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The Nature of Predators 2-19
Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human ColonistDate [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160It hadn’t been evident what the Krev’s true power level was, or how they stacked up against the Federation. The talk of an automated fleet sounded more sophisticated than the prey-crewed, cowardly boats that stormed Earth, but I hadn’t seen the fruits of their labor; it remained to be seen what weaponry and technology they possessed, and...
The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (9/9)
First | PrevMemory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid RefugeeDate [standardized human time]: April 3, 2140For all that happened in the days that followed my departure from Skalga (then called Venlil Prime), I couldn’t process it at the time. Berna and I never expected to be caught up in the greatest scandal to ever rock the Federation. In hindsight, it was the very news that made the organization’s collapse inevitable. Collecting my thought...
The Nature of Predators 2-18
Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem ScientistDate [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160There was no doubt that General Naltor, who’d eavesdropped on my conversation with Nulia during the feast, had connected the dots between Dustin and the group responsible for bombing Alsh. When the Gojid sociologist mentioned “exterminators,” I didn’t question it—assuming it was some sort of pest control for homes and cities. Now, I wasn...
The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (8/9)
First | Prev | NextMemory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid RefugeeDate [standardized human time]: October 17, 2136Rain was the Protector’s tears, nourishing plants and dousing the Gojids below in sorrow. That was what my father had always said. While I’d never quite believed in the mythos, it was an excellent observation for why precipitation seemed to fall on sad occasions. The overhead gloom of Venlil Prime matched my own despondency, a...
The Nature of Predators 2-17
Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem ScientistDate [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160With my vision obscured by fabric, it was difficult to tell where the Tseia were taking us. It seemed they loaded us onto some sort of vehicle, which rattled along a bumpy road for some time; there was no chance for me to glean anything about the nomads’ carefully hidden settlements. If not for Naltor’s periodic complaints and the occasional gru...
The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (7/9)
First | Prev | NextMemory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid RefugeeDate [standardized human time]: October 4, 2136The keyboard that I’d use to type was not just thin, but also could be strapped to my wrist to make it portable. Lily’s face was brimming with excitement, as she brought me to a van that’d been deposited outside the building. I wasn’t sure where she was taking me, or what it had to do with music, but I decided to go along w...
The Nature of Predators 2-16
Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human ColonistDate [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160People that lived back on Earth used to travel in commercial airliners, flying across the skies as if it were a regular occurrence. Hundreds of passengers, flying to and fro across the globe; entire complexes that made up airports, welcoming visitors to cities of millions. For me, I thought the only way that I’d ever lift off again was if we...
The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (6/9)
First | Prev | NextMemory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid RefugeeDate [standardized human time]: October 4, 2136It had been only a day since my disability was outed, when the humans came for me. In the span before that moment, the predator guards seemed to have been tipped off about me; they did their best to gesture with their paws if they wanted something, and didn’t look frustrated with my pathetic weakness. How were these creatures mak...
The Nature of Predators 2-15
Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human ColonistDate [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160I woke up drenched in a cold sweat for the third night in a row. My fingers were clutching the blankets as if my life depended on it; my breathing was erratic, with my brain locking me into fight-or-flight mode. I sank back against my pillow slowly, trying to collect myself. The thuds of my heart punished my ribcage, a frantic pace that felt i...
The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (5/9)
First | Prev | NextMemory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid RefugeeDate [standardized human time]: October 3, 2136Avoiding the predators, or staying in the dormitory at all times, was impossible. It was necessary to make occasional trips to the facilities, though I tried to keep that number as minimal as possible; other Gojids bunking with us had to catch up to me on one trip, as a human barked to demand that I didn’t run. The beast seemed i...
The Nature of Predators 2-14
Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem ScientistDate [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160My day-to-day life was a whirlwind, as we booked it back to Ivrana to put a muzzle on the Tseia’s beaks. I could only imagine the Lassian chancellor’s discontent, being asked to furnish a diplomatic boat with the most likely outcome of killing a prominent scientist, a high-ranking general, and the most notorious member of the first contact team...
The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (4/9)
First | Prev | NextMemory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid RefugeeDate [standardized human time]: October 1, 2136It was a lengthy ride on the crowded shuttle, as the humans didn’t push their warp drive at all—perhaps scrambling to get cattle pen preparations ready. I could barely get a wink of shuteye with predators lurking mere paces away from me. The humans did pass out rations from their limited supply of food and water, which left me ...
The Nature of Predators 2-13
Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem ScientistDate [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160The hotel was difficult to miss, seemingly tailored to extraterrestrial clientele; this venue must’ve been where diplomatic guests from across the galaxy were brought in. Certain floors even had unique environmental controls, from what Dustin explained—perhaps some of those could be useful for accommodating Bissem subspecies, who had varying cli...
The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (3/9)
First | Prev| NextMemory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid CitizenDate [standardized human time]: September 27, 2136The Arxur raiders’ nostrils angled toward us slightly, after catching a whiff of fresh Gojid scents. I burrowed deeper into the fertilizer bags, as if their teeth wouldn’t slice through such a barrier in no time. These predators were more seasoned at tracking down sapient prey than their human counterparts; those filthy Terra...
The Nature of Predators 2-12
Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human ColonistDate [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160It turned out for the best that a security guard broadcasted our conversation with Gress to the colony; dozens of citizens overheard his outburst leveled at the Federation. There were still a few shocked expressions, even people cowering or instinctively turning their faces away, as we led the Krev rent collector out into the common area. His ...
