The Nature of Predators

Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps

Date [standardized human time]: September 27, 2136

Waves of Gojid reinforcements arrived after the predators’ initial takeover. The humans’ strategic advantage was that they could be liberal when hurling artillery into enemy ranks. Our opponents were more hesitant, bearing the knowledge that civilians were trapped within city limits.

To their credit, the Gojids adapted to the novel predatory tactics quickly. To counteract the unmanned UN ships, the fresh troops carried out manual surface-to-air missile launches. That made precision strikes a more challenging affair. From what I heard, most Gojid politicians escaped to an unknown bunker location, which meant the Terrans were also thwarted on their main objective.

The humans resolved to hold their perimeter, exacting a heavy price in blood for every inch they were forced to concede. They took up guard at positions with open sight-lines, and made Gojid advances suicide. With neither side able to make progress, the situation became a stand-off. Our rivals must be steaming at their failure to reclaim any significant landmarks.

“Slanek, you need to eat something. You haven’t touched your plate. We’re on next watch,” Tyler mumbled through a mouthful of food.

The blond human was shoveling brown crumbles down his gullet, one after the other. This person, that I knew and traveled with, was consuming meat. Real, actual flesh bits, like it was the most ordinary thing in the world. No wonder Marcel had taken Nulia away for mealtime, and told me I should eat alone.

I didn’t want to be impolite when Tyler asked if I wanted company. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind, that he would indulge in such a savage feast. My appetite vanished as soon as I saw him bite into those rations. There were so many animal pieces, contaminating the entire meal. The queasiness in my stomach was swelling upward, like a thrashing wave at high tide.

He’s eating the burnt skin and muscle of a dead animal. Crunching it between his fangs. Fucking hell, I cursed internally. This predator is swallowing those carcass shavings without hesitation. He’s enjoying it, even.

Acid gurgled in my throat, and I spewed my stomach contents onto the ground. The human’s blue eyes widened in alarm, and he rushed to my side. The flesh-eating beast patted my back, whispering soothing words. He dabbed a towel against my mouth, wiping off the vomit specks.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Tyler hummed. “I didn’t realize you were sick.”

How could this predator try to emulate normal behavior, after what he just did? All I could think was that he was a disgusting animal, and that he was probably breathing flesh particles onto my neck. It was all I could do not to kick my hindlegs into his carnivorous stomach.

I tried to spit the taste of puke out of my mouth. “I…want you to leave.”

“Um, yeah, alright. Let me get Marcel first, and he can check on you.”

I breathed a sigh of relief as the human exited the tent, and tried not to look at the meal remains he left behind. Most of these predators here ate meat, didn’t they? It was a standard part of their diet; Marcel was the rare exception that refrained from such horrid consumption. I couldn’t have the vegetarian back at my side fast enough.

My human returned with a sleeping Nulia tucked against his chest. The Gojid child had her leg fixed in a cast, and seemed to be in better spirits after a few days. Remarkably, her spines were laying flat on her back, despite being in a predator’s clutches. Marcel rubbed the bristles, careless to the fact that they could extend and prickle him at any moment.

“Marc,” I whined. “Please…”

His hazel eyes landed on the table. “What the fuck, man? You brought predator food around Slanek?”

Tyler glanced at his plate. “Oh…that’s why he threw up? Shit, I’m sorry. Slanek, I’m real sorry, bro.”

“Get the fuck out of here!” Marcel growled. “And for God’s sake, take your shit-ass MRE with you.”

The other human grabbed his food, and rushed away as my friend shot him a blistering glare. The redhead cupped a hand over Nulia’s eyes as she stirred, so she wouldn’t see what Tyler had been munching on. I don’t think I was ever going to be able to look at that meat-eating predator the same. That savage display made my skin crawl.

I lowered my ears. “I’m sorry for making you yell at your friend.”

“Shh, it’s okay, Slanek. Let’s go outside and get some fresh air,” Marcel said. “You’ll feel better. Then, we’ll clean up that mess. Everything is going to be fine.”

My mind began to settle once we wandered out beneath the starlight. The red-haired human tickled Nulia’s nose, making her giggle. It was clear he took a shine to the Gojid child, despite the feelings he harbored toward Sovlin and her species as a whole. I didn’t understand how his brain operated sometimes.

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your paws.” The human sang in a low voice, shooting a glance toward me. The kid squealed and slapped him on the chest, which I don’t think was the instruction. “If you’re happy—”

Two bright orange flashes detonated on the horizon, striking the most-populated regions of the settlement. Marcel’s song died out as he observed the explosions, and my own eyes widened with horror. I thought the Terrans were opposed to an orbital bombardment!

