Deep Horizons 

by

Thomas Razee
www.FurNation.com/Razee 
(Razee@FurNation.com)



First Published: 02 December 2001
Last Revised:    N/A





This story is provided freely to all who are interested for 
non-commercial usage only.  Electronic archiving and 
electronic redistribution for non-commercial purposes are 
expressly permitted.




WARNING - WARNING - WARNING:

The following story (eventually) contains instances of 
anthropomorphic (furry) heterosexual sex of various sorts.

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

By law (where I am anyway), persons under the age of 
eighteen should not read this story.



Author's Notes:

This story was written as a gift for Kathmandu (from a plot 
and story elements that he provided at my request). 

Also, a big "thank you" goes out to Dream Tiger for his 
editing efforts on this one.  

Comments (good, bad, or indifferent) are always extremely 
welcome and heartily encouraged!  I can be reached by 
email: Razee@FurNation.com




And finally, on to the story:


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


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

"A Nantharan, Captain Jerson" the gray but immaculately 
groomed human male on her screen replied.

"Oy vey..." the also graying but elegant lady leopard's 
ears flattened in dismay at the very thought.  "And you 
want me to turn a young, completely untrained male 
Nantharan loose aboard my ship?  Don't be meshuganah.  Do 
you have any notion of how dangerous they are?  
...Especially the young males?  You should be knowing 
better than anyone.  They are even bigger than lions... 
three meters tall, with all the long sharp teeth and claws.  
And strong enough to rip reinforced titanium bare-handed...  
THIS running loose on my ship!?" she snarled at the screen 
is disbelief.

"...But Captain..."

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

"...But Captain..."

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

"Captain!   Captain please..." the wide-eyed portmaster 
exclaimed before quickly interjecting:

"He's much smaller than the average Nantharan.  Smaller in 
fact, than many male lions, including your chief engineer 
and that reckless brother of his.  That is a large part of 
his problem, in fact.  He has reached the age where he is 
required to literally fight for his place in their society.  
For most young male Nantharans it is really more of a 
ritual formality than anything else.  They always end up 
bloody and torn but they will ultimately be judged to 'win' 
and will be assigned a place in their world.  However, for 
a Nantharan of his diminutive size and mild temperament 
things are very different.  Then it is considered to be 
more of an exercise genetic culling...  'For the betterment 
of the species' I believe is the phrase they use."  The 
portmaster paused, looking grim.

"But our young friend, seeing the proverbial 'writing on 
the wall', stowed away on a shuttle and made it up here.  I 
have managed to avoid sending him back down so far but 
eventually I am going to get a formal protest from the 
Nantharan ambassador.  Then I will have no choice but to 
send him back.  I have found him to be a rather 
intelligent, calm and well-behaved young man, all of which 
they seem to consider profound character flaws in a young 
male.  He's been on the station nearly a month now and has 
caused us no trouble at all.  Well...  none of his own 
making anyway."  The portmaster's sudden frown made it 
clear that the unsavory political aspects were fast 
becoming critical.  "But the young fellow's time here is 
running out and the Nantharan cultural attaché refuses to 
allow me to give him a job here on station.  He's also had 
no luck in signing on with a ship, as he says is his 
intention."

"And just how does this surprise you, Portmaster Garth?  
Most captains don't make captain by being stupid," she 
commented tartly, before adding under her breath  
"...although I could name a few exceptions..." 

The portmaster frowned yet again and assumed a somewhat 
more formal tone.

"Captain Jerson, need I remind you that the Empress Subaru 
is technically an Imperial Fleet Auxiliary and as such, all 
Imperial directives apply."

"Yes, yes, Garth but the directives on the induction and 
training of indigenous persons are very clear.  There must 
be an open berth aboard ...AND the person in question must 
be approved by the ship's captain as suitable for induction 
and rudimentary training.  Even if I were to approve of 
him, there are no open posts onboard.  We have a full 
crew."

"Well, yes and no, Captain.  Your ship's crew is complete, 
that is true, but the official manifests show that you are 
a body short on your mission-payload support staff.  I see 
an assistant environ tank maintenance position open.  That 
would seem an almost perfect slot for bringing a raw 
trainee aboard and orienting him toward spacing.  I also 
remind you that in the six hundred years since we 
discovered them, only a very few Nantharans have ever left 
their world and only a tiny handful have ever become 
spacers.  The induction and training directives were 
written for precisely these circumstances Captain.  It is 
good for both the Nantharans and the Imperium to have more 
representatives of their species out among the stars."

She glared at the portmaster's image.  

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

"Now, now, Captain.  He is actually a surprisingly nice 
fellow and he really does seem sincere about becoming a 
spacer.  I think he'll make good crew, in time.  And I am 
usually a rather good judge of such things.  You don't make 
portmaster of a sector alpha-station by being stupid 
either.  As I told you, I'd have him working here for me if 
it weren't for the local political situation.  As it stands 
though I'll have to ship him back down planetside in a few 
days.  If I understand things correctly, he's unlikely to 
live long afterward.  Of course the Nantharan attaché here 
thinks he'll suicide before that happens."

The portmaster looked hard into the screen.

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

The leopress rubbed the bridge of her broad nose tiredly 
and sighed.

"Alright, alright." She waived an indifferent paw at the 
monitor.  "Enough with the sob stories already."  She 
sighed again.  "I'll see what can be done with him.  Send 
him dockside." 

"Thank you Captain.  He'll be there within the hour.  I 
really don't think you will be disappointed."

"I should hope not portmaster because I will be back 
through here in just fifteen weeks.  If he hasn't impressed 
me by then, you'll be getting him right back."

"Good enough captain.  Thank you again and don't forget we 
have a sector resource planning meeting over here at 13:00.

"I'll be there."  She closed the link and stared out at the 
stars wondering what she was getting herself into.  She 
pressed a key opening a ship-wide intercom channel.  

"Senior Technician Shaila Rice to the captain's office.  
Now."  She closed the circuit and, shaking her head slowly, 
looked back out to the stars.  

"Oy vey..."



Not quite an hour later the captain had indeed looked over 
and spoken to the young fellow at some length.  True to the 
portmaster's word, he seemed relatively even-tempered, 
intelligent and even enthusiastically sincere about being a 
spacer.  She had to admit to herself that she was tolerably 
impressed.

All right Ka'tzmandlu, I have a berth for you.  It's hard 
work and it probably won't be much to your liking but it 
will give you place onboard and a chance to learn."

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

"Up you go then."  The Captain nodded up the ramp following 
him as he made his way. "The Empress Subaru is an old 
luxury liner.  The empire bought her out of mothballs seven 
years ago and refit her as a water transport to support 
large-scale terraforming and colonization efforts.  She can 
carry more than one billion metric tons of water in her 
nine tanks of various shapes and sizes.  Put another way, 
that is more than a cubic kilometer of pure water."

She gestured broadly and with some pride as she continued.

"But the water itself is usually secondary.  The aquatic 
lifeforms in the water are our real cargo.  Some of them 
are natural but most of them are bioengineered specifically 
for their new homes, typically worlds in the process of 
being terraformed by the Ministry of Colonization.  The 
Empress has a crew of seventeen to operate and maintain the 
ship as well as a mission support staff of eleven to 
maintain the cargo and supervise its introduction when we 
reach our destination.  You will actually be part of the 
mission support staff.

He looked around, ears mostly down, and in absolute awe of 
the huge ship they were entering, but he said nothing.

She smiled and watched him closely as they neared the 
airlock at the top of the long ramp.

He was tall but only a fraction under two meters, which she 
knew that was actually extremely small for an adult male 
Nantharan.  At least his size, although imposing, wouldn't 
be a problem onboard.  The portmaster had been right, many 
male lions were larger.  And at a glance Ka'tzmandlu even 
looked a little like the genetically engineered 
anthropomorphic male lions she was familiar with, but there 
where some distinct differences.  His dark, nearly black, 
mane was considerably smaller and less full than a male 
lion's.  More like some wolves had or perhaps even like a 
human with a very thick head of hair.  His muzzle was the 
classic squared-off feline shape but somewhat shorter and 
tapered, more like a tiger's and with tiger-like white 
whiskers and fairly pronounced cheek ruffs.

His coloration was more lionish though.  Most of his fur 
seemed to be a dark golden brown but there was also a very 
subtle pattern of large, extremely irregular spots in it, a 
only fractional shade darker than the surrounding fur.  
Liquid amber eyes, a moderately broad black nose pad and 
thin black lips.  Broad shouldered like a lion, with a long 
body and thickly muscular legs.  A tufted tail just 
skimming the deck pretty much completed him.  It was then 
that she realized that he was wearing plantigrade boots, 
like a human.  Different shape but definitely not a 'toe 
walker' like she and most other of terrestrial anthromorphs 
were.

"Very well Ka'tzmandlu, everything seems in order."  She 
smiled and held out her hand.  "Welcome aboard crewman." 

He extended his own hand, remembering to be careful with 
his claws as he gently grasped hers.  Nantharans didn't 
greet one another other like that but he had learned at 
least that much on the station.

She smiled reassuringly up at him for a moment and then 
looked back up the corridor.  She frowned for a moment 
before turning back to him and making her expression 
pleasant again.  

"All right then.  Shaila should be along in a moment or 
two.  She'll be your direct supervisor and will teach you 
what you need to know.  She is very good at what she does 
and you'll do well to listen to her.  ...And apparently she 
is running a little late." The captain looked over her 
shoulder yet again at the empty corridor.

"I hate to just abandon you here but I am due in the 
portmaster's office in about two minutes.  Wait here for 
her and I'm sure she'll be along.  You'll know her when you 
see her.  She should be the only female otterine on this 
deck at the moment.  Keep your eyes and ears open crewman 
and I'm sure you'll do fine.  Oh, after you meet with 
Shaila you'll need to go up to medical so the medbot can 
give you a good going over.  Your medical report from the 
station doctors is fine but it's always best to double 
check such things.  Shipboard life can be rather strenuous.  
Besides you'll need some work done for your new job, of 
course."

