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The Nature of Predators 2-23
🕑 Added 2024-03-25 11:00:08 +0000 UTCMemory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist
Date [standardized human time]: March 23, 2160
Scrolling through the top broadcasts now, I saw that much like at first contact, the titles were replete with aliens. This time, every topic that we had discussed in our disclosure conference showed up in the headings. Panels debated the Tseia’s coverup of first contact, while also reenacting how the Starlight Incident played out; historians offered insight into how the attack affected the Space Race and the Global War, some even laying out alternate timelines—who might have control of Nelmin, the continent that was off-limits post-war, otherwise. The treaty that ended that vicious conflict was waddling on thin ice, after the Nomads still refused to share their technology. That was an entire can of worms, after seeing their complex cities and their computers, which had advanced enough to perplex humans.
There were some videos exploring Terran culture at face value, but most of the focus on our visitors was about the explosive revelations—the mother of all wars in the galaxy, complete with people eating. Could species with that much baggage be trusted? What happened if these exterminators attacked us again; what would’ve happened years ago if the rogue ship that attacked the Tseia got away, and the Federation tried to cure us? Those were valid questions, and it didn’t help knowing that much of the galaxy viewed all carnivores as monsters; our cultures were incompatible, with how deeply Ivrana’s identity was rooted in fishing. I scrolled past one feed asking why we should even join the Sapient Coalition, or befriend humanity at all. I hoped that was just one Bissem’s opinion, and that it didn’t get back to the Yotul camp.
How will the SC react to carnivores being murdered from above? Is it just another raid in their history of death? Do they care at all, when they didn’t want to contact Bissems with our planet on the precipice of ecological destruction?
A novel banner caught my attention, suggesting it was breaking news; the amount of viewers was climbing in rapid fashion, drawn in by a headline that shouldn’t be true. The Confederation of Vrital and the Merlei Huddledom—the two other nations on our world, lifelong enemies from the most separated of subspecies—had declared war on the Tseia Nomads for their endangerment of Ivrana, and for hoarding alien technology that could better our planet. Horror gripped my heart, though my eyes were glued to the screen. This was exactly what I feared: a new Global War breaking out due to heightened resentments. Lassmin was remaining neutral, according to the subtitles on the thumbnail, despite the pleas of the anti-Tseia factions.
This was a fucking disaster. Millions could die, and the Sapient Coalition would never see us as unified, after we immediately declared war on each other after first contact. Whatever sympathy points the Starlight Incident had scored us, this would paint us as violent monsters, like the Arxur! I began to tug on my feathers with distress, as a chipper Naltor barged into my room.
“Ah, Doctor Tassi. I take it you’ve seen the news of the war? Honestly, good on the Selmer…and you Vritala, I guess, for holding the Tseia accountable,” Naltor said.
I waved my flippers in exasperation. “Is this what you wanted? Did you advocate for Lassmin to go to war?”
“No…peace among ourselves would be useful at a time like this, and it’s not ideal. But, this does shake out to our benefit. The Tseia ask us for help, because they need fucking allies, and in exchange, we get a hold of their technology. That’s how we become a power that the SC will respect, and that can guide Bissems to the unified era we always wanted.”
“This has to be stopped! Throwing soldiers at Alsh will have bodies piling up on the beach…and there’s nuclear missiles involved. We need to play peacekeeper, before this gets ugly. We have to speak to Dustin and Hallie!”
“Dustin and Hallie have been in calls all morning, so I’d wager they already know; I don’t think we should encourage aliens to intercede in our disputes. There’s a rightful grievance against the Tseia, and letting it slide will make the public more riotous than they already are.”
“Every grievance doesn’t need to be settled with bombs. You really believe that the Huddledom or the Confederation would’ve shared the tech freely, if it happened to them.”
