Earth Cat Zero: Last Cat Meowing

by Gary Starta

  “Let’s go back to your opening assumption, Devin.” Lacroix tapped at her notebook. “Hmm. Nothing says love like blue and green cat fur.” She swiped it off her computer. “Electromagnetic interaction, the clash of electric and magnetic fields – more precisely – the electrostatic discharge of lightning – witnessed by the Ellis’s – begs we study the effect of ball lightning.”

  Normand leaned forward, arms resting on the table. “It seems like outside factors would be involved. We have run this acceleration before without incident.”

  Miranda observed the blonde woman and the dark-haired man and how they postured themselves, possibly quite catlike in behavior. Were these people as knowledgeable as her mother? As she wondered, the disturbing image of the dream haunted. She could picture Brands prancing up and down the conference table. Were the answers of her universe – the one where animals mattered most – dependent on a handful of people who could offer up opinions just because they had degrees? The teen smiled internally at a joke her friend Leesa told. Opinions are like assholes; everyone has one.

  “It is quite possible fields quantify nearly everything we can see that exists and even things we cannot see.” Caron stated her opinion matter-of-factly.

  Go Mom! Miranda raised a hand to her mouth, but she couldn’t hide her prideful grin.

  “If so, the acceleration caused a possible change in a particular field like the one that mandates how cats exist in our universe. If that were changed, then it could explain Earth Cat. Given the universe consists mostly of zero energy – until a catalyst like the Higgs Boson come along to create it – we need to pinpoint just what the collision and the lightning and even Joule’s contribution might have played in this. And yes - Devin and Cheryl - we may just yet figure out how quarks factor into this matter.”

  Schultz smiled. “I knew you could help us, Caron.”

  “Well, if you consider adding to the laundry list of questions as helping.” She raised palms upward.

  Miranda could not help noticing how Lacroix, the blonde woman, kept her gaze off of her mother as she spoke, pretending to be occupied with her notebook. I just hope these people will listen to reason and not act like snarky teens.

  “Okay,” Ramey said, “we can postulate that the Higgs Boson was changed in itself as the early universe cooled. It allowed other particles reacting to it to gain mass.”

  Miranda breathed a little easier. These people seem to be piecing together a puzzle.

  “Which brings up an interesting conundrum with our Earth Cat.” Ramsey stared at his reflection on the table, hands clasped. “Earth Cat is thought to have existed in atomic form – thanks to Normand’s imagery – and in a physical form as witnessed by the Ellis’s. I am intrigued at how you named, Earth Cat, Miranda.”

  “Well, he looks like our planet. Blue and green.”

  “Ah,” Ramsey unclasped his hands and shook a finger, “but it seems there’s more to meet the eye here. Yes, Earth Cat is green and blue. But how does he quantify in our universe if he was indeed created by an adjustment in a quantum field? If Earth Cat could not exist by the previous physics which governed our universe before the acceleration, then there should be no – or zero Earth Cats. In other words, if we subtract both the atomic and physical versions of Earth Cat, we are left with zero.”

  “You mean, Earth Cat Zero?” Miranda’s voice wavered a bit, but she ended her question with a smile which seemed to please Caron who patted her daughter’s arm.

  Lacroix adjusted her black framed glasses. “Yes, it also seems logical this Earth Cat Zero came from our simulated universe, one which is thought to possess no mass or energy until there is interaction.”

  Caron nodded. “I agree, Cheryl. Earth Cat Zero is an example of the creation of something from seemingly nothing.”

  Lacroix shrugged shoulders. “Yet that is not entirely true if there is a conscious universe. I tend to agree that the universe is encoded with information, bits of data if you will. The genetic recipe for this new type of feline may have existed, sitting dormant, awaiting an interaction. It was just hidden. I hope to examine this extensively, Caron; I am determined to find out how quarks played their part in this.”

  Schultz rubbed hands together. “Yes, let’s add that to our laundry list. Information.”

  Ramsey nodded. “It seems Stephen Hawking’s Information Theory holds water – if not mass.” He laughed in response to Lacroix’s displeasing groan.

