Man regarded beast and beast regarded man. Each observed the other. The beast bore the traits of it's ancestors. Sharp teeth and claws. Keen predator eyes of green. It sat, unmoving like a solemn statue of Baast, presenting a regal demeanor. A sound began to arise from deep within the beast. It sounded like the hum of an engine. The animal's green eyes, met those of the man. His were quite unlike those of other men. Each eye was a distinct shade of yellow. His skin was extremely pale and had a waxen, almost golden sheen. But this was no wax figure. Although he had every appearance of a living and breathing person, he was not made of flesh and blood. He was, in fact, an android.

His name was Data and he was second officer of the USS Enterprise. And today he was also the owner and master of a particularly vicious beast, known as a cat. To own a pet was a quintessential human experience and Data was an enthusiastic student of this subject. He related to the story of Pinnochio and had the desire to someday become 'a real boy'. This android was an incredible piece of work. He was such a complex combination of mechanics, circuitry and computer programming it was very easy to forget his true nature. His programming included subroutines to emulate every aspect of human life. His creator had not forgotten a single detail right down to blinking eyes, the appearance of breathing and a pulse. And thanks to a highly developed ethical programming and a never ceasing curiosity his crew mates had come to accept him as easily as if he were a any other crew mate. But what Data lacked was emotions and he desired that more than anything else. To his friends his desire seemed a rudimentary form of emotion in itself, but Data seemed to dismiss these observations.

He was of average height and had a thin frame, not particularly muscular in appearance and yet he had the strength of more than ten men. His hair was dark in color and combed fastidiously back, not a strand out of place. His uniform was standard for a federation officer of his rank and position. He wore black and mustard yellow. He kept an inhumanly tidy appearance overall. At his breast he wore a badge with Starfleet insignia that also served as a communicator.

Emulating human behavior was Data's method of connecting with the human experience so it was not unusual to catch him clumsily and rather comically attempting a yawn or a sneeze. Data had no physical need to yawn or sneeze for he never became tired nor did he experience a cold. Most crew members found these attempts endearing and part of his childlike charm. The android was not aware of just how human these attempts made him appear to his friends and crew mates. Not the emulations themselves, for they were extremely forced and rigid, but the effort, the drive, that constant need to define himself as one of them.

Defining his humanity had lead him to this moment of 'man' and 'beast' one contemplating the other. A bowl of food sat in front of the cat. It was filled with food that remained untouched. If Data only knew how many cat owners had watched their furry companions turn a nose up to a bowl of what was supposed to be a most delicious treat, he would not ponder the issue so deeply. Data's positronic brain had access to an astounding amount of information and when he combined that with the ship's computer it was an inexhaustive resource. His processors worked to create a new combination of tastes with proper balance of protein and vitamins. Perhaps this would entice his furry friend to eat.

"Spot, I have created exactly 56 feline supplements for you. I have considered culinary appeal as well as your nutritional needs." Data looked down at his furry companion. "I do not understand why you refuse to proceed with the consumption of your meal." Data gave his cat a perplexed look.

Spot stared up at her owner as if to say, ' Is this the best you can do?'

"Perhaps if I add a gravy flavored supplement to the chicken and change the texture to a more fibrous consistency, an increase in gustatory appeal might awaken your appetite."

Data walked over to the food replicator and entered his newly gathered information to create feline supplement 57. He brought the new bowl back to Spot and placed it in front of her. She glided gracefully to the newly improved meal and nibbled at it delicately.

"Hm" Data observed Spots satisfaction.

Data watched patiently as the cat ate. While he waited he accessed resources that might aid the future development of new feline supplements that might tempt his felines finicky taste buds. Data's eyes seemed to focus inward. They moved rapidly from left to right as if he was reading an unseen text, at a phenomenal rate. Spot, having finished her meal began the process of grooming her whiskers, her eyes half closed while the loud purring sound continued to escape from deep within her. Spot was a picky eater from the day that Data took her back to his quarters aboard the Enterprise. He remembered the day he heard of the arrival of a litter of kittens on the Children's Deck.