A gust of wind skidded across the sun-baked desert, lifting a cloud of sand. The zephyr carried down the slope of a dune and swirled into a quarry, where a party of canines paused in their work and shielded their faces against the stinging blast. The twin suns of Aganippe neared their zenith overhead, and no cloud could be seen in the empty orange sky to soften their glare. 
The sand flurry abated as rapidly as it had formed, and the labourers resumed their work. They laughed and joked as they shovelled broken chunks of cream-coloured ore into a waiting hover cart, and a casual observer might smile at the timeless scene of shared labour which persisted across the vast gulfs of space and time. But the observer's smile would fade when they noticed the sinister figure standing on a rise above the quarry, black-clad and masked, cradling a weapon in its arms. 
Seemingly oblivious to the implacable watcher, the youngest of the canine labourers leaned his shovel against the cart and stretched his back. 
Barley more than a puppy, he was already tall, although his lanky frame had yet to fill out. Dust coated his light tan fur from head to toe, and he panted in the heat, pink tongue lolling. He walked to the water trough, and stooped to drink. The green-tinged water smelled far from fresh, but in the dry heat of the desert it was life to a hot canine. He slurped a deep draught, then cupped his paws and splashed his face and shoulders. The water left streaks in his dusty coat. 
He stood and stared at the horizon for a moment, his thoughts drifting to some far-away place.  Experts in the canine race would note his strong mastiff heritage, from which he gained his large stature. Dark fur surrounded his expressive eyes, and highlighted his soft ears. A simple loin-cloth covered his midriff, leaving his upper body bare. 
The watcher's weapon lowered slightly and swung towards the young mastiff, for no time-wasting would be tolerated. But although he caught sight of the menacing weapon, the dog paused a little longer. His delay was too short to justify a reproach, and yet when he turned back to pick up his shovel, he managed the casual dignity of a free worker rather than the hurried desperation of slavery. The guard's weapon returned slowly to its resting position, and no expression of either anger or curiosity could be read behind the tinted mask.
--
Ralphee jumped down from the side of the hover cart as it glided to a halt outside the compound. Here the undulating red sand of the dunes gave way to a narrow circle of striking green vegetation surrounding the clear water of an oasis. Palm trees overhung the shimmering surface, and terraced gardens ringed the shores within easy reach of the life-giving water. A few canines could be seen working amongst the rows of lettuces and potatoes. 
A complex of white Mediterranean style buildings lay nestled among manicured gardens which sloped down to the water. A high wall encircled the compound, marking it as the residence of the privileged. The hover-cart deposited the canine workers at a gaggle of more modest buildings situated adjacent to the wall. 
Ralphee stretched and shook, trying to rid his coat of the irritating desert grit. As usual, he gazed longingly at the cool water of the oasis, but bathing was strictly forbidden. He would have to make do with a quick dousing in the communal showers – always shorter than he would like due to water rationing. 
Born and raised in the slave compound, the young canine knew no other life. Most of the canines accepted their lot – they had little choice, after all. But Ralphee always felt the distant horizon calling him. Two goals were forefront in his mind: To contribute no more to the wealth of the overseers than he must, and to eventually find a means of escape. To follow his own nose over the far hills, and to wander wherever he chose, free from the early morning work call – that was the young mastiff's dream. 
No black-cloaked guards could be seen, but Ralphee knew that tiny cameras watched their every move, and signs of rebellion were swiftly dealt with. A hundred clicks of parched desert in every direction served as an effective fence, and leaving the oasis on foot would mean a lingering death under the baking sun. 
Ralphee shared a room with Roberto, a small but energetic terrier with an aptitude for equipment maintenance. He knew that if he worked hard and showed due difference to their overseers, he would eventually earn his own private room in the Adult Males accommodation, but for now he had to put up with the smaller dog's exuberant but largely pointless chatter. 
But when he entered the room Roberto was nowhere to be seen, and the smell of human greeted his nose. A guard stood stiffly by the door, black-clad as always and with shouldered weapon. Another human stood by the window with her back to him (his nose told him it was a female). A flowing robe cloaked her figure, and a veil hid her face. Her delicate hands held an object, and Ralphee realised with embarrassment that she was looking at one of his sculptures. He liked to carve little figures from gnarled old wood gathered on the fringe of the desert, and the human had found his latest on the windowsill.
She turned, holding the little statue. "You are Ralphee?" Humans spoke with a strange reedy accent, and the canine struggled to read any emotion in her voice. He merely nodded, wondering whether he was to be disciplined for something. He could not recall having committed any offence - not recently, at least. 
