The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (6/10) (Patreon)

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Why had humanity left Earth? There were a great multitude of Terrans on Skalga, compared to other alien immigrants. Ari and Elia heard Noah describe his mission to chart the stars, and how driven astronauts were to explore, but they also caught onto a few words that showed it wasn’t the full story. Words like refugee. Bombing. The tragedy of what happened to that beautiful planet, which had been a part of the children’s lives since before their earliest memories, might be the most devastating truth of all.

It seemed the horrors of the past never stopped rearing their ugly heads, and the famed parents had no choice but to explain it in laborious detail to the children. Ari hadn’t understood the full extent back when Noah explained how much predators were hated and feared. There was only the vague comprehension that there were Venlil who’d happily burn anything with binocular eyes alive. Tarva’s statement about humanity fending off past attempts on their collective lives hadn’t really landed with the gravity it merited—with the realization of what that looked like in actuality. It had been an atrocity beyond words, something kids weren’t meant to grasp.

One billion dead was a number large enough to boggle an adult’s comprehension. That was just the human death count, of course: there were too many other worlds to tack on to that tally. Explaining that Earth wasn’t the only entire planet to get blown to smithereens could be counterproductive. Rather than making the children feel less singled out, it might make them terrified of something as big as a globe being exterminated. That those hateful Venlil could burn them here in their homes, on Skalga or Earth. So the couple decided to finally let Ari and Elia watch the Remembrance Day ceremony, and explain its purpose in advance.

“You know how you ask me why there’s so many humans on Skalga, even though people still hate them? And it’s better for us on Earth?” Noah whispered.

Elia pinned her ears back. “Terran refugees. They live in those camps. I know…enough. They were running away from something.”

“It can’t be just exploring,” Ari said. “The hatred wouldn’t be something this many humans want to deal with.”

“Never doubt the human drive to be accepted; to belong. It burns brightly within your entire species.” Tarva flicked her ears with affection, casting a loving stare at Noah. “We told you both that Terrans didn’t deserve to be hurt for existing, and that they’ve dealt with threats before. Some people, as we said, wrongly thought that Noah came to hunt us. You know that, with your ‘games’ about first contact.”

Noah’s eyes grew distant, as he recalled his fateful speech. “I went before the Federation, not knowing what they would do to me. It was dangerous, but they were planning to attack Earth. Hundreds of species, devoting their resources to ending humanity. All I wanted was peace. All we, humans, wanted was peace.”

“The Federation heard the few words Noah was allowed to speak. I was there with him the entire time. It’s one of the ways we truly grew close, spending time in close quarters. I think it was when I first began to realize how he struggled…and also developed feelings for him. So much stress and guilt that he grappled with, trying to save his kind. Feeling as if he owed the Venlil a debt merely for not killing him on sight.”

“Your mother thought I was a vicious monster at first. Something…incapable of feeling, who saw prey as lesser. It was drilled into her head from birth, and if a lie is all you know, you believe it. Tarva woke up when she was shown the reality.”

“Right away?” Elia questioned.

“No. Change isn’t a sudden thing. It can be very slow, but that’s just how it is.” Tarva looked to the ground, feeling shame coursing through her blood. She didn’t want to give Ari the impression that he was hideous, and that she quivered at the sight of him. “It took some time not to be terrified, just standing across from Noah—even after seeing that he was acting much too compassionate to be a monster. We did tests proving that humans were capable of empathy, and over time, the exposure got us used to his eyes. I came to think of him as strong and protective. Gentle and loving.”

Noah bit his lip. “But no matter how much we broke from Federation stereotypes, some species didn’t let go of those biases. They still sent ships to…bomb Earth. Humanity tried to fight, to defend our home, of course. The Venlil gave what help they could, after already giving us the fleet that gave us the slightest chance. We…expected not to be able to win.”

“But Earth still exists! So you won, and they failed to kill us all,” Ari declared.

“I wish it were that simple, my sweet boy. Because of last-minute reinforcements that didn’t want Earth to die, the fleet that came to bomb our planet was killed. But not before they dropped over a hundred, huge bombs.”

Elia gasped in horror. “That’s…a lot of bombs! What’s to stop them from trying again? From destroying Earth all the way?”

“Earth’s military is much stronger now. This was back when they had barely invented spaceships,” Tarva answered. “The Terran refugees on Skalga came during the bombing, and after losing their homes and cities, many of them stayed.”

“So everyone just left to avoid the bombs? Nobody was hurt?”

Noah’s face contorted with sorrow. “I wish they had, but there wasn’t enough time. Some people wanted to stay too. Many, many, many human lives were lost. That’s what Remembrance Day is about: the sorrow, the pain, the lives it tore apart. It’s been a long time, but even now, years later, Earth is still rebuilding from all of that damage.”

“Is…is that what happened to my human parents?” Ari asked.

“Maybe. I don’t know. What I do know is there are very few humans who weren’t affected in some way.”

