They walked towards the station, and every step was important, every moment filled them not only with anxiety, but also with awareness: now they were not just two people, but representatives of a new era, where the fight for the future of humanity was a matter that required immediate action. Delia Asia Vieira looked at Noah carefully, not immediately reacting to his words. There were too many questions in her system, and she could not simply remain silent. In her opinion, everything that was happening seemed illogical, almost absurd. Why, if the main enemy, Gene York, was so close, was it necessary to leave New York? Why Lisbon, and not a direct confrontation?
"Noah," she began, her voice calm but slightly tense. "You said we needed to fight Gene York. But why should we go to Lisbon? Why not stay here and try to stop him right in New York, where he lives? It makes more sense."
Noah was silent for a moment. He knew that Delia Asia Vieira always asked the right questions, and he knew that it would not be easy to answer her. He ran a hand over his face, as if trying to collect his thoughts.
"You're right," he finally said, "it does seem illogical at first glance. Why go to Lisbon when Gene York is here in New York? But the thing is, our fight isn't limited to just a physical confrontation with him. We can't just 'catch' York and stop him - if it were that easy, I would have done it long ago, back when Jo Thueson was alive.
Delia Asia Vieira listened attentively to him, her internal blocks trying to comprehend what was said. She, as always, tried to find clear algorithms and connections in his words.
"Gene York," Noah continued, "is not just a man running for president. He is a figure around whom forces far more powerful and dangerous than he is are concentrated. You must understand: his power does not depend on whether he wins the election or not. He is part of a more complex game. And in order to resist him, we must not just be around him, but act in a different space, in a different context.
Delia Asia Vieira frowned in displeasure, not quite understanding what he was talking about. She couldn't imagine how "different context" would help them against York.
"I don't understand," she said, "why do we need to look for some other context if the enemy is right in front of us?"
Noah smiled slightly, realizing that she was having a hard time grasping the full scope of what was happening.
"Lisbon," he replied, "isn't just a city. It's a place where different worlds intersect. It's a place where knowledge is gathered that will allow us to understand not only York's plans, but also the hidden forces behind it. We won't just fight it directly - we need to understand how its forces work, what structures are hidden behind its appearance. And to do that, we need to turn to people who understand how these forces work. You won't find that in New York."
Delia Asia Vieira thought, her algorithms processing the information. She knew Noah was right-if it were as simple as walking into York's office and challenging him, they would have won long ago. But something in his words, his confidence, made her feel like there was something far more complex and dangerous at play.
"You want me to believe that in Lisbon we will get the answers that will help us win?" she asked.
Noah nodded, his gaze firm.
"Yes, exactly. We cannot act without understanding the whole picture. There are people in Lisbon who will help us uncover the hidden mechanisms behind York and his movement. And only by understanding them will we be able to take the decisive step."
Delia Asia Vieira was silent again. She couldn't say exactly what she felt, but she knew one thing - Noah was not a man who could be so wrong. He was a scientist, a psychic, a man who could see the hidden lines of life that ordinary people couldn't understand. And if he said they had to go to Lisbon, then it was necessary.
"Okay," she finally said, "I agree. If it helps us win."
Noah nodded, checking his watch again.
"Then we need to hurry. The train leaves in two hours."
With that, he turned and headed for the exit. Delia Asia Vieira followed him. Soon they reached the ticket office at the station. The atmosphere was quiet and a little foggy, as it often was in the early morning. The station seemed to be asleep, and only the occasional footsteps of passengers hurrying to their trains could be heard. The cashier at the counter looked as if she had just woken up from a long sleep a few hours ago. Her sleepy eyes had difficulty focusing on the documents, and she mechanically accepted the tickets that Noah handed her through the window.
Delia Asia Vieira stood nearby, watching the cashier. She wasn't tired, her systems were working without slowing down, and she felt confident and calm, although she understood that there were not the easiest tests ahead. However, her attention quickly switched when the cashier looked not at her, but at the man standing right behind her.
The man, about forty-five years old, was dressed in a suit that might once have been considered stylish but now seemed a little shabby. His suit pants were khaki and his jacket hung slightly, as if he didn't care about the less-than-perfect fit. The crocodile-skin folder he held under his arm was eccentric, giving him a somewhat enigmatic air, as if the man could be anyone from a government official to an old acquaintance of Noah's.
