The New World Order

Chapter 14

Ben smiled as Tabatha took and ate the candy. Sam had suggested that positive reinforcement would be the best way to train. Ben agreed. Both brothers were not a fan of some of the more aggressive forms of training. Ben needed Tabatha to trust him and his friends. It would not do for her to be scared of him.

As the walk continued, Ben would say Tabatha's name. When she looked at him, she received a small piece of candy. They looked like skittles, but were a human treat designed on Zion. Colorful and tasty without the artificial flavoring and dyes so commonly favored by humans.

Sam practiced the same thing with Hank, but with more physical touches and less treats. Hank was much farther along in his training and had a solid relationship with Sam. This was something that Ben and his companions longed for in Tabatha. It seemed that she would require more practice and patience than Hank had needed in the beginning.

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I munched on my last little bit of candy. They looked like skittles but tasted so much better and didn't leave a sugary film on my teeth.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and it was warmer. The snow was melting, and the first signs of spring began to appear. We had made a complete loop along the trail in the backyard when Ben and Sam sat on the patio and talked amongst themselves.

"Tabatha, want to explore?" asked Hank, looking around.

"Sure, but we basically saw everything there is to see," I answered.

With a smile and a shake of his head Hank responded with, "Have you ever walked off the trail? There is so much here. This is a very large space."

With a shrug I followed him. I had not been off the trail as my leg injury had prevented me from exploring my surroundings to much.

To my surprise, Hank took me to a little area behind some trees. A small pond, complete with a small waterfall, was there. Next to it were a couple of chairs, a fire pit, and a small table. I looked into the water and saw some fish swimming around.

"It never freezes," explained Hank as he sat, "they keep the water heated above freezing."

"How did you know this was here?"

"Sam and I have visited before. He is some kind of expert on humans and Earth. We travel around Zion and here on Earth. He gives speeches and things. I don't understand it all because he usually speaks in the canid language when he is teaching."

After a moment I responded with, "Like a professor?"

"Something like that, yes."

We sat in silence for a while. I enjoyed watching the fish. A couple of ducks, early migratory arrivals, landed and swam around. It was peaceful.

"So, you do realize that Ben was training you while we were walking, right?" asked Hank.

I looked at him in shock before saying, "You're kidding?!"

With a laugh he said, "Sure. Classic positive reinforcement."

"How would you know?"

"Sam trained me the same way. That candy is pretty good right? Trust me, other humans don't have it this good. There are other training styles."

I felt like a fool that I had been manipulated in such a way, but the candy had been very good. Each color had been a different flavor and was nothing like I had tasted before.

"Well, I feel like a fool," I stated after a moment of thought.

"Don't. We can't change it and it is fun to learn new things."