Star Cat: The First Trilogy (Infinity Claws, Pink Symphony, War Mage)

by Andrew Mackay

  The second thing they noticed was her bust. Jelly was well-endowed, by all accounts.

  “My tummy’s stuck,” she growled and lifted her top half out from the unfeasibly tight oblong that contained the rest of her body, “Ah, that’s much better.”

  “Honey, y-you’re—” Wool couldn’t finish her sentence. Jelly’s beautiful tail swished out and slapped against the side of the pod.

  “Jesus Christ,” Tor said. “How did that pod even contain her?”

  Tripp shook his head, taking in Jelly’s evolution, “I don’t know, I—”

  “—Meow,” Jelly swung her left hind leg out from the pod and slammed her heel against the ground, sending a shudder across the ground. Everyone felt it and gasped.

  “Just one…. More…”

  SCHTOMP.

  Her right heel dug into the floor. The muscles in her arms flexed through her fur, “Ngggg…”

  She straightened her arms and pushed herself to her feet. Her head almost hit the ceiling.

  Tripp, Jaycee, and Tor’s eyes tilted up and took in her new size.

  Wool started crying at the sight of the girl’s back, “Honey…”

  Jelly swished her tail. Her long, orange-brown locks fell over her shoulder blades as she looked up at the ceiling.

  CRUNCH-CRICK!

  She rolled her shoulders and moved her head, cracking the kinks out of her neck and shoulders, “Feels good to be out of there.”

  Jelly stood seven-and-a-half feet in height. She appeared to be wider in frame, too - the technical equivalent of a somewhat over-sized adult female. Not an ounce of fat anywhere on her.

  “Jelly, how are you feeling?” Tripp asked.

  Her cat ears twitched. She moved her arms in front of her chest and faced away to preserve her modesty, “I feel great.”

  Tor looked down at her behind. He followed the swishing of her tail around with his eyes, “B-But but…”

  Jelly turned back to them. Her curvaceous frame and trim legs were an astonishing sight to behold.

  An truly exquisite vision.

  Then, the bulge in her stomach came into view as she completed her turn. She held her claws over her belly.

  “That’s one helluva pussy,” Jaycee muttered. For the first time in his life he felt threatened - scared, even. A much bigger being shared the room with him, now. Anyone with decent vision could see that Jelly could kick the guy around the room and have him for lunch.

  “Hey, don’t talk about her like that,” Wool said. “Look at her. You think this is what she wanted?”

  “I didn’t mean pussy in a derogatory way. She is a cat, after all. I meant a pussycat—”

  “—Shut up,” Jelly roared at the pair with fierce volume, “Both of you.”

  Tripp stood to attention and gulped at her instruction.

  Jelly’s chest heaved in and out with anger. She extended her first infinity claw on her right paw and pointed at Jaycee, “You.”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, you,” she said. Her feminine voice was huskier than ever before, “Did you just call me a pussy?”

  “No, I d-didn’t mean it like—”

  “—You want me to show you how cute I am?” Jelly kicked the side of her pod in anger, “Come here and I’ll show you how easy I am to pet, you massive, metal turd.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Good,” Jelly stepped forward and loomed over the petrified man, “Then show me my respect. Bow down.”

  “Wh-what?”

  “Show me my respect,” she repeated. “Bow down.”

  Jaycee looked to Tripp for a get-out. Not only was the attempt unsuccessful, it also angered Jelly even further.

  “What are you looking at him for?”

  “I, uh—”

  “—I’m not playing around, Jaycee. Show me my respect and bow down.”

  “Okay, okay,” Jaycee held out his arms and fell on one knee, “I’m doing it. I’m sorry—”

  “—Don’t you dare apologize to me, Nayall. Just do as I say.”

  Jaycee kept his mouth shut and hung his head in front of her. A giant purr erupted in her abdomen as she looked down at him.

  “I’m bigger than you, now. Don’t ever forget it. Stand up.”

  He did as instructed and arched his back, wondering what was coming next.

  Jelly turned away and made for the door. “By the way, Jaycee?”

  “Yes?”

