Alien Pets, Trisha McNary [free novel 24 .txt] 📗

help you form the strong bond that makes for a lasting and happy owner-pet relationship,” said Master Meeepp in a gentle telepathic voice.

“OK,” said M. Hoyvil.

“It sounds like you haven’t spoke more than a few words to her yet. But the most important thing for you to do is communicate verbally. That’s the way humans bond. Just spending time with them and providing for all their needs isn’t enough to make them become attached to you. I know how tedious verbal communication is. But in the beginning, it’s the only way to let them feel that they know you. They also have a need to talk to you—it’s part of their bonding ritual. They can’t read our facial expressions or sign language and, of course, they can’t understand mental telepathy,” said Master Meeepp.

M. Hoyvil felt confused. “But they didn’t teach us that in human training classes,” he protested.

“No. They don’t teach that,” said Master Meeepp in a conciliatory tone. “I know they only taught you the basics of pet care—limited to providing food, clothing, medical care, and shelter. I’m giving you this advice based on my own personal experience. As you know, I have a close, affectionate relationship with my own two pets, Vorche and Tabxi.”

M. Hoyvil looked over to the Verdante adult section of the dining hall where Master Meeepp’s two elderly pets were sitting among the other adults and their humans. At this distance, their tan space suits blended into the furnishings. But M. Hoyvil’s super-human vision gave him a sharp view of their gray-haired heads. Both humans waved at him and tiny smiles lit up their dark space-tanned faces.

M. Hoyvil waved back. Then he turned and looked up again at Master Meeepp.

“I believe that when you adopt humans, you’re also responsible for their happiness,” said Master Meeepp. “She’ll be spending almost all of her time with you for the rest of her life. In order for her to be happy, you must develop a close, affectionate relationship. This is what we call ‘bonding.’ Spending time with her, sharing meals, and taking her places are some of the building blocks of the bond. But at the beginning, as I have said, it also requires a lot of verbal communication.”

“OK, I’ll do that,” M. Hoyvil agreed with determination, “but what should I say when I verbalize with her?”

“To start with, ask her how she’s doing, if she needs anything, and if she has any questions. This lets her know that you care about her well being. If she lifts the corners of her mouth, that’s a sign that she’s starting to feel comfortable with you. Take the time to answer any questions she may have. Fortunately, you’ll only need to perform this excessive vocalizing until a strong bond is formed and she learns to read your facial expressions and some of our sign language. At that point, you won’t need to communicate as much in this tiresome manner,” said Master Meeepp.

“And how long will that take?” asked M. Hoyvil.

“It can vary from a few years to almost a hundred years for some pets,” was the answer. “The important thing is to form a strong bond as soon as possible. Then she’ll be comfortable with long periods of silent companionship even if she hasn’t learned to read your facial expressions or understand any of our sign language. You can cut down on your verbal communication when you’re certain that the bond has been formed.”

“Very well, I’ll get right to work on that,” said M. Hoyvil, “but how I will know when the bond is formed?”

“Ah yes, a very good question,” answered Master Meeepp in the tone of voice the Verdante adults often used when they wanted to sound all-knowing and mysterious. “The only answer to that question is that when the bond is formed, you’ll know.”

M. Hoyvil gave a silent sigh, and Master Meeepp laughed indulgently. “I’m sure you’ll do a wonderful job caring for her. I have the utmost confidence in you, my son,” he concluded.

“Thank you for your most helpful advice, Master Meeepp,” said M. Hoyvil with appropriate deference.

Antaska had felt miserable the entire time that the two aliens stared at each other. She assumed they were having a long telepathic conversation. As they continued, the cold pain in her head grew more and more uncomfortable. She felt as if harder and harder blows were being struck against the inside of her head. Antaska fought the urge to hold her hands against her head and cry out in pain.

An almost unbearable hard thump crashed inside her head, and then the painful blows stopped. Antaska still felt a deep coldness, but the pressure was gone. Strangely, she could now hear the voices of two men whispering. One had a deep bass voice, and the other had a higher-toned tenor voice.

Relieved of pain, Antaska tried to understand what she was hearing. But despite her hardest efforts, she could only make out a few words: “pet” and “care.”

Antaska looked up to see the giant alien bowing over her. The large mass looming above her head was frightening, but she was sure this was some form of politeness. The giant bowed next to M. Hoyvil, who nodded his head but didn’t rise. Then the giant turned and walked away to the far side of the room.

He sat down at a table in a group of similar gigantic green-skinned aliens sitting with more Earth humans.

Why do these aliens have two different sizes who sit apart from each other? Antaska wondered. Do they have two separate species? Do the big ones have more power than the smaller ones like M. Hoyvil?

