Special Delivery

Posted on Sun Nov 1st, 2026 @ 7:28am by Lieutenant M'Vatha Saelia Wadtai

2,348 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Interim 3: Subspace Drift
Location: Chimera
Timeline: Who knows :)

Lieutenant M'vatha Saelia Nura Wadtai had learned some time ago that there were very few emergencies which required the immediate attention of a counsellor. There were certainly urgent matters. Psychological crises rarely respected duty rosters, and grief had an unfortunate habit of arriving at inconvenient hours. But the message currently displayed on the PADD in her hand did not appear to fall into any category covered by her professional training.

PERSONAL CARGO RECEIVED
RECIPIENT: LT. M'VATHA SAELIA NURA WADTAI
ORIGIN: AQALD
SPECIAL HANDLING: LIVE ANIMAL

Saelia read the final line again. Then once more. "Live animal?" The corridor offered no explanation. Her parents sent things from home occasionally. Food that replicators never quite reproduced properly. Bottles of water from Aqald. Handwritten letters, despite both of her parents being perfectly capable of using subspace communications. Her mother occasionally included clothing Saelia had absolutely no occasion to wear aboard a Federation starship. There had even been, on one memorable occasion, an entire container of preserved fruit accompanied by a note explaining that Saelia looked too thin during their previous subspace conversation.

Saelia had learned not to question these things. But never an animal. She tapped the communication control on the PADD.

"Computer, confirm cargo manifest."

The response was immediate. "Personal consignment registered to Lieutenant M'vatha Saelia Nura Wadtai. Biological contents: one living Ussa. Male. Ten standard months of age."

Saelia stopped walking. An officer approaching from behind adjusted course around her. "An Ussa?"

"Affirmative."

There was a pause. "Confirm sender."

"Consignment origin registered to the Wadtai household, Pftaatans Vuagh, Aqald."

Of course it was. Saelia closed her eyes. "Mother."

==

The carrier was unmistakably Aruilaen. That, at least, eliminated the increasingly attractive possibility that someone in Cargo Operations had made a spectacular administrative error. Saelia stood before it with her arms folded. The environmental transport container was considerably more sophisticated than a standard animal carrier. One section contained shallow circulating water while another provided a dry resting platform, allowing its occupant to move freely between environments during the long journey from Aqald. Humidity remained high inside the enclosure, and a small environmental monitor displayed temperature, oxygenation and water quality. Aqald characters had been painted neatly along one side. Federation transport labels covered considerably more of it. Apparently her mysterious passenger had travelled almost as extensively as she had. Something turquoise moved behind the translucent panel.

Saelia stared. It disappeared. Then two enormous silver-blue eyes slowly rose into view. They stared at her. Saelia stared back. "Oh no."

A soft trill came from inside. There was something deeply suspicious about the innocence of that sound.

Saelia crouched. The Ussa immediately bounded across the enclosure and pressed his face against the transparent panel.
Her intended expression of stern disapproval became considerably more difficult to maintain. He was beautiful. Deep turquoise covered most of his sleek body, darkening toward blue-green along his back and long swimming tail. Fine waterproof down softened the contours of his skin, while faint cyan bioluminescent patterns shimmered along his flanks.

Those markings— Saelia leaned closer. She knew them. More importantly, she knew the family line they came from.

"You are one of theirs." The Ussa chirped enthusiastically. Saelia sat back on her heels. Her parents' Ussa had produced another litter. Her sister had mentioned it months ago during one of their family conversations. There had been pictures, Saelia vaguely remembered. Several small bodies tangled together in a nest while their mother attempted to sleep despite their best efforts.

Saelia had thought they were adorable. She had apparently made the tactical error of saying so aloud. "You were in those pictures."

The Ussa's tail slapped against the water. "I see." She didn't. But she was rapidly beginning to. A storage compartment had been incorporated into the carrier. Saelia opened it. Food. Medical and vaccination records. Travel permits. A familiar woven blanket from her parents' home. Two toys, one of which looked as though it had already survived several attempted murders. A small packet containing familiar treats. And letters. Several of them. Saelia stared at the collection.

Apparently the entire family had been involved in this conspiracy. One envelope bore her father's handwriting. Another belonged to her sister. There were smaller notes she strongly suspected had been contributed by nieces and nephews.
And then there was her mother's. Saelia picked that one up first. That was probably a mistake. She unfolded it. Read the first few lines. Her expression changed. "No."

