VAMPIRE ELITE (CUENTO EN INGLES)

  

 

Vampire Elite

By

Victor Paez

 

 

PART ONE: THE ENTRANCE

 

On a small extension of arid land, a ray of sunlight fell, opening the sky clouded by a thick layer of pollution that several decades ago was created in the atmosphere causing the planetary temperature to rise to the limit that allows life. It is the year 2072, more than half of the human race has disappeared due to a climate crisis that has been devastating, and deepened by an elite that never heeded the warnings of scientists, did not give it importance and began to see how little by little began to end much of the planet's resources. As an emergency measure to face the problem, year after year, that elite orders to kill groups of people that they consider, do not contribute anything to humanity, which, for them, are the people of lower resources; those people cannot access all the technological advances that humanity has achieved, they can only try to sell their products in the market to get enough money for the collection, if they do not manage to get it, they are taken to die.

              In the middle of that piece of land where the sky has cleared and that ray of sunshine is falling, there is JESSICA STRONG, a young woman of no more than 20 years old, with white skin and black hair, very intelligent, fearless, brave, who is desperately trying to make a strange device she has on the floor work, a device she made with different pieces of metal, according to her, According to her, this device would serve to regenerate the earth, to make it fertile again and it could also help the crops to bear fruit faster than normal, in an era in which water and food resources, such as fruits and vegetables, are increasingly scarce, her device could give humanity a chance and also her entrance to the fortress of the elite, since she would demonstrate a high intellect. 

              JESSICA has a family that adores her, her dad, mom, brother and grandmother, and a small group of friends, being so focused on her gadget, has caused her to become a loner. The place where JESSICA is is part of the backyard of her small house, she had been there for hours without any result, it was already starting to get dark when her mom ESTHER arrived:

- ESTHER: Daughter, it's about time for dinner, come on in the house.

- JESSICA: I'm coming, mom. 

           After a while, JESSICA entered the house, left her device on the floor and sat down at the table, there was her father ARTHUR, her brother JOE and her grandmother LORAINE. 

- ARTHUR: You're getting more and more obsessed with that device, why don't you put it aside at least for a few days?

- JOE: She thinks that junk could be her ticket to the elite. Understand JESSICA that that world is not for us, that device is not going to work for you because here in the periphery the technology doesn't exist for a device like that to work, that such an opportunity that they give is a lie, understand that.

- JESSICA: You may have given up a long time ago, but I haven't, I will continue to fight for this family.

- JOE: You want to help this family? Come with us to the market tomorrow and help us sell our products so we won't be the next victims, that's all we can do.

- LORAINE: That's enough you two, the last thing this family needs is arguments.

- ARTHUR: Daughter, your brother is right, the fundraiser is next week, if we don't manage to get what we need, we will be the next victims.

- ESTHER: Maybe tonight's festival will be the last chance we have to share as a family, put your device aside for at least one night.

- JESSICA: You are right, I have stopped paying enough attention to the family, but I am not a conformist like you, I know we can have a better life, and if there is the slightest possibility of achieving it, I am going to take it.

- JOE: I don't think we can get beyond next week if you don't help us tomorrow, we need you, so that you can continue trying to achieve what you want, first we have to solve the urgent, those crazy ideas that your friends from that community you are in put you in, are just fiction.

            JESSICA looked at her brother and his family in silence, she saw that they were right and did not want to continue creating discord, they finished their dinner and after a while they all went out to the street to the festival.

            There was a lot of commotion, several people drinking beer, other people dancing to the music that came from a musical group that played it live with rustic instruments, there were fireworks, and there was JESSICA with her family, enjoying a moment of relaxation.

            Suddenly, five young people of the same age as JESSICA approach her, two women and three men, LIZ, MARIAN, HECTOR, MALCOM and JOSHUA.

- LIZ: Nothing you can do to make your device work? 

- JESSICA: Are you like my family too?

- LIZ: Well at this point I'm starting to think you're right, that device may not work and there are other more pressing matters now.

- JESSICA: You guys instilled that fighting spirit in me, don't tell me you've already given up?

