The Human Pet: A Sci-Fi Romance

Part 40

Tarak

I'm stuck in a meeting. My boss is telling us about future missions we might do. Missions, I support. My crew and I are good at dominating the other creatures we encounter, and it is what we need to keep us balanced. Why just talk about missions for an hour when we could schedule and go on one?

When the meeting goes into another hour, I can't help it. My fingers slip and I tap my wrist unit. A tiny image of Rigel's office appears.

Why can't I see my pet?

I'd given Rigel a few, simple instructions earlier today, which were: 1) properly take care of my pet and 2) keep the camera on her so that I could check in on her throughout the day. When I squint, it looks like... a sideways door?

My fingers twitch. I need to see my pet so I can confirm she is well-fed, hydrated, and not dying from neglect. The moment my boss announces the meeting is over, I run down the hallway to Rigel's office.

I need to see my pet and punish a certain bird for failing.

***

I burst into Rigel's lobby.

Rigel is seated with a scourge I recognize, the private that told me about the park. This scourge must own the glowy butterflies because one sits on his shoulder while another ten flutter around the room. My Kayla has spent hours chasing and playing with those creatures.

I ignore everyone, even batting away some of those butterflies fluttering around the lobby and I go straight into Rigel's office. At first glance, everything looks normal. My pet's pillow and bowls are still in the room, although I do not see my pet. Maybe she is hiding? I make myself quiet, hoping to at least hear her heartbeat or breathing, but there's nothing.

Rigel had one responsibility, to guard and care for the most important thing in my world.

I return to the lobby, my fists clenching. "Where is she?!"

"I'm in the middle of an appointment, Commander Tarak."

My tail lashes, overturning chairs.

The private stares as if something is wrong with me. He does not understand because he still has his pets.

I shove Rigel against the wall. "You had one simple job, which was to take care of Kayla. You only had to feed, water, and let me remotely monitor her. So where is she?"

A vibration from my wrist unit alerts me to an urgent message. Rigel's wall unit chimes at the same moment.

I have more important things to do, like teach Rigel a lesson, so I ignore my message notification.

Rigel focuses on his job, so even as I thump his head against the wall, he speaks with his wall unit. "Show urgent message."

Those annoying butterflies flutter around Rigel and me, one of them landing on the top of Rigel's head.

"The problematic behavior with my pets is starting again," says the private.

I can't help noticing the glowing butterfly on top of Rigel's head. Its skin is changing colors, cycling through a series of colors.

This is not possible, and I stare at the butterfly, and it does it again, going through the distinctive yellow-green-green-blue-red pattern. I stop banging Rigel's head against the wall.

"Are you back with us, Commander Tarak?"

"The butterfly..." I say, still gazing at the creature entangled in Rigel's hair. The butterfly does it again, its skin cycling through the same color sequence. "How does the butterfly know to make that sequence of colors?"