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“This is insane.”
Alley was watching the procession in her shuttlebay from her ready room, communicating with her wife through the comms. LJ was overseeing the shuttlebay, with Junkyard and Batgirl chivvying the Wolves in and out with something approaching order.
“I’m just glad Commander Cassidy and her girls are here to help. Those two treecats of theirs are absolutely worth their weight in gold.”
“Which is part of the insanity! A five- and six-year-old have no business in an active shuttlebay, much less a pair of treecats!”
She had a point. In the weeks since the girls had been adopted the ‘cats had adjusted swiftly to life shipboard. They couldn’t communicate directly with anyone except their own girl, but the messages they could exchange were as complex as the girls could manage. They’d learned how to get around the ship and where they could and couldn’t go. Essentially they’d been limited to the same areas as the girls, which kept them out of critical spaces such as engineering, weapons, and the computer core.
LJ had been talked into allowing them free run of the shuttlebay to familiarize them, with the conditions they not play with any of the controls and they were fitted with their own custom-made skinsuits. Minerva had been delighted by the challenge, even if Cass viewed it with more than a little dismay.
To everyone’s relief Honey and Orion reacted well to the utterly foreign idea of clothing and skinsuits. They wriggled into them almost naturally with minimal coaching from their humans. Exposing them to vacuum had been discussed and dismissed, Cass arguing the girls would be the best possible coaches in case of emergency.
Now the foursome were taking turns on the shuttlebay floor, greeting every arriving Wolf which carried other treecats and leading them to the bay which had been prepared for their stay.
“Maybe, but they know the safety rules as well as any of my people,” LJ answered.
“I suppose I ought to see how they’re settling in,” Alley groused.
LJ neither agreed nor disagreed. “See you tonight,” she said instead and cut the circuit.
A few minutes later Alley was outside the cargo hold which had been set aside for the ‘cats and their accompanying flora and fauna. She hesitated at the hatch, wondering if was safe to enter, and was saved making a decision by the arrival of Lisa and Orion with another eight ‘cats in tow.
“Hello Captain Aunt Alley,” Lisa said with a child’s version of a salute.
Alley couldn’t help but smile back. “Hello Lisa, Orion. How are you doing?”
“Good,” the not-so-little redhead answered, tapping the entry panel. She stood to one side as Orion led the other ‘cats in before saying, “Do you want to come in?”
“Yes, please.”
Lisa waved to the hatch for Alley to pass through before following her into the hold.
“I had no idea,” Alley said, gazing in wonder.
It was true; Cass and Seabolt had taken charge of the project and executed it without any consultation with her beyond the initial request. She was stunned by what she saw.
The Wolves had been busy. Hundreds of cubic meters of soil had been lifted from the planet, along with all the trees, shrubs, undergrowth, everything down to the moss-like ground cover. Then the walls of the bay had been programmed to display scenes from the planet, blending almost seamlessly with reality, before any of the animals or insects had been brought aboard. Now it was as if she’d stepped from her ship onto the planet’s surface, and in a very real way it was.
“How many, I mean, where are all the ‘cats?”
“Orion says most of them are in the trees, watching. He says they agreed to come but it’s still strange and scary.”
“I’ll bet it is. Tell him they’re very brave and we’re happy they’re here.”
Lisa tilted her head, relaying the message, then said, “Orion says you’re not telling the truth but he isn’t mad.”
Alley, about to protest, stopped. Instead she asked, “He can tell what I’m thinking?”
“Noooo,” said Lisa, searching for the concepts. “Not like him and me. He sorta feels what you’re thinking, though.”
Alley nodded. The little buggers were empaths, generally, as well as direct telepaths.
“He says you’re happy now.”
“Because I know something your mom doesn’t,” Alley said. “And it doesn’t happen often.”
“Uh-huh, that’s ‘cause Mom’s smarter than just about everyone, that’s what Mama says.”
Alley grinned.
“Mama’s right. Do you think any of the ‘cats want to say hello?”
“I dunno, but I can ask Orion.”
Another wordless communion and Orion disappeared silently into the trees.
LJ, how many more ‘cats are coming? Alley commed.
One more load on the way up, be here in a few minutes. Why?
I didn’t want to tie up Lisa if she was needed. Thanks.