His face wasn't exactly mature, but it wasn't young either. Everything about him said that he'd seen a lot, been through a lot, and maybe didn't care much about what people thought of him. He smiled at Noah as if they'd known each other for a long time, and it was an open but somewhat overly self-assured smile, like a man used to getting what he wanted.
Then his gaze, as if by accident, but very deliberately, slid down Delia Asia Vieira's back. She felt his gaze run over her figure, starting from her shoulders and slowly moving down to the place where, in his opinion, the object of his interest should be - her butt. It was so unexpected that Delia Asia Vieira, being a robotess and not a living person, did not immediately understand how to react.
She was a robot, and her emotions were complex, but not like those of humans. She did not feel humiliated, but she understood that this look was not only impolite, but also violated some invisible boundary. However, she did not take any steps to stop it. Perhaps because of her programmatic neutrality, perhaps because she did not see it as a particular threat to herself.
Noah, noticing the man's gaze, tensed slightly. His eyes instantly became more wary, but he said nothing. He knew that sometimes ignoring such trivialities was the best way to avoid wasting time on an empty confrontation. But his hand, which had been holding the ticket, clenched slightly into a fist as the man continued to examine the tempting curves of Delia Asia Vieira.
When the man finished his inspection and returned his gaze to Noah, Noah nodded, as if forgiving his strange behavior. But Delia Asia Vieira, who had remained unperturbed, finally reacted, turning to the man with a slight and unnatural movement of her head, as if with her gaze she was returning to him all the weight of his immodest behavior. The man, realizing that he had been caught, was slightly confused and restrained his gaze. He shook his head, as if apologizing for his behavior, and quickly turned away, stepping back slightly.
Noah, without saying a word, paid for the tickets and handed them to Delia Asia Vieira, after which they headed for the exit to the trains. Soon they were walking along the platform, breathing in the air filled with the smells of railways and strange memories. The station, despite the early morning, was already full of life. People seemed to be busy with their own affairs, but each of them seemed to involuntarily fit into this complex, almost mechanical orchestra of everyday life.
The benches were filled with passengers, quietly chatting or lost in thought. Their conversations were whispers rather than loud words. A few figures stood out among them - men in old-fashioned suits, women in elegant hats. They seemed to be from another time, from an era when train travel was a solemn and important occasion.
Some smokers stood at the railings of the platform, carefully exhaling clouds of smoke from long holders with gold rings. Their cigars left behind them plumes of smoke that rose upward at a sharp angle, almost vertically. This smoke enveloped the air like a ghostly fog, giving the whole scene an atmosphere from the past. There was something strange and mysterious in their eyes, as if they belonged to some vanished world that lived its own life and did not notice the bustle around it.
But in the midst of all this, between the noble smokers and the elegant passengers, there were other people who stood out. The short Mayans stood to the side, their small suitcases on the ground. They looked as if they were waiting for something important to happen, or as if they were in the very center of the scene, not belonging to it, but still participating.
Two police officers walked slowly along the platform. Their black leather jackets were unbuttoned in the heat, and their faces showed the weariness of constant patrolling. The officers moved slowly, checking people with their eyes, but their actions were more routine than attentive. They were not looking for anything in particular, just doing their job, keeping order, as if their presence was part of the familiar background of this railway life.
Noah and Delia Asia Vieira were oblivious to their surroundings. They moved along the platform with unusual restraint, paying attention to what was ahead, not around them. Delia stayed close to Noah, as if she trusted him completely, although she could have acted independently, knowing that her system allowed her to calculate all possible risks. But she chose to remain on this path by his side.
Noah noticed a few people watching their progress closely, but he made no noticeable move. He knew that such moments were part of the journey, and it was important not to dwell on details that could distract. The platform was filling with many people, but Noah and Delia Asia Vieira were like two separate dots in the chaos, and no one could guess who they really were or why they were there.
As they approached the place where they were going to board the train, Noah checked his watch again. It was clear that they still had plenty of time - two whole hours of waiting. For Noah and Delia Asia Vieira, this was time that needed to be spent usefully before they could continue their journey. So, as soon as they spotted a restaurant called "U Montesi" next to the station, Noah headed there without hesitation. Delia Asia Vieira followed him without any objections.
