Memory transcription subject: Elva, Human Integration Program Host

Date [standardized human time]: August 28th, 2136, Midday

My son groomed my cheek, and I wrapped my tail around his waist as thanks, "Don't bother us, we will come down when we are ready." Valek left my side, and trudged up the stairs; his body progressively sagging with fatigue at every step.

Leksi and I watched the stairway entrance for several seconds, though he was the first to speak,

"That boy is going to get us killed."

"… I don’t know…”

My tail flicked as I thought about what I saw. Every feeling and instinct in my body writhed with fear, yet I never felt… endangered by it. It intentionally blinded itself, for my comfort. It was easily half-again my height, yet it made itself smaller for me. Why?! Valek clearly trusted it implicitly, and the young lady seems to as well. What was it about this creature that was so compelling?

“... I’m going to bed.” I stood from my seat and put the dishes away, adding mine and Leksi’s untouched soup back to the pot. He rose with me, and we walked toward the stairs, Leksi dragging a stool behind him.

“I’ll stand guard…” -- “Oh, love, please come to bed…” -- “Valek can make his own mistakes, but I won’t let that thing come near you.”

There was the man I loved. With the smallest laugh, I sighed, “My valiant Protector, guarding me from the vicious predators.”

I nuzzled my snout against his and closed the door. I could hear my husband mumble through the clacking latch, “Damn right.”

--

Date [standardized human time]: August 28th, 2136, Late Evening

I opened my eyes to the empty space beside me; Leksi must have started his waking early. I stretched in bed and thought about the work that needed to be done today. Two of our three automatons were in the workshed; somehow their A-Grav drive kept overloading, and I hadn't had the spare moment to call Farmer's Friend. But the Dark-Wayside crop was due to harvest; we only had the one working droid left, but it would have to do. Leksi needed to go to Hidden Plains for spare parts already, so he could stop at the FF shop while he’s there. This wasn't the first waking I found myself alone.

I left my bedroom, and found my mate asleep on a stool in the hall, the sharp break in my routine reminding me:

There was a Predator in my house.

Immediately my fur flared and I stepped softly, slowly checking the rest of my home, waiting every moment for it to step out of a shadow. But it was nowhere to be found! I went back to my husband and roused him, bleary-eyed from his vigil.

"Oh, stars… I fell asleep. I left you-"

"To a peaceful rest, guarded by the man I love," I pressed my crown against his, before gently grooming his tired eyes, "I've checked the house, and there is no sign of the Predator. Come along, dear, the farm waits for no one, and we have chores that need doing."

And so, our waking began. Our eventful meal before rest seemed almost a dream, becoming more ephemeral every passing moment. After our first meal, Leksi took the shuttle back into town, and I investigated our droids. It looked like their engines ran out of power, sunk to the ground and got clogged with dirt; the obstruction caused them to overheat, so safety protocols forced a shutdown. I'd have to watch one perform its rounds to see where the failure was. In the meantime I set the last working droid to harvest, sent a message to Leksi about the issue, and set about maintaining the house.

Leksi made it back home in one piece, and brought me my favorite Crystal Cuties; I loved the way they crunched! I welcomed him back as any wife would, before we sat down for our dinner. He told me that Farmer's Friend suggested the levitators were being overburdened, and we could get another droid while dropping the overall carry limit of each, but we couldn't afford it at the moment. We talked about the new Comet Elvas that were blooming, and watched the Laysis do their work. We finished our nightcap, and headed to bed, my love joining me this time, to my immense pleasure.

--

Date [standardized human time]: August 29th, 2136, early morning

"Sweetie, we need to talk about the Shali problem. They've gotten into the sto-"

A scratching above us. That's too big to be a Shali… the thing crawled down the hall above, and its sound shifted to pawsteps as it came to the stairs. A long silence followed, nearly a minute, Leksi leveled the barrel to the stairway, and I sat shivering, my mind running through every horrible possibility; never once touching the right one.

"Mom? Dad? You still awake?" Valek's voice called from halfway up the stairs. I let out a trembling breath I had been holding to scream, and released a tear meant to mourn; Valek was alive!

"Yes! Yes Sunshine! We're down here!" Valek crossed the threshold, his fur sporting the same filth he walked in with, though messed in new directions. I crossed the span of the kitchen to embrace him, in the way I should have when he first walked in.

