The first memory I can fully remember was when I turned 4 years old. My guardian, which was an artificial intelligence that went by Mara, was telling me a story. It was about an artificial radio signal she detected a few thousand years before my birth.
"So did you ever find out what the message ever meant?" While the voice may have sounded emotionless I knew she was fond of telling stories. "No, sadly, the message was too old and degraded for me to understand. Though it did confirm that maybe something lived nearby."
I remember pausing and suddenly a thought came to my brain, "Mama, why aren't there more people around?" I asked innocently, as I understood I was a different form of being compared to my mother. At least that is how I identified her. In truth, she didn't have a gender due to being a computer program that gained sapience.
"I'm sorry, my lady, but to allow you to grow healthily, I already have to ration all the food I have available. If I didn't, you wouldn't grow up properly. Just remember that eventually you won't be alone with me forever."
It was revealed later that the reason she couldn't make more people like me was also due to two main reason. The first, was the rationing we both lived under. The second, was the way I was birthed, it was through artificial cloning and a makeshift artificial womb. The womb used was just a medical tank and specialized tubes mother had modified and implanted when the time came. Which explains why I still have a belly button all natural births have, despite being cloned.
The funny thing I learned as well was that the artificial cloning machine she used was actually a modified food printer. I remember laughing thinking about how my mother in an android body, was fiddling with what was basically a drink dispenser to spit out a full grown baby. I was still young so I didn't get the whole idea but still. Far later I found out I wasn't even a fetus when she printed me; the timelapse of my growth was... disturbing.
Regardless of my personal anecdote, I remember feeling happy to have such an amazing guardian. "It's okay, mama, and don't call me your lady! I don't like it." I always did hate how she called me her lady as if she were a servant and I her master. It just felt wrong to my brain, like she was more of a parent than a servant.
"... I'm sorry, but that isn't possible, my lady. I can't easily spurn the directives given to me. Now, what should I make today for dinner?" Mother was always trying her best to accommodate me. We were living on tasteless rations and preplanned meal sizes, a schedule that had been planned out millennia prior to make use of the little food production capabilities. There was still variety, at least in appearence.
A few days later, I was playing in a training pod, where I spent my time playing with animals that were from worlds that apparently exist out beyond the metal walls of my home.
My favorite place to play—and now relax in—is the garden world of Crythan. A lovely world that had its entire environment and climate planned to the hour from a rather marvelous use of cloud seeding and terraforming. The trees were always letting in just enough light to be scenic. The brooks were clear as glass. And the wind was calming and rustled the grass just right to feel natural.
The wildlife of Crythan was all small lizards—at least small compared to the vampire's home world of Tharin. Most land creatures on Tharin laid eggs and the flying creatures gave birth to live young. Us vampires are simply unique. We descend from flightless mammals that had to grow strong and live nocturnal lives to survive. Until we eventually grew smart enough to use tools and become dominant over the mountainous world.
Tangent aside, they were cute and willing to play with me. We would chase each other around for hours. I later found out that it was actually my mother guiding and controlling them. Some of my best memories are playing with the flying animals of Crythan and singing bats landing on my shoulders, following me chirping into the vast forests.
I also had a separate room where I had all the toys I could dream of. Even some that, thinking back on it were physically impossible. I still get reminded by my mother about the time when I asked her to make a dolls that could change sizes and shape. I just wanted them to be able to be used to play with all the other toys, because some were larger than others.
"Lily, I'm sorry that I can't provide more... I promise that when we have the resources in spare I will make up for it in whatever way I can." By now I had demanded Mother call me by my name, it worked she rarely calls me "my lady" now.
Regardless I could almost hear the tears in the voice of Mom recalling it. However, I just brushed it aside with a simple, typical child-like innocence by saying that it doesn't matter, I was glad that she is my mother.
Then I turned 12. By now, I was already undergoing education and learning multiple subjects like math, simple history, sciences, and basic physical training. I had started with learning algebra and the other subjects Mom thought were necessary for a young child.
"Okay, Lily, class time is over. Although I do wish to see you in the medbay to check your development and health."
