Today We Learned Why Even Predators Trust Humans With Their Cubs | HFY Story

the problem with being the only Xeno zoologist on Kepler 186f wasn't the isolation the deadly predators or even the Perpetual Twilight that made Earth's gloomy Seattle Winters look positively cheerful no the real problem was having no one to appreciate my absolutely brilliant commentary on the absurdity of my situation recording day 847 I spoke into my data pad watching as a six-legged herbivore that I'd nicknamed George munched on the bioluminescent vegetation near my research station subject continues to demonstrate remarkable inability to notice when he's being stalked betting pool on George's survival remains open current odds not

great I'm Elena Martinez and somehow I'd convinced the interstellar research Council that sending me Al loone to study the wildlife on Humanity's latest colonization Prospect was a good idea their exact words were uniquely qualified but I'm pretty sure what they meant was only person crazy enough to volunteer the research station sat perched on a ridge overlooking the valley of Perpetual mistakes my name for it not official though I was working on that every day I watched the planet's various species make questionable Life Choices from the safety of my reinforced observation Dome the valley featured a

lovely mix of dangerous Flora even more dangerous forer and the occasional cosmic ray that made Earth's UV index look like a nightlight but the real stars of my impromptu Wildlife documentary were the nightstalkers picture a cross between a panther a wolf and your worst nightmare then add two extra sets of eyes and the kind of intelligence that makes you seriously question your place on the food chain they were the apex predators of this world and they knew it nightstalker pair approaching from the Northeast I narrated zooming in with my cameras female displaying typical hunting Behavior

male following with all the subtlety of a drunk elephant reminder to self update species description to note that despite evolutionary advantages some individuals still managed to be absolutely terrible at their jobs the pair moved like liquid Shadows through the phosphorescent undergrowth their scales shifting colors to match their surroundings well the females did the male kept cycling through patterns like a malfunctioning Christmas display I'd spent nearly three ear years studying these magnificent creatures cataloging their behaviors and occasionally hiding in my Panic Room when they got a little too curious about the strange biped in their territory

we developed what I like to call a professional understanding they pretended not to notice me and I pretended not to notice when they deliberately posed for my cameras additional note I added suppressing a yawn as I checked the time day 847 marks the third consecutive week of Night Shift observ obervations because someone not naming names but it rhymes with Ellena forgot that predators are most active during The Darkest Hours future researchers please remember coffee does not ship well across Interstellar distances plan accordingly little did I know my carefully maintained routine of observation and sarcastic commentary

was about to be completely upended the universe it seemed had decided that my life wasn't interesting enough it was about to throw me Aur curve ball that would either make my career or end it possibly along with my life but first I needed more coffee I'd like to say the universe waited until I'd at least finished my coffee before throwing chaos my way it didn't the distress call if you could call it that came in the form of peculiar yowling sounds from just beyond my station's perimeter now on a planet where everything either wants to

eat you or poison you often both investigating strange noises is rank somewhere between juggling plasma cores and licking unknown fungi on the scale of bad ideas for the record I muttered into my data pad if this is how I die I want my epito to read she died doing what she loved making questionable decisions in the name of science the sound came again weaker this time my senses showed no adult nightstalkers in the immediate vicinity which was either really good news or really bad news in my experience experience there's rarely any in between on Kepler

186f I grabbed my field kit sealed my Enviro suit and stepped out into the Perpetual Twilight the bioluminescent Flora cast enough light to navigate by painting everything in shades of blue and purple the yowling led me to a dense Thicket of what I called Sparkle weed on account of its tendency to shed glowing spores when Disturbed oh no I breathed spotting the source of the sounds oh no no no there Tangled in the sparkle weed sticky fronds were two nightstalker Cubs their scales hadn't yet developed the full color-changing abilities of adults leaving them stuck in

a patchy pattern of Grays and blues one was completely trapped while its sibling made pitiful attempts to free it recording emergency addendum I spoke quietly day 847 approximately 03000 hours have discovered two juvenile nightstalkers estimated Age 3 to 4 months one severely entangled in luminara adhesiva Sparkle weed no sign of parent Cubs show signs of dehydration and distress the free Cub hissed at me trying to look threatening it might have succeeded if it hadn't also been hiccup in glowing spores listen here Tiny Terror I said slowly crouching down I know you're trying your best to

be scary but right now you look about as threatening as a grumpy kitten at a disco party I pulled out my bio scanner confirming what I'd suspected they'd been alone for at least 12 hours in the wild nightstalker Cubs never left their mother's side for more than an hour until they reached maturity something had happened to their parent and these two wouldn't survive another day without help right then I started unpacking my field kit letun add potential death by Angry returning parent to my list of workplace hazards still better than the faculty meetings back on

