Golden Light, Silver Light

Scene 032

Scene 032

"When it was decided that I was coming, I took the incentive and had an exercise room ordered to be set up for us. Well, at least I had the equipment placed there. We'll need to set most of it up. Even if you don't decide to study Shinthry, we can still use the items to help you explore some options." Dam stood up and headed for the door.

"I'm assuming, you want to go do this now." When Dam nodded, Amy got to her feet and continued, "What if I had already made plans of my own?"

Dam looked as if that ideal had never occurred to him. He stopped in the middle of the room.

Opening her mouth, Amy started to continue when chiming came from the door. "Come," she called.

"Greetings, am I late?" Jac joked and smiled as he stepped into the cabin.

"Quick put everything away or Jac will consume it all," said Amy. Grinning, she gave Dam a wink and waved Jac in. "You found that out already," said Dam, with a laugh. "Every time I'd invite Jac over when we were children, my mother would send double of everything to my room." He took his seat back at the table and watched Jac.

"Very funny, you two." Jac grumbled and dropped himself down to the couch, just like a cat that falls to the floor, suddenly and boneless. "Oh, by the way, Cat, Santi needs your help in the Medical Facility."

"Does she now?" asked Cat. Her tone was that of a mother's scolding a child. "I will leave right away."

Dam looked at Amy and winked. Then he turned his attention to Jac. "I think; she is still miffed with you, Jac. Your remark about her being loose on your ship, may have hurt her feelings."

Puzzled, Amy looked from Jac to Dam. What in the world were they talking about?

Jac gave a short bark of laughter and a disgruntled look crossed his face. "Very funny."

Dam's smirk turned into a grin when he gave Amy a knowing look and another wink. His eyes were twinkling with laughter.

Puzzled still, Amy asked, "You all talk about Cat as if she were human. Is there something I should know about her?"

"You didn't tell her?" asked Dam. He sat up straighter on his chair.

"No, I figured Cat would've told her by now." Jac groaned.

"Told me what?"

"Well." Dam paused for a moment. "About seven hundred years ago, give or take a few years, Cat was a person."

Inhaling sharply, Amy was stunned. With her mouth hanging open, she dropped down in her chair. She shook her head. "Nope. No way. Not possible." This was just too far fetched.

"Yep, I'm afraid so," said Jac with his hangdog expression. "Much to my pain."

"You see Cat, or Catrein as she was called at the time, was once our leading computer programmer, inventor, and technological adviser."

"That's her; she was what you would've called the all-around computer nerd." Jac broke into Dam's explanation.

"Unfortunately," Dam gave Jac a disgusted look. "Cat had a fatal disease. When she was told of her illness, she automated her lab. Just hours before she passed away, with the help of her computers, she transplanted all of her brain's electrical impulses into a self contained environment. Every memory, personality trait, and all of her quirks were transplanted."

Nope this was taking things too far. Events like this didn't happen outside of the realm of science fiction. Shaking her head, Amy leaned forward in her seat. Dam had captured her interest and she wanted to know the rest of Cat's story. She motioned for Dam to continue.

"Knowing the process was very dangerous, Cat didn't leave any notes or equipment for how the process was accomplished. She didn't want anyone else to try it. She felt as if she was already dead and had nothing to lose by trying the procedure. But, she wasn't about to allow anyone else to be put to risk."

"One big point in her favor. Could you imagine a Turk computer?" Jac broke into the conversation again, with eyes that were twinkling.

Shuttering, Amy gave Jac a stern look. She looked at Dam.

Dam gave a shrug. "Upon finding out what she had done, one of my ancestors moved her to the palace. Where, she has continued her work both with computers and medical diseases to this day." He finished.

Puzzled still but accepting, Amy asked, "So why did she come on this mission to be my teacher? Why did she tell me C.A.T. stood for Computer Aide for Training?"

"As for why she came, I can only guess, because I asked her to come. That and she likes to torment Jac." Dam looked relieved. "As for the other, I've read, and I know she did also, the reports about your world. Maybe, she felt you would adjust better if you thought of her as just a computer." He finished with a shrug.

"Now, I feel bad. I've treated her like a piece of furniture or as a voice activated computer from my world." Amy sat back in her chair. All of the times she had rudely ordered Cat around came back to her. She wouldn't have talked to a dog like that even if she had ever had one. "I have to think of a way to apologize to her."

"I don't think she feels slighted in the least," said Jac. "I don't think she's had this much fun since we were cubs."

"Still, I need to apologize. I," she stressed, "would feel better."

"Maybe some exercise will help you think of something," said Dam, getting up and walked around the table to pull Amy to her feet. "Come on Jac, let's go and find out what cargo bay we're to use to exercise in."

Groaning, but climbing to his feet, Jac followed Amy and Dam to the door. "We're not using Cargo Bay Three. Because, Cat may decide I'm the major problem with my ship and eject me." Laughter broke into the group as they walked out of Amy's cabin.