Alternia Comics

“So,” said McDermott, turning down the radio a bit. “Vampires; evil or misunderstood?”

Julian Bennet kept his eyes on the dark, winding road, but pondered the question. It was going to be a long drive – best to keep the mind occupied. “In general or by definition?”

“By definition.”

“I guess that depends on who's writing them – what sort of reason or source for them existing the author uses.”

“Don't dodge the question, Bennet.”

Bennet had known McDermott for only a few weeks – wasn't even sure of his first name – and the man's harsh directness had taken some getting used to. Still, he'd proven dependable, and that counted for a lot. In Bennet's book, competence was license to be a bit of an asshole.

“Okay then, let's break it down to the essentials.” They finally got up onto the highway – BEFORE it started raining, thank God. The road back and forth to the mansion was a wet hell when it rained. “They have fangs, drink human blood ...”

“Not always human.”

“Point conceded. But every source that has them trying something else leaves the ones that do … unsatisfied. It's always human blood that they are drawn to first and foremost.”

“Okay, I'll grant you that one.”

“They avoid direct sunlight, for some reason or another.”

“We can forget about sparkly vampires, Bennet. They burst into flame or scab up or something. Sunlight kills 'em.”

“Which always made me curious about other radiation.” Bennet glided easily around a slower vehicle. He was driving cautiously, but the Audi was more than a match for the weather on this hardball. “Why just sunlight? What's so different about it?”

“My partner the scientist.” McDermott grinned and scratched his thick brown beard. “Well, you have some stories with hunters using sunlamps or ultra-violet technology in some way or another.”

“Still.”

“It's like Superman, Bennet. Yellow sunlight isn't different from any other sunlight, but it is in the story.”

“I actually have a theory about that ...”

“Yes, yes, you've said. Neutrions, or something.”

“Neutrinos. Anyway, you're right about the sunlight – it suggests something other than biology going on with the vampire – something supernatural.”

“So the 'vampire virus' stories where you can cure it with meds are bunk?”

“Essentially.” Bennet just remembered something. “Did you load up?”

“Of course I did. You were gassing up the car, I was loading the guns.”

“I meant the shotgun. The one we keep in the car.”

“... shit.” McDermott reached back and grabbed the 12 gauge Mossberg from the back seat. Being careful not to point it at the driver, he brought it around and aimed it at the floor. “Rounds in the glovebox?” he asked even as he opened it, answering his own question.

“Summing up,” Bennet said, continuing to talk over the quiet but sharp click-clacking of the buckshot going into the shotgun, “They are supernatural, drink blood, and sunlight will kill or otherwise harm them.

“Don't forget immortal.”

“Right. In most cases, they are dead and brought back to some kind of eternal un-life, so we'll at that to the list, too. They almost universally have certain powers, too – either as simple as enhanced speed and strength or a exotic as flight and hypnotism – to help them hunt.”

“Uh huh.”

“So: immortal, undead, human blood suckers, gifted with supernatural powers to help them get our blood.”

“Right, so, evil or not?”

Bennet clicked his tongue. “Is this our exit?”

McDermott squinted through the rain. “Exit 35. Yep.”

The Audi slowed and Bennet took them off the highway onto another country road. “That collection of things does not make them evil. A predator is not, by itself, an evil thing.”

“Even one made by magic to hunt what it used to be?”

“You have a point. Perhaps, however, whatever dark thing that created vampires had evil intent. So it would be an evil thing to do to someone – making them into a vampire ...”

“Even against their will?”

“Anyone WANTING to hunt their own kind for eternity is either evil or mentally imbalanced.”

McDermott snickered. “Yeah, good point.”

“But in a lot of stories, games, et cetera, they are attributed a lack of conscience. Somehow, the transformation leaves them devoid of a lot of human emotions like compassion and mercy.”

“Maybe because of being alive for so long, you know?” McDermott had finished loading the shotgun, and was now peering ahead. The car passed through ever thickening trees, broken every few hundred yards by a side road or a long driveway with a mailbox. Bennet heard him counting quietly to himself every time they passed one.

“That's true, and would mean that their amorality is a result of cynicism and other things that have built up over centuries, but you also have to consider that young vampires are often portrayed as recklessly violent and callous. Perhaps that's a product of feeling free from mortal laws like death and physics, combined with the sudden hunger for human blood, but even so, you would think a rational human being would feel some ...”

“Twenty seven! Next right.”

“Got it.” Bennet took the turn, his headlights illuminating a downhill slope lined with brush even thicker than before. Less rain was making it through the branches above, here, and Bennet breathed a sigh of relief at that. Still, he was off the hardball and into gravel again, so he took it slowly. “As I was saying, a sane human being would feel some kind of remorse after sucking some poor human dry.”

“'Rational.'”

“Hm?”

“'Rational.' You were saying 'rational' human being, not 'sane.'”

“Ah.” That was one of McDermott's more annoying habits. The man had a memory like a computer. He corrected people on movie quotes a lot, too. “I suppose there is a difference, but the statement remains true in both cases.”

McDermott shrugged. “I guess so. So are you saying evil or not evil?”

“I'm going to say that they are natural enemies of mankind, and that their condition would tend to produce a lot more evil ones than good.”

“I guess that works. This is close enough.”

Bennet pulled off to the side where the road leveled out. “What about you?”

McDermott checked his watch. Bennet looked at the clock on the radio. 3:55 AM. They had some time. “I would say … that being a natural enemy of mankind makes them evil.”

Bennet cocked his head to one side. “Well … cats and mice are natural enemies. Does that make one of them evil? For that matter, then, what about dogs? Are they then 'good' because they hunt cats? And then something that hunts dogs would be 'evil?'”

“Oh, don't go cluttering it up, now.” McDermott opened the door and stepped out into the night, shotgun in hand.

“Well, hold your position then, McDermott.” Bennet smiled wryly as he opened his own door and followed around to the trunk. Despite being more verbose, it was rare that he felt in control of a discussion with his partner.

“I'm just saying that I figure the fact that they were made by unnatural means to hunt and kill humans for eternity makes them an evil creation.”

Bennet shrugged. “See, I'm not arguing that – making one is an evil thing to do, and whoever or whatever made them in the FIRST place is likely something evil, but each individual vampire still has a chance to overcome that.”

McDermott popped the trunk. “Gotcha. Agree to disagree?” Bennet nodded. Satisfied, he reached in and tossed a well polished wooden stake to Bennet, who caught it easily, tucking it into his belt with one hand while picking out a crossbow with the other. McDermott slung the shotgun and picked out a machete with a silvered edge, hooking the scabbard to his belt under his long coat. Bennet strapped a case of crossbow bolts to his thigh, then grabbed a revolver and some spare ammunition. McDermott pocketed some spare rounds himself, caulked his shotgun, then closed the trunk.

“Incendiary rounds?” asked Bennet, indicating the pistol.

“The shotgun is. Yours are hollow point, actually, filled with holy water.”

“Ingenious.” The two started off down the road.

“Well, maybe we can figure out some kind of sunlamp weapon for next time.”

“Come on, McDermott,” he said. McDermott laughed at Bennet's incredulity. “That only works in movies and comic books.”

“Cool. So, any qualms about tonight?”

“None whatsoever.”

“You sure?” he teased. “One of them might have 'overcome his nature.'”

Bennet scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Lets go waste these fanged bastards.”