In the brilliant summer heat the newly shawn sheep move randomly until Parker sends Skipper in to round them up. At once they clump together as a herd, moving in the same direction like a shoal of fish. They become more predictable, but it's still a fine balance. If Skipper gets too close then one can become so scared that they run independently, chaotically, making it necessary to round them up all on their own. As the sheep hurry over the grass they have kept so short, the pen simply needs to be the least scary of their options. Once the gate is closed, the job is done. Until a sheep learns to open a catch, they're stuck. Parker recalls Skipper and sends him to sit in the truck. The next task is loading them up and he doesn't need the dog for that.
Troy is able to recognise fifty human faces on a computer screen and get a perfect score. He can map out his surroundings and make rudimentary plans of what to do next. Troy will come when you call his name. On basic problem solving intelligence tests Troy does as well as a human. He is more intelligent than a rat and can solve the same tasks as a “slow monkey.” He does taste quite good though, I’ve eaten his kind before, many times...
Found in Are you awake yet? - first draft, authored by .