A story about... An Animal c. 1999/2000 Dan Biemer, Damon Diehl, Rachel Rosenberg, Jack Welch	DAN	DAMON	RACHEL & JACK
				JACK & RACHEL
			RACHEL	DAMON & JACK
				JACK & DAMON
			JACK	DAMON & RACHEL
				RACHEL & DAMON

"Status?" prompted Forton.

"It has gone to a dormant condition near the thermal exhaust port", replied Rorkpa.

"I thought we were done for."

"It has shown erratic behaviour, I don't know that we're entirely safe yet."

"Estimated time to repair?"

"About another hour. I am hoping that by reversing the ship's hull polarity we will repel the ionically attracted particulate matter which is weighing us down".

"Can we maintain position in the light?"

"Hopefully, that's our only source of power. We dare not run the generator -- I think that's what attracted it in the first place."

"Weapons?"

"Not a chance."

The dust ball slowly drifts through the shaft of light, rotating slowly to maintain a constant bearing towards the sun. Slowly, pieces of accumulated dander, mite droppings and lint particles drift away from the body of the dust ball, revealing a perfectly spherical ship. The sunlight glints off the tiny ball.

Pouncer watched this through slitted eyes, amused by the wiliness of this particular dust ball. She had damaged it, she knew. Furthermore she knew that with one mighty swat she could end the game.

But where would the fun be in that? Killing a creature while its shields were down was poor sportsmanship, she thought.

But at last the sphere seemed to have regained suitable power for flight. She readied her sense for attack, while dutifully maintaining her facade of slumber. Breathing remained deep and slow, body remained motionless. Even her heartbeat was controlled.

They had entered end-game.

The sphere turned slowly. She imagined she could view the faces of it's crew pressed against the glass. In her mind, she sensed their relief... she sensed that moments lapse in judgement.

Her body unwound, exploding like a star transitioning to nova. The ship vanished into her fang encircled maw, into the blackness of inner space.