The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (2/9)
First| NextMemory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid CitizenDate [standardized human time]: September 27, 2136No one was prepared for the predators to fall from the sky, without the aid of any vehicle. When the images came across our television set, it was of humans gliding down into military bases, dangling from fabric pouches that slowed their fall…after leaping all the way from orbit. Our air defenses were designed to take down transports,...
The Nature of Predators 2-11
Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human ColonistDate [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160There were several stares from unmasked passersby cast upon us, as concealed medics toted Gress to an isolated room. There were even a few cheers from miners who were happy, seeing the scaly alien knocked out. I’d allowed the stretcher to ferry me to the bottom of the elevator, before pushing my way off the platform. Doctor Adebayo was waiti...
The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (1/9)
Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid CitizenDate [standardized human time]: September 21, 2136They didn’t know I could lipread.Granted, it was a skill that I’d only refined as I got closer to adulthood. My lipreading wasn’t a perfect system, of course, but it didn’t have to be. Certain shapes corresponded to certain words in the Gojid tongue, which could grant me insight into what people were saying with moderate accuracy, as long ...
The Nature of Predators 2-10
Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem ScientistDate [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160The spaceport appeared to be in the middle of several sprawling complexes, many of which were adorned with starkly different vegetation and were manned by guards of unique species. I took a moment to soak in as many of the beings as I could, recognizing that these were Sapient Coalition members; the décor on their embassies must be representative o...
The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (10/10)
First | PrevThe Williams family celebrated most of the large human holidays, as a way for both children to be in touch with the happiest times in Terran culture. Tarva was particularly fond of Easter, spotting similarities with the well-known Gojid tradition Keilren, where gifts would be buried and children would go searching for them. Of course, first she had to learn that Easter eggs generally weren’t real eggs, but rather plastic cups that ...
The Nature of Predators 2-9
Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem ScientistDate [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160After the conclusion of the feast, Lassmin’s government scrambled preparations for what we needed to bring to Earth. In the span of a few hours, Naltor and I were briefed on the administration’s official policy, while the diplomatic corps were left to assist the Sapient Coalition in establishing relations with our other nations. I wasn’t sure ...
The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (9/10)
First | Prev | NextWhereas Ari’s sledgehammer to the heart, in his youngest days, was learning that he was from another species, Elia’s toughest pill to swallow was the story of the crippling. It wouldn’t haunt her, the way that predator labels bore down on her brother’s shoulders. She was confident in who she was from the start; if anything, the firebrand Venlil resented the older generations applying their behavioral standards to her. F...
The Nature of Predators 2-8
Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human ColonistDate [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160The sunlight from above compounded my headache, as I tried to think of what I’d say to Gress. Each step against sandy ground felt as though there was nothing beneath my feet, and the bones holding me upright felt like nothing substantive at all. What I knew was that the Krev had never given us a break before, so this would be a singular occa...
The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (8/10)
First | Prev | NextElia and Ari were close enough developmentally to do everything together, for a while. The two of them took classes side-by-side; after some lobbying by Noah to get permission for his non-human daughter, that included physical education—a class that had only been offered to Terrans, until her. The duo ate lunches with the same classmates that were superficial friends, and would come home for gaming sessions. In the off-season...
The Nature of Predators 2-7
Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human ColonistDate [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160The heart rate monitor beeps were the first sensory input to break through the dreamless fog, bringing me into consciousness. My eyes blinked open, gasping, as my mind felt that I had been buried beneath the sand in the last waking moments. The blue lighting of the medical clinic hit my vision, and I sat up with hyperventilating breaths. Docto...
The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (7/10)
First | Prev | NextTeaching the children authentic lessons about Earth and humanity was a priority for both parents, though it was Noah who took charge on that front. There were few individuals better suited to explain the intricacies of the Blue Marble than the representative who’d taught the galaxy about mankind. Part of the reason Tarva would forever blame humanity for influencing Elia’s rebellious streak was the number of Terran things sh...
The Nature of Predators 2-6
Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem ScientistDate [standardized human time]: March 14, 2160The human settled next to me at the table, fiddling with the utensils as if to gauge their weight. He’d spent much of the time while FAI scientists were trickling in explaining basics, which had already been passed along to Naltor and I. Haliska, meanwhile, was doing her best attempt to sink into a chair, while Nulia seemed to be watching the reac...
The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (6/10)
First | Prev | NextWhy had humanity left Earth? There were a great multitude of Terrans on Skalga, compared to other alien immigrants. Ari and Elia heard Noah describe his mission to chart the stars, and how driven astronauts were to explore, but they also caught onto a few words that showed it wasn’t the full story. Words like refugee. Bombing. The tragedy of what happened to that beautiful planet, which had been a part of the children’s liv...
The Nature of Predators 2-5
Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem ScientistDate [standardized human time]: March 13, 2160When General Naltor relayed the news of our visitors to the FAI scientists, their indignance at being held hostage in their workplace evaporated—just as mine had once I was briefed in the convoy. The press had been alerted as well, as the Lassian government prepared an official livestream alongside several broadcasts. How would the aliens respond ...
The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (5/10)
First | Prev | NextA single act of mischief was, on occasion, the beginning of a chain reaction: something that snowballed to the point that it demanded explanation. Tarva hadn’t told her children the brutal manner in which her first daughter died: not out of dishonesty, but for fear that they were too young to understand that tragedy. It’d been heartbreaking enough to tell Ari about the existence of a bloodlusting predator species, and how p...
