Not Always Invincible

by Torrent_River123

Summary:

Stories filled the galaxy about humnas and their many, almost impossible traits.
Soon, the other aliens have forgotton that the humans are still organisms of flesh and dreams, not an unstoppable machine.
Their worst mistake is forgetting that humans are Not Always Invincible

In the far future, Humans have became a space faring civilization .
How would the other aliens react?

 

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Chapter 1: On the Thesis on Common, Seed, and Competition Worlds

This record was written by esteemed author and explorer Alqral of the Culpaxes. This record is written to situate new arrivals to the Galactic Counsel of the Nuk’alia (Milky Way) Galaxy. This particular record is translated into  the common Terran language known simply as “English”. Alqral of the Culpaxes is also the director head of the Sapients and Sentients Collaboration for Exploration and Knowledge. Alqral is also a faculty member of the renowned University of Science and Discovery. He contributed more than four records and research articles to the Galactic Council library.   

Chapter 2: On the Thesis on Common, Seed, and Competition Worlds

The ship landed on the launching pad with a ferocious hiss. The door of the craft separated from the body of the craft and slid to the side; a small ramp then glided soundlessly to the ground.

Nyathi stood with the rest of the crew, shifting nervously between all four of her feet. The fin on her back fluttered around as she tried her bet to suppress her instinct to fly. She overheard a conversation from the captain of the ship that they have hired some deathworlders due to the dangers of the voyage to the other side of the Norma arm in the Star Mother Galaxy. A chill ran through her fins when she heard the rhythmic clicking of claws, feet, and hooves. Her wing fingers waggled in the preparation of flight. Nyathi pushed the instinct down violently.

The captain stationed outside of the ship emitted a series of high-pitched chitters, the translator implanted in Nyathi’s brain automatically translated it to "Greetings, new ship members, welcome to our humble [Untranslatable: gentle habitat]. This is our crew, and they would soon be your crew as well. Please, introduce yourselves as you enter."

A large serpentine like creature walked past Nyathi, moving like a river have grown legs. The blue-green scales glowed in the dim light of the ship. Its bioluminescent scales flickering softly as it moved. The claws on its feet dug into the ceramic floor, creating small nicks in the floor of the ship. The sapient creature turned its eyes on Nyathi, and she nearly wilted into the floor with its gaze. It had eyes as bright is her mother sun, yet as deep as the tallest cliff, but what have caught her attention the most are the long, sharp powerful fangs poking out of its jaws.

A predator.

This then stood up so that the horns on its draconic head brushed a hanging pipe. It opened its mouth revealing its frighting array of teeth. Nyathi’s fin shot up and her wing fingers snapped to a position for flight. A musical chirping came out of the open maw punctuated by low howls and high-pitched bugles.

Her translator created static as it struggled to interpret the new language, finally spitting out, “[Untranslatable: deep regrets], I didn’t mean to [Untranslatable: trigger] you like that.” This creature then emitted another series of chirps this, time punctuated by guttural groans and various hisses. “My name is [Untranslatable: Smoke], I’m an Umnak of the territory of Mother Sky and I’m a [Untranslatable: predator].”

Nyathi then slowly let her fin lie flat on her back again. The Umnaks are a recent species found in the Iota cluster of the galaxy. One of those rare predator species that have gained sapience. Not much is known about these sapient predators other than the fact that the males of the species have scales of one color, but females have scales of two or more. These creatures seem to communicate from vocalizations, and from the positioning of their tails to how much their bioluminescent scales are flashing. Once the first Umnak have finished with its little speech, four other Umnaks came in like a living wave of blues, greens, purples, and blacks, nearly trampling Nyathi. She finally had enough it and opened her bat-like wings to the fullest and with two powerful flaps, landed on a perch bolted to a wall. The five Umnaks that came in stopped when they met up with the first Umnak and stood on their hind legs as well. They started to communicate in the same chirping, howling language, punctuated by flashing scales and various tail positions that caused Nyathi's translator chip to produce an endless stream of static. Finally, after what seems like a lifetime, they stopped. The blue Umnak speckled with purple and black scales lifted her head and let out a growl.

