The Nature of Predators - Zurulian Miniseries (2/5)

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Memory transcription subject: Doctor Wilen, Zurulian Hospital Fleet

Date [standardized human time]: October 27, 2136

The United Nations connected us with the government of Sweden, and our flight was authorized in swift order. The local diplomats were a bit disappointed that we requested a full media blackout; they wanted to welcome us with overblown fanfare. Apparently, we were their tribe’s first alien visitors. I suppose they should be grateful for that, since most extraterrestrial missions were due to bombings.

We landed our shuttle a half-mile from the “ice rink”, and scary Swedish police watched over the parked vehicle. Fraysa wanted to chat with the armed executioners. I managed to hurry her off, reminding her that we couldn’t miss Lars’ activity. I didn’t give a shit about my partner’s match, of course, but it worked.

The brisk air carried some bite, as we trotted across the street. The night backdrop made the human dwellings more ominous; there were foreign primates walking everywhere. Several tried to approach us, though they were herded off by Swedish officers. I hadn’t even noticed them tailing us until they leapt out of alleys.

It never occurred to you that ambush predators can follow you without being seen? That’s their modus operandi.

Blood rushed in my ears, with our destination visible across the street. Massive humans were speeding across ice, hounding each other with batons meant for slashing and hacking. They wore protective visors to prevent an opponent from jabbing out their eyes. I couldn’t tell which one was Lars.

Fraysa and I settled onto a park bench. It was all I could do to peer through the glass, at the visceral contest. The alien predators were slamming each other into walls, and flattening opponents with chest punches. What was the purpose of this ‘game’? To injure the other team?

I ducked my head. “I don’t like this, Fraysa. This is barbaric…a deranged display of bestiality.”

“They’re not hurting each other. Look, they all get right back up,” she replied. “I’m sure it’s important to them to prove their strength.”

My eyes drifted to the team benches, wanting a detour from this unsightly show. One human waved at us as he hopped onto the ice. That jawline…that was Lars. The dentist drove his shoulder into a defender’s sternum, and hustled after a black disc. The opponent swung at his wrists, trying to break his arms and cripple him.

Lars maneuvered ahead, despite the knives on his shoes. He reached out an arm to block the defender, who yanked at his pelt in response. The two predators toppled to the ground, and ended up tangled awkwardly.

My partner shot an exasperated gesture at a striped human, who must be on a solo third team. He rose slowly, with ice smeared all over his gear. The opponent tried to pry his stick loose, but Lars ripped it away. He threw it across the ice for the other predator to fetch.

“Ref, are you blind?” I heard the opponent scream.

I was stunned that humans couldn’t even get along while playing. When I imagined this league, I didn’t picture it as a wild beatdown. Watching this uncivilized contest was enough to make me wince in secondhand pain. Even Fraysa was curling back with anxiety.

“I…I’ve never seen these levels of aggression, but they must consider it normal. The only conclusion, if this is recreation, is that humans enjoy violence,” she whispered.

I sighed in relief. “Let’s leave. This is a mistake; Lars is nothing like we thought he was.”

“Aw, that’s not fair to say. Predators are different, Wilen, and he clearly wants you involved with his life. Who are we to judge?”

A blur of motion flashed in my peripheral vision. A human in Lars’ pelt colors was escorting the disc down the ice. An enemy player had charged him, and rammed into him with the whole of his body. The disc-carrier found his momentum reversed on a dime; his helmet went flying off his head from the force.

Lars’ teammate lie motionless on the ice, and the striped player blew a high-pitched instrument. In that moment, any semblance of playing vanished. Pure chaos erupted, and the exhibition devolved into a bloodthirsty brawl. The predators were too focused on their fists to check on their fallen comrade!

Where was their empathy? Why had Ambassador Chauson spoken so highly of these mindless animals?

These creatures are clearly unstable. You think it’s safe to be around these specimens?!

My partner rounded on the individual who delivered the hit. Lars latched onto the enemy’s pelt, with now-gloveless hands, and began swinging at his head. His face was contorted in a savage snarl, as he tugged the opponent’s shirt over his head.

The dentist whaled the blinded nemesis in the noggin; the pulverization seemed mechanical. Lars refused to relent, until the other body crumpled to the ice. He rolled up his sleeves, and bared his teeth at me. I took that as a sign that I was his next victim.

