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The Nature of Predators 2-86
🕑 Added 2024-11-12 12:00:09 +0000 UTCA/N - Apologies for the day’s delay and a bit of a shorter chapter, I’m unfortunately sick. Wanted to be sure I got something to you guys! Going to push each chapter this week back by one day, just because posting 3 days in a row (Tuesday-Thursday) would be a bit too much. Won’t leave the typical note at the bottom, but I hope you guys enjoy some speculation about the findings at the end—and thanks for reading and supporting!
Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison
Date [standardized human time]: February 14, 2161
Finding the ghost Farsul’s headquarters might be the thread that would unify Ivrana. The Tseia, in their jaded mindsets, were shocked that the United Nations’ intelligence had been able to produce the location of the Starlight Incident aggressors; the nomads would finally be able to go after the secretive outfit that had sought our eradication a century ago. There might be secrets that we could uncover here which would allow us to unravel the entire organization. While the Sapient Coalition was busy prodding at the Tevin and Drezjin systems, clobbering border outposts and tag-teaming small ship clusters, Bissems focused our effort on this raid.
General Naltor was remotely overseeing our ground forces, which were joining the human-led raid; the plan was to scour the entire station for information, much like the landing on the mainstream Farsul’s archives. If the extremists carried on Talsk’s traditions like Loxsel suggested, then it would be enlightening to see the data they had on Bissems—as well as what other predator species had been their victims. There might also be information about how long they’d been stashing their secret fleet among the Federation remnants, and how they managed to create so many ships. It was beyond the capacity of the Kolshian shadow fleet!
It would be nice to have the aliens that outright sought to wipe us from existence taken out of the picture, especially when we see how large their extermination fleet has grown since. It wouldn’t be a single scout coming for Alsh next time.
“Good day to you, my Bissem friends. I hope you’re excited to actualize the justice that I know has weighed on your minds.” Elias Meier approached our balcony, finding a warm welcome even from Zalk after he’d personally forwarded the ghost Farsul’s location so Bissems could have a crack at them. “Elias didn’t live to see the initial Archives raid. It would’ve astonished him to learn what was done to the Venlil. He viewed them with the utmost fondness, much as I regard you.”
I gave him a curious look. “Elias, why are you speaking about your memories in the third person?”
“That’s a long answer, Tassi, but…I don’t want to be just a brain scan. If you could call me Adam from now on, it would mean a lot for you to recognize me as an independent being. I’d like to be acknowledged for what I’ve done in this new existence, not forever chained to a fallen leader. Elias didn’t choose to be reborn. I want to live, but I…want to honor his choice too.”
“Adam it is. It might take me a bit to remember, so bear with me. I hope Naltor and Zalk will respect your wishes as well; you more than deserve that courtesy.”
“Damned straight. We’ll call you whatever you like, since you’re the only one who does shit for us,” Naltor sighed. “I’ve always tried to protect Tassi. I’m glad you coached and guided her, because I’m not very fucking good at mentorship.”
“Nonsense,” the digitized human responded. “I encouraged her to keep the flame lit, even as a downpour tried to put it out. Tassi just needed a touch of hope to serve as tinderwood. I would’ve never allowed a friend—and a civilian—to be bullied in such a manner, and it hasn’t gone unpunished.”
That remark caused my beak to snap toward him with interest. “What?”
“Jones was forced to…hand in her resignation over what she did to you. I’m a man of my word. I also conveniently discovered that Dustin Curtis was relocated to an off-the-grid xenobiology project, allegedly to save Ivrana. I thought you should know the truth; he wasn’t hurt or coerced. By the sound of it, Nulia and Haliska were coerced, though I only know that through insinuation.”
I took a moment to soak all of that in, and found a little more sense in why the two aliens I’d thought were my friends were so keen to pressure and guilt me into ruining my life. Even Dustin had run off willingly, however noble his cause was. The trust issues I felt toward aliens were the strongest of all toward the first contact team, after every one of them had let me down and betrayed me. I could forgive my nerdy Terran friend for being swayed by a sense of heroism, especially if it was under false pretenses. Haliska and Nulia knew what they were doing, and went against the stated purpose of the UN’s mission to aid Jones.