"I'm [Untranslatable: Purple Mineral], I'm from the Soaring Mountains territory." She flicked her tail at a smaller jet-black Umnak, "This is my brother, his name is [Untranslatable: Dangerous Claw]"
A littermate predator, that is very dangerous. She tightened her wing-claws on the perch that she is on, letting them catch the artificial light. Nyathi glared at them the best she could. Once she had finished introducing herself and her kin, she looped her tail around his and slinked off to a dark corner to allow the rest of the Umnaks to finish their speech. Nyathi watched from her perch as the various predators chirped their names, and what tribe they are from before following the first pair into the shadows. She knows that she is safe on this ship as they are all capable of language and thought, but a deeper darker part of her thoughts is looking for signs that they are going to cause problems for the ship. The first Umnak that came in looked at the captain for approval, and with a nod from the captain, they flowed to the hall marked with their language like small streams from the main river, standing in front of it like a series of blue shadows.

Soon after they have came, a new different species has clomped up the ramp followed up by five more of an herbivorous species. Nyathi focused on the new creature. This new creature seems to be from a low gravity world as its legs are long and spindly. They looked like the massive Darlap of her home world, the only difference is that they are significantly smaller than the Darlap, have a pair of manipulators that look like it would break if someone grabbed it too hard. A long powerful whiplike tail whisked the air behind in a graceful rhythm. A flash of recognition passed through Nyathi as she finally understood the species that she was looking at. They are the known as the Esteen, a member of the Galactic Counsel for more than ten cycles, renounced for their soul-clenching art and cities that create rather than destroy as many deathworlder species do. They walked to the end of our little welcoming line up, soundless save for the light clicking of hooves on the floor of the ship.
The lead Esteen, a large creature with fur a tawny gray, stood in the front. This Esteen stuck its tongue out and spoke with a low breathy whistle, like wind flowing over a field of Koruna fronds. Nyathi closed her eyes, letting the musical language wash over her senses.

The translator naturally picked out the words in the sentence, “We are the Esteen. My name is [Untranslatable: Whispering Grass]” He used his manipulator to gesture at the rest of the Esteens, “These are some of the most promising members of our species”

With that cue, the rest of the Esteens started it introduce themselves their voices sometimes merging, causing Nyathi’s translator to produce static as it tried to interpret what they are trying to say. Once they are done, like the Umnaks of previous, they walked to the hallway marked for their use, with some younger members of the species racing each other, whapping each other with their tails. Nyathi’s fin started to lift again as the behavior is very similar to the play that she had the misfortune to witness when she was just a fledgling. Whispering Grass stopped then looked at the rest of the crew, blue soulful eyes raking the crew of the ship for reactions. He held his tail in a stiff line and shook, somehow creating a low rattle. That seems to be some sort of signal as the two Esteens stopped their playing and resumed their graceful walk into their part of the ship and stood in attention with their tails held high over their heads.

Nyathi pressed herself firmly to her perch. If all the deathworlders are going to be this rough with each other, then what would happen when they interact with the rest of the crew. They would all be crushed by their antics!

The crew started to break formation only to be waved back by the captain. “There is one more species.” With that the rest of the crew slunk back to their places, some groaning with impatience or limply standing in place. Nyathi slowly got down from the safety of her perch and stood. On her hind legs. Then she heard it. The loud yet hushed hissing and guttural growls. A language clearly but one that seems primitive and primal compared to the speech from the other deathworlders that she had seen so far. Then they came they seems to be mammalian in nature, balancing on two legs that looks to me sturdy and muscular in comparison to its flimsy willowy arms. Nyathi felt a twinge of pity when those new creatures walked past. It lacks a tail. Whoever have torn them off must be a violent and dangerous predator. That small spark of pity is soon replaced with curiosity when she noted the sheer degree of color from one species. The one in the front have skin of a sun-dried stone with fur the color of ash from a freshly dead. The creature at the end of the little group have skin that’s as dark as the night and hair much darker. Nyathi paid little attention to the other creatures in the group, as there is a pair that grabbed her attention like food for the starving.

Another littermate?

