The Nature of Predators - Venlil Foster Program (12/14)

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Memory transcription subject: Callsi, Venlil Bartender

Date [standardized human time]: November 15, 2136

There was very little I knew about Terran entertainment, beyond the violent nature of their games. So when Oleksiy Bondarenko mentioned a “magic show” at our capital’s theatre, I was skeptical about what that entailed. But Dustin overheard from a barstool, and his eyes lit up in an instant. Once the Terran orphan was begging me to go, it was impossible to say no.

My foster son missed his own people’s entertainment; perhaps this would offer a taste of home. Earth was a gorgeous planet, from what I’d seen at the Terran embassy. Dustin mentioned with caution that he wanted to go back there some day. Unfortunately, it would be a long time before I could muster up the courage to set paw on the human’s cradle. This magic show was the largest unknown I had the ability to face today.

Jimek pranced up to the theatre’s archway, mirroring Dustin’s excitement. It was rare to see the predator with such vibrancy in his face; this must’ve been the perfect event for Olek to mention. The UN Peacekeeper wouldn’t invite us to anything violent, right? He knew the cultural guidelines better than anyone.

Dustin would look more apprehensive if it was predatory. This shouldn’t be traumatic.

I took a calming breath. “This is going to be a fun, family activity. Right boys?”

“Absolutely!” Jimek cheered. “This must be like special effects in movies. Live!”

Dustin pursed his lips. “Not quite. Seeing is believing…you’re gonna be amazed.”

A massive human waved to us from the theatre’s entrance, the signature glasses framing his eyes. Olek had allowed his chin fur to grow out, which incited a discussion on the human practice of “shaving.” The Peacekeeper explained that some males used razors to banish fur by their lips. I was grateful that he’d told me before any spontaneous occurrences with Dustin.

Olek pumped his fist. “Yes! My favorite Venlils!”

“‘Venlil’ is a singulare tantum. You know, the singular form is the plural,” Dustin whispered.

I signaled for him to hush. “Never mind that. It’s good to see you, Olek. Thanks for inviting us, but you’ve already done so much for this family. Please, let me recompense you for the tickets.”

“Hey, I like you, Callsi, but my motivations weren’t all one-sided. Any human who brought a Venlil got free admission. It’s all a marketing ploy; this show is free, so that you’ll spread the word and come back in the future.”

“Like how Kaulin gives free samples of the Earth-flavored liquors.” Jimek perked his ears in understanding. “I liked the grapefruit one.”

I swished my tail. “That was a good one. I’m still surprised Kaulin opened negotiations with the human farmers.”

“You let Jimek drink?!” Olek screeched.

“He’s thirteen? It’s not like he’s five.”

“Okay, Callsi, you know you cannot give alcohol to Terran children…right?”

“I don’t know enough about your biology to make that decision. I haven’t given any to Dustin, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Well don’t! It would hurt his brain development.”

Dustin’s lips curved down. “Aw. Why did you have to tell her that?”

“Because it’s for your good! Humans under eighteen should not be drinking. Well, that’s the rule in my country. You should ask our embassy for official guidance.”

Concern was plastered across Olek’s pale face; my human regulars had cheerfully explained their expressions to me a few nights ago. The furrow of his brow and the slight parting of his lips clued me into his exact emotions. It was easier now to read emotions beyond hunger into their countenances. I supposed it was important to know that alcohol was harmful to Terran youth.

The male Peacekeeper scratched his chin fur, and forced a smile. He ushered us into the theatre with calm strides; the UN event security (a fixture in Venlil settings since the Terran stampede) waved us in after wanding the two humans. The auditorium was packed to the brim with Venlil, and I wondered what was in store for us. All I could see on the stage was a few props, as the lights began to dim.

We made it just in time. Let’s see what predators consider magic.

Dustin bared his teeth with excitement. “Make sure to watch the magician closely!”

I adhered to his instructions, watching an unassuming Terran stroll onto the stage. His garb was excessive, with a massive black hat adorning his skull. The auditorium went quiet, as he waved a squishy hand at the audience. A few cheers came from the human onlookers, while the Venlil spectators studied him with nervous eyes.

“For your own safety, please rest assured that no animals or humans will be harmed in this act,” an automated voice declared over the speakers. “All stunts provide only the illusion of danger, and have been vetted by the appropriate government entities.”

