Deep Horizons

 

by

 

Thomas Razee

www.FurNation.com/Razee

(Razee@FurNation.com)

 

 

 

First Published: 02 December 2001

Last Revised:    N/A

 

 

 

 

 

This story is provided freely to all who are interested for

non-commercial usage only.  Electronic archiving and

electronic redistribution for non-commercial purposes are

expressly permitted.

 

 

 

 

WARNING - WARNING - WARNING:

 

The following story (eventually) contains instances of

anthropomorphic (furry) heterosexual sex of various sorts.

 

If this concept offends you, then DON'T READ IT!

 

By law (where I am anyway), persons under the age of

eighteen should not read this story.

 

 

 

Author's Notes:

 

This story was written as a gift for Kathmandu (from a plot

and story elements that he provided at my request).

 

Also, a big "thank you" goes out to Dream Tiger for his

editing efforts on this one. 

 

Comments (good, bad, or indifferent) are always extremely

welcome and heartily encouraged!  I can be reached by

email: Razee@FurNation.com

 

 

 

 

And finally, on to the story:

 

 

***************************************

 

 

"He's a WHAT?" she asked, while slowly shaking her head in

disbelief.

 

"A Nantharan, Captain Jerson" the gray but immaculately

groomed human male on her screen replied.

 

"Oy vey..." the also graying but elegant lady leopard's

ears flattened in dismay at the very thought.  "And you

want me to turn a young, completely untrained male

Nantharan loose aboard my ship?  Don't be meshuganah.  Do

you have any notion of how dangerous they are? 

...Especially the young males?  You should be knowing

better than anyone.  They are even bigger than lions...

three meters tall, with all the long sharp teeth and claws. 

And strong enough to rip reinforced titanium bare-handed... 

THIS running loose on my ship!?" she snarled at the screen

is disbelief.

 

"...But Captain..."

 

"...And they are strict cultural isolationists..."

 

"...But Captain..."

 

"...And they are all touchier than a virgin's..."

 

"Captain!   Captain please..." the wide-eyed portmaster

exclaimed before quickly interjecting:

 

"He's much smaller than the average Nantharan.  Smaller in

fact, than many male lions, including your chief engineer

and that reckless brother of his.  That is a large part of

his problem, in fact.  He has reached the age where he is

required to literally fight for his place in their society. 

For most young male Nantharans it is really more of a

ritual formality than anything else.  They always end up

bloody and torn but they will ultimately be judged to 'win'

and will be assigned a place in their world.  However, for

a Nantharan of his diminutive size and mild temperament

things are very different.  Then it is considered to be

more of an exercise genetic culling...  'For the betterment

of the species' I believe is the phrase they use."  The

portmaster paused, looking grim.

 

"But our young friend, seeing the proverbial 'writing on

the wall', stowed away on a shuttle and made it up here.  I

have managed to avoid sending him back down so far but

eventually I am going to get a formal protest from the

Nantharan ambassador.  Then I will have no choice but to

send him back.  I have found him to be a rather

intelligent, calm and well-behaved young man, all of which

they seem to consider profound character flaws in a young

male.  He's been on the station nearly a month now and has

caused us no trouble at all.  Well...  none of his own

making anyway."  The portmaster's sudden frown made it

clear that the unsavory political aspects were fast

becoming critical.  "But the young fellow's time here is

running out and the Nantharan cultural attaché refuses to

allow me to give him a job here on station.  He's also had

no luck in signing on with a ship, as he says is his

intention."

 

"And just how does this surprise you, Portmaster Garth? 

Most captains don't make captain by being stupid," she

commented tartly, before adding under her breath 

"...although I could name a few exceptions..."

 

The portmaster frowned yet again and assumed a somewhat

more formal tone.

 

"Captain Jerson, need I remind you that the Empress Subaru

is technically an Imperial Fleet Auxiliary and as such, all

Imperial directives apply."

 

"Yes, yes, Garth but the directives on the induction and

training of indigenous persons are very clear.  There must

be an open berth aboard ...AND the person in question must

be approved by the ship's captain as suitable for induction

and rudimentary training.  Even if I were to approve of

him, there are no open posts onboard.  We have a full

crew."

 

"Well, yes and no, Captain.  Your ship's crew is complete,

that is true, but the official manifests show that you are

a body short on your mission-payload support staff.  I see

an assistant environ tank maintenance position open.  That

would seem an almost perfect slot for bringing a raw

trainee aboard and orienting him toward spacing.  I also

remind you that in the six hundred years since we

discovered them, only a very few Nantharans have ever left

their world and only a tiny handful have ever become

spacers.  The induction and training directives were

written for precisely these circumstances Captain.  It is

good for both the Nantharans and the Imperium to have more

representatives of their species out among the stars."

 

She glared at the portmaster's image. 

 

"You are going to push this aren't you?  You sorry son of

a..."

 

"Now, now, Captain.  He is actually a surprisingly nice

fellow and he really does seem sincere about becoming a

spacer.  I think he'll make good crew, in time.  And I am

usually a rather good judge of such things.  You don't make

portmaster of a sector alpha-station by being stupid

either.  As I told you, I'd have him working here for me if

it weren't for the local political situation.  As it stands

though I'll have to ship him back down planetside in a few

days.  If I understand things correctly, he's unlikely to

live long afterward.  Of course the Nantharan attaché here

thinks he'll suicide before that happens."

 

The portmaster looked hard into the screen.

 

"He deserves better than that Captain, my word on it."

 

The leopress rubbed the bridge of her broad nose tiredly

and sighed.

 

"Alright, alright." She waived an indifferent paw at the

monitor.  "Enough with the sob stories already."  She

sighed again.  "I'll see what can be done with him.  Send

him dockside."

 

"Thank you Captain.  He'll be there within the hour.  I

really don't think you will be disappointed."

 

"I should hope not portmaster because I will be back

through here in just fifteen weeks.  If he hasn't impressed

me by then, you'll be getting him right back."

 

"Good enough captain.  Thank you again and don't forget we

have a sector resource planning meeting over here at 13:00.

 

"I'll be there."  She closed the link and stared out at the

stars wondering what she was getting herself into.  She

pressed a key opening a ship-wide intercom channel. 

 

"Senior Technician Shaila Rice to the captain's office. 

Now."  She closed the circuit and, shaking her head slowly,

looked back out to the stars. 

 

"Oy vey..."

 

 

 

Not quite an hour later the captain had indeed looked over

and spoken to the young fellow at some length.  True to the

portmaster's word, he seemed relatively even-tempered,

intelligent and even enthusiastically sincere about being a

spacer.  She had to admit to herself that she was tolerably

impressed.

 

All right Ka'tzmandlu, I have a berth for you.  It's hard

work and it probably won't be much to your liking but it

will give you place onboard and a chance to learn."

 

"That's all I'm asking for Captain."

 

"Up you go then."  The Captain nodded up the ramp following

him as he made his way. "The Empress Subaru is an old

luxury liner.  The empire bought her out of mothballs seven

years ago and refit her as a water transport to support

large-scale terraforming and colonization efforts.  She can

carry more than one billion metric tons of water in her

nine tanks of various shapes and sizes.  Put another way,

that is more than a cubic kilometer of pure water."

 

She gestured broadly and with some pride as she continued.

 

"But the water itself is usually secondary.  The aquatic

lifeforms in the water are our real cargo.  Some of them

are natural but most of them are bioengineered specifically

for their new homes, typically worlds in the process of

being terraformed by the Ministry of Colonization.  The

Empress has a crew of seventeen to operate and maintain the

ship as well as a mission support staff of eleven to

maintain the cargo and supervise its introduction when we

reach our destination.  You will actually be part of the

mission support staff.

 

He looked around, ears mostly down, and in absolute awe of

the huge ship they were entering, but he said nothing.

 

She smiled and watched him closely as they neared the

airlock at the top of the long ramp.

 

He was tall but only a fraction under two meters, which she

knew that was actually extremely small for an adult male

Nantharan.  At least his size, although imposing, wouldn't

be a problem onboard.  The portmaster had been right, many

male lions were larger.  And at a glance Ka'tzmandlu even

looked a little like the genetically engineered

anthropomorphic male lions she was familiar with, but there

where some distinct differences.  His dark, nearly black,

mane was considerably smaller and less full than a male

lion's.  More like some wolves had or perhaps even like a

human with a very thick head of hair.  His muzzle was the

classic squared-off feline shape but somewhat shorter and

tapered, more like a tiger's and with tiger-like white

whiskers and fairly pronounced cheek ruffs.

 

His coloration was more lionish though.  Most of his fur

seemed to be a dark golden brown but there was also a very

subtle pattern of large, extremely irregular spots in it, a

only fractional shade darker than the surrounding fur. 

Liquid amber eyes, a moderately broad black nose pad and

thin black lips.  Broad shouldered like a lion, with a long

body and thickly muscular legs.  A tufted tail just

skimming the deck pretty much completed him.  It was then

that she realized that he was wearing plantigrade boots,

like a human.  Different shape but definitely not a 'toe

walker' like she and most other of terrestrial anthromorphs

were.

 

"Very well Ka'tzmandlu, everything seems in order."  She

smiled and held out her hand.  "Welcome aboard crewman."

 

He extended his own hand, remembering to be careful with

his claws as he gently grasped hers.  Nantharans didn't

greet one another other like that but he had learned at

least that much on the station.

 

She smiled reassuringly up at him for a moment and then

looked back up the corridor.  She frowned for a moment

before turning back to him and making her expression

pleasant again. 

 

"All right then.  Shaila should be along in a moment or

two.  She'll be your direct supervisor and will teach you

what you need to know.  She is very good at what she does

and you'll do well to listen to her.  ...And apparently she

is running a little late." The captain looked over her

shoulder yet again at the empty corridor.

 

"I hate to just abandon you here but I am due in the

portmaster's office in about two minutes.  Wait here for

her and I'm sure she'll be along.  You'll know her when you

see her.  She should be the only female otterine on this

deck at the moment.  Keep your eyes and ears open crewman

and I'm sure you'll do fine.  Oh, after you meet with

Shaila you'll need to go up to medical so the medbot can

give you a good going over.  Your medical report from the

station doctors is fine but it's always best to double

check such things.  Shipboard life can be rather strenuous. 

