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The class had passed with relative aplomb, at least until after third meal, aka Lunch. Dredger, Alex and Fisher had sat at the rear of the class all day and the three had even decided to take their meals there to ease Dredgers already battered self esteem. She was still shaken from the mornings events and Alex tried his best to comfort her when and how he could. Fisher was fine with it, bonding well with the two of them and they only seemed to grow closer as friends as time passed.

Dredger had never really been one to stand by the usual social norms. It was hard at the best of times to do so when everyone she met judged her on something that she had been blamed for anyway. However she found herself rattled by the young calves and few human children present. She found it difficult to explain why even when Fisher and Alex tried to help her find the words.

She generally liked calves and had always hoped to be having a family of her own one day. After the mine shaft accident and subsequent ostracism by society, all hope she had of that had burned out after only a few months. She never would have dreamed that one day she would be pregnant with her own calf with a human for a partner but here they were.

Even her trip to the pregnancy complex hadn't upset or shaken her that much. Sure they had been cruel and their words had cut deep, but a lot of the time she had been able to shake it off. Isolating herself to her room had also helped a lot too.

Alex was anything if not dutiful and he seemed to be able to pick up on the Amplus's distress or discomfort with alarming accuracy. More than once during class he had needed to rat out some of the calves, mainly a few of the Tikk, who had been idly gossiping negatively about her. Usually the big tells were when they would be whispering but glancing over their shoulder at them, or sending sonar pings in their direction once they realised looking wasn't safe, which Fisher helped Sydney to identify the source.

Sydney was decisive and to the point with these events, warning time and time again that it would not be tolerated and they should be paying attention to him, not to others in the room. However by Lunch time it was getting obvious that he was starting to get irritated with the constant class interruptions as he started handing out punishments in the form of detentions.

Towards the end of lunch, Sydney approached the trio and asked if the two Phin's and Alex would be ok with helping him with the lesson after everyone else had returned. When he explained what it would entail, Dredger was, as expected, apprehensive.

It took a bit of coaxing from Alex and Fisher talk her into agreeing. Trying to emphasise that it would be helpful to get the calves comfortable with her and other Amplus they may eventually encounter. It wasn't easy but they eventually got her to agree on a few conditions. No touching below the chest, answers only from the class, no sonar and if she got too distressed she could leave the room.

“Alright you lot, to your desks and settle down," Sydney called out as the kids all filed in “It's time to do some anatomy, Alex, Fisher, Dredger? Would you please come to the front of the room?" As all eyes turned towards them, Alex gave Dredger a reassuring arm squeeze and light kiss to the shoulder as they stood and made their way to the front.

Chatter and gossip started immediately and Sydney blew hard on his whistle to silence it. “Enough of that, during this time I expect you to speak only when asked to, no echolocation or sonar pings, if we detect any, it will be a detention. You will slap the water to answer my questions and not call out like a bunch of drongos, understood?" there was a chorus of slaps to the water in understanding and he nodded as the three took their place at the head of the class. He immediately went to Dredger and gave her a reassuring pat to the shoulder.

“Hold it together Sheila, you're in good hands." was all he told her and she nodded in return hoping it showed that she trusted him. “Right class, now, as you can see this is a lovely example of an Amplus. Roughly 6' tall and weighing in at... well It is impolite to mention a sheila's weight but typical Amplus weigh upwards of 230 Kilos, roughly 507 pounds in Imperial for those who don't know the metric system. They have distinctive black and white colouration on their skin which differs in pattern from Amplus to Amplus. Our lovely Dredger here is a little shorter than the norm due to an incident that we will not go into. Tell me can anyone tell me if she has had a calf before?"

There was a chorus of slaps from around the room and he started addressing a few of them one at a time.

“She's a she?" a human child asked quizzically.

“No, Randal, the fact that She is a She is no indication. Singer?" Sydney answered and moved on like any experienced teacher would, gracefully and not lingering on an incorrect answer.

“She doesn't have her calf with her?" a Longos calf inquired next.

