V-Wars

PERSON #3: I’d sooner vote for the love child of Manson and the Son of Sam than I would the werewolf guy from the Bronx, I’ll tell you that for free.

PERSON #4: I’m kinda torn between VanDerMeer and Big Charlie. VanDerMeer because he actually knows how to get BLEEP done, Big Charlie because it would just be awesome to have a real-live werewolf in Congress!

PERSON #5: Well, you can probably guess from my white hair and claws that I’ve got I1V1. I’m actually a registered Republican, so I can’t vote in the Democratic primary — which is too bad, because I think it’s great that Big Charlie is trying to represent us in Congress. It’s about damn time, if you ask me.

PERSON #6: Solano, mostly because I wish I’d voted for him for D.A. last year. Jesus, the way Big Charlie’s been — it’s like he’s a totally different person! Did you hear him in the debate? I didn’t see it, but I read what people were saying about it afterward, and it’s like he wants to lead a revolution or something. Definitely Solano. Shoulda paid attention to him before.

"SPECIES GENOCIDE"

Jonathan Maberry

— 1 —

Congressional Subcommittee on the V Epidemic

Washington, DC

22 Days after the V-Event

“Let me get this straight,” said the senator from Michigan, “there are different kinds of vampires?”

Luther Swann cleared his throat and leaned toward the microphone. “Um, that is correct, sir. In theory, at least. Or, I guess I should say, ‘in legend.’ ”

His voice quavered a bit as he addressed the subcommittee. Swann had never visited the capital building before last week, and had never in his wildest dreams thought he’d be sitting at a table in front of a group of grim-faced senators. On TV those things always looked intimidating. In real life it was terrifying.

Almost as terrifying as what they were talking about.

“Please explain,” said the senator. Every eye in the room was on Swann.

“I’ve spent the last few days going over all of the evidence collected at the different crimes scenes, and reviewing the medical test data from the subjects who have been arrested. Two of them bear strong resemblance to Fayne, in terms of what they did and what they appear capable of doing. But even then, ‘strong’ resemblance isn’t the same thing as saying that they’re from the same species.”

“ ‘Species’?” echoed the senator.

“Yes, sir,” said Swann. “If we have to accept that vampires are real, then we have to be open to the possibility that there are several kinds.”

“Why?” demanded the senator from Georgia. “I thought all vampires are the same. Fangs and capes and all that.”

“All of ‘that,’ senator,” said Swann, “is nonsense. It’s the product of a century of Hollywood movies and two centuries of popular fiction. The version of the vampire we have in pop culture is in one way or another the by-product of Dracula, who was a fictional creation of Bram Stoker, and to a lesser degree Carmilla, created by Sheridan le Fanu, as well as the stage interpretations of Dracula and early silent films like Nosferatu. They took certain elements from European folklore and modified them for fiction. Every writer and screenwriter since has continued to tweak the model to suit their storytelling needs, and as a result there is virtually no resemblance — in either form or nature — between what you and everyone else view as a ‘vampire’ and the monsters of folklore. Vampires come in all shapes and sizes, from the stereo-typical pale-skinned reanimated corpse to fiery balls of light. Even the label ‘vampire’ is only commonly used because it’s become a recognizable term — like calling all photocopiers ‘Xerox machines’ or facial tissues ‘Kleenex.’ They’re radically different from country to country. Vampire legends are found among the earliest stories of the Assyrians, Hebrews, Romans and ancient Greeks and they don’t resemble Eastern European noblemen in opera cloaks or sparkly teenagers with absurd hair.”

A few of the senators smiled, but they were tight smiles.

“What are those differences?” asked the wizened old senator from Connecticut.

“I’ve written many books on —”

“Summarize for us,” said the senator. “Other than drinking blood, what do we know about them?”

“Actually, let’s start there. Vampirism isn’t limited to the blood-drinkers. In fact barely a third of folkloric vampires are hematophageous — or, blood-suckers. I mean, sure, the blood-drinkers are the most famous of this group, but many vampires attack humans in order to feed off life essence, breath, or sexual essence. A few feed on emotions, others on faith, fidelity, and even knowledge. And quite a few vampires are necrophageous — flesh eaters.”

“Good God,” said the senator and several others in the room echoed his words.

“Also, we know that Michael Fayne and some of the other recent, um, infected, demonstrated incredible strength and speed, which is consistent with vampire legends. What we don’t know is whether these infected will develop other powers, and specifically the powers and qualities of vampires from different countries.”

