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_ Open Space _

_ Our destination and our home. _

By Puma Concolor.

A fan work done for my good friend.

Angelita Pierterson

Her character used with express permission

and is copyrighted only to her.

Editing by Dasher Cheetah, My personal Thanks.

Chapter 4

After taking several deep breaths under the watchful eyes of those outside of the chamber, I slowly turned to face the people trapped inside with me. I looked first at my crew-mate and with a very sheepish look, mouthed the word sorry. I could see some of the fear in her face slacken as she protectively held her trembling little ward, who had his face buriedin her chest in fear. I knew it was going to take a lot more reassurance for the trust to be reformed between us but for now, it was enough that she knew I was no longer a v_icious_ beast.

I next looked at my little ward, who had just a very short time before, been standing on the edge of death only to be awoken by what must have been the biggest fear in her existence. As by my command, she had not moved from her spot but by her expression, she would rather be running for her life. I slowly approached her with my paws outstretched showing no claws and trying to be as non threatening as possible. The closer I got, the more she cringed in fear. When I was just a step or two out, she looked away, closing her eyes and putting her hands up in defense, as if she was expecting me to pounce her and tear her to shreds. A puddle of urine started to form on the bed between her legs, the acrid smell wafting up. I picked up a towel and closed the distance between us, gently pressing the towel between her legs and nuzzling her outstretched paw, purring softly.

"No, E-Eat me... P...Please?", she whimpered in strangled Terran.

"No. No one is going to eat you or hurt you ever again, little one. I promise.", I reassured her softly.

"N-No?", she sought to re-affirm.

"No. As long as I live, you are safe.", I told her firmly.

"Safe?... With you?", she asked at last, looking at me. There was still fear but also confusion in her eyes.

"Yes, Safe with me...", I answered.

"Am... Am I yours?", she asked.

"Yes, you are mine to protect.", I said and rubbed my cheek on the palm of her hand reassuringly. I looked at her and said,"I'm called Puma. What is your name?"

"A-Angelita...D-Did you mean it? That I am yours?", she asked hopefully.

"Yes Angelina, you are mine to protect. May I call you Angel?", I told her again.

"Yes! Oh yes! You can call me anything you like... I am yours!!!", she shouted as she bounded forward and hugged herself tightly into my chest sobbing.

"Boy, that was a turn around from 5 minutes ago, Puma. What did she say to you?", Dr. Laz inquired from hir position, back at the remote medical monitor.

"She said her name was Angelita and she was afraid I was going to eat her or something. Stands to reason, the way I woke her up. I assured her no one was going to hurt her and... well, you can see the result.", I answered.

"Eat her? Did she say anything else?", Laz asked.

"No... Just something about her being mine or something like that?", I responded.

"Hmmm, I wonder.... Angelita, can you look at me please? Puma can you bring her over to the wall so I can look at her eyes?", Laz requested.

"Angel? Can we go over and look at the nice doctor please?", I asked gently before picking her up and carrying her over to the transparent wall. There, she reluctantly wiped a tear from her eye and looked out at Dr Laz.

The doctor picked up a tubular instrument and looked through it, into each of her eyes. Laz softly asked her, "Angelita? What did you mean about being eaten? Were you afraid Puma was going to assault you?"

"Puma is not going to eat me. He promised. He said he was going to protect me, I am his...", she responded simply.

"Ok... Do you know who your mother and Father are?", shi asked.

"No. I don't have a mother or father.", the young mouse answered.

"Do you remember where you were born?", Laz asked.

"A big room. With lots of others like me... We were kept in pens.", she answered simply.

"Puma. Can you get me a blood sample?". Laz asked.

"I don't think poking her with anything right now is a good idea, Laz.", I answered.

"Perhaps you're right... How about that towel? I should be able to get what I need from a urine sample. Can you bag and send that out for me?", shi said.

"Sure. What's up, Laz?", I asked.

"Well, if my hunch is right... I think I know why they were being smuggled. And it's a very appalling thought.", Laz told me somberly.

"Mary? Has your little guy said anything yet?", Laz said, turning hir attention to my Crew Mate.

"Not much. Said thank you. I'm assuming for rescuing them. Oh, he did call me mistress.", Mary informed Laz.

"Mistress huh... Angelita? Is Puma your Master?", Laz asked.

"Yes. He calls me Angel.", shi was informed.

"And your little friends' name?", came the question.

"He doesn't have one. No one has given him one yet.", the female told hir.

"Ok. Will you go sit with your friend and talk to him for a minute, so I can talk to Puma and Mary for a little bit, please?", Laz asked her.

"O...Ok.. ?", my little mouse said, looking up at me for reassurance.

"Go ahead Angel. We just need to talk to the doctor for a little bit... There you go.", I said, setting her down and added, "I'll be right here and I promise not to go anywhere."