The ‘cat was returning with a blue-gray ‘cat in tow.
“Who’s this?” Alley asked.
“Well, they don’t really have names like we do, it’s more a picture and feeling and maybe an action all jumbled together. Her name is a little bit like Hunting Flying Thing Hungry Best, if it makes any sense.” Lisa’s face wrinkled. “Orion says she’s in charge of these ‘cats.”
“In charge? You’re sure?”
“Uh-huh.”
Alley knelt to put herself more at the ‘cat’s level, who sat back on her rear legs and braced herself on her mid-legs.
What do you say to a sentient cat?
“Greetings, I am Jennifer Martinez, the leader of these people, and welcome to my vessel.”
Oh, Goddess, could I sound any more stilted?
The ‘cat didn’t seem to mind her words; then she remembered they picked up on thoughts and emotions and grimaced. Her eyes flew open at a light touch on her knee. She saw the blue eyes of the ‘cat staring into hers from a few centimeters away, one hand, claws carefully sheathed, resting on her uniform leg.
“Guess we look pretty silly,” she said. “Probably sound silly, too.”
She didn’t know where it came from but the impression of agreement formed in her mind. Well, she knew where it came from, and probably who, but it was still unexpected.
“Whoa.”
A ripple of amusement echoed through her thoughts, mirrored on the face of the ‘cat. She turned at the sound of a giggle.
“It tickles a little,” Lisa said. “Doesn’t it?”
Alley glanced between Lisa and the ‘cat, picking up agreement.
“Well, I can’t go around calling you ‘Hunting Flying Thing Hungry Best’, so what if we just go with ‘Hunter’?”
A sense of satisfaction came back to her through what she was realizing was a telepathic link. Her first thought was how annoyed Cass was going to be that her CO had been ‘adopted’ before she had.
Her second thought was of her wife and how LJ was going to react to a ‘cat taking up residence with their cats. She felt a questioning thought probe at her, so Alley concentrated and tried to convey her concerns to Hunter.
The ‘cat cocked her head then skittered off. In a moment she’d disappeared into the trees.
“I didn’t think I was quite so scary,” Alley said to Lisa, standing. “I’ll let you get back to, oh, my.”
Hunter was returning, leading a slightly larger grey ‘cat and trailed by four much smaller ‘cats, obviously children. Alley felt foolish at her surprise once she processed it: of course there would be ‘cat families, if they were bringing a viable ‘colony’.
She knelt again and Hunter marched right up. The impression of ‘family/partner/children’ came through clearly and Alley smiled at each in turn. Apparently the human habit of baring teeth in a friendly gesture had been communicated to the other ‘cats as none flinched away. Two of the kits took advantage of her lowered position to scramble up and perch on her shoulders. She felt their feet anchoring them down, claws just extended, and hands in her hair for extra support. There were trills and chirps and whistles passing back and forth between the two, while their presumed siblings jumped around her feet.
“They’re so cute!” Lisa exclaimed, and Alley was brought back to the reality of being a starship Captain.
“Yes, they are, but I have to get back to the bridge.”
The sense of I’m not leaving you! from Hunter was strong and Alley stifled a laugh.
“You can come, but can your family stay here?”
There was reluctance, recognition of duty, and finally acceptance from Hunter. She chittered at the kits on Alley’s shoulders. One of them dropped lightly onto the dirt-covered deck, but the other, a solid black colored kit, tightened its hold on her hair, chittering back. Alley could imagine the conversation and another grin lit her face.
“It’s okay,” she said aloud. “I can handle one kitten.”
The chirps subsided, and the remaining three kits followed their parent back into the bay.
With as much dignity as a woman with a ‘cat on her shoulder could manage, Alley said, “Lisa, I’ll let you get back to work. Thank you for showing me the ‘cats.”
“You’re welcome, Captain Alley.” Lisa and Orion, released from adult obligations, dashed into the bay to join the other ‘cats.
“Well, Hunter, let’s take a walk. For now, don’t touch anything, until you’re more familiar with, well, everything.”
A wave of amusement washed over Alley with a thought she translated as ‘Don’t teach me how to suck eggs!’. Alley snorted back a laugh.
“Come on. You, hold on,” she admonished the kit.