  She nodded at the slider on the wall and pointed to her stomach, “Mind if I borrow one of your exo-suits? Bonnie’s kid’s jeans are no use to me, anymore.”

  “No, not at all.”

  “I don’t think the others’ inner-suits will fit me.”

  “I agree,” he said, thankful that he was still alive, “You go ahead and take whatever you want.”

  She made her way through the door, “Thanks, human. See you on the control deck.”

  SWISH-SCHUNT.

  The door slid shut, leaving the others beyond dumbfounded. Tripp looked to the others and thought twice about his next sentence.

  “Uh, I guess she’s in charge now?”

  Tor tapped him on the shoulder, “Good luck telling her otherwise, good buddy.”

  ***

  Jelly stormed along the level three walkway and kept her head down. The protruding bars across the upper sections of the wall threatened to smack her in the face as she moved past them.

  A growl whirled inside her stomach. She stopped in her tracks and pressed her claws along at her belly.

  “Miew…” she cried. Her knees nearly buckled. She pressed the pads on her palms against them, trying her best to contain the pink, glowing orb within, “God… I feel sick…”

  She managed to turn the corner take hold of the staircase railing. The end of her claws scraped against her wrist, slicing off the ends of a few strands of fur.

  BLOICK!

  Her hips thrust so hard she nearly tumbled backwards down the stairs. She pulled herself forward and slid down a couple of steps. A whimpering came from within her throat as she spluttered and reached the last step.

  “Guhhh…” she stretched her mouth wide open, along with her eyes, “Oh my tummy… ugh…”

  She twisted her body around and planted her behind on the top step, accidentally trapping her tail. Her waist tilted forward and released, “Ugghhh...”

  Her heels dug into the third step, trying to kick the intense pain away.

  “Oh God, not now—”

  GRUMBLE… GROOOWWWL…

  Jelly held her breath. The pain and rumbling in her stomach abated and settled down. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  CLANG.

  Sparks flicked up from her claws as they scraped against the railing. She hoisted herself back to her feet and stormed up the next set of stairs.

  The Control Deck

  Space Opera Beta - Level One

  Jelly made a beeline for the flight deck.

  Manuel paused his work on with the communications panel when he saw her enter the room, “Jelly, you’re here.”

  “Yeah,” she kept her focus on screen on the flight deck as she approached it, “I heard comms are back on. Patch me into N-Gage. Now.”

  Manuel tilted his covers in confusion, “Oh my, you have grown.”

  She pulled the chair out from under the desk and spun it around, “No,” she quipped, “Do you really think so?”

  “Yes, I do think so. Your height. Your frame, if I can call it that?”

  “Stop looking at me like some kind of weirdo,” Jelly lifted her tail the way female humans hitch their skirts and slumped into the chair, “Patch me into N-Gage. Anderson household, Chrome Valley. Do it now.”

  “But, we’re awaiting rescue—”

  “—Hey, Manuel?” she snapped.

  “Yes?”

  “Do you want me to scratch your eyes out and hump the sockets?”

  “Umm, no?”

  Puzzled, he fluttered further away from her, “It’s just that we’re await
ing contact with Opera Charlie to establish—”

  “—Aww, God damn it,” Jelly slammed the flight deck with her claws and spun her chair around, “You’re not listening to me. I want you to patch me into N-Gage. Now.”

  “But I—”

  “—Make no mistake, you floating piece of crap. I want to speak to Jamie and tell him I love and miss him. Not that I have to explain my actions to you.”

  Manuel tried to calm her down.

  “Miss Anderson. I’m fully aware that you, like the others, miss your family. But if we connect to Earth it could jeopardize our bridge with Charlie. We must keep the channel free for—”

  “—What’s the first rule?”

  “Uh, I wasn’t aware there was a first rule, Miss Anderson?”

  “Oh, then let me enlighten you. The first rule is I get what I want. Everything that ever was, is, and ever will be is mine. All mine. Do you understand what I’ve just said?”

  “Uh, yes?” Manuel lowered himself, hoping not to get swiped by her vicious infinity claws.

  “I want to see Jamie. Now patch me in.”

  “Okay, okay… don’t have kittens,” Manuel said as the color drained from his covers.

