Si vis pacem, para bellum
"Uh... uh..." My throat was starting to complain.
"Uhh, Gonzalo, this is not good... I think we'll have to find a way for you to feed before I end up being the dinner," Dr. Petrov said while looking at me seriously. "I believe I have some blood samples around here..."
We entered the second room where Dr. Petrov worked. It seemed that the rooms where he worked were more secretive, as their entrances were invisible to anyone.
Both exits were hidden within the walls and underground passages, with no obvious entrance. The entrances to the underground were disguised within the walls, and there were several interconnected passages leading to changing rooms, bathrooms, and supply rooms. The rooms where Dr. Petrov hid held much greater value than any other place in the research center, and he was the director of that entire sector.
Although the smell of Dr. Petrov was uncomfortable to me, I was gradually getting used to it. However, I always made sure to keep my distance and focus on what we needed to do.
"This way, follow me..."
I followed him into a small room that looked more like a hospital, with a bed and some blood samples.
"Gonzalo, this place would be like a cellar of luxury wines for a vampire," Dr. Petrov explained. "Here, we store blood samples from different people who were candidates to be 'singers' for the vampires. The idea was to use these samples to study how blood attracts vampires and search for possible methods of transformation."
"Horrible experiments must have been carried out here," I commented.
"Yes, some of which I would prefer to forget," he responded, thoughtful.
"I can't drink this blood. It belongs to innocent people, people who have suffered and probably died in horrifying ways," I told him.
"Gonzalo, those people are already dead, and it's better that these samples be used. Think of it this way... it's like a blood pact. By drinking the blood left by these people, you will be connected to them through your mission. It's a promise, a pact, a duty. Think of it as them giving their lives so that you, through them, can avenge them."
Dr. Petrov took out a couple of samples and placed them in a glass. Immediately, I could smell it. It was sweet like nothing I had ever sensed before, almost irresistible. My breathing accelerated, and my eyes fixated on the glass, fighting the urge to drink. Dr. Petrov looked at me intensely and said, "I see that the studies were correct. Gonzalo, take it slowly."
I slowly took the glass, but my throat and nose urged me to drink. It was the most unbearable smell in the world. I started feeling ashamed, fighting against my impulses. "Ah, I'm a monster. I won't be able to fight if I can't control myself."
"This will require practice, Gonzalo. These samples are the most precious and desirable blood for vampires, but we need to work on this so that you can truly be humanity's weapon instead of becoming another monster like the rest," Dr. Petrov said, trying to reassure me.
"Let's get out of here, Doc. I can't take it anymore. I'm satisfied, but all of this around me makes me uncomfortable. I can even smell the blood through the glass," I told him.
"This will be one of our key trainings, kid. You will transform from a beast into a paladin for humanity. But it will take a long time. We will have to spend several months here," Dr. Petrov said.
"You're not afraid that I might kill you in the process, right, Doc?" I asked.
"Life is irrelevant without a clear purpose. Even by attempting it, I have already fulfilled my goal. I can control my decisions and guide you in your preparation, but I have no control over the decisions you make or your actions," Dr. Petrov responded with a smile.
"You're determined, I see," I said, smiling as well.
"We are too involved in this to turn back," he replied with the same smile.
"There's enough for a couple of days, so you'll have to exercise your self-control. I don't think it's a good idea for you to go hunting until you're ready and we've improved your arsenal," he added.
After Dr. Petrov went to sleep, I started exploring the ruins around the sector. It was mostly destroyed, and there was very little that could be salvaged. Dr. Petrov had tasked me with retrieving anything I could find from the debris of what once was the laboratory. I gathered some computers, hard drives, cables, and other items, but I couldn't find anything similar to the Cubic Boron Nitride I used to create the dagger.
We needed to replicate the technology I used to create the dagger. If I wanted any chance against my own kind, it was crucial to rebuild a material printer that utilized nanotechnology. Dr. Petrov had told me they were working on a way to replicate the components of vampires and werewolves, and if successful, they could also replicate the venom to find the perfect formula.
I found several books and manuscripts with instructions on how to assemble the pieces. Although I remembered much of what I had accomplished the first time, we didn't have a sample to test the weapons on. So we would have to create something that could accurately replicate the flesh and bones of a vampire. It would be a challenging and complicated task.
Among the hard drives, I found something promising. One of them had the serial number of the so-called "Frankenstein Project" that Dr. Petrov mentioned. I kept it along with my belongings. I also took some parts that could be used to power the new artificial intelligence we would create and use to assist us in the creation of our weapons.
Upon returning to Dr. Petrov's secret laboratory, I gathered everything I had and began assembling and repairing whatever I could. He reviewed his books, manuscripts, and documents as we got to work. I would have to set up another laboratory like I did before, but this time, I wouldn't be alone.
While organizing the Ethernet cables and labeling them to connect them neatly to the switches, I asked Dr. Petrov, "Hey, Doc, could you tell me more about the world of vampires? Explain to me what hybrids are."
As he made some calculations in his notebook and
placed test tubes, he responded calmly, "For a long time, our studies indicated that vampires couldn't reproduce naturally, as I mentioned before. But all our theories were shattered when we had a visitor in the name of a vampire called Joham. The girl, Jennifer, claimed to be his daughter and came on his behalf to inform us of her father's interest in our studies and his willingness to participate..."
He paused and looked at me for a moment. "When she said 'daughter,' I thought she meant it symbolically, but upon seeing her, I realized that she didn't, at least at first glance, have any features that would make her seem like a vampire. After she demonstrated her strength and speed, we decided to accept her offer in exchange for a genetic sample from her." Then he added, "Hybrids have 24 pairs of chromosomes, unlike vampires and werewolves, who have 25."
"And how was she conceived?" I asked with great curiosity, staring at him intently.
"In a normal way, like two humans would, with the exception that her mother was human," he responded seriously.
His tone of seriousness and his penetrating gaze hinted at something revealing and with possible disturbing implications. I could sense where the matter was heading.