Memory transcription subject: Lewis Blake, human refugee

Date [Standardized human time]: August 21st, 2148

[Day 14]

I scratched the knife down the concrete wall slowly, marking the fifth tally on the wall.

“Lewis?” the small venlil pup asked, tugging at my pant leg.

“Char,” I smiled, “What’s up?”

She patted her stomach, “I’m hungry!”

I tussled the fluff on her head, “Alright then, let’s see if we can get some food in ya,” I said, sheathing the knife, taking her hand, and walking her out of the messy barracks we’d called home for the last 4 paws.

“Stay right here, I’ll go grab you somethin’ yummy,” I said. The pup grinned. I sat her down at a long metal table, the kind they had in prison cafeterias, intended for at least a hundred people. Above us buzzed fluorescent lights, half of which were burned out from a decade of disuse.

We were situated inside an old raid shelter, last used during the war and largely forgotten about by the public. It wasn’t even supposed to be accessible, but we found a way in and locked it up behind us. The door to the store room on the far side was ajar. I saw movement as I stepped inside.

“How’re we lookin’ Ivan?” I asked. The figure of a decently built man looked up from an open crate.

“Bad, Lewis,” he said, slinging an assault rifle over his shoulder. He was never more than a few inches from a gun. I tried explaining that we were safe down here, but he’d never risk it. I craned my head, the crate had just a few bits of edible food left. Most of it was rotten when we got in here, but a few were canned or pickled. I lowered my voice so Char wouldn’t hear, “How long do we have left?” I asked. Ivan dug through the crate, separating good meals from bad ones, and finally settled on “A day. Max.”

“Fuck,” I mumbled, “We’ll have to go up there soon,” I sighed. Ivan nodded gravely. We only just got here!

Memory transcription subject: Lewis Blake, human refugee

Date [Standardized human time]: August 16th, 2148

[Day 9]

I picked up the strange fruit and eyed it. It was almost pear-shaped, with a purple hue and several little dimples in it with bright orange sprouts protruding from them. Skalgan produce was always so alien-looking! I put the lumpy fruit in the cart and continued strolling.

“Yo, Lewis!” my brother Logan called from across the aisle. He was holding what almost looked like a banana if it was tied into a knot. “Look at this shit,” he laughed.

“Put that thing in the cart,” I smiled. He set the fruit down and eyed the one I got. Our whole shopping trip had been picking up the weirdest-looking things in the store. We’d gotten a really red thing called a wutroot, a couple of purple tubers, and a completely flat, disc-shaped fruit called a crutsuun.

“This is gonna be the shittiest salad ever,” he remarked.

“That’s part of the fun,” I grinned, eyeing a stand of berries marked with a huge sign reading “Danger! Human kill!” the English was very loopy, almost cursive, clearly written by a venlil. We got to the checkout and began scanning the produce. The whole thing costs only a few credits, this is why I prefer local stores over supermarkets.

Suddenly, every holopad in the store began buzzing. “What the fuck?” Logan asked, reading the announcement. Every screen was issuing a shelter-in-place warning. “Why would we-” he was cut off by distant, but very audible gunshots.

“Fuck!” he cried. The market wasn’t very packed, but everyone else instantly began making for the exit. One venlil slammed into me in his panic, winding me and knocking me to the floor. Logan reached out a hand and dragged me to a small crevice beneath the checkout. There was a lot of pushing and shoving, a couple of venlil were squashed against each other trying to cram through the exits.

“Let’s make a break for the car as soon as it clears,” I said. Logan nodded. We waited a bit, watching the horde of venlil fit through the doors and scatter in all different directions. I tapped Logan’s shoulder, we moved together out to the parking lot. The streets were in complete chaos, a stampede was working its way through the city.

I felt sick as I saw several victims writhing in bloody piles on the sidewalk and blacktop. Then I noticed our car.

“What the fuck?!” Logan exclaimed, the windows were shattered and the tires were slashed. A venlil poked its head up from the other side, blood coated its lips as it coughed heavily.

“Fuck you, Preddies!” It growled, clutching a knife and bolting toward us. Logan dove out of the way as it slashed at me. He grabbed its knife hand and threw the venlil to the ground.

