SG: Innocent Bystander #7 -- Origins 2/2

[Whitney Taylor]

Part 2/2


*****


"You can take off the blindfold, nnnow."


Mina pulled the strip of bandages off her face. Before her stood a tabby cat in a headscarf. She shut her eyes, opened them. The cat's silver-green eyes blinked solicitously under the matching scarf. Why not, Mina thought, they can wear any other kind of clothes they like. She was the first one Mina had seen in a dress, though, and she had longer whiskers.


"My nname," said the tabby, "Is Inayya. Please help me with this ramp."


The catgirls had brought an uncharacteristically inconspicuous van, parked it a safe distance from the scene of battle, and filled it with their wounded when the conflict was done. Mina had been put in next to Maow's cot, while another pair of cats, one black and one white, both bloodied and bandaged, snarled and swatted lethargically at each other in half-anesthetized stupor on the van's floor. Inayya gazed at them disapprovingly, pulled out a bottle and began to spray. "Behave!"


As the pair rolled apart, yowling in protest, Mina stepped delicately past them and into the Social Justice Warrior Cats' secret base. She was in a large space that looked like some kind of indoor loading platform, with mysterious equipment and scrap metal stacked against the walls. There were strange marks on the floor and ceiling and walls, and many of the fluorescent lights were out.. A large garage door stood open at the other end. Beyond, she saw a concrete parking lot beginning to succumb to weeds.


"The otherrs will be here soon, unless they are challenged on the way. Here." Inayya showed her where to grab and pull, and the ramp clattered to the ground. Mina stood back as the tabby pulled both the other conscious cats out of the van, helping them over to a bench where they leaned against each other woozily; but when she returned to check on Maow, the human was already by her side.


"Is she gonna be all right? When will she wake up? Should she be in a hospital? Does she need surgery? Oh, Elvis, you don't need me to help with THAT, do you?"


Inayya placed a furry hand on the babbling human's shoulder. "We heal fast. And I would not trust clumsy human hands innn my surgery. You will help to mmove this cot, instead. You two! Stop it, orrr I will give you sshots until you sleep it off."


As they rolled Maow out of the van, Mina focused her tired brain on someone who was in even more direct peril: herself. Inayya guided them towards a door, presumably leading deeper into whatever complex this was. Wasn't it better to see as little as possible in situations like this? "Um...  What am I doing here? Am I a prisoner?"


The feline eyes slanted back at her sardonically, a claw tugging at her scarf. "Afraid of lllosing your head?"


"N-No!" Mina blurted. "I mean... it's not like that. I'm... a little afraid of being eaten, actually."


"They do not eat such as you. Yoou are too clearly an innocent. I do nnot eat humans at all--it is not halal--nor does this one," she rested a hand on Maow's leg, "if you wwere wondering."


"Um. Halal?"


"Yes. I choose to follow the dictates of a human religion. Be onnnne of you, for a day a week. For the sake of unnnderstanding, to start, but I nnow have the greatest mastery over animal instinct of any of my sisters."


"They tried to kill each other."


"Mmind control, I understand? This can happen to anyone."


Mina shivered. "So I've heard. What about the people who were... more fully brainwashed? Can they go back to normal?"


"Mmmmm." Inayya mmmmm'ed. "Without reinforrrcement, they may break control."


"Oh," Mina sighed, relieved.


"Orrr," the feline continued, contemplating, "the pack instinnct may hold them to their purpose until their missstress returns to reclaim them. A weakness in youur kind, if you'll parrdon the observation."


"Can't you--anyone--do something?!"


Thoughtfully: "We cannnot take them without killing or dying. They will need supplies--we might take the ones whho leave? But we cats are unsuited to be jailors. If we obtain a mmmind control device of our own, we might overwhelm theirr conditioning quickly. If. Nnno, they must be left to their own devices for now."


They were deep into the corridors now, dim and cluttered. There had once been offices here. As they passed an open door, Mina caught a glimpse of a room filled with torn papers and clawed wood. There were stains on the paper... blood?


"You never said if *I* was a prisoner or not."


"Would you walk away if I said no? You have not tried to escape."


"Well, you did come to save me. And Maow-- your people got injured... I told Minyang I would help her find something. I threw it off a bridge, though. I don't even know if it's still there." Mina chewed on her lip. "Does she...?"


