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The Nature of Predators - Sovlin’s Transcript (1/13)
🕑 Added 2024-10-05 11:00:12 +0000 UTCMemory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command
Date [standardized human time]: August 21, 2136
“I suppose I did give you my blessing for this expedition, yet it still feels like you defied me,” Prime Minister Piri stated, a worried look on her face. “Would you have ventured off without my permission?”
I hadn’t been able to rush over quickly enough to get a Federation response in motion. Many of my crew were running about like stampeding Venlil, as word of the predator onboard got around, but I knew that we had the advantage. Marcel could give us information that would be critical for the strike on its planet, and moreover, I finally had the chance for some comeuppance for Hania. Standing over the face of malice, I’d been shaking and terrified. What a novel, tantalizing opportunity to inflict such potent fear on a callous hunter, for once. I could train it to feel those very things, which was why I’d ordered Zarn to fetch a Yulpa shock collar. This had been the last thing I had expected to find on the Venlil ship, but we’d saved Slanek; the hunter’s handiwork was visible in the gash on his forehead. What would’ve happened to him without our intervention, especially after that beast fought the Arxur to keep him?
Every minute that humans still existed, more Venlil were enslaved and eaten. The entire galaxy was next in their campaign of cruelty! I’d seen what monstrosities like Marcel were capable of—the lengths they’d go to hurt and torment us. Whatever the Prime Minister thought, I should be commended for going above and beyond my duty; it took exemplary heroism to stand up to a predator, whose features induced all of the textbook symptoms of a heart attack. My spines bristled from the slightest recollection of its ghastly visage.
“Yes, ma’am,” I answered.
“Hmph. I suppose you have done us a great service. The Federation will be made to know about this.” Piri tapped her claws against her chin, and turned her shrewd gaze toward me. “We were on the verge of attacking the Venlil to free our diplomats. It’s safe to assume any of our people on that world are gone.”
I snorted. “Obviously. Predators wouldn’t understand what a diplomat is if you handed them a dictionary. You should’ve seen how this…thing flew that shuttle. It had this reckless aggression that no prey could ever match. Prime Minister, I should’ve foreseen what I’d find then and there. I should’ve known the Venlil better.”
“As should I. Tarva was always kind and devoted to the Federation. Back when she was the Venlil Ambassador, I sat next to her at a few luncheons. She was soft-spoken, polite, and meek: the perfect example of her species. I can’t believe I thought she would do such a thing of her own free will.”
“I didn’t ask her the right questions on our call. How a Venlil managed to speak with those terrors breathing down her neck…by the Protector. They’ve waited so long for someone to figure it out and send help. Instead, we played right into the predators’ paws, and let Tarva cut us off from Venlil Prime. All I ask, ma’am, is to know where Earth is and when we strike—because I’ll be there to eliminate every cruel fiend that could spill into the stars, and see their fornication havens bathed in fire!”
[Transcript date changed to May 2, 2151]
“Fornication havens? You didn’t actually say that,” Hunter groaned, eyes bulging in shock; his cheeks were red with embarrassment.
“This is the most reading I’ve done in years. Real page turner.” Tyler Cardona had made a special trip from Leirn for this unveiling, for reasons I didn’t understand. At least the atavist had sat out this party at my expense. “That’s a cringeworthy quote, dude, even for you.”
I wished I could deny having any recollection of those being the words I said to the Prime Minister, but that phrase was lodged in my brain with particular clarity. Even all of these years later, I still had a highlight reel of quotes that I was humiliated to share with my human friends. Why the Terrans had gone straight for the Marcel torture pages was something I’d never understand; my remaining spines bristled, perhaps because I felt attacked by my own words. Hearing Hunter read summations of my thoughts when I captured my unfortunate victim had been an additional source of pain. The primate I rescued from the Archives had burst out laughing, when he got to the part that described human pupils as no more than dilated pools of hunger. Tyler had been happy to “play characters,” and sucked on a helium-filled balloon every time he “voiced” one of Zarn’s lines. Maybe I should’ve at least bombed this fornication haven they called Columbus.
