Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command

Date [standardized aurigan time]: Fall 6, 1 AA

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The cleanup and rebuilding of the Cradle was a massive undertaking. Not many planets survived an Arxur raid, let alone capital worlds. If not for the Aurigans, my home's surface would've been reduced to nothing but glass and rubble.

Our first course of action was to clean up the corpses of the fallen. The Aurigans offered to help but too many members of the public were still distrusting of the newcomers, and assumed it was a ploy to feed on our dead. Despite their best assurances, it was decided that they could instead help with the rebuilding effort.

Hundreds of aurigan workers were currently being ferried over to the Cradle to begin rebuilding our military bases, and I was put in charge of overseeing the operation. I wasn't sure how to feel about being grounded for a while, but being entrusted with the rebuilding of our military was definitely an honor, that much I couldn't deny.

In exchange for their labor, we were to provide the aurigans with shipments of food, to ease their reliance on the venlil. With the hit our population took, we now had an excess of perishable goods, so in the end it worked out in our favor.

However, a snag soon developed in our plant. Many of the volunteers were drakken, which were a predator race that couldn't eat plants, so they had to bring stocks of meat with them. This was causing a diplomatic incident, with many of the gojid workers protesting against it.

"For the last time, we are not allowing the flesh eaters in our ranks!" One of the protest leaders shouted across from the other side of the table. "A military alliance is one thing, but to live next to them for weeks is madness! What if they contaminates our food with predator particles!"

"What if someone has an accident and they go feral at the sight of blood?" Another one shouted, getting affirmative grunts from everyone else.

I groaned and took a deep breath, while the protest's representatives were busy throwing around speculation. "If you'd reviewed the footage from last month's battles, you'd know that the aurigans don't eat corpses, in fact, the sight and smell of blood doesn't cause any special reaction from them. If you really paid attention, you'd know that most of them were outright disgusted by seeing our dead piled up in the streets. This is the same argument that was thrown around when they offered to help us gather our dead. We're just arguing in circles again."

"But how do you know they won't turn on us once their bellies are empty? We only saw them when they were sated!" Came the reply, and I wanted to claw my own spines out.

"If I may." A new voice interjected, a mezari wearing a large cape, with a tuft of orange fur peaking out from under his helmet, walked into the meeting room.

"And you are? Are you supposed to be here?" I asked, more confused than anything, while the protesters's spokesmen seemed to grow worried instead.

"My name is Raudd Klapatch. I'm an ecologist, and was one of the leaders of the original aurigan occupation of the Cradle. Prime Minister Piri assigned me to sort this mess out and explain why nobody is going to be eating anyone."

The protestors murmured amongst themselves while I mulled over the mezari's words. I wasn't sure what a mezari ecologist could say that would convince them, but if anyone knew what aurigan species were like, it was him.

"May I sit?" He then inquired, and I motioned for one of the empty sits between myself and the protesters. He bowed his head to me, before sitting down.

"Now, I'm sure you have many concerns about the drakken, especially since they're of a reptilian appearance. I'm more than happy to answer your questions, both about them and any other aurigan species in our alliance."

The protesters spoke in hush whispers amongst themselves, before one was nudged by the others to speak up.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Wh- We- Why do predators choose to eat meat?" He then finally spoke up. I was sure he was feeling like he was being thrown to the wolves.

"How do I explain this?" The mezari began to muse, thinking for a moment. "Nothing chooses to be a predator or prey, certain species can only survive on plants, other species can only survive on meat. They did not choose to be born that way." Raudd's explanation began. His words gave me pause. We learned all our lives that predators were failures of evolution, why was he being so nonchalant about it?

"But predators are naturally inclined to violence and drawn to blood!" One of the protesters retorted.

"Violence is an evolved response to threats, a survival strategy. Plant eaters in the wild also become violent when threatened. But I suppose you wouldn't know that. As far as I can tell you've exterminated any animal that wasn't placid."

