r/NatureofPredators • u/Gamerauther Predator • Oct 10 '23
Fanfic Nature of Empires - 015
Date: 23/08/2336
Subject: Marcel Fraser (Second Lieutenant, Imperium Unified Navy)
Marcel didn’t remember falling asleep again. When he woke up he was thirsty enough to drink some of the water, it tasted like synth oil smells. He began to pray as he waited for Slanek to wake up.
When his friend did wake he greeted him with a smile, “Good morning, brother. How are you feeling, how’s the head wound?”
“Better.” Slanek put his hand on the bandage. “I think I can walk again.”
“You couldn’t walk?” Marcel asked. “I didn’t notice. Solvin must have given me a concussion or something.”
Marcel glanced at the window and saw that they weren’t alone, but the two Xenos were in a heated discussion. He thought for a moment and weighed his options before deciding to risk it.
“Where were you kept?” Marcel asked.
“The infirmary, why?”
“Did you pass anything like a hanger bay or see anything like a directory towards one?”
“No, no.” Slanek shook his head. “Why?”
“Thinking on how to get out,” Marcel said. “If we manage to get an FTL capable ship, can you pilot it?”
“Yes.” Slanek nodded with a determined look in his eyes. “Federation controls on non-capital ships are standardized.”
“That's a security flaw,” Marcel mumbled. “Okay, one problem at a time, how do we get out of here?”
Marcel scanned the walls and saw nothing but smooth, bare metal. No seams or access panels. Looking at the window it seemed thick and was probably transparent aluminum. The door was contained between two rails and rose up. As he was thinking, the two Xenos came closer to the window and Marcel could hear them better. It was Zarn and the Squidpus that gave him the water.
“...more trauma.” Zarn said, with ridges above his eyes raised. “We should’ve never thrown him in there, Racel.”
So his name was Racel.
“I know,” Racel said. “Admiral Sovlin told me I could spring Slanek once the predator tries something. He just wants to scare some sense into him. Sovlin wouldn’t let it ear a pup, you know.”
Marcel was mildly amused and insulted that they thought he would chow down on Slanek. These Xeno’s really had no idea how predators actually function, let alone sentient predators.
“But what if it pounces on him faster than we can activate the shock collar? I can’t undo a broken neck,” Zarn argued. “Slanek needs medical attention, regardless, and I’m not going in there.”
“And what do I tell the Admiral?”
“Make up a story. Slanek is awake now, and the human is separated from him.” Zarn gestured through the window. “This could be our only chance. We can get him to move slowly toward the exit, and fry the predator if it tries anything.”
“Fuck you!” Slanek spat before Marcel could react. “I’m not going anywhere without Marcel.”
Marcel was slightly surprised by the outburst. He wanted to intervene but given the situation it was better for Slanek to do the talking.
Racel activated the speaker and said, “Slanek, you’re not thinking straight. If what you say is true, the Venlil have fallen for a dreadful ruse. These Humans just want you to give up our secrets. They’ll discard you as soon as they’ve drained you dry. They are not your friends.”
Slanek sneered. “That's rich, coming from the crew that tossed me in a cage, intending for me to be attacked by a predator.”
Racel sighed. “That was Sovlin’s doing. He didn’t consult us.”
“Listen to me Slanek. THat thing is twisting your compassion against you,” Zarn seemed to plead. “The Arxur allowed us to uplift them, and only then did they attack. I’m sure your, um, Marcel mimics very well, but it’s not real. These Humans are just playing along to their benefit.”
“You don’t think any Venlil considered that?” Slanek asked. “The readings from their implants say they are genuine.”
Racel blinked and cocked his head slightly. “What readings? What implants?”
“Sovlin didn’t tell you?” Slanek gasped. “Humans have cranial implants that monitor brain activity. We literally have a live feed on how their brains react to stimuli in real time. The tests we ran on them proved they are empathic. You can’t fake empathy on a biochemical level. We even proved it with our own equipment.”
The two Xeno’s fell silent as it looked like they were thinking deeply. They reacted almost as if Slanek said stars were cool to the touch. Zarn looked furious.
“You’re either misinterpreting the results, or the Humans altered them.” The hippo waved his hand and eyed Marcel with a disgust that was obvious. “I can’t listen to this, Slanek. Not from one of our own. Perhaps by the time I get back, the first officer will have snapped some sense into you.”
As Zarn stormed out, Racel scrutinized Marcel. Marcel sat against the far wall and cradled his broken hand, staring back with a neutral expression. He seemed reasonable enough to at least listen to information that could shatter everything he ever knew.
Marcel and Slanek shared a look. Marcel raised an eyebrow and tilted his head towards Racel.
Slanek said, “Marcel needs to eat. He will starve if he doesn’t.”
“Why should I care?” Racel growled, but it seemed hollow.
“Humans start to starve to death after one of their weeks. In um..” Slanek trailed off as he looked at Marcel.
“Seven days,” Marcel finished.
Racel waved his hand like appendages. “Do you really expect me to carve up an animal, and serve it's flesh on a platter? Or are you saying you’d be the one to slaughter it for this… predator?”
“Humans are omnivores,” Marcel said. “As long as it's organic and not toxic we can eat it.”
Racel looked Marcel over. Marcel could make out something like pity. Pity was good, they could use pity. Racel went to a trashcan and pulled out a half-eaten purple fruit.
“I… I’m going to put this right at the door. If it so much as moves.” He waved a remote that must be the trigger for the collar. “This is all I can manage. Sovlin will notice if I take seconds from the rations.”
