The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (5/9)

First | Prev | Next

Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Refugee

Date [standardized human time]: October 3, 2136

Avoiding the predators, or staying in the dormitory at all times, was impossible. It was necessary to make occasional trips to the facilities, though I tried to keep that number as minimal as possible; other Gojids bunking with us had to catch up to me on one trip, as a human barked to demand that I didn’t run. The beast seemed irate that I’d disregarded its message, but it wasn’t like I could hear. That was just one of several directives that I flubbed. Berna attempted to bring extra rations back to our sleeping quarters, but that earned a “wellness check” from predator soldiers, who cornered me to ask why I hadn’t obtained any food or water since arriving. My sister covered for me, claiming it was fear and that she’d been helping, and managed to get the warrior to leave us alone.

With close call after close call, the Terrans were losing patience with my lack of any response to them; I knew that my time was running short. Something about my behavior had drawn their attention to me, and I noticed a few observing and conferring about me now. The fact I’d made it this far was because of my fellow townsfolk, who were covering for my liability to prevent the predators from culling me. Still, not even Berna could keep the beasts away on their own planet. This was what I hadn’t wanted—my sister stuck taking care of me, and placing herself in harm’s way for my sake. Maybe the pity the people of Blessed Fields felt for my family was well-founded. Since this was not a full life, I hoped the predators figured it out soon.

With all of them putting their heads together, someone will draw the correct conclusion. That, or they’ll ask the wrong person from Blessed Fields, and be told a truth that’d be unthinkable to them.

I chewed at my beige claws, as a watchful Berna warned us of an approaching stranger; a middle-aged Gojid who’d come from outside the gates with the predators. Where had they taken him to? Maybe the cattle activities and enhanced interrogations were kept outside of this place, away from the Federation-facing side. That explained a lot about why there’d been no soldiers snacking. When they started to get hungry or feel the urge to beat the prisoners, the humans must head to that external site. It was…likely where they’d whisk me off to, when they learned about my deficiencies. I cringed as the group positioned themselves in front of me, while I sat huddling against the bed.

I only caught snippets of the conversation, from this poor angle; Berna’s back was turned to me, so I could only glimpse the stranger’s words. “High-ranking Gojid…prisoner…can to help. You might…name is Captain Sovlin.”

That name was enough to snap me out of my glum state for a moment. The Captain Sovlin, the hero who’d driven off the Arxur through his bravery? The cradle, our home that was now reduced to rubble, would’ve suffered that fate years ago if not for his leadership and defiance! He was the one I was mimicking, when I tried to scrounge up the courage to walk myself into the humans’ jaws to save my family. If anyone could figure out a way to get the predators to back off, or had outsmarted them enough to get some useful information about their true intentions, it would be him. Berna’s posture relaxed, and she gestured between herself and me: likely trading names.

“How long…keep them in the dark? The humans aren’t stupid,” Sovlin spoke, studying me with evident pity, as I strained to see his words out of reverent awe. Under any other circumstances, I’d be nowhere near such a storied man; I’d be in a crowd meant to celebrate his captaincy. “I…suggest you lay as low…care of yourselves.”

Admiring his sure-footedness and calmness, even after whatever horrors he must’ve endured at the hands of the predators, I waved my claws at him—the only hero worship I could muster, without words at my disposal. Sovlin’s features tightened, before he turned on his heel without acknowledgement; his receding footsteps dragged across the ground, and his shoulders slumped with an uncharacteristic admission of defeat. I couldn’t help but notice three humans lurking at the entrance to the dorm, likely planning to press him for answers. I was certain the captain could hold out, or put them on the wrong path, but I hoped he wouldn’t be the latest person to suffer because of me.

A white-haired figure with pudgy features laid its mitt on Sovlin’s arm several times, likely sending shudders down his spine. I could see even a seasoned Gojid like him panicking in such close proximity to the beasts, though he managed to keep it together; he had to squeeze his eyes shut to block out the sight of the hideous beasts encircling him. How worn out his instincts must be, after whatever excruciating tactics they’d used against him. Being all alone with them must be enough to bend anyone’s sanity, which led to my first doubt that he could hold out. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to be trapped amid a pack, plotting cruelties…though I’d know quite soon.

I know I need to be brave for Berna, but that makes my heart feel claustrophobic in my chest. Subjected to their whims for an eternity…until they get bored or go too far. I really hope the culling process is quick.

