Chapter 13: Domestication

It wasn’t long before the kittens had all transitioned to solid foods, eventually not even needing the enticement of Jarilan honey to eat. There was still a good amount of it left, so Jamie and Liz treated it more like a supplement due to its obvious nutritional benefits. They ate primarily pumpkin and boiled meat, with a few human foods that they showed an interest in here and there. Cheese and butter were some of their favorites, and whenever Liz and Jamie were eating fish, they made enthusiastic attempts to escape their pen.

By the sixth month, all of the kittens were starting to walk. Bren had been the first to take some tentative steps without his walker, and the rest had quickly followed. Now, they toddled around the room whenever the door to their pen was open, the less confident Hazel preferring to use a walker some of the time as she found her equilibrium.

Playtime was now a mad rush to keep the kittens contained before they could escape deeper into the apartment.

“Are you ready?” Jamie asked, standing beside the gate to the playpen, the kittens crowding the other side. They knew what was coming. Their little ears were pricked up, their bright eyes wide.

“Ready,” Liz replied with a nod.

He swung open the gate, and the kittens piled out, jostling each other as they made a mad bid for freedom. In a second, four of the kittens had spread out into the apartment, while Hazel stopped to hug Jamie’s leg. She tugged at his pants, looking up at him expectantly with those big, doe eyes. He reached down and picked her up, the kitten gripping the collar of his shirt in her little hands, resting her furry head under his chin. She was becoming a real daddy’s girl, more interested in cuddling than racing around with her siblings.

Jamie looked up, watching as Liz crossed the apartment in a few long strides, catching Bren as the agile little kitten tried to get up on top of the kitchen counter. He scrabbled his way up, using the cupboards beneath it for leverage, his claws finding purchase on the doors. Just as he got his little mitts around the lip of the counter, she plucked him from it, Bren kicking his digitigrade legs in protest.

The kittens weighed a good twenty-five pounds now, and they were far more mobile than a human baby would be at their age. They could get around about as well as a two-year-old, and their more developed claws made them excellent climbers. If Bren wanted to reach something, he generally could, and all of the drawers and cupboards had to be sealed now to prevent the kittens from finding a way inside. Jamie had even caught Kenneth trying to use his spoon as a lever to pry open the fridge.

As soon as Liz set Bren down, he raced off again like a little wind-up toy, his clumsy gait making him wobble. Perhaps it was their tails that contributed to their mobility, helping them balance where a human toddler would have face-planted into the carpet.

Jamie made his way over to the couch, sitting down with Hazel, stroking her head as she clung to him like a baby monkey. Dazka seemed jealous of her sister, clawing her way up onto the couch, the faux-leather now streaked with tiny claw marks where the kittens had scaled it.

She flopped down beside him on the cushions, glancing up at him, loosing a string of half-formed words. He caught a few ‘dada’s’ and a couple of ‘no’s’, but most of what she said was still nonsense. Daz was the most talkative of the litter, and she always seemed to imitate her mother, as though Liz had a furry little clone. Toza and Bren had said their first words, too, but Hazel and Ken were still pretty quiet.

Jamie lifted her into his lap, where she settled, rubbing her furry ears as he watched Kenneth waddle past with his prized spoon in hand. It had now been chewed so much that there was only a handle left, which made him look like he was carrying around a makeshift weapon, like a prison inmate who had whittled a shiv from a toothbrush.

There was a clattering sound, followed by a loud “Toza!” from Liz.

The kitten had climbed the dividing wall between the kitchen and living area, leaping onto the dining table, where his sharp nose had immediately located the butter dish. He was now in the process of fleeing with his prize, Liz giving chase as he made for the nearest cabinet. He squeezed his little body into the gap behind it, Liz struggling to get her large hands into the space.

“Little monster is learning,” she grumbled. “He knows I can’t reach him back there. Jamie, come get him before he eats that stick of butter and vomits all over the carpet.”

“Alright, come take the girls,” he replied. Liz walked over and lifted one kitten in each hand, Hazel digging her claws into his shirt as she struggled to keep hold of him.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Jamie chuckled, taking her little hands and unhooking her talons. Liz took his place on the couch, the kittens climbing on her, Daz babbling in her ear. Liz was visibly overworked, but for a species with such a reputation for being short-tempered, she was remarkably patient with the children.

