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Fathom's Phantoms Getting to Know You

Victor had never held much appreciation for knives beyond the most basic of projects, but he certainly had a fair number of them in his toolbox. One such use for them was cutting the clothing off of a patient... or a delivery. It was the second variety for which he most recently found himself using one. The Voljoi woman had been a member of the technicians involved with upgrading the aquifer system that treated and cleansed the station's usable water.

The orange jump suit was already frayed so the Cat spent half his time cutting and half the time tearing it off of the cold corpse. The body was in near-perfect condition so long as Victor didn't count the fact that about 80% of her head was missing; it had been torn off in an industrial accident just above her jaw. It was an unfortunate thing for her, but very fortunate for the Cat; the rest of her organs were ideal for bio-salvage.

Once he had the pale gray body completely naked the real work could begin. Victor began attaching electrodes to the metal operating table and, once everything was rigged he pressed several buttons on a switchboard that release a low current through the conductive surface. He put on non-conductive gloves and hooked up more electrodes to her body-- one on either of the corpse's biceps, four total to the abdominal muscles, and he paused before connecting anything to her pectorals. Despite her being a small humanoid with very little body fat, she still had a certain feminine voluptuousness to her.

The Cat smiled to himself, gently cupping one of her breasts as he drew a gloved thumb in a circle around its dark gray areola, then flicked it twice across the nipple. Setting the distraction aside he placed the electrodes in place and pressed another button on the console, enhancing the electrical charge being pushed into the corpse. He started up a program of macros that would continue preparing the body for one of his most favorite of projects: organ harvesting.

The Voljoi woman had been dead for the better part of an hour before the delivery staff could get her to him and, even though she had been on ice, her organs were not in the best condition for collection; Victor preferred all of his supplies to be fresh, and that meant a limited form of reanimation. Given an hour after a return to quasi-functionality the organs would be in a much better condition for harvest.

Over the course of several years the cat had perfected a method of creating the most basic level of artificial life in a dead body. It wasn't true reanimation and it was nowhere near close to resurrection, but it worked for everything he required of it. Some of his critics told him he was crazy but DRC saw things differently; they saw things... his way. After paying the officials to transfer him from incarceration into employment, DRC assigned him to Sigma-Echo and he found the results quite acceptable.

The Cat attached several more machines to the body, covering the remainder of the head with a glass bubble connected to a respirator, forcing the corpse to draw 'breath'. After starting two IVs, Victor took two syringes and carefully injected a proprietary collection of chemicals into the solution and it wasn't long before he was able to adjust the timing of the electrical stimulations to force the corpse's heart to beat in a more life-like manner.

From there Victor went back to the control panel and began checking the instrument readouts, inspecting the readings and results. It usually took fifteen or twenty minutes for the bodies to return fully to a semi balance of biological operation, but Voljoi were smaller and their physiology was much more suited to a 'jump start'. While he finished waiting for the readouts to be sufficient for him to start the timer, he began sifting through the rest of the slain woman's effects... and that's when he found the envelope.

The Cat hadn't noticed it when the workers had dropped the corpse off but, perhaps, that's because he had been too busy taking inventory of his supplies. In the end it had been a good thing they had delivered the corpse; he was short on a number of Voljoi parts and the practically intact body would help him resolve the issue... but the envelope-- no... it had slipped past his attention. He picked it up and slid his knife through the right side, opening it cleanly.

Victor scanned the letter once, trying to figure out who it was from and what purpose it held before he bothered actually reading the whole thing. The confusion that struck him when he realized it was an invitation was second only to his realization that it came from the Station Captain herself... and THEN he elected to read it in its entirety from "Attention" to "Sincerely". Most interesting of all was the fact that it was addressed to him!

He spoke up to nobody in particular after setting the invitation down out of 'splash range' of his work. "A Party?" Me? How odd..."

The Cat chuckled to himself. "Ah well, I suppose I COULD use a little R&R..."

Victor paused at the double-beep from the control panel indicating that the corpse had reached maximum operating potential... fifty to sixty minutes on the machine and the organs would be exactly how he wanted them. He mused, eyes lingering on the small body. "And now for you..."

