Deep Horizons by Kathmandu

Deep Horizons

Kathmandu, Aqua Sex, M/F, Oral, Vaginal, Various Species

Deep Horizons

Author's Notes:

This story was written as a gift for David a.k.a. 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: [email protected] and my other stories can be found at http://www.FurNation.com/Razee .

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 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.

And finally, on to the story:

Deep Horizons

"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 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. Must I also remind you that species discrimination is illegal in the Fleet, including lowly auxiliary craft."

"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 leopardess 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'tzasad, 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 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'tzasad 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'tzasad, 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 he 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 then 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'tzasad 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'tzasad 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 foolish.

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'tzasad," 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. Nantharan 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'tzasad. 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'tzasad 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'tzasad. 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'tzasad the male Nantharan?

Ka'tzasad 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'tzasad. 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'tzasad, 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 reclined 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 moments 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'tzasad 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'tzasad." 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'tzasad. 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'tzasad."

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

"You are most welcome crewman Ka'tzasad."

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 was pretty sure 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'tzasad."

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 except 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. An eerie 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 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 immediately began 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'tzasad 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 grasp, 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 see.

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 was deep and powerful enough to make the metal platform vibrate in sympathetic harmonic 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'tzasad 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'tzasad 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 newbie. 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.

"Damn it 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. Nantharan mothers frightened their cubs into obedience with the threat of a dunking in the waters of a Nantharan hell. Standing water on his home world was so rare it was feared and drowning was the worst way to die imaginable.

"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.

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

"Kaz I..." Shaila began.

"Ka'tzasad?" 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'tzasad 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'tzasad. 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 and 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'tzasad 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 take 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 our new crewman, Ka'tzasad. 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'tzasad. 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 on my world."

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 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 were 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'tzasad. 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 luxury passenger liner. When the Empire bought her after zip ships put the liners out of business, 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 real space 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 real space 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. Nantherian education is often wanting concerning technology, especially offworld technology. I shall do my best to learn as much as I can."

Mike chucked. "Good. Let's get on down to main engineering then and get you started."

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 its 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 he thought. It also dawned on him that he was enjoying her company even if she was alien and not of his people. He also came to realize neither she nor himself were subject to the customs and laws of his world and there were definite advantages to that.

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. Since nudity was common on Dralt, he didn't think much of it. 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 ignored the feelings and moved a little deeper, pulling his tail completely under as he waded out to his waist. She was very patient letting him 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 by holding herself up with her powerful tail as if she were still standing on the bottom. 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." She placed the receiver bud in his ear, "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. Although I can speak underwater using my vocal cords, you wouldn't be able to hear me otherwise because my water voice is far too faint. 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 underwater it's just easier that way. The mic 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 surface and put more drops in every two or three hours or put in contact lenses."

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, flat 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 a cloud of tiny fish and other minuscule 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. Moments 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 he 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. Back home his reaction could easily get him killed by a female or a member of her family since he was "asraduin na" or an unplaced male with no standing. Her behavior would be an open invitation to suicide given his genetic shortcomings. It was a slightly better way to go compared to the gladiatorial arena but only just. He might even get a chance to mate if she were charitable but any offspring would be immediately culled. His short lifetime on Dralt had conditioned him to a very bleak future. Of course, this is why he left.

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 see 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, 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 of small glands under their tails that produces a really thick but extremely slippery lubricant that still breaks down in water but only very slowly. Our sexual organs are based on the human model and the designers had to sort of improvise to make it work. 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 and oddly enough humans can't smell it so they never tried to "fix" it. 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, 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 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 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

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