by P. T. Hylton
Alex stared at the screen, transfixed. She’d known all her life the vampires were people. Or, had been people. But to see one who’d been a citizen of New Haven, one who’d chosen to infect himself voluntarily for the greater good of humanity, it made the whole concept more real to her somehow.
“The Remnants didn’t know what would happen to vampires without human blood,” CB said, “so Frank was used as sort of a canary in the coal mine. Like in the old stories. They feed Frank animal blood, just like the vampires on Earth would have access to. The idea was if Frank eventually starved to death, they’d know it was safe to return to the surface.”
“But that didn’t happen.” Alex watched, fascinated as the vampire raised up on its haunches, head tilted as if it were listening to them.
“No, it did not. Truth is, we never learned all that much from old Frank here. He deteriorated over the years, becoming less human and more like an animal. He lost the ability to speak and his body slowly transformed into the state you see today. It’s tracked pretty well with the vampires we’ve seen on Earth. Trouble is, we don’t know if that’s from lack of human blood or just the natural aging process of a vampire.”
“So why not kill him? Put the poor bastard out of his misery.”
CB shook his head. “This man gave his life for us, and we’re going to learn as much as possible from his sacrifice. We still haven’t observed the entire vampire lifecycle. What will he look like one-hundred-fifty years from today? Will he eventually die of old age? If he does, that could be our cue to head back down. There are no human’s down there for the vampires to infect, and we know they can’t reproduce—”
“Do we?” Alex asked. “Do we know that for sure?”
CB thought for a moment. “Fair enough. We strongly believe they can’t reproduce. So, we wait for Frank to die.”
On the screen, Frank was settling back down. He raked one clawed hand across his elongated ear as if scratching it.
“You ever think maybe we shouldn’t just keep waiting, Captain?”
He looked at her, his eyes alive with surprise. “Don’t tell me you’re a Resettler, Goddard.”
“No, it’s just…the vampires in the Remnant’s day were smart. They were just people with enhanced senses, a hunger for blood, and a strong aversion to sunlight. It’s no wonder the Remnant couldn’t stand up to them. But now? They’re animals. I’ll take our brains versus their brawn anytime.”
CB’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You haven’t seen them at night.”
“So we don’t face them at night. They surprised us today, and you saw what we did to them. What if we led a series of carefully planned assaults during the daytime? Find a defensible area. Clear it out. Move some people in there and spend every day securing the surrounding area. I’m not saying we move everyone down there right away, but we could set up a small colony. It could work, CB.”
“The vampires would tear through the colony in hours, Alex. They wouldn’t last a single night.”
“You don’t know that.”
CB sighed. “That’s enough for now. Besides, it’s not our call. You think the City Council doesn’t want Resettlement? Of course, they do. When it’s safe, when there’s a way to make it work, they’ll move on it.”
“Seems to me the City Council has it pretty good now. Maybe they don’t want things to change. And maybe Frank’s not the only one in a cage.”
“Alex, I brought you here because I trust you. I brought you here because I need you focused. Like it or not, you’re a big part of the future of this team. Frank made the ultimate sacrifice for humanity because he knew it was important. What we do, what I’m asking you to do, is no less important. But I have to be able to trust that you’re not going to run off and do your own thing like you did this morning. That you’re going to follow orders. I need your commitment that you can do that. Do I have it?”
Frank sat back down on the floor of his box, its arms huddled around its shoulders.
“Yes, Captain,” Alex said. “You have my commitment.”
Chapter 10
Brian sat hunched over his microscope, staring into its magnified world. Even though it was five thirty in the morning, his eyes were already tired. Maybe it was more accurate to say his eyes were still tired. He’d worked so late the previous night that he hadn’t even had the energy to walk back to his quarters, and he’d crashed on the couch in the R&D department for a few hours before waking up and getting back to it.
He didn’t have the luxury of wasting time on sleep. He was too close. Every moment spent resting was another moment he wasn’t growing closer to his breakthrough.
He was so close. He’d almost keyed in on the correct wavelength, he was sure of it. After years of work, he was only days, maybe hours, from completing it. He needed to get as much time in as possible before his employees showed up and started asking him questions and distracting him with pleasantries. Because this was too important. If he got this right, it could change everything.
He punched a number into the keypad, making an incremental adjustment to the frequency of the light. He hit enter and…something happened. The specimen under his microscope sizzled, and, a moment later, burned.
With a shaky hand, he placed another specimen under the microscope and once again activated the light. When the second specimen reacted the same way, Brian let out a high-pitched sound, half gasp, half giggle. He couldn’t believe it.
He pushed himself to his feet, threw his hands in the air, and let out a whoop of joy.
***
Alex was the first one in the gym that morning.
She picked up a jump rope and began her warm up, but her mind kept returning to what she’d seen the previous night. All her life, there’d been a vampire aboard New Haven, and she hadn’t known it. What other secrets were the City Council and General Craig keeping from the citizens?
