WARNING, this part will contain the perspective of a very grumpy alien.


Once the Great Civil War was over, our civilization was plunged into a big damage control effort known as the Great Rebuild.

The damage caused by the war caused a mass extinction event for a bunch of Avalon's local fauna, not to mention the threat of environmental collapse, thanks to the bomb's radiation.

The era of the Great rebuild lasted for 200 Avalon years.

With the new, hard-won peace, our people were able to make significant advancements in our technology.

We have even repurposed the power of the atom to power our modern infrastructure, rather than using it as a tool of destruction.

We won't forget the suffering that our ancestors had. As a result of our long-lasting grief, we started to make a holiday to mark the end of the great Civil War: The Night of the Great Hunt.

Our beloved holiday happens during a 3-Day dark period of when Avalon goes behind Elysium's Shadow.

During The first Day we practice our hunting skills to find food for the feast where we dance and sing.

During the second day, we start to practice our own skills against one another, and thanks to the modern age of our Nexus VR technology we are able to do gladiating without anyone having to be killed in the process, or for a boring non-violent approach, If we so desire, we can also participate in flight racing.

On the final day is the day where we worn it and tell stories of our ancestors and remember to not to become the very evil that almost wiped us out.

Of course, the traditionals resentful of their defeat cause crime and chaos within our newly built cities for quite a long time, until recently once we were able to achieve interstellar travel. We can confine them to a remote star system and far from us to have order on Avalon, not to mention to have fewer kidnapping and burning victims.

As we expanded outwards, we were able to exploit fundamental laws of physics such as time dilation to increase the output of our factories in far star systems.

Of course, due to the great distances, different countries emerged within different star systems,

The Oracleists, a colony that warships the idea of uploading minds to bodies of machines and robots made in their own image.

To be honest, they are kind of creepy, especially with the fact that if one of their robotic shells, capable of re-uploaded their minds to a exact duplicate of there body, effectively being immortal, the Oracleists cause this process Resurrection.

They can also hop between different robotic models as a form of instant transportation, which I'll admit, is quite useful when it comes to space expiration but kind of uncanny when you see a different model, but it remembers your previous conversation because it's the same mind just in a different body, for a different task.

The Space Bird Federation (S.B.F.), a colony that gained full Independence from the Illuminate, rumored to have contact with carbon and water-based extraterrestrial intelligence, but the most baffling mystery about this independent faction is, what exactly is a bird?

United Avalian Liberation Front (U.A.L.F.), a group of militarized extremist that threatens to make the independent country of the Space Bird Federation, a colony of the Illuminate, despite the fact that the S.B.F. proven that they can handle themselves with full Independence.

My personal thoughts about this faction is that this group are a bunch of idiots, they are so stubborn to acknowledge that they're now separate, and cause conflict for both the Illuminate and the S.B.F.

Last but not least, the Traditionalists, exiled from Avalon due to hostile behavior and persistence, they swore vengeance against all Avali who think differently than they do, deeming them heretics that must be purged with fire.

Despite the best efforts of our people, the traditionalists are slowly gaining power, there's sightings that they form some kind of space pirate gain distributing addictive poisons throughout our colonies.

Which leads to today, this introduction is quite overdue. Koo'dto!* My name is Eeso, Nesumi Eeso, and I am the prideful pack leader of the Nesumi pack.

*Koo'dto means hello.

Me and my pack for a originally we're going to be Elite Marines, the highest position in the front lines of any conflict. But due to a crash in a standard issue air-to-space vehicle, which I assure you wasn't my fault. The Traditionalists must have known that I would be the catalyst to end their regime for good; they must have sabotaged the globemaster.
We were rejected from the training program and reassigned to the boring job, of weapons manufacturer and testers at the Experimental Weapon Engineering and Designing Branch of the A.D.F. also known as E.W.E.a.D.B. for short.

What? You don't know what's the A.D.F. is?

It stands for Avali Defense Force, you monkey brain!

I would give you more insults to how primitive you are, but, I've been told that I need to focus on telling my side of the story, so consider yourselves lucky.

Anyway, ever since we've gotten relocated, the only way that would would get us back to combat is if we were drafted for war, and with the increase hostility of the exiled Traditionalists there might be a good chance that the day that I can show my true glorious comptons as a warrior may shine will come, eventually.

But right now I'm tasked with the tedious and boring work of testing experimental weaponry, the closest thing that I have to my ultimate desire, being in the front lines and having a big statue built in my image, alongside with my packmates of course.

