Our Pet by S M Matthews

Author:S M Matthews [Matthews, S M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-08-09T04:00:00+00:00

PATE

It’s early the next morning, Maisy showered again and then left to find clean clothes and breakfast. The station came within comms at some point during the night, and they hailed us a message. We should be within broadcast distance and I open a channel and wait for one of the station managers to pick up. This isn’t usual protocol, we would get permission to dock once we were close enough, and that would be the only contact with the station we would have prior to arrival.

We supply, we trade, we leave. That’s it.

I’m in my quarters, mindlessly watching the colourful blob dash about the screen, indicating that I’m waiting for a connection to be made. We are still about two days travel out. I hope quietly that the station managers have not changed. The screen lights up, and I see that it hasn’t.

“Greetings, Micka”

“And to you Pate”

I nod, but say no more. I will let him tell me what this is about. Micka is a fair and reliable male, and he has two good brothers on the station with him. I have had dealings with them for a few cycles now, whilst we've been travelling. They have never once made comment on us, as so many have in the past. His trade has always been fair, and his concern for those in his care has always been at the front of his thoughts.

It’s enough that I have respect for them. As I expected, he does not play with the fishes but gets right to the point.

“Our long-range scanner picked up a fourth life form travelling with you. I have my suspicions as to what it is, but the scanner is not quite detailed enough at this distance to be sure.”

I sigh, this has come a lot faster and harder than I thought it would. I do not want any difficulties for Maisy, but if they have already detected her from this distance, there is no course but being truthful. I had hoped that they would dismiss the fourth reading as another one of Tark’s pets, but apparently not. And if he has his suspicions, he may have already run into another human. That gives me a sliver of hope, Abner has told me that Maisy showed some concern over what may have happened to the other humans, maybe Micka has some information on them. That hope gets crushed as quickly as it appeared, if he knows something, he might know how to get them home. I will not be allowing Maisy to leave us, but there's nothing for it now. I have to hope that Micka and his pack are truly how I’ve always thought of them.

I transmit the first scan Tark took of Maisy when she came aboard. Micka sits back in his chair and then leans forward again, ears both pricked forward. “Does she look like this?” The screen splits and an image comes up, very long dark hair, with small face peeking out of it, she’s clothed much more appropriately than Maisy is, wearing what looks to be a heavily adjusted uniform.

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