Andrew Mackay - Infinity Claws

“Does this mean Jelly is going, after all?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“So, here’s what will happen next,” Tripp said, “We’ll take delivery of Jelly tomorrow morning. We’ll message the papers to your hotel so you can peruse them and return them to us tomorrow, all signed and sealed. Sound good?”

“Sounds good,” Emily said.

Tripp walked over to Jamie and squatted in front of him. “And tomorrow, we can give you a little tour of Space Opera Beta. Show you where Jelly’s going to spend the next few years.”

“Oh, wow,” Jamie jumped on the spot. “Really?”

“Yes, really. It’s the least we can do,” Tripp said. “Look, I promise you, Jamie. Jelly is going to be fine. And I’d like to introduce you to every one who’ll be working with her.”

Tripp did a great job of reassuring Jamie. It meant the world to Jamie’s mother.

“Welcome to the United States and Russian Intergalactic Confederation.”

The USARIC logo, a dead-mix of fifty-two stars and a hammer, spun around on its axis in the middle of the room. Random footage of planets orbiting the solar system, happy families and astronauts working on IMS zipped around it.

“For the past quarter-century, USARIC has been searching the outer reaches of our galaxy. Exploring the depths of civilization and strengthening the lives of all its citizens. We hope you enjoy your visit. May your day be productive and full of vigor.”

Jamie mired at the screen, holding Jelly in her carry case. “I can’t believe we’re actually here.”

Emily tugged his sleeve and nodded at the double doors. “I think that’s them.”

“Ah, hello. Emily,” Tripp held out his hand to shake.

Emily smiled, finding it hard to ignore his pulchritude. The man was good-looking, to be sure, but this was pure business. She remained as professional as she could.

“Good after-morning, captain.”

“Oh, I’m not the captain,” Tripp explained, “I’m second-in-charge, Commander Healy.”

“I see,” Emily finally looked him up and down. “I have to ask, what does your wife think about you spending years away from home?”

“She’s used to the idea. It’s part and parcel of the business, I’m afraid,” Tripp smiled and threw Jamie a sly wink. “S’up, champ?”

“Hello, sir.”

“Jamie, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Jamie, here in the United States we no longer use gender-specific titles.”

“What is that?”

“You know. Titles? You’re too young to remember when everyone called people mister and missus and things like that, right?”

‘No,” Jamie said, “We do that all the time. It’s polite.”

‘Well, it’s the law here now. It’s very rude to assume people’s genders when we—”

Tripp stopped talking when Jelly’s carry case. She revealed her teeth and showed him her behind.

“Huh. Charming,” Tripp stood back up and addressed Jamie. “In our country we use people’s first names so we don’t offend people.”

“That’s weird,” Jamie said in his naivety.

“That’s fine. You Brits talk weird, anyway,” Tripp rubbed his hands together and clocked Jamie and Emily’s visitor badges. “Okay, you’re all signed in?”

“Yes,” Emily said, fighting back the desire to pick up Tripp’s blatant xenophobic remark. “We’re ready.”

“Good stuff,” Tripp turned around and nodded at the receptionist. She hit a button and opened the entrance gates. “Let’s go see the spaceship!”

“Yay,” Jamie skipped forward alongside Tripp.

“ Brits ?” Emily muttered, shook her head and followed behind them. “Pfft. Cheeky git.”

The mother of all space crafts. Beautiful and elegant, almost prestigious-looking. The cone-shaped vessel stood upright on its thrusters, pointing at the sky. There was no denying its profound uniqueness in relation to its sister space crafts.

The sheer size of its structure impressed Jamie as he, Tripp and Emily walked along the airstrip to the scaffolding keeping the ship in place.

A couple of fighter jets, military personnel and technicians littered the runway, performing checks on various vehicles.

The back of Jamie’s head hit his neck, so tall was the structure of the cone-shaped craft. “Wow, is that the spaceship?”

“Yes, this is Space Opera Beta,” Tripp said. “How tall do you reckon it is?”

“It’s massive. It’s like a skyscraper but, like an ice cream cone skyscraper.”

“Ha, very true. It’s nearly one thousand feet, end to end. About the length of the Eiffel Tower. Do you know what that is?”

Jamie shook his head as they kept walking.

“It’s that triangle-shape building in Paris, France. It’s really big. It’s sort of the same shape, really?”

“Yes, but it looks like a white, upside-down ice-cream cone.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Tripp wondered aloud, finally able to see the ship through the eyes of a child. “You’re quite right.”

Emily was impressed, also, but tried not to display her wonder. “It’s pretty good, I suppose.”

“You suppose ?” Tripp approached the landing gantry that led to the opening at the base of the spaceship. “Suppose nothing, honey. This is absolutely amaziant. Wait until you see inside.”

The view from Jelly’s cage was less impressive. She saw the ship through several plastic bars. The edges of her cage meant she couldn’t grasp the enormity of the vessel. Then again, she was only a cat after all, and it didn’t matter as much.

Jamie felt the need to hold her up so she could get a better view of her new home for the foreseeable future..

“Look, girl. This is all for you.”

Jamie and Emily entered the spacecraft. Tripp jumped up and down on the grille on the floor, trying to prove a point.

“Know what’s underneath here?”

“No,” Jamie said, “What is?”

“The thrusters. The back of the cone is effectively one huge blaster that makes the spaceship go forwards and backwards.”

“Like a big fire?” Jamie asked.

“Sure.”

A slightly overweight man with glasses, Captain Daryl Katz approached the trio. In his fifties, he sported a withered face that had seen many a flight in his time.

“Well, here’s the captain,” Tripp said. “Why not ask him?”

“And who do we have here, Commander Healy?” Katz asked in his thick Texan accent. He shook Emily’s hand.

“This is Jamie Anderson and his mother, Emily. And their cat, Jelly.”

Katz pressed his hands to his knees and took a good look at her through cage’s bar. “Cute little thing, ain’t she? Coochie-coo, oh, you’re cute, aren’t you? Yes, yes… yeeeeees … you are .”

The others sniggered as Katz spoke to her in a silly voice.

“Mister?”

“You can call me captain, champ,” Katz said, adjusting his spectacles.

Jamie looked at the strange object on his face. They had no lenses in them.

“What’s that thing covering your eyes, captain?”

“Oh these,” Katz slid them off his face and showed them to the boy. “They’re called glasses. People used to wear them decades ago.”

“Why?” Jamie took them and put them over his face. “They look silly.”

“Well, in the old days folk were born with eyes that didn’t see so good. So they needed to wear these to help them see better.”

“Weird,” Jamie decided he didn’t like the antiquated gadget and handed them back.

Katz admired the unusual device for a moment and thought about his past. “Ah, they’re more for decoration, really. They remind me of my grandfather. He used to wear them.”