The Nature of Predators - Nova's Children (9/10) (Patreon)

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Whereas Ari’s sledgehammer to the heart, in his youngest days, was learning that he was from another species, Elia’s toughest pill to swallow was the story of the crippling. It wouldn’t haunt her, the way that predator labels bore down on her brother’s shoulders. She was confident in who she was from the start; if anything, the firebrand Venlil resented the older generations applying their behavioral standards to her. For a while, it was just a game: the children were told that the Federation conquered Skalga, and punished ancient Venlil for the absolute ass-kicking they received during the first landing. One could argue it remained a game, though with darker overtures, as The Gentling was a mainstay in their couch co-op library to adulthood.

Ari Williams wasn’t alone in being different on a physical level. The tangible differences between certain classmates and Elia, and the fact of her mother’s crooked legs: two and two fit together, long before such a bitter topic was deemed appropriate at school for their grade level. If the Kolshians and Farsul had continued their reign, running would’ve never been an option for the athletically-gifted youngster. The evidence of the past’s scars sat across from them at the table, in the form of Tarva, until eventually, the question tumbled out. It was the moment where the former governor could tell her daughter why she was born—the final piece of history that touched their lives, and perhaps the most important.

“Mom, why don’t you have a nose? Why are your legs all twisted?” Elia asked. “Some of my classmates are the same, and all of the adults are too. Am I…going to lose my nose?”

Tarva touched her noseless snout, feeling an unusual sense of loss over what she was missing. “You’re not, sweetheart. You and Ari both know how Skalga was conquered by the Federation, right? They fought back really hard, but lost in the end.”

“Yeah! The Skalgans were a nightmare for the Federation,” Ari giggled.

Noah rested a hand on Tarva’s prosthetic tail. “That they certainly were. The Federation was trying to re-educate them, and make them meek, dosing them with ‘preylike’ fear.”

“We know that history now, but up until we met the humans, we thought the Federation were our friends. They hid what they did to us, and kept the only records in a place called the Archives.” Tarva pinned her ears back, remembering when Zhao and Noah told her the truth about 45-G years ago. How did it feel like yesterday and an eternity all at once? “During the war, after Earth’s survival, humans captured that base, and exposed what was done. It’s part of why I told you they’re such wonderful friends to our species.”

Elia tilted her head, in the cute way that melted her father’s heart. “I don’t understand what that has to do with your legs?”

“Well, the Federation…wanted to cripple us, so we couldn’t resist. They captured all of Skalga’s children, sterilized the populace, raised the kids to be afraid…and waited for the troublesome Venlil to die out. The new generation were physically modified, hobbling our powerful legs and taking one of our sensory organs. Those monsters took everything that made us fierce, and told us we were the weakest species in the galaxy.”

Ari’s mouth fell open, before his face morphed into a scowl. “How could they do that? They wanted my sister not to…walk right? They hated Venlil, like Venlil hate predators?”

“It was all for control. They changed any physical, mental, or cultural traits that went against their ideology, without caring who got hurt. Humans and Venlil have that past in common, our worlds having been under siege by the Federation. Our species being told we can’t exist in our present form,” Noah sighed.

“What did humans think, when we found out the truth? In the Archives?”

“We were horrified to see such…suffering, inflicted on our best friends. We wanted to make it right.”

“And you did,” Elia inferred. “That must be why I do have a nose, and good legs? You put them back? I don’t get why it’s only some kids though.”

“The United Nations researched a way to undo the modifications with newborn kids. However, we give people a choice whether to accept our fix; it’s something that the parents have to agree to. It’s wrong to mess with someone else’s body without permission.”

“Why would anyone choose to have crippled kids? Knowing what those bad aliens did?”

Tarva swished her tail. “I don’t know, but I chose for you to have all the opportunities I can never have. It’s beautiful to see you running and playing, Elia. You won’t be restricted or held back. I hope you will be so much more than the species the Federation tried to make us into.”