  “What is Information Theory?” Miranda asked.

  Caron answered. “Information is never erased and may make up our universe, it’s why some argue for a conscious universe because it would be intelligent in itself.”

  “Mom, that would be great news. Do you mean all those cats are still in existence, but we can’t see them?”

  “It’s conjecture, Miranda.”

  “But conjecture is hope and maybe hope is the construct of our universe.” Miranda’s assessment was met by a round of applause. Earth Cat Zero didn’t seem particularly interested, jumping off the table and onto his hind legs where he began pawing the wall.

  Everyone observed the feline with the exception of Brands who took the silence as an opportunity to interject.

  “Forgive my armchair physics, but it seems our very universe is malleable. Depending on the vibrational field, each particle has the potential to change space and time. That is why I believe Earth Cat Zero is telling us something through the Solfeggio Frequency…”

  Schultz intervened. “Very interesting Doctor, nice observation.”

  Miranda bowed her head. This doctor is the king of OCD.

  Normand cleared his throat. “Yes, observation. I think Earth Cat Zero has more to say than just via vibrational fields. Look at how he’s pawing the wall.”

  Schultz rose from his seat. “What is he telling us?”

  Normand answered. “The adjacent room sits atop the tunnel. He wants us to go to the collider.”

  “That’s all I need to hear.” Schultz waved hands. “Miranda, please secure Earth Cat Zero. We’re all going to the tunnel.”

  Once inside the tunnel, Miranda felt the vast pull of the collider’s reach. Even though it was inactive, it seemed to stretch for miles. No wonder a particle collision in this thing can affect so much!

  She bent down to release Earth Cat Zero from his cage on directive from Schultz.

  The feline wasted little time and scampered along the corridor, briefly stopping to smell and assess.

  “That’s how cat’s see.” Miranda mumbled to no one in particular.

  “Fascinating.” Dr. Brands mumbled back.

  “He’s heading to the bunker.” Normand yelled. “That’s where I saw the cat. I mean, the atomic version of the cat captured on the digital imager.”

  “He is aware of his other self.” Caron said in amazement.

  “Maybe his other quantum self.” Normand said, locking his gaze with Caron for a long moment. Miranda turned her head away and smiled.

  Schultz clapped hands. “Entanglement. Maybe that’s it. Quantum entanglement!”

  As the cat sniffed and pawed the area, the wail of a loudspeaker erupted and displaced everyone’s concentration with the exception of Earth Cat Zero’s.

  “Normand Toews, you are to report to the security station immediately. You are not allowed on these premises.”

  Schultz raised a balled fist. “The hell he isn’t. Folks, remain where you are, I’ll handle this.”

  Miranda’s heart raced with defiance. Yeah, the hell he isn’t. Earth Cat Zero proves it would be foolish to believe anything or anyone can be confined by walls or borders.

  Chapter Nine

  Normand Toews shuffled into the HR office trailing his boss, Brookhaven Director Max Schultz. He felt as if he was in a surreal dream state and that maybe this wasn’t happening and the whole odd adventure of finding a blue and green cat in the collider tunnel was imaginary. But then Normand observed a copy of the di
gital imaging revealing an atomic version of Earth Cat Zero on the HR director’s desk. Yes, this is real. But that means…meeting Caron was real as well. I want this reality!

  Schultz arched his tall body over supervisor Amy Chen’s desk and hovered a moment while his scarlet tie dangled like a floating exclamation point. “I know the rules, Amy. Normand knows the rules. The whole globe knows the rules. But we have witnessed that even the laws of physics can somehow be broken.”

  Chen dropped her gaze to paperwork on her desk. “Please, gentlemen. Take a seat. I should not propose that we reprimand the universe for breaking its own rules, Max. I can only govern our people.”

  Normand glanced at Schultz, trying to convey gratitude via telepathy. That man is fighting for me. If only I could send my thoughts without words. Maybe Earth Cat Zero was just attempting it in the tunnel. That means Brands must be allowed…

  Normand blinked, breaking his gaze with Schultz and interrupting his own train of thought. He blurted out what must be the next natural progression of the cat’s actions. “The cat has to speak. No matter what happens to me; you’ve got to let Dr. Brands do his work.”

