A Faithful Companion
We were both test subjects.
I had a gun and you couldn’t speak,
yet I was thoroughly assured that
you would never threaten to stab me.
In the event you did speak, she urged me to “disregard your advice.”
You were a faithful companion,
obeying orders and protecting me
from fiery death while I used you
as a not-quite-human shield.
You were “most likely incapable of feeling much pain.”
You were there to help me
complete a mission that was impossible
for one, but manageable for us,
and together we would beat the odds.
She told me to “please take care of you.”
The task complete, we learned that
you could no longer accompany me
on the rest of my journey, but
also could not be left behind.
There was an “Emergency Intelligence Incinerator.”
You still couldn’t speak, but I knew that
you would say to go on without you,
that you would rather die in a fire
than become a burden to me.
“You euthanized your faithful companion more quickly than any test subject on record. Congratulations.”