Hack Rescue

The clickety-clack of little nails on the smooth floor was always a reassuring sign to Chloe as she entered the kennel. She could hear it just outside the flimsy door before she stared into the retina scanner to pop it open. As a recent lunar emigre, she considered herself lucky to find this job. She had to leave her own dogs behind, a painful price to pay for an escape from the miserable conditions in the state where she grew up. By now, the large landmass once known as California was 80% consumed by fire or floods. She'd found foster homes for her three pups in a relatively untouched area of Oregon. It was a long journey before she found the foster families, but they all seemed genuinely excited to acquire the dogs.

On this particular morning, she scrambled out of bed a bit later than usual. After a few minutes in the sani-station followed by a quick session under the hair machine, she quickly donned her jumpsuit, still getting used to the reduced lunar gravity. She stood at the holo pad and did a fast 3D exam of herself and decided a swath of pink would be a nice addition to her jet-black hair. Maybe tomorrow. She made the quick walk along the paved path to the kennel, grabbing handholds along the way to prevent her from bouncing.

The sound of doggy claws on the floor was absent as she approached the kennel door. The silence bothered her. She leaned into the retina scanner. The green light went on and the door popped. She slowly pulled it open and pushed her head in through the threshold. Her eyes grew wide. "Oh my god." The words were a whisper. She scanned the 12' by 15' room and counted. Eleven of the twelve dogs lay on their sides. One was on his back, legs extended vertically. None appeared to be breathing.

She walked slowly into the room and bent to the first dog she came to, a black Lab named Fanny. She placed her hand on Fanny's chest and got down close to examine her open eyes. No life. She got onto her hands and knees and crawled from dog to dog. In each case, nothing.

Chloe stood with some effort, then turned her body 360 degrees to take it in once more. Standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by dog carcasses, she pulled her mobile from her pocket and touched one of the quick-dial icons. After a few seconds, she started talking. "I just got to the kennel and they're all dead."

"Dead?" asked the kennel director, an older woman named Autumn.

"You know, inactive. Lifeless."

"Really. You think a software glitch?"

Chloe shook her head slowly. "I guess. I dunno. This is a first."

"I'll be right there."

Chloe punched the HANG UP icon without further chatter.

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