r/NatureofPredators

I swear this isn't just Whoopsies all predators

For this one, everything goes like normal for history, until the Farsul and Kolshian come across the Krakotl. Instead of opportunistic piscovores, the Krakotl are obligate carnivores that make fish half of their diet and can't be cured otherwise they'll die

Now, would the Federation come to its senses and reconsider it's stances on meat eating and predators? Of course not!

But what to do about the Krakotl? Well that's easy! Gently teach teach them at gun point how red meat is vile and predators are evil. Problem solved until they can figure out how to genetically modify the Krakotl into being herbivores

Except, every species the Federation comes across are obligate carnivores. Worse, they all have predatory traits that the Federation can't explain away. So to put a temporary solution on the problem, they push them into becoming piscovores and convince each species that predators are evil, except those that eat fish because fish are lesser creatures so it doesn't count, and that predator disease comes from eating meat that doesn't come from fish, while also convincing them that other predators still want to eat them

So the Federation has a bizarre hybrid of its canon ideology that teaches that piscovores are just fancy prey, while desperately trying to figure out how to cure everyone without starving them to death

Then of course the Federation comes across the Arxur, and they'll die if they only eat fish, but Betterment has to convince them that piscovores aren't actually predators so don't count as sapient, so it's ok to eat them, while in the background both Betterment and the Shadow Caste are trying to find a way to make everyone into herbivores

This is a fanfic based on “The Nature of Predators” by u/SpacePaladin15 . Thank you to him and all the other fanfic writers who inspired me to write a few stories of my own. This and all my other fics can also be found on AO3.

New POV! This chapter we are seeing things through the eyes of Vrisk's mom.

<< Sing it High | Stuck in the middle >>

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Memory Transcription Subject: Velna, Venlil

Concerned mother

Date: [Standardized Human Time] July 12, 2138

 

Velna’s tail twitched as she washed out the dinner bowls. There was a speck of string fruit on this one that just wouldn't come off. Sure, she could just put them in the machine to clean them, but why bother? Not when it was such an Easy. and Relaxing. Task! All You Had To Do! Was Follow a Few. Simple. Steps! And Everything! Would! Be! Fine! VRISK! 

She set the bowl down in the drying rack hard enough to slide the whole thing a claws width down the counter. She huffed in frustration before turning and picking up the next bowl. She was at her wits end with that boy. Ever since those damn humans had arrived, they had been corrupting her precious little pup. At first she thought that Vrisk would move on from his fixation on the humans after a herd of paws, like he had with so many other interests before. Then she thought he would finally break free once he was out of that tainted school and away from their influence. He was even on the proper path, however briefly, with his job at the grocery store; but now he’d thrown it all away for some human fantasy. 

Those sneaky predators had made her let her guard down by teaching him music. She thought he was getting something out of being with them at first, but it was just a vessel for their corruption. She should have known better.

Everyone knew that you had to get accredited with the musicians guild in order to perform for money, and in order to get accredited you had to have a proper music education. Sure, that kind of education was expensive, and it would be a struggle for them to afford it, but they would have been willing to try if he had learned a proper instrument. Something like the flyster or the plehr. She had even tried to divert his attention that way after he took an interest in human music, but no, he wanted to learn gitawr and how to sing in human. Who had ever even heard of a Venlil singer?

She should have pushed back harder, forced him to stop talking to those humans… somehow. She couldn't control who he talked to at school, or where he went while she was at work. She had tried taking the music off his pad, but he just kept finding a way to put it back on again. And she couldn’t just take it away, most of his schoolwork was on that pad.

She sighed as she began circling the scrubber around the inside of the bowl. She remembered the exact moment when she should have shut it all down, at that stars-damned ‘talent show’.

 

Date: [Standardized Human Time] May 15, 2137

 

I cautiously stepped into the school cafeteria that had been repurposed for the event. The shutters were closed and the lights turned down to accommodate the predator presence in my child’s school. I didn’t care how many tricks they pulled on the TV to get people to like them, I still didn’t trust them. I and many other parents had protested the addition of the dangerous beasts to their pups’ midst, but the local magistrates had already fallen to their taint. And so they were here, and I prayed to the protector that this wasn’t the final trick to trap us all. I had even left my husband Barsk behind with instructions in case we did not return.

The humans were all seated in one part of the room, off to the side and away from the exits. Maybe giving their prey a chance to escape was part of the thrill for them. Still, it was unnerving to see the twenty or so silver masks gathered together. Every once in a while one would forget themselves and swivel around to fix their binocular gaze on a particularly juicy prey.  

I was glad to at least see most of the parents giving the predators a wide berth and staying close together like the herd should. A few, however, actually got closer to exchange nervous greetings with them as if they were friends with the beasts! I quickly joined the larger herd and took a seat. Skynahr, a dignified Gojid and the school principal, took to a makeshift stage, complete with a large red curtain at the back, that had been assembled in the corner of the cafeteria.

“Welcome parents to the very first South Merrywood High School Talent Show! I would like to thank Misses Goodman for suggesting and organizing this event. Her experience as a human teacher has been very helpful and we look forward to her joining our staff as part of the blossoming Art and Music program here at the school next cycle.”

I scoffed as one of the humans stood and gave a mocking bow towards the principal, accompanied by that barbaric slapping they called ‘applause’. And that name, “Good man”, couldn’t possibly be more fake.