Adam was the only friend who’d looked out for Bissems, and been unwavering in his promises to make things right. He’d given us information that wasn’t beneficial to humanity, and ousted the corrupt elements from his clandestine services. If there was one person in the galaxy who shared my goal to make things better—with complete and utter conviction—it was him. He’d said this chosen name was about the acknowledgment of what he’d done in synthetic form, and I could see how he’d pushed for improvement; Adam Meier campaigned for the Sapient Coalition to uphold its own values and to stand united. It was beyond admirable.
That’s the kind of leader I would follow despite the threat of certain death, and would do anything for. It’s what I hoped for from aliens in the beginning, to be better and to be enlightened; to show us an example of superior conduct and morality!
“If I ever doubted your sincerity, Adam, I don’t anymore.” I grabbed his hand with a flipper, and squeezed the rubbery skin with a firm grasp. “Whatever your feelings about yourself, humanity made the right decision about bringing you back. They need you. We need you. You’re the ideal we all look up to.”
The synthetic human shook his head. “I shouldn’t be. I’m glad I could help, but they don’t need me to know right from wrong. There are other good people who need to take charge and bring about the future they want to see.”
“A sickening optimism and belief in individual goodness. This is worse than Dustin,” Zalk complained.
“Thank you. I strive never to give up, and I’ll choose to take any acknowledgment of that as a compliment.”
“Impossible to discourage. This one never lets you see him falter,” Naltor snickered. “Well, Adam, you’re welcome to stay with us. Bissem forces have just touched down on the Farsul station. Unlike what happened with your Archives raid, the ghosts don’t seem keen on going quietly. They don’t have any docile abducted humans to make them partial to you.”
I turned my attention toward the feed from the ground. There was a great deal of curiosity and apprehension from the Sapient Coalition assembly, after we’d witnessed the covert power the extremists held. We were all unified today in seeking any knowledge that could lead to their downfall, but that hinged on whether we could get to their servers before they went scorched earth. From the chatter we’d overheard, the rogue Farsul were backtracking to initiate the self-destruct sequence and prevent us from gaining anything. Taking our soldiers out with them was a bonus.
The Farsul archivists were shooting at the invading army to buy time, not wanting us to comb through their data; they weren’t foolish enough to believe the “predators” would be on the side of their own elimination. Dirty traps and explosives were scattered throughout the pathways, forcing a cautious approach on our part. I could hear arguments from several representatives that it wasn’t worth the risk to gather computer data, and just to let them go up in a flaming act of self-destruction if they wished. However, we knew from Loxsel that they held even more thorough records than the Archives.
Humanity understands what I grasp—if we don’t get to the data, that could be a piece of a species’ history and identity that’s lost forever. That’s worth booking it and uploading as much as we can, before the enemy blows up priceless intel.
I watched the Terrans stalk through at the helm, their long legs suitable for slinking through corridors; it was as if the indoor battleground was their natural environment. I wagered these were the kind of displays that still tickled something deep inside the prey species, as the humans fell into rituals of war with ease. The task and the time were restrictive, but determined primates were a nigh unstoppable force. Armor-piercing bullets ripped through the archivists, who clearly weren’t trained soldiers themselves. The UN forces charged at the helm, while Bissems covered their brazen advance toward the server room.
Other SC ground forces attempted to cut off the Farsul scrambling to reach escape pods, before the station detonated. The extremists were unwilling to be taken alive, however, succumbing only with a gun in their paws. I studied the Bissem soldiers, and wondered how they felt to be on the cusp of completing an age-old quest for answers about Ivrana’s history. This was my species’ first ground engagement in our interstellar history. Those infantrymen must be shaken, fighting far away from our planets’ shores alongside the surgical humans. All in all, we were supporting the primates in dutiful fashion.
Secretary-General Osmani stood, as the camera feed showed humanity soldiers busting down a sealed vault door with explosive charges…and a few powerful leg kicks when it wasn’t fully off its hinges. “We’ve made it to their computer storage room! We’ll set a data transfer in progress, then get our men out of there. Whatever’s scraped off of their servers, we’ll be able to see it live; FTL comms will make our knowledge near instantaneous.”
