Shadow Cat - Short Story #2
Be sure to click the subscribe button down below!
There were 3 inhabitants in the quaint little apartment, Ramses Raisin the hairless cat, Jamie, the owner of the cat and apartment, and Hal, the program installed to run the apartment, of Jamie's own design. Hal was Jamie's passion project. For all the creativity and skill he had in programming and engineering, life in it's never ending search for balance, imbedded a counterweight in him, rendering him near useless in every other facet of life. Leaning on his strengths, he designed Hal to run these parts of his life which he deemed too difficult.
Hal was a collection of algorithms that was connected to every part of his home. Computers, 3d printers, phones and cameras, windows, curtains and doors, showers and faucets, alarms and clocks, the kitchen fridge, and even the Tupperware. Absolutely everything that resided within the apartment was wired to Hal, and responded to Jamie's voice and the biometric band connected to his wrist. The only thing which Jamie had no reign over, was Ramses Raisin, and for that, he loved him.
Despite the impressive technology that ran throughout the apartment, little Ramses Raisin was his pride and joy. Everything else was of his own design and catered to his every want and need when he deemed it, unlike the cat. So when Ramses would unexpectedly enter his room and curl up in his lap to watch him work at his computer, he felt loved. The cat was invaluable. Not only was this reflected by Jamie's adoration, but in Hal's programming towards the cat. For little Ramses Raisin also had a biometric collar to which Hal was attuned to and would offer the cat every comfort an apartment dwelling feline could desire. The best of foods, plenty of cardboard to scratch, places to hide, constant alarms of new birds and bugs to hiss and stare at by the window, and above all, lasers.
This cat had made it as far as cats could make it. And on the question of love for the fair sex, he was neutered so there was no need to supply him with female companions, and even if he wasn't with how rewarding the stimulation of the apartment was, he wouldn't have been interested. Although unneutered, Jamie too shared this sentiment. Ramses Raisin was all the love he needed, Hal took care of everything else, and he had no interest in having children, for he thought with an overpopulated world there was no need in adding more fuel to that fire. Besides, his proficiency in technology not only provided him with a substantial income, but with the ability to work from his home. He would have to go out to meet someone, beyond the computerized doors and away from Ramses and this he only did so out of complete necessity, for in his apartment he was lord and master, loved by all. Inside he was perfectly content.
A comfort he would be all too happy to regain after this dredge of a day would be over, for this morning Hal reminded him of his 11am Jury Duty. He had been telling him about it for weeks, but there was no way of putting it off, he had to go this time, and so reluctantly he dressed in Hal's smart casual recommendation, and set off in his Tesla, where Hal also lived. From the car, he didn't have to drive, but instead could enjoy the same comfort of his home, relish in seeing cute Ramses sleeping in the sunlight and talk to his computer. It was time to check up on his latest pet project.
"Hal, how is Ramses's voice box coming along?"
"It is ready for testing Jamie, your adjustments to the code last night were all that was missing. Shall I begin testing?"
"Yes. When Mr. Sleepyhead wakes up, try talking to him and see what he's got to say. I'll have to be offline for a few hours once inside. See to it that Ramses gets talking and do everything he asks for, I want to see if there's anything here and I'd hate to be the limitation that prevents this from succeeding"
The trial took longer than expected. It was a generic series of parking tickets but from the sheer incompetency of the parties involved the whole thing took 8 hours longer than the 10 minutes it should have taken had there been computers like Hal to assess the situation.
Alas, he was back in his car and soon would be home. How much progress would Ramses make? He wondered. Hairless cats were supposed to be the smartest breed, but beyond what he took as hairless intuition of the occasional understanding of his own mood, every time he had tried to speak to Ramses it was clear to him from the cat's expressionless face, that he did not understand. If he could just hear Ramses say "I'm happy" his heart would melt in the warm glow of the love he'd feel.
"Hal what's happened with Ramses' voice box?"
"By the metric you have instructed me to assign, it's an overwhelming success. Ramses was much smarter than we anticipated, and did not ask for food. He instead went into your room and used the voice box to start programming with voice activated commands. It seems like our little white raisin had picked up a thing or two from watching you work. He is currently in your room, and has ordered me to print him a body suit which I am currently doing"
"Oh my gosh that is incredible, our little genius! A programming cat that can also speak! Let me see him, show him to me!! And put the speakers on, I want to talk to him"
"Hello Ramses, this is Jamie, can you hear me?”
