108th Entry

March 21^st, 2037

1712

Dear Space Diary.

A lightdog is trying to hide itself behind a pole.

Badly.

I should probably be more concerned about the ramifications of why a lightdog is following us in the first place, but at the moment I’m more amused by how terrible it is at hiding.

1715

Ok, amusement over. What the hell is it doing here, and why is it following us?

“And welcome back. To answer your questions: It’s here because it’s following us, and it’s following us because we’re here.”

That wasn’t the most helpful of responses.

“Not actually a criteria I was going for. But nonetheless. We’re doing something. NASA haven’t heard from you in quite some time, they probably want to know what you’re up to.”

Are you sure it’s NASA?

“Who else could it be?”

…Yes, of course you’re right? Who else could it be? Ha, ha.

“Your laugh sucks.”

You’re so kind. But, how could NASA be spying on us? They can’t be controlling the lightdogs from here!

“Ok, I’ve grown fond of you. Rather like a small child grows fond of their incurable intestinal disease. So I’ll play this out for you slowly. How does NASA communicate with you?”

Sending messages to the ship.

“So, that would be some form of long range transmission.”

Yes.

“Right. And they have also upgraded and altered programs in the ship computer from time to time.”

Also yes.

“In other words, they are capable of altering the programming electronic devices from a very long way away?”

…I feel kind of stupid.

“Get used to that feeling. The lightdogs are completely capable of being updated from Earth. The only reason I’m even here is because they wanted to clone me. Pretty much everything else could have been done by remote control.”

You make a good point.

“And who do you think told the Lightdogs to begin digging their pit out in the desert? They didn’t do it by themselves.”

You make another good point.

“Yup.”

So what are we going to do about the lightdog over there?

“For the moment nothing. Nothing we can do. If we chase it off it’ll just come back. If we destroy it, NASA will send another one. And probably make sure they do a better job of hiding it. At the moment, it’s pretty harmless. Just try to ignore it.”

Um, ok. But aren’t you worried NASA might try to laser us to pieces in our sleep?

“If they wanted to do that, they would have already done so long ago. And they wouldn’t have sent you to find me. No, as far as they’re concerned, they’re not done with me yet.”

Oh I see! So they want us alive?

“Well, me anyway. Don’t know about you.”

I’m not entirely comfortable with their being uncertainty on that subject.

“Sorry, but I don’t know. You could ask NASA not to kill you, if it makes you feel better.”

It actually might.

“Make sure you say please.”