In the morning I woke up with gravity pulling my body downward. I struggled to sit up. Getting used to being attached to the ground would take some time. Last night I was promised two cups of blood for this morning. I planned to collect my blood. The lock was still engaged on the cell. The barrier glowed orange. Again, I was behind bars, albeit I could walk freely amongst the general populace of the ship once I was let out. This was still a modified form of imprisonment and something I wanted to move beyond. All of these restrictions were imposed upon me because of the blood-filled rampages. Brandy arrived and disengaged the lock. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a neat bun, she was tall like an Amazon towering over the other security guards, and her chiseled muscular body exuded strength like an ancient Greek statue.

"Good morning, it's time to eat breakfast." A tray was brought out with two cups of blood, scrambled eggs and pancakes. I ate the food with mindless abandon. After eating paste for five years the ability to taste food and savor the textures of the food was on another level. I growled out, “thank you” for the food. It had been a long time since I had been served food by a person.

"Okay it's time to begin our operation." Brandy handed me a wrist com with the specks I needed for access to the ship. A robe that would hide my face was also given to me.

“Let’s discuss the strategy for the attack.” Brandy went over some basic options for how to disable the ship. I absorbed the information and hoped things would go according to plan. I was led off the ship and onto a space station. My wrist com was scanned before I could proceed into the free market.

I was nearly overwhelmed by the colors, moving people, and sounds of haggling. I covered my ears at first assaulted by the volume of yelling voices. The smell of sweat permeated the air and made my nose itch. The market was composed of vendors from throughout the galaxy that sold various wares. People could eat, drink, and shop for rare items in the free market. The space was outside the jurisdiction of the federal market so even black-market wares could be found if a person knew where to look. I licked my lips at the thought of snapping their necks. Sinking my fangs into the neck of a vendor who sold food would be an amusing way to start my welcome to the marketplace. No, I must control myself. I made a deal not to kill anyone with my gods and a deal with Brandy not to rampage unless told to.

Brandy pulled my hood lower over my face and said, "You need to find your way from here. Your wrist com can show you how to get to the USJP from here. Remember, you are going to incapacitate the USJP so they can’t join their allies." With that I was left alone in a loud and bustling crowd. After years of isolation, I almost couldn't think in the cramped market. I took a deep breath and then another. I activated my wrist com navigation to lead me to the USJP.

The USJP was a large ship big enough to store several ships in its hull. I would have a project ahead of me incapacitating the enemy. I promised my gods I wouldn't kill anyone. This would make my work even harder. I slipped onto the ship with my fake credentials. My first target was security.

 

Brandy sat in the conference room of The Lancet tapping her fingers on the table. The call was finally picked up.

"Captain Wendel." Brandy bowed her head briefly

"Chief of Security, Brandy." Captain Wendel nodded.

"Captain, our crew has invited Ela the vampire onto our ship per your recommendation. She so far hasn't hurt a member of our crew. Ela is on mission as we speak."

"That's right, the USJP. Tell me how that goes." The captain had her hands folded on the view screen.

"Will do, captain. Are you meeting with the fleet?" Brandy picked up her glass of water and drank.

"The Starburst is in position to join the fleet.” Captain Wendel leaned back and steepled her fingers. “If Ela is able to incapacitate the USJP that will help nicely with the battle.”

 

On edge, dragged down by the gravity that pulled on legs used to floating. I took a breath exhilarated as I saw the immense size of the USJP. The warship could fit many of the ships docked at the space station inside its hull. I used my fake credentials to get into the airlock leading to the ship. There were guards stationed at the entrance. A beeping sound went off as I entered. My intention was to sneak aboard and make it to the main dais where the AI operated out of. If I could change the environment controls to emit more CO2 effectively giving the crew hypoxia eventually knocking them out. Then I planned to destroy the dais so no further commands could be issued. 

“Hold up,” A guard said, lifting his hand. I stopped and several other guards ran up to us. They scanned my wrist com again and a beeping sound issued forth from the equipment.

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to ask for your ID. Do you have a chip implant or a card perhaps?”

