Topic: In an office chair on M'Raa...

[KAT MRess]

The figure shifted in his chair uneasily.

It had been along time since he had been able to stretch properly. Too long. Things had taken a turn for the worse for him lately, things that had needed his undivided attention. As a result he hadn't been exercising properly, and hurting his knee didn't help (he shouldn't have heaved her matched luggage so hard).

Redfur had dissappeared. Presumably to further the needs of W.A.N.K.E.R. to unprecedented heights of shopping frenzy. Then Miss Throat turned out to be another W.A.N.K.E.R. agent and had decided to pursue a career in assasination instead of administration.

What's the difference? Both will kill you.

That had left him in a position where he had to handle EVERTHING! It had taken time but now he had delegated enough that he could not only screen for a new assistant, but he could actually get back into the field again. Not in an intelligence capacity (no more Kroma thank you!) but in a ship to pilot against their enemies. Apparently the Klingons were getting uppity again and the Feds were too busy talking about it, as per usual.

But first he had to secure a new assistant. He stretched a good long stretch. Too long. His eyepatch popped off from the effort. He slowly relaxed the effort and then cursed himself as he leaned over to retrieve the patch. He stood and rubbed the scar around the socket. Sometimes it still itched. He just had to take care not to scratch the soft inside too vigorously as it would always be tender. Using the palm of his paw he rubbed the area instead. He sighed, returned to the dossiers on his desk and settled the patch back into place.

He sifted the pile in front of him.

One of them caught his eye (literally, one eye, get it?). She looked like she was very qualified. Excellent education, respectable work history and...

Whoa maker! Look at that picture!

This could turn out to be a very good war.

[KAT Chuut-Ritt]

I wonder if he's referring to Kim,

lets see warm lap, likes to pet, purrs exceptionally well......

I'm jealous...........

[Rolling]

I wonder if he's referring to Kim,

lets see warm lap, likes to pet, purrs exceptionally well......

I'm jealous...........

Whoa maker! Look at that picture!

Nope.

[KAT MRess]

Tr?rin was feeling very apprehensive. Even though the trip to the historical society fair was distracting her from the trepidation, she couldn?t shake the uneasy feeling.

The young Kzinrette had taken a bold step and was waiting to hear back the results. Recently the government office she had worked at for several of years had closed its branch and she had found herself without employment. As good fortune would have it she had heard a rumour of something available within the Armed forces, a position of ?Personal Assistant? to someone of importance. She had no idea of who it was, but she had practically leapt at the opportunity.

All those years she spent in school were about to pay off. Graduating at the top of her class in Mathematics and History she had many options available to her. Brains, determination, and a keen sense of duty she could have had her pick at many positions. However, she did lack one thing.

Experience.

And so she had toiled for years at an entry level position in order to build the necessary credentials for something more. And it had finally come. Although the information on the position was not extensive and actually rather vague, she applied anyway. Just getting her foot in the door was enough.


Her best friend C?erah was trying to get her to relax by treating her to a trip to the fair.

?Will you pay attention,? C?erah chided her. ?the best part is coming up.? Indeed the skit they were watching to portray a critical battle in one of the past wars was about to reach its climax.

?I?m trying to, I just can?t get my mind off it.? She answered as she checked her PADD (for the umpteenth time in the past hour) for any messages.

??A watched prey will never run.?? C?erah quoted an old hunting proverb. In her own way she was telling Tr?rin to relax and not watch her PADD as it would only make the wait longer. ?Besides your tail is twitching so nervously, you?re attracting just about every male within 200 yards.?

Tr?rin reached around and grabbed her tail in her hand and held onto it. The last thing she wanted was a amorous male to complicate things.

[KAT MRess]

The message light was flashing when she returned.

C?erah finally had to yank the PADD out of her hand in order to get her to pay attention. Once it was out of her reach, she was indeed able to concentrate on what was going on. She was still nervous though and had to keep holding on to her tail.

At the end of the fair she had returned home on the pretense of cleaning. It was true she had to clean her kitchen. But putting the dishes away would only take 5 minutes. In truth she wanted to be there in case she received ?The Call?. When she saw the flash her heart almost stopped.

Would this be what she worked so hard for?

She tapped the entry button and held her breath. It was her pater (father). He was wondering if she had received the call yet because her mater (mother) was fretting too much to make the call herself. The breath came out in a slight whoosh. The message was erased.

Tr?rin was just about to turn off the console when the second message started. She froze as she listened.

