Bestial Planet

Chapter 14: Magnetic

Panzer took up residence in Section 6 until he could figure out what his next step should be and Lancieta didn't deny him the space. He promised himself that he would do as much as he could to show he wasn't just a house pet. He mopped the mess hall, washed dishes and learned about the technology that made up the carcass of the fallen Dreadnought. It was the physical labour that, for the most part, looked awkward and was hard to perform but Panzer couldn't let himself be coddled any longer.

He just finished mopping the main entrance as Lancieta stepped out of the elevator.

"You know, more and more are waking up now Panzer."

"I know T.V.R. updates me know every few hours. They're all mindless. I tried speaking to someone yesterday. They growled at me and continued to shove their face into a carcass."

"You took a few days to 'wake up'."

"Why'd I wake up so long before anyone else though? It's been months. There's nothing special about me."

Lancieta rested her head on her hands while sitting on a crate at an out-of-place table.

"Maybe because you're dead set on finding your friends and family?"

"Maybe..."

Lancieta smiled, then something flashed in her mind.

"Wait, what about that 'pull' you said you felt? Maybe that's something you should follow up on."

Panzer shook his head, then pawed at his face for lack of anything else to do.

"It could just be some animal urge I'm not used to yet."

"Or, it could be something else."

Panzer sat there looking at the world beyond the doors for a few seconds before letting out a heavy sigh.

"To be honest, I've been wanting to find out what it was since I felt it... I'm just having trouble actually taking the first step."

"Well it's not like you are incapable of protecting yourself. No to mention, T.V.R. and Yora set up a production line for those communicators. So if you find anyone else who's woken up, bring them back here so you don't have to interpret their miming."

As she spoke she looked like a mother trying to alleviate her child's worries about their first day of school.

"Although I don't know how you're going to maintain your fur. It's strange your tongue doesn't have what other cat tongues have for doing that. Even the cats back home can clean themselves with their tongues."

"Yup, just rub it in."

Lancieta smiled sheepishly as Panzer put his mop into the sanitizer.

"Did you clean a lot before?"

"You mean before this?" He said raising a paw. "I'm not sure... It just feels like something to do, even if it is tough as balls."

Lancieta looked at him, confused by the phrase.

"What balls are you referring to?"

"I... It's just a saying."

His vision drifted out the air-lock doors.

"I'm gonna go."

He started walking, paws still wet from the soapy water.

"Just like that? No goodbye?"

"It's not like I'm not coming back. I mean, I'm sure I'll have some reason to return."

"Still don't trust me? Us, I mean us." Lancieta grabbed at her arms insecurely.