Jamie knelt beside the cabinet, trying to coax Toza out from his hiding place. He was jammed in there pretty deep, the stick of butter that was clutched in his hand already matting his fur as it began to melt.

“Come on, big guy,” Jamie crooned. “Give daddy the butter. It’ll make you sick.”

He reached for the baby, but Toza just wriggled deeper. One option was to have Liz pull the cabinet away from the wall, and Jamie could try to snag him as he bolted, but he had a better idea...

He walked over to the crates beside the fridge, each one now firmly closed with a bungee cord to prevent theft, opening one up. The sound of the hinges alerted every kitten in the room, their little ears swiveling in his direction. Hazel and Daz dropped down off the couch, while Ken and Bren appeared from beneath the kitchen table, the four of them toddling over to him. As he turned to glance over his shoulder, he caught a pair of blue eyes peeking out from the shadow behind the cabinet.

“What have I got here?” Jamie asked, making sure to rustle the packets of honey. “I guess everyone is going to get a packet besides Toza. What a shame...”

The kittens crowded him as he unfastened the lid on one of the packets, passing it to Kenneth, who immediately sealed his lips around the plastic mouth. He sat down on the spot, sucking the fluid from the transparent container, put into a kind of trance like a baby with a pacifier. Jamie handed out a packet to each kitten, Bren scurrying away to eat his share somewhere he could better defend his treat.

Ever so slowly, Toza crept out from his hiding place, his fingers sinking into the malleable stick of butter as he clutched it in his hand. Jamie waved a packet of honey, and he approached, eyeing his father warily. When he reached out to take the packet, Jamie quickly snatched the butter from his hand, exchanging it for the more desirable snack. The kitten completely forgot about his prize the moment he tasted the honey, Jamie examining the stick of butter. It was covered in little handprints and hairs...

He brought it over to the sink and washed it as best he could before returning it to the dish, which he moved to the top of the fridge to discourage future thefts. The kitten’s hand and forearm were still matted with butter, but at least licking it off would occupy him for a little while and keep him out of trouble.

Jamie returned to the couch and flopped down beside Liz, who draped an arm over his shoulders, pressing his face into her chest through the fabric of her shirt.

“You’d be in high demand as a babysitter back on Borealis, you know.”

“Yeah?” he asked.

“You’re good with the kids. It’s hot,” she added, giving him a nudge. “Gonna fuck your brains out when I’m not so exhausted.”

“Well, that’s something to look forward to.”

The UAS scientist lifted Bren in his gloved hands, examining the struggling kitten. He set him back down in the pen, then made a few notes on his tablet computer. Another of the scientists was taking a blood sample from Daz, pressing a dull implement against her arm. It was a microsampler, designed to extract very small quantities of blood for analysis, and was reportedly far less painful than using a traditional needle. Daz didn’t seem to notice. She was far too busy playing with her rattle, tapping it against the foam padding that made up the floor. The man then slotted the tubular device into a handheld scanner, tapping at the touch screen for a moment as he waited for the computer to display the results.

Jamie glanced over at Liz. She still bristled when the UAS guys handled the kittens, but it was so routine by now that she had become used to it. They visited once every two weeks, doing the usual round of tests to keep close tabs on the development of the children.

“How are they doing?” Jamie asked as the scientists began to pack up their gear.

“They’re developing perfectly normally, as far as we can tell,” the man replied as he returned the scanner to his medical bag. “T-cell counts remain normal, which suggests that the kittens aren’t having any unusual reactions to anything in their environment. Blood sugar levels are normal, they seem to be getting an appropriate amount of nutrition, there’s no indication of any genetic abnormalities or degradation. They’re responsive, they react normally to stimuli, there are no signs of any developmental problems.”

“Good to hear,” Jamie replied.

“We’ve collected terabytes of data so far,” the man’s colleague added. “It’s going to take us a long time to go over everything in detail, but all evidence points to the gene splicing being a success. We’ve not been able to detect a single issue so far.”