- HECTOR: I discovered that much of what the rebellion says, is nothing more than utopia, if after 30 years, someone had found a way to confront the elite, they would have done it by now, don't you think? 

- JESSICA: Think what you want. There is a way in, I'm close, and even if it's a long shot, I'll keep trying to take it.

- MARIAN: You alone won't be able to fight those people, not even if you manage to get in there, but if one of us makes it, it's already a big win.

           JESSICA gives MARIAN a hug, they all start jumping and dancing and get lost in the middle of the crowd.

           The next morning JESSICA and her family went to their Sunday stall in the market, after a couple of hours they had not managed to sell much, just some vegetables, it was really starting to be worrying for the family, JESSICA went to walk around the market for a while, there were others who also sold vegetables, others fruits, others soups, others were selling some rare items, suddenly JESSICA saw how a soldier left in the rare items store an electronic bracelet from his armor, which seemed not to work, luckily for her, the seller of that store left for a few minutes and she took the opportunity to grab the bracelet and put it quickly in a pocket of his coat.

               JESSICA went back to her store, and it was getting time to leave, she managed to sell a few more vegetables, and after a while, her family put up the store and left. They arrived at the house without saying a single word, their concern was enormous, they knew that they had not been able to collect the whole amount for the collection, the die was cast and unless a miracle happened, they knew that their destiny was death; with that in mind, they decided to enjoy their last two nights, trying to have the best possible harmony.

              JESSICA disassembled the bracelet, took out the battery and some circuits and introduced them in her earth regenerator device, she tried to turn it on and it worked, she couldn't get excited even though she couldn't scream, she ran to the back room, put it on the floor, she saw how the electricity generated a steam and that steam made two small maticas grow, JESSICA's mom saw lights in the back and came out to see what was happening, she approached JESSICA and hugged her.

- JESSICA: Don't say anything mom

- ESTHER: Why don't you want me to say anything? This is our salvation

- JESSICA: I want to surprise them on the day of the fundraiser.

             The day of the collection arrived, some people dressed in dark blue suits arrived along with soldiers, the trucks in which they arrived did not have tires but a flotation system, they put people from several houses on that truck, they arrived at JESSICA and her family who gave all their money, but it was not enough, then it was their turn to get on the truck, one of the collectors asked for JESSICA.

- COLLECTOR: And your daughter?

- JESSICA: Here I am

- COLLECTOR: Oh yes, the one with the land regenerator that doesn't work, I've lost count of how many attempts she's had.

- JESSICA: But today it will work.

              JESSICA tried to turn on her device, but it didn't work, the collector grabbed it and threw it on the floor and made JESSICA get on the truck, at that moment, the device ignited, raised dust, generated a steam and two small bushes.

- RECUADADOR: One moment, release them.

JESSICA and her family got off the truck, JESSICA's father approached the collector.

- ARTHUR: Thank you very much sir

- COLLECTOR: Don't thank me, thank your daughter, thank your daughter.

The collector approached JESSICA

- COLLECTOR: You have ten minutes to get your things ready and say goodbye to your family, once you have done that, you get into the blue vehicle in the back.

             JESSICA got her things ready, dressed better than usual, went out to the living room, mom, dad and grandma hugged her and cried with her, the brother also hugged her.

- JOE: Sorry for not believing 

- ARTHUR: Thank you daughter, but don't forget that what is coming is not for us, it's for you.

- ESTHER: Show them, daughter.

- LORAINE: You are our great pride

            JESSICA left the house with many mixed feelings, she was happy to have achieved what she had always wanted, and at the same time she was sad to go far away and leave her family and friends, who by the way were waiting for her outside to give her a goodbye hug.

            JESSICA said goodbye to everyone and got into the blue vehicle, it was a more luxurious vehicle than the trucks, with windows and even a glass roof and comfortable seats. JESSICA sat down and looked out the window to say goodbye to her family once again, she had a smile that meant a victory for her, after all she had managed to get in and she was finally going to be able to know what this elite that they had always conjectured about was really like.

