Delia Asia Vieira slowly approached the shore in her boat. A light wind ruffled her hair and the water gently lapped against the sides as she quietly moored herself to the sandy beach. As she paddled the last few meters, she looked back – nothing but fog and empty horizons. Only when she stepped onto the shore did her gaze fall on two figures standing against the dark horizon. They were Jennings and Peter Reynolds.
Jennings noticed her immediately and stepped forward, his gaze focused but not without a hint of irony. Peter, standing next to him, looked much more tense, as if he knew they were at a critical point in their lives.
"You've come," Jennings said, his voice even and serious. "We've been waiting for you for a long time."
"I don't like you very much," Delia Asia Vieira replied with a touch of sarcasm, looking at both of them. "It seems you have something to tell."
Peter just sighed, he was nervous, but still decided to speak:
"We... aren't actually here by accident. We've been part of a covert operation this whole time."
Delia Asia Vieira raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"An operation? A secret one?" She stepped closer, her gaze becoming more focused.
Jennings nodded slowly, as if wondering where to begin.
"Yes," he said, his eyes serious. "It was called Operation Anti-Antichrist. We monitored the situation and decided we had to act. You've probably heard about Damien Thorn? About his daughter? About how she's... how can I put it..." Jennings paused for a moment, as if choosing his words.
"Yes, I know." Delia Asia Vieira straightened up and stood in front of them. "But you didn't explain why "Anti-Antichrist". Is it about the girl? Or something more?"
Peter was silent for a moment, and then said quietly:
"We thought the world shouldn't belong to her. We knew that she, as the daughter of Damien Thorn and the granddaughter of Satan himself, was too dangerous. If she wasn't stopped, if she took power into her own hands, the world would never be the same again. Jennings and I were convinced that even her existence had to be prevented.
Jennings sighed as if this whole time had been a heavy burden.
"Peter's right," he continued. "When we began our operation, it was after we learned of her birth. We felt that if we could intervene now, at the beginning of her life, we might have a chance of preventing a catastrophe. But we didn't know how... how to approach it. Everything was so carefully hidden that even we, being in close proximity, couldn't fully understand what was happening.
Delia Asia Vieira stood and listened, her eyes never leaving Jennings and Peter. All this time she had felt that her actions, her path, were only part of something much larger. But, as she now understood, it was clear that their meeting was not accidental.
"So what next?" she asked. "What do you plan to do with this knowledge?"
Peter looked up and looked into her eyes.
"We are still not sure that she, that girl, is the Antichrist himself. But if it is true, if she really is the embodiment of evil, then everything we have experienced, everything we have done, was for the sake of ultimately stopping her."
Jennings added:
"We tried to gather information, find out what she was doing, who was helping her, what forces were behind her movement. All this time we felt as if the world was swallowing us up, forcing us to accept a strange and cruel reality that we would have to face."
Delia Asia Vieira was silent, her thoughts spinning. What should she do? There was too much ambiguity, too much uncertainty. But one thing was clear: her meeting these people was not an accident. They were part of something much bigger.
"If you want to defeat the Antichrist," she said decisively, "then first we need to find out where she is. And how can I help with that?"
Jennings stepped forward and squeezed her hand tightly.
"We thought you were the one who could help us. You are close to it, you have been through a lot before, and your willpower and determination could be the key."
Peter looked at her and also came up, with concern in his eyes.
"We can do this together. But we need to be careful. It all depends on how we proceed. Do you agree?"
Delia Asia Vieira was silent for a long time, then nodded.
"I agree. But only if you are honest with me. Everything you are hiding, all your intentions - I need to know it."
They exchanged glances, and both finally nodded. They were ready to open up, ready to share what was in their hearts. This was not just an operation, not just a game with fate. This was a decisive confrontation with something that could change the world.
"Then let's begin," said Delia Asia Vieira. "Everything that awaits us, we will go through together."