“What about their bones and muscle mass?” Liz asked. “We were concerned that they would be developing differently in low-G.”

“Bone density is lower than the projections for a Borealan of their age,” the scientist admitted. “We expected that result, however. It’s not anomalous. They’re too young to be given supplements at this stage, so what we need to do is keep a close eye on how their bones grow. If we detect any significant deviations from the projections, we may need to intervene, but that isn’t the case right now. The same is true for their muscle mass. It’s lower than projected for a kitten in one-point-three gravities, but that’s what we expected. Muscle mass is something they can gain through exercise, so it’s not as big of an issue.”

“When can they start taking medication?” Liz added.

“Not before two years of age, at least,” he replied. “We’ll keep a close eye on them and adjust our strategy to their needs. We may be able to formulate something more suited to their physiology if the need arises.”

“We really appreciate what you’re doing,” Jamie said, the scientist nodding his head.

“You know where to find us if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions or concerns.”

They saw the scientists off, closing the door behind them, Jamie leaning back against the panel as he turned to Liz.

“You know, I was worried the UAS were going to turn our family into a science experiment, but I’m glad they’re here now. It’s nice having experts on hand who know what they’re dealing with. Can you imagine trying to take the kids to a regular doctor if one of them got sick?”

“They’re probably the most medically scrutinized children on the planet,” Liz replied. “I don’t think there’s much chance of even a scuffed knee going unnoticed.”

“So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?” Jamie asked. “Any shows or movies you want to catch up on? We can’t really go anywhere, not with the kids.”

“Maybe we can,” she mused, scratching her chin. “They’re all walking now, they’ve been exploring their little world. Maybe it’s time to expand that world.”

“You mean ... their first day out?” Jamie asked. “Do you think they’re ready?”

“Well, they can’t spend their entire lives cooped up in this apartment,” Liz replied with a shrug. “We still have the carriers, and we have the leashes.”

“They’re called toddler safety harnesses,” Jamie corrected.

“Whatever dude, it’s a leash for a baby,” Liz chuckled. “The park is pretty close. We could take them down there, let them have a run around on the grass, stretch their little legs. They won’t want to be out for long, they’ll get tired pretty fast.”

“They’re gonna flip out when they see something other than their playpen,” Jamie said, laughing to himself as he imagined their wide eyes. “Sure, let’s do it. Don’t let them off the harnesses, though. Bren especially can run like a goddamned rocket when he wants to.”

“We ‘are’ ambush predators, after all,” Liz replied with mock pride. “He’ll be catching pigeons and poodles before you know it.”

Liz fastened the straps of the carrier tightly about her shoulders, gearing up like she was about to go into battle. When she was satisfied that it was secure, Jamie reached into the pen, plucking a kitten from the crowd that had amassed by the gate. They were smart enough to know that something unusual was going on.

He passed Kenneth to Liz, the kitten’s spoon – now more of a ragged stick – still clutched tightly in his hand. She slotted him into one of the pouches, the kitten glancing up at her as if to ask what was going on. Two more followed until she had three confused babies hanging off her torso. Jamie put on his own carrier, Hazel and Toza fitting snugly into the two pouches.

“I feel like a giant kangaroo,” Liz said. “Fetch the ‘toddler safety harnesses’ and maybe some dog treats. We might be able to call them back if they go chasing after a car or something.”

Jamie grabbed the harnesses, and they made their way out into the corridor. As they walked to the elevator that would take them down to the ground floor, the babies turned their little heads this way and that, their wide eyes full of wonder. They had never left the apartment before, this was their first experience of the outside world. As well as sights and sounds, there were brand new smells to experience. Jamie could hear Hazel sniffing the air as they approached the glass doors.

The journey down to the ground was even more exciting for them. The floors flew past beyond the elevator’s glass walls as they descended, the plazas that were spaced out every hundred levels or so packed with neon advertisements and interesting decorative features, even Daz remaining quiet as she watched them flash by.