"Eat sentients?" Inayya paused thoughtfully. "She tries to control that instinct now. I would nnnot allow it, in any case. I believe yoou honest, and Maow is quite fond of you. Yoouu will be released, with proper precautionns."


Mina fell silent as they walked the halls. The torn remains of a wall chart showed some kind of graph, with unintelligible scientific terms on it. She would have asked what this place had been, but she didn't quite dare. Soon they passed through a set of double doors into a cleaner area; an infirmary of sorts, Mina guessed, although she couldn't identify the equipment.


"You needn't stay for this if you'rrre squeamish," said Inayya, unwrapping her headscarf. She pulled a surgical mask out of a drawer, customized to fit her cat ears. "Don't wander too far. We aren't alone herre."


Mina didn't want to distract her. "I'll just... be outside." Inayya, already snipping Maow's bandages away, only nodded.


Outside the infirmary, Mina examined her surroundings more closely. The walls had been painted over, but she could see more burn marks underneath. There were scratches, too, and what might have been bullet holes.


There had been fighting here...


A glass window in a nearby door glowed invitingly with indirect daylight. I won't go far. Mina walked quietly over, trying not to feel like she was creeping. Turning the knob, she pushed the door open.


The room was stacked with cushions, scattered with... styrofoam packing peanuts? Atop this sumptuous mound, lit by a direct beam of sunlight, a sand-colored cat sprawled naked in an eye-watering contortion of a humanoid frame, her spine bent almost double, one leg lifted high. At the sound of the door opening, she paused in her anatomically unlikely ablutions to stare blank suspicion at Mina.


"Sorry!" the latter blurted, closing the door. She sank against the wall, hands over her mouth, her whole frame shaking with hysterical giggles. When she had regained some mastery of herself, she peeped through the window. The catgirl's tongue was between her toes, oblivious, as if she had never been interrupted. Mina took another few minutes to compose herself, wiping away tears of mirth, trying to tell herself it wasn't THAT funny, and she was being rude besides.


Her breath caught, she realized that she was quite hungry. She slipped her backpack off, digging blindly in the side pocket. Had she always kept so many pointy objects in here? Eventually, her excavations produced an energy bar. Disposing of this made her thirsty, but she had neglected to pack a drink.


There were usually water fountains in places like this, weren't there? She didn't know if she wanted the water here, though. What if that was what turned you into a catgirl? She had no idea where they came from. For some reason, it had seemed rude to ask. She didn't know how many there were, either. Obviously more than she had seen, despite the quiet. Regular cats slept during the day. Maybe humanoid cats did too, some of them.


Standing up, she glanced back and forth. There had to be a break room somewhere around here... maybe it had an unlooted vending machine? She slipped her pack back on and trotted off. She wouldn't go too far... up to that corner. She peeped through windows as she went. Here was what had once been a meeting room; now its whiteboards and walls alike were covered with scrawls and diagrams. Mina couldn't understand a scribble of it and for a brief instant wished her college had offered a major in Science. Next door, bathrooms. No windows there, so she opened the door a crack before stepping in. It was surprisingly clean here.


At least they don't have a bathroom full of kitty litter.


The giggles threatened to overcome her again, and she stepped backwards, letting the door close and falling against the opposite wall. Unfortunately for Mina, it was not a wall, but another door, and it swung open as she fell against it.


This room was some kind of dressing room, she noted as she rubbed her bruised behind. Coat pegs along one wall. Very clean. The only furniture was a stand holding... hazmat suits? Intact ones. But she was here for water and there was none to be seen, she reminded herself, trying to quash curiosity. Nothing here but some suits and a double set of glass doors, like an airlock...


The room beyond the doors was not brightly lit, but enough to make out tubes and glass tanks and all sorts of mystery equipment associated with an arcane manifestation of Science. Mina tried to get her face as close to the glass as she could without leaving a nose print. There were rows upon rows of the tanks... most were broken, but one... one--


"Sssssooo."


Mina froze. The voice had come from so very close behind her, the breath warm on her neck. She didn't want to turn, but she had to...


