From Frozen Heck (Starship Teapot #4)
‘What? I mean, hello. Er, you’re safe now. I promise we won’t hurt you. Come here.’ I put my hand out slowly, not wanting to spook the tiny ball of fluff in front of me. The creature sniffed my hand, then licked it.
The creature under the bed crept forwards. It – or she – was shivering.
‘Help?’ Well, that settled it. In a galaxy where gender is meaningless, there are two singular pronouns: she and it. Its don’t speak. It is an inanimate object or a non-sapient being. Thanks to a snap decision I made one my very first day in space, all sapient beings are she – biologic or inorganic, corporeal, gestalt, or disembodied. If someone is capable of speech, she’s a she. It could just as easily have been they. If I were a cis-het man, I’d be calling everyone he. But I’m not. So here we are.
‘Help?’ The tiny fluffball pleaded again.
‘Hiya.’ I whispered. ‘Of course we’ll help you. Come here. You’re safe, I promise.’ I beckoned her closer.
The little being took two very shaky steps out from under the bed just as Bexley’s voice reached us. ‘Hey, Lem.’ As Bexley came around the corner, the puppy – for that’s exactly what my new friend appeared to be – climbed into my lap.