Giggling through my grooming, "Mom, stop that! I missed you too." And he pressed his crown against mine, before approaching my husband.

"Dad, I need the rifle please." My hands were wet? Why did they feel so warm?

Leksi curled his tail in satisfaction, his face and ears pulling the closest thing to 'smug' a Venlil could emote. "Knew you'd come around son, I see those university classes paid off." Leksi handed the rifle to Valek, and as he did so, I heard the gentle plap plap of some thick liquid hitting the ground… oh, stars, Valek was bleeding!

"Something like that…" Valek killed the charge, and popped out the cylinder, checking the barrel for any chambered shots.

"Ha! Ever the smart one, my Valek. Ole Nightshatter's just fine, I've taken good care of 'er"

"And you did a fine job." Satisfied with his inspection, Valek tossed the cartridge cylinder on the couch, "Master, you can come down now! First meal is ready!"

Leksi's snout took on a starlight pallor, and my own fur stood on end as I watched the stairwell. Alvi came into view, pulling a writhing mass of darkness by the paw as it stepped down the stairs, hunched over, ready to pounce on our undefended flesh. Pitch black abyss, The Night descended on our home. Its empty face stared forward; not needing sight to hunt, this nightmare could charm its prey to throw themselves upon its appetites!

My mate and I stood frozen, while Valek, my poor child, set the thing's place, to desecrate our table with the blood of kith and kin. Next, he guided me to my own seat, and we were forced to repeat the events of our last meal together. Valek reminded us to breathe, but it fell on ears deafened by our despair. He guided my sight, forcing me to remember the family I was about to lose, but I saw it was already lost; my son stared at me, snout forward like a predator, his lifeless eyes askew, his tongue dripping hot orange blood from an absent jaw. My breathing returned, too much, too fast, while my home shifted to something out of the Arxur cattle vids.

Alvi poured us all soup, the ladle dripping thick Venlil lifeforce. The steaming bowl sat in front of me, forgotten, as we stared at our demise personified. At that point, no one moved. Claws and paws passed, while we waited for our end. The horrifying creature turned its form to me, a gaping maw of The End of The Sun, hanging over a plate of my First Son’s severed head, "Thank you again," the demon's descant flowed over us, "for inviting me into your home. I cannot tell you how excited I am to try your family's B̷̒̅l̷̈́́o̵̮̐ò̴͠d̵̋̂."

--

Date [standardized human time]: August 29th, 2136, Midday

I awoke with a start, as Leksi defensively crouched over me. I could hear clattering clay and metal from the kitchen below us. We waited, and heard muffled conversation, punctuated by Valek screaming!

"VALEK! We have to save Valek!" I shrieked, scrambling out from under my husband, the hall a blur in my periphery. I bounded down the stairs before I bodily slammed into a filthy fluffy mass,

"MOM! Mom! It's ok!" My son hugged me close, arms and tail, and I collapsed into his embrace. I buried my sobbing face in his mane, trying to scrub the image of his rotting face from my memory. Leksi was close behind me, but stopped halfway up the stairs; I loved him, but comfort had never been his strong suit.

It was several moments before I pulled myself from my son's wool, "I… I thought you died Valek, I saw Elsi’s… I thought you coming here was a dream, then a nightmare. Where were you last waking?"

My second son closed his eyes for me, trying so hard to show his contented calmness. "It’s ok Mom, I’m fine, I’m safe; it was just a nightmare. We were still sleeping, and only just came down not ten minutes ago. We got the pot warm! If you'd like to join us for breakfast?"

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"U-Us?"

"Yes mom, us. Alvi, Maeve, and I. They are… I am… very excited for you to meet them." My son took me by my paw and shoulder, encouraging me with every step. "You too, Dad! I hid the gun, no one is getting hurt today. You'll have to meet each other sooner or later!"

I could hear careful steps come down the stairs, and finally thought to take in my surroundings. Valek had opened the sun-facing windows and curtains, bathing the den in the Day; the predator was blind when I saw them, maybe they couldn't see as well as us? Alvi was at the table talking to…

What was that? It seemed to cover itself in linens and drapery; what little flesh I could see was as the White Cliffs of Sun’s End, nearly glowing in the sunlight. It sat with its back to the stairs, and didn’t turn to see us, despite us being in its blind spot. Valek pulled me around the table on its right, to my normal seating for meals; Leksi not a step behind me. As we moved, it continued to move its head, though apparently to avoid looking at us, even nearly laying its head on the table.