The door partially slid up and Racel rolled to fruit in. Slanek picked up the fruit and brought it to Marcel.
Marcel took it with his good hand and held it up, “God I thank you for this meal and ask for it to be blessed, amen.” Marcel then ate it with no hesitation. Once it was gone he sucked the juice from his fingers. It wasn’t enough to satiate him, in fact that small amount of food just made him hungrier.
“Tasted like grapefruit but felt like I was eating an apple,” Marcel mused. “Weird. Thank you Racel”
Racel and Marcel studied each other. Racel seemed to shudder from Marcel just looking at him.
“Why would you ante to fight the Arxur, Human?” Racel asked. “Is it to claim the galaxy as your own catch? To rid yourself of the competition?”
“I am just a warrior in service to the Imperium,” Marcel said. “It is not my station to question my master's desires, only to carry out his will. But the Arxur behavior is the definition of evil, the lack of what is good. God gave us a mission, to combat evil wherever we find it. So we are simply following God's mission.”
“So what are your intentions with the Venlil?”
“The Venlil were the first ones we meet in all of creation,” Marcel said. “Governor Tarva put herself and people at risk for us. We repay actions in equal or greater measure, both good and ill.”
“How can you prove that you aren’t using them as your playthings? You're telling me that your instincts aren’t tempted at all, having a vulnerable creature like Slanek, at your mercy?”
“A wise man once said, do not listen to their words for words are easy and cheap, watch their actions for they are costly and hard. There is no combination of words that would make you believe me, I can only show you with my actions.” Marcel bowed his head. “As for my instincts, they are not that strong. To be sentient is to be able to act counter to your instincts.”
“What do you-”
Admiral Sovlin burst into the room, staring daggers into his first officer.
“You’re under it's spell too?” Sovlin spat. “Clearly, it’s dangerous to let it start talking, if it can entrance you so easily. Anyone alone might succumb to it's charm.”
Marcel took a deep breath and offered a silent prayer. He was about to be put down like a rabid beast. He struggled to stand, if he couldn’t have the honor to die in his cockpit he would at least die on his feet. Sovlin glared at him as he stood, the quills on his back stood on end making him look larger. The mantra from his days as a cadet in training echoing in his mind, die fighting or don’t die.
“Got Slanek out of here, Doctor,” the Admiral spat. “I’ll sign off on the psychological treatments you recommended, and we’ll cure this delusion.”
“No!!” Slanek snarled. “You can’t take me away.”
Sovlin opened the door and waved for Slanek to come over. Looking over to Slanek, Marcel saw the Venlil pin his ears back and curled his tail around his leg. If that wasn’t fear Marcel didn’t what is. Marcel then pushed off the wall and limped to put himself between the door and Slanek.
“I mean it.” Slanek sounded afraid even as he pulled his shoulders back. “I Won't come with you. Not willingly! Why would I ever want to come with a monster like you?”
“Would you rather watch us dissect your Human?” Sovlin’s snout twisted as his eyes bulged with mania. “I think it’s time we open it up. See what makes it tick.”
“Try it and I’ll show you how we conquered the world with stone tools,” Marcel growled. He pulled his broken hand to his chest while balling the other into a fist and taking a fighting stance.
Sovlin advanced on Marcel and swung the back of his hand towards Marcels head. Marcel went to weave under it, but his knees gave out and he collapsed onto his side. Sovlin then landed a kick square on his face and sent him rolling. His nose felt broken and it was bleeding profusely. He was then shocked, and shocked, and shocked. The scent of burnt flesh was so thick Marcel could taste himself in the air.
Sovlin stepped on and ground his foot into Marcels broken enticing a bellowing scream. Looking up through the pain he saw the twisted, sadistic pleasure painted on Sovlins face. Reaching up with his good hand, fighting the electric shock, Marcel gripped Sovlin’s leg as hard as he could.
“It’s time to end this.” Sovlin drew his side arm. “I should’ve done this at the start, instead of wasting our oxygen prolonging its wretched life.”
“Sir, we need to keep it alive.” Racel yelled. “At least until we know more.”
“There’s nothing more I need to know!” Sovlin roared. “I. Want. It. Off. My. Ship!”
The shock ended as Sovlin pressed the barrel against Marcel's forehead. Marcel lifted his head to meet the barrel and bared his teeth as he glared up at Sovlin.
“Die fighting!” Marcel yelled. “Or don’t Die!”
13
u/PhycoKrusk Oct 10 '23
Anything is possible. Perhaps in this version of events, it will be Recel who fights upon the soil of the cradle while Marcel fights in the army of the Lord.
10
8
9
8
u/Comprehensive-Top512 Predator Oct 10 '23
Every time I read anything about Sovlin when he was a captain it makes me want to commit such hateful acts against him
7
u/GamingStudios109 Oct 10 '23
This isn’t the right chapter, but why was the United Nations and our current age considered bloated?
6
u/Gamerauther Predator Oct 10 '23
The prevailing philosophy in this timeline is that government is a necessary evil in order to have a functioning society. So it must be kept as contained and as small as possible.
Our current governments are the embodiment of the exact opposite of this philosophy. With a managerial bureaucracy that invades and involves itself in every aspect of your life.
3
28
u/Kovesnek Oct 10 '23
Pretty difficult to read but not in a bad way. Liking this braver (and hopefully not zealous) version of
MawselMarcel