“Hey Moms!” Feronica exclaimed as she burst into the kitchen from the main foyer of the spacious suburban domestic residence. Feronica Yots was of course speaking to either one of her two mothers, both of whom were in the room, both of whom had an intuitive sense as to who was being addressed and for which purposes. This was more than one could generally say about either of Feronica’s two fathers, both of which were out when Feronica decided to surprise her parents with a visit.
“Hey Kipper!” Tassa, the amber-haired woman and Feronica’s biological mother, said first.
“Hey hon!” Nanitra said next, though only because Tassa beat her to the job. Nanitra was dark skinned, with short red and black hair, and stood a few centiunits taller then Tassa, who herself was approaching a unit tall.
“I was in town, I decided to see what you were up to!” Feronica hoisted a small package on to the countertop gently, then let her shoulder bag slip from her shoulder onto the ground.
Feronica Yots had her biological mother’s nose, a small round nose that sat adorably in the middle of her face, round rosy cheeks, thick voluptuous curves and features. She was tall like both her mothers, stubborn like both her fathers, and had dyed her hair so many times she was starting to forget what her natural color was, though presently it was a noisy shade of blue.
She was on the larger side, as far as young titan women went, though could hardly be classified as unattractive. Like her second mother, Nanitra, Feronica was loud and strident, though like her second father, she was clever and cunning. The oldest child of four parents, she carried the DNA of only two of them, but harbored just a little bit of each of their personalities.
“You’re always welcome homem hon!” Nanitra embraced her daughter in a tight hug, then kissed her once on each cheek before holding her at arms length to get a good look at her.
“The dads still working?” Feronica asked, slipping out of her second mothers grasp in order to nearly topple Tassa over.
Tassa hardly had time to set her data pad down before her eldest child plowed into her, they hugged, and Tassa kissed her daughter similar to how Nanitra did.
“Y’von is at work, and Neaj is picking your brother and sisters up from school.” Tassa said, turning her attention back to her data pad, while Nanitra was once again busing herself before the stove.
“I’m making fried sea molluscs with yeet, your favourite!” Nanitra teased, knowing full well Feronica could stand anything that slimy that came in a shell.
“What brought this on?” Tassa asked, her tone suspicious, but maternal. “Not that I’m complaining.” She added, knowingly.
“I wanted to share the good news! I won!” Feronica said, as if remembering something very important, she then bounded across the kitchen to where the small plastic box was sitting on the counter.
Feronica, as if by flicking a switch, immediately transitioned from excited and rambunctious to calm and gentle as she picked up the small palm sized box, then turned to her mothers, who were eyeing their daughter with passive curiosity.
Nanitra was the first to notice the greenish brown color of the box, but Tassa picked up on the HoS ensign inscribed in what she recognised as a small mammalian transportation node. “Won?” Tassa asked with skepticism.
“Ya-huh!” Feronica exclaimed, nearly giddy. She had to check herself and remind herself what was inside the box. “Oh, come on…I only told you like a dozen times!” Feronica grumbled, and sulked against the counter top in a huff.
“Then you should no doubt know the story well enough by now to tell us again.” Nanitra said, with a smirk across her thick red lips.
Feronica Yots rolled her eyes, then looked down the the small node in her hands. “Here, let me show you.” Feronica set the node down on the kitchen table, then rather hastily spun it around to the front, so when it was opened it would face her mothers. It wasn’t that Feronica was uncaring, just easily excited, and quite boisterous at that.
Tassa could hear something jarring around inside the node, and cringed, lifting a hand in caution towards her eldest daughter. “Careful Kipper…” Tassa winced.
Nanitra rolled her eyes, with a motherly sigh.
“I’m sorry. I’m just so excited. I mean, I never thought I’d win. Do you know how many people wanted to adopt this little dear? She had half of Orion Provence hoping to give her a home, and I won!”
The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together, the look of concern on Tassa’s face melted away, replaced by a thoughtful expression.
Before either mother could garnish a comment, Feronica pressed a small button atop the node, and the front wall of the unit slid down, opening its contents up for all to see.
Tassa sat back, while Nanitra slowly approached, drying her hands on an apron she wore around her waist. At first, nothing happened, after a while, Feronica gently tipped the node, just enough for a tiny, timmid figure of a human being to stubble out, landing on her rear end, with a small barely audible “Ouch!”
