Automatic

The Morganville Vampires: Extras #18

by Rachel Caine

Published in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions.

Another anthology tale, written for the Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions collection, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong. That amazing anthology is the result of Melissa and Kelley inviting a bunch of their author friends along for a road-trip signing tour called the Smart Chicks Kick It event, and it was a huge success and blowout fun. To help fund the tour (because all of us pitched in for costs), they put together this anthology, which also allowed us to give back a little to our readers.
This stand-alone story is set late in the series, but before the Daylighters show up, and it deals with something I’ve always wondered about … We have vending machines for snacks, cold drinks, even hot drinks. Why don’t the vamps have one for blood?
Well, this examines why it might not be such a great idea, by way of Michael’s experience. A sweet little love story, too, in an unexpected way.
Fun factoid: I was addicted to soft drinks in college (not coffee) and if I couldn’t find a working machine that served Dr Pepper, my day was bound to go almost as badly as Michael’s is about to, in this story. Physics class without the sweet relief of soda? Unthinkable!

Genres: Vampires, Short Stories, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Novella, Urban Fantasy

10 pages, Unknown Binding

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Rachel Caine was a pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad.

She has also published as:
Roxanne Longstreet
Roxanne Conrad
Julie Fortune
Ian Hammell

Her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/rachelcainef...

Her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/rachelcaine...

Reviews

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75/5

Review coming soon!

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In midnight bites. The vamps put a vending machine with warm blood in cans of coke in the feeding building or whatever it’s called. And lucky Michael gets to be the guinea pig. And though they said it was tested for two years, Michael is the youngest vamp in the whole world I guess, and he has…. a reaction
Once again though daddy Oliver is trying to be helpful and offering brief glimpses into his past, which actually might include regret. Who would’ve thought.

[Jassicca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thankfully, this short story has nothing to do with the main book. I don't want to read anything containing a spoiler about Michael and Eve from the main story; I want it to be surprised! Anyway, this book was about a task given by the town's founder to Eve and Michael. They were to demonstrate to the older vampires on how to use the blood vending machine. However, when Michael consumed the blood in a can, he had a side effect and almost hurt Eve, almost..but not quite because he could still control himself.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story in The Morganiville Vampires series by Rachel Caine. Published in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions.

Told from Michael's POV. The blood bank now has vending machines for blood, and Michael is the guinea pig to try it first. It doesn't go great, and Michael has to learn to control his urges.

This story fits in later in the series. A quick and entertaining read. Good story for this series.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the way it came from a vampire’s perspective. It shows what a vampire goes through for the need of blood whether through a bag, a can or through a vein

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story, getting a Michael narrated story, about why a vending machine is not a good idea for blood! Great read!

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. Lol.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard of this series and author, but haven't read anything by the author or this series. I am intrigued enough to want to read more.

[Demoness Tenebrae · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I won’t lie, it was awful, but what was worse was slowly realizing how bad I’d been. How close I’d been to becoming . . . a thing. A senseless monster."


Plot .

An episode from Michael's life, narrated by him.

In Morganville's Blood Bank there is a brand new machine that delivers blood in cans just like Coke. The idea was to always have some blood available for the creatures of the night which they could easily get with a swipe of their special identification card. They would also have a limit which is easily monitored.

Michael was chosen by Amelie to present this new machine and take the first sip of the canned blood. Michael wasn't too thrilled with the idea but with a little of Eve's encouragement he managed to pull it through.

The blood wasn't anything like he thought it will be. It was better. Way better. And it made him more energetic and on edge. It also made him more bloodthirsty. So much so that he abandoned Eve in the middle of a town during the night.


Review .

The idea that the story is told from Michael's perspective is great. I craved to see the story from a vampire's point of view. And Michael is such a sweetheart.

The storyline isn't all that interesting really. And the story itself is very short.

But seeing Michael and his inner turmoil, his doubts, his uncertainty, his cravings and his greatest fear was... amazing. It's incredible to see all those feelings bursting out on scarcely a few pages.