The absence of her armor--or any other covering--did not lessen the menace of Minyang, her size doubled by puffed out fur. Her ears, flattened, were near invisible. The single dilated predator's eye awakened all kinds of unpleasant atavistic memories in the human's brain.


The door felt very solid against her back, despite its transparency. No escape. "I'm sorry! I--I was--"


"You lure my sister with scennnnnnnt and scrrrratchings. She trrrrusts, foolishly--she comes to yourrrrr aid--she suffers, is wwwwounded, to brrrrring you herrrrre--so yyyyyou cannnnnn steal our secrrrrrets, steal ourrrrrr KITTENS!" The last, a screech.


"I didn't! I wasn't--I'd never!"


"Khhhhssssssssssssssssskkk...." The close-up of Minyang's fangs was a nightmare almost as bad as her rotting-meat breath. If only she was as fastidious with her dental hygiene... the memory of the sand colored catgirls' toilette returned, along with the fatal giggles. Mina ducked her head, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "Something funnnnnnny, humannnnn?" Mina covered her traitorous mouth with her hands, tears flowing down her cheeks.


I'm about to die for the dumbest reasons...


"Back!" The word was accompanied by a yowling counterpoint from Minyang. She had raised a claw to strike, but now flung herself to the side, trying to avoid the stream of water spraying from Inayya's Super soaker. She rolled away, leaping back to her feet to face Inayya as the stream tapered off.


"Sssssshe laughs at us!"


Inayya glanced at Mina, who sat on the floor  trying to catch her breath. "So I see. I thinnk it is some kind of trrrauma response."


Mina wiped her face. "I... hehe... I'm fine actually..."


Minyang looked at the human suspiciously, whiskers quivering. She pushed Mina against the glass of the door, sniffing. The girl gasped as she felt a rough tongue across her wet cheek, then Minyang gave a huff and stood back up, pointedly crossing to the other side of the room and turning her back.


Inayya stepped forward to help Mina up, her claws politely sheathed. "You knnnow something of what we arre now. And?"


Mina stared through the door at the little kitten growing in the one functional tank. It was cute. "I kinda hoped you were aliens..." looking back, she caught a glimpse of Minyang's fangs, "Only because I wanted to see a spaceship! It's not any of my business. Really. I'm sorry I wandered off, I just... really didn't want to be bored just then."


"Sssso you sssssay. And whhhhhen Maow wakesss, whhhhhat will you do? Ssspurrrnnnn her? Bigoted huuummmans!"


Mina stopped paying attention to the angry spitting, having been reminded of more important things. "Maow! Is she-- will she--?" Inayya nodded. With one less worry, Mina turned back to Minyang. "I'm not going to hook up with your sister just because you threaten me, okay? I like her but we have some pretty big differences of opinion about whether it's okay to brainwash and murder people. Just because she's graceful and sweet and has beautiful silky fur which I thought would be weird but it's actually really nice--and thinks I smell good, which no one else has ever told me--it doesn't mean all the stuff you people are trying to do--ugh! Never mind. I really don't care where you come from, and that's all." She folded her arms, daring the damp catgirl to take issue.


Inayya spoke first. "Wwe wish to influence humanity for ourr own ends, yess--"


Minyang pawed at the glass door, staring past it at the tiny figure growing in the unbroken tank. "Ourrrrr kittennnnnnnnnnnns will nnneverr be safe whhhile your kinnnnd are lllllllllike this. Grrrrrrrrreedy, vicious, rrrrracist all the time for nnnnno reasonnnn, overrrrpowerrrred, nnnnnnnnearly destrrrrroying the entirrrrre wwwwworld everrry year or two--"


"That was just back in the 90's!"


"Only the evennnts we know of," put in Inayya, "And they did leave their marrks, did they not?" Mina looked down. "There are morrre super-powered humans than everrr before... but humannn nature has nnot adapted. A nnnew Genocide War could happen at any time. The danger is to you as well as usss."


"I... get it. I really do. Humans aren't so great. But brainwashing people... what if someone decided catgirls were too dangerous, and had to be brainwashed? Or worse?"


"Innnn that case, they wwwwwwould be wrrrrong. Whhherrrreas, wwwwe are innnn the right."


"What kind of argument is that? They'll just say the same thing, and humans way outnumber you! If you try to force the main population--"


"I don't care for forrrce and bloodshed. The device is an alternative."


