The crew ends up getting stuck on a Level 2 Deathworld and the Humans tame a few of the large omnivores and train them to be ridden. At least until rescue arrives.
"No you CAN'T bring it with, Humans!" -- Anon Guest
Over half of the plantlife was generically toxic. The other half had to be processed in order to be edible more than once[1]. The wildlife was neither shy nor retiring. So, of course, the Ships' Humans flakking loved it, there.
Humans. Place them in an area with unfamiliar and likely hostile wildlife, turn around for two seconds, they will have tamed something. Such was true of the Riding Hogs, so named on the Walks Like A Duck Principal[2]. Trying to tell the Humans that they were not pigs was a wasted effort. They were now and forever Riding Hogs.
They also had cute names, like "Snuffy" and "Twinkle". Much to the captain's regret. Calling a one point five sidu[3] creature with obvious fangs and a burning hatred in their eyes "Fluffy" was counter to so many sensibilities. Nevertheless, they were also majestically useful. The harvesting range of the gung-ho Humans expanded to an astonishing degree.
Which meant that they could arrange for a rescue all the sooner. Good news for the crashed ship and crew. Not such great news for the Ships' Humans.
Those were definite tears. Human Baz was actively sniveling as he clung to his Riding Hog, Snuffleupagus. "But Captain... they're family..."
Humanity got this far by spreading their pack-bonding all over the available landscape. They would befriend anything. Adopt any creature that looked weak and helpless enough.
"Baz," Captain Gorx sighed, already regretting her decision to let the Humans tame things. "They are far too big to take with us on the rescue ship."
Human Sam was trying to be tough, but her eyes were leaking. She had to clear her throat three times before she could put voice to the words. "We're coming back for the ship, right? So we can come back for them? Right?"
"Can you guarantee you know what they eat? What's a good diet for them? Can you guarantee that they will flourish in an artificial environment?"
One by one, the Humans' heads hung. Slowly, they removed collars, reins, saddles and accessories from their beloved pets and mounts. They knew the best decision for their new animal friends, but that didn't mean they had to like it.
Responsibility hurts, sometimes.
Then Captain Gorx made another decision she may regret for the rest of her days. "We can come back here. For shore leave."
Well, it cheered the Humans up.
[1] This is not taking into account the Deathworlder definitions of 'edible', in which the bar is at, "I outlive the time it would take to kill me so it's fine."
[2] If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, is amphibious like a duck, flies like a duck... you might as well call it a duck. We don't care if it's actually some kind of bat. Just look at all the birds that homesick expatriates named "Robins" in Australia.
[3] Sidu: Common pronounciation of SDU - the Standard Distance Unit. Roughly equivalent to a meter.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / AOosthuizen]
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