The examination had gone as expected, ‘Mookie’ had shown about as much willingness to co-operate as a feral Shaar, and the small animal veterinarian technician had not practiced patience when dealing with the timid little human.
Sarra was of course used to being poked, prodded and nudged by the Big ones in white coats. Humans on the farms were often visited regularly by White Coated ones when they were young and impressionable. But time and recent events had helped reshape Sarra’s outlook on life. The young woman no longer felt obliged to co-operate with them. After all, if the ones who tried to kill her were bad, who’s to say they all weren’t.
“So, how did her first check up go?” Nanitra asked as she stirred her warm brown tea.
“Not good, she’s was really anti social, gave the vet a real hard time. She almost got off the examination table twice. Dr. Ciid wasn’t able to finish with out sedating her.
“We had a klipkaer like that, ‘member Lucky?” Ronjar said as he slipped in behind his daughters chair and took the seat by the window near the patio door.
“Lucky used to bite, he was also sort of crazy. Mookie isn’t the same, besides she’s harmless. It’s likely just nerves…Dr.Ciid said she needed more time to settle.” Feronica hummed as she peaked in the open carrier, where Mookie was still out cold.
“How long will it sleep? Is it awake yet? Can I hold it! Feronny can it do any tricks? My friend…his human can walk on bar from one couch to the other, and can jump THIS HIGH!” An energetic, dark skinned boy no older than eight pushed through the circle of adults and jarred the table as he ramed into it. His golden amber eyes watched the sleeping human with excitement, bursting at the seems to reach in and snatch it up.
Feronica giggled and pulled the carrier away from her youngest sibling, wagging a finger at him teasingly. “She doesn’t do any tricks yet, and she isn’t keen on playing with rambunctious little children!”
Ronjar grinned and grabbed his son in a playful manner and ruffled up the boys hair. “Oie, a human isn’t a Klipkaer Guppy, ya can’t ruff them up, they don’t like to play like you do!” The dark skinned man laughed as his son, who bore a remarkable resemblance to both him and Nanitra, struggled to free himself from his father’s head lock.
“Da!” The boy whined, but didn’t seem at all put off.
Tassa mused quietly to herself while her family went on about their business. Her deep velvet eyes were narrowed into tiny slits and she was resting her chin on her palm. She might of remained zoned out for the entirety of the conversation had her wife not snuck up behind her to deliver a small kiss to the back of her neck.
“So, what do you think?” Nanitra asked, running her fingers through her wife’s amber hair.
“Hmmm?” Tassa inhaled deeply, a little surprised at the sudden attention.
“She wasn’t listening.” Feronica teased and rolled her eyes. “She was having a mom moment…”
Ronjar looked up, in the middle of trying to pry a feral child off his back and said with a grin, “Nigh impossible to pull her out when she gets like that! Not but a kiss from the sweet lips of a beautiful maiden can do it!”
Nanitra winked and slid her hands around Tassa’s shoulders and began to massage her back. “You better not have any of those laying around eh! I’m the only one of them you all better be accepting kisses from!”
Tassa smiled weakly then shook her head, though she did reach up to gently squeeze her lovers hand. “Just thinking is all…”
“So, while I was getting her chipped, Dr. Cid asked if I wanted to get her fixed. I hadn’t really thought about it to be honest. I mean, I hear it changes them…but Dr.Cid said if you don’t get them fixed they it can cause all sorts of problems later in life.” Feronica adjusted the bedding Mookie was sleeping on, then gently closed the lid.
“Hmmm.” Was Tassa’s only reply.
“Plus, you don’t want her getting pregnant. Humans reproduce like tupps!” Nanitra said offhandedly.
“Only if you put them with a male, she can’t get pregnant on her own Ma!” Feronica said with a roll of her eyes.
“I’m just saying…you never know. It only takes once, you know how humans can be.” Nanitra argued.
