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"I
still think its some type of test," SIcommed Ma'Rou over the team-ban;
he was currently riding on the top of MacKencey's pack, facing back.
Nature hadn't equipt the Parr with the ability to speak any know human language, and in fact they didn't even try. As part of the early animal testing phase of doctor McPherren's Synaptic Interface --direct mind-machine communication-- their thoughts were interpreted, then synthesized into speech by the suit's Pacscomp.
MacKencey was only half listening to
the usually roaming conversation of his partner; with his weapon at the ready,
he moved among the strange, box-like structures. "So Mr. Sterling, who do
you think managed to pull this off?" he asked, as he approached a tall,
narrow gap in the structure.
"My first guess would be the
Ka'nigits," said Ma'Rou.
"The Ka'nigits?" repeated
MacKencey, "Right. You've been hanging out with our expatriate friends again."
Ma'Rou's tail twitched with
uncertainty as to what MacKencey was getting at. "Yeah, they let us
watch those old movies."
He smiled at the thought of a dozen sentient
house cats sitting around a theater display, trying to interpret what humans thought
was funny almost a century ago. "The Colonel is the only person in the
known universe who refers to the Teutonic Knights, as Ka'nigits. True they're an
elitist techno-terrorist group, with more money than common scene, but that’s
still no reason to be rude." he added sarcastically.
"Is that a bad thing?"
asked Ma'Rou, as he nervously started doing ninnies on the pack.
MacKencey stopped and peered around
the edge of the gap; it was black beyond the opening. Looking up, he judged the
height to the top of the structure.
"Can you make that jump?"
he asked.
Ma'Rou sat up on the pack without
answering. MacKencey could feel the Parr revving up for the leap; he barely had
time to brace before the fifteen pounds of armored cat pushed off his pack like
a spring. Ma'Rou caught the edge of the structure with his back legs--his
armor's claws dug into the side--he then pushed off to land with a thump
somewhere on top.
"Okay, give me an ..."
MacKencey started to say, as Ma'Rou's scream of terror flooded the comm.
To be continued...
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