Cal pulled up highlights of Initiation: Season 5 while he walked back to his desk. It was the season when his species, the Verexians, had competed. They were one of the few to successfully navigate the brutal games and gain initiation into the galactic empire. However, their victory came with great sacrifice.

At the start of the games, the Verexians stood strong, numbering just under two million. As he watched the footage, Cal's attention shifted from the proud warriors to the scared Verexians just trying to survive. By the end, only 198,000 made it through. The silence of the lost echoed in the hollow victory, a haunting reminder of the cost.

The images of their species being celebrated by news reporters and fans stood in stark contrast to their reality.

Cal recalled the cold glares and whispered insults that greeted his people. Instead of being celebrated for their resilience, the surviving Verexians were met with prejudice and hatred. The bitterness lingered, a constant reminder that survival came at a heavy price.

Though things had improved, the side glances and slurs were hard to shake. The memories were vivid: the sting of insults, the heat of hostile stares, and the weight of isolation. Even now, Cal couldn’t escape the shadows of those early days, the bitterness a scar that refused to fade.

Cal played the only memory of his grandfather captured during the games on repeat. The footage showed his grandfather being chased by a Windegi, a creature once thought to be a fictional fairytale meant to keep children close to home. It was a massive, reptilian bird with enormous wings, razor-sharp talons, and glowing red eyes that pierced the darkness.

In the video, Cal’s grandfather pushed his grandmother into the bushes, hiding her from the beast’s sight.

As he exposed himself to the monster’s wrath, the Windegi swooped down, its talons snatching him up into the sky. The screen flickered with the horrifying image of his grandfather being lifted into the air, his body brutally torn apart.

His grandmother, pregnant before the show even commenced, managed to escape under the cover of dense foliage. Her stomach bulged noticeably by this point in the season, and the renewed realization that his mother had been in that stomach made Cal almost throw up.

The show did nothing to protect her. They had a strict rule that only covered children between the ages of birth and the end of adolescence within the home species.

Eventually, she rejoined the group, her determination unwavering, and contributed significantly to their ultimate victory in the games. The memory of his grandfather’s sacrifice lingered, a poignant reminder of the price his family paid for their survival.

The footage portrayed his ancestors as desperate and savage, clawing their way through brutal challenges—a stark contrast to his family's recollection. The raw intensity of their struggle was almost palpable, a far cry from the stories of resilience and bravery he grew up hearing.

This realization sparked a troubling thought: could the same misrepresentation be happening with Earth? He began to question the narrative fed to them by the company, wondering if these Earthlings were being unfairly depicted as mere entertainment fodder. The doubt gnawed at him, tainting the familiar images with suspicion and unease.

They were presented with a presentation chronicling humanity's self-destructive behaviors over the past century. It depicted a planet ravaged by numerous wars, environmental devastation, and scenes of abandoned children starving on the streets due to their parents' addictions.The images were haunting—cities reduced to rubble, forests turned to wastelands, and the hollow eyes of children reflecting hopelessness. How accurate was this portrayal? Doubts began to creep into his mind.

Cal decided he needed confirmation of this barbaric culture from someone with real Earthling experience. If he was going to continue, he had to know the truth. He might not have had much power to shut down the operation, but he at least had the ability to walk away—something 15 other species so far couldn’t say the same.

The weight of that realization settled heavily on his shoulders, pushing him to seek out answers and face the unsettling possibility that everything he knew might be a lie.

Suddenly, a small object collided with him at full speed, jolting him back to reality. The impact was sudden, and he staggered slightly, blinking as he tried to process what had just happened.

Dazed, Cal noticed the blaring sirens in the background as he began to gather himself. He slowly stood up, trying to figure out what he had run into. His eyes widened as he focused on the figure before him.

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On the ground next to him sat a female human, her wide, terrified eyes locked onto his. One of her hands reached up to cover her mouth, her breath quick and shallow, her body trembling. Though he had seen many humans during his time working, he had never seen one so vividly alive before.

He stood up straight, about to call for help, when he noticed something odd. Instead of defending herself or fighting back as he had assumed she would, she cradled a small fuzzball in her arms, shielding it from him with protective tenderness.

