Pillowy clouds fill Camden's skies in the early morning haze. Several Dalmatian pups stumble over their snoring siblings, the comforting coolness pulling them back to bed. One teenage pup grumbles to himself as he fidgets with his tablet.

"Hmm…incorrect. Despite the jowls and relative sunken appearance, those two are not golden retrievers like Godfrey." Dawkins huffs as he marks another breed off of a list. Breeds like Bloodhound, Beagle, Cavalier, and even Golden Retriever (though Godfrey may resemble hound-like dogs due to age) are etched away with close examination. Each have similar features, but don't line up exactly with the dogs from yesterday afternoon.

"Agh, feeling frustration!" Dawkins slumps over. "Perhaps some entertainment will brighten my mood."

Dawkins pops the kickstand on his tablet, placing it down. He reaches into the corner of his cubby, digging through a mountain of loose gadgets and parts. After a while, he lifts headphones into the air! Old-fashioned headphones, that is. The device is black with lapis blue highlights for ear covers. He takes the plug, carefully lowering it to his tablet's jack. Then, he checks the volume with several button presses…sounds good! Finally, he opens a streaming service app, scrolling through a plethora of shows and films to find…

Princess Positron: Heiress of Atom!

An old animated show starring the titular character traveling the galaxy in a broken down spaceship with her crewmates: Electron Esquire, Proton Peasant, and Neutron Knight. Princess Positron, the heir to the Atom Empire, abandons her throne after catching her parents planning an arranged marriage for political purposes! Then there is Electron Esquire, Positron's childhood friend who gave up becoming a knight, preferring to pilot spaceships. Electron's feelings for the Princess aren't very subtle, becoming a major subplot during the more tense episodes. Next, Proton Peasant (who prefers to be called Proper Proton) is a lost child who claims to come from nobility. He joins the journey to put his name in history chips! Finally, the Neutron Knight. They are Positron's swore protector, always by her side, ready to draw their laser-borne blade at any foe. Together, the quad hopes to achieve galactic peace through their ragtag adventures. Their friendship seems unlikely, and the journey perilous, but they'll never give hope!

Dawkins grins ear-to-ear as he begins the first episode. May as well take advantage of the early morning sleepiness!

Beep-beep-boop! #Welcome to the bin of those lost! May you be found at any cost.#

The opening reverberates through Dawkins' head. He increases the volume plenty, just enough to be unobtrusive to his ears. Dawkins' show starts like with a bit of a plot hole; the main characters are already good friends and are on a seemingly random adventure. Their ship, the N.Found, cruises through galaxies by lightyear as they prepare to hunt down a stolen artifact. Dawkins squints at the sight of Princess Positron.

"Pleasant days, crew! Is everything in order?" Said Princess Positron. Dawkins mouths the character's words perfectly. Another character gives a paws-up sign. "Positronly perfect!"

"Hey, princess!" Electron Esquires chimes in. "If this mission goes well, you think we can cruise around a couple asteroid belts for a bit?"

Positron shakes her head at Electron's huge grin. "…Somehow, I get the feeling that's gonna happen regardless of my answer…"

As the crew prepares landing the ship, Dawkins eyes become heavy. Blips, wooshes and quark-y warbles fill his mind as he begins to snore. A wet pool dribbles off to the side as his headphones slip. Dawkins is grateful for weekends where Mum and Dad take over majority of the pupcare. Every minute of sleep counts when you don't have your own room!

But suddenly…

Dawkins' eyes fly open. He's caught in a vortex of scrap and debris! He tries moving, but a tugging feeling pulls him down to his tummy. Dawkins looks down, noticing a hunk of sheet metal latched onto his leg. With a bit of effort, Dawkins manages to lift it away. He wiggles his toes, sighing in relief. But his sigh is quickly gasped back in…? The air is slick and sharp, like oil pouring off the side of a pan. It's completely unbreathable!

Outside of the wreckage, the surrounding nature is not of the Earth. Lapis plants liter the rolling hills, complemented by unnaturally orange rivers that smack with sudden splashes. It's an unnaturally lush environment, devoid of anything resembling upper-level life. Perhaps the crash site is some sort of jungle area? A thick breeze screeches as it nearly blows Dawkins off his feet. What kind of place is this? How did he get onto a spaceship, and what dummy crashed it? He squints his eyes…cracks in his vision!? Dawkins places a paw to the dome over his head. His semi-useless space suit squeaks, the glass visor sharp and obtuse.

