The Nature of Predators

Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command

Date [standardized human time]: October 20, 2136

The feeling of teeth in my shoulder produced a sharp pain. The joint was about ripped from the socket, as I was dragged across the asphalt. I wriggled in the predator’s jaws, punching its snout to release its grip. The stabbing of my long claws drew blood, and it tossed me onto the ground with a shake of its head. My body slammed against our metallic shuttle; all I could see was stars.

The pounding of my heart was a nauseating experience. This must be what my family felt as they were toyed with, before being turned into a screaming meal. I couldn’t give these Arxur cattle fiends the satisfaction of screaming or crying. Maybe it was worth some sort of plea, to get them to spare the Harchen.

The sole option that crossed my mind was to invoke the humans. They were the only ones the grays had a remote respect for. If the primates had directed the Arxur Dominion to this vulnerable civilian populace, perhaps they would abandon anything the Terrans allegedly claimed.

“S-stop!” I squealed. “I’m a human slave, on a mission to expose t-the Federation’s lies. When they killed your c-cattle like you say…they w-want…want to get t-the details for you!”

To my amazement, the gray paused in its stalking position. “The humans did claim the Gojid homeworld, and we recognized their stake. I can smell them on your fur. But where are our fellow predators, if you’re their property? They wouldn’t set you free.”

“T-they have my family,” I sobbed, with fake despondency. “I’ll do whatever they want…even if it’s harmful to the Federation!”

Confusion flashed in Cilany’s eyes. The Harchen reporter knew my family was long-deceased, so that lie wouldn’t fool her. I didn’t understand why the prey reptiles hadn’t made a run for it yet. There were no good options, but stalling the Arxur gave them a small window of escape.

The bloodied predator flashed a snarl. “Clever. But why are you on this world? With those who attacked Earth?”

“These Harchen are p-priority assets for the humans. I don’t ask questions…but I’m s-sure it’s for a good reason. Let us leave, please.”

The grays conferred for a moment, and inspected a smoking section of the shuttle hood. I couldn’t believe they were listening to any of my bullshit. There was a brief flicker of hope, that we might fall under Terran immunity. Plopping myself upright, I nursed the wounded arm with a ginger touch.

Talking to them is revolting, but the Arxur just confirmed that this assault is retaliation for Earth. Cilany was right. What have the humans done?!

“We’ll let you leave as a token of good faith, slave. We mangled your engine though, so you’ll need to find another way off world,” the Arxur spokes-monster decided. “But the Harchen stay. I think you are disobeying your orders, to save our enemies.”

The prey reptiles scampered back into the stairwell, only to find themselves blocked by a laughing gray. A single beast must’ve landed on the roof, cutting off any escape. They intended to flush the Harchen out into the street, one way or another. My eyes widened in horror, as the grays herded them into a cage.

“Stop! T-the humans want these four as media tools, really,” I pleaded.

The vicious predator snorted. “The humans want all of them dead. On that matter, it just so happens our interests align.”

I wondered whether the Terrans would enjoy the sight of the panicked Harchen reporters, sealed together in a degrading heap. My imprisoners would despise this raid, wouldn’t they? The cage door slammed shut, and the Arxur gestured for me to scurry off. It would be easy to save myself, but I couldn’t watch cattle be hauled away.

My gaze darted over to my gun, which had fallen into the dirt. Odds were, I could only get off a shot or two, before the grays mowed me down with prejudice. I had to try something to rescue these Harchen, no matter how suicidal. It was a matter of waiting for the Arxur to lose focus, and accepting that I was about to die.

“Is there a problem?” a throaty snarl echoed from my right.

Carlos stomped across the road, clad head-to-toe in protective pelts. A flashlight was mounted to his helmet, and his binocular eyes hid behind a glass visor. A massive gun rested across his muscular forearm. I was never so elated to see a flesh-eating predator in my life.

But what the hell is my guard doing here? I don’t even know that he won’t leave the Harchen to their fate. Or worse, laugh about it.