The human opened her mouth to respond, but Inayya lifted her hand. "We do not have to come to an agreement herrre and now. Know, however, that we will defend our owwwn whatever comes. For now there is food for you, and water."


"...that would be great actually..."


"Annnnd then, you wwwill do as prrrromised. Commmmplete ourrrr device!"


*****


Several hours later...


"I did warn you."


Minyang pointed a claw at her. "Prrrretend to be disappoinnnnnted, or I will marrrrrk you."


Mina ducked her head. "I'm really sorry the Belles got the location of the missing part from my mind and got hold of it before you did. It makes me so sad that neither of you can carry out your incompatible evil plans."


"Yyyou think we don't underrrrrstand sarcasmmmm, human?" Her gaze grew distant for a moment, and she lowered her hand. "You're verrrry lucky. Every time it seemmmmms you have prrrrrovoked me sufficiennnnntly to earn biting, the face of mmmmy foolish sister Maow appearrrrs before me."


Mina flushed, distraught for real this time. "Is that why you're only threatening to maim me now? Maybe you don't have to worry. I don't have the thing you've been looking for any more. That's why she was following me around, right?"


This time Minyang did cuff her on the back of the head, but lightly, without claws. "Idiot, nnnnnnnoseblind human fool!"


"Cannnnn we go now? Cold. Want a prrrrrrroper bath." The hairless catgirl who had been tapped for the unfruitful diving job shivered theatrically in the Florida heat. She had already divested herself of her gear with maximal complaining.


"Yes, can we? She needs sunblock and probably a tetanus shot."


"Ffffoul lotions!"


"Sssssshots?!?"


"Okay, pretend I never said anything!"


She heard about it the whole way back anyway. Even with the blindfold on, Minyang's driving seemed excruciatingly slow and careful. And when the hairless catgirl stepped out of the van, the first one to greet her was Inayya, dropping from the rafters with a hypodermic needle.


"Antibiotics," she explained to Mina as she stepped back, clearing the way for a horrified Minyang to comfort her squalling comrade. "Yyou should have seen what I had to do to give them their rrrabies shots. Did you meet with success?"


Mina shook her head, which made her realize that her mouth was open.


"Nnnno matter. We must sourrce it elsewhere."


"Can you just not?"


Inayya purred contemplatively. After a moment she said, "I can take you home, now. Orr you may see Maow. I will not force you."


Mina hopped out of the car. "If she's awake... yes, I want to see her."


"Then followw." She turned on her heel, nimbly dodging a half-hearted swipe from the hairless catgirl she had assaulted so heartlessly.


*****


They found her sitting by a window in what had once been an office, being licked on her uninjured arm by the same sand colored catgirl Mina had encountered earlier. Mina almost burst into an ill mannered protest, remembering where that tongue had been, but was luckily forestalled by another bout of hysterical giggles. Maow and the other catgirl looked up, startled.


Inayya sighed. "Nyaara, out." When the other catgirl had scampered away, she closed the door, leaving Mina and Maow alone.


"Are...ha... you all right?"


"Mmmmaybe I shhhhould ask yyyou that."


Mina rubbed at her eyes. "I... think so. Those women did something to my head. And I met... well, it's just been a very strange day."


Maow reached to scratch her bandaged wound, then restrained herself with visible effort. She stared out the window at the twilight. "Ssssit? Please." Mina sank down on the couch next to her, close, not quite touching.


They sat in silence for a moment, Maow looking out the window, Mina watching her lovely face and thinking about how nice it would feel to caress the fur right underneath her jawline. "I don't have that item anymore," she said reluctantly, "The people who took me found out where it was. I didn't want to tell them, but... they were telepaths. I--I don't stand up too well against real superguys..."


"I wwwwwwwilll. Eat their eyes."


"Inayya said you didn't do that."


She growled sullenly. "Mmmake an exception." Her eyes shifted to meet Mina's. "Yyyou know, now. Aaabout us."


"What?" The girl responded, confused by the change in subject. "Oh... you mean this place. I don't really know a lot. You grow kittens in tanks. I guess you were genetically engineered as soldiers. Then something happened to the people who made you... they were attacked... or was it you, rebelling...? I'm sure you had good reason, though!"


