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The Nature of Predators - Sovlin’s Transcript (13/13)
🕑 Added 2024-11-21 12:00:10 +0000 UTCMemory transcription subject: Sovlin, Gojid Retiree
Date [standardized human time]: May 14, 2151
I could feel myself shaking, nausea bubbling just as much as the first time I saw Tyler with long surfer hair. My family was huddled alongside me at the diner table, while I waited with growing dread. It was a miracle I’d managed to croak out a burger order, even with Hunter patting my barren back for encouragement. The entire family was here, with Vysith’s presence very noticeable on the bright red upholstery of the booth. Samantha, Onso, and Cilany were all calling in for moral support; I noticed the Yotul’s fur looked a bit sunbleached.
“So, Onso,” I ventured. “Long time no see. Have your people invented the wheelbarrow yet?”
The Yotul curled his lip. “Around the same time as yours invented propaganda, Sovlin. I see your ancientness has made you ruder, somehow. You look not a day past one hundred!”
“Hmph. Your atavistic algebra couldn’t count past one hundred on your own. Engineer, my ass.”
“I knew you’ve missed me.”
“Gushing about machines? Never.”
Tyler gave a mocking clap. “Bravo. It’s wonderful to see you two getting along. Let the games begin!”
“Onso, bold of you to act like you’re a spring chicken yourself,” Sam chuckled. “None of us are anymore.”
“Exactly. It’s not too late for me to drop dead right now and get out of doing this,” I grumbled. “C’mon heart, give out.”
Vysith pointedly showed off her fangs and the throaty red of her gullet. “I can help with that. Want me to roar at you?”
“I hear enough of your roaring every time you try to use the dishwasher. It’s not rocket science, even for an atavist Arxur from hundreds of years ago.”
“Sometimes, I listen to you and wish I’d stayed in the cryopod. I see why my people started eating you.”
“Even with our spines?” That joke would not have flown with old-school Sovlin. Protector, I’ve come a long way. “I’d love to see that. You wouldn’t make it through one bite. You roll around on the ground just from stubbing your toe.”
Cilany shook her head. “You never explained how you became roommates with an Arxur, Sovlin, and at this point, the mystery is more interesting than the question.”
“I found her in the Everglades.”
“I can confirm that,” Tyler grinned.
The waiter returned with a sizzling hot burger, placing the plated flesh cutlet before me without too much thought. Now that the charred tissue was before me, the idea of smushing it between the two bread slices and putting it in my mouth…felt impossible. I was going to know what a dead animal tasted like, just like a predator—just like every Arxur that ate Gojids and other sapients without a care in the world. I remembered what Cilany had told me about it being okay to be a predator, and Anton’s encouragement to take control of the thoughts that told me it would change me irreversibly. There was no going back if I did this.
I would be marked as a predator forever—the very thing I abhorred above all else, with all of the cruelty and violence that came with the territory.
Samantha narrowed her eyes through the screen. “Hey, Baldy, are you good? You look like you blew through twenty energy drinks. I know you’re like me. Grouchiness is your coping mechanism.”
“Guilty as charged. I…don’t know if I can do this,” I admitted.
Hunter wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I adjusted to getting kidnapped by aliens and waking up to a weird porcupine two hundred years in the future. You guided me through all of that. I’m telling you, it’s not that bad. You just gotta get it over with.”
“You’re a xenoeconomist. What do you know about how Gojid neurology reacts to the introduction of meat?”
“Shut up and eat the burger, Dad.”
“But—”
“It’s not that bad. In fact, Rumi seemed quite happy with the flavor,” Tyler reminded me.
“Do you seriously still believe that humans have predator instincts?!” Onso hissed, bushy tail waving behind him with impatience. “Get on with it then. Ralchi, you’d think they were asking you to amputate your own head! You got the anti-cure. You’re not going to die.”
I picked up the burger, scowling at the Yotul. “Gee. Thanks for that.”
“No problem. Even Sam’s coddling and fussing over you now. Humans are too soft.”
“Hmph. I’ll agree on that last point. Never deserved their kindness.”
Hunter sighed. “If you don’t stick that burger in your mouth in the next ten seconds, I won’t shower for a month.”