She slowly walked over to the other white mouse and sat down next to him. They huddled together like, well... two scared mice. Mary came over to where I was sitting, looking first at me, then out at Laz.

"Headphones on kids. This is a private conversation.", Laz told us and pointed up at the head phones hanging on a rack near the bench we were setting on.

Once we had the head phones on and mics adjusted shi switch off the in-room speakers. "Ok you two, can you hear me? And keep your voices down, I'm not sure how much they know but I have a hunch.", Laz told us.

Donning the headsets, I said, "Yea, we can hear you Laz. Why the clock and dagger anyway?"

"Well, if I'm right and the DNA from the towel will prove it, what we have here are a pair of Synths. Your girls' retinas are a mirror of each other. That doesn't happen naturally. I'll bet the boy's are the same.", Laz informed us.

"What?", Mary and I asked in unison.

"S_ynthetic_Artificial living beings. A biological android, if nothing else.", Laz answered.

"But I thought that S_ynthetics_ were not sentient?", Mary queried.

"Not now. Back in the early days of development, they were and used as slave labor on colony worlds.", shi informed us.

"But slavery was abolished and mechanized labor is exclusively used now?", Mary questioned.

"It has been and even though it's illegal to make Synths, they still are being made in some parts of the galaxy.", we were told.

"What for?", Mary asked.

"I think I know...", I said darkly.

"Yea, your girl was the clue... In some parts of the galaxy, out side of the Federation control, those two are considered nothing more than a delicacy.", Shi said delicately.

"Oh my god....! They were being smuggled as...as food?", Mary questioned as her head snapped around, looking at our two little wards.

"Yes... or sex toys. Perhaps both, if some of the rumors I've heard are true.", I added and growled softly, making Mary more than a bit nervous.

"That's about right. It's also part of their DNA to imprint on someone, thus becoming their loyal slave. That's what they meant, when they called you Master and Mistress..", Laz informed her.

"Wait just a minute Laz... I don't OWN anyone!!! I never have and I never will!", I averred.

"Sorry old buddy but you do now. Like it or not, they have imprinted on you two and to reject them will cause neural shut down. It's built into their system and can not be reprogrammed. It's also why it's illegal to manufacture them anymore. In the eyes of the Federation, if some one dies as a result of your direct actions, be it from blasting them with a phaser or telling them you don't want them around anymore, it's still murder.", Laz informed us.

"Laz, I can't do this! I have spent years fighting this kind of thing. There has got to be another way!", I said, trying to escape my fate.

"Sorry, to reject them is to kill them. It's a safe guard built into their genetic code to keep them from running away and stay loyal their owners, even to the point of giving up their own life if it amuses the master. It can't be changed. Sorry but I'm not the one who built them. Think of them as... siblings or mates or what ever you want. Just don'treject them. Good news is, they only live for about 40 years, so it's not like it's forever.", Laz tried to lighten our moods.

"That is not good news, Laz...", I told hir unhappily.

"I know, I know but the damage is done. You can't un-spill the milk, so make the best of it. Who knows, I may be wrong. I haven't run the test yet.", Laz added.

"I hope so Laz... I've always been a loner. I've only had a couple...", I stopped short as I realized I was letting slip a tightly held secret about my semi-immortality.

"What? That you have outlived about everybody you have ever known Puma? Including your mates? Yea, I know about it. I've run every test known on your blood and semen. We've known each other for over 7 years and in that time you haven't aged one hour. I ran your history, trying to get a clue about your longevity. I've traced you back to the late 1600s."

"That... That makes you over 1200 years old, Puma!!! Oh God! I gave a blow job to a fossil?", Mary said her jaw agape.

"1360 years old... And I'm not a fossil. Thanks, Dr Blabbermouth...!", I grumbled.

"No Mary, he's not 1360 years old, he is thirty-three. He was thirty-three seven years ago and I'll bet he was thirty-three, 1327 years ago. He is not aging, his clock has stopped. I don't know why or how, it just has. I gave up trying to figure it out years ago. I just enjoy him as he is. He is kind, considerate, caring, loving.. Hell! I would have his eggs if he was compatible... You should appreciate that too Mary. He is a very rare and special find.", Liz said, looking at me with what I could only consider longing.

"Well, be that as it may... I'm pooped and we both need to get some sleep. We've all had a very very long day.", I said standing and getting the wet towel off the bed., I bagged it and passed it out through the interlock.

"That, I have to agree with. Laz, can you let us out?", Mary asked thru a yawn.

"Sorry hun... Even if your mice are up and around, it's going to take at least another 8 hours to bring you all back to station pressure. The benches in there fold out to beds and blankets are in the compartments just underneath. I have a few more reports to type up before I turn in. I'll run the DNA test tomorrow... after I let you out.", Laz replied.