Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hello. My name is Alexander Goldsmith, an emerging sapience researcher located at 50.67702, -3.87382 or rather the former country England. I am currently assessing a potential new sapient culture of Felis Catus or cats for short. Whether they truly are or if they're just an outlier reflecting early tribal patterns is yet to be seen. If these logs are not being played for the ESRAI (Emerging Sapient Research and Integration), then a bit of background information may be required.

As of the time of making this recording, the date is May the nineteenth, 524 ARS. As is common knowledge, 524 years ago on December fifteenth, 2304 AD, the blackhole cluster known as "The Kessel Run," (named by a naming poll) collided with an unknown amount of antimatter. This resulted in a release of energy beyond anything ever recorded. This release of energy was so explosive that reality was forced to accommodate. This burst not only seemed to have forever changed reality as a whole, but it sent out a wave that we could not classify as radiation. It seemed to somehow interact with brainwaves. Thus, almost every surface dwelling species on the planet was instantly killed by what we now classify as a psionic blast. Most of humanity had retreated into bunkers or onto space cruisers who used the sun's mass and radiation as a shield against the blast.

Please note that I said surface dwelling species. The psionic blast did effect every living being on the planet, but it did not kill every species. Instead, a certain amount of them achieved a growth in problem solving, adaptive thinking, and other traits once deemed purely human. After two hundred years, we got our first emerged sapience. We just hadn't caught it until they declared war on us. The Dolphin Theocratic Empire managed to destroy most of humanity's recovering Navies in a preemptive strike, but you aren't listening to this to hear about the Dolphin War.

The major thing to note was that we discovered one way reality had been twisted by the blast, now termed the Reality Shift. You see, the dolphin god of conquest and pleasure Reminotanus had an influence on the physical world. The dolphin god managed to pull off some 'miracles' that included female soldiers happening to survive their bombing without any equipment. There is a reason we purged their culture from existence. The main point being that faith had become a quantifiable force that could produce miraculous events. This is why the ESRAI was formed. Our job is to discover emerging sapient species, identify their faiths and whether they pose a threat to all other sapients as a whole, and determine whether is appropriate to interact with them.

I have been observing the general area of the town known as Newburg after the ESRAI received reports of strange animal behavior in the area. The reported animal exhibiting strange behavior was the local stray cat population. After receiving the report, I decided to adopt a cat from the local animal shelter to act as the control… and to have a companion for what was amounting to be an extended stay. I named her McGonagall after a character in the classic Harry Potter. Funnily enough, a new research facility studying faith on reality named itself Hogwarts as well.

McGonagall is what I'd consider a fairly standard cat post ARS. She is a munchkin with Russian Blue heritage. She's a little bit of a mutt given that her other parent was a grey tabby, making her lose a bit of the blue coloring but gaining some darker stripes down her coat. She's keenly intelligent and always seems interested in what I'm up to. I've already caught her attempting to write with a pen after I left my office unattended. It was a failed attempt on her part given that she was trying to write on tile and had the pen upside down, but the attempt definitely drew my interest.

Now that the official reason for recording these logs is out of the way, I have to confess that I may have broken protocol. I do have an excuse though, and I'm taking advantage of subclause 5.31: the unofficial ambassador clause. It is 2:04 PM right now, and as of an hour ago, I may have abducted one of the cats under study. Again, I have an excuse. At 12:32 PM, a hawk swooped into one of the studied group's center, snagging a kit. After running a medical diagnostic scan on the kit, I can theorize this occurred due to the kit's condition making him virtually deaf.

I spared the kit the fate of being eaten by the hawk, but this still presents a problem. I cannot allow the kit to return to the group given that is has observed me and had some level of interaction with McGonagall. Thus, it appears I've got a new pet and research assistant. Note clause 2.41D that all studies species must be considered sapient should they be involved with a ESRAI member. I've put in for a stipend for his employment and care.

As of right now, we've got a very basic understanding of the studied groups' manner of communication. I can confirm they have identifiers, but I cannot confirm they are names given they seem to correlate to each cats' appearance. I've managed to playback some of the recorded interactions of the kit's original group and isolated his identifier. His identifier is "Snow" with an unknown suffix affixed to the end. I shall refer to the kit as Snow until a better translation can be provided or Snow lets me know otherwise.

Notes on Snow: Snow is roughly five months old, or translated to human development, roughly equivalent to a twelve-year-old in terms of lifelong development. McGonagall has taken on a guardian role as of his arrival. Snow is a pure white kit, blue eyes, perky ears of length 3.2 centimeters, weight of 2.7 kilograms, and his overall musculature and development shows no signs of being stunted. The only health issue I've found is his hearing condition. Note, he is not actually deaf. He is actually hard of hearing. The rough estimation of what his hearing is if one were to submerge oneself underwater or if one was to hear someone talking from the far end of a tin tunnel. That is the rough estimate. The condition can be overcome with hearing aids or minor corrective surgery. I will be employing the hearing aids solution due to the inability of Snow to give consent to an invasive surgery and that he is classified with full rights as a sapient being until this study is concluded and proven otherwise.

McGonagall is attempting to get my attention, so I must assume Snow is snapping out of his shock. Alexander Goldsmith signing off.

Chapter Text

Today is May the 27th and the time is 5:02PM. It has been a little over a week since Snow entered my care. It will please whomever is listening to know that ESRAI accepted my proposal and has provided the funding necessary to keep Snow here. They have given him the official position of Assistant Researcher given his apparent age. On a side note, my own pay was docked due to my infraction. Humorously, Snow now makes as much as I do. As the sole researcher and his temporary guardian, I am allowed to use his funds to both provide food and shelter, and to ensure he is healthy and happy.

Apparently my first audio log caught the attention of SP toys and companions from the solar colonies. They seemed keenly interested in the possibility of a cat being sapient given their own AI facsimiles of cats are based off of the few that were shielded from the reality shift 524 years ago. This isn't all that uncommon for SP. ESRAI's research helps them correct their AI species models, even if sapience is not proven. For those of you who do not know SP toys and companions, they are a company that specializes in robotic pets. Their company came into being in the solar colonies shortly after the reality shift in response to the growing loneliness and nostalgia towards the once common pets of Earth. Their acronym simply stands for Species Pretender. It is far more common to find an SP pet in the solar colonies than an actual living pet. Meanwhile, due to shipping difficulties, SP pets are exceedingly rare, mostly relegated to the obscenely rich.

The offer they sent me was that I'd receive a blank SP pet model cat and I'd receive the code for an Analyze Replicate AI. It is not unique that I received this offer from SP, but it still is an exceedingly rare scenario. Of all the currently ongoing ESRAI projects ongoing, there are probably only three receiving this same offer. In return for loading the ARAI into the SP model cat and using it for my research, the SP model cat, which I will now dub SPARC, will upload a copy of itself to SP's database for analysis and potential replication.

I ultimately accepted the agreement. Near instantly the ARAI was streamed to my computer as well as an emulator for the SP cat. The ARAI was mostly blank at this point, only having the capacity to learn through observation and correlate its body type to who it is observing. Thus, I plugged the ARAI into my current collection of recordings of the observed cats as well as a series of higher priority recordings involving McGonagall and Snow.

Getting back to McGonagall and Snow, I have observed that the two have somehow established a means of communication. This is something that is both promising and disheartening. Unless McGonagall is proven to be a SS or Single Sapient, then it might disprove the sapience of my observed groups as a whole. I decided to ignore this potential for now since a single instance does not prove universality.

Snow is still mostly cautious of me. He hides when he can, but McGonagall seems to be swaying him. Snow finds me most approachable when I lower myself down to his level. My size still intimidates him. I've been working with him to bring him out of his shell. I use things like raw meat treats to coax out.

On a side note, I've had to put together a special diet plan for Snow and McGonagall. Snow, and now McGonagall as well, both are on a fresh meat diet. This consists of small birds and rodents. They were not gutted and brought in live. Thankfully, McGonagall seems willing to do the hunting and killing part for me. She brings meals back for Snow and herself, and it only took half a day for her to learn of the disposal bin for the scraps after I demonstrated it to her. Sourcing their new diet ate up a significant amount of Snow's pay, but I believe it is worth it for now seeing as Snow has become much less wary of his environment and is at the curiosity and roaming stage.

I have not made any significant discoveries about the observed groups as of late. They seem content to stick to their groups, only occasionally having a scuffle. I have noted a disease outbreak in the marshland group's cats. The origin seemed to have been fleas clinging to a rat pulled form the local dump. I cannot rightly claim what the affliction is, but given its symptoms of difficulty breathing, constant runny nose, being bloodborne, and having no visible skin irritations, I can only guess it is a variant of the flu. Fortunately for them, they received aid from a group of wandering exiles led by a large dark brown tabby. He is an exile originating from the forest group.

The forest group also seems to be undergoing its own struggles. They are still recovering from a natural forest fire which swept through most of their territory. They're currently in a famine, but the undergrowth is growing back quickly. The neighboring groups also seem to be hunting their borders more fiercely, thus driving more potential prey into the forest group's territory. Given current conditions, they are not in crisis. They are likely unhappy, but they aren't likely to die. They only had one fatality to the fire, and they seem keen to keep it that way.

The forest group has also undergone a change in leadership. The Russian Blue who I previously identified as their leader still seems able to command them, but a solid orange tom seems to have taken charge. I will note the Russian Blue has seemed more standoffish ever since the dark brown tabby was exiled, but her behavior has become more erratic since. She seems to lash out at no one and constantly relegates herself into her den.

I let McGonagall and Snow watch the forest group given that that group was his original group, but it seemed to distress him. McGonagall herded him away pretty quickly. It is a shame I cannot communicate with them yet. Hopefully the ARAI develops well enough for me to source a basic translator from it. Given the backlogs of video I have the ARAI working through and the delivery time for the model cat, I can guess I'll have SPARC running in about a week. I've also heard an interesting bit of news. SP is currently undergoing a beta test for what they nicknamed the ITS or In Their Shoes. It lets one fully control an SP unit like it was a body of their own. With an ARAI, I plan to request an early unit to see if I can get SPARC to somehow pick up a bit of my personality. I sent the request in already. I haven't received a response yet, but I did note that the request got a bump up in priority. Wish me luck.

This is Alexander Goldsmith signing off.

Chapter Text

The ARAI was a success. It has managed to create a language database of one-thousand words of which ninety percent can be synthesized with the correct cadence and annunciations. I've got the ARAI running an avatar that looks similar to how I'll look when I finish building the SPARC. With this marvel of artificial intelligence, I managed to have an interview with both of the cats under my care. McGonagall took to it rather well, but Snow had some difficulties. I also got some data back that was difficult to translate due to Snow's slurred words. I will include the interviews for posterity's sake.

Alexander: Hello McGonagall. My name is Alexander. I am sure you're a little confused as to what is going on. This pseudo-cat displayed on this screen is SPARC. He will be working as a translator for us.

A series of synthetic cat sounds follow.

McGonagall replies with a series of meows.

SPARC: McGonagall accepts that I am to be translator. I've had to use some branching logic to convey your words.

(The dialog continues in a similar manner. SPARC's reconveyances will be skipped.)

Alexander: Do you have any idea what the purpose of me being here and talking to you is?

McGonagall: I can tell you are looking for something. We are somehow important. Taking in Snow *garbled was not just to rescue him.

Alexander: You are rather astute. Yes, I did rescue him because I wanted to save him, but it also served another purpose. I am searching for proof that the cats of the forest are a civilization. It is both my job and duty to find if there are sapient species besides humans.

McGonagall: And what will you do if you find there are others?

Alexander: Well, I've got to find if they are a threat to other sapient species, find if they are willing to integrate directly, or find if they need to be isolated to resume their natural growth. One of the biggest threats we can face is an unknown god. They may not be able to overpower us or wipe us out, but they could cause casualties.

McGonagall: … Then what purpose to I serve?

Alexander: You were meant to act as a control, something to measure the advancement of the forest cats against. That has clearly gone out the window since you display clear signs of single sapience. Taking that into account, I may ask for your assistance understanding the forest cats and finding if they are indeed a civilization.

McGonagall: Why should I help? As far as I can tell, I gain nothing form this.

Alexander: Besides a home? Since with these translations I can prove single sapience, I can apply to have you listed as a researcher. As a researcher, you'd receive certain benefits. You'd receive pay at the end of every month that you could use as you please. This may mean nothing to you, but with money we could acquire items that'd not normally be here. You want fish? You got it. You want a larger yard? I can probably convince the neighbors to sell.

McGonagall: And what if I want to leave?

Alexander: I can't stop you. As a sapient, you've got every right that I have. You could walk right out that door after you are chipped with an RFID that proves your sapience. Unfortunately, Snow is not so lucky. I cannot verify his sapient at this time, and he is not allowed to interact with the forest cats now that he has seen me. I do honestly want you to stay, not just for me. Snow needs someone to care for him and teach him what it means to be a cat. If you leave, I'll have to rely on SPARC to teach him, but SPARC is only really good at mimicry. He does not have his own personality, and I cannot afford to give him one if he was to teach.

Silence is present briefly before McGonagall speaks again.

McGonagall: Fine. I'll stay for the kit. Honestly this is the weirdest human den I've ever been in. It's not overly cushy and you take the time to interact with me. You've got me curious. On the subject of things I want, I want you to stop calling me that name. It reminds me too much of coughing up a hairball. Why'd you even call me that?

Alexander: Well, you are named after a famous witch, a magic caster. She was known for her intelligence as well as her care for her charges.

McGonagall: I still don't like it. I like the magic thing, but make it something short. I want it to be something I can voice.

Alexander: That is a tricky one. I've got an idea though. How about Blair. The B might not be a sound you can make, but the rest should be reasonable.

Blair: Huh. Blair. It sounds intimidating, is short, and to the point. I'll take it.

Intermission. Blair is an intelligent individual. Unfortunately, I could not converse with her much more since we were getting into topics that ARAI had no reference for. After concluding the interview, Snow was brought in. The second interview will be played now. Note that Snow's word choice and grammar are short and purely used to convey a point without proper sentence structure.

Alexander: Hello Snow. I hope Blair has given you the rundown on what is gong on. My name is Alexander.

Snow: Talk to me?

Alexander: Yes. I am here to talk to you. SPARC here is acting as a translator for us. Do you know why you are here?

Snow: Bird took me. You took me from bird.

Alexander: That is indeed what happened, but do you know why I saved you?

Snow: No?

Alexander: I've got a special job that requires me to monitor the forest cats. I need to prove if they are like humans, able to become a civilization. For that, I need you help. Would you be willing to do that?

Snow: I want go home.

Alexander: I'm sorry, but that is impossible. I am not allowed to have them know I'm watching them. It is for both my safety and theirs.

Snow: I not tell! I keep quiet!

Alexander: Unfortunately, that's not how things work. I'll do my best to ensure you have a comfortable life, but I cannot let you go back.

Snow: Why?! Hate You!

The sound of paws running on linoleum echoes before Alexander states something.

Alexander: I truly am sorry Snow. I have no choice in this either. I'd love to let you go home, but far more than just us are at stake.

Chapter Text

I'm hoping that this log is never needed to be aired, but I am recording this in case something goes wrong. You see, I got another brilliantly stupid idea, one that may let Snow go home but also assist in my research. My plan is rather simple in execution but infinitely more complex in the bureaucratic sense. You see, there are certain technicalities in ESRAI's rules. If a piece of equipment is lost that could leak information about the current study, a researcher or research assistant is allowed to retrieve the equipment, bypassing all other rules. I myself am not allowed to interact with the studied subjects, but a piece of equipment may should it prove necessary. Thus my plan came into form.

After I had finished building the SPARC, or as I lovingly named Sparky, I managed to get in a one-on-one meeting with SP. I told them of my idea, which involved their, currently in beta, ITS system. It quickly became apparent that they were into the idea as well. In my efforts to ensure that the plan would go through without a hitch, I pooled funding from Snow's, Blair's, and my bank accounts to acquire a military grade micro fabricator. It is technically a heavily restricted item, but SP wrote up a contract with me that I'd qualify as one of their emerging technologies scientists, meaning I had the necessary access. The cost was obvious. They'd receive footage of how my plan was going and were allowed full rights to it, including monetizing it.

With some further assistance from SP's scientists, I was able to integrate the fabricator into the SPARC. We also fabricated a nanite swarm for the purpose of moving the SPARC's fabrications. Why did the SPARC need a fabricator and nanites? Simple. Self-maintenance. The nanites took the form of a pseudo tongue for the SPARC, easily hiding what the SPARC was actually doing. The nice thing about the fabricator was that it was easy to equip with a small combustion generator and that it is rather easy for a fabricator of that quality to break down materials. Functionally, the SPARC could eat to offset its energy loss when solar wasn't cutting it. Of course, this came with its own downsides. I had to fabricate and place a solid and liquid waste system. The SP scientists got a kick out of that. Now, SPARC seems to have the anatomical structure of a female.

