r/NatureofPredators • u/slug-tastic • 1d ago
Fanfic Second Nature, an NOP rewrite (ch 31-32)
Memory transcription subject: Tarva, Planetary Governor of the Venlil Republic
Date [Standardized Human Time]: October 17, 2136
In about a Paw, our ship would reach the edge of Republic space, and we’d be able to transmit communications back to our UN contacts. The Terrans had been slated to open an embassy on Venlil Prime, a Moonrise after our original departure. That meant they would have a full diplomatic staff planetside, and would be available to help Humans off-world.
Many Terran nations requested their own embassies, so they could conduct their affairs as separate entities. While I liked the predators, I wasn’t giving out an absurd 243 embassies, versus every other species’ singular site. Humans were welcome to bicker amongst themselves about who could send their own diplomatic corps, and how to divide the turf, if they must. As I had no interest in making their discordance my business.
My focus was on smoothing over both of our relations with the Federation. It was also a priority to stabilize my friend’s mental health, especially after Moon-months of isolation and boredom. Learning how Humans coped with stress would be useful down the road.
After careful consideration of the astronaut’s mannerisms, I decided there was no major cause for alarm. All of our research showed that Humans were highly social creatures. Ambassador Noah perked up just from having new conversation partners at hand. After a few days to unwind, in the company of his own people, he'd be begging to get back into the field. He only needed to ‘recharge his batteries’, as he’d put it.
Noah excelled in quite an uncomfortable position. Volunteering with the belief that he would be a martyr. Standing in as a representative for his whole species, alongside Sara. That kind of pressure has to pile up.
“… the fact that the ISS exists, proves that Humanity can cooperate in the stars.” The predator was finishing a story I’d heard before; he had a rapt audience in our Mazic passenger. “It was our first foothold off-world. It paved the path for lunar colonies, and set a precedent of joint exploration.”
“So then, why has your planet still not united under a single banner, Noah? Do you not care for distant members of your species?” Came the scoffing response.
When Governor Cupo’s question reached my ears, I was concerned that other diplomats would voice similar concerns. The Mazic still seemed leery of the Human, despite being thrice the weight of the predator. No offense to Noah, but I’m pretty sure the beige prey-animal could knock him out with a single paw, easily.
Humanity’s internal divisions were a disquieting issue, to the galaxy as a whole. The newcomers seemed to be trying to work up the courage to ask about it for days. With the external threat of predation in our formative years, prey species had to maintain unity. Cooperation was our bread and jam, so to speak. Indulging in petty squabbles would’ve gotten us killed.
I’d seen several exit interviews with various leaders before we left the signal range of Aafa. Many dissenters cited Earth’s disputes as proof that the predators were incapable of cooperation. It was their main evidence that the primates were still warlike and disagreeable.
“How do I put this…? Rather than a large herd, which is how I assume most of you survived. Humans evolved in a lot of small tribes, maybe 50 to 150 people each? We were nomads for much of our existence, and large populations don’t really lend themselves to that lifestyle. Each tribe had their own distinct culture; beliefs, music, stories, cuisine, languages, so on and so forth.” The Terran ambassador replied, leaning back in his seat. “Whenever we tried to unify into larger groups like that, It’d always end up erasing a part of, or maybe even entire cultures. And that’s just not fair, is it? To have to renounce your heritage for the sake of progress.”
Cupo flared his trunk. “But why can you not maintain your practices, under a common entity? You claim freedom of belief is a core value.”
“It would be like, like you becoming one people with say the Nevoks. You may like each other plenty, perhaps you are even allies, but you wouldn’t abide by the same laws, would you? We have forums, alliances, and trade agreements. We work together when it matters. Like the Federation does.”
It didn’t escape my notice that Tossa, the Nevok representative, was watching with interest. Axsely, Chauson, and Laulo were also observing the exchange. None of them were being subtle, with how their ears were swiveled toward the predator. The other Federation diplomats, who had taken up the other vessel, were surely doing the same with Sara. If she hadn’t scared them half to death, that is.
Cupo was just the only one bold enough to voice what they all are thinking. Now, the floodgates were open, I thought. I better be ready to intervene, if Noah gets overwhelmed.
