Chapter 1: The Promotion The reactor bay smelled faintly of ozone and catnip. The hum of the Quantum Core had settled into a rhythm that was almost musical — if you ignored the occasional spark that jumped from the containment ring like a nervous tic. Admiral Tarz stood at the podium, his uniform immaculate despite the green glow that made everyone look slightly radioactive. The crew cats gathered in a semicircle, tails twitching, eyes reflecting the core’s pulse. Bammer sat in his box, the cardboard throne of chaos, licking one paw with the calm of someone who had already accepted his destiny.“By unanimous vote,” Tarz began, voice echoing through the bay, “Bammer is promoted.”A murmur rippled through the crew. “Promoted to what?” asked a tabby crouched near the coolant pipes. Tarz adjusted his collar. “Chief Repair Tester.”Bammer blinked. “I push button?” “Exactly,” Tarz said.The silence that followed was heavy enough to bend gravity. One of the engineers whispered, “Wait…...
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