Fraysa leaned against me for comfort. “Maybe you were right. That is full-fledged assault…a merciless crime…”

It was a little late for my crush to see reason about the humans. I hoped this brutal display wouldn’t cause permanent trauma for the sweet doctor. This was like being dropped into the middle of a warzone, with zero warning.

“Fuck yeah!” Lars growled, as he skidded opposite us. Perspiration lined his brow, and throaty pants shook his chest. “There’s two minutes left in the game, and I’m gonna be tossed for that. Gonna grab my things, wash up, and we can head out.”

I whined in terror. “W-what did you just do?! What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing. Hockey’s a game where when someone crosses a line, you teach ‘em a lesson. It’s what it means to be human, yknow?”

“Giving other people head trauma is what it means to be human?” Fraysa demanded.

“It’s just a game, an aggression outlet…a way to bond and compete.” His chilling eyes studied her, and his lips curved down. “I’m sorry for scaring you. Please, just wait here a minute?”

Lars didn’t wait for a response, exiting from the rink into a nearby facility. Fraysa watched with teary eyes, as the last Terran brawlers separated. The human who was subjected to the hit was being helped off on wobbly legs by his teammates. The poor savage needed a doctor, but I sure as hell wasn’t offering.

“See? Unknown predators: this is who they are,” I told Fraysa.

She sniffled. “That explains all their wars. Er, if they need a way to…b-blow off steam, this is better than killing. We…h-have to try to understand.”

“Understand?! A creature with such an innate drive to violence and a temper is dangerous.”

“Yet t-they’re good to us in spite of their predatory nature. Lars w-was just playing...in his eyes, I think.”

The human trotted out of the building in new attire; his blond mop was soaked with water. He lifted a bag on his shoulder, and grinned as he saw us still present. How could anyone transform into a raging beast so quickly, only to carry on as if nothing happened? If that was ‘playing’, his definition of fun, what were we in store for?

I lowered my voice. “Please, we need to leave now. We might be able to drop out of the program, and escape with our lives.”

“With our lives?” Fraysa echoed. “Whoa, there’s nothing to suggest he wants to hurt us. Pull yourself together.”

Lars closed the distance with long strides. He was near enough to make out veins through his translucent skin, and the bruising around his knuckles. The way he strutted forward, shoulders rolled back, was like he was in control of everything. To my detriment, that was accurate; we were the reflection of an easy morsel in a dark pupil.

“Let’s go back to my place and get some grub. Two-minute walk. I stocked up on vegan shit just for you,” the human rumbled.

Fraysa glanced at the moon’s position. “Isn’t it late for your traditional mealtimes?”

“Gah, we don’t care. No one said ‘midnight snacking’ has to be just a snack. I worked up quite the appetite out there.”

An involuntary squeal slipped out of my mouth, and I was hiding under the bench before I could blink. Lars rolled his vicious eyes, waving for me to crawl out. My mind was certain we were the entrée being lured to a predator’s den; the flesh-beast just spelled out his hunger in plain words. He must’ve invited us here to whet his ambitious appetite post-brawl.

There’s nowhere to go. I’m surrounded by Swedish police, if I try to run, I told myself. Better pray that ‘pescetarian’ tale is true.

This clearly was a vicious man, not an emotional one like Marcel. Wanting extraterrestrial friends seemed an unlikely possibility for him. What if Lars Isaksson had picked off a few Venlil when he evacuated to their homeworld? That would’ve given him a taste for alien flesh, and encouraged him to experiment. Maybe he joined this program to have pickings at new, exotic peoples.

Lars snorted with impatience. “I’m making you food, not making you into food. You walk, or I carry you.”

Blinking away tears, I hobbled after the human. The last thing I wanted was this monster touching me; how had I felt any guilt over spurning his friendship? The Zurulian government needed to be warned about this species, and their deviant individuals.

The predator’s lair was inside a two-story building, and he scampered up the stairs with ease. The incline was much steeper for me; it was a colossal struggle to lift myself up step-by-step. Rude as ever, the dentist chuckled at my laborious panting. Fraysa merely sat at the bottom of the landing with an expectant look, grooming her paw.