Then Antaska thought about the bits and pieces of words that had just been in her mind. Could those strange words really have been part of a telepathic conversation between the two aliens?

No. I must be deluding myself by imaging that I can understand mental telepathy, she thought.

She looked back across the room at the group of gigantic aliens. Most of these larger aliens sat in pairs of two across from two or more Earth humans. But a few large aliens sat alone across from a human or two. The humans sat on chairs that were like the one Antaska sat on but raised much higher to the height of the larger tables.

The huge aliens were similar in appearance to the one who had just visited M. Hoyvil. Antaska’s eyes were drawn by the red ship suits they wore. They created a bright area of rippling color distinct from everything else in the dining hall. She realized that she must have been too distracted to notice them till now. The skin of the gigantic aliens, in shades from lime green to dark green, contrasted sharply with their red clothing.

Antaska stared and grew embarrassed when some of them looked her way. But she couldn’t stop looking. The big male who had just left them sat at a table next to a gigantic female alien and across from two Earth humans—a man and a woman, both elderly. Antaska had to look hard to see the two humans. Their faces and hair were blots of gray and brown floating above their camouflaging ship suits.

At the next table over from those people, another gigantic Verdante male and female sat across from two much more noticeable humans. This male and female pair sat facing toward Antaska. They were unusually tall and unusually attractive. Even at this distance, the toned muscles of both pale-skinned blondes showed under their tight-fitting ship suits.

As Antaska’s gaze passed over the face of the male, she froze in surprise and embarrassment. He was staring back boldly and fixedly at her from across the large room. As if caught by a hypnotic force, Antaska found herself unable to look away.

Wow! He is the most attractive man I have ever seen! she thought in awe and wonder.

Antaska shook her head to clear it. She remembered that she was with her new employer. He needed to be impressed, especially on their first day together. She turned and looked up at him. Fortunately, M. Hoyvil didn’t seem to notice that Antaska had been staring at the beautiful Earth man.

She couldn’t resist looking back across the room. Antaska’s eyes caught in the gaze of the man still staring at her! She pulled her eyes away only to meet the angry glare of the beautiful human female sitting next to him.

Appalled, Antaska looked away and down at the plate in front of her. She tried to hide the riot of conflicting thoughts and emotions that swirled through her. Antaska looked up at M. Hoyvil again. She hoped he wouldn’t see her skin turning a redder shade of tan. Seeming not to notice, M. Hoyvil continued to eat his food. While eating and drinking, he also looked around at the other nearby Verdante diners and waved his six-fingered hands at them.

They must be communicating, Antaska thought.

She picked at her strange food. Her thoughts focused on the attractive male.

What just happened? she asked herself. It’s so flattering to get the attention of such an unbelievably gorgeous man, but it’s obvious he’s involved with another woman. And she looked so mad that he was looking at me. But that doesn’t matter, right? On Earth, we were encouraged not to get attached. Because everyone would be leaving to outer space with the Verdantes, so it’s bad to get stuck in a relationship. So I would be doing her a favor to break them up, right?

In her mind, a small voice broke into her thoughts.

“Wrong! Wrong! You’re not on Earth anymore!” said the voice.

What the heck is that? Antaska asked herself. Am I really going crazy today?

Then an image of her small cat Potat appeared in her mind.

No! Antaska told herself. My cat isn’t talking to me, and I’m not telepathic. I’m just imaging things because of all the stress and drama today.

Her thoughts rattled on and on.

Maybe that man wasn’t really even looking at me. I’m just imagining all kinds of things. Obviously, I’m so ordinary and average looking that he wouldn’t be interested in me,” she told herself.

Now Antaska felt embarrassed by her assumption.

Anyway, I’m not likely to meet those people up close. They belong to another group that seems to be segregated from this one, she thought.

M. Hoyvil ate his dinner and thought about his new pet. Antaska had spent most of her life in the Earth human space training school. She had passed all the tests the Verdantes gave to her trainers to screen for those humans fit to live among them. Antaska had scored well for the potential to act as a contact with new species. Most sentient humanoids in the galaxy were similar in size to Earthlings, so they were useful as first communicators. The Verdantes were much larger than other humanoids, both telepathic and non-telepathic. And smaller humanoids were often frightened by their sudden appearance on their planets.

An even more compelling reason to believe that Antaska would make a good companion was the fact that she had a small pet of her own. When Earth humans kept their own pets like cats and dogs, that showed skill in communicating and bonding with other species.

At just over fifty Earth years old, Antaska was a young adult and would live for at least another one hundred and fifty years. Or even much longer now that she was in the care of the Verdantes. Her diet, determined by