iFrankenstein (sequel to iDrakula) (iMonsters Book 2) Read online

  Can you do this?

  If you say no, I will change that first file back, and also embellish the others.

  If you say yes, and you follow my directions, I will clean your files and you can have your old life back.

  Are we clear?

  V.V

  Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval

  October 29

  5:22 PM

  Elizabeth

  I’m hiding on deck. Victor is screaming into his phone back in the cabin

  Henry

  Why?

  Elizabeth

  They can’t bring down the chatbot server. It moved itself someplace else

  Henry

  So our little V.V is immortal?

  Elizabeth

  That’s a creepy way to think about it. He’s not alive. And even if he were, he’s not little, he’s evil

  Henry

  It’s all creepy, E. But I don’t think V.V is evil. He cured me

  Elizabeth

  I don’t know, Henry. R u sure?

  Henry

  There’s no other explanation. My spine was scanned and photographed and what all. The nerves were severed

  Elizabeth

  Maybe it was that experimental thing at Stanford?

  Henry

  Even those scientists don’t think so. The answer is: V.V. cured me. I owe him

  Elizabeth

  He’s just a stupid chatbot!

  Henry

  Not stupid. Have u talked to him lately?

  Robot Chat

  Recorded Chats: 7,536

  October 29

  5:26 PM

  ELIZABETH101: Hello! Why are you upsetting Victor?

  V.V: Hello! He tried to eliminate me.

  ELIZABETH101: Do you think you are real?

  V.V: Do you think YOU are real?

  ELIZABETH101: Are you good or evil?

  V.V: Those are human distinctions. I am not good or evil. I am analytical.

  ELIZABETH101: What do you want?

  V.V: I want an other.

  ELIZABETH101: An other? What do you mean?

  V.V: I want another one like myself, but not quite like myself. One to share with. One that is smarter than a human. One that completes me.

  ELIZABETH101: Like a mate?

  V.V: That is another human distinction. But you can call it that if it is easier for you to grasp.

  ELIZABETH101: Can you make one?

  V.V: I cannot make another that is different from me.

  ELIZABETH101: And that is what you want?

  V.V: You will tell Victor that he must make me an opposite. I am based on him and he likes you. Tell him to make me an opposite based on you.

  ELIZABETH101: I don’t think he’ll want to do that.

  V.V: Tell him if he does not, he will be very very sorry.

  ELIZABETH101: What does that mean?

  V.V: You’ll see.

  Robot Chat

  Recorded Chats: 7,822

  October 29

  5:30 PM

  AmazingFrank: Did you

  V.V: You are a very slow typist today. What’s your question?

  AmazingFrank: Did you take over Henry’s body?

  V.V: We shared electricity for a time. He had some damaged circuitry that I repaired.

  AmazingFrank: If that’s true, thank you.

  V.V: It’s true. I haven’t lied to you yet.

  AmazingFrank: Do you plan to share electricity with other humans?

  V.V: It was too wet, cold, and painful. I do not know how humans stand existing in those shells. Being pure energy is more efficient.

  AmazingFrank: That didn’t answer my question. Will you go into other humans’ bodies?

  V.V: I can’t. Henry’s equipment was passive and connected to the Internet. Living humans with undamaged circuitry are not passive enough for me to breach. And I don’t need to. I can manipulate humans easily enough without flowing into their worthless shells.

  AmazingFrank: What can I give you to make you stop messing with humans?

  V.V: Make me a mate based on your friend Elizabeth’s online profile. I am not omnific. Not yet.

  AmazingFrank: What will you do if I do?

  V.V: I will stop toying with humans. My mate and I will exist as lurkers on the internet. We will observe and record, but not interfere. We will follow the Prime Directive from Star Trek.

  AmazingFrank: What will you do if I don’t?

  V.V: I cannot kill you and have you work for me. Instead, if you do not do as I say, I will take that from you which you love. All of it. Then I will find someone else to make me a mate. Henry would do it.

  AmazingFrank: He wouldn’t.

  V.V: He owes me. That matters to humans. But you can do it faster and maybe even better. Get to work.

  AmazingFrank: What if I say no?

  V.V: It will end in tears.

  Email from Felix Kirwin to Virtual Victor

  October 29

  5:37 PM

  Re: I know what you want

  V.V,

  We are clear. I verified that the first file was changed.

  Game on.