“Can you locate the information on the Starlight Incident?” Zalk shouted, without hesitation.
“Humanity understands the importance to Bissemkind. Depending how much data is available, it could take some time to sort through. However, your people are receiving these files at the same time, so you’ll be able to look for anything you wish for. I hope that you will have your answers shortly.”
“Fine. We waited a hundred years, so I guess it doesn’t make much difference to drag this on for a few more eons,” the Tseia general grumbled. “Carry on.”
I watched as the soldiers backpedaled for the door, with Bissems waiting for the humans in valiant fashion—despite the fact that our locomotion was much slower than theirs. We worked well in tandem with the Terrans, which I thought was a good omen for future cooperation. There was no telling how long the ticking timer was on the base, so every second mattered to get our forces off of the station. The Sapient Coalition had landed with several shuttles, and could take off just the same. The force securing the hangar bay got the idea to take the escape pods; that way, the Farsul couldn’t utilize them, and we’d be able to inspect those ships for intel.
Cheers spread throughout the auditorium, as the last soldiers scurried onto a shuttle; human forces stayed behind until the last ally was aboard, risking their own lives in kind. It was the spirit of no warrior left behind that, again, made me appreciate the noble side of military life that Naltor found beauty in. Mostly, I was just relieved that we’d gotten our people off in one piece, and been able to get to their servers. I turned to look at Adam, but noticed that his expression was still grim and nervous. The synthetic Terran trusted his forces’ efficiency, and had rather been worried about what we might find in the servers. His unblinking eyes watched the files loading in.
“Adam?” I questioned.
The digital mind pursed his lips. “I’m seeing some Bissem files coming in. Rather organized, which should make your job easier. The problem is, there’s a lot more files that are still decrypting. Some names I don’t recognize, which likely are species they annihilated, and also…”
“Spit it out,” Naltor insisted.
“Some that I do recognize. That right there? That says Krev. I’d like to know immediately, for the sake of us all, just what the ghost Farsul know about the Consortium.”
A few of the other representatives had caught onto what the newly loaded data said, and murmured amongst themselves as they considered the possibilities. The Krev Consortium had hidden themselves away with the intention of escaping the Federation’s notice, according to everything that we knew about them. Needless to say, it came as a great surprise to see that the Farsul archivists had quite the treasure trove of information on the green-scaled, primate-loving mammals.
Comments
Johnonymous
I could really see a miniseries about a bissem/human pairing completing this raid. Get to know more about something closer to the everyman’s introduction to the penguins and how they work so fluidly together.
Johnonymous
Something I’ve noticed that’s different from the first NoP in this sequel series, is that in the first series we would have seen this raid from the pov of a character that was physically there. We would see all these space battles from a pilots perspective. However, all the combat/engagements we’ve seen thus far, at least on the SC side, has been politicians and representatives spectating things unfolding through a camera feed. I love these stories, but it really felt more urgent and important when the people you were reading about were actually experiencing what’s happening, not seeing it secondhand.
Aured
For a while now, I've been wondering if the rogue Farsul have been in league with the hidden elements in the KC that arranged the murder of the jaslip kids and the push to pull the jaslips from their home planet. It's unclear why they didn't try to push their strictly herbivore ideology, but would explain some of what we've seen.
Gumcel
Damn, well that progressed quickly.
Some Lvm
And of course there is a twist at the very end... Also: it sounds like this station is in space. Would it really be such a good idea to use armor piercing rounds on a space station?
