Chapter Text
Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher
Date [standardised human time]: 21st August 2136
A loud clanking, followed by the hiss of a pressurising airlock, woke me from my peaceful slumber. After taking a moment to adjust to the shuttles bright interior lights I searched around for my shoulder pack. Finding it tucked neatly under my chair I picked it up, looking inside to ensure nothing had fallen out during the flight from Venlil Prime. Taking out and activating my pad, I brought up the message that had led me here.
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“Greetings Rysel, on behalf of the Venlil Republic please find enclosed an invitation to take part in the Human-Venlil exchange program in your capacity as an Environmental Researcher.
As part of efforts to acclimate our people to Humanity, several initiatives have been set up to share knowledge of each other’s history, science, culture and much more. Given your profession and qualifications, you have been identified as a prime candidate for the Introduction to Terran Zoology programme. Like the title suggests, this course has been designed to provide a basic overview of non-sapient animal life on Earth. The aim is to gauge how well, if at all, information on the native fauna of Earth can be spread to the populace at large.
Due to the presence of predatory life on Earth, Humans notwithstanding, the course has had few voluntary applications which is why you have been sent this invitation. It is still voluntary, however in addition to the monetary compensation offered on the advertisement for voluntary applications, you will also receive compensation for any lost salary from missed work and a 10% one off payment based on your current salary.
This offer will expire in one paw. Should you accept, you will be provided a date, time and location for the exchange at a later date.”
Reading the invitation had thrown me into a flurry of emotions, three standing out from the herd. Fear at the prospect of being near a human, their piercing eyes burrowing into me as they no doubt held themselves back from leaping at me with their sharpened fangs under the guise of this “lesson”. Humour from the idea that a predatory race could grasp a concept as intricate as environmental sciences, much less whatever this zoology is, which my translator notified me was [the scientific study of the behaviour, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution of animals]. A fancy word for predators stalking their prey no doubt.
Finally, a little bit of greed. The compensation offer was tempting indeed. Aside from my rather humble salary, research grants had dried up since I hadn’t been fortunate enough to get a survey assignment for potential colonies, and with the embargo on travel that wasn’t likely to be a thing again for quite some time. Venlil Prime had little need for my work on a paw to paw basis, we’d long since surveyed our worlds flora and fauna. Plus, any work I could get would likely just be identifying the remains of whatever the exterminators had dealt with. That, or checking soil quality for the thousandth time for any farmer who couldn’t be bothered to do it themselves.
Nearly the full paw after receiving the offer, swung back and forth by a vortex of conflicting emotions, I accepted the invitation. Immediately I felt a pang of regret. What was I doing!? I’m going to have to be in the room with a spehing predator!!! I have to cancel, I have… a ping from my pad had stopped me mid panic. A notification from my funding account had come through. As quickly as it had come on, my panic had abated as I beheld the figure in my account. Well… the humans can’t be that bad, right?
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And now, here I was. In orbit, about to step onto a space station full of predators so that I could learn about other non-sapient predators. I was not alone in my apprehension; other passengers were clearly stricken with fear at what lay before them. One snowy white Venlil sobbed with their tail wrapped around them for comfort, scanning about as if there were an alternative exit to our transport.
A hissing brought my attention forward, the shuttle doors opening to allow passage. With a deep, trembling breath, I strode forward. Alright humans, let’s see what a predators understanding of the environment amounts to.