VAMPWOLF.TXT - Graphic Death, Strangeness - 9/29/00

By SwampRat
(cl) 2000 GFA

I am not sure myself what it is...

Werewolves and vampires. Vampires and werewolves. Snarl, Snarl, Snarl.

In the year 2049 of the Old calendar mankind ( at last many believe so )
embarked on a journey to the stars. They took all they would needed in seed and
frozen embryo's.. Including human ones. For this was not a Colony ship. This
was a ship of hope for the hopeless. For mankind was dying off.

In 2017 someone finally made The Virus - It was small, quick, efficient. It
killed by removing oxygen from the blood-stream. And it wasn't at all picky
what Kind of liquid it was in. Animals would get short of breath, then dizzy,
then pass-out as the brain no longer had any O2. They would have all the
classic symptoms of suffocation but no marks, nothing covering the mouth or
nose.. Just millions of blood-cells that were no longer red because the oxygen
had been ripped out of them.

And it was an equal-opourtunity bug.. Plants exchange oxygen for CO2. The
virus removed the oxygen, leaving only carbon, which turned the sap into solid
mineral. A flower could be peterified in days. And in 2048 it got loose. It was
easy to find the place - it was covered with a fine webbing that was all that
was left of the inhabitants.. And by then it was much too late. It is a good
thing the air is about 18% oxygen.. It stunted the virii growth to merely
armageddon proportions - beings had time to think, to try and act.. and to die.

Oh yes - as to the first line.. It is simple. First, yes they Do exist. And No,
you can forget most of what you have read or role-played or seen in the movies.
I said most because every legend starts with a grain of truth. But to
digress... The 2 types of hunters had one thing in common - Man. They both need
Humankind to replenish the stock. Neither will admit to such, of course, but
Wolves beget Wolves. Not magical wise, strong creatures - Those are Made. No,
intelligence dims, Reason vanishes.. and all you have is an animal. That
usually dies because it forgot not to eat a glowing carcasses, or find traps
that remove them from the gene pool.

Now vampires have known about plagues for ages.. Just because this was a new
one didn't mean much to them.. Being 'dead' does have it's benfits.
Unfortunately, the 'cattle' ( or friends, depending on the viewpoint ) was
dying off at a rapid rate, and those that Were Around weren't fit to eat. Which
worried a Lot of them... The living can die of hunger. The undead can not. They
can wither away, the pains and desires growing with each passing
day/hour/minute. They will feed on Anything with blood, even each other, to the
point of ripping their own veins open..  But even then there is no release. It
will wither until it is no more than leathery skin stretched taut on bone, it's
mouth hanging open in a deathless scream of pain and hunger.

Therefore they are much more paranoid about dinner than any 'war' with another
kind. Fanatics on all sides made things bad of course. They screamed their
hatred, did the deeds that tarred everyone with the brush, tried to provoke
more of the same. And erricated each other. Wiser heads pushed onward with a
project that had been in the works for a while, but Now became inperative. It
wsa much easier to work side by side after seeing the effects - Animals would
fall slowly down, turning ever lighter shades of while until they were almost
crystalline. Werewolves being much stronger, died much slower, but Die they
did. Vampires had it the worst.. Their undead flesh would harden, cracking
bones as the sluggish blood was decimated. Then the still 'living' body would
fall, sometimes shatering like a thin porcelin doll.. Still very much 'alive'.

It only took a few such sights to shut the fanged mouthes, and make clawed
fingers work more hurredly. And so, In the year 2049 of the Old calendar
mankind ( at last many believe so ) embarked on a journey to the stars. But
they were Not at the helm, or making the decisions.. They, like the rest of the
fodder, slept frozen or stored in meat lockers. Earth was dead. But other
places beconed. Other stars where wolf and bat could shepherd their 'flock',
let it grow strong but never intelligent enough to wreak havok ever again.

The End?