They looked exactly the same, height, skin color, and smell. If not for the length of the fur on their head, she would have mistaken them for one large organism, like the members of the Zoryntha Hive.
The first creature with the longer fur abruptly stopped, causing the second creature to crash into its back. The force of the impact nearly tipping them over. They turned around and used hisses, growls, and grunts to communicate a bit before the first creature used one of its forepaws to point at where she is standing. The rest of the little pack of the same creatures stopped and looked at them with concern and amusement, before continuing to walk past them. Nyathi slunk down into the ground as she strained her ears to hear the conversation. Her translator caught snippets of speech. “What [Expletive: no analogs found]! … Is there something wrong? … Where is it?”

The second creature swung its head at her direction looking up until its eyes met Nyathi’s eyes. Her hearts stopped. This creature’s eyes are as black as the void they travel in, but with a fire burning in its depths, sharp, and searching. They are forward facing the eyes of a predator. The eyes of the creature softened, and it bared its teeth, showing the flat teeth typical of herbivores. Nyathi relaxed, maybe its forward-facing eyes are because of its need to see the distance of predators, or to judge the distance between different rocks in its native habitat. She certainly seen different prey species with front facing eyes before, as rare as they are. They got to the end of the little line, standing next to the Umnaks. They waited for the two littermates to join them before forming a tight circle, with their two willowy arms resting on their disproportionally large shoulders. They growled and hissed at each other in their language before separating, a robust member of their group with skin the color of honey stood up and introduced the others.

With the introductions done, the crew along with the deathworlders have scattered to different parts of the ship. Nyathi, jumped up clawing at the walls until she has gained enough momentum to glide from perch to perch until she has met up with the captain’s headquarters. Carefully dislodging a metal grate in front of a vent, she slipped in and used the complicated duct work to slip into his room, landing in a tangled heap on the captain’s bed. She waited for him to show up.

Soon after, the captain slipped into the room. Nyathi quickly stopped him and stood on her hind legs to give herself a quick boost in height. Now she towered over him. The captain opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it, launching into a rant.

“I knew that we have hired deathworlders, but I wasn’t aware that there were going to be predators. They are going to kill all of us!”, she then returned to the normal quadpod form but have flared her fin and wings to its full capacity, making her seem larger and padded with muscle. “You need to get rid of the Umnaks right now! Those predators are completely unable to resist their instincts. What if someone gets hurt and draws blood? They will tear us to shreds!”

The captain then stood up as well, his long shaggy mane starting to stand upright the more Nyathi talked. When she had finished, the captain, used one of his clawed manipulators to smooth the mane down.

"Nya, I thought you had it in control"

The young Krael glided down to the ground, her voice hardened becoming blades of ice. "I am in control, captain."

The captain sighed, his ruff deflated. "No, you're not. That was then and this is now. These Umnaks are sapient and sentient; those Umnaks are the best the species could offer. You have to let go of your preconceptions.”

Nyathi deflated, her wings and fins pressed close to her body. “But…”

“No, they are disgusted at the mere thought.” The captain gestured at the door of his room with his antennae. “Leave. Now.”

Nyathi did so, pulling her tail close to her flank. If the captain is blind to the dangers, then she will watch for them and make sure the Umnaks won’t attack them in their sleep.
 

Chapter 3: Suspicions

Illtharya slowly padded down the corridor to the exploration ship, her claws clicking on the stone and metal floor. She didn’t dare grip the ground too hard for the fear of flaking off material from the ground and compromising the integrity of the structure.

This is the first time her claws have left the comfort of the tree city in the Eteri Mountains, and the swaying rhythm of the wind. She is excited of the opportunity of course, with the chance to see and experience things that lie beyond the calm comforts of her world. Of course, like any sane species, she was hesitant to take the offer when she was chosen for the New Worlds program. What helped her make the decision is when her brother decided to join.

Illtharya was thrilled to learn that there are going to be other deathworlders in this dangerous trip of exploring other worlds in the Norma arm of the galaxy. She heard stories from people that have already left this world and explored the world of the stars. They spoke of Paradise worlds, worlds where everything simply falls into your jaws, and Garden worlds, worlds where there are as many species as there are stars in the galaxy. All those stories made her want to see the yonder with her eyes and scent it with her tongue. However, all those stories seem to share one theme. The people living there are spineless worms, standing on their pedestal and looking down at the deathworlders for breaking 'perfection'. She hopes that the other deathworlders would at least understand the struggle to live, laugh, and love in spite of the dangers present in their worlds.

