Suddenly a sound caught her attention. It was something like a faint, barely perceptible retching sound coming from behind one of the doors leading to the toilets. She slowed her steps and listened. The sound was repeated, and then she walked resolutely to the door.
When Delia Asia Vieira entered the toilet, her gaze immediately fell on the young man standing next to the toilet. It was Richard. He was leaning over it, belching convulsively, his eyes clouded, his face slashed with pallor. He jerked sharply, as if he had heard footsteps, and turned to face her.
"You... what are you doing here?" His voice was hoarse, almost a whisper, but there was a defensive intonation in it.
Delia Asia Vieira was a little surprised, but not embarrassed. She came closer, calmly watching him.
"What's going on here? Are you okay?" she asked, lowering her voice a little so as not to scare him.
But it wasn't just his condition that was at issue. There was something else.
Richard glanced back at the next booth. There was something in his gaze that Delia Asia Vieira noticed immediately-something was definitely wrong. There was blood under his fingernails, and his gaze was darting nervously around the room.
"There..." he finally said, trying to catch his breath. "There's nothing there. Just a mannequin, old and smashed to pieces. I don't know how it got there.
Delia Asia Vieira glanced in the direction he was pointing and her gaze fell on the next stall. On the floor lay the parts of a female mannequin, broken into many small pieces, its body covered in a black tint that gave the whole picture a surrealistic look. The shards of the plastic body were scattered on the floor, as if someone had hit the mannequin hard, breaking it into pieces.
"This... what is this?" Delia Asia Vieira couldn't hide her surprise.
She knew this place was strange, but she hadn't expected this. The mannequin was too realistic, its features almost human, but twisted and torn to pieces.
Richard looked at her, his eyes starting to fill with panic. He stood up abruptly and grabbed the sink, gripping it tightly with his hands.
"I don't know how it happened," his voice became tense and anxious. "I just walked in, and it was here. Everything was fine, I was just looking for the bathroom... I didn't do it! Honestly! I... I shouldn't have come in here at all!"
Delia Asia Vieira couldn't understand what was happening. She had seen many strange things in her life, but the mannequin in this toilet and everything connected with it became something completely new and inexplicable. The signs of panic in Richard's voice were too sincere to consider him an accomplice to what was happening.
"Are you sure you don't know anything about how this came to be here?" she asked, trying to find some kind of explanation.
Richard continued to stand, leaning against the sink, his face pale and his eyes frightened. He continued to vomit, swallowing hard and coughing, trying to wipe the beads of sweat from his face. It was obvious that he was unable to collect himself. Delia Asia Vieira watched him calmly, not trying to intervene, but still feeling that something in his story might be useful.
Richard finally wiped his mouth, but his hands continued to shake. His gaze darted around the room, as if he were searching for something or someone, and finally he spoke without looking into the robotess's eyes.
"You're asking how I got here?" His voice was shaking, but he couldn't seem to keep it in any longer. "I... I'm an explorer of abandoned buildings. Just... well, looking for interesting places. This place... it was supposed to be empty. Just an empty, abandoned place, you know?"
Delia Asia Vieira nodded, listening intently. She had met many people in her practice who were interested in studying abandoned objects, but Richard seemed different, as if something about this place had actually caught his attention.
"I walked around this complex," he continued, "like an explorer, like a ghost hunter, you know? I was sure there were a whole bunch of them here. A whole bunch of ghosts walking around the rooms. But the more I wandered, the more I felt like that wasn't true. Just cold concrete and old rubble, not a single ghost in sight.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, his breathing became more even, but the tension did not leave his face.
"I kept walking, looking into every corner, checking every floor. With every step I realized more and more that there was nothing in this place. Do you understand? Nothing creepy. I didn't see a single ghost, just silence and that's it!"
