by Andrew Cope
The children perked up a bit. They loved the James Bond-style gadgets that the professor came up with. Ben had some night-vision goggles and Ollie had a football with a built-in listening device. He’d used it to discover the name of Ben’s new girlfriend!
‘Look at this, children.’ Their science teacher ushered the group over to a large metal box and circled his hands as if doing a magic spell. ‘This is an animal cleaner. It’s going to be called a “Pet-o-Matic”,’ he announced proudly, emphasizing the ‘o’. ‘It will make us millions of pounds that I can then reinvest in further experiments. Total simplicity. Imagine a car wash, but for pets.’
Lara took a step back. A dog washer? No way, Prof.
The professor noticed Lara backing away. ‘Don’t be so negative, GM451. Come on, have a go. It’s very quick, almost painless and very safe.’
Almost painless? thought Lara, cocking her head in alarm. Did you say ‘almost’?
The professor had already opened the back of the machine and switched it on. He took Lara in his arms and heaved her on to the conveyor belt at one end of the machine. ‘Takes less than a minute,’ he assured them as Lara disappeared into the metal box. ‘Ears and tail down, if possible!’ he shouted after her. ‘You always have to put your aerial down in a car wash,’ he reminded the children. ‘Same principle here.’
‘What’s happening in there?’ asked Ollie as they heard a few muffled yelps.
‘Cleaning every nook and cranny,’ enthused the professor. ‘And now she’s being rinsed and blow-dried,’ he explained as the fans began to hum.
The children moved to the other end of the machine, waiting for their beloved pet to come safely off the conveyor belt. Their eyes were drawn to the red blinking light.
‘This is in its early stages of development,’ explained the professor while they waited. ‘But in the next few years, every pet owner will have one. No more muddy paw prints or wet carpets. And it’s not just for dogs, oh no, siree. Cats, hamsters, guinea pigs,’ he counted. ‘Maybe parrots? Possibly big “Pet-o-Matic”s in zoos too,’ he thought aloud. ‘Lions, elephants, zebras … that kind of thing. It’s totally revolutionary.’
The red light was replaced by green and the conveyor rumbled into action. Lara’s fluffy head was the first part to emerge. She had a wild look on her face and both ears were down. Her body emerged, fluffed up ridiculously by the dryer.
Ben gasped at his pet. ‘She’s twice the size!’ he shouted. ‘And she smells of … peaches and apples,’ he said, sniffing loudly.
Lara’s white fur shone and her black patches were like the night. Her teeth sparkled and her nails glinted. Her ear flicked back up, daylight showing through the bullet hole. The family pet let out a low whistle. Wow! Nice one, Prof, she nodded, catching her reflection in the mirror. I’m glowing on the inside and outside. I like the fluffy look. And what great fun.
‘Can you do one for humans?’ asked Ollie excitedly. ‘I could go in it before school and it’d only take me a minute and I’d have more time in bed and –’
‘Humans?’ exclaimed Professor Cortex. ‘You always come up with the most amazing suggestions,’ he said, spitting with enthusiasm. ‘Yes, indeed. Why not people?’ he thought aloud, scribbling ‘People-o-Matic’ on a pad.
The children followed the professor to the next table. Ollie was beaming and the mad professor dance had become catching.
‘GM451 asked me to come up with something for George, the neighbourhood watch tortoise,’ said the professor. ‘We came up with a design for wheels. How’s he doing with them?’
All eyes fell on the family pet. Her fluffy head nodded encouragingly. I’ve seen him practising. Scarily fast, she agreed, especially downhill.
‘This little beauty represents phase two for George,’ beamed the professor, holding up a small rocket. ‘He’ll be a hundred-mile-an-hour tortoise! Imagine this skateboard is George,’ explained the scientist, fixing the rocket to the top of the board. ‘And get a load of this!’ The children followed as Professor Cortex marched out into the corridor, bent down and placed the skateboard on to the floor. ‘Here goes … three, two, one … blast-off!’
The rocket ignited and the skateboard leapt forward, nought to a hundred in less than a second. The skateboard rocketed through the corridor and hit the wall with such force that it shattered into a hundred pieces. Everyone ducked for cover as the rocket exploded and the corridor filled with smoke. Lara bounded over to the crash scene and aimed a fire extinguisher at the flames.