Some Lvm
Elias may not have chosen to be resurrected, but he also didn't choose to die. Nor did he die of natural causes. I am even fairly sure he didn't have a standing DNR. Also, in that introductory sentence I almost though it was Loxel speaking and not Meir until I read to the end! That seals it for me: its AI hallucination, and Virnt needs to recall this prototype for debugging ASAP! Next thing you know he - it, will start reasoning that certain amount of humans must be compelled to die to allow for births of more of his kind. (Incidentally, there was a Voyager episode with a similar concept where aliens used other species corpses to reproduce)
EliasArt2Life
@Space Paladin Get some rest. Everyone here’s fully capable of waiting. After so long of consistent uploads, you deserve a few sick days (more like sick weeks, by this point). AND, it looks like what people were afraid of might be true; the Ghosts are potentially in control of the Consortium. At least this validates what I said about the Federation and the Krev; with the Krev a single system away, it makes no sense for the Federation to have missed them during their takeover of the Sivkit’s home. Unless the Ghosts found the Krev first and prevented the Federation from noticing. That just leaves us with the question; if the Ghosts are in control of the Consortium, why help the Jaslips? But, rethinking about it, the bombing of Esquo took out a billion Jaslips, and now the Jaslips are in internment camps being repressed. Maybe this was always a long term eradication, to keep the Consortium unaware of the Ghosts’ control of them? There’s something I’ve been thinking about for a number of chapters, and I guess I’ll voice it now. The proportion of hunters to scavengers to herbivores is roughly 1:10:100; 1 hunting species per 100 herbivores and 1 scavenging species to 10 herbivores. What if those numbers have been wrong all along, and the reason they seem so low is because the Ghosts got to them first? What if 20% of the galaxy’s sapient species were hunters, but the Ghosts killed off and removed all traces of all but 1% that escaped through chance/circumstance? Maybe there were more scavengers, too, but the Ghosts killed a bunch of THEM off (but not as many, since it’s harder to tell a scavenger from a herbivore than a hunter from a herbivore). Either way, when we get the results of the raid’s data, we’ll find out…
Enzo Leon
Take the rest ya need to not burn out! The chapters have been awesome and glad to see this reveal c:
Kevo
When all this war is over, I wanna see a new predator and prey species that just hasn’t been corrupted for once lol
Byron Ritchie
Hope you get well soon and damn that’s a big reveal
Space Paladin
Thanks. I hate letting you guys down, truly!
Space Paladin
❤️ Love you too!
Xilacnog
Finally! Data on the Krev, I bet the Underscales were just pawns and that the Consortium is led by AIs posing as the Council; these AIs are, somehow, working together with the Ghost Farsul or for them.
Wingit98
Well.... Shit Color me intrigued
DDDragoni
Oh shit, time to find out how deep this rabbit hole goes
Wholesome Redditter
Hey it’s it weird that even pre-cure there’s a limited amount of carnivorous species. “Some I do not recognize”. Oh no
Wholesome Redditter
That actually explains why they didn’t contest the federation at all. As no joke the KC would demolish the feds in record time. Which the Farsul understands that, but they can’t prepare for that or else it risk unraveling the ideology, and so they used the underscales to demotivate the KC from attacking the federation.
Alicja
WHAT? there’s no way the consortium are in kahoots with the Farsul. NOT THE SPACE PANGOLINS PLEASE DONT LET THEM BE EVIL
Space Paladin
I’m sorry 😞 I hope that you feel all the way better soon!
Space Paladin
Thank you!
PhycoKrusk
Turns out that infiltrating Outer Heaven and destroying Metal Gear is just the beginning....
Jagger
Great chapter as usual! Hope you're feeling better soon.
Quiidek
We love you SP get well soon! ❤️
TheBlack2007
Unless the Krev were designed as a potential yet unwitting staybehind force to take - again unwittingly - on whomever managed to topple the Federation and more importantly, the Kolshian Shadow Caste. Seems like the KolSul-conspiracy has more layers than an onion. Only question is how the Jaslips fit into all of this.
Shajenko
Get well, and don't push yourself. We can stand a few days or even a week for you to recuperate.
