by Gary Starta
“This could help bring in more money for research.” Miranda’s breath plumed in the frosty air. “I say we have Earth Cat Zero seal the deal.”
The cat yawned before licking his paw. “It looks like they think I’m going to be around for a while.”
Miranda cupped a hand over the cat’s head. “Then this a good thing from a publicity standpoint, of course.” She laughed. “My viewpoint is only one of affection, my friend.” Miranda nestled her chin into the cat’s forehead evoking a motorboat purr.
The cat closed and then reopened his eyes several times as if content with Miranda’s assessment.
Brands tapped his screen again to reveal another communique. “Oh, this chap looks a bit disheveled. Kind of ruffian.” The photo was pasted above an email which indicated the man was on a quest to make Earth Cat Zero the planet’s first speaking animal spirit guide.
Miranda mulled over the photo a few times. “OMG. That man is the beggar, the street person I helped. I – thought he might be part of an organization, Doctor. I don’t know if this…”
Brands smiled. “Appearances can be deceiving. Just because this man is down on his luck doesn’t mean we should stand with hackles raised.” The doctor stroked Earth Cat Zero’s fur. “I say we listen to what the man has to say. Besides, all these communications are vetted by the DOD.”
Miranda continued reading the email. ‘A Chicago homeless man, Vince Marino, has been adamant about uniting the planet with its newfound savior: Earth Cat Zero. He claims a small act of charity by the cat and his guardian – teenager Miranda Ellis – is a sign that the universe has finally brought a beacon of light to our troubled planet…’
“Okay, Doctor. I’ll give him a chance.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Security. How in the hell is anyone in this technological age supposed to guarantee such a thing? Major Adam Gould ran the thought through gray matter while his hand ran through his graying hair. If we were back in the days of kings, it would be as simple as threatening to remove heads. In the 21st century, information was no longer just in minds but in computers and even in chips that could be carried or placed anywhere. How can I keep machines in line when they seem to exist everywhere?!
Gould sat in his Pentagon office waiting for the next phone call from General Andrew McEvoy who would be demanding updates on the progress of the weapon. All Gould could glean from yesterday’s acceleration was that a quantum telecommunication system had been temporarily established with a cat who existed via waves in a laboratory collider. It sounded more like a children’s game of hide-and-go-seek than a weapon. Even more ridiculous was that somebody – somehow – and for no discernible reason – had kidnapped a talking cardinal and planted a fake scientist all to keep the research flowing. But for what? It was likely the research would have continued anyway. The major gritted his teeth in frustration. If that someone was the DOE there’ll be hell to pay. I won’t allow homegrown terrorism to grow roots on my watch.
The major wasn’t aware of the developments yet to take place. Dr. Brands had downplayed any notions of using the collider as a guidance or teleportation device. If Major Gould had known about those capabilities, he might not have been so glum about final outcomes. Whatever happens in the Long Island collider will not stay in the Long Island collider. The major tried to lighten his mood with a referential joke about Las Vegas where a leave some years ago had resulted in an overnight romance and an actual lasting marriage with his wife, Diana. In truth, nothing can be boxed or refrained. Everything seeps…no matter what it it….it just seeps.
In another moment, the major’s temporary distraction brought him even closer to desperation. The Department of Energy is going to know everything about the weapon and is even running a few steps ahead of the Department of Defense. If the technology is dependent on the collider, they already have one at their ready at Brookhaven. The major steeped his tea bag into a cup as his mind raced. Could the DOD start some kind of partnership with CERN? They have the biggest collider – and we all know the biggest guns win the wars. Maybe it’s not about homefield advantage anymore. Even someone as ignorant about science as Gould was aware the CERN hadron collider resided on the France/Switzerland border. If we could make this a matter of global national security, I bet we could gain access…but better yet…
Continuing with that thought, the major wondered if the most satisfactory route would be to sabotage the accelerations – even if it meant never bringing the cat population home.
Casualties of war. Collateral damage. Those were concepts Major Gould could store in his head with the same degree of familiarity and certainty that his refrigerator would likely be stocked with beer on a Friday night. Gotta go with what you know. The major sipped bitter tea readying himself for another dance with the general. He wondered how he might break that unconsidered option to General McEvoy while simultaneously making it appear that his superior should take all the credit for his idea.
Earth Cat Zero chased the LED ball into the Rat’s Deck accidentally awakening the robotic arms known as Andy and Andrea.
Miranda seated on the couch with a laptop, turned to watch, trying to suppress her mischievous giggling for the doctor’s benefit. When Brands popped out of the bathroom, Miranda could only fake a cough. Still holding a hand over her mouth, she wasn’t doing a very good job with lips curled upward in a joker grin.
“Ah. I didn’t think about that as an option…” The doctor peered into the lab as if staring into a dark canyon. He propped a finger on his chin. “Maybe make some modifications…” He continued speaking absently.
“What…you’re pleased that we’ve been roughhousing?”
The doctor countered. “Letting off steam is good. I learned about that the hard way giving in to my uncle’s predilection for sweets and junk food. I should have been jogging or throwing a javelin, burning the anxiety instead of letting it burn me.” Brands patted his waist. “Well, like the adage says, ‘won’t get fooled again’.”