I mean, for fuck’s sake! This is no way to celebrate my 70th birthday. That was all a decade and a half ago, and they know I’m sorry as sorry can be. Must they rub it in?
“This technology is experimental. It’s new,” I grumbled. “Don’t take everything it says so literally. I’m not sure why I had to be one of the first to get my mind read. You ugly-eyed fucks talked me into it.”
Samantha O’Brien rolled her eyes through the holopad screen, as she sat with Trevor, her husband of eleven years. “Carlos would’ve gotten a kick out of this. I loved the part where the doctor was against using untested drugs on a new species, then kissed his Hippocratic Oath goodbye. He talked about how his bioethics paper argued it was righteous to kill us.”
“Shut up! Zarn was a fine doctor, except for the parts where humans were involved…and he did save Slanek. Why do you get to comment? Tyler put in some effort, he came all the way from Leirn; you couldn’t even visit from halfway around your own planet.”
“I could visit, but I have an eight-year old and a six-year old at home. That is work, you bald degenerate. Plus, it’s fucking ten at night on a Sunday here; I’m putting in effort to be on this call at all.”
“She showed up, and so did I. Hi, Sovlin!” Trevor shouted, overly friendly as always. Opposites must attract, if he was with Sam. “Happy birthday!”
“One year closer to death,” I grumbled. “Hooray.”
Hunter shook his head. “Let’s keep this moving, people. I want to get to the part where he finds me in the Farsul base.”
“And I can’t wait to see that time I punched him and threw him into a cabinet. Now that was good stuff!” Tyler declared, cracking his knuckles. “After reading this shit, you sure we can’t do that again?”
“No…you told me we were cool after that.” I buried my head in my paws, wishing the day would end. “You wouldn’t hit an old man.”
Vysith chuckled from the kitchen, clearly eavesdropping despite pretending to be focused on her jerky. “Tyler punched Maronis, who was also an old man. Don’t be so sure.”
“I knew you were listening!”
“It’s enlightening to hear what you thought of predators, and how thoroughly you despised the Arxur. I wonder what that version of you would think of your current life: you with your predator family, including a ‘gray?’”
I chewed at my claws, recalling the faint echoes of a mindset I’d long since abandoned. “That Sovlin would’ve rather died than to be near any of you, and wouldn’t have seen a shred of value in your lives. That Sovlin…cost his people and his crew so very, very much. And as you’ll see from what Piri and I talked about next, we treated Marcel like a monster. That’s….all he was to us.”
[Transcript date changed to August 21, 2136]
“Very well, Sovlin. Our ships were already poised to strike Venlil, so we won’t need much time to rally our forces. Drafting plans is another matter, though you could help with that,” Piri murmured. “The Federation will be asked to help, but if they delay, we go alone. We’re on the borders; we’re next, after Venlil Prime. We can’t wait.”
I leaned closer to the camera, coldness gripping my heart. “Yes, ma’am. We already had one of those fiends crossing into our borders, bringing the Arxur with it. I wonder if it was aggression meeting aggression, or if that ‘fight’ was a ruse to lure my ship in. It—Marcel—tried to reason with us, but then it turned around and showed its eyes. Its pupils said everything.”
“I’ve never heard of a predator talking to prey. If they found FTL on their own, then they’re more intelligent than the Arxur. That thought terrifies me.”
“Seeing how it could talk like a normal sapient was terrifying, once the truth hit. It made one mistake. It underestimated our intelligence, when we know predators are capable of violence and savagery alone. Where it learned to fake concern, I can’t say, but the Venlil unconscious in the back seat? It must’ve struck the poor guy remarkably hard. Just like we’ll strike Earth.”
The prime minister paced for several seconds in silence, steeling herself for what had to be done. The prospect of facing predators, even backwards primitives who hadn’t invented much past the wheel, was harrowing; it wasn’t in our nature to confront creatures that were far more sinister and hardened than us. Aggression wasn’t the choice tactic of prey, but if we didn’t go on the offensive, we’d have the new Arxur spilling far past Venlil Prime. Doctor Zarn’s words echoed in my ears—I’d like to see just what this conquering, savage species was capable of. Piri seemed to agree, because my display buzzed with a video briefing. I intended to call my officers to the bridge, and review the materials together. After that, Recel and I could begin cowing the repugnant beast into submission; what a feat it would be, to see fear in a predator!