Earth the free Cub watched with all six eyes as I prepared a solution to dissolve the sparkle weeds adhesive its sibling had stopped struggling which worried me more than the prospect of Mama nightstalker returning to find a human man handling her babies you know I told the standing Cub as I worked most Xeno zoologists get to make their breakthrough discoveries from nice safe observation blinds but no Elena Martinez has to get up close and personal with The Offspring of the planet's Apex preditor my doctoral adviser would be having an aneurysm right now the dissolving agent

worked quickly and soon I had one very sticky very frightened Cub free from the sparkle weed both Cubs were severely dehydrated and covered in glowing spores they needed medical attention and I was the only option available on this Twilight death world all right Children of the Night I said taking off my outer jacket to make a carrying sling time to to trust the weird bipedal alien I promise the next few hours will be less traumatic than your sparkle weed disco adventure to my absolute shock they didn't resist when I gathered them up the weaker Cub

actually snuggled into my Enviro suit while its sibling maintained a grumpy but accepting demeanor recording additional note I whispered as I hurried back to the station either I'm about to make Xeno eological history or I'm about to become the Galaxy's shortest lived amateur veterinarian also so someone please tell Dr Chen back at the Academy that yes sometimes you do have to interfere with nature his non-intervention policy can kiss my soon to be eaten backside the real challenge would come when their mother returned but for now I had two very important patients to attend to and

a rapidly dwindling supply of coffee to keep me alert for what promised to be a very long night it turns out treating nightstalker Cubs is a lot like trying to give medicine to Earth cats if Earth cat cats were the size of small wolves and had enough teeth to make a shark feel inadequate the good news was that they responded well to basic rehydration and Care the bad news arrived around Dawn recording day 848 I whispered into my data pad the Cubs are stable but my security system just picked up an adult nightstalker approaching at

high speed based on size and movement pattern it's almost certainly Mama current survival probability let's not think about that right now I'd prepared for this moment as best I could the Cubs were in my medical Bay which had a reinforced observation window I stood in plain view making no sudden movements everything I'd learned about nightstalkers told me the mother would be able to smell her Cubs through the station walls and hiding them would only make things worse the mother nightstalker emerged from the Twilight like a nightmare given form her scales rippled with patterns of rage

and fear emotions I'd cataloged many times but never hoped to see this close all six eyes locked onto me and I swear I could feel my ancestors primitive Instinct screaming to run recording possible final note I murmured to whoever finds this the Cubs are in the medical Bay second door on the left also I was right about nightstalkers being empathically sensitive to color patterns currently this one is displaying what I'm going to call code murder rainbow the mother stalked closer her movements precise and deadly I kept my breathing steady and spoke in the calmest voice

I could manage your Cubs are safe I said knowing she couldn't understand the words but hoping my tone would help they got tangled in Sparkle weed you know that annoying glowy stuff that sticks to everything yeah I hate it too but they're okay now would you like to see them she paused head tilting slightly I moved very slowly toward the medical bay window keeping my movements telegraphed and smooth the Cubs who had been dozing perked up at the sight of their mother they began making excited chirping sounds that I'd previously only heard from a distance

see they're fine just needed a little help from their friendly neighborhood human I carefully pressed the button to raise the windows blast Shield though I have to say your parenting style of leaving them alone for 12 hours seems a bit questionable not judging just saying maybe we should talk about proper Child Care practices the mother Knight stalker's color patterns shifted rapidly cycling through what I recognized as confusion relief and something I'd never seen before she approached the window pressing one massive pore against it the Cubs rushed to the other side leaving glowing porw prints from