“We will start our show with one of our human participants, he plays music for the herd almost every paw. Please welcome Spencer, playing a song called Blackbird originally written by The Beatles!”

“An ode to his favorite snack, I’m sure.” I thought to myself as another masked human came out from the hallway door next to the stage and took Skynahr’s place in front of the microphone. He settled on a small stool and adjusted one of their crude “gitawr” instruments of wood and string on his lap. It certainly didn't have the elegant shape of a federation instrument. It was no wonder the ones Vrisk had been talking about were so cheap.

His long pale claws clutched and snagged at the strings, producing something akin to a melody as his foot audibly tapped along. Even worse, he began to sing bizarre lyrics in that oddly sonorous growl. 

 

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise”

 

Complete nonsense, the only consolation was that the performance was mercifully brief. It of course resulted in more applause from the humans as well as a surprising number of appreciative ear flicks from the prey side. I assumed that they were just being polite so as not to upset the predators. 

The next act was a group of six Venlil girls. each holding one end of a pair of colored ribbons, with the other end being held by another girl. A classic flyster piece began to play over the speakers as the girls danced back and forth. Their movements seemed to be coordinated but in a way that I couldn’t quite put together, until the song ended and they stretched and tilted the ribbons to reveal an intricate pattern woven by their dance. The humans seemed to approve of this and clapped loudly, making the girls jump a bit before they waved their tails in thanks and hurried off the stage. I could see a few Venlil leaning over and giving a flick of appreciation towards some of the audience as well, they must be the girls’ parents.

The girls were followed by a pair of humans who did some kind of rehearsed argument that only seemed to produce a large volume of translator errors. There were a few of those awful barking laughs from the human section, so maybe this was some kind of bizarre predator comedy. It figures that they would find arguments and conflict somehow humorous. At least I was not the only one lost as there was nothing but confusion from the Venlil crowd to accompany the smattering of polite applause from the humans when they finished.

Thankfully another group of Venlil came out carrying a black backdrop with them. Two of the group, one with pure white wool and one with black and white spots stood in front of the backdrop and began a presentation on “items to carry in case of predator attacks”. As each item was mentioned, the black and white one produced it from his wool, starting with a small whistle and a pawheld taser. As they went it became more and more obvious that the objects were being passed through the black curtain, disguised by a large black spot in his wool, with each item gradually getting larger than the last until they ended with a comically long pole net and a full exterminator’s suit. I thought the humans would be offended by the subject matter, but they seemed to find it more entertaining than their own comedy routine, with those annoying barks of laughter joining the more dignified whistles of the Venlil. 

A few more acts followed, including a pair of humans “juggling” by tossing colored balls around, and a gorgeous vocal performance by a Krakotl that she recognized from Vrisk’s class. She sang “The third hymn of Inatala” about the strength of the herd and the threat of taint. The humans only barely applauded at that one. Then there was a mixed group of humans and Venlil making “shadow art”. They brought out a seemingly random assortment of objects and arranged them on the stage. When a bright light was shown from the front it made the shadow of a Venlil on the curtain behind. They moved the objects around again and made a flowerbird, then once more to make a Gojid. They even asked Principal Skynahr to stand next to it for comparison, much to the delight of both sides of the audience.

“Thank you children, for such a wonderful display of creativity.” The principal spoke as the objects were cleared from the stage. “For our final performance, we have another display of joint human and venlil relations. This group has been learning to play music together and have prepared a special performance for us. Please welcome the herd-time music club, performing “In the Garden of Eden” by I. Ron Butterfly.”

Truth be told, I was a bit excited to hear what my pup and his friends had been working on. He didn’t want to tell me when I had asked. He said he wanted it to be a surprise.

The red curtain was drawn back, revealing a set of instruments including the one Vrisk had “loaned” from one of the humans. I had been so terrified when he told me of their arrangement, I was convinced that he had been tricked into indebting himself for life. Thankfully the cost was revealed to be much lower than expected, less than a tenth of what a plehr would have been. Plus Vrisk had insisted he would get a job over the harvest break to earn the money. So at least he hadn’t completely lost his mind.

Vrisk and Narli came out first, and I was glad to see that his herdmate had stuck by to keep him safe. Narli was big enough that he might be able to fight off a smaller human, or at least be a more tempting meal giving Vrisk time to run. They were followed by a female human with short dark hair. A chill went down my spine as something about her set me on edge more than any of the others. Trailing at the end was the Yotul that Vrisk had mentioned, who gave a brief nod as his parents up at the front yipped a greeting.

They each took their places with their instruments, and a hum went through the room as they were switched on. The human’s ‘drumset’ was a much more complicated affair than I had anticipated, with multiple drums and unknown pieces surrounding her to the point where she could barely be seen behind them, which she supposed was at least somewhat of a blessing. The poor Yotul took his position behind what must be a dizzying amount of buttons and keys for such a primitive species. Indeed, he was fumbling as he pressed a few keys and buttons on the device that must have been as long as he was tall, changing the sounds and seemingly discovering what each one did as he went. 

He must have been emulating Vrisk and Narli, as they similarly adjusted a few knobs on their instruments and tested each string. Satisfied, they flicked an ear at each other and nodded to  the human and Yotul in turn. The primitive thankfully found the correct button and played what surely must have been a prerecorded sequence as he moved his claws over the keys to make it look like he was playing.