I did see that emotion for a moment with the needle, so I know it doesn’t like pain. We can use that.
“One more thing. Decide what to do with the predator; perhaps you can discover its plans, if it’s coherent enough to boast of its superiority. The exterminators are clamoring to have it for study, but I don’t see what good can come of having that thing on our planet. Jettison it out the airlock for all I care,” Piri sighed.
I ducked my head. “The creature is in a secure location. It was wearing artificial pelts, possibly to adorn itself with prey skins and hide weapons; those are going out the airlock. Contaminated filth. That’s the other thing, it had an odor from its secretions. I can’t imagine sharing a small space with such a nasty being, so it’s fortunate Venlil lack noses.”
“Are you suggesting bathing it by force?”
“What? I don’t need it acting out because the dumb animal thinks I’m trying to drown it, and who the fuck could be asked to scrub down a predator? I’m not going to trigger the overhead sprinklers on the whole ship to make a monster presentable.”
“That was a joke, Sovlin. After what you’ve been through, you could use something to ease the tension. It’s your job to keep your crew calm, you know. I’ll let you, but be careful. Don’t let your guard slip.”
“I won’t, Piri. That thing won’t get the best of me.”
Disconnecting from the call, I turned to show the briefing materials I’d received from Piri; everyone had to know what we were up against, in case Marcel tried to twist our prey empathy to make us feel sorry for it. There could be no reservations about why humanity couldn’t be allowed to exist. Seeing the unthinkable atrocities, which no civilized species would ever indulge in, would tell us exactly how much evil these beasts were capable of.
[Transcript date changed to May 2, 2151]
“Oh, this is golden insight into the Feddie mindset! Actually being inside your head: goddamn!” Tyler’s face was red with laughter, as he pressed a hand over his belly—perhaps aching from the intensity. “You didn’t think we bathed? We did that regularly for as long as the Farsul observed us, dude! Where does this assumption that hunters don’t groom themselves even come from?”
“We’re wild. Untamed!” Sam declared sarcastically.
I refused to provide an answer of my own, instead placing a throw pillow over my face. Letting the humans read my exact thoughts had been a grave mistake. Perhaps I should retreat to my bedroom with my walker and try to wait this storm out.
Hunter clicked his tongue within his mouth. “Sovlin definitely knew by the time we lived together. Always up my ass about when the last time I took a shower was.”
“Because I could tell when you hadn’t had one. Humans do smell,” I protested.
“Let’s search for human hygiene with the AI function,” Tyler decided. “This is important.”
Samantha huffed at the delay. “After that, put it back to where we were. I wanted to see the skewed briefing about how horrifying our history was. This is going to take forever if you keep getting derailed!”
With a headache forming within my temples, I prayed to the nonexistent Protector that this day would be over soon.
[Transcript date changed to October 5, 2136]
When my human guards first showed me around Monahan’s ship, they said the minimum amount of words necessary to complete the tour; a room was named, and little more explanation was given on its purpose. I’d been nervous about the facilities on a human warrior craft, though I supposed even if we lived in squalor, my treatment was kinder than I deserved. Back in the prison for alien war criminals (with a population of one), or the Gojid refugee camp I’d gotten a glimpse at, the predators had been empathetic enough to provide anything preyfolk considered a basic need. I’d been extremely confused the first time they pulled me out of my cell; while I’d guiltily hoped they were taking me somewhere quiet to be interrogated, it was only to the showers to wash up. No matter how much soap I’d scrubbed into my fur, I felt dirty.
They built entire plumbing fixtures for the worst of us, learning from scratch. The humans have tried nothing but to understand our ways, yet I thought everything was a plot. My spines won’t stop bristling from being around them still!
