The Nature of Predators

Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic

Date [standardized human time]: September 1, 2136

My visit to the research outpost was intended to last half a day. At my request, Cheln, my diplomatic advisor, had crafted a speech to show our solidarity with the UN. The whole afternoon was a joint ceremony in remembrance of the humans who sacrificed their lives in our defense.

At the end of it, I would send off the predators who partook in our first civilian encounter. The volunteers of “Doctors Without Borders” and “The Red Cross” would board the initial outbound ship, with their Venlil partners in tow. It was time for humans to receive a proper integration into our society, and that meant moving planetside.

That was a less concerning prospect than it would’ve been before our experiments. There were zero reports of human-on-Venlil violence during the past 10 days. Most of the complaints against the Terrans involved the predators trying to stroke our curly fur, which I found bewildering. That wasn’t behavior I saw them exhibit with each other, so it couldn’t be written off as a social custom. Perhaps a display of possessiveness?

But overall, the trial of our species living together was a pleasant success; more so than any scientists predicted. The predators had an uncanny ability to bond with anything, and that allowed them to forge close connections within days. My mind defaulted to thinking of Noah and Sara as part of my in-group, at this point. I never could’ve imagined, when this all started, that I would look forward to seeing them as I did now.

“So they’re alive. Do you think they’ll have good news?” Sara asked.

The ceremony had come to an abrupt halt, when General Kam informed the UN delegation of a pressing development. A Federation shuttle barged into Venlil territory, and raised a series of alarms. Its pilot claimed to be the missing patrolman Slanek. He kept repeating that his human companion needed medical attention, in a hysterical voice.

I would’ve kept it on the down low until we knew more, but Secretary-General Meier wanted everyone aware of the situation. He believed that if the change of plans wasn’t explained, rumors would spread that the Arxur were attacking.

The UN leader’s presence was unexpected. We had never met in person, or spoken beyond video messages. But it seemed when Ambassador Noah told him of my plans, he wished to attend the memorial firsthand.

Many humans flocked to the docking port as the news dispersed; everyone on the station was eager to welcome the arrivals. The crowd numbered several hundred, once Venlil were added to the count. Terran paramedics were on stand-by, and the media were swarming to report any developments.

I knew why the predators wanted to see the state of the captives. They were trying to decide if the Federation was an enemy. In the wake of my shocking admission, they wanted to know if co-existence was even possible. This was a good sign, if the Federation military were civilized enough to hear a predator out, and set it free.

“I’m hopeful, guys.” I swished my tail reassuringly. “If the Federation let your ‘Marcel’ fellow go, maybe I was wrong. Maybe they can see you for the sensitive and wonderful species you really are.”

“I greenlit the plan for a pre-emptive strike days ago.” Meier’s voice was slow and gravelly, flowing with a practiced cadence. “The generals suggested that we needed to hit the key Gojid launchpoints. I have no way of recalling our bombers, even if I want to.”

“Damn it all!” Noah cursed. “I knew we were too hasty. The Federation will see this as an unprovoked attack. We’re going to ruin all chances of peace.”

I patted the Ambassador on the shoulder, hoping to quell his emotions. His brown eyes softened, and he gave me an appreciative nod. There was no sense in lamenting what was already set in stone. All we could do now was address the consequences together.

Proximity alarms shrieked, as our sensors detected an unknown vessel within bombing range. The UN generals switched them off, then granted permission for the inbound ship to dock. A few Terran soldiers lingered near their officers with assault rifles, in case of a trap. Their paranoia and suspicion had soared to new heights, since they learned the galaxy wanted to kill them.

I didn’t have the heart to tell them that such deception was a predator’s tactic. Playing at empathy would never be the Federation’s modus operandi.

The exterior airlock creaked open, and a Federation shuttle descended from the inky backdrop. It followed the station’s landing beacon to glide through the opening, and mounted its footings into the docking port with surgical precision. The craft wasn’t big enough to fit more than four individuals, and that was if they stacked on top of each other. The soldiers relaxed, satisfied that an ambush force was ruled out.

