The Nature of Predators - Sovlin’s Transcript (1/13)

Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command

Date [standardized human time]: August 21, 2136

“I suppose I did give you my blessing for this expedition, yet it still feels like you defied me,” Prime Minister Piri stated, a worried look on her face. “Would you have ventured off without my permission?”

I hadn’t been able to rush over quickly enough to get a Federation response in motion. Many of my crew were running about like stampeding Venlil, as word of the predator onboard got around, but I knew that we had the advantage. Marcel could give us information that would be critical for the strike on its planet, and moreover, I finally had the chance for some comeuppance for Hania. Standing over the face of malice, I’d been shaking and terrified. What a novel, tantalizing opportunity to inflict such potent fear on a callous hunter, for once. I could train it to feel those very things, which was why I’d ordered Zarn to fetch a Yulpa shock collar. This had been the last thing I had expected to find on the Venlil ship, but we’d saved Slanek; the hunter’s handiwork was visible in the gash on his forehead. What would’ve happened to him without our intervention, especially after that beast fought the Arxur to keep him?

Every minute that humans still existed, more Venlil were enslaved and eaten. The entire galaxy was next in their campaign of cruelty! I’d seen what monstrosities like Marcel were capable of—the lengths they’d go to hurt and torment us. Whatever the Prime Minister thought, I should be commended for going above and beyond my duty; it took exemplary heroism to stand up to a predator, whose features induced all of the textbook symptoms of a heart attack. My spines bristled from the slightest recollection of its ghastly visage.

“Yes, ma’am,” I answered.

“Hmph. I suppose you have done us a great service. The Federation will be made to know about this.” Piri tapped her claws against her chin, and turned her shrewd gaze toward me. “We were on the verge of attacking the Venlil to free our diplomats. It’s safe to assume any of our people on that world are gone.”

I snorted. “Obviously. Predators wouldn’t understand what a diplomat is if you handed them a dictionary. You should’ve seen how this…thing flew that shuttle. It had this reckless aggression that no prey could ever match. Prime Minister, I should’ve foreseen what I’d find then and there. I should’ve known the Venlil better.”

“As should I. Tarva was always kind and devoted to the Federation. Back when she was the Venlil Ambassador, I sat next to her at a few luncheons. She was soft-spoken, polite, and meek: the perfect example of her species. I can’t believe I thought she would do such a thing of her own free will.”

“I didn’t ask her the right questions on our call. How a Venlil managed to speak with those terrors breathing down her neck…by the Protector. They’ve waited so long for someone to figure it out and send help. Instead, we played right into the predators’ paws, and let Tarva cut us off from Venlil Prime. All I ask, ma’am, is to know where Earth is and when we strike—because I’ll be there to eliminate every cruel fiend that could spill into the stars, and see their fornication havens bathed in fire!”

[Transcript date changed to May 2, 2151]

“Fornication havens? You didn’t actually say that,” Hunter groaned, eyes bulging in shock; his cheeks were red with embarrassment.

“This is the most reading I’ve done in years. Real page turner.” Tyler Cardona had made a special trip from Leirn for this unveiling, for reasons I didn’t understand. At least the atavist had sat out this party at my expense. “That’s a cringeworthy quote, dude, even for you.”

I wished I could deny having any recollection of those being the words I said to the Prime Minister, but that phrase was lodged in my brain with particular clarity. Even all of these years later, I still had a highlight reel of quotes that I was humiliated to share with my human friends. Why the Terrans had gone straight for the Marcel torture pages was something I’d never understand; my remaining spines bristled, perhaps because I felt attacked by my own words. Hearing Hunter read summations of my thoughts when I captured my unfortunate victim had been an additional source of pain. The primate I rescued from the Archives had burst out laughing, when he got to the part that described human pupils as no more than dilated pools of hunger. Tyler had been happy to “play characters,” and sucked on a helium-filled balloon every time he “voiced” one of Zarn’s lines. Maybe I should’ve at least bombed this fornication haven they called Columbus.

I mean, for fuck’s sake! This is no way to celebrate my 70th birthday. That was all a decade and a half ago, and they know I’m sorry as sorry can be. Must they rub it in?

“This technology is experimental. It’s new,” I grumbled. “Don’t take everything it says so literally. I’m not sure why I had to be one of the first to get my mind read. You ugly-eyed fucks talked me into it.”