The human stopped a few paces from the Arxur posse, and crossed his arms in a formidable stance. The talkative gray, who must be the unit leader, sized up the omnivore. It narrowed its eyes with blazing ferocity, challenging Carlos’ will. I didn’t know how the UN soldier faced that stare.

The reptilian predator bared its fangs. “Your slave wants to help these Harchen escape. It is using its subjugation as a cover, claiming this is done on your orders.”

Carlos’ pupils flicked to the cramped cage. “You heard Sovlin and his true orders correctly; he’s an obedient servant. We want to send a message to the Federation, and these are the right individuals for the job. Simple.”

A relieved sigh escaped my lips. I was grateful that the human backed me up, after I deviated our flight path to recruit Terran enemies. He might take these Harchen prisoner or even execute them, but he wouldn’t eat them. His kind wasn’t like the grays. At worst, I could reason with him, and make sense of the questionable things he might do.

“Why can’t you find another ‘pet?’” the gray hissed. “We did all the work, and we claimed this batch. These prey are of no particular importance…no different than thousands like them, with the same qualifications!”

Carlos shuffled closer. “Our personnel selections are made off of data, simulations, and the best strategic minds on Earth. Are you questioning our judgment?!”

“Yes. I am.”

“Say it again, you fucking coward!”

“I am questioning the judgment of weak, naïve primitives. You haven’t a clue what you’re doing, or what it means to survive in this galaxy!”

The human rose up on his toes, and pressed his slender nose inches from the Arxur’s maw. The gray straightened, as Carlos tried to match its height. It breathed a deafening snarl at the UN soldier, but he wouldn’t back down. Defiance glowed in the primate’s eyes, despite being outclassed.

“I could snap your puny neck with a single bite!” the Arxur roared.

Carlos jabbed his gun barrel into its stomach. “And I could blow your intestines apart, with a single finger. But we’re on the same side, so why don’t we work this out another way?”

“Hmmph. A contest of strength. You fight me one-on-one, without those overcompensating weapons of yours. If you win, you can have these Harchen.”

“I’m game, if you’ll agree not to bite. Unless you think you’re too weak to fight without…overcompensating fangs?”

“Oh, let’s do this. I’m going to beat the snot out of you, human!”

The Terran soldier backed away, and tucked his rifle off to the side. He raised his clawless paws in front of his face, forming white-knuckled fists. What was to stop the gray from executing him, now that he was disarmed? Luckily for Carlos, it was itching to release its aggression.

The Arxur lunged at the human with a blunt swipe, which was barely dodged. It lashed out with a tail sweep, knocking the guard off his feet. The monster whirled around with quick jabs, which the primate blocked with an elbow. Carlos rolled out of the way, and scrambled back to a standing position. He looked slow and toothless compared to the reptilian, not managing a single swing of his own.

Carlos scurried backward, and tried to deflect the oncoming barrage. Sweat glistened on his olive skin; tears showed in his artificial pelts. The Arxur aimed a jab at his abdomen, but the human danced away on nimble feet. While he was focused on the claws, it swung its snout at him with force. The truncated maw nailed the guard right in the chest, and sent him flying backward.

The poor guy is getting his ass handed to him. Why did he think this was a good idea to negotiate? Damn humans and their aggression.

Carlos sucked in a wheezing breath, but hopped back to his paws. The gray charged at him once more, and the human pummeled it in the nostrils. It shrugged off the punch with a snort. The UN guard attempted to deliver a kick, but the reptilian caught his frail leg. It snickered as the human flailed, hopping on one leg.

“This isn’t even a fight.” The Arxur tugged the primate’s ankle, and knocked him onto his rump. It dragged him through the dirt for several paces. “We may treat you like equals, but you don’t make demands of us. You don’t intimidate anyone.”

