The Nature of Predators

Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic

Date [standardized human time]: September 5, 2136

The essential Terran dignitaries were present in the meeting hall, alongside the top-ranking Venlil staff. I settled down in the chair between Noah and Kam, which was turning into the typical seating arrangement. There was satisfaction in finding the predators’ presence so… normal and routine.

The importance of this conference could not be understated. The UN was determining which parties to take action against in the Federation, and whether diplomatic avenues could prove a suitable alternative to violence. There was no reversing the war against the Gojids; the damage done to their repute by Sovlin was catastrophic. But perhaps not everyone had to get suckered into this shit show.

That was why I hoped Recel would show at the meeting. The Federation officer hadn’t left his room since his arrival, and had barely picked at the meals we delivered by his door. My attempts to speak with him were met with a half-hearted ‘Go away.’ It was all I could do to inform him of the planned start time, and remind him once more on my way to the assembly hall.

In case the Kolshian did accept our invitation, we wanted to make him as comfortable as possible. The humans were wearing opaque visors to conceal their eyes, and surgical masks to obscure their menacing snarls. The UN personnel were quite accommodating; it would likely be standard procedure, for any future first contacts.

My eyes flickered over to Noah. Without the predatory features to buff up the humans, they looked squishy and weak. Those hands were more attuned to picking berries or climbing trees than combat, which was probably close to the truth. They lacked any form of camouflage for stealth, and weren’t that quick. Even their smell and hearing were subpar.

What kind of predators are they? They always mention tools when asked, then change the subject, I thought. Perhaps they’re ashamed of their natural weakness?

“I look ridiculous in this, Tarva. I’d prefer a full helmet, rather than this cyborg doctor cosplay,” Noah hissed.

I stifled a laugh. “I understood half of what you said. But this allows you to drink water, and I hope it’s less stuffy. You must have been miserable on that first TV appearance.”

“Oh, I think I was just trying to remember to breathe. You have no idea how in awe we were.” The ambassador leaned back in his chair, and waved a hand for emphasis. “I realized how important that moment was. Sometimes, I still think to myself that I dreamed it all.”

“It is like a fever dream, isn’t it? It’s all so strange. Oh, um, speaking of strange… there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Go on.”

“We’ve noticed some unusual behavior from your human volunteers. Mildly concerning.”

“Dear God, what have we done?”

“Just all sorts of bizarre reports, which I am increasingly baffled by. Multiple cases of humans speaking in high-pitched voices when asking Venlil to do things, or even saying hello.”

“Oh, yeah…I can see that.”

“Giving us toys that make ear-piercing squeaks when touched. Sometimes throwing objects and begging us to retrieve them? I don’t understand the purpose.”

“Hm, that would be demeaning…sorry about that.”

“And you’re so obsessed with our fur. Always trying to touch it, and talking about how soft it is. Some people suggested you wanted to harvest it.”

Noah recoiled, and I figured his eyes were wide with horror. “Nothing like that. We just, er, like cute animals?”

“Why?”

“It sparks our nurturing instincts. Releases dopamine, which makes us happy.”

“But you don’t do any of that.”

“You’re a planetary leader, and I’m a terrifying beast to you. It’d be wholly inappropriate and unprofessional. Though I confess, as for the last one…the thought has crossed my mind.”

“You don’t scare me anymore, Noah. But if you must, I’d prefer you try any fur-petting on Kam than me. I’d get a laugh seeing him bite your head off.”

“Deal.”

Kam glared at us, clearly eavesdropping on our conversation. “Don’t even think about it! Tarva, it’s going to be your fault if Noah loses a finger or two.”

“Good thing I have ten of them.” Noah stretched a hand in the military advisor’s direction, and the Venlil jumped up from the table. The human brought his arm back to his chest with a laugh. “I’m kidding, Kam. I’d only do that if you asked me to.”

Secretary-General Meier broke off his conversation with his generals. “Well, I see we’re all wonderful at sitting still. Aren’t we, Ambassador Williams?”

“Uh, we were just playing around,” Noah replied.

“I see that. A lot of mature adults here.” The UN leader heaved an exasperated sigh. I was no expert in human body language, but his posture screamed exhaustion. “Right, this meeting was supposed to start ten minutes ago…no sign of Recel. Let’s get started.”

