Date: 02 Mar 00 00:56:38
From: rimshot@planetaccess.com
Subject: Panther in the mist 3

This particular installment is for Tyler, both of them

Rimshot@planetaccess.com

Panther in the mist 3:




	Zak couldn't help but turn around every chance he got and look at
the ship.  If nothing else, it's gleaming hull and graceful wings drove
home the knowledge that he'd really been on a starship.  Panther was a city
block long with its four massive engines rising up above the main hull.
Zak looked at the cargo door they'd just walked out of, amazed at how small
it looked in the side of the ship.  He turned back and hurried to catch up
with Tony as they entered the port building.

	"Put your comm into this slot like this."  Tony demonstrated,
placing his comm unit into a pedestal just inside the door.  A red beam
scanned over him, and he pulled the comm out, waiting for Zak on the other
side of a short barricade.  Zak plugged his in and closed his eyes
involuntarily.  The pedestal beeped, and he put his comm back on his belt.

	"What was that all about?"  He asked, following Tony into what
looked like a tram or something.  The doors whooshed shut, and they where
propelled out onto a railway, towards phoenix.

	"It's security.  They don't let just anyone into the main cities on
Earth.  To many incidents where people have tried to help the
Jur'kaalchik."  Tony sat on a bench and looked up at Zak.  "We're not
popular with all of the races.  Some would like to see us wiped out."

	"Is that why they made Panther?"

	"More or less.  Let's just relax for awhile, okay?"  Tony set his
back on the seat next to him and stretched out.  "I don't get to go
planetside very often, and I never had anyone to go with before.  I just
wanna have a little fun."

	"Sounds good to me."  Zak braced himself as the tram slowed down,
then felt foolish again.  It wasn't necessary to brace at all, and Tony
chuckled.  Through the windows they watched as the city got closer.  Tall
sharp towers and elevated trams where easy to spot, and air vehicles came
and went in some sort of traffic pattern.  It was beautiful.

	Zak and his family had visited Phoenix a few years ago to see Zak's
uncle.  It had been arid and hot, about 107 degrees in the shade.  What he
could see now was nothing like that.  There was lush green vegetation
everywhere, and palm trees.  Bigger trees, too.  He could look down and see
people walking through gardens and along streets.

	"Pretty nice, huh?"

	"Different."  Zak felt Tony's hand on his shoulder.  It was
comforting and he appreciated it.  "It's so different."  He looked into
Tony's eyes and saw understanding.  Tony had been through this before he
had, and Tony had been kind of alone.  "I'm glad you're here."  He said
quietly.

	"Me, too."  The tram stopped in side a short pointed building that
reminded Zak of the pyramid shaped one that used to be on commercials.  The
doors opened onto an indoor garden, filled with living plants, park
benches, and pathways.

	"Welcome to the Centurion, Gentlemen."  A very pretty woman said
from behind a long wooden counter.  "Are you in for a few days?"

	"Yes, we'd like a double that opens onto the beach, please."  Tony
walked over and plugged his comm into the desktop.  "Put yours in that
slot."  Zak did as he was told, and a map of the hotel appeared on the
counter.  Tony followed the lines with his finger and found what he was
after.  "Is that one available?"  He asked the lady.

	"It is, sir.  Shall I bill your ship, or your account?"

	"The ship, please.  Pad 77."  Tony pulled his comm out and smiled
at Zak.  "I stayed here a few months ago.  You'll like it."

	"Step into the flash, gentlemen.  Thank you for staying with us."
The woman keyed something into her console and waved towards what appeared
to be an open alcove.  Tony stepped inside and waited for Zak, then touched
a button.  There was a flash of light, and they were standing in the same
alcove, but facing a small group of buildings.

	"Zak blinked.  "What did I miss?"

	"What do you mean?"  Tony started down a path, looking for their
room number.

	"Was that a transporter?"

	Tony laughed out loud.  "Oh, man!  I loved Star Trek when I was a
kid!  Beam me up, Scotty!"  He laughed again and stopped at the last little
building on the path.  "That was a flash point.  They use a kind of time
distortion to move you from one place to another.  I don't know how it
works for sure."  He touched what looked like a doorbell and the door slid
open.  "I hope you don't mind.  I set the room to look like a place I
visited with Baaca on Darryn Vega."