Memory Transcription Subject: Elia Williams, Venlil Athlete

Date [standardized human time]: October 12, 2152

The everlasting sunlight of Skalga flooded in from above, as roaring spectators cheered on what would be a mad dash, showcasing the true speed Venlil were capable of. For all that my uncrippled ancestors’ physique had been hyped up, I knew that expectations were high for the skill level of this competition. My entire family was among the watching audience, including my human father, who’d encouraged this dream of mine when other Venlil would’ve thought it laughable. My brother, who’d helped me train, believed that I would prevail—that I could push myself when it counted. Even my mother wanted me to find success, as part of my quest for contentment.

I’d stretched myself out, hoping to keep myself limber and mitigate the risk of injury. The jitters of this being the most important few seconds of my career were unyielding; yesterday’s ceremony had seemed like a gratuitous imposition, parading us around and showcasing Governor Laisa’s assimilation of Terran heritage. While it was neat to make human traditions our own, I’d just wanted to get on with the race. That was how I felt right now, waiting through the painfully-long seconds before the gun would sound. There were millions of people watching on television, many doubting if I’d been admitted due to skill or because of who my parents were. There were also some bitter souls out there, like the exterminators who threatened us, hoping that I would fail or fall on my face.

Where running usually offered a form of escapism that I craved, today, the track felt like an open-air cage. It was all I could do to regulate my breathing, knowing how key that was to establishing a breakneck pace. My eyes darted down to my running shoes, as more anxieties about everything that could go wrong danced through my mind. The laces were tied firmly, meaning that if I tripped over my feet, those cords shouldn’t be to blame. I tried to focus on the stands in my periphery, while I dropped into an anticipatory crouch. My teeth were chattering in my jaw, and I could feel my hackle fur raised. The way I felt sick to my stomach, I wondered whether the protein shake I’d chugged had given me food poisoning. The queasiness made me want to hurl at the starting line.

This was a mistake. I’m just going to make a fool of myself, in this state, and everyone will see me as a joke. Why was it even so important to be here? I could’ve done something less flamboyant…aspired to be a game dev, like Ari.

My family expected me to go forward with this; it was much too late to back out. I couldn’t have them see that I wasted all of their time and concern for something I couldn’t follow through with, despite my current absence of any confidence. All of those brazen thoughts about setting a record time, and leaving a mark on Venlil athletics, were lost in rising panic. It wasn’t on the same, heart-stopping level as when my brother had been on the brink of execution, but it was too close to that feeling for comfort. I sucked in deep breaths through my chest, finding my vision tunneling to what was likely a human equivalent—and not from focus. It was too much pressure to bear.

“ELIA!” Ari screamed from the crowd, waving his arms in wild fashion. He then signed, I found family. Because of you. “You can do this too! You’ve got this!”

I pawed at the track with a hindleg, finding that his logic struck a chord. Ari had almost backed out of looking at the genetic results, after all of his efforts and tribulations, out of fear. If I’d stopped my brother from running away because of uncertainty, I couldn’t back out of something I had much more control over. What he learned from his ancestry had many more variables. There wasn’t any way I could’ve increased my readiness for this moment. My entire life had made this possible, without the restrictions of gene mods. Staring out at my competitors, with their healthy legs, hearty dispositions, and twitching nostrils, I knew I belonged here—among Skalgans. I’d always wanted to stand out and trailblaze a path. This was who I was born to be, and it was time I proved my mettle to the world.

“Set,” a human voice said, causing me to tense on all fours—hips raised, healthy knees extended.

“My emotions aren’t weakness,” I told myself. “I can use them. I’m not prey; I’m not meek. I won’t back away from a battle.”

All I could do was shoot to surpass my own personal best, from that final practice, and hope it was enough to triumph above the competition. The white lines marking the lane were accentuated by my tunneling vision; my heart was hammering, before we’d ever set off. Cameras were recording my every move, but I needed to block them out of my mind. No matter how many people were watching, I’d done this thousands of times. If the ample practice hours I’d put in weren’t enough, I could do this to spite everyone who hated what my family stood for. I stockpiled oxygen in my lungs, and as the start signal assaulted my ears, my restless legs propelled me off from the starting line.