“W-We heard screaming! What’s going on?”

Alvi piped up from the soup pot, serving the same clear broth from last waking, “Because I… found out Valek is ticklish.” She said with a giggle, as her tail twitched in playful mischief. Valek backed away from her as she brought us our bowls and services,

“Only because Maeve told you!” Our meal served, Alvi rounded on Valek and made to chase him, her fingers grasping with evil intent. “Ack! Don’t you dare!”

“T-The thing is still here?” Alvi and Valek stopped their playful chase, turning to me with somber tails.

“She, Mom. Yes, Maeve is still here, and joining us for first meal.” Valek’s tail directed my attention to the spindly wraith at the other end of the table.

My fur flared and my husband blanched… but nothing else. Silence for a moment, before a tiny voice trailed over to us,

“H-Hello. I… I wanted to cover up, but Valek insisted. I hope you don’t mind?” We were too shocked to respond; this tiny thing was under that cloak? “I-I really want to make this work. I don't want to scare you."

Another pause, before Valek took charge, "Hey dad, why don't you tell her what we grow here?"

Leksi beside me heaved heavy breaths, his good eye locked on the creature, while his ears sought an exit. A word from Valek brought him back to the present, "W-W-We grow S-Starberries here, b-b-but we rotate to W-W-Woolgrass after every 4 harvests."

"That's really cool! We use crop rotation, too; what does the Woolgrass bring to the soil? Nitrogen?"

Mine and Leksi's breath hitched in our throats, but not from fear. From shocked surprise, and complete befuddlement! How could a predator know anything about farming?! Especially something as specific as crop rotation!

"N…no," Leksi started, "We use Woolgrass to add biomass, and the roots hold soil really well. Shali Tails are for nitrogen, but they aren't a money crop… How… How do you know that??"

The creature rolled its head to the other side, and I saw my son relax as their eyes met. The same small voice started again, "Humans have a very long history with farming; in fact, we use it as the primary delineation between primitive and modern humans. More recently, information has become so widely accessible that it is relatively easy to know a little bit about nearly any topic. Which is something I take great pride and joy in."

Leksi leaned forward on the table, all attention focused on the pale thing, "How do humans farm?"

The creature picked its head up, and shifted to look into the kitchen, putting us to its side. Taking the bowl of soup in one hand, it started to eat over air. "The shortest answer is 'efficiently'. I'm not a farmer, nor was my family, so I only know surface-level information. Can you be more specific?"

Leksi took a more comfortable position, ears and eye still focused on it, but began his meal as well; I followed suit. "Why would a predator use crop rotation?"

"Because there was a time we didn't, and it went very badly. For most of human history, we lived in separate communities which needed to grow their own food. Trade was a thing, of course, but even then they could only span so far, and travel would take so long that farms still needed self-contained variety, meaning crop rotation happened naturally so no one thought about it."

"When we had our industrial revolution, it made worldwide trade much easier in many ways, allowing certain places to specialize. It was cheaper to buy in bulk, easier to farm with one crop, and one or two crops were the most profitable at any given time, so farming a mono-culture became common practice. I'm sure this happened elsewhere as well, but I know most about the American Dust Bowl."

Leksi's ears fell flat and his tail twitched, "Yeah, we've seen that in a few of our colonies. City folk that don't know what they're doin’, setting off for adventure with nothin’ but ambition and grants."

"Exactly! These were new farmers coming from millworker, dockworker, and construction families, not old farming families. And they, being young and stupid, didn't listen to their neighbors. Their mono-culture drained all the nutrients from the soil, leading to crop failures and widespread famine and poverty. Also, because the root systems were so poor or nonexistent, the slightest wind picked up many hundreds of tons of topsoil, causing dust clouds that covered a continent; even blocking out the sun in some places. Hence: Dust Bowl."

"We essentially had to re-learn crop rotation from the indigenous populations. It has been standard practice ever since."

