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The ocean breeze wafted the smell of sea water across Tyler's nose. The Summer sun beat down on his exposed chest. The sound of children playing in the water crossed his ears. The low-thread-count towel and sand scratched at his back. Tyler was enjoying his weekend trip to one of the few beaches that were still open to the public. Hawai`i had changed a lot in a very short amount of time.

Leading up into the thirties and forties, Oceanic toxicity became a very real concern. Reports had been heavy back then of Surfers and beachgoers going into the water, thinking it would be fine. Then coming out covered in rashes and some even coming out with chemical burns. Two and a half centuries of terrible stewardship of nature had nearly killed off half of the biodiversity on the planet, and it appeared that the waters were even too toxic for many species to brave.

Then Nathan Cohen had discovered the strange phenomenon that would eventually become known as the Cohen Loop. Humankind had met Phinine Kind and diplomacy between the two had created the Unity Programme. Within a few years of the trans-terrestrial partnership coming into being, Phins had come to Hawai'i and many Island territories and nations to assist in cleaning Land Earth's oceans, and in studying the ecology that was still surviving. This was where Tyler had wanted to get involved.

He'd studied in Marine Biology at the University of Hawai'i, Hilo. Which was where he met one of his first Phins. They were an interesting lot. They were humanoid dolphins. They were all male. One might ask how that worked, and Tyler would respond to them, “Sequential Hermaphroditism". A process most well understood on Land Earth in flora, gastropoda and certain fish species. Usually it meant that depending on certain conditions a male clown fish, for example, would become female when he got older.

There are three types: Protandrous, Protogynous, and Serial bi-directional. Phins fall under the third class. When a phin is not reproducing, they are—by default—male. However, when a couple decides to take the step from being a couple to being parents, They, of course, have sex. And the receiving male, should his gametes become fertilized by the giving male's gametes, undergoes a temporary protandrous transformation in order to carry the zygote into a fully developed calf. Upon birth of the calf, they revert to their male state and thus undergo a protogynous transformation. In this way they are serial bi-directional.

Tyler rolled his eyes. He really needed this vacation. His mind was so stuck on his research he was daydreaming about it. It couldn't have been the fact that his lab partner was the Album he'd met in college. The one he'd secretly held a... fascination...crush...desire toward... Tyler wasn't sure the word to use. But that Phin had certainly been on his mind. It could just be the alien nature, but it could have also been that Silent Cruiser kept himself in extremely good shape. For an Album, he was on the taller side and his build was that of an avid lifter versus that of an avid swimmer or runner.

Tyler rolled over. For two reasons. The obvious: to sun his back. The dangerous-if-someone-sees: He'd popped a boner. He did not need to be caught on a beach with so many children playing sporting a boner. He'd lose his job. Go to jail. Be on the Sex-offender list. Even if the reason for his wood had nothing to do with the children. And everything to do with that damn Phin.

“Hey! Head's up!" He heard a familiar voice shout. And then he felt something smack the back of his head.

“Gaah!" he yelped, his head smarting from the impact. As he looked up, he saw a volleyball roll away. Well... at least his boner was gone. He got up to retrieve the ball. And when he turned around to hand it to the numb nuts that cleaned his clock, he froze. “Cruiser?"

“Yes, Tyler Samson. Sorry about that. Are you injured?"

Tyler only shook his head in the negative. He couldn't find his voice. He hadn't expected to see Cruiser here.

“Are you sure, Tyler Samson. You're not speaking."

“Y...yeah...What are you doing here, Cruiser?"

“You know we have an affinity for our names, Tyler Samson, why won't you use my full name?"

“Uh...sorry...Silent Cruiser..."

“It is okay, Tyler. I am only kidding. I am very well aware of humans' love of pet names." The Phin smiled.

Tyler sputtered, “P...p...pet names?"

“Yes, Tyler. Pet names. The names you give to the person to whom you're attracted."

Tyler's face went red. He started stammering. “Y...you... You knew?"

Silent Cruiser nodded. “It was pretty easy to figure out," he pointed to his melon—the part of a dolphin responsible for their ability to echolocate. “I could feel your heart rate go up any time I came into the room. I could also feel something else."

