Boot sequence initiating

The high pitched hum of electricity was barely audible but in the dead of night it was the only sound. Motors began to activate, as well as the internal gyroscope, and they added their own faint noises to the otherwise quiet evening.

With an almost melodic whine, the golden, quadrupedal body stepped out of the back of the truck and hopped down to the ground. A few lights blinked, marking its head.

Boot complete. Acquiring target data

Pictures, videos, and even some medical data were available and uploaded previously. Now they were being organized by the robotic dog. The numerous sensors on its body attuned themselves to the provided parameters and after a few moments of calibration, it took off.

The terrain here was rough but the quadrupedal form was perfect for traversing it. The humans who followed behind moved more slowly, staying within range of the robot but otherwise leaving it to conduct its search on its own. This particular model, the so called Golden Husky, was the newest version and this was its first mission.

Moving in ever expanding concentric circles, the Golden Husky searched for any signs of its target. It had been set loose at the last known location of the target so anything from tracks to blood or any other sign would do for it to begin narrowing down on the target.

Fifteen minutes passed and already it changed from moving in circles to moving in half circles, then quarter circles. Still following behind were the people who’d set it loose. There was an eagerness to them all. An excitement that was felt rather than heard as they moved wordlessly along.

As it moved, the moon and starlight glinted off it’s golden body. It wasn’t actual gold, of course, but the reflective shell made it easier to spot. That was what the marketing team had said, anyway. They could have just as easily colored it bright orange or neon green if that was the case, or added more and brighter lights. In the long run it probably didn’t matter. The golden body was easy to see in both the light and the dark and that was what mattered.

As dawn approached and the dark grays and purples were replaced with shades of blue and green, the Golden Husky began to slow down. It was sweeping back and forth in narrower and narrower arcs and the people were having to hurry now to keep up. That was no easy feat as the terrain continued to get steeper and more rugged. It was anyone’s guess as to why someone would go this way, but people in these situations weren’t always thinking clearly. Whatever the reason, this was where they’d gone.

As quickly as the Golden Husky had begun, it stopped. It stood still for a moment, then moved in a tight circle. It repeated the motion but in a wider circle this time. Then it came back to the original spot it had stopped at and sat down. The people following it caught up and at first thought that it had lost the trail, but no. It hadn’t lost anything, it had merely reached the end of the trail. The Golden Husky was beside a tall tree who’s branches reached out several feet and there, hanging from one of the branches was the one they’d been searching for.

No one spoke at first. This was not what they’d been expecting or wanting to find. Perhaps this was why they’d come this way, to minimize the chances of being found by a random hiker. Maybe the person had hoped to not be found at all. Who could say. In any case the people now had another job to do.

One of them climbed up the tree and, using a rope they’d brought along, lowered the body to the ground. They’d brought a stretcher with them as well and placed the body onto it after zipping it into a bag to keep the insects off. One of the searchers patted the Golden Husky on the head even though they all knew it was inanimate. It felt like the right thing to do.

Initiating follow mode

The Golden Husky walked along behind them as they made their way back up to where they’d started. There was no rush to their pace as they made their way along. The rough terrain was only part of the reason for their lack of speed. These sorts of searches, particularly with this kind of ending, was everyone’s least favorite and it weighed heavily on them. The leader of the group was already on the radio, relaying the news, knowing what it would mean for those on the other side of the conversation.

Since they could travel more directly this time, even with their slowed pace they reached their vehicles after only an hour or so of hiking. There was a small gathering assembled to identify the body, which they did through a mix of tears and stoic grimaces.

The Golden Husky climbed back into the vehicle it had come in and nestled onto its base to recharge.

Powering down