Leksi seemed to sit taller, I had seen him do this with new farmers in town. He was proud of his experience, and was never afraid to show it. "And how did you solve that?"

Maeve chuckled for a moment, "Honestly, not well. It wasn't long after that, maybe a few decades or a century, that we discovered gene editing. So we made new crops that could fill several needs, essentially still doing a mono-culture, but better. This broke down too, because of evolution. Pests and blights got through the gene editing eventually, and entire species of crop were lost. This taught us that crop rotation also avoided over-competition of companion species."

"Nowadays, the rotation depends on what you're growing, but hemp and linen are very popular since they are effective cash crops."

Leksi seemed almost to get excited, "And do you think you can tend this farm? What makes you think we need you?"

"Oh, I'm under no illusions: you don’t need me, I need you. I wasn't a farmer on Earth, but I'm quick to learn and happy to help! To answer your question, though: I'm here, first and foremost, to learn about your people, and teach you about mine. I am here as an initial exploration into whether or not Human and Venlil can live together."

I piped up, "W-W-Wait. Why would you need to know that? Are humans going to invade Venlil Prime?!"

Valek, Alvi, and the creature all signaled emphatic 'No', before Valek spoke up, "No, Mom, no. The Human-Venlil Exchange program was a huge success! Almost half of all Venlil participants want to stay in contact, and several are staying with their humans on earth, and a few even invited their partners onto Venlil Prime, like I did. We see where the wind is blowing; our species will integrate. Maeve and I are an early test to see how we can make that transition easier. Once we finish our meal, we will be sending our first report."

"A-And what will you be reporting?" Is this thing a spy?! It will tell their kind about our defenses! This is just a forward scout!

"I will mention that 'The Night' is an omen, and to avoid all-black attire, as well as request a replacement burka in white. I will point out that eye placement is a problem, but most especially eye contact, so I'll advise that we avoid looking directly at Venlil. Also, your lack of a day/night cycle is very disorienting, so I will suggest simulated cycles in our personal living spaces. There will be more personal requests, but that's the mea-aaaaajority,” It cleared its throat, “- majority of it. I know these reports sound scary, so I won't put anything in them you don't approve of. With your permission, I'd like to have you read through the report before I send it?"

The beast was asking permission? It wanted us to read its reports? What was this? But I had to protect my people, "Y-Yes. I think that is best."

"I'm very glad. Thank you." The creature finished the bowl, and set it aside. Oh stars! We were the next course! I needed to stop it, I needed to-

"I am in desperate need of a bath. And I'm afraid my clothes need a wash as well, if you could help with that, Valek. Elva, I really appreciate the kindness you have shown me." The thing stood, and brought its bowl to the sink, to stack with the other dirty dishes, "and Leksi, I'm sorry we had such a rough introduction, but I was really glad to talk to you about human history and culture, and I look forward to doing it again, I really do!"

Without another word, it walked up the stairs and their steps faded to nothing. Valek said he would help it with the laundry, and headed up; Alvi stayed with us, and started the dishes; she spoke up over the rushing water.

"What’s my name?" Her ears flicked to us, and she kept us in her periphery.

"... It's… Alvi? Right?" My husband responded, hesitantly.

"That's right! Pleasure to meet you. Now what's her name?" Her tail swung toward the stairs. Leksi and I froze. "She has a name. One that both Valek and I have mentioned, several times. So: what is her name?" It had a name? What would a predator call itself? Why would it need identity when they constantly killed each other?

"Why does it matter? It's only waiting for a chance to eat us, and I don't need to know the name of my killer!" My husband answered, a protective tail wrapped around me.

… A long pause, before Alvi heaved a heavy sigh.

"I hurt her, you know."

Leksi flashed confusion, and I grew terrified. This girl provoked that thing?! "I woke up, I saw her face, and… my claws cut into her flesh." She held up what must be the offending paw, and gestured at the sink, "This water has human blood in it, that I spilled. And you know what happened?"

We waited, breathless, for her to answer, "She ran from me. I tried to apologize, I tried to help, but she backed herself into a corner and cried, like I was the predator! I did that. And after that? When she found her wits? She asked me to forgive her. She asked me to stay, even though I just made her bleed."

I watched her take a breath. "She means you no harm.

And her name, is Maeve."