The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (7/10) (Patreon)

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Teaching the children authentic lessons about Earth and humanity was a priority for both parents, though it was Noah who took charge on that front. There were few individuals better suited to explain the intricacies of the Blue Marble than the representative who’d taught the galaxy about mankind. Part of the reason Tarva would forever blame humanity for influencing Elia’s rebellious streak was the number of Terran things she was exposed to at a young age. The family celebrated a multitude of human holidays, with the customs and media that were packaged with them. The kids were taught about Earthling sports even before attending the first Olympics post-war. Most importantly of all, Elia and Ari saw how humans lived: mundanity, rather than bloody hunting rampages.

The fact that even the Venlil child began imitating Terran behavior was a natural consequence. Elia became fascinated, after learning about the bombing of Earth, and wanted to see the cities that were lost during Kalsim’s genocide. That led to Noah easing the siblings into geography lessons, purchasing the type of globe that was often parked atop a teacher’s desk at school. He was delighted to teach his youngsters about all types of human cultures, and the fascinating places that spanned the world. However, the session over the United Nations, and the countries under its umbrella, ran into an immediate hurdle. It was a question that even a seasoned presenter like Noah hadn’t anticipated from his children—both of them not grasping the most basic tenet.

“Dad, what is a country?” Ari asked.

“Yeah. Why are there so many lines on the globe?” Elia agreed. “Why are these goofy names important?”

Noah blinked in surprise, before realizing his mistake. “A country is like a regional government, except that it stands on its own. The people of a country consider themselves separate from other countries, and have their own governments with their own interests. Earth is divided into many of them.”

“Why? Skalga isn’t like that. At least, I don’t think it is.”

“You’re right, Elia. Skalga doesn’t have countries; the closest thing they have is regional oversight, or colonies. You see, Earth was one of the most…fractured planets in the galaxy, right up until we found aliens. While most species have a single government, humans have a hard time unifying that much, and cooperating on such a large scale. The cultures in different parts of the world are just…too distinct. Too different.”

Ari’s face twisted into a scowl. “These countries exist. That means humans still don’t get along? Why? How can we be different from each other?”

“Humans really aren’t different in any way that matters. We’re all the same species. After everything that’s happened, we’re starting to unify under the United Nations; smaller nations joining forces. When I teach you about our history, you’ll see that in the past, countries did awful things to each other. That’s part of why the Federation said we couldn’t tolerate peace, and that we were inherently violent and warlike.”

“…are we?”

“No. Things people did in the past out of hatefulness don’t define you. Just like Venlil who hated humans, or tried to burn us, have no bearing on Elia. It’d be stupid to say Elia’s inherently going to burn you because Venlil used to burn predators, right?”

Elia pinned her ears back. “I’d never dream of doing that to my brother.”

“Exactly. Just like Ari, and modern-day humanity, wouldn’t dream of repeating the worst things from our old societies. Nowadays, countries stick around because of culture and heritage. It’s a lot like a…massive family. That’s not a bad thing. And we’ve realized that families fighting against families is stupid, no matter how passionate we are about our interests.”

“If it’s like a family, I want to be part of a country!” Ari declared.

“We want you to learn about every nation, so you can be close to many people and feel welcome anywhere. All I’m saying is for you to be mindful of different cultures, when we visit a country on Earth. The more you learn about every piece of humanity, the more you can know in your hearts who we really are. How we really live.”

Memory Transcription Subject: Elia Williams, Venlil Athlete

Date [standardized human time]: October 3, 2152

I wasn’t typically intimidated on Earth, having visited the planet since infancy, but these were special circumstances. There was a definite sense of awkwardness, approaching a stranger’s doorstep without any forewarning. Even with Noah and Tarva sticking behind in the car, waving us on to the single-story house with the bright red roof, that moral support wasn’t enough to alleviate the butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t imagine what Ari was feeling, with his mind swirling with possibilities—knowing this was the closest blood tie he had in the Orion Arm. The chance of being rejected by Aunt Lesedi must’ve heaped anxiety onto his shoulders. If we left these premises without gaining insight into his parents, it would be devastating. I didn’t want to see him thwarted at the end of his journey.

I knew Ari was thinking about what happened to his father, Aadan, on that ark ship as well. The knowledge that his biological dad might be out there, but was forever out of reach, must be a crushing disappointment. I remembered what he’d said during our gaming session. His musings about how the ark ship humans might share his sentiment, missing connection to their species and their world. Aadan could’ve been someone who understood his insecurities and struggles, after being tangled in similar uncertainty. There was the question of why an expecting parent would leave his pregnant wife and unborn son behind, to muddy the waters.