Finally, with everything all set, I let Blair and Snow in on the plan. Blair of course decided she's join Snow on his part. Thus, I soon was flying a drone over the edge of the forest. I may have 'accidentally' forgotten to charge it and I had it carrying Sparky because he technically had better cameras than the drone. So, it crashed.

As soon as the crash occurred, I let Snow and Blair out to 'retrieve' Sparky. As soon as they took off, I linked into Sparky with the ITS. Thankfully, the ITS comes equipped with a loose motion translation system, meaning I wouldn't have the body dysphoria from now being in a cat body. I tore apart the drone using the fabricator. That drone had been on its way out anyways and was made of a lot of useful materials for Sparky.

It didn't take long for one of the forest group's cats to notice me, or rather Sparky. They were definitely wary of me, but thankfully these cats didn't have the feeling of uncanny valley with Sparky. They soon hissed something at me.

"Who are you! You aren't supposed to be here!" Was what I roughly translated.

"My name is either Alex or Sparky. I crashed here and am now waiting for Snow and Blair. Snow has some relations to your cats, so I'm leaving it up to him what we do after he finds me." I answered.

I could tell my translation wasn't perfect because the cat seemed to need a couple moments to puzzle out what I meant. Finally, they shook their head indignantly.

"Fine. We'll wait for this Snow to show up. It'd be better to know where all the rogues are anyways." He replied, letting me sit and wait.

I knew it wouldn't be long. I'd shown Blair on a map exactly where I was going to crash, and she had a very good sense of direction. The forest cat did get backup in the form of a solid ginger tom with the designation Fire and a sandy yellow molly with the designation Sand. Honestly, Sparky could take them, but that wasn't my prerogative. Instead, I had the ARAI correcting the translation matrix. This mainly involved pestering my captors about mundane things so the ARAI, or true Sparky, could translate better. They did humor me, explaining the suffix system of their names. I mentioned Snow's but they said it meant youth or kit. Snow isn't really a kit anymore, so I decided to keep using just Snow for now. Soon enough, a pair emerged from the bushes. It was Snow and Blair.

"Seriously Sparky? You couldn't have mentioned the gully? Snowkit and I had to follow the thing until we could find a point to jump across. I'd probably be fine, but Snowkit is a puffball. He'd have weighed twice as much." Teasingly complained Blair.

The first tom, the one who found me, turned quickly at the name Snowkit. As soon as he spotted Snow I could see recognition in his eyes.

"Snowkit? Is that really you? How?" He mewed softly.

Snow, now having hearing aids, could actually hear the tom. His sense of language had improved dramatically ever since. "It really is me. I got saved by a Twoleg. He gave me these things that let me hear. Afterwards, he let me go with Blair here. We're 'supposed' to be here to get Sparky, but that's just the excuse to let me come here."

"Does that mean you are leaving again?" Asked the tom.

"That's up to him." I mewed while gesturing at Snow. "Though there are somethings that would be necessary for him to stay. First, I have to remain with him. He's technically on a mission to retrieve me. Also, those hearing aids will go bad within a week if I'm not there to charge them. Second, Blair is his legal guardian. She's allowed to come and go, but she'll swear to not reveal any information to any cats."

"You think you can threaten me!" The tom bristled.

"Don't! Sparky's already doing everything he can to let me go home. This was the only way they could. They're already pushing the boundaries of their own rules, and their rules have far more severe consequences. Can we at least let the clan hear this first?" Snow interjected.

Fire, or rather Fireheart, took over. "I believe letting the clan decide would be for the best. We're in strange times, and something tells me that strange friends might become necessary. Sparky doesn't look like any cat I've seen, and that makes me think he might be useful in the times to come."

Chapter Text

A slow beating of drums play as an orange tabby stalks on screen, its eyes locked on some unseen target. The tabby begins stalking faster, appearing to be chasing a target. Soon a small river presents itself, the drumming beginning to become more intense. A complimentary blend of synth starts in as the cat prepares to jump the river. An Xray view pops into being displaying the inside of the cat's leg revealing a powerful servo and synthetic muscles tensing. The Xray overlay's the cat's legs, replacing them with the mechanical ones. The cat leaps, the camera swapping to a river surface shot and a new Xray following the cat's careful manipulations of its trajectory using its tail. The tail is then overwritten with the mechanical one. The cyborg cat resumes the chase. Its ear flicks drawing forth another Xray. Another appears rapidly as the first one slams into place overlapping the ear as the cat's eye is now examined. This pattern repeats until the entirety of the cat's head is replaced leaving only the torso remaining. It is now revealed that the cyborg cat is chasing a white tail. The white cat, a rather young one with a long snowy white coat, bounds down towards a hollow, the camera angle obscuring what lay within. The Cyborg cat sits, obviously looking at what lay within the hollow. The final Xray comes into being, replacing the torso of the cat. Orange text glows into being as if freshly welded in. It spells SPARKY. The camera pans up from looking at Sparky revealing the hollow is full of cats going about a tribal life. The title card of the show slides in from the top, certain letters appearing in a primitive and tribal style while others appear in a clean almost sci-fi style. A brief disclaimer appears in the corner that this is a real study and that any attempts to find the location of the study will be met with harsh punishments and lawsuits. The show will not be aired on Earth until such time that the research study is completed. The screen fades to black as the episode begins.

Sparky's eyes open, showing both he and five other cats are walking together. A quick glance to the side shows Snow. Time in the show temporarily freezes as a profile of snow comes up along with his Single Sapience profile picture. It states that Snow is a junior researcher under Alexander Goldsmith, formerly of Thunderclan.

Time resumes as Sparky's eyes sweep to another cat Blair. A similar profile appears listing her as a researcher and Snow's guardian. The eyes move back to Fireheart, stating he is the secondary leader of Thunderclan. Then Sandstormand Brackenfur follow. Their job is described as a knight, honor bound fighters serving under their Lady Bluestar. A brief description follows stating the suffix star is the same as the lord or lady title.

Sparky, Blair, and Snow follow the three clan cats making lighthearted chatter. Brackenfur appears wary of the two strangers but is rather close to Snow, referring to the cat as Snowkit. The ground begins to dip as they approach a hollow previously displayed in the episode opener.

A wide shot is pulled using one of the previously placed research cameras displaying the sheer size of the camp and the awe it garners from Blair and Sparky. Sparky's facial animations are visibly tweaked to appear more human by edits. In reality, his reaction more matches Blairs.

"Wow." Was all Sparky could utter as cats stopped to stare at the strangers encroaching into their camp escorted by their subleader.

A blue silver molly makes an appearance, her pelt seeming to sparkle in the light as she stood on a rock overlooking the camp. "Fireheart, what is the meaning of this? Why are there rogues within our camp?"

Fireheart dips his head respectfully before answering. "Forgive me Bluestar. These strangers appeared in the forest looking for the strange one named Sparky. Among them was a cat we thought lost. The former Snowkit is accompanying them. He claims to have been rescued from the hawk by a twoleg and given a miracle thing that allows him to hear the same way you or I do. The other two claim to be some part of a larger group, bound by a series of rules that would usually state Snowkit could never return to us. They stated that they are skirting these rules allowing Snowkit to return, but certain provisions have to be met such as Sparky being allowed to stay and the Molly called Blair allowed free rein to come and go as she pleases as long as she tells no cat what we are up to."

Bluestar tilts her head sternly as she looks at the two strange cats. "And if we were to try and drive the two strangers out?" She loosely questioned.

"I have every means for Blair and Snow to exfiltrate safely. I am typically a pacifist but attempts to attack those under ESRAI's care will be met with nonlethal force." Sparky answered displaying his superior robotic strength by cracking a rock in half.

"And if we choose to let you stay?" Bluestar questioned, now realizing the power of the strange cat named Sparky.

"Then I will be at your command. I will usually abstain from fighting given my unnatural advantage, but I will protect your group with every capability availed to me. I have access to medicinal knowledge and the capability to create potent medicines. Though my main purpose will be keeping Snow safe, being that I am deemed more replaceable than he and that he is considered a ward of ESRAI." Sparky responded calmly.

The episode cuts to commercials. One commercial displays a new line of SP toys including a posable model of Sparky as well as his two companions Snow and Blair. It is advertised as a highly sought after collector's edition, including replacement ears for Sparky including chipped ear from episode 29.

The scene cuts back in to show Bluestar overlooking the camp. She still stares at Sparky fiercely, but it is obvious that she is mulling over Sparky's statement. "Very well. I will let you remain with us for the duration of two moons. During that time you must prove your usefulness. We will then hold a vote to see if it is worth keeping you around. In the meantime I will put Snowkit and Sparky under the watch of Whitestorm and Sandstorm. Blair is free to come and go as long as she maintains good relations with the clan. Snowkit will receive the name Snowpaw, but Sparky's name will remain unchanged until we decide if we'll allow you to stay. Are those terms agreeable?" Bluestar mewed.

Blair spoke in Sparky's stead. "We find those terms agreeable. Take care of Snowpaw for me. I care for him the same way one would a little brother."

The camera switches, displaying places all over the forest, showing the many extremes and beauty of the forest. Briefly each group's camp is displayed with a profile for their local lord/lady appearing and briefly describing their clan. Then credits roll, displaying which voice actors voiced each cat post translation. The standard SP entertainment logo follows before the episode ends.

Chapter Text

It has been roughly three weeks since I last made an audio log. As of right now, the time is 11:43PM on June the 12th. A piece of pertinent equipment went MIA on the observation site, and my two assistants went to retrieve it.

Ugh. I'm so tired.

Anyways, I can confirm that the cats here have at least tribal level sapience. Thanks to the ARAI provided by SP, I've been able to log several cases of coming-of-age rituals. Notably, there appears to be an apprenticing ritual and a graduation ritual. The plains group, now identified by the ARAI translator as Windclan, was the one to display both the apprenticing and graduation event back to back. Please note the denotation of the term clan. Despite the term, the leadership system seems heavily reliant upon the current leader's preferences. Vice-leaders do not have to be of the same bloodline, but there seems to be a heavy preference for those trained by the current or past leader.

*a brief noise occurs as if Alexander tried to pause the recording and missed the button

Damn. These migraines are killing me. I really shouldn't have rushed to have the ITS installed. I mean what kind of madman fabricates a technically mind altering chip that is still in beta, plants it into their own skull using only a class 3 med-station, and then uses it fourteen hour bursts? Probably the same idiot that's been risking his neck and job due to just a bit too much enthusiasm.

*A brief pause occurs as Alexander goes to hit the record button again only to realize it is still going.

It's still running…

*The sound of a fist slamming on a metal table rings out

Welp. I guess there's no use denying it. I guess I have to explain the ITS. The ITS is a computer interface device developed by SP. The goal of it is simply to entertain the user, allowing them to manipulate any of SP's animal shaped robots. As of now, the ITS is in extremely early beta. I guess that leaves the question as to what I've been using the ITS for.

I have been using the ITS to manipulate the Species Pretender Analyze Replicate Model: Cat. This unit is equipped with an ARAI and a receiver for the ITS. With it, I was able to confirm that Blair, the cat I adopted to act as a control, does indeed have Single Sapience. Likewise, Snow displays the same sapience. Not too shocking now that the forest clans' sapience is confirmed. As of now, I'm applying to have these clans listed as a protected observation group. Unfortunately, their territory lies next to a recent urban residence district. It is likely to expand within the next four years. I do not expect my request to have the location listed as a reserve will go through given the popularity and income the recent housing development has given the city.

And the migraine is back. I swear, it's like my brain is being overloaded… I guess I should list my ongoing symptoms from using the ITS. Not all of them appear to be negative. First, I have lost the ability to dream. My body still rests, but it is as if my mind fragments upon entering a sleep state. My interface connection to the computers I linked to the ITS are somehow completely usable in this state. I've been using this false sleep to take notes and correlate data which I have been sending to ESRAI. In a strange way, it is incredibly easy to complete these monotonous tasks in this state. As a brief test, I tried to sort the same set of data I completed a previous night. I could only complete half of it before my focus failed me. I compared the two data sets, and the ones I created in the sleep state had less errors that the ones created while awake.

Since installing the ITS, I've noticed my reflexes and ability to complete complex thoughts has accelerated. While this is mainly a good thing, I will note that feelings like boredom occur more frequently, and I've completely dropped my habit of playing video games. They just don't present a challenge anymore. Instead, I've been working my way through many classic novels. I may be ranting a bit, but one particular novel that caught my interest is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Maybe it is the notion of lesser sapience that, or the philosophical quandary of what it means to be human. I find myself asking if my own augmentation has, on some level, stripped part of my humanity.

Eh. That's probably enough rambling about philosophy for now. One far more debilitating symptom of the ITS appears to be frequent migraines. I do not know if this is because of a poorly done implant or if this is just the result of trying to directly interface technology to the human mind. I ran a med scan of myself during one of these migraines to attempt to diagnose the problem. I did find something very interesting with the brain scan.

I can tell you that anyone who says we only part of our brain is dead wrong. We use every bit of our brain constantly. There always seems to be some level of data transmission between sections of the brain, even if I cannot assess what each transfer means. I bring this up because I later ran an analysis on one of my computers linked to the ITS because it seemed to constantly be running on high. The result seemed rather shocking. All of the CPU, disk read speed, and disk write speed were at a constant 85% or more. Weirdly enough, most of this processing power was linked to the ITS integration. It also somehow did not impact performance or disk space. I do have a theory on why and how this is linked to the migraines and inability to dream.

This is all conjecture and has no scientific backing but I believe either I am unconsciously attempting to force my connected computers to act as an extension of my brain or the ARAI is. The primary reason for this theory is the primary objective of the ARAI right now. Its goal is to create a personality as close as possible to mine using the ITS link. At a base level, machines will always try and take the most efficient option if they can assess them. Right now, I believe the ARAI is not so much copying my personality but rather just integrating me in. Theoretically, If I forcibly removed the ITS, it would still have a copy of my personality, but that comes with significant risk. These migraines show a level of integration that, if removed, may cause a whiplash that could leave me with brain damage, if not outright kill me. For this reason, SP and I decided it best to just leave the ITS in. They are trying to develop a solution, but for now I've just been prescribed headache meds that have the annoying side effect of infrequent insomnia.

For now, this is Alexander Goldsmith signing out.

Chapter Text

I can tell you that I've gotten really good at multitasking lately. By that I mean operating my human self along with the cat bot without either side realizing anything was occupying my attention. That was except Blair. She seemed to have the uncanny ability to tell when I was giving my robotic avatar my full attention. Honestly, if she had my schooling, I'd believe she'd be running ESRAI.

Tangent aside, Thunderclan has finally decided what to do with Blair, Snow, and I. Brackenfur gave his condolences that he could not mentor Snow despite having wanted to when Snow was just a kit. He had his own apprentice to deal with. Instead, it was the leader who decided to take on Snow, and by association me. Meanwhile, Blair decided to head back to the lab for now since Snow was safe and she was more accustomed to a pet's lifestyle.

I preemptively opened a can of tuna for her and left it on the counter. At the same time Bluestar guided Snow, or rather Snowpaw, and I out into the woods to their training clearing. Bluestar was not what I'd call a stable individual. Just a basic medical reading showed a severe hormone imbalance, likely caused by stress, as well as fluctuating activity in what is regarded as the decision making cortex of her brain. Her eyes regarded me with suspicion. Not like she could actually hurt me. Species pretender units have an outer form made of a lightweight steel. The joints themselves are covered with a woven mesh of this same steel, acting similar to chainmail. Above that is a durable canvas layer made from bioplastic, making and scratches or damage reseal near instantly. Then above that is the fur layer, synthesized from the fabricator via protein generation, the fur created from the fabricator is near indistinguishable from real fur and is easy to replace with any source of protein, of which Sparky currently carried enough to replace his pelt twice. With the built in fabricator, near every part was replaceable. Soo, she really didn't threaten me.

Bluestar turned to face us, a serious look on her face. "Now I want to assess your battle skills." She commanded.

"I cannot." I answered, drawing a sour look upon her face.

"Are you refusing me?" She demanded with her fur beginning to bristle up.

