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The Nature of Predators - A Venlil Governor’s History
🕑 Added 2024-08-24 11:00:06 +0000 UTCFrom “Human-Venlil History, 12th Edition”
Memory Transcription Subject: Laisa, Tonalu Public Health Minister
Date [standardized human time]: November 2, 2136
It was easy to support the humans’ right to reside on our planet in the abstract. I’d said in my public statements, and on my campaign platform, that they should be treated as people, rather than threats to the Venlil population. Every politician had to pick a side to stand on, and I decided to back Governor Tarva. My acceptance of the creatures felt like it came from a genuine place. In spite of how loathsome their appearance was, they hadn’t conducted themselves like predators, or done anything untoward against the Venlil. Furthermore, they’d been the victims of a grievous attack against Earth, which I tried to tell myself I felt sorry for—even though the thought crept in that our lives would be much easier, if Tarva had just let a few predators burn.
It’s not that I think the Terrans deserved to die; I’m willing to let them live, despite their savage ways. Choosing them over the entire Federation, and species we’ve known for centuries; risking our planet and lives for them? Flesh-eaters can’t be…worth that much.
My tolerance of them was very different from intertwining our lives too deeply, or fighting a brutal war alongside them. It was easy to say that I supported their ability to enter businesses, and that Venlil shouldn’t overreact to their presence. The Terran refugees were fine as long as they weren’t a disturbance to the peace. I’d tried to give them fair services to protect their lives, mandating that Tonalu hospitals would treat any wounded humans that came through their doors. I vouched to worried doctors that the hunters could keep their instincts in check. There weren’t that many that lived in this city, with our smaller refugee camp; I’d passed by a few masked predators on the street, and had been able to cross to the other side without issue. They were docile enough not to give chase, mostly going about their business and staying out of my way.
My assurances to the public were confident, especially as a few weeks passed without any filmed predation incident leaking; I even repeated Tarva’s commentary that they were just people, despite the fact everyone knew that “people” didn’t…gorge themselves on flesh, and band together in war packs just to mutilate their own kind. Turning a blind eye to the most basic of standards took a great deal of willpower, but I managed to be welcoming and treat them as equals. I told them to send requests for anything they needed, since I governed them too now. I hadn’t interacted with a human up close, however, and assumed their features’ horridness was exaggerated. They couldn’t have been that diabolical-looking, if Venlil in the exchange program willingly stayed friends after seeing their faces.
Little did I know how wrong I was about the shocking evil that permeated from their face. When I’d told the humans they could come to me with their concerns, one had shown up unannounced at my office—without a mask. My staff would’ve never sent someone in without an appointment, so either they didn’t dare to stop the beast, or they were…removed. The hunter’s eyes invoked fear for my very life, as the ghastly pupils pointed straight at my face; their red veins were visible in their horrid whites, barely hiding their innards. A sickening feeling clenched my heart, terrified that I was trapped here, in my office, with no escape. These were the features of a monster! This was what I’d been telling other Venlil to tolerate, and to allow into their establishments.
When a Terran’s binocular gaze leveled at a Venlil, it brought an indescribable rush of terror; there was no doubt that their full attention was directed at the tasty target, which was me. There was a promise in those beady, empty, hostile voids they peered through, that I would be torn apart; I could see the tip of canine teeth between the slightly-parted lips, and the massive nose designed to channel blood scent straight up into its brain. I despised how helpless it made me feel, so weak in comparison to its sinister visage. My mind identified it as a threat in a fraction of a second, compelling me to run; my faculties threatened to shut down, seeing that there was nowhere to go but toward it. I couldn’t breathe. Those forward-facing eyes seemed to suck the oxygen from the room, as it fantasized about gorging my flesh.
Why did we let them live on our world, why do we want them on our planet right next to us, ahhhhh! Help! Ahhhh! We don’t want to stare down this…killing machine. Go home!
The prey-crushing, bony ridges on the back of its hand rapped against my door, a threatening sound that made me whimper. “Sorry if I startled you, Laisa. You said we could come to you with any concerns, and…well, you’re the only one that speaks kindly about us. But you look like you got buffeted by a fur dryer. Is now a bad time?”
“P-please…” The successive plea not to eat me lodged in my throat, as I desperately tried to compose myself. This was my fault, since I was the one who made my own citizens interact with Terrans; was I above them? I deserved this punishment, after appealing to them. Besides, the only way out was to say some words to this human, and I didn’t want to aggravate it—ugh, her by going back on my word. “Come in.”
“Thank you.” The abomination’s lips curved up, barely holding in the drool swelling in her maw and restraining itself from brandishing her vulgar teeth; an involuntary shudder passed down my spine. She seemed like she’d painted her lips to be more like the human blood color, almost looking like they were wet with animal fluids. Wait, were they? “I won’t take up too much of your time. I’m Cindy.”