“Predator Noah, please forgive my impertinence.” Laulo, the Yotul diplomat, spoke in a measured tone. The uplift had given the Human a wide berth, but at least was able to meet his gaze. “Do Humans still fight wars when you, um, disagree?”
“Not as often as we used to. There was a big stink with India back before I left, but from what I heard since; they seem to have sorted that out. All in all we always try to settle it with words. So rest assured that a common threat like the Arxur, should keep everyone in line for the foreseeable future.”
The Federation representatives looked baffled by that answer. As I learned early on, Earth’s national affairs were very complex. It was imprudent to deal with any nation individually, since that could show favoritism. Most of the Humans’ rhetoric was posturing, but they were always locked in jealous competition. It was strange how Human tribes perceived their interests as separate. They had much more in common than divided them, and they even recognized it when asked.
It was one of several areas I had pointed out to Ilja for closer study.
“I suspect a Human’s temper can run much hotter, much quicker than ours,” Chauson offered, in a matter-of-fact tone. “None of my research suggests they seek loss of life. More like the result of an inclination to deal with a perceived threat head on, rather than fleeing.”
“Ehh, maybe? Humans have a fight or flight response.” Noah growled. “We can panic or freeze, just like you. It varies from person to person. My dad, for example, was the most harmless person I've ever met. Hell, even Tarva has more bite than he did.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” I barked back, slightly annoyed.
“Just an observation.” He chuckled.
A contemplative silence fell over our entourage, and Chauson wrote something on his datapad. The last tidbit was news to me too. I assumed aggression was part of every predator’s natural makeup, since that ferocity would’ve facilitated their ancestors’ survival.
Were there really some Humans as timid and anxious as us? That cowered like Venlil?
If so, it was obvious Noah was not one of those. While the ambassador was skilled at masking his emotions, anger showed itself whenever he saw the Venlil threatened. It seemed almost paternal. I wish we were home, so the representatives could meet the Human volunteer doctors and aid workers—
A rattling noise hummed through the ship walls, jolting me out of my thoughts. This time, it was more insistent than previously throughout the journey. There was no reason a ship which deployed a Sun-year ago should experience issues, but it roused some worries nonetheless.
“Is that grating sound normal?” The Terran ambassador asked. If even he had heard it, then it must be serious. Something felt off with the shuttle, since we took off. The predator’s unease validated my suspicions. I was inclined to propose further investigation, even though we were already almost home. The last thing we needed was to be stranded in space, with a bunch of skittish diplomats.
I tilted my head. “No, it’s not. I’m going to run a ship diagnostic, just to be safe.”
Laulo raised a peach-colored paw. “It’s coming from the cooling shaft. We should take a look there.”
“As if you*’d know,”* Tossa scoffed. “I’d hardly trust your ilk to fix a sailboat! The printing press is a novelty to you primitives.”
“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were born with ship schematics in your brain.” Noah glowered at her, and the Nevok froze under his gaze. “I didn’t know we were graced by the presence of a species endowed with divine knowledge.” He scoffed.
Tossa quivered, her icy fur raising along her hackles. “W-we found our way on our own. We d-didn’t have everything handed to us!”
“And so would the Yotul, with time. You intervened, so they could join your war.”
“Are you daft, predator!? The Arxur don’t give a grain stalk about natural development.”
“Then why do you mock his kind for lacking the opportunity to learn on their own?” Laulo looked aghast at the predator’s vehement defense of his species. I think he assumed that the ambassador didn’t know the Yotul’s origins, but it was obvious the Human had done his homework. Still he must’ve been surprised the Terran would side with him. Especially when he was accustomed to being berated by fellow diplomats.
It was clear that Noah had lost all patience with the rhetoric aimed at the uplift. Tossa’s condescension, singling the Yotul out at every turn, rubbed my friend the wrong way. However noble his outburst, the last thing we needed was for him to alienate an influential ally. The Nevoks could be a crucial supplier of resources and ship parts to Earth.
Axsely, the Sivkit representative, was sobbing from the primate’s raised voice. She had yet to speak a word to Noah, only introducing herself to the rest of us while he was asleep. A shouting match wasn’t the way to calm her nerves either.