When Carlos had pointed out the facilities, I was amazed to see bathing areas available. They’d reworked their entire vessel to accommodate me, when they invited me to stay aboard. I wasn’t sure why there were multiple showers, and curtains between each of them, but it might be either for other prey species on the crew…or to avoid issues from a single one breaking. Only now as the male guard relieved a wordless Samantha, I noticed that his thin hair was damp; the predator had slipped into a new chest pelt, and had a towel slung over his shoulder. With how much my chaperones despised talking to me, I was a bit afraid to ask. However, my curiosity—no, my amazement—outweighed my common sense. I pointed a claw at the predator, and tried to ignore how electrically charged it felt when I moved it.
“You…d-did you, um, wash up?” I croaked.
Carlos raised his shoulders nonchalantly. “Yeah. You should do the same, though I…understand why you’re nervous to share that space. I’ll accompany you, so none of the other guys start anything. Pull the divider curtains closed though, unless you want the stink eye the whole time.”
“Other guys?” I’ll be standing on the same floor where humans washed off their juices. That is…but how do they know…? “Humans bathe?!”
“What the fuck? Of course we do! How would any society that knows about germ theory not? What’s next—you think we don’t wash our hands after we do our business?”
“I, um, wouldn’t have noticed that much? I mean, I k-know you do hand washing, but…why would a predator care?”
“Germ theory. Shit, man. You haven’t seen us walking around caked in fucking dirt, but you didn’t think we washed off at all? You have a selective memory when it comes to us.”
“I’m…s-sorry. You could’ve walked through rain, or dumped water on your head to c-cool off? I just never dreamed that your kind would…”
“We bathed in rivers before we had running water. We don’t particularly like smelling each other; that’s why perfumes were invented, even when our hygiene did suck. You never assume we could have anything that’s civilized. Give us some credit.”
“You’re nothing like predators are supposed to be, with h-how instinctual…I’ll stop. It’s good that you, um, did that. H-humans clean up without their pelts?”
Carlos looked even more flummoxed. “Yes? Obviously?”
“I, um, you look weird with your exposed skin. It’s creepy. I’m not sure even with the curtains it’d be c-comfortable…” and you’d look like Marcel when I stripped him of the one thing I never see Terrans without.
“Put on your big boy pants and get over it. Or don’t shower; it’s not my problem. You think we want to share the showers with you? Sam’s right: everything’s a full-blown production with Sovlin around. Monahan even told me we had to give you special soap, because God forbid there were any animal fats you slathered yourself up with. I didn’t even know there was animal fat in soap, not once in my life did I think about it ‘til you showed up!”
My blood ran cold, suddenly more averse to washing up than ever. I didn’t want to touch his skin, since he’d just scrubbed himself off with… “You ‘clean’ yourself with animal f-fats?! That’s not fucking hygiene! That’s the most predatory thing I’ve ever heard!”
“That? Not Arxur cattle pens? And it’s not just animal fats; I looked it up, and it’s a mix of plant and animal stuff. We got you a different soap anyway, so why don’t you keep your judgments to yourself?”
Omnivores. Of course they are, they think it’s best to marry both…in everything. They do the things that prey do, but perverted!
I didn’t know how to feel about the ubiquitous uses of carcass products within their society, but I was assured of two things: I wanted to shower when as few predators were there as possible, and I wouldn’t trust anything they gave me that was even slightly different from the innocuous plants normal people utilized.
[Transcript date changed to May 2, 2151]
Tyler flashed his teeth in my direction. “Ha, I never realized even our soap scared you Feddies! It’s not too late to buy every soap bar on the block as your birthday present.”
“My old man used to do this thing where he’d wash my mouth out with soap if I cursed. Sovlin would really enjoy that,” Hunter mused.
“Is there anything you humans don’t stick in your mouths?” I complained. “Punishment or not, that’s disgusting. You will eat anything short of the Venlil sitting next to you; that part was true.”
Samantha rolled her eyes. “How do you know I wouldn’t eat a nice soggy, soapy Venlil just minding their own business? Humans are predators, after all.”
