[ WP ] A warrior from a planetary culture with literally no concept of surrender or quarter sits detained in a POW camp .

Jackson had been a soldier in the 15 years war of China back in 2225, and he had seen atrocities. Atrocities was a good word for his experiences there, he felt. Short, and simple. He liked that, because it made a hellish nightmare easy to grasp in his mind. He had seen atrocities. 
 
 When he returned to the Fractured States after the American, and West European victory over China, job opportunities were scarce, to put it in simple terms. The war had damaged Jackson in a fundamental way. Physically, he was fine. He had come back unharmed, save a few small scars he'd picked up sharpening his Bowie knife. His mind though, had been fractured worse than the United States had been when the Chinese launched the unexpected nuclear missiles that began the 15 Years War of China. 
 
 When a man in a fine suit came, and offered him a job as a guard in a mining camp on a far off planet he could hardly refuse. Not because the pay was good, it was, but because life on Earth was frightening. He'd seen what men could do to each other, and that fear would never leave, no matter where he went on Earth. 
 
 The fine suited man offered him a job on that lush green planet that sat almost cozily on the boarder of the Milky Way. The life provided there offered him a feeling of security, and safety he had not felt in months since returning home. On this planet he could have a sense of security knowing that the total population was roughly 500 humans, mining the planet's metal resources, and security staff guarding the miners from the planet's local inhabitants. With a population like that there was n't a chance of mass war extinction. 
 
 Jackson had never left the Earth's lovely, life giving atmosphere before so the experience of leaving on a rocket was thrilling for him, and even, oddly enough, made him relax for the duration of the ride to his new home for the next decade. Leaving the planet he was born on had been an experience that he did n't expect to be topped, at least not soon. What he found on his new home shattered his previous exhilaration. 
 
 Jackson had been on his new planet one week. One week to learn the layout of the bases, mine locations, and being briefed on the local life forms. At the end of that first week, he was introduced to the specimen research facility located 35 miles from where he landed, and another 43 miles further away from the mining operations. That was where he encountered the *thing* that would bring him a new thrill. 
 
 It sat in a cell with steel bars across the front that were thicker than Jackson's torso was. It sat with its arms pulled behind its back cuffed at the wrists, what Jackson presumed would be its elbows, and finally a chain around its neck that wrapped the upper portion of its arms. It was shockingly human in its general body structure. 
 
 Single head, a torso with two arms that looked almost cartoonishly muscular, as were the neck and chest of this creature. The arms were long like a gorilla's and it had short, stocky legs. It did n't look like a runner. It stood ramrod straight as soon as Jackson entered the cell hall and saw him. The human symmetry was were the similarities ended though. While humans were anywhere from a pale white to a dark brown this thing was red, almost like a fruit with patterns that changed shades of red all over its body. 
 
 `` That there mother is our prized specimen,'' began Captain Cage, Jackson's supervisor. Captain Cage continued `` We have him chained like that because when we first brought him in he broke the original chains we had on him and damn near broke out his cell. He mangled one of our recruits that got too close to the cell bars while he was rampaging. After that little display we thickened his cell bars, and gave him extra chains, courtesy of upper management.'' 
 
 Jackson responded with a simple murmur. He was n't much for talk. 
 
 `` I call him Rattles,'' Captain Cage said, almost affectionately. `` He likes to become active at night and rattle in his cell, and keep us all up at night.'' 
 
 Silence fell over the two men as they observed Rattles, and Rattles in turn observed them. Jackson had taken a disliking to Rattles within seconds of seeing it when he walked in, and after another moment of silent observation he realized why. 
 
 `` Rattles is intelligent, is n't he?'' Jackson marveled. 
 
 `` More than intelligent. He's god damned cunning. After we upped his security he spent four days just laying in a corner ignoring his food. We thought he had expired in captivity, but when we sent guys in to collect the specimen, the moment he heard the lock click he jumped up, and flayed Anderson's arm. Thankfully we had multiple locks on the cell door, so Anderson was the only casualty.'' Captain Cage explained. 
 
 after another moment of silence Captain Cage said, `` These things live in primitive tribes. Rattles here might even be missed. If he escapes, Jackson, you shoot to kill it. It has what we suspect is a heart in the center of its chest, like us. Kill it. Do n't try and get into upper management's favor by subduing it alive. These bastards do n't have a definition of surrender. disable a arm, and it'll only tear it off itself if the arm is hindering its attack. Kill it.'' He finished almost absent mindedly, staring at Rattles. Rattles instead ignored the Captain's gaze, and focused on the newcomer, Jackson. 
 