Delia Asia Vieira listened attentively, without interrupting. Richard continued, as if convincing himself:
"And so, you know, at some point I just got bored. I was tired, and I was irritated because I couldn't find anything interesting, even the most stray and not the least bit scary ghost. I went to the toilet, decided to at least catch my breath a little. I sat down, and then... well, basically, then I just started... throwing up. Out of frustration. Just because I couldn't find anything. And that's when you caught me, you painted fool."
Richard looked guilty, as if he was afraid that his revelation might seem too ridiculous or funny. He was making excuses, but there was genuine concern in his voice.
"You probably think I'm some kind of crazy person, right? But I feel like there's something wrong with this place. I've been to places like this before, but there's nothing here. I came here," Richard continued, "hoping to find at least some traces of what happened here before. Ghosts, some secrets... But now I'm not sure. Maybe I shouldn't have come here. Because there's nothing here!"
Robotess found his explanation strange, even false. She stood before Richard in the small, dingy powder room, his pale face barely able to hide his anxiety, his voice trembling as if he were trying to reassure both himself and her. But Delia Asia Vieira knew something was wrong. She had seen more than he could imagine.
"You say it's just a building," she said calmly, looking him straight in the eye. "But I saw something else. I saw a ghost. A ghost cat. And something else... A little girl. You're lying, Richard."
Richard flushed, his eyes avoiding hers, his lips pursed nervously. He seemed unsure of what to say. His explanations of boredom and disappointment were beginning to sound like cheap excuses, an attempt to convince her that this was all just a coincidence, random events, nothing special. But Delia Asia Vieira knew that there was something far more dangerous lurking here.
"Do you really think I can believe your stories?" she continued, holding back her irritation. "You're an explorer of abandoned places, so what? You haven't seen any ghosts or strange things in this building? I can see that they're here. And you've seen them too, you're just lying to me for some reason."
Richard continued to stand by the toilet, his body shaking convulsively, and his moans mixed with the unpleasant sounds of vomiting filled the small, smoke-filled restroom. He looked exhausted and lost, as if this whole nightmare had happened to him before. Delia Asia Vieira stood next to him, unable to look away, but not knowing how to help him. She waited patiently for his torment to subside, trying to collect her thoughts. She felt that something was wrong. This whole place was strange, and Richard was just part of it.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," Richard groaned, still vomiting. "I didn't see anything! Really! I just heard music... Strange, scary music! It was playing in some of the rooms... It reminded me of... Raimund Clement, you know! Creepy, scary, ambient stuff! But no ghosts. I didn't see a single one."
Delia Asia Vieira shook her head slowly, as if trying to figure out what he really needed to say. And Richard vomited again, as if his insides were trying to rid themselves of something so foreign that it looked like a nervous breakdown.
"You know," said robotess as Richard continued to puke, "you can keep fooling yourself that there's nothing and no one here. But that's a lie. You said it yourself - there was some music playing. That's something, right? And the fact that you didn't see anything that's really there already seems like you don't want to admit it to me.
She took a step back and Richard looked at her with empty, disoriented eyes, but then he grabbed the toilet again, his body shaking with the attack again.
Delia Asia Vieira let out a quiet breath and, without another word, closed the bathroom door behind her and walked down the dimly lit hallways of the deserted apartment complex, still feeling the unpleasant aftertaste of her conversation with Richard in the bathroom. She tried to focus on her task - to find traces of Robert or at least understand what was happening in this city - but her thoughts kept returning to strange encounters with ghosts and people who seemed to have completely lost touch with reality.
Turning the corner, she suddenly came across an open door with peeling paint and a dim sign "Hotel". Inside, it smelled of dust and long-dried perfume. Entering, robotess stopped, hearing the muffled sounds of conversation. She carefully made her way inside, running her hand along the walls until she reached a spacious room with a large antique mirror on the wall.
Willa Baylock was lying on the floor in front of the mirror, as if in a trance. Her gaze was fixed on the reflection, and her lips were moving, as if she were talking to herself. Delia Asia Vieira noticed with surprise that Willa was holding a mobile phone, on the screen of which a website with crazy Internet rates was open.