"Captain, what will I..."

"Sorry Ka'tzmandlu I'm late already.  Wait for Shaila and 
ask her whatever you need to.  She'll either know the 
answer or know who to ask.  Good luck."

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

He shook his head.  He still really didn't have a clue what 
he'd be doing onboard but at least he had made it onto a 
ship, onto a crew.  That cheered him a little and he was 
smiling with a drop-jawed grin as he looked around at the 
huge ship all around him.  Now all he had to do was wait to 
meet his new boss.  A female otterine named Shaila the 
captain had said.  Ka'tzmandlu knew some of the more common 
species in the Imperium but he couldn't place otterines.  
He wasn't even certain if they were genetic anthromorphs or 
one of the double handful of genuinely alien species known.  
Oh well he'd figure it out.  If worse came to worse he 
could just ask someone.  It was only his first day onboard 
so he hoped that maybe it wouldn't look too stupid.

Turns out it didn't matter.

His ears swiveled as he heard a sharp but quiet hiss.  A 
lift door opened and a crewman in a green flightsuit got 
out hurriedly, making straight for him with sparking dark 
eyes and a broad grin.

Hi there, I'm Shaila.  I understand you're going to be 
working the big tanks with me, um..."

"Ka'tzmandlu" he smiled carefully, dropping his jaw again 
but keeping his upper fangs hidden as he looked down at 
her.  He didn't have to look all that far down though.  She 
was quite a bit taller than the captain and nearly topped 
his shoulder.  She had thick and glossy dark-brown fur with 
a splash of white at her throat.  Her head was shaped a 
little like his own but her muzzle was shorter and even 
more squared off, ending in a broad black nose and very 
long white whiskers.  Her ears were much smaller than his 
were and almost round but still very thickly furred.  Her 
eyes were virtually black and glistened under the bright 
artificial lights.  She wore a green spacer's flightsuit, 
cut very long waisted and short legged, to accommodate her 
distinctly otterish physique but it was also short sleeved 
and the pant legs only came down to her knees.  Behind her 
hung a very thick but rapidly tapering flat-sided furry 
tail that reached well past her knees but short of the 
floor...  'Not "floor"... "deck".  Ships and stations have 
decks.' he reminded himself.

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

"She had to go to a meeting in the Portmaster's office.  
She said I should wait for you here."

"Eep...  That isn't going to be good for me when she get 
back." She frowned momentarily.  "But that's not your 
problem big guy."  She looked him up and down and grinned 
in a friendly way, also dropping her lower jaw but keeping 
her upper canines well hidden, just the same as he had.

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

She spoke very quickly and Kaz found himself having to 
listen closely to keep up.  

"They taught us in college that your species pretty much 
HAS to be genetically derived from the larger earth 
felines, most probably an immediate precursor to the modern 
lion and tiger.  But it also says that your people have 
clearly been on Dralt for at least 250,000 years now.  Way, 
way, back when even the humans weren't quite human yet or 
only just.  No evidence of how it happened either but all 
the sudden, there you all are.  Weird, eh?"

"That is what offworld scientists think anyway.  Most of 
our own remain uhnn...  unconvinced."

"Surely they know better though.  Nantharen science and 
technology are plenty advanced to show that clearly and 
chemistry doesn't lie.  You'll learn that working the tanks 
with me.  The chemistry of the water and the critters we're 
carrying in it is what tells us if there's a problem and 
how to fix it.  The chemistry says your people are of 
earth, whether you know it or not.  Parallel development is 
a great theory but your people are just too damn close.  
Besides, there is no fossil record of your people or 
anything like you on Dralt prior to 250,000 years ago.  
That pretty much cinches it."

"Maybe they just haven't found any yet." He rumbled his 
ears half down and eyes shifting side to side 
uncomfortably.  He was used to aggressive females but not 
ones that talked quite so much.

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

"Close enough.  They mostly called me 'Kaz' on the station 
though, if that's easier for you."

"Much.  Thank you.  Anyway Kaz, I don't mean to make fun of 
you or be disrespectful or anything but the first thing you 
are going to have to learn around here is to face the facts 
when they slap you in the face.  Otherwise no one around 
here will ever take you seriously.  I mean, is it really 
that big a deal?  Hell, my ancestors were genetically 
engineered ages ago to help humans explore and colonize 
worlds where there's a lot of liquid water."  

She held up a brown furred, black skin-padded hand and 
spread her thick fingers wide, emphasizing the broad web of 
buff-colored skin between them.

"No big deal.  Look at Della over there, the tall one with 
the gray and white fur." Shaila nodded at the muscular 
crewman coming up the corridor.  "She's our second 
engineer.  Her species is a derivative of earth wolves.  
They were originally created to be scouts and soldiers for 
the humans.  And see Robert there with her?  The short 
fellow with the mostly red and black fur and the sour 
expression?  He's our executive officer and chief 
navigator.  His species was derived from earthly foxes for 
ah...  well... for the pleasure of humans." She grinned 
painfully, surprised that she was embarrassed.

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

"You know." She leaned towards him, tilting her ears 
conspiratorially and wriggling her thick white whiskers.

Kaz still looked blankly at her.

"Sheez...  You do have a lot to learn yet.  For sex Kaz.  
Foxes and a lot of the other anthro species like cheetahs 
and coyotes were all engineered specifically to be sex 
slaves for the humans.  That is, they were way back when 
the slaving of genetic derivatives was legal.  That was 
nearly a thousand years ago now."

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

"My point is it doesn't matter now days.  We are who we are 
and that's fine.  You'll like working the tanks with me."  
She smiled, openly eyeing his smoothly muscular feline form 
from head to toe once more and with distinct approval.  
"Gotta go though.  I have a meeting in five minutes down in 
engineering and I've got to go get my pad first.  I think 
you're probably supposed to go to medical now.  You know 
how to find it?"

"Yes, that is what the Captain said to do.  I just get in 
the lift and tell the computer where I want to go.  Right?" 
he asked hoping the ship worked like the station did.

"Yep.  That'll do it.  You'll probably be there a while so 
when you're done up there meet me down on deck four at the 
tank seven control station.  Just tell the computer where 
you want to go and it will guide you.  Sorry everything's 
so rushed but we are kind of in a hurry.  This was only a 
refueling stop for us, we weren't planning on bringing 
anyone new onboard and we're pulling out in a couple of 
hours.  We probably wouldn't have even pulled into dock if 
not for that meeting the captain wanted to go to.  Still, 
I'm very glad you are here."  She looked at him with a 
gleam in her eye and smiled.  "See you later."  She waved 
energetically and sped off down the corridor in the 
direction opposite to the lifts.

Sniffing lightly, he noticed a distinctly sweet scent as 
she left.  It hadn't been there when she first came up to 
him but it was very strong now.  Flipping his ears in the 
feline equivalent of a shrug he stepped over to the lift.  
He walked in as the door opened for automatically him.

"Medical" he said while looking around at the somewhat 
discolored walls.  The little room immediately began to 
move smoothly upward.

He got off the lift when it stopped and found himself only 
a few steps from the clearly marked medical section.  He 
stepped in and looked around.  At first he thought the 
place was deserted but eventually an odd-looking robot with 
six arms trundled into the light from out of a far corner.

"Please state the nature of your current medical needs."  
It droned in a near-perfect monotone.

"I...  I'm not sure.  I'm new here, the Captain said I 
should go to medical."

"I have a medical induction examination and procedures 
scheduled for a new crewman, a male Nantharan named 
Ka'tzmandlu.  You appear to be Nantharan but your size is 
inadequate to be a mature male Nantharan.  Only mature 
examples of a species may serve as crew.  Please elaborate.  
Are you Ka'tzmandlu the male Nantharan?

Ka'tzmandlu growled.  It was bad enough to be made fun of 
by his own kind but to be so sorely insulted by a mere 
machine was outrageous.  Worse he couldn't even challenge a 
machine for honor over it.  A distant part of him also 
realized that it would be bad form to begin destroying 
things after having only just made it aboard, if he wanted 
to stay.  Still...

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

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

"Yes."  His claws were fully out and he took a threatening 
step toward the stupid robot.

Which seemingly took no notice of it.  It clicked and 
whirred, unmoving and saying nothing for several very long 
and highly irritating seconds.

"Understood Ka'tzmandlu.  My databanks have been duly 
altered to accommodate this new data.  Welcome to the 
medical deck of the Empress Subaru.  I am SSN649 the ship's 
medical officer.  Please leave your bag there and move to 
the cubical on your left.  Then remove your clothing so 
that we may begin your medical examination."

Kaz glowered but complied, thinking to himself that whoever 
owned this ship had really skimped badly on the medbot.

The examination was virtually identical to the one on the 
station but as the robot examined his teeth something new 
was discovered.

"Ka'tzmandlu you have an incipient decay in the base of 
your rearmost upper left carnassial.  Please move to the 
large reclining chair on your right so that this defect may 
be repaired."

Kaz did as he was asked and was soon relined in the 
admittedly comfortable treatment chair.

"For your safety and comfort you will be anesthetized for 
the remainder of the procedures."  The robot pressed an 
air-hypo to his shoulder and pulled the trigger.  There was 
no pain but within moment he could barely keep his eyes 
open and moments later he fell into a deep, dreamless 
sleep.



He woke up in a bed in another part of the medical bay.  He 
was very muzzy and unsure what was going on.  It seemed to 
him like he had been out for a long time but he decided it 
was probably just the drugs that the stupid robot had given 
him.  After all how long could it take to patch a bum 
tooth?  He blinked hard and looked around as the robot 
noticed he was awake and moved over beside the bed.

"The procedures were fully successful Ka'tzmandlu and you 
are now ready and cleared to begin your duties.  However, 
please exercise caution for the next fifteen minutes as the 
anesthetic finishes clearing your system.  Following that 
period you may continue with full normal function.  Senior 
Technician Shaila Rice has left a message that you should 
put your things away in your quarters and then meet her in 
the tank seven control station on deck four."