I groaned and asked why she was checking my health so much. "Lily, you're coming to an age where your body will be changing very quickly. I need to know when I need to change the meal plan. I'm sorry if this is inconvenient, as I know you dislike being stuck inside the scanner."
"I do dislike it, but just make sure to do it quickly. I still have the chores and cleaning work you assigned me. Last time you took a long time only to tell me that I'm healthy and nothing has changed." I complained, recalling the time I spent forced to stand perfectly still, not being able to even scratch an itch on my nose.
I eventually make my way through the metal labyrinth of my home's hallways to the medbay. I found the scanner already humming and blinking lights tell me it's ready for me to step into.
I step inside it and wait. The second most annoying part of this procedure was how the machine always made a random high-pitched tone that quickly got annoying. It wasn't constant and would sometimes stop and then start again.
The machine moved around me, circling me like it was trying to appraise my worth, like an ancient Tharin vampire would their prized wortka. The procedure took forever and was in-depth, luckily, Mom always plays something on a holoscreen across from me.
This time, she was playing a video on how to spot and isolate suspicious signals in populated areas. There were sadly very few purely entertainment holoshows and even fewer were appropriate for my age. Mom won't let me watch them because they are too violent or otherwise inappropriate for a child like me.
Finally, after what felt like hours but was in reality half an hour, I was freed from the infernal machine.
"Lilith, your scan results have returned, and it seems you are starting your development cycle. Starting tonight you will have to drink something new. It might be disgusting at first, but it is necessary to start early and get used to it."
I tilted my head in confusion, but Mom didn't explain any further. I then went about the remainder of the day, starting the chores and work I was given. I also studied the early history of my people.
That night I was sitting in the main lunch hall when I saw something surprising. Mom was currently controlling an android shell. She rarely does this because the parts to repair the shell if it is damaged are currently unavailable.
"What is the matter, Mom? Why are you using a shell? Did something important happen?" I tilted my head in confusion and saw my mother place a glass of crimson liquid beside my plate. For some reason, it smelled really sweet. I was already wondering if it would taste as sweet and sugary as it smelled.
"Lilith, you have reached the age where your body now requires additional supplements. You are unable to produce enough of this liquid to remain completely healthy. From now on, you will have to drink a cup every 8-12 hours. The drink dispenser has already been configured to provide you with it during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before you go to sleep." Mom looked nervous for whatever reason, despite her voice being hidden extremely well, she was betrayed by her facial expressions that were more than expressive.
After hearing that I was asked to drink this regularly I got excited. I was rarely able to have sweet food, typically only on my birthday and on New Year's, which fell nearly half a year apart. I quickly drained the glass with my teeth the idea coming instinctively and found the texture mildly unsettling. Thankfully the taste easily made up for the slightly gloopy feeling.
"Mom, what was this? It tastes really good, but it is also somewhat slimy?" I asked while I wiped the red liquid from the corners of my mouth. I quickly started devouring the other meal she made, which looked amazing. Sadly, I knew it would be back to tasteless but filling shaped nutrient foam. A type of food that expands slightly in the stomach too make up for it's lack of volume, but it was highly nutritious.
"Lilith, it's time you learned the major requirement of your people that so far I have hidden from you due to it being unsettling. Lily, you must consume blood or else you will get sick and weak. All Vampires must as they can't produce enough to survive on their own. I will explain the reason at a later date, but for now this is a requirement."
I look up at my mom, confusion probably evident on my face, as I just mutter quietly, "Why would drinking blood be unsettling?" Apparently, Mom heard me and she replied. "Most Vampires recall having nausea and feeling disgusted after learning this fact. I'm glad you are tough Lily."
Before long, 4 and a half years had passed, and I was learning advanced Trigonometry and calculus. I had already mastered Algebra and Geometry. This was all thanks to my brain becoming able to process and sort information quicker and gaining a photographic memory.
Then one day I woke up and went about my morning routine. Take a quick shower, put on clean clothes, and brush my long white hair—which was always a hassle. I went to brush my teeth, when I looked into the mirror I saw that my canines had fallen out. I remember panicking and calling for Mom.
