Outter Space

by Leo

"Captain to the bridge, emergency alert!" I woke up startled as Josephine rushed in mewing frantically. But this was not the sister I knew as over her fur she wore a dark green uniform embroidered with a red insignia that looked like a space ship. I looked down and found I was wearing similar attire. "You're needed on the bridge, sir!" Josephine persisted. This was very strange. I'd never heard her address me so politely before !"The Ailurobians are attacking!" she squeaked and we need your advice!" Not knowing what else to do, I followed her becoming more mystified by the minute. All the carpets in my devoted slave's house had disappeared to be replaced by hard wooden floors. The ceiling had changed too and was much lower and all the familiar furniture had vanished. My bed was now a narrow hard bunk instead of the roomy bed I shared with my devoted slave and the windows were small and round with no curtains, while the street lights outside had vanished and been replaced with total blackness! Strangest of all the house seemed to be moving and everywhere I looked ,strange cats ,all dressed in the same green uniforms were rushing around. Josephine led me to a large room filled with what looked like endless copies of my devoted slave's computer. At each screen, a cat was seated typing in commands. Ginger sat on a chair in front of the screen and stood up and saluted as I entered. A large window dominated the front of the room, but when I looked out, all I could see were stars. Then I realised, I wasn't in my devoted slave's house but on board a spaceship! To my surprise I started to remember everything, how I'd left my old home a year ago with my mother, sister and best friend and joined Cats in Space where I'd rapidly risen through the ranks until I'd been given my own ship "The Sneaky Mouse" to command. We were on a mission to protect the galaxy from the Ailurobians, a race intent on colonising the galaxy and rounding up all cats to be placed in fattening camps to be fed on twelve meals a day until they were fat enough to be eaten. "Please report on our status, Commander," I said to Ginger, who I know remembered was my first officer. " A fleet of Ailurobian ships are off our starboard bow. sir" he said "The commander desires to speak with you. They demand our surrender. We've taken heavy battle damage and our shields are down to forty percent." Swishing my tail, I leapt up on the captain's chair. "Put him through!" I ordered. The enemy captain's ugly visage appeared on screen. He was a strange looking being, about as tall as a human but with features which resembled a cross between a dog and the toy bears that my devoted slave kept on her bed. "Greetings, Captain Leo of the Sneaky Mouse." He snarled." Your reputation has reached the ears of our Imperial Government but you do not alas live up to it as I'd expected much fiercer resistance. I offer you my terms. Surrender and we will only eat yourself and the plumpest half of your crew. The rest may return home." I snarled at him in disgust before replying. "We will inform you of our decision in one earth hour." "It will be your last!" jeered the Ailurobian. "I suggest you spend it eating! His ugly face vanished from the screen. The situation seemed hopeless but the Sneaky Mouse had survived far worse during her year in space. I decided to call all my staff to a meeting in the committee room and asked them for suggestions. "We could threaten to use the destructor ray." mewed Ginger. "But we don't have a destructor ray, Commander" I objected. "If they believed we had they might leave us alone." "I doubt it. I know it worked with the Hibzats but the Ailurobians are far less easily scared. But if all else fails we'll try your plan". "I hope you'll use the ship destructor, Captain rather than let us be eaten!" mewed Josephine. "Indeed I will, we will never fatten our enemies! But I hope it won't come to that." I looked round at my brave crew, who looked at me so trustingly. I twirled my whiskers and vowed to be worthy of that trust. Then I noticed that my mother, the ship's scientist, Commander Queenie was missing. I pressed my paw on the ship's intercom. "Commander Queenie, report to the Committee room at once!" " Sorry, sir, I can't" she mewed". I can't leave my Science Room. I'm having problems with an experiment. I need some help!" Leaving Commander Ginger in charge of the meeting, Josephine and I went to investigate what was wrong with our mother. A scene of utter chaos met our eyes as the Science room was filled with giant rats. They were in cages, but each cage contained so many rats that the bars were in danger of busting apart, if they even lasted that long as the rats were knowing at the bars with very sharp teeth. "Whatever is happening here?" I asked my mother. "I was experimenting with self replicating rats to supplement our food supplies." she replied but something went wrong with the cloning chamber. I programmed it to produce a hundred rats, but it is producing a hundred thousand and very fierce ones too! I don't know what to do with them all!" Suddenly I had an idea. "I'll deal with them." I mewed confidently." I'll send someone to help you carry them to the photonic beam chamber." "But we are forbidden to use it on live creatures unless it's to move them to another ship." She protested. "They are going to another ship." I replied. I used the ship's intercom to summon all the crew except Commander Ginger and myself to the Science Room while Ginger and I returned to the bridge. The Ailurobians were already demanding that we contact them again and I pressed the switch to allow me to communicate with the ship." "Have you decided? Your hour is almost up." snarled the Ailurobian Captain." Surrender or be destroyed !" I did my best to look distressed. "We have no choice but to agree to your terms, sir." I mewed pathetically." I hope I will at least have the honour of being eaten by an equal ranking officer to myself.!" The enemy captain chuckled. Ginger looked terrified as I hoped he would. "If you would lower your shields, we will come to your ship." I mewed." Your scanners will show we are not armed." "We await you now. The shields are lowered." he crowed. I pressed a switch with my paw and suddenly the Ailurobian ship was filled with giant rats. The captain screamed as one bit him and the screen went blank. "Get us out of here!" I ordered the astonished Ginger." At top speed!" My crew swarmed on to the bridge led by Josephine who called "Three Cheers for our brave Captain Leo!" as The Sneaky Mouse rocketed through outer space. The ship seemed to spinning out of control and I felt myself falling from the captain's chair. Then something grabbed me! "Leo whatever are you doing, falling like that?" said my devoted slave, as she hoisted me back on her lap". Stop digging your claws in, I've got you safe!" I blinked in confusion. Where was my spaceship and adoring crew? Then I recognised the theme from my devoted slave's favourite science fiction show playing on the television. I must have fallen asleep while she was watching it. Josephine hissed at me from the chair opposite." You clumsy idiot, you woke me up!" I was brought down to earth again. "I think it's time I got us some supper." said my devoted slave." How about a nice piece of fish?" I purred contentedly and decided though I might not be a captain of a space ship any longer, it was good to be home.