"Where are my quarters?" he asked a little hoarsely, he 
noticed that his throat seemed very dry and raw.

Again the infernal machine buzzed and hummed for several 
long seconds.

"There is no listing for quarters in your medical file.  
Quarters assignments may be obtained from the ship's 
computer.  Here is a small quantity of pain reducers in 
case you have any temporary discomfort."

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

"Your clothing is in the wardrobe beside you and your other 
belongings are by the door.  Good day crewman Ka'tzmandlu."  
The robot moved off as he scrounged his clothes from the 
closet.  He quickly got dressed and walked back out into 
the passageway.  He got back into the lift.

"Computer: where are my quarters?"

"One moment please.  Identifying new crewman.  Welcome 
aboard crewman Ka'tzmandlu.  Your quarters assignment is 
17c on deck fifteen."

"Please take me there." The lift engaged but only briefly 
before the door opened again.

"Your quarters, 17c, are up the passageway, first right, 
third door on the right crewman Ka'tzmandlu."

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

"You are most welcome crewman Ka'tzmandlu."

He found 17c with little trouble.  It turned out to be huge 
and elegantly appointed.  He remembered that the captain 
had said that the ship had once been a passenger liner and 
then converted.  Kaz pretty sure that the luxurious 
quarters must be left over from those days.  The bed looked 
big enough to hold three or four of him.  There was a 
green, short-sleeved, short-legged flightsuit just like the 
one Shaila had been wearing but much larger, spread across 
the bottom of the bed.  A note pinned to it read: "Put me 
on but no shoes/boots".

He tossed his gear on the bed and quickly changed into what 
was apparently his new uniform.  He thought the part about 
no shoes was a little odd.  It suited him just fine but 
they had been very insistent that he always go shod on the 
station.  The suit seemed to fit well enough, except for 
being a little tight in the rump, so he headed back out 
into the corridor and made for the lifts.  And promptly got 
turned around and lost.  But only for a moment as he soon 
found the bank of large sliding doors again.

He stepped in.

"Computer: Tank seven control station on deck four, 
please."

A minute later the lift stopped. 

"The tank seven control station on deck four is one hundred 
and eighty seven meters directly ahead and on the left, 
crewman Ka'tzmandlu."

He stepped off the lift into a huge chamber.  Before him 
was a wide, expanded-metal catwalk suspended about a meter 
above the largest body of water he had ever seen.  The 
chamber walls were at least 75 meters wide to each side of 
the catwalk and perhaps four hundred meters long.  The 
catwalk obviously led to a small room built in the middle 
of the huge chamber right out over the water.  The catwalk 
itself was about three meters wide and had sturdy looking 
meter-high railing at its edges.  Even so, Kaz still made 
it a point to walk its centerline as much as possible.  
Having grown up on a desert world, to have this much water 
around him and especially visible beneath him, was 
powerfully unnerving.  

As he approached the control station it seemed to be 
deserted.  There was no door per se, so he simply went 
inside.  Shaila wasn't there.  The room was full of 
electronic consoles, shelving units and equipment lockers.  
There was a table and a couple of chairs in one corner and 
a small restroom cubicle in another.  That was about it.  
He looked around for some clue as to where his new boss 
might be but found none that he recognized.  He walked back 
outside the little control room.

To his right there was a section of catwalk where the 
railing was missing in front of a small step-down platform 
that was actually only centimeters out of the water.  His 
eyes caught a small movement in the water down there.  
Fearful but with the deep-seated curiosity endemic to 
felines he carefully stepped down onto the platform.  
Reluctantly he crept closer to the edge of the platform, 
bending/crouching down to carefully look over the side.

Nothing.  

No movement but the tiny wavelets that seems to cover the 
whole surface of the huge tank.  

He straightened and turned.  There was a soft splash and 
before he could react, he was dragged over backward and 
into the water.

He completely lost it as he was hauled under.  He thrashed 
madly as some force pulled him deeper and deeper.  The 
light above slowly faded and the pressure on his ears 
quickly grew.  His lungs already burned for air.  He was 
dead.  He knew that now.  He roared in futile rage and the 
bitter frustration of not even knowing why.

His body still fought as he was pulled deeper still.  
Having never encountered immersion in water before, he 
proved unable hold his breath for more than a few seconds.  
His body betrayed him first by forcing the air from his 
lungs in a long, silvery stream then it began an absolutely 
undeniable urge to inhale.  He soon took in the salty brine 
and coughed up what little air remained in his lungs in a 
fine cloud of bubbles.  A calm came over him as the pull at 
his neck ruff finally slacked, releasing him in the depths.  
With the air gone from his lungs he continued to sink 
slowly, knowing he could never get back to the surface now 
before he lost consciousness and died.  He relaxed, in some 
sense anyway, and waited for the darkness to take him as 
his lungs still instinctively fought to breathe.

And he waited...

And he waited...

And eventually he figured out that, somehow, he was 
breathing water and not going to die.  In a way he was 
almost disappointed, it would have solved so many things 
for him.  He slowly swam up toward the light.  It was more 
than just weird as he drew water rather than air into his 
lungs.  It was relatively hard work to force the thick 
liquid in and out, at least compared to air, but it seemed 
to be working.  What in the one God's name had they done to 
him?

He made it back up to the platform and reaching up, took 
hold of the edge.  He heaved himself up onto the ledge and 
immediate began a to expel water from his lungs.  It was 
almost like throwing up but without the nausea.  Then the 
coughing started.  He hung his head low, still on his hands 
and knees, as his body struggled to rid itself of the 
remaining water.  He felt a hand patting him hard between 
the shoulder blades, helping him get the last of the liquid 
out of his lungs.

"That's it big guy.  Cough it up.  Coming out and back to 
air is always the hard part, I know.  Take it easy and just 
let the water out Kaz."  He realized it was Shaila's voice.

Ka'tzmandlu snarled and whirled.  With stunning speed and 
agility he easily caught her by the throat, and standing 
up, smoothly lifted her broad feet from the deck grating.

Her eyes bulged as she struggled in his grasped, gurgling, 
trying to speak.

"What have you done to me?" he hissed.  Nose to nose with 
her, his huge killing fangs nearly all she could she.

Her hands were at his arm, beating at it, trying futilely 
to free herself as her own air was quickly running out.  
Soon he realized that he could either have immediate and 
satisfying vengeance, or answers, but not both.  
Reluctantly he slacked his grip and let her back down to 
the platform.

"OK, OK, I get the message.  No more jokes.  Shit guy I 
thought you were really going to kill me for a second 
there."  She rubbed her bruised neck as she got her breath 
back.

"I seriously considered it ...and I may yet.  But I want 
some answers first." His voice deep and powerful enough to 
make the metal platform vibrate in sympathetic response, 
full of raw fury and menace.  His claws and teeth were all 
still in full view.  "Now what have you done to me?"

Shaila looked a little confused.  "I pulled you into the 
water for your first 'drowning'.  It's sort of a tradition 
in this business.  At least for species that aren't 
inherently equipped for water breathing like us otterines." 
She flapped her gill slits, heretofore hidden under the 
thick fur at the sides of her neck, to show him.  "Just a 
'welcoming in' prank, that's all."

Kaz was still angry but even more confused now.  "No.  How 
was I breathing water?"

Shaila looked at him as if he were crazy. "What do mean how 
where you breathing water?  What the heck did you think the 
medbot was putting in all of those inter-tracheal implants 
for?"

"Implants?  You mean inside my body?  What implants?" He 
growled with an even greater edge of menace than before.

"What do you mean 'what implants'?  The medbot was suppose 
to give you an exam, implant a full set of inter-tracheal 
micro membranes down into your bronchial passages so you 
can breathe under water and coat your lungs with an 
artificial membrane that is one-way oxygen and carbon 
dioxide permeable but only partially water permeable.  And 
since you didn't die just now I am left to assume that the 
goofy thing actually did put them in and they're working 
OK."

"After the exam the robot said I had a cavity and he was 
going to put me to sleep to fix it."

"Oh." Her expression was one of consternation.  "Then I 
guess he just put the implants in after he had you out 
already.  Still, the Captain told you what you where going 
to be doing didn't she?  I mean I suppose you could use 
scuba gear but we have to spend so much time underwater 
that the implants are much more convenient and much safer 
too.  You are pretty much drown-proof now."

"The captain was in a hurry and said you would teach me 
what I needed to know.  She never said what I'd be doing.  
And all that you said was that I'd be helping you with the 
tanks.  But NO ONE said ANYTHING about me having work IN 
THE WATER."  His whole body shivered as he said it, shaking 
in both fear and anger.  "And NO ONE said ANYTHING having 
to have stuff put inside me either!" he absently scratched 
at his upper chest where he now knew the tiny implants 
were.

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

"You didn't know?..." She looked away incredulous.  "He 
didn't know...  Holy shit, he didn't know!"  she fell 
squarely onto her butt, seemingly in shock at the very 
notion.  Had he not been so angry, he would have laughed.

"I need to see the Captain.  Right now!" he growled harshly 
as he leaped back up onto the catwalk in a single bound and 
made for the lifts, still dripping but moving fast.

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

"Kaz wait!  I need to talk to you first!  Ka'tzmandlu 
PLEASE..." she yelled after him but he was already onto the 
lift and gone.

"Oh shit.  This isn't going to be pretty."  She said to no 
one in particular.  She didn't have her comm unit on her, 
so she dashed for the control station hoping to at least 
warn the Captain via the interphone before he got there.


The next morning:


Despite the Captain's explicit orders to leave him alone 
for now, Shaila just couldn't let it rest.  Things had 
really gotten screwed up with Kaz and she simply had to try 
and make it right.  She caught up with the massive cat at 
breakfast.

"Hey Kaz, you OK big guy?  I am really, REALLY, sorry about 
yesterday.  I didn't know that... well... that you didn't 
know.  Ya know?" she smiled her most irrepressibly charming 
smile at him and batted her long lashes.  

