"W-what do you mean we have to stop?" Anya asked, her eternally melancholic face taking on a surprised expression. "Why?"

"We got word from Pony Express that we need to pick up another cargo on the way," Curly explained. "This is a special cargo, so yes, they're paying more. For once."

Jimmy didn't look too happy or too upset, but Daisuke really lit up. "Hurray~ we'll get more~~" He even did a little happy dance, making Anya chuckle and receiving a smooth slap on the back of his head from Swansea.

Several system hours later, Tulpar awkwardly anchored at the station. Several broad-shouldered porters dragged a load covered with a long dark cloth.

"Keep an eye on dat shit," one of them spat and instructed the captain. "It tends to go wild."

"Go wild?" The omnipresent Daisuke asked again, popping out of God knows where. "What do you mean? It's just a cargo. Swansey and I will load it into the cargo hold and that's it," he smiled, but the porter didn't smile back.

"This is a live specimen for the lab, you dunce," the man rumbled and sighed, patting the cargo. "Keep it in check. You can't even imagine how many zeros there were in the fine when the second one couldn't withstand transportation."

The cargo suddenly growled, and the man jerked his hand away, saving his fingers from the claws or whatever was under that cloth. Daisuke's eyes almost bulged out.

"I-it's alive?" He asked in a small and high-pitched voice.

A little later, the entire crew stood in the common room and tried to figure out what to do with the growling cargo that was trying to attack the fingers of everyone who tried to pick up the cage to move it.

"I'm not dragging this crap anywhere, I value my fingers!" Swansea flared up, but shut up under the captain's gaze.

"But we can't leave this here either", he noted. And everyone had to agree.

"M-maybe we can put the cage in my r- I mean, in the medbay?" Anya said softly. "We were told to monitor its condition, after all."

"What a brilliant idea," Jimmy quipped, but Daisuke interrupted him. "Yes, yes!! Anya, you're a genius!!!"

The three men (and Daisuke as the moral support) dragged the kicking creature in the cage into the medical bay to place it against the far wall. The trashing being made the cloth fall off, and the whole crew gasped. Anya was scared, Jimmy and Swansea grimaced in disgust, Curly was surprised, and Datske... almost jumped into Swansea's arms, squealing.

"And THIS is our cargo?" Jimmy wrinkled his nose, pointing a finger at the caged specimen. "For the sake of this... this... thing, we must exceed the permissible load values??"

"Since when did you start caring about rules..." Anya thought, but politely kept silent. "We cannot disobey our superiors, though..."

Blinded by the light, the creature growled and backed away. Unfortunately, Jimmy's finger was within reach of its teeth, and it did not hesitate to bite it. Jimmy retreated with a howl.

"HAAAA! You deserved that!" Daisuke quipped cheerfully, already forgetting that he was scared shitless just a second ago. "Deserved~ deserv- ow! OW! OWW!!" He yelped when Swansea yanked him by the ear and dragged out of the room, grumbling something suspiciously similar to "stupid kid". Jimmy gave him a hateful look.

"I don't want to keep this filth company," he "accidentally" looked at Anya as he said these words before leaving. Poor nurse gulped, unsure if it was about her or about the creature. Curly hurried away after him, awkwardly saying something along the lines of "I need to contact our management." Anya was left alone with the creature, already regretting that she had suggested keeping it here. But our worst moments don't define us as monsters... right? Right?

"H-hey there, uhh," she talked softly, nearing the cage. Her slender hands were shaking a bit. "I'll be taking care of you for a while... P-please be a good girl or boy and don't bite me..."