“No, I’m sorry.” I said before striking the security guard in the neck. He fell back and the other security guards came forward with guns at the ready. I ducked before they shot and kicked out at their legs knocking them to the floor. They were knocked unconscious. For the first time in five years, I pierced the neck of prey and drank blood. The heady rush brought me full joy. I smiled as I stepped onto the ship.

 

I ran through the second floor of the ship. My speed past human levels I was quickly able to strike those who headed towards me. Instead of snapping necks I was knocking people out by hitting them in the head. Breaking legs and arms so they’d have trouble coming after me. Admittedly the run was harder because people who maintained consciousness could warn their comrades of my coming. So far, I had to break several guns and use evasive maneuvers so as not to get captured. The rush that came with knocking each person out was not lost on me. I even took the opportunity to drink blood here and there, which gave me the power to keep rampaging. I had been directed to take down the ship, which meant I had to take out the senior officers. How I was going to do that without killing them came to me when a combatant tried to use handcuffs on me. Cuffs would do nicely. I just needed to confiscate enough to hamper the bridge. I could also attack life support.

 

I ran through the mess hall and flipped off a table to avoid a shot from a crew member. Security rushed over and I hit them in the back of the head neatly. Both officers sank to the floor, I snagged their cuffs and added them to my belt. Next target would be the bridge. I took the stairs rather than taking the elevator to go up to the bridge. Ordinary crew members were running and screaming as I approached. The warmth their fear brought me was priceless. I tripped some runners down the stairs and snapped the legs of a couple. Their screams were like symphonies to my ears. Maybe I could kill just one? No, I promised the gods. I don’t want to go back to that isolation cube in space. Never again. When I entered the bridge, the captain immediately fired a shot at me which I dodged with my vampiric speed. The other bridge officers fanned out to approach me. I dodged another gunshot and flipped through the air hitting two officers in the back of the neck. They fell to the ground. The remaining officers pulled out their guns and began shooting at me. I jumped out of the way, then jumped again. I hit the officers closest to me to disarm them. Then I grabbed one and brought them up in front of me. 

“Dare to hit me now.” I hissed. The officers lowered their weapons. I threw my hostage into the surrounding officers and jumped for the closest ones. I disarmed them with a quick maneuver and knocked them out. I held one up in front of me so the remaining officers didn’t shoot me.

“What is it that you want?” The captain said, approaching the circle of officers.

“I want to bring this ship to an inoperable status.” I put cuffs on the crew member I was holding and took out the next pair. I threw the crew member at the captain then handcuffed the nearest crew member to me. I put the cuffed crew member in front of me as a human shield.

“Why do you want to take down this ship?” The captain asked as I confiscated a gun and set it to stun. I shot the closest officers and they fell to the ground.

“I have my reasons. Now come here.”

“I don’t think so, “The captain said, edging towards the door to the stairs. I aimed my gun at her and shot. She collapsed to the ground. I jumped over to her body and handcuffed her too. There were two officers left still standing, I lifted the captain in front of me daring them to shoot. Their guns lowered again.

“Toss your guns to me.” I said, growling.

They tossed their guns. I shot them immediately after they fell to the ground. I took what cuffs I had left and handcuffed them to each other with their hands behind their backs. They wouldn’t be able to move very easily. I addressed the captain, “Surrender your ship to me and I promise I won’t kill anyone on board.”

The captain strained against her cuffs, “Absolutely not.”

I grabbed a body from the floor and put my fangs to its neck.

“I can suck this man dry. In fact, I can suck the entire crew dry. Give me control of the ship captain.” The captain’s silence was answered with the sound of my tongue lapping the blood from the crew member’s neck. I drank until a pallor came over the crew member and dropped the stiff body. It looked like he was dead. The captain gasped.

For theatrics I took another crew member and broke his legs before drinking his blood. The captain closed her eyes, “Enough. I’ll surrender.”

“Computer please transfer leadership under code alpha foxtrot niner echo to-”

“Ela,” I said.

And the captain continued, “Ela.”

To make my job complete I approached the dais where the captain communicated with the ship and ordered the ship processes and shifted the life support so more carbon dioxide was released into the air effectively knocking out the entire ship. Then I shot the dais, so it became inoperable. A red light glowed on the bridge and a beeping sound started.