She held up the sculpture. "You did this?" Was her tone softer? He couldn't tell. "Yes, Ma'am." he nodded curtly, attempting to show an appropriate diffidence. She held it up, and he could see the profile of her face behind the veil as she inspected it. A smooth, flat face, pale, with small mouth and almost no nose. Human faces were strange and fascinating. 
He noticed a small nod before she placed his sculpture gently back on the window ledge. 
"Come with me, please." Although she asked politely, her clipped tone and the presence of her guard left no room for argument. 
He followed her across the courtyard. "Don't worry," she said, noting his tension. "You're not in trouble. Quite the opposite. We have a job for you."
They passed through the adult quarters, until they reached an area that Ralphee had never seen. The human and her guard ushered him through a door. 
The room might not classify as opulent by galactic standards, but in contrast to Ralphee's small cubicle, it was spacious and well appointed. The canine workers normally slept on simple wooden cots, but this room contained a large double-size bed. Two small potted palms made a splash of green against the clean white-washed walls. And - wonder of wonders - Ralphee saw a private bathroom through a low archway. Gentle light filtered down from translucent panels in the roof, but the room contained no windows. 
In a large mural on one wall, a stylised canine held a shovel while he looked out over a landscape of dunes. Chiselled and muscular, stoic of expression, the figure represented a model canine worker. A large mirror decorated the wall opposite the bed.
Ralphee knew little of Earth - that distant green-and-blue world the humans called "home". He certainly knew nothing of democracy or emancipation, or any of the other advanced notions which the human race had finally adopted. And in turn, those distant humans knew nothing of the canine race or how they worked in effective slavery. The outer planets were beyond the reach of the law, the exclusive property of the corporations who surged out into space ahead of governments, fuelled by fantastic mineral wealth.
"Stand still, please." The human's tone remained clipped and efficient, and she appraised him for a moment from behind her veil.
She stepped close to him, and her aroma filled his nose. Humans always gave off a plethora of strong odours, and Ralphee now realised that they were mostly artificial, designed to disguise their natural scent. The mastiff nearly sneezed with the sudden proximity of her strong perfume, but once his nose adjusted he detected a whiff of her real scent under the perfume. Milky and sweet, it was not unpleasant. 
"Raise your arms, please." 
Her hand reached out, long-fingered and smooth. She seemed at-ease in the presence of a canine, whereas Ralphee was both curious and nervous, never having been this close to one of them before. He stiffened as her hand grasped his biceps, and then forced himself to relax. She felt his arm, perhaps sampling his muscles. Was this some kind of test? 
Her hands moved to his torso, prodding gently. Did they linger just a little longer than necessary on his hips before they moved up to grip his paw while she inspected it?
Her naked touch felt alien on his fur, but he tried to remain still and calm. This proved difficult when she stood on tip-toe (being slightly sorter than he) and grasped his ear, peering into first one and then the other with the aid of a tiny torch. Worse indignity followed when she asked him to open wide while she checked his teeth. 
The whole inspection seemed unnecessary, for Ralphee had already endured a thorough medical only two weeks earlier. Come to think of it, that test had been more invasive than usual, and the elderly veterinarian who provided the canines with health care - such as it was - had looked at him with an unusual twinkle in his pale eyes.
Finally satisfied, she stepped back. "You'll be assigned to these quarters for the next couple of days." She glanced at the guard. "And you'll have company."
She started towards the door before he could ask any questions. As she reached the exit, she turned back. "Oh, and you'll be assisting in the gardens tomorrow, so no need to hurry out in the morning."
The door shut definitively behind them, and Ralphee heard an electric lock click into place. So, they didn't want him roaming the compound. But why was he here? And what did the human mean by 'company'?
He busied himself with an exploration of the suite. The bathroom surpassed his best expectations, for beyond the arch he discovered a private bathing pool set into the concrete floor. Cool water rippled, enticing him. Another alcove contained a drinking fountain and a tray of food, including rare delicacies (for a slave) of dried fruits and nuts along with the usual dried meat, unleavened corn bread and potato cakes. The sight of the food was a relief, for the locked door seemed likely to keep him from the evening meal at the dining hall, and his stomach grumbled. 
The click of the door lock startled him as he was trying to choose between a splash in the bath and nibbling on the tastiest dried fruits. The overseers controlled his day for almost every waking hour, and having freedom to decide was disconcerting. You'd better get used to it, he told himself. Someday, you're going to live without any guards or overseers.
The door swung open, and a canine female sauntered in. The guard behind her remained outside, and the lock clicked shut behind her. 