	The carpet was deep and spongy, and the walls were a swirl of
earthy tones.  Two large oval beds stuck out into the room, and a long
semi-circular couch was in the corner.  A single large window filled the
last wall side to side.  Zak sat his back on one of the beds and walked
over to look out.  The beach literally started at the door and was about
fifty yards wide.  The surf lapped at the sand.

	Oh, wow."  He whispered.

	"I thought you'd be happy."  Tony pulled his boots off and threw
them under the bed.  "C'mon, buddy, the beach awaits!"  He turned to a low
set of drawers and touched a pad.  "Beach pack."  One of the drawers slid
open and he pulled out a white case about the size of a shoebox.

	"I don't have a swim suit."  Zak said, walking over to his bed and
pulling his boots off.

	"Well if you really want to wear one, just key it into your
dresser.  It'll show you what's available."  Tony pulled open the front of
his ship's suit and peeled it off.  Out of the pack he pulled out a thing
that looked like an ink pen and sprayed him self with it.  "This is UV
spray.  You can set how much of a tan you want, but you won't burn."

	"Cool."  Zak said nervously.  Tony was a big distraction, with
perfect muscle tone and his smile.  Zak forced himself to look away.  Tony
was beautiful, and he reached down and touched the red button on his belt,
hoping the effect lasted when the belt was off.  Zak pulled off his boots
and undid the belt, relieved when his crotch didn't betray him immediately.
He undid his ship's suit self-consciously.

	"Zak, you're nice to look at, you know that?"  Tony asked, standing
with his hands on his hips.  "If I were you, I'd skip the suit, man. You've
got a good body."

	"Uh, thanks."  Zak blushed.  He looked at the menu on the dresser
and dialed up a short robe then looking sideways at Tony, skipped the suit
and made the robe a mesh one.  It was exhilarating and decadent, but he
liked having Tony looking at him.

	They grabbed their packs and stuffed their comms into them, then
went out through the glass wall.  The sand was very warm, and Zak stopped
and inhaled deeply.  Wow!  He thought, overcome by the vista.  White sand,
blue water.  It was like a dream.  He followed Tony out onto the beach.

	Tony chose a spot near the shade of some palm trees and pulled a
blanket out of the pack.  They spread it out, and Zak took off the robe,
allowing Tony to spray him with the tanning spray.  It made his skin
tingle.

	"Last one in buys lunch!"  Tony shouted and sprinted for the water.
Zak watched him go for a second, mesmerized by the naked godlike form.  He
gave a good chase, but was left dumb struck to long.  Tony dived into the
surf followed by Zak.

"Aww, man!  It's so warm!"  Tony laughed, splashing water.  He stepped high
into an incoming wave and dove again.  Zak searched, found him, then dove,
coming up underneath.  He grabbed Tony's waist and threw him up and into a
large wave, cutting off any protest.

	Tony surface behind him, and he had no time to block the flying
tackle that took him into the water.  They came up laughing, and Zak took
off along the beach, running in the surf and dodging.  Just as Tony was
about to tackle him again, he fainted left, then whirled around and caught
Tony in a bear hug, inadvertently bringing their bodies into contact.

	"I'm happy to see you too."  Tony panted, reaching behind himself
and touching Zak's penis.  It was swelling very rapidly.  For a second, Zak
almost turned him loose, terrified that all the signals he'd gotten were
wrong.  At the last moment, he moved closer, molding his body to Tony's

	"Took ya long enough."  Tony said quietly, laying his head back on
Zak's shoulder.  "I was beginning to think you lied about liking boys."

	"I was afraid."  Zak answered, touching his nose to Tony's neck.

	"Was?"

	"Am."

	Tony turned around and put his hand on Zak's cheek.  "I forgot what
it was like, Zak.  I felt so alone."  He leaned in and kissed the other,
careful not to push to fast.  He genuinely liked Zak, and he didn't want to
hurt him.

	Zak savored the kiss, his first from a male, and instinctively put
his arms around Tony's waist.  It was like all of the pain coming out at
once, all of the guilt evaporating.  He felt dizzy and powerful at the same
time.  "Let's go up to the blanket."  Tony took his hand and led the way.
Zak followed eagerly, fully aware of the dopey grin on his face.  His heart
hammered, and he felt lightheaded.

