The Vampire's War

December, 2044

Doctor Aglia Quintessence was in awe. The pages of test results, the live trials, the long hours, the blood sample on the microscope in front of her… it all came together at once, like the lights had suddenly been thrown on for her.

She pressed a button to turn on the com into the glass room in front of her and said, “Regulus, get out here. This is amazing.”

A young man walked out of the glass room. He stood next to Aglia and consulted the computer screen next to the microscope with her, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes and frowning.

“What does all this mean?” he asked, squinting at the screen as if it would help.

“It means… hang on, I’d better show you,” she said, reaching for a UV light. Before Regulus could jump away from her, she grabbed his arm and turned on the light.

Regulus hissed, but when he looked down at his now glowing flesh, he was fine. “What?” he asked, examining his arm after Aglia let go of it. “How is this possible?”

“It’s the type X,” Aglia explained. “It’s what’s preventing you from burning.”

“How?”

“Well, look at these readings,” Aglia said, pointing to the screen. “These are all the blood types, including X. They’re the samples I pulled from the blood bank.”

“Yeah, they all look the same.”

“Exactly. But look at these readings,” she said enthusiastically, pulling up another chart on the screen. “These were all from fresh samples, not even fifteen minutes out of the donor’s bodies.”

Regulus’ eyes followed the chart, and saw that at the column representing type X, it was much, much higher than all the other blood types.

“Type X,” Aglia continued to explain, “specifically, fresh type X, adds protection to your skin against UV rays, meaning that after you drink it, you’ll have a few hours of being able to stand sunlight without burning.”

“And this is what we just tested? The type X?”

“Yes. That’s why I wanted to make sure,” she said, tapping the light she had set beside her with a thin finger. “Think about the potential here, Regulus. What if you, or any Vampire for that matter, drank this stuff once a week, or even daily?”

“We could solve the sunlight crisis,” Regulus finished for her, grinning. He pulled her up into a tight hug. “Aglia, you are the most brilliant Vampire ever.”

-

February, 2045

It was less than a month before Aglia had the paper containing her findings finished and it was published. At first, it was only published in a small medical journal, but the news spread faster than a saber wolf running full speed. Within two months, the headline of every news source in the world had something or other to do with Aglia’s discovery. The Vampire community was in a joyous uproar. The human community, however, was even more uncertain of the future than it had ever been since the bombings. What would these new findings mean for them, especially those with type X blood?

In fact, this was the question everyone was asking, blood-sucking and not. It was also the question Regulus had whispered to him as he sat in the college classroom, trying to pay attention to his law professor’s lecture.

“What do you think the Senators are going to do with the X Bloods?” Regulus’s classmate, Ares, whispered to him.

“Don’t know,” Regulus muttered, trying to concentrate.

“Now, as you all know, one of the perks of this class is the chance to go to the House of Senators and see politics in action. And as graduate students, I think it’s about time you did,” Professor Quinn was saying. “Tomorrow, we’re going to be taking a trip there, and luckily enough, that’s also the day that the Senators will be debating perhaps the most important issue of our time—what to do about type X blood. After you confirm your e-mail with me, you are dismissed. The information about tomorrow will be in your inboxes this evening.”

There was a shuffle as the class of fourteen got up and collected their things. Regulus checked his e-mail address (which was correct) and then left quickly, wanting to get to his apartment where he could think in peace.

-

The Senate building stood out drastically in New Washington. Since everything around them was white with snow, the enormous, black marble building was the easiest thing to see for miles around, even on such a dark and cloudy day like this. For as long as he could remember, Regulus had always been awestruck by the building. He admired the beauty and architecture of the building, and of the politics that went on inside it. He had forever longed to be inside it, to hear his fellow Vampires speak, and to have his own voice heard, all in the interest of bettering the world.

And now here he was, at the front of the class, following his professor up the slippery steps and through the grand doors. Excitement was bubbling inside him, but he kept a cool facade - he couldn't act like a child.

The class was greeted by a guard and they were lead down the hall and through a door. "They're just about to begin," Regulus caught the guard saying as he walked in. The room was an enormous, circular hall that had several levels of benches circling it. The class took seats in the back, and Regulus looked around swiftly, trying to get as many details of the room implanted in his memory for when he himself would get the chance to sit in it. Across the room in the bottom row, he saw two political giants sitting next to each other - Percival Quari, Head Senator of Servine, and Abraham Quartermain, leader of West Country. Regulus frowned slightly - why was Quartermain here? Shouldn't he be in his own office, signing papers or something?

