In Space, We Don't Abandon Innocence

by David Silver

33 - Hello, Ozzie

Fluttershy led Harriet down a corridor most other members of the ship had little reason to go down before. The door opened for Fluttershy as she trotted in. "Now, they're just meeting you, so some of them may be a little shy. Just be gentle and let them come to you."

Harriet gasped with amazement as she stepped into the animal lodging area. "Oh wow! They look just like their earth relatives!" She clapped both hands over her mouth, gasping in horror. "Oh, I'm sorry! I should be quiet."

Fluttershy whispered at that, "Yes, please. Though it seems you've already gained the attention of one of our lovelies."

Where she was directing a hoof, a dog was at the fenced edge of his enclosure. He stood on his hind legs, sniffing curiously at the air. His tongue lolled out of his mouth with a quiet huff.

Harriet approached the dog with both hands open and low. She offered one hand closer and got a big wet lick for it. "Aw!" She reached over the fence and began to ruffle the dog's head and along his sides. "Such a cutie!"

Fluttershy cooed in delight at the display. "That's Bobby! He's a sweetheart, but can get a little excited."

Bobby sat down as Harriet petted him, trying to push himself against her even harder. "Don't worry, you're too cute to get upset with. And who's the other dog with you?"

Fluttershy nodded to the other similar dog. "She's Cindy, his wife." She giggled softly. "Dogs don't really have husbands and wives, but it's nice to think so. They are mates, and have made puppies. In fact, if you see any crew with a puppy, it came from them."

Harriet took the new arrival in stride, scratching behind her ears as well. "Nice to meet you both! Oh wow, they're really getting into this!" She kept going a few moments more before standing up straight. "So, nice as it is to meet Bob and Cindy, where's the egg?"

Fluttershy flew to the edge of the room. "Over here."

Harriet followed along after Fluttershy with a giddy bounce in her step. She looked down at the egg with an awed gasp. It was safely nestled in soft padding, with a light over it shining gentle heat upon it. It wasn't nearly as hot as the one used for Dawning's egg, but that one wasn't a dragon. "How do you know how warm to make it?"

"To be honest, we're doing our best guesses. This little egg is the first of its kind we've ever had. Sunset asked some questions about dragon eggs. If this egg was like a dragon egg, that means it needs to be kept warm, or it won't hatch." She gestured to the top part of the enclosure. "That's true of all eggs, to a degree. They all want to be at their comfortable temperature. We're monitoring it constantly and adjusting, trying to find the right level."

Harriet crept closer to the egg. "Will it be okay?"

Fluttershy practically evaporated with worry. "I don't know. We have to hope. I can't bear the thought of letting an animal die when I can do something about it."

Harriet held up a hand. "Right. Sorry." She took a slow breath and sank to her bottom beside the egg. "Hello. I'm, um, really sorry. It's my fault you don't have a mom taking care of you."

Fluttershy vanished from sight, content to let Harriet talk to the egg without interruption.

Harriet closed her eyes and smiled. "I hope you understand that. You're safe here." She reached out, brushing her fingers carefully along the smooth surface of the egg. "Nice and warm, just like you're supposed to be. Uh, like I think you're supposed to be. No idea what your parents would make for you." She stopped as something small appeared on the shell. "Wait, what's this?"

The shell rippled gently under her fingers. With a shudder, it didn't crack, but instead split, as if the creature inside were pushing outwards on opposite ends instead of pecking at it.

Fluttershy appeared with a gasp, wings spread. "Something's wrong!"

Harriet shook her head rapidly. "No! Look, I think it's hatching!"

Sure enough, the two parts of the egg separated more and more until there was a crack in the shell all around its perimeter. With a strange warbling cry, the egg popped in half, revealing the chick. Like most birds, it looks especially alien at that point, though in different ways from an earth avian. Its eyes fit its head, but its feet and wings felt a bit oversized on its form as it fought its way free of its shell.

Harriet perked up with excitement. "That's it! C'mon, little guy." She began to work the remaining pieces of shell away from the small bird. It squirmed in her hands as she finally removed the last piece. "Welcome to the world."

The alien gave a new cry. Was it happy? It was almost impossible to know, but it seemed happy to nestle in Harriet's offered hand.

Fluttershy levitated over a bowl filled with warm water. "Soak its feathers. That'll get rid of any left over yolk and make them feel nicer. Um, also you might want to put your sleeve over your hand.

Harriet was far too busy being stunned in wonder at her new baby alien. "You did it. They thought you might not make it." Tears spilled from her eyes. "I'm so happy right now." She stroked gently over the little thing. "Oh, a name. I'll call you Ozzie." She wrapped her arms around the creature, rubbing her face against his feathers. "Yes! Ozzie!"

Fluttershy smiled broadly at the scene before her. "Harriet, I think they've imprinted on you. Um, that may be good and bad." She rubbed a hoof against one of her cheeks. "It may be hard to separate you two without upsetting them. That could mean they're easy to manage, or impossible to manage."

