In the fluorescent hum of the laboratory, Dr. Elara Vance watched the dual screens flicker to life. On the left: Canis_Unit_734 (a golden retriever named Sunny). On the right: Felis_Unit_892 (a calico cat named Pixel).
The script had failed. To Pixel, a dog’s joy looked like a predator’s manic stalking.
The final test was proximity. Elara opened the mesh divider. Sunny trotted into Pixel’s territory. Pixel didn’t run. She sat on her platform, tail curled neatly.