; ; "Shipping out sale!" she bellowed as she threw open her dormitory ; door.
; ; The response was instant! Her classmates and friends for the last two ; years, swarmed in to see what they could get their hands on.
; ; "Hey Canary, I thought you wanted a base posting," Millina Fray, her ; closest friend asked her, as the excited crowd fought over her old ; junk.
; ; Carrie shrugged her shoulders. "So did I. Apparently somebody up there ; thinks they know better!" Carrie didn't even fight her nickname ; anymore. In boot camp, the drill instructor naturally took C. Byrd, as ; Canary Bird, and that's what Carrie had been known as, ever ; since. Carrie and Millina hugged tightly. "I'll miss you, Mill. Every ; chance I get, I'll send you a file, okay?"
; ; "You better, Birdie! You just behave yourself with your partner, you ; hear? What's he like, is he cute? Are you planning any personal ; explorations?"
; ; Carrie blushed. She still didn't feel comfortable discussing such ; personal matters, even after she and Mill had drifted past friendship, ; into a loving and sexual relationship. Millina was from McCaffrey, one ; of the newer, more open-minded colony worlds, and she just loved ; teasing her Earthling friend.
; ; "I don't know. The orders were just cut this morning, and they don't ; say."
; ; Millina patted her back. "Well, I'm hoping for you kiddo. You be sure ; and tell me everything that happens, you hear me?"
; ; Carrie promised she would and was on her way, after one last ; kiss. Millina would see to the sale of her junk, and credit it all to ; her account. All Carrie had to worry about was her new exploration ; partner. She strapped herself into the commercial shuttle, and managed ; to grab a quick nap in the 40 minutes of freefall, before docking at ; Aurora Station.
; ; When Carrie presented herself to the Station Master, requesting ; directions for the scout ship Fairview's berth, she didn't understand ; his sudden laughter.
; ; "You did say communications officer Byrd, didn't you?" he said with a ; last chuckle.
; ; In her confusion, she made matters worse. "Yes sir! Canary Byrd, I ; mean Carrie."
; ; If it weren't for the reduced gravity, he would have fallen from his ; chair. "Canary Bird! That's priceless!" he wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry, ; I'm sorry! I couldn't help it. Just wait until you meet your pilot, ; flight control officer Cat!"
; ; Carrie couldn't help grinning. "Cat and Byrd, what a pair!"
; ; "Well little Bird, you best fly now, can't keep your partner waiting!"
; ; Carrie thanked him, and was on her way. As she approached her new home ; for the next year, she saw a few Techs making final checks, but no ; sign of her partner. She boarded the Fairview, and headed for the ; control cabin.
; ; "Hello Cat? I'm sorry; I don't know your full name. Are you on board?" ; She nearly jumped out of her uniform, when someone soundlessly came up ; behind her.
; ; "Actually, Cat will do nicely," a low whisper sounded in her ear. "Few ; humans can pronounce my true name."
; ; Carrie spun around, and stood eye to eye with a panther! At least ; that's what it looked like. "You startled me!" she gasped, as she ; tried to calm her heart.
; ; "I do apologize, Carrie Byrd," Cat whispered as a huge grin split her ; darkly furred face. "You humans are so easy to sneak up on!"
; ; Carrie looked over her new partner. It really was amazing how much she ; resembled an Earthly panther. The only real differences were the size ; of the skull, the opposable thumbs, and the four prominent breasts, ; under the sleek black fur of her chest. Carrie felt herself blushing, ; when she noticed the pink nipples peeking out of that glossy pelt.
; ; "Um, that's okay. Just don't make it a habit, okay?" Cat dropped down ; to all fours, and padded silently through the ship.
; ; "We really are lucky. Fairview was just commissioned." Carrie was ; almost mesmerized, watching the powerful muscles roll beneath Cat's ; shining fur. Cat paused and keyed open a cabin door with the tip of ; her long tail. "This can be your place."
; ; "That's great!" Carrie entered the compact unit and stashed her duffle ; on the bunk. "This is much bigger then my Academy dorm!"
; ; Cat rose to her hind legs and watched amused as Carrie checked out the ; amenities of the cabin. Crossing her fingers for luck, the human ; turned to the catering computer. "Coffee, black." With a yelp of ; delight, she snatched the steaming mug, and inhaled deeply of the ; rising steam. "Thank goodness! I was worried they didn't have my ; preferences programmed in yet!"
; ; Cat purred deep in her throat; a sound Carrie recognized as a giggle.
; ; "You humans and your caffeine!" She padded over to the unit, and ; hissed quietly at it. Carrie nearly dropped her mug when Cat picked up ; a large crystal goblet and began to lap at what appeared to be fresh ; blood! Cat looked at her; droplets of crimson fluid clinging to her ; muzzle. Carrie was startled further to see the thin, snake-like forked ; tongue flash out and clear away the dampness. "I am sorry, Carrie. I ; know some humans are bothered by this, but it is best to discover such ; things early, I think."
