Ducks in a row

Posted on 03 Feb 2025 @ 12:12pm by Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Edited on 03 Feb 2025 @ 2:13pm

1,079 words; about a 5 minute read

2387 - Starfleet Academy

Sera sat on the bench Viruk had designated as their meeting point today. The weather, if one could call it such, was again...grey. At least there was no precipitation currently. The water feature in front of her, a 'pond' as it was called in the human language, appeared flat and reflected the dull skies. It was grey on grey on grey.

Although illogical, Sera missed her home. The warmth, the desert tones...the language, the food, the culture...just about everything was different here. It had been a far more difficult transition than she had ever considered coming to Earth to study.

A repetitive sound was able to get through her inner musings, and Sera looked about to find the source of the commotion. Coming towards her on little yellow legs was a feathered creature. It waddled right up to her feet, repeating its call, and began to nip at edge of her boot. It looked up at her, quacked, and bit at her foot covering a number of times. It was an unusual exchange. Sera stood, and the small bird turned and waddled a few steps and then turned around and began its vocalizations again. Although she was uncertain, it appeared that the animal was requesting assistance of some kind, so Sera took a few steps towards the bird, and it turned and started to waddle away from the bench.

Sera followed the bird, and it would continue to stop and look behind to ensure that she was still there. They walked some ways and Sera saw a number of small, fluffy balls huddled together. The bird's offspring, perhaps?

The little creatures made peeping noises, the larger bird quacked repeatedly in reply, and Sera looked about to see what the issue was. Echoing peeps were heard from a different angle, and she looked around and found a large grate covering some sort of drain. Down in the murky water bobbed a number of small birds, separated by distance and a grate from its mother.

"Ah." Sera said as she recognized what the problem was. "You have lost some of your children Lady Duck." She said to the subtly colored bird covered in mottled brown plumage with darker markings shot through the patterning.

Considering how best to approach the problem, Sera crouched down and reached into the grating and pulled it up and set it aside. The distance was too great for her to reach down and pluck up the bobbing ducklings, so she divested her boots and socks and--hoping the water within was not too deep--eased her way down into the drain.

The water was chilled, and caused an involuntary shudder to course through her. Her bare feet hit bottom, and the water lapped at her knees. Once inside, the peeping increased in intensity, and Sera bent down and began to scoop up the small ducklings and placed them into the grass next to their mother who was currently watching her with an unblinking gaze. It didn't take very long to complete her task, and Sera pulled herself out of the drain and replaced the grate.

The ducks surrounded her, quacking and peeping and making a general racket overall for a moment before the mother duck took off at a waddle towards the pond edge. Her offspring followed in a single line until they all had hopped into the water. They swam towards another duck who sported a glossy, iridescent green head, a white neck ring, a chestnut-brown breast, a mostly gray body, and a bright yellow bill. The male, perhaps? A boisterous reunion then took place.

Sera stood for a moment in the wet grass, barefoot and shivering softly as she took in the site of the birds gliding effortlessly on the water as it appeared that everything was again 'right' with their world.

Closing steps coming from behind her broke the moment. Sera turned and saw Viruk walking towards her and she quickly bent to retrieve her footwear, throwing her socks on her muddied feet and zipping her boots back up.

"Why are you dirty?"

"I was assisting a family of...ducks, I believe they are called." Sera responded hesitantly, not knowing how her mate would react to the answer.

Viruk looked from his young wife out to the pond to the small grouping of birds bobbing along the water and blew air out of his nostrils in a huff.

"You will return to the dorms. I will not allow you to accompany me looking...like that."

Sera looked down, realizing that her pants were coated in scum and mud and that there were a number of smudges along her clothing from her activities in the drain. "I can be expedient. I would find it agreeable to accompany you."

Kroy-kah. Viruk responded emphatically, cutting off any further negotiation. Sera dipped her head in acquiescence. "Obey me, wife."

"Of course, Viruk. I will return to the dorms and await your return." She responded immediately, not wanting to be a source of ongoing acrimony. It did appear that she repeatedly engaged in a statistically significant amount of actions to have caused perturbation of her mate. Although she did not like to think in absolutes, it appeared that nothing she did was acceptable to him.

He said nothing more but walked away, heading off to to the pre-arranged engagement without his mate in tow.

Sera watched him go, and her shoulders slumped unconsciously. This was his idea, going to Starfleet Academy. She had somehow managed to make it happen, and in doing so attempted to take a few steps of her own choosing in her highly regimented life. In the moment though, it all felt like a monumental mistake. Viruk was as much a stranger as every other person on this disagreeable planet.

The cacophony of quacks and peeps began to invade her consciousness as Sera was drawn back to the present. The ducks were back, surrounding her and looking up expectantly. She crouched down and the parents walked closer even as uncertainty was clear in their eyes. Placing her hands out, palms up, the two came close and began to nibble lightly on her outstretched fingers, a preening motion...a gesture of thanks.

Sera's closed off expression softened as she looked down at the gratified birds. "You are most welcome. I come to serve."

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