“No, she would not always have her calf with her, her previous calf may be of school age. Anyone else?" he looked around the room till a Album slapped the water and chimed out his answer.

“Her Lateral Suspensia?" he enquired almost unsure of himself.

“Very good Sam, That is correct. This Amplus hasn't given birth before, and you can tell due to the lack of distention of the lateral Suspensia here and here." Sydney said and gestured to the area and Alex craned his neck a little to get a better look “As is well documented, these are permanently altered during pregnancy. It isn't easy to notice unless you know what you are looking for. But I can assure you that she does not yet have the distentions yet signifying that this is her first." he pat Dredger on the shoulder and then moved on to fisher.

“Fisher here is a beaut example of a Longos," he then said with a smile and even though he didn't move, Alex could tell Fisher preened a little at that description. “5' tall with a weight of around about 100 Kilos, that's roughly 220 pounds they can reach up to 150 Kilos. You can see they have a general grey colouration uniformly over their bodies, but as you can see it does get lighter towards the neck and belly. Other than some general scaring he is a handsome example of a Longos."

The lesson went on for a little while longer, Sydney pointing out that Fisher had not been pregnant before, much like Dredger and even went into some of the finer details about the differences between the two. Blubber thickness, muscle setup and general build

When he got to Alex he requested he strip to the waist which the human complied with. Holding his suit at the requested point to stop it dropping lower. “Now Alex here is a good example of a human male, he is around 5'8" to 5'9" tall I would guess, probably about 75-80 Kilo's, that's 165 to 176 pounds. Even if he is taller than Fisher, he weighs less due to Fisher having blubber and a denser bone and muscle structure..."

“And no tail." One Tikk calf muttered and Sydney looked to him.

“Squeaker, what did I tell everyone earlier?" he asked him sternly, the calf looking a little embarrassed now he had gotten into trouble “A warning this time, don't let it happen again. However yes, the lack of a tail too. Humans do have some advantages over Phins however. We humans are generally more easily mobile on land. We don't dry out as easily either. We also have better eyesight out of the water than Phins do. However due to Phins having specially adapted glands under their eyelids, they generate a mucus that protects their eyes under water meaning they have advanced vision in water."

“What about those Sir?" another Tikk calf asked and gestured to his own chest “Those... things on his chest? Are those...?"

“Ah yes beaut question Second Drifter. Unlike Phin, Human males and females have nipples at all times." he instructed gesturing to Alex's chest “Normally only female humans produce milk, however that isn't till the later stages of pregnancy much like with Phins."

“So your saying he isn't nursing?" the young Tikk asked again and Sydney smiled seeming to decide to skip the reprimand for the calling out.

“Bonza, Human males do not produce milk under regular circumstances so the nipples are superfluous." he responded.

At the start Dredger had been embarrassed, blushing and generally gave the air that she just wanted to implode and disappear. However Sydney seemed to have a knack for noticing this and would rapidly draw attention to Fisher or to Alex and start a long talk about some finer points of the differences between Phin and Human. By the end of the lesson, she generally gave the air that she was getting bored and had lost much of her shyness.

“Ok you lot that concludes today's lessons," Sydney announced as he returned to his desk at the end of the lesson and looked at his pad “Sam, as I wished to have yabber with your parents they are here so you should remain here. Everyone else, off you go, I will see you all tomorrow, those with detention, report to the detention room. Now go on, rack off." Everyone stood and started walking out, mumbling and talking amongst themselves as they went. As the trio reached the door, Junior Facilitator and Oliver walked in.

“Ah hello again Alex, Dredger and Fisher, Pleasant to see you again" Oliver greeted them with a warm smile “Sorry we can't chat, we need to speak with Sydney, maybe another time?" they nodded and continued on heading back to their room, Fisher heading in a different direction towards his own.

“That explains that," Dredger finally piped up as they got a ways down the hall and Alex gave her a questioning look “Why that calves name was Sam, it's a very human name, I was curious about it all day." Alex gave an 'Ahhh' before falling silent again as they continued their walk, content to be side by side with his Phin.