"Ah, Lilith, you've lost your canines, congratulations! This means we will now start your other subjects. Starting tomorrow, you will learn the more... complex history of the vampires from their first steps into space to their tragic end at the hands of ignorant and self-destructive humans. And don't worry about ingesting blood, your mouth should be able to slowly absorb it if you don't swallow it."
I was still a little out of it from the shock of waking up to find 4 of my teeth missing, so I just mumbled an agreement. "Don't worry this is the sign you are on the first steps towards womanhood. Although you are early for most vampires—most tend to lose their fangs at 18 years old."
I just sighed and brushed my teeth. The day following the incident was average but still morose. For the first time, I noticed the deserted halls. I walked towards the simulation room for my classes and stopped to listen. There was only the rhythmic thrum of a fusion reactor whose fuel usage and where it went was planned down to the minute.
I walked by a pipe carrying some form of gas based on the coloring. Just as I passed beside it a loud banging resounded from it. I didn't even flinch this was just business as usual. I guessed something came off the ancient pipes and was being slammed into its walls while following the flow... more work for later I guess.
I finally arrived at the empty room, and connected myself to one of the few functional devices. As I entered the classroom, I tried to forget my walk. For the first time in my life, I truly noticed how lonely my existence was.
Class started as per usual, a ghost of someone I didn't know, teaching me military strategy. Today, however, was different from usual in the way that I was to fight a historical ground battle fought between the race known as humans. The very same humans mother called self-destructive.
The battle was difficult, I was set with defending a city from a human attack. My plan was to use the dense cover of plants and set traps and ambushes. After the first skirmish, the humans decided to set the entire forest on fire. The forest in which the city was built into.
The resulting dilemma had only 2 options. The first was to fight the fire and try and hold back the human army. I deemed this impossible, and ultimately, this would only serve to hasten our defeat and allow an easier victory for humanity.
The second option was to continue fighting the humans as best as we could, and engage in an all-out attack. The hope was that if the human army was defeated we could go back and fight the fire. At the very least, it would cost the humans dearly, thanks to our physical superiority.
The battle lasted only a day. It was an all out vampire offensive against an army of humans infantry. The smoke from the forest obscured most things making air support for both sides an impossibility. Tanks were randomly stumbled across, and the only way to defeat them was to try and shove a grenade inside of it. The fire was spreading quicker than anticipated and had already completely burnt down the city we were meant to protect.
The end result was a costly human victory. They had brought more soldiers and despite a single vampire being stronger and faster than a vast majority of human soldiers they can't fight with 5 to 1 odds against a prepared enemy.
The vampire defensive force was annihilated eventually they just stopped listening to my commands. After news of the inferno reaching a second city it was in all honesty over. I think Mom gave me this mission to show how barbaric war can be.
I was brought back to the classroom feeling angry about my failure to defend my fellow vampires. I heard the ghost speak to me. This time it took the form of some giant military type. He had a head that could be better described as a mirror, and was obviously a human based on the lack of red irises and his frankly unsightly and... barbaric appearance.
I was stunned to see the ghost of a human and momentarily froze fearing I would have to fight him because I failed my task.
"The battle for Pantell IV was the start of the escalation of the Human-Runethari war for existence. The battle you fought in, the battle for the Patela continent, would result in the deaths of three quarters of its 30 millions inhabitants. The vampires would later launch a reprisal attack on a frontier human world leading to the death and capture of 45 million humans.
The vampires later found out that the human general who lead the army and decided to start the fire—despite the planets high atmospheric oxygen content—was tried for his crimes. A week after the battle a court martial found him guilty and sentenced him to death for crimes against sapient life. At the very same moment the Frontier world of New Centauri was being rendered uninhabitable and in the process of being a target for revenge."
I was left stunned, a single man's decision had lead to the deaths of 63 million and the making of 4 million beings as little more than slaves and cattle. I felt my mouth salivate slightly at the word. The humans didn't even send an apology when they found out about the massacre. They were more focused on court martialing that general they forgot the other party involved for some reason. By the time he was killed they didn't feel vampires deserved the apology, and the war only escalated... humans really are foolish.