The rapid ascending melody took him from one side of the long set of keys all the way to the other, signalling the human to begin aggressively striking their drums as Narli carefully plucked at his strings to create a deep, reverberating rhythm. It was different, but not terrible, and then Vrisk began to play.

My ears flattened as his instrument made an awful, scratching, distorted sound that felt like an electric current passing through grinding rocks. Surely this was some kind of mistake that they would stop to fix, but sadly that did not seem to be the case. Several other Venlil in the audience flinched as well and I swear I saw a few nasty looks cast in my direction.

Oh Vrisk, what are you doing!?

 

“In the garden of Eden, honey

Don’t you know that I’m lo-ovin yo-ou

In the garden of Eden, baby

Don't you know that I'll Always be true”

 

Oh Stars, even the human was a better singer than this. It barely counted as melody and the translator struggled to even parse the human words at times. I shrank in my seat and tried to avoid any eye contact from the other parents.

 

“Oh, won't you come with me-e-e

And take my ha-a-and

Oh, won't you come with me-e-e

And walk this la-a-a-aaand

Please take my ha-a-a-aaa-and

 

In a gadda da vida, honey

Don't you know that I'm lovin' you

In a gadda da vida, baby

Don't you know that I'll Always be true

 

Oh, won't you come with me-e-e

And take my ha-a-and

Oh, won't you come with me-e-e

And walk this la-a-a-aaand

Please take my ha-a-a-aaa-and”

 

They each took turns playing more complicated parts on their instruments. The Yotul pretended to play another extended flourish that would only be possible from a professional flyster before the song mercifully came to an end.

The humans cheered, of course they did, and I could feel the judgement of every Venlil in the room bearing down on me as I simultaneously tried to melt into my chair and not have a panic attack. I don’t even recall what the principal said to end this disaster of an event. Once we were free to leave I dodged the looks and comments from the other parents and went to find Vrisk. 

I found him in the hallway, gathered together with his “band” to take a picture, as if they were proud of that travesty to music that had just occurred. I was about to rush over and grab him when the most horrifying sight was revealed as the human removed her mask and bared her teeth.

 

Date: [Standardized Human Time] July 12, 2138

(Present day)

 

The bowl slipped out of her grasp and clattered into the sink. She pressed her paws flat on the counter and took a deep shuddering breath. “Let’s just finish up, have a good rest, and talk about this next paw once everyone has calmed down” she thought to herself. Maybe they could even get Vrisk his job back at the grocery store, assuming he hadn’t burned that harvest too badly.

She turned to grab another dirty bowl from the kitchen table, but stopped when she noticed it was still full. That’s odd, who didn’t grab their third meal? She just cleaned hers and Barsk’s bowls, Vily took a bowl to Vrisk and grabbed her own… after she gave Fehryl his medicine. That poor girl was trying so hard to pick up her brother’s slack, she couldn’t blame her for such a simple mistake.

She grabbed the bowl and headed for her brother’s room. She didn’t like having to enter that tainted den in her home. That was why she’d had her children care for him for the last few cycles. The medication kept him from corrupting them with his tainted influence, and they would hopefully learn the consequences of such violent tendencies. 

She tapped on the door and waited a moment to see if there was any answer, partially out of habit and partially to give herself a moment to brace herself. It was an unpleasant place, always dark and smelling of unwashed wool. So she was quite surprised when the door swung open to a clean and brightly lit room, the open window letting in a breeze that smelled of the flowers outside. She hadn’t seen it this nice since her brother had moved into it. 

“Fehryl?” She called out to the empty room. “I brought you dinner, are you in the bathroom?”

She set the bowl down on the small table next to his chair and tapped on the bathroom door. It wasn’t closed all the way and swung open slightly, so she pushed her way through. Disturbingly, this room was empty as well.

“Fehryl!?” she called louder, looking around the small room as if she had missed him in a corner. She came back out and double checked the bedroom, turning in a confused circle until her eyes finally landed on the open window. She felt a chill run down her spine.

“BARSK!” She shouted as she charged back out into the living room.

“What’s wrong darling?” He asked from his usual spot on the couch in front of the holovid.

“Ferhyl is gone.” she barked as she strode across the living room. 

“Like medically…?“

“No dear, he has left the house.“ She was headed straight to Vily’s room. As the last person to see him she may have noticed something. 

“But how? He can barely walk in a straight line with those meds in his system.” He finally rose from the couch and followed her as she arrived at her daughter's door. 

“That is what I intend to find out. VILY!” She called as she rapped on the door. 

“Coming!” She heard from the other side of the door, and after a few moments it opened to the concerned face of her darling daughter. 

“What's wrong Mom?“ She asked with that innocence that reminded Velna so much of her when she was a pup. 

“I don't want to alarm you my dear, but your Uncle Ferhyl has gone missing. Did you notice anything unusual about him when you gave him his medicine?” She did her best to ask gently. 

“M-missing?”Her ears twitched in surprise before laying flat. “I-I don't think so. He took his medicine, I watched him. I guess the only thing was that he looked like he just came out of the bath.”

“It's okay, it's not your fault. He must have used some kind of predatory deception on you. Maybe Vrisk has some idea of where he would go, he's been talking to him lately.”

“Oh, uh but Vrisk, uh.”

“Don't you worry about his attitude, Vily. This is a family emergency. VRISK!”

