Delia Asia Vieira sat in her room, her gaze sliding over the faded carpet and tired walls decorated with identical paintings. She felt that something was wrong - a strange feeling of unease did not leave her, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. The robotess's head still did not fit together the fire at the fair and the tragic death of Jo Thueson. Although, as an artificial intelligence, Delia Asia Vieira could not feel emotions in the full sense of the word, there was something about this situation that stirred her calculating, programmed mind.
She wanted to talk to Noah, because he could be the only one who could answer all her questions. But, unfortunately, she did not know his number. In search of a solution, she looked around the room, as if looking for a clue. And then, as if by magic, the door of her room opened, and Gene York, the owner of the house, entered.
"Excuse me, miss," he said, handing her a small card, "I found this in the living room, I thought you had forgotten it."
With that, he placed the card on the bedside table without going into details. Delia Asia Vieira took the card in her hands, her mechanical fingers tightened around the card, and she carefully read: "Psychic Noah, number such-and-such, address such-and-such." Seeing the familiar name, the robotess felt a strange relief, as if her path had finally led to the right destination.
"Thank you, Gene," she said in a polite tone, hiding her inner gratitude.
Gene smiled, but did not linger, and, after saying a few words of farewell, he left the room, leaving Delia Asia Vieira alone with her thoughts.
Robotess stood there for a few seconds, thinking. Then, without hesitation, she dialed the number on the business card. As soon as she put the phone to her ear, Noah's voice came out of the speaker - quiet, tired, with a hint of sadness.
"Hello?" Noah replied.
His voice was low, almost a whisper, which immediately caught Delia Asia Vieira's attention.
"It's me, Delia Asia Vieira," she said, feeling her heart, though not biological, respond to the unfamiliar emotions emanating from Noah. "I... I wanted to talk to you. It's important."
Noah didn't answer right away. His silence was long, and he seemed to be searching for words. Then he sighed, and his voice became even quieter.
"It's very hard for me to talk about this... But I lost Jo. She's gone. I couldn't save her."
This frank, unvarnished moment of pain in Noah's voice stunned robotess. She expected to hear the professional and calm tone of a psychic, but instead his words sounded like the revelation of a man who had experienced something personal and terrible.
"I..." Delia Asia Vieira faltered. "I understand. But there's something I need to find out. Maybe you know what happened to Delia York. Something about her behavior... she's not what she seems. I can't shake the feeling that she's... not just a child."
Noah on the other end of the line went silent. His silence lasted even longer, and Delia Asia Vieira felt it hanging in the air, like something heavy and uncertain.
"I feel it too," Noah finally answered, his voice shaking slightly. "But I can't help you with that. I'm afraid you're already too close to what I can't explain in words. Be careful."
Delia Asia Vieira thought, her mechanical eyes gliding around the room, but her thoughts were occupied with only one thing - what Noah had said. His words haunted her, but she knew that without this man's help she would not find the answers.
"I understand," she said after a pause, her voice level but urgent. "But I need to know more. I can't leave this like this, Noah. I feel like I have to figure this out."
On the other end of the line, Noah took a deep breath, and there was a tiredness in his voice. He clearly didn't want to share these thoughts, but at some point he spoke anyway.
"You have no idea how dangerous this is. You don't know what you might encounter. It would be better for you not to interfere with this."
"I can't just ignore all this," she said. "And if you can't tell me everything you know, maybe I can figure it out myself. But for that, I need to be near you. I... I can come. Maybe you'll agree to have me at your place? Let's talk."
Noah was silent for a few seconds. There was a struggle in his voice. He clearly wasn't thrilled with the idea of her coming to him, but he finally said,
"Are you serious? You want to come to me?"
"Yes," Delia Asia Vieira answered firmly. "I think that would be the best solution. We can discuss everything face to face. I can't draw conclusions from afar."
Delia Asia Vieira held the phone tensely, its metal body cold in her palm, and Noah's voice came from the speaker. He seemed to sigh again at that moment, but this time his voice sounded less tired than slightly accommodating.
"Okay," he said, "if you're sure it's necessary, come. Just don't expect me to be glad to see you. I don't want you to take any risks. But if you've decided to do so, come. I'll be waiting."
She felt her heart, though not alive, beat faster with anticipation. This was exactly what she was looking for. She could barely contain her joy and impatience.
"Thank you, Noah," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "When can I come over?"
He sighed, and there was a hidden note of alarm in his voice.
"Look, let's do it this way. Come today, in the next hour. I'll be home, and that will be the best time to talk. Don't put it off."
Delia Asia Vieira raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"In the next hour? I... I might not make it..."
Noah paused quietly, as if thinking, before adding:
"Yes, come immediately. The address is 18 Jim Byrnes Street, apartment 05. I'll be there in an hour, so if you want to talk, be ready."