“What kind of different powers?” asked the senator from Georgia.

“That varies. There are legends of vampires who can affect the weather, causing mists and storms. The Romanian varcolaci was reported to be able to cause eclipses, though this would involve forceful re-arranging of the solar system and would probably result in the destruction of the earth … so we can pretty much discount that as one of the taller tall-tales.”

He looked around for more smiles, but no one was amused.

“Okay, let’s look at a random sample of vampires,” Swann said, ticking items off on his fingers. “The West African asanbosam grows iron teeth and iron hooks for feet so it can hang from trees and attack people. The tlahuelpuchi of the Mexican state of Tlaxcala separates itself from its legs and flies around as a carnivorous turkey who feeds only on the blood of infants. The Greek vrykolakas is a vampire who continually becomes more powerful as it feeds but which can only be killed on a Saturday. The jigarkhwar of India and the Russian eretica both possess lethal stares. Strangely, the asuang vampire of the Philippines is best defeated by engaging it in a staring contest and waiting until it backs down and slinks away. And, believe me, senators, I could go on and on. There are hundreds of species and thousands of variations. There are even vampires who, if they feed enough, become human again.”

The senators looked at each other and then each pair of eyes returned to focus on Swann.

“Most of that has to be nonsense, right?” asked the senator from Maine.

“Probably,” conceded Swann, “especially with the theriomorphs.”

“The what?”

“Vampires who can shape-shift. Many vampires are reputed to be able to change shape at will. Oddly, changing into bats is incredibly rare in vampire legend. However, the abchanchu from Bolivia assumes the form of an old man who pretends to be lost and helpless, and when some kindly stranger comes along to help the old duffer home, out come the fangs and the bloodlust. The adze of Togo can transform into a mosquito. But, I agree … we aren’t likely to see that. And even if these vampires could somehow change their physical shape, they would have to become something of equal mass. We may be stretching the boundaries of genetics here, but I don’t think we’ll actually dispense with the laws of physics.”

No one spoke.

“Very well,” said the senator from Georgia. “I guess the real question is … how do we kill them?”

— 2 —

Washington, DC

62 Days after the V Event

“What do you mean you won’t help?” growled General May. “This isn’t a favor we’re asking … this is an order direct from the President of the United goddamned States. This is your country at stake here …”

Swann wheeled on the general. He wanted to hit this man. He wanted to punch the imperious sneer off the man’s face and kick him down a flight of stairs; but he kept his balled fists down at his side. “Bullshit!” he snarled. “I agreed to help you by identifying the different species of vampires that are presenting during this crisis. I’ve done that, and I’m willing to continue doing that. But I will not help you slaughter every single person who —”

“They’re not people, damn it,” the general fired back. “They’re monsters.”

“They’re people with a disease!”

“They are murderers. They’re organizing out there.” The general pointed at the window. “You’ve read the reports. There are gangs of them now. Gangs.”

“Okay, so there are gangs. That’s bad, that sucks, but you’re acting as if they’re terrorist cells.”

“Yes, sir, that is exactly what we’re doing because, from where Istand, it’s the same damn thing.”

“It’s not the same thing from street level, general,” said Swann with real heat. “Maybe you should talk to people rather than fondle your guns all day long.”

“Now wait a fucking minute here —”

“No, you listen to me,” said Swann, getting right up in the general’s face. “We’ve had over three hundred new cases in the last month. Three hundred, and not even a tenth of the infected have killed people. That says something. That says that people are exerting control over this thing. Or, maybe it means that drive to hunt isn’t overwhelming in all cases. Most importantly, it shows that we don’t need to react with a blanket policy of kill ’em all and let God sort ’em out. That’s Neanderthal thinking. These are still American citizens. They have rights.”

“They have been deemed enemy combatants and threats to national security. This is from the Commander in Chief, professor, I’m not on the policy level. Nor, I believe, are you.”

Swann swung away from the general to keep from shoving the man through the window. Outside there were sirens and the air was filled with helicopters — news choppers and Army gunships. Down in the streets there was a rally. Thousands of people were down there, most of them storming the White House to protest the harsh treatment of the infected. Swann suspected that there were actual vampires seeded throughout the crowd. Maybe as rabble rousers or maybe as organizers of a protest to prevent greater harm. On both sides.