The room rang with the sound of multiple voices objecting to Tara's bombshell.
"I still don't like that idea!" T-Bone said hotly.
Razor didn't comment. He didn't like the idea much but felt the Arcanian's were right about dealing with the Pastmaster.
"And I'm in agreement with you, SWAT Kat!" Feral interjected angrily, surprising everyone by siding with his antagonist.
"Everyone, please calm down." Tara said, raising her voice above the din.
It took several more minutes before anyone was willing to listen but finally order was regained though grumbles of unhappiness could still be heard.
"Your objections were noted earlier Commander and T-Bone but again, though you are only looking out for Ms. Briggs' welfare, the option to do this is still hers." Tara said firmly then turned to the Deputy Mayor.
"What we propose is taking you aboard our ship and having our medical staff do a thorough genetic profile on you. We want to see if our guess is correct that you are a descendent of Queen Callista then determine if you have a magical core." She explained.
Callie blinked at her in bewilderment. Everything was happening fast and she was having trouble following it. She chewed her lip and focused on what Tara was saying. She had to admit to being pleased by Feral's and T-Bone's desire to protect her, but the alien she wolf was right, it was her choice not theirs. And, anyway, sometimes she really got annoyed by the over protectiveness of the males surrounding her.
"So, if I have a magical core then what happens?" She asked hesitantly.
"We have magic workers aboard ship that will help you learn to utilize your magical core so that you'll be able to cast the required spell. There is one other thing that must be done to make this all work, however, and it's that reason your two males here object to." Tara said with a wane smile at Feral and T-Bone. "If you have a magical core, it is buried in your genes...dormant... and not accessible to you so we will have to use a device we have that will sort of nudge this ability to the active part of your genetic makeup so you can actually use it." She explained.
"A device? Is the procedure dangerous?" Callie asked, frowning.
"The danger, though small, could kill you but the odds are like one in one thousand. The odds are driven by just how much of a magical core you possess. If it is high, then the procedure will have a nearly ninety-eight percent success rate. A lower level might be more of a problem. However, that is why you would be given a thorough genetic mapping first before any of this is considered viable and worth the effort." Tara said reassuringly.
Callie leaned back in her chair and frowned thoughtfully. She sighed aloud. "Could I have a little time to think about this first?" She asked.
"Of course, Ms. Briggs. There have been no signs of the Pastmaster for some time so I'm assuming that's good news and we have plenty of time. Obviously, you are more familiar with his habits than us..." Tara said hesitatingly, looking around at the other Kats.
Feral grunted a response. "We never know when that creature will appear. Sometimes its every few months or as long as a year. He's highly unpredictable. However, it appears he's taking a long break for once since its been more than six months since we've seen him last." He admitted.
"Well, all we can hope for then is he will continue to stay away awhile longer." Tara said quietly.
"Okay, now that we have laid that on the table, we can let Ms. Briggs think about it while we go on to our plan to aid you in beefing up your resources in your fight against the other criminals. With Dark Kat and Dr. Viper out of the picture, there are not that many of high caliber left...correct?" Kam asked, taking over the meeting once more.
"Well you're almost right, there's still the Metallikats, Turmoil and Hard Drive but they aren't as heavy hitting as the two that are gone. Since the last two are still in jail and the Metallikats are temporarily deactivated, we actually have a decent breathing space for the first time in a long while." Feral admitted.
"Yeah, best news we've had in a very long time." Razor added with a relieved sigh.
"Good then what we suggest has plenty of time to be implemented. I'll let Lt. Donar take over this part of the briefing." Kam said gesturing to his team mate to stand.
Donar stood and glanced around the many faces staring at him. He gave Professor Hackle a warm smile before launching into his plan.
"I've taken the opportunity to get to know Professor Hackle. I'm very impressed with his intelligence, peaceful intentions, and, especially, his work in robotics. His long term goals of helping Kat kind with robot assistance is an excellent idea. I..." Donar began but was interrupted rather violently.
"Hell no its not a good idea!" Razor shouted angrily, jumping to his feet. His partner doing the same. His fists were clenched, his behavior shocking everyone in the room.
