Chapter 3

Josiah woke up early in the morning. He didn't like to get up early back home, but he figured he could get a little head start before his caretaker got up with his new console after brushing his teeth and using the shower. He just installed a new game on it, one that was free and one that seemed familiar to him.

It was a roguelike, set somewhere in New England where you had to survive and fought off different types of zombies, occasionally mutating yourself or augmenting your body with cybernetics. It was pretty much the same game back home, save that any human character were replaced with a dog counterpart.

It made Josiah wince, with how similar this was to one of his favorite games back home, as he spent maybe an hour or two on it as per his reckoning.

He kept the volume low as his newly sensitive ears picked up footsteps out of the door.

"Josiah, dear," Brandy said from the other side. "Don't forget we have the barbecue today!"

"Okay, mom." Josiah said from the other end.

"I'll be making brekkie," Brandy said. "What would you like?"

"Can I have a ham and cheese omelet?" Josiah asked.

"Of course!" Brandy walked away, Josiah turning his attention back to his game.

It wasn't too long until the barbecue, Josiah aside from eating his breakfast and playing a few games on his console.

"Josiah! It's time to go!" Brandy said from outside his door.

Josiah got up from his bed and plugged in his system as he left for the door, with Brandy leading him through a crowded street. Josiah saw various dogs going about their business, some wearing suits while others didn't wear anything. A gray-furred terrier holding a green hat out filled with money with a sleeping bag under his shoulder passed by, as Brandy gave him a twenty.

Soon, Josiah was led to a metro station, as Brandy scanned a card at the turnstile. Josiah whistled as his eyes looked at the sleek train that came in, as people came flooding out and in a moment, Josiah and Brandy were in, taking their seats together, Josiah idly kicking his legs about beside Brandy.

In a few minutes, they were at their stop as they exited and began walking into a nice suburb. Children were playing outside, and once both of them had to dodge a cricket ball as a red Kelpie came out to get it.

"Sorry!" He said, running back home.

Brandy giggled as they continued on, until they came across a house that Brandy stopped and turn to face. A nice Queenslander house was in front of him, done in pastel yellows and blues with a red corrugated roof. An orange-red Jeep was parked in the driveway.

Josiah leaned forward, looking at Brandy. She took a deep breath before stepping forward, Josiah following as they inched their way to the door.

"It's okay, Brandy." Josiah hear her mutter under her breath as they were in front of the door and she rung the doorbell.

"I'll get it!" The voice of a young girl said.

The door swung open as two Heelers stood there before them, one blue and slightly shorter than Josiah with another one, shorter than her sister and with orange fur whom bore an uncanny resemblance to Brandy to Josiah.

"Hi, Aunt Brandy!" They both said in unison.

"Hey girls!" Brandy smiled, waving to them.

"Uh," Josiah smiled, waving. "Hey."

The eyes of the two girls looked to Josiah, their eyes widening.

"Brandy!" Josiah's eyes turned to see another Heeler also with orange fur approaching.

"Chilli!" Brandy hugged her sister, their tails wagging.

As the sisters hugged it out, the girls stepped forward to Josiah.

"Hi," The blue one said, grinning. "What's your name?"

"Josiah." Josiah said.

"Cousin Josiah!" The younger orange one said, raising her hands to the air.

"I'm Bluey!" The blue heeler said.

"And I'm Bingo!" Her sister said, both of their tails wagging.

"Hey, Brandy!" A masculine voice said, a tall Blue Heeler said approaching them, his eyes drifting to his daughters and then to Josiah.

"Woah there," Bandit kneeled down, smiling. "You must be the newest addition to the family!" He held out his hand. "Welcome to the Heeler home, I'm your new Uncle Bandit and you are?"

"Josiah." Josiah grabbed his hand, Bandit's grip strong as he shook it.

"Josiah?" Bandit asked. "Well, welcome to the family!" He said with a large grin.

Bandit got up and looked to Brandy. "So, you didn't bring any onesies did you?" He asked.

Both Brandy and Chilli glared at Bandit, as Josiah's eyes widened, speechless.