My heart pounded, and I could barely hear her words over the roaring of my blood; my head felt like it was being squished together. “C-cindy. Got it. H-how can I…help?”
“I didn’t think you’d be frightened. You talked about us like we’re people.”
“You are. S-seeing you just makes my brain scream, but I’m sure you g-get used to it in time.” I don’t know how you ever get used to humans: this dizzying, nauseating rush that makes it near impossible to think. How can you look at that face, and not see an evil sadist on the brink of attack? How can Tarva believe they can live peacefully, and face them daily? “Not that you’d understand p-prey minds, t-that feeling.”
“If you think we’re not terrified, with aliens trying to kill us—besides, we have phobias, you know. I’m afraid of flying, so the spaceship was…” Cindy sighed, averting her hideous eyes: a small mercy. “I thought you knew we had feelings, every bit as much as you did.”
“I meant no offense. The tests say y-you do,” so we have to trust those feelings to stop you from giving in to the burning urge to slaughter every prey animal in sight, the darkness I can see so clearly, “…and I b-believe science. D-doctors said it was dangerous to have you around the injured, in hospitals, but I know you just g-go about your lives. I…want you to do that, um…” anywhere but here. Keep to your own vicious, grotesque kind. “…and to b-be allowed to visit places. Yeah, your credits s-spend as good as any customer’s.”
“Who are you convincing? Me, or yourself?”
“What?” I stiffened, worried about provoking the beast. That barking voice, and the blood-stained lips; this was an animal, trying to act like something it was not. It would inevitably fail. “I do b-believe in tolerance. My rules have really tried to n-normalize your presence. Has someone, um, not been tolerant enough of you? I’ll…listen.”
“No, this was a mistake, Minister. I…apologize for disturbing you.” Why was the creature being so polite? The words didn’t mesh with the staccato sounds of the language, or the movements of her features. “I just thought it was a health and safety concern—and just outright discrimination—against us human refugees.”
I tilted my head. “Wait. What was? You c-came all the way here; tell me.”
“They wouldn’t let me donate blood at the local blood bank. They need some human blood in store for emergencies; it could save a life. They said it was too dangerous.”
Just the thought of this menacing fiend having access to a collection of Venlil blood brought an icy rush to my own veins; I was shaking from head-to-toe, that this beast had figured out where the easy cache of prey life-fluids were. Cindy should know the reasons humans couldn’t just waltz right into a place like that! What happened if they saw a bunch of blood packets, and walked past freshly-bleeding Venlil who’d just gotten their veins tapped by a needle? The saliva watering in their mouths, and the irresistible tug of their bellies signaling to be filled: no predator could be expected to resist that. It would hardly even be their fault when they lost it. That was without even mentioning how suicidal a Venlil nurse would need to be to prick a hunter with a needle, and expect the beast not to retaliate for being wounded.
I didn’t even think about how dangerous it’d be for nurses to administer first aid at hospitals; I was only thinking about how the predators had the right not to die, since I didn’t want to just…leave them. What about our right not to die?
Would even Governor Tarva trust the humans not to gluttonously gulp down blood, if presented with an easily available supply? I didn’t know whether to send a communique to the blood bank to add guards to its storage, in case the human refugees got peckish and tried something; this level of cunning in predators was terrifying. Then again, maybe it was better to let the humans have it, since that might prevent them from sating the craving on a live Venlil instead. Perhaps we should just approach these camps to barter, breaking pretense and offering them blood in advance…but then, they’d get a taste for our blood. It might worsen their instincts past the point of control, and then, I couldn’t walk to the other side of the street without being chased!
“I’ll look into it, pred…C-cindy. There has to b-be a solution that makes everyone f-feel safe.” I stood from my chair hastily, and bolted from the room; I couldn’t take being in the same space as a human any longer. “Have to go. Need…a walk.”
The Terran gawked as I sprinted as fast as my crippled legs would allow, panic consuming me. I knew I had to get away, and that the beast was after me. Bursting into the fresh air, after tearing through our vacated lobby, I didn’t care where I was running. The predator had followed me out; I could feel the unconcealed eyes boring into my skull without looking, and it made my skin crawl. It shrieked words after me, but I didn’t care what it said. I was going to keep running until I collapsed. This was like a nightmare, where if I slowed for a second, those grotesque arms would ensnare me and the canines would begin ripping away my skin—I liked my skin on my body! There was another screeching sound, of tires, before something massive barreled into my sternum.
The Terran is powerful, as hard as metal; my bones are pulverized. A rampage on the streets…and something stabbed through my gut. It’s wet and sticky. How can something that big be that fast?
