Memory transcription subject: Valek, Venlil-Human Partnership Program Participant

Date [standardized human time]: August 21st, 2136, midday, day one of in-person phase of exposure program.

Finally off of the shuttle, I marveled at the shared workmanship of Beta Station. Clearly Venlil styling, but almost half again the size, with a focus on space-facing view panels. I hadn't heard back from Maeve yet, so I figured she was still in transit. Seeing a free moment, I familiarized myself with the station. It was fairly small, only space for several hundred souls, and clearly focused on a shared-living purpose. The water closets were well equipped, and the bathing room was even better! The massive multi-level mess hall made up the core of the station, but from our view on the approach, I knew there was more to the structure.

The mess hall was still getting set up, which meant lunch would be late, so I headed back to the room. I was so excited! I wondered if she was as excited as me?

I found the room, 2118, on the outer edge of our ring. Relatively large and tall for a Venlil, space for a bunk bed, a small counter, two simple seats, and what looked like a simple bathroom, equipped with a mirror, sink, and I believe that's called a toilet; its existence made me assume it worked for Venlil as well as human, but I thought I'd keep with the water closets. Even my apartment was larger, but I knew space was, ironically, precious in Space.

I started to settle in and put my travel pack away, when my pad blipped from the bed where I left it.

Made it to the station, I'm just outside. I've heard some stories, so I'd like to be careful with our introduction. Would you humor me for a moment?

After all our talking, I had hoped this would be more casual, but I will confess to hearing the odd yelp on my way here.

Ok, what can I do?

Sit on the bed, and close your eyes, keep them closed till I message you. Ok?

I trusted her, and this was no real effort on my part, so I decided to play along. I took a seat on the lower bunk, and draped a blanket over me, pad in paw.

I'm ready, you can come in.

Ok.

The door swooshed open in front and to the right of me, and I could see why she was careful; the blankets helped, but they weren't opaque. The person I assumed was Maeve was taller than me by almost a head and a half, and her lithe form was eerily backlit from the brighter hallway. The door swooshed closed behind her, and without the light from the hall I could no longer see. I heard her shuffling around and moving something heavy, shifting to my left toward the bathroom. The ominous sounds and self-imposed blindness were setting my nerves on edge, but I didn't show it; aside from being frozen stiff and hyperventilating.

I heard a presence sit on the ground. I saw a light flick on to my left and slightly below me, then my pad blipped.

Thank you. You can come out now, whenever you're ready.

I moved to pull the blanket from me, but found I hadn’t the strength to.

"H… Hi, Maeve"

….

"Hello, Valek"

Her voice was smooth, and higher than I expected. Like a cold wind coming through the trees. I had to hear it again.

"I-I-I'm really glad to see you. How was your shuttle?"

"Mmm, I'm quite glad to see the blanket too," she finished with a giggle, as my tail twitched with delight. "It was fine. We came here straight from Earth, so it took some time. It was cramped, and noisy, but I've had worse and longer in-atmo flights, so it was fine. How about you?"

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"It was… longer than I wanted it to be. I was so excited to be part of this!" Finding my voice, I kept going, "This is the first First Contact I've ever been part of! I was still a pup when the Federation contacted the Yotul. And! You found us! You're the first species since before the war to be the first to reach out, and one of only a handful to make your own FTL drive!" I was practically bouncing in my seat, "and the only one to ever try an exposure program with civilians! This is incredible!"

I took a couple deep breaths. "I think I'm ready," steeling my nerves, I slid the blanket from atop me. The room was dim, still, but my eyes were already adjusted. I saw a small bundle of legs and arms, wrapped round itself with its head in their knees. I had already seen how tall she was, she was clearly trying to make herself as small as possible for my benefit.

"Thank you, but I'd like to see you, too" I said as gently as I could, sliding from the bed to join her on the floor. She slowly lifted her head, and fixed me with two shining green eyes. I was at once entranced… and terrified. My breath hitched in my throat and my ears locked forward. We sat for a moment, waiting for the other to move. I could not look away; but I don't think it was fear that rooted me.

Maeve lifted the rest of her head, and I was startled by what I saw. No hair that I could see, and her skin was almost pale, save for spots of orange under her eyes.

Seeing she was starting to get uncomfortable, I turned my head and body away from her, looking at her with one side, I moved to the door-side of the room to give her space. She slowly rose from the ground, and sat herself in one of the provided chairs, giving me, and the door, as much berth as possible.

"Are you… scared?" She said, barely more than a whisper.

"Terrified, I think. I've never seen a predator before. Not like you; not in person. It's… so much." I took a quick breath, "I tried to do my own exposure therapy, did what I could to find pictures of other humans. You look… Nothing like them. How?"

Maeve shifted uncomfortably in her seat, I worry I may have touched a nerve, "Well… every human is different. But I'm part of a very small percentage." She breathed heavily, "this is not a polite topic normally, humans are what we do, not how we were born. But I can see it's going to be a sticking point, so…" there was a tone in her voice that worried me… irritation? "I don't know the technical term, but everyone calls us Ginger. The things that make us like this are normally recessive genes, so they rarely appear elsewhere in the world. But somehow, the people in my family's little corner of Northern Europe, mutated these traits as a dominant gene. And so, forever after, the people from my part of the world have an astoundingly high percentage of people like me."

"It's incredible." I said, without pause.

This did, however, cause a significant pause in Maeve. We stared at each other for several moments before I noticed something.

"You don't wear a mask, but you have a head covering. Is there a reason?"

"Oh! Um. The shuttle pilot asked me to, when I got on. Said something about spooking you guys, I'm not sure why."

"Well, no better way to find out. I won't ask you to, but you don't have to wear that around me."

She lifted her hand and unbound her covering.

Rich glistening blood fell from her scalp. I heard the wet plap in my ears, I saw her long fingered claws reach out for me. I screeched and dove under the bed.

--

I woke up in a room far too bright, my head far too thick. A nurse jogged up to me and pressed me back to the gurney.

"It's ok, you're alright. You took a nasty bump on the head. What's your name?"

"V-Valek."

"Alright Valek, I'm going to put something over your eyes, you still look pretty dazed," a loose net was placed over my vision, darkening the room considerably, "what's the last thing you remember?"

"I was… talking to my partner. Mmm…Maeve. About her headscarf."

I heard someone stirring beside me, "mm, Valek? Valek?! Are you ok?!"

A spike of pain to my cerebellum, “I’m ok, I’m ok. Quiet. Please.” The nurse handed me a pill and some juice, then moved to another patient.

"Oh my god, Valek, I was so worried!" She said through shaking tears, "I just brought out my hair and you dove face first into the bed frame. I ran, panicking down the halls before I found someone who could remain conscious long enough to help."

She took a deep breath, and steadied herself, "I didn't find out till we got you here, but I think I know why you freaked out."

Memory was coming back to me, but slower than words.

"Another thing about Gingers is that we have red hair; well, more bright orange. And… I think that you might have thought my hair was something else."