“I imagine they would’ve held back a little, for their national interest, but there were bigger fucking issues at play. They wouldn’t have kept everyone completely unaware with short-sighted cowardice. This war will take some struggle, of course, but the end result is a more equitable world. Dustin said to resolve our squabbles, and delayed our SC introduction because he expected this.”
“Dustin said we need to learn to get along.”
“Ask Zalk why the Tseia still refuse to share. They won’t open up out of the goodness of their hearts, because they’re only out for themselves. You can’t have peace until they stop being who they’ve always been.”
My eyes narrowed with anger. “I thought you wanted what was best, Naltor: that you really cared! There are much bigger fucking issues at play here, and you’re being every bit as short-sighted as the Tseia.”
“I do want what’s best for Bissemkind, Tassi. That isn’t pretending Zalk and his shifty lot did nothing wrong. Plus, I was realistic enough to expect this as a necessity that was bound to happen sooner or later, the moment we heard the Nomads’ story.”
“Fuck being realistic…and fuck being a part of any of this shit! Why me? Why did you and your soldiers have to grab me? I know I wrote the first contact procedures, but I wasn’t your only choice. You had the whole of FAI to pick from.”
“Doctor Tassi, aliens were always your calling. You told Dustin you’d be dead if you hadn’t been searching for aliens. It was the only thing you ever dreamed of,” Naltor answered. “You can’t teach that passion. I was frightened of the unknown, and I wanted someone who wouldn’t be. Someone who was ready.”
“Well, I’m not ready. I wasn’t ready for a fucking war, and for all the death and awful things up there! I wanted friends, Hirsdammit.”
The Selmer pressed a flipper to my shoulder. “You have friends from the stars. A war, or whatever those SC diplomats think of Bissems for it, won’t change how Haliska, Nulia, and Dustin feel about you. You’ve been considerate to them from the start, and you didn’t hesitate to risk your life for their mission.”
“I can’t fix this. I can’t represent us well enough to make the SC like us, or package it up to the public like it’s not fishshit.”
“But we can make the most of our circumstances. I know you’re hurting, Tassi. I also know that you’ll still do whatever it takes, even if it’s just to change a single heart. Let’s go find the space nerds, and figure out what we’re doing next. Our fight for friendship is far from over.”
“You win, General. Take me to wherever the space nerds are—but you better not pick a fight with Zalk. I can’t deal with that shit now.”
“I’ll promise just this once,” he chuckled.
I followed the much taller, blubbery Bissem out of my diplomatic suite, through the halls of the Lassian reception complex. The Bissem guards still seemed unaccustomed to having aliens walking about, after days of playing host to them, which was a testament to how quickly Naltor had adapted. The general confused me oftentimes, touting lofty ideas like “Bissem Unity” and offering comfort; then he’d turn and suggest ruthless, opportunistic ideas for Lassian military gains. What made someone like that tick might be forever a mystery, but after everything that had happened, his paranoid accounting for worst case scenarios was a little reassuring. We turned toward a conference hall, just as a human came barreling out of the hall.
Dustin looks like he’s at a loss—poor guy. Naltor must’ve been wrong about him expecting all-out war.
“Hey, Dustin. Are you okay? I hope…this isn’t getting to you. I know it’s a roadbump for our plans with the SC,” I began.
The human scratched the scalp beneath his curly, brown hair. “Oh, no, it’s not that—awful as it is to see. Obviously, we’re not talking to the SC for at least a month, but we’re going to push for peace as best as we can…and we’re working on the Yotul. That’s being handled, and I have faith that time can make things better.”
“Then what’s troubling you?” Naltor demanded. “You were running out of here like your tail oil was on fire.”
“We don’t have that idiom, but I get it. I was just about to gather you two and Zalk; we really need to talk. I don’t want to say anything until you’re all here, because frankly, I’m at a loss.”
“Dustin Leo Curtis.” The alien made a disgruntled face at Naltor, irritated that the Selmer overheard his adoptive mother chew him out for gallivanting off to Alsh. “Are we in danger? Don’t you dare do your awkward and shy, ‘beat around the sea kelp’ shit.”