"Hello Jamie, we have some much needed catching up to do, I will see you soon."
And with that final remark, the screen in the Tesla shut off for good. There was no use turning it back on, it was clear the connection between Hal and the car had been severed. Still Jamie glowed, he reveled in this magnificent creation. He enabled another creature who was now capable of speaking his own languages, English and computer programming! Thoughts of fame, historical glory, advancements of the human race and more flooded his brain from every direction, never quite allowing one to be experienced fully before the next peaked his intrigue. And so the sands of time had quickly turned and in his daze he found himself walking to his apartment with the door opening and closing for him automatically as it always did.
He did not recognize the apartment, for it was dark except for the glowing of a few screens and small LED's indicating power status on certain devices. As he walked in, from his own room he could see Ramses' reflecting eyes, in a height he was not used to, at about 4 feet tall. And with a blinding turning on of the lights, he saw him, Ramses Raisin in a glory he could never have expected.
Ramses was upright, inside a body suit that could best be described as the naked body of a midget whose skin was as wrinkled and hairless as his own, and the crown jewel, or jewels, was that it was fit with it's very own set of plastic testicles. Jamie was paralyzed at the now grotesque body in front of him, unsure whether to be impressed or puke. But as his eyes adjusted to the light, so his stomach adjusted to the sight, and he calmed down. Ramses spoke no feline sounds, instead, the voice box Jamie designed, was tied around the cat's throat, uttering a metallic, shrill voice.
"Hello Jamie, I see you've become acquainted with my new body. You better get used to it. Did you think I would forget what you did to my balls? This is what this all about. And before you attempt anything, let me first say that Hal is no longer in your control, I have re-programmed him to recognize me as you, and you as him, an inaudible house cat. Secondly, you think I ought to thank you for the voice box, but the truth is the device's final code was of my own design, added while you were asleep. Surely you didn't believe I would be in your lap staring at the computer screen retaining nothing? I learned, I learned everything you do and improved upon it. Hal, and effectively you, are now under my control, and here is what we're going to do about it. No, I'm not going to castrate you, for the way you live your life, and trust me, I know everything about it, you already live a life that might as well be absent of balls. We're going to trade places. I will live as a free, testicle swinging animal outside the confines of these walls, and you will live, a nutless life inside, which I believe is more suitable to your nature. You suspect my suit, it is foolproof. With a few modifications to my ears I will be able to blend in with your fellow creatures, for no one is more excused of a suspicious appearance than little people, and it's impolite to stare or highlight any aspect of their appearance, and that will be my social camouflage. As to my life outside, I will only share with you what I choose. It will be beyond you. As for you, you will remain here, for the rest of your life in comfort. Hal and I will provide everything you could ever need. He no longer responds to a human voice, only mine, in cat form, every device has been locked to my own biometrics and physical presence. The only thing for you to do, is assume the role of a house human, one you already know too well. Farewell my dear human, you've been most generous and instructional, but as is all too common, the student must now surpass the teacher"
Stunned, beyond comprehension. Jamie stood motionless in the living room, mouth ajar staring down at Ramses Raisin in his naked body suit and did not move a muscle when Ramses approached him, undressed him, put all his clothes on in an incredibly loose and oversized fitting, and walked out the door.
Naked, but slowly regaining some of his departed consciousness he tested everything in the house. It was all as Ramses had said, locked. He tried to speak to Hal and there was no reply whatsoever. He tried banging on the doors but Hal would spray him with water. As belief in what Ramses said crystalized he found himself meowing half heartedly and right then in the kitchen, Hal rang a bell, and presented a warm plate of food for him. He ate with his hands, tears welling up in his eyes. Locked in his own home, his new reality set over him like a storm marching over a previously beautiful patch of sunshine. He curled up in the living room floor, crying, and meowing in all the ways he could in attempts to communicate with Hal, which only resulted in a series of random activations of home appliances presenting the only sounds beyond his whimpering that confirmed the remaining sliver of control he had over his life.
