Andrew Mackay - Infinity Claws

Wool caught on immediately and turned the emotional tables around. “I’ve heard her name is Jelly?”

“Would you like to meet her?” Jamie asked.

“Sure. Put her on her bed and we’ll take a look.”

Jamie plonked the cat’s carry case on the little hospital bed and unclipped the locks.

The cage sprung out, inviting Jelly to freedom. She wouldn’t come out of the case. Wool ducked her head down and looked the cat in eyes. “Hey, girl.”

Jelly ducked her head and looked at her paws.

“C’mon, let’s get you out of there,” Wool reached in and grabbed Jelly under the arms. The cat fought back at first. Once she was in the arms of her new carer, she purred and rather enjoyed the comfort.

“I think she likes me,” Wool said, cradling Jelly in her arms. “Who’s a good girl, then?”

“She likes you, Wool.”

“Yes,” she said, stroking the cat’s chin with her knuckle, “She looks very happy. Evidently feels safe with her little engine running.”

“Great stuff,” Tripp approached his colleague and held her shoulder. “We don’t have much time, and I’d like Jamie to meet everyone.”

“Oh, sure,” Wool offered Tripp Jelly to carry. “You want to take her, commander?”

“Sure, hand her over.”

Tripp took Jelly into his arms and observed her face. “Wow, she really is special, isn’t she?”

“She’s one in a million. Quite literally.” Wool winked at Jamie, who grinned back at her. “Jamie, don’t worry. She’s in safe hands. My job is to look after her, and I intend to do just that.”

“Will you feed her and make sure she gets lots of exercise?”

“Of course, sweetie,” Wool walked back to her computer desk. “Have fun checking out the ship. I’ll make sure you get some screen time with Jelly once we’re out of hyper-sleep, okay?”

“Okay.”

Tripp, Jamie and Emily made their way to the other end of the corridor. A silver screen door lay at the very end.

Tripp crouched down and allowed Jelly out from his arms. “Go on, girl.”

“Wait. Is it safe?” Jamie asked.

“She can only go forwards or backwards. She’ll probably reach the next room before us, anyway. It’s good for her to have a bit of a run around. Get her used to the ship.”

Jelly reached the door to an area named Botanix . She scratched at the glass, excited at the playground that lay behind it.

“Where are we going now?” Jamie asked.

“Botanix,” Tripp explained, “It’s the part of the ship that provides us with oxygen and fresh water.”

“How does it do that?”

“You’ll see.”

They reached Jelly, who butted her head against the door. He placed his palm onto the panel on the wall. “Open up.”

It slid open and offered a full view of what Jelly had seen moments ago.

Rows and rows of plants, too varied and numerous to mention. Two powerful lamps shone over them. Silver foil lined the soil as far as the eye could see.

Jamie and his mother were taken aback by just how clean the air was. As expected, Jelly ran up the rows and explored the place for all it was worth.

“Haloo?”

“Hello?” Jamie asked. “What?”

“No, Haloo,” he said, “My colleague.”

A young woman hosed the second row of plants and spotted her new visitors entering the room. She saw the cat weaving in and out of the plants.

“Hey, guys. Is that our winner poking around my geraniums?” Haloo asked.

“Yes, that’s Jelly.”

“Huh,” Haloo watched her rummage away at the soil. “Gonna have to keep an eye on her, then.”

“My name is Jamie Anderson. I’m Jelly’s human ,” he said, offering his hand.

Haloo smirked and took the kid’s hand in hers. “Nice to meet you. I’m Haloo Ess. Opera Beta’s botanist.”

“Botanist?”

“Yes, I look after the plants.”

“Cool,” Jamie threw her hand away and ran after Jelly. “Hey, girl, come back here.”

Emily and Tripp chuckled as they watched Jelly sneak around the plants trying to hide from her master.

“Hey, Tripp. Did we get those new purifiers I ordered?”

“I’m not sure. I’m about to have Baldron, our new engineer, and the other new guy check it. I forget his name.”

“Tor, I think.”

“Right, that’s him,” Haloo smiled at Emily. “Hey, congratulations on winning, by the way. A real honor to be working with your… cat . Jelly?”

“Yes, Jelly,” Emily said. “Is she really going to be the first ?”

“Yes, she is. Is there anything you’d like to ask while you’re here? You can ask anything.”

Emily looked around and took in the sheer height of the room. At least thirty-feet tall. “This is really impressive. So, all this provides all the oxygen you need?”

“Yes, it’s a cyclical process. As long as us humans, and, uh, felines , keep on producing carbon dioxide, the plants continue to generate oxygen and provide fresh water.”

Haloo nodded over at the far end of room. “The room is hermetically sealed when not in use, so CO2 levels remain constant. God forbid we ever have a fire in here.”

“Why?”

“The place would go up in an instant, so the entire place is fireproof. Bombproof, actually.”

“Well, that is reassuring,” Emily looked over at Jamie and Jelly playing around in the plants. “Hey, guys. C’mon, don’t disrupt the lady’s work area.”

“Oh, they’re fine.”

Jamie scooped Jelly up in his arms and scrambled over to his mother. “I think she likes this room.”

“I’m not surprised,” Emily said, “Loads of opportunity to hide and trash the place.”

The statement received a knowing chuckle from Tripp and Haloo.

“Okay, I better get back to work,” Haloo said. “The tank needs refilling.”

“Okay.”

Haloo returned to her hose amongst the plants. “Please check on those filters, Tripp.”

“This spaceship is so big,” Jamie said to Tripp as they made their way to the front of the vessel.

Emily clutched the handle on Jelly’s carry case. She looked through the bars to see that her pet was unhappy. The cat clawed at the bars and whined.

“Hush, Jelly,” Emily said.

“We’re going to meet a very special person,” Tripp walked into the Fit Room.

“Wow,” Jamie took a look around.

Treadmills.

Exercise bicycles.

Rowing machines.

In the corner, a young woman with brunette hair held her fists up at a mannequin. She bounced around on the spot, ready to attack it.

A holograph of a man’s face appeared on the silver head of the mannequin. The woman squinted at it and clenched her right fist.

“Stop looking at me,” she screamed at the mannequin’s face. Her body lifted into the air and roundhouse-kicked the mannequins head. The piece of plastic exploded and bounced off the wall, leaving fine debris remnants to float to the ground.

“Bonnie?” Tripp shouted across the room. “Are you fit?”

She lowered her head and slowed her breathing. “I’m fine,” she said, socking the headless mannequin in the gut in anger.

“Whoa,” Jamie stopped in his tracks, afraid to go anywhere near her. “Who’s she?”

Bonnie twisted her head to the young boy and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Who are you?”

“This is Jamie Anderson and his mother, Emily,” Tripp said.

‘Hi,’ Jamie offered, innocently.

Bonnie took a towel from the wall holder and wiped the sweat from her brow. “So?”

“Their cat won the Star Cat Project.” Tripp took the carry case from Emily and presented it to Bonnie. “Here she is.”

Bonnie looked through the bars with a blatant nonchalance. “Oh, cool.”