What if meeting them makes Ari want to live on Earth? What if he stops seeing us as is his family? I know I said I’d trust in our love, but my mother was right: letting go is difficult. It’s damn near impossible.

Ari kept his eyes trained on the doormat, while rapping his knuckles against the sturdy frame. “Uh, hello? Lesedi Khumalo?”

“Who’s asking?” Rustling noises echoed from inside, before hurried footsteps marched toward us. The door revealed a mid-thirties woman, who was wearing a striped headscarf. “Okay then. It’s…not every day I see this. What have I done to earn a visit from a Venlil child? It’s obvious that neither of you are from around here…from around this solar system, I’d venture.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Maybe we’re, um, a little lost. We can just go…”

I lashed Ari with my tail, hissing at him. “Tell her who you are. We came a long way, and Mom and Dad are watching.”

My brother swallowed, drawing a shaky breath. “Right. My name is Ari Williams. I’m…I was adopted by a, um, Venlil-human couple. I did an ancestry test a few weeks ago, and it turns out I’m Zola’s son. You know, your sister.”

“Oh my gosh. Of course I know who you are. I know…who that couple is too, now that I think about it. I’ve seen clips on social media of Tarva and Noah’s children; who hasn’t? Please, come in.”

Lesedi stepped back from the door, extending an arm to usher us in. I didn’t feel certain about being alone in a stranger’s residence, after what happened between us and the exterminators, but I could make an exception for Ari’s family. It did save the shock of explaining just who had adopted her nephew, that she’d already recognized us. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but she looked more confused and torn than happy. Our host wheeled around, giving Ari a brief hug; it came across as if she were doing it because she realized she was supposed to. Her binocular eyes watered, as the two of us found a seat on her couch.

“Right. What do you want to know?” she managed.

Ari tilted his head. “I want to know about Zola and Aadan. Who they were. Why they left me.”

“That’s not fair. Zola…your mother was sick, devoid of energy. She couldn’t take care of you. I know if she thought she could, she would’ve. All my sister ever did was what was best for your sake, even at her own expense. You would’ve liked her. She was a gentle, kind soul; she worked in hospitality. Everyone always said what a sweetheart she was.”

“A lot like you,” I told Ari.

My brother waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t know about that. I’m just the more soft-spoken one.”

“You have kind eyes. Her eyes,” Aunt Lesedi commented, smiling with sadness. “Your mother had a gift, where she knew exactly what people were feeling: as if they’d said it aloud. Always sensitive and attuned to how others were feeling. Willing to sacrifice of herself.”

“Then why didn’t she try harder to keep me? To give me…at least some way of knowing who she was, and where I came from? I’ve spent my whole life second-guessing the smallest things about myself, and now, you’re trying to tell me she cared at all? Anything could’ve happened to me, and Zola set me up with nothing. Forgive me if I don’t believe this load of bullshit.”

I pinned my ears against my head. “Ari, what’s gotten into you? Your aunt doesn’t deserve your anger.”

“Actually…I do. It’s my fault, all of what you just said, and not your mother’s,” Lesedi sighed. “When Aadan left on the ark ship, Zola stayed behind because she wouldn’t give you up. Your dad wanted to stay, but she insisted that he go, because she was selfless. My sister wanted the people she loved to have the best chance of survival. She would’ve died for you. When she realized that the pollutants were killing her, she wanted to get you away from here. She begged me to take you in…I’m sorry.”

My brother’s mouth parted with disbelief. “What? You…”

“That’s right. You have no idea how much it hurt her to send you away, but she did it all to protect you. Zola never forgave me for not agreeing to take you, after how she begged me. We didn’t speak, until the day she died. I’m happy you wound up in a great family, really, and if I could have a do-over, I would’ve said yes to her dying wish. I don’t expect you to understand, but I’m so sorry, Lerato. That…was your birth name.”

Ari’s eyes widened further, and his lower lip quivered. “Your dying sister wanted you to take in her child, and you…didn’t? Why the fuck not?”

“Ari, maybe we should go,” I hissed, playing the role of the levelheaded one for a rare occasion. “This doesn’t seem to be heading in a positive direction.”

“No, his question is fair. You were family. I should have. But I was seventeen at the time, alone, and I couldn’t shoulder that much responsibility; provide for you, and raise you. There was no way. I wasn’t much older than you are now, and I’d just lost…almost all of my family. I would’ve had no one to turn to for help. Can you imagine being asked to raise an infant right now, with no support? It…it doesn’t make it right, but I hope you can understand a little. Maybe in time, you can even forgive me.”

