#yaspaceopera

Something touched her arm. Something cold but soft. She looked around. The little white dog was nuzzling at her hand with his nose, looking up at her with anxious brown eyes. “Quit that.” She pushed him away. “Why couldn’t I have been marooned with a ’droid or something? At least, it’d be able to talk to me. Why did it have to be a bunch of dogs?” Face against her arms, she leaned against the seat of the nearest passenger chair, shoulders shaking. For a few moments, only the sound of Jenny’s sobs broke the silence in the pod. <Don’t cry, girl.> The tears continued, wracking and heart-breaking. <Girl? Miss?> <Miss...> Jenny stopped in mid-cry. Did I really hear someone? <Don’t cry.> Stifling the last sob into a hiccough, she forced herself to be quiet. I did hear someone. <We’ll talk to you…if that’s what you want.> “Wh-where are you?” <Right here. Where we’ve always been.> “Where? I can’t see you. Come out.” <We’re already out.> “Where?” Wiping at her cheeks, she clambered to her feet. Outside. That’s it. Another escape pod. People. Jenny dashed to the hatch. The little white dog threw himself into her path. She dodged. He jumped in front of her again and she nearly tripped over him in her haste to get to the hatch. “Move, you stupid animal. Can’t you hear? There’s someone outside.” Picking him up, she tossed him out of the way. He landed against the signal box with a thud and a yelp. Then Jenny was at the hatch, fumbling with the wheel-lock. <Stupid animal? I don’t like that! If that’s the way you feel, we’ll just leave you alone.> Staring at the three of them, Jenny took a hesitant step forward. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you just told me your head hurt,” she said to the white dog. <I did.>