Catalyst

Zusatztext This is magic . . . science fiction at its most primal and its best. January Magazine McCaffrey and Scarborough switch perspective to how the cats see things and their viewpoint is delightful. . . . This series is off to a good start.SF Crowsnest.com Informationen zum Autor Anne McCaffrey Elizabeth Ann Scarborough Klappentext Pilot! navigator! engineer! doctor! scientist-ship's cat? All are essential to the well-staffed space vessel. Since the early days of interstellar travel! when Tuxedo Thomas! a Maine coon cat! showed what a cat could do for a ship and its crew! the so-called Barque Cats have become highly prized crew members. Thomas's carefully bred progeny! ably assisted by humans-Cat Persons-with whom they share a deep and loving bond! now travel the galaxy! responsible for keeping spacecraft free of vermin! for alerting human crews to potential environmental hazards! and for acting as morale officers. Even among Barque Cats! Chessie is something special. Her pedigree! skills! and intelligence! as well as the close rapport she has with her human! Janina! make her the most valuable crew member aboard the Molly Daise. And the litter of kittens in her belly only adds to her value. Then the unthinkable happens. Chessie is kidnapped-er! catnapped-from Dr. Jared Vlast's vet clinic at Hood Station by a grizzled spacer named Carl Poindexter. But Chessie's newborn kittens turn out to be even more extraordinary than their mother. For while Chessie's connection to Janina is close and intuitive! the bond that the kitten Chester forms with Carl's son! Jubal! is downright telepathic. And when Chester is sent into space to learn his trade! neither he nor Jubal will rest until they're reunited. But the announcement of a widespread epidemic affecting livestock on numerous planets throws their future into doubt. Suddenly the galactic government announces a plan to impound and possibly destroy all exposed animals. Not even the Barque Cats will be spared. With the clock racing against them! Janina! Jubal! Dr. Vlast! and a handful of very special kittens will join forces with the mysterious Pshaw-Ra-an alien-looking cat with a hidden agenda-to save the Barque Cats! other animals! and quite possibly the universe as they know it from total destruction. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's Catacombs. Chapter One "How much for that pretty kittycat you got there, young lady?" Janina started, jarring Chessie out of her brooding nap. Chessie laid her ears back, stretched, and gazed up into the face of the man who stood smiling down at them. He was a grizzled-looking spacer in the middle of the human life span, she judged, wearing a uniform, the arms of which sported a collection of ships' patches bearing insignias she did not recognize. But then, Hood Station, where they had just docked, was a backwater facility providing the interface between the agro-based planet Sherwood and the rest of the universe. A wide variety of human types roamed the corridors. Though the man didn't seem threatening, he certainly seemed ignorant about cats, as Janina, Chessie's Cat Person, immediately informed him. Had Janina been a cat, Chessie thought, she'd have been bristling. "Excuse me, sir, but if you are referring to Thomas's Duchess, descendant of Tuxedo Thomas, the original Barque Cat himself, she is not for sale at any price." Janina tightened her arms protectively around Chessie's kitten-heavy body. "Beggin' your pardon, miss, I had no idea the lady was such a celebrity. She's just such a beauty and I'm looking for a cat for my kid. Looks like she's going to litter soon. How many kittens do you reckon she's got in there?" "Dr. Vlast says no fewer than five and perhaps as many as eight!" Janina replied proudly. "Chessie is a good bree...

ldquo;This is magic . . . science fiction at its most primal and its best.”—January Magazine

“McCaffrey and Scarborough switch perspective to how the cats see things and their viewpoint is delightful. . . . This series is off to a good start.”—SF Crowsnest.com

Autorentext

Anne McCaffrey Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

Klappentext

Pilot, navigator, engineer, doctor, scientist-ship's cat? All are essential to the well-staffed space vessel. Since the early days of interstellar travel, when Tuxedo Thomas, a Maine coon cat, showed what a cat could do for a ship and its crew, the so-called Barque Cats have become highly prized crew members. Thomas's carefully bred progeny, ably assisted by humans-Cat Persons-with whom they share a deep and loving bond, now travel the galaxy, responsible for keeping spacecraft free of vermin, for alerting human crews to potential environmental hazards, and for acting as morale officers.

Even among Barque Cats, Chessie is something special. Her pedigree, skills, and intelligence, as well as the close rapport she has with her human, Janina, make her the most valuable crew member aboard the Molly Daise. And the litter of kittens in her belly only adds to her value.

Then the unthinkable happens. Chessie is kidnapped-er, catnapped-from Dr. Jared Vlast's vet clinic at Hood Station by a grizzled spacer named Carl Poindexter. But Chessie's newborn kittens turn out to be even more extraordinary than their mother. For while Chessie's connection to Janina is close and intuitive, the bond that the kitten Chester forms with Carl's son, Jubal, is downright telepathic. And when Chester is sent into space to learn his trade, neither he nor Jubal will rest until they're reunited.

But the announcement of a widespread epidemic affecting livestock on numerous planets throws their future into doubt. Suddenly the galactic government announces a plan to impound and possibly destroy all exposed animals. Not even the Barque Cats will be spared.

With the clock racing against them, Janina, Jubal, Dr. Vlast, and a handful of very special kittens will join forces with the mysterious Pshaw-Ra-an alien-looking cat with a hidden agenda-to save the Barque Cats, other animals, and quite possibly the universe as they know it from total destruction.

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's Catacombs.

Zusammenfassung
Pilot, navigator, engineer, doctor, scientist—ship's cat? All are essential to the well-staffed space vessel. Since the early days of interstellar travel, when Tuxedo Thomas, a Maine coon cat, showed what a cat could do for a ship and its crew, the so-called Barque Cats have become highly prized crew members. Thomas's carefully bred progeny, ably assisted by humans—Cat Persons—with whom they share a deep and loving bond, now travel the galaxy, responsible for keeping spacecraft free of vermin, for alerting human crews to potential environmental hazards, and for acting as morale officers.

Even among Barque Cats, Chessie is something special. Her pedigree, skills, and intelligence, as well as the close rapport she has with her human, Janina, make her the most valuable crew member aboard the Molly Daise. And the litter of kittens in her belly only adds to her value.

Then the unthinkable happens. Chessie is kidnapped—er, catnapped—from Dr. Jared Vlast's vet clinic at Hood Station by a grizzled spacer named Carl Poindexter. But Chessie's newborn kittens turn out to be even more extraordinary than their mother. For while Chessie's connection to Janina is close and intuitive, the bond that the kitten Chester forms with Carl's son, Jubal, is downright telepathic. And when Chester is sent into space to learn his trade, neither he nor Jubal will rest until they're reunited.

    But the announcement of a widespread epidemic affecting livestock on numerous planets throws their future into doubt. Suddenly the galactic government announces a plan to impound and possibly destroy all expo…