"The AI."The AI. Check your memories." "An AI is an artificial life form capable of emotion, feeling and intuition, and is to be given the full accord and respect worthy of a fellow sentient," she repeated dutifully from her memory. "Pretty much," I replied, smiling. "Ready?" "I think so," she replied, still bewildered. "There so's much you want me to try and take in at once." "That's just because it's all new to you. Once you've been around for a while, you start to fit into your suuroundings, and they stop demanding so much attention of you. You'll figure it out. Come on," I said, reaching a hand out and lowering the protective bars on my side of the bed. She nodded and I slowly eased her down from the bed to her feet. "I can stand," she said. "Yes you can," I replied, smiling. "Did you think you couldn't?" "I didn't know until now," she replied unsteadily. "I guessed that I could, but I didn't know." "Well, what do you think?" "It feels pretty strange," she admitted, smiling widely. "You have a very beautiful smile," I told her softly. "Come, let's go meet your brother." Derek and I led her down the hallway to Theo's room. About halfway there she figured out skipping. At the end of the hallway she learned, painfully, about stopping. The wind whipped through her fur, ruffling it and making it fly across her body in strangely beautiful patterns that attracted my eye like little else that day had. She stared across the great plain that receded aspin from Marbletop range with eyes that spoke of great strength and long trial. |