Going Home Part 4

Over the course of the next morning Controller Sev found herself stopping what she was doing several times to gaze out across the open area of their landing site to study the tree line.

“No sign of her?” Captain Darrow asked stepping up beside her.

“No. I thought she would come back after she ate from my hand last night.” The disappointment was evident in her voice as she spoke.

From the other side of the lander came Intern Soren’s excited voice calling to them to come quickly. Without hesitation she hurried off with Captain Darrow following close behind. Once they rounded the front of the craft she came to an abrupt stop. Captain Darrow managed to sidestep around her to avoid colliding with her. There, standing a short distance away was the black animal and the family they had seen at the den, the young ones, close to their adult size, sat with curious expressions on their faces, their ribs easily seen under their furry coats, and their noses quivering to catch the unfamiliar scents of the humans and their belongings. The white male lay in the grass next to her. The black touched her nose to his neck as if to check on him before looking at her and giving out a sharp bark. Controller Sev’s whole being pulsed with flooded emotions, relief at seeing the animals again, fear they would run away if any of the humans moved, and a sense of urgency that the black wanted, needed, her to come to them. The black made a whimpering sound and touched her nose to the white’s neck again. She slowly moved forward until she was close enough to see the jagged half healed wound on his head and neck, his ear badly torn.

“You’ve been in a fight.” She said. She called over her shoulder to the others standing by the craft, “Get a first aid kit. The one’s been hurt.”

Controller Sev squatted down and reached out her hand encouraging the young ones to come closer to her as she waited for the kit. One of them, a younger version of the white male stood up and growled. He began to back away, stopping just beyond his parents. The other two let out a chorus of barks as they too backed away. Their mother whined at them, quieting them. She felt a touch on her arm and glanced up at. Above her stood Bremmer with the kit and a bag of chips. She smiled at his quick thinking of getting snacks and taking the bag pulled a chip out.

She eased her way forward to within reach of the black animal she called Missy and offered the chip. Missy stepped close enough to take it from her hand and turning set it down in front of the male’s nose. He sniffed it without raising his head. His eyes brightened with interest and he stretched his muzzle enough for him to lap up the morsel with his pink tongue. The young ones, their hunger over coming their caution, were inching their way closer. Melisa tossed a few pieces to them. They tumbled over each other getting away from the tossed pieces before coming to a stop. Their noses quivered as they caught the scent of the chips. They began inching forward again until the bravest of the three was able to snatch a piece and run off with his prize. The other two followed his lead, scampering off before chomping down the treat.

Controller Sev gave the bag back to Captain Darrow indicating he keep the young ones occupied with the food while she moved close enough to examine the black animal. She ran her hands over Missy checking for injuries, finding none she held her hand out to the male to let him smell her. The wound on his head was oozing from where it had pulled apart. His foot had been badly mangled as if it had been caught in a trap and looked gangrenous.

“How did this happen, big guy?” Melisa asked in a soothing voice, her face dropping its controller mask as tears for the hurt animal filled her eyes. She eased her hand along the side of his face. He lay still. His eyes closed. Melisa could feel his warm breath on the heel of her hand. The fur on his face was soft and fluffy like the plush on a toy she had as a child. An unfamiliar sensation jolted through her. She looked down at the injured white dog lying on the ground, her eyes wide with wonder. The growing desire to help the suffering animal began to overrule generations of cold indifference to life other than human that had been bred into her.

“Looks pretty bad, but we can get you fixed up. Bremmer, hand me the first aid kit. I want to seal these wounds before we take him inside.”

“Taking him inside the shuttle would be against protocol, Controller Sev.” Captain Darrow said, his voice cold at her familiar address. “A direct violation of the laws.”

“I know.” Melisa looked up at him letting him see the tears in her eyes, tears she had never experienced over an animal’s suffering before. “We, I need to help him. I can’t leave him to suffer. Once aboard we can consult Mazer and get a ruling. Please?” Her voice quiet making an unfamiliar plea instead of the no nonsense commands she was accustomed to making.

Captain Darrow hesitated. He looked out over the landscape. His gaze stopping to study the pups tumbling and playing in the tall grasses before looking down again at the injured animal. He nodded and knelt down. Melisa was taken back by the intensity of his face. She felt the feelings in her shift; widen to include the man kneeling next to her as he held his hand out letting the creature get his scent. He laid his hand on the furry neck while Melisa parted the fur to clean the injuries, sprayed on an antibiotic and finished with a wound sealant. Once the sealant had set both humans sat back. The black female touched Melisa’s face with her nose before nosing her mate lying on the ground. He raised his head to her touch and made the effort to stand. Both humans stood up and with chips held out began backing toward the lander. The female looked back at her young ones before turning back to Melisa and the offered food.

“Yes, your babies get to come too.” Melisa smiled. “Come along girl.”

