Having drained the cocktail to the last drop, Noah did not hesitate. He rose from his seat with a slight, almost theatrical movement and, without saying a word, headed for the door. He glanced at Delia Asia Vieira and nodded slightly, waving his hand invitingly.
She followed him without showing any emotion, her steps precise and silent as always. Even though she was a robot, her presence in this house was becoming more and more real, her attention seemed to be fixed on every detail, every movement Noah made.
They passed through a small corridor, and Noah opened the door to his office. When Delia Asia Vieira entered the room, her gaze immediately caught the strange and completely unusual interior. It was not an office, but a real corner of magic and mysticism, albeit on a miniature scale. The walls were hung with antique fabrics, and on the table in the center stood numerous attributes intended for mystical practices.
The room had a warm, subdued atmosphere. Tarot cards lay on shelves and tables, crystal balls gleamed dully, and clusters of green and purple crystals sat on shelves around the room, peacefully coexisting with clouds of ancient books. It was all familiar, but in a smaller, perhaps less serious form. There was no gloom or esoteric horror here-it was more like a children's psychic fair-but there was something oddly compelling about the room.
Delia Asia Vieira took a few steps inside and stopped, analyzing the space. Everything was designed to give the client a certain feeling, as if he had entered a world of wonders and hidden knowledge. This was Noah's world - a world where reality and fantasy intertwined, but it was not always clear where one ended and the other began.
Noah, so familiar with the look of his office that he barely noticed the strangeness around it, silently settled down behind his desk. It was as if he lived in this world, surrounded by mystical artifacts that had long since become part of his everyday life. He reached into one of the desk drawers and, without saying a word, pulled out a videotape. His gaze was focused, as if he was doing something important, but Delia Asia Vieira felt that this was all just a continuation of some thoughtful ritual.
Noah held the tape out to her, keeping silent, not expecting any questions or comments. He knew it wasn't just any ordinary object. Delia Asia Vieira picked it up, and her attention was immediately drawn to the unusual label. "Omen IV: Awakening" - the inscription was supplemented by the strange phrase: "Chronicles of the fight against the Antichrist." These words caused her an internal uneasiness, although not supported by emotions. As a robot, she could not perceive fear the way humans did. But logic told her that something was wrong here.
At first she couldn't connect these words with anything familiar. She was used to rationality and simplicity, and now here was something that didn't fit into her program. Delia Asia Vieira looked up and met Noah's gaze, who was sitting there with an expression on his face as if he himself was part of this strange situation.
"What is it?" the robotess finally broke the silence, her voice neutral but her mind preoccupied with the question.
Noah didn't answer right away. He looked at her for a long time, as if he was wondering if he should explain what was behind it. You could read weariness in his eyes, but also some knowledge that he preferred to hide.
Delia Asia Vieira held the tape in her hands, her metal fingers sliding over it, but this time she didn't feel the usual clarity - she couldn't understand what was hidden behind all these mystical images and strange words.
Noah finally looked up and, as if deciding it was time to reveal the truth, spoke.
"You think this is just some movie, right?" His voice was low but confident. "No, it's far from that. It's much more complicated."
Delia Asia Vieira frowned slightly, but said nothing. She was programmed to accept facts, and it was difficult for her to accept something so strange without a logical explanation.
"It's not what you might think," Noah continued, his voice a little muffled, as if he himself wasn't entirely sure of the words he was about to say. "What's recorded on this tape are video protocols of scientific research by an institute of psychics who have been studying the issues of the Antichrist's coming to this world for several years.
Delia Asia Vieira froze. As a robot, she couldn't feel fear, but her logic told her that the situation was not as simple as she thought. All this talk about the Antichrist, the predictions and research, it all seemed more than just an abstract topic. Noah noticed her silence and continued.
"The scientists were very disappointing in their conclusions," he said. "They claimed that the Antichrist was to come every year, and that all this was predicted... But when exactly he would appear, where and in what guise - the eggheads could not answer this question. They only muttered something about jackals, ambassadors and other aboders.
