What we once were

Broken beginnings.

There is a world, nearly exactly the same as ours somewhere in this space of eternity. There are many in fact. But in one such world, there is a large and busy city named Ferard.
However, even as life continues its path the city is troubled. People are not at ease walking through the streets and in their homes. They are confused, and secondly, wounded by a recent war and bombings.
The city is rebuilding from its rubble, and people rising from their grief of having lost loved ones. The rich can easily afford to rebuild their life, but the less fortunate find themselves stuck in a desperate struggle for food, shelter, a home and income of money.
They ended up resorting to crimes they found necessary, such as breaking into people’s houses to steal food and clothing, money even. Large groups were formed and often riots, angering the prosperous people who did not want to see this unruliness and crime affecting their lives.
The groups were angry that the government made no moves to help them but instead chased them away like bothersome insects, with police from rioting or parading for their needs.
The government did not have the money they needed to help them and were in a tricky situation as the people’s anger and restlessness grew steadily larger every day. They despaired, raking in what money they could. This confusion continued until the government were approached with a generous offer by a new company. A scientific company with advanced methods, some kept secret.
They promised to rid them of their problem without needing to move the people to another city or kill them.
The outcome was strange and even twisted. A complete craze and fashion, but wrong in all ways imaginable.
Huepets were created.

***

A rather tall woman walked along the cobbled road before her, head down, the autumn wind tossing her chestnut brown hair that framed her pale face and opening the bottom of her black coat so that it flapped in the wind. Her shoes clicking on the cobbles beneath her feet echoed around the walls of the wide open alleyway, littered with various shops.
A sign creaked as it swung from a door way, followed by a sigh from the woman.
What on earth was she doing? What had possessed her to even consider visiting such a strange place? She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to. She had flatly refused the offer from her annoying sister of visiting the shop with her a week before. She would much rather spend some time with her music than mooch around after her on a rainy day.
She hadn’t yet visited her and her new so called “pet” yet since that day. From what sense she could make of it, and from what she had glanced at in newspapers on the kitchen table in the mornings, it was just wrong.
Realising after passing a large sign that she had passed the shop while distracted in her deep thoughts, she turned around and headed back to it.
She looked at the large chalkboard sign with curiosity. In swirling handwriting was written, “New Huepets in stock today.”
The small shop was painted green on the outside, and was one she was guessing of about three that lay within the city’s spiralling maze of buildings. A window curved outwards, and through it she could see about five different people. She looked up at the shop’s name for a moment, “Dyarlax’s Huepets emporium.”
Dyarlax? What kind of a strange name is that? The young woman thought as she walked through the oak doorway.
At the first glance of looking around the shop she wished she had never entered. She had known what to expect, just not like this.
People were sitting huddled in groups in glass containers. They were human from what she could tell, but no noise came from them as they sat quite still.
Yet then again, something seemed different about them, not as it should be. It wasn’t the grey wetsuit looking uniform they all wore with their silver collars connected to it. It was something else.
They seemed to be alert to all small sounds and movements, some in strange positions, and they all looked confused, like they had forgotten who they were, or why they were there in the first place. They all seemed to be animalistic. Even though that was the point, it sickened her to see them like that.
Yes. Animals. That was what they were ranked as and ranked by these people in the shop, their expressions not showing any signs of remorse for the people who would at some point loose their humanity all together.
The homeless had been taken off the street by a company, and put in strange bases like camps. They were taken care of and given the best of health treatments, before being assigned a collar with different chemicals and overpowering animal genes in it. They then would become a very intelligent pet, capable of many more things than the average one. This is what she had discovered.