"He's probably here because of the subject matter," Ares whispered to Regulus, who had noticed his friend's frown. "Quartermain, that is."

"I guess."

The meeting was called to session, the class was recognized, and then a Vampire with pitch black hair stood.

"On this day, on February the eighteenth of the year twenty thousand and forty five, we gather here to discuss the issue of the benefits of human blood type X and it's impact on the Vampiric community," he said, a slight drawl in his voice. "Here now are the findings of Doctor Aglia Quintessence." He pulled a sheet of paper out of a file in front of him and started reading.

"What I have discovered today will surely change the Vampiric and Homo sapien communities forever. In a test to discover the reason why type X blood is more appealing to the Vampire, I have found that this is because Homo vamperious is specifically attuned to drink it. For not only does it taste better to all Vampires, but fresh type X blood will protect the Vampire drinking it from UV rays for a yet undetermined amount of time. Drunk frequently, type X could potentially protect a Vampire from UV rays for days, even strengthening their overall resistance."

He put the paper down and said, “The floor recognizes Percival Quari of Servine,” before sitting down again.

Quari stood, smoothing back his light hair and coughing slightly. “My fellow Senators and politicians,” he began. “What a wonderful opportunity this is, that such a discovery has been made while some of the finest Vampiric minds lead our world. If this event had happened at any other time before now, I’m sure that chaos would have erupted.”

Regulus gave a slight snort. He knew exactly what Quari was doing, and he had to admit, he was rather good at it.

“For years now, we have kept these inferior beings who call themselves humans in their place. I’ll admit, I had my doubts of whether they could have any use beyond being food and our laborers.” Quiet laughter rippled through the hall, and Quari smirked. “But this is not true. Well, mostly not true. For now we were the true potential of humans, of the type X in particular. They can aid us in something that we ourselves could never accomplish. I myself am sick of having to hide from the sunlight, of having to walk around with an umbrella if I wish to leave my home in the day, of having to keep every window covered, preventing me from seeing the beauty of this white land.”

Regulus saw many Senators nod their heads in agreement.

“I propose a new bill,” Quari went on, setting a pale hand on the file before him, “that will ensure that all Vampires have access to the type X blood in it’s freshest state – straight from the vein. There will be a type X in every home, ensuring Vampires everywhere that they need not fear the sun anymore! We are the superior race! The humans had their chance, and they destroyed the world. If we are to keep the world in order, we need to be able to conduct our business at all hours of the day. Thank you.”

And with that, Quari started to sit back down as applause echoed the hall. But every clap on the hands in the hall was ringing in Regulus’ ears, ever cheer making his teeth grind, ever nod of approval making his vision a little redder. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and stood up and shouted, “This isn’t right!”

A hush fell over the hall as about an hundred pairs of eyes turned and looked at him. He saw is professor shaking his head slightly out of the corner of his eye, and Ares had a shocked expression on his face. Quari straightened back up. “And who might you be?” he asked, a coy smirk on his face. “A student, no doubt.”

“Regulus Luqualis, graduate student,” Regulus replied. “And what you’re proposing is wrong. Slavery is wrong.”

Another ripple of laughter. “If it’s so wrong, think about this – you wouldn’t be where you stand now if we hadn’t enslaved the humans,” Quari said, his eyes piercing Regulus even though he was across the room. “You either accept slavery, or chaos.”

“There has got to be another way,” Regulus argued.

“Mr. Luqualis, sit down,” hissed his professor.

Quari laughed. “Boy, don’t trouble yourself with the paradoxes of society.”

Regulus glanced around as he saw two guards coming towards him. “You’re going to cause a war!” he shouted, trying to get away from the guards, but they grabbed his arms and wrestled them behind his back.

“Remove him from the building, please,” Quari said, and Regulus was wrestled out of the room, through the hallway, and thrown down the steps. He caught a mouthful of snow as he rolled down the steps. He finally stopped in the street as the doors boomed shut, and he hacked up snow, saliva, and a little blood. He was pretty banged up, but nothing that wouldn’t be healed by tomorrow.

“Fucking Vampire politics,” he growled and kicked a large amount of snow before setting off for home.