Besides you'll need some work done for your new job, of

course."

 

"Captain, what will I..."

 

"Sorry Ka'tzmandlu I'm late already.  Wait for Shaila and

ask her whatever you need to.  She'll either know the

answer or know who to ask.  Good luck."

 

The captain strode off, back down the ramp to the dock and

was gone.

 

He shook his head.  He still really didn't have a clue what

he'd be doing onboard but at least he had made it onto a

ship, onto a crew.  That cheered him a little and he was

smiling with a drop-jawed grin as he looked around at the

huge ship all around him.  Now all he had to do was wait to

meet his new boss.  A female otterine named Shaila the

captain had said.  Ka'tzmandlu knew some of the more common

species in the Imperium but he couldn't place otterines. 

He wasn't even certain if they were genetic anthromorphs or

one of the double handful of genuinely alien species known. 

Oh well he'd figure it out.  If worse came to worse he

could just ask someone.  It was only his first day onboard

so he hoped that maybe it wouldn't look too stupid.

 

Turns out it didn't matter.

 

His ears swiveled as he heard a sharp but quiet hiss.  A

lift door opened and a crewman in a green flightsuit got

out hurriedly, making straight for him with sparking dark

eyes and a broad grin.

 

Hi there, I'm Shaila.  I understand you're going to be

working the big tanks with me, um..."

 

"Ka'tzmandlu" he smiled carefully, dropping his jaw again

but keeping his upper fangs hidden as he looked down at

her.  He didn't have to look all that far down though.  She

was quite a bit taller than the captain and nearly topped

his shoulder.  She had thick and glossy dark-brown fur with

a splash of white at her throat.  Her head was shaped a

little like his own but her muzzle was shorter and even

more squared off, ending in a broad black nose and very

long white whiskers.  Her ears were much smaller than his

were and almost round but still very thickly furred.  Her

eyes were virtually black and glistened under the bright

artificial lights.  She wore a green spacer's flightsuit,

cut very long waisted and short legged, to accommodate her

distinctly otterish physique but it was also short sleeved

and the pant legs only came down to her knees.  Behind her

hung a very thick but rapidly tapering flat-sided furry

tail that reached well past her knees but short of the

floor...  'Not "floor"... "deck".  Ships and stations have

decks.' he reminded himself.

 

"Where's the Captain?" she asked lightly.

 

"She had to go to a meeting in the Portmaster's office. 

She said I should wait for you here."

 

"Eep...  That isn't going to be good for me when she get

back." She frowned momentarily.  "But that's not your

problem big guy."  She looked him up and down and grinned

in a friendly way, also dropping her lower jaw but keeping

her upper canines well hidden, just the same as he had.

 

"So you're a Nantharan eh?  Neat!  The 'aliens' who aren't

really alien." 

 

She spoke very quickly and Kaz found himself having to

listen closely to keep up. 

 

"They taught us in college that your species pretty much

HAS to be genetically derived from the larger earth

felines, most probably an immediate precursor to the modern

lion and tiger.  But it also says that your people have

clearly been on Dralt for at least 250,000 years now.  Way,

way, back when even the humans weren't quite human yet or

only just.  No evidence of how it happened either but all

the sudden, there you all are.  Weird, eh?"

 

"That is what offworld scientists think anyway.  Most of

our own remain uhnn...  unconvinced."

 

"Surely they know better though.  Nantharen science and

technology are plenty advanced to show that clearly and

chemistry doesn't lie.  You'll learn that working the tanks

with me.  The chemistry of the water and the critters we're

carrying in it is what tells us if there's a problem and

how to fix it.  The chemistry says your people are of

earth, whether you know it or not.  Parallel development is

a great theory but your people are just too damn close. 

Besides, there is no fossil record of your people or

anything like you on Dralt prior to 250,000 years ago. 

That pretty much cinches it."

 

"Maybe they just haven't found any yet." He rumbled his

ears half down and eyes shifting side to side

uncomfortably.  He was used to aggressive females but not

ones that talked quite so much.

 

"Ka'tzmandlu.  Is that right?" she asked, unsure of the odd

pronunciation.

 

"Close enough.  They mostly called me 'Kaz' on the station

though, if that's easier for you."

 

"Much.  Thank you.  Anyway Kaz, I don't mean to make fun of

you or be disrespectful or anything but the first thing you

are going to have to learn around here is to face the facts

when they slap you in the face.  Otherwise no one around

here will ever take you seriously.  I mean, is it really

that big a deal?  Hell, my ancestors were genetically

engineered ages ago to help humans explore and colonize

worlds where there's a lot of liquid water." 

 

She held up a brown furred, black skin-padded hand and

spread her thick fingers wide, emphasizing the broad web of

buff-colored skin between them.

 

"No big deal.  Look at Della over there, the tall one with

the gray and white fur." Shaila nodded at the muscular

crewman coming up the corridor.  "She's our second

engineer.  Her species is a derivative of earth wolves. 

They were originally created to be scouts and soldiers for

the humans.  And see Robert there with her?  The short

fellow with the mostly red and black fur and the sour

expression?  He's our executive officer and chief

navigator.  His species was derived from earthly foxes for

ah...  well... for the pleasure of humans." She grinned

painfully, surprised that she was embarrassed.

 

Ka'tzmandlu looked puzzled, canting his head to one side.

 

"You know." She leaned towards him, tilting her ears

conspiratorially and wriggling her thick white whiskers.

 

Kaz still looked blankly at her.

 

"Sheez...  You do have a lot to learn yet.  For sex Kaz. 

Foxes and a lot of the other anthro species like cheetahs

and coyotes were all engineered specifically to be sex

slaves for the humans.  That is, they were way back when

the slaving of genetic derivatives was legal.  That was

nearly a thousand years ago now."

 

"Oh." Kaz's furry ears fell in embarrassment.

 

"My point is it doesn't matter now days.  We are who we are

and that's fine.  You'll like working the tanks with me." 

She smiled, openly eyeing his smoothly muscular feline form

from head to toe once more and with distinct approval. 

"Gotta go though.  I have a meeting in five minutes down in

engineering and I've got to go get my pad first.  I think

you're probably supposed to go to medical now.  You know

how to find it?"

 

"Yes, that is what the Captain said to do.  I just get in

the lift and tell the computer where I want to go.  Right?"

he asked hoping the ship worked like the station did.

 

"Yep.  That'll do it.  You'll probably be there a while so

when you're done up there meet me down on deck four at the

tank seven control station.  Just tell the computer where

you want to go and it will guide you.  Sorry everything's

so rushed but we are kind of in a hurry.  This was only a

refueling stop for us, we weren't planning on bringing

anyone new onboard and we're pulling out in a couple of

hours.  We probably wouldn't have even pulled into dock if

not for that meeting the captain wanted to go to.  Still,

I'm very glad you are here."  She looked at him with a

gleam in her eye and smiled.  "See you later."  She waved

energetically and sped off down the corridor in the

direction opposite to the lifts.

 

Sniffing lightly, he noticed a distinctly sweet scent as

she left.  It hadn't been there when she first came up to

him but it was very strong now.  Flipping his ears in the

feline equivalent of a shrug he stepped over to the lift. 

He walked in as the door opened for automatically him.

 

"Medical" he said while looking around at the somewhat

discolored walls.  The little room immediately began to

move smoothly upward.

 

He got off the lift when it stopped and found himself only

a few steps from the clearly marked medical section.  He

stepped in and looked around.  At first he thought the

place was deserted but eventually an odd-looking robot with

six arms trundled into the light from out of a far corner.

 

"Please state the nature of your current medical needs." 

It droned in a near-perfect monotone.

 

"I...  I'm not sure.  I'm new here, the Captain said I

should go to medical."

 

"I have a medical induction examination and procedures

scheduled for a new crewman, a male Nantharan named

Ka'tzmandlu.  You appear to be Nantharan but your size is

inadequate to be a mature male Nantharan.  Only mature

examples of a species may serve as crew.  Please elaborate. 

Are you Ka'tzmandlu the male Nantharan?

 

Ka'tzmandlu growled.  It was bad enough to be made fun of

by his own kind but to be so sorely insulted by a mere

machine was outrageous.  Worse he couldn't even challenge a

machine for honor over it.  A distant part of him also

realized that it would be bad form to begin destroying

things after having only just made it aboard, if he wanted

to stay.  Still...

 

"Yes." He finally hissed, ears down and nose rumpled.

 

"And are you an adult member of your species?"

 

"Yes."  His claws were fully out and he took a threatening

step toward the stupid robot.

 

Which seemingly took no notice of it.  It clicked and

whirred, unmoving and saying nothing for several very long

and highly irritating seconds.

 

"Understood Ka'tzmandlu.  My databanks have been duly

altered to accommodate this new data.  Welcome to the

medical deck of the Empress Subaru.  I am SSN649 the ship's

medical officer.  Please leave your bag there and move to

the cubical on your left.  Then remove your clothing so

that we may begin your medical examination."

 

Kaz glowered but complied, thinking to himself that whoever

owned this ship had really skimped badly on the medbot.

 

The examination was virtually identical to the one on the

station but as the robot examined his teeth something new

was discovered.

 

"Ka'tzmandlu you have an incipient decay in the base of

your rearmost upper left carnassial.  Please move to the

large reclining chair on your right so that this defect may

be repaired."

 

Kaz did as he was asked and was soon relined in the

admittedly comfortable treatment chair.

 

"For your safety and comfort you will be anesthetized for

the remainder of the procedures."  The robot pressed an

air-hypo to his shoulder and pulled the trigger.  There was

no pain but within moment he could barely keep his eyes

open and moments later he fell into a deep, dreamless

sleep.

 

 

 

He woke up in a bed in another part of the medical bay.  He

was very muzzy and unsure what was going on.  It seemed to

him like he had been out for a long time but he decided it

was probably just the drugs that the stupid robot had given

him.  After all how long could it take to patch a bum

tooth?  He blinked hard and looked around as the robot

noticed he was awake and moved over beside the bed.