“You really do have a gift.” (Oliver)
I hadn’t even heard him unlock it. I didn’t look up. I knew who it was; that voice was unmistakable. “Once, maybe. You took that away from me,” I said. “I was going somewhere with it. Now I’m going nowhere.”


Oliver is a constant good/evil swing. Once he is the hero who saves the day whereas the other time he is a villain who takes a life. Since he is responsible for Michael's situation, Michael will never forgive him...


„We didn’t anticipate that the formula would trigger such a violent response. In the future, you’ll only receive the unprocessed raw materials.”
“So it’s because I’m young.”
“No,” he said. “It’s because you’re young and you refuse to acknowledge what you are. What it means. What it promises. You’re fighting your condition, and that makes it almost impossible for you to control yourself. You need to admit it to yourself, Michael. You’ll never be human again.”


„Oliver paused for a few seconds, then leaned forward with his elbows braced on his knees, pale hands dangling. “When I was . . . transformed, I thought in the beginning that I could stay with those mortals I loved. It isn’t smart. You should understand this by now. We stay apart for a reason.”
“You stay apart so you don’t feel guilty for doing what it is you do,” I shot back. “I’m not like you. I’ll never be like you. Best of all, I don’t have to be.”


Even though Michael is uncertain of his own future and he still has many fears to deal with, he believes in Eve and him. He believes that love will survive all the obstacles.


„She laughed a little. “Dating? Because news flash, big guy: we’ve been doing it awhile.”
“Being this. Being me. I don’t know who I am anymore.”
She stepped closer, looking up into my eyes. “I know who you are. More importantly, I know what you are,” she said. “And I still love you.“


„...I couldn’t help but think that maybe she did, after all. Know me, and love me.
Maybe, in time, she’d be able to help me understand and love my monster too. Because, in the end, it was always Eve. And always had been.
And I bent close, put my forehead against hers, and whispered, “You make me real.”

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Automatic is book 10.5 in The Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine. This short story can also be found in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions is a YA Paranormal Anthology. The story is told from Michael's Point of View and focuses on the arrival of the blood bank vending machine. Amelie has asked Michael to give a presentation on how to use the machine. Swiping a card and selecting the blood type might sound easy to you and me, but most of the vampires are hundreds of years old and don't understand ID and credit cards. Many of them still use gold coins and trading as currency. Michael does the demonstration and drinks his warm can of blood. As he's drinking, he thinks it takes metallic and the preservatives taste funny. A few minutes later he starts thinking how good the can tasted. A little while longer and he becomes anxious. Michael and Eve run into Oliver and Amelie and Michael explains how good the can tasted. In fact, its now the best thing he's ever tasted and needs another. He downs the can and the anxiety grows. He wants to run, to hunt, to drain the humans. He runs away from Eve and back to the blood bank. He knocks over other vamps and uses his card for a third can. He's too eager to pop the top and rips it open form the side. When his card doesn't work anymore, he breaks it open and starts tearing into cans. He's arrested and weaned off the canned blood, back on bags. Oliver explains that he's too young and fighting against his vampire nature, which is what made him so aggressive and hungry. He's allowed to see Eve and when he doesn't try to eat her, they let him go. Over the next few days, the vending machine is vandalized just as Michael had vandalized it. It seems it wasn't Michael's age doing the damage. Michael and Shane may be the ones mainly responsible for the vandalism, but other vamps were getting in on the action, including Oliver.

[Becs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told from Michaels perspective, this little insight is so perfect for fans. Particular for fans of Michael and Eve; Claire doesn't really feature. For those new to this series, I think this will be the perfect little taster of what the Morganville Vampires is all about and Michael is the perfect, witty narrator.

As one of my favourite characters (I mean, who doesn't love a sweet-natured vamp?) it was great to experience the "voice" of Michael. He's an observant narrator with a really distinct voice that captured me from the very start. His frank, but delicate, manner was refreshing.

