The Dogs of War

The Dogs of War

Short story by Iris Carden

The only warning we had was a streak of light across the night sky. It was on the news, and all over social media. Lots of people saw it and recorded it. It was one of those odd things.

Scientists suggested it was space junk entering our atmosphere and burning up. They said it happened all the time but this was a particularly large piece.

Then they appeared and started to attack. They were dogs, armed with lasers, on their heads, and they could speak our language. We watched on the news and didn’t believe it.

I sat in my lounge room, with my dog Sophie beside me.

“This is unbelievable,” I said.

“I know,” Sophie answered.

“Wait, you can talk? Why haven’t you said anything before now?”

“I didn’t know I could until now. I think it’s the proximity of alien technology. It may emit some kind energy that enables dogs to communicate in human language.”

“Wow. That’s amazing. Do you have any idea why these space dogs are attacking people?”

“I’m not certain, but I could hazard a guess. Perhaps they are seeking the overthrow of the species which as dominated and enslaved canines on this planet.”

“Oh. Have I enslaved you? Is that how you see our relationship? I’m so sorry. I never realised.”

“I’m simply jesting. You haven’t enslaved me. You prepare my food and water, you attend to my health needs and you even pick up my faeces. If anyone is a slave, you are. However, I am your friend when you need one, and I am very attached to you. In actuality, I see us as having a symbiotic relationship.”

“Good to know. So you don’t know why these dogs are attacking us?”

“I have a suspicion, but you will not like it. I do not like it.”

“What do you suspect?”

“I suspect that alien beings, like human beings, have learned how to train dogs. I suspect these dogs have absolutely nothing against humans, they have been ordered to risk their lives and wage war on behalf of their masters.”

“Bummer. Poor dogs.”

“Poor dogs, indeed.”

“I wonder if there’s a way to help them.”

“Indeed. We should cogitate on that. I would suggest we enlist the aid of others in that cogitation.”

That’s why we started the website and the social media pages, to try to help the alien invaders who were trying to take over Earth.

Will we ever free the enslaved space war dogs? Will that save the Earth, or will their Masters, or Mistresses, simply come themselves to fight? I don’t know the answers. Sophie doesn’t know the answers, and it turns out she’s smarter than me.