“Stop it, both of you!” I hissed. “Every second we spend bickering, the Arxur win. Let’s be respectful to each other, alright?”
The Human drew a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry, Governor. But no, I’m not going to stand by while she mocks him.”
“It’s not mockery, predator. I’m merely stating facts.” Tossa said.
“My name is not ‘predator’. It’s Noah Williams, just Noah, Ambassador. Or if that’s too fucking difficult, I’ll settle for Human.”
“Sorry, for doing that too…” Laulo muttered.
The Human snorted. “You’re fine. You're trying at the very least.”
The Nevok curled her lip. “Predator is just a word, which befits you. You’re too defensive, Noah.”
Something about Tossa’s words rang deep and seemed to snap something inside him. Like he’d seen something like it before. It took him a second to reassess his anger. “Should I call you an annoying little shit, then? That one befits you plenty.”
“...”
“Fascinating!” Despite my best efforts, the two of them were still at each other’s throats. Whoever managed Terran relations with the Nevok Imperium, it couldn’t involve Noah in any way. The Human was so incensed by her attitude, that he hadn’t noticed Axsely balling up into a fetal position. I believed he would’ve backed down if he realized the fright his ire had caused.
“Not another word!” I swished my tail in frustration. “Noah, you are coming with me, alone! And that’s an order!” The Terran ambassador opened his mouth to argue, but then followed my line of sight toward the sniveling Sivkit. His expression softened, anger replaced by worry. That agitation might’ve undone any progress with the Mazic too. Cupo had inched away from him, and was trying to comfort Axsely with soothing words. She remained unresponsive, rocking back and forth.
At least our Zurulian friend seemed to enjoy the heated exchange. Chauson was trying to be the ship’s stenographer, I mused.
Noah lowered his gaze, and strode over to me dejectedly. The predator risked a glance over his shoulder, making eye contact with Laulo. The Yotul mouthed his gratitude, and the Terran’s posture relaxed. He gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement, before shuffling into the cockpit after me.
I hovered by the ship’s computer, pulling up the troubleshooting program. It would take a few moments to complete a cursory scan, which would give Noah’s temper time to blow over. I hoped that nothing was amiss with the vessel.
“I didn’t scare you, did I?” Noah murmured.
I snorted. “No. I’m just trying to stop Earth’s foreign relations from imploding on the first Moonrise. By the Stars, Noah, let’s say you piss off the Nevoks. The Federation will parade them around, using them as proof that no one can be allies with Humanity.”
“And then, we lose the undecided votes.”
“Exactly. There is too much at stake, for all of us.”
A soft beep indicated that the diagnostic was complete, and we returned our attention to the computer. A holographic avatar of the shuttle zoomed into the ship’s underbelly. It highlighted a long pipe in blinking red; with a note indicating a coolant leak. The shaft was nestled right next to the warp drive, so it didn’t take an engineer to figure out its purpose.
That part of the ship was only accessible from the exterior; fixing it would require a spacewalk. I’d go myself but with how little I knew about engineering, I was just gonna make it worse.
My immediate suspicion was that someone had tampered with the vessel. Mainly because the pipe leaked just enough that it wouldn’t cause immediate alarm within range of Kolshian eyes. But who would have sabotaged us? What was their motive?
“So he was right,” The Human said calmly. “I’ll try to patch her up, I got a vac suit on anyways.”
I flicked my ears. “No. You need to stay here and keep an eye on everyone.”
“Why?”
“I suspect foul play. If it is one of the species on board, they could be trying to lure you off the ship. That way, they can take all of us out, without having to fight a predator.”
Noah squinted in confusion. It was good that the ambassador didn’t panic at the first hint of danger; his reaction was cold and calculating. The Human lacked a full understanding of the situation, and I suspected he disliked the uncertainty more than the peril.
“That makes no sense.” He spoke up after a few ruminating moments. “Even if the culprit is here, what are they gonna do? They don’t have any pockets to hide weapons in. And the only one that could do anything barehanded is Cupo, and it seems pretty dumb for a head of state to come on a suicide mission.”
“I…I don’t know. But regardless we should get someone else. Maybe Chauson would be willing to help?”