Memory Transcription Subject: Elia Williams, Venlil Athlete

Date [standardized human time]: October 2, 2152

As Agent Wolf shepherded us in the front door of our home, I found myself grateful to be back in familiar territory. My mother had surprised me, finding out she’d kept it a secret that Terran agents had followed us for years. After all of the reprimands about my violence and being influenced by human ideas, she’d been willing to sign off on trained killers loping after her kids? There was no acknowledgement of that fact, as Tarva and Noah rushed to us, and we huddled in a group hug. Relief glistened in her eyes—the unspeakable sentiment of a parent who couldn’t bear to go through that grief again, just as her children were on the cusp of adulthood. It was as though our security escort wasn’t even present.

Noah stood a bit slowly, grimacing through his back pain; seeing my parents grow old was strange. After what had just happened to us, I realized what a blessing it was to have the opportunity to reach his advanced age. My parents poured so much effort and love into raising us both, and it could’ve been taken away with permanence in a single moment. That was how easily Stynek had been snatched away, much too young. It could’ve been me, if I was Tarva’s first gamete to win the genetic lottery. Granted, I wouldn’t have been the same person without the gene edits, but it still warped my mind a little. Had the human operative not shown up, I would be captive now, in unimaginable, degrading conditions.

I haven’t really had a chance to dwell on it, worrying about Ari, but I’m not sure how I would’ve coped: likely being locked in a tiny enclosure, like cattle. I’m not sure how I’d go from my current life, where Noah’s always let me spread my wings, to that.

I intertwined my tail with my mother’s prosthetic. “You’ve always told me I should be more responsible, and I’m going to be. If it means keeping Ari safe, that’s all I want. No more risky things, public adventures—none of it. I wish I knew it was this dangerous to go off.”

“Elia, I’m just so grateful you both are safe,” Tarva whispered. “You were put in this position because of us: people trying to get back at me through you. The humans warned us about this, and I still didn’t teach you enough about how to be safe.”

Noah clenched his fist. “Stop! My children will not live in fear. If I thought this was anything more than a fluke, we’d be packing up and moving to Earth right now. Let’s just be grateful they were brought home by these heroes—you are a hero, kind stranger. Can I get you something to drink, or a bite to eat?”

“No, thank you,” Agent Wolf answered. “I’d leave you be, but I’ve been looking into Ari’s family at his request. The kids were able to hold onto that ancestry test, if you want a silver lining.”

“You found your folks? That’s awesome, Ari! I’m glad you were able to do that, because there’s no chance in hell I’m letting either of you out of my sight for a week.”

Ari squeezed his eyes shut. “Please, don’t leave me alone. It was so fucking…scary, and awful. They put me on my knees, to execute me. The blood sprayed all over me! I saw the bodies, and inside of their skulls. How do you forget that?”

“You never forget. I can still see your mother in my arms, with her tail blown clean off: feel my hands soaked in her orange blood. You find new ways to process it. To be okay with it. Maybe one day, you find peace—power—in surviving it.”

“For the first time in my life, I really feel like a monster. I don’t know how I’ll ever feel like myself again. How do I just go about my normal life? How do I face my blood relatives, when I don’t even want to be near me?”

Tarva pressed her paw against Ari’s cheek, wiggling the cartilage of his ear. “My son. My only son. Humans have always had every right to defend your simple existence. You’re not a monster. If anyone is a monster for having those people killed, it’s us, because we’d choose you two over anyone else’s life: ours included. I only wish it’d been me at flamethrowerpoint, not you. I wish your sweet mind hadn’t been forced to see that.”

“Horrible things happening around you: it doesn’t change who you are. Sometimes, the stress shows who you really are, but how you’re reacting shows that you’re kind and sensitive. Even to your enemies. That’s the hardest nicety of all, and you do it naturally, Ari,” Noah added.

I flicked my ear. “Ari showed that he can empathize with anyone, no matter how much hatred they direct at him. That’s who my brother is, and I love him for it. He was always the nice one, because I don’t feel bad for those asshats at all.”

“To be honest, I don’t either, and I’m notoriously slow to anger. I can’t bear the thought of anyone hurting my son, when he was trying to find his family. It’s a beautiful thing you were doing with your sister. Don’t leave us in suspense about the test results; let’s figure this out together. You’re so close!”

“We’ll leave for Earth if you located living relatives, first thing tomorrow morning,” Tarva said. “It’d give Elia a chance to pick out any colleges she wants to see.”

“Right.” I thought about saying the “University of No Fucking Way”, but after our near-death experience, I bit my tongue. “I’m not up for wandering around a huge campus, with strange people, right now. Why don’t we just focus on Ari?”

“We can do two things. Your father and I have time for both of you, always. I’ll stop for now, but why don’t we hear what the agent found out about your family?”

Ari found out that both of his parents are gone, in some way, but he does have living relatives. The closest one is the mother’s sister: his aunt.

