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Story / General Furry Art
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Homeward
© 2019 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
ahro
Lango la Ibilisi, or ‘Devil’s Gate’ Station, was the central hub of a sprawling mining and refinery concern that stretched through Commagene System’s asteroid belt. The station was built onto and into the largest asteroid in the belt, offering docking and cargo transshipment for an entire Colonial region.
The Kiss Me in the Dark had docked and offloaded its cargo from Jokauke, and was taking on shipments of raw materials for the orbital refineries around This Far. After the work was concluded, Meredith had determined that the crew could have a day’s liberty and still be on schedule. She stressed that the extra time was entirely due to the crew’s efficiency, which was perfectly true.
That didn’t stop a few from cheering as they boarded a shuttle, causing the palomino mare to blush as she took her own seat beside Fuji.
She glanced to see him smile as his tail brushed against hers. “So, what do you want to do?” she asked.
“Me? Hmm.” The Komodo monitor fished his padd out of his jumpsuit and scrolled through the station’s directory. His eyebrows rose. “Swimming. Care to come with me?”
“I don’t have a swimsuit,” Meredith said, grinning as she gave him an arch look.
He grinned back at her and pointed. “Says here you won’t need one.”
“Sounds like – oh damn,” the mare said as her padd warbled for attention. She opened it only partway and looked at the image of a husky. “Yes?”
“Captain d’Estcourt? I’m Addario, with Kindred Metallics. I’d like to have a word about the contract terms.”
“Really?” Meredith frowned. “The terms were agreed by your company and my bosses on God’s Armpit.”
“There’s still some room for a pair of professionals like you and me to make things a bit fairer.” The canine’s ears flicked. “Maybe . . . a private arrangement? We could both do well out of it.” He smiled. “What do you say?”
Meredith put a paw to her chin, her ears swiveling for a moment. “Well, it would be nice, but the answer’s no.” Her pleasant smile evaporated as she said the last word.
“’No?’” Addario blinked at her.
“’No.’ I’m paid quite well enough, with bonuses, Addario-jih. I’m not jeopardizing that.”
He smirked. “Fine. Your loss,” and his image vanished.
Meredith snorted in disgust as she folded the padd and tucked it away. “Asshole,” she muttered. “I should report him.”
“It’d be a good idea,” Fuji said, and the bull watched as she pulled her padd out. “Do you want lunch before we go swimming?”
Meredith paused, her finger poised over the padd. “Swimming first,” she said. “I might need to cool off.” She opened the call to the station’s business liaison office and filed an ethics complaint against Addario.
***
There was a section of the station’s recreation octant that looked from the outside like a bunch of grapes, spheres of metal and transparisteel at the end of access tunnels marked at intervals with safety notices. Several of the safety notices dealt with taking due care while moving in a zero-gravity environment, while the others advised visitors that they were swimming at their own risk.
Fuji and Meredith shed their clothes and placed them in secure lockers at the base of their access before accepting towels from the AI that managed the recreation zone. “Race you,” and the Komodo monitor leaped through the opening as soon as the door opened. Meredith snorted and dove in after him.
The two played tag as they made their way up the tube, finally coming to a halt fifty meters away from the hatchway they’d come through. Meredith used her paws to brake, while Fuji used his tail. He gestured at the closed door. “Still occupied, but their time’s nearly up.” He chuckled. “Gives you time to think of where to buy me lunch.”
He ducked before she could hit him. “You never said we were betting.” Her tail swished. “I would have tried harder.”
“You’re the Captain. You make more than I do.” He laughed as she pouted at him.
Her ears twitched as a soft warning buzzer sounded and the door opened, revealing a brown-furred feline with shoulder-length black headfur. “Oh, hi!” she said, her Terran Basic having a soft accent to it that Meredith couldn’t quite place. “Hope I’m not late; I don’t want to cut into your time.” She drifted into the tunnel between the two, still rubbing a towel through her headfur.
“The timer won’t start until the door closes,” Fuji pointed out. He watched as she floated past, and his tongue flicked as he saw Meredith watching the feline’s graceful motions. “Hey.”
“Hmm?”
He wagged a finger. “You’re already in love with a vir, you know.”
“I haven’t forgotten.” She gently closed the distance and they shared a kiss. “I love you too, you naughty boy, you.” She winked. “Let’s go for a swim,” and she pushed off against his chest and drifted into the pool area.
The sphere was twenty meters in diameter. An extendable tube was busily pulling the remaining water from the volume, and they waited as another tube introduced clean water into the space. Surface tension and carefully placed air currents kept the ten-meter-wide blob of water in check.
Meredith stuck out a paw and ran her fingers through the water as the blob oscillated toward her. “Mm, nice and warm.” She flexed her knees and jumped, going straight into the water and stroking her way across the blob, her tail and mane flowing out behind her.
Fuji admired the view before lowering the lights and leaping in after her.