He never even looked up.

"I'm OK," he rumbled, clearly still sullen, his eyes 
avoiding hers.  She stood there, grinning expectantly next 
to his seat and several empty chairs as he turned back to 
his breakfast.

Finally she rolled her eyes and sat down across from him 
anyway.  She lowered her voice and leaned across the table.  
He managed not to growl and snap at her but it took effort.  

"Kaz, please look at me for a moment.  Please.  That's 
better.  Now I mean it very sincerely, I apologize for what 
I did to you yesterday.  OK?  No hard feelings OK?"

Ka'tzmandlu straightened in his seat and for the first time 
in the exchange really looked her in the eye.  "I hear your 
words and accept them as offered.  Your grossly 
inappropriate behavior and unseemly familiarity are 
hereupon set aside.  I will not pursue blood over it."

She was a little taken aback, her eyes shifted 
uncomfortably as she nodded. 

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

Then she paused and swallowed hard.  She wondered how what 
she had done to him would have been viewed within his 
culture that such a statement on his part would be 
necessary.  She was pretty sure that she didn't want to 
know.

"Kaz no one here is out to get you or make fun of you 
either and especially not me.  Like I said it was a stupid 
joke for crissake.  Same as any experienced spacer plays on 
any newly.  You just have a lot to learn about spacing, 
spacers, and enviro tanks that's all."

"Not tanks."

"What do you mean 'not tanks'?  What else are you going to 
do?" she leaned forward, instantly worried that she might 
be losing her new help, losing her shot at him maybe.

"I talked to the Captain yesterday, a second time I mean, 
after I had calmed and dried out some."

"Yeah, I know.  She spent the better part of an hour 
reading me the riot act afterwards.  My own fault, I know." 
She smiled lopsidedly.

"She said that since the medbot went and modified me 
without my prior knowledge or permission that she'd find me 
another job if I hated that one so much.  Now I'm going to 
be working engineering maintenance.  No tanks.  Not from 
the inside anyway." He smiled at the thought but his ears 
drooped a little at Shaila's crestfallen reaction.

"Damnit Kaz.  So you and I got off to a bad start.  That's 
my own damn fault and I'm very sorry but it's really a good 
job working in the tanks.  I bet you'd love it if you gave 
it half a chance.  If you'd just let me show you..."

"NO." he interrupted sharply and with a hint of a growl 
under his voice.  He fought to control himself and hoped 
she didn't realize it was a growl of utter panic at the 
thought of having to go back into the water.

"I..." dismayed she backed off and took another tact. "So 
what are you going to be doing now?"

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

"I should have figured.  Do you know what that involves?  
It is cold and nasty work, worming through filthy little 
crawl spaces and even working in some old smelly spacesuit 
outside the hull for hours on end.  Trust me, working IN 
the tanks is much, much better.  Come on, let me teach you.  
I promise, no more jokes.  You'll really like it.  That's a 
promise too."  She smiled sweetly, her dark eyes glittering 
with suggestive amusement.

"No thank you." Kaz looked away not wanted her to see the 
fear in his eyes at the thought of having to go back into 
all that water.

"Oh.  OK then.  " She bit her lip not wanting to push too 
hard after having gone so badly wrong the day before.  
"Well, what do you think of space so far?"

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

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

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

"Kaz I..." Shaila began.

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

Shaila winced slightly, obviously recognizing the voice.

"Hiya Mike," said Shaila looking away, irritated at the 
interruption and embarrassed to be caught talking to Kaz 
when she knew better.  At least it was only Mike.

"Good morning Shaila," the huge male lion laid his hand 
lightly on her shoulder in a friendly way.  "Uhm... don't 
take this wrong pretty lady but didn't I hear the Captain 
tell you to stay clear of our new shipmate here."

"Uhm...  Well, seems maybe I heard something like that 
somewhere."  Shaila still wouldn't look at him but she was 
smiling. 

"Better get on down to your tanks then.  I've got to take 
Ka'tzmandlu here to engineering and show him around."

"All right Mike, but be nice to him," she nodded down at 
Kaz who still sat at the table, observing the two with 
intense curiosity.

"Well, I certain don't plan on drowning him anytime soon, 
if that's what you mean."

"Why you sorry...!"  Outraged Shaila finally turned to face 
the significantly taller leomorph but she stopped short 
once she saw his broad teasing grin.  

"OK, OK, I'm outta here."  She smiled wryly and punched the 
lion's shoulder hard as she moved by him, heading for the 
door.  He scarcely seemed to notice.

"Good morning Ka'tzmandlu.  I am Mike Leoson, the Empress 
Subaru's Chief Engineer, pleased to meet you." The lion 
held out his hand to the Nantharan.

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

"Pleased to meet you Mikeleoson Chief Engineer of the 
Empress Subaru."  Kaz held his hand up out in the lion's 
direction but was careful not to touch him.

The big lion looked puzzled for a moment but smiled and 
sniffed lightly, just as Kaz had.

Kaz stood and found himself still having to look up at the 
lion.  It was almost like being back on Dralt.

"Alright Ka'tzmandlu let's go look around some." The lion 
led him out of the mess and into the corridor.  "I was 
going to take you down to engineering but I really should 
take you around and show you the whole ship I think, let 
everyone see you and such.  Uhm...  didn't want to say 
anything in there but when someone offers you his hand you 
are supposed to taking it in yours and shake it gently, 
claws in."  Mike smiled kindly.

"I go by 'Kaz', if that's easier Chief Engineer.  And I 
know about shaking hands.  I just forgot and reacted as my 
people do when meeting unknown males.  We tend to be very 
formal and touching someone like that is a good way to find 
oneself missing a few fingers.  ...Or your throat.  Sorry."

"Ouch, tough planet.  Don't worry about it."  Mike chuckled 
in a friendly fashion.  "Kaz eh?  OK, Kaz.  First, we don't 
stand much by titles around here, except for the captain, 
so you should just call me Mike.  Second, don't worry about 
trying to fit in or having to figure things out too 
quickly.  Your position here is safe for now and you'll 
have plenty of time to learn.  So just relax and try to do 
what we teach you, you'll find your way soon enough.  Now 
let's go see who's on the bridge."

They took the lift up and stepped out onto the wide 
concourse that soon became the bridge as the moved forward.  
Kaz's eyes and ears were moving very quickly trying to take 
in all of the strange sights and sounds around him.

They soon came up to a group of three very different 
spacers talking quietly: a slender male fox, a female human 
and another large male lion.

"Good morning everyone.  This is own new crewman, 
Ka'tzmandlu.  He is a Nantharan and he goes by 'Kaz'.  He 
will be helping with structural maintenance on the tanks 
for now.  Kaz, this is Robert Hilden our Executive officer 
and Chief navigator," Mike nodded toward the immaculately 
groomed little fox in the neatly pressed flightsuit 
standing by the helm console.

"Pleased to meet you I'm sure, Ka'tzmandlu.  Good to have 
you with us."  The fox turned looked a long way up at Mike.  
"Mike, I don't think regulations allow for bringing 
untrained personnel onto the bridge."

The big lion rolled his eyes briefly and sighed, 
"Technically no but he needs to meet the crew and everyone 
wants to see the bridge of the ship they're on.  And, if 
you'll notice, I'm escorting him just like a non-spacing 
visitor.  Seems ridiculous to deny him a look at the bridge 
just because he is new crew when the regs do allow for 
visits by completely untrained visitors who are not crew."

"Humph.  Imperial regulations are never ridiculous, 
Engineer."  The little red fox bristled at the very idea.  
"Still, I suppose there's no harm in a quick, closely 
escorted, look about.  Your responsibility Engineer 
Leoson."

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

The fox didn't seem to notice though and turned back to his 
companions.  "I'll be making my morning rounds then.  You 
have the bridge Kernath."  He nodded smartly to the fair-
skinned, dark haired human female sitting at the helm, then 
to the others, and strode off for the lift.

The huge lion just shook his head, ruffling his mane a bit.  
"Kaz, just so you understand, Robert is next in command 
after the Captain.  He's an exchange officer from the 
Imperial Navy.  He's a good, smart officer but he's also a 
bit of a prig.  Anyway, now that that's done we can get on 
with far more pleasant things.  Kaz, this lovely lady is 
Kimberly Kernath.  She is our chief pilot.

"Pleased to meet you Kaz," Kimberly smiled charmingly and 
offered her hand, which Kaz gently took and shook.  "Listen 
to Mike here and you'll be fine."

"Thank you, I will."

Mike smiled and continued: "And that ill-kempt, oversized, 
lump of fur standing next to her is our second pilot and 
navigator, Tom Leoson, my brother."

"Thanks Mike, I know I can always count on you for a classy 
intro."  The other lion, a virtual duplicate of Mike but 
with a somewhat darker mane, groused but with a warm smile 
in his amber eyes.  "Good to meet you Kaz.  Hope you can 
stand working for my brother."  Tom yawned hugely.  "Myself 
though, I think I'm going to have a snack and head for bed.  
G'night all."

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

Mike rumbled at Tom as he approached,  "Gotta finish our 
tour and get him started with Della.  I'll be down in a 
little while."

"Tom works third watch, so his 'day' is just ending Kaz.  
And even though I'm chief engineer and theoretically 
entitled to first watch, I'm also third in command so I'm 
stuck with third watch too.  Mike smiled as his brother had 
paused by him, before heading for the lift.

Kaz watched and listened to the pair with great curiosity 
and interest.  It was wholly outside of his experience to 
see two full-grown male felines act so casually familiar 
with one another.  Then Tom punched Mike in the shoulder 
and moved on.

Suddenly the spacious bridge seemed very small as it was 
instantly full of furious, terrifying sound.  Kaz stood 
crouched with his head twisted sideways, growling with ears 
down and looking very much as if he expected to be 
attacked.  Mike and Tom had also instinctively dropped into 
snarling crouches.  The pair almost seemed to be posing: 
being so closely matched, protectively shoulder to 
shoulder, claws and teeth bared, eyes and ears all scanning 
outward for the source of the threat.  The three huge 
felines together raised a deep and menacing racket loud 
enough to make the bulkheads shiver under its impact.