My nose couldn’t bear the thought of that. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to look as I brought the predator food toward my mouth. I’d know exactly what human cuisine was in its entirety. Would I be able to look at the binocular-eyed beasts like people, if it was reprehensible? Or would I become hungry and twitchy when I looked at animals, perhaps even other prey sapients? It was all I could do to take a tiny nibble out of the burger, as I’d felt it against my lips. I just needed to do it and have my answers, regardless of how horrible they might be.
I rolled the bite onto my tongue and surveyed the flavor. The meat itself was surprisingly tender, not chewy like I expected it to be; it broke apart with the slightest push. It was packed with a salty, savory flavor, with the juiciness completing a satisfying force on my tastebuds. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected a carcass to taste like, but it was…good. Normal and rich, yet not mind-blowing or overwhelming to my senses. The acid of the tomato slice mellowed out the powerful flavor, along with the starchy grains. It was as if the protein-rich cutlet completed it all, making it all sing out in harmony.
So that’s why the humans are so enamored with this stuff. I don’t know why they express that they can’t live without it, but it’s pretty unique. I thought it’d taste like rot.
“Wow.” I blinked my eyes open, having a hard time believing the pink flesh where the bite mark was—which looked so sickening to my eyes—had yielded so much flavor. I didn’t feel different, not at all like a silent bloodlusting killer had been awakened. “We tried to kill humanity over that?”
Samantha looked unamused. “Yes. Our burger joints were all a scheme to get Venlil toddlers onto a plate.”
“What do you think?” Tyler asked with excitement.
“It’s shockingly good,” I admitted. “And it seems…blown out of proportion. It wasn’t this big thing like I thought; I’m still me. I never dreamed I would ever want to try something like this. I let predators serve me a carcass sandwich and I…liked it.”
“Woohoo! Now we can introduce you to all the good stuff. Fried chicken—”
“Jerky,” Vysith said, picking at a marbled, uncooked steak that looked much more like flesh than mine.
Cilany chuckled. “Fish. Lars’ favorite.”
“I don’t need to eat every animal on this fornication haven of a planet!” I spat. “Besides, I’m not like those primitive, fish-eating Bissems. Lars can be if he wants to.”
Onso pinned his ears back. “The Sapient Coalition doesn’t need to be going near species they find primitive. The last thing they need is to be brought up into a galaxy and treated like idiots, the way we were.”
“Treated like? But you are idiots.”
“My favorite part of knowing you was when Tyler threw you into a cabinet.”
“And I liked when you took in his stupid Great Dane, because I thought it would eat you. We could’ve been saved the misery of seeing you join the unfeeling Yotul bureaucracy.”
Hunter wagged a finger at the camera. “Dad has a point. We have to hate you for being a politician. Nobody likes politicians.”
“Except for Tarva,” Samantha commented. “And Elias Meier, the martyr. A shame he didn’t live to see the day that even puritanical Sovlin himself embraced predation.”
“Well, I was already contaminated from the soaps. What difference does this make?” I grumbled.
Staring down the rest of the burger, I could feel something click in my brain; it had tasted delicious enough that I wanted more. I tore into the rest of the greasy dish, devouring the nutrition that I’d been denied my entire life. This was an excellent birthday gift to myself, to be free of the Federation’s teachings after seventy mediocre-at-best years of existence. The part of Earth that I hadn’t been willing to embrace as my own was now just another human aspect that I’d learned wasn’t that bad. It was a piece of Gojid culture that I’d been missing for a long time, and a sliver of self-hatred that my family had been there to help me shed.
I sighed in satisfaction as I gobbled down the last bite. The binocular-eyed, furless beasts were cracking up at how ravenously I’d devoured the rest of the burger, after my hesitancy with that initial taste. Between laughs, Hunter’s fingers crept over to steal my fries, and I smacked his hand away with a warning look; the real thing Terrans should feel guilty about was stealing food. Thieves. After finishing my first (and definitely not the last) carcass meal, I accepted Cilany’s words in my heart: that it was okay to be a predator.
I could look back at the dark moments of my long ago transcripts with closure, and know beyond all doubt that I had done what the captain who tortured Marcel would’ve never dreamed of.