My nose twitched in thought, trying to imagine the daunting prospect of raising someone else’s child. To be honest, I wouldn’t want to, not at this stage of my life; if it was family, I might agree out of obligation, but it would ruin everything that I had in mind for a future I coveted. All that was on my heart was running, and setting off on my own! My whole life was ahead of me. With my temperament and lack of maturity, I wouldn’t be a good mother anyway. Noah must’ve been a lot more resilient than I had ever given him credit for, to step into the role of father to two children he didn’t sire—simply because Tarva mentioned it as her dream. Were Ari and I what he imagined his life would be like now? As an astronaut explorer, Noah probably thought he’d be roaming the stars with vigor, not settled down.

Whether it was right or not, I can understand Lesedi not wanting to bring her entire life to a standstill; not being ready for children, or simply not wanting them. If I got saddled with a kid, I’d feel trapped—like my youth was squandered. It’s a massive thing to ask of anyone.

Still, watching Ari wrestle with the truth—the answer he’d been seeking out of the gate—about why his birth family had put him up for adoption at all, pained my chest. Asking him to empathize with it, when he was the one who never knew his biological relatives, was a different story. It would be a lot easier to shift the blame, which he’d directed at his mother, onto Lesedi. Maybe it was a mistake to show up at her doorstep unannounced, putting her on the spot about a decision she made as a teenager, a decade and a half ago. If the truth deepened my brother’s sense of loss and hurt, then encouraging this endeavor had been my mistake. The latest instance of my recklessness causing problems.

Well, I supposed Noah and Tarva had been onboard with the idea too. I couldn’t fall on the sword for this blowing up, on second thought. My tail drifted to Ari’s wrist, trying to support him. His eyes started past me for a moment, before refocusing. In spite of the heavy emotions atop his shoulders, my brother’s lips curved up in a smile. It was as if we had a silent communication between ourselves, without any tail signals or words necessary. We were both lucky to be alive, and to have received the opportunity to be here at all. Ari could handle anything thrown at him, because we were together.

“I can’t imagine what you went through after Earth’s bombing,” Ari decided. “I…forgive you. You’re still my closest living relative, and if it’s something you want, I’d like you to be a part of my life.”

Lesedi blinked tears out of her eyes. “You do take after your mother, young man. She’d be so proud of you. I would also like to make up for lost time…to stay in touch. It’s all I have left of my family. A gift. I have so many questions about life in an alien society, and I’m sure you have lots you want to ask me. Why don’t you invite your parents in, and we’ll share stories? About how you two grew up, and what I remember about Zola and Aadan?”

“I’m sure Tarva and Noah would appreciate that. It’s not every day you get to meet a celebrity,” I giggled. “They certainly have stories to tell. Do you want me to get them, Ari?”

“No. Let’s both tell them that we’ve expanded our family, together. I want them to hear from my lips that they’ll always be my parents.”

Aunt Lesedi smiled. “They’re extraordinary people, with extraordinary children. I’m eternally grateful, on behalf of Zola, that they gave you a loving home. They’re my family now, as far as I’m concerned—if any of you need a thing or a shoulder to cry on, I’ll be here. Now, before I get any sappier, I should probably hurry you off to get your folks. I’ll fix some tea.”

“Thanks. And…thanks for being here with me, Elia. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“I’m proud of you for facing the truth. For staring down your doubts and not letting them break you,” I responded.

“I guess I’ve learned a thing or two about determination from my sister. You’ve never let anything stop you, when you had something in mind. You’re a special kind of stubborn.”

I flicked my ears in acknowledgement, before leading the way back out to where Tarva and Noah were waiting, eager to hear how our long-overdue reunion had gone. While I’d once felt worried that Ari would like his blood relatives more than us, it seemed that there was room for both families to collide; I suspected I would’ve liked Zola, if I’d met her. She sounded a lot like Ari, always considering how it felt to be in the other person’s shoes, and she could’ve been an excellent mother with enough time. My brother had been wanted and cared for, even before he was adopted by the Williams family; now he had visits with Lesedi to look forward to.

I hoped that this excursion would be enough for Ari to find himself, and to be in touch with his human heritage. My sibling deserved all of the love in the universe, and I was going to drill that fact into his binocular-eyed skull if it was the last thing I did.

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A/N - Part 7! Ari meets his biological aunt, and learns the truth about why he was given up for adoption and why his father left on the ark ship. Lesedi explains why she didn't take her sister's son in, in the wake of Earth's devastation and her own youth and isolation. What does Ari's response to Lesedi's rationale say; is this the news that will help him move forward, without his insecurities and need to belong? What do you think of Lesedi's justification for not taking Ari in?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!