She crouched behind some port scrap, ears swiveling, red eyes wide and round under the coated lenses of her protective goggles. The bay was black and quiet, but for the tiny ripples caused by the low resonance of the gravity drives. Pearl counted the ships, there were seven, each with its own shimmering high voltage electro-static field. The closest disc was twenty yards from the dock and glowing like an oversized bugzapper. Pearl judged the distance curling and uncurling her tail with anxiety, if she landed wrong it could mean instant electrocution. She felt the familiar tingle of excitement play lightly over her skin before settling comfortably in her crotch.

The albino Space Puma pulled a small strap on pack from her shoulders, unzipped it and poured out its contents on the dock. One pair Polyclear underwear with holsters, twin akimbo turbo taser compact pistols, one pair glossy black six-inch platform heels fully insulated, non-conductive. One 64-oz tungsten tail ring. She threw the pack into the shambles and slipped into her panties. The plastic was tight and it took a little time and a lot of contortions to squeeze in and button up. The extra weight of the tail ring gave the feeling of added security making Pearl feel more confident, she packed her pistols and buckled on her shoes, they would protect her from some 60,000 volts, unless she fell, sprawling on her ass and was consequently cooked.

She put the thought out of her mind and braced one heel against a nearby piling. This was it. She pushed off with a force that caused the wood to squeal and crack in protest, the humid night air hummed past her ears and her feet made sharp rhythmic snaps as she picked up speed, every muscle was straining in anticipation of the momentous leap. It lasted less than a second, but in that airborne instant Pearl felt a kind of pleasure and satisfaction only comparable to multiple orgasm.

The jump from ground to ship was a symbolic thrill representing the experience of the great escape to space and strange mysterious worlds that embodied the restless spirit of legendary Space Puma wanderlust. Impact however was sudden and jarring, legs spread, knees bent, Pearl sat crouching, the soles of her feet stinging, tail sprained, gulping air, slightly dizzy, ears ringing, every hair on her body was standing on end from the static field making her feel like a bloated barrel cactus. "God, what a rush." was all she managed to hiss from between her tightly clenched teeth. After a few seconds of recovery time Pearl took hold of her limp tail and cautiously inched her way to the top of the ship where the primary cargo port was accessible.