BorderWorld Stories

Jitter hissed at the scientist and rushed under the table. Glancing around wildly, he knew he could stand the humans no more. Not after what they had done. For that he could never forget.

Jitter’s eyes fell on the unguarded entrance to the lab. The human attacker fell beside the table and his hand snagged a few hairs from Jitter’s hide. There would be only one chance to escape. One hope for freedom and life.

Jitter lunged into the open and raged into a full sprint. Scrambling through the door frame, he bounded over a boot clad toe. The blue figure whirled to shriek a warning, but Jitter was not interested.

In his mind, the flash replayed repeatedly. She was there one moment and the next, only her blood remained… splattered all over the floor. It was a nightmare. Jitter wanted nothing to do with the killers he had once trusted.

As Jitter rounded a corner, he saw another open door. He dashed inside and realized that his human tormentors were well behind him, unable to match his spry pace.

He took the opportunity to search for a hiding place. Scouring the new room, he found a computer desk and some tall bookshelves. Looking in the far corner, he could see a metal grate covering an air duct, but that was a frightful idea. He was not interested in being cut to ribbons by a fan.

Scampering beneath a bookshelf, Jitter could see a blast door. The enormous metal shape was terrifyingly rigid.

“Down here!”

Jitter looked at the scientist as he led a group of humans into the chamber. There was a swarm of white coats gathering near the entrance. He sniffed a patch of flooring and groaned with frustration.

His only hope for escape lay beyond the massive steel door. Then the floor began to shake. A resounding tremor seemed to quiver through the air itself. His chance had arrived. Summoning all of his agility and speed, he darted into the open.

The chaos behind him was nothing compared to his hope for escape. He knew the humans were tripping over themselves in an effort to latch onto even one hind leg.

Jitter could see only one object. It was a big white box with several large openings shaped like doors and windows. He never hesitated. He never took his eyes of the object.

In one final defiant bound, Jitter leaped toward the main door and thrust himself into a chair or seat of some kind before the door sealed.

Looking back at the humans, he was pleased to see them shaking their fists in anger. They were slowly growing more distant, left safely behind.

If only he could place one of them on that examination table. If only they had left Jordy alone.

The lights began to flicker again. A soft gasp snapped Jitter to full attention. He carefully peered around the back of his seat. There, sitting in the back, was a pair of scientists.

Impossible. Surely they were not so desperate to capture him that… The larger of the scientists placed an arm across the back of the other. The seemed unaware of his presence.

Jitter could only speculate that the smaller white coat was a female. After a while, the scientists all looked the same.

“Its nothing,” the larger human said.

“I can’t help it,” the female responded, “I’ll be happy when we get back to the dorms. I hate it when Sector C runs a test. They always push too hard.”

A burst of sparks cascaded past the nearest window. The lights failed and darkness consumed everything. A tremendous blast echoed in Jitter’s ears.

Flashes, arcs of green energy, leaped from one wall to another.

In an instant, Jitter found himself in the floor. Something had happened. His ride had sprung to life and accelerated.

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could discern occasional objects streaking passed the nearest window. More troubling however, the smaller human had begun to scream.

Impact was instantaneous. The humans rolled violently across the floor. Jitter himself was sent tumbling,

A metal whine followed, and the ground fell away from him. Latching onto a section of floor board, Jitter waited for the pain of contact. But then all was quiet.

He opened his eyes to find the silence of the chamber refreshing. Jitter sat up slowly and started cleaning his wounds. Whatever happened, it made a huge mess.

A new sound. Like a dog, a dog with damaged vocal chords, the sound sent a shiver through Jitter. He had never heard the sound before.

Something was moving around outside. The cat watched in shock as a stumpy green and yellow figure entered through a gaping whole in one wall.

It hobbled on three legs and made chirping sound. As it came into view, it noticed the cat and began to whine. A horrid, ear blistering shriek jabbed at Jitter, but he held fast.

Then the blast hit. He never saw it coming. As Jitter awoke, he could never fully understand what was happening. Perhaps he no longer needed know. All he cared about was running away. No more humans to blow him apart. No more dogs that screech.

He just wanted to escape. Everyone was his enemy now.

His mind drifted back to Jordy.

Escape was his only hope.

– Cat-Life –