“GET THE KNIFE!” Logan shouted. I grabbed at the rabid venlil’s wrist, prying the blade from his paws. Without hesitation, it sunk its teeth into my arm and tore off a chunk of flesh. I screamed and socked the fucker right across the snout. It collapsed in a coughing, wheezing mess. I clutched my bloody arm.

“We gotta get home, fuck!” I groaned.

“You said it. Let’s get that bite fixed up as soon as possible,” Logan said. We began running down the street, I kept the knife in my good hand. Ransu was a mess right now. Everywhere we turned people were cursing us out or spitting at us. With more gunshots in the distance, we decided to duck down an alleyway between two square buildings with domed roofs. Another venlil was sat hacking up blood. He noticed our approach and smashed a bottle of alcohol against the wall.

“Not-uh 'nother step, preddies,” he slurred.

Logan held out his arms, “We don’t mean any harm, we just want to get home-”

“Bullshit!” the sick venlil spat. He pointed the jagged bottle toward us, “I’ll fuggin’ gut yuh like- like-” his eyes stared off for a moment while he thought of a proper comparison, before he finally just went “Bah,” and ran forward.

Logan and I both stepped aside, the venlil didn’t register and ran between us on unstable feet, then collapsed, cussing us out. “Let’s go, come on!” I called.

We made it to the other side of the alley, there were several corpses just lying in the street, crushed beneath the feet of the stampede. We bolted across the street, our house was just one more alley away, but I stopped dead when I heard the crying.

I looked to my right and saw a pup, no older than 4, curled up and sobbing on the sidewalk. Against my better judgment, I changed course, approaching the poor venlil.

“Lewis? Lewis where the fuck-” he noticed her too.

I got to the pup, who was cowering and crying in her paws. She had white fur that yellowed on the top of her head, and she looked up at me with mud-colored eyes. “Are you okay?” I asked, she flinched and covered her ears, “please don’t hurt me!” she sniffled.

I noticed the pup had a nose, and her knees weren’t bent as far back as other venlil. She was cured. “I’m not gonna hurt you,” I cooed. I extended my hand slowly, she looked me up and down before taking it. I pulled her to her feet, “Where are your parents?” I asked. She just shook her head.

“Lewis?” Logan asked, “We need to go now. We’re-” Gunshots cut him off, and the pup jumped into my side.

“Shhh, shh, it’s okay,” I said. I crouched down to be at eye level with her, “What’s your name?”

“Charlotte,” she answered. Charlotte?

“Okay, Charlotte, I'm Lewis. Me and my brother Logan are on our way home, do you want to-?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed.

“Okay then,” I nodded, keeping a tight grip on her paw. "Let's go," All three of us ducked through the next alley as more gunshots echoed through the city. I noticed Charlotte was sniffing the air, the scent of smoke was growing with each step.

Stepping out onto the street was horrifying. Our apartment building was right in the heart of the riots, the windows billowed thick black smoke, and venlil ran around smashing windows and screaming. I put an arm out to block Logan from continuing, and the three of us quickly shuffled behind a trash bin.

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“Shit!” I growled.

“That’s not a good word,” Charlotte chimed in. I softened my expression.

“What are we gonna do now, Lewis?” Logan asked. I shook my head, “I don’t know. Sh- shoot, I didn’t even consider we wouldn’t have a home to get back to…” I grumbled.

“There’s got to be another-” more gunshots rang out, closer this time. Charlotte covered her ears and slammed her eyes shut. I dared a peek out onto the street, the rioters were running now, running from something. More shots were fired, and nobody seemed to be getting hit, but the gunman was getting closer.

“Stay hidden,” I told Logan.

“What? Where are you going?” He asked incredulously.

“Just shush! Stay with Charlotte, okay?” He glared but didn’t protest as I stepped out of hiding and peeked down the street toward the gunfire. The source was a pretty burly man with a shaved head shooting a handgun straight upward. It was clear he wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.

I took a breath to steel my nerves, then called out, “Hey! Over here!” we locked eyes and he ran toward me.

“What are you doing out? Humans aren’t welcome in the city anymore, you’re going to get murked,” he explained breathlessly.

I pointed at the burning building, “That was my home. Can’t go there now,” I said.

“Do you know anywhere-” I stopped dead. The man wiped sweat from his brow with his right hand, it was impossible not to notice the silver ring shimmering on his finger. Humanity First? Fucking great. Saved from rioters by a terrorist!

