Why teach a dog to speak if no one will listen to him? XK9 Rex was bio-engineered and cyber-enhanced to be the most capable police dog money could buy. He even has a collar-mounted vocalizer. But then a catastrophic explosion on a space dock sidelines his human partner. Now his new masters on Rana Station assume Rex has nothing to say. But Rex's keen nose picked up a vital clue about the explosion. He must get the investigators to listen, even though the handling protocols say that without his human, this forensic tool must go on the shelf. Giving them "puppy-eyes" doesn't work. Rex must dare to disobey orders and make them listen. But neither he nor the Police Chief know that the handling protocol hides an ugly truth. When Rex takes an independent hike to HQ, the truth is laid bare. Rex has revealed an international conspiracy that could destabilize the entire Chayko System. Who will listen to him now?