The palomino mare surfaced, brushing her mane back and wiping water from her paws before blinking at the panorama before her.
The transparisteel was slightly polarized, allowing an unhindered view of the local space around the station. Fuji surfaced beside her and the mare whispered, “It’s like we’re swimming in space . . . “
The Komodo monitor was a shadow to her right; he turned to her and they shared a kiss before swimming together around the outer rim of the bubble of warm water. A pause, and the pair drew closer together.
Afterward, Fuji drifted along the surface while Meredith continued to look outside. “I’ve told my parents about you.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. They’re happy, of course, but they wanted to know if we were going to get married.”
She turned, making languid motions with her paws until she faced him. “Do you want to get married?”
He raised a paw so she could see it, and made a waggling motion. “I’m of two minds about it. Sure, I love you, and it’d be nice, but we can’t expect children – “
“We could adopt.”
“Which brings up another issue, of course.”
Meredith growled. “Yes, company policy.”
“Yeah. And remember, you’re the Captain, I’m crew.” The bull lowered his muzzle to the water and blew some bubbles. “People will think you’re going to play favorites.”
Meredith floated silently, recalling a conversation she’d had with Christina a few weeks earlier. “Yeah, they would,” she finally conceded. She turned and located Fuji’s silhouette before swimming to him and hugging him from behind.
For a while, all they did was look out at the infinite darkness.
Finally, “We don’t have to get married, you know.”
“I know. I just like having my options open.”
She nodded, nuzzling him as they drifted across the surface of the pool. “Well,” she sighed.
“Hm?”
“Love you.”
“You too. Hey.”
“Wha – “ he ducked her and started swimming away swiftly as she spluttered and coughed. The mare took off after him and the two spent their remaining time in the sphere splashing and playing in the water.
Finally the lights came up slowly and a soft series of musical chimes were heard. “Excuse me,” the AI said, “your time is up. The water will be drawn off in two minutes.”
The two toweled each other off and were ready to leave when the door opened. A pair of feline mels, a caracal and a lynx, passed them as they left the pod.
“So,” Fuji said as they got dressed, “what about lunch? I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”
“I’m not surprised,” Meredith said. “You gave me a workout.” She chuckled as he winked at her. “Let’s find a place, eat, and get back to the ship.”
© 2019 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
ahroLango la Ibilisi, or ‘Devil’s Gate’ Station, was the central hub of a sprawling mining and refinery concern that stretched through Commagene System’s asteroid belt. The station was built onto and into the largest asteroid in the belt, offering docking and cargo transshipment for an entire Colonial region.
The Kiss Me in the Dark had docked and offloaded its cargo from Jokauke, and was taking on shipments of raw materials for the orbital refineries around This Far. After the work was concluded, Meredith had determined that the crew could have a day’s liberty and still be on schedule. She stressed that the extra time was entirely due to the crew’s efficiency, which was perfectly true.
That didn’t stop a few from cheering as they boarded a shuttle, causing the palomino mare to blush as she took her own seat beside Fuji.
She glanced to see him smile as his tail brushed against hers. “So, what do you want to do?” she asked.
“Me? Hmm.” The Komodo monitor fished his padd out of his jumpsuit and scrolled through the station’s directory. His eyebrows rose. “Swimming. Care to come with me?”
“I don’t have a swimsuit,” Meredith said, grinning as she gave him an arch look.
He grinned back at her and pointed. “Says here you won’t need one.”
“Sounds like – oh damn,” the mare said as her padd warbled for attention. She opened it only partway and looked at the image of a husky. “Yes?”
“Captain d’Estcourt? I’m Addario, with Kindred Metallics. I’d like to have a word about the contract terms.”
“Really?” Meredith frowned. “The terms were agreed by your company and my bosses on God’s Armpit.”
“There’s still some room for a pair of professionals like you and me to make things a bit fairer.” The canine’s ears flicked. “Maybe . . . a private arrangement? We could both do well out of it.” He smiled. “What do you say?”
Meredith put a paw to her chin, her ears swiveling for a moment. “Well, it would be nice, but the answer’s no.” Her pleasant smile evaporated as she said the last word.
“’No?’” Addario blinked at her.
“’No.’ I’m paid quite well enough, with bonuses, Addario-jih. I’m not jeopardizing that.”
He smirked. “Fine. Your loss,” and his image vanished.
Meredith snorted in disgust as she folded the padd and tucked it away. “Asshole,” she muttered. “I should report him.”
“It’d be a good idea,” Fuji said, and the bull watched as she pulled her padd out. “Do you want lunch before we go swimming?”
Meredith paused, her finger poised over the padd. “Swimming first,” she said. “I might need to cool off.” She opened the call to the station’s business liaison office and filed an ethics complaint against Addario.