“Baby humans are cute though.” Feronica said in thought, her eyes squinting as she daydreamed of the adorable little younglings!
“Cute…right…two turns to four turns to eight, before you know it in a few years time your up to your ear in humans.” Nanitra scoffed.
“You know,” Ronjar broke in, “it might calm her down some? She’s really high strung, this might help soften her moods?” Ronjar said as their rough housing had started to settle down.
“Maybe.” Feronica said, peering down at her sleeping pet. “It would make things easier.”
“I say go for it. An anti social human is no good to anyone. If there not affectionate what’s the point of having them around?” Nanitra said, with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Tassa frowned and took a slow breath in, which generally meant she had something to say, but wasn’t likely to say it.
“What?” All three adults in the room spoke up in unison.
Tassa crossed her arms and tilted her head a little. “Nothing, just…well…Kipper…and I’m not trying to pry…but are you sure you are prepared to meet this humans needs?” Tassa looked to her daughter, her eyes downcast in a look of concern.
“What does that mean?” Feronica barked back defensively.
“Well…” Tassa began,” I just don’t think you know fully what you’ve gotten yourself into. A human isn’t a Kipp, a Shaar or a klipkaer, they are smart, complex creatures that require more than a nice warm place to sleep and a bowl full of food. This one doesn’t seem like she is ready to be around people, and I’m just not sure your prepared for the challenge of taking care of her.”
Feronica crossed her arms and threw herself back in her chair, she looked across the table to her mom’s in shock, then looked to her dad for support, he however quickly looked around the nabbed his son for a desperate excuse to occupy himself. If there was one thing both dad’s knew, it was never get between the moms and their daughters during a fight. Ever!
“I’m not a little girl mum, I know how to take care of a human.” Feronica said defiantly.
Tassa shot her daughter an even glance and crossed her hands over one another, Tassa was never the one to loose her cool, of the lot of them, Tassa was the contemplative thinker. But everyone knew when she had this look on her face, she meant business.
“I never said you don’t, but I don’t think you fully understand just how traumatized this poor human is…all I’m saying is I think you may be in over your head.” Tassa’s tone was affirmative but calm.
Feronica’s chest puffed out and her face flushed, she defiantly had Nanitra’s abrasive personality. “Fine, and I’m saying I got this, alright!?”
“There’s no need to take that tone with me Feronica.” Tassa said with a sigh.
The two continued to argue like only a mother and her daughter could, while all the noise and commotion began to pull the subject of this family quarrel from her slumber.
***
The last thing Sarra could remember was backing herself into the corner of a cramped, cold, hard surface as two strange big ones loomed over her dressed in white. They conversed with large, confusing words and spoke over her, never directing any of their near endless questions towards her, only her owner. Sarra wasn’t sure if she would have answered them even if she was capable, or had they even seemed willing to listen. For the first time in her life, Sarra didn’t feel at all like co operating with her gigantic overlords, and though it went against the grain of everything she had ever been taught, Sarra didn’t feel that what she felt was wrong in any way.
Though not co operating with the big ones came with its own, unique set of challenges. First, she could exactly tell them how she felt. It wasn’t simply her inability to speak that acted as a blockage, the big ones never seemed all that willing to listen when humans came to them with concerns, not that it was ever that common in the first place. From a young age Sarra had learned it was often better keep quiet and deal, than open her mouth and complain.
Defying the white coat titan’s felt good, it made Sarra experience a feeling she hadn’t before…independence. A fresh, invigorating sense of self that had escaped her all her life. It was almost pleasurable, until that is the white coat giants grew tired of her defiance.
Sarra remembered the giant male reached for her and pinned her on her stomach, while the female jabbed her with a sharp object that made her feel sleepy and light headed. Then they sat back watching her as she fought to remain conscious. Her last memory before waking up here was the two white coat giants, and her owner talking to one another, the male was preparing some sort of terrifying contraption, explaining a procedure to Feronica that likely involved her, and then she blacked out.