My second in command is Nahun, the black and Purple a Avali with the feathery Mohawk and cybernetic left eye.

His job is to check our designs to see if there's any structural flaws in the weapons that we created, by using his prosthetic eye, he can see Infrared and ultra violent wavelengths, he often has quite good advice and is able to resolve conflict quite easily.

Meanwhile, my own efforts on trying to do the same myself, always seem to end up in disaster, but I don't understand why?

After all, I'm quite intelligent and capable Avali warrior, why wouldn't anyone listen to me?

My love interest is the local pretty feathers, Rena, she's the brown and white Avali with an earring on one of her ears, not to mention having a very pretty pattern on her face as well, a very rare genetic trait among our species which makes her quite attractive.

Other than her beautiful singing voice, her job is to printouts schematics and blueprints for our next project to build.

Despite my best effort to subdue her and get some egg time, she seems too ignore me straight up and rather go with my second in command Nahun, It makes me to be honest, quite jealous.

After all doesn't a pretty Avali deserves a strong and intelligent warrior? Why choose a half synthetic individual over me, ME?!

Ko, the red and yellow Avali in the corner, constantly scribbling on his notepad in some corner, he's our local silence type, as a highly social species, he doesn't talk much, at least he's not critically insane, and despite his silence, his job is quite important, his job is to condense what our higher-ups want out of a weapon that we build, which is to be honest the only time that actually get to see him talk to other Avali.

In his free time he seems to like to delve into writing boring theoretical biology for creatures that don't exist.

Wouldn't he rather have a nice training session with me instead of that tedious boring work? But every time I try to get his attention. My second in command say that it would be best to leave him alone and let him do his odd hobby.

Then there's Ni... Where do I even begin? Ni the Blue and silver Avali, who is the bane of my existence! His specialty is playing practical jokes on me whatever he gets the chance. I never know when he's going to strike next, but when he does it's always horrible, for example, switching my favorite spices for my food and replacing them with chemicals that make my food taste weird.

Or the time when he places a airbag like device that makes a very odd sound when someone sits down on it, that moment was really embarrassing, because that happened right in front of one of our usual commissioners Commander Oocheto.

I don't even know why we keep him around? Nahun tells me that's his job is figure out the amount of resources that we would need to build the experimental weapons that the A.D.F. wants us to make.

To be honest, I still think we're all better off without him.

Today we're finishing a nanite cargo scanner, definitely a special case in our career since it's not exactly a weapon, but it's not exactly a non-lethal item.

I've been told this device is literally a nuclear bomb equivalent in the fight against the distribution of thipr'yero, a compound found in large poisonous mushrooms of Avalon.

I don't know much about this fungus, but I do know due to it's addictive nature of its spores, It's usually a guarantee that's the fungus will get a decane supply to spread its spores, usually if a Avali contract the compound they will die within a week If they don't get treatment. Absolutely despicable of them, the traditionalists wasting resources for an indirect attack against our people.

Ko told me that the spores are usually used on animals in the wild, to provide the fungus with a supply of decaying matter for it to feed on.

Right now the device is prone to overheating and, can easley short circuit, if it encounters the material that it doesn't recognize.

The design parameters were quite clear from Ko, they want a tool that will help detect addictive poisons in imported cargo faster.

"I sure hope it works this time." Rena said to Nehun while I entered the test chamber.

Nehun, was interacting with the nanite screen monitor, "indeed." Nehun agreed while clicking his teeth in thought, "last time we tried to test run, this cargo scanner almost caught on fire. Which reminds me, Eeso still needs to apologize for claiming that Ni was conspiring against him."

"I heard that!" I said with a annoyed hiss.

Why should I even apologize to someone like him, all he does is causing pure chaos for his own enjoyment.

Rena then did a slight chuckle chirp at the thought of it "Sometimes, I even wonder how he's able to hold on to that amount of anger for a long time?"

I walked through the door, carrying the device, This is a version 3 of the cargo scanner, version 1 exploded in its prototype design, version 2 almost caught on fire thanks to Ni, This one is version 3. Hopefully it might actually work this time.

I made sure to double-check if the ventilation shafts were properly calibrated, I really don't want to repeat of last time of almost getting my face burned.

As I place down the device and the small box that has a small consecration of the thipr'yero spores.

Nehun's prosthetic eye flickered, a visual indicator that he's switching spectrum modes.

For that moment's hesitation, I acted the device, with a rhythmatic hum, the nanite swarm the exterior of the box and then completely crushing it from the outside, this was far from what it was supposed to do, there must be something wrong with the path finding for the nanobot tech, Ni must have been messing with the nanite's programming.

