Star Cat: Training Day: A Space Opera Fantasy

by Andrew Mackay

  The creature crept into Jaycee’s view. His toes swiveled to the left and locked onto the approaching beast.

  “If you don’t get out of there, you will sink,” Wool said.

  “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  Jelly gripped the side of the cage with her gloves and pulled herself in. Her breath fogged up the visor as the alarm on her oxygen cylinders sounded off.

  “Miew.”

  “Ugh,” Jaycee gripped his left knee and tried to swim with his right. The octopus pulled two of its legs back and prepared to stab Jaycee in the face.

  He raised his eyebrows and took in the sheer ugliness of the creature. “Damn. You’re one ugly sonofabitch.”

  “Meow,” Jelly screamed and partially covered her visor with her arms from within her cage.

  BLAMMMM-SCHPLATT!

  The bullets fired out and smashed into the creature’s eye. It exploded into a thousand, gloopy pieces which smothered the water.

  Bonnie counted down, “Ten, nine, eight.”

  Jaycee kept an eye on Jelly as he waded towards his crane, “Bonnie. She’s in the crane, lift her up, quick.”

  “Confirming elevation. Please standby.”

  WHIRRRR.

  The cage slammed shut and locked Jelly inside. She clawed at the yellow bars in a state of wild hysteria.

  “Meow—”

  Her shrieks were cut off as the light from the ceiling of the training facility flooded her visor. The water fountained out through the bars, slowly resting her to the bottom of the cage as it exited the water.

  CLANG-CLANG-CLANG.

  She raced around the bars and attacked them, trying to set herself free.

  Jaycee reached his cage too late. The oxygen canisters on his back fizzed to a halt. He took a deep breath, grabbed the frame of the cage door and hoisted himself in.

  “I’m in. Go ahead with elevation.”

  “Commencing elevation,” Wool said. “Conserve your oxygen, Jaycee. The decompression only lasts a second as we pull you topside.”

  The crane whirred to life. The jaws pulled the cage up from the water very slowly. Jaycee’s heart pounding against his ribcage. The sweat poured from his face and threatened to fill his visor.

  “I c-can’t breathe—” he mouthed in pain.

  “—Jaycee, thirty more seconds. Keep it held. We’ll get you out of there,” Bonnie said.

  Jelly’s crane lowered her cage to the ground. The bolts on the door snapped open and released her.

  She flew out of the cage in an apoplectic state.

  Jamie and Emily ran out from the control room and tried to approach her.

  “Hey, girl. You made it—”

  “—Hisss,” Jelly hopped into the air and tried to attack her submersible suit. She tumbled onto her back and scratched at her legs. Her infinity claws dug through the fabric in her leggings.

  Jamie raised his eyebrows in wonder at her claws, “Wow. I can’t believe the gloves survived those claws.”

  “Meow,” she shrieked as she rolled over onto her side and scraped her visor with her paws.

  “Someone get her out of that suit,” Emily said. “Look at her, she’s going mad.”

  “Mwaaahh,” Jelly wailed, not quite knowing what to do with herself. She found the experience extremely unnerving.

  SLAMMM!

  Jaycee’s cage slammed to the ground. A torrent of water splashed across the ground and underneath Jelly’s suit.

  She sprang to her feet and backed up in a state of hysteria.

  Bonnie ran out from the control room and made straight for Jaycee, who lay, unconscious, in the center of his cage.

  Wool came out after her with her screen in her hands, “Whitaker, what have you done?”

  “Shut up,” Bonnie fell to her knees and slid up to Jaycee’s cage, “Damn it, Wool. He’s passed out. Open his visor, now.”

  “Yeah, and whose fault is that?” Wool pushed a slider on her screen. Jaycee’s visor glowed underneath her fingertip.

  Bonnie slid her hand under Jaycee’s head and lifted it a few inches. His visor snapped up over his blue, gaunt face.

  “He’s taken water in,” Bonnie pinched his mouth open and planted her lips on his. She blew into his lungs and pressed down on his chest.

  She applied pressure on his chest and thumped down onto his ribcage with both hands, “Damn it, Jaycee. Wake up.”

  Jelly’s suit unfastened.

