Proxy becomes a Stranded Babysitter pt 1

Proxy surveyed the screen on their ship dashboard. The space around them was clear, no signs of asteroids or other debris. Excellent. That meant they could relax for a bit. They pressed the button for autopilot and exited the cockpit, looking out one of the windows on the way out. 

Last month, Moonbeam, the owner of Port Borealis, and pretty much a Spacecat authority figure, had asked those near kits station to help map out a newly discovered section of the galaxy. The goal was to discover any new possible life-forms living on new planets, and if possible, prep the planets for Space and Soda Planet exploration. Very useful, considering the growing amount of cats around Port Borealis. 

Proxy hadn’t hesitated to offer to help. Melody city was safe at the moment, and the citizens were preparing for the holidays. That meant lots of crowds and noise. Proxy was not a fan of that. So an opportunity to get away from it seemed like a great idea. 

So far, the mission was going smoothly. No new planets seen yet, but also nothing potentially threatening. Moonbeam had told all the volunteers that the mission would take around five days, and this was just day one. Proxy was prepared for any dangers that could come their way. 

Of course, it was a bit lonely. Proxy’s girlfriend, Ocha, had offered to come with them, but they told her no. Someone had to stay near the city in case of anything, plus Ika needed to be watched. Their adoptive kid was super excited for Christmas and loved the snow, but her clumsy nature made her prone to accidents outside. Either way, this was easier with one cat anyway. No interruptions and no personal space being pushed. Pretty sweet.

Upon entering the main room of the Borealis ship, Proxy headed to the food compartment. They had made sure to pack their favorite snacks for this trip, especially since Ocha wasn’t there to bug them about eating too many. Opening the compartment, they soon found their treasure: mint chocolate asteroids.

Proxy reached to grab a bag when they heard a strange noise. Grumbling a little, they closed the compartment and headed to where they thought they heard the sound. It was coming from a box near the exit hatch. Upon coming closer, Proxy noticed it was…moving a little bit. Had an animal snuck onto the ship before liftoff? They put a paw on the box to open it.

At that moment, a pink blur shot out of the box, knocking Proxy to the ground. Dazed, they got to their legs again and looked around. Intruder? Threat? ENEMY? They quickly got into a defensive stance and glared around the room.

“Whoever that was, show yourself immediately! I will not hesitate to immobilize you if needed!”

Proxy then heard a sound on the ceiling. Upon looking up, they spotted a small pink Spacecat clinging to one of the pipes. She looked vaguely familiar, but they couldn’t pinpoint exactly from that height. What was she doing here? How did she get up there?

The pink cat noticed the green cat staring at her and leapt down to the ship floor. She was surprisingly nimble. She then approached Proxy, a surprised look on her face. 

“Oh! Oh, hello! I didn’t know this was your ship! Well, since I’m on it too, could I take a turn at steering it? Not gonna lie, it’s kinda dingy though. Don’t you clean it?” 

Proxy stared down at her with a stone-cold glare. “It’s not my ship, it belongs to Port Borealis. I’m simply borrowing it for a solo mission. Oh yeah, SOLO. What in stars’ name are you doing here?! Who are you?!” 

“Woah, dude! No need to get snappy!” The pink Spacecat took a dramatic step back. “I was just wandering around the port when I saw the ship hatch open! Thought I’d take a peek inside! Maybe take it for a spin! But then you got on it and closed the door! So honestly, this is your fault.”

“...I’m sorry?”

“Uh. Anyways. I’m Rebel! Resident troublemaker and bestie! I think I saw you at Syrup Park a while ago. What was your name again? Propane? Petrel?” 

The audacity of this little shit… “It’s Proxy. Yeah I remember you. You were that brat cutting in line. Seems like you haven’t learned your lesson since then. Now I have to turn around and bring you back to the Port. Wonderful.” 

“Hey, hang on!!! You don’t have to bring me back! I could help you! I’m super useful! C’monnnnnn, gimme a chance!” Rebel then proceeded to stare at Proxy with big, sad, dramatic eyes. It was honestly kind of unnerving. 

Proxy frowned and walked back towards the cockpit. “Don’t do that. Just stay there, and don’t touch anything. I’ll make sure you get back before your bedtime.” 

“Woooow, way to assume I have a bedtime. I’m waaaaay too mature for that crap. But fiiiiiiiine, I won’t move a muscle. Boohoo.” With that, Rebel loudly flopped on the floor with a groan. She made a big deal of staying still for a minute, even holding her breath. Then she simply laid on the ground. 

Proxy let out a long sigh. What an inconvenience. How much time would they waste bringing this kid back home? What would Moonbeam think of this situation? Would she be upset that they let someone sneak on a private ship? Oh gosh…

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Proxy’s train of thought was interrupted by a loud blaring coming from the dashboard of the cockpit. Rushing over, they quickly located the problem: the ship’s fuel tank was at 1% capacity. 

HOW?! I made sure the ship was full before I launched! There’s no ports nearby to land at, much less a place to refuel! WHAT DO I DO!?!?

“Hey what the heck is going on here? What’s with the noise? Need me to hit something?” Rebel ran into the cockpit. Proxy, already overwhelmed, did not have the patience for this and ended up snapping at the pink cat.

“CAN YOU SHUT UP FOR FIVE SECONDS?! I'M TRYING TO FIX SOMETHING! LEAVE ME ALONE!” It was very rare for Proxy to yell. They didn’t like to. But the noise and stress made them lose control of their emotions. Rebel shrunk back, not exaggerating this time. She looked visibly scared by Proxy’s outburst. 

Oh, shit. I think I actually upset her. 

No matter how annoyed Proxy was at Rebel, it wasn’t right of them to yell at her like that. They took a breath and looked at the younger cat calmly.
“I…I’m sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. I’m just stressed. Your sudden appearance and the ship’s low fuel made me lose my temper. Just please stay still while I try to figure this out. We’ll talk later.”

Rebel simply nodded and sat down. Proxy turned back around to investigate the fuel problem. But when they looked at the screen again, they were met with a bad sight. 

[Warning: Fuel Tank Capacity Zero Percent. Initiating Emergency Landing At Nearest Landmass. Prepare For Impact.]

Oh shit…

“Rebel, get down low NOW!”

“Wh-What?!”

“Just listen to me! We’re gonna crash any-”

The ship suddenly dipped down headfirst. Proxy and Rebel yelped as they were thrown against the walls of the cockpit. Then everything went dark. 

~~~

…What on Earth happened?

Proxy slowly opened their eyes. They felt sore, but nothing seemed broken. That was good at least. They stood up and looked around the ship. The cockpit was in ruins. Electrical bits were strewn everywhere, and all the screens were pitch-black. That was not good. 

Wait…where was Rebel?! The small pink cat was nowhere to be found. Proxy ran into the main area of the ship. Nothing. But…the door was open. Proxy could see what seemed to be a snowscape outside. It sure felt like snow with the cold coming in. But there was nowhere else to go. 

Keeping their cape close to them, Proxy headed outside. Just outside of the ship was Rebel, seemingly investigating the damage of the ship. She noticed Proxy approaching and turned to look at them.

“Uh…this doesn’t look great. But at least we landed somewhere safe..ish? What should we do now?”

“Yeah no shit it doesn’t look great. But it’s not over yet. I need to find supplies to keep ourselves safe. And since you’re still here, you’re gonna help me.”

Rebel then grinned. “You got it, boss! You word is my command!”

Proxy sighed. “Ok, ok. Let’s just get moving.”

With that, the unlikely duo set out into the snowy landscape.