Fortunately though, there wasn't any overheating this time, not to mention it did recognize the compound that it's supposed to look for. "At last, my- OUR intellect is bearing fruit. Soon the traditionalists will learn the sting of our new device!" I said enthusiastically while laughing out of sinus action of the victory over this annoying device.

I overheard Nehun and Rena sign in annoyance,

"At least you said our this time, instead of taking the entire credit in its design." Nehun said putting in the test results.

As I entered in the viewing chamber feeling triumphant of our effort.

Rena started to look through who the programming of the nanites, "Ah, here's the problem." Rena happily Chirped while pointing out on the screen. "The nanites were following their program exactly, to travel around the surface area of the containment structure and finding the most efficient way to its interior, looks like the machines got a little bit confused and decided to break into the container instead of going through the openings of the structure."

"Reka! Ni This was your doing, I recall that you were responsible for the programming and this is the result!" I said while squinting my eyes.

Unbeknownst to me, Ni was entering the room when I said that. "Do you always, have to blame your problems on me? Last time I checked, you're, the one one that caused the overheating problem in version-."

"LIES!" I interrupted him. "YOU KNOW THAT I WAS GOING BE THERE, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERHEATING NOT ME!" I said with a loud hiss, my feathers wrestling in hatred, my wings flapping aggressively towards his direction.

"Always rude as ever, aren't we Eeso?" Ni responded, Base on his tone of voice, he has something planned...

"At least I, don't drool in satisfaction, while looking at a statue of myself." Ni Said in a joking tone of voice followed by both Rena and Nahun.

"Hands off of my prey*! You *REN'KUSA!" I said with a loud click and hiss.

*ren'kusa, Is a insulting word meaning that or nothing but trouble.

*A play on words that usually means mind your own business.

Ni stay calmed and with a grin on his face said "Speak for yourself."

I swear If he does anything more I'm going to PUNCH him in the face.

But before I was able to say anything, Nahun, walked between us and said with a calm, cooing voice, "All right, that's enough entertainment for one day. We need to continue working on fixing the problem with the scanner, so we'll have an increased payment for completing the project within the time frame."

"All right fine, until I get the last word with Ni." I said while grinding my teeth preparing to attack him with insults.

Unfortunately, Nahun, broke us up, telling me that I need to "cool off"

Cool off? COOL OFF?!

I am already cooled off, It's Ni who needs to cool off, He's always the one that pulls a prank on me, and caused me to have an embarrassing moment in front of a high-reaking official of the A.D.F.

Later, Rena, looking through the code for the most efficient path, she reprogrammed them to go through the path of least resistance.

We then tested the cargo scanner again, and it seems to work as it's supposed to.

"FFFFFFINALLY!" I said with a happy chirp. "We can move on to, actual weapons, and not continue on this BORING, nano cargo scanner, NOW we shall feast on our victory!" My feathers puff out in pride.

Ko, who appears to be finally done drawing and detailing a fictional creature, sighed out of irritation.

"There he goes again, over hyping lunch hour..." He said while standing up and stretching his wings.

"As annoying, as he makes it sound, having some food doesn't, seem like a bad idea right now." Rena sad with a politeful coo.

"Indeed" I said with a toothy grin "And while we're at it, perhaps we can have some time, alone, Rena?"

"Absolutely not", she answered with a polite but assertive chirp "last time I had "egg time" with you, you were too preoccupied with me that it prevented doing our work properly, and you know how heated Commander Oocheto can get when we don't complete our work."

"And besides" she added "Nahun and I, have already planned to have some 'egg time' in advance after We are done with our job for today. Even if this time will be different, I won't have enough time to do it with you. Sorry."

This made me quite jealous and angry. She has chose him, over ME, AGAIN.

It's one of the only things that I really don't like about my second in command. Rena always chooses him.

"Rika, Nahun! I thought that we agree that she was mine." I aggressively said while making a clicking sound as I looked at Nahun.

"Of course she's yours. But She is also ours and we are hers." Ni Said well having a smug face on him, It's quite obvious he's getting satisfaction of being Captain obvious towards me.

I want to say something back, but I was too hungry to think of any follow up.

Later that day we started to have lunch and casual conversation about pack activities that we're planning on doing in our free time.

"I can't wait to play Ghost Iceberg* after our debrief." Ko happily chirped while eating some crimson bread.