"Nnnnnot soldiers. Wwwwas us. Wwwe did." Her tail began to twitch. "We arrre not nnnnatural. We wwwwill not aaapologize for this."


"Oh, that doesn't matter. Lots of good people have been grown in jars and made by science experiments and things."


"Yyyou don't knnnnow aaaall the details..."


Maow's voice trailed away. In her uncertainty, she seemed much less unflappable feline and more vulnerable human. Impulsively, Mina grabbed her hand, running a thumb over fur. "I don't care! Unless you do...?"


Maow had begun purring slightly, and at this, closed her eyes halfway. "Howwww dare we be crrreated? Such aaaabominations, wwwe should spend all our daaays apologizing for ourrr existence, and certainly nnnnever seek to haaave kittens of ouuurr own?" Her lips parted a little in a sharp toothed smile. "That kind of aaannngst. Is for humans."


"Good," said Mina firmly, "There are so many better reasons in the world to angst. It's never mattered to me that you're part cat. You keep being there when I need you, although... I gave up my only secret. You don't have to keep helping me. I don't have anything left to give you. I don't even know what food you like..."


Maow put her hand up against Mina's lips, the tips of her fingers cat-pad tough. "Like yooou. Not to eat, though! You'rrrre the best human I've met. Dull and clummmmsy and mmmmisguided, but less so. A mouse who stannnds her ground. And kind."


"And you're clever and graceful and badass and gorgeous and all kinds of things I wish I could be. Kinda out of my league, except, well... It's more the murder... and brainwashing... aspect... and following me around gets kinda creepy if you wanna know the truth!"


"If I donnnn't follow... how can I finnnd you?"


"Use a phone like a normal person! Exchanging phone numbers is an important part of human relationships, you know!"


"Thennnn... mmmmaay I have your nummmmmber, please???" Maow produced a pen from the couch cushions, preparing to write on her sling.


Mina opened her mouth to do so, but paused, considering. Was she moving too fast, still?  "You have to promise me some things first."


"Thinnnnnnnngs?"


"I don't like your plans for changing the human race, but I don't think I can talk you out of them right now... Actually I think you could take showers instead--" Maow hissed in shock. "Or at least try? Just once? If it's that bad, you can go back to licking yourself. You're not near as bad as Minyang but you should still brush your teeth afterwards. And quit trying to follow me into the bathroom, I'm really not into that! Also in case you were thinking of it, you can't leave disemboweled criminals on my doorstep... that will attract police. Oh, and you have to take all your shots."


"Mmmmmiiiinnnnaaaaaaaaa!"


"There's raccoons and things all over! I don't want you to get rabies... especially not if you're going to give it to me. What else... oh yeah, if you have a hairball it can't go in the sink..."


"If Iiii have to do all this you hhhaaave to leave your doorrrr open so I can get innnn."


"Are you kidding? ANYONE could get in!"


"Mmmmmm... window, thennnn."


"Mosquitoes exist, Maow. How about you use the phone for a little, like a normal person, and maybe I'll give you a key."


"But I wonnnn't have shots unless yooouu promise nnnnever to touch my stomach..."


 "Then you can't roll over and show it to me."


"Opprrrrrrrressive!"


And on, into the night, the negotiations went.


*****


"May I help you?"


Simone's back was straight, her smile polished perfect. The middle aged woman standing before the counter was unextravagantly, if professionally, dressed, the plain blue skirt and blouse not quite tailored to her unfashionably plump frame. Her face might have been somewhat pretty if it were a little less tired. With those looks, she was either a clueless normal in the wrong place or a serious customer indeed. She had not paused to gawk as she bustled her way through the cafe, merely nodding curtly when she brushed against the table of Violent Violet and the Excessively Large Beetle and they fixed her with menacing glares. The woman moved as though she had business here, and that put Simone on full alert.


"Good afternoon. I believe my daughter works here. I'd like to speak with her as soon as possible, please."


*****


IS IT REALLY MINA'S MOTHER?


IS MINA IN TROUBLE?


IS MINA IN LOVE?


WHO CREATED ALL THESE CATGIRLS ONLY TO LET THEM RUN AROUND WREAKING HAVOC?


HOW MANY CATGIRLS ARE THERE, ANYWAY?

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