The other canine stopped inside the door, and her eyes met his. He recognised her - vaguely. Her name was Lira, and she looked to be of a mixed ancestry dominated by a strong German Shepherd streak. From this parentage she had inherited wide upright ears and soft brown fur. Her black nose was full and striking, and her eyes bright. 
Of course, Ralphee had talked and joked about girls with Roberto and the other young males. But in reality they had very little experience with the opposite sex. The slave accommodations were strictly segregated, and Ralphee had only talked to girls on a handful of occasions, and only under supervision of guards or the few older canines who the guards trusted to maintain order among the workers. 
And now Ralphee found himself alone with a female who smiled shyly as she returned his gaze. "Er... Hello." he managed to say. 
A simple summer dress hung lightly on the curves of her delicate frame, and he could see the light brown fur of her chest through the low-cut neck. A whiff of her scent reached his nose, and a surge of unusual excitement pulsed through Ralphee. Suddenly it didn't really matter why they were here - he was just pleased to be in her company. 
Did she remember him? "I'm Ralphee," he said as he stepped forward and took her paw in his, with only a little awkwardness. He had planned merely to shake it, but the unaccustomed warmth and softness led him to hold his grasp a little longer. She stiffened at first, but then seemed to relax. 
"I'm Lira. I think we have met."
"We worked together in the vegetable plantations a couple of times last year. I'm glad you remember." The thought that she remembered spread like light through him, and it became very important that he hear warmth in her soft voice. 
Then she laughed. "How could I forget? You and that friend of yours were throwing rotten tomatoes at each other, and the guard caught you. Except you took the blame, and the guard pained you for it. I thought you were very brave..." she trailed off into an embarrassed silence, but Ralphee grinned. 
"Well, you get used to those pain-sticks after a while! Have you been here before?" 
"No, but..." She seemed about to say more, but then changed her mind. 
Youthful excitement bubbled up in Ralphee from an unknown source. Could it be the musky smell of Lira? Girls were just girls - at least they had been before today. Now the sheen of her soft brown fur fascinated him, and his paw itched to stroke her ear. But shyness diverted him to more mundane action. "Come on, I'll show you around."
She dutifully followed as Ralphee pointed out the little kitchen alcove with its water fountain and tray of food. He blushed a little as he took a dried date to nibble, and then held the tray while she chose. 
He sat down on the bed and bounced lightly, sampling the unaccustomed spring in the mattress. "There's only one bed, though..." His voice petered out, as he realised that he still didn't understand why they were here. Whilst he might exhibit appropriate diffidence in front of the armed guards, he didn't go out of his way to curry favour with them. A nagging doubt played at the back of his mind. Was he somehow collaborating just by accepting this unusually lavish accommodation? 
"I suppose we'll make do!" Lira's reply broke into his thoughts, and he took a moment to remember the question he had left hanging. Again he saw the odd expression on her face. Part resignation, part excitement, and (he thought) definite signs of warmth which made his heart flutter. 
Ralphee felt the need to break the moment of tension. "You should see the bathroom!" he said with a wink, and took her paw once more, just to feel its petite warmth in his. 
He noticed a look of genuine excitement when she saw the bathing pool. No doubt the females also shared communal bathrooms in their quarters. 
"I'm definitely going to make the most of that," she crooned. 
A similar thought had been foremost in Ralphee's mind since he arrived, and he could almost feel the cool water soothing away the grit and heat of the desert. But the bath also presented an opportunity to show Lira that he had manners, so he made an expansive gesture. "You first, then!" he added as he backed carefully out the door, and pulled the curtain discreetly closed behind him. 
He strolled towards the bed, wondering how best to pass the time while Lira bathed. But then he heard the grating sound of the curtain rail again, and turned to see the shepherd peering around the end. He read shyness in her features, but also excitement. He paused, wondering what was on her mind. She also hesitated, seeming uncertain. 
"Er, you can join me, if you like..." she said at last. 
Ralphee lingered only a moment before he crossed the floor to the bathroom once more. Mixed emotions swirled in his head. The water drew him, and Lira intrigued him. But bathing with a girl? That was weird. He'd have to be naked. Weird, but strangely exciting.
But once they were both in the bathroom, shyness overcame his excitement, and he didn't know how to proceed. He played for time by dangling his paws in the water. 
It splashed out into the pool from a metal pipe, and overflowed into a drain at the far side. The bath itself was large enough for two canines, chest-deep in the middle with a seat along each side. It was set into the floor and lined with simple but elegant tiles. 