"D-D-Dawkins…" A voice peters out.

But Dawkins can't respond. He looks around, but its just a sea of blue and orange. Who else was on the ship? He wanders around the wreckage, discovering wasted nourishment tablets (space food from the Positron show) of every existing flavor! Yellow, gnorp slime, whisker stew…what a shame! Dawkins' ears fly up at the sight of a blue afro stuck between debris. Dawkins claws at it, revealing a shredded Princess Positron. The dog nearly goes blue himself, gasping his last bit of breath away.

"Find…them…save…them…l-Positronly!" The blue rubble spurts. "Find…them…save…them…l-l-l-l-l-l Positttttttttt…BZZT!"

The ground trembles with fear. Over the horizon, a hooded figure lumbers towards Dawkins. His cheeks burn with the stress put on them…it's unbearable! He has to do it! He has to breathe!

"POSIT-"

"Ah!" Dawkins' spine stiffens as he stands on his claws. He shakes his head as he stares at the tablet. An episode of Princess Positron is still playing. "Ugh, my head…no wonder my dream was unusual…ohh, what were you going to say, Princess?" He shakes his tablet, but the characters ignore him.

Dawkins notices the near silence in the pup room. He peeks his head out the curtain to find nothing but a pup-free room staring back at him. How long was he asleep? As he goes to stretch, a pair of light paws approach from the halls.

"Good morning, Dawkins. Finally awake?" Said Delilah Dalmatian, also known as "Mum".

Dawkins quickly rips his headphones off, not wanting to sit through another sound safety lecture: "N-not really…morning, mother."

"Hmm…" Delilah hops onto a stool, gazing up at her child's heavy eyes. "Would you mind coming down? I'd like to speak with you."

"Yes, mother…"

Dawkins chokes back a groan. Delilah's a great mother when she can be, but she's never very subtle when cross about something. Defeated, Dawkins unplugs and stores his headphones, plugs up his tablet, and shakes the sleepiness out of his fur. He pops his head from behind his curtain…a strained grin looks back at him.

"There you are…come along, sweets," Delilah beckons.

He lands in the sea of pillows, looking up at his mum with a frown. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, nothing really…" She flips a limp paw. "But I did hear something about you being off, 'stomping away' from our home…is this true, Dawkins?"

A crawling whisper escapes Dawkins mouth: "Y-yes…"

"Even dogs can mishear with such a low tone. Please, speak up."

"I said that it is true!" Dawkins glances away, scowling. "I was stuck with the brunt of keeping our home in one piece, and it wasn't my turn. It isn't fair to place everything onto me, Dylan and Dolly should know that by now!"

"Hmm…that can't be right, Dawkins. Dylan triple checks chores, nothing gets past him." Delilah leans in a bit. "Can't say the same for Dolly…regardless, that doesn't explain why you ran off."

"W-what? But that does! I needed some breathing room!"

Delilah furls a brow. "So that means running off on your own? I explicitly restricted that, especially after the DVPI. And yet, you did. Dylan nearly fainted worrying about where you were!"

"B-but, Dylan and Dolly do that all the time! How come they can do as they please!?"

"Dylan's off with Clarissa right next door, while Dolly's off with the Prince! What if something were to happen to you out there, what then?!"

Dawkins stands on his hind-legs, arms crossed. "Remember, Clarissa's human was friends with that, that, awful lady!" Delilah frowns a bit at the reminder. Dawkins looks at the ceiling. "If I were in trouble, I'd contact home using the World Wide Woof."

"And if you are captured and muzzled?"

"Send a message via my goggles."

"Stripped of your collar and goggles!?"

"I wou-"

"Enough!" Delilah snaps. She places a paw on her head. "Dawkins, you are not some sort of 'mad scientist', you're a teenage puppy! …I understand your feelings, I do. Under different circumstances, I would not put my paw down. But you've left me no choice. You've got an extra set of chores to do today: scrubbing the pooper scoopers, and clearing out fur-balls from beneath the furniture. Also, I don't want to hear anything about you running off again. Otherwise, you will lose tablet privileges for a week. Is that understood?"

Dawkins puts his head down. "…yes, mother."