Inside, it was quiet and cozy, the air filled with the smell of grilled meat, which mingled with the aroma of freshly baked Mexican tortillas. Delia Asia Vieira closed her eyes for a few seconds, just to feel the atmosphere, because such moments - quiet, carefree - were something new for her. Restaurants, noisy, with an atmosphere of lively conversations and living warmth - she did not often visit such places. Usually her world was associated with more strict and calculated tasks, where emotional tension remained in the background.
Noah walked up to a table by the window, where the empty platform was visible, and sat down, reaching for the menu. His movements were confident, as if he had long known what to do in such situations, and his whole life was like a verified scheme.
The waitress, barely noticing them, approached with a reluctant look. She was dressed in a long white dress, her hair was dark, reaching to her shoulders. Her face betrayed a weariness that could not be hidden: her gaze was clouded, and from under her heavy eyelashes a slight helplessness emerged, as if her thoughts were occupied far from this place.
Noah noticed instantly that her fatigue was not just physical - it was a sign of something deeper, that she was suffering from something that could not be called simply heat. Perhaps it was her inner world that was somehow responding to the external chaos. Noah picked up the menu and, ignoring the waitress's silence, ordered himself a mixed salad and a bottle of mineral water.
The waitress nodded silently and walked away, leaving them at the table. Delia Asia Vieira sat down opposite Noah and made no attempt to talk. Her gaze was cold and indifferent. She couldn't understand what it was like to sit in the shadows and just wait. There was no room in her programming for such experiences.
She looked at Noah, feeling her mind automatically analyze his actions, his silence, his calm. There was a hidden heaviness in his gaze that set him apart from ordinary people. Not just knowledge or experience - something else, something deeper, that Delia Asia Vieira could not fully understand.
She continued to sit in silence, watching him, but Noah seemed in no hurry to explain. He didn't mind the silence - it was natural to him. Sometimes silence was better than words. He continued to stare out the window, and only a fleeting thought that they needed to hurry showed on his face.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was quiet, only the conversations of other customers could be heard in the background, and one of the cooks coughed in the kitchen. But it was all background, not affecting the current situation, just an insignificant detail in the story that he and Delia Asia Vieira had to live through.
When the waitress returned with their order, Noah looked up and nodded briefly in her direction, gratefully accepting the salad and bottle of mineral water. His words, as always, were short and measured, his mind on something far more important than the present moment. He was focused on what lay ahead. On the path they had to take, and the decisions they had to make.
The waitress left as quickly as she had come, leaving the two of them alone in this strange, hot, smelly place. Delia Asia Vieira sat opposite them, motionless, as if frozen in anticipation. Her gaze was blank, neutral, as it always was when she didn't know how to act in human society. Her appearance was completely inappropriate for such places: artificial, emotionless, and devoid of what real people have - excitement, anxiety, or even a simple desire to engage in conversation. But Delia Asia Vieira didn't want to. She was programmed not to interfere, and today, as always, she remained in the shadows.
The silence between them stretched on for a long time. Noah, absorbed in his thoughts, ate a salad, not paying much attention to what was happening around him. He was already at that age when all the main decisions had been made, and all that was left was to act, without wasting time on empty talk. He knew that their journey was not just a trip. This was the moment when they stood on the threshold of something important, something that could change not only their lives, but the whole world around them.
Delia Asia Vieira, in turn, remained silent. She did not feel hungry, did not worry about the process of eating. It was not hers - everything she knew about life was connected with logic and analysis. She picked up her fork, carefully twirled it in her hands, as if examining the object that was in her hands. She tried to understand what exactly needed to be done next so that their mission would be successful, but the answers still did not come. She was ready to accept any solution that Noah gave, but at this moment they both understood that questions remained unanswered. And that was okay. Sometimes you just had to wait before taking the next step.
They both knew that the questions would not go away. They could not be ignored. The questions always returned, and each one brought something new to the picture of the world. But there was something calming in this silence. They were both ready for what was to come. And if the answers did not come immediately, they would be found later.
Noah finished eating, put down his cutlery and turned his gaze to Delia Asia Vieira. He wipes his lips with a napkin, all serious and concentrated, and, as always, begins to philosophize:
"You know, there are much more important things in the world than some vile Antichrists with their lawyer stepfathers running for president," he said, looking as if he had just revealed all the secrets of the universe.
