Ruby's POV:
Seconds after it happened, I realized I had just made the single greatest mistake of my life. A life which I had barely lived, and, in three short years, would be strangled by the law and thrown into the vastness of space, forever lost to this stupid, stupid mistake.
Everyone knew that the Council had been hiring natural genetic engineers from all across the Ark to aid them in some 'special project', which had been going on for three years with no confirmed outcome. Only recently had rumors began to spread about what was really going on in the labs below our classrooms. Giant dogs, comparable to the wolves we had read about in earth history, were being bred to serve the Chancellor and assist the Officers/Deputies in keeping everyone aboard in line. According to the rumors (which had most likely been started by Nancy Bishop, whose mother was one of the engineers working on the project), the 'dogs' had come out much less aggressive than expected, though still obedient, and were to be floated in less than a month's time.
I like to imagine that I've always had a passion for life, whether it be a plant, animal, or human, and the rumors disturbed me to the point where I knew I couldn't ignore them. If I was going to do anything about them, there was something I needed- or more, someone.
His name was Gus, and he was just quite possibly the biggest brainiac to ever walk these gray halls. We had been inseparable since we were 6 years old, and I had watched him grow into his tall, skinny figure, topped with a head of messy, curly black hair and soul-searching blue eyes. We never did anything life-changing or remotely risky without each other, and, little did we know, this would soon become both.
"You want me to do what?!?"
I cringed at Gus' startingly loud reaction as he looked up from the tangle of wires on his desk and into my eyes, a look of complete and utter disbelief pressed onto his face
"Please Gus, I need you for this."
"Ruby, I've seen you work with wires before, you know them as well as I do, better even (a lie). You don't need my help to cut a simple light and camera switch, or to help you bypass the security. Besides, you shouldn't even be considering this, they'll float you for it for sure."
"They'll kill those dogs Gus, all because they won't attack people. Does that not make you the slightest bit upset?"
He was silent for a moment, which was definitely a rarity, but eventually nodded, letting out a sigh of frustration.
"I get one too though."
"What?"
"A dog, I get a dog too."
"Whatever you say Cap'n," I said, smiling at him.
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Of course, we waited until at least 9 pm, at which point the majority of the Ark was at rest, and people relied on various cameras and scattered guards to keep them safe. Gus and I both agreed that these obstacles could and would be easily dealt with.
We stood outside the door of the lab, plagued by fear and a lack of knowing what to do next.
"So do we just-"
I cut Gus off, reaching in front of him to cut the final wire of the small pin entry box, letting the door fly open, fast enough to create a slight rush of air.
The lab was cold, perhaps colder than any other place on the Ark I had been to. I watched as my breath dispersed into the air, forming tiny clouds which soon faded and blended away.
"It's to sedate them," Gus remarked, breaking the foreboding silence that engulfed us, "The cold. It's to keep them asleep, I'm assuming."
"We should find them."
He nodded in agreement, and we began looking for the dogs, which included opening various cabinets and searching various add-ons.
After about a half hour of rummaging through the labs, Gus called out for me, and I joined him in the doorway of what seemed to be a large walk-in closet.
The inside of the closet was dark, but we could make out at least four cages, each holding several small puppies, all asleep. They were small, each weighing maybe 20 pounds, and covered in gorgeously long fur, which we later learned was extremely soft to the touch.
All of the puppies were a mixture of monotone grey and white; all but two. One, a bit larger than the rest, sported a beautiful red coat, which was broken by splotches of white on its face, chest, paws, and tail. The other was completely black, save for a spot of grey on the tip of its ear.
"What now?" Gus' spoke in a hushed whisper.
I stepped into the room, opening the small hatch on top of the crate which held the two sleeping puppies and took the red dog in my arms, holding it against my chest. In that moment, as I felt it breathing into my t-shirt and its tiny heart thumping against mine, I knew that, though it could end in mayhem, we had made the right decision.
"Take that one," I said pointing at the second puppy, "And let's go."
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My arms burned with the weight of the dog as we made our way down the hall, which seemed much longer than it had before. We were maybe ten minutes from our part of the Ark when the sound of a deep, stern voice froze us mid-step.
"What are you two doing out this late, and what do you have there?"
We turned to face Chancellor Jaha, whose expression turned to one of anger when he saw the puppies clutched in our arms.
I turned to Gus, who looked as though he had seen a ghost. His complexion had turned a pasty white, and his eyes were wide with horror. I imagine I looked about the same.
"You both know what happens now." The man said, looking from Gus to me with a look of disappointment.
Two burly men stepped out from behind him, each carrying a pair of cuffs.
"Wait," I said, barely able to push the words out of my mouth, "At least let me keep her."
I nodded to the puppy, still asleep in my arms.
"Him." The Chancellor replied, "You'll all be floated eventually."