Carlos kicked its clasped paw with his other leg, wriggling free. “You…haven’t…beaten…”

“Stay down, weakling. I’ve kicked the shit out of you. Know when to admit defeat; basic humility would do you good.”

The human began to rise, only to be nailed across the mouth by a tail lash. Crimson blood bubbled on his lip, and he spit the liquid into the dirt. He rolled onto his back, watching as the Arxur gloated in its victory. His hand darted to his head, wrenching the flashlight off his headgear. He shone it inches from its left pupil.

The Arxur shrieked as the brightness flooded its gaze, blinking. Carlos popped back up on wobbly legs, and staggered in grappling range. The human drove his knee into its stomach, before tackling it with all of his weight. He rolled off to the side, and wrapped an elbow around its neck. The gray struggled to break loose, but its oxygen supply was dwindling.

“Game, set, and match. Tap out,” Carlos gurgled.

The gray palmed at the human’s elbow with feeble swats, its hideous eyes bulging. Carlos released his grip with a toothy snarl. It coughed several times, caressing its throat. The creature struggled to get back to its feet, and the Terran helped it stand.

“You…cheated,” it sputtered. “No weapons.”

The UN guard shrugged. “I didn’t use a weapon. Just an illumination device.”

“You broke the spirit of our sparring, which is cheating to my eyes. You show little respect to your allies, and you’re lucky I like irreverence. Take the damn Harchen; it’s a whopping four cattle.”

The Arxur slunk off with narrowed gazes, as their leader hobbled away. True to their word, the demons left the Harchen’s cage behind. The relief that flooded my veins was indescribable, though my hammering heart wouldn’t pipe down. I raced over to the human, and flung my arms around him with choking sobs.

Carlos stiffened, and pulled my paws off him. “Uh, yeah. Don’t do that, man.”

“S-sorry. I’m just really grateful for your help,” I muttered. “What are you doing here?”

“Keeping an eye on you, obviously. We were concerned about your little pit stop, and followed you down here. I would appreciate if you’d not go around calling yourself a slave in the future.”

“It was improvisation. Can’t argue with results.”

“Speaking of improvisation, you put the whole mission at risk with this little stunt. The fuck were you thinking?!”

“It was supposed to be a brief, easy trip. I wanted someone I knew, a friend, on the team. I’ve dealt with enough people who hate me in recent weeks.”

“Whatever. Let’s get your friends out of there. Hope they understand we’re the only ride out. If they run off, I’m not going to stop the grays from nabbing them next time.”

The human unclasped the cage door, and watched as the Harchen tumbled out. Cilany inspected the predator with petrified eyes. Her comrades seemed repulsed by Carlos’ lumbering form too, squealing as they returned his stare. The journalists’ eyes darted to the side, as though they wanted to run.

“D-did you tell the Arxur to attack us?” Cilany blurted.

Carlos narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know; that’s above my clearance level. If we did, it was likely to deter your forces from attacking us. The UN wouldn’t want this to happen.”

I slumped my shoulders. “Not even people like Samantha? Wouldn’t she want the Harchen to feel the same losses as Earth?”

An indignant cough came from an abandoned vehicle behind us. Upon closer inspection, the female human was stretched out behind cover. A thin rifle barrel with a glass ornament was propped on the ground. She must’ve been monitoring the interaction the entire time, and watching Carlos’ back in case his confrontation went awry.

“I don’t believe people deserve to die for what they are. That’s the Federation,” she growled. “If an individual renounces their government, I’m sure Earth would welcome them with open arms. Now the ones responsible, complicit, or indifferent—”

Carlos cleared his throat. “We parked a few blocks away. Somewhere we wouldn’t be visible to the whole world, Sovlin. Stick close guys, and follow us.”

The human retraced his route with delicate bootsteps. His rifle was ready if any Arxur crawled out of the woodwork, and Samantha fell in at his side. The predator guards forged the path for the Harchen journalists, ignoring their hesitance. It was remarkable to see the vengeful primates, aiding a species that partook in the attack days prior.