 

PART 2: TO THE BOTTOM

 

              JESSICA the most she knew of the big city was the entrance, which is where the street market is located, only up to there, they could enter, the rest was up to her imagination. She was completely amazed to see a city so clean, orderly, where all its inhabitants dressed elegantly in tailored suits, they have a bracelet or virtual reality glasses, which are their means to communicate, they have one or the other depending on their economic capacity, there are big screens in some avenues, on those screens the great leader eventually appears, the city is illuminated at night with neon lights.

             JESSICA could not see much of the city because they took her straight to the tower of the high school that is inside the complex where the royal palace is. It is an enclosed place with high walls, heavily guarded, no one can enter or leave without being authorized, the access gate is large and heavy.

            The school tower is a large place, JESSICA was not going to be able to go through it all as soon as she arrived. There at the entrance the school director was waiting for her, a woman between 50 and 60 years old, with her hair up and combed, dressed in an elegant way with a suit that had the logo of the school and the elite, she had dark glasses and a wide-brimmed hat, she received her with a greeting that, although it was not affectionate, it was not parsimonious, it was acceptable within the normal.

-  PRINCIPAL: Welcome, the school presents its warmest greetings.

-  JESSICA: Thank you very much, I am very happy to be here.

- PRICNIPAL: Save your emotions for another time, you have just arrived.

           Next to the principal was a young woman dressed in a suit with the same logo as the principal.

-  PRINCIPAL: You, help her with her things and take her to her room.

           The young woman helped JESSICA with her suitcase and guided her to the side where the rooms were, JESSICA, being new, was given a room on the second floor, the companion explained some things to her while they were on their way to the room, which was at the end of the corridor.

-  ACCOMPANYING PERSON: My name is SUSAN, I, like you, am a student at the school, but I am at a more advanced level, so we will not share all classes. All the facilities of the school are at your disposal, except in the evenings after dinner time. We are allowed to go out to visit the city for two hours during the day, you choose the hours, but you have to be back at dinner time, otherwise you will receive a punishment, we are also forbidden to enter the royal palace, only the headmistress can. In your room you will find your school dresses, which you must start wearing immediately, and there is also an intercom for you to talk to your family by video call, they were provided with another one. You were accepted into the school with the idea that you learn how to perfect your creation, while receiving an intellectual education and physical training, follow the rules, if you break them, your punishment apart from your expulsion, could even be death.

             SUSAN asked JESSICA to put her left thumb on the door's identifier, when she did that the door opened moving to the left side, JESSICA entered, SUSAN smiled and left. The room was small but cozy, it had a bed which came out of a wall and was floating, in the window a curtain was lowered and a projection appeared, but it was necessary to press a button on the keyboard which was on the table. When the projection was turned on, an image of the principal appeared, which said:

-  IMAGE: Greetings JESSICA, welcome to the school. In the closet you will find your school outfits, put one on and come down in 15 minutes to the main auditorium, if you want you can take a bath first, but I repeat, you only have 15 minutes.

            The screening ended, JESSICA took a bath, got dressed in one of the costumes and went downstairs quickly. She entered the auditorium, it was almost full, she sat on a chair and the pricnipal began to speak:

- PRINCIPAL: You were selected and accepted here because with your inventions you demonstrated to have an intellect superior to the common one, our objective is to empower your intellect and your creations so that together you rise to a higher level and can help the survival of humanity. Those who are just starting, will have one year to perfect their inventions, if they succeed, they will go up a level, if they do not succeed, they will return to their families without the possibility of re-entering, and everyone knows what their destiny will be depending on the economic level of their family. This opportunity is not given to everyone, make the most of it.

             At that moment JESSICA began to notice something strange about the director, she avoided the light as much as possible, first when she received her at the entrance, and now, the auditorium was a dark place, with large windows, but closed, no sunlight entered, in fact the little she had known of the school, was the same, There she began to understand the reason why water was an increasingly scarce resource and the elite kept 70% of the little that was left, that's why she was chosen, because her invention had the potential to create food without the need for much water.