"Forgive me. I appear to have misspoken. It is not that I am unable to fight. It is that I do not know how much to hold back. I am designed to be able to crush rock and survive being hit by a truck with no major damage. If I were to fight full out, I may very well break bones or kill my opponent. Though, I do have an idea. If you were able to strike me, I can measure how hard I was hit and restrict myself to match it. You may strike me however you like. I should be able to take whatever you can dish out, and even if you do damage me, I have all the capabilities to repair myself." I answered.

"As hard as I like?" Bluestar questioned, seemingly more intrigued than before.

"Yes. As hard as you like and wherever you like." I replied, a bit confused by the growing excitement on her face.

It was frightening how quickly she reacted. She bound into me, heavily throwing me off balance. The force of her tackle was being calculated, but she still wasn't done. She managed to roll me onto my back before striking my unprotected stomach with her claws, easily scratching through the canvas layer and gliding across the steel plate beneath. Due to her interaction with the steel plate, I was able to calculate a claw length and sharpness to match hers. The canvas layer resealed after her strike, leaving my fur layer looking slightly ruffled. Meanwhile, she looked much calmer, like she finally got to vent on something without consequence, which wasn't far from the truth. Slowly I stood up to look at the molly.

"Was that the amount of force you want me to restrict myself to?" I asked, now drawing her attention.

She almost seemed confused by the question for a second before remembering what we were doing. "Yes. That's about the maximum I want you to hit with. Though. Don't pull claws like I did. We keep claws sheathed during training. I just… I had to take advantage of your claim at invulnerability a little bit. You seem unhurt by it." She answered.

I gave an amused chuckle. "I am by no means invulnerable. There are several things that could leave me inoperable. If I were to be covered in a layer of mud for an extended period, I'd be forced into standby to prevent myself from overheating. I will likely be running less efficiently in the summer due to this. While I may be more durable than flesh, my joints are still weak to being pierced. I am also susceptible to electric shock, and I am too dense to swim. If I were to fall into the rapids of a river or down a mountain, there is a very real possibility that something critical could be damaged and force me down before it could be repaired."

She looked me up and down incredulously before nodding. "Good to know. Nice to know you trust us enough with a means to deal with you should it prove necessary."

"Oh. If you wanted to stop me, Blair and Snowpaw have authorization to override me. All they'd have to say to me is Override: Shutdown, to turn me off. If they do, they are also allowed to turn me back on by using the command, Activate SPARC." I explained.

"You'd really give that level of trust to such a young cat?" She asked, almost concerned.

"Yes. If Snowpaw deems it necessary, he may shut me down at any time. He is considered a full employee by ESRAI within my branch, so he has full authority on the equipment assigned to us. This body is designed to integrate with cat society as well as protect assets important to us. Keeping Snowpaw alive and healthy is my primary function. The tools I have to do so are also at yours to use, as long as the request is reasonable. I am capable of advanced medical care. Cinderpelt was the name of the cat with the broken leg right? Unfortunately, that leg has set wrong for a prolonged period of time. If allowed, I could do surgery to repair the leg to be as functional as it would allow. She'd have an extended recovery time, and I estimate the limb would only recover about 70% of its previous strength, but she'd be able to walk and run again with a slight limp." I stated in a factual monotone.

Bluestar looked at me with a measure of hope. I must have seemed like some kind of blessing given what I was able to offer. Though, if Bluestar asked me to do the surgery, I'd have to resupply my metal stockpile since I'd have to put a plate into her leg. Since I couldn't just mine more up, I'd have to eventually 'crash' another drone carrying an iron for Sparky to dismantle. It's a shame plastic is so easy to make. I've got too much stockpiled already, and a drone is about 90% plastic.

Snowpaw was the one to refocus us, asking if we could get to battle training already. If I could blush, I'd be blushing with embarrassment. Bluestar guided us through the basic strike movements. Turns out learning how to hit as a cat is far more nuanced than you'd think. The paw pad is the primary strike point, dispersing the force throughout the rest of the paw evenly. On top of that, there was attack placement. Cats here don't go for the kill. They go for sensitive points like the ears and nose. To them, driving off an opponent is far more honorable than killing one. A chivalry code foreign to human nature. It likely originated due to their lower population density and that they've got a loose alliance with the rest of the clans to repel foreign invaders.

"Oh! You left tuna out for me." I heard Blair mew, reminding me I still had a human life as well. It was only an hour later did I realize I understood her without a translator, likely another byproduct of my gamble with the ITS.

Chapter Text

With my recent findings on the sapience of these clan cats, I'm formerly applying to initiate contact. As of fourteen days ago, a piece of equipment with critical intel was lost within the research site, but lost is not the correct word. Rather, the piece of equipment was adopted. You see, the piece of equipment is a SPAR model cat with ITS link. Via the link, I've been forced to interact with the research subjects to protect the valuable intel within the SPAR:C. With my own improvisations and the assistant who was once one of these clan cats, the threat of the loss of intel from the SPAR:C has become minimal. At the same time, these interactions have provided data on technology levels and cultural values that I would have been unable to gather without months of extended observation.

I also call for permission to contact due to an external threat. Three days age, three guard dogs scheduled for passivity training busted loose from the local animal shelter. There has been significant indications that the three have come to reside somewhere within the research area. Being that these are trained guard dogs, I have concerns about the safety of my research subjects. These three dogs have the potential to wipe out one of the four groups observed. On top of that, the zone the dogs decided to occupy resides within the territory of a clan weakened by a forest fire. I have observed the capabilities of these clan cats, and I don't have a doubt that they'd survive the dogs in the end, but there'll likely be a death count high enough to cause a societal collapse. My job is to research societies, and I'd rather not have to push this position onto one of the many Single Sapience researchers.

Hold on… Something is happening. I'm going to patch the audio over to the SPAR:C and initiating video stream.

*Brief audio static occurs before a stream begins from the SPAR:C's POV.

Sparky's ears tune to a direction, picking up barking in the distance. Sparky boosts himself into a standing position and gives Snowpaw a shove, waking him.

"What's going on?" Mewed the tired apprentice.

"Dogs, and they seem to be attacking something. We need to rouse the camp… There sems to be two missing apprentices." Sparky stated in a calculated monotone.

Snowpaw bristled before bounding out of the den yowling "Dogs!"

With the camp awakened and startled, the clearing of the camp soon became filled with cats.

"What's going on?" Demanded Bluestar, clearly tired and wanting no nonsense.

Sparky moved forward to give his report. "Three dogs of roughly triple a cat's size are currently engaged in a fight with an unknown at the location known as Snakerocks. We are currently missing two apprentices. Thus, I theorize the unknown currently engaged in battle with the dogs are the two missing apprentices." Sparky said in a clear and calm tone.

Bluestar turned quickly, her eyes ablaze in fury. "Fireheart, assemble a patrol now! I have my doubts about there being dogs, but if we are currently under attack, I want the attackers dealt with immediately!" She commanded.

Fireheart quickly assembled a patrol of six warriors. With him at the head, it'd be a patrol of seven, though Sparky decided to interject. "I am capable of medical care. If you would allow, I'd like to join this repelling patrol as well."

Fireheart looked to Bluestar for support, who just nodded at the suggestion. Cinderpelt, the medicine cat, looked to Fireheart as well. "I'll be along shortly to tend to the wounded. Sparky may buy us some time if they are critically wounded."

With that, the patrol of eight took off. Sparky's audio sensers were keenly pointed in the direction of the attack. The ferocity of the battle became louder. Clearly things had escalated. Soon, the sound of two cats became apparent in the sound. The identity of the two cats was verified to be the missing apprentices via audio comparison to the sparse interactions Sparky had with the two as well as the old logs where the two were heard. Then a screech occurred. One cat went quiet. The one who went silent was identified as Brightpaw.

"We need to pick up the pace. One of the apprentices is dead or unconscious." Sparky emitted.

Fireheart didn't question how Sparky came to know that, instead urging the patrol to move faster. They soon came upon the fight. The three dogs had Swiftpaw surrounded. Swiftpaw seemed to be on his last legs, bearing many bite wounds. Sparky's ranged medical scan also showed Swiftpaw was at a dangerous heartrate, likely to go into cardiac arrest should his adrenaline fall.

The seven warriors moved quickly, yowling their rage as they began their assault on the unsuspecting dogs. It was an unexpected strike, which in turn caused a fear effect within the dogs. There was a ninety percent chance that the seven could temporarily drive the dogs off.

Meanwhile, Sparky turned his attention to the downed apprentice. Brightpaw, while having a heavily visible wound, was not in critical condition. A quick application of bandaging was all that was needed to stabilize the apprentice. Sparky fulfilled that duty with efficiency, applying a synthesized gauze and bandage layer to the apprentice's damaged face. More care could be done later. While the eye was a lost cause, a basic skin and fur graft could fix the cosmetic issues from the damage.

Sparky then turned to the other apprentice. He was laying splayed out on the ground. His chest was heaving, likely fighting for breath as his heartrate and adrenaline were in overdrive trying to oxygenate his cells and keep the body functioning. Sparky got closer, scanning the activity of Swiftpaw's brain. It was running on overdrive, in a fight or flight state. Swiftpaw reacted to Sparky's approach with fear, spiking his heartrate to near critical levels. Sparky had to bring the cat down now before his heart gave out. No drug Sparky could synthesize could act fast enough, so he had to go with the physical option. He struck the wounded apprentice in the neck with a calculated strike, sending a shock through the cat's nervous system forcing a near instantaneous state of unconsciousness. Only a bruise would be the result of this strike. Thankfully, Swiftpaw's heartrate sunk to a cool 220 bpm, within the safety margins for a cat's resting heartrate. Now he could apply medical care. Swiftpaw had numerous open wounds that'd easily kill him if not addressed. On top of that, numerous skeletal fractures were present. Two broken ribs. One tailbone with a near splitting fracture. Multiple micro spinal fractures. One hairline fracture on his right front leg, five missing claws, and minor internal bleeding. No organ damage was present thankfully. After dressing the open wounds and synthesizing a painkiller to prevent the apprentice from going into shock, he had been successfully stabilized. Estimated recovery time was five months unless additional medicinal aids were allowed and delivered. Synthesis of the drugs would be too complex for the fabricator to create.

The seven warriors were soon at Sparky's side. "How is he?" Fireheart asked.

"Stable. He'll live given proper attention. Recovery time is five moons. Brightpaw is also stable. One eye was lost, but she had no debilitating wounds. Recovery time is unknown due to the likely occurrence of trauma. Physical recovery can be done within three." Sparky answered. "Did you succeed in driving off the dogs?"

"They're gone for now. They turned tail pretty quickly, but I think they'll be back." A large white cat answered, identified as Whitestorm.

*The stream cuts out to show Alexander sitting in a chair, drenched in sweat and looking visibly nauseous.

As you can see, permission to contact has become necessary for it has already occurred. Despite this, I believe the data of this first contact can prove largely educational. This is the first first contact with a new sapience using the ITS. It is the first case of learning a new sapience's culture by blending into it. I will admit that this is not the ideal environment to attempt this, but it is the one that is occurring. The cats' culture has proven to detest killing, as well as their population is low enough that a Ragnarok event could at worst only affect the forest region. It is in ESRAI's best interest to allow me to continue my research.

Chapter Text

"Man, it's never fun seeing yourself on camera." States a man with a slightly tan skin and fair complexion. His hair was somewhat long and ratty, clearly displaying either his diligence to his work or his laziness. He wore a classic lab coat with a name plate hanging from the right front pocket. On it in silver letters over a black backdrop was the name Alexander Goldsmith.

"Well, I guess I'll start this log with an update. ESRAI did begrudgingly approve my continued interactions with the clans. Of course, this came with some caveats, namely a couple of baby sitters. I've been demoted from head researcher to field agent. The now overseer of this research site is a man named Jackson Hughs." Goldsmith said in an almost playful tone before picking up the camera and pointing it at another man, clean shaven and bald with a no-nonsense attitude. He wore business attire with a gold lettered nameplate. He was currently typing away at a computer filled with raw data.

"That's Hughs. Currently, he's working on the translation software since it is still imperfect. He's also trying to headhunt some kind of virus that's currently using a lot of processing power. So far he's sussed out that the origin claims to be the ARAI, and the processing power seems to be working towards a file simply labeled headache. He's tried deleting it, but whatever is creating the file is clever. It keeps restoring the file from numerous redundant data points that are near impossible to track down. We did get a peek at the file though. It appears to be schematics for some kind of foreign computer, but the way the connections are set out makes no sense. Instead of a multicore processor, there semes to instead be many single core processors linked to individual data storage systems. Then, they seem to be directed by some kind of coordinator processor. The purpose of such a strange computer is unknown, but SP snagged a copy of it since it is supposedly from the ARAI, and they haven't gotten back to us yet besides to say to send them the whole file when it was done." Goldsmith stated before turning the camera to a woman in a suit dress currently watching through old video footage and taking notes on timestamps.

"Moving on. This is Annisa Donahue. She's technically the liaison between SP and ESRAI, but she's more of a PR manager. Since SP got the logs of what's been happening to me, they've shifted the ITS's design drastically. Now, it's a helmet that interfaces indirectly. Unfortunately, given my unique condition, we can't have the ITS neural implant removed from me. Annisa's job is mainly to sell the idea of ESRAI using the ITS system for first contact scenarios. Apparently, I was one of the top performers when it came to putting out raw useful data until ESRAI realized how I was getting so much valuable data. Along with me, I believe ESRAI is running some trials with the new ITS involving groups that we've already established a first contact with and have diplomatic relations with. Anyways, she's currently digging through my old camera footage from both my discretely placed observation cameras to Sparky's sight. I've seen her popping a few bags of popcorn. She claims that, with a little editing, some of this footage was on par with old nature documentaries. Of course, this footage is unable to be aired publicly since ESRAI has now officially recorded the clan cats as sentient, likely rekindling a lot of single sapience cases on domesticated cats."

Annisa's business-like diligence is broken when she visibly pulls a piece of popcorn from a well concealed bowl. The current footage she is watching is when Sparky and the rest of the rescue patrol were rushing through the woods to save those apprentices. She pauses briefly and notes a timestamp when the sound of barking is heard.

Goldsmith then places the camera back where it started, facing him, before leaning back and giving his chair a single spin.

"Honestly, it's a bit demoralizing to have my solo project taken from me, but I only have myself to blame. I took a lot of needless risks and broke many protocols because I thought they'd give me just a bit more data." Goldsmith says while looking skyward. Then a munchkin bluish silver cat leaps into his lap, letting out a series of meows. An auto generated caption appears at the bottom of the video.

"That's a lie and you know it. You didn't rescue that kit because it was data, and you certainly didn't join the can because it was data. Face it. You're a bleeding heart. Not like it hasn't worked out for you. You look much better than a week ago when you were juggling writing your reports, maintaining a position in the clan, and caring for yourself. Now you've only got half the workload."

Goldsmith smiled softly before replying. "Thanks Blair. I think I needed to hear that. Oh. I almost forgot, ESRAi gave me a grant… Maybe grant isn't the right word. It's more of a bounty. You see, Sparky presents a major advantage in terms of medical care to any clan he's allowed within. If I can get the clans to allow Sparky to interact with all the clans, I'll get a level five treatment unit. Those things are usually reserved for hospitals, but with it I should be able to treat near any wound. Though, I won't be able to treat Brightpaw's eye. Eyes usually require a level seven or above. But that's besides the point. If I can give a demonstration of Sparky's medical prowess, she'll allow me the opportunity to present the offer of Sparky's aid to all the clans. I'm honestly hoping it all works out. Imagine all the cats I could save and all the data I could collect from interacting with each clan from within their own camps. I might even be able to get a good faith reading. So far, I've only found two spikes, namely around Bluestar and Fireheart. So far, religion wise, the best I can approximate their afterlife as is heaven but their ancestors are their god. From what was described to me by an elder, the afterlife is a paradise, but the ones they worship are their ancestors."

Goldsmith briefly flicks his attention away from the camera, clearly distracted by something. "Looks like I'll have to end the recording here. The dogs are back."

Chapter Text

Time: 13:26

Beginning event log

…

Raw data deemed inefficient for reporting

Solution discovered

Beginning thought log from user [Alexander Goldsmith]

Layman(Event Log)

Pairing thought log event log

…

Completed

New subroutine created: Incident Log

Beginning Incident Log

Alex (Thought): The dogs are back! I didn't think they'd return so quickly. I can hear them barking. Not good. I'd better report this to Bluestar.

Sparky bounds off to leader's den. His momentum caused him to slide through the entrance where (Deputy) Fireheart was currently giving a midday report. (Leader) Bluestar looked up at (Unit) "Sparky."

Bluestar: What's got you in such a rush Sparky?

Sparky: The dogs are back. Unfortunately, I only picked up a few barks. I could not triangulate them. If they are within range of my hearing, they are on the territory.