	Tony flopped onto the blanket and took Zak into his arms, kissing
along his neck and on his chest.  Zak moaned, every little touch driving
him wild.  This was the moment he'd always dreamt about.  It was hard not
to arch his back and move around too much.  All at once he felt Tony's hand
on him, and he nearly screamed from the pleasure.  Tony started to pump in
a controlled slow rhythm, still kissing and licking his way down Zak's
chest.

	Zak finally managed to get a hold of Tony and reciprocate, smiling
when he heard the other moan in pleasure.  He tried to match Tony's rhythm,
but it was so hard to concentrate.  His stomach began to tighten, and Zak
knew he couldn't hold off much longer.  He felt himself slip into Tony's
mouth, causing his buck his hips forward.  He groaned loudly, trying to
hold back, but it was to late.  His mind faded into that twilight state,
and he erupted into Tony's mouth.  "Aaauuuugh!"

		Tony crawled up onto the now panting Zak and lay on his
chest, leaning his chin on his hands.  "Feeling a tad more relaxed, are
we?"  He smirked, drawing little circles around one of Zak's nipples with
his index finger.

	"I didn't hear you say uncle."  Zak said, and flipped over to fast
for Tony, pinning him to the blanket.  Tony yelped, then felt Zak's mouth
on him.  "Oh, yeah."  He mumbled.  Zak was definitely inexperienced, Tony
thought, but he more than made up for it in enthusiasm.  Despite some
initial clumsiness on Zak's part, Tony soon felt himself warming up, moving
his hips with the motions.

	Zak doubled his efforts, enjoying the sounds and the feel of a man
under his care.  He used his tongue all over and under the shaft, and even
his teeth a few times.  He could feel Tony tensing up, and he used his hand
to keep the rhythm steady.  All at once he felt Tony stiffen, then cascades
of semen blew into his mouth.  He swallowed fast, trying to keep up, but it
leaked all over the place.  He sat back and wiped his face off, laughing.

	"Damn, dude.  You all most drowned me."  Zak started to use one of
the towels to clean them off.

	"That was your first time, wasn't it?"  Tony sat up and caught
Zak's face in his hands.  They kissed more slowly and deeply.  "Jesus, I
could live on just that."  Tony mumbled when they parted.

	"Me too.."  Zak rolled onto his back in the sun, feeling like he
could just soak right into the sand.  They lay there for sometime dozing on
and off.  Finally, Tony felt Zak stand up, and he shaded his eyes to see
what was happening.  Zak held out his hand and pulled him up.  "Let's hit
the water again before we go back to the room."  Zak led the way, diving
into the surf.

	That evening, exhausted, they made their way back.  Zak threw
himself on the bed while Tony got in the shower.  A gleaming silver box
about the size of a shoebox sat on the nightstand.  Zak looked at it
curiously and picked it up, certain that they hadn't brought it with them.

	"Zak."  Panther's rasping voice came out of the box.

	"Hey, Panther.  How are you?"

	"Learning module for systems upgrade.  Uplink?"

	"Will it take long?"  Zak pulled the disc out of the side and
touched it to his left temple.

	"Negative.  Assignment shipside."  Panther answered.

	Zak stretched out and rubbed his chest, relaxing for the uplink.
He felt Panther start the uplink.  Torrents of information made its way
into his mind, and he began to understand the complexity of the being
called Panther, and how he had been integrated into the ship.

	He also understood that Panther was lonely.  It was a shock to
think that the computer might have wants and feelings, but disregarded
those feelings to run the ship.  Every small piece of technical information
had a tiny bit of an almost human quality to it, and Zak sorted those small
kernels just as carefully as the rest.

	Panther needed him.  He knew that now.  Panther needed another
being to interact with, just like any other person did, and he understood
why he had been rescued.  Panther knew that Zak would be able to glean this
information where others hadn't.  Zak reversed the link, sending an
affirmative message.  He would help Panther.  An almost overwhelming joy
came back through, and Zak smiled.

	Panther displayed in Zak's mind a web of microscopic wires that
Panther would grow in Zak's head to make the links easier and faster.  Zak
understood, and once again he signaled the affirmative.  It was funny, but
there was something different coming to him now.  Panther was happy, or as
happy as sentient computers get.

