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Description
Renee sat up, refreshed as ever, and looked around. She felt a lot better since last night. Her hair was messed up, a lot worse than usual. She cocked an ear in annoyance. It didn’t help her bed head that she hadn’t bathed further than the occasional well-deserved traditional licking between bites. She looked around for Nos and it registered that she was not in the office building. The room was thick carpeted with red soft material and the walls were a deep violet color. “Hello?” She wiped away the grog of real sleep. Her stomach growled. The vampire hadn’t bitten her again last night- he had seemed concerned about something. Now she was somewhere else, somewhere completely new.
“Good morning.” A grub scuttled in and handed her a pile of clothes. She looked at him with surprise. A grub? Weren’t they the species Zurg kept as servants?
“Uh, wait.” She caught the cowering little creature by the shoulder. “Where am I?”
“The evil emperor’s dorm suite.” It squeaked and tried to escape, kicking at the air.
She held tight to the little alien, thankfully not needing much effort to do so. She may have felt better, but was still weak from starvation. The girl let it go after a moment. She considered it kind of cute. “Why am I here?” She frowned, eye glowing angrily.
“The…evil emperor will speak to you about it soon.” He shrugged out of her grip and ran away. Renee was scared, no, terrified, and of what it meant for her to wake up on planet Z. She sighed, shivering, and walked to the bathroom and turned up the hot water. Her fur was standing on end with apprehension. How did Zurg find her, and what did he want with her? She wondered where Nos was, half wishing he had bitten her again and this was some kind of crack fever dream.
~~~
Nos-4-a2 woke up with a long satisfying yawn. It felt good to stretch out the body that way after a night of not moving. He had been completely shut off for the night and was ready to feed again. His worry for Renee had dissipated and until she showed more signs of change in personality, appearance, or health he would continue their little routine. He dropped from the ceiling and went to wake his little morsel for breakfast.
She wasn’t on the couch. He looked around, really hoping she had just gotten up to walk around. “Pet?” He asked, checking behind the sofa. “Renee?” He darted across the room. “Don’t hide from me, pet.” He flipped the table over, growing angry. She was really gone. She didn’t have enough will to run away, so that was out. Was she kidnapped? He scratched at the corner of his head thoughtfully, feeling another migraine of the motherboard coming on.
She obviously wasn’t here, so she had been taken. The kidnapper had left him alone, though. Did they not know he was here at the time? He certainly hadn’t known they were. Nos looked out the window into the glare of morning and squinting into the sunlight. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would catch an ion trail from the intruders. Apparently luck was with the vampire and he caught a very familiar set of ion trails- two hornets and a beetle spycam had been sneaking around the building last night. There had also been a small transport ship here later. He slammed his fist into the windowsill and shattered the wood. “How could I have been so blind?” Nos-4-a2 looked out the window, wondering what Zurg had in mind for her.
~~~
Renee had gotten dressed, now acknowledging that he stomach was demanding food. She felt a little better since she had had a shower and the use of some of those fancy soaps Zurg had left for her. Her fur was exquisitely soft now and the colors stood out. She admired her silky fur in the mirror. Her fur was very fuzzy, very static. She didn’t think anything of it though and brushed it down. She folded back her ears in surprise when someone touched her.
A brain pod rolled in and tapped her shoulder. She jumped up and hissed, fur sitting up for a second. “You scared me! Oh, well,” She brushed her hair down again and took on a high-and-mighty tone. “What do you want?”
The brain pod gave her an odd look. “The evil emperor sends his regards and a request that you would come to the palace’s main chamber immediately.” Renee took the envelope he offered her and examined it. Very nice print, beautiful stationary. What was he pulling here?
“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” She petted the alien’s bowl.
“Not really, it’s more of a customary thing.” The brain pod’s bowl bubbled with pleasure. He took her arm and led her out the door. “Hungry?”
“Very.” She licked her lips. He was leading her down a well-lit hall into the insides of planet Z.
“I thought so.” He answered, looking her malnourished form up and down. She flicked her ear worriedly.
“Welcome to my humble abode.” Zurg laughed deeply. Renee came in and let go of the brain pod’s arm. He was, somehow, larger than life. The extravagant man stood up and waved to her. “Renee Gade.”
“W…what do you want with me?” Renee looked up at him, terrified.
“Not exactly you, my dear, but your,” He frowned. “Master.” He went down the stairs and petted her. She frowned and hissed, balling her hands into fists and taking an attack stance.