“Oh, okay, Doc. But it seems that steam has given you some food for thought.” Miranda giggled.
“Oh, dear. No.” Brands stood with hands on hips. “There can only be one pun master here.”
Earth Cat Zero continued to swat and bat the ball while Brands chewed on his idea.
“What could that toy be capable of?” – Miranda asked, chomping on a carrot stick. “Is it a power generator?”
“No. Maybe more like an energy key or ignition. That’s only because the photons in the LED would behave in a quantum manner and give off electromagnetic radiation such as light and radiation waves.” Brands waggled a finger. “Something that could perpetuate travel over a distance…”
“What isn’t quantum these days?” Miranda scoffed. “So, if it isn’t a power source then how did it turn on Andy and Andrea?”
“They operate via a photon guidance and entry system which gives me a quantum means of activating them. It makes Andy and Andrea keep their hands to myself - so to speak.”
“When this is over, maybe you should consider a career in quantum standup comedy.”
The cat paused to comment. “No rush though, Doctor. Besides, I kind of like your day job.”
The smile in the doctor’s eyes petered out like dying flames. “Okay, duly noted. We better get back to work.”
“We? But Doctor, we have a few cat chats scheduled.”
Brands mumbled. “Cat chats…?”
“The personal video chats between paying individuals and Earth Cat Zero. Key word: paying, Doctor.”
“Very good. We mustn’t keep them. We have research to do as well. I’m not certain how budgeting will be allotted now that the DOE and DOD have both tipped their toes into our cosmic pool. But I do know, research always takes money.”
Miranda tilted her head in contemplation. “I would think with two agencies vying for the pie, we would get double the money.”
Brands waggled a finger. “I think both will bar
ter and hold out, jockeying for position so only one of them will be privy to any of our breakthroughs.”
“But they can hear everything, Doctor, can’t they?”
Brands placed a finger over his lips and activated a small cube. A whir permeated the room making Earth Cat Zero’s ears twitch from side-to-side.
“It’s a scrambler device. A prototype I admit. But it should work.” Brands clicked the device to a higher frequency while Miranda laughed and covered ears. “Well, get on with your videos; we’ll have a visit from Dr. Felicity Mandabelle in one hour.”
“Won’t she be privy to our ideas? Being she’ll be here in person?”
“She will.”
“You are taking sides, Doctor, and against your very employer I might add.”
“I am. I think the Department of Energy, although capable of fashioning lethal weaponry, will be more reasonable in the long run than the military.”
The first video chat came from a thirtyish woman from Kenya who couldn’t stop talking about the pure white coat of her missing Sokoke. “Did you know they were once wild, but were domesticated? I can still see the light green orbs of my little Chuki when I close my eyes at night. Truth be told, it’s hard to sleep. I hope you are making progress, dears. Well, are you?”
“Ma’am, these conversations are more about making bonds than gleaning information, at least in theory.” Miranda scowled while she held raised hands, hoping to placate the woman who was clearly prying for a solution.
“No. No.” Earth Cat Zero mewed. “Let this woman continue. I’m enraptured. You said they used to be wild, then became domesticated?”
The woman nodded. “Well, more accurately, they are descendants of domesticated cats from Asia who in turn descended from wild cats.”
“Evolution. Hmm.” Earth Cat Zero pondered with a paw on his cheek. “It seems this does happen in nature. Red - our cardinal - believes dinosaurs were his ancestors.” Earth Cat turned to face Miranda. “It does seem that these freaks of nature are indeed sometimes natural, are they not?”
Miranda nodded hoping it would appease the woman.
Earth Cat Zero continued. “If so, what genetic change might have occurred in the Sokoke breed to make them different, to make them domesticated, to put them in the field that kept all housecats animated in your universe? Because, if that is the case, you might need to reason I am not domesticated, but wild, a being able to exist without the necessary quantum field the housecats survived in.”
“I would hardly call you wild, Earth Cat.” Miranda said smiling into the camera. “You said you even like the sound of the can opener when I give you food.”
The Kenyan woman smiled, waving her hand. “Ah, don’t make me laugh now, children. Well, sorry for my abrupt nature. Please carry on with your good work and” – her eyes were now downcast – “and bring little Chuki home for me.”
The other three video chats were not memorable at least to Miranda who couldn’t stop weighing the conundrum in her mind that the Kenyan had brought to light.
Felicity Mandabelle sipped cocoa, sifting through papers she shuffled in and out of her briefcase. “Where is it? We so don’t need a paper chase today of all days. I am so sorry. Should have arrived organized.”
To Miranda, the disarming woman’s charm made her feel comfortable in the respect that the scientist did not sound like a perfectionist. Maybe, even a small part of Felicity reminded Miranda of her mother. Just a struggling everyday person after all the breakthrough discoveries and formulas were calculated. The fact they were working in a kitchen helped to make the session more personal.
Brands had still insisted on the retina scan despite the woman’s candid personality.
