Chapter 15
Stepping out

Lister sipped his tea and mulled the concept over.
"No I don't think we should wait." Was his answer to a question which was never asked.

The look on the Cat's face was that of a question mark, although both understood the unrequited reply. Wordlessly Lister started putting on his extra large, for preggos only, space suit. The one which comes with an extra zipper and belly helmet, like a turtle shell but worn on the front and built in to the suit.

The Cat disappeared only to reappear minutes later in his favorite gold space suit, with matching cufflinks and an extra large helmet, to assure his pompadour all the head room it truly deserved. The dark stretch of dinghy black material which creased around his shoulder pads attached themselves, behind, to a mining bazookoid slung neatly over his shoulder.
The Cat strutted up to Lister like a bitch queen in a beauty pageant and Lister was... well Lister. The Cat looked the pregnant Dave up and down, his giggling was only hidden by his airs of contempt.

"Can't you even try? A little?" The Cat questioned, earnest stamped on his face.

"Cat what is with you? You know the score. We're about to go for a stroll
down monster lane, in the million to one chance that we may find the only thing that can save my life and my two unborn babies. If we somehow manage to do that, then we have the minor problem of having lost contact with the Dwarf." Lister announced, trying to express the difficulties of their mission ahead. "We are not going down to the disco on the pull."

"O.K. be that as it may. But if we see anyone we know, or even someone we don't know, I am not with you. You understand that doo doo breath."

"Sure, I get the point." said Lister and picked up his bazookoid. "Come on let's get into the airlock."

"And we better make it quick. I feel a snooze coming on."
The airlock door closed in front of them, a hiss could be heard fill in
small room, then when the pressure was right the outside doors opened.
Although their space suits kept their interior temperature the same as within the craft, both felt a chill and an errie temperance filled their hearts.

"After you my good lady," said the Cat bowing deep at the waist,
his right hand in a sweeping forward motion.
Lister sighed. "Thanks a smeggen bunch." Pushing the Cat out of his
way with the body of the bazookoid he added, "Have you been taking lessons from Rimmer?"

"Listen grease stain. The only reason I'm even out here with you is to get away from Trans Am wheel arch nostrils. Going on a stroll through Monster Canyon with you is an extra bonus I could live without."
Lister walked on ahead as if he hadn't heard the Cat's last remarks.

As the Cat looked around he viewed wonders that Copernicus would have torn his eyes out for. A distant planetoid, another world, sure it only measured twelve miles across and five deep, but it was alive and dangerous.
Those same feline eyes that Cap would have really wanted to have, scanned something in the distance.

From the mountain range, that topped the far side of the rim of the giant crater the foot of which he stood at, to the deep valley created by a collision unknown millennium ago where a huge green gray mud geyser shimmered above the pool that had just stated forming about it's base. As though, somehow their presents started this action. Clearly this was a new geological development.

The Range in the distance reflected what little light there was on the asteroid in a deep orange glow. For some unknown reason this caused the
deep black of the sky to shimmer in purples and mauves. While the brother and sister asteroids of the belt danced throughout the sky going every which way. The Cat learned not to stare at the sight too long or be helplessly lost
in the game. Again.

In this dark desolate place a million miles form nowhere the Cat with his superior eyes spotted a glimmer in the distance beyond he geyser below the
orange mountain range. Tired as he was the Cat was going to keep this little tid bit of information to himself for the time being, and spring it on Lister when the time was right. Preferably after he had napped for a bit.
Lister clutched the bazookoid - the heavy portable rock blasting mining laser - to his chest, and checked again that the pack on his back was registering 'Full Charge'.

"What do you make of it Cat? See anything?" A note of tension filled
his voice.

"No," lied the Cat. "Now can we go back inside and nap a little. I for
one am not trudging through Fred here's discharge, all tuckered out."

"Fred? Questioned Lister, who the smeg is Fred?"

"This asteroid were on. It looks like a Fred."

"A Fred? The asteroid were on looks like a Fred. Have you gone completely noodle doodle," Lister using both hands to help explain his meaning. "Maybe an Albert on a good day. But never a Fred". Dave hesitated as thinking of something then repeated. "Never."

"Suit yourself monkey, I for one am done. The cat spelling it out for emphasis. "D-U-N. Done."
The two were about 50 yards from the ship when the scanner
on Lister's belt went off. BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.

"What the hell is that?" said the Cat jumping to Lister side holding on to his shoulder.

"Relax it's just the scanner," replied Lister. Removing the scanner from his belt, he was disheartened by the fact that he had to let go of his bazookoid to do this, he didn't want the Cat to know this.
Studying the scanner and adjusting it Lister stared down the lip of the crater which easily measured a mile across.

"It's coming from somewhere down there." Lister said pointing in the
general direction of a spewing mud geyser half way across the crater.

"Come on Cat we'll take a quick stroll in that direction," Lister pointed to the geyser, "and be back by nappy time. O.K.?"

"No kay!" Answered the Cat defying Lister, "This little kitty will not miss his early afternoon nap for you or for anyone." He said with an airs of indignation.

"If I did that I wouldn't have enough energy left for my main evening snooze." He turned around to face the ship arms folded, indicating the conversation was over.

"Fine have it your way" muttered LIster, and started to walk down the crater rim. Three steps down Listers right foot broke through the thin mantle of the crater's rim and fell completely through the upper crust,
like so much thin ice, into an underground river of hot gray green mud.
Before he knew what was happening he was sucked below the surface by the raging torrent of the mud river that was ice only an hour earlier.
The Cat turning back towards Lister suddenly found himself alone on an asteroid, his only companion within thousands of miles seemed to have vanished while he wasn't looking.

"This is a funny time for the monkey to want to play hide and seek," thought the Cat. "But if that's the way he wants it."

"Ollie Ollie Oxen Free. I'm coming to find you." hollered the Cat. one hand cupped by the helmet of his space suit. Then turned on his Cuban moon boots and headed in a bee line back to the Bug for a long overdue nap.

As he was curling up near one of the portable radiators the moment had come when a thought had crossed his mind, that perhaps Lister wasn't playing hide and seek. And that perhaps he could be in trouble and be in dire need of his aid at this very moment.
"Nah, that's just too far fetched" muttered the Cat, then fell directly to sleep.