  For an instant, Normand believed he caught a flash of emotion, maybe even a moment of epiphany emanating from Schultz.

  Chen flipped some papers. “Normand, you need to sign this statement admitting you broke your NDA. You also will need to sign a few more forms agreeing that you acknowledged this breach.”

  The engineer slid forward. “Show me where to sign.”

  “I would suggest you look at the documentation prior to signing. Legally, whatever you agree to cannot be undone.”

  “I do believe in protocol, I do believe in following the rules, Mrs. Chen; but as Director Schultz just stated there comes a time when rules must change.”

  Schultz thrummed fingers on the arms of his chair. “Yes, Amy. That’s it. We can change our company’s rules. We can excuse this based on the extreme circumstance. Don’t tell me we can’t because if it’s the lab’s goal to operate in the black, for the DOE, we will need Normand just as much as every available member on my team to solve this acceleration gaffe.” He stopped to fiddle with his tie. “By the way, I truly appreciate how you moved through Caron Ellis’s paperwork for me. She and her daughter are going to be invaluable.”

  “I should hope they are, Max. You’re going to need all the PR you can get, and I hope those two brave women will allow us to weather the storm.”

  “What storm?” Schultz asked.

  “Media storm.” She held up her phone and scrolled her finger through pages of news stories. Some claimed the lab’s unethical experiment caused the cat disappearance and others called for a shutdown of the collider. Some speculated that Earth Cat Zero was some sort of abomination of nature, possibly sent via some alien cat race in an attempt to take over the planet. Normand was certain the last headline belonged to a tabloid or at the very least was fake news.

  “What credibility does the media have when almost all their stories are generated to slant events in the favor of the corporations who own them?” Schultz posed his question rhetorically, vocalizing Normand’s thoughts. Maybe we are all a bit telepathic already.

  Chen nodded. “I am not in disagreement. Yet a smalltime blogger broke this story with the help of Normand. We just can’t explain away all the accusations and stories as corporate powerplays, gentlemen.”

  Schultz snapped his fingers. “Then all the more reason we fight fire with fire. What Caron Ellis says must be presented as the gospel – well, maybe that’s not the best analogy in a science lab – but you get my point. She is a scientist. People will believe her despite their anger. Her daughter is a cat lover. After the initial anger subsides, they’ll listen.”

  Chen clasped hands, elbows resting on her desk. “But what good will that do when the collider is shut down? I mean, I have to admit that even reprimanding Normand will not undo that damage, Max.”

  “No. We can’t get shutdown. Everyone needs to realize that only further accelerations will help us get our answers, help us get the cats back.”

  “I am just presenting our current reality, Max. I work for the DOE directly. They operate and manage the lab, including yourself; ultimately, they will act in accordance with existing laws and protocols. We are only subcontractors in this hierarchy - so even though I do respect your authority, your ideas, your drive and compassion - please know that I can only do what the DOE tells me to do. At the moment, I’m afraid Normand must be escorted off the premises.” Chen arranged papers into a folder. “However, I can push for this to be a temporary leave. Maybe the powers that be will come to see your reasoning, Max.”

  “Hmm. I appreciate that effort. Well, back to lawsuits, Amy. Have you heard anything specific?”

  She shook her head. “I believe even private citizens may bring suits sooner than later, Max. If not them, maybe the Federal Safety Commission.”

  “But would the collider fall under their jurisdiction?” Schultz asked absently, gazing out the window over Chen’s shoulders.

  “Uh. Oh great.”

  “What is it, Max?”

  “Demonstrators are gathering.”

  Still in the tunnel, Earth Cat Zero had begun to climb onto one of the stabilizing rods designed to the keep the collider in place. It wouldn’t be long before the cat would reach the hanging wiring above it.

  “Oh, Miranda. We’ve got to get him down.” Brands made motioning gestures with his arms while Miranda whistled, clapped hands and made baby sounds all to no avail.