She calls out as she shoves open the door without knocking. There was no time for any arguments about privacy right now. She needed answers and she needed them…

She stopped two steps in, with Vily close behind, as she found herself facing yet another empty room. Oh there were plenty of things in the room, with human clothes strewn about, a desk cluttered with seemingly random objects, an untidy bed, and bizarre human ‘posters’ stuck to the walls. Her son, however, was missing. 

She had not been at such a loss since her brother was arrested for assault. She didn’t even know which one would be the instigator of the two delinquents. If Fehryl was still on his meds then it would definitely be Vrisk, but what would he be doing? Surely he hadn’t been so thoroughly corrupted that he would feed his own family to those predators, right? If Fehryl was off his meds then they could have planned this together behind her back, but what were they doing? Was it even possible that this was some kind of bizarre coincidence? Either way, there was only one thing to do now.

“That’s it! We’re calling the exterminators!” She declared. Technically she could not file a missing person’s report for Vrisk now that he was an adult, but she could file one for Ferhyl. They would put out an alert and search the whole town until they found him.

“W-wait!” Vily looked frightened as her eyes darted about the room. She recognized that fear, you didn’t want to believe that your own family could go against the herd. Unfortunately she had found out first hand how easily it could happen.

“I-i see something! On his desk!” She ran over and grabbed a piece of paper from among the clutter. “Its got today’s date on it.” She read it quickly before handing it over.

 

“Vrisk and the Skalgans
One Paw Only
Fifth claw at the R3 bar”

 

Is he still going on about that “Skalgan” thing? Was this some kind of show? Regardless, it was less than half a claw from now. It must be where Vrisk and Fehryl went. Whatever was going on, she would put a stop to it.

“Good job, Vily. You stay here while your father and I go to this predator den to get your brother.”

“But Mom, maybe I could come and help you look for them!” She protested. Such a good daughter, always trying to help.

“I’m sorry Vily, but this is far too dangerous for you. If we’re not back in a claw, call the exterminators. Barsk, call us a car. We’re going to get our little boy back!”

<< Sing it High | Stuck in the middle >>

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[Thank you to SpacePaladin15 for making the universe!]
[Special thanks to u/AdalwinAmillion for proofreading this chapter!]

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Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Internal report.

1. Current Economic and State Affairs.
Production targets are being met as the civilian economy transitions to support military needs. This shift will soon be implemented across the newly integrated V.D.W.S.S.P.R. To improve productivity, Venlil workers, whose physical limitations affect performance in heavy-duty roles, will be provided with advanced mechanical exoskeletons. Shortages of consumer goods have been reported in several S.S.R.s due to the ongoing production shift; these shortages are anticipated and should be managed in the interest of both human and Venlil populations.

In response, the State Planning Committee has instructed local unions to implement rationing measures to ensure equitable distribution of essential goods, with priority given to workers supporting military production and families with dependents. Additional surveillance of supply chains is underway to identify hoarding, black market activity, and disruptions. Public information campaigns will be launched to maintain confidence in the transition and discourage panic buying, emphasizing collective responsibility during this critical period.

The transition of the V.D.W.S.S.P.R. to a socialist-based economy has encountered challenges. The recent shooting of protesters must not recur. Efforts are underway to identify and prosecute the responsible unit under Article 58 for counterrevolutionary actions. Additional incidents, including the ongoing insurgency, continue to threaten rural economic development. Targeted propaganda is being distributed across Venlil Prime to emphasize the importance of herd unity against counterrevolutionary threat. Former 'predator disease' facilities are being converted into party buildings, including labor union headquarters, Young Mans Communist Association offices, and K.G.B. outposts.

The drafting of the new V.D.W.S.S.P.R’s constitution is underway, along with the design of a new flag of the republic. New infrastructure is being built on Earth to link it to the preexisting FTL communications network on Venlil Prime. New laws are being written to mandate clothing for all bipedal citizens. The State Planning Committee is currently setting up the necessary infrastructure and computing networks for a new Gosplan across the new republic. Officials from the State Planning Committee are currently negotiating production targets and incentives with local labor unions. Collectivization of local farms is currently underway, with the largest of food producers, total collectivization has been deemed unnecessary due to the Venlil’s unique ‘collective herd’ farming structure already mirroring much of our own policies. Although the new republic is off to a rough start, current projections far exceed expectations.

2. Counterrevolutionaries.
A stark rise in human xenophobia and human-predator-based supremacy has been noted across all corners of our glorious union. Largely stemming from the false narrative fed to the people by the fascist scum of the Arxur Dominion, these ideals serve to undermine our current government and newly integrated republic. This new ideology is linked to current acts of racism against Venlil party members and workers, as well as several incidents such as the shooting of Venlil protesters, resulting in over 100 casualties and several others injured. Links to such beliefs have even been reported within the Committee for State Security itself, with unconfirmed reports of targeted use of enhanced interrogation techniques against 'lesser species' and their sympathizers.

To ensure the continued loyalty and effectiveness of our organization, all K.G.B. ranks are currently subject to intensified internal vetting procedures. This includes routine polygraph examinations, anonymous peer-reporting channels, and continuous ideological assessment, all supervised directly by the Political Directorate. Internal surveillance measures are being expanded, with all suspected personnel placed under active monitoring. Advanced data analysis is being employed to detect irregular communication patterns or unauthorized associations with subversive elements. Through these ongoing efforts, leadership can be assured that internal threats are being systematically identified and that the K.G.B. remains vigilant in upholding the Party's ideals.