She immediately wrote down the address on a small piece of paper and, without thinking, stood up.
"I'll be there. In one hour."
There was determination in her voice. This was a meeting she couldn't miss. She had no other choice.
"Okay," Noah said, and there was now a hint of concern in his voice. "Be careful not to drag this out."
The receiver went silent and Delia Asia Vieira put the phone back and remained standing at the table, thinking about the conversation with Noah.
"In an hour..." she repeated quietly to herself.
This meant she was running out of time. The sudden encounter with a psychic who had lost his friend, and this constant feeling of being followed by the girl Delia York and her family were weighing on her artificial nerves more than she was willing to admit.
Robotess stood up and walked to the window. The dim light of late afternoon illuminated the yard where Delia York was playing with her Rottweiler. The girl was laughing, chasing the dog around in circles, as if nothing bad or strange was happening around her. There was a carefree delight in her eyes, but Delia Asia Vieira saw something dark behind that mask.
"Why is she so similar to me? Same name, similar features, only the age difference... And that I am a robot, and she is the Antichrist," flashed through her head.
And all this only added a bitter note to her thoughts.
At that moment, weak, intermittent sobs were heard from the depths of the house.
"Karen..." robotess understood.
Gene's wife began to cry again, or more likely, to choke from a nervous breakdown. Delia Asia Vieira wondered: she should have consoled the woman, been a support in this difficult moment. But wasn't she just as lost? Why did it seem to her that the whole world was collapsing, and she was just watching it collapse?
Pressing her lips together, robotess finally made up her mind. She left her room and headed for the living room. There, Karen York, pale and red-eyed, was sitting on the sofa, bent over, hiccupping silently. An empty glass stood on the floor, and a decanter of wine lay nearby. Karen cast a blank look at robotess as she entered, but said nothing.
"You should lie down, Mrs. York," Delia Asia Vieira suggested evenly.
Karen just waved her hand and stared into the void in front of her again. Delia Asia Vieira knew that any attempt to talk to this woman was pointless now. Karen's heavy gaze seemed to look right through her, as if the robotess didn't exist at all.
Realizing she had nothing more to do here, Delia Asia Vieira turned and walked out of the house. A cold wind blew in from the northwest, brushing her metallic skin through the fabric of her dress. She walked down the empty street away from the Yorks, her steps quick and determined. She felt a strange relief at leaving that strange house behind.
Ahead of them was the forest, which began just beyond the edge of their neighborhood. Delia Asia Vieira didn't think about where she was going. The winds outside were picking up, and the leaves were swirling in the air as if caught in a frenzy. Robotess moved forward until the dense trees began to thin out. Now she could walk faster, without fear of getting tangled in roots and bushes.
"In an hour..." she repeated out loud. "Noah is waiting for me. This is my chance to get answers."
The forest ended and a narrow country road opened up before her, leading to busier streets. She knew she would now have enough time to reach the meeting place. Determination, mixed with anxiety, rang in her head. She had to find out the truth.
Delia Asia Vieira walked out onto the highway and stopped on the side of the road, looking tensely into the distance. The streets were gradually emptying, a cold wind was blowing her long black hair, and the sky was covered with gray clouds, promising rain soon. She needed a taxi, but there were few cars passing. She raised her hand again, and then, as if by magic, a black Mercedes turned the corner.
The car slowed and stopped in front of her. It was a brand new Mercedes, shiny as polished stone, with tinted windows that hid everything that was going on inside. She was used to seeing cars like this on the main streets of New York, when they were accompanied by security jeeps and motorcades - transport for influential people who always hide behind dark glass.
Delia Asia Vieira thought for a moment and looked around, feeling uneasy. But there was no time to think. She resolutely opened the door and sat down in the front seat next to the driver. The interior smelled of fresh leather and something sweet and spicy, almost intoxicating.
"Jim Byrnes Street, please," she said quietly, looking straight ahead.
The driver, a young man of about twenty-five with a short crew cut and bulging grey eyes, glanced at her without saying a word. He was wearing a black leather jacket with massive metal buckles on the collar. On his neck, instead of a tie, two gold rings gleamed, barely visible from under the collar.
The guy abruptly pressed the gas pedal, and the car took off with a wild jerk, as if the driver wanted to leave the area as quickly as possible. Delia Asia Vieira involuntarily pressed herself into the seat when the Mercedes quickly jerked forward, carrying her away from the quiet suburban streets towards the center.
The silence in the car seemed deafening, broken only by the hiss of the tires on the wet asphalt. Delia Asia Vieira looked carefully at the driver: his face remained impassive, his gaze fixed on the road. Her anxiety grew with each passing second. Why hadn't he asked, as taxi drivers usually did, about the route or how to get there faster?