Returning to his work area, Victor ran a gloved paw along one of her naked thighs, and then caressed her breast again. He slowly began to remove the electrodes he had attached to her; as long as the body remained connected to the main portion of the machinery he would not require a constant current to keep it animated... which was a good thing since he couldn't very well cut out organs from a hot circuit. He chuckled as he let his little finger delve down between her legs-- 'hot circuit' indeed.

Victor smiled to himself as he loosened his pants. "Speaking of R&R..."

The Cat removed his paw from her groin and uncovering his many tools. He would wait on using the scalpel... rib spreader... clamps... essentially all of his primary go-to items... no... it was still too early for that. Victor's fingers slid into a box of condoms as he spoke with a mock-seductive tone in his voice. "No, sweet heart, I know we don't have to worry about you popping out a few kittens... but you have to remember: I'm an artist and I prefer a clean workspace."

He let his slacks drop to his ankles and pulled the corpse further toward him on the operating table. Victor had nearly an hour before he could harvest her for parts, and that gave him plenty of time to unwind before the party. It had been a long day for the Cat, but at least it was shaping up to be quite a night. The Voljoi were the smallest species aboard the space station, but Victor was particularly certain that he wouldn't have to worry about hurting his partner. Smiling down at the loose jaw bone hanging from the otherwise pulverized head, he was also pleased that he wouldn't have to worry about after-sex small talk.

The Cat made very good use of his forty-something minutes... and two condoms. By the time he had finished his work AND his play he was more than ready to head off to the party, a very large smile on his muzzle.

* * * * * *

The trip to the tram area was not a long one, nor was it a new one. Theodocious had been traveling to and from the tram station two times a day every day since Jen had made her first trip to the bridge. Although the first parting was particularly hard for both of them they had settled into their respective roles. Theo had managed to find enough things to keep him busy; Jen worked on the bridge and he helped her from their apartment.

Carol traveled with him. "The hallways are larger than I expected."

The Doe was a step behind and to the right of the Wolf. Unlike Theo, Carol had no reason to go out into the halls on a regular basis so the day's trip was a first for her. The Wolf had far more experience in the corridors. "During the busy hours the station has a lot of traffic."

He took a left turn and headed toward the large double-doors indicating the entrance to the tram station, taking the opportunity to elaborate. "Once Sigma-Echo is up and running full time the larger hallways mean they'll be able to get where they're going faster."

Carol nodded placidly, "I suppose it makes sense.... It's not like there's a size limit in space."

Theo wagged at her mild sense of humor, and stood beside the opened doorway. It was an old fashioned gesture of manners back when doors had to be opened manually, "You'll really like the transit station."

The Doe took two steps into the large room and came to a halt; Theo empathized having experienced it for the first time himself less than a week prior. Carol let out a deep breath. "Wow... You must be able to get to anywhere on the station from here..."

Theo nodded in acknowledgment, adjusting his tie before holding a paw out to her. "Almost anywhere. You have to have the right clearance though."

Carol placed her paw in his, still looking around the enormous station. "There must be a hundred tracks here."

Theo corrected her. "Forty two. I waited here for almost all of Jen's first shift and I counted them each."

She stood, eyes meandering around the huge chamber. "That's a lot of tracks."

He led the Doe to a bench and took a seat for himself; she joined him. "Closest to the entryway there's ten sets of two tracks, and on the far side there's eleven sets."

She looked at each grouping in turn. "I wonder why they're in sets."

The Wolf answered without even a moment's thought. "One goes Bridgeward and one goes Planetward. Each set of tracks leads to and from a specific area of the station."

The Doe's ears were up as she glanced toward Theo. "Which set is for the bridge? Which does Jen use?"

He pointed to the far end of the station. "That one."

She looked in the direction he indicated. "That pair leads to the bridge?"

The Wolf shook his head. "No. They lead to the station checkpoint that leads to the elevator that leads to the bridge."

The Doe mused. "Hmm... Complex."

Carol continued commenting about this-and-that, but Theo's attention was taken up by a tram technician wearing a white work uniform; the Human was staring at them. The Wolf chose to break the silence, addressing him. "Can I help you, sir?"

The Human looked a little embarrassed that he'd been caught staring. He motioned to Theo's suit "I'm... I just... That's Vinccieno... isn't it?"