While a purge is currently ill-advised due to the war effort, resources are being expended by agents loyal to the ideals of the Party to find these traitors. One possible agent for such operations is Cosmonaut Grigori Reshko, whose unwavering ideals, proven by the act of his going AWOL for the sole purpose of seeking revenge on the fascist scum that fed him a Venlil, could prove valuable given the proper training. While Grigori’s revenge expedition was known and deemed necessary to test Arxur's strength and hand-to-hand combat capabilities, further oversights are ill-advised. Our party must stay unified; if we are to falter, we and all of Mankind shall fall to the depravity of our current galaxy.

3. Venlil Biological Findings and Ecological Reports.
Further study of xenobiology is being conducted with the help of several Venlil medical experts. Their biology provides a unique challenge to the union, requiring a slightly less oxygen saturated atmosphere due to their evolution. Venlil Prime’s atmosphere contains less oxygen overall than Earth, reaching the upper limits of what is considered safe for humans. While human habitation on the planet is possible, it can take up to a month for adaptation to the environment. Persistent reports of altitude sickness have been filed from new human settlers throughout the planet. Military conditioning such as that employed in the Red Army has seemed to decrease the sickness and allow for faster adaptation; further study is required.

Venlil biology is strange they have a Hemerythrin-based blood. While usually such blood is clear or pinkish on Earth, the alien biology has folded the protein in a way never before seen. Combined with a naturally orange-colored blood plasma and a large amount of carotenoids present in their system from their herbivore diet leads to the orange-colored blood they are known for. Such biology has proven non-toxic to humans, although our only current example is Grigori Reshko, further testing is ill-advised.

Our scientists have probed into the Venlil genome; the findings are strange. Evidence supports likely tampering by outside entities. The Venlil Genome has fully intact instructions for an olfactory system that has been harshly repressed to the point of it being absent. Further edits are shown to be evident in leg formation and bone density; it appears the entirety of the current Venlil population suffers from a similar condition of Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Research is underway to determine if this is reversible.

Further efforts are being expended at stabilizing the ecosystem of Venlil Prime by introducing suitable Earth species. Reverse-engineered Federation technology is currently being used across Earth to cleanse the scars of our unification. Projections predict the full colonization of the North American continent will be possible in the coming years.

End of Report.

Memory Transcription Subject: Chief Hunter Ryka

Date [standardised human time]: December 8th 2111

I awoke in the medical bay of my ship with my head spinning. I sat up, groaning from my injuries. I glanced down at my body, patches of my scales were discolored where the human had landed his strikes. I could immediately tell I was missing several teeth and there was a splint placed around my nose. How could I have lost? The human seemed to have boundless energy, perhaps if I hadn’t been starving for most of my existence, I would have managed better.

Still, this proved that they weren't pushovers, and I had made the right call to ally with the humans. I quickly stood from the bed, intent on not showing my weakness. I was sure rumors were already spreading about how the mighty chief hunter was bested by a lowly leaf licker. My body protested as I walked to the bridge; I hadn’t been this badly wounded in nearly a decade. I entered the bridge and demanded a report from my underlings.

They quickly handed me a data pad with a report already written on it. It showed the fleet's repairs were progressing swiftly, with a few reinforcements, we would soon be ready for another campaign. My eyes squinted as I read further, several pieces of technology had gone missing in the time I was out, likely stolen by the humans so they could replicate it. It seemed they were starting to grasp Arxur tech, I growled that was one of the few leverages I had over them.

My tail lashed the ground with a thud, sounding from the impact. “You are to find whoever has been taking our ships' components. So I may deal with them personally, understood?” I barked at my underlings, my annoyance at this inconvenience explicit. I shoved the data pad back into my underling's claws and walked off. After being out for a few days, I was starving. I made my way to the mess hall and picked up a nice cut of Venlil, left over from the raid.

I was drooling before I even bit in, dull pain ached across my maw as I chewed the delicacy. The missing teeth I had incurred during my fight made it troublesome to chew the meat. But it was more than worth the effort, the savory juices flowed over my tongue with each bite. I savored the flavor, so entranced that I hadn’t realized that I had finished when I went to bite again, my maw meeting nothing but empty air. I grumbled and got up, deciding to go to my quarters and grab my own data pad to check on any reports that were only meant for my eyes.

I walked down the hallway and opened the door. Once inside my quarters, I grabbed my data pad and looked over anything that was sent to me. I saw a file mailed to me by the office of Betterment itself, I scrambled to open it. Already late from being out for a few days, I quickly scanned the document. Confusion fell upon me as I read. Betterment had declared that Humans were, in fact, not true sapients and was mobilizing for an attack on Earth. My eyes widened, and I nearly dropped the data pad. Had they lost their minds?!  

The Dominion couldn’t afford a two-front war, and they knew it. What the hell had gotten into them? The fact that they ate meat should be proof enough that they were true predators regardless of their strange desire to eat leaves. The lone fact that one had bested me in combat was proof enough that they could hold their own. The plans detailed my role in the attack as a forward position meant to surprise the humans by suddenly turning on them.

I sat on my bed, stunned. What the hell was I gonna do now?

---

Based on a dumb idea I had

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Date: November 12th 2075

The camera shows a turned on TV in a dark room.