  “Har-har, very funny,” Jelly stopped herself from giggling at Manuel’s inspired quip, “Let’s see how funny you are when I tear your covers off, comedian.”

  “Patching you in now. Please be quick.”

  “I’ll take as long as I want, you encyclopedic-head.”

  “Oh, come now, Miss Anderson. That was uncalled for.”

  Jelly threatened to push herself off the chair and punch the communications panel.

  “Shut up and do your job or I’ll tear out your pages and Origami them into a baseball bat and smack you around the covers with it.”

  “Fine,” Manuel paused in mid-air, enabling the flight deck screen to come to life, “Here we go.”

  “Thank you,” Jelly turned to the screen and briefly caught a glimpse of her own face in the glass. She didn’t recognize herself at all. The girl who’d battled on Pink Symphony was no longer present. Instead, a beautiful half-cat looked at her. The screen beeped and displayed white text.

  N-Gage

  Anderson Residence

  Chrome Valley, United Kingdom.

  Dialing…

  “Come on, come on,” she spat, impatiently, “Answer, Jamie.”

  The screen wobbled around and flushed into white static. A shape of a man’s face formed within the dots.

  Tony, Emily’s husband, appeared on screen and looked into the lens, “Hello. Who’s this?”

  Jelly shook her head and winced at Tony’s face, “Who’s this?”

  “Sorry, who are you trying to reach?” Tony said.

  “I want to see Jamie.”

  Tony’s face peered against the screen as he tried to ascertain who, exactly, this strange half-cat, half-women was, “Who are you?”

  “I want Jamie. Put Jamie on.”

  “Not until you tell me who you are,” Tony looked under the screen and then back at Jelly, “USARIC?”

  “My name is Jelly Anderson.”

  Tony raised his eyebrows in amazement, “You’re J-Jelly Anderson?”

  “Yes. Put Jamie on.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “Don’t care. I want Jamie.”

  “He’s not here, I’m afraid,” Tony whispered. “He’s at school.”

  Jelly’s face fell, fueled with anger. She tapped the side of the screen with her claw as if trying to goad a mouse, “No. No, I want Jamie.”

  “I’m sorry,” Tony said. “If you call in a few hours when he’s home, I’ll let him know you—”

  “—I want Jamie,” Jelly burst into tears and clenched her fist.

  KER-SMASH!

  She punched through the screen and smashed the glass, severing the connection. “Agggghhhh!” She took the screen’s wires in her paw and tore them out like a bunch of stringy intestines. The force yanked the screen from the desk. It whipped off the deck and crashed to the floor. Sparks and jolts of spent electricity whizzed into the air, underscoring her juvenile-like sobs.

  The color came back to Manuel as he whirred back to life, “All done?”

  “No,” Jelly wept and stomped her feet on the ground in a tantrum, “He wasn’t there.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry—”

  “—What’s all this shouting?” Tripp walked into the control deck and immediately spotted the wreckage on the floor, “What happened?”

  He looked up and saw the torn wires and cables hanging across Jelly’s infinity claws, “Jelly?”

  “What?”

  “Did you do this?”

  “Yes. Bad screen.”

  “You can’t go around damaging USARIC property like this. They’ll dock our wages if there’s any damage done.”

  “So?”

  Tripp crouched down and scooped the battered monitor into his arms. The wires streaked from the shattered glass a few meters away in Jelly’s claws.

  “Jelly. Let go of the wires.”

  “No.”

  “Jelly, I’m the captain of this ship. You have to obey me.”

  She tugged taut on the wires and refused to let go, “Mine.”

  “No, Jelly. Not yours. Let go of the wires. I need to get this screen fixed.”

  “Mine,” Jelly coiled the metal connector at the end of each strand around her wrist. She wrapped each infinity claw around it and tugged it back to her hip, forcing Tripp to walk toward her.

  “I’m not going to say it again, you bad girl. This is a direct order. Let go of the wires.”

  “No,” she reached across the taut wires with her other paw and gripped them, pulling him closer still, “It’s mine.”

  “Look at it. It’s useless. What do you want a broken screen for?”