But the thing that struck her most, was that these hupets, were still human. It in no way at all felt right to her to call them their new name of “huepets.” They were all together as people, and from what she could see they were all terrified.
Their eyes were dull with misery, looking like hope the everlasting had left their souls all together. To far away to ever reach.
Through their muteness they were silently begging, pleading, screaming out into the silence to be released. To escape their planed future. To keep whatever they had left.
If any words were to come from them, they would be saying, save me. Please. Help. I don’t want this. What have I done wrong? I will do anything. I don’t want this.
Joined with some older ones, embraced tightly and lovingly in their arms were two different children in different compartments looking to be around only ten years old.
They weren’t with their real parents. They were lost and being cared for by strangers. And when they were separated from those embracing them, and soothing them like they were their very own children, what would happen to them? Who would they live with? Who would they be “owned” by?
It was too horrid to even thinking about. Her breathing had become shaky along with her whole body, and tears stung her eyes yet she held them back. If there were a hell on Earth, it would be here.
She was about to turn and leave, regretting ever coming when a voice stopped her before she moved.
“Well are you actually interested in buying something or are you just going to stand there woman?” Asked the shopkeeper leaning over the counter and gesturing at her with his hand.
She didn’t answer. Instead she stared at the man.
He was rather short, wearing a white shirt underneath his grey pinstripe coat with black trousers. His tie hung out of his shirt as he leaned across the counter, and he held the expression an office worker who had woken up in the morning to find he had no coffee or tea and no newspaper, after being stuck in traffic too. His ginger hair was askew and the attempts at growing a moustache showed beneath his pompous nose on top of which rested a pair of small black framed glasses.
“Are you going to buy something?” He repeated in a somewhat mocking tone.
The woman looked rather flustered and very unsure. “Well, I hadn’t really come with the intention of-“
“Then get out. Out! We have no space for daydreamers like you cluttering the shop when we are so busy.”
She turned around to leave the shop. She didn’t want to stay there any longer anyway. It was sick, twisted, and wrong.
Her emerald coloured eyes darted around the shop one last time and rested on a person she actually recognized.
There he was sitting in his case alone, watching her with a weary eye. A boy she had known in school and around the same age. She couldn’t remember ever talking to him, let alone his name.
She walked up to the glass placing one hand on it, and looked at him questioningly, as if to say is it you?
Its meaning was clear enough to the boy who nodded. His hair was a brown colour, and looked like it was swept by the wind growing one way and then falling down the right side of his face. His eyes were a dark colour, and looked at her questioningly back.
And what are you doing here? What are you going to do about this? It disgusts you doesn’t it? Then why are you standing there? Leave us.
She then stood up straight, determined and a new fire in her heart.
“That one.” She said out loud and pointed to the young man.
The shopkeeper looked up in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“That one, I’d like to buy him.” She replied.
The boy almost stood up in alarm and surprise. Not her. If she was looking at him that way then what was she doing now? Buying him? Oh goodness an owner, what next bows and ribbons in his hair?
“Well you can’t just decide on their looks now.” Said the shopkeeper fixing her with a steely and suspicious eye. “That will all change in due time. Do you even know what breed he is? If you want a cat then why not choose a kitten?” He said and pointed at a child.
The words hurt her like a blow to the chest. They used children for it. Of course, they were the ones who were capable of being a young animal, and for a very long time at that. Younger animals were always more popular than older ones, maybe that is why there were so few.
She didn’t let it stop her mission though. She walked up to the counter and held out her credit card.
“Cat, dog, fine whatever I just want that one.”
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow as he took the card.
“As you wish.” He muttered.
You are not an animal. No matter what your body changes you to, you are the same person, born to be human. I’m not going to make you my pet. I’m saving you.





Owner meets pet.

