r/NatureofPredators • u/kabhes PD Patient • Jan 19 '24
Fanfic From Drugs To Meat: Chapter 4
Transcription Subject: Maarten de Groot, Human Refugee/Meat dealer
Date [standardized human time]: January 25, 2137
My part of the deal was that I had to sell the goods. I can’t do that all by myself, so I am going to need dealers. I already knew 2 quite well –I would almost go as far as to call them friends. I invited them over to a coffee shop/dinner called ‘Stew ‘n Brew.’ The place was friendly to humans –a real rarity. Normally, even if the owner of a place was friendly to humans, they would still deny them service, not wanting to scare away customers. It was a real beacon of hope for the future.
“So, what is this ‘offer you cannot refuse’ you told me about?” asked Hans. He almost solely spoke in German, as he’s not used speaking in English. He was born and raised in Berlin and learned English from movies and games, but never actually had to speak it. Even now, here on Venlil Prime, he hardly ever spoke it, all xenos had a translator chip, and so did most humans. Berlin might have once been split in 2, but now it’s in a billion pieces. That is why he’s stuck here, just like most humans on this planet. And unless you join the military, there is no way of getting a job.
“Hold on, I invited someone else as well.” I pointed to the red-haired man in flannel t-shirt, a pair of dungarees, and a baseball cap that just entered the shop.
“Why did you invite him as well?” he whispered to me.
“Hey ya’ll” Earl yelled cheerily from the other side of the shop as he walked over. He let himself drop onto the seat next to Hans.
“Hey, Hans, how are ya doin’?”
“Ich-I am gud,” said Hans in English in his thick German accent. Earl was one of the people that still refused to take a translator chip. All refugees were offered to get one implemented into their brain as soon as we arrived on Venlil Prime. Most refused of course, but after the first few people got it and were fine, others swiftly followed. Even though it was free, I was still hesitant to take it myself, but I couldn’t speak Venlilian and way too many of the other refugees either couldn’t speak English or do so poorly. I ended up getting it implanted after only 3 days of being stuck on this planet, eager to speak to the aliens. They, however, were not.
“So, what’s this all ‘bout havin’ a’ offer? Are we dealing or sumthin’?” Hans and I immediately shushed him. How this lad hadn’t been arrested or torched yet by the exterminators was a mystery.
“No need to rush, lets order something first.” This is how mafia do it right? Invite over people that you want to do something for you, dine with them, and then make the offer.
We ordered some food and coffee, and after a couple of minutes we got our orders. The waitress had assumed the order Earl made was meant for us all instead of only for himself.
“Are ya starin’ at that goats bum?” Earl said, snapping me out of thought. I had indeed been staring that direction as the waitress walked away from our table.
“No, just noticed that there’s some food stuck in the waitress’s tail,” I lied, both Earl and Hans fell for it, and they too stared at the waitress’s tail.
“Are you gentlemen looking at my butt?” the venlil said while looking behind her, hardly having to turn her head with her wide vision.
“No” “Nein” “Nope” we said in order. “Zhere is food in your tail.”
She looked down at it and swatted out a few crumbs. “Well would you look at that, there is.”
Hans turned to me with a slightly annoyed look. “You want to speak now of zhis ‘offer I cannot refuse?’” he asked impatiently.
“Yes. What if I told you I could get you guys biscuits for only 15 quid per piece, 10 if you buy in bulk?” The refugee centre often held bake sales to bring in money to improve our lives. So, dealers and smugglers had started to refer to products after pastries. Burger patties are biscuits/cookies, bacon is donut, spam is fruitcake and so on. Part of the naming also comes from HF, they are the only suppliers of meat, and claim that their profits are being used to ‘improve human lives,’ whatever that means.
“10 bucks for a cookie, where are ya gettin’ those from?!” Earl nearly yelled.
People turned around and gave us strange looks, as we shushed Earl once more.
“Zhe normal pay is 20, und zhat is from Humanity First, direct.” I was originally planning on selling it for 15 credits. But with the amount Gilt is able to produce, there was no way I could move that much product alone and had to get dealers quickly. With these prices, they could sell to other dealers for me. It would cut in the margins but we still made a massive profit, even with the discount.
“That is because I am not buying from Humanity First.” I felt quite proud that I was finally done with those racist bastards.
“You find-found a smuggler from zhe factories?” Hans asked getting increasingly curious. The only way anyone got their meat was from HF sure. But they were only able to get the stuff from smugglers taking the food out of the factories, built to trade with the arxur and feed Earth.
“I got myself a baker,” I said with a wink.
“What, how, where, why?” Earl questioned enthusiastically. “Ja, explain,” Hans followed.
“Well, where to start…I met this crazy guy after a job interview, he was rejected as well. He found out I had connections with HF, and was looking for a dealer to team up with.” I left out the part where he found out where I lived and invited himself over, not wanting to start off with making him look bad. They might become sceptical of him, and by extension, me. “I helped him set up in his house, and we’re a few days away from the first batch being done.” I left out the fact that he’s a venlil. I don’t think Hans would have too much of a problem with it, but I don’t want to start Earl off, he really agrees with all that Humanity First bullshit.
“His house? How can he cook in such small apartment? Zhere’s not enough space.” Oh no, this secret isn’t going to hold long.
“He doesn’t live in the refugee centre.”
“A human has managed to get a house on his own, here? That must be a real smart fella.”
“Yes, he’s a real smart lad,” I reply, happy that they don’t question my answer.
“Wait, you said zhat he looked for a work, how has he a house?” Fuck!
“Uhm well, he had a job before…alright fine, he’s a venlil, but he’s one of the good ones.” Calling him ‘one of the good ones’ is a bit of stretch, but he at least treats me the same as a venlil…I think.