The lobby was fairly crowded, and Liz was turning even more heads than usual. It wasn’t every day that one came across an alien on Earth, let alone laden with three adorable kittens. The attention had always bothered Liz when she was a girl, making her feel insecure about her appearance. He remembered how she had always gone to great lengths to avoid scrutiny, tucking her tail into her pants, wearing mittens and beanies to disguise her alien features. Her visit to Borealis had grown her confidence a lot. It had taught her to be self-reliant, to be proud of her heritage. By the time she had returned to Earth, Liz was remarkably nonplussed by the extra attention she got. It was never negative, which was something that Jamie had noted. The stares were those of surprise, of curiosity, rarely of disapproval. Liz was just so large and so novel that most people couldn’t help but look in her direction.

Now, he was seeing smiles. The people they passed on their way through the lobby were enamored by the kittens, melting at the sight of them, their reactions universally positive. Jamie had grown accustomed to the children over the last few months, but the sight of tiny, humanoid kittens wearing similarly tiny clothes was something more commonly seen on birthday cards and the covers of picture books than in the street.

The kittens didn’t really know what to make of it all. They had met other humans before – Jamie’s parents, the UAS scientists – but there were hundreds of people in the building’s lobby. It seemed to be a little overstimulating for Hazel, Jamie turning her around in her pouch so that she could bury her face in his chest. She glanced up at the onlookers every so often, her ears flat against her hair, pouting at them. He reached down to stroke her head, which only made the onlookers more infatuated.

When they stepped out into the street, it was much the same story. Wherever they went, all eyes were on them, everyone stopping what they were doing to get a look at the alien babies. Jamie found himself wondering if they could guess that he and Liz were a couple. Even someone relatively well-versed in genetics would probably assume that inter-species reproduction was impossible, and the layman might not even consider it. The kittens looked like Borealans for all intents and purposes, there was little indication that he was their father. Only another Borealan would be able to pick out their more unusual features and colorations at a glance.

“And here I was worried that the UAS were going to turn our life into a media circus,” Jamie muttered.

“At least we know that Holly will be getting some mileage out of those pictures and videos we’ve been stockpiling for her,” Liz replied as a crowd of gawking pedestrians parted to let her pass. “She’s weirdly smart, that girl.”

They soon arrived at the park, which was about as secluded as it was possible to get in a major city. There were no crowds of onlookers, only a few joggers and people walking their dogs, the careful placement of the hills and trees hiding much of the urban sprawl from view. The only evidence that they were still in the city center were the towering spires of glass and steel that reached far above the treetops.

Nature was another unknown to the kittens. The rustling of the leaves and the sound of flowing water drew their attention, their little ears swiveling in different directions as they tried to take it all in. Even Hazel was snatching a glance at passing dogs and birds every now and then.

They found a patch of grass that was unoccupied save for a couple of picnickers, Liz sitting on the ground as she plucked the first wriggling kitten from its pouch. Jamie handed her one of the toddler harnesses, a device that strapped around the chest and was joined to the parent via a leash that attached to a clip on the back. Bren was not overly cooperative, kicking his little legs, but she eventually got him securely into the harness. When she set him back down again, Jamie expected him to bolt, but he dropped to all-fours instead. The texture of the grass seemed to fascinate him, the kitten running his stubby fingers through the green blades, his eyes fixed on them intently.

It took a few minutes before all of the kittens were harnessed, and they soon spread out in all directions, Liz struggling to untangle their leashes as they rushed this way and that. They were intensely curious, eager to explore the new, vibrant environment that they found themselves in.

Jamie had Toza and Hazel, their leashes wrapped around his wrists to eliminate the possibility of them slipping through his fingers. Toza was as boisterous as ever, straining against his harness in an attempt to reach the nearby picnickers, while Hazel was a little more reluctant. She stuck close to him, clinging to his leg as she glanced around, unsure of herself. She reminded him of Liz when she had been younger in many ways – quiet, thoughtful. If he was going to be a good father to Hazel, he would have to find a way to instill some of Liz’s confidence in her.

Her brown eyes soon caught sight of movement, Hazel tracking an errant butterfly as it fluttered past her, landing on a nearby daisy. For the first time since Jamie had set her down, she let go of his leg, taking a tentative step away from him. He watched as she approached it, enraptured by the way that its blue wings refracted the light. Jamie half expected her to reach out and squash it, not understanding how fragile it was, but she merely crouched there as she admired the insect.