Tyler wasn't sure if more blood could be pumped into his cheeks, such was his embarrassment. “Uhm.." He knew exactly what the Phin implied. “I... I can..."

“Explain? No need, Tyler. The feeling's mutual."

His jaw dropped. “Y...you like m...me?"

The Album's beak bobbed in a Phin interpretation of a human head nod. “Shall we find somewhere...more private?" He said as he stepped closer to Tyler. Tyler didn't move. Instead the Phin grabbed his hand within his own, then began to tug his hand.

Tyler looked down at his hand wrapped in the Phin's and the gears in his head started turning again. This Phin was legitimately propositioning him. Tyler quickly nodded his head. “Y... yeah. Let's do that." He finally replied, his swim trunks fully tenting once again.

***

The sun crept through his apartment bedroom's curtains and the roosters had started their crowing. He groaned audibly. He levered himself up into a sitting position and now he could clearly smell the coffee beginning to brew in automatic coffee pot in the kitchen. And then his stomach rolled.

He rushed to the bathroom and threw the seat up on the commode. He emptied whatever remained of his dinner from the night before into the toilet bowl. He got up slowly and flushed the toilet. He went and washed out his mouth and went through his morning ablutions. He didn't understand it. It had been three weeks since he and Cruiser had had their fling. And the last couple of days he'd woken up, smelled the coffee and immediately had to pray to the porcelain god.

Apparently, Cruiser's last day with the research team had been that day they'd had their fling. Dr. Kamealoha had told Cruiser to try and enjoy his last day on the Islands. And he'd chosen to spend it at the same beach as Tyler. Then took the opportunity presented him when he'd bopped Tyler on the head.

They'd gone back to Tyler's apartment and had their fun. Then in the morning Cruiser had honored his honorific. He'd left quietly and hadn't disturbed Tyler's slumber at all. Tyler had awoken and felt for his would-be lover next to him and had felt the bed empty. He'd been disappointed.

Now, Tyler having emptied his stomach, and having reminded himself of Cruiser's leaving him, didn't feel up to eating breakfast. Or having his coffee. He called Dr. Kamealoha next o. “I don't know what I've got, doc. I'm sorry. It's some sort of stomach bug. But it seems to only affect me in the morning. I have no idea what it is."

The doctor looked at him through the communicator's screen. “Did Cruiser and you sleep together?"

He looked at the doctor, surprised. He'd told none of his coworkers about Cruiser's and his little liaison.

His silence and look of surprise had apparently answered for him. “Come in. Pack a bag. You're going through the gateway."

“W...why?" Tyler looked at the doc on screen. “Am I in trouble?"

“No. Not per se. But we're going to have to send you over to find Cruiser. Phin law requires it."

“What's going on? If I'm not in trouble, what's wrong?"

“Tyler...you have morning sickness."

Tyler's jaw would have hit the floor, were it able. “I'm pregnant?!" He almost shouted.

“Keep it down. This is a very need-to-know. The public can't know about this. I'm sending you the NDA now."

“I have to sign an NDA for my own pregnancy."

“A Unity Programme representative and a Phin doctor will arrive at your apartment shortly. You will go with them without hesitation. Once on Water Earth the Phin Council will inform Cruiser." Dr. Kamealoha replied, seemingly ignoring Tyler's comment, “E Tyler, Pomaika'i ia 'oe. Good luck. I hope to meet the little one at some point."

With that the lead researcher signed off and the communicator's screen went dark.

***

Silent Cruiser swam through the shallows with ease, using a tool which looked like a trash picker, he grabbed samples from the alcoves and caves surrounding the corals. The Unity Programme had sponsored this census of sorts. He was to catalogue as many varying species that swam in the waters surrounding Water Earth's version of the Great Barrier reef and gather samples for Autopsy and Taxonomic Classification. It was mind numbing work, but work he enjoyed doing. And wasn't that different from what he'd been doing when he was in Hawai'i working with that cute human who'd gone by the name Tyler Samson.