Was this one of the barbaric humans he had heard about? He saw her start to scurry toward the incinerator, her movements frantic and desperate. Alarmed for her safety, he jumped in between her and the hot, fiery bunker. She cowered in fear, closing her eyes tightly, as if bracing for an inevitable blow.

Cal instinctively raised his hands and curled his tail into a ball to show he wasn’t a threat. He spoke gently.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, his voice soft and careful.

The woman pushed herself further against the wall, her body trembling.

“Crap, you can’t understand me, can you?” Cal muttered, glancing around for anything to show he wasn’t a threat.

He tried to smile, forgetting his long, sharp teeth. Her reaction was instant—she lifted her hands defensively, eyes wide with terror.

Realizing his mistake, Cal quickly dropped to the floor, trying to make himself smaller and less intimidating. This seemed to work. She eased up slightly as he made himself as harmless-looking as possible, his black jacket dragging on the ground.

Hugging the floor, he tried to appear non-threatening. The woman stopped cowering and began to study him, her eyes filled with cautious curiosity. He observed her in return: her face dotted with tiny specks, her eyes—though smaller than most species’—held a surprising depth of emotion. Her hair, a tangled mess of thin strands, framed her face with wild intensity. She lacked the fangs or claws common in many species, making him wonder how her kind survived the brutal challenges of The Initiation.

The small fuzzball in her arms wiggled slightly, drawing Cal's attention. It was a tiny creature, fur soft and dense, peeking out from the safety of her embrace. The woman’s protective instincts were undeniable, and for a moment, Cal felt a pang of empathy. This wasn’t the barbaric human he had heard about. There was more to her story, and he was determined to uncover it.

Cal spoke softly, “I just want to help,” hoping the tone of his voice would convey his intentions if the words couldn’t.

The woman clutched the small creature in her arms, her grip firm yet gentle. She was still wary, but she no longer retreated. Cal's heart softened at the sight. Could these humans be as barbaric as he had been led to believe? This one seemed more scared than savage, more protective than predatory.

The small creature in her arms stirred, its soft fur brushing against her skin. She glanced down at it, her expression tender, before looking back at Cal with a mixture of fear and curiosity. The raw, unfiltered emotions in her eyes made him question everything he thought he knew about humans. The stories of their brutality seemed at odds with the vulnerability and compassion he saw before him.

Cal heard voices approaching—it sounded like Dex and his team searching for the girl. As he turned, she bolted, her speed catching him off guard. A pop echoed, followed by a loud bang as she hit the metal floor.

Dex stood over her, a freeze cannon in hand. Cal's eyes darted around, spotting the small creature she had protected scampering away.

Had she purposely gotten herself caught to give this small being a chance to escape? Nothing about this seemed right.

Cal heard a noise coming from Dex. “Are you okay?” Dex repeated a second time, his voice cutting through the haze of confusion.

“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you,” Cal replied, trying to steady his thoughts.

“Praise 'em,” a Gray said, clutching his leg. “These humans are vicious. You’re lucky to be alive. This ones furry bits nearly ripped my leg off.”

Dex reached out, patting Cal on the shoulder. “You’re safe now, soldier. We’re not sure how she got out, but we’re putting our best team on her future containment. She may not look like much, but these humans once fought giant beasts that roamed the skies.”

Cal nodded, but he found himself having trouble imagining the human he had just encountered hurting anything, much less a flying beast. She had seemed fragile, protective of the small creature in her care.

“Thank you for your support,” he said, his mind still racing with the day’s events. As he headed home for the day, the itch from earlier grew even stronger. The girl’s selflessness, her fear, and the way she had cradled that small creature—all of it gnawed at his beliefs.

Cal thought back to one of his recent resources, 20122—or Riley, as he went by. Riley's confusion and desperation upon awakening in the simulated environment had been similar. More fear than anger.

Despite the chaos and the eventual failure of the test, Riley’s reactions lingered in Cal’s mind. He wondered about Riley’s life before being taken, about the hopes and dreams that had been abruptly cut short by the company’s cold, calculated experiments.

The fluorescent lights flickered as Cal walked down the sterile corridors, each step echoing his internal conflict. He passed by other workers, their faces a blur as his mind replayed the day's events. The girl’s wide, fearful eyes, the way she had cradled the small creature, and her final, desperate act to protect it—it all stood in stark contrast to the monstrous image he had been taught to believe.