A Great Ball of Fire--and Cats

Posted on Fri 24th Apr, 2026 @ 1:02am by Lieutenant JG Kellian Michaels

457 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: [MAIN] Learning to Fly
Location: Second Star
Timeline: Evening, day of the explosion

Kellian awoke, gasping and breathing hard in the makeshift barracks where he and several other security officers were sleeping. He gave himself time for his breathing to slow and cast a furtive look around, hoping he hadn't awoken anyone--because screaming for his mother among a bunch of other guys would get him talked about.

If he closed his eyes, he could still see the fireball that had engulfed the lowest part of Starbase 109. It had exploded in horrific, eerie silence--not like the sound he vividly remembered. Shrapnel had still struck the ship he was on, but the sounds and feel of the strikes had been muted by the deflector shields, and outer space had extinguished the smell of petroleum fumes and C4.

Kellian rolled his eyes. The fusion reactor is powered with dilithium crystals, not C4 or petrol, he reminded himself. Somehow, distinguishing today's event from the one he remembered surviving years earlier helped him relax. He settled himself more comfortably in his bunk.

Did a fusion core have a smell? He'd never been permitted into 109's power plant to find out. He'd have to ask an Operations crewman someday.

He thought about sending a text message to Makila but decided against it. She worked in Medical and was stationed on the Ehtevau She was probably as exhausted as he was. Let her sleep. He'd sent a text message to her around suppertime to let her know where he was. They were both safe, alive, but serving on different ships. They had both successfully herded cats today--lots and lots of cats.

Kellian snickered to himself at the mental image that thought conjured. In another life, we must have been Border Collies, he thought, highly amused. I should design us a couple of mugs.

Cats reminded him of Sundae, the Starbase's 'pet' calico cat. Kellian wondered where she was and if she'd gotten out in time. He fervently hoped so. She seemed the sort of cat who would. Sundae always seemed to have the knack of showing up at exactly the right time. He would have to trust to that.

Having something funny to think about was a good thing. Otherwise, he might spend the rest of the night wondering how badly his cello was damaged. Oh, now you've gone and done it. Why did you have to think about THAT? Just shut up, turn off your brain, and thank God you and the ones you love are alive, and be happy with that, eh?

Oh, cripes--Dad. I need to send word to Dad as soon as I get up. I cannot let him think I've died.

*sigh* Cats, Kellian, cats. Lots and lots of cats.

 

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