Delia Asia Vieira stared at him blankly and nodded quietly, running through mental patterns in her head. In fact, her brain was already occupied with something more important - like the fact that she couldn't remember the last time her "brain" had been active at all.
Noah noticed her lack of attention and abruptly changed the subject.
"But none of that matters!" he continued, pausing dramatically. "You and I need to think about where we'll stay in Lisbon. In the same room or in different ones?"
Delia Asia Vieira raised her eyebrows as if these questions about numbers were a crucial part of the mission, saving the world, or at least their current trip.
"In the same room, of course," she replied, trying her best to sound convincing, as if this was the only right decision.
Noah shook his head thoughtfully.
"Well, if you insist... I thought two rooms would be more convenient for a frigid prude like you. But since you're in favor of one, then fine, let it be one."
Then Noah suddenly leaned forward, settling more comfortably in the chair, and looked at Delia with a serious expression.
"How do you like my moustache?" he asked, as if it was a question not just for her but for all of humanity. "I let it grow a couple of months ago, trying to find something new for myself, and I was wondering how you like it?"
Delia Asia Vieira did not immediately respond. She did not see anything unusual in his question, since her database did not contain information on the significance of "mustache" as an attractiveness factor. She just looked at Noah silently and returned to her thoughts again.
Noah, without waiting for an answer, continued his monologue, pointing out the importance of their mission:
"Listen, when we defeat this Antichrist, even through indirect intervention, you can't even imagine what kind of order will reign in the world! The Second Golden Age will await us! Just imagine: there will be no wars, no crises, only peace and happiness for everyone! There will be everything, food, water, and, of course, free Wi-Fi!"
Delia Asia Vieira looked up in surprise.
"Free Wi-Fi?" she repeated, as if that were the main point of his plan to save the world.
"Well, yes! Don't you understand?" Noah smiled, lounging in his chair and rubbing his beard. "This is not just for comfort, this is a new level of civilization! Can I count on your approval?"
Robotess paused, as if choosing her words.
"Noah," she said, changing the subject, "what makes you so sure that we can defeat this Antichrist? It's... well, it's strange, to say the least."
Noah took a sip of his mineral water, wondering how best to answer this question. He was, as always, a man who preferred to hide his true thoughts under a veil of sarcasm and cryptic phrases.
"It's..." he slowed, collecting his thoughts, "it's a matter of faith. Faith in yourself and in the idea that you can defeat something as destructive as the Antichrist. And if everyone around you says he's coming soon, how can you not believe it?"
Delia Asia Vieira did not nod, but rather waited for him to continue, her gaze remaining calm but attentive.
Noah sighed and, noticing that she had not caught his philosophical thoughts, decided to tell the truth, albeit with restraint.
"To be honest," he began, "I don't believe in this nonsense. The Apocalypse? The Antichrist? It all seems like fiction and horror stories for idiots and cretins. But here's what's interesting... my colleagues, the psychics, have latched onto this idea like manna from heaven. They shout about it on every corner, discuss parishes, prophecies, and I, frankly, couldn't stay away. All this talk about the coming end of the world... well, you know, what pressure! It's as if I found myself in the center of this wave, and now, despite my common sense, I'm running back and forth like a naive idiot, with the thought that I must stop the Antichrist."
Delia Asia Vieira listened attentively, but there was no surprise or disappointment on her face - she simply took this information as another piece of human oddity.
"So you... don't believe it, but you still continue to play this game?" she asked, a slight puzzlement in her voice.
Noah shrugged and smiled.
"To some extent. It's not always easy to stay away from mass hysteria, especially when everyone around you is convinced that the salvation of the world is at stake. I just decided to play this role to the end. Who knows, maybe there's a point to it."
Delia stared silently out the restaurant window again, watching the people passing by, still absorbed in their own problems, and not thinking about the fact that something mystical and catastrophic might be waiting for them over the horizon.
"Well, if your role is to defeat the Antichrist," she said with a hint of sarcasm, "I am ready to be your faithful companion in this difficult task. Although, I think you should be prepared that this Antichrist may be just another person trying to survive in a world full of madness.
Noah couldn't help but appreciate her directness. He smiled and signaled to the waitress that they were ready for the check.
"Perhaps you are right, Delia. Perhaps this Antichrist is just another man, and our task is not to defeat him, but simply to understand what he is trying to do in this world. However, you can't fight fashion," he said with a strange grin.