Agent Wolf ducked his head at Tarva’s request, and pulled out the diagram with a few notes and pictures that he’d scrounged up on the ride over. My parents hovered over the operative’s shoulder, studying the names for several seconds. Ari’s birth mother and father were named Zola and Aadan Dlamini, from a nation called South Africa—the country that received the most bombs of any in the continent. Aadan was listed as the ark ship representative of Ekurheleni, a city that had been leveled during the bombing; he’d gotten onto the third and final ticket out of Federation space. It wasn’t useful for my bother to know that he could maybe be alive, if those missions succeeded, but that nobody knew where they’d gone.

Then, there was the case of Ari’s mother, who likely hadn’t had the option to board the ark ships, without giving up her pregnancy: she must’ve wanted her child to live to its delivery date, enough to stay behind. How had she felt about her husband leaving her to board Ark Ship 3? Curiously, while she’d survived the bombing somehow, Zola had died less than a month after Ari was given up for adoption. The operative had mentioned that she’d struggled with postpartum depression, but denied that she’d died by taking matters into her own hands. It was some kind of lung condition, though he’d also rejected the notion that it was hereditary.

Agent Wolf pointed to the aunt, Lesedi Khumalo. “As you can see, since both parents were untraceable or dead close to the Battle of Earth, this aunt is the closest kin Ari would have. She might be able to tell him a bit about what his mother was like. There aren’t many other options, sadly. This family was hit pretty hard by the bombings.”

“Okay. An aunt is a good start! I welcome more extended family,” Noah said. “How would you feel about paying Lesedi a visit, Ari? After every family member she’s lost, I imagine it could be quite wonderful for her to see what became of her sister’s son.”

Ari paced back-and-forth, frowning. “I still don’t understand why my mother didn’t want me. Was she that sick? How do you know it’s not something I’ll inherit?”

“I don’t know for certain, but I believe it’s from toxic oil fumes. There were massive oil well fires in the region. You can imagine what it did to the environment and the people. There were no genetic markers for any kind of sickness that you should worry about,” the operative replied.

“She might’ve given you up because she knew she was dying, and wanted to find you a new home.” I curled my tail around his wrist, before pulling away and signing, “Love.” “Maybe she didn’t want you to breathe in the fumes too. Or she was too sick to take care of you properly, all by herself.”

Tarva stared at Agent Wolf for a long moment. “I wasn’t aware of these toxic leaks on Earth.”

“Well, Kalsim didn’t take care to avoid contaminants or radioactive materials,” the sunglasses-adorned human guffawed. “As far as he was concerned, we were the damn contaminants. It’s tough to put a number on how many casualties there were from cleanup workers, or anyone affected by hazards thrown up into the air. People who tried to resettle bombed areas straight away.”

“Is it something to worry about when we go on our trips?”

“No. The country you visit most is quite spread out, which is part of why they were spared more than other populous nations. It’s also been years, with many restoration efforts. If you’re asking whether it’s safe for them to visit Aunt Lesedi, the answer’s yes for that reason.”

“Then I think we should go. If she’s related to my son, then I already like her.”

Noah smiled at Tarva, before turning inquisitive eyes on Ari. “That is what you want, right? I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed, especially after what you just went through. I think it’s good for you, but this is your decision: your journey. We’ll take you if you’re ready.”

“I’m not a quitter,” Ari murmured, flicking his pupils toward me. “Elia was right about that, and Dad’s right that I’m not a monster. I do want to be more in touch with my human side. My roots.”

I headbutted him playfully. “There’s room in my heart for anyone who loves you. After all, it’ll expand my fan club at the Olympics!”

“No need for expansions there. I’m the first and the last one in your fan club, sis. Don’t you ever forget it.”

“I won’t. Race you to Earth?”

“Running off isn’t my style. You do you, though. For real, I’m glad you’re coming with me. All of you.”

Tarva’s eyes shone with affection. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

However I might’ve disagreed with my mother about her views on life and my future, I didn’t doubt for a second how deep her love was for us both; all she wanted was for us to be safe and happy. She’d go to any lengths to ensure we didn’t wind up like Stynek, and that protective nature was the reason Ari was alive to visit his biological aunt: to complete the task he thought would make him feel whole. Even if Tarva being the former governor put us in danger, there was no family I’d rather be a part of. As my brother ventured off to search for a sense of belonging, I found myself considering what he’d said, about me reaching adulthood before him and leaving him alone.

After today’s reality check on my priorities, I planned to contemplate on the back burner how I could avoid leaving my brother behind. Whether we were two different species or not, Ari and I should be taking our steps into the adult world side-by-side.

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A/N - Part 6! We start off with how the children learned about Earth's bombing, and then, after Noah and Tarva embrace the kids returning safe and sound, we see how it  affected Ari's biological parents. His father was on Ark Ship 3 (where have we seen that name before?), while his mother died likely due to complications relating to the battle: but curiously, put Ari up for adoption before her death. What will Ari and Elia learn from Aunt Lesedi? How will she react to them showing up on her doorstep?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!