Bluestar's fur bristled at the report. Likely because oof the previous encounter with the dogs, Bluestar had an idea of the level of threat the dogs possessed. Passive medical scans show Bluestar was in a state of controlled panic. Fireheart was in a similar state.

Bluestar: Fireheart, round up a sizable patrol and try and recall our midday patrols. Until those dogs are found, we cannot trust ourselves to travel the forest alone. Sparky, keep an ear open. As soon as you know where the dogs are, let me know. I'm not sure I can call you a cat, but you've proven yourself a boon.

Fireheart leaves the den to round up a rescue patrol while Sparky moves into the camp center, taking advantage of the recessed shape to extend the audio pickup range. Processing power is shifted from project Headache to sensory data analysis for the time being. Data is analyzed and categorized in an attempt to decipher which audio source could potentially be the dogs. External factors made this processing ineffective. Natural sound absorbers and reflectors left audio data muddled. Without something distinct like a bark, it is impossible to distinguish the sounds of distant clan cats from the dog threat. Regardless, user Alexander deemed it necessary to continue the scan without repositioning.

Time: 14:02

Audio data received that matches sound: barking. Bearing angle: 320 degrees. The barking is Northwest of the camp. Analysis of the bark pattern shares a similar pattern to dominance displays recorded from fights over a food source. Audio source was registered and became tracked.

Sparky stood quickly and moved back into the leader's den. Bluestar looked up at Sparky. Her passive medical data showed she was in a state of stress. Stress levels reduced 20-30 percent at Sparky's appearance.

Sparky: I found them. They're Northwest, roughly by Snakerocks again. They appear to be fighting over something, likely food. What would you like me to do?

Bluestar's stress levels sank another five percent now that she had a means to control the situation.

Bluestar: Link up with Fireheart's patrol and let them know. We'll isolate the area until a means is found to deal with the dog. Speaking of potential solutions, are you capable of dealing with the dogs?

Alex (Thoughts): Maybe Hughs will allow it. Sparky has the armor plating and the materials necessary to potentially kill the dogs.

Thought data shows Alex had some form of argument with supervisor Hughs.

Sparky: I'm not allowed to interfere unless either a colleague is at risk or the survival of the clan as a whole is at risk. I don't like that limitation any more than you do. I wish I could do more, but for now I'll be ready to heal.

Bluestar gently nodded, likely fully well understanding the restrictions Sparky was under. Instead, she gestured for Sparky to go.

Sparky pounded off in the direction Fireheart's patrol went. It wasn't long before he caught up to them. They also located something else. The corpse of the molly known as Brindleface was splayed out on the ground. Airborne chemical analysis showed the scent of swamp was brought into the area.

Fireheart: Sparky? What are you doing here?

Sparky: I located the dogs. They are currently Northwest of our position and closing. They'll likely pass over this position in roughly two hours.

The cat known as Sandstorm and the one known as Whitestorm approached. They likely had just finished scouting the area.

Sandstorm: We found rabbits trailing this direction leading right up to Brindleface. This can't be a coincidence.

Fireheart: Definitely not a coincidence. Sparky here confirmed that the dogs are headed this way, but we've got a bit of time. Brindleface also had Shadowclan scent on her. She was murdered and left here for the dogs to find.

Whitestorm: So the dogs could get a taste for cat. Though, the scent does seem familiar. From the other rabbits, we found that there was only one cat catching the rabbits and leaving them as bait… I think it was Tigerstar.

Fireheart's fur spiked up at the name. Passive medical analysis shows a minor adrenaline spike commonly correlated to anger or rage.

Fireheart: That monster! I'd been hoping his ambition was sated with Shadowclan, but clearly I was wrong. Brindleface will not go unavenged,

Sandstorm: That's good and all, but we have a problem to deal with now. That trail leads right to our camp. What do we do?

Fireheart: Whitestorm, I need you to head back to camp and evacuate them to Sunning Rocks. Sandstorm and I will break up the trail as far as we can. Sparky, I need you close by to alert us when the dogs get too close. Go!

Sparky tailed after Fireheart and Sandstorm as they grabbed rabbits off the trail and attempted to bury their scent by displacing the lures and using strongly scented plants to obfuscate the potential scent. Five rabbits were moved before the position of the dogs was deemed too close.

Sparky: We're done. They're too close now. We run the risk of discovery if we go much further.

Fireheart: That's not good enough. By now, the dogs probably have a sense of direction to look for more of these rabbits. We've likely slowed them down, but they'll find the camp for sure if they keep coming this way.

Sandstorm: Then we'll just have to deal with them as soon as possible. For now, we should report back to Bluestar.

Fireheart guided us back in the direction of Sunning Rocks. We found Bluestar currently in discussions with Whitestorm. The rest of the patrols made it back sans Brindleface who was swiftly buried by the elder members of the clan.

Bluestar: Fireheart. What did you manage?

Fireheart: We broke up the trail a bit, but they'll find our camp soon enough if they just keep going. We need a plan of action.

Bluestar: Do you think we could just overwhelm them?

Fireheart: No. Their size is too large. We could likely drive them off, but that would only be temporary. We have to kill them somehow.

Sandstorm: What about the ravine in Riverclan territory? That's got a pretty long drop, and the edge is hard to see. We could probably guide them right over the edge.

Fireheart: That sounds like a plan. Who'll we take to guide the dogs over?

Bluestar: Longtail wishes to avenge his apprentice. Whitestorm likely does as well. Runningwind is the swiftest of us. We can break up the chase into two sprints with a second pair guiding the dogs at the halfway point.

Sparky: I will be hiding be available should someone get hurt.

Soon the meeting broke up with Fireheart rounding up the other three to put the plan into motion. Fireheart decided to be the other cat on the second leg. Every cat moved out. Bluestar briefly stopped Sparky.

Bluestar: I know I can't sneak by you. I need you to accompany me to the jump point.

We repositioned to the point, watching and waiting. Soon, Runningwind passed over the point, leaping over the gorge. Fireheart was right behind him. Suddenly, the individual known as Tigerstar pinned Fireheart down, killing his momentum. He released Fireheart just as quickly. Fireheart turned in fear, now unable to jump the gorge in time. Bluestar sprang from her concealed position, slamming into the dog's side and knocking them both over the edge.

Fireheart: Bluestar!

Sparky came out from his position, following Fireheart and Bluestar downriver. Bluestar was unable to be rescued by Sparky due to his inability to survive or travel in aquatic environments. Fireheart eventually leapt in and dragged Bluestar to the surface. Two Riverclan cats later made an appearance, dragging the pair out of the water. Fireheart's health was not critical. A medical deep scan was ran on Bluestar.

Results: collapsed lung, shattered ribcage, punctured stomach, punctured lung, major internal bleeding… Unable to be rescued.

User Alex ran the override to scan again.

Results: Unable to be rescued

Again.

Unable to be rescued

Again.

Unable to be rescued

.

.

.

Logic of user Alex is cyclical and not yielding different results. Logic of user Alex is unable to be understood. Potential solution in progress.

Beginning construction of incomplete project Headache

…

Completed

Integrating project Headache

…

Completed

Data still incomplete

Sensory data shows a spike in faith readouts

Bluestar is looking at Sparky.

Bluestar: I know your not a real cat Sparky, but I'm glad we got to meet. I hope you'll continue to aid the clan even if you're held back. I forgive you for being unable to save us all.

Faith spike is interacting with project Headache.

.

.

.

Project Headache is completed.

Status of Sparky/Alex: Grieving

Chapter Text

This is overseer Jackson Hughes. As of two days ago, field agent Alexander Goldsmith has been in a state of mourning. This does go against the protocols of not getting attached to your research subjects. Fortunately for him, this is only a rule in name. If I had my full authority, I'd have Alex removed from this research site, but unfortunately his situation involving the ITS device makes him too valuable to be rid of. I have made efforts to see if another ITS could override control of the SPAR unit, but something within it seems to be preventing that. The ARAI is likely to blame, having developed defensive measures after my attempts to remove this project Headache. I will note there has been an update on this AI generated project, namely that it is completed.

At the time of the Thunder Clan's leader's death, a faith event occurred that seemed to have facilitated the completion of this project. In fact, SP has taken a keen interest in this project Headache claiming it was the breakthrough of the century. A brief analysis of the schematics does draw interest. The chief component being faith infused circuits. It is commonly believed that faith metals contain distinct properties that make them stand out from standard metals. Usually, it is simple properties like durability, malleability, weight, or sharpness. By the calculations in the schematics, the faith metal in the circuits hold no such property besides a basic tarnishing resistance. Instead, they seem to have a similar effect to the few known cases of crystal balls mixed with a few magic swords. Basically, the circuits seem to have very minor precognition mixed with a minor sentience, allowing them to collect the computations of the CPUs at the same time they are being calculated and routed without a mechanical means of routing them. Several faith forge industries are already putting up bids to see if they can replicate the effect.

The main reason I bring up project Headache and SP's interest in the project is that something changed about Alexander upon the device interfacing with "Sparky." He seems more aware despite having to simultaneously pilot the cat bot and control his real body. The migraine effects of the ITS have vanished entirely, and the processing load of our local computers has shrunk significantly with only occasional spikes originating from the ITS link. SP is even giving us payment on data relating to the changes Headache has caused on our systems and on Alexander.

I don't know how to feel about Alexander. He's way too close to this project, almost fanatical in his desire to study and know these clans. I've heard him offhandedly refer to Bluestar as his former mentor to that cat Blair. Unfortunately, I did not have active translation software running at the time, so her response is unknown. I will note the oddity that Alexander did understand her perfectly though. I can only imagine that is because of his connection to the ITS and subsequently our language database and systems. Thankfully, he isn't meowing back to her, so we've been able to get half the conversation.

Moving on. Yesterday, we were able to record another faith event. This one is labeled the leadership ceremony. I'm linking in the stream from that event now.

'''

"Are you sure it's alright for me to attend this?" Sparky mewed to Fireheart near the camp entrance.

"I think Bluestar would want you to be there to see it." Fireheart replied, turning his attention to the medicine cat Cinderpelt.

"Do you believe Starclan might have any qualms with this?" He asked.

Cinderpelt shook her head in response. "Starclan moves in mysterious ways. Last night I received a dream of Mothermouth. A bolt of lightning stuck the opening and went inside. I believe they are requesting Sparky's presence."

"Then Starclan has spoken. Let's not keep them waiting." Fireheart mewed in a half joke, clearly suppressing his own grief at the death of his leader and former mentor.

The journey was silent. It was almost as if the forest itself was sharing in the mourning. It was only when they reached the edge of Windclan territory did the quiet whisper of whipping grasses break the silence. The trees' leaves began to rustle lightly again, caught in a slow breeze. They hesitated only a moment before moving forward again. The sky was crystal clear with stars that were more plainly visible than they should have been given the light pollution from the nearby city.

After a somewhat lengthy journey that ended up crossing a scarcely used highway, they arrived at their destination. Sparky's faith readouts were beginning to spike from simply being at the entrance of such a sanctified place. It didn't quite reach the scale of some of the grand churches and mosques, but this did appear to be a place of extreme religious significance, and they hadn't even gotten to the holy relic yet.

- For Security Reasons The Path To The Moonstone Has Been Skipped-

Finally, a glimmer of light sparkled up ahead. A massive growth of quartz filled the underground chamber. It was charged with enough faith to be considered a grand holy relic. The monument faintly glowed in the darkness as the moon got higher in the sky. Tiny pinholes to the surface began to flood with moonlight, lighting up the Moonstone in a divine blue glow. Fireheart slowly made his approach before touching the Moonstone reverently and immediately being put into a trance. Cinerpelt was quick to follow.

Sparky could only watch silently as his faith readouts spiked to something beyond what this small culture of clans should have been able to produce. Nine faith entities seemed to have been generated by the Moonstone. They could not be seen, but the faith signatures were distinct, almost as if they were separate living beings, or demigods. One by one, the manifestations approached the sleeping Fireheart, instilling some form of power upon him before vanishing back to whence they came. Finally, there was one. This one was familiar, registering in Sparky's memories faintly. Before this manifestation imparted their gift unto Fireheart, they approached Sparky.

"I am glad you are here to witness this. You'll play an important part in the fate of the clans. Remember (Sparky/Alex) you may walk in two worlds now, but some day you will have to make a choice. Continue to learn from us as we learn from you." Came the voice of Bluestar, which somehow wasn't picked up by the audio sensors but was registered as audio regardless. The name Sparky and Alex layered each other but distinctly hearable.

Then Bluestar's manifestation approached Fireheart, imparting her gift upon him and disappearing back to their afterlife. Fireheart was still for a couple moments before he seemed to be seized by a terrifying nightmare. After a couple moments longer, he awoke.

"That was fascinating." Was all Sparky could mew, still marveling at his genuine interaction with a spirit and relieved at Bluestar's appearance to talk to him.

"I am Firestar now, and I've received my nine lives." Firestar stated. He now seemed to have a constant faith effect upon him.

Nine lives should not have been feasible for a culture of this scale, but since nine lives is a common myth for cats, the clans seemed to have tapped into the belief granting them a miracle beyond what should have been possible for their population. It was a discovery that ESRAI would likely sink billions into to see if they could recreate.

Chapter Text

The night was finally upon us. I could scarcely keep myself still in anticipation. I'd either receive permission to provide medical aid between the clans, and thus receive a means to observe each clan and their cultures, or I'd become committed to Thunderclan. I had a decent supply of raw protein and pheomelanin. I was ready to prove my usefulness.

The moon began to raise up in the sky as the cats of the clan conglomerated to hear who would be allowed to attend the Gathering. Thunderclan would have much to say this moon, given the new leadership and the anomaly that is Sparky. Firestar looked across the crowd of cats under his command. He looked calm and collected, ready for what was to come.

Firestar called upon Cloudtail, Lostface, Graystripe, Whitestorm, Sandstorm, Longtail, Bramblepaw, Tawnypaw, Snowpaw, and I to come to the Gathering. We may have lost Bluestar, but Thunderclan was still strong. We set out, letting the light of the moon to guide our path. It was strangely serene, the forest lit up by the white glow or Earth's favorite satellite. The quiet chirp of crickets punctured the night air, making their own melody to note the occasion.

Finally, the location known as Fourtrees was in sight. Already, I could sense cats milling about, chatting with rivals despite the hostility between their clans. This was by far the strangest cultural event I had ever participated in. I had at first thought of this as just a monthly ceasefire, but the way these cats were interacting showed signs that this was more significant. There seemed to be genuine friendships here that did not align with the hostile nature of rival clans. I put a note in my mental storage to have the footage of the Gathering analyzed by Hughes.

I followed Cinderpelt to a collection of three other cats. These were the medicine cats of the clans. I could pick up them discussing herbology and the means they've been using to cure the maladies afflicting their clan. They looked up at Cinderpelt as she made her approach.

"Cinderpelt. It is great to see you again. We were just discussing the lesser uses of Marigold. Surely you'd like to weigh in." Mewed an older tom.

"Well, Marigold is a very useful herb for treating wounds, but sometimes when I have extra, I use it to treat cracked pads. It helps the skin grow back after I soften it up a bit." Cinderpelt answered.

"I never considered it for cracked pads unless they were bleeding. I'll have to try it sometime. Say, who's this following you? Something about them seems… off." Replied another medicine cat.

Cinderpelt nodded to me. "This is Sparky. They're not really a cat, as far as I can tell. I checked it myself. They don't have bones like us. Instead, they seem to have slabs of a hard material layering over each other almost like snake scaled, but it is hard to explain. Despite this, Sparky somehow is capable of great medical feats. He managed to somehow stabilize a cat who should have died. I'm not exaggerating. That cat could have been in Starclan if it were just me treating them, but somehow Sparky is able to find all a cat's injuries in mere heartbeats and somehow dress the wound without searching out for cobwebs. He even claims he can do more. That's one of the topics our leader wants to bring up. Sparky is too miraculous, so he's wanting to offer his services to all the clans."

The other three cats looked at me with suspicion. "How could this thing preform a miracle of healing? I'm not calling you a liar, but what you've said seems like a pretty tall tale." Asked one medicine cat.

I decided to interject at that moment. "If I may speak on my own behalf, I do not come to replace or even outdo you. I am Sparky, a being made to be a cat and yet not. I wish to learn of the clans and who they are, but I aim to repay the knowledge. Thunderclan's leader has arranged for me the materials to give a live demonstration of my medicinal skills should the other leaders allow it. Hopefully I can prove myself to you." I stated.