"Some time ago, the Pastmaster made an attempt to change our future. T-Bone and I were hurled into a future that had been so altered it was a nightmare I'm still not able to shake sometimes. Professor Hackle had managed to implement his plan to have robots help Kat kind alright but the Pastmaster corrupted it by aiding the Metallikats in taking over his work. The Professor had made the mistake of having all the robots controlled at one central computer core. This allowed anyone that knew how to run such a system to take over and that's exactly what happened. When we were dropped there, Katkind was being used as slave labor to build more robots. Conditions were horrific for the slaves and those who managed to evade capture. Feral and his Sergeant were the only enforcers still free and they looked haggard and thin." Razor said passionately.
"Yeah, it wasn't pretty and we learned we had been taken out early. We got a second chance to win and did but we left a world that was more dead than alive. I was eternally grateful to know that future no longer exists due to our interference." T-Bone growled, adding his take on the nightmare they'd experienced.
Professor Hackle stared at them with horror and anguish. "Oh my! I never dreamed..."
"No! You had a wonderful dream but you just never would let go of those two monsters and it was they that destroyed your dream." T-Bone said quickly trying to ease the older Kat's feelings of guilt.
There was a long, uncomfortable silence before Donor took over again. "I'm sorry such a thing happened, T-Bone. Now that we're aware of it, we can insure nothing like that will happen this time. My reason for pushing the Professor's plan is that incorporation of robots among your enforcers will help save lives and cost the city less to maintain its protective force. A central control matrix is not the way to go and I'll be happy to show the Professor how to do what he wants to do without the need of such a system that is far too prone to tampering as you learned by experience." Donar said sincerely.
Slightly mollified, the SWAT Kats nodded and sat down again while everyone else went silent as they mulled over the wolf's plan. Professor Hackle was rubbing his face. The story the SWAT Kats had told had upset him badly. Ms. Briggs gently reached out and rubbed the Professor's shoulders.
"It's alright Professor. You didn't know. I think it was fate that managed to allow us to learn a valuable lesson. It's a bit surprising that we have the Pastmaster to thank for that bit of wisdom." She said ruefully.
Hackle looked into her sympathetic face and sighed. "Thank you Ms. Briggs. I'm so sorry that had happened but you are right, it is a good thing we know about it now so the same mistake won't be made." He agreed quietly.
While they were talking, Donar glanced over to Kam asking his leader a question with his eyes. Kam frowned in confusion. Donar clarified by mouthing the word, 'Metallikats' to jog the wolf's memory. Kam's eyes widened then frowned as he thought about what Donar was silently asking then nodded imperceptibly, giving his permission.
"I know this is a sensitive subject with you Professor, but it is our firm belief that the Metallikats need to be dealt with permanently." Donar said cautiously.
Hackle's face showed shock then disbelief as he shook his head violently. "No! That's killing! They are sentient beings even though they are in robot bodies."
"But you've tried repeatedly to change their behavior with no luck. They are dangerous and unredeemable!" T-Bone said sharply.
"That does not make it right to just...dispose of them like they were defective cars." Hackle shouted, lunging to his feet and waving his arms in obvious distress at the very idea.
"Hold it! Hold it!" Feral shouted down the commotion. Silence fell immediately. "I understand Professor Hackle why this upsets you and even though I agree with those two about just how much trouble the pair are our laws forbid killing criminals just because they cause us trouble." Feral said ponderously.
Kam sighed mentally. His mate's sense of duty was what he loved about the Kat but at this moment it presented them with a difficult quandary. There were some solutions though.
"Excuse me. I have a suggestion that would solve this problem for you as well as the problem with the other super criminals. If your world accepted being a part of the interstellar community, your criminals would be taken away to a distant prison world for incarceration based on your laws. They couldn't escape and repeat their crimes as they have been doing far too easily here." Kam said.
"That's a great idea except for the fact we have yet to cross that bridge. So how do we deal with this problem right now?" Manx demanded.
"Well, by doing the very thing we had already suggested...beef up this city's security systems, enforcers, and prisons with robots." Donar answered.
That answer made Hackle feel better and he sat down to listen to how the others would react to his solution.
"I still don't like it since it really doesn't solve the problem of those tin heads." T-Bone grumbled.
"Unfortunately, that's true. However, I can aid the Professor in reprogramming the pair to make them a functioning part of society..." Donar suggested calmly.
"Oh, now that smacks of mind control, especially after the Professor just insisted they were sentient. How would you like to be 'reprogrammed.'" Major Linston said sourly. He hated those tin creatures too but he didn't like an argument that resisted destroying them on one paw but sanctioned altering their minds with the other.