Why had these predators gone through the trouble of an invasion, just to do that? Were they lashing out because they failed to capture their desired political targets?

More bombs fell close behind, striking points across the skyline, with the undeniable intention of scoring casualties. Aircraft ripped through the sky, dispersing a trail of interceptors to avoid being shot down. They were searching for a flat stretch of land on the city outskirts. Most likely, they wanted to touch down a shuttle and dispatch ground troops.

The humans don’t have aircraft like that, and they didn’t land like that. Which means…

“All Terran forces, report to your extraction point. The UN fleet is engaging Arxur hostiles above-world.” Terse orders carried over the radio, confirming my worst suspicions. “But, they have already attained orbital supremacy. Their intent appears to be glassing the planet.”

Any sign of weakness was the Arxur’s invitation to pounce. The sadistic predators must’ve sensed that something was off from the destruction of the Gojid border outposts. As they advanced to the core systems, the lack of resistance from patrol ships or FTL disruptors confirmed those suspicions. The Terran incursion left this system vulnerable to the true threat.

Fear coursed through my veins, and the nausea began to simmer again. Facing the grays after this miserable, irredeemable week was a dreadful thought. I felt like I was about to snap as things were.

Meanwhile, the UN soldiers in the camp grabbed their weapons. They held no such reservations about drawing reptilian blood. I suspected fighting the Arxur was the reason most humans joined the Terran reserves.

“Not good. We have to evacuate as many people as we can,” my human grumbled. “But, I’m just going to get you two out of here. You’re all that matters to me.”

Marcel withdrew his hand as Nulia’s spines bristled, but didn’t seem angered by the blood spots dotting his palm. He balanced the Gojid child in his arms, and knelt to let me climb onto his back. The weight proved difficult for him to handle. The predator grunted with exertion, shuffling forward in slow steps.

The child’s life comes first, obviously. We can’t abandon her to a predator’s whims like her mother did. Marc doesn’t want to leave either of us behind, but it’s too much.

I disembarked. It was uncertain whether I could run more than a few minutes, or keep up with a human’s long strides. But Nulia had no hope, if left to her own devices; with her maimed leg, she couldn’t walk on her own.

Marcel knelt back down. “Slanek, no. I am not going anywhere without you. Listen… I can handle this.”

“Take the kid. I’ll be fine,” I managed.

My slender legs trotted after the departing Terran soldiers, trusting that I could follow their footsteps. Two hands grabbed me from behind, and I yelped in alarm. My head snapped around, teeth bared with the intention to bite my assailant. There was a moment of hesitation as I realized it was Tyler; the very human Marcel just chased out of my tent.

A shudder rippled down my spine. The last thing I wanted was for this flesh-eater to stick his grubby paws on me. But it seemed to be the best solution for Marcel’s sake, so I decided to tolerate the unwanted contact.

My friend hesitated, seeing me squirm in discomfort. “You’ve got Slanek, Ty?”

“Yep. No man left behind. We all stick together,” Tyler replied.

The blond predator shifted me onto his back, and he jogged off with Marcel close behind. The humans’ breathing grew a bit more laborious, although I’d hardly call it panting. The predators ran for minutes without carving a dent into their stamina; there were merely a few beads of sweat on Tyler’s neck. That was odd.

UN soldiers fanned out at the front of the entourage, on the lookout for threats. They were shepherding the vulnerable individuals behind them, rather than an “every man for himself” mentality. Terran medics were evacuating any wounded or captives that could stand, including their own hobbled soldiers. They had their fair share of human injuries to grapple with.

Some Gojid prisoners attempted to flee as soon as they were released. They appeared in decent shape, for having been in predatory custody. The humans made little attempt to stop them, watching them go with head shakes. The evacuation couldn’t slow for fearful idiots unwilling to act in their own survival interest.

A decent percentage heeded the Terran warning about the Arxur threat, falling into the pack. Perhaps they felt indebted to the predators, since many were civilians who would be dead without human intervention. It was unsurprising to see that Marcel wasn’t the only one carrying an alien child.

“MAWZY!” Nulia wailed. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going somewhere safe, darling,” Marcel panted, accepting the nickname. I think if I tried to call him that, his reaction would be quite different. “I need you to be brave. Think of it as a great adventure! Nothing can happen to you when you’re with me, okay?”

I watched my human from my perch on Tyler’s back. There was nothing adventurous about fleeing from an orbital raid. It was possible that nobody would make it off-world alive. A bomb could land atop the group right now and disintegrate us.

More Arxur craft descended through the atmosphere, eager to collect dazed survivors as slaves. Pummel the cities across the globe, fill a few transports with cattle, and then finish off the rest. This was a story I’d seen before.