The world spun around me, as I looked up to see a dented truck; the Venlil driver hopped out in horror, freaking out over what had happened. I’d run into traffic and gotten hit by a vehicle, hadn’t I? I brayed for help, but the panicked, crying driver got back into the car and sped away. How could a herdmate injure me and leave me to my death? My head slumped down toward my gut, where I saw that I’d been pushed into a broken stampede barricade, meant to funnel a mob in one direction. The metal pole had been sticking out at just the right angle to catch me in the stomach. I’d thrown myself into danger, and in the haze, blamed the human for what was beyond their species’ logical limitations. My regret wavered, as I looked to my periphery and saw the predator running toward me: drawn to the blood. Others steered clear, with the beast drawing near.
With the last vestiges of my strength, I wriggled myself off of the pole, and fell facedown in the street. Cindy screamed at me when she saw my effort to unimpale myself, as cars screeched to a halt or swerved around the predator dashing into traffic. Some seemed to consider running her over and helping me. The blood flow had intensified from the wound, no doubt a glorious sight to her wanton eyes. The human’s arms flipped me over and snaked under my legs, before she carried me to the sidewalk. I saw just how dilated those binocular eyes were, darker and more strained than ever. The beast looked alert, raging impulses blacking out any trace of those feelings they supposedly had, like us. This…was a public safety hazard.
“Stay calm. I’m a doctor,” the human growled, in a voice as firm as stone and as calm as a flowering meadow. “I’m going to help you. Just sit still, and stay with me. Easy does it.”
A weak breath rattled my throat, as I tried to suck in the air for words. My skeleton didn’t feel like it was still in one piece; the pain was excruciating. “D-doctor? Trained to be around…blood…that’s why…”
“Someone, call an ambulance. She needs help!” Cindy shouted, but the pawful of passersby had bolted from the scene. “Please, she’ll die! If a human calls this in, they’ll send exterminators, not medical aid. By the time the EMTs are cleared to go in…”
A part of my brain dimly registered what the Terran said. She’s worried they’ll send exterminators, not medics, if she calls for help? She’s right, she’s actually right: they would. I’m going to die…I’m terrified. I don’t want to die, but neither does the human; if an exterminator sees this…
The predator’s hand pressed over my wound, applying strong force with a scarf she’d pulled off her neck. “A human carrying an injured Venlil into a hospital would cause a stampede, and also get blamed for this all. We can’t stay here like this. They’ll call exterminators, and you need to be taken somewhere with proper surgeons.”
I feebly pawed at the human’s torso, but my arms slipped off. “Don’t…leave. I…don’t want to die…alone.”
“I’m right here. Hold on. Shit, I know you won’t like this, but I’m going to take you back to the refugee camp.” Cindy’s face was fading like it was within a pool of water, as she hauled me toward a vehicle; I could feel it speeding off, as the final stab of panic was being taken to the humans’ encampment. So many predators who could do anything… “We’re going to save you. Just hold on.”
Those were the last words I heard as my blood pooled on the seat cushion, and I drifted away from the realm of awareness.
---
My eyes were sealed firmly shut, as a comforting drowsiness lulled me into slumber; the chemicals were peaceful, compared to the nightmare I’d had. It was a strange dream, about a human barging into my office. The hallucination suggested I wasn’t the least bit comfortable around the predators. When I decided to throw my lot in with Tarva, I hadn’t thought about what that really meant for the Venlil populace, had I? The idea that Cindy could’ve resisted me gushing blood in the street was laughable; it would’ve been all but rubbing the beast’s gigantic nose in front of it. I tried to move, before the numb reverie was broken by pain. Several body parts either wouldn’t comply with the commands, such as the digits of my arm, or were immobilized by some sort of cast.
I blinked my eyes open with alarm, spotting a group of bipedal primates in a heated debate with each other. My breath hitched in my throat, realizing I was at their mercy and being fed with their intravenous chemicals. Wait, I am—wait, what? The immediate fear was met by confusion, that I’d been saved by a pack of wild predators; they’d seemed to have treated my wounds, and I couldn’t find any bite marks to indicate that they’d taken so much as a nibble of my flesh. Was that what they were arguing over: whether it was worth giving in to their appetites? I strained an ear to listen, befuddled about how I should feel toward the humans.
“Cindy, what made you think it was a good idea to bring her here? We spent hours in the surgical suite, with her teetering on the edge of life and death. It could’ve easily gone the other way. A Venlil dying in the refugee camp; they would’ve burned every man, woman, and child in this place!” one human hissed. “They still might, if they find her here and jump to conclusions.”
Cindy slumped her head. “I couldn’t just leave Laisa to die, Mikkel. We just…had to get it right and do what’s right, and we did. Whatever she acted like with me, she’s made decrees that helped us, and saved some of our lives. I scared her enough that she ran into traffic. I couldn’t live with thinking that I killed her…I really thought she was on our side.”
“The naivety. Even the Venlil that ostensibly help us; they’re either posturing for when we supposedly take over, or they just want to tuck us away in the corner where nobody has to look at us. We’re bloodsucking monsters to them.”
