War Room
Tituba – Supreme Commander (Bombay Cat)
Jules Verne, Boost, and Toby – “The Three Tuxedos”
Bach, Beethoven – The Scientists
Theodore Roosevelt – Assistant to the Scientists
James Patterson and Buck Rogers – Three Tuxedo’s Advisers.
Django, Cobain, Ginger, and Mr. Boots – Security for the Three Tuxedos
Donna Noble and Toppie – advisers to Supreme Commander Tituba
Bagheera and Shanti – Coolville
“The Three Tuxedos” and their team had just been told of an unknown threat to Catdromida and its sister planets when we last met. Jules Verne has given orders to activate the war room and has his science team meet them there. He has also told Buck Rogers to let Supreme Commander Tituba know what is being done, so she and her adviser can join them if they want.
As soon as they get to the War Room, they meet Ms. Toppie, one of the Supreme Commander’s advisers. She is holding a folder in her teeth with a red seal on it. The seal means “Top Secret,” which can not be good. As the cats assume their positions around the table, Toppie walks up to Buck Rogers and drops the folder in front of him. “This is the latest information from Cat Paw,” she says, “and I know you are not going to like it. Bach, Beethoven, have you ever known space junk to change course or act like it’s correcting its course?”
Both cats shake their heads no.
“Teddy, please pull up the latest tracking information from Cat’s Paw.” As he does, she moves to the giant monitor. “Right here is the latest evidence, of course, with a correction. We also see two more, here and here. This is not ordinary space junk. It appears someone is controlling or steering it.
Donna and I have included all this, plus what Little Cat’s Paw has found out about its makeup so far, in the folder. Teddy, Cats Paw, and Cats Paw II are on CATNet sub-Channel 7 if you scientists want the new information immediately, rather than waiting for us to relay it down to you. They are sending it encrypted with Whisker II encryption. So be sure to set that in your system to decrypt the information.” With that, she jumps down and heads to the door. As she approaches, Mr. Boots nods and opens the door to let her out of the war room, and she nods back, giving her a cute calico smile, then heads back to the Supreme Commander’s offices.
As Bach, Beethoven, and Teddy look over the newest information delivered to them, they do not like what they see. This cloud of debris is starting to stretch out, giving it a wider front, and, as Toppie said, it is like someone is steering it directly toward Catdromida and her sister planets.
All three look up from the data and straight at “The Three Tuxedos” at the head of the table, and at the same time say, “Activate the space defense grid now, or we are doomed.”
Mr. Verne cocks his head and looks back at Beethoven. “More information, please.”
Beethoven starts by saying, “The information we are looking at from the Cat Paw ships all says this cloud is not just junk. Someone or something is actually in the midst of it and controlling it. They just made another course.
Correction and adjusted their speed relative to Cat’s Paw 1’s speed. If we take the courses as far back as we can since they came on our radar and deep space scans, we show the origin of the Dog Star area of space. On our scans of the mass, it still looks like space junk, but as it expands out, we are seeing a couple of larger masses in the middle.”
With that, Jules Verne, Toby, and Boost each raise a paw and push down on a red button in front of them to activate Space Defense. This brings online space-based missiles, lasers, extra radar, and sensor systems. It also activates military attack ships both on Catdromida, in space, and on Catdromida’s sister planets. This is not a light decision these cats have made. Those in the War Room are now in direct contact with commanders all across three planets and several space based platforms. They are also in direct contact through the CAT Net with Cats Paw 1 and 2.
Mr. Patterson speaks up as he is looking at the data, “Jules, we may want to recall the Cat’s Paw vessels, since it appears this may become a war zone. We can replace them with a couple of armed vessels instead.”
“If we do that right now, though, James, we will show direct intent to attack,” Jules Verne replies. “This is something we want to avoid if we can. As of right now, we do not know the actual intent of whatever this mass is. The data shows it is slowing, so is it coming in for attack or contact? We can replace them with a couple of armed vessels instead.”
I do not know. As long as the Captains on the Cat’s Paws feel it is safe enough for them, we would like them to remain on station. But tell them if they feel it is getting too dangerous for them, they are to pull out at the captain’s discretion.”
Yes, sir, I will relay the message myself.”
“In the meantime, gentlemen, we need to get some defense between us and them. Set a few squadrons of CatAttack Ships in place between us and the target as a safeguard.”
With that command, Buck Rogers sends out the message to space platforms circling all three planets.
As CatAttack ships are being sent out, could we be looking at the start of a war? What exactly is this “space junk”? Is it a ship, multiple ships? Where is it from? Who is controlling it?
To be Catinued