Then, there was a heated outburst from Sovlin, and I knew from his immediate look of regret that he’d broken. The predators’ eyebrows raised in evident shock, as they struggled to process that Gojids would care for a deaf individual. After recovering from their dumbfounded looks, the beasts’ eyes snapped toward me; they stalked toward me as a pack, with an auburn-haired female seeming to take charge. It pointed at me, leaving no question that the Terrans knew. Terror rocketed through my veins, leaving me able to feel my heartbeat skipping beneath my jaw; though my exhausted spines couldn’t bristle any further, a megadose of fear took control of my brain. All I could think was to hide…to desperately try to get away from their sinister paws.

I tried to crawl under the bunk, but my bristling spines meant I couldn’t make what would otherwise be a tight fit. The beasts were much closer now, with that unyielding focus that helped them target their prey. Sovlin’s eyes were tearing up, knowing he was behind what might be my execution, right here in front of him. I could tell that he wanted to apologize; knowing how I felt now, just now having the Terrans close in on me, I couldn’t be too hard on him. Even this famed starship captain was mortal…he was prey. This was going to happen to me, sooner or later.

However, Berna didn’t accept the inevitability of my death. With the courage that I hadn’t quite mustered when I snuck off, she put her body between me and the predators. My heart sank even further, worried that the humans would strike her down for contesting them. None of the other Gojids were willing to place themselves in harm’s way, but they looked at the war hero with disgust. No matter how much they’d talk about using me as bait, they hadn’t actually done it. It was unthinkable to let someone get mauled by predators. A broken-looking Sovlin collapsed to his knees, weeping and hugging his chest.

My sister flexed her claws at the predators, refusing to budge from where she stood—forming a barrier between me and them. I wished I had a better way to express how much I loved her, or how grateful I was for all the help she’d given me. It wasn’t her fault that I’d been discovered, but the last thing I wanted was to see her executed along with me. There would be nobody left of our family, with our father dead; we’d been so caught up in keeping me alive, that it’d denied her the chance to grieve. That was enough to jolt me out of the instinctual paralysis, so I could try to intervene.

“No! Don’t fight them!” I wanted to scream at Berna, but I had no voice. “Ditch me…save yourself!”

The humans didn’t strike my sister down for her insolence. Instead, the auburn-haired predator knelt down, with piercing green eyes that never left my hiding spot. It raised a dexterous hand in my direction, before making animated gestures concurrent with its speech. The flesh-eating abomination…was trying to communicate? I sat frozen, trying to analyze any of what it was saying, so that it wouldn’t get frustrated with my continued failure. My mind was too distracted by the implications of this nonverbal code, something it had clearly known on the spot. It wasn’t an invention that could’ve been cooked up in an instant, just to blend in with the Federation.

Holy shit…no, this can’t be right. Humans already thought of a way to help deaf people, beyond what the Federation ever did? It’s more than knowing of and accounting for our weaknesses. They…don’t cull their deaf people. This soldier isn’t looking at me with contempt or pity, like other Gojids.

The predator seemed to realize that I didn’t understand, because it gave up on the gestures after Sovlin mentioned something about “only audible language.” The human thought translators might be able to work on its finger motions; it hadn’t come here to hurt me, or execute me. If it would make accommodations for liabilities like me, then that meant they had some rudimentary capacity for empathy. Nurturing behavior didn’t stem from cruelty, and it certainly didn’t help with hunting: a practice that was all about killing living beings. A befuddled Berna eased her defensive stance, and stared at the creature with newfound curiosity. The huntress reacted poorly to something that my sister said, finally showing some signs of anger.

I could feel my body still trembling, so I wasn’t able to bring myself to lipread their conversation. However, something this beast said during the exchange seemed to floor every Gojid observer. That gave me the energy to discern a few words and context clues. Sovlin managed some statement about how humans were nothing like the Arxur, before the Terran soldiers left as swiftly as they’d strode over. From what he’d said, it sounded like he hadn’t been tormented into compliance at all. He—the greatest tactician of our species—trusted them, despite what they looked like. I carefully maneuvered my quills from under the bed, unable to believe what had just happened. If a captain of his caliber thought that humans were benevolent, how could I not consider the evidence to that effect?

The humans saved us from the Arxur on the cradle, and expressed disgust at the fact they were going to eat us; this was despite the Gojidi Union being at war with them. There was zero evidence of anything more than stampede casualties among the civilians, even as blood wafted into their nostrils. The Terrans brought anyone they could gather to refugee camps with civilized conditions, doing what they could to provide for us on short notice. The soldiers reacted to the news of my deafness by attempting to communicate with me; I wished I knew any of what the huntress had said. Either these primates were so deceptive and charming that their ruse fooled Sovlin himself, or this wasn’t a long-term ploy for survival at all.

