This is the first chapter of an online science fiction novel. In this short chapter, we are introduced to a couple of very important characters and learn a little bit about them. I hope you enjoy.
Tommy sat cross-legged on the metal floor. Ollie rested his chin on his paws while Tom stroked his course fur. The room on the giant space ship was no bigger than a janitor's mop closet; only big enough for a bed, a desk, and a chair; but boy and dog were glad to share the little space.
“Good, Boy,” Tom said softly. He picked up a small screwdriver from the grey metal floor and began to work on the dog’s “smart” collar in his other hand. The collar looked like a wide band of shiny black fish scales. Beside the silver buckle was a small rectangle box with blinking green and red lights. The tool fit in the little notch and turned easily. As he turned green numbers appeared and scrolled across an invisible screen.
“I hope I did it right,” he thought to himself. Setting the screwdriver on the floor he wrapped the collar around the dog’s thick neck and fumbled with the old fashioned buckle.
“There boy,” Tom said softly as he rubbed the dog’s hard muscular back. “I fixed your collar, so you won’t hear any static on the radio. I know you hate it when your collar starts to whistle and wine.”
Ollie’s tail wagged. He was happy and his brown dog eyes settled on Tommy’s face for a moment.
The boy was afraid and talking to Ollie helped. Tom saw that whenever the grown-ups got together they whispered in the tense voices of fear. There were rumors about war, and battles, of ships and lives, lost to a barbarian hoard, who claimed to be revolutionaries but were nothing but pirates.
Tommy kept Ollie with him all the time. Tom was only a kid on the space ship and Ollie was the only dog in the cargo hold. A dog was rare on a space ship, but Ollie was on his way to the colonies to be a good farm dog. No one did anything when they saw the boy and the dog together though they knew he let the dog out of the cage . “A boy needs a dog,” they would say, or, “It’s good they are together under the circumstances.”
Ollie did not understand, or care about his computer collar; he was with Tom, the only person he loved. He licked the boy’s hand, forever grateful to Tom for releasing him from the little cage in the cargo hold. It was torture for him to be locked up; he was a dog and needed to roam. The gigantic space ship was his territory and Tommy was his pack.
Ollie was a dog with a secret. He was a German Shepherd, one of the few breeds of dog allowed to the colonies, but he was also part wolf. Space law forbade a dog with wolf breeding to go to the colonies because the gene pool must be kept pure but the real fear was that he might be too wild, or too unpredictable, or even dangerous. If discovered, he would be destroyed but so far it had not been discovered. His wolfishness gave him spirit and a fury that was like a spring in him about to snap, Ollie watched everything with a wildness that was ready to attack or defend; when that moment comes he would be the fierce creature of his wolf ancestors.
Ollie could sense something was wrong, he could tell by Tom’s touch, and knew by the sound in Tom’s voice. He could even smell it, Tom was afraid. Fear made the near wild dog angry, and anger always made Ollie want to fight.
Tom stood up. “Everything hast to go in its place, isn't that right boy?” Tom put the little screwdriver in a small black box of tools and clicked the lid shut.
“Regulations and rules. I am glad no one is trying to put you back in the cargo hold. Aren't you boy?” He bent over and put the tool box in a drawer under the bunk bed. The drawer hissed and closed with a click.
“Come on, boy, let’s go.” Tom watched as the dog reared up on his gangly hind legs to put his paw on the grey pad next to the door. The pad turned white and the door swished open silently. Side by side they stepped into the gleaming white corridor. It seemed to go on and on.
The size of the ship was frightening to Tom: it was like a small city. The many corridors and passageways were like a maze to him. Together they began the long walk to the sick bay. Tom’s space boots muffled his steps on the metal floor but Ollie’s claws made a tap, tap, tap as they walked.
The corridor was filled with people going to and from places in the huge ship. The dog knew the step and scent of every passenger, ranger and crew; and long before Tom could pick him out from the crowd Ollie was aware Roger was coming.
(c) Adron
To proceed to the next chapter click here or choose from the table of contents in the sidebar.
To return to the beginning click here.
Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed it.
Please see the sidebar for other chapters, I am sure you will enjoy them too.
