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The Nature of Predators 121
🕑 Added 2023-05-29 11:01:00 +0000 UTCMemory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command
Date [standardized human time]: January 15, 2137
It wasnât my imagination; our triangular shuttle was sinking like a stone. Water bobbed up against the cockpit windows, entombing us beneath the waves. Hull integrity would eventually give out and allow water to flood the compartment. The predators were just watching it happen, with not nearly enough panic showing in their binocular eyes. They made no attempt to inflate a life raft and escape, while we could still get the doors open.
The craft had tipped forward at a slight angle, and the airborne vehicle began to sink nose-first toward a watery grave. A feeling of immense claustrophobia gripped me, as the nightmare scenario came to fruition. My claws wrapped around Samanthaâs arm before I could stop myself; the human looked at me with sheer disbelief, and pushed me away. Her nose was scrunched in an obvious sign of distaste. Carlos wouldâve definitely been more amenable to my desperate outreach for support.
Samantha heaved a sigh. âIâm going to pretend you didnât just fucking do that, but it better not ever happen again.â
âPlease! Weâre sinking!â I croaked.
Onso snickered. âSinking? You donât feel the engines running? Itâs a submersible aircraft.â
Upon closer listening, I could feel the quiet hum of the engines. Somehow, the combustion drive was still running underwater, and pushing us in a controlled manner further into the ocean. There were no signs of leaks seeping through the walls, despite being encased in the depths. Iâd never heard of a plane that could fly underwater, but I shouldâve gleaned our safety from the predatorsâ calmness.
If a human is running or terrified, thatâs when itâs time to assume our deaths are imminent.
Sam wasnât the least bit amused by me latching onto her arm, but Tyler and Carlos were both masking smirks. I dipped my head in shame. How had the Yotul known of technology which was unfathomable to the wider galaxy? Until today, I wouldnât have thought such devices would ever have a use. It was embarrassing that the primitive kept his head better than me around novel technology, though I tried to push that egoistic thought out of my mind.
âDo the Yotul have this kind of technology, Onso?â I prompted the reddish-furred marsupial to answer, though I knew the reply would be in the negative. âIâve never heard of such things, so Iâm surprised itâs old news to you.â
âWell, I took it upon myself to read up on the specs; they were included with our briefing notes. Never know when shitâs gonna break, and someoneâs gotta fix it. The Yotul have a saying, âEverything can break, so assume it will do so today.ââ
âThatâs valid. Every spacecraft crash is due to a âone-in-a-billionâ mechanical failure; unlikelihood upon unlikelihood. Uh, anyhow, Iâm a little out of my element here, clearly nothing like you.â
âI donât mind the water, Sovlin. Mama had a sailboat, which sheâd take around the harbor. It was a little disappointing to hear human water activities involve hunting. Thereâs so many beautiful things to see; itâs the last untamed frontier. Even after space is explored, the oceans still hold so many mysteries and unique lifeforms!â
âPlenty of humans agree with you, even ones who enjoy fishing like Tyler. Weâll go snorkeling or scuba diving just to explore reefs and view marine life,â Carlos chimed in. âNo boat, nothing but a basic breathing apparatus.â
âThereâs water sports too. Surfing, where you try to ride massive waves on a board.â Samantha made odd gestures with her hands, as though conveying a series of hills. âParasailing, up in the sky tied to a boat. White water rafting, where you go down turbulent, rocky rapids in an inflatable.â
I groaned. âWhyâŚare any of those not mortally dangerous?! What is wrong with you predators? I thought you evolved from the fucking trees!â
âItâs all in the spirit of fun, a memorable experience. Donât tell me none of it sounds like something you want to try once.â
âNo, those stunts sound horrible. This is horrible. I can see the depth meter going upâŚitâs double digits! I canât see the sky!â
âQuit being a baby.â
âQuit being a predator! I hate humans; I canât stand you! Onso, back me up.â
âThe surfing sounds totally badass. I can imagine riding a wave up to its crest, and trying not to fall,â the Yotul answered. âWe should try it together, old man. Conquer your fears, do things you think you canât.â
âI am not doing that. No way on the cradle.â
Tyler sported a devilish grin. âHey, it could be worse, Sovlin. You could be doing shark cage diving.â
I offered the blond human a blank stare. Through the cockpit behind him, I noticed orange-striped fish swimming clear of the aerosub. There was a dark shadow in the murky depths below, which filled me with palpable unease. What if it was some sort of massive predator which hid in this oceanic range? Chewing at my claws with anxiety, I tried to parse through what he said.