Noah rolled his eyes, as if he himself was tired of this absurd scientific approach. Delia Asia Vieira, trying to digest what he had heard, listened attentively. She knew that Noah would not have simply shared such information if he had not been sure of its importance.
"Jackals and ambassadors," she repeated, somewhat dumbfounded, "what kind of beads are these?"
Noah sighed, rubbing his forehead as if answering this question was painful. He was clearly in mourning, but something about his answers was still alarming.
"It's some kind of metaphor," he said, his voice wistful, "or perhaps part of their delusion, but I'm inclined to think that it all has a much larger meaning. Much of what they said cannot simply be ignored. These 'ambassadors' may be the ones who will herald the coming of the Antichrist, and the jackals... perhaps symbolize destruction or violence.
Noah fell silent, and a heavy silence fell over the room. Delia Asia Vieira tried to process what she had heard. She was a robot, and while she couldn't truly understand fear or emotion, she knew the situation was far more complex than she could ever imagine.
"And now what?" she asked, not hiding her inner uneasiness, which was caused by the strange atmosphere filled with uncertainty.
Noah shifted nervously from one foot to the other, feeling his words growing louder and more emotional. Delia Asia Vieira, sitting at the table, watched him with indescribable calm. She felt neither surprise nor embarrassment - her algorithms registered his behavior as a manifestation of anxiety, but nothing more. She could not understand why Noah was so attached to these strange scientific conclusions. His theory about the coming of the Antichrist seemed to literally consume him.
"And here's another strange observation," Noah continued, his voice growing more and more tense, as if each of his conclusions were more and more important. "The Antichrist must come into the world as a baby. How so? Why can't he appear as a normal adult, as a normal, strong person? Why must this all-powerful villain begin his journey as a baby, like the last loser?!"
He paused, as if hoping that his listener would respond in some way, but Delia Asia Vieira remained silent, showing no emotion. There was no room in her program for human doubts or worries, and she could not share his feelings, no matter how strange it was for Noah himself.
"The ancient Greek gods, for example," Noah continued, not allowing himself to justify stopping in his train of thought, "behaved much more... frivolously. They easily changed appearances, took on the bodies of various creatures, and no restrictions could restrain them. But the Antichrist... No, for some reason he must be a baby. Why? Why?"
He paused, taking a deep breath. But, not waiting for an answer from her, he continued, almost ignoring her motionless expression:
"Besides, you know what? These same scientists, in their theories, say that this Antichrist will not be some kind of monstrous entity with three heads or five tails! No! He will be an ordinary man. An ordinary man among us, with an ordinary human appearance, only his destiny is to ultimately destroy everything we know! And so... they say that he will be born from the womb of a jackal. What nonsense, tell me, how can you be born from a jackal? This is complete nonsense!"
Noah paced nervously around his office, as if trying to release all the anger and confusion that had accumulated within him.
"A man who can be born from a jackal? It's simply impossible! It doesn't even make sense physically. How can he be a man if his mother is a jackal? How? It's impossible! It's completely absurd!" His words broke off, and his voice became louder. "I can't understand it! It's some kind of surrealism! On what basis do scientists even claim this?"
Delia Asia Vieira was silent. She took his words as scraps of information that she was trying to systematize in her database. But Noah's emotional reaction was strange to her. The robot could not perceive his feelings and experiences, but she realized that he was deeply disturbed by what he had heard, and that his mind was now literally consumed by this idea.
Noah continued to pace nervously, his footsteps echoing in the empty office. He couldn't stop, his thoughts were all over the place, as if he was trying to find an explanation for this absurdity that had literally grabbed him by the throat.
"How can you even claim such nonsense?" he sighed, stopping and leaning on the table. "This contradicts everything we know about the world, about physics, biology, zoology and other sciences!!! Even if the Antichrist is a metaphor or some kind of symbol, how can you claim that he will be born from a jackal? A human baby simply cannot fit in a jackal's womb, that's what I want to say!!!"