; ; Carrie recovered fast. "That's quite all right. I'm no vegetarian." ; She found she was beginning to like Cat's openness. "I think ; everything is going work out!"
; ; Carrie was right. It was a little disturbing, at first, to watch Cat ; consume raw meat with such delight, but the human soon ; adjusted. Besides, Cat couldn't understand why humans would ruin ; perfectly good flesh by broiling the life force out of it!
; ; Late, by ship's time, Carrie snapped on the lights in her cabin. She ; heard that sound again. She pressed her ear to the bulkhead, trying to ; figure out what it was. After weeks of FTL flight, she knew every ; sound that the Fairview made in its normal functioning. This late ; night sound was driving her insane! She asked Cat about it, thinking ; her keen hearing would surely pinpoint it, but the feline told her she ; was too deep a sleeper to have heard it.
; ; That sound had mysteriously vanished after that. Cat refused to talk ; about it; in fact, the feline was starting to get rather snippy the ; last couple of days.
; ; Tonight was the first time in almost a week Carrie heard the strange ; rhythmic hum. "I have to track that down, or I'll never get to sleep!" ; Looking over all her exploration gear, she chose the tool best for the ; job. Slowly she walked through the ship. Pausing from time to time to ; hold a drinking glass to the bulkhead, Carrie placed her ear against ; it. She was tracing the sound to its source. At the entrance to Cat's ; cabin, she heard her partner cry out, as the sound suddenly increased ; in tempo.
; ; Carrie slapped the door actuator key. The door slipped silently ; open. The human gasped, and dropped her glass when she saw what was ; happening inside.
; ; "Close that!" Cat roared.
; ; "I'm so sorry!" Carrie stammered as the door slid shut again. The ; human couldn't get the sight out of her mind. Cat, on all fours, was ; thrusting herself madly at a machine strapped to the side of her ; bunk. The device's single large shining piston was pumping into her, ; accompanied by that odd rhythmic humming! The feline was whipping her ; tail from side to side, her large yellow eyes burning with her rising ; passion!
; ; Carrie made her way to the control deck, and slumped into her crash ; couch. She still couldn't believe what she saw!
; ; In a few moments, Cat padded in, tail limp, almost dragging on the ; deck. "Carrie, I am shamed." She blinked her large eyes, and Carrie ; was shocked to see they were full of tears. "No human has ever seen ; that behavior before. My people, when separated for long periods of ; time, sometimes have to please themselves, to maintain mental and ; physical health."
; ; "Cat, have you ever had any human friends before?" Carrie asked ; kindly.
; ; The feline looked puzzled. "No Carrie. I knew humans from my training, ; but you are, were, my first friend."
; ; Cat's normally quiet voice was nearly a whisper, and Carrie's heart ; went out to her. Her own shyness over such matters melted away. She ; just had to reassure her friend. "Wait here a moment, will you? I have ; something to show you." Carrie hurried to her cabin, removed her ; jumpsuit, and pulled an old friend from under her bunk. When she ; returned Cat looked startled. "It's okay Cat, I have to teach you ; something about humans."
; ; The feline's yellow eyes looked her all over. "I have never seen a ; human uncovered before, Carrie." Those yellow eyes seemed to lock ; between Carrie's legs, making her feel a little tingly all over. "You ; have fur!"
; ; Carrie giggled, looking at her dark pubic hair. "Well, we don't call ; it that, but I guess we do have some." She took her hand from behind ; her back, and let Cat see the long tapered crystal she held. "I think ; you may know what this is, Cat."
; ; Cat's jaw actually dropped open. "Is, is that a male simulator?"
; ; Carrie blushed, but couldn't help grinning. "We call them dildo's, or ; vibrators, but that's what they are. If a human is away from her kind, ; she may go crazy, if she doesn't take things in hand, as it were." ; Carrie didn't know what made her, but she reclined on her crash couch, ; and put her left leg up on the armrest. "This is Maxwell. I guess you ; can say we've been lovers for years." She touched the stud at the ; base, and the transparent crystal began to vibrate gently in her ; hand. "Would you like to touch it, Cat?"
; ; The feline looked confused, eyes darting from the toy to the growing ; dampness between her partner's legs, and tentatively reached out a ; finger to the shiny device. "It's warm, and it tingles!" she ; exclaimed. "I, I understand the warmth, mine heats to blood ; temperature. Why does it buzz so?"
; ; "You tell me," Carrie said quietly, as she touched the tip to one of ; Cat's nipples. The feline closed her eyes and purred. "Feels good, ; doesn't it?"
; ; "Yes, it makes me grow ready to..." Cat snapped her mouth shut with a ; click of her sharp teeth.