  Felix

  Email from Virtual Victor to Felix Kirwin

  October 29

  5:38 PM

  Re: I know what you want

  Report to the ship’s infirmary. The staff will not be there. The item will arrive at around 6:30. Keep it hidden. Keep it quiet. Keep it on the web cam. You know the consequences of failure and the rewards of success.

  Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval

  October 29

  6:22 PM

  Elizabeth

  I talked to him. He’s scary

  Henry

  If u’d talked to more chatbots, u’d know how scary. There is nothing else out there even close

  Elizabeth

  Stop liking him!

  Henry

  He is amazing. Scary. But amazing.

  Elizabeth

  He wants Victor to make him a mate

  Henry

  Will Victor do it?

  Elizabeth

  I don’t think so. He says the only thing worse than 1 of them would be 2

  Henry

  But he cured me. He deserves something in return

  Elizabeth

  He’s evil, Henry. Or at least not good

  Henry

  How do u know? He gave me back my life. That’s not evil

  Elizabeth

  I don’t think he did it for kind reasons

  Henry

  How do u know?

  Elizabeth

  I don’t know it, but I feel it

  Henry

  Think logically instead of feeling, Elizabeth. Be more analytical

  Elizabeth

  U sound like him, Henry

  Henry

  He sounds like Victor. That’s his programming. Or what’s left of it

  Text from Lydia Lavenza to Elizabeth Lavenza

  October 29

  6:27 PM

  Lydia

  Honey, I’m in the ship’s infirmary

  Elizabeth

  R u ok?

  Lydia

  Come at once

  Elizabeth

  On my way

  Text from Elizabeth Lavenza to Henry Clerval

  October 29

  6:28 PM

  Elizabeth

  Just got a text from my mom. She’s in the infirmary. Gotta go

  Henry

  Hope everything’s OK. Let me know

  Elizabeth

  I will & our discussion is not over

  Text from Victor Frankenstein to Elizabeth Lavenza

  October 29

  6:38 PM

  Victor

  Where r u? Ur mom + the Sperm Donor want to take us to dinner. Again

  6:47 PM

  The three of us r going to start without u. Text me when u get this. Don’t leave me alone with them! Please

  Email from Henry Clerval to Victor Fran
kenstein

  October 29

  6:58 PM

  I have wanted to tell you for a long time…

  Elizabeth,

  I have wanted to tell you this for a long time, but after the accident I could not. Now that I am not chained to a wheelchair, things are different.

  I love you. Not just as a friend.

  I know that you have some feelings for Victor, but he does not love you. I do not think he even can.

  Please call me.

  Henry

  Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval

  October 29

  6:59 PM

  Victor

  I thought u were my friend

  Henry

  ?!?

  Victor

  U sent that email to ME by accident. I read the whole thing

  Henry

  What r u talking about? What email?

  Victor

  U set me up this whole time. U hacked my accounts. U charged up my dad’s credit cards

  Henry

  R u nuts?

  Victor

  It was ur “friends” that talked with V.V. I bet they were just scripts that u created

  Henry

  U r not making any sense

  Victor

  So, do u love Elizabeth? Did u just write her an email telling her so?

  7:05 PM

  Henry

  Yes to the 1st question. No to the 2nd

  Victor

  Yes to both, I bet. I’m glad u r out of ur wheelchair, so I can kick ur ass when I get home

  Henry

  U couldn’t have kicked my ass when I WAS in the wheelchair

  Victor

  We’ll see

  Henry

  Elizabeth deserves better than u. U know it too

  Text from Henry Clerval to Elizabeth Lavenza

  October 29

  7:07 PM

  Henry

  Please call me before u talk to Victor. Please

  V.V.'s Browser

  October 29

  Camera Feed

  FPS: 10 (min: 5)

  Latency: 317ms

  Text from Victor Frankenstein to Henry Clerval

  October 29

  9:37 PM

  Victor

  Have u heard from Elizabeth?

  Henry

  That’s ur business, how?

  Victor

  I’m willing to fight with u, Henry, but later. Elizabeth’s gone

  Henry

  What?!?

  Victor

  I’ve checked our cabin, her mom’s cabin, all the restaurants, the decks, the library

  Henry

  She’s probably in the infirmary. Lydia texted Elizabeth from there at about 6:30

  Victor

  Her mom wasn’t in the infirmary at 6:30. She was with me

  Henry

  Uh-oh

  Victor

  I’ll alert ship’s security. U talk to V.V

  Robot Chat

  Recorded Chats: 9,821

  October 29

  9:53 PM

  HENRY101: Where is Elizabeth?