Delia Asia Vieira, as always, observed but did not intervene. She knew that her job was not to answer such questions, but rather to observe and maintain a conversation within the bounds of logic and rationality. But the strange anxiety she sensed in his voice left her genuinely perplexed. Why was Noah so worried about this?
Noah finally finished his rant, his face lit up with weariness. He sat at the table, his head slightly bowed, radiating relief, as if he had let out all his pent-up anger and anxiety in one long monologue. Delia Asia Vieira, the silent listener the whole time, studied his face and movements with the same neutral concentration as if she were watching a mechanical process.
"Well," Noah said, suddenly lowering his voice, "there's nothing useful on that tape. It's just a collection of random thoughts and ridiculous guesses. Still, it would be nice if you took it with you. I think you might still be able to find something in it," he added, his gaze softer now, almost tired. "Just take a look at the general outline. Either way, you and I are together now, and it might be good for both of us if you immersed yourself in this, too."
Delia Asia Vieira accepted the tape silently, but her eyes did not reveal the slightest emotion. She only nodded and, carefully taking the object in her hands, placed it on the table.
"Thank you, Noah," she said, her voice as even as ever. "But I've already grasped the essence of the problem. I need to understand what exactly we need to do next to be effective. That's key."
She paused, looking up at Noah, who continued to sit with his eyes downcast, lost in his thoughts. This was the moment when she could offer the following.
"I could stay with you for a while," she suggested. "We could work together, and I'd be more comfortable being around while we fight Evil. It'll be easier."
Noah raised his head, his face remained serious, but there was a trace of slight anxiety in his eyes.
"You know that's not the best option," he said, shaking his head. "You need to be with Delia York, not sitting in my apartment, where there's no bed or sofa," he chuckled for a moment, as if trying to make the thought easier. "Strategically, it's more important for you to be side by side with the Antichrist, not hiding from him here with me, where there's no room for normal work.
Delia Asia Vieira listened to him in silence and didn't seem to even feel how this situation affected her plan. She was already aware that she had no habit of living in normal human conditions - she could always adapt, no matter whether she had a bed or a sofa. After all, she was a robot. But of course, she couldn't tell Noah this directly without breaking social norms.
"Well, you probably don't have any extra space," she said with a hint of irony in her voice. "But I can sleep standing up. Like a horse, for example."
Noah looked at her, confused, not understanding what she meant. His eyes narrowed and he thought for a moment, then, unaware of her true capabilities, he laughed.
"Yes, of course," he said, waving his hand. "But it would hardly be convenient. It's better not to try such things."
He stood up from the table, stretched and walked to the window. The sky outside the glass was covered with a thick cloud, and the rain began to gather strength again. Noah turned to Delia Asia Vieira with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Look, I understand that you want to help, but I'm not sure you'll be comfortable here. This house isn't exactly the right place for someone like you. But if you decide to stay, I won't mind. Just rent an apartment next to mine if you really want to be near me."
Delia Asia Vieira smiled, though her smile was more of a mechanical reaction than an expression of human warmth.
"I can adapt to any conditions," she said, assuming a neutral pose again. "But if you think I should be with Delia York, then I will follow your recommendations."
Noah took a deep breath and sat down on the old chair by the window. His gaze became thoughtful again, as if he was thinking about something important, hidden from prying eyes.
"It's strange... but you're probably right. We need to act, and for that we all need to be in our places. After all, you're in control of most of the situation. I'm just afraid we might be too late. Evil always comes unexpectedly."
With these words, Noah suddenly picked up his mobile phone and, as if nothing foreshadowed trouble, said with slight irritation:
"I recently got a call about connecting home internet via fiber optics," he said, spinning the phone in his hands. "But as you can see, I don't have a computer here, so it's all useless."
