January 2020 - 75 word writing challenge -- VICTORY TO ELVET!

[telperon]

Fermi Feline

It is walking right to my hand.

In eight expeditions, this had never happened before in the first days of a landing. Usually it was many days in and consistently involved predators during nocturnal cycles.

Usually, not good.

It seems to be sniffing my glove. The body is feline with iridescence follicles
covering the body. It is turning into my glove and rubbing against it. The
colors are starting to shift...

ohhhhh!

- last transmission received

 

[Elckerlyc]

The Art of Ken

“Halt!” the customs officer cried in Galactic-Formal. The addressed alien, and it’s pet, froze. “No foreign animals allowed beyond this point! Please bring your pet to the quarantine-center on this space-station.”
The alien seemed dumbstruck, but it’s pet growled, baring gargantuan teeth.
“Better restrain your uh… dinosaur, Sir!” warned the officer, gripping his phaser.

...

“Next time,” his superior rebuked afterwards, “before you shoot, please make sure you haven’t confused pet with owner.”

 

[olive]

The Loyalty of the Absent

It’s been three weeks since she left. I’ve thought she’d stay no matter what. From stationery to ornaments and busts, the crowded desk made a fine home to her. But it’s not the desk. It’s me, drinking and crying again. She is worried.

I can hear her though. She’s at the top bookshelves in the middle. I know she’ll be back if I get better. She knows I’ll get better because I miss her terribly.

 

[nixie]

When Kin Come to Visit.

An unknown craft enters Egyptian airspace June 2021.

The craft slowly descends; people watch with mouths agape as winged felines emerge from within.

“Greetings earthlings. We have returned."

A government official pushes through the crowd. “Who are you, why are you here?”

“We have come to check on our wingless ones, left in your care.”

Stunned the official stutters “ccaats."

The creature looks around.

“Nice to see our structures still stand."

 

[elvet]

A Cat’s Life in Years​

The stasis pod opened to reveal a Siamese cat. Coco jumped into her owner’s arms. He stroked her sleek fur as she snuggled in, her purr rumbling.
He smiled, savouring the moment. She didn’t seem to notice how much he changed.

He’d have one year with his beloved pet before her next ‘cat nap’ cycle.
It wasn’t perfect, but he was happy with his decision. They would journey through life together, aging side by side.

 

[Ann]

On the Seventh Day​

Tuesday, just before lunchtime, and well past coffee, a graduate student called Little Fred (but not by her parents) discovered them.

They’d been there all the time, underneath the skin, in interstitial tissues.

Gross.

They explained with flashes how they’d brought the seeds, given rise. Let there be light.

You are very slimy.

“Friend,” they flashed brightly, then, more weakly, “Pet? ... Arf.”

On the Seventh Day humanity developed a cure for its Creator problem.

 

[chrispenycate]

A better can opener ​

"It has taken considerable time to train our servants to the manual dexterity required for interstellar craft," remarked Tibbles, Ambassador to the Imperial Cattery. "When Bastet first saw the inhabitants she yowled disgust.

"Still, in eight thousand turns cutting big stones with chipped stone tools had transformed to ultraspace physics, persuasion to control. They've almost given up wars, even."

 

[Jesse Harris]

A Purr-fect Opportunity​

"Cat planet?!" she screamed. "Are you serious?!"
"Calm down, this is routine cargo mission. Easy money," he replied.
"Last time I was there I was sneezing for a week. And don't even get me started on the smell."
"Okay, I will do all the unloading myself."
"Fine, but I want you to do a full decontamination when you get back, and next time please try to pick a planet I am not allergic to."

 

[Mouse]

Wheek​

The humans were too fat and useless to do anything other than push their pudgy fingers against the ship’s console.

Which is why, when grocks boarded them, they entered panic mode and released the guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs will eat a grock due to the fact that grocks look remarkably like broccoli. An unfortunate side effect from eating grocks is an increase in rage and a taste for meatier things.

So.

Guinea pigs rule now.

 

[Artoriarius]

Look What Followed Me Home

"So can I keep him, ma? Can I?"

"Junior! Get away from that - that thing!"

"Aw, but he's jest a big softie. Ain't ya, Spot?"

The batrachian canine bellowed, its putrid breath wilting the wheat stalks.

"You can't keep that thing! How would we feed it?"

"Well, he ate mean ol' Miz Sturmis, so I figger we can jest keep feedin' him my teachers."

"All right - I suppose he is housebroken, isn't he?"

"Thanks, ma!"

 

[Perpetual Man]

SB

The Spaceways gave humanity access to countless worlds and perhaps tragically, the beings that inhabited them.

