While Agent Kay was busy with a debriefing based on everything he had learned about the temperamental Queen Catalyst on his helicopter flight back to Cheyenne Mountain, the queen herself was being lead on a tour of the facilities around the base.
"Why do you have a box with two doors on it, just sitting in the middle of this room?" Catalyst asked, pointing to the metallic box in question.
She had been lead through one of the breakrooms on the way to see Maria, Karol and Ricky, but had become sidetracked by nearly every oddity that had crossed her vision. One of which being the device she now stood in befuddlement of.
"That's a refrigerator." Lieutenant 'Olive' explained. "It keeps our food cold so it doesn't spoil as quickly."
As Queen Catalyst gave a renewed look that was a combination of disgust and intrigue at the refrigerator, Lieutenant Olive did his best to retain his composure. At first it had been funny- The alien having no idea what a sink or a sliding door was- but now it was becoming annoying.
"Is this related to the freezer?" Catalyst asked, pushing on the top of the refrigerator and nearly shoving it over.
"Hey-hey! Easy there!" Olive quickly blurted, pushing on the opposite end to prevent the food preserver from falling. It landed back on its side with a metallic thunk that made Olive wince from the imagined damage to it. "Let's just get you to some love, alright? No need to touch everything."
This distracted Catalyst from her examinations of Terran appliances as she directed a suspicious gaze towards Olive. "I had meant to ask about that before I was intrigued by all of..." She motioned to the refrigerator with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "That..."
Olive motioned towards the nearest door, directing the comparatively large queen on the right path again. "What do you mean?"
"How do Terrans harvest love? Do you keep them in chrysalis', cocoons...." She paused to turn around with a now wide eyed expression. "Do you use the Freezers?" She whispered conspiratorially.
Olive didn't know what Catalyst meant by keeping 'them' in cocoons, but he knew that the volunteer kids weren't frozen. "No, nothing like that. They have their own quarters here in the base where they live mostly normal lives while we get everything figured out." He explained while leading Catalyst through another concrete hallway. The main chambers that housed heavy or expensive equipment were made from Granite, though to save on operating and construction costs the remaining portions of the base were constructed from easily repairable concrete.
"You let captured prey wander around?" Catalyst asked, ducking her head uneasily through another sliding door while half expecting it to decapitate her as she walked through. "That is very dangerous." she pointed out.
Olive shook his head when the pressurized door closed behind them. He tapped a button on a nearby console which then lit up with the number eight. "It's not like that." He explained, and the elevator they had stepped into lurched downwards suddenly, causing Catalyst to temporarily freak out by expanding her insectoid wings to catch herself from a fall that never came. Unfortunately, her wings had smacked directly into Olive, whom was now pulling them down in order to speak. "They're volunteers. We can't order anyone to love a changeling, but these three came along with a different changeling and have been helping us out."
The mention of another changeling immediately made Catalyst think of Chrysalis, however unlikely her being here would be. Her wings buzzed in rage, hammering Olive in the face as he fought for dominance over the appendage. "Another changeling!?" Catalyst blurted out in a fit. "Where!?"
At that moment, calming elevator music began to play.
"Wait." Catalyst again blurted, her body frozen. "What is that noise?" She asked in confusion, looking around the cramped walls of the elevator. "Where is it coming from?"
Olive now had temporary control over Catalyst's unattended wing, pushing it down enough that it would retract. "That's music." He replied wearily.
Catalyst's carapace nose scrunched in confusion. "Music? What is that?" Her ears twitched as she looked around again. "Is it magic of some kind?"
Olive was simply thankful that the very large queen wasn't freaking out about the news of another changeling in the mountain for the moment. "Some people think it is, others just like how it sounds. We have better songs than elevator music though, if you're interested."
Catalysts eyes were wide and entranced as she located a speaker box, drawing closer to it and unintentionally shoving Olive out of the way. Her mouth was slightly open, revealing her fangs and sharpened teeth that soon formed a fairly terrifying rictus grin. "It's..." she blurbed half-attentively.
With a ding, the music ended and the elevator halted. "Floor Number: Eight." The elevator announced. Catalyst shook her head and blinked the trance from her mind and attempted to regain her composure.
"It's alright." Catalyst finished, her wings chittering a small amount as she made hasty retreat from the elevator. She then completely froze, turned around, and stared at Olive. "Did the elevator just speak!?"
Olive covered his face with a hand while pointing towards the barracks that the volunteers were staying in. "Just through there, Queen Catalyst." He sighed in somewhat contained exasperation.
The queen paused only for a moment to regard Olive's quickly fraying patience before turning towards the mentioned room. A robust metal door was embedded into the concrete ahead, a sign confirming it as a VIP Bunker Barracks. In her weakened state, Catalyst could only faintly pick up the fluttering emotions of those whom awaited her on the other side...