She didn't notice when her foot left the corridor and into the ship until a blast of cold moisturized air hit her like swinging into a pregnant Snora bird when she was learning to branch. That have snapped her out of her musings. Illtharya then turned her attention to the crew standing on each side of the ship hallway.

They number to about ten or fifteen members on either side. Some with wings and claws, others with antennae and carapace. Some stood tall and met her gaze while others look like they wanted to melt into the metal floor. To her disappointment, they stank with the sweet musk of a well-cared gardens. She tried to not wrinkle her muzzle like she had gotten a whiff of day-old meat. Instead, she decided to look around the tiny space. Many of the people on the ship looks like they have caught something that’s foul in their mouth. Some had their fins open others have completely disappeared, with only the acrid scent of fear betraying their position.

Fear. They fear that we are going to eat them.

Claws gripped her heart and squeezed, making her want to get out of the ship and melt into the firm yet gentile embrace of her sire. She wished she had spent a few moments more in her parents calloused but caring tails. She shook herself and pushed longing far into the back of her mind. Only then did she notice the large Umnak with the vibrant green scales speaking to the crew. A color not found in the Eteri Mountains. He caught sight of Illtharya and used one of his claws to pick at one of the bioluminescent scales on his arm, dimly flashing it and one on his shoulder three times in rapid succession between dim, bright then to dim again.

'All fish. Easily jump.'

His strange accent caused her to look back at him in confusion and shock. Illtharya pressed the scales on the back of her neck back and hissed, "Where are you from?"

The male seemed to realize something before he started to flash his scales again but in a different pattern. ‘All prey. Easily scared.’

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You didn't answer my question."

Illtharya felt a small tap on her arm. Her brother had somehow snuck up behind her. His eyes had a mischievous twinkle in them before he lifted his tail and flashed a stripe three times. 'Squidbrain'. Illtharya wanted to paw him full in the face when he said that, but instead bared one of her fangs at him.

The green scaled male then turned to the crew and said, "This is the rest of the Umnaks on this voyage." He made a show of turning towards us, while curling his tail in a S-shape and flashing a stripe on his tail, 'Mouse. Snail.'. She ignored him. "They shall introduce themselves."

Illtharya took the cue and stood on her hind legs to free up her hands. She prodded her brother until he gave his full attention, letting out an annoyed huff as he did so. She then tapped her neck three times, on the third tap, letting her one of her claws slip under a scale. ‘Let me do the talking’. Her bother nodded.

“I'm Illtharya, I'm from the Eteri Mountains. This is my brother; his name is Pyrnalax.” She wrapped her tail around his shoulders and led him away from the staring eyes and the acrid tang of fear.

She marched into the hallway marked with their words for people, claw-mate. A large flap covered it. She opened the flap with her claws, revealing a hall filled with metallic vines and large platforms and rooms with similar flaps. She then used her powerful neck to open the first door in the hallway. A small bedroom with a nest covered with soft plush-pelts, and soft synthetic furs beckoned at her, making the cold ship seem at least somewhat welcoming. Pyrnalax stood on his hind legs and grabbed a metallic vine and pulled at it. It didn’t snap. Satisfied, he quickly jumped on the vine and climbed to the top so that his tail is swinging in the air.

“What do you think?”, hissed Illtharya.

Pyrnalax rolled around on his vine and gave a muffled growl “What do you mean?”

Illtharya rolled her eyes before sinking into a plush. “Is it just me or are the people on the brig all scared of us?”

“You mean the fear-scent?”

Illtharya smiled before sighing, "Oh, I see that you have finally improved."

Her brother's scales turned blue with embarrassment. "H-Hey, that was that one time."

Pyrnalax swung from the vine with his tail and landed on the soft nest in the corner of the room, missing Illtharya by a scale length. His claws dug into the soft pelts, causing some to rip. He then turned his head very slowly to face Illtharya.

“Though seriously, they are new, we are new. Plus, I’m willing to bet my tail that they have only seen people that have developed from prey species. If that is true, then we must be like monsters to them.”

He got up from the nest and slunk into a hunting position and stalked towards Illtharya. She reared up to her full height and hissed, exposing the large fangs next to the canines. Randas stopped stalking her and went back to a more neutral position, tail curled up in delight.