I took that as my cue to go. I left the USJP quickly taking down whoever made their way to me on the way out. I removed my cloak and folded it up so I wouldn’t have blood stains showing publicly. Now I had a choice. I could go back to the ship and deal with Brandy and my semi-imprisonment, or I could run and invade another ship. Perhaps even seek out a new life. I began changing my trajectory to get away on a new ship. Unfortunately, I had no fake ID so surviving on my own was out of the question. I would be unable to secure passage for myself without ID. Rampaging more would only lead me back to imprisonment. If I returned to my dealings with Brandy and that ship, I could at the very least have a place to stay that offered food and free blood. I hurried through the market and used my wrist com to get back to the ship that freed me. I had no interest in being caught and sent back to my prison in space. 

 

When I made it back Brandy was there to greet me. “Were you successful Ela?”

“Yes, I cuffed the bridge officers and knocked out the captain. The captain gave me control of the ship. I messed with life support so that carbon dioxide levels would be higher effectively knocking out the crew. I also destroyed the dais that controls the ship’s functions.”

“Good,” Brandy signaled to one of her security guards, “here have some blood as a reward for your hard work.”

A glass was passed to me, and I drank it down quickly. “May I ask the name of this ship?”

“This ship is named The Lancet. Welcome officially to our crew.”

“Thank you,” Now I would be a part of a crew. Who thought it was possible?

“Can I get my own sleeping quarters?” I asked not wanting to be imprisoned overnight.

“We’re sorry, but we have to trust you first. Keep showing your dedication to our mission and you might just obtain that freedom.” Brandy led me to the ship’s mess hall. “Let’s get something to eat.” As we walked to the mess hall, I could see our ship leaving the space station. The Lancet wasn’t followed or stopped. It was as if the ship had nothing to do with the USJP. We got into the line at the cafeteria and picked up trays. The food selection was decent including some vegetarian options. I skipped the greens and went straight for the meat. The security detail was hovering around me. Some of them chose to get food while others simply remained next to me. Brandy got herself some food. We all went to a nearby empty table. There were people staring at us. I presume the crew had heard about me. I wondered if any would dare approach me. 

“So how many did you kill aboard the USJP?” Brandy asked before she scooped a spoonful of rice on her plate.

“None,” I said before spearing a glob of pork with my fork. Brandy and the security detail went silent and froze in their places.

“What do you mean none?” Brandy asked her mouth agape.

“I mean I didn’t kill one person aboard the USJP. I merely knocked them out or handcuffed them.” I speared another bit of pork and took a bite.

Brandy shook her head, “But, you were supposed to incapacitate them. You were supposed to ensure they couldn’t leave the station.”

I ate another bite of pork then answered, “I made a promise to my gods before I was rescued by your ship that I would not kill anyone else. I intend to keep that promise. Besides, the captain and officers were handcuffed. They’ll have a hard time getting anything done.

Brandy took a bite of her fish, “You seriously think they can’t solve anything without their hands. Every ship has an AI that can respond to voice. Did you think about that?”

I calmly took another bite of pork and responded with all my patience, “That’s why I destroyed the dais.” Brandy continued eating in silence. The security detail looked at each other but said nothing. For a while I ate amidst the calm, knowing any moment Brandy was going to crack with the news. I wasn’t told to kill anyone. They can’t assume anything about me.

“Well,” Brandy said, “it’s a good thing you destroyed the dais. I’m glad that you have made a vow not to kill anyone. It’s a demonstration of how you have changed for the better. I can’t say I’m overjoyed that you won’t kill anyone, but we can manage our objective by doing things your way. You just have to focus on destroying the tech on any ship you board to make them inoperable. In the end it’s more final than killing anyone because no one else on the ship can operate it if they survive.”

I nodded my head in response, relieved that I wouldn’t be forced to kill anyone else. But also disappointed because killing was something I once enjoyed very much.

Brandy stood up and called everyone in the mess hall to attention. “Everyone, Ela, our newest ally here and we took down the USJP! We are going to take the USJP from under the federal army.”

People were cheering at the announcement. Some even came up to me and patted me on the back. I didn’t much care for the personal contact of people hitting me on the back. However, it did feel nice to have people screaming for me in excitement rather than fear. They were lucky I had my agreement with Brandy not to harm them. I seriously didn’t want anyone touching me.