“That you are. I still question if you’re ever really clean, but I guess it’s better than smelling your armpits from across the room. About as much as I can expect from you.”
The Terrans chuckled with mirth, but my heart felt heavy as they turned back to the briefing I’d watched about their species long ago. I wished I could go back in time and tell that Sovlin that their soapmaking was the most monstrous thing they’d ever done in front of me. Perhaps those events could’ve played out differently, if I knew back then that humans were mere idiots rather than conniving sadists.
A/N - The Sovlin series is here with zany chronology! We learn that Sovlin was one of the earliest to get a transcript, in the technology’s infancy in 2151; our favorite Gojid is celebrating his 70th birthday by gathering friends, who are more than happy to poke fun at how he spoke about humans with Piri and believing that we didn’t bathe. His memories receive commentary from those in his circle, and we get a glimpse of how many of his friends are doing after all these years.
What do you think of the first look of the behind the scenes between Marcel’s capture and Slanek’s awakening, as well as the return of glorious Fed-brained Sovlin? How do you feel that the Feddies were scared even by our omnivorous soap bars? What led Samantha to settle down—and where is Aucel?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting?
Comments
Aured
This is fantastic.
Daniel Lewin
OH MY GOD
pogman
Neither, SP wrote in that his brain was fully scanned, whether it makes sense or not lore-wise, it's true. We best assume brain scanning specifically was a fully developed fed tech, but transcripts are a recent thing.
Deer
Thanks
Space Paladin
New character, Sam's husband. We'll get his story with Sovlin 3
Luiz Henrique Alves
Still, 15 years earlier, either his was one of the first beta test scans or this technology was secret until now, because just any scan does not mean all his "information" is there, so, was transcript a technology secret or will we see some lapses in judgement in robo-meyer, compared to original one?
CountryClub
Brain scans capable of partially mapping the brain for medical purposes exist today in real life and hi resolution brain scans capable of fully mapping the entire brain and all of its connections have existed since at least Elias Meyer in NoP. It's using the data from a brain scan specifically to make a memory transcript that's new and experimental in 2151.
Ezekiah Kane
You've probably forgotten, but they specifically said they scanned his brain just moments after his actual death. Don't remember the actual chapter number but it is the one he dies in.
Luiz Henrique Alves
Wait, so the brain scans came out in 2151? Then how the fuck did they scan Meyer's brain? did they saved it in a jar and then did his head like in te Prometheus movie?
Deer
Who is Trevor again? I can‘t remember.
Sobek
Enough casual racism, it's time for competitive racism.
Alicja
In 56 years, 10 months and 23 days Sovlin will be born
arthur D. gonzalez-martin
god, the man was prez and somehow the stress curse hasn't effected him at all...however he is in hospice care now, so not long for this world. :(
Randall Kramm
Yes, hon, that is correct, but, you see, we are talking about a futuristic sci fi society that is about as free market capitalist as the USA is, not real-life Earth.
Gumcel
Dramatic Irony: the Substory If they’re going back and looking at old records then I hope we get to see alien social media posts about the discovery of humanity; it would be amusing :Yotul_troll:.
Greg Gougeon
Well I have to say I really enjoyed that.
Shajenko
Now I'm wondering how they got Isif's brain scan for the transcripts.
Mark Baculna
He was never able to regrow his bristles.. so guys bald
Mark Baculna
Uhhh i wouldnt call a country where kids fear for their lives while at school,, uhmm advanced.. and everyone was drowning in debt..
Sci-fi reader
The only advanced capitalist society in 21st century Earth where life saving medical procedures are not covered by a government payment scheme is the US. No other G7 country has this issue.
PhycoKrusk
Not all areas of science advance at the same rate. Besides, who knows? Maybe there's some quirk to Gojid biological that doesn't take to such a procedure.