Of course you humans won't even know a Crimson bread is, basically it's he's not so different to the bread that you're familiar with, though it's made in a very different way. Instead of wheat we have Crimson grass, a type of highly nutritious fungus on Avalon.

It grows in a vitamins that is flat and has a lot of ammonium moisture, of course we due to glacier tectonics this environment only lasts for a few months before it dramatically changes.

Which result in a cycle of the fungus releasing its spores into the wind before finding a environment that's similar to its original one.

*Ghost iceberg is a local video game entertainment, a puzzle horror game with striking environmental storytelling through audio, You can think of it like sister location mixed with Dead Space. The main plot is the restless spirits of the great Civil War who started to possess some oracleist technology, causing some models to go hostile.

Meanwhile I am having my usual favorite, a Ga'tchrp, You can think of it as some kind of exotic egg wrap made some meat, funguses, and edible bark from a fungus tree of Avalon.

Of course this is the exact kind of food that Ni putting chemicals to cause a reaction similar to baking soda and vinegar, the sudden influx of CO2 really didn't felt well in my mouth.

Not to my surprise, he did it again! I coughed and spat out my meal.

Of course, Ni started laughing.

"Reka! Again Ni?!" I said while coughing, "Every coohthk~tinb* time, I can't even remember the last time that I have a decent lunch without it exploding in my mouth." I said while I'm doing a hand gesture of pointing upwards and by Wing appendage not extended.

*hthk~tinb, Is our kinds equivalent in a phrase you humans referred to as the f-bomb, and the gesture I use is often associated with this gesture known as the middle finger.

*Coo Is our kinds equivalent to ing in your English language humans.

Ni simply smiled and said, "Don't worry, I made sure that of the other the packages containing your ga'tchrp are not modified"

I signed and stood up to go to the fridge, I seen this kind of trick before the next thing would come. Deploying his weird cushion air bag? That makes a quite an odd noise.

I believe you humans have a something similar, called a whoopee cushion.

I took the Ga'tchrp out of the freezer and put it in the low-powered microwave for 2 minutes.

When it was done, I took it out, put it on a plate and I sat back down on my seat.

Suddenly a loud, irritating sound started to emit from Ni's prank device.

The sound made me momentarily jump in my feathers puff out in a startled state, of course this made everyone laugh.

This, made me very angry, Ni has again found a way to interrupt my lunch, and every time this happens they say that there laughing at my reaction in combination of the sound, not at me.

But of course I know better now are laughing in my direction. Therefore they were laughing at me.

Ni was the one that caused this, and I really would like to give him a peace of my mind, "OH, YOU THINK YOU'RE SOOOOO FUNNY, BY REPEATING THE SAME JOKES ON RANDOM NI, IT'S SOOOO FUNNY IN FACT, I FORGOT HOW TO LAUGH!" I said with a shriek while aggressively flapping my wings towards Ni.

But despite my protest, that coohthk~tinb prankster was having a very pleasant smile, where their upper ears were just screams that they're enjoying every second of protest, Rika!

But despite my protest, that coohthk~tinb prankster was having a very pleasant smile, where their upper ears were just screams that they're enjoying every second of protest, Rika!

Eventually we were done with lunch and Ko then everyone else including myself moved on to play some Ghost Iceberg, just so you know, every activity is a peck activity for us Avali, which means there's puzzles in the game that required collaboration of each pack member's perspective in order to progress through the game.

We got to the point where we were able to acquire a small EMP emitter to go up against the possessed Oracleists robots, which momentarily stuns them which allows us to progress to the next area.

The problem is though, that you have to time the release of the EMP correctly, otherwise, it's a game over.

Despite having to work with Ni, he usually doesn't deploy any pranks during our collaboration with interactive entertainment, which is really tolerable for me, though they always take my ideas lightly.

But sometimes in a compact scenario in the game It works pretty well, that fact alone is what I'm prideful for.

Eventually the hour daylight that we have on Avalon has come to a sunset, we gathered our bean bag beds and did our hygiene with a dust bath with powder soap, followed by a rinse of liquid ammonia.

Though, sometimes during the week Ni replace my bathing dust powder with a compound that gets under my feathers and makes me itchy all over.

We usually have dinner afterwards and after that we usually go to bed.

This is where I usually start to think about what will happen If something dramatically changed that would finally make my dream come true.

Despite the increase intention between the traditionalists and of our other colonies and factions, a war has yet to break out, again.

I'm I forever stuck, in mediocre experimentation of prototype weapons for the rest of my life?

Or is something interesting, just around the corner... serving as my ticket to be in the front lines.

End of part 2