Paper Trail

Paper Trail
Author	Nicholas_Lucien
Date	29 May 2022
Where posted	AO3
Rating/Warning	PG13
Genres	drama, futurefic
Format	short story
Archive Location

Story Recap

A vampire cannot leave identifiable proof of their existence in the mortal world - that is the Code. When the Code is violated, the Enforcers come.

Notes

Written in the 2022 FK Fic Fest to the prompt, "hidden witness". Released from the queue on 6 June 2021. Length: 4427 words (three chapters).

Takes place after "Last Knight".

Quotes

With one arm, Matīss accepted the completed paperwork while handing out a thick, sealed manilla folder with his other hand.

Calixtus shook his head, sidestepping to avoid the work while heading for the door. “I am finished for the night.”

“The courier just dropped off this package and the note with it. This is a pressing matter, sir,” Matīss insisted.

Comments

Shorter Comments

• "Your story was an enthralling read, when the body cams were mentioned I thought that must be the way Nick was going to be exposed. Loved the twist! " — excerpted from comment by TheFruitBat on AO3

• "This is a very intriguing exposé of the frailties of vampire secrecy in the modern era. As you point out, bodycams today (like the reporter's camera of canon) represent the least of it, being obvious, and hence prone to mysterious breakage. It is the ability to correlate data without vampires knowing that poses the real risk. You can't counter what you don't know has happened. [...] Actually, the Enforcers are stymied. Two hundred years of isolation may delete Nick from human and computer memory; but I suspect the truth will be out long before then!" — comment by greerwatson on AO3

• "I enjoyed this glimpse into the Enforcer's work flow very much. Excellent point to make an issue out of Nick's video testimonials, which we know he did regularly in order to avoid having to appear in court during the day. [...] On Nick's part it doesn't seem very clever of him to remain in the same profession on the same continent when switching IDs." — excerpted from comment by PJ1228 on AO3

• "You set this in 2016 which is definitely a point where body cams and stationary surveillance cameras were definitely becoming the norm, particularly in a high crime rate city such as Detroit. Unfortunately for Nick, I think the era in which he could function as a police officer has passed." — excerpted from comment by Calliope24 on AO3

Longer Comment

I enjoy your cleverness here! You've recognized this growing peril and built it out, structured not only with a red herring, but with a turn back on itself when we discover that these vampire bureaucrats are as in the wrong for what they didn't do as Nick is for what he didn't know. I particularly appreciate that this is set in 2016, early enough that the videos could readily indeed be still only on the devices (not in the cloud).

Wiktionary tells me that "Euog" is Welsh for "guilty." :-) I appreciate that, also.

With canon on the Enforcers being only one full episode plus one line in another episode, the door is wide open to constructions of all kinds. This construction suits your story very well with balance and parallels. I enjoy that this Nick is still working to protect people, to -- presumably -- use his skills and experience in penance for all he's done. I shudder for him at the sentence to Lacroix's custody. Yes, indeed, Nick would usually prefer Lacroix to death, cf. "Last Act," and yet "Last Knight"... such pain!

— excerpted from comment by brightknightie on AO3