Soon Mike looked around carefully once more and then 
straightened up somewhat.

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

Tom looked back at his brother and shrugged expansively.  
They both looked over at Kaz who was still growling but now 
with far less volume and with utter confusion written 
across his face.

"Kaz?  What's the deal guy?"

Kaz, still confused and now deeply embarrassed, stood 
properly again.

"I am sorry Mikeleoson Chief Engineer of the Empress 
Subaru.  Your littermate attacked you and I expected a 
fight.  Trapped in close quarters during a fight between 
males such as you and your littermate tends to be very 
dangerous, at least on my world."

"Uhnnn...  OK Kaz, if you say so, but call me Mike ...and 
when the hell was I attacked?"

"As your littermate passed, he struck you, after you had 
traded insults."

"We are not Nantharan 'littermates' Kaz.  We are leomorphs 
and brothers.  In most cultures that we know of, brothers 
tend to be close, even if they don't like to admit it 
sometimes.  And that's even more true with leomorphs.  Tom 
and I will often tease one another, roughhouse or otherwise 
act somewhat rudely toward each other.  But it is all just 
a form of play, even affection, we are actually very 
close."

Mike gave kind of a lopsided grin at the admission before 
he continued.

"We have not actually insulted one another this morning and 
I have not been attacked.  So relax Kaz, there's no trouble 
here."  Mike put an arm around Tom's shoulders and drug him 
closer, giving him a couple of grooming licks to the side 
of his muzzle.  Tom responded by twisting his head to lick 
the top of his brother's nose and pressing his shoulder 
against him, before grinning and pushing away to put a 
little distance between them once more.

Kaz turned positively green and looked away.

"Now what's wrong?" asked Tom, already getting a little 
annoyed by Kaz's reactions.

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

Tom rolled his eyes upward before shaking his head and 
moving on toward the lift.  "OK, that's enough for me this 
morning.  G'night all."  

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

"You have a lot to learn about other cultures Kaz.  I would 
have thought you'd have seen a lot more of these 
differences on the station."

Kaz shook his head.  "Every time I tried to do something or 
the portmaster set me to doing something, the Nantharan 
attaché would start howling about my being there and the 
portmaster would have to send me back to my room in order 
to keep the peace.  I didn't get to meet many people or see 
much else on the station."

Mike nodded.  "Figures, typical political thing.  Never 
fails, no matter what you try to do good in this galaxy, 
someone is going to object."  He huffed before turning for 
the lift ...and nearly stepping on his captain.

"Captain!  Sorry, we were a little distracted and I didn't 
hear you come up."

"So I can assume Mike, given that Robert already nearly ran 
over me as I was getting onto the lift and then your 
brother almost trampled me as I was getting off.  What?  Is 
this my day to play doormat on my own ship?"  

Then she paused and sniffed meaningfully, her ears falling 
halfway down.  "And why does my bridge reek of a cat-fight?  
Whew!  I haven't smelled the like since you and Tom got 
into it last year.  What was it that time...?  Oh yes, 
whether or not your chili should have beans in it."  Her 
tone was reproving but there was a smile in her eyes.  Mike 
knew she wasn't really angry as she made out.  Still he 
knew she was curious.

"Well, Robert was upset because I brought Kaz up here to 
show him around."

The leopard looked puzzled.  "Why would that...  Ah.  That 
is, technically, against the regs isn't it?"  She sighed 
melodramatically, shaking her head.  "...And we both know 
how he is about regulations.  But it's not really 
reasonable is it?  Everyone wants to see the bridge of 
their ship.  You have him escorted, so what's to be upset?  
That little fox will be the death of me yet.  Still, I've 
seen worse." She smiled wryly.  "Forget about it Mike, I'll 
talk to him."

She cocked her head and looked up expectantly at the much 
larger feline.

"Well..."

"Yes, well, your bridge smells like a cat-fight because of 
a small cultural misunderstanding between Kaz, Tom and 
myself.  As Tom was leaving, he slapped my shoulder 
friendly-like but Kaz here thought that he and I where 
going to have a fight and started growling.  Apparently 
fights are common in Nantharan families and being in such 
close quarters to one is dangerous.  Anyway, he started 
growling and startled Tom and I, and we started growling 
and, well, it took a few moments to realize it was all over 
nothing."

The captain laughed a harsh and coarse leopard's laugh.  "I 
see.  Just like that.  Still, I'm glad I wasn't here, I 
know how loud you two can be and I'm sure it's about the 
same for Ka'tzmandlu.  I'm surprised there's still paint on 
the bulkheads."

"Amen Captain!  My ears are still ringing," chimed Kimberly 
from the helm, with a rueful chuckle of her own.

The Captain laughed again.  "All right then, off with you 
both.  Show him the ship Mike and then put him to work.  
Hang in there Kaz, you'll get used to us and we to you, all 
in good time."

"Yes Captain.  I will."

The two big felines made for the lift and soon were headed 
down to the bowels of the great ship.  Some time later, the 
lion paused in a seemingly empty corridor.

"OK Kaz" said Mike gesturing to the steel bulkhead.  "At 
this very moment, this wall here is holding back about 210 
million tons of water.  In fact, it is the very same water 
you went for your little swim in yesterday."

Kaz's eyes widened and his ears sank at the memory but he 
said nothing.

"Now, your job is going to be helping to make sure that all 
that water stays in there where it belongs and doesn't get 
out here."

Kaz's ears came back up and his expression hardened 
somewhat, this was a job he could respect.  He very much 
wanted the water to remain on the other side of the wall 
for reasons of his own.

"The Empress Subaru was originally built as a passenger 
liner.  When the Empire bought her, they reinforced her 
superstructure to handle the far greater mass but still, 
there is only so much reinforcing that can economically be 
done to a commercial hull.  So metal fatigue and stress 
corrosion are big problems for us.  We have to be very 
diligent about making regular structural inspections.  That 
is pretty much what you are going to be doing.  It can be 
very tedious but it is extremely important, both to our 
mission and for the safety of our crewmates."

"I understand Mikeleoson Chief Engineer of the Empress 
Subaru."

Mike just looked at him with a hint of annoyance, slowly 
raising a tawny furred eyebrow.

"Apologies.  I mean 'Mike'."

"Better."  Mike nodded, smiling again.

"I am surprised that, even with modifications, the ship can 
carry so much more weight that was originally intended to."

"That's a good point Kaz but it was quite an extensive 
modification job.  Not only did they have to beef-up the 
structure but also the gravitics and the realspace engines 
required tremendous augmentation.  Thankfully jump engines 
don't care about mass, only volume so they didn't really 
have to be modified."

Kaz looked at him curiously.

Mike smiled, pleased to see Kaz interested in such things.  
A natural curiosity about how things work being a great 
asset in the engineering profession.

"The jump drive is what moves a ship from one star system 
to another Kaz.  The gravitics are for lifting off or 
landing on worlds as well as giving us artificial gravity 
to work in.  The realspace engines are pretty much ion 
projectors that maneuver us beyond the largest portion of a 
star's gravimetric field so that a hyperjump is possible.  
The jump itself though is a field-based phenomenon.  Think 
of it as opening a door Kaz.  As long as whatever you are 
wanting move fits through the door it doesn't matter to the 
door how heavy it is, does it?  Hyperjump is like that.  As 
long as your ship fits through the three-dimensional 'door' 
that the jumpdrive opens in hyperspace, it doesn't matter 
what that ship weighs or how much it carries with it.

"I see.  That is very interesting."

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

A few minutes later they walked into main engineering.  The 
thrumming of the equipment filled the large but crowded 
room so Mike had to raise his voice.

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

"Over here Mike" a deep but feminine voice howled back to 
him from a remote corner.

"Follow me and be careful not to touch anything Kaz, you 
don't know what's what just yet." The lion smiled.

Soon they found Della and after brief introductions Mike 
left for bed and the pleasant seeming lady wolf began to 
teach him the fundamentals of non-destructive test and 
inspection.  Kaz found it somewhat interesting and was soon 
given a bulkhead of his very own to practice on.  After a 
long day of training and practice he made his way to the 
ship's mess before heading back to his cabin.

Shaila found him there again.

"Hi Kaz, how's it going in engineering?" she smile 
charmingly and sat down across from him uninvited.

"Well enough.  At least it's dry." He rumbled around a 
forkful of reasonably good pot roast.

"That's good, I suppose.  At least for you.  Personally I 
wouldn't want a job where I couldn't 'get wet' now and 
then."  She smiled coyly at him for a moment and then 
frowned.  

He wasn't even looking at her.

"Kaz, I was thinking.  We really got off to a bad start, 
I'd really love to have you down to deck four for a proper 
tour this time.  No getting wet...  well not unless you 
want to anyway."  She twisted her head to one side and 
batted her eyes up at him, trying once more.

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

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

Shaila instinctively recoiled, her eyes widening and her 
own fangs now showing in reaction.

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

They passed the rest of the meal with him eating in silence 
and her chatting aimlessly about the ship and it's crew.  
It was annoying but supposed she was trying to do him a 
favor.  And besides, simply killing her for a little quiet 
probably wouldn't set well with the captain.  Still, he 
really wished she'd just shut up and let him eat his meal 
in peace.  And he especially had no intention of taking her 
up on the tour of the tanks she kept working into the 
conversation.


A few days later:


But despite his best intentions, he eventually he gave in 
just to get her to leave him alone about it.  Shaila very 
carefully and very calmly took him around and showed him 
the tanks and how they worked.  Eventually he even found 
himself relaxing a little as he listened to her technical 
explanations of the internal operations of the tanks which 
he had to admit where far more interesting than the tedious 
inspections and repairs he'd been doing from the outside.  
At least as long as they stayed well away from the water 
itself.