Bren had other ideas for Liz. He was soldiering off towards a nearby clump of trees, Ken and Daz following after him. She was quite content to let them lead her around, making no effort to steer them away. If they misbehaved, she could probably just raise them off the ground and suspend them in the air like marionettes.

Bren leaned into his harness, digging his feet into the grass as he neared the base of one of the trees, intent on reaching it. He sniffed around the roots, his siblings following suit, then he stuck his claws into the bark. To Jamie’s surprise and amusement, he began to monkey his way up the trunk, his lead going slack. He would dig his claws into the wood, then propel himself upwards, quickly reaching the lowest branches. Jamie would have brought him down immediately for fear that he might fall, but Liz seemed nonplussed. The kittens were excellent climbers, after all. They had been able to get up onto the couch before they could even walk.

Soon, two of the kittens were up in the tree, Daz milling about the roots. Ken tried to climb with his spoon in hand, losing confidence half-way up, crying out for Liz to come rescue him. He was small enough that she could easily hold him in one hand, plucking him from the tree and placing him back on the ground at her feet. Bren had a better view from his high perch, surveying the surrounding parkland, his fur blowing in the breeze. The movement of the leaves drew his attention, and snatched one of them, examining it.

“Don’t you eat that,” Liz chided.

Jamie’s kittens seemed more interested in the small lake that was down the grassy verge and across the footpath, leading him in that direction. A jogger paused to look at the kids on his way past, perhaps wondering if they were some kind of exotic pet, almost stumbling into the water as he gawked.

Jamie had to stop Toza from running straight into the lake, reeling him back on his leash until he could get closer. Hazel was far more cooperative, toddling along by Jamie’s side obediently.

As they stopped by the edge of the water, a procession of ducks waded their way to the shore. The birds probably expected them to have bread, and Jamie cursed himself for not thinking to bring some, as the kids would probably have enjoyed it. The kittens seemed fascinated by the birds regardless, Hazel hiding behind his leg as she watched them warily, Toza straining against his leash as he tried to get closer.

“Just look, don’t touch,” Jamie warned as he tugged the boy back a couple of steps. Getting bitten by a duck in the park wasn’t going to be a good formative experience.

The ducks stayed in the water, and Jamie kept the kittens on the shore, a good couple of feet of grass separating them. Hazel slowly emerged from behind his leg, more curious than she was afraid, joining her brother as she watched the birds float about.

“You like them?” Jamie asked, reaching down to give her an encouraging pat on the head. “They’re ducks. Ducks.”

“Da,” she replied.

“Close enough.”

Jamie noticed that a couple had stopped nearby, whispering to one another as they watched the kittens. There was a woman in a dark coat with long, auburn hair, her partner wearing a large scarf due to the cooling weather. They approached, their arms joined, Jamie feeling a twinge of apprehension. What were they whispering about?

They stopped again a couple of feet away, Hazel taking refuge behind Jamie’s leg once more. Toza was fearless, Jamie having to stop him as he tried to walk up to the pair. In his mind, humans were a source of food and cuddles, he had no negative experiences with them.

“Oh my gosh,” the woman cooed, crouching to get a closer look. She kept a respectable distance, her heart visibly melting as she watched Toza tug at his harness. “What are they?”

The question was perhaps a little insensitive, but her curiosity was genuine. To someone who had no experience with aliens, they would just look like cats.

“These are Borealan kittens,” Jamie explained. “This is Toza, and this is Hazel,” he added with a gesture to the shy kitten who was peeking out from behind his leg.

“Hi, Hazel!” the stranger crooned, giving her a wave with a gloved hand. “They’re so cute. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“They’re aliens,” her partner said, glancing over at Liz. She was still standing by the trees, trying to wrangle her three charges. “That must be their mother.”

“I’ve never met an alien before,” the woman added. “Oh my gosh, they look like little lion cubs in rompers.”

