The Nature of Predators - Human Exterminators (1/9)

Memory transcription subject: William Kane, Human Refugee

Date [standardized human time]: November 2, 2136

For once, I wished for darkness to overtake Venlil Prime’s forsaken sky. The gray gloom overhead was best we could get, as a deluge descended from the clouds. The rain soaked into my clothes, chilling me to the bone. One arm hugged my trench coat tighter, while another hand clung to the Venlil liquor.

The powerful booze wiped away the aching void in my heart, so I chugged it faster. There was so much hatred in my heart, thinking of the aliens in the sky. They hated humans so much that they targeted cities by population; it was like they were selecting the largest anthill to smash. Thousands of years of our civilization were wiped away, and our friends and family were struck down by indiscriminate antimatter.

Why hadn’t I enlisted to protect Earth? Perhaps extra manpower would’ve been the difference between Los Angeles’ destruction and millions of people still alive. Even after I saw what they did to my planet, I still couldn’t proffer my name for the military. I was a coward. Knowing that, I could hardly find the willpower to eat or keep up with basic hygiene.

The rain is good. Washes off the sweat and the dirt.

One Venlil steered clear of the drunken human, who was staggering down the sidewalk. I spit in her general direction, gripped by sheer disgust. My survival existed because of cowardice, right? I had rushed to the spaceport for the first available flight, eager to secure my ticket to safety. It hadn’t occurred to me to persuade my family to join.

My sister and my parents opted to wait out the raid in a bunker. That could never withstand the pure, destructive power of the Federation. Aliens exterminated my loved ones like they were animals, and now, these Venlil had the audacity to act afraid of us? They were the monsters…and I was a coward.

“Fuck you!” I screamed at a passerby.  “I’m a monster, huh? My sister was a monster?!”

I snorted to myself, watching as Venlil fled like an avalanche was incoming. I began whistling an advertising jingle to myself, and skipping down the sidewalk on uneven legs. The liquor scent was picked up by my nose, but thankfully, these aliens couldn’t smell. My breath was likely rank too from not brushing my teeth in…weeks?

The native herbivores built in more compact fashion than us, often using hexagonal and octagonal shapes to offset harsh edges. Anger swelled in my chest, as I passed businesses with “no humans” signs. My hand curled up into a fist, but I decided against punching out a window. Even with dulled senses, the idea of getting glass in my knuckles was unappealing.

My furious gaze landed on a gray, octagonal building, and some recognition flickered through my disoriented mind. That was a structure I’d seen in B-roll footage, after Venlil exterminators held human kids at gunpoint! This was the headquarters for an organization that immolated animals; I had strong opinions about that from my work on Earth.

“Well, fuck it.” I stumbled up the doorstep, and ripped a paper with KILL ON SIGHT off the frame. It was a picture of baby kittens in a box. “Maybe a little ‘drunk and disorderly’ property damage isn’t a bad idea.”

I barged through the door, wielding my bottle over my head in a crazed manner. Tension permeated my temples, as a visceral glare overtook my face. A Venlil sprang up from her desk, and stared at me in silence. Violent thoughts rushed through my mind; it was tough to retain control. My nails dug into my palm, and I threw myself in the exterminator’s face.

“Yeah, go on. Why don’t you start crying, murderer? Where I’m from, what your lot does is called animal cruelty! You’re not our friends. You all are the monsters, so prejudiced and hateful and…merciless!” I screamed.

The Venlil stood dangerously still. “‘You all?’ Exterminators?”

“The exterminators, the Venlil, aliens in general; you’re all the same. You ruined my life. You’re the reason why Earth was hit, you and your hate! Well, I hate you too. I hope you choke on your own saliva, so I can piss on your grave!”

“That’s rather unkind.”

“So was laughing as my family burned! So was kicking us when we’re down, and so was dragging us into this fucking war. You’re hypocritical scum, and you should be set off by your own flamethrowers. Shit, maybe I’ll help you with that!”

“Please calm d—”

“I am fucking calm! Why should we care if you’re afraid of us? We’re terrified, and no one gives a shit. You just want to line up our children for a fiery execution. The UN could feed you to the Arxur, for all I care.”

“…are you done?”

“No, I’m…well, yeah. You heard that you’re mindless, animal-killing savages. Answer me, you stupid xeno!”