Samantha O’Brien rolled her eyes through the holopad screen, as she sat with Trevor, her husband of eleven years. “Carlos would’ve gotten a kick out of this. I loved the part where the doctor was against using untested drugs on a new species, then kissed his Hippocratic Oath goodbye. He talked about how his bioethics paper argued it was righteous to kill us.”

“Shut up! Zarn was a fine doctor, except for the parts where humans were involved…and he did save Slanek. Why do you get to comment? Tyler put in some effort, he came all the way from Leirn; you couldn’t even visit from halfway around your own planet.”

“I could visit, but I have an eight-year old and a six-year old at home. That is work, you bald degenerate. Plus, it’s fucking ten at night on a Sunday here; I’m putting in effort to be on this call at all.”

“She showed up, and so did I. Hi, Sovlin!” Trevor shouted, overly friendly as always. Opposites must attract, if he was with Sam. “Happy birthday!”

“One year closer to death,” I grumbled. “Hooray.”

Hunter shook his head. “Let’s keep this moving, people. I want to get to the part where he finds me in the Farsul base.”

“And I can’t wait to see that time I punched him and threw him into a cabinet. Now that was good stuff!” Tyler declared, cracking his knuckles. “After reading this shit, you sure we can’t do that again?”

“No…you told me we were cool after that.” I buried my head in my paws, wishing the day would end. “You wouldn’t hit an old man.”

Vysith chuckled from the kitchen, clearly eavesdropping despite pretending to be focused on her jerky. “Tyler punched Maronis, who was also an old man. Don’t be so sure.”

“I knew you were listening!”

“It’s enlightening to hear what you thought of predators, and how thoroughly you despised the Arxur. I wonder what that version of you would think of your current life: you with your predator family, including a ‘gray?’”

I chewed at my claws, recalling the faint echoes of a mindset I’d long since abandoned. “That Sovlin would’ve rather died than to be near any of you, and wouldn’t have seen a shred of value in your lives. That Sovlin…cost his people and his crew so very, very much. And as you’ll see from what Piri and I talked about next, we treated Marcel like a monster. That’s….all he was to us.”

[Transcript date changed to August 21, 2136]

“Very well, Sovlin. Our ships were already poised to strike Venlil, so we won’t need much time to rally our forces. Drafting plans is another matter, though you could help with that,” Piri murmured. “The Federation will be asked to help, but if they delay, we go alone. We’re on the borders; we’re next, after Venlil Prime. We can’t wait.”

I leaned closer to the camera, coldness gripping my heart. “Yes, ma’am. We already had one of those fiends crossing into our borders, bringing the Arxur with it. I wonder if it was aggression meeting aggression, or if that ‘fight’ was a ruse to lure my ship in. It—Marcel—tried to reason with us, but then it turned around and showed its eyes. Its pupils said everything.”

“I’ve never heard of a predator talking to prey. If they found FTL on their own, then they’re more intelligent than the Arxur. That thought terrifies me.”

“Seeing how it could talk like a normal sapient was terrifying, once the truth hit. It made one mistake. It underestimated our intelligence, when we know predators are capable of violence and savagery alone. Where it learned to fake concern, I can’t say, but the Venlil unconscious in the back seat? It must’ve struck the poor guy remarkably hard. Just like we’ll strike Earth.”

The prime minister paced for several seconds in silence, steeling herself for what had to be done. The prospect of facing predators, even backwards primitives who hadn’t invented much past the wheel, was harrowing; it wasn’t in our nature to confront creatures that were far more sinister and hardened than us. Aggression wasn’t the choice tactic of prey, but if we didn’t go on the offensive, we’d have the new Arxur spilling far past Venlil Prime. Doctor Zarn’s words echoed in my ears—I’d like to see just what this conquering, savage species was capable of. Piri seemed to agree, because my display buzzed with a video briefing. I intended to call my officers to the bridge, and review the materials together. After that, Recel and I could begin cowing the repugnant beast into submission; what a feat it would be, to see fear in a predator!

I did see that emotion for a moment with the needle, so I know it doesn’t like pain. We can use that.

“One more thing. Decide what to do with the predator; perhaps you can discover its plans, if it’s coherent enough to boast of its superiority. The exterminators are clamoring to have it for study, but I don’t see what good can come of having that thing on our planet. Jettison it out the airlock for all I care,” Piri sighed.

