The Nature of Predators - Cilany's Adventures (3/7)

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Memory transcription subject: Cilany, Harchen Reporter

Date [standardized human time]: December 1, 2136

The airport was bustling with Terrans, and I was subjected to their rigorous security screening. A guard had made a derisive comment to the human behind me about “bringing pets aboard the flight”, when she saw me. However, her cheeks turned a flushed red when a colleague informed her I was an alien, not some “gecko”; she rushed to apologize. Apparently, she lacked a translator implant, so she hadn’t understood that my sounds were words. The spectacle escalated further once I cleared the checkpoint, with every human I passed wanting to ask questions or take pictures. I pretended not to see the duo in sunglasses following me, scanning for threats.

At least Zhao’s lackeys will let random Terrans approach me. It’s one thing to agree to take selfies, but they all have to flash their teeth…while wrapping an arm around me.

It was a miracle that I managed to get a wink of sleep on the flight to Sweden, suspended thousands of feet above-ground with a predator crowd. My eyes blinked open to the sound of a crying baby, which must not like the popping of its ears. I spent the remaining time people-watching, and jotting down anything of interest. Once they were over the alien novelty, the humans paid me little attention; many had headphones over their ears, or were napping in the cramped seats. The plane crew passed out snacks and drinks, including a stash of something brown and salty to the businessman next to me.

After observing that microcosm of group-scale human interaction, we landed at our destination. Predators pulled bulky bags from the overhead, and one helped me retrieve my luggage from the tall compartment. I disembarked with the rest of the passengers down the terminal, a few who were mumbling my name among themselves. It would be interesting to get a peek at the new landscape, and find out what sights awaited. According to Lars, it could be freezing in Sweden at this time of year, but an unusual warm front made it quite pleasant today.

Just landed, I texted over Planasnap.

Lars’ answer came immediately. I’m here! I called in sick to work for this shit, so hopefully, we don’t run into anyone I know. I’m gonna have to hide my face then, but maybe they’d understand—I mean, how often does a guy get to show aliens roller coasters?

Roller coasters? No, explain it to me when I get there. I don’t know how to find you.

You can’t miss me. Literally make your way outside, and you’ll find me curbside. I got a Zurulian decal!

A what?

A picture of a Zurulian with its tongue lolling, on the side of my car.

Amusement flared in my chest, in spite of myself. I mulled over the words “roller coaster”, as I navigated my way toward the curbside pickup. Lars’ vehicle did stand out from the pack, with the subtlety of a Mazic; it was royal purple, with a Zurulian comic-style likeness plastered across the doors. The frosty human threw the door open, and waved with jarring energy. I’d suspected he had a flair for the dramatic on the call, but it came off more intimidating in person.

“Hi Cilany!” With Lars’ bluer-than-blue eyes never leaving me, I almost felt paralyzed. I reminded myself that I wanted to engage with an authentic human; showing fear would align me with the rest of the Harchen. “We are gonna have an awesome time…you won’t regret coming here. You have no idea the joy in life you’re missing.”

I studied the vehicle for a moment, noticing that Lars had situated himself in the backseat. He was beckoning to me with an eager hand, and that would leave me trapped inside his car alone. Why wasn’t the human sitting in the driver’s chair? Studying the dashboard more closely, I discerned that it was automated, like Zhao’s chauffeur vehicles. Perhaps with their narrow vision, Terrans thought navigation was better left to machines with actual periphery.

Summoning all of my courage, I climbed over the well-built human to an empty seat. Lars was grinning like an idiot, making a small fist pump to himself. Suddenly, I was grateful that Zhao’s security was keeping me in their sights; it could be taken as the Swedish predator celebrating that he’d lured me to the isolated transport. His behavior was too odd to comprehend, but it was important to note that he’d been harmless in the exchange program. If the Zurulians escaped unscathed, there was no reason to assume he harbored ill intent.

The car began rolling off at Lars’ command, turning itself slowly onto a road. It was a good sign that he had a destination in mind. I could see coordinates plugged into a map of local roads, and the vehicle spitting out an estimated arrival time. The blue skies were the only familiar thing I could see, as I tried to acclimate myself to the human’s energy. There was so much I wanted to ask him, once I was certain I could maintain my professionalism.

“Nervous?” Lars breathed.

“Sorry, guess I’m shaking a bit. Shit.” I hastily steeled my expression, deciding to proffer some honesty. “Yeah, I’m a little nervous. I don’t know you all that well.”

