The Asteroid Archipelago

CANINE COGNITIVE DATA EXTRACTION 6/3/2XXX

SUBJECT: “BEETLE”

Today must be such a special day, indeed! Surely my tail will pop off my rear from all of the excitement. But that’s alright—because I get to go out with my person today! Usually us canines have to stay at home every day while the people go on bye-byes and carry on with their mysterious doings. Oh, it’s such a terrible thing to endure; the stillness in the home without Jess. She’s all I can think about when she’s gone. I don’t understand why I can’t go with her. I try to snooze the empty time away, but it just seems as if the sun dangles in the sky for an eternity. And you can only chew on your feet for so long before you start to grow feral. But it’s okay! Because Jess always comes back. No matter how long it’s been, she’ll come home. I smell the day on her clothes, kiss her nose, and bestow her my prized rubber ball. It’s my most favorite thing in the world, and I want her, my most favorite person, to have it. But in her endless generosity, she always relinquishes it back to me in a game of fetch.

On the fortunate occasion, we pups get lucky and get to attend outside-business with our people. What a blessed morning it is to pile up into the car for a bye-bye! I stick my head out the window and let my nose chug all of the smells gushing from the wind. My tongue rides the waves of the breeze and scents are hoarded in my belly is a wealth of bliss. I do wonder where we’re going, though. The park? The Pupcup house? No, these smells aren’t along those trails. Aha! I bet we’re going to see Grandma. I hope she’s got more of that pot roast she likes to slip me under the table. Although, Jess usually seems a lot more content when we go see Grandma. So maybe not. I don’t know what it is, but she seems terribly nervous about something. I can smell her fear cutting through the thousands of scents rushing past the car.

Maybe it has something to do with the sky being so dark today? Or it could be the snowstorm. I didn’t know it could snow in the summertime. And this stuff isn’t white and cold like from a few months ago. This snow smells like the fireplace. I didn’t think much of it at first. I seem to experience something new this world has to offer every time I get in the car with Jess. I’ve certainly seen stranger things than some confused weather. I don’t know what’s got her so down over a little mix-up in the clouds. But it’s okay! Because I get to be with her today. A few licks to the nose and some fetch and she’ll be set to rights. And then, we’re gonna have the best day ever!

EVACUATION LAUNCH VEHICLE CERBERUS IX LOG 6/3/2XXX

SUBJECT: “JESSICA THOMPSON”

They finally gave the emergency evacuation notice this morning.

After six months of the world’s astrophysicists pleading with their local governments to take preparations for the incoming cosmic storm seriously, we finally got the orders to head to our nearest Launch Station to escape. But only as the sky began to bleed crimson and the frontline of comets started pelting the ground with fire. Protocols seemed to have been an after thought, because our only orders were to bring one medium-sized bag worth of belongings and leave everything else behind. Evacuation vehicles were declared first-come first-serve. But working at the nearest Launch Station, even just as the accountant, has its perks. I was informed of the evacuation the night before it went public. I had time to think about what I needed to bring and load up my station wagon before traffic became a warzone.

I had to make a quick decision for my carry-on. What couldn’t I live without orbiting Mars for several months while Earth weathered the flames? The protocols never said anything about bringing pets. So that’s just what I did: crammed my beagle-mix and best friend Beetle into a bag and abandoned everything else. I couldn’t risk leaving him behind, so I smuggled him through. We made it to the base while they were loading up the first launch vehicle: a smaller commercial craft that takes passengers on cruise orbits to the moon. With any luck, they’ll have some canine space suits for my boy.

CANINE COGNITIVE DATA EXTRACTION 6/5/2XXX

SUBJECT: “BEETLE”

I must say, I don’t know what to make of this new flying car. It’s just about the biggest car I’ve ever seen. And its bellowing roar; it’s a miracle I haven’t been rendered deaf by it. And the most treacherous design of this thing are the ball-shaped windows I can’t stick my head out of. What’s the point of even having them if I can’t sample the traveling air?

This has certainly been the longest bye-bye I’ve ever been on. Surely we are headed somewhere important if we had to transfer to the gut of this mighty beast of a car. In the meantime, I have been enchanted to meet so many new people on this journey! Always an honor to receive so many pets from new friends. Although, these people don’t seem to be in the best mood to engage in canine pleasantries. When Jess let me out of the vertical doggie bed she’d wrapped me up in to get in the flying car, a few of the others started barking at her. I gifted them kisses on the hand to curb their grouchiness. Dog manners go a long way in diplomacy, you know. Jess is good people, and I won’t let her be slandered.