“They can’t all hate us. They can’t blame us for everything.”
“Yet they do. The only good predator is a dead predator. Not even Tarva herself would’ve cared about watching every human burn a few months ago; not many truly do to this day.”
It felt surreal eavesdropping on the apex hunters, who had no way of knowing I could hear them from this far away. Those predators were just talking like ordinary people, worried about whether the exterminators would come after them for helping me; they’d loomed over me for hours, likely able to poke at my innards, and sealed me back up. Cindy felt guilty that I had spooked at the sight of her, which happened because I’d done nothing but let my mind tell me she was evil and bloodthirsty. As ghastly as the beasts were to look at, I couldn’t help but feel a crushing sense of guilt for how I’d reacted to them at every step of the way. Distancing them to a hypothetical, I’d been happy to say other Venlil should deal with them, yet I didn’t believe in my heart that they were people in the same sense as us.
I thought we should’ve let their planet die, while they were here terrified of being accused of doing something predatory and being burned, for the crime of saving my life. Why had they helped me, with all of that at stake? My pulse quickened, which made the humans hurry over. Cindy brought me a glass of water and a plate of fruit mash, and I forced myself to look at her eyes. The chest-bursting dread felt like acid circulating through my veins, which caused the Terran doctor to hesitate as she heard the escalating beeps. I couldn’t make my mind not run amok at her features, but I noticed now that the inky pupils seemed to have a flicker of concern in them. What strange, repugnant, kind beasts they were. I fought to push down the fear, and the fog encircling my faculties lifted a bit.
“Thank you,” I coughed, as the human nervously tilted the water glass toward me—knowing my cast would make it difficult to pick up. She seemed ready to patiently feed me next, though I wasn’t the least bit hungry. The nurturing and caretaking behaviors were so incongruent with their hideous features, but I saw why they’d passed the empathy tests; there was something else inside the beasts. “I’m sorry for panicking. You…saved my life. I owe you everything. I don’t know how to thank you.”
Cindy’s lips curved up in that infamous snarl, sending another jolt to my ribcage. “You don’t need to thank us. I’m just happy to see you awake and talking.”
“It’s a miracle of medicine that I am; quite the opposite of your…presumed finesse at killing. There was a lot of blood. How did you keep me alive?”
The male physician, Mikkel, had his lips concealed beneath some blue, plastic face mask. “It took several pints of Venlil blood. Your heart stopped on the operating table, you know. Now watch, she’s going to ask if we drained the blood from a Venlil we caught or something; or assume we had it lying around in a chilled glass to drink. Ooh, scary humans.”
Shame stabbed at my chest, realizing my mind had almost shot to that exact line of thinking. “I’m sure it was nothing like that. It’s odd you would’ve had a supply for Venlil at a human camp…or medical supplies at all.”
“We don’t trust alien doctors to take us in, or actually try their damnedest to save us. You really think Venlil wouldn’t just…let a predator die, and say it was an accident?” Mikkel’s forehead wrinkled in what seemed to be a sneer, and his eyes shone with bitterness. “As for the orange blood on tap, that’s in case one of you gets injured here. It wouldn’t matter if they slipped and fell; you don’t believe shit just happens around humans. We can’t risk you dying here, and Tarva agrees, so she gave us Venlil medical supplies.”
“I’m sorry for…using them up. You’ve done more than enough. I can’t believe I was upset by the thought of you visiting a blood bank; then you turn around and have packets on paw to patch me up, while we’d have none for you.”
“Ding ding ding. That’s why we won’t go to a Venlil hospital. It’s not for us.”
“It should be. You deserve the same care and compassion you’ve shown to me.”
Cindy placed a hand on my wrist, sending a crawling feeling up my fur. “We’ll be here until you’re better…until you’re back on your feet.”
Back on my feet. I hoped that day would come as soon as possible, because I had so much to do.
***
Post-Transcript Assessment: Why It Matters
The humans did tend to Minister Laisa for months, with multiple broken bones that left her having to relearn to walk. Physical therapy was a painstaking experience for the Tonalu health minister, an ordeal just to get “back on her feet.” The future governor of Skalga spent months living among the Tonalu City refugees, learning about Terran customs; she, of course, sent word back to her government that she was well and unharmed, not wanting to be the one that caused exterminators to be called on the gentle giants. The accident and subsequent recovery was an experience that would change her life, and transform her from a hesitant advocate of Tarva’s party to one of the most staunch pro-humanity politicians.
Laisa would initially become famous for sending aid to Terran refugees, and she enacted some of the most extensive human health rights laws during her tenure in Tonalu City. During her run for governor, she promised citizenship for all human refugees, and her first action in office was repealing Veln’s visor law. She was swift to cozy up to the United Nations once in office, supporting the pacifist government of Earth unconditionally.