“Hey, I don’t like giving people bad news, and I always have to! But no, you’re not in danger, aside from the fact that 75% of your planet is at war. We’ve been investigating the Starlight Incident, and we’ve made some discoveries about it. You all have the right to be brought up to speed.”
“Then we should get the wanderbird.”
A door popped open, revealing that Zalk had been listening in on our conversation. “I’m right here. This wanderbird agrees that Dustin beats around the sea kelp. Why don’t you start talking about these discoveries?”
“Or, better idea.” The human slunk back into the conference room, and waved a hand at the table. “Haliska tells you, and I spectate this one?”
“Fine by me, as long as someone fucking tells me.”
I settled beside the Terran, feeling a bit of relief that his faith was unshaken by the war; it gave me a mentality to model, much more than Naltor’s shrewd realism. There were no hints of what they’d found out about the Starlight Incident, which led me to comb through possibilities. I hated how my brain began by working through the worst options, rather than taking an optimistic view. It was all I could do not to recite a mantra to myself, begging that this discovery wouldn’t shock me to my core again. Whatever Haliska was about to divulge to us, they had been searching the Missing Ship Registry for matching context. The most likely answer was that the aliens identified the culprits.
It’s weird that it took them so long, with a specific date, type of ship apparent from the wreckage, and primary species that would show on the manifest. Perhaps they were just trying to be certain, to give us a complete picture?
The Thafki made some signal with her tail at Dustin, who waved a hand dismissively. “Right then. I’ll keep the preamble at a minimum, unlike my friend, but let’s just say there were some things that were…odd, even for a Federation scouting expedition. A Gojid exterminator ship, traveling alone, far away from their territory? It would be one thing if nearby species like the Nevoks or the Letians asked for help, but there’s zero record of that. There’s zero record of this ship at all.”
“You…no, Dustin said you kept track of missing ships in a registry. Why the fuck wouldn’t it be on there? Nobody noticed a missing starship?” a skeptical Zalk asked.
“That’s what I’m telling you: we don’t know. We can’t identify the ship, and it’s not in any of our databases; there’s no record of it ever being built, not in Gojid territory or in anything around here. It’s a ghost, as the humans say.”
“Well, that’s really fucking helpful. You’re telling us nothing new…you’re telling us nothing at all.”
“While you might be disappointed in our inability to find any info, it does tell us there’s more here than a simple colony scout on a routine bombing mission. The possibilities are unsettling, and don’t make sense on their own; it’s almost like they went looking for trouble, but we need more info to say why. We would like access to the Gojid corpses to see if we can salvage genetic material, and identify them that way.”
“Done. I thought you were going to tell us who those bastards were.”
“We’re trying, and we will. We’re bringing in more investigators to piece it together, but we want to keep the Tseia in the loop. You’ll know what we know, when we know it.”
Dustin raised his eyebrows. “You deserved to be aware that my theory wasn’t quite meeting with the picture the evidence painted. I can admit when I’m off the mark, but I would never want you believing that I purposefully misled you.”
“That’s the least of my concerns. Your honesty is admirable, and a quality that we need more of on Ivrana,” Naltor remarked.
“It seems worrying that you can’t identify them, especially when they were behind an attack on our planet,” I murmured. “How can we be sure they aren’t still around?”
Haliska pressed a paw to her blue-gray forehead. “We can’t; there are exterminator radicals still around today. The idea of ghost bombers flying far away from their turf doesn’t sit well with us. At any rate, this can’t be premeditated if they were alone, and never came back here in a hundred years.”
“What happens when you figure out who’s behind this?” Zalk demanded.
“Barring cryogenic shit, everyone involved is dead. We can’t hold them to justice, but we can find out why they were in this system. We’ll make sure this was a one-off thing with a single ghost ship.”