But Jess still seems upset. I can’t stand to see so much salty water fall from her eyes. And the others may not be able to hear it, but I can tell she’s stifling her whines. I wish I knew what was wrong so I could fix it for her. Maybe that’s why she brought me along today. To help her feel better from the day’s ailments. If I’m granted some brief arrogance, I must say that I am a professional at that. I can smell that she has my favorite ball tucked in her jacket pocket. I poke at it with my snout. That sneak can’t pull any tricks on Beetle! She smiles for the first time today and pulls it out. She tosses it down the car hall for me to chase. The salt stops falling from her eyes. I start bringing it to other people who have salty eyes and theirs begins to dry, too.

See? How bad could things possibly be when we can all play fetch together instead of just waiting around for Jess to come home?

EVACUATION LAUNCH VEHICLE CERBERUS IX LOG 6/15/2XXX

SUBJECT: “JESSICA THOMPSON”

We’re stranded.

Something slammed into the side of the Launch Vehicle and knocked us off course past Mars’ orbit. We went careening into the Asteroid Belt until we crashed into a Houston-sized hunk of rock. The compartment harboring the passengers and other internal functions were fine, but the propulsion systems were destroyed beyond repair. All it's good for now is a shelter and future tombstone if we aren’t rescued before the oxygen and provisions run out.

It’s been a few days since our untimely landing. All I was able to do was watch the blazing cosmic clouds envelope my home in calamity from this silent mineral field. Sometimes thoughts of my family’s whereabouts in all of this would break through the vacant observations and squeeze my chest until sobs fizzed out. Beetle would nudge my hands, bring me his ball, smile at me with those sweet chocolate eyes and I’d feel real, at least.

While I was practicing my daily despairing earlier today, Ian, one of the engineers, plopped down in the seat beside me. He started throwing gentle jabs at my shoulder kinda how Beetle boops me with his nose. Turns out it’s far less endearing when it’s a grown man instead of a pup. But I knew he was trying to make me feel better, so I indulged him.

“C’mon,” he said. “It’s not so bad!” He guided my head to the view of the Asteroid Belt. “Look at how beautiful that is! It’s just a cluster of island planets. Kinda like an archipelago.”

“The Asteroid Arcipelago?” I humored him.

“Yeah! That’s the spirit!” He gave me a rough side hug. “And we can make it our vacation home for the time being with our own rules!” Beetle trotted over and dropped his ball in front of us. Ian leaned down and picked it up. “And for the first order of business, I declare Beetle the King of the Asteroid Arcipelago!” Beetle bayed at him while he waved the ball around above his head.

“But no king can rule without the proper attire.” Ian slipped me a side smile and pulled out a flash of silver from his pack and unraveled a canine spacesuit. “Whaddya say, buddy? Wanna go outside?” At the mention of “outside,” Beetle nearly toppled Ian over. The sight of my boy so happy pulled my heart up for the first time since the morning we fled to space. No matter the circumstance, nothing seemed to get that dog down.

Maybe things will be alright on the Asteroid Archipelago, afterall.

CANINE COGNITIVE DATA EXTRACTION 9/20/2XXX

SUBJECT: “BEETLE”

Such a wonderful life this is! I have so many new friends and Jess has stayed home with me every day since our flying car bye-bye. Me, Jess, and my second-favorite person Ian, play fetch every day in the yard in front of the new house. We all have to wear shiny pelts with balls made of glass on our heads whenever we go outside. Don’t know why, but who am I to question when there are things to be fetched. Ian accidentally tossed my favorite ball too high in the air and it disappeared. I was sad, but was frankly more impressed by his strength. This place must grant supernatural powers of sorts because ever since we relocated here, I have been able to leap quite literally across mountains! Makes playing fetch with my favorite rocks way more thrilling! Oh yes, this yard has some exceptional rocks! I can’t pick them up with my jaws because of the glass barricade, but I figured out how to swat at them with my paws and return them to the people. The chase is the fun part, anyway.

I think I’ve deduced why Jess and all of my new people were so sad before. We must have been moving homes. Jess and I have moved houses before, which made me so miserable. How confusing and scary it was to make a place that wasn’t home, home. So I find it completely reasonable to be melancholic over such a drastic change. But as time has gone on, I think the people are feeling better. I see them smile more. Even the grumpy people who yelled at Jess rough up my ears and tell me marvelous things like “good boy!” I am a good boy, indeed!

Although, I can’t help but be a little unnerved by some of the people starting to leave. I think it’s making Jess anxious, too. She’s gone back to staring out of the ball-shaped window like she did when we first settled here. She’s probably wondering why they didn’t take her with them. If only there was a way to tell her that the people will come back. They always do.

