X
I feel as though I have lived before… I can’t really remember much about my previous life, but, every once in awhile, I imagine myself in another world. I see them… Very faintly I see them… My previous Crewmates, I suppose…
My name is X, and I am part of the Space Wolf Crew! Long ago, peace existed in the galaxy, but then, the coyotes arrived. They mercilessly killed our children, leaving some bodies for us to find and fully devouring others. Back then, we were helpless…we couldn’t fight back. Now? We have amassed an army and we WILL get revenge for our children!
I’m actually one of the lowest ranked crew members, but…every wolf matters in this war. Even if I am just scrubbing halls and bathrooms with the other Omegas… I’ve got good company here, at least. My best friend Ears always helps me out with my tasks.
Ears got his name for his strangely long ears. We’ve never seen a wolf with that long of ears before. He’s a bit shy, but once you get him talking, he’s rather friendly. Ears is a light brown wolf while I have dark blue fur.
“X,” Ears whispers, briefly popping up from cleaning some crusty control panel.
“What’s up, Ears?” I ask, smiling.
“Do you think Ms. Ōkami will ever rank us up?” Ears asks.
“Maybe if we keep at our tasks,” I suggest, licking some mysterious brown stuff off the floor.
“That’s poop,” Ears says.
“Bleh,” I say, flicking my tongue.
“Next time, maybe get a sponge,” Ears suggests.
“We have sponges?!” I ask.
“You didn’t know we have sponges?!” Ears asks, looking horrified.
We both stare at each other in equal parts horror and disgust. Yeah, I haven’t seen a single sponge since I was recruited. Ears, of course, then slips me a sponge. I really wish I had asked him sooner.
We are currently aboard the main ship in Ms. Ōkami’s fleet. The Clawderwilde. This massive ship also works as a mobile home for us space warriors. The window ports at various places around the hull give us a view of the space around us. Although the stars feel so close, it blows my mind knowing they are each so many lifetimes away.
“I think it would be cool to be part of the spy team,” Ears says. “I’m pretty good at being quiet.”
“You want to actually be in close quarters with those coyotes?!” I ask. “That would be terrifying!”
“Imagine, though, gaining all their secret information and then reporting back unseen. Can you imagine the honor that would be given to such a spy?” Ears asks.
“Actually… Yeah, that would be pretty cool. And would get me a change of scenery, but… If they were to catch a spy? I bet they would horrifically torture the spy in a fate worse than death itself! Coyotes are cruel and evil! All of them! I bet even their babies are born evil! I bet they burst out of their sacks and go MWAH HAH HAH!” I say.
“Oh yeah? That would be funny,” Ears says. “You did the laugh pretty good. Who says YOU aren’t secretly a coyote?”
“Hah hah! Not a chance! I’m nothing like those disgusting brutes!” I say, laughing.
“Hah hah,” Ears says. “I’m only joking. Of course you aren’t a coyote.”
Silence falls for a moment. We get back to our tasks. I’m a bit hungry, but Omegas always eat last. Ears hums cheerfully, breaking the silence.
“Are YOU a coyote?” I ask, smirking.
“Nah,” Ears says. “That would be dumb.”
“Hah hah, yeah,” I say, but I suddenly get a sinking feeling in my gut. “Hey, want to check if Omegas are getting fed yet? I’m kind of famished.”
“Sure, let’s go!” Ears says, grinning.
Ears and I go running down the hall together. This has been our routine since we both got recruited into the army. His ears flap so cutely as he runs. I laugh, chasing away any doubts I had moments ago.
“If you stick your ears out in front of you, you might still be able to beat me,” I call out, pulling ahead by a little bit.
“Hah hah!” Ears laughs, pivoting his ears forwards as I told him.
We arrive at the cafeteria, but, unfortunately, there’s still a big line. The sign says, ‘Now Serving: Rank Eta’. Two Betas emerge from the cafeteria looking so well fed that their spacesuits might burst. I sigh knowing it’ll be a long time until Omegas are allowed entry.
“Look at those two…” Ears grumbles. “What pigs…”
“They need the energy, Ears. They are our frontline warriors. I’ve heard that they sometimes even engage in mouth to mouth battles with coyotes down on the surface,” I say. “But, yeah, wouldn’t it be nice to be filled to near bursting with the freshest, hottest, food?”
“Absolutely,” Ears says, drooling. “I’m so hungry, I could even eat YOU!”
I yelp and laugh as Ears pounces on me. He licks my face over and over again as I squiggle underneath him. Teasingly, he puts his mouth over my snout, fully encasing my nose and lips in his moist warm maw. The other wolves scoff and walk around us.
“Stupid Omegas… They should go back to work and stop clogging the hallway…” one of the other wolves says in disdain.
“If you eliminate the Omegas, the next lowest rank becomes the Omegas,” Ears points out after releasing me from his maw.
I breathe. I was starting to suffocate in his grasp. I’m still a bit dizzy. Despite that, I felt…at ease…comforted… I don’t think I would mind too much if Ears killed me.
“Let’s go find something else to clean. We can check back in on the food line later,” Ears suggests, licking his saliva out of my nostrils.
“Okay, Ears,” I say, rolling back onto my paws.
We bound away again to continue cleaning and maintenance. We end up passing the fat Betas on our way. We each leap-frog over one, laughing all the way. They yelp in annoyance and disgust.
(Flashback)
I lay awake in my crib. I could hear voices, pawsteps, a commotion outside. The other wolf pups are fast to sleep, unaware that something is amiss. The doors to the nursery fly open and a beam of harsh light hits my face.
“There’s an empty crib right there… Set the little one down…” one of the Omicron nurses murmurs.
They approach. I watch, curiously, as they set a new bundle down in the crib next to mine. Another child! The small brown pup whimpers a bit, but the Omicorn gently licks him.
“He might be the only survivor… The coyotes attacked one of the civilian homesteads, killing almost all the wolves. We only found this one pup alive in the wreckage…” the first Omicron says to a second Omicron. “It’s our duty to take care of any orphaned pups we find.”
He smelled strange. None of the other pups smelled the way he did. Must have been the stench of wreckage and waste clinging to his fur. I blinked in the harsh light, taking in his figure.
“Mama…” the pup whines. “Mama, I’m scared…”
“It’s okay, little one… You’re safe now…” the first Omicron murmurs, nuzzling the pup. “The coyotes won’t get you here…”
“Mama…” he whines again.
He squiggles, trying to escape the bundle he was wrapped in. The first thing to emerge are his enormous ears. The nurse whines, trying to tuck the ears back in. The pup fully escapes his bundle, quivering.
“No, no… Stay in the wrap… You might get cold…” the Omicron says, rewrapping him.
“Friend,” I declare.
I squiggle free from my own wrap. I then hop into the crib next to mine. The little brown pup stares at me a moment, then settles down. I curl up with him, sharing my body heat.
“X, you need to be in your own crib…” the Omicron warns.
“No. Friend,” I argue, licking my new friend.
“Fine. We’ll be back in a little more milk time,” the Omicron says.