REDemon14
Let's go, raid time! A name change is rather fitting for this Meier. A change of a name is almost always associated with a form of rebirth, which Adam's awakening could be compared to. Naltor and Zalk can't stand optimism, it seems XD The first contact team have really let Tassi down. Adam is, so far, the only person who hasn't hurt Tassi in some way. I would put Loxsel with Meier, but he can be a bit much for Tassi, ignoring her issues and troubles. These Farsul are *really* dedicated to their cause. Self-destruct/deletion of data, booby traps, killing themselves. All that in top of the fact these Farsul are actually resisting. They *really* don't want others to see what they have. I wonder if the Sivkits had to go through all of that when Loxsel led them to a Ghost base to find Tinsas. The Bissem seemed to have perform well with the humans. Some of the SC might still be a bit iffy watching human soldier go through combat as if it's second nature. (I know they probably just walk or waddle everywhere, but if the Bissem belly slide like Earth penguins, do you this they have like scooters our wheels that they use when not on ice? Just a funny image I had X3) It was actually quite clever for the party securing the escape pods to *use* them instead of hoofing it back to the shuttles. Got Intel and the pods and denied the Ghost Farsul there use. I do wonder if any of the Ghost Farsul ended up getting captured. In comes the data. When it comes to the unrecognized names; it's always sad to think about the species that have been wiped out in sci-fi. It always feels like such a loss. Now the mention of the Krev, that's where things get interesting! The fact that the Krev are known to the Ghost Farsul does not bode well for the SC. Did the Ghost farsul have a hand in the founding of the KC, the Underscales and Listeners, or are they only aware of the Krev, likely discovered around the same time as the Sivkits? I know Gress and Radai won't be happy about whatever was recovered. Looking forward to more! Hope you get better soon, SP!
DemonVee
Is this the "the underscales are a GF puppet" reveal I was waiting for? The cages are there to contain "them" I'm certain of it. Which will be a big shock when they close. Hell, if the farsul wanted to they could slowly exterminate everyone on those planets by switching of their suns. If it's true, I imagine the first order of business is to pass the info to the Arxur, Jaslips, Reskets and whoever else sided with them. Going in directly might cause them to act, whether by attacki g the SC or their own populace. The other species might not necessarily be dead either. They could have a similar set up to the consortium, or maybe to the bissem before first contact. (The nomads became extremely xenophobic, not wanting to risk being seen by alien life so they didn' twant to spread outlike tbe consortium. And they were "supposed to" dominate their planet with their new tech, along with their ideology. But that didn’t pan out in the world war.)
Kingarthur
Seems a bit suspicious that they didn't have any protection and one of the first things they find is data on the krev
Dookus Maximus
It does feel a bit rushed, I agree.
Alekss Žukovskis
SP! why did you just jump into a meatgrinder. you shouldve made us doubt whether information was correct and then slow into a battle-staging sequence. it feels rushed.
Alekss Žukovskis
yes! this is the suspense that i live for
TheDudeAbides
Shot in the dark here but my guess is... The mainstream feds were aware of the Krev from the very early days, like at least as far back as the Sivkit "uplift" before binocular vision became an instant death sentence. When that became part of their dogma it was obvious that the Krev had to go but since everyone knew they weren't really predators but herbivores they were kicked out and deleted from history so that by 2136 only the hidden Farsul had records of them.
Yonael Blackwood
I have been sick for over a month and only just recently stopped coughing all the time. Still a bit of a cough left though. I hope you don't have to deal with the same bullshit I had to deal with.
Roscuro
It wouldn't shock me at all if the underscales were in kahoots with the shadow feds all along. Genociding their only predator allies would make sense in that regard.
Alekss Žukovskis
NOOOOOOOOO!!! SP! WHY? WHY DID YOU MAKE THE BADSUL REAL?? NOW LOXEL HAS CREDIBILITY! :sob:
Mutedmirth
Get well soon! Im sure no one would've minded if you took a sick day off. Tho seems like the plot thickens!
DreamEnvoy
Hope you feel better soon. Try not to push yourself. “Adam it is. It might take me a bit to remember, so bear with me. I hope Naltor and Zalk will respect your wishes as well; you more than deserve that courtesy.” “Damned straight. We’ll call you whatever you like, since you’re the only one who does shit for us,” Yay, Tassi and Naltor respect the name change! So the Farsul already knew about the Krev? If so, that makes the goal of the KC rather pointless. What's the point of hiding if you're already found? And what kept them spared so far? Short as this chapter is, it still manages to be rather entertaining.
Wholesome Redditter
I’m going to call it right here, Krevs are feds… in both terms of the word
Sroni
WTF!!!
John Benjamin Cate
The conspiracy deepens. Would be fascinating if it turns out if everything done to the jaslip really was with the end goal of their death.
Daniel Lewin
Very good chapter Also F for Farsul
Daniel Guillon
Get better soon
pogman
Get well!
