Shenanigans
Episode # 1 Cowowls in Space - The next adventure - The Horkerprize -D floats in spacedock at Owldock 5, waiting for orders. Meanwhile, the new captain and first officer float upwards toward a docking bay in a newly modified shuttle, flown by chief engineer Tinkerowl.
(Captain Bonnie and Commander Clyde resigned and are back on Earth teaching owlets at Owl Fleet Academy after the danger in space left one their owlets, Jesse, at the Rainbow Bridge.)
The ship's computer has been thoroughly replaced by a Vulcowl team of shiprights from Owl Fleet and given an all clear by the higher ups. (The last computer system had to be scrapped after it had been sabotaged and caused many problems and heartaches on board.)
Tinkerowl gives them and outside tour of the ship before he takes it inside the large landing bay. The shuttle lands softly on the pad, and the ritual of the captain arriving takes place with a whistle and a salute. The crew is standing on either side of an owl - made path at attention. Roy and Dale walk along it, taking everything in as they go. Commander Beakus, helm officer and highest ranking owl snaps a salute. "Welcome aboard, Captain Roy, Commander Dale." He gives them a beaky smile and leads them to the deeterlift.
Episode # 2 of Cowowls in Space - Take 'er out
Captain Dale and Commander Roy pop onto the bridge after a short tour of the enormous ship, wanting to get it out into space as soon as possible. It affected the crew as well, an almost tangible feeling of "Git Er Done". Captain Roy gave the undocking instructions and pointed his right wing tip towards the main view screen. "Okey dokey helmsman, let's mosey on out!" He got a really strange look from the bridge crew and grinned sheepishly. "Never mind, just a owlet fantasy I had when I was barely out of my egg. Take her out, Commander." "Aye captain - heading?" "The Rockaroid system. Owl Fleet has received some strange data indicating some kind of rodenty life forms, even though the planets shouldn't be able to support life." "Oooh, nummers!" Squeaked the engineering tech. Then she puffed up in embarassment. The ensign next to her kicked her under the console and she hissed at him and stuck out her tongue.
Episode # 3 of Cowowls in Space - Rat speed.
The captain turned to the commotion at the back of the bridge and gave the feuding owlets a stern glance. Both clammed up immmediately. There was a snort from Commander Dale standing behind the captain's perch. Then she remarked: "Of course it would be advantagious if we could find some tasty rodentia there, so Ensign Chirpy does have a point."
Chirpy gave the ensign beside her a snooty look. He glared but kept his beak shut. The ship leapt into warp smoothly and both turned back to thier stations.
Dale asked: "How long til we get there captain?" "4 hours." He said.
The remainder of the time was spent getting aquainted with the bridge controls. Dale trotted over and went to the science station, taking over from a leutenant who had waitedfor her. The deeterlift doors then opened and out. More tomorrow...
Episode #4 of Cowowls in Space - Crochety
Captain Roy turned at the sound of the deeterlift doors opening. A grizzled looking old owl gave him a salute. "Hello, captain, I'm commander HootHoy, the chief medical officer." Roy gave him a beaky grin.
"Pleased to meet you, commander." HootHoy said, "If you have a few moments, I'd like to give you your preliminary check-up."
Roy snorted. Commander Dale gave a chirpy giggle. HootHoy turned to her and said, "One for you too, commander, as you are new on board too.."
She sighed and it was Roy's turn to laugh. "Very well, Doctor. Beakus, take the conn, this shouldn't take long." "Aye sir, said Beakus, taking the captain's perch.
They both went with HootHoy into the deeterlift, chatting up the old bird, who kept muttering something derogatory about not being able to take the stairs and technology spoiling the young owls. They popped out into horkbay, a large, roomy and pleasantly colored section of the ship. The head nurse introduced herself and after the old owl muttered something about paperwork and went to his office, they asked her if he was "always like that."
Episode #5 of Cowowls in Space -
The head nurse, who introduced herself as Cheeryowl, explained HootHoy's
behavior. "He's a testy old owl, but he's the best in Owl Fleet. You'll get
used to each other, I'm sure." "I'm not sure I like his attitude
about machines, though." Roy said. "Oh, he knows his tech, he
just likes to carp about it." The physicals went through without
a hitch and they were back on their way to the bridge when the
Captain's comm, pinned to his breast feathers, beeped. He
touched it with a talon. "Roy here." "Captain, one of the
maintenace owls has discovered a nest of megadribbles in one
of the nacelles!" "What?? Roy screeched. "Why hasn't it been
detected before? What are they doing down there, polishing
electrodes? I'll be right there!" He and Dale hopped and flapped
towards the lift as fast as they could go, startled crew owls
jumping out of the way.
Episode #6 Of Cowowls in Space -
Mega troubles. In the mad dash for engineering, captain Roy & commander Dale
come close to causing pandemonium among owls in the hallways. An
unfortunate yoeman carrying a large package of crystal goblets
for the welcoming banquet in 10 - Horkward was swept off his
talons and there was the terrible sound of breakage and an
outraged squawk as they bolted for the deeterlift. "Sorry,
yoeman" yelled the captain. The lift opened and they clambered
into it. Luckily it was empty. Roy said "Engineering." The lift
took them there without a sound, and they launched
themselves out of the doorway and onto the main floor of the
department, looking for Tinkerowl. "Here, captain" he said.
They went to the nacelle opening, seeing a large blotch 3/4 of
the way in, growing visibly. "I've shut down the hork drive and
isolated the nacelle as best I can, captain, but this thing is
chewing through the force field I put up, and if we can't kill it in
30 minutes it will get through it and start to eat the rest of the
ship."