And then there was the matter of Resettlement. The more she thought about it, the more foolish it seemed to at least not try to reclaim the Earth. Wasn’t there an isolated mountaintop they could hold? An island? A remote location that had been sparsely populated before the outbreak? They could set up a new city in one of those locations and start the process of recolonizing the Earth. Maybe it would work and maybe it wouldn’t, but why not try?
CB had been trying to teach her dedication by showing her Frank, but what he’d taught her instead was that sometimes in extreme circumstances extreme measures were necessary. Frank had known that. Alex didn’t know what measures she’d be called on to take, but she vowed that when the opportunity arose, she’d be ready.
She was just starting to break a sweat when the gym door banged open and Brian stumbled in. Of all the people she expected to see in here, Brian was just about the least likely. He wasn’t exactly one for physical fitness. In fact, as he came in, he blinked hard and looked around, disoriented, as if he’d never seen this place. It wouldn’t have surprised Alex to learn he hadn’t.
Finally, his eyes settled on her and he smiled. “Ah, excellent, I was hoping you’d be here.”
“Morning, Brian. A little early, isn’t it?”
He blinked hard again. “Is it? I mean, yes, I suppose it is. Guess we’re just more dedicated than the rest of them, huh?”
He chuckled awkwardly and Alex managed a polite smile.
“Anyway, I need you to come with me.”
“Um, I’m a little busy here, man. This is kinda part of my job. Want me to stop by later?”
His smile didn’t waver as he shook his head. “You’re gonna have to trust me, Alex. You want to see this.”
***
The next day, Alex stood in the corner of the R&D lab, trying not to draw any attention. She still wasn’t entirely sure how she’d managed to score an invite to this demonstration. She supposed maybe it was because she’d been the one to bring news of the breakthrough to Captain Brickman and General Craig, a favor Brian had allowed her to help get her out of the do
ghouse. Or maybe Brian had insisted on her being here.
Either way, here she was, standing in the background while CB, General Craig, and Councilman Stearns waited for the R&D team’s demonstration. Brian stood in front of them, his hair a disheveled mess and dark circles under his eyes. The table next to him held a clipboard and a lantern. He was flanked by Sarah on one side and an assistant Alex didn’t know on the other.
Brian cleared his throat, somehow managing to make even that small action seem awkward. “Okay, well, thanks for coming, everyone. I’m Brian McElroy. But I guess you know that. Except you, Councilman…or did you know that? I’m sure you didn’t. You have to meet a lot of people. Why would you remember me?”
Alex subtly motioned for him to move it along. He responded with an easily noticeable nod.
“Right. Let’s get to it. Before I show you the device, I should preface it by saying it does still have its limitations. It’s currently only effective at a distance of five meters or less. We may be able to increase that range with time, but I’m not entirely convinced—”
“Get on with it, man,” General Craig growled.
“Right. For years we’ve struggled with the problem of vampires’ reaction to artificial light. We have lights that plants respond to in the same way as sunlight; however, when we tried those on vampires, the results were lackluster. The best we’ve managed to accomplish is momentarily stunning the vampires, and even that didn’t seem to work consistently. We were focusing on full-spectrum solar distribution levels, but not on the elements of non-visible light. I’ve been working on a theory that the proper levels of gamma, x-rays, inferred, micro, and ultraviolet waves are the key. It's not just the visible light that kills the vamps, but a proper recreation of all elements of the sun’s rays. Sarah, if you would?”
Sarah clicked a device in her hand and the lights dimmed. At the same moment an image was projected on the wall in front of them. It was a strangely shaped object that Alex couldn’t identify.
Brian cleared his throat again. “Okay, so this is a sample of muscle tissue from a vampire. It’s incredibly resilient, and heals quickly from any form of damage. Except, of course, sunlight. Watch what happens.”
A bright light shone on the lump of muscle. It quickly shriveled and, a moment later, caught fire.
“Brilliant,” CB said dryly. “Sunlight kills vampires.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m a little confused,” Councilman Stearns said. “What did you bring us here to see?”
A mischievous smile grew on Brian’s face. “Actually, sir. You just saw it. That wasn’t sunlight.”
He flipped on the lantern on the table next to him and light filled the room.
***
It was a long moment before anyone spoke. Alex understood. She’d been speechless too when Brian had demonstrated the light for her the day before.
Finally, Councilman Stearns said, “Just to make certain I understand, are you telling us you’ve developed an artificial light that can kill vampires?”
Brian’s head bobbed up and down in a frantic nod. “Obviously, we haven’t tested it on a live vampire, but it perfectly synthesizes the aspects of sunlight that damage vampires, so I’m confident it will work in the field.”
“Jesus!” CB said. He walked over and clapped Brian on the shoulder. “This is amazing!”
Even the general let out a delighted laugh. “Imagine arming our GMT with these.”
“Even better,” Brian said, “imagine setting these up on motion sensors. Any vampire gets within five meters? Zap!”
The group laughed, and Alex joined them. Her mind had been reeling with possibilities ever since she saw this thing. Suddenly, Resettlement wasn’t some distant dream. This light made it a real possibility. She imagined city walls lined with the lights, perpetually protected from vampires. She imagined what it would be like to see night, real night, for the first time. To see the stars. The nighttime moon!