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


Kaz very slowly stepped into the water just letting the 
tops of his feet get wet a little and wondering yet again 
how he had let Shaila talk him into this.  Tentatively he 
moved a little further.  His ankles soon disappeared and 
eventually his knees too.  He paused as the after reaching 
mid-thigh, looking around and lifting one leg to swish it 
around and then the other.  Stretching his toes out and 
just getting a feel for where he was.

"Well now.  See?  That's not so bad is it?" she grinned 
staying close to him but keeping her paws off.

It was so strange, Kaz thought as he waded a little deeper.  
The water did feel kind of nice, although the sensation of 
it washing through his thick fur was distinctly weird.  As 
he slowly moved out the water reached his crotch and he was 
quickly reminded that Shaila had actually talked him into 
trying this nude.  It was nothing at all like the showers 
he was only just now getting used to taking.  The feel of 
so much liquid water actually sloshing over and into his 
sheath and up under his tail was a whole new experience for 
him.  He wasn't any too sure he liked it. 

He ignore the feelings and moved a little deeper, pulling 
his tail completely under as he waded out to his waist.  
She was very patient.  Letting his go slowly and at his own 
pace.  She really just wanted to grab him and drag him 
under again at his point.  Anything to just get it over 
with so they could get on with their swim.  Otterines are 
not well known for their patience.

"OK Kaz, come here for a second."

He waded over to her, moving deeper still and up to his 
chest now, not realizing that she was already swimming but 
holding herself up as if she was not.  She reached out for 
his right ear.

"Here.  I need to clip this little receiver unit into your 
ear so you'll be able to hear me underwater."

"Now remember when we go under, I can talk to you but you 
can't talk back.  Otterines were designed for underwater 
work so we actually have a secondary set of vocal cords 
that lets us use a throat mic underwater.  The receiver is 
now clipped into your right ear.  My voice will sound weird 
but you should be able to understand me OK.

"I thought radios didn't work underwater."

"Ooooh, he's been studying.  I'm impressed."  She grinned, 
meaning it.  "And you're right too.  At very short ranges 
radios can manage all right underwater but most radio 
signals just won't carry for any distance at all, except at 
extremely low frequencies.  However, these little suckers 
aren't radios.  They are what amounts to amplified, 
computer-controlled electro-mechanical transducers.  My 
voice is up-converted to a much higher sound frequency, way 
above your or even my ability to hear it and then 
retransmitted into the water.  At that frequency, the sound 
carries for long distances underwater with very little 
distortion.  Your receiver picks up those ultra high 
frequency sound waves and down-converts them back to 
frequencies you can actually hear and understand.  Neat 
huh?"

"Uhm... yeah, I guess," Kaz answered, unsure if he really 
understood or not.  He was, however, glad that she'd be 
able to talk to him while he was in the water.  But he'd 
have preferred to be slowly skinned alive rather than have 
to admit it.

He looked at her as she clipped the device inside her own 
small round ear.  "I thought you said you used a throat 
mike with these things?"

She grinned.  "Yep, it's there, you just can't see it.  
It's very tiny and subcutaneous, that means I actually had 
it implanted under my skin.  For otterines who actually 
spend a lot of time working under water it's just easier 
that way.  The mic actually transmits to the earpiece using 
my own nervous system on a non-interfering basis.  Like I 
said, neat technology, eh?"  

"Speaking of which there is one more thing you need.  Look 
up at the lights Kaz."  He did and she quickly dripped a 
drop or two of... something into his eyes.  "There.  Those 
drops will help you see a lot better down there.  Basically 
it's a temporary equivalent of my inner eyelids."  She 
slowly blinked the clear inner membranes over her eyes to 
show him.  "Your eyes will feel a little thick but it will 
go away in a few hours.  If you were going to be in the 
water all day, you'd need to put more drops in every two or 
three hours."  

She smiled and looked him over one more time.

"OK now we're just about ready, I think.  One more very 
important thing: The danger or trouble signal down there is 
three quick anythings.  Three quick taps on the shoulder, 
three quick grunts, three quick tugs on a line, whatever 
you can manage at the time.  Anything three times and 
urgent.  Make quick for the surface if you can and, of 
course, I'll be right there with you the whole time.  
Nothing in this particular tank should be dangerous to you 
and I.  It's simulating a small, quiet reef environment so 
there's nothing to get really tangled in or anything.  We 
should be just fine."

"Getting rid of the air in your lungs is unpleasant, I 
know, but it only lasts for a second and then you're 
breathing water."  She assiduously avoided discussing the 
real unpleasantness, which was coming back from water to 
air, hoping not to remind him.  "Just try not to cough any 
more than you have to and keep a nice steady flow in and 
out of your lungs.  You'll have to work a lot harder to get 
the water in and out than you would air, but it shouldn't 
be any trouble for a healthy young fellow like you.  
Ready?"

Kaz nodded but she could easily see that he was still very 
unsure and nervous. 

"It's OK Kaz.  Take your time.  We are not in a hurry and I 
know this takes some getting used to.  I am just really 
pleased and flattered that you even agreed to try.  I think 
it is very brave of you, in fact.  Now, whenever you are 
ready, just exhale long and hard, then duck under the water 
and take a long slow breath.  After that you'll have the 
urge to cough.  Like I said, try not to as much as you can.  
Then just breathe steady.  If it's any consolation I'll 
have to do it too.  Normally an otterine will close off her 
bronchial passages and just flush water through her gills 
when underwater.  But if I want to talk to someone down 
there, I have to inhale and exhale water the same as you 
will be.  

Kaz still looked down worriedly at the calm water's 
surface, now just beneath his nose.

"Kaz.  Look at me.  You are safe here.  We've already 
proven you can't drown, haven't we?  And there is no way in 
hell I'm going to let you be hurt or killed.  It's SAFE, I 
swear to you." 

Kaz looked her hard in the eye and, for once, didn't find 
cause to doubt her sincerity.  So he nodded and exhaled 
deeply.  With a last suspicious glance into the water he 
ducked beneath the surface.  And came right back up again, 
gasping for air and looking panicked.  
 
With great effort, Shaila managed to avoid laughing.

"That's OK Kaz.  A very common reaction.  Instincts are 
hard to fight and I'm sure every instinct you have is 
telling you that you are insane to be doing this.  Try 
again whenever you are ready."

"How about next year?"  He managed a weak smile as water 
dripped from his long white whiskers.

Shaila laughed gently.  "Well... That's not really what I 
had in mind but there is nothing forcing you to do this 
Kaz.  It's up to you.  Please come swimming with me though.  
I promise you'll like it once you get used to it."

Kaz still looking uncertain but now firmly resolute, took a 
deep breath, exhaled it and ducked back under the surface. 

This time he stayed down and after a few long seeming 
moments, inhaled.  The urge to cough and choke was enormous 
and could not be entirely denied.  Kaz heaved and hacked as 
the thick-seeming fluid invaded the inner recesses of his 
lungs.  Shaila was right there though, with a comforting 
hand on his arm as his body reluctantly adjusted to its new 
environment.

An almost unrecognizably deep and distorted version of 
Shaila's voice spoke into his right ear.

"Kaz.  Kaz, can you hear me OK?"  

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

"Good.  Just hang there and let your body adjust for a 
minute.  It gets easier the more you do it but this is only 
your second time under so you may feel very strange for a 
while.  Just go slow."  

Shaila hung in the water before him smiling broadly as she 
easily held herself in place.  She was stripped down to her 
fur as well and, even though he was struggling with the odd 
sensations of being under water, he still noticed how very 
good she looked, slowly kicking in the water before him.   

And she was delighted as she noticed him actually noticing 
her.  "Well it looks like you are feeling a little better.  
You ready to have a proper look around big boy?"

His ears folded down tight in embarrassment.  He nodded. 

"Then follow me".  She pivoted neatly and kicked off at 
angle, quite intentionally giving him a quick glimpse 
between her thighs.

"Move slowly for the moment and don't exert yourself yet.  
Just draw the water in and push it out."  

He followed the lazy swish of her short tail easily, still 
admiring the view from back there.  The moved away from the 
ramp and out into the tank with the floor falling away 
beneath them.  Soon the bottom was ten meters down and 
covered in gray sand.  Small fish appeared around them as 
they approached the edge of a dark mass rising up toward 
them from the sandy bottom and stretching off into the 
murky distance.  Shaila led them deeper down to the reef as 
cloud of tiny fish and other miniscule sea life seemed to 
rise in greeting. 

Despite the ongoing disorientation that was only very 
slowly easing, Kaz soon found himself utterly entranced by 
the myriad of bright life forms dancing through the warm 
water around him.  Shaila grinned to herself as she told 
him about the hoards of little fish and other creatures 
that where all around them.  She had been pretty sure that 
a feline would be fascinated by all the energy and movement 
of a healthy reef environment, even one small as this.  She 
was pleased to see her belief confirmed as she followed 
him, still explaining things.  He never even realized that 
he was leading her around now, exploring the odd 
environment for himself with her acting only as narrator.

Some time later Shaila told him it was time to go and led 
them both back to the ramp.  The return to air was far more 
unpleasant than going into the water had been but he almost 
didn't seem to notice.  They both coughed and hacked the 
remaining water from their lungs as Kaz still marveled at 
the heretofore unimagined world he had just been introduced 
to.



A couple of days later Shaila suggested another swim and 
was pleasantly surprised when he scarcely protested at all.

They met back down on deck four this time and stripped down 
on the very same platform to tank seven that she had yanked 
him off of a scant few weeks ago.  She stepped up close to 
him, dripped more drops into his eyes, clipped the earpiece 
into his ear, then her own and stepped off the platform and 
into the deep water.  The sweet scent he had caught on her 
before was very strong around him now and he inhaled deeply 
as he moved to the water.  He was a little more circumspect 
in his own entry, lowering himself slowly into the lapping 
wavelets.  Still, in he went.  Moment later he ducked under 
and took in a lungful of salty water.  She was there 
waiting for him and the coughing wasn't quite so bad this 
time.  

"There, that wasn't nearly so bad this time, was it?" 
Shaila's deeply distorted underwater voice tickled his ear.

