Memory transcription subject: Estala, Ex-Krakotl to Venlil Extermination training leader.

Date [standardised human time]: November 22, 2136

I quickly realised I didn’t have a plan.

Nothing else had happened during that first meeting with the predator, forcing me to return back home and replan my attempt. It had been a strange trip home, I hadn’t expected to return and by any rational measure I should already be dead. Disabling the dead man's switch had almost felt disappointing, an absolute failure.

I was just glad I had enough savings in general from my many years as an exterminator to not have to rush this, I hadn’t planned only for fair winds during a storm.

Later, when the human had gone, I double checked that the recording device was correctly hidden: It was. If the predator could see that small of a device nearly a mile out, then I had no chance of success regardless of what I did.

Next I cleaned myself up, grooming myself and ensuring I looked the best I could possibly be. I couldn’t do much about the patches of missing feathers, but the rest of me would gleam. Perhaps my unkempt appearance had put the predator off?

I had also made sure to arrive earlier than the predator would this time, lying in the middle of the clearing, eyes closed. It was a risk: Other predators did exist. It also went against every instinct in my body, filling me with a terror and desire to get to higher ground. But then again they were the instincts of a secret meat eater, so what did I know?

Unfortunately attempt number two had also been unsuccessful: The predator had arrived roughly on time, but instead of devouring the easily accessible and defenceless prey, had instead just sat down in the clearing with me.

I had nothing I wanted to talk to a predator about and no real plan outside of getting eaten without being too obvious. It should have been a simple process, yet there I was, lying in silence next to a predator that very much wasn’t eating me.

Somehow I’m so worthless and incompetent that I can’t even do this simple thing right.

“Have you ever tried just screaming? It’s really very freeing”

I sat up as the human spoke, my seemingly poor imitation of easy prey being replaced with my far better impression of a very confused Krakotl, a confusion the predator clearly picked up on.

“What? Did you expect me to sit in silence for the next hour [¼ claw]?”

The absolute absurdity of the suggestion left me disorientated. Scream like someone afflicted with predator disease?

“Why would I do that?” I responded, feeling the probing stare of the predator once again practically boring a hole through my skull.

“Because there’s something up with you” the predator said it matter of factly, not accusatory, just simply stating what was and what wasn’t. “For starters you came back”.

“I merely wish to learn about predators after the revelation regarding the Krakotl history, and being here alone where nobody is watching seemed to be the best idea.”

One of the things I had done with the last 2 paws of time was to fabricate a reason for interacting with the human. Lying was much easier when you had time to think.

“Suuuure. That’s why you’ve asked me nothing so far and every time I glance in your direction you become a tense bundle of feathers, as if waiting for something to happen.”

Wait, did the predator know of my plan? How else would it discard my reasoning so easily? I’d spent an entire claw coming up with the false reasoning to keep interacting with the predator, but somehow it had instantly discarded my lie.

I almost felt an envy for the humans at that moment: They were able to so effortlessly keep up their deception regardless of what statements were thrown at them. Yet here I was, unable to convince one predator as to a reasonable reason why I’d be willing to follow them around.

“Regardless, whatever is going on with you, shouting about it might help? Just think about whatever is bothering you, close your eyes, and release the problem with all your might”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

I gave a startled jump as the predator closed its eyes and released another beastly roar, the sound echoing between the trees as it then stopped to look at me expectantly.

Do predators get predator disease? The idea was silly and stupid, but so was the idea of screaming like some feral beast. That was the kind of behaviour that got you locked up in a facility before you became a danger to others.

Although that’s what I am. A danger. A disgrace, a creature that once had the capability to eat meat.

A monster.

I didn’t know what the predator’s end game was, but playing along with the human would be the fastest way to get to that grizzly end that I deserved and my plan required.

I turned my back to the human while closing my eyes and gave a half hearted cry, expecting to feel the predator's cruel grasp on my unprotected neck as I did so.

“Come on, that’s not a shout.”

The chiding of the predator annoyed me, did he expect me to scream like him, to lose all control like an evil beast? I gave another, louder this time, enough to startle a Venlil at least.