Councilman Stearns spoke, interrupting her thoughts. “This is wonderful work, son. It’s going to save a lot of lives. But we have to be careful with this technology. People might get the wrong idea.”
Alex felt a chill, her joy suddenly dampened by what she knew they would say next.
“You think people will assume this means we’re ready for Resettlement?” General Craig asked.
“Perhaps.” The Councilman held his hand up to the light.
“With all the people coming in and out of this lab, we might not be able to keep it a secret.”
“If word gets out, it gets out,” the Councilman said, “we’ll just have to remind people that the future of humanity is at stake. We’re safe up here. Will we resettle someday? Perhaps. But that’s many years in the future. A light isn’t going to change all that.”
The group fawned over the light and discussed its possibilities for ten more minutes, but Alex had stopped listening. If the Council wasn’t going to respond to Brian discovering how to manufacture artificial sunlight, what would they respond to?
They’d never approve Resettlement. They liked running things up here too much. Something had to be done.
After CB, the general, and the Councilman had left, Alex grabbed Sarah’s arm and leaned in close. “You know that one last straw Fleming’s been waiting for? Tell him we’ve found it.”
Within a few days, the lights were public knowledge.
Chapter 11
“It’s about damn time,” Drew said. His mouth was full of eggs, but he never seemed to let a little thing like that stop him from speaking his mind.
They were having breakfast in Firefly’s quarters. The whole GMT was there except for CB, who was with the general. Depending on how things went with the vote, GMT leadership wanted to be ready for action.
“Of course you like it,” Owl said with a smile. “You’ve been going down to the surface for what, ten years? You’re a hard case. But imagine how the average New Haven citizen will react to seeing their first vampire. Even if it is over a wall or something.”
Drew shoveled in another mouthful of eggs before answering. “That’s why I want it to pass. Maybe they’ll finally appreciate us.”
It seemed everyone was in fine spirits this morning. There was an energy in the air that Alex couldn’t remember having felt before. It took her a while to identify it, but when she did, it was unmistakable: the possibility of change.
For her part, Alex was unusually quiet at breakfast. She’d played a part in making today happen, no matter how small.
The day after Brian’s demonstration of the light to Councilman Stearns, Fleming had publicly announced the invention, made his case for how it made Resettlement possible, and called for a popular vote to decide the matter. The idea had enough support that the rest of the City Council had been powerless to stop it.
Today, that popular vote would take place. Every adult in New Haven would vote electronically from the communicator stations in their living quarters and throughout the city. The results would be available in real time, which meant less than half an hour from now, life aboard New Haven could change forever.
The Ground Mission Team had gathered this morning to enjoy some of Firefly’s famous omelets and watch history unfold. The team was overwhelmingly in favor of Resettlement, with only Simmons voicing any dissent.
“Sure, they’d appreciate us,” Simmons said. “They’d come to appreciate the good old days aboard the ship, too.”
Owl punched him on the arm. “You telling me you seriously don’t want to be down there, fighting vamps full time? I thought you loved that stuff.”
“Just because it’s fun doesn’t mean it’s healthy long-term, you know?” He glanced at Alex. “All I’m saying is nobody knows what it’s like down there at night. Not even us. Not even Drew.”
“I know plenty!” Drew said, managing to send only a few small bits of egg shooting from his mouth across the table.
“We’ve heard CB say it a thousand times. Things are different at night. You want to ris
k the future of humanity?”
Firefly set down his fork and spoke for the first time. Normally at these gatherings, he stuck to cooking. He was quicker with a grenade than he was with words. “You ask me, you’re being a pussy, Simmons. Everything in our arsenal and you’re telling me we can’t keep one city safe?”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Simmons said. “Free rein to light the Earth on fire?”
A smile crossed Firefly’s face. “Wouldn’t you?”
Before Simmons could respond, the screen mounted in the corner turned on and Councilman Stearns’s face appeared.
“Here we go,” Alex said.
The Councilman was standing in front of a crowd gathered in the Hub, outside the City Council building. Voting stations were set up along the edges of the crowd. Many of them held homemade signs. One read “Earth belongs to the humans!” The sign next to it read “Keep our children safe in the sun!”
Alex quickly scanned the crowd, but she wasn’t able to determine if there were more signs supporting Resettlement or against it.
“Citizens of New Haven,” Councilman Stearns began. “Today we make a historic decision, one that will determine the future of the human race. Before we do, I’d like to present Councilman Fleming to make his case for Resettlement; then I will say a few words about why I, along with the majority of the Council, believe in staying aboard New Haven.”
Fleming took the podium, and the contrast between him and Stearns couldn’t have been more stark. While Stearns looked every inch the statesman, he also looked…well, old. The few strands of hair remaining on his head stood out against his scalp in bright white. His face showed the lines of every one of his nearly seventy years. Fleming, on the other hand, positively radiated youth and energy. His jet-black hair perfectly styled, and his wide smile revealed perfect teeth. He looked calm, confident, and strong, while Stearns’s demeanor revealed his displeasure at this morning’s vote.