"Willa, what are you doing?" robotess's voice was cold and straightforward, as always.
"I'm trying to figure out," Willa muttered, not even turning to robotess, "whether I should spend all my savings on this... crazy tariff. The Internet is more expensive than gold now, you know? It's the future, but also a danger at the same time."
Delia Asia Vieira frowned, not understanding what she was talking about.
"You realize that the Internet in this city is a trap?" said robotess. "It's not safe. You don't know who might be watching you or what you might let out."
Willa finally tore her gaze away from the mirror and looked at Delia Asia Vieira, her eyes darting around as if she couldn't focus on one thing.
"No! I have to stay connected. It's the only way to stay informed! If I disconnect... if they find me..."
Robotess, realizing that Willa was on the verge of panic, decided to act faster.
"Listen to me, Willa. You have to stop this. Give me the phone. I'll keep it for you. It's for your own safety."
But Willa suddenly hissed like a cornered animal. She jumped to her feet with agility surprising for her age and, clutching the phone to her chest, rushed out of the room as if she were fleeing from a pursuer.
"You're not taking him!" she shouted, looking around as she walked and tripping over scattered things. "I won't let you turn me off!"
Delia Asia Vieira didn't pursue her right away, sensing that Willa's panic was caused by something much bigger than just the fear of losing her phone. Something in this damned city was breaking people, eating them up from the inside. And now, it seemed, the Internet had become a form of control.
Robotess sighed and looked around the room again. Something seemed to flicker in the mirror, like a reflection of someone else's gaze. Delia Asia Vieira froze for a moment, then pushed aside thoughts of visions and, making her way through the gloomy corridors of the apartment complex, finally reached the fire exit.
Pushing open the heavy metal door, she slid out with difficulty, finding herself in a damp alley that was shrouded in thick fog. The cold air touched her face, and for a moment the robotess felt relief at leaving the confined space where every corner hid dangers and ghosts of the past.
She moved forward, slowly looking around, and suddenly her attention was drawn to a quiet, barely perceptible sound - a child's voice, quietly humming something in a half-voice. The sounds came from an old wall covered in layers of graffiti. Coming closer, Delia noticed a familiar figure: it was the same girl with long black hair and in a brown dress, whom she had seen earlier in the billiard room.
The little girl was squatting by the wall, drawing something in the dust with her finger and humming softly to herself. The song was strange, lacking any obvious rhythm or meaning, but there were fragments of words in it, reminiscent of a mysterious whisper. Delia froze, not daring to interrupt the girl, but the girl suddenly raised her head and stared at the robotess with her deep, seemingly bottomless eyes.
"You're here again," the girl said, her voice sounding calm and detached, as if she was not quite here, but somewhere between worlds.
"Who are you?" Delia couldn't help but ask. "Why are you here, in this abandoned city?"
The girl just smiled mysteriously and stood up, brushing the dust off her knees.
"The name is not important," she answered, coming closer. "But if you still want to know something important, I can tell you about one secret... A secret that helps rule the world," her gaze became more focused. "You know that securities are just a game. A game where the strong get everything, and the weak lose even what they never had."
Delia frowned, trying to figure out what this strange girl was getting at.
"Do you know anything about trading on the market?" asked robotess, feeling her interlocutor drag the conversation in an unexpected direction.
"Oh, I know more than you can imagine," the girl narrowed her eyes slyly. "I know how big players make people believe in illusions and lose their last money. How one phrase can collapse the markets, and one rumor can bring millions. It's all about control... and who can see a little further than the rest."