Essay Questions:
- Using your knowledge of mid-22nd century events, what influence do you think Laisa’s near-death experience had on the course of Venlil-human history as a whole?
- Explain how the denial of healthcare to the earliest Terran refugees contributed to the struggles that many faced, with even supposed pro-human health ministers like Laisa failing in their policies.
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Comments
Aured
great chapter!
EliasArt2Life
@Elliot I DO have a phobia; acrophobia, the fear of heights. To be more exact, it’s a fear of falling; I don’t have any trouble going on a plane, since I trust them and it’s basically guaranteed that I won’t fall out of one while it’s in the air, but I have to stay at least 4 feet away from a 8 foot high balcony with a railing that’s 3.5 feet tall. If I don’t, I get dizzy, and start swaying. I honestly think that fear of heights is one of the worst fear you can have; how many other fears make what you fear more likely to happen (Drowning is also in this category)? No matter how scared you are of spiders, they aren’t going to be any more likely to bite you. No matter how scared you are of the dark, it doesn’t magically cause monsters to appear in the dark. Brontophobia (fear of loud noises) is probably about as bad; it usually comes to people with noise sensitivities, so loud noises ARE legitimately painful/distressing, and fear can intensify that distress. But anyway, I have a fear of heights, but A) I logically know they aren’t actually a problem, and if it wasn’t for my psychosomatic reaction of getting dizzy, I’d be in no real danger from them, and… B) Heights aren’t something you can actually personify. I’ve actually tried that before. Couldn’t come up with anything. That’s why I was hoping you had an alternate scenario. Also, “I'm so arachnophobic if even one the size of a speck is near me I'll go flying” I’m assuming that’s hyperbole. If not, why are you spending time examining specks in your vicinity? I mean, I see pretty much every little speck around me, but with how often I’ve had to point the interesting ones out to people, and how often they still can’t see them, I’ve been assuming that I’m the odd one out there. Also, “I'd have to report you for predator disease then”. Yeah, report the guy with autism for having Predator Disease. Accurate. (No offense taken! You were referring to my like of spiders, not my mental condition. I’m just having a laugh at the UNintended implication.)
Ezekiah Kane
Since it is a memory transcription, it is probably made at a later date and her knowledge might have coloured her recollection of the event.
Ezekiah Kane
Most people won't be rational in a situation like that especially if they've been panicking just before it happened.
Alekss Žukovskis
yeah, no. no one knew Laisa was even injured as everyone ran away. she might've framed it as a diplomatic visit to her lesser domain.
Alekss Žukovskis
wow, i've been doing that too. i imagined walking side-by-side with a zombie cyclops. freaky.
Some Lvm
@Phyco: the reason I don't mention this type of scenario is because while absolutely plausible, too many people have the belief "if you have done nothing wrong you have nothing to hide". They assume governments, at least in the West, only go after real criminals. But while we are at it, a Mexican cartel once set up their own, completely independent, encrypted radio network the police were unable to track or crack. So I thin the authorities would not be the only one's using your method to "obtain" people of interest. Also, robo taxis would probably make great mules for drugs, guns, and human trafficking, as there is no driver to be compromised, and no one would blink an eye at an apparently empty car driving it self somewhere. Oh, the possibilities are endless!
Guardian
If you write it, we will read. :-D
Guardian
I'm no medical professional, to reuse my words, but even I understand that, foreign as the object currently in your body may be, it's preventing you from bleeding out in seconds. My knowledge is pretty much from watching episodes of ER and Third Watch back in the day, but I feel like any medical show would have at least one "patient impaled on foreign object" episode every few seasons, heh.
Space Paladin
That’s exactly why Cindy was shouting at her not to! Worst thing you can do…and many people’s inclination is to get whatever’s impaled them out
Space Paladin
I don’t have plans for bonus material, per se, since my plans are the Arxur Collective series dropping Wednesday and tentatively Wild West 2 🤔 I’m not opposed to eventually getting around to anything you guys like!
Guardian
Pretty sure that's why Cindy screamed as Laisa did it. As a medical professional, she knew doing that was Not A Good Idea.
Shajenko
This was pretty great, and I wouldn't be opposed to more. Are there any plans for bonus material involving the Bissem?
PhycoKrusk
@Lvm Don't forget about riding in said fully autonomous car, while also being somebody whom the national government finds to be "inconvenient." Oh, I'm not talking about an automotive accident; that would be a bit too obvious. No, I'm simply stating that you charter an auto-taxi to get to work, and without warning, the doors lock themselves, electronic systems activate to transform the car into a faraday cage, and you are promptly delivered to the local police station, whereupon you are immediately transferred to the custody of federal agents. Nobody knows where you are; as far as they know, you went to work and just never showed up. The last record anyone has of you is chartering the taxi; after that, there's nothing. The GPS records show that you stopped the ride early, and then it received a new charter.