“See? My point exactly.”

Illtharya wrinkled her nose and let out a long breathy sigh. She didn’t get it. Afterall, they are all people. Sure, there are different pressures on each planet, forcing them to develop differently but that would simply contribute to the diversity of life throughout the galaxy.

Pyrnalax stared at her eyes and scales intensely before lifting the ones around his neck and waving them in an undulating pattern like a small wave.

‘Disappointment’.

Pyrnalax waggled his tail-blade in front of Illtharya's face in exasperation. “You don’t get it.”

“I don’t.”

Pyrnalax then made a clapping sound by slamming the scales on his arms against each other. ‘You can’t be serious.’

“Those people see our play and they see massive violence. Did you see the little alien on the metallic vine from earlier? The poor thing looked like it wanted to melt into it.” Pyrnalax stopped to catch his breath, “Plus, we have just been welcomed in their new community two summers ago, they must be trying to keep their distance for fear that they’ll somehow offend us.”

Illtharya bobbed her head in agreement, her brother’s argument did make sense after all, but there is one thing that is bugging her, like a little insect buried itself beneath her scales.

“I get what you mean.” She stopped to walk to the threshold of their room, and beckoned to her brother, flashing the bioluminescent scales around her spine intermittently while flapping them. ‘Let’s watch.’

Her brother then slid into a crouch, lifting his claws so that they won’t click against the cold metal floor. Illtharya did the same, sinking into a crouch so low that the sensitive plates on her belly brushed against the floor. Together, they glided to the flap of the hallway, lifting it so that they could scent the air. The familiar gardenworld musk wafted up Illtharya's nose. However, a mix of new scents had mixed in, making her sneeze. There are two distinct scents now, the familiar grassy scent of the Esteens, and a musky scent that almost made her think that there are five different new species on board. It has the musk of prey but at the same time they sang with the sharp tang of Fury.

Illtharya could barely stop herself from jumping around like a hatchling. Deathworlders finally. She then stuck her entire head out of the flap, ignoring her brother as he tried to pry her back in.

They were short, bipedal, covered in artificial skins and scales. Whatever skin showed however, dazzled her eyes by the sheer amount of variety. The being in the front of the little pack had skin the color of burned-down embers. The one next to the dark one had skin, a white so pale, Illtharya could see its red blood flowing beneath. There are three more of the people, one has skin the color of tempered wood and the other two had skin of yellow ochre.

These new beings have lithe forearms supported by broad shoulders and powerful legs. They have clawless talons, yet nothing Illtharya seen could show that they are made for the climb as well as these beings.

All those observations paled in comparison to the two beings with the ochre skin. Those two beings looked exactly the same, like someone pulled a reflection from a looking glass and made it into a real creature of meat and blood.

She flicked her tongue out tasting the air, half expecting them to smell the same. To her surprise, one smelled of sand, sea, and the things that live under the waves. The other had the sharp scent of various chemicals that belong solely in labs and machines.

These beings then grouped together putting their arms around their shoulders so that they created a tight-knit circle. The translator implanted into her neck produced static and then stilted words.

"We…Hu’mans…. Belong to … Solar system …. Seven major Countries. "

I wasn't aware that these beings know how to clone things. If that is the case, then these humans are much more advanced than they seem. Those colors. They seem to be able to edit their genetic code as well.

After the introductions, the members in the crew scattered like feathers in the wind. The Hu’mans and the Esteens going into separate hallways marked with strange symbols that Illtharya thought might be their language. The other Umnaks that didn’t go in the little hallway flowed in.

She grabbed her brother by the wrist and pulled him towards their room. “Can’t you wait?”

Pyrnalax glared at her, his pupils narrowed into little black slits in his eyes. His all of his bioluminescent scales shining blue and green in full force.

Illtharya jumped up and grabbed the edge of a platform with her talons and quickly pulled herself up. “Did you seriously not notice how the two Hu’mans in the back look exactly the same?”

Pyrnalax waved his tail in a large arc lazily, while shining the bioluminescent stripes on his flank. “Yeah, I noticed, I’m oblivious but not that oblivious.” He pulled his hand from Illtharya’s grip and rubbed it. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Illtharya bounced on her platform, ignoring her brother when he started to chur. “Always the baby I see.”