“Kipper!” Tassa hissed gently, though only enough for her daughter to understand her annoyance. The tiny specimen of a human being looked terrified enough, sitting in the middle of a ring of titans, looming down on her. Two pensive and thoughtful, one excited and jubilant.
“Oh…oh my…she is a tiny little thing if I’ve ever seen one. Even for a human…there’s hardly anything to her!” Nanitra spoke up, with an adoring amusement to her voice, brown eyes were soft and welcoming.
“She’s been through a lot, I don’t think she’s had proper nutrition. The poor thing, she’s lucky to be alive.
Tassa was quiet, she simply studied the little human, who was naked, shivering, and now hugging her knees to her chest, her eyes as wide as saucers.
“There were so many people that wanted to adopt her, they had to have a lottery, even then there was an extensive screening process to make sure whoever she went would be able to care for her and love her!” Feronica snaked her hand out and scooped the little human up. Of course she tried to scamper away, but Feronica’s hand easily caught up. Her thick fingers closed the tiny human in, who continued to struggle, until she was quickly smushed against the titan’s soft cheek.
“Shhh, you don’t have to be afraid, you poor little thing. I’m not like those other titans, I’ll take care of you.”
Feronica continued to nestle the unwilling little human, then once finished, slowly began to stroke her thin brown hair.
She was tan-skinned, frail, with matching brown hair and eyes. She was alert, with keen intelligent eyes, but she didn’t say a word. The veterinarians at the HoS warned Feronica that it was possible she would never speak again. Insectoid venom was potent, and this little human had enough of it running through her veins to kill three of her. But somehow she had survived.
Out of 123 humans, she was one of only three to survive.
“So, is this the one they pulled out of the Leffen girl?” Tassa asked at last.
Feronica shook her head. She transferred the little human woman to her open palm. She of course tried to flee, but Feronica absent mindedly replaced one hand over another, every time the little human thought she was making progress.
“Nope.” Feronica said, eyeing her new pet with adoration. She giggled slightly at the franticness, and the futility
of her pets escape attempts. “She had an owner. And it isn’t the one who killed her, obviously, that was a male. This is the other female.”
Nanitra shook her head a bit and leaned against the table. “She doesn’t look like she’s adjusted well, are you sure you’re up for the job of taking care of her?”
“Yup! My apartment is big enough for her to explore, and I got a really nice terrarium to keep her safe.” Feronica closed her fingers, positioning the little human properly with her thumb, before lifting her up to eye level. Feronica had owned her fair share of humans growing up, she knew exactly how to handle them. “You’ve got nothing to worry about little girl, you’re all mine now. I’ll take care of you.” Feronica smiled, then pulled her new little pet in for a big wet kiss.
The human withered in the titan’s grasp, until her energy was sapped. As the three titans discussed her fate, she lay limp in her captor’s hand, wincing as a large thumb stroked her over, and over, sweating in the hot confines of the woman’s palm. Hopelessly, she closed her eyes, and cried silently.
***
Some time later
Feronica lay across her bed with her head propped up on her hands, her velvet blue eyes scanning the datapad in front of her. Homework didn’t get any easier no matter how old you were, nor the tier of schooling you were in. Of course, Feronica had never been overly talented when it came to academics. School was just a convenient excuse to move away from home and get her life started. It wasn’t at all uncommon for young titans to remain at home well into their thirties, so at 23, it wasn’t as if she was an old maid – if the Titans had even had such a concept. Still, all her friends had jumped the gun and taken off early. Rov and Sneve joined the Space Exploration corps, Livia and Nrene were accepted on internship to The Academy for Mighty Scholars!, which took them across imperial space to the Ler lands. Even Moni was working full-time as a shuttle driver. Twenty-three was as good a time as any to get started on life.
“Sweetie, do you wanna finish this for me?” She asked cleverly as she eyed the tiny human woman who sat hidden in the small alcove in her Terrarium. Feronica had owned the little thing for only a few days, it had been the young student’s hope that the human would come out of her shell of solitude with time, but sadly it didn’t appear that was going to be the case.