“Ah there you are." a Longos announced once they got close to their room. He was standing just outside the door and looked like he had been waiting there for them “I am here to escort you to your new living space, The new wetsuit for Dredger is waiting there as well as all of your belongings. Please follow me." he turned and started walking, leaving no room for discussion as they hurriedly followed along behind him.

The walk took a little while, going down one hallway then down another, passing many rooms and soon the familiar colouration for living spaces was on the walls and floors. Eventually they were brought to a block of apartments, one door had Alex's last name on a small plaque next to the door and below it was ..o+,' which Alex guessed to be Dredgers name written in Phin Alphabet, which sadly he couldn't read.

“This will be your residence, You will find your belongings already inside." The Longos informed them curtly “Your lessons will be the same times although may be in different classrooms. Dredger... we do not have any need for dredgers or diggers at this time, however, from your pad you may select what field you wish to look into going into and your lesson plan will be changed accordingly. Alexander, there is already information on your pad pertaining to your lessons and tasks you are required to perform in the coming weeks."

“Thank you." Alex responded with a smile “Favourable Tides." the Longos gave a nod and walked away leaving them to head inside. The place was bigger than Alex had expected. The room they stepped into was a comfortable sized lounge, open planned with a dining area and kitchen which was well stocked already upon inspection. A thin layer of water was on the floor and the room had a level of humidity that, while comfortable to Dredger to remain out of suit, was not uncomfortable to Alex if he went without his own, which he probably would.

There was a door directly opposite the front door and off the dining room which led to a small outside garden, something the human would relish. It had been some time since he had seen the sky and he never realised he missed it so much till that moment. It was hedged with some small garden beds for whatever they would eventually like to do with the space. A couple of chairs and a small table sat under a large sun shade umbrella. There was a sprinkler system hooked up to the shade so Dredger would be able to join Alex whenever they were outside even if the humidity was comfortable, she would still dry out on hotter days.

Off the Living area was a short hallway with three reasonable sized bedrooms built to accommodate Human and Phin occupants, a plunge pool in one corner of the rooms for the Phin occupants. There was a bathroom with shower and Scrubber opposite the largest bedroom and Alex was wondering if he would bother with the shower at all.

He had grown to appreciate the scrubber as long as he positioned himself correctly, which would be easier to do if Dredger was with him. He actually looked forward to the times he was with Dredger in the scrubber.

On the coffee table in the lounge room were two data pads and on the lounge itself was Dredger's new Wetsuit which, while similar in colouration to Dredger herself, had a pink stripe down the seams on the sides to match Alex's own. A set of pockets were on the hips as commissioned to hold the packs of pain medication she sadly would need for the rest of her life.

“well, here we are." Alex says as Dredger closed the door “Home sweet home, it's larger than I expected." he gave Dredger a soft kiss to the shoulder. He made his way to the sofa and picked up the data pads to check which one belonged to who. He sat on the lounge and patted the seat next to him looking up at the large Phin. So Dredger sat and took her own data pad as Alex handed it to her.

“Hmm, Looks like we have shared parenting lessons, other than that I guess I will need to rely on my family business to help support us." Alex says looking over what was there “Hmm, think I have an idea of what to write to my parents now I will need to do a little looking around first... how about you? What job do you think you might go for?" Dredger was uncertain, looking over the list and gave a long drawn sigh.

“There are a few options..." She said looking at the pad “My best options are probably with construction... even then I doubt I would be given a very high placement in the role... not with my past." Alex huffed irritably and gave a slap to her chest when she started to look downcast.

“Hey, What have I told you? You are not your scars, nor are you defined by you caste," he scolded irritably and shifted over to have a look “You know you can get a job here doing anything you want! Here what about... this one? Administration? Or this one? A teachers aid?"

“But those jobs are relegated to Album and Longos," Dredger said with a sad whistle “I don't have the qualifications."