[KAT MRess]

Tr?rin couldn?t believe what had just happened to her.

It had been a week since the outbreak of war (again). The interview the week before that, had been a disaster for her.

*****

The day before had been spent shopping for a better outfit to wear. She knew this was important, after all it was in the Armed forces headquarters, nothing she had was suitable. Most of her wardrobe consisted of student outfits, lounging, studying and classroom clothes. Nothing, absolutely nothing, would suit the formality of HQ. With C?erah?s help she was finally able to pick out a suit that was her style while at the same time matching the cut and dry code of the military.

When she arrived at HQ she needed to ask for directions. Immediately she caught the eye of two warriors off to one side, but she was too nervous too notice. The old sergeant at the front desk, an older Orange warrior with curious black highlights and a ridiculous blue hat, read the obviouslt coded appointment info and cocked an eyebrow. He looked her up and down, which normally would have made her uncomfortable but, again, she was too nervous to notice. He pointed her toward an elevator and gave her the floor number. She turned to follow the directions.

Behind her, the two Kzintosh moved to follow, but the sergeant growled. They turned to him obviously upset. He motioned to the insignia on his neck and pointed up, indicated who she was here to see. Immediately, their expressions changed and they didn?t pursue.

The office was on one of the top floors. When she arrived, there was no-one else in the office, not even an assistant. She was a little early so she looked around.

The office was well appointed and immaculately kept. The overall colour was the standard military grey, but there were a few personables about. The desk looked like it hadn?t been occupied for a while, but like the rest of the room was very clean. A series of images was on the wall. They depicted various Kzin in poses for the pictures, both in the field and formal. The central figure was always a one-eyed Siamese. That must be him she correctly assumed. There were also some older ones where he had both eyes and still others with other species. She had never actually seen any of the races, only heard and read about them. Klingon, Hydrans (judging by the enviro suits), Gorn (was all that pink frilly stuff a part of their plumage?), Human (must be human, they?re so small and hairless!), ISC, and even a Lyran! Hmmm, no Romulan.

She turned to look at more of the office. So attentive to the rest of the office she didn?t see the small shoe rack and promptly tripped over it.

[KAT MRess]

Feedback?

I can't play due to ISP problems, so I thought I'd do some writing again.

[el-Karnak]

Feedback?

I can't play due to ISP problems, so I thought I'd do some writing again.

Me like. Please post more.

[KAT MRess]

M?ress keyed the video terminal as the next appointment should be here by now. The picture appeared and showed an empty room.

Hmmm, she?s late. Not a good start.

He was about to turn the terminal off when a movement caught his eye. It was in the very lower corner of the picture and barely noticeable. He touched the video control and panned down.

There on the floor with her back to the terminal was the next appointment. She was sitting, so she could rub her shin. Judging by the upset shoe rack, he guessed she had tripped on it. He keyed the sound and could hear her softly cursing. Then she started to stand, still attending the injured shin and ruffled outfit leg. But in doing so, she stayed bent over, offering an unopposed posterior view to the terminal.

His eye widened. Taking in the view, he paused to let her regain her composure and then cleared his throat.

Tr?rin was so startled when she heard the sound that she let out a small squeal and leapt into the air. Whirling around, her tail collided with an ornament on the desk sending it across the desk and spilling the contents. She was scrambling to clean it up, when she saw that the terminal had been activated. The face was the one-eyed Siamese and the expression while fairly composed, showed mild amusement.

?Miss Tr?rin, I presume??

[Soreyes]

Me like also!!   May I have some more please

[KAT MRess]

Me like also!!   May I have some more please

Only if you guys promise not to talk monosyllabic.




Tr?rin was mortified.

Not only had she embarrassed herself by tripping, and spilling the holder on the desk, she had inadvertently mooned this officer. Her composure started to waver. All she could manage was a paw to partially cover her face and a feeble nod. The image paused, obviously regarding her, and then spoke,

?I have to finish a report here, which will take a minute or two. Would you like to take the time to? ah?? the eye flicked down to her shin, ?freshen up?? She nodded again.

?Alright, when you?re done just come back. The washroom is around the corner.? The terminal turned off.

***

M?ress paused for a second and then turned the monitor back on.

?Watch out for the??  thud    ??shoe rack.?

He just turned the monitor off and shook his head.