A/N - Sovlin’s series ends! We see our cranky old Gojid eat a burger at long last, with us finally getting an Onso cameo as the Yotul and Gojid go at each other with no holds barred; the entire crew is there to support Sovlin. Our narrator doesn’t find himself changed at all by predator food, but is surprised by how pleasant the flavor is and devours it. Hunter steals some fries, revealing humanity’s true evil intentions with food, and Sovlin finally lets go of the feeling that Gojids were depraved for eating meat.
What do you think of finally seeing this moment, and the send-off for Sovlin? Do you agree that he’s changed so much from the captain we once knew in those early transcripts?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting! The next bonus update day is a rest day, then I was thinking to finally give the Krev DND campaign a chance and see if I can write fantasy—nice change of pace, and seeing some familiar characters RP!
Comments
kabhes
Didn't she want to join the army?
ToothyMcButt
Me and all my homies love Old Man Sovlin
Ezekiah Kane
I second that!
Space Paladin
It’s my pleasure!
Some Lvm
Something about this chapter just feels... Adorable! Reminds me why I joined this patreon in the first place. Thanks again for the great story!
Space Paladin
I'm going to move it back, probably with Thursday's update
Jacob Garcia
I bet they went to Top Notch in Austin TX
Heroman3003
Everyone is here and it's a great sendoff for Sovlin! I have to say, you're EVIL for using word 'roommates' for Sovlin's and Vysith's relationship. You really just want to keep speculation between "lovers" and "parental" going hard don't you... Though we all know it's parental, this feels like a reference to "oh my god they were roommates". You evil evil man. But back to our main course (hehe), Sovlin himself... Man, I am glad I was wrong. He likes it, he actually likes it! Sure, its not as ironic as my theory prediction, but the way its written makes my cynical theory go out the window. This is good. I love how he just enjoys the taste. Its nothing truly groundbreaking, its not disgusting, its just a delicious fuckin burgah and he wants to eat it. And the way everyone supports him and genuinely shows him affirmation now that they understand his guilt better, with him having admitted it is so heartwarming. Its hilarious to see everyone jump to suggesting different foods, but for some reason I imagine despite the grumbling he did go ahead and try different things over time... Even if he pretended like he needed a lot of convincing. Seeing Onso and Sovlin interact again is wonderful too. I missed their banter and somehow it feels a lot more friendly here, even if words themselves are as sharp as Sovlin's quills were back when he still had them. Shows that despite what words say, the feelings behind them are entirely different. Its good to see him finally find closure and peace for himself, and as a whole its a good epilogue for NoP1's most complex and most developed character. ~~Now to bring him back as a robot just so that he can be tortured by newly discovered love of caracass food, yet unable to eat it anymore, muahahaha~~ Great work as usual. Looking forward to see what you come up with for the next side story!
Gumcel
Le funny borjor. Anyways, I know it says you're taking a day off but will it be a return to mon-wed-thur-sat or are we keeping this new schedule?
Alekss Žukovskis
i highly doubt deficiency theory, since well Zurulians have nutrition quite well established for prey species at least.
EliasArt2Life
I was good to see everyone there for Sovlin, and to see him shred that last bit of Federation ideology that really had a hold on him (you know, aside from seeing new aliens as primitives, and so on). I can’t blame him for tearing into the burger after a single taste; as a scavenger, he was likely suffering from slight nutrient deficiencies (not lethal ones, but ones that stinted his growth or muscle development). Eating that would have been filling a hunger for those nutrients that he never recognized that he had before. I’m excited to see the Krev D&D campaign! Although I’m more curious as to what the story conflict will be; what will this tell us about Krev or Krev/human stories/how they deal with problems? If a human gets creative, do the Krev short circuit, or maybe it’s the opposite problem; maybe humans will just one shot the villain because the Krev always take a sneaky path, and they never thought to design the villain to take a hit. Will other species be involved? Familiar characters… that sounds like Gress as GM and Taylor, for sure.
Aerowarrier
To be fair Sovlin, Gojid predation was them scaring off actual predators to pick over the remains of a kill themselves. Y’all definitely got your own food thieving tendencies in there too
straw salmon
Also great finale 😁 but on side note we need more Vysith i wanna know how her life is like on earth!!?!? does she have a job?!?! I neeed to know!!
