Critters? Indeed...

Who: Zodar and EveWhere: A hallway somewhereA conscience is a terrible thing to have, especially when you have to risk serious injury to clear it. Zodar had been stressing all day about how Cyd was acting. People could have misinterpreted what happened and if word got to Eve, he could be in serious trouble. The only sure way to set things straight was to talk to her about it. Get it out in the open. Be totally honest and tell her the truth, that Cyd was just a workmate and there was nothing suspicious going on between them.And if that didn't work, get down to some serious butt kissing. A gift wouldn't go down too badly either.Zodar walked out of his room, down the hallway and into the lift, putting the gift in his pocket."Hol, where is Eve Rimmer?" Said Zodar, sounding more like a computer command than a question."Travelling Starboard-bound on the habitation deck." Replied Holly, who had projected himself on a screen in the lift. Zodar entered the habitation deck on the controls for the lift and it started with an electronic hum."Travelling? How fast?" Zodar continued the conversation."She appears to be Death Marching, dude." Holly replied in his monotone manner."Death Marching? Hmm... Well, I'll have to catch up.""No need mate. You should see her as you get out of the lift." Said Holly."Thanks Hol." Chris concluded as the lift doors opened and just as Holly had said, Eve passed the lift, but didn't notice Zodar.Zodar ran out and called out to her, "Eve! Eve!"Eve let out a small surprised "eep!", stopped in mid-step, then spun around quickly.She appeared to be very angry and very stressed, but upon seeing Zodar her body visibly relaxed a bit.Zodar ran forward to give her a big hug, but she just stood there with an annoyed look on her face."What's wrong Eve?" Zodar asked, taking her hand."Nothing. You don't want to know. I'll be fine." She said through clenched teeth, even though she was still enjoying the touch of Zodar's hand and the sound of his voice.After a few moments, Zodar began to speak again."Eve, I have something to tell you."Eve looked Zodar directly in the eyes."What?" She asked. She half knew what he was going to say by the tone of his voice."It's about the new engineer.""Cyd.""Oh, so, um, I guess you've heard of her...""I've not only heard of her, I've also seen her; With you."Inside Zodar's head, one word echoed over and over....crap, crap, crap, crap, crap...Zodar was about to speak when Eve cut him off."You bastard! You think I wouldn't have found out?!""Eve, this is all just a misunderstanding. Cyd is, well, playful."Eve said nothing, pulled out her gun and raised it to point at Zodar's head.Her eyes had turned dark red. Like they were filled with blood or something."Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hurt you very badly right now." Eve said in a controlled, yet spine tingling, manner. It didn't sound like the Eve Zodar knew at all. He stepped back. This was freaking him out."Whoa... Eve! Listen to me, I'm trying to tell you the truth! I can understand that you would be pissed off about it. Hell, I would be too. But the fact is that I thought she was just being friendly. Now that I think about it, yeah, she was flirting. I'm incredibly sorry. I shouldn't have let it happen, I'm so sorry! Honey, I can't explain myself very well with a gun in my face..."Eve lowered the gun. Her eyes turned back to normal."Here, I have a gift for you." Said Zodar, who turned around to pull the gift out of his pocket.Instead, something fuzzy dropped from out of the vent above him, landing in his hands.He turned around quickly, handing the fuzzy creature to Eve, saying "Hey, look at this it just...""Oh, Chris, you shouldn't have!" Eve said in a happier voice.She had a look at it and handed it back to Zodar."I didn't.""What?""Hey! Look at how cute it is! Yeah! He's all fuzzy and cute and stuff... Yay!"Zodar handed it back."No, when I said you shouldn't have, I meant it. Ares wouldn't like it very much."Eve gave the creature back."But perhaps Ares and this little guy can be friends!" Zodar said, handing the fuzzball back to Eve."Chris, I don't want it.""Ok, ok..."Eve looked down to put her gun away, but when she looked up again she started giggling."Ok. What is it?" Chris asked."Nice hat."Chris noticed that there was now another creature. Sitting on his head. He quickly hid the original one behind his back so Eve wouldn't get suspicious. He tilted his head back and the cute, fuzzy creature walked onto Zodar's forehead and sat there looking at him, smiling cutely.He gave a weak laugh, "Yeah, hehe, he sits up there all the time." He took it off his head with his remaining hand, "He likes the view."Something touched Eve's leg and caused her to look down quickly. It was only a scutter that had brushed her leg on it's way down the hall.While she wasn't looking, yet another creature dropped onto Zodar's head.Zodar hid the second creature behind his back with the first one. They proceeded to play together in Zodar's hands.She looked back to see the third cute thing trying to keep it's footing on the side of Zodar's head and it was loosing the battle."Chris... How did it get back up there?""I..." Zodar started, but before he could speak, there was a rumble from the vent above him."Uh oh." Zodar said quietly to himself...From the vent poured hundreds of thousands of the cute little fuzzballs, all landing on Zodar and stampeding down the hallway. They may be little, but when there's this many, they weigh a lot.The weight pinned him to the floor, and he lost sight of Eve because he was covered in the little creatures.<TAG!>