I ducked my head. “The creature is in a secure location. It was wearing artificial pelts, possibly to adorn itself with prey skins and hide weapons; those are going out the airlock. Contaminated filth. That’s the other thing, it had an odor from its secretions. I can’t imagine sharing a small space with such a nasty being, so it’s fortunate Venlil lack noses.”

“Are you suggesting bathing it by force?”

“What? I don’t need it acting out because the dumb animal thinks I’m trying to drown it, and who the fuck could be asked to scrub down a predator? I’m not going to trigger the overhead sprinklers on the whole ship to make a monster presentable.”

“That was a joke, Sovlin. After what you’ve been through, you could use something to ease the tension. It’s your job to keep your crew calm, you know. I’ll let you, but be careful. Don’t let your guard slip.”

“I won’t, Piri. That thing won’t get the best of me.”

Disconnecting from the call, I turned to show the briefing materials I’d received from Piri; everyone had to know what we were up against, in case Marcel tried to twist our prey empathy to make us feel sorry for it. There could be no reservations about why humanity couldn’t be allowed to exist. Seeing the unthinkable atrocities, which no civilized species would ever indulge in, would tell us exactly how much evil these beasts were capable of.

[Transcript date changed to May 2, 2151]

“Oh, this is golden insight into the Feddie mindset! Actually being inside your head: goddamn!” Tyler’s face was red with laughter, as he pressed a hand over his belly—perhaps aching from the intensity. “You didn’t think we bathed? We did that regularly for as long as the Farsul observed us, dude! Where does this assumption that hunters don’t groom themselves even come from?”

“We’re wild. Untamed!” Sam declared sarcastically.

I refused to provide an answer of my own, instead placing a throw pillow over my face. Letting the humans read my exact thoughts had been a grave mistake. Perhaps I should retreat to my bedroom with my walker and try to wait this storm out. 

Hunter clicked his tongue within his mouth. “Sovlin definitely knew by the time we lived together. Always up my ass about when the last time I took a shower was.”

“Because I could tell when you hadn’t had one. Humans do smell,” I protested.

“Let’s search for human hygiene with the AI function,” Tyler decided. “This is important.”

Samantha huffed at the delay. “After that, put it back to where we were. I wanted to see the skewed briefing about how horrifying our history was. This is going to take forever if you keep getting derailed!”

With a headache forming within my temples, I prayed to the nonexistent Protector that this day would be over soon.

[Transcript date changed to October 5, 2136]

When my human guards first showed me around Monahan’s ship, they said the minimum amount of words necessary to complete the tour; a room was named, and little more explanation was given on its purpose. I’d been nervous about the facilities on a human warrior craft, though I supposed even if we lived in squalor, my treatment was kinder than I deserved. Back in the prison for alien war criminals (with a population of one), or the Gojid refugee camp I’d gotten a glimpse at, the predators had been empathetic enough to provide anything preyfolk considered a basic need. I’d been extremely confused the first time they pulled me out of my cell; while I’d guiltily hoped they were taking me somewhere quiet to be interrogated, it was only to the showers to wash up. No matter how much soap I’d scrubbed into my fur, I felt dirty.

They built entire plumbing fixtures for the worst of us, learning from scratch. The humans have tried nothing but to understand our ways, yet I thought everything was a plot. My spines won’t stop bristling from being around them still! 

When Carlos had pointed out the facilities, I was amazed to see bathing areas available. They’d reworked their entire vessel to accommodate me, when they invited me to stay aboard. I wasn’t sure why there were multiple showers, and curtains between each of them, but it might be either for other prey species on the crew…or to avoid issues from a single one breaking. Only now as the male guard relieved a wordless Samantha, I noticed that his thin hair was damp; the predator had slipped into a new chest pelt, and had a towel slung over his shoulder. With how much my chaperones despised talking to me, I was a bit afraid to ask. However, my curiosity—no, my amazement—outweighed my common sense. I pointed a claw at the predator, and tried to ignore how electrically charged it felt when I moved it.

“You…d-did you, um, wash up?” I croaked.

Carlos raised his shoulders nonchalantly. “Yeah. You should do the same, though I…understand why you’re nervous to share that space. I’ll accompany you, so none of the other guys start anything. Pull the divider curtains closed though, unless you want the stink eye the whole time.”

