Part One: The Riddle of The Sphinxian
What if Suzee and Catalina had never switched dimensions?
Catalina awoke with a start. The Saturnian rarely dreamed, but when she did these days, it was the same demented dream.
"Are you okay?" a cheerfully concerned voice asked.
Looking at her roommate, Catalina realized it was time to get up anyway. "Yeah, I'm fine," Catalina answered.
"You had the same dream again, didn't you?"
"Rosie, it's no big deal," Catalina replied.
"I know," Rosie said. "It's just that I'd hoped..."
"That I'd get over it?" Catalina suggested. "You try to get over almost being blown up--for the second time since we started this trip, might I add."
"Third, if you want to get technical. Don't forget the Ferna Herna!" Rosie replied.
"Oh, grozit no, Rosie, I wouldn't want to do that."
"You know I'm here if you want to talk, don't you Cat?" Rosie asked.
Catalina nodded. "We'd better get ready. I don't really need anymore demerits..."
"Catalina, you worry too much. If you had been on that ship when it blew up, I could have saved your life," Suzee said later as they walked to the Galley.
"I know," Catalina said. "But...that's what I was kind of worried about. I mean, you think Harlan's cute, and I--"
Catalina was cut off when she walked into someone.
"And you what, Rainbow Head?" he asked, a smile playing at his lips.
"I think you need to grow up and stop eavesdropping, Harlan Band," Catalina answered.
Harlan smiled. "I couldn't help it. You were walking straight into me and I forgot to turn my ears off."
That was so funny, Harlan."
"You know I try."
Breakfast and class was pretty uneventful. But free study turned out to be interesting.
Because that's when the Christa crossed into Sphinxian territory.
All of the crew had to report to the Command Post as Thelma explained that once the Sphinxians spotted them, they'd have to correctly answer a riddle in order to pass.
"What happens if we don't?" Bova asked.
"We will be destroyed," Thelma answered.
"Perfect," Commander Goddard said. "I don't suppose any of you were The Riddler in a previous existance?"
"If Suzee were here, she could answer it, no matter how tough," Catalina said.
Commander Goddard perked up a bit at this. "Your imaginary--"
"Invisible."
"Whatever. Suzee is good at riddles?"
"No," Catalina said.
"Then, how--?"
"She can read minds."
"Is there anything Suzee can't do?" Harlan asked.
"Breathe the vaccuum of space," Catalina replied with a shrug.
Not too long after that, the Christa was hailed by the Sphinxian leader.
"If you wish to pass, you must answer my riddle," he demanded. "I have tow arms, but fingers none. I have two legs, but cannot run. I can carry quite a load inside, but when I lift my legs, I can fly. What am I?"
"Group huddle," Commander Goddard ordered.
The crew and Thelm agot into a huddle to discuss the riddle.
"Any thoughts, Thelma?" Rosie asked.
"I was not programmed to be a riddle answerer," Thelma replied.
"It could be an airplane. You know, like the old ones on Earth?" Catalina suggested. "The wings could be the arms, and the legs could be the wheels. The people it carries could be the load, and it can't fly if the wheels are still down."
"That's good, Catalina," Miss Davenport said.
The rest of the crew agreed, so they broke out of the huddle and used Catalina's answer.
The Sphinxian leader smiled evilly. "They always say that."
The last thing any of the Christa crew saw was a blast of pure energy headed straight for them...
A/N: First of all, I'm tired. It's 2 in the morning, and my fingers hurt from typing. Yeah, I just wanted to complain because I can tell from reading this I should have just retired...but now I'm dedicated to finishing this, so I'll try. Now, my list I wrote...
1) Every first season episode has Catalina hve one conversation with Suzee, expect Desperately Seeking Suzee, where she has three. That's the only purpose of that convo...that, and I wanted some Harlan/Cat time before they were all destroyed.
2) I changed the riddle of the Sphinx because I think a few hundred years in the future, everyone will know the answer to the original.
3) I know Suzee can read minds as long as there's an image, but I don't think she can do so interdimensionally or else Cat would be too perfect by proxy, and that would suck.
