computer screen and was replaced by a picture of a stubby, delta wing craft on top of a large rocket. "The X-Craft," Nosferatu said. "A reusable, two-man, orbital vehicle. The launch platform is
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an Ariana 4 rocket. The X-Craft has thrusters for maneuvering in orbit, and it can land on any landing strip that can take a 747. One of my subsidiaries has been developing it for over twenty-five years. We've dropped it from altitude—
manned—and successfully landed it. The only thing we haven't done yet is launch one into orbit."
Tian Dao Lin frowned. "The Americans only destroyed the mothership a month ago."
Nosferatu smiled. "My original plan—before recent events—was eventually to have a manned mission go to Mars. The X-Craft was the first step to a second generation of craft built in orbit capable of reaching Mars, landing, and getting to Aspasia and the other Airlia in deep sleep there at Cydonia." His eyes shifted to Tian Dao Lin. "Along with a simultaneous expedition into Qian-Ling to reach and destroy Artad and his followers. I estimated that both missions would be possible in twenty years and we might be able to defeat the Airlia while they slept. Recent events have caused me to adjust my plans and my timetable, with the follow-on objective becoming the number one priority."
Tian Dao Lin chuckled. "That is why you had me pull strings to get Professor Che Lu permission to enter Qian-Ling when it had been forbidden for so long. I knew you had something long-range in mind."
"I have been planning for thousands of years," Nosferatu said. "But the technology was never sufficient. However, in the past fifty years or so human technology has advanced greatly. And the fortuitous events of the past year now allow us unprecedented opportunity with much less risk much sooner than I had anticipated."
"The Airlia who died on the Talons inside the mother-ship's cargo bay would have bled out into space," Adrik argued.
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"Most of their blood, yes," Nosferatu agreed. "However, I have had simulations and experiments done and they indicate there would be some residual blood left in the bodies. Not much, but if enough bodies were harvested, there would be a sufficient supply to make it worth gathering, especially as it would be pure."
"Even if we recover all this blood, pure and mixed," Adrik asked, "how will we be able to extract the Airlia virus, then purify our blood with it? How will we get rid of the human portion of our blood? And the human portion in the Ones Who Wait and the blood gathered by the SS and KGB?"
"The Americans have done us a favor in that regard," Nosferatu said. "They were delving into this very problem at the secret Majestic-12 lab in Dulce, New Mexico, where the former Nazi, General Hemstadt, was working after the war under the auspices of Operation Paperclip. One of his projects was perfecting a blood-purifying device, most likely on orders from Aspasia's Shadow and the Mission and under the cover of AIDS research.
"This machine removes all of a person's blood and replaces it with a freezing solution that cleanses the circulatory system completely. While this is happening, the body is chilled to keep it viable. Then the machine injects the new, already warmed blood and the body is brought back to normal temperature.
The entire process lasts only about three minutes. The subject's blood is replaced one hundred percent."
"Dulce was destroyed," Adrik noted.
"Recovery of the device will be my task," Nosferatu said flatly.
"And if we agree to help you and recover all this Airlia blood virus?" Adrik asked. "What do we do with it?"
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"I estimate that we will have enough to make four Undead immortals," Nosferatu said.
"You would give the fourth to Vampyr?" Adrik asked.
"No," Nosferatu said flatly.
"There are only four Undead still in existence," Adrik said.
"No," Nosferatu said, "there are five."
Adrik absorbed this startling bit of information with a sharp glance at Tian Dao
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