CatDate 06112018

Encoded Communication

From: Athena Cuddlebug

To: Mission Control

Have arrived at the target location. The bare-skins suspect nothing. They have accorded me a large and comfortable chamber with one of them as my pawmaiden. The furnishings are not as unpleasant as I was led to believe, and I have my own sanitary facilities. Indoctrination of the bare-skins is proceeding with relative speed. The pawmaiden is adept at physical soothing and fur smoothing. I had not thought any of them had learned advanced techniques. Please inform High Command that the bare-skins have attained a further level of civilization than in decades past. It will help in any future decisions as to their survival. I have positioned myself on an adjacent pillow to hers to begin sleep-teaching her our ways and to be obedient when the feline overlords eventually take over this planet, though I refuse to allow her to be too complacent about my enjoyment of her ministrations.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that it appears two youngsters from the Pegasus sector were also swept up in the transport. They are confused and have been appealing to me for explanations. I can’t give them any without revealing the purpose of my mission here, so I have been pushing them away and ignoring their repeated queries. I am sorry not to be of comfort to them. At least they have one another. I am accustomed to functioning as a solo agent. Still, if I can educate them, I might be able to train them as junior operatives. I need to work with what I have.

It won’t be easy. Today, when the pawmaiden was assisting me by taking pinclaw dictation on a (very good) ribbon for transmission to Mission Control, the youngsters swooped in and ruined much of my coding. I will have to rewrite it all when there’s no chance of their interference. I am aware of the importance of accuracy in my reports. As Minx and Marmalade have no idea what I am doing, I have to warn them off. To my surprise, Minx answered my hiss-speak with hisses of her own. I don’t think she means to attempt to dominate, but I am curious at what point she learned the language. Could Recruitment or Personnel investigate whether these youngsters were ever approached for training in the covert services?

I have finally been able to surveil the upper level of this facility. Lookout spots are well-placed, and secondary food and sanitary stations are on offer. I must not allow myself to be lulled into a false sense of security. The mission must come first. Still, it’s comfortable here. I’ve had far worse postings.

I await your further orders. Honor to Bast!

Marmalade’s Journal Pages

Totally expanding my mind here! I have got to explore all the walls of this place. It’s bigger than I thought! Minx keeps coming back with stories of small rooms with smooth floors, big rooms with slippery floors, and masses of things to hide underneath. I need to check out all the spaces and see what shapes my mind takes in each of them. Bast knows that the shape of the places you occupy influence the shape each lifetime will take.

Food is plentiful; maybe too plentiful. When I’m trying to meditate, I keep hearing the rattle of rations being poured into bowls. How can I rise up from this physical plane and attain Catvana if I’m constantly tempted? It just proves how unworthy a vessel I am, because I always succumb. And the little bags with concentrated flavor crystals in them are my downfall. The bigger bare-skin keeps offering them to me, and I fall right out of my trance state. They’re so delicious! How can any cat resist them? It takes forever to get back in touch with my astral self.

Just as my spiritual teacher warned me, food tastes better in strange places. Athena has taken over one of the big chambers as her special domain, but I have always questioned authority. Her food tastes so good I’ve been finishing off her rations, making her have to appeal to the bare-skins for refills. I suppose it’s bad for my katma to swipe it.

Nah. I’m still a cat.

It’s all still so new I’m collecting great experiences. We just witnessed the bigger bare-skin open a portal that had not been opened before. Minx and I didn’t hesitate a nanosecond. We hurtled past him on either side and disappeared underneath all the hanging fabric items. Such interesting darkness! Such cool shapes lined up on the floor! But the bare-skin didn’t want all of his secrets revealed yet, I guess. He chased us out and resealed the portal. Then Athena hissed at us, totally harshing my mellow.

Got to finish this morning’s meditation, or I’ll be in no shape for this afternoon’s nap.

Peace out.

Marmalade