Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut

A decade after a devastating global conflict fractured the world into two rival superpowers—the eastern Union of Zirnitra Republics and the western United Kingdom of Arnak—a fierce space race defines their rivalry. In 1960, Premier Gergiev of the Union unveils the Mechtat Program, an ambitious initiative to achieve manned spaceflight. To support this endeavor, the Republic constructs Laika 44, a highly classified and isolated city where scientists engineer advanced aerospace technology while cosmonaut candidates rigorously compete for a place among the stars. Within this secretive environment, backup candidate Lev Leps is assigned a deeply unconventional role under Operation Nosferatu. He is tasked with overseeing the training of Irina Ruminescu, a vampire selected as a test subject to endure the extreme physiological conditions of space travel before any human attempts the journey. The program intends to use her to evaluate these hazards, ultimately incorporating her into a manned mission. Despite the stark differences in their origins and the political machinery surrounding them, both Lev and Irina share a singular, unwavering ambition: to break free from earthly boundaries and reach the cosmos.