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"That Darn Cat"


Author: Lieutenant JG Tricia McMillan
Date: April 6, 2384
Location: Cargo Bay

Torasu awoke from his sleep in the cargo bay. The big machine that had hummed when he'd arrived earlier was now silent.

*Pity* He thought, it was such a soothing sound.

Rising and stretching to remove the 'kinks' in his body, Torasu decided that it was time for something to eat.

*Sleeping is so much hard work, always makes me feel hungry.*

He left the cargo bay and walked along the corridor.

Several of the tall things passed by him as he walked down the corridors, most just walked past, a couple said hello and one even bent down and stroked Torasu along his back. Torasu liked that, being fussed was his third favourite thing after food and sleep.

*So which way today, left right or straight on. Decisions, decisions.* Torasu thought as he reached a junction in the corridors.

Torasu decided to go right today, following a slightly familiar smell. Five minutes later he reached a door and sniffed it.

*This is somewhere I've not been before I wonder what lies on the other side.* Torasu thought, scrapping his paw over the surface of the door. It didn't open.

There were several doors like this, most opened when Torasu got close and closed again once he'd passed through. This was one of the doors that remained shut when he approached and it made Torasu frustrated, but he knew what to do, sit and wait.

A couple of minutes later someone left the room and quickly Torasu dashed inside unseen.

Hiding in a corner, he started to look around the room.

It wasn't a big room, but it was larger than most onboard. Dotted along one wall where a number of beds. Torasu looked around further and again noticed that familiar smell. Sniffing the air he saw one of the tall things, one that he recognised.

Cool as a cucumber he walked across the room and into a small work area, jumping on the desk.

"Hello Torasu, What are you doing here?" Doctor Jin said, scratching him behind his left ear. (Number four on Torasu's list of favourite things). "You're going to be in trouble if the Captain finds out you've been in here."

"Computer, Locate Lieutenant Commander Nige Tyran" Jodana asked the computer.

< Commander Tyran is on the bridge >

*That's no good* Jodana thought.

"Computer, Locate Ensign Dinara Jin." Jodana asked the computer.

< Ensign Jin is on the bridge >

*Two strikes, let's hope it's not three for three.*

"Computer, Locate Commander Kira Markos."

< Commander Kira is on the bridge >

*Damn, Three for Three. Wait here's an idea.*

"Commander Markos, this is Doctor Jin. Could you please come to the infirmary, there's something I'd like your medical opinion on." Jodana asked.

[I'll be with you in a moment Doctor.]


Bridge

"Captain, with your permission I'll go see what the Doctor wants." Kira said.

"Of course, nothing happening here. Let me know what is so interesting." Captain Ryan replied.

Kira walked to the rear of the Bridge and exited, heading for sickbay.

Five minutes later, Kira stepped into sickbay.

"OK Doctor, what would you like me to look at." He said.

Jodana was still sat at her workstation and turned around to look at Kira.

"It seems that we've underestimated the intelligent of Nige's cat." Jodana remarked, nodding towards one of the bio beds.

Torasu was sat on the bed as if nothing was wrong having a quick wash before lunch.

"But how, I thought the computer was programmed to stop Torasu from entering the restricted areas." Kira said.

"Well I guess he must have got in when Ensign Haigh left. She'd left shortly before Torasu appeared on my desk. She had a little accident whilst working on the internal sensor grid, minor electrical burns, nothing fatal. That might also explain why the computer didn't detect Torasu." Doctor Jin speculated.

"Let's try an experiment. Computer, locate the cat Torasu." Kira requested.

< The Cat Torasu is in sick bay >

"There, the internal sensor grid seems to be working fine." Kira announced.

< And on the bridge >

"Oh no trouble." They both said in unison.

Leaving Torasu on the bio bed, they left sickbay.

"Computer, erect a three foot boundary, level one force field around bio bed four." Jodana requested. "That should keep him out of trouble for a while."

"Computer, lock and secure sickbay. Allow no access to sickbay until further notice." Kira said as the doors to sickbay closed behind them.

Fast as they could run, they both headed for the Bridge.