He shook his head.

"Good.  Just float there for a minute and acclimate.  This 
tank simulates a more open ocean environment rather than 
tank 5 where the reef was.   There are much bigger 
lifeforms in here but nothing to really bother us.  There 
are some harbor seals and even a pod of dolphins here but 
at most they will probably just want to have a good look at 
you.  And maybe not even that.  They are both curious 
species but oftentimes they can be shy around lifeforms 
they've never seen before and they certainly have never 
seen anything like you in here.  Oh, you're probably 
wondering why you didn't see them before.  I had the seals 
penned in the smaller holding tanks at the far end.  The 
dolphins you just didn't notice."

Almost as if on cue a large dark furred shape rocketed in 
like a living torpedo only to halt on a virtual dime 
between them.  Kaz quickly found himself muzzle to muzzle 
with a large seal.  Before he could react, the seal looked 
him over, seemed to grin at him, and shot back off at the 
same incredible speed he'd arrived in.

"That is Roary.  He is pretty much the dominant male of the 
harbor seals.  I think he liked you though.  Interesting.  
Ready for our swim?" 

Kaz nodded.

"Then let's go."  

Kaz glided smoothly through the water with far more grace 
and confidence now.  Shaila appeared next to him out of the 
murky haze slowly closing in from the side.  He looked over 
at her, her dark eyes sparkling mischievously in the dim 
light as she playfully nudged him in the side.  They swam 
along steadily, with Shaila easily mirroring his every 
move.

Again she sidled in closer to rub herself luxuriously along 
his thick furred side.  Then she virtually twisted her 
lithe body around him, up over him and down his other side.  
She moved away for a little bit before sliding back over 
and into him again, nuzzling his shoulder.  Kaz, relaxing 
under her soothing touch and getting caught up in her 
playful mood, mock snarled and rolled in the water, 
grabbing her.  Or trying to anyway.  With a teasing smile 
she easily evaded him, disappearing ahead of him with that 
breathtaking acceleration he'd already seen.

He nearly jumped out of his fur when he felt a touch at the 
very base of his spine, just where his tail emerged.  He 
rolled onto his back to find Shaila there, smiling down at 
him.  As he scissor-kicked to keep up with her, she took 
advantage of their relative positions, swiftly thrusting 
her hand into his open crotch and giving his package a 
playful squeeze.  Kaz jumped hard in shock as her 
surprisingly warm palm momentarily cupped his sex.  As he 
thrashed in instinctive response to her intimate intrusion, 
her grin widened.  She immediately let him go, accelerated 
and disappeared again.

Kaz stopped swimming as he recovered himself, looking up at 
the surface above and wondering what he should do, 
embarrassed.  Her one little teasing touch had him almost 
fully out of his sheath already.  He struggled to keep the 
warm water washing in and out of his lungs, as she slowly 
approached him again, letting him see her coming this time, 
not playing but clearly curious.

"What's wrong Kaz?" came the weirdly deep version of her 
voice on the earpiece. "I'm just playing.  I like you 
that's all.  I thought maybe you liked me too.  You don't 
want to... 'play' with me?" she asked her nose nearly 
touching his and her eyes soft and inviting.

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

She tilted her head.

"That's not very clear Kaz.  Let's try again.  I'll make it 
real simple.  I want to have sex with you Kaz, down here, 
right now.  Would you like that?" this time her nose did 
lightly press against his.  A friendly and reassuring 
gesture.

Kaz was momentarily glad he was underwater, otherwise his 
ears would surely have burst into flame as they burned in 
embarrassment.  However, his body's response was both 
immediate and clear.  His already exposed maleness rapidly 
hardened into a full erection at the mere suggestion of 
sex, but still, he was unsure.

Eventually, hesitantly, he nodded.

Her smile broadened, becoming almost lecherous but her eyes 
still gleamed fondly.  She moved in closer to him again, 
pressing her smooth body against his as one hand dipped 
down to caress his arousal again.  He gasped.  He could 
feel the warmth of her body through his fur and her open 
palm seemed hot enough to burn as she gently fondled his 
stiff sex.  His arms came up around her and she didn't 
dodge this time, letting him hold her tightly.

"I know this is your first time down here and all Kaz," He 
flushed again at her assumption that he had mated before 
but she didn't seem to notice as she continued, "so just 
try to relax and I'll uhm...  'handle' things for the both 
of us.  But first give me your hand."

She released his already straining maleness, not wanting 
him too aroused at this point.  Then she turned in his arms 
until her back was to him and carried his right hand down 
to her crotch.  She spread her thighs widely as she cupped 
her mound with his paw.

"Careful with those claws big boy." Her oddly modulated 
voice rang softly in his ears.  He understood what she 
wanted of him but was unsure what to do.  He carefully 
wriggled his thick fingers along her cleft, easily finding 
the bare skin within her furry fold.  He ran one slightly 
rough fingerpad the length of her sex, gently tracing her 
fleshy lower lips several times over.  That seemed to have 
the desired effect as her hips twisted sexily in response.  
He soon noticed a small bump at the top of her sex that 
seemed to be swelling a tiny bit more with each slow 
circuit.  He paused to rub her there for a moment, just to 
she what would happen.  Her hips thrust with vehement 
enthusiasm, pushing her body harder against his and 
unwittingly rubbing her rump over his own throbbing 
arousal.

"Unh yeah...  Sooo good...  Now inside...  Just a 
little..."  She almost gurgled.

He slowly worked his finger up the length of her slit, 
lifting his finger back out from her after he reached the 
stiff little nub at the top before moving back to the 
bottom.  He pressed in a little harder with each pass, 
eventually parting her outer lips and softly teasing the 
far more delicate and far more sensitive inner petals of 
her vulva.

He held her tightly against his belly as she squirmed in 
his grasp.  She lifted her muzzle high, laying her head 
back against him in pure delight at his apparent skill and 
slow patience.  His reaction to her passionate display was 
purely instinctive as he immediately twisted his head, 
opened his jaws wide and then bit down.  His long killing 
fangs fastened into the white furred flesh of her exposed 
throat, holding her tight but not quite piercing the soft 
skin she had 'offered' him.

Her eyes bulged and her body froze in his grasp.  He could 
feel the movement of her fur-lined gill slits with his 
whiskers and her pulse racing against his thin black lips.  
Still, not quite realizing his own actions or her fearful 
reaction, he continued to stroke her as he'd been asked.  
His thick furry finger wormed deep into her feminine core, 
thoroughly exploring each inner fold and twist.  He didn't 
even realize that his thumb was still lightly brushing back 
and forth over that little nub at the top of her sex.

Her relative paralysis broke suddenly as her hips bucked 
wildly, violently.  She shivered fitfully in his grasp, 
repeatedly thrusting herself hard onto his probing fingers.  
He could feel the firm muscles of her belly surging hard 
under his hands, then monetarily relenting, before surging 
harder still, the pulse seeming to wash up through her 
whole body.  He was very puzzled until he finally made the 
connection with his own masturbatory experiences.

No one had ever told him that females had orgasms too.  As 
he held her, he eventually realized that he was still 
gripping her throat between his teeth and let her go.  He 
also pulled his finger out of her but he continued to pet 
her still spasming sex, knowing that was what he liked when 
he climaxed.

"Huunh...  Huh...  Holy mother!" she finally managed to 
say.  "Where the fuck did you learn to work a lady like 
that?  You know you scared the hell out of me there.  Those 
huge fanged jaws clamping around my throat, I couldn't even 
talk with you holding me like that, but God did it even 
make me cum.  Wow.  Not quite what I intended for our first 
time but very, very nice.  Thank you."  She butted her head 
back against his shoulder fondly and then turned in his 
arms to face him.

She reached down between them and quickly found what she 
sought.  His shaft was still erect.  He had been so caught 
up in playing with her that he had all but forgotten his 
own aching need.  It quickly came back to him as she 
grasped his turgid organ.

"Well feels like you're still ready to play.  Almost 
anyway."  Curiously she reached beneath her tail with one 
hand and then brought that hand back to his erection and 
stroked him gently a few times.  There was something very 
thick and viscous, almost like a heavy machinery grease but 
extremely slippery like a light olive oil, on her fingers 
now and she rubbed it all over his very sensitive glans.  
Seeing his curious look she smiled.

"The genetic engineers who designed my species way back 
when figured that we might like to mate underwater 
sometimes and were thoughtful enough to consider the unique 
problems that poses.  Water, especially salt water, tends 
to strip away most natural lubricants, especially under 
friction.  It can quickly bring things to a very literal, 
and very unpleasant, grinding halt."

"So otterines have a pair small glands under their tails 
that produces a really thick but extremely slippery 
lubricant that still breaks down in water but only very 
slowly.  You have surely noticed once or twice that I 
smelled particularly nice to you sometimes.  Well, I'll let 
you in on a little otterine secret.  Chances are that is 
what you are scenting.  What happens is when an otterine is 
really...  uhm...  'interested' in someone else those 
little glands automatically go into overdrive production 
and eventually they 'leak' a little.  Needless to say, I've 
been very 'interested' in you from the first time we met."  
She smiled and reached beneath herself again and then 
returned to smear even more of the thick stuff onto his 
drum-tight crown.

"There now, that should be perfect.  Let me go for a 
second, please.  Can you wait another few minutes yet?" she 
asked bluntly but while smiling shyly.  With a final loving 
caress, her warm hand left his now well-lubed maleness and 
he let her go.

"I know it's not really fair to ask that, since I just got 
mine, but you caught me by surprise there my big handsome 
feline.  I had wanted to show you how my people do this, 
underwater I mean.  It's very nice but it may be too slow 
if you're really 'urgent' already.  So can you wait a 
little?" she asked hopefully as she reached under her tail 
once again and then lewdly applied a glob of the 
slippery/thick stuff between her widely spread thighs, 
almost making a show of it for him, hovering in the water 
before him.  It didn't help her case for his waiting.

