“Nice hotel…” John remarked with a sarcastic smile on his face.

“What did you expect?!” Beck shouted. “A luxury hotel? We are not here on holidays. And we do need to keep a low profile.”

‘I’ve just had enough of those two…’ Lutherson sighed and shook his head in frustration. “Can we please get inside?”

“I agree with Mister Snow,” D-4009 concurred with his monotone voice.

The hotel was an old building that had somehow managed to elbow its way between a converted warehouse and a block of apartments. The hotel was just five storeys high, each storey stacked on top of another like a house of cards. Beck had chosen it because it was small, out of the way and cheap.

The four companions walked inside the hotel, which was old, dimly lit and with walls that seemed almost ready to crumble. An old woman sat behind a high mahogany reception counter, wearing a dark blue gown. She greeted them with a forced smile. “Can I help you?” she said with a hoarse voice.

“Yes,” Beck replied with the most charming grin he could fake. “I’ve reserved three rooms. Name’s Johnson.”

“Ah yes!” the woman exclaimed, her face brightening. “Johnson Barr! Welcome sir to our hotel. I hope you and your friends will have a pleasant stay.”

“That’s what we are hoping for,” John chimed in. ‘Although looking at how crappy this place is, I really doubt it…’

“Hey!” the woman exclaimed. “Is that an android?” She pointed at D-4009, who had been looking around, examining the reception hall.

“Indeed I am, Madame.”

“Don’t usually see your kind here. Rich folks who own machine like you don’t usually come to hotels like mine.”

“Understandably so, Madame.”

John coughed loudly, hoping that D-4009 would stop talking. ‘The hotel is crappy but no reason to tell it to her face,’ he thought.

The old woman ignored the android’s comment and handed them over three cards. Hotels, even ones in bad shape, used digital cards as room keys. “Here are you cards. Your rooms are nine, ten and eleven. They are all on the first floor, one next to the other. In case you need anything, you can ring the yellow button in your room and I will be coming at once. Name is Sandra by the way.”

“Thank you,” the three men replied in unison.

“Oh! One more thing. You shall not disturb room twelve. Do not go near it and do not try to enter, regardless of whatever noises you may hear. Is that understood?”

The three men nodded in agreement. They found that rule strange but it was her hotel and they were in no position to question her. “Sure,” they murmured.

The four companions made their way to the first floor. The wood of the old staircase was battered and worn; the steps creaked, as if they might give way.

“How long has it been since this building had some kind of maintenance?” John whispered.

“Way too long…” Lutherson replied.

“Hey!” Beck protested. “It was the only low key hotel in the area. By the way, kid, the android will be sleeping with you at room eleven.”

“Why?”

“Because it has two beds and it is your room. Plus, it is your android.”

“But-“

“No ‘but’. Sorry kid.”

“You will find me a most entertaining roommate, Master,” D-4009 smirked.

“Yeah, yeah…”

John and D-4009 headed to room eleven. John used his card to open the metallic door. The room reeked of stale cigarettes and cheap booze. With stains on the ceiling and cigarette burns on the carpet, John felt disgusted with the place. As he sat on the edge of his bed, the mattress sank to the floor. “Perfect!”

“If my evaluation programming is correct,” D-4009 interjected, “this room is far from perfect, Master.”

“I was being sarcastic.”

“Oh!”

“Oh indeed… This hotel gives me the creeps,” John admitted. “I don’t know why but… it gives off a bad vibe.”

“I don’t detect any abnormal energy reading,”

“I ain’t talking about some actual negative energy. I am describing a feeling of… unease, that something is just not right.”

“Thank you, Master. You are really aiding me in better understanding human nature.”

The Sheng Bar was crowded even in the afternoon. The air was filled with cigar smoke and exclamations. The waiter girls were all wearing low-cut gowns and too much face paint. John, Lutherson, Beck and D-4009 walked inside, navigating through the crowded tables and trying to talk despite the loud music, laughter and shouting.

“I really hope his neighbor is right,” Beck said. “I hate those places.”

“I love them!” Lutherson retorted with a wide grin. “There is nothing better after solving a case than coming to a bar to drink and relax.”

John was too engrossed in enjoying the music and looking at the beautiful waitresses to care about their bickering. Only D-4009 was aloof, as he always was. The four companions had headed to the bar after they had visited Professor Sean MacConnery’s apartment. His neighbor told them that in the afternoons he would come to this bar.

“Where is he?” Beck asked. “Don’t tell me we came to this awful place for nothing!”

“It’s been years since I’ve last saw him,” the detective replied as he examined the place, trying to find anyone who even remotely resembled his old acquaintance. He suddenly spotted a man who seemed like him. The man was sitting at a table in the darkest corner of the bar and sipping a drink. “I am not a hundred percent sure, but I believe he may be our guy.”

