Pet Noir Read Online Free PDF Page B

floor, which I was glad to observe was covered with a thin layer of dull gray carpet. Stuff helps the static generators, I guess. For me, it’s for claws to grab onto. Can’t run on it, but at least I can stay on the floor.
    Or the walls. Or the ceiling. I wandered around the warehouse, getting used to the brain-twisting changes of perspective when I shifted my “ground” surface. Looked for mice behind the crates, but didn’t find any. Finally got bored with it and looked around for Devin.
    I couldn’t see him. There were stacks of crates everywhere, blocking my view. I had no idea where Devin’s console was, even which surface it was on. I was lost.
    I yowled.
    â€œLeon! Over here!”
    Devin’s voice echoed off the crates. I tried following it but couldn’t figure out which direction to go. I yowled some more until I heard him cussing, then stopped to listen to his approach. A thump off to my left told me he’d landed on my wall.
    â€œOK, Leon, where are you?”
    â€œYeow!” I said, proud that I’dremembered about not talking.
    Some thumping around followed, after which Devin appeared, head down from my perspective, peering at me from the top of a stack of crates. He hand-climbed along until he reached me, then scooped me up and pushed me against his chest. I grabbed on.
    â€œOw! Take it easy.”
    â€œMew,” I said, by way of apology.
    Devin reversed his position and shoved off, shooting us across the open center of the warehouse. I could see the control console off on the wall to our right. Devin caught himself against a stack of crates and shifted, pushing off toward the console. He grabbed it and swung his feet around to make that wall our floor again.
    â€œSee this light?” he said to me, pointing to a greenish spot that glared on the center of the console. “That’s how you can find your way back here. You should be able to see this from any part of the warehouse, and follow it back.”
    He detached me from his one-all and put me down again. I commenced a frustrating discussion, via cat-talk, of the various items necessary to my comfort. He figured it out pretty quick, and stuck a water bulb to the floor under the console for me to drink from. Food was going to be trickier, but fortunately I was still full of shrimp. There remained only one issue, one I made sure he knew was of pressing importance.
    â€œOh,” he said. “Uh—lemme think a minute.”
    Low-gee toilets are designed for species that are more or less human-sized. The solution Devin came up with was a bit precarious, but it worked. He stuck two strips of packing tape across the seat for me to hold onto. I must say, that vacuum is not very comfortable, but at least it does the job.
    â€œWe gotta figure out something else,” Devin said as he removed the tape after I’d finished. “You’d better go before we come down here, next time.”
    I shrugged and sat down to groom myself, but in low gee it’s problematic. The fur stays fluffed out and makes it hard to do a good job.
    I gave up and went underneath Devin’s console for a nap, curling up and hooking my claws into the carpet to keep from drifting. Devin returned to work at his cover job, scheduling and monitoring shipment arrivals and departures. Seemed like a boring job. I was glad it wasn’t mine.
    I woke up with his foot nudging me. He was whistling.
    â€œHey, you in charge here?” said a nasal voice.
    â€œYeah,” Devin said. “What do you need?”
    â€œMy cargo in bay 49 was supposed to go out to the Pits last week.”
    â€œLemme see … Nu-Delta transport 36-A. Had an unscheduled maintenance stop at Gorando. Should be here in a day or two.”
    Devin’s foot nudged me again. I stuck a claw into his toe to get him to stop. He made a little gulping noise, then covered it by coughing.
    I stood up and stretched, then walked up next to