It only took a few seconds for the port to repressurize, but I could sense the humans’ restlessness. Anxious murmurs cycled through the crowd. Waiting, on the cusp of certainty, fueled the darker side of their imagination. The partition between the reception area and the dock receded, once the sensors determined it was safe.

A silver-gray Venlil poked his head from the spacecraft, which drew a few cheers from our people. A bandage wound its way around his ears, tying down the lone black tuft of hair on his forehead. The wrappings were soaked through with rich, orange fluid. That fresh bleeding suggested he needed medical attention himself.

The human paramedics exchanged looks, as there was no sign of their man. They shouldered their way past the Venlil. I could only see their backs, but they seemed to stiffen as they laid eyes on the interior. What had they seen that we had not? How severe were the human’s injuries?

The predators toted a stretcher inside, and summoned a gurney to wait by the ship. Loud calls thundered above the chatter to clear a path. That meant Marcel was alive, but I had to wonder why he couldn’t walk out under his own power. It also raised the question of how he incurred such a condition in the first place.

Sara pressed a hand to her mouth. “My God. What have they done?”

“I…I am more grateful to you than ever, Tarva,” Noah breathed, shaken to the core. “I should’ve never questioned your decision. I see now what you saved us from.”

Similar cries erupted from the onlookers, as the paramedics emerged with the captured human. Marcel’s malnourishment was apparent at first glance. His skin hugged his bones tightly, and his stomach was a flat depression beneath his ribcage. I wasn’t sure if it was the starvation, or the vicious injuries, that caused his breathing to sound so strained.

The poor guy’s face was mashed to a pulp, bruised and bloodied. Whoever beat the human seemed to take particular offense to his binocular eyes. The way the sockets were turning black made my stomach flip. A metal band was fitted to his neck, and the skin beneath was marred with minor burns. Why was that choker still on him? Nobody had taken it off?

The Venlil almost seemed more incensed than the humans. The thought of the Federation doing that to their buddy sparked a… predatory rage. My own blood boiled at such a grave injustice. Noah was right; that would’ve been him if I allowed it. I was wavering on whether I wanted the humans to show mercy to my old friends after all.

“Stop filming this,” I hissed at our media personnel. “Show some respect.”

Meier crossed his arms. “No, film it. On the condition that you’ll show it everywhere. I want everyone to see this. To document how the Federation treated one of ours. When we declare war on these bastards, I don’t want anyone saying it’s for no reason.”

“Whoa, hold up. If they realized their mistake, and let him go…” Noah whispered. “Maybe they’re sorry, and wish to make amends?”

“They didn’t realize anything!” Slanek’s horizontal pupils snapped toward us, as he overheard the Ambassador’s comment. “The captain was going to kill Marcel, and they’re still planning to bomb Earth.”

“What stopped them from killing him? Did you talk them down?” I asked, in a soft voice.

“I tried, Governor. But they wouldn’t listen! We escaped by the skin of our teeth, because of first officer Recel. He incapacitated the captain, and escorted us off the ship.”

The Secretary-General frowned. “What happened to this Recel?”

“I brought him with us, sir. He’s on the ship…I can’t get him to come out. This isn’t, er, exactly what I promised him.”

My ears swiveled toward the shuttle. I thought I could detect the sound of terrified whines, amidst the commotion. Meier looked like he wanted to retrieve the first officer himself, and was about to start in that direction. Though the gray-haired human didn’t exude hostility, I feared he might escalate Recel’s emotions to a blinding panic.

“Let me handle this,” I said to the humans. “Noah, Sara, you remember how hard it was for us…and there were only two of you.”

Meier glanced at the astronauts, and fell back as their nods affirmed my words. I ducked into the spacecraft to look around.

Huddled beneath the pilot’s chair was a Kolshian male, with a dark blanket over his head. It was a pitiful attempt at camouflage; it would be amusing, at a brighter time. The movement of the fabric, and the outline of his form were obvious giveaways. I imagine the human paramedics noticed Recel, but were too preoccupied with Marcel to coax him out.

Within closer range, the whines sounded more like muffled screams. I clicked my claws on the floor, so Recel would know the approaching person wasn’t a human. The officer peeked out from under his tarp. His bulbous, orange eyes lit up with recognition.

“Governor Tarva!” Recel exclaimed. “You’re…alive?”