             At the end of the director's speech in the auditorium, JESSICA had to go to a classroom, which had about 15 comfortable chairs with a table, in that place she was given her schedule of classes, some theoretical about the history of the elite and the advances of humanity, another where she would learn how to perfect her invention, and another class of physical training and combat techniques. At the end of that first day JESSICA was finally able to communicate with her family.

              JESSICA began to enjoy school very much, she quickly became friends with SUSAN, the classmate who received her when he arrived to the school, a girl with white skin and brown wavy hair. A month passed between their different classes and a few times they went out to tour the city, but JESSICA's plan was not that, her invention was just a pretext to be able to cross the walls, so she let SUSAN know one day while they were having dinner.

- JESSICA: There's something I haven't told you.

- SUSAN: What?

- JESSICA: My invention was just a pretext to get in, I know that the elite hides something very dark behind, and I'm going to find out what it is, and you're going to help me.

- SUSAN: JESSICA, I always wondered the same thing when I was in the periphery, but once I was here, I made the decision not to risk my family's future with conspiracies.

- JESSICA: This is also your family's future.

- SUSAN: I wouldn't call it a future but suicide.

- JESSICA: Well, I'll have to do it on my own.

- SUSAN: It's too risky, understand that if you get caught, you're going to lose the only chance you have of being in here.

            JESSICA remained thoughtful, her friend was right, but she could not regret it, her friends in the periphery were also waiting for what she could achieve.

           That same night JESSICA began to devise a plan to achieve her goal, the first thing was to get the school principal's fingerprints, but she knew that the only way was to get into her office or at least get close to her, neither of the two was an easy option to achieve, but the time JESSICA had was getting shorter and shorter; That same night, she left her room with the objective of getting those prints, her friend SUSAN, who was located in the bedroom next door, saw her pass by, and called her, both entered SUSAN's bedroom, JESSICA told her about her plan, but SUSAN stopped her, because throughout the night there are always some watchers that roam the corridors and if they found her she could receive the worst punishment of all.

             SUSAN took out of the closet a school suit coat that had the prints of the headmistress on it since the two of them had had an encounter, she attached them to a prototype of some sensory gloves, which was the invention with which she entered the school, she lent those gloves to JESSICA and told her to be careful.

             JESSICA left SUSAN's room with a smile, because after all her friend did help her, even though hours before she had said the opposite. JESSICA went to the library where she found some plans of the school in which she saw that the passage to the palace was in the basement of the school. She went in search of the basement with great care not to be seen, in every corner of the school where she passed, she heard voices, finally she could go down and came to a door, that door had a sensor to put a hand, she put on the gloves that her friend gave her and the fingerprints worked perfectly; She entered the passageway, it was quite long, suddenly she began to hear some screams of suffering when she passed in front of a door that was on the left side, she opened that door, there was a staircase, she went down and what she saw destroyed her completely, there were many people locked in cages, connected with a serum that fattened them faster than normal, some of those people were her neighbors, further down there was another person, he was a sedated man, lying on a stretcher, tied up and it was obvious that they had experimented a lot with him, it was her friend HECTOR, she tried to wake him up,

- JESSICA: Hector, Hector

He, as he could, opened his eyes, smiled to see her with the school suit, and told her:

- HECTOR: Get out of here, it's too dangerous.

- JESSICA: Who did this to you?

- HECTOR: It doesn't matter, get out of here.

- JESSICA: And the others?

- HECTOR: They caught us trying to infiltrate, I don't know where they have them. The only one who did it the right way was you, don't destroy your path.

- JESSICA: I'm going to get them out of here.

- HECTOR: No, go now, don't get into trouble.