A yowl rang out, signaling the start of the Gathering. Four cats stood upon a boulder overlooking the crowd. Below them sat Whitestorm and the other cats given the title of deputy. Firestar stepped forward to speak first.

"I come bearing bad news. Bluestar now walks in the fields of Starclan. She traded her last life to prevent a pack of dogs from attacking our camp. I have received my nine lives and now present myself to you as Firestar." Firestar allowed for a moment of silence before continuing. "About a moon before Bluestar's death, Thunderclan stumbled upon a cat who was not quite a cat. We took them in after they had managed to return a kit we thought lost to a hawk. Over time, their differences proved they could not fit neatly into the role of a warrior. Bluestar told me that while they may be cut, they do not bleed. Their wounds heal in an instant. Their strength is enough to shatter rock, and yet they wish to do none of that. They proved masterful at healing, treating wounds that should have been impossible to survive. Their name is Sparky. Sparky told me how providing his aid to only one clan would tip the balance of the forest. Sparky wishes to demonstrate his medical capabilities and offer his aid to all the clans instead of consigning himself to one. What do you three think of his proposition?" Firestar mewed to the other leaders.

Tallstar, a lanky older tom, answered first. "I am interested in seeing this Sparky. If he can do what you claim, I'll allow him to visit us and tend to our sick and wounded provided he swears himself in like a medicine cat."

Tigerstar spoke next. "If this cat is as unkillable as you say, and he can keep cats from dying, I will allow him to visit under specific conditions. Namely, I want him to be driven out should he attack any cat of the clans at all as well as swear fealty to the clans of the forest."

This cat's eyes were filled with greed. His thoughts seemed almost visible to the crowd. He knew how valuable a cat as unkillable as I could be. Even if that was all I could do, Tigerstar considered me a threat, but he wanted control of such a threat.

Leopardstar, a molly with a pattern to match her name stepped up next. She walked with a slight hunch that indicated resignation and distress. "I agree with Tigerstar." Was all she mewed.

"Lostface, step forward. You agreed to allow Sparky to demonstrate his medical capabilities upon you. Is this true? Are you willing to allow Sparky to attempt to heal the fur upon your face?" Firestar asked.

Lostface nodded firmly. The exposed skin of her face was taut with scar tissue. Her missing eye was squeezed shut, but it distinctly was an odd shape given the missing eyeball. I approached her slowly.

"Lostface, please lie down on your side with the damaged side of your face facing up. I believe in full disclosure. What I will be doing is applying a medicine to loosen up the scar tissue. I will apply a numbing agent before moving on to seed new fur follicles into your skin. Finally, I will apply a temporary layer of synthetic fur which should match what will grow in. It is unfortunate that I cannot repair your eye, but after this, it will be hard to tell that you ever had such damage to your face." I stated in a calm voice before beginning.

The procedure went cleanly. The scar tissue acted as expected and softened to near match regular skin. My nanobots seeded the fur follicles in to ensure no bare skin would remain. Finally, the synthetic fur was planted. It would cling to the newly growing fur as it began to grow out before shedding off eventually once the real fur grew in. Unfortunately, I mixed the pigments slightly wrong, so Lostface's new fur came out a tad bit brighter than I'd expected. The new fur was destined to come out the same. It was a brilliant orange that did admittedly look pretty, but I'd be more careful next time.

Finally, Lostface stood. She looked whole again, besides the missing eye. In fact, she looked distinct with that new bright orange patch of fur. It was almost as if a sunrise had replaced the once bare skin. Cloudtail stepped forward almost in a daze before complimenting her on her new look.

The leaders exchanged words briefly before looking down upon me.

"We, the leaders of the clans have come to an agreement. We will allow you to move freely after you swear your loyalty to the clans as a whole and swear to not take sides." Firestar ordered.

I sat straight as I gave my oath. "I, Sparky, swear to heal all those I am capable of. I will not raise my claws against any clan cat regardless of the situation. I swear to aid the clans as permitted until such a time as either the leaders retire me from duty or I cease to function. Should I break this oath, may I be driven away to never return."

They accepted my oath with a nod. I was giddy to see what the rest of the clans had in store for me, but unfortunately my oath only proved an opener for this Gathering.

Chapter Text

Is there a proper term for when one is looked upon with a deep hunger, a desire for you in a ravenous, exploitative, but not sexual way? If so, than that word would best fit what I saw from Tigerstar. Even from such a distance as the top the Great Rock, I could still give a basic read out on his physical condition. His eyes were slightly dilated, an indicator of obvious interest. His muscles were slightly tense, as if he wanted to pounce. Did you know that perspiration can also be used to detect interest or affection? This is because interest can cause an adrenaline surge. For humans, this causes effects like clammy hands, an altered sense of time, a reactionary fight or flight response toned on the severity of the interest. For a cat like Tigerstar, he sweat. His body would overheat slightly, and in response, he'd perspire to remain cool.

From my time under Bluestar, I knew fully well the record of Tigerstar. He was an egocentric opportunist. The fact that he managed to get into the position of a leader after his exile showed both a drive and cunning that few could match. I was a golden opportunity, one he could not possibly pass up. I fear what one such as him could do with even a fraction of the power Sparky's mechanical form possessed, but I'd already sworn my oath. For better or worse, definitely for worse, I had bound myself to serve him in some capacity.

The Gathering took a sudden turn when Tigerstar moved forward to announce something. It was something that made my skin crawl. Tigerstar announced his desire for a total unification of all cats of the clans under his rule. This was the beginnings of a conqueror. To prove his intentions weren't just for show, Leopardstar stepped forward ceding control of her clan to Tigerstar, ruling the now combined faction as Tigerclan.

The interactions of the leaders has been recorded and will be played back.

Tigerstar: While Sparky's miracles will prove a boon to all the clans, I have a proposal to put forth that will benefit us all. As we currently stand, the clans are weak. We spend all our time and efforts suspicious of our neighbors. I say no more! We should gain strength through unity and decisive leadership. I do not stand before you alone in this endeavor. Leopardstar, you have accepted my request to unify our strength as one clan. We name this alliance Tigerclan after one of the great clans of old. And now we offer you the same. Firestar, I remember you once questioned the validity of maintaining four clans instead of cooperating. I now offer you the chance to follow through on that commitment.

Firestar: I may have once questioned the clans of why they did not cooperate, but that was when I was but a kit. You preach of unity, but I do not see it. Do you even see Leopardstar as an equal or she but another minion to command? You pose as a savior to us all, but you are conceited enough to name your alliance after yourself. No. The clans draw strength through rivalry. As rivals, we bring forth further strength to each clan. We learn to keep our claws sharp. We learn to fight. It is why we are strong enough to drive outside forces off. So no Tigerstar. You will not have Thunderclan. I won't even concede a single whisker's length of territory to your so called Tigerclan.

Tigerstar: You and your clan will live to regret that decision. Tigerclan will unify the forest one way or another. Tallstar, I offer you the chance to join Tigerclan as well. What do you say?

Tallstar: I say you are a fool. There have always been four clans like there has always been four trees. To try and change that is to invoke the wrath of Starclan. Windclan has always been strong on its own. We survived famines. We survived plagues, and we've survived droughts. We've even survived being driven off our homes. With all that being said, we will certainly survive you.

Tigerstar: Then we'll certainly have to put your claims to the test. You better watch your back, because I'll be proving the strength of Tigerclan real soon. Maybe once you've felt our power, your foolish bravado will fall away.

End recording.

It was with three of the four leaders lashing their tails and growling at each other that Tigerstar made another play, an effort to single out the other newfound boon to all the clans. He looked at me and made a demand.

"I hope you two won't mind me taking this Sparky on now. You see, we've got far more cats than you, and some are still recovering from sickness. Sparky did pledge themselves to healing as many cats as possible, so it would stand to reason that they come back to Tigerclan to heal all they can." He stated in an almost bragging tone, confident in his argument.

Unfortunately, he was correct in his assessment. Tigerclan indeed had more cats in need than the other clans. A variation of the flu was still detected within the Shadowclan camp. Riverclan was also showing signs of metal poisoning, likely a symptom of pollutants within the water. The river that was Riverclan's namesake was sourced from a freshwater lake several miles Northwest. Unfortunately this lake was a common party spot for teenagers. A mining site also up the mountain from that lake. It was a mining site for lead. For all intents and purposes, the mining site was within regulations and put out its waste properly. Unofficially, the site was close to a runoff point for when the snow on the mountain melted and ran down to the lake, taking along with it traces of lead and other poisonous metals. The ecosystem could survive the mining site, but it teetered on a dangerous edge that was easy to topple over until the river bled the pollutants out.

Yes. I'd have to follow Tigerstar back to his Tigerclan. That did not mean our research team would go without a presence within Thunderclan. Snowpaw is still an ESRAI employee and field researcher. I'd just never given him duties before. That'd have to change.

I found Snowpaw before I needed to depart. He looked fearful at Tigerstar's threat to the rest of the clans. I managed to pull him aside under the guise of needing to charge his hearing aids one last time.

"Snowpaw, I need you to keep it together. I know you've trusted me to keep you safe. That is not changing. Above my oath to the clans is my duties as an ESRAI employee. Among those duties is protecting other ESRAI employees from harm. Even if I got you the position on a technicality, you are my number one priority. Unfortunately, I will not be able to remain by your side to protect you. For that reason, I'm modifying one of your hearing aids to have a two way communicator. It will call me is you ask for Alexander. If you cannot get in contact with me, ask for ESRAI. This will contact the other researchers here. They are bound by the same duties as I am. You'll also likely receive calls and requests from them. Please fulfil them if you can and see no threat in it. If you get yourself in their good graces, they may be willing to assist in the coming war. I'll be back as soon as I can." I reassured, knowing fully well that Tigerstar would do whatever he could to keep my healing capabilities monopolized to his Tigerclan.

Chapter Text

Snowpaw: Blair, you said it was on right?

Blair: It is. You can tell because that light is on.

Snowpaw: That means they just heard me?

Blair: Yep, but you better get into your log. It only can record about thirty minutes.

Snowpaw: Eep. How do I even start one?

Blair: It's pretty simple. First state your name and if you know it the date. Then start talking about the clan. I've had to do a few for a Single Sapience test.

Snowpaw: Um… Ok. I'm Snowpaw and it has been four days since the last Gathering. Cats have been nervous since the last one since Tigerstar revealed Tigerclan. Um… What all should I talk about?

Blair: Well, you said you have a new mentor. How about that?

Snowpaw: Ok. If you say so. Ever since Bluestar died, I've had a different mentor. I really do miss her, even if she seemed more interested in Sparky. My new mentor does pay attention to me. Her name is Sandstorm, and she's the mate of Firestar. So far she's been having me work on hunting. It's hard with this white coat and my ear things keep echoing sound. It lets me hear, but some prey can hear it too, so I either have to turn them off or hope they don't notice it. I've gotten a bit of battle training, and Sandstorm says I'm shaping up to be like Whitestorm. We've been on some border patrols. Apparently, Tigerclan tends to try and rile up our patrols for some skirmishes, but for some reason they always seem wary if I'm on one. I do wonder if that is because of Sparky's oath to protect me? Either way, I'm still behind the other apprentices… How was that?

Blair: Pretty good, but I think we should cover some more topics. How about Firestar? What do you think of him?

Snowpaw: Oh. He's pretty nice. He doesn't seem to mind that I need these ear things Sparky made. Sometimes he even comes out to our training. Of course Bramblepaw is with him. Bramblepaw is nice, but he's a lot stronger than me. It's not all that fun to spar him when he can just muscle through whatever I throw at him. I don't want to be mean, but it makes it hard for me to like him. I do feel kind of bad for him though. Firestar always seems cautious of him.

Blair: Do you think it is because he looks like his father?

Snowpaw: But he doesn't really. I mean he's the same colors, but that's about it. Maybe it's just because I had to get used to how samey the Twolegs, no humans, get, but it makes it much easier to see differences in cats. Bramblepaw's stripes don't match Tigerstar's. The easiest one to spot is the one directly lined up with the corner of Bramblepaw's eye. Tigerstar doesn't have that. His lines up with the top and bottom of his eye. Tigerstar also doesn't have that M shape on his forehead. Bramblepaw does. Bramblepaw is also a touch more yellow than Tigerstar, kind of like his mom. So no, he doesn't look like Tigerstar.

Blair: Back to Firestar. What do you think of him as a leader?

Snowpaw: I mean, I don't think he's terrible. The clan is mostly working. We've still got patrols going, and we're all stocked up on food and medicine.

Blair: I'm hearing a but though.

Snowpaw: (sigh) I mean, he's doing the best he can, but I don't think we're prepared of Tigerstar. I mean, he's only a border away with twice the cats we've got. He's also outright said he plans to beat us. Meanwhile Firestar is kind of sitting on his tail waiting for it to blow over. Even I can tell it's not. Something must be done, but I haven't a clue what. Any day now Tigerstar could decide to come crashing into camp, and we wouldn't be able to stop him. Honestly, I'm scared. I want some kind of plan, anything to tell me it'll be ok.

Blair: If you're scared, you can always return to the research base. We could guarantee your safety.

Snowpaw: And leave my clan and family to die? No. I've… I've got to be brave, like Sparky. Sparky risked his status just to get me home. I can't just give it up like that when he risked it all for me. Could… Could the research team deal with Tigerstar?

Blair: (sigh) There's certain things we're not allowed to do. The most important one is that we can't interfere with the politics of our subjects. You kind of get a bye since this is your birthplace, but the rest of us don't Sparky is already out on a limb by providing the clans medical aid. He's only getting away with it since he's technically a neutral party. Unfortunately, the clans will have to deal with Tigerstar on their own. Just know if your life is at risk, we will pull you out. You are protected as an ESRAI employee.

Snowpaw: Speaking of healing, Sparky said something about getting better healing abilities if he was allowed to treat all the clans.

Blair: Yep. The research team will be receiving a medical suite within the week. It has got a surgery bot that is quite frankly kind of scary, but Hughes showed me a video of it in action. That thing is fast. It opened up this one wound, pulled out some chipped bones, and installed a metal plate within minutes. I'll let you know when it gets here and we can get Swiftpaw into it. Sparky asked me to message him when he gets here as well. I honestly think he's just excited to see the machine.

Snowpaw: So have you heard anything from Sparky?

Blair: Tons, and he has his work cut out for him. Tigerstar's training methods are making a lot of hurt cats. On top of that, the Riverclan camp is a pit of disease. What kind of moron decides to make a hill of bones? They aren't even bleached ones. No. It's just a refuse heap from everything they eat. I can't even imagine being near it with all that rotting meat. Sparky has been working day and night to heal all the cats who have been getting sick from being too close to that rot pile. Sure it looks like a metal band album cover, Annisa tried to get me to listen to one, but it just isn't sanitary. I gotta pity those Tigerclan cats. Tigerstar definitely isn't ruling with kindness.

Snowpaw: That light on the listening thing is blinking. What does that mean?

Blair: It means it's running out of space. We better wrap things up before it cuts —

Chapter Text

Currently it is 1:37AM of… Honestly, I'm too tired to check. Anyways, this is Alexander Goldsmith, otherwise known as the pilot of Sparky. I wish I could have made more logs, but I'm swamped with medicinal work. I haven't gotten a moment of peace since arriving at this Tigerclan. The other medicine cat is dead on their paws as well. The only reason I'm somewhat able to get away with it is that Sparky's power reserves don't actually pull upon my physical body's stamina. That does not mean this isn't tiring work. In fact, I am encountering mental strain from having to maintain such diligent focus of extended durations. Hughes let me know the new medical suite is only two days out, and I'm honestly excited, if only for the excuse to leave this place. I feel like a combat medic, always a stream of new injuries and illnesses and never enough time to treat them all. The worst of it is from that stupid bone hill. The amount of dangerous viruses breeding in that thing is ridiculous, and I'm not allowed to do anything about it.

When I first arrived here, I had hopes that things wouldn't be this bad. The camp was in overall decent shape, and there were a few illnesses and injuries to treat. None of them were too bad to start. I was able to use the remedies the medicine cat uses to treat their issues without problem. Then Tigerstar had the brilliant idea to make a bone hill. I will admit it does hold strategic value as an intimidation factor, but it also became my new nemesis. When you think of a bone pile you tend to think of bleached white bones cracked and dry correct? That was not the case with the bone pile. Instead, it was a dumping ground for the waste of meals. Let me explain to you why this is such a major difference.