  The material loosened its grip on all four of her legs, and body. The helmet unlatched around her neck and toppled to the floor.

  “Meow.”

  Jamie lifted Jelly out of the suit and plonked her to the ground, “Hey girl. It’s okay. Calm down.”

  The telescope necklace hung down Jelly’s front as she acclimatized herself to being on solid land, “Hissss—”

  She spun around on all fours and showed Jamie her ass, before bolting over to Jaycee and Bonnie.

  “What’s she doing now?” Emily asked.

  Wool scanned her screen and found that she didn’t have an answer, “I’m not sure.”

  Jelly arrived at Jaycee’s lifeless face and sniffed around with great determination.

  Bonnie prepared to give him the kiss of life once again, “Not now, you stupid cat.”

  Jelly scowled at her, “Hisss.”

  Bonnie made eye contact with Jelly and gasped. It was as if the cat was accusing her of what happened to the man. Of course, it might have all been in her mind.

  “It—it wasn’t my fault. Don’t l-look at me like that,” Bonnie moved her lips back to Jaycee’s and blew into his mouth.

  “Meow.”

  Bonnie returned to Jaycee’s chest applied more pressure with her hands, “Come on, Nayall. Stop messing around.”

  SWIPE!

  Emily, Jamie, and Wool watched on in awe as Jelly clawed at Bonnie’s arm.

  “Hey, what are you—”

  “—Hisss.”

  Jelly rammed her head into Bonnie’s side, almost knocking her over.

  “Can someone get this ball of fluff away from me?”

  “Meow.”

  Jelly launched into the air, pushed Bonnie out of her way and landed paws-first on Jaycee’s chest. She trundled up the length of his exo-suit to his neck and explored his face with her nose.

  “Meow.”

  “Did she just push her away?” Wool whispered, lost in a miasma of befuddlement.

  Bonnie kicked herself back, trying to get away from the angry feline poking its nose around Jaycee’s face, “My God. What is she doing?”

  Hesitantly, Jelly waved her gloved claws around his closed eyes and investigated his face.

  “Miew.”

  Jamie approached Jelly with his arms out, offering a truce, “Hey, girl. You have to get off him.”

  Jelly threw Jamie a dirty look and raised her titanium claws hung above Jaycee’s face, “Meow.”

  “No, girl. Don’t.”

  “Jamie, get back,” Emily grabbed the back of his shirt to prevent him from getting any closer, “Poppet, don’t go near her.”

  “It’s okay, mom,” Jamie turned to the cat and hoped, above hope, she’d climb off and allow Bonnie to resuscitate him.

  Jelly raised her claws higher, threatening Jamie, “Meow.”

  “Jelly, you have to—”

  “—Hissss.”

  He jumped back in fright. This was one seriously pissed off pussy.

  Jelly turned to Jaycee and dug her claws in his collar. She spread her hind legs out across his chest and pushed her behind into the air.

  “Meow.”

  DIG.

  Her back feet pounded onto his chest and delivered a violent swipe across the side of his head.

  BLOOAARRGGHHH!

  Jaycee’s mouth snapped open and released a jet of dark water into Jelly’s face. The force of the blast pushed Jelly off his chest and sent her hurtling to the ground.

  “Gaaaaaahh,” Jaycee clutched his neck and caught his breat
h. He slammed the back of his feet onto the ground, accidentally firing off a few bullets at the crane looming above them.

  BAM-BAM-SNAP-CRUNCH!

  The bullets tore through the metal of the gantry and the scaffolding holding the crane into place.

  “Jesus Christ,” Bonnie scrambled to her knees, placed the soles of her boots against the collapsing gantry and kicked herself across the wet floor.

  She flung her arms out and turned onto her knees, sliding towards Jaycee.

  “Quick, move,” she screamed as she clutched Jaycee’s shoulders.

  GROOOAAAAANNN.

  The crane subsided over Jaycee’s face. The shadow of the metal crept along his chest and face.

  “Oh, God,” Emily gripped Jamie’s shoulders and looked away in horror.

  “Mom!”

  The crane screamed toward Bonnie and Jaycee. She grabbed his shoulders and slid across the watery surface, “Go, go.”

  Her boot skidded across the ground. The lack of friction on the floor couldn’t save her.