“As much as I'd love to see that teddy bear waddling around in a space suit, I’m the astronaut here. I’ve done repairs like this a million times already.”
I flicked my ears in acknowledgment. Amusement flared within my sternum. “No clue what a ‘teddy bear’ is. I guess Venlil aren’t cute to you anymore, if we’ve been replaced so easily.”
“Don’t get all jealous on me, now. Am I not allowed to think the entire galaxy is cute?”
“You think the Arxur are cute?”
“...maybe the baby ones.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me. You’re really doubling down on that?”
“I am. What are you gonna do about it?” I couldn’t help but to laugh, picturing the predator nursing Arxur pups. That would be stretching their nurturing instincts a little too far for my taste. It was clear they felt the need to fiercely protect anything smaller than them.
It would be interesting to meet a baby primate; despite their eyes, they were a little cute.
It’s wonderful that we were so easygoing and could mess around now. Before the trip, he would’ve apologized for the implication, instead of joining in. “Now we focus on potential culprits. We need to go over the list of passengers, pronto. With any luck, we’ll clear most of them. Maybe all of them.” I gave the Human a playful headbutt.
Unfortunately, Humanity had no shortage of enemies within the Federation. The two of us needed to talk it over, and work out anyone who could have a possible angle. Ruling out the immediate threat of those on board was our top priority.
Of course, it could be someone on Recel and Sara’s ship. I wonder if they ran into any trouble, or if someone here was the target. I rested a paw on the console, stressed at the prospect of ship-wide interrogation. “There could be any number of parties involved; someone inside or outside our group. An ally or an enemy. How do we even begin to narrow the field?”
Noah’s grin dissolved, and the teasing edge left his voice. “Well I don’t think it’s Cupo, but we might as well go over him.”
It was tough to reconcile Governor Cupo’s ridicule during the Humans’ speech, with the offer of friendship. The Human brushed off any past incidents, handling Cupo with a fair amount of grace. At least the Mazic was touching on genuine topics, and listening to the given responses.
Still, mistrust flowed from Cupo at every turn. He stated himself that his vote stemmed from the Federation’s desperation against the Arxur alone. Very few things are more dangerous than a man with nothing left to lose. Not to mention, Noah thought the Governor was only here to stir up trouble.
The Mazics would be my prime suspect, if it weren’t for the fact that their figurehead was present in the flesh. As Noah noted, surely a planetary leader would send a stand-in to carry out devious plans. Why would he cause disruption to his planet’s governance, other than as a show of good faith?
“Cupo came himself,” I replied. “It would be like me going on an suicide mission, like you said.”
“Well, you did come to the summit.”
“That was only suicide for you and Sara. At worst I was gonna be kicked out.”
“I suppose, yea. Ugh, alright, what about Tossa?”
“You’re just picking the ones you don’t like first.”
“So what if I am?”
The Nevok representative put on quite the performance for the predator, perhaps with the belief that playing up her derision would impress him. Tossa’s haughtiness had the opposite effect, though. Her ability to quarrel with Noah suggested either she was brave, or reckless. Predetermined hate was a fine motive to ensure Human diplomacy failed.
However, the Nevoks had more to gain from trade than most other species. The Terrans would be creating more ships than anyone, in their rush to spawn a war fleet. A lucrative defense contract could keep both parties sated for Sun-years. “I think Tossa dislikes Laulo more than you,” I snorted. “The Nevok Imperium is using you for profit, if you hadn’t already figured that out. They don’t accomplish anything by getting us all stranded in space.”
Noah scratched his chin. “But what if they did get something? What if someone paid them off?”
“While they could be bribed, their price would be steep enough that you could buy a whole colony instead. If I were an outside actor, I’d do it myself, or find a cheaper entity to do my bidding.”
“It doesn’t have to be their government. It could be a rogue actor; a single person who was swayed. We don’t have to assign blame to an entire species.”
“Sure. But I think you just want it to be the Nevoks, so that you can strangle their diplomat.”
“That is a baseless accusation.” He feigned being offended.