Bleached bones are picked clean. Every bit of decay that was going to happen to those bones already happened. I wouldn't say they're completely sanitary, but there isn't anything still actively eating it. The waste in the bone pile on the other hand, is not clean. As much as a cat can try, there are certain bits of meat that always remain, remnants of muscle, fat, and bone marrow. The problem is that these things rot. Rot is the microbial process of small organisms breaking down material that they deem edible. Again, doesn't sound too bad. The problem is that these organisms can sometimes infect the living. With all the waste in one spot, it becomes a breeding ground for dangerous organisms. Even if you aren't just counting viruses, there is maggots, fleas, and ticks. We're already in a mosquito dense area. We don't need more blood born disease transmitters. I've already had to surgically remove clumps of fly and flea larva from several cat's skin. The only reason Tigerstar hasn't dealt with it yet is that he's never here. We've only got Leopardstar and Blackfoot, and Leopardstar is spiritually broken. The other medicine cat has to regularly check up on her to make sure she is at least eating. It's ridiculous.

Two days ago, I finally got a small amount of revenge. It wasn't much, but I reviewed my oath that I gave to all the clans. I am not only allowed to but dutybound to heal any cat of the clans should they require medical aid. Three days ago, Tigerstar imprisoned four cats for supposedly breaking the code for being born from interclan relations. Funny thing is that isn't against the code. Only the parents broke the code. Existence is not a crime. Since Tigerstar never exiled the cats, they are perfectly within my parameters to care for since they are clan cats. Malnutrition is a medical issue that can be treated. Thus, I am allowed to feed the prisoners and not even Tigerstar can stop me. Don't get me wrong. They tried, but Sparky weighs three to four times as much as a regular cat due to all the resources he's constantly processing, and he's far stronger than a cat can physically get. Thus, he could just push them out of the way. They gave up after my third visit since I gave my justification every time.

The prisoners, Stonefur, Mistyfoot, Featherpaw, and Stormpaw were largely thankful for my continuous visits and the food I provided. At first they tried to convince me to try and break them out. Unfortunately, I had to explain to them the oath I had taken in front of all the clans. I am not allowed to interfere in this, no matter my wishes. I am to remain neutral until such a time that the other end of the agreement is broken. They begrudgingly accepted my answer. I could at least keep them in good health for the duration of their imprisonment.

Yesterday, I finally got a bit of good news from Tigerstar. I voiced my complaint about the bone pile and insisted that my medical duties included preventative measures. Thus, Tigerstar agreed to allow the dismantling of the bone pile after he held a ceremony in two days' time. In two days, the prisoners would be released from the hole they were trapped in as well. What a coincidence… Right. Sarcasm isn't appreciated in these audio logs. Sorry… I just apologized to an audio recorder. I must be more tired than I thought.

Anyways, just because I'm neutral doesn't mean I'm not a gossip. I mean, any ESRAI employee is allowed to check Sparky's POV at any time. I am also allowed to send a ping if I see anything I deem culturally significant. Also, only I am sworn to be neutral. I couldn't at all be colluding with a certain unaffiliated cat whose name rhymes with snare. I also am not encouraging her to go visit Snowpaw and 'accidentally' pass along that four cats with relation to Thunderclan are about to be tried by Tigerstar who has a personal grudge against at least one cat related to each of the prisoners. I also won't note that patrols have been lax in the direction of Thunderclan up by the reed patch since it is a bad fishing area and has strongly scented mud. This is Alexander Goldsmith, utterly tired and somewhat delirious, signing off.

Chapter Text

An opening message displays with red text.

"The events of this show are not to be taken as strictly fact. Certain aspects have been exaggerated and dramatized for entertainment purposes."

The opening sequence begins. The scene shows a cat stalking through the woods. Over time, pieces are replaced with metal until the cat us fully robotic, IE Sparky. Sparky trots into a clearing with four trees. Sparky sits in the center where a red cross suddenly glows beneath him, symbolizing his role as a medic. The camera pans away from Sparky and begins to look towards one of the four trees. Sitting in front of it is a bright orange tom. The look the tom gives is one of benevolence and rulership. A bolt of yellow lightning glows behind him. Flashes of moments with the tom standing upon the high rock and speaking as well as brief scenes of him leading the charge into battle display in the lightning bolt before settling to the regular yellow glow.

The camera pans away from the tom to look at another tree where a somewhat older and lanky tom with a black and white coat and a long tail sits. A wind seems to rip through the clearing rustling the grass and leaves before a visible curly set of lines appears behind the tom representing wind. Brief scenes are shown of the tom running and speaking from his clan's announcement place. A brief moment is scene where the tom is bleeding heavily, but his eyes are filled with dogged determination before the scene ends, going back to the symbol of wind.

The camera pans once more, instead looking at a point between the two trees. In front of one tree is a hunched yellow form with a leopard like pattern. The faint image of water in emblazoned of the tree behind her. The other tree is mysteriously without a cat in front of it. Only the shadow of a cat rests upon it. Then from between the trees emerges a dark brown tiger striped form. His steps are slow but deliberate. The claws upon his front paws are almost comically long, but the click as they touch down destroys the notion of humor. The tom's yellow eyes seem to glow with malice. The symbols upon the two trees seem to be dragged together to appear as three black slashes, stripes of a tiger. Within the slashes appears the scene of Tigerclaw tossing rabbits into a pit of rabid dogs, a mountain of bones, and a brief flash of pale blue eyes in pitch black darkness. The stripes fade to black before the opener ends.

An avatar of Sparky appears at the corner of the screen of Sparky, somewhat chibi-ized. "You know, I never really liked that intro. I mean it is full of symbolism, sure, but it makes the clans seem so much more mystic than they actually were. Also, I never liked how they depict Tigerclaw. I get that the studio wanted him to appear more visibly evil, but he never needed to look Saturday morning cartoon evil, but I guess he does look intimidating."

The show continues with Sparky's avatar still sitting in the corner. Tigerstar sits upon a mountain of white cat bones. A dramatic flash of lightning strikes in the background.

"OK. Pause. I know this is nitpicky, but I was actually there. There never was a 'mountain' of cat bones. It was more of a small mound, and they weren't even cat bones. They were mostly birds and rodents. Also, that pile was most certainly not white. Bones don't bleach white as soon as they are removed from a body. It was more yellow with flecks of brown and red in the mix. I still have nightmares about that thing and how sick it made Riverclan. Sorry if this ruins the fantasy somewhat, but I was asked to honestly review these episodes."

Again, the footage starts. Two cats appear by Tigerstar's side. One is a dark gray tom who looks utterly starstruck at Tigerstar. The other is a mostly white tom with black paws and ears, Blackfoot. He appears more wary, but accepting of Tigerstar.

"Ok. Blackfoot was never that wary of Tigerstar. He was a minion through and through seeing as he was also a pawn to Brokenstar, but he did figure it out in the end once Bloodclan came along. Oops. Spoilers."

Below the bone mountain was a prison made from branches. Two indistinct cats stood guard. Within the prison were four cats, two adults, and two apprentices who were depicted as far younger than they actually were. The Sparky avatar rolled his eyes at the misrepresentation of the two apprentices. Slowly a metal clinking and slight whir sounded in the air indicating the protagonist of the show, Sparky, was approaching. His metal form gleamed like silver, and he carried with him a tray of food.

"I never understood why they always depict me as being bare metal. I have synthetic fur and skin. At first glance, I do look like a regular cat. Also, why do I have a food tray? It's silly."

The two guards step aside allowing sparky to enter the prison and present the prisoners their food. The prisoners looked extremely grateful, but they said nothing. The adult tom prisoner found a folded piece of paper, glanced at it briefly, his eyes sliding left to right before nodding and comically swallowing the paper.

"Now that never happened. The clans don't have a writing system, so any note would be useless. I also never tipped off Stonefur that someone was coming to rescue them. That'd break the rules of my oath."

Suddenly, the guards outside stand at attention. Blackfoot appears outside and opens the prison. "Everyone out." He orders, forcing the prisoners to line up. He then guides them up the bone mountain to where Tigerstar sits with a most evil look of condescension. Three of the four prisoners look at Tigerstar with fear, but Stonefur stands in defiance.

"Will you submit yourself to my will?" Calls a terrible and dark voice from the tyrant.

"Never!" Spits Stonefur in refusal.

"Then I'll have to make an example of you." The voice states before Darkstripe appears beside the tyrant.

Darkstripe descends with a mad glee. He is the Harley Quinn to Tigerstar's Joker. At first, it appears Darkstripe is toying with Stonefur. Stonefur lashes out, putting a scratch upon Darkstripe's face.

"Useless." Spits Tigerstar from atop the pile, signaling Blackfoot to appear. Blackfoot makes his descent, with the camera panning to watch the shadows instead of the actual cats. Blackfoot's shadow lashes out, and Stonefur falls, tumbling down the bone pile.

Suddenly, the sound of thunder rings out. Firestar stands proudly in a heroic pose before charging in. More cats follow him into the battle. Firestar and his cats liberate the remaining three prisoners before making their retreat. Tigerstar watches them leave utterly furious at what happened.

"At least they got that mostly right, besides Firestar posing for the camera. It was a fast hit and run that struck so quickly Tigerstar couldn't respond."

Slowly the scene shifts to show Sparky crouched beside Stonefur who has a large red wound on his neck. He was lying weakly but alive. The pair were concealed in a small clearing seemingly completely hidden to Tigerclan. Sparky appears to finish dressing Stonefur's wound.

"You got real lucky I was there. Since Tigerstar never actually exiled you, I was allowed to save you. Just rest up. I'll be able to move you in a few days." Mews the robot Sparky.

"Thank you." Is all Stonefur mutters before laying his head down to rest.

The credits begin to roll.

"I will admit that I did save Stonefur, but it wasn't quite as altruistic as the show implied. I honestly hated Tigerstar and didn't really see the reason for why Tigerstar was trying to kill those four. Regardless, it would have been against my oath not to save him. Stonefur knew that, but he did thank me. Honestly, this was one of those episodes done to drum up viewership for the season finale, but the clans aren't really complaining seeing as they receive kickbacks for allowing their likeness to be used. At least it pays to keep their territories free from human development."

Chapter Text

You know, I never really expected myself to ever work as a full-time doctor, but here we are. Ever since I got the somewhat mad idea to join the clans under the pretense of allowing Snowpaw to return home, I've done more overall research into anatomy. At first, it was simple, like, how do I not lobotomize myself with the ITS? I never really had the ability to maintain focus for extended durations. At least, that was until I somehow blessed myself with a botched ITS integration. Now, the issue itself was not the ITS I planted in my brain or even its connection. The issue was that the ITS was never meant to integrate with an AI. From what SP has gathered, the AI's purpose was to make Sparky as like me as possible.

For all modern AIs are worth, there are certain types of logic they just fail to see. Any reasonable person would take the command of be as like someone else as possible to mean dress like them and act like them. No. An AI is looking for the most efficient option that accomplishes the goal as possible. With the nebulous goal of making Sparky as like me as possible, the AI did not just stop at look like me and act like me. To its parameters, the goal would not be complete. It would only ever succeed if the end product was me. To it, the connection to me was a valuable asset in attempting to create me. The thing is, the human brain just does not operate on the same fundamental level as a machine. Thus, it had a different goal.

Those migraines I've had for the last several months, they were the AI trying to map my brain and learn how it works. This is when the AI started on what it simply named project Headache. As amusing as the naming conventions are, the AI did not name it as a pun. The AI was still learning the human brain, but it received a new directive to attempt to stop giving me migraines. The AI was not made to abandon tasks if they conflict with previous goals, so it started on another method. It couldn't afford to just stop scanning me, but it was more intensely scanning to fulfill its second directive as quickly as possible. Finally, when it could not discover more with just scans, it began printing the new robotic brain in Sparky for testing purposes. Neither the AI or I could have foreseen Bluestar's last gift. She fused the robotic brain with soul, hoping that I'd feel some more kinship with the clans.

The AI found the new infused robotic brain to be what it sought. It held all the functionality of a human brain and was understandable in machine logic. Finally, the AI completed its last goal and terminated itself. Sparky was always meant to be as like me as possible, but I never expected for Sparky and I to become one being. Even right now recording this log, I cannot tell which side of me is thinking of what to say. I can feel my human body the same way I always had, but I can also feel my machine body. I can feel each individual degree of movement within my motors. I can sense the readouts on my sensors. It does not feel as mechanical as one could expect. It even feels somewhat organic.

My thoughts, once loose and wandering now contain a focus I'm not sure is humanly possible. I know when I thing that my thoughts get translated into machine. It is so strange, but at the same time, I'm not sure if I could bring myself to give it up. Even now, I have a better handle on my emotions, understanding the source of my feelings and actively deciding if I desire to continue feeling. Now that I say that out loud, that sounds wrong. What I mean is that I don't get outbursts of emotion. I still feel, but I'm not sure any amount of emotional stimulant could cause me to lose control of myself.

You may wonder why I only make commentary on my condition now. Well, I've been pushed to my human limits from these continuous days of healing Riverclan's sick and wounded, bowing before what can only be described as a mad tyrant, and somehow logging all the data for our studies. I will admit I am not an unbiased source. The clans have become too much a part of me. Even if ESRAI told me to pack my bags now, I think I'd probably just quit and stay here. Not that that would actually happen. The data they are getting for this project has streamlined the new sapience assessment process significantly. SP already has a contract with ESRAI to use their new model of ITS in their investigations. The new one is a helmet instead of an implant, meaning removing it is an option.

I'm glad I've finally gotten time to get this off my chest. I no longer know if I am Alexander or Sparky, but I honestly don't mind anymore. I am both. Funny that I only come to this revelation now when I am actively giving surgery to a young cat named Swiftpaw. I'll cover that real quick.

Swiftpaw came in with three major spinal fractures and a misaligned rib. The rib was the point I focused on first. There was a sharp angle where the bone fused together improperly. Once Swiftpaw succumbed to the anesthesia, I got to operating. With my new medical suite and surgery robot, I managed to break and correct the rib with only a couple centimeter wide incision. Modern synthetic bone was used to complete the rib. Over time, that synthetic bone would be replaced with real bone growth.

The spinal cracks were a similar issue to solve. I did have to realign some vertebrae and use nanobots to correct some nervous damage, but it overall turned out well. Symptoms of Swiftpaw's surgery may include increased appetite, minor shakes while the nervous system heals, temporarily sensitive ribs and back, and an occasional tingling feeling in limbs below the sixth vertebrae. I am prescribing a week of bed rest with a month of maintaining only light exercise. I'll also be leaving Cinderpelt some anti inflammatory medicines as well as a minor immune system suppressor to keep his immune system from attacking the synthetic bone. He'll be more susceptible to illness, so I'll also let her know to alert me should Swiftpaw suddenly take ill. Otherwise, I deem the surgery a success. He'll recover about ninety percent of his previous facilities upon full recovery.

Chapter Text

Majority rule was beginning to be a major annoyance to me. I've not gotten the chance at all to see Windclan, and I'm constantly forced to provide medical aid to Tigerstar's Tigerclan. I'm not even getting the authentic Riverclan or Shadowclan experience. I'm not even getting a Tigerclan one. Part of my research is supposed to be immersing myself in my subjects' culture. Sure I've gotten chances to talk to the cats who come my way, but they're so sullen that to get anything about their livelihood is like pulling teeth. I can assure you, no one here is happy besides perhaps Tigerstar.

It was fortunate that Tigerstar pulled me away from my duties as a medic for a raid he had planned. I did remind him that I am not allowed to partake in interclan conflict, but he dismissively responded that I'd just be there to heal his cats should anyone get a bit too zealous. At least I'd get a proper chance to see Windclan's territory in person.

A day hadn't even elapsed since Thunderclan's extradition raid, and Tigerstar was already wanting a fight. People like him, well, they typically don't live long. Historically, tyrants with similar disregard for their own elite and soldiers were usually killed by a sudden assassination. I briefly pondered what means would spell Tigerstar's end. It's a shame that Tigerstar would never need to enter the city. It would amuse me to no end if he was killed by defenestration. Though, the whole nine lives thing throws a wrench in that possibility. I do not know its capabilities, but I was assured it would heal a leader from a lethal wound. The real question was what were its limits.

I pushed those thoughts to the side as I joined the attack patrol. There was an amusing loophole I was planning to exploit anyways. My job is to heal 'all' clan cats, not just Tigerclan. Thus, seeing as Windclan will have wounded after this raid, I'd have a solid reason to leave Tigerclan for a time. The joys of a poorly worded agreement. I had to actively suppress the pep in my step lest Tigerstar grow wise to my plan.