Though what she had awoken to was by no means any less terrifying! Her owner was shouting at some of the giants who Sarra could remember meeting a few sleeps ago. The one who looked like her, and the one with dark skin. The two other giants were screaming back, and everyone seemed hot headed and angry. Big ones voices carried a long way even when they were. Speaking low, when they yelled, it was absolutely frightening.
It didn’t matter what they were saying, they were angry and every so often one of them would motion towards her, it had to be about her! Sarra immediately thought of the worst possible scenario, she had gone down that road once, that had been more than enough for a lifetime.
Sarra didn’t think, there was no logical thought process that lead her to the decision she had come to. Her most basic primal instinct took over, and as her eyes scanned her prison, resting at last on the open door, Sarra immediately made a run for it.
All the titans at the table were to busy yelling at one another to notice the tiny little human scurry across the table, even when she was right under their shadow! The ground around her quaked as the titan who looked like her owner slammed a flat fist into the table and barked something at the younger one. Sarra stiffened up, but continued running, unsure exactly where she expected to go, but damn sure she was going to get there with out waiting to find out who it would be to win the right to eat her!
Sarra reached the edge of the table and with absolutely no hesitation what so ever leapt from the surface to the padded chair. From there she slid down the back of the structure until her feet made contact with the ground. Her eyes scanned the room for cover, taking her focus off the towering giants arguing above.
She knew it didn’t matter if they saw her or not, if they did she was done, if they didn’t well…the outlook wasn’t much brighter. All her life Sarra had been raised to trust and love the titan’s. They were the protectors, the providers, the ones who knew what was right, and what was wrong. Life under their protection was supposed to be safe, but she had come to learn that was a lie.
So they said, life with out them was full of danger, a place where no human could survive. But, if they had lied about protecting her…what was to say they were telling the truth about anything at all? Sarra looked onward with determination, there was only one way to find out!
That was when Sarra made up her mind, she wasn’t going to allow these monsters to lie to her anymore, she wouldn’t allow her fate to lay in their hands…or stomachs. That was when Sarra ran!
Sarra now feels like Disney frozen’s song ‘let go it 😀
Really hits home how difficult it must have been for Nonah to admit how much she hated being carried around in Loona’s backpack for the first time.
Hopefully Tassa can get it through her daughter’s thick head that this human isn’t the kind of happy, loving pets you see at the store. This one has severe emotional trauma, as well as physical trauma. Odds are very likely that she’ll never be like those pet store humans, for as long as she has her.
Tassa is the voice of reason here, and hopefully the source of Sarra’s salvation.
This might be the darkest look at human pet ownership we’ve seen yet in the series. Before now we’ve had some humans who bought into the happy pet mentality, and those that didn’t have been able to convince their titans otherwise. Lyroo being the one exception, but she’s shown more as an antagonist.
This is a run of the mill titan family. We also get Sarra’s perspective, yet she’s unable to voice it. Too bad this happens after they chipped her. She’s smart enough and her survival instinct is high right now.
Indeed, it’s a peek at “normal” human pet life with an ordinary Titan family. Yet, it’s pretty dark. Or perhaps it’s because they’re normal people that the situation is even worse.
We got used to see “tamed” Titans, or sometimes evil crazy Titans. Here they’re just normal and it’s chilling.
Very interested to see how the story goes. 🙂
It will also be interesting when this state of affairs remain in the era of Contact, a scant 20 or so Titan years later. This situation will remain (It will also remain even after the legislature acts – for a good long time). The earth governments only have an inkling of what is happening, once they get into the details…..Wow…..Even the professional polished liars (politicians) won’t like it….
Not good. not good at all.. No matter how much pc and kumbayah paper it over..
Earth politicians will react to the opinion of Earth based voters as they always have done in the past.
