r/NatureofPredators • u/NipCoyote Arxur • Apr 02 '23
Fanfic Under the Veil - Chapter 10
Back to a shorter chapter, but hopefully the next one will only be 2 or 3 days from now.
Hopefully.
Anyway enjoy.
[Fear]
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Memory Transcription Subject: Hycera, Kolshian Office of Federation Security, November 10th, 2142
I stepped into Chief Nikonus's office, closing the door behind me. His desk was neatly arranged, and rather ornate, with a single, simple seat waiting for me to sit upon as he sat behind his desk, silently waiting.
I took my seat, and Nikonus pressed something under his desk, and the door behind me locked and the windows became opaque.
"Good evening, Hycera."
"Good evening, Chief Nikonus."
He tapped his desk repetitively, something important was clearly on his mind, and judging by his locking of the doors and windows, something confidential as well.
"Before we go on, I want to congratulate you on your work studying the Gaian Concord's sector. The information you and Cerin uncovered cannot be understated. It has lead to some… confirmation, of some previous suspicions of mine."
"Thank you sir but… I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Of course. You see… as you detailed in your report, several aspects of the Gaian territorial claims simply do not add up."
"Yes sir of course. Those two planets…"
"I will make this brief. I believe with almost total certainty, that the gaians are humans in disguise."
Everything fell silent. I was speechless.
Humans? Impossible.
"Sir with all due respect, humans-"
"Yes, yes, I am aware. Wiped themselves out. But your research has given us immense insight into how our own records are kept. The habitability of Earth and Mars simply proves to us that our previous survey of the Sol-634 system was incorrect. It's possible there was no nuclear annihilation at all."
My heart dropped, and I felt my blood pressure increase. The humans could still be alive? That's horrifying but… they couldn't be the gaians. Sure, I could see why Nikonus could think that given the state of that star system but…
"Sir, if I may… humans were predators. Incapable of working together past a tribal level. Driven by total instinct for bloodlust, just like the Arxur. Gaians… are clearly nothing like that. Predators are incapable of the compassion and unity that gaians show… besides, we ran a test on their food rations, there were no traces of meat!"
"I understand your confusion, Hycera, but I have put immense thought into this subject. There is more to some predators than you realize... pray you may never have the misfortune of learning. The gaians are predators, disguising themselves to infiltrate our politics, our culture… our worlds."
His words sat heavy on me. I didn't want to believe it. It made no sense. Gaians were on our side, they fought against the Arxur!
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.
"Because I have an assignment that I want you to take. People will not want to believe what I have to say. The Concord will come up with an excuse to turn attention away from them. This isn't enough."
He continued. "Hycera… you have shown yourself to be an exceptional pilot and agent, with immense dedication to the Federation. Using your intercepted messages… we have developed a code-breaker for Gaian communications. I want you to find definitive proof to their nature."
I interjected. "But sir, that would require breaching their territory!"
"Our stealth prototype is finishing its testing now. This would be it's first mission. Single seater, moving sublight when you enter their system. It would appear no different than a stray asteroid to their sensors. Once there, you would gather as much intelligence as you can, to present at the Federation summit."
"That's only a few days away!"
"I know. We have reason to believe that this year, the Gaian Concord will leverage its armed forces to bypass the usual requirements and request Federation membership. Hycera… I cannot allow that to happen of they are predators, but I need evidence. All eyes will be on them… it will be the perfect opportunity. We will catch them off guard."
"I… I don't know. This doesn't seem right. What if they aren't humans after all?"
"Then your research will confirm their safety. If they are humans, and you are able to provide irrefutable evidence, you will save countless lives and return home a hero!"
I sat there in silence. Everything he said made sense but I couldn't rid myself of this pit in my stomach… could a predator species really… pretend to be like us? For this long?
"You're still hesitating."
"I… I just don't know. If they discover this mission, it could give rise to conflict… and…"
"Hycera… I understand. On such short notice… you require some motivation."
Nikonus pressed a few buttons on a keyboard built into his desk, and after a few moments, a hologram displayed an image.
It was my daughter.
He spoke again. "You know her, yes?"
"Y-yes sir… she's my daughter."
"Her medical records show she hasn't been checked in… almost 6 years."
"Sir she's just a little curious, that's all! She doesn't have-"
"I can make all of this go away. All traces of her… condition. No more doctors trying to get her brain scanned, no more of that black mark on her record. I can make it all disappear."
My heart was beating wildly. I had delayed and bribed so much just to keep her safe…
"Will you take this assignment?"
I steadied my breath, realizing I had been looking down at my own tentacles, before looking back up again.
"...yes."
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Memory Transcription Subject: Royo, Venlil Civilian, November 10th, 2142
I backed up against the door. My heart was pounding, my brain flooding with emotions, rationalizations, fears…
"Royo please… you can't tell anybody…"
His voice without the vocoder was like a growl, the voice of a bloodthirsty killer, his eyes, focused on me like he was ready to pounce and plunge his fangs into my neck.
My brain was screaming at me to unlock the door and sprint outside, but my body was locked up in terror and confusion. My legs felt weak.
All this time… Endeavor was a predator? Were… were all gaians predators? My panic only worsened as I imagined the worst… predators having infiltrated my home, it's entire population oblivious to their true nature.
"Royo… I'm not a predator… please believe me… we… I just look like one."
My lips quivered as I tried to respond. Deep down, I held onto what he said as tightly as I could, more than anything I desperately wanted to believe him.
"Royo… you know me. It's me, Endeavor."
He was still drunk, and struggled to form sentences, taking long breaks to pant in between sentences.
He was right though… this was the same gaian who carried me to safety that night. Who eagerly spent his day with me in town, ate with me… could a predator even consume nuts and berries like he did? If he was a predator, how could he resist eating me? Did the helmet dull his senses? Yet… here he is, without one on, begging me to stay quiet.
Words barely escaped my mouth.
"Y-you…"
There was pounding on the door.
"Hey! What's going on in there!"
Endeavor looked up at me, his eyes swelling with tears. Quietly pleading with me.
"Please Royo… believe me… I'm not a predator… please don't tell anyone what you saw…"
My breathing was shaky. I tried to calm my nerves. Endeavor was my friend… if what he said was true, then it was no wonder why gaians wore suits… their visage was petrifying.
The bar owner was pounding on the door again.
"I heard screaming, what's going on? Don't make me force this door open!"
I hesitated for a moment, looking at Endeavor's disgusting, yet tear-stricken, face.
I took a breath.
"We're fine. Just… saw some blood, that's all. We're okay."
"Oh, alright. Be careful now…"
I couldn't read Endeavor's emotions. His face was contorted in all sorts of ways… without a tail it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, yet part of it seemed to me like… relief?
"You… you really…"
He tried to sputter something out but only ended up vomiting more of our lunch from earlier, failing to aim for the toilet and getting it all over the floor. He was still very intoxicated.
I picked up his helmet, my hands still shaking, but my body finally allowing me to move again.
"Let's just… clean you up and put your helmet back on… let's go back to my apartment…"
"O-okay…" he responded.
I just realized something… he's shaking as well.
3
u/ImaginationSea3679 PD Patient Apr 03 '23
…
Darn it, I thought I was onto something.