[The video opens on what appears to be some sort of villa. More specifically, an open-air balcony of same; given what little can be seen in the background it's probably somewhere equatorial, and on a body of water, although natural or man-made is a little less clear. Helen, Tesla, and a younger man are sitting around a table; Tesla has a laptop in front of him and is eyeing it with some irritation.
That same irritation is audible in his voice too, when he speaks up.]
I don't get it. I adhered to all the protocols. Have a look for yourself.
[Without even missing a beat, Tesla turns the laptop around so that Helen can see; she barely even looks at the screen before she answers.]
And yet the incubation period was drastically truncated.
[A young woman walks into view then, carrying a tray of drinks - presumably she's associated with the villa (or whatever the building houses), but none of the others pay her any mind. Although the conversation does stop momentarily; when the woman leaves, it's the young man who speaks up, with a slight roll of his eyes.]
Instant vampires.
[Instead of directly commenting, Tesla picks up from Helen's last comment.]
So maybe there's some sort of environmental variable I didn't take into account.
[He still doesn't sound entirely pleased either, and he barely even glances at the young man once he speaks up.]
What, like weather, or diet, lifestyle?
Death. [Helen interjects, and this Tesla listens to, echoing the comment back at her with a look of mild confusion.]
Death?
Death would be the last thing that an immortal would think of. [Helen clarifies, and it's clear that she's not entirely pleased. Tesla, on the other hand, looks very nearly taken aback by the realization; the expression persists as he speaks up, although bit by bit one can see the wheels starting to turn.]
This first kid died in a car accident.
[The young man nods in response, adding in his own two cents.]
And then showed up two days later, alive.
Chad Spencer.
[Helen is the one to offer the name, enunciation perfectly crisp, and still carrying tones of disapproval. Tesla, of course, doesn't seem to bat so much as an eye at either.]
Yes, I remember him. [Tesla answers instead] Alpha-male type.
[This, however, doesn't seem to be enough for Helen, who prompts him further.]
If a human, having undergone your treatment, dies...
[Her voice trails off there, and Tesla picks up almost immediately thereafter.]
...the vampire gene would kick in. It was programmed to survive at all costs.
[Which is, if not exactly what Helen had been looking for, at least not entirely beyond what she might have expected - halfway through Tesla's explanation, she offers an 'I thought so' sort of smile that turns into an eye roll the longer he speaks. She doesn't speak up immediately thereafter though: the young man does instead, as if he's trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle, while Tesla pulls the laptop back around to him with a look of frustration.]
Okay, so Chad comes back to life and starts rounding up the other patients.
And killing them, [Helen continues, as if in confirmation] thereby triggering their vampire genetics.
[Tesla slams the laptop closed at that, rising to his feet.]
The little bastard. [That much is offered quietly. The rest is not, voice rising as he stalks over to the rail of the balcony.] This was supposed to be my party! Nobody hijacks Nikola Tesla!
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forgetting death was a thing (sleepers)
4:50-5:44
cw: mentions of death, allusions to morally dubious experimentation
That same irritation is audible in his voice too, when he speaks up.]
I don't get it. I adhered to all the protocols. Have a look for yourself.
[Without even missing a beat, Tesla turns the laptop around so that Helen can see; she barely even looks at the screen before she answers.]
And yet the incubation period was drastically truncated.
[A young woman walks into view then, carrying a tray of drinks - presumably she's associated with the villa (or whatever the building houses), but none of the others pay her any mind. Although the conversation does stop momentarily; when the woman leaves, it's the young man who speaks up, with a slight roll of his eyes.]
Instant vampires.
[Instead of directly commenting, Tesla picks up from Helen's last comment.]
So maybe there's some sort of environmental variable I didn't take into account.
[He still doesn't sound entirely pleased either, and he barely even glances at the young man once he speaks up.]
What, like weather, or diet, lifestyle?
Death. [Helen interjects, and this Tesla listens to, echoing the comment back at her with a look of mild confusion.]
Death?
Death would be the last thing that an immortal would think of. [Helen clarifies, and it's clear that she's not entirely pleased. Tesla, on the other hand, looks very nearly taken aback by the realization; the expression persists as he speaks up, although bit by bit one can see the wheels starting to turn.]
This first kid died in a car accident.
[The young man nods in response, adding in his own two cents.]
And then showed up two days later, alive.
Chad Spencer.
[Helen is the one to offer the name, enunciation perfectly crisp, and still carrying tones of disapproval. Tesla, of course, doesn't seem to bat so much as an eye at either.]
Yes, I remember him. [Tesla answers instead] Alpha-male type.
[This, however, doesn't seem to be enough for Helen, who prompts him further.]
If a human, having undergone your treatment, dies...
[Her voice trails off there, and Tesla picks up almost immediately thereafter.]
...the vampire gene would kick in. It was programmed to survive at all costs.
[Which is, if not exactly what Helen had been looking for, at least not entirely beyond what she might have expected - halfway through Tesla's explanation, she offers an 'I thought so' sort of smile that turns into an eye roll the longer he speaks. She doesn't speak up immediately thereafter though: the young man does instead, as if he's trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle, while Tesla pulls the laptop back around to him with a look of frustration.]
Okay, so Chad comes back to life and starts rounding up the other patients.
And killing them, [Helen continues, as if in confirmation] thereby triggering their vampire genetics.
[Tesla slams the laptop closed at that, rising to his feet.]
The little bastard. [That much is offered quietly. The rest is not, voice rising as he stalks over to the rail of the balcony.] This was supposed to be my party! Nobody hijacks Nikola Tesla!
((video link: 4:51-5:44))