Copyright (C) 2020, Robert B. Reeder
Slow Hedgehog Publishing
CHAPTER 21: Radiation Days
Slow Hedgehog Publishing
CHAPTER 21: Radiation Days
Nyan looked quietly at the inputs panel, which was lit up in various shades of the visible
and invisible (to humans) bands of the light spectrum. Nyan was an observer of the
planet Earth/Sol/45.444.63/Milky Way. As an observer, Nyan had responsibility to note
and track aberrations in the behaviors of groups and individuals in the Southern California
area. Nyan was the first to detect Valspeak in the 80s, and wrote a technical report on the
phenomenon, entitled “OK, Fine, Fer Sure: Gag Me With a Retrograde Linguistic Fad.”
It was well received by the management of the observers. Nyan received a plaque for those
efforts. Since that time, Nyan felt enormous pressure to live up to the superstar status and
the resultant expectations.
One cycle, Nyan was chatting on the holo with the drone Exxix-Guv-ix-imm-ixex, or EG.and invisible (to humans) bands of the light spectrum. Nyan was an observer of the
planet Earth/Sol/45.444.63/Milky Way. As an observer, Nyan had responsibility to note
and track aberrations in the behaviors of groups and individuals in the Southern California
area. Nyan was the first to detect Valspeak in the 80s, and wrote a technical report on the
phenomenon, entitled “OK, Fine, Fer Sure: Gag Me With a Retrograde Linguistic Fad.”
It was well received by the management of the observers. Nyan received a plaque for those
efforts. Since that time, Nyan felt enormous pressure to live up to the superstar status and
the resultant expectations.
“Hey, EG, what do you have for me?”
EG buzzed its wings rapidly in the traditional form of greeting. It was formal. It wasn’t normal.
EG had never been normal, and Nyan thought the drone was up to something. Not Nyan’s problem.
EG said, “I’ve been down to the beach. Nice place. You can get anything you want there.
You want anything?”
“Only information that I can write up.”“Boring! It’s always business with you. OK, I may have something. Actually, I know I have
something. But it will cost you something.”
“EG, you know you are flying close to the nuke lamp, right?”The drone got right to the point. “I need some Eslon and some anti-Exasperon, and I need
it badly.”
A large mixer dispenser in the corner had both in decent quantities. Nyan knew better than
to keep a useful junkie from the junk.
“Go ahead and help yourself. You really should get some professional treatment.”EG put its feeder tube in the mixer and drained it in a matter of a few moments. It then
related to Nyan the details of the SoCal beach changes, how the war between the dogs
and cats had recently escalated, and how a human or humans were now involved, and
knew about canine sentience.
and cats had recently escalated, and how a human or humans were now involved, and
knew about canine sentience.
