Are We On Mars?

Chapter Five

Lionshine hurries along a corridor, heading toward the top of the ship to find a suit. She ducks under a beam and unhooks a space suit from where it's hanging on the wall. Sliding into it, she opens the hatch and floats out, the rope clamped onto the side of the ship.

"Ouch," the golden she-cat mutters, bumping lightly into the side of the ship. Paws flailing in the air, she moves slowly around the ship, checking hatches and small windows in the ship.

The rope creaks threateningly, and Lionshine whips her head around. Sighing and ignoring it, she continues on. With a loud snap, it un-clamps, and Lionshine shrieks, floating slowly but gaining speed as she sails away into space.

"Help! Help!"

***

"And this is the storage room!" Pebblepounce finishes triumphantly. It's taken them about an hour to circle the whole ship, and Alderwood and Greenface ended up falling behind--Greenface to go throw up, and Alderwood to find Lionshine.

Shadepelt nods, looking extremely bored.

"You'll have to share a bunk with Alderwood," Pebblepounce adds, tone slightly apologetic. "We only built enough bunks for the four of us.

"All right," the black she-cat replies. "As long as I don't have to share a bunk with Greenbutt or Lionshine."

Pebblepounce snorts, and is about to reply when they hear frantic pawsteps pounding up the corridor towards them.

Alderwood bursts in, with Greenface--looking queasy--several seconds behind him. "Lionshine is floating away from the ship in a suit! Her rope broke!" Alderwood screeches, pacing. "I don't know what to do!"

Pebblepounce is already sprinting down the hallway Alderwood came up in, a plan forming in his mind. "Find the jetpacks!" he hollers over his shoulder.

Shadepelt is faster, practically flying down the corridor past Pebblebounce like a black blur. Due to her tour, she knows exactly where the jetpacks are, and due to her training, she knows how to operate one.

She straps one on, paws neatly pulling the straps, and opens the nearest hatch. She can just barely see Lionshine, a golden blur maybe three or four tree-lengths away.

Pebblepounce rounds the corner, panting heavily, just in time to see Shadepelt activate the jetpack and whoosh off toward Lionshine.

In space, Shadepelt suddenly remembers she forgot to put on a space suit, and her breath is now limited. The atmosphere tugs at her fur, but she flies straight toward Lionshine, who is flailing her paws helplessly as she is dragged along.

Heading to the rope that floats evenly next to Lionshine, she grits her teeth and opens her mouth to grab it, losing more of her precious air supply. She turns wildly and begins speeding back toward the ship, black spots beginning to dance in her vision.

Lionshine sees this, and begins freaking out, paddling her paws to try and distribute her weight so she's not slowing the other she-cat down, but fails.

Shadepelt aims perfectly for the hatch, and she shoots through right as her eyes roll back and she collapses in the jet pack harness.

***

"Shadepelt? Shadepelt, er do okaîy? I mean, are you okay?'

Shadepelt's eyes slowly blink open as she gulps in air, a slight headache pressuring her temples. Pebblepounce bends over her, a look of concern on his open, worried face.

"Yeah," she replies between gasps for air. "I'm fine."

Lionshine comes up, expression relieved. "I'm so glad you're okay," she bursts out. "I feel so bad! Thank you."

All of the cats stare at her, Alderwood especially amazed: Lionshine has rarely said thank you in her entire life, instead simply depending on others without being grateful. Perhaps nearly dying has warmed her heart.

"It's okay," Shadepelt manages. "Um, I think I'm going to lie down now . . . I have a bit of a headache."

She pads down a hallway towards the bunks, and Greenface follows her, making strangled noises as he pushes past her and runs in the restrooms.

"There he goes again," Lionshine groaned. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go paint my claws."

Pebblepounce and Alderwood exchanged a glance, mirth in their eyes. The old Lionshine was back already.

brought to you by leopard le amazing