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"Does
anyone know where Gooseman is?" QBall rushed into the GRS5
rec room with such speed that he nearly lost his goggles when he
stopped in the middle of the room. "I ordered him to be in
my laboratory an hour ago for some additional tests with the new
anti-gravity suit."
"The
one he crashed into the ceiling last time?" Doc asked. "Or
did you repair the model that exploded last week?"
"I
gave him a direct order to be there!" QBall snorted. "I
can't finish my work without the additional tests!"
"We
don't know where he is, QBall," Doc assured him.
"This
damn cat that's always around him is over there!" He pointed
with an angry finger at Possessor, who sat like a ball of grey
fur on the back of a high easy chair that was turned to the
wall.
"He was already there
when we came," Niko said quietly, "and he hasn't moved
the whole time. But Goose wasn't around."
"I
have to find him!" He walked towards the cat. "I hate
having to search for my test subjects."
"You
mean your victims," Niko murmured.
"What
did you say?!" While looking at her he made another step
towards the cat – and a furious hiss sounded through the
room that caused him to jump. With its raised tail and the
upstanding fur on its back the little cat almost seemed to have
doubled its size. The green eyes flashed furiously under
flattened ears.
"If you go
any closer he'll eat you up," Niko grinned. "Be
careful. I don't think Goose fed his pet very well this
week."
"This cat is
almost as crazy as its owner!" But he made three steps back
– in addition to his previous three-meter jump
backwards.
Possessor curled up
again, started to wash himself with an obviously bored expression
and totally ignored the angry chief scientist.
Qball
raised his arms in dismay. "I'm really running out of time.
If I don't find Gooseman within the next hour I'll have to search
for a new test person."
"Should
we help search?" Doc asked.
"Yes,
of course. He gets the bollocking of the year when we find him!"
QBall stormed out of the room.
Doc
followed much more slowly and turned in the doorway toward Niko.
"What's with you? Are you coming, too?"
"I've
got to do some work on my reports, Doc. If I don't finish at
least the two from last month I'll really get in trouble with
Zachary."
"Oh... Okay.
Bye. I'm on the hunt now." He grinned. "For at least
one unsuccessful hour."
The
door closed. "Good luck," Niko murmured. Behind her a
soft purring arose. A finger from behind the easy chair stroked
Possessor's neck. "You can get out of there, Goose. They're
gone."
Gooseman got up from
his curled up position in the arm chair while the cat climbed
onto his shoulder. "I hate to be QBall's lab animal."
He still stroked the cat's neck. "But I'm heavily armored
since Poss' adopted me," he grinned.
"QBall
should be happy that you have a cat and not a Doberman."
Niko laughed.
"What's the
difference?"
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