Feronica flicked the screen off on her pad and rolled off her bed, landing with a ‘thump’ on her knees. She bound up and strode across the room with heavy, long strides. “Why don’t you come out? All you do is sit under there and mope all day. It’s nicer out here, I promise!” Feronica smiled, and kneeled to get a better look into the Terrarium.
There was no reply, and no movement, the little human had even obscured herself further by pushing the soft cotton bedding against the alcove entrance, entombing herself in the shrouded cave.
Feronica sighed and rolled her eyes, gently flicking the lock off the Terrarium lid, and reaching in she effortlessly plucked the tiny alcove up and set it on the table beside the terrarium. “Peek-a-boo!” She giggled, flopping onto her rear and resting her palms in her lap.
The startled human woman looked briefly over to the just hardly dressed titan, who wore nothing but a pair of underpants and a sleeveless pink undershirt. For a moment, anger rippled through her and she wanted to scream out to the reckless beast for what she had done! ‘Would you like it if somebody came along and just tore the roof off your room!’ She thought to herself, but could not find the words to express it; she knew how to talk, but she just couldn’t seem to do it. The terrible green stuff had taken so much away from her. Thoughts were hazy sometimes, she couldn’t breathe as well as she used to, and sometimes at night she woke up form terrible coughing fits that made her hurt all over. But her throat, it always felt tight, when she tried to talk, nothing came out.
“Awww, don’t look at me like that, you’re much cuter when you smile I bet!” Feronica beamed, then tapped her chin with a long painted purple fingernail. “You know, I think it’s time we come up with a name for you little girl.” The titan smiled brightly, shimming closer to the terrarium.
Feronica cowered at the sudden movement, which shook the entire prison she was trapped in. ‘I have a name! It’s Saa-raa!’ she screamed to herself, but was distracted as a grim shadow over came her and five monstrous digits sprawled out to grasp her!
The little human tried to run, and opened her mouth to scream, but the speed and agility the big ones were capable of was incredible and terrifying. Before she could comprehend what had happened, her arms were pinned at her side, only her head stuck out of the titan’s grip, but soon enough even that began to suffer assault as her new owner began to relentlessly and repeatedly stroke her with her thumb. There was no leverage to struggle, all she could do was accept what was happening, like she always did.
“I had a human when I was a kid, her name was Fluffy!” Feronica giggled. “Because she had poofy frizzy hair and it was fluffy.” Feronica reminisced, stroking the little human woman’s soft brown hair. “You’re not fluffy though.”
Sarra closed her eyes, everyone she knew had been taken from her, all the others had been taken away to be sold, and those who she had been fortunate enough to remain with, were eaten up by the big ones, the terrible terrible horrendous big ones. Sarra could still remember sitting in the dark room with the others, all of them afraid, some of them hopeful. They had always been taught to trust and love the big ones, because it was just understood that the big ones would never do anything to hurt them. The big ones always looked out for them, it had been that way since as far back as she could remember, which made this even more confusing, even more terrifying. Those big ones wanted to eat her, those big ones ate her friends!
That had to be how it was then, they lied, all of them! The big ones gained their trust, took care of them, and then when they were all grown up, stole them away to be eaten, to become nothing more than a meal! Sarra felt that same wave of venomous anger wash over her, as the chubby one with multi colored hair rambled on, words just seemed to pour form her mouth like breath! She knew how to talk, and it didn’t seem likely she understood how to stop!
I wish you would stop petting me Sarra thought to herself, trying to block out the words the big one was saying. None of them were important, just more lies. If you’re going to eat me, get it over with.
“I’ve always been fond of Mukee, I had a stuffed winter-ayarn growing up named Mukee.” Feronica took her pet between her thumb and forefinger braced under her arm pits, and pulled her close to her nose. “Mukee it is!” The titan smiled softly, kissing the frightened little human right on her face.
Sarra grimaced and lurched away from the smothering kiss. My name is Sarra! Her mind insisted, but the giant was already rambling on about other things, it seemed, Mukee would have to do.
Are you going to add to this story is is it dead in the water?
I once finished a major novel I started for the gts community two years later, nothing I write is ever dead in the water.
Though with this gem here, I began writing it, then had a bit of a health crisis. After a long hiatus and some minor surgery I am back, but now have to get back into the groove.
Rest assured it will be finished.
Thanks for the info and kindness. I rarely ever comment.