He waved his tail in a slow manner, mocking the way the elderly holds their tails, and in a voice that is so quiet that it could be mistaken for a small breeze. “Back when I was a fledg –”

Illtharya smacked him with a metallic vine.

“Seriously, do you have to make fun of everything I do?” Pyrnalax flapped his scales before climbing onto the platform as well and draping his tail over Illtharya’s shoulder.

“They are clones.” She blurted out.

“What?”

“They are clones.” Illtharya started to bounce again, forcing Pyrnalax to press her down to prevent them both from falling to the ground. “If we get to know them, then maybe we could learn from them.”

Pyrnalax was quiet, “Why don’t you just knock on their door and ask?”

Illtharya looked at him, a spark entered her once again. She bobbed her head in agreement, “That’s a good idea.”

She leapt from the platform and landed on the floor in a thump. And lifted the flap to their room. Making sure to not make any more noise than necessary. With movements that is as quiet as a soft breeze, and as smooth as a small babbling creek, she walked to hallway she saw the Hu’mans walk into, hesitating at the threshold.

Making up her mind, she walked in and looked at each of the doors littering the hallway, letting her translator interpret the symbols on the doors. She flicked her tongue out tasting the air for the scent of an ocean and the sharp scents of various chemicals.

Illtharya stopped in front of the door and tapped it with her tail. A couple of heartbeats later it opened, and she saw one of the clones.

She bobbed her head and lifted her head so that her neck is exposed, “Hello, my name is Illtharya.”

Chapter 4: Civilized Savagery

Summary:

Humans had entered the Galactic Council of Sapients, but there are still those that believe that they are nothing but pests and violent
semi-sapient animals. The more extreme of these groups are seeking to destroy humanity where they stand.

The streets are dark. Lights flickered, casting their weak glow onto the walls, barely chasing away the darkness. Shadows danced on the walls like lopsided ghouls, hungrily reaching towards the dim ring of light on the unbroken windows. The winds weaved through the tall claustrophobic walls, whistling its warning for anyone who’s willing to listen.

Jacob sat on his couch. His arms dangled off the armrests while his legs rested carelessly on the backrest. A remote control is clutched between two fingers while it is being swung around with a sort of apathetic abandon. Plastic wrappers are thrown around haphazardly like crusty confetti. Jacob’s face is illuminated by the mechanical glow of the TV screen as a bored and dull droning voice narrated the carnage displayed there.

“… There is another case of a savage human tonight. I’m here in the epicenter of this case…”

Click.

“… Here’s more news about …”

Click.

“… The Council of Galactical Relations stands today with a warning to …”

Crash. Clank

Jacob threw the remote harshly against the screen. It cracked the screen and filled with the electrostatic, stopping the steady progression of doom and decay.

He drooped his way to the fridge to grab something to eat.

It hummed and sputtered when its door opened. A strong draft of cold moist air hit him full in the face, filling the air with the musky scent of hunger. Nothing. Nothing is in the fridge save for an old spiderweb that he forgotten to clean out.

He sighed. The growl in his stomach intencified followed by a deep stabbing pain. It rode on a wave of nausea that brought him to his knees. Damn it! This is day seven. I have to venture out.

A scraping sound came from his window and Jacob walked towards it, pealing back a small piece of cloth to see .... Nothing. He shivered. The dark black expanse stared back at him, draining what remaining resolve that he had. He sighed and grabbed a small strip of paper and slipped on his shoes and jacket. Jacob limped to the door in a manner not dissimilar to an injured wolf. The wide black maw that leads to the world outside the relative safety of his yawned, the iron studs on it gleamed like a row of small teeth. He grabbed a small strip of paper and slipped on his shoes and jacket. He slipped out of it like an emaciated shadow barely remembering to take his flashlight-turned-taser with him. The door closed with a quiet finality. He stepped out into the blackness, letting the night swallow him.

It’s cold and wet, sleet bounced off the walls and rode the icy, blade-like wind. It’s the type of weather that would make even a fish feel depressed. Jacob pulled his hood on his head and continued to walk against the wind, one hand against the slimy wall for support.

He didn’t notice the pair of shadows following him.

.

