Memory transcript subject: Luka, Venlil Sanitation Worker

  Date [standardized human time]: November 5, 2136

  What would a dead-end pup like you know about responsibility? Your mother and I break our backs to make ends meet and you just can't keep out of trouble!

  My father's words rang in my head, the same way they did every other time I woke up as of late. Sometimes I could still feel the room shake as he slammed the door on his way out of the house, my mother silently glaring at me as he stormed off into town for another shift at work.

  I was not on the floor when I went to sleep, but that’s where I woke up. I heard a rustle from the top bunk and my sister, Vili, peeked her head out to see what the commotion was about. She flicked her ear to signal "morning" before succumbing to her tiredness and rolling back over and out of sight.

  I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and left the room, walking to the sink in the bathroom to check that I was still Luka, with the dark fur and a patch of auburn that covered the left ear. After staring into the mirror and sorting through the tuft of fur atop my head for any knots, I was satisfied that everything was still in order and trudged to the couch to sit down for a moment and stretch.

  Letting out a yawn that was much longer than I actually needed, I stretched my arms above my head. I felt the tension from my dream dissipate, and I sunk into the couch. I knew I needed to get going for work momentarily, but I wanted to take in the quiet air of the apartment before my first claw at work. The buzz of the city of Suncast Valley outside was still unfamiliar after growing up in a rural corner of the neighboring province, and it could feel overwhelming at times.

  I had put in an application for the city's sanitation department a little while ago and got a fairly quick response with the person on the phone seeming all too happy to list off the benefits of working for the city. He told me about how they were running short of new hires because of circumstances beyond his control, and happened to be looking for fresh faces to fill the roster.

  The sound of my belly grumbling brought me back to reality, reminding me that I would probably not be able to eat until my break claw. We hadn’t been here but for a little over a week and yet it felt as though we’d moved to an entirely different planet for how unfamiliar the way things worked around here. The hustle and bustle of the big town felt claustrophobic and fast-paced, and yet everything moved so slowly on an individual level that it was a miracle anyone got anywhere.

  Everything was a contradiction to the way it worked back home, including the fact that I was allowed to work an actual, paying job, acquired of my own volition and to be keeping the money I’d earned. For myself.

  Next, you’d be telling me I was bumping shoulders with predators.

  ===

  I was waiting in the truck for my work partner on the orders of my boss, Marlak. He had told me to wait in the truck while he finished up the onboarding process for them.

  Minutes passed which allowed me to mull over his words: "Don't freak out."

  Strangely ominous, but it's not like I had much choice - if I was expected to pay off an apartment this far into the city, I’d have to work. Vili needed money for classes and I couldn't bear to send her back home on her own, no matter how much of a bum she pretended to be.

  And so I waited.

  Suddenly there was a commotion accompanied by movement in the mirror off to the right and I realized that the voice approaching was Marlak's. He poked his head up into the window, his ears pressed back in a show of uncertainty.

  “So you know how I said ‘don’t freak out’?”

  “Yeah, you said I would be working with someone who was also new, and I responded with ‘Yeah, I don’t mind because I know I can’t say no on my first day’. And then you said—”

  “Okay, yeah, whatever. Anyways, the depot’s been running short of labor as of late, because of the whole thing with inflation as a result of the embargo and all that, right?”

  “Right.”

  “And so everyone’s been quitting to find jobs which pay better by the hour, yeah? Well, that puts us in a tight spot, for a bit. And then the humans start coming.”

  My ears instinctively folded against my head as I read the worried expression. I didn't like where this was going. “Right…?”

  “So we’ve been looking for, well, anyone who could possibly make up for the labor, and maybe even the hours, too.”

  If his long-winded introduction didn’t kill me from old age, the suspense would. “Boss, what are you—”

  “Well, this is gonna be your shift partner on your routes!”

  He motioned with his tail to someone out of sight, and a massive figure lumbered into my periphery. They were wearing the same visor that I’d seen every Terran wearing on television, and the reflective vest they wore over their fake pelts diminished any hope that this was a mistake.

  I swallowed a lump in my throat.

  “Luka, this is Richard. Richard, Luka.”