  “Don’t care. It’s mine.”

  Tripp dropped the broken device to the floor. Jelly’s elbows hit the flight deck due to the lack of pull.

  “Fine. You want a broken flight screen and a fistful of wires? You got it.”

  He let go of the cables and turned to Manuel in a huff.

  “Update on Charlie, please.”

  “Miss Anderson used the frequency to call home. I’m afraid if they had attempted to make contact, we would have missed it.”

  “Why did you let her make the call?”

  “She threatened to scratch my eyes out and make love to the sockets—”

  “—Hump them, actually,” Jelly corrected him.

  “That’s right. She threatened to remove my eyes and hump the—”

  “—You don’t even have eyes, you dummy,” Tripp spat, about ready to explode with anger, “Manuel, you can’t let Anderson tell you what to do. She’s not in charge—”

  “—Pardon my forwardness, Tripp. But didn’t you just cave in to her demands seconds ago?”

  Tripp watched Manuel indicate the battered screen. He knew the book was right. His dignity begged to differ. An ill-advised retort formed in two seconds and flew out of Tripp’s mouth before his brain had a chance to give it the green light.

  “That’s not the point.”

  “Miew—” Jelly acted the sweet, innocent pet.

  “You shut up, too,” Tripp kicked the communications panel in anger, “You’ve been nothing but trouble since you came back from that… thing.”

  “What thing?”

  “After you disappeared on Pink Symphony and went swimming,” Tripp yelled. “You’ve changed, you know that? Nothing but a spoiled little brat. The others are scared of you, now. You’re walking all over them. But not me, Anderson. I’m not scared of you.”

  He stopped screaming and caught his breath. The pause allowed the reality of the situation to flood his mind.

  “God damn it, I’m trying to talk sense into a cat,” he muttered. “We must have died. I’m in purgatory, that’s the only explanation. I’m an Androgyne. A robot telling off a household cat who’s turned into a woma
n.”

  “Miew…” Jelly whimpered, apologetically. No English spoken, but the tone said it all. She felt sorry for him.

  “What are you saying now?”

  “I’m sorry, Tripp.”

  “Really?”

  She shook her head and wagged her tail, “No. Not really. But I know you humans like to be told sorry.”

  “I should have figured,” Tripp sighed and pressed his hands against the comms panel, “Jelly?”

  “Yes, human?”

  “Don’t make judgments like that until you have all the facts,” he blurted, mourning his entire existence, “Do me a favor?”

  “Do I have to?”

  “No.”

  “Then I don’t want to,” She licked her lips and yawned in his face.

  “I admire your honesty,” he muttered just loud enough to for her to hear.

  “I’ve never lied in my entire life,” Jelly dug her tongue into the crook in her gums, “I don’t even know how to lie. I know you humans do, though. I’ve seen it with my own eyeballs.”

  “With your own eyes, Jelly.”

  “All of them, yes.”

  “Okay, you won’t apologize. I get it. You’re a cat. You don’t give a rat’s ass—”

  “—I can catch a rat and give you its ass as a trophy—”

  “—No, no,” Tripp gave up the ghost and turned to Manuel, “That’s not what I—It’s a turn of phrase. Means you don’t care.”

  Jelly didn’t feel the need to respond. Tripp, once again, was spot on with his assessment - and she wasn’t going to correct him. She genuinely didn’t give a rat’s ass about his feelings.

  “And to be quite honest I’m starting to know how you feel.”

  “Miew,” she offered, politely.

  “Stop talking,” Tripp prepared himself for action. Work needed doing, feelings be damned. He snapped his fingers at Manuel.

  “Jaycee is at Weapons and Armory. Wool’s at Medix. Can we try to establish comms with Charlie once again, please? Provide something of a salutation for their arrival?”

  “Certainly, Tripp.”

  Jelly rose out of her chair, “I need the bathroom.”

  “Yes, go and get ready. There’s a good girl,” Tripp lifted the keyboard and hit the return key, “Manuel, I’m going to my quarters to get ready. I’ve advised the others to do the same. In the meantime, commence connection to Opera Charlie on a frequency of zero, four five, niner—”