spacepaladin15

The Nature of Predators 2-19

Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist

Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160

It 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, a...

The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (9/9)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Refugee

Date [standardized human time]: April 3, 2140

For all that happened in the days that followed my departure from Skalga (then called Venlil Prime), I couldn’t...

The Nature of Predators 2-18

Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist

Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160

There 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)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Refugee

Date [standardized human time]: October 17, 2136...

The Nature of Predators 2-17

Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist

Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160

With 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 g...

The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (7/9)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Refugee

Date [standardized human time]: October 4, 2136<...

The Nature of Predators 2-16

Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist

Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160

People 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 ...

The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (6/9)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Refugee

Date [standardized human time]: October 4, 2136<...

The Nature of Predators 2-15

Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist

Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160

I 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...

The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (5/9)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Refugee

Date [standardized human time]: October 3, 2136

Avoiding the predators, ...

The Nature of Predators 2-14

Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist

Date [standardized human time]: March 20, 2160

My 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 ...

The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (4/9)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Refugee

Date [standardized human time]: October 1, 2136

It was a lengthy...

The Nature of Predators 2-13

Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist

Date [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160

The 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 c...

The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (3/9)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Citizen

Date [standardized human time]: September 27, 2136

The Nature of Predators 2-12

Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist

Date [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160

It 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 th...

The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (2/9)

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Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Citizen

Date [standardized human time]: September 27, 2136

No one was prepared for the predators to fall from the sky, without the aid of any vehicle. When the images ca...

The Nature of Predators 2-11

Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist

Date [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160

There 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. Docto...

The Nature of Predators - Gojid Refugee (1/9)

Memory Transcription Subject: Talpin, Gojid Citizen

Date [standardized human time]: September 21, 2136

They 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,...

The Nature of Predators 2-10

Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist

Date [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160

The 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 ...

The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (10/10)

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The 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 ...

The Nature of Predators 2-9

Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist

Date [standardized human time]: March 17, 2160

After 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 sur...

The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (9/10)

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Whereas 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 crip...

The Nature of Predators 2-8

Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist

Date [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160

The 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...

The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (8/10)

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Elia 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 ...

The Nature of Predators 2-7

Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist

Date [standardized human time]: March 16, 2160

The 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 hyperventila...

The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (7/10)

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Teaching 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 individu...

The Nature of Predators 2-6

Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist

Date [standardized human time]: March 14, 2160

The 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 b...

The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (6/10)

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Why 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,...

The Nature of Predators 2-5

Memory Transcription Subject: Tassi, Bissem Scientist

Date [standardized human time]: March 13, 2160

When 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 Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (5/10)

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A 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 ...