  Jelly bolted towards Jaycee and kicked him up the ass. It was enough to shuffle him to the side.

  GROOOAAAANN-CRAAA-AASHH!

  Jaycee rolled onto his side, narrowly avoiding the impact of the falling crane.

  Jelly darted away from the falling structure.

  Bonnie wasn’t as lucky. The crane slammed down on her left leg, trapping her underneath the structure.

  “Nggggg,” she wailed and dug her elbows into the ground, “Help me. My leg.”

  Jaycee unhooked Jelly from his chest and set her to the ground

  Jaycee walked behind Bonnie, “I got you. Don’t go anywhere.”

  “Just leave her there,” Wool scooped Jelly into her arms, “She nearly killed both of you.”

  “Ugh, ugh, I wasn’t planning to leave her,” Jaycee hooked his arms under Bonnie’s armpits and prepared to pull her away from the wreckage, “On three. One, two, three—”

  “—Do it,” Bonnie shrieked.

  Wool , Emily, Jamie, and Jelly watched on as Jaycee took a few steps back. Most of Bonnie’s body went back with him - except for her left leg.

  The wires and connectors burst out and sparked as her groin moved away from the cylindrical magnet at her waist. Fortunately for Bonnie, only her prosthetic leg was damaged. The rest of her body had escaped, unscathed.

  Jelly licked her lips, reminded of a previous event.

  “Ugghhh,” Bonnie squealed. “Not again.”

  Emily’s jaw hit the floor, “My God. These people are insane.”

  “No, mom. Remember? It’s like a false robot leg.”

  Jaycee lifted Bonnie away and set her down to the ground, minus her left leg, “Keep it away from the water, we don’t wanna get zapped.”

  Bonnie’s severed left leg danced around the trappings of the crane gantry. The last vestiges of power ran through it, and it slumped against the floor like a dead fish.

  Everyone blinked at the sight, and then turned to Bonnie. What an utter mess the woman was, sitting against the control room wall with a vomitorium of busted mechanical parts, wires and bolts “bleeding” from her battered left thigh.

  Everyone finally exhaled. Thank God, the whole ordeal was over.

  Tripp made his way over to the team and placed his hands on his hips as he saw Bonnie struggle.

  “Again, Bonnie?”

  “Leave me alone.”

  Jelly snuggled into Wool’s arms, exhausted, “Meow.”

  “Bonnie?” Wool asked.

  “Yeah, I’m a bit busy right now. Can’t this wait?”

  “No, this is important,” Wool looked into Jelly’s eyes as she spoke, “I don’t want you near my girl, anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  Jelly started purring up a storm in her new mommy’s arms. Jamie and Emily smiled at the affection between them. Wool tucked her chin down and kissed Jelly on the forehead, “Hey girl.”

  Bonnie was less than impressed by the love show on display, “Ugh, why don’t the two of you get a damn room?”

  “Why don’t you stay on your back?” Wool spat. “That’s what you’re good at, isn’t it?”

  Tripp stepped in between the two women and held out his arms, “Okay, that’s enough lessense. Both of you behave. That’s an order.”

  “Fine.”

  “Suits me,” Wool squinted at Bonnie, “Hey, Whitaker.”

  “What?”

  “Leave my girl alone,” Wool snorted with evil compassion, “And why don’t you get a new leg while you’re at it? Incomplete bitch,” she finished before walking off towards the control room with Jelly. The tiny tinkling from Jelly’s orange telescope necklace echoed through the silence as they moved away.

  All eyes turned to Bonnie for a reaction.

  Any response whatsoever.

  Anything.

  She wiggled her broken hip and rubbed her hands together, before delivering the last thing anyone wanted to hear.

  “Went quite well, I thought?”

  SPACEWALK

  (An IBS Simulation)

  Peak heart-rate = 200 bpm

  Time = 09:54

  Overall: 85%

  Result: Pass (Level Two)

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Classified Risk

  USARIC Space Travel Simulator

  Training Facility - Eastern Quarter

  The burly Captain Daryl Katz waited for the team to arrive at the entrance to the simulator. He squinted at the buggy as it made its way to the eastern facility building, “Well, well. Lookie who we have here.”