"...the orbital infrastructure of China. It is projected that by 2077, the majority of the world's satellite networks will cease functioning, disabling services such as GPS and internet access in areas where..." The channel changes "...possible escalation to armed conflict as terrorist attacks increase in frequency across first and second world nations..."

A blonde man wearing a tie and jeans interrupts the broadcast with his presence. Behind him, the light turns on, revealing concrete walls, a table with a spaceship model on it, and a whiteboard filled with math equations. The TV gets turned off.

"This is dedicated to all the people who worked on the project. As the head of Canada's space operations, I thank all of you for the time you spent bringing it to life. Our sister and brother sites in Greenland and Australia have already finished work and are waiting for us to give them the signal." He cleared his throat.

"The secret of this operation, will be taken by us to the stars and to the grave. The risk of its existence being discovered by a hostile government or other entity that rises to power in the coming years, is too great. Only the current governments of the aforementioned territories and the people involved in this project know about it."

He points to the model on the table.

"This here, is a miniature replica of what will take the many people involved in this project, their closest ones, everything necessary to colonize unknown planets, and millions of frozen embryos, away from the brink of another world war, to a system called TOI-700. As of recording this, the engines are being installed on to the ship located near the Hudson Bay" He looks directly at the camera.

"Once again, I thank you all for your commitment."

end of recording

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The New York Times 11.13.2075

An arsonist attack in Ottawa takes the lives of the Canadian President and five other government members. Their bodies haven't been found.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The New York Times 11.15.2075

The King of Denmark goes missing during the visit to Greenland. Possible connection with events that took place in Canada.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The New York Times 11.16.2075

Australian president missing after car crash on the M31 Highway between Melbourne and Sydney. The investigation is ongoing.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The New York Times 11.20.2075

Mass disappearances shock the globe as ten thousand people go missing in the span of a day.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The New York Times 11.22.2075

Bright flashes of light over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans of unknown origins.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

...

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The New York Times 03.05.2077

End of the Satellite Wars! What does the Treaty of Shanghai entail?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

...

...

...

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The New York Times 07.10.2136

'The Odyssey'. Launch of the first manned interstellar mission will take place on July 12th 2136.

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Memory transcription subject: Jonathan may, Diplomat of the Free Human Systems for the Gojidi Union.

Date [standardized human time]: 12 july 2136

The last 60 years have been intense for humanity, and the galaxy as a whole. We found alien life. They found out we were alive. For the first two decades, humanity stayed in and near the system we arrived in, and renamed it Helios. 35 years ago, we came into first contact with a herbivorous species called the Yotul, who were at the time going through an industrial revolution. The language barrier was a giant problem initially. However, we came to understand each other by further communication and eventually were able to have proper conversations between each other. Due to moral constraints, my predecessors avoided an aggressive spread of technology. But, they still utilized it when the Yotul needed it, and in return, humans gained their first friends among the stars

A decade later, a team on a mission in a system near Sol, found the Venlil and the Federation. Their hostility towards anything they found 'predatory' meant that our first allies had to take most of the diplomatic burdens while we worked in the background, and were dealing with the Arxur. On May 27th 2113, ten Federation members sent a fleet to our new home, to destroy us. With the help of our scarce friends and the galaxy's boogeymen, the threat has been repelled at the edge of Helios, with the only casualties being the soldiers unfortunate enough to participate in the battle.

Soon after, leaked calls between the Farsul and Kolshian leaders describing their atrocities against sapient life came into our possession. A few days later, unnatural genetic defects were found in many species formerly belonging to the Federation, confirming them. The regime, while extremely unstable, did not collapse. However, 40 civilizations have seceded from it, later 41 as one of the founder species, the krakotl, experienced a revolution. A new alliance had formed between them, with humans as one of its founders.

That brings us to this moment, where the current celebration of the Sapient Coalitions 23rd anniversary is being held on Venlil Prime. I am in the Governor's mansion surrounded by many planetary leaders, diplomats, and other important politicians. At the banquet, next to me was sitting my Gojid counterpart, eating some pasta with a mix of human and Cradle vegetables.

"...How long did it take to make a translator for you and the Yotul?" hmm?

Oh!

"I... think it was around 3 years. It was decades ago and I'm not too into history, so I don't know much."

"And who should I ask if I want to know more?"

chuckle

"A historian?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Are- are you drunk?"

"Uh- um... look!" She pointed to the window. There were fireworks visible in the distance.

"yeah, I see them. Look, just don't do anything stupid."

"Fine..."

Behind her, I could see Governor Tarva being told something by security and getting away from the table. Wonder what that's about-

"Ack! ^(Menti, sweetie, yours spines.)"

"^(Sorry.) Where do you think they are going?"

"Well, she got approached by security so..." Security was now approaching the leadership of every other founder species. "Nevermind, this is serious. Hey where are you-" She speedily walked out of the mansion.

"Seriously?"

I went outside to look for her. The celebration extended beyond the inside of the mansion, with people sitting at tables in the garden and waiters going between them. In the corner of my eye, I see a gojid going in the direction of the governor's office. They then hid, or at least tried to, behind a few b​ushes.

"What are you doing?"

"Shhh, trying to see what's so important." This woman. On the inside of the building we only saw Tarva and her advisors in front of a holoprojector, with the other politicians nowhere to be seen. Every person in the room was visibly slightly stressed about something. This is when a connection appears on the screen and-

what?

^(Hello. We come in peace, on behalf of the human race.)