Cage diving? That canât be what it sounds like; locking yourself in a cage and jumping into the waterâŚnot trying to escape. Whatâs a shark?
We moved closer to the ambiguous shadow within the turquoise ocean, which I tried to ignore. The humans would freak out if there was reason for alarm; I couldnât make a fool of myself again. Plastering a look of confusion on my face, I flicked a claw at Tyler for an explanation. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement, and my former guards watched with interest.
âAh, youâre wondering what that is.â Officer Cardona tapped his fingers against his holopad, and noticed that his Yotul exchange partner was intrigued too. He showed a picture to Onso first. âIâd say itâs self-explanatory. Oh, and, yes, they have side-facing eyes, but sharks are predators. Humans have movies about them eating us, even though thatâs uncommon in reality.â
Tyler turned the device toward me, and I flinched away with disbelief. Sure enough, a pack of Terrans were suspended in a metal cage below the water. âSharksâ circled them with predatory intent, serrated teeth visible. From what Iâd learned about Gojids being omnivores, Iâd trust the primates on binocular eyes not being necessary to eat living food. However, deciphering human behavior was a maddening endeavor. Was this some twisted way of reasserting their dominance as apex predators, against animals that dared to prey on them?
âYou just said it was in fucked-up human moviesâŚitâs CGI! Thatâs not a real fucking thing!â I screamed. âI thought we were keeping it professional, huh? You all are definitely saying, and making up, predator nonsense on purpose, at this point!â
Tyler flashed his teeth. âItâs real. We donât need to make anything up; humans will go to great lengths for thrills.â
âThat seems to be tempting fate. Iâve always believed in respecting nature, though it would be cool to see these animals up close,â Onso said.
âGood news: you can see them in aquariums too.â
I thought humans would think water decorations were stupidâŚwait, what did he just say?!
My spines were bristling. âYou have aquariums, like the Kolshians on Aafa?â
âYep,â Tyler affirmed.
âAnd instead of sea plants, you keep dangerous predators in them?â
âYeah? Theyâre cool to look at, man.â
âProtector, I donât care if weâre in the middle of the ocean. I want off this sinking boat!â
Carlos stifled a laugh. âWell, your wish is about to be granted. This puppy isnât meant to dive deeper than 100 meters. The UNS Deep Core is up ahead.â
The foreboding shadow had grown larger in my periphery, and my eyes swiveled back to the viewport. It was a submersed ship, but one that was so large, its breadth faded into the murky distance. There was no way this wasnât in the triple digits of meters long; the all-black, undecorated exterior would cause an observer to mistake it for a shadowy patch of water. There was a tower affixed to its spine, which perhaps housed an equivalent to a bridge.
âThe humans mustâve snuck this ship here days ago. How long has it been lurking?â I murmured to myself. âThey couldnât have airdropped it from too high up eitherâŚI donât think.â
Samantha rubbed her hands together. âIf you think this is the only one sent, think again. Weâre told as much as we need to know, Sovlin, but itâs a blast to fill in the blanks.â
Our aerosub glided down to the bottom of the Deep Core, before flipping over and latching onto a watertight door. It was similar to how a spacecraft would dock for boarding; my concerns were assuaged a little, noticing some familiarity. Packing such a large crew into a metal tube must be stressful for any land-dwelling species, but the humans were insane enough to tuck their senses aside. There could be enough predators aboard to compose a small village.
I disliked the fact that I was hanging at a ninety-degree angle, though I didnât voice my complaints. The humans awkwardly dismounted, with Tyler helping Onso down. Carlos hoisted me to my own two feet, and I took a steadying breath. Our own watertight hatch, which I mistook for an emergency exit when I thought it was a sane vehicle, was on the right exit. There was a click, as human personnel opened the circular door from the other side.
The five of us were helped up through the threshold into the submarine, and we admired the metal inner workings of our surroundings. The tunnels were narrow, with small doorways leading between compartments; many required a slight step up to clear. One Terran greeted us at our docking point, though he wore a different uniform than the getup I was used to. I wasnât sure what to expect from land predators who operated underwater, but the ample facial hair checked out with my mental image.