“And?" Alex retorted drawing the word out “You think I was born with the qualifications for my job? No, I had to learn them. You're being given a fresh start at life here, at making a better future for yourself and our calf. Only a fool would pass up an opportunity like that... And I refuse to be mated to a fool." he gave Dredger a smile and a soft peck to the cheek, she gave a reluctant nod and returned the affection with a nuzzle.

“Ok... I will try." he says and looked back to the pad “I will need to sign up for a study position though ." Alex smiled and nodded.

“I will help you when and where I can ok?" he pressed getting a nod in response “Good, now let's have a better look around shall we? Then start work on dinner, I'll try to make that dish you love."

In the next few days they found that just two doors down was Fisher and Derrick which turned out to be a happy surprise for the four of them. They didn't share lessons together but often shared meals and enjoyed evenings socialising together in either pair's apartment.

The Parenting lessons that Alex had to attend to with Dredger ended up being a lot simpler than he expected. He learned quickly how to care for Dredger as the calf developed in her belly and what to expect after the birth. Dredger seemed uncomfortable at first but when no one bought up her past or treated her any differently to anyone else in the class, she rapidly got comfortable in the lessons.

The entrance to get a study position was a slightly different hurdle for her but each night Alex helped her with anything she struggled with. Often being a sounding board for her to just talk to trying to wrap her head around some of the topics. It was a remarkably effective method as she would eventually talk her way to the conclusion with minimal input from Alex.

That wasn't to say the lessons were fine. She knew she was being watched during and after the long lessons, often to the point of discomfort. However she thought it may just be because she was the only Amplus in a room full of Tikk, Humans, Longos but primarily Albums and was a point of interest to the Tikk or humans in the class.

It wasn't till one day after she was returning back to their apartment that she was approached by one of the Longos from the study position entrance class. She was at the top of the escalators to head down to the ground floor when he accosted her. The Amplus was startled and caught off guard so the scuffle was short, brief, with a large amount of insults thrown her way before she found herself off balance and falling down the steps.

She wrapped herself around her belly as best as she could instinctively on her way down, hoping to protect her calf at all costs. It was her only concern and thought in her head as she tumbled with a loud clatter down the steps. By the end, she was left broken, bruised and bloody at the bottom. Dizzy and barely awake she sent out loud and hard calls in distress and pain before falling unconscious just as she heard a female human scream and footsteps running towards her.

Alex was just getting back to their apartment after having been out all day dealing with some reconnaissance for his family's business. He had found that the station was woefully under equipped and outdated technologically, especially compared to the Unity Program. He had been investigating various locations with permission from management and security, into what improvements could be made and he would definitely include some of this into his letter back to his family.

It made sense to him and it would help emphasise the importance of him remaining there. To his business minded parents it would make sense. Sending someone through the Gateway's was expensive and time consuming but data and messages could be transmitted easily and at virtually no cost. So why not let him stay where he could do the most good to the company financially?

Outside their room Fisher, Derrick and an Album were waiting and knocking on the door. The Album he didn't recognise but he did recognise the security uniform he wore. The couple looked extremely concerned and upset as they rang the bell and pounded on the door calling for him. Derrick, now starting to show some signs of his pregnancy, noticed him first and pointed.

“There he is! Alex!" he called making him stop in his tracks and they rushed over, Derrick looking like he had recently been in tears, eyes red and puffy “Where have you been? We have been looking for you!"

“Oh, hey guys I've been working, Admin and Security knew that... what's up?" he responded holding up his data pad to show he had been working. He was confused by the state of them and the panicked look Derrick had on his face but before either Derrick or Fisher could answer the Album stepped forward to stand directly in front of him.

“Alex Scott Hayworth, I regret to inform you that there has been an accident. Your mate, Dredger and her calf are in a critical condition at the medical centre you need to come with me please." He informed him officially and calmly.

His eyes went wide as lead weight suddenly clawed at his chest and sank in his stomach. Alex dropped his pad with a loud clatter.