Delia sensed that the girl spoke with surprising confidence for someone her age. But something in her words sounded eerily familiar - as if she had heard similar things from Damien Thorn, the late father of the Antichrist. And then the girl suddenly turned to her and spoke in a tone that was not at all childish:
"Do you know what the most boring thing in the world is?" Her voice was unchildishly serious, but at the same time it sounded almost feigned fatigue. "It's sitting at a huge table and giving orders to ministries and officials. All these documents, signing laws, meetings with some boring adults..." the girl rolled her eyes and suddenly sat down on the curb, leaning against the wall covered in old graffiti. "I'm only eight years old, and I have an entire country hanging around my neck!" with these words she puffed out her cheeks, clearly feigning irritation.
Delia Asia Vieira didn't immediately understand what was happening. The girl's words sounded so incredible that she thought she had misheard.
"Wait..." robotess began, trying in vain to comprehend what she had heard. "You... are saying that you..."
"President?" the girl interrupted her and nodded mockingly, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world. "Yes, president. The first underage president of the United States in history. And I just want to play with dolls! But, alas, I have to rule the country. Sad, isn't it?"
She cocked her head to the side, as if teasing Delia Asia Vieira with her childish, yet somehow frighteningly adult appearance. Robotess looked at her with growing horror. In front of her, sitting on the wall was not just a capricious little girl, but Delia York herself - the Antichrist, a monster in the form of a little innocent girl, who had taken the place of the President of the United States.
However, Delia Asia Vieira didn't have time to ask any of the dozens of questions that popped into her head. The little girl in front of her suddenly stopped short, her face turned pale, and understanding flashed in her large eyes. She clearly realized that she had said too much.
"Oh... I think I let something slip!" she muttered, biting her lip nervously.
The carefree expression on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by anxiety and even fear. Suddenly she abruptly tore herself away from the spot, and before the robotess could react, the small figure darted away. Her brown dress flashed in the misty haze like a ghostly spot, and she glided down the deserted street, quick and agile as a night shadow.
"Forget everything I said! Forget it!" the girl screamed as she ran, her voice echoing off the walls of the half-ruined buildings, fading away somewhere in the distance.
Delia Asia Vieira stood in the middle of the deserted city, surrounded by the looming fog. Her sensors frantically analyzed the situation, but it brought no clarity. The girl's words were so absurd and at the same time ominous that they were stuck in her processor, like a virus destroying the usual chains of logic.
Everything happened so quickly that robotess didn't even have time to try to stop the girl or ask her what exactly she meant. But one thing was clear: this meeting had revealed something much more sinister to Delia Asia Vieira than she could have ever imagined.
The fog thickened, enveloping Delia Asia Vieira as she finally stepped onto the main avenue of the abandoned park. In the thick fog, she could barely make out the outlines of lampposts and bare tree branches that resembled bony hands reaching for the sky. The streets of the city were deserted, and only the occasional gust of wind broke the silence, rustling the dead leaves.
She walked along the flagstone path, heading towards the place where she and Robert used to spend time. But halfway there, robotess stopped, feeling someone's eyes on her.
It turned out that there was a young man sitting on a bench nearby. He looked completely out of place in this deserted environment: a black leather jacket, dark jeans and sunglasses on his nose, despite the gray sky and lack of sunlight. Delia Asia Vieira slowed her steps and looked at him warily.
The guy lazily turned his head in her direction and, lifting his glasses, gave her an appraising look.
"Hey, you," he called out to her with a lazy grin. "Are you lost or something?"
Delia Asia Vieira stared at the stranger, trying to figure out who he was and what he was doing in this abandoned city. She had expected that after all the strange encounters in the apartment complex and the empty streets of the city, there would definitely be no one here. But this man looked like he was waiting for her.
"No, I'm not lost," robotess answered dryly, trying to hide her surprise. "And who are you?"
The young man stood up from the bench, brushing invisible dust from his jacket. He was tall, his movements smooth and confident. He looked to be about twenty-two years old, but his eyes showed weariness and some hidden wariness.
"Sergeant Neff," he introduced himself, offering her his hand, but noticing that she didn't even move to shake it, he shrugged. "Okay, whatever. I'm just wandering around. This place is getting boring."