“Other guys?” I’ll be standing on the same floor where humans washed off their juices. That is…but how do they know…? “Humans bathe?!”

“What the fuck? Of course we do! How would any society that knows about germ theory not? What’s next—you think we don’t wash our hands after we do our business?”

“I, um, wouldn’t have noticed that much? I mean, I k-know you do hand washing, but…why would a predator care?”

“Germ theory. Shit, man. You haven’t seen us walking around caked in fucking dirt, but you didn’t think we washed off at all? You have a selective memory when it comes to us.”

“I’m…s-sorry. You could’ve walked through rain, or dumped water on your head to c-cool off? I just never dreamed that your kind would…”

“We bathed in rivers before we had running water. We don’t particularly like smelling each other; that’s why perfumes were invented, even when our hygiene did suck. You never assume we could have anything that’s civilized. Give us some credit.”

“You’re nothing like predators are supposed to be, with h-how instinctual…I’ll stop. It’s good that you, um, did that. H-humans clean up without their pelts?”

Carlos looked even more flummoxed. “Yes? Obviously?”

“I, um, you look weird with your exposed skin. It’s creepy. I’m not sure even with the curtains it’d be c-comfortable…” and you’d look like Marcel when I stripped him of the one thing I never see Terrans without.

“Put on your big boy pants and get over it. Or don’t shower; it’s not my problem. You think we want to share the showers with you? Sam’s right: everything’s a full-blown production with Sovlin around. Monahan even told me we had to give you special soap, because God forbid there were any animal fats you slathered yourself up with. I didn’t even know there was animal fat in soap, not once in my life did I think about it ‘til you showed up!”

My blood ran cold, suddenly more averse to washing up than ever. I didn’t want to touch his skin, since he’d just scrubbed himself off with… “You ‘clean’ yourself with animal f-fats?! That’s not fucking hygiene! That’s the most predatory thing I’ve ever heard!”

“That? Not Arxur cattle pens? And it’s not just animal fats; I looked it up, and it’s a mix of plant and animal stuff. We got you a different soap anyway, so why don’t you keep your judgments to yourself?”

Omnivores. Of course they are, they think it’s best to marry both…in everything. They do the things that prey do, but perverted!

I didn’t know how to feel about the ubiquitous uses of carcass products within their society, but I was assured of two things: I wanted to shower when as few predators were there as possible, and I wouldn’t trust anything they gave me that was even slightly different from the innocuous plants normal people utilized.

[Transcript date changed to May 2, 2151]

Tyler flashed his teeth in my direction. “Ha, I never realized even our soap scared you Feddies! It’s not too late to buy every soap bar on the block as your birthday present.”

“My old man used to do this thing where he’d wash my mouth out with soap if I cursed. Sovlin would really enjoy that,” Hunter mused.

“Is there anything you humans don’t stick in your mouths?” I complained. “Punishment or not, that’s disgusting. You will eat anything short of the Venlil sitting next to you; that part was true.”

Samantha rolled her eyes. “How do you know I wouldn’t eat a nice soggy, soapy Venlil just minding their own business? Humans are predators, after all.”

“That you are. I still question if you’re ever really clean, but I guess it’s better than smelling your armpits from across the room. About as much as I can expect from you.”

The Terrans chuckled with mirth, but my heart felt heavy as they turned back to the briefing I’d watched about their species long ago. I wished I could go back in time and tell that Sovlin that their soapmaking was the most monstrous thing they’d ever done in front of me. Perhaps those events could’ve played out differently, if I knew back then that humans were mere idiots rather than conniving sadists.

Next

A/N - The Sovlin series is here with zany chronology! We learn that Sovlin was one of the earliest to get a transcript, in the technology’s infancy in 2151; our favorite Gojid is celebrating his 70th birthday by gathering friends, who are more than happy to poke fun at how he spoke about humans with Piri and believing that we didn’t bathe. His memories receive commentary from those in his circle, and we get a glimpse of how many of his friends are doing after all these years.

What do you think of the first look of the behind the scenes between Marcel’s capture and Slanek’s awakening, as well as the return of glorious Fed-brained Sovlin? How do you feel that the Feddies were scared even by our omnivorous soap bars? What led Samantha to settle down—and where is Aucel?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting?