Monthly Drawing 17b: Unexpected Delays

It was the snowboarders’ fault, really.

If not for them, Haley would not have been flying that particular route back to Fairbanks. Another resupply for the ‘boarders and their film crew. Food and an inordinate (for her Beaver’s center of gravity) PBRs. 

Stupid snowboarders. 

Then, about an hour into the flight home, the master caution light came on alerting her to the last thing a pilot wants to see: LOW OIL.

Crap. 

If there was one thing good about snow-covered tundra, it was that there was nearly always an emergency field nearby. She chose a spot, put the plane on final then shut down the engine and feathered the prop. The Beaver responded as usual, handling as well in a glide as though she’d been under power.

Touchdown was, thankfully, uneventful. Haley performed her shut down checklist as usual (she was a stickler), pulled on her down vest and hopped outside She was about to open the cowling when she noticed the cub. 

Crap.

Fighting panic, she scanned around. Getting between a momma polar bear and her cub was so dangerous it was not even to be joked about. But, except for the cub, there was nothing as far as she could see. 

Okay. 

Still nervous she turned back to the engine when something else caught her eye. Just in front of her starboard ski was a green and magenta ball. A kid’s toy. Just sitting here in the middle of nowhere. How was this even possible? she thought. She looked up as though searching for the other plane that had dropped it, then reached down to pick it up. 

It was heavier than she expected, about the weight of a bowling ball and as hard as one, too. Slowly, it began to vibrate as though there was a machine of some kind inside. She turned it back and forth looking for a catch or opening but.

There was a crunch of snow behind her and she turned. The cub was only a couple of meters away.

Crap.

Suddenly, with a click, the ball stopped humming. It startled her enough to distract her from the cub. Then, two of the magenta circles opened up. Haley stood dumbfounded as two needle-tipped tentacles shot out with startling speed; one towards her, and one towards the cub.

Shit.

For what seemed like and eternity, Haley couldn’t move. Then, her body began to vibrate. For a moment she wondered if she was being electrocuted. But, the vibration turned to an almost comforting warmth and she closed her eyes. Then, she had a feeling like a whole-body sneeze and a sound like

PLOOF!

and the tearing of fabric filled her head. She felt the ball slip from her hands and heard it thump on the snow. It seemed to take forever for it to hit. 

Strange.

She felt oddly heavy. Her feet felt swollen and her teeth fit together strangely.  Slowly, Haley opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was her nose. It was huge. And furry. It was a white mass that filled her vision. She brought her hands up to touch it to see if it was real and found her hands were also huge. And furry. And clawed. Her hands were now massive paws. Wondering why she was not panicking, she flexed her new appendage. Though clumsier, she still had a working thumb. Albeit a thumb with a three-inch claw attached. 

She as still studying her paws when she felt something press against her belly. For an instant, the feeling reminded her of when her toddler niece hugged her. Tentatively she looked down. Past her now expansive chest. Past the rows (!) of heavy breasts. Past her protruding belly.

To a small face looking up at her expectantly. 

Crap.