The Ussa made a questioning noise. Saelia continued reading. "No, she cannot simply—" A cargo technician at the other end of the compartment glanced toward her. Saelia lowered her voice. "She cannot simply send me a living creature because she has decided I need one."

The Ussa sneezed. Saelia looked at him. "You stay out of this." His cyan markings brightened. She returned to the letter.
Apparently, her mother very much could simply send her a living creature because she had decided Saelia needed one.
The arrangements had been made properly. Permissions obtained. Veterinary assessments completed. Transportation organised through approved Federation channels. Her parents had even checked that the environmental specifications of Saelia's quarters aboard the Chimera could accommodate an Ussa.

They had planned this. For some time. Saelia wasn't sure whether to be impressed or alarmed. Then she reached the final lines. Her amusement faded. "You have spent enough years looking after everyone else. Let someone look after you for once. Tavi will be good for you."

Saelia read them again. For a moment, the cargo bay seemed unusually quiet. There it was. Hidden beneath her mother's interference, planning and absolute certainty that she knew what her youngest daughter required better than Saelia herself did. Love. Saelia swallowed. "You could have asked."

The words were softer this time. Tavi had stopped playing. He sat on the dry platform watching her through the transparent partition. Saelia looked at him. Ten years old. Still very young for an Ussa. Born in her parents' home. Raised around voices she knew. Probably spoiled outrageously by her nieces and nephews. A piece of Aqald had crossed light-years to find her.
She looked down at the letter again. "Tavi."

The reaction was immediate. He bounced to his feet. "Oh, you know your name." An enthusiastic trill answered her. "Of course you do." Tavi launched himself into the shallow water, turned around and immediately climbed back onto the platform as though this demonstrated something important. Saelia stared. "I am beginning to understand why they sent you."

Tavi slapped both front feet against the transparent panel. "Yes. I understand that you're excited." Another trill. "I am considerably less certain how I feel about this arrangement." His markings brightened. Saelia tried not to smile.
Failed. It was only a small one. But Tavi apparently considered it sufficient encouragement. "All right."

She reached for the carrier release. "Come along, then." The door opened. Tavi did not cautiously emerge. He launched himself directly at her. Saelia barely managed to catch him. "Tavi!" Four webbed feet scrabbled for purchase against her uniform before he settled against her chest, nose immediately investigating her hair, her collar and apparently one lieutenant's pip. Saelia caught his front foot before it could dislodge it. "No." Tavi chirped. "That is not a toy."

He attempted to investigate it again. Saelia shifted him firmly beneath one arm. "We have known each other for less than five minutes." Tavi rested his chin against her shoulder. Saelia sighed. "This is going to be a very long relationship."
By the time they reached her quarters, Saelia had learned three things. Tavi disliked remaining in his carrier when there were interesting things happening outside it. He considered every passing person a potential friend. And he possessed absolutely no concept of personal space. The doors to Saelia's quarters opened.

She released him. That was her next mistake. Tavi entered at speed. He investigated the sitting room. The bedroom. The small kitchenette. The underside of a chair. The replicator. A storage compartment Saelia hadn't realised she'd left partially open. "Tavi." A turquoise head appeared. "Out." He emerged.

Saelia pointed toward the sitting area. Tavi trotted obediently in that direction. Saelia relaxed. Then realised he had something in his mouth. "Tavi."

He stopped. "What is that?" Tavi ran.

"Oh, for the love of Shrreewasa—" Saelia pursued him around the chair and recovered one of her writing instruments. She held it up. "This is mine." Tavi sat. His expression was astonishingly innocent.

Saelia pointed toward the collection of toys her parents had sent. "Those are yours." His head tilted. "Mine." She held up the writing instrument.

"Yours." She pointed at the toys. Tavi looked between them. Saelia had spent enough time around her parents' Ussa to recognise the expression. "I mean it." He chirped. She narrowed her eyes. "You understand far more than you're pretending to."

Then Tavi heard the water. He froze. Saelia watched his head turn. His entire body seemed to become alert at once. The immersion room. "Oh." Tavi looked at her. "No." He looked toward the doorway.