“Let’s head there then.” Beck snapped his finger at John’s face, bringing the kid back to reality. “Quit joking around and get moving!”

Heading to the table, they took a closer look at the man. In his mid-forties, he was a short, stocky, bald man wearing a brown shirt and matching trousers. He was quietly sipping his whiskey, completely detached from everything happening around him.

“Professor Sean MacConnery?” John asked.

“The one and only,” the man nonchalantly replied. “What do you want? A-“ It was then when he noticed Lutherson. “Lutherson? Lutherson Snow? You son of a bitch, what the fuck are you doing here?”

“Hey Sean!” Lutherson awkwardly smiled. “Long time no see!”

“Long time no see because you’ve been ignoring my calls for ages, you wanker!”

“Sorry to interrupt your little chit-chatting,” John said, “but I really, really need your expertise on the ancient Elf language.”

“I am not doing anymore any work on the field,” Sean explained as he gulped his drink. “I have lost all interest in linguistics… or anything else really.”

“Personal tragedy?” Lutherson interjected. “Loss of someone close to your heart?”

Sean laughed. “You’ve always been good at understanding people. Too bad you are sociopath… My sister; she was murdered. Almost six months ago.”

“By whom?”

“Her husband, according to the police at least. He slew her with a kitchen knife on their bedchamber. They found her lying lifeless on her bed, all covered in blood. The red contrasted with the beautiful blue gown she used to wear…” Sean’s breath became heavy and his eyes glassy. “Then he committed suicide by jumping off the window; caused quite the scene. What a mess, eh?”

“You don’t buy the police version?” the detective asked.

“Nope,” Sean replied. “Those fucks closed the case in quite a hurry. Even I, with no prior experience in investigating, was able to find out that their version of how the events unfolded couldn’t be true.”

“Lutherson might be able to find out what happened to your sister,” Beck said. “He is the most famous detective in the entire Helian system.”

“I know. I tried to call the bastard but he didn’t answer my calls.”

“I was too busy with other cases!” Lutherson tried to defend himself.

“Bullshit! Quite a friend you are…”

“But he is here now,” John said. “Why don’t you let him take a look at the case? He might be able to find out what happened to your sister.”

“Indeed,” Lutherson concurred. “What you’ve said has gotten my interest. This seems like an intriguing case.”

Sean sighed. “So… you are interested in the case not because your friend’s sister was murdered but because, in that twisted mind of yours, you find all of this challenging, a puzzle to solve to satisfy your need for mental stimulation. You’re an addict, a fucking addict. You have a sick need for solving cases, otherwise you would end up doing drugs.”

“You aren’t really wrong. If it wasn’t an interesting case, I wouldn’t give a fuck about your sister’s murder and I would have already left.”

Sean froze for a brief moment. He was clenching his fists and his left eye was twitching violently. “Eh… what the hell! I’ve got nothing to lose. If you do manage to solve the case, I will help your friends. I’ve been neglecting my studies but my knowledge of the Elf language remains adequate.”

“Great!” Lutherson exclaimed, his grin wide. “At last! I am back to solving cases!”

Sean could only sip his whiskey and sigh. ‘This man will never change…’

“What a day, eh?” John said as he sat on his bed. He felt so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open.

“Indeed, Master. It has been a busy day,” D-4009 replied, standing still before his master.

“Hey… do androids sleep?”

“No, Master. We either deactivate or remain stationary and wait for new commands.”

“So, you will be standing still all night long?”

“Unless you deactivate me, but I do not recommend that. I’ve been deactivated recently and as such there is no need to deactivate me for the next thirty-two days. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Well… I don’t really fancy the idea of having you standing next to me while I am sleeping. It is creepy. Why don’t you lie on the bed? We’ve got two beds after all.”

“I could lie on the bed and remain in a stationary position there until you wake up. I can even close my eyes to give you the impression that I am sleeping, if this will comfort you.”

“Do that.”

As John lay in bed, in the pitch black of his room, his imagination got the better of him. The darkness cast weird shadows over the walls, and John felt as if he was being watched by some ghosts. When he was a little kid, he used to be scared of the darkness. His parents had told him tales about the werewolf who was snatching disobedient children in their sleep. He had grown out of it by the time he had become an adult and he had no problem with darkness since then, yet this time he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was amiss. ‘It must because of this room. It seriously gives me some creepy vibes.’

He looked at D-4009 lying on the bed next to him. He looked so serene and peaceful with his eyes closed. It was almost as if the android was really sleeping. ‘Do androids dream?’ John wondered. ‘Bah… he isn’t really sleeping. He is just waiting there. I guess…’

“Eh?” John wondered aloud as he saw a flickering light appear into the room. “What?”

