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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jasper" data-source="post: 1477462" data-attributes="member: 277">Chapter 2 Now Serving Aslan, Humaniti, Virushi, and a Cat?Steward Benji Harrison served the round of drinks to middle passengers on deck four and announced last call for the afternoon. He reminded passengers McQuade and Squish that their dinner time was 1930 and it was formal. He collected the empties and shut down the auto server then proceeded to deck five to do the same. Once he was done, he grabbed the lift to crew country for a small drink and quick half hour nap.     Steward Warren chimed the Captain. When he didn’t answer he keyed the override and proceeded. “Eddie I know you shaving and can’t hit the com. We are having twelve to sit down tonight. I have to rearrange the seating chart again. It is non-standard due to Squish the Virushi. I am seating him at the foot of the table just out of his stateroom. I ran the numbers unless the new passengers drink a lot of profit booze we are only going to break even on this leg due losing the one stateroom to the Virushi. Also Doctor Wells dropped off new allergy patches in your drawer today. I sitting the Vargar and Aslan toward the end of table but the cat is still at your right hand and unfortunately, so is Sir Knight. The doc said for a small fee he could slip a laxative into his food. Due you want me to send anything down to the special guests in  ...”Captain Eddie Smith turn a bright red, grabbing his soap he threw at the com hitting the on button. “Hiver hives Warren! I told you no chatting about that. It bad enough I had to accept them. And that they replaced the crew members that they murdered! But you don’t know who else is listening!”Warren calmly replied, “Look boss either they tapping the com or not so they already know we don’t want them. Tommy has hook up the override so I can lock out the bridge monitor. The whole crew knows they are here. And only the new passengers haven’t noticed the new crewmembers but most of the old passengers are buying the recent hired bull. We were lucky those paranoid trigger happy chair borne citizens did not blow away paying customers. Just our ship’s boat and a chuck of our crew the murdering K’kree lovers. It is bad enough we lost the doctor in K’kree territory. We were lucky that Wells want to get off planet. I still amazed he is working for half pay and a kilo of horse jerky per jump. I still tiring to figure out how to place that in the books. Besides none of passengers have to tools to tap the com. “Smith griped, “Ok. Just please tell me we getting rid of the cat, the brat, and love doves before turn over!”Warren smiled, “Sorry chief.” One, two, three, four, five and six he thought to himself. “We will still have the cat. Her passage is paid for the full round trip. Besides she has be the best behaved of our customers except for the icicles. “Smith grinned and quipped, “How are the scratches on your behind doing?” Then splash his face with aftershave.Warren groaned, “Look Chief. Ms. Franklin started it and you know we like to keep our customers happy. But I still trying to figure out how it got into the …”Smith smiled, “I don’t really care how the cat go into the spare stateroom. Next time use your room this is not a Hormone Haul.”Warren continued, “Anyway Tommy wanted to remind you he needs a two if not three week layover at turn around to do yearly maintenance. I working on the turn around party. We could rent out a ballroom at the port and I found a way to charge off totally on advertising. We just have to pick up some flyers at next call. That is all. Wait Colonel McQuade is bringing his cutlass to dinner so I will be well heeled and have your answer under the right hand arm of your chair.” He snapped off and rubbed his buttocks. Noticing the message from the doctor he sighed and walked over.     As he approached the doctor he was nearly ran over by the pilot Billy Turner who was complaining about doctors being pita.  He smiled at the doctor until the doctor told him to drop his pants.“The Captain just called he said he want me to recheck your accidental wounds. I also got a booster shot for you “, Doctor Wells grinned.    “Please that was six jumps ago, “groaned Warren, “besides the cap wouldn’t know. And what is the booster for?”    “Just a normal yearly booster shot. Keep complaining and you get in the rear like our cat eating a mouse grinning pilot.  Have you discovered why he been smiling since Tlemcen?” asked Wells.    “No J. H. “, replied Warren as he pulled up his pants and rolled up his sleeve for the shot. He wonder if he would ever get the doc to tell his whole name. He glanced at his watched and noticed he had to move if he was going to get dress and get the meals prepped before show time.     At 1930 most of the first class passengers were gather around the table standing by chair with their name card on it. Only Jesse had to be reminded not sit by his brother. Warren took his post and wait for the lift doors to open. As they did he started, “The captain Eddie Smith captain of the QBert cubed.” He waited for each announced person to sit himself before he continued on.  “Himme the honorable dame Harriet Indigo Margret Melissa Elise.”    The new passengers goggled as beautiful women in her twenties came out cabin five holding a huge black Persian cat. The head was a third larger than normal. The paws appeared to be thicker and it was bearing a yellow collar with a small black cylinder about one fourth of inch in diameter and two inches long. Two silver bells hung off the collar. “And her companion Brenda Franklin”. The captain pulled out the high chair for the cat while Frank did the same for Brenda.“Sir Lawrence Knight the third”. A college age uptight kid with his nose stuck up in the air sat himself. Warren continued until all people were introduced then he started serving.     Dinner pass mostly quietly. James and Ethel Gowan who were on their fiftieth wedding anniversary had new ears to assault. Himme made her normal rounds of table where she made good friends with Sharnatha. However the conversion stopped when Himme was chased away by Jesse who made a loud comment on knowing a hundred and one ways to skin a cat. This earn him various degrees of dirty looks from Himme, Brenda, Sharnatha, the captain and his brother Frank.  Warren was grateful that he was able to shut down the bar before midnight.    The second and third days in jump space were boring for Warren including arranging the tour of engine room and setting up the range room in cargo seven for Jesse. Also handling the complaint from the blow hard about the cat coughing up a hair ball on his bedding. The fool should have locked his door. That cat could get anywhere.     He awoke to the sounds of call buzzers and a near blinding headache at 0255 on Day 11-993. What in the neither regions of dead space could all these Travellers what this early? He grabbed his off duty jacket and hit the lift just at the same time as Benji. They glared at each other and snarled.    “K’kree kisser”, mumbled Warren under his breath as the lift let him out at high passage territory. Benji flipped him off as the doors closed. Warren notice the light on in the galley. Who in the world could be there this time of the morning? I going to put my foot so far up…”The blade slashed his throat.</blockquote>

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