"Why are you here anyway?" Delia Asia Vieira asked, ignoring his attempt to speak in a more friendly manner.
"Just..." he ran his hand through his hair and grinned. "I'm trying to find at least some kind of clue. A couple of my guys said that you can find something valuable here. But for now..." he spread his hands, "there's only fog and old abandoned buildings."
Delia Asia Vieira listened to his words carefully, analyzing his behavior. He obviously knew nothing about her and Robert, otherwise he wouldn't have spoken with such easy disdain. For him, she was just a random stranger, who happened to be there, just like him.
"And you?" Neff asked, squinting. "Looking for something too? The city is clearly not a tourist attraction."
"You could say that," robotess answered cautiously, not wanting to reveal the true purpose of her visit. "Just an old promise."
"A promise, you say?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "It sounds too mysterious to be true. But you know what? Everyone in this town has secrets. Maybe you do too."
He smirked again, but Delia Asia Vieira did not continue the conversation. She did not need his suspicions and interrogations. This sergeant was just another obstacle in her way.
"I have to go," she said coldly and turned to leave.
But suddenly she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Sergeant Neff quickly caught up with her, grinning again.
"Hey, hey, wait a minute, where are you going in such a hurry?" He stood in her way, blocking the road. "You think you can just leave? There's not a soul here, let's at least chat. It's more fun together."
Delia Asia Vieira froze, trying to understand his intentions. She didn't want to talk to this cocky stranger anymore, much less take him with her. But Neff didn't seem to be going to let her go that easily. He came closer, bending slightly to look into her face.
"You don't understand," she said coldly, taking a step back. "I really need to go alone."
"Oh, come on!" the sergeant persisted, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning as if he'd found himself a new toy. "Consider me your guard. Or a guide to this dead city."
Delia Asia Vieira sighed. Her attempts to pretend that she simply didn't recognize him clearly weren't working. Neff seemed determined to force himself on her as a traveling companion. And then, irritated by his persistence, she decided to change tactics.
She slowly ran her gaze over him from head to toe, lingering on his short athletic shorts that exposed his knees and part of his thighs. It was odd attire for someone who claimed to be a sergeant.
"What's with that funny outfit of yours?" Delia Asia Vieira smirked sarcastically, crossing her arms. "Did you just run away from summer camp? Or are you that eager to show off your legs?"
Sergeant Neff tensed slightly, but quickly returned his smug smile.
"This is a sports uniform, by the way," he replied, throwing his hair back. "For long-distance running. It's easy to move and breathe in a suit like this. Not everyone runs in armor like you," he pointed at her thick clothing.
Robotess chuckled, continuing to tease him:
"Of course, long-lived runner! I guess that's how you run away from your stupidity. Or did you hope to scare the ghosts in those shorts?"
Sergeant Neff grinned, but his smile became tense. He was clearly not prepared to be ridiculed for his clothes. Meanwhile, Delia Asia Vieira was considering her next steps. Sergeant Neff looked at her with a smug grin on his face, as if he didn't realize that his obsession was already irritating her.
Realizing that this guy wouldn't leave her alone, she decided to just pick up the pace and try to escape. Turning around, she started walking faster, hoping that he wouldn't be able to catch up with her. But as soon as she took a couple of steps, Neff jumped up and, deftly grabbing her by the elbow, abruptly stopped her.
"Hey, where are you going?" he said, with a barely audible threat in his voice, but still with the same casual smile. "We just started getting to know each other, and you're already running away? Take your time, we have a whole mission here."
Delia Asia Vieira tried to pull away, but his grip was strong enough to prevent her from slipping away. The robot's heart began to beat faster. Trying to contain her irritation, she turned her head, ready to protest, but Neff didn't give her time.