  Barely audible from beneath the mask, they growled, “Charmed.”

  I turned my attention to Marlak to signal a plea to him. Why?!

  He maintained his upbeat composure in front of the Terran, but his tail twitched with annoyance.

  “We are an equal opportunity provider, and since we’ve run short of paws in the midst of a refugee crisis—” he nodded toward the human— “we have taken the liberty of allowing the Terrans to take positions on our workforce; they’re stronger than a venlil and can work longer hours, if they so desire.”

  I could tell his statement was as much a reply to my question as it was to introduce me to the predator.

  Keep calm - you’ll manage, my boss signaled to me.

  The Terran took the cue of silence and opened the door, taking a seat right next to me. I swallowed another lump as the hairs on my arms and neck stood on end.

  “Good luck with your first shift. I’ve sent your first route to the holopad mounted on the dashboard, and Richard has already been informed of all of our safety procedures, including keeping the mask on at all times, and to avoid causing any trouble that might reflect poorly on the city's workers. Be-beyond the… y’know…”

  Marlak didn’t need to elaborate.

  He shifted one eye to look at me. Don’t provoke the predator - you’ll be okay, he waved to me, acting as if there was any way somebody could know what provoked a predator beyond base instincts.

  My lip trembled and I started the truck, trying to ignore the commotion in the seat next to myself. In my periphery, the predator struggled to fasten their seatbelt, and I could hear a muffled exhale as they sucked in their gut to get the strap around his waist.

  It's gonna be a long first shift.

  ===

  I didn't have any real problem with the humans, as they'd proven themselves to be a great ally to the venlil so far, but I had seen what they were capable of when their stampede resulted in the death of one of their own leaders. As well, it resulted in the maiming of many others, including our own Governor Tarva - I feared that any slip-up could result in me going home with fewer functioning limbs than I'd left with.

  The first hour wasn't too unpleasant, as the predator had kept to themself and resigned to stare out the window in between stops. We got the occasional stare from passerby as we got out to collect the waste from the bins, but our route mostly took us along the less populated end of town. Marlak was proven right about the predator's strength, however, as I would witness firsthand as the Terran lifted a trashcan that handily weighed as much as myself over its head before dumping the contents into the compactor.

  This Terran wasn't particularly muscular compared to the ones I'd seen on TV and appeared to have a bit of a waistline too, which explained why they struggled with the comparatively tiny venlil seat belt. Sticking out from behind their mask was a long and shaggy mane in a dark brown coloration that bordered on black. The drab pelts that covered their body hid any other features that might help me get a read on their physique in detail, but I was certain I could at least outrun this predator should the need arise.

  They set the bin back down on the curb with a grunt and made their way back to the cab, acting as if they hadn't just lifted my body weight over their head like it was nothing. I trudged over, dragging my measly haul of one bag I’d collected from a single bin. The sack had a decent amount of heft as I twirled it in my paw, mulling over the scale in strength between myself and a human.

  Hastily and with great effort, I managed to get the sack held over my head, and for a brief moment, I could taste even a fraction of the satisfaction the humans must get from being such barbarians. Unfortunately, the feeling wouldn’t last as a weak point in the sack gave out and I found myself bathed in a manifold of refuse. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I brushed off the bits that had stuck to my fur and vest, and began picking up the garbage.

  It didn't take but a moment to clean up the mess, but the walk of shame back to the driver's seat gave me ample time to reconsider whether this job was worth the pay. I slunk back behind the wheel and took a moment to put the vehicle in gear, catching the Terran still staring out the window. Only a few seconds had passed as I put the truck in gear before I jumped at a sudden noise coming from him.

  It sniffed.

  Even hidden by the mask, it was clear they had caught the scent of something. I panicked, wondering if it'd caught the scent of blood nearby. Their hitherto relaxed demeanor broke as they began turning their head slowly, searching for the source of the smell.

  The predator turned to me, and even with the visor to conceal their eyes, I knew its gaze was on me. They gave another whiff, and leaned in closer, placing their hands on the seat to support their body as they leaned in.