Three figures walked down the street, hurrying toward the station. Delia Asia Vieira, Jennings, and Peter Reynolds. Their steps were confident, though the fog obscuring the horizons only added to the tension. They moved without words, but each of them sensed that their task was more than just escape. This was the first step on a new, far more dangerous journey.
As they approached the station building, Peter finally spoke, his voice quiet but determined.
"You know, I still can't believe she's... actually president." He glanced at Jennings and robotess. "A ten-year-old girl ruling the United States. It's just absurd.
Jennings, walking behind, frowned as if considering their every step.
"Absurd? Perhaps. But if she really is the daughter of what we were told, then this was all planned from the beginning." He glanced at Peter, then at robotess, as if trying to gauge how much they all understood the magnitude of what was coming.
"I still don't understand how she became president," Delia Asia Vieira said, finally breaking her silence. "Did she have some kind of patron? How can children even achieve such power?"
Peter shook his head, looking at his companion.
"Everything is very carefully planned, probably since her birth. The fact that she is the youngest only helps her cause - children are more suggestible and easier to manipulate."
Delia Asia Vieira looked at him with interest, but determination could be seen in her eyes.
"She is a child after all. But... if her influence is so great, then there must be someone behind her, someone who knows how to use her power."
Jennings suddenly stopped, taking them both by the shoulders.
"Stop. We can't waste time on theoretical talk now." He glanced at his watch, then at the couple on the other side of the station, which they were almost to. "We need to get to New York. We need to meet with those who can help us stop her.
Peter seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation and looked at robotess and replied:
"That's right. In New York, we'll find everything we need to fight her. We need to do it before she gets even stronger."
Delia Asia Vieira agreed. But something about her face suggested she was worried about more than just their mission.
"We have to be prepared for anything," she said, her voice firm but full of internal struggle. "We don't know who else is really standing with her."
Peter nodded, glancing towards the station where they would soon be boarding a train.
"You're right. We're not just fighting a ten-year-old girl, we're fighting the system that supports her. We can't afford to make a mistake."
And so, the three of them entered the station building. The noise of human bustle and the grinding of cart wheels created a continuous picture of everyday life. But for robotess, Jennings and Peter, this was not just a place. It was a place where they left this city behind to meet the unknown in a huge metropolis.
A few minutes later, they were already sitting on a train headed to New York. There weren't many people in the carriages, and only a few passengers sat next to each other, lost in their thoughts. However, for the trio, the train was more than just transportation - it became a symbol of transition.
"I still can't believe that there can be such games in the world," Peter said, looking around at the passengers. "I've been in similar situations myself, where I couldn't tell reality from theater."
Jennings chuckled, not taking his eyes off the open window.
"This is not a theater, Peter. This is a reality you cannot escape. Not everything can be controlled, but we can at least try."
Delia Asia Vieira sat, listening intently to their conversation. All this time, when they weren't talking, she was experiencing the same thought as before. Ten-year-old president of the United States. For so many years, her world had been tied to small mechanical parts, but now all these parts, her whole life, they were part of a huge game in which the stakes were much higher.
"We have no time to lose," she said, turning decisively to her companions. "We must act quickly. But to do that, we must know exactly who we are dealing with. Not just the girl. Not just the president.
Jennings frowned and turned to face her.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, she's not just a leader. I believe she has the power to destroy entire systems. And if that power is real, we need to figure out who created it and how to stop it from influencing people."
Peter sighed.
"We will do it. We are going to find everything we can. And if this girl is the real Antichrist, we must be prepared for what she will do."
"We'll stop her." Delia Asia Vieira looked out the train window, as if assessing the future dangers. "But only if we act together."
At this Jennings only nodded, and Peter took her hand.
"We are with you. And we will do everything to prevent this nightmare from becoming a reality."
There were few people in the carriage. Everything was quiet, only the creaking of the train wheels and the soft music from the speakers. Delia Asia Vieira sat opposite Peter Reynolds and Jennings, their faces illuminated by the dim light. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts, their conversations were rare and short, but important.
