Yuki Kuran: The Last Vampire (A Vampires vs Aliens Story)

Portal

The former vampire princess's hands moved deftly over the console, adjusting the delicate settings on the time machine. Each tweak brought her closer to stabilizing the temporal field, but she could feel the weight of every second slipping away. The echoes of the alien transmission still lingered in her mind, spurring her on with a sense of urgency that bordered on desperation.

As she worked, her thoughts wandered to the beginning of this war. The aliens had arrived with overwhelming force, their technology far beyond anything humanity had ever faced. But what haunted Yuki the most was how quickly they had adapted, almost as if they had expected every move the humans made.

A sudden fluctuation in the power readings snapped her back to the present. The machine hummed louder, its energy levels spiking dangerously. Yuki's fingers flew over the controls, trying to stabilize the surge. But it wasn't enough—the power demand was too great, the machine drawing more than the resistance's dwindling resources could supply.

With a growl of frustration, Yuki slammed her fist onto the console. She was close, so close, but without a stable energy source, the machine would tear itself apart the moment she activated it. And without the time machine, there would be no second chances.

Her mind raced, searching for a solution. There had to be a way—some untapped resource, some forgotten piece of technology she could use. But nothing came to mind. The resistance had already scavenged every piece of usable tech within a hundred miles. They were running on fumes, and even Hideo's reassurances couldn't change that.

But then, a thought struck her. It was a long shot—more of a gamble than a plan—but it was the only thing she hadn't tried. Yuki turned her attention to the alien technology that formed the heart of the time machine. It was powerful, more so than anything the humans had ever created, but it was also incomprehensible, a black box of inscrutable circuits and energy fields.

What if... what if she could tap into the aliens' power directly? It was a risk, one that could backfire spectacularly, but it might also provide the energy boost she needed to stabilize the machine. If she could integrate the alien tech into their power grid, she could bypass the limitations of human technology and harness the energy needed to make the machine work.

Without hesitating, Yuki began to reroute the power lines, connecting them directly to the alien core. The console buzzed with warnings, the screens flashing red as the system protested the unfamiliar energy flow. But Yuki ignored it all, her focus solely on the task at hand.

As she worked, the blue glow of the machine intensified, the swirling vortex at its center growing more stable by the second. The alien core thrummed with energy, its power resonating through the entire chamber. Yuki could feel the tension in the air, the machine vibrating with barely contained power.

Finally, with a final keystroke, Yuki activated the new configuration. The machine roared to life, the vortex stabilizing into a perfect, shimmering portal. For a moment, Yuki allowed herself a small smile of triumph. She had done it. The time machine was ready.

But as she reached for the final switch to initiate the time jump, the chamber door burst open, and Hideo rushed in, his face pale with fear.

"Commander, stop!" he shouted, his voice cracking with urgency. "We've detected a massive energy signature heading straight for us. It's the aliens—they know we're here!"

Yuki's heart sank. The aliens had found them, and they were bringing the full weight of their forces to bear. There was no time left, no time to plan, no time to escape. The final battle was upon them.

Yuki looked at Hideo, her mind racing. "How long do we have?"

"Minutes, maybe less," Hideo replied, his eyes locked on the time machine. "What are you going to do?"

Yuki glanced at the portal, its shimmering surface inviting yet terrifying. The machine was ready, but without the chance to test it, there was no guarantee it would work. But if it didn't, they were all as good as dead anyway.

Taking a deep breath, Yuki made her decision. "I'm going through," she said, her voice steady. "I'll take the machine back to the time before the plague wiped out all of my kind. If I can warn the vampires and stop the plague before it happens, then together, we can defeat the alien invasion when they arrive."

Hideo's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't argue. He knew there was no other choice. "I'll hold them off for as long as I can," he said, his voice firm with resolve. "But you need to go. Now."

Yuki nodded, her eyes softening for a brief moment. "Thank you, Hideo. For everything."

Without another word, Yuki quickly grabbed whatever of importance to her and stepped into the portal, the swirling energy enveloping her in a blinding light. As the world dissolved around her, she could only hope that this desperate gamble would pay off. If it didn't, humanity was doomed.

The last thing Yuki saw before the light consumed her was Hideo, standing tall and defiant as the chamber door exploded inward, the alien forces pouring through. Then, with a flash of light, she was gone.