  My instincts were firing at terminal velocity, and I subtly let go of the acceleration on the truck as I anticipated an attack. My off-paw began to creep toward the door handle as the predator's face neared mine. I readied myself for the pounce.

  Richard took one last snort before turning their head away and letting out a loud whooping sound. "Buddy, I'm not sure what you've gotten into, but I doubt that smell is how you pick up the ladies."

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  My jaw hung slack, paw on the handle, and ready to bolt. But I considered Richard’s words for a second, and I scrunched my snout in indignation. I retorted, "Y-you're not all that pleasant to look at yourself!"

  He leaned back into his spot in the truck, letting out short grunts which my translator decided to interpret as a curt, unenthusiastic chuckle. My arms shook as I gripped the wheel, using my periphery to keep an eye on the holopad in the truck as well as the predator.

  There was a brief pause.

  "Oh!"

  I jumped, spooked by his sudden exclamation, and the truck nearly swerved onto the sidewalk for a second before I managed to recover control. I let out an irritated hiss and snapped my head to glare at the Terran.

  I could see them searching the side of the pelts that covered their lower body for something. I was almost certain they'd pull out something that would put me in my place for my prior retort, and I became worried that I’d failed to properly heed Marlak’s instructions. Was I going to lose a paw? An arm? Oh no, am I going to lose my—

  The predator twirled back around, holding a pad of sorts. It seemed to be a stack of papers, held together by a spiraling wire at the top as they flipped through the pages with a studious demeanor. Eventually, they’d stop on one and lean in to read from the dim cabin light.

  "H-...he-luh-oooohh, me nem be… Lar- Richard Crow."

  The only sound in the cabin was the noise of the electric engine of the truck whirring as we shuttled along.

  What.

  He had spoken in the venlil dialect, albeit like a pup who had been dropped too many times. The throaty voice of the humans did not lend itself to speaking my language, of course, but I wasn’t sure what the Terran’s ultimate goal was with this interaction. The predator turned their head up to look at me through the mask, seeming like they expected me to respond.

  "Did I pronounce that right?” they asked in their gravelly voice. “I've been trying to learn the language of the locals. It's been hard piecing together what the natives say versus what the translator chip interprets."

  I wasn't sure how to respond. A small part of me wanted to tell him to be quiet to let me drive in peace, but I wasn't sure how to go about that gently. My mouth hung agape as I tried to formulate what I wanted to say.

  "Uh... My name is Luka,” I responded tepidly.

  "...just 'Luka?’"

  "Most other races only give their offspring one name. You humans are the oddity here. Surnames are for formalities, and distinguishing oneself when there's no better descriptor."

  The Terran lifted his shoulders and slumped them, which I assumed was a motion for concession. "Well, Luka, I suppose it's nice to make your acquaintance."

  I flicked my ear to try to signal agreement, though I wasn't certain if the predator understood the gesture, nor that it wasn't quite so genuine. My heart rate was still working its way back down to a manageable level but I felt my grip loosen on the steering wheel.

  We approached our last stop before breaktime, a residential neighborhood that happened to be quite close to where Vili worked. I had planned on visiting her during my break anyway, to check up on her and make sure she could handle the stress of working and going to school simultaneously.

  We finished up the collection relatively quickly, with Richard grabbing most of the waste disposal. I felt a twinge of jealousy as I saw him lift another container over his head, dumping the contents into the truck with ease. We finished up and so I saw it as the all-clear to take the truck toward my planned destination.

  A quarter claw - long enough to check in on her and grab a meal.

  For every bit I was nervous about my first shift on the job, the feeling was tenfold for Vili. I had been the one to set her up for the interview, and she had apparently just barely scraped by to land the spot as a waitress. While I snickered to imagine her timid self trying to take someone’s order, I knew that with enough time, she’d warm up to the position.

  "What are the prices like in there?" the Terran piped up, spotting that I was approaching the restaurant Vili worked at. I had forgotten to even ask them if they were fine with me visiting this shop, but I suppose the query indicated that they didn't mind.

  "I- uh, I'm here to visit someone, and I'm not sure if humans are… quite allowed inside?" I explained, hoping that he would understand. “Yet.”

