The Nature of Predators - Becoming a Predator (3/10)

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Memory transcription subject: Narlem, Krakotl Exterminator Fleet Comms Technician

Date [standardized human time]: October 1, 2136

The elevator ride down to the ground floor was nerve-wracking, trapped in a cramped, predator-built steel box with Caleb; my fingers fidgeted in an attempt to diffuse my anxiety. As the doors opened and my “brother” stalked out into the sunlight, I sucked in a deep breath. It was fortunate that I was used to having a beak, with how massive and protruding a human nose was. The predator’s sense of smell must be accustomed to the stench of filth, given that I wasn’t gagging from nearby death and sewage that polluted Earth’s wilderness. The overhead sun was punishing at once, so I tried to flutter my vocal cords to rid myself of the heat.

“You gargling salt water back there? The fuck?” Caleb asked.

I attempted to pant, allowing my tongue to loll from my mouth. “Hot.”

“You’re a real comedian, aren’t you? Pull yourself together. It’s a few minutes of walking. Hell, I think it’s a beautiful day here in Houston—not a cloud in the sky.”

My feet stopped in their tracks. “W-what did you just say?”

“There’s not a cloud in the sky?”

“Before that. This city is…Houston.”

“Um, duh? Whatever game you’re playing, it’s not funny. Do I look amused?”

I pursed my lips in mute silence, and trudged after Caleb in the hopes of not being punished. Its…I should use the term his mentally, so that I didn’t slip up when I was talking aloud…his patience was clearly waning. If this was Houston, the city I’d watched us bomb on the viewport, that had several implications. First of all, that meant there were millions of predators in this horde, a number that was difficult to fathom. It also meant that the present time was before the bombing. I supposed that computed, given that these humans and Caleb were going about their worthless lives like nothing was happening. It should’ve been obvious, now that I thought about it.

Just within my line of sight, hundreds of beasts were walking around; these Terrans paid little attention to each other. It was a little surprising that none were assaulting each other in the streets, but they likely viewed themselves as a pack until someone was weak or infirm—then, they’d all gang up on one victim. I gulped, realizing that could be me if they knew I was really a prey animal. It was essential to keep pace with Caleb. There were cars whizzing by in the street, and I made sure to continually check passing traffic to ensure none of the predators got the idea to run over the vulnerable pedestrians. I ensured that my brother was between me and any swerving vehicles, as best as I could.

Oh Inatala, I want to go back to the lair. I can’t fucking do this. I’m a Krakotl!

My shaking hands would betray my pounding heart, so I shoved them into the left and right pouches in my leg pelts. Perhaps considering other aspects of the human city would take my mind off the incalculable threats, as the risk overload threatened to render me catatonic. Houston’s architecture was more modern than I expected, though I knew better than to equate it to a civilized metropolis like the gorgeous stilt towers of Brivalia. The Terrans seemed to have distanced themselves from easily available prey, usurping the natural landscape with a concrete jungle. I could feel Caleb’s eyes on me, and I did my best to turn my face into an impassive mask. However, I couldn’t conceal my horror as I noticed a flock of birds picking at some food scraps on the sidewalk.

Those bread bits on the ground were a predator trap, luring them to be caught! We were about to walk right by them, and if Caleb spotted them, he’d rip the innocent animals apart on a sadistic impulse. This could’ve been the coffee that he was speaking of. It was merciful that I hadn’t been overcome by the desire to ingest them on sight. Despite knowing that I needed to keep my mouth shut and blend in, I couldn’t watch an herbivore that was a bird just like me turn into a beast’s meal. I quickened my pace in a panic, though I didn’t dare to run with my novice balancing. My arms waved toward the birds, desperate to send them to the skies where no human could reach on foot.

“Run! Get out of here! Save yourselves!” I shouted, trying to scare them off.

I do feel bad about the innocent prey creatures like this that died in the bombings. Humanity poisoned their ecosystem beyond salvage, and is responsible for the necessary sacrifice of those animals.

The gray-turquoise birds, rather than having the sense to run away from the charging predator, started hopping away on foot rather than taking to the sky. On instinct, my hands flew to the hair patch on my scalp; the situation was made worse by causing the prey to flee, and their hopping motions would draw Caleb’s eyes. Actually, they didn’t even need to alert the lumbering predator. My shouted words and charge must’ve drawn his focus to the quarry. It felt terrible to know that prey animals perceived me as a predator now, and that my approach was capable of triggering their instincts. The horrible experience of looking at a Terran was caused by me.

The guilt swelling inside of me was insurmountable, and I watched with helplessness as Caleb’s face scrunched into an odd expression. The birds had retreated a short distance away from us, and were foolishly back to working on bread scraps they dragged along. My brother’s eyes were trained on the animals, though to my amazement, he didn’t charge in to finish the job. Was he calculating a route to catch as many of the flock at once as possible, or maybe planning to rope others from this pack of millions into joining the hunt? Before I could test my saliva production to gauge if I was drooling, my stomach rumbled with wanton greed of its own accord.

Caleb looked positively flabbergasted. “Someone’s hungry, aren’t they?”