"Tavi." He moved. "Tavi, don't you—" He was already gone. Saelia followed. She reached the doorway just in time to see him launch himself from the edge. Splash. Water surged over the side. Saelia closed her eyes as droplets struck her face and uniform. Silence. Then she opened them. A turquoise blur streaked beneath the surface. Around once. Twice. Three times.
The faint cyan patterns along Tavi's body glowed more strongly underwater, tracing his movement through the pool as he twisted, rolled and propelled himself effortlessly with his tail.

Saelia's irritation lasted approximately four seconds. Tavi surfaced directly in front of her. His webbed front feet landed on the edge. He looked extraordinarily pleased with himself. For the first time since opening the transport container, Saelia laughed. Not the quiet, restrained laugh she generally allowed herself around colleagues. An actual laugh. "You are going to be trouble."

Tavi chirped. "I know exactly what Ussa are like. Do not think that expression will work on me." Tavi disappeared beneath the water. Saelia shook her head. Her mother had known exactly what she was doing. That thought was deeply irritating.

She returned to the living area and began gathering the things that had accompanied him. His food could go in the kitchenette. His medical information would need to be registered with the Chimera. She would need to determine who aboard ship was responsible for veterinary care when someone's companion happened to be an amphibious species from Aqald.

She needed to check regulations regarding companion animals. Ideally, she reflected, that last item should probably have occurred before releasing him. She would also need a sleeping area. Although, knowing Ussa, Tavi would probably decide for himself where he intended to sleep and merely permit Saelia to discover the answer later. She picked up the familiar blanket.

It smelled faintly of home. Saelia stopped. For just a moment she pressed the fabric between her fingers. Her parents' house. Her family. Aqald. The distance between there and the Chimera suddenly felt very large. A splash sounded from the immersion room. Saelia smiled. Perhaps slightly less large than it had an hour ago. She placed the blanket near the seating area and turned toward the shelf beside her desk. Stopped. Something was wrong. Saelia stared.

Her eyes moved slowly across the collection. Then back. One of her stones was missing. "No." She stepped closer. It had been there. She was certain. A smooth blue-green stone she had collected years ago, carefully positioned beside two others. Gone. Slowly, Saelia turned toward the immersion room. Tavi floated at the surface. Only his eyes and the top of his head were visible. Saelia stared at him. Tavi stared back. "Tavi."

He sank approximately three centimetres lower. Saelia walked toward the pool. "What do you have?" Tavi vanished. "Oh, no." She leaned over the edge. There, resting at the bottom of the pool, was her missing stone. And swimming triumphantly around it was Tavi. Saelia placed both hands on the edge. "Tavi." He collected the stone carefully in his mouth. "No."

He swam away. "Tavi." Faster. Saelia stared after him. Her mother's words returned to her. Let someone look after you for once. Tavi streaked past carrying stolen property. "Mother," Saelia murmured, "we are going to discuss your definition of looking after me."

A delighted trill travelled through the water. Saelia tried to remain annoyed. She really did. But standing in the quarters that had been silent only that morning, watching a turquoise Ussa from her parents' home joyfully commit theft in her immersion pool, she found herself smiling. Her quarters had been peaceful before. Quiet. Ordered. Comfortable. Over the short time she had been aboard the Chimera, she had begun arranging them into something that felt like hers. Her books. Her journals. Her stones. Her artwork. Her family photograph. Small pieces of Aqald placed carefully among Starfleet bulkheads. But perhaps there had still been something missing.

Saelia looked down into the water. Tavi had abandoned his escape and was now attempting to wedge the stolen stone into a corner that apparently constituted the beginning of his personal collection. Home had never been silent. There had always been voices. Family coming and going. Water moving. Meals being prepared. Someone laughing somewhere. Ussa underfoot—or underwater. Nieces and nephews appearing without warning. Life. Saelia had brought things from home with her. Her parents, apparently, had decided she needed something else. Something alive. Something troublesome.

Something that could love her back. Tavi surfaced. He placed both front feet against the edge and looked up at her. The stone remained firmly in his mouth. Saelia extended her hand. "Give." Tavi considered her request. Then deliberately dropped the stone back into the pool. Saelia closed her eyes. A delighted chirp followed. When she opened them, Tavi was waiting. "Fine." She began removing her uniform jacket. "You win."

Tavi disappeared beneath the water. Saelia's smile widened. Home had never been particularly quiet. And apparently, neither would this be.

OFF:

Lieutenant M'vatha Saelia Nura Wadtai
Chief Counsellor
USS Chimera

 

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