Realms of the Raven

A migraine about floored me so it’s late again. I keep swearing I’ll get a week ahead so I don’t have to be late, but that obviously hasn’t happened yet.

(Archives are on the website, if you want to read the offerings of past weeks)

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No Average Cat
(c) 2008 by Maura Anderson

Che’tal paced, unable to take more than a few steps in any one direction before hitting the force walls that made up the boundary of her cage. She snarled at the thought of being caged. She was not an animal and certainly not a pet.

Stepping back and forth, her stomach churned and her tail whipped back and forth in rage. The feel of her sensitive tail slapping against the opalescent boundary only served to enrage her further until she could feel her body nearly vibrating. At least her anger seemed to help push away the remaining effects of whatever drug they’d used to subdue her. The metallic tange of it still teased the back of her throat.

Hell, was she the only one they took? Two of her young cousins had gone for a run with her. Her heart seemed to seize in her chest at the thought of anything happening to them. A deep sniff of their scent only made her gag and almost retch. Even with the metallic odor overlaying everything, each breath she took repulsed her. The shuttle stank more than any of the ships she’d crewed on-a mix of unwashed people, decay and completely ineffective deodorizers.

Dammit, why couldn’t she morph back to her humanoid form? She’d done it since she was only two turns old and no matter how much she tried to force her cells to re-arrange, nothing happened. Gulping, she tried to swallow the bile that rose in her throat. Control, she had no control at all.

Sick of pacing, she flopped down onto her belly, grateful for her thick fur pelt when she felt the cold metal decking of the cargo bay. The thick collar she’d woken with pulled at her fur. She had to get it off but no amount of writhing or clawing at it got her anything more than self-inflicted scratches and some missing fur.

The unmistakable clank and change in air-pressure said the shuttle had docked somewhere. Forcing panic aside, she tried to think. This was too small a craft to have steldrives so it had to be another ship. Artemisian space was strictly controlled and no stations were within even a week by sysdrive. Maybe the mandatory customs inspection would lead to her rescue.

She stood and resumed pacing again.

A few minutes later, three nervous-looking crewmen entered the cargo bay and walked toward her. The most unpleasant one carried a stunstick and waved it in her direction. “We need to get the cat into the IsoWard. Cap’n has it set up for her for this trip.” He gave an unpleasant cackle. “The bounty on a live Artemisian Cat pays for a whole lot of brides and equipment.”

Bounty? Someone had put a bounty on one of her people? Unable to hold back, she screamed in fury and charged the men, only to run headlong into the force walls. Dizzy with the force of the impact, she shook her head and tried to regain control of her temper.

“What’s the matter, kitty?” The smuggler waved his stunstick near her face again. “Don’t worry, I’m sure your new home will keep you in order. The guy has paid a lot of money to add you to his zoo. He even sent that pretty collar you keep trying to wiggle out of.”

A Zoo? Her people were not beasts to be kept in a zoo! Artemesia kept the secret of the Cats carefully, so much so that few had ever even been seen and none had been studied. But to smuggle one out for a zoo?

“Darl, it’s an animal. Why are you talking to a huge cat like it can understand you?”

Che’tal snarled softly. They really thought she was just an ordinary wild cat.