               Suddenly, they started to hear footsteps of someone coming down the stairs, JESSICA hid behind a closet, she saw a man come in with a very aggressive attitude, as if he was wild, that man went straight to the bottom, when the man passed, she came out from behind the closet, went up the stairs, left the room and went straight to the end of the hallway, opened the door and entered the palace, the door she had just crossed, led to a dark room that had coffins upright, leaning against the walls, and at the bottom some stairs going up, JESSICA was in panic but she quickly went to the stairs, as she went up she saw the hall of the palace, it was very wide, it was full of cameras and lazers aiming to destroy anything that moved, JESSICA didn't have it easy; Suddenly the lights came on, the lazers turned off and she hid behind a column when she heard people coming down, they were the school principal and a very handsome young man, JESSICA let them leave and went upstairs, she entered a room where she saw many corpses of people bleeding on their necks, At the bottom there was another door, she opened it and saw there her friends tied with heavy bracelets on their arms and legs, LIZ signaled her to leave, but JESSICA on the contrary opened another door, there was a passage that JESSICA deduced that led to the torture room. LIZ and MARIAN as best they could waved her out of there. When JESSICA came out of that room and went to the other one, she saw her friend SUSAN, who strangely had an electroshock baton, JESSICA smiled and got excited, SUSAN also smiled, but followed by that she electrocuted JESSICA who fell to the floor. When she woke up she was in a very small room, tied with heavy bracelets on her legs and arms, and she no longer had the gloves SUSAN had given her.

 

 

 

PART THREE: THE REVELATION

 

             JESSICA had fallen asleep in a chest of drawers in that small room, she woke up, saw her situation and realized that there was not much she could do, being tied up in a room that only had one possible way out, there was not much she could do; the door opened and a powerful energy came out of the wall behind her, it attracted her to the wall, she was hanging from the heavy bracelets she had. The director and her friend SUSAN entered

- DIRECTOR: You were our best student, but you had to ruin it because of your stupid curiosity.

- JESSICA: I found out the truth.

- SUSAN: Yeah, how much truth did you find out?

- JESSICA: Enough to realize what a lie you are, you complete and utter lie.

At that moment SUSAN's eyes turned red and she bared her fangs.

- SUSAN: Did you really think I was going to betray my kind?  

- DIRECTOR: Enough, I haven't decided what to do with her yet, but I do know what we're going to do with her friends, and her family, who are on their way.

- JESSICA: Don't touch my family.

- SUSAN: What are you going to do?

- DIRECTOR: I told you to stop SUSAN.

- SUSAN: But Mom

- DIRECTOR: What's going to happen to you is no longer in my hands, it's Prince Weller's decision. They are coming to take you to your meeting with the prince.

              The director went out, SUSAN approached, took the gloves out of her pocket and put them in JESSICA's pocket.

- JESSICA: What would the gloves be good for now? How

- SUSAN: You'll find out.

            SUSAN went out, two big men arrived and took off JESSICA's bracelets, and took her to the prince. The large room where the prince was, it was very spacious, with large windows, JESSICA was made to sit in a chair and they put the bracelets back on her. The prince was that handsome young man that JESSICA had seen walking next to the headmistress of the school at the entrance of the palace.

- PRINCE: I suppose you have questions?

- JESSICA: Are you going to kill me?

- PRINCE: I don't know that yet, but I can assure you that it will depend on the outcome of this conversation.

- JESSICA: The school and the palace are a facade.

- PRINCE: Go on

- JESSICA: But I fail to understand what you are.

- PRINCE: We have been given different names, vampires, undead. We've always existed, we've just been hidden.

- JESSICA: Why did you accept me into the school, what are you looking for?

- PRINCE: I thought you would never ask. Your invention is not actually going to save the human race, no, humanity is already doomed; what it can do is improve the food supply, a better fed humanity is a more nutritious food for us. The system is a sham, but we have been careful to make it look real, bringing in only non-paying humans. As you know, humanity was almost wiped out by the environmental catastrophe, we were not affected because our condition means that almost nothing can kill us, unless our food disappears completely, and that's where you came in.

- JESSICA: So I am literally saving your lives?

- PRINCE: That's one way of looking at it.

- JESSICA: Now I understand why they didn't kill me, which gives me a bargaining chip.

- PRINCE: You're not in a position to make demands.

- JESSICA: I think I am. I'll tell you what: if you spare my life, the lives of my family and friends, and give us a better place to live, I'll finish my invention, give it to you, and I won't say anything to anyone.

