“This is the city?!” Kei spins around, taking in all the sights. She’s surrounded by billboards, flashing signs and crowds of people no matter where she turns. The cars appear far more advanced than any she’d ever seen in London, and some even hover off the ground like something from a sci-fi film.
Nadia laughs. “Quite the change from the rural countryside of the convent, huh?”
“Uh, yeah! It feels like I’ve stepped 100 years into the future! Even London isn’t so advanced!”
“London? Is that where you’re from?”
“Um...yeah, I guess.” She falls silent for a moment. She didn’t mean to say that so openly.
“Well, that doesn’t matter. I think you’ll find that no matter where you came from, you’ll never find a city quite like Vampire City.” Nadia diverts the conversation, catching on to the hesitation Kei displayed. It’s always the same whenever her past comes up in a conversation. Nadia has learned to accept it and not push further.
“Vampire City? Don’t tell me that’s the actual name.” Kei returns to her bright spirits. “That’s SO cliché. There’s not even an ounce of creativity in it. I’m almost disappointed.” She jokes.
“Well, sorry to tell you, but that’s the actual name. It has been for centuries now. The founders were proud of who they were and wanted to make it clear that this was our land. So, they ensured no one could question it. This is the first and largest settlement of Vampire Society. It’s special.”
“Did the founders come from a bigger nation, or has this always been their original origins?”
“Well, from what I recall from history class, it seems we started out as drifters, having no proper home. We’d wander around, feed in the villages we’d pass through and live our lives in the shadows. However, a vampire life is long, so we naturally couldn’t stay in a place for too long, or humans would notice we didn’t age. After several centuries of doing that, the settlers decided they wanted to have a place of their own. A place they could be free to be themselves without fear of persecution by the humans. Now here we are, bigger and stronger than ever. We’ve forged our own path into an industrialized nation, far surpassing the might of the humans.”
Kei can tell that Nadia is proud of her heritage and the accomplishments of her ancestors. “Was your father one of those founders? I mean, he’s like the ruler of this entire nation, isn’t he?”
“He runs things now, but he’s only done so for the last hundred years. Before him there were many other chancellors. None seem to last more than a hundred years or so, but he’s determined to last for as long as he can. He says he’ll be the first to rule for at least a thousand years. I doubt it, but who knows? I give him 500 before he gets over the hype and chooses to retire from it.”
“Have you been here since you moved to the convent?”
“Nope, but it hasn’t changed much from how I remember it. We’re very advanced here, far more than any human nation, so until we break into the space race, not much will change. Not as quickly anyway. I think we’ll need at least another thousand years to become interstellar.”
“Are there androids here? Do the cars drive themselves? Are all the restaurants run by AI?”
“The city isn’t quite that futuristic, Kei. I mean, we’re advanced technologically for sure. We have a lot of automated systems and complicated machinery to help us in industry and our daily lives. We have state-of-the art medical facilities and research labs. Our cars are self-driving, but still require remote control from the driver. Universities still employ living teachers; our textbooks are still printed, and leisure facilities still have living staff. Perhaps we’ll get there one day, but for now we’re a city like you’d find anywhere in overall function, we just do things with a bit more automation than most and certainly more pride. We don’t accept the mediocre.”
“Wow, that’s so cool!” Kei continues looking around excitedly at everything. Nadia isn’t used to seeing her so animated or happy. It looks really natural for the first time. “Wait, is it ok for me to stand around so casually?” She leans in closer to Nadia and whispers in her ear. “Won’t people be able to tell pretty easily I’m human? Lowell said that the other day. Is it true?”
“Oh absolutely, but it’s not a problem. Look, I know Lowell probably scared you before with all that serious talk, but honestly, humans aren’t as rare around here as you think. Typically, outsiders are not permitted to enter our territory uninvited, but there are exceptions. Humans that are required to live here for one reason or another. Maybe it’s work, maybe it’s family, or maybe it’s to study at the university, but they are welcome whatever the case. As long as those reasons are properly documented and they possess the proper visas, there’s no issue if they’re cautious.”
“Doesn’t that lead to a risk of vampires feeding on humans? How is that prevented? Isn’t that an issue? That’s why Lowell said we couldn’t stay at the dorm, right? What’s stopping them?”
“Like I said, Lowell was being a bit overly serious, but he’s right to a degree. It’s not so difficult to manage if you need to work with a human for a few hours each day or attend a class. Most of the humans run on a day schedule anyway, while Vampires obviously run at night, so they don’t interact for long periods of time. Not to mention, Hunters are always around to maintain order, so you couldn’t get away with anything easily anyway. However, prolonged exposure can be harder to handle for most vampires, and Hunters aren’t allowed on private property or residential areas unless it's an emergency. That means humans are unprotected during those times.”
“Are humans really so desirable for vampires? Is our blood really so enticing?”
“Do you not salivate at the sight of sweet buns?”
“What? Sweet buns are so good! I can’t help it if I love them.”
“Exactly. Blood is our primary food source and the tastiest treat. We of course sustain our hunger with normal food, but blood is still what we prefer most and any chance to have it is a pleasure. We don’t make it obvious by drinking from the tap of a human neck of course, but if you ever looked inside our glasses at dinnertime, you’d notice that it wasn’t wine we were drinking. We tried to be discreet for your sake, but it’s also a part of our daily life. You’ll find that things are not as discreet here, so be prepared for that.”
Kei falls silent, reflecting on her words. “So, have you ever desired to drink my blood?”
At last, Kei has asked the question that Nadia has always feared most.