Trying To Take Over The Universe

Posted on 14 Apr 2020 @ 2:37am by Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Lieutenant Commander True Keading

Mission: Mission 4 - Race against the machine
Location: Trues quarters
Timeline: Pre current mission
1559 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

True let Jon use her replicator to get a new uniform and then she got dressed as well. There was still the problem of Atlas running loose on the ship. It was bad enough that he had stolen their clothes, but Jon's communicator had been in the pocket. At least that should make him easy to track. "First I found it amusing, now I feel like I should apologize to you." True said when he came out of her bedroom wearing clothes again.

“Don’t worry love,” he chuckled managing to find the funny side. “It’s only Fox who caught us. its not like its hit wide scale media. And we both know Atlas is a diabolical genius. So that said, how do we catch him?”

"Follow your communicator to your clothes. And if he's not still there . . . . do a search for felines?" At least it's a start. I have a feeling it won't be that easy." True was beginning to think about something that possibly could tempt him to come to them, food perhaps.

"Fish," Said Jon walking to the replicator. "He likes fish right. Nan's cat used to like fish. You could bribe it anything."

"Yeah, I was just thinking that. She likes cats too? Maybe that will be a conversation point." True replicated some fish, cod, from the replicator and looked at Jon. "Are we ready?"

"One sec," Jon said stepping towards her. He pulled her into a quick kiss. "For luck. Lets go!"

They exited her quarters with the dish of fish in hand and moved to the location of his uniform. At least he could get his communicator back.

"Here Kitty kitty kitty," Jon said loudly waffing the fish around.

True couldn't control the giggles after watching Jon do that. "Big burly man waving fish around trying to catch a little fluffy kitten," she managed to get out as she doubled over with laughter. She didn't know why she found it so funny, but she hadn't laughed like that in years, it was pure joy. She laughed until she had tears running down her face. Finally, gasping for breath she opened her mouth to apologize when Atlas ran right across in front of their path, obviously smelling the fish and looking interested.

"Shush," Jon said gently. "Its not that funny ….. and anyway hes here now ….." Lowering his voice further, Jon slowed down his step approaching the cat. "Some yummy fish. Come on Atlas."

She frowned slightly at him, being told to shush wasn't something she liked at all. Maybe she'd been making an idiot out of herself but the laughter had felt so good. "Come here you silly kitten, if you behave you can have the whole bowl when we get home." But when True bent to pick him up he scampered off again. "Whoops."

Jon noted True upset at him doing what he thought was their "usual" routine, him saying "shush or hush" when she laughed at him. He made a note. "Almost. The game is still afoot," he said chasing after the kitten.

"I doubt chasing him will work. Maybe a trail of pieces of fish leading to either my quarters or yours?" True asked curiously. "Or, some kind of trap that closes over the top of him. Or we find someone with a really big dog and maybe he'll come running back to us," she joked. "I swear I'm going to train this cat if it's the last thing I do."

Jon was almost tempted to order his engineer to rig up a trap but it was a joke. "Lets try the fish," he agreed. "Might need some more of it though its a way to either of our quarters." He picked up small pieces and started laying a trail.

"Yes . . . I can go back and get some." True offered since he was already standing there with the fish in his hands. "Just move slowly," True said as she hurried off and returned within a few minutes. "Have you seen him?" It dawned on her how this must look, two people placing bites of fish in a row along the corridor. "I hope there are no vegetarian species around."

"Sorry no sightings," Jon said taking some more of the fish she had brought. "Yes we don't need people getting upset. How do you train a cat then?" Jon asked. He wasn't aware they could be trained.

"The same way you do with any other animal, you use food or treats of some kind. Some animals respond to playing with toys, others with food. I think Atlas might be a bit of both."

"I still think hes trying to take over the universe," Jon grinned. He froze suddenly as he caught something in his peripheral vision. He looked at True and raised his finger to his lips. Then had to very silently retch when he realised it was a finger that had had the raw fish on it.

True couldn't help but jerk in silent laughter again. But not wanting to scare the kitten she tried to control it as much as she could. True squatted down in front of Atlas and wiggled her fingers . The kitten, seeing the movement was entranced by the idea of new pray and pounced. She scooped him up

“Ah ha, not this time Atlas .... your going to have to keep plotting,” Jon addressed the cat now purring at True. He fished his comm badge out of his clothes still clamped in the kittens mouth. “And no installing shark tanks with lasers on my ship,” he joked. “I’m giving him ideas aren’t I?”

"Yes," True grinned. "Don't give the genius cat evil ideas." True kissed Jon on the cheek. "Thank you for helping me get him back. I'm sorry he was such a pain."

“He keeps life interesting,” Jon said winking at her. “Now we caught him do we get to go finish that picnic perhaps safely in quarters.”

She smiled. "No place to go skinny dipping there." True reminded him.

“True but I wouldn’t want it to go to waste when you did such a nice thing,” he said, “and besides you don’t have to get me skinny dipping to get me naked,” he joked.

"No, that part is easy," She grinned back at him. "We didn't even get to enjoy our picnic." True said looking down at the kitten who was perfectly happy to be carried about and petted. "It was a lovely lunch too. I guess my quarters will have to do, but it's not the atmosphere I was hoping for."

“Well we can go back sans cat or/and I’ll keep my clothes on,” Jon offered.

"Nah, just my quarters is fine." True smiled at him. "We can make a picnic at the table to keep Atlas out of the food. It will be just as good," she assured him.

"Hey," Jon smiled, "It doesn't matter where we are as long as your there."

"Such a romantic," True said, turning to kiss him fully when Atlas squirmed in her grip and started to climb up the uniform of Jon. "Do you think he gets jealous? Is that a crazy statement? Is my cat jealous of my boyfriend? Have I lost my mind?"

"Well I don't know enough about cat psychology," Jon mused as he gently tried to pull the cat off his chest. The claws that had briefly pinched his skin did make him wonder if she had something there.

He held the kitten up to eye level. "Atlas, we can co-exist you know. We both love her, so lets do it for True. What do you say?"

It still gave True a bit of a thrill to hear Jon say he loved her. She was grinning from ear to ear as she watched Jon and the kitten stare at each other. He was already growing fast, she swore he'd doubled in size since she got him. He was going to be a large cat. "At least he'll be loyal to me," she teased.

"I thought you said we can train him," Jon muttered. His eyes still locked in a stare off with this kitten. It was strangely hypnotic.

"This is what we are going to work on ehh Atlas. 1 - coexisting for True, 2 - you not scratching my furniture and chewing at or stealing my clothes, 3 - me and you bonding somehow. Hopefully in a way that means I'm not covered regularly in fish.

Actually .... thats what we need for number 1 to be successful. Well probably num 2 as well. Lets make that number 1 and bump the other 2 down one. I can make it an order you know … " he walked back carrying the cat. He never imagined having a conversation like this with a pet. It was new territory.

"You seem to have put some thought into this." True said, keeping a straight face. "I'm glad I'm not the only crazy person around here. "Come on Ahab, we'll go work on the orange whale together." True held out her hand to Jon. "I love you too."

Jon winked at her and they walked back to her quarters.

OFF

●●●● Captain Jonathan Reynolds
Captain
USS Andromeda


●● Lieutenant True Keading
Chief Counselor
USS Andromeda