“Do you have others with you? I can bring you to safety,” he said. He had an accent I couldn’t place. I glanced back, afraid this maniac endangered Charlotte’s life, then shook my head.

“Yes! We’re here!” Logan stepped out of cover, I felt myself turn white.

“What is this?” he motioned toward Charlotte. Logan noticed the ring and stepped in front of the pup. I clutched the knife tight, “She’s with us,” I said sternly.

He eyed the venlil, probably hungrily. I heard Humanity First got sapient meat imported illegally. The thought made me sick. He sighed, then holstered the handgun. “Whatever, sure, bring her. Just follow, and make no sound.” He started forward. I motioned for Logan to follow, and I took Charlotte’s hand.

“Where are we going?” Logan asked. The man glared, “Do you not know what ‘make no sound’ means? Want to become Swiss cheese? The rioters are armed to the teeth,” he said. The more I heard him talk, the more awkward his speech seemed. I couldn’t place his nationality based on the accent, and he seemed to speak in a chirpy falsetto.

“This way,” he motioned, ducking through yet another alley. This one forked off at the midpoint but was blocked by a chain link fence. He climbed over it easily. “Hurry over.” I slid the knife through a gap, it clattered to the floor and the man picked it up for me.

I looked down at the venlil, “You ready, Char?” I asked. She nodded and I raised her up to the top of the fence. “Hang on tight,” I said, climbing over. I reached out my hands and she fell into them. “Alrighty! You okay?” She nodded and I set her down. Logan hopped over and the man turned toward a rundown dome with a gaping hole in the side.

“So, you gonna tell us your name?” I asked, deciding I could maybe trust him.

“Ivan,” he grunted. “No more questions.” We entered the building through the hole. We found ourselves in a long, dusty corridor. A sign on the wall translated itself to read ‘Raid shelter’. Ivan stopped short, examining the ground.

“What is it?” I asked.

He pointed at the floor, paw prints. “Someone is here,” he said, raising his handgun forward and trudging slowly down the corridor. I held Charlotte closer, Logan had her other paw.

Up ahead I could hear an indistinct voice. “Lewis?” Charlotte whispered. “I’m sca-ghusid,” my translator cut out mid-sentence.

“Char- what?” She cocked her head in confusion, “Waugh tu vinya’t?” I tapped my mouth and shook my head, she got the message.

“Translators don’t work with this much concrete above us, can’t get proper service,” Ivan’s words were less steady, more unsure of himself, and his accent was stronger.

“When we get into the shelter, we can get service again. There are modems down there,” he glanced down at Charlotte, who cocked her head curiously.

“Ma’gui suv tu, me’e yuh. Co?” Charlotte nodded.

What the fuck? “You speak venlil?” I asked incredulously.

Ivan nodded, “I was only 10 during the war, I was adopted here on Skalga and picked up the language quickly,” he explained. “Now, shh!” he put a finger to his lips as we approached a heavy metal door.

I could hear babbling behind it. I crouched down to look at Charlotte and gestured for her to stay back. I put my hands over my ears, and she followed, then stood against a wall. Ivan readied his weapon and pried open the door.

“Yu’uah, suv limav. Co?” he shouted through the entrance. A higher-pitched voice answered “We’eah! Zuh Mae’l tu!” There was a flash of fluff, the venlil bounded forward, metal glinted in its hands as two gunshots sounded through the hall.

I hastily covered Charlotte’s eyes as the venlil fell face-first into a growing pool of orange. Charlotte sobbed softly, I couldn’t stop her from seeing it. My heart broke imagining how horrible that must have been for a pup. “Lewis?” Logan called.

“Logan?” I asked. His voice sounded distant. He walked over to me, his legs were shaky, and then he fell to his knees. We were on eye level and I finally noticed the growing red stain on the front of his shirt.

“Oh god! Logan!” I exclaimed. He started to fall back, but I caught him before he hit the floor. His arms were limp at his sides, and he turned his head just enough to look me in the eye. “Lewis, get- in the- shelter,” he mumbled. He tried to breathe in, but couldn’t.

“Hey- hey! C’mon! You’re okay, you’re okay!” I sobbed. He shook his head, mouthing ‘I love you’ before passing out. The bullet tore straight through his heart. The floor, my hands, and my pants where I knelt were soaked in blood.

