They Called Him a Vampire

Emil and his accomplices intercept Lukas at the railway crossing. Before they beat him, a swift shadow appears through pulverized snow, disabling them with an inaudible sonic blast and bewildering force. Lukas cannot see clearly or understand how the rescuer did it. The figure flees, leaving a broken ceramic filter.

Lukas follows mechanical footprints to Korpkall and communicates with the recluse through a dim technical airlock. The resident refuses to identify himself or admit involvement in the rescue, but lets Lukas repair components from behind the screen.

Through insulated panels, Lukas and the recluse synchronize the exoskeleton and geothermal calibrator. Lukas proves his technical loyalty. The recluse shares fragments of the 1989 file without disclosing his civil identity or the rescue’s secret.

Emil’s gang discovers Lukas’s visits and concludes that the mad recluse shelters him. They plan to burn Korpkall’s workshop during a winter lunar eclipse and sabotage the geothermal relays to distract firefighters.

During a violent blizzard, Lukas and his hooded protector coordinate at the plant. Lukas repairs the superheated-steam containment duct with borrowed tools while the shadowy figure uses the bioacoustic projector to stop Emil and his followers before its batteries fail.

After the plant is saved and Emil arrested, the recluse reveals himself to Lukas as Dr. Magnus Crane. He demonstrates the bioacoustic emitter and kinetic harness used at the railway, and they establish a sincere, lasting friendship.