 

"The procedures were fully successful Ka'tzmandlu and you

are now ready and cleared to begin your duties.  However,

please exercise caution for the next fifteen minutes as the

anesthetic finishes clearing your system.  Following that

period you may continue with full normal function.  Senior

Technician Shaila Rice has left a message that you should

put your things away in your quarters and then meet her in

the tank seven control station on deck four."

 

"Where are my quarters?" he asked a little hoarsely, he

noticed that his throat seemed very dry and raw.

 

Again the infernal machine buzzed and hummed for several

long seconds.

 

"There is no listing for quarters in your medical file. 

Quarters assignments may be obtained from the ship's

computer.  Here is a small quantity of pain reducers in

case you have any temporary discomfort."

 

He took the tiny bottle of pills and slowly stood up.

 

"Your clothing is in the wardrobe beside you and your other

belongings are by the door.  Good day crewman Ka'tzmandlu." 

The robot moved off as he scrounged his clothes from the

closet.  He quickly got dressed and walked back out into

the passageway.  He got back into the lift.

 

"Computer: where are my quarters?"

 

"One moment please.  Identifying new crewman.  Welcome

aboard crewman Ka'tzmandlu.  Your quarters assignment is

17c on deck fifteen."

 

"Please take me there." The lift engaged but only briefly

before the door opened again.

 

"Your quarters, 17c, are up the passageway, first right,

third door on the right crewman Ka'tzmandlu."

 

"Thanks." He called as he stepped out; forgetting it was

just a computer.

 

"You are most welcome crewman Ka'tzmandlu."

 

He found 17c with little trouble.  It turned out to be huge

and elegantly appointed.  He remembered that the captain

had said that the ship had once been a passenger liner and

then converted.  Kaz pretty sure that the luxurious

quarters must be left over from those days.  The bed looked

big enough to hold three or four of him.  There was a

green, short-sleeved, short-legged flightsuit just like the

one Shaila had been wearing but much larger, spread across

the bottom of the bed.  A note pinned to it read: "Put me

on but no shoes/boots".

 

He tossed his gear on the bed and quickly changed into what

was apparently his new uniform.  He thought the part about

no shoes was a little odd.  It suited him just fine but

they had been very insistent that he always go shod on the

station.  The suit seemed to fit well enough, except for

being a little tight in the rump, so he headed back out

into the corridor and made for the lifts.  And promptly got

turned around and lost.  But only for a moment as he soon

found the bank of large sliding doors again.

 

He stepped in.

 

"Computer: Tank seven control station on deck four,

please."

 

A minute later the lift stopped.

 

"The tank seven control station on deck four is one hundred

and eighty seven meters directly ahead and on the left,

crewman Ka'tzmandlu."

 

He stepped off the lift into a huge chamber.  Before him

was a wide, expanded-metal catwalk suspended about a meter

above the largest body of water he had ever seen.  The

chamber walls were at least 75 meters wide to each side of

the catwalk and perhaps four hundred meters long.  The

catwalk obviously led to a small room built in the middle

of the huge chamber right out over the water.  The catwalk

itself was about three meters wide and had sturdy looking

meter-high railing at its edges.  Even so, Kaz still made

it a point to walk its centerline as much as possible. 

Having grown up on a desert world, to have this much water

around him and especially visible beneath him, was

powerfully unnerving. 

 

As he approached the control station it seemed to be

deserted.  There was no door per se, so he simply went

inside.  Shaila wasn't there.  The room was full of

electronic consoles, shelving units and equipment lockers. 

There was a table and a couple of chairs in one corner and

a small restroom cubicle in another.  That was about it. 

He looked around for some clue as to where his new boss

might be but found none that he recognized.  He walked back

outside the little control room.

 

To his right there was a section of catwalk where the

railing was missing in front of a small step-down platform

that was actually only centimeters out of the water.  His

eyes caught a small movement in the water down there. 

Fearful but with the deep-seated curiosity endemic to

felines he carefully stepped down onto the platform. 

Reluctantly he crept closer to the edge of the platform,

bending/crouching down to carefully look over the side.

 

Nothing. 

 

No movement but the tiny wavelets that seems to cover the

whole surface of the huge tank. 

 

He straightened and turned.  There was a soft splash and

before he could react, he was dragged over backward and

into the water.

 

He completely lost it as he was hauled under.  He thrashed

madly as some force pulled him deeper and deeper.  The

light above slowly faded and the pressure on his ears

quickly grew.  His lungs already burned for air.  He was

dead.  He knew that now.  He roared in futile rage and the

bitter frustration of not even knowing why.

 

His body still fought as he was pulled deeper still. 

Having never encountered immersion in water before, he

proved unable hold his breath for more than a few seconds. 

His body betrayed him first by forcing the air from his

lungs in a long, silvery stream then it began an absolutely

undeniable urge to inhale.  He soon took in the salty brine

and coughed up what little air remained in his lungs in a

fine cloud of bubbles.  A calm came over him as the pull at

his neck ruff finally slacked, releasing him in the depths. 

With the air gone from his lungs he continued to sink

slowly, knowing he could never get back to the surface now

before he lost consciousness and died.  He relaxed, in some

sense anyway, and waited for the darkness to take him as

his lungs still instinctively fought to breathe.

 

And he waited...

 

And he waited...

 

And eventually he figured out that, somehow, he was

breathing water and not going to die.  In a way he was

almost disappointed, it would have solved so many things

for him.  He slowly swam up toward the light.  It was more

than just weird as he drew water rather than air into his

lungs.  It was relatively hard work to force the thick

liquid in and out, at least compared to air, but it seemed

to be working.  What in the one God's name had they done to

him?

 

He made it back up to the platform and reaching up, took

hold of the edge.  He heaved himself up onto the ledge and

immediate began a to expel water from his lungs.  It was

almost like throwing up but without the nausea.  Then the

coughing started.  He hung his head low, still on his hands

and knees, as his body struggled to rid itself of the

remaining water.  He felt a hand patting him hard between

the shoulder blades, helping him get the last of the liquid

out of his lungs.

 

"That's it big guy.  Cough it up.  Coming out and back to

air is always the hard part, I know.  Take it easy and just

let the water out Kaz."  He realized it was Shaila's voice.

 

Ka'tzmandlu snarled and whirled.  With stunning speed and

agility he easily caught her by the throat, and standing

up, smoothly lifted her broad feet from the deck grating.

 

Her eyes bulged as she struggled in his grasped, gurgling,

trying to speak.

 

"What have you done to me?" he hissed.  Nose to nose with

her, his huge killing fangs nearly all she could she.

 

Her hands were at his arm, beating at it, trying futilely

to free herself as her own air was quickly running out. 

Soon he realized that he could either have immediate and

satisfying vengeance, or answers, but not both. 

Reluctantly he slacked his grip and let her back down to

the platform.

 

"OK, OK, I get the message.  No more jokes.  Shit guy I

thought you were really going to kill me for a second

there."  She rubbed her bruised neck as she got her breath

back.

 

"I seriously considered it ...and I may yet.  But I want

some answers first." His voice deep and powerful enough to

make the metal platform vibrate in sympathetic response,

full of raw fury and menace.  His claws and teeth were all

still in full view.  "Now what have you done to me?"

 

Shaila looked a little confused.  "I pulled you into the

water for your first 'drowning'.  It's sort of a tradition

in this business.  At least for species that aren't

inherently equipped for water breathing like us otterines."

She flapped her gill slits, heretofore hidden under the

thick fur at the sides of her neck, to show him.  "Just a

'welcoming in' prank, that's all."

 

Kaz was still angry but even more confused now.  "No.  How

was I breathing water?"

 

Shaila looked at him as if he were crazy. "What do mean how

where you breathing water?  What the heck did you think the

medbot was putting in all of those inter-tracheal implants

for?"

 

"Implants?  You mean inside my body?  What implants?" He

growled with an even greater edge of menace than before.

 

"What do you mean 'what implants'?  The medbot was suppose

to give you an exam, implant a full set of inter-tracheal

micro membranes down into your bronchial passages so you

can breathe under water and coat your lungs with an

artificial membrane that is one-way oxygen and carbon

dioxide permeable but only partially water permeable.  And

since you didn't die just now I am left to assume that the

goofy thing actually did put them in and they're working

OK."

 

"After the exam the robot said I had a cavity and he was

going to put me to sleep to fix it."

 

"Oh." Her expression was one of consternation.  "Then I

guess he just put the implants in after he had you out

already.  Still, the Captain told you what you where going

to be doing didn't she?  I mean I suppose you could use

scuba gear but we have to spend so much time underwater

that the implants are much more convenient and much safer

too.  You are pretty much drown-proof now."

 

"The captain was in a hurry and said you would teach me

what I needed to know.  She never said what I'd be doing. 

And all that you said was that I'd be helping you with the

tanks.  But NO ONE said ANYTHING about me having work IN

THE WATER."  His whole body shivered as he said it, shaking

in both fear and anger.  "And NO ONE said ANYTHING having

to have stuff put inside me either!" he absently scratched

at his upper chest where he now knew the tiny implants

were.

 

Shaila's eyes bulged as if he were choking her again. 

 

"You didn't know?..." She looked away incredulous.  "He

didn't know...  Holy shit, he didn't know!"  she fell

squarely onto her butt, seemingly in shock at the very

notion.  Had he not been so angry, he would have laughed.

 

"I need to see the Captain.  Right now!" he growled harshly

as he leaped back up onto the catwalk in a single bound and

made for the lifts, still dripping but moving fast.

 

In a few moments she recovered some measure of her wits.

 

"Kaz wait!  I need to talk to you first!  Ka'tzmandlu

PLEASE..." she yelled after him but he was already onto the

lift and gone.

 

"Oh shit.  This isn't going to be pretty."  She said to no

one in particular.  She didn't have her comm unit on her,

so she dashed for the control station hoping to at least

warn the Captain via the interphone before he got there.

 

 

The next morning:

 

 

Despite the Captain's explicit orders to leave him alone

for now, Shaila just couldn't let it rest.  Things had

really gotten screwed up with Kaz and she simply had to try

and make it right.  She caught up with the massive cat at

breakfast.

