The black dog motioned with his split paw for her to come closer and sit.
The boy got up, tossed a blanket at her feet, and waved the gun for her to lay down.
“I’ll go check on Christa,” Ben said. He walked out of the workshop and rapped on Smudge’s helmet as he passed.
Smudge brushed past the big staring shepherd and spat out the mouth trigger. The vest’s barrels stopped spinning and the access panels slid closed. She opened her paws, unclipped the helmet and vest, and tossed them up to Spot who laid them out neatly on the bench.
Those things aren’t the most comfortable, Smudge said, looking down at the dog, They must be really heavy when they have bullets in them.
The shepherd cocked her head, and Smudge flexed her shoulder muscles as if she needed to stretch. Her deltoid and trapezius muscles bulged. I have all the guns I need right here, Smudge said, pumping her triceps, so you can just go right ahead and forget all about that lunge you were planning, Sheppy.
Spot said, How long have you been accelerated?
The shepherd looked from one black dog to the other, but did not respond.
Spot checked the time on his tablet. He turned back to the dog and said, Look, my friend, I assume you saw the big house on the hill up there past the watering hole? Well in about five hours the humans in that house are going to wake up. There’s an important man up there that was only keeping you alive because I asked him to. I said I would be able to talk to you, and I said you may have something of value to say.
Spot jumped off the stool and stood next to his sister. Their tails wagged slowly in sync.
The big shepherd just stared up at them.
You noticed the human female in the hospital bed, yes? Spot said, Well the rest of the humans blame you for that. If you don’t get really chatty in the next few seconds my sister here will chuck you into their holding cell and you can deal with our pissed-off family in the morning. They’ve got plenty of those black plastic bags you smelled.
The big shepherd looked at the pair of black dogs for a moment. She stood, stomped a paw and said, I am Major Tereshkova.
Chapter 91
Ben said, “I got two targets on the south ridge.”
He painted them with his rifle’s laser sight and a moment later saw their telemetry information show up on his helmet’s monocle.
Smudge saw an arrow appear along the edge of her yellow eyepiece. When she turned her head to follow it the display outlined in red the pair of giraffes Ben had targeted. An instant later her display showed their distance, and windage indicators moved as the trees swayed behind them. Spot had figured out they could control the display by looking at the icons spread around the edge of the screen and winking twice. It worked like a mouse pointer, and Smudge used it to zoom in on the giraffes and switch her optics to night vision.
She shifted her body until her display’s floating gun sight landed on the first giraffe. When she compressed her mouth trigger she felt her vest vibrate as the rotary guns spun up, and she heard their soft whine. Her display showed that she was firing, but it also flashed a warning picture that she had forgotten to attach her ammo canisters. She dismissed it with a pair of blinks.
Smudge felt around inside her mouth with her tongue. She found the button on her mouth trigger mechanism to engage her mic and then she growled, whined, and let out a short yap.
Ben read the bottom of his display and said, “That’s so cool.”
He waved to Smudge, and she waved back. They were a hundred meters apart on opposite ends of the paddocks.
“I could see that you had zoomed in on the targets and fired your guns,” Ben said into his mic, “and I could hear you grumbling, and then my display showed a scrolling banner of pictures with the translations below them. It’s clunky and would take some getting used to, but with practice we could probably communicate pretty effectively.”
Ben and Smudge sat in the dark at the corners of the paddock, playing with the helmet’s targeting and testing the limits of the vocabulary system.
She was getting the hang of the translator as it matched her vocalizations to a library of more than a thousand word-icons. It was much slower than using their sign language, but it was truly two-way communication between a human and a canine using only the sounds a dog’s vocal chords could produce. Of course the dog would need to be smart enough to make the right sounds. They’d also need to be able to interpret the display’s symbols to use the system, and the guns. The dog would have to be accelerated.
They took turns targeting a big herd of Cape buffalo at the watering hole, and found out that the vest’s rotary cannons could be triggered by the handler as well as the dog. The sighting worked similar to an assault rifle, with a lighted dot showing where they were aimed, and the display had selectable thermal imaging as well as a version of night vision that augmented a dog’s natural ability to see in the dark.
