Mercy?

JP with Omni, Jaxx, and redsword_7

Meow?

"Mimi!", Roku cried happily, bending down and petting the cat which arched its neck into her hand affectionately and did a little turn in place.

Jensen walked over to Roku and pet Mimi. "Oh I love cats!"

Capt. Kenny watched in shock as the crew completely dropped their guard with the cat. Then Kenny spoke up as Jensen tried to pet the cat, "Am I the only one here questioning why that cat is acting normal right now? Everyone is in an EVA suit for a reason and as I recall animals have acute senses so why is that cat not freaking out from the stale air or the smell of alien blood? Also there is movement on A Deck port side corridor and air scrubbers shaft. The parasite from before has ceased movement and is no longer pinging on the display. The pinging seems glitchy and is bouncing around. I believe that since the parasite has a different DNA it may not register in the scanners properly. Maybe the scientists there can scan the dead alien later on to improve the scans or something while they are working on bombs".

"Poor thing... He's so tired. He's been in Cryo with the others.” Roku knelt beside the cat and inspected him. "Don't worry, Captain... I'm going to euthanize him."

"Aw really? That sucks. Poor kitty.", Jensen moaned.

Ogai frowned, "No! Don't do that, are you insane? It's not done anything."
He then sighed, "Just because it hadn't reacted doesn't mean something bad. And Captain, respectfully speaking, I don't wanna listen to your judgment while you sit on a ship that's safe."

Capt. Kenny then replied, "Safe? You seem to have a big misunderstanding that any of us are safe, Asahi. It's clear these parasites are responsible for several dead members of the Cronus crew already. As we all recall, Vera saw something walking on the outside of the Cronus earlier. If these parasites can survive in space, then what is stopping them from making their way to the Montero as we speak? By the time you get back, Paddy and I could very well be dead, or hosts to 2 new parasites. So when you are feeling judged or resentful of me do keep in mind, my job is to complete my mission while keeping my crew alive and safe. Now I know I may come off as cold and logical, but I will continue to point out the stuff you all seem to miss so you can live a bit longer."

“The cat will die anyway from suffocation if we don’t do something," replied Dr Flynn.
“Either from suffocation or one of those... parasites... So far there has been a 100% chance of that happening to anyone who was not inoculated. Euthanizing him is a mercy. I’m telling you, check Cooper’s belongings. There’s no way he took the shot.”

“Well, if we’re going to kill it, let’s bloody well get it over with.”, Clayton said, exasperated.

Roku put a hand on Asahi Ogai’s shoulder. “The last thing I want is to lose another life. If we want to save him, we need to find Cooper’s injection. I don't know if it will work but that's the only choice we have for a cat.”

Ogai looked at Roku for a moment before nodding, "Fine. I will”. He sighed before replying back to the Captain, "Captain, nothing will come to our ship. And if it does, with all due respect, I hope it gets you first." Ogai snickered slightly and then asked, "Where's the injection? Where should I look first?"

Flynn shrugged. “It’s either on his person... which I’d rather not check myself... or it’s somewhere among his things in the wardrobe room just past the examination room.”

"Alright, wardrobe room it is then. I'm not checking his body. Not yet." he swallowed, "What direction is the wardrobe room?"Ogai asked.

“Just back through there. I apologize, I didn’t get your names, but your synthetic can show you.” Flynn said.

"Thanks. And uh, she's Vera. My name is Asahi. I hate being referred to by my surname so you won't be getting told that."

He glanced at Vera before making his way back.
Kenny replied, "Duly noted, Ogai."

Asahi sighed and shook his head at the Captain's comment. He looked around the wardrobe for Dr Cooper's belongings and indeed did find a syringe within the locker. It contained a dark liquid. Turning it over a few ways, he studied it and frowned, mumbling, "This might be it. I have no clue how this stuff works or what it even looks like..."

He walked back with Vera, holding the syringe delicately. Looking to Roku, he asked, "Is this it? It's the only one I could find..."

“Dr. Flynn?”Roku looked to the medic of the Cronus.

Flynn nodded, "That’s the stuff. You sure we want to waste this on a cat though?"
Asahi looked at Roku, "I-I won't cast judgment on what you use it on. It's not my call..."

"Asahi, I know the captain can be a... Can be difficult, but is this the BEST use of our resources? I love cats but we can't KNOW it will work on the cat and maybe someone else could use it.", Jensen said.

“No offense, Dr Flynn. I’m not giving that to my sister, nor myself. And I wouldn’t administer it to my crew without knowing more about what’s in it. Ogai... sorry, Asahi, if you’ll take Tsuki again. I’ll inoculate Mimi.”, Roku said politely.

She helped Tsuki back into the harness on Asahi's back and went over to the cat, whom everyone else was literally avoiding like the plague at that point.
Roku sat down, held the cat in her lap, and grabbed it by the scruff of its neck. She then injected half of the contents of the syringe into the area between the cat's shoulder blades. Mimi gave a small meow, then jumped away, huddling into a corner.
"Sorry, baby." she said.

Capt. Kenny said, "Whatever you did caused some movement. The glitching pings from the air scrubber shaft have now moved into the port side ventilation shafts and are moving closer to the Cryo 3 chamber. Prepare yourselves. "

"Well, damn, break time is over," said Roberts getting up. "Ok, I will cover the window. Kirby, the vent. You see clear movement, flame it. And someone get the cat before it gets killed.", he ordered. "After this, we are going to run for it. I am done waiting for them."

He looked into the corridor leading to the broken window.

"I don't think the corridor in front of Cryochamber 3 has ventilation shafts to it. If they come to this chamber we move there and hope for the best. OK! Weapons up and point at a shaft or Corridor window."

"Alright, off your asses. You heard the man." Reyes said to the crew of the Cronus. Johns, you got this? I need your eyes open."

"Let's all just move to the corridor and lock the hatch behind us." Roberts moved leading with his shotgun and light. Covering the open window as he walked forward staying on overwatch.

Suddenly, Captain Kenny lost the communications feed.

Dr Flynn, being unarmed, held the cat and huddled up into the line of crew members exiting the Cryo 3 chamber. Vera kept the Incinerator aimed at the vent. She could hear the vague sound of metallic skittering as something approached the chamber from inside the vents. The iris of the ventilation duct opened and a massive swarm of swift, pale spiders emerged from the hole, flooding out onto the walls and the floor.