their still Spore covered feet recording amendment I said softly witnessing unprecedented Behavior subject is displaying non-aggressive investigation of human structure while Cubs are present also note to self clean glowing por prints off everything later what happened next nearly stopped my heart the mother looked directly at me and deliberately sat down not the hunting Crouch I'd seen them use before an attack but a calm almost Regal sitting position her scales settled into a gentle swirling pattern I'd only seen nightstalkers use with their own Young well I said fighting to keep my voice steady either I'm about

to make scientific history or this is an elaborately planned pre-dinner show since I'm feeling optimistic let's try something really stupid moving with the same deliberate slowness I opened the medical bay door the Cubs immediately bounded out covering me in more glowing porw prints before rushing to their mother I stood perfectly still as 300b of apex predator approached me with two excited Cubs bouncing around her feet she stopped less than a meter away lowered her massive head to my eye level and did something that changed everything I thought I knew about alien intelligence she blinked slowly

and deliberately with all six eyes recording critical observation I whispered as tears began rolling down my cheeks day 848 marks the first recorded instance of a nightstalker displaying the universal signal of trust toward a human also marking the first time a Xeno zoologist cried in front of her research subject maintaining professional dignity is no longer a priority if someone had told me at the start of my mission that I'd end up running an alien Predator daycare I would have questioned their sanity their sobriety or both yet here I was 3 weeks after the sparkle weed

incident watching my security monitors light up with another nightstalker approach recording day 869 I sighed into my data pad that makes the fourth set of visitors this week apparently Word of Mouth works even when said mouth contains enough teeth to make a Tyrannosaur jealous the approaching nightstalker moved with an unusual gate and it didn't take long to see why trotting alongside her was a cub with an obviously injured leg they headed straight for my station's main entrance which by now had more nightstalker scent marks around it than a feline social media convention welcome to Dr

Martinez's House of slightly concerning Life Choices I announced as I suited up today's special is basic first aid with a side of professional reputation suicide the mother I'd started calling her limpy's mom in my notes for obvious reasons waited patiently as I examined her cub the little one had managed to get its leg caught in what I suspected was a carnivorous vine trap these creatures really needed to work on their situational awareness you know know I told the mother as I cleaned the wound back on Earth we have this saying about it taking a village

to raise a child I don't think they meant for that Village to consist of one slightly unhinged human scientist but here we are the original mother and her Cubs still visited regularly usually bringing me samples of their kills because apparently I now qualified for their version of a gift basket the Cubs had taken to leaving glowing porw prints on my windows which I'd given up trying to clean my research station looked like it had been decorated by a rave loving Jackson Pollock recording supplemental observation I narrated while applying a biodegradable bandage to the Cub's leg

subject population continues to demonstrate remarkable ability to communicate complex information between family groups current theory they've either developed an extensive gossip Network about the helpful bipedal idiot or they're all laughing at me in a language I can't understand both scenarios seem equally plausible words spread faster than a rumor in a small town coffee shop by the end of the month I had regular visits from no fewer than six different family groups they brought me they injured they sick and occasionally they're just plain clumsy Offspring one particularly memorable afternoon a male nightstalker distinguishable by his complete

inability to maintain camouflage patterns showed up with three Cubs who had gotten into something similar to Earth's poison ivy I don't suppose any of you would be willing to fill out a patient satisfaction survey I asked the assembled group of predators lounging around my station's perimeter no how about a Yelp review five stars great service minimal screaming excellent with Cubs the adults had taken to hunting in shifts near my station leaving their cubs in what they apparently considered safe territory while they secured food this led to some interesting moments M when Supply ships arrived no