The human barked out a laugh. “Ha! Listen girl, don’t take this the wrong way, but a word of advice…please, don’t go meeting up with internet strangers, who you talked to for a day, and then get into their cars. I don’t think that’s safe, especially with how small you are. You’re good with me; this just…isn’t a practice you want to make a habit.”

“I thought you had a story to tell. This is incredibly reckless, but I need the truth. Seeing you with Wilen, I thought that was a good indicator you were friendly.”

“We have fun together, we’re bros and all that. I wouldn’t trade meeting him for the world, but maybe I shouldn’t have been part of the exchange program. I’m very outgoing, and lying about myself…it just makes me sick. Is that crazy?”

“No. I’ve never been the type to lie about things, not even when it’s what’s ‘best’ for galactic stability. That’s why I planned to trap Nikonus, one way or another; the shtick didn’t add up. That’s why I took on the Krakotl military for their extortion, years ago, even though they could physically hurt me for it. My self-preservation instincts are awful, Lars.”

“You and me both! I’m the type of human that sees a mountain, and climbs it because it’s fucking there. I’m all about confronting your fears. That’s why I thought it was what’s best for Wilen. Actually, some of it was selfish. Real selfish, and I regret that part. Not to dump that on you.”

Lars’ expression grew pensive, and I could see him wringing his pale fingers together. The predators were quite emotive, once you learned the alien indicators to look for. This was different from the expression of grief Samantha showed; there was the glint of pain, and a slight tension in his bushy eyebrows. Once you truly saw into a human’s binocular eyes, it was impossible not to realize they belonged to a feeling sapient. It might be useful to make a chart of their facial cues and the corresponding emotions, since it could help others like me adapt.

I cautiously placed my palm over his wrist. “Go on, if you want to. Did you have a rocky start with Wilen? Scare him too much?”

“Ah, you could say that. It’s a long story, but the gist of it—our first conversation, Wilen admitted he was ‘using me’ to impress a girl…Fraysa. Part of me, I subconsciously thought, ‘This could be my only chance to meet an alien.’ I had to get him to come visit me, just get him here in person and figure it out. I knew he didn’t want to, and I pushed the envelope. Wilen…got put under suspicion of predator disease, because I forced him into things.”

“Pfft. I was under suspicion of predator disease, multiple times. The Krakotl government tried to make that accusation stick on me, because they didn’t want their dirty feathers showing. Every journalist gets accused of that, and learns to fend it off. Maybe I can help Wilen?”

“I appreciate that, but this one came from the Zurulian ambassador himself. Because Wilen tried to save me; if he let me pay for my indiscretion, he’d be home free. He would rather be on Colia, with his medical license, today, than trapped on Earth.”

“You look happy in your pictures together online. Whatever happened between you, Wilen doesn’t seem to hold it against you. Besides, he told you he was using you, and you didn’t resent that? The exchange must’ve been monumental for you; it would be natural, to be upset that he didn’t share your desire for friendship.”

“I’m not like that, Cilany. I just want to have a good time, and have an interesting life. My slice of history is being the first human to show aliens hockey, and I’m ok with that. It’s something that was cool to me, that I got to share with not one, but two Zurulians. What could I have to resent?”

“That doesn’t seem selfish to me. You didn’t get a perfect deal, and you made the best of it. I can tell you didn’t mean for anything to happen to Wilen.”

“Of course I didn’t. It happened, but I…never would’ve wanted this.”

Lars’ smile had become quieter, wistful even, and he gave my arm an awkward pat. A shudder passed down the limb; I’d forgotten I even placed it on the human’s wrist. It wasn’t clear to me whether withdrawing it immediately would seem like rejection, so I kept it hovering nearby. I never imagined myself trying to reassure a predator, but Terran motivations seemed so familiar and understandable. I felt guilt, when I tried to imagine the Harchen killing billions of people like him.

The human forced himself to perk up. “Enough about me. I want to hear about you, and like, if there’s any hard boundaries of things to do, I won’t cross it! Pinky promise.”

“I’m not eating meat. Beyond my moral gripes, it would kill me. You know about what happened at the restaurant, with the cross contact.”

“Yeah, I promise not to touch the subject with a ten-foot pole, unless you ask. That must’ve been terrifying. I’m sure glad you pulled through.”

“You and me both. It’s a shame, because the food actually was delectable up until that point. I’m sure you’ve tried your share of Zurulian vegetables, with Wilen.”

“Of course I have, though the prices they charge are outrageous! That restaurant must charge an arm and a leg too.” Charging body parts as a currency? Even if that’s a saying, that’s grotesque. “I experimented with some dishes for Wilen. Frying the legumes is just…chef’s kiss. It’s great. You know, I could make you something vegan, and be super careful about everything! Triple checked and all that.”

