Jasmine
ADD Agent

Things were desperate for the human woman named Jasmine… at least she thought that was her name. There was no one on this remote planet, no one but her. She had been sent here on a scouting mission. ADD was supposed to pick her up about 3 days ago but they never came...

Now she sat on the ground outside her tent in full gear, with only her own thoughts and a small camp fire to keep her company.

Jasmine looked down at her right arm and wiggled its metallic fingers. She watched as the alien feeling object’s servos and gears responded to her brain’s impulses and wondered how she had lost her real arm in the first place.

She had joined the ADD to forget about how lost she was in this universe, to give herself a sense of purpose... but still each day was like waking up in a never-ending nightmare. Was my life always so desperate? Was I ever happy? All she wanted was her memories back...

The planet's three moons were shining brightly overhead.

One was extremely cold, the entire surface covered in ice a mile deep. The wind caused the ice to grow in spectacular shapes and patterns on the planet, making it sparkle when light shone on it. It was the prettiest of the three.

Alucard's ship hung in orbit above the nigh-deserted world. The alien always went out of its way when A.D.D. agents were involved, and had gone to the surface after hearing of the situation.

The Hunger was a massive creation, serpentine in shape and miles upon miles in length. Its master was coming up close on the agent, though she was not aware.

Jasmine
ADD Agent

Jasmine picked up a rock and threw it at the fire. She was becoming more and more frustrated. She sighed heavily, slowly coming to a realization about herself. I'm lying to myself... Joining the ADD did nothing for me... I have nothing. No past, no future, no purpose. I 'm just gonna die here on this planet alone and forgotten.

She wrapped her arms around her legs and hugged her knees to her chest. Jas buried her face into her arms and cried softly. She would never be caught dead crying usually, but seeing as she would be dead soon anyways, she didn't give a damn.

Alucard spotted its prey, her fire a beacon in the darkness. The alien could easily make out every detail of her, her cybernetic arm, her afro, her soft chest heaving as she cried. The alien chuckled nigh-silently, and stepped into the light.

"Why are you crying, dear?" said Alucard.

The alien was a full sixteen feet tall. Half of its height was devoted to its head. Its yellow eyes glowed in the dark as it looked her over again. Each was easily as large as her head, and round as a coin. The alien's mouth took up half of its face, a vast, toothless maw that could easily fit her inside. The alien's long arms dragged on the ground as it walked on its no-toed feet. Its bumpy grey flesh was dull-looking in the firelight as it observed her.

"Why are you crying?" Alucard repeated.

Jasmine
ADD Agent

Through her own sobs Jasmine never heard the beast approaching. Not until it actually spoke.

"Why are you crying, dear?"

For the briefest of moments, she thought that perhaps she was saved. Perhaps someone had been sent to rescue her from this dead rock...

But then she turned around.

The sight of the hideous creature before her made her heart jump in her chest. The battle hardened agent instinctively rolled away from it and unholstered her weapon. She trained it on the monster and held her finger close to the trigger.

"Hold it right there!" She shouted. "Keep your distance or I'll shoot."

"Why are you crying?"

It seemed to be speaking English but who knew? Perhaps it was only imitating the language. She kept her weapon held high with one hand and used the other to wipe away her tears quickly so that she could see better.
"What do you want?" She asked, not even sure if this thing could understand her.

"I was curious," Alucard admitted. "It seemed to me that a young woman such as yourself has no business on the harsh surface of this planet. I assumed you were stranded. Would you like to come aboard my ship?"

Alucard looked at her peacefully, wondering if she'd accept the alien's "help".

Jasmine
ADD Agent

It seemed the creature could indeed speak and understand English. She narrowed her eyes as it made it's offer.

"Sorry. My mother taught me never to take candy from strangers...." She began to say before realizing that she didn't even remember her mother. She added, rather embarrassingly. "I mean, I think she did."

Jasmine stood to her full height now and kept her eyes and her pistol on the creature. She looked at it curiously and then reached behind her back and produced a pair of handcuffs.

