Man regarded beast and beast
regarded man. Each observed the other. The beast bore the traits of
it's ancestors. Sharp teeth and claws. Keen predator eyes of green.
It sat, unmoving like a solemn statue of Baast, presenting a regal
demeanor. A sound began to arise from deep within the beast. It
sounded like the hum of an engine. The animal's green eyes, met those
of the man. His were quite unlike those of other men. Each eye was a
distinct shade of yellow. His skin was extremely pale and had a
waxen, almost golden sheen. But this was no wax figure. Although he
had every appearance of a living and breathing person, he was not
made of flesh and blood. He was, in fact, an android.
His name was Data and he was
second officer of the USS Enterprise. And today he was also the owner
and master of a particularly vicious beast, known as a cat. To own a
pet was a quintessential human experience and Data was an
enthusiastic student of this subject. He related to the story of
Pinnochio and had the desire to someday become 'a real boy'. This
android was an incredible piece of work. He was such a complex
combination of mechanics, circuitry and computer programming it was
very easy to forget his true nature. His programming included
subroutines to emulate every aspect of human life. His creator had
not forgotten a single detail right down to blinking eyes, the
appearance of breathing and a pulse. And thanks to a highly developed
ethical programming and a never ceasing curiosity his crew mates had
come to accept him as easily as if he were a any other crew mate.
But what Data lacked was emotions and he desired that more than
anything else. To his friends his desire seemed a rudimentary form of
emotion in itself, but Data seemed to dismiss these observations.
He was of average height and
had a thin frame, not particularly muscular in appearance and yet he
had the strength of more than ten men. His hair was dark in color and
combed fastidiously back, not a strand out of place. His uniform was
standard for a federation officer of his rank and position. He wore
black and mustard yellow. He kept an inhumanly tidy appearance
overall. At his breast he wore a badge with Starfleet insignia that
also served as a communicator.
Emulating human behavior was
Data's method of connecting with the human experience so it was not
unusual to catch him clumsily and rather comically attempting a yawn
or a sneeze. Data had no physical need to yawn or sneeze for he never
became tired nor did he experience a cold. Most crew members found
these attempts endearing and part of his childlike charm. The android
was not aware of just how human these attempts made him appear to his
friends and crew mates. Not the emulations themselves, for they were
extremely forced and rigid, but the effort, the drive, that constant
need to define himself as one of them.
Defining his humanity had
lead him to this moment of 'man' and 'beast' one contemplating the
other. A bowl of food sat in front of the cat. It was filled with
food that remained untouched. If Data only knew how many cat owners
had watched their furry companions turn a nose up to a bowl of what
was supposed to be a most delicious treat, he would not ponder the
issue so deeply. Data's positronic brain had access to an astounding
amount of information and when he combined that with the ship's
computer it was an inexhaustive resource. His processors worked to
create a new combination of tastes with proper balance of protein and
vitamins. Perhaps this would entice his furry friend to eat.
"Spot, I have created
exactly 56 feline supplements for you. I have considered culinary
appeal as well as your nutritional needs.” Data looked down at his
furry companion. “I do not understand why you refuse to proceed
with the consumption of your meal." Data gave his cat a
perplexed look.
Spot stared up at her owner
as if to say, ' Is this the best you can do?'
“Perhaps if I add a gravy flavored supplement to the chicken and change the texture to a more fibrous consistency, an increase in gustatory appeal might awaken your appetite.”
Data walked over to the food
replicator and entered his newly gathered information to create
feline supplement 57. He brought the new bowl back to Spot and placed
it in front of her. She glided gracefully to the newly improved
meal and nibbled at it delicately.
“Hm” Data observed Spots
satisfaction.
Data watched patiently as
the cat ate. While he waited he accessed resources that might aid
the future development of new feline supplements that might tempt his
felines finicky taste buds. Data's eyes seemed to focus inward. They
moved rapidly from left to right as if he was reading an unseen text,
at a phenomenal rate. Spot, having finished her meal began the
process of grooming her whiskers, her eyes half closed while the loud
purring sound continued to escape from deep within her. Spot was a
picky eater from the day that Data took her back to his quarters
aboard the Enterprise. He remembered the day he heard of the arrival
of a litter of kittens on the Children's Deck.