Looking down to his clothing the Gen nodded. Its maker was obvious to anyone of class-- Jen always insisted that the wolf present himself well and fine clothing was no exception. "Yes it is. Tie as well... Trevallier loafers... C&B shirt."

The man drew closer, "I didn't know Trevallier made shoes for Gens."

The Wolf was appreciative that someone took an interest in his fine décor, his tail beating out a quiet beat on the bench beside him, "Custom, actually. My employer went to school with the designer's daughter."

The technician held a hand out and Theo gave it a firm shake. "Ah... well it certainly helps to know the right people."

The Wolf accepted the hand and announced candidly "I hadn't thought anyone this far out on the arm had much of an appreciation for fine clothing."

"well, obviously you and this beautiful lady know your brands." the human nodded politely to Carol, inquiring of her "Braxon?"

The Doe smoothed out her dress along her thigh, "Yes. Thank you for noticing. Our employer has a high regard for presentation."

The white uniformed man nodded thoughtfully. "Ah... I can't think of anyone offhand in DRC Corp who have such an interest in outfitting their employees."

Theo noted proudly, "Jennifer Thurstenburger. She's on executive loan from--"

The man took immediate note. "LHI. A new DRC subsidiary...I am aware."

Carol's ears rotated to toward the man. "You are VERY well informed."

The man took a few steps back. ".As party liaison for this deck I have to be. Judging by how well you're dressed and the fact that neither of you has any sign of shed fur on your night wear it only made sense that you were Overseer Thurstenburger's staff."

Carol's ears lowered slightly and confusion crossed her features. "How does no shed fur--"

Theo interjected quietly to her "Almost every Gen aside from the LHI Series D Gen Primes shed, and we don't."

Something clicked visibly within the Human's bearing as he apparently came to a conclusion. "That would make YOU Theodocious."

The Wolf's ears raised. "Pardon me?"

"The Station Captain said to make certain that you got to the party."

Theo gestured to himself and Carol. "Me, as in us? Or ME specifically?"

The human laughed in response, as if the wolf were making a joke. "The tram should be along in a few minutes, folks... I hope you enjoy your evening."

With that, the technician excused himself and went to greet another group of travelers entering into the station. Carol looked after the man as he went before turning back to Theo. "What was that about?"

Theo shrugged, then paused as his PCD beeped. "No idea... hmm-- Did you bring your H.I.D. with you?"

Carol nodded. "I brought my travel case."

She opened her small handbag and pulled out a thumb-sized bottle. Theo pulled his own out of his breast pocket as the Doe took hers with a sip from a bottle of water, then offered it to him.

he took his pill without the water. "No thank you. I'm good."

Carol nodded and gave her travel bottle a little shake, "Only two left... I'm going to have to refill after the party."

Theo nodded, sliding his own bottle back into his pocket, "No worries. One every twelve hours isn't a problem... it's not like we're taking a trip."

Her ears blushed slightly. "I know. I just don't want to forget."

The wolf smiled, "You? I don't think you could forget something even if you wanted to."

Carol's ears reddened even more, "I'm just worried I might... there've been a lot of changes to our schedules lately and I know Jen would be unhappy if--"

Theo pressed a few buttons on his PCD, tail wagging as he did so. "You won't forget. There... I even set a reminder."

She smiled back. "Thank you."

The wolf stood as the tram approached. "You're welcome."

He held out a paw, which she accepted, and they stood together until the transport came to a complete stop. She smiled, following him inside. "You are always so very efficient."

Theo grinned. "What can I say? I was made that way."

* * * * * *

Kamrn was not in a particularly good mood by the time he arrived at the event center. Entering into the enormous gathering room the Gorumn took stock of the goings-on. There were nearly two dozen people present... not a large number by any count compared to dealing with the tram system during rush hour, but certainly more than a handful. A few groups of three-or-four were clumped here-and-there around the room with four more individuals near what appeared to be a bar; Kamrn had bad memories of dealing with people at bars and was not all that thrilled to see one in the mix of things.