Gray blurs launched themselves off alongside me, some with slightly longer strides that placed them in front of me. My reaction had been as quick as possible, but I still needed to push myself just to remain with them. I willed my legs to move faster in short bursts, knowing I needed to be aggressive in these first steps. My shoes connected with the ground, kicking off in explosive fashion; I leaned forward as much as possible, plunging into the wind. My motions were frantic and desperate, though I was somehow keeping my balance. Some competitors were taking over-extended strides, which allowed me to thin the distance.

I sucked in a much needed breath, knowing this gulp of air needed to carry me the final distance: my lungs and legs burned, from being pushed to their limits. Out of my periphery, I could see pain and exhaustion written on every Venlil’s features. The finish line may as well have been miles away, as the pace for several competitors began to slip. I’d been raised around a persistence predator; if humans could push through exhaustion and trek on for days, surely I wouldn’t crumble through seconds of pain. It was humiliating enough when Ari, an untrained human, caught up with me in longer intervals—I wouldn’t succumb to my own kind.

Remember when Ari was chasing you, and thought he could outpace you? You left him in the dust. These Venlil think the same thing as he did about how they match up to you.

One Venlil, a charcoal-coated male who’d gotten the most explosive start from the blocks, still had several strides on me; his eyes were squeezed shut to defy his body, and he wasn’t slowing. Catching him meant I needed to pick up the pace in a matter of seconds, because after that, we’d be past the finish line. I was side-by-side with two other competitors, which meant if I didn’t break free of them…not only could I forget gold, but I might not even land a podium spot. I felt like I was close to matching a good time for me, but it wasn’t quick enough. Despite how impossible it seemed, I willed myself to find a final burst of speed; I imagined that I was running to save Ari, to intercept that ex-exterminator who’d been holding him hostage. Adrenaline roared in my ears, as a powerful stride narrowed the gap between me and the leader.

The two who’d been chugging along beside me struggled to keep up. This was the spell where I needed to put on the juice, giving the last drops of energy I had. Sensing me on his heels, the frontrunner also put on an extra burst of speed, not allowing me to overtake him. Unable to breathe at all, I didn’t change my pace for oxygen—I ignored the blurring of my vision and heaviness in my legs. I pumped my arms furiously, and pushed the last of my energy into these strides. The front of my foot struck the ground perfectly, pulling me adjacent to the male before the finish line. The end was right here, yet it seemed impossible to win. My effort wasn’t going to be enough, and I was losing steam.

Venlil…are built to jump. It wasn’t as much a conscious thought, as an instinctual whisper—a desperate whisper. Like in The Gentling. Lunging forward for a headbutt.

I hadn’t expected to face such a skilled challenger, but I wasn’t going to lose what had been a perfect race. I had to try a final measure. Refusing to stay just short of my dreams in second place, I pushed off the ground with a powerful leap; hindlegs bunching up for their last bit of energy. I found myself in horizontal position, head tucked down instinctually, as if I was going to headbutt someone in front of me. The dive used all of my momentum, sending me soaring forward—head vaulting in front of the leader, but knowing these races counted whoever’s torso cleared first. My maneuver made the leader, who’d opened his eyes now, slow ever so slightly, perhaps out of shock. I swore that my chest was just ahead of his vertical body, as the line suddenly was behind us both.

Finding nothing to drive my head into, gravity won: sending me crashing to the ground, colliding my arms and ribs into the track. The pain in my soft tissues was instantaneous, much stronger than when I’d been thrown to my knees by the exterminators. The ground was abrasive, shredding my fur off—I could feel slick blood on the tracks for a moment, as I skidded. The legs hit next, leading to a lesser bruising pain; judging by the odd way my forearm was bent, it was broken. Even through the hum of adrenaline, I could feel immense anguish ripple through my mangled limb. My much-needed breaths were ragged, finding that there might be fractured ribs preventing me from getting solid inhalation: now, I knew how Ari felt when I broke his bones as a toddler. I’d been lucky never to break any before, but I could tell my luck had run out.