“NO! I won’t do it. I can’t eat the birds!” I wailed, drawing open stares from several humans that walked by. They must be shocked that I’d refuse a meal that fell into my lap. “I’m not hungry. I can’t…”

“Eat them? I am so lost. Why did you try to scare off those pigeons? I don’t see what that has to do with being hungry, like at all. Nathan, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“You’re…aren’t we going hunting?”

“If you’re playing games with me, knock it the fuck off.”

“What day is it, Caleb?”

“October 1st.”

“How many days is that before…shit, you won’t know. Tell me what year it is? No, that number won’t mean anything either. Do you know about aliens?”

“Everyone knows about the Venlil. Nathan, do you need to see a doctor?”

“NO! I don’t need to be put down. Let’s just…get coffee. I’m fine.”

Caleb seemed to think I’d lost my mind, judging by the disbelieving glint in his eyes. He weighed whether to continue our excursion, and offered a tepid snarl toward the gathered onlookers. The predator looked wary of me as we continued our trek; to my bewilderment, the city humans were collectively ignoring the prey creatures. I berated myself inside my mind, as the obvious answer dawned on me. Those birds weren’t an adequate meal for a sapient hunter of their size, which was why my brother was mystified by the idea of them being food. That meant that Terrans required larger animals to sustain themselves.

The emptiness in my stomach grew more repugnant, but that wasn’t the only discomfort. Water secretions were coming from everywhere due to the heat: my armpits, my back, and my thighs were soaked enough to stain the pelts. It was gross! Being human was uncomfortable and disgusting in every way. I wasn’t sure what I expected life to be like as a carcass-munching fiend, but did they have to ooze their contaminated fluids? Part of me was angry at Caleb for forcing me to head out into the world and experience these sensations.

It could’ve been worse. You haven’t been forced to learn what flesh tastes like, or to have blood scent tickle your treacherous nostrils. Maybe you’ll survive this outing with some dignity intact, Narlem.

Caleb pulled open a door to what looked like a shop, where several predators were sipping at drink cups. A few had laptops open on a countertop, browsing internet websites where they were likely laughing over their planetwide deception of the Venlil. A glass display cabinet was beside a cash register, with some food items that beckoned to my voracious appetite. However, as innocuous as some offerings looked, closer inspection revealed flesh hidden within many plant items. I tried to shake out my wings in disgust, but it resulted in my bendy arms flopping around. I chuckled at my own short-sighted stupidity; obviously, predator food couldn’t be trusted. It was for predators.

My brother jabbed an elbow into my hip, almost making me jump off the ground. “Hey, deer in headlights? Do you want your favorite, the honeydew latte?”

“Um…” I didn’t want anything from this abhorrent creature, but if I broke with Nathan’s usual routine, it would draw scrutiny. “Sure. I’d love that.”

Caleb’s shocked expression returned. “You hate the honeydew latte. You think it’s an affront to coffee, and ‘possibly the worst trend ever.’ Nate, you’ve got to tell me what’s going on. You’re not you.”

“I…I’m just having an off day.”

The human issued a skeptical laugh. “That doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

“You’re exaggerating. Look, I’m hot and thirsty…can we get a drink already?”

“You’re going to give me an explanation, eventually. But first, I’ll get you a cold brew. You want a snack?”

“NO! Um, I mean, not now…thank you.”

The feeling within my stomach was as if creatures were gnawing at its hollow inside; it protested my refusal of food, but I was strong enough to resist the irritating sensation. I’d been trapped inside this human’s body for mere hours! My mind was racing, floating thoughts of Krakotl sticky sweets through my head. I could practically taste it; I craved it, and if I was a real human, it was obvious I’d be fantasizing about dead animals instead. As Caleb wandered up to the cash register to order our beverages, I hoped that this “cold brew” item was alcohol. After how testing the ordeal of living was, I could use a drink. This was by far the worst day of my life.

Please give me strength, Inatala. I…no, this predator needs to eat. I’ve got to distract myself, and remember why I’m holding out. Krakotl are better than them!

Civilized members of the Federation had no idea how strongly a predator’s gluttonous appetite could flare up. Despite my unfortunate situation, it was my job to document this as a warning…and send it to them, before I lost sight of who I really was. That was what I could do, perhaps going through a Venlil to reach the Krakotl government. I had unfettered access to the humans’ internet, which housed the dark secrets of their desires and plots against the rest of the galaxy. When I was able to hide back in my apartment, I could research not just how to blend in with Terrans for my survival, but also record information for a purpose much larger than myself. This unbearable curse could be worth something.

Caleb returned, pressing a brown drink into my hands. “Here. Drink that.”

“Is…that sewage? It doesn’t look like alcohol,” I muttered.

“It’s coffee. You know, from coffee beans? Look, walk and talk, ‘cause we’ve got to get you back to your place.”

“Yes, please.”

“Okay.” The human wrapped a filthy arm around my neck, and I suppressed an instinctive cringe. Was it considering whether to strangle me? I kept a submissive posture as we exited the shop. “Nathan, I don’t know what the fuck to think. Are you like, on acid or some shit?”