 

"Hey Kaz, you OK big guy?  I am really, REALLY, sorry about

yesterday.  I didn't know that... well... that you didn't

know.  Ya know?" she smiled her most irrepressibly charming

smile at him and batted her long lashes. 

 

He never even looked up.

 

"I'm OK," he rumbled, clearly still sullen, his eyes

avoiding hers.  She stood there, grinning expectantly next

to his seat and several empty chairs as he turned back to

his breakfast.

 

Finally she rolled her eyes and sat down across from him

anyway.  She lowered her voice and leaned across the table. 

He managed not to growl and snap at her but it took effort. 

 

"Kaz, please look at me for a moment.  Please.  That's

better.  Now I mean it very sincerely, I apologize for what

I did to you yesterday.  OK?  No hard feelings OK?"

 

Ka'tzmandlu straightened in his seat and for the first time

in the exchange really looked her in the eye.  "I hear your

words and accept them as offered.  Your grossly

inappropriate behavior and unseemly familiarity are

hereupon set aside.  I will not pursue blood over it."

 

She was a little taken aback, her eyes shifted

uncomfortably as she nodded.

 

"Uhm.  Good.  That's good.  Uhm... thanks?"

 

Then she paused and swallowed hard.  She wondered how what

she had done to him would have been viewed within his

culture that such a statement on his part would be

necessary.  She was pretty sure that she didn't want to

know.

 

"Kaz no one here is out to get you or make fun of you

either and especially not me.  Like I said it was a stupid

joke for crissake.  Same as any experienced spacer plays on

any newly.  You just have a lot to learn about spacing,

spacers, and enviro tanks that's all."

 

"Not tanks."

 

"What do you mean 'not tanks'?  What else are you going to

do?" she leaned forward, instantly worried that she might

be losing her new help, losing her shot at him maybe.

 

"I talked to the Captain yesterday, a second time I mean,

after I had calmed and dried out some."

 

"Yeah, I know.  She spent the better part of an hour

reading me the riot act afterwards.  My own fault, I know."

She smiled lopsidedly.

 

"She said that since the medbot went and modified me

without my prior knowledge or permission that she'd find me

another job if I hated that one so much.  Now I'm going to

be working engineering maintenance.  No tanks.  Not from

the inside anyway." He smiled at the thought but his ears

drooped a little at Shaila's crestfallen reaction.

 

"Damnit Kaz.  So you and I got off to a bad start.  That's

my own damn fault and I'm very sorry but it's really a good

job working in the tanks.  I bet you'd love it if you gave

it half a chance.  If you'd just let me show you..."

 

"NO." he interrupted sharply and with a hint of a growl

under his voice.  He fought to control himself and hoped

she didn't realize it was a growl of utter panic at the

thought of having to go back into the water.

 

"I..." dismayed she backed off and took another tact. "So

what are you going to be doing now?"

 

"I'm going to be maintaining the outside structure of the

tanks."

 

"I should have figured.  Do you know what that involves? 

It is cold and nasty work, worming through filthy little

crawl spaces and even working in some old smelly spacesuit

outside the hull for hours on end.  Trust me, working IN

the tanks is much, much better.  Come on, let me teach you. 

I promise, no more jokes.  You'll really like it.  That's a

promise too."  She smiled sweetly, her dark eyes glittering

with suggestive amusement.

 

"No thank you." Kaz looked away not wanted her to see the

fear in his eyes at the thought of having to go back into

all that water.

 

"Oh.  OK then.  " She bit her lip not wanting to push too

hard after having gone so badly wrong the day before. 

"Well, what do you think of space so far?"

 

"It's better than being on Dralt, for me anyway." He said,

more to himself than to her.

 

That really wasn't the answer she was expecting.  "How so?"

She asked.

 

"Uhnnn...  It doesn't matter."  He ducked his head,

embarrassed

 

"Kaz I..." Shaila began.

 

"Ka'tzmandlu?" a rumbly, far deeper voice interrupted.

 

Shaila winced slightly, obviously recognizing the voice.

 

"Hiya Mike," said Shaila looking away, irritated at the

interruption and embarrassed to be caught talking to Kaz

when she knew better.  At least it was only Mike.

 

"Good morning Shaila," the huge male lion laid his hand

lightly on her shoulder in a friendly way.  "Uhm... don't

take this wrong pretty lady but didn't I hear the Captain

tell you to stay clear of our new shipmate here."

 

"Uhm...  Well, seems maybe I heard something like that

somewhere."  Shaila still wouldn't look at him but she was

smiling.

 

"Better get on down to your tanks then.  I've got to take

Ka'tzmandlu here to engineering and show him around."

 

"All right Mike, but be nice to him," she nodded down at

Kaz who still sat at the table, observing the two with

intense curiosity.

 

"Well, I certain don't plan on drowning him anytime soon,

if that's what you mean."

 

"Why you sorry...!"  Outraged Shaila finally turned to face

the significantly taller leomorph but she stopped short

once she saw his broad teasing grin. 

 

"OK, OK, I'm outta here."  She smiled wryly and punched the

lion's shoulder hard as she moved by him, heading for the

door.  He scarcely seemed to notice.

 

"Good morning Ka'tzmandlu.  I am Mike Leoson, the Empress

Subaru's Chief Engineer, pleased to meet you." The lion

held out his hand to the Nantharan.

 

Kaz simply looked at the lion's hand, sniffing lightly.

 

"Pleased to meet you Mikeleoson Chief Engineer of the

Empress Subaru."  Kaz held his hand up out in the lion's

direction but was careful not to touch him.

 

The big lion looked puzzled for a moment but smiled and

sniffed lightly, just as Kaz had.

 

Kaz stood and found himself still having to look up at the

lion.  It was almost like being back on Dralt.

 

"Alright Ka'tzmandlu let's go look around some." The lion

led him out of the mess and into the corridor.  "I was

going to take you down to engineering but I really should

take you around and show you the whole ship I think, let

everyone see you and such.  Uhm...  didn't want to say

anything in there but when someone offers you his hand you

are supposed to taking it in yours and shake it gently,

claws in."  Mike smiled kindly.

 

"I go by 'Kaz', if that's easier Chief Engineer.  And I

know about shaking hands.  I just forgot and reacted as my

people do when meeting unknown males.  We tend to be very

formal and touching someone like that is a good way to find

oneself missing a few fingers.  ...Or your throat.  Sorry."

 

"Ouch, tough planet.  Don't worry about it."  Mike chuckled

in a friendly fashion.  "Kaz eh?  OK, Kaz.  First, we don't

stand much by titles around here, except for the captain,

so you should just call me Mike.  Second, don't worry about

trying to fit in or having to figure things out too

quickly.  Your position here is safe for now and you'll

have plenty of time to learn.  So just relax and try to do

what we teach you, you'll find your way soon enough.  Now

let's go see who's on the bridge."

 

They took the lift up and stepped out onto the wide

concourse that soon became the bridge as the moved forward. 

Kaz's eyes and ears were moving very quickly trying to take

in all of the strange sights and sounds around him.

 

They soon came up to a group of three very different

spacers talking quietly: a slender male fox, a female human

and another large male lion.

 

"Good morning everyone.  This is own new crewman,

Ka'tzmandlu.  He is a Nantharan and he goes by 'Kaz'.  He

will be helping with structural maintenance on the tanks

for now.  Kaz, this is Robert Hilden our Executive officer

and Chief navigator," Mike nodded toward the immaculately

groomed little fox in the neatly pressed flightsuit

standing by the helm console.

 

"Pleased to meet you I'm sure, Ka'tzmandlu.  Good to have

you with us."  The fox turned looked a long way up at Mike. 

"Mike, I don't think regulations allow for bringing

untrained personnel onto the bridge."

 

The big lion rolled his eyes briefly and sighed,

"Technically no but he needs to meet the crew and everyone

wants to see the bridge of the ship they're on.  And, if

you'll notice, I'm escorting him just like a non-spacing

visitor.  Seems ridiculous to deny him a look at the bridge

just because he is new crew when the regs do allow for

visits by completely untrained visitors who are not crew."

 

"Humph.  Imperial regulations are never ridiculous,

Engineer."  The little red fox bristled at the very idea. 

"Still, I suppose there's no harm in a quick, closely

escorted, look about.  Your responsibility Engineer

Leoson."

 

"Sir." The lion responded politely but in a tone of clearly

limited respect.

 

The fox didn't seem to notice though and turned back to his

companions.  "I'll be making my morning rounds then.  You

have the bridge Kernath."  He nodded smartly to the fair-

skinned, dark haired human female sitting at the helm, then

to the others, and strode off for the lift.

 

The huge lion just shook his head, ruffling his mane a bit. 

"Kaz, just so you understand, Robert is next in command

after the Captain.  He's an exchange officer from the

Imperial Navy.  He's a good, smart officer but he's also a

bit of a prig.  Anyway, now that that's done we can get on

with far more pleasant things.  Kaz, this lovely lady is

Kimberly Kernath.  She is our chief pilot.

 

"Pleased to meet you Kaz," Kimberly smiled charmingly and

offered her hand, which Kaz gently took and shook.  "Listen

to Mike here and you'll be fine."

 

"Thank you, I will."

 

Mike smiled and continued: "And that ill-kempt, oversized,

lump of fur standing next to her is our second pilot and

navigator, Tom Leoson, my brother."

 

"Thanks Mike, I know I can always count on you for a classy

intro."  The other lion, a virtual duplicate of Mike but

with a somewhat darker mane, groused but with a warm smile

in his amber eyes.  "Good to meet you Kaz.  Hope you can

stand working for my brother."  Tom yawned hugely.  "Myself

though, I think I'm going to have a snack and head for bed. 

G'night all."

 

"Night Tom."  Kimberly called still watching her console.

 

Mike rumbled at Tom as he approached,  "Gotta finish our

tour and get him started with Della.  I'll be down in a

little while."

 

"Tom works third watch, so his 'day' is just ending Kaz. 

And even though I'm chief engineer and theoretically

entitled to first watch, I'm also third in command so I'm

stuck with third watch too.  Mike smiled as his brother had

paused by him, before heading for the lift.

