The Intruder on the Starship Bed
Rebecca Bluegarden pushed open the cabin door of her room aboard the Edens Zero, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead after a long day of filming and dodging rogue robots. She was more than ready to collapse onto her mattress, plug into her B-Cube streaming gear, and zone out.
Instead, she stopped dead in her tracks, her jaw dropping open in utter disbelief.
Curled up dead center in the middle of her neatly made bed was a large, sleek Flat-Coated Retriever. The dog possessed a glossy, jet-black coat that shimmered like polished obsidian, long feathered fur, and an expression of supreme, unbothered maternal pride. Surrounding her were half a dozen rollicking puppies, tumbling over one another and enthusiastically chewing on Rebecca's favorite plush pillows.
The mother dog lifted her head, letting out a soft, welcoming woof and thumping her tail against the comforter.
"Wait, wait, wait—how did you even get onto the ship?!" Rebecca shrieked, throwing her hands up in dismay. "And more importantly, why my bed?! That's memory-foam, you freeloaders!"
To make matters worse, one of the more adventurous black-haired pups had already waddled to the edge of the mattress, lost its footing, and plunged headfirst into a laundry basket filled with Rebecca's freshly washed clothes, letting out a tiny, triumphant squeak.
Rebecca groaned, burying her face in her hands. As much as she loved animals, a pack of large, shedding retrievers nesting in her private quarters was a logistical nightmare. Happy Nicole would never stop teasing her, and Happy definitely wouldn't want to share his sleeping spot with a growing canine family.
Alright, Rebecca thought, a mischievous grin replacing her frustration as she scooped up the wriggling puppies into an oversized duffel bag and coaxed the mother dog to follow. Time for a sudden, high-speed relocation.
A Delivery for the Street Kids of Granbell
Ten minutes later, Rebecca slipped off the ship and into one of the bustling, neon-lit commercial districts of the local cosmos-port city. Spotting a group of neighborhood kids playing tag near a glowing holographic arcade, she saw her golden opportunity.
"Hey! Kids! Catch!" Rebecca called out, jogging over with a theatrical flourish.
She unzipped the duffel bag and gently tipped it over. Out spilled a shiny, black-coated avalanche of roly-poly Flat-Coated Retriever puppies, tumbling onto the pavement with happy yips and wiggles. The mother dog trotted out right behind them, sitting down calmly and panting with a doggy grin as she watched her offspring.
The children skidded to a halt, their eyes turning into giant sparkling stars as the puppies immediately swarmed their shoes, licking fingers and chewing on jacket zippers.
"Puppies?!" a boy yelled, dropping to the pavement as two pups climbed onto his back. "Are these for real?!"
"Totally real!" Rebecca laughed, brushing her hands together and striking a cool, heroic pose. "Some stray cosmic hounds hitched a ride on my ship and decided my bed was their personal luxury resort. Since I’m a busy B-Cube creator, I'm officially outsourcing them to you guys!"
The children didn't need to be told twice. Within seconds, they were scooping up the glossy black pups, squealing with absolute joy.
Rebecca waved goodbye, turning on her heel with a triumphant smirk. Mission accomplished. My bed is safe, the kids have new best friends, and nobody has to know I got kicked out of my own room by a dog.