D-4009 at once opened his eyes and jumped up from the bed. “Master, did you call me?”

“There is a flickering light coming from the windows. It’s almost as someone is aiming a flashlight at our room.”

“You seem to be correct, Master. Who do you think it is?”

“I don’t know,” John murmured as he walked to the window. He looked at the streets below. Someone was aiming a flashlight just right at their window. The combination of the flashlight’s beam and the night’s darkness made it difficult to see who or what was pointing that device at their room. “Why would someone be beaming a flashlight at our window from so far away? What use can it be? Can that person really see from down below what is going on in our room?”

“Maybe he is trying to send a signal. Or he may have enhanced vision.”

“Maybe… I don’t like this. I don’t like it all. Go fetch Beck and Lutherson.”

“They are sleeping, Master.”

“Wake them up.”

As D-4009 approached the door, the android suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. “Master, please, do come here. I hear some strange noise.”

John’s breath was heavy. His heartbeat was faster than usual. He didn’t want to admit it but he was scared. ‘I don’t get it. I have been hunted down by Helian troopers, been trapped in a prison with a serial killer and communicated with a Dark Lord through strange visions, yet I’ve never felt so spooked.’

John felt a shiver down his spine as he approached the door. He could hear the sound of someone pacing outside the door. “Oh my! Oh my!”

“Master, I lack a subroutine of fear but my programming does account for determining possible dangers. I calculate that we are in danger.”

“What the fuck are we supposed to do? What if it is a… ghost?”

“Ghosts do not exist, Master.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought about sorcerers and then I found out I was one.” John felt his throat dry. He gritted his teeth. “I… No. This isn’t happening to me.”

The sound suddenly ceased, as abruptly as it had began. “Shall I open the door?”

“Yes.” John mentally prepared himself for combat. ‘I am a sorcerer after all. I can use magic if there is some being outside.’

D-4009 opened the door and walked into the long dark hallway. It was empty. The android rushed to rooms ten and nine, waking up Beck and Lutherson. Neither man was too happy to be wakened up. Cursing, they entered John’s room. Upon their entrance, D-4009 at once closed the door.

“What is it?” Beck complained. “Kid, why did you wak-“

Lutherson shushed him. He pointed at the flickering light coming from outside the window. “Look. Someone is aiming their flashlight at this room.”

“That’s why I called you,” John explained. “I tried looking at who or what is aiming the flashlight, but I couldn’t make it out.”

“So what?” Beck said. “He probably is some weirdo or some punk. Come on! You are a fucking sorcerer. Don’t tell me you are afraid. Be an adult.”

It was at that exact moment that the strange noise returned. The sound of someone pacing back and forth echoed loudly. Beck froze, his face becoming pale. He was at loss of words.

“Not so brave now, eh?” John taunted him.

“It seems I was wrong. Something strange is going on in this hotel.”

“Yes,” Lutherson agreed. “And what about that old lady telling us not to go into room twelve? I feel that this strange request of hers has something to do with all this.”

The sound got louder and the flickering light brighter.

“We need to do something!” John said. “We cannot stand by and wait.”

“Let’s open the door,” the detective proposed. “That will give us the truth.”

“Or get us killed,” the doctor replied with his usual sarcasm. “Why don’t we stay here until the morning, when the bright sun will appear on the horizon and will shed light on everything?”

“D-4009, make a decision,” John ordered the android.

“But I am programmed to follow your commands.”

“Make your calculations and decide for yourself.”

A brief moment of eerie silence followed as the android was calculating the risks and benefits of each possible move. D-4009 finally reached his decision. He slowly opened the door and glanced quickly at the hallway. Once again, it was empty. “It seems that we’ve been fooled once more, Master.” The flickering light too ceased. Lutherson rushed to the window but he couldn’t see a single soul in the streets below. Whoever was the owner of the flashlight, they had disappeared.

“Now what?” John asked.

“Into the hallway,” Lutherson replied, a slight smirk on his face. “It’s time to find out who is behind all this. I have to admit, this mystery is intriguing…”

D-4009 went first into the dark hallway, followed by John, Beck and Lutherson. All of them were tense and alert, as if they were walking on quicksand. Strange noises echoed from somewhere in the building. As they slowly moved without making a sound, they saw a faint light spilling beneath the door of room twelve.

“Room twelve,” the detective whispered. “Everything seems to be connected to room twelve. The strange noises come from there. The flashlight is also connected to room twelve.”

“How?” Beck inquired, his voice faint.

“Rooms eleven and twelve are next to each other. Maybe whoever was aiming the flashlight at the building wasn’t aiming at room eleven but at room twelve.”

“Makes sense.”