 

Kaz watched and listened to the pair with great curiosity

and interest.  It was wholly outside of his experience to

see two full-grown male felines act so casually familiar

with one another.  Then Tom punched Mike in the shoulder

and moved on.

 

Suddenly the spacious bridge seemed very small as it was

instantly full of furious, terrifying sound.  Kaz stood

crouched with his head twisted sideways, growling with ears

down and looking very much as if he expected to be

attacked.  Mike and Tom had also instinctively dropped into

snarling crouches.  The pair almost seemed to be posing:

being so closely matched, protectively shoulder to

shoulder, claws and teeth bared, eyes and ears all scanning

outward for the source of the threat.  The three huge

felines together raised a deep and menacing racket loud

enough to make the bulkheads shiver under its impact.

 

Soon Mike looked around carefully once more and then

straightened up somewhat.

 

"OK guys, I give up...  What are we growling at?"

 

Tom looked back at his brother and shrugged expansively. 

They both looked over at Kaz who was still growling but now

with far less volume and with utter confusion written

across his face.

 

"Kaz?  What's the deal guy?"

 

Kaz, still confused and now deeply embarrassed, stood

properly again.

 

"I am sorry Mikeleoson Chief Engineer of the Empress

Subaru.  Your littermate attacked you and I expected a

fight.  Trapped in close quarters during a fight between

males such as you and your littermate tends to be very

dangerous, at least on my world."

 

"Uhnnn...  OK Kaz, if you say so, but call me Mike ...and

when the hell was I attacked?"

 

"As your littermate passed, he struck you, after you had

traded insults."

 

"We are not Nantharan 'littermates' Kaz.  We are leomorphs

and brothers.  In most cultures that we know of, brothers

tend to be close, even if they don't like to admit it

sometimes.  And that's even more true with leomorphs.  Tom

and I will often tease one another, roughhouse or otherwise

act somewhat rudely toward each other.  But it is all just

a form of play, even affection, we are actually very

close."

 

Mike gave kind of a lopsided grin at the admission before

he continued.

 

"We have not actually insulted one another this morning and

I have not been attacked.  So relax Kaz, there's no trouble

here."  Mike put an arm around Tom's shoulders and drug him

closer, giving him a couple of grooming licks to the side

of his muzzle.  Tom responded by twisting his head to lick

the top of his brother's nose and pressing his shoulder

against him, before grinning and pushing away to put a

little distance between them once more.

 

Kaz turned positively green and looked away.

 

"Now what's wrong?" asked Tom, already getting a little

annoyed by Kaz's reactions.

 

"Your pardon but such familiarity is... uhnnn... unseemly

between males."

 

Tom rolled his eyes upward before shaking his head and

moving on toward the lift.  "OK, that's enough for me this

morning.  G'night all." 

 

Mike chuff-chuckled softly as he watched his brother go.

 

"You have a lot to learn about other cultures Kaz.  I would

have thought you'd have seen a lot more of these

differences on the station."

 

Kaz shook his head.  "Every time I tried to do something or

the portmaster set me to doing something, the Nantharan

attaché would start howling about my being there and the

portmaster would have to send me back to my room in order

to keep the peace.  I didn't get to meet many people or see

much else on the station."

 

Mike nodded.  "Figures, typical political thing.  Never

fails, no matter what you try to do good in this galaxy,

someone is going to object."  He huffed before turning for

the lift ...and nearly stepping on his captain.

 

"Captain!  Sorry, we were a little distracted and I didn't

hear you come up."

 

"So I can assume Mike, given that Robert already nearly ran

over me as I was getting onto the lift and then your

brother almost trampled me as I was getting off.  What?  Is

this my day to play doormat on my own ship?" 

 

Then she paused and sniffed meaningfully, her ears falling

halfway down.  "And why does my bridge reek of a cat-fight? 

Whew!  I haven't smelled the like since you and Tom got

into it last year.  What was it that time...?  Oh yes,

whether or not your chili should have beans in it."  Her

tone was reproving but there was a smile in her eyes.  Mike

knew she wasn't really angry as she made out.  Still he

knew she was curious.

 

"Well, Robert was upset because I brought Kaz up here to

show him around."

 

The leopard looked puzzled.  "Why would that...  Ah.  That

is, technically, against the regs isn't it?"  She sighed

melodramatically, shaking her head.  "...And we both know

how he is about regulations.  But it's not really

reasonable is it?  Everyone wants to see the bridge of

their ship.  You have him escorted, so what's to be upset? 

That little fox will be the death of me yet.  Still, I've

seen worse." She smiled wryly.  "Forget about it Mike, I'll

talk to him."

 

She cocked her head and looked up expectantly at the much

larger feline.

 

"Well..."

 

"Yes, well, your bridge smells like a cat-fight because of

a small cultural misunderstanding between Kaz, Tom and

myself.  As Tom was leaving, he slapped my shoulder

friendly-like but Kaz here thought that he and I where

going to have a fight and started growling.  Apparently

fights are common in Nantharan families and being in such

close quarters to one is dangerous.  Anyway, he started

growling and startled Tom and I, and we started growling

and, well, it took a few moments to realize it was all over

nothing."

 

The captain laughed a harsh and coarse leopard's laugh.  "I

see.  Just like that.  Still, I'm glad I wasn't here, I

know how loud you two can be and I'm sure it's about the

same for Ka'tzmandlu.  I'm surprised there's still paint on

the bulkheads."

 

"Amen Captain!  My ears are still ringing," chimed Kimberly

from the helm, with a rueful chuckle of her own.

 

The Captain laughed again.  "All right then, off with you

both.  Show him the ship Mike and then put him to work. 

Hang in there Kaz, you'll get used to us and we to you, all

in good time."

 

"Yes Captain.  I will."

 

The two big felines made for the lift and soon were headed

down to the bowels of the great ship.  Some time later, the

lion paused in a seemingly empty corridor.

 

"OK Kaz" said Mike gesturing to the steel bulkhead.  "At

this very moment, this wall here is holding back about 210

million tons of water.  In fact, it is the very same water

you went for your little swim in yesterday."

 

Kaz's eyes widened and his ears sank at the memory but he

said nothing.

 

"Now, your job is going to be helping to make sure that all

that water stays in there where it belongs and doesn't get

out here."

 

Kaz's ears came back up and his expression hardened

somewhat, this was a job he could respect.  He very much

wanted the water to remain on the other side of the wall

for reasons of his own.

 

"The Empress Subaru was originally built as a passenger

liner.  When the Empire bought her, they reinforced her

superstructure to handle the far greater mass but still,

there is only so much reinforcing that can economically be

done to a commercial hull.  So metal fatigue and stress

corrosion are big problems for us.  We have to be very

diligent about making regular structural inspections.  That

is pretty much what you are going to be doing.  It can be

very tedious but it is extremely important, both to our

mission and for the safety of our crewmates."

 

"I understand Mikeleoson Chief Engineer of the Empress

Subaru."

 

Mike just looked at him with a hint of annoyance, slowly

raising a tawny furred eyebrow.

 

"Apologies.  I mean 'Mike'."

 

"Better."  Mike nodded, smiling again.

 

"I am surprised that, even with modifications, the ship can

carry so much more weight that was originally intended to."

 

"That's a good point Kaz but it was quite an extensive

modification job.  Not only did they have to beef-up the

structure but also the gravitics and the realspace engines

required tremendous augmentation.  Thankfully jump engines

don't care about mass, only volume so they didn't really

have to be modified."

 

Kaz looked at him curiously.

 

Mike smiled, pleased to see Kaz interested in such things. 

A natural curiosity about how things work being a great

asset in the engineering profession.

 

"The jump drive is what moves a ship from one star system

to another Kaz.  The gravitics are for lifting off or

landing on worlds as well as giving us artificial gravity

to work in.  The realspace engines are pretty much ion

projectors that maneuver us beyond the largest portion of a

star's gravimetric field so that a hyperjump is possible. 

The jump itself though is a field-based phenomenon.  Think

of it as opening a door Kaz.  As long as whatever you are

wanting move fits through the door it doesn't matter to the

door how heavy it is, does it?  Hyperjump is like that.  As

long as your ship fits through the three-dimensional 'door'

that the jumpdrive opens in hyperspace, it doesn't matter

what that ship weighs or how much it carries with it.

 

"I see.  That is very interesting."

 

Mike chucked.  "Good.  Let's get on down to main

engineering then and get you started then."

 

A few minutes later they walked into main engineering.  The

thrumming of the equipment filled the large but crowded

room so Mike had to raise his voice.

 

"Della!  Della where are you?" he all but roared. 

 

"Over here Mike" a deep but feminine voice howled back to

him from a remote corner.

 

"Follow me and be careful not to touch anything Kaz, you

don't know what's what just yet." The lion smiled.

 

Soon they found Della and after brief introductions Mike

left for bed and the pleasant seeming lady wolf began to

teach him the fundamentals of non-destructive test and

inspection.  Kaz found it somewhat interesting and was soon

given a bulkhead of his very own to practice on.  After a

long day of training and practice he made his way to the

ship's mess before heading back to his cabin.

 

Shaila found him there again.

 

"Hi Kaz, how's it going in engineering?" she smile

charmingly and sat down across from him uninvited.

 

"Well enough.  At least it's dry." He rumbled around a

forkful of reasonably good pot roast.

 

"That's good, I suppose.  At least for you.  Personally I

wouldn't want a job where I couldn't 'get wet' now and

then."  She smiled coyly at him for a moment and then

frowned. 

 

He wasn't even looking at her.

 

"Kaz, I was thinking.  We really got off to a bad start,

I'd really love to have you down to deck four for a proper

tour this time.  No getting wet...  well not unless you

want to anyway."  She twisted her head to one side and

batted her eyes up at him, trying once more.

 

His head came up; at least she had gotten his attention.

 

"No!" He growled sharply, fangs showing and ears flat.

 

Shaila instinctively recoiled, her eyes widening and her

own fangs now showing in reaction.

 

"Oooooo Kaaaayyyy, we'll set that one aside for the moment.

 

They passed the rest of the meal with him eating in silence

and her chatting aimlessly about the ship and it's crew. 