"Wait, wait," he said with a light laugh, "you're in such a hurry, and I need to show you something. Now I'll take you to a place, a bowling club, if you don't mind, of course."
She looked at him in surprise, not believing her ears.
"A bowling alley?" she asked incredulously. "Are you serious? You're going there right now, in the middle of all this? Fog, a dead city, and you suddenly decide I need to go bowling?"
Sergeant Neff straightened his shoulders and, ignoring her sarcasm, replied:
"Yeah, bowling, so what? You can't just sit there and whine all the time. Come on, let's go. I have something to do. We'll deal with the "game". You'll figure it out."
Delia Asia Vieira frowned. She had a feeling that this guy was completely out of his mind. But on the other hand, she didn't like the idea of being alone in this deserted city, where you don't know what's lurking around every corner. Maybe this weird bowling alley really wouldn't be as dangerous as all these empty buildings and fog?
Trying to shake off the unpleasant feeling of losing control again, Delia Asia Vieira sighed and walked off to who knows where, led by the strange Sergeant Neff, who still couldn't calm down with his idea of a bowling club. She felt her patience was on the edge, and even the fog that shrouded the city streets couldn't hide her growing irritation. Each step on the wet road seemed heavier, and more and more she doubted that she was in the right place at the right time.
As they approached the club, its neon sign glowed dimly in the fog. Even the sign, artificially illuminating the gray space, could not hide the lifelessness that reigned around. Delia Asia Vieira was about to say something when Neff, without slowing down, spoke enthusiastically.
"Here's the place! Great, right?"
She stopped and turned to him abruptly. His words sounded like a challenge, and it made her think for a moment. The club in front of them was almost empty, like the rest of the city, and something about the place made her feel strangely uncomfortable. But what irritated her most was the thought that Neff had been so stubborn about dragging her here. Delia Asia Vieira couldn't bear the thought of spending time in some dull bowling alley.
"You'll have to excuse me, but I hate bowling," she said indifferently, looking at Neff as if he didn't understand her situation at all. "And I'm not coming here. No bowling!"
Neff, who was almost walking towards the door, stopped abruptly and turned to her. His face was distorted into an angry grimace, and something like a growl appeared on his lips.
"Damn! Are you serious?" he shouted, as if this news had shocked him more than she could have imagined. "I brought you here, and you... You don't want to come in? What the hell?!"
Delia Asia Vieira sighed and put her hand on her side. She wasn't going to make excuses or try to explain why she didn't like this place. All she could think at that moment was that this strange encounter and this city, its emptiness and lifeless corners, did not contribute to her desire to participate in something like bowling. It wasn't her thing. After all, she was a robotess, and her life rarely converged with human entertainment.
"Yes, I don't want to," she answered reservedly. "You go, and I'll wait here. I don't need to be in this club, much less participate in your stupid "game," hunting for some kind of "game."
Neff let out a breath through his teeth and frowned. He didn't know what to say next. There was a malicious glint in his eyes, but for a moment he just stood there, clenching his teeth. He had clearly expected Delia Asia Vieira to follow him, and he was completely unprepared for such a refusal.
"Okay," he muttered through his teeth. "You know best."
And without giving Delia Asia Vieira time to make any additional remarks, he turned sharply and stepped towards the club doors. Turning on the interior light and taking a few steps, he did not turn around, feeling a certain coldness inside. In the end, he did not care whether she decided to join him. He was determined to fulfill his mission, and no matter what anyone else thought, he would go anyway.
Delia Asia Vieira stood at the door of the club, arms crossed, feeling her patience rapidly slipping away. The door slammed behind her with a dull thud, leaving an oppressive silence in the air that only increased her irritation. She was about to turn around and leave, disappearing into the foggy night city, when a young man ran out of the club. His face was distorted with panic, he kept looking back as if something was chasing him. He glanced at Delia Asia Vieira, but before he could do anything, he was already outside the club, his feet carried him towards the nearest street, and he disappeared into the darkness.