Guardian
Hah-hah, aww yeah, BUURRGEERR. Not from In-N-Out, but I wasn't expecting that. Sounds like they went to someplace a little more high-end. Fitting. I have a wild prediction: Sovlin will find some cooking/food channel and either demand his family procure these dishes for him, or he's going to learn how to make them himself. Heh.
straw salmon
I kept imagining that meme of Squidward trying a crabby patty 😂😭😂
DreamEnvoy
And the horrors of lactose intolerance
Soheils
Hmm, I’m not so sure. Gojid were scavengers, so it’s likely his taste buds actually like the slightly acrid taste of some fish. But I’d pay money to watch him eat blood sausage.
TheBlack2007
I totally get the sentiment though: Let someone else work their butts off, then swoop in and take all the credit.
Bow-Tied Engineer
Bravo, this was fun. I love old Sovlin's "get off my lawn, you smelly predators" energy.
DDDragoni
What a perfect send-off fo Sovlin's character. He's come a long way. I'm gonna miss you, racist hedgehog dad- enjoy the borger.
Kevo
I can’t wait to see the next series! Sounds fun
John Benjamin Cate
This was absolutely brilliant. The burger was so built up, but it was ultimately for Sovlin’s confirmation to himself how much he has changed. The true important part of his life were the friends and family he surrounds himself with, and the love and banter they have with each other. Things are better for him. His life is good and loved. This was an amazing send off for his character!
REDemon14
PS: you deserve the day of rest and a Krev DnD does sound interesting. I wonder who the players would be
Byron Ritchie
Ngl hearing onso and the others talk about the bissem feels a bit ominous, which sounds overdramatic I know but yeah At least sovlin finally got a taste of the high cholesterol but delicious meal that is the hamburger
PhycoKrusk
"Hey Onso! Guess what _I'm_ eating!"
un_pogaz
Sweet, Solvin's realization of the whole thing is really very satisfying. Solvin has changed and grown so much as a person since we first saw him, it's incredible. So, yes, he still talks a lot about “predator” but he does it with a lot of derision, so it's pretty fun to hear all his comments.
Darkadius
" I’d know exactly what human cuisine was in its entirety" The unfathomable cheese fondue:
Xilacnog
I half expected Sovlin's family to do a "We did it" Dora moment
DreamEnvoy
"I could feel myself shaking, nausea bubbling just as much as the first time I saw Tyler with long surfer hair." I applaud you for a great opening sentence. "That joke would not have flown with old-school Sovlin. Protector, I’ve come a long way." Yes. But you're still the same racist we know and love. Quite descriptive with Sovlin's first bite. It's 6 AM here and you managed to put me in the mood for burgers. "I didn’t feel different, not at all like a silent bloodlusting killer had been awakened. “We tried to kill humanity over that?”" Yes. Now you finally understand that there's no bloodlust and how silly the Federation was. And I love how Tyler, Vysith, and Cilany got excited over the idea of having Sovlin explore the world of meat. "This was an excellent birthday gift to myself, to be free of the Federation’s teachings after seventy mediocre-at-best years of existence." Well, no better gift than freedom from indoctrination. "the real thing Terrans should feel guilty about was stealing food. Thieves." Says the descendent of kleptoparasitic scavenvers. Besides, fries are one of those foods that taste better stolen. Anyways, this is such a great conclusion to not just this miniseries, but to Sovlin's story as a whole. Being able to see more details in Sovlin's past and compare it to how much he's changed (into a cranky old porcupine). Might even surpass Cilany's Adventure as my favorite miniseries.
Elliott
"You like Krabby Patties, don't you Sovlin?" That's also our second, lesser-known trait, thievery. We were pretty terrible hunters for a while and did steal most of our food from other animals' catches. A lot of other primates do it too. Food does always taste better from someone else's plate.