'If looks could kill, he was already dead.' Josiah thought to himself.

Bluey and Bingo looked to Josiah, as they grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's go!" They said, Josiah letting out a yelp, the pair taking him into the house.

They had led him to a deck, the rooms they ran across a blur to Josiah. They were alone in the backyard for a brief moment before the adults came in, Bandit going to the nearby grill. Tables and benches were also there, worn by weather and stains from food and drink.

"You've beat Stripe in getting here, Brandy," Bandit said, as he lit up the grill. "You've never met my brother, haven't you?" Bandit asked.

"I haven't." Brandy shook her head.

Bandit leaned closer to Brandy. "Just so you know, his oldest can be a bit of a handful."

"Dad!" Bluey said. "I heard that."

"Well, it's true!" Bandit said, Bluey glaring at her father as she led Bingo and Josiah into the backyard proper, leading him down some stairs. A tree that reminded Josiah of an acacia with lanterns hanging from its branches with a sandbox and a shed nearby.

"What was that about onesies?" Josiah asked.

"Oh," Bluey looked to Josiah. "Aunt Brandy got us some onesies where I got a zebra and Bingo got a cheetah!" She smiled. "She then chased us all over the house!"

"I got Dad and Aunt Brandy!" Bingo said, giggling.

"...I see." Josiah said.

"Do you like to play games?" Bluey asked.

"I have a game system back home," Josiah said, smiling sheepishly. "Does that count?"

"Oh!" Bluey smiled. "On weekends, I play games on my dad's tablet! Maybe we can play together one day!"

"Maybe?" Josiah put his hand on his chin, thinking of cross-platform games they could play.

"But do you like playing games for real life?" Bingo asked. "Like tag or hide and seek?"

That gave Josiah a little pause. He thought back to his childhood.

He was the quiet kid who existed in the corner of the classroom, never really talking to anyone. The few friends he made in school came to him, more often than not being a passive observer in a world he didn't completely understand.

Then the autism diagnosis came in and it all made more sense.

"Josiah," Bluey asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Josiah nodded. "I was just thinking of a game we could play."

"Oh!" Bingo pointed upward. "I have an idea!" She ran off and she held a beach ball as she launched it upward.

It flew to Bluey who jumped up and laughed. "Bomb Rally!" She threw it to Josiah, not unlike a volley ball.

"Oh boy," Josiah said under his breath. "What mess have I gotten myself into?"

He bend his knees, Josiah gazing upward as the ball fell down towards him. He balled his hands into fists and thrust them as the ball flew away from him and back to Bluey.

Bluey tossed it back to Bingo, who then returned it to Bluey and it came back to Josiah.

A breeze drifted the ball to the side, Josiah jumping to smack the ball towards Bingo as Bingo tipped over, Josiah landing on his side.

Josiah tensed and was about to shout before he heard Bingo laugh, getting up.

"Boom," Bluey said, giggling. "You're out Bingo!"

Bluey picked up the beach ball and threw it to Josiah, as he thrust an open palm into it, sending it back to Bluey. Bluey jumped, kicking the ball as it flew to the other side of the yard.

Josiah scrambled for the ball, his eyes on it. He jumped and slid like a baseball player going to home base, before feeling it bounce off his knee.

"Boom!" Bingo said, shouting from behind him. "You're out, Josiah!"

"Let's do it again!" Bluey said, giggling.

The three got together before they would spend a while tossing around the ball. Bluey won most of the games, with Josiah winning around twice.

The last game was down to Bingo and Bluey, as he watched from the bench as he drank from a bottled water, his fur covered in a bit of dirt.

Bluey tossed the ball upward, flinging it to Bingo, who stared at with steely eyes.

Josiah heard someone screaming, like a little girl's voice, fast approaching.

Bluey turned for a brief moment to the source of the noise, to the deck. Bingo elbowed the ball, as it hit Bluey in her side, as she yelped in surprised.

"Boom!" Bingo said, tail wagging. "You're out, Bluey!"