I leaned over to Dustin. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“Hello, everyone!” the ‘magician’ declared. “I’m Davis Conrad, and not to brag on myself, but I was the most famous illusionist on Earth. My show is usually more daring and high-octane than what you’re about to see; I am only going to perform a few classic illusions tonight. “

Olek nodded. “See, Callsi? They sanitized the tricks for the Venlil. It’ll be fine.”

Davis Conrad beamed at the crowd. “I’ve been performing in cities across my planet for years. I know that for most of my Venlil audience, this is your introduction to magic. So without further ado, I say we get to the show. Let’s start with the most signature trick, how’s that sound?”

The magician slipped the black hat off his mane. He swiveled the interior toward the audience, and slowly showed it to the crowd. The Venlil spectators were beginning to lose interest, with bored expressions becoming apparent. Davis tapped the cap a final time, and situated it upside-down in his arms.

“Now, make sure that your eyes don’t leave me. All I need is for you to believe in the impossible, just for a minute.” The human performer was unfazed by the tepid response, and waved a hand mystically over the hat. “And out of thin air, what appears?”

Davis angled the hat slightly back toward the crowd. A white prey animal poked its fluffy head out, and the human scooped it up. I gasped in shock; several Venlil sprang from their seats. How had the predator summoned a meal out of nowhere? If he showed any intention of harming the herbivore, I might’ve passed out altogether.

This had to be some kind of predator deception. Davis’ disclaimer stated that these were classic illusions, which must mean we were being duped. However, the sudden appearance looked quite convincing to all of us. There was no rational explanation for how it had been done; it defied the very laws of reality! No wonder human children found these stunts intriguing.

At least their natural inclinations to deceive others are used for entertainment, not to ruin sapient lives.

Light applause came from the human spectators, and Venlil joined in with tail thumps. Davis handed the prey animal to an assistant, likely to be taken to a cattle pen backstage. The magician basked in the response for a moment, before launching into his next stunt. Venlil onlookers were still riled up, in disbelief over what our eyes told us.

“How did he do that?” Jimek squealed.

Dustin tilted his head. “Sleight of hand. The impressive part is that you don’t see him putting it there. It’s an art, in a way.”

Davis placed a few household objects on the table. “Settle down everyone! There’s much more to see tonight. Making things appear and disappear is only the most basic form of magic.”

The predator performer snatched a coin from the table, and dropped it into his palm. He closed his fist on the metal, to reopen it a second later. More gasps came from the crowd, as the object had vanished altogether. A few Venlil shouted that he’d put it in the other hand, but Davis Conrad was unbothered by the accusations.

The magician pushed his sleeves up, and made a spectacle of showing us his empty palms. As rapturous cheers erupted across the theatre, Davis curled one hand back into a ball. His other hand dropped below the white-knuckled fist, and pulled a blue handkerchief from it. The world started spinning around me, as all logic broke down.

I couldn’t fathom how humans converted deception into art, but I couldn’t look away. Davis stretched out the blue textile, and showed each hand empty once more. The human stuffed the cloth back into his fist, reaching below it again. He tugged the handkerchief out; however, the item he retrieved was red. The magician stretched his hands wide open, revealing the blue fabric was gone.

“There’s no way this is possible!” I hissed. “We saw everything he’s doing. Humans can’t just…”

Dustin leaned forward in his seat. “Isn’t this awesome? This guy’s legit. I loved watching his specials on livestreams.”

The magician was bowing on stage; it seemed he was surprised by how well-received his act was so far. His assistants collected the current props, and wheeled a black box on stage. Davis was loosening up as time progressed, maintaining a toothy smile throughout the act. I watched as a female human with a small frame sauntered up to the magician, and he gestured to her.

“Everyone, meet my assistant Alice! While living on Venlil Prime, I’ve heard often that us ‘predators’ seek bloodlust and violence,” Davis remarked. “If that’s what you still believe…well, I don’t know why you’re here. But you’ll want to watch this next bit.”

Hesitant laughs came from the crowd, but I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of his dialogue. A rack was wheeled onto the stage, with several curved and lengthy blades. The Venlil in the front rows scampered backward, as David armed himself with a weapon of execution. What if the show included attacking spectators?