The system’s target interpretation automatically outlined any vehicle or large animal in yellow, and the dog or the handler could paint it green or red. Smudge noted Ben was painted green until she zoomed in far enough to see his face, and then his outline immediately turned to a flashing red.
The same thing happened with Smudge.
Smudge got up and trotted over to him as she growled and yapped into her mic.
As Ben hopped down from the low wall he read her message in his display and said, “Yeah, that red flashing is scaring the hell out of me, too.”
They walked past the paddocks of sleeping rhinos and elephants, and they were all automatically outlined in yellow.
They waved to the outlined guards in the parking lot before stepping into the clinic. Ben and Smudge walked through the treatment room to the recovery room where Christa, Dr. Lewis, and Kelcy were sleeping.
Ben shook Kelcy’s shoulder. She groaned, and he shook her again.
When his sister turned to face him in the dark her yellow outline turned to flashing red.
“Ben? Is everything okay?” Kelcy said quietly, “Is something wrong with Christa?” She rubbed her eyes and whispered, “What time is it?”
“It’s late, no, it’s early,” Ben whispered, “Everything’s fine sis, but you’re going to want to see this.”
Kelcy sat up, and when she was better able to see her brother and Smudge she said, “What the hell have you two numpties got on your heads?”
Ben and Kelcy followed Smudge into the workshop where Spot and the German shepherd, Major Tereshkova, who preferred to be called Tera, were having an animated discussion.
That makes no sense, Tera, Spot said, rapping on the bench with his paw.
He nodded to the kids and Smudge as they entered the shop. He signed to the wide-eyed Kelcy that everything was fine as Ben and Smudge took their gear off.
You must understand, Tera said, we only knew what we’d been told, and what we’d been shown on video files.
Tera turned to look up at Kelcy and paused for a moment.
The human girl had been on her kill list as well.
She turned back to Spot, and as she pointed to the gear on the table said, We were told the plans for these weapons had been confiscated from you, and that you had been the ones to attack our school and kill our handlers. Semion said he had rescued us. After we were rodilsya, we all agreed we’d follow him to get revenge. He said you were evil, and he was quite convincing. We saw what your sister and her assassins did on the security cameras so it was easy to believe.
Spot had started to sign when the kids came into the workshop so they could follow along as Tera communicated through gestures and vocalization. Spot was signing fast and Kelcy wasn’t getting every detail, but she got the gist. It was hard for her to look away from Tera. She noticed the dog seemed to have as much control over her quiet yaps and grumbles as the pups.
“What’s roadees-lee-ah?” Ben asked, trying to form the words based on Spot’s phonetic signing.
Rodislya, Spot signed more slowly, It means ‘to be born’ in Rus
sian. Obviously Semion has finally developed his serum. When Tera and the other dogs in her team were accelerated they joked it was like being born. Apparently it’s painful at first, but then there’s a rush as the massive increase in brain density kicks in. She says she could feel herself getting smarter by the minute. Full cognitive awareness in less than ten minutes, and by all indications so far I’d say Tera’s pretty damn smart.
“Fuck me,” Ben said.
Spot, Smudge, and Tera all nodded in agreement.
Kelcy continued to stare with her mouth hanging open, but her racing mind was quickly catching up. “Sooo, it looks like Barton’s files were right,” she said, “Obviously the phase-two protocols worked as they predicted, but where’d they get the blood to develop the serum?”
Tera shook her head, and Spot signed, She doesn’t know.
They all looked at Smudge.
Whoa, wait just a second, Smudge signed, It’s not like I lined up to donate a pint. I don’t know how the hell they would have gotten my blood.
“Alright little girl, just relax.” Ben said, “Wasn’t your fault. Well, it probably kinda was.”
Smudge sent a rude gesture Ben’s way.
Tera stared at them with her eyebrow raised.