Captain Rogers your eyes are not deceiving you I explained over the Comm link to a very confused delivery pilot those are indeed nightstalkers napping around my Landing Pad yes they're supposed to be there no they won't eat you probably just land slowly and try not to look delicious my daily reports to the research Council became increasingly entertaining to write 0600 treated minor Lasser a on juvenile nightstalker 0800 removed parasitic organism from Cubs ear canal 1,000 discovered Cubs have learned to activate my door's motion sensors for fun 1200 attempted to explain to adult nightstalker why Cubs

cannot live in my station permanently 14400 failed to explain above Point convincingly 1600 resigned self to role as alien Predator kindergarten teacher the truly fascinating part was watching how the species adapted their behavior around the station they began marking safe paths for their cubs to follow creating what amounted to A Primitive highway system leading right to my door the adults would take turns standing guard their color patterns shifting in what I began to recognize as a complex Communication System recording behavioral note I whispered one evening watching a young mother being instructed by an older one

on the proper way to present an injured Cub to me Witness ing unprecedented cross-generational knowledge transfer also witnessing what appears to be the Galaxy's first alien predator masterclass in how to train your human my research station once a solitary Outpost of scientific observation had become something between a wildlife clinic and an interspecies Community Center the original mother now dubbed first mom in my entirely professional scientific notes had taken to leaving fresh kills by my door I tried not to take it personally when they were still slightly alive I appreciate the thought I told her after

one such delivery but I do have food synthesizers also my definition of fresh meat and yours seemed to differ significantly on the subject of movement perhaps the most surprising development was how the Cubs began treating the station as a safe space during their learning hunts more than once I'd watched through my cameras as a young nightstalker embarrassed by a failed hunting attempt would slink to my station for what I could only describe as a pep talk yes yes I saw you miss that six-legged rabbit thing I consoled one such visitor but you know what when

I first landed here I walked face first into a sparkle weed patch we all have our off days the problem with making groundbreaking scientific discoveries is having to convince other scientists you haven't completely lost your mind especially when your evidence includes video feeds of apex predators using your research station as a daycare center let me get this straight Dr Martinez Dr Thompson said during our monthly video conference his bushy eyebrows trying to escape his forehead you're claiming that Kepler 186 F's most dangerous predatory species is bringing you their injured young for medical care no no

I corrected him keeping my face perfectly serious I'm claiming they bringing me their injured young for medical care and leaving me thank you gifts in the form of partially dead prey animals there's a difference right on Q a night ster Cub chose that moment to press its face against my window leaving yet another set of glowing por prints all six of its eyes blinked at the video feed and I swear it was grinning as you can see I gestured to the window I'm running what amounts to the Galaxy's first alien Predator preschool complete with finger

painting though they prefer to use bioluminescent spores the scientific council's Collective expression suggested they were considering whether isolation had finally broken my S ity Dr Chen my old adviser looked like he was having that aneurysm I'd predicted this goes against everything we know about predatory species Behavior he sputtered it violates basic survival instincts it's happening right outside my window I finished for him would you like me to pan the camera around to show you the six adult nightstalkers currently having what appears to be a parents association meeting near my landing pad I did just that

revealing the group of massive predators lounging in the Perpetual Twilight one of them first mom herself looked directly at the camera and slowly blinked all six eyes that one saying hello I explained she's also probably wondering why I'm talking to a screen instead of attending to her Cub's latest attempts to redecorate my station with glowing por prints Dr Martinez Dr Thompson tried again while your observations are interesting we need more concrete data reproducible results scientific verification oh absolutely I agreed cheerfully I've attached 6 weeks of continuous video footage detailed behavioral analyses medical records for 27

different Cubs from 12 family groups and a rather impressive collection of glowing po print patterns that I'm thinking of submitting to an art gallery also three different Supply ship pilots have submitted sworn statements that yes those are actually nightstalkers napping around my Landing Pad the council fell into a stunned silence as they reviewed the data on their screens I used the moment to wave at another Cub who had joined the window art exhibition I'm also noting I continued that this Behavior appears to be spreading through the species via social learning in the past month alone

