The Innocent Life of Valerie Vale

A Lesson in Natural History

A Lesson in Natural History

The boardroom table was prepared. Mr. Finch sat at the top and no one else was present. The executive committee was sent away – this wasn’t for their ears. The meeting room was silent, tension filled the air. Inside, his body was tight – Finch expected swift results for time was running out.

‘You’re very welcome,’ said Jeffrey, breaking the silence as he entered the room. He held the door behind him, showing the doctor politely inside. ‘We’re very eager to hear your results,’ he said, offering a wry smile. Finch Industries had everything to gain – military contracts were gold!

‘Yes, I am very pleased to present today,’ the doctor replied, bowing now to Mr. Finch, ‘and I thank you for the tremendous opportunity you’ve provided my team and I.’ Mr. Finch said nothing. He didn’t care for noise. ‘Perhaps it is best if I just begin,’ the doctor offered, shuffling through his notes.

‘Yes, that’d be splendid,’ Jeffrey said, sitting now at Finch’s side. ‘Please doctor, begin when you are ready.’ The doctor poured a glass of water and placed it on the table. Finch studied the man. Cold and calculating – he could see through lies. What progress had he made, or was he biding time? Had he been wasting money, had he committed crime?

‘Vampires,’ the doctor said, ‘a creature we used to think belonged to myth, have proven to be real! What we now believe, is that vampires were first created from a genetic mutation that occurred long ago, in an interaction between early man and an ancestor of the modern vampire bat.’ Finch could tell the doctor was proud – discovery was his drug.

‘Possessing superhuman strength,’ the doctor continued, ‘and an extended lifespan, vampires benefit from additional plasma in their blood. This leads to better growth and immunity against disease. However, it also creates a reliance on blood and their entire brain chemistry is altered.’ The doctor paused, taking a sip of water. ‘They experience stronger emotions and are prone to personality disorders. The number of psychopaths for example, far outnumbers that of a normal human sample.’ Jeffery listened with interest. He wondered what it was like.

‘Vampires require little air,’ the doctor explained, ‘this is because of the increased intake of haemoglobin which carries the oxygen they need. Like the myths, they have no pulse. This is because their blood is in a suspended, static state, which explains their paler complexion. While sunlight doesn’t kill a vampire directly, they are very sensitive to ultraviolet light. This is due to the genetic change that occurs when they are sired. Overexposure causes their skin to dry, their body temperature to rise... and extended or focused exposure even induces fire.’

Finch turned to Jeffrey. His executive officer was impressed. ‘One of the many innovations we have made,’ the doctor said with pride, ‘is a synthetic polymer. We coat their skin in the substance and use a frequency of light to keep them highly sedated. While the effects may be brief, a continuous flow of light is required to keep them so. We are also experimenting with additional polymers that produce a range of similar results.’ Jeffrey took some notes – the applications were important.

‘A final myth,’ the doctor said, ‘vampires fail to cast a reflection. This is true from what we’ve observed. However, we are still unsure why this is the case... something to do with light refraction. As you are aware, uncovering the truth in this regard could prove very beneficial for military applications.’ Jeffrey nodded in agreement but Finch barely moved. He was yet to be impressed.

‘So how are they created? Well, when a vampire feeds on a victim, their bite releases an activator into the victim’s bloodstream. The point of this is to stop blood clotting, but from what we’ve seen the feeling is addictive. The activator works, in effect, like a drug.