Off toward the back of the room were a collection of half-assembled tables with some folding chairs; a few Gens were talking amongst themselves but what really caught the Gorum's attention was a lone Gen 2 Cat standing by himself, running a small, folded piece of paper back-and-forth through his teeth as he licked at what may have been a piece of food stuck there. Kamrn went immediately across the room to stand in front of the feline party-goer, "Victor Cortez."

The Cat didn't bother looking his way but acknowledged him with a reply. "I have no idea how people can find parties to be so entertaining... All of the small talk... the banter... socialization at its worst."

Kamrn provided a grunt in response; he really wasn't about to disagree with the assessment.

Dr Cortez finally finished with the folded paper and stowed it in the breast pocket of his orange medical coat, "Honestly... I assume that anyone who find parties 'fun' and 'engaging' must have some very unpleasant kind of mental deficiency..."

The Gorumn glared down at the cat, even less happy to see him than the bar. "What are you getting at?"

The Cat spoke with thinly veiled sardonicism. "Oh... I'm sorry... Let me try putting this another way: 'parties suck'."

Kamrn narrowed his eyes in displeasure. "If you don't like parties then why'd you come? Or, more important... Why are ya crashing this one?"

The cat immediately pulled the folded paper back out of his pocket and, with one paw, opened it up and practically shoved it into the Gorumn's face, "First of all... I am not 'crashing' this party... and second, the invitation was delivered in a method that tugged at my curiosity in a most unique way."

Kamrn took the paper from Victor's grasp and briefly scanned it with his eyes. Sure enough, the invitation was made out to the feline doctor. It looked identical to the Gorumn's own. The memory of his assignment made the Gorumn scowl as he handed the paper back to the Cat, "Why would the Station Captain invite the med bay's chop doc?"

Victor raised an eyebrow as one ear turned back. "Chop doc? Is that what they are calling my position these days, or was that a slow-minded attempt at an insult?"

Kamrn's response was to the point; he had no interest in being baited by the cat's hint at calling him stupid. "It's what you do. You cut people to take body parts, and then you cut other people so you can switch em out."

Victor flicked an ear with obvious annoyance. "When you put it that way you make my practice sound so base and uninspired. Perhaps you simply cannot appreciate the artistry and precision with which I engage in my respectable craft."

The Gorumn grunted. "I wouldn't go so far as to call what you do 'respectable'."

The cat's scowl was quickly hidden as Victor took a sudden interest in his unsheathed feline claws. "As much as I would enjoy spending all night standing here and trading quips with you, I am afraid that engaging you in conversation any longer would result in you running out of them."

"And what's THAT supposed ta mean?" The doctor smirked, claws disappearing once again, "I believe I shall take my leave so I may better mingle with my fellows."

Kamrn had to remind himself to use the cat's title lest something much more unprofessional word escape him. "There aren't all that many orange suits around... Doctor. I wouldn't call em your 'fellows'."

Victor shot back without hesitation. "Well now, Cameron... Let's not forget I'm not the only one here in orange... shall we?"

Kamrn growled. "I was acquitted."

Victor's humorless smile spread all the way across his feline muzzle, "What a coincidence! I was as well!"

With that the Cat wandered off to mingle, leaving Kamrn gazing down at his security uniform which clearly displayed the Gorumn as a member of the drafted regimen. He felt his anger begin to boil as he thought about being lumped into a group with someone like the Cat. Taking a deep breath, however, the Gorumn slowly let the fury escape him-- it's what had gotten him into trouble in the first place.

Victor joined in on a conversation conspicuously close by, most likely to taunt Kamrn further. "Why hello there miss..."

The Human woman turned to address the Doctor. "Um... yes? Can I help you?"

The Cat spoke in a particularly "Oh... I simply wanted to say you have a VERY lovely subclavious..." he spoke in a particularly loud tone, most likely for Kamrn's benefit, but the Gorum again refused to rise to the bait.

Taking in another lungful of air, Kamrn about-faced and walked off, slowly letting out his breath at steady measure like his anger management instructor suggested. The Gorumn took his time traveling the room, meandering across the way as he passed by a few groups of party-goers. He chose an indirect route through the room so he could get a good look at anyone. He wasn't certain that he was there as security, per se, but that was his job aboard Sigma Echo and he felt it was his duty to always be on guard.