The Nature of Predators 2-86

A/N - Apologies for the day’s delay and a bit of a shorter chapter, I’m unfortunately sick. Wanted to be sure I got something to you guys! Going to push each chapter this week back by one day, just because posting 3 days in a row (Tuesday-Thursday) would be a bit too much. Won’t leave the typical note at the bottom, but I hope you guys enjoy some speculation about the findings at the end—and thanks for reading and supporting!

Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Alien Liaison

Date [standardized human time]: February 14, 2161

Finding the ghost Farsul’s headquarters might be the thread that would unify Ivrana. The Tseia, in their jaded mindsets, were shocked that the United Nations’ intelligence had been able to produce the location of the Starlight Incident aggressors; the nomads would finally be able to go after the secretive outfit that had sought our eradication a century ago. There might be secrets that we could uncover here which would allow us to unravel the entire organization. While the Sapient Coalition was busy prodding at the Tevin and Drezjin systems, clobbering border outposts and tag-teaming small ship clusters, Bissems focused our effort on this raid.

General Naltor was remotely overseeing our ground forces, which were joining the human-led raid; the plan was to scour the entire station for information, much like the landing on the mainstream Farsul’s archives. If the extremists carried on Talsk’s traditions like Loxsel suggested, then it would be enlightening to see the data they had on Bissems—as well as what other predator species had been their victims. There might also be information about how long they’d been stashing their secret fleet among the Federation remnants, and how they managed to create so many ships. It was beyond the capacity of the Kolshian shadow fleet!

It would be nice to have the aliens that outright sought to wipe us from existence taken out of the picture, especially when we see how large their extermination fleet has grown since. It wouldn’t be a single scout coming for Alsh next time. 

“Good day to you, my Bissem friends. I hope you’re excited to actualize the justice that I know has weighed on your minds.” Elias Meier approached our balcony, finding a warm welcome even from Zalk after he’d personally forwarded the ghost Farsul’s location so Bissems could have a crack at them. “Elias didn’t live to see the initial Archives raid. It would’ve astonished him to learn what was done to the Venlil. He viewed them with the utmost fondness, much as I regard you.”

I gave him a curious look. “Elias, why are you speaking about your memories in the third person?”

“That’s a long answer, Tassi, but…I don’t want to be just a brain scan. If you could call me Adam from now on, it would mean a lot for you to recognize me as an independent being. I’d like to be acknowledged for what I’ve done in this new existence, not forever chained to a fallen leader. Elias didn’t choose to be reborn. I want to live, but I…want to honor his choice too.”

“Adam it is. It might take me a bit to remember, so bear with me. I hope Naltor and Zalk will respect your wishes as well; you more than deserve that courtesy.”

“Damned straight. We’ll call you whatever you like, since you’re the only one who does shit for us,” Naltor sighed. “I’ve always tried to protect Tassi. I’m glad you coached and guided her, because I’m not very fucking good at mentorship.”

“Nonsense,” the digitized human responded. “I encouraged her to keep the flame lit, even as a downpour tried to put it out. Tassi just needed a touch of hope to serve as tinderwood. I would’ve never allowed a friend—and a civilian—to be bullied in such a manner, and it hasn’t gone unpunished.”

That remark caused my beak to snap toward him with interest. “What?”

“Jones was forced to…hand in her resignation over what she did to you. I’m a man of my word. I also conveniently discovered that Dustin Curtis was relocated to an off-the-grid xenobiology project, allegedly to save Ivrana. I thought you should know the truth; he wasn’t hurt or coerced. By the sound of it, Nulia and Haliska were coerced, though I only know that through insinuation.”

I took a moment to soak all of that in, and found a little more sense in why the two aliens I’d thought were my friends were so keen to pressure and guilt me into ruining my life. Even Dustin had run off willingly, however noble his cause was. The trust issues I felt toward aliens were the strongest of all toward the first contact team, after every one of them had let me down and betrayed me. I could forgive my nerdy Terran friend for being swayed by a sense of heroism, especially if it was under false pretenses. Haliska and Nulia knew what they were doing, and went against the stated purpose of the UN’s mission to aid Jones. 

Adam was the only friend who’d looked out for Bissems, and been unwavering in his promises to make things right. He’d given us information that wasn’t beneficial to humanity, and ousted the corrupt elements from his clandestine services. If there was one person in the galaxy who shared my goal to make things better—with complete and utter conviction—it was him. He’d said this chosen name was about the acknowledgment of what he’d done in synthetic form, and I could see how he’d pushed for improvement; Adam Meier campaigned for the Sapient Coalition to uphold its own values and to stand united. It was beyond admirable.

That’s the kind of leader I would follow despite the threat of certain death, and would do anything for. It’s what I hoped for from aliens in the beginning, to be better and to be enlightened; to show us an example of superior conduct and morality!

“If I ever doubted your sincerity, Adam, I don’t anymore.” I grabbed his hand with a flipper, and squeezed the rubbery skin with a firm grasp. “Whatever your feelings about yourself, humanity made the right decision about bringing you back. They need you. We need you. You’re the ideal we all look up to.”

The synthetic human shook his head. “I shouldn’t be. I’m glad I could help, but they don’t need me to know right from wrong. There are other good people who need to take charge and bring about the future they want to see.”