What if Suzee and Catalina had never switched dimensions?
Catalina awoke with a start. The Saturnian rarely dreamed, but when she did these days, it was the same demented dream.
"Are you okay?" a cheerfully concerned voice asked.
Looking at her roommate, Catalina realized it was time to get up anyway. "Yeah, I'm fine," Catalina answered.
"You had the same dream again, didn't you?"
"Rosie, it's no big deal," Catalina replied.
"I know," Rosie said. "It's just that I'd hoped..."
"That I'd get over it?" Catalina suggested. "You try to get over almost being blown up--for the second time since we started this trip, might I add."
"Third, if you want to get technical. Don't forget the Ferna Herna!" Rosie replied.
"Oh, grozit no, Rosie, I wouldn't want to do that."
"You know I'm here if you want to talk, don't you Cat?" Rosie asked.
Catalina nodded. "We'd better get ready. I don't really need anymore demerits..."
"Catalina, you worry too much. If you had been on that ship when it blew up, I could have saved your life," Suzee said later as they walked to the Galley.
"I know," Catalina said. "But...that's what I was kind of worried about. I mean, you think Harlan's cute, and I--"
Catalina was cut off when she walked into someone.
"And you what, Rainbow Head?" he asked, a smile playing at his lips.
"I think you need to grow up and stop eavesdropping, Harlan Band," Catalina answered.
Harlan smiled. "I couldn't help it. You were walking straight into me and I forgot to turn my ears off."
That was so funny, Harlan."
"You know I try."
Breakfast and class was pretty uneventful. But free study turned out to be interesting.
Because that's when the Christa crossed into Sphinxian territory.
All of the crew had to report to the Command Post as Thelma explained that once the Sphinxians spotted them, they'd have to correctly answer a riddle in order to pass.
"What happens if we don't?" Bova asked.
"We will be destroyed," Thelma answered.
"Perfect," Commander Goddard said. "I don't suppose any of you were The Riddler in a previous existance?"
"If Suzee were here, she could answer it, no matter how tough," Catalina said.
Commander Goddard perked up a bit at this. "Your imaginary--"
"Invisible."
"Whatever. Suzee is good at riddles?"
"No," Catalina said.
"Then, how--?"
"She can read minds."
"Is there anything Suzee can't do?" Harlan asked.
"Breathe the vaccuum of space," Catalina replied with a shrug.
Not too long after that, the Christa was hailed by the Sphinxian leader.
"If you wish to pass, you must answer my riddle," he demanded. "I have tow arms, but fingers none. I have two legs, but cannot run. I can carry quite a load inside, but when I lift my legs, I can fly. What am I?"
"Group huddle," Commander Goddard ordered.
The crew and Thelm agot into a huddle to discuss the riddle.
"Any thoughts, Thelma?" Rosie asked.
"I was not programmed to be a riddle answerer," Thelma replied.
"It could be an airplane. You know, like the old ones on Earth?" Catalina suggested. "The wings could be the arms, and the legs could be the wheels. The people it carries could be the load, and it can't fly if the wheels are still down."
"That's good, Catalina," Miss Davenport said.
The rest of the crew agreed, so they broke out of the huddle and used Catalina's answer.
The Sphinxian leader smiled evilly. "They always say that."
The last thing any of the Christa crew saw was a blast of pure energy headed straight for them...
A/N: First of all, I'm tired. It's 2 in the morning, and my fingers hurt from typing. Yeah, I just wanted to complain because I can tell from reading this I should have just retired...but now I'm dedicated to finishing this, so I'll try. Now, my list I wrote...
1) Every first season episode has Catalina hve one conversation with Suzee, expect Desperately Seeking Suzee, where she has three. That's the only purpose of that convo...that, and I wanted some Harlan/Cat time before they were all destroyed.
2) I changed the riddle of the Sphinx because I think a few hundred years in the future, everyone will know the answer to the original.
3) I know Suzee can read minds as long as there's an image, but I don't think she can do so interdimensionally or else Cat would be too perfect by proxy, and that would suck.