"Don't be silly, mezari. Violence is an evolved trait of predators." I retorted, feeling insulted at the suggestion that a prey animal could be violent.

"All animals in nature compete in some fashion, for food, for mates, for territory. Those that come from harsher environments outright fight for those things, because to ensure that one's own bloodlines is what continues into the next generation is the only goal of evolution. That's what drives all life. Violence is just a means to an end."

"Nonsense, prey species evolved through co-operation, not violence! We work together to ensure the survival of the group over the individual!"

"You're telling me you've never fought wars over resources? Over territory? That you've lived in paradise all your evolution, where you've never had shortages or wants?"

The question too me aback for a moment. Yes, prey species had fought wars over resources, and territory, but it wasn't the same thing! We didn't fight to inflict suffering on others! We didn't! But then again, neither did the Aurigans. When they saw the aftermaths of stampedes they were disgusted at our suffering, rather than reveling in it, and they never attacked our cities or survival bunkers.

"Of course we've had shortages and wants!" One of the protesters responded, incensed at the mezari's words. "But we don't survive through inflicting suffering!"

"Do I need to remind you of the exterminators and how they burn animals alive? How is that not inflicting suffering? Or are you suggesting that predators don't feel pain?"

Raudd's words reminded me of the venlil empathy tests. Most of the aurigans reacted to the footage of arxur atrocities the same way they reacted to pain. While others were filled with rage, wanting nothing more than to rip the arxur apart. But some of them, some of them completely broke down, weeping, remembering loved ones lost to the Necrophage or other horrors.

"Enough! Predators or not, the aurigans have the same emotional responses as us. The venlil already established this. If you have any more doubts I suggest you review the experiments yourselves." I interrupted, before clearing my throat. "Instead of retreading on ground thaat's been already covered, I say you ask something else."

The protesters went silent for a moment, before their 'spokesman' got nudged again by another one of the representatives there.

"R-right. So the drakken won't go crazy at the sight of blood, or try to eat anyone. As established by the venlil experiments. But must they really bring rotting carcasses into our camps? People would be sick from the smell alone! And we'd have to ensure they don't contaminate anything with their pestilence!"

"Rotting carcasses? Very few things eat rotting food, and I can assure you that the drakken are not bringing carcasses with them, rotting or otherwise. Their rations are in the form of cured meats, salted or smoked, that have been carefully preserved." I wondered just how much of that was true, or if it was all just a lie meant to reassure the representatives here. I didn't want to doubt the mezari's words, but part of me still imagined the brutal feeding habits of the arxur when thinking of predator food.

"So t-they are bringing dead flesh into the camp?" the protester reiterated.

"Yes, but I assure you, there will be no decay or disease involved. This might surprise you, but rotting flesh is toxic to most predators to consume, and the ones that do evolve to consume it are usually too weak to hunt for themselves, like certain vultures back on Auriga."

"What's a vulture?"

"Nevermind that. Do you have any more questions on the subject of predators? Ones that aren't accusations of cruelty?"

"I do." I interjected again. "If predators on your world aren't innately cruel, are you sure that's not just an outlier? Are you sure your planet wasn't just a cosmic fluke?"

"I honestly don't know, Sovlin. Perhaps some day I will have an answer for you, but until then, I am only confident to talk about the species I am familiar with. The species from Auriga." The mezari adjusted his cape a little as it draped over the side of the chair, before looking at the assembled protesters. "Do you gentlemen have any question?"

The workers looked at each other and whispered amongst themselves for a few moments, until their chosen figurehead spoke again.

"How do... how will they store their food then? We don't want it to contaminate our own supplies."

"What do you mean contaminate?"

"Well, everyone knows that corpses eaten by predators are contaminated with their predator particles, and cause predator disease!"

The mezari paused for a moment, and while I didn't see his face, I could hear a very faint groan.

"What is predator disease?..." He asked, sounding almost afraid to do so.

That... was going to take a while to explain.