Suddenly the carriage door creaked open and an old man with long grey hair appeared in the aisle. He looked like he had stepped out of a painting of a wise old man, but there was a cunning look in his eyes, as if he was carrying a secret that no one should know about.
Delia Asia Vieira froze, her heart skipped a beat. An old man, dressed in a shabby cloak and wearing a straw hat, approached the empty seat and stopped, as if sensing her gaze.
"I'll go sit where I won't be disturbed," he said, seeing Delia Asia Vieira watching him closely.
Peter, in spite of all this strangeness, continued to sit, not paying attention to the fact that the old man looked somehow familiar. He only glanced at him and returned to his conversation with Jennings.
But Delia Asia Vieira couldn't stop thinking about him. It was Bugenhagen, the same old man who had cheated her and Gene York out of their money a few days ago. She felt an unpleasant chill run through her as the memory of that scam returned. It had all been so quick and easy. They had handed over the money and he had disappeared immediately, riding away on his bicycle as if nothing had happened. Honestly, she couldn't even believe that she had fallen for his trick. Her guilt had been so strong at the time that she had even blushed.
Delia Asia Vieira looked at the old man cautiously. His gaze was blank, as if he really didn't know her and this was all happening for the first time. He sat there with an expression as if he didn't remember their meeting. Her tension grew and her heart beat faster. He looked at her too. And although his face didn't show the slightest sign of recognition, she felt that there was a shadow hidden in his eyes, vague but clearly perceptible.
Peter didn't notice the change in her behavior. He just sat there and continued talking to Jennings about the upcoming plan. He didn't notice the robotess's awkwardness, or the way her face flushed slightly with shame. He simply glanced at the old man, but his expression remained the same as always - detached and indifferent. Apparently, Peter didn't connect this man with any events, unlike Delia Asia Vieira.
"What's wrong with you guys, is it so serious?" Jennings said with a smile, noticing the tension in the air. "We're not on a mission, remember. It's just a trip, nothing special."
But Delia Asia Vieira still couldn't relax. And even when the old man came and sat down a few seats away, she felt her awkwardness increasing with each passing second. Why did this moment cause such acute emotions? There was something unpleasant in his gaze, in his behavior, that she couldn't immediately explain. The old man acted as if he didn't know who she was, but Delia Asia Vieira had long been sure that her deception was part of his game. Everything was too easy, too fast.
After a while, when the train began to pick up speed again and the journey returned to its normal flow, Jennings leaned forward, saying quietly:
"Don't worry, this old man clearly didn't notice what happened between you. And even if he did, he has no time for us. You wouldn't believe how many people like that you come across in this life. Do you think he remembered us? I doubt it."
Peter, not noticing the tension, turned his gaze to Jennings and replied:
"Come on, man. He's not here to do us any harm. He's just a random passenger."
But Delia Asia Vieira couldn't just let these thoughts go. Her feelings kept flaring up, as if the old man was more than just a random fellow traveler. She decided that it was worth talking to him. Maybe then she would get this burden off her chest and feel better.
Gathering her strength, she stood up and walked towards him, trying to remain calm. When she got there, she stopped and spoke quietly:
"Excuse me, but... I can't help but ask. You... You don't know us? We've met before."
Bugenhagen looked up. His eyes were empty, but there was something in them, perhaps some memory of how he had deceived them. He smiled, but it was a strange smile.
"Oh, my child," he said, his voice hoarse but calm as ever. "You see, I'm old and I often forget. Sometimes the world seems empty to me, and people too.
Delia Asia Vieira felt her face become even more tense, but she did not back down.
"So it wasn't you who deceived us, huh? We thought that..."
"Oh, don't be afraid. I like to joke with people sometimes," the old man interrupted her. "But who remembers all the little things, right?"
Delia Asia Vieira stood there, feeling her own tension rising. Did he really not remember? But why did she feel that coldness in his eyes? Why couldn't she forget that day?