Harriet laughed softly. "Right, sorry." She dried her tears on her sleeve, taking care to dry Ozzie as well. "Hello, Ozzie. You'll be a good little bird for us, right?"

Ozzie replied with a light warble, barely able to hold itself upright. "Aw." She cradled them gently. "Still growing, I get that."

Fluttershy approached at Harriet's side, patting the girl's shoulder. "I know this is going to be hard for you, but we don't know how they will behave, or what they prefer to eat." She tapped at her chin. "We're going to have to experiment, a lot, to learn how best to see to his needs."

Harriet slumped her shoulders. "Right." She hesitated, petting along Ozzie's head with a fingertip. "He really did just imprint on me." She winced, squeezing her eyes shut. "And I think I imprinted on him."

Fluttershy stifled a laugh at that. "There, there. I'll talk to the captain. He's not nearly as heartless as some people like to think. But he's also going to want to do what's best for the creature. Um, and the crew. If he likes to attack other people, that will be bad." She leaned in. "At least they know that I belong here. They don't seem alarmed at my presence."

Harriet sagged at that. "But will they be able to tell all the different people apart?" She considered things a moment. "Thank you, Fluttershy. Please, find out what he needs. Poor thing's probably hungry right now."

Fluttershy departed silently while Harriet contemplated Ozzie. They did a few gentle rolls in Harriet's hand, chirping playfully as they moved. "And it sounds like you like being held, little bird."

Fluttershy returned with her hooves together. She spread them at the floor, littering it with a variety of pellets. "Here are a variety of foods we provide to our beloved pets. Maybe they'll pick some they like?"

Harriet lowered her hand, offering it to Ozzie. They teetered for a moment before managing to keep their balance on the floor. They tried to snap at one of the pellets with their tiny beak. Some of the pellets they seemed to want, and others they ignored entirely. It was almost a game, and the chick seemed to enjoy picking among the pellets to find the ones it favored.

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief at that. "They like some of them! We can use those to get them up to speed."

Harriet picked up a few of the pellets, cleaning it of the ones Ozzie had denied. "That's a huge relief. I was worried he wouldn't eat."

Fluttershy chuckled softly. "Animals don't like food they don't like. We'll keep right on monitoring Ozzie, to be sure it all goes through them properly. Assuming it does, we'll have a good idea of what to keep feeding them. But for now, I think they'll want to be in your care." She gave a worried frown. "I wish I could help, but you need to be there when they wake up."

Harriet snuggled up to Ozzie, enjoying the soft feathers as she smiled at Fluttershy. "I could stay here, for a little while? So you can keep a close eye on Ozzie. He is still a newborn and all."

Fluttershy pranced in place at that. "Oh, that's so kind of you! Um, would you like to see what the others are doing?" She gave a proud smile. "I feed them all myself, and we have an automatic system that refills their water dishes."

Fluttershy walked along the kennels, naming each animal or animals that lived within. It was Harriet's first time actually seeing most of those animals she had only read about. It was as exciting as it was fascinating. Harriet watched the animals and gave a hello to each and every one of them, though not all were as interested as the dogs.

In the end, Ozzie went quiet, still breathing, but asleep in Harriet's hands. Harriet sighed gently. "At least they sleep too." She looked to Fluttershy. "They have days and nights too, right?"

Fluttershy looked unsure a moment. "Twilight?"

Twilight appeared next to her. "Yes?"

Fluttershy smiled at her. "Could you tell us the day and night cycle, um, of the planet? The one we're orbiting."

Twilight summoned a few documents. "Certainly. Right now, the planet has a cycle of around 26 hours and 37 minutes. A little longer than Earth's, but close enough by most measures." She winked. "Oh, it hatched." She looked down at the sleeping Ozzie. "And Harriet is holding them." She glanced at Fluttershy. "Is that safe?"

Fluttershy smiled broadly. "It's perfectly fine, since I asked Harriet to. Um, though they seem to have imprinted on Harriet. It's too soon to tell, but we may need to talk to the captain about what to do."

Twilight flapped her wings lightly. "I see. Hm, that does complicate things." She leaned in closer. "I imagine neither wants to be away from the other right now, but they remain an alien species, and no domesticated, nor sapient. They could be violent, make messes, damage equipment, or otherwise act out in unpredictable ways."

Fluttershy sank beside the two sleeping ones. "Then we just have to show them what to do."

Twilight exchanged a look with Fluttershy. "Are you suggesting that we acclimate them to the ship and crew?"

Fluttershy nodded. "As best we can. There will be some messes, assuredly." She sighed at that. "But we either put up with that, and try to tame them as best we can, or we euthanize them." She shuddered at the idea. "It's our fault they're not living on their planet."

Twilight went stiff at that. "There is the moral argument that it would be a mercy, given the hazards of space." She shook her head slowly. "I don't like that option. I hope we can succeed." She turned away. "I'll inform the captain." She vanished without another word.

Author's Note:

They're so cute, and dangerous. What have we done?

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

They got the cat, fortuanately the egg wasnt the reason you dont go back.

[BestinDworld]

....if something happens to that poor birb I’ll be greatly displeased