[KAT MRess]

After examining her shin in the washroom, it was easy to find the two red welts under the fur, she took the time to straighten her outfit and smooth the ruffled fur. After some deep breathing to calm down, she realized that this would have to be a stellar interview in order for her to qualify for this job. That she could do. She might even throw in a bit of flirting for good measure, just to ?enhance? the experience.

Yes, if she could do that, she just might be able to pull this off. She headed out the door, feeling more confident.

Since the office she had been in had no exit, she assumed his office was next down the hall. So she hiked her personal dossier and marched down the hall.

***

M?ress was filing the report (he wasn?t lying), when the little light in the corner on the monitor came on.

He leapt up over his desk, landing in front of the door, which hissed open.

?Don?t move!!? he bellowed.

Tr?rin was part way down the hall when she heard the command. She immediately froze on the spot.

M?ress breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the door frame. His hand moved to the side of the door and returned with a parchment book. He walked down the hallway toward her, she started to relax and move again.

?Don?t move.? He hissed. She froze again. He stopped about 5 feet in front of her.

?You do know where you are?? he asked. She nodded.

?Did it ever occur to you that security in this building is tight?? Colour drained from her nose and lips (areas not covered in fur). He lofted the book into the air between them.

Instantly various coloured lasers sprang from the walls and incinerated the book.

?Another inch and that was you. Your bio signature isn?t encoded into the system.? She started to quiver.

He growled a command and after a couple of seconds, a beep responded.

?It?s ok, you can move now.? She started to outright shake as he offered his hand.

He helped her into the office and sat her in the chair.

[KAT MRess]

Needless to say, the rest of the interview did not go well.

As she passed the door and she saw the Office Title her eyes went wide. It was quite apparent that while she knew where she was, she just didn?t realize ?How High?.

The Kzinrette was very shaken and stammered through the whole interview. She even managed to spill a glass of water, not once, but twice. Bad enough the first was on his desk, but the second was in his lap. He didn?t think it was possible for a glass to shoot that far across the desk out of her hand.

Thankfully, the interview came to an end before any major damage was done. As she left she apologized for the destroyed book. He told her reassuringly not to worry about it, he never liked Gorn poetry anyway. The puzzled look from her prompted him to respond,

?Don?t ask.?

As he sat there afterwards, reviewing the interviews, there was only one conclusion he could draw.

*****

And so there she was, two weeks later, rearranging the office of the Assistant to the Patriarch of KAT. Pointedly, a certain offending shoe rack was kicked to the side of the door, away from the end of the table. Apparently it was ornamental but could be used by those who wore footwear, who visited this office from time to time.

Since he encouraged her to speak freely, she had questioned him about the shoe rack and about why he chose her after the disaster of an interview. He drew in a deep breath through his nose (was he sniffing her?) and offered only this explanation:

?Nobody,? he paused for emphasis, ?I mean nobody, rendered that inept with nervousness, could be wanker.?



What ever that meant.

[KAT MRess]

The first furlough of the war was met with much anticipation. Since he and his crew had not been in the field as much they were a little rusty (3 ships on the first patrol). So the furlough was being treated as an opportunity to brush up on some conditioning and tactical briefs.

M?Ress went straight to the office after disembarking with his duffel bag. He was also curious just how bad his newly hired assissstant Tr?rin had messed things up while he was gone. Having a screwed up schedule was no where near as bad as an angry Klingon in a D5D breathing down your DF+m. The change would be welcome.

He went straight by the outer door and into his office. Upon entering he threw the duffel on the couch and flopped into his chair. He stretched and sniffed the air.

Wildflowers.

He smiled to himself. Those two cleaning biddies always knew how to make him feel at home.

He relaxed into the chair. After a moment he awoke with a start to find Tr?rin standing in front of the desk with a PADD in one hand and a steaming mug in the other. She had entered silently and had cleared her throat to get his attention.

?Coffee, Sire.? She said holding out the mug.

He had developed a taste for the earth drink ever since his trip to Stars End Bar. While it was stimulating at first, it relaxed him afterwards. He accepted the mug and sipped at it. Double double. He nodded his approval. And opened his mouth to ask how she knew.

?It was programmed into the terminal by, Miss Throat was it??

Of course. He nodded at her other hand, ?What?s that??

?Your itinerary.? And handed over the PADD

Here it comes? He winced. She continued?

?I took the liberty of keeping Day One clear so you can rest and read up. Day Two you have several high ranking meetings including a regular conference with someone named Fluf, something about blame. Day Three has briefings to update you on various Fleet statuses and Day Four is inspecting the repair and refit of the Katnip.? She took a breath and continued?

