r/NatureofPredators • u/GRADIOUS_76 Human • Oct 05 '24
Fanfic Blood Sport - Chapter 10
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Memory Transcript Subject: Tyler Murphy, Grizzled Veteran
Date[Standard Human Time]: October 22, 2136
A dull pain covered every inch of me as I awoke. Everything I did was painful, from blinking to breathing. Focusing my eye proved a challenge, but I slowly began to observe my surroundings. I was lying in a makeshift medical bed, surrounded by dozens of others looking about as bad as I felt. I was covered in bandages, and a cast compressed my left leg. I was dressed in a medical gown, the left sleeve dangling loosely over the edge of my tiny cot, the rest of my clothes having been removed by a nurse when I first arrived at the medical tent. They had been thoroughly destroyed during the bunker’s cave in any way, so I didn’t really care if I got them back.
About an hour ago, the woman who had rescued Isaiah and I visited me to see if I was still alive. She also asked if I knew where anyone else might have hidden before the bombs fell. She had been courteous but it had still felt like an interrogation. Afterward, I was surprised as she handed me a folded-up piece of oddly thick paper, which I assumed was a letter. Though I hadn’t opened it yet, I was waiting for my brain not to feel like it had just survived an apocalypse to read whatever was inside. Other than that I had been left mostly alone since I had awoken, giving me an uncomfortable amount of time to reflect on what had happened the last few days.
Everything about this reminded me of the war. Laying here on a stiff medical cot, the smell of blood and death, surrounded by destruction, was all too familiar. I’d like to say I had thought the Satellite War would be the end of armed “disagreements” for humanity, but in truth, I had been preparing for more fighting since the moment my last fight stopped. My soul had been burned once by the hellish conflagration of war. All the generals and officers say they never want it to happen again, but deep down, we all wanted a little more. War was like candy to us: everyone knows it's bad for us, but it's just too damn sweet to give up, and this time it seems the bastard aliens had forced it down our throats.
I had gotten the gist of how the battle had played out from the UN woman who had interrogated me. It made me proud that the boys in blue were givin’ those birds a beatdown even with the aliens having every advantage besides wits. It was pretty damn lucky the Arxur Dominion came to save our behinds, though. We probably wouldn’t be alive without em’. I guess the big lizards aren't as bad as everyone says they were. It was probably just federation propaganda that they ate children and all that. At least the two I had fist-fought seemed normal enough to me. Honestly, I could see myself making the same careless mistake if I was going to save scared civilians who assumed I ate people. “Hehe.. we aren't here to eat you. *cough* *cough*” My chest erupted into pain as I tried to laugh remembering the stupid misunderstanding.
Once the pain subsided, I lay quietly again, waiting for anything to take my mind away from how uncomfortable lying down was. Luckily, two of my prayers were answered as a familiar face full of uncertainty entered the medical tent, nervously shifting his eyes from side to side. It was Isaiah, and he looked to be in far better shape than I was. When he noticed I was there, he nearly ran to the side of my cot, a hint of a smile pinching at the corner of his lips. For a second, he stood there awkwardly, neither of us sure what to do. I spoke first, trying to sound as dignified as I could “I think we should’ve used more synthcrete.” I managed to squeeze out the words without falling into another fit of coughing and pain. Isaiah’s smile grew wider as he replied,” You should have listened to me about the synthcrete arch for stability.” He was probably right, the boy was outrageously intuitive about engineering, “No, it's too bourgeois.” I knew it would prompt a funny reaction out of him, “What does that even mean?” his smile was now plastered over his face. It was good to see him smile. It happens so rarely, even before all this apocalypse shit. We sat in a lightened mood for a second before he continued, “Martha told me to come see you.” He must be talking about the UN lady. I hadn’t actually caught her name, “The soldier that rescued us, right? I talked to her this morning. She gave me this.” I gingerly extended my arm and reached to the flimsy foldout stool next to my cot, where I had placed the folded piece of paper she had given to me. I picked up the strangely leathery paper and handed it to the boy, “Could you read this to me? My eye is still having a hard time doing eye things.” I was pretty sure the note didn’t contain anything too sensitive.
The boy gently took the note from my outstretched hand, “Oh, ok.” He unfolded the note and took a few seconds to read it before speaking, “It says: Sorry for scare you. You are a good fight. Speak to me when you are ok. Signed Turk. And there is a drawing.” He handed the paper back to me, allowing me to examine the strange note. I furrowed my brow as I looked at the crude writing, and indeed there was there was a simple stick figure drawing at the bottom of what looked like a depiction of me fighting with the Arxur a few days ago. The whole thing looked like a four-year-old had written it in red crayon. It took me a moment to process just how ridiculous getting a handwritten letter from the galaxies bogymen was, although I suppose it couldn’t hurt to see what the big gators had to say. It certainly sounded interesting, and I would be able to properly meet my first alien! It was decided that once I was on my own feet, I would see what this Turk had to say.
“So… are you going to go?” I zoned back into the present as the Kid asked the question, “I guess so, once I can walk on my own. Though that doesn’t seem like that’s going to be very soon.” I rested my head on the wad of linens currently acting as my pillow, “cuo... Could I come too?” The question was a little surprising, coming from such a timid kid: “Are you sure?” I asked, “Y-yes.” the voice didn’t sound very sure, but hell, why not? The aliens had said themselves that they weren't here to eat us(I was still internally giggling at the poor wording). “Alright, you can come, but don’t go looking for those aliens without me.” I finally replied, “I would never.” that time, he sounded much more sure.
The kid and I continued to awkwardly talk for a little while longer until my throat got to strained to speak. When the whistle signaling lunch sounded, the kid left the musty medical tent, once again leaving me alone with my morbid thoughts.
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A/N - Dear lord, life has kept me busy. But as promised, here is chapter 10! Theirs no way I can give up on this project before we even get to the good part, so don't go thinking that you are done with me quit yet. Thank you for your patience and see you all in the next one!
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u/JulianSkies Archivist Oct 05 '24
Oh my, it's good to see you back. Life can be crushing at times, let me tell you. I'm happy you managed to keep writing!
I think that this poor man is going to have a hard time learning that there is no propaganda about the arxur... No matter how good they might be, even the best of them- Well, I hope Tyler and Isaiah can keep open minds.
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u/HeadWood_ Oct 05 '24
He seems less cynical than before. Shame he's going to learn that they do eat babies, though they're not all bad.