[Round 3] Life in Feathers

[James T. Kolk]

(( WILDE’S QUARTERS ))

:: The insidey bits of the ship were a great place to explore but it was even better when the Recon Agent found something he really liked. Following his whiskers, he’d managed to climb his way through a series of vents and Jefferies tubes, coming across all sorts on his way. Tools, toolboxes, even stashes of secret things – some of which he’d seen Jarod roaming around the galaxy with. Not at all surprising.::

:: However, when Max had nudged open the access panel and tumbled into a room full of fluffiness he couldn’t help but feel like a kitten again. It was all so magical! His little yellow eyes weren’t wide enough to take in the magnitude of this special place; full of comfiness all around! Cushions for the cat!::

:: He’d started on the sofa and worked his way through the rooms; loving every second of it. Spreading his paws, he’d dug them into the large comfy sofa and made himself a bed from the fluff that sprang from it after a single slice of a well sharpened claw. Wonderful! Feathers flew into the air and he had a joyous time trying to catch them. He learned quickly that jumping from the arm onto the cushion produced the puff of feathers from the hole; a discovery he put to the test for a long time.::

:: When he was bored, when the floor was finally covered in the white feathers, he hopped down and wandered into the sleeping room. He knew it was – the large bed in the centre gave it away. For a moment, Max sat down and just purred. The thought of lounging on something so divine was a luxury even for an Intelligence Agent. He was used to roughing it and scavenging for food but there it was – untouched by the hand of man and his for the taking. Marvellous.::

(( FAST FORWARD – AFTER A NAP ))

:: On his back, paws outstretched, tongue hanging out in a rather comical way, Max was definitely asleep. It couldn’t last for long. His whiskers began to twitch and his nose moved. His tongue retreated back into his mouth and he turned over, onto his belly and kept as low as he could. Something was happening and he didn’t know what. He could feel it as the atmosphere in the room switched from being relaxing to… something else. He frowned… as well as a cat could.::

Max: o0 What the devil is going on? 0o

:: Suddenly he was hit by something. A feeling swept over the feline, drenching him in its soft warmth. It was like a melody, like hearing a song from long ago and far away. What was happening? He wasn’t there, in the room anymore; he was floating, feeling the world revolving around him in perfect harmony with everything else. He felt another presence. A female swirling in the light, not in the darkness. She was in a sharp contrast to the dark behind her but she was moving away from it.::

:: The feline covered his eyes with his paw as he floated on his back, feeling as though soft hands were carrying him in the weightless sanctuary. Whispers of something; speech but nothing he could understand. It wasn’t for him to know and instead of being inquisitive; he understood. Some things he wasn’t meant to.::

:: Nothing could disturb him and for a quiet, short time, Max felt truly happy. Truly at peace with himself.::

(( FAST FORWARD AGAIN ))

:: When he woke, he was lying on his side. Max shakily rose to his feet and shook his head to get rid of the residual feelings of the daze. He felt more then happy for the first time since setting paw on the Ronin. He felt… strange. Stranger then he felt before. He jumped down from the large bed and pattered over the feathers covering the floor of the living room.::

:: He slinked into the access hatch and back into the Jefferies tube, heading towards Sickbday.::

TBC

PNPC Max the Feline

Intelligence Officer

Double Agent

USS Ronin