Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command
Date [standardized human time]: December 1, 2136
Activity quieted down among our fleet, following the resounding victory at Khoa. The UN focused on menial affairs, for now. A small contingent of scout ships detached to survey potential colonies, and a few patrollers ensured the Federation didn’t get another crack at the Mazics. Without a fleet of their own, Cupo’s Presidium was reliant on human protection.
Most Terran ships circled back to our mobile repair units, which had camped a few light-years from the battleground. Our vessel docked for routine maintenance, but that lasted mere hours. Once the all-clear was given, we were sent with a small group on a patrol route. The United Nations was likely to assign us a new target, after Earth sorted out their next priorities.
“I’m not sure this is a good idea, Sovlin,” Samantha said from my side. “Why would Officer Cardona invite you to his quarters?”
I bobbed my shoulders, mirroring a human ‘shrug.’ “Only one way to find out. The real question is why you ordered Carlos not to accompany us.”
“Tyler and Carlos almost came to blows, when he saw what happened to your face. Truly a hard fall.”
“Accidents happen.”
Carlos had rounded on Tyler in the rec lounge, after I sought out a medical touchup. The blood gushing from my nose wasn’t ebbing, and my paper towel hadn’t helped. The male guard’s biceps rippled beneath their green markings, as he roared at his superior officer. I believe his exact words were, “Does beating up a depressed alien make you feel like a man?!”
Tyler hadn’t responded, and tried to ignore my friend. Onso took notice of my facial damage too; there was a tinge of fear, when he looked at his buddy. That wariness was unusual, for the nigh-feral Yotul. He might’ve decided there was a scrap of truth in humans initiating violence.
Captain Monahan got wind of the incident, as other UN soldiers broke up the altercation. I issued a full denial, when she summoned me to the bridge. My fibs didn’t fool her at all, especially when Officer Cardona offered little in his own defense. The commander was obviously frustrated, as she poked holes in my story.
Why did I have wounds all over my body, if I’d slipped headfirst into a cabinet? There had to be another reason I was nursing my ribcage.
Monahan announced her disappointment in Tyler, before assigning him to indefinite latrine duty. Days had passed since his beatdown, but the holopad invite to his quarters came out of nowhere. Perhaps he blamed me for not offering a more robust denial? The blond officer must be angry about receiving punishment for his actions.
Samantha crossed her arms. “Ah, yes, accidents happen. And leave finger marks on your throat?”
“…you can see that through my fur?” I groaned.
“The doctor did at the infirmary.”
“Then your doctor exaggerated. You know how you humans are; very over the top.”
The female guard huffed in irritation, fixing me with a disdainful glare. Her narrowed eyes once would’ve filled me with terror, but now, I recognized the scowls as part of her snarky attitude. Her venomous tongue was a defense mechanism, in my opinion; Samantha never offered any commentary on the loss of her husband. Maybe that stoicism was how humans were supposed to grieve, though I didn’t believe that.
I tapped my claws against Tyler’s door. Several crewmates that passed us in the hall whispered to each other; my identity must’ve gotten around. According to Samantha, my role in Cilany’s interview had earned me some favor on Earth. But I didn’t deserve humans’ pity, and I was thankful that Officer Cardona dished out retribution at last.
Onso opened the door. “Harris, Sovlin! Come in.”
“Not until you tell us why we’re here,” Samantha hissed.
“Oh, cut it out, Sam…don’t be like that!” I swatted her elbow with the blunt side of my claws. “I’m going in, with or without you.”
“What, so you can take another accidental tumble?! Get in a nasty fight with a rug?”
Tyler’s angular face peered over a couch. “Hey, we’re all cool; it’s square. Onso and I are playing a badass video game. I thought you’d get a kick out of it, Sovlin.”
Confusion swelled in my chest, as the tall human waved a black object in his hand. Why would Marcel’s packmate invite me over to play some television game? I trudged inside, despite suspecting an ambush. Samantha rolled her eyes; at least I could count on her not intervening in a ‘rug tussle.’
There was no visible malice in Tyler’s blue irises. Onso must’ve been briefed on who I was, since he didn’t question our past anymore. The uplift knew that I’d deserved whatever beating the human doled out, and then some. Guilt clawed at my chest, as I joined the Terran officer on the couch. A trace of fear lingered too, my instinctive phobia of violent predators.
Tyler threw me into those cabinets like I weighed nothing. It was quite terror-inducing.
A menu screen appeared on the television, with the words ‘Start Campaign’ selected by Onso. The Yotul looked awkward juggling the ‘controller’, which was designed for long fingers rather than stubby toes. The uplift used his tail to hold it, and had both paws hovering over a side.
Samantha accepted a device from Tyler, and passed one to me. The female human placed a pillow in my lap, balancing the controller atop it. I tucked my paws on both sides, thankful for my slender claws to poke at buttons. It wasn’t clear how predatory these games were, or if the blond Terran was attempting to traumatize me.
Onso explained the button functions, while a loading screen played. I tried to listen, but I was distracted by his human partner’s posture. Tyler stared ahead with intensity, and leaned forward on the couch. The predator’s knuckles squeezed around his controller, as though he wanted to constrict it.