“Why did so many of the Arxur shuttles get through, when ours couldn’t?” I whispered, more to myself than anything.

Tyler sighed. “We…we did take control of the Gojid defenses. And we haven’t learned how to use them.”

My ears curled back, as an explosion rocked the city wall a kilometer away. I was relieved we had escaped the confines with such swiftness; a few minutes slower and we would be toast. The humans carved a path through the local orchards, which took up much of the land outside the settlement. Grain fields rested past rows of plump trees, and I figured Terran craft would crunch down atop the stalks.

At least we can land ships now. The sooner we’re off this forsaken world, the better, I thought. I can’t imagine how the Gojids feel, knowing their homeworld is all but lost. The Terrans must look friendly by comparison.

Agitated chatter spawned at the head of the pack, and the humans slowed their pace. My gaze locked onto the galaxy’s apex predators, who were spread out in search of lone civilians. I had never seen one of the Arxur in person. It was merciful that we spotted them first, but they still stood between us and our presumed extraction point.

Their tough gray skin was taut and scaly, forming ridges along their spines. Their long v-shaped snouts were perfect for snapping up prey; serrated fangs jutted from their mouths, even when they were closed. Onyx eyes were dialed to slits, and tracked prey with jittery motions. Their bipedal plodding allowed them to lunge forward with unbelievable speed.

My eyes zeroed in on an Arxur soldier, tearing into an elderly Gojid’s stomach. The poor guy was still alive, and his screams were audible from here. Younger specimen were being dragged away, to serve breeding purposes or toil as slaves.

“Monsters,” Nulia cried. “Way scarier than Mawsle. I want to go home!”

Marcel covered her eyes. “Don’t look, Nulia. We have to escape from the monsters. They…destroyed your home.”

“FIX IT!” she sobbed. “Fix it now!”

“I can’t. I wish I could.”

The Terran soldiers leading the posse crept forward, and waved for the group to continue. The Arxur’s nostrils flared as we drew within scent range. Something flashed in their eyes as they locked onto the humans. Was that…interest? Did they recognize the puny primates as predators?

UN forces opened fire on the grays, and tried to seek refuge behind the orchard trees. They were drawing the reptilians’ attention to provide cover for our escape. We darted out into the open, and I prayed that the vessels circling overhead were friendlies. As if on cue, three ships with the Terran insignia alighted on the grain field.

Our human protectors were locked in a vicious firefight, at the edge of my periphery. A few of them were strewn out in lifeless positions. The time they bought us was a mere thirty seconds; we needed to be off the ground as soon as possible. The Arxur had wizened up to the diversion, and lobbed their shots at the civilian entourage.

It is times like these I wish I had the humans’ narrow field of vision. I can see all of the terror and death happening around us at once.

Tyler pushed himself to his maximum speed, and dove into the open side door of a transport. I dropped to the floor and crawled toward the rear of the aircraft. The blond human asked if I was okay, repeating my name several times, but I ignored him.

My gaze was focused on the entrance, watching as several passengers climbed in. Dozens of people pushed into the craft, packing in on each other. The Gojids were eyeing any boarding predators warily, but after what they saw outside, they realized the humans had better self-control.

Wait…where was my friend? The engine revved to life, and I screamed at the pilots to stop. Oblivious to any inherent danger, I raced toward a window.

Marcel was shouldering a wounded human alongside a medic, while still clinging to the kid. Bullets sailed around him, but he refused to abandon his compatriot. He hoisted the half-conscious predator into the vehicle, then staggered onboard with the doctor.

My human collapsed on the floor, groaning. The expression on his face spoke of pain, and I hoped it was just exhaustion. I dashed to his side, and whimpered at the sight of crimson blood pooling around him.

“Mawsle, your arm is wet,” Nulia said. “And sticky.”

“Is it now?” he murmured. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure…sure it’s fine.”

There was another red mark on his thigh. My predator appeared to have been shot twice during the fray. Why did Marcel insist on playing the hero, every time the Arxur turned up?

These wounds hit non-vital areas at least, from what I knew about human anatomy. As long as the bleeding was stopped, he should survive. The spacecraft began to lift off, and I shouted for a medic.

The Terrans’ efforts were undeniable, but the Gojid populace numbered a few billion. If even a hundred thousand made it off-world miraculously, it was simple math to figure the astronomical casualties. A great Federation power was down to a few colonies, and an endangered species overnight.

Perhaps most concerning, the Arxur knew there was another predator now. My eyes floated back to the window, watching the gray beasts shrink to the size of insects. I suspected tracking down the Earthlings just became their top priority.