 Almost a month had passed since Jackson's arrival, and he had fallen into a routine. Walk his rounds around the prison building for 4 hours, lunch for 35 minutes, and then finish his last 4 four shift. Jackson liked his routines. They were safe. Jackson also liked to eat lunch in his bunk room. He had an enlarged photo of this planet's red ocean he liked to wonder over while he ate. He often wondered what made it red, but today he only marveled at how it looked like diluted blood. He was certain that if he simply messaged one of the facility's many researchers with his communication device they could explain why it was red, but Jackson liked to believe it was a deep, unsolvable mystery of this lovely planet. 
 
 It was almost time to start his last shift of the day when the alarm began blaring. For a split second he froze in fear as phantom images flooded his vision, then he snapped out of it, and ran outside to check the situation. Checking his communication device Jackson learned that the wild life were charging the electrical fence on the western side of the prison facility. It appeared to be a pack of 15 to 20. He got in a nearby transport jeep and drove the quarter mile to the western point of the facility. When he arrived he was shocked beyond shame. 
 
 A pack of Rattles were climbing the fence, and mowing down security personnel. Jackson was n't surprised by the sight of a pack of Rattles, but by their coordination. It was planned, and it was fine tuned. Almost like they understood the guards' tactics, and their weaponry. In a moment of realization he sensed that it was because they did understand. The guards ran their drills outside, near the eastern side of the facility. These creatures had watched, and learned. Perhaps for days or weeks. Then another realization crept into Jackson's mind; they used logic, and had planned this, and they were communicating among each other. This time of day the western side of the facility had less security. Had they also learned their patrol schedules? 
 
 Jackson did n't have much time to ponder these thoughts before one was on his jeep tearing apart the hood, and engine with a bone-like club. It was covered in lacerations, probably from climbing the barbed wire fence, though the lacerations did n't seem to slow them down much. Jackson exited the vehicle on the opposite side of Rattles Two, and aimed his rifle dead center of his chest. He fired once, and Rattles Two appeared only stunned momentarily, before making its way over to Jackson. Jackson fired five more rounds into its chest before it collapsed mere feet from tearing Jackson apart. Turning around, Jackson surveyed the battlefield, and noted that the guards, and researchers were retreating into a safe bunker. 
 
 Joining the main suppression unit Jackson fired suppression shots to keep the beasts at as safe a distance he could. The pack of Rattles all had varying amounts of lacerations, and bullet holes in their hides, but appeared not even slightly bothered by these wounds, as a red liquid, much like human blood, oozed from them. 
 
 All of the researchers had made it into the safety bunker. The doors were wide enough for many people to enter easily, which made the process quicker. Jackson was among the last people entering when he noticed one of the many Rattles take a strange stance. He suddenly remembered a thought that had occurred to him when he first observed Rattles the First. They do n't run. He did n't so much as think his thought when the single Rattles launched its bone club like a giant throwing baton. Jackson had barely managed to close the door when the bone club impacted on the other side, throwing the door wide open, and knocking Jackson aside like a paper doll. One of the other security personnel quickly closed the door, and locked the deadbolts while another checked on Jackson. 
 
 `` I'm fine,'' Jackson muttered, dazed. 
 
 Suddenly the door shook violently. Jackson was n't too worried. The walls, and doors of the prison facility were strong enough. Though, he thought, it was disconcerting how the door shook. 
 
 Jackson noticed the researchers gathering around one side of the room. When he joined them one researcher slid a sliding partition up, revealing a thick transparent section of the wall. The Rattles had all stopped battering the bunker, and gathered around the transparent wall. They walked collected, and almost with a prideful gait. Jackson wondered if they possessed a concept of pride at that moment. In a moment though his attention was brought back to the transparent partition. What he saw in the moments following struck fear in him like he had n't felt in a long time. 

