"Elnor," a familiar voice said.

The young Romulan looked up in shock to see Picard, who had died in his arms just hours earlier, seemingly alive and well. He got up and ran to embrace him.

"You're alive!" he exclaimed. "But how?"

"Dr. Soong was kind enough to give me his synthetic body," Picard said.

"So what are you going to do now?" Elnor asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Picard said. "I suppose I'll get back on the La Sirena and see what new adventures await me. But first, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Elnor followed Picard into Dr. Soong's laboratory. There the two men saw an orange cat lying on the couch by the window and soaking up the sun.

"This is a cat," Picard said. "Well, a synthetic cat. Her name is Spot II. Just like the one Data used to have."

"She's beautiful," Elnor said. "Spot II, come here!"

Picard suppressed a laugh. "Cats can't be ordered around," he said.

"So how do you make them come to you?" Elnor asked.

"By earning their trust," Picard said. He sat down beside Spot II and started petting her. He motioned for Elnor to do the same.

Elnor hesitantly reached out his hand and began petting Spot II. "Am I doing this right?" he asked, looking up at Picard.

"Yes," Picard said.

"Then why isn't she doing anything?"

"She is," Picard said. "She's purring. Listen closely."

Elnor leaned down and placed his ear close to Spot II's head. He soon heard a faint rumbling sound.

"What does it mean?" he asked.

"It means she's happy," Picard said.

Spot II suddenly got up and started to stretch. She looked at both Picard and Elnor, then climbed onto Elnor's lap.

"It seems she likes you," Picard said.

"Her claws are digging into my legs," Elnor said.

Spot II sat down on Elnor's lap, and Elnor started stroking her. Suddenly he understood why humans (and androids, apparently) loved cats so much. But after a few minutes, he felt his stomach rumble.

"Spot II, move," he said. "I have to get up."

"You can't disturb a sleeping cat," Picard said. "What do you need?"

"I could go for some sushi," Elnor said.

"Cats will try to eat anything with meat in it."

"But she's synthetic," Elnor protested.

"How about an apple instead?"

"Yeah, sure." Picard got up and made an apple from the replicator. "Thanks."

After Elnor finished eating the apple, Spot II got up and left. Elnor was sad to see her go, but now he knew better than to try calling her back.

"Picard," Elnor said, "when we go back to the La Sirena, do you think we could take Spot II with us?"

"You'd have to ask Dr. Soong," Picard said. "I doubt he'd approve. Humans get rather attached to their cats."

"Never mind," Elnor said sadly. "She's not a real cat anyway."

"I'm real, aren't I?"

"Of course," Elnor said.

"Then so is Spot II." He smiled at Elnor. "You know, synthetics are made in pairs. So there must be another one around here somewhere."

Elnor grinned. "You think Dr. Soong would let us take her?"

"Well, we could be going into danger," Picard said. "But I have been missing Number One. And we wouldn't have to worry about allergies, or feeding, or a litter box... "

"But she could still dig into people's legs with her sharp claws," Elnor added.

"True," Picard said. "She'd be your responsibility. But I can't think of anyone better able to handle it."

Elnor smiled. "I'm ready."