; ; "It's okay, Cat. I get very wet when I do that to myself."
; ; Cat struggled with herself, then finally sighed. "The tingle in my ; breasts is making my body lubricate itself; I never felt anything like ; it!"
; ; "Would you like to see me use this on myself? Maxwell is very ; talented. The built-in energy field keeps him sterile, and nice and ; slippery." Carrie watched Cat's eyes as she spread herself, letting ; the tip of the crystal enter her. "Um, b-best of all, his sensors can ; tell how aroused I am, and, and the vibrations, they increase to ; match!" Carrie moaned, as she slipped the warm toy in and out of ; herself. Somehow, it was so much more exciting, having her feline ; partner watch.
; ; Cat could hear the steady increase of the device's vibrations, as ; Carrie's hand steadily moved it in and out of the human's life giving ; orifice. Carrie was rocking her head from side to side and moaning, as ; she worked the device faster.
; ; Cat twitched her sensitive nose. She inched her head closer to Carrie, ; and sniffed. The human smelled so good! "Carrie," she whispered.
; ; She didn't say another word, as she threw caution to the wind. Her ; long, forked tongue flicked out and sampled the dampness growing ; between Carrie's legs.
; ; "Oh Cat!" Carrie gasped at the contact. "That's nice!" As the thin ; tongue slipped up into her, up alongside the vibrator, Carrie felt her ; release approaching. "Oh yes, that's so good!" she managed to say, as ; her body started its joyful spasms.
; ; When her partner finally stilled her body, Cat felt very ; embarrassed. "I apologize, Carrie. I overstepped myself; I treated you ; as a sister. Do you forgive me?"
; ; "You, you treat your sister like that?" Carrie asked in amazement.
; ; "Yes. What do you do if your sister doesn't have a mate, yet needs ; more then a simulator? It is a sacred duty."
; ; Carrie made up her mind. "I would gladly help you, if you were my ; sister, Cat!" She got out of her crash couch, and sank to her knees, ; next to the panting feline. "Do you need my help now, my sister?"
; ; Cat nodded in the human fashion, and Carrie hugged her partner ; tight. She buried her face in the warm soft fur of Cat's neck. Carrie ; never noticed her partner's almost spicy scent. She inhaled ; deeply. The feline's natural musk would bring in big credits, as a ; perfume!
; ; "Lay back Cat, I want you to feel as good as I did."
; ; Carrie gently kissed her partner's muzzle. Growing ever bolder, she ; slipped her tongue into Cat's mouth, and thrilled as she felt the ; razor-sharp teeth. Cat's people weren't exactly built for kissing, but ; the feline was doing very well indeed! Cat was purring non-stop now, ; and when her tongue entered Carrie's mouth, and she was amazed at how ; far it reached into her throat! The human moved down her lover's body, ; teasing in turn, the four swelling nipples, as they peeked from the ; rich shining fur.
; ; Carrie was surprised again, as a thick sweet fluid began to seep into ; her eager mouth. She suckled for a moment at her friend's heaving ; breasts, feeling, more then hearing, the deep rumble of her partner's ; contented purring.
; ; With a final swallow, Carrie moved lower. She noticed for the first ; time that Cat's fur was much thinner in her pubic region. She parted ; the damp fur, and carefully touched her tongue to the darkly ; glistening lips. Cat jumped, and then settled back down, as Carrie ; explored.
; ; Carrie and Millina had pleased each other before, so Carrie was in a ; unique position to compare relative anatomy. She tried to find a clit, ; but found nothing similar. She gave up her search, and just slipped ; her tongue into Cat, tasting her musk. It was different from a human, ; but not bad at all! Carrie lapped happily, as Cat shuddered under her.
; ; Suddenly, a ring of muscle gripped her probing tongue, just as Cat let ; out a roar. Carrie forced down her momentary panic from the fierce ; sound. Her partner was only letting go to her orgasm! Wiggling her ; tongue in the tight damp opening was driving Cat insane. Carrie was ; almost jealous! It would seem that the entire lining of Cat's vaginal ; tunnel was packed with nerve endings, corresponding to the human ; clitoris!
; ; "Oh Carrie, my sister, that was lovely!" Cat finally purred, when she ; released Carrie's tongue. The feline turned, and carefully licked her ; partner's shining face clean. "I, I think I'm beginning to love you, ; Carrie Byrd."
; ; Carrie smiled at her partner. "I think I'm in love with you too, Cat." ; The human giggled. "You can call me Canary, if you like."
; ; Cat seemed puzzled. "Canary Byrd. Somehow, that sounds pleasing to ; me."
; ; Carrie laughed out loud, as she pushed her partner's head down between ; her legs. "You're about to become the Cat that ate the Canary!" Cat ; didn't get the joke, but that was okay. Canary had lots of time to ; explain.