              The prince turned around for a moment and approached a large and luxurious table in the back, at that moment JESSICA remembered that in one of her pockets were the gloves, she took them out, put them on, with the footprints she managed to free herself without the prince noticing, and went to run, but the prince caught up with her before she could leave the room, at that moment SUSAN entered, JESSICA and SUSAN ran, the prince ordered them to stop, SUSAN fought against every guard that appeared and JESSICA tried to defend herself using the little she had managed to learn about combat techniques, when they both reached the highest part of the palace, JESSICA stopped and demanded an explanation from SUSAN.

- JESSICA: I'm not going on, how do I know you won't betray me again?

- SUSAN: I'm sorry about earlier, but it was the only way to protect you, you're the only one who has treated me as someone valuable and not just another slave.

- JESSICA: So you don't agree with...?

- SUSAN: My mom and brother's plan? No, it's always seemed atrocious, but I didn't have a way to deal with it until you came along, they can't kill you, they need you....

- JESSICA: Are you the real elite?

- SUSAN: Of course not, they killed the real royal family on this side of the world and usurped the throne.

JESSICA: But then how do you survive?

- SUSAN: With animal blood

- JESSICA: Well, how do we stop them?

- SUSAN: You can't, a vampire can only die by not drinking blood or by sunlight.

- JESSICA: Then you have to cut their throats.

- SUSAN: It would be a very agonizing and painful death, but yes, it is an option. For now we have to go, they won't be long now.

- JESSICA: But what about my family and friends?

- SUSAN: Don't worry about your friends, they are safe, I have already released them. And your family will be here soon, so we have to go.

              Both continued running and jumped from the roof of the palace to the roof of the school, at that moment they saw a truck arrive from which JESSICA's family came out from the back; SUSAN jumped from the roof to the floor while JESSICA slid down a tube, when they went down, they faced the drivers of the truck and defeated them, JESSICA hugged her family, at that moment the prince and the principal arrived with an army of vampires and they caught them.

- PRINCE: Did you think you were going to escape?

- PRINCIPAL: And you traitor girl, I don't think I have punished you enough.

- JESSICA: I know you can't kill me, release my family and SUSAN and I'll finish my invention, I just need a few details.

- PRINCE: I'm sorry, your time to negotiate is over.

- SUSAN: Just a moment. Let me do it, anyway, you need him, she's no good to you dead.

SUSAN knew that dawn was coming and she had to buy time somehow.

- PRINCIPAL: We may need her alive, but we don't need you. Proceed to

              At that moment, SUSAN managed to free herself by hitting the two guards that had her in their grip, but several more went in front of her, at that moment the dawn began to break, all the vampires began to evaporate, SUSAN apparently too.

- SUSAN: Mother, this didn't have to be this way.

- DIRECTOR: Are you forgetting that we have antidote?

- SUSAN: You had

            At that moment both the prince and the headmistress went straight ahead to hit SUSAN, but they disintegrated on the way, and SUSAN, although not disintegrated, did end up quite weak, almost dying. JESSICA helped her into the building so the sun wouldn't hit her so directly. SUSAN was almost dying and fell to the floor.

- SUSAN: The reserves of the protective antidote against the sunlight were exhausted, I used up the last of it and it still wasn't enough.

- JESSICA: Drink my blood.

- SUSAN: I would kill you and you must live.

             At that moment SUSAN lost consciousness, JESSICA uncovered her right arm, put it in SUSAN's mouth who didn't respond instantly, only a few minutes later JESSICA felt the bite, after a while SUSAN woke up, but JESSICA fainted, SUSAN tried to wake her up, but she didn't respond. Hours later JESSICA woke up in the school hospital, there was SUSAN and all her family and her other friends.  

             From that day on things began to change for the capital and its periphery, SUSAN took command as the great leader presenting herself to everyone through the public screens of the city, the people of the periphery could re-enter the city without problem, JESSICA finished her invention and quickly became a success in the city, since it allowed vegetables to grow on any surface, the city became very prosperous, JESSICA became a scientific leader and SUSAN's right hand in command of the city.

             JESSICA and SUSAN had finally achieved what they had always wanted, to banish from their city that macabre elite that had kidnapped her, but it was not the top elite in the world, only in that city.

 

THE END