Bluey giggled, looking at her sister as Josiah smiled.

"Good job there, Bingo!" Josiah said, putting his hand to his muzzle.

"Hooray!" Bingo said, smiling.

"Make way!" That voice said, getting closer.

"Be careful, Muffy!" Another said, that vaguely reminded him of Bandit but a bit more griffer.

Josiah's attention was drawn to an even smaller Heeler, this one having white fur with gray spots running to the trio. She ran up to the ball and kicked it, as it bounced off the tree trunk and off the shed and upward into the deck as it smacked Bandit in the face.

"Be careful down there!" Bandit looked down at the tree from the deck.

"Muffin!" Bluey and Bingo said in unison.

"Hi, Bluey!" Muffin waved to both. "Hi, Bingo!" She looked over to Josiah, looking at him. "Who is this?" She asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, this our new cousin," Bluey held out a hand to Josiah, presenting him not unlike a car. "Josiah!"
Muffin put her hand on his chin as she approached him, Josiah looking down at the Heeler.

"Cousin?" She asked. "But Dad said he didn't want another kid." She leaned in, letting a "Hmm..."

"He lives with Aunt Brandy!" Bingo said, pointing to Brandy at the deck, whom was talking to Chilli and another who bore a resemblance to Muffin.

"How old are you?" Muffin asked.

"...Eight?" He said. He was actually older than that, but the doctors around the hospital estimated he was around there.

"You don't look like a Heeler to me..." Muffin said, as Josiah noticing her Rs being pronunced more like Ws, not unlike a little kid.

"I'm not," Josiah shook his head. "I'm an American Akita and I was adopted."

"Adopted?" Muffin asked, eyes widening.

"Yes." Josiah nodded.

"So that means you weren't-" Muffin was interrupted by another, approaching as she walked up to them.

"Hi, Socks!" Bluey and Bingo waved to her.

"Hi!" Socks said, having light blue fur with dark blue spots, waving to the siblings before she looked to Josiah.

"Who-" Sock asked before her sister pushed away.

"Socks, don't interrupt me!" Muffin raised her voice, looming over Socks who backed away.

Josiah grabbed his ears, wincing. "Do you have to be so loud?" Josiah asked.

"Well, she interrupted me!" Muffin furrowed her brow and pointed to Socks.

"Muffin," Josiah looked down at her. "She just said 'hi'," Josiah shook his head, frowning. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"Buh." Muffin turned her back and stomped her foot on the ground, frowning.

Sock smiled as she looked to Josiah.
"What's your name?"

"Josiah Jovanni." Josiah said, smiling at the young one.

Bluey and Bingo looked at Josiah.

"That's a weird name." Bingo said, tilting her head.

"Where are you from?" Bluey asked. "You talk a little weird."

"Well, I'm from America, from a place called Louisiana." Josiah said, smiling. Even Muffin turned around, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

'Oh boy, I'll be here for a while.' Josiah thought to himself.

Spencer sat alone in a cell, deep within the facility that was called by its workers simply "The Brig". He didn't work on a boat but that's what they called it, since it fulfilled the same function after all.

He sat down on a cot, bolted to the wall with chains hanging as he had a small table and a toilet/sink combo nearby, the cell lit by a single light bulb with a sturdy door in front of him. It was rather cramped by Spencer's reckoning, but he sat down on his bed.

It felt like a bit of an eternity, he admitted but considering he was sent to juvie a few times in his life growing up? He just had to hurry up and wait.

Sure enough, he heard footsteps and the door swung open.

"The director wants to see you." A guard in an off-white uniform said. He didn't have a badge, though he did have handcuffs in hand as he cuffed Spencer and escorted him.

The Brig had rows of doors with numbers on them, that he wasn't sure were occupied or not as he was led to an elevator as they ascended and Spencer was led down a hall with various people going about their business, wearing lab coats and badges in lanyards hanging around their necks.

He was then led to the office of the Director, a steel door sliding past as the guard scanned his ID.

