A plate of delicious doughnuts sat in front of me. The cooks said they were sweet like cake. I can’t wait to bite into them. The cafeteria was still empty that morning. There was a food line growing, however. The news was on holo-display in the cafeteria. I looked around at the mostly empty tables. The breakfast line was filling quickly. Pretty soon there would be a crowd. The holo-display was set up against the wall that blocked the breakfast line partially from view. The news anchor was in a space suit standing on a ship with the debris of a space station floating in the background. There were still bodies floating in space. The news anchor reached out and caught a stuffed rabbit that was floating past.

"The federation attacked a medical station yesterday. Their brutal assault led to the deaths of innocent civilians, including children. Their motive is yet unknown." 

The news anchor held up the stuffed animal, its pink fur was covered with glitter. 

“A child probably owned this toy. Their last moments were probably spent in fear. I can comfortably say, I no longer support the federalists after what I’ve seen here today.”

The video transmission went out. The holo-display changed to a desk and a woman sat in a business suit, “I’m sorry it seems we’ve lost transmission from the site.”

People died because the federation wanted to kill me. I felt somewhat honored they'd take life to hunt me. I was a prime target which meant I had been a fierce predator. The loss of life was also sad but there was nothing I could do about it. The humans are prey even to each other. What was more interesting was the loss of faith in the federation. The newscaster no longer supports the federation. Did that mean more people agreed with the rebellion now? The holo-display focused on a panel of experts, "It's the year 2340 but you would think it's the 2000s with the violence of this attack. I'm not surprised there's protestors in the streets." A brown skinned man with short curly hair adjusted his suit.

"Forget the protests, there are people who are saying the rebellion has a point." A woman in a jumpsuit commented.

"I wouldn't even give them an ear. Rebels only have one destination and that's a prison cell." A man in a black jumpsuit said his fist raised.

 

Thoughts of prison cells brought me back to the massacre I committed on the Starburst. I stepped into the mess hall and killed every single person in the room. Snap, slurp. First, I terminated them with a quick snap of their neck or snapped their legs so they couldn’t move. Then I drank their blood. There was a man trembling on the floor, his leg snapped so all he could do was drag himself forward. He slowly pulled away from me as I approached him. 

“Please spare my life. I have children. My name is Robert Fullson. Please take pity on me.” I stepped over his neck and laughed. The prey was begging for its life as if it mattered. I wasn’t even hungry, but I bent down and put my fangs into his jugular to take a judicious sip of his blood. I drained him to death, his last sputtering breaths a whisper in my ear. I stepped on his skull to crush it just for fun. 

 I could hear the snapping and I found myself trembling at the memory. Trembling because the memory brought me joy, but it also brought the desire to kill. I blinked and saw members of my security team sitting at the table talking as if nothing had happened. I didn’t want to see the memories. Not anymore. Those lives meant nothing to me, but now I could pity those lives that were lost at the station. I had changed more than I thought. I shivered in recognition of my now softer nature. It made me want to feed from a live host to satiate the predator within me. Brandy showed up in the lunchroom with a cup of blood.

"Here you go Ela."

I grabbed the blood and gulped it down. The vampire DNA must have made me thirst for blood again. I stared at Brandy’s jugular for a bit too long. Brandy covered her neck with her hand. I immediately stopped staring. 

"I'm sorry I just miss the hunt and direct feeding." I knew what I just said might make her more uncomfortable, but it was the truth.

Brandy shifted in her seat, "You're a born predator. Perhaps we should have you target another ship and feed there?”

 I nodded my head. Truly I wanted to feed from Brandy in an intimate embrace. As my lover took pleasure from me, I would take sustenance from her. I didn't propose what I was thinking because I was afraid of rejection. 

"The attack on Dr. Faust's station made the news. It is not a good look for the federation, especially because lives were lost."

Brandy took a sip of her drink before responding. "We can use that against them."

I nodded and took another bite of my doughnuts. The dizziness I had been experiencing was diminished for that moment. Truthfully, I wasn't well enough to continue working but I kept working anyway. I had a shift to work that afternoon.

 Brandy grabbed my hand. "How are you doing?"

"Better than I was before." I didn't mention how I threw up this morning and there was blood in it.

"That's good, I'm glad. Why don't you let your doctor know how you're doing? We might not have to fix your DNA."

I coughed, "No I need help. I've been having problems still."

Brandy's eyes narrowed, "I knew you were hiding the truth from me." She rubbed her fingers on me in a caress. I nearly purred from the intimacy.

"I'm sorry it's my culture. It is bad to be seen as weak." I said. Brandy nodded. Our hands were still holding each other. I looked down at them and smiled. Brandy pulled away and my heart twinged with the loss. 

