..no..sadly. From what i was told, they  catputred  a  nest of them.. and sould of the HAtchlings... Gorgo was the only one left  and   our People Aquired him... I wanted  a dog, at first.. but i have no complains as of now.

"It's strange how our companions acquire us. Mila was originally working with a former student and old friend of mine, who was killed in space. She barely survived, crammed in her space kennel, and, well, I took her in. Got curious about the linkages and settled down to understand what was going on, and now we seem to be making a pretty good team. It's not what I came here to do - as a xenobiologist I wanted to study the flora and fauna out here in the black - but it's certainly proving interesting."

Henry paused to throw a stick for Mila. For all her intelligence and other abilities, she still enjoyed being a dog at times!

  With Mila  chasing the  stick from one of the trees,  Gorgo  landed on the roof of  one of the barns, its  head  still  as its  eyes  watched  for  prey...

 ..it will be interesting to see   if  we get to take Gorgo  on  the surface... he  would enjoy  hunting   for real, i am sure... it would also be a good test  to see if  i could get him back!

"Yes, we'll have to try that. Well away from people who might get spooked at the sight of him."

Henry saw a rat stick its nose out from under the barn and wondered how long it would take Gorgo to spot it.

   Gorgo's head   went up slowly.. Like a  Cobra  ready to strike ...  its  wings  opened    as  he  shot  down  from the  Barn  and Hit  someign   close to the water  tanks, it   rosde in the air  with a bigger  Rat..this one looked   like a baby Stem rat...He sat  on the roof ,  Takign out  , mini larry sized  bites...

"Impressive," said Henry, who'd recorded the strike.

  The  Creature   flew    down    to   nestle  on  Nina's  shoudler.....they do  not like to  be on the rgound, too many  creatrues  can strike at them. beofre they can fly... they like having the Upper  hand...

 she looks around,what should  we  do next?

"How is Gordo with crowds? The Rec Dec is a good place to meet people, but might be a bit crowded and noisy for him." said Henry.

  She Looks  at   Gorgo for a long Moment..we  could try.. see  what  Happens.....  Gorgo Lowered  his  head  and wrapped his   tail around her.

"We can swing by the lab, see if the anti-venom is ready first, if you are nevous about him. There's no rush to take him there, if you think he'd be better getting used to people in smaller groups first," said Henry.

Heck, it had taken him long enough to feel comfortable in the crowded and often rowdy environment of the Rec Dec.

   Nina  turned to walk with  Henry,..I Think we  can go..if  someone gets bitten, you'll have the   anti-venom  sent to meet us ay Med tech...  I am eager to see how he hadled  crowds  of people who aren't wearing LAb coats


>>>>>>   to where Henry Leads....

"They are used to Mila and I wandering around, but then dogs as companion animals are more familiar. Fewer people keep snakes as pets, let alone as working animals. So, let's try it..."

-> Rec Dec

Haley was with Toni and her father down on the farm area.  There were a couple of other kids as well from the school.  She placed her things near where Tonis were and set about helping tend the animals and the crops, especially the newly planted small patch of the purple melons..  She also went and fed the goats and even milked a few.

   News  arounf the  farm was , some lady with a flying Snake was here  and  it  ate  to stem rats.

  The  Nivarian  melons  were growing    pretty well, they would be  bushes , Unlike the  Delta   Trees.

   Some  folks were leaving from thier  shift..others  were just coming in

<=== Officers Quarters

Haley was surprised to hear of a flying snake.  She knew no Earth snake flew...slither jump from trees maybe, but not actually fly.  She asked if it was poisonous to someone who mentioned it.  Other than that after taking time to check the plants she continued helping as she could.  Even trying to make friends with a mean kitty.  She felt sad as he didn't seem to have any friends.  To Haley that was one of the saddest things, to not have friends.  She knew it would take time but she was determined to win the creature over.  He was handsome, mostly black with white paws and wide white triangle on his chest and small white dot on the left of that on his left.  Looked like he was in a tuxedo with a hankie in a pocket.  She like him as well as he had longer hair than most and made him look larger.

Nikki arrived and picked up Haleys things as she wandered about looking for her.  She checked with Tonis father on the melons and talked a few minutes and made sure he got his fair share of the creds she had sold the seeds too, and thanked him for the connections.  Toni wandered to find Haley as Nikki chatted with her father.  in reality Nikki was lightly scamming for info on the farm system on Fuji, such as where farmers go leaving there.  like to what colonies were most popular and such.  Who to check with about getting part of a piece of land, etc.  the whole process.  after all Anything could happen and if she was injured, she'd need a fall back career was her cover.

Eventually Toni returned with Haley.  hugging they waved and left.
"Hungey..I'm starved" which was true.  she sorta missed lunch.
"Yeah"
"Growing girl needs food.  How about beef and noodles...like chinese food?"
"Hmmm...okay if it's not too spicy"
"Okay.  Beef and broccoli over noodles, with the crunchy noodles on top.  side of carrots maybe?  something orange for color."
"Sounds yummy"

She continued getting on the lift
====> to RecDec

The lift took Toni, Haley, and Roll to the lower section and the farm.  It was still a bit of a mess from the attack, but a lot of it was now fixed, only a few of the smaller animals were not caught or corralled yet, like a few baby chicks and a small piglet like critter.  The latter they hoped it would be caught soon as it had gotten into a few crops and spooked atleast 2 cows just since morning.
Various animal sounds could be hears such as the mooing, clucking, and even off in the distance a death squeal of an unwanted pest killed by one of the cats, now bringing it back as a trophy.
"This is where Toni and her dad work.  I get to help, and play here" She moved over to the small cubby where some people put their change of clothes and such and put her school things there.  "I like working in the barn area where the kitties and chicks are.  I help the ladies with gettin' eggs and play with the baby goats" she pointed off a bit and indeed there were at the moment 3 baby goats bouncing and running amouk playing.  Their bleats getting louder "Careful with the black one with the white head...he likes to jump on you and knock you down.  His way of playin'" indeed that one could be seen jumping up on an unrepaired part of the fence "Big thing to be careful of...if the critter is bigger than you, don't walk behind it.  Some kick and that can really hurt.  And it can be ...messy as they poop a lot" she tugged him along to the barn part.  She would just out of being exuberance teach him how to pet a horse, well pony, and some of the other animals and show her some of the plants as well.  of that she showed him her very own purple Nivarian Melon.  She showed Roll how to help take care of it and a few other plants, as well as how to get a hen to move to get an egg.  She was having fun showing Roll the farm.