I pulled up the briefing material on my holopad, and refreshed my memory one last time. The human generals had forwarded a proposition for a ground invasion of the Gojid home world. I’d given it a cursory review, in advance of this gathering, and discussed with my advisors what our role should be.

It was ironic, since I knew what those plans were derived from. They were offshoots of the original tactics we drew up together to invade the Arxur. Brandishing those ideas against our former allies, which were designed to raid sentient farm worlds, felt dirty.

There were some modifications, stressing the preservation of civilians where possible. I was surprised to see the humans adhering to their warfare rules, under the circumstances.

The stated objective was to capture government leaders, and to force the Gojidi Union’s capitulation. I couldn’t disagree that the only way to bring them to the negotiating table was at gunpoint. They’d amassed an annihilation force from the discovery of a single human.

“I take it we’re all familiar with this operation. It’s an ambitious task, I know,” General Zhao stated.

General Jones tugged at her mask. “But ground fighting, and atmospheric warfare; that’s our territory. I’m confident in our chances.”

“The problem is which ships to use, for the battle above. To transport a proper amount of soldiers,” Zhao finished. “Candidly, our ships just don’t cut it, in any way.”

“You’ll use Venlil ships for whatever you need for now, and that’s final. We’ll give you our blueprints too, so you can build yourself a proper armada.” I glanced at Noah for support, and was relieved to see an encouraging nod. “With our knowledge in hand, I know you can make improvements on our designs. It will help us both in the long run. I don’t wish to keep anything from you anymore.”

“That’s very generous of you, Governor. Thank you,” Meier said. “We will repay—”

The door creaked open, which about made me jump out of my fur. A violet-skinned Kolshian slunk into the room, and surveyed the occupants with hesitancy. I was grateful the humans had kept their face coverings on. Even with the precautions, the Federation officer was trembling.

My ears perked up. “Recel! We didn’t think you were coming. Please, sit down.”

It was promising that he showed up, since he was the best hope of peace. Then again, he was a wild card. Recel could outright insult the humans, and inflame the situation. I don’t think the UN representatives, or for that matter, any Venlil present would take kindly to a defense of Sovlin’s actions either.

“I wasn’t sure I would come myself,” the Kolshian sighed. “But we must all live with the choices we make. Here I am.”

“It’s come to my attention that you find it hard to look at us.” Secretary-General Meier gestured to his facial attire. “We’ve elected to wear these visors, so that you don’t feel that we’re staring at you. Does that help?”

Recel waved his tail. “Yes. Thank you.”

“No, thank you. You have the sincere gratitude of our planet, for your heroism and compassion. Knowing your feelings toward predators, I suspect you will decline my offer. But we are more than willing to grant you asylum on Earth, should you so desire.”

“I appreciate the offer. You diverge from the Arxur in many ways, that I have seen. But I don’t think I could ever live among you.”

“We understand. If you truly cannot abide our looks—I mean, it’s hurtful, but not unexpected.”

Meier’s words about the sting of the galaxy’s cold-shouldered treatment rang true. My mind flickered back to how wounded Noah looked, when he learned that the Venlil planned to kill humanity. The crestfallen look on his face when I described my initial impression of him to Recel.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been quite so honest, even if it soothed the first officer. The human played it off as a joke, but I suspect he did need some kind words on occasion.

It must be awful to be shunned as a monster constantly; to feel rejected and unwanted. To have every action under a microscope. Noah had been dealing with Venlil gawking or panicking at the sight of him for months. Did he understand that I cared for him, despite my instincts?

I patted Noah on the hand absent-mindedly, and he squeezed my paw in return.

Recel drew a deep breath. “Alright. W-what else do you want of me?”

“Co-existence is all we ask, from anyone,” Meier replied. “I don’t know how to achieve that from a Federation that seeks to genocide humanity. I’d like your opinion, because my own outlook is quite bleak.”

“Some in the Federation may be open to hearing your case, if they can get past the…you know. I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I believe human history may have been studied through a narrow lens. It’s so ingrained that predators are inherently evil. We might’ve overlooked the forest for the trees.”

“And where does that leave us? I don’t think the Gojids are the only ones plotting an attack in the Federation. If you have any ideas for a peaceful resolution, I’m all ears, but we intend to defend Earth to the last.”