Tears swelled in my eyes, finding that I couldn’t get back to my feet. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, though I hoped, for putting my body on the line, it had been enough to beat that speedy Venlil. I’d done everything that I could, and given every last drop of strength to the task. My legs felt like concrete, but I tried again to stand, while cradling my arm against a throbbing ribcage. Blood was matted on my fur from a series of scrapes. As the crowd was still gasping in amazement from my stunt, medics were running to my location, imploring me to stay down. I collapsed against the pavement, finally giving up my battle. My eyes found themselves unable to hold back tears.

“Elia?” Tarva rushed over to me, knocking a paramedic over in her haste to get to me; further back, I could also see a security guard picking himself off the floor. “Sweetheart, this is what I mean about your recklessness! What were you thinking?”

I drew a raspy breath. “Did I win? Tell me I won.”

“I don’t know. A stupid piece of metal isn’t worth this! Just because the humans are hypercompetitive…”

“Doesn’t mean Venlil can’t be too,” Noah corrected his wife. “Elia will heal. Pain is temporary, pride is forever. Our daughter’s a fighter.”

Ari walked over with slower strides, inspecting my injuries with mild concern. “That looked like a nasty tumble. Shit, I wouldn’t want a Skalgan lunging at me like that! You were amazing out there. I’ve never seen you run that wildly; it’ll be remembered for ages.”

“I hope it will be…remembered. I don’t think I’ll be running again for awhile,” I coughed.

“Well, that’s okay. You don’t have to defend your Olympic gold medal for four years.”

“That’s…wait, what?”

“Your gold medal. Look at the scoreboard. Under ten seconds for the total time, and you beat Chenek by .03 seconds. Talk about a photo finish!”

Noah flashed his teeth, raising a hand for a high-five. “Congratulations! We are so proud of you. Up top! What’s the hesitation; you think you’ll get predator disease from your old man?”

I gestured to my crooked arm, which was radiating tingles of anguish into my bone marrow. “I don’t think I’m c-cleared for high-fives right now.”

“You are absolutely not! Stop encouraging this behavior, or so help me stars, I will send both of you to the hospital with her!” Tarva hissed. “She is going to a doctor, and she is never going to do anything like that for one race again!”

“W-worth it. I won. I…really won.”

“You did, but that’s not what’s important. To think, I was so excited to watch your big day, and you go and butcher yourself; I can’t bear to see this. You just rest, and I will take you to be fixed up. If I don’t protect you from yourself, no one will!”

“C-can’t go yet. Have to get my medal. Help me to the podium.”

“You cannot be serious. Look at you!”

“I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if I miss the thing I did all this for. Just give me some painkillers; I’ll be tough enough. Pain is temporary, like Noah said.”

“Dammit, Elia. Way to go, Noah. Why don’t you two deal with this? I won’t enable such stupidity!”

As my mother stalked off in disgust, my smirking father passed along my wishes to a paramedic. This wasn’t how I envisioned standing on the podium, looking like I’d be thrown into a woodchipper, but it didn’t matter; I had proven myself, as the first sprinting champion on Skalga. Despite the pain, my ears waggled with delight. The crowd was still buzzing, because of what I had done out on the track. If that wasn’t something that could add me among the storied members of my families, I didn’t know what was.

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A/N - Elia's race, and against strong competition, she takes the gold medal with a Superman stunt. Tarva chews her out for injuring herself with such a rash dive, while millions look on and cheer for her feat of bravado. What do you think about Elia's ability to push through mental and physical obstacles? Is she living up to the heritage of the old Skalgans, with their capabilities?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!