Adam Myers
I find it interesting that she disimpaled herself, a normally terrible idea. In this specific context, it didn’t seem like a better option. However, in just about any other context you leave it in to keep from making the bleeding worse.
Elliott
I'd have to report you for predator disease then. I'm so arachnophobic if even one the size of a speck is near me I'll go flying. It's actually not even a fear, it's a physical repulsion on every level. I guess if you weren't born with any phobias like that then you can't get it. As for the vampire thing I guess that applies more to the Arxur than humans. Dawnguard Skyrim DLC had me hating them after seeing people in cages, getting eaten on tables, and then being spoken to as inferior. I suppose the uneasiness with humans still could be "what if me and this being got stuck with no food out in space?" like we as humans have had cannibalism occur before, but imagine a Fed's shock hearing about the concept for the first time. The sheer capacity for someone to be able to do that can be enough for some people.
BiasMushroom721
I cant believe I nearly missed a chapter! Also #VenlilDoingVenlilThings
DreamEnvoy
Either she means crippled compared to the legs of other biped species, or SP messed up on the timeline of his own story.
EliasArt2Life
That doesn’t work for me; I’m more of an arachnophile, and if a species of vampires suddenly appeared, claiming to subsist off of artificial blood, and having no desire to feed on, or harm humans, I’d be more curious than scared. I’d probably want to talk to one to learn more. Any suggestions for alternate hypotheticals? P.S. I got a high-five a jumping spider yesterday. The little guy saw my finger, and hesitantly tapped it with his(? They were pretty small, so probably male) leg. It was simultaneously the cutest and the coolest thing that happens in days. Please don’t kill all of our eight legged friends. I’d miss them. A lot.
EliasArt2Life
I like this one! It really gives some depth to a character that we didn’t know a lot about previously. Laisa definitely needed that wake up call, though the injury… OOFF! That hurt to read. I can see why she so thoroughly supports humanity.
Neu5Ac
She might have spent months in the camp as a way to reconcile with the humans. Perhaps she was moved to a proper hospital, but insisted on visiting the camp frequently in order to raise awareness for the sake of humanity. Good call on the crippled legs, though; I couldn't remember myself if the dates were before the Farsul raid, and I didn't feel like checking.
Some Lvm
@Phyco: it is so refreshing to meet someone who can see reason about the very real and coming issue with autonomous cars! I often hear proponents of the technology say things like "Computers don't drink, don't play with their phones, don't get angry or tired". That is technically true, and I was even in that camp my self, before I realized computers have their own set of problems: Bugs in software, design flaws, hacks, delicate hardware components breaking. A car is a very bad place for electronics, especially in countries like mine where most of the year the temperature is between 30 - 45 Celsius, so a parked car can easily go to 80 and higher. So yeah, even if we get an AI that can drive with the same level of confidence as an unimpeded mid level human, and we replace all cars on the road with that, we may not get as much safety improvement as we think. I know current real world statistic show that per miles driven, autonomous cars had 10 times the fatalities than normal human operated cars. Yep - they aren't even production yet, and still several people were killed due to AI driving.
Gumcel
Don’t they make organs for patients in need? They can do that but not make blood? Or did I just make that up? Seems strange that she refers to her legs as “crippled” no? Either she peered into the future or her legs are just fucked up for some unrelated reason. And she spent months living in the camp! It would probably better to take her to an actual clean hospital with personnel who know what a venlil needs, but I guess they never thought to do that? I like the meta history format, it’s similar to how it was done in BaP and it’s neat to read.
Space Paladin
A+ for the homework assignment! 😅
Space Paladin
Thank you!
Space Paladin
Thank you! Thought it’d be something new, and a bit of a fun way to make my author’s note with a splash of cheekiness 😅
Space Paladin
Wouldn’t be opposed to making more Laisa content! A bit of Venlil one-shots every now and then…nice nostalgia 😅
DreamEnvoy
When I read Glim or Fyron reacting to a kiss: STOP CONFUSING US FOR VAMPIRES
PhycoKrusk
@Lvm I mean, I suppose that wouldn't surprise me. There have been numerous studies that show that autonomous vehicles are only safer if every vehicle around them is also autonomous; as soon as a single human driver is introduced, safety returns almost totally to non-autonomous levels. That doesn't mean it isn't a terrible idea all around, and I do mean all around. With a human driver, you might have more accidents, but it only takes one CrowdStrike for _everybody_ to have an accident; a bad driver might ruin your day, but a bad update will ruin everybody's day. Never mind if emergency vehicles suddenly won't run, or if they stop at lights waiting for traffic that isn't there. Or hell, look at the cyber attack on the Federation; look at the massive destruction caused because they too had put all their faith in technology and structured their entire civilization to fail-deadly. (I'll be honest, I feel reasonably confident that 2160 has more preppers than 2137 for the simple reason that everyone saw the aftermath of the cyber attack, and many of them realized that a cyber attack like that had basically the same result as the bombing of Earth as far as cutting off access to essential services, which itself happened not that long after the Satellite Wars cut off access to essential services. Those old enough to see such loss of services happen twice will especially be wary of putting all their faith in technology because, let's face it, if it happened twice, it can happen a third time)
DreamEnvoy
Ah, I'm late! Loving the author's note presented as essay prompts aside (no way I'm doing homework long after graduating), it's certainly nostalgiac seeing NoP1-era Venlil Prime again. I can't help but wonder how many xenos believed Laisa was being taken hostage, despite her sending word that she was unharmed? Busting in to save the minister only to find her chilling with the preds would probably be unlikely, but funny nonetheless.
