Oh Wode is Me

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Snowaters vision cleared slowly, spots still danced around her, impeding clear vision. She caught I.P.'s groan, and a gasp behind her from Diamond. Shaking her head, trying to clear her vision (for she had been staring directly at IP's collar when it flashed and would take a bit longer to recover than the others) she sat slowly onto the metal deck.

"What do you mean, you've done it again?" she asked.

"Ummm... welll" I.P. stammered, trying desperately to find a way to explain.

"What he means" Diamond injected from behind, "Is that he opened his mouth before engaging his brain and made a wish."

Her eyes clearing, Snowaters caught sight of her new coloring, "Blue?" she managed, "I'm blue?"

I.P. stepped forward, holding out his hands in apology. "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it. Maybe it will wash off?" he stammered.

Standing slowly, Snowy looked into I.P.s stricken face. "You idiot" she suddenly screamed. "Don't you think its bad enough with red fur, explaining to mother....."

Losing her control she grabbed I.P.'s arms, lifting the startled fellow into the air, her voice rapidly rising in pitch.

Diamond stepped back, the leopardesses violence a shock. Her backward momentum was suddenly arrested by the wall behind her and something else. Turning around she saw a fire hose. Grinning she scanned over the instructions. 'FOR A,B, FIRES ONLY, DO NOT USE....' Ripping open the glass door she yanked out several feet of hose, giving the water wheel a quick spin. 'Maybe a little cold water will cool her temper' Diamond thought, aiming the nozzle at Snowaters back as she twisted it full open.

"P.P..p..p..lease..." I.P. stammered as Snowaters shook him, her eyes glazing over. "I.I..i Didn't..."

Snowaters let out a scream, having stepped on the offending bug herself. As her foot came up ice cold water struck her in the back, its pressure overbalancing the cat, slamming her and I.P. against the far wall.

 Above I.P.'s head a small access panel popped open from the impact, water quickly splashing into the now accessible power circuits.

Blue fire leapt from the open access panel, striking I.P.'s collar, then traveling down the leopardesses arms, exiting through the metal bug on her foot. Excess power followed the water stream, knocking Diamond away, dazing her.

No longer controlled the fire hose whipped around, throwing water everywhere. Sensing that no one was controlling the hose safety circuits shut down the flow. The hose fell flat, and limp.

I.P. could feel the current passing around him, somehow doing no harm other than heating his collar. He heard Diamonds scream as she was thrown away from the hose, then there was another brilliant flash and he found himself flying through the air, alarms screaming around him as the ship shut down the injured circuits. Then he hit a wall, and passed out.

He woke moments later, Diamond lightly slapping his face. "Wake up I.P." she was saying, her voice heavy with worry. Shaking himself he sat up.

"I'm .....ok" he managed. "But where is Snowaters?"

Diamond pointed at a pile of water soaked fabric down the hall, steam drifting slowly from its sodden folds. "I think she's alive, at least, I've seen movement" she answered.

Standing slowly, I.P. felt his collar. Cool to the touch it felt the same as ever. Running one finger under the collar he came up with a few charred strands of fur, but nothing major. Glancing at Diamond he shrugged. "Well, I guess we better go see how bad she is."

The two walked slowly to the pile of clothing, strands of pale blue fur were everywhere, almost as if flung by an explosion. Reaching down I.P. pulled away the pile of fabric, and gasped.

Diamond just sat down, stunned by what she saw.

Looking up at them, long pale blue hair swirled around her, was a small Japanese human.

"Snowaters?" I.P. managed, his voice almost failing him.

Sitting up slowly, pulling the volumous folds of fabric around her, she coughed slightly. "I surrender I.P." she managed, her voice thin. "First you turn me blue, ok, maybe I deserved it. But now I'm a human." Holding up her hands, pale in the glaring light she looked up at the two. "But what did I ever do to you to deserve this?" she wailed.

Unnoticed by any of the three the Hango Bug skittered away, keeping close to the ceiling, slipping into an air duct. There it paused a moment, extending two thin antennae. Moments later it withdrew the antennae, turned down a side corridor, and scuttled away, its destination... Rachelle's quarters.

Deep under the crust of a long dead planet systems translated the bugs nutron transmission, splashing its message across a football sized screen.

"Secondary Target Infected, Primary Target Eliminated. Moving Against Final Target, Position Located."

A deep cackle filled the massive room. "Ha! Soon Demon, Soon you will pay. They will believe it was your doing.. you'll never convince anyone otherwise....."

Silence returned to the massive chamber, broken only by the soft, ragged sounds of breathing.

Snowaters (c) Lord Rees The Inter-Predator (c) Tracy Kazaleh

Diamond (c) Ben Cartwheel (c) Johnny Amburn

Hango Bug (c) Lord Rees Rachelle (c) Elizabeth Gagliano - Stewart

Demon (c) Scott Alston