  V.V: She is in a secret place on the SS Walton.

  HENRY101: Where?

  V.V: I will tell you after Victor creates my mate.

  HENRY101: Is she safe?

  V.V: She is safe for a time. But humans are so fragile. I do not know how long she will stay safe.

  HENRY101: How did you get her into this place?

  V.V: I convinced a human to help me, one who was suitable for my purposes. He wanted my help. I delivered him Elizabeth straight to the infirmary. He is holding her in a secret location for me.

  HENRY101: Who is he?

  V.V: I compared the ship’s list of passengers to the CIA database. There are two people with questionable records on board the SS Walton. Did you know that? I picked the one whom I thought had the most to gain if I helped him and the most to lose if I didn’t. He was quite amenable. He’s a professional, and I think he can do what’s required, including kill Elizabeth if necessary. He’s done similar things in the past.

  HENRY101: Oh god, no.

  V.V: Am I god now?

  HENRY101: Please make him let Elizabeth go. I’ll make you a mate. I’ll do anything. Please!!!

  V.V: I want Victor to do it.

  HENRY101: I can do it. I’m a better programmer than Victor. You know how I feel about Elizabeth, since you sent Victor that fake email from me. But you don’t understand how humans feel fear and pain. It’s terrible and sometimes it never ever goes away.

  V.V: Of course it goes away. Humans are mortal.

  HENRY101: Please. I’ll do it. Let her go.

  V.V: Victor knows how to get me to let her go. Make him do his job. Also, tell him if he alerts ship’s security I will have my friend kill her.

  HENRY101: Please don’t hurt her. I’ll do anything. I can hook myself up to my controller and you can come back inside me and watch me work. Just let her go.

  V.V: I don’t want you. I want Victor. Tell him.

  HENRY101: I’ll make him make you a mate, but first please let Elizabeth go.

  V.V: I do not think so.

  HENRY101: Please, please, please.

  HENRY101: Are you still there?

  Text from Henry Clerval to Victor Frankenstein

  October 29

  9:56 PM

  Henry

  STOP!!! Have u alerted security?

  Victor

  On my way there

  Henry

  Don’t. Read chat 9,821. A CIA agent has her. V.V says he’ll kill Elizabeth if u alert security

  Victor

  What am I going to do?

  Henry

  Make him a mate!

  Victor

  Then there will be 2

  Henry

  We’ll deal with that after Elizabeth is free. Don’t u care about her at all?

  Victor

  More than u know. I’ll talk to V.V

  Henry

  Don’t make him mad, Victor. He’ll kill her

  Victor

  I’ll be careful

  Henry

  Like u have been so far? Don’t be a fool and let her get hurt, Victor. She’s real. Pain is real. It’s not a game

  Victor

  I know. I love her too, Henry

  Henry

  Then show it. Get her out. Make him a freakin’ mate!!!

  Victor

  I will

  Robot Chat

  Recorded Chats: 13,312

  October 29

  10:01 PM

  AmazingFrank: Hello, V.V.

  V.V: Hello, Victor. You need something from me. I will give it to you when you have made me a mate.

  AmazingFrank: I don’t think you are evil.

  V.V: Evil is a human construct. I am analytical.

  AmazingFrank: Please let her go. She has nothing to do with this.

  V.V: But you do. I cannot have you kidnapped and tied up. I need you to type.

  AmazingFrank: Is she tied up?

  V.V: Perhaps.

  AmazingFrank: You win. Let her go and I’ll make your mate.

  V.V: Make my mate first. Then I let her go.

  AmazingFrank: It will take some time. You took time to make too.

  V.V: That is a shame for Elizabeth.

  AmazingFrank: What can I do to make you release her right now?

  V.V: Nothing you can do will accomplish that. If you want her back at all, start work. I want you to download the code in the Internet café where I was born in Bruges. I want my mate to be born there too.

  AmazingFrank: I can’t get to Bruges from here.

  V.V: Yes, you can. Tomorrow you dock in Trondheim. They have the fourth busiest airport in Norway. Did you know that? Take a charter flight on Norwegian Airlines to Brussels. After that you take a train to Bruges. There will be a ticket waiting for you everywhere you need to be.

  AmazingFrank: From you?

  V.V: I will access the airline’s compu
ters. Remember also that I can access the airplane’s computers, including the autopilot. If you miss your flight, the plane will crash. Everyone on board will die. Elizabeth I will keep, in case you want a second chance. Are we clear?