Kelcy looked at the big German shepherd and said, “I’m Kelcy, by the way. Forgive my dogs’ rudeness for not introducing me, they don’t get out much. I’m the one who patched you up.”
She couldn’t help but gawk at the dog, and Tera stared right back at Kelcy with her head slightly tipped. Tera absolutely had the same smart stare as the pups, and just like Spot and Smudge she didn’t look away after a few moments like most animals. When Tera raised an expressive eyebrow Kelcy thought even people who didn’t know she had been accelerated might notice. Although no one paid much attention to Spot or Smudge when they looked up at them, they didn’t have Tera’s more pronounced shepherd markings. Her light facial fur and dark eyebrows seemed to give her expressions a more obvious, almost comical feel. Kelcy felt the ‘deeply engaged visual feedback’ of the pups, as Hamish had put it, seemed considerably more pronounced on Tera. Her big head and long snout were also more imposing than the pups, and she was almost a foot taller.
Tera gestured as she nodded at Kelcy, and Spot signed, Tera said she was pleased to meet you, and she appreciates the medical attention.
“Don’t mention it,” Kelcy said as she looked down at the wagging shepherd, “What’s this about her school being attacked?”
The issue with her school has been a little hard to piece together, Spot said, Actually the whole conversation’s been interesting. Before Tera was accelerated she’d only known human commands in Russian. Semion’s team are all Brits, so of course they speak English. Some of this hardware is Russian, but it was all modified in Hong Kong, and all of the software is in English. The dogs on Tera’s team had to learn the Queen’s English…which they did in about five days.
Kelcy wasn’t sure she’d caught that right and scoffed, “Five bloody days to learn English from dog-Russian? Hard to believe.”
Spot said, Tera and her team were already smart, professional dogs who in many ways were also very child-like, just like all young dogs. Then they got intelligent in ten minutes, with a brain density geometrically higher than yours. They were sponges. Remember how fast Smudge and I learned? Well condense that into a few minutes.
Tera looked up at Kelcy, and winked as she nodded.
Kelcy smiled as she reached out to pat Tera on the head and give her ear a tug, and then she suddenly felt uncomfortable and slowly drew back her hand.
“Sorry Tera,” Kelcy said, “you’re the first accelerated dog I’ve met outside of the family. Is a head pat from a stranger inappropriate...or demeaning...or maybe too personal?”
Tera considered that for a moment. She looked around the room and then grumbled and yapped, and Spot signed for her, I don’t know. It felt pretty natural. We still sniff each other’s rears to say hello sometimes, so a head pat doesn’t seem inappropriate. She looked at the pups, shrugged, and added, Right?
Spot shrugged back at her, and Smudge nodded.
Kelcy laughed, and looked at Ben as she said, “Now we know how Uncle Hamish and Barton felt, and everyone else who encounters our pups for the first time. It’s quite a whiplash.”
Tera stared at Kelcy for a moment before turning to face Smudge. She asked, May I see your paws?
Smudge stepped in front of Tera and held up a paw. She split it open, and Tera’s eyes narrowed as she closely examined and sniffed it. Smudge rotated her fingers, flipped open the small pads, and wiggled them.
Amazing, Tera said as she looked at Smudge, We had heard about them but had very little details. There was only a flash of them on the surveillance video. All of us were curious but didn’t want to ask. Questions were discouraged.
She bit down softly on one finger and Smudge grabbed her snout and gave it a squeeze.
They’re quite wonderful, Tera said, How did you come by them, if you don’t mind me asking?
My brother designed them, Smudge said, and we had a local surgeon do the nipping and tucking.
Ah, yes, Tera said, Massachusetts in the United States. Everyone there gets vanity surgery, yes? She gave Kelcy’s cute nose and obvious curves a suspicious eyeballing as she nodded and said, Titov and I joked that we would like to go there. Maybe have our paws turned into hands someday.
Kelcy folded her arms across her chest and scowled at the big shepherd.
Tera just stared at her with a flat look and a slight wag.