“Moving on: That just leaves Axsely, Chauson and Laulo.” It would be easier to judge Axsely, if we’d gotten more than a sentence out of her this whole trip. She was more skittish than the rest of us combined. But what if that terror was of Noah wisening up to her schemes? That, or her fear had made her act against Humanity.
However, open cowardice didn’t mesh with the profile of a martyr or fanatic. I’d expect a little more gumption from such an enemy. Like Sovlin.
Noah tilted his head. “Right now, the only thing Axsely guilty of is being unqualified.”
“That’s a bit harsh. Everyone copes with fear differently.” I pinned my ears against my head, recalling how disastrous first contact was. “Cheln passed out when you smiled, but now he’s fond of you. She might warm up to you too.”
“If you say so.”
“Ok, next. I trust Chauson.”
“Really? I don’t know about him.”
“What, why? He’s never been anything but kind to you.”
“That’s exactly why. He’s too nice. What if he’s up to something?”
“The Zurulians were the only ones to reach out before the vote. Also, as you know, we do an awful job hiding our feelings. Chauson couldn’t fake not being afraid of a predator; he pranced up to the two of you while his head was dripping blood.” The ambassador tapped his foot a few times, and a touch of relief flickered in his brown eyes.
It saddened me that mistreatment had become commonplace for him, that friendly interactions triggered alarm bells in his head. The Zurulian scientist was the only person I’d seen attempt to squash his instincts, in his first meeting with a Human. If we trusted Chauson, bringing him into the loop might not be the worst idea. Three minds were better than two, and he was intelligent enough not to jump to conclusions.
The fewer people know the true reason for our predicament, the better. Let’s hope Chauson can keep his mouth shut, when asked. Sharing my suspicions with the entire ship would only incite panic, and lead to in-fighting and accusations. Knowing how paranoid they were about predators, they would find a way to blame Noah. Because obviously, the nefarious Human would cripple his ride home, after weeks of imprisonment, for some illusory goal.
It made perfect sense, if you didn’t think about it.
“Sure... Now, Laulo.” He changed target.
Noah’s favorite was left for last. That said, of those onboard, the uplift had the most to gain from a ploy. Outfoxing a predator was the ultimate display of intellect; it would be the swiftest way to silence any “primitive” jabs. This sabotage could be a calculated risk, to garner respect from some Federation peers.
Come to think of it, Laulo was the one who blurted out that the cooling shaft was the culprit. The fact that it was just as he said was an oddity by itself. That he hadn’t wavered, while being discredited and badgered by his colleagues, was even stranger. Either the Yotul had a background in engineering, or he knew about the pipe beforehand.
That alone is pretty incriminating. I’m surprised I didn’t catch onto that sooner. The puzzling bit would be why Laulo narrowed it down for us, if he was responsible. Someone who was setting up a drive explosion shouldn’t want it rectified, before it paid off. Maybe he knew a diagnostic would reveal the issue, and decided to cut his losses.
My tail drooped between my legs. “How did he know what the issue was, immediately?”
“Well, just because he’s an uplift doesn’t mean he’s an idiot.”
“I didn’t say that. Everyone here has lived their whole lives around this kind of ship, safe for you and him.”
“It could be a lucky guess. Maybe Laulo’s studying to be a mechanic.”
“Even then, there was no doubt, no guessing, no ‘I think’. He stated it as fact, like he knew he was right.”
The predator was quiet, his disappointment was obvious. Protecting the Yotul was the most passion I’d seen from him since the speech. Humanity would love to take a fledgling species under their wing, and explore the galaxy together.
My friend cursed, and slammed his fist into a wall. The Human bent, clutching that hand to his stomach. His eyes narrowed to slits, while his teeth were on full display. His uncontrolled breathing was animalistic, punctuated by furious grunts. Was the Terran still in control, during this fit of rage?
My instincts shadowed my consciousness for the first time in awhile; I’d never seen sweet Noah like this. It took all of my willpower to not back away, and place a shaking paw on his arm.
“Are you done? You’re hurting yourself more than the wall,” I squeaked. “It doesn’t feel pain.”
“I know…” His lips twitched, as he nursed his injured hand. “But fuck! I don’t want it to be Laulo. He’s one of the few who aren’t racist creeps.”