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

"Great!  Then just start swimming along, loose and easy 
like.  I'll do all the work, really this time.  Careful how 
you react and watch your claws, I may startle you but trust 
me, hurting you is the last thing on my mind right now." 
She grinned at him for another moment and then lowered he 
muzzle and gently head-butted him under the chin.  She 
rubbed an ear against the soft fur of his cheek ruff as she 
came up again and licked the side of his muzzle.

"OK then.  Start swimming and I'll be around.  Just kind of 
let yourself relax and 'flow' around me as we swim.  Don't 
get grabby 'till I do.  You'll see what I mean."  She 
smiled sweetly and pushed off from his chest, vanishing 
into the murky depths once more.

He got his bearings and slowly swum off, leisurely pushing 
himself through the water.  It was distinctly weird, the 
feeling of swimming along alone with the water rushing over 
his still stiffly aroused maleness.  Rather stimulating in 
a way, he thought to himself as he got used to the flow 
over the highly sensitive bare skin.  At least the thick 
coating of lubricant helped keep him from getting cold down 
there.

Shaila soon swooped in from his side, turning over in the 
water and sliding her back gracefully over his as she 
passed.  He instinctively arched his back up into her as 
one of her hands trailed down his spine.  Her warm touch 
felt so very nice there but then it was gone as she 
disappeared again.  Only to return more quickly this time 
from the other side.  She made the slow pass beneath him 
this time.  She pressed her body into his as she slid 
gracefully by, her hand drifting across his straining 
erection.

He kept swimming; trying to concentrate on that as his need 
built with her every slow, caressing pass.  She approached 
him from behind this time and he quit kicking through the 
water as he felt her touch his foot.  She wrapped herself 
around his legs as she climbed up his body.  Smoothly 
corkscrewing her seemingly boneless body around his as the 
coasted through the water.  He moved into her touch as she 
had said he should trying to match her fluidity.  Being 
feline, he wasn't completely unsuccessful.  Arms in, never 
grabbing, they wrapped themselves around one another.  As 
her body slowly twisted its way past him he would have 
sworn that her fleeting all-encompassing caresses explored 
every millimeter of his body, except for the fleshy pole 
standing out between his thighs.  The rampant male-flesh 
that ached so forlornly for similar attention.

It took all of his will not to grab her and force himself 
on her as she passed.  The raw urge to mate was becoming 
extreme.  As she made a final pass around him, the juncture 
of her thighs crossed his muzzle.  Again instinctively, he 
nosed inward there.   His long, broad tongue flicked out.  
Her body stiffened as he stole a quick lick at her sex.  
And then another, deep and thorough but faster than a 
striking snake.  Her hips bucked in response but she shot 
away as if shot from a gun.  He reluctantly began to swim 
again, hoping that she wasn't going to want to play like 
this much longer.  It was maddening.

She was back moments later, from above and behind this 
time.  She slowly moved slid down between his thighs and 
then twisted herself up across his stomach and over his 
chest.  Now belly to belly beneath the big cat she 
positioned herself precisely bringing his erection into 
line with her sex.  As her muzzle reached his, she slowed 
herself in the water and he felt the sudden, thrilling, 
warm contact of slippery bare flesh on slippery bare flesh.  
He had already stopped swimming but his remaining forward 
momentum smoothly drove his rampant maleness deep into her 
body, exactly as she had intended.

He was surprised at the indescribably delicious feeling of 
pressure and warmth along the whole length of his achingly 
needful sex.  Her arms went around him and she gripped him 
tightly, seemingly wanting to weld herself to his chest.  
She nuzzled him hard, clearly savoring the feeling of 
having him buried deep inside her.  He returned her embrace 
but was a little puzzled by their relative positions.  
Nantharan males always mated females from the rear.  In a 
flash of insight he realized that her tail, so hugely thick 
and heavy at its base, would make that position difficult 
to arrange while underwater.  That was his last cogent 
thought for a while as he wrapped his arms around her and 
lost himself in a universally mammalian rhythm that seemed 
far more important.

Long, powerful sweeps of her tail kept them both moving 
through the water as they humped hard against one another.  
The wicked side shimmy her swimming induced through her 
hips only added to their mutual stimulation.  Her short 
legs were partially wrapped around his smoothly thrusting 
hips but she was also still using her broadly webbed feet 
to steer them through the water.  She nipped and nuzzled 
under his chin as his muzzle pressed to her flattened ears, 
licking hard at the little furry bumps atop her head.

As their motions became more and more frantic, she turned 
them both over and over in the water.  She finally raised 
her head offering him her throat once again but on purpose 
this time.  He twisted his head and bit down again, far 
more aroused this time but surprisingly more in control 
too.  He very tenderly chewed on her, again very conscious 
of her quick pulse against his lips and making certain she 
could still feel his sharp teeth through the thick soft 
fur.  The odd submission had virtually the same effect as 
before.  Her passion seemed to explode in response to his 
gentle possession of her.  Her sex contracted sharply 
around his, finally setting him off as well.  His rhythm 
changed as he slammed hard into her in time with each long, 
jetting pulse from his maleness.

They struggled hard, locked against one another, him 
jetting hot and deep into her core with her shivering and 
thrusting her hips hard in response to each delicious, 
gasping spurt.  Her thick tail came up between their thighs 
to cradle their mutual satisfaction.  She wagged it ever so 
slightly against his straining testicles, gently coaxing 
every last milliliter of his seed from them.  He released 
her throat and roared fiercely, forgetting where he was.  
It gurgled weakly from his throat.  He was well spent and 
fully satisfied but as he enjoyed the warm wet embrace of 
his new lover, his first lover, he was suddenly very dizzy 
and all became darkness as he drifted limply in her arms.


...


There was a light and he slowly opened his eyes.  Shaila 
smiled down at him, her muzzle only centimeters from his.  
It was difficult to focus.  He coughed hard, the spasms 
racking his whole body as she helped him roll onto his 
side.  Eventually the coughing eased and as he laid back 
panting for breath he managed to gasp:

"What happened?"

She bark-laughed softly but not at all unkindly.

"Well Kaz, we were in the water and we had sex  ...good 
sex.  ...Really good sex, in fact."  She grinned hard as 
she paused to lick her lips.  "...And as near as I can tell 
you simply forgot to breathe.  Those inter-tracheal 
implants are not nearly as efficient in water as your lungs 
are in air so when you are using them your bloodstream 
doesn't have anywhere near its typical reserve of oxygen.  
When you quit inhaling down there, even for just a dozen 
seconds or so, out you go.  Especially when you are 
'exerting' yourself like we were.  Gills are much more 
efficient" she flapped her fur-hidden gill slits for 
emphasis.

"I would have drowned?" his ears falling as his eyes 
widened.

"No," she shook her head emphatically, unintentionally 
sprinkling him with tiny water droplets from he damp fur 
and still smiling.  "As soon as you passed out, your body 
automatically started breathing again on its own.  Just 
like if you passed out in air.  If I hadn't been there you 
probably would have woken up in a few more minutes but down 
at the bottom of the tank."

"Damn."  He shook his head; it was all just too weird for 
him to really think about properly.

"Kaz.  Thank you.  That was REALLY good and I know that...  
Well...  I know you still aren't all that comfortable with 
the water.  So it was very sweet of you to 'accommodate' me 
down there.  I've been hoping we'd be 'close' ever since I 
met you.  But knowing how you feel about water and still 
being willing to make love to me down there for our first 
time...  Well, that was very special to me.  Thank you.  
Dry land next time, I promise."  She smiled that almost shy 
smile of hers as she leaned down to lick-kiss him softly.

"Shaila?" he asked after their muzzles finally parted.

"Yeah Kaz?"

"Is that job in tank maintenance still open?"

Her eyes widened for a moment and then she laughed long and 
hard, as did he until the resulting coughing fit 
interrupted them both.


Some weeks later:


Kaz cursed softly to himself as he struggled to clear the 
muck that had built up in the pump's main impeller.  The 
tank was almost drained now but he was still standing in 
waist deep water on top of the intake manifold.  It was a 
nasty job but there was simply no easy way of doing it.  

"You'd think after thousands of years of technological 
development they could make a pump that doesn't foul."  He 
grumbled to himself.

There was a loud splash behind him and he looked over his 
shoulder to see Shaila in hot pursuit of the very last seal 
in the tank, a large male.  Probably Roary he thought.  She 
caught him cleanly and quickly wrapped him in a floatnet 
harness, immobilizing the frantic creature and leaving it 
safely on the water's surface where she could pick him up 
for transfer to another tank.  As she made certain that the 
floats would keep the seal's head up so it could breathe, 
she noticed that he was watching her.  She grinned wickedly 
and waved.

"You'd better get that bloody thing fixed soon or you're 
next buster!" she barked over at him, threateningly waving 
another floatnet in his direction.  Her warm, dark eyes 
sent him a very different message though.

Kaz simply shook his head and laughed, turning back to 
attack the filthy pump innards once more.  'It's still a 
nasty job' he thought to himself dourly.  But suddenly he 
grinned, quietly mreowing to himself, as he caught a now 
familiar sweet scent in the air.  He glanced back over his 
shoulder at the lithe lady otterine swimming for the main 
platform with her netted seal in tow.   He glared down at 
the reticent pump 'Nasty, but it does have its benefits.'  
They'd both be off duty in another twenty minutes and he 
licked his thin lips in anticipation.  


The End.



If you liked this story (or even if you hated it) you had 
better write and tell me so. :)  The feedback (both good 
and bad) I receive is very seriously considered when I 
decide what I am going to write next and precisely how I'm 
going to write it.  This is your chance to have a say in 
the process. :) 


Besides, feedback from our readers is the only compensation 
that most furry writers ever receive for their efforts.  
Even more, if there is no feedback at all, the writer is 
left to assume no one is reading or liking his/her work.  
And if that goes on for long enough, they will simply stop 
writing.  (After all, what's the point of actually writing 
this stuff down if no one is even reading it?) :)

Razee@FurNation.com