 Roll looked  around at the   'staked  trays' of  crops... the aniamls..the sounds.. he didn't like the smell all that well, it reminded him of the lower  tunnels in the Lowers., that drained  from thier farms.

 ..I don't know much   animals...cept  Stem Rats... which one   can eat you?

Haley went through each animal type she knew.  What they do, and which ones might bite.  None as far as she knew would 'eat' any one unless the thing was sick or very very hungry.  Some might scratch too, but mostly to defend themselves.  a baby goat wandered over, this one a caramel and white one.  she held still for Haley to get close and she held it gently so Roll could pet it.

  Roll  bent over to look at it... he  reached a tenitive hand  to  pet it on its  noggin.whoa.... and they  say aliens  are weird looking.....

 what planet  do they come from?

"Earth...where I was borned.  This is a baby goat, her name is Henrietta.  They will get a little bigger when they get fully growed.  They mostly eat grasses, leaves, and foor pellets.  Henrietta is real friendly,  Buck...thats the black one I warned you about likes to use his head and butt people a lot.  He don't mean any harm, to him it's playin'.  He just don't know how strong he is sometimes and how liddle we are" she said scratching behind Henriettas ear.  "Goats are some of my favorite animals.  lotsa times we had goats and we'd get fresh milk, If they get shaved then we helped mama make thier shaggy fur into wool to sell.  And when they died or we needed to they were killed for meat so we could eat.  My real papaw told us not to get too friendly with animals, it would make it harder if we needed to do that."  Henrietta gave out a bleat.  "I know Toni and her father said rats get aboard sometimes.  that is why the cats are important,  have you seen one of those?"

  The  was a firm shake of his head,..nope? Just Stem rats.. some of them are bigger then the goat...

  ..they pick the food  pretty fast?... I wonder how long it takes to grow   , for ral. on a planet?

She let Henrietta go and began leading Roll to the big barn area.  "I don't know.  they can get a bit big on Earth but not as big as a goat.  Maybe as long as my arm, tail with it.  There are other animals too" about that time the old grumpy mean cat came out of the barn, he sported a lot of scars.  "Well...thats a cat.  I am not sure what his name is but I think he is the oldest one.  kind a like a grumpy grandpa.  Now they can bite you, they got teeth.  All four legs gots claws that can hurt too.  On Earth they catch mice and rats, sometimes birds and fishies.  Lots of people keep them as pets.  they can be friendly and purr if you pet them right" A rather plump younger kitty sat near the door licking her paw and cleaning her whiskers.  She was mostly white with patches that had faded silver and red toned stripes on her with a bright silvery tail.  as the little kids approached she made a low sweet mewing noise.  Haley could see she was getting fat with lots of boobies, she was gonna have babies.  Haley smiled  "That one is gonna be a mama soon" She moved to the side and grabbed a bit of goat feed.  It was kinda soft and a lot of animals ate it, including some of the cats.  She then went to the barn door and sat leaning on it.  she motioned Roll to do the same.  once sitting she gave him some feed.  "Trick for cats is not to chase them, let them think they got the idea to come to you" a few pieces of feed she flicked towards the mama kitty.  Seeing the movement she went and investigated, sniffing she pawed it then ate to 3 or so pieces there.  Haley then threw out another a bit closer to them.  the kitty moved closer. then another repeat. until finally the mama kitty was at their feet.  "Don't make fast moves, she'll scamper away." Haley then let her hand down and motioned for Roll to do so as well and let a bit of feed fall out and now eating for several the mama was happy for a treat.  Soon she was eating a bit out of both hands.  Whiskers tickling slightly.  Haley gently let Roll feel the kitties soft fur, and even hear her purring.  then slow and gentle Haley showed Roll how to pet the skittish cat.  its head rolled in delight at the touching.  Since Haley had been at the farm before her scent was familiar.  She decided to explore the other one and  it began sniffing Roll over.  Eventually being brave to jump in his lap.  She climbed a bit on him, atleast to let her nose touch his.  "I think she likes you"

  Roll   pets the  Cat with his fingers,  his arm up in the  air like he thinks  it will explode.

 ..maybe  she's  sniffing me  to eat!.... he     looked at the creature  a bit. It was plain it  would  take a bit for him to get used to beasties.

"No...more than likely seeing if you have more food or are a threat to her or her babies" she scratched her head a moment "Not too sure if it's true or not, but My real momma told me that if you look a cat in the eyes and blink slowly that it means you like them and if they blink slowly at you they like you" She said to Roll as they pet the little mama to be.
The little mama prodded at one of his hands and rubbed her ears against it.

 Roll   rubs her  head  slowly,..they had    cats  on Etna. Mostly  in the Uppers  and Lowers... not too many animals in the Stem.. the Stem  rats would  eat them.


 ..  Sometimes  i miss when  me and the tohers   were in the stem?.. we   were all together?... now I only see them a little bit..