“I will. I find this outburst incredibly immature, and I think your language has no place in a civilized society. This is not how humans behave on Earth, so you won’t do it here. Control yourself, for stars’ sake!”

I took a deep breath, and unclenched my fist. Crimson droplets flowed down my bottle like syrup. I’d sunk my fingers so deeply into my hand, that gashes were carved in the skin. Red marks dotted the tile, alongside a considerable puddle. Tracking water inside created quite a mess, which the exterminator was looking at with disdain.

The female alien sighed. “You’re taking your problems out on people who had nothing to do with it. Did the Venlil attack Earth?”

“No, but you’re with the fucking Federation!” I hissed.

“We left the Federation to stand with you. If you’ll recall, the Venlil gave you our military ships, and sent the few remnants we kept to Earth’s defense. Our reinforcements fell desperately trying to hold the line; perhaps the difference between a dozen more antimatter bombs landing.”

“Then why do you hate us so much? Most people can’t even look at me!”

“Because you look…never mind. We made Venlil Prime a target, by housing humans. If Kalsim succeeded, he would’ve come for us next to finish the extermination. Had the roles been reversed, would humans be thrilled about getting Earth glassed for a few of us?”

I stifled a wet cough. “No. I suppose we would not.”

“Oh and, by taking your refugees, a few million humans are alive today! Look, think what you want about exterminators, but don’t minimize the risks we took for you. The general public’s fear doesn’t change what we did.”

Shit, why isn’t she afraid of me? I screamed vulgar threats in her face.

“What’s your name?” the exterminator prompted.

“William. Hey, I’m sorry for coming in hot—”

“I’m Volek. There’s a storage closet to your left. Get a mop and dry the floor.”

“What?”

“Do humans not clean up after themselves?! You dripped all over my lobby, while you were having your little screaming session. Now you will clean up your mess.”

I was so taken aback by Volek’s request, that I trudged to the closet in obedience. The exterminator watched as I retrieved a mop, and poked it haphazardly at the floor. She cleared her throat, pointing with her tail to a missed spot. My eyebrows arched up, but I soaked up any remaining moisture.

The Venlil continued to stare with assertiveness. Despite standing a full head above her height, something about her was intimidating. She seated herself back at her desk, once I returned the mop. My feet turned toward the door to leave the premises. I’d made a fool of myself, and that reality worsened the all-consuming depression.

“William. I want to show you a video,” Volek said.

I ducked my head. “I’m sorry for the trouble. If you’re going to forward this security feed, just do it. I don’t need to see it. Have me arrested or whatever.”

“I wasn’t asking. You came in and disrupted my evening. You can spare a few minutes of your time.”

My heart felt as heavy as a rock, but I dragged my feet over to her desk. Volek was squinting at her holodisplay, with her cursor over the play button. The date on the bottom read four years ago, once she switched on a translation algorithm. The exterminator checked that I was watching, and rolled the video.

A Venlil crouched with a pawful of berries, extending them to a horned creature with side-facing eyes. The animal stomped one leg, before charging at the persistent alien on screen. I gasped as it gored the fruit-offerer. Its horns impaled the Venlil in the throat; a large amount of orange blood spilled out.

“I’ve released most of our anti-human employees. But Rauln…that was his mother you just watched die.” Volek drew a shuddering breath, and her ears pinned back with revulsion. “Rauln saw it firsthand, and showed up at our doorstep that day. He burned this predator alive personally.”

“That’s horrible. I’m sorry,” I murmured. “This Rauln hates us?”

“Yes, but I don’t have the heart to transfer him. He believes all the stereotypical shit. Beware the predator who seems to not be a predator…all that. Who can blame him for feeling that way?”

“The work you guys do is terrible. You burn animals alive. You could just kill them.”

“Well, I don’t agree with the burning part. But sometimes, people do things a certain way because that’s how it’s always been done.”

“If you don’t agree with torching animals, why do you work here?!”

“It pays well, William. Besides, I don’t kill them myself. I sit at a desk.”

Honestly, accepting a less-than-scrupulous position for a generous salary figure was human. I could understand why Volek didn’t rock the boat, if her job was comfortable. Worst of all, she had me feeling sorry for an exterminator who thought I should be toasted. Rauln believed humans were predatory monsters, but did he deserve to get canned?