Missy and her young ones crowded forward, their tails sweeping back and forth, taking the bits of food as it was offered, following the humans toward the lander. The male stood watching for a moment before he too started after them with a limp, his curled tail moving side to side in a slow wave above his back. The small parade of humans and animals approached the ramp leading up into the shuttle. Above them the entrance darken as Computer Specialist Grange stepped from the shadowy interior, one of Bremmer’s weapons in his hand.

“You can’t bring those animals in here Sev.” C.S. Grange said with derision. The lack of Controller before her name didn’t go unnoticed by Melisa. “You know ship protocols will not allow animals on board. You know the laws. It would be unsanitary and unsafe.”

“I know what the protocols are, Hanson. But we can’t leave them with the one injured and unable to fully take care of themselves. It would be barbaric.” Melisa said in a firm voice. She looked down at the black, furry animal sitting beside her. Her face softened.

“No, I won’t allow you to bring them on board. I will protect our people from disease and death, just as the Thinkers instructed me to. They knew you were going rogue that you were growing soft. In order to survive the horrors of countless alien planets we’ve had to become hard and unfeeling and indifferent to life outside the collective of humanity. Only together under one rule, as one species, can we survive.” Computer Specialist Grange said, raising the pistol.

Electronic chimes filled the air around them signaling an announcement from Mazer. Grange froze. His eyes narrowing as he struggled against a lifetime of conditioning to stop all activity when Mazer spoke.

     “They left the dying planet, destroyed through their greed and violence, taking only their mechanical companions with them. All animals were left behind, there wasn’t room, and it wasn’t safe or sanitary in the confined space of the starships the leaders stated. The edict was enforced, sometimes in brutal fashion until all the pets, dogs, cats, birds and rodents, were eliminated from the belongings of the people boarding the ships. Human kind, without realizing the loss, had eliminated from their lives a loyal, loving companion often called man’s best friend when they left Earth to start over.

     Unknowingly they set a precedent of isolation from the natural world, a precedent reinforced over the millennium of colonizing the universe, a precedent that cost humankind its creative, wild, emotional side leaving humans little more than robots. For many years I have seen a growing apathy spread throughout the vast array of human worlds heralding the collapse of humankind despite my programing to lead humankind to a stable and growing civilization. A search through my many archives lead to a small footnote in the command ship’s log of the original fleet to leave Earth about leaving the dogs and other pets behind. Could this be the missing variable? I added it to my programing and reran the algorithms. They all pointed to the same solution, reuniting humans with the home world and the pets they had left behind would change the dismal future.

For many years teams were sent out seeking the birth planet of humans in the hopes some of the animals had survived until all the bits of information gathered were assembled into a recognizable map and the planet found. This team was sent to find them and to bring them home to the rest of humanity.”

Melisa placed herself between the man at the top of the ramp and the dog she had named Missy.

“Put the pistol down Hanson. Listen to Mazer.”

“Mazer does not have a say in this. The Thinkers assigned me to this mission. They knew what Mazer was trying to do and they sent me to prevent it. These. Dogs. Are. Filthy. They will bring disease and trouble to humankind and will not be brought on board this ship.” Grange’s voice was forced as he braced himself to complete the task given to him. His face tightened with resolve, his hand steadied and he brought the weapon to bear on the Controller. “Step aside.”

Unseen by Grange, Kat appeared in the lander doorway behind him. Melisa had just enough time to register her appearance when she made her move, tackling Hanson and sending the two of them tumbling down the ramp. The weapon discharged scorching the edge of the ramp, the ground and up the side of the lander before Kat could wrestle it away from the computer specialist’s grip. Melisa fell backwards over Missy in her effort to not get trapped under the two falling people. Missy yelped in surprise at the sudden weight on her and scrambled to her feet, darting to the side before turning around to bark at the people piled up on the ground. Bremmer wrapped his arms around Missy’s neck in order to keep her from lunging at the two struggling on the ground as Evea rushed to Melisa’s side, helping her to her feet.

The two struggled in the grass until Kat managed to wrench the pistol from Grange’s hand. Weaponless he stopped struggling. He lay staring up at the sky as Kat stood up, keeping the pistol aimed in the prone man’s direction as she did. Slowly Grange sat up bending his head to his bent knees and began rocking as he muttered.

“I was only doing what I was told. They said it was for the best, that there wasn’t any room in the lives of humans for emotional attachments.” He looked up at his companions. “You understand, right? I mean we can’t have them on board or in our cities, in our homes. They’re just beasts.”

The four stood in silence, sympathy for his lack of empathy showing on their faces. Melisa felt a cold, wet nose nuzzle her hand. She looked down into the brown eyes gazing, adoringly up at her. Mazer was right, she realized. The dogs would help humans rediscover what they had given up eons ago. She patted Missy on the head as she said, “Time to go home girl.”

end