Escape into the museum

I'll get Florence. She'll want to see this movie, too.

She's not in her room.

Maybe she's in jail.

She better not be. I'm captain of this ship. The crew shouldn't be out having more fun than I do.

Escape into the museum

Florence is not in jail.

Her food bowl and water bowl are here. She'll come when she gets hungry.

Want to wait for her? So she won't need to be quiet because we're asleep?

Okay.

Still not comfortable with having a crew member sneak on board who considers you edible?

Nope.

After dinner thoughts

My parents are real space nuts. Out to the belt as soon as they got here. Have their own place now, a little asteroid they foamed over and hollowed out.

They drop in when they're planetside. Dad has to cook, Mom never got the hang of cooking with gravity. So, what were your parents like?

Which ones? My genetic parents, my gestational parent, or my adoptive parents?

You must have very interesting family reunions.

After dinner thoughts

My genetic parents were wolves in a zoo. I never met them, though I've seen their picture.

DAD

MOM

My gestational mother was a Saint Bernard. Her I got to meet. The trip to see her was my 14th birthday present.

I think she recognized me as her daughter. She was such a nice friendly dog, I didn't have the heart to tell her she drooled more than anyone I've ever met.

After dinner thoughts

My owner was really the one who raised me. Well, him and his parents, but mostly him.

Scott did so much to make my life easier. He even learned ventriloquism so he could teach me how to talk better.

Why would you need a ventriloquist to learn how to talk?

You try saying “Peter Piper” without any lips.

After dinner thoughts

What's the relationship between you and your owner?

It started off as a boy and his dog. Now it's more of a big brother/little sister thing.

With a screwy upbringing like that, the psychologists must love you.

Yes, but it's going to be even harder on the next generation.

They're going to be compared to us to see if they're normal.

I remember the Gunslinger Girl anime where the older brother/little sister couple are called fratello in Italian (Robot Spike)

After dinner thoughts

It should be easier for the next generation. They'll have adult wolves to raise them.

Yes, but they'll need human parents as well.

Children learn from watching their parents. There's not a lot of Bowman's Wolves. It's going to be more important for them to know how to get along with humans than with their own kind.

They'll still chase Frisbees, right?

Of course. Being part of human society doesn't mean we have to give up our own cultural identity.

After dinner thoughts

How is that going to work? You having kids?

Well, when the time is right, I have two cryogenically frozen samples…

No, I mean legally. You have an owner. What happens to your children?

Are you sure you don't want the biological side?

The legal side is full of lawyers and corporate interests and is real icky and disgusting.

I'm an adult. I'll take my chances.

After dinner thoughts

It's complex. Ecosystems Unlimited has patents on my genetic structure and all derivative products. Children are considered a derivative product.

Sheesh. Even in fairy tales, the lady gets a pot of gold or something before they try to take her first born.

I've been given hands, a mind, and access to the sum total of all human knowledge.

Under the circumstances, more useful gifts than gold, and they're non taxable.

After dinner thoughts

Through my owner, I've already bought my first child. It's a bit of a gamble. No one knows if we'll have single babies or litters or if we can have kids at all.

Sounds like you're going to be prepared.

I'll try
to be.

Though my adoptive mother has told me, when you have a puppy in your lap that suddenly begins to talk, you're never really prepared.