	The disc popped off his temple and Zak sat up, rubbing his eyes.
It was dark outside, and Tony sat in a chair watching him.  He grumbled
something and went into the bathroom to relieve him self.  When he came
out, Tony stepped up and took his face in his hands and turned it to look
at Zak's left temple.

	"Holy shit."  Tony almost whispered.

	"What?"  Zak looked where Tony now pointed at his face in the
mirror over the dressers.  On his left temple there were three dark crimson
triangles about a half an inch long, overlapping each other to form a sort
of cat's paw, like the claws were extended.  They shined like polished
metal, but were soft and pliant, almost like they weren't even there.  Zak
recognized them as the contact points for the uplink net Panther told him
about.

	On his left earlobe, there was a miniature version of the cat's paw
design.  The tiny earring was also metallic and crimson, but was only a
quarter of an inch across.  He felt Tony's hands on his shoulders.

	"Go get cleaned up, Zak.  We'll go have dinner."  Tony sad then
pulled out his comm.  "Baaca?"  There was a short silence then Baaca
answered.  "Could you meet us for dinner?  Zak has something to show you."

	"What is it?"  The Captain asked, annoyed.

	"Ask Panther, sir.  I think we have a new Comp Handler."  There was
along silence.

	"Be there in fifteen minutes.  Going to the Prairie Garden?"

	"Yeah, that's fine."

	"Out."

	Zak listened to the conversation, then slipped into the shower.  He
had heard stress in Baaca's voice, and Tony's, and it made him feel
uncomfortable.  He set the shower for hot force jets, needing the
stimulation.  He was still very tired after their afternoon in the sun.  He
wished they were still out there.

	It was hard not to fantasize about Tony while he washed.  He had
heard it said a lot of times that the first time was the best, and he
definitely thought so, not that he had anything to compare it to.  He dried
himself, careful to get his hair dry, then stepped out.

	His tan was deep and perfect, and he smiled a dazzling smile,
thrilled and embarrassed at the same time.  Zak leaned in towards the
mirror and looked at the dark red triangles and the earring, and decided it
was pretty cool.  He had no idea how they got there, but they looked damned
decent.  He brushed his hair and pulled it back.  On the counter he found
the clasp that he liked for his ponytail, only it was now crimson, too.  He
smiled and put it in, parting his hair on the left side.  That ought to
accent the cat's paw, he thought.

	"Do you realize that I've just spent the last ten hours naked?"  He
asked Tony as he walked into the room.  "I mean, I've had fantasies about
this, but damn, I have never been naked, in front of people, for this long
in my life."

	"And this is bad because.."

	"It's not!  I just realized it, that's all."  Zak noticed Tony was
wearing a ship's suit and dialed one up.  "Don't we ever get to wear
off-ship clothes, or civilian clothes?  Whatever you want to call them?"

	"Yeah, but when you eat with your Captain in public, you need to be
in ship's suits.  It's custom, and shows respect for Baaca."  Tony
answered, pulling on his dark blue jacket over the royal blue suit.

	Zak held up a light gray ship's suit.  "I think the computer made a
mistake."

	"Panther sets your uniform, Zak.  There isn't a mistake."

	Hesitantly, he pulled on the stretchy suit and closed the high
collar.  Glistening black boots, like Baaca's, replaced his blue-gray ones,
and a dark crimson jacket finished it off.  Even his belt was now the shiny
dark red metal.

	"You look good."  Tony smiled, adjusting Zak's jacket.  "Panther
really hooked you up."

	"It's a lot of red, isn't it?"  Zak brushed imaginary lint off his
stomach.  He picked up his comm and put it on his belt.  They both clipped
a currency case to their belts, and out they went.  Tony entered the flash
point, and his jaw dropped as Zak keyed their destination, not even aware
he'd done it.

	When they stepped out on the other landing, Tony started to laugh.
"Did you see what you did back there?"

	"No, why?"

	"Who set the flash?"

	Zak looked at Tony, trying to figure out what he meant, then
grinned.  "That was cool."  He followed Tony towards the restaurant,
noticing Tony's butt in a different way.  "If I think about things, I
remember how to use them now, like the shower controls and stuff.  I think
Panther is teaching me more about it."  He felt very rested, relaxed, and
like a huge weight had been removed from his mind.