"You know you can hold onto me in any way for as long as you want." I looked into her eyes.

Brandy laughed, "I hope you don't mean a chokehold. That wouldn't end well." I laughed too.

Brandy and I smiled. We looked into each other's eyes and the world fell away. I found my dizziness returning and everything revolving around Brandy. I grabbed my forehead and looked down. 

"Ela are you okay?" Brandy put her hand on my arm.

"I'm just getting dizzy again."

"You should call out for your shift." I shook my head no, but Brandy wouldn't have it.

"You're getting bedrest if it's the last thing I do." She lifted me up from the chair and escorted me out of the cafeteria. The hallway lurched from side to side. My balance was off kilter. Leaning on Brandy was the only way to keep walking. When we made it back to my quarters Brandy laid me down in bed. My quarters were barren, no nick nacks sat on shelves. The only color in the room was my blood red sheets. A large window into space that took up the length of my room. I need some curtains.

"I'll call the captain to let her know you're still sick." I lifted my hand to stop her but found myself almost retching, so I laid back down and put my hand down.

Brandy was quick on the wrist com and expressed the need for me to finish my DNA editing procedure. Brandy said she would handle coordinating the appointment for me. She hung up and came to my bedside. She sat on my bed and moved my hair behind my ears.

"You're not alone anymore. I'm here to help you." She said while petting my hair. I smiled despite the crappy way I was feeling. "Thank you."

Brandy stretched out on my bed and put her arm around me. "I'll call out to take care of you today."

"But you're the chief of security." I said, concerned about her job.

" I have the PTO. After everything we’ve been through together, I want to be there for you." I cuddled into her feeling happy.

Brandy used her wrist com to call the captain. The captain argued that I wasn't family and Brandy said, "Well she's my partner. That makes her family." 

I blushed immediately and Brandy switched off the call when the captain authorized her leave.

"So, we're partners now?" I asked, my face turning red.

"Only if you want to. No pressure. I hope you say yes." Brandy was blushing too.

"Yes, a billion times, yes!"

"Good," Brandy kissed my lips softly. My fangs dropped in pleasure. I nipped at her lips gently. “I’m your family now?” I asked after planting another kiss on her lips.

Brandy cupped her hand around my cheek, my prominent cheekbone massaged by her thumb.

“Ela, you were there when I wanted to rescue my brother. You came when he needed physical therapy. You were there with me in that prison cell aboard the USJP. You’ve helped me without question and taken orders like a champ. I didn’t get that support from my birth family. They kicked me out of the house and called the cops on me. You wouldn’t begin to imagine how lonely I felt as the family black sheep. Even in the rebellion surrounded by people I was alone. That is until you came and reminded me what family should look like. Somewhere along the way we became an us and I value you as a member of my little family.” Brandy’s eyes welled with tears, while she talked, she was clearly fighting to hold them back, but they broke through. 

 

I put my hand over Brandy’s hand on my cheek, “I know what it’s like not to be connected with your birth family. I also know what isolation is. I massacred entire ships as the only apex predator and that became lonely. You brought warmth into my life and purpose. If it weren’t for you, I might never have learned to value life. I’m a better person because of you, I can never repay you for the heart that you have given me.”

Brandy answered my confession with a big kiss. The world was still spinning but the kisses were so good I didn't want to stop. Brandy pulled back, "You're not feeling well so I'll stop this here. I'll see if Dr. Faust survived the attack and try to schedule a DNA edit." She left the bed and I growled dissatisfied. Soon after my eyelids began drooping shut. I fell asleep.

 

Brandy put her hands on my shoulders and said, “Wake up, Ela. We need to talk.” My eyes drifted open.

“Good morning?” I had no idea what time it was.

“Honey it's 1700 hours.” I wiped my eyes and focused on Brandy.

"Dr. Faust said we need vampire DNA to finish your DNA edit. He said we would have to procure it ourselves as most doctors don't have very much vampire DNA on hand."

I sighed, "Well that's bad news but not surprising. Vampires don't part with their blood easily. This means I'll have to hunt my own kind. And I'm sick."

Brandy nodded, "I'll help you." I didn't want to put her in unnecessary danger.

"It would be better if I did it myself. I'll ask my mother if she is willing to part with her blood."

"You mean it's not guaranteed she'll donate?" Brandy looked perplexed.

"As I told you, vampires do not like to part with their blood. Also, we are independent once we reach adulthood. Asking a parent for help is a cultural faux pas." 

Brandy grabbed my hand and held it. "Well let's call your mother first."

"This kind of request calls for an in person visit…Be forewarned, my mother is evil and might try to kill you."