"You're late," snapped Cat. "My shift ended ten minutes ago."

"Sorry, Cat. I was working on that tick I picked up on our last re-fuel," said Dog.

"You still got that thing?"

"Yeah," said dog burying his snout into his fur. "And it's starting to get bigger I think."

"Well, don't pick at it, you'll just make it worse. And get over here, my eyes are gone wonky from staring at these bloody navigation controls."

Cat hopped out of the pilot's seat and dog hopped in. Cat let out a sigh and set about making himself a coffee. "How's chicken doing?" he asked dog over his shoulder.

"Good," said dog adjusting the seat. "Another three eggs last night. Not sure how long she can keep it up though. She's not a young as she used to be you know. She's no--"

"Don't say it."

"--and even with the stims, she still needs to sleep."

"I do not envy her job." Cat stirred his coffee, staring at his reflection in the murky black liquid. For a while no one spoke, the only sound on the bridge was the beep and boop of it's consoles and the hum of it's light drive. Space passed by the windows, infinite and unknown and vast. Too vast for Cat's liking. "Dog?"

"Yeah, Cat?"

"You think we'll ever make it back?"

"Hey, what kind of question is that? Of course we will, Cat. What's gotten into you, thinking like that? Pig says we'll make it, and if you can't trust the pig, then who can you trust?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's just I been having a bad feeling lately, ever since that last fuel stop, it's like I dunno, something bad's coming, Dog. I can feel in my fur."

"Cat, old friend, you need to lay off the coffee, get your self some sleep and-- god damn fucking tick!" Dog snarled and bit into skin around where the tick had buried himself.

"You'll only make it worse, Dog."

"Good night, Cat."

"Good night, Dog."

Cat woke to sound of Goat's pleading. He was begging for his life. At first Cat thought it was just another of his bad dreams, but no, this was real. He sprung out of his basket and ran towards the sounds. The corridor was slick with blood, and cat almost lost his footing before he could extend his claws.

When he got to the mess hall the first thing he saw was Chicken-- or rather what was left of Chicken. She was in pieces, spread all over the room. One leg in a corner, the other under the table, her intestines trailing from one end of the room to the other, and her head with eyes staring blindly ahead lay at Cat's trembling Paws.

Then he saw Goat. He was backed into a corner, blood ran down his hind quaters, and strip of flesh hung loosely down his side revealing the white bone of his ribcage. Cat almost lost his lunch. And advancing ever so slowly upon his prey... was Dog.

He was walking funny, kind of lob-sided. His eyes were red and weeping blood, foam slathered his jaws and dripped to the floor. There was an angry red growth on Dog's back where he had complained of the tic.

"Dog! Please, Dog! It's me! It's me!" Goats pleas began to disintegrate into hopeless sobs as Dog feral growl grew in his throat.

"It's okay Goat. Just be calm. Just be cool. We're going to get you out of this," said Cat.

Dog turned at the sound of Cat's voice, rage burning in his eyes. "That's right, Dog. It's me you want. That's right, you and me, Dog. Just how it's s'pose to be. Goat! Go!" Goat was sobbing, hysterical with fear. "Now you bearded ass-hole! Go!" roared Cat. Goat scampered to the door and left without looking back.

Dog's head was tilted at a funny angle, as though he was listening for something, one of his eyes was pointing off the left. Dog was gone.

Cat tensed, every muscle in his body screaming for action, escape! said his instincts. Run! said a million years of evolution.

Dog closed the distance.

Cat waited.

Waited.

Dog leap forward.

Cat sprung into the air, his claw's out, and they began a Dance almost as old as time it's self.