	Baaca stood near the entrance as they walked up.  Again Zak was
taken by the charisma that Baaca exuded.  He was handsome, and his build
was perfect.  He appeared to be in his mid twenties, but Zak knew from his
time with Panther that he was actually much older.  It raised a lot of
questions, but he'd hold them until they knew each other.

	"Well, our Panther has decked you out, hasn't he?"  Baaca extended
his hand and shook Zak's then Tony's.  His demeanor had changed, social
charms replacing the irritated voice Zak had heard over the comm.

	"Yes, Sir."  Zak answered, following the Captain into the
restaurant.

	"I want you to know that I'm glad Panther found someone he could
trust."  Baaca said after they'd been seated.  "But I also want you to know
what you're getting into before it's to late."

	"Panther was pretty detailed about it, Baaca.  I really didn't have
any questions."  Zak sipped at his water, feeling very nervous.

	"I'm not talking about the technical part of it, Zak.  I mean the
permanent responsibility that you're taking on.  It can be reversed for
about the next six hours."  Baaca accepted a cup of coffee from the waiter,
annoyed with the interruption.  "Once those implants mature, that's it.  No
going back.  And Panther is every bit the pain in the ass that a wife or
partner is.  That's what I'm talking about."

	Zak was quiet for a moment, organizing what he wanted to say.
"Baaca, everyone I ever knew is dead."  He began quietly.  "I have this
empty place in me, and I know it's just starting because I haven't really
gotten it through to myself yet."  Zak suddenly felt like he was on the
verge of tears, and he felt Tony's hand on his.
	"What I'm trying to say is that Panther and I have a lot in common,
and that I want to be a useful member of the crew."  Zak stopped and sipped
the water again, swallowing hard.  "When Panther's in my head, all of this
makes sense, and I can think clearly.  I'm me again, not a refugee.  I know
how long the job lasts because he told me.  Everything."

	"Well," Baaca said at length, "I guess we have a new Comp Tech.  I
couldn't stop the process if I wanted to, because that's entirely up to you
and Panther."  The waiter returned with the meals they'd ordered off of the
table screen, and Baaca rolled his eyes, getting chuckles from Tony and
Zak.  "I think he waits for me to start talking, you know?  Tomorrow at
0930 we will be installing a memory core for Panther.  Did he tell you
that?"  Baaca asked, cutting his steak.

	"Yeah.  He said that I had to get the implants today so I would be
ready for it in the morning."  Zak toyed with his food but really didn't
have much appetite.

	"Then you'll probably need this."  Baaca set a small box on the
table and met Zak's eyes.  "Panther sent it."

	Zak opened the box to find a silver object about one inch long and
not quite as wide.  It was shaped exactly like the cat's paw on his temple
but larger.  From what he had learned from Panther, he knew it was a remote
transceiver uplink.  Awed by it, he touched it to the side of his head,
feeling it attach itself to the red metal claws near his left eye.

	"Zak."  Panther said into his mind.  It was almost euphoric to Zak
as he felt the computer's presence mingling into his own.  He gasped and
looked at Baaca, knowing that he was grinning like an idiot.  "Yes,
Panther.  It's me!"  He sent back through the link.  He was rewarded with a
warm feeling of contentment from the computer mind.

	"If he smiles any harder his face will rip."  Tony said to Baaca,
slowly shaking his head.  "I always wondered who'd replace Bartain."

	"Who's Bartain?"  Zak asked, finding that his appetite had sparked
up a little.  It was funny, but Panther almost seemed to purr in his mind.
He wondered if that was where the name came from.

	"He was our Comp Tech until about six months ago."  Baaca answered.
"He died when we were forced down on a colony planet.  We almost lost
Panther because of power failures.  He built Panther about five years ago,
and programmed the bio-tank with Panther's personality.  There's a lot of
Bartain in Panther."

	Zak digested the information while they finished their meals and
chatted.  Panther supplied Bartain's likeness and an underlying fondness
for the man.  In the background current of exchanged information, Panther
began to deposit the information Zak would need to install the upgrade
module.

	"Well' gentlemen, I have to get back."  Baaca stood up and again
shook their hands.  "I expect you on the deck by 0600 tomorrow."

	"Yes, Sir."  Tony said, then laid out some credit coins for the
waiter.  "Did they get the Grav- Generator repaired today?"