“That sounds great. It would be nice to meet this Zurulian frie—"

“Wait, hold on, are you distracting me to not answer questions about yourself?”

“I’m a reporter, Lars. I’m more used to asking other people questions.”

“Well, I’m putting my heart on my sleeve, and I want a little reciprocity. Why did you stay on Earth? I assume you didn’t wanna go to Fahl, with it being attacked by the Arxur and the UN taking over. I get that. But any human-allied planet would’ve taken you in, after the story you broke. The galaxy sees us as monsters, and I can’t put my finger on why you’d choose to live here, around us. To live in constant discomfort and fear, no doubt.”

My shoulders stiffened. I felt that voicing my pain over the Harchen worlds, and my lingering anxiety around humans, would draw scorn from the predators. There must’ve been some lapse in my composure if Lars drew that assumption, but my commitment to honesty wouldn’t allow me to shoot down his assessment. There was no judgment in his phrasing, only quiet curiosity. Those icy eyes seemed to see right through me. Under that stare, I couldn’t conjure anything to say but the truth.

The truth shows my own weakness, but I guess we’ll have to hope an exchange program volunteer like Lars is willing to overlook that flaw. Still, seeking sympathy for our world’s destruction, after what we did to Earth—it’s a stretch.

“I wanted to learn more about humans, and get past the discomfort. I feel sorry for you, seeing how much pain the raid caused,” I answered. “The…colony I lived on, my workplace and my home, it was destroyed by the Arxur. You’re right that I can’t go back. Fahl is not an independent state anymore, anyways.”

Lars sported a solemn countenance. “That must be a terrible event to process alone. Everything you’ve ever known, destroyed.”

“It all happened because we attacked humans, without provocation. So I know I have no right to feel mixed up over these occurrences, but I can’t get it all out of my head. The grays had me and my coworkers in a cage. Other Harchen are cattle now, where I easily could’ve wound up, and maybe being here was a good distraction. If I’m investigating your kind, my mind is occupied. Maybe I’ll make some steps toward atonement along the way.”

“Oh. Wow.”

“Too honest, wasn’t it? I never should’ve told you all that. It’s my baggage. Earth are the real victims.”

“No, no, please don’t say that! I am just processing that, but I really appreciate you trusting me. You don’t need to feel guilt over what the Harchen did. If that’s part of why you’re here, some debt to humanity…an apology for a raid you had no part in? You don’t have to place that burden upon yourself.”

“Thank you, Lars. You have no reason to be so nice.”

“I have no reason not to be nice! Don’t feel like you have to bottle up your feelings; it’s natural to grieve, man. You got thrown in a damn cage, like you said, and that’s some fucking trauma shit. If you ever want to talk, I’m here and I won’t judge. What some Harchen politician did to Earth doesn’t mean I won’t let you cry on my shoulder. Any time.”

A weight I didn’t realize I was carrying lifted off my chest, and I noticed tears rolling down my cheek. The car navigated itself into a massive parking lot, which was packed with vehicles and a few tour buses. Strange looping railroads were visible spanning into the air, with occasional cars hurtling down the tracks. I couldn’t make out much from this distance, but it didn’t seem like an even-keel ride. Was this the ‘roller coaster’ Lars mentioned? What was the purpose of these contraptions?

I sniffled, grateful for the predator’s kindness. “Really, thank you. I might take you up on that, so I hope you’re serious.”

“Sure thing! Okay, we’re here. Liseberg Amusement Park, home of smiles, thrills, and good vibes. You still want to do this?”

“Absolutely. It’s a great distraction…and this Emergency Order 56 needs to be exposed.”

“Attagirl! Let’s have some fun; I’ll tell you all about lots of things. Don’t worry, already snagged the tickets. My treat.”

The blond-haired human squeezed my arm, then dragged me from the car without hesitation. I contained a snicker, as I noticed the predator was practically skipping with excitement. If he thought this attraction offered this level of fun, yet believed it was something that might be prohibited by the UN, my curiosity was piqued. I traipsed toward the Swedish park, ready to soak in my first stop on the Earth investigation list. This was my chance to uncover what the Terrans were like at their core, and what their entertainment was really about.

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A/N - Part 3! Lars meets Cilany, and the two get to know each other a bit. Our Swedish friend's great idea was to take an alien to a theme park...perhaps he's learned a bit from what happened with Wilen. What will Cilany think of the roller coasters? Can she be coaxed into riding one?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!