Elliott
It always confuses me how someone can think like this, but there's an easy trick I use to get in the headspace of Federation species', either think of spiders or vampires. Like in that context, I'd see myself 100% being on board to wipe either all out. Ecosystems be damned
Some Lvm
@Phyco: you make good points, but there may even be a darker side to this: Maybe in 2136 its actually illegal to drive manually, unless you have a special permit like for emergency services or military. There is a push today for various automated driver restriction systems, like speed limiting based on road sign recognition, or breathalyzer test for starting the car. I won't go in to the long rant why I think these are horrible technologies that won't accomplish what they are intended to, but the NoP future is just dystopian enough for someone on earth at some point to say: Fuck it! Humans can't drive for shit, so lets take that away from them. AI is good enough.
T___
In the best Finnish traditions, it was probably an assignment done during school hours, at school. By the way, we did have homework, just not that much, on later school years.
Quiidek
Oh I love this. Please make more.
Guardian
As MatPat likes to say: *deep breath* LLLOOORRREEE!!!
Neu5Ac
I really like the way this was formatted. It makes me wonder more about how exactly the memory transcripts work: does a computer turn the raw mental data into the written format, or are there versions that allow for audio and video made from what the transcriptee heard and saw? If the latter is possible, by what mechanism are emotions and internal thoughts conveyed? Do you watch them on traditional multimedia, or is there a device that works like the transcription device in reverse, putting the transcript in your mind as if you'd experienced it yourself (like BDs in Cyberpunk)? Are there legal limitations and regulations on which of these formats are accessible to the general public? It's really quite fun to think about.
Michael Halpern
im sure a fair number of human refugees had some VR driving lessons during and after the trip to Skalga,
Pineapplepilot
School assignment format is REALLY COOL, I like the essay questions at the end! I hope a follow up chapter gets made that's just a students rough draft of the essay for this assignment lol.
RaptorRed
At first I was like what am I reading and who's perspective is this, do we know laisa, maybe the name is vaguely familiar? But after long it didn't matter I loved it and I would love to read some more of this, thank you.
mitsos_pr
Awesome chapter!!
PhycoKrusk
@Lvm This is a big part of why I constantly insist "This future sucks." It's not that people have put an outsized amount of faith in technology; it's that they've put _all_ their faith in technology. We haven't put all our faith in technology today, and there are still a staggering number of people whose response to "What do you do if this system fails?" is, "What do you mean? That would never happen!" In the absence of adversity (whether from a lack of adversity or simply an avoidance of it), Humans always revert into childish, first-order thinkers who can't abstract beyond what is directly in front of them; none of the Humans soldiers in Kaisal's story one how to drive because, "Why do I need to know that? The cars all drive themselves!" I disagree that off-roading would be fully autonomous, though. The thrill of off-roading isn't driving over rocks and up mountains; it's conquering the landscape. Using an autonomous vehicle for that would almost certainly be considered cheating, and anyone who does it would be viewed the same way that dude ranchers are viewed today: Soft-handed city folk that aren't interested in or really respectful of it; they just want to LARP and pretend for a little bit so they can go brag to the other soft-handed city folk about how tough they are.
Michael Olson
Good stuff! Fears have a way of shutting down our rational mind. I don't fault Laisa for having trouble thinking clearly in the midst of terror.
