Page 72 of Tis the Season for Tentacles
The representative squints at her screen. “I can’t find any kind of microchip with details on ownership, but my device tells me this animal is a male Volengi Foxhound.”
I’ve never even heard of the breed before.
Felix laughs with obvious delight. “Oh, my God, that’s perfect. He looks like a cross between a Pomeranian and a fox, only blue! Don’t you, boy?” He starts rubbing the ears of the stray, who tilts its head up to lick his chin.
Felix has hearts in his eyes now.
“Isn’t he absolutely precious?” he asks me. “And so interesting too. I can’t wait to learn more about his species.”
Oh, dear galactic gods. I know I’m going to regret this, but…
I turn back to the information kiosk representative. “What happens to strays on the station?”
She winces. “If they’re caught, we send them on a cargo ship to the closest planet that has facilities to care for them.”
Felix growls and clutches the creature tighter.
I close my eyes and pray I’m not making the biggest mistake of my life.
“And what if someone on the space station finds a stray and wants to adopt it?”
I don’t dare look at Felix or I might lose my nerve.
Also because I’m pretty sure my face is flaming red by now, which is a feat in and of itself when your natural skin tone is gold.
The representative beams at me. “Well, that would definitely be the best-case scenario if they could provide a loving home.In fact, I can help you process an adoption here in my system. Would you like to adopt this little foxhound?”
I nod.
“Oh, Najar,” Felix murmurs, but I keep my eyes on the screen that the woman behind the desk hands me.
“I just need you to fill out a little bit of information. Then we’ll run a final health scan on the foxhound, and you can name him and take him with you!”
I start filling out the digital forms, and I have been transferred ownership of one tiny blue furball in short order.
“What do you want to call him?” I finally ask Felix, daring to look at him.
I soon realize that’s a mistake. Felix is giving me the most intense come-hither looks I’ve ever seen.
Evidently rescuing animals in need gets him a wee bit hot and bothered.
I should have known.
“I can really name him?” he asks, something tender and soft reflected in his eyes.
“Yes, of course. You saved him, after all.”
He looks down at the furball, who gazes up at him with utter adoration. “How do you like Cosmo, little guy? After all, I found you on my very first journey to the cosmos.”
The foxhound seems to like that and gives Felix’s chin another couple of licks, which makes him giggle.
My hearts flutter at the sound.
I hastily add Cosmo’s name to the form and hand the screen back to the representative.
She has us bring Cosmo over to a small table beside her station, where a larger scanning device does a quick sweep over him. After, she pulls up a report on her screen, which she taps a few times. “Okay, I’m sending this report to you, but surprisingly, he has a clean bill of health. He’ll require somevaccinations if he’s going to be traveling in outer space, but I assume those are things you can handle on your ship?”
I nod. “Our medical bay is already equipped for that.”