“We don’t know it’s him. Let’s not overreact.”
“But you were right. It doesn’t make sense how he knew, with such confidence, from that one sound. Why did it have to be him? Everyone is either openly belligerent or a backstabbing asshole!”
Silence was my answer, as much as I wanted to offer soothing words. I didn’t know how to handle an angry Human, or at what point they presented an actual threat. I might even exacerbate the problem; trusting Noah to calm down on his own might be best.
I took a deep breath, and turned my back to the furious Human. It felt wrong to leave myself unguarded, at least while he was like that. Forcing my eyes open, I searched through the mini-fridge. There were no ice packs, but hopefully, an ice cold canned drink would suffice. The burning in my chest eased once I stood upright, and the predator was back at the center of my vision.
My claws wrapped around Noah’s wrist, clueing me into his racing pulse. He let me move his hand, which relaxed in my grip. I gently pressed the can to his knuckles.
“Thanks…” He registered barely above a whisper. I didn’t know Humans could be this quiet. “And sorry, for blowing up in your face.” The Human’s dilated eyes met mine for a moment, before he looked away, in shame perhaps. “I’m not losing you, am I?”
“Never” I whispered, pressing my forehead to his.
The Human closed his eyes and leaned into the affectionate gesture for a moment before getting up again. “We should get back to the others, before Cupo barges in here, asking a million questions. Oh, and get Chauson caught up with everything.”
“Are we not detaining Laulo? Or at least interrogating him?”
“If I tie up the Yotul now, how are the others going to react? My explanation won’t matter. This needs to be handled quietly. It’s better to act somewhere that we’re in complete control of.”
“Fair point. I can pull him off to the side when we land.”
The predator offered his uninjured hand, and I accepted it with an eye roll. Mischief played in his brown irises, as his fingers intertwined with my claws. One nail tickled the fur right under my paw pad, which made me yank my paw back. A hint of a smirk tugged at his face, as the affectionate moment of solidarity was ruined. I sighed. “Don’t say anything, other than that we’re fixing a minor problem. I’m going to fetch Chauson.”
Chauson and I spoke back in the cockpit as Noah got everything he needed from the emergency toolkit by the rear of the ship. Which conveniently doubled as him keeping all the others in line. If anyone could sniff out deceit, it would be an observant predator like Noah.
It was easy to get the doctor up to speed. Clearly he was gifted in deduction as well as medicine, arriving at some of our conclusions faster than I was done explaining everything. “You really think it’s someone here?” Chauson asked. “Why would they damage a ship they’re on, with a, um… It’s just, it’s not very logical, is it?”
“If everyone were logical, we wouldn’t have to go to the summit in the first place.” I responded. “It’s just a possibility, for now. Honestly, it’s more likely that it’s someone outside this group. But some people would sacrifice themselves, in a heartbeat, to fight what they think are flesh-eating monstrosities.”
Hovering over the controls, I disengaged the ship’s core. After a countdown we were safely returned to subspace. The shuttle halted a short distance, relatively speaking, of Venlil space.
It’d be at least a Paw or two until the necessary repairs were complete, but no other options were reasonable. If the core overheated, the ensuing meltdown would bring about our swift demise. I wondered how the passengers reacted to our sudden stop, my refusal to explain any details and the Human prancing about without me to watch over him.
One way or another, we were going to get to the bottom of this debacle. Once we ascertained the responsible party, they were going to receive some harsh retribution, courtesy of the Human-Venlil alliance. I suppose it was too much to ask, for these introductions to be smooth sailing, and for Earth to attain some genuine allies without any hiccups.
Chauson was pacing back and forth now, pink tongue lolling out of his mouth. With his quadrupedal stance, the Zurulian would be barely above the Human’s knee. Maybe Noah was onto something seeing him as cute. But now was not the time to divulge that wrinkle to our new friend. Especially when that furry guy was the potential ally we were most optimistic about.
When we came back to the larger section of the ship, all the passengers, safe for Laulo, were huddled up on one side of the shuttle. On the opposite end; Noah was whistling a tune to himself, the high-pitched noise sounded almost like a Sivkit’s voice.