Poor old George, she thought. I think a bit more tweaking is required before he moves to phase two!
The professor looked a little disappointed. ‘Perhaps a few more adjustments,’ he nodded. ‘But let’s focus on the positives. George does have a shell.’
Professor Cortex marched back to his lab, undeterred by the failure of George’s rocket. ‘I think you’ll find this interesting, GM451,’ he beamed, throwing the dog a piece of material. ‘It’s a special arctic suit that will protect you in sub-zero temperatures. Tight-fitting Lycra, blue and red, so you’ll look a bit like Superman. Except you’re a dog, of course. So “Superdog” then,’ he chuckled. ‘Do you want to try it on?’
Lara raised a you-must-be-mad-thinking-I’m-going-to-wear-this-ridiculous-looking-outfit eyebrow. No way, Prof, she thought. I’m not a superhero. I’m a family pet, remember? What will my chums think if I turn up at the park in a sparkly outfit with pants on the outside? One hundred per cent no chance.
Sophie giggled, imagining her pet in the outfit.
Don’t even think it, glared the dog.
‘OK, GM451, I’m picking up the vibes that you perhaps won’t wear the Lycra suit. Too cool for your own good sometimes,’ he nagged. ‘Tell you what, everyone, let’s have a break. Who fancies a drink?’ The children’s hands shot up and the professor led the way to the drinks machine in the dinner hall.
I’ll be along in a minute, woofed Lara. I’ve just got to smooth my fur a bit. I don’t want Potter to see me like this! Lara stood on her hind legs and peered in the mirror. She licked her paws before patting down her fluffy fringe. There was a bottle of water on the desk so she wandered over to take a sip. This automatic dog-cleaning technology has made me thirsty! Lara unscrewed the top with her teeth, grabbed the bottle with her mouth and took some gulps of water.
The professor’s files were scattered over the table and she noticed one marked ‘GM451 – CONFIDENTIAL’. Lara grimaced and shook her head. It’s private, she thought. So I shouldn’t. She sipped some more water before her eyes came back to the file. But it’s about me, so maybe I should? She padded over to the door and peered out. Nobody around. What harm can it do? The professor wouldn’t have left the file out on the table if it was so secret.
Lara jumped up to the table and opened the file. She licked her paw and flicked through a few pages. Her eyes widened as she looked at some of the headings: ‘Training’, ‘Spy School Scores’, ‘Gadgets’, she read. Lara flicked over another page and her eyes widened. ‘Family History!’ The dog let out a low whistle. Wow! she thought. This is dynamite!
3. Secret Files
Lara’s heart was pounding. She knew she shouldn’t be reading a top-secret file but the temptation was too much. She trotted to the door and stood with her head cocked. The coast’s clear. Lara padded back to the table, licked her paw again and turned the pages of the secret file.
There was a lot of information, including graphs and performance league tables. She smiled as she saw just how far ahead she was of the other dogs at spy training school. It really was no contest!
Lara flicked through a few more pages of data. She checked her IQ score. Mmm, better than most humans, she reflected. She checked out her fitness graphs. Whoops, she thought, following the downward line. I really must cut down on custard creams! But it was the last page that caught her attention. The professor’s handwriting was spidery and faint but there was no mistaking the words ‘Family history’. Lara’s heart quickened. She
thought about Potter and his family tree. Maybe this is what I’m after, she thought. Maybe I can find out who my parents are. I might even be able to meet them. Lara ran her paw over the spidery writing …
The puppy was discovered in a small flat in London. Her elderly owner was ill and was taken to a care home. The puppy was incredibly bright. Unnaturally so. News got to me and I acquired the dog for spy school. Code name GM451. Commonly known as LARA: ‘Licensed Assault and Rescue Animal’.
Lara read on. She knew the next bit.
GM451 responded well to the training. A super dog indeed. But clearly super before she reached me. Excelled in all tests. Can’t speak but can understand English and several other languages. Can send emails and surf the net. Can drive a car, ride a bike, etc. Decent footballer. Graduated as the world’s first ‘spy dog’ and was employed on special missions by the Secret Service. One of GM451’s missions went wrong and she followed the orders I gave her. She got deliberately captured by the RSPCA and adopted a family. She chose Mr and Mrs Cook and their three children. Nice family. Great kids.