The shopkeeper mumbled to himself as he swiped her card thorough the cash register. After typing in her code the shopkeeper said sharply, “Name?”
“Oh, Sophie.” She said looking back up at the man. “My name is Sophie Harper.”
“Right.” Said the short man distractedly as he typed something into a nearby small, silver computer, pushing his glasses up his large nose as he did so.
  “OK, well you are now registered on the list of owners who own a huepet. You cause any trouble with it and you will be hearing from us.” He said giving her a steely gaze before continuing. “Another thing you will need is this.” He opened a nearby drawer underneath the wooden desk and pulled out an object lined with silver and held an orange stone looking object inside of it, reflecting the room’s light. He handed it to her along with her card, which she pocketed.
  “What is this for?” She asked staring at it and running her fingers over its completely smooth surface. It felt cool to the touch, and the silver seemed to meld with the orange stone.
  “That is used to keep your huepet under control if it decides it would rather disobey you. It shocks them.”
  “That’s horrible.” Protested Sophie and frowned at him.
  The man simply looked at her as if she was a little child who was being annoying, and he would rather be anywhere else. He sighed. “Well if you want to train your huepet properly you will probably need it. They have a much higher level of intelligence than your average pet and will question your authority if you do not show them who is their boss.”
  He drummed his fingers across the desk, tired of having to explain all these things time and time again. His face turned to face the clock, which was ticking all too slowly for his liking, before speaking again but this time addressing the clock while he spoke.
  “Well it’s not all bad. Besides, if you hold it over your huepet’s stone then you have access to all of its details and other things.” He said in a bored manner. “Here. Take this booklet and it should tell you how things work.” He turned to face her once more his displeased face still holding the same expression while handing her a booklet from the large pile.
  “Right. Press that once to get a lead and you can get out of this shop.” He pointed to the button-like object she was still holding.
  She placed the booklet into her pocket, then did as the man said and pressed it.
  The stone seemed to glow the instant it was pressed, and the orange stone boy’s collar around his neck glowed too.
  “The lead works with magnetism, so as long as your stone and the huepet’s stone are still glowing that means the lead is working.” Said the man as he used a key and unlocked the glass case letting the boy out.
  He looked annoyed and didn’t want to give in to the magnetic lead, but feeling his exhaustion gave in and walked up to Sophie, looking at her confused. What was she planning to do with him?
  “If you have a name for him say it now, otherwise you can just mail us the name later with our address on the booklet.” Said the man who was now back at his wooden desk drumming his fingers on the counter.
  “Oh, um I…” Sophie looked at the boy. What was his name? Of course if he hadn’t been muted like the others things would have been much easier.
  Catching Sophie’s curious look he just shrugged at her clueless. His own name had been clouded over with the drugs in his collar.
  “Ray.” Said Sophie. “His name is Ray.” She had no idea weather this was his name or if he would like it, but it was one of the first names that came to mind.
  The shopkeeper looking down at a piece of lined paper while he scribbled the name down gestured with his hand for them to leave.
  Sophie swiftly left the shop with her new huepet at her side into the cool evening air. She hated leaving the others there like that, but at least she could make a small difference.
  She rounded the corner of the cobbled alleyway into a street with Ray at her side in silence.
Both of their minds were racing, both of them wanted to get far away from the shop and they were both wandering, what happens now?
  Sophie looked around the street for a place to go. There did not seem to be many people around, then again why would there be? Everyone homeless or falling into poverty had run away from the city as fast as possible. What had happened to a few hundred people, they feared would happen to them.
  She spotted the park not too far off, and decided it was a good place.  There were lots of trees, benches and places to talk.
  Sophie crossed the road with Ray quickly, and five minutes later arrived at the park, a rather uncomfortable silence between them as they headed towards their unknown future.
  Sophie sat down on a wooden bench with ray, next to a tiered stone fountain; it’s trickling water mixing with the birdsong in the evening air.
  “Ray,” Began Sophie, “Are you happy with that name? I’ll call you something else if you like, you could write it down or something.”
  Ray looked at her, surprised at this unexpected kindness he was receiving.
  He nodded. He supposed he would get used to the name, and it was good enough until and if he found out his real name. But Sophie’s face, it was one he could remember along with a few others from the past.
  Sophie turned to face Ray, looking at him. “I just want to make one thing clear. I’m not your owner. You can stay with me if you like, but I’m not going to make you do stupid tricks or anything. I just, well, recognised you. I had to do something. I wanted to save you.”
  He nodded gratefully at her and held her hand briefly to express his thanks to Sophie.
  A wave of relief washed over him. There was still hope. A person was reaching out to him and wanted to help. He would hold onto the hope they gave him, and not want it ever to leave again. A world without hope, was just one of despair.
  Sophie pressed the button of the lead releasing the magnetic field that bound Ray close to her. “I have a small apartment which I moved into about a year ago. We’ll get you home and try and find you some real clothes and get you some food and drink. That suit doesn’t come off does it?” Asked Sophie looking at the wetsuit-looking suit he wore, connected to his collar and running along the full length of his arms and legs. It made him look elegant, but she knew he would probably prefer to wear some normal clothing.
  Ray shook his head as he looked down at the suit.
  “And one more thing we need to do. We need to find a way for you to speak again.”
  Ray shook his head at Sophie. He didn’t know any ways of which it could be done.
  Sophie smiled at Ray. “Hey, don’t worry Ray. I know somebody who may be able to help with that.”