“What is this?” I asked, unable to stay silent. “I don’t understand why I’m here.”
Tyler blinked. “You can go if you want. This is a first-person shooter game called The Clash of Proxima, co-op mode. I modded the human enemies with Arxur bodies. Thought it’d help you, to gun down the grays like you want.”
“What? You know what happened to his kid. You think he wants to play a game about the Arxur?!” Samantha spat.
“A game about killing them? Fuck yeah.”
I’d been hellbent to get my claws on an Arxur, and extract as much suffering as possible for years. I wanted to look one in the eyes, and relish ending its miserable existence. A simulation was the closest thing I could get to that reality. Tyler was right; that did sound like fun, or at least a cathartic experience.
I bared my teeth. “I like this game already. Especially if the predator bastards scream.”
The revelation that the Kolshians deployed their cure against the Arxur did nothing to quell my revenge fantasies. If anyone deserved a slow death, it was a filthy gray beast. Starvation didn’t excuse the torture videos of our pups they mailed to Federation worlds…and how they ate my own family alive, bit by bit.
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The humans would never dream of such a thing, no matter how dire their circumstances. The necessity of hunting us was something I could see, if a flesh-eater was deprived of their prey. But the level of sadism the Arxur showed had nothing to do with necessity. It sickened me that the UN coordinated with them, but I understood that Earth had been surrounded and defenseless.
Samantha heaved an exasperated sigh. “I hope this is the easy difficulty, Tyler. You’re just going to annoy him if he dies nonstop.”
“Sovlin’s gotta learn somehow!” the male predator replied.
The game deposited us outside of a space station, and the graphical rendition was admirable. Tyler and Samantha’s characters moved forward at the front, while Onso and I crept after them. Arxur bodies were crouched inside, spewing bullets upon our entry. Rage flowed into my wrists, and I depressed the fire button.
Crimson streaks moved across my split-screen, which I suppose symbolized wounds to a red-blooded Terran. A bar decreased over my character’s head. Onso and I were shooting in a daze, while the humans ducked behind cover. It was frightening how sharp their reflexes and multitasking were in combat.
The Terrans did most of the work gunning down the Arxur. It felt satisfying when my own bullets hit one representation, but a part of me was concerned about the lifelike blood splatter. Perhaps the Earthlings did crave death and violence? This shouldn’t be an activity of mass appeal.
I decided to attempt a conversational tone. “So human games involve battle recreations…and killing people?”
“It’s a power fantasy, obviously,” Tyler replied. “Everything is a competition for us. Why not fight in a way that no one gets hurt?”
“But you people want to fight, enough to seek it out for fun.”
“Not just fighting. We want to win, Sovlin. There’s a difference. Doesn’t a part of you want to crush the Arxur? Vanquish them?”
“The Arxur, yes…but you said these enemies are normally other humans.”
“Old habits die hard. We fought wars for thousands of years. It’s how we are, man.”
“So it feels good, Tyler? To kill your own kind?”
The blond human was silent, pursing his lips with disquiet. A chill ran down my spine, as I noticed Samantha shaking her head at Tyler. That implied that the answer was affirmative, and I could see why she wouldn’t want that broadcasted. Our game characters moved ahead, while I wondered how humans controlled such instincts.
Terrans have empathy. I suppose that’s the only thing keeping them from the Arxur’s lows.
Onso yipped excitedly. “Charging at an enemy feels good. Driving them off, kicking them in the teeth, showing your strength. That’s what Tyler means.”
“As I’ve told you before, charging at hostiles with no strategy gets you killed,” the human officer sighed. “In both real life and the game.”
“Hold up, uplift,” I barked. “You’d play a game killing other Yotul?”
The marsupial flicked his ears. “Sure. We defended territorial claims for years. Harsh winters come, and there’s not enough grains stashed for everyone. You take, or you’re taken from.”
“That’s…twisted. You’re an herbivore, fighting among your own people?”
“Competition is normal, and you fuckers told us it’s not. Nature is indifferent to any of our morals. The Gojids probably did the same thing, before the tentacled-freaks remade you.”
Onso’s right. We ate meat, so Gojids are fucked-up monsters too. I have no right to judge his people or humanity.
Gunfire sound effects snapped me away from my rumination. More enemies camped in the next area, and the Arxur began pinning us down. My heart rate skyrocketed, as if it was genuine combat. I crouched by a barrel just in time, and retained a few slivers of health. This enemy AI was merciless, an accurate approximation of the real grays.
The Yotul wasn’t so quick to find cover. Onso held down the sprint blocker, and seemed keen to melee the enemies. His health bar was depleted within a second, and his humanoid character crumpled to the ground. The primitive jabbed at several buttons, prompting the avatar to rise.
Onso grew incensed by his death, and ignored Tyler calling his name. The uplift curled his lip, rage smoldering in his eyes. He released an incoherent howl, and flung the controller in a blind fury. A cracking sound reverberated through the air, as the device crashed into a wall.
Tyler paused the game. “What the fuck, Onso? That’s the third controller you’ve thrown!”
“It’s a stupid game!” the Yotul screeched. “These levels are impossible!”