“Want help?” Lars hollered.

Her tongue lolled out. “Please. I’m no biped.”

The human raised an eyebrow at me. As arduous as this incline was, Fraysa was insane to request transport by beast’s clutches. He seemed happy to bound down the stairwell, scooping her up.

My lip curled through my wheezing; I was worried the rough predator was going to hurt her. He was oddly gentle, as he cradled her frail form in his arms. I hated seeing his meaty paws touching her fur, and his lack of caution racing back up. The extra weight didn’t seem to slow him down at all.

Lars left without me, and unlocked the door of a numbered apartment. He left the entry ajar, but gave no sign of checking on me. I hauled myself up the last few steps, trying not to collapse. This was the perfect chance to escape, given his lack of interest in my progress. But how could I leave a predator with my love as his prize?

I staggered into the lair, nursing my burning lungs. “P…predator. Damn you.”

“Glad you could make it!” he chortled, baring his teeth. “Fraysa’s helping get the ingredients out of the fridge. You’re gonna like me after you try our food, Wilen.”

Fraysa wriggled her head out of the icebox. “Wait, you told Lars you don’t like him?!”

I don’t like him, but I never said that.

Lars shook his head. “Not like that. Just doesn’t believe we can be friends; he’s having a hard time with this all. C’mere, Wilen.”

The human tried to hand me a see-through package of meat, and I pushed it away like it burned to the touch. He placed it back on the counter with a sigh. It was all I could do not to spew my stomach contents in front of Fraysa. Disgust lingered in my throat, but I managed to keep everything down.

This entire kitchen was a biohazard, with fish filets having touched the appliances and counters. It was enough to leave the ghastly process to the imagination. The damn container had been cold; the Terrans preserved their kills! I didn’t want to be in an icebox for years!

“Read the label. It’s plant-based faux chicken, man,” Lars said. “100% vegetables, which people Frankenstein’d together to taste like meat. I thought you guys could try it.”

My eyes widened. “What?! Why…would anyone even…”

“Yeah, I think I’m speedrunning how many UN rules I can break in a day. You know, don’t smile, no violent entertainment, don’t pick up the aliens. Chief and foremost, no meat-eating…or anything resembling it.”

“You were told not to do these things? Then why the fuck would you do any of this?”

“I want you to know the real me, not some dressed-up bullshit. I am who I am, and I’m not sorry about it. Also, you must be somewhat curious what meat tastes like.”

“No, never! I’m not a predator!”

Lars sighed in frustration, before cutting open the fake meat container. Fraysa peered over his shoulder, as he slid several slices into a pan. She couldn’t be considering eating that, could she? It was made to taste like literal death and disease.

I couldn’t run the risk of it making me want to hunt animals too. It was a known corrupting factor, causing insanity and murderous tendencies. One look at sapient predators ‘playing’ confirmed that.

“Have a seat on the couch, not-predators. Dinner will be served shortly,” the human growled.

“It’s just plants, Wilen. It’s not like putting animal products in our body.” Fraysa nudged my paw, and pleaded with wide eyes. “I am curious what could be that alluring. We’ll have data on the neurological response, in case any Zurulian comes in contact by accident.”

I shook my head. “The mimicry of flesh isn’t alluring to me. It’s better not to know; nothing good can come of this.”

“What’s the harm of a single bite? Scared you might like it?” Lars chirped.

My fur bristled in outrage. I would never be drawn to such nefarious practices, or enjoy any other forms of human savagery. Perhaps this predator’s aim was merely to corrupt me, and turn me into one of his kind.

The fastest way to get rid of him would be to prove that would never happen. All I had to do was take a microscopic nibble, and spit it out, before Fraysa was drawn further into this scheme. She couldn’t be involved in any more of Lars’ cruel rule-breaking.

I just hoped no one ever found out about this mishap, or we both would be labeled as predators by our own kind. If the human was truly a friend, he wouldn’t try to ruin our lives on day two. This meal was going to give me nightmares for years to come.

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A/N - Part 2 of the mini-series! We get to see a Federation reaction to contact sports, and the potential to see them discover what "flesh" tastes like. What do you guys think of Lars and our Zurulians so far?

As always, thanks for reading and supporting!