Dynamic Patrol: Gel Squad! Episode II

Chapter 12: Growth Spurt

Bodi wandered almost all the way around the station before he reached the docking ports. Two were taken, one by the Gel-Squad's personal drop ship and the other by the damaged, non-operational USS Trinity. Even in her semi-destroyed state, she was glorious. Bodi did not hesitate to board the craft, and he rushed in. He hadn't been aboard it since they'd succeeded in defeating Yar. Now that the ship was his to roam, he was excited about getting into every area. And his shifting abilities would be more than enough to get him through any area.

He entered and immediately went for the bridge; since the elevators were offline, he had to use the maintenance shafts to climb all the way to deck one. He had to ooze through the door because it was sealed shut. When he'd gotten inside, it was a playground for him... Bodi certainly had an unorthodox imagination, unlike the other younglings on the station; unknown to his other friends, he had been aboard this ship several times before and had been messing with it, pretending he was the pilot running from the likes of pirates or something equally nasty, or he would pretend that he was the captain, and taking his first command on its first maiden voyage. He'd even developed a spectator; Bodi could sense 'Kipp' messing around in here; before Cal had mentioned his name, Bodi didn't know who was in his shadow; what was he doing? Bodi didn't know, but he kept to himself. To anyone else, it would've been scary to have a shadow that moved on its own, but Bodi thought it was flattering to have a secret admirer.

Occasionally, he'd catch a glimpse of Kipp's eyes, a very distinctive ruby red, that would reflect in the light when Kipp wasn't that careful. Bodi could observe that Kipp that he was curious about him but not convinced about revealing himself. Bodi was okay with that, but he'd been aware of Kipp's presence from day one; Bodi's heightened sense of hearing could detect Kipp's subtle footprints. When Kipp chose to reveal himself, he would. But until then, he'd mess around by himself. The bridge quickly got dull, so Bodi squeezed through the door again and continued wandering around. Bodi's adventure aboard the USS Trinity was filled with excitement and anticipation, even when he was running in the corridor trying to get to his next destination. Despite the ship's damaged state, he felt a sense of reverence as he explored its corridors and compartments. Using his shapeshifting abilities to maneuver through the places where people ordinarily wouldn't go, Bodi made his way to engineering with determination.

Upon entering the engine room, Bodi immersed himself in a world of possibilities. He was currently standing on a catwalk, and he braced himself up against the railing and stared down into the bottomless pits of the engine room. "Woah, far out!" Bodi commented to himself as he viewed the warp core. It was just a big tube in the middle of the room. Usually, it'd glow like a massive glow stick, but the drive was probably locked up from being dormant for so long. His tail moved as the new surroundings sparked his imagination, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride over the ship... until the railing broke. Bodi tried to grab hold of the railing and yelled in terror as he slipped and couldn't catch a proper grip. 

As Bodi fell through the air, his mind raced with fear and panic. He braced himself for the impact, knowing that it would be a painful landing. But just as he was about to hit the metal grating below, a shadowy figure swooped in out of nowhere, catching him in mid-air with surprising strength. Bodi felt a gloved hand wrap around his wrist. Bodi's eyes widened in shock as he realized that his mysterious observer had come to his rescue just in the nick of time. The young Omeocoon's eyes glinted with determination as he held Bodi securely, preventing him from crashing to the ground below. His heels braced against the raised trim of the deck. 

"Uh... Kipp right? You... you saved me!" Bodi exclaimed, his voice filled with gratitude and relief. Kipp nodded in response, his expression unreadable as he carefully lowered Bodi to the floor. Kipp didn't respond. With a grunt, he pulled Bodi up out of the cold. Once Bodi was safely on solid ground, Kipp stepped back, his gaze flickering briefly to the broken railing above. There was a silent understanding between them, a bond forged in the heat of the moment. For those who knew the original Kipp, he was no longer short. He was 5'7 and had working gloves, boots, and shorts, and they were clean when compared to Bodi's smut-covered body and clothing. But he stuck his hand out anyway.