My, my, what a lovely case of Attention Defficit-OOH SHINY!
(WARNING: TVTROPES LINK)
you should drive more safe. people die too much in car accidents.
Must have more!! I know it's a pain to write new chapters but this story is just too good to pass up!! Thank you for working so hard and I hope the next chapter comes out soon!!
This was a fun little chapter. It'll be interesting to see how Blue and Catalyst get along, provided they don't try to murder each other.
Of course, first Catalyst will be meeting the "volunteers." I anticipate much awkwardness in the near future...
7836205 My friends say I have A.D.O.S.
Two Queens in one base....not gonna end well
Thanks for the chapter and try not to stress yourself out too much....
If you're feeling stressed you don't have to write so often, also what helps me write better is taking what I've got of a chapter and explaining whats going to happen to a friend, they ask questions and that seems to help crystallize the rest of it in my mind.
7836362
The rubber duck method! I should try that ^.^
7836205
You know, they kinda do need a warning label now that I think about it.
I can't count the number of times that I've clicked on one Trope, only to suddenly find that half an hour has passed and there's a few dozen different tabs open.
7836205 Tv Tropes link hissssss!
Away from me you time eating thing you!
I can tell already that Catalyst is going to be the most delightful of house-guests.
7836236 on the contraire, she'll be an EXCELLENT guest. At least to our shenanigan fueled entertainment
7836410 well there is a warning in their site, aka TV Tropes Will Ruin Your Life, but I don't think that's quite what you meant.
Good stuff, cant wait for more!
7836620 Huh, I've never seen that one before...
(looks up from the Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny! page)
...DAMNIT!
I love the description of how Catalyst was apparently mesmerized by Muzak. I can only imagine what her reaction will be to the heart-pounding bass of uptempo Trance music!
7836813
you make a valid point.
consider that changelings primarily speak via mental magic and wing vibrations simultaneously channeling their words, and can hear with the same, as changeling vocal cords and eardrums are considered redundancies.
consider then how the dulcet tones of "the girl from ipanema" elevator muzak sounded, no, felt to Catalyst's changeling senses.
OK Catalyst may be a wuss, but she's adorable.
This will be interesting
I wonder, if something will go wrong, will Blue Sun sense it?
7836378 Also take your time, most of us will wait.
And if I can advise you: change the routine. If story does not write than do something different. Maybe do some blog, talk with your readers, write review on other people story's.
Than again what I know. I haven't write a single story yet.
This is a really nice interlude.
Obviously there's going to be some kind of confrontation (or an attempted one at least...I imagine the "Terrans" will stand in the way of it getting too far) between these two changeling queens, changelings being so territorial and all. I'm more concerned about how Catalyst will treat the "food sources" she's about to be presented with. I doubt she's going to show the same sort of restraint Blue initially did and I doubt she'll know or understand much about the "new" means of feeding Blue's discovered that isn't so harmful to those being preyed upon, and I just know Catalyst will try to take her fill without restraint regardless...she's not going to understand why she shouldn't after all, not when she's still thinking like a "classic" changeling.
This story is awesome! Your awesome!!! Don't let anything tell you otherwise!!!!!!
Two queens? Excellent! Can I throw one in a Fishtank filled with giant taser arms?
C'mon! We have a spare!
Catalyst better not try to take the love by force. That won't end well, and will bring about the ire of another changeling queen, even if said queen is quite a young one.
I feel the lieutenant though. Having to explain every little thing can be very bothersome, even if the other party is not at fault.
So, Catalyst knows about Blue, even if she does not know it's a queen and from what used to be Chrysalis' hive. I wonder when Blue will find out about Catalyst.
That won't be pretty, will it?
Or it will actually be quite amusing.
Either way, as always, can't wait for more!
Man if catalyst drain the love from blue's friends there's gonna be WAR!
Dont TV Tropes have an entry In SCP?
Oh look, elevators.
I must thank you deeply for such a well-written story, it gave me so many smiles, cries of joy, and uplifting my spirits.
You know, you should combine all of the chapters that have interactions with Catalyst. They seems to all flow into each other so it shouldn't be too hard to do and would help late readers as they're catching up.
I fear for the meeting between the two queens.
These were enjoyable even if short. Don't feel like you need to make big updates. Keep writing what you can and post it when you want to. I'm enjoying it either way.
... Catalyst has severe add, doesn't she?
7871791
Just because Catalyst seemed interested in anything new, does not mean she must have A.D.D
I've known some people for a good while, I Didn't know one had A.D.H.D until they told me so.
7871791
Or severe culture shock.