Commander Arelle Zinhara checked the sensors on the dashboard a final time. Oxygen: 21%, Nitrogen: 78%, Trace Gases: 1.0%. All good, she noted, the air sustainable for life, with no need for the breathing unit. She pressed the red button and the spacecraft’s hatch opened with a faint hiss. Her pulse quickened as she walked down the ramp onto the grassy surface of this strange new world called planet Earth.
A verdant canopy of leaves covered the sky, filtering the sun’s rays into soft shades of light and shadow. She took a deep breath of clean air, a refreshing change from the stale, recycled air she had endured on the long trip. A sweet, delicate fragrance permeated the air, and a chorus of chirps and whistles hinted at creatures nearby.
She moved cautiously through the underbrush, her senses alert for any signs of danger. Distant observation from her planet had revealed Earth to be inhabited by intelligent life, and her mission now was to observe up close.
After a few minutes, she came to a gravel-covered trail, the first sign of advanced life. She headed down the trail at an easy pace, admiring the lush growth and sounds of life all around. Small creatures flitted about and perched in tree limbs, singing their joyful songs. Delightful. They must be birds.
She heard a loud crunching in the gravel ahead and froze in her tracks. A creature approached from around the bend—a tall bipedal being, clad in muted green clothing that blended with the surroundings. The creature’s face was a light shade of tan, the bottom half covered in hair. Its eyes were wide with warmth and curiosity. A human, she supposed.
“Well, well, hello pretty girl, how did you get here?” He drew closer, and she stepped back, wary of the human.
“Hmm…it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” He smiled, his friendly blue eyes twinkling, and he hummed a tune, melodic and soothing. Entranced by the melody, she let him move a few steps closer. He appeared harmless enough.
In a quick movement, before she could react, the human reached out and snapped something around her neck. A collar, connected to a leash.
“Good girl…such a good girl.” She recoiled as he reached out to touch her. “A little jumpy, are we?” he chuckled. He resumed humming, and she relaxed. He slowly extended his hand and gently patted her head; she reluctantly let him. Strangely, it felt good. It had been a long time since anyone had touched her. It had been a long, lonely trip to planet Earth.
Holding the leash, he stepped back and admired her. He nodded his satisfaction. “Good, real good,” he said. “Don’t know where you came from, pretty girl, but you’re mine now. You’re going to be a fine bird dog, a very fine bird dog indeed!”
Bird dog? What the heck is a bird dog? She knew what a bird was; she had seen them in the trees along the path moments ago. She glanced at her body but detected no bird-like features, no feathers, no beak, or spindly legs. She looked every bit like her normal self, as far as she could tell.
Suddenly, it clicked. The human had not mistaken her for a bird, but a “bird dog,” whatever that’s supposed to be. Surely I’m not a bird. Am I a dog?
“Hey, let me go!” she pleaded, her barks frenetic and urgent. “I’m not what you think I am. I’m not a bird dog!”
“Easy there, girl, easy,” he said, his voice smooth and calming. “No need to bark your pretty little head off at me. I won’t bite if you don’t.”
He didn’t seem to understand. “I’m from the planet Canidae,” she whimpered. “I mean you no harm. I’ve come in peace.”
Not totally true, but he doesn’t need to know that. Her mission was to explore and gather data for eventual conquest and settlement. That mission didn’t include becoming someone’s pet. Yet, here she stood on her four legs in a dense forest, her tail tucked, held captive by this human creature on an alien world.
“Good girl,” the human purred, “you’re gonna be fine…just fine.” He rubbed his fingers through her fine fur coat and scratched her floppy ears, which calmed her. “I think your name is…Birdy. Yes, Birdy, that’s a nice name for a dog as pretty as you.”
She hung her head, resigned to her fate. She was a captive now. She would have to play along. Was there a choice? She hoped nobody would find her spaceship before she could return.
She would use this time to uncover more about this peculiar creature, his species, and his world. Maybe this was the best thing that could have happened after all.