Earth Cat Zero perused the papers laid out on the kitchen table, making a point to walk on each of them. “I guess” – Felicity commented – “Earth Cat Zero will need to rubber stamp every one of our ideas.”
“I like that.” Miranda smiled until she met the doctor’s gaze. If only things could be that simple. In reality, Earth Cat Zero was to be a victim of whatever destiny the collider and any manmade contributions or adjustments were deemed necessary. People would decide. Not one single cat would really have a say. Miranda swallowed that reality, literally, nearly choking on her cocoa.
“I think the communication relay idea is what we need.” Miranda continued, attempting to get down to business.
Felicity pulled schematics from her case. “These should detail all the steps we took to prove a quantum loop is possible. It only required 52 miles of fiber optic cable.”
Brands nodded with hands steepled. “I am thinking we must go even beyond the scope of those out-of-the-box boundaries. Would it be possible to make this communication system wireless?” Brands paused before answering his own question. “I think if it were rigged with qubits it just might work. I mean, at least it did between myself and the quantum wave version of Earth Cat Zero. We spoke. We exchanged information. I think it occurred as suddenly as it did with your quantum loop thanks to quantum entanglement.”
“Hmm. But those are very special conditions. Still” – Felicity grimaced as if wrestling with the thought – “it could be done without cable. Maybe via photon. However, that brings up the conundrum of how do we power that source? It’s not as if we can run a collider the whole time – and if I’m not mistaken – I believe you’d want to rig this communication system so it works independently of an accelerator, right?”
“Quite right.” Brands began to breathe heavily with excitement. “I think we need a failsafe…in case…” His eagerness subsided as he shared a gaze with Earth Cat Zero.
The cat pawed the air. “You mean if I go away. You want a way to talk with me, don’t you?”
“I am afraid that’s what weighs in my mind. No use hiding it. My thoughts might become entangled between my brain matter and the qubit chips anyway. In time, you would know all, Earth Cat.” The doctor shared a brief gaze with the feline before turning back to face Felicity.
“You mentioned photons, Felicity. Miranda and Earth Cat Zero also gave me that idea as well.”
Felicity adjusted her frames and scooted closer to the edge of her seat. “I am listening.”
“LED’s might be a manmade way to create the photons. It’s just like you say – the power source – is going to be a challenge.”
“But if we can make it work with photons, there’s no telling how far the communication could travel.” Felicity scribbled her thought on paper.
“Well, there is at least one snafu. It seems we need a Point A and a Point B. With Earth Cat Zero – we have a particle and wave form – already built from the collider.”
Felicity tapped a finger on papers while the doctor thumbed his chin. Is this the way all great breakthroughs work? If so, Miranda was on board for a career as a physicist. It seemed intriguing like detective work – without the blood and guns.
The teen gazed at the cube still emitting whatever vibrational clatter was necessary to keep their conversations within the walls. She fought off feelings of guilt reasoning that the cats’ ultimate return and safety was paramount – at nearly any cost.
Miranda felt her body nearly jump from its seat and she began swaying to some invisible beat. This makes me feel alive. But maybe gyrating isn’t so professional.
Both Felicity and the doctor gazed at her for a moment, until they both pointed fingers in her direction.
Mortified, the teen held up hands as if someone had pulled a gun on her. “I am so sorry. I know it’s distracting. My mother…”
“No. No.” Brands said. “Vibration again can be the key. It’s the Solfeggio Frequency. It’s something that can be generated on a continuous basis. With maybe a much more limited power source than a collider.” The doctor mumbled to himself. “I’ve got to get work on some calculations.”
“I will work on that as well, Dr. Brands.” Felicity scribbled on her paperwork while the doctor continued.
“But where?” The DOE scientist mulled, adjusting her glasses every now and then as if it would help her to see the answer.
The doctors said they would finish their meeting shortly – at least seven times by Miranda’s count – but the session continued into the evening. Miranda was happy to refresh pots of coffee and cocoa, internally refreshed that answers were forthcoming. Meanwhile, Earth Cat Zero hopped off the table every now and then to play with his toy, possibly reminding himself that despite his changes, a cat would always exist underneath his blue and green fur.
On an orbiting space station, a man - who liked to use the alias ‘Jim’ and favored blue attire - stood looking at his reflected image in glass. It would appear I could be in two places at once. If so, what if we thought a bit bigger? Just what are physical limitations good for anyways?
Constraints, be they financial or confined to the Standard Model – the current bible of physicists – were never daunting to Jim whose fascination with space adventure and moving machines as if by magic always intrigued him since boyhood.
‘Graphic novels are not so farfetched and are so not a waste of my time.’ Jim had shared this declaration on more than a few occasions with his unbelieving and grounded sister, Darlene. Well, just look at her. Forever, earthbound. Working for some office or retailer. Ah, what’s the difference? Both are fantastic mind prisons.
The man’s thoughts returned to a sealed coral shirt which contained DNA from Earth Cat Zero and quite possibly a genetic contribution from the teenager, Miranda Ellis. Maybe that DNA will be just the ticket we will need for our own acceleration. It calmed him – for a moment.