“I can’t tell you where he is, if that’s what you mean.” Renee looked away.
“Ah, the price of beginning a life of slavery.” He shrugged. “But he’ll come after you, dear.”
“Why? I’m food, that’s it.” She grumbled.
“Because of this.” He held out a small card. It was a picture with their energy signatures. She looked at this with a slight look of confusion.
“Two red shapes on a black backdrop. What about it?” She questioned him.
“Those red shapes are you and Nos-4-a2, taken last night. It’s a photo of your energy signatures.” He explained, laughing.
“And… they’re identical.” Renee knew for a fact that all machines had a unique signature and that hers should be very, very different from the energy vampire’s. “Yes?” She shivered. Maybe he had had a good reason to seem worried.
“Know how I sent my regards earlier?” Zurg laughed and mounted up to his throne again. She nodded sickly. “Those regards were for the galaxy’s newest energy vampire."
Instead of freaking out or crying like the evil emperor expected, Renee was furious. “What the HELL is that supposed to mean?” She demanded, walking up the stairs towards where he had retreated to.
Zurg flinched for a second as her claw came dangerously close to his face. “Well well well…” He pushed her hand away, to prevent her scratching the paint on his helmet, and tried to think of something clever to say. “You have been bitten by my ‘son’ Nos-4-a2 several times, haven’t you?”
Renee sighed and rubbed her neck unhappily. It glowed for a second. “Only five times… but that’s beside the point!” She snapped.
“Actually it isn’t.” Zurg stood up again, somehow looking a lot taller now. “It has everything to do with it, actually. His nanites have a tendency to make changes to whatever body they enter- take my hornets for example.” The man showed her to a display case. It had an offline vampire hornet locked inside. Renee was not unfamiliar with description but had never seen one up close.
“Oh…” Renee knew it, but she was still a little shocked. She pulled at her collar, hot all of the sudden.
“So, whether he intended for them to or not, they’ve had their effects on you too.” He pointed down at her. She looked back at her silvery stripes.
“So? I’m not planning to bite anyone.” She crossed her arms and scowled.
He snickered hardily. “All the same, the effects are there. Change in hair color, a taste for energy, shall I go on?” He asked.
“You don’t have to.” She sat down. Well, this was a fine mess.

Description
Renee sat up, refreshed as ever, and looked around. She felt a lot better since last night. Her hair was messed up, a lot worse than usual. She cocked an ear in annoyance. It didn’t help her bed head that she hadn’t bathed further than the occasional well-deserved traditional licking between bites. She looked around for Nos and it registered that she was not in the office building. The room was thick carpeted with red soft material and the walls were a deep violet color. “Hello?” She wiped away the grog of real sleep. Her stomach growled. The vampire hadn’t bitten her again last night- he had seemed concerned about something. Now she was somewhere else, somewhere completely new.
“Good morning.” A grub scuttled in and handed her a pile of clothes. She looked at him with surprise. A grub? Weren’t they the species Zurg kept as servants?
“Uh, wait.” She caught the cowering little creature by the shoulder. “Where am I?”
“The evil emperor’s dorm suite.” It squeaked and tried to escape, kicking at the air.
She held tight to the little alien, thankfully not needing much effort to do so. She may have felt better, but was still weak from starvation. The girl let it go after a moment. She considered it kind of cute. “Why am I here?” She frowned, eye glowing angrily.
“The…evil emperor will speak to you about it soon.” He shrugged out of her grip and ran away. Renee was scared, no, terrified, and of what it meant for her to wake up on planet Z. She sighed, shivering, and walked to the bathroom and turned up the hot water. Her fur was standing on end with apprehension. How did Zurg find her, and what did he want with her? She wondered where Nos was, half wishing he had bitten her again and this was some kind of crack fever dream.
~~~
Nos-4-a2 woke up with a long satisfying yawn. It felt good to stretch out the body that way after a night of not moving. He had been completely shut off for the night and was ready to feed again. His worry for Renee had dissipated and until she showed more signs of change in personality, appearance, or health he would continue their little routine. He dropped from the ceiling and went to wake his little morsel for breakfast.
She wasn’t on the couch. He looked around, really hoping she had just gotten up to walk around. “Pet?” He asked, checking behind the sofa. “Renee?” He darted across the room. “Don’t hide from me, pet.” He flipped the table over, growing angry. She was really gone. She didn’t have enough will to run away, so that was out. Was she kidnapped? He scratched at the corner of his head thoughtfully, feeling another migraine of the motherboard coming on.