In comparison to the gray, drab concrete monstrosity this building was, with maybe the occasional yellow to contrast the dull gray, the Director's office had wooden panel that harked back to the Victorian era, with actual carpet as well. A desk with a large workstation computer with two monitors sat on it, with a large photo frame of the Director's family stretching three generations. The director swiveled around to look at Spencer.

The Director was a thin man with pale skin, with graying eyes and gray eyes as he looked to Spencer, his face stone cold as he looked at him as he wore a black pinstripe suit with red tie.

"Thank you, Jones." The Director said. "Wait outside the door." The guard gave him a nod before the door closed behind him, leaving Spencer and The Director alone.

"I hope you have an idea of just how much hot water you're in, Mr. Christensen." The Director steeped his fingers, looking at Spencer.

"You don't say?" Spencer asked.

"Your scorn will not serve you here, Christensen." The Director waved his hand at Spencer. "However, considering that I'm not the one in handcuffs, that is the worst of you can do here."

"Hmph," Spencer frowned, narrowing his eyes at The Director. "Yell at me all you want, let's get it out of the way."

"Oh," The Director's eye held a gleam in his eye, Spencer biting his lips at the sight. "I'm not going to yell at you, not this time."

"Then what?" Spencer asked, his mouth in a hard line.

"Well," The Director reclined in his chair. "It took some convincing but rather than stuff you in ADX Florence to uphold our secrets, we came to an agreement."

"An agreement." Spencer said, flatly.

The Director turned one of his monitors to Spencer as he glanced at the screen and saw a video of a city skyline. He knew it was from one of the drones, as it zoomed in on a street and Spencer's eyes widened.

Instead of people, it was filled with dogs that walked on two legs, going about their business.

"And you will go here to recover Technician Jovanni." The Director grinned, pointing to the screen. "However it takes."

"What?!" Spencer leaned forward, as he tried to slam his hands on the desk but remembering the handcuffs. "You can't do this to me, I have a wife and kids back home!"

"And you can't neither be a husband nor father from inside the cells of a supermax." The Director shook his head. "Do you want someone coming to your door, saying that in the line of duty you died while in reality," He leaned towards Spencer, his face inches away from Spencer's. "You are rotting in a cell as you callously let your co-worker go to another universe unprepared, as whatever benefits you had are thrown in the garbage along with your life?"

"No." Spencer shook his head.

"Need I remind you have we camera footage of you launching that pod during a routine inspection," The Director glared at Spencer. "As well as computer logs showing you did it?"

"No, sir." Spencer said as The Director sat down.

"While I'm ashamed of you for doing so, especially for whatever petty squabble you have with Technician Jovanni," The Director said. "I will offer you this mercy to correct your mistake," He pointed to Spencer. "Red tape doesn't let us access people with talent easily and whatever it takes, you will find him for us."

"But what would they do to a guy like me?" Spencer asked, standing up straight in his seat. "I'm not a dog!"

"Well, that simplifies it for us," The Director said. "If he's imprisoned, you will be the key to his release," The Director flashed a smile. "And with what we can do?" He chuckled. "We can adjust our mission to whatever perimeters we need it to be." He glanced back at Spencer.

"Do you mean...?" Spencer asked.

"We will send you alone with one of our AI Agents, to assist you, who will brief you on your mission whenever you get there." The Director said. "You will begin training on Extra-Spatial Extradition starting tomorrow morning, should you accept this."

Spencer frowned. He thought about his wife and his kids back home, as he let out a sigh.

"Will my family be provided for at least?" Spencer asked.

"Do not worry, Mr. Christensen." The Director nodded. "You will receive your salary and they will be none the wiser."

"Then," Spencer let out a groan. "I'll do it."

"Excellent," The Director said. "I am pleased to see you are willing to make up for your transgression against a fellow technician because," He leaned forward. "This mercy will not be extended again."

Spencer nodded.

"Jones," He said, raising his voice. "Get Mr. Christensen out of my sight."

The guard came back in as Spencer was led back to his cell.

Before he left thought, the Director said one last thing to him.

"We expect you to be up bright and early." The Director, turning away from Spencer.