Pets

Ralph and Marie were enjoying sitting out on the lawn, having their coffee. It was not the coffee which they remembered, the flavor profile was different; it was bound to be different. After the upheavals in the past few centuries, the hybrid plants developed never quite matched up to the original stuff.

It was a quiet evening. They watched the sunset in quiet. The scene was incredibly beautiful, they saw the rings of a large Gas Giant as it spun slowly in the gathering twilight; the colors seemed to be arranged for their viewing pleasure. Marie stood up and stretched as she told Ralph to get going with the chores. Ralph nodded and got up, picking up the small kitten from his lap and placing it on the manicured lawn.

They were many light years away from Earth where they were born, but this was now their home for a long, long time. Their life was fulfilled. Ralph was a designer with the planetary design committee  which was operated and run by General Universal and he loved his work. There was no real reason to work other than to maintain their home. The planet paid for everything. Power, amenities, quality of life was common to all. Marie considered it communist. They joked about it often, she liked painting and had a serious body of work.

The Future was General Universal, and they owned everything, took care of everything and enjoyed the benefits of space. Governments were passe.

The kitten Shaza purred and followed Ralph as he walked into the house and started clearing up the place. It was the weekend, a time of rest and relaxation. They did not really require any of it. Their bodies had no parts which were prone to fatigue. It was a hangover from the days on Earth.

The only fully organic creature on this planet were the Pets, and they too had been modified to breathe the methane atmosphere which would kill any Earth organisms.