The patrol took off rather quickly. We had almost a full clan's worth of knights with us. Windclan would be outnumbered. The looks on these cats' faces told it all. They did not want to partake in this fight, but they had their orders. In their defense, the code that they've sworn to follow is not just a list of rules. They are divine commandments. According to them, to break the code could forever prevent them from entering their heaven like afterlife. Among these commandments is that the leader's word is law. I do have to wonder if I can ever meet this Starclan. There's a reason the outside world has laws and rules instead of commandments. There are always extenuating circumstances that may require the breaking of a rule for the greater good. Hopefully this is an issue we can address in the future.

I simply sat back as the battle began. I'm not allowed to fight, and I was making my stance on maintaining that position firm. Instead, I just watched as the knights fought. There was no honor in this fight. The attack was without warning and the targets were any cats Tigerclan could get their paws on. I had to close my eyes to the violence. I desperately wanted to act, but to do so would invite my expulsion from the clans.

The sounds of battle continued a little longer before the yowls of Thunderclan screeched out. The cacophony of angry hisses and snarls grew louder before an eerie silence muted the battle. I opened my eyes to see Tigerstar standing upon a young Windclan cat. This cat was likely just out of kithood. Then my audio sensors picked up Tigerstar's and Tallstar's argument. Tigerstar was trying to strongarm Tallstar into relinquishing his clan. Tallstar, despite knowing what Tigerstar intended, refused. With one swift swipe, he cut the apprentice's neck.

I moved swiftly. A neck wound like that could be lethal in a short amount of time. My duties dictated he needed saved. I sprinted up to the apprentice's side, producing gauze and bandages to begin my treatment. I'd need to act swiftly. Then I picked up data from Sparky's pressure sensors. A paw was trying to shove me. It was Tigerstar.

"Move out of the way Tigerstar. I am providing medical aid. I am allowed and even encouraged to do so by the rules given to me. If you continue to be an obstacle, I am allowed to nonlethally deal with you." I growled.

Tigerstar tried to shove me away again, but Sparky is rather heavy given all the medical equipment and raw materials he has been carrying. Without them, he'd probably only weigh as much as Tigerstar. I shoved him back, which sent him tumbling. Sparky's strength limits are far beyond anything possible by a biological cat. What I just moved Tigerstar with was about the strike force of a medium sized dog. Fortunately, Tigerstar took my warning and retreated with his clan. I could focus on the apprentice.

The apprentice was fading fast. I already send nanobots inside his body to stitch the artery shut again and was knitting the flesh back together, but too much time had elapsed. The apprentice lost too much blood. Either the apprentice would die from anemia, or I'd have to find a volunteer for a transfusion.

"I've healed the apprentice's neck wound, but he's not safe yet. Are any of his relatives here? I need a volunteer to give blood. I'll have to test any volunteers to see if their blood type matches this apprentice." I called out.

Tallstar quickly began organizing his cats. There was no shortness of volunteers, but after using my scanners on the apprentice's blood, there was a very real chance I couldn't save him. He had type AB blood, one of the rarest among cat types. I worked my way down the volunteers, looking for one who matched him. A, A, A, B, A, B, B, A… All the knights did not match. I was about to give up when an elder stumbled out of their den. He was creaky and old, but he volunteered all the same. I scanned him. AB. A match! I guided the elder to lay by the apprentice as I began the blood transfusion. I did let Tallstar know that the elder was going to feel light headed and probably hungry after this, but he was the best option to save the apprentice's life. Slowly, I pumped blood from the elder to the apprentice. The skin on the apprentice became less pale as I went. Soon, his breathing stabilized as his body now had enough blood to properly move oxygen and nutrients to the cells of his body. I removed the tubes connecting the two and thanked the elder for sparing blood for the apprentice. He thanked me as well. Apparently the apprentice was his grandchild.

After helping that apprentice, I approached Tallstar. "Do you mind if I stay a while longer? You've wounded cats still, and I'd like to provide whatever aid I can." I mewed.

Tallstar gratefully nodded at me as he gave his response. "Stay as long as you like. You've saved a life today that we were sure was gone. Letting you stick around is the least we can do. You've earned Windclan's trust."

Chapter Text

I was there when we drove Tigerclan from Windclan's home. I was there to see what Tigerstar did to that Windclan apprentice, and it sickens me. It sickens me that no one was able to act, all too scared by Tigerstar's posturing and size. It's almost funny that the only one that did was the one not allowed to fight. Sparky is different than any cat I know. I could probably say the same for Blair as well.

I have noticed a feeling that has been growing within me the longer I have been back in Thunderclan. It is not a pleasant feeling. I may have been born Thunderclan, but it doesn't feel the same as when I was a kit. I train as an apprentice now, but I don't really have friends here. Don't get me wrong. The other apprentices try, but we just don't click. I don't even feel a particularly strong connection to my mentor. She teaches me well, but I just don't feel any sense of kinship with her. Not like Sparky and Blair.

My world is very much different than any other apprentice's. Every other apprentice longs for the day they receive their warrior name. Me, not so much. It isn't even because of fear of what being a warrior entails. No. It is the oath of fealty that bugs me the most. Can I even really call myself Thunderclan when I know there are others I serve with higher power? I mean, I serve ESRAI first because what they are doing will benefit all the clans.

Just speaking it out loud, it is becoming clearer to me. The day that hawk grabbed me, my world changed. The kit who simply knew of Thunderclan died that day. I took his place. Under my insistence, they took me back here to my birthplace, but I've come to realize it isn't my home. I watch the other apprentices enthuse about the prey they've caught and the battles they want to fight, but that's not what I'm interested in. What I enjoyed were my chats with Blair and Sparky, where we'd view the various other people's lives and try and empathize. I miss being able to watch videos of the other clans' comings and goings, discussing how similar and yet different we are. I miss getting excited for their victories and failures, and then watching the same thing again from another's perspective. I miss Sparky's slightly whirring voice as he excitedly chattered about something I thought common and small that he thought meant a world of difference. I miss his analytical nature that easily peters out into an emotional goofball. I miss his enthusiasm to greet every day with a sharp sense of interest, taking everything in. I still get the company of Blair every once and a while, and I get that taste of the place I once was. Blair is plenty different than Sparky, but I can still feel the fascination she feels when she talks to me and Thunderclan. Even as an adult, she still wants to learn.

Listening back to what I just said, I realize I miss Sparky the most. He was the one who saved me from the hawk. Even when he couldn't understand me, he took careful care of me. He helped me to acclimate to his world and even gave me the gift of hearing again. I think the part I liked the most was that he wanted to learn from me. I may have just been a kit, but he still looked to me to better himself, the project, and my world. He took interest in what I said, no matter how mundane. He'd ask my thoughts on things, even if he knew them far better than I. He never chastised me for having specific thoughts or asking questions. He took them all seriously, addressing my thoughts and even trying to figure out where my thoughts originated from. Blair is somewhat similar to Sparky. She listens to me and sometimes takes interest, but sometimes she, just like many cats here in Thundercla, dismisses my thoughts as just kittish.

That's my biggest gripe with being here. I am an apprentice, meant to learn. I look to the adults here, and there's just this level of apathy. They don't care to know or learn anymore. They've become set in their ways, unmoving and unchanging. If I asked one of them what they thought Windclan was like, they'd always say some variation of they're fast, flighty, and somehow always put in some kind of jab to claim Thunderclan is superior by all means. If I asked about Tigerclan, they'd always go on about the evil of Tigerstar for killing a deputy and what he did to the clan, never mentioning the toxic nature of forcing two largely stubborn and incongruous clans to operate under one ruler. They don't care about the cats of Shadowclan and Riverclan. They only care about how Tigerstar breaks the code. It's somewhat sickening to hear those around me talk that way. They've given up all instincts of right and wrong in trade for a vague code that half the time they'd discard on a whim. They're fiercely loyal to their clan alone.

Sparky, Blair, and the rest of ESRAI are different. While we have rules, they don't dictate how we need to act. Instead, we rely upon our own sensibilities and moral code to decide how to act. When Tigerstar held that apprentice down and tried to kill him, I got to witness the true nature of many of the cats here I thought honorable. Any one of us could have acted, charged Tigerstar down and tried to take him down, but no one did. I saw how they looked upon the pinned apprentice. There was not a care in their eyes. Why would they care? The apprentice wasn't Thunderclan. To them, he was an other, a being that while intelligent was not worth the effort to preserve. Windclan may have been forced not to act, but the warriors of Thunderclan I saw chose not to act. It was only at Firestar's order that we even bothered to rescue Windclan at all.

Despite everything, I do not begrudge Thunderclan for how it behaves. They act how they were taught to. Me, I don't really fit in anymore. I was by Sparky's side when he joined us in the clans. Even when training under Bluestar, he never lost his compassion for others, be it Thunderclan or other clan. That's why I strive to be like him. I want to care for others and empathize with them. Thunderclan has taught me how to survive and fight, but there's more that I desire. I want to heal like Sparky. I want to travel and learn. I think I'll let Firestar know my revelation, that I find myself not as Thunderclan, but rather as a member of Sparky's research team and, if I can term it as such, his clan.

Chapter Text

It was a shame that the full moon was upon us again. I knew I'd be forced to attend, meaning I'd fall right back into Tigerstar's paws again. I'd hardly gotten any conclusive studies done on Windclan's culture. My oath was coming back to bite me.

Solemnly I followed Windclan out. I just knew today would be my last with them for a while. It wasn't long before we were withing the Fourtrees. This meeting was unlike any other. Most clan meetings have a time period to gossip before the major news of the month was announced. Today proved to be an exception. Tigerstar immediately took his position upon the Great Rock, forcing the other clan leaders to match him. That's when things started to take a turn.

My audio sensors suddenly picked up unusual movement from the bushes behind the Great Rock. I immediately began parsing out Tigerstar's ongoing rant in favor of trying to get a bead on the unknown movement. At the same time, I began combing the area's visual feed from my few mounted cameras, trying to spot something amiss. Finally, I found something. There were cats coming, but… they weren't in my records. I double and triple checked, but these cats weren't affiliated with the clans.

Then I picked up even more movement. There were even more. In fact, there were possibly enough cats to match the clans in number. It was like an army. Most of these outsiders were adorned with cat collars spiked with miscellaneous bone fragments, namely teeth. Maybe it was an indication of a tribal culture, or it could be a primitive armor meant to prevent neck biting much like a wolf collar.

I also noticed another interesting and somewhat disturbing piece of equipment for these cats. A few seemed to have primitive augmentations. This was mainly dog teeth haphazardly impaled upon their existing claws, creating something like extensions. In comparison to a standard cat's claws which can be a bit over a centimeter in length, some of these weaponized teeth were in sizes upwards to an inch and a half. They were likely highly uncomfortable and only worn for battle use. Seeing these invaders I had to wonder how I missed them. From what I could spy on them through my cameras, they seemed more technologically advanced than the clan cats, but some had infected scratches and fleas crawling around their coat. Did they lack the understanding of medicine, or did they just lack the resources? Regardless, these cats were armed and dangerous.

Tigerstar regained my focus just in time for Windclan and Shadowclna to cede themselves from Tigerstar's control. He was none too happy about that. He signaled to the buses behind him, allowing one of the rogues to take a position on the Great Rock. This tom was tiny. He must be suffering from some equivalent to dwarfism. Despite his size, he had well defined muscles and piercing icy eyes. This cat was a threat just like his name implied, Scourge.

More rogues made their appearance as Tigerstar introduced this rogue band as Bloodclan. For the record, Bloodclan is not a clan recognized by the forest clans, thus I hold no agreement with them. Tigerstar smiled smugly as the clans began to panic. That's when things started to against him. Firestar began to verbally out Tigerstar for all his betrayals and his ambitious nature. Despite Tigerstar's protests, Scourge nodded along as he heard the entirety of Tigerstar's treachery. Then, Scourge took the reins, claiming that he needed time to think on Tigerstar's character and that no battle would occur.

Tigerstar did not take too well to Scourge's announcement. In fact, he raged. With a flying leap, Tigerstar attempted to attack Scourge, but Scourge had been prepared. In a calculated reversal, Scourge slipped under Tigerstar's attack, dug his claws into the point just below Tigerstar's ribs, and let Tigerstar's momentum do the rest.

I found myself bounding for the Great Rock, regardless of the threat. I had my oath. I had to save him if possible. Soon, I found myself staring at the thrashing form. My processers were on overdrive as I ran high level medical scans in seconds. Tigerstar. Current injuries: disembowelment, major bleeding, punctured stomach, intestinal tearing, punctured liver. Chance of survival: 0%. Tigerstar began to pass away before he somehow thrashed to life again, forcing me to scan again. Current injuries: disembowelment, major bleeding, punctured stomach, intestinal tearing. Chance of survival: 0%.

Recalculating. Current injuries: disembowelment, major bleeding, punctured stomach, minor intestinal tearing. Chance of survival: 0%.

Recalculating. Current injuries: disembowelment, major bleeding, punctured stomach. Chance of survival: 0%.

Recalculating. Current injuries: disembowelment, major bleeding, punctured stomach. Chance of survival: 0%.

Recalculating. Current injuries: disembowelment, major bleeding, damaged stomach. Chance of survival: 0%.

Recalculating. Current injuries: disembowelment, major bleeding. Chance of survival: 0%.

Recalculating. Current injuries: disembowelment, major bleeding. Chance of survival: 0%.

Recalculating. Current injuries: disembowelment, major bleeding. Chance of survival: 0%.

He went still for the final time. He was dead, and I hadn't been able to stop it. I would shed no tears for the tom, but I wouldn't have wished the fate of dying repeatedly on anyone given the chance.

Before I knew it, Tigerstar's minion Darkstripe attempted to throw himself at Firestar in some misguided attempt at avenging Tigerstar. Graystripe, in one smooth move, slit Darkstripe's neck. My need to rescue kicked in. I ran to the bleeding out warrior's position, immediately putting pressure on the wound as I began synthesizing bandages. The warrior looked up at me with fear.

"You are going to be alright." I soothed, as I began the operation.

"No. Please don't." He coughed out. "There's nothing left for me without him, but… I'm scared. I don't want to be here anymore, but I don't want to die." He begged.

I noted the fear on the tom. He was in a state of extreme distress, highly emotional, and totally unable to take care of himself. I had no doubt the clans would cast him out for his loyalty to Tigerstar. Instead, I could offer him a choice.

"Then you don't need to go back. Tigerstar is gone, and I could do nothing to save him. You still have a chance. The clans may have no home for you, but I can take you back to where I was made. You'll be sheltered and cared for until such a time that you can either reconnect with the clans, go your own way, or decide to join our group. Does that sound good to you?" I gently asked.

He nodded, falling into unconsciousness as the sedatives I used kicked in, though Firestar and Graystripe looked none to happy with what I just said.

"Why did you save him?" Graystripe demanded.

"I upheld my oath to save any clan cat's life should I be presented the chance. Now I am granting him asylum. He is unfit mentally to be deemed liable for his actions. His attack was a purely emotional reaction to seeing his best friend and love interest dying right in front of him. I will be taking him for the time being, but I assure you he will not present a problem again." I assured, while hoisting the injured tom onto my back.

I caught the tail end of the Gathering where Scourge announced his plan to attack in three days, but for now, I had a life to save.

Chapter Text

There's not much time for us. Tomorrow, Scourge will attack, and I can't help but feel terrified. Since Tigerstar's death, Sparky has become more clingy with me, constantly fretting over my safety and how he was going to protect me in the day to come. Just yesterday he made me this awful thing to wear that he called gambeson. It is an uncomfortable feeling to wear something, but Sparky swears it will protect me from Bloodclan's claws. He said that unfortunately, he didn't have the time to make anything better, so I'd still be susceptible to bites. Regardless, I appreciated that he cared for me.

On a side note, I've begun to accept who I am. I don't believe I was ever really fit for Thunderclan, but somehow, I know that that's alright. Firestar accepted my request to leave Thunderclan in order to become more like Sparky. Unfortunately, that also meant I needed to give something up that I never realized I could miss, my name. I can't be Snowpaw of Thunderclan. Instead, I am just Snow. Somehow my new name is painful to hear and yet it fits me just right. It says I've given up who I once was, my origin and birthright, and yet I have gained. I was gifted the ability to hear. I was given compassion. I have been gifted insight to the wider world. I no longer see things as simply as when I was just in the clan, and it is somehow both wonderful and terrifying. I was cared for, and yet I was never considered a lesser. I may be young, but I was trusted and given responsibility. This is my proper place.