  Jamie, Emily, Wool, and Tripp exited the vehicle and made their way over to the entrance.

  “How’s our new girl holding up?” Daryl asked Tripp as he made his approach.

  “She doing well,” Tripp stroked Jelly’s head as he cradled her in his arms, “Had a bit of a close call during IBS.”

  “I know the feeling. Those damn curried lunches can really play havoc with your guts, right?” Daryl joked and took the cat into his arms. The urge to talk funny at her was irresistible, “You’re a good girl, aren’t you?”

  “Meow.”

  “Ready to go into space?”

  Jelly purred in his arms, utterly unaware of the adventure she was about to go on. She turned to the rectangular box and became fascinated by its structure.

  Daryl crouched to his knees and released her to the ground, “Now, you follow me.”

  “Meow.”

  Daryl turned to Tripp and Wool, “What’s this about a close call?”

  Wool scrunched her face, “Bonnie nearly jeopardized the whole IBS test. And she damaged her leg in the process”

  “Which one?” Daryl asked.

  “The prosthetic one.”

  “Damn it. The last thing we need is our Androgyne Series Three units pissing more of our budget up the wall,” he said.

  “Well, exactly. I recommend Dr. Whitaker stays behind. She’s of no use to us.”

  “That’s enough, Wool,” Tripp said. “That’s a direct order.”

  “Sorry.”

  Daryl gripped his microphone in his fingers and pulled it to his mouth. “We’re about to embark.”

  “Understood, Captain,” Tripp’s voice came through the headset.

  Daryl walked into the box with an obedient Jelly in tow.

  Jamie, Emily, Wool, and Tripp observed the 3D holographic footage in the command center behind the main wall in the facility.

  Tripp pointed at Jelly’s behind as it disappeared into the simulator cabin. A panel appeared on the side indicating the three processes that were about to happen.

  1: Launch procedure.

  2: Navigation and acclimatization.

  3: Classified Risk.

  “So, this is a two-man expedition to the IMS,” Tripp said as he pointed to the first of the three indicators.

  “What is IMS?” Jamie asked.

  “The International Moon Station, not far from the Sea of Tranquility,” Tripp returned to the panel
. “One, blast off. Fairly straightforward. The simulator will enact precisely the movements of a typical launch procedure. Then we’ll see how she copes when she’s up in the big, bad universe.”

  “Wow, that’s great,” Jamie said. “Like when you go to space for real?”

  Wool observed the live footage, “Yes, exactly. She passed the spacewalk, so she should be okay with the launch. We just need to monitor her and make sure she’s good with blasting off.”

  The team watched Daryl strap Jelly into the modified co-pilot’s chair, which was much smaller than the captain’s. He fastened the harness over Jelly’s shoulders with little resistance.

  “Okay, we’re set. Initiate launch protocol, please,” Daryl said.

  Wool punched in a command on the control deck, “Launch protocols one through five, set. You are clear for launch.”

  “Thanks, Wool. You’re my favorite magician.”

  “That’s medician to you, Captain. Don’t adjust your humor just yet.”

  Tripp walked into the 3D rendition of the flight deck simulator and stood beside Jelly in her chair, “Second, once they reach orbit, Jelly and Daryl will settle.”

  Daryl fastened his own harness and flipped three switches on the deck, “Protocols one through five confirmed,” he said as the panel lit up.

  The flight shield slid to the left and revealed a simulation of the night sky and stars. A huge white structure loomed to the left, replicating the scaffolding that would be attached to a real spacecraft prior to takeoff.

  “Come, Jamie,” Tripp held out his hand to the boy. “See what the inside looks like.”

  “Okay.”

  He took Tripp’s hand and stood inside the live feed, standing upright where the two astronauts lay back, facing upward.

  “Wow.”

  It was as if he was really there. The stars in the sky twinkled against the black canvas of space.

  Tripp pointed to the moon, “See that? You know what that is, right?”

  “Yes, it’s the moon.”

  “And that’s where they’re going,” Tripp said. “A very straightforward procedure.”

  “I’ve always wanted to go to the moon.”

  “Maybe one day you will.”

  Boom-boom-boom. A succession of loud thrusters caught everyone’s attention from the simulator.