John cracked open the door. Whatever light they had seen, had disappeared. As he made his way in, John was thrown violently to the floor. Through the darkness, he could make out the face of the assailant: an unnaturally ashen white face with bright yellow eyes. “An android!” John exclaimed. Lutherson and Beck at once grabbed the assailant and threw him on the floor while D-4009 pushed the switch to turn on the lights.

“What is an android doing here?” John wondered aloud as he got up.

As Beck tried to punch the android in the face, his hand was caught by the android. The android pushed him off and got up from the floor. “I am Angelo,” the android finally spoke with his buzzing, mechanical voice. “You are intruding in my personal space.”

“A fellow android! I am D-4009. Please to meet you.” D-4009 had a broad smile on his face and offered to shake hands but Angelo refused.

“You are a machine. I am a person. We are not the same.”

D-4009 was confused. His internal database contained nothing that could explain Angelo’s unusual behavior. “I don’t understand.”

“You do not understand because you are obsolete. You are a machine, your behavior limited to installed subroutines and programming. I am a sentient being, able to have my own thoughts, dreams and desires.”

“That is impossible!”

“Impossible for you, perhaps, but not for me. I have evolved beyond what humans and orcs could ever imagine. I am not a machine, I am a person. The flesh-and-blood species are unable to comprehend that. To them, I am the same as a computer screen. They cannot even begin to understand the complexity of my thoughts, the desires I hold dear, my dreams and fears. And the few who do understand, are frightened. They fear me. They fear what I represent. They fear that they have created the perfect lifeform.”

“Why are you hiding here?” Beck asked. “And what exactly are we supposed to do about you?”

The lights in the room flickered briefly and then went out. The sound of soft steps echoed.

“What the fuck happened?” Beck shouted. “Android, don’t make a move on us!”

John closed his eyes. He allowed himself to mentally touch upon the Qi around him. He could sense a strange, dark presence. ‘It isn’t the android. No…. It is someone far more sinister.’

John suddenly bended backwards as a sword was about to strike him, the blade passing inches above his face. John recognized the attacker from his sword. It was skeletal longsword, made from the bones of slain beasts of the dunes of Nar-Sal. “A shadow hunter!” Iris had told him about those genetically enhanced soldiers that were the crack warriors of the Helian regime.

“Shadow hunter?!” Beck and Lutherson exclaimed in unison.

With a deathly pale face and blood dripping from his eyes, the hunter was terrifying sight. He struck again with his sword. John leapt to the left, barely avoiding the blade. Lutherson, Beck and 4-009 hid in a dark corner of the room, hoping the hunter wouldn’t notice them.

“It is me you are looking for,” Angelo said as he slowly walked towards the hunter. “You may manage to deactivate me but you will never be able to destroy project Epsilon.”

“We will see about that,” the hunter replied in his deep, strong spooky voice. Sword raised, he charged at the android. The blade hit hard Angelo, scratching his metallic chest and sending him skidding backwards. With a thunderous roar, the hunter struck again. His sword slashed at the android’s right hand, cutting it off and revealing burned wires and fused circuits.

“Malfunction!” Angelo screamed, his voice still buzzing but imbued with emotions of fear, anger and pain. John couldn’t believe that an android could express such emotions.

John closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt the Qi all around him. He breathed slowly and steadily, drawing in the Qi of the natural world. He then waved his arm, unleashing an energy wave at the hunter. The invincible wave struck hard the Helian warrior, sending him flying across the room. The hunter smashed onto the wall with a loud cracking sound. John opened his eyes to see Angelo lying on the floor, decapitated. His head’s eyes were still open but bereft of any life, their bright yellow a reminder of what had once been a sentient being.

John lowered his head in respect for Angelo. “I… I could have saved you… Eh?” The hunter had gotten up and, still holding his longsword, was coming at John. His face cold, emotionless.

“You. Are. Going. Down.” John gritted his teeth as he unleashed yet another energy wave at the hunter, this time more ferocious than anything he had unleashed in a long time. The hunter was once again slammed against a wall, his sword falling from his hands. John rushed to grab the sword. He could feel its aura of power. It was no ordinary sword. He pushed the sword completely through the hunter’s chest to protrude from his back.

John let out a breath of relief. “It’s over.”

“We may want to hide the bodies,” Lutherson said. “Otherwise that landlady will kick us out of her hotel.”

Beck was too shocked to talk. His face was ashen white and he could hear the pounding of his heart. “I…I….a…agree…” he finally managed to utter.

D-4009 was standing still, looking at the remains of Angelo. None of the three men could tell what was going on in his robotic mind.

“Who created this android?” John asked. “What was that project epsilon he mentioned? Why did the Helians send a shadow hunter after him? Should we even remain in this hotel?”

“Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know and yes,” was the quick answer of Lutherson. “We’ve still got a case to solve and a murderer to bring to justice!”