The slim majority on Earth will see titan treatment of humans in the empire as a threat to their own lives not as something to improve the fate of captive humans. The dumb among the majority will drive the politicians to waste a lot of hot air with bellicose noise that solves nothing but of course wins them votes. The smarter ones will see this as an opportunity to drive Earth’s defenses against the real non-titan threats to Earth.
The minority will be divided. Those who ignore slavery and genocide here on Earth and will ignore the problem in the empire. The politicians siding with this crowd will push the “it’s not our problem” line.
The smaller minority will see all the problems to be solved beginning with simply finding all the humans in the empire, determining their individual situations, and raising their living conditions, education of those humans and their former titan masters or intervention where necessary. The terran politicians who side with this last group will have the most hope of doing any real good by mobilizing Earth support behind the efforts organized by our friends on Avalon.
That’s very optimistic of you. Just consider how many African nations had official or non-official relations with Apartheid South Africa.
As long as the Titans promise not to let Titans or others “adopt” earthlings, and earthlings traveling to the empire are protected, they will be fine with whatever happens to the Scroofs and Sarras of the world.
They might demand recognition of Avalon’s self-rule and allowing it to join the UN. But whether humans are allowed to go to Tannhauser as students? Not so much.
Humans attending a titan university is more a logistical hurdle than anything. For starters, I imagine some courses have classes as long as an Earth day.
Not sure there would be any appeal in going to a titan university given how slow they teach. Even for a hybrid like Sorcha it was intolerably slow, can’t imagine how it would suit a human.
Kusanagi: While attending a Titan university is not very appealing, the titans have had warp drive for more than 6000 human years. If you want to study physics that is not 6000 years out of date, you can’t learn that at a human university.
Can human universities teach those things? No, they can’t, because the number of human professors who understand modern physics is exactly one. So humans have to learn from titans, at least for a while (a disturbingly short while for the Titan teacher).
Perhaps some colleagues of Niall might want to go to earth and teach via holographic projector for what is to them less than one year. I’m not sure they’ll be able to adjust to students who do in two months what their other students did in a year.
Wonder if Niall has his lectures recorded. I he does, he could just send Earth those, with permission from the university of course.
@synp: Kind of a chicken/egg thing though isn’t it? I doubt attending a Titan University would even be on the table until Humans at least had some mastery of Warp anyway. Unless the Empire is indulging in some cultural exchanges.
Alternatively, you could transmit a Titan university’s library to Earth, and let humans go through textbooks at their own pace.
Avalon’s government follows a policy limiting titan knowledge and tech to avoid titan influence in Avalonian affairs.
Earth will not take that position. Indeed, whatever the benefits of the titan blockade, one of the affects has been to blockade Earth’s access to knowledge of civilizations other than the titans. Additionally Earth can and probably will request an information exchange with the Dunnermac, the Ler, and the Avartle individually that the titans will not challenge. With the security treaty, everything known of the Hive and the Drazari will also be dumping down from the server farm on Tayas Mons along with more knowledge of the titans than the emperor probably has accessable.
When that happens it will also flow back to the Avalonians circumventing the no titans rule and then back to humans across the empire as they gain access.
At the humans’ own pace? Now there’s a scary thought (if you’re a Titan)
Wow, all I was saying is that once people get to know the details of what is occurring they won’t like it very much – After the initial euphoria of contact.
They won’t do much of anything, really what could they do except complain? The Titans can give the Terrans a lot of bennies, cool useful things that would ameliorate the negative stuff.. bribe(s) so to speak..imaginable being able to travel to distant worlds in a matter of moments? making food out of thin air? Super 3D printing? personal tractor beams, apple watch(es) (Steve Jobs was an alien btw)
People still won’t like it, but meh what the hey.. I have my neat toys…..
Well at least one of the Titans has common sense though, ‘maybe you shouldn’t treat the clearly traumatized human as just another pet’ really shouldn’t take that much contemplation. Run little Sarra, and don’t stop till you find a friendly Dunnermac!
Run, Mookie, run! ;-}