âWelcome aboard the Deep Core. Iâm Commander Fournier; your presence is requested on the bridge,â a gruff voice greeted us.
I blinked in confusion. âMay I ask whyâŚsir?â
âFirst aliens to step foot on a submarine. Youâre VIPs; itâs a good photo-op, you could say. Follow me.â
Of course, the humans are worried about optics as weâre descending to an outlandish location. Sometimes, theyâre awfully predictable.
Claustrophobia threatened to flare up, with the cramped passages and lack of direction. Onso showed no such uneasiness, forcing Tyler to ensure that the Yotul studied objects with his eyes, not his paws. The primitive seemed enamored with any machinery or design quirks, even basic things such as hinges. I was really trying not to look down on him, but when he was gawking at simplistic nails, it was difficult. At least his dimwitted curiosity was a distraction from our present environment.
The bearded commander led us to a steep stairway, and communicated for us to follow his lead. There was a thunderous bark of âup ladder!â before the human-in-charge popped open a hatch. Tyler waved a hand at me and Onso, signaling for us to climb after Fournier first. I ensured that my balance was steady, hustling up the rungs. There was a railing surrounding the hatch, along with a safety chain that our guide was unclipping.
âSir, may I ask how much air we have left?â I couldnât resist asking, despite being out of breath from the short ascent. âI presume youâve been submerged a few days. Even spaceships can only carry a few weeks of oxygen, and I donât see any tanks, umâŚâ
Fournier issued a throaty laugh. âScared of submarines, Gojid?â
âA little, uh, yesâŚsir.â
âDonât be. We have as much air as there is water in the ocean.â
Onso bounded after us. âThe Terrans use electrolysis to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in seawater they collect, then use that O2 to ventilate the ship.â
âWhy, I like this one!â the commander bellowed. âRead up on subs, havenât ya?â
âIt drew me inâŚlike a vortex of knowledge. I always liked machines.â
âThen I take it youâre an engineer? I can see that kid-like glee in your eyes.â
âA rocket engineer. The unchanging rules, the complex order, the concreteness and the planning: it speaks to me. Having a new class of machines to study really lit that fire, for the first time since the Federation killed my passion. Not even studying your weaponry truly scratched that itch. Itâs just, I never dreamed Iâd discover a new alien boat!â
âWell, well! Iâm no engineer, but Iâll be happy to share what I know. Feel free to ask any questions; we love talking about what we do, to someone who really wants to hear it.â
âThank you, sir.â
Commander Fournier led us into a stout compartment, where a vast array of gadgetry and screens covered a wall. Humans were examining a green circle on display, with a rotating line and labeled angles. Data feeds were also listed there, which led me to conclude it was a sensors equivalent. Navigations was at the front, at least from the appearance of several control columns. Some predators appeared to be acting as officers or supervisors, peering over othersâ shoulders and issuing commands.
This isnât that dissimilar to a starship, but where is the viewport? How can they see?
I cleared my throat. âSir, where is the viewport? Thereâs no windows!â
âWe donât need windows,â Fournier explained. âWe use sonar, because sound travels further in water than light. Glass or transparent materials are just a weak point in the hull, and a potential source of leaks if we take a hit.â
âOkay. Then why did the submersible craft we took here have windows?â
âBecause it needs to be a spacecraft too, and you need to see when youâre flying. Itâs useful enough to outweigh any concerns,â Carlos chimed in.
âThis is so cool!â Onso bounced on his digitigrade hindlegs, and the commander fortunately didnât take offense to his excess excitement. âThe sonar doesnât need to see at all. It justâŚlistens.â
Fournier nodded. âPrecisely. I saw you examining the bearings on our machinery, and Iâll impress upon you the importance of noise reduction down here. We keep everything detached from the hull frame to avoid vibrationsâŚeven dropping a wrench can give you up to an enemy. Sonar receptors pick up the slightest vibration, and then, they know youâre there.â
âThat explains why your engines have to be so quiet. I was reading about how you try to avoid cavitationâŚyou know, where the vacuum pressure caused by the propeller makes water boil. The bubbles pop and give off noise.â
âYou donât need a rundown at all, Yotul; you already know everything. We have a speed range where we can operate silently.â
I was growing bored of the technical explanations, and Onso, a primitive, was outshining my knowledge to the humans. Perhaps the Yotul was desperate to prove himself as an academic equal, but he didnât need to prattle on about science like he was reading a textbook. While there were impressive feats of engineering on display here, I agreed with Samanthaâs assertion of naval obsolescence. What good was fighting in the water, except in this extraordinary circumstance?