  Richard seemed to give it a moment of thought, before leaning back in the seat and giving a curt nod. "Place sucks, man. Would you mind getting me a copy of whatever you get? I’ll pay you back.”

  I wasn't entirely certain I was going to get anything to eat anyway, but I was relieved that the predator wasn't offended by my suggestion. I can't imagine most humans would take kindly to being turned away, and I hoped that Richard understood that no business in the city was permitted to turn them away. I just didn't want to cause a scene while I spoke with my sister.

  I left the predator in the truck while I made my way inside, passing by an assortment of tables set up outside with most already occupied. The inside of the store was bustling with a host of customers from different backgrounds all chowing down on their meals. I approached the counter where I saw Vili, tapping out the order of another customer who was seated at the bar with her head hung low.

  She saw me, and flicked the tip of her tail in a passive greeting before turning back to the customer.

  We were born as twins and had a dark fur tone to match, though her discolored patch was on her right ear, instead of the left. She was also a full head taller than me, making her stand out among most venlil, made up for by a physique even scrawnier than average.

  She’d been teased about her form from an early age, with most of the other venlil kids likening her to a tree; they would hang decorations from her ears and stick leaves and twigs in her fur, and our parents would always scold her for coming home as a mess that way.

  I tried not to think about the anger that enveloped me every time I caught them in the act. I helped myself to an empty seat at the bar, and it was only a moment before she approached me.

  "Welcome to Barsul's Diner, what can I get for you?" she muttered shyly. Her farmhand cadence was still pretty thick as she hadn't learned to conceal it quite well, which I had teased her about ever since we moved into town. I knew I did an equally bad job about it, but I couldn't help but take jabs regardless.

  "I was hoping to order three mixed salads, and two waters, to-go," I ordered, flopping my ears in sync with my words for comedic effect. Vili snickered and wrote my order down, giving a little ear waggle that signaled she knew I was getting cute with her.

  "Three salads? I'm guessing garbage disposal reminded you of your favorite meals?"

  “Better than anything you’ve cobbled together for me.”

  She let out a snort and signaled I'll be back before she brought the order into the kitchen. There was a loud clanging as she entered, followed by the sound of cursing and shouting, though indistinct.

  I waited for my order, with Vili bussing orders to other tables with an evident look of concern. Still more cursing and loud noises came from the kitchen, and I could make out the voice of a krakotl who didn't sound pleased with his kitchen staff.

  "...fucking incompetent sivkit-brained morons! Get out! OUT! I'll finish these off myself. You better come back with a competent attitude or a damn resignation letter, now get out!"

  Two venlil emerged from the kitchen, one looking like he had just seen an Arxur horde, the other welling tears in her eyes as they rushed out the door.

  Pleasant fellow, I thought to myself, though he better keep that attitude away from Vili.

  Just a moment later, the voice shouted for her to come to the kitchen. While she was in there, I turned my head so I could see the truck, but it was just out of view. I hoped Richard stayed put as I expected, since I had promised to bring them something anyway. I wasn't sure if the rest of the patrons in the store would stick around if they saw a predator walk in with me, and that could reflect poorly on my sister.

  The door to the kitchen squeaked open and I figured it was Vili coming out with my order, but there was a loud yelp and the sound of crashing. I snapped around to see she had tripped over a cracked tile and was covered with three containers’ worth of salad, berries and leaves on her back and head. She whined while trying to shake the mess off of herself.

  Promptly, the kitchen door burst open and a burly krakotl stomped out to investigate the commotion. His gaze landed on Vili and he stepped forward, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her close.

  "When I hired you, I expected you to show a modicum of fucking intelligence, you shit, and yet you have done nothing but fail me all day!" he squawked. "I have quotas to fill so that I can run an actual establishment here, and I don't need any hick nurse wannabe here fucking up a good thing I've got going! Now pick up this mess!"

  He shoved her toward the kitchen and she staggered forward with a whimper. The other customers seemed to be uneasy at such a nasty display, and the anger I'd felt watching his treatment boiled over.

  I shot up out of my seat, "Hey! You don't touch or talk to my sister like that!"