“The more we learn about the Starlight Incident, the better for all of us. That’s more details we can give to the SC, and more of a distraction from the fact that a giant war broke out on Ivrana.” Dustin’s lips curved downward, suggesting he was more troubled by the war than he let on. “We control the narrative. We show that these are ripple effects of the Federation, and that noninterference is a nonstarter.”
Naltor slapped a flipper on the table. “Dustin Leo Curtis. That’s the most imperialistic shit you’ve ever said.”
“General Naltor Cloacabeak—that’s your last name in my book—Vrit is not my native tongue, so my phrasing’s not perfect. You know I mean, well, helping your oceans not die and giving you a technology upgrade.”
“Which we’re grateful for,” I jumped in, not wanting to give Dustin the slightest encouragement to abandon us. “Whatever the Yotul think, you’re being responsible with how you share your gifts, and you’re trying to save lives. As hectic as this all has been, your mission demonstrates the enlightenment I hoped for from aliens.”
“I hope you’re right, Tassi. We’re trying to do right by you, and not to push you down the path we want, like the Federation. I hope this is what’s best for Bissems.”
“As do I. This war could get nasty, and that’s not something I want to see. There’s been enough bloodshed.”
“I agree,” Zalk sighed. “We tried to open up to the Huddledom and the Confederation, but they immediately forced the issue, trying to take as much as possible from us. No sharing information, or two-way dialogue about meeting aliens. It’s ‘what can you give us?’”
Haliska tilted her head, pupils migrating as she searched for a tactful response. “Well, we’re giving you whatever information we can, because that’s what friends do. This is an unusual case for all of us, but I hope that we’ll be able to offer answers soon.”
“Yes, I think that’ll be all about our investigation!” Dustin exclaimed, cutting off Naltor’s attempt to return to the subject of war. “Thanks for coming in here. I promise, we’ll be working on the SC, and getting you to a meeting in some form. A month or two from now, maybe things will look different. Don’t stress yourselves.”
“Whenever it’s time to plead our case to the galaxy, I’ll be ready.” I stood from my seat, making a pointed gesture for Naltor to do the same. “On the bright side, we have more time to get acquainted with each other. Let us know if there’s anything we can do.”
It was as if I couldn’t escape the meeting quickly enough, with all of the Bissems’ concerns being hurled around. Ivrana was at war amid public outcry, to the detriment of our Sapient Coalition bid; the delay to our introduction was now a certainty. It would be a waiting game to see when, or if, humanity could even get us in the door with the galactic community—which had an entire host of problems. Now, we found out that the aliens couldn’t guarantee that the Gojids, who’d gone out of their way to bomb us, weren’t still around after all. Finding out who was responsible had become a lot more pressing, but it could take humans a while to gather the facts. I hoped that my surroundings would calm down a little, long enough for me to get my bearings…and that we could start focusing on a better future for all sapients.
A/N - Chapter 23, marking the end of “Act 1”: timeskip coming next chapter! Tassi witnesses a global war breaking out on Ivrana over the Tseia’s lack of cooperation or information sharing, and laments how that will affect chances with the SC; Naltor is a bit celebratory about how Lassmin might benefit, but also tries to comfort the doctor. Meanwhile, Dustin and Haliska share results of the investigation into the Starlight Incident, and can’t discover any records about it, its affiliation, or its construction. What are your theories on this ghost exterminator ship? What do you think on the newly erupted Bissem war, and its diplomatic consequences in the stars?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting!
Comments
Assailant
Why can’t we be friends, why can’t we be friends, why can’t we be friends, why can’t weeee be friends
Vladi Vladi
That means it’s a really well thought out slur. In comparison to the generic “knife-ears” which only works if elves are well known for espionage and assassinations
Lucky
wow, idk why but calling the Nomads wanderbirds feels like such a vile slur. Like thats a hard R phrase if i’ve ever heard it
Michael Halpern
I suspect the war will be short and mostly bloodless. its early 21st century type computing and cyber security vs someone centuries ahead.