The Kolshian’s demeanor shifted in an instant, and suddenly, an authoritative officer was present. “You can start by releasing the hostages. Now. Peaceful species don’t hold diplomats and civilians against their will.”

“That was my doing, Recel,” I chimed in. “After what happened with Marcel, you can see why I thought it necessary.”

“But I agree with him, Tarva. It reflects poorly on humanity, because, regardless of the truth, everyone will fault us in that matter. The Federation must be worried for their citizens’ condition.” Meier tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought. “It will help our case for their own people to validate what has been said by the Venlil. We should allow anyone to leave that wishes to.”

“News of our existence is out,” Noah added. “The damage is already done. There’s no reason to keep them here.”

I flicked my ears. “Very well. I’ll reopen the borders tonight…at least for outbound ships.”

Recel’s eyes widened in surprise. It was obvious the officer had been expecting resistance, rather than for the predators to side with him.

“Good. That’s settled. Any other ideas, Recel?” Meier asked.

“Um, the Federation is holding a summit, a few days from now. They’re going to discuss what to do regarding humanity. You could send a representative. Perhaps they would let you say a few words in your defense?”

“What’s to stop the Federation from covering up anything we say? Any information we give them, or anything that contradicts their narrative? It sounds like your leadership has already made up their minds.”

“The Federation aren’t out to dupe their own citizens. They just can’t have another Arxur. Everything will be broadcast, so even if the leadership won’t budge, you could sway public opinion.”

“But you hardly sound convinced that the Federation will let a human speak at all, Recel. What’s to stop them from slapping a collar on our representative, and bashing their face in too? Or shooting them on sight?”

“Honestly? Nothing. I can’t predict how they’ll react. I would’ve thought we were better than that at one time, but I don’t anymore.”

“I couldn’t send anyone to that fate. It would be akin to murder.”

I swished my tail in agreement. After watching a human pilot, brutalized at the hands of a Federation crew, the risks were fresh in everyone’s memory. It was a senseless sacrifice, that could be for nothing; the Federation would be reluctant to let a predator voice its thoughts. Recel knew better than anyone how deep-seated their hatred ran.

“I’ll go,” Noah said.

My pupils snapped toward him. “Absolutely not! I don’t want to see you killed, or maimed as a lab rat.”

“I’m not afraid of dying. If there is a single species like the Venlil out there, I find it a worthy cause.” The ambassador gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then turned his head toward Meier. “All I ask is for a cyanide capsule. I don’t know if I could bear torture. I want a way out, if it comes to that.”

The Secretary-General hesitated. “Are you sure? I couldn’t tell you, not with a straight face, that I believe you’ll come home.”

“Quite sure. And I’d like to leave as soon as possible. There’s no time to waste.”

Horror chilled my blood. The last person I wanted to fall into Federation custody was sweet, forgiving Noah. He was a godsend in the ambassadorial role; always with a perfect read on my emotions, and willing to answer every awkward question. I had come to think of him as one of my own advisors. Perhaps I was a bit too reliant on him to defuse tense situations.

“I’ll go with you, then,” I hissed. “I’ll try to protect you, though I don’t think I can do much. My standing with the Federation has diminished.”

“Tarva, no. What if they hurt you? They threw a Venlil in a cage with a starving predator, remember?”

“They won’t do that to me. I’m a planetary leader, and the galaxy will be watching. I am not worried for my safety.”

Recel lowered his eyes. “Please allow me to accompany you as well. I wish to turn myself in for high treason.”

“We don’t want you punished for helping us,” Meier said.

“I know. But my testimony may be helpful in balancing what Sovlin has told them. And I wish to be home, whatever happens. My heart lies with the Federation.”

“If that is really what you want, you’re not a prisoner.” Disappointment seeped into the UN leader’s tone. “I do wish you would reconsider though.”

“I won’t.”

“Very well. Good luck to all of you then.”

Noah stood up from his chair, and extended his hand to the Secretary-General. Meier tugged at it, in that quirky, grappling ritual humans did. It felt like a final good-bye, though I hoped that wasn’t the case.

I wondered what the gentle ambassador could say that would dissuade the Federation. He needed to challenge hundreds of years of research, and flip assumptions, without getting killed.

It was a tall task, even for a man who epitomized the best of humanity.