“I’ve heard louder sparrows [A small seed eating avian found on Earth ].”

I felt the annoyance simmer and bubble over into anger. I didn’t know what a Sparrow was, but context was easy to recognize. This annoying, stupid, Inatala cursed predator. He couldn’t even do the one thing predators were known for, being so cautious as to make my task harder.

This time I gave a full piercing screech, the sound echoing through the trees as a representation of my anger, bouncing around the otherwise empty forest.

“There we go Estala! Now how to do you-”

I interrupted the human with another cry, every single thing wrong bubbling up into a scream, one after the other.

One for fact that the Venlil I’d grown to care for were forced to deal with these predators in their midst.

One for the failure of the federation fleet to solve this problem.

One for my own treachery of existence, my own evil in this galaxy.

One for a mother I never knew.

One for a father found murdered

Eventually I ran out of breath and anger, just sitting there panting and feeling drained, seconds turning to minutes until a growl from the human caused me to focus on him instead. The human had that snarl plastered on his face, the one they claim means enjoyment or happiness. How such a teeth baring smile could ever be for joy I have no idea.

“Sounds like you needed that. Are you feeling better now?”

To be fair to the human, I did. If I’d have seen any Krakotl making such a predatory display I would have assumed they were under the influence of predator disease, but somehow after shouting I felt… calmer… almost as if some of my issues had drained away with the noise I had made. They were still there, they weren’t gone, but for the first time in a while they were just a little bit smaller.

“Yes.” I replied, answering honestly. “That was surprisingly effective.”

We sat there in silence for a few more moments as I continued to bask in the afterglow of my feral shouting, until the human broke the silence again.

“Who’s Talasim?”

I instantly looked up with shock. How did the predator know that name?

“You were shouting it at the end.” The human answered my unasked question.

I knew I should make something up, deflect, lie, go back to the original reason I was here. But I just didn’t have the mental energy right now to lie.

“Talasim was my father, he was killed by a predator. It’s why I’m a... why I'm here on Venlil prime.”

The human's face fell in an exceptionally convincing display of empathy.

"I'm sorry, that sucks. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Joseph's reaction was exactly as I'd expect any reasonable prey with the ability to feel empathy to act, from the facial expressions to the tone of voice. Of course, the predators had to be good enough to fake such emotions since they had managed to fool the entire Venlil scientific community.

The scientific proof of said human empathy had been trotted out by the Venlil government repeatedly, not that I was fooled by such predator trickery.

What if it wasn't a trick?

I pushed that stupid idea out of my mind as the human continued to speak.

"My story about why I’m here isn't as bad. Signed up for the exchange program along with what seemed to be the entire world, didn't get in. However, then they started offering permanent relocation to anyone willing, something about these weird alien birds trying to blow up the planet. You may have heard of them."

I couldn't help but give a short laugh at the absurdity of the human's statement asking if I knew of the Krakotl, even through my distrust.

"So now I'm here, staying at the refugee centre. Which is for the best in retrospect, considering that my apartment no longer exists. Miss a few people from earth, but exploring Venlil prime has been exciting."

It all sounded so… genuine. I couldn't help but want to like Joseph, that enthusiasm was infectious. If it was any other being on the planet…

Was this how they entrapped their prey? How they'd managed to win the Venlil over so quickly? Even with my exterminator training I could feel myself caring about the problems of this human. Which is why I found myself asking the next question.

"Are those you left behind ok?"

The human's face dropped as I feared I had asked the wrong question. The predator's voice turned more solemn.

"Everyone lost someone, some made it, some didn't. The worst ones are where there's no information. Earth is kinda a shitshow right now, so there's a lot of people just unconfirmed."

The human gave a sigh that filled me with a sudden pang of guilt for an unknown reason.

"I'm still waiting for news on my parents and little sister. No news is good news right? I'm sure they're fine."

I wanted to tell myself that the invasion was for a good reason, that the fate of all good herbivores hung in the balance. But… the human just looked so sad.

"I hope they're fine as well."

I was surprised that I didn't have to lie about that statement.