?I also organized all your messages into business and personal. You have several inquiries from Tathor, your broker I believe, as too what you want done with certain funds. You also have a request from Dewey, Cheetum, and H?owe, aren?t they divorce lawyers? ?for the status of some documents. Finally some messages from several of your family.?


M?Ress was stunned.

[KAT MRess]

It was all M?ress could do to stare at the PADD. There it was, his schedule fully organized and prioritized. Even his messages were listed in order. Now it was his turn to stammer.

?Uh.. I? hmmm? Thank you.?

Tr?rins ears fluttered. This stunned reaction was what she was hoping for. Her own reaction was almost uncontrollable as she had worked hard to correct her first impression. It had worked, and he was dumbfounded.

?Will that be all?? she asked.

?Uh? yeah.? He straightened up ?Yes, thank you. That will be all.? She turned to leave but stopped about half way. She pointed to the duffel,

?Would you like me to send those for cleaning??

He looked blankly at the bag, then looked back at her. Suddenly he grinned,

?Yes, please.?

She moved to pick up the bag. At first she staggered, but then reset herself and hefted it and walked out. He outright smiled now, a broad toothy Kzin smile of satisfaction. Surprise, surprise.

Turning his attention to the PADD, he checked the time. Too late for business, he?ll worry about those tomorrow. He took a deep drink from the mug and started the personals.

Mater (mother). She wanted to know how the war was going and if he was getting enough sleep and relaxation since he was so tense the last time he saw her. He rolled his eye. OI!

Littermate (Older brother). Asking for help with moving his family to new estate. Not during a war.

Second-Litter mate (Younger Teenaged sister) Asking him to beat up her latest unfaithful Kzintosh paramour. That actually could be fun. Maybe I could just scare him a bit and not actually hurt him. He checked the identity of the Kzintosh as she had included it in the message. Hmmm, he?s military as well. No wonder she asked him. Drone duty maybe?

The last one caught him offguard completely as it wasn?t family.

Kayleen. His kzinrette before entry into the military.

[KAT MRess]

After all these years, she was sending him a message.

He read the next couple of lines very intently. In town, heard from a mutual old friend, had to call and see how you’re doing.

She was asking him out to dinner.

Now THAT was a surprise. Years ago when they had parted, it had been on good terms. But he had always initiated the contact they had. He was never completely sure if she was merely playing the diminutive role, or if she was truly brought up that way. Well, if she was asking HIM out, she might just have been playing the role. His mind raced. All sorts of possibilities about her were appearing and disappearing.

Then all of a sudden it all stopped. Realization hit when he remembered the appointment with Dewey, Cheetum and H’owe. That damn divorce. At least once the documents get verified he’ll be a free Kzin again. Redfur’s claws were long and sharp and knew exactly where to get him. But once he had the final word, he could…

“Message coming in from A Chuut R’itt, Sire” Tr’rin voice cut into his musings. “It’s marked as high priority.”

Damn him and his proprietary license.

[FPF-Wanderer]

 

Damn glad to see ya, Goose. 

[Bonk]

What he said.   

[GDA-Agave]

Very enjoyable, and well written.

(almost as good as Gorn poetry................................almost)

 

[KAT MRess]

Thought that might get some attention. 




Just dropping in to see how things are going and maybe add some entertainment.

If you want to know how things are going with me... well...


Just read the story. Real life has a way of spilling into fiction.






The summons from Chuut was almost a year ago. At first it had seemed like an urgent call at the time but it turned out to be just another reminder about certain military requirements.

Many things had happened since then. But there was no doubt the chain of events were started by that summons. M’Ress looked over at the clock, 3:05 in the morning and he couldn’t sleep. His bed was comfortable tonight, which made it really frustrating about not being able to sleep.

He got up and silently walked out to the kitchen. Opening the door he selected his favourite midnight drink. After a generous swig he replaced the cap why bother with a glass? and put it back. Slowly he wandered back to the bedroom.

The mission had not gone quite as he had hoped. In fact it had almost turned into a vacation. It really took him by surprise how things had developed. He pondered this as he returned to the bed.

The feminine figure beside him stirred. With a soft sleepy purr, she put her arm across his chest and snuggled in to his chest. He slipped his arm under her head and around her shoulders and he pulled her a little closer.

Yes, the bed was particularly warm and cozy tonight.