EliasArt2Life
Woah! I got to the end and only THEN realized that this is a multipart series! I thought it was a one-shot! Well, I’m invested! I hope Sovlin can understand that people laughing about this means that they’ve put it in the past and aren’t offended by his past deeds any more. Although, I admit, it’s tough for him to have it thrown back in his face. Hopefully, they can get to some of his heroic actions soon. (But, not before we see him react to Earth’s attack of the Gojid Territories. I want to see more of his justifying our compassionate actions as “tricks and mind control”! I was so angry at the time, but now it just makes me chuckle.) “She was soft-spoken, polite, and meek: the perfect example of her species. I can’t believe I thought she would do such a thing of her own free will.” The irony is crazy. Tarva is many things, but “meek” was never a word I would have used. And she DID do that stuff out of her own free will. Still, I agree that she’s an exemplar of her species.
AgentA1cr
Cerebral flatulence! 😁
fastinn
oh dam thanks
Space Paladin
Thank you!
Randall Kramm
Different societies find different things embarrassing or even humiliating. True redemption is accepting your mistakes and going on, being a better person, but not forgetting your past mistakes.
Aerowarrier
Congratulations Sovlin, you’ve put it together! Humans aren’t sadistic predators, we’re just a bunch of dumbasses! I think he should get a medal. Made of soap
Randall Kramm
For people wondering about life-saving and quality-of-life medical stuff in NoP, well, from the PoV of someone who is 57 and has a housemate over 60, there are innumerable reasons Sovlin might not be having them. 1, he might not wish to extend his life, he has been through much and may not wish to continue artificially. 2, he might not be able to afford it, the Federation before it, and the SC now, are both capitalist societies and while Zurulian medi-gel shit is supposed to be really good, we have no idea how expensive it is, how rare it is, and so on. Not everyone can have a Zurulian doctor. 3, we don't know what all Zurulian medicine can do BUT we do know that medical procedures can be different or difficult for different species on Earth when they're not downright impossible due to not having had the drive and resources focused on finding a way to make it work. 4, he might not WANT to replace things that are paining him due to the need of being laid up while he heals, again, not everyone can have a Zurulian doc and medi-gel. In closing, there are any number of reasons why Sovlin might not be getting his body fixed, the best part of the story is that it's about him and that you care enough about him to wish he wasn't suffering of old age. He was the character who grew the most, he was an ass, he discovered he was wrong, he tried to end himself by giving himself up to Humanity, he was shown mercy, he continued to be an ass due to other beliefs, he overcame those, too, he was befriended by people who had every reason to hate him. He found love, he lost, he gained new friendships and family. While NoP has an ensemble cast, Sovlin was there through almost all of NoP 1, it really was his story more than most, his path of doing the wrong things because of being fooled into it by a government working from false information and false assumptions to the end with him having a happier life after his redemption arc, his was the brightest if wobbliest star in the whole thing. To me, Sovlin was the MVP of NoP 1. And SP? No, thank YOU for sharing this with us, for continuing on, for not giving up on your vision. <3
DemonVee
This is a really fun start to the series, it's nice to see Sovlin agian.
DemonVee
God dayum, that would be an evil use of the memory tech
DDDragoni
Ah, Sovlin, you old bastard. I missed you.
Kennedy Skelton
the theory is we developed soap after using ashes from the cooking fire to scrub the bottom of the pot, and noticed that it works better as it mixes with the fat in the pot
Alekss Žukovskis
OKAPI ARE REAL???? i just googled them and shit!!
Alekss Žukovskis
ah, if SP himself says that Zarn is evil, then its true.
Logos
Thanks for the response! I can place her now, I remember what she looks like. As for Trevor, that's pure brain fartery on my part.
Alekss Žukovskis
hooray! i will love this.
Alekss Žukovskis
aucel wasnt even mentioned in this episode of NOP
REDemon14
Also likely bald
William Gregory
Vysith is the one I'm most interested in personally!
Space Paladin
Trevor is new, he’s Sam’s husband! Aucel is Recel’s brother, the Kolshian they met when they landed on Aafa
Space Paladin
I’m not sure how long it would be but I have follow ups planned for several characters, including Sam/Aucel and obscure ones like his lawyer and lesser known crew like Rumi 😅 I would say it would be at bare minimum 8 parts!