“It’s hard to believe that such a small thing could grow so large,” her partner replied as he glanced back at Liz. “I didn’t know there were any Borealans on Earth.”

“Do you know much about them?” Jamie asked, wondering if he might have served in the Navy.

“Me?” he chuckled, reaching up to adjust his scarf. “Only what I’ve seen on newscasts. I’m as muddy as they come, I’m afraid. I like to keep both feet firmly planted on the ground.”

Jamie noticed that Liz had wrangled her kittens and was making her way over. It was rather hard to miss her. The man recoiled a little as she approached, perhaps somewhat intimidated by her sheer physicality, but the woman seemed delighted by the sight of more kittens.

“Making new friends, Jamie?” she asked. The kittens strained against their harnesses as they tried to reach the couple, but she lifted them a few inches off the ground, Bren kicking his little feet in the air as he tried to run.

“We just stopped by to see the babies,” the woman replied. “They’re so cute. How old are they?”

“They’re going on seven months,” Liz replied.

“You must be so proud,” the woman said, watching Daz slowly rotate on the end of her leash. The little girl had given up on her attempts to escape, accepting her fate. “How long will it take for them to reach full size?”

“Oh, they’ll be near as big as I am by the time they’re sixteen or seventeen,” she replied. “Except maybe Hazel, the little brown one. Might take her an extra couple of years. She’s the runt of the litter.”

“The litter,” the woman repeated, grinning from ear to ear. “Are you just passing through, or do you live here?”

“I was raised on Earth,” Liz replied. “I’ve lived here pretty much my whole life.”

The couple stayed to chat for a few more minutes, making small talk with Liz and Jamie. He was surprised when Liz actually allowed the woman to handle one of the kittens, letting her pick up the boisterous Bren. So many of Liz’s interactions with strangers were at best strained, at worst negative. Few people were overtly hostile towards her, but their curious stares had plagued her when she was younger. Not to mention the bullying that she had endured as a small girl. So far, every reaction towards the kittens had been overwhelmingly positive. If there was any prejudice towards aliens in human society, Jamie hadn’t seen any sign of it today. Maybe Hollyhock had been more right about using the children for propaganda than either of them had realized.

They soon said their goodbyes, and the couple left. As Liz had anticipated, the kittens had very little stamina, quickly tiring themselves out after a couple more hours of running around on the grass. They were quite content to sleep in their pouches as Liz and Jamie made their way back to the apartment.

The lights in the apartment had been set to low, the glow of the city’s lights bleeding in through the wall-length window. The kittens were settling in for the night, and it was almost time to put them to bed. Jamie was sat on the couch, watching the tail-end of a vidcast, while Liz was preparing a sandwich. Toza was standing at her side, one hand clutching the leg of her sweatpants. He tended to hang around when he could smell food, hoping that someone would offer him a morsel.

Most of the kittens were already napping in their playpen, but Jamie saw Hazel emerge through the open gate, dragging a picture book behind her. She gripped the faux-leather of the couch with her little claws, the material creaking as she pulled herself up onto the cushions beside him. It was quite an effort, considering that the couch was designed for Liz to be able to sit on comfortably. She lay flat on her belly, reaching down to grip the spine of her book, hauling it up onto the cushions. Jamie could have helped her, but she didn’t need it.

She glanced up at him with those big, brown eyes as she carried her book over to him, standing there with her tail flicking back and forth behind her. She held it up, showing him the stylized princess on the cover.

“Can you use your words?” Jamie asked.

She lowered it, seeming to consider for a moment.

“Dada,” she chimed. “Baba.”

“Come on then,” he said, patting his thigh. Hazel hurried over and passed him the book, climbing into his lap, watching eagerly as he opened it up. Sure, they could have just given the kids a tablet computer to play with, and it could even have read stories to them. But this was a bonding experience, and more importantly, it was a way for the kittens to start learning about reading. They were approaching nine months now, and they were getting smarter by the day. They were very talkative, even if their language skills were currently limited to strings of random vowels and consonants. The kittens would try to copy what Liz and Jamie said, and they would mimic their gestures. They could point to their favorite toys, they knew their own names, and they were becoming far less clumsy with their hands.