I never thought of writing a story about Sarra’s journey, but this will add to the series nicely, by showing a Titan who doesn’t get humans.
DX: Ad goes with spolia, right? It takes an accusative object.
P.S. to TD: Is there any connection with a certain Veronica?
Actually, it hadn’t even crossed my mind A.R, I am ashamed to admit it even took me a while to figure out who you were talking about >.>
Clue me in; Who?
Veronica Elisha Elis, of Carrie’s Science Project.
Good chapter. Nice change of pace to note the still dark side of the verse. I guess people could hate on Feronica but in my mind she sort of represents the average Titan. Not fully aware of what they are doing. Doing what they do not out of any intentional maliciousness but of a perceived kindness. Its a level of social consciousness that is lacking. The humans that are spotlighted in the various stories are quite lucky that they fell into Titans who either were aware or became aware over time..
That being said my heart goes out to Sarra. I hope she keeps it together until she could make Feronica understand who she is
good start, ferconica is a bigot but still young.She will learn!
I kinda doubt it considering she is no longer with her within 3 TY. My guess is she becomes frustrated or annoyed by her pet and this somehow leads her to ending up with the Dunnermac girl.
I predict intervention by her parents.
I hope not, it would be good story to see a Titan not able to learn the truth.
Interesting to see the journey she is going to have to take to end up with the dunnermac and confronting Heydyn.
I hope she goes on a hungar strike.
All new characters, what a treasure trove…
Feronica seems loving and oblivious. I expect Sarra will slowly teach her through experience how to interact in a civilized way. When she gets clothes will be a marker for feronica’s maturation progress. An interesting new adventure, thanks.
Taytay seems equally oblivious. It is going to be a long haul to civilization for most titans…
See what happens when I get two new chapters at once– I mix them up. But new characters… Ooops.
I find it odd that an organization that Lyroo runs would just lottery off a survivor from a very public incident, considering the attention she gave Darren. Feronica’s obliviousness is understable considering humans are the size of rodents to titans. I would pay more attention to a dog or cat’s (titan equivalents) feelings considering their bite of scratch can hurt them. This won’t end well.
Lyroo only gave Darren the personal attention because she was looking to vindicate her views by domesticating an Earth human. Sarra didn’t even hit her radar most likely.
Very good point about the size difference between pets. I doubt Feronica would be this aggressive with an abused Shaar.
The optimist in me hopes Feronica’s parrents, or someone, pulls her aside and asks her to dial it back a bit. She has good intetions she just needs to go slower.
Eehh … The HoS doesn’t seem to care much about the humans specifically, despite their stated goals. The intended plan with Darren, which would have quite possibly worked to full effect mind, was to let him die specifically so that the tragedy of his situation would spark anger and the need to do something in the hearts and minds of other Titans. If Darren is rescued, then there’s a victory! We’re done here! We can all go home and stop thinking about this mess now! But if he’d died? Then people would keep pushing and pushing until they felt they’d made a change.
Similar sort of logic with Sarra here, they aren’t interested in the slightest for helping her or getting her to safety, and its just as likely she’ll end up with someone who’d torture and eat her on a whim seeing as 20 Titan years down the line we still have people like those two rapists in Contact. HoS goals seem to be to profit, to take advantage, to gain as much as they can off this poor human’s suffering, and what better way to do that than something like a lottery where several scores of people are gambling away more money on the off-chance of winning their prize?
They make more money hosting the lottery for one of these three special humans than they ever would making a single sale.
You’re thinking of TETH, not HOS.
TETH is their PETA equivalent, HOS is kind of like their Humane Society except specifically for humans instead of all animals.
That was actually TETH not HoS that was fine with Darren dying for publicity purposes. As many issues as I have with Lyroo she was fighting to save Darren’s life.
Ooh, point and noted.
On a marginally related note, I just realized that TETH can stand for both Titans for the Ethical Treatment of Humans, and Titans Eating Tasty Humans.
Feronica mentioned that there was an “extensive screening process” after the lottery. Though I get the impression that the screening process wasn’t nearly as extensive as Feronica perceived it to be. She means well, but lacks empathy.
Or, the screening process has its priorities out of order, and it was unintentionally designed to select the wrong kind of person, someone who’s wrong like Lyroo.