Sci-fi reader
So it's not too late for Sovlin to start a 3rd career! 😀
Space Paladin
I’m glad you enjoyed it! This era of NOP holds a special, nostalgia-shaped place in my heart too 😅
Space Paladin
Thank you!
Space Paladin
There are so many questions in human history of who looked at that and thought, huh, and soap is just one exemplary example! Who looked at a random tree and was like, “Huh, I’m gonna stick that on fire and put it in my mouth so I can breathe in the fumes!” Who looked at a super strong neurotoxin (Botox) and was like “wow I should inject this in my skin to look young!”
Space Paladin
Samantha and Carlos are his guards Tyler is Marcel’s buddy and Onso’s exchange partner Vysith is a cryopod Arxur Hunter is a cryopod human from the 1960s! Zarn = ship doctor, evil Recel = Kolshian first officer who saved Marcel Piri = Gojid Prime Minister
Sci-fi reader
You would think hip and knee cartilage regrowth would be common procedures 100 years from now.
Space Paladin
I generally have my species life spans be very similar because the implications of an asari or salarian type species (too long or too short) are too sad 😓 So Sovlin has a humanish life expectancy
Michael Halpern
depends on life expectancy for his people even with medical advances, that could be pretty good for all we know
Sci-fi reader
I hope Sovlin isn’t killed off by NOP2. How long does his species live? I image humans live to about 120 by that era. (Jimmy Carter, born before many of the medical screening and interventions we use everyday, is 100).
Roscuro
At first, I was worried this was gonna be a miserable retreading. But it being them looking back and laughing at it definitely makes it easier to read. Also, old man needs a walker. Too good.
Bbobsillypants
They can literally find out just make a robo sovlin with all the memories just after encountering marcel wiped.
Bbobsillypants
Damn sovlin. Is this suppost to be a horror story or a comedy. Imagine living out your most cringe memories in front of all your friends.
DreamEnvoy
Nothing like your friends gathered around to read your embarassing memory transcripts. "May 2nd 2081 Sovlin is born" shall be marked on my calendar. “It’s enlightening to hear what you thought of predators, and how thoroughly you despised the Arxur. I wonder what that version of you would think of your current life: you with your predator family, including a ‘gray?’” I chewed at my claws, recalling the faint echoes of a mindset I’d long since abandoned. “That Sovlin would’ve rather died than to be near any of you, and wouldn’t have seen a shred of value in your lives." And that sums up why I like Sovlin so much. Out of all the NoP PoVs, he seemed like the character who grew the most. We stinky
Byron Ritchie
It’s good seeing the racist hedgehog again
fastinn
I think I got to reread nop1 I'm having a hard time remembering some of these characters
Elliott
Age confirmed?! And a walker like from that one pic? AT 70??? Poor guy can not catch a break. I'm loving this though.
REDemon14
Sovlin! Man, it’s been a while since we’ve seen *real* fed-brain PoV’s. So the shock collar Marcel had was specifically Yulpa? Those space okapi really have a thing for torturing meat-eaters. It is kinda nice to see that Piri and Sovlin do actually care about the Venlil. Compared to how others treated her at the summit. Gonna move right past “fornication havens” and say, Hey multiple eras of NoP! It’s the old crew! (minus Onso because he’s a gov’t leader and Carlos cause…yeah) It is kinda mean for them to immediately go to the torture section. Either it is morbid curiosity of a torturer’s mindset or they wanted the earliest Sovlin who ran into humans, which just so happens to be Marcel’s torture. Hey, he made it to 70! So that means Sovlin was born May 2, 2081. That’s 57 years from now. So close. Also seems to be the start of live brain scans instead of the Post-mortem one Meier got. Aww, Sam started a family! Happy for her! “One year closer to death. Hooray.” XD Hey, Vysith is here too! I wonder what a pre-Betterment Arxur does for a living on Earth. Sovlin having one of the lowest moments of his life probably read back to him most likely isn’t making him feel better fellas, even if the beliefs themselves were hilariously outlandish. You know, if the humans did end up with Arxur ideology but developed on our own, that would actually be rather scary. Something as evil as Betterment Arxur and as clever as a human. Horrifying. Oh, he’s gonna see the Farsul tapes of humans. That ain’t gonna look good on us. Well, I guess Marcel’s clothes are just floating out in space then. With how often these aliens talk about our skin, I’m beginning to think they find that the ugliest part of us. So the feddies don’t know that just about *all* living things bath in one way or another. God their thinking was so backwards. The old hedgehog has to use a walker now. He really is getting old. Probably has six quills left. He thought we invented plumbing just to accommodate the Gojid refugees, dear lord. Yeah Sovlin, clothes are seen as rather important to humans. Something you now have to learn the hard way. Who exactly looked at animal fat and said “I’mma wash myself off with that.”? “Is there anything you humans don’t stick in your mouths?” *flashback to Tide pod “challenge”* No. No, there isn’t Sovlin. No mention of Aucel in this chapter? Maybe she’s working at a flower shop somewhere? Very interesting format. Looking forward to more!
