Picture 9
by MGD, Spyder
& BlackJack

I was watching television with my Devoted Slave or rather trying to catch up on my beauty sleep while she watched it. My mother Queenie had stolen my place on her lap and I was reduced to perching on the back of the settee, not the most comfortable place I must add.

She was watching Star Trek ,one of her favourite programmes, which is about a group of people exploring outer space in the distant future. I usually found it boring and easy to sleep through, but today's episodes caught my attention as the first one was about an android who was owned by a cat and like my own Devoted Slave did its best to cater for his cat's every need. I to snoozed my way through most the next episode which featured different characters. Captain Janeway and her crew were fighting against some nasty aliens called the Borg who kept saying "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile !"

My Devoted Slave then switched of the television, leaving my mother and I alone while she went to prepare a meal.

"Those Borg creatures wouldn't assimilate us." Queenie said." What silly things they say, resistance is not futile. No one makes us do what we don't want to !"

I considered this while carefully washing my whiskers.

"Maybe the Borg are the cats of the future" I speculated "Every human knows that resistance is futile where cats are concerned. We have assimilated our devoted slave completely !"

Queenie snorted.

" She still rebels at times and those Borg things are ugly they don't have fur !Cats in the future will be more beautiful not less. Then not all humans can be assimilated like her, the people I lived with before you were born resisted my charms completely." she said.

"I wonder if that television programme is true and if aliens exist or not. I'd love to find out ."I replied ignoring her lack of enthusiasm. "And where will you find a spaceship, or even a telescope to search for aliens." said my ever practical mother.

But already I had an idea.

My Devoted Slave had once had a Mother of her own. I didn't remember her very well save that she was sweet and kind but I knew that she had a telescope as she'd liked looking at the moon and stars and that my Devoted Slave still had it in the wardrobe .I'd seen it once when she was tidying her wardrobe out.

I told my friend Ginger and together we plotted to get hold of it. Our chance came sooner than we expected as Our Devoted Slave was getting changed to go out the next day and the doorbell rang while she was getting ready. Her friend had arrived early as she'd discovered the local paper had the time of the film wrong . My Devoted Slave grabbed her handbag and rushed out .In her haste she forgot to close the wardrobe door. We could hardly believe our luck as she is usually meticulous about closing it claiming I leave fur on her black dress. She doesn't seem to understand that I'm just trying to brighten it up for her. Humans are very slow at times.

The telescope was packed in cardboard tube and it was easy to roll along the floor. My mother and my sister Josephine saw us though, so we had to explain what we were doing and insisted on being involved. They claimed they wanted to keep an eye on us, but I knew they were as curious about aliens as I was but wouldn't admit it. It was the night of the full moon. A perfect time to look for aliens !

We set up the telescope in the back garden. We are cleverer with our paws than humans think ,if we let them find out they'd expect us to open our own tins !I was excited but the others were already having reservations. Ginger, who is of a very nervous disposition ,was scared.

"What if we find some space aliens ?" he said timidly" What if they kidnap us and eat us ?"

"This is stupid idea !" Josephine hissed." It would be more fun to go mousing as our Devoted Slave isn't there to make a fuss if we bring any indoors !"

I ignored her, big sisters are a pain in the whiskers !

The moon was huge and very bright casting an eerie glow around the garden. I took a deep breath and looked at it through the telescope but I couldn't see the man in the moon, only rocky craters. I moved the telescope around looking for alien spaceships but could only see stars and planets. The others were getting impatient. I was loathe to leave my observations as I could see my name in the history books, "Leo the cat who discovered the existence of alien life !" but eventually I reluctantly relinquished the telescope to a trembling Ginger thinking he would let me have it back soon. Ginger looked for a few minutes and then jumped back from the telescope with an agitated mew.

"I've seen them !" he gasped a spaceship with flashing lights and it's coming towards us. We'll all be kidnapped!"

Ginger was right and we could hear it coming and see the twinkling red and green lights that adorned it, even without the help of the telescope !It was getting nearer.

Abandoning the telescope in the garden, we rushed indoors and hid under our Devoted Slave's bed every moment fearing that the aliens would materialise through the walls and take us away .We huddled together shivering and not making a sound. It was the first time that Josephine has sat next to me without hissing, which scared me all the more !

We waited for what seemed like hours. Maybe the Borg had overrun the entire planet and we were the only survivors or were they some other aliens who ate cats ,like those on another programme our Devoted Slave watched? We trembled to think of it .

I tried to think of the few races of friendly aliens I'd seen on TV and kept hoping it might be them who were invading earth. Then we herd a sound. We would be discovered !We shrank further under the bed hardly daring to breathe .

"Thanks for a lovely evening. The film was great." I heard the familiar tones of our Devoted Slave !

" I enjoyed it too but I could have done without that noisy plane flying past just as the hero was confronting the villain." A strange voice, which obviously belonged to her friend, said.

"Didn't you see it on the News, they're rerouting planes tonight due to an accident."

"I hope it's sorted out soon, I know we used to get a lot of low flying planes but they changed the flight path as it was such a nuisance. I blushed under my fur, fancy being frightened by an aeroplane !We crept out from under the bed as we heard our Devoted Slave saying. " I wonder where my reception committee are? They are usually waiting for me "

I heard her say goodnight to her friend and the familiar sound of her footsteps on the stairs. We hurried to meet her .

"My poor cats all on your own here!" She said, stroking each of us in turn." I feel so mean leaving you ,you must be so bored while I'm out watching an exciting film !"

Little did she know !

We snook the telescope back into the house while she was asleep and returned it to its place in the wardrobe the next time she left the door open, she never did find out what happened.

I've decided I'd rather watch aliens on television than meet any for real !

We had reserved a campsite at a park not too far away. It was a furry lovely night, and thus we walked to our destination. Each of us girls had a sleeping bag and the items we were responsible for. I had the food, Angel had games, and Sarah was keeper of the flashlight and practical items. We were all looking forward to our wonderful campout.

When we got there, we girls pitched our tent. Bootsie had his own, since he was the only boy. Then, when it got dark enough, Bootsie furry kindly started the campfire. I had brought some cheese, which we grilled on bread. We were all looking forward to the best part, the s’mouses! All of us loved them. Angel brought out a deck of cards, and we played Go Fish, a cat’s favorite card game. We told scary stories and looked at the stars.

Then it was time to go to sleep. None of us wanted to do so, but we were tired. We all slept until about ten the next morning. Then we had some delicious bread with treats. Efurrykitty was furry sad to leave, but we all had great memories of our campout!