REDemon14
The fact that Tyler with long hair causes the same amount of nausea as the prospect of eating meat is hilarious! It’s nice to see everyone here. Well, most everyone. Aucel made her choice. Maybe one day, she will see the light. If she’d be forgiven though is another matter. Considering what this story and Tassi’s transcript suggest, we have a fuller image of Onso now. Partial sun-bleached fur, somewhat aging and still possessing a rather fit build. Onso seems to have aged well. Ah, there’s the racist Sovlin we all know. Never giving the Yotul a break. Especially Onso. I feel like it’s become akin to friends roasting each other for fun at this point. Sovlin wishing for his heart to give out will never *not* be funny! X D It’s funny to think that Vysith has difficulties working household appliances even now. Just seeing this big ol’ Gator roaring at minor inconveniences. I was *NOT* expecting that remark from Vysith about Gojid being eaten. Especially towards *Sovlin*, the guy who’s wife and daughter were eaten alive right in front of him! He really has changed. Good on him. Sovlin is going through it right now. To take the final step to leave everything you once believed in behind, I can’t imagine having those jitters. I had a feeling Sovlin was being grouchy as a form of coping. He was getting more and more upset when he was talking to Cilany about eating meat. Hunter tried to help, but being introduced to aliens and committing what was tantamount to blasphemy are not the same. No offense to him. If encouraging words don’t work, just insult or threaten not to bathe. Funny that it worked too! Sovlin hates stinky humans more than eating meat, confirmed. (Same Sovlin, same.) Knowing the truth about meat ourselves, it’s funny to see how a Feddie (old or new) thinks that eating meat would literally change their brain chemistry. And just like that, Sovlin has conquered the Federation lies that killed and tormented billions of lives with one bite. Not too amazing, not too dull. I ask what they think rot tastes like and how they know what rot tastes like. Now they want to introduce everything to him. Either Vysith has a taste for jerky or most Arxur would have a liking for it. Also the fact she just has a slice of uncooked, raw steak is just funny to me. “I don’t need to eat every animal on this fornication haven of a planet!” Call back to chapter one! Fornication haven will always be a funny way to put it. Oh no. He knows about the Bissem! He has another victim to call primative! If he’s still alive in 2160, imagine he meets Tassi. Poor thing. Time to hate on Onso for being a politician. Honestly, fair. Only Tarva and Meier get a pass. I wonder how Tarva would feel about Sovlin’s change. I feel like she would have forgiven Sovlin, but that’s just me. Hell, what would Marcel think of Sovlin now? Hate him more since he eats meat now? And now Sovlin has to deal with humans trying to sneak his fries. *Vile humans!* “70 mediocre-at-best years of existence” It’s so sad that he views his life like that. At least the past 14 years have been better and that his final years can be “Decent-at-worst”. Really loved this character. It’s so amazing to see his growth from the rather jaded man who was steadfast in the ways of the Federation to this older man who has grown to accept things that would have you condemned (if not out-right execut- er “admitted to a PD facility”). Sovlin was a character that had accrued such a large amount of guilt over his life and then, through new actions and admitting that he committed wrongs in the first place had redeemed himself. (One of my favorite character arcs of all time.)
JuneBornDragon
I’m sure sovlin won’t have EVERYTHING everything, there’s stuff even humans won’t try! (The thought of dog meat makes my skin crawl.)
Mutedmirth
This is why when I became vegetarian I needed to find good fake meat veggie burgers. Nothing beat a burger in a bun. I don't think he'd like chicken or fish. Chicken has a very greesy strong taste and smell when you've not eaten it. It was the first thing I stopped eating as it felt thick and repulsive. Fish has a strong smell and mackerel is very meaty unlike tuna which is flakey which can put people off again if not had it before or for ages. I'm glad tho he finally took that step and found peace with that side of him.
Kingarthur
And there goes his waist line and the neighbors. They've created a monster
TheBlack2007
Loved his "wait, that’s it?!" initial reaction. The moment he’s truly gotten rid of the last remnants of Federation ideology lingering in the back of his head.
Joonas Ojala
Sovlin finally ate the burger!
TheBlack2007
By the look of it, Sovlin absolutely WILL end up eating every single animal on this planet at least once. And I can hardly blame him. Just wait until he finds out about Kangaroo Steak or hears rumors about Florida people eating Gators…
JuneBornDragon
It’s always nice to see how far characters come after all the time we’ve spent with them. I’m glad we got to see Sovlin take this step, surrounded by loved ones.