	"Yes and no.  The parts were installed, but no warm up was done, so
that can wait until tomorrow afternoon.  We leave the day after."  Baaca
lead them towards the doors.  "Enjoy tonight, guys, because it'll be
awhile."

	It began to drizzle lightly in the warm humid evening as they
walked back to their room.  Zak noticed a certain amount of attention being
paid to details as he walked and realized that Panther was sharing some of
the experiences, like sight and smells.  There was even a feeling of
curiosity that Zak found cute, kind of like watching a little kid.

	"I want to go out on the beach again.  Gonna join me?"  Tony asked,
throwing his jacket on his bed and pulling off his boots.  Zak flashed him
a smile and undressed.  He went to take off the uplink, then thought twice,
betting that Panther would enjoy a walk in the sand.  That is if computers
enjoy anything, he thought.

	The evening air felt wonderful on their skin, and Zak waded out
into the surf, reassured by Panther that the uplink was waterproof.  The
water was perfect, and they swam, darting and wrestling with each other,
looking a bit like the otters Zak remembered from the zoo.

	They washed up onto the sand with a particularly large wave,
tumbling through the foam and laughing.  Zak wiped sand off Tony's face and
kissed him.  Lightly at first, then with his tongue.  A chill ran through
his spine as Tony lay on top of him, and it didn't take long for his body
to respond.

	Tony stood up, displaying his own erection and pulled Zak up.  They
washed in the surf quickly, then raced for the room.  Tony dived onto his
bed and caught Zak as he landed right behind.  A fury over came them, and
they joyfully allowed it to sweep them away.

	The next morning, they checked out of the hotel and walked hand in
hand to the tram.  They spoke little, not feeling the need, rather just
being with each other.  Zak watched as the sun rose above the trees,
glinting off the hulls of numerous ships and he was glad Tony was there
with him.

	Before long, he took the Panther link out of its case and touched
it to the side of his head, feeling the computer open the link and drift in
to his thoughts.  Zak realized a bit sheepishly that he must have been
smiling, because Tony was giving him an odd look.  "What?"

	"I wish I could experience that."  Tony said wistfully.  He touched
the silver link lightly, then trailed his hand around Zak's jaw.  "I know
Panther wanted you here for a reason, and I know what it cost you, but from
a purely selfish standpoint, I'm glad you're here."  He kissed Zak as they
felt the tram slowing.  It was time to work again.

	There was a jauntiness to Zak's strides as he approached the ship.
Panther was active in his head, and he watched as a cargo lifter coasted in
and touched down near the rear of the ship.  A huge dark blue metal cube
sat on its cargo pad, and Zak followed Tony down a ramp to the deck, ending
up near one of Panther's primary landing gear.

"Ten minutes early.  I never would've believed it, Tony."  Baaca tossed
them each a silver ball about the size of a baseball.  Tony flipped up a
straw from it and sipped at the coffee while Zak had to get Panther to
explain to him how to do it.

Above them, Panther's enormous cargo doors seemed to ripple and shimmer as
they slid open, revealing a large black cavern.  The cargo lifter was moved
below the opening, and Zak pulled off his crimson jacket and laid it on the
landing foot.  He tugged at the top of his sleeves and they came off at the
shoulders, leaving him in a tank top of sorts, much easier to work in.
Tony followed suit, then scrambled up the side of the module behind Zak.

It took almost two hours to get the lifting slings in place.  All during
the work, Zak could feel anticipation building in the link.  He chuckled
and wiped sweat off his forehead.  "Panther," he sent through the link,
"You are like an eager puppy.  I'm going as fast as I can."

"Affirm.  Continue."

Zak laughed again and finished attaching the last hard point.  He rolled
into a sitting position and waited for Tony to finish.  He did, and turned
to face Zak.  "We're ready for the traction web, Zak."  He laid out on the
top of the box and wiped the sweat out of his eyes with a sigh.  "Fuck me,
it's hot out here.  I hate being planetside."

"You didn't yesterday."  Zak intoned, signaling Panther to set up the
tractors.

"You don't see the differences?"  Tony looked at the time display on his
comm and groaned.  "Two hours and it's already to damned hot."

Green beams came out of the cargo hold and attached themselves to the hard
points.  Zak jumped up and pulled Tony to his feet, then spread his stance
as the tractors began to pull the box in.  Baaca stood back and watched,
talking into his comm.  Above them, Krimm's bear-like face poked out of a
hatch on the ceiling.