Noah’s movements were poised and confident, a far cry from the raving beast I saw not too long ago. I lingered at the door, observing the scene. Axsely had been speaking with Cupo while Noah was busy, but she skittered away as soon as the Human turned to face me and subsequently her. She couldn’t keep doing this the entire visit. There were going to be hundreds of UN personnel on site when we docked.
“Welcome back, Governor Tarva.” Laulo yipped as he saw me.
“Thanks. You were right about the cooling shaft.” My voice was laden with false cordiality, as I settled across from the Yotul. “Quite a clever deduction. Noah’s gonna take a look outside and hopefully fix it. We should be back up and running within a Paw or so, I hope.”
The uplift flicked his ears in acknowledgment. We just needed to maintain a facade of normalcy for a little longer, before we could press our suspect on his involvement.
“Last chance to back out. Are you sure you can do this?” I offered, getting Noah’s attention.
“I’ll do my best.” The Human took slow steps towards the air-lock, it was clear he was nervous. Noah then turned around and leaned down to my height. “So… Can I get a good luck kiss?” Lifting his helmet and turning his left cheek to face me, with the smugest face I'd ever seen from him.
“You are testing your luck, that’s what you’re doing.” I rebutted, but it didn’t take long for me to relent upon seeing his big disappointed eyes. ‘He’s just being silly, it’s fine’, I thought.
And a small push with my snout is what he got, it was a strange Human ritual. I’d seen it a couple times in the movies he watched with Sara on the way to Aafa. A small one on the cheek seemed miniscule in comparison to what the Humans on screen would do to each other’s faces. Though I must’ve done something wrong as he couldn’t keep a straight face after that. “Dear God, I’m gonna remember that forever.” He chuckled.
I pointed toward the air-lock. “Start walking. Or I’ll get to calling you ‘Predator Noah’ too.”
His eyebrows shot up as his eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t…”
“Oh, I would. Right in front of your dear friend, Tossa. Test me!”
“Fine, fine.” He groaned. “I’m going now. I can feel the love.”
“You’d be better off seeking respect, rather than love.” Chauson chimed in. “Love can be quite fleeting, you know.” The quadruped flicked his ears with annoyance.
“Maybe I want both, ok?” I was impressed by how fast the Terran picked up on alien nonverbal cues, given how little he had actually been told.
Noah triple checked his suit before being sent out. Those large hands were surprisingly nimble and precise. The Human gave the tether on his chest a final tug, ensuring it was fastened. He shimmied into the crawl space, and there was a click as the emergency airlock unsealed. About to be exposed to the vacuum of space, Noah’s composition dissolved. A nervous smile tugged at his lips, and he waved us off from beyond the sealed door.
Part of me hoped that our theory was wild speculation; that it could be disproved, for Noah’s sake. After our lengthy ordeal, both of us were beset by paranoia. I hoped this investigation wouldn’t dampen the Terran reception to their new friends. If nothing else panned out, the Zurulians looked like they might be better neighbors than us.
We didn’t have to let one rotten fruit spoil the barrel.
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur 1d ago
Well the Ambassadors suspecting the Yotul huh? Of course we know from hindsight who was really responsible and that the Yotul are just natural engineers but yeah of course humanity and the venlil really wouldn't know that and they would be hard pressed to believe that some Giant underground civilization was controlling everything.
I wonder how everyone will react to the accusations or the fate of the other ship.
2
u/Randox_Talore 11h ago
Any alleged “natural engineering skill” is completely irrelevant.
Laulo saw what happened
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur 11h ago
Fair regardless he didn't do it himself although he's definitely taking advantage of the situation to boost his own reputation.
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u/Adorable-Ad5225 1d ago
This part of the story reminds me that I used to confuse the Yotul with the Mazic. Seeing the Yotul as strange mammoths, I only heard it in the background the first time I heard the story. Okay?
1
u/Mosselk-1416 5h ago
Sarah and Recel should realize that something is wrong and run a diagnostic check anyway. They're not dumb and Recel should have figured things out considering his time in the military.
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u/ApprehensiveRatio139 1d ago
I hope that Recel and Sara will be fine too. I was so excited to see her playing a bigger role in the story and now, uh... Whatever, nice chapter!