Free Awakening: The First Tale of the Trine (Trine Series Book 1) by D.B. West

for the animal’s neck, partially exhaled, and gently squeezed the trigger. With a soft thwuump the dart slammed into the pillow by the dog’s head. The animal looked to the dart, then back at the officer, opening its mouth to reveal rows of teeth. Its tongue lolled out, and it took a series of huge breaths, looking for all the world like it was laughing.
    “Well?” the second animal control officer asked.
    “Give me another dart!” the shooter replied. “I missed,” he added quietly.
    “You missed!?!” the ward guard roared, bursting into laughter. “You’re eight feet away from a barn sized dog, and you missed?”
    Slamming the next dart into the chamber, the animal control officer sighted the dog. Aiming for the neck again, he calmed himself and squeezed the trigger. He heard the familiar whine as the dart left the barrel, but couldn’t see where this one impacted. “Did I get him?” he asked rhetorically, pressing his face to the peephole.
    In reply, the dog glanced down at the mattress between its front paws, where a dart was clearly sticking. It looked back up at the officer in the peephole, tongue lolling, and rolled over onto its side as if presenting a larger target.
    “Son. Of. A. Bitch !” the officer yelled. “Is the damned barrel warped? Give me another dart!”
    Reloading the rifle, this time he snapped it to his shoulder. Jamming the gun as far it would go into the peephole, he fired at the animal’s exposed belly. Pulling the rifle back out, the officer pressed his face to the opening. “What the…?” he began, recoiling from the door.
    The three darts he had fired slowly floated back through the peephole. Bobbing into the hall, the darts spun aimlessly for a moment in the air, then lined up as though guided on each animal control officer and the ward guard. Not one of them had time to react before the darts surged forward, slamming into each of their chests.
    The lab tech watched in horror as the trio staggered back, each of them quickly sagging to the floor. He wanted to run, but his legs felt disconnected and numb, leaving him rooted in place. The bolt on the door to the cell withdrew with a clank, and the heavy door creaked open.
    The green dog trotted out into the hall, its teeth exposed in a huge canine grin. It looked around the hall seeming quite pleased, before walking slowly over to the technician.
    Raising his hands in a feeble warding gesture, the tech made a low whimpering sound. The animal’s head came up to his chest, and it pressed right between his outstretched arms. Its muzzle crinkled as it began sniffing at his suit. After a moment, the dog sat down on its haunches, and looking straight into the technician’s eyes, opened its mouth and…spoke!
    “Did you seriously pee?” the dog asked, tongue lolling in amusement, and his yellow eyes crinkled with glee.
    “I…I…I can’t tell,” the tech stammered. Overwhelmed, his legs finally abandoned him entirely, and he sank to his knees in front of the animal.
    “You smell like you peed,” the dog reiterated. “You’ve got a hole in your suit, too.” Raising a paw, he placed it onto the tech’s shoulder. “Calm down kid, I’m not going to blow your house down, eat your grandma, or commit any other acts of canine barbarism. Let’s start fresh without all the guns and needles. My name is Aki. What’s yours?”
    “My name…? I’m…I’m Andrew Crouch…Andy,” he choked out.
    “Andy, it’s nice to meet you” Aki said, taking his paw off of his shoulder and holding it out for a shake. The familiar gesture was oddly comforting, and Andy took the offered paw gently. It was at least twice as large as his hand, and he released it quickly.
    “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Andy asked him.
    “Orak was worried that it would be too much for your people to handle, and to be fair, you guys are known to be pretty loose with your guns,” Aki said.
    “Orak? Is that your white-haired buddy?”
    “The one