I told Sparky of my choice, and he couldn't have been happier. Apparently, he had been scared of the day the research study would conclude because he did not want to take away. He had plans to terminate my employment to ESRAI so I could stay here. He was willing to give me up so I could be happy. The honest sadness in his voice told of something more. It was something I never conceived of. When the study ends, each employee would likely be sent off to another research study, wherever their skillset best fit. The team that formed, the bonds they forged would be blown away like dust in the wind, leaving him utterly alone. Despite all he did for ESRAI and SP, his actions told of inconsistency and being too emotionally driven. He would not receive a new assignment. Just as he found us, he'd be digging through records and rumors looking for another potential sapience to fill the void. His only feasible companion being Blair, until I made this decision. I may not want to leave the clans someday, but I want to leave Sparky even less.

In preparation for the battle to come, Sparky and Cinderpelt have been tutoring me. I know I'm not going to be as strong as the warriors, and I may have armor to protect me, but I will not allow that to make me reckless. Cinderpelt lectured me on the various types of injuries one can sustain in a fight and how best to field dress them. Sparky, meanwhile, taught me about the various medical supplies he'd be leaving me and how to apply them. Despite Cinderpelt being the medicine cat, the one who had become the most used to gore, it was a lesson from Sparky that grossed me out the most. The fact that he gave me a tiny sharp metal stick attached to what looked to be a strand of web and proceeded to tell me to stab it through the edges of the wound, pulling the flesh together and tying it off, was disgusting. He made me practice upon his own synthetic flesh, deliberately making it not heal itself so that I could get the practice in. I actually threw up a couple times in the lesson, namely when I had to pull the wound together. I could feel the material resist me, thickening and thinning as it stretched and flexed. He made the wounds as realistic as possible, minus all the blood, but he warned me that in the real deal, there will be blood, and those I will be aiding will be crying out in pain as I do this. It made my stomach turn, but he promised me that this could and would save lives, so I grit my teeth and bore the lesson. Hopefully, I wouldn't need to use it too much.

Cinderpelt had her own lessons that ate up what little free time I had. I was led around the territory as she taught me the different herbs to treat wounds. She taught me of their scents, how to properly harvest them, and where they were likely to be found. Included in that lecture was how to find cobwebs and how to collect it for use. There was a reason to take this lesson. Sparky's medical supplies may overall be better than Cinderpelt's, they are also severely limited in used and quantity. Take the catch all healer that is bandages. The bandages provided by Sparky are just better at stopping bleeding, but, unlike cobwebs, they can't just cling to the fur of the patient. Instead, you've got to wrap it around the whole limb, ensuring it is snug and won't come loose. Then you have to tie it off. By that point, I've used like a quarter of a roll. We've only got five total, so I can't afford to use it on every scratch or cut. I also can't bandage someone who is going to get back into the fight. The bandage will just come loose, undoing all that work and reopening the wound. Generally, the cobwebs are more useful, if not a bit less good for dealing with bleeding than the bandages. Similar problems carry through with all of Sparky's medical supplies. They are severely handicapped by how specific their use is. The herbs just cover a broader scope of uses and are overall easier to apply. I knew I'd make use of both, but I'd have to be careful on when to use one over the other.

Chapter Text

Black Box Recovery In Progress

…

Total Recovery Failed

Damage Assessment And Reconstruction

…

Beginning Replay Of Events Leading To Failure

…

There we all were, standing ready for the battle to come. Scourge had his army, and we had our coalition. The local non-sapient species had the presence of mind to flee. There was only silence in the air as Scourge padded forward to make his address. Fur bristled at his approach. Despite his lackluster size, we all knew well what those claws could do. It is fascinating how such a small form can make such an intimidating presence. His eyes wandered over us, cold and aloof as if he was watching a particularly uninteresting nest of ants futilely trying to defend their nest from being trod upon. He demanded we either flee or die. We chose to fight.

The initial charge was furious. It was like looking at a battle of old as bodies met bodies in a violent crash. Screeches of pain and fury filled the air. For a while, there was a semblance of battle lines, but that dissolved rather quickly into a barely sensible brawl. The only indicator of friend or foe was if the opponent wore claws or a collar. I, at least, could participate in this fight.

Before this battle even had begun, ESRAI imposed upon me some rules. I could not go beyond a normal cat's strength or speed if I were to participate. It was an honestly fair concession. This was a battle for the clans. They did not need to be eternally indebted to an outsider such as me. The only advantage I would keep would be my metallic frame and reaction times.

While I was allowed to brawl, I mainly focused on rescuing whatever clan cats I could. Deadfoot, the Windclan deputy was entrenched too deep. I used my near indestructability to make some room for him to get out. Deadfoot briefly gave me a nod of thanks before retreating for some medical aid. This rescue did not come without cost. While my frame may be near impervious to cat claws, that did not mean the synthetic skin had the same properties. Swaths were ripped from my frame, removing many microscopic touch sensors and causing a flood of warning alerts to have to be processed. The sheer slew of information caused my head to ache. Regardless, I couldn't back down.

The battle was going on far longer than I hoped. More cats than I'd be willing to count I had to pull from the lines and treat. I dare not count how many actually died. I knew I could always look back and count, but I feared to look. I don't even know if every cat I "rescued" even survived my treatment. The damage I sustained and all the alerts was overwhelming me. I couldn't properly run medical scans under threat of frying myself.

I saw Whitestorm go down. The wound had been deep and jagged. I forced myself to run a medical scan to see if he could be saved.

Results: shredded carotid arteries.

Calculating Solutions

…

0 Results Found

Conclusion: Patient is beyond the point of no return.

My head pounded with all the information of the scan, but it was my heart that hurt worse. While I saw clan cats die here, it was a shock to see one I knew fall. Tis mechanical body could shed no tears, but I felt the grief all the same. Unfortunately, I did not have time to act upon my grief. Instead, like a machine, I rescheduled grieving for later. A chilling calm swept over me. There were still lives to save.

I bore witness to Firestar and Scourge fighting. They briefly looked evenly matched, but that was not the truth. While Firestar was faster, Scourge was better armed and his collar acted somewhat like armor, protecting him from a scratch that could spell his end. Firestar stumbled briefly, giving Scourge his opening. He cut Firestar's throat. Maybe I could still save him.

There was plenty of ground between the fallen Firestar and I. There were also plenty of enemies between too. I may not be strong, but I am durable enough to make it.

Running Ranged Medical Scan

Result: damaged carotid artery

Time Until Point Of No Return Is Reached: 32 seconds

Never have I strived for anything harder. Based upon what I'd calculated, I could stabilize the cat in three seconds. It would be a patch job I'd have to fix later, but it could save his life. I pushed into the crowd, ignoring the many new alerts ringing out from more skin being ripped from my frame. One cat even managed to catch the end of the cover over one of my cameras acting as eyes, pulling it free revealing a fisheye lens. It managed to lightly scratch the lens as well, blurring one eye's straight forward vision. I sealed the eye to prevent further damage.

10 seconds. I was nearly there, just a little further.

5 Seconds. Only a couple feet between us. Only one rogue between.

Unfortunately, that rogue proved just enough of a hinderance. I missed my window. I couldn't save him…

Scan complete

Result: Diseased

…

Recalculating

…

Result: Inconclusive. Ongoing faith events result in too many variables.

He was coming back! I needed to see… But then a certain yowl of fear caught my attention. It was Snow. I managed to get some height to see what had him distressed. He was not far away. A rogue had him pinned and was moving in for the kill.

Danger! ESRAI Employee In Peril

Overriding Limiters

…

Warning. Data Overload. Use Of Override Will Overload A Processor.

Risks. Damaged To Existing Stored Data. Potential Loss Of Drive 0.

Continue?

Snow's life was at risk and it was prompting me about data loss? My skull was pounding, but I had to make a choice. Should I risk this data? I scoffed at the option. Of course a life was worth more than whatever this Drive 0 was.

Yes

…

Initiating Override

Damage To Drive 0 Detected

…

Ignoring Damage And Continuing Override

I felt pain lance through my skull. I think I might have gone into a seizure fit as well. So that's what it meant by drive 0. Well, it was too late to stop now. Somewhere in the back of this mind, I knew the risk. I made my choice.

My metallic frame smashed through the horde. I was not holding back anymore. I needed to save Snow! I was like a small titanium bull, throwing cats left and right. I saw the fear in Snow's eyes as the rogue's teeth grazed his neck. Then flesh met steel. He went flying into a tree with a sickening crack. I now stood over Snow, probably looking like some kind of Terminator monster. Roughly half of my synthetic skin was gone, exposing raw metal to the world.

"Are you alright?" I asked the dazed and fearful cat.

"Sparky?" He mewed slowly with a tilt of his head.

"I swore I'd protect you." I answered.

Another rogue took the moment of opportunity, latching his teeth onto my ear, somehow managing to snap it off.

Drive 0 Critical. Shutting Down For Recovery.

As my consciousness faded to black, I heard a muted voice call out "Sparky!"

…

Reconstruction Success

Drive 0 Recovered Onto Drive 1

Chapter Text

As I sit here in this chair, I can't help reminiscing the one who always say here before, Alexander Godsmith, or as I more commonly knew him, Sparky. Even now, I cannot bring myself to remove the gambeson he made for me. It's got scratches all over it and a few punctures where our enemies bit through. One scratch mark runs the length of its collar, having saved me from a lethal wound. It was his last gift to me… No that's incorrect. The last and most precious gift was my own life. He saved me at the cost of his own. I still don't fully understand what happened, but from how Hughs described it, he forced his own brain past its limit to allow his robotic form the ability to reach me in time. He had a seizure and died in this seat, but somehow I know he was happy with what he'd done.

The seat spins as Blair leaps onto it. She's been here for me ever since I had to leave Sparky's body behind. It's funny. I remember him distinctly as Sparky, the healer and ever inquisitive. Blair remembers him as Alexander, the one who saw her potential and a trusted colleague. It has been two days since that battle, and we have not had the time to retrieve Sparky's frame. Alexander's body has already been sent off to be buried in a grove, where it may nurture the earth. That was in Alexander's will. He was utilitarian like that.

In front of me is a screen displaying a video, the moments before Sparky shut down and Alexander died. At the moment, it is blurred with motion and paused. I always pause it here. It is the moment right before he activated the override and gave up his life. I… I'm too scared to press play. I desperately want to see it, but I'm terrified.

"You know, I haven't seen you leave this seat since you got back. Do you want us to add a cushion to it or anything to make it more comfortable." Blair mewed maternally.

"No. This was his seat, and I want it to stay his seat. I just… want to feel a bit closer to him. I'm not ready to move on."

Blair looked apologetic as she answered. "I understand that death is a hard topic. It is never easy to see the loss of family or friends. I've lost my fair share of loved ones, and I can tell you that you never really forget them. Let's move onto something a bit less depressing. What do you have pulled up on screen?"

"It's his final moments. I've watched it about ten times over, but I can never bring myself to play beyond this point." I mewed sadly.

"That's not possible deary. Sparky uploads his footage of the day at eight PM on the dot. According to our logs, Sparky shut down at 6:30 PM. It would be physically impossible for us to get this footage without either Sparky plugged in here… or for him to start back up." She mewed slowly, comprehension at what the existence of this footage could actually mean. "When did you say you found this footage?"

"Um… Sometime last night. I was just looking through the footage, trying to get to know Sparky as he was better. This was the latest video." I answered with a stammer.

Blair bound off the chair, forcing it into an unwelcome. She pelted across the lab right up to Hughes, who was doing some basic data correlations. His face was somewhat somber, knowing Alexander had died under his care.

"Hughes! I need you to check on Sparky!" Blair excitedly mewed.

Hughes put a hand to his face, clearly tires and somewhat dismissive. "If it'll make you feel better. Fine, but I'm telling you he hasn't…" He started to say as the GPS tracker pulled up. He froze as he saw the current ping on Sparky's location. It was three miles out. That should have been impossible given that Fourtrees is roughly five miles out. Then a second ping came in. Sparky had moved. It should have been impossible. The last of Sparky's logs had him weighing in at 25 pounds due to all the raw material he was carrying. It was highly unfeasible for the clan cats to have moved him or to still be moving him.

Almost on cue, the fabricator in the lab sparked to life, prompting certain materials to create a series of objects. Namely, there was protein, copper, and a bit of plastic for the first job queued. The second was a bit more mysterious. It required silicon, gold, and some material that came up as a series of random characters. We all just stared at the fabricator a moment before Hughes' fingers became a blur as he cycled through the many trail cams placed throughout the forest, trying to find one that could catch a glimpse of Sparky and whatever was moving him. Finally, we got one that caught movement on the edge of the screen. A mechanical tail briefly swayed in our vision before departing out of sight. Hughes cycled again, finding a decent angle. There we saw him. It was Sparky, and he appeared to be limping along. His paw steps were unsteady and mechanical, but he was definitely online.

"How is that even possible?" Hughes murmured before a certain dark tom lazing on his desk answered.

"You know, things in the forest don't always like to stay dead. Usually, resurrection is limited to leaders, but there's some old stories of particularly notable warriors coming back to life. Maybe Sparky proved important enough to get that treatment." Darkstripe theorized.

Hughes waved a hand dismissively. "Unlikely. It is more likely that after Sparky lost Alexander, who it referred to like a storage drive, it was forced into an emergency reboot. What's walking towards us now is likely just the ARAI looking to get repaired. Regardless, this is good news."

Hughes had to cycle the cameras again as Sparky dragged himself off screen again. This time, something was happening. A Thunderclan cat, the one known as Cloudtail, made an appearance. He seemed to have spotted Sparky as well. He trotted over, and the two appeared to be conversing. Unfortunately, this camera did not have audio, so what they were talking about was unknown.

"Do you think the ARAI could actually hold a conversation?" I questioned.

"The ARAI is the most advanced AI available on the market. It can hold intellectual conversations and almost pass as alive. It's main drawback is that it cannot feel emotions. It can try to simulate them, but generally it looks pretty fake." Hughes answered.

While the conversation was not caught, I did note something strange. Cloudtail began to escort Sparky and appeared to have told a joke. What had caught my interest was that Sparky appeared to be chuckling in response, genuine chuckling.

"Can… Can we send a message to Sparky?" I nervously asked.

"I mean we can, but the ARAI is only going to respond to us informally." Hughes answered, but his tone didn't carry the same certainty his words did. "What should I ask?"

"How about 'how do you feel?'"

Hughes typed out the message, briefly pausing in hesitation before hitting the enter key. Sparky briefly paused on the monitor as he clearly received our message. The computer let out a ping as we received a message in return.

- Not as dead as you'd think

Hughes' fingers blurred back into motion as he typed out another message. "Are you Alexander?"

- Maybe.

There was a brief pause before another message was received.

- I'm not sure if I really am Alexander or if I am just an AI who thinks he is. I've never been one for spiritual theory. Since I'm sure my human body perished, I think we can safely say my life as Alexander is over anyways. You can just call me Sparky

Epilogue

It's great to be back in my seat, but it's a bit too big for me now. I can't really reach my keyboard and mouse, not like I really need them now anyways. After getting back to the lab, I managed to get myself fully repaired. I can tell you, it is incredibly difficult to walk when you have all your touch sensors disabled and have to rely on motor rotation angles strictly. It doesn't help that some of the encoders had busted.

Bad news. Since I technically died, I'm no longer employed by ESRAI. Worse news. I'm technically both ESRAI and SP property. Better news. SP got a proper scan of all my code and, drum roll please, I am the first fully sapient AI. Though, this does leave a ton of questions as to how to treat me legally. After some back and forth, and a short legal battle, it was decided that I was a unique entity and was very much alive, even if I lived within machines. Since I am not a person but I do have sapience, they allowed me to designate who was my owner. Much to ESRAI's and SP's dismay, I chose Snow. This wasn't a total wash for either party since Snow was on both their payrolls. Under my advice, I encouraged Snow to establish a new research project involving the forest cats. They had pulled off miracles that should be impossible for their population.

Hughes decided to stick around to manage this new research project with his new companion Minion. Darkstripe and Hughes seemed to have bonded at somepoint during Darkstripe's stay under our care. While I can't say that Darkstripe developed any sense of a moral compass, he did perk up at one of Hughes' off comment jokes about taking over the world. From there, Darkstripe developed some kind of strange loyalty to Hughes. After a while, Hughes joked that Darkstripe was his minion. Darkstripe was so elated at his new title, that he requested it to be his name from then on. Thus, Hughes had his pet Minion.

While I couldn't stop the coming building project that would destroy part of the forest, I did get into some stock trading. Let me tell you, when you have the processing speed of a computer and the pattern recognition of a human, you can get really good at this. I created a corporate entity called Starclan Forest Reservation, and used it to purchase a large lake territory not too far away. The only humans out there would be a ranch that had been passed down in one family for generations. Sure, the area had its problems. It had been a fox hunting area for a good while, and its badger population was strangely high, but it was the best area around. If the clans ever needed to move, I had land ready for them.