The Plagues Series: Emergency

Chapter 1

Poland

2061

Marcus' truck was an early model Dodge. He said it was made around the 2020's. Despite the fact it ran on gasoline – when most cars these days were electric,or at least hybrids because of gas' increasing scarcity – and coughed with every gear change, he loved it like it was new. I'm sure from the obnoxious, rusty gargling sound the engine made, it violated several noise and pollution laws, at least back home. He had told me the story numerous times of how he got it from a vamp he knew - also from Toronto - during the occupation of Poland in 2060.This guy managed to bring it over from North America during the Lunar Exodus in the 2050's. Marcus said the guy owned this truck when he was still human. I figured. Back West you don't see vamps owning anything except the burden of existing. Marcus said he was with the guy during the occupation when he died, and the guy used his dying breath to leave Marcus his truck. The guy still believed in Marcus I suppose. Once Poland was secure and the campaign was successful later in 2060, Marcus went to the guy's home, just outside the town of Wyszkow, about a half hour northeast of Warsaw as the car drives, to collect the truck. He noticed the guy, who had lived alone, owned a small place which was in alright shape, and so Marcus took it upon himself, and Dmitri, and later me to "look after" the place. Now, one year later, at the seal of dusk, we're driving that truck into Warsaw, from that place in Wyszkow, to celebrate all 2060 brought.

We drove passed a church on our right, which Marcus quietly pointed out to Dmitri. There was a small group of men out front standing and smoking, all carrying rifles. I guessed they weren't soldiers as their stances didn't appear to be crafted or conditioned, but rather relaxed and casual. The marquee above the door read GOD HATES LUNIES.

We went to this place called Światło Księżyca, or Moon's Light, in the Warsaw suburb of Targówek. We never went far into Warsaw because the centre of town was still a mess of barbed wire and sand bags as Warsaw is a major asset in the occupation. AMICA (Asia-Mediterranean Iron Curtain Alliance, almost everything east of Germany and Austria), was still in the midst of making sure Warsaw was secure, mainly against NATO coming charging over the border from Germany.

Moon's Light was one of the few establishments in Poland that served blood by the pint. It was much more common elsewhere in AMICA member states. It was this kind of resistance against vamps by Pols that got Poland in such hot water with AMICA. I think they were more afraid of AMICA than hateful of vamps to be honest, hence why they tried to show a more Western approach towards relations with vamps. They had probably been hoping for some protection against what already happened.

For the most part, the blood served at establishments was cattle blood. Consumption of human blood, even if it was from a blood bank, was generally forbidden. With all the tensions, AMICA probably wanted to hold onto their stock for the army anyhow.

We grabbed a booth seat under a dimmed light and a waitress, also a vamp, came over and took our order. We got two pitchers of blood for the three of us.

"Drinks on me,boys," Marcus said with infectious excitement.

"So, David, how goes your training?" Dimitri asked.

"It goes," I said.

"Guys, please,"Marcus said. "We have come here to celebrate and honour our victory here by putting war anywhere but top of mind, at least for tonight."

"Says the champion of the revolution," Dmitri said.

"A champion," Marcus corrected Dmitri with a slightly irritated twitch. "It was a team effort."