Delia Asia Vieira didn't answer. She knew that Noah was a man who rarely explained himself, but was always sure of his words. He knew what he wanted, and when he said "no", it meant that the answer had already been given. There was no room for doubt in his logic. And she was not going to argue with him. After all, like a robot, she was used to obeying and accepting information as it was. If Noah claimed that he did not need the Internet, it was obvious.
However, despite her confidence, she couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was wrong. When Noah, having lost interest in the conversation about connecting to the Internet, began to speak Portuguese on the phone, Delia Asia Vieira felt her attention instantly switch to his words.
He spoke to someone with obvious tension in his voice, his statements sounding fast and nervous, with some kind of inner desperation. Delia couldn't figure out what exactly was bothering him, but her built-in sensors picked up on the changes in his tone and gestures. And then, after a few minutes, Noah suddenly fell silent.
His gaze became blank and distant, as if he had caught something that had shaken him to the core. His face twisted, and with each passing moment his expression grew darker.
"This... this is impossible," he said, staring at one point, as if not noticing Delia Asia Vieira.
She didn't move. According to her calculations, something had happened, and Noah was clearly shaken.
Noah placed the phone on the table, his fingers lingering on the screen for a few more seconds, then he turned to Delia Asia Vieira, his face contorted in horror.
"Just now," he said, still not believing what he had heard, "the United States ambassador was killed in Lisbon. He was one of the most likely candidates for the presidency. And now," his voice became even quieter, "everyone is predicting that Gene York will be nominated for the post.
Delia Asia Vieira felt her internal systems come alive as information connected to that name flashed before her eyes. Gene York... Adoptive father of Delia York, the young Antichrist... And he was not just a candidate, but a man with too much behind him. And now, like a harbinger, the prophecies said that he would be the one who would rule the country.
"He..." Noah continued, his eyes wide. "He could become president. And this isn't just a shock. This is the beginning of something much worse. This... this was predicted.
Delia Asia Vieira pressed her lips together, looking into Noah's eyes. Her perception system was working at full capacity, and everything she heard and saw came together to form one concept - the importance of what was happening now.
"Gene York..." she whispered, trying to understand what this meant for her, for her as the governess of the young Antichrist.
Noah sighed heavily, trying to collect his thoughts.
"This is no accident," he said, his voice as determined as ever. "I know you understand what's happening. We... we have to be prepared. Things are only going to get worse with this man."
He stood up from the table and began to walk around the room, looking at his books, artifacts, maps, as if trying to find an answer to what had just been revealed. His face was full of determination, but also fear. Delia Asia Vieira understood that although Noah had always been confident in his abilities, something had changed now.
Delia Asia Vieira stood in the center of the room, her systems analyzing every moment, every word of Noah's last statement, but she couldn't understand why Noah was slow to give her clear answers. She was programmed to seek out and absorb information, but now she was faced with a situation where that information was not only important, but vital. She demanded an explanation.
"Noah," her voice was firm, though there was uncertainty in its intonation. "What exactly is going on? You just said that Gene York might become president, and that we need to leave immediately. Why? And what does that mean for me?"
Noah didn't answer right away. His face remained serious, focused, and he continued to pace the room, looking at his maps, books, and notes that didn't seem to be able to give him an answer at this point. His actions became urgent, which immediately alerted Delia Asia Vieira. She watched as his eyes flickered over the folders, but none caught his attention enough to stop and answer.
Noah raised his hand to his temple, as if trying to understand something in himself, and then finally said:
"We don't have time to explain. We have to leave. Fast. We have to leave the city before dawn, before the world finally knows who will become President of the United States. If Gene York becomes President, it will only be the beginning of the end."
He turned to face her, his face now menacing and determined, and there was no doubt in his words.
"But..." Delia Asia Vieira tried to object, but Noah interrupted her:
"You don't understand how important this is. Time is our enemy. Every moment counts. This isn't just an election, this is the beginning of an era in which this man, Gene York, will become the center of all of humanity's woes. His victory is the moment when the Antichrist will take his first step toward his kingdom."
