Dog Toys

The captain checked that the stealth systems were operating and settled the ship into orbit. For such primitives they sure had a lot of defensive systems around. That was to his liking, it kept other scroungers from getting too interested. "Prepare the landing craft. I’ll input the landing coordinates from here."

"Aye Captain," Jush replied. Jush checked that they had loaded the drone and isolation suits. The lander had fuel and its stealth systems were operating. "All ready, Sir."

The captain put the ship into auto and they closed the lander’s doors behind them. The lander disconnected from the ship and entered the atmosphere, arcing toward the preset position. "Last time I was here I didn’t get much but I did get information on their low population areas. It’s easier to hide and if some local sees us it’s not a whole city."

The lander slowed as it skimmed over the forest. "There’s an isolated group of buildings coming up," Jush said. "I’ll put us in a clearing not too far from them."

*

Rufus’s eyes popped open when he heard the can opener and was on his feet and halfway down the hall before it stopped. He slid into the door at the end and finally skidded to a stop in front of the refrigerator.

"It’s beans you silly dog," Angie said. Still she tossed him one which disappeared immediately. Rufus trailed after her as she went to the sink. "OK, I’m not tripping over you again." She opened the door and shooed him outside. "Get a Rottie they said. They’re fun and protective. Just what you need out in the country. No one mentioned that at six months he would be a hundred and ten pounds of crazy ass puppy," she said to herself. She looked out the window and Rufus was in a stalking posture staring at a butterfly. The butterfly flew up and Rufus tripped over his own feet trying to catch it. He followed it into the barn. "Good, he can hunt mice and rabbits in there."

Rufus sniffed around the old barn which was stuffed with discarded and hoarded things from several generations of Angie’s family. Some mouse had just had litter and he thought of rooting it out. A distant whine caught his attention and he trotted out of the barn to investigate.

A disc was approaching in the air. It was similar to the ones the kids threw for him when they went into town. He crouched down and when it got near he leapt and grabbed it. Now all he had to do was to find the kids who had thrown it and he would have a great time. He didn’t see the kids but there was a strange smell coming from the trees so he ran toward it.

*

"Something grabbed the drone," Jush said. "It was a black lump on the ground and suddenly the drone stopped responding to orders."

"Play back the recording."

Jush backed it up and they watched as the drone approached the building. Even that old weathered building material would fetch a high price at the underground auctions. No telling what aboriginal artifacts they could find inside. The captain thought. This trip was going to make them a fortune. "There, that dark lump. It’s what moved just before we lost contact."

"Turn on the infrared channel," the captain said. The lump glowed hotter than the surrounding area. "It’s one of the native creatures. Maybe it thought the drone was food. We have to go get it." They opened the hatch to find themselves face to face with Rufus.

Rufus tossed the drone in the air, caught it and dashed a few feet from the aliens. Rufus dropped the drone and waited for the aliens to move. They were about the size of small children but still they could play.

"We need to get that drone back," the captain said.

Rufus grabbed the drone and shook it violently. A small piece fell off. " It’s not good anymore," Jush said.

"We can’t leave any technology on the planet. You know the rules."

"We’re not supposed to be on the plant in any case."

"It can be traced back to us. Get it."

Jush approached Rufus and reached for the drone. Rufus jumped sideways a bit and Jush jumped back.

"I think it’s playing," the captain said. Throw something and maybe it will chase it."

Rufus jumped toward Jush and hit him in the chest with the drone. Jush screamed as he fell back and grabbed something from his pocket and threw it. Rufus dropped the drone and tore after the new object.

"See it was playing. What did you throw?"

Jush checked his pockets. "I think it was the remote for the lander. Unless you have it."

"No you had it. We can’t pilot the lander without it."

The aliens looked at Rufus. He was tossing the device into the air and catching it. He liked this toy much better. It didn’t make that annoying whine. The aliens approached and he stopped playing with his new toy. As they got closer he decided that he would add the toy to his collection and ran back toward the barn.

The aliens followed. As they neared the barn Rufus saw the aliens and disappeared into the barn. "If he hides that we’ll never find it. Keep him in sight. The aliens squeezed through the same hole in the barn Rufus had used. Rufus was standing near a pile of his old toys. Jush went to the pile and grabbed few of them. He threw one to the captain.

"What?"

"I think it likes to chase things, especially things going through the air. Throw it back."

Rufus’s eyes followed the old beat up doll. Jush threw it back to the captain. Rufus dropped the remote. Jush grabbed another toy and threw it over the captain’s head. Rufus leaped at it as the captain screamed and fell down. Rufus sailed over the captain and Jush grabbed the remote and secured it in one of his pockets. "Got it," he said.

Rufus was busy tearing the toy to pieces. The Captain and Jush looked around the barn. It was filled with old statues and decorations of all kinds. "This place is a gold mine. The elite snobs back home will pay a fortune for some of this stuff."

The captain walked toward an old figurine. Rufus placed himself between the two. "I think he’s guarding this stuff."

Jush picked up another old toy. It squeaked as he handled it. Rufus trotted to Jush. "I’ll keep him busy. You load up on stuff." Jush threw the toy to the other end of the barn. Rufus sped after it and brought it back. Jush gingerly reached out and took the toy from Rufus’s mouth. He threw it across the barn again. The captain grabbed another item and scurried out the hole in the wall.

They kept this up for hours before the three of them grew tired. At the lander they loaded the items as Rufus lay down and watched. The lander rose into the air and disappeared into the sky.

Rufus watched it then trotted back to the house. "Rufus, where have you been? It’s not like you to miss a meal."

Rufus walked to his water disk and lapped it dry. Then he lay down with the food bowl between his paws. Halfway through he put his head down on the remaining food and closed his eyes. His snores echoed through the house.

The End