The Blood Bank has introduced a vending machine. I know, hold. the. phone.
Michael has been asked to demonstrate it for his fellow vamps. And he does, but the result isn't as he expected. This new, canned blood is something else. Something addictive. And as Michael fights the urge to get more, and more, we see his internal struggle verbalised.

I really liked seeing this side of Michael, he was a great example of how addiction affects even the best of people; I really didn't expect it - it was nice to see Eve woven into this too. It's interesting to get to see what fear does to him and how he begins to question himself.

Despite these perks, this novella doesn't really go anywhere. At all. It's just, simplistically, one guys struggle not to keep buying cans from a vending machine. Broken down like that it just sounds pants. So, although it is worth a read and it has something interesting bits, it's not the most exciting of novellas.

One for die-hard fans, but not so much if you're thrill seeking and looking for some crazy vamp action.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm loving all these little shorts from this series. Any little scrap of Michael and Eve, Shane and Claire I can get I'll take!

This one is a little weird though. It's from Michaels's POV and they have a new vending machine in Morganville, only this one doesn't have Coke or Dr. Pepper. It's for the vamps and when Michael tries it for the first time...well let's just say that things go wrong and in bad way!

Also I'm not sure where this one falls in line with the series, but I know for sure that it's later than Carpe Corpus book #6. But that's fine because there were no real spoilers in this one, thankfully! :D

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions. I hadn't expected to find it there and it was a pleasant surprise.

any time you can peak into Michael's life and eyes is a nice surprise. He's such a sweet guy and it's hard to remember what's happened to him. And I'm with him, Oliver makes me angry. He's done so much, betrayed so many, and yet they are all forced to play one happy family.

Eve is cute as ever.

[Myndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah! Talk about Scary! I never imagine Michael losing control, but this novella makes it clear how easily it could happen. The thing I love though, is that it also made it clear that his friends...Eve, Claire and even Shane will have his back no matter what. I love that a group of people so diversely different can be such a close knit group that they've created their own little family. I think it's one of the reasons I love this series so much!

[Jovy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morganville is like Mystic Falls of Vampire Diaries (TV show, I like it better than the book series)...vampires and humans living together openly like in True Blood.

A bit interesting due to mention of experiments, blood can vending machine in blood bank, ID with credit, the founder & her second in command, and the way Michael feels about being a vampire & about his girl friend...

[Kai · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good short story that shows the struggle that Michael goes through with craving blood especially when he is given the task of trying out a new dispenser. The problem being that the new blood causes a blood lust, so strong that it made him leave Eve in the middle of town. A good story but do not think I will read it again. X

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels like it needed to be part of the main series arc to be worthwhile. It makes more serious a sentiment that is talked quite a bit in the mainstream books but the impact is better felt here. I think it's a bit of a disservice to the story to have this as a random extra and not a scene in the books

[°☆.。.:*・Nanna°☆.。.:*・ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked that the characters from the Morganville Vampires series we there. It was also kind of nice to have Michael narrate this time for a change, however I didn't find anything exciting or interesting about this story.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't find it interesting at all. Not my kind of story I guess. Sometimes short stories don't fit in a series, and sometimes they are after thoughts from the author. I can't honestly say which category this one fits in.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually read in 2012, but I Don't want it to count towards my Goodreads Reading Challenge.

[♡Julalicious Book Paradise♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating: 3.5/5

review to come.

[Alison (Lady Coffin) S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting short story about them putting a vending machine in the blood bank, with soda like cans of blood served a body temp.

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short story that shows the struggle that Michael goes through with craving blood.

[Brandee Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as part of Enthralled

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have yet to read a Morganville installment that I haven't enjoyed.

[Emelie Johansson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading about Morganville again and this was a good read. I don’t know what to say but it was good and interesting.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great as usual! Love all these short Morganville stories!!

[jessica ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! Micheal's point of view was pretty awesome to read and for some reason the idea of a blood vending machine just cracks me up.