“Of course I’m alive. What made you think I wasn’t?!”

“It’s just, er, nobody has actually seen you in months. And this station is infested with predators; I saw them through the window. Lurking, waiting.”

“It’s not infested, and they have good reason to ‘lurk.’ They were curious and worried, and now, they’re rather upset. Hell, I’m upset too.”

“Oh, please help me, Tarva. This is a nightmare, and I’ve done it to myself. I just want to wake up, you know? Get me out of here! Please.”

“Calm down. Everything is alright now. Tell me, what is it that the humans are doing that’s bothering you?”

“Slanek said there were ‘just a couple’, damn it. Two or three, I could tolerate but…looking at all those predators? Pure agony. It feels like my chest is on fire. I don’t know how you bear it.”

“I know exactly how you feel. It will pass.”

“You can’t know that.”

“But I do. How about I introduce you to my first human friend? Just one of them.”

“Just one. Just one, one!” Recel whined, rocking back and forth. “Okay. Just one.”

The Kolshian was clearly on the brink of a nervous breakdown, but I decided to move forward with that tepid affirmation. This guy defied a superior officer, and sacrificed his career to save a human. That wasn’t a risk that someone took without good reason.

There had to be some part of Recel that already accepted the predators’ true nature. It was a matter of getting through to him, of bringing his logical mind back into the equation. Whether it was reason or empathy that struck home, it didn’t make a difference.

“NOAH! Come here,” I called.

The male astronaut hurried in, rushing to my side. “Is everything alright? What’s going on, Tarva?”

“Hm. The first time I saw Noah, I thought he was feral. Can you imagine answering that hail?” I waved a paw in the human’s direction, and Recel shuddered. “All of his teeth were showing, and those murderous eyes were like something out of a nightmare. He looked like the meanest, nastiest creature in the universe.”

The Ambassador sighed. “Ah Governor, you always flatter me.”

“Shush! I’m getting to the important part,” I huffed. “But anyhow, the humans’ words were about peace. There was such a disparity between that appearance and the things they said. My brain couldn’t reconcile it.”

“I’m just saying, Tarva, you could fake the occasional compliment.” Noah shot me a coy smile. I had been around the predators too long if I could differentiate snarls, hadn’t I? “Talk about my winning personality? My exquisite physique? Pretend you liked me?”

“I do like you! Stop fishing! At any rate…there was this collection of little things the humans did that made me think ‘maybe.’ The odd doubt. But looking at them dredged up all my worst memories, so I shut out that voice. I wanted them gone.”

“Then why did you stop Sovlin from g-getting rid of them? What happened?” Recel stammered.

“I teared up just a little, and the first thing Noah did was try to comfort me. I realized that I never gave him a chance. No unfeeling creature would pick up on emotional nuances like they do. That’s when I knew. When did it click for you?”

“It…he…the instant Slanek showed signs of distress, Marcel tried to protect him. It was something he said, that he only cared for the Venlil’s safety.” The Kolshian’s eyes became distant, as though he was reliving the moment. “Even when the captain had a gun against his head, the predator was trying to soothe his friend. And I believed him, if just for a moment.”

“You sensed it then, Recel. You know that nobody could fake it that perfectly.”

“I know. But, I feel…”

“Forget about the feel. You’re going to walk out of here with me and Noah. We’ll find you a room, and I want you to rest up.”

“And then?”

“Then, we’re going to determine who is responsible for what happened to Marcel. The humans will decide what to do about it. It’s your decision, but I’d like you to speak to them. You represent the Federation, as far as we’re concerned.”

Noah nodded. “As would I. We don’t have to be enemies.”

Recel rose on unstable legs and dusted himself off. Those first steps into the open were tentative and frightful; he coiled his tail around mine for support.

Venturing out through the sea of humans, many of whom were openly staring, must have been a daunting task. But he managed to hold back the scream which I sensed building in his chest. The officer lowered his gaze to the floor, and marched ahead through the chemical fever.

Perhaps this man was a spark of hope that not everyone would write humanity off on sight. I prayed that Earth could find other friends in the galaxy; and that our newfound ally would find the courage to prove that it was a possibility.