Supply Pipe 28

"Here, kitty kitty"

Supply Pipe 28 was a narrow series of winding tunnels, walkways, passageways and steep drops aboard the massive JMC mining spaceship Red Dwarf. Supply Pipe 28 led deep into the vast cargo hold, beyond the "supervision field" of Holly.

Supply Pipe 28 led close to the Red Dwarf engines, but was apparently the only part of the ship that was not wholly irradiated for three million years.

This was presumably where Dave Lister's pet cat Frankenstein was safely hiding during the radiation leak, and three million years later was still home to two of the Felis sapiens descended from Frankenstein - the Cat, who had presumably spent his childhood in Supply Pipe 28, and the Cat Priest.

Appearances

The first appearance of the Cat

In the pilot episode, the Cat was first seen emerging from Supply Pipe 28 into the human-occupied areas of the ship, throwing off the grate, jumping down and doing a somersault. ("The End", Series I)

During the early years after Lister came out of stasis, the Cat would often disappear down Supply Pipe 28 into regions unknown for long periods of time. Lister followed Cat down there once, and tried to entice Cat from out of the Supply Pipe by shouting that his Krispies were "getting warm". Lister went deeper into the Supply Pipe, falling down a tunnel and painfully through a perspex grate, angrily exclaiming that he was going to "turn the Cat into a kebab" for leading him down there.

At the end of the Supply Pipe, Lister found the Cat Priest's Chamber furnished with things from the Cat people's (Felis sapiens) culture; such as the holy hats with arrows through, doughnut ring hats, and the holy hot dogs which were intended for Fuchal. The furnishings all had Lister's "holy curry and custard stains." There was also small feline figurines (perhaps depicting Frankenstein, the "Holy Mother," Lister's old pet and progenitor of Felis sapiens), surrounded by candles.

Within the chamber was an elderly, blind and dying Cat Priest, whom had been left there as the other Cats left in the Cat Arks. The Cat wasn't interested, only wanting to talk about his "investigating feet". Lister was able to help the Cat Priest die in peace by pretending to be Cloister the Stupid. ("Waiting for God", Series I)

Gallery

Lister shouts down the pipeline

Entering the walkways of Supply Pipe 28

Lister falling through a plexiglass window

Deeper into Supply Pipe 28

Through the dusty, cob-webbed tunnels

Peeking into the Cat Priest's Chamber

Hello there fellas, I'm back

The Cat and the Cat Priest in the Chamber

The Cat Priest is nearing death, Cat isn't interested

This is a fearsome hat!

It is I, Cloister!

As the Cat Priest dies, Lister pretends to be Cloister the Stupid

Did I ever tell you about my investigating feet? One time, there was this old man...

Trivia

• It is likely that the Cat was raised by the Cat Priest here, or at least spent a lot of time there, especially since the Cat Priest asks where Cat has been when for long periods away when he has been hanging around with the humans. It is also possibly the original home of other Felis sapiens, such as The Idiot, The Cripple, Zural, and Ora.
• The Red Dwarf Engine Core noises were loudest in Supply Pipe 28, especially along the walkways, than anywhere else on-board; revealing that the normal, background hum of the ship actually sounds like clapped-out banging closer to the three million year-old engines.
• Cat would eventually acquire his own sleeping quarters, although this would not be until eleven series later.

Behind the scenes

• Craig Charles hurt his Achilles tendon filming the Supply Pipe scene, as revealed by the cast commentary for the episode on the Series I DVD.