“Leave him, Lewis, we cannot do anything for him,” Ivan said solemnly. “I am sorry for your loss.” Charlotte put a paw on my shoulder. I sniffled apologies and laid my brother down on the floor. He looked peaceful like that. I held the pup close and we stepped through the door. Ivan sealed it behind us with a metal bar and began turning a massive wheel on the opposite side of the room.

“When we get inside, I’ll set up the backup power. Get some medicine on that wound,” Ivan pointed at the bite mark on my arm. I completely forgot about it. “Oh and, take this back,” he said, handing me the knife. I took it and stared at my own reflection in the blade. I could only see him.

Ivan heaved the second door open and we stepped inside. “Vuuuuuh!” Charlotte exclaimed. There was a massive flight of stairs going downward. At the bottom was a massive room, part of it with a long table, another with a dusty set of bookshelves, and about four doors, each leading somewhere else. Ivan departed down one on our immediate left. Within seconds, the lights above buzzed on.

“Mu’z- and books and tables!” Charlotte exclaimed, pointing at the dusty shelves. I sniffled and wiped my eyes.

“Are you two okay?” Ivan called, returning to the main room.

“Yes!” The pup said, happily running the length of the room and jumping about. Thank god for childish positivity.

Ivan put a heavy hand on my shoulder, the one with the ring, and muttered, “I am sorry, the loss of family is… difficult.”

“I don’t even-” I stared the man in the eyes. He was an enigma, to say the least. My mind could wildly speculate about him if I couldn’t get Logan out of it. My hands were still stained with his blood, and I could feel more tears pouring down my face.

“Extend your arm, Lewis,” he said. I obliged and stuck out my wound. He swabbed it with alcohol and wrapped it up carefully with some bandages. “You’re lucky the predator’s disease barely affects humans. You’d be infecting that poor girl,” he explained.

“The what? You mean the flu?”

“Yeah, sure, the flu. Look, that pup will be preoccupied for a while. Come with me, take your mind off… everything… help me take stock of our food supply,” he beckoned me to a room on our right.

“This shelter hasn’t been used since the war, we’ll be lucky to find even a few days' worth of provisions, but at least we’re safe from the riots,” he said. We ducked into a large room lined with shelves. The storeroom smelled awful, and a few of the boxes had pools of black residue coating their bottoms and the floor beneath.

“Ah! Look here!” He pointed at a stack of tin cans, “This is good! Very good!”

We spent the rest of the paw moving aside rotten crates and shifting edible food closer to the entrance.

“So Ivan,” I began finally, “You said you were raised on Skalga?”

“Since I was 10, yes,” he answered.

“What’s with the ring then? That’s a Humanity First ring, right?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He cracked a smile. “Humanity First? Oh!” He laughed heartily, “Humanity First wears their rings on the middle finger,” he demonstrated, flipping me the bird. “This is a wedding band,” he chortled.

“You’re married?” I asked.

He sighed, “I was, yes. Married a high school sweetheart at 18, she got sick and passed just last year,” he said.

“Oh… I’m so sorry. I should’ve-”

“Nonsense, you made an honest mistake. Please, her memory is not of pain, I am joyful I knew her, even if it was shorter than it could’ve been.” Even after we finished stocking our supplies, I was thinking about that. I was glad to have known Logan, he was my best friend, my brother, and the guy who got me out of some tough situations. Losing him was gonna hurt bad, I faced it later that paw when his loss finally hit me, but Ivan’s right, I was glad I got to know him.

“Aye! Lewis! Look here!” Ivan exclaimed while me and Charlotte were at the table eating. The burly man stepped out of the storeroom with an assault rifle in his hands. “Nobody’s gettin’ us!” he said with a grin. The gun looked pretty bad from years of disuse.

“What’s that?” Charlotte asked.

“It’s protection, Char. From the bad people,” I said pointing up. She nodded understandingly and jammed a goopy green leaf in her mouth. I returned to my food, and the realization that we were finally safe set in.

~~~

The sleeping room was a long hall reminiscent of barracks. It had a row of bunk beds lining either side. Charlotte was snoring softly coddled up in several blankets. I jammed my knife into the wall next to my bed and carved a tally. I clicked on my holopad to find I had no service. We’d have no way to contact the outside world. I could only hope things would be okay when we ran out of food. I estimated we had only about 5 days.