It was annoying but supposed she was trying to do him a

favor.  And besides, simply killing her for a little quiet

probably wouldn't set well with the captain.  Still, he

really wished she'd just shut up and let him eat his meal

in peace.  And he especially had no intention of taking her

up on the tour of the tanks she kept working into the

conversation.

 

 

A few days later:

 

 

But despite his best intentions, he eventually he gave in

just to get her to leave him alone about it.  Shaila very

carefully and very calmly took him around and showed him

the tanks and how they worked.  Eventually he even found

himself relaxing a little as he listened to her technical

explanations of the internal operations of the tanks which

he had to admit where far more interesting than the tedious

inspections and repairs he'd been doing from the outside. 

At least as long as they stayed well away from the water

itself.

 

 

A few more days (and much more badgering) later:

 

 

Kaz very slowly stepped into the water just letting the

tops of his feet get wet a little and wondering yet again

how he had let Shaila talk him into this.  Tentatively he

moved a little further.  His ankles soon disappeared and

eventually his knees too.  He paused as the after reaching

mid-thigh, looking around and lifting one leg to swish it

around and then the other.  Stretching his toes out and

just getting a feel for where he was.

 

"Well now.  See?  That's not so bad is it?" she grinned

staying close to him but keeping her paws off.

 

It was so strange, Kaz thought as he waded a little deeper. 

The water did feel kind of nice, although the sensation of

it washing through his thick fur was distinctly weird.  As

he slowly moved out the water reached his crotch and he was

quickly reminded that Shaila had actually talked him into

trying this nude.  It was nothing at all like the showers

he was only just now getting used to taking.  The feel of

so much liquid water actually sloshing over and into his

sheath and up under his tail was a whole new experience for

him.  He wasn't any too sure he liked it.

 

He ignore the feelings and moved a little deeper, pulling

his tail completely under as he waded out to his waist. 

She was very patient.  Letting his go slowly and at his own

pace.  She really just wanted to grab him and drag him

under again at his point.  Anything to just get it over

with so they could get on with their swim.  Otterines are

not well known for their patience.

 

"OK Kaz, come here for a second."

 

He waded over to her, moving deeper still and up to his

chest now, not realizing that she was already swimming but

holding herself up as if she was not.  She reached out for

his right ear.

 

"Here.  I need to clip this little receiver unit into your

ear so you'll be able to hear me underwater."

 

"Now remember when we go under, I can talk to you but you

can't talk back.  Otterines were designed for underwater

work so we actually have a secondary set of vocal cords

that lets us use a throat mic underwater.  The receiver is

now clipped into your right ear.  My voice will sound weird

but you should be able to understand me OK.

 

"I thought radios didn't work underwater."

 

"Ooooh, he's been studying.  I'm impressed."  She grinned,

meaning it.  "And you're right too.  At very short ranges

radios can manage all right underwater but most radio

signals just won't carry for any distance at all, except at

extremely low frequencies.  However, these little suckers

aren't radios.  They are what amounts to amplified,

computer-controlled electro-mechanical transducers.  My

voice is up-converted to a much higher sound frequency, way

above your or even my ability to hear it and then

retransmitted into the water.  At that frequency, the sound

carries for long distances underwater with very little

distortion.  Your receiver picks up those ultra high

frequency sound waves and down-converts them back to

frequencies you can actually hear and understand.  Neat

huh?"

 

"Uhm... yeah, I guess," Kaz answered, unsure if he really

understood or not.  He was, however, glad that she'd be

able to talk to him while he was in the water.  But he'd

have preferred to be slowly skinned alive rather than have

to admit it.

 

He looked at her as she clipped the device inside her own

small round ear.  "I thought you said you used a throat

mike with these things?"

 

She grinned.  "Yep, it's there, you just can't see it. 

It's very tiny and subcutaneous, that means I actually had

it implanted under my skin.  For otterines who actually

spend a lot of time working under water it's just easier

that way.  The mic actually transmits to the earpiece using

my own nervous system on a non-interfering basis.  Like I

said, neat technology, eh?" 

 

"Speaking of which there is one more thing you need.  Look

up at the lights Kaz."  He did and she quickly dripped a

drop or two of... something into his eyes.  "There.  Those

drops will help you see a lot better down there.  Basically

it's a temporary equivalent of my inner eyelids."  She

slowly blinked the clear inner membranes over her eyes to

show him.  "Your eyes will feel a little thick but it will

go away in a few hours.  If you were going to be in the

water all day, you'd need to put more drops in every two or

three hours." 

 

She smiled and looked him over one more time.

 

"OK now we're just about ready, I think.  One more very

important thing: The danger or trouble signal down there is

three quick anythings.  Three quick taps on the shoulder,

three quick grunts, three quick tugs on a line, whatever

you can manage at the time.  Anything three times and

urgent.  Make quick for the surface if you can and, of

course, I'll be right there with you the whole time. 

Nothing in this particular tank should be dangerous to you

and I.  It's simulating a small, quiet reef environment so

there's nothing to get really tangled in or anything.  We

should be just fine."

 

"Getting rid of the air in your lungs is unpleasant, I

know, but it only lasts for a second and then you're

breathing water."  She assiduously avoided discussing the

real unpleasantness, which was coming back from water to

air, hoping not to remind him.  "Just try not to cough any

more than you have to and keep a nice steady flow in and

out of your lungs.  You'll have to work a lot harder to get

the water in and out than you would air, but it shouldn't

be any trouble for a healthy young fellow like you. 

Ready?"

 

Kaz nodded but she could easily see that he was still very

unsure and nervous.

 

"It's OK Kaz.  Take your time.  We are not in a hurry and I

know this takes some getting used to.  I am just really

pleased and flattered that you even agreed to try.  I think

it is very brave of you, in fact.  Now, whenever you are

ready, just exhale long and hard, then duck under the water

and take a long slow breath.  After that you'll have the

urge to cough.  Like I said, try not to as much as you can. 

Then just breathe steady.  If it's any consolation I'll

have to do it too.  Normally an otterine will close off her

bronchial passages and just flush water through her gills

when underwater.  But if I want to talk to someone down

there, I have to inhale and exhale water the same as you

will be. 

 

Kaz still looked down worriedly at the calm water's

surface, now just beneath his nose.

 

"Kaz.  Look at me.  You are safe here.  We've already

proven you can't drown, haven't we?  And there is no way in

hell I'm going to let you be hurt or killed.  It's SAFE, I

swear to you."

 

Kaz looked her hard in the eye and, for once, didn't find

cause to doubt her sincerity.  So he nodded and exhaled

deeply.  With a last suspicious glance into the water he

ducked beneath the surface.  And came right back up again,

gasping for air and looking panicked. 

 

With great effort, Shaila managed to avoid laughing.

 

"That's OK Kaz.  A very common reaction.  Instincts are

hard to fight and I'm sure every instinct you have is

telling you that you are insane to be doing this.  Try

again whenever you are ready."

 

"How about next year?"  He managed a weak smile as water

dripped from his long white whiskers.

 

Shaila laughed gently.  "Well... That's not really what I

had in mind but there is nothing forcing you to do this

Kaz.  It's up to you.  Please come swimming with me though. 

I promise you'll like it once you get used to it."

 

Kaz still looking uncertain but now firmly resolute, took a

deep breath, exhaled it and ducked back under the surface.

 

This time he stayed down and after a few long seeming

moments, inhaled.  The urge to cough and choke was enormous

and could not be entirely denied.  Kaz heaved and hacked as

the thick-seeming fluid invaded the inner recesses of his

lungs.  Shaila was right there though, with a comforting

hand on his arm as his body reluctantly adjusted to its new

environment.

 

An almost unrecognizably deep and distorted version of

Shaila's voice spoke into his right ear.

 

"Kaz.  Kaz, can you hear me OK?" 

 

Weird as it sounded though, he could understand her fine. 

So he nodded.

 

"Good.  Just hang there and let your body adjust for a

minute.  It gets easier the more you do it but this is only

your second time under so you may feel very strange for a

while.  Just go slow." 

 

Shaila hung in the water before him smiling broadly as she

easily held herself in place.  She was stripped down to her

fur as well and, even though he was struggling with the odd

sensations of being under water, he still noticed how very

good she looked, slowly kicking in the water before him.  

 

And she was delighted as she noticed him actually noticing

her.  "Well it looks like you are feeling a little better. 

You ready to have a proper look around big boy?"

 

His ears folded down tight in embarrassment.  He nodded.

 

"Then follow me".  She pivoted neatly and kicked off at

angle, quite intentionally giving him a quick glimpse

between her thighs.

 

"Move slowly for the moment and don't exert yourself yet. 

Just draw the water in and push it out." 

 

He followed the lazy swish of her short tail easily, still

admiring the view from back there.  The moved away from the

ramp and out into the tank with the floor falling away

beneath them.  Soon the bottom was ten meters down and

covered in gray sand.  Small fish appeared around them as

they approached the edge of a dark mass rising up toward

them from the sandy bottom and stretching off into the

murky distance.  Shaila led them deeper down to the reef as

cloud of tiny fish and other miniscule sea life seemed to

rise in greeting.

 

Despite the ongoing disorientation that was only very

slowly easing, Kaz soon found himself utterly entranced by

the myriad of bright life forms dancing through the warm

water around him.  Shaila grinned to herself as she told

him about the hoards of little fish and other creatures

that where all around them.  She had been pretty sure that

a feline would be fascinated by all the energy and movement

of a healthy reef environment, even one small as this.  She

was pleased to see her belief confirmed as she followed

him, still explaining things.  He never even realized that

he was leading her around now, exploring the odd

environment for himself with her acting only as narrator.

 

Some time later Shaila told him it was time to go and led

them both back to the ramp.  The return to air was far more

unpleasant than going into the water had been but he almost

didn't seem to notice.  They both coughed and hacked the

remaining water from their lungs as Kaz still marveled at

the heretofore unimagined world he had just been introduced

to.

 

 

 

A couple of days later Shaila suggested another swim and

was pleasantly surprised when he scarcely protested at all.

