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During their next meal together, Lu suddenly asked, ‘Where is the cat?”

Throughout these many catastrophes, no one had thought of Trim. While he was still alive, Flinders had been the cat’s caretaker, always ensuring that it had food. (The mechanical diaper recycled the cat’s urine, so that it rarely required water).

It was quickly determined that no one had bothered about the animal since it had been allowed into Flinders’ sleeping chamber to be with its dead master. Lu left the table and immediately went to the chamber and called to the animal, and heard a small, timid cry from within. Lu opened the door, but did not notice the vast number of plastic-wrapped feces pellets and flesh, and shreds of plastic floating about. However, he was aware of that the air had taken on an eldritch, sickening smell, like warm spoiled pork.¹ The appalled Lu looked around, to learn the history, and saw Flinders’ body on the bunk.² Something had been at him.³

Trim raised his filthy face out of Flinders’ chest, where he had been gnawing on a rib, and repeated the same timid cry.⁴ Lu let out an involuntary shout, and pushed himself out of the chamber.

The first to respond was Back, who, once he realized what had happened, began to laugh. Akaitcho and Franklin arrived next. Akaitcho tried to lay hands on the cat, but Trim clawed him, severely lacerating his hand. Franklin did nothing. When Richards arrived, she had the presence of mind to shut the door to the chamber. Trim was left with his master. Although it is undeniable that the cat was hungry, I believe it is also possible that the cat decided to eat his former master from a desire to preserve the relationship with him.⁵

There was some discussion among the crew of putting Trim down, or ejecting him from the ship, but after seeing Akaitcho’s wounds, no one volunteered to do the job, and the cat remained with what was left of Flinders.