I snatched Berna’s notepad, scribbling frantically. “I thought it was going to kill me. Its eyes…looked straight at me, and I thought it was over, and then it did some weird shit. What the fuck was that predator doing?”

“Yeah…I feel that. The human was using sign language. One of its partners claimed that it was how deaf people…er, predators communicated on Earth,” she answered, settling down next to me in a daze. The herd, without any obligation to keep my secret any longer, wandered off to their own duties. “I was asked to tell you that they’d find a way to speak with you.”

“Okay, but why did the female get angry with you? What did you say to provoke it?”

“Sovlin asked why…why she spoke a language for deaf people, when she could hear. Her answer was that her brother was deaf from birth…a lot like you. When I expressed surprise that her parents kept a deficient offspring, I don’t believe she was happy about any of my word choices. That scowl and snarling voice were a terrifying combination.”

“The human was angry because she cared about her brother. She was incensed at the suggestion that he wasn’t worthy of life, is that it?”

“I don’t know what to think, Talpin, but she seemed offended. Just like I am when people say awful things about you. I got no impression that the humans wanted to hurt you. If they did, they could’ve done it right there. Shit, I defied them, and I’m still in one piece. They tried to reassure me.”

“That doesn’t make any sense for a predator. They don’t have empathy, and they’re driven by cursed hunger, to kill and perpetrate violence. They’re supposed to enjoy suffering, and hate weakness. Why are they being so nice?!”

“They told Sovlin they wanted to save the cradle. They wanted a top commander from our military to serve alongside them, as equals. What if they really do care, and want to help Gojids?”

I paused, an uneasy feeling continuing to flip my stomach. “But we were going to wipe them out. That would mean...”

“I know. I…I know.”

“The Federation observed them. They eat flesh.”

“Yes, but they don’t seem to want to eat us. Perhaps they’re more like us than the Arxur.”

“It’s obvious they operate differently from the Arxur. Our treatment isn’t anything like a cattle pen, but they were occupying our planet mere days ago. I’m not ready to believe they’re people.”

“I didn’t say they had the emotional complexity of prey, Tal. I’m just inclined to think they have some. Besides, what choice do we have but to hope they’ll be kind to you? There’s no putting the truth back in the burrow.”

Unsure what to think, my claws fiddled with the pen for several seconds. It wasn’t clear how the humans would communicate with me, apart from a third-party like Berna relaying what they said, but they were expressing a desire to try—they’d already made an attempt. That was a lot more than most Gojids would ever do. These Terrans didn’t seem to look down on me or cast judgment, though I’d learn very soon whether they did. I found myself reconsidering every truth I knew about predators, the very foundation of the Great Protector belief that my father died adhering to. The image that stood out in my mind was the primate who waved at me in the shuttle: had he sensed that I couldn’t hear, or at least that there was something different about me?

The other thought that kept circling around was the information desk from the tour, where a group of human volunteers sat waiting for Gojid inquirers that would never come. When our tour guide had floated the prospect of getting to know a predator or chatting with them, it’d been laughable. Now, I had some curiosity about what they were really after, and what they wanted in return for collaborative efforts that’d seem altruistic from any other species. Perhaps the humans’ overarching goal with this entire endeavor was to be our friends. What I would give to see how they treated deaf packmates, and compare it to Blessed Fields’ cruel indifference. It would be wonderful for me to be able to talk to anyone that was interested in conversing with me, even a binocular-eyed sapient.

I wasn’t sure when I decided that the humans were the only ones I had a chance of being treated like a normal person by, but I hoped against all common sense that Sovlin was right about trusting them.

First | Prev | Next

A/N - Part 5! That scene from all the way back in Chapter 29, where Talpin is revealed to the humans as deaf by Sovlin, who's a hero figure...and our narrator, like everyone else, misinterprets their shock at why all the Gojids were hiding it. Samantha attempts to sign to communicate through sign language, which leaves Talpin and Berna both shocked that predators not only don't cull disabled individuals, but go further to help...with much less contempt...than prey. 

Will this be the start of Tal opening up to humans, who can finally give him someone who'll speak to and treat him with respect; and will it make his life change for the better? How will he handle learning that Gojids are much worse than Terrans in every aspect of accessibility and decency?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!