 

They met back down on deck four this time and stripped down

on the very same platform to tank seven that she had yanked

him off of a scant few weeks ago.  She stepped up close to

him, dripped more drops into his eyes, clipped the earpiece

into his ear, then her own and stepped off the platform and

into the deep water.  The sweet scent he had caught on her

before was very strong around him now and he inhaled deeply

as he moved to the water.  He was a little more circumspect

in his own entry, lowering himself slowly into the lapping

wavelets.  Still, in he went.  Moment later he ducked under

and took in a lungful of salty water.  She was there

waiting for him and the coughing wasn't quite so bad this

time. 

 

"There, that wasn't nearly so bad this time, was it?"

Shaila's deeply distorted underwater voice tickled his ear.

 

He shook his head.

 

"Good.  Just float there for a minute and acclimate.  This

tank simulates a more open ocean environment rather than

tank 5 where the reef was.   There are much bigger

lifeforms in here but nothing to really bother us.  There

are some harbor seals and even a pod of dolphins here but

at most they will probably just want to have a good look at

you.  And maybe not even that.  They are both curious

species but oftentimes they can be shy around lifeforms

they've never seen before and they certainly have never

seen anything like you in here.  Oh, you're probably

wondering why you didn't see them before.  I had the seals

penned in the smaller holding tanks at the far end.  The

dolphins you just didn't notice."

 

Almost as if on cue a large dark furred shape rocketed in

like a living torpedo only to halt on a virtual dime

between them.  Kaz quickly found himself muzzle to muzzle

with a large seal.  Before he could react, the seal looked

him over, seemed to grin at him, and shot back off at the

same incredible speed he'd arrived in.

 

"That is Roary.  He is pretty much the dominant male of the

harbor seals.  I think he liked you though.  Interesting. 

Ready for our swim?"

 

Kaz nodded.

 

"Then let's go." 

 

Kaz glided smoothly through the water with far more grace

and confidence now.  Shaila appeared next to him out of the

murky haze slowly closing in from the side.  He looked over

at her, her dark eyes sparkling mischievously in the dim

light as she playfully nudged him in the side.  They swam

along steadily, with Shaila easily mirroring his every

move.

 

Again she sidled in closer to rub herself luxuriously along

his thick furred side.  Then she virtually twisted her

lithe body around him, up over him and down his other side. 

She moved away for a little bit before sliding back over

and into him again, nuzzling his shoulder.  Kaz, relaxing

under her soothing touch and getting caught up in her

playful mood, mock snarled and rolled in the water,

grabbing her.  Or trying to anyway.  With a teasing smile

she easily evaded him, disappearing ahead of him with that

breathtaking acceleration he'd already seen.

 

He nearly jumped out of his fur when he felt a touch at the

very base of his spine, just where his tail emerged.  He

rolled onto his back to find Shaila there, smiling down at

him.  As he scissor-kicked to keep up with her, she took

advantage of their relative positions, swiftly thrusting

her hand into his open crotch and giving his package a

playful squeeze.  Kaz jumped hard in shock as her

surprisingly warm palm momentarily cupped his sex.  As he

thrashed in instinctive response to her intimate intrusion,

her grin widened.  She immediately let him go, accelerated

and disappeared again.

 

Kaz stopped swimming as he recovered himself, looking up at

the surface above and wondering what he should do,

embarrassed.  Her one little teasing touch had him almost

fully out of his sheath already.  He struggled to keep the

warm water washing in and out of his lungs, as she slowly

approached him again, letting him see her coming this time,

not playing but clearly curious.

 

"What's wrong Kaz?" came the weirdly deep version of her

voice on the earpiece. "I'm just playing.  I like you

that's all.  I thought maybe you liked me too.  You don't

want to... 'play' with me?" she asked her nose nearly

touching his and her eyes soft and inviting.

 

Kaz shook his head and then nodded, looking half panicked.

 

She tilted her head.

 

"That's not very clear Kaz.  Let's try again.  I'll make it

real simple.  I want to have sex with you Kaz, down here,

right now.  Would you like that?" this time her nose did

lightly press against his.  A friendly and reassuring

gesture.

 

Kaz was momentarily glad he was underwater, otherwise his

ears would surely have burst into flame as they burned in

embarrassment.  However, his body's response was both

immediate and clear.  His already exposed maleness rapidly

hardened into a full erection at the mere suggestion of

sex, but still, he was unsure.

 

Eventually, hesitantly, he nodded.

 

Her smile broadened, becoming almost lecherous but her eyes

still gleamed fondly.  She moved in closer to him again,

pressing her smooth body against his as one hand dipped

down to caress his arousal again.  He gasped.  He could

feel the warmth of her body through his fur and her open

palm seemed hot enough to burn as she gently fondled his

stiff sex.  His arms came up around her and she didn't

dodge this time, letting him hold her tightly.

 

"I know this is your first time down here and all Kaz," He

flushed again at her assumption that he had mated before

but she didn't seem to notice as she continued, "so just

try to relax and I'll uhm...  'handle' things for the both

of us.  But first give me your hand."

 

She released his already straining maleness, not wanting

him too aroused at this point.  Then she turned in his arms

until her back was to him and carried his right hand down

to her crotch.  She spread her thighs widely as she cupped

her mound with his paw.

 

"Careful with those claws big boy." Her oddly modulated

voice rang softly in his ears.  He understood what she

wanted of him but was unsure what to do.  He carefully

wriggled his thick fingers along her cleft, easily finding

the bare skin within her furry fold.  He ran one slightly

rough fingerpad the length of her sex, gently tracing her

fleshy lower lips several times over.  That seemed to have

the desired effect as her hips twisted sexily in response. 

He soon noticed a small bump at the top of her sex that

seemed to be swelling a tiny bit more with each slow

circuit.  He paused to rub her there for a moment, just to

she what would happen.  Her hips thrust with vehement

enthusiasm, pushing her body harder against his and

unwittingly rubbing her rump over his own throbbing

arousal.

 

"Unh yeah...  Sooo good...  Now inside...  Just a

little..."  She almost gurgled.

 

He slowly worked his finger up the length of her slit,

lifting his finger back out from her after he reached the

stiff little nub at the top before moving back to the

bottom.  He pressed in a little harder with each pass,

eventually parting her outer lips and softly teasing the

far more delicate and far more sensitive inner petals of

her vulva.

 

He held her tightly against his belly as she squirmed in

his grasp.  She lifted her muzzle high, laying her head

back against him in pure delight at his apparent skill and

slow patience.  His reaction to her passionate display was

purely instinctive as he immediately twisted his head,

opened his jaws wide and then bit down.  His long killing

fangs fastened into the white furred flesh of her exposed

throat, holding her tight but not quite piercing the soft

skin she had 'offered' him.

 

Her eyes bulged and her body froze in his grasp.  He could

feel the movement of her fur-lined gill slits with his

whiskers and her pulse racing against his thin black lips. 

Still, not quite realizing his own actions or her fearful

reaction, he continued to stroke her as he'd been asked. 

His thick furry finger wormed deep into her feminine core,

thoroughly exploring each inner fold and twist.  He didn't

even realize that his thumb was still lightly brushing back

and forth over that little nub at the top of her sex.

 

Her relative paralysis broke suddenly as her hips bucked

wildly, violently.  She shivered fitfully in his grasp,

repeatedly thrusting herself hard onto his probing fingers. 

He could feel the firm muscles of her belly surging hard

under his hands, then monetarily relenting, before surging

harder still, the pulse seeming to wash up through her

whole body.  He was very puzzled until he finally made the

connection with his own masturbatory experiences.

 

No one had ever told him that females had orgasms too.  As

he held her, he eventually realized that he was still

gripping her throat between his teeth and let her go.  He

also pulled his finger out of her but he continued to pet

her still spasming sex, knowing that was what he liked when

he climaxed.

 

"Huunh...  Huh...  Holy mother!" she finally managed to

say.  "Where the fuck did you learn to work a lady like

that?  You know you scared the hell out of me there.  Those

huge fanged jaws clamping around my throat, I couldn't even

talk with you holding me like that, but God did it even

make me cum.  Wow.  Not quite what I intended for our first

time but very, very nice.  Thank you."  She butted her head

back against his shoulder fondly and then turned in his

arms to face him.

 

She reached down between them and quickly found what she

sought.  His shaft was still erect.  He had been so caught

up in playing with her that he had all but forgotten his

own aching need.  It quickly came back to him as she

grasped his turgid organ.

 

"Well feels like you're still ready to play.  Almost

anyway."  Curiously she reached beneath her tail with one

hand and then brought that hand back to his erection and

stroked him gently a few times.  There was something very

thick and viscous, almost like a heavy machinery grease but

extremely slippery like a light olive oil, on her fingers

now and she rubbed it all over his very sensitive glans. 

Seeing his curious look she smiled.

 

"The genetic engineers who designed my species way back

when figured that we might like to mate underwater

sometimes and were thoughtful enough to consider the unique

problems that poses.  Water, especially salt water, tends

to strip away most natural lubricants, especially under

friction.  It can quickly bring things to a very literal,

and very unpleasant, grinding halt."

 

"So otterines have a pair small glands under their tails

that produces a really thick but extremely slippery

lubricant that still breaks down in water but only very

slowly.  You have surely noticed once or twice that I

smelled particularly nice to you sometimes.  Well, I'll let

you in on a little otterine secret.  Chances are that is

what you are scenting.  What happens is when an otterine is

really...  uhm...  'interested' in someone else those

little glands automatically go into overdrive production

and eventually they 'leak' a little.  Needless to say, I've

been very 'interested' in you from the first time we met." 

She smiled and reached beneath herself again and then

returned to smear even more of the thick stuff onto his

drum-tight crown.

 

"There now, that should be perfect.  Let me go for a

second, please.  Can you wait another few minutes yet?" she

asked bluntly but while smiling shyly.  With a final loving

caress, her warm hand left his now well-lubed maleness and

he let her go.

 

"I know it's not really fair to ask that, since I just got

mine, but you caught me by surprise there my big handsome

feline.  I had wanted to show you how my people do this,

underwater I mean.  It's very nice but it may be too slow

if you're really 'urgent' already.  So can you wait a

little?" she asked hopefully as she reached under her tail

once again and then lewdly applied a glob of the

slippery/thick stuff between her widely spread thighs,

almost making a show of it for him, hovering in the water

before him.  It didn't help her case for his waiting.