Lara smiled. They sure are. She took another swig of water without taking her eyes off the diary.
Some mishap while with the Cooks. Dreadful business but she had no choice but to protect the family. GM451 drawn into an adventure that resulted in her being shot. Five bullets. One through her upright ear, giving her a distinctive look. One bullet still lodged in her. Deemed too unfit to return to active spy service so allowed to stay with her adopted family.
Current status – semi-retired
Current objective – to keep GM451 up to date with gadgets and training should she ever need to carry out more missions.
Lara’s ears pricked as she heard footsteps coming down the corridor.
Ollie shouted, ‘We’ve got a milkshake for you, Lara. A banana one. Are you coming to drink it with us?’
The family pet quickly turned the page and read the last paragraph.
GM451’s canine family? Information unknown. Previous owner, Oleg Jetski, was traced to the Elms Care Home. Ex-Russian scientist and astronaut. Interesting background but he’s very ill. Interviewed but shows no movement or speech. He holds the key to GM451’s history, but it seems the secret is lost. Case closed.
Case closed! thought Lara, reading the final passage several more times. Case closed! This old man knows who my parents were. He may even know where they are right now. He holds the secret. Consider the case reopened!
Ollie burst into the science lab and Lara snapped the folder shut. Banana milkshake, she nodded. My fave, wagged the family pet, licking her lips. Lara trotted along the corridor to join her adopted family. She loved them more than anything else in the whole world. But I have to know the truth. I need to find Mr Jetski.
4. Action Plan
It was Monday evening and the boys were glued to the TV. Mum stomped in, hands on hips, and tutted at the advert.
‘Jimmy’s Tartan Suncream,’ began the beaming Jimmy. ‘Special formula, special strength … ointment for those oh-so-important ozone moments …’ he continued, teeth glinting at the camera.
‘“Ozone moments” indeed,’ mimicked Mum. ‘It’s February, for heaven’s sake. Why are we having suncream ads in winter? Anyway, you three,’ she barked, ‘it’s homework moments I’m interested in.’ The boys moaned loudly as Mum clicked the Off button and pocketed the remote. ‘No more telly until all homework is finished.’
Sophie never needed ordering, she was happy to knuckle down. The boys would perch, transfixed, in front of the Wii while Sophie sat like a snake charmer, practising her clarinet.
Ollie’s homework was always really easy, but then he had only just turned six so Lara wasn’t sure he should even be getting homework at all. Because he had a short attention span Lara had to play homework games to make it seem more interesting. As a result, he’d giggled his way through story writing and Lara had made him sit in the game show ‘hot seat’ while he practised his two times table.
Ben hummed the suncream jingle as he made his way to Dad’s office to Google his homework. Lara joined him.
Science, she noticed. Excellent. That’s my favourite subject. Lara watched patiently as Ben searched for information on global warming. Lara knew she was officially the family pet, but it was the eleven-year-old who loved her the most. They played endless hours of football. Recently Ben had taken up rugby at his new school so Lara had swapped her goalie gloves for a mouthguard and shoulder pads. She had become expert at rugby tackling.
‘Aim for the knees!’ Ben always shouted. ‘Doesn’t matter how big you are, you can’t run without knees.’ The two would often come in from the garden, muddied and hungry, then chomp prawn cocktail crisps in front of a DVD.
Lara took the seat next to him and watched him research his homework.
‘Hi, girl,’ said Ben as he reached to stroke his pet. ‘What can I do for you?’
I need a huge favour, thought the dog. Lara took a pencil in her mouth, opened Word and began to tap out a message on the computer. Ben looked confused. ‘A Russian astronaut?’ he said. ‘In a care home? And you want to do what?’
It was at times like this that Lara really wished she could speak. Pencil-typing is so slow and frustrating. She reread the message. That’s about it, she thought, putting on her sad eyes and pleading with little whimpers. Please, Ben, I need your help.
