A zoo? Huh. Jim looks the place over as they step inside the gates. He and Crookshanks aren't the only visitors, though the foot traffic is light enough that it doesn't feel overly crowded. The animals on display seem to come from all sorts of planets and universes - some Earth animals, he recognizes, and is that a griffon in one pen? The Vulcan le-matyas, as well, are something that catch his attention. Others are wholly unfamiliar: a neon-colored plantlike creature that floats on the breeze, an amphibious creature whose anatomy is so bizarre and eldritch that it actually physically hurts to look at, a tiny furry creature that moves so fast he can't see anything more than its color.

It's fascinating stuff, and he makes a mental note to come back sometime. But sightseeing isn't in the cards today. They have a mission to complete, and no idea when the deadline is.

"Come on," he says out loud to the kneazle. "They've got to have a reptile section someplace, right?"