Ralphee decided to tarry no longer. He slipped off his waist-cloth, although he turned discreetly away from Lira as he did so. He eased himself into the water and lay back, feeling the grit lifting out of his fur.
Movement caught his eye, and he looked up in time to see Lira's floral pattern dress drop from her shoulders to the tiled floor. He looked away hurriedly in embarrassment, but not before he had seen more than he had ever seen before. He averted his eyes as she sidled over to the pool, but he felt the water swirl and rise as she slipped in. 
They sat in silence for a time, Ralphee still not daring to look in the direction of his naked female companion. But as the water soothed the apprehension from the young mastiff, he allowed himself a luxurious stretch. When his leg bumped against Lira's, he twisted in her direction at last.
She favoured him with a sweet smile, and then busied herself with scrubbing the dust from her fur. He followed suit, and it soon felt good and natural to be here with her, in the cool water. When he gave her a playful splash, she giggled and sent a raucous shower over him. In a few more minutes they were both panting and dripping, and the bathroom floor was in need of a mop. 
Feeling suitably washed, they scrambled out of the bath. Any remaining dry areas of the floor soon received a wetting as the two canines shook the water from their fur. An alcove in the wall contained a stack of crisp towels, and Ralphee handed one to Lira. 
Most of his shyness had gone now, and his tail swished the air in a steady rhythm as he looked at her. Her bedraggled fur stuck out in tufts, and the end of one ear folded down a little to give her a sweet quizzical look. Ralphee's heart beat faster as he looked at her. 
Twin rows of nipples peaked from her chest fur, subtle yet captivating. Her aroma, mostly wet fur, also held an indescribable musk. Something inside Ralphee stirred in response. Strong legs, a long graceful tail, and... he could just see the shape of her feminine parts, discretely nestled in the soft fur at her groin. 
Lira's tail also wagged, and he realised that she returned his gaze. He shook himself a little. What had come over him? But her smile quashed his doubts and left room for nothing but excitement.
Towel, he told himself, and finally set about drying his fur. His short mastiff coat surrendered its water easily, and he was soon finished. Lira wrestled with her towel, and he fetched a dry one for her from the stack. Impulsively, he used it to rub her back down while she carried on with her chest fur, and all the while he savoured her smell. He let his paws stray a little lower, ostensibly towelling at her waist while he enjoyed the feel of her firm body. 
He grinned when he saw how fluffy her coat became as it dried, and had to stifle a giggle. 
"What!" she said, mock-indignity in her voice. She had to turn a little to look at him, and the towel slipped out of Ralphee's paw as she moved. Suddenly, thick warm fur lay under his paw-pads. Unexpectedly, her muzzle rose, and she kissed the side of his face. 
Ralphee was taken aback for a moment, but the warmth of her muzzle against his was too enticing. He bent a little closer, and this time her kiss was full on his mouth. He lapped at her tongue, and a whole symphony of new and exciting feelings flooded through him. He felt his paws circle her as  her towel dropped to the floor, and she turned in to his embrace and laid her paws on his hips. And then, amazingly, even as he explored the new excitement of her muzzle with his tongue, he felt her paw slide down his belly, and her fingers stroked his sheath and then traced lightly over his balls. 
They broke apart, and Ralphee was sure his pounding heart must be audible throughout the room, if not the compound. "Come on," she teased, twisting gently out of his grasp and sidling through the doorway to the main room. She looked back at him, and he saw a new hunger in her eyes, matching the yearning in his own body which clamoured for her touch. 
He followed her across the room, admiring the grace of her movements. She sat down on the bed, one leg stretched out, the other up, her foot on the edge. Her tail flowed over the side of the mattress in a sensuous curve, and thus posed, she bent forward and affected a nonchalant inspection of her foot-paw. As Ralphee approached, she leaned back and looked up at him expectantly, and her parted legs drew his eyes irresistibly to the dark slit of her sex. That most private part, now freely revealed for him, stood out a little from the soft fur which flowed down from her belly. 
An ancient instinct drew the young mastiff to drop to his knees before her, and her scent filled his nose. His paws found her flanks, then drifted down to her hips as he leaned forward. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to bury his muzzle in her soft, sweet smelling groin, and in a moment his tongue found her entrance. Her taste was both sweet and metallic, and she shivered as he teased at her inner parts, slick and hot.
Ralphee found himself transported to regions he could not have imagined, and a tingling warmth radiated from his own groin and spread through him. Her naked body lay before him like a secret garden, a magical and mysterious door to which he had somehow earned a key. He could not guess at what lay ahead, but his growing excitement and desire drove him on. 