Delia Asia Vieira felt her systems process Noah's words, but the question remained: what was she to him now? And why was she being drawn so deeply into this darkness of predictions and conspiracies? There was no answer. But Noah clearly had no intention of stopping and pursuing the topic. He was too focused on his task.
"I've booked train tickets," he continued, ignoring her questions. "Two tickets. One for me, one for Jo Thueson, but she died." He wiped away a stingy male tear as he said these words. "You'll take her ticket. We're leaving for Lisbon.
His words struck like lightning, like something unexpected and heavy. Lisbon? Why there? And what kind of trip? She knew immediately: this wasn't just an escape, this wasn't just an escape from chaos. This was preparation for something much greater. And she was at the center of it.
"Lisbon? Why Lisbon?" she asked, now not hiding her bewilderment.
But Noah just nodded, as if he already knew the answer to her question, and was not going to add anything.
"In Lisbon we can start everything from scratch. We will prepare everything. The problem with this... creature," he said the word with disgust, "will be solved, but it will take time, and we need to be ready. We must leave New York before dawn. This is the last chance."
Delia Asia Vieira fell silent, her mechanisms continued to work, analyzing the situation. She was ready to obey. But every action, every step in this world became part of an unknown, unexplored path that was beginning now.
Noah was already ready. He walked up to the door and opened it.
"Are you ready?" he asked, turning around.
His face was serious and tense, and Delia Asia Vieira realized that his words were not just orders, but a necessity.
"Yes, I'm ready," she nodded. "The only question is, what next?"
Noah looked at Delia Asia Vieira in silence, his gaze full of determination, but at the same time there was a tiredness hidden in it, as if he was carrying a burden that would be difficult for an ordinary person to understand. He nodded, then stepped into the hallway without turning around.
"Next," he said quietly, "we need to get to Lisbon. There we'll meet people who can help us deal with this... The man who will be president. Gene York is not just a political figure. This is the beginning of the end.
Delia Asia Vieira followed him, listening to him, but her mind was still trying to process the information she had just received. All this time, she had been nothing more than a tool, following orders, but now she was beginning to realize that she was part of something much larger. The Antichrist. Gene York. And, most importantly, her own role in it.
"But still, why Lisbon?" she asked, no longer hiding her doubts. "Is it the whole world? And what should we do when we get there?"
Noah didn't answer right away. He walked forward, processing in his mind the events that had led them to this moment.
"Lisbon is a rallying point. There is a person there who is monitoring what is happening and can help us. We cannot act without the help of those who understand what is really happening. We do not have time to explain everything, but you must understand: York is not just an ordinary person. He did not end up on this path by chance. Everything connected with him was predetermined."
Delia Asia Vieira watched him, her steps becoming more confident. She knew now that her role was not simply to serve and follow instructions. She was part of a plan. And that plan was far more complex than she could have imagined.
They went outside, and Noah immediately picked up his mobile phone, whispering something into it in Portuguese. Delia Asia Vieira stood nearby, waiting for him to hang up. Her gaze slid over the deserted streets, shadows playing under the streetlights. The darkness around her seemed alive, inexorable.
"Tickets," Noah said, replacing the phone. "The train leaves in two hours. We need to make it before dawn."
"Okay," she replied, despite the strange feeling of unease. "And how do you plan to hide us in Lisbon? We can't just show up on the street."
Noah turned and finally gave her a look that held a world of knowledge.
"We won't be seen on the street," he replied with a slight grin, as if everything had already been decided. "I have friends who will help us hide. And we need to be prepared for any eventuality. All we need is time. We can't afford to be caught."
Delia Asia Vieira nodded. Her mind worked like a computer, processing information, connecting facts, finding answers to questions she couldn't ask out loud. She felt her internal systems changing, adapting to the new reality she found herself in. At some point, she realized that this path, this risk, was inevitable.