BUGS

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

All characters, creations & realities remain copyright of their creators

"How's the repairs going" Snowaters asked as she left her shower.

<Slowly.> Kalith replied. <Your late. Arrival. Did Not Help.>

"Sorry" she apologized. "I ran into a bit of trouble last night and woke up in a strange room. It took me a bit to get back here without arousing suspicion."

<Considering. You Dress Condition. I Can. Imagine.>

"All that aside. Where do I need to go first" she asked.

Twenty minutes later the suited woman drifted slowly, coming to a landing just behind Brian Griffin's heavily suited form. Selecting his comlink channel she listened as the human swore at a reluctant bolt. "You know Brian, that bolt would come out much easier if you tried the other direction" she commented.

Brian turned, looking at Snowaters thin suit. "Snag that on anything and you'll have a blowout" he replied. Turning back to his work he reversed his tool. Moments later the bolt floated up into his hand. "Is there anything standard about this ship?" he asked.

"Sure" she replied, moving beside him. "Everything is from a different world."

"Great" he groaned, working on the last bolt. "I'll bet the paint jobs sentient too."

Snowaters blinked, a smile coming to her face. "I don't know. Why don't you ask it."

Brian stopped, looking up into the silver mirror of Snowaters faceplate. "Your kidding, right? Please tell me your kidding" he almost begged.

"Yes I'm just joking" she answered with a laugh. "It's just an aluminum based polymer, nothing exotic. It allows us to switch the ships polarity from positive to negative, or neutral should we need."

Putting the last bolt in his pack Brian lifted the access plate, noting ancient, many times painted marks on its surface. "Yeah, I can see where that might come in handy. Absorbing scanner energies and such..."

"Mmmm... Yeah, sure..." Snowy replied. "Say, can you transmute into that Griffin form in a spacesuit?"

"Huh? Oh, you must have seen the Security tapes. No, I'm afraid not, at least not in space." he answered.

"Thought so" she replied, reaching down to release his safetyline. "Come-on, I want to talk to you in private." She kicked off from the hull and before Brian could grab anything he found himself several meters from the hull, moving rapidly away. "And Naomi told me. I don't much talk with Security, much less let them keep dangerous tapes of my activities."

Brian gulped as the station drifted away. Turning he looked along their path... Nothing. "Are you crazy?" he asked. "We could die out here." Suddenly Snowaters stopped, Brian shot past her only to be jerked to a stop himself as the tether reached its end. Drifting slowly he came to a stop next to Snowaters smaller form.

Reaching over she attached a clip to his antenna, shorting it out. Plugging a small cord into his external com-socket her voice filled his suit. "Actually" she answered. "I've already been crazy. It really wasn't much fun. I'd like to invite you three to a party tonight, if you don't have other plans that is. A kind of apology for attacking the three of you. Yuki and the children will be on station so it'll be a bit loud. It's in early Edo period, so if you don't have the right clothing I'll make some available. And... I wanted to talk to you about Naomi." She laughed as Brian's hand ran across her suit, searching for reaction jets. "Remember the electrical coatings?" she asked.

Hours later Bryan and Brian were pealing out of their suits, aching from a full days work. "Did you see that greenhouse?" Bryan asked.

"Yeah" Brian answered, shoving the borrowed suit away. "It's made of copper, brass, bronze, steelglass and wood."

Bryan nodded, pulling his shirt on. "Wood in space as a structural element, who'd ah guessed." Buttoning his shirt he stretched. "But it sure is pretty to look at."

Brian grinned, popping a joint in his back, "Yeah, so is the owner. So long as you don't touch." Both laughed, remembering the Marine still in sick bay.

"Yeah, see you at the party?"

"You bet" his alter ego answered. Moments later both were gone, neither noticing the security tap set just below the benches.