She lay back on the bed as he lifted his muzzle from her entrance and caressed her belly with his paws. Her curves and structures fascinated him in a way he had never before experienced, and his fingers circled her nipples in a delicate caress. Soon he reached her neck, and gently stroked her ear as he bent over her, and their mouths met once more. 
When they eventually parted again, they were both panting, and desire burned hotly through Ralphee. He could see it reflected in her eyes, and her tail lashed too and fro. He looked down, his gaze drinking in her sinuous length and finally resting on her moist vulva. And then only one thing mattered - to feel himself enclosed deeply inside that wondrous place.
A little adjustment of his position brought his sheath up to her groin, and, unbidden, he grasped at her hips as he pressed forward. His tender sheath brushed her fur, and then he was pushing forward, the tip of his cock searching for her opening. An explosion of sensation almost overwhelmed Ralphee as he found her passage and his slick member slid into her. No doubt remained about her desire for him, as she gasped and rolled her hips to better take his length. Then he was thrusting into her again and again, panting with burning desire as her heat engulfed him. He could feel her muscles quivering, tensing, and clamping down on his cock in rhythm with his thrusts. He had never imagined any pleasure to match this. 
Her muscles gripped him tighter and tighter, and he realised that his cock was huge and rock-hard inside her. And then a wave of ecstasy swept everything else from his mind, and suddenly he was pulsing over and over again as his seed poured into her. 
Lira moaned and pulled herself tightly against him as his knot swelled to fill her and press hard against her clit. Her body clenched him tightly, locking his cock inside.
Ralphee slipped his paw behind and between her legs, feeling where his sheath pressed hard against the mound of her vulva, wet with their shared juices. Her vaginal muscles held him like a vice, and there was no possibility of separation. He held her close while they carefully rolled over, until they were lying comfortably on their sides. His cock still pumped sporadically into her, and although the initial rush of climax had faded, waves of pleasure still rose and ebbed over him. He wrapped his paws around her warmth and gently licked at her muzzle, and the dreamy look in her eyes told him that she also enjoyed a blissful feeling. 
A long time passed before his cock eventually shrunk enough to slip out. Even then they lay together in a warm embrace, their sticky fur slowly drying. Finally, Ralphee remembered that he was hungry, and they managed to towel themselves off enough to get up and sample the food tray. Neither of them bothered to dress, and Ralphee relished their comfortable intimacy. He couldn't think of anything to say, but no words seemed necessary. 
By the time they had washed their supper down with cool water from the drinking fountain, desire was growing again in Ralphee, and now he knew where it was directed. They mated again, and this time hurried burning passion became a more careful exploration. He sensed her growing climax in the tensing of her muscles and the fever of her breathing, and he teased her with his thrusts, savouring every sensual movement. He would not have believed it possible, but his second orgasm carried him to even greater heights of pleasure. 
The light of day had long faded from the translucent roof panels when they lay together in a sleepy embrace. Ralphee could barely see her face as she turned in his arms to look up at him, but he could tell she wore a gentle smile. 
"I'm sure we'll have beautiful puppies," she murmured.
Puppies? 
"What..." mumbled Ralphee, but the pieces were already falling into place in his mind. "You mean... are we..." A jumble of emotions swept through the young dog, and he tried desperately to sort through them. 
Lira leaned over and pressed the switch for the bedside light, and a soft glow appeared. She propped herself up on an elbow, and Ralphee saw concern in her eyes. 
"I thought you knew..." she said. "We were selected..."
Ralphee frowned as he tried to get to grips with this new turn of events. "Are you OK with this?" he stumbled over his words.
She shrugged, and despite his confusion, Ralphee couldn't help smiling at her sweet innocence. 
"I've always wanted puppies," she replied. "More so lately. And there are many extra privileges for breeders, as I'm sure you know. Sometimes, we have to make the best of things."
Looking into her eyes, Ralphee couldn't feel angry, and she had the power to make his doubts melt away. She was in her heat cycle – something he ought to have guessed right from the start. No doubt her condition had clouded his mind. It was easy to be strong until that sweet musky aroma filled his nose and set his loins tingling. But they were slaves here, and his rebellious side did not wish to contribute one iota more to the slave-masters than he absolutely had to. That included participation in their breeding program, no matter how pleasurable the process might be. 
By the time they drifted off to sleep, Ralphee had convinced himself that he would no longer be a willing participant. But in the early hours of the morning, when Lira turned sleepily into his embrace and began to kiss his muzzle, it was too easy to slip his cock gently inside her once more.