Wingit98
Well, I'm a big fan of this spin-off already
Xaelitry
Aucel is recels sister, I don't quite remember, but I think someone got her off aafa
mitsos_pr
This chapter was hilarious, for me it hits the early NOP nostalgia.
un_pogaz
>you bald degenerate So this one was particularly violent LOL Poor old man. I have to admit that revisiting this part of his life in such detail is quite shameful. At least it was done with a lot more humor than malice and intent. Good idea to come back to Solvin's transcriptions like this. I think it will be very interesting to have unpublished transcriptions as well.
EclipseDragon96
I'm getting the popcorn.
Jhon Bustamante
now i think soaps sounds sinister
Anthony Mears
it's one thing to compare Sovlin's relationship to humans but what would younger Sovlin think of Vysith? that seems like a bridge too far. will we find out about that?
Wholesome Redditter
I believe Aucel is Recel sister which Solvin adopted during occupation of Aafa. Forgot who Trevor is
William Gregory
I like this a lot, can this be a longer series?
Logos
Pretty funny. I think I'll enjoy this series. Refresh my memory though; who is Trevor, and who is Aucel? I remember Sam and Carlos (rest in power, king), Tyler, Hunter and Vysith, but those two have slipped my mind.
Heroman3003
Oh my goodness, he is 100% a grumpy old man and I love it Samantha settled down and married and everyone's having a fun time at old man's birthday and they all enjoy it except him. It's as funny as it is sad, as he's not enjoying it because he still can't let go of the guilt and shame he feels, and therefore can't even look back at the old times with the humor... Maybe that will change as the series goes on and storytime reading continues. There are so many fun little tidbits. Sam settling down, Sovlin's view of hygeine, him defending Zarn as a practioner, Vysith casually listening in... And of course, the good ol' Fed-brained POV. Gotta love Sovlin's take on such things. Honestly, I am loving, this is all great and I struggle to find words because like. Yes. Sovlin being a grumpy grampa, and Sovlin also being a racist bastard back in the early days, at the same time. It's such a perfect contrast to humiliate him, especially because MAN HAS A WALKER OH GOODNESS GRACIOUS he is absolute grandpa mode. I do wonder where Aucel is though. It's possible she wound up moving out or she's just uncomfortable with listening to this specific story... But I feel like she might just show up later with big surprise extra gift and is busy getting it right now~ Speaking of this as a series, it does make me excited to see more of characters from Sovlin's story we didn't get much of. Recel when he's not being a cool rebel, those two gojid from his bridge crew, Jemic and Rumi, that he left, Zarn the bastard, Piri... And later on, probably more Carlos, Sam, Tyler and Monahan. And Onso, likely, because it's not a Sovlin story without an atavist for him to target. A lot of things to look forward to, some may happen, some may not, but this format is great for the relaxing family fun, unless you're Sovlin, in which case you're a grumpy bald old man who needs a bap on the nose.
Aerowarrier
Fair Sovlin, Columbus probably deserves a good bombing or two xD
Rusty Deviant
First