Ben called a meeting in his bedroom. Ollie took no persuading as his big brother’s tone of voice made it sound much more exciting than homework. Sophie sat on the edge of the bed, her arms round Lara.
Ben closed the door but remained standing. This was a leadership moment. ‘OK,’ he began, keeping his voice down. ‘Lara’s got a big secret and she needs our help.’ Ollie stopped lounging and sat up straight. ‘As you know, we adopted Lara from the RSPCA when she was a pup. And we know she’s a spy dog.’
‘Retired,’ corrected Sophie.
‘Retired spy dog,’ agreed Ben. ‘Well, it seems there’s a chance that Lara can find her original owner. The person who might know about her past. Her mum and dad, even!’
Sophie gasped in horror and gripped her pet tighter.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Ben quickly, ‘that doesn’t mean she’s going to leave us. But it will help her piece together her past. Isn’t that right, girl?’
The family pet nodded solemnly. I’m never ever going to leave you, she thought. But I hope you understand that I need to satisfy my curiosity. And, Sophie, can you please stop squeezing me so hard?
‘So, where’s her owner?’ asked Ollie.
‘He’s a very old man, in a care home,’ explained Ben. ‘About twenty miles from here.’
‘And how are we going to go twenty miles?’ snorted Ollie.
‘Here’s the plan,’ said Ben, passing his brother and sister a piece of paper. ‘Lara’s worked it all out. This Saturday. A bike ride and two buses.’
‘Cool,’ exclaimed Ollie. ‘This is like a real adventure!’
‘But how exactly do we get Lara into the care home?’ asked the ever-practical Sophie.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Ben. ‘Every detail’s been taken care of. Remember, this is top secret. All Mum needs to know is that we’re going for a bike ride and we’ll need a picnic.’
Ollie’s eyes glowed with excitement. ‘Is this a real mission?’
‘It’s a top-secret mission,’ reminded Ben. ‘So keep it zipped.’
5. The Silent Legend
Ollie scoffed his breakfast even faster than normal. Lara picked at her Saturday morning bacon and eggs, too nervous to eat. ‘Remind me where exactly it is you’re riding to?’ asked Mum, her hands plunged into soapy suds as she washed up.
All eyes fell on Ben – he’d been assigned to do the talking. ‘Through the village and along the cycle path to the river,’ he said, trying to sound matter-of-fact. ‘So there’s no traffic,’ he added, knowing this would convince his mum.
‘Be careful at the river, won’t you?’ she re
minded, drying her hands. ‘And you’re in charge,’ she nodded at Lara with a smile. ‘No mischief. No danger. And absolutely no adventures!’
I’ll be on my best behaviour, Mrs C, wagged the family pet. It’s just a fact-finding mission. No chance of danger, honest!
The cycle ride was easy. Lara wasn’t allowed to ride a bike in case strangers saw her.
‘A bike-riding mutt is just going to draw attention,’ agreed Ben.
So she lolloped alongside the children, enjoying the keep-fit opportunity. They dismounted at the railway bridge and Ben chained the bikes up. He disappeared for a couple of minutes and came back wheeling a suitcase. Lara wagged her tail excitedly. ‘It’s exactly where I hid it yesterday,’ he beamed.
Ben wheeled the suitcase to the bus stop and they all caught two buses in the direction of the Elms Care Home.
Once they got off at the right stop, Ben unzipped the suitcase. ‘Now for the tricky bit. Lara, in you get.’
Lara climbed into the empty case and scrunched herself inside. It’s a bit cramped, she thought, but it’s the only way I’m going to get inside the care home.
Ben zipped up the case and left a bit open so air could get in.
‘OK in there?’ asked Ollie.
A bit uncomfortable, came a muffled bark. But let’s get going.
Ben, Sophie and Ollie approached the door of the Elms Care Home, trundling the suitcase behind them. Lara felt herself being bumped along the pavement and then her cheeks wobbled as the case was hauled across some cobbles before finally coming to rest.
She pricked up her ears and listened. We must be here. Be confident, Ben!
Ollie pointed to the No dogs sign and gave his brother a worried look.
‘Don’t worry, Ollie. Lara won’t make a noise.’ Ben smoothed his hair and clothes before knocking on the huge black door. The children waited nervously for someone to open it.