REDemon14
Oh, how I *love* characters having guilt and shame for their actions :) Student PoV time! 1.) I believe Laisa's near-death, injuries, and following recovery revealed some of the biggest misconceptions about humans and human instinct as well as our compassion for each other First, the events depicted show that humans don't have the "bloodthirsty" instinct many thought they did. They won't "lose control" the moment they see blood or take advantage of wounded prey species. These events also show that our empathy at the time of humanity's appearance was disturbingly suppressed by fear at the time. As shown when the driver who hit Laisa abandoned her to die. As well as every other prey leaving her to her supposed death. (I wonder if the driver ever got arrested and charged.) Second, humans do in fact have medicine. Not crude bandaging out medieval guess work, but actual *medicine* comparable to other species. *Surpassing* others when it came to mental health as we'd learn later. It also shows that humanity was/is more than able to help other species, even when it could be detrimental, in the hypothetical exterminators showed up. Overall, Laisa's experience and recovery in human care very likely solidified the strong ties humans and venlil have to this day. 2.) Many humans refugees may have injuries or conditions that went either untreated or weren't properly treated that would later cause complications that could have led to death or worsening conditions for the human refugees. Medically speaking, this could have caused a surge of infections or diseases within refugee centers. Socially speaking, I could see the venlil's initial unwillingness to help humans cause a strain for communities that had refugees as well as increased distrust and xenophobia from the humans who had just suffered an attack on their homeworld *by aliens* that would last for years, well into even Laisa's governorship, as Governor Veln's policies likely worsened species relations between venlil and humans on skalga. If the outward supporting Laisa failed to meet human medical needs initially, how bad was the situation in places that had little to no fondness for humans? Neat little prompt. I liked it :)
DemonVee
Oh, I suppose I missed it.
Space Paladin
Thanks! A bit of a meta take on my usual author’s note 😅
Space Paladin
Arxur series drops Wednesday!
Bbobsillypants
I understand the nature of predators is a historical text in cannon, but its neet to see it used as an educational text as well.
Some Lvm
@DemonVee: remember Kizal's story? A whole squad of soldiers, and not one of them knew how to drive! Most times we see people in NoP using cars, they are in the back seat, so taking over in an emergency is not going to happen. Also, they have AI good enough to drive a military APC over an alien moon in battle conditions under fire, I think "off roading" on earth is now fully autonomous as well. I am sure there are still some humans who know how to drive, but there are probably very few of them. Way less than there are people today who know how to drive stick. Fun fact: my friend has a Jeep Wrangler, and he actually took a course on off road driving, including how to clime boulders with that things. He showed me a video with the car having one of its wheels a foot off the ground and the instructor watching as he climbed over a huge rock.
Alekss Žukovskis
Awesome read. I'm glad to see a character that doesn't change their minds.
Alekss Žukovskis
SP! I have a gripe with you! homework was invented as a form of punishment. and the best schools in Finland of all places don't have any. You are writing about a most terrible future, where unreason permeates the galactic arm of ours. :(
Mutedmirth
This really was a oneshot lol. I love the homework section making it tie into the main timeline rather than a random look. Very interesting with how Laisa became so pro human
Michael Halpern
Laisa's experience contributed to the significant political cohesion in Human-Venlil relations, and the early struggles reduced human empathy towards federation founders
John
Yes, did you read the end-note on the last bonus chapter?
Wholesome Redditter
I ain’t doing fictional history essays. That’s the entire reason why I got a STEM major.
DemonVee
I like this one shot, it's a nice change of pace. I've been hearing rumours on the discord about an Arxur mini series, is that something that's coming next...? 🙄
DemonVee
I find it unlikely that even with self driving cars, they wouldn't be required to learn how to drive for emergencies. Either if the software fails somehow, or if encountering driving conditions that require off roading, finer control.
un_pogaz
That was good and interesting, I'm curious to learn more about Laisal in the main series. Damn, the Laisa's experience was far more intense than that of many other Venlil, even among the exchange program volunteers.
James Schoneman
•Governor Lisa's accident caused the Venlil Republic (VR) and the United Nations (UN) to become more supportive of each other's agendas. This likely led the UN to push back less against discriminatory actions against the kolshians and farsul. Actions like the relocation of kolshians to colonies closer to the Haf system. This in turn caused the UN to not push as hard for other Sapient Coalition (SC) member states to send as much support to the battle of Aafa leading to massive loss of life. •Most of the first human refuge settlers on Skalga not only did not receive care from skalgan hospitals, but also many of them probably did not even attempt to seek care. Furthermore those who did seek care may have ended up in so-called Predator Disease (PD) facilities if they requested medication for mental health conditions such as ADHD or anxiety. Which in turn probably led to more humans not seeking healthcare. There I did my homework
Ron1990
35 years after my last history lesson in school and it feels like yesterday. Really well done. But I'm so sorry, my dog ate my homework.
Some Lvm
Wow, Liasa got real lucky there! The chance of Cindy knowing how to drive was minuscule!
Anthony Mears
good one. I can almost smell the paper of the well used textbook (although it's probable a file on a pad).
Byron Ritchie
Huh I was hoping we would get something on the fiasco that was Veln’s tenure but this is still pretty good and wholesome (barring that rather brutal hit and run but yeah) Also I hope someone makes an actual essay based on the bottom part
Z !
haha I love the schoolwork-like format
snidramon
Oh no, Space Paladin didn't warn us he was going to do horror! Anything but *homework* !
Jackson Urwin
Honestly so excited for this wanted something like this forever
Jackson Urwin
First