***
There was a section of the station’s recreation octant that looked from the outside like a bunch of grapes, spheres of metal and transparisteel at the end of access tunnels marked at intervals with safety notices. Several of the safety notices dealt with taking due care while moving in a zero-gravity environment, while the others advised visitors that they were swimming at their own risk.
Fuji and Meredith shed their clothes and placed them in secure lockers at the base of their access before accepting towels from the AI that managed the recreation zone. “Race you,” and the Komodo monitor leaped through the opening as soon as the door opened. Meredith snorted and dove in after him.
The two played tag as they made their way up the tube, finally coming to a halt fifty meters away from the hatchway they’d come through. Meredith used her paws to brake, while Fuji used his tail. He gestured at the closed door. “Still occupied, but their time’s nearly up.” He chuckled. “Gives you time to think of where to buy me lunch.”
He ducked before she could hit him. “You never said we were betting.” Her tail swished. “I would have tried harder.”
“You’re the Captain. You make more than I do.” He laughed as she pouted at him.
Her ears twitched as a soft warning buzzer sounded and the door opened, revealing a brown-furred feline with shoulder-length black headfur. “Oh, hi!” she said, her Terran Basic having a soft accent to it that Meredith couldn’t quite place. “Hope I’m not late; I don’t want to cut into your time.” She drifted into the tunnel between the two, still rubbing a towel through her headfur.
“The timer won’t start until the door closes,” Fuji pointed out. He watched as she floated past, and his tongue flicked as he saw Meredith watching the feline’s graceful motions. “Hey.”
“Hmm?”
He wagged a finger. “You’re already in love with a vir, you know.”
“I haven’t forgotten.” She gently closed the distance and they shared a kiss. “I love you too, you naughty boy, you.” She winked. “Let’s go for a swim,” and she pushed off against his chest and drifted into the pool area.
The sphere was twenty meters in diameter. An extendable tube was busily pulling the remaining water from the volume, and they waited as another tube introduced clean water into the space. Surface tension and carefully placed air currents kept the ten-meter-wide blob of water in check.
Meredith stuck out a paw and ran her fingers through the water as the blob oscillated toward her. “Mm, nice and warm.” She flexed her knees and jumped, going straight into the water and stroking her way across the blob, her tail and mane flowing out behind her.
Fuji admired the view before lowering the lights and leaping in after her.
The palomino mare surfaced, brushing her mane back and wiping water from her paws before blinking at the panorama before her.
The transparisteel was slightly polarized, allowing an unhindered view of the local space around the station. Fuji surfaced beside her and the mare whispered, “It’s like we’re swimming in space . . . “
The Komodo monitor was a shadow to her right; he turned to her and they shared a kiss before swimming together around the outer rim of the bubble of warm water. A pause, and the pair drew closer together.
Afterward, Fuji drifted along the surface while Meredith continued to look outside. “I’ve told my parents about you.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. They’re happy, of course, but they wanted to know if we were going to get married.”
She turned, making languid motions with her paws until she faced him. “Do you want to get married?”
He raised a paw so she could see it, and made a waggling motion. “I’m of two minds about it. Sure, I love you, and it’d be nice, but we can’t expect children – “
“We could adopt.”
“Which brings up another issue, of course.”
Meredith growled. “Yes, company policy.”
“Yeah. And remember, you’re the Captain, I’m crew.” The bull lowered his muzzle to the water and blew some bubbles. “People will think you’re going to play favorites.”
Meredith floated silently, recalling a conversation she’d had with Christina a few weeks earlier. “Yeah, they would,” she finally conceded. She turned and located Fuji’s silhouette before swimming to him and hugging him from behind.
For a while, all they did was look out at the infinite darkness.
Finally, “We don’t have to get married, you know.”
“I know. I just like having my options open.”
She nodded, nuzzling him as they drifted across the surface of the pool. “Well,” she sighed.
“Hm?”
“Love you.”
“You too. Hey.”
“Wha – “ he ducked her and started swimming away swiftly as she spluttered and coughed. The mare took off after him and the two spent their remaining time in the sphere splashing and playing in the water.
Finally the lights came up slowly and a soft series of musical chimes were heard. “Excuse me,” the AI said, “your time is up. The water will be drawn off in two minutes.”
The two toweled each other off and were ready to leave when the door opened. A pair of feline mels, a caracal and a lynx, passed them as they left the pod.
“So,” Fuji said as they got dressed, “what about lunch? I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”
“I’m not surprised,” Meredith said. “You gave me a workout.” She chuckled as he winked at her. “Let’s find a place, eat, and get back to the ship.”
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Horse
Size 71 x 120px
File Size 52.3 kB
Very interesting and strange concept, seeing as zero-G is already so close to swimming. And with that directionlessness, it could be dangerous as well. No sense of up, though technically up would be in any direction. Would the water give enough push to allow a person to actually swim through it? I'd be afraid of losing momentum in the middle and getting stuck with no air.
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