Empyrean Iris Story Collection

Lions and Tigers and Bears

We used to think that humans were apex predators, and I suppose we weren't wrong. Compared to the rest of the galaxy, humans are an amalgamation of teeth, claws, and the nightmares of our children, but on their own planet, humans have only survived based on their guile and pack bonding instincts. They keep animals in their home that could rip them apart if they were so inclined.

If this wasn't enough, the humans are intent on keeping their natural predators alive despite a period of mass extinction that followed the rise of human domination. For years they have, captured, hunted, protected, and fought for the lives of creatures that would happily rip them apart.

No one really understands it, but the humans are desperate to keep these creatures alive.

Because humans can't just pack bond with themselves, they have to pack bond with their entire planet and everything on it.

***

"So what is this place supposed to be?" Krill wondered scuttling along at Captain Vir's feet glancing upwards at the massive gated archway.

"It's a zoo.... Or technically it's a nature preserve, I guess."

"What is.... A Zoo."

"You'll see."

He stopped at the counter and passed his arm under a chip reader. Krill crossed his two sets of arms, a habit that he had picked up from the humans.

"You understand you say that a lot, and I never appreciate when you do."

"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe."

"You say that a lot too."

"Well this time I really mean it."

Krill sighed, but kept at Vir's feet as they passed through the doors and into the park.

His first impression was stepping onto another world. One that was confused and didn't particularly know what it was doing... so earth, but condensed. Hundreds of large enclosures dotted the intervening space all boasting complex contained ecosystems. A tiny slice of ocean rolled and sloshed inside one of these massive containers, while another showed the burning sand of a windswept dessert. A Burst of orange sand was kicked up into the air and swirled slowly around. The ground shifted creating a new landscape as they watched.

"Pretty cool huh, they didn't used to do that, but now they keep tings changing to make the animals more comfortable.

"Animals?" Krill wondered nervously.

"Yep, animals." Captain Vir responded making his way over to one of the enclosures, "It's time you got to see a real predator."

Then entered a crowd staring up at one of the enclosures, and a woman wearing a green vest standing atop it. The invisible force-shield glinted blue under her feet. Otherwise it would have appeared that she was just standing on air.

Below her, a massive creature prowled, pacing back and forth muscle rolling and churning under its orange and black striped hide. Massive claws glinted at its feet. Snarling, the animal showed huge glittering teeth. Krill stepped back.

"The world record for the Olympic high jump is somewhere in the ballpark of eight feet." The woman was saying, "But the Tiger, can easily jump an astonishing twelve feet. Two men stacked on top of each other, or even onto the roof of your house." As If in response to her words, the huge creature sprung from the ground flying through the air to snatch a piece of meat dangling from the ceiling. Its teeth glinted, as it ripped the chunk in half turning its head back to swallow, "He can bite with a force averaging 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch."