https://steemitimages.com/DQmbrrMHXzSMSUjrwNGustuCg8D9iowafAoYyyaZM1S836A/image.png _{Image courtesy of Klemen Vrankar via Unsplash.com}

"Liam! Coddamnit! Will you get your hairy arse over here? If you make us miss our ride and strand us here for another twenty years..." The proximity indicator on my Thumb Drive goes from orange to yellow. "If this thing hits green and you're not touching my hand I swear I'll leave you behind, you flea-ridden mutt." His cold, wet nose touches my forearm. "Raaawwaarrrrrghgr." "Yeah I know. You don't want to stay here. People make dogs wear jackets and sweaters on this backwater planet. With sparkles." He shudders before pushing off on his front legs. "Rawwrrr...ooooorrgghl." "Yeah, I know." I push some buttons on the TD and the hourglass symbol appears on the display. Inventions come and go, and technology evolves, but there's no getting away from those infernal things. "OK. Let's see what sort of ship we've got coming." "Rwwrw..." "I know, man. The damn hourglass." I sigh and tap the side of the device. Well, whaddyouknow? The hourglass stopped. Why didn't I think of this sooner? "The RS Flying Wardrobe. Hmmm. No clue what class an RS is, but beggars can't be choosers." "Raaawwrrwmm." Liam shakes his head, drool splattering all over my jeans. "Damnit, Lou. Could you keep my Earthpants clean? They're like the only good thing these people have produced. Well. That and velcro. And coffee." I look at the TD. Still yellow. "Cods, I'm going to miss Earth coffee." "Rrrrrwwwwwr." He almost purrs as he nuzzles my hand. He really can be sweet sometimes. When he's eaten enough. "I know, buddy. I love you too." I give him a hug, but when the TD bleeps, we both look up. The PI goes green and starts to blink. One hand on Liam, I hit the button and try not to giggle when we disintegrate and our atoms fly upwards at high velocity to reassemble in the cargo bay of the Flying Wardrobe. "Gods, I love hitchhiking. It tickles." ________________ This is my character's introduction to Steem Wars. If you would like to read some of my work, feel free to have a look around on my off-Steem blog page by clicking the banner. My library there contains all of the pieces I’ve written since starting my blockchain adventure.

___ About the INKubator As a writer, finding the right community–the right tribe–makes all the difference. For me, that’s the INKubator. I’m one of the admins there, and I have to say I’ve never been more proud of something I helped build, than I am of the INKubator. We help each other improve, lovingly drown each other’s drafts in red ink, and help each other brainstorm. But we’re more than a writing club. We’re a family. We root for each other as we submit pieces for various publication venues. We cheer and join in victory dances when a piece is accepted. We support each other through the disappointment of the inevitable rejections. We hang out, playing as hard as we work, and from the madness of our conversations, more stories are born. As a community, we span the globe, with members from Asia, Australia, Europe and the US, so chances are there will be someone there if you should decide to drop in. If we’re quiet, that’s because we’re writing. [If you love writing, we'd love to meet you!](www.inkubatorcommunity.com) https://steemitimages.com/DQmefvpVr9UCN6yZmEToCuDMq2rMqP3qHfQmFoXdLgT4zSd/Steemit_Ramble_Banner.jpg [![The STEEM Engine](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfLSkWQREGBn7m4CtN2jBvorv6URiA79zMobkw2Uvh5rD/steemengineBannerAnimation(test).gif)](https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@thesteemengine/introducing-the-steem-engine-initiative)

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