“I think we’re not playing together anymore.”
“What? No! I’m sorry, it’s just so…GAH!”
“You said you’d try harder, buddy. You can’t just break things because you’re mad.”
“Unless it’s Sovlin’s face,” Samantha chimed in helpfully.
“I shouldn’t have done that, but I’m not going to apologize. Marcel is a good dude, and he didn’t deserve a shock collar around his neck. What’s one punch compared to that?”
My spines bristled. “I agree with him, Sam. More people should treat me like the monster I am. Please, let it go.”
Tyler gave me a rough pat on the shoulder; I flinched instinctively. The blond human switched off his console, and took the controller from my grip. It was disappointing not to have another crack at the Arxur. The game should’ve allowed us to best and trample them with ease; it wasn’t fun to strategize.
More importantly, I wasn’t sure what Tyler was playing at. The big guy resented me, for a well-established reason. Even Onso should’ve sided against me, but the exchange duo were acting cordial. This gaming session was crafted as an outlet for my anger. Though, the fact that predators constantly used it for that purpose, was a jarring admission.
I’d begun to think of Terrans as normal people, who weren’t a threat to innocents. Perhaps the truth wasn’t so simple, despite their rich sentimentality. It was odd to hear a human speaking of their aggression in candid terms. Billions of predators on one world, craving a fight at all times, and trying to hold themselves together…I didn’t know how they functioned.
That goes a long way to explaining the Federation’s observations. I can see why they find other ways to get that out of their system now.
“Well, let me clean up the controller shards first,” Tyler grumbled, “but Onso and I’ll head to the mess hall in a few minutes. You’re both welcome to join us.”
I chewed at my claws. “You should enjoy your meal. I don’t want to sour it for you.”
“Sovlin, I forgave you. It’s all water under the bridge now. You haven’t reached out for therapy, so I decided you needed a pal in the interim.”
“You…want to befriend me? Why would you do that?”
“Because I think you deserve a second chance. No more knuckle sandwiches from me, promise. You’ve suffered enough.”
Samantha bared her teeth. “Sovlin’s down on himself more than ever. Tell him being an omnivore doesn’t make him unworthy of happiness.”
“Well duh. I don’t think I deserve pain and misery, and I’m an omnivore.”
The humans missed the point, as usual. Their tenuous grasp on their instincts was something they managed, so that they wouldn’t commit heinous deeds. There was no telling what savagery Gojids were capable of; eating corpses was monstrous enough. My predatory side had shown with Marcel’s torture, which even Recel likened to the Arxur.
“You’re right. I’m glad you guys have my back,” I fibbed.
“That’s what humans are for! Besides, there might not be a lot of happy days left.” Tyler ushered me to the door, wearing a sad smile. “So enjoy the down time while it lasts.”
“Uh, hold up. What is that supposed to mean?”
“The brass detected anomalous movement in the Arxur fleet. We’re going to shadow their vector. Tail a few light-years behind them, in case they try anything.”
“What are you…expecting them to try?”
“We don’t know. But our leader had a falling out with them, and they know the UN isn’t at full strength. It’s possible they’ll attack our garrisons on Fahl or Sillis. That’s a prelude to war.”
The thought of the Terrans squaring off with the Arxur brought me considerable relief. After Cilany’s interview, the primates had every reason to stick to the monsters’ side. It was miraculous they kept diplomatic avenues open for prey that defected. I mean, according to Tyler, humans weren’t content with peace in the best conditions.
Perhaps the same degeneracy runs through the Gojids’ contaminated genes. Like Onso said, we might’ve been similar primitives.
Species like us needed the humans’ help with just about every issue. If Earth could get back to exacting aggression on ugly child-eaters, that would inspire my optimism about the galactic future. It would also bring our predators back to the morals their society once cherished. Any indication that the Arxur were an enemy was one I would seize.
Eagerness thrummed in my chest. “So humans will beat the grays. You should have as soon as Earth was clear, just like you did at the cradle.”
“It’s not so simple. The Arxur have been concealing their full capabilities; our intelligence is blind,” Tyler explained. “They have numbers, technology, and bases across the galaxy. Our prospects in a serious conflict don’t look good.”
Samantha snorted. “And we’re already fighting the vegan cultists, better known as the Federation. Us versus the universe, battle royale.”
“Hey, it’s not that dire. We have allies. 33 open allies, counting the Thafki and the Gojids.”
“We’re your friends!” Onso yipped. “Together, we’re unlocking the secrets of physics, and kicking ass!”
“Hell yeah, I’m glad someone’s ready for trouble. I want to be sure you’re fit for duty too, Sovlin.”
I flicked my claws threateningly. “I’m fit to fight the Arxur. I’m fit to do a whole lot more than that. Any time, any place.”
Tyler shot me a concerned look, while Samantha boasted her signature smirk. The door clicked shut behind us, leaving me to wander toward the mess hall. The predator ship felt cold and empty, like the uncanny stillness at the eye of a cyclone. This could be the last moment of sanity for a lengthy duration.
With greater challenges looming, it was nice to patch up relations with my human superior. In-fighting wasn’t a luxury our underdog coalition could afford.