Archive of Our Own ^beta

They were wandering through the wilderness in the general direction of the ship when Captain Dave suddenly stopped dead on his track and pointed to the ground:

- Look! A fat snake!

Parvati considered the creature cautiously, and then the captain - with even more caution:

- That would be a leather boa, mister.

Dave shook his head.

- 'tis a fat snake!

Parvati braced herself for yet another pointless discussion:

- Okay, a fat snake. Must have escaped the farm. They're endemic to Halcyon, were bred by the Board in order to get more snake skins for their fancy haberdashery. It's harmless, sir, and rather helpless without the farmers...

Dave, who was studying the reptile carefully, turned to her - and the mechanic could swear she could see little stars in his eyes:

- A perfect pet!

She didn't have time to argue for he got down on his knees, took the boa from the ground, got up again and continued walking towards the Unreliable, spring in his step.

The vicar wasn't particularly surprised by the new addition to the team. 

- Isn't that how we got on the ship as well? - was all he said.

Parvati still couldn't quite process that. Yes, leather boa were harmless but they were still snakes. 

- Maybe you should consult with your scientist friend about it, sir, - she suggested weakly.

- YES! Parvati, you're a genius! - Dave was beaming. - ADA, set course for Phineas' Lab!

The man behind the glass was old. Older even than the oldest people in Edgewater. It could be, Parvati was sure, that he was older than fifty. Noone she knew had lived for that long. He must be so wise and experienced...

- Dave! Oh, how happy I am to see you, my friend! How can I help you today? - huh. Even wise scientists are not resistant to the Captain's charm. Go figure.

- Phineas! Look what we found! - Dave was holding his treasure in outstretched hands. - It's Fat Snake! Can I keep her?

Phineas tilted his head to one side.

- I do not see why not, my friend. Where did you acquire this lovely animal?

- Near Edgewater. Parvati says the Board breeds them for leather, - he clutched the thing to his chest tightly, as if trying to protect it from the Board. - She's as much of a victim as all of us!

Phineas laughed, not unkindly.

- I guess she is. 

- Sir, please tell the Captain it might be dangerous! - Parvati pleaded. - He won't listen to me!

The scientist turned to her.

- I doubt any creature in this system is capable of hurting our mutual friend, miss Holcomb. The ones who are sustainable to his bullets will fall to his irresistible charm. We all have little choice here - either to love him or to perish... - his own words made the man blush slightly. Parvati chuckled:

- I guess the beast will have to accept that as well. Hey Cap, did you decide what to call it?

Dave looked up from the snake in his hands:

- That's actually why we came here, Phineas. D'you have any ideas?

Phineas thought for a moment.

- How about Echidna? It was the name of a mythical snake several millennia ago, quite catchy, what do you think?

He breathed on the glass to make it less opaque and wrote the name on it with his finger. Dave looked at the name, lips moving silently, as if trying to memorize the spelling.

- Well... Congratulations, Fat Snake! You got yourself a fancy name from the smartest man in the universe himself!

Phineas just laughed.