  The ill-tempered avian waved his wing in a dismissive manner, keeping his back to me. "Easy, garbage boy, I wouldn't want you wilting all the food in the kitchen with your stench."

  I rushed to the end of the counter and stood between him and Vili, my jaw clenching as I pressed my paw into his chest to get some distance between him and me. I could see some customers get up and leave as they sensed a fight approaching, but I didn't care much. I stared down the avian and my heart rate accelerated.

  What’s one more scuffle? I thought to myself. My arms shook from the tension, and I knew there was no easy way of backing down upon seeing that the krakotl had ruffled his feathers. He tilted his head to see the customers leave while still keeping an eye on me, before turning his gaze back to me.

  "You've got a lot of nerve for a glorified rodent, garbage boy," he sneered. “But I can cut you a deal: fuck off right now, and I can look past this.”

  I caught a glimpse at the nametag on his apron, which read "Barsul". I could feel a sense of doubt start to creep up as I realized what I was doing and the repercussions that could follow while I tried my best to appear like I was ready for a fight. I straightened my tail and folded my ears back as we stood off, a scene far too familiar in a place that wasn’t home.

  "Luka, please," I heard my sister beg from behind me. “We can’t keep doing this.”

  I flicked an ear dismissively and turned my head to tell her to back up. And that's when Barsul struck.

  He jabbed talons into my stomach and I let out a grunt as my breath was forced out. Trying to return with a backhand swing, my claws only found air as the surprisingly nimble old bird dodged with ease.

  I staggered around with the force of my own momentum as the bird used a leg to force my snout into the countertop next to me. The metallic taste of my own blood stung across my tongue.

  Vili let out a shriek and I could hear the other customers stampeding out of the place, though it was starting to become distant as my vision began to blur from the blow. A tray flew in from above, catching me on the head and the crashing noise made my ears ring. My paw went to cover my face for the next blow, but instead I was met with talons grasping me by the jaw before finding my eye pressed to the ground.

  “Get off of him!” Vili cried out. “Leave him alone!”

  “This is your fault!” Barsul trilled back to her. “If you had done your job right, we wouldn’t be here!”

  He let go of my face and there was a pain in my chest as the old avian kicked me. I felt something rolling around in my mouth and spat it out, producing a bloody molar as I struggled to keep a grip on reality.

  "...'ey Luka, on second thought, could you make that drink something frui—"

  I recognized that gravelly voice and tilted my head from the floor to see that Richard had come in, despite my request not to. I couldn't see their face or eyes behind the mask and visor, but seeing them frozen halfway in the doorway indicated to me that they had caught on to what was happening. I coughed and tried to sit up.

  "I told you to wait in the truck," I managed to bleat out, gasping in pain from the stinging sensation in my abdomen.

  The last thing I needed was for a predator to come in to start trouble. I fell back and Vili put her arms around me, pulling me close. There simultaneously felt to be no pain, and yet pain all over from the tender-to-the-touch knot radiating from my belly.

  The predator had remained in the doorway, frozen, but as they saw my condition, they slowly stepped inside, closing the door behind them. Was the scent of blood too tantalizing for them to resist? Had I endangered everyone by bringing them here with me?

  "Looks like you might need me anyways," they said, voice dropping to a growl. The predator slowly stepped forward, gaze fixed on the scene in front of them.

  "We don't serve animals like you, ape," I heard Barsul spit. “And people aren't on the menu, either. So leave.”

  The Terran tilted their head, raising a hand outward with the palm facing us. "Well now there’s a first: somebody calling me an ape, instead of a monkey. Bravo, Chuckles. Now why don’t you… step away from the kind little venlil over there, and we can settle this dispute peaceably…”

  “That went out the window when you showed up, predator. The Guild is going to boil you into tar.”

  The Terran was now not even two meters from the countertop where Barsul stood over when they spoke, “Oh, you would know all about boiling, eh, Fish Sucker?”

  Things quickly escalated as Barsul seemed to take the human’s statement personally, flapping his feathers and diving from the bar toward the masked predator, talons extended. My eyes rolled up as my head hit the floor, and the last thing I recalled was the sight of Vili dragging me behind the counter as a plate crashed into the wall above us.