I've documented 14 new family groups approaching the station all displaying the same learned behaviors as the original group i' demonstrate their greeting ritual but I'm afraid I can't blink my eyes independently much less do it six times in sequence Dr Chen looked like he was about to launch into another lecture about non-intervention in natural behaviors but I cut him off before you say it yes I know this defies conventional wisdom about predator species yes I'm aware this will rewrite several chapters in xenobiology textbooks and yes I'm absolutely going to name this phenomenon the Martinez effect

if only because I've earned the right to make future students memorize something discovered while running an alien Predator Nursery the council members exchanged glances finally Dr Thompson cleared his throat we'll need to send a verification team he said weakly wonderful I beamed at them I'll inform the parents Association fair warning though they may expect the verification team to participate in our weekly hunt and- seek games don't worry we've only had three minor Mings and and those were really more like enthusiastic love Taps as if to punctuate my point A Chorus of nightstalker cubs began their

evening singing practice outside the sound somewhere between a wolf's howl and a cat's midnight yowling caused several council members to jump in their seats that's just the evening choir I explained they're still working on their Harmony now if you'll excuse me I believe it's story time the Cubs are particularly fond of my dramatic reenact ments of Earth Wildlife documentaries the last thing the council saw before I ended the call was a parade of glowing po prints making their way across my window accompanied by my voice beginning today on planet Earth of course the universe waited

until the verification team was in orbit to throw me its biggest challenge yet because timing as they say is everything recording emergency log I gasped into my data pad while running to the station's perimeter day 912 multiple nightstalkers approaching station something's wrong very wrong the pre-dawn darkness was alive with movement every nightstalker family I'd ever treated was converging on my station their scales flickering with patterns I'd never seen before at their Center They Carried something someone and even in the dim light I could see the blood it was first mom and she wasn't moving oh

no I breathed rushing to meet them no no no you cannot do this to me not with a team of skeptical scientists about to land the other nightstalkers parted as I approached forming a circle around their injured packmate first mom had a massive wound in her side the kind that meant she'd Tangled with something even bigger and nastier than herself her Cubs now almost fully grown pasted anxiously nearby recording update I muttered put pulling out my medical scanner about to attempt emergency surgery on an adult nightstalker if anyone's listening this is either going to be

the greatest breakthrough in xenobiology or my spectacularly stupid last act the scanner showed Massive Internal damage she needed immediate surgery but my medical Bay was designed for Cubs not 300b adults still this was first mom the one who'd started it all who'd first trusted me with her babies right then I announced to the assembled Predators family only in the operating room the rest of you try not to eat any scientists who might land while I'm busy what followed was 6 hours of the most intense surgery I'd ever performed assisted by medical robots and fueled by

enough synthetic stimulants to keep a coffee shop in business First Mom's Cubs never left the observation window their glowing poor prints adding to the thousands already there when the verification team shuttle finally broke atmosphere they were greeted by the sight of dozens of nightstalkers arranged in concentric circles around my station all facing outward in defensive positions in the medical Bay first mom was breathing steadily her scales finally showing normal patterns again recording final note I said slumping against the wall as the shuttle landed day 9912 patient stable successfully completed first ever major surgery on an

adult nightstalker also successfully turned my research station into the Galaxy's most heavily defended Veterinary Clinic I looked out at the assembled Predators then at the approaching verification team and couldn't help but laugh welcome to Kepler 186f I called over the Comm link don't mind the welcoming committee they're just here for their regular checkup the verification team stayed for 3 months they left with enough data to fill a dozen dissertations several minor injuries from over enthus I Astic Cubs and a completely revised understanding of alien intelligence I stayed of course someone had to run the clinic

recording day 101 I spoke into my data pad watching first mom lead her newest litter of cubs toward my station the interstellar research Council has officially designated Kepler 186f as a protected research site with special emphasis on preserving the unique human nightstalker relationship in related news they've oo approved my request for a bigger medical Bay apparently having the Galaxy's deadliest Predators as character references does wonders for Grant applications First Mom's newest Cubs had already mastered the art of leaving glowing por prints on my windows The original Ones Still visited regularly now bringing their own Cubs

for checkups my station's walls had become a living history of generations of nightstalker families each set of prints telling its own story final observation for today I said opening the door to greet my patients humans have always had this thing about making friends with Predators from the first wolves that wandered into our camps to the apex predators of an alien world we just can't help ourselves but maybe that's our species greatest strength the ability to earn trust to offer help to build Bridges across the greatest of divides I paused watching the Cubs tumble toward me

that and our unmatched talent for running interplanetary veterinary clinics with absolutely no proper qualifications whatsoever