I thought exterminators were puppy-kicking evil, but they just seem like…people. Volek has been nicer than most random Venlil on the street.

“Now I’ve got a question. Why do you perceive the Venlil as ‘kicking you when you’re down’, William?” the receptionist asked. “You said that, during your tirade.”

I cast a forlorn stare at my drink. “I’ve tried to get a job, but no Venlil will hire me. Can’t even get an interview to be a sanitation worker! And shit, I’m not qualified for human jobs, unless I enlist. That’s what the UN wants from us all.”

“Maybe I can help. The guild has connections everywhere. What did you do for a living?”

“You’re gonna laugh, but I was an animal control officer. Dealt with dead, lost, and dangerous critters. Like what you do, but without all the gasoline.”

“I see. How do humans handle extermination?

“Not extermination, Volek. We don’t drive species extinct for our employment. Mostly, we relocate or take them to treatment centers. When they’re a public safety threat, we euthanize an individual painlessly.”

“Interesting. You must have predator attacks all the time.”

“It’s quite rare to have fatal incidents. Attacks aren’t an everyday occurrence either.”

“Then you must know something we don’t. That, or it’s because you’re at a different level of the food chain.”

“Forget about it. I guess you see my issue finding work. It’s not like your predator-killing team is gonna add me to their roster, right?”

Volek leaned back in her chair, and I could see the gears spinning in her head. Recognizing the absurdity of a human exterminator, the Venlil was searching for any potential occupation for me here. It surprised me that she hadn't laughed at my joke. There wasn’t any entity that treated animals with dignity on this rock.

“I don’t see why we couldn’t. Do you want to work for us?” the exterminator answered.

I recoiled in surprise. “What?! No! I think you’re monsters.”

“If you want our office to change, this is your chance to achieve that. Your employment could make things better between humans and us. Also, might I reiterate: it pays well. Handsomely well.”

“Fuck. Why are you doing this?!”

“I think Rauln could use a human partner. I have to stick him on probation, after the school incident. He’s doubled down since then. I don’t know what else to try, but he’s a good worker.”

“This gets better, Volek. You want me to pair up with the explicitly bigoted exterminator?”

“You said you needed a job. And no one else is offering.”

I chuckled to myself, unable to believe what I was hearing. My own species would detest me too, once they found out who I was employed by. Still, the fact that this was my lone offer was a valid point. I was spiraling out of control, and I needed something to focus on. Maybe I could stop some animals from being burned alive too.

The decision cemented itself in my mind to accept the offer. This didn’t have to be a long-term gig. Volek said the guild had influence in every field; perhaps it would help my applications for other roles. Marketing myself as a predator hater seemed to be a good resume item.

“Okay. I’ll…take the job,” I grumbled.

Volek flicked her ears. “You’ll be back here at first claw tomorrow. But I have a few conditions, and it goes beyond the obvious not bringing meat.”

“Here it comes. What part of my existence sickens you?”

“I expect you to shower and sober up. You look like you slept in a landfill.”

“…oh. Right. That’s not far from the truth.”

The exterminator returned to her holodisplay, waving for me to leave. I noticed her eyeballing the liquor, so I hurled it into a waste receptacle. It was difficult to process the fact that these people would hire a predator, let alone a drunk who came to stir up trouble. I half-expected Volek to greet me with a line of Venlil with flamethrowers, as soon as I came back.

After the threats I spewed, it’d be in line with exterminator dogma to dispose of the feral human. But somehow, my conversation with Volek boosted my spirits. That exchange was the first time I felt heard or seen on Venlil Prime; the hatred burning in my chest had cooled for a moment.

Despite mistrusting these Venlil, there was nothing to lose in coming back. It wasn’t like my future had any positive outlook, with Earth in shambles. I guess I’d see tomorrow if the job offer was all a ruse.

Next

A/N - Part 1 of our new series! A drunken, depressed human with nothing to lose stumbles into the exterminators office, and Volek attempts to snap him out of his self-pitying stupor. William Kane, a former animal control officer, ends up hired by the guild before he knows it.

How do you expect the rest of the exterminators to respond to a hired predator? What will Rauln do, if Will is assigned as his partner?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!