He'd waited and waited. Waiting for the human—who was obviously attracted to him—to finally ask him to dinner or a movie or any of the other crazy courting rituals that had been explained to him by the human professors of the Unity Center. Until it was the last day before his visa had expired. He'd known which beach the human was going to be at during his vacation by talking with one of their few mutual friends and had talked with him. One thing led to another. And then that led to the human's bedroom.

He'd hated leaving the human the way he did, but it was non-negotiable. He'd had to leave, and he'd already slept too late. And now he was left wondering with what could have been.

An attention-grabbing warbling whistle burst through the shallows followed by an announcement by the foreman—a rather gruff Album whose human name was Thorough Esteemed Seeker. “Silent Cruiser, please come see me immediately."

Cruiser let out an affirmative whistle-click. He started heading over to the skiff where Seeker was. “What is it, Thorough Esteemed Seeker, sir?"

“Wait until we get on the skiff. We will discuss this in the Human tongue of English." Seeker said.

That was worrisome. English was used among Phins as a way to ensure their conversations wouldn't carry as far as their language of chirps, clicks, whirrs, and whistles. Which meant that whatever needed to be discussed was something that Thorough Esteemed Seeker considered need-to-know or sensitive information. He followed Seeker into the skiff and Seeker shut the door behind him. After the auto-ballast adjusted the water level so that speaking in air could be accomplished, Seeker looked at him and asked deadpan, “Did you mate with a Human named Tyler Samson while you were on land earth?"

“Tyler? Yes. Why? Did something happen?"

A third Phin—this time a lighter colored Album appeared at Seekers right. His wetsuit labeled him as working with the Council. “Tyler Samson is pregnant. With your calf, Silent Cruiser. You understand your responsibility, under our laws?"

Cruiser blanched. “I thought humans and Phins were incompatible. And even if we were, that it would be only female humans. How can he carry the calf to term? He does not have the proper biological equipment to support the calf."

“We're reaching out to Dr. Nathan Cohen now. His team has more knowledge on the subject. You and Tyler will be stationed on Station Zero while Tyler is treated to ensure the survival of the child or calf."

“Where is Tyler now?"

“He's just now arriving from Land Earth, Silent Cruiser. I came to take you to him." The lighter, slightly older Album replied, speaking from his melon.

“The Emergent Gateway?"

The Album nodded, adding, “My human name is Light Grey Fisher. As you can guess, I'm from the Council. I was notified on behalf of the mother, by her boss. Dr. Kamealoha, I believe?"

“Yes, Dr. Ka'iulani Kamealoha. I remember him. Did he come over, too?"

“No. Tyler Samson came over with some representatives of the Unity Programme." Light Grey Fisher turned toward the cockpit and told the pilot of the skiff, “Let us be on our way."

***

As Tyler exited the gateway, he nearly heaved his lunch all over the grating of the platform. That was not a pleasant experience. He definitely would not have gone through it if he didn't absolutely have to. That was a stipulation in his NDA. He had to stay on Water Earth during the length of his pregnancy. He would be taken immediately to Station Zero and from there, under the care of the doctors at the facility, carry the child to term. And then he could decide whether or not he wanted to stay on Water Earth or not.

As he came off the platform, he saw a group of three Album. Among them was, “Cruiser." He growled. He stomped over there in a hormonal rage. Walked right up to Cruiser and slapped him across the beak. “I should kick you in the groin. You walked out on me. Didn't even let me say goodbye!" He started bawling and he leaned his head on Cruiser's chest, weakly banging on his bicep with a fist.

Cruiser wrapped his arms around him and rubbed his beak back and forth over the crown of his head. “I am here now, Tyler. I am sorry. I did not mean to leave you without saying goodbye. I just did not have the time." He said, his voice soothing and filled with understanding, “We will get through this together. I am sorry to put you through this, but I do want to keep it. Do you?"

Tyler stopped, hiccoughing as he thought about it. Did he want the child? He'd been so upset over the fact that he was pregnant that he hadn't thought about what came of being pregnant. He knew, though, “Yes, Cruiser. I want it. I wanted you. I still want you."

Cruiser smiled. “And I still want you, Tyler Samson."