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I might not be able to post anything for the next 7 days, so have a one shot.

So I was kinda thinking about this. Based on how first contact between the Arxur and the Federation went, assuming the details said by Coth were true or close enough to it, then the Arxur were contacted during their 4th World War, they signed a treaty to end that war and the Federation began supplying them with medical supplies, cures to diseases and (presumably) their own fleet of ships.
After that, Coth stated an overpopulation crisis began on Wriss due to medical advances causing lower mortality and that’s what lead to the Federation dropping the cure and cattle plague etc.

Now, even for a speedy breeding species, overpopulation takes years at least, if not decades. That means before the cure and plague, the Arxur would have technically been a member of the Federation or at least in the uplift category and thus, at least in theory, given similar provisions as other species.

So… does that mean Arxur attended Federation meetings? Did they get a seat at the Federation’s summit on Aafa? The Yotul got a seat, vote and voice (I’ll be it a heavily muted one) and they were still being uplifted. If yes then, that Arxur diplomat must have gotten so much shit from the other species, more than the Yotul or Noah ever would have gotten, considering the Arxur scare the feds more than we do. Did the Federation attempt to set up their institutions on Wriss? Were there Arxur exterminators?

Idk, it seems like a strange situation for them to be in, the kind of awkward out of place species among the Federation, at least until they did the curing shit to them. I feel like it should be explored more.

The Federation artificially homogenizes its client states in order to make control and conformity easier. Wiping away an entire culture is difficult, even with indoctrination and rewriting of history, so the best way to accomplish it is through relentless bullying

The Federation is unlikely to shame the generations born before the Federation into compliance, but the next generations will grow up ashamed of their culture and heritage, embracing the Federation more than their forefathers did in an attempt to be accepted and considered useful, and they will teach their children the same thing, causing a positive feed back loop for the Federation

Once a species becomes useful to the Federation in some way, then the bullying will stop and the history books will be rewritten to make it seem that everyone loved the uplifting and embraced the Federation and it's culture because it's so much more superior and the only way to live, and the bullying is covered up

It's quite ingenious if you think about it and really parallels colonialism

Memory transcription subject: Corporal Cal'os, Terran Union Marine Corps

Date [standardized human time]: September 17, 2333

It was nice being sent back home for a while, even if it was for work. When we first got the news that we were being shipped out to the frontiers of space, I could scarcely contain my excitement. The idea of meeting more species like us had always been fascinating to me, but after our mission on Sovlin's ship, I was done with new aliens for a while.

I still couldn't understand how the Federation could send people so young to war and then still claim the moral high ground. Then again, I guess if your only competition is the Arxur, it couldn't be all that hard to see yourself as a paragon of moral virtue.

"Hey Carlos!" Samantha called out as she approached my table, snapping me out of my quiet stewing, Are you alright?" She asked, sitting down opposite me with a plate of various assorted Earth and Armtis foodstuffs.

"I'd be better if you started using my real name." I joked half-heartedly before focusing on my own meal, which had already gone cold.

"Still hung up about that kid, huh?"

"I just I don't understand how anyone can send literal children to war like it's nothing," I said, a little louder than I'd meant to.

Amanda was quiet for a while before finally saying, "You know, if you want, we can look up where he's being held; maybe you could talk to him, if you think that'll make you feel any better."

"How would that make me feel better?" I questioned. "More importantly, how are you dealing with all of this?"

The human sighed, looking down at her plate. "Not that great, obviously. This whole situation sucks, but at the end of the day they're still enemy soldiers. Yeah, I know it's fucked up, but they're literally planning to wipe us out; it's them or us." She said grimly.

"How very pragmatic of you, Corporal. Regardless of the morality of the situation in a life-or-death scenario, a hostile is a hostile." Loki's voice rang out through my skulls, causing my four heads to swivel from side to side involuntarily, trying to pinpoint his location.

Ever since the AI had found out he could infiltrate the federation translator implants, he was having the time of his life doing the same with the human-designed ones we were given.

Judging by Samantha's sour expression, I could tell she heard him too. "How long have you been listening in on us?" she hissed.

"I plead the fifth"

"You don't have rights," I countered.

"Very well then, I started eavesdropping around the time you started talking about the messed-up practice of sending children into battle. Anyways, Cal'os, I have one or two questions for you."

"By all means, I could use some distraction."

"Wonderful, for starters, do you still have any of those pickled liarleafs you smuggled aboard, because if so I'd like to send a serving to Zarn's room."

"I...Yes, but why would you do that?" I asked, genuinely wondering if the doctor that had tortured a venlil just for associating with a human had suddenly begun eating planimals without issue.

"I want to see how many planimals I can trick him into eating before he catches on."

Ah, that made more sense. Not a whole lot more, but still more.

"Alright, but again, why?"

"Because A, I would like to show Dr. Zarn that his worldview is unrealistically simplistic and that you shouldn't tie concepts of good and evil to natural diet, and B, I'm a little bored."

"...you're bored?"

"Yes, there's very little for this instance of me to do beyond being a messenger; however, current orders forbid me from hibernating." The AGI said matter-of-factly. " On to my second question, one of the high-profile prisoners named Recel wants to talk to you."

"Why would he want to talk to me?"

"Well, not you specifically, just any Ur'nu, and I know he has some questions, but that's all he told me. He's been very cagey about it. I have to say I'm a little wounded; I thought I was making such good progress with him." The machine said with mock sadness dripping from his voice.

