Chapter 2 — Chapter 2

Captain

"How could they have wiped all the route data?! Is there anything left?!" I growled in fury.

"No, everything's been wiped except for the last frames from the surveillance cameras," the captain's assistant, a creature from the planet Trerich, justified himself. He resembled an orangutan, but with huge eyes and less dense fur. Yet, these beings were renowned for their skill with equipment, which made them valuable on any ship.

"And what's on them?" I was extremely nervous. My tail with its thin tip was swinging side to side, showing just how angry I was.

"An escape in a lifeboat. And footage from a separate compartment, with an unknown animal."

"What could be interesting about that?" The memory of the green, scaly creature made my heart feel like it was being gnawed at by ship rats. Could it be affecting me somehow? Even the predatory plants had hidden it!

"It was kept in a tank with murky water. When the emergency doors opened, it confidently descended into the hold and hid among the vines."

"What? Bring up today's footage of the cells!" If he understood correctly, the creature was aquatic, which meant that when it was disconnected from the tap, it was simply deprived of its means of survival.

Images appeared sequentially on the large screen, starting with the first time he brought the creature into the cell. He watched it closely, carefully tracking every movement. There it was, wrapping itself in fabric, then they brought food—fish and fruits—and the creature carefully fed a long cord it had removed from its neck. After that, it shook off countless scales... and acted lethargically. Then it opened the lock just by touching it, and, approaching the sink, literally drenched itself with water.

Then came the scene with him. My heart felt uneasy again. He threw the creature into the cell... and it seemed to fear touching the metal...

It hit me like an atomic shock. It needs water and can't stand iron!

The footage fast-forwarded. The creature had been lying in the same position for hours.

"Captain?" the assistant snapped him back to reality.

"Water, quickly! Which cabin is closest?" I was almost running to the elevator.

"Your quarters and the crew cabins a floor up," the assistant stammered.

"Then to my pool!" I made the only right decision. I'm not one to harm harmless creatures, especially those pulled from their natural environment!

***

It was hot. My body itched unbearably, my eyes stung from dryness. My lips were cracked and bleeding. I was coming out of unconsciousness for a few moments before sinking back into oblivion.

It seemed like I was being carried somewhere, but everything was in a fog and looked like a hallucination. Then it felt like I was lowered into water... All I could do was draw air into my lungs to immerse myself in the coolness.

Good...

***

The creature was trembling slightly. Its skin was dry and already bleeding where it had cracked. With a strange mix of awe and horror, I grabbed it and, holding it close, carried it to my small pool. I stepped into it still wearing my jumpsuit.

"Water temperature—15 degrees," I commanded the automation to cool the pool. The creature was clearly suffering from the heat.

It took a deeper breath, and I submerged it completely under water. Then I went a bit deeper and laid it on a small step.

I stepped out of the water. The jumpsuit, designed for any situation, of course, didn't get wet. I stood and watched as the little one changed color from almost gray to emerald. Though the unshed scales showed it didn't have a fixed color.

We'll figure it out, I decided, let it stay here for now. And, closing the pool door, I ordered no one to be let in or out.

***

I surfaced to take a breath. The heat subsided, and the scales would recover after a transformation. I swallowed my hungry saliva. I could go for some soup...

Emerging from the water, I looked around. A small room with a pool, two loungers, a table. Of course, there was no food, but it was fine without it.

Picking up the snake from the edge, I walked to the plastic lounger. I dipped the towels left there in the water and wrapped them around my body.

Stretching out on the hard bed, I yawned and, putting my hand under my cheek, fell asleep again.

***

"Got yourself a pet?" inquired Sebastian, the ship's doctor and the captain's only friend.

"Sebastian, it's not funny. They won't let me keep it; they'll take it to the rare species conservation center."

"You said that like you're sorry for the little one?" He looked at the captain's face with surprise, noting the unfamiliar emotions.

They were in his quarters, looking at the monitor screen. On it was the creature. Childishly tucking its paw under its cheek, it slept on the lounger, wrapped in wet towels.

"I think it's still a juvenile. It doesn't weigh much at all," Fler couldn't take his eyes off the screen, "and how do I know what it wants to eat?"

"It projects its emotions onto you. How interesting... Only truly rare species do that. Like familiars?"

"No, I don't think so. I've got barely any magic in me. How could I have a familiar?"

"Then you've got three days to figure it out. After that, they'll take it from you anyway."

"I need to feed it and set it free. I think it won't harm anyone."

"It's your call."

***

I woke up with a wild hunger. What had I even eaten lately?..

Wrapping myself in the now-dry towel, I walked to the pool exit—the doors were open. The table was set for dinner for one—obviously for the captain. For me, they had prepared raw fish and a bowl of fruits. The thought of eating raw meat again made me shudder.

Looking around, I realized the quarters were empty. But the hunger was so strong that I didn't think about the consequences of my actions. Not at all.

Shifting into a human form, I attacked the food, devouring everything, and only stopped when the table was empty. On a separate tray, the raw fish and fruits remained...

I wanted to sleep again. I must have been too sick, and food and sleep were the best medicine right now. After feeding the snake, I took the bowl of fruits and lay down on the large sofa, pulling a warm blanket over me. I fell asleep cuddling the food...

"Wow..." came a surprised voice above my head.

I instantly turned around and found myself back in the pool. My heart was beating so hard that it felt like my eardrums would burst. Who was that?! Had I been discovered?...

I inhaled too little air, so after a while, I had to surface. The man stood by the water, watching me. It was clear that he wasn't the captain. Tall, with white hair braided into a ponytail. An elongated aristocratic face, fangs, and pointed ears again, and a tail behind him.

"Lera, you have nothing to fear. You're safe," he said as soon as I surfaced.

Of course, I couldn't respond. I only understood what he was saying, but couldn't utter anything.

"Do you recognize the language I'm speaking?" the man clarified.

I nodded, examining the creature from the water. I wondered what his race was called.

"The captain doesn't know you can look different, right?"

I shook my head again.

"That's right. He can't stand women, and if he finds out who you are, he'll have you disembarked at the nearest port without hesitation." He was clearly thinking hard about something. "You must reach the main planet, Kirinas. It's a protected zone—you'll be safe there. I recommend not showing yourself around him..."

Another nod from me.

"I'll explain everything later, Fler is on his way. My name is Ler Sebastian!" He slightly bowed, straightened up, and left the pool area. Only then did I take a deeper breath, filling my lungs with more air.

But footsteps and quiet conversation could already be heard in the suite.

"Did I miss dinner?" The captain was clearly irritated.

To avoid trouble, I prepared to dive to the bottom. But where could I escape from here? Where could I hide?

"What did you expect? It was clearly starving and probably doesn't understand orders. You said yourself, it's a juvenile," Sebastian said with a laugh in his voice, as if teasing the captain.

"If it weren't for the water, I'd send it to the hold with the other critters!" Captain Fler growled.

"Of course..."

Fler approached the entrance and looked at the pool, then pressed something on the panel nearby. The door suddenly closed. Well, there I go, sleeping on a hard lounger again...

Climbing out of the water, I looked around. With a sigh, I gathered the remaining towels, wrapped myself up, and started to settle down to sleep, yawning desperately. Why bother closing it... I can create portals over short distances. Doors are no obstacle to me.