The predators can hide far away from any targets or locations of value forever. How ingenious. Theyâd be unseen altogether if the other human tribes realized this theater was irrelevant in a war.
I suppressed an irritated huff. âPermission to speak freely, sir?â
âGranted,â Fournier replied, a curious twinkle in his eyes.
âRespectfully, sir, I do not see the purpose of putting all this time into submarine development, at least for military aims. Youâre a spacefaring species, and youâre incredible at ground assaults. What use is it to hide so far away from civilizationâŚfrom the action? Maybe you sink a few ships that are using an outdated method of moving resources, but I donât get it. You have better weapons.â
âYou really donât know? To use your word, these ships are masterful predators; nearly undetectable, capable of hearing the slightest sound, and able to surface anywhere in the world. But it goes far beyond that. The destructive power housed here is a hell of a deterrent. Thatâs why weâd never actually trade nukes like ya Feddies thought we did.â
âNukes? Iâm not following.â
âThereâs tens of nukes stuffed onto just one of these things. We can hang off the shore anywhere, and fire missiles while underwater. Not that we have to be close to our target; we can shoot ICBMs halfway around the world. You never know where we are, if itâs right down your neck or prowling distant shores. Weâre waiting to strike, anywhere and everywhere, with the technology to end civilization itself, even after command is destroyed on land. Obsolete, my ass.â
I gulped with discomfort, wishing I could recede into the ship walls. That declaration was so calm yet predatorily destructive; there were chilling implications for the extent of human aggression. It suddenly made sense why Earth tribes were intent on sniffing these predators out of the oceanâs recesses, and why the subs tried to remain undetectable at all costs. Should the current battle go awry, Talsk could be devastated by an unseen arsenal of epic proportions.
As Commander Fournier took his post, I tried to understand why humans would devise such machinations, for use against their own civilization. The Federationâs âirradiated Earthâ couldâve been a reality; these capabilities shouldnât exist in any culture. I didnât understand why my kind-hearted friends would even think of such predatory weaponry. Surely, understanding the apocalyptic consequences of these vehicles shouldâve convinced them not to build them.
My therapist couldâve elaborated further on the full heights of Terran aggression. Humans didnât enjoy killing, yet they brainstormed and actualized the optimal ways to kill every human in existence? It was a paradox. Perhaps their predator nature factored into their decision-making in a manner they didnât understand. Orders were issued to begin our descent, and for all sailors to report to battle stations. I felt the submersible tilt down, so I tried to clear my head of what the primates were capable of.
I have to believe that they will never actually do something like thatâŚthat their goodness will prevail. They didnât snap after Earth, right? I trust their better judgment.
âW-well, if thereâs really a base at the bottom of the ocean, the Farsul are fucked,â I murmured to my posse.
Samanthaâs fist tightened, as her smirk returned. âIâd say they are.â
The numbers on the depth meter continued to escalate, as the submarine navigated the ocean which spanned below us. Locked inside a steel tube with predators, and knowing the potential of its onboard weaponry, my nerves were anything but quelled. The submarines somehow eclipsed even the worst starships in its dastardly capabilities. The Farsul wouldnât be prepared for this predatory contraption, should we stumble across any of their flotilla.
I was glad that the humans were on the same team as me; there was no telling where their capacity for annihilation ended.
A/N - 121, on the new schedule as promised! Sovlin learns the entirety of humanity's underwater exploits, including the extent of how predatory and HFY our stealthy subs are. Engineer Onso examines the capabilities with glee, and is less fazed by our self-destructiveness than the Gojid narrator. Do you expect our humans to encounter any Farsul subs on their descent? What will they find if they reach the base?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting! Hope you guys are enjoying the aquatic flavor! I did a lot of research for 121 and 122, to make it accurate, military fun.