EVACUATION LAUNCH VEHICLE CERBERUS IX LOG 12/22/2XXX

SUBJECT: “JESSICA THOMPSON”

I don’t know how long it’s been. I do know that I got on this rocket with seventy-eight people, and now there’s only twenty. The embers of the cosmic storm sizzled out weeks ago. I haven't seen any other evacuation vessels returning to Earth. Supplies are dwindling. People are giving up hope.

Not enough time, they say before dropping their oxygen packs and floating off into star-studded oblivion.

Just wait, our navigation is still functional, says Ian. They can and will locate us.

I want to believe him. I really do. At least I still have Beetle. With him, we still have routine. We still have each other. We have home.

CANINE COGNITIVE DATA EXTRACTION 3/8/2XXX

SUBJECT: “BEETLE”

Ah, such is life. The people have all left. It’s just me and Jess, now. Even Ian has gone to do his outside-business. Jess doesn’t seem to know how to cope with the waiting. She whimpers like a motherless puppy all day. I do what I can to make her feel better, but I don’t seem to be good at it anymore. I clean her salty face and show her how to sleep the hours away, but she doesn’t seem to understand. I try to distract her with games of fetch, but all she does is stare at the rocks I plant in her hand. Tried and true methods, and nothing seems to be sufficient.

What a dreadful scenario. A dog that can’t make his person feel better. But even then, what an extraordinary thing to be her pup every day. Even if I’m slacking on being a good one. Of all the people in the world, the very best one picked me of all mutts to be her companion. She’d saved me from a ferocious beast trying to swallow me up after I’d gotten separated from my mother during a storm. I’ve never been more terrified in my entire life. But she was so brave! She got banged up, but she impaled that monster on a nearby pee post. I cleaned up her face in thanks. She kissed my nose and I knew everything was going to be okay.

She absently pets me while we stare out of the window together watching big sky rocks crash into each other. I crane my neck up and lick her on the nose.

EVACUATION LAUNCH VEHICLE CERBERUS IX LOG 3/14/2XXX

SUBJECT: “JESSICA THOMPSON”

The day I met Beetle, I’d been driving home after getting dumped by my fiance. I was so angry and hurt; I didn’t care if I crashed my car getting back. And I actually did. It was pouring rain in the pitch-black of night. I saw something dark flinch in the road and I instinctively swerved and plowed my Jeep into a streetlight. After getting my nose busted by the airbag, I crawled out of the car and from the street tumbled a tiny, soggy puppy. Were it not for his coat shimmering like a beetle shell under the crooked light, I’d have never seen him. He bounced over to me and crawled into my lap. He licked my bloodied nose which hurt like hell, but I was too enamoured by this little pup to care. He saved me from myself. Since that day, Beetle has been my rock. I can’t envision life without him. Not after this.

There’s only enough oxygen for one of us to make it out of this. I’ve started to see faint movement on Earth’s atmosphere and weak signals have started to reach our communication systems. Ian was right. They will come back. But not soon enough for both of us.

Tonight, I’m going to set out the rest of the rations, drain the rest of my oxygen into Beetle’s tanks, lay out these logs for the records of the recovery team, and give my best friend a kiss on the nose. Then, I will step outside and begin my journey exploring the Asteroid Archipelago.

For those who discover these logs, please take care of my Beetle. He’s a good boy.

The best boy.

CANINE COGNITIVE DATA EXTRACTION 3/22/2XXX

SUBJECT: “BEETLE”

Alone. Such a sickly state.

Jess left. I’m sure to go find the other people. I hope she returns soon. I hope anybody returns soon. I don’t think I’ve ever been by myself for this long. I keep trying to sleep off the time, but time must be endless out here without the sun. I keep telling myself that Jess will be back. But I find each affirmation to be met with an involuntary whine. This is the heaviest sadness I’ve ever swallowed. I can barely bring myself to nibble on the food Jess left out for me. I miss her so much. I miss the old home. Where time actually passed and the people came home.

I need to gather myself. Maybe a jaunt in the yard will help. Jess showed me how to put on my outside pelt by myself, so why not give it go? I try howling out for the people, but the sound only rings inside my glass ball. I kick around some of my rocks. Nobody to play fetch with.

I flick a round rock up into the air and realize that I can play fetch with myself! If I angle it just right, I can get it between two hills and race to catch it before it gets too high up! Genius! Depression can’t catch a moving target they say, but I certainly can catch a flying rock! I do this over and over, pushing every throb of my heart down into my feet. Just as my paws leave the ground to go in for another catch, a flash of light catches on my target—one I’ve never seen before.

Could it be? Surely not…Yes! It’s another flying car! People! Jess and Ian are coming soon! I knew they would! Oh, blessed, beautiful day! If this day had a face, I’d kiss it clean!

The people come back. They always do. And when they do, I’ll be waiting here.