Episode #7 of Cowowls in Space: Growing dilemma.
Captain Roy gritted his beak and said "There is one way, but it's been
frowned upon by Owl Fleet." Tinkerowl blinked. "Why, sir?"
"It involves owl blood." Tinkerowl's eyes widened in dismay and
his feathers puffed up. The captain squared his shoulders.
"Mine." He said. "I don't understand, sir." Dale chirped
unhappily. She knew what was needed and wasn't that keen on
the whole thing, but she knew it was the only way. "I'll need a
laser spanner." Tinkerowl grabbed a new one off the equipment
console. "All right, turn off the forcefield, I'm going in." The
chief flinched, but Roy barked - "That's an order, commander."
"Yes, sir." He went to the controls and switched off the field.
Roy wiggled into the crawlspace towards the megadribble
patch, watching them bubble & hiss and multiply. He got a
queasy feeling but steeled himself for what he had to do.
Episode #8 of Cowowls in Space - Surprise.
As captain Roy got to the patch of dribbles, Dale started to huff and puff.
Tinkerowl pulled his eyes away from his new captain to watch her.
"Ma'am? He asked. "Are you all right?" Dale had a strange look
on her face. "I'm OK," she said, leaning against the railing.
He moved closer to her, ready to give assistance. Meanwhile
captain Roy stopped over the bubbling patch. He carefully made
a small hole in his foot with the laser, wincing a bit. Depositing
the results onto the patch, he watched carefully for a sign.
There was a strange wheeze and a sharp whistle in the air and
the patch began to turn gray and dry up. He waited for it to all
shrivel, and he nodded, satisfied - then realized he had wriggled
in the tube and couldn't back out again without seriously
messing up his plumage. He let out a frustrated snort and tried
to make the best of it. Meanwhile, Dale sat down on the deck,
then lo and behold, out popped her first egg. Tinkerowl wasted
no time and called horkbay to come get mum & egg moved to
the ship's nursery safely. Dale sighed happily. Just as the
engineer congratulated her, there was a "zot" sound and the
smell of burning feathers. They both turned and saw Roy's tail
end, frazzled and bent, starting to come out of the hole. He
came out looking like someone had thrown him in a dryer and
then hit him with a burning tennis racket. "What are you staring
at?" He said testily and the grinning pair.
Episode #9 Of Cowowls in Space - Egggsplanation.
Dale puffed up and said - "Roy, dear, we have an egg." Roy's face
went from singed irritation to joy. He chirped, sending small burnt
bits of face plumage crinkling to the deck. "Can I see it?" Dale
delicately lifted herself and both male owls looked fascinatedly
at the small, white, perfect thing she'd been protecting. just
then the team from horkbay came in and helped her onto a
small portable brood patch and took her and her egg to the
nursery. "I love you, Dale, and I'll be with you in a bit." He
shook himself and more bits came off. "How do you work in
that thing?" He asked Tinkerowl. "There are special suits, sir,
but you seemed in a bit of a hurry." "Yes, well, I had to get that
thing taken care of." Tinkerowl's expression said he didn't
understand. "Only a few owls can destroy megadribbles - it has
to do with genetics. When some nutty owl cooked them up in a
lab, he made them very hard to kill. They got out and ruined an
entire base on a remote moon. The owl who created them got
away and was captured by Owl Fleet sometime later. Turned
out only he and others genetically like him could cure it. He
planned on taking over the galaxy with them." Tinkerowl stared.
"But that means..." "Yes, I'm one of his descendants." "Now it's
time for me to ask you, how did you know that was a
megadribble patch?" "I loved science books when I was an
owlet, and I read up on different viruses. This was one of the
obscure ones, but I remembered it very clearly." "Good
thinking, commander, Roy said proudly. He slapped the
engineer on the back, sending more bits flying.
More tomorrow
Episode #10 of Cowowls in Space - Dribble watch. Captain Roy cautioned engineer Tinkerowl before heading off to the nursery. "If you see anymore megadribbles, let me know immediately." "Aye, Captain." Roy hurried off towards the nursery, sending a message to all personnel about what happened and what to watch out for. He hopped out of the deeterlift, the crew staring at the burnt, fuzzy, beaked basketball boinging towards the nursery. He pressed the button to open the door and was greeted by a beaming, sleepy Dale, snuggled over her new egg. After making sure everything was all right and his wife was well taken care of, he smooched her and went back to the bridge. On the bridge, they went into orbit around the possible rodenty planet. Captain Roy ordered the science owl to put together an away team to scout for possible dinner. The grungy old Dr. HootHoy insisted on going, and the bunch of 5 owls wound up on the transporter pad. More tomorrow ======================================= Episode #11 of Cowowls in Space - Revenge of the Rodents. The five owls materialize in an open field. They get out thier owlcorders and begin scanning. All are armed with thier own phazerhorkers, out just in case. Captain Roy is on the bridge, keeping track of the landing party. Commander Beakus leads, and Lt. Skowl, the acting science officer, records all the data coming in. "Sir, there's a large amount of rodentry a half kilometer that way - coming this way!" One of the security owls pointed a wing. "Can you tell how many?" Asked Beakus. The owl frowned. "It's...like a blob, sir, I can see individuals for a second, then it congeals up again." "All right, let's form up - phazerhorkers on maximum stun until I signal otherwise." They waited. 20 minutes later, a large, dark gray area moved within eyeshot, and a nasty buzzing, squeaking noise became louder. One of the security owls cringed then, and the other owls followed suit as the noise reached a painful level. Meanwhile, on the bridge, a high pitched, painful squeal replaced the clear channel to the landing party. The communications owl flinched and then slumped onto the floor. More soon ;) |