“A sickening optimism and belief in individual goodness. This is worse than Dustin,” Zalk complained.

“Thank you. I strive never to give up, and I’ll choose to take any acknowledgment of that as a compliment.”

“Impossible to discourage. This one never lets you see him falter,” Naltor snickered. “Well, Adam, you’re welcome to stay with us. Bissem forces have just touched down on the Farsul station. Unlike what happened with your Archives raid, the ghosts don’t seem keen on going quietly. They don’t have any docile abducted humans to make them partial to you.”

I turned my attention toward the feed from the ground. There was a great deal of curiosity and apprehension from the Sapient Coalition assembly, after we’d witnessed the covert power the extremists held. We were all unified today in seeking any knowledge that could lead to their downfall, but that hinged on whether we could get to their servers before they went scorched earth. From the chatter we’d overheard, the rogue Farsul were backtracking to initiate the self-destruct sequence and prevent us from gaining anything. Taking our soldiers out with them was a bonus.

The Farsul archivists were shooting at the invading army to buy time, not wanting us to comb through their data; they weren’t foolish enough to believe the “predators” would be on the side of their own elimination. Dirty traps and explosives were scattered throughout the pathways, forcing a cautious approach on our part. I could hear arguments from several representatives that it wasn’t worth the risk to gather computer data, and just to let them go up in a flaming act of self-destruction if they wished. However, we knew from Loxsel that they held even more thorough records than the Archives.

Humanity understands what I grasp—if we don’t get to the data, that could be a piece of a species’ history and identity that’s lost forever. That’s worth booking it and uploading as much as we can, before the enemy blows up priceless intel. 

I watched the Terrans stalk through at the helm, their long legs suitable for slinking through corridors; it was as if the indoor battleground was their natural environment. I wagered these were the kind of displays that still tickled something deep inside the prey species, as the humans fell into rituals of war with ease. The task and the time were restrictive, but determined primates were a nigh unstoppable force. Armor-piercing bullets ripped through the archivists, who clearly weren’t trained soldiers themselves. The UN forces charged at the helm, while Bissems covered their brazen advance toward the server room. 

Other SC ground forces attempted to cut off the Farsul scrambling to reach escape pods, before the station detonated. The extremists were unwilling to be taken alive, however, succumbing only with a gun in their paws. I studied the Bissem soldiers, and wondered how they felt to be on the cusp of completing an age-old quest for answers about Ivrana’s history. This was my species’ first ground engagement in our interstellar history. Those infantrymen must be shaken, fighting far away from our planets’ shores alongside the surgical humans. All in all, we were supporting the primates in dutiful fashion.

Secretary-General Osmani stood, as the camera feed showed humanity soldiers busting down a sealed vault door with explosive charges…and a few powerful leg kicks when it wasn’t fully off its hinges. “We’ve made it to their computer storage room! We’ll set a data transfer in progress, then get our men out of there. Whatever’s scraped off of their servers, we’ll be able to see it live; FTL comms will make our knowledge near instantaneous.”

“Can you locate the information on the Starlight Incident?” Zalk shouted, without hesitation. 

“Humanity understands the importance to Bissemkind. Depending how much data is available, it could take some time to sort through. However, your people are receiving these files at the same time, so you’ll be able to look for anything you wish for. I hope that you will have your answers shortly.”

“Fine. We waited a hundred years, so I guess it doesn’t make much difference to drag this on for a few more eons,” the Tseia general grumbled. “Carry on.”

I watched as the soldiers backpedaled for the door, with Bissems waiting for the humans in valiant fashion—despite the fact that our locomotion was much slower than theirs. We worked well in tandem with the Terrans, which I thought was a good omen for future cooperation. There was no telling how long the ticking timer was on the base, so every second mattered to get our forces off of the station. The Sapient Coalition had landed with several shuttles, and could take off just the same. The force securing the hangar bay got the idea to take the escape pods; that way, the Farsul couldn’t utilize them, and we’d be able to inspect those ships for intel.

Cheers spread throughout the auditorium, as the last soldiers scurried onto a shuttle; human forces stayed behind until the last ally was aboard, risking their own lives in kind. It was the spirit of no warrior left behind that, again, made me appreciate the noble side of military life that Naltor found beauty in. Mostly, I was just relieved that we’d gotten our people off in one piece, and been able to get to their servers. I turned to look at Adam, but noticed that his expression was still grim and nervous. The synthetic Terran trusted his forces’ efficiency, and had rather been worried about what we might find in the servers. His unblinking eyes watched the files loading in.

“Adam?” I questioned.

The digital mind pursed his lips. “I’m seeing some Bissem files coming in. Rather organized, which should make your job easier. The problem is, there’s a lot more files that are still decrypting. Some names I don’t recognize, which likely are species they annihilated, and also…”

“Spit it out,” Naltor insisted.

“Some that I do recognize. That right there? That says Krev. I’d like to know immediately, for the sake of us all, just what the ghost Farsul know about the Consortium.”

A few of the other representatives had caught onto what the newly loaded data said, and murmured amongst themselves as they considered the possibilities. The Krev Consortium had hidden themselves away with the intention of escaping the Federation’s notice, according to everything that we knew about them. Needless to say, it came as a great surprise to see that the Farsul archivists had quite the treasure trove of information on the green-scaled, primate-loving mammals.