Kam frowned. He couldn't fault the Major's logical objection. Personally, he just wanted to end the creature's lives period. The wolves were pragmatic people and killing to save others wasn't a problem with them...it just made good sense.
"No, I don't see it that way. What about all those Kats that require counseling for drug, alcohol, or other destructive problems? Isn't that a form of 'altering' someone's thinking? Only its called helping them regain some control over their lives. We do the same when we jail the guilty. We are trying to help them see the error of their ways." Hackle said passionately. "Well, what's so different about doing the same with the Metallikats? They have an evil mindset that shaped their lives but unlike a still living creature they cannot change their ways on their own with medical intervention so I must provide that for them if they are to be productive katizens."
"Well, I can't really argue with that logic, as long as the change is something they might have decided to do themselves if they'd had the choice. I would think they would need to be seen by a counselor anyway to determine if they had a choice what would they like to be rather then decide it for them." Major Linston suggested slowly.
Hackle blinked in surprise at that. "Well, I never thought of it that way but I have to say you may be right. Alright, for everyone's safety I will ensure only their heads are able to be active and if someone would suggest a counselor that could help them?" He asked.
"I think I might have someone that might be willing, Professor." Callie said thoughtfully. "Let me get with her and I'll get back to you."
"That will be appreciated Ms. Briggs." Hackle said, relieved to have this problem solved.
"Alright, then it looks like that problem is taken care of. Does anyone object to the plan to aid the Professor in building robots and having them integrate within your security forces?" Donar asked bringing the subject back to the main question needing answered.
"I think just like Callie, we need to discuss with others about this before making such an important decision." Manx spoke up, surprising many of them with his sensible suggestion.
"I have to admit, I actually agree with the Mayor. This is a big decision and should have all parties that will be affected involved with the decision process. However, I understand we don't want this to drag out too long so I suggest we set a week for making a firm decision on the subject." Callie said receiving nods of agreement from around the table.
"I concur, excellent suggestion Callie." Mayor Manx added his endorsement.
"Thank you, Mayor! As for my decision, I'll take a couple of days and speak with some people I trust then give you an answer." She said, looking at Kam and Donar.
"That's an excellent idea, Ms. Briggs, Mayor Manx, and Professor Hackle. Thank you for listening to us and being willing to entertain these solutions. On a final note, if you could set an appointment with the United Nations for my captain to brief them on a space station, Mayor, I would consider this meeting over." Kam said.
"Agreed. Callie will get with you on a date and time as soon as possible, Kam." Manx said, pleased to be done with this at last...at least for now. Perhaps he could get a round of golf in to relax him after all this stress.
"Thank you. Then we're done here." Kam said with a nod to everyone.
The room filled with the rumble of multiple conversations as Kats and wolves got up from their seats and mingled.
Donar went to the Professor's side to talk to him and to go back to his lab with him.
Tara was pulled aside by Dr. Sinian and Calico Briggs. They wanted to know more about what was planned for her.
The SWAT Kats were tired and wanted to just go home but Genus slipped close to Razor and pulled him aside for a brief moment's conversation. A brief smile flashed across Razor's face as the two parted company and he rejoined T-Bone.
Kam made his way to his mate's side but had to wait while Feral spoke with a few of his people and the Mayor before he was able to break free.
"It's well after dinner time. Want to get something to eat and perhaps make it an early evening." Kam murmured into his mate's ear.
Feral felt a blush rush to his face and other things heat rapidly due to his mate's very close proximity. 'Kat's alive! What this wolf made me feel everytime he's near should be illegal' he sighed. "Sounds like a good idea. A lot was covered and now it needs to just percolate." He agreed, leading the way out of the conference room then stopping at his office to secure any work he had on his desk, letting Sergeant Fallon know where he would be then leaving with his mate for his apartment.
"What was that smile I just saw?" T-Bone asked his partner as they walked out the elevator and headed for their jet parked on the flightline.
"Oh...uh...Genus wants to go out to dinner with me and spend the night." Razor said, blushing a bit.
"Ahhh, you two are really serious, aren't you?" His partner asked curiously.
"Yeah, I guess we are. I just feel so good around him and we just click so well." The small cinnamon tom said. "What about you and Tara?" He asked as they climbed aboard the Turbokat.
"Well, I like her a lot but we hardly know each other so I can't really say yet." The tabby said, shrugging his shoulders.
There was no more conversation as T-Bone engaged the jet's engines and went to VTOL, lifting off the flightline easily then sending it hurtling forward toward their secret base.