I don’t think we’ve got all the backstory yet. In the wake of the Rutger, Darren was held by animal control, Tapp was returned to her registered owner, but Sarra was farm raised and probably still registered to Prinn Farms. Lert probably didn’t want that bit of news getting to Lyroo and may have arranged something special to bypass normal HOS adoption process which might be why the kid ended up with Sarra and her parents may not even be the registered owners. In other words a quiet attempt to make her disappear from the record. That could explain why the Dunnermac might come looking for her later.
I imagine that the dunnermac that she ends up with is part of that comission the dunnermac politician promised to start to study human intelligence.
At first I thought this was going to be Dhan’s story and got nervous at the title, but realized midway through it would be Sarra instead. The Exile epilogue is about 20 human years after this so there’s a lot of gaps to fill.
Man between how Lyroo treated Darren and how Feronica has started it makes me think HOS has no clue how to deal with Humans who have been traumatized.
They don’t see them as people, so they don’t realize that traumatic experiences affect them similarly. Plus, Sarra can’t talk so she can’t vocalize her fears.
Also, it was only three years between when the massacre happened and when Sarra found Hedyn.
Three Titan years I believe as that was from Hedyn’s perspective, so about 20 human years.
Also Feronica is treating her poorly even for a traumatized animal! You wouldn’t be this aggressive with an abused dog or cat, and even if she can’t talk Sarra’s clearly struggling and terrified.
Feronica doesn’t see that. She’s completely oblivious to Sarra’s suffering. All she sees is a cute little animal that needs her smothering affection.
still given HOS ran a screening process I would have hoped they would have stressed the whole abused part. Feronica treats Sarra like she’s fresh from pet store.
I think even Lyroo would disapprove.
Because there’s no fear on her part if she scares the human. An abused dog or cat will lash out with claws and teeth. What can a human do to a Titan?
I had planned on writing Dhan and Nonah’s story, but that one wouldn’t co operate, so this is what came when I sat down. It may or may not end up longer than I had intended…
I’m curious about Dhan’s story before the events of Pandemic. How he met Dr. Selil and so forth.
Feronica… so oblivious. She’s not noticing that her new little pet is absolutely terrified of her. She’s not even noticing that she’s constantly crying.
I worry about how Feronica will act with the continued lack of reciprocation for the affection she’s pouring into the traumatized girl. Will she try to understand what she’s going through and seek to help her, or will she grow frustrated and annoyed? Here’s hoping the parents prove to be more helpful to Sarra’s condition.
To be fair, that is par the course. The vast majority of Titans don’t seem to realize humans can talk, or actively try to prevent their humans from talking as per behavior training. And even Nasika and Loona had to have Neil baby-talk them through kindergarten lessons before either expressed they were at all capable of basic civil behavior.
NOT noticing things or outright ignoring the reality of a situation has thus far been the standard. One bright side is that there’s more than one person here and thus a greater chance of someone taking heart, though on the subject of HoS … I personally wouldn’t trust them to care for a cat or a mouse either, given this is how one would be treated. It’s like trying to say you are the leading expert on how to care for dogs and then not having any idea what a wagging tail means. Nor the curiosity to find out.
Another ignorant Titan…well lets see how this goes down. There will be sparks.
We know she ends up visiting Hedyn, so the prospects are good.
There’s a lot of time between now and then. A few years at least.
She visits Hedyn in the company of a Dunnermac though. I always imagined the Dunnermacs being the ones to handle her recovery, this is terrible. I don’t think things will go well at all with this owner.
Feronica, so far, doesn’t strike me as having enough patience to handle the traumatized human.
I was going to suggest that she went on her own but then I remembered that humans wouldn’t be able to accomplish that yet. It will probably end badly, we’ve seen our humans all wind up with Titans who were more or less sympathetic to their condition and allowed them more freedom than the average Titan. About time we got one where a human didn’t get that. I think even Lyroo might be better than this girl, Feronica has no inkling on how to take care of her at all. Sarra should get out while she can but here she seems so far away from the main cast that she looks to be on her own .
Yes I feel even Lyroo would be far more patient and gentle. She at least would recognize Sarra was terrified.
I do have a habit of giving the endings away huh? First with Darren via the outer narrative, now this. Bad habit of mine!
Well there is the journey to look forward to, so you haven’t spoiled that.