good evening, your majesty." The lab director welcomed. He was a polished man, dressed in a mint green overcoat, with tailored black slacks, and hand stitched leather loafers.
"I don't have time for pleasantries Carmichael, have you got everything ready like I asked?"
"Every request you've made has been adjusted with the Bank, My Empress."
"And the Vials?" She asked, completely ignoring the other two men.
Carmichael ran his pen over his clipboard. "700 Vials have been taken from the vault and stored in the distribution centre."
"Wonderful, let us go up." The Empress made her way to one of the elevators, she pressed the end of her cane against the open button. The black doors parted to reveal a stark white inside and the group piled in. The men at the back and The Empress at the front.
She stood with her hands resting on the skull head of the cane. When no one moved she turned to look at one of the lab assistants by her side. The thin man was riddled with perspiration and he kept tugging at the tie around his neck. He finally noticed her looking at him, and gaped like an open mouthed fish.
"My apologies, what floor your majesty?" His voice was riddled with nerves.
"All the way to the top, will be just fine." She said before facing the front again.
The assistant pressed the circular button of the 60th floor and it flashed red. The doors closed and the elevator steadily climbed up. A soft ukulele began to play through the speaker of the elevator.
After the rather uncomfortable ride to the top of the building, the doors pinged open.
The Empress stepped out into the control room. The expansive room was filled with monitors tethered to each inch of the walls. There must have been over one thousand screens playing various feeds.
"Carmichael, you come. The others will go back down and wait." She said while walking a slow circle around the room. Her eyes moved over the monitors.
"Absolutely." He answered before hitting the lobby button once more. The man made haste to get out of the elevator and didn't care to watch as it closed and went back down.
"Are those two able to be trusted?" She asked him.
Carmichael approached The Empress, she watched as a mechanical machine extracted a bag of blood from a frail human child. The boy was pale and extremely weak, verging on the line of death. The gown he wore hung oddly over his underdeveloped body.
"My Empress, I recruited them myself. They would not be here today, if I believed they were not to be trusted."
She ignored his reasoning and pointed at the screen. "Once they get to this stage, drain them and dispose of their bodies." The Empress before walking forward. "Lately, I've been encountering more and more liars Carmichael." She glanced at the man, "can't blame me for asking."
"Never, your highness. I understand we're in a precarious situation. I would never allow the enemy within this temple of life." And his words rang with truth.
She nodded her approval at his reply, before she continued walking.
Every monitor showcased the 1500 captive humans, that sustained her city. The never ending cycle of blood draining commenced, at the hands of the programmed robots. There were only two people who held the codes to program these bots. And they were both standing in the room. Carmichael, had worked with The Empress, for five years now, and he had yet to show any disloyalty.
"Will I be able to access this feed from the tower?" She asked
"Yes, your majesty. Now, from the comfort of your kingdom you can access the viewing every second of every day."
A woman's mouth opened to let out a scream as she was being drained for the fifth time that night. The video reflected on The Empress' glasses.
"It is like music to my ears." Her voice took on a dreamy note. Then she turned from the monitors to Carmichael. Her fingers twisted the head of the skull on her cane, completely removing it. A tube of clear liquid was nestled in the skull's mouth.
"I want you to mix a drop of this in the 700 Vials of blood." She handed the man the tube. He didn't dare ask her what it was, and she smiled at him. "I like that you don't speak out of turn. These last few weeks a lot of imbeciles have been speaking to me as if they have a right to." The Empress returned the head of the skull to her cane and twisted it back on. She knew Carmichael was dying to ask what the liquid was.
"It's poison." She murmured, gauging his reaction.
A look of excitement washed over the man's face, and The Empress, knew she had picked the right man for the job. "Ah, so it begins."
"It does," she replied. "Once a vampire has ingested this particular solution, they will become hooked onto it. They won't be able to survive off of regular blood."
"So, whomever strays and drinks outside of the Blood Bank.." Carmichael trailed off, raising the tube up to the light, admiring it.
"Will die." She finished.
"And whom shall get the 700 Vials?" He asked.
"Everyone."