u/KaleidoscopeNo893

Obligatory Thanks to SpacePaladin15.

Additional thanks to u/Bbobsillypants for proof-reading and for An Ape Out of Place. If you haven’t read that yet, then you need to fix that immediately and come back, this is set in the AOOP AU.

My Discord Thread

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Memory Transcription Subject:  Staff Sergeant Thomas Berry, US 7th Army

Date [Standardized Human Time] December 2 1950

Location: Somewhere near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea.

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‘This war is almost over’. pffft, my ass.

Damn the snow and damn the reds.

I’ve been separated from my company for a couple days now. I need to link back up fast before I freeze, starve or Mao finds me. My best bet is to head towards Hagaru-ri, but I don’t know where the hell I am.

I can do this, I survived Leyte and Okinawa. This is nothing.

After a bit more walking I noticed a little cave, good shelter. It will have to be for a little bit, just to rest my feet. As I sit on a conveniently shaped rock, I remember that if I survive this I might get a Purple Heart; courtesy of a Chinese bayonet, yet another one for the collection. Come to think of it, I may even get a bronze star for what I did at that clearing. I then begin thinking about better things to distract myself from the pain of the wound. I would give or do anything to be in a warm bed with a blanket, as well as Sally, wrapped around me.

Which reminds me, that this is as good a time as any. I pull out my wallet and pull out the picture that has been the subject of this ritual since I first arrived in this miserable continent. It was my beloved Sally, Jerry and Billy, smiling at the camera. I have a more recent one at home, but I keep this one in my wallet.

My pleasant thoughts as I put my wallet away are interrupted when I hear a noise, which kind of sounds like footsteps. I immediately jump up and raise my M1 Garand, “Who’s there?” I demanded. There was no response.

I didn’t survive all I have, just to get ambushed by some communist dirtbag. I slowly approached where the sound was coming from, rifle ready. I snap around the bend and I can’t credit what I saw. There was a thing, two of them actually, that looked like dogs, but weren't.

Before I could fully process what was in front of me, one of them shot me with something. I felt the impact on my neck and immediately pulled out what looked like a dart.

“What the hell?”

* Subject Loses Consciousness*

** End of Transcription **

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Memory Transcription Subject: Senti, Farsul Archaeologist

Date [Reclaimed Human Time] May 18 2936

Location: Aboard the Reclamation Alliance ship, VIGILANT BASTION.
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I'm finally doing it, I'm going to meet some ancestors of one of the “cured” species, specifically Humans. Finding out that my career was built on over a thousand cycles of lies was already painful, but finding out my own people are the ones mostly responsible was soul crushing. I simply couldn't stand for it, so I joined the Reclamation Alliance. Although there was some initial skepticism towards me, I was able to prove my sincerity in time.

Not only am I going to meet an ancestor Human, but I'm going to be accompanying her and a couple other people to wake up another recently rescued ancestor. Speaking of whom, that tall Human female with the red hair, freckles, external nose and front-facing eyes standing in the hallway talking to Dr Maryem Uehara and Exterminator Lieutenant Bill Kravchenko must be the one I’m going to meet first.

Before I could approach, Dr Uehara sees me and brings me to the big lady’s attention. When the fiery haired woman turned to see me, her pupils dilated by at least 30% and she produced a high pitched squeal of excitement, at least I’m pretty sure it was excitement. Academically I knew I wasn’t really in danger, but that doesn’t make the experience of having two eyes lock on to you any less chilling. 

“Oh ma God, aren’t ye juist the cutest wee thin!” I've read that the Farsul archivists had a surprisingly easy time with the Human ancestors, because we apparently resemble a companion animal of theirs. I am now having this confirmed to me in the form of one of them currently holding and squeezing me. It all happened so fast I didn’t realise what she was doing until after she already did it. Good thing THIS aspect of humanity wasn’t just a construct.

I quickly got my fill. “I’ve had enough, could you put me down please?” She swiftly placed me down on the floor.

“A’m sorry, A’m still gettin usit tae all the fluffy wee aliens.” She holds up her hand, definitely for me to shake. “Ma name is Elizabeth bi the way, Elizabeth Macdonald. Ye can juist call me Liz.”

I take her hand, it is a lot gentler than I expected. “I’m Senti, we don’t have family names like Humans tend to.” She raises one of her upper face fur things, “eyebrows” I think they’re called.

“Sae are ye the only Farsul namit Senti, gin no then hou dae ye differentiate which is which? Dae ye juist say ane is the son or dauchter o sae an sae?”

It took a bit for me to process that question. “I guess if I ever met another Farsul named Senti, we would have to decide on something to differentiate us with, hopefully we would be different colors.” wait a hair. “You already knew what a Farsul was and that I was one of them?”

“Yes, we already told her everything.” Dr Uehara says as she and Bill walk to Liz’s side.

I could feel my heart skip and tail sag as I realized the implications of “everything”. “So she already knows about my people’s actions against hers and so many others.” I turned toward Liz and grasped my paws together. “I’m sor-” Before I could finish my apology, she knelt in front of me and grabbed my paws.

“Dinnae ye dare start sayin sorry for actions done a thousand years ago. Unless ye are personally responsible for any o’t, ye hold na blame and nothin tae be sorry aboot.”

I just stood there in silence for a hair or two, it usually took days or weeks for others to come to that conclusion and this “predator” came to it immediately. The silence was broken by Bill.

“I hate to be the one to change the mood, but we are supposed to be discussing how we are going to be waking up the big ancestor tomorrow.” He says, like an impatient dad when the kids are taking too long at the store.

I somehow doubt that he hated doing that, but he’s right. “Let’s find a more appropriate spot and get to it.” Everyone bobs their head in agreement, even the ancestor. It feels oddly satisfying to have little things like that confirmed to pre-date Federal interference. Speaking of, hopefully I can use my resemblance to their old companion animals to calm the ancestor, instead of manipulating them like my predecessors.

** End of Transcription **