Swanksy the Luminant Kalluvian Canine | Flash Fiction

While dog-sitting a Kalluvian Silky, a Junior Galaxy Corps cadet learns what the dog needs the hard way.

I’m excited to share the short story I wrote in response to January’s Let’s Write Together Prompt by the

Fictionistas

. Sometimes, when a writing prompt isn’t initially sparking any ideas, I like to reframe it in an unexpected genre: What if this were cozy fantasy? How about absurd sci-fi? And that’s when my imagination starts firing on all cylinders. Things definitely get weird, but I have way more fun! Let me know if you like the story by clicking the little 💙, and don’t forget to subscribe.

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Swanksy the Luminant Kalluvian Canine

Genre: Comedic Sci-fi

Word Count: 999

Soundtrack: Wiljan - Take My World

The Prompt: While dog-sitting, a tactless diplomat brings home an unexpected houseguest.

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Voice Message — Transcript

10:39:45 PM 18/01/3214

From: Jett Ardan

To: Zared Mattix

Subject: Your sister’s glowing dog and wrecked living room

All right, I’ll tell you what actually happened last night. Yeah, Zirina bought the story I told her, but I knew you’d see right through it. Guess you don’t spend three years as Galaxy Corps Academy roommates and not pick up on each other’s tactics. Funny how diplomacy sometimes means lying through your teeth. Just promise me you won’t tell her, okay? I still haven’t asked her out.

Before I get into it, most of this is your fault. First of all, Zirina could’ve had her baby brother dog-sit her Kalluvian Silky, but nooo. You’re allergic to so many furs, dusts, and pollens it’s a miracle you can even breathe.

So when Zirina begged me to “adore” shiny little Swanksy during her week-long vacation, I couldn’t tell her I know nothing about your Silkies. I couldn’t turn Zirina down, not with her big, imploring amber eyes, and those fluttery eyelashes—I mean...

*coughing*

Anyway. Listen, Zared. None of this would’ve happened if you’d just taught me that Kalluvian thanksgiving song before we met the delegates. Have you and Zirina lived on Telmun Prime so long you’ve forgotten your home planet’s customs?

I mean, when Sergeant Byrn sent me with you to welcome the Kalluvians, I thought I had nothing to worry about. But I should’ve known it was a disaster waiting to happen when he ran into me, panicking, an hour before they arrived.

“Oh, Jett!” he said. “Is Zared around? Great. Got an assignment for you two.”

I swear he was staring right at my Junior Galaxy Corps badge. But all the real diplomats must’ve been occupied, since Byrn had to resort to a third-year Goravordian cadet and his Kalluvian roommate.

So what did you do after we gave the delegates the Academy tour? You went off to mingle and joke around with the ladies. Tell me, is that acceptable behavior on Kalluvia? How about leaving your clueless buddy on his own with the crusty, unreadable guys?

“From Goravord, you said?” one of them asked. He was this big, frowning guy named Henrink, with three thick unibrows. “Of what sort are your canines?”

I thought I’d misheard him, but nope, he was asking me about Goravordian dogs. “Um, of the generic sort. You know, furry faces, four legs...”

He looked down his nose at me. “No match for the luminescence of our Silkies.”

“Oh, I’m dog-sitting a Silky,” I said, pointing at you. “Mattix’s sister’s dog. She’s definitely shiny.”

Henrink narrowed his eyes. “Show her to me.”

I pulled up the live video of Zirina’s apartment on my holo-screen. There was Swanksy prancing around on all her pillows, her floor-length white fur giving off an angelic golden glow. She’d been unusually whiny that day. Actually, she was pouting more as the week went on, and I didn’t know why. I was feeding her, taking her out for walks, giving her toys. What more could a dog want?

“The poor thing,” Henrink commented, all sad and somber. But I couldn’t ask what he meant, because it was dinner time.

Before we ate, one of the women invited us to give thanks to His Divine Silkiness the Luminant. I had no idea what was going on when everyone but me started singing a really melodic, glorious kind of song. I just sat listening, but out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Henrink scowling at me.

Hardly a second after the song finished, Henrink shoved his chair back and grabbed my sleeve. “Take me to her!” He pulled me to the skyscraper’s traffic hub to hail a shuttle-cab, and made me give the pilot the coord-pin of Zirina’s apartment. It wasn’t until we were flying that he finally talked.

“The poor Silky’s light is dimming!” he shouted. “Of course you primitive Goravordians wouldn’t know proper Silky care.”

I tried to overlook the insult, because this dimming light thing was news to me. Actually, yeah, Swanksy wasn’t glowing as brightly as usual. Was that why she’d been so pouty?

Okay, maybe that insult was firing me up a bit. “Listen, sir, that doesn’t give you the right to invade my friend’s sister’s apartment uninvited.”

Henrink turned on me. “Oh, doesn’t it? When the canine is starving?”

“She’s not starving! She’s eating like a queen!”

“I’m not referring to food. First you dare to revile the name of His Luminance by refusing to sing, and now you admit to your detestable ignorance!”

Look, I threw a punch at him. Yeah, I know I shouldn’t have, but the guy’s smugness was making my blood boil. Then we were wrestling in the cab’s backseat, and the pilot was yelling, and the shuttle was flying out of control, and the next thing I knew, we’d crashed through the window into Zirina’s living room.

I know, I know. I told her it was just a traffic accident. But yeah, it was my fault.

But in the middle of the shattered glass and crushed sofas, Henrink scrambled out of the wreckage and ran up to Swanksy. She stood shaking like a leaf in a corner, barely glowing at all.

He started cooing and petting her white fur. While his humming turned into singing, Swanksy’s light slowly began shining again.

Then, I could hardly believe my eyes when Henrink got on his knees and bowed down to her. Swanksy’s tail wagged like crazy, and when Henrink sang louder, she started barking and frolicking around, emitting shimmering light as bright as the sun.

Man, why didn’t you tell me the adoration part was completely literal?

*grunting, scraping, and scrubbing sounds*

So here I am, late at night, cleaning up Zirina’s apartment before she gets back tomorrow, while you’re lounging around in our room safe from Silky fur. But I’ve gotta leave this place spotless. There’s no way I’m getting that date if I don’t.

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