 

He really wanted to shake his head 'no' but found himself

nodding again.

 

"Great!  Then just start swimming along, loose and easy

like.  I'll do all the work, really this time.  Careful how

you react and watch your claws, I may startle you but trust

me, hurting you is the last thing on my mind right now."

She grinned at him for another moment and then lowered he

muzzle and gently head-butted him under the chin.  She

rubbed an ear against the soft fur of his cheek ruff as she

came up again and licked the side of his muzzle.

 

"OK then.  Start swimming and I'll be around.  Just kind of

let yourself relax and 'flow' around me as we swim.  Don't

get grabby 'till I do.  You'll see what I mean."  She

smiled sweetly and pushed off from his chest, vanishing

into the murky depths once more.

 

He got his bearings and slowly swum off, leisurely pushing

himself through the water.  It was distinctly weird, the

feeling of swimming along alone with the water rushing over

his still stiffly aroused maleness.  Rather stimulating in

a way, he thought to himself as he got used to the flow

over the highly sensitive bare skin.  At least the thick

coating of lubricant helped keep him from getting cold down

there.

 

Shaila soon swooped in from his side, turning over in the

water and sliding her back gracefully over his as she

passed.  He instinctively arched his back up into her as

one of her hands trailed down his spine.  Her warm touch

felt so very nice there but then it was gone as she

disappeared again.  Only to return more quickly this time

from the other side.  She made the slow pass beneath him

this time.  She pressed her body into his as she slid

gracefully by, her hand drifting across his straining

erection.

 

He kept swimming; trying to concentrate on that as his need

built with her every slow, caressing pass.  She approached

him from behind this time and he quit kicking through the

water as he felt her touch his foot.  She wrapped herself

around his legs as she climbed up his body.  Smoothly

corkscrewing her seemingly boneless body around his as the

coasted through the water.  He moved into her touch as she

had said he should trying to match her fluidity.  Being

feline, he wasn't completely unsuccessful.  Arms in, never

grabbing, they wrapped themselves around one another.  As

her body slowly twisted its way past him he would have

sworn that her fleeting all-encompassing caresses explored

every millimeter of his body, except for the fleshy pole

standing out between his thighs.  The rampant male-flesh

that ached so forlornly for similar attention.

 

It took all of his will not to grab her and force himself

on her as she passed.  The raw urge to mate was becoming

extreme.  As she made a final pass around him, the juncture

of her thighs crossed his muzzle.  Again instinctively, he

nosed inward there.   His long, broad tongue flicked out. 

Her body stiffened as he stole a quick lick at her sex. 

And then another, deep and thorough but faster than a

striking snake.  Her hips bucked in response but she shot

away as if shot from a gun.  He reluctantly began to swim

again, hoping that she wasn't going to want to play like

this much longer.  It was maddening.

 

She was back moments later, from above and behind this

time.  She slowly moved slid down between his thighs and

then twisted herself up across his stomach and over his

chest.  Now belly to belly beneath the big cat she

positioned herself precisely bringing his erection into

line with her sex.  As her muzzle reached his, she slowed

herself in the water and he felt the sudden, thrilling,

warm contact of slippery bare flesh on slippery bare flesh. 

He had already stopped swimming but his remaining forward

momentum smoothly drove his rampant maleness deep into her

body, exactly as she had intended.

 

He was surprised at the indescribably delicious feeling of

pressure and warmth along the whole length of his achingly

needful sex.  Her arms went around him and she gripped him

tightly, seemingly wanting to weld herself to his chest. 

She nuzzled him hard, clearly savoring the feeling of

having him buried deep inside her.  He returned her embrace

but was a little puzzled by their relative positions. 

Nantharan males always mated females from the rear.  In a

flash of insight he realized that her tail, so hugely thick

and heavy at its base, would make that position difficult

to arrange while underwater.  That was his last cogent

thought for a while as he wrapped his arms around her and

lost himself in a universally mammalian rhythm that seemed

far more important.

 

Long, powerful sweeps of her tail kept them both moving

through the water as they humped hard against one another. 

The wicked side shimmy her swimming induced through her

hips only added to their mutual stimulation.  Her short

legs were partially wrapped around his smoothly thrusting

hips but she was also still using her broadly webbed feet

to steer them through the water.  She nipped and nuzzled

under his chin as his muzzle pressed to her flattened ears,

licking hard at the little furry bumps atop her head.

 

As their motions became more and more frantic, she turned

them both over and over in the water.  She finally raised

her head offering him her throat once again but on purpose

this time.  He twisted his head and bit down again, far

more aroused this time but surprisingly more in control

too.  He very tenderly chewed on her, again very conscious

of her quick pulse against his lips and making certain she

could still feel his sharp teeth through the thick soft

fur.  The odd submission had virtually the same effect as

before.  Her passion seemed to explode in response to his

gentle possession of her.  Her sex contracted sharply

around his, finally setting him off as well.  His rhythm

changed as he slammed hard into her in time with each long,

jetting pulse from his maleness.

 

They struggled hard, locked against one another, him

jetting hot and deep into her core with her shivering and

thrusting her hips hard in response to each delicious,

gasping spurt.  Her thick tail came up between their thighs

to cradle their mutual satisfaction.  She wagged it ever so

slightly against his straining testicles, gently coaxing

every last milliliter of his seed from them.  He released

her throat and roared fiercely, forgetting where he was. 

It gurgled weakly from his throat.  He was well spent and

fully satisfied but as he enjoyed the warm wet embrace of

his new lover, his first lover, he was suddenly very dizzy

and all became darkness as he drifted limply in her arms.

 

 

...

 

 

There was a light and he slowly opened his eyes.  Shaila

smiled down at him, her muzzle only centimeters from his. 

It was difficult to focus.  He coughed hard, the spasms

racking his whole body as she helped him roll onto his

side.  Eventually the coughing eased and as he laid back

panting for breath he managed to gasp:

 

"What happened?"

 

She bark-laughed softly but not at all unkindly.

 

"Well Kaz, we were in the water and we had sex  ...good

sex.  ...Really good sex, in fact."  She grinned hard as

she paused to lick her lips.  "...And as near as I can tell

you simply forgot to breathe.  Those inter-tracheal

implants are not nearly as efficient in water as your lungs

are in air so when you are using them your bloodstream

doesn't have anywhere near its typical reserve of oxygen. 

When you quit inhaling down there, even for just a dozen

seconds or so, out you go.  Especially when you are

'exerting' yourself like we were.  Gills are much more

efficient" she flapped her fur-hidden gill slits for

emphasis.

 

"I would have drowned?" his ears falling as his eyes

widened.

 

"No," she shook her head emphatically, unintentionally

sprinkling him with tiny water droplets from he damp fur

and still smiling.  "As soon as you passed out, your body

automatically started breathing again on its own.  Just

like if you passed out in air.  If I hadn't been there you

probably would have woken up in a few more minutes but down

at the bottom of the tank."

 

"Damn."  He shook his head; it was all just too weird for

him to really think about properly.

 

"Kaz.  Thank you.  That was REALLY good and I know that... 

Well...  I know you still aren't all that comfortable with

the water.  So it was very sweet of you to 'accommodate' me

down there.  I've been hoping we'd be 'close' ever since I

met you.  But knowing how you feel about water and still

being willing to make love to me down there for our first

time...  Well, that was very special to me.  Thank you. 

Dry land next time, I promise."  She smiled that almost shy

smile of hers as she leaned down to lick-kiss him softly.

 

"Shaila?" he asked after their muzzles finally parted.

 

"Yeah Kaz?"

 

"Is that job in tank maintenance still open?"

 

Her eyes widened for a moment and then she laughed long and

hard, as did he until the resulting coughing fit

interrupted them both.

 

 

Some weeks later:

 

 

Kaz cursed softly to himself as he struggled to clear the

muck that had built up in the pump's main impeller.  The

tank was almost drained now but he was still standing in

waist deep water on top of the intake manifold.  It was a

nasty job but there was simply no easy way of doing it. 

 

"You'd think after thousands of years of technological

development they could make a pump that doesn't foul."  He

grumbled to himself.

 

There was a loud splash behind him and he looked over his

shoulder to see Shaila in hot pursuit of the very last seal

in the tank, a large male.  Probably Roary he thought.  She

caught him cleanly and quickly wrapped him in a floatnet

harness, immobilizing the frantic creature and leaving it

safely on the water's surface where she could pick him up

for transfer to another tank.  As she made certain that the

floats would keep the seal's head up so it could breathe,

she noticed that he was watching her.  She grinned wickedly

and waved.

 

"You'd better get that bloody thing fixed soon or you're

next buster!" she barked over at him, threateningly waving

another floatnet in his direction.  Her warm, dark eyes

sent him a very different message though.

 

Kaz simply shook his head and laughed, turning back to

attack the filthy pump innards once more.  'It's still a

nasty job' he thought to himself dourly.  But suddenly he

grinned, quietly mreowing to himself, as he caught a now

familiar sweet scent in the air.  He glanced back over his

shoulder at the lithe lady otterine swimming for the main

platform with her netted seal in tow.   He glared down at

the reticent pump 'Nasty, but it does have its benefits.' 

They'd both be off duty in another twenty minutes and he

licked his thin lips in anticipation. 

 

 

The End.

 

 

 

If you liked this story (or even if you hated it) you had

better write and tell me so. :)  The feedback (both good

and bad) I receive is very seriously considered when I

decide what I am going to write next and precisely how I'm

going to write it.  This is your chance to have a say in

the process. :)

 

 

Besides, feedback from our readers is the only compensation

that most furry writers ever receive for their efforts. 

Even more, if there is no feedback at all, the writer is

left to assume no one is reading or liking his/her work. 

And if that goes on for long enough, they will simply stop

writing.  (After all, what's the point of actually writing

this stuff down if no one is even reading it?) :)

 

Razee@FurNation.com

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Created 12/6/00 by David White Modified 3/31/02
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