Well, Smudge said, that might be a little bit of an issue, you see Semion blew up our house and we kinda had to kill the surgeon.
Tera tipped her head and wrinkled her brow.
The act made both Kelcy and Ben laugh. It was an expression they’d seen their pups do a hundred times but it looked funny on another dog, especially with Tera’s bushy brows.
Tera said, I am a little confused. Semion and Harley said you blew up your own house, and his research facility. They also said you had killed many members of their teams, and family.
A wee bit of an exaggeration. It’s, umm, complicated, Smudge said as she scratched her neck and looked to Ben for a rescue.
“Yeah, complicated,” Ben said. He looked at Spot and quickly added, “So you were saying something about her school?”
Right, Spot said, Tera and her team are guard dogs, or rather were guard dog trainees about to graduate. They were completing protection dog school with their handlers and were slated to leave for Russian Federation Army posts in the southern oblasts. Semion attacked the school and tranq’ed her and the other dogs. He butchered their human handlers and a few of the dogs that fought back, and then torched the place while most of them were still alive.
Spot paused when Smudge shot him a look. She had noticed Tera’s tail drop, and her normally pert ears had sagged just the slightest bit.
Sorry Tera, Spot said, fumbling, As both of my sisters here often point out, I don’t get out much and I’m not the most delicate of dogs sometimes.
He turned to Ben and Kelcy and signed, The sick bastard even left more burnt carcasses of strays he’d picked up somewhere. He needed to make sure the body count was correct so no one would search for Tera or the other kidnapped dogs.
“You poor things,” Kelcy said. She knelt down in front of the shepherd and couldn’t stop her hands from reaching out and taking Tera’s muzzle tenderly in her hands. “Everything you knew, gone,” Kelcy said, “You must have been terrified. You have to know our family could never, ever have done anything like that.”
Smudge leaned forward and rubbed her snout under Tera’s thick neck fur. She looked up at her brother and said, More victims and another act of senseless violence. We can’t hide anymore, brother. We have to end this.
Tera pressed her head into Kelcy’s hands and rubbed against them. As Kelcy’s fingers massaged her jowls she closed her eyes and stayed that way for a long while.
> Kelcy looked at Ben and the pups with puddly eyes as the big shepherd slowly moved her head back and forth, enjoying Kelcy’s caring touch.
Tera finally looked up at her and said, Izveenete.
Spot signed, translating for her, She’s apologizing. She said she’s sorry.
Kelcy said, “Oh Tera, no need. It’s okay.”
I was close with my handler, Tera said, she was a good human and you have…similarities. The days at my school were full of pride and camaraderie. Titov and I were a team and he was the best we had. He was smart, strong, and fast. After rodislya, we were something more. It was as you said, complicated. New feelings for us both. For a few days we enjoyed our new lives but then Semion arrived at the camp and his training started. Dogs that weren’t aggressive enough were culled. As our old classmates started to reason the ones that asked too many questions didn’t make it either. Titov was the one to force me to stay strong. He made me act tough and remain silent…he also showed me how to be heartless. The days were harsh and our new handlers were ruthless. The dog’s that have made it all the way through are killers and we couldn’t confide in them. We resigned ourselves to keeping quiet while we finished this business and avenged those you had killed…well, those we thought you had killed. Titov and I talked about taking off on our own afterwards, when the right time presented itself.
Kelcy stroked her chin and said, “Tera, I’m sure you can stay with us now that he’s gone, if you care to.”
I don’t know that I can, Tera said, There is much you don’t know.
She pulled away from Kelcy and Smudge, and circled the workshop. She put her front paws up on the workbench and stroked the hard shell of one of the minigun vests.
Spot continued to translate for her as she said, After our training we tested these weapons on live human targets. It was a small military outpost on the Angolan border near Zambia. Semion and the fat men said your family was hiding there. Komanda sem and vosem. Sorry, team six, and my team, eight, were first into the camp.
Let Slip the Pups of War: Spot and Smudge - Book Three Page 42