Waterpup

A pure fractal made in Apophysis 2.09, mirrored and overlaid upon itself

“Almira, how did you know?”

“Look, Ben, unlike a lot of the people who stress you, I actually pay attention and study.”

The above creature is colloquially called a “Waterpup,” because it has that kind of cuteness to the human mind even though it is certainly not a puppy. It is an amphibious flying fish from Sarhat 6 who quite to the surprise of scientists can live in Earth's fresh water, nourished by Earth's yellow star.

Of course, Uncle Benjamin also liked to refer to them as “Water Wolves,” because they are voracious hunters of flies and mosquitoes, while having no desire for bees and beetles. They know their prey by note of buzz, and have adapted to Earth's analogs to their usual prey back home. They like to get up in plants around their pond or pool and launch themselves in the air and back into the pool, prey in mouth.

When not hunting, Waterpups like to play with each other in their environment, and can be playful with gentle humanoids as well. They will also use a very still person as a perch to hunt. One of them took a liking to the height of Uncle Benjamin's shoulder while seated, and he, waking up to the little creature flying and hopping up his arm, smiled and just watched the action close up … again, and again.

“It takes nerves of steel, man – how are you just letting that thing be all over you?” a neighbor said while passing by.

“I find Water Wolves fascinating,” my uncle said. “Their eyesight and internal gimbaling in the air would make a fabulous adaptation for aerospace although building a vessel with human tolerance that can do some of the things they do will take a younger and more brilliant mind than mine. And the other thing is, it's a Water Wolf, not a puppy. You really don't want to startle one like that.”

Not everyone on Earth can be certified for a domestic Waterpup; you do need to know what you are doing, because mishandling a Waterpup is an invitation to have it defend itself by releasing a sticky acid solution that is hard to wash off without taking your skin with it. The neighbor actually wasn't wrong – it does take a certain kind of courage and care and understanding to have Waterpups as a pet.

When my uncle was a young science officer, one of his assignments was the study of Waterpups in Earth's environment, but when the study was over, his ship could not get back to Sarhat 6 owing to other duties for some time, so, the study continued for some additional time, and all the foundational information that humanity has about these creatures really came from that extended study. The Lt. Banneker of those days was a consummate professional as the admiral still is in his limited work 80 years later; no hint to his affection for the creatures can be detected except in his environmental recommendations. He wrote especially about their beauty, about human tendencies with puppies through known history, and the ways best treatment for Waterpups would differ for their longevity as well as their human safety.

Capt. Almira Banneker-Jackson, my Aunt Almira, was looking for a way to cheer her husband up after the incident with Cousin Bruno and his friends, read all that and said, “Aw, he loved those Waterpups,” and went and licensed a half-dozen with the appropriate open aquarium system for them. They were in place the day before Uncle Benjamin got home, and he enjoyed them very much in the last two weeks before his re-deployment.

“See, now you can call home and say, 'How is my wife and how are my wolves?' and keep folks guessing about who that mild-mannered admiral really is,” Aunt Almira said.

“That does hit different than 'How are the puppies?'” he said as he cracked up, “although really, as too many people ought to know, the wolves are not the biggest threat – they ought to be staring because I'm married to Action Jackson!”

“Well, you know, that too, but, let 'em up easy, Ben, let 'em up easy.”

The Waterpups were among Uncle Benjamin's favorites of Action Jackson's Greatest Hits … and he did love leaving doors strategically cracked open and letting certain people hear “How is my wife and how are my wolves?” from time to time!