Deep Space K9 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Life's a Bichon

"Life's A Bichon" was written for, and first published in, the 2004 anthology "Sirius: The Dog Star".
The anthology is dedicated to a real dog named Sirius who lost his life while carrying out his bomb disposal sniffer dog duties, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre.

Answer: Collect espionage data and transmit it back to Earth

Captain Gilly doesn't like dogs, and it is her distaste for them that leads the 'leader' of the pups to 'break cover'. They had not been trained to deal with people who just don't think they are the "cutest thing they ever saw". The pups were engineered to collect data they overhear, and transmit it all back to Earth. The idea is that people will take an incredibly cute, well trained, puppy with them everywhere they go. In the end, Gilly threatens to expose the plot, takes all the pups to a school full of war orphans on another world, and hands them over as gifts for the children.

"Precious Cargo" was written by Bernie Arntzen in 2004.

Answer: Cook and eat it

"The People of Sand and Slag" is by Paolo Bacigalupi, and can be read on the web, or in "Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse", published in book form in 2008.
Everyone left alive on Earth has 'Weeviltech' which enables them to live among the environmental poisons which are all that is left of the world. The trio are amused and intrigued by the dog at first, and pay to have its food specially synthesized. Eventually, though, they lose interest and the story ends when they do actually eat the poor thing.

Answer: Private investigator

Max is a clone, made by a company that specialises in genetic engineering. He is worth millions of dollars, and vanishes mysteriously from his luxurious cage.
"Dog Gone" (2004) is by John Zakour, who also has written the "Working Daze" comic strip since 2001.

Answer: Heaven

"All the Virtues" tells the story of the only dog to ever make it to human Heaven, after he gave up his own spirit to save that of his owner.
Reichert is perhaps most famous for her "Renshai" books, the first of which, "The Last of the Renshai", was first published in 1991.

Answer: The Defiant Agents

Tsoay and a dozen other Apaches, along with the coyotes, are given a drug to make them think they are "old time" tribespeople, so they can adapt to life on a frontier world, with no contact from civilisation. Their ship crash lands, and they then meet up with "the enemy" and have to battle to survive.
"The Defiant Agents" is volume three in the "Time Traders" series, and was first published in 1962.

Answer: He joins the Scouts

Nixie and his boy, Charlie, do everything together. Nixie is a paid up member of the scout troop, and when Charlie and his parents emigrate to Venus, Nixie goes too.

"A Tenderfoot in Space" was first published in "Boy's Life" May - July 1958, and in "Requiem", published in 1991. It was also published under the title "Tenderfoot on Venus".

Answer: A crow

Dawn the crow helps Reuben make it across her world to the next Gate, and then goes with him through it because she "wants to know how his story ends".
"Finding Marcus", by Tanya Huff, was specially written for the 2004 anthology "Sirius: The Dog Star" edited by Martin Greenberg and Alexander Potter.

Answer: Star Dog

"Star Dog" was first published in 1973. Rov's mother was an ordinary dog, but his father was an alien's six legged doglike pet who spent time on Earth when his owner's space ship crash landed one night.

Answer: Plaxy

"Sirius", subtitled "A Fantasy of Love and Discord", was written by Olaf Stapledon, and first published in 1944.

Sirius travels and explores the world, learning about people as he goes. Eventually, he cannot reconcile the two different parts of his nature, and reverts more and more to his animal side. The book ends when he is 'outlawed' for attacking sheep on the farms around his home in Wales.