"I don't even want to know what you consider good progress," Samantha sighed.

"More importantly, why do you think it's a good idea to have the guy who helped abduct him come and talk to him?" I asked.

"Because my good friend, you are one of three Ur'nu on the ship, and you're the one who isn't sleeping after a 20-hour shift or helping on the bridge. I understand that things may be somewhat awkward between you two, but the kid can't exactly be picky now, can he?"

I took a bite of my food, thinking it over. I didn't exactly have anything planned, barring spending more time brooding, so after a moment of consideration I said, "Fine, just let me finish lunch first. Tell him I'll be right there."

"Wonderful, and bout those pickled liarleaves?" The machine's voice echoed in my head.

"Sure, take 'em"

"Thank you kindly," He said, sounding giddy like a kid on Christmas morning before leaving my head.

Fast-forwarding transcript [30 minutes]

After taking about half an hour to finish my food and catch up to Samantha, I made my way to Recel's cell. I found the Kolshian in question quietly sitting on his bed, just staring ahead without making a sound.

"Hey kid, you wanted to talk to me?" I asked, cautiously entering the cell.

Recel turned his head slightly so one eye was locked onto me. "It's you." He said simply.

I shrugged awkwardly. "I mean, if you'd like to talk to someone else, you're going to have to wait a bit. I know you probably don't have the best opinion of me, but there aren't a lot of Ur'nu on board, sooo..."

"N...no, it's it's fine. I...I just have some questions for you. If you don't mind," he said, seemingly feeling just as awkward as me.

I walked further into the room, crouching opposite him. "Shoot," I started before correcting myself. "Erm, I mean, what did you want to ask?"

He hesitated before asking, "How did the Ur'nu and humans first meet?"

"Well, I'm not a historian, but from what I recall, we first met when we sent a colony ship to colonise Earth." I began and was immediately interrupted.

"Y...you tried to colonize their homeworld!" The Kolshian hissed in alarm.

"Obviously, we didn't know Earth was taken," I said defensively. "I mean, sure, there were signs of life, but we'd detected similar things before, and there was always a more rational explanation. Anyways, when we reached the outskirts of the solar system, it became pretty obvious we weren't alone and that all the easily available celestial bodies were already spoken for. After the initial shock wore off, people from both sides began to try and communicate. Our AGI and theirs were pretty instrumental for setting up the translation software; they were kind of the ambassadors between our species for a while."

"Do you mean something like Loki was working as an ambassador for the humans?" Recel asked, sounding equal parts uncertain and incredulous.

I chuckled a little at the comment. "Most human AGIs aren't anything like Loki; he was just born during... a darker, more volatile period for the humans. In many ways, he's a reflection of that time."

Recel just muttered, "I see," before falling quiet again. When he finally spoke again, he sounded even more unsure, "And how did the humans react when they first... saw you?"

"Pretty well, all things considered. Some of them were freaking out, others couldn't wait to meet us in person, and a small number thought we didn't exist, but overall, our first interactions were pretty positive." I said, sighing a little at the Kolshians' dumbfounded expression, "Not the answer you were expecting, huh?"

"I... not really," He muttered. "And... you really live among them."

"Sure do. Of course, we have our own settlements, but it's impossible to live in Sol without being surrounded by humans most of the time."

"And no one ever gets... you know...?"

"We're not hunted, Recel," I reassured him. "Neither are the venlil, for that matter."

The kolshian fell silent again at that, staring at the floor. Seemingly deep in thought. After about 5 minutes of just sitting there in uncomfortable silence, he decided to speak again, "Could I ask you something else?"

"Sure"

"What are... snakes?" He asked, struggling to pronounce the human word.

How does he even know about those? I couldn't help myself from thinking before I answered, "They're long, limeless reptiles on Earth that mostly eat rodents and small birds." I said, unsure of what he was getting at.

"A...and where are their eyes?" He asked nervously.

"Uhm... On... their heads?" I said, still not fully understanding what he wanted to know.

"I...yes, of course, but where on their head?" He clarified, some of his uncertainty being replaced by exasperation.

Ooooh... right, I thought as I remembered our briefing on federation beliefs. "On the sides of their head, they're a carnivorous species with eyes facing sideways," I confirmed.

That clearly wasn't the answer he was expecting, as he stuttered a few times before saying, "Bu... but how?"

I bobbed one of my heads in a shrug. "No clue; I'm not a biologist. It's pretty common on Earth and armtis for omnivores and some full carnivores to have sideways-facing eyes, though. Now if you don't mind me asking, how do you even know about snakes?"

"Loki's been telling me things," he answered, though judging by the thousand-yard stare he was giving me, I doubted that he was actually paying a lot of attention. After another long silence, he finally focused on me again; he didn't say anything, though; he just seemed to be examining me. His pupils darted between my four heads, searching for something. Then, for just a split second, his eyes widened slightly, as if he realised something before he broke eye contact again.

I waited another minute for him to continue the conversation, but eventually asked, "Was... there something else you wanted to ask me, kid?"

"No," The Kolshian muttered, looking at me again, "I...I think that's everything. Thank you for humoring me... I'm... I'm sorry things turned out like this." He continued, before falling silent once more. With that, I slowly got up and quietly made my exit. Leaving the Kolshian alone with his thoughts.

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