Jacob walked in the store, the wide expanse of food and supplies giving him a sort of temporary comfort, something to lose himself to despite the dark dreary atmosphere outside. He grabbed a dozen packets of ramen, chips, eggs, water, and some vegetables, dragging them to his cart.

That should be enough to last a few more weeks. Man! I hate the whole savagery darts thing.

The alien behind the register gave him a sympathetic eye when it … she, saw the giant lump of food in the cart.

“Tough going?”, it asked.

“Yeah.”

The alien gurgled, its equivalent to a chuckle. “Good luck.”

Jacob nodded before gathering the bags from the alien cashier and walked out of the store.

The winds and rain have died down a bit, enough where he didn’t have to make several trips to gather his things. Jacob walked briskly down the street like the rapid staccato of a tap dance, his shoes tapping an alert, fearful rhythm on the pavement. Eyes bored into his back. The hairs on the back of his head have slowly raised up like little black needles. A hand wandered to the taser-flashlight.

The shadows moved closer.

He turned a corner and looked up. His heart jumped to his throat while the blood slowly drained from his face like the slow draining of blood in a freshly caught hare. The bags dropped from his hand and landed on the floor in a dull wet plop.

Jacob turned around to run but stopped when a cold cruel blade is pressed to his throat. A set of arms pulled his arms behind his back, and another covered his mouth. He started to squirm against the thickly scaled hands.

Hot rancid breath whispered in his ear, “Don’t struggle, Human.” Jacob continued to squirm anyway, ignoring how the knife is cutting up his collarbone and shoulder. He knew the chances of survival once being moved to a different location is pathetically low. When a stray finger wandered into his mouth, he bit down, hard. Warm coppery liquid filled his mouth. The alien holding him hostage reeled his hand back and shook it.

CRACK!

The bleeding hand slammed into the side of his head, digging a painful V into his cheek. The hunger pains from his stomach rose again. Stars swamed his vision while the edges danced. His knees buckled, nearly binging the buff scaly alien down with him. Dizziness swam in his stomach like a pack of snakes, Jacob found that he couldn't bring himself to care beyond trying to get the dizziness and the nausea to stop.

“Do you want a fur-cut below your chin?”

Jacob shook his head, the best he could against the hand covering his mouth.

“Good.” The alien sounds pleased and amused before snarling, “Now sleep.”

A large object slammed into the base of his head. Darkness grabbed at him, and he fought it for a few moments before it has laid its claim.

When Jacob came to, he was in some sort of cage. Chains adorned his wrists like heavy silver bracelets, holding his arms in a strange half twist position that turned painful the moment he moved.

Another alien stood in front of the cage. Its appearance could honestly be described as a mad scientist. Its white robe is stained with red. The alien had dull claws and missing scales that revealed it’s pink, diseased looking flesh. It’s topped off by the crazed sheen in its eyes.

Jacob cleared his throat, “What do you want?”

The question came out like a hoarse croak. The alien didn’t answer, instead, it grinned showing a row of sharp broken teeth and bleeding gums, something full of malice. It turned around and grabbed a syringe from the counter.

With a low husky voice, the alien said, “I have found that humans still have a lot of the primitive instincts. Suppressed via logic, and other emotion.” Jacob leaned away from it as far as he could. It stopped and gave a laugh that sounds like a hacking cough. “They don’t deserve to become civilized.” The needle brushed his neck at the cardioid artery, a small welling of blood came out of the wound and dripped onto his clothes. “All the other humans I tested on turned animalistic. The others don’t understand how dangerous you are, so I’ll make them see!”

The alien waved the syringe around everywhere scattering the blue fluid inside everywhere.

Jacob pressed his emotions down, swallowing his spit and fear, “No, you’re wrong, our strongest instinct is to protect. You simply got the wrong people.”

In the distance, a pack of cars, both human and alien rounded the corner. Their lights and sirens bouncing off the walls. The crazy scientist shook himself out of its imagination and plunged the needle into his neck.

The liquid stung, like putting Hydrochloric Acid into his veins. His muscles shook and spasmed, trying to get the noxious liquid out of his system. The last thing he saw was the cackling scientist and the squad of Galactical Foundation agents stormed into the lab.

Somewhere, a butterfly took wing and started to fly against the hail.

 

Notes:

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Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Humans are Space Orcs