“I…I’m not sure?”

“You’re not sure. Oh, that’s just fucking wonderful. That should be a yes or no question.”

“You could be right. Nathan took something.”

“Nathan is you. You know what, fuck it, let’s go with that. What did Nathan take?”

“Um, are sleeping pills made from corrosive acid here?”

Caleb stopped in his tracks on the sidewalk. “I was talking about the hallucinogen, acid, ‘cause you’re acting like you’re tripping. But since you brought it up, how many sleeping pills did you take?”

“It looked like the whole bottle?”

“That’s not right. You’d be dead.”

“Well, I’m not dead, as much as I am starting to think that would be better for me. Stupid predator had the right idea. This all sucks.”

My brother was quiet for a long moment, though he resumed walking back toward my apartment. It would be merciful when I didn’t have to talk to him; I was feeling low on energy, and it was difficult to focus on pretending to be Nathan. Caleb was the beast most likely to unravel my cover, but at least his persona was less bloodthirsty than I had expected, for a primate away from prying prey eyes. After touching the creature and having slimy secretions seep from my human innards, I longed for a shower. However, if I washed off the reek of my labor chemicals, would that garner admonishment from other Terrans? I sipped my cold brew, trying not to make a face at its bitterness. At least it tasted like something, given how famished I was becoming.

As a last resort, you should try to appeal to Caleb with family bonds. He cares about the strength of his lineage for proving his worth to mates. You know from your current experience that humans can feel…some emotion, surprisingly.

Caleb heaved a weary sigh. “This is your building. I think you should rest it off, and wait for some things to come back to you. Do you remember which apartment is yours?”

“I think so?”

“Shit. I’ll make sure you get back. You need to eat something and sleep it off. Your brain can’t heal without fuel.”

“Yeah, I…will do that. Thank you for the ‘cold brew.’”

My brother herded me into the elevator, and jabbed the correct floor with his fingers. I decided I needed to make a note of these things, in case another unwanted human visitor forced me to leave my apartment. I’d be fortunate to escape this harrowing voyage with my life, but I needed to have as many facts as possible going forward. Plus, finding a way to suppress the hunger pangs would be crucial for long voyages into Earth’s settlements, with flesh flaunted in front of my wicked face. It was going to be difficult trying to occupy myself back at the apartment, free of social pressure and outside temptations.

Perhaps I could research techniques humans used to mask their bloodlust, around Venlil and other prey creatures, to pretend they had any true differences from the grays. By Inatala, I wanted to be released from this body right now; there was no coming to terms with this being my reality. Seeing Caleb’s skin-crawling pupils trained on me, I knew I couldn’t accept these being the only “people” I could ever interact with again. While it was clear there were layers to unpack about Terran cruelty, their society revolved around hunting. Though I hated how Nathan’s brother pried into the personal aspects of my mind, my last resort could be using him to keep me alive and fine-tune my human mimicry.

“Right, this is you. Try not to get into any trouble.” Caleb ushered me to the entrance to my personal lair, and ensnared me in his grip with both arms. I stood limply, debating whether to remove his embrace by force. “I love you, little bro. I’ll be back for our coffee run next week, and I expect one hell of an explanation. If you need anything sooner, call me.”

My fear-addled mind was desperate for separation between us, while entangled with the filthy predator. Caleb released his constricting grasp, and I released a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding; if he decided his brother was too much trouble by next week, his prey-strangling muscles could do a lot more damage. Though I was uncertain on these human feet, I ran through the front door and slammed it shut. My fingers found a lock mechanism, before I sank against the frame in exhaustion. When I could finally release the stress I’d been compartmentalizing, it erupted like a volcano.

I missed Nishtal. I missed my life in the Krakotl military, and how close I’d been to proving myself to my father. I missed killing humans rather than inhabiting their hungry bodies.

Shaking gasps passed through my midsection, as along with horror, I felt a sense of loss for the pure life I’d had. Everything I’d ever known was locked out of my reach in the heavens, unless I joined a conquering expedition. Every person I knew would despise me if they saw the nasty wretch I’d become, and deservedly so. My morals were of zero value here, and being honest with myself, it was a matter of time before I crossed a line I could never go back from. The horrid eyes I wanted to gouge from their sockets sealed shut, burning with oppressive unhappiness. So Terrans could feel sorrow; go figure.

I leaned my thick skull against the door, and indulged in a pathetic act I wouldn’t dare to replicate in front of real humans. Salty tears flowed from my directional eyes, accompanied by emotional turmoil that felt much too familiar to belong to predator neurochemistry.

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A/N - Part 3 of the miniseries! Narlem discovers that he's in Houston, the very city his ship bombed, and tries not to wind up "killed." He assumes Caleb or other human passersby will wolf down some pigeons, and attempts to scare the birds off while crying about now wanting to eat them. His brother grows concerned enough to ask what's wrong with him, and learns about the sleeping pills...while an increasingly hungry "Nathan" can't wait to get back to his apartment.

What will Narlem find when he researches humanity, for the alleged good of his people, and what will he decide to do about his growing need to eat? What is Caleb thinking after that bizarre excursion?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!