The Human Pet: A Sci-Fi Romance

Part 8

Tarak

"I noticed your pet didn't come when you called," Loviatar says as if amused.

My pet is gazing upward at the butterflies that fly overhead. I sink my hand into her hair. She presses against me, leaning into the touch. Everything about my pet is delightful.

"I just got her. I'll train her," I say, putting my pet on the floor next to the other human.

"Let me give you my advice as a fellow human pet owner. Besides getting her evaluated by Hydra's veterinary unit since we don't want strange pets bringing aboard the next plague..."

In excruciating detail, he tells me about several types of parasites and plagues that pets carry.

My pet is perfect! How dare he suggest that she would be the source of disease?

Although liquid did leak from her eyes, so maybe taking my pet later to Hydra's veterinary unit for an evaluation is prudent.

The two humans are on the floor, side-by-side, like good proper pets. Mine is vocalizing while his pet looks so inattentive with glassy, blank eyes.

Loviatar is still blathering. If I were visiting this park alone, I would have long gone, but my pet has the chance to interact with one of her kind, so...

Suddenly, my pet shrieks, shaking Loviatar's pet. Reflexively, I put my hand on the back of her neck to calm her. She yells louder.

Other scourges glance at us.

Loviatar hisses at me. "Get her in control! It is against Hydra's rules. Pets cannot distress other pets."

I'm confused. Pets are beasts; hollering and yelling and getting distressed is what they do. Why should it be wrong for a pet to do what is only natural?

I growl. "I do not care about other pets."

Loviatar points a long finger at a scourge attired in a brown Hydra uniform covered with ridiculous bright-colored patches. "I'm just letting you know because if the park ranger believes you are breaking pet-care laws, he will ticket you."

I bang my tail in annoyance. "Why should I care?"

"Because the penalties range from fines to seizing and destroying pets."

Destroying pets?

The ranger is indeed sternly watching us.

I pull my screaming pet into my lap. "They can do that?"

"One in five pets never adapts to living aboard the Hydra and must be destroyed, so park rangers are on the constant lookout for maladapted and ill pets," he says, glancing at my pet.

"I can't lose this pet. I only just got her," I say, protectively placing my hand over the back of her collar and spreading my fingers out.

"Then quiet her," he says and when I don't do anything, he seizes his pet and holds his pet in his lap. "There are maneuvers to control humans. Watch and learn." From behind, he wraps his arm around his pet's neck. His pet's face reddens.

My pet screams louder, probably frightened by what is happening in front of us. This seems like a harsh reprimand to a pet, but the ranger is walking toward us.

I must protect my pet. I will not have her seized or destroyed, so I give her a stern warning and when she doesn't stop, I wrap my hand around her throat. Unlike Loviatar, I keep the pressure light. Her eyes widen but she immediately quiets.

Does my pet know I will not hurt her?

I rub my thumb in tiny circles over the divot in her throat. "Stay quiet pet," I say, leaning my forehead against hers.