She obviously wasn’t here, so she had been taken. The kidnapper had left him alone, though. Did they not know he was here at the time? He certainly hadn’t known they were. Nos looked out the window into the glare of morning and squinting into the sunlight. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would catch an ion trail from the intruders. Apparently luck was with the vampire and he caught a very familiar set of ion trails- two hornets and a beetle spycam had been sneaking around the building last night. There had also been a small transport ship here later. He slammed his fist into the windowsill and shattered the wood. “How could I have been so blind?” Nos-4-a2 looked out the window, wondering what Zurg had in mind for her.
~~~
Renee had gotten dressed, now acknowledging that he stomach was demanding food. She felt a little better since she had had a shower and the use of some of those fancy soaps Zurg had left for her. Her fur was exquisitely soft now and the colors stood out. She admired her silky fur in the mirror. Her fur was very fuzzy, very static. She didn’t think anything of it though and brushed it down. She folded back her ears in surprise when someone touched her.
A brain pod rolled in and tapped her shoulder. She jumped up and hissed, fur sitting up for a second. “You scared me! Oh, well,” She brushed her hair down again and took on a high-and-mighty tone. “What do you want?”
The brain pod gave her an odd look. “The evil emperor sends his regards and a request that you would come to the palace’s main chamber immediately.” Renee took the envelope he offered her and examined it. Very nice print, beautiful stationary. What was he pulling here?
“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” She petted the alien’s bowl.
“Not really, it’s more of a customary thing.” The brain pod’s bowl bubbled with pleasure. He took her arm and led her out the door. “Hungry?”
“Very.” She licked her lips. He was leading her down a well-lit hall into the insides of planet Z.
“I thought so.” He answered, looking her malnourished form up and down. She flicked her ear worriedly.
“Welcome to my humble abode.” Zurg laughed deeply. Renee came in and let go of the brain pod’s arm. He was, somehow, larger than life. The extravagant man stood up and waved to her. “Renee Gade.”
“W…what do you want with me?” Renee looked up at him, terrified.
“Not exactly you, my dear, but your,” He frowned. “Master.” He went down the stairs and petted her. She frowned and hissed, balling her hands into fists and taking an attack stance.
“I can’t tell you where he is, if that’s what you mean.” Renee looked away.
“Ah, the price of beginning a life of slavery.” He shrugged. “But he’ll come after you, dear.”
“Why? I’m food, that’s it.” She grumbled.
“Because of this.” He held out a small card. It was a picture with their energy signatures. She looked at this with a slight look of confusion.
“Two red shapes on a black backdrop. What about it?” She questioned him.
“Those red shapes are you and Nos-4-a2, taken last night. It’s a photo of your energy signatures.” He explained, laughing.
“And… they’re identical.” Renee knew for a fact that all machines had a unique signature and that hers should be very, very different from the energy vampire’s. “Yes?” She shivered. Maybe he had had a good reason to seem worried.
“Know how I sent my regards earlier?” Zurg laughed and mounted up to his throne again. She nodded sickly. “Those regards were for the galaxy’s newest energy vampire."
Instead of freaking out or crying like the evil emperor expected, Renee was furious. “What the HELL is that supposed to mean?” She demanded, walking up the stairs towards where he had retreated to.
Zurg flinched for a second as her claw came dangerously close to his face. “Well well well…” He pushed her hand away, to prevent her scratching the paint on his helmet, and tried to think of something clever to say. “You have been bitten by my ‘son’ Nos-4-a2 several times, haven’t you?”
Renee sighed and rubbed her neck unhappily. It glowed for a second. “Only five times… but that’s beside the point!” She snapped.
“Actually it isn’t.” Zurg stood up again, somehow looking a lot taller now. “It has everything to do with it, actually. His nanites have a tendency to make changes to whatever body they enter- take my hornets for example.” The man showed her to a display case. It had an offline vampire hornet locked inside. Renee was not unfamiliar with description but had never seen one up close.
“Oh…” Renee knew it, but she was still a little shocked. She pulled at her collar, hot all of the sudden.
“So, whether he intended for them to or not, they’ve had their effects on you too.” He pointed down at her. She looked back at her silvery stripes.
“So? I’m not planning to bite anyone.” She crossed her arms and scowled.
He snickered hardily. “All the same, the effects are there. Change in hair color, a taste for energy, shall I go on?” He asked.
“You don’t have to.” She sat down. Well, this was a fine mess.