Adron
Please use the buttons below to share this chapter with others. Thank you.
____________________________
Chapter 1
A Boy And His Dog
Tommy sat cross-legged on the metal floor. Ollie rested his chin on his paws while Tom stroked his course fur. The room on the giant space ship was no bigger than a janitor's mop closet; only big enough for a bed, a desk, and a chair; but boy and dog were glad to share the little space.
“Good, Boy,” Tom said softly. He picked up a small screwdriver from the grey metal floor and began to work on the dog’s “smart” collar in his other hand. The collar looked like a wide band of shiny black fish scales. Beside the silver buckle was a small rectangle box with blinking green and red lights. The tool fit in the little notch and turned easily. As he turned green numbers appeared and scrolled across an invisible screen.
“I hope I did it right,” he thought to himself. Setting the screwdriver on the floor he wrapped the collar around the dog’s thick neck and fumbled with the old fashioned buckle.
“There boy,” Tom said softly as he rubbed the dog’s hard muscular back. “I fixed your collar, so you won’t hear any static on the radio. I know you hate it when your collar starts to whistle and wine.”
Ollie’s tail wagged. He was happy and his brown dog eyes settled on Tommy’s face for a moment.
The boy was afraid and talking to Ollie helped. Tom saw that whenever the grown-ups got together they whispered in the tense voices of fear. There were rumors about war, and battles, of ships and lives, lost to a barbarian hoard, who claimed to be revolutionaries but were nothing but pirates.
Tommy kept Ollie with him all the time. Tom was only a kid on the space ship and Ollie was the only dog in the cargo hold. A dog was rare on a space ship, but Ollie was on his way to the colonies to be a good farm dog. No one did anything when they saw the boy and the dog together though they knew he let the dog out of the cage . “A boy needs a dog,” they would say, or, “It’s good they are together under the circumstances.”
Ollie did not understand, or care about his computer collar; he was with Tom, the only person he loved. He licked the boy’s hand, forever grateful to Tom for releasing him from the little cage in the cargo hold. It was torture for him to be locked up; he was a dog and needed to roam. The gigantic space ship was his territory and Tommy was his pack.
Ollie was a dog with a secret. He was a German Shepherd, one of the few breeds of dog allowed to the colonies, but he was also part wolf. Space law forbade a dog with wolf breeding to go to the colonies because the gene pool must be kept pure but the real fear was that he might be too wild, or too unpredictable, or even dangerous. If discovered, he would be destroyed but so far it had not been discovered. His wolfishness gave him spirit and a fury that was like a spring in him about to snap, Ollie watched everything with a wildness that was ready to attack or defend; when that moment comes he would be the fierce creature of his wolf ancestors.
Ollie could sense something was wrong, he could tell by Tom’s touch, and knew by the sound in Tom’s voice. He could even smell it, Tom was afraid. Fear made the near wild dog angry, and anger always made Ollie want to fight.
Tom stood up. “Everything hast to go in its place, isn't that right boy?” Tom put the little screwdriver in a small black box of tools and clicked the lid shut.
“Regulations and rules. I am glad no one is trying to put you back in the cargo hold. Aren't you boy?” He bent over and put the tool box in a drawer under the bunk bed. The drawer hissed and closed with a click.
“Come on, boy, let’s go.” Tom watched as the dog reared up on his gangly hind legs to put his paw on the grey pad next to the door. The pad turned white and the door swished open silently. Side by side they stepped into the gleaming white corridor. It seemed to go on and on.
The size of the ship was frightening to Tom: it was like a small city. The many corridors and passageways were like a maze to him. Together they began the long walk to the sick bay. Tom’s space boots muffled his steps on the metal floor but Ollie’s claws made a tap, tap, tap as they walked.
The corridor was filled with people going to and from places in the huge ship. The dog knew the step and scent of every passenger, ranger and crew; and long before Tom could pick him out from the crowd Ollie was aware Roger was coming.
(c) Adron
To proceed to the next chapter click here or choose from the table of contents in the sidebar.
To return to the beginning click here.
Please see the sidebar for other chapters, I am sure you will enjoy them too.
Adron
Please use the buttons below to share this chapter with others. Thank you.
