A goat loose on a spaceship, stealing tools from an unsuspecting crew member — that's the kind of detail I never expected to write when I started the Flyght Series. But once I decided Vivian's ship, the Amagi, needed animals on board, things got wonderfully chaotic. Because let's be honest: animals make everything better, including sci-fi romance. (See also: the cattle on Serenity, the tribbles on the Enterprise.)
I gave the topic some real thought and then polled my awesome friends on Facebook for inspiration. Here are the five animals that made the cut — and why they earned their place on the ship.
1. Chickens and Ducks – Birds seemed like the obvious choice as our top pick. Chickens and geese, when not too stressed, will lay eggs, offering an easy protein source. Of course, those eggs will end up on the inside of the cargo bay should things go a little crazy. Chickens and ducks can also be slaughtered for meat if life gets rough. (Note: the harming of animals does not occur in the Flyght Series.) Plus, these birds are just cute when they get out of the cargo bay and find themselves roaming in the darnedest of places.
2. Sheep and Goats – When considering slightly larger farm animals, I skipped pigs and went straight to sheep and goats. First, sheep and goats can provide milk if you purchase female ones who had babies recently. They also can provide wool for yarn or barter. They are also food sources should things get rough. The only problem with goats is that they’ll eat just about anything! Sally, the goat, is often seen running through the ship having stolen something from poor Carlos.
3. Rabbits/Bunnies – These furry little creatures are great additions to a spaceship! Not only are they adorable, but if you choose the right breed, you can trim them for their hair and make yarn. Have you ever seen a mohair rabbit? OMG, PURE FLUFF. In general, rabbits and bunnies don’t take up much space and they’re fairly easy to take care of. Easy peasy.
4. Fish – Assuming you’re not going to worry too much about the mass of water moving around in star flight (let’s wave our hand and pretend it’s all good), fish are an easy animal to care for. In Vivian’s case, she uses the fish in her aquaponics setup to keep her plants fertilized and the fish fed and the oxygen/carbon dioxide cycle moving. There’s a great scene in one of the books concerning the fish, but I don’t want to spoil that! Let’s just say that they come in VERY HANDY.
5. Cats and Dogs – And obviously, if you are a person who has pets, you’ll totally want to take your canine or feline friends along with you. Vivian’s dog, Frogger, is a constant, easy companion on the ship. Skylar, Vivian’s cousin and pilot of the Amagi, is a cat lover, though she doesn’t have a cat in this series (she will when she stars in her own series that’s upcoming). Cats and dogs can play a vital role in intruder detection or just sussing out whether a person is good or bad. They have instincts that are always worth listening to.
Not to forget that a lot of these animals can be trained to do their business in designated areas (easy cleanup) and several of them have the perfect poop for fertilizing plants! A very important thing since that’s what Vivian does throughout the series.
So, all in all, maybe it’s not a good time to choose something big like cattle or elephants for your spaceship! Hopefully these are all better choices. Want more to read on this subject? Here are some links for you to check out!
And Space Farming: The Final Frontier – https://modernfarmer.com/2013/09/starship-salad-bar
He took her money, her empire, her future.
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