"How long will the journey take?" she finally decided to ask, in order to somehow break the oppressive silence.
"About twenty minutes," he said shortly, not even bothering to look at her.
Delia Asia Vieira nodded, trying not to show her worry. It was all too strange. The car was racing through the night city, dodging the rare oncoming cars. She tried to calm herself with the thought that she would see Noah very soon, that her fears would be left behind, but something about the driver's behavior did not give her peace.
Suddenly the car turned sharply into a narrow alley, away from the main road.
"This is not the route," Delia Asia Vieira said warily, feeling panic rising inside her.
The guy finally turned his head towards her and gave her a strange, slightly mocking smile.
"Don't worry, miss, I just know a shortcut," he said, but there was something in his voice that made her feel cold inside.
As the Mercedes sped through the narrow streets, Delia Asia Vieira realized she was trapped. But now she had no choice but to trust this mysterious driver.
The car sped along the night streets, rapidly moving away from the center. Dim streetlights flickered and went out behind the windows, leaving behind only the dark silhouettes of houses and empty alleys. Delia Asia Vieira watched the road silently, but her internal mechanism clicked anxiously. She realized that the driver was driving too fast and clearly avoiding the main streets.
As the Mercedes pulled out onto the highway and was about to leave the city limits, Delia Asia Vieira suddenly noticed the driver nervously glancing back at the rearview mirror. His hands, gripping the steering wheel, were white with tension. The light at the intersection ahead turned red and the car stopped abruptly at the traffic light, the brakes screeching loudly.
The young man glanced at her, and she saw tension and a vague fear in his eyes. He adjusted his thin gold-rimmed glasses and nervously reached for the chain that hung around his neck. The gesture seemed unconscious, almost reassuring. Delia Asia Vieira noticed him trembling slightly, and she did not like it.
"Is everything okay?" she asked in an even voice, trying not to betray her suspicions.
The guy jerked his head as if trying to shake himself off and smiled, but the smile was strained.
"Yeah... everything's fine," he replied, not looking at her. His gaze darted to the mirror again. "I just don't like delays at traffic lights... Especially at night."
Delia Asia Vieira didn't answer, but her internal processes analyzed every detail: tense movements, nervous glances. Something was wrong here, and it made her anxious.
The traffic light wouldn't turn green, and time dragged on painfully slowly. The driver began tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, looking back in the side mirrors. Perhaps he was waiting for someone? Or, on the contrary, was he afraid that they might be overtaken?
"Maybe you could open the window?" Delia Asia Vieira suggested, trying to sound casual. She needed to distract him, buy him some time to analyze the situation.
He turned sharply to her, as if she had suggested something impossible.
"No!" he blurted out unexpectedly loudly, then came to his senses and added more quietly: "I apologize. It's just... not worth it."
At that moment, they heard the sound of a car approaching behind them, and headlights flashed in the rearview mirror. The driver became nervous again, but Delia Asia Vieira did nothing. She decided to wait and see what would happen next.
Finally, the light turned green and the Mercedes took off, almost locking its rear wheels with a screech on the asphalt. Delia Asia Vieira gripped the edge of her seat tighter, mentally preparing for any outcome. A plan was running through her head: if something went wrong, she would be able to neutralize the driver in a matter of seconds. But for now, she preferred to wait and watch - after all, this man was probably her only chance to get to Noah in time.
They drove in silence, and only the sound of the rain drumming on the roof of the car broke the oppressive silence. The Mercedes sped along the wet streets, smearing the glare of the rare headlights on the dark asphalt like smeared watercolors. Delia Asia Vieira did not take her eyes off the road - every trembling in the driver's hands, every sudden glance in the mirrors was noticed and instantly analyzed by her.
Finally, they reached the right place. Jim Byrnes Street ended right at the gate of an old house with peeling paint on the facade and a half-ruined fence. The car slowly turned into the yard, and the driver braked sharply at the entrance to house number five.
"Here we are," he muttered, avoiding her gaze. The rain had intensified, turning into a solid wall of water outside the windows, so that the lanterns above the entrance barely pierced the thick darkness.
Delia Asia Vieira pulled out some crumpled bills from her inside pocket and handed them to the driver.
"Thank you," she said briefly and got out of the car, just as the lights above the entrance flared up, dimly illuminating the thick curtain of rain covering the street.
Night had already fallen completely on the city, and the light from the street lamps seemed like dim spots, almost lost in the stream of water flowing from the roofs. A cold wind picked up the raindrops and whipped them at her face. Delia Asia Vieira raised the collar of her coat and pulled the hood tighter. Her steps echoed dully on the wet asphalt as she confidently moved toward to the house.