OUTWORLD: Sea Dog

OUTWORLD: Sea Dog Part 1

14th APRIL 7072, PLANET OMARIL, CORE REPUBLIC

Omaril – a temperate world of wide-open fields, forests, low hills and lakes.

It was a world ideal for Dogs, and so it had been colonized over the years by members of that very species. As of the most recent Core population count, Omaril was home to a ten-point-seven billion-strong population, all of it Dog save for the odd outworlder, and two-point-nine billion of it was concentrated in the planetary capital of Bluepoint.

It was in Bluepoint on a typically cloudy – and intermittently rainy – day that two of Omaril's more recently-born residents were sat at a table in the cafeteria of the Esther Ballard Educational Academy for Pups, discussing the most pertinent issues of the day. "So, I hear Denzil Rickert likes you," one of the two, a petite Whippet cross, said to the other.

The other, a tall Husky that completed the pairing's mismatched appearance, yawned and rubbed her eyes with her oversized paws, trying to marshal her wayward mind. She replied to the statement with a groggy mumble. "Huh?"

The Whippet tittered. "Michelle Pow, gold in the Daydreaming Olympics." She snuffled. "I said Denzil likes you."

Michelle frowned. "Please, Coco. He calls me 'Mile-high Michelle'."

Coco laughed. "Aw, that's just 'cos he likes ya." She puckered her muzzle and made kissing noises.

Michelle snorted. "Yeah, well, I hate him. He's stupid." She reached into her book bag and withdrew a beef bar, noting its flavour with distaste. "Ugh, not Peppercorn again. Momma always gets me the same flavour!" She turned to Coco helplessly. "I keep telling her, get me prime rib!" She slammed the offending item on the table and sighed.

Coco was riffling about in her own bag; she lifted her muzzle and smiled at Michelle. "What was that flavour again?"

Michelle squealed as Coco slid the prime rib-flavour beef bar along the table. "Oh, Cokes! Thank you!" She did away with the wrapper and snarfed the bar in two bites. "Mmmmmmm!"

Coco chortled and cleared her throat. "So, uh, you watching Scrap Alphas tonight, or Fetcher's Fee?" Both were shows about deep space salvagers; Michelle and Coco were avid fans.

Michelle licked her muzzle. "Scrap Alphas. It's got that cute Collie in it."

"The one that looks like Grady?" Coco made a show of swooning.

Michelle swooned with her. "You know, I've been thinking of telling him I think he's so cute."

Coco looked uncertain. "Hmm. I hear he's going out with Ice."

Michelle blinked, perplexed. "Uh, what?"

Coco leaned in a little. "He's going out with Jellie Cootman."

Michelle scratched at her ear, the sudden surge of nervousness ebbing off, and looked over at the clock on the near wall. "Lunch break's nearly over, Cokes."

Coco nodded. "Yeah. Let's get to class."

It was Life Sciences with Miss Hillyard next. As if I didn't have enough trouble staying awake already, Michelle thought morosely as she and Coco shuffled into their seats. Miss Hillyard was already writing on the vid-board, copying from a textbook. Michelle set about doodling on hers.

She looked up, and saw that the teacher had written a single word on the board.

ICE.

Michelle gasped and blinked. The board was covered in boring Life Sciency writing.

Michelle moaned and buried her muzzle in her paws. She wasn't surprised that she was seeing and hearing things. Her parents had had yet another pup recently, and his howling and pining were keeping everyone up at night. On top of that, her two younger sisters wouldn't give a her a minute's peace. Last week, Michelle had fallen asleep in class, and had awoken with a loud snort that reduced her fellow students to hysteria. Just another thing on the Long List of Reasons to Be Insecure, Michelle thought grumpily. Right after Deep Voice, Big Paws, Stupid Scruffy Haircut, and Gawky Build.

Miss Hillyard cleared her throat. "Right. Michelle."

Michelle looked up. First for questions. That was typical. Being the tallest in class meant that she was the most visible. "Yes, miss?"

"What can you tell me about ice?" Miss Hillyard asked her.

Michelle felt panic clawing at her. "What?"

Coco gripped her arm. "Ice, Michelle!"

Michelle gasped. "Ice!"

"Ice!" Michelle woofed as clouds of freezing vapour engulfed her. "Help! Where am I?"

She pounded at the steel tube around her, trying to find a way out. "Let me out! Help me! Please!" She felt herself begin to hyperventilate. "I can't breathe! Help me!"

A loud bleeping noise invaded her quivering ears, and a section of the tube swung open; Michelle scrambled to get out, but her legs weren't working, and she went sprawling onto the hard floor outside. She yelped in pain as she landed hard on her paws, and curled into a furry ball as she fought to remain conscious.

She looked up, seeing tall blurry shadows gathering round her. Muted, muffled noise – voices. "Rafferty, get a therm-pack!" one of the voices was saying. "She's going into hiber-shock!"

Michelle's panic began to fade as her consciousness waned, and she felt her eyelids pulling shut. Great first day on the job, salvager, she thought as the darkness claimed her mind.