"My orders," She began slowly. "Are to retrieve any alien specimens I can and bring them in for study..."

She began to circle the beast and inch closer. "So show me your uh... hands and I'll just put these on you." She indicated to the cuffs.

Alucard took a look at the handcuffs. It seemed barely able to hold itself in. Finally, the alien burst out laughing. The alien revealed its massive arms. Each hand was capable of wrapping around a refrigerator. The wrists were as thick as tree trunks. Alucard laughed and laughed at the agent.

"Are you serious?" Alucard said finally. It suddenly made a straight face, giving the agent a serious look. "You know, that's very impolite of you, threatening to arrest someone for wanting to help you. I could have just left you."

Jasmine
ADD Agent

Jas stared dumbfounded at the Alien's arms. There was no way she was getting handcuffs around them. She scratched her head in thought before putting the cuffs away. It seemed that plan was scrapped.

The Alien was now laughing at her. Her face scrunched up in anger. Laughing? At me? Son of a...

"You know, that's very impolite of you, threatening to arrest someone for wanting to help you. I could have just left you."

"Save it big fella." Jasmine shouted sternly. "I have my orders and I'm expected to follow them. I appreciate your offer to help but to my superiors you're a valuable specimen. I've gotta take you in."

If she couldn't detain the beast with cuffs she'd have to find another way. Perhaps it would just be easier if she knocked it out. She flicked a switch on her weapon and it went into stun mode.

"Sorry. I've gotta put you to sleep for a little while." The ADD soldier squeezed the trigger and fired a tranquilizing shot at the beast.

Alucard grinned and allowed the shot to hit. It had no effect on the massive alien, and Alucard had known that it wouldn't. The alien knew it would spook her more than dodging the shot would have, simply because it made it known to her that her weapon was useless.

"Now, I'll not tolerate being shot at," said Alucard. "If you continue to be hostile towards me, I'll have no choice but to do the same."

Jasmine
ADD Agent

Jasmine was smirking, expecting the creature to drop at any moment. When it didn't, she took a step back. "What the?"

The thing spoke again.

"Now, I'll not tolerate being shot at, if you continue to be hostile towards me, I'll have no choice but to do the same."

"I'm not listening to a damned alien!" Jas shouted angrily. All of her frustrations, from not being able to remember her life to being stranded on this planet came bubbling to the surface in the form of aggression.

"I was told that specimens are just as good dead as alive. Those scientist guys in the lab don't care..." She stated while flicking her weapon back over to it's more lethal mode. "Too bad for you."

She fired again. This time with killing intent.

This time, rather than sit and take it, Alucard did something. It opened its mouth wide and caught the blast in its gaping maw. The flash of her shot was muted immediately, absorbed into its mouth. What looked like a disproportionately slim tongue shot from Alucard's jaws, wrapping around her gun and pulling it hard enough to jerk it from her hands. Alucard swallowed the gun whole.

"I'm giving you one more chance," said Alucard, "before you follow your gun."

Jasmine
ADD Agent

"Ah!"
Jasmine gasped in surprise as her weapon was ripped right from her hand. She looked around. Now what am I supposed to do? Kick it in the shin? She wondered, annoyed that the ADD didn't give her better equipment to prepare her for such encounters.

"I'm giving you one more chance, before you follow your gun."

"Fine. Looks like you've beaten me. So, what?" She said, arms crossed defiantly. "What do you want then?"

"Good," said Alucard. "Let's get to my ship."

The alien pointed up. The Hunger floated lazily in the sky, a massive metal serpent that even dwarfed Alucard in comparison.

Jasmine
ADD Agent

"To your ship?"
She repeated his words, a look of disbelief on her face.

The sassy woman shook her head vigorously. "No way buddy. You may have disarmed me but I'm not bending to your every whim just because I don't have a weapon anymore."

She planted her feet and narrowed her eyes at the beast. "I don't trust you and I ain't going with you. Sorry to disappoint. Now just go be on your way... and leave me alone."

Jasmine turned away from the alien and bent down over her fire again. She held out her hands to it and tried to warm them.