God, it was exhilarating!  Zak clapped Tony on the shoulder and watched as
they slowly cleared the massive doors.  All of the sudden Panther was
distracted, and the box shook, nearly striking one of the doors.  Zak
received a mental image that resembled a radar screen.  It showed several
dots on a grid with Panther at the center.  Just then a loud klaxon went
off, and their comms began to chatter.

"Oh' shit!"  Tony slid to the side of the box and nearly went off, catching
Zak's hand just in time.  "Panther!  Stabilize the tractors!"

Zak caught sight of Baaca sprinting for the ramp as he pulled Tony up.  He
looked up at Krimm in the hatch above them.  "Krimm!  Reroute secondary
power to Panther!"  The skinny grizzly bear chattered something, then
disappeared.  The beams strengthened, and they were able to stand up again.
The blue box was nearly into the hold when they heard the massive
Grav-Drive generators begin to whine.

"Zak, Tony, this is Baaca.  We have raiders a little over a minute off the
deck.  Get that thing locked down, or we jettison it."

"Thirty seconds to the cradle, Captain!"  Zak shouted over the sound of the
engines warming up.  "Panther will have the doors closed in forty."

"Make it happen, Zak."  The comm snapped as Baaca closed the circuit.  As
soon as they were close enough, Tony jumped over to a wall ladder and
scramble up towards the hatch in the ceiling.  The primary power grid
controls were behind a panel, and he touched a series of keys, activating
the power systems that would connect themselves to the new memory unit.

Zak looked over the side of the box and saw the doors begin to close.
Relieved, he turned to join Tony on the ladder.  The ship shook, and a
power line next to Tony exploded in sparks.  He swung away on the rungs of
the ladder, brushing the cinders from his ship's suit.  Zak was knocked off
his feet and landed hard on his shoulder.  He slid towards the side of the
box and fell, grabbing the smooth edge with his hands.

"Zak!"  Tony screamed, then fell against the wall as the ship shook again.
He could see that the ship was lifting off through the still closing doors.
Zak's head appeared, then his torso.  He pulled himself up onto the box.
Below him, he heard the doors lock and seal.  The beams cut out, and the
locking clamps tightened and sealed.  They'd done it.

Zak pulled out his comm and clicked it on.  "Doors are closed, Captain.
We're sealed."  Baaca acknowledged and signed off.  Zak laid flat, looking
up at Tony and panting.  "I think we're okay."  He said in the sudden
quiet.

Tony shook his head, amazed at Zak's grace under pressure.  The ship
pitched hard, then rolled, throwing Tony off the ladder.  He hit near Zak
with an audible whoosh of air out of his lungs.  The power lines had sealed
into place on the new unit, but one of them was misalligned and blew,
covering them with sparks and greenish electrical discharges.

Zak yelped as a bolt of energy tore across his back and down his leg,
burning like fire.  Through the link Panther told him how to shut it down,
and he slid carefully towards it, grabbing Tony's leg for support.

"What the hell are you doing?"  Tony demanded, trying to grab Zak's
shoulder.  "If that thing touches you, you're dead!"

Zak ignored him, sliding towards a panel near the line.  It crackled as he
opened the panel.  He touched the combination of buttons, and was rewarded
with it exploding in his face.

"Aauuuuuuuuuuughghghgh!"  He heard himself scream as the darkness took him.
He dreamed about a jungle, very dark and tangled.  There was danger, and
Zak had no ship's suit, boots, nothing.  He was hunting, and hunted.  Each
vine he moved revealed something with teeth or claws.

It was humid, making everything slippery.  In the mist something moved and
Zak stopped.  Greenish eyes followed his every move, and crept backwards,
trying to escape.  The eyes blinked and followed him almost lazily.  A
rumbling purr wafted through the mist.




This concludes chapter three of the Panther in the mist.  I have begun work
on a web site at the request of many of Nifty's readers, and wonder if
there are a few brave souls out there that might like to do some artwork
for this story.  I would love to see how you perceive the ship, Zak, Tony,
and the other characters, and will post these pictures as soon as the site
is up.  Any takers out there among our artist communities?

Dan

Rimshot@planetaccess.com