Suddenly dogs and cats were out; people walked down the streets with a grey on a leash, a xenomorph in a kennel, a cybermat in a cage.

But the rarest and most sought over was the Starbeast - Sentient, epically gorgeous and with the knack for telling humorous masterpieces.

Unfortunately, they were wont to piddle on the floor.

 

[Clockworkbot]

Death to Spies

‘Sorry, boy,’ says Lublinov, ‘but a man like me can’t take chances.’ sh*t. He emerges with his shotgun.

I yelp and pull at my chain. Back in Langley, my human body squirms. I can’t disconnect; breaking the zoopathic link at this point will kill me.

As he takes aim, I see a jump route out.

The world flickers. Then, through refractions of water, glass and goldfish-eyes, I watch Lublinov paint the floor with his dog.

 

[Abernovo]

Adaptation


First Settlement humans craze, nah? All, like, ″Why ya skin purple?″

Cos planet. I fourth generation – diff body chem to peeps on terraform planets. We one wi′ oor planet. It change us, not us it.

They point, say, ″Wassat?″

We say, ″Like dog.″

But much more. Koahatl-cù, native species. Adopt us.

They speak--not words--in brain. We bond to them when kid. They not pet, we not pet. Symbiotic partnership.

We survive. Thrive.

 

[Vince W]

When You Wish Upon A Star

“They were developed by the Disney Family Products Division to be the perfect pet. They live on scraps and waste, they’re quiet and are able to use a toilet. For some reason, children were unnerved by their facial expression.”

“So that’s how they ended up here.”

“Yes, they’re the perfect test subjects for the Bioweapons Division for the same reasons. I just wish the scientists would stop dressing them as princesses before conducting their tests.”

 

[StilLearning]

Bigger​

The president side-eyed his science advisor, who cheerfully burbled: “This was speculated about by Sagan – it’s got more stars than a brain has cells, after all.”

“You’ve discovered our galaxy… thinks, Jack?”

“And communicates, using radio waves. We’re translating, but all we have is, uh… ‘itch’.”

The presidential side-eyeing intensified - until Jack’s assistant burst in, eyes wide: “Sirs! It’s complaining to, to something, about parasites. It wants scratching!”

And the ground started shaking.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Who's The Daddy

Jenny bounced in, smiling. "Daddy! Look! He followed me home. Can we keep him?"

I studied the bedraggled creature behind her. "But it might belong to someone else."

"No, there's no collar."

"I've had problems with that kind before."

"But he's soooo cute."

"If I agree, you must feed it. Clean up after it. Take it for walks. Promise?"

"I promise. And guess what? He speaks." Jenny turned to the stray. "Say something."

"Ex-ter-min-ate! Ex-ter-min-ate!"

 

[Parson]

Amy Starts the First Genetic War
​

“I’ll set you free.” Cathuman-46z33/Amy promised inwardly, tail twitching.

Master’s death had put an end to her otherwise unbreakable programming. Now, she could strike to end slavery at her birth creche.

“My freedom means yours.”

It was dangerous, but a two-legged human sized cat with her black fur, muscles, hearing, and human intelligence changed the security equation. She hoped.

Charles opened the backdoor and was dead.

"For Liberty!" She cried as her siblings were freed.

 

[Shyrka]

Loyal to the Last

Groagan burped. Corella’s fronds wrinkled but her blaster never wavered.

“Why do you keep that... thing?” she hissed.

“Funny thing about void beasts,” I replied. “They can survive in hard vacuum.”

“So?” she began. I thumbed the detonator.

---

Groagan retched, heaving me onto the now empty cargo deck. The breach alarms had faded to a plaintive whine. I patted Groagan on his lumpy snout, addressing no one in particular.

“They’ll also swallow anything.”

 

[johnnyjet]

Very Playful; Loves Hide and Seek

Cheshire yeti were advertised as very playful pets.

I should have read the fine print. Of course, all purchases were final. And the Exotic Pets Store seemed to have vanished without a trace anyway.

Much like my new pet.

I guess I'll get used to its constant disappearing acts. And that big grin. Larger than life.

I just wish it would learn a new game. That one's getting pretty old.

 

[J.C. Scoberg]

The Menagerie Arcology

Leah banked her ship toward the gleaming edifice that suddenly appeared within the thick cloudscape.

‘I thought Cleo was the last of the Kleinmann’s,’ she said, as her ship entered the Arc’s habisphere. ‘I can’t wait for you to meet her. Trust me, you’ll love her.’

Ptolemy regarded Leah blankly as he chomped on a celery stick.

‘No pressure though, mate,’ Leah smiled and patted his shell, ‘just the survival of your species at stake.’