The performer placed a red fruit atop the box, and hacked his sword at it. The blade cleared through the plant with ease, cleanly lopping it in two. If Davis meant to threaten Venlil into obeying him, he hadn’t needed to demonstrate its sharpness to accomplish that. My heart was hammering in my ribcage. I found myself burrowing into Olek’s chest for comfort; the Peacekeeper soothed me with calming pats.

“Right, I want all of you to say good-bye to Alice here!” Davis quipped, which was met with cold silence. “Relax, all of you, I was told by the UN I could ‘in no way’ saw her in half. So instead, I’ve settled for slicing her to bits.”

Horrified gasps echoed across the auditorium, and I shot a mortified glance at Dustin. Meanwhile, Davis continued his unhinged segment, wrapping his coworker in chains. He opened the box that had been brought on stage, and crammed the smaller predator into it. The magician placed a lid atop the container, trapping Alice inside.

The performer must’ve been joking about slicing Alice in half. It’s dark humor, as they say…the Terrans aren’t sadists. He’s just going to make her vanish, of course.

Screams coursed through the auditorium, as Davis plunged a sword through the heart of the box. Even the humans were gasping, so I doubted this was part of the plan. Several Venlil succumbed to flight instincts, and sprinted for the exit. Olek pinned me in my seat, and rendered me unable to cover Jimek’s eyes. Both my sons were watching this senseless murder!

If I’d been more cogent, I would’ve realized it was progress that Venlil spectators were appalled by a predator being killed on stage. But all I could feel was shock; Dustin hadn’t warned me that magicians executed their crew. Davis Conrad retrieved another blade, determined to finish the job. The human seemed incensed by the lack of blood after the second stab, and jabbed several swords into Alice’s box at once.

I averted my eyes. Tears rolled down my cheek, and choking sobs burst from my throat. I couldn’t watch an innocent Terran be mutilated for sport, at an event designed to teach mysticism to kids. Venlil journalists were filming the incident, chattering about the humans’ predator side. Fleeing spectators were running over each other to escape.

Davis realized he’d lost control of the room. “Please, remain calm everyone! Look back at the box now.”

Swords crisscrossed the entirety of the container, but a delicate hand poked out. The fingers wriggled around, which reignited my logical brain. Alice was still alive somehow! The predators needed to get her out of there, and have medical staff attend to her at once. How could the human spectators, including Dustin, be so desensitized as to watch idly?

“For the record, I was going to stab a few more swords in there.” Davis began pulling each blade out of the box, but I could barely look at him. This was a vicious predator who had no empathy. “But in the public interest, I will cut this act short. I think we lost half the Venlil audience members here.”

The sounds of crying could still be heard across the auditorium, as the magician hurriedly popped the lid off the box. Davis helped a smiling Alice stand; the female assistant was waving to the crowd. The Terran audience members started applauding, which I thought was for her survival. Then, it dawned on me that her form was entirely unharmed.

There wasn’t a single scratch, let alone a massive gash. Also, the chains Davis had tied her in were gone.

The humans didn’t flee or cry because they’ve seen this stunt before. They knew Alice wasn’t really hurt…but how wasn’t she butchered?!

“Can we get paramedics to the back of the theatre? I see some Venlil down,” Davis barked, before touching an earpiece. “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m being asked to postpone the rest of the show. We never meant to incite a stampede.”

The human magician hurried off-stage, and UN security guards flanked him. I released a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. Olek rubbed my back soothingly, while Dustin studied me with concern. If this performance’s goal was to stimulate our fear response, then I suppose it was a success. There were remarkable moments in the show, but the last effect was horrifying.

Jimek had shaken the horror, and looked disappointed by the magician’s departure. As for me…I didn’t find believing a human died enjoyable. Whether my sons enjoyed this event or not, I wouldn’t be taking them to any Terran entertainment I hadn’t vetted in the future. Exposing my little Venlil to violence was how we got more drawings of Vana getting hit by a train.

The good news was, Olek ensured we didn’t get swept into a stampede. None of us were hurt, and that was what mattered. I hoped this experience would be a learning opportunity for any open-minded Venlil like myself. Violence was prevalent in human culture, and accepting their kind meant embracing that fact.

It wasn’t like that was a new revelation to me. For Dustin’s sake, I would brush this traumatic experience aside.

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A/N - Part 12 is here! Callsi takes her kids to a magic show, and discover the human art form of deception and trickery. However, things go awry when weapons and perceived harm come into play. Is our entertainment incompatible with Venlil sensibilities?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!