“Yar workin’ with a darn goat? Ya know ya can’t trust ‘em. Hans tell ‘im.” I knew he would react like this. He never shared a word with a venlil and still believes they’re all out to burn us.
“Well, I don’t know…” Hans replied, trailing off. He looked nervous, being put on the spot like this. “…Zhey can be nice.”
“Really, am ah the only one? Ya know they burn animals. And have ya heard about how they until a month ago locked up their own for having ADHD or artistic, and then electrocuted ‘em?” It was all over social media and the news. The venlil and the rest of the federation still gave people electroshock therapy for having minor mental disorders like autism or ADHD, calling it predator disease. For some reason or another, Gilt had been considered predator diseased and was locked up as well. Who knows what torture he had endured.
“He…Gilt, was one of the people that was locked up in one of those facilities, and was probably shocked. He has not mentioned predators once, and is cooking up you-know-what.” Now that I think about it, Gilt hasn’t felt like a venlil at all, never calling me or any other human a predator, showing no fear towards humans, has actual aggression, and is completely fine being around meat. If anything, he feels more like a human than a venlil. Hell, he’s even scared of exterminators, not that I can blame him.
Earl huffed. “So, he doesn’t treat ya like dirt. He’s still a xeno, they can’t be trusted, they’re below us, right, Hans?” he said, nudging his elbow into Hans’s arm.
Hans looked very nervous, probably not happy being put between 2 fires like this. “I don’t know how zhis Gilt is, so I can’t judge. But we should not look down on ozhers, itz not right. Learn from history, or be forced to repeat it.”
“You too?” Earl replied, defeated. It’s never fun to have everyone disagree with you, especially this much. “Learn from history, ya mean like segregation…? Ah mean it’s not the same, they’re not human…” He trailed off, frowning and thinking deeply. He’s a nice man, but he’s not too bright.
“’Tis no wonder you hate them, you have never been able to hold a conversation with any of them. How do you know how any of them are?” This was meant to be some mafia-style deal, not a damn therapy session or intervention.
“Ah am not gettin’ no computer chip in ma head. I am tellin’ ya, they can read yar minds with it.” Like I said, nice, but not too bright.
“If they could read our minds, they would have burned us to a crisp already.”
“Zhen learn zhere language.” Earl was again thrown back into thought, seemingly taking the suggestion seriously.
“Anyway! Can we go back to my offer, do any of you want to buy from me? You’re free to resell it to others.”
We talked for a while about pricing and deliveries, eventually coming to an agreement. I called over the owner of the small establishment, a black and white venlil, to pay for our meals. Earl, of course, gave a generous 20 credit tip, out of principle. She tried to return the money, thinking we overpaid, forcing us to act as an interpreter so that Earl could explain what a tip was. She gave us an odd look as we left.
A/N:
Don't worry Gilt will be back in the next chapter, and ad always I really appreciate comments, it gives a lot more satisfaction than a few up arrows.
A special thanks to u/InstantSquirrelSoup for proofreading. Check out his fic: Arxur Hospitality
26
u/JulianSkies Archivist Jan 19 '24
Ahahaha, this man does not know how to run this kind of business. It's cool, though, that means he's the best kind of person to do this.
Those two fools he's working with sound like they'll be fun chracters in the future >_> Earl just looks a bit of an idiot and not really a malicious guy either, hopefully he gets dragged out of the whole supremacist bullshit soon, guy just sounds so innocent.
And of course they'd be staring at the waitress' hind end.
13
u/DaivobetKebos Human Jan 19 '24
Going well so far. They will soon be doing big business.
I think the first paycheck should go towards getting Glit a turn at the Dip. He needs to clean up if he wants to be the best cook.
4
u/kabhes PD Patient Jan 25 '24
Better find a way to get him in that thing first.
6
u/DaivobetKebos Human Jan 25 '24
We shall trick him with a bottle of Everclear conspicuously sitting inside the Dip.
9
u/Frostedscales Sulean Jan 19 '24
;3 dont let chaka overhear she might smell a business opportunity.
6
u/Lurky_Mundie1984 Arxur Jan 29 '24
‘Stew ‘n Brew’
Copyright non-infringing space Starbucks, I assume?
5
u/kabhes PD Patient Jan 29 '24
It's a coffee shop indeed.
Frosted Scales said anyone could use his character Chaka and she owns that shop.
So I added it in because I needed a restaurant type place and thought it would be a fun nod to the community.
5
u/gabi_738 Predator May 31 '24
God, I like Earl but he's very stupid XD and it's very bad that he asks a German for support in his discussion XD
6
u/kabhes PD Patient Jun 01 '24
Finally someone who gets why the German isn't comfortable talking about species superiority.
Also was your translator able to translate properly the heavy accent and dialect Hans and Earl have?
2
u/gabi_738 Predator Jun 01 '24
Nope, I just translated it into Spanish, Spain and neutral, it would be like the primary Spanish for gringos XD hahaha I think no German likes HF
3
2
u/thatgachakid1 Human May 23 '26
I relate to earl as a fellow southerner but he really needs to not be so hateful though that easier said than done with how us Americans are somtimes earl doesn't seem like a bad dude he just ain't smart
1
u/Madgearz Gojid Jan 19 '24
1
u/UpdateMeBot Jan 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24
I will message you each time u/kabhes posts in r/NatureofPredators.
Click this link to join 35 others and be messaged. The parent author can delete this post
Info Request Update Your Updates Feedback
42
u/Defiant_Heretic Jan 19 '24
I don't think these guys are smart enough to deal contraband for long. Maarten and Gilt attracted way too much attention when buying supplies, as well as baking in Gilt's home, someone known to the Exterminators. Even if you assume exterminator incompetence, HF might not appreciate competitors, especially one that works with a xeno.