North American Vampire Council & Past Calling (Hypernaturals 12 & 13)

Recuse Myself

I was in my office, reading through reports from Crew and Nova I decrypted. Vampires used to hate writing anything down, and for good reason. Most still do, as that is a lifelong habit for them. For Council and Crew, we have to move faster. Break with ancient tradition. We have to adapt to the times and human technology if we are to stay ahead of it. Anything I do to communicate with Council or Crew uses the strongest possible encryption. One of my changes when I was forced onto the Council.

As a technical person, I know that the current system will not be good enough soon. We'll move to 'even way more massively encrypted' (not a technical term) as time goes by.

Morgan and I, in concert with Olivia and the tech team of the Crew, are always looking for better ways to automatically, programmatically hide things. When we move to a new system, we have a massive computer farm dedicated to re-encrypting everything to the new standard. The president of the United States carries on in a far less secure world than we do, and they have the nuclear codes.

Vampires prefer successful decryption of Vampire related information to come after the heat death of the universe.

By then, we hope to be in a different universe.

If there is such a thing.

The so-called, by nerd-Crew members like Olivia, 'Vampire Messaging System' is as secure as we can make it, and it is always being re-reviewed to see how we can make it better. So frequently updated and locked further down to where Victoria is always bitching about having to put on more updates. I tell her if she really wants to have a child in a couple of hundred years, best to stay hidden now. Also: She does not HAVE to put on the updates. Only that if she doesn't, she'll be cut off from everything, past and present. Old messages are re-updated to the new standard immediately. That usually gets the look I am after. Victoria did not put me on Council to respect her merely because she is the big Vampire cheese of NorthAm. I speak truth to power. That is my job.

Her retort is also an acknowledgment of what she did. Usually some version of "Yes. Well. Next Conclave. You and me. You will pay for your insolence!"

The report I am reading now is from Nova and is about a recently discovered site up in Washington state. I like archeology reports better than just about anything I have to do since Helen politicked me onto the Council. I'm a science nerd. I admit it.

Anne came into the office. Not unusual, and since Crew lead has a desk in here, never unexpected. What is odd is that she has someone with her. Alexander. My least favorite Vampire, not counting Cert. "Hey, boss. Got a second?"

I hate being called that. Anne knows I won't answer to it when it is only her. With Alexander standing next to and slightly behind her, I cannot be my normal asshole self about it. Her expression told me she knew that too.

Jerk.

She will pay for that. Calling me 'boss', where I have to respond, is a declaration of war.

"Sure, Crew Lead Anne, of Green Gables. What's up?" I said nothing of her sullen companion.

Hah. Take that!. I just called her an eleven-year-old girl who hates her red hair, freckles, and thin body but likes her nose. Anne has short brown hair, no freckles, and is not in any way thin. Not fat. Not 'full-figured'. Not thin. Her nose is a normal nose. Nothing particularly noticeable about it other than it is on her face and works. I only know about the story of Anne of Green Gables because Jessica read the classics when she was a human schoolteacher. Any time she is irritated at me, she tells me about Jane Austen or the like. Bleah. Death by boredom.

Anne's expression registered the return fire. She has been around a lot longer than that book.

While Anne and I exchange volleys, Alexander meanwhile is looking dejectedly at the ground.