"Good. Please be on your best behavior today. It's my day off, and I haven't had a good sleep in ages…" She yawns. Delilah hops off the stool, heading for the doorway. She turns her head back to her child, who has already returned to his cubby.

Poomf!

Dawkins' body presses against his dog bed, flattening the cushion further. He bellows a big sigh, staring at the tablet's darkened screen. I don't understand! Why am I being punished for doing what Dylan and Dolly do all the time? We're practically the same age…group…regardless, what difference does that make? Agh! Perhaps I should just finish that episode…, thought Dawkins. A paw struggles to the reach the screen. It would be nice to see what happens to Positron's crew, but the chores…he drops his paw. Dawkins shakes his frustrations away, readying himself to jump down. But his ears perk up as a set of heavier paws approach from the hallway.

"Oh no…not another double dip…" Mutters Dawkins.

Doug Dalmatian, father to the Dalmatian family (stepfather to Dawkins), pokes his head around the corner with a careful grin.

Doug sits up straight in the doorway. "Morning, Dawkins! Did you sleep well?"

Dawkins rolls his eyes: "I know what you've come to talk about, Doug…"

"I see. What'd the sheriff sentence you to?"

"The sheriff? Wha—oh." Dawkins blushes. "More menial housework…"

"I guess that's fair…" Doug tilts his head. "Still, this isn't like you, Dawkins. We can barely get you outside as is, haha…heh…"

As if this is my first time storming off…pour, innocent Doug…, thought Dawkins. Dawkins furls a brow: "The point being…?"

"There's gotta be a reason. Don't worry, I won't increase on your sentence. It would ease your mother and I's worries to know. Please?" Doug does puppy eyes.

Dawkins gives a blank expression. Doing a bit much, Doug…, Dawkins thought. Even so, an idea rumbles in Dawkins mind. His ticket to more freedom! Delilah isn't willing to push back on her strict parenting, but Doug is! Dawkins mumbles something under his breath.

"Umm, what was that, Dawkins?"

"…A friend. I-I was visiting a friend…"

Doug's ears perk up. "R-really? Oh, I don't mean to sound surprised, I just…uh, wow!" A toothy smile stretches across his face. He pulls Dawkins in for a hug.

"Mmh!" He struggles out of it. "W-well, we're not exactly 'friends' yet. I met them yesterday on my, uhm, walk. They moved in on Beth Road. I believe it would be good to have friends my age that are not relatives. Therefore, I want to put in the effort to know them."

"You should've told Delilah that! Doubt she'd give you those chores if you did. So, what are they like? Are they a boy, or a girl? What breed?"

Dawkins' face burns. "…It wasn't an ideal meeting, I am not sure what they are like yet."

"Oh, sorry! Huh…y'know what? I'll tell Delilah your reason to see if she'll let up a bit. You still have to do those chores, but maybe she'll be okay with you to visiting this friend IF you tell somebody where you'll be. Preferably Delilah, Dolly, Dylan, or me. If it's okay with you, I'd also like to know what their human is like…they do have a human, right?"

"Yes, I believe they have a human. Oh, t-thank you, Doug!" Dawkins struggles against a smile.

"No prob, son—I mean, Dawkins!" Doug steps back a bit.

Dawkins squints: "Mmh."

Doug and Dawkins' relationship as step-family has not been the greatest. Doug is great with the more active pups, but Dawkins rarely speaks to Doug outside of correcting minor mistakes. Doug isn't sure why Dawkins has suddenly become more open with him, but that's alright. In the hallway, Doug pawpumps before quickly jogging away.

"This is perfect!" Dawkins smiles. "No more 'You're not old enough, Dawkins', or 'You're too small, Dawkins'! That is, if Doug can actually pull it off…" He closes his eyes. "Hmm…now I suppose there's no choice; I must become friends with Beaumont and his terrifying sibling. Perhaps they will finish settling into their home by Wednesday. Ah, of course! I have the perfect plan! No human, no problem! Dylan! Dapple! I'm in need of some lab assistance!"

Dawkins skitters down the hall, quick to forget his punishment lingering behind in a dirty bin. Also quick to not notice the ears drooping down behind him…

"So, there are two of them…perfect…"

Notes: I find it kind of odd that Princess Positron never got an origin in the show, so I made her have a Star Trek-like show mixed with medieval style inspiration. I was also glad to write both parents in a chapter for once instead of just one or the other.