  “Wait. Let me try something.” Brands dug into his coat pockets where he produced individually wrapped cat treats.

  Caron tilted her head in confusion. “You always carry cat treats, Doctor?”

  “No. But I’ve learned to anticipate needs. Besides, a dinner guest doesn’t come to the table empty handed, does he?”

  “I see.” Caron watched the man rip open the wrappers, holding the snacks up to the air so Earth Cat Zero could sense them.

  “There, there, kitty. Yes, these treats are the ticket. Although I must say they smell better than they taste.”

  Miranda cracked a smile once the feline decided food trumped exploration. Jumping down off the tubing, Earth Cat Zero scampered toward its treat.

  “You see. No matter how smart we think we are, we have base urges, needs, pleasure zones.” Brands’s cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk, working his vanilla flavored gum to its tasty climax.

  “In the end, we are distracted. Sad to say. Yet it’s good to know that even though Earth Cat Zero may operate under different principles of science, his basic nature is still a cat.”

  Lacroix and Ramsey excused themselves to return to work acknowledging the threat of distraction. “Yeah, let’s go, Cheryl. You know I just can’t stop watching those You’ve-Watched-It-Too cat videos.” Lacroix grumbled unintelligibly in response as they exited the tunnel.

  Brands knelt on the floor and allowed Earth Cat Zero to eat the treats from his fingers. It was the first time Miranda felt comfortable with the man, at least comfortable enough to trust him with her new friend. Baby steps. Hopefully, I can trust Brands with the cat when I’m out of the room. Hopefully, I can trust this man with me.

  Miranda knew that despite the doctor’s soft spot, he was still driven by science and experimentation. Would he go so far as to experiment on me?

  Caron broke Miranda’s daydream. “I just got a text from the director. He says Dr. Brands is needed in the HR office immediately.”

  About fifteen minutes prior to Earth Cat Zero’s snack fest, Normand had observed why his superior was the lab’s director. Instead of panicking at the gathering crowd outside, Schultz appeared to have run with his idea at the start of the meeting.

  “Normand is right. We need Earth Cat Zero to speak. The man that can make that happen is Dr. Brands.”

  Chen nodded. “I already know as much. How will that help us now?”

>   Schultz bowed his head. “You may need me to sign some papers as well, Amy. I failed to report an incident, and worse, I ordered Security Captain Catalina and Normand to stay quiet as well. So, if it’s anybody that needs reprimanding, it’s me.”

  Normand could sense that Schultz was playing a card game. He knows damned well Brookhaven will not change leadership midstream, not when it’s trying to save face with the public. Removal of the director would admit the lab was negligent.

  Schultz raised hands. “To be fair, the call came in on my phone. It was unidentified. But I’m certain it was from an agency who could pull strings at will. It was how I came to meet Dr. Brands. We need Brands’s employers to negate any attempts to shut the collider down.”

  Chen scowled. “I didn’t think the doctor appeared from thin air.” She tilted her head, then nodded. “Okay, so you two weren’t old college friends as you said, huh?”

  “No. I apologize. But maybe we can prove how things seemingly do appear from thin air. If not just the cat, maybe our entire universe, The Big Bang itself. Amy, we are at the precipice of acquiring more knowledge now than at any time since the start of quantum physics. Normand is an observer. Caron and her daughter are observers. They are keys to solving this mystery. The collider is key to allowing us to repeat the acceleration and the conditions which caused the cat displacement. I say we contact whomever Brands works for and make sure no one shuts down the colliders, here, or anywhere else on the planet.

  “We all know my predecessor fought the suits that alleged colliders would create black holes and swallow our universe. Whether new suits come from the public or a safety commission, we – and I hate to admit it – need the people who control the levers in the dark corners.”

  “So, whomever employs Brands is our darkroom lever controller.” Chen scrolled through screens on her phone. “I am wondering if those controllers already know our every move.”

  “I would think they do, Amy. But I think we’d all sleep better at night if Brands made an official request for their help.”